Another Complaint from Indian FTrash

[makapaaa]

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Coffeeshop Chit Chat - FT Complain</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead vAlign=top><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>limpy lau peng (singaforever) <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>Feb-10 4:45 pm </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 22) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>44427.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>Is this some kind of joke from MM Lee's pets? What kind of language does he want? English, Tamil, Sikh or !@#$ Ah Beng language?
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Lost at River Hongbao
ON SUNDAY evening, I took my family to the River Hongbao carnival to understand and get to know more of the country I am trying to embrace as my permanent home.
We enjoyed it a lot and were really impressed by the decorations, atmosphere, cultural programme and fun rides for the children.
But amid all the fun and extravaganza, I felt a little out of place. Most of the signs in the food stalls and the price lists were in Chinese. I wanted to try the food but did not know what to ask for as I do not eat pork and beef for religious reasons. Even the compering was exclusively in Mandarin. I felt like an outsider, not welcome to join in the festivities.
I understand that the festivities are to commemorate the Chinese New Year, but in cosmopolitan Singapore, where people from various cultural and ethnic backgrounds live together harmoniously, a little sprinkling of English can go a long way.
Bilingual compering in English and Mandarin, and names of food items and price lists in English would have made us feel more at home, more comfortable and truly integrated.
Kunwar Bir Singh
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/...ry_633517.html

<HR SIZE=1>Edited 2/10/2011 7:46 pm by limpy lau peng (singaforever)</TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

 

[KuanTi01]

I honestly say it's not a frivolous complaint at all. His expectations are not that unreasonable, all things considered. Since we are supposed to be a melting pot of races, the compere should have enough initiative to note that other races also attend this type of gathering, CNY notwithstanding. In a multi-racial society, if one cannot be at least bilingual, one should not go on stage and be a compere.