Feeling Like a Foreigner at my Local Supermarket

[cheekenpie]

Feeling Like a Foreigner at my Local Supermarket

by Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss on Sunday, 9 December 2012 at 22:29 ·


This evening, while I was shopping in a large supermarket near my home, I approached a young, cheerful-looking man wearing the supermarket's uniform, hoping he could help me locate an item I was looking for.

To my amazement, he replied me in accented Mandarin, requesting me to speak to him in Mandarin as he did not speak English.

Luckily for him, I understood what he was telling me; but unluckily for me, my Mandarin was not powderful (good) enough to be able to describe to him the item I was looking for. I stammered in broken Mandarin and failing vocabulary, but failed to make myself understood.

In my frustration, I asked him the dumb question: "Why can't you speak English?" To be fair to this chap, this should be a rhetorical question, since it is not for him to answer, but for the supermarket to explain. The poor chap replied me by apologising.

To make sure that I was not misjudging the situation, I asked him if he was a student or an employee (I could manage that in Mandarin), and he replied unequivocally that he was an employee, not a student.

As this encountered bothered me, I decided to approach the Duty Manager to express my feelings.

When the Duty Manager bounded up to attend to me, I could not help feeling a sense of irony to note that he was non-Singaporean from India, though articulate (in English). I told him I met a supermarket floor staff who could only speak Mandarin, and not a word of English. I was puzzled why the supermarket would consider it appropriate to employ a floor staff who speaks only Mandarin. What of shoppers who do not speak Mandarin? The Duty Manager said he understood how I felt and would convey my message to the Management.

If I, as one who does speak some Mandarin, could end up feeling like foreigner in my local supermarket, how about those who do not speak Mandarin? What if I, needing help, approached a staff who replies me in (say) French, in effect obliging me to converse with him in his language instead of mine? I would feel at a loss.

Up until today, I had assumed that English is the speech of common usage in Singapore, in commerce and public places. Has this changed?

 

[WinneMUCCA]

Barbarians at the door.

 

[tualingong]

How come MIWs don't have this kind of feeling?

I approached a young, cheerful-looking man wearing the supermarket's uniform, hoping he could help me locate an item I was looking for.

Got people complain about good service? Seow!

This Char bOr Looks Chinese!! How come she cannot speak Chinese but Punjabi?

Majority of SGP aunties dunno English leh, how is she going to serve them if she refused to learn Chinese? LOL!!

 

[Extremist]

What happen if Giant hire the local uncle aunty who cannot speaks English? Is Jeannette Chong going to complain and break their rice bowl too?

 

[mojito]

Good to see she knows where the wind is blowing. Right wing sentiments are trending, and it is not just on the internet.

 

[winnipegjets]

What happen if Giant hire the local uncle aunty who cannot speaks English? Is Jeannette Chong going to complain and break their rice bowl too?

No complaints necessary as the auntie is spending her wages in sinkapore instead of remitting part of it to somewhere.

 

[batman1]

No complaints necessary as the auntie is spending her wages in sinkapore instead of remitting part of it to somewhere.

Not only in GIANT,even small toiletries shop in HDB heartland also employed Filipinos as sales assistants and cashier,made u feel like u are in MakatiLand.
Come on,ARE all Sinkees in sinkeeland dead already ? There are no more sinkees in sinkeeland ? KNNCCB to the Singapore Employers !!!KNNCCB to the PAP !!! These type of jobs also called Foreign Talent Jobs ???KNNCCB !!!

 

[Sinkie]

So many different alien races in Sinkiepoor, how to not feel foreign in own country?

 

[po2wq]

Barbarians at the door.

stil @ door meh? ...

inside own haus oredi ler ...

sprawled on ur sofas ... cheking n helping demselves 2 ze fridge ... making a mess in ur toilets ...

 

[Kohliantye]

I feel sorry for Jeanette-Chong Aruldoss for her bitter experience. I too share the plight she was in. I am sure many Singaporeans also think like-wise.

I fail to understand as to why those in authority to make such decisions to allow foreigners in to work as such front-line people never expect this aliens to master basic English (the spoken lingua-franca here) before allowing them to take on such positions. Even maids are expected to know basic English before being allowed to work here.

Why these exceptions for aliens, especially from China? There are so many of these people present in Singapore. You find them running mini-marts, stalls within hawker centres, selling vegetables at wet markets, working in the the red light areas, bars, night-clubs, massage-parlours, beauty-salons, sales lines and so many other area of work where they people have direct contact with the locals.

Many Singaporeans cannot speak Mandarin. Even if they can, they are not able to understand the way these people speaks.

Wouldn't it be better to put bushmen and women from the Kalahari in such positions in Singapore.

Commonsense would dictate that these people are liabilities here. We can get many assets from Malaysia and other ASEAN nations that uses or speak English.

These PRC people have caused so much problems here at assimilation and work. They conduct strikes, climb aloft cranes to make "HIGH" demands and conduct sit-ins. Even the smell of curry, which the local Chinese loves, put these people off.

Lately, the people from the Phillippines too have joined these disgraceful lot. They have openly chastised Singaporeans by openly ridiculing them on Facebook and even in public spats.

I feel sorry for our people who cannot understand the Mandarin language used by PRC folks and the incomprehensible English uttered from the mouths of Filipinos. Why are our people allowed to be ridiculed to such an extent? Singaporeans by and large are a descent and well-behaved lot. Many of them are charitable too. Our contributions have also gone to help those people where disaster strikes. Phillippines and China are good examples. Yet we get abused by these people. No one likes to assist those that bite the very hand that feeds.

As a visitor to other countries, I never behave like that for fear that I will return to Singapore in a body-bag. Even if faced in a hostile situation overseas, I would apologise to my tormentors so as to make a clean pair of heels from the scene.

This is our country. We have done national service and are here to defend our beloved Singapore. We belong rightfully to this place and are not like these people who are going all over the world in hordes and herds.

Please allow Singaporeans to get the self-respect that they rightfully deserve and not allow abusive foreigners to get away scot-free. We are a sovereign nation and must let the outsiders know that we will not tolerate such "bullying" tactics.

Any self-respecting PM will openly tell this people that when they are in our country "to chari-makan", they should, at all times, respect our culture and people. If they cannot do so, they should be declared "persona-non-grata" and told to leave within 24 hours. These people should be treated as potential trouble-makers and hence unwelcome here. They ought to be seen as a "threat to the security of Singapore".

Will the Honourable PM please fire the first salvo.

 

[red amoeba]

stil @ door meh? ...

inside own haus oredi ler ...

sprawled on ur sofas ... cheking n helping demselves 2 ze fridge ... making a mess in ur toilets ...

N fucking n fondling our babes...mocking us in rtn

 

[freedalas]

I feel sorry for Jeanette-Chong Aruldoss for her bitter experience. I too share the plight she was in. I am sure many Singaporeans also think like-wise.

I fail to understand as to why those in authority to make such decisions to allow foreigners in to work as such front-line people never expect this aliens to master basic English (the spoken lingua-franca here) before allowing them to take on such positions. Even maids are expected to know basic English before being allowed to work here.

Why these exceptions for aliens, especially from China? There are so many of these people present in Singapore. You find them running mini-marts, stalls within hawker centres, selling vegetables at wet markets, working in the the red light areas, bars, night-clubs, massage-parlours, beauty-salons, sales lines and so many other area of work where they people have direct contact with the locals.

Many Singaporeans cannot speak Mandarin. Even if they can, they are not able to understand the way these people speaks.

Wouldn't it be better to put bushmen and women from the Kalahari in such positions in Singapore.

Commonsense would dictate that these people are liabilities here. We can get many assets from Malaysia and other ASEAN nations that uses or speak English.

These PRC people have caused so much problems here at assimilation and work. They conduct strikes, climb aloft cranes to make "HIGH" demands and conduct sit-ins. Even the smell of curry, which the local Chinese loves, put these people off.

Lately, the people from the Phillippines too have joined these disgraceful lot. They have openly chastised Singaporeans by openly ridiculing them on Facebook and even in public spats.

I feel sorry for our people who cannot understand the Mandarin language used by PRC folks and the incomprehensible English uttered from the mouths of Filipinos. Why are our people allowed to be ridiculed to such an extent? Singaporeans by and large are a descent and well-behaved lot. Many of them are charitable too. Our contributions have also gone to help those people where disaster strikes. Phillippines and China are good examples. Yet we get abused by these people. No one likes to assist those that bite the very hand that feeds.

As a visitor to other countries, I never behave like that for fear that I will return to Singapore in a body-bag. Even if faced in a hostile situation overseas, I would apologise to my tormentors so as to make a clean pair of heels from the scene.

This is our country. We have done national service and are here to defend our beloved Singapore. We belong rightfully to this place and are not like these people who are going all over the world in hordes and herds.

Please allow Singaporeans to get the self-respect that they rightfully deserve and not allow abusive foreigners to get away scot-free. We are a sovereign nation and must let the outsiders know that we will not tolerate such "bullying" tactics.

Any self-respecting PM will openly tell this people that when they are in our country "to chari-makan", they should, at all times, respect our culture and people. If they cannot do so, they should be declared "persona-non-grata" and told to leave within 24 hours. These people should be treated as potential trouble-makers and hence unwelcome here. They ought to be seen as a "threat to the security of Singapore".

Will the Honourable PM please fire the first salvo.

As always, a well-thought out piece KohLianTye.

The reason for all these is very simple and it has everything to do with the GLCs. They are the biggest employers in S'pore and labor costs have a very huge impact on their bottom lines. The Government in wanting to ensure that its GLCs will forever be earning super super profits, have therefore allowed an unrestrained influx of foreign labor from the cheapest sources such as Bangla, Philippines, India and China of course. This is also why the Government refused to implement a minimum wage policy as that would hit the profits of its GLCs. To the Government, it is of utmost importance to preserve the super super profits of the GLCs as can be seen recently in the comments by Lui Tuck Yew that paying higher wages to bus drivers mean the commuters having to pay more. Even though SMRT is making hundreds of millions in super profits, the Government would not allow it to be dented even by one cent. In fact, all the problems S'pore is facing now is a result of this policy, that is, to ensure that the GLCs would forever be earning super super profits.

And the Government kept saying that S'poreans are choosy with jobs and so the need for foreigners to take them up. The reality is this. They offer wages that are so damn low that it's simply not possible for a S'porean to live on. For the foreigners, due to the exchange rate, they still have monies to send back home and moreover their accomodation and in many cases, meals are provided.

The GLCs have making so much money for the Government such that it is already addicted to it and will therefore not do anything that will wither away these profits. The GLCs are too entrenched in our system that nothing in the future will ever change.

 

[Kohliantye]

Thank you Freedalas.

Your inputs are very true.

I totally agree with you that the bottom-line is nothing but GREED

 

[watchman8]

I don't see what is the problem. If sinkies feel like a foreigner in own country, then no need to go overseas holidays anymore, everyday you will feel like you are on holidays :p

 

[TracyTan866]

I feel sorry for Jeanette-Chong Aruldoss for her bitter experience. I too share the plight she was in. I am sure many Singaporeans also think like-wise.

I fail to understand as to why those in authority to make such decisions to allow foreigners in to work as such front-line people never expect this aliens to master basic English (the spoken lingua-franca here) before allowing them to take on such positions. Even maids are expected to know basic English before being allowed to work here.

Why these exceptions for aliens, especially from China? There are so many of these people present in Singapore. You find them running mini-marts, stalls within hawker centres, selling vegetables at wet markets, working in the the red light areas, bars, night-clubs, massage-parlours, beauty-salons, sales lines and so many other area of work where they people have direct contact with the locals.

Many Singaporeans cannot speak Mandarin. Even if they can, they are not able to understand the way these people speaks.

Wouldn't it be better to put bushmen and women from the Kalahari in such positions in Singapore.

Commonsense would dictate that these people are liabilities here. We can get many assets from Malaysia and other ASEAN nations that uses or speak English.

These PRC people have caused so much problems here at assimilation and work. They conduct strikes, climb aloft cranes to make "HIGH" demands and conduct sit-ins. Even the smell of curry, which the local Chinese loves, put these people off.

Lately, the people from the Phillippines too have joined these disgraceful lot. They have openly chastised Singaporeans by openly ridiculing them on Facebook and even in public spats.

I feel sorry for our people who cannot understand the Mandarin language used by PRC folks and the incomprehensible English uttered from the mouths of Filipinos. Why are our people allowed to be ridiculed to such an extent? Singaporeans by and large are a descent and well-behaved lot. Many of them are charitable too. Our contributions have also gone to help those people where disaster strikes. Phillippines and China are good examples. Yet we get abused by these people. No one likes to assist those that bite the very hand that feeds.

As a visitor to other countries, I never behave like that for fear that I will return to Singapore in a body-bag. Even if faced in a hostile situation overseas, I would apologise to my tormentors so as to make a clean pair of heels from the scene.

This is our country. We have done national service and are here to defend our beloved Singapore. We belong rightfully to this place and are not like these people who are going all over the world in hordes and herds.

Please allow Singaporeans to get the self-respect that they rightfully deserve and not allow abusive foreigners to get away scot-free. We are a sovereign nation and must let the outsiders know that we will not tolerate such "bullying" tactics.

Any self-respecting PM will openly tell this people that when they are in our country "to chari-makan", they should, at all times, respect our culture and people. If they cannot do so, they should be declared "persona-non-grata" and told to leave within 24 hours. These people should be treated as potential trouble-makers and hence unwelcome here. They ought to be seen as a "threat to the security of Singapore".

Will the Honourable PM please fire the first salvo.

Great writeup!!

Thank you, Kohliantye

 

[cunnilaubu]

This is the second article on this subject I have read recently. The other is by gay boy Alex - Shoes and the public

 

[Kohliantye]

Great writeup!!

Thank you, Kohliantye

Thank you TracyTan866 for the kind compliments.

Its for all readers to share and understand the plight that all of us are now in.