July 30

Singaporeans

The gentle, quiet spirit of the Singaporean people consistently impresses me.  Whether I am in a line waiting for a taxi, in a bus, or in a public place, I find that Singaporeans are often silent.  

I meet the public bus on my way home from work.  That bus stop was shared with a school bus carrying kindergarteners.  As I waited, a little boy emerged from the school bus and was met by two women.  I watched the women greet the boy without a word being said by the child or the adults.  The smiles, love and the joy of the three people was obvious in their faces and in the shoulder and head touches that they shared.  I found this exchange somehow restful. 

Being an educator, I make the assumption that more expressive language is better.  If we encourage a child to express herself, often this verbalizing will carry over into a child acquiring more language, a broader vocabulary, and better skills at thinking analytically.  I wondered if there was more conversation at home with the Singaporean child.  I wonder if I saw the public persona, not the personal persona.  I am sure this will be one more thing that I will gradually understand.

I also know that in Native American languages often words are sparse and meaning is conveyed in gestures, tones, and stories.  One elder told me that the intention was to stimulate the listeners imagination so that they would form their own pictures.  

It is a puzzle.  Sara