Thursday, December 23, 2010
Code of Conduct for receiving Foreign Visitors
This actually came late, but it suddenly popped into my head, seeing that tis' the time for partying, visiting etc. What do you do when foreign friends/ acquaintances visit you? According to boss, in Hong Kong, the socially recognized ritual is to bring the said foreign friend to dine at a restaurant. The host will personally make sure that the guest is well-fed, placing food onto the plate for him. Is there similar social code of conduct for Singapore?
I am not the most sociable person. Indeed, many times I find socializing with people I am not close to a big, fat chore. Especially if I have to bridge some cultural gap. While I speak Mandarin and Bahasa Indonesia well enough, there are still some difficulty conveying the more difficult terms.
Unfortunately or fortunately, I seem to have gained a certain reputation among overseas acquaintances for being hospitable and so get contacted whenever some people are in town. It should not be such a big deal, but I find it a chore to network and be asked for contacts all the time. Because there is a limitation to my network of acquaintances. And also I am not the most knowledgeable when it comes to sharing "expertise." Still prefer being a listener rather than a talker. Prefer to hide behind "middleman" when conversing to strangers.
I had also been sort of "betrayed" by some people I thought were gentlemenly or could be trusted, at least. Assumptions about my parents' wealth were made after sending me to my grandparents' house, despite repeated attempts on my part to tell them it was not our house. After the experience, of course once again I realised the need to trim away less-than-savoury characters from my friends list. I think business associates and friendship cannot mix. Period.
On a happier note, our housewarming day was pleasantly filled with old acquaintances, some of whom stayed till well beyond the ending time to chat about old and new times. I am one whom, although seeing the importance of socializing, have gotten too old or impatient to deal with the tribulations of making superficial acquaintances or those who require too much effort to get along with.
I am not the most sociable person. Indeed, many times I find socializing with people I am not close to a big, fat chore. Especially if I have to bridge some cultural gap. While I speak Mandarin and Bahasa Indonesia well enough, there are still some difficulty conveying the more difficult terms.
Unfortunately or fortunately, I seem to have gained a certain reputation among overseas acquaintances for being hospitable and so get contacted whenever some people are in town. It should not be such a big deal, but I find it a chore to network and be asked for contacts all the time. Because there is a limitation to my network of acquaintances. And also I am not the most knowledgeable when it comes to sharing "expertise." Still prefer being a listener rather than a talker. Prefer to hide behind "middleman" when conversing to strangers.
I had also been sort of "betrayed" by some people I thought were gentlemenly or could be trusted, at least. Assumptions about my parents' wealth were made after sending me to my grandparents' house, despite repeated attempts on my part to tell them it was not our house. After the experience, of course once again I realised the need to trim away less-than-savoury characters from my friends list. I think business associates and friendship cannot mix. Period.
On a happier note, our housewarming day was pleasantly filled with old acquaintances, some of whom stayed till well beyond the ending time to chat about old and new times. I am one whom, although seeing the importance of socializing, have gotten too old or impatient to deal with the tribulations of making superficial acquaintances or those who require too much effort to get along with.
Labels: Rambles
// posted by Jenn @ 11:40 AM 
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