July 24, 2008
News post
I read with some amusement an article on how the Beijing government has been putting up guideline posters to educate its people on conversational etiquette. Example, instead of saying, "it's over there" to the visually impaired, you should say, "You are wonderful!" (Now, where's the connection?)
This is in addition to a whole series of campaigns to educate/remind citizens to be patient while waiting in line, not spit, to practise good driving habits...
It brings to mind a mother who's breathing down her spoilt brats' necks only because they have a visitor coming to their house. Prior to this, her children are monkeys and she was entirely not bothered.
It, also, brings to mind another country, further down south from the host of Olympics '08. Singapore. Oh! That's us, isn't it?
Except our government doesn't go to the expense of printing out posters and tainting our garden city with them. We receive our share of 'The Citizens' Guidebook of What to Do and How to Think' via TV and printed news.
While I can understand, accept and possibly (on rare days) appreciate that such acts of tidying up your house and putting your act together are necessary, I think Beijing is really overdoing it. If I were a foreign delegate to Beijing during Aug 8-24, I would inevitably wonder if this country's entirely made up of boors and primates undergoing an urgent transformation to become gracious human beings. If I were a Beijing resident, I would surely feel very insulted by the government (like I sometimes feel about my nanny Singapore gahman).
The point is: education should start early and be consistent; reminders should be gentle.
Posted by 杏 cy （Jancy） at 10:20