The following event might sound very ordinary but I felt that it probably affected me quite significantly and helped shape what I am today. It was more of a continuity throughout my primary school life rather than a single event.
A very good friend of mine, Denie, spent 6 years together in the same class with me during my primary school life. We came from very different cultural background- he was from a Malay family while I came from a Chinese family. However, we hit off well and had many memorable moments in primary school. Occasionally, I would skip my Chinese lessons to attend Malay lessons with him, even though I've never pick up much from the lessons.
We did almost every thing together in school, from eating (I ate Halal food everyday) to joining the same Co-Curriculum Activities. Everyday without fail after school, we walked from school to Denie's house which was 10 minutes away. When most primary school kids would hurry home, we would take our time and joke and laugh at everything. He would either invite me to his house or accompany me while waiting for my dad to come fetch me. We were so close that his family would invite me over for his siblings' birthday party, which I felt was something worth noting.
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Edited 13 February 2014
Hi,
ReplyDeleteNice to know that some of us still have close friends from the other race. To be honest, it is not very common although we are a multi-racial country.
Having said that, here are my points for your post:
"We came from very different cultural background, he was from a Malay family while I came from a Chinese family."
- The punctuation - or : after "background" would be more appropriate since "he was from a Malay family while I came from a Chinese family" is an extension of what you're saying.
Hope this helps!
-Lye Yee
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Eugene, for this reflective post. Your anecdote reveals true friendship as you and your buddy bonded based on common interests and good feelings, irrespective of any differences in cultural background. Your story would be even more substantial as a critical reflection if you were able to contextualise your friendship a bit more within the larger social fabric of Singapore.
ReplyDeleteLye Yee mentions how such bonding is very uncommon in Malaysia. A pity that is seeing how Singapore and Malaysia hold so much socially and historically in common. I'd like to know whether or not you and other young people were encouraged by teachers or parents to bond with members of "other races (ethnic groups)" when you were young. Do you think there is a concerted effort made by the government to help people bond?
Hey Brad, thank you for the input! With regards to your question, I guess we were taught more on tolerance than on acceptance. In schools, we were encouraged to mix with the other races and there were no repercussions of not doing so. In the larger society, there's a lack of even such encouragement. So I guess it all boils down to the individual whether he/she chooses to bond with others.
DeleteThanks for the explanation, Eugene.
ReplyDeleteHi Eugene!
ReplyDeleteI think having friends of different race/religion when we are young really helps a lot in letting us learn. Because it is still a stage when we can be tolerated for making such mistakes, or forgiven to being ignorant.
I did not have such an opportunity in primary school as I came from a Chinese school. But I do have a good friend who is a Malay, from my secondary school, and I really cherish that relationship.
Smiles,
Gracie =)