Anglo-American Comparisons

Things I’ve heard…

“When an American starts a job, they work as hard as they can to try and prove themselves.  When a Brit starts a new job, he goes around trying to make as many friends as possible.”

“In New York, you’re judged based on how hard you work.  In London, if you’re at the office every night until midnight, we assume you aren’t clever enough to manage your time well.”

“The English seem really low, but they’re actually a pretty content bunch.  Whereas Americans seem super happy on the outside, then you get to know them and they aren’t.”

“In the US, everyone loves a rags to riches story that goes something like ‘grew up poor, triumphed over the odds and ended up rich’.  In the UK, you can never escape your class and rags to riches is seen as someone in denial of who they are.  Take the Beckhams for instance.”

Photos courtesy of Froshie and Swanee.

Wife Cracks Down On Kiasu Behavior At Airport

Originally uploaded by * miQ

My wife just out-kiasu-ed an old man at the airport and deserves a high five. In an act that spells victory in the minds of many Singaporean men over the age of 60, ‘uncle’ cut a long line of people waiting at immigration with the smoothness of someone trying to shoplift an elephant from a store that only has one in stock. I’m sure he expected this victory to cost him a few rolled eyes. I assure you he did not expect what was coming. C walked to the front of the line and gave him a very public, raised voice, finger pointing, un-ignorable (he tried), un-placate-able, piece of her mind which showed the level of cultural panache that consciously steps on every cultural button necessary in order to get the job done. He offered to let her go first. She sent him to the back of the line. To use her triumphant words, “I made him lose FACE!” And that concluded our trip to Brunei. Which was lovely.

Allergic to Macau

My casino project in Macau is taking a serious toll on my sinuses. And while I don’t want to assign blame, I cast a suspicious eye to it’s rapidly industrialized parent to the North. At which point exactly does an emerging superpower develop the objectivity and foresight to see ahead into the bright future they’ve likely fucked up for themselves? I know. I’m a foreigner and what’s right for us might not be right for them. We had an industrial revolution too. You’re only returning to your rightful place as the centeral and supreme culture on the planet. And as such an evolved nation we couldn’t possibly understand you well enough to criticize. But frankly, the cultural disparity card is far too convenient and cliche a gesture to use every time you run out of things to say for yourself. Clean up your act people.