Intercultural Behaviour

In Singapore, we often identify ourselves as being a cosmopolitan and multi-racial society. Countries often label Singapore as the "gateway between the East and the West". Being the multi-racial country that we are within, we also integrate with the people that came from all over the world to work, study or live.

After knowing the context of cultural differences in Singapore, an individual will have to know and acknowledge the presence of the different people coming from different background with their own culture and beliefs. At times, compromising and a little 'change' might be healthy and beneficial for everyone.

Recently, a group of my friends and I decided to go for a short trip in Langkawi to enjoy the famous beach there. From past personal experiences in Malaysia, I realised that many Malaysian Malay locals are not fluent with English. At times when I go to places in Johor Bahru (which alot of Singaporeans go to), I have difficulty talking to the locals at hawkers or shops as they can only speak the Malay language. Knowing that, I started to learn some Malay phrases from some of my Malay friends in Singapore prior to the trip, hoping to have an easier time talking there instead of using hand signals or pointing to items all the time! So, as we were ordering dinner or purchasing items, I would approach the locals with my "broken Malay". As a result, the locals there also had a hard time trying to figure out what I was trying to say and at times I still resorted to using hand signals and pointing. When I seeked help from my friends and spoke in English, the locals realised that I know how to speak English and they started to talk to me in English.

Then I realised that the locals in Langkawi know how to speak English because tourism is their main national revenue income. So many of them actually picked up English to communicate with the tourists.

I think this is a good example of me trying to integrate into them and them trying to integrate to us. I think this spirit for trying to integrate others' culture is an important aspect as we are now living in a 'smaller' world with people from many different backgrounds.