Yesterday: people

(Again, I forgot to post last night, and I’m not sure why. I guess I’m getting used to this new routine.)

This is just a Small Thing. But I’m still going to post it.

Yesterday I had a few interactions with strangers — at the community centre, at the coffee shop (okay, two coffee shops), at a luggage store — that got me thinking. You see, ALL of these interactions were very kind, friendly, and cheerful. I was a bit flabbergasted by it all. I even said to my friend, “Maybe it’s me. Maybe it’s that I’m in such a good mood that everyone seems so nice.” She laughed.

I reflected on whether it’s Vancouver, or Canada, or just a coincidence. Do I have interactions like this in Singapore? Yes, but they are different. If I am going luggage shopping in Singapore (something I’ve done before), the sales person will be kind and helpful, but probably not friendly. His/Her goal is generally to make a sale, not conversation. Then again, the friendliness factor certainly increases at the coffee shops / cafes in Singapore. Staff there are pretty friendly — if you’re friendly to them, that is. Though I admit it depends on the cafe.

I am not sure how much of this is cultural, but I’m guessing a lot of it is.

I am also not sure if it is problematic, or not. I don’t think it needs to be. I am just making an observation.

And accompanying that observation are my feelings: I love the friendly nature of most people I come into contact with here. It’s definitely more conversational than in NYC, even. It makes me feel at home. Then again, this is my “home.” (You’ll notice that I use that term loosely; it’s the subject of a future post, as it’s been on my mind a lot lately.) So maybe non-Canadians don’t feel as at home with this kind of conversational friendliness among total strangers interacting over coffee, luggage, or toddlers at OpenGym? I’m not sure.

All I know is that I like it. 🙂 It makes a rainy day feel less rainy.