Don't Hang Up and Sell

 

Really sorry I have not been writing lately. I dunno if it's a good sign or a bad one.

Good sign: There is nothing much to complain about local men.
Bad sign: There is just too many to really choose which one to feature here.

*Reviewing the previous entries...*

I think I will write about a general trait, to be fair, among local men and women.

Courtesy.

Even though our country is acclaimed for our friendly people, I still find some people extremely rude.
(I have to state, I am guilty of being rude at times too, so this is a reminder to myself to be pleasant when the situation calls for it.)

Today at the ladies toilet at the new office, I smiled at a neighbour who came out of the cubicle, at the tap. She just look at me blankly, wash her hands and walked away. And this is not an aunty, you know, it's an executive looking women. Sighz.

I think in terms of friendliness, we still have alot to learn, not just to be friendly with Caucasians, but also to our local people. Sometimes, we just treat our own people like they are a lower grade. I know that because I used to work in the sales line for a total of 5 years and I know how some nasty Singaporeans thinks they are more superior than the salespersons or the cashiers, sometimes literally throwing words at the people in the service line. Very uncalled for.

Hence, I have learnt to always smile at any person who is in the service line who serves me, and to give them the due "Thank yous" after a well done job. It's free to brighten up someone's day, so why not do it?

However, I do understand that we are not so open to greet each other with smiles and be very generous about our praises, given our culture. But we really need to try more. I myself am guilty of not smiling when people smile at me, simply because I am not familiar with this person and questions the intention of the smile. Sometimes, strangely, I will feel queer that someone warms up to me with a smile, I get scared too.

Yes, very contradicting.

I guess the best thing is to do is to be friendly. Even if someone thinks you are strange, the right person will know that you are not uptight when you are with him or her. Or the people who may be your friends will know that you are welcoming.

Smile today, smile tomorrow, SMILE everyday! :)

This Is About The Dressing

 

I know, I know, it's a very subjective topic to talk about. Afterall, we are all not created alike and I cannot dictate how you wear your clothes or your shoes...

I just want to lightly comment on how sometimes guys that totally reflects (IMO) how comfortable he is with his companions. Yes, comfortable. Sometimes, when I am walking on the streets, I see this bloke in T-shirt (it looked like something he has worn for at least 2 years or more [READ: old and loose]), by himself. Or standing next to him, sometimes trailing behind me and holding on to his hand, is a girl who looks suspiciously like his girlfriend. She is in heeled sandals, lightly made-up face, and in a nice frock or casual wear and carrying a dainty, if not, catchy handbag to match her clothes.

I do a double-take. And I look at the bloke. "Man, couldn't he at least bother to dress up so that they look like a normal couple?" I thought. The guy seemed like a kallang-guni standing next to the girl. You can so tell that the girl dressed up for the guy, but the man doeesn't seemed to care. I just find it so strange. Men expect that their gfs or wives to look attractive. But the men themselves look like... a kallang-guni.

They have forgotten that just as much as they want to be proud of the attractive woman next to him, they also have the responsibility to be the pride of their partners.

As I've said earlier, I cannot dictate how you should wear your clothes or your shoes. But I think, the least you could do, is to be smart in your dressing. Old shirts can be worn with style, you just need to know how. And style does not mean just the clothes. To my male readers: Your best accessory would be your hair, your shoes and your countenance too.

Hey, now don't complain. YOu don't have to worry about hairbands, hairclips, belts, necklaces, earrings, shoes, handbags, glasses, sunglasses, watches, scarves, brooches, lipsticks, nailpolish, makeup, etc etc... like the girls do.

My suggestion is:
1) Wear clean shirts. Unless you know how to wear them, old shirts are best kept for barbeques, the beach, or coffeeshop da-bao trips. They don't have to be new, but if you are unsure if they look like rags, consult your mom or your sister.

2) If you love to wear sports shoes with pants and jeans, please get a good design. The NB from the army is a average reference. Don't wear shoes designed in the 90s. They are good for the tennis courts, but no good for Orchard Road.

3) Hair. Keep them neat and visit the $10 hair cut shops when your hair is longer. Colours are optional, but do consult a hairstylist (from a proper hair salon) and not do it yourself.

4) Countenance. People do look at your face, whether you are cute as Bryan of Star Idol or Mark Lee. Very few people would like to get close to someone who carries 'sian' or 'life has no meaning' on their face, day after day. You are not tired of that, we are tired. But of course, I cannot expect you to look like you can conquer the world everyday. Your countenance has alot to do with your daily life encounters.

Other things I can "pang chan", but surely, if you are with your girlfriend... you do want her to know that it's a joy to be with her? She can tell it from your expression. This is the woman who has chose to be with you and not with another guy. She deserves a smile from you, and not a sulky face.

If you are at lost of what to do next, turn on the tv. Do comparisons using my examples above. Observe and roughly agar how the men on tv wear their clothes, or just simply look at how colours are coordinated on their apparel. Then just slowly copy the styles.

It'd take sometime, but the girls will notice the change in you. :) Have fun exploring!

Help Her Carry Her Load

 

Before I begin, I would like to thank D W for mentioning this blog on his blog of beautiful writings. I am just doing my best to help the blokes :)

You know there is this unique thing about girls/ladies/women.

We like to carry things wherever we go. Even if it's a small, tiny little purse. It may be for security. Even at this day and age when Motorola's V3 or VISA tries to convince us that the phone alone or the VISA card is our best companion, we still need to carry something with us wherever we go.

Sometimes for some reason (shopping, helping someone...) we had to carry large amount of stuffs in plastic bags or big carriers, it would be a very nice, in fact very gentlemanly gesture, for the guy friend to help carry those big items for us.

(For the record: I am not into a guy carrying his girlfriend's handbag. THAT is an entirely different thing. I am not in favour of that actually.)

I am quite baffled at why some Singaporean guys still have their hands in their pockets, or stand around with their arms folded when they see their female friends or colleagues trying to juggle their own big bag along with the other shopping bags or other stuffs all by themselves. In fact, "baffled" is an understatement. I am angry when I see that.

I mean, c'mon. Surely they are not waiting for the girls to cry "HELP!" before they stretch out their gym-trained arms to help the damsel in distress? I know it's not by their choice that their gal pals looked like they just bought the entire rack of clothes from Mango. Still, I find it quite disturbing that some guy friend of mine would actually stand and watch us drown in our baggages. Singapore men! What are you looking at? Save the damsel in distress!

Have a good school holiday week ahead!

Ladies First

 

Yes, this is a long forgotten practice of local men.

When there is a lady in front of you or beside you (I can't include behind cos you can't see) at the door, please hold the door for the lady and let her pass before you , and not to barge your way through.

This has gotta work on both ways, ie. whether you are walking alongside with the lady, or you are walking towards her at the door.

And this has gotta put to work whether this lady is your girlfriend, your gal pal, your sister, your mother, your aunty, your boss, your colleague, a beautiful stranger, a rude aunty...

I know, some women are not appreciative to the gesture. But trust me, if you practice this habit, the girls will notice you. And that will include the girl whom you are eyeing but have no guts to ask out.


Be nice! :)

Make Sure Humour Not Equals to Humiliate

 

Don't try to be funny if you do not know what you are talking about.

Read the following story:

In one episode of "A Light Moment" on Channel 5, where singles are given opportunities to date, one of the guys did the unimagineable.

In the first segment of SpeedDate, this guy plonks himself on the couch next to the girl. He looked at her large hoop earrings and said to her "Do you know what people say of girls who wear earrings like that?"

She obviously expected a quirky answer and curiously asked "So/And what do they say?"

Pairing his answer with a smirk (somewhat), he replied "They said these people cannot afford to buy real jewellery."

She rolled her eyes.

Then in another scene, he told her that people think that he is humourous. Her response, laughing to herself (in Hokkien isArm Chio) "But I haven't been humoured since you've sat down."

......

Guys, if you don't get the joke, please do not attempt to crack similar ones.

Those who know what's going on, please don't humiliate yourself by commiting the same mistake.

Have a Happy Thursday! :)