Early in the morning, Mrs Cleaner was cleaning in front of my door. Last night, when I returned to my room, there were some pukes around the bathroom which was just beside my room. Fucking idiots who must have been partying and got themselves drunk. If I catch him, I would ask him eat his vomit back. I greeted Mrs. Cleaner but she looked at me with fishy eyes. Gosh. Please do not think it was me. On the way to work, I saw that the People of Travel were back at the carpark with their vans and wagons. They were here when I first came. Now they are back when I am leaving.
For the whole morning, I was proof-reading my final report which I had printed out. I went to ask Alain if I can borrow the video cam for the presentation. He said it is spoilt and don’t know the repairman would come and change the transformer. I tried to sound sad but in fact I was delighted. Haha. That means I don’t need to do the video for my presentation on Thursday! But I would still try with my digital cam tomorrow. Anyway, I told Alain to let me know if the video cam is ready before Thurs. I hope it will not be. Halfway through my work, I was checking my email and this post in the “foreigner” newsgroup caught my attention. An Indian named Arvind just arrived here from MIT last week. He asked where can he buy or borrow English books and how to get internet connection in INSA. Within 2 days, there were 6 replies.
A few of them told him the details and exactly where to read and buy English books. As for the internet access, some told him to go try at the Multimedia Centre (including Mr. Giant) while some said he can’t have it since he is not a student of INSA (same as my case). That MIT guy said he checked on google and couldn’t find where the multimedia centre is. Idiot. It is in INSA lah. So someone else replied him telling him specifically where it is. Then things turned nasty. He said he didn’t feel welcome as these advices are just merely words and not helpful to his situation at all. Then he said he had asked specific questions but there were no direct answers or the answers were deferred. Lastly, he said all these are artificial bureaucracy and cultural difference. He then asked, are cultural difference a safe and easy excuse to cover up the lethargy of the system? Is it incompetence or unwillingness for people to help solve his problem? One lady replied him and asked if he thinks he has gone too far for just the internet access. He rebutted her. Another guy said he is being quite arrogant and should not whine here. Arvind rebutted him again.
I was really quite agitated when I read his post. I remember when I first post a question here, I asked where can I meet some SG communities. Someone suggested that I try the House of International and he even called there to check if the person I am supposed to speak to is available that afternoon. Immediate respond. Even to the extend of calling for me. Hence, I was very furious when this MIT guy came in and demanded his way. I replied to the newsgroup as follows:
To his “merely words” comments:
Each advice probably took them 10 min to type and perhaps 20 min to find out for you. But you are absolutely right. On the screen, they merely look like words and not drawings.
To his “deferred” comments:
You had 6 replies within 2 days. I am sorry they didn’t come within 1ms for you.
To his “cultural difference” comments:
I asked if the people from wherever he came from do not practise saying “thank you” to whoever gave you advice. Is that a cultural difference also?
I signed off as: Lots of love and WELCOME, Fellow foreigner who is sad to leave this lethargic country.
Then I had a PS: I re-read your post and found out that you actually thanked the people. You wrote “thanks in advance” in your very first post. I withdraw my comments on that.
Of course, I didn’t just shoot and not help. I told him that he can try asking his neighbours because some of them might not have computers in their rooms and hence their ports are not used. I told him I didn’t do that myself because I am a stuck-up, arrogant, cocky foreigner who couldn’t make any friends with my neighbour. I said with his outspoken character, he should be able to do better. After sending this post, I know it might create a hooha as my words were very sarcastic. At lunch, Mr. Giant said he read my post and said that MIT guy is a weirdo. I did that because I felt unjust for the people of IRISA who had helped the foreigners here. Not because I wanted to make that MIT guy’s life miserable. I had gone through the same as he had and I was just as frustrated without internet. I must have cursed INSA a hundred times then.
After lunch, I continued amending my codes till it was time to knock off. That’s when I received the rebuttal from Arvind. He said my words were falsification. I had misread his words. He said he had asked specific questions “BEFORE” coming and they were deferred. Oops. I really had missed that BEFORE which makes a lot of difference. Means he wasn’t targeting the people replying his post about the “deferred issue”. But besides this, his overall tone was still haughty and demanding. If not, someone else wouldn’t have commented that he had gone too far and quite arrogant. He then said I was very hypocritical and why do I have to reduce the issue to a “foreigner vs. non-foreigner” debate which I didn’t! Anyway, I didn’t feel like replying him as it will be never ending.
On the way back to INSA, I thought about the issue and felt that I was partly wrong too. The more I thought of it, the more I felt I was wrong. I have completely forgotten how helpless a foreigner could be when he first comes here. His frustration is understandable. I was just as angry last time but just that I didn’t voice out. But now, after 4 months plus, I have thrown that out of my mind. I went back to the office and decided to make an apology. Reason being: first I was wrong. But he is still very cocky. Still I shouldn’t use sarcastic remarks even though the other party was rude. I was too impulsive when I shot that first post. Second, I didn’t want other foreigners reading this be deterred from using the newsgroup because some childish guy (me) sent some nasty remarks. Third, I didn’t want newcomers to think that people in IRISA are like me, so pricky with words. However, I didn’t feel that my status or position was too low to voice out as a reason to apologise.
So my apology was:
Apparently since I started this unconstructive post, I shall end it here before it turned into an ugly mess. My apology of failing to read the word “before” and of course the inappropriate harsh tone in my previous post. Then I said something about me acting on impulse because I felt that the help given by the people here were not being appreciated. Then I gave him some solutions to the internet access which don’t think would be much help. And lastly I told him to continue to use this newsgroup (he said he would stop comm. here.) because this is still the best way of getting responses though it is not guaranteed that it will help. I said this because I didn’t want other newcomers, after reading my words, afraid to use the newsgroup. Lastly, I said generally people of IRISA replied with kind intentions. I didn’t want him to feel that people here are bad because of me.
Another reason why I apologised is because if I kept quiet, then it is very obvious that I have admitted my mistake but unwillingly. By making a public apology but not sounding too apologetic, I hope it would end there. And even if he continues to make a fuss out of it, I wouldn’t be blamed anymore. But I didn’t know why I responded in that kind of sharp tone in the first place because normally, I am a bit “hum” type and would avoid trouble. I was a bit too “chong dong” then. Now after I had thought about the issue a bit, it might lead to some bad consequences and I certainly do not want to leave any scar here in IRISA, esp. when I am leaving soon. Hope my last reply would end this episode. I shall find out tomorrow morning. Very exciting.
For the whole morning, I was proof-reading my final report which I had printed out. I went to ask Alain if I can borrow the video cam for the presentation. He said it is spoilt and don’t know the repairman would come and change the transformer. I tried to sound sad but in fact I was delighted. Haha. That means I don’t need to do the video for my presentation on Thursday! But I would still try with my digital cam tomorrow. Anyway, I told Alain to let me know if the video cam is ready before Thurs. I hope it will not be. Halfway through my work, I was checking my email and this post in the “foreigner” newsgroup caught my attention. An Indian named Arvind just arrived here from MIT last week. He asked where can he buy or borrow English books and how to get internet connection in INSA. Within 2 days, there were 6 replies.
A few of them told him the details and exactly where to read and buy English books. As for the internet access, some told him to go try at the Multimedia Centre (including Mr. Giant) while some said he can’t have it since he is not a student of INSA (same as my case). That MIT guy said he checked on google and couldn’t find where the multimedia centre is. Idiot. It is in INSA lah. So someone else replied him telling him specifically where it is. Then things turned nasty. He said he didn’t feel welcome as these advices are just merely words and not helpful to his situation at all. Then he said he had asked specific questions but there were no direct answers or the answers were deferred. Lastly, he said all these are artificial bureaucracy and cultural difference. He then asked, are cultural difference a safe and easy excuse to cover up the lethargy of the system? Is it incompetence or unwillingness for people to help solve his problem? One lady replied him and asked if he thinks he has gone too far for just the internet access. He rebutted her. Another guy said he is being quite arrogant and should not whine here. Arvind rebutted him again.
I was really quite agitated when I read his post. I remember when I first post a question here, I asked where can I meet some SG communities. Someone suggested that I try the House of International and he even called there to check if the person I am supposed to speak to is available that afternoon. Immediate respond. Even to the extend of calling for me. Hence, I was very furious when this MIT guy came in and demanded his way. I replied to the newsgroup as follows:
To his “merely words” comments:
Each advice probably took them 10 min to type and perhaps 20 min to find out for you. But you are absolutely right. On the screen, they merely look like words and not drawings.
To his “deferred” comments:
You had 6 replies within 2 days. I am sorry they didn’t come within 1ms for you.
To his “cultural difference” comments:
I asked if the people from wherever he came from do not practise saying “thank you” to whoever gave you advice. Is that a cultural difference also?
I signed off as: Lots of love and WELCOME, Fellow foreigner who is sad to leave this lethargic country.
Then I had a PS: I re-read your post and found out that you actually thanked the people. You wrote “thanks in advance” in your very first post. I withdraw my comments on that.
Of course, I didn’t just shoot and not help. I told him that he can try asking his neighbours because some of them might not have computers in their rooms and hence their ports are not used. I told him I didn’t do that myself because I am a stuck-up, arrogant, cocky foreigner who couldn’t make any friends with my neighbour. I said with his outspoken character, he should be able to do better. After sending this post, I know it might create a hooha as my words were very sarcastic. At lunch, Mr. Giant said he read my post and said that MIT guy is a weirdo. I did that because I felt unjust for the people of IRISA who had helped the foreigners here. Not because I wanted to make that MIT guy’s life miserable. I had gone through the same as he had and I was just as frustrated without internet. I must have cursed INSA a hundred times then.
After lunch, I continued amending my codes till it was time to knock off. That’s when I received the rebuttal from Arvind. He said my words were falsification. I had misread his words. He said he had asked specific questions “BEFORE” coming and they were deferred. Oops. I really had missed that BEFORE which makes a lot of difference. Means he wasn’t targeting the people replying his post about the “deferred issue”. But besides this, his overall tone was still haughty and demanding. If not, someone else wouldn’t have commented that he had gone too far and quite arrogant. He then said I was very hypocritical and why do I have to reduce the issue to a “foreigner vs. non-foreigner” debate which I didn’t! Anyway, I didn’t feel like replying him as it will be never ending.
On the way back to INSA, I thought about the issue and felt that I was partly wrong too. The more I thought of it, the more I felt I was wrong. I have completely forgotten how helpless a foreigner could be when he first comes here. His frustration is understandable. I was just as angry last time but just that I didn’t voice out. But now, after 4 months plus, I have thrown that out of my mind. I went back to the office and decided to make an apology. Reason being: first I was wrong. But he is still very cocky. Still I shouldn’t use sarcastic remarks even though the other party was rude. I was too impulsive when I shot that first post. Second, I didn’t want other foreigners reading this be deterred from using the newsgroup because some childish guy (me) sent some nasty remarks. Third, I didn’t want newcomers to think that people in IRISA are like me, so pricky with words. However, I didn’t feel that my status or position was too low to voice out as a reason to apologise.
So my apology was:
Apparently since I started this unconstructive post, I shall end it here before it turned into an ugly mess. My apology of failing to read the word “before” and of course the inappropriate harsh tone in my previous post. Then I said something about me acting on impulse because I felt that the help given by the people here were not being appreciated. Then I gave him some solutions to the internet access which don’t think would be much help. And lastly I told him to continue to use this newsgroup (he said he would stop comm. here.) because this is still the best way of getting responses though it is not guaranteed that it will help. I said this because I didn’t want other newcomers, after reading my words, afraid to use the newsgroup. Lastly, I said generally people of IRISA replied with kind intentions. I didn’t want him to feel that people here are bad because of me.
Another reason why I apologised is because if I kept quiet, then it is very obvious that I have admitted my mistake but unwillingly. By making a public apology but not sounding too apologetic, I hope it would end there. And even if he continues to make a fuss out of it, I wouldn’t be blamed anymore. But I didn’t know why I responded in that kind of sharp tone in the first place because normally, I am a bit “hum” type and would avoid trouble. I was a bit too “chong dong” then. Now after I had thought about the issue a bit, it might lead to some bad consequences and I certainly do not want to leave any scar here in IRISA, esp. when I am leaving soon. Hope my last reply would end this episode. I shall find out tomorrow morning. Very exciting.
No comments:
Post a Comment