Ling was finally going to bring her boyfriend, Bruce, to meet her parents over dinner. This would be a critical moment and his performance would determine whether Tracey's parents would accept this "Ang-Moh" as an in-law. Therefore, Tracey tried to brief her boyfriend about the Chinese culture and its "do's and don'ts" before the dinner, hoping that it would help him score those much needed points.
The dinner was a disaster. When the dishes were served, Bruce helped himself to the food heartily, unaware of the need for subtleties when taking food. What happened next was worse. When Ling’s mother brought out her signature dish, she followed the custom of Chinese cooks to criticise their own dishes in a bid to be modest. Guests were supposed to disagree, saying that it was delicious. However, Bruce commented that the dish could do with a little more soy sauce and proceeded to add some soy sauce to the dish in front of the cook herself!
Ling almost fainted on the spot. Would this potential “In-law” become an “Out-law” instead?
Now, we can’t really blame Bruce right? He was just acting like how he would be in a Caucasian family, where everything is open. He would never have realised the subtle and silent customs of the Chinese culture. Everything is learnt slowly through the years living in a Chinese family. Bruce was just trying to be helpful in adding the soy sauce. He wouldn’t have reacted to Ling’s mother’s comments in that way if he had a deeper understanding of the Chinese culture. Maybe he should have done a little more homework before coming over for such an important dinner?
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Saturday, September 6, 2008
The Fur Trade Horror
Aren't those furry soft toys and plushies such a pleasure to squeeze and to hug? Just thinking about the softeness of the texture makes you want to coo.
Stop
What if that fur was real and that it came from a fur farm in China? What is a fur farm? A place where fur is grown? I'm sorry to burst your bubble but a fur farm is hell on Earth. It is where countless animals are brought to be skinned for their fur. Be it dogs, cats, foxes or even monkeys, the list of animals goes on.
What's so horrible about that? We eat cows and chickens everyday right?
The horror is that these animals are skinned ALIVE, with no anasthesia or even any effort to kill them before the process. Just the process of bringing the animals to the farm is cruel in its own rights, where several animals are crammed into small cages and transported on lorries. The cages are "unloaded" by being thrown from heights of up to 30 feet from the top of the lorries to the ground. Legs are broken and bones are shattered, but these animals are still not dead yet.
The animals are then taken out and bashed senseless with sticks and poles before being skinned. The details are truly disturbing and brutal.
Here are a few readings for your information on this topic. Be warned that there are very graphic images and videos that may be viewed.
http://www.hsus.org/about_us/humane_society_international_hsi/cruelty_issues_around_the_world/dying_for_fur_recent_investigation_shows_cruelty_at_chinese_fur_farms.html
http://www.peta.org.uk/feat/dogcatfurUK.asp
http://buyhard.net46.net/animalcruelty.htm#dogslaughter
Some people around the world are aware of these atrocities and try to fight them. Sadly, most people do not care, thinking that this has nothing to do with them and that they would not be able to do anything to help anyway.
They are dead wrong.
By buying such products we are supporting the propagation of the fur trade. What the fur trade has succeeded in making fur socially acceptable by subtly incorporating fur products into merchandises. A coat with a fur collar, a parka with fur trim around the hood, a scarf, or wrap, or a handbag with fur detail. These are some examples of such products.
We can and should be morally bound to do something regarding this issue. What should be done is to teach the population about the cruelties of the fur trade and to enable them to identify the consumer actions that support their trade.
My question now is: How many people in NUS actually know of this issue? Then, how many people in Singapore know about this issue? We will not be able to do anything about this problem if we do not even know of its existence. Its time to stir the masses.
Stop
What if that fur was real and that it came from a fur farm in China? What is a fur farm? A place where fur is grown? I'm sorry to burst your bubble but a fur farm is hell on Earth. It is where countless animals are brought to be skinned for their fur. Be it dogs, cats, foxes or even monkeys, the list of animals goes on.
What's so horrible about that? We eat cows and chickens everyday right?
The horror is that these animals are skinned ALIVE, with no anasthesia or even any effort to kill them before the process. Just the process of bringing the animals to the farm is cruel in its own rights, where several animals are crammed into small cages and transported on lorries. The cages are "unloaded" by being thrown from heights of up to 30 feet from the top of the lorries to the ground. Legs are broken and bones are shattered, but these animals are still not dead yet.
The animals are then taken out and bashed senseless with sticks and poles before being skinned. The details are truly disturbing and brutal.
Here are a few readings for your information on this topic. Be warned that there are very graphic images and videos that may be viewed.
http://www.hsus.org/about_us/humane_society_international_hsi/cruelty_issues_around_the_world/dying_for_fur_recent_investigation_shows_cruelty_at_chinese_fur_farms.html
http://www.peta.org.uk/feat/dogcatfurUK.asp
http://buyhard.net46.net/animalcruelty.htm#dogslaughter
Some people around the world are aware of these atrocities and try to fight them. Sadly, most people do not care, thinking that this has nothing to do with them and that they would not be able to do anything to help anyway.
They are dead wrong.
By buying such products we are supporting the propagation of the fur trade. What the fur trade has succeeded in making fur socially acceptable by subtly incorporating fur products into merchandises. A coat with a fur collar, a parka with fur trim around the hood, a scarf, or wrap, or a handbag with fur detail. These are some examples of such products.
We can and should be morally bound to do something regarding this issue. What should be done is to teach the population about the cruelties of the fur trade and to enable them to identify the consumer actions that support their trade.
My question now is: How many people in NUS actually know of this issue? Then, how many people in Singapore know about this issue? We will not be able to do anything about this problem if we do not even know of its existence. Its time to stir the masses.
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