It was a little crowded when we boarded the bus but we were lucky, there was an empty seat just behind the driver's, a row of four seater. So I settled Juliane in the seat while I stood in front to her. Just before the bus moved off, an elderly lady boarded the bus. She was about 70-ish and really frail-looking. Next to Juliane were seated this young able-bodied couple in their late teens or early twenties. As the elderly lady was still scanning her EzLink card, I watched to see if the couple would take any action. I mean Juliane is still a child who could barely hold on properly to the railing. But I was most disappointed by the young couple. They saw the elderly lady definitely. And that was all they did, they stared at her and they showed absolutely no sign of giving up one of their seats for the elderly lady! I told Juliane to get off her seat and asked the elderly lady to take Juliane's seat. As the elderly lady was moving to the seat, she almost fell, I had to grab her with one hand while the other hand I had to hold on to Juliane and it was a moving bus! It was no easy task. And the thing is no one bothered to help! They only looked! How cold and distant have Singaporeans become?!
The elderly lady was really grateful for the seat and told Juliane to share it with her. Now, the young couple got off their seats. Oh no, NOT because they were embarrassed that a 3rd year old gave up her seat for an elderly lady but because it was their stop. So their stop was the next one after the one we boarded the bus. Would they have DIED if they didn't sit down for one stop? SHEESH! DAMN strawberries! I got Juliane into one of the seats and there was still one left. But there was another lady, probably in her 40s standing so I gestured for her to take the seat. The elderly lady was really funny and kept pushing me into the seat, lol. The 40-ish lady took the seat but she moved to one side and said there's still enough space for me. That was nice of her. The elderly lady was most happy when I sat down too. So there were 5 of us in a four seater, lol. The elderly lady chatted with me in Mandarin, expressing her gratitude and commented that Juliane is a beautiful girl. Yes, just what mothers love to hear, their children being praised, lol. Juliane waved and said goodbye to the elderly lady when we left the bus. I think the elderly lady was most happy when Juliane did that. I am proud of my girl. :)
I was really appalled by the young couple's absolute lack of respect for the elderly and lack of manners. Has our education system failed so badly in its moral and ethics education?? SIGH. I am really sad and disheartened to see this happening. And when the old lady almost fell, no one moved to help. So what if I was there, I also had a child to take care of. What is happening to Singaporeans, to our youngsters? Sigh, Sigh, SIGH! At least, I felt good that I was able to help the elderly lady and I hoped that Juliane has learnt something important from this.
Now, my former students, if any of you happened to read this post and you do take the public transport, PLEASE GIVE UP YOUR SEATS FOR THOSE WHO NEED IT MORE THAN YOU!!
After I left my stuff to be photocopied, we went to Nanbantei Japanese Restaurant, 5th level of Far East Plaza. We shared the Obento set ($12.50): 5 sticks of yakitori (quail eggs, asparagus wrapped with pork, meat ball, chicken with leek, chicken roll), rice covered with minced chicken, mushroom and seaweed, miso soup and red bean paste with mochi, and Mini Tomato Maki ($4.80): mini tomatoes wrapped with pork. The obento set was really good! The yakitori were really delicious.
Juliane had initially resisted eating at Nanbantei as she wanted her green frog (Sakae) but I was so sick of eating there! As her mother, I vetoed her vote to go to the green frog, lolol. However, in the end, Juliane really enjoyed her food and she said she wanted to come back again, lol.
After we collected my photocopied stuff, we took a taxi home, lol.
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