Evaluating Intercultural Behavior (Post #4)

The intercultural interactions I describe here involve me and my Singapore internee X during our internship last year. Both of us were quiet personalities, and took a while to warm up to each other.

It is interesting to note the pattern of our interactions after we got to know each other well. I follow certain ethical principles that make me stand out rather glaringly (The principles themselves aren’t relevant here, but I wouldn’t mind discussing them in the comments) and X found them very interesting, and actually subscribed to them in theory, without ever saying so explicitly. We had many long animated discussions on related subjects, which dominated most of our interactions. For the purpose of clarity, let me state that those principles are often considered by the society to be ‘extreme’ and their believers lunatics.

I soon discovered that X was not comfortable with letting others in on his interest and opinions on such matters. I’d often discuss the subject with the other staff in a light manner, and each time X would go into a shell to project an impression of apathy and lack of interest – almost as if he thought he’d be branded an outcast for ideologically associating with people like me, who are likely to fall into the “weirdos” category, as seen by the general society.

I also felt that X and the other Singaporean internees were rather uptight and overly deferential, to the point of plain subservience, with their bosses. Indeed, this one time, they refused to leave the office through the front exit because a circle of superiors was discussing right at the exit (We’d have had to split the group to leave). They wouldn’t talk about it later, and I felt that they were simply afraid of coming across as impudent b requesting the bosses to part). It could be that their personalities had a big role to play in their behaviour, but I was pretty sure the culture they were raised in was responsible too.

Towards the end of our internship, X began to distance himself from me. Even during our friendlier days, I always felt like I was being scrutinized by him, as though I was somehow behaving in a manner he did not approve of. I found out later from another internee and a common friend that X thought I was very naïve, did not know political and diplomatic correctness, and did not behave appropriately with my seniors and others not very well known to me. I had always been honest and open and as far as I am aware, warm and friendly to everyone at the workplace. But I did notice that some of those qualities seemed out of place at the office, where Singaporeans dominated the numbers.

I learnt a great deal about Singaporean culture and manners during my internship. This particular set of interactions with X, and others with the rest of my colleagues also showed me that my general outlook, ways of communication and manners did not always match the accepted Singapore ways. It was a very interesting experience nevertheless.