Zombie Republic

Have you stopped and looked at people around you sometimes?

I've come to a scary realization that there are a lot of zombies in Singapore. I am quite worried that I might end up becoming one. I am close, I tell you.

Have you noticed a scenario like this?

Someone trips on the bus, you see many hands stretched out near that person. But all the owners of these helping hands have expressionless faces. Once the near-victim is standing, and safe. The hands retract. No smile, no 'Thank you', no 'You're welcome'.

How about this?

A cleaning lady clearing tables at a food court. You say 'Thank you'. And she snaps out of her zombie curse, and looks at you in a funny way.

Sometimes she might actually break from her curse and start conversing with you. But most of the time, she goes back to her state. Looking down, at the piece of cloth she is wiping the table with, with a scowl on her face.

What is happening? I think all the debate about raising our service standards would come to naught if we can't stop the zombie curse. We would just have trained zombies, reading lines, saying thank yous and have a nice days.

It's the frenzied pace we Singaporeans live at la... I think. Anyway this reframing makes me realise that sometimes it's not that Singaporeans don't care, but that they are not aware. Which is actually worse, but makes me feel better about people...