Singapore is an 'unfriendly' country?

I heard that, I read that, I kinda sense that.

But it turns out to be wrong. 

I heard from some friends that Singapore is ‘cold’, not by the weather, but more of the people. In contrast, my home is always famous by the kindness of the people. One of my friend even said, “Once we handle Singapore, we can live in every part of the world, because this is the coldest place in the world”. Wow..!!!

My friend showed me a book, telling the story about the author’s life here as student. She seemed to have a rough life without friends and surrounded by individualist people. Okay, that made me even more scared. 

The last but not least was my own experience when I came here as a tourist for a few times. Usually I spend 3-4 days here, around Orchard Road, and go back to the peaceful Yogyakarta. During those days, I see people get so busy with their gadgets and the crowded MRT is so quiet. My mom, who usually so talkative, becomes so stress because she can’t speak to anyone but me or Sipa.

But now that I have been spending more than 1 month, I started to change my mind about Singapore. I’ve experienced some small but rather important things, at least for me.

- On my first day to campus, afraid of getting lost, I ask someone sit next to me about my destination and she showed me with a very kind and nice attitude.

- It was raining a few days ago. I didn’t my umbrella and suddenly a guy offered me to share his umbrella. Nobody have ever done that in my home. Well, in a way, yes, but I have to pay for the 'ojek payung’

- Considering Singapore as really hi-tech country, I feel awful whenever I can’t operate some machines, and I also kinda afraid to ask for help, because the machines already put the manual somewhere around it. But it turned out to be okay not to understand the machines. 

Once I had a problem about borrowing and returning books, the librarians were so nice to teach me how to borrow and return the books. Another time, I didn’t know how to use the photocopy machine, and I asked a woman next to me, she taught me or if I might say, she actually did the photocopy thing for me.

- The students and professors also the tutors plus the staff are so nice. They replied my email and sms. Some would gave me personal time to discuss. It’s kinda rare in my hometown. Especially because some of my lectures are so busy with too many students.

I know it sounds as normal and small things. But this is beyond my expectation. Other thing is about how these small things never happened to me back in my country. Nobody would care if I run through the rain. The librarian …eeerrr… never really help me with the books and other things. Some of the staffs wouldn’t even look at me when they give explanations.

I remember several lines in the book I mentioned above. It is said how the friendly atmosphere in Singapore stops at the airport. Well maybe the author never go to the mountainous are where I live now. 

I guess the main purpose is not to judge who’s friendly and who’s not. On the contrary, maybe I should just stop judging and making assumptions. And just enjoy my life here for the next couple of months. 

In the end, this place is not so bad after all.