Communication in Singapore is essential.  Singaporeans are very group oriented and dependent, and one of the forms of communication that is relied upon heavily, are the non-verbal cues and indicators.  Tone of voice, the posture, and various facial expressions speak louder than words many times.  Many of those holding conversations in the city and at the best Singapore hotels and restaurants, the locals will often take into consideration these verbal cues as indications of one’s sincerity and honesty.  When conversing, Singaporeans are extremely subtle, and a bit indirect in their conversations.  Rarely will they demand, but they will imply and drop hints.  They feel that direct statements may result in the other person ‘losing face’.  This is a huge concern in Singapore, the idea of losing and saving face.

When questioned, a Singaporean will rarely if ever, say ‘no’.  Their response is usually a positive statement, such as “I will try”…this again is an attempt to maintain communicative harmony and allows both parties to ‘save face’.  Maintaining harmonious relationships is of utmost importance in the city.  One element that is very important in this culture, is silence.  One need not rush into a conversation here, in fact it is considered polite and respectful, to pause before answering questions, as this silence indicates that one is seriously thinking about the question and their answer to follow.  They appreciate considered thought.  Many foreigners from the western countries are often unaware that by hastily rushing questions and answers, their Singaporean friends are being offended.  Many times they see this as rude and thoughtless, and will create unfortunate misunderstandings.  It is a slower, more considerate way of communicating when one is traveling through Singapore.

Saving Face in Singapore is a post from: Bob Travel

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One of the most prominent aspects of a vacation for many tourists is the opportunity experience local culture and in particular local food. Bangkok offers much in these respects and has plenty of traditional restaurants. A common greeting in Thailand is “gin khao ru yang?” which translates into English as “have you eaten?” It only stands to reason that Thai cuisine is one of the reasons people visit the country. Bangkok is a primary example of this and tourists who are staying in the best Bangkok hotel don’t have to look far to find local favorites. The city has food cart vendors on nearly every street. For Western tourists who are accustomed to hot dog stands on street corners, the mini street cafés are a remarkable discovery.

Thai people are well known for their hospitality and generosity. Food is inextricably incorporated into the culture and lifestyle and locals enjoy sharing their culinary expertise. Thai cuisine includes a great deal more than the standard red, yellow and green curries most Westerners associate with it. Restaurants usually have a diverse selection to choose from and a lot of dinner options might look rather strange to a tourist from Omaha, Nebraska, who is probably used to corn, potatoes and beef. Most of the food has a great deal of spice and some of the dishes can get extremely hot, so be prepared. Some of the standard spices they use are ginger, lemongrass, sweet basil, garlic and chili. They have a remarkable ability to blend herbs and spices to create unexpected taste sensations.

The food cart vendors in Bangkok are skilled chefs, and it can be appetizing simply watching them delicately cut up fruit for garnishes. The vendors offer everything from meals at portable tables and chairs to snack type food for people on the go. This is part of the reason that people from Thailand are known to snack often between meals and throughout the day. With a population of more than ten million people, the market for street vendors is enormous. This creates an almost overwhelming aromatic element to the city where food smells are almost omni-present.

Dining on the Streets of Bangkok is a post from: Bob Travel

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