It is weird to share this but since this is the last post I want to use my last chance to post something that does not requires much thinking. Laugh out loud.  I have never been alone at home for one day and the first time is three days. My parents and my sister went to China and my brother went Australia for re-service, and due to homework and test I’ m not able to go. Luckily, I still have my dog with me and a group of noisy friends that stayed overnight at my house. So strictly to say I am only alone on Sunday. I am so sad that YP cannot make it due to her project.

We ate steamboat on Friday night and it is suppose to be our dinner but the steamboat is only ready at 9 45. All of my friends were so “punctual” and I waited so long for them at Bedok Interchange. After buying all the groceries and stuff we head off to my house and we sat Taxi. Guess what, its $7, it is so expensive because my house is so near to the Interchange. HX was lost despite her coming to my house so many times so who is the ‘blur’ one?

After we reach home, we let the chef, HL do it. HX, ET and WQ are slacking away using laptops and watching television. I always felt blessed that we have HL, because she is really one potential housewife who could cook well and she would always take care of our stomach. How I wish I am her husband and I would have good food everyday. JH and Ign….. I am fighting with you all.

After eating, ET suggested drinking some red wine. Our clique has two drunkards, ET and JH, so we decided to open one. It is so embarrassing but we don’t know how to open it using the wine opener. Six of us actually stop eating and crowd around to figure how to open it. I even have to ask my friend on msn on how to open it but eventually they use knife and stuff and the cork came out. What a hassle, to drink a bottle of wine! This was my first time trying wine. JH (alcohol addict) drank three cups and her face was so red, I was really scared that they would be drunk in my house. After JH and WQ left, ET actually suggested opening another bottle of wine but eventually we did not because I don’t think we can finish even though there is a drunkard ET. 

We slept at 4 and I have been sleeping late for the past three days, I wondered where the energy to stay awake came from. As expected, I was the first to fell asleep and they are so mean they actually make fun of me when I am sleeping. Stupid HX, I will remember it.

Lastly, we had a terrible morning at Macdonald but I was glad we…It’s a secret. Haha. Thanks for accompanying me I have had lots of fun. Let’s eat porridge when we are old.

This has nothng to do with communication concepts but i just want to share this very sad and touching video. Please watch it, it only takes you a few minutes.

 Stereotype is a generalised beliefs by which we make sense of the world around us, regardless of context or accuracy. I believe each of us have a certain stereotype towards certain group of people, be it knowingly or subconsciously. People normally have this assumption of similarity (A refusal to see true difference where they exist between self and others) towards a certain group of people. Singaporeans often have a common stereotype of china people being loud, rude and unhygienic. In the previous communication lecture, a guy said that he thinks China people of all ages tend to not shave their underarms (laugh out loud). Although I do have some China friends, I have never notice their underarms, so I have no answer to whether that view of his is true.

At first before working at Cafe Cartel, I really think China people are rude, loud and unhygienic but after knowing my colleagues mostly from China and Malaysia my perception of China people changed. I realise they are very different from my common stereotype of china people; they are all very friendly, funny and hygienic people. Really hope this helps to improve your impression of China people, they are just innocent individuals who are trying to earn a living in singapore.

At the link below it show an article that mixed couple could not marry. I did not know that prejudices (negative social attitudes held by members of one group towards members of another group) among blacks and the whites are so serious n the western regions. A justice of peace actually refused to issue licenses of marriage to an interracial couple and this is not the first time he does that. His reason for doing so is that he thinks that the children that the couple have in future will actually suffer. I think he meant it as goodwill as he knew how the whites are discounting (see them as not part of the main stream or not very important) the blacks. Ethnocentrism is also a problem hence resulting in the justice of peace refusing to administrate the marriage of the interracial couples. However, I think there is no problem between interracial marriages as long as the couples are happy and blissful; Chinese marrying Caucasians or Chinese marrying Malays are a common scene in Singapore. Maybe interracial marriages are not so common in New Orleans resulting in this incident.

Link: http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/World/Story/STIStory_443387.html

In this article, you can see that culture is actually a “template for living”. It tells us who we are, what group we belong to and how we live our lives. The people have to obey the cultural norm and this can be seen in the article that a woman who enters Masjidil Haram has to wear a telekung (women’s prayer garb) that covers their hands and feets.

Similarly, this culture is also passed down from generation to generation. Once you are a muslim its impossible to change the fact. The Islam is a collectivism culture whereby social behaviour is determined by the views, needs, and goals of the ingroup rather than of self. It is seen clearly in the article that the country is going to ban the wearing of veil if it poses danger to the security of the country

link :http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/SE%2BAsia/Story/STIStory_439667.html

Next, I am going to talk about one of my group (“a collection of individuals who, as a result of interacting with one another over time, become interdependent, developing shared patterns of behavior and a collective). Firstly, is 4 da jing gang it means four big super robots in chinese. They are my secondary one to two friend best buddies. From the name, I think you could guess that we have four people in the group.

All of us have a common trait is that we like to find a good place to eat dinner and we sit at the restaurant to talk and chat because we are lazy and chatty. Similarly, we always do things that are really embarrassing. Last Friday, we actually sat outside Plaza Singapura late at night to celebrate Sam’s birthday as we could not find a seat. We sang the birthday song and we forgot to bring lighter so we actually have to do stupid things like blowing on candles that are not lit.

Compared to individual, groups do have complex decision in a sense that we often have decide on where to go and eat, where to go for fun and where to relax. Four people means four decisions and sometimes we may take about 20mins just to think of a place to eat. We often have to balance between group needs and individual need. For example, one of my friend, JH do not eat fish and I do not eat spicy food so Jas and Sam often have to compromise and they cannot go to places like Thai Express and Fish and Co. If there is no full support on the places that we want to go none of us can go so we often took long time deciding.

We are a cohesive group that lends each other support and commitment. When any of us has any problem, we will try to talk and and try to solve their problem although I am always not any help but I tried. I am also grateful to them for always listening to my rubbish and complaints. Three of us except one insist on not using face book (haha) but I don’t think that is considered a commitment but I still stick to it till now.

When I am with them, I don’t have to process my thinking and I am comfortable because what I have to do is just be myself. Thanks Jing Gangs, all of you are missed.

       This episode in this variety show (今晚谁当家) talks about conflict between celebrities and their husband and their reason for divorcing. She and her husband form relationship based on proximity (form relationship with people around them) as both of them are celebrity. Most people do that to prevent uncertainty and they will have less intimidation towards each other. However, conflict can still occur.

         Conflict occurs due to differences in perception and this is highlighted by one of the celebrity 欢欢 in video part 1 at 5 minute 17 seconds. Similarly, conflict can also arise when some of the most important needs in relationship conflict with one another. For her case, both of them have conflict in the autonomy vs. connection part as he is too controlling over her life and work. Her husband decides over which show she can accept and she has to show him any script that she is acting in (in video part 2 at 7 minute 11 second). If there is any part in the script that he does not like, he will ask her not to accept the case. She can only wear long dress and she cannot reveal her toes when she goes on any show this is seen in video part 3 at 2 minute 42 seconds. At the same time, because the guy love her too much he wants her to call him every time she finish doing something this is seen in video 4 at 1 minute 4 seconds.

         欢欢has tried to resolve their conflict by going with what her husband wants her to do but it is still a dysfunctional (break a relationship) one as she finally feel that she is very tired of always being the under-benefitting one. In the end, the husband, the over-benefiting one also finally thought through thoroughly and both of them decided to end this relationship peacefully.

         I think her relationship with her husband is very similar to the Duck’s model of relational disengagement strategies and it is clearly shown in video part 5. In the sense that they start to quarrel and pinpoint about each other at the start (intrapsychic processes), they start to talk about their problems at 44 seconds (dyadic processes), grave-dressing process seen in 1 minute 20seconds, and both of the are happier after they are divorce as seen in 2 minute 36 seconds (resurrection process). She can now enjoy her work and doing things that she is interested in and is no longer restricted by her husband.