When you visit another country, you want your experience to be
as authentic as possible. You want the locals to do as they always
do, cook as they have always cooked, and perform as they have
always performed.
Once they start doing things differently to cater to tourists,
the authenticity is lost. Sure, you may be able to understand the
experience better, but the experience is no longer real.
If language is such a barrier to you, you can always go to a
tour agency and hire an English-speaking guide.
Heck, this is Singapore. If you don't know what is going on,
just ask. Even most old aunties and uncles know enough English to
get by.
If anything, the impression I get from this guy's letter is that
he works in Singapore (I quote: '..... to understand and get to
know more of the country I am trying to embrace as my permanent
home').
So why can't he just get a local colleague to help show him
around?
I would agree that I want my experience to be as authentic as
possible. However, I would not be able to have any experience
whatsoever if I don't understand any of what is going on. And why
would the experience be diluted if it is no longer spoken in
completely in it's original language? For example, you see tae kwon
do being taught all over the world, when it was originally from
Korea. Is the essence of the art lost when the language changed
from Korean? Or for Islam, while people study Arabic to fully
understand the Qu'ran, the book was first translation into the
language of the people to be converted too.
Give them a sample before letting them choose if they want the
whole course. Not dump them in the soup tureen.
I understand the problem of catering to tourists. Looking at
places like Rome, it is said that the original Italian culture is
lost to the tourist traps all around. However, I think it would be
good, and sufficient for signs around with explanations in various
languages, including the original one at the top.
Language isn't really much of a barrier for me here. I am
Singaporean too. But looking at places, like Japan for example
(aside from Tokyo), Japanese is almost exclusive used, and the
locals there are too shy or just do not know how to explain in the
languages I do know.
In this case, he isn't asking for signs in Punjabi or some other
obscure language. He is asking for one in English. You know, the
administrative language of Singapore? (Or we could put signs in our
National language, but that would kill almost the entire new
generation... =P )
(You say hire a tour guide. How do you know the tour guide isn't
going to take you to the known tourist traps? Not to mention that
the better tour sites are usually off the map. ;) )
He is looking towards Singapore as a permanent home, not looking
to China. Why does he have to learn Chinese to understand an event
in Singapore? Or else, for that matter, we should have Christmas in
Italian (or whatever the original language was). Why spoil the
cultural experience for such an important event?
A local friend would help his experience, but it would only help
1 person/group. Why not help the rest?
