I've been in Singapore for a little more than 1 week now and have had time to observe the cultures of Singapore. I am on exchange here from the States for the next four months. The thing that seems to baffle me the most is the treatment of elderly persons in Singapore. I am shocked to see that 70+ persons are still working. They mostly hold jobs like collecting food plates and cleaning tables in food centers. I've also observed an elderly Singaporean collecting beer cans at 1am after the exchange students night-out drinking on the Clarke Quay bridge, of which I did not partake but passed out on the landing from jetlag (that's another story).
Most recently, though, I didn't know the human condition of elderly persons was dire until I recently observed after another meal in one of the hawker centers, a plate collector who was elderly took meat from one of plates that was meant for trash, bagged it, and stuffed it inside her apron pocket. At the time, I was sitting at a table with three other elderly persons. They looked able to afford their meals. I wanted to ask about the human condition of elderly persons in Singapore, but because Asians are reserved and I wasn't sure if they understood English (the older generation tend to speak in native languages and does not speak English well), I didn't. I didn't want to be seen as the insensitive American. However, I proceeded to get up and leave after finishing my meal. I looked back and I saw one of the elder ladies that were still seated at the table reach her hand to my tray that I left to be collected for the trash. I had left some soda in my can, and one of ladies wanted the soda that I had not drank completely. I was confused, but then I realized that none of the elderly persons had beverages with their meals. Perhaps, they didn't have the extra money for drinks (beverages are typically sold separately than with meals).
This chain of events led me to consider the human condition of the elderly in Singapore. A Singaporean girl told me that elderly persons are not well-taken care of by the Singaporean government. In United States, the government offers social welfare programs, such as Medicare and Social Security. It's mind-boggling to notice the disparities of this country and my country.
