i kind of like some of the australian ways

it is most heart-warming to see young children bonding and having fun with their parents on their parents' day off. these kids, ages between 3 and 10, were attending a session on australian football (footie) on a saturday morning. prior to the coaches or instructors conducting the session, the parents, especially the fathers, spent time playing with their own children, nearly all whom were boys.

in singapore, you do not see many parents doing this. yes, some do drive their children to swimming, gymnastic or soccer training sessions but most of the time, the parents are passive spectators or they are there as drivers and/or to keep an eye on the children's belongings.

here, the parents give their full support by not just just being present but also getting involved in the activity. i saw one father on crutches, ambling across the field to get close to his child. when the coaches/instructors took over, most of them did not make their way to the terraces but instead stayed on the field to encourage their children.


i specially enjoyed watching these two boys trying to kick and catch the oval ball. i do not know why they were not with the group although they were properly togged out in jerseys that were similar to the other children. once, when the ball was kicked over the low fence, i picked it and threw it to them and the smaller one - who cannot be more than 3 years old - thanked me spontaneously.



i am beginning to appreciate the australian way of life. they work hard and they play hard. i have been wrong to assume that they do not start work until 9.00 a.m. over at the construction site near my daughter's place, i have watched the workers laying bricks, scrapping, cutting concrete blocks and constructing the wooden fence, all these at around 7.00 a.m.

because of the minimum wage policy here, they do not have pump attendants and so everyone helps himself to filling the petrol tanks. at the car-wash, they slot coins into the machines and do the washing themselves or, if they have company, with the help of a friend.

driving is quite a pleasant experience here because the majority of the drivers make full use of the signal lights - they signal when they want to change lane or when they want to make a turn. everyone travels at about the same speed, so you rarely meet road hogs.

my younger daughter complains that some of the bus drivers are grouchy but i have yet to meet one. one driver stopped passengers from exiting from the front door; but i do not see it as evidence of his grouchiness. the sign clearly states: exit by the rear door. another driver told me that i should raise my hand to hail the bus; i see that not as the driver admonishing me but rather as an advice. what really gladdens me, when taking the bus, is hearing the passengers thank the driver before they alight. most the locals do that.