Our daily lives.

This may not be a post on the serious use of communication principles or theories which makes an impact on the people or things around us, but it is one that would talk about how communication plays a rather crucial aspect in our everyday lives. I would like to share my experience and reflections/thoughts on two particular instances I had encountered with over the recent weekend and how communication theories are being applied.

Let me begin with the game my team had to play so as to complete our tasks at various game stations. There was a large-scale sports event that took place over the weekend at Sentosa, organized by the school committee members. All twelve teams were supposed to compete against each other via a point system, in which points are awarded, after every task at all sixteen stations, are completed. All sixteen stations tired us out but there was one particular game which spurred my interest as it was something out of the ordinary, involving both the physical and mental aspects of a person.
The name of this game was- "Who is The Rat Shit?". The name of the game does not give a clear indication of what the game is about, but the objective of it is actually for the whole group to think in a similar way about certain objects without having to reveal the name of the item itself. For instance, when given a random object like a roll of aluminium foil, the keyman would have to use words or actions to get the message of what the foil is used for across to the rest of the team, without revealing the name of the object. He could perhaps show his members how he would use it as a thermometer by putting it at his underarm, while telling us he has a fever. After which, the team would have to figure out what the keyman is using the item as and shout the answer out together. Sounds pretty easy?

My group, however, did not manage to get a uniform answer from everyone! Four of us made the correct guess, but there was one who shouted, "ice pack!" Obviously, in this case, it was either the keyman did not deliver his ambigous message as accurately as possible, or the team member's fault. Looking at it from a communicator/sender's point of view, it was probably the keyman. This shows how nonverbal communication can be employed in situations like this and that nonverbal communication can be misinterpreted or indistinct. Also, this is evident that nonverbal and verbal communication ought to be simultaneously so as to reduce the risk of breakdown in communication.

One other interesting instance would be the very brief, unexpected encounter with a stranger on a rainy day when I alighted from a bus. The sky was overcast and rain flooded the streets in town as everyone scrambled for shelter and had umbrellas over their heads. Just as I alighted from it and started walking away from it with an umbrella over my head and concentrating on every step I took to ensure that I would not slip and fall, I felt a tap on my shoulder. A split second later, this young man who I was on the same bus as me appeared beside me and requested sharing the umbrella with him as he did not have one. Personally, I had no qualms about it but I got a culture shock when this stranger started telling me about himself and asking rather personal questions, like if I were a student and where I was studying at. I found out that he was actually a Vietnamese student who is here in Singapore to get a degree from one of the better local unviversities. Feeling insecure, I gave cold and curt replies throughout the conversation. The dyad between us ended pretty quickly, probably in less than three minutes as we had to go our separate ways- him running away in the rain and I, the other direction.
I felt defensive the moment he talked to me till the last word he said. Why was that so, I thought to myself. He obviously did not mean any harm and it dawned on me that it was maybe a conflict of cultural-level rules- a friendly Vietnamese and a defensive, protective Singaporean. He probably did not have any ill intentions, which I unconsciously assumed him to have. As I gave it a deeper thought, I realised it was an apt example that showed the stark contrast in the mindset of a foreigner and a local and how culture plays a part in communication.

In a nutshell, it has been an eventful weekend. Many normal everyday events may pass us by without us realising it; it's all up to us to think deeper.