'Cross Cultural Experience\r'

'Back in 2010 when I was tranquil a student at Singapore Polytechnic, I was fortunate enough to be given the chance to serve my Internship at the Royal Bank of Scotland (IRS). I must emphasize, that the 6 calendar months spent was unmatchable of the intimately memorable life experience I take a leak had. Person eachy It opened my eyes to what Ill c each the ‘real running(a) environment, as the previous jobs I held were mainly service of process as an assistant in retail (part- measure).I termed it ‘real gaining experience because the internship too offers me the chance to practice in Hong Kong. At the age of 18, the opportunities given were more than could hire for and certainly the experience and lessons learnt had an Impact on me until today. The Internship provided me the hazard to work under two disparate supervisors. I can remember them vividly as they atomic number 18 both different in terms of their lead and yes, finis-wise as well.The first super visor was Mr. Chri incorporateher Kim, head of halfway Office for Asia Pacific region. Mr. Christopher get bys from Korea, and in my opinion Is soulfulness who speaks his mind and puts his ideas across well. To put it bluntly, he expects subordinates to insinuate with his instructions unless there is a better append solution. He poses high expectations, eve on work placement students resembling myself. One of the heathenish etiquette that I noticed about Mr. Christopher Is that he was continuously punctual.In fact, never erst bind I run acrossn him report advanced for work. Came to register from colleagues that he would be in top executive earlier by an hour e very(prenominal) work day. One of the first few ground rules set for me as an intern is to be punctual, unless for valid reasons of soma. As a head of department, Mr. Christopher certainly proved himself to be a good reference model for other(a)s to note up to. In my pollen, he had on him the ‘ string ent and stern appearance, which inevitably makes me feel afraid to talk to him.A month into the internship, I got a surprise when received an e-mail from him complimenting me for Job well d unrivaled on one of the task he had assigned. This humble demonstration of admiration led me to see the good side of Asian nuance ? treating hatful with sincerity. Looking back, cultur eithery Mr. Christopher like about East Asian nations practices hierarchy within an organization where someone in a high rank or post normally commands greater authority amongst his lower peers. Respect is meeting that Is determine highly and this can be seen evidently In Mr. Christopher.As a leader of the department, he would organize theme meeting fortnightly to check on the emplacement of each unmarried in a pop the question to suss out everyone keeps up with the pace and to feel coordinated within the team. Work aside, he encourages team stick to through simple dinner and drinks every once In a objet dart. 2 months Into the Internship, I was transferred to a project team as additional custody was needed meet deadlines. My new supervisor is an Australian by the name of Miss Us-Ling Regress, who takes on the role of Senior Business Analyst in the bank.As a Singapore brought up in a Chinese family, I was taught since young to respect elders and to obey instructions without questioning. Working under Miss Us-Long helped me to comprehend the core of cultural differences, as she had a very different approach compargond to 1 OFF Mr. Christopher. The deterrence in approach probably infrastructures trot near cultural upbringing, which encourages free thought and self-involvement at work; to be more independent in learning. Miss Us-Ling with her in lineatory style of focusing gives me the impression of being reachable and easy to talk to.Unlike most(prenominal) Asians who adopt class-conscious structure, she brought about a direct style of conference which encourages an op en debate of ideas. Anyone, no matter his/ her direct is encouraged to contri entirelye during discussions and Miss Us-Ling is receptive to all of them. Her good man-management skills rubbed off the whole team and plane as an intern I can see and feel the strong team spirit fostered. For instance, most members have no qualms working additional hours on some days if deadlines argon needs to be met urgently.As opposed to Asians, she encourages freedom of beech where challenging of ideas in meetings are not seen as disrespectful as hanker as it leads to getting the Job done expeditiously and effectively. More importantly, she does not see herself in any(prenominal) way superior to her subordinates. I got the biggest surprise 4 months into the internship when I was informed I have the chance to travel to Hong Kong for work. The time spent in Hong Kong modifyd me to lift as an individual, since it was the first time I traveled alone. I used to think that Gingersnaps are always i ndulged in work; they hardly have time for themselves.However, Hong Kong changed my perspective. Very much like Singapore, Hong Kong is a snow flurry and bustle city where everyone can hardly stop their pace for a moment. In the morning firearm going to the train station for work, I was astonied that the walking pace of the people in Hong Kong is even faster than in Singapore. I had an experience once whereby on a rainy day, a charr carrying an umbrella on the opposite direction most walked her umbrella through my face because she was apparently shorter and only stress on the road ahead!Otherwise, culturally people have Confucianism roots where decisions made by management are seldom contested as they are seen as rude and disrespectful. . 2. NATIONAL SERVICE In a multi-cultural Singapore, National Service is a extent of unique experience for all Gingersnaps, as it bonds all of us together as one. I was enlisted to the berth Team Academy, Singapore Police Force. During this p eriod of my life, I learnt to appreciate and respect the kitchen-gardening norms of the different races.NSA not only opened my eyes to the different culture among races, it also taught me the culture of an order and regimental lifestyle, where teamwork is a great dealtimes highlighted as they key to solving problems. The 9 months of genteelness taught me to adapt to changes and fit together ruinously. Often, people are not receptive to change and are usually bonded by friends of similar culture, and NSA is there to help bushel the problem of social integration. Besides the Chinese, the Malayan Muslims form the majority of the cohort in my training batch.Of course the minority †the Indians and Eurasian are part of it as well. Living together for about 9 months taught me rather a fair bit on Malay culture I would never have come to know if not for NSA. For instance, the Malay Muslims have to require 5 times a day, and that they have to go through a month of fasting ahea d their new year. In adapting to one another, the rest would ensure there is quiet when they are conducting their prayers and the rest would also practice sensitivity during fasting month, such as not consuming food in their presence.I have also come to understand the Malay language, although I am not able to speak it dulcetly. Currently, in order to gain some experience while studying, I applied to become a mug ambassador at the Duty-Free Shop in the airport selling tobacco and alcohol. This Job provides me with the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. severally work day opens my eyes to different culture as customers from different surrounds will walk into the pasture and purchase duty free items. One of the most frequent visitors we have in Singapore is the Chinese (Pres).My time in UDF enabled me to see that the Chinese has very big spending power and their purchase is often linked to face. They often snap up the scoop shovel items that are not available in t heir interior(prenominal) market as having them signifies their wealth and status. This is an opinion hold upon by the Chinese colleagues as well! 2. 0. final stage From the humble experiences I have in life, I feel it is essential to appreciate other culture of the different people we meet along the way.We should all respect and embrace the culture norms of each individual as this will not only enable us to grow as a person, but also allows us to understand that the way one behave or act could actually stem from an upbringing that are different from us. Amidst the online saga where people are posting rude/inflammatory remarks about other cultures, I feel that this is all a conduce of cultural misunderstanding. We should all take a bar back and reflect upon ourselves, and seek first to understand the situation before pointing the finger at others. only if then can we achieve peace and live together harmoniously as\r\n'