An issue with tissue on road to graciousness

An issue with tissue on road to graciousness
Source: The Straits Times Apr 16, 2011
THREE weeks ago at the Queen's Street hawker centre during lunch time, a Chinese tourist asked if he could share a table with me and I readily replied yes.

He went on to complain that he had been hopping from table to table with a hot bowl of soup, looking for a seat but the tables were hogged by inconsiderate diners with tissue paper packets used as reservation markers. He said such ungraciousness rarely happened in China.
Just a fortnight ago, I was at the IMM Kopitiam foodcourt holding a hot plate, desperately looking for a seat. I approached a woman and asked if I could share the table and she replied that all the seats were 'reserved'.
Nevertheless, I squeezed myself into a small space and ignored her stare. When her friends arrived, I realised that she did not have to hog the entire table.
The same ugly scenes are repeated daily at every hawker centre and foodcourt during peak periods.
All I want is a quick meal and it takes no more than 10 minutes for me to finish. If these table- hogs are considerate enough to spare a seat, I would finish my meal by the time their friends finish queueing for their food.
While in Japan, I observed that the Japanese were congenial and affable at all the eateries. There was no hogging of tables or seats. They waited patiently for diners to finish their meal and bowed when the diner left the table as a sign of graciousness.
In Hong Kong, diners share seats with others without any reservation and some even invite diners who are strangers to occupy the seats when available.
In Bangkok, the table etiquette is orderly and the Thais consider hogging antisocial behaviour.
We pride ourselves as First World citizens but when it comes to graciousness, our decorum pales in comparison with developing countries.
Ungraciousness, as manifested by protecting one's space at eateries and refusing to give up bus and train seats to those who need them more, is the result of selfishness. We must dispel such a mindset if we ever wish to build a gracious Singapore.
Francis Cheng
http://www.straitstimes.com/ST+Forum/Story/STIStory_657412.html
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