Singapore vs Aussie: Small Talk

One of my main concerns whenever I went out on a clinical prac was always this:

Small Talk (aka Corridor talk)

The worrying idea that you might the awkward silence lasting throughout the entire endless corridor as you lead the client from the waiting room to the clinic room was something so small, yet daunting at the same time when I initially started clinical pracs. 

Over the years I managed to understand the Aussie culture a little bit better and no have no problems chit chatting away (so much so that I forget to start the actual therapy). But something I still have the habit of saying is somethign that has been so inherent and habituated in our Singaporean culture, that is, the classic grandma question of 

'Jiak Ba Bueh?' (which translates from Hokkien to 'Have you eaten already?')

Most of us Singaporeans/Malaysians know just how much we all love and adore our food./meals. I wake up in the morning thinking of what to eat, and my sister would start asking 'What's for dinner ah?' as she munches the remnants of her lunch. (I do that too sometimes!)

It's such a second nature to us, parents would ask their children studying overseas

'Have you been eating well anot?'

 'What did you eat for dinner/breakfast/lunch/tea?' 

'Got enough food anot?'

While my mum was here for a couple of weeks last month, the question or statement she would always say before I left the house for a meeting, work or class would be 'Har... like that then how you eat?? Sure won't get hungry anot? Like that how can? Aiyo how come never eat??' 

Even when our project group mates came over and went for a late evening rehearsal in school, she frowned upon how we would all not eat during the appropriate time (as our meeting lasted from 5pm-8pm, hence missing the official dinner times)

Seeing that my mum feels so strongly about appropriate meal times, I too am one who identifies with the importance of meals. I always end up asking the clients 'Have you had lunch/breakfast?' or 'What did you have for breakfast?' Only to get a fairly blank stare that says 'Huh? Why you ask so random question? Look at how bad the weather is!'

I often had to kick myself in teh foot for asking these food questions and not getting an answer which I hoped for or am used to, namely, an excited recount of whatever food they had eaten. (Most of them tell me they can't rememeber, I bet some of them think I'm testing them)

Here most of the small talk revolves around a few main topics (as I have observed)

1. Weather: there is ALWAYS something to say about the weather, sky, clouds, trees etc.

2. Traffic: who can't complain about bad traffic right? Unless it's such a norm such like in Singapore, where it no longer holds any importance anymore

3. Parking (or the lack thereof): yup, that's the bane of uni students' lives as everyone drives pretty much 

4. How's your day been going?: which is somewhat their version of our 'Jiak Ba Bueh?' as they often don't expect you to answer differently from 'fine, going great, oh yeah, going well' 

I just have to rememebr to stop asking people what they've had for lunch and dinner!!