05.02.09
Excuse me, do I have The Look?
A few days ago, cekza and I were waiting for the BTC bus at the bus stop. So then it came. We moved forward, getting ready to board the bus. The bus slowed down, but to our surprise, it didn’t stop and just drove off. We tried chasing after it but apparently it didn’t work. One can only imagine the outrage.
“HOOOI. Ape seeh?”
“Ah ah seh! Kite tak tahan eh?”
“Sejak bile BTC kene tahan? Tak pernah tau pun!”
“Ah ah seh. Banyak kali per tak tahan pun dia stop!”
“Aku rase, kite takde the NUS look tak?”
I know it was our fault la largely coz we didn’t flag the bus. We took for granted the fact that the bus would always stop. I guess we were wrong. But something about cekza’s sentence made me ponder over it for a long, long while.
The NUS look.
So what’s the NUS look? We were having our Idols, villains and jesters lecture when the lecturer started asking for our opinions on how his puppet should look like should he want to depict is as an NUS student.
“T-shirt!”
“Bermudas!”
“SLIPPERRRRRRS!”
And we had a good time laughing over it. Coz really, we can all relate to that. Keluar lecture, dalam lecture, masuk lecture, beratur beli juice, beratur kedai makcik, nak submit term paper.. SEMUA LA! Tak habes2 dengan image yang sebegitu. Like totally nak pegi pasar punye look. I’m not saying it’s bad la, just saying je. :D
But then again, it doesn’t really do justice to those who dress differently pulak la kan? Let me ask again, so what IS the NUS look? Oh, says another lecturer. It depends on which faculty you come from you see.
No kidding.
Go to ARTS and you see girls dolling themselves up to the max. Super short dresses that would qualify as blouses, make up all set to last till next week, long flowy hair like they’re some Korean superstars. So glamorous! Phee-wit!
Go to Science? Haha. you’ll see trek pants and backpacks everywhere. ‘Nuff said.
I’m sure by now I will have people violently protesting to these images kan? It’s like, eee-yeeeaaaaaaah, that’s kinda true, BUT what about the chio science girls?? The nerdy arts students??
And girls who dress like they’re from some kampung or orthodox pesantren? (sometimes quoting yourself is the best example, ya).
NOT ALL OF US DRESS IN A STEREOTyPICAL MANNER OK HANNAH.
Ok. I hear you. LOUD AND CLEAR. :p
It’s interesting isn’t it, how people associate certain looks with a certain personality, or a certain instituition even kan. I’ve had people asking me which madrasah was I from and they would go: “Oh yeaah u have the maarif look.”
What? I was in Maarif for 10years and I didn’t know maarif has a ‘look’. And if my close friends are whom I were to look for in looking for this ‘look’ (no puns intended), then it’s one helicopter mixture of a very confusing ‘look’ lah oh my God.
And of couse, of course. I am also one of those who form my initial impressions on people based on their looks. A LOT. hihi. One look (or, erm, sniff), and I’ll go “ni mesti bukan cine sini”. See. Judgemental much.
Buuuuuuuut korang paham kan kenapa?
A first look at that guy I saw in school and I went “oh ni mesti the baik2 type…..”
Until I had the 6th careful and deliberated look and saw something else. *main2 kening*
Saw a girl who gave me the impression that she belongs to those people who think highly of themselves, but always so lowly of others. And now she’s a good friend of mine. (please sense the repentance. And no, no way I’m gonna tell u the identity.)
So there. Two miserably failed attempts in assessing someone’s goodness based on his/her looks.
But I’ve also seen another guy. First look, “wah. ni rili2 seem like the baik2 type.”
4th look nampak kat masjid.
5th look nampak kat masjid.
6th look nampak kat luar masjid.
So kire, insyaAllah betul la tu.:p (K ni ugut sampai mati pun tak gune. I dun have a clue who this person is. Seriously).
Biba, cekza and I were practising some nomadic mugging at Singapore’s very own CHANGI AIRPORT (Ridiculously crowded la the place.) And we were walking across the like, I dunoe what area lah, yg where you’re supposed to check in your luggages and stuffs right? Ah situ la. Then right, there was a whole group of I supposed Bangladeshi workers. And guess whom we saw terselt among them? 3 policemen. Standing guard. Fierce seh. And the 3 policemen pun, 2 of them were Indians and one of them was a Malay. If I were to strip the 2 Indian policemen of their uniforms (sounds very wrong but U GET WHAT I MEAN LA), pakai kan dia baju like one of those workers, they would blend in perfectly. Just like if I were to do that to some successful, atas Indian businessman here in Singapore.
Definitely reminded me of Skolnick’s “symbolic assailant”. Basically it’s about doubting or like, perceiving someone as a potential criminal solely based on his looks. This is especially an issue when it comes to policemen patrolling the streets and choosing whom to stop and ask that kinda thing. My lecturer shared his funny (and cheeky!) experience with us.
He was walking home alone from work at night. He had just finished conducting a training session for the police force (the irony) and was dressing casually. He spotted a police car patrol across the road which was slowing down as if to observe him. And u know what he did? He turned to look at them, and then just as swiftly, looked away before quickening his pace. Lol. The car did a u-turn and soon they caught up with him and slowed down. They wind down the window and asked him to stop.
“Where are you going?”
(not making any eye contacts) “There” (pointed to his flat).
“Really? What are you going to do there?”
“Going home (still not looking at them)”
“Where’s your work permit?”
“I don’t have one” Because I have an IC LA!
And the whole of LT9 was roaring in laughter.
So many examples eh. But I’m POSITIVE there are many, many more of such examples. It is a natural tendency to develop preconceptions based on our first look, our first conversation, etc. Myself included. But it is a problem when we let it dictate our every step (usually unconsciously) and I’ve got to admit, there are several times in which my hastened judgements clouded my rationality. And it took several great pains for me to realise this. Unfortunately though, the lessons haven’t seem to really sink in. However, I will try my very best to not let it happen again, at least consciously. True enough, there are certain looks which we can safely associate with certain meanings. However, we should be careful to not be quick in ‘punishing’ or ‘praising’. Afterall, we have to be fully aware that not everyone fits into our limited ideas on how The Look should look like, or how people with The Look should behave. Just like those two girls who missed their bus on that fateful day (Still sore lor). “O ye who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible): for suspicion in some cases is a sin..” (Alhujuraat:12) P/s: My sincerest apologies if I have offended anyone with this humble post of mine. No offence intended. :) Thank you Allah, for the blessings today.
nashaislem said,
May 3, 2009 at 1:22 am
THE LOOK! haha good one, hannah. im assuming the “maarif look” = jambu. nuff said. that i cant argue with. lol.
ummsofiyyah said,
May 3, 2009 at 3:26 am
I dunoe whether to feel flattered ke disgusted dengan comment kau:p
But reaalllly.. kau tak pernah dapat such a thing ke? The Maarif Look.. Ke THE SMU Look. Ke The Selalu Pergi Exchange Student Look. BLEK.
redtide said,
May 3, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Salam ‘alaik hannah.. moga kher..
Ah, the look.. hm, if it’s already hard to access someone at the first meeting or even the first few meetings, how can we know just by the first look?
If we’re talking about trying to figure out a criminal in a crowd, that’s probably different as only those who are trained would be able to do that more accurately (not sure about those policeman though.. but it shows how kiasu Singaporeans can be and this can actually be a good thing in fighting crime, (“,))
The first look can be important too, as in job interviews and presentations..
However the problem is when people judge others and make conclusions on who they are just based on the first look. Especially when it’s full of malice and mischief. And based on that, they start to talk to others as if they already know who we are and bad rumours are spread as a result.
Yes, it’s a natural tendency to have preconceptions about something, positively or negatively, but we should not rest on it and make it final, until we really find out who the person is or in other cases, before we fully comprehend what the situation is.
Just remember that “Assumption is the root of all evil”
So in the case of the apek bus-driver who didn’t stop, is it done on purpose or he really didn’t see the two ah-mois who didn’t flag at the bus stop?
kenapa begitu?! haaa, INI yang kita tak tau iye?
Chill.. (“P
ummsofiyyah said,
May 3, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Wsalam :)
Ahh interesting, interesting. But I beg to differ on this particular statement of yours still: ” If we’re talking about trying to figure out a criminal in a crowd, that’s probably different as only those who are trained would be able to do that more accurately (not sure about those policeman though.. but it shows how kiasu Singaporeans can be and this can actually be a good thing in fighting crime…”
How do you ‘train’ someone to fish out a criminal amidst a crowd? Machiam tak agreeable to that ah. Sorry. Hehe.
HAAAHAAA. He definitely saw us, but why he didn’t stop is a different matter altogether, la must admit. Hurhur.
Chilling la ni. :)
redtide said,
May 3, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Btol juga eh.. kenapa begitu? haah, INI yang kita tak tau iye?
Could be the heat getting to me..*phew* just came back from classes you see.. the word “access” is also wrong.. it’s supposed to be “assess”..
Let me rephrase.. what I meant was, trying to spot a person who could be a threat to the public safety.. as in the case of your lecturer, trying to spot an illegal immigrant.. how? through, body language..how he is behaving in the presence of police, what type of clothes he’s wearing. Something like that la.
However, isn’t that what those bodyguards are trained to do when protecting VIPs? They’re always at a certain strategic position around the VIP, assessing the crowd for any suspicious movement that could be a threat to the safety of the person they’re guarding. hmm..
ummsofiyyah said,
May 4, 2009 at 3:04 am
Ahh. Ic. Buuuuuuuut. hehe. kalau to look out for ’suspicious’ characters mcm still kene based on prasangka2, tak ke?
And it’s weird how, say dekat checkpoint, only certain days je they heighten the security. And they seem to be aiming at specific vehicles.. Why do u think it is so? *main2 kening*
And bodyguards are just being obsessively cautious. To them everyone is a potential murderer to their boss. Hehe.
‘Alaa kulli haal, I get what you mean actually. Saje nak think another way. Heh.
Allah Haafizh.
redtide said,
May 4, 2009 at 9:07 am
Ahh.. ok ok.. i get u.. if we’re to think about how the US handle security after 9/11, anyone who has a beard, irregardless of their religion is a suspect.. absurd!
Anyway, reminded me of a story.. once, i was on the way home from K.L. with some friends and I decided to try ’smuggle’ two boxes of chewing gum. Being worried that it would show up on the checkpoint scanner, I decided to stuff all those chewing gums into my baggy jeans front and back. I made it past the checkpoint, probably as I was dressed quite decently and had a decent look.
However, my friend who was next in line, who had just dyed up his hair red and had fashoined it to be rugged looking, was stopped and ordered to take out all his belongings from his pockets and was even bodysearched and he had nothing on him! Haha..
Yea, humans have limited abilities, especially when assuming things of the unknown and unseen. They can at most, try to guess based on probablity of the number of factors that could add up to make a higher percentage and even that could even be wrong!
Even a ‘bomoh’ however powerful relies on the jinn or syaitan and however powerful the jinn or syaitan is, they’re also unable to know the unknown and unseen (Surah Saba’ 34:14)
Hm, macam flooding plak.. k will stop commenting for now.. Fii amaanillaah (“,)
Shahida said,
May 6, 2009 at 8:07 am
Salam! I stumbled across your blog and saw this post on Istikharah (http://ummsofiyyah.wordpress.com/2008/07/19/istikharah-nampak/). I was just wondering if I can quote you in my blog. Specifically, this part.
“Ustaz told me that after our istikharah, we should just proceed with what we think is the better option. “If the thing is right for you, you will notice that everything will run rather smoothly. Allah will make it easy for you. If not, then you will find hindrances along the way. So you just do your istikharah and proceed in whatever you want to do.”
I don’t really want to copy-paste without your knowledge, and I don’t think you’d like that either. Hehe. Boleh? (:
Huda said,
May 6, 2009 at 10:05 am
hannah you dah buat social psych? that fundamental attribution error in action:) (ahem ahme…budak psych dah nak graduate lah katakan…konon2 nak utilize lah apa2 yang dah dipelajari pat NUS ni)
ummsofiyyah said,
May 6, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Huda, daaa! Tapi i buat from a SOCIOLOGICAL perspective. Blek. Hehe. But this is definitely social psych eh. hehe
ah ah la u da nak grad. i sedih tau. plan outing sesame k!! :):)
ummsofiyyah said,
May 6, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Wsalam! Helo Shahida! Ahlan:)
Oh suuree. Not a problem at all. Heeheee.
Anw, care to give me the link to ur blog? :)
Salam perkenalan!:)
anna_lamella said,
May 7, 2009 at 7:16 pm
klau nk ckp psl The Look eh, I dunno wat look I have. Defnitely not nus look ah. Da byk kali lalu lalang abe org tgk atas bawah sehh. klaka kapee. hahaha. I’d better off to be the mistaken identity..
*bawak diri sbb tkd identity, haha!*
ummsofiyyah said,
May 8, 2009 at 12:18 pm
ala sedih nah bunyi. hehehe..
memang lah sya da takde NUS student look. Coz u’re gonna have the NUS GRADUATE look da! insyaAllah!
whee~ Alhamdulillah. hehe:)
Shahida said,
May 9, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Thank you, thank you! Here’s the link to my blog. Salam perkenalan! (:
Shahida said,
May 9, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Eh. Sorry. Link tak keluar, hehe.
It’s http://alkaatibun.wordpress.com. (:
Abu Raiyan said,
May 11, 2009 at 9:36 pm
Salam.
Em lau aku agak2 ade kot sipi2 tempias cm seorang penuntut di NUS, ehem2..! (yg mase tu, tu shhh…! Hee)
ummsofiyyah said,
May 12, 2009 at 4:32 pm
wsalam.
ade sebab kenapa aku lambat approve comment ni.
dot dot dot.