Evaluating Intercultural Behaviour

EDIT: Please help me judge if this post is actually relevant to intercultural behaviour. I really want to talk about it, but I'm not very sure if it's relevant to the subject matter, actually.

In this post, I will write about my observations about the culture of poverty in Philippines, taken when I went to Calumbang, Philippines for my overseas community project last summer. Before that, my only experience with real, rural poverty was on televised news and the occasional beggar-sighting along underpasses in Singapore. It was a real learning experience for me as I began seriously observing the causes and effects of poverty first-hand, for the first time.

When we arrived at the village of 'GK Jose Rizal" (village A), we were greeted enthusiastically by a horde of children. We weren't the first team of foreigners to have ever arrived there and we definitely wouldn't be the last; the villagers of village A were no strangers to teams of foreigners staying over in their village for weeks, trying to make a difference.

Nearby village A, there was a village B, which was significantly more affluent than village A. And there was also a nearby village C, which was for all intents and purposes, a slum. A was the only village that was open to foreign help; B and C wanted to be left alone to their own devices.

From anecdotes and first-hand observation, my team realised that the villagers from B and C were significantly more unfriendly and territorial. They didn't respond to greeting, smiling or waving, they simply stared passively. It felt strange because my team had grown accustomed to the warm enthusiasm that was so prevalent in A. When we brought children from village A to a local, upscale shopping mall, people kept staring at us as well.

My team's native guide explained that the population of Philippines is separated by a huge cultural divide. On one side are the affluent, on the other are the poor, and both sides resent each other for reasons as old as they are irrational. However, most importantly, some of the poor have resigned themselves to a culture of self-defeating negativity, selfishness and hostility towards all outsiders. They live in isolation because they believe that nothing good can come from strangers, a self propagating myth that is reinforced by the behaviours created by that very belief. It makes it nearly impossible to extend a helping hand when they might bite. Combined with a strong attachment for the status quo, a self-defeatist mentality and a self-centered outlook on life, the guide explained that this was why efforts to reduce poverty in Philippines are taking so long.

Village A was already largely reformed after years of effort by the native aid organization, and they can only hope that B and C will take notice and follow suit.

2 weeks later, the team left the village for Singapore. I hope that the work we did made some difference, but I know that we definitely matured and learnt a lot from the people and experiences there.

Cover Letter Update

Hey everyone! I've taken all the comments into consideration and I've tried to substantially turn on the charm with this edition of my cover letter! Thanks for reading and for the really helpful feedback, I hope to keep hearing more from everyone! For this post/update, I will just start from the salutation, because the address blocks are the same.

Dear Sir/Madam,

ICAP Internship Programme

I am enclosing my resume in response to your advertisement for the above internship programme which appeared on National University of Singapore’s eJobCentre website on 7^th September 2012.

I am currently an undergraduate in the National University of Singapore, studying for a Bachelor of Science, majoring in quantitative finance, and expecting to graduate in 2015 with first-class honours. My multi-disciplinary major equips me with a wide academic base in mathematics, statistics, finance, and computer programming. Besides my core courses, I have taken a diverse range of electives which honed my ability to communicate effectively in a professional environment. I am confident that I am well-equipped for work in the dynamic, ever-evolving finance sector.    

My experience in fast-paced work environments began before I enrolled into university, when I worked part-time as a real estate telemarketer and as a nightclub waiter. Persuasion and dealing with customer frustration became essential working tools that had to be sharpened everyday. It was sink or swim, whether in the bustling realtor office or in the crowded nightclub. The break-in period was short and I quickly learned that looking out for my colleagues paid dividends and helped to boost morale. When the going got tough, I simply put my nose to the grindstone and took it with a grin.

These character-building experiences in the service sector allowed me to pick up many soft skills that are useful and relevant for an internship at ICAP. These stints have developed my ability to multi-task in a fast-paced job environment, to work unsupervised, and to maintain a calm professionalism under immense pressure.

During my enrolment in university, I have been heavily involved in organizing and facilitating co-curricular activities. These include an overseas community service project and freshman orientation projects, where I demonstrated my communication skills and sense of teamwork.

I work effectively in multinational environments, I interact well with strangers and colleagues, and I am a perceptive, motivated team player. I have an objective-oriented work personality, and I have a strong, personal, desire to continuously explore, improve and learn. I am fascinated by finance and I have a particularly keen interest for the workings in your research division.

An internship with ICAP would be an amazing opportunity for me, and I hope to learn by observing and contributing to the company’s operations. I hope you will look favourably at my application and I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Han Kunyang