社会制度的小冲击

我在奥地利，常常跟新认识的奥地利朋友互相分享各自的国家的各种文化、社会制度、生活习惯等。朋友G是第一次认识到一个亚洲人，所以她对我们的一切都很好奇。而她的那个男生朋友E，则是一个非常gentleman的男生，知道我远道而来，还特地去网络上查了一些关于新加坡的资料，以便可以跟我在餐桌上有话题可讨论。

在这些互相分享与讨论之中，也免不了有一些小冲击。

话说那个礼拜六，朋友G跟我要一起从Tulln去维也纳。走去火车站的途中她买了Zotter巧克力要请我吃，她说，“We eat later in the train。”当时我有一点好奇，但没有问。我想，在火车里吃巧克力应该还OK啦。后来我说，“It's not allowed to eat in the train in Singapore...I mean the subway。”

她反应很大，“Why?!?!”然后我也觉得惊讶，难道他们能在地铁吃东西？“Is it allowed in your subway? I mean not this train, but the subway in Vienna。”她坚定地说，“Of course! Why not???”哇，在地铁吃东西吗？我也觉得惊讶。“I don't know, but it's not allowed, not allowed to eat and drink in the subway...for cleanliness I guess，”我说，从来没想过我需要解释为什么地铁里不能吃东西给别人听。

她随即笑起来，“Really? Haha, we can eat here all you want！”后来在火车里，她还说，“Come, try the chocolate, you must try to eat here, haha, no fine...”然后她还特地帮我照了一张在地铁里吃东西的照片，又说，“When you go back, you can show your friend this photo, this is evidence that we can eat in the train, hahaha...”

然后我又跟她说，不单是地铁，我们在巴士上也不能吃喝东西噢！她又是一阵惊讶。我说，“Otherwise you will be fined。”她眼睛又瞪得很大。接着我还告诉她，在新加坡，你做错什么事情都要被罚款的---乱丢垃圾、乱过马路、在地铁巴士吃东西等等等。“In Singapore you see the signs of the fine everywhere...they said Singapore is a fine country, hahaha...”

“You know this emergency button in the train? If you press that button for fun, you will be fine..I think S$5000，”我说。她又笑，“Haha, really? No fine here! I remember one time I accidentally pressed it, and the train stopped...the other passengers were only grumbling, arghh who did it again...I went to the train driver and told him I am sorry, it was an accident...he just pacified me, and said it's fine, and thanks for informing him...”我说，“Even the emergency button for the elevator, you don't press it for fun, the 'FINE how many dollars' sign is just beside the button...”

还有，“It's not allowed to smoke too in enclosed area, even the bus stop now，”她说，“Oh, it's not allowed to smoke too in the train here...but some people still smoke, they don't care...”我说，“Is it? But how much is the fine?”她说，“I don't know, not much, 40 euro...”40欧元？那么少噢！“In Singapore you will get fined for thousands...”我说，然后她又叫起来，“Wow..that's a lot...!”“So you'd better not litter around, or do anything illegal if you go to Singapore，”我以调皮的语气吓她，哈哈。


在新加坡地铁站拍到的告示牌

他的朋友E知道新加坡不能嚼口香糖，他说给G听，G也觉得难以置信。我只好说，“Yeah it's not allowed...banned a few years ago...”然后他们两个奥地利人就在那里互表难以置信之情，哈哈。。。

“You can do whatever you want in Austria, hahaha...”她说。

“Yes, I feel that too, haha...”我实话实说啦。呵。



Venus

注：最上图为Tulln的Welt Laden店，我进去过两次，里面有卖好吃的Zotter巧克力。