Travelling to foreign countries can often be a chance for us to realise how much we take certain things for granted in Singapore.
When discovering these hard truths, we should find it in ourselves to extend a little bit of kindness towards others.
A Singaporean recently did so while on vacation in Bali, Indonesia.
Upon finding out that their driver was in a tight financial situation, they bought him milk powder.
The Singapore Atrium Sale Facebook page shared the heartwarming encounter between the Singaporean tourist and their driver on 7 Mar.
Source: Singapore Atrium Sale on Facebook
After booking a driver via KKday, the OP and their family went on a trip around Bali.
On the first day, they passed by Mixue, a dessert shop.
When the OP remarked that they have the same store in Singapore, the driver said that he finds the drinks, which cost 16,000 rupiahs (S$1.40), “very expensive”.
Source: Singapore Atrium Sale on Facebook
During lunch, the family insisted the driver eat with them and paid for his meal.
Even then, the driver chose the lowest-priced set and offered them the crispy pig skin, apparently the best part of the meal.
When they saw him looking at formula milk in a supermarket, which cost 108,000 rupiahs (about S$9.50), the family decided to buy it for him.
Image courtesy of Singapore Atrium Sale
“He was very grateful and told us how happy his wife was when he told her,” the man shared. “His son was actually 15 years old and malnourished, so he wanted it to let him have it together with his meals.”
The driver’s situation made the OP realise a few things.
Image courtesy of Singapore Atrium Sale
“Being a typical Singaporean, I was almost about to blurt out how cheap the drinks at Mixue are, but this S$1.40 drink is a luxury to a Balinese local,” the OP explained.
While a S$2.63 meal would not mean anything to some, it would be far too expensive for others.
Furthermore, any parent with children suffering from medical conditions would be anxious to seek out assistance for them. Unfortunately, there was a limit to how much the driver could afford financially.
The OP went on to note:
It took a Balinese to show me that a S$1.40 drink, S$2.63 meal and a S$9.47 box of formula milk actually mean a lot.
They also said that through this experience, they’ve come to realise how “lucky [they] are to be in Singapore”, to the extent that they “take many things for granted”.
All too often, we come across stories of families struggling to get by and having to make do with scraps.
In these moments, it is on us to extend a helping hand and assist others less fortunate than us.
Kudos to this family for finding the compassion necessary to help out the driver.
Hopefully, their encounter will be a reminder for us to also be considerate in our daily actions — and remember to never take things for granted.
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Featured image courtesy of Singapore Atrium Sale.
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