No Singaporean Mission Trip is not complete without its "R&R", where shopping and food is high on the agenda. In times like this, team members go on shopping frenzies and food feasts.
In trying to hunt down the best souvenirs, team members tend to compare prices of products with those back home. Going down that "slippery slope", disparaging remarks about the local people are usually made.
The issue at hand is the assumption that the locals are inferior or dumb. I believe this perspective views material possessions as a symbol of prestige and success. In many societies like ours, there is great emphasis on the acquisition of wealth. Team members should remember not to allow the predominant material culture to define others and themselves.
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