Lower my head? Never!

Is bowing really so embarrassing?

From: http://news.omy.sg/News/Local%2BNews/Story/OMYStory201011141620-200052.html

须向老师鞠躬　学生网上抗议

学校叫学生见到老师要鞠躬，竟遭来学生抗议！

电台Class 95主持人日前就提出本地一所学校这样的做法遭到反弹，结果引发网友热烈讨论，虽然有人站在学生那方，但大多数认为鞠躬没什么不妥。

网友Xanthos说：“教师的地位如今被贬低了，这些批评者应感到羞耻，教书是受尊敬的专业，教师是应该受到学生和家长的尊敬。”

他也指出说，现在的父母太宠爱孩子，要学生向老师鞠躬并不是什么耻辱的事。

育有4个孩子的郑丽娥（42岁，商人）受访时同意学生向老师鞠躬，因为这是礼貌的表现，应该加以发扬。

“在一些国家如日本，学生都这样做，我国的学生似乎没有全部这样做，如果能加以规定更好。”

网友tatsit则认为，“只要是穿着校服，你就失去所有的自由！”

主妇李秀梅（58岁）虽然同意鞠躬是礼貌的行为，但她认为，学生在看到老师时微笑、点头和问候就已足够。

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Are students nowadays becoming so concerned in upholding their personal pride such that they are unwilling to bow to their teachers? Or are they gradually losing respect for teachers? Either way, it shows that the status of teachers has dropped as compared to the past. Teachers are no longer being valued and respected by students like before.

This issue has probably nothing to with teacher-student relationship, but the acting of bowing itself. Is bowing in front of others really so difficult? Because of pride reasons, most find it hard to bow, thinking that such action demonstrates weakness and subservience. A light bow (or sometimes just a little nod) is as far as most people would go. At least in Singapore, there is hardly anyone who does a 45 degree bow.

Ever since learning Japanese, I realised that I tend to bow quite frequently when speaking to teachers or superiors. I often find myself lowering my head unknowingly during the conversation, not only when thanking or apologising.

Sometimes I wonder why do Japanese like to bow so much. They bow when they meet, and bow twice as much when they part. An apology may constitute to a 90-degree bow. It's not uncommon for anyone to lower their heads just to avoid trouble and settle problems in a quick and clean manner.

Personally, I can even bow as much as five times while saying farewell to my Japanese teacher. It's not a matter of face or respect anymore, but just a cultural habit.

To some people, bowing may not mean anything. They bow just because they are told to bow, or it has already become an inadvertent action which has lost its true purpose. Just like how students stand up and greet "G-o-o-d M-o-r-n-i-n-g T-e-a-c-h-e-r" in a bored, draggy, unison voice.