After some thought, I had an answer.

She was Singaporean.

All along, students I taught were not local. A few were from Indonesia and one from Thailand. Perhaps it was nationality which made my experience so terrible. Typical Singaporeans who are too measly to pay a good tutor and who are too afraid to tell her to go.

The typical ugly Singaporean who jostles you back into the train when you are trying to alight, plies up food the height of Bukit Timah Hill on his buffet plate and who never acknowledges you when you say THANK YOU (is it that difficult to say YOU ARE WELCOME?).

But when it rains...

I was on my way out to catch King Kong yesterday afternoon when it started to pour on my journey to Orchard. My bus was stopping at Orchard Emerald and I had to walk unsheltered some way to Cineleisure. Luckily for me, the rain subsided by the time I alighted but there was still moderate drizzle. I decided to brave the rain and kept my eyes down and walked as fast as I could.

Missed the traffic light crossing at Heeren. Just as I was praying silently for the rain not to pour again before I reached shelter; I felt the rain stop.

I turned to my left and there she was.

A KIND Singaporean.

She had walked up from behind and sheltered me from the rain.

Momentarily shocked that there was someone so kind, my eyes widened a moment before I said "Thank you".

She was gracious enough to smile and respond, "You are welcome".

As I looked up, there it was happening again.

A lady in front of me was trying to shelter two people who had rushed up to the front of the crossing. She was trying really hard to shelter the two people with her small foldable umbrella. But the two people did not realise her efforts.

My kind Samaritan sheltered me across the crossing and left me as she was heading up straight past Heeren while I had to brave another crossing. I thanked her once again before she left.

Just as I was still thinking what should be my 2006 resolution, it had come to me:

I will offer to share my umbrella to people in need.

The lady made my day but showing me that kind Singaporeans are not an urban myth.

I should pass the message on.