I came back from Seremban after sharing the Dhamma there on saturday. The audience were ard 30-60+ yrs old and something struck me; while most people elsewhere in Dhamma circles would address each other as "Bro" or "Sister", the good folks there were very2 politely addressing me as "Professor Doctor Wong" repeatedly. This is interesting because I note that it is ONLY the 'old people' who are so politely formal! Prof Khalid, Prof Rusli and my expat colleagues also address me and each other with such formality. Dr Ng Kian Seng, a decade my senior similarly is so embarrassingly formal. And Prof Tan Siong Lui the most senior member of our faculty would NEVER fail to be similarly formal in front of any student.

BUT my own students, 2 generations yger are no longer like this. I was shocked 5 yrs ago when the students addressed some Australian Professors with their FIRST names! In the second yr, an expat colleague snapped at a student when the student called her by her first name "YOU WILL ADDRESS ME AS DR.....!"

Is this is a generation gap thing? We were terrified of our Professors and would stand when they walked in. NOWADAYS one will be so lucky if the students STOP eating and YAKKING when we walk in! Many of the senior colleagues had complained of this; I wonder why this change in decorum had come in so rapidly.

Is it the same in the other institutions?

Or have we merely forgotten to teach our children MANNERS at home!?