(Busy streets of Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia. A tribute to a story below where I became a Malaysian for few seconds).A reflection on what I had done last week....wondering if I can do things better in this week.
1. I had finished the electrical design of an elevator group which is supposed to be delivered mid next year, pretty much easy this time because, I had gone through this,eventhough the technology used for this project is completely new.
2. Gave up my 'Malay' lessons...may be resume after a while in January.
3. Friday chess,after playing for an hour I accepted the draw from Shan. ( I think,may be I should have won the game,his Queen was out of the board!)
4. Went for my Saturday church gathering after a long time ( I guess 4 weeks, that's a month).
When I think back, God was always gracious to me.Why I bring in God here? Just had a converation with a lady that I met in 'pasar malam'. ('pasar malam' means 'night market' in Bahasa which is spoken in Malaysia, Singapore and may be Indonesia).Singaporeans are used to these markets,where the sellers from Malaysia set up their own stalls in the huge temporary tents.
This Chinese lady, a watch seller was explaining to me about her watches.
I just throw in a question, " If you are selling these stuff for $3.90, what is the actual price of it?".
"Good question,Sir", she became enthusiastic," The first day of the market I sold this watches fo r $15,then I made $11.50.Now you know the actual price of it".
Seems like she wanted to test my arithmetic skills.
"So you make 50 cents now?"
"That's almost right,Sir" she said.
After a pause she asked me the infamous question that people always ask me
"Where you from,Sir?"
I am just wondering do I have an alien? When people ask me this question I used to answered differently.
I never revealed my nationality. Just not because I am a pathetic guy who don't feel proud about my Nation, just curious about people's nature on how they behave on my different answers.It is quite funny.
One day one of the staff from QC department asked me the same. I told him Pakistan. He was simply amazed and said "but you look like an Indian".
"Yea.What you said is true,but Indians and Pakistanis are brothers, what?" - I nodded.
Another time,long time ago same question came from a customer, when I was cashiering the 7-Eleven.
"What do you think, Mam?"- I asked her back.
"You don't look like an Indian, may be you are from Bombay?"
"Mam,Bombay is an Indian city..."
"Oh..yea...I don't know may be some other countries like Nepal?"
But I admitted this time.I revealed my home state.
She laughed.Yes,she laughed and asked me " Are you a communist? Do you have coconut trees in your backyard?'.
Then I decided. No right answers for these kind of questions.
Back to Night Market again.This time I answered the lady that I am a Malaysian.
"Wow. Malaysia? Which part of Malaysia?"
"Negeri Sembilan" ,I answered in a confused state.
She was very happy.Just because she was a Malaysian.
She said" I am from Penang. I am very happy to see you . I think you have got a very good job , don't spend too much here, send to your parents ,they will be very proud to have a son working in Singapore"
1. I had finished the electrical design of an elevator group which is supposed to be delivered mid next year, pretty much easy this time because, I had gone through this,eventhough the technology used for this project is completely new.
2. Gave up my 'Malay' lessons...may be resume after a while in January.
3. Friday chess,after playing for an hour I accepted the draw from Shan. ( I think,may be I should have won the game,his Queen was out of the board!)
4. Went for my Saturday church gathering after a long time ( I guess 4 weeks, that's a month).
When I think back, God was always gracious to me.Why I bring in God here? Just had a converation with a lady that I met in 'pasar malam'. ('pasar malam' means 'night market' in Bahasa which is spoken in Malaysia, Singapore and may be Indonesia).Singaporeans are used to these markets,where the sellers from Malaysia set up their own stalls in the huge temporary tents.
This Chinese lady, a watch seller was explaining to me about her watches.
I just throw in a question, " If you are selling these stuff for $3.90, what is the actual price of it?".
"Good question,Sir", she became enthusiastic," The first day of the market I sold this watches fo r $15,then I made $11.50.Now you know the actual price of it".
Seems like she wanted to test my arithmetic skills.
"So you make 50 cents now?"
"That's almost right,Sir" she said.
After a pause she asked me the infamous question that people always ask me
"Where you from,Sir?"
I am just wondering do I have an alien? When people ask me this question I used to answered differently.
I never revealed my nationality. Just not because I am a pathetic guy who don't feel proud about my Nation, just curious about people's nature on how they behave on my different answers.It is quite funny.
One day one of the staff from QC department asked me the same. I told him Pakistan. He was simply amazed and said "but you look like an Indian".
"Yea.What you said is true,but Indians and Pakistanis are brothers, what?" - I nodded.
Another time,long time ago same question came from a customer, when I was cashiering the 7-Eleven.
"What do you think, Mam?"- I asked her back.
"You don't look like an Indian, may be you are from Bombay?"
"Mam,Bombay is an Indian city..."
"Oh..yea...I don't know may be some other countries like Nepal?"
But I admitted this time.I revealed my home state.
She laughed.Yes,she laughed and asked me " Are you a communist? Do you have coconut trees in your backyard?'.
Then I decided. No right answers for these kind of questions.
Back to Night Market again.This time I answered the lady that I am a Malaysian.
"Wow. Malaysia? Which part of Malaysia?"
"Negeri Sembilan" ,I answered in a confused state.
She was very happy.Just because she was a Malaysian.
She said" I am from Penang. I am very happy to see you . I think you have got a very good job , don't spend too much here, send to your parents ,they will be very proud to have a son working in Singapore"
That really hurt me. I just answered her out of a fun that I am a Malaysian and she trusted me. My pride didn't allowed me to say anything more.
"Aunty,since you were so kind to me, I'll buy a watch".
She was glad to serve me and made two extra holes in the leather strap up on my request.I paid the money and received the watch.
She said "Thank you very much. My profit increased 50 cents by your grace,God bless you:"
"Thanks Aunty, Good Night" I walked off.
When I was in the train back to home, I was thinking about this. She might be a watch seller, but why she ended her business by saying "God Bless You".
Yea..God was always blessing me..May be this is a lesson to me, don't cheat other people's mind even though it was a simple,intended to be funny kind of answer which have a life time of only a few minutes or few seconds.
I realised, life is beautiful, just because of these smaller things....and I should pledge to keep these smaller things to be true...always!
"Aunty,since you were so kind to me, I'll buy a watch".
She was glad to serve me and made two extra holes in the leather strap up on my request.I paid the money and received the watch.
She said "Thank you very much. My profit increased 50 cents by your grace,God bless you:"
"Thanks Aunty, Good Night" I walked off.
When I was in the train back to home, I was thinking about this. She might be a watch seller, but why she ended her business by saying "God Bless You".
Yea..God was always blessing me..May be this is a lesson to me, don't cheat other people's mind even though it was a simple,intended to be funny kind of answer which have a life time of only a few minutes or few seconds.
I realised, life is beautiful, just because of these smaller things....and I should pledge to keep these smaller things to be true...always!
(This will be Burj Dubai, some where in the end of 2009)
