It was near perfect! The rain had just subsided - not completely, tho, so there was a very slight drizzle, kinda like the showers in London. Droplets of water were catching me as i huffed and puffed under the tree-line. Me Nikes were oredi soaked but it din bother me - there's something about the squishing of wet sneakers that brings back memories of childhood and playing in the mud. It was at dusk and i had the sunset to keep me company. I gave up early on trying to avoid the puddles so i splashed along and laughed out loud to meself. Being a public holiday, the roads were not jammed. The heavy downpour earlier cooled the air significantly. Me spirits were soaring at this opportunity to be out - a far cry from just an hour earlier where in rare moments i was unhappy with the rain which trapped me indoors.
And just when i thought that things couldn't get better, a perfect stranger i jogged past greeted me!!! That inspired me. I smiled at the next person i ran past and was duly rewarded with a reciprocated smile and a nod. :-)
Well, for the record, the two i encountered were actually private security guards on patrol in USJ 5 - and they were foreigners. So maybe they thot i was one of their rich employers (or son of one of their rich employers)...
One of the things which we miss about being in the UK is how people greet each other. When we walk down the streets, jog around the campus, stroll along the footpaths, wander in the parks, we acknowledge the people we pass by - a smile, a nod, a simple greeting - "Alrite?" Some even try to engage in short conversations - "Lovely day, isn't it?". I used to have chats with the old ladies manning the check-out tills at Tesco.
But being back here, we notice so ever clearly that the culture is different. when we try to smile at people we walk pass, it gets ignored at best, and at worst, you get dirty looks in return, like "Who you smilin' at, you perv???". Even when we go to a restaurant or pay at a counter in the local supermarkets, we are greeted wif a wall of cold silence and an expression that doesn't betray the fact that the person absolutely hates his/her job. Just the other day, i couldn't help but smile at the irony of this senior sales-person at Carrefour wif such a "I-hate-my-job-and-therefore-i-hate-you-too" expression on her face while wearing a button badge wif a smiley face on it.
Welcome home, Min An.
I know it's been almost a year but getting used to it doesn't make it any easier to deal wif it. Is it so hard to say hello?
*The first track from their second and arguably their best album, (What's the story) Morning Glory.
4 comments:
Malaysians are just shy. LOL.
But yeah, in uni we encourage one another in CF to acknowledge the cleaners and workers/staff in MMU. And it's really nice sometimes when you say hi to them or talk to them, they respond with a big smile on their faces. :)
Yeah, we'd use to chat wif the cleaning ladies who come to our flats.
M'sians shy? hmmm... dun know la. Even when we hold doors open for people here, they just walk thru the doors and walk past by you like you're made of glass!!!
ok la. not all are like that... :-)
hahaha... yeah, not ALL are like that. There are some who acknowledge you when you do things like that, but the majority don't. But well, we just do what we think we should without expecting anything in return...at least we know what it feels like when people don't acknowledge us, so that we in return don't repeat the same mistakes towards others. :)
I finally watched Enchanted. hehe. "A smile or a simple hello would be so uplifting..." Gisele said something like that. And it's so true. haha. :D So here's a "hello" and a ":)" hehe.
i still have NOT watched Enchanted!!!
:-(
Post a Comment