3 short stories

While at the gambling table that day, one Thai worker tong bang on my bet while i was at the black jack table. he also tong-banged the female player next to me. we were both a little annoyed by him because he kept nudgging us at the arm and shoulder whenever we had a good card in hand. i dont like people to nudge at me, sometimes i chide mark for doing that while watching TV or movie. it is like "hey hey, pay attention" kind of nudge or "look here" kind of nudge, which gets me irritated. so anyway, that Thai worker was doing that. with his bet of $30, we were limited to bet our share of $50 as the banker had a cap to each bet. we were unable to bet more that we wanted since he kept tagging along. we were trying to keep our patience when i heard him say in broken hokkien "wa bo lai, li bo heng ah!" meaning "if not for me being here, you won't be as lucky". that got me laughing. here we are, full of ourselves, thinking that we are the ones allowing him to tag on us, while he thinks that we are winning because he is lucky. so much so for being snobbish. sometimes, there is more to just our selfish view.

this epsiode reminds me of two other reflections i made of myself. i admit that i am sometimes too full of myself but i do reflect on it and become a better person, hopefully.

once i was at our regular roti prata stall at river valley. i always have a prata with a can of coke. always coke and nothing else. then one day, the staff brought me vanilla coke instead of the classic one. i summoned him to my table and asked him what was it about. i must have looked fierce because he timidly said that vanilla coke is the same and also very nice. i said how could it be the same?! i want just coke. he apologised that they ran out of it, why dont i just try. i hastily said ok, next time please store up your coke, it is staple.

after a sip, i had to bite my tongue.

i liked the vanilla version!

he was right, vanilla was nice.

i was just too stubborn to try new things and kept thinking that my loyalty is such a pride.

boo boo.


the last story i have for you happened a long time ago, when Diamaru was still Diamaru if you know what i mean.

i bought a digital weighing scale from the departmental store which cost $68. it was "hard saved money" as i was broke but had to have a digital scale. obesssed with weight at that time.

so anyway, i couldnt get it to work when i got home. there was no numbers on the display. i checked that the batteries were new but it just wouldnt work. so i lugged the machine back to the store the next evening, angry that the thing was not working. i must have been confrontational then, and the poor sales girl referred me to her senior.

after inspection, the senior girl pulled out a small plastic tab that was stuck to a slot underneath the machine. that tab was a protection sheet for the new equipment which was working fine. i was aghast that i was so stupid. the girl was so kind, she didn't give me a face. if i were her, i might rub it in. but she didn't. to top my shame, she said, "i'm sorry you have to come back here, it must be heavy carrying this". gosh. where do i hide my face?

so you see,,, be kind. we are not always right.

everytime i encounter very cocky and unreasonable customer at work, i always think of that sales girl, and if i am clear minded, i will be just as kind.

gee.

Valentine's Dinner

we always have company dinner on the eighth day of the lunar new year as the company makes a prayer offering to the heavens on that night and it has to be after midnight. this year, the date coincides with valentine's day, hence there is no candle-lit dinner for me but a group dinner with my colleagues. we sat at the warehouse and the mobile-cater-kitchen food reminds me of those chinese wedding dinner in the 70s. not that i have been to one in the 70s but the feel was nice and humble.

fooling around

Pai Tee Gong

It is a big event for the Hokkiens on the eighth day of the lunar new year for prayers to the Heaven. this is the prayer set-up at the front of my parent-company's door last night.
i was sitting at the corner, relaxing and enjoying the midnight breeze.
the folding of "gold" incense paper is symbolic of gold / wealth.

record high

the banker won a lot of my money.
and a lot of other people's money.

stephanie & family

Lunar New Year 2008

the Elder shifu at the temple passed away the week before lunar new year.
i felt a little sad because i felt that i have not thanked her properly for approving my dad's request for a niche at the temple. i know for a fact that niche spaces are scarce and many temple goers and devotees were unable to secure a space. my family is not true-blue temple goer, we only visit on occasions, hence it was really an exception and a great privilege for us to have two niches for my parents. i did thank Elder shifu that time but i still feel that i have not thanked enough. i guess what i can do now is to be more giving and contribute to other forms of activity needs at the temple. like resources for the tuition classes.

my parent company has a culture on card games- black jack and four-eights-card game, for CNY. it was tempting to be joining the games as the stakes are very high, but i am glad i stayed with my family & relatives for the first four days of CNY. we went visiting and i tell you, my aunt margaret's Teochew fishball, fish maw soup is SUPER-DUPERLY GOOD. my uncle ho's bean curd skinroll is also very delicious.

i had already lost a substantial amount of money on the table when i returned to work and stayed back for the games at night. it is really scary as i am still thinking of returning to the table despite blowing my allocated budget. it is no wonder some dicipline/government/culture/religion rather ban gambling than to leave it to the people............

i guess i have a lot to learn still.

we visited stephanie at her new home at jurong west.
it was big, spacious and made me realise that i too want a bigger unit.
we have lived in our small flat for four years now and this year end, we have always planned to buy a bigger unit when we are allowed to sell. (HDB rules that we have to own it for 5 yrs before we could sell) but i am beginning to love my surroundings, the jogging track, the vicinity to holland village and orchard. and of course the 5 mins walk to the mrt station. i am going to miss all these when i trade them with a more comfortable space that i want. well, i will just savour every moment of what i have now.

chao.