In the typical fashion of how we would curse at our DNA and our ancestors (but conveniently like to omit the good traits and maybe wealth passed down to us), my son blames me for his need for braces.
You see, I had to deal with mal-alignment of my dental structure and all the sneering associated with it from a tender, impressionable age. From the resourceful network that Amma engaged with her gossiping housewives friends, I managed to seek treatment from the dental nursing school in Penang. The treatment was painstakingly slow, taking many years to complete involving many teeth extractions. The end result is much to be desired (but functional, not that I was seeking a career in the movies or to be a poster boy) leaving the jaw slightly deviated from midline giving a slight snarl to my speech. Things meant to be serious are taken by listeners in a light mood. It is easier though to crack a joke. The drawback, however, is when I indeed blow my top. It leaves an everlasting emotional impression on the recipients. That is why they say that comedians make superb villains in the movies.
My son and I were already 45 minutes past our appointment at a dentist's office. The crowd at the waiting room was getting hot under their collar, but they laboured on. Suddenly, a Caucasian client/patient/customer barged (not in the Viking fashion) to the reception counter. "Tell your doctor I am leaving now. My appointment was 1 hour ago. If I wait any longer, I would have to invoice you for my time. Good day!"
Like a sponge, my son observed the incident and on the way back home, decided to make his point to be heard.
He thought that the man was extremely rude for acting the way he did and venting his anger on the girl at the counter and continued telling his peace about how visitors should behave in a country they are welcomed into. If Malaysians are okay with our way of life of not keeping to time, he should too.
I tried his side of the argument but was compelled to say a word or two too.
I do not know how much of my rationalisation actually sank into him. Hopefully one day it would resurface from the crypt of his grey cells.
When we are incapable of taking care of our own backyard and need others to help us out, we also have to take in the baggage, the idiosyncrasies and the social problems that come with it. Coming from a society where a 2-minute delay in the train services is unacceptable and a big deal, care is needed when dealing with delays which may be acceptable as a fact of life here. Some things can change for the better!
It comes in a whole package....
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