Friday, September 17, 2010

am i paranoid?

a lot of things that happen around us are really no big deal, unless perhaps when we try to think too much into it.

like at the pizza joint. we were for dinner the other evening during the fasting month. it was about 7.15pm when we ordered. the other patrons were mainly muslims. what i noticed was that they were also served dried dates in little packets to break fast with. we didn't get any.

like at the petrol station. i usually self-serve & that's fine with me. but i noticed many times that the attendants will clean the windscreens of the other cars. but not mine, unless i asked them to.

is this preferential treatment on the small scale? a result, perhaps, of a spill-over effect from the affirmative action on a national platform?

or, maybe i'm just paranoid?

maybe that's why malaysia day & 1malaysia just doesn't ring a bell with me.

24 comments:

Adino said...

I've never noticed such things, but now that you mention it, I'm going to pay more attention too.

I think you're probably just paranoid :)

Medie007 said...

gotta agree to a certain extent. :)

Anonymous said...

I guess for most people, those celebrations just don't ring much of a bell!

Unicorn Girl said...

looks like we are in the same boat :) including the 1Malaysia thingy..........;

doc said...

Adino,

yes, i've always suspected that i am.

doc said...

Medie,

you mean you have similar personal experience?

doc said...

Mei Teng,

if most people are like me, it's just another day not to go to work!!

doc said...

UG,

i wonder if our boat have the same words marked on it - pendatang or penumpang?

Yvonne Foong said...

Malaysia Day was a very quiet day around here.

doc said...

Yvonne,

maybe because it's never been celebrated before, not many know its significance, if any.

or, it's just another govt prank to lepak another day?

Jo said...

Well, to be fair, you weren't fasting... and breaking fast with dates and drink is in accordance to the Prophet's teaching (if I'm not wrong). Yes lah.. you paranoid! :P

missyc said...

One good thing came out of Mar08 doesn't it the opposition finally getting Msia Day recognised officially !

Don't make ourselves feel like one! Don't let the few with big mouth spewing froths begets us as the majority does not think this way. After all we are pendatangs to this mother earth.. who cares what they think or do coz people who don't matter is not worth it a thot! Chill doc :D

Yvonne Foong said...

Did you know that Malaysia Day was also Lee Kuan Yew's birthday? LOL! Irony!

doc said...

Jo,

well, to be fair, i pay the same as everyone else in the shop.

it wd have been a great PR exercise had they provided dates for all who ordered at that time, just like what the other burger joint did. BTW, this burger joint, which promoted itself as 1M in its current press advert, also provides FREE refill of soft drinks, but you need to ask for it.

doc said...

MissyC,

after the euphoria of mar08, i fear the novelty has worn off & the opposition are beginning to crumble. if they don't do something about this, we 'll be back to square #1 soon.

chill.

doc said...

Yvonne,

no, i didn't know that. thanks!

Hello Kitty said...

Hi Doc, I'd so be happy if they don't offer me dried dates! It means they know I am not a muslim. I have dark complexion and am sometimes mistaken for a Malay (hence muslim). But you are right - we pay the same, so they shd give to all.

I thought the preferential treatment (or should I say, discrimination) is openly practised here? That's my experience anyway. No, I am not being paranoid.

MiChi said...

That were the reason why assassination took place during the olden day when people didn't like that particular emperor, they couldn't voice out, they couldn't protest, and they didn't want to keep quiet...

What else can we do?

suituapui said...

That bad over there? Hmmmm.... Well, if a man strikes you on the left cheek, offer the right cheek too...

doc said...

MiChi,

we can't do that (ie. assassinate) as a civil society, but if we felt strongly about the unfair treatment, we can always avoid the establishment & not patronise them. the choice is ours.

doc said...

STP,

i just did that - no dates, but i still had dinner there.

doc said...

Hello Kitty,

yes, of course preferential treatment is practised openly here, but the last place i expected it to occur would be service-related places.

i mean, if a certain petrol station does that, i can always go to another, but, unfortunately that pizza joint, in my opinion, serves the best pizza in town & i just love pizza. and no, i'm not going to get those frozen ones from jusco & heat them at home!!

Loshini said...

we've all been der doc. at one level or another we feel d discrimination :)

doc said...

Loshini,

how very true! & we'll still get by somehow.