Overheard

1. Where are you from?

Lady: "I will be going off for holiday for 3 weeks"
Me: "Good for you. Where are you going"
Lady: "Lebanon"
Me:"Nice! Where are you originally from?"
Lady: "Well, I'm from Palestine. Since now we don't have a country, we call Lebanon home"
Me:......

If I were not too excited to go home, that conversation would've left me depressed.

2. Acne treament.

Tea Boy:"You use anything for your acne?" *gesturing the outbreak around my jawline
Me:"Err.. not really"
Tea Boy:"Don't pinch it. Later become black"
Me:"Err.. ok"
Tea Boy:" Don't worry, try to use XXX brand powder. Indian shop have"
Me: "Err... I will remember that"
Tea Boy:" Remember don't squeeze aa.. later become black. Not pretty anymore"

To this day, I still can't believe that, that conversation did took place. Well, the guy meant well... though he left me with a huge.. WHAT DA HECK?

3. You're Malaysian?

Guy:"Oh..you're Malaysian"
Me:"Yes I am. Why?"
Guy:"Oh since you're always with your colleague I thot you were from Philipines."
Me:"Hahahahaha"

What else is new.

4. Your name is Junaidah?

Lady Boss:"Here's your id. Your name is Junaidah?"
Me:"Yes"
Lady Boss"Muslim"
Me:"Yes"
Lady Boss:"Oh I thot you're Philipino."
Me:"Hahahah"
Lady Boss" Well, since you hang around with so and so..I thot.."
Me:"Yeah, I get that a lot"
Lady Boss:"This is a beautiful name"
Me: "Really? What does it actually meants"
Lady Boss: "You read the Quran? Well, Jund means like a small army.. or all sorts of elements that was helping Nabi Sulaiman. A very good name"
Me: "Thank you"

This conversation took place after the lady fired me left right and center for ignoring her adhoc request. Never had I spent a morning so productive like this one. Terbakar hati sampai hangus. She seems a little human after I solve her issue and she found out that I'm Muslim. Hmm...

5. Permission slip

Office joker:"How do you find Qatar?"
Me:"OK"
Office joker:"You're married?"
Me:"Nope. Single"
Office joker:"Your family allow you to come here"
Me:"Pardon?"
Office joker" Your family ok with you coming here?"
Me: (still puzzled) " Err.. yes"

Terbangang kejap. I wanted to tell him that I stopped asking for permission to go anywhere after I was I dunno..17, 18? Normally I tell my parents where I'm going. Not asking for permission. And I'm here for work. Not party. And I'm 32. Talk about culture differences. When I told my Malaysian colleague. She just laughed. She remembered going to Kedah when she was in Uni. She called her parents to ask for permission. Her parents said no. Well, no harm, she was actually calling them from Kedah. Yeah, that sounds about right. Hehehehe