Friday, May 14, 2010

Glamorous, not!

If at all there is one thing I am guilty of, it's the fact that I don't suffer fools gladly. While not proud of it, I do wish sometimes I had not come down too hard on such nitwits. After all, being a blockhead is bad enough, without someone telling you that you are.

Of course, the unkind ones would smirk and say I have a laser mouth. Lest it be misunderstood, even laser mouths come in different varieties. Most times, however, I don't shoot my mouth unnecessarily.

Once, I berated a cocky young man for jumping a supermarket queue, reserving another cutting dose for the cashier who served him despite that glaring fact.

The other shoppers were obviously annoyed with him but they chose to seethe silently. But I saw no reason to take such rudeness lying down. Why should I tolerate his insolence?

It is certainly not beyond me to reprimand people for whatever wrong they do publicly, from littering to intentionally driving the wrong way up a one-way street (that warrants 'the finger') to indulgent parents letting their boisterous kids loose in a restaurant, shrieking and squealing, running into patrons and furniture alike.

Whatever wrong people do in private is none of my concern, unless their actions publicly impinge upon and impact on the lives of others. This includes abusers of all shades and I have been alienated more often than I care to remember for standing up to a spousal abuser.

Last night I came face to face with yet another twit. Somehow, I held my acid tongue; maybe it was because I was on my way to solat (prayer). Otherwise he would have had it nice and proper from this old grouch.

We were at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (KLGCC) in Bukit Kiara for dinner when the azan (call for prayers) sounded from a nearby mosque. Deciding to do our Maghrib before eating, we proceeded to look for the surau (prayer room).

This club had undergone a massive, multi-million ringgit renovation over the last one year. Because of the on-going construction, I ceased going to KLGCC for almost a year. Only Pak Abu was a regular patron, because the golf course was open (sometimes partially) throughout.

As such, I wasn't sure where the new surau was located. In fact I was quite lost, not knowing where the restrooms, restaurants, gym, changing rooms and a host of other facilities were.

As Awwa and I wandered, we chanced upon a club worker (he was in uniform), so I asked him politely for the surau's location. His answer, after giving us both a once-over, was a brusque "Member or Guest?"

Now, THAT really got to me. Does it matter what our status in KLGCC was when all we were looking for was a surau to pray in? Was he implying that only members could pray in the surau? Was KLGCC that discriminatory? If not, why bother asking?

I almost lashed out "Kalau guests sembahyang kat mana? Bentang sejadah kat tepi swimming pool ker?" (Where do you allow your guests to pray, by the side of the swimming pool?). Almost. But better sense prevailed.

Instead, I gave a curt, monosyllabic answer which got him scurrying past us, leading the way. Thankfully, the wudhu (ablution) cooled me down somewhat and I managed to do Maghrib in peace (of mind, that is).

Over dinner we discussed the unpleasant encounter. Obviously the fellow was suffering from a case of stereotyping. With the benefit of hindsight I could see where he was coming from.

Perhaps it was our dressing; covered from head to toe, with long black tudung, and sans make-up. One look and he had concluded these two 'kampungan' looking Melayus (especially the rotund makcik) couldn't possibly be members of a club as prestigious as KLGCC.

We were on a different planet altogether compared to the usual stylishly dressed and appropriately accessorised upmarket crowd one could find in there. In fact, we saw quite a few of these 'beautiful people' while dining.

What a sobering reality check that was. So I remarked to Awwa, somewhat forlornly: "We look so dowdy huh. We don't have a shred of glamour between us."

Back came the answer: "That's okay Ma; it's better to be covered like this and look glamorous in the eyes of God than be exposed and look glamorous in the eyes of men."

18 comments:

Mior Azhar said...

Well said Awwa... well said! I want my daughters to be like her when they grow up - full of wisdom. Alhamdulillah, sejuk hati Kak Puteri.

Unknown said...

Puteri Kama :-) in many ways, what you have written mirror who i am too. Often, I would raise my voice from behind a line when the counter in charge serves someone who potong queue.
and, ah, that staff at the club, so reminds me of the security officer at Bukit Persekutuan who refused me entry because i was in selipar jepun and drove a proton~!

well said Awwa ~! isk, i think u also glemer lah...

Pp

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Aunty Puteri,
Next time, if anyone asks that "member or guest" quaestion, just answer: Owner. My parents did that once and the look on that chap's face was priceless. Would be more fun if they had said: owner and you're fired. har har har *evil laughs*

Kama At-Tarawis said...

Cat - hehehe, that's mean..!

Pp - it's a pity how some ppl look down on the national car.. i know of wealthy but down-to-earth folks who drive around in Proton wth pride..

Mior - Amin, amin.. semoga your little ones will grow up well-adjusted dan taat pada agama dan ibubapa.

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Mean? Itu baru sikit. We've had our Pretty Woman moments too. You know, those haughty boutique assistants.... Bet they never learn the tried and tested adage: never judge a book by its cover. Or, a woman by her dressing. Take a look at the contents of her purse instead. har har har *evil laughs*

Kama At-Tarawis said...

Cat - I sooo agree with you! I love these "Pretty Women" moments.. :D

Fadhil said...

Perfect response from Awwa.

Next time Kak Kama, if a staff asks you the same question, try answering `guest' or `non-member'. See what the response is so that you have something to bring up to the club management.

Cik Puan Kamil said...

Awwa is not so little anymore is she ? Well done, Awwa...

لف توف™ said...

Asik asik men yg kena.
Tak adil aih!!
Women also would say how comot you were. :-)

Kama At-Tarawis said...

masalahnya lap, takdak women yg mai kata lagu tu kat muka kami. kalau ada kal;u, mau kami tampAQ sampai bisu..LOL

Kama At-Tarawis said...

oldstock - biaq pi kat depa lah. my angin also temporary.. hehehe..

myra - she's 25 this year.. how time flies, eh..

UmmAmatallah said...

Assalamualaikum,
you don't know me but I know your daughter. I have to say that I am very proud of her and mashallah she has come a long way, strong and firm in her deen more than she ever was. Give her a huge hug and a kiss for me inshaAllah. Take care
Wassalam,
A sister in sydney ;)

Kama At-Tarawis said...

Umm - Salam & hope you're keeping well. Tq for the kind words and Awwa sends her love.

3yearshousewife said...

Kak,
My kids are a boisterous lot, going to a restaurant means we the parents almost becoming a pak/ mak guard...
Nasib baik le tak terserempak ngan Kak Puteri ya...

Awwa,
You rock.

Kama At-Tarawis said...

3YH - there is a big difference between parents yg try to control their boisterous lot (walaupun anak tak makan saman) dengan the kind yang buat derrrk aja. yg buat derrk tu yg kak puteri tak berkenan tu.. hehehe. am sure you are not the indulgent kind. i have seen parents yg terkial2 embarrassed sebab anak2 buat hal in public places.. kesian... yg penting kita cuba, bukan biarkan..

Anonymous said...

yes, Awwa.. you go girl!! tapi can I add a little bit... some of us want to look glamourous not just for the men but for other women as well... i think women are more judgemental on how others of the same specie look... men bukan kisah sangat...

azrin

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

Dear Puteri...

agree, agree, agree...on all counts.

But I must say this:

Oooh, diorang tak tahu how you used "to look like" in your heyday!
(taken literally...not to mean that you look the opposite now.Sekarang wajah memang reflective of muslimat mithali).)

Masih anak gadis, even lepas berumahtangga dan ber-anak -- one hot babe and one hot mama!
(i'm sure you still are ...)

Adoi!

Kama At-Tarawis said...

azrin - it's true what you say, some women have the habit of judging how the other women look. what to do, to each his/her own.

ena - i cringe to recall the way i dressed an d behaved those young days..teruk betul..lol