Me and (second) wife went shopping at eMart, in Miri, a few moments ago. We walked past a Chinese father and his daughter and she said, in Mandarin,
"Banyak Melayu ni beli jajan" (This Malay sure bought a lot of junk food)
***
When my (first) wife's Mandarin was still good, we would order coffee and sit in kopitiams in KL and Bintulu and she would hear comments like,
"What are they doing here"
or "Why does she cover herself like that"
or even "In kai se ta men yau se choo lo"
***
I speak to my (first) wife in Semenanjung Malay, with all the accents of a KL-ite, and Sarawakian natives would assume that I myself is a Peninsular Malay. Some would converse in Iban, or Melanau, or even Sarawakian Malay, to their colleagues, thinking that I wouldn't understand their dialects. When I retorted back in Melanau, or Iban, or Sarawakian Malay, they would be red-faced.
***
I do not claim to know what are the right ingredients to hold together a nation, that seems to be bursting at the seams of racial prejudice. I do not know whether Keynesian approach (government intervention) is appropriate, or is it better to leave things at sociological evolution.
But as a Muslim, or even as a responsible pragmatist liberalist, I believe that all things should be in moderation. No extremes should be allowed. Neither end of the spectrum is good for anyone.
***
"Banyak Melayu ni beli jajan" (This Malay sure bought a lot of junk food)
***
When my (first) wife's Mandarin was still good, we would order coffee and sit in kopitiams in KL and Bintulu and she would hear comments like,
"What are they doing here"
or "Why does she cover herself like that"
or even "In kai se ta men yau se choo lo"
***
I speak to my (first) wife in Semenanjung Malay, with all the accents of a KL-ite, and Sarawakian natives would assume that I myself is a Peninsular Malay. Some would converse in Iban, or Melanau, or even Sarawakian Malay, to their colleagues, thinking that I wouldn't understand their dialects. When I retorted back in Melanau, or Iban, or Sarawakian Malay, they would be red-faced.
***
I do not claim to know what are the right ingredients to hold together a nation, that seems to be bursting at the seams of racial prejudice. I do not know whether Keynesian approach (government intervention) is appropriate, or is it better to leave things at sociological evolution.
But as a Muslim, or even as a responsible pragmatist liberalist, I believe that all things should be in moderation. No extremes should be allowed. Neither end of the spectrum is good for anyone.
***
3 comments:
Hi Hansac,
Please don't be offended. Is your first wife staying in Bintulu and your second wife staying in Miri? Where are you staying then?
If you have watched the Heroes' movie...you will see that the cop who is gifted to hear the minds of another person....had his challenges of not to know the truth behind as it is very painful when you know everything of another person's thoughts and the same time, enjoying the benefits of such gift.
William.
Yes first wife in Bintulu and second wife with me in Miri. I travel to Bintulu on weekends, or she drives to Miri.
I work in Miri. Used to work in Bintulu for 11 years, till greener pasture beckons.
Greatbuds,
I wish I have the ability to read people minds. Hahahahah.
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