Dirty Old Men.

I went to Starbucks today to do some work. I needed a change of scene to get my creative juices running. First of all, I had to sell my kidney for a Caramel Macchiato and after that, I limped to a table to do some work. I worked uninterrupted for an hour. Actually wrote instead of staring at the computer screen letting my mind wander aimlessly to no effect. I had my work face on, my glasses, crappy hair and equally crappy clothes. I was enjoying my solitary reverie with my thoughts. Until...

a dirty old man came into the picture. Yes, you read right, a dirty old man. By this time my laptop ran out of charge, I was writing manually in my notebook. Just scribbling shit down. And I looked away for a breather and to think of what to write next. And he made his move. He commented how its nice to see someone write the old-fashioned way instead of using a computer. I spouted a polite, "Yeah, uh huh, you're right" and went back to my work. But my concentration was broken because I could feel him watching my every move. I decided it was time to go but apparently, it was a sign for him to come and sit at my table!

I should've just told him to fuck off but damn my politeness! He was such a predator. Probably had a wife at home, watching after the kids, washing his underwear, whatever. He told me that it was his birthday yesterday and that he had recently gone to Pangkor. When it comes down to it, he basically wanted me to go to Pangkor with him. Seriously, do I look that naive and stupid to go on a trip with a complete stranger! A dirty old man! I told him no and he insisted, even calling his friend who supposedly worked at the Chalet in Pangkor to talk to me. That was my cue to leave.

After I left, I wondered if his little ploy actually worked on girls. Disturbed. Eeks. Seriously disturbed. Dirty old men and their ways of luring their young prey.

Thought I'd share that with you guys. Just feel disturbed.

The Fast Food Revolution!

Delectible pieces of golden fried sticks of potatoes bathed in the right amount of oil and salt; miniscules pieces of lettuce sandwiched in between juicy meat, the cold burst of sweet yet bubbly fluid--Ahh, the wonders of fast food. Just writing that little piece made my mouth water. We all know its bad for us but yet, we continue eating it. McDonalds, Burger King, KFC. The supersize franchises present in Malaysia. Although I would sell my liver and kidneys for Carls. Jrs., Wendy's and Taco Bell right now, the big three present in Malaysia is enough to keep my taste buds preoccupied.

Fast food chains in Malaysia have grown to gargantuan proportions (appropriate, I might add, for the concept of fast food). Three story to two story buildings, golden arches that stretch up into the horizon, Ronald McDonald sitting on your local bench, Colonel Sanders sauntering in the entrace. We are bombarded by the wonders of fast food. Constant billboards, ads and even the promise of delivery!

I grew up in a place where fast food chains only evolved to a modest one story building. Yes, they're popular in the States but for different reasons. Being a poor student, I lived off the 99 cent menu in McDonalds and the cheap centful goodies at Taco Bell. Fast food is the cheapest alternative. Over here, fast food carries a label, like Addidas or Nike. Fast food isn't cheap. It's a luxury.

Compared to other local food prices, fast food is quite expensive to be a daily habit. This is the thing that angers me. These fast food franchises use local products yet are able to still charge American prices. These companies make big bucks outside of the States. That gets me talking about Starbucks. Hey, I had Starbucks daily in Portland--caffeine was a must to wake me up for work or class. And it didn't cost me an arm or a leg or both! My jaw dropped at the prices Starbucks charged to Malaysians. The cost of goods should match the average salary.

Here's the thing, nobody says anything. So these multi-billion dollar companies make a killing from your pocket.

Etiquette--What's That? A Bird? A Plane? No, Its a Rude Malaysian!

I held a plastic bag of pastries in my hand, a smile on my face as I exited Bee Bakery in Bandar Puteri Puchong. After a grueling couple hours of errands in the hot sun, I was relieved that a break was in the foreseable future. Just as I walked out, a Chinese woman doubled parked her new expensive car and dressed in her equally expensive dress suit proceeded to walk towards the bakery. As I was just leaving, with my hand clutching the door handle, I held the door open for her.

What does the bitch do? She just walks in without any acknowledgement of me standing there, holding the door open for her. What the fuck do I look like? A doorman? Her maid? I walked away to my car feeling perturbed and then as the incident finally settled into my mind, hot bubbling anger surfaced out of my tired facade. Obscene words flew out of my mouth in rapid succession, followed by one question I've been asking ever since I got here, "What has happened to common decency and etiquette in Malaysia?"

This isn't the first time I've faced inconsiderate behavior from my fellow Malaysians. Phrases like, "Thank you" and "Please" have somehow made its way out of Malaysian vocabulary. I'm greeted by sour faces at cash registers and impolite staff at stores. Don't even get me started on Malaysian's on the road! The act of inconsideration has somehow made its way into Malaysian culture. Darwin's idea of the survival of the fittest, that everyone is out for themselves, has taken a whole new meaning in Malaysia; it is the defining characterisctic embedded into the minds of Malaysians.

With the new Prime Minister sworn in, commercials carrying forth the message of proper behavior and etiquette have popped up on television screens and in the form of reprimanding voices on the radio. Do people really need to be told to give up their seat to an elderly woman in the bus or give way to a screaming ambulance? I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the commercials. Does a person living the life of a twenty-first century citizen have to be taught the basic principles of etiquette? Has Malaysia really come to that?

Malaysia desperately wants to be seen as a country in progress; a country that can stand proudly amongst other successful, high-tech, urban centers around the world. The ugly label of "third world country" is what Malaysia has apparently shed in prior years. But how does one measure a civilized nation? By the tallest building in the world or by the actions of their people?

Food for thought!