Sometime last week, I was in a coffee shop, standing in a queue to buy "veggie rice". A very well-dressed old lady, who looked to be in her 70s was in front of me and she spoke in impecable Engilsh to the man behind the stall.
Old Lady pointed to a plate of meat: is that sweet and sour pork?
Man behind the stall in a thick Malaysian accent: no. No "pok" Honey chicken.
Lady: Oh. I want Sweet and sour pork. Can I have sweet & sour pork?
Man: Today no pok. Honey chicken. Bery nice. Bery good to eat. You take ok?
Lady: Ok, I will take the sweet and sour pork. (She pointed at the Honey Chicken)
Man: Aunty! No pok already! HONEY CHICKEN! Aiyoh.... no pok no pok!
Lady: oh. Ok then. Can I have the green vegetables instead? (she pointed at a tub of greens)
Man piled green vegetables onto a plate.
Lady pointed at the Honey Chicken and in a striaght face: I want this Sweet and Sour pork.
Man went nuts and yelled at the lady: AUNTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I SAID NO POK! NO POK!!! HONEY CHICKEN!!!! AIYOH!!!!!! CHICKEN!!!!! 鸡肉!!! 鸡肉!!! 鸡肉!!!
Lady: ok, don't need to shout at me. (looked offended, looked away for 3 seconds, composed herself and pointed at the tub of Honey chicken again) I want this sweet and sour pork.
By this moment, everyone who was in the queue couldnt take it anymore and everyone burst out laughing.
Man at the stall rolled his eyes and simply put some Honey Chicken onto the plate.
Sigh. It was a funny but yet heartbreaking scene. The old lady most probably have dementia. But from her dressing and good command of English. She must have been very well educated. But the disease does not discriminate.
All of us will be old one day... and I wonder will I ever be in the same situation as this old lady...?
1 comment:
That doesn't quite sound like dementia, leh! LOL
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