On another community outing, a group of 82 of us headed to Tiong Bahru for a congee buffet lunch and then down to nex to catch Ah Boys to Men. I could almost boil eggs in my blood with the way some people behaved at the buffet."
Full post of the excerpt, photos, reflections, complains under the cut!
As much as I'd hate to boost her ego, she is pretty darn cool. Like me, she's interested in lots of things and thanks to her particular interest in making things, I've benefited from the expenses on embossing machines, craft paper, courses, embellishments and materials that would make any crafter swoon. Like me, she is a control freak, event-organiser who may come off as bossy at times but just loves getting big things done. Thanks to her, I have gotten down and dirty working hard for the community. It's times like the Singing Festival that I can understand why my mother loves serving the community so much.
The photos above were from the PA Arts Singing Festival, a string of singing festivals held all over Singapore in different constituencies to encourage the community to get together and well, sing! It might sound like absolute bs about nation building and identity and blah blah blah, but please, don't knock it till you've tried it.
If you have experienced community singing in schools, then you ought understand the sense of unity you get from singing along loudly with your best friends to songs that you know every word to. Leave out the fact that you can't 'mosh', leave out the fact that this year's community song was shit (or the last, the previous, all songs except Home). Leave out your 'too pop punk for this' and maybe you can feel that cheesy but existent feeling of togetherness.
I had that feeling as I walked down the bridge snapping photos. Even though I wasn't singing, I could feel chills run down my spine listening to the whole congregation sing the words to 月亮代表我的心 (The Moon Represents My Heart, a classic). I thought to myself: this is what keeps my mom going.
Things like these would keep me going, except my inter-personal skills have steadily gotten worse over the past few months. Unfortunately for me, my silent yet severe character evaluating habits have been sharpened and strengthened over the past few months such that I can barely tolerate people that have given me bad impressions. For the sake of her PR, my mum can treat her residents cordially, with her usual smile and easy-going attitude. I might just spit at them through my teeth if I haven't already set their homes on fire in my rage... like I almost did today.
On another community outing, a group of 82 of us headed to Tiong Bahru for a congee buffet lunch and then down to nex to catch Ah Boys to Men. I could almost boil eggs in my blood with the way some people behaved at the buffet.
We were seated at a long table of 10 diners - Mr Yew, Mom, my kid sister, my nanny (who, by the way, is Indian Muslim and couldn't eat the food at the buffet, but brought her own lunch, AND paid the full price of the entire trip just because she wanted to have fun), three residents and friends of my mom, two kids (10-12 year olds) and myself.
Just by looking at this diversity, I guess you can deduce the food intake: Three kids, that probably can't eat much (unless they are gluttons like me), three aunties, who are likely to refuse food and claim they 'only eat very little', one lady who can't eat anything because the food isn't halal, one event organiser who has to run about keeping tabs on her head-count, a man whom I expect eats a lot, and me. My pet peeve is when people waste food.
We were pre-served twelve little plates of sides to have with the congee, six on each half table. Here is where it gets crazy.
I hate to generalise and even add to the stereotype of kiasu, greedy aunties, but two aunties and the two kids went off to get their own helpings of sides, some that were already served beforehand. They returned with a nice little customised collection of sides and
pushed over the six little plates that were originally served.
As if it wasn't life threatening enough, one aunty tried to push me off the edge when she returned with her own pick, plus three extra dishes. The situation was now too little people eating too much fucking food, and with some dishes repeated.
When asked to help with the pre-served dishes, they said, I quote, "Oh all these they brought over one, we didn't take. We don't want them." Are you daft? Do you think they give a fuck if you touched the food or if you wanted it now that you have started feeding? Are you for real?
I was so close to punching somebody's face in that when one of the criminal aunties tried to make small talk with me, I almost threw fishcake in her face. I only ignored her when she attempted to speak to me multiple times. Couldn't let my mouth run off about their sin, could I? Not in the name of saving my mom's face, I couldn't.
At many buffets, there is a penalty for taking more than you can eat. The Cursed Side was discussing this fact as they looked at us trying to clear up the food that they dismissed. They might as well have said "Oh dear look at all these peasants trying to finish up their food, such irresponsible diners." The Cursed Side apparently turned rather high and mighty before the aunties left.
I sat there swallowing my food and my anger at their irresponsible feeding. As my mother tried to explain cheerily to the two tweens that they could be charged for it, they had the cheek to say they were unaware of the penalty.
I personally didn't care that we would be charged for the extra food (which we weren't because the boss was nice to a big group of 82), but their behaviours made me sick to the stomach. When will people ever learn that you can't stretch your dollar by TAKING the food, you have to EAT IT ALLLLL? I hate when people take extra food on the pretext of 'sharing' it with others. It's a rude and sly way of enjoying the taking, looking and smelling and then having an easy way out of unfinished food.
It's not even the fact that 'There are people starving in Africa'. I know we have more than enough food to go around, but just not the means of getting it to the people who need it. Me eating more does not save a life automatically. No, I'm upset that grown adults can be so selfish and shameless. I'm not ashamed to say that my mom has taught me never to waste food and I abide by that not because she enforced it, but because waste is horrible in itself. I have been through times when I wished I had more to eat, so it is a psychological consequence when I see waste, especially in food.
If I had let my unhappiness slip, I would have been scolded by the elders for my poor upbringing, but no one is going to call the adults out on their ugly behaviour. May I just remind my readers to only take what you can eat and not make a fool of yourselves as ugly Singaporeans?
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