Hello Son,
It's a Saturday over here.
Time is 7.01 am.
Dr Anthony Chaffee is on the television.
Talking about the carnivore diet and how
carbohydrates are dangerous to our health.
He's such a nice doctor
He's in our living room almost every day.
It would be about a year now that Dad and
Mom have turned carnivores.
About 90%, Mom would say.
We do have our cheat days, but very controlled
and conscious decision cheat days.
LOL.
Mom's joint pains are a thing of the past.
No more flatulence and feelings of
bloatedness.
Even the floaters in her eyes are gone.
The strength and stamina Dad and Mom
had in Europe astounded ourselves.
We were walking and walking and
walking everyday for 21 days,
without feeling any tiredness or
soreness. We slept well, got up well,
and went through the day without
having the need to rest. Haha.
In short, we were full of energy.
Mom's travel blog :
So ...
something happened during our trip
that Mom must tell you.
We were at a restaurant.
For dinner.
We were there early.
6 pm.
The restaurant opened at 6:30 pm.
There was a family of 3 before us.
Man, woman and a girl about
10 years or so.
There was a senior couple with a dog
seated at a corner, before entering
the dining area.
So basically, the family of 3 were
first in the line (at the entrance),
and Mom was standing behind
this family.
Dad was browsing around.
We don't need 2 people to queue up,
Dad said.
The senior couple with the dog were
seated on our left.
We were all waiting for the restaurant
to start its operation at 6:30pm.
About 6:15 pm, a staff from the
restaurant walked in, saw us standing in line,
and invited us to sit down on the tables that
were "outside" the dining area.
Like the waiting area, if you like.
Mind you, that family and your parents
did not intent to sit there for dinner.
However, since it was just to "sit and wait,"
the woman reluctantly went to the first table,
followed by the man and the child,
and Mom took the second table.
Dad was just standing around,
looking here and there, exploring.
Then came 6:30pm.
Another restaurant staff appeared.
We are going to call him Waiter F,
for ease of reference.
By then, there was a short line of diners
at the line in front, that same line where
the family of 3 and Mom were standing
in the beginning.
Waiter F ushered those diners into the
dining area.
Seeing that, the family of 3 stood up.
Mom stood up. We were gonna walk into
the dining area too, when Waiter F stopped us,
and asked us to sit down.
He said, "We are starting from this row today."
Huh??
We were not very happy about that, the woman
and Mom. We wanted to dine in the dining area.
Better view. Nicer tables. More space.
After all, the dining place was quite big, like the size
of 4 - 5 badminton courts.
Plus, we were early, the tables were all available,
save for those handful who had just walked in.
So what was the problem???
On top of that, Dad and Mom were at this same
restaurant the evening before, and we saw late diners
coming in and were given those "waiting" tables,
outside the dining area, because the dining area
were fully occupied,
So what - was - the - problem - now???
The place was empty, with more than 40
vacant tables in our view.
By the way, Dad and Mom went to that
restaurant to dine again because we simply
loved the grilled ribs.
So ...
The woman from the family of 3, said she
wanted to change her table. Mom said the
same thing. Had we been in the queue, we would
have walked right into the dining area ...
but we were early, and a worker invited us to sit
and wait ... and looks like we were stuck to those
"outside the dining area " tables.
Waiter F dismissed us, and replied,
"No, we are starting from this row today."
Pause.
Who made him the authority of seating
dining guests?
The senior couple with the dog was fine
with their table "outside" the dining area,
for obvious reasons.
They were about 10 feet away from where
Mom and the family of 3 were seated.
Correction : waiting to be seated.
Dad came to sit down.
Waiter F said something to this effect :
“We are starting from this row today.”
Meaning, starting to fill up the tables
from the front of the entrance.
The day before, only the late
customers were shown to those tables
because the rest of the tables “inside”
were fully occupied.
Just to be clear, those 3 tables,
yup there were 3,
were not even part of the dining
place. They were just extra small
tables at the entrance for diners to
sit if there was an overflow in the
dining area.
It was very early … 6:30 pm … 6:35 pm
at the latest, and there were no diners on
the tables inside save for one or two who
had just entered the restaurant.
What was the big deal, right?
The woman beside Mom, looked over to Mom,
and we kinda made a disapproving face to
each other.
A face that said, “Nah, I’m not gonna sit here.”
Mom asked her,
“Are you gonna change your table?”
She said, “Yes, of course.”
Mom felt encouraged, because honestly,
Mom didn’t want to make a fuss.
Mom said, “Ya. Me too.”
There was a doggie nearby,
remember this.
That Waiter F has a bad attitude,
as you will see later.
He repeated to us both,
“We are starting from this row today …”
Then he disappeared.
One of the female waitress came to our table,
to present us the menu.
Mom asked her, “May we sit -- inside?”
(Mom pointed to the dining area)
She was about to answer,
when that Waiter F, who was nearby,
overheard Mom's request, and intervened,
“No, we are starting from this row.”
Mom did not respond.
Fine, Mom thought.
Damn.
Then, within a few seconds of telling
Mom to stay put, Waiter F walked
over to the table next to ours
(table of the family of 3 sitting beside us),
and said LOUDLY,
for - Mom's - benefit (and Dad's),
“You want to change your table?
Come, follow me.”
And the F Waiter led them in to the
dining area and allowed them to
choose a table of their choice.
Let Mom remind again that,
it was still very early at the time,
and there was hardly anyone in the dining place.
He allowed that family of 3 to change their table,
and specifically directed Mom and Dad
to stay put on ours.
Pause to reflect.
Mom could not believe Waiter F did that.
What????
Seriously???
That attitude by that F waiter was NOT acceptable,
and Mom took that as a PERSONAL ATTACK
from this F Waiter.
Did the F Waiter really instructed Dad and Mom
to stay put on our table and in the same breath,
boldly and loudly asked the diners beside us,
(also waiting at the same time as your parents,
to be seated inside the dining place)
if - they - wanted - to – change – their - table???
That -- was -- NOT -- okay.
That attitude by the F Waiter clearly showed
a blatant lack of respect for the restaurant guests
and more to an aggressive bully and a racist.
In short, that F Waiter ruined your parents' evening.
Dad was so pissed, he wanted to leave.
Mom was silent and speechless as she
tried to process what had just happened.
Did that F Waiter just did what he did, to us???
Did -- he -- really???
Your parents stayed on, despite the shitty
feeling that we were feeling then.
It was too late to go out to another eatery.
Besides, we wanted to have those
grilled ribs again.
Despite the unease, Dad and Mom gave
our orders to a nice waitress who attended to us.
We called for the grilled ribs and the
chicken chop.
It was a difficult moment for Mom
as she tried to process her feelings
of disgust and displeasure,
contempt and indignation,
that had clearly ascended onto
your parents.
Mom was very irritated - -
to the core.
Her whole being was burning with - -
an unfamiliar emotion - -
HATRED.
And OUTRAGE!!
Dad was FUMING!!
Quietly and internally.
Mom wanted to confront that F Waiter
and give him a --- TIGHT SLAP –
across his stupid, ugly face!!
Her heart was beating so hard in her chest.
Her breathing was heavy.
Her fists were clenched.
Mom stood up.
The food came.
The waiter who brought our food,
unaware of the tension in the air,
flashed us a friendly smile and said,
“Enjoy your dinner.”
Your parents - - smiled - - back
and expressed our thanks.
We ate in silence, Dad and Mom.
Nothing was going right.
We couldn't even pretend that
we were having a good time.
Mom tried to pull herself out of that
- quicksand - that she had sank her foot into,
but it was of no use. She felt herself being
sucked and pulled, deeper and deeper into
a dark abyss.
Mom never knew she could have
that much of contempt in herself
until that encounter with the F Waiter.
It was almost towards the end of the evening,
when your mother's mood finally lightened.
Thanks to the doggie by the window.
So ...
The F Waiter, was approaching that table
(the elderly couple with the dog).
When he was near, the dog suddenly
JUMPED UP and started BARKING
at the F Waiter ...
in the LOUDEST,
FIERCEST and
MOST VIOLENT manner.
WOOF WOOF WOOF!!! Loudly.
WOOF WOOF WOOF!!! Fiercely.
WOOF WOOF WOOF!!! Violently.
The (big) dog has been laying quietly
(under the table) and not making
any sound, the whole time since
we came in at 6 pm.
Now the dog was snarling and growling
with its eyes fixed on the F Waiter,
in the most dangerous manner.
We were startled, including the diners
who were nearest to that doggie’s table.
Waiter F stopped abruptly and retreated
in his tracks, with both hands extended,
like a "I surrender ..." position.
He gave a stupid, sheepish look,
before meekly saying, to the elderly couple.
“Sorry … sorry …”
Mom watched the incident unfold before
her eyes.
A smile slowly appeared on your mother's
face.
Her heart softly whispered :
Good doggie.
Good boy.
You know what’s going on, don’t you?
Yes, even the dog knows Waiter F has
no good bones in him.
He is obviously not a nice person,
the dog could smell it.
You can’t fool a dog.
The dog did not bark at any of the
other waiters, only this F Waiter.
The arrogant attitude.
That despicable, smug face.
A face that proclaimed,
“I am a BULLY and a RACIST.”
Good boy, good doggie.
The manner in which the dog reacted ...
Angrily, fiercely, violently and
dangerously.
That was exactly how Mom felt.
She had wanted to claw him.
The night that has been so heavy for
your parents, suddenly disappeared.
A weight has been lifted from your
mother's shoulders.
The dog has made Mom smile.
He fought your mother's battle for her.
Yes, that was exactly how Mom felt.
Furious, outraged and violent.
This F Waiter clearly has some unresolved
issues in him that he is taking out on people
whom he thinks he can get away with.
Mom wrote a letter of complaint,
explaining very clearly the events of that day.
Your mother did not have to waste all her
time writing the complaint but she was
determined to STOP that Waiter F from
ruining another tourist’s night (or day)
with his arrogance and insolence.
Mom pointed out that he clearly needs
to improve on his people’s skills.
Until then,
he should be placed in a place where
he does not have to handle humans
(not even dogs).
He might fair better in a private place,
like the store room.
Or the laundry room.
Yes, that dumb F Waiter certainly did
ruin our last night …
but Mom forgives him.
Imagine, telling one diner,
“YOU, cannot change your table. Sit down.”
and then turn to the next diner and say
LOUDLY,
“YOU want to change your table?
Come follow me.”
Clearly, a bully and racist.
That restaurant receives international
guests from all over the world.
This F Waiter CANNOT be allowed to
openly display his bullying and racist
tendencies.
Even a dog knows that.
Mom knows in her heart,
that the "sorry, sorry" that came
from that F Waiter, was specially
intended for her.
That vicious growling and the
fierce snarling at F Waiter,
was all for your mother's benefit
and -- yeah, she would add ...
Pleasure.
Delight.
Satisfaction.
You made sure of that.
 |
| Daniel with Kish in Penang beach. |
Thank you, Son.
For turning that night around.
It was amazing watching the
drama unfold.
Okay, gotta go.
Keep the ZAPS coming.
Hugs & kisses,
Mom
xoxo
