EsthertanC

Caught!! October 27, 2009

Posted by esthertanc in Me.
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October 27, 2009

So AQ was having, as part of his practical exam on the Hotel Management degree that he is taking, a “Fine Dining” service exam. And he has requested the three of us, AChris, Su-Ann and yours truly to assist him. We are to be his guests at the Fine Dining experience at his college (KDU) and he our waiter. He would be graded by an observing lecturer.

So we were to make out way over to KDU in Damansara – an hour’s journey from our home. As I was to pick the other two up, I started out a little earlier. Here’s what happened when I passed through a small, lonely stretch of back road from my house leading to Ann’s place… {the translation is more dynamic than literal }

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Policeman 1: [waves and signals “STOP” sign]

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Me: [thinking on the spot] Hmmm…lonely road, no cars, and two of ‘em. Should I stop? Maybe I should not. But their uniforms sure look real…

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Policeman 1: [signals “STOP” authoritatively while looking at the area about my right neck and shoulder]

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Me: [thinking] What is he looking at?? [touches the area about my right neck and shoulder; gasps out loud] Oh No!!! Where is my Safety Belt??? What happened to it? Who cut it loose? Why am I not wearing it???!!

**

Okay, I need to stop right here and tell you folks that I do not, as a rule, forget to put on my safety belt. It is about the first thing I do when I enter a car ever since I was 7 and the government imposed a rule that drivers and front passengers Must Wear safety belts. And I make every one of my passengers “buckle up.” If you don’t believe me, just ask any of my cell members. So then, the possibility for me to have actually forgotten about wearing my safety belt, especially when I am driving, was really slim to none! So imagine how flabbergasted I was when I felt about my right shoulder and didn’t feel the belt!!

So anyway, I slowed my car down to a stop and wound down the window…

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Policeman 1: [stating the obvious] Cik tak pakai tali keledar, ke? {Miss, you are not wearing your safety belt, are you?}

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Me: [sheepishly]: Sudah lupa, Encik {I forgot, Sir}

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Policeman 1: Kerja mana? {Where do you work?}

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Me: [softly, wincing guiltily] Gereja, Encik {In the church, sir}

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Policeman 1: Mana tu? {Where again?}

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Me: [louder, still wincing]: Gereja, Encik.

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Policeman 1: [sounding astounded] Gereja?? {A Church??}

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Me: Ya, Encik {Yes, Sir}

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Policeman 1: Tengok lesen {Let’s have a look at your driving license}

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Me: [taking it out and handing it over, and praying hard that the license is not expired!!]

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Policeman 1: [looking hard] Hoh!

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Me: [jumps in fright]

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Policeman 1: [to Policeman 2, gesturing at me] Hoh! [to me] Keluar kejap {Get out of the car}

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Me: [praying hard for vehicles to come along this lonely stretch, got out of the car, walked across the street to Policeman 2]

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Policeman 2: [Taking my license in hand] Cik buat apa ni? {What is it that you have done, miss?}

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Me: [as humbly as is possible] Lupa pakai tali keledar, Encik {I have forgotten to put on my safety belt, sir}

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Policeman 2: Oh, so kena saman la, tu {Oh, then you need a ticket for that}

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Me: [resignedly] Ok, Encik {Okay, Sir}

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[A car passes by, slows down, and then a motorcycle comes along. Phew!]

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Policeman 2: [looking for clues in my driver’s license] Taman *____*? {Is Taman *_____* where you stay?}

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Me: Ya, Encik {Yes, Sir}

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Policeman 2: Nak pergi mana, ni? {Where are you off to?}

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Me: Jemput kawan, pergi KDU {Picking up a friend to go to KDU}

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Policeman 2: Mana tu? {Where is that?}

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Me: Kolej Damansara Utama

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Policeman 2: Oh jauh nyer. Kenapa? {Oh. That’s far. What for?}

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Me: Kawan ada exam dekat sana, Encik {A friend is having exams there, Sir}    [for how else can I explain that we would be going there to “assist” in an exam??]

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Policeman 2: [obviously stalling for time] Kerja kat mana?      {Where do you work?}

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[Another a few vehicles pass by. Thank You, Lord!]

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Me: Gereja, Encik {At the church, sir}

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Policeman 2: Gereja mana? {Which church?}

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Me: Yang dekat Ampangan, tu, dekat Bomba {The one near Ampangan, near the Fire department}

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Policeman 2: Ohhh…itu, yah? {Ohhh, that one, huh?}      [For I think my church is really that well-known in town]

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Me: Ya, Encik.

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Policeman 2: So? Saman, yah? {So, can I give you a ticket?}

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Me: Ya, Encik.

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Policeman 2: Boleh? {Can?}

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Me: [shrugging] Ya, Encik. Saya memang salah. Saya lupa pakai tali keledar {Yes, Sir. I am clearly in the wrong. I have forgotten to put on my safety belt}

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Policeman 2: [writing on a piece of A4 sheet] Saman, yah? Betul? {I’m issuing you a ticket. Would that be correct?}

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Me: [repeating] Ya, Encik. Saya memang bersalah. Saya lupa pakai tali keledar. [and adding]    Kalau Encik boleh maaf, tolong maaf. Kalau tak boleh…saya memang salah… {If you can pardon me Sir, please, do. If you can’t…well, I was indeed in the wrong…}

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Policeman 2: [straightening up, looking triumphant] Ohhhh. Maaf tu memang boleh. Tengok macam mana, la .{Ohhhh. Of course I can pardon you…if you do what needs to be done}

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Me: [repeating steadily] Kalau boleh maaf, Encik maafkanlah saya. Kalau tak boleh, tak apa la. Saya memang lupa hari ini. .{If you can pardon me, Sir, please do. If you cannot, then it’s OK. I sincerely forgot the safety belt today}

**

Policeman 2: [bent down again, decidedly disappointed, continued writing on the white A4 sheet of paper, stalling for time] Nombor kereta, errr…***, ya? .{Your car number is ***, right?}

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[Streams of vehicles were passing by now. My relief had by now turned to great embarrassment as they slowed down and watched me curiously. “Oh God, don’t let any of them recognize me!!”]

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Me: Bukan, ****, Encik. .{No, Sir, it’s ****}

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Policeman 2: [straightening up again, looking resigned, handing me back my driving license] Okay, la. Maaf kali ini sahaja. Lain kali jangan lupa. Ingat, Saya maaf sekarang. Jangan lupa. .{Okay, I will pardon. Don’t forget next time. Remember, I have pardoned. Don’t forget this}

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Me: [gratefully] Ya, Encik. Terima Kasih, Encik .{Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir}

**

I walked back across the street to my car got in, put on the safety belt, drove off.

Was I grateful to the policeman for pardoning me? After all, his pardoning me saved me from having to pay up RM300 for the ticket. So, by right I should feel grateful, right?

But…I don’t! He was so obviously pushing for a bribe and I was so obviously resisting that when the whole thing was over, I felt it was more God’s grace and mercy than the policeman’s pardon. I particularly did not like the feeling of power he yielded over me when he was heavily hinting for a bribe. It was oppressive.

I must admit, amidst praying for heavier traffic on that lonely stretch of road, I was also praying for help from God. I know I don’t deserve to be pardoned (like I said, I was in the wrong!), but I was really pleading to a merciful God to, well, have mercy! And He answered my prayer!

So in the whole scheme of things, I must say that the One I am really grateful to is really God. He rescued me. Even though I didn’t deserve it! Thank You, Lord!!!

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A Good Life, or a Full One? October 11, 2009

Posted by esthertanc in Me.
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October 11th, 2009

It’s been a week since my birthday. What was it like? Let’s see, I’ve had 1 cake (a symbol of being a year older), 2 presents (a sign that I am really getting old), and 3 angpows (a sign that negates the other). As for greetings, I have had…

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10 pre-birthday greetings

65 FB greetings, including 2 cards, 2 cakes, 2 gifts and a bouquet of flowers – from people of FIVE different countries!

19 late greetings

15 SMS greetings

5 MSN/gtalk greetings from THREE different countries

4 phone calls from THREE different countries

3 online greeting cards

3 electronic/automated greetings, from companies I get services from

3 actual birthday serenades (singing la)

2 snail mail birthday cards, also from companies I get services from

1 email greeting (emails aren’t so very “in” nowadays, huh?)

….and countless, countless facetalk greetings!

Yup, this birthday is exciting because it really fed my LOA-ness. To the hilt! lol.

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So you’re probably asking what’s next, right? Well, there are just sooooo many things on my Next List that I don’t know where to begin. Suffice to say that I am way grateful to God for giving me this life, and am honored that there is more, much more, to come. So I guess that’s what I’m going to start the rest of my year with – being grateful. Not just for a Good Life, but for a FULL One.

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Anyway, having decided on that last night, it was certainly a pleasant coincidence to have “gratitude” spelled out so clearly for me while I was in church today. Here’s what I heard (I hope it’s copied correctly):

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Count your blessings, and not your messes

Count your gains, and not your losses

Count your joys, and not your woes

Count your friends, and not your foes

Count your smiles and not your tears

Count your courage,and not your fears

Count your full years, and not your lean

Count your kind deeds, and not your mean

Count your health, and not your wealth

Count on your God, and not on yourself

**

Is life Good? Well, I’d say it only is when it is Full!

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I Believe… October 6, 2009

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October 6^th, 2009

This is not an original post. I got this in an email from AYeow and even the pics are taken off the internet.  But the piece really spoke to me. Lots of people are having lots of problems and sometimes the problems do get into your mind and make you think and think and think about life in general – and pains and hurts and all – and about how you take them in, process them and transform them into gems…or not.  I hope it makes sense to you…

**

I Believe…
That just because two people argue,
it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other.
And just because they don’t argue,
it doesn’t mean they do love each other.


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I Believe…
That we don’t have to change friends if
we understand that friends change.




I Believe…
That no matter how good a friend is, they’re going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.




I Believe…
That true friendship continues to grow, even over
the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I Believe…
That you can do something in an instant
that will give you heartache for life.




I Believe…
That it’s taking me a long time
to become the person I want to be.




I Believe…
That you should always leave loved ones with
loving words.. It may be the last time you see them.




I Believe…
That you can keep going long after you think you can’t.




I Believe…
That we are responsible for what
we do, no matter how we feel.




I Believe…
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.




I Believe…
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done
when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.




I Believe…
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.




I Believe…
That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.




I Believe…
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you
when you’re down, will be the ones to help you get back up.




I Believe…
That sometimes when I’m angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.




I Believe….
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you’ve had and what you’ve learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated.




I Believe…
That it isn’t always enough, to be forgiven by others..
sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.




I Believe…
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief.




I Believe…
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
but, we are responsible for who we become.




I Believe…
That you shouldn’t be so eager to find
out a secret. It could change your life Forever.




I Believe…
Two people can look at the exact same
thing and see something totally different.




I Believe….
That your life can be changed in a matter of
hours by people who don’t even know you.




I Believe…
That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you – you will find the strength to help.




I Believe…
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.




I Believe…
That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.




I Believe…
The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything;
they just make the most of everything.

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