...of Daily Bread

Today's Fare:

Sandwiches à le Bloke, and a serving of arrogance.

Forgiveness for Dessert, if you can stomach it after the former.

****

First, the sandwiches. À le Bloke. A happy story:)!

By sandwiches, I really mean sandwiches:). I decided to make myself some after spending too much time and effort in the *ahem* toity . I've been eating out so much since my arrival in Singapore, it's screwed up my digestive system. And I'd just had it tuned up and oiled over my six weeks in Laos, eating all those veggies and all that fruit!!

I went to the supermarket, and bought stuff for the sandwiches - ketchup, mustard spread, cheese, ham, wholewheat bread, a couple of cucumbers, onions, and those little salad tomatoes. I also bought a bunch of other stuff. The bagger at the counter put everything in two bags, and I paid her and walked out with took ONE bag:).

When I got home, all excited about the yummy sandwiches I was gonna have for dinner, I opened the bag I had, only to find that its contents were a loaf of bread, ketchup, mustard, wax (for my bike; highly inedible), a carton of fruit juice, and two bars of chocolate. No ham, no cheese, no yummy veggies... and I was so disappointed and incredibly mad at myself for being such an absent-minded bum and hurrying home with ONE bag.

Ycar was waiting for me online when I got home, which was really a blessing because otherwise I would most likely have had a restless night. I expressed to her how upset I was about my stupidity, and she very kindly said that it was all okay, and I didn't have to be so upset.

Well, I went back to the supermarket the next evening, and when the bagger saw me she smiled immediately and said "Hello! You left so many things here yesterday-ah!! Please go to the service counter and show them your receipt!"

So I did, and they told me to go back and pick out the same items I'd left behind, and they'd clear them for me. I couldn't express how happy and grateful I was!! I kept thanking the lady at the service counter, and when I was done I went back in and queued up just so I could tell the bagger how thankful I was:).

So yay!! Praise God! Now I have my yummy sandwiches to eat, and a happy story to tell:)


I told you this'd be a happy story:).

***

And now, a serving of arrogance. A sad story.

I biked to school again!! Today was different though - it was raining hard, and I had to go slow so as not to get my clothes all dirty with the spray from my tires - so it took a bit longer than usual, but it was fun! And the rain was nice and cool, so I didn't get all hot and sweaty. I was still drenched though!

Anyway, the lecture began, and I felt myself heating up at the delightfully racist remarks. Here are the most common ones, repeated quite often every lesson we've had so far.

"Singapore is better than your country"
"Service Quality in Singapore is better than it is in your country"
"Singapore is better than China, India, and Vietnam"

This time, my dad was online when I got home, so I told him what had happened, and he gave me a bit of fatherly wisdom:

"Focus on things over which YOU have control and CAN change rather than trying to civilize everybody else... next time you hear chauvinistic, arrogant, stupid and ultra-nationalistic shit, disregard it just as you would disregard shit. Because we do not mess with it."

So there.

***

And lastly, Forgiveness for dessert. Right after my daily bread.

To the people who dish out remarks dipped in arrogance and prejudice:

There's a huge part of me that wishes I could put a stop to your idiocy. But I have decided to disregard that part of me, and that part of you. Not because I am any better than you - God knows I have my own share of faults - but because my Master wishes me to do so. I choose to forgive you instead of stand up against you. Blessings to you, my friends, in Jesus' name.