Two weeks ago, I patronized this Malay stall selling goreng pisang and other fried foods. It was their first day of business and they told me to choose 3 items for $1.00. I bought the food because 3 items for $1.00 is quite the norm and reasonable in pasar malam (night market).
Few days later, I went to the same stall to buy the same items but the lady who manned the stall told me to choose 5 items for $2.00. I asked her if I could just buy 3 items but she pretended not to understand my English. After much hand gesturing that I wanted only 3 items, she decided to charge me $1.20 quite reluctantly. So it was
20% inflation. I queried why a sudden 20% increase in her food over just one week and she mumbled something which is not relevant to my question just to shoo me away.
Out of curiosity wanting to know how this group of people conduct business in public places.. I went back again. This time, a Malay guy manned the stall and not surprisingly, he uttered 5 items for $2.00. As usual, there was no indication of food prices on the stall. I told the guy I wanted to buy 3 items but he kept putting words into my mouth that I wanted 5 and started to pack my food... I was puzzled and stopped him immediately and repeated myself several times until I uttered the word "tiga", to his amazement, before he decided to take off 2 items from the plastic bag.
I sensed much displeasure (not unusual as we all knew but have to remain tolerant to him), I paid him $2.00 expecting my change of a dollar or 0.80cts, the most, because it was the 3rd time I bought food from this stall.. He returned me 50 cts. So here it goes, 50% inflation over a span of one week. I tried to reason with him but he turned away and chatted with his own kakis behind the stall. Denial behaviour.
Personally, I am not a racist or like to criticize other religion but now I do understand why conflicts never die between different people intentionally or unintentionally and on many occassions it can be avoided if a party can be more honest and ethical whether as a businessman or individual. This incident if repeated to different host of customers every night can be quite devastating as it may carry bad implications. To me, trust has to be earned and, not just one way traffic, expecting others to give willingly. This world is not build upon self-centeredness thus my purpose is to remind forumners that such group of people do exist.
I learned my lesson from a small price paid and worth its findings because I know I will never ever, again, buy anything from pasar malam stalls that shouted: "5 for $2"!!! and more so to those who pretended not to understand simple Engish or hand gesture.
Few days later, I went to the same stall to buy the same items but the lady who manned the stall told me to choose 5 items for $2.00. I asked her if I could just buy 3 items but she pretended not to understand my English. After much hand gesturing that I wanted only 3 items, she decided to charge me $1.20 quite reluctantly. So it was
20% inflation. I queried why a sudden 20% increase in her food over just one week and she mumbled something which is not relevant to my question just to shoo me away.
Out of curiosity wanting to know how this group of people conduct business in public places.. I went back again. This time, a Malay guy manned the stall and not surprisingly, he uttered 5 items for $2.00. As usual, there was no indication of food prices on the stall. I told the guy I wanted to buy 3 items but he kept putting words into my mouth that I wanted 5 and started to pack my food... I was puzzled and stopped him immediately and repeated myself several times until I uttered the word "tiga", to his amazement, before he decided to take off 2 items from the plastic bag.
I sensed much displeasure (not unusual as we all knew but have to remain tolerant to him), I paid him $2.00 expecting my change of a dollar or 0.80cts, the most, because it was the 3rd time I bought food from this stall.. He returned me 50 cts. So here it goes, 50% inflation over a span of one week. I tried to reason with him but he turned away and chatted with his own kakis behind the stall. Denial behaviour.
Personally, I am not a racist or like to criticize other religion but now I do understand why conflicts never die between different people intentionally or unintentionally and on many occassions it can be avoided if a party can be more honest and ethical whether as a businessman or individual. This incident if repeated to different host of customers every night can be quite devastating as it may carry bad implications. To me, trust has to be earned and, not just one way traffic, expecting others to give willingly. This world is not build upon self-centeredness thus my purpose is to remind forumners that such group of people do exist.
I learned my lesson from a small price paid and worth its findings because I know I will never ever, again, buy anything from pasar malam stalls that shouted: "5 for $2"!!! and more so to those who pretended not to understand simple Engish or hand gesture.
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