The Big E Walkabout

As I was poking at my pieces of sweet-and-chilli-sauce-soaked yong tau hu, a big purple tour bus pulled up alongside the kerb, a few foot lengths away from my beloved kopitiam. Out tumbled some middle-aged uncles & aunties holding stacks of colourful newsletters, a few strong men with their big mediacorp videocam + bulky cameras, a couple of dainty ladies wielding pens & notebooks, and (drumroll pls) our dear Mr Yeo CT, Ms Amy K, Mr Ang MS, and the 2 new faces Alvin Y and 2nd youngest candidate Zaqy.. What a party.

They trooped around shaking hands and making small talk, regardless of race, language or religion, to build a democratic society, based on justice and equality, so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation!! OOOps, sorry, somehow the words just flowed, perhaps I've been reciting it too often. In any case, when the party reached my table, I shook my share of hands too. But alas, the small talk that some of them made... "Are you living around here?" (yeap, that's why we are in sloppy t-shirts and flip-flops)... "Is everything okay here?" (pa gave the not-so-diplomatic-answer - 'many things can be improved')... "Is this your child?" (yeap, she's my only one)... "Oh, she must be quite pampered eh. Hahahahaha. But who doesn't like being spoiled? Hahahaha" (DUH... there I was, minding my own business with my yong tau hu, dunno why blur blur kena-ed). Oh, those cameramen happily snapped away too, those forever-grateful benefactors of digital cams. So, don't be shocked if you see me staring back at you from the front page of newspapers tomorrow, in my tousled hair, geeky black specs, rumpled sleep clothes and rubbery flip-flops. I look great, oh yes I do.

10min later, they were gone from the kopitiam, off to the market next door to shake fishmongers' hands. And peace re-descended, an ordinarily lazy sunday breakfast resumed.

Mahjula everyone.