Family of Four

Malaysian Pull Tea and Territoriality!

Time log: 20 January 2007; 7.00 pm.

The place: Medan Selera in Section 14, Petaling Jaya

We were having the best satay in town. Succulent chicken and beef pieces skewed and roasted on a grill above the ambers of a hot charcoal fire. The peanut gravy was heavenly and we all begged for an additional helping. We then supplemented our meal with Pak Chik Panjang’s tantalizing nasi padang. The patin fish in coconut milk curry was beyond words. It was a good dinner. Everything went on well.

Then my wife had to order a glass of teh tarik!

A man was serving two delicious looking teh tarik to customers at the next table. They looked delicious, the milky tea frothing at the brim of the oversized glasses! Teh tarik is milky tea expertly tossed into the air using two big metal containers and the outcome is a frothy looking tea. My wife was visibly tempted. “Can I have one of those?” she hollered to the man. The man looked at my wife with apprehension and then quickly signaled a second stall to provide the tea. “No,” my wife replied, “I want yours.” He turned, looked ashen and went off.

I told my wife that she won’t get the tea she wanted because there could be an issue of territoriality here. In many food courts, with the spirit and fervour of the Code of Bushido in place, only certain stalls can serve drinks to designated rows of tables.

I least expected it .But stranger than fiction, the self-same man appeared with the teh tarik for my wife. I told my wife I wouldn’t be surprised if she gets a dressing down now from the second stall ‘that had the rights’ to our table.

The ‘fun’ then started. The old lady manning that second stall came by and within ear shot, blurted out these teasing words “I thought Chinese do not drink teh tarik.” A few minutes later, as an afterthought, she then came to our table and rudely took away a chair which she has offered us earlier to put our shopping bags and our umbrella signaling in her way, her angst and demonstrating her vehement protest for our failing to order that pull tea from her!!

I told my wife, “Let’s vamoose!” and out we went from the food court thankfully with our dignity intact.

Talk about the adage “The customer is always right!" It is not valid in Medan Selera, Section 14. So you better watch out when ordering drinks when you go there for your meals! You might just ruffle the feathers of that brazen woman again.

"Hell hath no fury like a female stall owner scorned !"

Do that and heaven help you!

Quote of the Day:

“Beauty is power; a smile is its sword.” Charles Reade

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