Kepochis in town
I come from a little town where the chinese population is about 3% (if I'm not wrong). Being in a small town with a small chinese community means almost everybody knows everybody and rumours spread like wild fire. I can safely say that lots of people know my family, especially my uncle and my dad due to their professions. While it is interesting to meet different people every time I go out with my Dad, it can be really annoying sometimes.
Once, my Mom got a call from one of the kepochi (busybody) in town, questioning her the reasons for sending my brother and sister for tennis lessons and tournaments. She asked a few questions, like why isn't my Mom concerned about my sibling's studies and the amount of money spent on tennis. My Mom was dumbfolded when she got that call. It's my Mom's choice and I don't understand that kepochi's problem. There are some things which I cannot decipher, until today.
When I was back home, I was asked the same, old, boring questions 1001 times from almost everyone I met. 'Got boyfriend already ah? Ang Moh boyfriend ah?' When I said 'No-lah' politely, they went 'You sure or not, your Mommy is here that's why you don't want to tell Aunty is it? I'm sure you got boyfriend lah' Most of the time, my answer was 'No-lah Aunty, Mommy says no boyfriend yet'. End of conversation and they started gossiping with their friends. In my heart, I was screaming 'WTF? I got no bf means no bf lah, mind your own business for goodness sake!'
Every move I made, every step I took, I had to be cautious to avoid rumours in town. I avoided going for dinners with my parents sometimes. At certain functions, alcohols were served and I normally declined. I just don't fancy drinking wines and whiskey. I wish those people would leave me alone after I told them I would just have water but NOoooo... they had to say 'You're studying in Ang-moh-kok and you're not drinking? how can that be? Don't pretend lah girl, come, come, drink some' What on earth were they thinking? I wonder who came up with this smart a$$ equation: studying abroad=must know how to drink
My Mom was being bitched because she went for karaoke sessions with her girl friends. I don't understand the mentality of the kepochis who have too much free time on their hands with nothing else better to do. I feel sorry for them... I feel terribly sorry for them. If they were to get paid for gossiping/bitching about other people's life, I'm sure they would have become millionaires or even billionaires today!
A couple of years ago, when I went back during the summer, I sent and fetched my siblings and neighbour to school. It was around 7 in the morning when the incident occurered. I was sleepy while driving. I wanted to overtake the car in front of me. I looked at the side mirror, clear. So I drove to the right lane, without giving any signal. Little did I know there was a car just right behind me. It was my fault, no doubt about it. (That was the only time I changed lane without a signal) The driving gave a looooooooooooong honk. I gave a signal and drove to the left lane. After a few minutes, I turned left. The driver gave another long honk upon seeing me turning left. I didn't mean to run away, I had to turn left to go to school. I thought it was all cool after that. But I was so wrong. There was a drama at the office the next couple of hours.
Before she appeared in my Dad's office, she asked her friends in town to find out who I was. Since my relatives and our family use the same registration number, it wasn't hard at all.
She waited in my Dad's office even before my Dad went to work. When my Dad walked into the office, she confronted my Dad. I would imagine her telling my dad this from the extremely long lecture and scolding I got from him that same afternoon.
'DXXXX3 is your car is it?
'You know your daughter nearly caused accident or not? My children were in the car you know!'
'Why is she in a rush? she thinks she's come CEO of a big company is it?' (I am sure she said this. Dad told me)
Oh, and she told my Dad she tried to chase me but failed. What bullshit was she talking about? I was driving no more than 60km/hour.
I admit, it's all my fault for not giving a signal before driving into the next lane but I wasn't at all impress with her attitude. If she were to talk to my Dad nicely, I wouldn't mind going to her house to apologise. Anyhow, my Dad apologised to her. Needless to say, he was so pissed with me. I had driving phobia for the next few weeks.
I know I can ignore whatever people want to say.. but when you hear people talking about it for so many times, it's not nice at all.
I may sound a little frustrated about my home town but I still love my hometown. It's where I was born and bred. I quote my friend, YK, I rather rot in KB. It's true.. But the kepochis, I wish they'dvanish keep their mouths shut.
Once, my Mom got a call from one of the kepochi (busybody) in town, questioning her the reasons for sending my brother and sister for tennis lessons and tournaments. She asked a few questions, like why isn't my Mom concerned about my sibling's studies and the amount of money spent on tennis. My Mom was dumbfolded when she got that call. It's my Mom's choice and I don't understand that kepochi's problem. There are some things which I cannot decipher, until today.
When I was back home, I was asked the same, old, boring questions 1001 times from almost everyone I met. 'Got boyfriend already ah? Ang Moh boyfriend ah?' When I said 'No-lah' politely, they went 'You sure or not, your Mommy is here that's why you don't want to tell Aunty is it? I'm sure you got boyfriend lah' Most of the time, my answer was 'No-lah Aunty, Mommy says no boyfriend yet'. End of conversation and they started gossiping with their friends. In my heart, I was screaming 'WTF? I got no bf means no bf lah, mind your own business for goodness sake!'
Every move I made, every step I took, I had to be cautious to avoid rumours in town. I avoided going for dinners with my parents sometimes. At certain functions, alcohols were served and I normally declined. I just don't fancy drinking wines and whiskey. I wish those people would leave me alone after I told them I would just have water but NOoooo... they had to say 'You're studying in Ang-moh-kok and you're not drinking? how can that be? Don't pretend lah girl, come, come, drink some' What on earth were they thinking? I wonder who came up with this smart a$$ equation: studying abroad=must know how to drink
My Mom was being bitched because she went for karaoke sessions with her girl friends. I don't understand the mentality of the kepochis who have too much free time on their hands with nothing else better to do. I feel sorry for them... I feel terribly sorry for them. If they were to get paid for gossiping/bitching about other people's life, I'm sure they would have become millionaires or even billionaires today!
A couple of years ago, when I went back during the summer, I sent and fetched my siblings and neighbour to school. It was around 7 in the morning when the incident occurered. I was sleepy while driving. I wanted to overtake the car in front of me. I looked at the side mirror, clear. So I drove to the right lane, without giving any signal. Little did I know there was a car just right behind me. It was my fault, no doubt about it. (That was the only time I changed lane without a signal) The driving gave a looooooooooooong honk. I gave a signal and drove to the left lane. After a few minutes, I turned left. The driver gave another long honk upon seeing me turning left. I didn't mean to run away, I had to turn left to go to school. I thought it was all cool after that. But I was so wrong. There was a drama at the office the next couple of hours.
Before she appeared in my Dad's office, she asked her friends in town to find out who I was. Since my relatives and our family use the same registration number, it wasn't hard at all.
She waited in my Dad's office even before my Dad went to work. When my Dad walked into the office, she confronted my Dad. I would imagine her telling my dad this from the extremely long lecture and scolding I got from him that same afternoon.
'DXXXX3 is your car is it?
'You know your daughter nearly caused accident or not? My children were in the car you know!'
'Why is she in a rush? she thinks she's come CEO of a big company is it?' (I am sure she said this. Dad told me)
Oh, and she told my Dad she tried to chase me but failed. What bullshit was she talking about? I was driving no more than 60km/hour.
I admit, it's all my fault for not giving a signal before driving into the next lane but I wasn't at all impress with her attitude. If she were to talk to my Dad nicely, I wouldn't mind going to her house to apologise. Anyhow, my Dad apologised to her. Needless to say, he was so pissed with me. I had driving phobia for the next few weeks.
I know I can ignore whatever people want to say.. but when you hear people talking about it for so many times, it's not nice at all.
I may sound a little frustrated about my home town but I still love my hometown. It's where I was born and bred. I quote my friend, YK, I rather rot in KB. It's true.. But the kepochis, I wish they'd
