January 23, 2006

Documents from lunch

At 12.05pm today, I was sitting alone at the coffeeshop at the block infront of mine, midway through my vegetarian bee hoon and lemon tea. The cost was $3.50 in all. On certain days of my scrimp-and-save programme, I splurge on lunch.

I'm not, firstly, the kind who would rather bear with hunger than to even imagine having meals outside all alone, with no companion. On the other hand, I'm the kind who would rather bear with hunger than have to uproot my butt from any chair, bed or sofa to go out for a meal. In fact, I can be too lazy to even snack at home. I just will my hunger away. Sometimes, my saviours from starvation come in the form of my parents buying food back for me. haha...

Today, however, since the weather is nice and I predict having to do some menial work like helping my mum clean our kitchen later, I decided to go splurge on that vegetarian bee hoon.

Downstairs, taxi drivers are having their lunch - big portions of nasi briyani, nasi lemak or the greasy char kway teow (albeit good enough to have taken part in this culinary competition hosted by the tv station some years ago). I never am a fan of char kway teow - my craving for it occurs once half a year or so. I chose a seat just directly below the suspended TV set that was turned to the National Geographic Channel. Ah girl found it puzzling why would a coffee shop subscribe to cableTV and keep the NatGeo channel as one of their most favourite channel. You know, most others would have ESPN or some sports channel or CNA airing away as you down your chow. I have no idea why too, but I think it's quite cool and for that, I'd throw in 1 more star in the rating of the downstairs coffee shop.

At 12.05pm, I was mid way through my vegetarian bee hoon. I did the usual scan around, taking in what others were doing at the coffee shop. Three men were looking in my direction. Only not at me, but at the snakes that were slithering above me through the TV screen - it could have been some snake chronicle thing that never had a season finale in NatGeo channel. They were engrossed. That's when I realised where I was seated was the best position to sit and observe the goings-about in the downstairs coffee shop.

There was a little girl, very fair, with pretty eyes and chubby cheeks, at the drinks counter. The daughter of one of the counter aunties, I suppose. The Char Kway Teow uncle was having Zhap Chai Png. I wondered how was the transaction like between him and the Zhap Chai Png uncle. Like you know, would there be any goodwill, discount, etc, between both stall holders. On my right, there were 2 bespectacled ladies having chicken rice. They looked like teachers, probably from the Mayflower School just a zebra-crossing away. On my left, there were 2 men having Indian Nasi. In front, 2 ladies and a man. They were having chicken rice and noodles. The man looked younger than the ladies. They could be church workers, probably from the methodist church further down. And there were many other people, mostly man, having their meals. A handful must be cabbies, cos the downstairs coffee shop owes much of its prosperity to the large carpark in front of it. In turn, the residents around this area owes the relative ease of getting cabs to both the carpark and the coffee shop.

At 12.25pm, I finished my bee hoon and was full. I felt like buying the savoury Jacob crackers to munch on later. I couldn't find it at the provision shop. I saw packets of Cheezels, tomato twisties and curry twisties. I remembered my cold symptoms. Then, I turned the corner and strode back to my house.

Posted by 杏 cy （Jancy） at 13:20