It happened on Sunday evening. An elderly gentleman sat beside me on the bus to Kuala Lumpur. It was only towards the end when we started getting to know each other. He was on a holiday all the way from Brunei. We conversed in Mandarin. Here's how part of it went.
Gentleman: Ni qu ji long po du shu ah?
(Are you going to Kuala Lumpur to study?)
Me: Mei you. Wo qu zuo gong.
(No. I'm going there to work.)
Gentleman: Zuo gong??? Ni..ni du wan shu liao meh? Bu yao du shu liao ah?
(Work? Have you completed your studies yet? Don't you want to study anymore?)
Me: Wo du wan shu liao lo...
(I finished studying already.)
Gentleman: Oh...wo yi wei ni shi zhong xue sheng ba liao. Ni bu yao du da xue ah?
(Oh..I thought you were still a high school student. Don't you want to go to university?)
Me: Wo du wan da xue liao. Chai du wan ba liao...
(I've gone to university already. Just graduated.)
He stared at me, speechless for a while. He looked shocked...and I was simply amused. I grinned back. Inside I was giggling with glee! Do I still look so young? This isn't the first time. It makes me smile to think that people think me younger than I look. But the new year's approaching...and I'll be one year older. I don't like getting older but Mr. Tick Tock just won't go any slower.
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