"Do not worry about what is happening around you;
looking too much into matters will pull us down, away from God.
Support each other."
-Sermon of a Priest
For the past few days I struggled to rise for Morning Prayer and Meditation, the reason being I was busy for a number of evenings that led me to sleep past 10pm. Today, finally I managed to rise at 5.20am to get ready for my daily morning practices. It does make a lot of difference starting the day early facing God!
I have been seaching for a simple non-label sandals for some weeks now. Today, I had a day off and managed to make myself get into old Georgetown. I was at Cambell Street, as I knew there are a few old shoe shops around. Being Georgetown, the morning was filled with cars on that narrow street. Worst still here I was reversing to park my dad's car and here comes an idiot who zoomed into my lot! I had already went about 3 big rounds to find this one stop, and a man had to illegally take my car lot; how rude. Malaysians please be more matured in your manners- stop thinking only about yourself.
Finally giving up searching for a car park lot, I parked my car at 1st Avenue Mall and had a good walk towards old Georgetown. It is wonderful to have such occasions, where I can just take a stroll and look at the old shops of Penang.
As I head to the street where about 2 shoe shops are located, I soon came across one shop called KEAN HIN Shoe Shop. As I stepped into the shop, it was really the originally shops of our grandparents' time; wall boards with holes, shoes on display behind glass windows, shoes displayed hanging on walls, the smell of chemical from the shoes and of cause the sales person was the owner himself. The owner was a man in his late 60's to early 70's, and must say a very relaxed man; he was just sitting chatting with another friend of his when I walked into the store. But, i must say his service was TOP NOTCH! A very sincere man, who immediately said I need a monk's-type of shoe. Yes, that was what I wanted a simple and easy pair of sandals. Wow! This man immediately knew my taste without me wasting my time looking and searching, compared to all those young sales person in the malls! Maybe the way I dressed, with my brown habit and my cross, he knew what I was looking for?
The box of shoe was tied with strings- really old fashion but so meaningful! Compared to the shopping malls where sandals will cost at least RM$150, I only paid mine for RM$69; better still the man had to see my RM$50 notes in the sunlight, again reminded me of the old days where people were afraid of fake RM$50 notes!Happy with my new pair of sandals, I walked towards 1st Avenue and on my way I made a point to enter Ng Kee Cake Shop at Cintra Street. Again it was an old simple looking shop within a shoplot in old Georgetown. This cake shop is well known for their speciality in wedding biscuits; mung bean and black bean paste filled biscuits with a red chop on the biscuit. I bought one each of the 2 flavours and 6 egg tarts. They are also good for their coconut tarts, but did not buy them this time. The wedding biscuits are sold at RM$1.50 each, while the egg tarts are RM$1.30 each.
I guess this morning's sermon by the Priest was relevant to me. I had guts to believe in myself, and I had guts to enter an old shop meant, perhaps, for adults/old people or the really old-fashioned people? I had guts to go against the majority that thinks that, 'old shops are for old people and new shops are for the new generation(young)'.
I must say the majority are wrong. Today, I managed to save time, save money and save my dignity by remaining faithful to my Franciscan Vows.