Anti- PAP & The Card Whizz

Am on my way back from Yoga class, and am anxious to go home for lunch. As the bus cranked along the streets towards Chinatown, I stared outta the windows mindlessly, bored between my ears. While I remembered to bring my iPod Nano this time, I forgot to bring the earphones, how stupid was that! I suppose life as a mum with 2 kids is like that, pregnancy screws up one's memory cells.

But just when I thought it can't get anymore stale than this, I heard a man go "Do not vote for the PAP", in Mandarin. I turned my head and found the owner of that voice seated across the aisle from me. And he was staring at me.

Maybe I have a "cheena" look on my voice, maybe I was one of the youngest in the bus now that a group of elderly folks have boarded the bus at the Chinatown stop, or maybe I just have this yuppie look which made him think I am a PAP supporter.

I looked at him, an elderly man in light blue shirt and bright blue pants, wearing large spectacles from the bygone era. His large, black doctor's suitcase was next to him, sharing the space on the seat together with a large plastic bag (I think I must write something about elderly folks and plastic bags next time, plastic bags are like fashion accessories to the old folks, along with their umbrellas or walking sticks).

I must have given him an uncertain look, because he continued, "They are 残暴, 比秦史皇更残暴" (translated to mean that the PAP is cruel, worst than the Qin Emperor). And he went on with the usual grouses on why we should not vote for PAP, that the PAP showed their true colours after the election by increasing the GST taxes and not helping the poor and needy.

The he went on to elaborate why it is important to vote for the opposition, and that we must not fear that the opposition will overtake the government. In my mind, I was thinking that I happen to live in a constituency that does not warrant voting, thanks to MM Lee. So I was never really caught in any such political dilemma.

It probably showed on my face, because uncle went on in his cultured voice, "If you do not want to vote the opposition, then I will teach you a method. Just do not show up on the voting day, I have asked Jeyaratnam, it is not a crime not to vote. In the history of the past 50 years, no one was sent to jail for not voting, so it is not a crime."

That is a bit of news to me. The he revealed even more information. He brought up historical example to back his case: "Sun Zhong-san has always been asking people to vote for the opposition, and he did that for 15 years before he successfully overthrow the Qing Dynasty. I know cuz I saw 2 movies on Sun Zhong-San 20 years back - one from china and one from Taiwan. So, you should also ask all your friends not to vote for PAP."

Hmm.. My mind chewed over the little tidbit.. Imperial Qing dynasty will not have a voting system, how to vote? I think he meant support the opposition, instead of voting for the opposition.

I do not know what to say. He is not lunatic for sure, neither does he seem in a frenzy, with raging passions against the PAP. Then again, as a JB Jeyeratnam supporter, I think he belongs to one of those rational anti-PAP folks, not the raving illogical ones. He spoke in proper Mandarin and logically, not raising his voice all the while. However, I hesitated in engaging him, as I was not sure where this is leading. But I gave him tentative smiles and nodded my head accordingly to acknowledge what he was saying. And the other passengers in front of us were turning to stare.

Uncle must have felt that he had done his fair share of propagandizing, and proceeded to take out the Chinese newspapers to read.

And I was left alone once again - but amused and with something to think about..

Then I spotted this guy seated somewhere further to the front of the bus. He had a stack of poker cards in his hands and was going through them methodically - like he was practising some card tricks and fancy moves. That is new - the next time I am bored, perhaps, I should bring a pack of cards along.

I was fascinated for the rest of the bus ride home - with this man who was flipping and slicing the cards, and fanning out the cards so beautifully that I thought he may have worked in the casino or something. He would then randomly draw a card out and replace it somewhere in the stack, and then proceeded to shuffle and find the card again. I think I must have met the card whizz - and he is not Chinese. Not that cards are a thing that is exclusively Chinese, it is just not very common to see a non-chinese as fascinated with the cards, think: Have you ever seen a Non Chinese working in the Genting Casino distributing cards? I have not and Malaysia has more Malay population right? Or maybe, I am just a Sua-Ku. Don't flame me if I am wrong. Just my observation that's all.

As I alighted from the bus, my steps were lights and I did not begrudge the rather long bus ride home. It had given me something to muse about and made my mind smile.

*****A writing style inspired by Peter Mayle*****