i watched chocolate long time ago but only today i managed to pen down my thought (or experience more like) on this yasmin ahmad's last film due to circumstances (been busy cursing the stupid internet connection. seriously if i were najib, the first thing i am going to do is to improve their service. ooooooh..i can sense all the people is in favor with me now wtf)
this particular video somehow brought me back to my past, around 4 years ago (damn am i that old?! i feel old writing this wtf) in high school. where my clique consisted of mostly chinese, indian and a chindian. i don't remember how i managed to get close to them but i guess having the same tuition classes with them helped a lot on that.
it was on one day when i was in physic's lab at my school. i was sitting at the back of the class with the other girl, S and we were simply gossiping (well that's what girls do when they get together) while solving add maths homework together (don't ask why we were doing add maths in physics wtf). i first knew S when we were put together in the same class during form 1. but back then, we weren't close.
i don't really remember what we were actually
"you do realise that i am a malay don't you? hahaha.."
"but.. but... you are different! you are not like them!" and realising that she had said something wrong she apologized to me.
"how different i am? i wear tudung just like most of them or maybe the girl you were referring to just now."
"i don't know but to make things clear i do like being friend with you!"
back then, that conversation didn't bring much meaning to me. in fact, it didn't offend me at all when she said she "hates malay" when i am one. oh now i remember! we were gossiping about a girl which we both didn't like much and she happened to annoy S on that day so i just listened to S when she ranted to me.
when i was in form 1, she actually sat behind me in class that was good enough reason for us to get to know each other and became close. but having her name submitted to the disciplinary teacher. long story cut short, i submitted it because her friends were totally noisy in class when the teachers were in meeting - yes lah, i was the annoying, rigid rules follower, nerdy assistance monitor wtf - but in my defense she only had to pick up rubbish around canteen hahahahaha okay don't laugh. that's not so... nice.
we were together again during english period throughout form 3 and again she sat behind me and it was still the same. we only talked to each other when we needed to. not because we wanted to.
and the next year when we entered form 4 we, again, were put in the same class but we met each other properly on our first day at tuition but she didn't end up behind me. in fact she was sitting right in front of me (me: oh the irony S!) (S: i know!) and it was because both of us didn't understand a chemistry equation we had to talk to each other and discussed it (more like asking for answers from others). and from there, we just get along.
she scolded another chinese girl who was telling a joke related to pigs because she thought it would offend me as a muslim and the only malay girl among them in tuition. when it was the fasting month, my friends had the thought of not snacking in front of me when we were having afternoon classes although i told them it was totally okay with them eating in front of me.
the different is, my friend and i both actually gave each other a chance to actually get to know each other. if others just do the same, i am sure there will be no more "baik tolong bangsa sendiri" or "better help our own people" talk.
happy merdeka in advance people! :)
p.s. do hop over to 15malaysia.com!
