We went out last night for a round of drinks and dinner with a couple whom we met here in Jakarta. We had a very "interesting" conversation during pre-dinner drinks with A (I shan't name names and you'll understand why as you read on) while waiting for her husband to finish up work for the day. A has had problems with her driver, or rather drivers, since she arrived here in Jakarta. She's been here for 5 months and have gone through 4 drivers. The conversation went something like this:
Us: How's the new driver? And what happened to the previous fella?
A: The new one is alright. Previous guy told us he didn't want to work anymore.
Us: He resigned?! (It's shocking because firstly, the company pays our drivers above the current market rate and secondly, a job as a driver is pretty hard to come by.)
A: Yah. He claimed that he's sick and doesn't want to work anymore.
Us: Ahhhh okay.
A: And I didn't like him much either. He was too religious.
Us: What do you mean too religious?
A: He needs to pray 5 times a day. And he doesn't pick up my calls when I call him while he's praying.
Us: Erm... He's muslim. Most of them do and I don't think they can pick up the phone while praying. (DUH!)
A: Also he's fasting and keeps asking me to give him some time off in the evenings to break his fast. Come on, if he wants to be religious, then he shouldn't be a driver! What am I supposed to do while he prays and breaks fast? Sit and wait for him?! He's just lazy! (Usually, our driver takes about 20-30 minutes to grab dinner after sundown. It's just 30 minutes and the poor dude hasn't eaten or had anything to drink for the entire day. Cut the dude some slack!)
Us: *shocked into silence*
I had to bite my tongue and look the other way because I was afraid I would say something nasty and regret it later. Stephen just smiled and there was an awkward silence after that conversation. The icing on the cake is that her husband is Muslim, albeit a non-practising one.
Maybe it's because we grew up in Singapore where we're exposed to different races and religions, and have been taught at a young age to be sensitive to other races. Perhaps we've had a leg up when it comes to being more racially tolerant but it's still shocking to me that there are people out there who think like A and who are so vocal about their bigotry. That particular conversation really disturbed me.
2 comments:
Her line;
"Come on, if he wants to be religious, then he shouldnt be a driver"
makes her sound like an incompetent bigot.
I gather she's not the sharpest tool in the shed huh? Its something one would expect to hear from Paris Hilton or Kim Kadarshian.
There's no correlation to the vocation of driving requiring only atheists.
That being said, we understand she's a prima donna, oops i meant bella donna who wants her slave, oops i mean driver to be johnny-on-the-spot as and when she rings.
But gotta give and take end of the day, especially living in the country with the biggest muslim population in the world. Respect, understanding and managing expectations, that's all she needs and she'll be happier.
In turn i reckon the driver too wants to give his best as he knows this job pays above market rate and provides for his family.
We're all backing you on your views about that episode. Religious intolerance is a dangerous undercurrent.
i was really super shocked. i wonder if she shares her views with her husband.
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