My afternoon tests.

It was a flustering afternoon. The days have been very hot, and I finally managed to gear myself to go out, to do some errands, facing the heat, the mobs and the traffic. I wanted to buy a pillow for my daughter and stock up on groceries. As I reached the mall, we had to wait for the parking ticket as the dispensers had all broken after the floods, seeing the poor boy in the sweltering heat made me feel I was luckier in the coolness of my car. I parked outside the mall, and ventured ... I went to the booth that sold the pillow but the attendant wasn't there, so I decided to walk up the escalators that were also not working, to the minimart and the emproium. As I walked out from the emporium, the security alert machine buzzed and I had to walk back to the cashier, as they had forgotten to release the little antitheft button..with all my other heavy shopping. Remembering to be patient, I went down the escalators again, to the pillow booth, got the pillow and went back to my car. I then decided to go to the supermarket for other groceries, in the heat and unruly traffic that is Jakarta;one must learn defensive driving and have alot of patience. The stifling heat does not help either. As we are queued to enter the carpark of the small supermarket, all with indicators on and waiting, a car suddenly comes in from the left lane, cuts in and I found that so rude. I wished him not to get a car space, as he moved in and other cars were waiting he had to move ahead, and so missed a car space which I then took. A blessing in a way, yet tests never stop. As I moved into where the other car had moved out from, I was told by the parking attendant that I needed to repark my car to the right abit more, there was enough space for another car just there, and I asked him if a car could fit there, he said yes, so I asked why did I have to move. He insisted, and his stupidity infuriated me. When I reparked, and coming out of my car, had adhered to his instructions, my car door accidentally hit the car next to me, very lightly. The owner sitting in his parked car, honked at me... And told me rudely, in bahasa, ,"Bawa mobil baik2 ah!" for a moment , I wondered how I wanted to react, but decided just to apologise, saying,"Sorry." He continued to comment something in English, so I came up to his opened window and asked him, what he had said. So rudely, he closed his car window, as I glared in disbelief at peoples' rudeness, plus stupidity. I felt like opening his door and ask him again, but I thought it would not serve any purpose, but I was so angry. As I walked into the supermarket, I said to the attendants that it made no sense that I had to repark, and they laughed and insisted, that it did. I was infuriated... I felt that they had no respect and was picking on me because I was a woman! So, I call my husband, who was at work nearby, to come over, as I was so angry and that these people were so wrong. I wanted his presence knowing it would make a difference. At the checkout my face was probably very fierce as people were staring at me, and I waited for Kar to come. He came in a four wheel drive, parked right behind my car, gallantly got out from his car, in his Friday mosque attire, and questioned the attendant as to what the problem was and why they had upset his wife. The parking attendant suddenly became weak, he fumbled, he started bowing in respect, he started to defend himself, I told him that they inconvenienced me and that the other driver was rude, that they should not behave that way... And finally he apologised, Kar was gallant,wise and brilliant at handling the stupidity of the attendant, and adviced him, to treat women better. We do not expect royal treatment, but we do expect courtesy,politeness, help and friendliness. Noone knows what the other person has just been through before they get to their next stop, so to be nice is not difficult, and stay nice always. Ignorance and stupidity is a fault everyone can improve, a matter of whether they want to or not. Having a male presence changed the entire scenario, situation and why does that have to be the case, that women get picked on. If I wasn't conscious that I am a muslimah dressed and portrayed as Islam shows, I would have done some silly mistakes today. But, husbands are protectors and defenders of their wives, so my husband is my hero and I am proud to be his wife, proud of how he is prepared to defend me in any circumstance, when I haven't made mistakes or done wrong. Alhamdullilah, I am most lucky. Inshaallah, all husbands are gallant, love and protect their wives for every good cause. And wives show appreciation for good husbands who have high morals and values that they value good wives. Shukran zaujah,I love you heaps. May Allah bless you forever, in this world and the next.