I Want My Ketchup!

Holding tightly to my plastic bags full of food, I hurried towards the beach with great excitement. My boys had gone on ahead as I had to stop and buy me some green mangoes. As the cool sea breeze blew on my face, I hastened my pace. Can hardly wait to bury my feet in the sand and breathe in as much fresh air as my lungs could take in.

The sight that greeted me made me stop dead in my tracks. For a split second, I had to think. Am I where I think I am? Where's the beach??!

Sprawled in every empty space in what used to be the beach was a farang (foreigner). Pardon the expression, but they all looked like walruses straddled on the sand, catching as much of the sun as their already red, lobster-like skin could allow. The whole stretch of beach was full of umbrellas and chairs, and people sunbathing. Gone is the quiet, restful beach (read this post) we came for. How will I find my boys now? Oh yeah, how else, but call.

Daddy E gave me directions over the phone. Go down the stairs, follow the path to the left till you reach the beach fronting the second condominium building. Okay, got that. Now will have to change mindset. Pretend there's no crowd. Tune everybody out. Listen to the rhythm of the waves lapping on the shore.

I found my boys without any difficulty. Roo was already busy filling his bucket with sand, while daddy E arranged for seats at our chosen spot. Responding to my rumbling tummy, I dug food out from my bags and prepared the roast chicken and rice for Roo. My little boy must have been as hungry for he opened his mouth without any objection. Reclining my chair to a comfortable position, I settled in to eat. Yum!

While we were eating, I noticed this guy right in front of us, furtively glancing at us. He was with three other guys, two of which were old British men. Under my breath, I muttered to MY man, Is that guy gay or what? He seems to be checking you out. MY man chuckled in an embarrassed sort of way and said quietly, "He must still be new at his trade. He's very conscious about it, and maybe because we're a family, he's kind of feeling guilty." My doubts were confirmed a few minutes later when a vendor walked up to them and showed them posters (of naked women). The elderly British man asked loudly, "Do you have naked boys?"

One thing I am most thankful to my Accounting professor for is not related in any way to Accounting. When she briefed us on the rigors of preparing for the CPA board exams, she brought to our attention the necessity of learning to tune things out. That I learned very well. Three years of my college life, I lived in a boarding house with twelve college guys. I don't know what it was about exam weeks, but those were the times when these friends became extraordinarily loud and rambunctious. Too much cramming, maybe ;D To survive, I had to learn to tune noise and even people, out. I can be looking at you and not see you. And that's what I decided to do that day in Pattaya.

Roo succeeded in coaxing his daddy to read for him, so I had a little quiet time to myself and my thoughts. Fastening my eyes on the shimmering ocean ahead, and breathing in the fresh air, I willed myself to tune the crowd out. I grabbed a book from my bag and settled comfortably in my chair to read. Ahhh, life is good!

The serenity of my little corner was soon shattered by a loud, angry voice. Glancing up, I saw the old Brit stomping back to his friends. He had apparently gone somewhere and had gotten into a confrontation with the vendors. Clearly infuriated at the treatment he received from the these people, he expressed his rage at his friends.

"THEY WON'T GIVE IT TO ME BECAUSE THEY SAID I SIT HERE, AND NOT THERE!"

"I AM NOT PAYING THEM ANY MONEY AT ALL!"

"WHAT KIND OF A PLACE IS THIS? NO KNIVES, NO FORK, HOW DO THEY EXPECT ME TO EAT?"

The Thai guy who kept glancing at us earlier grabbed a shirt and started covering his face. No way, this is not happening, he must have thought, I can't show my face to people now. The old British guy did not stop yelling.

"I AM NOT GOING TO EAT THAT, !@#$ YOU!"

The vendor marched up to him, grabbed the box of food from him, and shouted back, "YOU DON'T WANT THE FOOD, GIVE IT TO ME, !@#$ YOU TOO!"

No Thai smile here. No apologies. You don't want the food, don't eat it. You can't put up with whatever is here, leave.

"I AM LEAVING!" "I'M GOING BACK TO CIVILIZATION, AND YOU (pointing to his friends) ARE COMING WITH ME!"

No choice for his friends. They all stood up quietly and with their heads bowed, followed their furious friend away from the beach. The vendors came and tidied up their spot, and explained to us what happened. The poor old guy's burger came without ketchup. He asked for ketchup from them but they couldn't find any. Desperate for ketchup, he walked up to the other stall to ask but they refused to give him any, giving him the excuse that he is not renting their chairs. That made him extremely mad, hence, pandemonium.

Poor old man. Made me think. Many times in my life I act like that guy. I ask God for something, and when He refused, I throw a fit. God, can't You see I need this? I'm hungry and I can't eat my burger without ketchup! Give me the ketchup! God in His own wisdom says no, and I stomp away, to go back to my own selfish, convenient world. Never mind that He brought me to a beautiful and relaxing beach. Never mind that He gave me food. I wanted my ketchup and He didn't give it, so I won't have anything to do with Him!

Me and my narrow-mindedness. God, only You can help me!