Out of Service

Being in a food-loving country, we all have our favorite hangouts. The very least, I have one. A place I frequented on lazy weekends when nothing else in the world matters, when the laundry can wait, the car I could delay washing. A place where most staff knows me and my family.

But sooner or later, we'll end up having a bad time at what is supposed to be our favorite restaurant. And when that happens, you might be startled at how upset you will become. Surprised even, on the things that ticks you off. It probably won't be the food, or the 5-year-old ambience that's to blame. 

I can always shrug off missing few shrimps in my curry mee, or lack of flavour in them, since the chef didn't mean to dissapoint me. But everyone takes poor service personally. Get my food with not a quirk of smile on her face finds me unworthy. Getting my drinks very late and I'll feel worse, because I would be expected to tip.

But I understand, poor service is the result of a restaurant having an unfortunate day. Perhaps the chef snapped at my waitress and made her sulk. More than likely, poor service could be inevitable, caused by a staff with less-than-interested spirit in you/me. It could also be the the fact I was having a bad day, and anxious at all the things around me, easily irritated even by the sight of slow moving snails in my path. This colossal chain of events, especially when we are so 'close' at heart, well, practically a second kitchen, caused multiple frictions. One bad day, everything came crashing chipping the plates. 

When you have a place so dearly, we tend to overlook the details - prints on our glass, stains on the forks, dirty plates, soggy salads, pretentious meals, overpriced bills, etc. Because overall, we paid for the experience. We went again and again for the camaraderie, if you will. 

But bad service leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Along with it goes the gargantuan laughter, the free-flowing ais kosong, shameless orders for ice-creams, and a group of people I fondly called friends. 

I do not know whether I would risk visiting the place again, and face the possibility of another bad service. Scouting for another new good spot will take me years, so I do not know.

Sometimes I wonder why does things have to be complicated. 

(I heard what you are implying - that I am complicated. Apa-apalah...)