Stoicalness

If you ever visit the Bedok Hawker centre at Block 57, Upper Changi Road, you must patronise the Siglap Road Fried Carrot Cake stall for the very scruptious 'chye tao guay'. While there, you might want to appreciate the very stoic Mrs of the stall, a plump elderly lady who stands before her huge frying pan uncomplainingly, dishing out countless orders of white / dark carrot, 'ai hiam, 'mai hiam', 'mai chang', 'mai neng' and so on as the husband yells out to her the individualised orders. Theirs, I've observed, is a very peculiar relationship; no doubt years of familiarity must have bred some contempt between them, for the Mrs does not talk to the husband at all. As she fries the carrot cake, she just listens to the orders he shouts out to her, never once asking that he repeats them, nor showing any kinds of reactions. She stands unflinchingly, a picture of calm composure, with her neatly-dorn apron and solid Crocs. And you know what, in all the years that I've watched her at work, she has never once got an order wrong. So much for 'Going the Extra Mile with a smile' efficiency that we crave to inculcate in our service sector. Her stoic attitude may not win her poster woman status, but hey, the stall is run super-efficient with just a silent-couple team!

The husband is a different plate altogether. He is prone to being riled by impatient customers, the heat in the hawker centre and fussy orders. But with the Mrs, I've seen him
exercising a great deal of courtesy and patience. He repeats long lists of orders to her and does not ask for her acknowledgement. Every now and then he would shout out reminders to her. Still, she would stand at her frying pan doing her stuff, with nary a word, grunt nor mutter. Thus their small business have gone on and on in this manner . . .

I've learnt a thing or two from the 'chye tao guay' Mrs. Being stoic may not be a bad thing; reponses are not called-for always. Silent is the new loud.