I stuck my head out my room door to see what the din in my living room was all about...
I was totally unprepared for the sight that greeted me.
Rows of makciks (malay aunties) were sitting on the floor. Who were they? I wondered, not recognising any one of them from my restricted view. And just as I decided to check on my appearance before I went out properly to greet them, a few pairs of eyes turned to me.
Spotted, I smiled. Okay… no chance to turn back now… I walked towards the ones sitting nearest to my room and then I realized… there were so many of them… probably twenty. Even the furniture was pushed to the side of the wall just to make room for them.
It was intimidating.
Despite their smiles, their eyes betrayed their analytical if not critical thoughts. Some nodded as though in approval of my manners and dressing. The rest observed me closely as I salam-ed every makcik and was systematically making my way towards them.
The dreaded questions hung heavily in the air…
“Is she single?”
“ How old is she?”
“What is she doing now?”
Urgh! I felt like an unwilling female contestant being graded by these “mark-chicks” in some reality game show.
* mark-chicks - malay makciks whose second nature is to mark the qualities in "anak daras" (single ladies)
I was totally unprepared for the sight that greeted me.
Rows of makciks (malay aunties) were sitting on the floor. Who were they? I wondered, not recognising any one of them from my restricted view. And just as I decided to check on my appearance before I went out properly to greet them, a few pairs of eyes turned to me.
Spotted, I smiled. Okay… no chance to turn back now… I walked towards the ones sitting nearest to my room and then I realized… there were so many of them… probably twenty. Even the furniture was pushed to the side of the wall just to make room for them.
It was intimidating.
Despite their smiles, their eyes betrayed their analytical if not critical thoughts. Some nodded as though in approval of my manners and dressing. The rest observed me closely as I salam-ed every makcik and was systematically making my way towards them.
The dreaded questions hung heavily in the air…
“Is she single?”
“ How old is she?”
“What is she doing now?”
Urgh! I felt like an unwilling female contestant being graded by these “mark-chicks” in some reality game show.
* mark-chicks - malay makciks whose second nature is to mark the qualities in "anak daras" (single ladies)
