A boy with a black cap plonked himself on the seat.
One of the girl said to him, "You know you look like a McDonald staff with that cap."
The others laughed in agreement.
A McDonald staff walked passed them into a store room.
Perhaps the boy saw the staff wearing a black cap as well and consciously felt awkward. He removed the cap he was wearing.
The girl who made the remark probably meant it as a joke and they laughed to tease the boy.
But was it just simply just that?
Or is it in their mindset to stereotype a person working in such a place?
I remember how I used to tease my ex department head, which many of us hate, wearing red cheongsam as a restaurant waitress not realizing that its more of an insult to a profession rather than her.
And where did we pick this up?
Probably from our parents when we were told as kids that if we do not study hard, we will end up as a road sweeper. And from society who are too ready to label people who work in professions such as mechanics, waitress, waiters as failures who are not as smart as those working in offices. That these people are stupid and useless.
There's nothing wrong to study hard so that you can have a brighter future. But is it right to say a certain profession is lower or higher than another just to instill the importance of studying hard?
The bunch of kids is fortunate.
Most of them are wearing branded clothes and shoes. Their phones are also the latest models newer than mine.
They even have the luxury to go sit and study at McDonald.
It's not difficult to doubt that they are given generous allowance from their parents and can have anything they fancy by just opening their mouths.
Do you think anyone of them ever thought of working at McDonald during their school holidays to earn some spare cash? Or would anyone of them even dare to apply for fear that their friends might laugh at him or her? Will he hides himself when he bumps into friends while working at McDonald?
Is it shameful to work in such a profession?
I remember a friend who owns a salad bar telling me about her problem dealing with students working part-time at her place.
She said the staff refused to clear the rubbish because her parents told her she is not engaged to throw rubbish.
Another friend told me he ever heard parents telling their kids not to accept a job that pays $2,000 even during bad economy. They even encouraged their kids to take their time slowly to find a good job that pays well while they continue giving the kids pocket money.
I recently read a book which talked about the case of Nick Leeson, the banker who caused the collapse of Baring, a two hundred over years bank.
He said it's the small mistake that he made every time which ultimately leads to the irreversible problem that caused his downfall. When it's small, it's easy to take the step. And having done it once give you the excuse to do it the next time round. There comes a time when you are unable to stop even if you want to.
There was a TV program about a lady who opened a restaurant in Chiang Mai to help problem kids. She has two kids and whenever she makes trips to the mountain villages, her kids would break their piggy banks and use the money to buy apples for the poor children.
There was another TV program which talked about foreigners studying in Singapore. A kid from a certain country talked about how he resisted coming to Singapore and how he felt that he has become a better person after that. What strike me wasn't so much of how much he said he has changed. But rather the Y-3 shoes, the Louis Vuitton bracelet and the expensive watch he was wearing. I'm not sure if he has really become independent.
Small decisions made over times can have great effects.
Every time you bring your kid to shop at a branded boutique. Every time you drive to let your kids alight so they do not have to walk too far. Every time you allow your kid to order the maid to pour him or her a glass of water.
I'm not so sure if getting kids to buy the things they want from the money they saved is a wise advice.