A few days ago, cekza and I were waiting for the BTC bus at the bus stop. So then it came. We moved forward, getting ready to board the bus. The bus slowed down, but to our surprise, it didn’t stop and just drove off. We tried chasing after it but apparently it didn’t work. One can only imagine the outrage.

“HOOOI. Ape seeh?”

“Ah ah seh! Kite tak tahan eh?”

“Sejak bile BTC kene tahan? Tak pernah tau pun!”

“Ah ah seh. Banyak kali per tak tahan pun dia stop!”

“Aku rase, kite takde the NUS look tak?”

I know it was our fault la largely coz we didn’t flag the bus. We took for granted the fact that the bus would always stop. I guess we were wrong. But something about cekza’s sentence made me ponder over it for a long, long while.

The NUS look.

 

 

So what’s the NUS look? We were having our Idols, villains and jesters lecture when the lecturer started asking for our opinions on how his puppet should look like should he want to depict is as an NUS student.

“T-shirt!”

“Bermudas!”

“SLIPPERRRRRRS!”

And we had a good time laughing over it. Coz really, we can all relate to that. Keluar lecture, dalam lecture, masuk lecture, beratur beli juice, beratur kedai makcik, nak submit term paper.. SEMUA LA! Tak habes2 dengan image yang sebegitu. Like totally nak pegi pasar punye look. I’m not saying it’s bad la, just saying je. :D

 

 

 

But then again, it doesn’t really do justice to those who dress differently pulak la kan? Let me ask again, so what IS the NUS look? Oh, says another lecturer. It depends on which faculty you come from you see.

No kidding.

Go to ARTS and you see girls dolling themselves up to the max. Super short dresses that would qualify as blouses, make up all set to last till next week, long flowy hair like they’re some Korean superstars. So glamorous! Phee-wit!

Go to Science? Haha. you’ll see trek pants and backpacks everywhere. ‘Nuff said.

I’m sure by now I will have people violently protesting to these images kan? It’s like, eee-yeeeaaaaaaah, that’s kinda true, BUT what about the chio science girls?? The nerdy arts students??

And girls who dress like they’re from some kampung or orthodox pesantren? (sometimes quoting yourself is the best example, ya).

NOT ALL OF US DRESS IN A STEREOTyPICAL MANNER OK HANNAH.

Ok. I hear you. LOUD AND CLEAR. :p

 

 

 

It’s interesting isn’t it, how people associate certain looks with a certain personality, or a certain instituition even kan. I’ve had people asking me which madrasah was I from and they would go: “Oh yeaah u have the maarif look.”

What? I was in Maarif for 10years and I didn’t know maarif has a ‘look’. And if my close friends are whom I were to look for in looking for this ‘look’ (no puns intended), then it’s one helicopter mixture of a very confusing ‘look’ lah oh my God.

 

 

And of couse, of course. I am also one of those who form my initial impressions on people based on their looks. A LOT. hihi. One look (or, erm, sniff), and I’ll go “ni mesti bukan cine sini”. See. Judgemental much.

Buuuuuuuut korang paham kan kenapa?

A first look at that guy I saw in school and I went “oh ni mesti the baik2 type…..”

Until I had the 6th careful and deliberated look and saw something else. *main2 kening*

Saw a girl who gave me the impression that she belongs to those people who think  highly of themselves, but always so lowly of others. And now she’s a good friend of mine. (please sense the repentance. And no, no way I’m gonna tell u the identity.)

So there. Two miserably failed attempts in assessing someone’s goodness based on his/her looks.

But I’ve also seen another guy. First look, “wah. ni rili2 seem like the baik2 type.”

4th look nampak kat masjid.

5th look nampak kat masjid.

6th look nampak kat luar masjid.

So kire, insyaAllah betul la tu.:p (K ni ugut sampai mati pun tak gune. I dun have a clue who this person is. Seriously).

 

 

Biba, cekza and I were practising some nomadic mugging at Singapore’s very own CHANGI AIRPORT (Ridiculously crowded la the place.) And we were walking across the like, I dunoe what area lah, yg where you’re supposed to check in your luggages and stuffs right? Ah situ la. Then right, there was a whole group of I supposed Bangladeshi workers. And guess whom we saw terselt among them? 3 policemen. Standing guard. Fierce seh. And the 3 policemen pun, 2 of them were Indians and one of them was a Malay. If I were to strip the 2 Indian policemen of their uniforms (sounds very wrong but U GET WHAT I MEAN LA), pakai kan dia baju like one of those workers, they would blend in perfectly. Just like if I were to do that to some successful, atas Indian businessman here in Singapore.

Definitely reminded me of Skolnick’s “symbolic assailant”. Basically it’s about doubting or like, perceiving someone as a potential criminal solely based on his looks. This is especially an issue when it comes to policemen patrolling the streets and choosing whom to stop and ask that kinda thing. My lecturer shared his funny (and cheeky!) experience with us.

He was walking home alone from work at night. He had just finished conducting a training session for the police force (the irony) and was dressing casually. He spotted a police car patrol across the road which was slowing down as if to observe him. And u know what he did? He turned to look at them, and then just as swiftly, looked away before quickening his pace. Lol. The car did a u-turn and soon they caught up with him and slowed down. They wind down the window and asked him to stop.

“Where are you going?”

(not making any eye contacts) “There” (pointed to his flat).

“Really? What are you going to do there?”

“Going home (still not looking at them)”

“Where’s your work permit?”

“I don’t have one” Because I have an IC LA!

And the whole of LT9 was roaring in laughter.

 

 

 

So many examples eh. But I’m POSITIVE there are many, many more of such examples. It is a natural tendency to develop preconceptions based on our first look, our first conversation, etc. Myself included. But it is a problem when we let it dictate our every step (usually unconsciously) and I’ve got to admit, there are several times in which my hastened judgements  clouded my rationality. And it took several great pains for me to realise this. Unfortunately though, the lessons haven’t seem to really sink in. However, I will try my very best to not let it happen again, at least consciously.

 

True enough, there are certain looks which we can safely associate with certain meanings. However,  we should be careful to not be quick in ‘punishing’ or ‘praising’. Afterall, we have to be fully aware that not everyone fits into our limited ideas on how The Look should look like, or how people with The Look should behave.

 

Just like those two girls who missed their bus on that fateful day (Still sore lor).

“O ye who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible): for suspicion in some cases is a sin..” (Alhujuraat:12)

 

 

 P/s: My sincerest apologies if I have offended anyone with this humble post of mine. No offence intended. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you Allah, for the blessings today.