Mrs. Tan’s Little Blue Car
by FH2o on March 4, 2007
I was just turning out of the petrol station when a neat little blue car with roof racks parked there caught my eye. I noticed an old lady behind the wheels and it aroused my curiosity. Work will forever be there and can wait, and I reversed my car to check this out.
Turned out that 80 years old Mrs. Tan, the proud owner of the blue Mini had been driving this car for the past forty over years which she is still using to operate her retail business. She operates a stall selling ‘batik’ clothing at the weekend Satok Sunday market. She travels to KL, Singapore and Indonesia to buy her batik materials to sell them in Kuching and her mini has been modified to enable her to carry her goods. Hence the removal of all the seats (except for the driver) and the addition of a home-made rubber hose cladded roof rack. Mrs Tan is one of the liveliest (healthy and alert) 80-year olds that I had the pleasure to meet and she started telling me stories about her youth when she went boating with some well-known local personalities. She must have been quite a character then. She still operates her business at an age where most would be vegetating at home - as it makes her feel alive to be doing something.
We chatted for a while until my hand phone rang with an impatient client on the line asking when I would be back in the office to discuss the latest revised plans. I told Mrs Tan that I have to go and that it was nice chatting with her and that I’ll be looking her up at her stall at the Sunday market. Her face lit up on hearing that and she asked for my business card.
I think I made her day. And I’m glad I did, as she did mine.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Francis,
Yes those impatient clients.. especially those who like to bargain down the design fees and want the project to be completed yesterday.If I failed to screened them, I have a clause in my contract to fire those clients with a 7 days notice. Cheers
Mrs. Tan kickass!
nung - I somehow can manage impatient clients quite well due in part to my own impatient nature no doubt!
blackwidow - She sure does!
Go Mrs. Tan! That’s wonderful. Thanks for taking the time Unker, and sharing it with us.