Gluttons Galore

I just got back from a faculty lunch - Majlis Meraikan Pelajar Yang Menerima Anugerah Dekan.
Pretty straightforward, no fancy-shmancy names and stuff.

I didn't really care. Was just excited about having lunch with a few other course mates - free lagii.

When we entered the restaurant, the first thing I noticed was that there was a whole lot of people already waiting.
But very few tables. Definitely, not enough for the whole lot of us. >.< Oh, well, what can you do? We moved outside to the adjacent dining hall. True, there was no fancy table cloth, or pretty ribbons tied to the back of the chairs, but at least we get a table to sit at. We had to squeeze 7 of us at a table meant for 4. Then began the waiting. We were there since12pm. And according to the programme, it was supposed to start at 12.15pm after the VIPs arrive. Well, waiting for the orang-orang besar - what else is new? >.< We entertained ourselves in the meantime, despite growling stomachs, by taking pictures ! First take from this angle, then another from the other angle. Ooh, let's take in pairs ! In groups of 3 !
Excited happy chatter turned to silent groaning.
Our growling stomachs could wait no longer !

All we could do was stare at the food, covered nicely with very tempting shiny stainless steel covers.

Finally, the VIPs arrived (I bet they melenggang-lenggang masuk lagi) and the ceremony started.
But because we were seated outside in the adjacent dining hall, we could hear, and see nothing. We had no idea whatsoever what was happening inside.
Wait, we did.

Oh, then finally ! The long awaited moment ! Makan time !!

We were at a table that was nearby the buffet table.
But surprise surprise. Before I could even reach for a plate a whole crowd of girls (fellow Faculty of Education students, mind you) were pushing and shoving to get to the food.

I was patient. I stood there, waiting for some who were taking the melanin plates (which were heavy, I tell you).
And I waited some more.

But more and more people just kept coming and coming and pushing and pushing and shoving and shoving.
I was one of the earliest there, but I had yet to get a freaking plate.

One kind soul handed me a plate - a sweet Malay girl in a pink tudung. I was so grateful. :)

But it was kind of pointless because I never got to reach the food.
All I could see was a sea of tudung-clad heads and a tangle of arms.
I could see hands grabbing plates and spooning large amounts of the dishes onto their plates. HUGE mounds I tell you. Their plates had food the size of a mini Mount Kinabalu.
And still, I had not the heart to push my way through to the food although I had been there earlier than the whole lot of them standing in front of the food now.

I stood there, clutching my plate. I felt a push from in front of me. Quite a rough one.
I assumed it was an accident.
But oh, no. She pushed again, and again, and again.

WTH.
I was seething. No, I was silently furious.

Do these people not have manners? No consideration for others?
Are these people not civilized ????!!!!
Can't you freakin' WAIT.YOUR.TURN ????!!!!

I gave up.
I struggled to pull myself out of the crowd.
Difficult to go against the current, if you know what I mean.

I did not get any food. Seriously.
There was no food left.
And there was no refill.

It was only later that we discovered that the organizing committee (I do not know exactly who) had ordered for 200 people. And 300 had shown up.

Now, tell me, how on earth can that happen?
All these people certainly did not come here uninvited.
Do you mean to say that you invited 300 over people, yet ordered enough for only 200? Where are your brains, people ???

I would really like to give you people the benefit of the doubt, and assume you are not idiots, and that you do have brains.
Then how, explain to me, can this happen?
Not enough seats, not enough food.
Some of the unlucky ones had only plain mee hoon to eat.

The irony was, those GLUTTONS had taken mounds of food.
And had left their tables with excess food. Some had even plates of untouched mee hoon.

I really do not know what to say anymore.
I am just tired of all these unfair, inefficient incidences that just turn me into someone I really do not want to be.
I am extremely pissed, but lack the energy to rant and rave any longer.

I'm disappointed in the "esteemed" Faculty of Education.
What is this inefficiency in planning? Nobody bothered that there were some of us who had nothing to eat.
As long as the VIPs were oblivious to what was happening, and left with happy, full tummies.

I'm disappointed in my fellow future teachers.
Is this how we should be behaving?
What happened to consideration? Care? Kindness?
Is this the kind of example we want to be showing our students?

Can something be done?
Can we change the mindsets of people?

I do not know.

All I saw today was selfishness and a proud display, I would say, of gluttony.

Except the kind sweet Malay girl in the pink tudung.
I am grateful to you, whoever you are.
Not just for that small simple act of consideration for others that you showed me.
But for the values you represent.

We seriously need to pray for our future generation.