Look what look!

We were in line, waiting to pay at our friendly neighbourhood supermarket. Our turn came. The man moved ahead of me while I stood in front of the cashier, with my cash ready. The young cashier greeted the man but not me.

*I inhaled deeply*

Nevermind...

The cashier then turned to look at me, looked away, looked at me again and looked away again. I was puzzled by her strange manner when she looked past me and asked the man if the items on the counter belong to the both of us. My eyes narrowed. My blood began to simmer.

Before scanning the items, she asked the man if we have any loyalty cards.

And again, she looked past me.

I stared very hard at her.

Bloody hell, I was the one with the cash in my hands waiting to pay and yet the bloody young thing regarded me as invisible.

(On the bright side, I count myself lucky she is not an Ah Lian who will certainly retort my stare with a 'Look what look??!!')

The man, knowing what was about to come, made his escape exit to the bakery counter.

My stare didn't waver during the whole paying transaction. The ignorant thing was probably too blur sotong to feel the heat of my glare. When she handed me the receipt, I, unwilling to let it go, accentuated my 'VIELEN DANK!!' especially loud and clear.

She started and her realisation, 'Oh, she can speak German!' was written clearly on her face. I turned abruptly and walk away.

One glance at my face, the man burst out laughing.

Because this has happened before. At the very same friendly neighbourhood supermarket, with a different cashier.

And that is exactly what ticks me off. Just because I am a foreigner, people automatically assume I do not speak their language. Have they forgotten how their government emphasized time and time again the importance of integrating into the German society by learning the German language? I took pains to learn the language and I think I shouldn't be penalised just because other settlers do not see the need to integrate. That's totally unfair. (Okay, I am in the mood to moan and whine today.)

Anyhow I wish I didn't react so stupidly in both incidents. That I could keep my wits about me and dispense something intelligent like, 'Hey I speak German by the way. As well as English and Chinese. And what about you?'

Oh, I felt like a fool....