Why Does it Have to be So Complicated?

I can finally make a trip on my own out of the campus today.

But it is to pay my daunting school fees that is going to leave me poor from now on.

Yes, I'll be eating only sweet potatoes from now on. And yes, and I know you won't even shed a tear!


Jagung and Sweet Potato: Solution for the poor.

Because there's no trading between Chinese Yuan and Malaysian Ringgit, my mum had to, from Malaysia, Telegraphic Transfer me the school fees, i.e. my hard earned blood and sweat money, from RM to USD to HQ of Bank of China in Mountain East. To do that, I bloody first need to go and open an account in China Bank because no bloody other bank can receive and convert USD to Yuan for me, so I was told.

Why bloody you ask?
Because I bloody have no idea what the officer at the counter says most of the time, let alone spelling the address of my university. When the instructed TT arrives, I have to go to the HQ of Bank of China to convert the USD to Yuan and then withdraw the stake of 4 inches high of money and carry it, virtually in great fear, to a nearby bank called the China Construction Bank to dump them in there. And then, finally, make a trip back to the campus and pay the school fees at one of the China Construction Bank's branches.

Gosh, why does it have to be so complicated?
It's not like I'm using the money to do something unlawful, am I?
I merely want to study how to use leaves and branches and some roots or maybe some funny insects, ok lah also some other funny things, as medicine and poke people all over with some needles and then heat them up with some burning sticks, that's not so dangerous, is it?

Anyhow, guess who attended to me at the Bank of China today?




It's an officer called Fong Yen Yen. Ok lah, to be exact, it's Fang Yan Yan. She was basically yelling in joy when she found out that I'm from Malaysia and carry the same surname as her.
"Look, this customer is from Malaysia!"
"Oh, she's a Fang too!"

That's the first SMILING cashier/front desk officer/receptionist/waitress (insert all sorts of servicing occupation) I've ever met in the course of 3 months staying in Mountain East that do not need me to
initiate a joke
be super polite
be extra-ordinarily nice and charming
be ALL SMILEY
to make her/him smiles back at me.

That's the magic of bearing a unique surname, I tell you.

*shakes head*

Tired.

Good night!