A Lesson In Addressing People..

U know what I think??

Speaking malay can sometimes be a headache. I recently went to Coffee Bean at SP and wanted to ask this guy to help reserve my seat while I go order.

"Adik.."

"Not adik la, abang!" my friends butt in..

"Eh??" And I just gave up asking for help.

So here it is.. I think I'm at a complex age of twenty-some, should I address people as younger or older than me. I know those school kids deserve an adik, but how about those which u can't tell whether their still in school or not.

See, being 24 for me is an age when you just graduated and started to work. I don't wear make up or play dress up when I go out, so I don't know how "old" I look. I think I look my age, but what do I know how people see me! Those my age at least prim themselves up before they go out!

So how can u go about telling apart people who's working, or still studying, or one of those in between or neither?

Which is the safer route? Going for the "older" or "younger" name calling? Abang/kakak or adik? Auntie/Makcik or Uncle/Pakcik? What if the person be called adik but he/she thinks they're older than us and vice versa? Would they take it as an insult? or a compliment? So much to think about!!

Have u ever noticed that guys don't much mind what they're being called? For example, I call my parents' friends mostly Uncle X and their wives Kak X. I have a granduncle who I call Tok Chik and the wife Mak Chik. Mystifying isn't it?

So I think it's safe to call a lady who's age is ambiguous by adik/kak (rather than makcik!) and u might as well call a guy Uncle! Ahahaha.. But better be safe with Abang--though I think Abang sounds too... What shall I call it.. Mengada-ngada? or what we Sarawakians might call it, kenja! Eh, how about Encik instead?