How low can you go?

I just read something from my Facebook news feed just now. It was from the Number 1 SPM 2010 student, Muhammad Putera, a fellow ADP at Taylor's University

Here's what I meant by "I almost got beaten up" (last post).

"So I'm cycling back home with my lil bro leisurely when, at the junction to my neighborhood, we come across two kids our age (okay, more like near-adult teens) hanging around and lepak-ing. Being all high and hyper, I give them a loud "YO!", a wave and a big Colgate smile while we cycle past them. 

"Kau apahal nak "YO" dengan kitorang? Datang sini balik!"

Since I've been trained to obey orders since before I could remember, I do a 180 without thinking and cycle straight back to them, wondering what I did wrong. My lil bro tags along, bored.

The older of the two grabbed my shirt and started threatening me. His accusations, threats, logic...didn't make much sense to me.

"Kau siapa nak 'yo' kat kitorang?" Apparently I have to be a 'somebody' to 'yo' them. Brings to mind underground social hierarchies dominated by testosterone-fueled teens where those at the upper echelons greet each other with 'yo's.

"Kau pikir kau hebat sangat ah?" So I have to be 'great' now? Great people 'yo' each other, is that it? Fascinating.

"Apahal kau senyum2? NAK KENA TUMBUK KE!?"

Okay, that's it. I think he's serious now; his fists are clenched, his eyes almost rabid. Must be an experienced fighter too, since I can see a scar on his eyebrow now that I'm this close to his face (ohmigosh-the-scar-thing-is-so-cliched-i-know-right). Now the last thing I wanna do is be involved in a fistfight, because
1. I'm weak
2. My dad will kill me if he finds out.

Did I ever tell you how easy it is to act scared?

"Okay2, sorrylah bro, aku tak buat lagi dah!!!" (Actually it was way more elaborate and involved all sorts of frightened facial expressions and frantic hand gestures, but that's basically it.)

So we escaped, me and my bored lil bro (I should stop saying "lil" since technically he's bigger than I am), and well that's it. Sorry if my real-life story didn't quite match up to your expectations... it's REAL LIFE for goodness' sake, what do you expect, a heroic battle with the Underworld where I emerge bloody and triumphant with a pretty damsel in distress safe in my arms?"


You know, after reading his post. It makes me wonder...

How low are the society nowadays?

Why a friendly gesture is consider a crime?

Haiz, the people nowadays