Sunday, February 17, 2008

WANTED: A gardener for RM2,000.00

A gardener for RM2,000.00. Any takers?
This weekend, I was in Tampin. It was the reception for both my cousin at Pak Tih's house, but thats not what I want to share. It was actually the conversation that I overheard between Father with Leman Dawi (remember the cendol guy?)

Earlier today, as we are going back from my brothers place, Mother suggested to stop by at Leman Dawi for cendol. Thankfully, it was open. It was almost 11am, and at there are at least 7 cars there. As we are expecting youngest brother to join us, we sat at the 'pondok', rather than straight to the shop. While waiting for him and his fiance, Leman Dawi came over and proceeded to water the plant. Father starts a conversation with him, "Dah jumpa tukang kebun? Kata hari tu tengah cari sorang."

"Ado la orang datang tapi tak cukup kolayakan nak jadi tukang kobun", he answers, in his Negeri Sembilan accent with a smile. "Kenapa pula?" Father asks. "Kolayakannyo terlalu tinggi nak jadi tukang kobun," he answers, and proceeded to explain. 

"Dia tanyo ese, tukang kobun buleh dapek gaji duo ribu (RM2,000) tak? Ese jawab la, kalau gaji orang yang bukak gate, tutup gate pon ese buleh bayar soribu lapan ratuih (RM1,800), apo masalah eh nak bayar duo ribu duo ratuih kek tukang kobun?" sarcastically he told the applicant. "Kalau ekau nak kojo jadi tukang kobun, datang pagi esok", he told him.

And the applicant ACTUALLY came the next morning. He showed the applicant the direction to a room and said, "Itu bilik komputer. Orang poie bolajar universiti sampai nak pocah kopalo pun dapek gaji RM1,851.00 yo sobulan" he quipped. 

"Kalau ese nak amik ekau jadi tukang kobun, gaji duo ribu duo ratuih, ekau mesti la buleh duduk dalam bilik tu, tokan yo butang komputer, sobolah sano rumput clear, tokan butang lain, sobolah sinun pulak bungo dah bersiram", he said in jest. "Baru la sotaraf gaji duo ribu yo tak?"

"Resume ado ko?" he asked the applicant. "Resume tu apo?", replied the poor guy. "Macam mano nak mintak kojo kalau resume pon takdo?", said Leman Dawi, relating the story while continuing to water the plants around the 'pondok', talking to Father.

"Salah orang la, budak tu nak mintak kojo dongan ese", Leman Dawi concluded. "Ado ko, mintak gaji macam tu, ingat ese ni bodoh?". All of us, smiled hearing that, silently concurring with the eccentric Pak Leman Dawi.

How true, higher education does not automatically makes one smart. Life lesson could come from just about anybody, only if we are humble enough to learn from it.

1 comment:

Sheeta dari Laputa said...

Ehehehe..

Ahhahaaha..

Uuuhuhuh...

Nak jugak le camtu. Hebat weh 2000, I pon x dapat payment camtu 1st time keje. Anak sapa le tu yang demand ben or tu..?