What I have Become

Dear diary,

I went to Mustafa Centre with my family tonight. Mum text me and said she is not cooking. I knew we were going out for dinner and I knew it would be more than just dinner. We had curry fish head and I had an onion and egg prata. Dad and mom had nasi beriyani each. I did not want to have rice, as it was somewhat late. Dinner was good and after that, we headed straight to Mustafa Centre. Mom wanted to do grocery shopping and I wanted to tell her how much I hate to do grocery shopping there. I would only go to Mustafa Centre if I want to buy electronic, perfumes or watches but never would I go there on my own to buy groceries. The place is simply crowded not with locals but with foreigners, mostly Indians from India. It is a big place and it has extended its wings. Mustafa centre has everything from kitchen utensils to gold bracelet and rings. You name it you got it. 

The grocery department of Mustafa Centre is where irritates me the most. People walk with trolleys and baskets and believe me it can drive you up the walls. The aisles are narrow and there are just so many things in that place. At every corner, you can find things put on display. The width of the aisle is only about 1.5 meters some aisle are even smaller. Therefore, you can imagine what it is like to walk with your trolleys or baskets into a crowd in that place. I do not understand why mom likes to do her grocery shopping there so much. It is simply madness and time wasting. 

It is difficult to browse for your groceries because when you do so, you might be hogging or holding up the crowd. You have to have lots of patience in that place and not to mention plenty of free time. You cannot be in a hurry or a rush otherwise you will become late simply trying to shop. The cashiers are at an ungodly section of every floor. If you are so used to the other hypermarkets like Giant, Carrefour, Tesco, Cold Storage and Jusco, you will find that Mustafa Centre is so disorganised, messy and disoriented. It is like there was not any proper planning for everything. It is no wonder why it was forced to close for a period of time as it has been found by the authorities that it did not meet the standard safety criteria. One of it was the emergency exits are mostly blocked. The situations improved after that and people simply keep coming back as they find shopping there is perhaps exciting and fun. I find it like that too but not at the grocery sections of that place.

Mom did the finding of stuffs while I stood at a corner to wait for her with the trolley. I got tired of standing and I began to lose my patience with my surroundings especially mom. There I was involuntarily wasting my time accompanying my mom at the most inconvenient supermarket. I was sleepy and tired from the day’s work. I had been standing all day and I felt stupid having to stand like that when I could be sleeping in my bed or I could be writing to you at the comfort of my home. 

Just when my temper is building up, mom came and we paid for the groceries. I was tired but I did not show mom any signs of it. I knew she has her reasons for doing it. I simply have to tolerate but I do not have a high tolerance level. Mom knows that. I take after her a lot so she should know. She must know because we have practically been living under the same roof for 35 years. 

She probably knows I have all her traits. I am the younger version of her. She passed down her fiery and hostile temper. She blessed me with her sense of impatience. She completes me with her stubbornness. I grew up watching her. I am she. Many times Hello Kitty has reminded me of that and I quietly resent it. I do not like that, as I know how unpleasant it can be to watch my mom lose her temper at trivial silly things that is not even worth that temper. I felt sickened to know that I am slowly becoming her.