Sometimes, especially when the maid is in the house, I will go down to Sanur for a coffee and a pastry at some little café, because although Starbucks is open now for service and in-store seating, they do not open until 11 am and the maid shows up at around 9 am. I don't want to be in her way, and I definitely get the feeling that I am in her way if I stay at the house.
For the last couple weeks, I have gone to a little place called Bread Basket, serving coffee, breads, and pastries, and even breakfast and lunch dishes if you want to spend the money. My preference is a simple latte and cinnamon role, reasonably priced.
But I found myself irritated today by the "reserved" signs that are consistently on two or three of the tables at the café. There are only seven tables in the entire outdoor area, and three of these have only stools, no chairs, and sitting on a stool, you see, is very hard on my back.
The thing is, I have never seen anyone sitting at the tables with the reserved signs, and this annoys me, as I am convinced that these tables reserved for people who aren't even there are reserved for rich customers of high esteem in the establishment. To me, it is arrogant and unfair, not to mention disrespectful of other patrons who are apparently of lower regard.
So I determined to mention this annoyance upon leaving, though I anticipated the blank Indonesian stare in response. Mention it I did, and I did get the blank stare, along with the answer, 'Oh yes, those tables are reserved.'
'But I've never seen anyone there, no matter what time I come here.'
'Ya.'
All righty then.
Similarly, when I used to go down to the beach for a swim, there was a spread with perhaps 100 chairs. I would find only one man sitting there, and yet was not allowed to sit there myself. 'Sorry, reserved for hotel patrons only.' How ridiculous, right?
There is a beach warung up at Sindhu Beach that is very popular among the locals. The warung serves nasi campur only (a rice dish mixed with various meats, vegetables, and spices). You have to stand in the crowd before the counter and kind of try to catch the server's eye when it seems to be your turn. On one occasion I was waiting while some people in front of me were being served when the owner called out "Hey, tamu dulu", which means 'serve the white guy first.' My wife (an Indonesian woman) thought this was great, but I felt painfully embarrassed at this unreasonable and unearned deference. We see this often enough, and it always embarrasses me for I have done nothing to deserve this deference other than being white (and that was not my choice in any case).
I believe the same thing to be at work at the Bread Basket, only worse--for in this case, some rich white people have essentially 'bought' two or three tables in a café that ought to be serving all equally.
So you know what? I ain't gonna go there no more. There are plenty of other places at the beach or up the road a piece.
For the last couple weeks, I have gone to a little place called Bread Basket, serving coffee, breads, and pastries, and even breakfast and lunch dishes if you want to spend the money. My preference is a simple latte and cinnamon role, reasonably priced.
But I found myself irritated today by the "reserved" signs that are consistently on two or three of the tables at the café. There are only seven tables in the entire outdoor area, and three of these have only stools, no chairs, and sitting on a stool, you see, is very hard on my back.
The thing is, I have never seen anyone sitting at the tables with the reserved signs, and this annoys me, as I am convinced that these tables reserved for people who aren't even there are reserved for rich customers of high esteem in the establishment. To me, it is arrogant and unfair, not to mention disrespectful of other patrons who are apparently of lower regard.
So I determined to mention this annoyance upon leaving, though I anticipated the blank Indonesian stare in response. Mention it I did, and I did get the blank stare, along with the answer, 'Oh yes, those tables are reserved.'
'But I've never seen anyone there, no matter what time I come here.'
'Ya.'
All righty then.
Similarly, when I used to go down to the beach for a swim, there was a spread with perhaps 100 chairs. I would find only one man sitting there, and yet was not allowed to sit there myself. 'Sorry, reserved for hotel patrons only.' How ridiculous, right?
There is a beach warung up at Sindhu Beach that is very popular among the locals. The warung serves nasi campur only (a rice dish mixed with various meats, vegetables, and spices). You have to stand in the crowd before the counter and kind of try to catch the server's eye when it seems to be your turn. On one occasion I was waiting while some people in front of me were being served when the owner called out "Hey, tamu dulu", which means 'serve the white guy first.' My wife (an Indonesian woman) thought this was great, but I felt painfully embarrassed at this unreasonable and unearned deference. We see this often enough, and it always embarrasses me for I have done nothing to deserve this deference other than being white (and that was not my choice in any case).
I believe the same thing to be at work at the Bread Basket, only worse--for in this case, some rich white people have essentially 'bought' two or three tables in a café that ought to be serving all equally.
So you know what? I ain't gonna go there no more. There are plenty of other places at the beach or up the road a piece.
No comments:
Post a Comment