Gained One, Lost One.

This is a bad start into my 52nd year on this planet. I gained one year in age yesterday and lost another tooth today.

I was invited by a friend to join him for tea at about five today. When I crossed the street, he was already there with another friend. Eventhough I practically live here on this part of town, I have never patronised this makeshift stall selling bihun sup (pronounced be-hoon-soup, as if you didn't know) and cucur udang (pronounced choo-chork oo-dung). The adjoining mamak stall selling mee rebus and pasembur (pronounced me-rboos, pah-sm-borr) is my all time favourite because it is cleaner, the food is great and the service is excellent.

I greeted him with: Why are you sitting here?
He understood that I preferred the other stall and replied: Well, they are trying to make a living and we should at least support them.

So I went against one of my own "Rules of Healthy Living in a Small Town Like Sungai Petani" -- Never venture into freshly new or dilapidated old food stalls without the recommendation of reliable friends who survived -- and ordered a plate of the prawn fritters.

They were okay and the accompanying groundnut gravy was fine too; maybe I should sit down and revise the Rules. I stabbed into my third piece of fritters, dipped it into the thick gravy and popped it into my mouth. As soon as I clamped my set of remaining gnashers on it and Owwww! I felt a loud crunch that sent jitters of pain through my body. I thought my head had exploded!

Damn! There was a small piece of stone in the food. I spitted everything out and shoved the plate to my friend who went about finishing the fritters gingerly. I probed with my fingers and one of my lower incisors was loose to the touch; it must have been broken, probably waiting to fall out any day.

Oh no, not on my birthday! I lost three molars already to date and now this.

I mentioned it to the couple selling the cucur; the lady looked sympathetic but her husband just stood there with tidak apa-thy that's common with part-time food vendors. I didn't want the food replaced nor did I ask for a refund; a sincere apology would be nice, thank you. But, nothing. Maybe I should yank out one of their teeth in return.

So, for you people out there; the Rules stay. Keep your teeth, don't get too adventurous with roadside food stalls.