A funny thing about the Asia we have been in the last few months are the hilarious contradictions. A casual stroll in the street-any street- will prove beyond doubt that nobody wants (or really even needs) traffic rules...people ignore red lights, drive into each other on the wrong side of the road and endlessly pull out in front of everybody else. People walk casually into streams of oncoming motorbikes. And it works. Nobody gets smooshed, we have seen only a few collisions and none were serious.
But then...from the chaos of the streets to the air-conditioned crowd of the supermarket and the apparent relaxed nature disappears. When we tried to go in through the checkout we were ushered toward the proper entry area by a serious looking checkout security guard...that's right, 'checkout security guard'. Specifically for the checkout. Then we tried a different section of the supermarket. I was holding an open bag of peanut m&m's- because they are my favourite things- and the new checkout security guard said I couldn't go in with them. He wanted me to hire a locker at the entrance for a half eaten bag of chocolate! This all without the hint of a smile.
How do these two notions go together??? I can't figure it out.
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