With two tables separating us, my father was talking to a mat saleh. It's not that weird because my father is a very friendly person. But, they are so loud. Ahh, men . . .
I like to share his story. Just a short one.
His name is John and 60. He came from Los Angeles. Before, he had an Indonesian wife and they live in Java. He has stay here for 2 month.
When my father asked him where he came from, actually he was hesitate to tell us. But then he begin.
I was from LA but I lived at the downtown. Not at the metro. It was scary there, you know the gangs - blacks against whites. At night, people will not coming out the street. It's dangerous. And when you go out at the train, you can see people sleeping on the floor. You can't never find it here.
Do you like Vegas?
I've never go there. I don't want to go there. Why should I go there? With all the sin city. I don't drink alcohol. I don't like gambling. Why should I waste my money there? I like it here better.
You don't drink alcohol?
No. That restaurant there ( pointing at a Chinese restaurant ) I don't like it. It's not halal. I am not Islam but I practice some. I don't eat pork.
Do you like the food here?
Oh, yes. I like 'belacan'. The food here is very good and tasty. They are plenty, chinese, indian and malay food. It was some of the ultimate reasons people will come here.
And I can't forget this one thing that he said,
You know, if Gandhi, Jesus and Mohammad still alive now. I believe they will pray together.
That's some of the things that I still remembered. But, the incident inside that McD really open up my mind, my eyes and my everything. How John looks at the world, it make me realize that everyone is different. Even though he's not a muslim, but that doesn't mean he do not know what's good and what's not.
I can't believe my ears when he said that he hate Vegas. I used to watch at tv how people will spend their days at Vegas with something that the muslims will say as a sin city. And even he's not a muslim, he's well known about it.
It also a bit sad to know that actually there's some truth in what we saw in the tv. Like the life of the underdog, the gangs, and everything. It was actually real or maybe worst than what we can imagine.
To have John telling me about all this, I know there are so many things that I should be very grateful at.