Sixteen

I went to the grocery for some food yesterday because I wasn't able to eat lunch due to a meeting. I just brought a $10 note with me and left my wallet in the car thinking that would be enough. So I went in, grabbed a sandwich, a coke and a pack of lollies (candies) and headed straight for the checkout (cashier).
"That would be sixteen please" said the lady at the checkout. I was surprised and thought she must have made a mistake so I said, can you run that again please because that couldn't be sixteen. I was trying to do some mental calculations - $1.10 for the coke, $2.50 for the sandwich and $2.50 for the pack of lollies. That can't be over ten dollars, let alone sixteen.
She ran the items again and said, yes it's sixteen.
I was tired, dizzy from hunger and my patience was running thin. I said that's impossible. She looked at me as though I was a dumb asian refugee (yes, I'm asian!) who cannot understand english. Whenever I get that look, I just snap. I got furious and demanded to see the manager. Turned out she was just at the other counter and overheard me. She was polynesian and had this 'gumamela' like flower on her ear. I always wondered what that was for and it sort of calmed me and I tried to explain the problem.
She then scanned the items one by one, showing me the corresponding amount at the till (cash register). After the last item was scanned, she said "and the total amount is sixteen". Looking at the till, I suddenly realized how stupid I had been, not remembering where I was and had totally forgotten the kiwi accent. They were right all along (and so was I technically) because the total amount was $6.10, or as they say it in the New Zealand accent - six teen.

Want to Have Eclat for Dinner?

The company I work for often use this caterer for our overtime dinner. Sometimes the food is just so.... exotic, it's over the top. Eclat! I'm not really sure now what 'eclat' means in filipino slang but I think it describes the food that this caterer serves accurately. Sometimes I wished they would just cook something 'normal' and 'edible' like fried chicken and mashed potatoes/rice instead of some fancy dish that I couldn't pronounce nor figure out.
And what's with the 'head' for a logo anyway? Do they double up as hairdressers? Or do they cook human heads as part of their menu?