Hello, Do You Know Me?

"Hello, do you know me?"

No, that's not the latest pick up line used one me, but it's something that I always think of when someone, vaguely familiar waves at me.

I'm very bad a recognising faces, remembering people, or names, or where I've met them. In short, I've bad memory. I'm too lazy to remember things, people included. It always seems very much easier for people to remember me and pick my face out from a sea of people to say hi. But one thing bad, is that, well, it does feel very awkward some times, well, actually, most of the times.

I was at YIH the other day having dinner. Okay, I was snacking while waiting for time to pass, so I was alone and reading my manga when this person walked passed me, took a double take, turned to my direction and waved. My first thought, as always when someone waves in my direction, was that perhaps there was someone behind me. I don't know why, but this is always my first thought when someone waves in my direction. Maybe I just feel inferior, and have low regards of myself, or maybe I'm just paiseh. But that was my first thought, and I tried to smile and act as natural as possible that I can go either way, without feeling paiseh at all.

Usually, in such a circumstance, the person would either say hi, just smile and continue walking, but I guess with me being alone, it was an open invitation. He walked up to me. And I panicked, as I searched through my short memories for some recollection of that person walking to me. But my mind blanked out. I realise that despise me being so extroverted at times, I can be an introvert when I'm alone. And I totally lack adequate social skills that might save me from such an uncalled for situation.

The other times I ran into situations like this, I'd smile and probably engage in some mindless small talk like "How've you been doing?" or "Where are you heading for?". And these such small talks always allow me to get away with not needing to remember who those people are, and sometimes in those small talks, they might just as well reveal who they are without needing me to ask, or feel at all awkward. I hate feeling awkward. And worse still, I might make the other party feel awkward. Then there'd be two awkward people and I cannot imagine what I'd do or say the next time I meet that person again.

But that guy completely took me by surprised. "Eh, you remember me or not?" What the heck? As if my body language has not given me away yet. Okay, he might have noticed the body language and hence that question, but why make me feel so awkward?

By then, I did thought of where I might have seen that face before, but I wasn't too sure about it. Deciding between making myself feel and look paiseh, and making the both of us paiseh, I decided that one person's pain and agony is enough. "Eh..." I replied.

"You can't remember me?" Yes, I can't remember, so can you quit making me feel more terrible than I already am? diaoz... Please people, read body language. If someone appears visably paiseh, can you please just not make things worse? wahaha~

Granted, I did guess to myself that he might be the guy from Munchie Monkey, a cafe in YIH I frequent, but haven't seen him there the last time I was at Munchie after I came back. But I was really scared that my guess was wrong. If I guessed wrongly, it would be really so damn damn paiseh.

He finally released me from my agony and announced that he was indeed that guy from Munchie Monkey. In my distressed state, I was only able to mumble a "Oh yar hor..." Oh man... I think I really totally lack of social skills when I'm caught unprepared. Throw me in Munchie where I might meet him, I can engage in any kind of small talk, but remove that setting and put me in somewhere I'm so unfamiliar with, I'll die. In my haste of not knowing what to do in such an awkward situation, I hurriedly excused myself and left him. *shakes head at myself*

Yes, I'm a total loser.

Actually I wanted to head to Munchie Monkey that night to get the Italian Chocolate Cake which I have been craving for ever since I can remember, and I wanted to finally get it that night. In the end, thoughts of meeting him there and feeling paiseh all over again, sort of satiated my cravings for it.

How ah now? I don't dare go in Munchie Monkey again leh... But I miss the Italian Chocolate Cake there... wahaha~ Please people, especially if I frequent your eatery, please don't put me in an awkward spot. I really hate it~ Okay, not just regarding eateries, if I look like I can't remember you, please remind me (unobviously) who you are.

Thank you. *runs off and hides my face again*