The nearly-midday sun was beating down on this cloudless June Saturday, but I wasn't sweating because of that - I was sweating because I was deciding whether to risk and wait for a taxi, or run and end up at the dentists' late and drowning in my own sweat. But there were a good number of people dotted along the road looking like they were waiting for taxis. What to do..!?
I noticed that standing near me was an old Indian couple, strategically locating themselves in the middle of a junction so that they can catch taxis coming from both streets. I walked up to them, asking them if they were waiting for a taxi, and where they were heading. "Pedder Street...Yes! Join us! If we manage to get a taxi...not so easy this time of the day."
Three minutes later, we were cruising inside a nicely air-conditioned red cab on our way to Central. It was only a 5 or 6 minute ride. She told me I had nice pedicure colour, and he told me he only flies with Cathay Pacific. I love them already. When we got to our destination, I already had my wallet out and was ready to pay for hi-jacking this old couple's taxi. But not surprisingly, the old Indian couple didn't let me pay a single cent, saying "I'm older than you, of course I pay! I'm like your father! You cannot pay!"
We got off the taxi, said our goodbyes, and respectively disappeared in to the crowd and noise and traffic.
It really wasn't that big of a deal. But that small encounter made me really happy. It's...the small things.
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