I found myself saying (which I am incredibly ashamed of) "muka kau terbalik" right at the face of the 7Eleven cashier last night when my V-Soy Soya drink spilled on the counter. I apologized furiously to the poor boy who seemed rather taken aback with my mean, harsh words. His friend burst out laughing almost immediately. He followed suit. Phew, thank God he took it lightly! When my husband asked what was I thinking when I said those things, I defended myself saying it wasn't my choice to make. It just happens. Melatah just happens.
And with plenty of time in my hands, I decided to frolic aroud the web for this incurable disease. What did I find? Google translates "melatah" (Malay) to "melatah" (English). That is enough to convince me that 'melatah' is a uniquely Malaysian habit. And so to the 7Eleven cashier whom I met last night, I'm here to convince you that your face is perfectly fine, it isn't "terbalik" as I claimed it to be. And to my Opah, I now understand why you used to sing "Isabella" whenever I poke you (not FB poke) while you had your mind wandering off.
Happy 1Malaysia, folks.
