On this cloudy, windy and could winter afternoon, when entering the zebra 3 café located inside of phoenix bookstore, Hu Nan road, I ordered myself an earl grey tea, and when I was just ready to pay, the arrogant receptionist showed me how to pay electronically with his coldness, ignorance and impatience. 

I knew right then, I was in trouble.

As a spiritualist, I held my temper, and was ready to pay.

At the beginning, his arrogance didn’t trigger my ego – I just wanted to get my tea, and leave.

I guess, somehow, the universe was trying to test my patience on an already scorpion day – filled with dark emotions and frustration and mundane things, and I failed to scan the barcode from the receptionist’s machine correctly. 

I was politely asking for a second assistance – the man’s ego rose to his peak. His arrogant voice was filled with disgust and impulsiveness as if I lived in stone age, and couldn’t even handle his new millennia’s way of service, which is full of himself. 

Who does he think he is?! God? 

Still, I was ready to let go of my anger, and harmonized with his ego. Again, he didn’t take this chance, and saw my peace as a sign of weakness. 

He was becoming even more aggressive and fiery – “don’t you know how to handle this barcode?!”

This is enough!!! I murmured to myself, and let my ego washed over my rational mind, and spiritual side – never asking for trouble, and always be ZEN.  I exploded.

However, the funniest thing happened. For one second, though fire was filled in my throat, I couldn’t make a sound to show my anger – for years, I have never had a chance to verbally fight with anyone in my life due to my  Zen way of living, and that part of my brain to curse and swear faded away long time ago. 

What made the situation more laughable was  that the only cursing words formed in my head was in English. 

“This is ridiculous! You should get fired!” I blurted out! 

He froze, and I froze.