What My Taxi Driver Taught Me. 忍无可忍

20 April, 7.30 a.m.: Ben, my regular taxi driver was ferrying me to KLIA to catch a flight to attend the Food Hotel Asia Trade Show in Singapore. As we backed up in heavy traffic, we talked about how too many cars in densely populated neighborhood often led to parking disputes. I had borne the brunt of such distaste.

Our conversation led us to a recent incident reported in the newspaper where one man bashed the head of another in with a large rock due a minor accident. And for what? He will be jailed a long time for that moment of outburst if found guilty. It was then, Ben spouted out “退一步, 海阔天空” tuìyībù, hǎikuò-tiānkōng loosely translated as “taking a step back, the situation is as boundless as the sea and sky”. I was both amused and impressed. I reached for my notebook and asked him to repeat that.

He obliged. Then with a smile, he added “忍一时, 风平浪静” rěnyīshí, fēngpíng-làngjìng “tolerate for a while, both the wind and waves calm down”, to further drive in his point.

But he told me there are times when one is really at the end of his tolerance 忍无可忍 rěnwúkěrěn. His neighbor will steal anything he can reach from his side of the fence – pails, brushes, car shampoo, etc. At times like this he reminded himself of his neighbor’s elderly parent who are such nice and polite people, and that 10 brushes only costs RM12.00. So he concluded with a sigh – still I find the reasons to tolerate 还是要忍 háishiyàorěn.

As we approached the airport building, this thought crossed my mind before I alighted from the car - 三人行必有我师 sānrénxíng bìyǒuwǒshī, “there is a teacher among every three persons I meet”…

.