Saturday, October 14, 2006

The soldier and the Imam

While wandering across the Ramadan market last night I got spoken to by a Malay gentleman who proudly proclaimed that he had served in the British army before independence. He was now seventy one and still looked the part. Ramrod straight and with the manners and bearing you would expect from Her Majesty's officers.
He was at the market like everyone else to buy food o break the days fasting and occasionally while we spoke he greeted friends and acquaintances that came by. One of them he introduced to me as an Imam and their religious leader. I would have liked to sit down and have a good discussion with him but unfortunately my Bahasa and his English weren't up to it and my new found army friend had to leave to visit one of his relatives. Such is life.

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