By Harmandar Singh | Malaysia |
When I was young and foolish, I auditioned for a pub gig at the Safari Pub in PJ. There were quite a few solo pub singers in the running, including the famous Rafiqe Rashid. Personally, I thought I had rendered a decent set when my turn came with my 12-string acoustic.
A week later I was summoned by the pub owner, to his day office in Jalan Ampang. He was actually keen to hire me and even said my singing was good. Then he gently added that my “headgear was not conducive to the atmosphere”.
ADOI!
He even offered me a job as his despatch boy as he was running his own legal firm.
I could have done one of two things; be offended or storm off. I did neither. I just walked quietly to the Pudu Raya bus stand nearby and took the bus back to Rawang where I lived, and decided something on the ride home. That was going to be the last time someone used my identity as a reason to shrink my possibilities.
SEE ALSO: I may wear many hats but only one turban – Harmandar Singh
Two years later, I gatecrashed into advertising and one year later an intern told me earnestly that if I took off my turban, I would become an advertising star.
This time, I paused, smiled and replied, “Watch me!”
(Adopted from his Linkedin posting here)
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(Asia Samachar, 30 June 2023)
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. You can leave your comments at our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We will delete comments we deem offensive or potentially libelous. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
