Please Smile-Lah...

Smile, a facial expression formed by flexing the muscles near both ends of the mouth. And that’s according to Wikipedia. It looks something like this! (Look at the picture below)

 

You’ve most probably been told or maybe read it in a forwarded e-mail, that it takes fewer muscles to smile than it does to frown, and that, in light of this fact, you should smile more often.   There are plenty reason why we should smile and I’ve listed three of them.

1. You’ll feel happy - Trust me, you do feel happy!  Let’s do it right now! Try forcing yourself to smile for thirty seconds right now. The great feelings that make you smile works in reverse too. By making yourself smile, no matter how you feel, your body will start to release all those wonderful chemicals that make you feel happy. 
2. A smile changes your state - If you’re feeling frustrated, angry or bored, a smile is capable of changing your emotional state. And a positive state is not just more fun but also opens up to other possibilities in your mind. You will see the world differently through a happier lens. And then you can start building on that to have a string of positive actions and interactions with other people throughout the day.
3. A smile changes other people’s state – Try walking into a store, a supermarket with a smile on your face. People will smile back at you and be more helpful and any social tension or awkwardness will melt away.

However, today, I wished Malaysians would smile more. My journey today started with me dragging myself out of bed at 7.30am.  My flight back to Malaysia was at 10.45am so I had to be in the airport before 8.30am. I got ready and walked out of my room towards the gate when the guard looked at me and smiled. I replied his smile and told him that I’m going back to Malaysia and will be back soon.  He nodded.

I walked out of the hostel compound, took a beca (a motorized trishaw which is common in Indonesia) and reached the airport. I checked-in and the guy who was behind the counter was really friendly. I proceeded through the immigration process and finally boarded the plane. One of the stewardess had a really sweet smile and she was generous with it, smiling throughout the flight.

45minutes later, I’m in Malaysia and there’s where I realized Malaysians don’t really smile. Maybe not all of them, but most of them whom I saw and smiled at, looked at me as though I was insane. Most of them gave me a look as though they’re trying to saw, “Are you insane? I don’t even know you.” Others, simply pretended they didn’t see me smiling at them. I’m pretty sure they must have been thinking, “I didn’t see him smiling at me. I didn’t see him smiling at me.” 

I went through the usual formalities at customs and that’s where I felt awkward. I smiled at both of the officers who were at the airport baggage scanner, scanning bags. One of them looked at me straight into my eyes as though he was trying to say, “Put you bloody bag in it and get your ass out of this place.” Well, that gave me the chills and somehow, after that incident, almost everyone whom I smiled at gave me the same look, except for a few foreigners.

This is not the first time I felt Malaysians should smile more. I’m pretty sure most of you had at least one encounter like me. So, why don’t all of us put a smile on our face all the time?? We aren’t losing anything by smiling at others, are we?