Being Charming

     If you've been to China House in George Town, Penang, you'll notice how narrow the corridor of this cafè is; and somewhere along this corridor, we were sitting minding our desserts when the usual happened quite unusually.



A young local couple of a man and a woman were walking along the corridor and an older Caucasian woman was coming from the opposite direction.

Instead of the man taking the chance to showcase his gentlemanliness, the Caucasian woman was the one who paused and stepped aside to make way for the much younger couple.

Nothing against the man, he wasn't by any way being rude. In fact, they politely acknowledged each other.

     I was in Cappadocia and Istanbul during the winter of 2017. There was no denying that the historical and scenic parts of the cities were breathtakingly beautiful. Quite literally, I caught myself holding my breath taking in the majestic structure of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul; while breathing in the vast beauty of the snow covered geography of Cappadocia.

Despite all that, there is however one particular attribute where I am genuinely impressed. From Cappadocia to Istanbul, the modern Turkish distinct and sharp facial features are not only pleasant to look at, they have an equally distinctive gentleman quality in their character to match!

Although I have a tanned skin, my cheeks tend to blush under certain conditions. Good food and cold winter weather were the only ones I knew of.
In Istanbul and Cappadocia though, I frequently felt my cheeks warming up, but to the many charming exchanges I had with the locals instead. Much to my surprise, I found myself thinking, gosh, I never knew I had this in me.

Very soon, I began to get cozy with both being charmed and charming carelessly. In a way, blending in with the Turkish culture. It was a socializing haven for the Geminis in the both of us. With the new found excitement, my cheeks were constantly blushed. Luckily I had the cold windy winter weather for cover.

My take on the trip, if anyone should ask, would always be, “I was in a community of beautiful people, aesthetically and intrinsically. It was a beautiful experience, something I truly want to redo."

     Going back to the Caucasian lady in the China House café, it also reminded me of one particular Google Doodles of the actress, Marlene Dietrich for her 116^th birthday. Portraiture being my favourite photography segment, I was attracted by the radiance of her charisma. So I looked her up and one particular quote of hers struck a familiar vibe and sentiment inside of me, 

"I am at heart, a gentleman."

The three events happened so seamlessly within a short period of time as if someone was eager to make a point. My best take and this is, if you liked being treated charmingly, be a gentleman yourself.

You don't have to be a man to be a gentleman, as demonstrated by the Caucasian lady. You don't even have to dress sharp to start acting like a gentleman. Simply be the change you want to see in the world. Embrace it from within until it becomes your core character, your root, just like what Marlene Dietrich had said about herself.

Soon your actions will always be tinged with the quality of a gentleman; it becomes your energy. Distinctively, it shows. Even in prints.