Yesterday morning, I attended a lecture by German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Ritz-Carlton. Due to the nature of the occasion, I was dressed formally, in a black pants suit and white shirt.
Then I headed back to my office to attend a meeting, walking briskly into an open lift.
Two little elderly men were already inside – one Chinese, one Sikh. The elderly Chinese man had his finger on the lift button.
The Sikh, who had stepped in shortly before me, looked at his elderly counterpart and said, “Kam Sia”.
I turned to look at the Sikh, impressed that he spoke in Chinese dialect!
Then the Sikh looked at me, and asked, “Are you a lawyer?”
I was stunned, and replied, “Well… in a way, I used to be. How can you tell?”
He said I looked like one, from the way I dressed.
The lift door opened and the two old men stepped out. I called after the little Sikh man, “Are *you* a lawyer too?”
He shook his head and continued walking. “No…”
As he walked further away, I heard him mutter, “…Struck off the list.”