CAUTERY

Over the weekend -- this was last Friday, Thursdays and Fridays being the weekend days over here, at least for now. The UAE and other GCC countries have already chosen Fridays and Saturdays to be their weekend, allowing more days of business and interaction with the rest of the world whose workdays are from Mondays to Fridays. But I digress -- I underwent an oft-postponed cautery of warts and serangoma (sp?) on my face, neck, shoulders and the rest of my torso, front and back. It was painful to say the least. But I needed to have the procedure done lest I end up with skin so full of them. I had at various other times in the past, undergone this dermatological procedure but the warts recurred. I also had light peeling. Now, three days after the procedure, the burns have turned brown and the peeling have began to make my face really look hideous. I am quite embarassed by my appearance. If you're not in the know about these cosmetic or dermatological procedures, you might look at me and conclude I am or maybe sick. And you may want to stay away from me if you won't at least be surprised and recoil on seeing me or coming near me. But somehow, these reactions never materialized. People have so far treated me as if I don't look hideous. In fact, as I went to buy some office supplies at a popular store here, the salesmen, the cashiers and the baggers went on about their business of dealing with me as a customer, in the same way they would other customers. There were no stares, no furrowed brows, nothing. Just the usual customer service with a smile.

So it's nice to realize that there are still many people in this world who can look beyond your appearance and treat anyone else normally.