I’m sitting in Dubai airport waiting for my flight to begin boarding. It’s early morning and probably around 21°C outside, but I know it’ll get hotter. It’s pleasantly warm in the terminal. I’m carrying a heavy winter coat. A man comes along, sees my coat, and starts berating me for having it.

Man: “Why would you even have that coat? Do you know how warm it is outside? How stupid are you that you brought a winter coat to Dubai?”

Me: “I’m going to Amsterdam. I’ll need it there.”

He just stared at me and walked off.

Seriously, I’m in an airport, clearly going somewhere else, and it’s winter in the Northern hemisphere. Obviously, the coat would be necessary at some point in my travels.

I sell items online. I can’t give a fixed price since I do retail and wholesale. I created a WhatsApp group so that my customers can see all my items at once instead of sending pics individually. One of my customers asks me on the group, “How much is this?” A BRILLIANT customer pops up out of nowhere and starts giving him the wrong prices.

Me: “Kindly don’t chat in the group so we don’t annoy other customers. Please text me in private.”

The brilliant customer keeps on giving the wrong prices for my items. I text him in private.

Me: “Kindly be polite.”

Brilliant Customer: “It’s a stupid way to sell. Put a price on each item to fix the price so no one will do what I did to you.”

(I go to order lunch from a fast food franchise at the mall. It’s midweek so it’s not busy at all. There’s one person ordering when I approach. When it’s my turn, this happens. Mind you, I speak loudly and clearly.)

Employee: “Hello, what can I get you?”

Me: “Hi! I’d like a [signature burger] without cheese and without pickles, please.”

Employee: “Okay, so, one burger, no onions, no pickles.”

Me: “Umm… Actually, it’s no cheese, no pickles.”

(I smile politely and he smiles back.)

Employee: *cheerfully* “Okay! So, no cheese, no onions.” 

Me: *super loud in case he has trouble hearing* “I want onions. Just without cheese and without pickles, please.”

Employee: *super confident* “Okay! One burger with extra cheese and no onions.”

Me: *blinks, wonders if he’s kidding* “No, no… No cheese, no pickles, with onions.”

Employee: “Oh, okay. No cheese, no onio– Umm, no pickles. Is that right? No cheese, no pickles?”

Me: *relieved* “Yesssss! That’s right! Thank you!”

(I paid and waited for my meal. Guess who got cheese on their burger?!)

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(I work for a huge hotel company that has hotels around the world; in particular, we have a few beside the beach. However, since I started this job and have been answering the phone for reservations I have gotten this question every week.)

Guest: “Is [Hotel] Beach Hotel beside the beach?”

(Please note that the hotel could only be closer to the beach if it was in the ocean and this is evident through the website and the name.)

My fiance and I are planning to elope and although I want to wear a nice dress, I don’t want to go all out and spend a significant amount on a branded wedding dress. I go online and find a nice, white maxi dress with some sparkles on it that is within my budget, and when it arrives it fits well but is slightly too long. Not an issue; I just go to the tailor to get it shortened.

The tailor I find is in the mall and they ask me to put on the dress so they can pin it. When I step out of the changing room, I see a little girl — maybe four or five years old — stopping right in front of the shop, tugging at her mum’s shirt with eyes wide open exclaiming, “Mummy, look! It’s a FAIRY!”

It absolutely made my day and made me smile extra wide on my wedding day!