Cool vs Fool

Guess what's causing Bart to laugh like that?

He seems intoxicated with joy. Or is he just nervous about something?

He covers his face the whole time. A lady is holding a spray bottle and spraying on his earlobe. Hehe... he's getting his ear pierced.

"It's painful. Oh, it's very painful. It's painful, it's painful, it's painful!"

Several seconds after piercing. He looks cool, actually he is just putting on a brave front.

When we entered Giant Mall (Kelana Jaya) to do our last minute shopping for Bart's party tomorrow, Enzian remembered that there is a ear-piercing kiosk and he wanted to get his ear pierced to look cool for an upcoming event. But I told him it would be too late because the ear-stud must be worn for at least two weeks before it can be taken out, to change to the desired earring for the occasion. So we dropped the idea and went on to do our shopping.

When we were finished and were a few steps out of the mall, I casually asked if he still wanted to have his ear pierced, not only did he say yes, Bart did too! Ludwig was very sure he didn't want it, he did not like the idea of inflicting pain to himself unnecesarily. But Bart and Enzian thought differently, they could only see the end-result, "I'm cool', so with that cool thought firmly planted in mind, we approached the ear-piercing lady.

The mall was quiet on a late Friday afternoon. But we are noise-carriers. Noise follows wherever we go. So you can imagine how loud we were when two boys want to have their ears pierced. The sales assistants from the other shops were watching us and smiling, it was a tickling sight.

It happened so impromptu, so fast, I had no time to think if I was doing the right thing. Bart wanted to be the first, so we let him be.

Enzian's turn. He was very nervous and unsure.

After seeing his brother's ear pierced, Enzian didn't appear so sure anymore. But he climbed on the high-stool anyway, but shortly after the lady sprayed the numbing spray, he got off the stool, hugged me and said he was scared, "Maybe I will pierce when I turn 7."

Finally, we left the mall with a cool boy and three fools.

When we got home, Enzian says, "Now Bart is in the cool team and we are in the fool team!"