Discrimination of Distinctive Smells

I get on the train every morning in the peak of the rush hour and middle of the subway line. Therefore, I don’t expect a seat for that 20-minute ride -- except Friday. For some reason, Friday is usually much less crowded. Somehow, 1/3 of the commuters manage to call in sick or something. Like today, a seat was right there for me when I got on.

As soon as I sat down though, I started to regret as I was overwhelmed by an aroma of curry. I still haven’t overcome its power the whole morning. It’s politically incorrect for me to complain about the impact of the smell. It’s only polite for everybody to do something about one’s distinctive smell since we live in the world's most multi-ethnical community.

I ask everyone in this community to please remind me, warn me and humiliate me if my Chinese cooking smell or smell of any kind from me offends you. Believe me. I am doing everything I can to avoid your possible agony when I am around. A high-powered range hood is a good starter. And I don’t stop there. I go all the way out to fight smells.

Tolerance is primary in a melting pot. But smells shouldn’t be included on the list of being tolerated. The smells not to be tolerated should include curry, garlic, B.O., fragrance, regardless if it’s expensive or inexpensive.

To me, an ideal society is an odorless society. In a less ideal society, I must tolerate the intolerable.