Pleasant embarrassment (April 30, 2009)

According to the Oxford Dictionary, ‘embarrassment’ refers to something that makes a person feel worried or uncomfortable. As such, It seems that pleasure and embarrassment are extremes. However, in my opinion, they are not like the earth’s poles. Actually, some embarrassment can bring you happiness as well.
First of all, I want to share some embarrassing things which I have come across these days. Last Saturday, I went to NUS to study with my roommate for all day. Because we have not enough food as lunch, so we planned to have dinner earlier than before. In addition, we forgot to take water, so we would have wanted to buy some Lemon Tea in the canteen. However, as we arrived so early, the shop which sells Lemon Tea did not open. As a result, I told my roommate that he helped me buy a meal and I went out to bring some drink. When I went near vending machine, I found I had not enough coins to pay the drinks, but I was not willing to go back with my hands empty. All of sudden, I discovered that a vending machine which sold sandwiches could accept paper money and I thought I could change money into coins with its help. I did as what I thought. Unfortunately, things did not turn out the way you want. I noticed that this machine was not used for changing coins after I had paid two dollars. At that time, I had no choice but to buy a sandwich. However, there was only twenty cents in my pocket while the cheapest one needed thirty more cents. I had to hurry to canteen and borrowed ten cents from my roommate. When I returned to the vending machine and paid another ten cents for my sandwich, it failed to work. I knew that someone had already helped me pay ten cents and he also enjoyed of instead of me. Finally, I spent the expense of a sandwich but got nothing. To be honestly, I really felt a little embarrassed at that time.
Another embarrassing moment came this Thursday. All of us, SM3 students, had a free visit to science center and appreciated the beauty of science. But I did not predict that it is the misunderstanding of knowledge that made me embarrassed. In the beginning, I found one of exhibition was used for copying the shape of fragile things and I was interested in it. I read the instruction which was written in Chinese. Then I did as what I understood, put my hand on the serried needle. After a while, nothing happened except for the stream on the glass over the needles. I thought the shape formed in stream might be the result. When I admired how smart scientists were, a about-ten-year-old boy came near the exhibition, and pushed the needles from down to up after observing with a few seconds. The shape of his lovely hand appeared clearly and I knew what he did was the correct method. I had to embarrass that I misunderstand what the young children were able to understand.
Actually, my daily life is decorated with embarrassment but I don’t think they make me unhappy. I have to admit that I feel shy or uncomfortable at that time, but when I share them with my friends and bring laughter to them as well as me, I feel that embarrassment can be a happy thing. In the world, the perfect man doesn’t exist, so nobody makes no mistake and everyone has his embarrassing moment. As long as I am optimistic, the embarrassment or whatever will be part of your happiness. As such, please enjoy your pleasant embarrassment.