Time Wasting

Today was supposed to be a good day for me. I was greeted with the morning rain, followed by the cool weather that lasted through the day. Yet, I was in a foul mood for much of today.

I wasted time having to think of how to draft a complain letter to Singnet, for the once-every-few-days connection drop, which happen yesterday and today, and some days of last week. I spent time thinking of how to increase the reliability of my complaint and the repeatability of connection problem. Well, I could not find a way through my thoughts.

Time wasted thinking of things that I should not have been doing. I only edited 2 photos today and I have piles more to go. My poor eyes ... ...

Maureen

Some lousy event happened in a few days. 小胖 passed on to doggy heaven, two days following Ah Fluff, hope their friendship continues in the nether journey.

Called MOM today to 'talk' about the delayed response. They asked me for 3 more days, which quite frankly, I could not say NO to.

I remember a classmate name Maureen from my poly days. She is a modern, hip and friendly lady, often dressed stylishly in printed tank top, body hugging jeans and boots, and had a small tattoo ring on one finger.

But NO! I am not talking about that Maureen today. It's the Maureen from SC2. I shall not get personal on her looks. I called her to ask about how I can do an application status check by myself; I'm not even asking her about the status. In metaphoric terms, I am asking her how to fish and not asking her for a fish. She became all defensive, as if I am blaming her for the delayed outcome of an application. Argument ensued and it's not even about the topic I wanted to asked in the first place - Time Wastage. I wasted time no further and drop the line, and call SCAL instead, and ask for the general manager, who was not around, and was directed to the assistant general manager. Assistants has the sorriest of worklife. No glamourous GM title, but have the same, if not a higher, pile of work to do. Anyway, Esther, the asst. GM appeased me and offered to help me with what I wanted. I reiterated to her that I want to know HOW to check the outcome and not asking her to check it for me, and her response fully satisfy me, 'I know, let me check it for you, I want to learn it as well.' Full marks!

On the way

I am composing this post amidst a jam on the malaysian side of the causeway. Earlier, I witness a person stuck in the eiacs gantry, better known as the thumbprint machine. The checkpoint officer has not the slightest idea on how to solve the problem, which I recognised even before that man enter the gantry. He was carrying way to much luggage the size of godzilla and t-rex combined.

Now, I am sitting adjacent to a man sitting beside a snoring pig. He must have been really tired snoring away, oblivious to the population, with whom he is sharing the bus with.

I am reaching the checkpoint. Oh, the man beside me is dozing off, he is reaching my shoulder. Help!

Hopeless creatures

Recently, I encountered a couple of sorry organisations when it comes to customer servicing / call handling.

First, it's HDB. I appealed against a notice of offence for parking my vehicle at my house MSCP. I was issued a ticket because I had transferred the season parking to my friend's place as I was away for reservist. It happened that for 2 nights, I was able to out-pro and return home. And it also happened that for these 2 nights, I was issued tickets for parking at my house carpark. I appealed on the ground that I had actually purchased season parking, and I had only technically parked at the wrong carpark, and in real terms, I had not caused a nett increase in cars in either my house carpark or my friend's. HDB mentioned that they will reply within 2 weeks and that I could hold the fine until they replied. It's been a month since I heard from them - sitting on it?

Then, it came MOM. I helped auntie with an appeal for transfer of a foreign worker from another company to her's. MOM needed more time, 3 weeks for processing of appeals submitted via iSubmit. I certainly hope the 'i' does not refer to intelligence because I certainly sense any, both from the humans and from the machines. From past experience, if you call them up to remind them that their 3 weeks are up, they will tell you they require 3 working weeks, i.e. 21 working days in their context, which is a whole calendar month (why don't they just mention 21 working days? trying to sound efficient?). And when you call them after a month, they will tell you they are looking into it, and you get a rejection the next day - an easy way out.

Today's episode is starred by Singnet. I called the customer care number as printed on the router supplied by Singnet and highlighted my problem to them, not before waiting 15 minuted listening to music, 'sorry's, 'please hold the line', 'we will attend to you shortly' and what-have-them. Alas, the officer had to tell me to call another number for Singnet Business. So, why don't they just print that number? Anyway, I called up that number and was served by another officer who just woke up and unsure that she is still in Singapore. She asked me what modem I am using, to which I replied the 2Wire, and she asked me the color, black was my answer, and where I bought it? I said Singnet's courier sent it. After some other questioning, she ask me whether I had bought the modem at some other place. I was baffled and amused in a bad way, like watching a lousy comedy and the rest of the cinema is laughing away at a joke not funny enough. In any way, my problem was not solved, she asked me to plug in my modem directly to the wall outlet and bypass the fax. So if it works, am I suppose to terminate the fax line from Singtel? Or will I need to call again, to be served by an officer apart from her - easy way out again.

YES

Night angzhenwei want to be a bat. Why not a bird? Like to feel freefall and flight. Like the charm of the night. Like to eat fruit and not fight. Thanks dj.

Thank you for your participation in our YES933 21st Birthday Bash giveaway. You won a pair of tickets to an exclusive screening of "WASAO" the movie!  Pls be at GV PLAZA HALL 5'S ENTRANCE tonight at 6.45pm to collect your tickets and watch the movie. The screening starts at 7 pm. Do bring your IC for verification. Thanks! -YES933

Bumped

It is sad that I have to be reminded of my dented bumper today. Auntie ask what happened to my bumper. How I wish I know. I would like to think that it was my effort in banging taxis that caused that dent, but it was not to be.

I remember vividly that my bumper was scratch free - because I wash the pick-up quite often - the night before I park my car at the MSCP and returning home. I pass by the car washing estate cleaner, the Ace Weld lorry, Hup Siong's Van and the white Toyota Mark X. The following morning, I return and see a slanted bumper with a scratch below the headlamp. This has to be one of the helpless moments to be caught in.

What to do? One cannot monitor everything in life.

Fateful beef

I knew I should not be eating beef. I have this funny allergy (if I could call that it); the next day beef enters my mouth - whether it finally goes down the digestive tract does not matter - I will go down with fever.

How true! I went to a HK cafe with Onion one fateful day and he ordered a mix grill platter which is supposed to contain chicken, pork and beef. He requested to change the beef to fish, which was duly obliged by the waiter. When the dish came, there were three piece of meat - two pale brown and one dark maroon. We thought it was lamb and Onion offered me a small piece. I chewed one it and did not like the taste, and spat it out. I checked the order chit and realised lamb was never in the set. The chef had not changed the beef.

I went down with fever yesterday.

Starlight Tears

Run 1/6/11

I had the tendency to forget bringing my swimming trunks for swims. But fortunately, I always had backups. Not the trunks, but I have my shoes. I'm just highlighting that if one has the determination to do some workout, there is always a way round problems.

My route yesterday starts from Safra Mt Faber, I cruised down Henderson road (down slope, whew!), then turn left to go on Telok Blangah Road, passing HabourFront Centre and Vivo City; I then take a left into Kampong Bahru Road; the nightmare starts at Telok Blangah Rise's upslope, all the way back to 2, Telok Blangah Way. How far was that I really do not know.

Whew, good run!

P.s. Met 2I/C at the entrance to the club's pool. He invited me for a swim. But, but.. but, I could not swim his distant, I did not have my trunks, I'm dogged.

What has been in my head lately?

Perhaps, I should be periodically jotting down "What has been in my head lately?" so that in future, I can relish / or puke at this period in my life.

Running / Exercising - My only exercise regime is my almost daily swim at Safra. I target to swim a ten-lap continuous front crawl. Who knows when I will achieve that. I am currently at six. I have not been actively running ever since I graduated from Hendon. Unlike my other buddies who have their weekly dose of football, or daily dose of college life or even occasional dose of get-together-for-sports, I am by myself. Since the conclusion of the recent ICT, I find a short adrenaline rush for a bit of running. I shamelessly pulled along Onion for a Chandu session, disguising it as an evening photography opportunity. Well, I did took a few photos. Yesterday, having had a craving for another session to work my legs, I went for another round of running. I am not exactly sure how long; the route went from Brickland Road, to Bukit Batok Road, down Choa Chu Kang Way, into Choa Chu Kang Avenue 3, back to my house MSCP.

Hypocrites - A certain ethnic group recently fired up a saga about the level of alcohol content in a beer product. It is said that a proclaimed halal beer had it's alcohol level higher than the stated and legally allowed level. While that whole country is debating the number of alcohol molecules allowable, I am thinking about the fundamentals. What is the principle behind the forbidden consumption of this drink? Will it be any difference (religiously) if the alcohol level is at 0.01% or 0.001% or 100%? It as hypocritical as Buddhist vegetarian eating mock chicken and a someone cursing another to death, short of actually killing him/her. Pass the pork rendang please, the halal one, if you don't mind.

Show - Everything since the nomination day seems like a theatrical production. We have the uprising of superstars like Ms NS, hated character like Biscuit Tin and a certain minister without portfolio, wayang promises (sometimes: lies), some good food for the brain, some conspiracy drama to fix up a minister. The older generation seemed to still hold fear and skepticism to the system of election, while the newer generation take this opportunity to party out at the various rallies. It became the talk of the town and it's certainly better than National Day Parade. Since 50 years passed so quickly, I certainly hope 5 years will pass just as quickly.