Hope it's the last

It has been an extremely eventful work trip for me. 21/5/12 thru 17/5/12. I almost spent a month in a foreign land. Not that I have a problem with that. But I do have a problem with the problems I face concerning work. I saw the changes in face, character and how someone will desert you when trouble is looming. I experience despair that I had brought trouble to close ones. I pray to everyone and anyone who can soothe my trouble soul and mind. I made some friends who were really helpful in times of need. I remember one day. The weather was red with anger. The howling winds marched in from the sea a mile away. Everything is flying, the tent, the canvas, the sand, the rocks, Sherlyn's helmet and myself. I could not sleep that night. I remember yet another morning. The same tempest threatened to stampede through our workplace yet again. I chant the name of Avalokiteśvara repeatedly. Strangely enough, the storm clouds split up 300 metres in front of me and went past alongside our workplace. I am not attempting credit this phenomena to anyone; I am sincerely grateful deep inside. I returned on the 17/6/12.

Bad Bintulu Day

It's really bad, really really bad.

Yesterday, the Sarawak agent informed that he will only be able to meet me on Saturday, tomorrow. We are supposed to meet today. I hope he do not play me out.

The bed I slept on is quite bad too. Protruding spring, but I should be able to bear with it.

This morning, I wasted RM50 in a few minutes because I did not subscribe to the one week broadband plan. I can feel the money flow out like water, really.

Then, I called to reserve a van. I was shocked that there were none left. Holy cow! I sank into depression. While on the decline, I think about whether I could rent 3 cars to ferry everyone. Or could I get a local cabbie with a van? How much will those cost me? Will I go broke here?

Leaving yet again (Bintulu)

Exit notification... check

Luggage weight... check

Flight timing... check

Cash... check

Laptop... and chargers... check

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I am leaving for Sarawak in a few hours time. I am really going to miss the usual working hours here. Over there, I am probably going to get the panda-eyed syndrome due to the early hours to wake up and report for work. I hope I can somehow leave my workers to lead their own men to work, so that I can take a short break every now and then, with the excuse of topping up supplies or something.

Bintulu might not even sound familiar to the ordinary man on any Malaysian street. The more current-affairs-savvy guy might know that it is a place where Malaysian oil and gas are based. They probably already knew all that Bintulu has to offer.

Bintulu

I can never forget this town. This is a peaceful old town in the state of Sarawak, East Malaysia. I was there the last few days for a site meeting. Though the outcome of the meeting depresses me - and the depression was made worse by my coming back home - I was happy to have lived a few days of slow paced life, walking around with no real aims or purpse (well, I do have some work that needs to be done).

The old Bintulu town (the area Hotel Royal was located) - as the name suggests - was the former city centre of the place. The former Bintulu airport runway is situated no more than 300m from my hotel, and was in the Guinness for being the only airport situated in the heart of a town. Every time I passed the air strip, I was taken over by the rustic charm it exuded.

Life was slowed, not physically, but really, on the whole. Order a meal at a cafe and the eatery will take their time. One morning, I ordered a chicken porridge for breakfast and it never came until after 15 minutes - slow by Singapore standards. But within the 15 minutes, I switched between lazy gazes at the morning traffic (2 meters away from my seat) and the culinary act of the stalkeeper, who attentively watch the fire to my porridge and pinching in the right amount of salt into it. She then scooped a sample of the porridge and tasted it and was satisfied that it was ready to be served, and I was.

The next time I had to visit this place again, I do not know whether this kind of lifestyle will still be an available option to me. But this trip has been a real different experience for me.

不吐不快

I am once again owned by the evil aura of Fool. I am satisfactorily convinced that if we are held ransom by some crooks, and that the crook will only release one of us, she will, without a doubt, push me to die. Summing it up, she is downright selfish. I am not asking for her magnanimity of sacrificing herself in the name of justice or moral (if she even has a sense of it), but at the very basic level, I just hope she do not sabotage me. Is that too much to ask for?

When Pam the baker came to our workplace, she even lied that Pam specifically wants to speak to ME, capitalised and bolded. And she wants to speak to no one else but ME. It turned out that she could not handle this customer and she think that the only way out was to trick me into moving into the firing range of Pam and throwing a cylume stick onto me before retreating to the safety of her excuses that do not hold water. I would always remember her words, "I don't know anything, I don't know, I don't know, I'm new, I'm new." I would have crudely told her to SHUT UP, if not for the presence of a customer.

After which, I gave her a piece of my mind and drenched her with my expression of displeasure. Of course, she had nothing to talk back, because she could not find a good enough argument and also quite possibly, she could not be bother since I had already solved HER problem. I would believe the latter is more true.

Sometimes, there are things that I wish I could be blunt in expressing, but rationally, I know that it is not suitable, not morally right, not situationally right, not politically right, not appearing right, and I just have to suck it up and bury it and carry on looking all jovial and cheerful.

Behind the jester's facade lies countless unspeakables.

Complainant

I am alone at home, but I am enjoying this piece of peace. Sitting in front of my macbook, with the fan blowing away my stress and sore from the day. Siuzhen auntie just called to ask about the toilet, which I thought I had ordered. I checked with Cynthia, who affirmed me that the delivery has been made. I called auntie and told her that, settled. And why was the call made in the first place?

Never mind.

My new colleague proved more difficult that imagined. Complained about how Rose, Daisy and Wang and Nini-the-cat scare the hell out of her. Complained about how the heat in the office is melting her. Teach her, complain. Don't teach her, complain. Toilet too far, complain. Complain about this, complain about that. Not the best way to start the first work day.

Frankly, I fear more the human heart than the fangs of the deadliest serpents.

老牛吃嫩草

Recently, I came to know of a rumoured case of 老牛吃嫩草 or "Old Cow Eating Young Grass". It is really nothing special, since it happened after Marcus Chin and Jack Neo's sagas. However, the distinctive feature about this case is that the 老牛 is a female cow.

I am not really bothered who the young bull is, but I am really disgusted and sickened by the tele-conversation that came to my ear. Today, I heard, "Very tired, no mood, sibeh xian". It really makes me wonder whether the thirty odd year old bull is asking for sex from a near sixty year old cow.

Plain disgusting.

Customer service lesson

A few days back, I spoke with a certain mister from the People's Association. Our roles in the tele-conversation were that of a service personnel (me) and customer.

This person (let's refer to him as Roy) called to ask about a quotation sent to him earlier on. Roy asked whether the quotation, which explicitly did not include any tablecloths, included any tablecloths. I replied negative. He went on to ask whether the tablecloths could be included, to which I replied him that it was possible, but would incur extra cost on his part. He pressed on to ask whether it could be free. I told him that I cannot make this decision and would consult the manager before answering him, and I did what I said. The manager mentioned that it cannot be rented for free because it would cost us quite a bit for laundry, however, the disposable table cloth could be given complimentary. I called Roy and informed him of the outcome of my consultation with the manager. I could tell he was quite disappointed by the outcome and he proposed that we provide him with two tablecloth for free. I consulted the manager again and got a negative reply with the same rationale. And I conveyed to Roy the message. And that was the point where the ugly drama started.

Roy: "Com'on, it is only two tablecloth."
Me: "We have to spend money for laundry after which."
Roy: "Your business is so big, can't you even provide me with two tablecloths?"
Me: "Whatever I can provide you complimentarily, I have already done so, for these, I cannot accede."

His offensive stance began:

Roy: "I tell you lah! You are not cut out to be a businessman, it is only two tablecloth you also want to count with me. I got other supplier about the same price also, I can go for them you know."
Me: "Well, if there is another supplier who can provide you with a better package, I would really encourage you to go for them."
Roy: "I tell you, you really cannot be a businessman. You company is so big and this small thing you also cannot give me."
Me: "Sir, since you know our company is so big, you would know that we will give you whatever we can provide for free, but I've already explained to you, the price for these two tablecloth is for laundry, what else do you want me to do?"
Roy: "It's only $6. You know, now I have not asked you for discount. I am not going to ask for discount if you provide me two tablecloth for free. If I were to ask you for discount later, it would not be just $6 you know."
Me: "Sir, I understand that you can ask for discount, but I believe it is not mandatory that we have to give it to you."
Roy: "You really don't know how to do business lah!"

He repeated the rubbish about the $6, compared to the 'discount' he thinks he was entitled to. I later directed him to talk to the manager straight. On examination of his statement, I could deduce that he is the one who cannot do the maths. If he had a supplier who was able to provide the deal for a lower price, he should have gone for it. And I do not think I am doing the wrong think to ask him to do that, because I was having his interest at mind, being a service personnel. Unless, of course, he is lying to me that he actually has another supplier, which I think could be very probable.

Our Army

I am more certain than ever that our Army is getting all the war experience that the public is proclaiming it is lacking in.

Yesterday, I was talking to an Army captain about some specifications of a project. According to his narration, he was sabotaged in an intel exchange which caused him to prepare for less budget than needed. Higher echelon is not going to re-sup him for the deficit and the poor lad is now figuring out how to go to war with the existing resources.

Halfway through our conversation, he said, "I'll call you back later, fighting a war now! Bullets are firing in every direction here!"

I'm sure he will overcome the budget deficit, he is from our Army, afterall.

The Lousiest profession in S'pore

Security (or the people that make up the profession) could be one of the dumbest profession in Singapore, if they are ever professional. Inflexibility, stubbornness and dumb adherence to rules are the trademarks of a failed security personnel.

What happened 2 days ago at the gates of LTA? The LTA officer instructed us to clear the ground of the set up on Saturday, and informed the guard that we are coming. The guard denied us entry at the gate, despite repeated explanation by us and the officers of LTA. In the end, Elfa (LTA), has to make her way from home to the security guard post to assure the guard, whoever he is, that we are indeed authorised to enter.

Hard luck LTA. They have hired a lousy company.

My simple happiness at work...

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