From playing World of Warcraft, the belief that bad character spans nationalities and races is further solidified. Various nationalities and races play World of Warcraft and the next person you meet in game could very well be from Australia, US, Singapore,Msia, China, Korea, Canada, Germany, New Zealand or basically anywhere at all. Bad character and people who are simply assholes could be found anywhere or in any corner in our game. There are many more people however, who are very nice. But guys being guys sometimes it can be like this when they think that they are mostly interacting with other guys in the game. Because everyone knows that guys treat girls better than guys.
Bad character does not limit itself to one race or nationality, this gives us even more reason to downplay racism. Why, when people know that some guy from another race could be a better guy than someone from the race they prefer, they still ostracize the good guy. Many people, especially in the older generations, still practice such prejudice. Even if the guy from the majority race is a complete bastard and the guy from the minority could make you happier, they would still like the complete bastard, just because they are of the same race.
Showing posts with label thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thoughts. Show all posts
Monday, December 19, 2005
Saturday, November 19, 2005
Customer Service standards here
All the talk about Customer Service in Singapore in recent times has got me thinking and down to writing something here...yes at last you may think..altho this is a bit slow as the current hot topic in the net is Clapbangkiss aka Dawn Yang/Yeo and whether she actually did plastic surgery or not and everyone should be wondering whether Daphne Teo's blog was really closed by herself or was hacked...oh well...just some juicy bits for you
back to our topic
as a customer myself....since i shop so much and buy so much rubbish....and anyone with common sense should know..if you are a good customer(meaning easygoing but not so much that you are taken advantage of)you will most probably receive good customer service. However, there are times when that is not done or almost impossible. One very good example is the Charles and Keith store in Wisma Atria...at any peak hour, you will no doubt find the shop packed with ladies browsing at the store, the assistants rush in and out of the storeroom continuously and sometimes the place is so crowded you cant find someone to help you. If i were there, my motive would not be to browse leisurely, if i didnt want to get shoes, i wouldnt go in..if i did, my mentality would be...Step 1: look for something i like; Step 2: Find someone to help me get the size i need; Step 3: Pay and get lost. I'm not really looking for excellent customer service here. I just want the shoe, maybe a smile and a thank you see you again from the cashier and i'm off.
However, there are times when you are looking for something in a shop ( which if you are smart enough would choose a relatively empty store or a time when a busy store would not be so busy and would like some help or advice if you have no friends with you or you dont trust your friend's opinion and need a 2nd opinion.I have been to many stores with such people who are alright..some detached and polite while others warm and friendly. Like on tuesday , when i saw this earring shop in Far East Plaza, with rather nice earrings (not my usual loud and chunky taste, more dainty yet colourful), although i could tell the woman was trying to promote her wares to a potential customer, she did so in a polite way( although yes, you'd say she was trying to get you to buy the earrings anyway) although not warm but not off-putting in a way, more like informational. I didnt buy anything but i did find out that should any piece of crystal (they use genuine swarvoski crystals) get scratched, damaged or lost whatever, i could bring it back to the shop for damage control at a small fee of course, ...as i have experienced this kind of trauma before (gasp! part of your favourite pair of earrings dropped off!), it is very good to know that i could get my piece fixed.
Then it was on to a shoe shop called mitsi or something...looked at this pair of shoes and tried it on, but found it wierd, so...i asked for my size and the assistant obligingly help me, she was very pretty with long curly hair ( i think). I didnt buy the pair in the end...but she smiled at me anyway.
At gripz, i couldnt really decide whether the pair of yellow pumps i chose..as usual..the bf is of no help...so i asked the assistant, who was very warm and friendly, she por me a bit(customer mah)...but i dont really know if that was her genuine opinion, she said my skin tone is not that yellowish so i could take yellow, then told me that she cant take yellow as she felt her own tone was yellowish..she was wearing a pair of shimmery flats that was on display and told me that their shoes are very comfy which i sincerely believe she thinks its true ( the way she said it and the fact that she showed me her scars from her previous problems with shoes). She also bought the pair i bought in grey...and she did inform me that it takes a few wears before the shoe is seasoned..and after it is, you'd have no problems. Today and yesterday i have been trying to season them, as i was warned it would be uncomfy, i prepared bandages today and got some from others yesterday. The product itself has got nothing to do with customer service, which many people make the mistake of mixing together and end up berating sales staff and customer service staff who arent responsible for product defects. They can only rectify the situation through replacements and whatnots at their discretion. I received great customer service, she made me feel so comfortable and at ease talking to her, whether the pair of shoes will serve me well is another matter altogether. I had other shoes that were uncomfortable on the first few years but are very comfortable now...tho there are some with no hope...
I dont rule out the notion that sometimes the staff may be having a bad day and may not be so polite. She IS a human after all, she is a allowed to gloat over something isnt she. However, when it comes to high end luxury stores, i wouldn't walk in unless i was with my mother. Firstly, it is highly unlikely that i would buy something while i was there, secondly i cant afford it, thirdly neither am i allowed by my mother to charge an exorbitant sum to the card she gave me. As i'm a pretty aloof customer whether they greet me or smile at me or give the me dirty looks( like i cant afford it) or not, i am and would most probably be oblivious to it. I prefer to walk around and look, feel and touch at my leisure, smile at me or whatever, if i notice i will smile back (that is if the smile is noticeable not just curving you mouth up a fraction of a nano-cm). Then if i need something i will approach you, i dont like people to hang at my back , i'm not such an important person.
Of course no sales staff should let the customer(if the customer really cannot get it herserlf like a new piece from the storeroom of smthing) wait so long that it pisses her off, it's business after all...
It really take 2 hands to clap for a win-win situation, as long as you ask politely, chances are you'd get what you need. These people are not here to serve us, they merely assist us to get what we need (admit it, sometimes you can get what you need yourself, you're just lazy...how many times have we asked for a certain size only for the sales staff to walk back to the same shelf and pick out the size needed for you?)
If you really want to compare customer service standards with that of the US, of course there is no fight. The US stores and retailers are more flexible with the returns, refunds and exchanges that customers make, much more so than local stores and retailers. I suppose this has to do with money conscious singaporean companies who try as much as possible to lower costs. Even the american store in singapore 'Forever 21' has a refund system where they refund vouchers to you instead of cash, 'Metro' although local had a credit refund system which was efficient and commendable, where they would give you a pink slip with the credits you have for returning an item...not sure if it was available to everyone or just metro cardmembers. I do admit there could be an improvement in this area. This would increase the amount of flexibility customers would have and can at the same time improve customer relationships with brands and stores.
back to our topic
as a customer myself....since i shop so much and buy so much rubbish....and anyone with common sense should know..if you are a good customer(meaning easygoing but not so much that you are taken advantage of)you will most probably receive good customer service. However, there are times when that is not done or almost impossible. One very good example is the Charles and Keith store in Wisma Atria...at any peak hour, you will no doubt find the shop packed with ladies browsing at the store, the assistants rush in and out of the storeroom continuously and sometimes the place is so crowded you cant find someone to help you. If i were there, my motive would not be to browse leisurely, if i didnt want to get shoes, i wouldnt go in..if i did, my mentality would be...Step 1: look for something i like; Step 2: Find someone to help me get the size i need; Step 3: Pay and get lost. I'm not really looking for excellent customer service here. I just want the shoe, maybe a smile and a thank you see you again from the cashier and i'm off.
However, there are times when you are looking for something in a shop ( which if you are smart enough would choose a relatively empty store or a time when a busy store would not be so busy and would like some help or advice if you have no friends with you or you dont trust your friend's opinion and need a 2nd opinion.I have been to many stores with such people who are alright..some detached and polite while others warm and friendly. Like on tuesday , when i saw this earring shop in Far East Plaza, with rather nice earrings (not my usual loud and chunky taste, more dainty yet colourful), although i could tell the woman was trying to promote her wares to a potential customer, she did so in a polite way( although yes, you'd say she was trying to get you to buy the earrings anyway) although not warm but not off-putting in a way, more like informational. I didnt buy anything but i did find out that should any piece of crystal (they use genuine swarvoski crystals) get scratched, damaged or lost whatever, i could bring it back to the shop for damage control at a small fee of course, ...as i have experienced this kind of trauma before (gasp! part of your favourite pair of earrings dropped off!), it is very good to know that i could get my piece fixed.
Then it was on to a shoe shop called mitsi or something...looked at this pair of shoes and tried it on, but found it wierd, so...i asked for my size and the assistant obligingly help me, she was very pretty with long curly hair ( i think). I didnt buy the pair in the end...but she smiled at me anyway.
At gripz, i couldnt really decide whether the pair of yellow pumps i chose..as usual..the bf is of no help...so i asked the assistant, who was very warm and friendly, she por me a bit(customer mah)...but i dont really know if that was her genuine opinion, she said my skin tone is not that yellowish so i could take yellow, then told me that she cant take yellow as she felt her own tone was yellowish..she was wearing a pair of shimmery flats that was on display and told me that their shoes are very comfy which i sincerely believe she thinks its true ( the way she said it and the fact that she showed me her scars from her previous problems with shoes). She also bought the pair i bought in grey...and she did inform me that it takes a few wears before the shoe is seasoned..and after it is, you'd have no problems. Today and yesterday i have been trying to season them, as i was warned it would be uncomfy, i prepared bandages today and got some from others yesterday. The product itself has got nothing to do with customer service, which many people make the mistake of mixing together and end up berating sales staff and customer service staff who arent responsible for product defects. They can only rectify the situation through replacements and whatnots at their discretion. I received great customer service, she made me feel so comfortable and at ease talking to her, whether the pair of shoes will serve me well is another matter altogether. I had other shoes that were uncomfortable on the first few years but are very comfortable now...tho there are some with no hope...
I dont rule out the notion that sometimes the staff may be having a bad day and may not be so polite. She IS a human after all, she is a allowed to gloat over something isnt she. However, when it comes to high end luxury stores, i wouldn't walk in unless i was with my mother. Firstly, it is highly unlikely that i would buy something while i was there, secondly i cant afford it, thirdly neither am i allowed by my mother to charge an exorbitant sum to the card she gave me. As i'm a pretty aloof customer whether they greet me or smile at me or give the me dirty looks( like i cant afford it) or not, i am and would most probably be oblivious to it. I prefer to walk around and look, feel and touch at my leisure, smile at me or whatever, if i notice i will smile back (that is if the smile is noticeable not just curving you mouth up a fraction of a nano-cm). Then if i need something i will approach you, i dont like people to hang at my back , i'm not such an important person.
Of course no sales staff should let the customer(if the customer really cannot get it herserlf like a new piece from the storeroom of smthing) wait so long that it pisses her off, it's business after all...
It really take 2 hands to clap for a win-win situation, as long as you ask politely, chances are you'd get what you need. These people are not here to serve us, they merely assist us to get what we need (admit it, sometimes you can get what you need yourself, you're just lazy...how many times have we asked for a certain size only for the sales staff to walk back to the same shelf and pick out the size needed for you?)
If you really want to compare customer service standards with that of the US, of course there is no fight. The US stores and retailers are more flexible with the returns, refunds and exchanges that customers make, much more so than local stores and retailers. I suppose this has to do with money conscious singaporean companies who try as much as possible to lower costs. Even the american store in singapore 'Forever 21' has a refund system where they refund vouchers to you instead of cash, 'Metro' although local had a credit refund system which was efficient and commendable, where they would give you a pink slip with the credits you have for returning an item...not sure if it was available to everyone or just metro cardmembers. I do admit there could be an improvement in this area. This would increase the amount of flexibility customers would have and can at the same time improve customer relationships with brands and stores.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Senoirity makes you king
I am talking about a very different type of senoirity in Singapore, not those found in schools and such.
Every Morning on the bus..being the good girl i am i usually leave the seat for an old ah ma, if i see one, or i give it up if i encounter one later. I find that most of the elderly are very appreciative on the kindness and respect for them of us youngsters give them when we give up our seat. Sometimes however, i really have a problem deciding whether i should give up my seat. Don't judge me yet, those who take bus and mrt regularly will get what i mean. There are those elderly who are really very frail and old while there are those who still have a head full of black hair and look very healthy. So sometimes sitting there, i wonder if i should give it up or not, cos they dont have any problem balancing and stuff. Another problem is that of pregnancy, obviously if a woman is heavily pregnant, i give up my seat to her, but what about those women or aunties who have big tummies but are not pregnant. Nowadays clothing for pregnant woman are more and more fashionable, they no longer wear those ugly clothing for expecting ladies. Sometimes sitting in my seat in the mrt, listening to my music, i stare at the tummies of these women and wonder if they are pregnant and if i should give up my seat to them. What if they are not pregnant and i end up embarrassing myself?
Another important issue is the increasing rudeness of the middle set of singaporeans (30-60). The government has either given up on its courtesy campaign or have totally neglected it. In either case, i seriously think it doesnt work. Just last week, i was taking the bus to lavender mrt for school. This woman who was alighting, stepped on all five of my toes and then proceeded to say, "EXCUSE ME". The nerve.
And many a time, when alighting from the mrt at toa payoh, aged fat auntie types (not to discriminate against them due to their size) like to push their way into the trains before we can even alight. Whatever happened to basic courtesy. More and more i observe these acts of rudeness as i go about my daily way of life. Although they arent rampant, they are still very much noticeable. I wonder if the adult population are so rude, how do they expect the new generation to be any better?
Every Morning on the bus..being the good girl i am i usually leave the seat for an old ah ma, if i see one, or i give it up if i encounter one later. I find that most of the elderly are very appreciative on the kindness and respect for them of us youngsters give them when we give up our seat. Sometimes however, i really have a problem deciding whether i should give up my seat. Don't judge me yet, those who take bus and mrt regularly will get what i mean. There are those elderly who are really very frail and old while there are those who still have a head full of black hair and look very healthy. So sometimes sitting there, i wonder if i should give it up or not, cos they dont have any problem balancing and stuff. Another problem is that of pregnancy, obviously if a woman is heavily pregnant, i give up my seat to her, but what about those women or aunties who have big tummies but are not pregnant. Nowadays clothing for pregnant woman are more and more fashionable, they no longer wear those ugly clothing for expecting ladies. Sometimes sitting in my seat in the mrt, listening to my music, i stare at the tummies of these women and wonder if they are pregnant and if i should give up my seat to them. What if they are not pregnant and i end up embarrassing myself?
Another important issue is the increasing rudeness of the middle set of singaporeans (30-60). The government has either given up on its courtesy campaign or have totally neglected it. In either case, i seriously think it doesnt work. Just last week, i was taking the bus to lavender mrt for school. This woman who was alighting, stepped on all five of my toes and then proceeded to say, "EXCUSE ME". The nerve.
And many a time, when alighting from the mrt at toa payoh, aged fat auntie types (not to discriminate against them due to their size) like to push their way into the trains before we can even alight. Whatever happened to basic courtesy. More and more i observe these acts of rudeness as i go about my daily way of life. Although they arent rampant, they are still very much noticeable. I wonder if the adult population are so rude, how do they expect the new generation to be any better?
Thursday, June 30, 2005
As i walk down the road
The walk in and our of boon teck road is rather interesting and varies from period to period. Sometimes when i walk out on the mornings i will see all sorts of interesting dogs or pets walking, waiting or shitting outside the walkway near the ang moh vet...most of these pet owners are angmohs with lovely animals..well they do like the angmoh vet...i have seen dalmations, big black dogs, golden retreivers, pomeranians and a siberian husky twice..so lovely..and i touched it too!!!
Then on the way down is the temple where once/twice a year they have teochew opera and all the little old ladies and uncles will gather round to watch and there will be a big fuss in that area...next up is kango construction company...where there is usually a sui sui white car(with lots of stickers and stuff) parked just outside...but recently however, it was stripped back to normal condition just white body and red bottom.
Then there is the area where there used to be a huge huge tree( i mean really huge...at least 3/4 stories high) which is gone now. When it was around..it was our shelter in the rain...i mean literally, cos the crown was so wide and dense..though if the drops came down they would be rather fat....
Then we come to the area where there are now three 3 story buildings built up...looks ok actually but looks rather tight....anyway....every evening, if i get home at around 7/8 there will be an old uncle living in one of those little one single storey terrace houses spread through the right hand side of the street, who watches television with the volume turned very high up. Even if you are walking on the opposite side of the road you'd know exactly what he's watching..and its usually the news...i think that old uncle is very cute actually....hurhur...next to it is a very eerie looking house with 2 red lanterns hanging outside...the irony is...indian bangalas live there...
Sometimes at night when we come back at around 8/9 we see the hookers who live around the area come out to work...they dress very scantily usually but not in a nice sort of way..in a i-am-a-hooker-hear-me-roar kind of way. They will trot out to flag cabs in groups.
This is a little scenario of how my little street, where i will prob live the rest of my life until i get married is, is.
Then on the way down is the temple where once/twice a year they have teochew opera and all the little old ladies and uncles will gather round to watch and there will be a big fuss in that area...next up is kango construction company...where there is usually a sui sui white car(with lots of stickers and stuff) parked just outside...but recently however, it was stripped back to normal condition just white body and red bottom.
Then there is the area where there used to be a huge huge tree( i mean really huge...at least 3/4 stories high) which is gone now. When it was around..it was our shelter in the rain...i mean literally, cos the crown was so wide and dense..though if the drops came down they would be rather fat....
Then we come to the area where there are now three 3 story buildings built up...looks ok actually but looks rather tight....anyway....every evening, if i get home at around 7/8 there will be an old uncle living in one of those little one single storey terrace houses spread through the right hand side of the street, who watches television with the volume turned very high up. Even if you are walking on the opposite side of the road you'd know exactly what he's watching..and its usually the news...i think that old uncle is very cute actually....hurhur...next to it is a very eerie looking house with 2 red lanterns hanging outside...the irony is...indian bangalas live there...
Sometimes at night when we come back at around 8/9 we see the hookers who live around the area come out to work...they dress very scantily usually but not in a nice sort of way..in a i-am-a-hooker-hear-me-roar kind of way. They will trot out to flag cabs in groups.
This is a little scenario of how my little street, where i will prob live the rest of my life until i get married is, is.
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Net Interests
The interests of net surfers are as diverse as the ocean...let me now attempt to to a timeline of them
In your secondary school days of 1997 - 2000..it was the era of mIRC, you'd log on every night to talk to virtual strangers, it was also here where you'd meet friends and girlfriends despite all the warnings about the dangers of doing so....you'd be a channel operator dealing with all the rubbish whatsoever and thought you were so cool
Then came ICQ which increased the convenience of furthering the relationship developed on mIRC...the famous *knock knock* and *uh oh* which teenagers all around singapore started using in real life esp those *act cute* ones...
Anyway, then came your O levels and JC period and you cant really be bothered anymore, in the time you were 'out of touch' with the world, the Gen-X population shifted to MSN chat and suddenly every single person has a hotmail account.
People started to get bored and then came friendster, where you'd put up a profile see how many friends and testimonials you got....which makes it basically a popularity contest...however, some people do make new friends and re-make old friends from this revolutionary dating service. Then once again, people were bored again.
And every one got a blog, offering personal opinions, insight into their daily lives and suddenly the news and media is all over bloggers and which one is the best.....well...i am one too...but slowly but surely a new tide is forming just over the horizon.
People arent so interested in blogs anymore, but instead the attention now is on forums, what ever you interest in, there is a forum for you. Be it girly stufff, car stuff, tech stuff or just singaporean rubbish or sex for that matter....there is one tailored to your needs. let me list a few
Flowerpod for girls
People who own a Toyota Vios
Everything Singapore
All about computer modification
HardWare Zone
Singapore Lancer Club
Singapore Beemer Club
In your secondary school days of 1997 - 2000..it was the era of mIRC, you'd log on every night to talk to virtual strangers, it was also here where you'd meet friends and girlfriends despite all the warnings about the dangers of doing so....you'd be a channel operator dealing with all the rubbish whatsoever and thought you were so cool
Then came ICQ which increased the convenience of furthering the relationship developed on mIRC...the famous *knock knock* and *uh oh* which teenagers all around singapore started using in real life esp those *act cute* ones...
Anyway, then came your O levels and JC period and you cant really be bothered anymore, in the time you were 'out of touch' with the world, the Gen-X population shifted to MSN chat and suddenly every single person has a hotmail account.
People started to get bored and then came friendster, where you'd put up a profile see how many friends and testimonials you got....which makes it basically a popularity contest...however, some people do make new friends and re-make old friends from this revolutionary dating service. Then once again, people were bored again.
And every one got a blog, offering personal opinions, insight into their daily lives and suddenly the news and media is all over bloggers and which one is the best.....well...i am one too...but slowly but surely a new tide is forming just over the horizon.
People arent so interested in blogs anymore, but instead the attention now is on forums, what ever you interest in, there is a forum for you. Be it girly stufff, car stuff, tech stuff or just singaporean rubbish or sex for that matter....there is one tailored to your needs. let me list a few
Flowerpod for girls
People who own a Toyota Vios
Everything Singapore
All about computer modification
HardWare Zone
Singapore Lancer Club
Singapore Beemer Club
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Critics, Movies and Life
Today i got a special preview pass normally reserved for the media by chance.
I was wondering i have seen many movies which have been put down by the media countless times. Why do critics always try to dig 'deep' into the movie and talk about it inside out, as if they're trying to find the reason of existence in the movie. Shouldnt they just enjoy the movie for what it is? Entertainment, feel-goodness, in the moment and then tell readers how they felt. Today in the cinema, there was lots of laughter which leads me to believe that they arent so cynical after all.
Shouldnt we all as people be doing that, to simply enjoy the moment and life as it is. Sure there may be grumbles along the way, job unhappiness, family unhappiness, self-esteem problems, weight problems, money problems. Overall, life is beautiful. Being able to enjoy the company of your friends, able to be with you family, with your loved ones, or simply the smell the fresh air after the rain. However, for it to be beautiful or stay that way, one has to work hard to ensure safety and survival first. Therein lies the irony, life is beautiful if you work to ensure that beauty.
I was wondering i have seen many movies which have been put down by the media countless times. Why do critics always try to dig 'deep' into the movie and talk about it inside out, as if they're trying to find the reason of existence in the movie. Shouldnt they just enjoy the movie for what it is? Entertainment, feel-goodness, in the moment and then tell readers how they felt. Today in the cinema, there was lots of laughter which leads me to believe that they arent so cynical after all.
Shouldnt we all as people be doing that, to simply enjoy the moment and life as it is. Sure there may be grumbles along the way, job unhappiness, family unhappiness, self-esteem problems, weight problems, money problems. Overall, life is beautiful. Being able to enjoy the company of your friends, able to be with you family, with your loved ones, or simply the smell the fresh air after the rain. However, for it to be beautiful or stay that way, one has to work hard to ensure safety and survival first. Therein lies the irony, life is beautiful if you work to ensure that beauty.
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Read this in a forum
I found this pretty funny, read it in a forum. The audacity of that guy who was taking pictures and the guts of the BF who stood up for his gal. interesting read
there was once when i was out with my bf. i wore a short mini that day.
i was ordering food for my bf and myself when this guy bumped into me.
i assumed it was an accident and didnt really bother much.
while waiting for my food to be cooked, he was sitting somewhere quite near to the store and i can SENSE someone is looking at ME.
so i turned behind and saw him looking at me with that super perverted look.
i noticed he kept looking at my skirt.
i looked at my bf and he was looking in that guy's direction too.
sooo he pissed my bf off.
my bf asked me to return to my seat and let him COLLECT our food instead.
guess what that guy did?
he changed seats and sat directly in front of me (some tables away, around 3-4 tables)
and i saw him taking out his phone, pretend to sms people.
yah sooo funny, you sms people holding your phone so high up?
its obvious that he was taking a snapshot of me.
when my bf returned, i told him what happened and we sat there observing that dumb guy.
he pretended a bit here and there and took out his phone again (dunno for what)
this time he really did it.
my bf went straight to him and ask WTF he want from us.
wtf does he keep looking in our direction.
my bf saw his phone HAVING tons of pictures of different girls!!
OMG!! he just grabbed his phone and deleted the entire folder.
woooo i love my bf sometimes
hes just sooo cool
real shameless of him sia.
my bf beside me yet still dare to do such acts.
there was once when i was out with my bf. i wore a short mini that day.
i was ordering food for my bf and myself when this guy bumped into me.
i assumed it was an accident and didnt really bother much.
while waiting for my food to be cooked, he was sitting somewhere quite near to the store and i can SENSE someone is looking at ME.
so i turned behind and saw him looking at me with that super perverted look.
i noticed he kept looking at my skirt.
i looked at my bf and he was looking in that guy's direction too.
sooo he pissed my bf off.
my bf asked me to return to my seat and let him COLLECT our food instead.
guess what that guy did?
he changed seats and sat directly in front of me (some tables away, around 3-4 tables)
and i saw him taking out his phone, pretend to sms people.
yah sooo funny, you sms people holding your phone so high up?
its obvious that he was taking a snapshot of me.
when my bf returned, i told him what happened and we sat there observing that dumb guy.
he pretended a bit here and there and took out his phone again (dunno for what)
this time he really did it.
my bf went straight to him and ask WTF he want from us.
wtf does he keep looking in our direction.
my bf saw his phone HAVING tons of pictures of different girls!!
OMG!! he just grabbed his phone and deleted the entire folder.
woooo i love my bf sometimes
hes just sooo cool
real shameless of him sia.
my bf beside me yet still dare to do such acts.
Saturday, April 02, 2005
of Playgrounds, Cartoons and Hospitals
Ever since i could remember, i was a sick child. Not psychiatrically but physically. There were regular trips to hospitals, doctors, sinsehs. I had asthma, tonsilitis, sinus and the flu regularly. When i was younger about 4, my asthma was pretty bad. So much so that i had attacks about once in every 2 months. And it just so happened that it was always at night in my memory. I remember with startling clarity sitting there on the couch outside the doctor's office, trying to be brave and not cry(but i always cry in the end), waiting to have a go at his wonderful machine(the one which will help me breathe normally). Everytime i had an asthma attack and went to Thomsom Medical Centre, they'd give me this transparent medicine that tasted very sweet, this was one of my favourite medicines. The other one was the yellowish one for vitamins Dr Jaleha always gave me. I hated the red yucky one they'd give for a dry cough and loved the brown benedryl they'd give for a wet(phlegm heavy cough). Can you imagine? I child thinking about medicine like they were sweets... I remember the horrible powder water from the chinese sinseh, which didnt do any good. I can taste that horrid medicine till today. I wasnt really allowed to run around much, not much sweet stuff either, or soft/cold drinks. I think these all explain my dislike for sports, soft drinks(esp gasy ones) and great love for anything sweet.
I was admitted to the hospital when i was 6 in hongkong due to a severe asthma attack upon arrival. It wasnt that i didnt go there before that, i knew i did, but i guess it was too cold for me at that time to take during winter. I recall sleeping on the hospital bed at night, looking around the greenish room. My mom was sleeping on an armchair and my uncle on a sofa, but my dad wasnt there, said he had business in singapore, couldnt come. I remember the nurse telling me i was brave because i didnt cry or so much as squeak when she poked a huge needle into my right hand. i think it was more likely that i was afraid to move in case it hurt any more than it did.
There wasnt anything i was afraid more than pain. I'm not particularly spooked by the dark, ghost stories or horror shows for long, only a little at times. But when i was a kid, a little nick or cut would be a bid deal. I remember once when i was a little older, about p4 or 5 i guess. i was running around my grandma's temple with my cousins and i tripped and fell onto my knee. I screamed and said i think i broke it, my grandma, me being her favourite grand daughter, believed me and almost got the ambulance to really send me to the hospital. i think i got over my fright and told her there was no need. Then i was back to running again. There was also this great fear that my asthma would return someday, in pri 4, i had a flu so bad, i couldnt breathe properly, i was so terrified that i was getting asthma again, i had to see doctor jaleha(my childhood family doctor) immediately.
I loved going to the playground downstairs because i couldnt really go due to my health problems, but i'd go once in a while to play. Anyway, i guess one of the reasons i didnt go down as often was cos i had my own playground in my grandma's temple(not a playground set, but rather a playing-ground cos the place was simply so big for a little girl). I recall i couldnt really swing, cos i didnt know how. One day, i met this spunky little girl who claimed she was the same age me and saw me around all the time but i had never seen her before. She dared me to swing higher than her and when i told her i didnt really know how, she offered to teach me. I think it was a tie that day. Then through the years, i thought she was the RGS girl who walked like a robot and didnt say anything. But i didnt put much weight into that belief cos i simply couldnt believe that spunky girl was this quiet girl.
Since i wasnt really allowed to run around much, i was usually sitting at home watching cartoons. I remember watching whatever they would show on channel 5 those days, like sesame street, he-man and his sexy gf or sister or whatever(now showing on cartoon network), ninja turtles..among others. Through those days in front of the television, i developed a great love for cartoons, and a need for glasses in pri 3(although i only started wearing them in pri 4). To this day, i still like to watch cartoons. Just think of it this way, everything i do, every single day requires me to work my brain. Whether it be reading the newspapers, surfing the internet, blogging, studying. Cartoons are a kind of brainless entertainment that is easy to enjoy. I dont think la bi xiao xing wiggling his ass at you requires very much brainwork for you to laugh at it. Too bad ben cant find the cds.
My grandma would force me to drink all kinds of soups, we cantonese believe in the power of soup. I drank, among the expensive, birds nest soup( i always only drank the water), ginseng chicken soup. Among the wierd, lizard soup, crocodile meat soup, sometimes soup with this wormy looking herb thing which i know in cantonese but not in chinese.
My childhood, summed up in 3 words, playgrounds, cartoons and hospitals. Now in my near-adult life, i look back at my childhood, with a certain nostalgia. It was such a carefree time. I am grateful that i had people who loved and cared for me so much.
I was admitted to the hospital when i was 6 in hongkong due to a severe asthma attack upon arrival. It wasnt that i didnt go there before that, i knew i did, but i guess it was too cold for me at that time to take during winter. I recall sleeping on the hospital bed at night, looking around the greenish room. My mom was sleeping on an armchair and my uncle on a sofa, but my dad wasnt there, said he had business in singapore, couldnt come. I remember the nurse telling me i was brave because i didnt cry or so much as squeak when she poked a huge needle into my right hand. i think it was more likely that i was afraid to move in case it hurt any more than it did.
There wasnt anything i was afraid more than pain. I'm not particularly spooked by the dark, ghost stories or horror shows for long, only a little at times. But when i was a kid, a little nick or cut would be a bid deal. I remember once when i was a little older, about p4 or 5 i guess. i was running around my grandma's temple with my cousins and i tripped and fell onto my knee. I screamed and said i think i broke it, my grandma, me being her favourite grand daughter, believed me and almost got the ambulance to really send me to the hospital. i think i got over my fright and told her there was no need. Then i was back to running again. There was also this great fear that my asthma would return someday, in pri 4, i had a flu so bad, i couldnt breathe properly, i was so terrified that i was getting asthma again, i had to see doctor jaleha(my childhood family doctor) immediately.
I loved going to the playground downstairs because i couldnt really go due to my health problems, but i'd go once in a while to play. Anyway, i guess one of the reasons i didnt go down as often was cos i had my own playground in my grandma's temple(not a playground set, but rather a playing-ground cos the place was simply so big for a little girl). I recall i couldnt really swing, cos i didnt know how. One day, i met this spunky little girl who claimed she was the same age me and saw me around all the time but i had never seen her before. She dared me to swing higher than her and when i told her i didnt really know how, she offered to teach me. I think it was a tie that day. Then through the years, i thought she was the RGS girl who walked like a robot and didnt say anything. But i didnt put much weight into that belief cos i simply couldnt believe that spunky girl was this quiet girl.
Since i wasnt really allowed to run around much, i was usually sitting at home watching cartoons. I remember watching whatever they would show on channel 5 those days, like sesame street, he-man and his sexy gf or sister or whatever(now showing on cartoon network), ninja turtles..among others. Through those days in front of the television, i developed a great love for cartoons, and a need for glasses in pri 3(although i only started wearing them in pri 4). To this day, i still like to watch cartoons. Just think of it this way, everything i do, every single day requires me to work my brain. Whether it be reading the newspapers, surfing the internet, blogging, studying. Cartoons are a kind of brainless entertainment that is easy to enjoy. I dont think la bi xiao xing wiggling his ass at you requires very much brainwork for you to laugh at it. Too bad ben cant find the cds.
My grandma would force me to drink all kinds of soups, we cantonese believe in the power of soup. I drank, among the expensive, birds nest soup( i always only drank the water), ginseng chicken soup. Among the wierd, lizard soup, crocodile meat soup, sometimes soup with this wormy looking herb thing which i know in cantonese but not in chinese.
My childhood, summed up in 3 words, playgrounds, cartoons and hospitals. Now in my near-adult life, i look back at my childhood, with a certain nostalgia. It was such a carefree time. I am grateful that i had people who loved and cared for me so much.
Friday, January 28, 2005
Harmonious Religiously - you sure?
Religous and Racial Harmony in Singapore, does it truly exist?
Recently it seems, one of bens good friends got himself a girlfriend. She is a malay. Not that i have anything against them. Their group of friends have problems accepting her. So then, the question of, would you accept your good friend's girlfriend of a different race arises. Let's exclude the angmohs. Reason being you would probably be in awe of your bud's incredible luck for landing an ang moh. What if she is an indian, malay, china chinese(not a diff race, but diff kind), african, filipino, etc etc... Would you readily accept her into your circle as your best friend's new love, or keep your reservations to yourself.
I find there's a great deal of religious tolerance but not a significant amount of harmony. Many people do not think much of cracking funny jokes about some of our fellow countrymates. i really wonder how they would feel, if they hear these jokes. I find there are many chinese who either dislike or detest malays, like for example, my mom said, bring anything home but a black. This is especially true for the higher earning families and the hard-working chinese. Who do not think much of the malay's "slacker" attitude.
What's worse? In our society today, there is a growing amount of religious extremism. When we come to this topic, the first group which comes to mind are muslims, BUT, the muslims in singapore are rather tame. Its just sometimes you walk on the roads, you see some muslim women garbed in black clothes, and covered from head to toe(a la afghanistan during the time of the taliban) and it kinda scares you to see such people, wondering if it's just their beliefs or is it something more. That's not the point, the point is, there is also another group of people, who are rather extreme religiously, or starting to at least. They are christians. SOME christians are so extreme in their "scouting" for new converts, they turn many people off. I have heard stories of the going ons in SOME churches about how they lambast other religions. If you believe in this or that you will go to hell.
Why can't we just leave the other religions to believe in what they feel is logical. Hey, to each his own. Every religion has its own ideologies of what is right or wrong, on heaven and hell. I feel every person should practice his/her own religion to his/her best ability. Christians believe by doing so and so, you will go to heaven. Buddhists believe by doing so and so, you will get a better life the next time around or even go to heaven. So let each other believe.
There is so much violence in the world today. I really wonder what goes on in the minds of those terrorists. By killing so many people again and again, even children, what are they trying to say, what is the message that they want to bring across, to the whole world. To let President Bush know what they won't be bullied? Or to let the people know that they want to be able to continue to practice their extremist religions. Maybe they should begin to realize that they USA is going to stay a super power for a very long time to come. The only thing that these wars are going to bring again and again is the loss of innocent lives. The terrorists should realize this, President Bush should realize this. Is there not a peaceful way to resolve all this suffering(a la Gandhi)?
Recently it seems, one of bens good friends got himself a girlfriend. She is a malay. Not that i have anything against them. Their group of friends have problems accepting her. So then, the question of, would you accept your good friend's girlfriend of a different race arises. Let's exclude the angmohs. Reason being you would probably be in awe of your bud's incredible luck for landing an ang moh. What if she is an indian, malay, china chinese(not a diff race, but diff kind), african, filipino, etc etc... Would you readily accept her into your circle as your best friend's new love, or keep your reservations to yourself.
I find there's a great deal of religious tolerance but not a significant amount of harmony. Many people do not think much of cracking funny jokes about some of our fellow countrymates. i really wonder how they would feel, if they hear these jokes. I find there are many chinese who either dislike or detest malays, like for example, my mom said, bring anything home but a black. This is especially true for the higher earning families and the hard-working chinese. Who do not think much of the malay's "slacker" attitude.
What's worse? In our society today, there is a growing amount of religious extremism. When we come to this topic, the first group which comes to mind are muslims, BUT, the muslims in singapore are rather tame. Its just sometimes you walk on the roads, you see some muslim women garbed in black clothes, and covered from head to toe(a la afghanistan during the time of the taliban) and it kinda scares you to see such people, wondering if it's just their beliefs or is it something more. That's not the point, the point is, there is also another group of people, who are rather extreme religiously, or starting to at least. They are christians. SOME christians are so extreme in their "scouting" for new converts, they turn many people off. I have heard stories of the going ons in SOME churches about how they lambast other religions. If you believe in this or that you will go to hell.
Why can't we just leave the other religions to believe in what they feel is logical. Hey, to each his own. Every religion has its own ideologies of what is right or wrong, on heaven and hell. I feel every person should practice his/her own religion to his/her best ability. Christians believe by doing so and so, you will go to heaven. Buddhists believe by doing so and so, you will get a better life the next time around or even go to heaven. So let each other believe.
There is so much violence in the world today. I really wonder what goes on in the minds of those terrorists. By killing so many people again and again, even children, what are they trying to say, what is the message that they want to bring across, to the whole world. To let President Bush know what they won't be bullied? Or to let the people know that they want to be able to continue to practice their extremist religions. Maybe they should begin to realize that they USA is going to stay a super power for a very long time to come. The only thing that these wars are going to bring again and again is the loss of innocent lives. The terrorists should realize this, President Bush should realize this. Is there not a peaceful way to resolve all this suffering(a la Gandhi)?
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
C'est la mort
It an ordinary day. I woke up to a bleak sky, but that in itself did not mean anything to me, until i picked up my copy of today on my way out of the condo. The headlines read, "The day after the Earth shook". The death toll all over Asia is 27,000 and rising. All this just because there was no developed warning system. Due to the popularity of Asia as a tourist destination, countries all over the world, from US to Finland have experienced the loss of at least one citizen. I mourn for the people who have lost love ones. I am relieved for those who survived with intact families and all. Chills run freely down my spine as i am bombarded by news of loss, grief and footages of devastation. Mostly 3rd world countries have been struck - India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia. There was no warning system in place simply because there were no history of Tsunamis in the Indian Ocean. I want to help, I want to do my part. I feel i am so lucky, i am so close to disaster yet in the safest place possible.
When will the human race learn that Arrogance will lead to disasters. The Earthquake in Kobe, in Taiwan, Typhoons in never before heard places, multiple ones coming one after another. Mother Nature in all its glory have taught us many lessons, but somehow, we fail to learn from her previous warnings.
Suddenly, the bleak sky serves as a symbol of a sad day for the human race.
When will the human race learn that Arrogance will lead to disasters. The Earthquake in Kobe, in Taiwan, Typhoons in never before heard places, multiple ones coming one after another. Mother Nature in all its glory have taught us many lessons, but somehow, we fail to learn from her previous warnings.
Suddenly, the bleak sky serves as a symbol of a sad day for the human race.
Friday, August 27, 2004
National Day After Thoughts
Recently, well not so recent as it seems. i was reading this section on national day. Dont you just find it irritating when we always lament that we do not have a national identity. If we would just stop whatever we are doing, look around us, we would notice that we actually share many things.
Let me articulate. It all just starts with simple things, like the most famous, buying 4D and ToTo, the whole of singapore does it! Even teenagers! who doesnt want to strike it rich? Or how all the drivers in Singapore cheats on their parking coupons(this is debatable). What about the love for food? (Proof seen in most middle aged men). We Chinese eat everything. prata, mee siam, mee goreng, nasi lemak. Our malay friends cant eat our food due to religion but with the new halal food courts( i dont know where it is), they are eating our food too.
The Accent perhaps? It is almost a national language, the thing is, not only the chinese speak singlish, so do the malays, the indians, the eurasians. Even my malay friend Madam back in my jc days knew "eat snake" is a chinese phrase and i went like huh? i thought it was english. Where else in the world could you find such diversity or rather community in diversity.
I guess one thing that bonds us all together is the love for the place we grew up in. Even if we were to move out of Singapore one day, we will still love her. We can complain about our country all we want, but others cant do it. Remember (i dont think you all will) 4 years ago, at the sydney olympics, the commentator went:"singapore, a small nation with big dreams but not big potential". something like that, well guess who blasted him? All of us, it came out in the papers the very next day, albeit a small section in LIFE. (this is just like the fat psychic of women, i can call me fat but not you). Its that common things we all share, like watching the National Day Parade and waiting eagerly for the fireworks. In the midst of oohing and ahing in your balcony(if you can see it) you realise some of the oohing and ahing is not coming from you, everyone in your block is probably oohing and ahing together with you. Just think about it for once. Let's say you were in South Africa, near the rainforest on some holiday. You prob wouldnt expect to hear another Singaporean voice. But what if suddenly you heard someone saying:" wah! so many mosquitos...can die ar...bloody blood suckers". would you be glad you met a fellow countryman in a foreign land?Of course! But like all Singaporeans you prob wont have the "face" to go say hi.
And what is the average singaporean going to do without his CAR?? we grow up listening to our dads and mums complain about COE prices, oil prices..or how the car shine shop is forever trying to fleece them or how the indian man who does the car washing is not doing a good job.
And what about our homes? About 70% of all Singaporeans live in HDB flats. We all love Lee Kuan Yew (i do not mean this sarcastically, he gave us everything we have), sometimes i think he is a genius, or rather someone who takes highly calculated risks.
Right here in our home, we get to enjoy an unprecedented level of security. We can walk home at like 12 midnight after a night of clubbing and not have to worry about our lives. And if there is anything u do not like at all, just complain, make a big fuss of it, and you will get what you want. If nothing works out...there is always C.A.S.E. , they will try to help you as far as possible. BUT no one really bothers anyway.
The bottom line is, we complain a lot. but nonetheless, we LOVE it here. Although we always complain it is boring..we still stay here. why? no one really knows, well maybe its because for all of us, our grandparents, relatives, cousins, friends, all stay within a half an hours drive? or that if you go to orchard road on any given weekend, you are bound to see people you know or have known or bla bla bla...The thing is this place is so small, it is so convenient to keep relationships( but still some of us are lagging behind in this department). Imagine if you lived in the USA. you are studying in say...California..and your parents stay in florida??....you would have to take a flight to get home. but here, if you are studying in NTU of NUS.. even if you are staying in the halls. all you have to do to go home is hop onto a bus or train..will take you about 2 hrs to get to where you want as opposed to 2 days.
All of us singaporean women either have had boyfriends who go to NS or have husbands who do reservice. We are all suffering in the same boat ( some women might not call it suffer, more like mental space).
We are Singaporeans. One For All, All For One.
I think this is worthy of the straits times forum...who agrees?
i decided to feel patriotic, so there.
Let me articulate. It all just starts with simple things, like the most famous, buying 4D and ToTo, the whole of singapore does it! Even teenagers! who doesnt want to strike it rich? Or how all the drivers in Singapore cheats on their parking coupons(this is debatable). What about the love for food? (Proof seen in most middle aged men). We Chinese eat everything. prata, mee siam, mee goreng, nasi lemak. Our malay friends cant eat our food due to religion but with the new halal food courts( i dont know where it is), they are eating our food too.
The Accent perhaps? It is almost a national language, the thing is, not only the chinese speak singlish, so do the malays, the indians, the eurasians. Even my malay friend Madam back in my jc days knew "eat snake" is a chinese phrase and i went like huh? i thought it was english. Where else in the world could you find such diversity or rather community in diversity.
I guess one thing that bonds us all together is the love for the place we grew up in. Even if we were to move out of Singapore one day, we will still love her. We can complain about our country all we want, but others cant do it. Remember (i dont think you all will) 4 years ago, at the sydney olympics, the commentator went:"singapore, a small nation with big dreams but not big potential". something like that, well guess who blasted him? All of us, it came out in the papers the very next day, albeit a small section in LIFE. (this is just like the fat psychic of women, i can call me fat but not you). Its that common things we all share, like watching the National Day Parade and waiting eagerly for the fireworks. In the midst of oohing and ahing in your balcony(if you can see it) you realise some of the oohing and ahing is not coming from you, everyone in your block is probably oohing and ahing together with you. Just think about it for once. Let's say you were in South Africa, near the rainforest on some holiday. You prob wouldnt expect to hear another Singaporean voice. But what if suddenly you heard someone saying:" wah! so many mosquitos...can die ar...bloody blood suckers". would you be glad you met a fellow countryman in a foreign land?Of course! But like all Singaporeans you prob wont have the "face" to go say hi.
And what is the average singaporean going to do without his CAR?? we grow up listening to our dads and mums complain about COE prices, oil prices..or how the car shine shop is forever trying to fleece them or how the indian man who does the car washing is not doing a good job.
And what about our homes? About 70% of all Singaporeans live in HDB flats. We all love Lee Kuan Yew (i do not mean this sarcastically, he gave us everything we have), sometimes i think he is a genius, or rather someone who takes highly calculated risks.
Right here in our home, we get to enjoy an unprecedented level of security. We can walk home at like 12 midnight after a night of clubbing and not have to worry about our lives. And if there is anything u do not like at all, just complain, make a big fuss of it, and you will get what you want. If nothing works out...there is always C.A.S.E. , they will try to help you as far as possible. BUT no one really bothers anyway.
The bottom line is, we complain a lot. but nonetheless, we LOVE it here. Although we always complain it is boring..we still stay here. why? no one really knows, well maybe its because for all of us, our grandparents, relatives, cousins, friends, all stay within a half an hours drive? or that if you go to orchard road on any given weekend, you are bound to see people you know or have known or bla bla bla...The thing is this place is so small, it is so convenient to keep relationships( but still some of us are lagging behind in this department). Imagine if you lived in the USA. you are studying in say...California..and your parents stay in florida??....you would have to take a flight to get home. but here, if you are studying in NTU of NUS.. even if you are staying in the halls. all you have to do to go home is hop onto a bus or train..will take you about 2 hrs to get to where you want as opposed to 2 days.
All of us singaporean women either have had boyfriends who go to NS or have husbands who do reservice. We are all suffering in the same boat ( some women might not call it suffer, more like mental space).
We are Singaporeans. One For All, All For One.
I think this is worthy of the straits times forum...who agrees?
i decided to feel patriotic, so there.
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
monotonous daily life
i think all of us...when we have fun..we unconciously try to have as much fun as possible as we dread going back to the monotonous daily lives we lead. for some of us, its back to school, others, the work and army. even with daily friends, when we say our good byes, we wish each other a nice day, maybe we sincerely hope that their weekday will be good as we think that they probably dread going back to work or whatever they are doing. some are going overseas, they are dreading that too...some are working..and waiting for school to start...hoping that it will start sooner. but when we move on or come back here..isnt it still the same dull monotonous life we go through everyday?
after overseas education, doesnt it mean finding a job? then isnt it worse then school life?
after overseas education, doesnt it mean finding a job? then isnt it worse then school life?
Friday, July 09, 2004
i seldom laugh
as the days pass, i find that i seldom laugh
i'd probably be the greatest challenge to all the jokers out there
even my favourite joke sites cant cheer me up
they only manage to make me smile
when the busy days are over
i can truly see
how lonely i am
without someone, (him) beside me to cheer me up
or just be there for me to bitch about stuff
i'd probably be the greatest challenge to all the jokers out there
even my favourite joke sites cant cheer me up
they only manage to make me smile
when the busy days are over
i can truly see
how lonely i am
without someone, (him) beside me to cheer me up
or just be there for me to bitch about stuff
Wednesday, June 23, 2004
I Hate....
I hate the way i think of you
I hate the way i miss you
I hate the way i want to call you
I hate the way i want to hear you
But most of all
I hate the way i cry for you
I hate the way i miss you
I hate the way i want to call you
I hate the way i want to hear you
But most of all
I hate the way i cry for you
Saturday, June 05, 2004
How
i dont know how i feel
i dont know what i want
i dont know what to think
i only know i think of you
i dont know what i want
i dont know what to think
i only know i think of you
Thursday, June 03, 2004
am i healing
as daily life passes by,
i begin to think less of you
am i already getting over you?
or is it just me trying to shut you out?
sometimes in the lonely nights
i still think of you.
but is it the same way i used to.
is it different from the past in a way i could never know?
am i healing?
i begin to think less of you
am i already getting over you?
or is it just me trying to shut you out?
sometimes in the lonely nights
i still think of you.
but is it the same way i used to.
is it different from the past in a way i could never know?
am i healing?
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