Haha..i didn’t intentionally abandon this blog..*blows dust*..

Hmm..2 months have passed. Work has been the same- the sense of achievement mixed with frustration and irritation.heehee.

Right now i just hope someone asks me to do something adventurous and fun..have been pretty bored lately..’cos of the monotony and lack of fun excitement..working class people lead pretty dull lives..cos we are constantly fighting hard for dough..but somehow i gotta get out of this rut and make more friends and have more fun. i am born a fun person k! Hahaha..

My pal is in the States now..she’s having so much fun! (So many of my friends off to graduation trips..*envious*) She’s my all-time movie and food kaki..hehe. I have a few movie kakis, but watching movies with certain people can be really weird. Like my brother..my dad and mum..hahaha..maybe dinner more likely.

Anyway someone close to me just ended a relationship with his girlfriend..it was abrupt though i suppose not surprising? Hmm..i really didn’t realise that they have been officially together for only 4 months! And she could do so much for him and vice versa. The progress was really fast. I told him i don’t give a damn though he was so openly and non-chalantly discussing about the breakup..i merely told him it made for a brief gossip topic and nothing else. Really, memories do remain but life still goes on. Hmm..he wanted to make it a clean cut..but i thought he was being a lil heartless..and i was secretly hoping that i won’t be treated like that by guys.. >.< but so far ok la..she was hurt, but i’m sure both of them will find someone better.

Oh yeah..i bought a new phone – finally! Hahaha..it’s a Samsung Omnia II..and i’m pretty excited over it, though i hardly get to use the many functions that it has.. haha! -.- but it is indeed an upgrade from my Sony Ericsson W550i!

I’ve officially turned 22! Haha..years pass by so fast and i notice that i am seeing more people around me who are younger than me..hahaha. Nonetheless, it was a birthday that touched me more than any other, even the more significant 21st.

There are people I wanna thank for their wishes and also what they have done to make my birthday a memorable one. Lois, Sugi, Huiru, Crystal, Adeline, Kelly, Vina, Esperanza, Katherine, Bing Dun, Vivien, Wesley, Jialing..some of whom i guess were reminded by Facebook! Haha!

My JC classmates Crystal, Huiru and Adeline gave me a really pleasant surprise when i was at Huiru’s house 2 days before my birthday, on a Saturday. I went straight after work, and my shoes, the sun and the exhaustion from work were killing me. When i reached her unit she didn’t answer to my knocks and door bells. But all were forgotten when what greeted me after i got in was the sight of Adeline holding a cake! SURPRISE! YES i was!!! Haha..i think this was the first time i was caught unaware in a pleasant way..haha! Okie! Pics! And also of our long overdue gathering at a Jap restaurant  and an entertaining evening of girls’ gossips, around 2 weeks before, my birthday.

Haha..here’s an amusing excerpt from the conversation between me and my bro. Trying to act smartass while disturbing him..haha.

“只是这一点你就要学习了。心里所想的全都放到脸上去了，最笨的人都知道你的底牌了。”

Haha..got this 金玉良言 from a HK drama. It’s so spot-on. And i got it on the day someone said i always give a foul face when being chided.

I guess it’s really important to know that money makes the world go round as much as you would idealistically like it to be otherwise.

Awkward situations arise at work when partners can’t compromise. I do agree that we gotta pay for more, but just quit saying that sickening phrase, dudes. Quite sick of hearing the ‘…’cos of the effort required…’ which all comes down to the $$$ issue. That’s what IT people always say to HINT that you gotta pay more for this and that. Sounds pro yet superficial at the same time. What if people don’t get the *hint* about ‘effort’? Well…*shrugs*

We have been busy with a project. And facing pretty much many obstacles. We have been putting in a lot of effort (i literally mean effort and not associated with $$$) and did proposals that have been submitted to our external partner. All this for the best of the company venture. Yes we did go through a lot of red tape to get to where we are now..but an e-mail came today to inform us that the latest proposal we had submitted requires ‘more effort’ due to the ‘major changes’ made compared to the first proposal and thus more $$$. ‘Cos more $$$ requires an evaluation and acknowledgment of the quotation, this service provider thought that instead of wasting time going through the process again and causing a lag let’s just proceed with executing the first proposal, which to me was really not refined yet and missing out on many essential points. The service provider saying that to the client. Subtly yet powerfully rude. Whoa.

The most important thing is the sandwich issue. The service provider, H, and I correspond with each other to ensure the project is in smooth progress. But on top of each of us we have a direct boss to report to. For mine, one who micro-manages right down to how i phrase the things i say to the service provider over the phone. There is not much use since the final decision goes to his boss and i bet H wouldn’t phrase every single word that i said to his boss which loses the essence of the conversation! So it really isn’t of much use phrasing tour words so carefully to the staff who doesn’t make the decision at all. What i tell H will be passed on to his boss, and what he tells me will be passed on to my boss. My boss in turns tell me how to reply in DA EXACT phrasing that she wants and i will follow that and convey it to H, then his boss. Sigh. And i can really feel the heat. Let’s say the response ain’t the ideal scenario we’d like it to be, my boss will start asking me how i phrased it and whether i followed exactly what she told me to say and TEACHING me not to use certain WORDS on IT people… -.-!!! I mean, when things are really obvious no matter how you try to phrase things to conceal the obvious and ‘drop hints’, practical IT people don’t care two hoots about YOUR PHRASING. Anyway, the rude e-mail from H as mentioned above got me pretty disappointed ‘cos I’ve always got a good impression of H ‘cos he’s always been extremely helpful which totally impressed me as a client. He sounded like a mild, passive person who tries to give in and help out as much as possible. But this e-mail sorta gave me a rude shock. It didn’t sound like the H i know. Though we have co-ordinated for only around 5 months and we are not friends but certain behaviour from people whom you have an impression of do shock you. I asked him if that was how his boss wanted to mean and he said yes.

Maybe H didn’t phrase it well enough or let his boss have a look at the e-mail first before sending it to us.

It’s been a pretty great weekend hanging out with friends..i figured that not hanging out with anybody for a prolonged period of time sucks the life out of me. I become grumpy..moody…no no..not suicidal. Haha..Saturday was a night out with JC mates, doing a lot and a lot of catching up..and digging up loads of unknown secrets..haha! Really…gossip girls..that was the first time i felt that way..in a good way, gossiping in the name of fun…hehe. There is just that sense of belonging hanging out with them.

Sunday was a day out at Haji Lane..also a relaxing afternoon. Had manicure with lulu (haha ). Super cheap at only $5 for colouring the nails. There is also yet another sense of belonging hanging out with this long time mate of mine..11 years already! Hehe!

On a side note, news lately haven’t been good..disasters..politics..affairs..terrorism…pandemic fears..economy..is it because bad news are more newsworthy than good news and bad news yield greater response from readers and wider speculation = higher readership? Hmm..watching the news hasn’t been a great experience lately. But hope that everything turns out fine.

Having been in retail, i can totally understand how the entire retail industry must have been gearing up for this annual anticipated season. It is like rain after a period of sales drought in the period of April to May. I can still vividly remember how i had been in great anguish over sales and pushing so hard for customers to buy. The most traumatic times were when i was in Suntec City and surprisingly, Plaza Singapura. And even on weekdays at Vivo City. Retail ain’t a piece of cake when you have really demanding bosses. You may call me the most hardworking staff in the company-catching the last train many a time and reaching home at 1am. Totally sucked the life out of me.

When you are dealing with people, you must always be prepared to face so many different scenarios, and the good, the bad, and the ugly nature of humans. I have been confronted and questioned so many times by smart alecks who think so highly of themselves..of ‘cos i was fortunate enough to meet so many nice people as well..i even had loyal customers..asking my staff  ”Where’s your manager? Where’s the tall bespectacled lady?’  and only coming into the store when i am in. Haha. They didn’t even mind lingering around the mall a while more just to wait for me to return to the store after my break. So many fond memories from the different stores i handled…so many people who warmed my heart..

A group of aunties coming in just to say ‘hi’. They were feisty ladies in their 60s who keep telling me that previous season items looked better..and the time when she told me that she can wear certain clothes to ‘parties’. I excitedly told her you can also hold a ‘party’! Actually she was referring to funerals. Oh man. And also how she referred going to the ladies’ as singing karaoke..hahaha.

A regular customer who brought $500 worth of items from my store in a single transaction as our service was good, and wishing me the best when she got to know i was resigning.

A group of fatherly figures from India who bought so much stuff. And insisting that i be the one to assist them. They even insisted we take a picture together as a memento. And even as far as to invite me to their resort when i get married. Haha..how nice right..i felt so..honoured.

There was this African American father with his baby son and daughter..the dad asked me to help his daughter try on the clothes he’d picked. Of  ‘cos i was more than happy to oblige ‘cos the 3-year-old was sooooo adorable with such cute hair and dark skin. The hair was so cute, with so many little curls! I think i was so nice to her, that i can’t remember what she did that prompted her dad to say, ‘Why, you don’t love daddy anymore?’ Haha. I conquered her heart in less than half an hour…

And a truly unforgettable quote: ‘If there was a contest to vote for the most popular person, i’d surely vote for you.’ Phwoar! Hahaha…

The job satisfaction was what really kept me going during tough times..people ask me what we do other than FOLD CLOTHES. DAMN. FYI, as a store manager, i’ve got to manage my inventory via stock count monthly, and a major stock count by item location yearly, and count the cartons of items delivered. Carton quantity ranging from 1 to the highest record of 50+. Then counter checking total quantity and reporting shortages. Stock transfers-minor and major. I’ve also got to handle the visual display, store neatness and cleanliness, staff discipline…go for meetings…and finding space to store the merchandise without a proper storeroom. Customer service, and most importantly, SALES. No easy feat, yeah? All these done with 1 day off per week, 6 days full shifts from 10.30am to 10pm and sometimes even later. So, never underestimate retail, yeah? Haha.

Anyway, i did a lot of growing up in this job, and learn to appreciate service from sales assistants more. And not being a difficult customer..hehe..learn from me: do not be a typical local of being so picky and difficult yeah!

And last but not least..buy more! Give the sluggish economy a much needed boost! Initial signs from shopping at Orchard just now seem extremely encouraging..and it’s only the first day of GSS!

I was out at Haji Lane on Saturday, shopping with a friend though it wasn’t me doing the shopping at all. I did a fantastic job of restraining myself that my mum would be proud of. She always warns me not to bring in any more new clothes in to the wardrobe until all have been worn so i usually smuggle clothes in by stuffing them into my bag and hiding them and telling my mum that they have long been bought when she asks me. Hehe. So many great clothes i have been searching for! It is marked as the location for my next shopping spree-not really Orchard anymore..

I loved the place also..such a good place to spend a lazy afternoon. There are shophouses and staff usually sit out on the bench chilling when there are no customers in. Many stores carry clothes locally designed so many a time you will find that the person managing them is the owner of the brand! So exciting ‘cos they can share so many insights and we can ask so many things we’ve always wanted to as customers. I had a really good chat with the owner of Victoria Jomo who has such a great personal touch. Her store has a somewhat 80′s concept..and old school..with all the dark- rimmed glasses old school boys loved to wear, the 80′s signs one will find in Singapore, the telephone..the comics notebook, and the yellowed photographs. I loved the feeling in there. My first impression when my friend and i stepped in was that we received quite a contrasting treatment from the previous store we went to who served us pretty well. She looked like she preferred to stay behind her counter instead thinking we might be browsers. However the yellowed photos of ‘Zhen Zhen’ (Nicholas Tse’s dad’s first wife) served as ice breakers for us when my friend pointed out at them. She told us about how she bought the pictures showing Zhen Zhen shopping in a store in Hong Kong. And she got so chatty and all from there. She even shared with us how her shoes were all hand-made which made it so comfortable and pretty at the same time. I even reminded her to be ambitious and set up more chains! Haha! Overall it was a great experience shopping there and it’s definitely one of my stops the next time i go Haji Lane.

Night fell and the street transformed into somewhat a different form with the bars open and people lining outside them smoking shisha. The sales staff of the stores we went to earlier sat outside their stores on the benches chilling out, smoking..so relaxed huh? Haha. Haji Lane’s like a different world tucked away in a corner amidst the hustle and bustle of town. So nice.

The most typical question I get from people I know is “You have a boyfriend?”, guys and gals alike. If they happen to be my senior, they will keep ‘encouraging’ me to go get one OR wish me luck in finding the right one. Hahaha. Just like my ex-boss. My current boss. My BROTHER. Tsk tsk. ‘Cos apparently he’s  basking in the bliss that his new-found love has brought him and he hopes that things can get a bit more exciting with a new ‘acting’ member (of ‘cos i CAN’T say for sure that he’s surely gonna be part of the family la! Whoever that guy’s gonna be). My colleague had even gone to the extent of introducing me to her cousin! Or whichever guy I hang out with automatically becomes ‘my guy’. Tsk tsk tsk. I THINK i may have more guy friends than gal friends? Or the assumption that Chye Ling hanging out with a guy = she has a crush on him..haha! I’m peeved by the social notion that gals by a certain age SHOULD be attached. -.-”

Scenario:

Boss,  Colleague Y and Chye Ling engage in a conversation.Somehow the topic of boyfriends and husbands came up.

Y: Yeah, my boyfriend and I got to know each other in Malaysia while we were studying in the same college.

Boss: Oh? You have a boyfriend?!

Y: (Surprised at boss’ surprise) Yeah.

While I listened intently, amused by the fact that our boss assumes her staff are all single and true love never occurs to her staff..erm, no time and no chance to get to know guys, boss? Hahaha. No leh, boss shouldn’t be surprised Y has a beau..she should be surprised why I don’t..LOL

Anyway guys, relax, time is of essence but the ‘feel’  cannot be compromised. One of my friends encouraged me to ‘go on! You never try, you never know!’ when I insisted I had no feelings for a guy who likes me. This friend is a firm believer of plunging into a relationship THEN cultivating the ‘feel’..of ‘cos I didn’t heed it..didn’t sound quite right..hahaha. Well, I am independent enough to do without a guy, for now. Hehe.

“Thank you thank you!!!” (as she bows to a standing ovation)

I was just done with a report early this week for a pretty major project. I’m totally zonked out. You may say even up to now as my boss saddled me with more work to do this afternoon. Just think of my to-do list! I used to feel the challenge of completing tasks one by one with much satisfaction. But i can’t quite fathom why i’m lacking this feeling of late. Too much of facing the laptop EVERYDAY EVERY moment at work making me lose my focus and totally unaware of what’s happening around me? I was pretty focused on my report previously and feeling totally stressed out as my boss kept rushing for me to complete it while I was racing against time to make things perfect. She thinks i’m efficient after seeing so many things through within my first term. But really, me ain’t no wonderwoman. Humans need to take a breather too. And the computer  coupled with the long hours at work have totally sucked the energy outta me, making me more absent-minded than ever. I really start to question a lot of things and as i travel to and back from work there are just so many questions in my head. I start to think if this is the kind of life i wanna lead, the prospects of my job etc etc etc. It REALLY irks me that so much effort spent on some things have come to naught. And so many things in life like why human beings just can’t be more simple-minded. And how we always have to so cautiously watch our words and being taught to be so wary of everything has really killed the free spirit in me. And it really irks me that there are THAT many irritating people around. UNprofessionals. People-pleaser. Naggers (self-invented). Noise-makers. Inconvenience at work. Indecisiveness. Tsk tsk tsk. Of ‘cos somehow some way i’d think it through. But just a random flow of emotions due to stress which i hope is short-termed. Hehe. Anyway should be meeting some people i haven’t seen in months..yayee! Haha. (mood lifts)