CNY - The Malnorished OX???

Reading the papers these days, looks like 2009 brings with it the overworked-underpaid Ox. It's probably malnorished too. Perhaps even jobless.

I had enough of all these negative news that I stop reading any news at all. No one reports anything positive nowadays as people take them for granted (they don't sell as well as negative ones too).

Everyone's sceptical of every bit of positive news.

HL: Hey, company is giving the Kicker Bonus (SGD150 - zzz in vouchers) again.
ME: Ya, I redeem all already.
HL: The redemption valid for one year, right?
ME: Ya, but the vouchers has 2 years validity, so it's ok. I scared I forgot abt them.
HL: Ya, we also dunno when they're going to "show us the door". Better redeem now, if not "loogee".

No news is still good news.

So I shut myself from all these negative talk and listen to my Tori Amos again. Doing some planning for my work as well. Vendors not listening to me, sales people bully me - ENOUGH!!! Time to stand up for my convictions.

I read my last blog entry and found that I'd done Tori an unjust. Please read all about her here. She's much more interesting than what I'd described.

Tori Amos

I love Tori Amos.

Her songs are full of meanings. She has a song for every chapter of my life.

She is romantic, beautiful, angry, frustrated, vain, childish, lovable, conceited, arrogant, moody, guilty, scared, hyped, and bitchy - she is totally a woman.

Her earlier works are filled with so much angst and frustration towards people and the systems they live and work for. Her last 2 albums are much happier. It's like watching her from the sidelines growing from an insecure being into a mature and confident woman.

I feel that she has stopped searching for an answer, and just enjoying what she has now.

This is my favourite song from her album "Little Earthquakes" (1993).

No means no

Last Friday was the end of my company's 3rd quarter of the fiscal year.

So today is the start of a new work week, new quarter. To me, it also felt like the New Year (since I was busy doing OT last week).

We were happily expecting the management to announce an off-in-lieu, but we got different news.

5 of my friends were retrenched today.

This was expected. But what we'd heard was the axe is going to be in March/April. To do it so suddenly and so close to CNY, it is plain cruel.

We were relieved when none of us got the axe in Oct/Nov. Now, the remainder of us has to count our blessings since we’ll still have a job during the Chinese festive season.

It was unbearable. But there's nothing I could do. One of the affected staffs asked if her performance was unsatisfactory and so she was given the axe.

“No, it’s not because of your performance”

“No, it’s not because your role is unimportant”

“No, it’s not because you are too highly paid”

“No, it's not because we are prejudiced against you”

“No, we can’t keep you around. The management has deliberated for a long time and the decision is final. We’re very sorry to have to let you go”

I am of course not one of the managers. But I guess when the management said no, it means no.

In times like these, we can only do our best and be prepared for anything.

We just want to eat dinner peacefully

Yes, that's all my friends and I wanted when this staff at one of the coffee stalls started grumbling us.

We were at Kaki Bukit 511 Food and Market Centre. It was quite near one of our friends’ place and the food, according to some of them, was not bad. Besides, there was more variety.

Little did we know, is that the foldable tables we were sitting at belongs solely to this coffee stall call H.S. (for self-protection, the name shall just be H.S.). On the table was a label with the stall's name printed on it.

I bought a glass of sugar cane juice (I really X 10 wanna drink this) and brought it back to our table. I was happily gulping down the juice when the staff of H.S. coffee stall came over to take our orders, and he immediately shouted:


"唉哟！小姐啊，你不可以在这里喝别摊的水啊！这张桌子是我老板出钱买的！别摊（的老板）没出钱。你要喝别的水， 去坐别张桌子! "

My friends and I were giving each other blank stares when we heard this. The only time I know of stalls buying extra tables is when:


a) It's some famous "zhi cha" which bring in the bulk of customers to the hawker centre
b) It's some famous nasi lemak which bring in the bulk of customers to the hawker centre
c) It's some famous seafood which bring in the bulk of customers to the hawker centre


I'd never heard a coffee stall buying tables for their customers. Seems that this boss has got the extra special stuff in his drinks. Or, times are just bad. He needs the extra tables so he could sell a few more drinks.


We apologised and said this is our first time here and didn't know the rules. We just want to eat dinner peacefully.

The staff just shook his head and left. He probably hoped his boss didn't find out about his incompetence at getting ONE customer to buy drinks from him.

Happy New Year 2009!!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lfcastro/2140119484/

For last year's words belong to last year's language.

And next year's words await another voice.

And to make an end is to make a beginning.

~T.S. Eliot, "Little Gidding"