Every little bit

Wow. Just got a call from a customer. It's 3AM.

She has a 2 year old warded for acute bronchitis, she's divorced, she doesn't have much in terms of a medisave account, and she's clearly upset.

In the midst of all this stress, she's calling in to confirm her insurance coverage for her daughter. Fortunately, she bought a fairly decent one and she'll end up paying only 10% of the claimable amount. And she still sounds polite, and calm, despite the edge in her voice. I try to reassure her, do my best to intill confidence in her (KKH really is the best place her girl can be in right now), and at the end of the call, she's almost crying in relief.

You know what? She's not even 30 yet. My heart truly goes out to her.

This one call has made my night. It'll probably make my week. She sounded very grateful. Oh, I'm not interested in her gratitude! It's the fact that I made a difference! Now the woman doesn't have to worry about a huge financial outlay and can focus on comforting a very sick child. She got a sympathetic voice in the dead of night giving her positive news. You could hear the relief oozing over the telephone. It made my day!

Everytime I want to quit my job, something like this happens. Makes it all worthwhile, if only for a little bit. I don't care how trite this seems, you had to have heard her. I wish I could reach through the phone line and just hold her hand.

On the upside, it reinforces that whilst I'd love to have a man right about now, I'm not in ANY rush to get married! Heh.

My my my... the upcoming APEC meeting brings back memories.

See, I used to work for the ShangriLa Singapore. No, I am not from the hotel line, but I was hired to run their loyalty programmes back in 2004.

It was an interesting foray... me, with my below the line background (we work in jeans, and smoke! and swear!), in a lux hotel filled with groomed, painted, fixed-smiles staff. I also refused to wear pantyhose, but that's another story....

What made things cool was that the hotel was often times used to house dignitaries. And when we had heads of state, the hotel would swarm with security forces. As in, scanners everywhere, dogs on patrol, policemen at every corner. It was a hassle, but it was also exciting! Especially when we had special forces around. I always itched to finger their gear.


Oh well. Good luck to them all!

Go on, laugh whilst you can

I feel like such a teenager.. as in... pretty d u m b :o

Late for work, scrambling in the kitchen to gather a salad, I decide to get some hard boiled eggs going. Problem is, was really short on time. I normally slow-boil my hard boiled eggs but tonight, took 2 eggs, placed'em in a casserole dish with water, covered it, shoved dish in microwave and it it on high.

Did you know you shouldn't do that? Neither did I.

My bloody eggs exploded.

I had my back to the microwave when there was a huge bang which made me jump. Turned to see gushing steam and the microwave door gaping open. Good grief, it was heart stopping. I didn't know if anything was on fire! Crept closer, stepping on mushy stuff (egg) to find the glass lid to one side, the entire inside of the microwave covered in bits (egg) too.

Good grief. I hope the damned thing still works, it's brand new and if I have to replace it, it'll cost me. It's one of those damned tank-like dual convection/microwave thingies.


I am SUCH an idiot tonight...

I am having....

... great difficulty in understanding why some people react so violently to WORK issues.

See, this evening, just as I was trying to log in, the phone system hung. General cries of dismay confirmed it was department wide, not just me. GGggrrrrr. So D shift is stuck, and cannot go home. And E shift is here, but cannot loggin.

A couple of quick calls to management to alert them, and then we wait. But there is this one girl who just won't stop grumbling. And when the telephony guys are here, the phone lines are pretty sporadic. It's pretty frustrating for all of us, but it does not help when you won't stop bitching about things. It's not about you, it's about the infrastructure!

So please, ask yourself a few things before you start to go ape shit on me.

Is it life or death?
Is it going to cause you great physical pain?
Is it going to cost you any money?
Is it going to get you into trouble?

The answer, in case you didn't know it, should be NO.
In which case, please do not start whinging incessantly. Management has been alerted, the experts are on site working on it. Your stupid complaints are vastly irritating, and we're all in this together.


So suck it up!

A cheesy tale

My folks are away.

Yup. 2.5 weeks in Japan. Just me and The Sister at home, enjoying the silence of a tranquil home. It was pretty funny... I caught my Dad in a quiet moment and asked him if he were looking forward to his trip? Not really came the slightly mournful reply. Heh. Ok, Dad! If you say so!

Anyways. Parents. Away. So I got a chance to do grocery shopping for all my favourites. And one of them is feta cheese. Nommy! Totally and unabashedly nommy.

Don't ask me why the label's in arabic... mine's in english. And Emborg is a Danish brand to boot!

So yeah, that's my fav cheese. Problem was, I couldn't get the bottle opened. There I was, with my fav baby spinach leaves, my fav whole grained bread, cheesy pork sausages grilled, toast all hot and buttered, salivating at the thought of yummy food and... shit.... I couldn't open the bottle.

I tried. OH how I tried... rubber bands, heating the lid (in various ways, mind you), various textured dishclothes and what not.... But nope. No can do. Lid felt like it was superglued down. I was sooo fixated on having my cheese that I even considered taking the bottle and waiting downstairs. lol. For ANYONE to help. I had visions of approaching some strange man to help. But it was about 4am when I struggled with the bottle so... perhaps not a good idea, eh?

Of course, today I got The Sister to try too, but to no avail. Much laughter, much ribbing, but no open bottle. Then from somewhere came the "bright" idea to open the front door and see if any of my neighbours' doors were open. The Sister was obviously sceptical; it was, after all, about 9PM.

But strangely enough, as I peered out, I heard my left neighbour's door click. And one of the kids stepped out. Woo! Good grief! Really? Yay! Don't say the universe doesn't give you the help you need! All you have to do is ask!

I quickly asked if I could speak to his dad and after a few minutes of huffing, my neighbour managed to twist the lid off. It was a tough one, and judging from his expressions, I don't think me or my sister could've gotten that lid off....

But wow. I am just... I don't know... amazed. All you have to do is listen, and have faith. I was second guessing myself about looking out for a neighbour to help, but whaddya know? It worked. If you had told me 5 years ago, I'd have told you to bugger off. There's nothing cheesier than the whole new-age-listen-to-the-hive-mind-open-your-thoughts sort of thingie. But now? Over the past year, seeing is believing!


I need to listen to my intuition more!

Now, who says gaming is for kids?

We've come a loooong way from Donkey Kong.




Clicky clicky on title post for the info.

Woo. I want!

Thoughts of a singleton

Conversation with my sister the other day :

The Sister : I had a dream about you the other day.
Me : OOoo... izzit? And what was it about then?
The Sister : I dreamt you were pregnant.
Me : Who? Me! Immaculate conception! It's not like I'm with anyone now. *laughs*
The Sister : Yeessses... but dreams about birth and death are always about beginnings.
Me : Ok. That's cool. But it's not going to happen literally. I have cobwebs.....
The Sister : You need to buy a dildo.
Me : Eh? Dildo? But I think I'm... like... a pinhole right about now.
The Sister : Fiona! Don't be ridiculous! *laughs*
Me : Yes? Well, I don't think my muscles work anymore.
The Sister : ?!?!?!? Buy the dildo!

You know, I have one. Can't be bothered to use it. It's an old thingie, gifted to me by an ex. But it's.... heh, for a toy.... yes, I probably DO need a new one.

Recently I've been a little concerned that I won't treat my next partner with the pre-requisite care, concern and tenderness. This is the longest I've been without a partner and whilst I do miss the intimacy that comes with being part of a couple, I wonder if I'm also going to suck at it. After all, habits get more ingrained as we age. And right about now, I am too used to being alone. *shrugs*

So. You need constant practice to be good at something. And treating your partner well is no exception. And then, of course, there's the sex issue. Will I be like a fumbling idiot in bed after all this time? I need an older man who'll keep me stimulated mentally, above all; and I loath having to teach.

But perhaps I should date younger? For once? So if I DO turn out to be a fumbling idiot in bed, perhaps he won't notice being younger and - so the logic goes - less experienced?

Heh. Who am I kidding? What I'd REALLY like is someone who's been around the block a little and who will understand when I say "it's been a while, be gentle with me."


Can't imagine saying that with a straight face though. lol.

Note to self : try not to doubt

I went to work feeling crappy. And grumpy.

Primarily in my thoughts : Why can't people treat me with the consideration that I give them? Who was the smart ass who said to treat people the way you'd like to be treated yourself? Who said karma goes around?

Hmpf.

Worked hard last night, spent 4 hours trying to do my emails. Didn't nap, didn't take a break for a walkie. Quick smokes. And managed only 36 emails. For fuck's sake, that's like banging my head and bashing out my brains. On the old system I'd averaged 12 - 15 emails per hour! But noooo.... management refuses to consider that new system as bad. After all, *they* launched it.

Hmpf. I left the office feeling, in essense, like shit. Why do I try so hard?

But life has a way of opening your eyes, if only you let it.

My fav small kopitiam was open as I left my building. This shop's nasi lemak rice is .... MMmmmm... fragrant! And terribly nommy. And she was open! and ready! But what struck me was how cheerful and humble the stallholders are. I could see the appeciation in their eyes as I ordered my food (I obviously loved their food!) and they were gracious and delighted to see me. They made me feel good.

Then there was my rode home... hailed a taxi, and found myself in a clean, cooled, COMFORTABLE cab. It's really the luck of the draw with taxis. Some are grubby as all hell. Some have such poor ventilation I have to wind the windown down lest I hurl. Some persist in keeping the radio volume so loud I have to shriek from the back seat.

But today was good! Without asking, cabbie turned the radio channel from mandarin to english. And it turned out the sound system was specially installed. And the ride was smooth. And cabbie was a good conversationalis to boot. My 5 minute ride home felt like the perfect ending.

So.

Does the universe dish out stuff to even things out in the end? Perhaps it bloody well does! I had a GREAT morning to end my shift, I'm feeling good, I'm about to engulf some truly delicious food. How about that karma then?


Yea, my faith in the universe is restored!

I wonder if I should move faster?

Had a team dinner last night.



Me and one more girl were working last night but we came early. The rest (3 more) were already at work so we just all hooked up.

It was good. First time this particular TL had ever done anything like this i.e. take her team out. She also invited our head of section, whom we dont see often. Conversation was funny, ribald, and more importantly, extremely frank. We're all facing the same demoralising management at work in our department; only thing is, the section head is a really outspoken women. Fiesty, earthy, approachable.

And she's so fed up she's leaving by Dec09 or Jan10. That's her own personal deadline.

Opps.

It's one thing for us grunts to grumble and mumble about bad management. We do it discretly when management is out of sight and out of earshot. But this HOS is doing it openly in front of her team.

I don't know if it's a good thing (my personal opnion is being vindicated) or a bad thing (who will be our team's buffer now?). Should I treat my job search more urgently? After everything's been said and done, I am not really in danger of losing my job anytime soon. If the worst happens, I have a minimum of 4 months in which to get hired again.


Oh well. Guess we'll see....

Viewpoint!

Og's got a new rule of thumb.
Distressingly simple.
Hilariously funny.
Wonder if it will work for me though? I never ever get to 5.


HHhhmmm. Actually, I never get to 1 either. heh. Still, might start soon!

Eternal hilarity when it comes to names...

It's hard not to laugh when non english speakers choose english names for themselves...

... and then proceed to mangle the pronunciation.

Just got a call. Couldn't make out the name. EE-ant! Ee-ant! That's what *I* heard over the phone. Turns out it's IAN. Good grief. It's the name on his credit card, to boot. Had to stifle my snort of laughter. Where'd the T come from then? And then there's step-hen. Literally. Step. Hen. Hallo? No need to tell you what name that's supposed to be.

Needless to say, my name's not been spared eiher. Eh, you'd think Fiona is safe, right? Especially when I work in a contact centre? And I take pains to enunciate my greeting? Good eve-ning, this is Fee-oh-na. Clear? Yes? No? No! Iona! Fion! and the one that made me cringe... Nona!


GGggrrrrr..... a thump on both yer ears wouldn't go amiss...

Perhaps...

.... it's time to get out of the night shift thingie.

I'm tired all the time now. Don't quite know what's happening. Doesn't matter if I sleep 14 hours, or 4. I wake up tired. *shakes head*

Nowadays on my off days, I won't set the alarm. I'll let my body sleep itself out. I used to set the alarm for 10 hours max, because my GP shared that anything longer than a 10 hour sleep may tire out the muscles that support the body systems when we're at rest. But heck, I'm still tired! So I sleep myself out.

And it's strange... I'll sleep, like, for 12 hours, wake up fine and alert. Then 3 hours later my body sags and my thighs and knees ache a bit. There has got to be more to life then sleep-work-sleep-work and I certainly didn't quit corporate for *this*.

I don't know if it's psychosomatic. I have no motivation at work because of all the crap that's going on. Oh, there's always crap at work but I've never had a burning desire to quit. Now I do. Perhaps I am weakening mentally. Perhaps I am just tired of all this crap. Perhaps my health is declining. Perhaps all these things combined are making me... oh, I don't know.... feel like shit.


Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps! I'm in a funk!

MMmmmmoon

My my my.... especially for us July babies? What with us being moon children et all :)

I find this a particularly lovely picture! Courtesy of those wonderful buggers over at APOD and their fans! Unfortunately, it's been overcast on my end. *small sigh* No clear skies. Just glowering, low-hung clouds and loads of muggy heat.....


Oh well, a girl can dream :) This moon is MADE for dreams!

Gee, might need a second viewing!

My my my.

I am truly impressed.

Background? I loath war movies and I won't see'em. Black hawk down? No. Band of brothers? Nuh-uh. As a matter of fact, if I recall, the last war-related movie I caught was Born on the Fourth of July. Bloody hell. And that wasn't really a war movie per se anyways. AND that came out in.... good lord.... 1989. So. Ten years, it's been.

But I really really REALLY wanted to catch The Hurt Locker. And I was blown away. Heh. No pun intended.

It was intense, it was nail-biting, it was thoughtful, it thrilled, it agonised, and I sometimes sat with my jaw hanging down. My goodness. Did it really take a woman to bring out the human side of war, such as it is?

Nooo... scratch that comment. I don't watch enough of this genre to qualify as a critic. But I marvel at Kathryn Bigelow's skill. I was truly impressed. This is one I want to collect.


Go see it. Now.


UPDATE :
WildRun has graciously pointed out that 1989 till date is 20 years. Sorry about that, my brain's all gone.

Isn't life wierd?

And just a little funny, sometimes?

I had a dog once, Ben Bones he was called. Our previous pets had always carried the Hogan surname, but since Ben Hogan the golfer was still alive, Ben Bones he was called eventually. Actually....... Ben Ben to me.

Yes, I confess, I'm guilty of baby talk to animals occasionally. :))

At any rate, Ben came it us at 6 months, after a horrific accident took out his left eye. Mom adopted him - for a few reasons - and I remember coming home from JC one day, to discover this huge ball of fluff in a box in the kitchen.

For the record, Ben was a standard white poodle. But no effete behaviour, oh no! The first time he needed proper grooming, we got him a pet taxi, had him whisked off, and he came back with pompoms and green ribbons. OH. GOOD. GOD. I still remember. Family was horrified. All of us screeched, Ben was embarressed, and after we had teased him for about a day, Mom shaved off the pompoms and Ben had a puppy's cut from then on.

I find that a bit of a misnomer; puppy's cut indeed. :) It's just a haircut that's even thoughout. No pompoms. I always thought Ben looked quite nice. He looked a lot more macho than most poodles.

Needless to say, in my family, Ben wasn't coodled. He was terribly pampered, but he wasn't coddled. He was also very much loved and in the last few years of his life, it was heart-rending to see him in his old age. Watch him struggle with his various health problems. He was still our Ben Ben, but you could see his age. For a white dog, you could clearly see the grey on his muzzle. He looked.... dignified :)

We eventually put Ben to sleep, age 11 and three quarters. That's my baby! A long and happy, lazy, contented life....

But I also remember taking leave from work and, with Dad, we got to the vet's and said our last goodbyes. I remember seeing the needle go in. I remember Dad's hands as he firmly stroked Ben as Ben slowly sank down on to his towel. I remember being so distraught, I didn't stay inside. I remember running out of the vet's office, sobbing, and scaring other owner's in the process.

*sigh*

Why am I sharing all this? Because I believe sometimes the people we love come back and visit us. I have dreams of Ben Ben sometimes. And it's so weird... here I am in the office, napping, and I dream of Ben again. Yea, I can even tell you I've napped from 0400 to 0428, which was when the next call came in lol. That's not a lot of time to sink under enough to dream. But dream I did.

Ben's here. With his wise eyes looking calmly at me, sitting quietly like he always did, just happy to be in his family's presence. I don't have a lot of time with him... I know that... and my heart aches to hold him again.

I know I'm in the office.
I know I'm dreaming.
But I also know I'm crying in my dream.
Crying because I know Ben cannot stay.

Ben gets up, walks away and I start to wake up. Just as I rise out of sleep, he stops and looks back, just once. And then he is gone.

It's been a long time. Almost 9 years since Ben's passing.


I hope Ben never stops visiting....

Of shopping and sheer luck. Whew!

Bloody hell.

My favourite underwear shop's been closed down. I used to get my bras at a La Senza boutique in Tampines Mall? They've gone and closed it. All the four boutiques are now in the town area. I didn't know. No update, no announcement, no nothing. And I am on their mailing list. GGggrrrrrr.

I try to avoid Tampines Mall in the first place. Granted, it's next to my work place so it's really close by. But it's got a terrible layout, usually thronged by aimless people walking too slowly and thinking that the bloody passages belong to their bloody grandfathers. In general, I find shopping there to be a lousy experience. But I went today because I needed to get a white bra. My last remaining whitey had gone and died on me. DOUBLE gggrrrrrr.

Out of desperation, I went up to a small Blush! boutique. Surprise surprise. They had whities in patterns and lace I actually liked, and the saleslady got my size spot on. One fitting was all I needed. Oh boy.

To put things into perspective, Blush! normally sells stuff thats really.... hhmmmm.... not to my taste. First of all, they bring in really mainstream patterns. So it'll sell better of course. And secondly, they'll bring in the typical sizes to boot. So my chances of finding something I like and that will fit are.... let's just say I'd given up on them. *shrugs*

So. Wow. I feel really lucky.
If you're not sure what I'm talking about, take your woman lingerie shopping. lol. Multiple fittings and lots of trying is the order of the day!

Ok. Granted, it's a PrincesseTamTam, so it's twice the price. Literally. :o But hey! It fit, it looked great, it gave great shape, so what the hell! I'd forgotten what great underwear the French make :))


Woo! Mission accomplished!

Uh oh

I can't help it. I looked at this and laughed and laughed.



Something about the kittie's expression.... hilarious!

I can totally picture a human child here

ohmigawd....



.... too cute!

Misguided

Yup, that's the *polite* word I would use.

My HOD thinks a professional desk is an empty desk. You heard me. We're not even talking about how some people go crazy and turn their cubicles into their second home.

I'm talking about no discrete family photo by your computer. No water bottles or flasks on your table. No stationery. No files. No nothing. She bears with it during a normal working day. But if anyone visits our department, be it Big Boss or Foreign Visitor, everything gets swept away and piled under the desks.


I kid you not. This woman has seriously warped ideas.