Complain, Complain & Complain

Generally, we are a society of complainers! Erm…maybe it is just me 😉

It is common in my little red dot for someone to start a conversation by saying “I have a complaint or I am going to complain” – yup that is so Singaporean!

Lately, it is, ” I want to sue” – I do not know if it is the way we are going, that is, following the Americans and playing up to legal eagles.

For laughs to show you how one uses “suing” as an option. I text Chicken that had a sigh…I wish to lose 10 kg and she replied tongue in cheek, that all “10 kg” was residing in my “behind” or bluntly put, “my ass” or politely, my “rear end”. She is indeed cheeky!

I commented with a reply that ‘I will sue you for making fun of my glorious ass!’ LOL!

Even kids are using it with little regard or understanding of the meaning of the word.

But trust me, if one is defamed or slandered in any manner, way or form such that it affects integrity, there is plausible cause indeed to seek legal recourse and sue the pants off such creeps.

Being complainative can be funny if it is done in jest or to seek a better service or correct a situation by bringing it to the right authorities.

After all, we are great whiners except couched under the auspices of a “complaint”

Service sectors lack service these days, much less good concerted effort at giving service. I have often asked service staff where can I find something I need and they would give a glorious wave of their hand as if shooing a fly and rendering a reply, “over there”!

Good grief! Over there? Where? There….seems too wide an expanse for me to cover. As if like the Southern corridor of Western Australia where a Boeing 777 is like a needle in a hay stack.

Off I go to seek another service staff. Hopefully till one who actually cares in doing their job right, I am truly at the mercy of twits!

Maybe there is indeed a plausible cause for complainers after all 😉

Why I Ain’t Miss Congeniality

I have an ascerbic tongue in my head. I do not have time for fake pleasantries. But I have loads of time for people who are nice and go out of their way to do something for me.

I used to be so frustrated with Ms Pouty Mouth. She could not utter a word and bungles at the only one job she does. She is also a double agent, sending stuff I ask her to do, to her previous supervisor.

I gave her enough rope to hang herself and she did. Little did I expect it, Ms Pouty Mouth turned around and cleaned up her act. It was as if a reprieve on death row gave her a new lease of life. She is now pleasant and more focused at work.

If there were no legal laws, I would love to slap those who are vicious and nasty. A slap is still too kind but at least with such a slap, the person can wake up and realise misdeeds, correcting self for the better.

This afternoon I walked to Cold Storage from my pigeon hole and was pleasantly greeted by the cashier.

In the many times I have shopped there, no one had greeted me as nicely as this gentleman. I returned the greeting and paid attention to his genuineness, complimenting him on his pleasantness, encouraging him on.

I am no Ms Congeniality but I return kindness with gratitude and would go the extra mile to let service personnel’s supervisor know of the kind act or service standard delivered.

I usually complain verbally or put it in writing when I am truly irked. I do have tolerance but it is a short fuse most times as I feel the need to correct poor service standards for the benefit of others.

I become the word’s greatest bitch when after giving feedback, there is zero improvement or in fact the service standard worsens.

Funny thing is, after my complaints, I do see remarked improvements and this is indeed a plus point and beneficial for the public at large 😉

Declining Years

What is age, other than a measure of a life span and a marker to celebrate birthdays isn’t it?

If 50 is the new age 40, then 50 years of age and above leaves one in your prime, given a longer life span.

Unless you are in an occupation that requires you to remain eternally young, like a model on a runway of a catwalk, age does not matter.

This is explicitly stated in hiring policies too, unless a particular occupation pegs age to job.

I know of army or uniformed personnel having to retire by age 45. This is sad but I suppose it is due to the physical and demanding nature of their job.

Surgeons too have a finite life span, as a surgeon, given their handiwork may also perhaps decline with age. Most surgeons gracefully exit after a certain age, especially orthopedics or neurosurgery.

I was once told by a then orthopedic surgeon that rarely women go into orthopedics as it requires a certain amount of bull strength to manage bones. This same surgeon retired before age 60 years of age. His hand had begun to be less stable holding a scalpel and his confidence was less strong – fear factor sets in!

Age for people in business is a plus factor. The older one gets, the wiser one is in terms of business strategies or people networking. I admires the likes of great bankers in Singapore or real estate moguls who continued to wheel and deal even in their older years.

Age is a mindset. So what if one is 50 years old but performs a good job. It does not mean that just because one is older, they are of no use to society.

For the man who calls others “old”, I sincerely hope that you genuflect. You ain’t no spring chicken yourself and your usefulness in your current occupation has a fast approaching lifespan expiration date. You will also grow old unless you found the fountain of youth and found way to immortalize self to eternal youthfulness?

Fortunately for me, I am in an evergreen occupation whereas for the man who mocks seniors, once you reach your expiration date, there is little else you can do except perhaps play the stock market. What goes up can also come crashing down! Let’s hope it crashes during your earning years and not when it is your nest egg and it becomes a big fat nought! 😉

Ah well, who knows, this man who mocks seniors may still make buckets of cash. But without the heart and passion to genuinely care for others, he will be lonely lest he hides behind the faith he purports. Yet another reason why I detest the Catholic faith! Yes, by now I truly hate Catholicism as none of those whom I know as Catholics are kind nor benevolent souls other than K and Singer.

Spare a thought for seniors! Do not slime them but remember them for their efforts in making my little red dot what it is today.

It’s Saturday Folks…

Saturdays means laundry, cooking a hot meal, ironing & filing papers from snail mail.

More importantly Saturdays allow me to vegetate and reflect the week’s doings and see how I can enact the infamous Sun Tzu’s Art of War at my political arena at work.

Now that the office mole, Forever Hungry, has left, only Emperor’s Concubine remains. Minus her ally, Forever Hungry, Emperor’s Concubine is a better worker bee.

The department’s arch nemesis may create pocket’s of hot works but he is third party as aptly put by Pig Head & Tail.

A potential project may get shot down by authorities. If not, we get a reprise of Guy Fawkes night on 4 July and this does not relate to that nimcompoop blogger who wants to take on a rock and fight in court. He will be crushed like a cockroach.

Yes, the week has been eventful in that work is bountiful and stressful. I need to shoot a couple of arrows next week and will need to see if I hit my target or able to deflect return arrows. I ain’t Ivan Hoe nor Robin Hood! 😉

Off grocery shopping soon….till sunday comes…

Doctor Relationships Gone Sour

My mood today is a sombre one as I recollect how a fee paying surgeon can be so unkind.

I remember how another surgeon who liked me a bit more than usual took a different approach when I could not reciprocate his attention.

He was nice enough to ride into the sunset, leaving me alone after he tried to hang on. I felt he was professional in parting of ways. Today we exchange messages but we do not meet. I am not ready to meet him.

My latest episode with a surgeon made me ponder and reflect.

I strongly felt that the relationship between this incumbent surgeon & I went south (“sour”) when I did not agree to follow his faith and overtures.

I am anti married men. I ain’t a 3rd party applicant and not keen on starting to be one. Further his wife is a domineering and controlling woman who wished to bottle him up or ring fence him, far away from civilisation saved specially for her. I find this possessiveness of hers troubling and weird.

When I failed to reciprocate, I suspect this caused the difficult approach he adopted to make my life a living hell.

I hope he wakes up and finds it in his catholic heart to stop being vindictive and be the surgeon he swore to be under his hippocratic oath.

Good Doctor Patient Etiquette

As a continuous patient of several doctors, I value the special relationship between me and each of my doctors.

Thursday’s edition of Mind Your Body section by medical oncolongist Dr Ang Peng Tiam wrote an apt article on this topic. I admired his objectivity and ability to reflect on his actions taken on a foreign patient who berated his nursing staff.

I personally had an uncomfortable episode with my surgeon last wednesday.

I felt humiliated by his unkind and irrevelant comments on my other body parts which did not come under his professional purview.

If this was done 1-1 between ourselves, the humiliation would have been more private than in front of an intern. But it does not mean, it made it any less humiliating on me.

When I shared with Chicken, she likened it to paying for a service but getting slapped for it. I appreciated Chicken’s objectivity in this matter and she described it as she saw it, plain and simple.

I struggled with a decision over Wednesday till today, Saturday. I was caught up with the medical evacuation of a colleague from Batam to Singapore and let this sit on my back burner till I was calmer and able to discern better.

After reflecting, I felt the need to write an email to this surgeon for 2 reasons;

1. To let him know that I felt humiliated by his cruel comments.

2. His method of approach to me as a patient was unacceptable.

In fairness, perhaps he was not aware of his callous remarks. Still, I felt the need to check him so that he refrains from such unacceptable comments or remarks to others, who may be more litigious in nature. I did feel like taking up a legal suit against him but I knew it will destroy him. I decided to let it go.

Friendship never existed between this surgeon and I. If it did, I would have attributed that to him knowing me on a personal level and the closeness we may have to josh. But, to me it was still a cruel comment nonetheless.

Whatever it is, I quote Dr Ang Peng Tiam (I am not related to Dr Ang though we share same last name), ” I continue to ponder” & decide if my relationship as surgeon and patient ends here.

Doctor patient relationships are important as it is pivotal to patient care. Once the relationship fails to exist, I am happy to end it professionally by voting with my feet.

Forever Hungry Has Left The Main Building

Boy oh boy am I ever so glad that Forever Hungry is leaving the main building and landing in the pits of Tuas area! No, she is not a Hungry Ghost. Hungry Ghosts come out to roam the earthly realm during the 7th month when the Gates of Hell are flung open for a month for ghosts or spooks to feed on offerings living people make for them!

I am happy to see her go. Thin as a rake, she is always eating non stop! It could be a spud, followed by salmon, a boxed lunch, biscuits, bread…..you can name it and she will be eating it at one time or other in her 9 hours of work in the office. I am absolutely jealous of her metabolic rate to digest food and have it turn into a glob of fat somewhere on her frame.

We suspect she has a bunch of worms in her tummy and they are the ones feeding on whatever that goes into her buccal cavity and travel to the stomach. Perhaps some worm fed it up and it escapes her alimentary system along the way 😉

Forget Jean Yip or slimming products or slim wraps…

Is she nice as a person? Not really. She is rather selfish and a tittle-tattle, contributing to the office politics and selfish for own reasons. Only what is good for her, is her target. Admittedly, she is focused in this area.

Not a team player, she irks others and causes tension amongst a team that works happily together. Her leaving is the best present to us as one lesser political player in the fray.

Aah well, there is still Pig Head Plus Tail, Scorpion King, Roti Prata and Gossip Queen to contend with. Yes, my work place sounds like a zoo or an animal kingdom of sorts 😉

If I met my fairy godmother, I would ask for a magic wand and use it to “Poof” and send these buggers to a desolate island where they can play politics all they want, amongst themselves! Not that would be cool! 😉

Where are you fairy godmother….man I need my magic wand LOL!

If I Was Obscenely Opulent

If I was obscenely opulent or in plain speak….darn confounding rich and swimming in barrels of cash to the tune of zillions…I would do the following…

Scholarships even for child care toddlers. Imagine giving a toddler a bursary to pay for his or her learning how to walk, potty train, dress and figure out squares from rounds!

No one will go hungry or without shelter. Remember all this is make belief as in “IF” and boy oh boy. Do I feel powerful and rich like a tycoon magnate equivalent to Forbes list.

I will approach Jim Davis and buy the rights to have a theme park of Garfield, Odie and Friends in my little red dot. All rides and food are free, including free admission. This is my dream come true to have all 465 of my Garfield furry friends on display, sharing with other people who love Garfield like me!

Imagine cakes baked in the shape of Garfield faces or Odie faces.

Free Garfield tee shirts, linens and even socks to all guests to the theme park.

Each household will have fully paid wifi connection and PCs for connectivity, free medical care and the best part is pay all the taxes for the people.

Free transport…all paid for.

Darn…I am only dreaming but hey, I wish it was real. I could enjoy doing it and having so much fun making people happy.

But wake up and smell the coffee….I can never be that rich! 😉

Woe Befalls Cadbury Chocolates Made In Malaysia

My heart sank when I read and watched the news announcing that Cadbury chocolates manufactured in Malaysia had pig DNA despite it being certified halal. Halal means food certified fit for Muslim consumption.

My mind immediately race to K, my good friend who is the head honcho in the region for Cadbury amongst others. K must be having her hands full now handling this debacle.

Though the reports have yet to be confirmed by the manufacturers Cadbury, the downside is felt as sales fell horribly. K said the damage is quite bad to the brand and that the product range has stopped moving.

Chicken commented that she is waiting for it to come to a rock bottom sale whereby it could be the promotion of say ‘buy 1 get 1 free’ and she will stock up and buy up Cadbury chocolates.

I smiled and said, “me too!” I see no harm in stocking up as I am not a Muslim. I could stock up or buy as gifts to share with others who were not Muslims.

I sincerely hope this fiasco of Cadbury is disproven or if proven, Cadbury will need to get back consumer confidence and fast too.

Knowing Singaporeans, we are always sure our government does stringent checks and I am sure soon, this will be forgotten and sales will still be roaring soon. Singaporeans are a forgiving lot when it comes to food 😉 and also they have utmost trust in our government to ensure that what we consume is in good edible condition and as declared halal or otherwise.

Kindness Begets Kindness

My mum is 80 years young and she believes in helping others. For as long as I can remember, she will support the poor, champion for the weak and stand up for her principles. To date, she still pays for my meals. She is extremely generous too, giving most willingly to the foreign worker who cleans the common corridors of the block where she lives; food, fruits or even cash. 

I can see her happiness giving to others. Most times, I feel that she is taken advantage of, but she thinks the better of people, less suspicious than me. Despite her being shortchanged by some people, she still stoically believes in the good of these people.

Today Chicken and I took my mum and dad out to dinner. My mum insisted on us trying Korean food at a coffee shop some 4 blocks away. She literally insisted that we had to order from this stall despite Chicken wanting to eat Mee Siam, a Malay food dish.

I could see my mum ardently wanting to support the Chinese National manning this stall. Seeing her wanting to help him out by patronizing this stall, we caved in and ordered Saba fish, 2 sets of Bimbab rice in stone earthen ware and fried fish head soup.

The portions were generous and cost undoubtedly reasonable as the meal for 3 of us cost $20 including 2 ice teas.

Seeing my mum’s kindness, the Chinese national gave us a complimentary serving of kimchi and paper towels.

Yes, kindness begets kindness! 🙂

I have lots to emulate my mum. She is a giving person and I feel that I am less giving to total strangers. True, I am like her. I do give out food, biscuits or meals to foreign workers or poor people but not in volumes like her as I tend to make organized donations which gives out proper tax receipts. I think before I act.

My mum being who she is, gives without thought and freely. I do envy her ability to do this and without hesitation or thought 😉