I HATE Google auto language display based on local IP and the adobe script error

Is there anyone else out there that is as annoyed as me with Google's arbitrary decision to FORCE people to read their websites in the local languages based on the local IP?

While it's great idea for commercial websites and retailers for their company websites, it's a BAD idea for a browser because they completely ignore the fact that when people travel and uses public computers, this decision to unilaterally force people to read a foreign language with no option to change back to ENglish is a bigotry move.

Some people say "oh u are travelling you should speak some foreign language. It's your own fault" Hey dude, SPEAKING and READING are two completely 2 different bloody matter.  What's more if it concerns security on a PC where I would not like to like traces of my actions and account id on a foreign PC. Trying to navigate into the control options is a chore. Plus, try reading Greek....it's like reading a bunch of cute shapes and sizes characters pieced together.

I remember when I was staying in Greece where the hotel provides laptop to each room for internet surfing. We were not able to "use" facebook because everything was being forced to translate back to Greek. When you try to surf and search for information, all the Greek stuff keep popping up even if you type the root google.com without the local country appendix.

When I tried to clear the history and cache, even when I manage to get into the right navigation that leads me to the control setting based on memory, it was not easy because I had to waste time going through one by one of the option until I hit jackpot. You should see more than 2 dozen of accounts of other people and their password stored in that computer because either they couldnt be bothered or they didnt know how to clear cache.

Even when I use my blog, i HATE it when they keep using Chinese instead of in the past where I can easily opt back to the English menu. Luckily I read mandarin, can you imagine if I was residing in Israel temporarily? All the navigation would have been a pain in the arse. Why did Google remove the option for us to change the language is beyond me.  I think the company is trying to provide a wrong service. Let the users choose for themselves what languages they use. PROVIDE THE DAMN OPTIONAL LANGUAGE OPTION. Stop being such an authoritarian entity.

What is even more annoying is this adobe script error that has been creeping up everywhere in the seeting and layout mode when using my MAC. Does anyone else have this problem and solved it?

An almost exasperating experience with the tax dept

So many vexing thing this week. Had sent IRD an application form for access code for e-Tax like 2 weeks ago on 16th July. However, after not hearing anything from them after a week, I decided to call and find out the delay. To my horror of horrors, they said they had sent the access code to my australia address.

I was dismayed and asked why was it sent to overseas address instead of the local address I had indicatd on the form's field? The customer service woman didnt know what I was talking about even in cantonese (since her job seem to be something else and she happen to pick up the call.) She was driving me nuts because my partner cannot submit his tax if I do not create an account with the access code. She kept telling me I should set up an e-Tax account. I was driven up the wall. I told her that is EXACTLY what I am trying to do, which is why I am requesting for a code! What the hell did she think I was trying to do? get a password for fun? Moron! Then she asked me to complete another form. For what fuck? I asked her what was the form for, she said it is to declare my tax. I was up to my head and my eye balls are rolling up and down. I told her I am not working for the tax period and have nothing to declare. She paused and then said , you must still fill up the form to declare your tax. I felt like I was talking to an imbecile, either that I was talking to a recorder. I got exasperated and repeated in my uncontrollable loud voice that I just need an access code! I know I was yelling but I couldnt help it after talking to a nonsense person for 15mins and getting no where. Sorry, I have no patience for a conversation that is senseless and not getting thru to thickskull person.

I was bounced off to another tax officer who sounded like I woke him up from sleep. WTF?! No seriously, he really sounded like he was sleeping, and even his slow reatction time to everything i say (twice) gave me the feeling he was napping. Again, I explained my situation and he hardly gave any reply. Then he said he will check and get back to me. 2 hours later, I received a call from a 3rd tax department person. Now he sounded brighter and more cheery, which gave me hope.

I think sometimes, just looking and listening to a person will give you a measure of the person's intellgence....you dont even need to conduct any IQ test. The brillance of the brain is sometimes reflected in their face. If a person looks and sound stupid, be sure half the time, they ususally are. if a person look bright and brillant, they probably are too. And if a person looks like a sleazeball, without doubt, he will be.

Anycase back to my posted application form. This 3rd person talked to me and said that I need to fill in some ird form to apply for an account. I nearly died. I told him I dont need to apply for an account since i already know my tax payer account number from my last tax file return form, and I only need the password. Why is it that difficult to be understood. Plus I said, I have already mailed in the access code application form, why do I have to fill in so many other form. This tax officer was quick and he asked "U have mailed in the access code form? or then you are right, you dont have to fill up the other form. But did you indicate your current address?"

If it wasnt for the fact that he sounded smarter than his peers, I would have snapped. Of course I have indicated my address. the field is on the form isnt it? What kind of idiotic applicant would be able to source out the correct request form, and NOT fill in the necessary information? Gheeesss... why are people around me soooo damn slow, or are they use to dealing with idiots so they have to downgrade their thot process?

Anycase, he was quick this one, so he said he will check but to date, he did not see my mailed in form. My dear lord, after a week plus, and they didnt get my form? The tax dept screwed up or the post office? He promised to check and call me back. I didnt want to waste more time, and asked if i could play safe and fax a copy to him for immediate processing whule he search for the mailed in form. He said ok.

The next morn, he even called me and update me that he really cannot find the mailed in form but he got my fax and its being processed now. Relieved...finally a competent soul. In the afternoon, a 4th person called me and another lady updated me again. She was pretty good too this one. So now i know, half of the staff are incompetent, but the saving grace is that the other half are good.

So now after 2 days, I am still waiting for my pin to come in. If I dont get it by tomorrow, something is really fishy. Oh well, I have done what I can, all i can do now is wait. peace out

Singapore airlines, not that great way to fly

Had a lunch and dinner appointment with my gf who was in town for a visit. She was griping about the horrid airline food on United Airlines and we started to veered off to comparing airlines.

She told me her fav airline is still Singapore airlines. I beg to differ. For the last 2 years or so, I havent had excellent service from SQ staff for ages. I am refering to both ground staff and the flight attendants. I will state upfront that the service isnt bad, it isnt rude but it isnt impressive either. In fact, my recent flight to Maldives on board SQ left a rather bitter taste.

In all the flights I had taken, Singapore airlines is the FIRST renowned airline to inform me they do not have Chinese tea. More correctly, they ran out of Chinese tea after serving me one miserable half cup of tea.

After several months since Oct'09, I still didnt know which bug me more.
The unprofessional way service was rendered, or the glaring fact that the airline didnt even bother to stock enough CHINESE tea on a flight which was 90% ethnic Chinese, out of which 80% were CHINA Chinese. This is given that the airline KNEW perfectly well the demographics of the passengers onboard for that day. The story went like this....

The bad impression starts with the very slow check in and the very brusque way the staff informed us to board the plane. When lunch was served, I had asked for Chinese tea which is a pretty normal request onboard Cathay Pacific. The attendant looked alittle surprised at the request but politely told me to wait. It took them say 15mins after 2 reminders to get me my chinese tea.

As I had mentioned earlier, most of the passengers were Chinese nationals. Apparently they had some honeymoon package and these people were on couple tour to Maldives. After my meal, they begun their rounds to serve English tea. When it reached me, I asked for Chinese tea but was told in a manner that "I am too busy to deal with u" tone that she will get back to me.

After about 10mins wait, this senior male attendant came to me and said rather loudly in accented Singlish while waving that container of English tea :"Sorry ah, we ran out of Chinese tea. English tea lah, same lah, still tea."

It took me a few seconds for the Singlish to sink in, and another few seconds for the "running out of tea" fact to be digested. "You ran out of Chinese tea?" I repeated. Seeing my puzzled and disbelieving look (I believed him, I just didnt expect them not to have tea) , the senior male flight attendant mistook my expression and continued nonchalantly:

"Aiya you know hor, this flight got so many Chinese people, so we dont have so much tea to give to people. Everyone want Chinese tea, so no more. Finished! So you want? Can? English tea ok for you?" He smiled and talk to me like I was some dense 10year old kid.

I smiled and declined the English tea but he didnt seem to think what the deal was. English tea, Chinese tea, all the same. I had to decline his offer twice.

Just when the incident of "no more Chinese tea" was fast becoming history, I was awakened by 4 flight attendants going to almost each row with a trolley cart decked with boxes. Overhearing and seeing the passengers open the box filled with cake, I discovered it was a gesture of "personal touch" to these china honeymoon couples congratulating them on their honeymoon/ marriage.

I think that was what pissed me off.

Considering the SQ team had prior knowledge that this is a flight packed with ethnic Chinese judging from the volume of all these preprepared "cake gifts", why didnt the team have the same common sense to take into account of our beverage preference? If SQ truly pride herself as one of the top airlines, trying to convince money payers that they are the great way to fly with, I would expect SQ to pay more attention to passenger needs -considering the dietary habits of Chinese people and prepare more Chinese tea.

I am not asking for gourmet tea, I am just asking for normal tea. Hell, I am not even asking for things not commonly served on board. How ironical it is, not to focus more about your regular passengers with good service, instead trying to pull off your marketing gimmicks with the goodwill cakes? What was even more like a slap to SQ face was that, the china nationals (seated around me) were also complaining about not being served Chinese tea. Apparently, I am not the only one who was sorely disappointed by this major SQ service oversight.

If this had been united airline or emirates or any European airlines, I would perfectly understand the flight not stocking any or sufficient Chinese tea. However Singapore airlines, should know better. If Cathay Pacific can serve BOTH english and Chinese tea, why couldnt Singapore airline do the same? What is worse, is to have the male attendant trying to blame the shortfall on the high number of Chinese nationals on board. The way he was talking to me was ...utterly like some uncle selling tea in coffeeshop. Eeeewwk, what happen to the quality of SQ flight attendants?

The ironical thing is that, if SQ had not prepared those cakes with the matching couples' names, I prob wouldnt be this miffed. At least I could delude myself into believing that they genuinely did not have any idea on the demographics of the passengers to anticipate this increase demand for chinese tea.

It is not a life and death situation I know.
It's just tea I know.
However, it is precisely details like this that distinguishes between a good airline, from a GREAT airline. Disappointingly, SQ is definitely has proven in this case not to be the latter.

Oh how far has our mighty SQ fallen from grace since the early glory days....

2nd episode with fu-ck up DELL

2 days in a row now that dell has completely ruined my day. what a fucking useless company, not to mention super irresponsible cooperation.

I have effectively wasted 3hours of my time today, just to be redirected from one person to another, one number to another, because all of them are too incompetent to resolve a simple problem. which is, the office 2007 cd they had sent me is corrupted and cannot be used. ALL THEY NEED TO DO IS RESEND ME A NEW CD.

BUT HELL NOOOOOOO... these fucking bastards decide to make my life hell. Of coz the sales department said its not their issue, and refered me to technical department. Technical department was even more useless, he suggested for me to reformat my whole new PC. I lost my patience after 1.5hrs and finally screamed at him. I know i shouldnt but I really snapped at this whole incredulous situation.

WHAT HAS A CORRUPTED OFFICE CD got to do with reformatting my whole harddisk. I am not IT IGNORANT TO THE DEGREE I CANNOT DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN A FAULTY CD VS A FAULTY HARDDISK.

So the technical guy then said since its the cd, it is out of his scope and bounced me back to the sales. The sales staff couldnt care less and ask me to call the complaint hotline, else to call microsoft since the cd is shipped from them. I told her the cd is NOT from microsoft because it has this lame homesticker and not a proper microsoft cd. I have worked with thousands of microsoft cd and partners in volume licensing, i know how an authentic MS CD SHOULD LOOK LIKE.

Anycase, i called microsoft. finally an efficient company that speaks english too. The girl explained to me that the cd isnt from microsoft which is exactly what I had suspected. What I had is a medialess activation key which is for preinstalled trial office version. I told her I knew as that was what I had been trying to explain to those nincompoops at DELL. They are just too dense to understand me. So the lady told me to download the trial software from microsoft website instead. However, if i want a backup copy i have to pay extra. If not, I have to call back DELL about my fault cd. So back to ground zero to talk to those fucking imbeciles again from DELL.

I called back the sales person in charge of my order and she lamented she cannot do anything. I asked her why is it sooo difficult to just resend me a new cd, she said she is not responsible. So she asked me to call the customer feedback hotline, or so called under the pretext of customer care. CARE my granny's arse. If they care, I wont be in this huge bubbling state of anger and grief.

I called the customer hotline again, by now, 3 hours have passed.
I was told to wait. The line was busy. To wait again.
Then a girl called and said she will logged my case but because it is NEAR KNOCKING OFF TIME, she asked me to call back tomorrow instead to discuss the case.

Is this really customer care?
Is this really DELL's way of treating their customer.
Is this really the way to do business?

I am so fedup that I can really murder someone.
I have never been so angry for continuously few hours in a stretch before in my life. Not even when I was working and dealing with lesser intellect people.

Dell way of handling their customer is shamelessly money driven.
If I can get hold of Micheal Dell, I would give him a good piece of my mind.

DELL [HK] is useless and i hate their service

After coming back from TAIPEI, my days are crammed pack back to back.

So I was truly annoyed with the crappy service from Dell. Their service has hit rock bottom SINCE 2006 and CURRENTLY, they are totally, utterly unacceptable, deplorable and disgraceful. Whatever happened to MICHEAL DELL's biz model in HK has apparently been chucked out of the window and now leaving me as their customer disgustingly pissed off.

Not only did they fail to inform their customer about zero inventory for the monitor, they even lie about expected date of delivery, and when quizzed, acted nochalant and replied they have no idea how long it will take for the monitor to be shipped. All these lying just to secure an order, DELL, YOUR HK STAFF ARE SHITTY. Go fire them all including the managers and hire new people who appreciate their jobs more.

To top it off, the staff / our account exec is so incompetent that she not only mess up our orders, she didnt even relay the correct mobile contact to the delivery guys such that we couldnt synchronise a proper delivery date when the monitor was ready. She took off for her annual leave without proper handover, and the delivery guys made me wait from 6pm -10pm without appearing. Then without warning, the delivery guy appeared at my doorsteps unscheduled, expecting me to hang ard to accept delivery, thus making me late for my class. I was truly annoyed and the whole unpleasant experience with DELL ruin my day.

This is possibily the last time i will purchase any more desktop from DELL [HK]. i didnt even want to buy from them in the first place but my husband insisted, thinking it is the most hassle free. DELL [HK] IS NOT HASSLE FREE, THEY ARE A BUNCH OF INCOMPETENT NITWITS.

So if you have a choice, dont ever buy anything from Dell. THEIR SERVICE IS ATROCIOUS,
because they outsource everything, and i mean EVERYTHING to different 3rd parties. The software, the monitors, the pc all comes in different pieces, different dates, without coordination. The staff are rude and also very very very very unprofessional and non service oriented.

DELL deserve to slump and wind up for good if this is the way they continue to run their business in hong kong. They absolutely deserve to fail.

Dentist..what an "eye-ful"

My life is often a magnet of "incredulous" freak incidents that makes myself laugh, if not others. Something as simple as a trip to the dentist can evolve into a story to be blogged...

The sensitivity in my teeth area on the left has heightened in the early 2 weeks of Jan. I wasnt too sure why except I suddenly experience mild gum bleeding. Upon closer inspection and "poking" with my finger, I noticed that one particular upper molar has exposed dentine due to receding gum line and hence causing me the mild discomfort during brushing. Wanting a professional to take a closer look at it, I booked myself an appointment with dentist. Yes, I belong to the strange category where I have absolutely no fear or squirmish about seeing a dentist. I quite fancy the thought of someone cleaning and scalding the plague in between the teeth actually and reduce the staining from regular tea consumption.

Dental care in Hong Kong is very very expensive. A normal routine care in Singapore averages about $75 or more (depending on where you go, i go to NTUC dentist). In Hong Kong, my recent visit cost me a whopping HK$1000 (about SG$200). However that is not my main story.

What was really funny was how I went to the dentist to get my sensitivity checked, and ended up teary with blood-shot eye. That wasn't the way I had anticipated, having one pain over-riding the other :)

You see, the dentist was ok, but his nurse aid was terrible. She is a Flippino but inexperience from the way she fumble around. Even when the dentist was taking teeth x-ray for both sides, he had to tell her "COME ON, what u doing, where is the other film?" Apparently, she just passed him film and forgot the other and stood there dreaming.

The diagonsis is that my teeth are in perfect condition. My dentist is an Australian. One look and he guessed correctly I must be from singapore because he shared that back in the early years in 70s -80s, Singapore govt copied the New Zealand Dental care. So in primary school, we had nurses to inspect and fill our molar to prevent cavitiies. I think what surprised me was more like how our govt back then already took such initiatives from overseas to care for our oral health, than letting them rot. I rem having to visit school dentist at least once a year till I finished high school. The slip of white card from the nurse was like time off from class. My fav times.

Anycase, he said judging from my oral condition, I was told I am prob one of the unfortunate few who probably didnt need those silver filling that makes it look really hideous but they were there to be preventive measures.

As he progressed to polish my teeth, the nurse was fumbling around holding the suction tubing in my mouth. She must be bloody daydreaming because she clashed with the dentist's polishing instrument and the water spray, resulting in minute grain of polish landing into my right eye! Oh fuck that hurts!

I immediately sat up, much to the surprise of the dentist. I couldnt blink nor open my eye as the grain was in the eye. I couldnt yell or talk because my mouth was still halfway in progress with the washing stuff. I spit it out and reach for the cup, which was left EMPTY because the dumb nurse didnt bother to fill it up for me to gargle. I had to gesture madly for her before the slow witted one still did not realise. I pointed to the sink on my left divided by the cup holder (and the tap), gesturing i need to wash my eye. The right hand side was block by my dentist and the instruments.

I couldnt really talk because the grainy stuff was in my mouth and i didnt want to risk swallowing. The not very bright nurse noticed I wanted the sink but she just stood there like a moron and not making any effort to make way for me. I pointed to my eye and the sink and she went repeating thrice "oh she wanted water!" but she did NOTHING. I wanted to murder her.

The dentist of course asked what happened? I got fed up of waiting and yelled "MY EYEEEEEEEE!!!" , shoved the cup divider thing and the useless nurse out of the way, jumping off the chair and headed straight for the sink to wash my eye with the tap.

When I was finally done, I could finally explain the washing stuff splashed into my eye. The dentish was concerned of course saying such a thing had never happened before. When I settled back into my seat, he insisted on taking a look at my eye. So 2 nurses (the older nurse came in hearing all teh commotion) and the dentist crowded near into my face with the bright shining light beaming into my eyes as well. It reminded me of X-FILES really, when the aliens want to dissect me....

I stretched out my hand to block the light from my eye. The slow witted nurse moved the light and the dentist snapped at her "I NEED THE LIGHT TO SEE!" before she moved it back in position.

So my ordeal continues, with the dentist proclaiming there are tissues caught under my lower eye lid (used to dry my eye earlier after rinishing the grain out). He insisted we must removed them even though I feel no discomfort. So the more experienced and older Filippino nurse decided to use a cotton bud to wipe it while the dentist forces my eye to remain open. GOD its awful!!!

My eye was pierced by the bright light, and dry from the air, and someone poling at it to rid the tissue. I was thrashing quite a bit and screamed "OUCH OUCH.. my eye, MY EYE!!!!!" Suddenly I laughed too because the whole scene was too ridiculous and funny. I said to the dentist "Would I be scaring your other patients away?" haaa" He said not to worry, my eye ordeal continues....

After several minutes and prob 5-6 attempts, when I shouted "Its enough stop!!!" The nurse exclaimed "I got it!!!" WHat a relief.

When the brushing was completed, I went outside to make my payment. The dentist came out and asked if I was really alright. I told him I was fine before heading to the loo to check out my poor eye. Funny how my teeth doesnt hurt but my eye is tearing....

The mirror reflection shows a poor right eye to be blood shot of course. Otherwise its fine. When I return, the dentist asked me again if everything was fine. I replied "I feel like a rabbit now" (refering to my pink eye) The dentist broke into a laugh and went back to his work. The slow witted nurse laughed too but then before I stepped out, asked me "Why a rabbit?" If she doesnt get it, so what on earth was she laughing earlier?

I just smiled and left without elaboration, saving my last breath for myself....

Experience with Hotel Intercontinnental Singapore

I bet I forgot to mention about my stay in intercontinental hotel.

My gf had a wedding there and she suggested that I could book my stay through her hotel coordinator to get some hotel discounted rate. So I emailed the staff to query about the room and type of room. At the same time, I checked the hotel website.

The "discounted" rate I got was SG$280++ (excluding tax etc) whereas the website was advertising the "AVERAGE" rate as SG$240++ under their luxury weekend package. You will NOT be able to see the individual daily breakdown rate until you book the room on the website. So I queried the staff as to why the discounted rate was actually MORE expensive than the internet (I expected it to be on par), if it was a different room or if its because its breakfast included.

The email reply I received annoyed me. Apart from describing the sort of rooms the hotel has, her parting shot was "You can book the room from internet." to my query on the rates discrepancy. So much for singapore "hotel service" and their so call wedding discount rates for guests.
I didnt want to hassle the bride with the issue so I went ahead to book the room via the internet. After confirmation, the rate stands at SG270++. However, I noticed the sunday rate was actually about $90 more expensive and I didnt have a say as to whether I want to accept that sunday stay because I couldnt see the daily breakdown rate AT ALL until the confirmation page!

When I saw the bride the day before the wedding, she told me something that surprised me. She said the website is more expensive because the average rate only applies to ONE ADULT PER ROOM. So the hotel actually charges extra $$ for another guest in the room, to a max of 3 adult per room. I said I saw the additional head count charge in very very fine print but I thought it was for the 3rd adult but she confirmed it was "as of 2nd guest".

I went back to read my confirmation printout and indeed, there is a SG$30 surcharge for the room. So that is why my room is SG$270+++. Although I was fine with the room rate, I think the whole internet booking with interconntinental is messy and website so illogically designed. Isnt it better to display the rate as "Single", "Twin Sharing" "Triple Sharin" under different room types to give a clearer room rate? Also, why have a Average rate displayed without showing the daily actual rate? I find the website deliberately misleading....

Anycase when i appeared in person at check in, the staff mentioned my whole stay including sunday is charged at $270++. I didnt ask why the internet booking stated otherwise but I am not about to question about a cheaper rate. I did ask about hotel discounted guest rate for the wedding and I was told that "my current rates" are actually better. Great. It proves my point that the hotel coordinator was not doing her job indeed. I questioned about possible late check out and they said it was impossible because the week is full of guests for conference.. ok...

Overall check in impression, the staff at check in were very polite and efficient, including the bell boy who brought my luggage up. So far so good....

The rooms in the hotel is spacious enough but I think the interior needed an overhaul. The wall paper are getting pretty old and dull looking. I could also spot dust at corners. The worse was that the bed mattress are so old that I can feel 2 sunken body shape on both sides.... Time to change their mattress.

The beds are not uncomfortable, but I just didnt like being "confine" in a mould that is so significant. I didnt like the shades either. The window are already pretty narrow by hotel standards and yet the stupid designer decide to place 2 pieces of blackout shade that is divided in the middle instead of a one piece blackout shade . Both the layers refuse to interlay over each other desoite my best effort and so we keep having day light shining through the gap every morning. Didnt help when the chambermaid keep pulling the curtains open everyday.

And the weirdest thing, the hair dryer is outside the bathroom and so if someone is sleeping, you will bound to wake up the person since there is no door to act as sound buffer. very strange design if u ask me.

Oh please do NOT eat at Olive Tree restauarant. Service is horrendous, lousy and worse, we saw roaches crawling at the breakfast table where the bread are. My husband even saw a tiny crocroach crawling in and out of the tooaster! Yucks!!!

Singapore cab fares are pirate fare

Anycase, my husband birthday dinner surprise was a surprise in itself. The cab driver ripped us off and didnt even deliver us close to the venue despite my best efforts in giving him the address and a printed PICTURE map with road names and building names. The whole incident left a bad taste in my mouth. How big can singapore be that the driver doesnt even know where he is going. Plus the restuarant was at fort canning, he is telling me he didnt even know how to get there?! Then go be a bloody bus driver instead please!

Worse of all, from intercon-hotel to the venue should be a 5-10mins drive but obviously the very lousy cab driver dropped us off a completely wrong venue. In addition i have to pay a fucking $10 for a wrong ride! $4.5 for meter, $3 for city pick up, $2.5 for 35% peak hour surcharge, erp and dunno what other shit charges. So in total, SINGAPORE CAB DRIVER ROB ME OF $10 and not even reaching the destination.

When i told the driver that he was on the wrong route, he actually did a Dangerous REVERSING ON THE MAIN ROAD IN CITY!!! There were cars behind him and had to swerve to the next lane! What an idiot!!! I had to yell at him to STOP doing what he was doing!!! I was so pissed and felt so endangered that I demanded to be let off the cab by the side even though it was not the destination. I RATHER WALK in my heels than risk dying with that errant cab driver!!!

Maybe I am too nice, I still threw the $10 for my fare before stomping off. At that moment, I really was evil enough that I actually wish he would crash his cab and lose his revenue for the next whole week while his cab is in service. Seriously, if he doesnt know where he is going, then dont tell me he know and didnt bother to check the street directory. Then again, he probably doesnt know how to read map since the one i printed and showed him didnt get me to the right place either.

I was fuming when he even dare to ask for fuel surcharge. Then he saw my face and let it go.

SINGAPORE CAB Companies are like robbers. When the petrol barrel price went up, they said they needed a "FLEXIBLE" fuel surcharge to offset the cost. Now the petrol prices has come down for SOME TIME now, yet the taxi companies still has yet to remove the fuel surcharge. Come on! Even airlines like SQ has LONG reduced the fuel tax! SO what makes singapore taxi so special that their fuel surcharge should continue?!

And peak surcharge, what a joke. In this recession climate, what peak hour? Everyone is tightening their belt now. I think taxi companies are just a greedy P&L bunch abusing the monopoly they have over us. And now they want to install cab camera to protect drivers? So what should I pay for my own safety camera surcharge too?? Yeah Pirates. Enjoy your own Comfort. I am sticking to my train and bus. When we left the restaurant, we persisted to walk to cityhall and take the train instead. We will not be taking anymore cabs for that night!

Useless Singapore standard chartered bank customer service

Some of the customer service staff in Standard Chartered Bank Singapore fking deserves 2 tight slap. For something as simple as getting my address and mobile updated, they simply couldnt get it right after 4 times. If these are not morons, I have no other idea what constitute a moron.

1. Firstly, I SNAIL MAIL my change of address in mid August. Using the "CHANGE of ADDRESS" form (the back of your payment slip). I mailed it the same time as DBS, and UOB.

2. I emailed to their customer service email posted on their website after a week. NO RESPONSE AT ALL.

2. I called the customer service on 28th August to query on my particulars update. It was not done. So assuming that the mail was delayed due to all the typhoon seasons, I requested the update via the customer service

Now, the customer service staff is either from china or someone who apparently could not differentiate her alphabets. First of all, she couldnt seem to understand a word I say, and she has bloody halting English. I am not sure if she is from china or what but she definitely sounds chinese and her stuttering got me worried. SO i REPEATED MY ADDRESS FOUR TIMES to her. Spelling every letter and number out for her. I had a premonition she would screw it up.

I was told i need to wait for 4 workin days.

3. After a week, I received update from DBS and UOb but nothing from standard chartered.
I called the customer service line again. This time, another guy pick up. I asked about teh change of address and read it to him. He said the address has already been updated and now it is shown as HK address. I asked about my mobile and it still was NOT updated. So i request for it to be updated. Again, I was told to wait for another 4 days.

4. This is the end of the 3rd week. Tonight I called the customer service asking why isnt my mobile updated. Hence I couldnt so any internet banking.

The girl, who is definitely a malay and could speak DECENT english asked to check my address. TO MY SHOCK and HORROR, my address was TOTALLY WRONG! Only my block number and building was correct. The district and the UNIT NUMBER was all wrong! How could that moron get "A" for apple mistaken for "E" for elephant? IS that china sounding woman stupid or what?????

Then to my next horror, this girl read my mobile number and it is STILL THE WRONG NUMBER! So what the fuck has the 2 earlier standard chartered service officers been doing? The china sounding one DREAMING and the chinese male officer busy wanking off over the phone???

My 3rd horror? This customer service girl said I had changed my address over the last 2 MONTHS. WTF??!!! I informed her that the last change was LAST JULY in 2007 not 2008. That is A YEAR AGO, not 2 months. How could standard chartered bank singapore screw up so badly?

I wanted to know who was the bitch who updated my address wrongly the first time but i was told there is no records of name. I do not believe it but really, the service is appalling!!!!! This is the first time i have such bad service from std chartered.

So no service from customer service. This last call had the staff calling to apologise profusely for the mistakes of her two other imbecile colleagues who couldnt speak a word of english. I know I shouldnt bring race in but I really am glad I got a malay officer this time whom I can at least trust to know her english and letters knowledge.

Really, if you do not speak decent english, then you really shouldnt be manning the phone. It is indeed only stupid HR that employ stupid people.

I cannot believe UOB, DBS, CITIBANK can get it right but standard chartered have such a bunch of losers doing their customer service. I really do not know where some of these people come from....

IS it really just my string of bad luck or someone else also have to spit saliva at these people who are just asking to be yelled at?

真想把他们杀了！

I want to throttle somebody's neck. I want to swear at that Australian imbecile but I cannot. I want to bitch slap that moron but I cannot.

一堆废物，垃圾，蠢猪，白吃，混蛋，没脑，烂材，王八的东西。真的是世界最最最没有用的一群饭桶。我快要受不了他们的服务态度了！真令人不敢驹同。真希望他们的金济跨掉，这一堆没用不可雕的朽木来个没饭吃才会学的积极点！拜托！可不可以不要以你们的懒散再令我烦恼了！

The only bright spark...

Now that I got my partial frustrations vented, I needed to commend this PCCW sales guy Bryan as well. I was just lucky that I got him really over the phone.

The first time I reached him was with the intention of checking the process of applying for landline, internet and cable TV. It was 8pm and honestly I didnt expect anyone to service a sales call that late. Surprisingly, Bryan picked up my call and explained many details to me, and warning of the terms & conditions. He even spent alot of time to fit and select suggested programs options for me to pick and choose. It was 9.30pm by then and we were both hungry. He asked if he could go for dinner first and i was more than willing as I needed on myself. He promised to call back at 10.30pm and he did!

When all was settled, he gave me his direct line if I needed any help. Thankfully he did as I encountered much problems.

My landline started getting spam fax calls at night. I called Bryan and he suggested several options.

The second day, I realised my cable TV problems and I called Bryan again. He was so helpful that he linked me up with the (useless) technical customer service line.

The problem was not solved and I left a voice message when I couldnt get through the technical line after 2 hours myself. I was hoping he had some internal numbers... which he didnt. He was sympathetic to my plight and promised to help. He returned my call later after 1.5hours stating he couldnt get through either and will try the next morning. he actually apologised. He was the sales guy and his after sales service was impressive. I apologised for the constant trouble but he was a perfect gentleman about it.

The next day the technical people called me and I tried not to bother Bryan any more. He had been most helpful, and the only person as far who had decent English. Unfortunately, he was the only bright spark in my whole encounter with PCCW. What a shame there isnt more like him.
Still, I am constantly grateful for his help...

Problem with PCCW mobile SIM card

If the PCCW cable TV wasn't enough to aggravate me, the PCCW mobile phone service also decided to have a go at me.

They gave me this free mobile SIM card with a really nice easy number due to my land line subscription. I knew nothing for free would turn out easy for me. My hunch was right, even though the root cause is not entirely PCCW fault to be fair. Still, it caused me a stomach full of anger.

The sim card was suppose to be activated on 25th august according to the letter. Expecting things to go wrong as they always will, I didnt bother to try it till 26th august. As expected, the hp displayed "SIM card rejected" message. Great.

Spend an hour on the phone for customer service. In the end, I was told to go to the PCCW shop to change a SIM card. I went to the one near Times Square. This is when my grief started.

The shop had these 2 guys. One with relatively white hair and the other with a asking to be smacked face. Previously I already had a bad service attitude from them when I dropped by to activate my international service for my landline. The customer service asked me to register with the shop and these two fucking idiots was trying to tell me i must call the customer service to activate it. I have to explain like fucking 5 times that i was TOLD to come to the shop before they decided to check their fking computer.

This time for my SImcard problem, they changed my SIM card and asked me to sign the replacement form. Before I signed, I queried what happened if the sim card is still rejected. Either they are blatantly STUPID or just plain lazy, they said to check 2 hours later and "HOPE" it work. I told them that wasnt my question. I said what happened if it didnt work, the 2 idiots said alot of irrelevant things and just wanted me to sign the form so they can chased me away since i was not "revenue" contributing to them. The gist of their words were "not my problem, do not look for me." Finally they even implied it would be a phone problem and to bring to Nokia. One of the idiot was giving me the high and mighty attitude when I just mentioned what a pain to have to wait for 2 hours to know if the SIM card work. He started to berate me and condemn every country that is worse than HK and proudly stated he lived in Australia and that it would take 4-6 hours to get mobile to work in Australia. I rolled my eyes and asked him how ancient ago was that?! He didnt reply. Instead, he insisted HE KNEW BEST.
I was really pissed with his attitude. I told him it was rubbish. My husband Vodaphone card in Sydney worked immediately once we purchased it. The PCCW staff insisted he is right. WHATEVER. Didnt want to argue publicly with a bloody loser like him. I have better class than that. However that doesnt mean I cannot bitch about him in my blog.

If he had been that great in Australia and so super knowledgable, his English wont be that "fantastically and impressively" hideous, nor would he be back in HK being a sales guy in PCCW in a shop. Don't get me wrong. It is not the job nature, it is HIM that I despise. With that sort of arrogance, you expect it from some senior management which obviously he had no material to be of for the REST of his life with that fking attitude of his.

Of course when i went back, the replacement SIm card didnt work. I called the customer service and they suggested for me to try another shop and the guy AGREED that it is unlikely my phone.

So the next day, before I went to any PCCW shop, I dropped by Nokia care to ensure it wasnt my phone problem. Well technically my ph0ne was fine but it appeared the newer SIM cards version may eventually not matched my cellphone software if it has too many functions. So I run a risk of having to buy a new phone even if my current one is in good condition after 3 years.

Well, went to another PCCW shop diagionally opposite Sogo. The service is soooo much better by the 2 ladies and the guy manager there. At least they were helpful to give some advice and that they wont be able to help if the next alternate version of SIM card doesnt work. Just then, their Computer systems went down and she couldnt enter my data into the system. Means I have to wait more than 2 hours.

I asked if she could call me when she gotten round to it and she thankfully she did. Most luckily of all, this replacement SIM card worked! After much hassle, my free SIM card finally worked.

THANK GOD! I think PCCW really dun like me.... giving me so much trouble... Hopefully he is the first and the last jackasss I will encounter in HK.

Bad australia service - Big Pond. (Part 4)

If you are ever signed up with Big Pond (Telstra) for their cable internet, you just pray you never ever have to deal with the almost non existent customer service.

I am not sure if their technical hotline is suppose to be 24/7hrs service. If it is, let me assure you it is a lie. I doubt there is anyone manning the lines after 6pm.

One weekend at 8.30pm, my internet cable connection suddenly dropped and lost. We couldnt get on line for at least 40mins. So I tried calling big pond technical line to find out if there was a network failure and how long it will take.

I called and waited for 45mins, and I got to speak to no one. All I got was an earful of music.
Twice it occured and twice no one ever picks up the line at night. I tried calling the sales line and someone pick up (since its revenue incoming) and of course the guy said he knew nothing nor if there is anyone in the tech dept. This has never happen in Singapore nor HK. The max wait was like 10mins tops.

All these business cost cutting is really not helping. I wonder how can other local people stand it?

Ridiculous policies (Sydney - Part 3)

There is something I do not quite understand about all these Australian Accounts with the water, gas, telstra etc.

I tried to arrange for disconnection on behalf of my husband and I was told I couldnt do anything as the account name was under him. Its very strange since I never had such denial in SIngapore and HK before. I was able to arrange every thing nicely in HK on behalf, and arrange for people to pick up the cable modem etc without a hitch so long I was able to provide the ID number, account number and DOB, as well as a signed letter that signify the termination later after the call.

In Sydney, I tried to enquire if there was any deposits that we need to settle before we leave town and again, the customer services told me they could not reveal that fact as I am not the account holder.

It is all very frustrating. It's like I am not asking how much it is, I am asking for the procedure and they wont even bother to tell me. I really do not understand all these obstacles and checks. The deposit will go back to the account owner anycase and I wont be able to get it in cash, so what's this sense of FALSE Security? And as if I want to cheat that few couple of bucks. Stupid rile. So in the end, my husband had to go through all the loops and waits to do all the termination himself and waste more time on these nitty gritties.

I just think there are alot of wasted and unnecessary and inefficient procedures built in. Is it that difficult to spend 5mins to explain the procedures to me? damn it.

One bad service after another in Australia (Part 2)

Over the weekend, we headed to newcastle being my father in law's birthday. He had requested for a new TV as his present and so my husband and I headed out to the stores to hunt for a 42inch plasma. Our car couldnt fit the box if we had bought it in Sydney so off we go again upon arrival at my in laws place after lunch.

We finally landed ourselves in JB-Hi Fi and since Pioneer no longer produce 42inch plasma, we decide to settle for Panasonic plasma instead as a 50inch TV would be ridiculous. The sales guy told us that Pioneer no longer produce anything lesser than 50inch from now on due to large share market.

Since it was cheaper than Pioneer with simialr qualities, we got the Panasonic and everyone at home was happy that night as all the men at home get to watch the Rugby match Oz vs France at 8.30pm.

However the next morning, we discovered something was wrong with the AV as all the images were whitewashed and snowy. It definitely cannot be our new Panasonic HDD DVD recorder which worked perfectly with the old TV. We tried calling JB Hifi if they are aware of the problems and what are our recourse and of course, they said they promise to call us back after checking and never did after 2 hours.

My husband and I drove down and see if we can get an exchange. This young chap tried to serve us and of course when we mention the problem, he didnt know nuts about it. It's ok since he's a sales and not a technical person, but he said we didnt need any HDCMI cable for sure. Ok so we drove back all the way again with nothing.

Then I enquire about the box not coming with any RCA (the yellow white cables) and the young chap said "Oh the plasma box does not come with any cables since it is supposed to be replacement TV. You need to buy new ones if u need it"

I was stumped. What? a new TV with no cables? This is the FIRST TIME EVER i have heard of anyone spewing such nonsense. I have bought 2 plasma previously in Singapore and even a new Samsung LCD when we got to Sydney and we had never heard of such a statement. So if I am moving to a new home without an old TV, I have to fork out more $$$ for TV cables???? This is absolutely ridiculous!

I do not know if the young sales guy is speaking the truth. I am not sure if its Panansonic worldwide policy not to provide cables, or only in Australia products that doesnt, or the sales guy is just uttering rubbish. I need to get back to HK and ask a TV sales guy to find out.

So now we had to get our brother in law to drive it back and swop for a new one. It was after much haggling and hassling before the customer service agreed to get someone at the JB store to arrange for truck delivery to deliver the exchange TV from another branch to the one near our place. Crazy people if they think I am doing the drive when it wont even fit into my rented car!

One hassles after another... sigh. Not once is anything smooth sailing in Sydney. Not bloody once.

One bad experience after another with Australian service ...

In a way, I am really glad to leave the lousy Australian retail service behind. It has been appalling since I arrived, and it still begs for heaps of improvement now that I am leaving. After my last bad experience with Electrolux customer service who almost sent me the wrong washer transit bolt, here's more cases to top up my list of horrific bad experiences.

Case 1. Mountain Design Ski jacket.
We went shopping the sunday before and got myself a brand new white ski jacket which I had really liked. When I got home, I discovered with dismay on Tuesday that the ski zip was defective. It was stuck and couldnt be tugged free. So I brought it back to the shop on Thursday being late night shopping for an exchange. However because they didnt have anymore on stock, so the guy on duty Steve told me to try it on again as he apparently wasnt so convinced it was defective zip.

I put it on just to show him again the problem I had before he finally accepted the plain fact it was defective. So he called the Chatswood branch to send a new one over. He promised me it will arrived on Monday and he will call me up to pick the jacket. Initially I had wanted a refund since it was defective and I didnt want the hassle of waiting and going back to Bondi Junction, but Steve looked pretty hesitant and told me it will be difficult as they need to send the defective ski back to Brisbane for verification etc. Since I did like that jacket, I guess I could wait till Monday before i Leave Sydney end of the week (which I informe Steve).

Before I left, I asked him if he will be on duty on Monday before deciding to leave my jacket with him. He ASSURED me he will be on duty on Monday.

So here comes monday, I still didnt get any call from Mountain design. I popped in the store in the late afternoon and well, Steve WASNT on duty and neither did he get anyone to followup on his behalf. So No steve, NO jacket. Fucking piss.

I asked the stand in guy about it and he checked and told me to come back tomorrow. Ok fine. One wasted trip. I just do not understand why the retailer staff has so little ownership to their job, as well as a bunch of people whose worths and promises are as worthless as Zimbabwe current currency. Even my toilet rolls are of better worth than their words.

I asked about the refund policy and apparently I CAN get refund since it is a defective product although the stand in guy was very hesitant to say much as he keep saying he wasnt from this branch. My question to him, "What is YOUR COMPANY's POLICY?" It shouldnt matter what branch isnt it? A refund policy should cut across ALL BRANCHES. So i hate it when these people try to screw me around with a bunch of bull. Do they think I am illiterate or ignorant or what? I just about had it with service here. It is moments like this which I wonder if I get all these shit because I am Asian and not white.

So tomorrow I shall see what happens. I honestly wonder, if some of these australians knows what "service" entails.

My last few experience with Sydney Service

With every new move with new items, I learn something new.

Previously I had never moved with my washer and so I didnt know what was involved. Today while doing the premove survey quote, I found out that my Electrolux washing machine is suppose to come with a "Transport Kit - Transit Bolt" that has the pins that keep my Ergo front Loader tumbler in place during the move. Apparently the baboon delivery guys who sent the washer forgot to pass us that! So quickly today, I called the Electrolux customer care and was informed to pay an addtional A$13.50 for the bundle and A$9.55 for postage. I told the lady that I will confirm with my husband to ensure he didnt stash the bolts on his own and that I will call her back later.

Within 2 mins, I called back the customer care and got another lady. I explained the situation to her again, with the information her colleague had given me earlier. To my surprise, she quoted me a much higher price of A$22.95 for the kit, and the A$9.55 for the postage. I told her that the price was different from earlier but she said "I don't know what she quoted you and she is wrong. This is the right price." I was very skeptical and asked her if she is very sure that the bolt is the same for all models, since she never bothered to ask me for my washer model number.

She was alittle indignant and haughty and said that "IT IS THE SAME TRANSIT BOLTS" for the front loader and that its a 3 bundle kit. Since she sounded so confident and since she is afterall the brand's customer care, I placed the order since I didnt want to waste time hunting around not knowing what I should be buying.

After she got all my details, something was still nagging in my head and every cell in my body was screaming that something was not right. I just didnt trust her knowledge. So I causally asked her again "Can u tell me exactly what is in the 3 bundle kit?" She paused and told me to hang on while she checked. This time, she asked me for my washer model.

She put me on hold for a good 5 mins. Then she came back, sounding a little nicer and less gruff than before. She now explained to me that she checked and my washer required a different pin/bolt and so the previous colleague was RIGHT and quoted me correctly. So now she will correct the order price charged.

Was it a relief! What a bloody narrow eascape! It's not the extra $10 saving I am relieved about. It was the fact I saved myself from a potential nightmare!

If she had sent me the wrong bolt for the tumbler, i would have been screwed BIG TIME because it takes 5-6days for the package to reach me, and considering i have to move next thursday, I am cutting it very close already. Imagine if the wrong bolts arrive and I cannot move my washer because of that! I would have died of frustrations! Either that or I will have move my A$1400 washer without the pin to hold the tumbler in place and risked wreaking it, costing another $600-800 to repair it since the warranty is over.

So moral of the story, never trust someone just because she/he thinks they know best especially when it comes to sydney general service. If you think something is amiss, always ask, probe and hassle. For me, my instincts have come to play again and rightly so, I trusted myself to push to ask even if it may seem like I am insulting her for not knowing her job. Hell is, I am proven right, she didnt know. Better to appear "untrusting" than be made a jackass of yourself.

Lack of movie choices

Being accustomed to seeing a variety of movie films from different countries of different languages back in Singapore, it strike me as strange that Sydney doesnt even make an attempt to screen any foreign flick, unless of course if its half blend with bad english conversations made from Hollywood. All other asian countries which are chinese dominated, we seemingly had no issue to screen BOTH foreign and local movies. There is such a technology called "subtitles" for foreign flicks...

So why doesnt Sydney cinemas screen any other movies apart from English movies? I do not recall ever having seen anything that is from Japan, Thailand or Hong Kong Flicks. They certainly have French Festival that screened French flicks for a limited period so something else must be an issue.

There is a whole chinese/Korean community living in Sydney alone, so I do not reckon revenue profits will be the issue... Hence it is hard to comprehend why there isnt greater effort to bring in at least popular foreign flicks with English Subs into this country and screen it on the big screen.

I am not sure if Japan screen Mandarin flicks but even if they do not, it is understandable since they produce their own Japanese movies anyway (which i wont mind watching! haaa haaa). Plus I think they do screen hollywood movies as well so at least they are not how should i say "insensitive".

If I am lucky, I get occassional HK treat on SBS on TV, and having it screen on TV means that they know chinese people exists, so why not the big screens?

I wonder when will any of Kevin Rudd's Chinese/HK son in law's friends start to suggest some changes about the boring movie scene ...hmmm..Afterall, it would do the australians some good too to be exposed to movie making by other talented directors out of the hollywood formula.

My first hand experience of Australia Police service

I need to "Applaud" the service of the Australia Police force. It is only up to this day which I can finally understand all the crap jokes from radio stations and papers etc about how they never really do much...

You see, this is my first hand encounter.

I had to get some finger printing done and be mailed overseas. After being well immersed into the "australian" service culture, I am smart enough not to assume anything now, especially if it has anything to improve my quality of time. So before I hoped on a train, I googled and call the downtown station and asked if they indeed provide such a service.

To my "surprise", I was politely informed that I need to get the service from the police station that served my suburban. The fact that I do not drive makes it hassle to go to the "designated" office and so i tried my luck, asking if i could just go to the one in townhall (city area). The response was "No. Otherwise everyone will come to city station and we will have to do the job for other stations." THAT honesty surprises me. So much for "PUBLIC SERVICE" at THEIR convenience. Knowing how "calculative" and clear the line was, I didnt push it and asked for the service charges and other procedures.

Afterall, one must now know, nothing is free in Australia. NO PUBLIC SERVICE is free. I was informed, its costs A$42 for some guy to take my print.

WTF right? $42 for fingerprints? Ok, so i asked if i needed 2 sets, is it $42 for whole process or $42 x2sets. I was told $42 for the whole set. Not willing to believe, i called the station at Rosebay that serves my district and I was informed the same. I was told to bring cash.

The next day, I went to the bus terminal, waited for 40mins for a bus, that brings me to my Rosebay police station. Bus ride = 7mins.

When I went in, the police constable now tell me it cost $42 EACH set, so i have to pay a whopping A$64 for my fingerprints done. All this, just to prove I have no criminal records in singapore and Hong Kong for my visa application.

Great, the story doesnt end there. Being prepared for such australian surprises, i took out A$65. The police guy looked at me and said, "Sorry, we do not have change. It has to be exact." Now, no one told me that when i called the 2 stations.

I dug my wallet and no luck, i didnt have $4 coins. So I asked him "Do you have $5 on u that I can break for change?" The guy didnt even bother to check his wallet and said "No can't do." My annoyance was rising as u can tell. So i asked him if he could check with this non uniformed idling woman behind the table, seeming his boss or colleague. He paused with strained look and said "Its her call." I said "can you check at least?"

The constable asked and without even looking through her bag, she said no without looking up from whatever she was reading. I was pissed. So the constable said "Well you have to come back another day" What the fk right? To him, I have a choice, either i forgo the extra $1, or come back another day. There were no shops nearby. I said tersely " You are not giving me any options are you?" The police guy shrugged his shoulder as if to tell me its really not his job to help me at all.

I walked out, crossed the road and asked the lady waiting for a bus to change my $5 into coins. I absoluetly refuse to be ripped by the police anymore than necessary. In 30 secs, I walked back into the Rosebay Police station. The guy looked almost weary that he finally had to do some work instead of idling under the fan. His stupidity didnt end there by the way.

After taking my fingertip prints, THEN he told me he need to take my palm, the whole fingers print. I was pissed because I had my ring band on and I wasnt going to dirty it. Thanks for advance notice cop! I said, could u help me take off the ring. He went "oops. i didnt realise u had a ring." Great, after holding my hand for the last 5 mins, you didnt even notice such detail even after i told u i was married. What a great sleuth you are. So i said impatiently to him, just use the tape and cover the inked fingers. He didnt get it. I had to DEMONSTRATE to the police guy, on using the tape to tape over my printed finger tip before sliding the ring out. The guy actually went "OOOOOHHHH..that is a SMART IDEA" I rolled my eyes and snapped "Well that was what i was paid to do in my old jobs, solve problems."

As we progressed to the palm, he obviously had problem trying to get the table-taped black ink paper to coverd my palm. Pretty obvious isnt it why. My palm is fleshy and there is a vaccum in the middle part and no matter how hard he tried to press my palm down, the ink wont catch.

I got fed up and without even bothering to explain the solution, i started removing the taped black ink paper off the table. The police guy started protesting and said "no No no...." until i stared at him in the eye, slapped the ink paper onto my palm and PRessed the paper ONTO my palm. Presto. My palm is black with ink. He went "OH" and went quiet. I think I have demonstrated my point pretty clearly. And what pisses me off, I am paying A$64 for a bunch of morons to WATCH me take my prints. Afterthat, it was another 30mins wait for the bus to take me home.

Thanks Australia Police. You really know how to brighten my day. By the way, I google their website and there was absolutely no information on finger print service nor the actual correct cost. I could have been cheated by the police for all i know.

I am not being smug. I am just being disappointed at the service provided, not forgetting the ridiculous charge. When i relate this story to my Oz friends, my guy friend told me. "Day to day, you probably have been lucky to be in contact with the population which is representive of 10% of the ice berg above the water, welcome to the 90% of stupid people below the water."

Hong Kong and pretty faces!

Wednesday, August 17th, 2005

Went shopping during weekend and I realised one major difference between HK and SG. Pretty faces. No i’m serious. HK stores are filled with good looking, young, engergetic staff! *okie, but the taxi drivers there are really old and grumpy in comparison*

Everywhere in HK in different malls (eg: restaurants, lingerie stores, shoes stores, boutique etc), i am always greeted chirpily by either a really pretty gal or guy. Some are not like super dashing but at least their smile is pretty captivating and they are always eager to serve. They dun follow you like some forlon puppy, nor do they throw you dirty looks (esp when you dress in t-shirts). They dun aim to judge, they aim to serve. It was utterly refreshing!!!

Plus the fact they are young, they are such a burst of energy. I guess i’m just abit tired from being served by grumpy aunties in their thirties or forties back home here, or some young partimers who are just out to make a quick buck…Sometimes a visually delightful (non snobbish) face with good product knowledge makes a difference to how long i wanna stay in a shop! heh…

Incientallt, I went to Hugo Boss on sun looking for a pair of shoes i saw in HK. Not only do they NOT carry the fantastic design which was a complete sold out in HK, our stores here were stocked with crappy canvass like shoes. I asked the sales gal and she said there isnt such a design. I feel like slapping her when she kept insisting there wasnt such a design and i was mistaken. Hello miss, i just came back from HK, dun tell me there are no such designs. Just tell me you guys dun carry cool funky designs in sg and store only the boring cheap looking stuff that looks a suspicious duplicate looking from Timberland.

Its just irritating at times when sales simply keep telling me I’m wrong. If i could have my way, i could have told her "Go to HK Miss Snob and open your HUGE eyes and look beyond your Nose", which of coz i didnt. Being the "nice" customer as i was, i just walked out and simply refuse to spend a penny in places that has horrid sales service.

PS: incidentally, the only two stores in sg that has 100% chirpy and helpful staff at all times are Giordano and Anges B! *Applause*