I swear that you learn new things everyday! There’s always some fresh experience or an exasperating circumstance that is just WAITING to happen.
Why just last Sunday, my siblings and I went out to Atria, a small mall near our place, to have some dinner at Nandos. My siblings were responsible for picking the place because to begin with, I wasn’t even hungry.
But I’ve always been told to eat regular meals, so I relented. As we stepped in, we could see industrious workers zooming about getting the tables re-set and serving customers. We sat down like we always did, read the menu like we always did, and made our pick.
“I want a half chicken, doused with spicy Nando sauce,” my brother croaked, to which the obliging waitress replied “Okay, okay, boleh…”
“Could I please have the children’s set meal which is a quarter of a chicken please ma’am,” said my brown-nosing sister, and again, the waitress complied, but unimpressed with my sister’s politeness.
“I want, a kid’s meal set, the one that’s RM 9.90,” I asked nonchalantly.
No response.
A bird could’ve laid eggs and nested in that time while I waited for her to comply. Then she confidently said,
“Ini untuk children bawah 12 sahaja.”
I thanked her keen sense of observation – to her credit, it was written on the menu that the meal was recommended for “children 12 and below”.
Thinking she was pulling a joke, I heartily replied, “Haha, I know, but could I have it anyway?” *grins*
“Tak boleh. Bawah 12 sahaja (You can't, only those 12 and below),” was her frank reply.
It then hit me that this woman did not get it.
She TRULY felt that I was LEGALLY disallowed from ordering the food in light of COMPANY POLICY and more obviously, the stern recommendation written on the menu.
I almost died as I asked her, “SO you’re TELLING me that I CAN’T order this because I’m not 12?? As in, I REALLY CAN’T have it though I’m paying??”
“No,” said the relentless ignoramus.
Half laughing from sheer frustration and sincere disbelief, I said, “OKAY. Well…I’m ordering for my…for my sister then. How about that.”
My sister tugged my sleeves and announced, “Eh, Khor Kor, I’m having the children’s meal set with a quarter of a chic..”
“I KNOW I KNOW! Shhhh!!” I said wide-eyed. Turning my attention back to the woman I firmly said, “Look miss, I’m not THAT hungry, so I’m going to order the kid’s mea—“
She interrupted, “If encik not hungry, boleh order adult punya half a chicken atau pun quarter chicken.” (If you're not hungry, you can order the adult Half a half a chicken or a quarter of a chicken)
I could strangle her neck if not for the initial shock. I told her off (knowing I might get extra foamy mineral water) and insisted impatiently that I’m a paying customer who will now have nothing other than a sausage and fries kid’s meal!
With a sad nod (I’ve broken some literal law) she took my order and left.
My brother was just as shocked.
“You know what she needs?” my brother said, “She needs to read it carefully!”
I disagreed. What she needs is an education.
Am I mean to think so? Seriously?
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Of Krabi and being a Graduate
Three ulcers in the mouth, sunburn spots the size of China, fish bites throughout my body, a slight fever, throbbing in the head, endless coughs, and a nose that runs – ‘pitiful’ doesn’t even begin to describe my current state!
And despite all that, I’m blissfully glad to have gone to Krabi. Sometimes, being in the media pays off handsomely, and in spite of the tons of work screaming to be done, I’m pretty darn glad. From snorkeling to kayaking, to elephant tours, it’s all there.
Rock climbers however would be more familiar with Krabi. Gorgeous environments and fantastic natural rock formations make Krabi an instant hit with climbers everywhere. And the fact that it’s so accessible with Air Asia now will see more people flying to Krabi.
But more on that in future posts, now I’m still grappling with the fact that I’ve graduated, an odd feeling to have. It wouldn’t be this strange if we had the USM convocation within the NEXT FEW DAYS of graduation! But a year on and the hype has died somewhat. Couple this with us graduating in a campus we’ve never step foot into and you’ve got yourself an unenthusiastic batch of graduates!
Arriving several days before the actual convocation, graduates must sit for a briefing, just to get an idea of how things are done. Amazingly, they have a video presentation showing what to wear, and what not to wear. Poor unwilling looking actors stand there in suits or jeans, and of course, they do the typical model turn around. What caught my eye however was this “Kesilapan-Kesilapan Graduan Terdahulu”.
Most of them are sound of mind and well, pretty logical – don’t be late, don’t bring handphones into the hall, wear the mortar board neatly, etc.
But an order to not have stomach aches is frankly disturbing – when you gotta go, you gotta go!
The front of this huge hall where the convocations is to take place, is dominated by a stage fit for a king…royal yellow floods the carpets, three speaking podiums on all sides, and fresh flowers decorating the top.
The flowers do not simply appear out of thin air. Diligent workers toil to keep re-stocking on old and dying ones.
Watching on is the head of traffic control in USM, Mr. Kalmit (I’m guessing from the name on his vest). Either way, you don’t want to mess with him.
I had a day in between the briefing and the actual convocation, which left me time enough to re-explore my second home.
‘Chendul’ here is presumably good, judging from the thumbs up I get from surrounding locals. And at RM1.50, you have very little to lose!
Yes, ‘Chendul’ may just be shaved ice with more colouring than some people’s hair, but getting it right to the tee is an art on it’s own. Besides…
If it’s good enough for Ah-Phua and Aunty Rosey, it’s good enough for me.
And wherever in the world you may be, you’ll never forget the sinful pleasure of having your ‘Char Koay Teow’, a dish you could sniff from a mile away, hinting at the cockerels, prawns, and crispy bean sprout on it. One helpful word of advice, the angrier the cook, the better it tastes :)
Penang Island enjoys a constant flow of tourist all year round. Some say it’s the friendly locals others the food. But I think it’s because everything here is so dang cheap.
And if you’ve money to burn and lungs of steel to withstand the poisonous air, a trishaw is the way to go!
(Though I doubt I’m doing the trishaw industry much service with this picture.) You know what they say…when you’ve gotta to go…you’ve gotta go.
It’s been a while since I last came to Penang, and I was surprise to discover this natural hill where you climb/trek all the way up to find yourself overlooking the island.
On top of that (no pun intended) a gym built with the donations of health enthusiasts and pain lovers alike sits at the top.
There I was half panting from the climb when others trek up, and work out at the same time! There’s also a boiling cauldron with some tea on the side to quench your thirst. Visitors are encouraged to trek up carrying bottles of water up for others to use…I wasn’t too charitable here.
The hill had a sizable amount of rubber trees from which people tap from. We saw quite a few climbing down.
And all this gorgeous nature is yours…for free. Non conservationists will never understand until they immerse themselves in these natural environments.
Anyway the convocation took place without much fanfare. It was admittedly a proud moment, but I knew it wouldn’t be my last convo – I’m determined to do more than a mere degree.
One of the highlights however has to be the studio picture taking session – to see professionals at work is nice. To see the thousands of equipment lying around is nicer by far.
So this is me, an official graduate from the school of communication.
And this is me bored of conventional studio pictures with all the formalities and fake smiles with fidgety poses…
My parents were extremely supportive. I’m secretly more attractive with a wig I think.
Can’t believe Monday’s here so soon.
Weekends aren’t what they used to be.
And despite all that, I’m blissfully glad to have gone to Krabi. Sometimes, being in the media pays off handsomely, and in spite of the tons of work screaming to be done, I’m pretty darn glad. From snorkeling to kayaking, to elephant tours, it’s all there.
Rock climbers however would be more familiar with Krabi. Gorgeous environments and fantastic natural rock formations make Krabi an instant hit with climbers everywhere. And the fact that it’s so accessible with Air Asia now will see more people flying to Krabi.
But more on that in future posts, now I’m still grappling with the fact that I’ve graduated, an odd feeling to have. It wouldn’t be this strange if we had the USM convocation within the NEXT FEW DAYS of graduation! But a year on and the hype has died somewhat. Couple this with us graduating in a campus we’ve never step foot into and you’ve got yourself an unenthusiastic batch of graduates!
Arriving several days before the actual convocation, graduates must sit for a briefing, just to get an idea of how things are done. Amazingly, they have a video presentation showing what to wear, and what not to wear. Poor unwilling looking actors stand there in suits or jeans, and of course, they do the typical model turn around. What caught my eye however was this “Kesilapan-Kesilapan Graduan Terdahulu”.
Most of them are sound of mind and well, pretty logical – don’t be late, don’t bring handphones into the hall, wear the mortar board neatly, etc.
But an order to not have stomach aches is frankly disturbing – when you gotta go, you gotta go!
The front of this huge hall where the convocations is to take place, is dominated by a stage fit for a king…royal yellow floods the carpets, three speaking podiums on all sides, and fresh flowers decorating the top.
The flowers do not simply appear out of thin air. Diligent workers toil to keep re-stocking on old and dying ones.
Watching on is the head of traffic control in USM, Mr. Kalmit (I’m guessing from the name on his vest). Either way, you don’t want to mess with him.
I had a day in between the briefing and the actual convocation, which left me time enough to re-explore my second home.
‘Chendul’ here is presumably good, judging from the thumbs up I get from surrounding locals. And at RM1.50, you have very little to lose!
Yes, ‘Chendul’ may just be shaved ice with more colouring than some people’s hair, but getting it right to the tee is an art on it’s own. Besides…
If it’s good enough for Ah-Phua and Aunty Rosey, it’s good enough for me.
And wherever in the world you may be, you’ll never forget the sinful pleasure of having your ‘Char Koay Teow’, a dish you could sniff from a mile away, hinting at the cockerels, prawns, and crispy bean sprout on it. One helpful word of advice, the angrier the cook, the better it tastes :)
Penang Island enjoys a constant flow of tourist all year round. Some say it’s the friendly locals others the food. But I think it’s because everything here is so dang cheap.
And if you’ve money to burn and lungs of steel to withstand the poisonous air, a trishaw is the way to go!
(Though I doubt I’m doing the trishaw industry much service with this picture.) You know what they say…when you’ve gotta to go…you’ve gotta go.
It’s been a while since I last came to Penang, and I was surprise to discover this natural hill where you climb/trek all the way up to find yourself overlooking the island.
On top of that (no pun intended) a gym built with the donations of health enthusiasts and pain lovers alike sits at the top.
There I was half panting from the climb when others trek up, and work out at the same time! There’s also a boiling cauldron with some tea on the side to quench your thirst. Visitors are encouraged to trek up carrying bottles of water up for others to use…I wasn’t too charitable here.
The hill had a sizable amount of rubber trees from which people tap from. We saw quite a few climbing down.
And all this gorgeous nature is yours…for free. Non conservationists will never understand until they immerse themselves in these natural environments.
Anyway the convocation took place without much fanfare. It was admittedly a proud moment, but I knew it wouldn’t be my last convo – I’m determined to do more than a mere degree.
One of the highlights however has to be the studio picture taking session – to see professionals at work is nice. To see the thousands of equipment lying around is nicer by far.
So this is me, an official graduate from the school of communication.
And this is me bored of conventional studio pictures with all the formalities and fake smiles with fidgety poses…
My parents were extremely supportive. I’m secretly more attractive with a wig I think.
Can’t believe Monday’s here so soon.
Weekends aren’t what they used to be.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
July 15th...
OLA!
Has it been that long since I blogged? Yikes. Then again I really haven’t had much time since getting back…there was work, work, more work, and slotted right in between was my recent convocation at the Uni Science Malaysia right up north (Penang). Was it fun? Yeah, kinda, but not the convocation itself specifically. I was just pleased to meet most of my old course mates once more, most of whom are the same joes and janes I knew from back in the day.
I missed them. But at this juncture of my life, I also miss my Euro trip…fondly.. My journey took me from Cambridge to London, down to Paris, back up to Cambridge again, onwards to Rome, crossing right over to Prague, and finally back north to London once more, where I blew all my money. Yes. All of it.
But In the span of that month, I’ve traveled further than I’ve ever been before, seen things that I’ve only read about, and learned the tube maps of several major cities.
The Brits for example had the Tube which covered absolutely everywhere, albeit being slightly unreliable at times. Londoners hate it and abhor how small, stuffy, and hot it is. The unknowing Malaysian (me) however thought it quite comfortable. Hot and stuffy? Hardly! On a hot day my car boils eggs and bakes cookies inside. No, the Tube is most comfortable thank you.
Well I made it a point to capture images everywhere I went, and as you’d guess, I ended up with thousands upon thousands of pictures, of which I’ll post from time to time…starting with just a few pics before I reached Cambridge:
It’s the 15th of July and my mum, being my mum, still packs my bags anyway. These bags will soon look a whole lot more weathered than it is now (one of them will actually travel to Germany without me…).
The whole ‘no liquids on board’ rule was new to me, having not traveled as much as others, but airport staff are MORE than happy to point out what you can or cannot carry.
Looking back at this picture, my family seemed a bit too happy to send me off. Especially the little one (I later learned that she took my room in my absence, that little rascal!)
I zoned out while watching them load the ‘Pangkor’. It was a surreal experience, yet terribly exciting as I knew that this was the trip I’ve been waiting for nearly two years.
Safety briefing is now presented via video…cool.
And as luck would have it, a junior during my Mass Comm studies happened to sit across the aisle from me! A familiar face is never a bad thing.
Turning my attention to my side, I noticed a strange television-cum-playstation remote thingy. It is truly a magnificent invention – it plays games, change the channels, and calls for service whenever you please! (I jakun, I know.)
The flight wasn’t full at all. In fact, even my little camera bag and London guide had their own seat with pillow in tow. Not bad MAS.
The 12 hour flight is rather arduous if you’re in economy class, but I couldn’t be bothered. The onboard information channel is especially interesting…it told us the height, speed, and where we were flying over. The thought that I was miles above India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan simply amazed me. Too bad we weren’t stopping over for tea.
But I finally arrive in England, all messed up and tired. But despite my stiff legs, aching lower back, sore eyes, and various muscle spasms, I couldn’t be happier to see her at the airport :)
Yes, we had to travel for a few hours still to Cambridge, but it didn’t matter. The evening sky from a bus couldn’t have looked any better :)
(next post, Cambridge…the fairy tale town.)
Has it been that long since I blogged? Yikes. Then again I really haven’t had much time since getting back…there was work, work, more work, and slotted right in between was my recent convocation at the Uni Science Malaysia right up north (Penang). Was it fun? Yeah, kinda, but not the convocation itself specifically. I was just pleased to meet most of my old course mates once more, most of whom are the same joes and janes I knew from back in the day.
I missed them. But at this juncture of my life, I also miss my Euro trip…fondly.. My journey took me from Cambridge to London, down to Paris, back up to Cambridge again, onwards to Rome, crossing right over to Prague, and finally back north to London once more, where I blew all my money. Yes. All of it.
But In the span of that month, I’ve traveled further than I’ve ever been before, seen things that I’ve only read about, and learned the tube maps of several major cities.
The Brits for example had the Tube which covered absolutely everywhere, albeit being slightly unreliable at times. Londoners hate it and abhor how small, stuffy, and hot it is. The unknowing Malaysian (me) however thought it quite comfortable. Hot and stuffy? Hardly! On a hot day my car boils eggs and bakes cookies inside. No, the Tube is most comfortable thank you.
Well I made it a point to capture images everywhere I went, and as you’d guess, I ended up with thousands upon thousands of pictures, of which I’ll post from time to time…starting with just a few pics before I reached Cambridge:
It’s the 15th of July and my mum, being my mum, still packs my bags anyway. These bags will soon look a whole lot more weathered than it is now (one of them will actually travel to Germany without me…).
The whole ‘no liquids on board’ rule was new to me, having not traveled as much as others, but airport staff are MORE than happy to point out what you can or cannot carry.
Looking back at this picture, my family seemed a bit too happy to send me off. Especially the little one (I later learned that she took my room in my absence, that little rascal!)
I zoned out while watching them load the ‘Pangkor’. It was a surreal experience, yet terribly exciting as I knew that this was the trip I’ve been waiting for nearly two years.
Safety briefing is now presented via video…cool.
And as luck would have it, a junior during my Mass Comm studies happened to sit across the aisle from me! A familiar face is never a bad thing.
Turning my attention to my side, I noticed a strange television-cum-playstation remote thingy. It is truly a magnificent invention – it plays games, change the channels, and calls for service whenever you please! (I jakun, I know.)
The flight wasn’t full at all. In fact, even my little camera bag and London guide had their own seat with pillow in tow. Not bad MAS.
The 12 hour flight is rather arduous if you’re in economy class, but I couldn’t be bothered. The onboard information channel is especially interesting…it told us the height, speed, and where we were flying over. The thought that I was miles above India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan simply amazed me. Too bad we weren’t stopping over for tea.
But I finally arrive in England, all messed up and tired. But despite my stiff legs, aching lower back, sore eyes, and various muscle spasms, I couldn’t be happier to see her at the airport :)
Yes, we had to travel for a few hours still to Cambridge, but it didn’t matter. The evening sky from a bus couldn’t have looked any better :)
(next post, Cambridge…the fairy tale town.)
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