Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Saturday with Jane Austen & Catherine Anderson

Azrin could not make it for the morning shift last Saturday. Her car refuses to start & since it is an automatic transmission car - nothing much I can advice. I know that for manual transmission cars, you can have someone pushing your car & putting it in 2nd gear and slowly letting go of the clutch. Eventually she has left the car for three days, opting to go back to her hometown in Muar by bus. It is after all middle of the month and I believe all of us needs to carefully spend our money in order for us to be able to survive until pay day which is at the end of the month. ;) Going home to Muar by bus seems to be the best option doesn't it? You pay about RM25 & everything is taken care of. If you were to drive, then you have to think of the petrol & toll, and not to mention servicing your car before you can drive it back home for the long journey. Well, not to say that just because you are not going anywhere far you don't have to service your car but calculating everything needed for the long trip, you might not have enough budget for a one shot payment, right?

Well, for me, I make sure I send my car for inspection almost every month. Well, :) has a cousin who works for Honda Services. So, I usually send my car to him for inspections & opinions related. He will advice on what needs to be done accordingly from the most critical to the less. Well, for ladies its kinda easier if you get second opinion before sending your car for services to any workshop; unless of course you are already familiar with a particular workshop or mechanic. Like going to the same workshop your father sends his car to etc. Why? Because male dominant vehicle service industry tends to treat us as dumb blondes when it comes to anything related to cars or any vehicles for that matters. They will ask you to change and service anything & everything there is on the engine. Obviously I will not have enough budget if everything needs to be done in one shot won't I? So that's what I usually do.

Well, Azrin is carefully calculating her budget as she just moved into a new rental apartment. Both her & Zura (her housemate) just paid for the deposit & still looking for a third occupant. A few candidates seems to be interested; but eventually changed their mind last minute. There was one time; both of them took leave just to help accommodate the new so-called-interested candidate. But at the end; she just called to inform that she could not make it. What a waste of their Annual Leave. There was even a girl who called up in the middle of the night asking about the house but then called back at 2 AM to cancel it. Well, anyone who needs a room in Kota Damansara area feel free to drop a line - I'll sent your message to Azrin & Zura and see how it goes. Not to worry, they are a bit psychotically insane, with a bit temperamental due to stress of work. Other than that, they are fun loving creatures who has a strong sense of friendship.

Well, anyway. Since according to the schedule, 1st Floor staff is more than enough I was placed on the Ground Floor - as the cashier. Ala, its been a while since my last experience at the Register. Well, my guess is that management assumed that senior staff is more competent to be placed at the Registers on weekends & public holidays - to accommodate the crowd ;). Then just before noon; a Chinese lady came over with three books & a credit card. She placed them all on the counter & called someone through her cell phone. As I scanned the price; I checked the title of the book just to double confirm - and to my surprise the priced that was stated on the sticker did not at all match the titles of the book cover. Those were Catherine Anderson's book with Jane Austen's Penguin Classics price stickers. Yup, all three of them. There were also indications that the stickers had been tampered with. I paged for my manager & the Chinese Lady panicked. She quickly asked if there were problems with the pricing (how would she have known it if she weren't doing something fishy right?) & then quickly snatched her credit card and running out of the store saying that she was in a hurry. My manager was still blur as she was in the middle of inspecting the books when she ran out of the store. My only regret is that I did not keep the credit card near to me so that she would not have been able to snatch it and run. Why? Erk, hello there's a name printed on the card right? I surely would like to have the name & lodge a written report to our management. Or better still, put her name in my blog. ;) My manager went straight inside the office to check the CCTV. He informed me that the lady sure spent a lot of time at a remote area tampering the stickers. And he will highlight the matter to the upper management level.

I know there are a lot of people out there who thinks book sellers are dumb, school drop out, etc. Thinking they can easily be intimidated by these so-called highly intellectual creatures with attitude. But they are not. Most bookstores that I know are actually hiring undergraduates, especially in so-called elite area. And they are even trained to handle almost any issues. So, better think twice before actually doing something bad not to mention stupid in the store. Well, other than that everything seems fine I guess. The story telling session, or should I say Story Reading session was not with a big crowd. Quite only a few people actually. It seems that Saturday was with a little crowd in the store. Let the Story Reader spent time with the kids while I continue what I was doing earlier on. Azrin went to hear some briefing from the Supreme Supervisor. I could not care less. I might as well ask Azrin later on. Talk and talk and more talk will contribute to less and lesser and lesser job done.

I am only here during the weekends and I had better get things done as much as possible. Less time for gossip and no time to loiter around. Plus it seems It-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named seems to be in her comfort zone with beloved younger sister who will be leaving in March. In the mean time It-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named seems to find happily find faults with other or making the rest feels as if they are worthless. Hm, good job It-Who-Must-Not Be-Named! Bravo, good enough you are spending more time with your beloved while us the "Machai" are doing the work, clearly showing your favoritism towards your litle sister, showing your supreme power clearly; showing the staff how hopeless they are by finding their faults - a swell job don't you agree?

Maybe IT ought to learn a few thing or two from IT's father since, IT does come from a socialite family. Act like one. Learn the leadership skill IT's father possesses. IT's father is a well known figure and highly respected by the community so a lot of things can be learned even though just by observing. Bapa Borek Anak Rintik - doesn't apply to IT I guess. Well, this is based on what I heard. Yup, I "kena" already and since then I just kept it to myself. If anything needs to be done I'll straight away inform Kak Zue as my Manager. As what my Store Manger would remind me, I am only here during the weekends so enjoy myself and try to have less stress and less gossips around the office. That surely what I am gonna do. Meet my friends over there while working and enjoying myself is certainly what I aimed to do. I'll be there to listen to their cries over what happen, but I'll just keep my comments to myself. For one thing, you can not be too sure on whom you can trust. But to you guys, hang on it there friends. Not all upper management are like It. So don't worry be happy ok? ;)

Well, another thing that we are planning; is the convoy to Ida's wedding this 9th of March. But the program might be disrupted by the unexpectedly announced election day which falls on the 8th of March. I have registered to vote in Ulu Tiram Johor Bharu. My beloved hometown, which I haven't been to in about almost a year. Hm, it is time for me to the perform my responsibility for my country and nation. Hmm, so poyo yes I know. :) So far, me, :), Zul, Azzam, Kak Iza & hubby and Ying Ying have confirmed our attendance. Theme color will be purple. Lucky me as I have already 2 pairs of purple baju kurung :). Now needs to find new tudung, it's been ages since I last bought any new tudung. I have been so stingy with my budget for tudung, I think now is the time to buy some more for my own collection :).

We are planning to go on 2 separate cars, but if there are more to join then perhaps three then; Kak Iza's Red Viva, My Perawan Gold Iswara & Ying Ying Green Kancil. If not enough attendees; then just 2 cars then. Text Lai Wah but as usual, that former boss of mine; still keeping quiet. Ever since Chinese New Year... ker dia yang dah nak kahwin hehehehe. Its all between us, nothing involving others. Planned by me & beloved Kak Iza, so we do the invitations and confirmation for the attendees. Others can go, by themselves that is. So far that is all the people that planned to go anyway. I most probably will be bringing Ira as that marks the beginning of school holidays. She just went back to MRSM last Monday and the school holiday is coming already?! Its either time flies extremely fast or I am beginning to slow down hehehe. Dah tua lah kawan. Well, anyway. Most likely I will be taking a weekend off to spend time with my little sister. Poor girl, I have been too busy to even spend time with her.

My Babah & Bonda will be going to the Philippines & Vietnam for a week. Instead of sending Ira to Johor, as my Babah are positively sure she will not be doing her school work, she'll be spending her time with me in Sungai Besi. I will be spending my time there for a week. Will be going to & from work from Sungai Besi then. Then I have to cook. Oh no, I hope she can managed my cooking. With my cooking, one needs to have a super extra immunity system hehehe. Or else God knows what will happen. I am tougher because of my cooking you know. Well, we'll see what its like later. Have to plan my spending as well. Already missing my little sister here. Sob sob sob

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