The Law Office
Stepping into the posh reception area of the law firm, I had expected the entire office to be as severe and elegant as how it looks from the outside. I was wrong, though.
The cold, forbidding exterior only extended to the receptionist's and waiting area. The meeting rooms were warmly-decorated in oak panelling, expensive paintings and comfortable chairs (ergonomic, could it be?) and shelves lined with many thick volumes of law books and antique ornaments.
The office area was hectic. All the office staff- Paralegals, legal secretaries, law clerks, accountants and IT guys all had their own cubicles, but one could see that they were constantly running around to each other's desks or the photocopiers. Either that, or the staff were always chattering away on the phones (for business purpose) or shouting across to each other for information. I hadn't expected this at all.
Lining the sides of the hustle-bustling office were rooms with glass or wooden doors. Reading the name plates hanging outside the doors, I noted the names of the legal assistants, senior counsels and partners. Their names were printed on company brochures and letterheads, of course, but I had no access to these before I joined the company, and bear in mind that in the past, there was no internet websites for me to check the information out.
Starting the Work
If one expected as much drama and fun as being portrayed in books or movies such as "The Rainmaker" etc, they would be in for a great disappointment.
While criminal cases were the most exciting cases of all, most law firms actually survive largely on matrimonial or litigation cases (out of which, probably 50% are accident claims). I had already learned that during my short stint as a law intern back in college during summer vacations.
I was shown to my desk, where the computer was already blinking at me, as though waiting for me to start caressing it. Stationery were stacked neatly on the desk, along with a telephone. My direct supervisor was a senior counsel and he assigned the HR Manager to show me around the office as part of my first-day orientation.
I was then shown around the office across various floors, introduced to the different departments before she brought me to the office pantry where I could catch a break if necessary.
At the end of the tour I was befuddled by names and faces, and wondered if I could manage to remember the names of the important people at least.
Jobscope of a Paralegal
My supervisor handed me files to peruse and research on. He handled mostly litigation cases, hence I had to read through the details of the case files.
The file consisted of correspondences and documents exchanged between involved, such as emails, phone memos, meeting minutes, invoices, contracts and agreements. There were also photographs and reports containing details of the conflicts, as well as interview notes between my supervisor and his represented clients.
I tabbed the various documents so that it would make it easier to refer back.
Then I had to draft legal documents according to the stage at which the case was at, currently. I enjoyed this part, especially creating the Affidavits (a document outlining the events that occured, and containing exhibits of evidence to be enclosed) because this allowed me to show my meticulous, detailed and creative side.
Other documents such as Writs, Summons and Memorandums were rather mundane and brainless - there were templates to follow so all I had to do was to input in the individual case's details.
I enjoyed research work though the rest found it a boring task. I liked reading older cases, enjoyed finding the links between the relevant cases to my cases on hand so I could cite them as precedents and my supervisor could use them to argue his clients' stands.
Other times, I could even go to sites to interview potential witnesses or obtain sworn-ins for affidavits of Professional / Expert Witnesses. Once or twice, I headed down to sites and governmental boards to gather evidence in the course of our own investigations into some cases.
Best of all, I enjoyed conducting interviews for smaller cases, and attending trials with my lawyers. The former made me feel important and I never bothered to correct the Plaintiffs / Complainants / Defendants / Respondents even if they had mistakenly thought I was one of the solicitors representing them. The latter role make me feel like I was part of the real action, watching the debate between lawyers, and taking minutes of the exchange.
Handling the Workload
Sometimes, I had to juggle doing multiple tasks at one go - documents for a case, research for another case, and the interview a new client in the meeting room as scheduled. It could get very hectic and stressful at times, especially when there were tight deadlines to meet.
There were times I even mixed up the details of different cases.
During trials it was worse as we had to stay back to prepare Bundles of Documents for the upcoming court sessions. Make copies, bind them, ensure that everything was intact; ensure that the legal pads and reference materials were in the lawyers' briefcases and all supporting documents were sent out (for exchange or for the Court's perusal). For these, we worked closely with the lawyers' secretaries of course.
Then we had to attend court with the lawyers to help them set out the documents, remind them of certain relevant facts or cases, and make the dash back to office if we left out something. I thrived on the action, and sometimes imagined how I would've presented the case if I were in their shoes.
Every victory was a happy event of course, and I would receive compliments at having done a good job. It made me feel both proud and sad - proud that I had done a good piece of research indeed, and saddened that though some of the cases were actually cracked by us, it would always be the lawyers who would get the credit for everything.
It made me contemplate if I should go take a law degree and practise law myself.
Leaving the Occupation
Anyway, as much as I enjoyed the job, as stable as it was, and as glamorous as it sounded to my family that I was actually "working in law", I was disillusioned after one and a half years.
I was too young to be bound in a job as such. I did not want to be stuck in a deskbound job. I did not see any career advancement as a Paralegal except to be Office Manager perhaps twenty years later? And I did not think that I would get the Degree after all.
Anyway, who said lawyers were all glamorous? On TV, the actresses and actors always portrayed the lawyers to be sophisticated, intelligent and sharp, but in reality some lawyers were rude, loud, mumsy or even vulgar. Some of them were middle-aged nerds and some led such frugal lives that no one could've guessed they were practicing members of the Bar.
To me, it was simply just another profession, another job.
I wanted to do something more.
Sunday, 24 November 2013
Saturday, 23 November 2013
Dessert Buffet at One-Ninety @ Four Seasons Hotel
A cabin crew client, Monica* and I had been talking about having nice desserts, and constantly discussed good desserts cafe or bistros. We both have sweet tooth, and there was nothing like sweets and pastries to perk up our days.
We'd read and heard good reviews about the Dessert Buffet at One-Ninety Restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel for a while. Therefore, we decided to give it a try one day. One-Ninety is located at 190 Orchard Boulevard, Singapore 248646. For reservations, dial 6734 1110 or 6831 7250.
Upon reaching the grand foyer of the Four Seasons Hotel, we headed towards the main restaurant which was easily
was located. The Dessert Buffet was available from 2 - 3.30 pm on Mondays to Fridays. We were seated and served
pots of tea of our choices, then informed of where the dessert counter was at. The restaurant was subtly elegant in
its dimly-lit furnishings and we loved the serene quietness of the place.
We note that the dessert buffet was part of their lunch buffet, except that for us we were only entitled to help
ourselves to the dessert selection. I had thought that it was a buffet specially catered to serve only desserts, but
no, this afternoon tea buffet was unique that way.
The selection was good, with a rather good selection of quality-looking desserts. We did not know where to start.
There were cakes, tarts, madeleines, panna cottas, pies, cookies, and items for chocolate fondue and other sweet pastries.
We randomly filled our plates and headed back to our table to slowly savour the mouth-watering delicacies.
I selected a variety of cupcakes, cookies, slices of cakes (chocolate and durian) and scones etc. It was enjoyable to devour the sweet treats over fragrant hot teas while chatting away in the lazy afternoons - where the rest of the world was working.
All in all, we were very pleased with the Dessert Buffet. Do note that the selection is not very huge, but the quality is there. Every dessert tasted heavenly, and we went back for second helpings on some of the items.
It cost us SGD$18.00 per pax, but was very well worth-it.
We would definitely love to come back here for more desserts.
We'd read and heard good reviews about the Dessert Buffet at One-Ninety Restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel for a while. Therefore, we decided to give it a try one day. One-Ninety is located at 190 Orchard Boulevard, Singapore 248646. For reservations, dial 6734 1110 or 6831 7250.
Upon reaching the grand foyer of the Four Seasons Hotel, we headed towards the main restaurant which was easily
was located. The Dessert Buffet was available from 2 - 3.30 pm on Mondays to Fridays. We were seated and served
pots of tea of our choices, then informed of where the dessert counter was at. The restaurant was subtly elegant in
its dimly-lit furnishings and we loved the serene quietness of the place.
We note that the dessert buffet was part of their lunch buffet, except that for us we were only entitled to help
ourselves to the dessert selection. I had thought that it was a buffet specially catered to serve only desserts, but
no, this afternoon tea buffet was unique that way.
The selection was good, with a rather good selection of quality-looking desserts. We did not know where to start.
There were cakes, tarts, madeleines, panna cottas, pies, cookies, and items for chocolate fondue and other sweet pastries.
We randomly filled our plates and headed back to our table to slowly savour the mouth-watering delicacies.
I selected a variety of cupcakes, cookies, slices of cakes (chocolate and durian) and scones etc. It was enjoyable to devour the sweet treats over fragrant hot teas while chatting away in the lazy afternoons - where the rest of the world was working.
All in all, we were very pleased with the Dessert Buffet. Do note that the selection is not very huge, but the quality is there. Every dessert tasted heavenly, and we went back for second helpings on some of the items.
It cost us SGD$18.00 per pax, but was very well worth-it.
We would definitely love to come back here for more desserts.
Working as a Waitress
Walking into the Restaurant
So, I left my job at the branded retail store, and had nothing to do for the rest of the Summer. A good friend, *Jessamyn happened to be looking for a vacation job. So we sorted out our options and shortlisted a couple of restaurants we were keen to work for.
We walked into a rather posh restaurant - the same one which we had saved up for months to dine in sometime ago - and asked if they were looking for hire. To our luck, they were. We filled out application forms, spoke to the manager, and our names were put down for their next training session.
So, in a nutshell, we were employed!
Start of a Waitressing Job
I had always secretly thought the waiters and waitresses at classy restaurants to be rather elegant - in their polite mannerisms, professional efficiency and bright smiles. I thought I could easily be that, no matter how busy the restaurant was, or how demanding the patrons could be.
Training was fun. *Jessarmyn and I were trained by a handsome young manager named *Devon. There were serving etiquettes that we were taught - such as serving the ladies first, serving from the right-hand side, greeting the customers, shortforms for order taking, menu items (including wine lists and doneness of steaks etc) and different utensils for different courses etc.
I never knew there was so much to be learned.
After a couple of days of indoor training, they finally put us on the floor. We were put in charge of "stations" (the manner in which they divided the restaurant up into sections) and tagged under other full-time waiters / waitresses.
First Day on the Job
We donned the uniforms handed to us, and dutifully followed our assigned mentors around.
The morning shift meant that we would have to help out with opening duties before the restaurant opened for business - ensuring there was ice in the drinks coolers, carrying tubs of ice-creams to the front station, arranging utensils baskets, wiping the tables, ensuring there were bottles of sauces / condiments on the tables, unchaining the alfresco dining tables and chairs and arraning them. It was tiring, but the morning passed by very fast.
Lunchtime came, and it was peak hour. So we could no longer stand around to talk or re-memorize the menus.
The first customer in my Station beckoned, and I went over. As she read out the orders, I quickly jotted them down in long-forms as I could not recall the shortforms that we used to communicate to the kitchen and cashier staff in. Then I would repeat the orders, and went to a corner to convert my orders into shortforms, placed the order chits in the right places for processing, and served the iced water and utensils baskets.
If they ordered drinks, I had to bring it to them too.
I also had to constantly run into the kitchen to check on the food to make sure that my patrons' dishes were out, and then served it to them with a professional smile saying "Enjoy your meal" and hoping they would like me enough to leave good tips or write in commendation forms.
Once the patrons started digging in, I would have to make rounds, assisting to clear away their soup bowls or salad plates once they were finished.
Then I had to serve them desserts or coffee and tea. At the end of their meals, I would wait at the cashier's, get the bill, and bring it to my satisfied diners.
Some of them left generous tips; others didn't. But that was to be expected. It felt a little discouraging if you thought you did a great job serving them but got no rewards whatsoever.
The last duty would be to clear the table of remaining plates, glasses, utensils and wipe it clean. I hated touching the dirty dishware so I always used serviettes. I hated entering the wet, dirty dishwashing area to load the dishes, but I had no choice.
Afterwards, it would blissfully be lazy afternoons in which we could gather to snack on ice-creams or chitchat a little, occasionally complaining about certain customers.
The Job Went On
Days became weeks and weeks became months.
If we did night shift, we needed to stay back to help do closing duties before going off. These included wiping the menus, spraying sanitizers onto tabletops, chaining the alfresco tables and chairs together, carrying tubs of ice creams back into the freezer room, washing the kitchen area, mopping the restaurant and washing the red cloths in the utensil baskets.
*Jessamyn and I had also thought that working in restaurants meant that our meals would be items from the menu, such as pasta, pizzas, steaks, fish fillets etc. We had been filled with anticipation, but later we learned that our meals were staff meals which the cooks specially prepared. If we wanted to eat from the menu, we could order, and were entitled to a huge percentage discount.
Despite our complaints about the hecticness of the job and some unreasonable customers, we continued to work there.
There were many other part-time or temporary wait staff at our age working there as well, and we became friends very quickly. So we could crack jokes during work, help each other out, and ordered menu food to eat together at mealtimes.
We even began to go out as a group on off-days, and sometimes for drinks after work. I loved my job there, and was contemplating to continue working there on a part-time basis even after my college started.
So, I left my job at the branded retail store, and had nothing to do for the rest of the Summer. A good friend, *Jessamyn happened to be looking for a vacation job. So we sorted out our options and shortlisted a couple of restaurants we were keen to work for.
We walked into a rather posh restaurant - the same one which we had saved up for months to dine in sometime ago - and asked if they were looking for hire. To our luck, they were. We filled out application forms, spoke to the manager, and our names were put down for their next training session.
So, in a nutshell, we were employed!
Start of a Waitressing Job
I had always secretly thought the waiters and waitresses at classy restaurants to be rather elegant - in their polite mannerisms, professional efficiency and bright smiles. I thought I could easily be that, no matter how busy the restaurant was, or how demanding the patrons could be.
Training was fun. *Jessarmyn and I were trained by a handsome young manager named *Devon. There were serving etiquettes that we were taught - such as serving the ladies first, serving from the right-hand side, greeting the customers, shortforms for order taking, menu items (including wine lists and doneness of steaks etc) and different utensils for different courses etc.
I never knew there was so much to be learned.
After a couple of days of indoor training, they finally put us on the floor. We were put in charge of "stations" (the manner in which they divided the restaurant up into sections) and tagged under other full-time waiters / waitresses.
First Day on the Job
We donned the uniforms handed to us, and dutifully followed our assigned mentors around.
The morning shift meant that we would have to help out with opening duties before the restaurant opened for business - ensuring there was ice in the drinks coolers, carrying tubs of ice-creams to the front station, arranging utensils baskets, wiping the tables, ensuring there were bottles of sauces / condiments on the tables, unchaining the alfresco dining tables and chairs and arraning them. It was tiring, but the morning passed by very fast.
Lunchtime came, and it was peak hour. So we could no longer stand around to talk or re-memorize the menus.
The first customer in my Station beckoned, and I went over. As she read out the orders, I quickly jotted them down in long-forms as I could not recall the shortforms that we used to communicate to the kitchen and cashier staff in. Then I would repeat the orders, and went to a corner to convert my orders into shortforms, placed the order chits in the right places for processing, and served the iced water and utensils baskets.
If they ordered drinks, I had to bring it to them too.
I also had to constantly run into the kitchen to check on the food to make sure that my patrons' dishes were out, and then served it to them with a professional smile saying "Enjoy your meal" and hoping they would like me enough to leave good tips or write in commendation forms.
Once the patrons started digging in, I would have to make rounds, assisting to clear away their soup bowls or salad plates once they were finished.
Then I had to serve them desserts or coffee and tea. At the end of their meals, I would wait at the cashier's, get the bill, and bring it to my satisfied diners.
Some of them left generous tips; others didn't. But that was to be expected. It felt a little discouraging if you thought you did a great job serving them but got no rewards whatsoever.
The last duty would be to clear the table of remaining plates, glasses, utensils and wipe it clean. I hated touching the dirty dishware so I always used serviettes. I hated entering the wet, dirty dishwashing area to load the dishes, but I had no choice.
Afterwards, it would blissfully be lazy afternoons in which we could gather to snack on ice-creams or chitchat a little, occasionally complaining about certain customers.
The Job Went On
Days became weeks and weeks became months.
If we did night shift, we needed to stay back to help do closing duties before going off. These included wiping the menus, spraying sanitizers onto tabletops, chaining the alfresco tables and chairs together, carrying tubs of ice creams back into the freezer room, washing the kitchen area, mopping the restaurant and washing the red cloths in the utensil baskets.
*Jessamyn and I had also thought that working in restaurants meant that our meals would be items from the menu, such as pasta, pizzas, steaks, fish fillets etc. We had been filled with anticipation, but later we learned that our meals were staff meals which the cooks specially prepared. If we wanted to eat from the menu, we could order, and were entitled to a huge percentage discount.
Despite our complaints about the hecticness of the job and some unreasonable customers, we continued to work there.
There were many other part-time or temporary wait staff at our age working there as well, and we became friends very quickly. So we could crack jokes during work, help each other out, and ordered menu food to eat together at mealtimes.
We even began to go out as a group on off-days, and sometimes for drinks after work. I loved my job there, and was contemplating to continue working there on a part-time basis even after my college started.
Breakfast at Crossroads Cafe, Marriott Hotel
A close colleague and I were supposed to be attending a day-long training, but we decided to just sign in and then skip the rest of the training.
Hence, we popped by to the nearby Marriott Hotel for breakfast / brunch at their Crossroads Cafe. It was a nice, cosy-looking place with authentic alfresco lounge complete with ceiling fans. I had always wanted to chill here. The address is 320 Orchard Road, Singapore 238865. If you would like to make reservations or have queries, do dial 6831 4605.
See the comfortable setting of this cafe? Unpretentious, yet classy, and totally European. I always passed by and saw scores of tourists having meals or drinks here, all looking completely at home despite the hot weather in this non-air conditioned area.
We were ushered to one of these tables. It was a weekday morning therefore there weren't many diners / patrons. We looked through the menus, eager to order. I asked my colleague to feel free to order; as it would also be his birthday treat from me.
There are not a lot of breakfast sets to choose from; but one could have a wide assortment of add-ons or separate, ala carte orders. I preferred to have a set. They also have a breakfast buffet selection, for those who do not want ala carte or set breakfasts.
I ordered their Good Start set - which consists of Oatmeal, cold cereal or house‐made granola with fresh berries or bananas, skim milk, choice of toast, bagel or muffin. Includes juices, and coffee or tea. I had selected oatmeal, cold cereal, skim milk, muffin, orange juice and a coffee.
Pardon me for not having taken photos before the digging-in commenced, but here is a shot of the oatmeal (I put the raisins in myself) and coffee. It was very tasty overall, and I felt healthy because of the contents of my huge, nutritious breakfast. I love hotel breakfasts - some buffets are nice, but it is the brunch sets that often makes me feel that it is a power breakfast. My breakfast is priced at SGD$22.00.
Hence, we popped by to the nearby Marriott Hotel for breakfast / brunch at their Crossroads Cafe. It was a nice, cosy-looking place with authentic alfresco lounge complete with ceiling fans. I had always wanted to chill here. The address is 320 Orchard Road, Singapore 238865. If you would like to make reservations or have queries, do dial 6831 4605.
See the comfortable setting of this cafe? Unpretentious, yet classy, and totally European. I always passed by and saw scores of tourists having meals or drinks here, all looking completely at home despite the hot weather in this non-air conditioned area.
There are not a lot of breakfast sets to choose from; but one could have a wide assortment of add-ons or separate, ala carte orders. I preferred to have a set. They also have a breakfast buffet selection, for those who do not want ala carte or set breakfasts.
Pardon me for not having taken photos before the digging-in commenced, but here is a shot of the oatmeal (I put the raisins in myself) and coffee. It was very tasty overall, and I felt healthy because of the contents of my huge, nutritious breakfast. I love hotel breakfasts - some buffets are nice, but it is the brunch sets that often makes me feel that it is a power breakfast. My breakfast is priced at SGD$22.00.
My buddy chose The Marriott Breakfast, which consists of Two free range egg in any style, hash browns, vine tomato, baked beans, Choice of bacon, chicken sausage or pork sausage. Choice of toast, bagel or muffin. Includes juices, and coffee or tea. His breakfast set is priced at SGD$26.00.
His is a typical hearty Big Breakfast style, and according to him, tasted very delicious as well.
We sat and slowly plowed through breakfast in a relaxed, chatty manner. This has to be one of the best outdoor breakfasts I have ever eaten.
Thursday, 21 November 2013
My Experience with Beauty Parlours
Before the First Trial
Prior to my first visit to any beauty parlors / salons / consultants, I often heard my mother's friends and even some of my older cousins talking about going for their "facials".
It used to amaze me that people actually needed someone else to help them wash their faces, like, what was so special about going to a parlor to have our faces washed?
It wasn't until I started having pimple breakouts on my face then I started to even contemplate that I may need someone to do a "facial" for me too.
I had applied different anti-pimple creams, seen about three good skin doctors (dermatologists), and even taken anti-pimples pills, but nothing worked. My skin was dry, red and just angry with a tiny pimple plantation.
My First Visit
I came across a "Free Consultation" advertisement in a female magazine or magazine, and upon conducting some brief research on the beauty parlor in question, read some rather good reviews. Plus, they were rather big, and had several outlets. That somewhat assured me, and I lifted the phone to fix an appointment for myself.
I went for the first appointment on time, and was attended to by one of the ladies in white coats. They looked very smart and professional; more like doctors than what I had imagined beauticians to look like. But then again, they gave themselves fanciful titles such as "Beauty Consultants" and "Beauty Therapists".
The lady attending to me was *Fynn. She showed me to a room and asked me what problems I was facing. Then she ran an electronic scanner stick over my face. Then we both sat down and examined the computer screen, where a detailed diagram showed the analysis of different parts of my face and probably the problems too. She explained the causation to me briefly.
After that, she listed the possible solutions they could implement to tackle my acne-prone skin. She suggested that I try out one session to test the difference, and we could take it from there. The price for that one session was reasonable, so I agreed.
*Fynn arranged for a therapist to show me to one of the rooms. I was immediately taken in by the quietness in this area, the soft aromatic scents filling the air, and the soothing Wellness music playing in the background.
I lay down on the bed and the therapist began to work on my face, patiently explaining the process and what benefits each step brought. I enjoyed her gentle touch and professionalism, so we chatted on throughout the 60-minute session.
I Became A Customer
After my very first facial, I had to admit that my skin felt very soothed and hydrated. Perhaps it was my imagination, but I thought I detected visible difference in my skin condition even then.
They sat me back in one of the consultation rooms and served me hot flower teas.
Then *Fynn came in again and asked me how the experience went. I admitted that I liked it.
She slowly began to launch her selling tactics upon me, suggesting that I take up a package with them. She suggested the program she had customized for my situation, and that in a matter of months I should be able to see very good results.
I was reluctant to commit at first, having heard stories before that these consultants were good at hard-selling. However, as she droned on, I felt myself feeling pressurized, and actually wondered if this could be the cure I was looking for.
In the end, I agreed to a $600 package that consisted of cleansing, soothing, hydrating and anti-bacterial treatments. After all, I have tried out various means in vain, so why not give this a shot?
Subsequent Visits
I continued my therapy on a weekly basis, and was always welcomed with friendly smiles, warm greeting and satisfactory service.
However, during my third session, the therapist began to suggest trying additional items such as some smoothing "serum" that would boost youth, or a seaweed mask that would detoxify. I told her I would give it a miss, as I already had a package that would last me 10 sessions in all.
She would gently persuade on, highlighting the different effects these additional treatments would have on my skin.
I agreed, and allowed her to try the seaweed mask, which caused a whopping $180 for one session.
After the treatment for that day, *Fynn asked how I liked it, commented that the seaweed detox treatment indeed worked wonders for me, and suggested I add it into my package so I could have variations each visit. Furthermore, they were having a promotion, so there was a massive discount.
I thought about it, and eventually signed up another 10 sessions of seaweed treatment for $1200.
Further Visits
The next session, they would promote some Centella gel or collagen masks.
Then some Golden Spoon treatment to retain youth and smoothen the skin.
Their suggestions just went on and on amongst the friendly chatter we would have during my treatment sessions. Both the therapists and *Fynn herself would take turns to make recommendations.
I had signed up another package that consisted of Oxygen Treatment and Golden Spoon treatment for another $5,000, nearly maxing out a new credit card!
My skin did improve and was deeply hydrated, not so prone to itch or sensitiveness anymore. However, the huge pimples persisted on.
Final Straw
It was one-and-a-half years into my membership with them.
The parlor recently had a collaboration with a supposedly-renowned dermatologist who had set up a small office next to my outlet.
*Fynn suggested that I sign up another package that would incorporate dermatological treatment so it would speed up the healing process.
Defeated and curious, I agreed, and forked out another $3800 for this further customized set of treatments that included visits, medications and treatment by this dermatologist as well.
He prescribed some Isotretinoin tablets which my then-boyfriend had suggested I take (it would have cost a lot cheaper if I just gotten it from some other dermatological clinics!) and instantly the grease and zits on my face cleared up!
I was so maddened, and felt cheated by my beauty therapists.
From then onward, I was very firm in rejecting their recommendations to take up any more treatments at all. Instead I concentrated on attending the weekly sessions just to finish up the packages I had stupid signed up and paid for.
This was my experience with the beauty parlors. I highly doubt I would visit any again, since I know how to take care of my skin now, and it is in a good condition.
Prior to my first visit to any beauty parlors / salons / consultants, I often heard my mother's friends and even some of my older cousins talking about going for their "facials".
It used to amaze me that people actually needed someone else to help them wash their faces, like, what was so special about going to a parlor to have our faces washed?
It wasn't until I started having pimple breakouts on my face then I started to even contemplate that I may need someone to do a "facial" for me too.
I had applied different anti-pimple creams, seen about three good skin doctors (dermatologists), and even taken anti-pimples pills, but nothing worked. My skin was dry, red and just angry with a tiny pimple plantation.
My First Visit
I came across a "Free Consultation" advertisement in a female magazine or magazine, and upon conducting some brief research on the beauty parlor in question, read some rather good reviews. Plus, they were rather big, and had several outlets. That somewhat assured me, and I lifted the phone to fix an appointment for myself.
I went for the first appointment on time, and was attended to by one of the ladies in white coats. They looked very smart and professional; more like doctors than what I had imagined beauticians to look like. But then again, they gave themselves fanciful titles such as "Beauty Consultants" and "Beauty Therapists".
The lady attending to me was *Fynn. She showed me to a room and asked me what problems I was facing. Then she ran an electronic scanner stick over my face. Then we both sat down and examined the computer screen, where a detailed diagram showed the analysis of different parts of my face and probably the problems too. She explained the causation to me briefly.
After that, she listed the possible solutions they could implement to tackle my acne-prone skin. She suggested that I try out one session to test the difference, and we could take it from there. The price for that one session was reasonable, so I agreed.
*Fynn arranged for a therapist to show me to one of the rooms. I was immediately taken in by the quietness in this area, the soft aromatic scents filling the air, and the soothing Wellness music playing in the background.
I lay down on the bed and the therapist began to work on my face, patiently explaining the process and what benefits each step brought. I enjoyed her gentle touch and professionalism, so we chatted on throughout the 60-minute session.
I Became A Customer
After my very first facial, I had to admit that my skin felt very soothed and hydrated. Perhaps it was my imagination, but I thought I detected visible difference in my skin condition even then.
They sat me back in one of the consultation rooms and served me hot flower teas.
Then *Fynn came in again and asked me how the experience went. I admitted that I liked it.
She slowly began to launch her selling tactics upon me, suggesting that I take up a package with them. She suggested the program she had customized for my situation, and that in a matter of months I should be able to see very good results.
I was reluctant to commit at first, having heard stories before that these consultants were good at hard-selling. However, as she droned on, I felt myself feeling pressurized, and actually wondered if this could be the cure I was looking for.
In the end, I agreed to a $600 package that consisted of cleansing, soothing, hydrating and anti-bacterial treatments. After all, I have tried out various means in vain, so why not give this a shot?
Subsequent Visits
I continued my therapy on a weekly basis, and was always welcomed with friendly smiles, warm greeting and satisfactory service.
However, during my third session, the therapist began to suggest trying additional items such as some smoothing "serum" that would boost youth, or a seaweed mask that would detoxify. I told her I would give it a miss, as I already had a package that would last me 10 sessions in all.
She would gently persuade on, highlighting the different effects these additional treatments would have on my skin.
I agreed, and allowed her to try the seaweed mask, which caused a whopping $180 for one session.
After the treatment for that day, *Fynn asked how I liked it, commented that the seaweed detox treatment indeed worked wonders for me, and suggested I add it into my package so I could have variations each visit. Furthermore, they were having a promotion, so there was a massive discount.
I thought about it, and eventually signed up another 10 sessions of seaweed treatment for $1200.
Further Visits
The next session, they would promote some Centella gel or collagen masks.
Then some Golden Spoon treatment to retain youth and smoothen the skin.
Their suggestions just went on and on amongst the friendly chatter we would have during my treatment sessions. Both the therapists and *Fynn herself would take turns to make recommendations.
I had signed up another package that consisted of Oxygen Treatment and Golden Spoon treatment for another $5,000, nearly maxing out a new credit card!
My skin did improve and was deeply hydrated, not so prone to itch or sensitiveness anymore. However, the huge pimples persisted on.
Final Straw
It was one-and-a-half years into my membership with them.
The parlor recently had a collaboration with a supposedly-renowned dermatologist who had set up a small office next to my outlet.
*Fynn suggested that I sign up another package that would incorporate dermatological treatment so it would speed up the healing process.
Defeated and curious, I agreed, and forked out another $3800 for this further customized set of treatments that included visits, medications and treatment by this dermatologist as well.
He prescribed some Isotretinoin tablets which my then-boyfriend had suggested I take (it would have cost a lot cheaper if I just gotten it from some other dermatological clinics!) and instantly the grease and zits on my face cleared up!
I was so maddened, and felt cheated by my beauty therapists.
From then onward, I was very firm in rejecting their recommendations to take up any more treatments at all. Instead I concentrated on attending the weekly sessions just to finish up the packages I had stupid signed up and paid for.
This was my experience with the beauty parlors. I highly doubt I would visit any again, since I know how to take care of my skin now, and it is in a good condition.
Dinner at Gayatri Indian Restaurant @ Race Course Road
Another interesting and flavorful cuisine for dinner. This time, we headed to Gayatri Restaurant serving Indian food. This restaurant is located at 122 Race Course Road #01-01 Singapore 218583. For reservations or queries, one may call 6291 1011.
It has a classy-looking, brightly-lit interior with many traditional, interesting decorative pieces. A very homely ambience with friendly service staff ready at the beck and call of the restaurant's diners.
We were shown to a table and given the menu. I offered to order since I have been here once before.
During the previous visit, my friend and I ordered their popular dish, Fish Head Curry. It was spicy and really delicious; however my dinner partner this time round did not fancy fish. What a pity, because their fish heads came with a lot of meat, very tender too.
We started with the Chicken Dum Biryani - chicken cooked with Basmati rice over Dum. The chicken was tender and tasted well-marinated, while the richly-spiced Basmati rice complemented the meat very well.
We were also served a tray of Papadum - crispy, thin, disc-shaped pieces of food made from black grain, or flour from other sources such as lentils, chickpeas, rice or potato. The Papadum is very delicious - it has the texture of potato chips but a different taste. I love eating it with my Biryani as it enhances the taste tremendously.
The Papadum may also be referred to / spelled as papadam, poppadom, papad or appalam.
We also had the Mutton Mysore (the latter is pronounced as "my-saw-rae") - tender morsels of mutton pan-fried in an aromatic and spicy dry gravy studded with cashew nuts. The mutton was stripped of the heavy gamey odor and each mouthful boosted the rich, sumptuous spiciness of the sauce it was cooked in.
The next must-have item was their Butter Chicken - pieces of juicy, char-grilled chicken cooked in cashew nut gravy along with garlic, ginger and onion. The flesh is really soft, and coupled with the scrumptious gravy, this dish is ideal eaten with bread or rice. I was tempted for a second helping, but my stomach could not take anymore food in.
I countered the spiciness of the food with a glass of Mango Lassi - a refreshing, yogurt-based drink blended with mango. Some people prefer the salted Lassis, but for me, I love the mango flavor.
Finally, we finished the meal with dessert of Gulab Jamun - a piece of fried milk ball in golden sugar syrup, strewn with thin slices of ....macadamia nuts? Love the sweet creamy taste of this unique dessert, especially after a heavily-flavored meal.
Overall, my second visit to this restaurant was very satisfactory again, and I would definitely come back for more.
It has a classy-looking, brightly-lit interior with many traditional, interesting decorative pieces. A very homely ambience with friendly service staff ready at the beck and call of the restaurant's diners.
We were shown to a table and given the menu. I offered to order since I have been here once before.
During the previous visit, my friend and I ordered their popular dish, Fish Head Curry. It was spicy and really delicious; however my dinner partner this time round did not fancy fish. What a pity, because their fish heads came with a lot of meat, very tender too.
We started with the Chicken Dum Biryani - chicken cooked with Basmati rice over Dum. The chicken was tender and tasted well-marinated, while the richly-spiced Basmati rice complemented the meat very well.
We were also served a tray of Papadum - crispy, thin, disc-shaped pieces of food made from black grain, or flour from other sources such as lentils, chickpeas, rice or potato. The Papadum is very delicious - it has the texture of potato chips but a different taste. I love eating it with my Biryani as it enhances the taste tremendously.
The Papadum may also be referred to / spelled as papadam, poppadom, papad or appalam.
We also had the Mutton Mysore (the latter is pronounced as "my-saw-rae") - tender morsels of mutton pan-fried in an aromatic and spicy dry gravy studded with cashew nuts. The mutton was stripped of the heavy gamey odor and each mouthful boosted the rich, sumptuous spiciness of the sauce it was cooked in.
I countered the spiciness of the food with a glass of Mango Lassi - a refreshing, yogurt-based drink blended with mango. Some people prefer the salted Lassis, but for me, I love the mango flavor.
Finally, we finished the meal with dessert of Gulab Jamun - a piece of fried milk ball in golden sugar syrup, strewn with thin slices of ....macadamia nuts? Love the sweet creamy taste of this unique dessert, especially after a heavily-flavored meal.
Overall, my second visit to this restaurant was very satisfactory again, and I would definitely come back for more.
My Short Stint as Retail Assistant
Brand Name Attracted Me
After I left that dreaded place, I realized I still had quite a fair bit of time before my college started. So I was chatting with another high school friend whom I was close with, *Kathy.
She was working for a branded retail chain, and they had vacancies for the holiday season. I asked for the contact details, went down to their HQ for interview, and got myself a retail position.
Oh well, I had always been curious to try out being a retailer i.e.. shop assistant anyway. It should be fun - I would be courteous with a great friendly smile, helping the customers to choose great clothes, while getting to shop while I worked, right?
First Day at Work
I wore kitten heels despite their suggestions to be in "comfortable footwear". I always wore heels, so I figured it should not be an issue.
My uniforms were not ready, so I wore a half-sleeved white, zip-front shirt over charcoal pants and heels, looking smart. In fact, I secretly thought that I looked more like the shop supervisor than an assistant.
They asked me to browse through the racks to familiarize myself with the merchandise on display, including the bags and cosmetics counter.
So I went through the racks of sweaters, dresses, pants - starting with the formal wear and slowly moving onto the casual line.
I was awed by the colors I was seeing - lavender, lilac, violet, purple - every item came with different shades in each hue, not just "purple, orange, pink" etc.
The store supervisor then taught me how to read the price and size tags, how to pin them on and remove them.
By noon, my feet were hurting. I felt like someone had hammered through the bones of my foot's arch. But I slowly dragged my feet to the cafe for lunch. I learned that we would be taking lunch in staggered shifts, often alone. Oh man, was this going to be lonely!
After lunch, I was mostly stuck in the storeroom tidying up the storeroom. During the previous day, they had messed up up the rooms while searching for new pieces or the right sizes for customers. I did not mind as the storeroom was clean, and I could remove my shoes to climb up and down the racks.
The outlet I was working at closed by 9pm. So we turned the sign to read "Closed", pulled the shutters halfway, and began the mundane and dirty routine of fetching water in pails, wiping the shelves and mopping the floors.
I was somewhat appalled as I was not aware that we had to handle these tasks as well.
By the time I boarded the bus for home, my feet felt like breaking literally, and I was tired from the standing, moving about and storeroom labor. I wondered if I should call it quits.
The Days Passed By
I continued there for another month though. It got fun as the days passed by.
Morning shift: we fetched water and wash the flannel cloths for cleaning of display shelves. The one advantage was that we also got to use the cosmetics at the makeup counter before the shop opened its doors to the public. I always looked forward to that.
Afternoon shift: we got to wake up later; that was about the only perk. Then we did the usual closing duty and waited while the supervisor tabulated the day's total sales before we could leave together.
I liked it when there were customers to serve. We welcomed them verbally, with a warm smile and offers to help, follow them around the store while they checked out potential purchases (even though some of them did not like the attention), made recommendations and followed them to the cashier so that the sale would be keyed under our names (for sales quota and KPI's purposes?).
When there were no customers, we could not sit down. We had to make the rounds, occasionally touching up on stuff so we appeared busy. I would hide behind some shelf and yawn continuously, then went around selecting clothes I liked. There was a dark purple turtleneck sweater, a black tote with large silver zips, a beige camisole with sequins that caught my fancy. I stashed them aside secretly so that when payday came, I could make them mine.
Top Sales of the Day
There came a day when I sold a watch to a nice couple - a young gentleman buying a gift for his girlfriend. I was the one who served them, and they were really nice. So that made me the top sales of the day.
There were incentives and compliments of course, but they informed me that temporary staff were not included in the incentives! It maddened me.
One plump retailer who claimed she was the top salesgirl in her previous outlet even went outright to suggest that "they probably bought from you because they find you cute, so young and silly-looking.."
I had retorted that they probably did not buy from her because they were concerned about her weight and did not want her to eat more if she received more commission.
Tossing the Letter
Of course, there were small blunders I had made, such as informing callers over the phone we had a certain item. When they came down to buy, they realized it was not the exact model they were looking for.
Oh well, it wasn't the internet age back then, so they couldn't browse online before heading down too, so what could I do?
The big break came when I needed to apply for leave for a day. The GCE "O" levels results were released, so I needed to go back to collect the certificates.
Our branch manager did not allow for it. So I had insisted by applying first for a half-day leave which I had every intention of stretching.
They rang my home ten times just to find me when I did not turn up in the afternoon. Worse, I was unfortunate enough to be spotted shopping in town with my best friend and we were both wearing very hot outfits (intentions to go clubbing at night). Guess who spotted me?
The manager herself.
Needless to say, although I had prepared a resignation letter, the management chose to terminate my services with the company. Well, I did not care. I loathed that job and the other retail assistants there anyway.
There - that's the end of my retail career.
After I left that dreaded place, I realized I still had quite a fair bit of time before my college started. So I was chatting with another high school friend whom I was close with, *Kathy.
She was working for a branded retail chain, and they had vacancies for the holiday season. I asked for the contact details, went down to their HQ for interview, and got myself a retail position.
Oh well, I had always been curious to try out being a retailer i.e.. shop assistant anyway. It should be fun - I would be courteous with a great friendly smile, helping the customers to choose great clothes, while getting to shop while I worked, right?
First Day at Work
I wore kitten heels despite their suggestions to be in "comfortable footwear". I always wore heels, so I figured it should not be an issue.
My uniforms were not ready, so I wore a half-sleeved white, zip-front shirt over charcoal pants and heels, looking smart. In fact, I secretly thought that I looked more like the shop supervisor than an assistant.
They asked me to browse through the racks to familiarize myself with the merchandise on display, including the bags and cosmetics counter.
So I went through the racks of sweaters, dresses, pants - starting with the formal wear and slowly moving onto the casual line.
I was awed by the colors I was seeing - lavender, lilac, violet, purple - every item came with different shades in each hue, not just "purple, orange, pink" etc.
The store supervisor then taught me how to read the price and size tags, how to pin them on and remove them.
By noon, my feet were hurting. I felt like someone had hammered through the bones of my foot's arch. But I slowly dragged my feet to the cafe for lunch. I learned that we would be taking lunch in staggered shifts, often alone. Oh man, was this going to be lonely!
After lunch, I was mostly stuck in the storeroom tidying up the storeroom. During the previous day, they had messed up up the rooms while searching for new pieces or the right sizes for customers. I did not mind as the storeroom was clean, and I could remove my shoes to climb up and down the racks.
The outlet I was working at closed by 9pm. So we turned the sign to read "Closed", pulled the shutters halfway, and began the mundane and dirty routine of fetching water in pails, wiping the shelves and mopping the floors.
I was somewhat appalled as I was not aware that we had to handle these tasks as well.
By the time I boarded the bus for home, my feet felt like breaking literally, and I was tired from the standing, moving about and storeroom labor. I wondered if I should call it quits.
The Days Passed By
I continued there for another month though. It got fun as the days passed by.
Morning shift: we fetched water and wash the flannel cloths for cleaning of display shelves. The one advantage was that we also got to use the cosmetics at the makeup counter before the shop opened its doors to the public. I always looked forward to that.
Afternoon shift: we got to wake up later; that was about the only perk. Then we did the usual closing duty and waited while the supervisor tabulated the day's total sales before we could leave together.
I liked it when there were customers to serve. We welcomed them verbally, with a warm smile and offers to help, follow them around the store while they checked out potential purchases (even though some of them did not like the attention), made recommendations and followed them to the cashier so that the sale would be keyed under our names (for sales quota and KPI's purposes?).
When there were no customers, we could not sit down. We had to make the rounds, occasionally touching up on stuff so we appeared busy. I would hide behind some shelf and yawn continuously, then went around selecting clothes I liked. There was a dark purple turtleneck sweater, a black tote with large silver zips, a beige camisole with sequins that caught my fancy. I stashed them aside secretly so that when payday came, I could make them mine.
Top Sales of the Day
There came a day when I sold a watch to a nice couple - a young gentleman buying a gift for his girlfriend. I was the one who served them, and they were really nice. So that made me the top sales of the day.
There were incentives and compliments of course, but they informed me that temporary staff were not included in the incentives! It maddened me.
One plump retailer who claimed she was the top salesgirl in her previous outlet even went outright to suggest that "they probably bought from you because they find you cute, so young and silly-looking.."
I had retorted that they probably did not buy from her because they were concerned about her weight and did not want her to eat more if she received more commission.
Tossing the Letter
Of course, there were small blunders I had made, such as informing callers over the phone we had a certain item. When they came down to buy, they realized it was not the exact model they were looking for.
Oh well, it wasn't the internet age back then, so they couldn't browse online before heading down too, so what could I do?
The big break came when I needed to apply for leave for a day. The GCE "O" levels results were released, so I needed to go back to collect the certificates.
Our branch manager did not allow for it. So I had insisted by applying first for a half-day leave which I had every intention of stretching.
They rang my home ten times just to find me when I did not turn up in the afternoon. Worse, I was unfortunate enough to be spotted shopping in town with my best friend and we were both wearing very hot outfits (intentions to go clubbing at night). Guess who spotted me?
The manager herself.
Needless to say, although I had prepared a resignation letter, the management chose to terminate my services with the company. Well, I did not care. I loathed that job and the other retail assistants there anyway.
There - that's the end of my retail career.
Lunch at 7107 Flavors Philippines Restaurant
This is a reminiscent post of my very favorite Filipino
restaurant. It had originally opened at 6 Raffles Boulevard #02-02
Marina Square, Singapore 039594, and later moved to 114 Neil Road
Singapore 088852. It has been closed down for quite a while already,
much to my chagrin.
As compared to the smaller stalls in Lucky Plaza - which, I understand do serve authentic Filipino cuisine - this classy restaurant offered a buffet or ala carte option. It boosted good service and an elegant, quiet ambience that was suitable for families, dates or friends. I had brought a Filipino couple there for a thank-you lunch; they were my friends-turned-clients when I was in the financial services industry. Once seated, we were poring over the menus and I asked them to feel free to recommend some nice dishes since I have never tried Filipino food before.
The first dish that we had was the Pork Adobo - a dish of tender, marinated pork that was braised in a tangy, flavorful sauce. It was soft and literally melted in the mouth. I loved it at first bite and helped myself to a huge piece even though I usually refrain from fatty meats. Actually, it did taste somewhat like Chinese braised pork, truth be told; except perhaps a little more salty? I enjoyed this dish tremendously nonetheless. The Adabo dish is also known as Adobong Baboy, and comes in Chicken or Beef too, for those who are not fans of pork.
The next delicacy we selected was the Bicol Express - another delicious dish in which the pork is stewed in coconut milk, shrimp paste and lots of chilli / peppers. I did not find it spicy even though it was supposed to be one of their spiciest dishes - probably because I love spicy food and even dared eat chilli padi on its own before. The texture of the pork here is not as tender, but coupled with the gravy it was stewed in, my tongue was bursting with flavors - sweetness of coconut milk, saltiness of the shrimp paste and spiciness of the chilli / peppers. I had to admit that the Bicol Express was another awesome recommendation by my Filipino friends.
We were served the Kare-kare next. It is an oxtail stewed in a peanut sauce along with string beans and eggplants etc. I had thought it would taste like our Chinese curry because of the name and how this dish looked. It tasted rather different - a wonderful concoction between sweet and savory flavors. The oxtail was tender and succulent and well-complemented by the thick gravy. I was thankful for the vegetables found in this dish as I had realized that the rest of our lunch all contained meat only. This dish may also be known as Kaldereta.
Unfortunately I do not know the name of this dish (the receipts have long since been discarded too). I kept having the impression this was Lumpia Shanghai, because I recall one of the dishes contained a name with "Shanghai" in it. However, when I conducted a Google search on "Lumpia Shanghai" I got images and descriptions of spring rolls, which look nothing like this dish in my photo herein. This is definitely a beef dish. I have been trying to search for its name but in vain. I do not even remember its taste by now, unfortunately. Could it be Mechado or Sinigang by any chance? Or another Kaldereta dish?
Anyway, we finished the meal with complement of rice. I think the rice was rather essential because the dishes were all very flavorful; it would have been deemed a tad salty if not for the rice to balance the taste. It was a very satisfying meal overall. The total bill for three of us came us to less than SGD$100.00. There was even a sizable chunk leftover for my friends-cum-clients to pack home (anyway they had informed me that Filipinos liked to "tabao", meaning, pack home, at the beginning of the meal when we were placing our orders).
I went back there one more time for dinner, bringing my then-boyfriend to try this delicious discovery of Filipino food. He had enjoyed it too. A pity that this restaurant has to close down...
As compared to the smaller stalls in Lucky Plaza - which, I understand do serve authentic Filipino cuisine - this classy restaurant offered a buffet or ala carte option. It boosted good service and an elegant, quiet ambience that was suitable for families, dates or friends. I had brought a Filipino couple there for a thank-you lunch; they were my friends-turned-clients when I was in the financial services industry. Once seated, we were poring over the menus and I asked them to feel free to recommend some nice dishes since I have never tried Filipino food before.
The first dish that we had was the Pork Adobo - a dish of tender, marinated pork that was braised in a tangy, flavorful sauce. It was soft and literally melted in the mouth. I loved it at first bite and helped myself to a huge piece even though I usually refrain from fatty meats. Actually, it did taste somewhat like Chinese braised pork, truth be told; except perhaps a little more salty? I enjoyed this dish tremendously nonetheless. The Adabo dish is also known as Adobong Baboy, and comes in Chicken or Beef too, for those who are not fans of pork.
The next delicacy we selected was the Bicol Express - another delicious dish in which the pork is stewed in coconut milk, shrimp paste and lots of chilli / peppers. I did not find it spicy even though it was supposed to be one of their spiciest dishes - probably because I love spicy food and even dared eat chilli padi on its own before. The texture of the pork here is not as tender, but coupled with the gravy it was stewed in, my tongue was bursting with flavors - sweetness of coconut milk, saltiness of the shrimp paste and spiciness of the chilli / peppers. I had to admit that the Bicol Express was another awesome recommendation by my Filipino friends.
We were served the Kare-kare next. It is an oxtail stewed in a peanut sauce along with string beans and eggplants etc. I had thought it would taste like our Chinese curry because of the name and how this dish looked. It tasted rather different - a wonderful concoction between sweet and savory flavors. The oxtail was tender and succulent and well-complemented by the thick gravy. I was thankful for the vegetables found in this dish as I had realized that the rest of our lunch all contained meat only. This dish may also be known as Kaldereta.
Unfortunately I do not know the name of this dish (the receipts have long since been discarded too). I kept having the impression this was Lumpia Shanghai, because I recall one of the dishes contained a name with "Shanghai" in it. However, when I conducted a Google search on "Lumpia Shanghai" I got images and descriptions of spring rolls, which look nothing like this dish in my photo herein. This is definitely a beef dish. I have been trying to search for its name but in vain. I do not even remember its taste by now, unfortunately. Could it be Mechado or Sinigang by any chance? Or another Kaldereta dish?
Anyway, we finished the meal with complement of rice. I think the rice was rather essential because the dishes were all very flavorful; it would have been deemed a tad salty if not for the rice to balance the taste. It was a very satisfying meal overall. The total bill for three of us came us to less than SGD$100.00. There was even a sizable chunk leftover for my friends-cum-clients to pack home (anyway they had informed me that Filipinos liked to "tabao", meaning, pack home, at the beginning of the meal when we were placing our orders).
I went back there one more time for dinner, bringing my then-boyfriend to try this delicious discovery of Filipino food. He had enjoyed it too. A pity that this restaurant has to close down...
My First Student Job : Data Entry
The Job Hunt
We were all fresh school-leavers then, and had some months to fill between high school and entering college. Most of us were seeking for temporary jobs to kill time, gain working experience and earn some extra allowance.
My best friend, *Tracy had secured herself a temporary position with a government body through a recruitment agency. She introduced the position to me since there were still vacancies to fill, so I thought, "Why not?". I didn't know what else to look out for, and had thought it would be cool to work for a government body. Furthermore, it might be fun to work together with my best friend. I imagined us sitting behind the glass counters in chic outfits helping the applicants do register, and we would be all professional, polite and grown-up.
The First Day of Work
Prior to the start of our new jobs, *Tracy found another retail position closer to home; and as an avid shoes lover, she took up that job offer instead. So I referred two other high school friends to the positions.
On the first day of work, we were welcomed by the fuddy-duddy ladies who worked in that office. The supevisors then assigned us our desks, and it turned out that we would not be manning the counter. Instead, our jobscope was mainly data entry.
Before the electronic age, all the information of the persons registered were recorded in thick volumes of leather-bound books. We were employed to key in the information accordingly into the system. I was fine with that, since I prided myself on having fast typing skills.
So the work became a routine in which we would report at nine in the mornings, work till noon for lunch break and then continue keying in the records till six, when we knocked off.
More temporary staff joined us, so we constantly had more new companions for lunch.
Halfway Through Work
One of the friends I had referred in was named *Sharmaine. She was a wholesome, sweet and pretty girl who was everyone's sweetheart back in high school.
Needless to say, same went for here. The male interns or temporary staff (thankfully the full-time males in this office were all elderly men who were happily married) fancied her. They would ask her out for dates over the weekends, and she would be nice enough to invite me and *Llana, the other girl I had referred in, along for the dates.
I was jealous as I had been looking forward to meeting my Prince Charming after high school graduation. We were from an all-girls school, you see, hence our exposure to males were limited to weekends and after-school hours, where curfews were aplenty back then.
As though that was not enough to embitter me, two of the female supervisors were showing rather obvious favoritism towards *Sharmaine.They would put *Sharmaine in charge of watching over us when they had internal meetings. They groomed her to perform frontline duties that included registering the applicants - the exact role I had thought I would be doing.
Granted, *Sharmaine was more personable and pleasant compared to the rest of us, who were quieter. She looked better, and was from a better family. But no matter what I was the one who had recommended her the job role, and I had expected that she would take initiative to suggest that we be included in these trainings as well. It was not as though she typed faster than us or was more accurate than us in her records keeping anyway.
Things Turned Nasty
I began to feel very demoralized working there; the mundane tasks of squinting my eyes to read the tiny prints and fading ink, typing away on the keyboard and operating the records system had turned even more unbearable.
Out of spite and mischief, I began to tamper with some of the entries. It was nothing serious, basically I just edited some of the entries and keyed in some funny names to replace the ones already being saved in the system. It amused me, but did nothing to improve the work situation. I would edit a few entries on a daily basis; this went on for about a week.
Then one day, one of the supervisors came across one of the strange entries.
At that point in time, technology was not advanced at all, and there was no CCTV. I had not been stupid enough to tamper with the records entered by me. Therefore, all they could do was to conduct internal investigations and interview us.
The head of the department was vicious enough to hand the case over the the police for further investigation. Some of the more sympathetic elderly women working there tried to stop her, but to no avail.
The most maddening part was that they only submitted a couple of names to the police - Llana's and mine. So we dutifully went down to the police station to have our statement recorded.
There was no conclusion to the investigation as there was no evidence pointing to either of us. I had also tried to implicate one of the supervisors because she had actually laughed aloud at one of the entries she came across. *Llana and I decided to preserve our dignity by resigning on our own accord.
The End
Eventually, both of us moved on from that place and the bad memories there. I had never confessed my deeds to her, even though I was sorry that I had indirectly dragged her down through my acts. I had acted every bit as innocent as the rest of them.
It had also not occurred to me to ask her whether she had also felt the same anguish that I had, about the biased treatment shown towards *Sharmaine.
A month later, there was a dinner gathering with *Sharmaine and a couple of interns / temporary staff still working there. The latest update was that the office could not find the real culprit, and eventually they had decided to terminate all the temporary staff and stop employing them to do any data entry work at all.
I didn't mind that certainly. If anything, I was secretly feeling gleeful - they had it coming to them, for showing favoritism.
There goes the story of my first ever job, a decade and a half ago, whew!
We were all fresh school-leavers then, and had some months to fill between high school and entering college. Most of us were seeking for temporary jobs to kill time, gain working experience and earn some extra allowance.
My best friend, *Tracy had secured herself a temporary position with a government body through a recruitment agency. She introduced the position to me since there were still vacancies to fill, so I thought, "Why not?". I didn't know what else to look out for, and had thought it would be cool to work for a government body. Furthermore, it might be fun to work together with my best friend. I imagined us sitting behind the glass counters in chic outfits helping the applicants do register, and we would be all professional, polite and grown-up.
The First Day of Work
Prior to the start of our new jobs, *Tracy found another retail position closer to home; and as an avid shoes lover, she took up that job offer instead. So I referred two other high school friends to the positions.
On the first day of work, we were welcomed by the fuddy-duddy ladies who worked in that office. The supevisors then assigned us our desks, and it turned out that we would not be manning the counter. Instead, our jobscope was mainly data entry.
Before the electronic age, all the information of the persons registered were recorded in thick volumes of leather-bound books. We were employed to key in the information accordingly into the system. I was fine with that, since I prided myself on having fast typing skills.
So the work became a routine in which we would report at nine in the mornings, work till noon for lunch break and then continue keying in the records till six, when we knocked off.
More temporary staff joined us, so we constantly had more new companions for lunch.
Halfway Through Work
One of the friends I had referred in was named *Sharmaine. She was a wholesome, sweet and pretty girl who was everyone's sweetheart back in high school.
Needless to say, same went for here. The male interns or temporary staff (thankfully the full-time males in this office were all elderly men who were happily married) fancied her. They would ask her out for dates over the weekends, and she would be nice enough to invite me and *Llana, the other girl I had referred in, along for the dates.
I was jealous as I had been looking forward to meeting my Prince Charming after high school graduation. We were from an all-girls school, you see, hence our exposure to males were limited to weekends and after-school hours, where curfews were aplenty back then.
As though that was not enough to embitter me, two of the female supervisors were showing rather obvious favoritism towards *Sharmaine.They would put *Sharmaine in charge of watching over us when they had internal meetings. They groomed her to perform frontline duties that included registering the applicants - the exact role I had thought I would be doing.
Granted, *Sharmaine was more personable and pleasant compared to the rest of us, who were quieter. She looked better, and was from a better family. But no matter what I was the one who had recommended her the job role, and I had expected that she would take initiative to suggest that we be included in these trainings as well. It was not as though she typed faster than us or was more accurate than us in her records keeping anyway.
Things Turned Nasty
I began to feel very demoralized working there; the mundane tasks of squinting my eyes to read the tiny prints and fading ink, typing away on the keyboard and operating the records system had turned even more unbearable.
Out of spite and mischief, I began to tamper with some of the entries. It was nothing serious, basically I just edited some of the entries and keyed in some funny names to replace the ones already being saved in the system. It amused me, but did nothing to improve the work situation. I would edit a few entries on a daily basis; this went on for about a week.
Then one day, one of the supervisors came across one of the strange entries.
At that point in time, technology was not advanced at all, and there was no CCTV. I had not been stupid enough to tamper with the records entered by me. Therefore, all they could do was to conduct internal investigations and interview us.
The head of the department was vicious enough to hand the case over the the police for further investigation. Some of the more sympathetic elderly women working there tried to stop her, but to no avail.
The most maddening part was that they only submitted a couple of names to the police - Llana's and mine. So we dutifully went down to the police station to have our statement recorded.
There was no conclusion to the investigation as there was no evidence pointing to either of us. I had also tried to implicate one of the supervisors because she had actually laughed aloud at one of the entries she came across. *Llana and I decided to preserve our dignity by resigning on our own accord.
The End
Eventually, both of us moved on from that place and the bad memories there. I had never confessed my deeds to her, even though I was sorry that I had indirectly dragged her down through my acts. I had acted every bit as innocent as the rest of them.
It had also not occurred to me to ask her whether she had also felt the same anguish that I had, about the biased treatment shown towards *Sharmaine.
A month later, there was a dinner gathering with *Sharmaine and a couple of interns / temporary staff still working there. The latest update was that the office could not find the real culprit, and eventually they had decided to terminate all the temporary staff and stop employing them to do any data entry work at all.
I didn't mind that certainly. If anything, I was secretly feeling gleeful - they had it coming to them, for showing favoritism.
There goes the story of my first ever job, a decade and a half ago, whew!
Weekend Dinner at Ah Loy Thai Restaurant
When I was working in Bugis Junction / North Bridge Road area, my
colleagues brought me to try the nice and very affordable food at Ah Loy Thai Restaurant located at 100 Beach Road #01-39 / 40 Shaw Tower Singapore 189702.
If you would like to make reservations or pre-order, you may dial +65
9165 1543. It has remained one of my favorite Thai food places till
today - and that's seven (7) years later!
The restaurant is not much to speak of; it looks just like an ordinary eatery with wooden tables and plastic-and-metal chairs. The place is usually bustling with people. Business is so good that they have taken over the other unit - it used to be just one unit so the waiting time or queue took ages.
Other than the brusque attitude of the elderly gentleman whom we believe is the restaurant owner, the overall service of the restaurant is quite friendly.
My friend and I were ushered to a table shortly upon arrival, and shown the menu. We selected the items we wanted and ticked them off the order chits on the tables. I recommended the usual favorites, which in my opinion, are the must-haves here.
We started with the Thai Pandan Chicken - crispy, juicy and tasty. It is rather big compared to the other pandan chicken I have tried at other Thai restaurants.
The next dish was the Kangkong (morning glory) - a vegetable dish stir-fried with chilli. The vegetables are tender and tasty, not hard to chew at all; definitely an appetite-whetter.
Now this is one of my personal favorites, a dish I often have cravings for. Their Chicken Stir-fried with Red Basil Leaves. A spicy dish with succulent basil leaves and tiny pieces of chicken - the flavorful gravy is great for pouring over rice as it is very tasty.
A traditional Thai dish - the Phad Thai (rice vermicelli, fried) with Seafood. It is not oily, but tastes light and scrumptious. Each bite fills the taste buds with satisfaction. For those who prefer a stronger taste, you may ask for their chilli powder to scatter over the Phad Thai. This dish comes in variation of chicken as well, for those who do not take seafood.
Finally, their Kamquet (lime juice) to wash down the spicy taste and refresh us. This sweet-sour drink is one of their special concoctions, a great cooling alternative to coconut juice.
All in all, the two of us paid less than SGD$40.00 for this simple but sumptuous meal. Do pay them a visit if you are in the vicinity. They're open daily from 12pm to 8pm except Sundays and public holidays.
The restaurant is not much to speak of; it looks just like an ordinary eatery with wooden tables and plastic-and-metal chairs. The place is usually bustling with people. Business is so good that they have taken over the other unit - it used to be just one unit so the waiting time or queue took ages.
Other than the brusque attitude of the elderly gentleman whom we believe is the restaurant owner, the overall service of the restaurant is quite friendly.
My friend and I were ushered to a table shortly upon arrival, and shown the menu. We selected the items we wanted and ticked them off the order chits on the tables. I recommended the usual favorites, which in my opinion, are the must-haves here.
We started with the Thai Pandan Chicken - crispy, juicy and tasty. It is rather big compared to the other pandan chicken I have tried at other Thai restaurants.
The next dish was the Kangkong (morning glory) - a vegetable dish stir-fried with chilli. The vegetables are tender and tasty, not hard to chew at all; definitely an appetite-whetter.
Now this is one of my personal favorites, a dish I often have cravings for. Their Chicken Stir-fried with Red Basil Leaves. A spicy dish with succulent basil leaves and tiny pieces of chicken - the flavorful gravy is great for pouring over rice as it is very tasty.
A traditional Thai dish - the Phad Thai (rice vermicelli, fried) with Seafood. It is not oily, but tastes light and scrumptious. Each bite fills the taste buds with satisfaction. For those who prefer a stronger taste, you may ask for their chilli powder to scatter over the Phad Thai. This dish comes in variation of chicken as well, for those who do not take seafood.
Finally, their Kamquet (lime juice) to wash down the spicy taste and refresh us. This sweet-sour drink is one of their special concoctions, a great cooling alternative to coconut juice.
All in all, the two of us paid less than SGD$40.00 for this simple but sumptuous meal. Do pay them a visit if you are in the vicinity. They're open daily from 12pm to 8pm except Sundays and public holidays.
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