Tuesday, March 17, 2009

You Wanna Talk About Consumerism With Me Bitch?

The last few days were nothing but busy for me as I unwillingly worked past the three gruelling days at the travel fair. Working at such fairs, you get to see people of all shapes and sizes, you see the cute and the very uncute guys as well as a budding trend of sugar daddies and also very gay/bi boyfriends who brought their very blur girlfriends... However, all of them have one thing in common. Since the standard of expectation by travellers from Malaysia are demandingly high and with most of them unwilling to pay even an extra single ringgit (not even dollar), there is only one word to describe them... CHEAP!

In the midst of all the visitors, we find an alarming growth of people who, are capable of displaying disturbing behaviour during the purchase...

Specimen 1.
Stats: good looking, 6 foot guy with braces. Brought extremely ugly girlfriend (Yes, I exaggerated but if I were straight I wouldn't have dated her as well!)

S1: How mush is the price to Taipei?
Eve (Our staff): RMXXX
S1: How come this price? Can reduce?
Eve: Its promo price (such a dimwit)
S1:Ok I cum bek!

(Moments later)

S1: How much to Taipei?
Amie (Another staff): RMXXY
S1:Why different?
Just now is RMXXX now RM XXY?

(argue, argue, argue.... Until aunt came to handle him)

S1: How come prices are so different? You quote me twice and different price?
Aunt: No... The taxes for air tickets fluctuate based on currency... Eve quoted you based on yesterday's tax price while Amie checked the most recent...

(Then made big hoo-haa about us not being professional and all...)

A: We all make mistakes, we can't be going round updating it every moment of the day now can we? It is stated that airport taxes are subjected to change. When we issue the ticket is when we can give you the actual price to pay. The ticket fare however remains the same.
S1: No la... I think you all are cheaters...

(sheepishly he asks...)

S1: So is it because of colour?
Aunt: Sir, are you discriminating? (This dimwit is Chinese and so are all who is involved)
S1: Nola, just joking (at this point GF is glaring at him...)
Aunt: But I like it, you see, we all make mistakes... We are not perfect, we try to make up for our inadequacy but at the end, we just wanna have a chance to change things and make it right. We quoted you one price but we always rectify when we check with the system. At the fair with the crowd asking at random, we must find a quick way of disseminating information. You will get the actual price at the end when you place a booking...
(Shied into his seat)

Oh, and you wanna know how much the difference between RMXXX and RMXXY?

RM3.00


Specimen 2
Stats: Mid 40s. Woman. Ugly as hell and has the worst hairstyle! Brought son (I damn kesian him for having this mother

S2: Ok. Now i want to book. (All the tickets are booked and as I was about to collect payment from her...) eh, I wanna see your terms and conditions first! (Reads the terms...Crazy? I don't think crazy fits but manic... probably)

She finally paid but
S2: I wanna see your credit card machine! (WTF? You think I have some gadget to cheat her off her money is it
After the transaction
S2: Got free gift?
Me: Yes, you can visit the tourism board of XXX to collect your free travel bag.

5 Minutes later...

S2: No more bags... They ran out of stock... (And what you want me to do?)
Me: Sorry, but we can't do anything
S2: Your company give me travel bag la...
Me: Our company don't give out travel bags. If you are not satisfied, you can complain to the tourism board.
S2: But I bought the tour from you... you must give me...Its not fair... (What you thinking woman...)
Me: But it is while stocks last madam.
S2: I want to cancel. I don't want to go.
Me: All for the fact that there is no free gift?
S2: You cheated me.
Me: (Pissed and damn stern) Please watch what you are saying here. I didn't cheat you. The bags ran out and this applies to everyone who bought a tour to XXX. You came here to buy a tour... (Not to get free gift!)
(Son pulls her off and apologised...)

At 9pm, she called me on my cell...
S2: I want to cancel my tour. I want my money back.
Me: Can. But your deposit will be forfeited.
S2: How can... I didn't travel and it's only a few hours (She thinks got time limit to cancel)
Me: Once I made your booking, the airlines receives it and would block your seat already. Once they confirmed your seat just now, they will charge no matter what.
S2: I call the Consumer court, they say can...
Me: Trust me Madam, we have so many cases there and most of it, we won, stop wasting time.
S2: How can... I don't care... I don't want to travel.
Me: But when you made your booking, you even read the terms and conditions and signed the form...
S2: I don't wanna argue anymore...

Such a bitch I tell you... These people are those who are making this business to be so "Cheap"!
Huh... Can't wait till the day I don't have to help out anymore... Argghhhh....

Monday, March 9, 2009

If I Was a Superstar...

Yeah yeah... Who said it's original but I did it anyway!

To bring to life what might have become if I was in a rock band (Hahaha...) all you have to do is...
1 - Go to Wikipedia. Hit “random”
or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random Wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to Quotations Page and select "random quotations"
or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four or five words of the very last quote on the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to Flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”
or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 - Use Photoshop, GIMP, Inkscape, or similar to put it all together.

And viola...


Columbia Hills presents... "Vigorous Writing is Concise"

Will it go platinum?

Friday, March 6, 2009

And the Top 12... Opps13 is...

With a lil twist towards the end, we now have 13 contestants for the very first time on American Idol! The lucky 4 who made it pass Wildcard was Jasmine, Matt, Megan and Anoop. I wanted Ricky and/or Jesse instead of Jasmine but pahh...she wont last.

American Idol... Lack of Talent or Lack of Spark?

I have been a fan of American Idol since Starworld brought it in when it launched Season 3 and Is wore to myself I would join it (someday) but the selection of talent this year, as compared to the last has mellowed down. We don't see the fierce competition like last year and talents from the semifinals are picking the wrong songs all the time to the point where it is so easy to guess as to who will secure the 3 spots into the finals each week.

I cannot deny some of them are really talented but unlike Season 7, you could even recall someone from semifinals... (yes, he has tight pants...) but the thing is, I don't only watch out for talents, I also check out the cuties and yes, one has already gotten into the finals. I must add however, the good looking boys have all evaded the competition this year. None has Michael Johns charm nor David Archuleta's cutie pie look... Performance wise, no one has moments in the competition like Latoya London or Clay Aiken or even David Archuleta (Yes, I still hearts him)

However, I was glad that the judges picked a really talented bunch of guys and gals for the wildcard show and I hope they pull through!

Presenting the wildcards...


Jesse Langseth (Love her reindition of Bette Davis Eyes and her bluesy voice)

Jasmine Murray

Anoop Desai

Ricky Braddy (So cute and he likes tight pants...yummy)

Tatiane Nicole Del Toro (Drama Mama)

Von Smith (He sings a bit like me you know?...Hahahahaha)

Megan Joy Corkrey (Love her)

Matt Giraud (Hope he gets in cos he has a really blue voice that I like!)

I really hope Matt, Megan and Ricky gets it cos I really think they make great competition... ok Ricky (Cos I have a week or two more to lust over him) but I think Anoop and Jesse are really great talents too... while Von, I might think he makes a good finalist too!

And the finalists thus far...

Alexis Grace

Danny Gokey

Michael Sarver

Kris Allen

Allison Iraheta

Adam Lambert (Love this guy... great voice, kinda cute and from "Wicked")

Lil Rounds (What a name?)

Jorge Nuñez

Scott MacIntyre

Thursday, March 5, 2009

The Curious Case of Going For Benjamin Button Alone!

Yes, sad I know but what can I do on a weekday, it is not like everyone is as free as I am.
I have wanted to watch it since it came out but never gotten the chance so as I recalled and decided to watch it today, I asked a few close friends but none seemed to be able to go or they have watched it so I picked up my beans and went for it. (Though it must be noted that this is not my first time watching a movie alone so no biggie...sobs...sobs...)


So I ended up in cinema 17 alone with popcorn on one hand and a cup of coke in the other, strolling in alone while other movie goers stared attentively.(I believe some are whispering "eh not bad looking but why come alone one?") But who cares, I came for one person, Benjamin (Yeah right! Brad bitch)


The movie as expected was a fairly good movie and it jerked a few teardrops out of me (not like the lady behind me who had her pipes turned on full blast!) but I love the story that tells you that life is a journey with two ends, and what does it matter which end does it start from because our lives would peak at the same time but when it ends, we end up in diapers anyway, as Cate Blanchett says. I felt inspired each time I watch movies like that. they teach you that love is unconditional. Love is unselfish and love can be unending... But lets not get all mushy here...


I am particularly impressed with the make-up (no wonder the Academy Award for that) where Brad looks really old and even Tilda Swinton who played Elizabeth Abbott, her make up looks pretty convincing not to mention Cate Blanchett's ultra superb make up when she was putting on her clothes when she met Brad again when she had a teenage daughter.


Favourite scene? Must be the part when Brad looked into the mirror and told Cate he wants to remember how they looked liek together... How hopelessly romantic I am right? I know...

Though it got a lil draggy in parts but when Brad turned into the dashing 40+ man, gosh, I think everyone must have gotten a hard-on seeing how delish he could still be!

He is supposed to be mine bitch!

Oh and before I forget...

... Goodnight Brad
...Goodnight People!!!

Monday, March 2, 2009

The Last Day of the Month

It's a lovely Saturday I must say as I am glad it happened the way it did. Today was initially planned with a morning visit to Pusat Penjagaan Kanak-Kanak Cacat Taman Megah with some friends then meet up this guy for coffee (apparently he finds me hot) and the final performance at Bangsar Actor's Studio. Thats it...

But what turned out to be was so much more different from what I have in mind...

So what happened was that I woke up kinda early in preparation for my visit to the Children's home but my mum and I chatted a lil more that I have turned up late to the station where I am supposed to meet my friends. I rushed and I reached a half an hour later. Since the journey to Kelana Jaya from Pasar Seni would take half an hour or so, I chatted with my friends about my performance at BSC and as I was talking on and on... An sms arrived where my friend who was supposed to come watch me perform that night got into an accident in the bathroom where he fainted and hit his head. Needless to say, he won't be coming so with the two free illusive tickets, I offered to my friends who were with me at that time. They were still unsure as they were thinking about going or not...

Leaving that for continuation later, we arrived at the home and what was set before us were children all with different sort of diseases and conditions that has garnered them the name Cacat (Handicapped) ranging from babies to adults. The home has around less than a 100 occupants and all have either cerebal palsy or down syndrome or blinded since birth and such.

A few of them actually came to my college last year and they recalled my name as well. I met a few new ones as well. One that caught my attention was a boy who was tied to a baby car seat. He could only reach out his hand and pulled me to sit with him. He couldn't communicate but all he wants is me to pat his head or place my palm on his ear. I have no idea what he wants but I would think that all he wants is just a touch from someone and that made me think. How can parents abandon their children there just like that. I am not judging and I admit that if ever I have a child like that, I am clueless if I may do the same thing but all I am saying that if I could feel for them, why can't their parents. What I keep wondering is what goes through the mind of all these children. They are clueless about the world but do they actually know what is going on outside but just that their soul could not communicate to the world at large?

So after the trip, we left for college and I have not heard from my supposed date. I suppose he lost interest in me since I sounded pushy all morning for a confirmation. Well, I couldn't be too bothered so I called up my best friend, Angel and we went out for coffee and we ended up with a good time chatting with each other. I was rather thankful that I did not meet the guy instead I got to chat (not gossip) with Angel about plans of travelling together and about musicals and stuff we love.

We left Mid Valley and my friends called me up and said that they wanted to come to watch the show after all but with two tickets, it meant that I could accomodate 2 person but they told me a6 of them would be coming. I ended up getting 1 extra ticket and the rest of them had to sit on the stairs (since that is the normal style in Actor's Studio). I was glad the girls (all 6 of them from college) came as for a few of them, this is the first time they entered a theater and they laughed their way through the comedy and enjoyed the other performances. They were glad they came too they witnessed Actor's Studio Bangsar's very last performance.



Talking about performance, we gave our very best with our last show and when we sang our last song, What I did For Love, most of us could not hold the tears in our eyes as we realised it was our last time on that very stage and that left the crowd in tears as well.


Gone... Love is never gone...

I ended my day with friends for supper and I thought to myself, so many things did not materialise but better things came a long. Is this God's way of telling me that when things didn't happen the way I planned it, is it really for the better?

PS: I also knocked into SAM, AJ and NICK... coincidence????

Oh, and some pictures I took from our performance... as well as others la!

Posing Before Show

Douglas Lim

The Three Bujang Lapoks from my choir...

Lee Swee Keong

Sutra Dancers...

Joe Hasham and Faridah Merican... the ones who started it all!