I'm Almost Positive That I Paid $17 For A Meagre Portion Of Fries

You'd think that after a long day of running around, shooting, thinking, cutting and pasting, more running around and more shooting, you'd be able to sit down and have a decent and peaceful meal.

But no, you are wrong.

You'd think that after having to lug an 8-kg bag(no kidding, okay, I fucking weighed it) on one shoulder while carrying a 2-kg A2 folio from point A to point B, you'd be able to enjoy a well-craved dinner at point B.

Tsk tsk, wrong again.

It was 7-ish-going-to-8. I was at Long John Silvers at Cineleisure. I was fucking tired, fucking hungry. My shoulder ached badly. My 8-kg bag seemed to get heavier by the minute.

8kg alright! Can you imagine lugging 8kg of whatever on one shoulder?!

So I ordered some rice meal thingy at LJS, with an additional side of fries. I got my fries. The blur cock cashier said that the rest of the order will be delivered to me in 'around 5 minutes'.

I paid with a $50 note and got my change back.

I sat back down with Idil, munching on my fries.

My fries were gone.

I was patiently waiting for my rice thingy to be delivered. I played with the plastic fork for a good amount of time, combing my fringe with it, a la Ariel; I was bending the prongs on the fork, hoping they'd snap, but no they didn't. I think they're making plastic forks snap-proof now.

Yet, my food wasn't delivered. I checked my wallet 'cause I got hit by a random suspicion, and realised that the blur cock cashier kinda shortchanged me $10. By this point in time, I had already lost my appetite. If the food came, great, if it didn't, then fuck it.

But shortchanging me?!?!

Under normal circumstances, I do elementary mental sums at the speed of sound, assuming the norm for the same mental sum is done at the speed of light. At that current state of mind, where I was half brain-drained, you think I could have calculated how much change I should have got back?

It was probably a really strategic time to mess with me. I'm so fucking drained from the day's activities that I really do not want to have to actively ask to be served. It's not 'fast'-food for nothing. I was sooo not in the mood to be confrontational with the cashier.

Plus, I simply have a weakness for blur people. Fine, you're blur enough, you've probably experienced enough shit for just being blur, so I will definitely not give you more than you can handle.

I did have the energy to grumble and complain and bitch to Idil though. So much so that the guy on the next table asked me to go get my food from the counter. But no, I hadn't planned on doing that.

Guess I was at my most gracious state of mind. It was much easier to let it go and not kao peh so much about the money and lack of service.

My Pleasant Dilemma

Wanted so badly to finally get a DSLR camera on Saturday. But turns out my meagre pay(seriously, need a higher-paying job NOW) wasn't really enough, and the camera was only going at S$790, okay! Scoured Peninsula Plaza and that was the lowest quotation.

So I was left sore and grumbling after that. I couldn't get the camera, but I knew damned well that I could afford other things, like shoes, shoes, shoes, etc. Oh yes, and not forgetting American Apparel online too.

But of course, if I were to spend my money on other frills, my vision of owning a DSLR would just become a mirage, wouldn't it? And I really don't want that to happen.

Therefore, I made a huge effort in self-discipline, stopping myself from buying new shoes, the taffeta jacket from American Apparel, CDs, DVDs, magazines, etc. But what I did do, I drank myself silly that Saturday night.

Just silly, NOT drunk.

So far, so good, I haven't touched the money in the bank since Saturday. I'm caught between the camera and clothes. I really need the camera, so for once I'll just forgo the clothes. I kinda like this dilemma, not knowing what to do with money.

Oh, that's right, they call it saving up.

My Lovely Brother

My mother went away to Thailand for the weekend. Hence, I partay-ed my weekend away. Of course, now I feel bad for neglecting my school work, but hey, I had so much fun!

But fun's over apparently. Time was 7am. I awoke to the sound of my mother screaming at me for staying out late over the weekend when she wasn't around.

Whaddya know, my brother, whom I 'love' so dearly, had told my mother that I was out all night on both nights, reaching home only in the morning. 

My brother is a fucking humchi asshole.

Although I was sleeping, I could swear that I heard my brother telling my mother that I only came home on Sunday afternoon and that I was dressed 'disgustingly'. I remember clearly the exact words that the asshole farted: “…穿到很恶心咯！”

Whatevs.

Then my mother started screaming at me, even though I was still almost dead asleep.

One of the afternoons, I had very courteously excused myself out of the house to savour my kretek cigarette. I went back into the house, with the pack of cigarettes highly visible in my hands. The asshole saw my holding the cigarettes and instantly gave me a condescending look.

OH, PUH-LEASE! Like he's such a saint! And he bloody smokes too! Just that he's wayyy to humchi to admit that he's got a smoking habit. It's not like I don't know that he smokes, too!

The thing that irks me most is when that asshole smokes in the bathroom. Please lor, need a smoke break just bloody exit the house lah! Stink up the bathroom for what?! That's why I say he's just wayyy too humchi. Smokes in the bathroom on the pretext of taking a shower. SOMEBODY. HAS. A. HELL. LOT. OF. GROWING. UP. TO. DO.

And whatever he does to cover up his dirty deed, it DOES NOT WORK. I can ALWAYS smell it when he's smoking and after he has smoked.

So for him to come around and tell tales to my mother makes me damned furious. He bloody deserves a good bashing to his face. I would sew and glue up his lips if I could.

They say you can always rely on family. Not this asshole-for-a-brother of mine. But I know I can always rely on myself. I really have no idea what about me that turns him off so much. And just the fact that he's turned off by me gets me turned off by him.

And the interminable silly and bugger-esque things that he does! O. M. G.

I stocked up on some juice drinks in the fridge and came back one night craving for orange juice. I took the orange juice carton and to my disgust, there was literally one sip of juice left in the carton. WTF was it still doing in the fridge then? Leave a little sip for me to give face?! CB lah, this brother.

Pseudo Leggings

Love thy knee-high socks! Love thy knee-high socks! Pseudo leggings! Wait till I get the real deal. I love American Apparel!

2 Consecutive Days Off From Work

Unfortunately, I only got 3 days of work this week. I think I need to put in effort to appear 'in desperate need of money'. I mean, I need to feed my need for shopping, right? Plus I'm gonna be shopping FOR SCHOOL, okay.

But me being me, I tend to switch things around to my advantage, so no matter how unfortunate a situation is, I'll make it fortunate again. So this week, great, I'll have many days of rest. I forgot how tiring it is to be working at the box office. Trust me, it's taxing like hell. So I've decided to catch up with my social life instead.

On Tuesday, I slept most part of the day away, desperately trying to muffle out the drilling and construction racket. When I finally did crawl out of bed, it was late afternoon.

I took a shower, stumbled out of the house, headed to the supermarket, foraging for food. Then I got hit by a brain wave and decided to make beer-battered fish and chips. Beer, beer, beer. It's all I've been thinking about! OMG.

Before I did any shopping, called Farid and Dil, whom I apparently promised to meet up with the night before. So after much deliberation and coercion, I decided to go meet them. With the turn of some events, they decided to go catch a movie IN TOWN.

So I scrapped the idea of beer-battered fish, and went to meet them. I felt kinda off because I was dressed like shit and was heading to town. I wasn't even shabby-chic, okay. Just shabby. But what the heck, we were just going to TheCathay—the fringe of town.

Thought I could get free tix, but thought wrong. But hey! We paid 6 bucks for each tix, and got free popcorn and drinks! The undisclosed perks of working at the cinema lah, huh.

Then came Wednesday, where I met with Jana, who was going for a job interview at Ninewest. The lady offered me an application form too, of which I politely declined, though bewildered at first. 

“You employ guys?!” I exclaimed.

Jana was asking me to fill it in too, coercing me to try it out for the chance that I might get a higher paying job. But retail? Hmm... Maybe when I feel more ready for it lah.

Oh yeah, right before Jana texted me to meet, I was once again thinking of my beer-battered fish. I was fucking googling for fish batter recipes already, okay! Haha!... So I scrapped the idea for a second time.

(I did like a whole morning of online window shopping! Oh ma, I oogled at satin charmeuse jackets, vintage plaid shorts, basket weave sandals, patent leather loafers, rainbow tees, tailored pants from Junn J and went ga-ga crazy at drugstore.com.)

Fungry from thinking about my beer-battered fish, we went to have ayam penyet at Marina Square. Woohoo! FINALLY SATISFIED MY CRAVING FOR IKAN BAWAL PENYET LAH!!! Ayam Penyet Ria at Lucky Plaza ran out of pomfret for the longest time!

It was many weeks ago that the craving for pomfret penyet came about. After seeing Nenny swipe her pomfret clean like how a tame house cat would eat its fish, fried pomfrets just appear delectable and tantalising.

After dinner, Jana and I headed to Starbucks at Suntec, where I met two of her long-time friends. This is what I mean by catching up with my social life. It's been soooooo long since I met new people. I love people and people love me.

But I loved her friend more after she lugged out a bottle of Absolut Mango and offered me a shot or two. Haha!... The power of alcohol, people. Fucking hell lah, I'm succumbing too much to alcohol.

Oh, and I still cannot shake the feeling that I absolutely HAVE to go for the girl party tomorrow night! I would take it that meeting Jana's girlfriends was a sign that I should party tomorrow. Plus I'm off from work on Friday, so I'll have the whole day to recuperate post-clubbing.

Anyways, after hanging out at Suntec, Jana and I headed over to Toa Payoh, where we planned to surprise Leila since she was on closing shift at the cinema. Very much missed the times at Eng Wah Suntec when we would work together, break together, eat together, crap together, basically BE TOGETHER.

Yes, the pay at Eng Wah Cinemas was minimum, but we had so much fun! Those were the times, seriously. I want to enjoy work like before. At least there was more camaraderie back in the Eng Wah days. Who the fuck enjoys going lunch/dinner break alone?!

I suggested that I could go back working at Eng Wah, but with a slew of resignations and an unfortunate loss, I just don't think things will be the same.

I need a new job lah.

Free, Freer, Freest

Contrary to popular belief, the word 'freer', meaning more free, is actually a proper word. Hence I am not wrong to use the word in my daily speech.

The Strangers and The Strangers the Movie

Despite bad reviews, still went to watch The Strangers today at Cathay Downtown East, this mall called E!Hub or something. What's up with the ambiguous names, seriously...

The place, OMFG, is just gaudy. It's got this cheap indoor ferris wheel thingy contaminating its facade, and the whole place got splashed with so much colour, it just screams gaudy. We walked into the lift, with no idea which floor to go to, since it wasn't properly labeled on which floor the box office was.

On level 4, it was still unclear where the box office was. I don't like it when tickets AND snacks share the same counter. I want to get tickets without having to fend off the glaring spotlights of the snackbar. When I do wanna get snacks, then I really don't mind the glaring spotlights! But tickets and snacks together? I don't get it.

And the ticketing staff wasn't too friendly. Not rude, yes, but not friendly either. Delivered her lines correctly, yes, but could do with a more pleasant facial expression. And I would love for more time to pick my seats. I really don't need anyone to rush me.

“How 'bout here?” (tap tap) “How 'bout this?” (tap tap)

I just feel like I'm such a horrible customer that she wants me outta her face pronto. 

Moving on, the usher was the worst lah, seriously. OMFG, rude, rude, rude!

He stood at his rostrum, head down, apparently occupied reading some highly important shit. I inched closer to him, hoping he'd look up. Alas! He fucking just reached out with one hand, with his head down! Hmm, REALLY important shit he must've been reading...

TSK!

And the movie was just typical of C-list movies lah...

Hot obscure actors and nice theatrical masks. Like the gay subtext with the 2 pubescent Christian boys with their bicycles towards the end.

Told You I Love My Job

Woke up one Tuesday morning, greeted with a text message from Sue-ann, telling me that my name appeared in the papers, something about hospitality at work.

See http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_253339.html

I Still Love Colours

Apart from the socks, I got an oversized tee from the American Apparel store too! Just when I started to believe that I should only wear fitted clothes, I realised that I shouldn't rule out wearing baggy clothes. After all, it's not what you wear, it's how you wear it.

And why get it it 1 colour when you can have it in 7 all in one?!

Knee-High Socks Are Hot

For weeks now, I've been looking for knee-high socks. Maybe I'm looking in all the wrong places, but I just cannot seem to find them at all! Until I went online to the American Apparel store. Thank heavens!

So I ordered these 2 pairs from the online store, paid a bomb for shipping and my order reached my doorstep 3.5 days later!

My mother chided me for buying, for the love of god, SOCKS! online, and paying a bomb for them. But I thought it was well worth the money. I love American Apparel and I FINALLY GOT MY KNEE-HIGH SOCKS!

Factory Outlet Mall

It's true my first pay cheque was pathetic, but just having to see the figures go up in the bank account brought about such euphoria! It's been soooo long since I had money in my bank. My ATM card, due to prolonged periods of un-usage, is warped and cracked. You know how plastics degenerate if you leave them untouched for a long time, right?

Despite the pathetic pay, I still went shopping. I was dying to get a new pair of black shoes for work. And of course, I got a fantabulous pair of shoes from Pedro at Anchorpoint.

Anchorpoint is the obscure, unnoticed(though huge) outlet mall that is opposite Ikea at Alexandra Road. I've been to Ikea like a gazillion times, but failed to notice the existence of Anchorpoint Shopping Centre. I think it is safe to say that it's the only factory outlet mall in Singapore.

21 Dollars

Following the unfortunate shortage of 30 bucks on Saturday night, I went on to bring forth another shortage of 21 dollars on Wednesday night. Dammit lah..

The thing was, I delightfully helped a customer change her tickets, without checking properly where she got her tickets. So fast forward, fast forward, it turns out that her tickets belonged to some corporate event. I was NOT SUPPOSED to change the tickets for her.

Therefore, I had to fork out S$21(under credit, since I requested for it to be docked from my pay) to cover the cost of the new tickets that I churned out for the customer. The whole thing made me damned pissed, really.

I now have 2 tickets to Indiana Jones for tonight. So I basically paid the irritating customer 21 bucks for HER lousy seats, and she in turn used MY money to get GOOD seats for an alternate timeslot. 

Fuck lah, seriously. That's what I get for being nice to a customer?! It doesn't make sense ar, which really left me pissed beyond words.

But at least now I see the good in things, I'm much better. I'm coincidentally off today, and had made plans to go out at night, so the movie puts 2 hours of the night into good use, really.

The Heart-Shaped-Paper-Clip Gang

Seriously, what is up with the Paper Clip Gang?! (Let's just abbreviate and call them PCG, okay?)

The same teenage boy stopped me the first time outside Bugis Junction and another time at Bedok Interchange. Nabeh, they damned comprehensive ar...

The third time a PCG member stopped me was outside TheCathay.

The very first time I kena the PCG, I was patient, partly 'cause I was curious. From what I gather, the PCG is a group of students doing entrepreneurship, and the street-selling is supposed to train them in being persuasive salespeople with good communication skills. Riiiiiiiight. 

I guess they really have to pull all the stops in being persuasive, since what they're selling are paper clips. But those aren't just normal paper clips, okay. The PCG, so to quote, “put in effort to fold the paper clips into heart shapes”. Paper clips are mundane whereas heart-shaped paper clips are novelties.

The most ridiculous thing the PCG member told me was: “If we dun sell finish then cannot graduate,”

Hmmmmmmmm...

Actually, if I were him, then I'd just fork out 100 bucks, chuck the paper clips, return to 'entrepreneur school' with the money, and fucking graduate. Correct, anot?

I replied my subsequent PCG encounters with disinterested but polite waves of hand.

Birthday Recap: Secret Recipe Cakes

Because it was my birthday, and largely because I was broke, I just made people foot my share of the bill for me.

Kalis, Hairianto, Hui Yi and I met up on Sunday evening to dine at Secret Recipe. The food was such a bummer. But the cakes lived up to their name lah.

A slice of chocolate mud cake got served up to me with a lighted candle on it. So sweet... Both the cake and the gesture.

We fast forward to Monday evening, where I met Farid and Idil, who both just got back from JB. They were carrying 2 slices of Secret Recipe cakes as well, but all the way from across the Causeway, okay! Haha! Secret Recipe cakes still remain great even after you cross borders. And the best thing about crossing over to JB, the cakes cost only half as much. Half as much but still as good. Man, I love chocolate cakes...

But I didn't bloody suspect that the cakes were FOR ME. We were hanging around town for a bit, then we finally settled down at Spinelli's, as usual. And then I realised that the cakes were for me!

Again, sweet cakes, sweet gestures. I so did not see that coming. But what we all did not see coming was the cakes melting.

Farid peeked at the chocolate cake. Idil peeked at the chocolate cake. They started bitching for a bit. I peeked at the chocolate cake. I laughed my balls off lah!

Bloody hell, the cream and fudge had melted! What sat in the box was a dead white chocolate mess. Then we moved on to the oreo cheesecake in the other box. Dang! Barfed my ass off too! It was one dead ugly grotesque cheesecake.