a very unhappy day

Today's a very unhappy day for me. Pissed since i left, right till i reached home.

First, Man U lost. At least one good thing that happened today was that i didn't wake up to watch the pre-dawn match. What a waste of time it would have been. I've seen Man U when they were champions of England. Well, they should have been relegated if that's what supposed to motivate them. Tampines Rovers would have trashhhhhed them. An a la Team Singapore soccer. Utter letdown. Embarrassing. Foreign talents...Maybe Singapore should wake up and stop investing on soccer. We know we suck on that. Probably we should divest that amount of money on some other sport...Things which we know we'll win.

That was the pre-dawn news. Then came school. Specifically woke up earlier so that i could swim with my friends in school. Reached school. Booking board shows that lanes 5-9 booked by canoeing club. K, lanes 1-4 are free. Swam for like 30 mins before a bunch of students came. Apparrently training for some inter-hall games. Second nail of the day came when one of them, probably their captain. came and "advised" us to move to lane 4 of the pool because they would be donning swimming aids which might "hit" us. Yeah. University students they are. Obviously they know that we are not very good swimmers. Lane 4? Why don't they move there since they'r superb swimmers training for some competition? Hey, they didn't book the pool for a start. What gives them the right to monopolise the pool? I know they're superb swimmers and everything...What pisses me off is that they're all undergrads. Have the basic courtesy to book the lanes then! Hey, people woke up early to swim k? U guys came like very much later and "advised" us. Maybe we should start petitioning to the Sports club....Tier our sports fees based on usage rate. We pay the same fees, but those people utilise the facilities more than us. So what, we're subsidising those people? On one hand the government wants us to play sports, and on the other hand we're being subdued from even taking up the sports we like. No swimming pool, so where to swim? You tell me...

I didn't have the mood to perform laboratory research after that morning incident. So were my friends. We went to Orchard after that. Maybe we'll take a break from lab stuff, we'd thought. Worse was to come.

Let me tell you this. I don't really care if you're the boss of that Food Republic or that of that Fortune whatever Dim Sum, your food service sucks like SH*T! To think a new food court in the heart of Orchard, at Wisms Atria to be precise, should have standards like this....I'm really ashamed to even say i'm Singaporean. I suggest a mystery shopper should be assigned there. Especially at the Fortune whatever Dim sum.

What actually happened was this:
We had found seats in front of that Fortune watever. Food uncleared then..Let's see, there was fried fish noodles and some other noodle stuff. NOTHING of Dim sum. So WE cleared the table ourselves before proceeding to look for food. One of my friends were there to look after our stuff while we went to buy food. When i came back with my chicken rice, one of the AUNTIES from that Fortune whatever came up to my table and said:

AUNTY 1: You must buy Dim sum to sit at this table.

I heeded no attention to her comments. That was the very first instance of my impending upheaval of flames. It must be taken note that at that point of time, there were two families lunching near us. AND they DID NOT have any sign or form of Dim sum on their tables. When we were finally seated and had strted eating, another aunty came.

AUNTY 2: Mister, if you are not ordering Dim sum, you cannot sit here.

ME: (very angrily)Sorry ah, but this is a foodcourt and you did not state that these tables are reserved for yours only!

AUNTY 2: These tables are in front of my shop what therefore they are for Dim Sum only. See that two small plates i placed on your table? That shows that this table is reserved!

ME: (Super angrily) Hello???? The two small plates weren't even here when we came! You placed them on our tables without we requesting them! Now you're accusing me! Like what i've said, this is a foodcourt! There are no indications to whatsoever these tables belong to your shop! Does it mean that if i were to eat Chicken rice, i can only choose a table in front of the shop?

AUNTY 2: They are DIFFERENT! They don't provide outside service. We provide outside service!

ME: (Shouting so loudly that that the two families are now looking at our mini-drama) I call that touting! You know that? If you're so insistent that you are right, call your boss or manager out! I'll reason with him!

AUNTY 2: (grumbled and left)

That was what happened. Proceeding this, the mother and daughter group beside us started chatting about what'd just happened.

DAUGHTER: One day they sure get complain. They are not supposed to do that.

MOTHER: Yah lor. Got no sticker on the tables to say these tables are only for Dim sum eating what. Also got no obstacles to prevent unwanted customers from eating here. Sure kena complain one.

ME: (Shouting to no one in partcular)My friends are not Singaporeans k?

Actually my last comment was more of anguish than anger. Two foreigners and a local witnessing horrible service in the heart of Orchard road...As what i told my shaken friends later, i'm so goddamn embarrassed to be a Singaporean. Maybe the Minister Mentor should go in disguise and witness such mini-dramas himself. A country he had built from scratch producing citizens as such...I quote " I would rise from my grave..." End quote.

It is quite sad. Horiibly sad. Firstly, we were singled out because we were young. The other families around us that ate anything EXCEPT dim sum had at least one middle-aged adult. Aunties had thought they could force money out of our pockets. Trickery and cheating i would call. They chose the wrong target. Tolerant i might be....But chilli padi am i when flusterred.

Next, we were dressed casually. Jeans and Tees. Other families appeared richer than us. Therefore, we were singled out. I was telling my friends that if we were blond or if we were wearing blazers such a mini-drama would not have happened.

I've been in the service workforce. I know what is good service standards. And i would therefore demand good services when i loiter outdoors. If i as a part-timer, vacation jobber could produce standards higher than those i've seen, i don't see a reason why they cannot at least equal my standards! Good standards does not mean polishing the balls of blonds. Good service standards should be offered to all, regardless of race or nationality. To think i can't even enjoy good customer service in my own country. A country whom i've shed blood and tears for two and a half years. People whom we're trained to protect who don't even show us basic humanity.

That Fortune whatever incident was the final nail on my coffin. I would NEVER ever patronise that stall. Many patrons witnessed my outburst and i believe they too, did not have good impressions of that Fotune whatever. Well, if you don't believe whatever i gad said today, you could try visiting Food Republic at Wisma and try eating food that's everything EXCEPT dim sum at the wooden tables (which were supposed to be free-seating ) and wait for the aunties to start a mini debacle. You would have to do it fast, before they are thrown complains by CASE to stop their touting activities.