greet the transformers..

boss wanted me to recruit greeters for the stores..
a mundane job actually..
but it does have its special functions..
interviewed a number of guys..
and subsequently did training for them..
some of them were as old as me or near my age group..
they were either retrenched or not offered a new contract..
and i'm so blessed and thankful..
that i'm sitting on the right side of the interview table..

XXXXXXXXXX

after the greeters training on fri..
rushed to forum with boss cos later at the stroke of midnite..
there's a transformers 2 toy launch..
as usual.. i was designated to do the queue..
no easy task but i knew what he wanted..
especially after last year's star wars midnite launch episode..
rumour had it..
that the crowd's gonna be lesser than last year's..
boy.. were we wrong..

the crowd snaked all the way down from the queue at level 2 to b1..
we were in for a treat..
i hated myself though..
for i had to be the bastard to get things movin'..
creatin' spaces so that the exodus of the customers could go smoothly..
from b1 all the way to the store..
i hated myself even more for bro had to see the ugly side of me..
i scowled.. i shouted.. i yelled.. at everyone..
i was a ragin' lunatic that nite..

i agree with you bro..
i should have given you the confidence and trust..
that you are capable enough..

well at least..
it wasn't boss haranguin' on the walkie..
cos you guys have no idea what i went thru last year..
when he held the walkie..

success is sweet..

the remarkable trainer..

monday.. may 25..
boss saw that there was a need to conduct a crime prevention briefing..
especially with the june hols startin' already..
and today was the delivery..
no worries.. it's just another challenge..
but i didn't expect disrespect and embarrassment in my own training..
i don't mind being the butt of any joke when we are in our own circle..
hey.. i'm a funny guy.. everyone knows it..
but not everyone knows that i don't take public humiliation easily..

but then.. it's already water under the bridge..

XXXXXXXXXX

tues & wed.. 26 & 27 may..
"driving remarkable customer experience"..
by far.. this was the best course i had ever attended..
it was held at a freakin' hotel.. not 81..
but sheraton towers to be precise..

from the trainer's hot assistant..
(this caucasian lady who used to be a model for robinson's in the 90's..
i tell you.. she still looks gorgeous..
she's damn fine despite havin' 2 kids in their early teens already..
yes.. i had to ask her)..
to the amethyst room's ambience (where the course was conducted)..
to the out-of-the-box materials provided..
to the gents.. yes.. i had to take a picture of it..
to the amazing lunch & tea breaks..
(the salmon.. and cheesecake.. hmmm.. simply irresistable..
bismillah)..

everythin' about the course was perfect..
remarkable..

the only question left is..
how do i make mine..
remarkable too?..

minus the salmon and cheesecake of cos..

band of brothers..

dad dragged the whole famm to the residents' committee annual walk-a-jog..
he's one of the marshalls for the event..
so we joined the event.. givin' dad our moral support..
it's been ages i last did the great s'pore workout..
surprised it's still in practice..
played games and all..
i wouldn't say it's a complete waste of time..
we did spend some family quality time together.. and had fun..
especially with younger bros.. cos we practically spent the whole day together..

after the jog.. me and bros went to kallang..
the ol' forum guys were playin' soccer at the cage..
and bros tagged along too..

and shit man.. it's freakin' hot today!..

owen..

10 years ago this date.. one of the greatest pro wrestlers of all times.. owen hart tragically died from a fall in kansas city.. it should not have happened at all.. and it's a shame that wwe appears to be nonchalant about owen's 10th death anniversary this year.. and what is takin' them so long to induct him into the hall of fame?.. we still remember you owen..

boy.. dad really hates him and his laziness.. and cos of this.. the rest of us get the heat too at home..

and fourth lesson was quite a breeze.. met ahbui and bro at bpp at nite.. an ad-hoc thingy..

dirty sexy thoughts.. let's go ubin together.. just the two of us..

love forum..

went to forum in the afternoon for a meetin'..
boss's instructions..
there'll be a transformers 2 midnite sale next fri nite..
so this meetin' was essential..
goin' to forum.. no problem..
i love the place..

went there and met the ol' jp guys..
notably ahbui.. kyn.. and bro..
decided to wait for them to knock off from work til' store closed..
appropriately.. i was gonna meet steiner in the evenin'..
accompanied him eat his dinner at bk wheelock..
then chilled outside forum with an ice-blended pure vanilla in my hand..
till' the guys finished work..
boy i really missed the scenes ouside forum..

steiner's actually a caring person..
he has this charismatic and influential aura..
people listen to him..
and his approach is always straightforward.. shrewd.. and tactless..
but i find it hilarious.. and i'm ok with it..

he's disappointed this nite..
first with me.. coz i didn't heed the advice he gave the last time we met..
i'm workin' on it ok..
second.. with another buddy of ours.. whom he thought has changed
and is distancin' away from him and the ol' forum guys..
which i thought so too..

i thought i overacted.. and i'm sorry..
but i'm glad we cleared the air..
love ya man..

go the distance..

i'm always willin' to go the distance for you..
but sometimes i wonder..
would you go the same distance for me too?

a happy berfday shoutout..
to an old sec sch friend..
din kotai..
happy 28th berfday bro..

sam sent me a message..
exactly 10 years back this day..
it was the 'a' division soccer finals..
the match pitted our school..
j.i vs rjc..
we lost the game..
1-0 to a golden goal in extra time..

and sam of cos played that fateful day..
although he didn't score..
he would claim that a legend was born that day..
and till now that was his nick in school.. legend..
haha.. classic stuff..

well.. sam..
friends.. buddies.. brothers..
for 14 years now..
we'd go the distance for each other..

the director..

sunday.. third lesson.. on the road..
smooth-sailin' but could be better..
haha.. a speed demon myself..

bro assured that he's fine today at work..
despite havin' a late nite escapade just hours earlier..
i'm not ashamed to admit this..
but i can cry if something bad happens to him..

----------xxxxxxxxxx----------

come monday..
i needed to do somethin' fresh..
so that i could just get out of office for a day (on purpose)..
and i decided to shoot a customer service training video..
roped in fd.. bucky.. yumiko.. joyce.. and guest actor.. abg zaini..
everyone had their fair share of bloopers..
but the guys were oozin' with confidence and flair..
although a nervous wreck at times before their takes..
but in the end.. it was a great team effort..

more blooper reels on my facebook..

oh.. how sometimes i wish i could be your life director..
so that i can take good care of you..
but that would be simply crazy and irrational.. ridiculously god-like..
but then.. whatever for..
this director too..
has a poor sense of direction himself.. occasionally..

sweet 18..

well.. there's a first time for everythin'..
bro mooted the idea to go have a sheesha session at arab st..
imagine.. an 18 yr old teaching an old fart like me how to smoke sheesha..
haha.. sometimes i wish i was his age..

another idea also struck me..
i thought this part of the street would look beautiful in the day..
surrounded by nearly-dilapidated and withered houses..
but with a modern twist to it..
this place would make a great weddin' photo shoot..




this nite will always be remembered..
as the nite i don't care what time it is..
or how far apart our age gap is..
or how different both our status are..
if you need help.. give me a call anytime..

on another note..
the 18th is sweet..
but a 19th next season will be sweeter..
glory.. glory.. man united.. once again..

lost..

currently addicted to the song "lucky" by jason mraz..
i find the song simple.. sincere.. and soothin'..

lesson 2 earlier was smooth-sailin'..
always thought it could be better..
the instructor was kind..
felt kinda bad when i told him a white lie..

and finally ok.. you win.. you win..
just shut up and get this over with..
happy?..
you and your reasons..
i lost..

and i'm lost..

dinner.. chillin'.. and that same old shit..

the company was gracious to give us a dinner treat..
it's a two day thingy so more staffs across the co. were able to attend..
i attended the second day session earlier today..
and seriously speakin' i really had no idea..
how i was given the responsibility to take charge today..
keep track of attendance.. distribute the handouts..
inform boss about the status etc etc..
but i'm fine with it actually.. a no-brainer..
if chicken backside no. 1 was given this mediocre task..
she'll still freak out cos truthfully speakin'..
i think she's incapable..

the buffet dinner was at sakura international..
smacked right in the heart of orchard road..
the food and delicacies were outstandin' and scrumptuous..
and i nearly choked on my lamb chop for goodness sake..
that's why people sometimes say..
the eyes are usually hungrier than the stomach..





after the dinner.. chilled with fifi.. kyn.. and bro..
though i felt another bro was missin' in action on this nite too..
accompanied fifi to meet tini at lucky plaza..
tini happened to be a close fren of my younger cuzn.. caca..
so met caca there too.. and subsequently met her younger brother taufiq..
boy.. how fast they've all grown..
and after all these years.. got a crack at one pool game..
i think the last time i played was 8.. 9 years ago?.. haha..




glad i got that load of my chest bro..
and again i wanna say.. i'm sorry..
but this shit is still hauntin' me..

----------xxxxx----------

you are deranged..
you are demented..
you are very hard to please..
we had an agreement..
but you couldn't live by your own word..
i stood by with the decree as promised..
and yet.. you blamed me for your misery..
i don't understand you at all..
i'm tired.. i'm spent.. i'm lifeless with your nonsense..
just leave me alone..

drive..

why can't you just accept the fact?..
that it's all over..
fine.. you said i got what i wanted..
and now i've shunned you away..
a bastard as you derived me to be..
what you say?.. feedin' me to the dragons..
and throwin' me into the pits?..
well.. you are entitled to your paranoid assumptions..
but i think you are simply..
crazy..

we can be mutual friends.. buddies..
but that's not enough for you..
you've always wanted more..
it has to end sooner or later..
if not now?.. when?..
i know you won't initiate it..
so let me be the one..
to take the wheel and drive..

and it's not and won't be that hard either..

bruised.. swollen.. and some motherly love..

friday..

both your egos got bruised..

and you guys had to eat that humble pie..

thank mum for her kindness..

it's her strength.. and weakness..

dad's the shrewd one.. but he's kind too..

kind enough to fetch both your stinkin' asses..

stop blamin' others for your misery..

you guys made bad decisions with your life priorities..

and dad tried to warn you..

but you couldn't accept the fact..

cos you guys think you were smart enough..

well reality check guys.. you are not..

cos of that you guys left home in the first place..

and were at loggerheads with him..

despite all your shortcomings..

he didn't throw you out of the house.. he'd never do that..

you guys chose to leave..

and now when you are in dire straits..

you troubled mom and dad to drive..

drive all the way there to get you vagabonds..

and they didn't even get a thank you for their efforts..

well all i've got to say about that is..

fuck you and your egos..

well it's a holiday weekend..

and i really wanted to get out of the house..

on sat.. had a great soccer session at fico with the suntec guys around noon..

there was one point of time while playin' for the ball..

i landed hard on my right ankle instead..

the impact resulted in a stingin' pain..

but funny.. i was still able to continue play.. run.. kick.. shoot..

the after-effects only occured only later.. on the way back home..

i couldn't walk properly at all..

i thought i walked slower that a blind turtle..

my right ankle was also beginnin' to swell..

crap.. and i was goin' out later in the evenin'..

i got brother to massage it for a while..

he applied ointment on my ankle..

i could see the swell gettin' worse..

i needed to rest but had plans..

so road to recovery had to wait..

initial plan was to meet naz and his friends..

but then an old friend called..

sam called and wanted to meet..

sam.. a friend.. a brother.. for fifteen years..

we were sec classmates for two years..

went to the same pre-u together..

and were enlisted in the same police squad.. how about that..

and fittin' i was his best man when he tied the knot in '03..

6 years later.. we still keep in contact.. and close as ever..

it's a rare feat to meet him nowadays..

being a father of 3 kids and all..

so i cancelled my plan with naz unfortunately..

sorry bro.. luckily he was cool with it..

so me and sam chilled.. went to bugis junction..

caught capt kirk.. comdr spock.. and u.s.s enterprise there..

no disrespect to wolverine.. but this shit is cool too..

or i thought it to be a bit cooler..

and mind you while we were walkin' around..

the pain on my right ankle persisted..

thank goodness sam drove..

slapped the ankle with ice when i got home..

sunday was special too..
it was fifi's birthday and mother's day..

went to greenridge for a family lunch..

another rare opportunity nowadays..

so grab it when the chance is there

then later bought for mum a bonia wallet case at lot1..

her all time favourite mother-type brand..

which mom (or dad) doesn't love their children?..

well i know mine does..

so happy.. lucky.. thankful that she's alive and well..

soft-hearted.. kind.. lovin'.. naive..

and still can be unappreciated by some ingrates..

pfft.. dad's lovin' too..

but then i always thought..

nothing could beat a mother's love..