A Close Shave!!!

Just another day at work, I thought until the moment I rode my Honda Wave 125cc bike out of Toranto Gate which is the only gate leading in and out of the service road to Sembawang Air Base.


The traffic light have turn green in front of me and I rode off like any road user do when they see the green light. Suddenly my entire 180 degree view in front of me was covered by a BIG WHITE object! Luckily my animal instinct works within a millionth of a second allowing me to take evasive action (break left) to avoid a collision! Ironically I was pretty calm and could still look around and spotted the BIG WHITE house moving type of lorry which is still calmly moving forward. Unluckily for 2nd Warrent Officer Leong, his Nissan Sunny 1.6A did not have much agility to avoid a side collision with the lorry. That stupid lorry driver though he is driving Ferrari and think he could beat the red light....tsk tsk tsk.

I thought of giving that lorry driver a piece of my mind for nearly destroying my beloved motorbike and almost taking away my parents only son. All my 4 letter grammer and vocabulary from Verb to noun to adjective almost kick into action if not for the fact that the driver came out quickly and keep on saying sorry sorry sorry to both of us and for the fact that I am in a Military uniform which make swearing a breach of the SAF 7 core values of "Discipline" and "Ethnic". Beside a few pieces of glass and car bumper debris, no one was hurt. In the end everyone resolve the crisis peacefully... I was the made the witness of the accident (phew...), 2nd Warrent Officer Leong and his Nissan Sunny was the Victim and the lorry driver is going to PAP (Pay and Pay).

I gave my contacts to 2WO Leong and the lorry driver before continuing on my way home. Wah lau, really must thank 大伯公，马祖，关公，观音，天公，土地公 and the many many god I prayed every morning before work....if they have not slow down my bike, the lorry would have hit head on into me..... just a second faster I will be history.

大难不是，必有后福。("Surviving from Disaster will bring great fortune"), so this Wednesday I am going to buy 4D for my bike, the lorry and the Nissan Sunny plate number.

Last day so don't expect good service

Recently, an international survey have ranked the customer service culture of Singapore near the bottom, like many Singaporean said...a major deprovement in service standards. I have never been strict about our customer service culture untill I saw the results of the survey. "Hmmm....its all just numbers thus it could not be accurate at all", I was telling myself. However the survey was conducted by a well known company (maybe is A.C Nielson). I thought the best way to prove the survey right or wrong is to start having a keen attention to the service staff attitude and standards which means I should start taking notice of the customer service of everything Singaporean, from the Kopi tiam aunty or uncle to the Waitress or waiter of the most posh restaurant in Singapore.

Armed with an Eagle eye for detail and a "Complain here and there" attitude, I have embarked on this scouting mission and the outcome have given me Mix-Feelings about Singapore Customer Service culture....

1- Pasta Cafe, Northpoint, 23rd Oct 2005

Today is the last day Pasta Cafe will be operating at the premises of North Point, tomorrow they will no longer exist and Pasta Cafe Northpoint branch will not be missed after my experience today.

Peicong my good buddy told me that Pasta Cafe will close down tomorrow onwards and invited me to join him and his wife for a "Closing Ceremony" lunch at Pasta Cafe. I think Peicong still have some emotional attachment to the place he first work as a waiter to have decided to visit Pasta Cafe for one last time despite no patronizing it for the pass few months (I guess). The ordering of the food went on uneventfully and the standard ice water was serve to us without our request, this I think is "Standard" service. At this moment I have notice that the restaurant have more staff than customer, which is a pretty pathetic sight. The male supervisor have taken this oppurtunity to relax in one corner, sitting down and chatting happily with the 4 waitress of the restaurant. I guess the staff here must be have a very joyful and relaxed last day at Pasta Cafe, can hear them joke, talk and laugh.

We were served with the food we ordered earlier on. Half way through the meal, I can no longer here the ambience music as the Pasta Cafe staff talk cock session was so loud that it drowned the sound of the music in a mix of broken Cantonese (i think some of the waitress are learning), English and laughing. So much for the ambience I guess....

What is worst is that the staff seems to be oblivious to the presence of 3 very loyal customers, it seems that Pasta Cafe's staff are in a world or their own and the 3 loyal customers are in a world of theirs. I wanted to get extra chilly sauce for the sub-quality Calamari Ring but it was a chore to get any of their attention because all of them were having a talk cock session in one corner, in end I feel like a cock too, trying in vain to beckon them or even to establish eye contact. Luckily non of us choke through out the meal, I wonder who will save us if we choke on our food....

Very very noisy, like first market. Although it was Pasta Cafe last day of operation the attitude of the staff and their lack of discipine make me wish that the restaurant should close down 2 weeks ago. At less the food is still good, if not better than the last time. I decided enough is enough and took the oppurtunity to voice out when one of the waitress is clearing our finished plates.

Riccardo: Excuse me, the noodles were shaken violently just now while I was eating it

Waitress:What? (Blur....)

Riccardo: I think you all were so noisy just now that it vibrated the pasta on my fork.

Waitress:Oh....

Riccardo: I know its the last day for the restaurant, but that does not means you all can be like that mah... (pointing to Peicong) Your ex-manger is here leh!

Waitress: Oh...hee hee...

What the hell, at less say sorry or offer us a complimentary ice cream mah!? Commented about their service, talk so much and she keep on morn "Oh and Ah". Later on I can sense the waitress are no happy with me already, I say thank you when she clear my plate but she did not reply, I say thank you when she top up the ice water and she ignore me...... I think I sound more like the service stuff there since I say "Thank You" more times than the waitress.

Bill Please! This is another area of problem in their service. After Peicong signed on the credit card bill, the staff did not even say thank you at all? Wah lau, I think she have golden teeth, cannot anyhow reveal to us. There was a 10% discount on the bill since Peicong was an ex staff, but they still charge a 10% service charge which should have been disputed. I still fondly remember the last time when we left Pasta Cafe after our meal, the Supervisor or Staff will say 'Thank You, Come back again", it was total silence today when we walk out of the glass door.... maybe no happy with my comments but I will really appreciate if they at less say "Thanks For Supporting Us". Tsk tsk tsk....si bei jia lat....

In conclusion, the closing down of Pasta Cafe North Point branch was a good choice since it have degenerated into a fish market. I doubt anyone will be revisiting it with that kind of service standards.

2-MacDonald at Big Mac Center AMK.
Last week, after listening to Ajahn Brahms talk about Buddhism...I and Peicong decided to have our dinner at MacDonald, Ang Mo Kio Big Mac Center branch.

It was pretty late already and obviously the MacDonald was operating with Skeleton crew (minimum crew) but my observation is most look like Zombie Crew to me. I was serve by a young kid and I have got use to the staff calling me sir (ha ha) but this young chap just say "Yes? What you want?" So I just order lor but was a bit demanding lah. Mc Spicy double with extra lettuce and Mayoniesse, Fries without salt, Drinks change to Ice Milo. Very very customized order. He repeated my orders kind of unwillingly and like a robot.

Due to my very very customized meal order, the young chap ask me to go to my seat and he will serve me later on.You know how that chap serve me the fries and burger later on? He just push the tray of food to me and say "ALL YOURS!" Wah lau eh, of cause "ALL MINE" lah! I paid for it one leh. The young chap just walked out of MacDonald happily talking cock with another staff. One look at my fries and I see salt. What the hell, told him no salt but still give me salt on fries, bloody hell still can stick the "Special Order" sticker on my fries.

Generally the MacDonald staff I encounter all the time are pretty good in service standards especially the old grandma and aunty who are manning the counter. Usually is those young chaps who are spoiling MacDonald excellent service image and this encounter of mine was the worst example I seen so far. Nowadays kid very ill discipline... act like King, ya ya papaya...

1 mistake is all it takes

How does it feel when you carry out your work diligently and professionally, taking every step carefully making sure that the result of your work will be extremely satisfying at the end of the day when suddenly someone spot a mistake a start to make a big Woo Haaa out of it? Your morale immediately sink to the bottom....

I am working alone today and I always enjoy working alone because I don't feel pressurize at all especially with boss who are very very particular about this and that. I don't like to work with people especially some of my seniors who just keep on pushing from behind and telling you rush through your work. Its such a blessing to be left alone, with my own private space. Towards the end of the day, my seniors all congregate at my work areas like some hungry vultures and here goes

Specialist A: Hey check the Rotorhead shim, make sure its installed correctly leh...

Specialist B: All ok, eh....This Shim install wrongly leh!!!! Oi Riccardo, what you doing? Fuck lah.... cannot leave you alone one. You ^&*@(*@*/!&!!!

My Boss:%^&&*@#%^*&%@()! (Rated-R)

You see, my senior specialist A should just remind me to check the "shim" properly instead of speaking so loud that Specialist B can take this chance to screw my backside unprofessionally. Today I have did 1000 rights and got zero recgonition and just one overlook by me invited torrent of verbal abuse! SUPER DUPER DEMORALIZING man. I do realise the mistake I have made but do I have to accept such critics?

What the hell. There are people in my working section who always go day-off, always "keng MC" and always act like David Copperfield during work..... got one lagi better, don't know what kind of seducing magic or "Gong Tao" this female colleague cast upon the senior officers that eventually she was posted to HQ to do paper work for 6 months! Wah, I say she damn clever cause doing Aircraft work and doing paper work all will earn her the same 2nd Sergent pay except when you do Aircraft work, any little mistake you make, you will be Fuck in the backside till the hole enlarge. Some of my seniors their asshole got screw so big by the management that everyday their morale just flow out into the toilet bowl.

Damn.... my boss don't know how to tackle all this "keng" kings, David CopperFields and the seductive "Flower pot" but instead piss us off with every little mistake. Boss is like the emperor who submit to the Eunuch (太监）and reject any decision of his fellow loyal court official.

Next time I become an officer after passing out from (OCS-Only Clown Survive) I make sure my man never have to suffer what I suffer and I send wrath to those Wayang kings..... As a Boss or leader, must be like 包青天... Know the black from the white and white from the black....

Spice Girl Parody

Ha ha, while looking through "MY DOCUMENT" on my PC which is celebrating its 8 years in existance (through the constant back up I did), I happen to chance upon a song lyrics that I created back in Secondary school. Back than, me and one of my classmate Peicong form the band "Geylang Street Boys" and started co-writing and sing our own songs. Although there was no expensive recording studios or the MP3 rage back than, looking at the lyrics now I wonder if the "Geylang Street Boys" should make a come back right now? Maybe go into political songs? Here are a few songs we wrote back than. Notice our vocabulary is quite limited but powderful...

Spicy Girl - 2 Become 1

Neon light it shine forever

Geylang girl stand there for business

You should approach it

You should approach it

20 bucks for half an hour

a deal I won’t find another

You should pay for it

You should pay for it

(and she said)

Come a little bit closer baby

Buy some more, durex condom

Cause tonight, is the night

When 2 become 1

(chorus)

I need some love

That I have the money for (gonna make love to you baby)

I get this cheapo lover

Now I will pray for more (gonna make love to you baby)

Sexual Spirit Free

Is the only way to be

Silly games you both are playing

Private eye they are all spying

Your wife paid for it

Your wife paid for it

Balek Kampong your wife waiting

Parang ready for castrating

You have ask for it

You have ask for it

(yah)

Come a little bit closer honey

Parang Do, it getting close

Cause tonight, is the night

When one become none

(chorus)

I need some love

That my wife don’t wanna give me more (Have to cut your weenie jerky)

I get retribution now

I won’t pray for more (Have to cut your weenie jerky)

Sexual organ breech

Is the only way to be

G.O.H Pictures

Chain Reaction Bombing

http://pya.cc/pyaimg/pimg.php?imgid=8056

See if you can achieve 100% scores. Some one did it though...

Crash at Cecil-Robinson Road junction

LTA officers with their years of experience designing roads of singapore have make such a poor judgement in design that have cause 4 car accidents within a short period of 3 days since the removal of the kerb between Cecil rd and Robinson road. So many people have wrote in to TODAY news paper to complain and feedback about the poor road design that was still left uncheck despite all the car crash drama going on. So much so for a efficient Singapore road system. LTA should stop boosting to other country about how effective our road system are when there is so many negative feedback (no only in the Cecil-Robinson Road episode) from road users. We should advertise to the world that right now we have a "Bermuda Triangle" right in the heart of the business district

Bloody hell, still can respond to complains stating that their theory are correct and accident should not happen at all and the removal of kerb is to prevent jay-walking. Maybe they should hire a psychology to help them better design roads in the future so that they will no make the assumtion that its the car travel on road, its the driver to direct the car on the road....the drivers who are visually confused by LTA "Brainest Kid" design to have drove unwittingly from Robinson Rd into D'Almeida Rd.

4 days of accident, isn't it a very good evidence that something is very wrong with the recent removal of the kerb? Why is LTA still silence to the media and most importantly did not even took any action? I suppose LTA don't give a damn about the urgency and unseen magnitude of the problem they have created. Its so sad to hear that a taxi driver lost S$2000 of his earning just to pay for damage to another vehicle when he was mislead and drove into D'Almeida Rd. Someday someone will get killed. If I got the money, I will hire lawyer and sue LTA for causing the accidents and damage.

THE MAP OF THE CURSED ROAD

HEY LTA!!! Wake up lah! I know you guys wasted some money to remove the kerb and is unwilling to put back what you have remove cause it will not be cost effective and it will burn off your officers year end bonus and performance bonus. Why don't you just give me S$2000 (peanuts right) and I can immediately implement a cheap solution for you? Can prevent Jaywalker and also car crash? All that needed to be done is to place a line of metal poles with chevron paint scheme.... so easy, even me a diploma holder can think of..... Come on lah, sub contract to me to do is only S$2000, comfirm plus gureentee plus chop NO ACCIDENT will happen. Extra S$1000 more if you want cute cute design on the metal poles. If you want to hang Singapore flag on it, that will be considered FOC cause I am very patriotic one....