We Get What We Deserve

Lunch time.

As usual, we were standing around downstairs of PBTP (Plaza by the Park) when Gerald and I saw this malay guy carrying a whole stack of packed food slip and ALMOST fall. Of course we burst out into uncontrolled guffaws. The guy with the food walked past our waves of laughter sheepishly and we thought it was even more funny.

Anyway, it seems like someone up there is ALWAYS ready to balance the books. First our postings, Gerald is going to City Plaza. hahahaha... first thing we noticed on the map was all these malay sounding names. Seeing as how he has such a wonderful repertoire of ethnic minority jokes, it was even more funny to find out that his CSM (customer service manager) is a Malay! HEhehe... no more Allah jokes, mate! Anyway, first thing he did was surf to the SMRT site to check for transport there! The lucky bastard has a straight bus there so not all is lost.

Let me clarify, we're in no way racist, but some of these jokes are just too good not to repeat and if done without malice, can't be too bad right?

As for me, after all my potatoness as some people have accused me of, i'll be prophesizing at the South Bridge Road branch. That's right matey, CHINATOWN! Chong xian zai kai shi, wa xu yao shue jiang hua yu. Blehhh... Think it's also quite ticklish that the BM(branch manager) there's an Indian guy (his name consists of three Christian sounding names). Despite the Cheenaness of branch's hinterland, i'm more than happy to go there. Heard that there's lots of SME business to be had there. That's what i'm really interested in given what i studied in uni.

Let's see, where's everyone else going?

Zeon's going to Bukit Timah, about 10 minutes away by any one of 500 buses. She's pretty happy with that (wake up late).

Steven and Leng are off to Marine Parade. Pretty darn near to Leng's house, happiness for her. Didn't really gauge Steven's reaction, but this guy, he is just one really nice guy, used to work at OCBC as a mortgage person. Even now when he is at a new job, his old clients are still calling him up for honest advice.

Isaac's gonna be a Jurong Easterner as expected and known from day one. No surprises.

Melvin's going to the area where 3 room HDB flats go for $90k. Wanna know where that is? "Go West... life is peaceful there... go west..." Taman Jurong. Surprise, shock, err... what's going on. But from what we're hearing, there will be very few PFCs there so he will get more or less ALL the walk-in biz.

Sandra, who converted over from DB (Direct Banking) to PFC(Personal Financial Consultant), will be going to Tampines branch. Pretty happy cos she lives in that area. As far as i'm concerned, she may as well be living on Ubin. Anything past Bugis, is another country to me.

Jaime, the other girl that converted from DB to PFC, will be going to Hougang. Pheww... thank you Jaime for taking that option out for me. :) She's pretty happy with that so all is good.


Ok... back to the guy i laughed real loud at when he almost fell; well, he will be happy to know that i slipped and fell on my sorry lard ass at Plaza Sing just now. I'm sure some of you felt the tremor. Could have sworn i saw people ducking under heavy tables and desperately calling Channel News Asia cos minor, barely perceptible, tremors were occuring. Eh, might die leh! Damn drama! So exciting!

Accident Magnet

Ok guys, it is official, i'm a tragedy magnet. Let me clarify, i just often seem to be at the wrong place at the wrong time and see all sorts of accidents.

Like yesterday, i was just one car behind a motorcyclist that slipped and fell under the trailer. "WOAHHHHHH!!" On the bright side of that, miracle of miracles, he escaped with a few abrasions and torn jeans. See, the bike got crushed by the tyres but as the bike was pushed along, it whacked that guy's legs out of the way. It also helped that the trailer driver had the reaction time of an olympic sprinter. He managed to pull the trailer up short before it could go further and actually crush the poor bastard's legs. Phewww.. almost witnessed another death after the MRT incident in August.

Then on the way back from work today, we came across the scene of an accident involving a motorcyclist. From a distance, the police had the lane blocked off and we could see a black covering on the road, thought it was just a part of the vehicle that had fallen off. Turned out to be black tarp covering the motorcyclist's body...

what can i say......

My Class... Just love the secondary school'ness of it. 

Higher Fares for MRT

Ok, there should be more significant things to talk about like the death of our former prez but that doesn't impact on us today whereas this higher level of fares will. Or will it? And is affordability the main issue here?

Seriously don't understand why fares cannot be increased especially in the percentages that have been mooted (Up to 2.4%). Assuming you spend $4 a day on public transport, the increase will come up to a princely sum of 10c a day or $3 a month assuming you travel everyday of the month. Let's see, 3 bucks; a plate of char siew png? AND, those that need help can get help. But i don't think that is the most important issue. Corporate accountability AND the rationale for service improvements should concern us a lot more.

DISCLAIMER
I have neither have the time nor the inclination to go surf around a million policy documents to find out any special regulations for running a listed company providing a public good. All my assumptions are based on a somewhat average knowledge of public affairs and my opinions are just that, mine
DISCLAIMER

SMRT is a listed company so their first responsibility is to their shareholders. It is their responsibility to seek better profits, afterall, isn't that their purpose for being? Isn't that the reward for being privatised and performing well? Even more important, it's the basis for encouraging better service and continued improvements. If they aren't allowed to raise fares, why should they expand more resources to improve things? They may as well just move along by providing the most basic of services and increase their profit through cost cutting. I certainly don't want them to improve their bottomline through those means! Apart from getting poorer product, commuters will not be able to see the results of cost cutting until it is too late, something we should strenuously avoid.

Ok, the above is kinda extreme in that surely they cannot be allowed to raise fares indisciminately. 10% fare increases would be intolerable. Off the cuff, i feel a 2.4% increase is justifiable as a kind of middle ground. It keeps up with inflation figures so its impact will not be much greater than corresponding price increases of necessities.

What might have helped in hindsight is a steady schedule of fare increases worked out based on inflation levels. This way, everyone knows when fares will or will not increase and by how much too. Get rid of the uncertainty and let SMRT make the profits they deserve.

Hmmm... True... with some salt and pepper

Interesting series of tests i found off schizo's webbie.

What Is Your Seduction Style?

Your Seduction Style: The Natural

You don't really try to seduce people... it just seems to happen.Fun loving and free spirited, you bring out the inner child in people.You are spontaneous, sincere, and unpretentious - a hard combo to find!People drop their guard around you, and find themselves falling fast.

What Gender Is Your Brain?

Your Brain is 40.00% Female, 60.00% Male

You have a total boy brain Logical and detailed, you tend to look at the facts And while your emotions do sway you sometimes... You never like to get feelings too involved

What Age Do You Act?

You Are 23 Years Old

23 Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.