Placido domingo Sings "Time after Time"

Placido Domingo Sings "To Love"

Placido Domingo Sings

Placido domingo Sings

Janice Wei - Big Brother MV

Wet tiring week and busy August

It has been a wet week, raining heavily and dark. It's also a busy and tiring week for me too, all thanks to some customers who are trying to be difficult and ridiculous. Not to mention with piles of tasks to follow-up, get some progress and hit the time frame as allocated.

The month of August is going to be even busier for me. 3 Saturdays will be taken up by work and training, with 1 Sunday for training as well. I wonder when I will get a good rest in August.

Busy busy busy... not good I feel. Let's hope I'm able to wrest and squeeze some quiet, peaceful day for myself to relax, unwind and have privae time for myself.

Right now, I'm at Global Sounds cafe to unwind, listen to the soothing jazz/blues and soak in the relaxing atmosphere. I'm looking forward to evening time when there's music performance.

Reflections: Unpleasant encounters at coffee chain outlets

Extracted from ST Forums 16 July:

Unpleasant encounters at coffee chain outlets

ON JULY 7, I went to Raffles Hospital Coffee Bean for breakfast.

In front of me at the counter was a woman complaining to the staff that she had been waiting for more than five minutes to make an order.

After her order was taken, the staff disappeared and I waited for some time till my wife suggested we go to Ah Kun Kaya Toast for breakfast.

There, we were immediately served.

The same afternoon, while waiting for my friends at Bugis Junction, I ordered a cup of tea at Starbucks and noticed that there was a stain in my cup.

To my surprise, initially they refused to change my cup. Finally, after demonstrating to the waiter that the stain can be easily removed, he got a replacement for me.

I had also encountered lipstick on the cups at Starbucks. Now I always check the cup before drinking.

Reading through the ST Forums every morning, I realized that there is a surge of articles on complaints and unhappiness over the service qualities and attitudes of many companies and service staff, ranging from major hypermart Carrefour, SIA, budget airlines to coffee chains such as Starbucks and Cofffee Bean. Such an article above is an example.

This makes me ponder what values and attitudes of Singaporean customers have as well as that of the service staff. Being in the service line and maintaining a friendly and happy attitude is a challenge. After a hard days work and maintaining a friendly and happy attitude is also a challenge. However, I don't believe being difficult and venting frustrations at the service staff will do any good. It goes in vicious cycles and creating an environment of hostilities.

I really wonder, is it such a big issue to wait for 5 minutes in a queue when there are so many customers. Is there a need to make a big fuss over a minor stain that can be easily removed and is not posing any health or cleanliness issues?

It puts me to think: Why can't we make life easier for each other and strive to create a more friendly and happy environment/society?

Another Sunday gone by......

Another Sunday gone by...... Just like that in a flash. Sighz, I wonder how many precious weekends have flew past in a wink.

Another Monday with meetings again. Perhaps it's high time to re-focus and re-align the balances in life.

What factors could it be? Working hours? Perceptions and priorities in life? People around me? Or is it the activities?

I'll leave these question to ponder over the next weekend when I'm in a more relaxed mood. Sigh, another hectic Monday.....

Another Saturday...... chilling out at GlobalSounds

It's another Saturday..... knocked off work at 3pm and feeling super hungry. I've been feeling a bit tired and burnt out after swallowing all the frustrations and seemingly fussy requests of customers. Thank god I'm able to knock off on time and go down to GlobalSounds to chill out.

I reached GlobalSounds at around 4pm and I quicky went online to chat with J. J popped up in MSN the moment I logged. Can't believe J was looking forward to see me online so much.

As usual, I ordered my favourite Iced Honey Rosebud drink and the recently discovered tasty mocha cake.

Think I'll chill out here till late. Can't bear to leave and enjoy some private time... Sunday's another 1/2 work 1/2 play day again... I really wonder when I can have a FULL rest day, away from the buzz and to somewhere very quiet, has lots of greenery & nature.

I look forward to that. Until then.. I guess it's work and short breaks to no end.

Quiet Saturday

Finally managed to have a Saturday to myself and go out with friends. However, I still received calls from my colleague to help out with her work. Gosh.. when can I ever get a COMPLETE break?

Anyway, I staked out at a cafe, relaxing and enjoing the music, quietness and time alone to chat with a friend on MSN. Of course, not to forget to enjoy the delicious Iced Honey Osmanthus and Iced Honey Rose with fries.

Later I'll be meeting Daryl and a few others at Bugis for dinner. Hope I get the same quiet time tomorrow. Still thinking whether I should pop in at the cafe again tommorrow.