Best phone call etiquette EVER
May 27, 2008
Yesterday I got a phone call from this number: 016-6628085.
I didn’t recognize the number but I answered anyway.
Me: Hello
Stranger: Hello boleh saya cakap dengan Encik *my dad’s name* ?
(Hello may I speak with Mr. *insert dad’s name*)
Me: Who are you?
Stranger: Nama saya Nadia dari ……(whatever name that I couldn’t make out) agensi.
(My name is Nadia from ….. Agency)
Me: What is this regarding?
Stranger: *something about credit card*
Me: Oh not interested
*click* I hung up.
She calls back a few times and asked for my dad again and again. I ignore the subsequent calls from her but she kept calling and calling. I was very annoyed and decided to finally answer the call but little did I know…
Me: Hello? *in all nice voice just to annoy her*
Nadia: KAMU NI PEKAK KAH??!?!?!? I CAKAP SAYA NAK CAKAP DENGAN ENCIK. *DAD’S NAME*
(ARE YOU DEAF??!?!?!? I SAID I WANT TO SPEAK TO MR. ….)
Me: *cuts her off* Yalah memang saya pekak, dengan orang bodoh saya pekaklah. When you know how to speak English you call me back k?
(Yes I am indeed deaf, with idiots/stupid people I turn a deaf ear)
*click*
When I clicked to hang up I could still hear her going at it in her loud sharp voice. Needless to say I was laughing my ass off after hanging up on her.
With that kinda attitude she expects anyone to sign up for a credit card with her? What a joke.
I suspect it’s a scam of sort because I would like to think that no legitimate credit card agency would have this kinda staff calling up people and being THAT rude and speak no English at all. Another thing is why the hell did she ask for my dad by calling MY number? The only connection is that my number is registered under my dad’s name. So that means the cellphone provider gave away that information right?
But regardless I had the last say by calling her stupid. It was so satisfying! LOL
I’m still giggling about it until now.
2 months to go
May 22, 2008
In exactly two months I will be in Rob’s arms, hugging him so tightly and not wanting to let go. As much as I would like to cling on to him for the remaining weeks of my visit there, it is impossible that I can/want to do that. I am not clinging on to him when he poops. 😛
I got confirmation on my travel dates yesterday and both Rob and I have been quite hyper and excited. We now have this chant that we do at the randomest (if there is such a word) time. It goes, “Shinnie’s coming to visit!” I swear it’s funny…at least for us. I know, we are a demented couple of nutjobs.
Finding a relatively cheap domestic flight to Chicago and back to Newark airport is a bitch. Not only are airfares a lot more expensive than a year ago, these airlines are charging for the second checked-in bag! What’s worse is that initially we thought going on American Airlines would be best in price and timing but now American Airlines is charging $15 for the FIRST checked bag and another $25 for the second one! Those money-sucking hounds!!! Other airlines make you do a stop and have a layover of about 2-3 hours. I hate waiting!!! So how now brown cow? *sigh*
I guess we just keep looking.
Oil prices have been increasing which means that petrol is getting more expensive in the States and pretty much everywhere in the world. We have talked about not doing the roadtrip that we planned though we both would really want to. Initially I have insisted on going on this roadtrip (the brat that I am) but after giving it some thought I realized that it really doesn’t matter where we go or what we do because as long as we’re together and enjoying each other’s company, that’s all that matters. I am keeping an open mind from now on.
I’m sending in my laptop back to HP tomorrow as the needed part has arrived. Let’s hope they don’t screw it up again this time. I’m crossing my fingers and toes.
Back to working on the thesis. (Wow, I actually wanna work on it voluntarily.)
No title BLEH
May 16, 2008
Since my last post I am still counting the days until my trip to Chicago. Many activities have been planned, e.g. a roadtrip, bitch beach day, tons of shopping, lots of sightseeing, making heart-shaped pizza, catching fireworks show at the pier etc etc etc. I even started making a list of things to bring and believe it or not, I’ve already planned the food menu for the first day I get there. Molten cake here I come!!! Don’t mind me, I’m just super excited… =D
I got my laptop back from HP but will be sending it back again once they have my part. It’s a long story. Let’s just say they messed up, severely and I am making them pay the price. I’m glad to have my laptop back though. I <3 my laptop! I also had trouble with Streamyx in the last 10 days or so. After 6 calls to those idiots and 2 “visits” by the technicians, the problem was finally fixed. I keep telling them there is no point in sending technicians over when the problem is at their end but they simply do not listen. Add to that, they do not take responsibility that it is indeed their fault that I couldn’t go online. BASTARDS! When I couldn’t take their incompetence anymore I called and bitch at customer support and they finally put me through to level two. I was so bitchy even I couldn’t stand myself. Hey, it got the job done didn’t it? Heh 😛 In the mean time I have been working on the thesis, writing and making sense as much as I can, while suffering the pains of womanhood if you know what I mean. Other than that, nothing exciting happening in my neck of the woods hence the lack of interest to blog.
A new door
May 10, 2008
I’m getting a new door put in as I am typing this. The carpenter is just ripping the old door out and hammering the hinges and my ears are suffering for it. NOTHING comes easy I suppose.
I know it’s like totally trivial and uneventful getting a new door installed in my room, but somehow it symbolizes something. A new door, opening to new opportunities and possibilities. Yes, corny I know but literally speaking, it does makes sense.
Rob and I have been planning on my next trip over and we decided late July until late August if there is a seat available for me during the dates we picked. We have started planning on what to do during my visit, where to go and what to see. It’s more than two months away but we are really excited. We haven’t seen each other for over a year. To be precise it’s been 1.5 years.
Money as always is an issue when travelling in general. With the exchange rate (even though it has come down since I last visited) certain things will be expensive, especially accomodation. Domestic flights are also increasing in price. Last month it was sitting below US$260 and yesterday it cost over US$350. That’s almost an increase of US$100 in less than a month. We keep checking daily in hopes of finding a good deal. I really do hope it will come down when it’s time to purchase the tickets.
How I wish money wasn’t an issue. Then I could stay longer. With all that has happened in this past few months I am ready for a break away from all of it. A month to unwind, a month to relax, a month to have tons of fun, a month to love each other more, a month to live life together, a month of pure bliss…
It’s two months away and I can’t wait.
Melted cake anyone?
May 6, 2008
I still haven’t gotten my laptop back. BLEH I hope I get it back soon.
Last night I went to the Secret Recipe in town to satisfy my craving for cake. Upon reaching the counter I ordered two different cakes, one, the White Chocolate Macademia and two, the Walnut Brownie.
I saw the girl take the Walnut Brownie but did not see her take a slice of the White Chocolate Macademia cake. A minute later she is packing two boxes of cakes into a bag and proceeded to the cash register. Confused I said “One Brownie and one White Chocolate Macademia right?” She nods. Strange…then I said “Oh ok…I didn’t see you take the Macademia cake”. She looks at me with a blank face and asked for however-much-money-it-cost-I-forgot.
After paying up I still felt strange cause I really didn’t see her take a slice of the Macademia cake. I got into the car and opened the boxes of cakes. The brownie was there but something was strange with the other box. In black ink it was written “Macademia” on it. Since when does Secret Recipe label what cake is in what box? Imagine my disgust when I opened the box to find a white chocolate cake smeared to the side of the box, melting. It was gooey and looked like it had been sitting out for a long time on the counter.
Pissed I waltzed back into the place, got to the counter and raised my voice. I said rather loudly so most of the people there, ESPECIALLY the customers could hear, “How come you gave me a cake like this????” The girl who took my order still gave me a blank look. ARGHHHH!!! A “manager” was there and this lady worked for Coffee Bean prior. I had an argument with her at Coffee Bean before because she was SO RUDE and OBNOXIOUS and she was just a barista at the time. That’s another story entirely.
Anyway, blank-look-girl FINALLY opened the fridge and got me a new piece of cake. I continued to say “You didn’t even get me a new cake in the first place, why?” Still no answer. Manager apologizes a couple times. I left pissed.
It is seriously ASSININE how these people think and work. Do they not get any training at all? Why the hell would you give a customer cake that has been sitting on the counter under bright light when it is supposed to chilled in the first place? Did they think they would get away with giving me a cake that is essentially “rejected” and has not met the standard of quality Secret Recipe emphasizes upon? How dumb did they think I was? I’m sorry but I did not order STUPIDITY with my cakes!!!
Now let me give them the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps someone took the wrong order and the cake was already placed in the box and it’s a bitch to put the cake back on the plate in the fridge. Fine, but doesn’t ANYONE at Secret Recipe have the brains to at least think that it would be smarter to put the box IN the fridge so it doesn’t melt like butter under the sun? And if indeed you want to sell me a cake which has already been out AT LEAST have the decency to ask me if it’s ok with me. If I had agreed on it (most unlikely I would have anyway but that is beside the point), then I have nothing no reason to complain at all.
I have only been to Secret Recipe to dine-in about 3 times. Why? Because their service SUCKS. The people are either rude or dumb and worse sometimes BOTH. And out of the 10 times I have been there to buy cake, 9 times I come out annoyed/irritated/frustrated with the people working in there.
It’s also funny that when you order a whole cake for someone’s birthday or something, they REFUSE to let you pay first. When you go back to pick up your cake, only then they will take your money. Why? Why can’t customers pay upfront then come back to pick up the cake and leave? WHY? I do not understand. I mean, I WANT to give you my money NOW but you REFUSE and tell me to give it to you LATER. Does anyone else see how preposterous it is?
If it wasn’t for the cakes I would never go back to Secret Recipe. Their food menu isn’t at all that impressive either nor delicious to say the least. Don’t even get me started with the microwave-heated-food they serve to customers. SHEESH.