Blessed child's dairy

Me: "Good afternoon, Mdm!" Her(to my surprise): "Good afternoon! How'cha doing?" Me(shocked): "Fine... You?" Her: "Good!" Me: "So, can I help you Mdm?" Her: "Hm, do you have the dusted jelly babies(I suppose I got it wrongly when she said it. She must have said "jelly bellies", what Singaporeans normally refer to as "Jelly Beans", instead) ? ME: "Sorry?" Her(patiently): "Do you have dusted jelly babies?" ME*???*(lost): "Hm, sorry Mdm, but I don't think so. I don't think we have it here." Her: "I doubt so too. You would have put it here (pointing to the display area) if you have. Alright then, thanks a lot! Bye!" Me: "You're welcome! Bye!"

Well, it sounds just like any normal conversation you see in the American movies and soap operas right? But that was really not the case in Singapore. Some patronizers would just tend to ignore you when you greet them, or at best echo the greeting back at you. So, what happens when you persist them with a passionate salesperson's mentality by asking, "How may I help you," or "can I help you, Mdm/sir?" To be frank, you'd most probably get rebuffed with a model answer of, "just looking around", "Just browsing", "Just taking a look", "never mind, it's okay". No kidding, I'm serious! In regard to this, I was feeling rather uneasy about the status of Singaporeans in the national level and what makes the difference in Singapore in the face of ever-superior westerners. Singaporeans are too 'introvert'. The term used maybe rather harsh, but the meaning is there. Few were chatty enough to launch into a fair length of conversation with a complete stranger. That just pointed out Singaporeans flaws in communication skills. To put it simply, we lack it, or phrase it in an more appealing way, we're far from perfection and have plenty to do to sharpen the important skill that is possessed only by our species and also the only way which linked us up well. What makes the difference here is that this customer here cares and was not shy to inquire. On the other hand, we are just not confident enough. That aside. Despite my abrupt ending for that, please do not mind because I don't really know how to end from there. Alright, what I've got to say about it is that a simple how're you is all that matters. By the way, I've been rather blur these few days. Can you imagine someone who has not got much problems in all the tedious sums in school would have problem doing the simple plus and minus? That's exactly what happened to me: A customer bought a pack of nougats which rightfully cost a good $5.05. I told him that and he gave me $5 and told me to wait a minute while he got a 10 cents coin. Apparently, I didn't hear it and tried to close the receipt with $5 in place of a $5.05 item and the computer was telling me the sum was short-changed. Then, I got a bit confused, but nevertheless I closed it, by sheer force. Fortunately, the customer(another Caucasian man) was kind enough to present me with the 10 cent coin while I was still lost in my own world. Then he taught me the sums. The funniest part was that I even asked him if I've given him the 5cent change which he deserved. Well, I apologized for the mistake and he left after that. He must have thought that I must be having some serious problem up here in my skull. The problem has been bothering me since the past few days where I lost focus very easily. One can be talking to me while I stare at the same spot, and a few seconds later, I'm drifted off the la~la~ land. Not only my brain, my eyes are facing similar problem. One moment I'm looking at something, and the next my vision suddenly blurs and I've to re-focus. What is happening to me? I must be on the verge of some physically big troubles! Oh my goodness! Apologies for another abrupt ending, but I'm just a little excited that I will be playing soccer hours later, and before that Joel's touching down also=). Haha. It's getting late. I shall end here. Apologies again for the lump-y story lines I got together without a really very proper linkage..=P

Monday, December 17, 2007

Joel's coming back

Posted by Judah at 12/17/2007 06:26:00 AM