Telephone Calls to Large Corporations

Yesterday a dear friend forwarded me an article written by a regular columnist in *The Star. Since I was already skivving from work, I took the liberty of reading it, just so that I can reply him and tell him that I do read his emails (or junk emails) - once in a while :)

In the article, the writer was sharing her views on the 'warning' labels that we can find on everyday products we buy, to those that we never thought of buying - yet (ie. baby stroller). As I was scrolling thru the entire article, one of her points caught my attention. Telephone calls to large corporations - hmm, I can relate to this!

I used to call up the *GSC to book my movie tickets, and everytime, I would speak to their sales people, and take the opportunity to request for better seatings. However, they have since changed their system and now I have to speak to the auto-operator who has no emotions or sympathy for all the trouble that I go through to get movie tickets:

Me: (dial GSC tele-reservation number)
GSC: Thank you for calling GSC. For English press 1, Bahasa Malaysia press 2, Swahili press 3.....
Me: (press 1)
GSC: For movies today press 2. For movies on Wednesday press 3. For movies on Thursday ......
Me: (press 2)
GSC: Movies for today: 10 First Dates, press 1, 20 First Dates, press 2, 30 First Dates, press 3......... For more movies press 0.
Me: (can't find the movie I want - press 0)
GSC: The Last Samurai, press 1, The Eye press 2, Infernal Affairs press 3, The LOTR...... To go back to the previous menu, press 0.
Me: (sharks. My movie is not listed! OK, watch another movie - press 0)
GSC: Movies for today: 10 First Dates, press 1, 20 First ............
Me: (press 1)
GSC: 10 First Dates: 11am press 1, 12:30pm press 2, 1:30pm press 3...... 9:20pm press 9........
Me: (press 9)
GSC: 9:20am. Please key in the number of tickets that you want to purchase.
Me: (press 2)
GSC: Please hold while your request is being processed.

-- after 3 minutes --

GSC: I'm sorry, the tickets you required is fully-booked. Please buy the tickets from the cinema counters. To return to the main menu, press 0. To select another movie......
Me: &#^$%@$#%^Q@$ (hang up)

******

For the entire 10 minutes of this 'conversation', I spoke nothing. And got no results. Sigh, how I dread calling large corporations...


*
The Star = national newspaper
GSC = Golden Screen Cinemas (local cinema operator)
The article = Beware of warnings

Bungee jump, anyone?

Yesterday morning a particular poster in the lift caught my immediate attention. It was offering a once in a lifetime chance to bungee jump in the vicinity of the office! Here I was, half awake, wondering when did we come out with such a club. The details were quite interesting though:

- there will be a local TV crew (TV3 channel) coming to film the entire event and air it on national tv *wow*
- we will be jumping from a skybridge that connects both our office buildings, and the jump will happen right on the highest part of skybridge itself! Tot the skybridge is horizontally level?
- you can choose 2 different jumps; jumping down to one metre from the ground or jumping down as near to the tarmac as possible. Man, are these people insane?!

Since the descriptions were so long, I had to press on the 'door open' lift button to finish up reading! There I was, hogging the lift, but I couldn't find the date and time! It's only says 'Thursday'. Damn!

This event became the hot topic for the day... people were talking everywhere, some trying to 'gang up' so that they can jump together, others persuading their peers to join in the fun.

Then came the end of the day, and I took the lift to the basement carpark. The moment I stepped into the lift, I saw this really big red words over the poster:

APRIL FOOLS!!

What?! I've been fooled! @!#$%&^

Bungee jump, anyone?

"I was born to laze around and do nothing..."

Recently I've acquired a new habit of checking out other people's blogs and not blogging. Reading other's tots is somewhat interesting, and you always learn a thing or two from each blog. I'm lucky enough to stumble upon some really intellectual bloggings, and there are those with such honesty, I look at myself and start laughing (of the similarities/differences/guilt/etc)...

Today I read an entry from a lady who was telling her 'audiences' about Ascending the Career Ladder. Her blog attracted some Comments, and upon reading them all, I laughed at the ironies of homo sapiens with career(s) - and those trying to carve one. No pun intended.

To sum it all up, there are a few categories of 'employees' in this world:

1. Those who are on the greener grass and are happy in their comfort zone... (they remain there forever - dubbed the 'retirement' grass)
2. Those who are on the greener grass but moves on (or backward?) to the not-so green (by will or by force, etc)...
3. Those who are on the not-so green grass and wants to get to the greener grass...
4. Those who are on the greener grass but thinks that they are on the not-so green, and hence all hell break lose... (boy, aren't they confused!)
5. Those who can't be bothered....

BTW, this list is not exhaustive.

The truth is, most of us homo sapiens, if not all, can never be satisfied with what we have. The 'inner voice' is always there to create havoc to our lives (ie. greed, power - think *LOTR)... Of course, sometimes it can be a blessing in disguise...

But on a contradictory note, if we're easily satisfied, there won't be anymore 'development' and new findings in this world, would there?

Now, which category do I fall into? ...click click click...

Beep!! Blue screen - error message: Illegal operation. OK? Y/N

*ponder*


*
LOTR - Lord of The Rings