Need Some Advice?

"When you go into a meeting for the first time - and you are the only person who is new to such a meeting - all eyes will fall on you to hear what you have to say. But you prefer to keep quiet, wanting to absorb matters. Still, you can feel it in the minds of several saying: this new guy must be dumb; he has not uttered a single word!

So you keep quiet and continue on giving attention to matters that count most. All of a sudden, you feel someone nudged you from the side and thought you heard your name mentioned. Almost by reflex you raised your hand slightly and said something incoherent. All eyes again fall on you and suddenly you feel like the very earth opening and swallowing you. At the same time, you hear the horrible unspoken words which says: Confirmed! This new guy is dumb!"

- slightly altered version of part of a speech by a very wise man, who's name I prefer not to put here for fear it may be viewed in the wrong context.


Hehe...judging from my 'talkative' mood on the blog these past few days, I fault no one if ever I am viewed as such. But heck, I'm on leave...from what ever. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, I don't want to do anything relating to work, most especially my online political activities! I mean activist too needs a break every now and then! 6 days a week, 4-5 weeks a month, 12 months a year, even the hardy can go cuckoo!

Earlier today after Jumaat, I went to Giants at Kelana Jaya to get some electrical stuff. While I was there, I bought one of those new black casing Sunsilk shampoo. Reading the label, I thought "Ah! If it can do that, perhaps it can hide the sprinklings of white I now have". So I ask the promoter there and was disappointed when she said "No sir, I'm sorry it can't! All it can do is make your hair darker and shinier, but not the white hair". Sheesh! What good is it then? Still, I took it with high hopes that it might just do the trick. I mean, hopefully with darker hair, the white will be camouflaged somewhat. Fat hopes, a voice said in my mind. Later, I paid for the whole stuff I took, partly using 2 vouchers given to me by the Management of Giant.

Several months back, one of Giant's stores prohibited anyone from purchasing more than 5 tins of condensed milk. I made a fuss about it then called FOMCA's Sec-Gen as well as an officer of KPDN & HEP. Since they know me personally, they in turn gave advice and the FOMCA Sec-Gen personally got in touch with one of Giant's higher management. Less than 15 minutes later, their PR Manager called me and humbly apologised for the matter and asked for my full name and address. I asked why, and he said he will be sending me a gift as a sign of appreciation for my loyalty. And true to his words, he did. Not much though, just 2 RM10 vouchers. But my advice to my friends now, if ever any of the hypermarket gives you unwarranted trouble, do make noise about it. Not for the voucher, mind you. But to keep them on their toes.


Back to the story, I was feeling somewhat hungry and thought of getting myself a Soaking Ted from the 1901 Hotdog stall below. I do love their hotdogs and sometimes could eat 2. But as I approached the stall, I saw a large handwritten note saying "Gone to the toilet". Hullo! That's not really a welcoming sign, no matter which way you look at it! I mean, even when the attendant do come back, I would not purchase anything from him, no matter how hungry I am. Think their management needs to teach their people how to be more tactful in such matters. Perhaps the guy who advertise his service on the rear of his van here makes more sense. Yup, the 1901 managers do need some good advice. But then, not from the kind below.


Now, I really do not know who's to be blamed here. But let's start with the dear Miriam herself. But then, reading through it, I seriously think dear old Miriam was on leave and in her stead was a young trainee who has no experience of what so ever in matters relating to marriage. Or perhaps, the trainee was in fact a car mechanic moonlighting as a substitute to Miriam? Hmm...

What ever the case, then the print blooper must then be the fault of the editors for approving it. Would have been nice though, to know the reaction of the readers of the column. But one thing for certain, I would definitely not ask Dear Miriam to help me out if ever I experience a love problem :)