My Work

"Hi there, this is Gloria calling from CommInsure, how are you...?" This is the sentence I say at least 50 times a day. Finally find myself comfortable and capable of handling the job I am doing, but at the same time know that I have to move on.

Still remembered the first time they asked me to call the customer and ask me to tell them their claim has been denied. I was so stressed out and had no idea what I was talking about, it was ended up a question from my supervisor saying that "Did you understand how this works?".

Worked in CommInsure for 2 months now, most of the customers are reasonable and nice. Given the adverse conditions that half of their ceiling has been collapsed and all the home contents being damaged by flood water, they are very composed & polite indeed.

One thinig I learnt from this job is, you have to speak for yourself, and hold on to what you entitled to. So never dream of taking advantage of me AGAIN!!!

East Coast

Tentatively decided to leave Sydney on 13 March and get my bottom to leave the chair and do some REAL travelling!!! The route will be from Sydney via Brisbane and end at Cairns, this might possibily take one month. ^-^ So so looking forward to this. Afterall, this is the reason for me to leave HK and come to the Down Under (people call Australia the "Down Under"). So excited.

P.S. New housemates = 3 Swedish (2 of them are blonde). I do not know starting from when, I would also stereotype Swedish Blondes like others. Ha~

Overtime on Weekday

Today is the first time OT during weekdays, again, dinner is provided. You will also receive a Taxi e-ticket. Presumably you can use this e-ticket to go wherever you want in a taxi, and the ticket will pay for you. Feeling a bit thrilled that I can ride a taxi home though it's only 20 minutes walk. It costs you AUD15 for a start, and it is kind of expensive transportation to me.

However, as usual, the stupid me thinking that I can easily hop on a cab during a storm night in Sydney city centre, has proved I am still as naive as I always am. Just after 10 seconds walk from my work building to the first street, I was wet from my knee down. And I was unable to see a single cab that was vacant... !#%@#$@!!! They booked the cab before they leave the office!!!

So... since I was half wet already, I will not going to wait in the rain for God knows how long for a vacant cab. So I walked home, even I have a free taxi ride home... I walked 20 minutes home, I was drenched from my waist down and wet from the neck up... coz my umbrella was leaking.

Even with all these ordeal, I walked home with a smile. Just thinking why didn't I wear a skirt today with thong, so I can step on the water without worry. Hahaa~ More importantly, I saw many people on the street being wet by this ferocious storm are wearing a smile. Maybe they find it's funny to get wet, or maybe they think this is just part of life, embrace it with either a frown or a smile. They choose a smile. ^-^

My Birthday

Overtime Work

Overtime work is always not on my mind whilst working in Hong Kong, because you are trading off your personal time with the work that will not be recognized nor be paid extra.

Here in Australia, Company actually "beg" you to do overtime on Saturday. Not only will they pay you extra, they will also provide lunch. So on a Saturday afternoon, I am sitting in the office after eating a mouthful of pasta & salad & pies, listening to the in-house radio (yes, there is always background music in the office programmed by the in-house radio), and writing the blog.

Come And Go

People come and go in our lives, we make new friends, and at the end of the party, you might have difficulties recalling their names.

However, there are people you met that you feel a connection. The encounter needs not to be long, but you know somehow you are connected. It is hard to say goodbye to these people. When you meet people on the road, it is very likely that the goodbye is an eternal one. All the bullshits about meet up again some years later in your / my countries are just a sweet way to round up.

Respect

***WARNING: People who disapprove homosexual is encouraged to STOP reading***

I witnessed one of the most bizarre weddings in Sydney Festival last Saturday. A gay couple was holding their wedding ceremony during this massive arts & music festival. One of the couple is a Chinese who told his family his sexual preference at the age of 16. The other one is a over 6 feet & 180 pounds foreigner who had married at a very young age, and is a father of a girl. He struggled hard in the heterosexual marriage, and lastly he confronted his sexual orientation. (Brokeback Mountain?)

You could feel the love between them, they kept giving each other little kisses on the cheek and stroking each other lightly in their holding hands. When the huge foreigner read his vowes, big tears were rolling down. Even you disapprove gay marriages, you will be moved by his vowes.

Actually gay marriages are not lawful in Australia, but the couple would like to go through the normal rituals as in a normal marriage to signify their commitments to this relationship, and most importantly, the organizer of the event is open minded enough to make this happen.

This is a true demonstration of showing respect on people's decision in their lives.

Interview In Bakery Shop

On the day I finished the coffee making course (Barista Course), I handed in my resume together with the coffee making certificate to one of the bakery shops in China Town. Just received a call from the 老闆娘 for interview at 6pm...

The 老闆娘 did not show up until 6:15pm, and I was not the only applicant. The 5 of us - only me is working holiday, others are university students studying in Sydney, sat around the coffee table just outside the shop, and she started her speech as follows:-

"My main concern is whether you girls can speech good English, I don't care whether you speak fluent Mandarin or Cantonese (Damn! the ad. said clearly that FLUENT Mandarin, Cantonese & English are ESSENTIAL!!!). So now, please use English to introduce yourself, tell us what kind of retail experience / coffee making experience / customer service experience that you have. (Are we going to have a role play afterwards?)"

So we went on introducing ourselves before she started again:-

"Alright, so everybody's English is acceptable. (ACCEPTABLE?!?! Dunno about the others, but I am not going to accept a low comment as my English is only acceptable!!)

Now I will give everyone a CHANCE to have trial work, the work starts at 8am, if you are late, you are out!! During the first 30 hours of working, you have to remember all the prices and names of the cakes, otherwise, you are out!! You will be given FIELD REVIEW after these 30 hours. (Woo! So we got appraisal as well!) You always have to smile at your customers, make them feel warm. Make them feel that your warm smile will go around with them with the cakes bought.

Once you are being hired, I will distribute our company's policies and guidelines to you. (What a well structured multi-continental company!!~)"

I am going to turn down the offer. If the 老闆娘 asks me why, I will tell her, according to the condition of my Visa, I am not allowed to do illegal works. As I know that the minimun wage in Australia is AUD13.8, whilst you are only paying half of it. As my French housemate said, this is an absolute SLAVERY!!!

Well, honestly, I won't mind earning less so I got the chance to practise making coffee, but I do mind the overbearing manner and cannot endure the arrogance of Her Majesty.

Typist

I am a typist who woke at 5:45am in the morning, wash up, breakfast and walk out the house at 6:20am. Start typing at 8:00am, with coffee breaks once every hour. Bell-ringing af coffee break signal reminds me of the recess time in school.

Official lunch break is 30mins, seems short but sufficient for a nice meal and some good laughs. Luck comes and paralyses all the computers. Typist has nothing to do except reading gossip magazines and exchange MSNs. The pro-longed lunch hours dragged till 2:30pm, typist is being assigned to unmeaningful filling works and dismissed early at 3:00pm.

Today's gross income for the typist is HKD800... literally for a half day work.

The Best Refuge

The best refuge when I am lost and down is to talk to my brother. He is the representation for happiness, good humor and care-free.

Whilst in big contrast in talking with my mum, I have to withold my temper and swallow the fire in our conversation. Why is so pressurizing to talk to her always, in all subjects... Am I not good enough? Our rows will start whenever I am not performaning under her expectations or not following her directions.

This time, I am determined to walk the other way, straight till the end.