Scouty’s Weblog

Had been playing this game ever since I stepped into the working world, from being a watcher of the game, to being an actual player of the game. I must said I have learnt and grow alot from playing it. Being inexperience at the game in the beginning, I had made quite a fair bit of mistakes and had to learn my mistakes the hard way. Had also seen how some other players got defeated till a terrible state. A very scary game to play but is totally essential in today’s world. For even if you choose not to play, somewhere somehow you will find yourself getting involved in the game one way or another.

Been having the feeling that everyday at work is like playing the chess game to me, have to think carefully before I make any move or even say anything, for if I made a wrong move I could have easily send myself to my own’s doom. After months of playing, at least it made me realised a few things.

Its always an every man for himself world

There is no such thing as friend or ally 

Your only best friend is your gut feel and instinct

The must have weapon is call ‘The Mask’ 

I believe the list can go on and on, but well just to highlight a few to get it out of my chest. I believe I still have lots to learn in this game of chess. Afterall everyday is a learning day, so learn with an open heart I must. As what my Shifu Mr Cheong says, “Do The Best With What You Have At Where You Are.”

Finally lesson started for the 2nd Semester of year 3. Had just completed first week of lecture.

Well being another 2 Marketing subjects, Sales Management and Customer Relationship Management. Its also another semester without exams. Project + Individual Journal + Test + Presentation makes up 85% of the whole grade. Furthermore this time round, the emphasis seems to be quite focus on the presentation part, especially for Sales Management. So hopefully my crap talking skills will come in handy during that time.

Anyway, the lecturers teaching us are still ok, not much motivation factor from the lady lecturer.. Well I guess its still R that is holding the title of “Most Motivating Female Lecturer” in my humble opinion. As for the guy that is teaching Sales Management. Quite a jovial guy, sure makes the class lively with his jokes, can see that he is able ‘get the attention’ of the aunties ladies in class. However something funny about him is that, sometimes the things he said does sounds abit wrong, if you think it the crooked way.

Right now, I guess everyone is just waiting for last semester’s result to be release and we will be able to see how we fare last sem.

Was in Bugis area today to get the lotion for my face and then decide to take a bus down to Chinatown to visit my Lao Da at OG People’s Park, since I hadn’t visited her for a long time. She was my Senior Supervisor during my days as a part-timer in OG Great World then.

Well since she was my senior supervisor so being the typical playful guy, that is her nickname I call her back then, and somehow it remain that way even when I am no more working under her for such a long time. Still addressing her as Lao Da in the SMS and greeting cards I sent to her.

She was the one who taught me all the trades of working in the retail line and had trained and exposed me to alot of things most part-timers will never have access to. Being a part-timer, She had taught me how to key orders and do returns, which is a job only supervisor level and above are doing. But back then, I was doing all that for her despite being a part-timer. Furthermore, she also let me deals with all the suppliers in our dept with regards to any Purchase Order processing, thats where I really built up my interaction skills where it had helped me even till today.

Throughout my 3 years working with her, there are many wonderful memories of how she had really touched my heart.

The concern and anxious in her, during the day where I collect my O level results. She had paged me (Yah.. Pager Era then!) to inform me that, I am to call her as soon as I got my results. And well, she was like the 2nd person I called after my mum when I gotten my results. Despite me not doing well, she still encouraged me on the next day when I report for work.

Still remember how she ‘force’ me to understand the concept of how the various trade discounts worked, and why certain brand simply refuses to give us a 40% discount margin.

How she stood up for me when I created a huge mistake in the quantity of the plush-toys we return to  suppliers and the Head Office lady was screaming her head off at me when I told her I was the one that keyed the Return Note. but well, my Lao Da didn’t scold nor blame me, but just told me to be careful in the future and re-typed the Return Note. Best thing, she even chided the Head Office lady for being fierce.

Those times where she will buy lunch for me when she knows I am busy doing all the Purchase Orders for her. There was even an occasion where she was caught in the rain just because she was buying lunch for me and I became the hot topic in the store when news of her actions were being spread around by the other colleagues who saw her coming back wet from the rain.

I also become her listening ear when she got embroiled in the usual office politics and though being young and inexperience, she do ask for my 2 cents worth of opinion at times when she got really stressed up.

I believe if I were to list down, there are alot of things that I had learnt and a lot of things that touched my heart during my stint there working with my Lao Da. Some of the advice she gave me had still remained in my heart till now and it sure brings back alot of nice memories whenever I visit her, cos she will always boast to the other staffs how she had seen me grow up from a Xiao Di to now a working adult.

I must say, she has been one of the best ‘boss’ I have in my years of working. And because of that, she had longed earned a place in the list of VIPs in my life.

Was inform by my ex-colleague about the report on Sat’s papers of a mishap that happened to one of our colleague some time back. Didn’t have Sat’s paper, so search for the article online and saw the online version. Well.. case was ruled as misadventure… but somehow the report does seem to portray the school is not at fault of the whole issue.

While I believe I had read the report without bias but I can’t help have such feeling, since my ex-colleague also felt ‘funny’ about the report. Maybe I will try and get hold of Sat’s paper, perhaps it is more detailed.

When we thought of the incident, it always dwell on us that life is so fragile and the irony of thing was that she is suppose to be back from her relief duty if the thing didn’t happen. Now that she is gone for almost 6 mths plus.. when we talk about the matter, we can’t help but felt the sad emotions in us. Now other than sending my prayers to her daily, I guess thats really not much we can do…

S… if only you are back… I still haven’t tell you I eaten your biscuits leh! Though I know you will not mind me eating it..

I guess its always hard to find man working for you that will be willing to stand up for you in the face of some unreasonable crap.

Well I am glad I had found one within my team, though the initial assessment of him wasn’t that positive, especially taking reference from his previous boss and also from the nanny engaged to oversee them for a period of time. But I must say after understanding them better and getting to know each of their working style, it was great to have gain his trust and support. Though he tend to display the bo chap attitude at times but when the time comes for him to work he has been able to meet up to the expectations of what is required of him. On a few occassions, he had even tried to help resolve some of the conflicts among the ‘couple’ in library.

However what really touched me was what he did today, when facing the 4th floor guy and his loads of crappy reasons for doing something we deem as necessary. Anyway, it was a good gesture by him to defend our actions against the crap reasoning by the 4th floor guy. Well… Good Job Solider!! (One of your fav quote eh!)

Considering the day and age now, its really difficult to have good man around. Boy.. am I glad I have one.