Sigh...just realise I am really wasting a lot of energy on things I cannot change. So the organiser is an idiot. Now that everyone knows abt that, I should breathe easier cos anything that goes wrong is not my fault because I have done my best to prevent it but I am only human and limited to what I can do. I just feel bad for my team cos they are the ones receiving my instructions and I cannot give them until the last minute (because of certain brainless people) and they have to rush things through at the last minute. Maybe that's why i'm so pissed off with that idiot. He does not think abt others at all, just about himself and what he wants. Just a list of what idoitic things he has done just so I'll feel better this Monday morning (after Les Bleus lost the World Cup)

1. He told us to plan for teambuilding activities on saturday 15 July but 2 days ago he sent the latest agenda which he printed to all his delegates that teambuilding is on 13th July. It's not easy to shift the entire logistics to 2 days earlier for a group of at least 150 pax.
2. He is checking in today but he sent the namelist 2 days ago. Group is at least 160 pax and we have to quick assign rooms in the space of a few hours.
3. then he changed the rooming list so everyone has a different rooming partner so we have to find the original reservation, match it with the name and find who to replace and where.
4. He wants 1 minute check-ins for his group but he did not give complete passport number so guest has to spend time filling it in. Too bad idiot.
5. Then he provided the passport number in a separate excel sheet but not in chronological order with the rooming list so he must be insane to expect us to search the names one by one for 150 people to insert the passport number.
6. He told me he needed extra 20 rooms to put in his excess guests but despite me chasing him for exact number for a week, he only gave me the numbers 2 days ago. I had to confirm the 20 rooms with another hotel and in the end it ended up a WAY smaller number so someone's gonna scream at me for booking so many rooms.
7. He does not read page 2 of the menus so he keeps sending me 10 emails a day starting from 2 weeks ago saying not enough vegetarian food dishes when it's all in the second page. (tu es fou!)
8. Now he wants me to rent 2 printers and a copy machine. I gave him the price (if you go through the hotel, you pay the service charge to the hotel for our services.) and he complain too high (stingy asshole) and has not confirmed with me yet and he is coming in today. Bon chance, monsieur.
9. He told he has 180 pax coming so we set up the entire meeting room to put 180 pax. Not easy to shift chairs and tables for 180 pax and then now it's only 150 so I have to make the team re-arrange the meeting room AGAIN.
10. THE FACT THAT HE CONFIRMS EVERYTHING SO BLOODY LATE THAT EVEN IF WE CAN DO IT, WE CAN'T DO IT WELL AND IT'S IRRITATING TO DAMAGE MY REPUTATION LIKE THAT.    

________________________________________________________________

Next piece of news. Was at Oceans department store yesterday when I met my old qik, Chai. The guy I was head over heels when i first came to Phuket. We saw each other and we chatted a bit and I realised one thing. I am over my crush on him. And I feel so sad over that. Nothing is the same, EVERYTHING CHANGES and I realise IT ONLY TAKES A MINUTE GIRL, to fall in love, to fall in love. so I PRAY that I'll NEVER FORGET that LOVE AIN'T HERE ANYMORE, BABE, and maybe I should come BACK FOR GOOD.
**Sorry there,was in for a little Take That crap.

anyway, yeah...I think I stop expecting anything when I see him. It's over. It's a relief and it's sad at the same time. Now one more crush to get over. If i can get over this, i think I will be truly happy with my boyfriend.

First of all i apologise for all that angst-ridden blogs about the I****n group organiser. Unfortunately, this is going to be one of those angst-ridden ones and more. Sorry, but there is no other place that I can rant and rave and let the whole world know how stupid some people can get and how much idiocy I am up against every day.

2 days to check-in and guess what, I've only received 1/3 of the namelist of participants. This guy is deviously or stupidly refusing to send the final numbers of participants....so basically if there is not enough food, it's his big-ass bloody fault. I have a tentative hold on the extra rooms he's asked for and it's not freakin' fair that he does not get back because if the numbers turn out to be smaller than what i have blocked, then I'm gonna kick his bloody I****n ass right back to that hole where he crawled out from and stink up the days with his existence. Because I could have sold those rooms to others who wanted one. At a higher price. And if the numbers turn out bigger than what was asked for, then too bad Mr. Idiotic Pain-in-the-Ass, we have no more rooms so you better bring some tents to pitch. Because you will not get back to me at the required 14 days before check-in. I have NEVER EVER met a single event organiser as inefficient and as idiotic as him. Sure every event must have hiccups. But you must at least have your priorities right. Yeah, sure everyone is waiting to confirm their flights. Well, good luck then if you have flights but no rooms. It was stated very clearly and re-emphasized again and again that rooming list must be received 14 days prior to check-in. Well...it's now 2 days to check-in and i'm missing the majority of the group.

And not only that, this bloody freakin Pain-in-the-hole-of-the-ass sends me 10 emails a day because he is not happy with 1 or 2 dishes in the menu. Keeps asking me to increase variety. First of all, do you know no shame? You make us bleed by asking for such ridiculous prices, making us work with such a tight budget because you are stingy as a man sweeping the floor for bread crumbs for your next meal in your 10-bedroom mansion. No wait, making your servants sweep the floor for your next meal while they get nothing. A little bit of common sense will help...like maybe if you like more food, you have to pay more? You don't want to pay then who will actually buy the food? we're not MacDonalds, we don't have our own farm. And what about the service cost? Don't our staff get paid for serving you, for washing the dishes, for cooking the food, for setting up the place???

Anyway, he is so inefficient that the whole hotel knows abt it, so we all know that if things don't go well, it's all his fault. Because he cannot make the bloody decisions. Because He cannot prioritise his work. Because he has naan for brains.

Do you ever realise how important makeup is to a lady? It beautifies but it can also destroy whatever natural good looks you have. I mean just look at Mimi from Drew Carey show and you'll get what I mean. But this morning I've had a very privileged showing of the art of putting on makeup.

I take the morning staff bus to work every day (well, days that I work. Duh!) and this morning I had to share a seat with this Thai lady. She's the typical Thai lady, all petite and dark skinned. Every morning I see her on the bus I've always wondered why she looks so peculiar. Even my friends think so. i'll explain how peculiar it can be later. Anyway, so today by chance I got to sit with her and she hasn't had her makeup on yet so she was putting it on on the bus next to me. Amazing what a little makeup pouch can contain. And what deft movements. one hand with the mirror the other deftly putting on the colours. And the movements of searching through the pouch while holding a mirror and a brush. Amazing. Usually I only take 15 min for makeup for work cos it's the usual foundation, eye shadow, mascara and blush. This lady sharpened her eye pencil, cotton-budded her face, lip-lined her lips, drew in her eyebrows, and etc and etc. I just spend the entire trip to work on the bus watching her.

Anyway, I finally realised why she looked so peculiar every morning and have come up with several makeup rules for people with dark skin.

1. It is not advisable to use very light eye makeup when you are dark-skinned. And if you do, try not to spread it too far out. Yes it lightens the eye area and brightens your eyes BUT you can also end up looking like you went swimming for a long time in the sun with the goggles on. It was a hot look in Japan for a while but not anymore. Those people look that way cos they wear protective eye wear while getting in the self-tanning booth.
2. It is not advisable to use blush powder that has a very reddish/pinkish base. Now I know why this lady next to me looks like char siew every morning. She has a roasted look to her, brown and red.....now I think of wanton mee when I think of char siew.
3. Try not to use lipstick with a brownish base to it. This lady lip-lined her lips with her eyebrow lining pencil, which was dark brown. Very peculiar choice. Are eyebrow lining pencils poisonous?

So the end effect was this lady ended up with super bright eyes that escaped the tanning process, char-siew skin on the face and very dark lips, a darker brown against the brown of her skin, which was pretty dark to begin with. She applied her makeup with such skill and such dexterity, but then it's amazing what the end product doesn't match the skill involved.

don't get me wrong, I do like this lady. i don't know her name but I like her. she was really helpful. Once when i was desperately going to miss the bus she stopped her motorbike by the road and brought me to the bus stop. I just wish I could help tell her to try different colours...

You're Hot 'n' Sexy

When you enter a room, all eyes gravitate toward you. Like a moth to a flame, people can't help but notice you. Maybe it's how you casually move through a crowd or that glow you give off when you flash that smile. You're hot and it shows. Could it be the haircut that says it all about you, the jeans that fit just right, or the casual way you saunter across a room looking confident from all angles?

You have an air about you that commands respect from men and women alike. You possess such outward strength that these people ache to be around you. When you speak, people hang on your every word. You are so full of charisma and cachet that, whether in a business or social setting, you can gauge the mood in the room and offer the right compliment or provocative statement for any scene. Do you have a secret intuition about how people work? Just maybe. And that's one of the sexiest things about you.

What Kind of Sexy Are You?
Brought to you by Tickle

It looks like your romantic fantasy is the Romantic Rescue

Tied up on the railroad tracks, stranded on a desert island, locked inside a castle tower — where is your hero to save you? From Indiana Jones to the fire brigade to a brilliant doctor, there's just something about a fearless and courageous man that fuels your fantasies.

Sure, there's nothing like a man in uniform — rippling muscles, sexy swagger, valiant spirit. But you know better than to hold out for a real-life Robin Hood to rescue you from the daily grind. You'll always have your dreams...and Halloween.

What's Your Romantic Fantasy?
Brought to you by Tickle

I am exhausted....it's now 7 p.m. and I am still at work. Not too late by Singapore standards but late by mine. And it's for what?!

It's not like i've never had hard work. I can do hard work. I can work hard too. There have been many occasions in the past where there is just so much work and not enough time. But that I can handle. I just cannot handle the type of work that involves a lot of waiting. I don't understand some people at times. Why fret over the nitty gritty details when there are big issues to be resolved first? Why worry abt whether the menu has enough vegetarian dishes when you cannot even re-confirm whether you want one more lunch or not? I think it's easier for me a change a dish in the menu than to suddenly whip up enough food to feed hundred over people at short notice.

And then wait for the organiser's decision. Everyone is waiting for this one guy to make the decision. It is now less than a week to the final showdown. And he's still playing hard to get. I hate work like this.

So I'm finally back to work after a whirlwind of activities in Singapore. Flew Tiger Airways to Singapore in the morning. Landed at Budget Terminal. SUCKS...

I don't mind the no-aircon passage way to the terminal. I don't mind taking the stairs down the plane to the terminal. I don't mind the lack of things to do inside the terminal save for ONE duty free shop. (ONE?? Singapore's favourite pastime is shopping!! SHouldn't our airports be reflective of that? Cut down on the number of counters or whatever and build more shops!!) i don't even want to know where you depart....but i mind very much the extra security at the terminal. WHY? Won't we checked already on the way to the plane from our origin country? why do we have to go through any check-point, body check and luggage check upon arrival? Cos tat short distance between plane to terminal we could have smuggled something in? It's like a 3 meter walk into the terminal?! Oh well, I supposed I was grouchy at being held up for something senseless after waking up at 5am in the morning to fly. Urgh....

Mum came to pick me up. nice. Had lunch w her. Then conked out for the rest of the day cos I was just so tired...Had dinner w parents....spare ribs...hot-plate tofu....scallops w some vege...Nice....

Next day did my hair w mum. She went for a hair colouring session at someone's house. Apparently she opens her own shop at her own flat. Very smart idea actually. Maybe I'll open my own manicure shop at my own place next time.

Dinner with the Crescent babes. Had it at Fish and Co next to Park Mall. then Coffee at Olio Dome. Nice to just hangout. I think I love hearing myself speak ENglish. it's nice to speak English, use big-ger words that people can understand and just converse, update, debate, discuss in ENGLISH.

Lunch first. will continue later....

Back from lunch. Very eventful. Got called away to lunch with guests. Quite nice actually...guests were from singapore so can talk normal. And wasn't particularly in need to impress cos guests are not mine so was talking crap and introducing them to the Phuket life instead of worrying if they like this and that, must say the right things and don't say the wrong things. Etc.

sigh...some people....they should just read the document in its entirety before sending an email and screaming at people. Got a very fierce email from the guest from I***a telling me why this and that so expensive, why you never include any vegetarians dishes in the menu, why this and that? Even called me twice, could not get me so called the GM. I called the guest and explained (not in exact terms) that I work for the hotel, not my own event organisation company so I don't exactly have to do the things he asked me to do and find out. As my boss puts it, we are a hotel, we are only kind enough to help give information, but we should not take shit cos it's really none of our business. You want to go on a tour? Fine, I can help direct you to the contact person but don't make me arrange the timing and stuff. anyway, he screamed abt the menu again and I coolly and calmly persuaded him to open the file document, and then directed him to scroll down to the second page where it says right on top "VEGETARIAN BUFFET" with a list of at least 10 vegetarian dishes. That silence at the other end was soooooooo enjoyable. Almost made work worth it.

anyway, headache from this....i am not a tour operator...as usual, I am not paid enough to take all these aggravations.

I purposely narrowed the photo so everyone looks nice and slim...well, slimmer anyway...

3 beauties...ah-hem....

With our favourite teacher, Mr. Homer Galistan..wedding at Shangri-La ballroom....sure puts my ballroom to shame.

The traditional feet photo. Clockwise from top left : Janice, Praisie, Amanda
After a very satisfying pedicure at Far East. Go check out the shop Bliss Retreat on the 4th level. Excellent service (well, we treated the shop like it was our home). Ask for Jenny.

It's Monday morning the the though process has not exactly jump-started yet so will have to do with writing what i think at the current moment, and problem is, my thinking is at like 1 Mbps while my typing is like 256 bps so might be a little incoherent.

Cannot understand what is the importance of having a check-in at less than a minute. That seems to be what my group coordinator has been emphasizing on. The event organiser I have been complaining abt. This must be the 5th email he sent me asking for check-ins at less than a minute. WHAT??? WHY??? HOW??? When he came down that was his first request. When his boss came down that was his request. and now thru email too. WHY???? We are a resort. Our aim is to help relax people. We do things at a relaxing pace. Well, you need one minute check-in?? Tell your associates to tie on their shoelaces, pump up their adrenaline and once the car turns into the hotel jump out the car and sprint like your life depends on it and race to the reception then get the key and run to your room. So the speed will eventually depend on how fast your delegates can run. Forget welcome drink and flowers. Thing is i don't understand. He kept pressing me on what freebies and what welcome gestures the hotel can provide but if I have to do everything in less than a minute, then I say scrape the idea of a welcome. Your delegates can welcome themselves. Common sense....some people are just sorely lacking that. I have resigned myself. i will not get upset over people with an incurable case of lack of common sense. It's a chronic disease, maybe hereditary, but definitely incurable in his case. I suppose non-professional event organisers just don't know wat to look for. He cannot confirm any of the important details, but he just wants fast check-in. Why? so the delegates checking in can have ample time to jerk off before dinner?

i am evil on a Monday morning.

Was on the bus today listening to country music. It amazes me how the Thais can sing abt anything. I wonder how the songwriters think this is what I want to write about and sing about. Like one song, one of my fave cos it's just so ridiculous, is about crab. Yes, that shelled creature that walks sideways. The song's chorus goes (literal translation) "Crab have many legs but why head crab don't have. Crab have eyes above body but why head crab don't have." In thai for those who do read "Thai" -  "Poo mi ka mak gua tae tum mai hua poo mai mi. Poo mi ta kang tua tae tum mai hua poo mai mi." And this is sung by a mature singer (not a child singer at all, no no...) and it even has an MTV with cartoon crab all over the screen, with the lady dressed in 80s prom dress (the ultra puffy kind in oh-my-gosh-i-cannot-believe-people-actually-wear-that colours) Then another song is about song-tum or papaya salad that is very famous in Thailand. About the process of making song-tum, abt what ingredients are used and what options there are to put into the song-tum, be it peanuts, baby black crab or pa-la (2-year-old fermented FISH...yeah, FISH...they actually ferment fish, like fish is not smelly enough on its own...)

Attended a training course on Saturday and it was in Thai and I could actually understand the class!!! It was fun. The trainer was good and he was really funny but best part is I can understand his jokes. It was not empty laughter like before where I laugh to just follow along. This one I laughed because I genuinely found it funny.

Haven't watched much soccer as well. Can never stay awake. Asia is the most populated areas in the world so it's not fair that half the world has to stay awake to watch football. They should have it in Asia more often.

Dreamt that I was living it "Heidi"-style on a mountain cottage. Next thing I was in a bikini, tanning by the mountainside, on the green green grass with snow-capped mountains in the distance. Weird. Must have been from watching "Brokeback Mountain". It showed on my cable TV! Woo hoo!!! I can't believe they kissed. Like THAT....and that Anne Hathaway flashed her breasts! Isn't she the princess in the Princess Diaries', that squeaky clean kid-friendly show. What an image to show the kids....

Reading this book, THe Historian now, abt vampires (Vlad the Impaler from Wallachia, Transylvania, Romania). The protoganist is in Turkey now, so all about the Ottoman Empire, the Byzantines, the Balkans and what not. Forgot all my history. what use is a degree in European studies when you forget everything? Interesting book though.

oh, not sure if anybody bothers to remember, but there was this guy from long time ago, when I was still working at Old Phuket. WEll, start the story anew, I had a crush on this guy who drives a black Honda Jazz. He came to the hotel to check out some pest control thingy cos he's from the pest control company. When he walked in i thought he looked so much like Jay Chou so I went out of my way to get him a glass of water and he talked to me briefly, asking if I was Jap. Anyway, he came on 2 more occasions and I always followed him around with my eyes, if not with the CCTV at the hotel. Turns out his girlfriend (yes, sadly enough) works at Laguna as well. And the girlfriend is a friend of my friend, so guess wat?? THat day I went back with my friend who is friend with the girlfriend and as it was raining, she offered her boyfriend's car to send us to Central and voila, I got to ride in my dream guy's car. What a small world things it is. And HE REMEMBERS ME!! From before! Woo hoo!!

Nothing riles a girl up more than an incompetent, inefficient, idiotic, incapable, indecisive and irresponsible man. Note the "i" words there cos that idiot happens to belong to a nation starting with "i" as well. Alliteration if you would have it.

A note though, not all pple from "i" are like that. Just this one guy. His boss was ok. He was concise and precise about what he wants. He made coherent and relevant enquiries and get what he wants because people actually know what he wants. So i doubt it has anything to do with the fact that they are "i" so don't call me a racist or anything.

Not so this imcompetent idiot. He is one in a million of a billion idiots. He's super idiot. Some idiots are ok if they acknowledge their inefficiency and incompetence and try to make up for it. Not this guy. No. This idiot doesn't know what he wants. His idea of planning for an event is to ask for every possible suggestion in the whole wide world on what he can do, and then more. YOU ARE THE BLOODY EVENT ORGANISER SO SHOULDN'T YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO DO????!! Fine. I offer suggestions on wat you ask for. THen you ask for more. Then you change plans and then go back to that plan and then add more things to that plan and then ask for more suggestions and then decide to change plan and then you decided the original was quite good actually and then you ask for the impossible. If you didn't bloody decide to use us I would have charge for admistrative fee. I AM NOT YOUR BLOODY SECRETARY. I am not earning enough for this aggravation, and the hotel is not profitting enough for this kind of workload. How many of our staff we have to overwork just to get close enough to your impossible standards???!!

COOL DOWN.....

when you don't have the budget to travel, then don't. Because going overseas for conferences are expensive. It is. No matter where you go. And as much as we appreciate the income it brings, sometimes the financial gain doesn't make up for the emotional expense. And if you bloody chose Phuket, then understand that we are a resort, not a city hotel. Things are taken at a more leisurely pace here. I mean that must be why you came here in the first place, to get away fromthe city, so why want to tranform this place into what you got away from??? We will never offer the same things the city hotel offers, and the city hotel cannot offer what we do. GET THAT INTO YOUR BRAIN.....

And he is laziest event organiser I have ever seen. The hotel is NOT OBLIGED to make that many arrangements for you if it does not concern the hotel. So if you want us to work beyond our job description, you pay. The hotel. The staff whose services you used. This is fair. Get it?? Is this simple English enough?? YOU. PAY.FOR.WHAT.YOU.USED. Do I have to start booking air tickets, fly to your country and arrange airport transfer for your pple to get to the airport, fly with them and serve them food and drinks on the plane, clear customs for them, then at our hotel, do I have to wipe every ass after they shit?

Even his own boss said he knows nothing because it's his first time arranging a conference. Well, I would expect a certain amount of humility for a person doing it the first time, not come into it pretending to be a know-it-all when in reality you know crap. Well, guess what, for skills and attitude, you SUCK!!! Don't bother planning for next year, let someone with slightly more competence do it. You gutless wonder.

A friend of mine has a boyfriend who often travels around on business trips overseas and all. He's a very sweet and conscientious boyfriend, always bringing back gifts for my friend. Her particular favourite has been perfumes, even though bought mostly at Duty Free, it's the thought that counts and honestly, it's perfume so how can anyone complain? At least it's useful and the bottles and all are so nice and so lovely to keep even if the fragrance is not a particular favourite. Another favourite is also jewellery...some nice little trinkets, or scarves, or even an outfit or dress.

I mean guys can be forgiven if they get something that is not our style or size since we girls can go it's the thought that counts and then promptly shove it into the back of the cupboard where it rightly should not see the light of day. Guys just don't have the same fashion sense that we do, and those that do, aren't exactly straight. Do we really expect the boyfriend to remember the exact outfit they bought to bother to ask "What about that lovely green polka-dotted dress that is an exact copy of Christian Dior's summer collection from '02 I bought for you from Greece 3 years ago in October when I went over for the meeting with ABC company to discuss that particular deal?" Like that would ever happen. Most guys don't even notice new outfits. (Though must say, for my guy he does notice. Cos he's bothered by my spending habits.)

Anyway, back to my friend. so her boyfriend went for anothre business as per normal, this time in Sweden. He came back and of course came the gift-giving. He was particularly happy abt his gift because it's something new, and something he spent a lot of money (in terms of Thai Baht) on, and he had a huge headache packaging it for her so the gift would not be damaged and well-kept. Friend was of course glad to get her gift and she opened it up and then went "You got me a salmon fish?" "A fresh salmon fish." he must have added. He spent 6000 Baht on a salmon fish from Sweden, the size from the tip of the fingers to the elbow joint. I should think most of that money should have gone into the packaging to ensure that it's a fresh salmon fish. And it's not like my friend is an excellent sushi chef or that she particularly loves Japanese food or even smoked salmon. That must top the list of most bizarre things to get from a lover that I know personally. If anyone knows of anything weirder that your boyfriend or girlfriend gave, kindly contact me.

**Disclaimer : the author of this blog retains the right to edit/exclude/include any of the submissions of "Weirdest Gift my Lover gave" Show.

A word of advise to the guys...stick to the cliches. it's better when we get gifts that we know how to react with.