Serendipity? You better believe it

My company trip at a resort in Ayer Keroh has just concluded and I am writing this as we are on the way home.  First of all this is the first time in my life that I have partake in a company event at this size although I have been given many opportunity by many ex employers which I am most grateful for. So not expecting much I packed my bags on Saturday and head toward the historical city of Malacca with the rest of the staffs from the company. Unbeknown to me there's a most serendipitous chain of event that is waiting for me. Now mind you when I said serendipitous I did not mean that I have suddenly struck a ten million dollar lottery but it's still a most fortunate event. Let me tell you why.

Upon reaching the resort I discovered that my roomie that I am supposed to share a room with is down with fever and was absent for the event. After putting my bag in my designated room I went for lunch and event activity. Upon returning back to my room I discovered that my room has another new occupant and my luggage gone. Feeling quite displeased with the sudden turn of events I stormed of to the front desk to find my bag and with the intention of making a complain. After a few firm words I was upgraded to a much bigger room - feeling quite pleased at this point I decided that I have no use for such a big room for myself and instead offered to switch room with another colleague which had brought her husband and baby along. During the lucky draw at dinner I did not win anything which according to the event organisers there are enough of prizes for more than half of the participants on the night. Well number 181 didn't yield any price for me.  Feeling quite unlucky that I wasn't the lucky other half given the possibility of actually winning something is more than 0.5 I joked to those who cared to listen that I am going to win the iPad which was one of the grand price for second lucky draw on the following day ( I didn't have that much conviction when I said it). On the following day however I got another set of number 281 which again to me is such a coincidence to me, 181 being my birthday. Just plain coincidence?

When number 281 was announced with the prize of guess what - an iPad, my hair was standing on my back a sudden exhilaration of actually winning something that I really want. Serendipity? You be well believe that good things does come to us in our lives.

I always believe that our lives are intermittently peppered with highs and lows and this last to days I believe is a testimonial to that - albeit on a much smaller timeframe in two days. But guess what I have always feel lucky with my life - sure it's not so outstanding and I have been I some pretty low times. But I have grown to love what life has managed to offered to me. Good times I felt immediately pleased with but with bad times I have grown to learn from them after a recess. My motto is and has always been the mantra - everything happens for a reason. It is up for us to appreciate it and learn from it. Embrace the challenges and be thankful for the gifts. At the mean time - thank you God for giving me this iPad!

Air Asia - The airlines that cares? (pt. 2)

Just got a reply from AA after I wrote in to complain about my experience and here's what i got:

To those of you who don't know what's happening you can read my previous post on my frustrations with AA  on http://epiphanyofahorse.blogspot.com/2010/12/air-asia-airlines-that-cares.html .

Anyway first thing I noticed is the email address that is used to reply to my complain donotreply@airasia.com , which basically says one thing - "shut up we don't care about your complains but because we would like to appear to care to our customer so we have no choice but to create the feedback form on our website". And after reading the contents of the email I just went:

And then after suggestion from my friend I went to Mr. Tony Fernandez's page on FB and here's what I found:

Well I guess it's to be expected since Mr. TF himself branded his own staff as, read this - Low cost army. So good luck Yogamala, and yeah I agree with you Air Asia system sucks!

Mr. TF you got to wake up from your "dream" and start acting fast - it's really starting to look like you weren't really paying too much attention to AA nowadays - F1 and Asean basketball taking too much of your time? Pooodah!

P.S. I am thinking of writing to Tony directly next. Will keep you updated on the outcome

Air Asia - The airlines that cares?

Recently made a trip from KL - Bangkok on Air Asia and I can say that flying with AA is starting to feel like a torture. It started with trying to purchase the check in luggage after I have made my flight booking but was unable to due to some stupid bug on their website - so I went trying to get help from their customer service. Things looks pretty desperate after I saw I was the 999,999,999 on their "live" help so I decided to call their premier customer support which cost RM1.95 per minute. Expecting soothing music or some efficient help I encountered a guy who instead asked me to call Air Asia Kargo services (wtf?) and I just did and the woman who picked up was just as puzzled as to why I was directed to their department. After some explanation that I actually booked my flight via Air Asia Go Holidays she instead directed me to call another line (she was sensing that I was quite agitated at the point). After a third call I finally managed to arrange to purchase my check in luggage.

I thought my bad experience with AA was going to be over until the return flight from BKK - KL where I discovered that at LCCT's baggage carousel there was shitloads of confused passengers wondering where their baggage will appear. Seemed at that time the information screen was not working or some stupid idiot just forgot to update it.

It was most embarrassing seeing foreign tourists looking dazed and confused and more embarrassing seeing some AA staff just sitting down at the bench. Since there's no one manning the baggage information service desk, feeling utterly disgusted and pissed, I went to approach the procrastinating douche head to ask as to which carousel belt that my baggage would appear on. And he just stupidly replied "I am not in charge of the baggage". At that point the HULK in me was unleashed - at that point all I wanted to so is just do the Hulk Smash on his face so that his brains will splatter all over the floor. After that I will smash all the AA Airbuses that was parked outside on the runway.

Or if I can think of a worst possible sentence for him - I would chopped him to pieces and let the dogs have him and poop it out again so that the dogs can eat him again and excrete him again and again. I can't find an image for that but you get the idea. Since that day (yes I did managed to locate my baggage) but I am still pissed 2 weeks after the trip. So today I decided to write to AA to complain and here's what I get:

The airline that cares - pooh! I hope Tony Fernandez reads this, AA you guys better get your act together, I hope Tiger Airways or Firefly will thrash your asses one day so you guys can stop paying lip service and do what you promise to do. At the mean time I just want to say this to you - you guys suck!

Oh by the way did anyone tried using the AA app on iPhone, it's the most useless piece of cr-"app" that I have ever seen.

To all Malaysians

Let's start off by doing a simple experiment. Imagine your friend telling you about their bad experience when being served by a rude waitress( I get that once in a while, more often than not when I am in Malaysia than other countries). Or when you are reading some news about racism, corruption or some silly politician making some blatant statements which are not only unreasonable but it's also bordering to stupidity. Or some crazy moron tailgating your car when on the road even when traffic ahead is heavy?

What is the first thing that comes to your mind? I bet it would be somewhere along the line of "Aiyah, Malaysia is like this la!". If not, I can be sure that at least you have heard someone said this line before.

So what can we make out of this mental examination? That my dear reader is called cynicism.

To me, this is the greatest disease that has been plaguing our entire society at large in our modern times. And today I have decided to write something about this phenomenon.

Cynicism has bred a defeatist attitude in all of us, a lackadaisical outlook towards things that have been going on around us. Issues that need our attention, overdue actions that has to be taken. Achievements that we are truly capable of. Cynicism has given everyone of us an excuse to stay indifferent, an excuse to stay on the sidelines - until it happens to us. By being so it has left our country inheriting a population of underachievers, a country lacking of go-getters capable of bringing the nation forward into the future.

It's not that Malaysia lacks of a talent pool, look at 2 great Malaysians that has made a name for themselves overseas - Jimmy Choo and Michelle Yeoh. It's not that we cannot achieve greatness while remaining in our motherland, it is not because we have an ineffective government. Hypothetically speaking if everyone in Malaysia gave me one ringgit each I would have in excess of 25 million ringgit (still an achievable dream for me someday to have that kind of money), I would easily be able to feed 500,000 children for a month (http://www.worldvision.com.my/). Point is that if everyone starts to take action, no corrupt forces nor ineffective governments can stop us. Even by just one person, can stop a great empire - think Mahatma Gandhi.

We need to rid ourselves of this apathy now. This is a rallying cry to all, a reminder that we are empowered to make a difference to our world, to our country. It is time to raise the civic mindedness of all Malaysians, we can be better and we will be better if we start to change. The change might be slow, it might not happen in our lifetime at all. But we can still instill good values into our children, for the next generation. To those with children, educate them so that they can grow up to be good citizens irregardless of status and wealth. This I believe is the least we can do.

What then have I done on my part? For starters I have written this blog. How about you?

Happy Merdeka.

Written on eve of Merdeka 2010, 8pm.

I eat Tom Yum when I think of you

She tells me that she is having "nasi lemak" for dinner. Well sometimes I have Thai food when you are not around. It's our way of doing something, eating something and going to places that remind us of that special someone, whenever they are not around. Well I suppose it's also probably due to the fact that I do love a good bowl of spicy Tom Yum occasionally.

Wonder if I can find a good Thai restaurant at Europe. Miss you much, you are the sunshine of my life,  wherever I am at.

Smiling Shau Kei Wan

It's funny when you loathe some place or some situation that you are facing but when sometimes it's time to leave it you suddenly feel sad that you a finally getting out of it. Shau Kei Wan! I have to say what a place, crampy apartments, endless stream of old folks hobbling around in walking sticks, you have the same food everyday over and over again for both lunch and dinner - it does sound depressing. I did shed a few tears (literally) when I finally have to leave, but not tears of ecstasy because that I am leaving this place, but tears of sadness and longing for something I knew that I had it good all along. One thing I realized today is that it's not the place that matters, but what is filled in that place - friends, family and best of all the experiences that you share with them. I cried because I know my departure marks the end of a blessed period in Hong Kong with my friends - my only consolation is this a beginning of a new phase in my life. Will it be together with the rest of the team? I wouldn't know, my only salvation from separating from them is the thought that I have enjoyed my time with them as much I could. If  I have not treated them that well at times, it is without ill intention.

To all of the team, this post is for you - Simon, Angel Lee, SHIT, ST, Darren, Murph, Joel, Jerome and to my love Oh, it has been an honor. So I will see you guys next time, for some of you most probably back in Malaysia.

I hope you guys enjoy my jokes, thinks that my cooking is palatable and appreciate that I have tried to take care of the team the best that I can. You guys have been great and I hope that life treats you well, where ever you are. It's time for me to soldier on, looking forward to spend my life with my dearest Oh where ever our fate will bring us to.

Till then, this is Jon signing out from Hong Kong.