Frankfurter Day 2

This was the first day of the exhibition and I had to survey the whole hall and see who’s in the show. I brought along my flats just in case. I walked around for about 1 hour plus and had to change into my flats! I really shouldn’t have bothered to bring my heels. It was only 1.5″ heels and yet I couldn’t survive in them for more than 2 hours!

The bigger exhibitors had like a bar serving beers and even hard liquor (get the customer drunk and sign the deal!!) and even leg hams! Since the food was not so good at the exhibition hall, I made sure I had a wholesome & fulfilling breakfast to last me through till dinner!

It was great fun catching up with my suppliers, whom some of them I haven’t seen since Nov 2006 in Milan. As usual, I was the rose among the thorns, so it was definitely great fun!

After they closed for the day, my German supplier was having a banquet at the Marriot for the customers around the world. I was lucky enough to get a ride in the owner’s Saab convertible. Although the ride from the hall to the hotel was short but it was really a good experience and the weather was great to top it up.

Check out my 6′ tall & handsome driver….(no joke, he is very good looking but already taken la..don’t dream ok!)

Amah taking pics of herself in the convertible!

My next pic of my loot….

I did take some time pondering on whether I should get this bag…so much so till I missed the direct bus back to the city…rats…Actually I liked another one more but it was too ex so this one was really my 2nd choice..

The smell and feel of the leather is so the shiok-kan! (heavenly…)

First Week without my sidekick

Life has been tough without Angie. I decided to move closer to work, ie mom’s place (since she’s away on holiday) so that I can arrive in office on time to monitor the work. True enough, it has been chaotic and my being around didn’t help much as I’ve been leaving everything to Angie to handle so that ends up in me not knowing what to do! I had to call Angie to find phone numbers even!! tsk tsk tsk….In fact there were so many outstanding issues which I don’t know about and was caught with my pants down unaware and it was so embarrassing. tsk tsk tsk again…

However, Angie has been a gem, still very involved in our operations even though she was not physically around. She has been constantly checking on how we are doing and sending emails to remind us what to do & what to follow up on. I don’t know how and when the new staff can reach even half her capacity but from what I gather so far….it’s going to be a long & windy with full of hurdles road along the way.

Just today itself I was so stressed, my breakfast was half eaten, then lunch was late and also not properly eaten & digested well. Hmmm but looking on the bright side, I MAY loose some weight!

Anyway, the kids and I are squeezing on Apoh’s bed while Apah goes back home to water the plants & also guard the house la…

Here’s a photo of the kids snuggled together while I was having difficulty to sleep blogging….

I don’t know how it’s going to be like while I’m away for 5 days from next week on….I can only hope and pray that all is well…

Random Conversation..

Been busy and I mean really busy till no time to blog woi! Terrible! So die die me staying up burning the midnight oil to put this up before I forget..

One of the many conversations I’ve heard from my customers…

Consumer - Here’s my 2000 over dollars jacket, be careful with it ok. It’s very expensive!!

The Launderer proceeds to mark down the items and attach the prices for the cleaning..

Consumer - Wah RM18 to dry clean this jacket (the 2000 over dollar one) ah?

Launderer -  Yes, this is big jacket..(stupid answer lor..cos if it’s me I will charge double the price and tell him it’s bcos the jacket is sooooo expensive, hence extra care & precaution is needed)

Consumer - eh I give so many things to wash, comforter and all cannot be cheaper meh??

(Warao eh,,, owner of 2000 over dollars jacket wanna bargain meh??)

That’s what I hate most. I wonder if that person bargained when he bought that 2000 over dollars jacket? I mean, like he expects the launderer (poor guy who’s probably earning like say maybe RM8 (or less if he sends the dry cleaning to another contractor) from cleaning that 2000 over dollars jacket and having the stress of taking care of it and making sure it doesn’t get damage or lost! Is that worth it or not? I actually have customers (dry cleaners) telling me they suffer from so much stress and sometimes have nightmares because of having to handle expensive garments.

It’s high time that people give us people in the laundry business the due respect man! Hey first thing first why did he send his 2000 over dollars jacket to a laundry to wash? If he’s so smart, and not willing to pay for the laundry charges, why did he not wash the 2000 over dollars jacket at home? I mean, there is a freaking good reason that dry cleaners exist in this world right? Meaning, they are professionals too because they do what most people can’t do, that is dry clean their 2000 over dollars jackets la! Get my point by now??? WTF!

Busy busy..

Wah kena (got) sounding from my fansi friend for being MIA (missing in action) and not putting up a post yesterday. Sorry lor, she summore sms-ed me to ask what happened to me, wanting to report police summore! Wah, me so the touched…

Was out seeing customers and collecting $$ so no time to update lor, and this morning come in got another surprise, one of my staff just stopped work without giving notice and was not contactable since yesterday. Angie was calling him since yesterday as he disappeared after lunch! Wah so clever, just collected salary and disappeared leow! Ayo..we were discussing what could have caused him to pull such a stunt. So far, he’s been a very good worker (my son simply adores him), and me as an employer also been quite good to him leh, in fact, he was forced out of his residence recently by my pah wong (errr dun know the Engrish word for this la…) office neighbour and had to move out like in a week. He needed some cash to pay off the tenant who rented his own apartment. So me as usual, very nice one (refer to this story) so allowed a loan to him and he can repay the loan in 5 months time. But malang di timpa malang, (more trouble came upon him) his wife’s family home was burnt to the ground in the kampung and he had to help them out and housed them in his family home. He didn’t come to me for another loan but he did approach another worker, but of course that worker also furious with him la, he himself was in trouble, and he had to borrow money to help others pulak! How can?? If he approached me, I don’t think I will loan him anymore lor. But then again, he didn’t approach me, and nothing happened like he was being wrongly accused or being scolded or whatever, but he just DISAPPEARED!

I was telling Angie, maybe he got offended when from what I said last week when an old worker (F) of mine came back to visit. I just asked F when he was coming back to work for me again. Did he get offended?? I didn’t mean anything, in fact I do need extra help…sigh…being an employer is so hard nowadays…I really want to know what really happened to him lor…it’s such a waste that he had to resort to running away like that, not that I’m like heartache because of the loan he has not repaid, I really don’t mind but to me he was a good worker despite him not turning up for work when he was supposed to  at a few occasions….sigh..

4 hours sleep only!!

Ayo, weyo so little sleep? And summore today going to take family picture at the studio. They better put the makeup gau gau and photoshop to hide my panda eyes leh!

Ok, laundryamah occasionally takes back some stuff to wash one, like small small contracts la, just to get some pocket money and also for the sake of R & D with my various chemicals. So this time, me got back this stupid contract to wash some hideous looking polyester cloth. Yes they come in rolls of at least 50 yards and we have to unroll and then after the wash have to untangle it! The untangling job is the worst and I think my arms just grew bigger because of this! Well I have been leaving this job to my worker and of course he’s been quite slow and always complaining, “It’s not that easy you know….” so me also fed up la and the customer also very irritating, always asking us to finish the job faster cos they have to finish sewing those hideous looking shirts for CNY! Ok, may post the picture of the cloth when I have time.

Anyway, since my worker couldn’t cope with the load, I passed on the last batch to my customer to help out. This customer is actually a centre for people with learning disabilities and they actually have a laundry washing towels for 2 hotels in town. I thought they could do with the extra business and they had a bigger and more efficient machine than mine in the store. Dim chi…after 2 days, they couldn’t even finish half of the load I gave them! Ayo…ok ok..remember their workers have learning diabilities, so they were only used to fold towels! So otoke? Bring back and do myself la! What time was that? 5.30 pm already, so have to do myself the whole night la since worker have to go home ma! But of all days, yesterday have to go to relative’s pre-wedding party so only came back at 11pm to start the washing.

But I must say, with only 1 pair of hands, I managed to do more load than my worker plus help from my maid! You see la, actually it’s always better to do things myself one, but then again cannot la…die lor if everyday like that! Slept at 2 am but didn’t really have a good one also as my mind was thinking of the remaining load…so woke up at 6 am to continue! Now waiting for a load to finish while writing this! See this amah, so tired also die die must blog! Sei moh??

Milan Part 2

MILAN Day I

View from the plane on the way to Milan

Got my bag quite fast. Strange setting of the airport that I didn’t get to shop around Duty Free at Malpensa Airport (Will tell you later why cos at the time I wrote this I didn’t know why but now I know). I don’t remember the airport as such from the last time I was here 5 years ago…They do not allow any liquids or creams on transit flights..I was like huh? Sharp objects I can understand la, but liquids like water oso cannot! Apamaciam? Scared of chemical bomb is it??

So once I came out, I saw the booth for shuttle buses to the city. There were no specific buses to hotels so I took the shuttle bus to Central Station costing Euro 5.00. Quite a good deal. According to the girl at the desk, the bus was a better choice than the train. (Will tell you why later also!!)

Upon arrival at the station, there were no tourist assistance and I have no idea where was Ibis Hotel, which I booked last minute. Asked the bus driver, he told me it was walking distance, like go straight and turn left..wah..so vague..I dare not walk lor..what if I walk on and on and can’t find it! Asked another person but he couldn’t tell me where it was. Finally I took a cab and sure enough the bus driver was right..but me not sure ma..anyway the cab cost Euro 5.00 (5 minute ride only versus 1 hour ride in the bus)

As expected the hotel was kinda crappy but ok la..very basic and small. The door didn’t close properly and they sent one young technician to fix it. I could hear him tsk tsk a few times, obviously he couldn’t fix the problem and had to call the more senior technician. Finally they fixed it.
Quickly showered after that and ventured out to the Duomo where the Piazza Duomo is.

Wow, it was quite a sight as I walked out of the Metro subway station. It was so beautiful but unfortunately the front part of the Cathedral was being refurbished. Sorry la, me photography skills so bad..that’s about all I got!

Right next to the Duomo Piazza, was the Gallaria Vittorio Emanuele II where all my FAVE shops are….it was sooooo beautiful! I was like wahh..wahh..wahh..it was like Queen Victoria Building in Sydney but many many times more beautiful! See the McDonalds in there? It’s called McCafe! hahaha..

My aim was to buy my LV bag today but after looking through the various models the sales guy (very cute guy summore!)showed me, I was like blur blur liddat! Ayo..can’t decide la! Thank goodness it’s not the right season to shop as it’s fall/winter stuff in all the shops.

But there’s still something to buy from Zara! It was like 3 floors, separate from Zara men (I think also 2 - 3 floors on its own) and one floor for bambino (children) clothes.

Oh forgot to mention that people here like to smoke so much, it’s like everywhere, requested for non smoking room so sort of expected the whole floor is like smoke free la but but but…as I type this also I can smell smoke! The windows are shut ok…but still can smell! YUCKS!

Tried the Italian gelati ice cream, it was very yummy but a tad too sweet. Then I asked a polizia senore (policeman) for the directions to a supermarket to buy my water and breakfast. Everything is written in Italian so I had to like guess la..Most of the mineral water are frizzy so I had to search high and low for a Naturale…and when I opened and had my first mouthful..damn! It was frizzy too! Shiaks! More to come…..

Lost on the Road

Fuiyoh! Has anyone been to Sg Buloh lately?? I don’t remember when I last went to that part of the world and today I had to go visit a long lost customer whom we had abandoned for errmm…like 2 years or more?? Anyway, they called regarding a problem to their machine, and I realised that it’s high time I visit them as I’ve not been there before. They were serviced by my sales executive who left our company.

My technician went straight from his house and I was supposed to meet up with him there. I went along LDP and without realising I turned into the direction of Kepong instead of Sg Buloh! Shiaks! It’s such a long way to the 1st U-turn available! On top of that there were like a million orange signs which I think it’s about the MRR2, and it’s like so confusing lor.

Then the route towards Sg Buloh is another horrors of horrors, the roads are partially closed here and there and it’s like dirt road on certain parts and there were orange and white blocks along the way! Do you realise that these orange and white road blocks are like a permanent features on the roads in Klang Valley??

Then my nightmare begins as the further I went, the more I don’t recognise that place! It’s like, errrr..since when these shops and flats appear ah? Hey, what happened to the flyover which I used to use to go to that authentic Thai Restaurant ah? Hey what happened to the turn off to the famous ‘Bak Kut Teh’? Warao..panic maximum ledi! Called Oscar’s Mom and she told me this, “Aiya that flyover long time no more ledi la…” Sei mo??

Then I just simply turned left at one junction without knowing where that leads to…and then I saw the ‘Bak Kut Teh’ place and thought I was in the right direction. Then I called my technician and told him that I passed the army camp (the landmark that was given to me) and then a Shell petrol station. He told me I’m on the right route and asked me to look out for a Caltex and Petronas station. I saw a Caltex but didn’t see a Petronas wor! I just went on and on…and somehow it doesn’t feel right and I called him again. I turned back and stopped at the Caltex I saw and realised there were a lot of Petronas tankers next to it, it was like some mini depot or something. So I called him to verify and he said he will come out to meet me. Then he called to say he’s at the Caltex but I don’t see him! That’s when I realised that we are talking about a different Caltex station altogether!! Oh no!!!!!!!!! Then we agreed to meet at the Shell station but again it was the wrong one! Double oh no!!!!

Then I knew for sure I’m at the wrong road! So I drove back to where I came from and then YES, I saw the Shell station and there he was, waiting! Oh gosh! It’s like so ngam ngam the pattern was like army camp, then Shell, then Caltex and finally Petronas! What a coincidence and confusing time for me! Major stress for the day!!!

Fair not Not??

I was having this conversation with Oscar’s mom just now. It’s about our industry. I don’t know why people always regard launderers as the lowest of lowest, like “dei dai lai” (dirt on the ground). Why can’t people realise that a launderer is a PROFESSIONAL also! We also go thru extensive training and machines and chemicals we use (or rather I distribute) are imported from Europe and USA, and go thru extensive research and development are of state of the art technology also u know! Why am I saying this all of a sudden? Well let me give you a scenario.

We have fixed basic prices on cleaning charges irregardless of the cost of the garment. For example, a customer brings in a G2000 suit (cost about RM400-RM500) and another brings in a HUGO BOSS (RM1500-RM2000) suit and both are charged RM12.00 - RM15.00 per suit. Is that fair or not? For the RM12-15 the launderer is at risk washing the garment and most probably the Hugo owner would have given this statement, “Eh this is very expensive ah..be careful so you don’t spoil ah!” Well, for that statement itself wouldn’t it be fair that the launderer charge more for cleaning that so-called expensive garment since extra care has to be taken into consideration? But if the launderer charges more, what would the reaction of the Hugo owner be?

Hugo-Oh ok, charge la..but you do a good job ah… (you think got this kind of people still alive on this earth ah?)

OR

Hugo-What? Like dat oso want to charge more ah, how can? In fact hor, your normal charge already expensive wor, last time hor, I wash ah RM8 only wor!

eh..what happened to the composed nature about how expensive his suit is ah? And then hor, considering that it’s an expensive suit, if anything is wrong with it, I’m sure Hugo owner will demand for compensation. Like for the miserable RM12-15 charge to wash the garment, how do you expect the launderer to compensate a RM1500 suit leh???

In fact most launderers have a clause printed on the back of their docket stating that compensation is only 10 times the cost of the wash. But usually will the consumer settle the case for RM120 for a damaged HUGO suit??

Posting Greeting Cards

Wah today new discovery at Pos Malaysia. We send greeting cards for the 2 major festive seasons every year and only today I found out about the standard and requirements. Last year we sent it at RM0.45 so this year I decided to check out the cost since we changed to a smaller and hence lighter card.

Me - How much postage is required for this Hari Raya Card?

Postgirl - 50 sen.

Me - Huh? Wah so expensive one?? Why leh?

Postgirl - Oh because you used stick on a label for the address and you stamped the sender address at the wrong place. So this is considered non-standard.

Me - Huh?!!?

Postgirl - You should stamp the sender’s address on top left corner of envelope and not use the stick on labels for standard cost at 30 sen only.

Me - Wah, that’s 20 sen savings and times by 100 cards it’s like RM20.00 savings leh!

(Eh to Laundryamah’s small business, every sen counts leh!)

So folks, remember, when sending greeting cards, make sure follow the standard requirements if not end up paying more for nothing! The labels also cost a bomb too but then I was fortunate to have someone very nice who donated a few boxes to me last time…hehehe..

Cannot work with family

It’s so hard to work with family. Can’t quit each other ma. But then, how to work with one who constantly give you headache wan…Ayo, solly ah,,only Oscar’s mommy can understand my situation.

The fact is he keeps repeating the same mistakes over and over again. Why la? He’s supposed to be the smartest in the family, his knowledge in our industry is top notch therefore he’s the type where we classify as IQ high but EQ low to the pits leh..In fact his general knowledge also very “geng” (good) like why the bla bla salmon swim upstream to mate and lay eggs he also know lor..He potrays himself as so “clever” that his in-laws call him for the littlest thing like, get the locksmith to open the drawer and why astro no picture suddenly..etc etc…Die or not?

Whenever I complain about him to my friends, they will say this, “Aiya him again…what’s new, he always kek u wan la…aiya change subject la..” Sei mo?? (Die or not?) So poor Oscar’s mommy has to be my punching bag! Solly ah..but thanks for being a great punching bag lor…muaks muaks!!