Funny moments
Want to put down some of my funny encounters before my memory fades away.
Starving chipmunk
This happened while I was working in Grand Canyon, North Rim, as a housekeeper. There are different types of log cabins for visitors to stay in. And I was in charge of Western Cabin, which is the largest type. For some reasons, the chipmunks at North Rim are fond of scavaging through rubbish bags for 'highly unhealthy' food, instead of their usual meals of acorn nuts and etc. Usually, I would pack my lunch in a paper bag and put it on the cart, which was used to put the linens and other housekeeping stuff. Even though I had my packed lunch, I would go starving without lunch. Why? Because before I could get my mouth on my sandwich, the bandit chipmunks will cart-jack and steal a few bites on it. Though cute as they are, do not be fooled by their appearance! But they were kind enough to leave me the bananas. And so, I became a 'monkey'. There is one particular chipmunk, which played innocence and nearly got me into trouble. It looked as if it has been starving for months. It actually stuffed its mouth full of tissues from tissue boxes that I had thrown into a rubbish bag. I was abhorred by what I saw and so afraid that it might choke itself. And if you were there, you would have seen a crazy girl trying frantically to catch and pull the tissues out of its mouth. I was wondering to myself, "Aren't chipmunks suppose to be clever? Sheesh.." Then to my horror, some visitors passed by about 3 metres away from us and saw what's going on. One guy shouted, "Hey, she's feeding the chipmunks with tissues!" with an expression, which I couldn't make out what was it. I was stunned. Speechless, I tried to explain to them with hand signs and a few words that could barely come out of my mouth. The man broke out into laughter and walked away. It seemed as if I was a clown in a circus. And I continued my chase until I finally raised my white flag, "You pesky little munks."
The Car
Still remember during our off days, we will head down to towns and places below the Grand Canyon. Before we could do that, we had to borrow a car and recruit a driver. Not many people will lend us their cars so sometimes, we can only go hiking the trails near our vicinity. There was one time when Doreen, Jay and I wanted to go Lake Powell, we had such a hard time persuading people to lend us their cars. Finally, a lady who works in the Laundry room lent us her car. It is the most interesting car I had ever seen. Filled with mildews on the ceiling and sides of the car, it was also covered in dirts and dust on the outside. There were also lots of chewing gums, chewed or unchewed, in all pockets of the car you can find. In a pocket on the front panel of the car, dirty water filled it up to its brim. When we saw the car's condition, we were abhorred. We dared not sit into the car. It took us ages to clear away the litter and clean away the mildews, and was like another housekeeping job. At the end of the cleaning, I felt a great satisfaction though. At long last, we could set off on our journey. When I wanted to lower down the windows, as the aircon was not working well, I could not find the handles for some windows. Hence, I lowered one of those that has a handle. Suddenly, it gave way and nearly fell out of its frame. Shocked, I put it back to its original position. Gosh! Wonder if this car could last the trip. The funny and most interesting part was that it nearly broke down halfway in our drive because of overheating. Doreen was at the wheel and we were all breaking out in sweat, afraid that if it really breaks down, it would really be difficult to seek help there unless we flag for a passing car. Thus, we began to go very slow to prevent overheating of the car. Imagine 12 cars passing us by. We actually counted the number of cars overtaking us, finding enjoyment in such a desperate and helpless situation. I felt like getting out of the car and walk! It might even be faster than our car. Once we saw a place where there is houses, we decided to stop for a while under a tree until the engine cooled down. In a place like a desert, I really wondered how much it can cool down. When it finally was 'out of danger', we carried on with our journey and going slow, stopping a few times. At the end of our trip, before heading on back to Grand Canyon, we went to a Carwash station in Kanab. We vacuumed the inside and washed the outside of the car. With pride, we presented the spritely clean car back to its lady owner. Hope she will be grateful enough to treat her car kindly in future.
Barbequed Andrew
It was at Lake Powell where Andrew was barbequed by the unforgiving sun. Jay, him and I went kayaking across the shimmering lake to the other side. There was a cave in a distant over that side of the lake. Jay and I wanted to walk to the cave but Andrew preferred staying near the waters. The walk was a torturing and difficult one. With no clear path to the cave, we had to get through thorny bushes. Many times, we had to pluck out the spikes that got through our skins. Luckily, the height of most bushes was below waist level. Otherwise, I will scream for help. The cave seems near but in actual fact, it is very far away from the shores. We did not bring any water with us and the sun nearly got me. When we reached the cave, I was surprised that there were many scribbles of names on the rocks. We are not one of the few that actually went there. Needless to say, coming such a long way, we left our names and footprints there. When we got back to the shores, 2 hours had passed and Andrew was well-cooked. He did not realised that he had been barbequed because he fell asleep while tanning. My goodness.. His whole body was red like lobster. Hahaa...
Disappearing Gemstone
Believe me. I can be fooled easily, like a 3 years old kid. While doing my housekeeping stint in Grand Canyon, Jay and I chanced upon a big shiny rectangular stone with texture like an emerald. Jay let me had the stone, and I was so excited because I thought I had just picked up a precious gemstone. After work, I went back to my dorm and placed it in a basin of water to wash away the dirts. Half an hour later, I was shocked. The gemstone had disappeared into thin air. Although it was obvious that the stone was not in the water, I still tried to feel for it in the water. Then it dawned on me that the stone could have dissolved into the water. Could it be rock sugar or rock salt? If you were me, you might have mistooked it for a gemstone too because its shape really does not resemble the rock salt or sugar I have seen before. Ok, ok I am easily fooled.
Month of Food Surprises
Around March, perhaps, I became wary of the food I put into my mouth. It is not because of dieting. And hey, if I go on a diet, I do not think I would be here typing this out, would I? I would be saving my energy to chew my food in hospital. Imagine those bony fingers of mine tapping on the keyboard. How scary. I recently saw a walking skeleton in Marina Square, trying out some clothes in a shop. I think she is a victim of either Anorexia or Bulimia. There was a sudden notion that came to my head. I wanted to take a stretcher, put her onto it, and send her directly to a hospital. It is saddening to see a woman falling victim to such illnesses, all because of the want to become slim and beautiful. I don't see that there is any link between being slim and pretty. Being healthy and cheerful makes one look beautiful on the outside. It does not matter if we are plump or skinny. All that matters is that we have the energy to do our work everyday, have a sound and healthy mind, and a healthy body.
Coming back to my topic of the day, I was wary because almost whatever I eat, I found some surprises. Not diamond or gold, but things that you would never want to find in your food. Here goes, I was out eating with my mum and brothers at Soup Restaurant in Suntec City. Their samsui chicken is very delicious and we really enjoyed our dinner until the spoiler dish came. I ordered Ginseng Herbal Chicken Soup. It smelt really good. Taking in the first gulp, it tasted slightly bitter and not sweet unlike what my mum made at home. I thought to myself it might be the different ingredients they used that makes it taste so different. And so I continued to drink it. Looking at the herbals inside, I found that all ingredients, except one, are the same as what my mum used. My mum took in a sip when I commented that it tasted weird. Then I lifted up a supposed herbal ingredient and asked my mum what it is. The moment she took it over, she exclaimed in disbelief that it is a charred steel! We were all dumbfounded. My stomach began to churn in protest. My mum asked for the manager to explain for the extra ingredient found in our soup. The manager was also shocked by it and quickly offered us a replacement of soup. But we declined it and requested it to be removed from our bill. He offered us a 15% discount and even said if anything happened to me, they will pay for my medical fees. This is what I call service recovery. However, for a metal, we could have asked for more discount or even a free meal. We did not as we did not want to make things difficult for the poor manager, who has proven to be sincere and handled the situation well. As to how the steel ended up in my soup, he explained to us that it is actually a chip off their boiler. Well, I was so 'lucky'. Lucky that I did not sink my teeth into it, or else my teeth will chip too.
During the rest of the month, I found foreign materials embedded in my food, such as hair in a bun and rice, etc. It was a month full of surprises for me. Recently, at Outback Steakhouse in Millenia Walk, I discovered a dead worm on my broccoli. My mum and I thought that we should not create any hooha with such a tiny worm so we decided not to complain. However, when the waiter came to clear the plates, my mum just made a comment that there is a worm on my broccoli. The waiter immediately asked if I want a replacement. I wondered for a while if it is just a replacement of the broccoli or the whole dish, which I had finished 90% of it. Politely, I declined it because I was very full. We reassured him that it is ok with us because comparing to the previous charred steel incident, this worm is nothing. At the end of our meal, we were surprised with a brownie topped with sundae ice-cream, complimentary from the restaurant. This service recovery is superb. And hey, if you are ever going to Suntec to eat, bring me along and my bad luck will bring you free discounts or free desserts! Maybe I should go change my luck at the Fountain of Wealth!
Starving chipmunk
This happened while I was working in Grand Canyon, North Rim, as a housekeeper. There are different types of log cabins for visitors to stay in. And I was in charge of Western Cabin, which is the largest type. For some reasons, the chipmunks at North Rim are fond of scavaging through rubbish bags for 'highly unhealthy' food, instead of their usual meals of acorn nuts and etc. Usually, I would pack my lunch in a paper bag and put it on the cart, which was used to put the linens and other housekeeping stuff. Even though I had my packed lunch, I would go starving without lunch. Why? Because before I could get my mouth on my sandwich, the bandit chipmunks will cart-jack and steal a few bites on it. Though cute as they are, do not be fooled by their appearance! But they were kind enough to leave me the bananas. And so, I became a 'monkey'. There is one particular chipmunk, which played innocence and nearly got me into trouble. It looked as if it has been starving for months. It actually stuffed its mouth full of tissues from tissue boxes that I had thrown into a rubbish bag. I was abhorred by what I saw and so afraid that it might choke itself. And if you were there, you would have seen a crazy girl trying frantically to catch and pull the tissues out of its mouth. I was wondering to myself, "Aren't chipmunks suppose to be clever? Sheesh.." Then to my horror, some visitors passed by about 3 metres away from us and saw what's going on. One guy shouted, "Hey, she's feeding the chipmunks with tissues!" with an expression, which I couldn't make out what was it. I was stunned. Speechless, I tried to explain to them with hand signs and a few words that could barely come out of my mouth. The man broke out into laughter and walked away. It seemed as if I was a clown in a circus. And I continued my chase until I finally raised my white flag, "You pesky little munks."
The Car
Still remember during our off days, we will head down to towns and places below the Grand Canyon. Before we could do that, we had to borrow a car and recruit a driver. Not many people will lend us their cars so sometimes, we can only go hiking the trails near our vicinity. There was one time when Doreen, Jay and I wanted to go Lake Powell, we had such a hard time persuading people to lend us their cars. Finally, a lady who works in the Laundry room lent us her car. It is the most interesting car I had ever seen. Filled with mildews on the ceiling and sides of the car, it was also covered in dirts and dust on the outside. There were also lots of chewing gums, chewed or unchewed, in all pockets of the car you can find. In a pocket on the front panel of the car, dirty water filled it up to its brim. When we saw the car's condition, we were abhorred. We dared not sit into the car. It took us ages to clear away the litter and clean away the mildews, and was like another housekeeping job. At the end of the cleaning, I felt a great satisfaction though. At long last, we could set off on our journey. When I wanted to lower down the windows, as the aircon was not working well, I could not find the handles for some windows. Hence, I lowered one of those that has a handle. Suddenly, it gave way and nearly fell out of its frame. Shocked, I put it back to its original position. Gosh! Wonder if this car could last the trip. The funny and most interesting part was that it nearly broke down halfway in our drive because of overheating. Doreen was at the wheel and we were all breaking out in sweat, afraid that if it really breaks down, it would really be difficult to seek help there unless we flag for a passing car. Thus, we began to go very slow to prevent overheating of the car. Imagine 12 cars passing us by. We actually counted the number of cars overtaking us, finding enjoyment in such a desperate and helpless situation. I felt like getting out of the car and walk! It might even be faster than our car. Once we saw a place where there is houses, we decided to stop for a while under a tree until the engine cooled down. In a place like a desert, I really wondered how much it can cool down. When it finally was 'out of danger', we carried on with our journey and going slow, stopping a few times. At the end of our trip, before heading on back to Grand Canyon, we went to a Carwash station in Kanab. We vacuumed the inside and washed the outside of the car. With pride, we presented the spritely clean car back to its lady owner. Hope she will be grateful enough to treat her car kindly in future.
Barbequed Andrew
It was at Lake Powell where Andrew was barbequed by the unforgiving sun. Jay, him and I went kayaking across the shimmering lake to the other side. There was a cave in a distant over that side of the lake. Jay and I wanted to walk to the cave but Andrew preferred staying near the waters. The walk was a torturing and difficult one. With no clear path to the cave, we had to get through thorny bushes. Many times, we had to pluck out the spikes that got through our skins. Luckily, the height of most bushes was below waist level. Otherwise, I will scream for help. The cave seems near but in actual fact, it is very far away from the shores. We did not bring any water with us and the sun nearly got me. When we reached the cave, I was surprised that there were many scribbles of names on the rocks. We are not one of the few that actually went there. Needless to say, coming such a long way, we left our names and footprints there. When we got back to the shores, 2 hours had passed and Andrew was well-cooked. He did not realised that he had been barbequed because he fell asleep while tanning. My goodness.. His whole body was red like lobster. Hahaa...
Disappearing Gemstone
Believe me. I can be fooled easily, like a 3 years old kid. While doing my housekeeping stint in Grand Canyon, Jay and I chanced upon a big shiny rectangular stone with texture like an emerald. Jay let me had the stone, and I was so excited because I thought I had just picked up a precious gemstone. After work, I went back to my dorm and placed it in a basin of water to wash away the dirts. Half an hour later, I was shocked. The gemstone had disappeared into thin air. Although it was obvious that the stone was not in the water, I still tried to feel for it in the water. Then it dawned on me that the stone could have dissolved into the water. Could it be rock sugar or rock salt? If you were me, you might have mistooked it for a gemstone too because its shape really does not resemble the rock salt or sugar I have seen before. Ok, ok I am easily fooled.
Month of Food Surprises
Around March, perhaps, I became wary of the food I put into my mouth. It is not because of dieting. And hey, if I go on a diet, I do not think I would be here typing this out, would I? I would be saving my energy to chew my food in hospital. Imagine those bony fingers of mine tapping on the keyboard. How scary. I recently saw a walking skeleton in Marina Square, trying out some clothes in a shop. I think she is a victim of either Anorexia or Bulimia. There was a sudden notion that came to my head. I wanted to take a stretcher, put her onto it, and send her directly to a hospital. It is saddening to see a woman falling victim to such illnesses, all because of the want to become slim and beautiful. I don't see that there is any link between being slim and pretty. Being healthy and cheerful makes one look beautiful on the outside. It does not matter if we are plump or skinny. All that matters is that we have the energy to do our work everyday, have a sound and healthy mind, and a healthy body.
Coming back to my topic of the day, I was wary because almost whatever I eat, I found some surprises. Not diamond or gold, but things that you would never want to find in your food. Here goes, I was out eating with my mum and brothers at Soup Restaurant in Suntec City. Their samsui chicken is very delicious and we really enjoyed our dinner until the spoiler dish came. I ordered Ginseng Herbal Chicken Soup. It smelt really good. Taking in the first gulp, it tasted slightly bitter and not sweet unlike what my mum made at home. I thought to myself it might be the different ingredients they used that makes it taste so different. And so I continued to drink it. Looking at the herbals inside, I found that all ingredients, except one, are the same as what my mum used. My mum took in a sip when I commented that it tasted weird. Then I lifted up a supposed herbal ingredient and asked my mum what it is. The moment she took it over, she exclaimed in disbelief that it is a charred steel! We were all dumbfounded. My stomach began to churn in protest. My mum asked for the manager to explain for the extra ingredient found in our soup. The manager was also shocked by it and quickly offered us a replacement of soup. But we declined it and requested it to be removed from our bill. He offered us a 15% discount and even said if anything happened to me, they will pay for my medical fees. This is what I call service recovery. However, for a metal, we could have asked for more discount or even a free meal. We did not as we did not want to make things difficult for the poor manager, who has proven to be sincere and handled the situation well. As to how the steel ended up in my soup, he explained to us that it is actually a chip off their boiler. Well, I was so 'lucky'. Lucky that I did not sink my teeth into it, or else my teeth will chip too.
During the rest of the month, I found foreign materials embedded in my food, such as hair in a bun and rice, etc. It was a month full of surprises for me. Recently, at Outback Steakhouse in Millenia Walk, I discovered a dead worm on my broccoli. My mum and I thought that we should not create any hooha with such a tiny worm so we decided not to complain. However, when the waiter came to clear the plates, my mum just made a comment that there is a worm on my broccoli. The waiter immediately asked if I want a replacement. I wondered for a while if it is just a replacement of the broccoli or the whole dish, which I had finished 90% of it. Politely, I declined it because I was very full. We reassured him that it is ok with us because comparing to the previous charred steel incident, this worm is nothing. At the end of our meal, we were surprised with a brownie topped with sundae ice-cream, complimentary from the restaurant. This service recovery is superb. And hey, if you are ever going to Suntec to eat, bring me along and my bad luck will bring you free discounts or free desserts! Maybe I should go change my luck at the Fountain of Wealth!
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