4 Days of (L)earning

Actually I have too much of things to be blogged out, for the time being just wanted to share this thing. It happens on 21^st, 22^nd, 25^th and 26^th September 2006.

On 19^th September 2006, I attend the briefing with my very hardworking (in study and working part time) housemate Joan Tang at the Maluri area of Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. Before I go for it, I was told that we’re asked to choose our own preferred rapid KL LRT system station (f.k.a. PUTRA and STAR) so as to distribute free samples on time. The working hours are expected to be 7-9a.m. and then 4-6p.m. (a total of 4 hours with a big gap) on each day and they will pay us RM 50 per day of service.

At the briefing, as expected, they have changed the conditions. We’re expected to work on 7-10a.m. and 4-7p.m. with the unchanged wages. Quite a number of people changed their facial expression immediately they heard of this. Then the person in-charge instructs us to refer to the immediate agent, or known as your referee, for further info after the briefing. After tough negotiation, our pay has changed to RM60 per person; males are paid RM5 extra for their hard work: carrying stocks and supervising the three subordinate females under you and arriving 30 minutes earlier.

They have changed their initial plan to hot spot areas around KL instead of all LRT stations. So it’s fine so long as they don’t mind I’m late although I catch the first train in the early morning. Let’s start the flash back without further delaying.

By the way, the product is now advertised in the TV, distributed by Brylcreem® (formerly famous and specialized in men hair style), now they are going to launch a new product, two-in-one facial cleanser cum shaving cream for men.

Day 1 (21^st September 2006, Thursday)

Today I’m not feeling very well as I get rained. The working hours are 12p.m. to 7p.m., an hour break of 3-4p.m. in between. I meet the supervisor in McDonalds® opposite Central Market to get mass and listen to the final words before I proceed. Finally the three girls appear and I was assigned to Puduraya Bus Terminal station to distribute the products. First thing come to my mind is: Damn it! The area is so crowded by indecent, weird and inappropriate people. This round I’m going to suffer while I know that this is a golden opportunity to learn more and faster than other areas.

At the very beginning we introduce ourselves and move to Puduraya area. They are Yoshimi, Aki and Carmen. I propose to distribute at the area where people walk into the Plaza Rakyat station, between Ancasa Hotel (f.k.a. Impiana Hotel) and Puduraya Terminal but they said they would like the areas inside the Puduraya Terminal because more people at the platforms and waiting areas. Before I proceed, I warn them to be extra careful in this dangerous area. Their dressing code is a lot sexier than mine. I’m just a normal T-shirt. For females they need to wear tight Tee with short skirt, whereby is soooooooo sexy.

When we get into the station, the guard come to me immediately and say softly to me, this area require the permit from the Puduraya Management. So I just keep on apologize and ask him which area is for the public and under the supervision of Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL). He is being very polite and gentle to me, thank you and I love you man. People should learn from him.

We go to the area under the cross bridge opposite Puduraya, same line with KFC® and 7 Eleven® at the corner. For the first session, I need to call the lorry driver for replenishment of stocks and status update.

The major problems faced are the rude and horny taxi drivers around that area, and some other indecent people passing by. I remember many of them are trying to harass Aki for numbers and names. After she complains to me, the guys are disappearing. Now I know why they said guys are for supervising and NO need to distribute samples. Aki is really sexy like Coco Lee and Angelina Jolie for physical appearance; she is now 31 years old unmarried and just break-up BUT looks like 18 years old in a relationship. Oh, my Lord! The two of them got harassed but seem to be immaterial and I treat it as a mere joke since they can take it.

Before we go for lunch at 3p.m., got one very irritating taxi drivers come and disturb by putting two hands into one of the stocks and get more than 10 samples at one time. Come on, what is this? I have no choice but to smile because this is “their area”.

We take our lunch at the restaurant just in front of our area of duty and the Indian boss is being very, very nice to all of us. He is supposed to off the shop for a while but he opens it again just for four of us. I’m truly touched for this and thank you. At first I thought he is going to charge higher price or whatever he will do after that, he didn’t. What a surprise to find such a great person in this hopeless area.

During the lunch, I call the person in charge to allow us for a better area nearby to avoid those people, preferably in front of Menara Maybank. They said OK.

After lunch, it’s fresh again. This round is easier because the targeted recipients are 70-80% educated with proper manner and most of them from Menara Maybank.

As instructed, we go back earlier than expected because the work flow is just smooth over there.

Day 2 (22^nd Sept 2006, Friday)

Today we’re at the same area again and the way they distribute stocks are one shot for each session. I talk to a stranger while performing my job. Suddenly my supervisor come and he says nothing, just to see what happened here. So never I realized they take the way I work into digital camera as informed by the stranger after they leave. I see them taking my subordinates. It’s not a big deal but his sport check is quite shocking. Luckily I do my job.

You know what? During the second session, before we finish our stock, the supervisor suddenly call and ask me is it 3 more boxes of stocks left. I say yes and he says just go to Bangkok Bank area after that to help more. It’s quite scary because he is somewhere nearby and he can see how much stocks left without showing himself. Again, luckily I do my job well. So I just inform my subordinates about that. Later when we finish, I go to the toilet in Menara Maybank, once I’m back they have decided not to go because the supervisor’s words are not steady enough.

Suddenly this moment awakes me and I have to make a quick decision again. I call the person-in-charge and talk about this matter. She says if they’re not happy then just change the clothes and go home, no need to work anymore. I explain to her nicely and say, “It’s so easy for you to talk, how about me? At the very first place you promise them (including me) to be back once we finish and now you change your conditions simply? I’m not trying to be calculated but if I go to you there and said they refused to come, isn’t it they will think that I’m trying to be a bad backstabbing person although this IS what I’m supposed to do?”

She thinks for a while and say, “Yes, you’re in a difficult situation, pass the phone to the very angry person and I will advise her personally.”

Luckily she understands me because I do NOT wish to offend people just for a few days. It isn’t worth although I have the right to do so. Sometimes things can be solved differently, am I making sense here?

Finally they go unwillingly and actually one of them is not unwilling. She just was being influenced temporarily. After my own explanation, she has changed her mind. Thank Lord!

Day 3 (25^th September 2006, Monday)

Early in the morning, I wake up at 4:45a.m. to take bath as well as to have my breakfast as full as possible in order to have energy to carry the stocks. Today the working hours are 7-10a.m. and 4-7p.m. The supervisor wishes to see me on Sunday but I’m attending my class. He says sorry in his SMS for disturbing me and this SMS proves that he understands the conflicts on Friday has got nothing to do with me, thank you. Thanks again for the trust! I have to see him at Wangsa Maju LRT at 6a.m. sharp to get the permit to work within the areas of rapid KL. Today I’m at Masjid Jamek LRT station. I like the permit because it was attached with a map showing clearly the paid, unpaid, and private vs DBKL areas.

The reason I need to be so early is to stand by at the area in case the lorry driver wishes to come here on time.

Today I’m with the three of them again; I thought we’re having our last day on last Friday? Anyway, it’s a lot of fun with them. We quickly take a few photos in their hand phone cameras before the lorry comes. Today the lorry driver arrives around 7a.m. Ok, not too late after he sends the stocks to the previous areas.

I like this station more than the Menara Maybank and the Puduraya station because those who rush for LRT are most with certain academic qualification--- proper manner. The exception is the cleaning head of rapid KL is trying to give me pressure on those used and emptied boxes. I have been making sure NO wastage is flying around and the boxes are at the DBKL disposal bin. He has no more things to say and he finds this thing to warn me and get more samples. Come on, if you want more just take it, no need to do this thing to irritate me. You and I are just the same, we work for others but the difference is you work for your family too. Do you need to use this kind of attitude to treat me? I have the permit from your boss and I do not even think about complaining you and yet you’re trying to make me difficult! Perhaps you should learn from those cleaners who are under you, they show me properly where to put the emptied boxes. I see this guy in the LRT again when I get back from hometown, but he can’t recognized me anymore because I’m not wearing the T-shirt. I respect them more than him irrespective of their posts.

We go for our break around 9a.m., and I utilize the time gap by seeing my friend Yong Chia (I Wanna be a Model finalist) who is now working temporarily at Mid Valley Megamall while planning to watch Zoom. Before I go to Mid Valley, I go to eMove magazine at Taman OUG to claim my contest prize of Eversoft RM50 hamper. It’s so nice of the taxi driver and the hamper is worth more than what it should be. It includes cleanser, scrub, facial mask, shower and etc, this will save my spending. ;p.

At Bangsar station, my supervisor call me suddenly to change the time to 3-7pm later and I say OK. They wanted to cut the total time span for the next day but it has nothing to do with me because I’m not working on the next day.

The person who was angry on Friday doesn’t turn up for the next session and is replaced by another girl. She brings along the boyfriend quietly and again, luckily I didn’t do anything to her and in fact he is a very polite girl. Every time I move the stock for her, she will say thanks until I say not necessary because we’re on the same boat. I’m just working as they are.

Before I dismiss, my supervisor calls me again and she wishes me to work for her for the next day, just half a day in the morning before I go back hometown. I just agree and this call makes me happy because it isn’t easy to earn a trust from someone managing you in a very short period.

Day 4, the last day (26 September 2006, Tuesday)

I’m entirely exhausted today morning. I bring along my luggage and go home right after the work. After the work I wait for my supervisor to come for one hour. Luckily Sister Jane’s latest novel accompanies me throughout the boring period.

Today everything is smooth. Thanks to the Bank Muamalat’s friendly guard who offers the private toilet for free to me. Thanks to the Masjid Jamek selling reload card store for their generosity of letting the comfortable chair for me to rest after my work, you all are great!

____________________

After moving the stocks and working under the killing hot sun, I sweat like getting mad and I feel better for a while after all. At this moment I realize a cold 100 Plus® will be the happiest thing in the world. That’s why sometimes happiness is very hard to define, right?

The merits from this job are better understood of the life of a freelancer doing this nature of business, getting to know and to HELP people whether I know them before or not, learn more knowledge collected by sight and mind, see another kind of job before I end my self up to the office style of working culture and to utilize my time more efficiently.

Sometimes women are very easy, sometimes they are so difficult!

Although I get the pay immediately after my job by cash and guys are paid relatively higher, frankly speaking, I rather get lesser and have more time to sleep and rest. Everything has a price for it; it does not worth my energy. The four days are truly fit into my schedule taking the two days of weekends of my classes as consideration and I have not slept enough for five days consecutively. Usually my left hand side muscle is not as fit as the right hand side one, after this work, both sides are almost equally fit and I like the shape, even my brother, The Hottest Hunk says my hands are now more muscular.

Luckily I prepare for this job for the sake of fulfilling my spare time instead of earning extra income, or else I may end up complaining.

While earning, I’m learning, that’s why I put the blog title as 4 days of (L)earning.

Special thanks to her for heartwarming SMS as mentioned in my previous posting, and

Thanks to Lee Cheng’s concern about my health.

I’m sorry to cancel my dates with Seok Hoon for dinner due to my tight schedule on these days.

Thanks to my sister Lian Lee for her moon cake and take into kind consideration of my allergic foods. I like the moon cake’s taste and the shape is as cute as you. ;p

Thanks to Jeffrey who gives me a good environment to online.

Those who read until this part without skipping any words or more than that, you’re considered my blog loyal fans. Thank you so much for your time.

Yoshimi, thanks for volunteering to accompany me for the last day but you don’t have to. When I know your boyfriend do not allow you to work and you work without informing him, I truly respect your insistence and your good attitude. Keep it up and all the best to you. I look forward to work with you again. You’re one of the most hardworking people ever seen.

Disclaimer: This is not a complaining blog, I really enjoy the 4 days throughout. Thanks again to my referee and my housemate Joan.

Happy Belated Birthday to my beloved dad (2^nd Oct), Sang What on 1^st Oct and Lee Cheng, the same day with my dad.