Poslaju, thou will be the death of me!

*rant alert*

Treating myself after a very trying day-long experience with Poslaju.

First the package got stuck at KLIA hub for more than a day. Reason given when I went over to the Penang Poslaju office, overwhelming number of parcels.

So the lady (let's call her X) called KLIA to check and promised that she will monitor the package and assure me she will get it to me this morning.

Checked the online status at about 3am, it says that it's left the hub before midnight. So I called them this morning about 9am, X said that the van haven't arrived, and that she will get it to me this morning, even after I offered to collect it from their office.

Noon, still no sign of the package. As I know no one will answer my call during lunch, I waited until after 2pm.

And this was when my blood started boiling. Person Y, who is the co-worker of X whom I also met yesterday took my call. She has this loud voice that I could hear all her conversation with X in the background. So I was told that my parcel is with dispatch A and was given the phone number. I called him seven times, no answer. Eighth time he answered only to tell me that he doesn't have the package, it's with another dispatch with almost similar sounding name as him.

Just as I was to call X, I got a call from her telling me of the mistake. So she gave me E's number whose phone was off. Kept on calling, then it started ringing, still no respond. Twenty first attempt, he finally answered only to inform me that he doesn't have the package.

Call back to Poslaju Victoria, took about ten attempts to get Y answering and and started playing the go between person with X. I could hear her telling X the details I've explained. I also told her that I am running out of patience and am surprised that this is happening after all the 'special monitoring'. I could hear X in the background making calls to locate my missing parcel. I also asked why didn't they let me self-pickup the pancakes as I requested and that X promised me the package in the morning, and this is when Y started getting rude with me, claiming that I didn't say such. I reminded her of my exact words and when I said them. She started to on a rant about how there's overflow of parcels and it's not their responsibility to make sure I get my package in the morning.

X finally located the parcel with dispatch C who took one phone call and didn't pickup anymore after that when X called to check where he was so that I can meet him to get the package a.s.a.p because he said he can only deliver by 6:30pm. All through this, I could hear Y passing my messages to X and adding her own commentaries too, telling Y what to tell me. I told her to let me speak to Y directly as I my patience is running really low.

This is when I heard her tell X, "X, pompuan tu nak cakap dengan hang sendiri, dia nak hamput hang" in Penang-speak which translates "The lady wants to speak to you directly, and she's going to scold you bad"! Boy, was I mad or what when I heard this!

Took a deep breath and a few more after that to cool down and calmly told X to give me C's number as she also continue tracking him. Reminded her of all that she said and promised to me, which she verified. She told me that the dispatchs have a habit of passing the parcels around themselves without informing the office or updating the system even though she specified that the package must arrive before 10am as it's already delayed. She finally got C on the phone, and asked him to call me to plan a meet-up, he's merely five minutes away, but sending parcels to about twenty units of apartments.

Before I hang up, I asked X if I scolded her? She said no. So I asked her why Y said I was going to do so in a very defaming manner, X was shocked that I could hear all their conversations. I told her to tell Y not to be rude and if she's going to pass such remarks, she doesn't belong in customer service. I also told her that I am going to file a complaint on Y's conduct. X apologized profusely, told her she's done her best, and the screw-up is not due to her.

In the end I picked up the parcel from C at 4:42pm and that messed up my very tight schedule. I lost a day worth of work and what was supposed to be done this morning will only be completed tomorrow afternoon.

And the whole morning before that, I had to deal with MBSP, Geological Dept., JPS and PBAPP visit to our house due to the serious environmental issues we have been having the past three months.

So you see, I really deserve the 'three layer tea' and the ghee tosai.

About toilet at KLIA, again.

Back home in Malaysia, the toilets look third world compared to even those at Bandung's tiny Husein Sastranegara Airport.

The toilets in Indonesia are cleaned by Indonesian. The toilets in Malaysia are mostly cleaned by Indonesian too.

Toilets in Indonesia are clean, while the one in Malaysia are much to be desired. 

So, are the cleaners not doing a good job or Malaysian are just not interested in keeping public spaces clean?

~pondering during our six hours layover~

Pondering #58

Yes, because sometimes, after a bit of deliberation, a tad more thinking, a few moments of reanalyzing, we realize that we are not quite right after all. So always respect differing in opinions, because we are not right all the times, no matter how smart we think we are. It would save us a lot of embarrassments, and dealing with pride and dignity massaging later.

~29 July 2015~

From the mouth of the babe #21

Boys watching Mission Impossible : Ghost Protocol.

Scene : Ethan Hunt & Benji attempting to enter Kremlin, they converse in Russian with the sentry guard checking their identification.

Aten : Hussen, do you know what language they are speaking in?

Hussen : Yes (eyes on movie)

Aten : So what language is it?

Hussen : Cakap Peghreligh! 

Qays : Cakap Cina!

Aten : *selop gelak*

'Adik sakit jantung'

After two weeks of letting him do as his wish of not going to school, we had to put our foot down, so yesterday and today we dragged him to school. Both episodes are different, yesterday the struggle was in school, first with Zz then with the two teachers. Once in class he was okay and was chattering away when we went to pick him up after school.

There's no bullying by fellow students nor teachers. We have checked many many times. And as one of the teachers said, he's an exemplary student, penyejuk hati and one of the smartest kid in class, and the neatest and best dressed one too. They are concerned that he's unhappy to go to school.

Today's episode begin right as we wake him up. He refused to get in the car, had to force him in. Then begin the attempt to escape which includes cry for sympathy from mom and grandma, kicking, struggling, pinching and scratching Zz, hitting the car window, screams of 'Adik sakit jantung', 'Why nak paksa adik, adik tak suka' and ultimately biting me in my upper arm. The bite went through my T-shirt and broke skin as he bit and tore. Wails turned to sobs, I even hear him apologizing, saying that he didn't realize what's he's doing, but he promises not to do it anymore - the biting part, not the not going to school part, this one keeps his promises, so he won't promise that yet.

I had to hold him down the whole five minutes drive (which felt like hours). Three quarter of the way I heard between sobs that he wants to sit with the counselling teacher and not go to class. I agreed and told him to stop crying and struggling. That's when he settled down.

We waited for everyone to be done with the assembly, only then we drove into the school compound as we were still concerned that he may run into the busy road.

Half willingly, with no struggle but sulk worth a crate of lemon, he went to the counselling room. The counsellor has him now, so let's see what tomorrow may bring.

He's the kind yang 'simpan dalam hati', and now reacting to the things that happened in his life recently. Yes, it's heartbreaking, but he can no longer not be in school. It's sad, our strong and firm Q has to express his emotions this way. We also know that one of the catalyst for him to act out this way was when adults are very selfish and act without thinking, no worries we have dealt with that. It's a matter of convincing him that he will no longer be bothered in school by 'unwanted' visitors. Insyaallah we'll weather this together, bites, bruises and all.

We are on the way into the city to get Kevlar lined shirt.