"I will look stupid if I speak Malay!"
Heard that one before? Some public figure said it on national TV I think.. Oh well!
Do I look stupid speaking Malay? I speak Malay maybe 33%, Sarawak Malay 33%, English 28%, 6% Melanau (pathetic eh?) not that I actually did a full research. There's that much of diversity, oh and I'm taking up Mandarin.
So what language should I speak when approaching someone I just met or a sales person? If I start speaking English, nanti orang cakap sombong. If I speak in Malay nanti there's the double standard. You sometimes won't get the 5 star treatment with service. But there's some good points to it, these ppl will just let you be!
I love telling my Western (meaning KL) stories.. So I was bored waiting for my sister with her haircut so I chatted up with the hair shampoo person there. I spoke in Malay cause I overheard her speaking in Malay. We chatted up and she asked what I was currently doing. I said I just graduated, she asked from where, I replied from USA. She had a customer a few weeks ago, a graduate from La Amerika too, but according to the hair shampoo lady, she was too sombong to speak in her Malay tongue, ada American accent pulak too..
Doesn't it saddens you to hear stories where Malays aren't proud of the Malay language? I know I speak good English, but I chose Malay, even at work with my 3 Chinese colleagues whose Malay is worse than their English (no offense ppl). Some Sarawak Malays can't speak good Malay I agree and choose English as their medium instead (some West Malaysians are rude and just assume they're Indonesians--believe me, I've been one of their victims) so sometimes I understand the choosing of English over Malay..
It saddens me when I hear parents speaking to their kids in English rather than their mother tongue, to know that the child's first language isn't either Malay, or Chinese.. I didn't grow up speaking English (except that short time in Michigan), so I don't see why kids should speak English as their 1st language. And what's with the English education in Science and Math? I take that back, I haven't thought much of this issue so I won't comment much.
Word of advice, embrace your heritage, your language, your culture!
Monday, June 16, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
My 1st day at W-O-R-K
Well.. So far, what I've done is complain, complain and more complaining on how sucky my job is. And it's only my 1st day at work!
I'm so not cut out to be a working girl! Ahahah..
Let's hear out why I hate my first day so far. So today was the 1st day of orientation, and there's 3 other people with me. All Chinese boys who prefer to group together and talk in their Mandarin. Why we don't get along much:
1. I'm a girl
2. I don't speak MANDARIN ok!
3. They already have friends who work in the company..
Lunch was awkward! And those intervals in between all the activities was too. There I sat all alone, not understanding what they were talking about. Poor ME! LOL.. Then there's the pay (less than half of what my sis made when she 1st started work), and the holidays!! 8 days/wk? How am I gonna survive? I'm the queen of taking days off!! I like Fridays off and now I have to work on a Saturday too??
See, I have a dad that had a 90 days/yr holiday once (though I think he's back at 30) and a mum of similar days too. I'm used to my mum taking time off work to pick/send me to the airport. Wheee... And now I can't even go out of the company's compound without a release letter? Even out for lunch!! Wow, I feel so compounded already! ahahaha...
And I went to complain to my sister.. And guess what! She told me she just received an Ipod Shuffle from Shell! And she got an Ipod Touch too from the place she worked! Arghh.. Jealous jealous!!!
But it was nice to hear from friends who remembered it was my 1st day at work. And from an aunt who called to ask how it went (and the first thing she asked was "were you sleeping?" I am the ratu for sleeping too btw..
I complain a lot, but I'll give this job and myself a lot of time to adjust too.. Let's hope the 2nd day doesn't go as depressing as it was today..
I'm so not cut out to be a working girl! Ahahah..
Let's hear out why I hate my first day so far. So today was the 1st day of orientation, and there's 3 other people with me. All Chinese boys who prefer to group together and talk in their Mandarin. Why we don't get along much:
1. I'm a girl
2. I don't speak MANDARIN ok!
3. They already have friends who work in the company..
Lunch was awkward! And those intervals in between all the activities was too. There I sat all alone, not understanding what they were talking about. Poor ME! LOL.. Then there's the pay (less than half of what my sis made when she 1st started work), and the holidays!! 8 days/wk? How am I gonna survive? I'm the queen of taking days off!! I like Fridays off and now I have to work on a Saturday too??
See, I have a dad that had a 90 days/yr holiday once (though I think he's back at 30) and a mum of similar days too. I'm used to my mum taking time off work to pick/send me to the airport. Wheee... And now I can't even go out of the company's compound without a release letter? Even out for lunch!! Wow, I feel so compounded already! ahahaha...
And I went to complain to my sister.. And guess what! She told me she just received an Ipod Shuffle from Shell! And she got an Ipod Touch too from the place she worked! Arghh.. Jealous jealous!!!
But it was nice to hear from friends who remembered it was my 1st day at work. And from an aunt who called to ask how it went (and the first thing she asked was "were you sleeping?" I am the ratu for sleeping too btw..
I complain a lot, but I'll give this job and myself a lot of time to adjust too.. Let's hope the 2nd day doesn't go as depressing as it was today..
Saturday, June 7, 2008
A Lesson In Addressing People..
U know what I think??
Speaking malay can sometimes be a headache. I recently went to Coffee Bean at SP and wanted to ask this guy to help reserve my seat while I go order.
"Adik.."
"Not adik la, abang!" my friends butt in..
"Eh??" And I just gave up asking for help.
So here it is.. I think I'm at a complex age of twenty-some, should I address people as younger or older than me. I know those school kids deserve an adik, but how about those which u can't tell whether their still in school or not.
See, being 24 for me is an age when you just graduated and started to work. I don't wear make up or play dress up when I go out, so I don't know how "old" I look. I think I look my age, but what do I know how people see me! Those my age at least prim themselves up before they go out!
So how can u go about telling apart people who's working, or still studying, or one of those in between or neither?
Which is the safer route? Going for the "older" or "younger" name calling? Abang/kakak or adik? Auntie/Makcik or Uncle/Pakcik? What if the person be called adik but he/she thinks they're older than us and vice versa? Would they take it as an insult? or a compliment? So much to think about!!
Have u ever noticed that guys don't much mind what they're being called? For example, I call my parents' friends mostly Uncle X and their wives Kak X. I have a granduncle who I call Tok Chik and the wife Mak Chik. Mystifying isn't it?
So I think it's safe to call a lady who's age is ambiguous by adik/kak (rather than makcik!) and u might as well call a guy Uncle! Ahahaha.. But better be safe with Abang--though I think Abang sounds too... What shall I call it.. Mengada-ngada? or what we Sarawakians might call it, kenja! Eh, how about Encik instead?
Speaking malay can sometimes be a headache. I recently went to Coffee Bean at SP and wanted to ask this guy to help reserve my seat while I go order.
"Adik.."
"Not adik la, abang!" my friends butt in..
"Eh??" And I just gave up asking for help.
So here it is.. I think I'm at a complex age of twenty-some, should I address people as younger or older than me. I know those school kids deserve an adik, but how about those which u can't tell whether their still in school or not.
See, being 24 for me is an age when you just graduated and started to work. I don't wear make up or play dress up when I go out, so I don't know how "old" I look. I think I look my age, but what do I know how people see me! Those my age at least prim themselves up before they go out!
So how can u go about telling apart people who's working, or still studying, or one of those in between or neither?
Which is the safer route? Going for the "older" or "younger" name calling? Abang/kakak or adik? Auntie/Makcik or Uncle/Pakcik? What if the person be called adik but he/she thinks they're older than us and vice versa? Would they take it as an insult? or a compliment? So much to think about!!
Have u ever noticed that guys don't much mind what they're being called? For example, I call my parents' friends mostly Uncle X and their wives Kak X. I have a granduncle who I call Tok Chik and the wife Mak Chik. Mystifying isn't it?
So I think it's safe to call a lady who's age is ambiguous by adik/kak (rather than makcik!) and u might as well call a guy Uncle! Ahahaha.. But better be safe with Abang--though I think Abang sounds too... What shall I call it.. Mengada-ngada? or what we Sarawakians might call it, kenja! Eh, how about Encik instead?
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Me & KL
It seems like I always have a tale to tell if I go KL.
KLIA Counter B18, June 4th 2008 at 7:38AM
Let me tell you why I don't think I could be a good customer service people!
So here I was checking in for a flight back to Kuching on MAS. So I handed this lady (the ground staff) my I.C., and my Enrich card (can't wait to redeem my points for 4 return flight from New York-Kuching!).
Staff: Mana itinerary awak?
Me: Takde, kene ke?
Staff: Kene, what if the server breaks down?
Me: Kalau confirmation number tak cukup ke?
Staff: Tak, kene itinerary jugak!
Me: Lain kali saya buat macam tu.
Staff: Awak register nama tak letak middle name ke?
Me: Tak! (I think she was gonna complain again about that, but thought otherwise)
Staff: Berapa beg?
Me: 2 (with a peace sign--showing 2 fingers, and I put one bag on the conveyor belt thingy)
Staff: Ok (but she only checked in one bag for me)
Me: Saya ada 2 beg!
Staff: Hmmphh!!
~~~~~~
So here's the thing.. What's wrong with the converstaion.
OK... First thing, she didnt even smile once! What happened to the "Service with a SMILE?"
Then, the itinerary part. I've flown on MAS before (EWR-KL-KCH) without an itinerary, well, at most, a confirmation number.
Did I get grilled for not having one?
NO!
Did I have problems checking in?
NO!
And my parents never fussed about us printing the itinerary either, and my dad doesn't. He just gets the confirmation number. And has he ever had problems before? I tell you NO! I just checked my itinerary in my email, and it doesn't state that I should have my itinerary with me. And neither did the MAS website have any small print on this issue either. Apalah!
Also the part with me buying the ticket with just my first and last name. I didn't know I had to put there my middle name. Again, I've flown international (on MAS mind you) and they never cared that I didn't put my full name! And my sisters just use their first names only too! And never a problem!
I told my mum of this incident, and the first question she asked was:
"Melayu ke?"
Yes she was! With her turquoise tudung. I wonder how high her baju kebaya's slit is! I wanted to just reply her back with all the situations I've been in. How much of an experienced traveler I was! Ahaha, but I was so stunned by her "outspokenness" than it rendered me speechless! I have to say I do have quite good spoken English, but I sucked it up and spoke to the staff in Malay. Aiyo, my Malay can sometimes be so ikut buku!
I haven't checked in at KLIA for maybe 3 years! It's either New York straight to Kuching, or LCCT because AirAsia was definitely cheaper! But since MAS has this RM0 fares deal, I was gonna try it. I have checked in in Kuching, but it's usually with my parents--Business Class treatment you know! And never a problem (I think)! Then again, my parents and their constant travelling have made them on a first name basis with the ground staff.
Now, I won't go on AirAsia complaining!
KLIA Counter B18, June 4th 2008 at 7:38AM
Let me tell you why I don't think I could be a good customer service people!
So here I was checking in for a flight back to Kuching on MAS. So I handed this lady (the ground staff) my I.C., and my Enrich card (can't wait to redeem my points for 4 return flight from New York-Kuching!).
Staff: Mana itinerary awak?
Me: Takde, kene ke?
Staff: Kene, what if the server breaks down?
Me: Kalau confirmation number tak cukup ke?
Staff: Tak, kene itinerary jugak!
Me: Lain kali saya buat macam tu.
Staff: Awak register nama tak letak middle name ke?
Me: Tak! (I think she was gonna complain again about that, but thought otherwise)
Staff: Berapa beg?
Me: 2 (with a peace sign--showing 2 fingers, and I put one bag on the conveyor belt thingy)
Staff: Ok (but she only checked in one bag for me)
Me: Saya ada 2 beg!
Staff: Hmmphh!!
~~~~~~
So here's the thing.. What's wrong with the converstaion.
OK... First thing, she didnt even smile once! What happened to the "Service with a SMILE?"
Then, the itinerary part. I've flown on MAS before (EWR-KL-KCH) without an itinerary, well, at most, a confirmation number.
Did I get grilled for not having one?
NO!
Did I have problems checking in?
NO!
And my parents never fussed about us printing the itinerary either, and my dad doesn't. He just gets the confirmation number. And has he ever had problems before? I tell you NO! I just checked my itinerary in my email, and it doesn't state that I should have my itinerary with me. And neither did the MAS website have any small print on this issue either. Apalah!
Also the part with me buying the ticket with just my first and last name. I didn't know I had to put there my middle name. Again, I've flown international (on MAS mind you) and they never cared that I didn't put my full name! And my sisters just use their first names only too! And never a problem!
I told my mum of this incident, and the first question she asked was:
"Melayu ke?"
Yes she was! With her turquoise tudung. I wonder how high her baju kebaya's slit is! I wanted to just reply her back with all the situations I've been in. How much of an experienced traveler I was! Ahaha, but I was so stunned by her "outspokenness" than it rendered me speechless! I have to say I do have quite good spoken English, but I sucked it up and spoke to the staff in Malay. Aiyo, my Malay can sometimes be so ikut buku!
I haven't checked in at KLIA for maybe 3 years! It's either New York straight to Kuching, or LCCT because AirAsia was definitely cheaper! But since MAS has this RM0 fares deal, I was gonna try it. I have checked in in Kuching, but it's usually with my parents--Business Class treatment you know! And never a problem (I think)! Then again, my parents and their constant travelling have made them on a first name basis with the ground staff.
Now, I won't go on AirAsia complaining!
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