Yeah,Tibet here i come !!

IPPTstinks - an un/eventful day

The IPPT (individual physical fitness test)'s monetary incentive of $400 which i'll be receiving from SAF doesn't come easy. I had to survive the >1hour journey to Maju camp ALONE (due to some un/foreseen circumstances; kudos to Veggie and LMY! :-) )


You see, Maju camp is so ulu pandan that the word 'ulu pandan' is written on the sign board !! Thanks to my fellow packers for unraveling the meaning of 'ulu pandan' to me.

And i had to endure and squeeze my way through hordes of 'runners' in a grueling 2.4km run which lasted for 9.23mins, and act nonchalant in front of a bunch of monkeys (read PTI and uncles-taking-the-test) despite their stares of disbelief after i jumped (standing broad jump) 250cm on my first attempt. Ok, i should stop engaging in self-pity. I should get on with my life and be thankful that i'm still young, not mentioning fit (to a certain extent).

I wonder what i'd be like, physically, 5,10 or even 20 years down the road. Will i retain my fitness as it is today ? Or will i end up like one of the numerous uncles-taking-the-test who are experiencing difficulties in doing sit-ups and lugging a tummy while completing a 2.4km run-that-never-seemed-to-end ? In order to reduce the probability of all these from happening, i should make it a lifetime pledge to exercise regularly and strive for gold in all IPPTs. I'd rather be thin than be fat. I'd rather be fit than be sick. And the list goes on and on.....blah...

After the test, i was on my way to Dhoby Ghaut to meet my friends for dinner...

I stained the bus seat with sweat that was lingering beneath my butt. I left traces of sweat on the bus platform as i alighted from the bus... Next, still clad in my soaked singlet and shorts, i boarded the almost-packed-with-commuters MRT at Dover...

I was enshrouded by 'disgusted' commuters who were less than 30cm away from me. I couldn't even stand my own stench, lest them - total strangers. Throughout the entire MRT journey, i tried my best to keep still. I tried my best not to make even the slightest movement in a bid to prevent my horrendous stench from shifting towards their direction. Occasionally, as i shift my eyes to look at them, i could see them holding their breath and shifting their heads away from me discreetly. At that point in time, i was petrified. I was helpless. Urghz. "Outram Park, all passengers...", and the exit door slid apart. This was the moment ! I scurried to the nearest exit, never to look back.

The North-east line (NEL) train arrived at the platform. I was hoping that the NEL "regulars" (those who will go to Little India/Serangoon in one big group) will be in one cabin. To my delightedness, it did happen, and at last (i told myself), i could blend in with the crowd :) However, my blissful moment only lasted for a mere 5 secs. The moment i stepped foot into the cabin, they too, were staring at me with that disgusted look on their face. What else can i say ?

I brought these upon myself and i regretted not bathing after the test. This should serve as a warning to me. Please bathe.

posted by Weizhen @ 12:48 AM 3 comments

Working work

As the baby boomers and post war generations embark on their relentless quest to look/smell/feel younger/good, its no wonder the perfume and cosmetic industry is inundated with a myriad of such products to cope with their rising demands.

Despite landing myself a cushy job (read Packer) in the airport's perfume & cosmetic store, where packing and exchanges of products take place between the customers and me, the bulk of these products are still unbeknownst to me. Most of these products bear similar traits, and its kind of hard for me to differentiate one from the other. But well, who cares ? As long as the products are classified by volume and packed into the respective bag(s), and the customers clear the security checks at the boarding gate with no hassle, then my duty as a packer would be rendered 'well-done!' - by me, of course. :)

But nothing in this world is smooth sailing, even Titanic sank you know. Ya, so as it is, i get to witness the occasional blunders that mar the workflow; of sales representative, of cashier, of customer or en masse. Nobody likes to get the blame when something happens (eg. when customers get the wrong item(s), their purchase(s) failed to be delivered to the boarding gate, sales rep A snatching a prospective customer-who-will-be-spending-big-money from sales rep B..and the list goes on..) and this is when you get to witness, first hand, the extrication of the flaws of human nature. The parties involved start to get pushy, somewhat trying to wallop each other up ... Okay, i'm exaggerating.

As i lean against the counter passively and watch these 'dramas' take its toll, a sense of helplessness will unfold in me as i don't know who to empathize with. Even after working there for a month or so, i still find it hard to comprehend all these love-hate, hate-hate relationships. Maybe aunties are just aunties and i ought to leave them as they are. For who knows, these might be the kind of events that will spice up their ever mundane job/life and will also provide them with a leeway to engage in some afterthoughts (maybe some self reflections to make them a better person ? err, or maybe some post-plotting to seek vengeance the next time such conflicts arise again). How i wish i had the ability to read people's mind.

posted by Weizhen @ 12:26 AM 0 comments