Decisions, Decisions
Humans are really hard to satisfy. When we are presented with little choices, we bitch about it. When we are presented with too many choices, we bitch about how we can't decide.
I took the MBTI test twice a few years ago. I always end up having the same personality type. ENTP -- Extrovert, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceptive.
I decided to look up the web for career types suitable for ENTPs. Geez.. there was such a huge list, and so general, it pretty much includes almost everything!! Thats really helpful. But then again, I guess I must have been quite a moron to even think of that.
Irrational Numbers with the Taste of Jasmines
An irrational number is defined as anything that cannot be expressed as a fraction, p/q, in which p and q are both integers.
That was what I read in the textbook. But I also know that pi is irrational yet it is also expressed as 22/7, why?
I never really thought about that when I was in school. Was it because when I think about it, I never
knew the defination of irrational number. As long as the number looks wierd, its irrational. Yeah, thats literally irrational! Corny...
I found out why after a simple google search. And
this is quite fun too.
/*-------------------------------------------------*/The Bitter Taste
Just had some jasmine tea just now. Its nice not only of its fragrance, but also because it first tastes bitter but leaves a sweet aftertaste lingering in your mouth.
xian(1) ku(2) hou(4) tian(3)
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And you feel like no-one before
And you steal right under my door
Say NO to Piracy
Watching the trailers before while waiting for Constantine to start.
There was the ad on piracy. As many would have seen it before, it goes something like "Piracy kills creativity" or something somewhere along those lines.
What the fuck??!! Couldn't they come up with something better? or at least more convincing?
Initiation
I have always read the blogs of others, but never shared any of mine. So this is a first for me.
Surfing can get boring sometimes. Reading blogs can be so amusing at times. Its especially entertaining to read about someone lamenting about a horried life with a dead end job and a perverted boss. Entertainment can take on such a twisted meaning sometimes.
/*--------------------------------------------------*/Went shopping today. Not that I planned it, I just happened to end up shopping. Anyway, I am in dire and desperate need to shop for 3 reasons: 1) When I was packing to go Italy last year, I realised that I was packing exactly the same stuff as I did for Berkeley in 2002. 2) A friend once insisted that I have to do something about my wardrobe -- stop wearing the same stuff (or same kind of stuff). She threatened to never go out with me again. Then again, she was always in T-shirts/shirts and jean) 3) Having been away for about 2 months, I met up with a friend for coffee and he commented "You didn't change, even your clothes are the same"That is it! As the poor undergraduate who fixed computers to eek out personal allowance, I never shopped much.
As the nerdy undergraduate who spent all the time engrossed in experiments which rarely worked out, I never had the time to shop.
As the jobless person (giving tuition does not count) who has graduated for a year, I still can't afford to shop.
As the jobless person with the same clothes for 5 years, I resolve to shop.
SHOPPINGThrough a simple twist of events, I ended up at Tiong Bahru Plaza this afternoon and decided to shop. I walked into the first boutique, where the sales person basically minded her own business while I minded mine. I saw quite a few pieces which I liked but decided to come back later to try them out instead. (I was feeling kind of sweaty and didn’t want to leave any pungent odors on the clothes.) I walked into Lemon Tee (yeah I know I am too old for that) and the ever alert salesgirl started stalking me around the shop. I didn’t stay long. Any desire I had to try on the t-shirts dissipated as soon as she opened her mouth and started telling me that
“oh this is new”
“This one comes in 3 colors”
“This has 10% discount”
Geez!! Can’t I shop in peace? I mean, I will approach you if I need help, if I really appreciate it if you can leave me to shop in peace! But being the quiet-non-offending person I usually am, I gave her a weak, fake smile and hurried out of the shop.
I headed back to the first shop and bought a top.
In Pepper Plus, although the salesperson didn’t say the typical crappy stuff of “do u want to try this?” or “this just came in recently”, the feeling of sales people hovering all around is oppressive enough to make me leave. Like circling vultures waiting to chomp on me as soon as I express the slightest interest in any piece of clothing. I didn’t stay long. In fact, it’s a skill to not look too interested, and maneuver fast enough through the racks of clothes so that the salesgirls can never catch up with you. Peripheral vision is very important.
Finally, I decided to shop at level 1. In Arithalia, a sulking but thankfully quiet salesgirl followed me around. I flashed her a smile hoping to elicit one in response but none came. I left.
The last shop I walked into is really the final straw. I remembered this store for their very aggressive sales tactics which led me to buy a red (!!) dress which has been lying, unworn, in the cupboard for a year. But I gloriously recall that after the red dress incident, I have always been able to ward off their clothes-pushing-sales-tactics. “How about this skirt? Many people like this item, do u want to try it?” “No, I don’t like that”
Today, was scary. Trust me. I walked in and before I even touch anything, a salesgirl, sorry, I mean, auntie appeared.
sales-auntie: “Hi, what are you looking for? Tops? Do you like this?”
I waved a ‘no’ at her, while wearing my plastic smile – which was more like a grimace I believed. Then I walked past her, ignoring her but she was rather persistent. She picked up a top which I thought was really not my type and ask if I liked it and wanted to try it. Again, weak smile and a no. Then the worst thing happened. The other salesgirl, who was observing us behind the counter obviously thought that sales-auntie needed help and joined in as well. She was like “what are you looking for?” “I am just looking around, thanks” I think she was going about recommending me some piece after which I literally fled from the store. I mean, it was scary how they approach their duties with such over-zealousness it makes my scared. And the body language! The aggressive stance, and predator posture!! I wanna flee.
Once, a few years ago, I heard a salesgirl asking a man “Sir, can I help you?” The man replied “No, you can’t” Which I thought, was really funny and was something I had always wanted to do but never had the guts to. Its usually “Can I help you?” “Err.. I am just looking around.. thanks” and in my head “No, you can’t, I will ask if I need help” I have never been so forthright. Probably, the closest I have come to being blatant is when I replied “No thanks, I will ask you if I need anything”. I don’t know why I didn’t do that today. They must be that scary if I hurried out of the store.
I guess life is not easy in sales. If you don’t bugger the customers, your boss will think that you are slacking. When you try to look enthusiastic and fervent in your job, you scare people like me away.
But seriously, more sales will be generated if the sales person approached only when help is needed, and not make so much noise and senseless talk like “oh this comes in 3 colors” – “I didn’t ask”, or “this is new” – “what?? This piece of shit?? What on earth was the designer thinking??” “This is on sale” – “yeah, I can tell why!”
I would like think about what is nice and what is not, fantasize how good I can look in it without a sales girl hovering just behind me. And if I need any help, I will be very happy if your salesgirl help only when I beckon.
