Ah-Boy

Almost unconsiously, half a year past by, and I am still the temporary staff in M1, Channel Sales department. All of them know me as 'ah-boy', most not knowing my name even after half a year working in the same office cell.

My job scope is to key in M-card application forms. Anyone who is able to type can take up this simple job. Only days into the job I felt like quitting. The forms comes in thousands at a time, and it kept topping up forever. Resentment was magnified when I can't seem to find anyone who can even have a meal with me for lunch every single day. I almost never communicated with anyone whenever during office hours. I felt like a talent doing a thrash work the moment I start work at the keyboard. A totally dispensable role. I loathed the way I'm being called :"Ah-boy~".

Nonetheless, I kept up with my work etiquettes that I held with pride and honour. Fed up with the narrow job scope, I offered to help and volunteered for errands. I rushed to clear outstanding forms in order to be able to do something else. Unknowingly, I became the storeman who knows what products and where they are found; I got my license in using the trolley efficiently, etc. Through such acts, and with aid from smoking breaks too, I built up a bond with the majority of the department. Lunch was never alone again. Knowing my financial plight, and my unsucessful attempt to further studies, collegues had helped me in my job hunt, and I often get treats from them. It took about a couple of months before I enjoyed being called "ah-boy", albeit, I still feel undermined.

Team-building activities were held once in a every few months. But it was never the same again with ah-boy in the department. KTV with M1 is unlike any other sessions I sang. Among the 20 odd strength, no one is listening to me and my silvery melodic love songs. They are playing games and dunking Tiger and Chivas, otherwise known as Submarines. Only once in a while, some cute 28 year old lady turned around and exclaimed, "ah-boy~~! you can sing very well leh!"

After warming themselves up with alcohol, it's my turn to get high. I held the mike with gusto as I jumped on the sofa and hailed everyone on to get undressed... 上衣脱掉 脱掉 上衣脱掉.. The big bellys, the big boobs, the lao-chios, everyone is up on their foot, get tranquilised to start dancing the night away to my rhythm, to my beat, to my hip, to my sensation. It feels like holding a concert aloft a dancefloor. Ladies jumped up to the sofa and shake booties with me. An ultimate de-stress to get to this high. Everyone cheers and hail ah-boy. I was soon nicknamed "M1 Superstar". Ah-boy feels like a king.

*****

Today, M1 organises a sports carnival, as a fresh way to bond-building. M1 shops from island-wide came to Yio Chu Kang stadium today to form 4 houses of energetic young adults. My department, as the headquater of M1 shops, consisted a majority of unmotivated aunties and pot-bellied uncles.

I almost did not want to turn up for I was not nominated to participate in any event. I came, bearing a little hope that I might get to show off my forte. It was before long that one balding uncle approached me, in a sigh of relieve, to take up the 800m event. I grinned with a trace of cheeky confidence in agreement.

Before the third event of the day commence, I scanned my opponents at the starting line. The skimpy blue team spoke to the red team, "eh brother, ban chan leh. Wa bei zhao eh leh..." Only the yellow team runner stretches his defined calf muscles, emitting composure. His spiky bright yellow hair complemented perfectly to his tanned and well-built bod, oozing a charm that even caught my attention. The balding uncle had told me to watched out for him in the race.

The horn went off, and I hit off with my usual tactic of speeding at the start and at the end. I extended a gaping lead 200m into the race. A glance behind only to see the yellow team almost 50m away tells me that I can finish the remaining course in an easy pace.

I returned to the orange team, receiving cheers and applause from the aunties and uncles that goes, "ah-boy~ ah-boy~!!" I was immediately registered to take part in the remaining 2 running events, 100m and 4x 100m relay. I champed the 100m and overtook the red team to finish 2nd for the relay. It was flattering to be in the limelight for the first time in a sports event, though my opponents were deskbound personnels. A deceiving sense of victory hazed the history during school and army times when I struggled to earn a medal. I did not even pass the time-trial for the OCS AHM team.

However, the takeaway of the day was neither the medals nor the applause. The limelight had made my presence known to the higher managements. They were curious to know who the hell this young man is. Coupled with my performance at work that have probably earned my boss's aknowledgement, he recommended me to the General Manager of the M1 shops to work as retail executive.

When I affirmed that a data-entry temp staff has no prospect to any position, my non-complacency had unexpectedly paid off.

*****

For the past months, it was discouraging in terms of my job hunt. I experienced my first failure in an interview, with Starhub. The interviewer was a stern yet classy and shrewd but old lady. Despite the failure, I learnt a lot from this tough interview which got my heart pounding rapidly in tension throughout.

Given my current income, I struggled to save even a hundred for each month. My expenditure remains high despite my attempts to cut down. I was dismay for having to pay the salary for my dad's labourer. He needs to give his labourer his salary desperately before he have a hard time finding a replacement if this one decided not to work. With surprise incidents similar to this popping up frequently, saving up is an uphill task. Though I told myself that I must study on the next opening intake, deep in my heart I am unsure of my promise to myself. I simply cannot shrug off the burdens that digested the majority of my income. Demoralised, discouraged, and vexing at times.

I know I need to lift myself out of the comfort zone. I started opening myself up to manpower-thirsty business concepts like insurance and multi-level marketing (MLM) who claim to be a money-rolling career. I detested MLM concepts to the core (cos they are all cheaters), but this time I put aside my perception to open up my ears to hear what MLM can offer me. I am considering taking up financial planning and MLM as sidelines to my full-time job, in hope that they could eventually rolled into a passive income.

It does get upsetting at times when I hear my pals discussing about school work, or even whining about the workload from school. There is a financial situation that I have to resolve, but yet I am compelled to progress slower than people around me because of the fact that I am financially tied up. It is a cruel yet unsung fact that unfairness rules the society.

I am not in a desperate stage where I cannot treat myself to entertainments, but I am desperate to free myself of burdens so that I am allowed to soar. I do not regard these as burdens until recently. I used to perceive the issues as part and parcel of life. I am sure I am worth more than what a million others out there are worth.

An Eye for Miji Meow

I have never look at an eye in such great detail.

It is an honour for me to receive such a request from Miji Meow, a travelling drumming blogger from Hong Kong whom I admired. Here, a female's right eye drawn from pencil with reference from a picture. Perhaps a little token to congratulate Miji Meow on her engagement.

Quick penned sketch of a distraught man's right eye.