Its the weekend of sequel-ed men ! ip man 2 and ironman 2. Both movies have awesome trailers and I'll be watching ip man 2 with porky in a while.
In the meanwhile, I've got something to share from one of the greatest book written by Steve Dublanica. Waiter Rant. It is meant for people who are waiters or were once waiters. It is an awesome book ! The only differences are that its setting is that of fine dining in the United States and the tipping part, which differs greatly from Singapore's practices.
So, inspired by book, I proudly present tips on being a good customer. This is dedicated to my hard working staff at the establishment I work in.
1) Make reservations and keep them. More importantly, be on time, you wouldn't want us to hold back your table while a queue snakes down the entrance, it makes it difficult for our hostess to seat other customers and your held back table becomes an eyesore.
2) If you're going to be late for your reservation, please call. We will hold back the table for as long as we can. On a weekend if somehow you've managed to get a table reservation with us and you are 30 minutes late, don't bother coming, turn around and go to the nearest McDonalds.
3) Never say, "I'm friends with the restaurant manager/owner." Restaurant managers / owners do not have any friends. This marks you as a clueless poseur the moment you walk into the restaurant.
4) Seat where you're seated ! Whenever hostesses attempt to seat guests, many customers (usually females) will walk past the proffered seat and hunt around the restaurant for a better table. Please, let the hostess do her job. She's trying to seat customers evenly so that everyone gets the best service possible. And if your waiter hears you whining about your table, he or she will know you are an annoying snob who thinks you're entitled to undeserved rock star treatment. Your waiter haven't even met you yet and you've already got a strike against you. How wonderful. The food taste equally good on regular tables and on booth seats.
5) Be polite. Say please and thank you. Be courteous to the hostess, waiters and managers at the establishment you're dining at . Treat others as you want to be treated. (Yes, people need to be reminded of this)
6) Never say, "Do you know who I am?" Why ? Did you forgot who you are ?
7) Do not snap your fingers to get the waiter's attention. Remember, we have shears that cut through bone in the kitchen.
8) Tell your kid to put away the PSP and sit up straight.
9) Do not use your laptop while eating dinner. And don't ask for a table next to a power point you cheap bastard.
10) Please make your sever go through the specials only once, spread the word around your table of 20. We do not wish to repeat the long list of specials again and again and again ...........
11) Order clearly. Say what you want. Your waiter is not psychic. Clarify the order with the waiter who, if he's smart will repeat the order back to you. You do not want cow on your table when you ordered chicken and your waiter doesn't want to bring the wrong cow back to the kitchen to get screwed by the chef.
12) Don't order off the menu. There is a reason why the menu items are as it is. It doesn't mean that we sell tuna and rice, we can make you sushi. When you order and change things in the menu, you're forcing the chef into a situation where he's cooking something he doesn't make on a regular basis. In a restaurant kitchen, repetition is the key to consistency. You want your heart surgeon to have done ten thousand by passes before he cracks open your chest right? Same with a chef. If he makes the same entree ten thousand times a month, chances are the dish would be a home run every time he churns out one.
13) Reasonable menu changes are all right for food allergies. Don't lie and say that you have an allergy so that the chef will make something special just for you. You know who you are.
14) The secret to being treated like a regular customer? Be a regular customer. Everybody likes to have a favourite restaurant whereby the waiter knows his favourite drink and the owner makes a fuss over him. We all want a special place where we'll always get a good table or a last minute reservation. The problem is, most patrons think they're entitled to that level of fawning on their first visit to the restaurant. Wrong ! If you want to be treated like a regular customer, you have to patronize an establishment at least once or twice a month. And don't be an ass when you're dining with us.
15) Don't monopolize the waiter's time. Sure I'd like to talk with you, only if I have 5 waiters but only 2 tables in the restaurant. And please, call me over when you are ready to order. I don't want to stand by your table while your date is a clueless person who has no idea what he/she wants. I can always come back later.
16) Don't ask for seperate checks at the end of the meal. That's your problem. You should have told me earlier.
Most of the above mentioned are copied word for word from the book. But I've added little bits and pieces to them to make it easier to relate.
Working in the service industry, you get to meet people from different walks of life. It doesn't get dull and probably its the only reason why I'm still working in a restaurant part time.
Song of the moment - Somebody's Baby by Jackson Browne
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Randomness of stuff
It’s been a while. I’ve got no one to blame but myself for the lack of updates. Laziness. I do not deny. Some random stuff that happened through these few weeks.
Vulnerability of love
A good friend of mine pulled the plug on his relationship with his girlfriend of 5 years. All along, I’ve always thought their wedding would be the first amongst our group of friends that I’ll attend. Stability is the main reason for my assumption. The news came as a shock to me. I understand that every couple have their fair share of quarrels and disagreement. The solution is usually compromise. But the question is, to what extent would compromise work. Sooner or later, it wears down both parties. At that time, would their love for each other be able to hold the fort and stay strong? Apparently for this case, it crumbled under that pressure. I wouldn’t say that I’ve lost faith in love, but the scepticism of the existence of love that is able to withstand anything exists. This issue has stressed the beliefs I have for love as to oppose dogmatism.
Is love really that fragile?
On the other hand, another buddy of mine recently got attached. It was plastered all over his facebook and comments rolled in, mostly with the teasing and congratulatory messages. A simple picture of meehoon bought by your loved one, spells blissfulness and it gives you that warm fuzzy feeling.
Then the question comes again, will this feeling of happiness last and withstand the tireless test of time? Certainly, I wish both my brothers the best. Be it at the end or start of a relationship.
Love, is definitely complex, we love to hate it, and we hate to love it.
Remedial Training
I’ve completed a cycle of remedial training at Bedok camp. It is time wasting and tiring, but I’m just glad it is over. I really need to get back in shape.
Qing ming
Qing Ming is here again, once again, the area near my house is jammed up every weekend. A simple trip from Bishan back to home usually takes 5 minutes. But with the traffic, I need to make a turn through Shunfu, back to upper Thomson and finally back home. The new journey takes 20 minutes with all the jam.
Every Qing Ming, my estate suddenly becomes like a condo. We have policemen stationed at both exits of my estate and they double up like security guards. They endure the sweltering heat and the unforgiving rain. And every time I drive up to them, upon seeing the car decal I have up on my vehicle, a smile forms across their faces. Two thumbs up!
Teaching
I’ve recently stopped teaching two of my students, due to circumstances that I am unable to react to and carry on teaching. It has been two weeks already, still no news from their parent. To make things worse, it is their exams this week. Hopefully they’ve manage to pull through. I think I worry too much for them, I really have to learn to let go.
Kick Ass
Kick ass kicked ass! Awesome movie! With its slapstick humour and awesome action, it is really worth watching. Oh yeah, by the way Chloë Grace Moretz = Yummy !
Song of the moment – All the right moves by One Republic
Vulnerability of love
A good friend of mine pulled the plug on his relationship with his girlfriend of 5 years. All along, I’ve always thought their wedding would be the first amongst our group of friends that I’ll attend. Stability is the main reason for my assumption. The news came as a shock to me. I understand that every couple have their fair share of quarrels and disagreement. The solution is usually compromise. But the question is, to what extent would compromise work. Sooner or later, it wears down both parties. At that time, would their love for each other be able to hold the fort and stay strong? Apparently for this case, it crumbled under that pressure. I wouldn’t say that I’ve lost faith in love, but the scepticism of the existence of love that is able to withstand anything exists. This issue has stressed the beliefs I have for love as to oppose dogmatism.
Is love really that fragile?
On the other hand, another buddy of mine recently got attached. It was plastered all over his facebook and comments rolled in, mostly with the teasing and congratulatory messages. A simple picture of meehoon bought by your loved one, spells blissfulness and it gives you that warm fuzzy feeling.
Then the question comes again, will this feeling of happiness last and withstand the tireless test of time? Certainly, I wish both my brothers the best. Be it at the end or start of a relationship.
Love, is definitely complex, we love to hate it, and we hate to love it.
Remedial Training
I’ve completed a cycle of remedial training at Bedok camp. It is time wasting and tiring, but I’m just glad it is over. I really need to get back in shape.
Qing ming
Qing Ming is here again, once again, the area near my house is jammed up every weekend. A simple trip from Bishan back to home usually takes 5 minutes. But with the traffic, I need to make a turn through Shunfu, back to upper Thomson and finally back home. The new journey takes 20 minutes with all the jam.
Every Qing Ming, my estate suddenly becomes like a condo. We have policemen stationed at both exits of my estate and they double up like security guards. They endure the sweltering heat and the unforgiving rain. And every time I drive up to them, upon seeing the car decal I have up on my vehicle, a smile forms across their faces. Two thumbs up!
Teaching
I’ve recently stopped teaching two of my students, due to circumstances that I am unable to react to and carry on teaching. It has been two weeks already, still no news from their parent. To make things worse, it is their exams this week. Hopefully they’ve manage to pull through. I think I worry too much for them, I really have to learn to let go.
Kick Ass
Kick ass kicked ass! Awesome movie! With its slapstick humour and awesome action, it is really worth watching. Oh yeah, by the way Chloë Grace Moretz = Yummy !
Song of the moment – All the right moves by One Republic
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
阳光列车 II
Just watched finish 阳光列车 II these past few weeks.
寥敏妤 from 阳光列车 II is mad hot ! Wonder where she is now.
寥敏妤 from 阳光列车 II is mad hot ! Wonder where she is now.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
吳佩珊 - 爱的佳话
I'll be impressed if I can find a girl who is able to sing this song decently coz even Kimmy doesn't know how to sing this. I've liked this song ever since I've heard it years back. So ladies, lets go KTV and impress me ! haha
Friday, March 26, 2010
Finally
It was a bittersweet moment, nonchalant expressions, I think they were kinda expecting this moment to come. But it really has been a good run. Looking back at those times we spent together, it was all worth it.
I wish them all the best, stay healthy and work hard for your future !
Song of the moment - Volare by the Gypsy Kings
I wish them all the best, stay healthy and work hard for your future !
Song of the moment - Volare by the Gypsy Kings
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Life blows
Wednesday, 17th of March 2010. I took my IPPT. Massive failure. boo. Saturday would be the start of phase 2.
On the bright side, Chloe came by on saturday, just for a while. She smiled and called out to me. She's mad cute !
Sunday, had bball. Potential badminton session next sunday ! Went out with Kaili for routine Sunday movie. The Lovely Bones. She said she'd like to join badminton coming Sunday if schedule permits. Listen first, likely not to happen.
Movies with pork as usual, boring lifestyle. Nothing to look forward to.
Life blows man.
Song of the moment - All Along by Blessid Union of Souls
On the bright side, Chloe came by on saturday, just for a while. She smiled and called out to me. She's mad cute !
Sunday, had bball. Potential badminton session next sunday ! Went out with Kaili for routine Sunday movie. The Lovely Bones. She said she'd like to join badminton coming Sunday if schedule permits. Listen first, likely not to happen.
Movies with pork as usual, boring lifestyle. Nothing to look forward to.
Life blows man.
Song of the moment - All Along by Blessid Union of Souls
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Love
As i was sorting out my emails to my other account, I realised this one mail titled "Love". I opened it up and read the contents. I smiled. I wrote this back in the year 2005 or 2006. It seems a little silly back then to write this, but I thought of sharing it with you guys.
Here we go.
-"-
Love, what exactly is it? Love is complex and it has a lot of meanings to different people in different parts of this world.
Love is defined as a deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness.
Some people claim that love is blind, some people says love is the greatest thing on earth, while others says love hurts. I want to try to understand something that has baffled millions for years, to understand what love is.
True love means being happy to the person you love even if his/her happiness means that you are not a part of it. Definitely true as not many would be happy for their loved ones if the one they really love is some other. But still there are people who are contented just knowing that their loved ones are happy despite the fact that they really want to be with them.
Feelings for someone you love can be strange; it can affect moods, your lifestyle, and lead from one thing to another. For example, having your loved one running through your mind all night, hard as you might try to get some sleep, you just can’t. Tempted as you might be to give her a call, you just don’t have the courage to. Wanting to tell her how much you miss her lately, the way you are missing her now. That pain of suppressing your feelings within you not able to let anything out is like millions of needles pricking on your flesh, torturing you a painful death. Love in this sense hurts. Terrified, human beings start fearing love. “I was afraid to love you, now that I love you, I’m afraid to lose you”.
We tend to see the dull side of things. Causing our boldness and courage to falter, we lose faith in ourselves and finally give up on love. Not only that, would the person you love, love you back in the same way and leave everything behind for love? Questions like this hold us back from us expressing our love to one another.
“I love you” is not just a saying or just words, it is sentence of hope and trust and love. It fills the giver and receiver of this sentence with happiness and joy.
I’ve read it somewhere saying It is probably not love that makes the world go around, but rather those mutually supportive alliances through which partners recognize their dependence on each other for the achievement of shared and private goals.
What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.
I guess love makes the world seem brighter, flowers smell sweeter and your whole world is surrounded in their beauty. Love is indeed great :D
-"-
Awesome stuff isn't it ? haha. It brings back memories.
Song of the moment - Through the Fire by Renee Olstead
Here we go.
-"-
Love, what exactly is it? Love is complex and it has a lot of meanings to different people in different parts of this world.
Love is defined as a deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward a person, such as that arising from kinship, recognition of attractive qualities, or a sense of underlying oneness.
Some people claim that love is blind, some people says love is the greatest thing on earth, while others says love hurts. I want to try to understand something that has baffled millions for years, to understand what love is.
True love means being happy to the person you love even if his/her happiness means that you are not a part of it. Definitely true as not many would be happy for their loved ones if the one they really love is some other. But still there are people who are contented just knowing that their loved ones are happy despite the fact that they really want to be with them.
Feelings for someone you love can be strange; it can affect moods, your lifestyle, and lead from one thing to another. For example, having your loved one running through your mind all night, hard as you might try to get some sleep, you just can’t. Tempted as you might be to give her a call, you just don’t have the courage to. Wanting to tell her how much you miss her lately, the way you are missing her now. That pain of suppressing your feelings within you not able to let anything out is like millions of needles pricking on your flesh, torturing you a painful death. Love in this sense hurts. Terrified, human beings start fearing love. “I was afraid to love you, now that I love you, I’m afraid to lose you”.
We tend to see the dull side of things. Causing our boldness and courage to falter, we lose faith in ourselves and finally give up on love. Not only that, would the person you love, love you back in the same way and leave everything behind for love? Questions like this hold us back from us expressing our love to one another.
“I love you” is not just a saying or just words, it is sentence of hope and trust and love. It fills the giver and receiver of this sentence with happiness and joy.
I’ve read it somewhere saying It is probably not love that makes the world go around, but rather those mutually supportive alliances through which partners recognize their dependence on each other for the achievement of shared and private goals.
What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.
I guess love makes the world seem brighter, flowers smell sweeter and your whole world is surrounded in their beauty. Love is indeed great :D
-"-
Awesome stuff isn't it ? haha. It brings back memories.
Song of the moment - Through the Fire by Renee Olstead
Saturday, March 13, 2010
End of short trip
Back from Malaysia trip. Sunburnt. Got the flu. It seems pretty screwed up but overall, i had fun. Lots of good food. Very very packed schedule. Most importantly, Won moolah on the tables ! My entire trip was covered by the tables. Awesome !
Suffering from post travel blues now :(
I need another holiday.
Song of the moment - The man who can't be moved by The Script
Suffering from post travel blues now :(
I need another holiday.
Song of the moment - The man who can't be moved by The Script
Sunday, March 7, 2010
The week before Awesomeness
It has been a long week and finally I'm at the last day ! Will be in Malaysia from 8th till 10th March 2010 for a short break. Can't wait !
I've been teaching, teaching and teaching the whole week, not to mention the dreadful Remedial Trainings at Bedok Camp. Well at least there was angle to accompany me through the time-wasting RT sessions.
Went back to work on Saturday, Sui sing didn't turn up, ended up with me, saiful and andrew enduring a "very" busy breakfast period. I saw her again, that cute cute little girl who turns up punctually every saturday for a meal. I gave her 2 wafers on the house today :D she was estatic ! I never got the chance to ask her for her name. I'll ask her next week i guess.
Another cute girl came to order a cake for collection next week. I was telling her what kind of flavours would be a good combination and she was pretty scared of me at first. But ice cream works magic. I gave her a spoonful of sample of her to-be cake and she smiled immediately. Superbly cute !
Her name is Zoe, she'll be nine next saturday :D
Work finished off pretty fast, I rushed home and took a cab down to Bedok for saturday's session of RT. Slacked through the whole thing and rushed home to change before meeting up with pork at Novena before heading to Chinatown to meet Jason and Ying Hui.
It was my first time at the "$10" KTV at smith street. Ying Hui had some friends over. Some guys and a girl. Apparently we played bball with some of the guys before ! How small the world has become. Anywho, KTV was pretty fun, and the damage total was $22.60
By the way, Ying Hui has a nice voice, so does her friend Harmony. And the guys there were all good singers. Was kind of pressured by their voices. I think I miss the days where we'd go to Dockside for drinks and KTV !!! A little booze goes a long way I guess :D
Jason drove us all back. It was pretty awesome to not drive for a change :D
I'll be teaching again tomorrow, a make up lesson for next week. Hopefully it doesn't get cancelled.
After tomorrow ! HOLIDAY !!!
Awesome !
Song of the moment - Doctor! Doctor! by Thomson Twins
I've been teaching, teaching and teaching the whole week, not to mention the dreadful Remedial Trainings at Bedok Camp. Well at least there was angle to accompany me through the time-wasting RT sessions.
Went back to work on Saturday, Sui sing didn't turn up, ended up with me, saiful and andrew enduring a "very" busy breakfast period. I saw her again, that cute cute little girl who turns up punctually every saturday for a meal. I gave her 2 wafers on the house today :D she was estatic ! I never got the chance to ask her for her name. I'll ask her next week i guess.
Another cute girl came to order a cake for collection next week. I was telling her what kind of flavours would be a good combination and she was pretty scared of me at first. But ice cream works magic. I gave her a spoonful of sample of her to-be cake and she smiled immediately. Superbly cute !
Her name is Zoe, she'll be nine next saturday :D
Work finished off pretty fast, I rushed home and took a cab down to Bedok for saturday's session of RT. Slacked through the whole thing and rushed home to change before meeting up with pork at Novena before heading to Chinatown to meet Jason and Ying Hui.
It was my first time at the "$10" KTV at smith street. Ying Hui had some friends over. Some guys and a girl. Apparently we played bball with some of the guys before ! How small the world has become. Anywho, KTV was pretty fun, and the damage total was $22.60
By the way, Ying Hui has a nice voice, so does her friend Harmony. And the guys there were all good singers. Was kind of pressured by their voices. I think I miss the days where we'd go to Dockside for drinks and KTV !!! A little booze goes a long way I guess :D
Jason drove us all back. It was pretty awesome to not drive for a change :D
I'll be teaching again tomorrow, a make up lesson for next week. Hopefully it doesn't get cancelled.
After tomorrow ! HOLIDAY !!!
Awesome !
Song of the moment - Doctor! Doctor! by Thomson Twins
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