So, long time since I've updated on my personal well being. Despite all the craziness I managed to graduate. Supposed to have alot to say but I kind of learnt the meaning of "letting go". Well, I'll only write what I can remember.
Starting weird with a convo message
"Hmm... Wanted to write some kind of gratitude message/expression. But too much to say. Over de past four years, UTAR and the circumstances around me has enable or rather made me to adapt to situations. Would always rmb wat UTAR has done to me. Even when I was desperate and asking for help but no one was there, and yes maybe I wasn't good enough or deserving. But I was very thankful to have met the people I know (you know who you are). Those who taught me there's no such thing as the end of the world, there's always a way, although it's not the best possible way, (even though you know you shud think positively, it's not such an easy thing to do) and those who were there when I was at my weakest / the brink of a breakdown. I would say that thru all those ups and downs is how i learnt to go thru shit and still be here today and I'm glad I'm through one stage of my life. Now moving on to the next. Starting from ground zero again. Hoping after the next 4 years, things would somehow be diff. And when u see me, you would see a diff me. A happier me.. And to those out there, keep fighting and never give up..."
Rewinding back to when I finished my last paper. The feeling was like.. Shit I just screwed that last paper but then its the last paper. You get what I mean? Haha... So, what shit can you do? We ended up going for a relaxing dinner and karaoke afterwards. It's like when you were studying you wanted to finish studying so bad. But when you realize your studying part is about to finish and you are stepping into the working world, where you can't be late and be right at the same time, there will be less people who will give in to the nonsense you normally do and you won't be able to see your friends and hang out that often anymore. Practically, the world feels like it's ending.
Fast forward, packing and passing over key to new tenant which kinda suck a little. But then, I'm never gonna see him again so... Then, it was facing reality again. My first official job search. Like no one will be treating you as an intern anymore kinda search. I was like on constant nag that if I don't get a decent job I'm gonna suffer and everything. I was kinda blur cause as a fresh grad you totally have no idea where to start. But guess what, I kinda did try out finding something closer to what I like eg: 8tv, Mindshare/GroupM (link here). For full story, just read the post. Like I kinda tried but the pay kinda sucks too much given its in KL and what am I gonna have left to eat and survive. Besides, the crazy episodes that happened like I don't possess the necessary skills and bla bla bla. Then, I kinda got a job with the company which I interned and got a pretty decent pay but given the job nature not sure if I can manage my stress level in the future.
Fast forward even more is the day when I got the offer. And I was kinda freaking shocked when they told me that I'm starting on Sept. I was like werrrrttttt..... That's like so freaking far away. All my friends have already been working and I'm left alone. But after calming down, I kinda realise it's a pretty good deal. Cause, I have to attend my convo in Aug and I needed to save some money for deposit before I go to KL. So, it turned out pretty well for me I think. Like God kinda gave me some road to continue my life. So with everything settled, what was I gonna do for the next 2 months before my official commencement? I was super lazy as usual if you actually follow my story. I'm not the type that likes part timing alot. So, I was kinda nagged into finding a job. Anything was preferable it seems. Just a job. So, I started finding jobs in De Garden since the human flow there is less and all, but to my disappointment, they were not hiring. Such shitty feeling it was. Both DIY and Chatime.
I even went back to Chatime twice and I didn't want to go to Jusco cause I know the human flow there is like crazy. I din even try otehr shops in Jusco, maybe I did try Coffee Bean but they said they only accept 3 months and above soooo... I had no choice to go and ask Chatime in JJ. The whole reason I was looking at Chatime was I tot there was less work as compared to a restaurant cause I've worked in Boston and Sushi King before and it ain't no joke. Waiters are like the do-everything person. Anyways, I was offered the job immediately and started 2 days later. Maybe it was due to their lack of personnel and I had experience. Haha...
This pic here I found on the official facebook page of
My first day, I was not given a uniform at all. And I was to be the cashier on my very first day. I was like "seriously"??? But then I did it anyways. Just slower that's all. And oh ya please dun be fooled by the poster below. It practically means do everything. So don't bother having a title.
The first few weeks I was seriously considering of quitting cause you just feel like why do I have to stay there and get scold like one stupid cow for some stupid things that doesn't really matter. The supervisor was mean like even meaner than me. And she's a TB. (but later I realised all her doings was due to upper management and their crazy thoughts)
Well, let me just tell you some of the things that you'll need to do. Firstly is of course the cashier part.
1. Smile. (like nobody knows, but then I was really pissed the few first weeks, my face was like charcoal)
2. Say “欢迎光临” (loudly, like super loud and to every single customer in regards to race and religion, most people think I'm saying morning, soooo...)
3. Ask for member card. (apparently a must do thing but if they have one they'll give you right and if there's like 10 person behind, I'll usually skip this)
4. Let the customer order.
5. Ask for LARGE? (never mention the word regular or 小), and say it's only a difference of RM1 (a tactic apparently, which a customer like me won't bother of course)
6. Rmb ask for toppings (most people have no idea what is dat, and sometimes when I mention the word pearl, ppl totally says no , but its a yes sometimes, very weird)
6. Check sugar and ice level (which I would usually skip if there is 10 person behind and besides, people would say if they want it rite? So, I don't understand)
7. Lastly, please repeat the order by looking at the customer. (how on earth are you gonna do dat? the list is on the screen..)
8. Then, say the total amount, receive how much and how much you give back. And of course thank you.
And please prepare to do this in multi languages and the worst part is guessing the language to speak in. I once spoke Malay to a chinese guy who is very very dark. hahaha... In which I speak Malay more than English and Chinese. Seriously..... if u get what I mean.
And also prepare for those who have no idea what Chatime is and is first time buying ... (seriously recommending chatime to make mineral water, so many people asking, why they so lazy go inside jusco and buy, so easy nia...tsk tsk tsk)
And, oh ya, if you think your job is finished, the cashier apparently have to do the topping part too. And it's not as easy as you think it is.
There's the first dot and second dot. Most customers are kinda fooled by their creative naming and pricing. But if you look closely at their menu rite, you would notice some drinks without toppings are actually same as those with toppings if you add on the toppings. Most toppings would be only till the first dot but those drinks with grass jelly and aiyu in the name would have topping till the 2nd dot. Funny thing is, if you add on grass jellly and aiyu to other drinks, you only get one dot. That is the only difference I see in pricing, if not, mostly the others are practically the same. But nobody really cares actually. The hard part for newbies would be to estimate the quantity for regular cups and large cups. Cause the scoop is kinda not very standard. So, I would say as you go on, it becomes better.
And the sticking the sticker part. Just like the picture above it has to be above the chatime word and has to be straight. If there is like super many people, seriously sometimes, who cares really? But, you still have to follow the rules. Then, you gotta hand it over to the shaker person and make sure the stickers face them. Apparently to save time. So.... And after all that only are you free to take on the next customer. Very long winded rite? But it's the first thing you gotta master before they let you touch other things, so... you really gotta have patience and a big heart cause you are bound to be making lots of mistakes before getting things rite and mistakes means more scolding..
And after the cashier part, you move on to the hard work aka kitchen. You gotta memorize ways to cook tea and the raw materials eg pearls, grass jelly, pudding and aiyu. The tea part kinda easy, cause just numbers you need to memorize to press on the machine. The hardest part is I think pearls, cause it takes so long (1 hour 30 min , fastest). And they can't like cook in batches. The most they cook is only 1 bag of pearls which is like 3kg and that's only like half the pot.
Don't wanna bore you more with technicalities and operations, so move on to the sending out part. Just have to wait till all the drinks from the same receipt is done then only you can send drinks out. The boss is kinda stingy like he's hiding all their straws and if you're a customer, don't bother asking for a plastic bag, cause you'll only get one answer, "plastic bag finish already". Hahahaha... And the frequent customer would ask me, "every week I come, every week also you say plastic bag finish", laugh die mee.... hahahaha..
After the kitchen duties and the PIC thinks you're ready, you would only learn to do blended drinks and lastly only you will be doing shaker drinks. Too much details, I kinda shorten out alot.
See the 2 cards above. The left one is the old version and the right one is the new version. Because there was a new card, we were given one week to finish selling off the old cards. Well, personally I don't think there's any harm to getting a chatime card since you don't need to renew one. Let me lay out the points I tell the customers.
1. Pay RM 10 and get a RM5.90 drink for free.
2. No annual fees. Free lifetime.
3. Get a RM5.90 drink on your birthday month.
4. Every thursday, 3-6pm, enjoy second cup at RM1.
5. Collect points at participating outlets of BCARD.
So, get one soon. It's kinda like how Watsons staff keep asking you to upgrade your card and says that there's a promotion when I've been hearing the same thing since last year. LOL... No harm doing it.
I also managed to sell off the last 2 bottles of our branch.
And this very problematic groupon. Never state so many things. And given my experience, I knew it's never too good to be true. When upper management said that only one groupon per receipt is acceptable, on the spot, I knew they were trying to earn more. Because most drinks in chatime dun add up to RM 10, so there must be an extra. Most Ipoh-ians of course accepted the fact since all branches in Ipoh have the same boss and thus of course the same order. Then, one day came an Indian customer who is not exactly local. He showed me several groupons and when I told him that only one groupon was to be accepted for one receipt, he went total berserk on me and say that he could do that in KL and why not here and I was just standing there telling him calmly there's nothing I could do. And deep down I know the uncle was right. He just kept demanding for the manager's number and I just ask a more senior guy for the number.
When the uncle finally decided to use the groupon on a 7.90 drink (which i think is no loss to him) the phone scan thingy was not working. So he told me to call him when it's working again. Few minutes passed by and the senior guy asked the supervisor and she said 3 can be accepted per receipt. I was like... Can't you tell that earlier? The uncle was like okayyy.... I of course was okay.
And oh, there was this quality inspection team that's supposed to check the quality of the branch and all. Weirdly, they tell you the time they're coming. LOL... what's the point then?
Despite all these, I kinda like working there as time passed by. I have no idea why cause I wanted to leave so badly in the first place. All the crazy things that happened were due to the stingy-ness of the boss. I dun think I even got my tips.. Nyways, its business, of course I know what they're trying to do. At least they dun leave their tea overnight and all. And they're now trying to solve human resource problems by hiring foreign workers. The 2 I've worked with are actually pretty decent people, hardworking too. The only think they can't do is communicate with customers. Well, maybe few years from now they'll learn. And the farny thing I discovered is, these Nepalese workers speak english and have zero idea about Malay. And I keep talking to them in Malay. Hahahaha....
So, now the future. My only problem now is to find a nice room in Taman Paramount and is close to the LRT and has food stores nearby. Other worries include what would I be doing in my future job? Can I solve my family's financial problems in the short term? Will I be able to buy things I like without thinking much? Will I be able to do the things I like? Will I be able to help those who were like me? Will I be able to finally travel?
All these is so much and I can only pray for the best. All for now... XOXO....
Disclaimer: all photos from google. no copyrights infrigement intended