hi everyone...
i'm glad to say that i'm feeling better.
I was sad wen i didnt get chosen for TBG.. i really really wanted it.
and it was worse wen i knew that i could have done better then those who were picked.
i'm happy for them. don get me wrong. =)
the bad feelings i have only aplly on myself...
i was angry and disspointed with myself. yep..


Anywaes, from now on...
i'll just work hard on improving..
i wanna surpass some of the ppl i know in dance.
and i will... =)


i suddenly don feel like doing any more performances..
i just wanna go up to my mountain and train..
wen i'm ready, i'll be back competing for the spots.
and i hope to be on the top of gin's list of who's gonna be performing.

thanx ppl for your concern.
i'm just so happy tt i ddon have any bastard frens in dance =)
they're all so nice.


went for kate's class yesterday..
hehehe.
got picked out as the final few to dance.
felt good...

i also found out that kate and gin are like going to US together in may?!?!!
wa lao...
i wanna go!
one is my idol...
the other is my instructor. =(


oh wells.
tts all for noww. =)

=)

And we went to see the australian caves...more rainbows =)

And finally, we arrived at Canberra, capital of Austrlia...

This is in their parliment house...

come to think of it i've nv visited singapore's one! -.-i was damn bored can...

didnt understand all the political stuff... dunno wat wing wat wing... if you work in this wing annot go tt wing... complicated mann..

The australian war memorial...

i was kinda hurt wen i saw 2 plates without name carvings... but on the headings were " Afghanistan War' And "Iraqi War"... damnn. i dunno wat to say.. There was quit abit of the word singapore appearing in their displays... this was cos the australians played a part in trying to defend us... there was one corner which specially described the happenings in Singapore.. yea..

war brings nothing but pain and loss. stop all the war!!!

To be continued... =)

i've got most of my answers..
thanx to those who helped answer them..=)


i couldnt slp last nite...
i guess i slept at 6?


some answers... i really ddint expect
some answers... cut me like shit
but all answers... helped me understand me.


i've summoned all my courage to stop procastinating...


although many things i might still not understand.
i guess it all takes time..


for the time being let the wounds heal.
and after i'll be ready for more cuts.


joyce said pain makes people survive...
i guess its true..

the fish market... only here you get the freshest seafood!!

the LOBSTER and PRAWNS were awesome. sweet and crunchy!!!!!!

the opera house at sydney habour... look at the colous of the sky!!!!

i bet you've never seen a clearer rainbow! oh.. and we saw the entire semi circle.. this was just part of it...

you don get to see such beautiful sceneries in singapore yea?

but let me tell you wat.

in singapore you can get GOOD FOOD that they don have!

i'm serious. their whole life is about fish and chips and burgers. EEWW!

HI! I'M BACK=)
home sweet home...
its hard to explain the feeling wen you touch down on singapore...
its like "ahhh...." the soft one. the kinda sound you make after you've finished a good meal...

i've done so mny things in this 2 weeks.
been to so many places...
i wont be able to blog finish in one post..
yep.
every trip i go... i learn some thing new.
i've upgraded from a passenger to a navigator!
next time can go holiday with no worries. as long as you've got a map. you're never lost. just temporarily out of place at times. *grins


been doing lots of thinking...
need answers to many things...
but i still cant seem to answer any of them..
yea...

i went to NRA'S fantazia.
dope shit.
there were the good and the bad...
i'll learn from it..=)
their turns are dope.
cool choreo + concept. =))
lil messy sometimes.
and the energy level didnt increasing consistently.
but eh end was DOPE SHIT.
so who cares!
just enjoy!! =D

* cheers to melise! you did well =)


talked to joyce during our long trip to NP.
yea. loads of stuff happening in dance huh...
and ppl arent happy...
after hearing, my heart sank.
why did dance become such a vexing place?


i'm finding difficulties picking up from where i left.
some times.. i regret going to aus, especially wen so many things happen while you were gone.
i;ve yet to return to the studio... i guess its not goinna feel like last time. =(

on the other side. i glad i know why she got her position.
she was actually the third choice.
relieved. ppl do know.


i need answers.

WA. so mannnyyyy tags.
haha
i was shocked.

i finally got good internet access!
i'm doing good in aus. now i canberra=)
i spent the entire afternoon today at the Australian war memorial museum.
damn.. i didnt know we could get so carried away...
i guess cos my dad and i are like history freaks. heh.=P


i'll be heading to melbourne tmr.
On the way we'll be going to snowy mountain.
its gonna be cold.


i saw tpde's blog.
YOU GUYS HAD TRAINING!!!!
WITHOUT ME!!!
=(
so envious...
my feet gets itching now and then. cant dance -.-
i've been thinking alot too..
why i didnt get chosen to do jam n' hop...
why cant i be in their list of choices??

some times.. wen you dont know wat you dont know... you really don know how to move on from there...it feels unfair. and tt no one is there to help you.. even those who know... they arent keen on helping cos no one has told me anything..


FUCK!.


i wanna enjoy my holiday!!!
go away! stupid problems...

i'm going to slp now.
tmr will be a fun day..
SNOW!. i like =)

YEA BABEH. i feel good...
haha... why? cos i finally wrote in to stomp about the sucky subway.

here's the article...
tag me. tell me how you feel about it! =)
i can always edit and send another one. I DON MIND. hahahahaahahahA!



Doubts persist despite governments’ consistent urge on good service. So whose fault is it?


On the 29th of April, at about 9 pm, my friends and I went to east coast subway for dinner. We were in a large group of about 15 people. Subway was our choice because it was most empty and had enough seats for all of us.

We joined the tables together and waited for 3 others friends to arrive before heading to buy dinner together. Suddenly, our cheerful conversation was abruptly interrupted by one of the employees. She had tan skin, was skinny with a boyish hair cut in her mid twenties. She said “excuse me. If you guys want to sit on MY table, you buy MY food. Don’t sit on MY table if you are not eating MY food.” Then she walked back into the stall. It took us some time before we recovered from the shock. Anger started to set in as we realized what bad service attitude that was. Moreover many of us were studying business courses and had learnt the basic service criteria. However, one of our friends (boy A) said we should let it go. He initiated by going in the buy a large coke and a subway cookie. The few of us had decided not to eat subway because the attitude was terrible while the rest decided to continue waiting for the rest to arrive before buying.

Minutes later another employee approached us saying that we are not allowed to join the tables. We were taken aback, as well as bewildered. We asked her for the reason why we couldn’t join the tables. She said “you can’t.” We looked around to see if we had obstructed a walk way or was taking up other customers’ seats, but we were not. Later we reasoned with her that we would like to seat together to have dinner and that we had not obstructed the way or have we taken up another customers’ seat. She replied that her boss said we are not to join the tables. Appalled by attitude Boy A requested that the boss come see us. The employee shouted back at my friend and accused my friend of treating her boss as a dog who can be ordered to see him. The conflict got heated up especially because my friend, boy A studies HTM (hospitality and tourism management) and was extremely upset by their service standards. He was determined to settle the argument.

He walked into subway where the employer stood. The argument started. It was extremely disappointing when I saw the employers’ gestures to my friend. She pointed at him throughout out the conversation until a friend told her to stop. She raised her voice at him countless times and also reprimanded him of being unreasonable and immature. That is no way to treat a customer. Even an idiot would know that.

How we judge service is based on 5 factors. They are tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy.
In the few aspects of responsiveness, reliability and empathy, she has failed badly already. If a service provider were to see their customer in a big group, he or see should offer their assistance to arrange the tables together so that the customer will be happy and they will be able to arrange it in such a way other customers will not be affected, and the walk way is not obstructed. Not only did she not assist us in putting the tables together, she did not give us an acceptable reason as why we cannot join the tables. Thus, she has failed in responsiveness. When she said that if we wanted to sit on her table we had to buy her food, and so we did, however, later during the argument she accused us of being unreasonable for buying a drink to let 15 people sit on her tables. For that she was not reliable in what she said. Once again she has failed. Lastly, empathy. The fact that she did not attend or show care to our special needs (wanting to sit together as a group) tells us how much empathy she has.


After arguing for some time, the stall manager decided to mediate the conflict. We found out that she was not a boss. She was in fact only a floor manager. Her employer who was an Indian woman in her late thirties came over to understand our situation. We imparted on her our experience as a customer at her stall. She explained to us that her employee was indeed in the wrong and could have acted this way because of her past experiences where people come to vandalize the tables and chairs. That made us angry because it showed us that they were stereotyping their customers. Them being selective of their customer is something which was very wrong. The stall manager then told us that they lady who had quarreled with us was their best employee. She said that she could have had a bad day and thus displayed such unruly behavior. However, another friend, Boy B said’ whatever happens inside your stall is none of our business. We are your customers we ought to be treated correctly. What we are saying here is that your service attitude is atrocious and that’s all, full stop. We do not need to here an explanation from you; we just need to here and apology from her. What happens internally must never be carried forward to a customer.” Boy A then continued “So if we are having a bad day now, is it right for us to vent our anger on your staff?”


No doubt the stall manager apologized to us several times, and we are appreciative of that. However, the ultimate objective of a service encounter must be to achieve the satisfaction of the customer. Service providers should know that research has shown that it costs 5 times less to keep an exiting customer than attracting a new one. 2 out of 3 customers leave the service organizations because of service reasons. Had they not have the word Subway above their heads, they would have closed down long time ago.

The Subway experience has left us awe-struck of how much service standards have improved since the government started urging its people about good service attitude. It also reflects how the organization’s attitude about choosing their employees. What happened to GEMS ( going the extra miles)? Was this all just a mass media movement or was it there to create awareness and improve our service standards? People might say that was just one subway outlet, and a few particular staff. But the real thing is people tend to remember bad incidents and negative experiences. Imagine if we were tourist and had just experience the conflict at subway. What would people think of Singapore’s service standards? More over Singapore is moving into the M.I.C.E industry, and has spent a lot of time and money on building good relations as well as organizations such as SECB. Are we really up to it yet? Will we tarnish our reputation because of these few outlets? I fear the uniquely Singapore experiences people might get are disappointment and unhappiness just because of some black sheeps.

From many extremely unsatisfied customers.