Doing Honest Business

Hmm. As the previous thread (comments) goes on, it may sound as if I am pretty stringy about paying the extra. HAHAHA :) But I am all for consumer benefit, of course I dun mean for businesses to lose money and close down. I just dun like businesses that is out to take advantage of the situation of festive season to raise price. I like to bring my business ($$$) to honest businesses.

Sorry, but i decided to reply the comments of the previous blog here, rather than at the comments because this may ended up long. :P I have reflected on qa' comments and I try not to justify my arguement and am pleased to have feedback.

qa mentioned:
"Why don't you complain about others who reduce the price of their goods sharply hours before the new year - it is not fair to others who have bought earlier or doesn't it means that the earlier prices are too high."

I do complain - What does it shows here? It is a sign of consumers reaction to the unhealthy practice of the businessmen at Chinatown by not buying and wait till the eve night to make their purchase when the price drops. Those who bought earlier I felt unjust for you but they have made their decision and choice so there is nothing to say.

Let's have a positive example here. I have found it in this malaysia shop call SEASONS. (I do not get any benefit out of this, just making comparsion and learning from each other. I only benefit from the cookies I bought from them. HAHAHA.) They launched their cookies more than a month ago (end dec 2005), selling at RM24.80 per tin. However, I made a trip to SEASONS on the eve, thinking they may drop price, but I was wrong again.(I did this twice, last year and this) Even though they left a few tins left but the price still hold at RM24.80, they were starting to pack those leftovers. My salute to them. They have kept true to their consumers by refusing to drop price even if they have to discard tins of good food, but anyway it is really abit left like 6 pieces of 1kilograms of "thousand layer" cakes and a few cartons of tins of cookies.

What can we learn from this? If I can sell 1 tin at $11 to make profit, why should I price it at $20, then wait till eve to drop price? Then I have betrayed (cheated) my consumers, who believe that they have bought $20 value of goods when it is only $11. I want to build consumer loyalty, as the marketing theory says:" It is more expensive to win a customer, then to keep a customer." which is proved true many times. I will end up spending more money doing a marketing strategy like advertising, to win customers, then evaluate my ROI (Returns On Investment) to see if the marketing strategy is successful.

Let me sidetrack a little. I have friends, who have stalls in Chinatown last time. They all complained that they do not make much, because of high stall rental and high competition. One of the reason why they drop price is because packing up also cost money, so they will rather drop price to sell (sad to say sometimes at a loss) They have to spend money to transport the food stuff away to warehouse or to dispose, which also cost money.

So like SEASONS, they have priced their cookies correctly and sold most of their goods, made the profit and on the eve, they are not even desperate to make sales. Workers are happy that they can pack up and go home early too.

qa said:
"Why begrudge the workers or MZX for earning a little more bonus during this period. "

Now, I have nothing against workers making extra money during this period. I am happy that they get their extra money because they really deserved it and work hard for it. I am just upset that the extra cost to the company have been passed to consumers like you and me, who only make a meagre living. Sad hah?

MEI ZHEN XIANG SUCKS!!!!! BIG TIME!!!!

Can you believe that a company ( MEI ZHEN XIANG) with business in two countries sell the same stuff at different price??????!!!!!!!!

Sorry to those who do not know what is MEI ZEHN XIANG, I could find the company website to get a picture of its logo. But it is the one sell BBQ slice pork(refered to as bakua at times).

Trying my luck in JB, sad to say it is more affordable there, rm60 per kilograms of slice pork. That works out to about S$27 per kilograms. :) (Sly smile) I decided to try my luck. Well done to the Immigration people, I was discovered on my little smuggling bakua mission. ARGH!!!!! And there goes my 1.6 kilograms of bakua into the dustbin. Wife felt heartache coz about S$42 goes to waste because she could have bought two FUTURE STATE tops with that kind of money. LOL HAHAHA!!! I just felt too bad. But strange that the officer will throw the confiscated stuff in a dustbin outside the custom. SO am I suppose to sneak back to pick up my stuff after he is gone?????? ANyone, please advise?????? I heard the dustbin is really empty because it hit the bottom so either Singaporeans are really good and not test the system, or they really went back to pick it up. HMM.......... But the dustbin is really high and impossible to just bend over to pick it up. One will have to overturn the dustbin to get it out. HMM........... Wonder if the cleaners will feast on the food stuff. HMM....... Maybe should have called my cousin in the Immigration. :P

AS the BBQ pork is suppose to be New Year gifts for my in-laws, so no choice I am subjected to slaughter by the MEI ZHEN XIANG here. So we rushed to the MEI ZHEN XIANG at Causeway point. WHAT THE HELL!!!!! Can you imagine how ridicious the price is? LAst week was $38 per kilograms and last night was $44 per kilograms!!!!! Can we complain to CASE? I am a member of CASE. How can a company raise price like this!!!!! And on what basis do they raise price!!!! Then they will argue the demand and supply curve, like in the Economics class. And we, poor consumers, are suppose to accept the shit that they impose on us? ARGH!! as it is for the in-laws, no choice.

Just as my previous blog on other companies and their silly system, joining the 40 people long quene made me realise that the quene is not moving. And there is this silly staff going to everyone, asking:" What will you like to order? The price is (so ridiciously high, sorry I added this. LOL) $44 per kilograms, blar blar blar" Then hand out a slip of the order form, please take note that all order forms have a number and a part which we hang on after we give our order form. Then I think wow what if they can take the order, I pay first, they can take their own sweet time to pack the stuff, I can come back like 1 or 2 hours later to collect, wouldn't it be great? Then the staff gave bullshit like "oh, there is no such a system. We cannot have the foodstuff stack up." Then what is the point of giving the order form when at the end of the day, I still have to quene all the way to the counter to tell the joker at the counter what I want and stupidly quene to the cashier to pay while they struggle to pack??????

First, They are wasting my time standing there like a dumb fool.

Second, They are wasting paper giving out order form when I can just tell the fellow at the counter.

Third, if I pay for the goods and I did not go and collect my stuff, then it is my loss, not their loss, because the goods are already being paid for.

Fourth, There is no consideration for the elderly and children at the quene, making them stand there for hours to quene. Talk about customer service??? It has gone down the drain. Oh I forgot there is no drain in the shopping centre. LOL

Fifth, they are not a fast food chain, it is not as if I can collect my stuff immediately after I made my order. They need time to pack the BBQ pork in some oil absorbing paper etc.

Same again, companies fail to learn good practices from other companies, so ended up having to re-invent the wheel. They could have a counter to take orders and at the same time, customers can make payment. Due to the crowd, they could have asked the customer to return mayb 30 minutes later to collect the goods, which is time better spend doing other shopping, then waiting. Then orders that are prepared, the staff can just the number on a whiteboard (because investing in a electronic board is not cost effective if this is one of the few period when there is large consumer demand. And the order number is already existing, printed on the order form, so no major reforms needed.) Customers can collect their goods at another counter quickly once they see their number on the whiteboard, which is easily erased once goods are collected.

I heard this in this movie called Emperor's Club :" The drunk can be sober. The grambler can stop grambling...... But there is no cure for stupidity." True.

Couple Problem Management

"There is a million reasons to break up, but only one reason is stay together: LOVE."

It has been years since I said that to my wife, who was my girlfriend then, during a rough patch. All that talk about person A has reminded me about it. How true it is. During an arguement, we are always looking at the problem, but not looking at the big picture that we have loved each other. In a christian dating book, it describe the relationship between GOD, man and wife as a triangle. If man can seek GOD and move towards GOD and wife does the same, then the distance between man and wife will be closer. Few things I learned from another book called, " Power of a praying husband" is dun try to tolerated each other, sometimes we have to say it out early to avoid the heated situation, where "I cannot stand it anymore". Does that sound familar? Another thing is instead of keep saying "I cannot stand this about you or I cannot stand that about you or Why can't you ______?", PRAY and ask GOD to change me first to overlook this, then change the other party. Always speak in love to each other, never in anger. If angry, go to the secret place (meaning your prayer room, not shopping centre) to pray and ask GOD to take away the anger first, change me, then change him. Only talk to my wife when the peace of GOD is with me.

Recently, a friend mentioned that love is an emotion thing. My point of view? Love is not an emotion thing, why?

God said:"If you love me, you will keep my commendments." meaning work or action must be taken when we love God. Another way of looking at it is because of love, we act inline with our love.

Another common used verse below shows God acting out of His love.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son....." God's love has caused Him to give His Son to pay for own sins with His blood.

It is like the faith and works issue that many Christians have argued over.(whether we are saved by faith or works.)

Those who say we are saved by faith, will quote:

27Then what becomes of [our] pride and [our] boasting? It is excluded (banished, ruled out entirely). On what principle? [On the principle] of doing good deeds? No, but on the principle of faith.
28For we hold that a man is justified and made upright by faith independent of and distinctly apart from good deeds (works of the Law). [The observance of the Law has nothing to do with justification.]

Romans 3:27-29 (Amplified Bible)

5But to one who, not working [by the Law], trusts (believes fully) in Him Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited to him as righteousness (the standing acceptable to God).

Romans 4:5 (Amplified Bible)

There are other verses too. :)

The other party saying saved by works say:

15If a brother or sister is poorly clad and lacks food for each day,

16And one of you says to him, Good-bye! Keep [yourself] warm and well fed, without giving him the necessities for the body, what good does that do?

17So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead).

James 2:15-17 (Amplified Bible)

18But someone will say [to you then], You [say you] have faith, and I have [good] works. Now you show me your [alleged] faith apart from any [good] works [if you can], and I by [good] works [of obedience] will show you my faith.

James 2:18 (Amplified Bible)

My conclusion? both faith and works.

24You see that a man is justified (pronounced righteous before God) through what he does and not alone through faith [through works of obedience as well as by what he believes].

James 2:24 (Amplified Bible)

These two verses will tell us that by faith, we are justified, and because of my faith in GOD, I do good work so that others can see my faith, be blessed and believe that my GOD is good and can change me to be a better person.

Christianity is not a religion, but a life changing experience, a relation with GOD, Abba Father, a soldier for Christ and a humble servant. Have a blessed day.

Love and Faithfulness

Just to update on the JB trip. HEEHEE! Wife bought 3 PAIRS OF SHOES!!!!!! I admit I also have many pairs of shoes, but to buy 3 pairs at one go is abit too much for me. I probably buy 3 pairs of shoes a year. Actually, I think I bought 4 pairs last year, HEEHEE. Sorry, I am also quite vain, but hey, if a guy does not dress nicely, girls, will you date him? I saw this book at a bookstore, title written in chinese, "Guys dun dress, Girls dun love. To some extent, I will agree with this, actually not to some extent, I totally agree. If my daugther dates a sloppy guy, I will kick his butt, because this guy is not serious and sincere about the date enough to dress up, then how can I trust my daugther in his hands? Sorry, Guys, but ladies, agree?

Updates on person A from last story. Person A ended up dumping long-time boyfriend for another guy. What the hell! I have my own feelings about this, not because of person A, but becasue my first girlfriend left me for another guy. It was also my own doing, because of swimming training everyday (only sunday is rest.) and maybe immature in handling relationships. I must say this some guys are really ASSHOLES!!!! (pardon my language, but I am straight forward and do not like to beat about the bushes.) Some girls have boyfriends, but they just have to "tackle" (meaning date, win the heart of) the girl and tell them he loves her. Within such a short time, how you know it is love? Undeniable, I have dated girls with boyfriends before, but sometimes just have to draw the line. I also understand person A is an adult and I have no right to comment whether she is right or wrong. But I want to say love is not the fuppy,dovey,lovey like in the movie.

4Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.

5It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].

6It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail

7Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].

8Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (Amplified Bible)

One of the things I like about my wife is her faithfulness.

She shared with me a story in the past that a guy in the office was trying to "tackle" her during her uni job attachment to the company and she just told him off that she has a boyfriend. Saying "I love you" is simple and cheap if not followed by action.

Person A said got problems with old boyfriend, but which couples do not have problems? It is the love that keep us together and gives us the strength to work out the problem together to come to a compromise, meet at the middle, sometimes lose the arguement in order to be together. (Sun Tzu said sometimes have to lose the battle to win the war. HAHAHA!!!) My wife and I have our fair share of arguements, by GOD's grace, we are able to work it out. Hallelujah! Praise and glorry to GOD.

Out of the Routine!!!!!

Thanks Domestic Rat, dun mind if I add a link to your blog.

At least, I know I am not alone in this routine, or should I say my friend? But I guess it is still important sometimes to do something out of the routine and enjoy the company of each other. It may not be something extreme like extreme sport or do base jumping, but it can be a half-day trip to JB after school to do some shopping, instead of the usual school stuff, you know teachers have tons of things to do. And they try to make you do stupid things like filing, type worksheets, workplan, budget planning, weekly lesson plans etc. HEEHEE, :) my wife and I plan to go over JB soon to get some Chinese New Year goodies. It is our little getaway from the routine, just for fun and the goodies taste better. LOL Yummy!

I read an article in the papers that some couples divorce after their children grow up and leave home. Suddenly, the couples find that they do not know each other due to the lack of communication and alone at home, they start to quarrel. Wow! They are so struck in their life routine of work-home-work-home (not forgetting children) that they do not know each other and forget the passion they have for each other when they are dating. Let'us not be careless in this with our life partners.

My fellow colleague met a Christian guy, who is busy with work in school also, she "complains" that the guy so busy always works till 6pm, which is pretty amazing considering teachers have to reach school around 7am so this fellow can work for 11 hours, almost like a factory worker. I admit I also leave school or track stadium at 6, but it is due to CCA training. What I want to question is where is GOD in this?

Yes, as Christian, we are to work as if we are working for the Lord, not for man and submit to the authorities, but be careful where to draw the line. Sometimes, overly passion for working, then work can become an IDOL, without us realising it. Remember? There can be only one GOD and to love HIM with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. Amen.




Just a note: Couples, whether christian or not, have to work on their marriage, dun wait till we are old and find we dun know the person we have been sharing our bed with. The great difference is GOD in the middle.

Love Marathon - Who can survive?

Overheard a conversation (NO! I do not eavedrop but the names of people involve have to be changed.),

"Person A is going through tough times with boyfriend of many years, but no plans for marriage yet because the guy still studying in uni and no job. After so long, the relationship become like a routine."

"But isn't marriage also a long-term relationship? Of course for christian couple, marriage has greater significance, but for non-christian couple, marriage is just getting a piece of paper, right? But it is the Love that keep us going."

The million dollar question is "Do couple actually fall into a certain routine or is it only person A realtionship only?" I will not answer the "What is Love?" question here because it has been answered in previous blog. To me, GOD is love and with GOD in the relationship, that keeps us going. Hence, that is why for non-christian couples after being married for many years, they find that the so called "magic" is not there and start to stray, which we know leads to divorce and broken family etc.

However, the question here is whether couples, be it married or not, have a routine. Personally, I know my marriage do have certain routines. It is an understanding with my wife that we visit my parents on the weekends and may stay over. Even through it can be quite a major affair of bring clothes and my boy's "barang barang" (meaning clothe stuff, bag and pram), it is also my duty to GOD to honour my parents and it will give my son good influence that Dad respect his parents so he should give me the neccessary respect.

And Sunday is time for GOD, but after the service, we go out shopping or watch movie, just being with each other without boy. Time alone with each other is important, especially for married couples with children. (The "experts" in reseach also agree with this and back by data and statistics.) And sometimes, we go over to JB city square to eat and shop after school, not totally planned or fixed on a day but just as and when we feel like, doing some thing out of the routine once in while to make life interesting. (Those same experts also recommend this.)

Someone mentioned that routine for non-married couple may be boring because there is nothing to look forward to, it is just day in day out. I just want to say even as a couple you have to plan because when the couple fail to plan, they actually plan to fail, it is the same as other matters in life. Plan when to get married, if a couple date each other just for the sake of dating, then the relationship leads to no where.

Last but not least, LOVE. Observe all the old couples. It is not the initial puppy love or romance that keep them together for 30 years, it is love, to be patient with each other, self-sacrifical, trust and faith. Agree?

12This is My commandment: that you love one another [just] as I have loved you.

John 15:12 (Amplified Bible)

12And may the Lord make you to increase and excel and overflow in love for one another and for all people, just as we also do for you,

1 Thessalonians 3:12 (Amplified Bible)

8Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and [a]disregards the offenses of others].(A)

1 Peter 4:8 (Amplified Bible)

7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is (springs) from God; and he who loves [his fellowmen] is begotten (born) of God and is coming [progressively] to know and understand God [to perceive and recognize and get a better and clearer knowledge of Him].

1 John 4:7 (Amplified Bible)

SPG 2

This is the continuation of the SPG blog.

REading the Single Picky Girl (SPG) reminded me of my dream, which was intentionally (or un-intentionally) put aside for another bigger dream. She got a great job at SPH, then quit to be air stewardess, then journalist, followed by columnist with another full-time job.

Wow! It was my dream to see the world and I wanted to achieve this by being a air steward, with my job taking me to places, which I may not afford even if I work my ass out. With marriage immediately after I graduated, I had to secure a job to ensure income. Sigh! Today, with five month left of my bond to the service and overage for the (air steward) job, I also do not know what else can I do. My past working experience during uni holidays left me with lots of sales experience, include knowledge in wine and wine tasting. But I have consecrated wine (alcohol) drinking to GOD, so now I try my best not to drink. This is not a pleasant situation that I like to get myself into, after seeing my mum in this career for 30 long years, I feel that it is more like a prison to her than career because of her fear of the unknown outside. What a shit hole!!!!

I always thought I can just pack my stuff and leave, but now.............. I am in comfort zone in life, income, family and "career". I always hate to be in my comfort zone, I seek challenge and live to fight (not fight to live). Perhaps, I am feeling low because of the school re-opening and the amount of work that is starting to stack up. ARGH!!!! If anyone in SIA (or Cathay) or any other airline read this , PLEASE give me a chance to fly with you!!!!!!! I promise to work hard, everyday also can (prefer not sunday, got to set aside 4 GOD. He is very important, you know.) and will not complain (hmmmmm, complain a little, can? or else cannot bear with it.) :)

Single Picky Girl by Janice Wong

Today, the last day of school holiday, marks the end before the begining of the school year. And after all that sales and runnning around, I choose to stay home to read this new book that I got on New Year Eve, finished it in one sit. I found it easy to read, interesting, funny and found it pretty similar to Carrie (acted by Sarah Jessica Parker) in Sex and the City.

I found some articles interesting and thought provoking enough to blog over the next few blogs or few weeks or (ARGH!) few months. HAHAHA!!!!! Dun worry, I will not bored you. :)

I do not read as much as I will like to so this becomes the first book for this year. HAHAHA. Better than last year already. I also gotten the Chronicles of Narnia all seven books, which are sitting on my desk, waiting impatiently to be read.

Sign off to get some sleep before school. ARGH!!!!!!!!!!! Cannot believe this from a teacher, right? OEI Teacher is also human, ok?? To the monsters and monsters-to-be in school, dun mess with ME!!!