A Response...

You told me not to say anything else and the silence that follows is more ear piercing that anything else, therefore I hope that you'll be reading this...I know you will, just as much as you'd expect me to post this.

I've been thinking up till now what you said. I admit I was harsh, I was angry and yet I had no right to tell you what you should do. I overstepped that boundary and would like to say "I'm sorry!" but it might be too late for that. You brought up things like punishment, unfairness and overwritten. These 3 words made me mince my words, it hurts to hear these words but more hurtful, is that you think that of me. I never meant to hurt you whenever we have talks like that. Every time I dread going through this talks with you, and I pray that you'll see my intentions but maybe god doesn't hear or I'm just doing it wrongly. I've never said the right things to make you smile but always the wrong things to make you cry. Sometimes I do get tired from all this but that one special moment outside JL's OCBC bank, where I made that promise to you and we did our little silly "Gou gou Finer" thingy still puts a subconscious smile on my face. Its the little things like this that keeps me going, making it worthwhile.

What I said earlier was meant to be between 2 friends, 1 telling the other "Hey! You know things ain't so great between us anymore, we got to put in a little be more effort to work things out" but it came out differently. Yes! I do feel taken for granted when I see an outing planned by your request only to end with you running off in a few hours. Lately "I've got to go off soon" seems to be the only consistent thing you say. Its not a big deal if we know about it before planning an outing. It seems that going out with us is like a chore and you need someone to ask you out last minute to rescue you from our company. I never questioned how you value our friendship but with tiny consistent acts like this I don't know what to think anymore, we all don't know what to think anymore. The final incident where you went MIA for 24hrs because you left your phone in your friend's car, what irks me the most is you made ZERO effort to get back in touch when you asked me to once again plan something. If you would have just called back the moment you got your phone that very night that would have meant something at least and yet you make it seem like a sin for me to question your valuation of us. For goodness sake your own sister is kept waiting!

Punishment? I'm just being honest with you. I thought we could tell each other anything? I'm not threatening to do anything but you took it as a personal attack. Unfairness? You compared yourself to others but why do that? This is now this is about you, nothing else matters. I wanted you to know what I'm feeling and I never compared your flaws against another person's virtues. Overwritten? I've never forgotten the nice things you've done but as friends why should we make judgment on each other based on weighing the pros and cons? How can as a friend, sit by and tell myself since the pros outweigh the cons, I'll not talk about it.

I still intend to keep my promise but its getting harder because I don't know if you think its worth it. Maybe I need a sign from you or even a little gesture to if you still need me to keep that promise, cos I know you get emotional talking about such things. I hope you get to read this and at the very least understand why it happened. Reply or not, it doesn't really matter. I 'll understand after going through this with me many times in the past, you'll get tired of it and just can't be bothered anymore. Like I said on MSN. My sincere wishes for you.

As I'm sitting here in front of my computer trying to gather my thoughts, I'm drawing a blank. The fact that I clocked just over an hour of sleep time yesterday is not doing me any favors. My brain has been working overtime recently due to tonnes of project and assignment deadlines to meet and with exams hovering around the corner, I can't help but feel edgy. Its true that as a student, this is part and parcel of live as it is now and I hear no end to the envious qualms from the working population of friends how they wish they could be in my shoes right now. I guess to a certain degree they are right but that brings me to assess my standing against theirs. I'm far from achieving the goals that money can get but I guess life is a little better now. All this "jibberish" while I'm still gathering my thoughts. Let me try again to organize them...its moments like this that got triggered by something. I'm probably too engrossed in my projects and assignments that I forget to "think" about stuff until it triggers off then a wave of memories, some random and some hard to forget, comes and engulfs me, like my brain sinking in its own cerebral fluids. You know how suppressed memories that suddenly just hits you hard, like a breakwater against the storm, weathering it down until your resolve is nothing more than a loose pebbled beach. Fragments of your soul frothing in the backwash, dislodging parts of it to be scattered elsewhere or gets dragged out to sink at the very bottom of the ocean. The constant reminder...destructive. What happens when there's nothing left of you? Numbness, constantly at one with it, no restriction or barrier...thats when everything becomes crystal clear! No more fresh sharp pains...just aches. Very soon time will destroy all and we will be lost entirely. I'm reaching there...very soon it I will just be a lost entity, reborn and recycled.

Phew...where did all that come from? Should consider writing novels as I find it easier to pour things out in the form of words rather than speech. On a lighter note, I'm having my annual chronic dry cough! Yay! This sucks big time and now isn't the best time for a recovery. Hope I'll just take a turn for the better!

Fingers and toes crossed for the Hong Kong trip confirmation. Damn hard work planning the itinerary. Take care all of you!

And so finally Thai Express got back to me via a phone call this evening. Apparently the branch manager of Paragon had the courtesy of making a personal phone call to apologise. Haha One Republic's - Apologize rang through my head. To sum up the conversation we had, I shall just list down the finer points of the phone call and it went something like this:

TE: Hi! Is that Mr Matthew Chan speaking?

ME: Errr...yes this is he speaking.

TE: Hi Mr Chan, this is XXX calling from Thai Express Paragon branch.

ME: Errr...ok.

TE: Is it convenient for you to speak now?

ME: Errr...yes it is. (I was at home doing my assignment)

TE: I would like to inform you that we have recieved your feedback and are very sorry that you had to go through such an experience.

ME: Errr...yeah it was quite horrible.

TE: We are also sorry to have taken over a week to get back to you due to the GM busy attending a funeral.

ME: Errr...ok.

TE: I would like you to know that the GM has already taken note of the incident and in future customers will be seated while waiting for the table to be ready.

ME: Oh?! Thats good!

TE: Yes, at the moment only the branch at Esplanade is able to serve customers requiring a bigger table but we will ensure all branches will adopt the right approach in handling future cases.

ME: Yes. Thank you for getting back to me.

TE: As such, we will like to invite you and your 10 guest for a free meal at any of the Thai Express branch at anytime. All you need is to call the Asst GM, he has already noted this down.

ME: Wow! Really? Thank You!

TE: Ok Matthew I will sms you the Asst GM's number so that you can make the arrangements with him. Thank You and have a nice weekend!

ME: Thank You Thai Express. I really appreciate it!

Okay, guess I ended up narrating the entire conversation. Haha credit to Cal for helping spice up the complain letter! Will sure include her in the meal. Oh and Milo too for his awesome spoof of a complain letter! Hmmm another 8 vacancies...well 1st 8 taggers will be invited!

Oh finally applied for the Citibank Clear card...whats all the hype? Thanks for the sabo freeuns! Hahaha the perks better be worth it!

So Thai Express promptly replied to my "hate" mail, so prompt I recieved the reply from them the very next day. Read on and you be the judge how I should be feeling regarding the reply.

______________________________________________________________

Dear Matthew,

We refer to your feedback to us on your dining experience at our Paragon outlet. We express regret learning of your experience with us dated 1st March.

Following up, we have at the same time forwarded your feedback to our Asst. General Manager and his team at Paragon for an immediate investigation. Thank you very much for giving us your valuable feedback. Till this end, we endeavour to provide you with an explanation on the matter soonest.

As requested, we are pleased to let you know that we have also updated your new mailing address into our system for all your future correspondences.

Yours Sincerely,

Stephenie Toh
Marketing Executive

______________________________________________________________

So far no reports on the followup action and i'm highly suspicious whether the reply was personally typed or was it just a template for complains. Anyway I can't be bothered about it.

Freeuns organized a KTV session yesterday and I helped him book it at Teoheng. Haha looks like he is catching on the KTV bug. I highly recommend Teoheng if you're more of an English song person. They keep their song database up-to-date with all songs and I believe that is what sets them apart from partyworld and K-box. Unfortch...Teoheng is at Katong and i'm at Pioneer...such long distance relationship...

I bet freeuns had fun but he left earlier so what can the rest of us do in boring ol Singapore? Watch movie lor! Headed down from Katong to Cineleisure and caught the 8.30pm movie for "Waterhorse". No spoilers but its mainly a fictious take on how the Loch Ness Mon'g'ster...I mean monster hoax actually came about. Its quite a feel good movie similar to E.T or Free Willy. So with time to kill before the movie started we had dinner at this BBQ chicken place at the basement of Cineleisure and its surprisingly quite affordable for the portion served. Food ain't too bad but its just chicken and very limited fish sets.

Movie ended, scb went out on another "date" and da jie went home so how about me? Meet Milo for supper lor!!! He drove down from Bishan and we went to NUS prata...saw the crowd and the lack of parking and decided to try out Pasir Panjang Food Centre...not much stalls opened there so we drove straight back. Ended up at Westcoast Mac...haha my 1st time there and 2nd time at westcoast park. Chatted for awhile while I sipped my 1st time order of a "latte"...not too bad but I think i'll stick to fraps next time.

Damn Man Utd are out of the FA Cup!!!...Everytime I wear their Jersey out on Match day they don't win...am I their "Ke Xing"?

Next up, HKG June 2008...will it happen after all this hype and planning? Guess will know in April.

For some strange reason, something snapped in me on the way home and I decided they ain't gonna get away that easily. So I drafted the following complain letter with the aid of Cal adding her own brand of spit fire quirkiness. What I had was hot but after being vet through by the complain queen herself, I now have RED HOT CHILLI PEPPERS!!!

Read on...

______________________________________________________________

Recently on the 1st of March 2008, I decided to host my birthday dinner at your Paragon outlet as I am a Orange Card member. Expecting a large crowd, I enquired about making a reservation by calling that outlet but was told only walk-ins are accepted. That was fine so I walked-in at the Paragon outlet around 7pm requiring tables for 11 persons but was told they were unable to accommodate me at the moment until some of the existing customers had left.

I was told to wait unless I didn't mind having separate seats for my guest. This, to me, was unacceptable as I being a host, would want everyone to enjoy a splendid dinner at a reputable restaurant. I agreed to wait and even suggested I leave my contact number behind so that I could be informed once the tables are ready. However my request was denied by the staff, reason being that they could only adhere to the strict walk-in policy. To leave a contact number is the usual practice for many of the established and popular outlets like Swensen’s and Sushi Tei. However, your staff insisted that the only way for me and my guests to get a table is if at least 1 person waits in the queue. I tried compromising, suggesting some of my guests be allowed to occupy a table for 8 which was empty while we wait for the nearby table to vacant before joining tables but the staff promptly insisted that while it is possible for my guests to be seated at the table for 8, one of us needs to continue standing in the queue just to reserve the nearby table to be joined while it is still occupied.

I am seriously ridiculed by the lack of flexibility and judgment for the situation by the staff and even after consulting with another senior staff there was no concessions to be made in this instance. My concern is if your Orange Card members get to enjoy birthday perks by paying a $20 card fee, why are your outlets and staff incapable of providing the service that comes with the perks? Wherein does the benefit lie to be a card member then? I went to your restaurant expecting a joyous time with my friends but was extremely appalled and not to mention, disappointed at your service. It was an extremely embarrassing situation for me as I had to make alternative dinning plans while my guest bore witness to this fiasco.

Kindly update my mailing address as indicated in this form. I received the Thai Express birthday card at my old mailing address.

Orange Card no: xxxxxxxxxxxx

Regards
Matthew Chan

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Incidentally, Cal herself was penning poison at the same moment to another company that stepped on her tail. How weird is that?

Yes so it has been days but guess what I'm back with a vengeance! So nothing much since the last post except for the extremely fun 25th birthday celebration. Thanks to all who came and made it happen and to those that couldn't make it, you will be remembered. Nice way to conclude the recess week but now its back to reality and Friday's quiz shall absorb all my energy and time. Not to forget my FYP which is sitting there collecting dust!

Friday evening at a quick dinner at Asian Kitchen with Lionelay cos he ain't gonna make it the next day with the rest. :( So anyways its been ages since I last met him and we sorta just updated each other with the going-ons. Apparently Asian Kitchen don't accept Diners Card as I wanted to pay for dinner but before I could use my mastercard, Lionelay paid! Hahaha, well I got us drinks at Spinelli's, chilled for abit before I rushed home for a mahjong session with Shenny and Kenneth. Lost $14!!! Haven't won in ages but the sweet "couple" surprised me with a slice of cake at midnight just after "XI Feng"! Thanks guys!

Quick note, if you're intending to host a dinner at Thai Express Paragon, think twice if your numbers are more than 6 people. Had a pretty ridiculous episode at the particular outlet which sort of dampened the mood even though they knew I was hosting my birthday dinner there. I understand that they are unable to accommodate prompt service for large groups during peak hours but I would expect at least some flexibility from their customer service to make the wait less irritating then it already is. 1stly, they do not accept reservations. Fine! 2ndly, they are unwilling to call us when the tables are ready, sticking closely to their strictly walk-in only basis, meaning at least 1 person has to wait in line till the cows come home. FINE! 3rdly, they offered some of us to occupy an empty table while waiting for the other customers to finish so that they can join the tables but only if at least 1 person waits in line while the rest sits. And if you don't agree, they will have to give up the smaller empty tables to the person waiting behind you and you can happily wait till the right moment comes when just enough people sitting in the same area leaves so they can join the tables. Ok BYEBYE...Thai Express! Went across to My Mum's Cuisine.

Some pictures for your view pleasure...


Pre-dinner activity at Partyworld!


Dinner at My Mum's Cuisine @ Paragon


Zen presenting me a birthday card


Milo presenting me a huge gift box with a Man Utd Jersey in it


Last but not least, Miling's pressie. A bottle of France finest

Headed down to Dempsy Road to chill at Ben & Jerry's. Too bad freeuns had to leave for work related stuff. Too bad no group pic to show for our time at Ben & Jerry's. Like I said, in all my 25yrs and still have a group of close knit friends that I can call upon on any occasion, is the real gift and a blessing from God. So I hope as the years roll by I'll still be able to have these bunch of guys at my side and hopefully the group will grow by integrating new and like minded people. Yes this is my family away from home.

Decided to give Thai Express another shot the next day but this time with my family at Plaza Singapura outlet. No problem at all and received a bottle of wine for being a Orange card member celebrating my birthday there.

So Happy 25th Birthday Matt, you rock!