Agency Life and Evil Rental Agents..

So it's taken me this long to have a spare moment to tell you all about the new job. And that is truly not an exaggeration!

It's been absolute mayhem...

My first day...I had to leave early to make sure I'd get to work on time. Once I got there, nobody really trained me or anything (it's kinda silly, but nobody even told me where the loo was!), the big boss just started asking me about all these companies that I'd never even heard of in this life time. Then he piled on the reading assignment because of said ignorance...
I was also given a bunch of news releases to write straightaway. I officially left work that night at 9PM!! The next morning, I was to be shadowing one of the girls at an event which required me to be at the office at 7.15AM instead of the usual 9AM...which meant I was up at the crack of dawn just so I could get there on time.

Sigh...it sounds like an absolute nightmare of a day right? But worst still is the fact that everyone accepts this sort of lifestyle. Nobody at work knows when they finish everyday, it all depends. That is just nuts to me...

How am I coping you might wonder? My current favorite mindset is to treat everything like Uni. So I take notes about the companies and what PR we do for them in a notebook, filled with post-its and highlighter pen marks. Whenever I am unhappy about how something is done or the negative tone I have been instructed in I just think of syllabus and lecturers at uni...I might not have agreed with some of the teachings but I learnt it all anyway...This will be my biggest learning experience ever. I have a 5 month contract / probation period, I just have to make it to the finish line. :)

To top that off further, we were totally ripped off by the rental agent. Yes, the gorgeous apartment that I wrote about a few weeks ago was a disaster. He'd promised to have the place cleaned before we moved in, it was filthy when we got there...he said we had a gym at the condo, there was NO gym, he promised to have a iron and ironing board there, it was only loan to us until the next client asked for it...he promised a DVD player, it didn't even work. The final straw though was when we had to walk to the train station...you wouldn't believe this, it was a dark and dingy alleyway with giant sewage drains on both sides and cows roaming free. He never showed us this part of the suburb. Disappointment doesn't begin to express what we went through. I don't even know how we managed to cope...Dean was such a brave little soldier...he had a somewhat harsh exchange with the agent where the agent denied ever promising us anything and even said we didn't fulfill our side of the bargain! The cheek! In the end, we had to lose some money just so we could move out...that had to be the nastiest experience of my life to date. You think it's just a horror story that people tell until it happens to you.

Good news though, even though it turned out to be an expensive lesson, it was still an important lesson. We are currently using the rental agent provided by Dean's work to find a place that truly suits our needs. I've taken some time off work so we can house-hunt again and this agent has been positively superb. She told us yesterday that she doesn't expect us to choose anything after our first day, instead she just needed to get a better feel of what we were after. So today, we've got a few more places to look at. It is so refreshing to get some proper, sincere service around here. At the moment, we're crashing at a friend's and seriously considering living in this area. It's considered an ex-pat area but we now know that that doesn't just mean slightly more expensive rent, it also means better service and higher security - something we are no long willing to sacrifice.

On a lighter note...my bestfriend Linzhi is in town, can't wait to catch up with her this weekend! Oh and congrats to FaerySarah, Zoe is absolutely precious!

And, to all my lovely crafty blogger ladies, I miss all of you and your updates keep me sane. I may not have time to comment but know that you are one of the main reasons I feel I'm still okay amidst all the chaos. You are in my thoughts, always.

xoxo
Miss Deb

Last days as an un-employed...

By Wednesday, I will no longer have time to sit around making daisy chains...hahaha!

I'm flying back to KL tonight. I've had the best time at home...haven't felt so carefree in a while. Mum and I have been talking lots and indulged in a pedicure and some shopping yesterday. Even had the chance to see a chiropractor/physiotherapist friend of my parents who treated me and made my fatigue and achy joints go away. We also uncovered the reason why I was tired and sore all over, I had no idea that I actually sleep on my front. When I wake up I'm often on my side or back but according to the boychum and now my mother, I do...that's been putting a strain on my neck! So now that we know, I'm going pillow shopping. Also, I'm no longer allowed to drink cold water or eat too much. I know it sounds like a bit of an old wives tale but I'm willing to give it a shot if it's going to make me feel better! Yay!

Isn't it wonderful when you look around and everything seems to be falling into place and without realizing it, the chaos that had previously engulfed you has slowly lifted, faded and disappeared. I feel like I can breathe again...

Mum's still busily sewing more work outfits for me as I'm typing this but I didn't bring my camera with me, but I will definately post photos up of her work once I get back.

Just thought to drop you a quick one and wish you a very exciting Monday!

"The sun is shining, the weather is sweet...want you to know I'm a rainbow too."
Miss Deb

Intensity...

It's been rad spending the last couple of days with my mum...she's been busily sewing all my outfits for work and made me start sorting through stuff I left behind before leaving for NZ. She's trying to de-clutter the house. :) So today I've been going through my old CDs, ripping the ones I want to keep and chucking out the rest. I also came across some old teeny-angsty love letters...oh boy, how embarassing are those! Hahaha, and extremely endearing as well of course.

So, I thought I'd share a little since I've kinda got it on the brain at the moment...

When I was about 5 or 6, my mum sent me to kindy. Problem was, I really hated being away from my family and our home and always kicked up such a tanty about going. I pretty much went to every kindy in our town, as mum thought I just hadn't found the right one. At one stage, I hated one so bad that I stood at the gate and cried the whole day. My body was so stressed that I gave myself a fever and the teacher actually had to call my mum to take me home. In other words, mission accomplished I thought. :) Alas, my mum didn't give up, but I finally got settled into a little Methodist kindy a few blocks down from us. It was there that I met him for the first time. We were best friends almost instantly and I had the biggest crush on him. I can still remember he had trouble with his Chinese writing and I used to help him, and he used to lend me his colour pencils. Our brains remember the weirdest things?!

Anyway, after kindy, I didn't hear from him again. I went through primary school still pretty infactuated with him as every once in a while I saw him in church. I never got to speak to him though until one day, I started attending a tuition class to prepare for some exams. He was there...I couldn't believe my luck. Even better still, he remembered me and came up to talk to me. So time sort of progressed, we were really good friends and I was busy trying to figure out whether he liked me at all and whether I should just tell him that i fancied him, but of course I thought if I told him and he didn't feel the same way, that was the friendship out the window...So, I never told him...

The day came when I finished my classes at the tuition centre and I didn't have a chance to say goodbye to him. I still saw him at church every once in a while but he never came up to me ever again. I'd smile and he'd look away...it was awful. By the time I bumped into him in college I was sure he hated me.

I was student body president in college...his class was downstairs and mine was upstairs. He would say something to his friends as they walked by me and my friends and they would all burst out laughing...I started hating him back.

Then something crazy happened, I was organizing the prom and we were auditioning for dancers to perform on the night...he came to audition. Really not the kind of thing he would do, being the staunch guy that he was. I couldn't really face him, I kept wondering why someone who hated me so much wanted to be around me when he didn't have to be. I was so weary...I thought he actually had a crush on my bestfriend...

So the prom came and went...and one day out of the blue I got a text from him. At first I didn't know it was him obviously but found out later on that he had grabbed my number of a classmate of mine. Who obviously got a right grilling the next day for giving my number away...He explained that he had wanted to speak to me but was too shy...so we communicated like that for a while...and I remember the first time we were at an event after we'd started texting. It was a soccer match between his class and mine...the boys were very competitive so I wasn't allowed to cheer for his team...but he smiled a lot at me that day...I still remember the butterfly swarm in my belly!

Then one day, I was at a party at my best friend's place and he'd been texting me. He finally asked if he could come get me and take me for a wee drive somewhere. I said okay, as long as I was back by a certain time etc. I was so nervous that I was actually going to spend time alone with him. He finally came in his jeep and I got in, all I could muster was a very shy hello. He just smiled. We drove in silence but I kept hearing a rattling sound in the back of the car. I must've looked a little worried that the car was going to fall apart or something cos he said...'don't worry, it's just my balls'...I looked at him and we both burst out laughing. I remembered that he played tennis, that sound was the tennis balls rolling around in the metal bucket they were in.

Haha...good times...silly times...we went out for a little while but it didn't last. I came across poetry he'd written for me, and I found the break-up letter I wrote. His parents had forbidden him from being with me on account of my race....I didn't want it to end, but he grew so distant and when I finally heard it through the college grapevine that he was planning on breaking up with me, I decided to beat him to the finish line. I often wonder what it is we're meant to learn from such experiences...any ideas?

oxo
Miss Deb

Final Verdict: Commute!

Yes, we signed the 6 month lease for our lovely 2 bedroom place yesterday! I guess I will be commuting to work everyday. Big thank you to everybody who gave me advice on the matter...it really helped a lot. I promise to post photos of our new place once we move in on the 10th of next month.

Now, I just finished packing as I'm headed off to Miri this morning for a couple of days with the rents. Dean is starting his new job training today too, I'm gutted that I won't be around for his first day but I'm sure he'll do perfectly. He's been so brave in all this, I really am very proud of him...(blush)...

Anyhoo, not sure if its blogspot or my internet connection that's playing up today but I can't seem to post any photos...so here's an I O U, I actually wanted to show you a photo of my favourite top...I bought it while we were staying on Khao San Road in Bangkok. Every time I wear it, I'm reminded of all the good times we had! AHA, it's working now...so here it is....


Hurray for Thursday, lovelies...keep warm or stay cool wherever you are!

Big hugs...
Miss Deb