My Scoot Experience - Online Booking

I flew to Sydney on Saturday, 13 Jan 2013 on Scoot, the budget carrier from Singapore Airlines.  I had a bit of a problem booking online for my tickets though!  The seat map, selection of meals, luggage extras didn’t show up for me to select despite using 3 different browsers!  When I called their hotline, it is even worst!  They do not seem to have any staff manning their hotline number or if they do, they do not have enough manpower!

Then when I was lucky enough to get my call answered and after explaining the situation, the lady at the other end simply said she can assist but she will have to charge for the booking!  No point explaining to her!  She said she had checked on her end and she had no problem booking a flight!  The worst was when I emailed to their feedback email, they took about close to 6 weeks before responding!

Anyhow, after several attempts to book online, I finally managed to book my flights, selected my seats, meals and also booked extra luggage space!  Very trying, tiring and frustrating!

I’ve come to the conclusion that budget carriers are fine, if you have the use of all your limbs and vision!  Otherwise, you would need the full fare carriers.  You don’t want to be left stranded with no staff to assist you!

2013 Chinese New Year Dinner

Marie, my domestic helper for last 2 years had just renewed her contract for another 2 years!  Yippee!.  So another 20 months before I have to start maid hunting all over again!  Gosh, it’s really tough and also more expensive now than it was before to get a domestic helper!  Anyhow one of my favourite quotes: enjoy while it lasts!

After my mum passed away in September 2011 (it's more than 2 years!), I absolutely had no interest in any celebrations of any sort.  So the recent CNY was nothing special to me too!  Although I did plan for the CNY dinner, I just had no mood to cook.  So I opted for the next best dinner menu – steamboat with teppanyaki!

As always, I made sure it was easy to prepare so I got Marie to prepare the soup by stir frying the garlic, ginger and shallots then add the chicken bones and chicken wing corners. Marie just needed to wash the rest of the ingredients for the steamboat and teppanyaki.  She also cooked laksa fried rice and steamed scallops and prawns.

A Familiar Fragrance

Yesterday, both my husband and I suddenly had a sniff of a very pleasant familiar flower fragrance – something that my mum used to use!  I am a bit puzzled as there is no one else in the house other than my helper and my son and none of us use this fragrance!!  I jokingly told my husband that perhaps my mum is a bit bored in the other world!   It’s scary though and it does give me a bit of the hair raising experience!

If only there is someone who can really tell what happens in the world after!  Would my mum meet my dad and all the dearly departed souls?  If only …

What A Surprise!

I had a really pleasant surprise on Friday, 8 February 2013 when my boss, Mr Jordi Martin, made a wonderful recognition speech at the company’s CS Success Presentation.  He did a quick survey around the Singapore office and found that we are about the longest serving Manager-PA relation who had worked together for the past 11 years in Singapore!  He said he remembered arriving in Singapore with his family on 2 February 2002 and that he left his security and support in the Sydney office.  He has never met me before and was told that I am fantastic!.  He said, “we have a fantastic working relationship together and anything that had resulted in him being successful and the business successful, a lot is contributed by Normah and the incredible effort that she had put forward.”  WOW!  I am super touched!

Earlier in the day, I told Jordi that I’m really excited that I will be getting my new laptop!  Then when I went to IT department to collect my brand new Dell 3360 Volstro, the IT procurement manager did not want to provide me with a new mouse!  She said I should have been comfortable with my existing mouse.  My old laptop will be reassigned to another user and this user will take the new mouse instead!  I cant see the logic!  Anyway while I was working on an email with him, I told him that I am so pissed about not getting the new mouse!

In Jordi’s appreciation speech he told the group about me getting excited about my new laptop and taking delivery of it and how I grumbled in his ears about not getting the new mouse!  It was really funny when he presented me with a new Microsoft Wireless Mouse which, according to him, can work on glass!  It was really so funny!!!



Then on top of all this, he also gave me a large bouquet of flowers!  I’m so happy!  That’s why I’ve always said to my outside office friends that when you work with an understanding boss who really appreciates your efforts, you should stay.  The grass is not always greener on the other side!