World No. 1 Airport

I had booked an SQ air ticket online for my mother who was going back to Penang for a funeral. As it was a last minute booking, I had to collect my ticket from the airport itself. In the SQ website, it was listed that the Excess Baggage Claim Row 1 (Departure Hall) was the place I could go to.

So I went to T2 during lunch time, 2.5 hours before the departure time, together with my 66-year-old mother, we walked to Row 1. Both Row 1 and 2 were closed because the lights were off. There was one staff sitting behind the counter facing the main gate. I approached the staff, thinking that I could ask for an alternative counter where I could get my ticket.

The female staff who was in her uniform was having her lunch. I asked her: "Excuse me, could you please help me..." Without waiting for me to complete my request, she looked up, without a hint of smile, and said: "You can't see I'm eating, ah?"

You can imagine how shocked I was! As a customer, I was "reprimanded" for interrupting her lunch! I didn't ask for her name because I was in a rush and I didn't want to affect my poor mother who was already in distraught over her sister's death. So I walked away and went to the Excess Baggage counter at Row 3 and get my things settled.

I can't help but thinking what breed this type of behaviour. Was it because she had a "bo-chap" attitude? Was it because she's not paid well? What???

I always believe that it's important to like your job. Even if you don't like your job and that's no way you could get out of it (like in SIP), the least you should do is to respect your job, respect your profession. There's an old Chinese saying... "respect your job and love your job". I don't think I can respect this Airport staff because she did not show respect to her job, hence herself.

I complained to the Changi Airport authority. No I didn't ask for her name...

Spring

I had meant to write this entry for a long time, but didn’t get to because of marks processing (yes you will get your grades next week).

Anyway, I hope it’s not too late to talk about my Chinese New Year…

So it’s officially over. Chinese New Year is a big affair for both my family and my in-laws’. Things started at least one week before – my mom would buy all the dried food, vegetables, seafood, etc etc for the reunion dinner. My in-laws’ even more elaborate – this year, 4 of us the daughters-in-law, spent at least 5 hours in the kitchen to prepare for the grand dinner for a family of about 40. The amount of food involved was phenomenal.

I like the idea of everyone came home for dinner (not everyday, though – that would be too much for me to handle, considering how “private” I am as a person). I think it represents the warmth and close ties among the family members, especially when it involves 4 generations.

But somehow the atmosphere changes every year.

Family members are coming in later, and spending less time. And I suppose that’s inevitable. As the 3rd generations are growing up, they would spend less time at home – those who are married would need to split their time between their in-laws and here; those who are in their teens and 20s are spending more time with their friends.

Charles Cooley called primary groups the “springs of life”. When we were young, our primary groups could be our family because we spent most of our time at home. As we expand our horizon and our network, we get to know more people through our secondary groups. Eventually we shift focus, breaking down secondary groups to more primary groups. And these are the people who serve as a buffer between us and the demands that our daily lives place on us.

So it is no wonder that the nieces and nephews are spending less time, especially during Chinese New Year (spring time) because they found their “spring” elsewhere.