a messed up 3 days worth of going around Singapore.
this year didnt manage to reach the target, maybe because the target was so high, or maybe because this year was somehow less 'lucky' than previous years. but dun doubt the effort okay; i think i put in the same amount of effort this year, previous year, and the two years before that.
5 things to remember about Job Week 2009:
Approaching A House / Shop
Approaching HDB unit, first impression is with the door. Door with loads of junk notice outside probably means it hasnt been used in a while. Door with paint splashed on it and 'Owe $ pay $' probably mean got some loan debtor inside.
The best type that I like are those with inspiring messages outside... its interesting to read while waiting for someone to open the door (:
Ding doong! Sometimes, some people have 2 or more doorbells outside... and its hard to guess which one is the correct one... end up pressing all of them. Next, the tune of the doorbell. a lot of people go for the song tune type. i met one which had 'santa claus' lol. a few went for the traditional two note type, which i think is much better (:
If the doorbell isn't working, next step is the knock. doors that are cheaper kind of owns your knuckles while making a pathetic whimper haha. way of knocking varies sometimes. i prefer using the inside of my finger joints (lol how do you describe that)
People
Before the door is opened, sometimes can catch a glimpse of people. through the windows, through the voices behind. the worst kind is the eyehole. when the eyehole light suddenly is blocked, and then unblocked, yet no one opens the door, that person probably is screwing around. see got scout then dun answer the door. at least reject properly right?
When someone finally answers, they either accept or reject. rejection usually occurs pretty quickly. those are people who are busy / really don't want to donate. but, people tend to listen to what you have to say.
And for most parts, people are kind-hearted. Dun care about how Singaporeans are always so uncaring, really, to be giving their time to listen to some scout talk, and still give a job or contribution despite all the financial crisis and all, really. even those who give small amounts.
And a shoutout to Nick Quah and Chevy! Nick Quah for accompanying us for lunch, Chevy for giving us a job (:
Companion
Sec 1 went with Hiok, MF and then Bryan, Sec 2 went with Bryan, Sec 3 went with ZJ then Bryan. and this year i went with Jack.
his first job week! such a sad/happy thing it is his last. all 3 days went with him, and i think he did quite well, beating me also haha. i can get quite competitive, but he handle my angsting quite well and thats a great companion. (: especially when it rained (all three days) and all that... remember having to cross a road in a absolute thunderstorm. with one umbrella. lol. and this year got more variety of food involved. lol DJ buns, crispy chicken, hokkien mee...
thanks jack (:
Jobs
Weren't too many interesting jobs this year. Most people do have stuff to do, but most of these stuff they can actually do themselves. What can we do that they can't? Appreciate the token job they give us in exchange for the contribution, because they didnt have to go to that trouble. Thats the meaning of jobweek and all.
This year I think the most memorable job was helping out at a organic 'minimart'. the one in kovan. first, i helped to sort a huge bag of ugly carrots into small and big sizes. lol, they were going to be used to make salad. then, packed another huge bag of nice carrots into packs of 4-6 to be sold. jack came in to help with the last few. and the job was actually pretty cool.
i think that this was maybe one of the few jobs that i truly helped with the work, and even though i could have maybe earned as much money going to a few more stops in that time, i think it was worth it. the people at the minimart was very nice, telling me about the carrots and a bit about how the minimart was run.
Ventures Stories
Lol and the best part of Jobweek is always coming back after a long day out, all demoralized yet happy, counting the money and then sharing stories with the other scouts. Francis and Hiok have loads of interesting stories haha; chan man lee, paedophile, surprise party... dam funny. going around Singapore meeting all these random people and encountering all this random stuff is interesting. and a great way to end off a day doing Jobweek.
Job Week has been an experience. I'm glad to have tried it, but hopefully, this is my last year going out because 4 years of doing the same thing really does get sian haha.
