Quiet Sunday....

It's sunday. Why is it still so boring? I want more people. Then only "shiok". The new girl is getting used to it but still can't communicate much in English. She's still need more time in it. Need to help her train up her English.

Mum, sis and her bf went off to M'sia this morning. They going to BKK too. Mum will be there source for things to sell in our San Street shops. Also this week, one of my staff is taking off for her wedding. So with both my mum and her away, I've got to be in suntec outlet everyday. That means, can't go down to qw outlet. The girl there thus has no off this week (anyways, she has already taken an extra off day the week before so she will have to work this week to cover up).

I've been teased by my parents, elder sis, and some others abt having the priviledge to choose 1 out of 2 guys to be my bf. They think that they are "chasing" me. Mum even asked me to ask both of them for their "shen chen ba chi" (chinese 8-characters) to check who am I more compatible with. She also mentioned to me that my "yuan fen" (my other half) is appearing this year. Who will give their "shen chen ba chi" to other people just like that. Anyways, those 2 guys and I are just FRIENDS. Nothing more.

BF????

Haven't blog for 1 week liao. Was working over the easter weekend - friday, saturday and sunday. Didn't manage to make it for service. So sianz. But manage to catch bit bit of the drama online.

This week we have got a new girl in our suntec shop. She's from china. We went through an agency to get her. I think she's fine. "Kuai" la. Hardworking also (more than my other staffs). Only thing is her english not that good. But this she can learn as she go on. I can tell my other staff is jealous of her. Very silly of her.

Last night went for a simple dinner and movie with a friend at vivo. We caught "The leap year" together. An online friend. It's only the 2nd time I met him. I met him 1st time when he came to find me at the shop.

My mother is so "qi". Think she afraid I can't find a bf. But she also say no bf and gf until "shen chen ba chi" (chinese 8-characters) has been calculated and there's no crashes between us then can pass and go on to be bf/gf. Haha. My parents super believe in this "shen chen ba chi" thingy. All of us (my sisters and I) have to go through this. My 2 sisters and their bf have already gone through it and both have passed.

Feeling very "fan"

It seems like I've nothing to blog about other than the shop. Feels like I don't have a life other than work and church.

I don't know what to say la. Feeling so "fan". These days already so quiet. Yet staffs still giving us headaches. Feeling really frustrated. Qw staff last min taking off on fri and sat and my sun part-timer cannot make it this weekend. And thus AGAIN I can't go for svcs, let alone invite friends for svcs. Have send out e-card invitations to my friends and now I can't go. What is this? Sigh....

Though I am a Singaporeans but I still have to say this. Singaporeans cannot make it as full-timers/permanent staffs in the retail line. The most if they wanna work in retail, only part-time. I don't see other shops' bosses who employ foreign workers having the same problem as us. And I don't see them as bosses having to work in the shop. Now I understand why the boss of one of those shops employs mostly malaysians. He only have a few reliable singaporeans as supervisors. Looks like we would also need to hire foreign workers.

14/03/08, Friday

It's the TOTM again. Since my TOTM last month, have been not feeling well during this period of the month. Headache, backache, stomach cramp, sometimes even diarrhoea/vomitting. Last month TOTM was jia lat. Nearly fainted...low blood pressure. The doctor I went to last month say it's rather common. This month is much better. Know what to expect liao. Not feeling well but still got to work. Sianz.

I know/seen/heard of youngsters who are either going for abortion or are getting/have gotten married coz of unplanned pregnancy. It seems like pre-marital sex is so common among youngsters these days (I'm being very general here). What are they thinking? Like some people say "is that a trend or something???" *Shake head* Don't understand.

Anyways, though it's now school holidays, there's still not much people. Had a discussion with the reps of Choices Magazine just now and have finalised with them regarding the advertising. They are starting work already. We'll be have a 1 full page advert in 3 of issues (with 1 complimentary page). A total of 4 pages. The magazine currently is still bi-monthly, but after this issue (i.e. from May onwards) it will be changing to monthly issue. So our advert will be until the June issue. Hopefully our sales will pick up after the advertising. Also still considering whether should we go into online selling. An ex-collegue of mine can help me to start up then I'll manage the update/maintence for the site from there. But my parents think it's a expensive to do so and also worry that it will not be effective. Any suggestions whether or not we should go ahead???

Staffs....

Staffs headache man. My parents and I were just talking last night "what happen if both staffs (suntec and queensway) call in sick on the same day". And lo and behold, it happened.

Both staffs sms me last night saying that they are not feeling well and can't come to work tmr (which is today). So it's down to my mum and I. That's only 2 people. We need at least 3: 1 in queensway & 2 in suntec. Now how???

Thank God for our sunday part-time staff. When I heard both staffs can't come in, I called him up, told him the other staff is sick and can't come in tmr (which is today) and ask him if can come down to work. He say can. Thankfully he hasn't start school yet else we really got a problem here. Of all staffs we have so far since the opening of the shop, he's still the most responsible. He also pretty hardworking. If there is an overall best staff award, it will definitely go to him.

After 323 days...

After 323 days, I've finally gotten my off day. Long awaited off day. From now onwards, I've got a part-timer staff coming in every sundays, thus I wouldn't need to be in the shop unless during peak period or on the days when he/she cannot make it (after all he/she is going back to study & will only be working part-time). Also my mum say according to feng shui, the location of our queensway shop is not suitable for me. So she say I don't have to go down to queensway already. She and her feng shui. Going to train up our suntec staff in regards to the stocks there and let her go down on days queensway staff is off and vice versa. Then both staffs can switch in between outlets.

Been MIA-ing from church & cg for more than a month (late jan to late feb) coz of the peak cny period. It feels so good to be back in church again. Can also go for cg now. Ever since the opening of the shop, have not been fellowshipping with cgm, which is so so impt in our spiritual growth. Finally I can do that. Miss it so much. No longer do I have to rush back to the shop every sundays.

Business is still slow. Contacted choice magazine (Choice is retailed and available free to all in universities, polytechnics, colleges & institutions, private schools & adults education centre & some shopping malls) to find out its advertising rates. Its readers are also that of our target audience. Hope by advertising in Choice (and maybe other mags), things will pick up. Asiasoft will be coming into my.playground, suntec in a few days/couple of weeks time, hope with their opening, the youth crowds will start coming in.

03/03/08 Monday

I'm now blogging in suntec shop. Just opened shop about 1/2 hr ago. It's very quiet now so got time to blog. Most other shops are not opened yet. They are like opening their shops later and later. Guess it's due to the fact that My.PlayGround is very quiet. I am now with my suntec staff (just 1 staff now). But he/she working till some time in Jun/Jul then she will going off for couple of months or so (personal reason) before coming back to work again. During that time when he/she is away, we'll then need to find part-timers. Another staff will be coming in every sunday. When our sunday part-timer is in then I can take sundays off (that is during unpeak period). Finally....my long-awaited off day.

Heard the saying '3 is a crowd'. That's true here too. Why I say so it's coz with this kinda crowd, 3 people serving in the shop is too many. 2 people is more than enough. So for now, we are not intending to hire more people. That's what we've been doing in the early days. Eveything was working fine then until we hired that troublemaker and then problems start arising. Shouldn't have hired him/her. Big mistake!

Last time keep having missing stocks (not displayed items but items in the store. No one goes into the store except staffs. Obviously an inside job). Have checked most of the stocks these few days, and so far not a single missing stock. This prove that our current staffs are honest and previously certain of our staffs are 'thieves'. Who exactly?? No one knows. But we've a couple of suspects in mind.