Early Morning Rant


I lost a friend today. But thinking back, I haven't lost much.

10am in the morning. Yes, this is considered early. Too early for my motors to be working yet. I need to rant.

Anyway, Ah Seng from First Motors told me the other day that the patching for Dante's fairing will be $150, the 2nd hand back fairing without cracks or scratches costs around $120, and the new paintwork (I wanted it exactly the way it was, yellow/white with original wordings) costs $500.

So for my fairings alone it's $150 + $120 + $500 = $770.

Plus full servicing? Another $90.

Plus another second-hand exhaust system? At least another hundred or so. Ah Seng says it might even reach $200, depending on how much the seller wants to sell them.

Anyway, office politics is getting heavier by the day. I'm pretty much hanging out with the same guys everyday, and from what I hear the company really is in a mess.

I'm getting closer and closer to my colleagues, not just my workshop colleagues, but showroom sales agent colleagues as well.

My company has like a dozen (ok that's an exaggeration. Maybe 9? Or 10? Or 11?) showrooms all over Singapore. I'm sure you've seen the big-ass AutoMagic sign along Aljunied Road. Or Pinnacle Motors. Or Motor Traders. Or other showrooms with different names. We're all under the same company who does parallel imports.

Let me know if you're thinking of parallel import cars. I've got a good agent to recommend to you.

Anyway one of the salesmen from the nearby showroom is on very good terms with me. He's been sending me home for the past two days (although we got lost and had to circle around for the first day).

I was working til 9pm last night and he was waiting for me outside my office since 7.55pm. And when I came in to continue my work today I found out just how smart I am.

I forgot to save the information that I've been going through the files for. Oh yay.

I am early for work today. All I could think of when my alarm rang was that I can't be late, I can't be late. Alarm was set at 8am, and I snoozed until 8.15am when the mad rush began. Washing up, changing, dragging the warm blankets off Lazy, the works. 15 minutes after waking up, both of us tumbled groggily out to the front porch.

Lentor had pretty heavy traffic today, the traffic was downright NOT moving at all. Times like this I feel so glad we're riding. Whilst we entered into Lentor from Yishun, I looked at my watch. Shit. I had only 7 minutes to get to the stupid punch-card machine in office.

There was an accident just after Ang Mo Kio central. We only saw the white/blue SP lying down on it's side in-between lane 2 and 3 in front of a TP bike and an ambulance. No stationary car was in sight, which meant it was hit and run.

When we reached the bus stop where he usually drops me off, I looked at my watch. It only took 4 minutes for him to get through a major traffic jam from the start of Lentor to the bus stop in front of Whitley Secondary School.

This is why I aspire to be like him (in riding).

Anyway, my motivation for not being late today is very understandable.

I was called up for a talk yesterday about my lateness with the "powers that be". I hate this kind of talks, mainly because both you and I know what's going on and what needs to be done. We both know that we're just going through the motions. They're just annoying, time-wasting and makes both you and I feel uncomfortable.

You see me with my poker face, staring defiantly into your eyes. I see you pick up your pencil and fiddle with it until the rubber end broke. You're even more nervous about it than I am.

I do listen to what he had to say. He still made sense, but I didn't like the way he applied it.

So I was early today and gave him (and him) no chance to talk to/about me! Hmph!

Lazy wants to go shopping for his upcoming China trip. I have to go to the post office to pick up my airmail. We're going shopping later!