23.1.08

We are only mere mortals


Today, Heath Ledger passed away. He was only 28. It came as such a shock this morning as I was preparing to leave for work. Only last night were these two radio personalities talking about death and what people would say when you die. They did a feature on one of the radio personalities because her co-host said that she would not get to hear what people had to say about her if she passed on.

I pondered over my own mortality. How many people would truly mourn, besides my family and close friends? Who would notice if I passed on? Would I be merely like the tree that falls silently in the Amazon jungle? Or would it be something that people talked about and grieved over for awhile?

How would my eulogy read if I passed on?

"Here lies The Cow, loving wife and daughter, sister and close friend. Moo lived a full life, with much love to give and share, and many wise (but sometimes sarcastic) words to spare. She lent an ear, a shoulder (some arms and legs plus the whole body if necessary), but also kindness and compassion to all.

Everyday, we will miss her quick smile, her gentle hand, her kind words and her loving gestures. We were all privileged enough to have met her and to have had her in our lives for this period of time. Though there may have been moments of pain, anger or sadness, they were short-lived and few and far between. But they only made us appreciate more the sweet moments that we shared.

We will always remember the Cow and cherish the memories of her. May she be at rest, wherever she may be. And we hope, for her sake, the grass is greener on the other side (and more tasty too)".

Will this be what people say?

16.1.08

Things that make me go grr!!!


Every year, I seem to have a spot of really bad customer service. This year, a New Zealand company is the subject of my frustration.

Very late last year, I purchased a container from a retail chain of supermarkets over here. We had bought some deli-bones from the Barkery for the pups for Christmas and I wanted to put it in an airtight container. Anyway, bought the container, took it home, pulled off the tags on it, and proceeded to take it apart to wash it. It was only when I was washing it that I discovered the lid to be cracked.

And so I figured that I'd better get in touch with the manufacturer to let them know that they had a faulty product and ask for a replacement. I visited the website to find contact details (you can check it out too if you want. The company's called Sistema Plastics) and was pleased to note that they "continue to meet and exceed the expectations of the customer". And so I emailed them.

A day later...and no reply...okay, so maybe they're short staffed due to the festive season.


A week later...and no reply...*shrug*...lots of people must be on leave for the new year.


So about a week and a half later, I send them an email. Not a rude one but one that basically tells them what I think about their "customer service".
Low and behold, I get an email the next day apologising for the delay due to the festive season (yeah right, and I'm Pamela Anderson. Who do you think you're trying to con? I wasn't born yesterday you know. I'm pretty sure that if I had not sent the second email, I wouldn't have received a response).

So anyway, I give them the benefit of the doubt and give them more details.
I get another email the next day asking for pictures and more detail. And so I oblige. And then I get an email back saying "
We would normally be hesitant in replacing something like this as the photos show you have actually washed this container (see the water marks on it) and I’m not sure why you’d do this with a faulty / broken container, however I will send you a replacement lid, and trust you will have no further problems with it."

And now my blood's boiling. Are you calling me a liar lady?!? Because it sure does sound like it. I'm spending my time emailing you, letting you know about a faulty product and you can't even see beyond your own miniscule little understanding that I'm doing this based on principle???!!!!!! Think about it for 2 secs - it isn't worth me spending all this time emailing you for a $6 container.

And that the company is SO CHEAP that it can't even spend $15 (I doubt it costs that much but I'm just taking into consideration postage and handling) to keep a customer happy. "Meet and exceed expectations"? I don't think so...I don't think they even come anywhere close to meeting my expectaions.

AND the person who's been emailing me has the gall to sound all huffy about sending me a replacement lid. Can you believe the nerve?

So all I can do now is spread the word so that you too won't fall into the same trap of thinking that emailing the manufacturer might actually be the right thing to do. Or buying anything from Sistema Plastics for that matter. Because for all the "customer service" claims on their website, they sure don't live up to it at all.

The moral of the story? I'll just listen to hubby: Next time, just buy Tupperware.

9.1.08

RIP


Sam chewed my wedding teddy bear...it's now RIPped to pieces...*sigh*...*bigger sigh*...*even BIGGER sigh*...

What am I to do with her?!?!?!!!

2.1.08

Feeling hot, hot, hot!


And 2008 has strolled in, with the imminent 36 degree heat and rising temperatures.

I don't know if there really is much to celebrate in the new year, given that global warming has caused us to live with dangerously painful heat everyday. For the next few weeks, temperatures are predicted to hit the 40 degree mark more than once a week. It's going to be a scorching hot summer for me, and I'm not looking forward to it.

I doubt our littl' ones are looking forward to it too. We filled a clamshell (a plastic clamshell that's big enough for littl' kids to play in) with water and tried to get Kitt and Sam into it. Kitt is very adventurous, sporting enough to put her head underwater and blow bubbles out her nose. She needs no coaxing to go in - she follows Nike and just does it!

Sam, on the other hand, is ever so tentative and cautious about getting the slightest bit wet. She went around the clamshell, looking for a way to get to her prize without getting her paws wet. She patted the water gently and looked dubiously at me.

"Do I have to?" is what her liquid brown eyes said.

Many a time she walked away, only to come back after much persuasion. The only thing hubby and I wanted her to do was submerge one paw. ONE PAW! How hard could that be?

Well, after lots of urges and attempts, and me getting into the water, littl' Sammy put one paw in, grabbed her littl' treat and dashed into her kennel to hide away from the big bad people who were trying to get her wet.

Now how are we ever going to keep her cool?!?!!