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As I was riding the jeepney seething and feeling frustrated because of its slowness yesterday, I cannot help but compare our country with Singapore. I know it isn’t fair as we all know that SG is one of the richest country in Asia, but I believe it’s not about being rich, it’s about being disciplined.

usual transpo in SG

oderly traffic

Here in our country, we would often see public and private vehicles cutting lanes. It is also normal for the jeepneys to dally in a certain area in the hope of filling up the jeepney to its capacity. Oftentimes though, it does not happen because the passengers would alight to hop on to the next passing one. (see !! whose loss????!!)

It is also normal here to see vehicles running beyond its capacity. The barkers a.k.a known as “dispatser” are just too eager to call for passengers because they are given a certain amount for doing so. That is even at the expense of the passengers comfort.

Even if it has been made into a law that smoking is not allowed in public vehicle , we still see some do it. Even if there is already a designated waste bin inside the vehicle, we still see some passengers throwing their trashes outside.

These things came to my mind and more when I was in Singapore a year ago. I really took pictures of the place as I got really amazed with the cleanliness. (see the photos). Even the transportation system is efficient. Even if I didn’t get to ride the MRT much on my stay there as my friend drove us around, I still got the feel of its efficiency. The bus and MRT arrives on time and they have the designated terminal for them.

I did see one fly (langaw) in one of the public eating area, but that was the only time I saw one. It was in Newton Food Centre. But of course considering the climate there, it’s supposed to be a haven for other pests as well, but boy it’s not. Maybe because they are good with waste disposal.

I still have a lot of observations but that would take another post. Meanwhile, let me stress out my point. If only the jeepneys would keep to their lane we would have an orderly traffic. If only the passengers would be mindful where to put their trash, we would have cleaner surroundings. If only the barkers would be mindful of the time that is being wasted because they still have not signaled the jeepney to go even during idle hours, then we will not have grumpy passengers. A grumpy passenger is a stressed- out individual. A stressed-out person is a less productive one. Less production means slow to no progress and slow progress or no progress will forever classify the country as a Third World country. Self discipline is the key!

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I just came from a 2days- off and as usual the whole Sunday was spent with my family. We went to the beach again and this has been our 4th times in a row. What a blessing indeed that I got Sunday and Monday as my rest days.

The most part of Monday was spent surfing the net though. I almost finished the whole blog of Francis M and there I learned a lot more about the person. The more I read, my admiration grew 100 times more.

I have always admired him as mentioned in my previous post. To me, he was synonymous with dog tags, shades, hip hop attire and of course the Rap songs. He was already an icon when I was growing up along with Aga Muhlach.

Reading the posts on his blog gave me a more in- depth idea of him as a family man. I would say he is an ideal father to his children. I have always had a soft heart for ideal fathers because I know how it is to have one.

Considering his celebrity status, and considering the number of children that they have, one wouldn’t think that they would really have a blissful family life, but reading his posts and the comments there, I would say that they do have that. You can also judge by the pictures. (borrowed from his blogs). After all, isn’t it that picture speaks a thousand words?

A man who gives flowers to his wife and female kids during Valentines day is a very rare man. In this day and age, finding one would be like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. Even my own father, ideal that he is for me wasn’t able to do that. That’s one thing that he might have missed to do. ?

daughter and grand daughter of Francis M.

I wish we have more of Francis’s kind. May his life be an inspiration to all men. It only takes purity and goodness of the spirit to become successful in career, family and life in general.

Among the malls in CDO, I ‘d say Gaisano and Orororama have a lot to learn from SM and Lim Ket Kai mall when it comes to Customer Service. I would even say that SM top them all.

I wasn’t paid by any of these malls to write about them, but this post is basically my thoughts on the kind of service that each of these malls give to their customers. Way back 2004, I have had a bad experience with an Ororama Cashier. She was rude and arrogant and one who seemed to be ignorant about the basics. Why do I say so? Let you be the judge.

We were given gift checques from Ororama as part of our Christmas bonus. That was when I was still in a government office. Since I wanted to encash my checques, I offered to tag along with my sister who was then about to buy a sofa set. After having chosen the color and the design that she liked, she queued for payment. When it was her turn I gave her the checques that correspond to the amount of the purchase. To my surprise and indignation, the Cashier looked me down and said that it wasn’t allowed. She gave reason about needing Cash instead of checques. I retorted that it’s Ororama’s checque so it’s supposed to be used as payment. She answered back that if it’s my sofa she would allow it. What the heck! We really had a heated argument during that time. It was not so much about what she said, but what got my goat was the way she said it.

My point was that, gift checques were considered pre-paid purchases. We just have to choose the merchandise that we would want to have. It’s already a sure sale so it is but right that we get to spend it without too much hassle. I got really mad that I wanted to leave and just buy elsewhere.In the end I won my point , but at what cost? I had a hell of a stress.

I still have a lot of bad experiences with Ororama but that would take a lot of space. The point I am driving at is that, the staff of Ororama and Gaisano should emulate the kind of Customer service that SM gives. I am not saying that Lim ket kai failed in that area too. It’s just that there are also some staff of the said mall who acts like they came from Ororama.

With Gaisano on the other hand, I guess they are a notch higher than Ororama but still needs a lot of improving especially with the Security guards.

With SM, I would say, about 90% of them are really well trained in the field. Even the guards are polite. If you want to make the customers feel welcome, you should start at the outside. Since the guards are the first persons that one will encounter on the way in, then they should give us customers a good impression. They should not make us feel like we will rob the store or something. They don’t even have the right to act like police dogs who sniff at your bags. I agree that there are some bad elements around, but don’t generalize the crowd. After all, it isn’t our fault that you cannot afford “high –tech” gadgets to easily trap the bad lot. Convenience should not suffer for the sake of the argument that you are just doing your duties. After all the backbone of your existence are the Customers. Take care of us then.

March 7, 2009

FRANCIS M. PASSED AWAY!! That’s one news that bothered me yesterday. I didn’t get to hear about it until the 6 o’ clock news so I was quite shocked. He died of acute myelogenous leukemia. I felt sad that he had to die so young. He is one of the person I admire in show business. Looking at how he lived his life, it was really a life well lived even if it was short.

I would also say that his was an image that was untainted with controversy. Growing up, I have listened to his rap songs. As far as I know, he popularized the Rap genre. What made him stand out among the rappers who followed his style was the fact that he has good looks and that his songs have serious meanings.

I have always thought that Pia is so lucky for having a husband like Francis M. Considering the number of children (8 children and quite good looking brood) they have brought into this world, I am sure Pia have always considered herself very very lucky indeed.

Knowing how it feels to lose a loved one, I am sure his family is already missing him. His wake is expected to be a circus since he is one big celebrity but I am still hoping for the sake of his loved ones that it will be a solemn one.

To you Kiko , you have left an imprint to your followers. You are a big loss to the people who care for you. May your soul rest in peace!