He cursed and swore at my ex-colleague

It was Hari Raya yesterday and I was looking for a stall to buy food home when I met a senior steward ( Jim). I knew him quite well when I was working with the airline. Not a bad guy but he has a mouth that can damage your reputation if you antagonised him.

We sat down and in between sips of the coffee I bought him,he was telling how mean some of my ex colleagues were towards him and the crew. We were senior cabin crew whose job was to appraise the crew on their performance besides doing other things like training, admin work etc. He related the abuses hurled on him personally when he flew with them.

One of the worst wrong doings by an ex colleague ( Rick) was the unfair appraisal he gave to this steward. Just because Jim did not lend him money to carry on his gambling in a casino,Rick gave him a bad report.
Jim told me Rick was losing and through a third party asked Jim to lend him some money so he could try and recoup his loses. Jim being a superstitious gambler politely refused to lend.

On the flight back home, Rick gave Jim a hard time on the flight. A bad check report was given to Jim and Jim was hauled to the office after he arrived at S'pore.

Poor Jim, as he was relating the story to me, I could felt the anger in his voice although the incidence happened many years ago.

If you ask me whether Rick was capable of being unfair and vindictive towards Jim, my answer would be a big "Yes". I knew Rick very well after working together for 30+ years.

Best of Country Western, Hank Williams Jr Medley

Ex PM Lee Kuan Yew as a passenger.

Mr Lee was one passenger whom we revered (a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe). Most people jolly well knows that Mr Lee was a no nonsense prime minister. Whenever he flew with SQ,the crew as well as the ground staff from our chairman to the guy who prepared his food would be on their toes.
One complaint from him you would get into serious trouble (but he never complained against cabin crew).
As for me, I liked having Mr. Lee as my pax, as long as Mrs Lee, his late wife was also on the flight too. You see,she was our protector and refuge from her husband (will blog about her later). If there was any lapse in the service, we will approach Mrs Lee and she would forgive us (Mr Lee would automatically follow suit). Also,whenever Mr Lee was on the flight, things would go on smoothly eg. the toilets would be scrubbed clean, the service wares would be new and if not so new would be at least very clean, there would be stringent security checks (during those days there was not much security threats like after September 11) etc.

The following stories were related to me by the crew.

Flying the plane into Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport with Mr Lee seated behind him in the "jump seat", Captain M was trying to impress Mr Lee by the naming each islands below them. But Mr Lee wasn't interested at all. Before Capt M could finished, Mr Lee shot back at him "I rather you keep your eyes on the control than talking to me". My guess was Mr Lee was rightfully concerned with the safety of everyone on the flight including himself.

Another pilot told me while taxiing on the runway for the take-off,he noticed Mr Lee who was seated behind him, fumbling with the shoulder harness (seat belts). Thinking that Mr Lee did not know how to fasten his harness, the pilot verbally taught Mr Lee how to do it. Before the pilot could even finished his teaching session, Mr told him.." if I don't know how to fasten my harness, how can I run Singapore".



The late Cyril Teo , a check steward then was eating his dinner in the first class galley when Mr Lee suddenly opened the curtain. " Oops sorry sir.....do you like to join me?" asked Cyril. "What are you having young man ?" Mr Lee asked Cyril. " Chicken with rice, Mr Lee" replied Cyril sheepishly. "Fine, I will also have exactly the same dish please" he instructed Cyril. (Mr Lee earlier on declined to have his dinner when it was served to him and the other first class paxs).
You see, Mr Lee, like one of his brothers told me on a flight to London that Mr Lee was careful with what he was eating. It wasn't about calories or nutrient but he was a little careful in case the communists poison him.

IFS passed away last week.

IFS (Inflight Supervisor is the most senior cabin crew on board SQ flight) A ( dun want to name him as his family may not like it ) died last week after he returned from Dubai flight.
I was told that IFS A was a health freak. He carried weights so he could have a sculptured liked body...u know the one like Rambo. He was strong looking but a lil short ( 168m ). A was an affable type of man. He was kind too. Many liked him.
You see, when A flew back from DXB,he took a few hours nap in the afternoon since he worked all night from DXB to SIN.
After getting up from his nap, he went out jogging in the hot afternoon sun. Well he was kind of used to jogging in the hot and humid weather. He jogged and jogged until he was out of breath. Then he went home.
His home was equipped with exercising machine and weights. As a routine, A started his workout taking a rest.
After about 20 mins, he felt uncomfortable and seconds later, he collapsed and died.
During the post mortem, they found that A had a few heavily clotted arteries. I was told he died from a severed stroke. He was 49 years old and survived by  his wife and 3 children.

My blog is now private.

Dear Friends,

Please leave your name in the comment space below
so I will know whether U are able to access this blog.

Thank you,

BT

Durian anyone?

For the last 2 days, I had durians for dinner. They were so yummy and I was told nutritious too eg. it was reported to lower the bad cholesterol, even act as an aphrodisiac and blah blah......
Sure it would be yucky for those who are not durian fans. As for me, I simply love this King of the fruits.
I still have some left in my fridge which I will eat as dessert this afternoon.....want some? ...hello chilled durians taste better leh.
My wife thought I was crazily in love with durians. I explained to her when I was a kid my family couldn't afford to buy much durians for us (me and siblings). At most, during the durian season, each one of us would have only a piece. Now since I can afford, I would buy the best (mountain cat is it?) and eat to my stomach's content. Hey with durian, you could poo poo easily but mind you the whole toilet would smell of rotten durian...hahaha. So take note for those constipators, my advice is eat durians and lots of them and give your asses a break....hehehe.
Guess what? Having durians for dinner (and nothing else ok ?) made me lose weight too. Not much la but about 1 kg each day for the last 2 days.
Wonder our anti-curry new Singaporeans can tahan the smell of durians let alone eat them...hahaha?
If you want to have a Durian party email me ok? Who knows we might be able to convince our new citizens to more "Singaporeans" and multi racial in their views. Wah with such understanding and consideration, I can actually stand for our presidential election. Wah lau if I become the President, I would transform the surrounding area of the Istana into a durian plantation. On public holidays, I would invite my citizens to feast on durains for free (PRs and foreigners have to pay). In this manner, I could promote racial integration and harmony in Singapore. So please don't forget to vote for me this Saturday....hmmm remember simply give a tick next to my name which is "Tan"........I bet you a million to one  the next president WILL be a Tan!

Kung Fu (animation with song)

Edmond visited me in his Limo

Edmond is one of the few ex-colleagues I still keep in touch. He now works for http://www.lotuslimos.com a limo company in Singapore. The owner of the limo company
also owns this http://www.indochine.com.sg/home/locsingapore-wfwaterfront.php an upmarket
dinning chain and resorts in Singapore,Jakarta, Hamburg and Phuket. (Ed correct me if I am wrong).
Edmond drove one of the limos (like the one above) to pay his last respect to my mom recently. My family and friends were touched by his gesture and presence.

Before the visit, Edmond would usually buy us lunches and dinners at the Indochine Restaurant in Holland Village . He still invite us till this day.
The last time we were invited for a nice dinner at IndoChine was a few weeks before my mom's passing. We had a great time. VJ, Meng How, Adrian Oei, Thomas, myself and Edmond was there till almost midnite. We had a great time.
Edmond has invited us for a grand limo ride around S'pore to be followed by a dinner. This time, we promised him we would foot the bill.

Thank you Edmond,may you have a great Sunday and a blessed week ahead.

Like that how to close................

Just received the above sms from an ex stewardess from SQ regarding some personal matters. We have not communicate with each other for a long time but she still remembers me VV.
There were many of such text messages which are flattering actually. So in view of such nice people how am I to stop blogging huh?
Of course, there are uncomplimentary people too ( look at the comments in my blog)but they are the ones who are either envious of what I am doing or perhaps got upset with me because I blog about them.
If anyone is unhappy and feel that I have touched their raw nerve by blogging about them,please tell me so and I will remove the post...fair?? In this way,we don't have to dislike one another k?

Don't worry guys cos....................................

Even if  I close my blog, it will be closed to the public and those who are anti me. My readers can still access my blog using their email address which they have to send to me at bohtong@yahoo.com  In this manner, I can blog the things that are restricted to the public and be more open to my readers.
Do send me your email address and I will register you as an invited guest to my blog. Hurry cos I am limited to accept only 100 invited readers.

Cheers!

BT

Read my Facebook...good bye?..it all depends on the poll..

SIA cabin crew job

Due to many enquiries from some of our SIA Steward/Stewardess wannabes, I have decided to post the following


Singapore Airlines has always been the airline to fly with. The Singapore Girl is the epitome of beauty, elegance, and premier service. What does it take to become a Singapore Girl? Find out more about the hard work that goes into making every flight a great way to fly.


Singapore Airlines …a global brand and arguably the best airline in the world. Synonymous with Singapore Airlines is the Singapore Girl. Mention those two words and immediately a picture of a slim, sweet, smiling Asian girl in a sarong kebaya comes to mind. Her internationally recognised uniform, designed by French couturier Pierre Balmain, is associated with unparalleled service standards – service with a smile, whatever you ask for you will get, no questions asked.


The Singapore Girl has always been perceived as a glamour job reserved for the elite - beautiful women, impeccably groomed, jet-setting the world. But has that changed? With the rapid take-off in the air travel industry and increased competition by other major airlines, is the Singapore Girl still the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, the job that all women are eyeing?


60 years ago, Singapore Airlines started with 3 flights a week but today, their route network reaches 62 destinations in 35 countries with on 6 continents. The company employs around 7,000 cabin crew to man their fleet of 107 aircrafts. With this great demand, the airline has had to employ cabin crew from around the region – so the Singapore Girl is not always Singaporean. In fact, the majority of the stewardesses hail from Malaysia, with others coming from Taiwan, Indonesia, China, Japan, Korea and India. This is also advantageous to the airline since stewardesses will be able to communicate with Asian passengers in their native language.


Obvious benefits of flying for Singapore Airlines are the opportunity to travel, experience different cultures and meet people from all over the world; not to mention the prestige associated with being a Singapore Girl. Cabin crews enjoy free entry into many popular night spots. Other advantages include a monthly salary of about S$3,500, which is significantly higher than the starting pay of fresh university graduates. In addition, there is also an annual wage supplement of one month’s basic salary, a profit-sharing bonus and a medical co-payment scheme. Each staff member is also entitled to a free ticket to any Singapore Airlines destination once a year, with discounted travel at other times. Spouses of married staff will also be entitled to a free annual ticket. With at least 21 days of paid annual leave (senior and supervisory staff get more) all these perks contribute to make flying with Singapore Airlines a very attractive career prospect.


Being a Singapore Girl is a lot more than just smiling and looking pretty though. The hours are long and flying all over the world through different time zones can be very exhausting. A typical month usually consists of 1 long flight, a few 3-day flights and some turnarounds (i.e. flying to a destination and back within a day). Long flights are to destinations in Europe, the United States or the Middle East. Mid-range flights are regional – Australia, Japan, China or Taiwan. Turnaround destinations include Indonesia, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Malaysia. Long flights will mean 4 to 9 days away from Singapore, including a few days to rest. Cabin crew are then entitled to 2 to 3 days off after they return from long flights before having to fly again, which works out to about 15 off days a month.


A typical flight would require cabin crew to report for a briefing 2 hours before take-off. They will then have to prepare the aircraft for passengers to board. Upon takeoff, the focus is on taking care of passengers’ needs, from meals to duty-free shopping to keeping toilets clean and handling any request, however unusual it may be. One stewardess was even asked to separate a passenger’s mixed nuts, just because he did not eat brazil nuts!! Needless to say, it was done … with a smile of course. Attending so diligently to the passengers is hard work but there are rest areas for crew onboard the aircraft to take a break or even a quick nap.


Singapore Airlines pride themselves on offering service of the highest order. With passengers also getting more and more demanding, what qualities does the Singapore Girl have to possess in order to be successful? “Patience” was the answer given by one flight steward, who has been flying with Singapore Airlines for the past 10 years. To him, the most rewarding part of his job is the satisfied smiles on passengers’ faces as they disembark from the aircraft. On the flipside, the hardest part of flying is the physical toll on the body as a result of irregular working hours, changes in time zones and jet-lag.


So do you have what it takes to become a Singapore Girl? Application requirements for Singapore and Malaysian applicants are 5 O-level credit of which one must be in English. Applicants from other Asian countries need an equivalent of a Degree. In addition, females need to have a minimum height of 1.58 meters and males 1.65 meters. Preference is given to candidates who are able to speak foreign languages or with experience in customer service.


Some candidates are also required to wear a sarong kebaya to see if they ‘look’ like Singapore Girls. Once candidates make it pass the rigorous rounds of interviews, they go through about 4 months of training which includes basic service and safety, English diction, social etiquette and makeup. There are several tests interspersed throughout the training but the critical ones that have to be passed are first aid, safety and evacuation procedures. The emphasis that Singapore Airlines places on safety is very clear as these tests have to be passed annually in order for cabin crew to keep flying. Before graduation from training, candidates take part in ‘wet-runs’ undergoing on-the-job training on actual flights. Upon graduation, they have to sign a 2 year compulsory service bond, with a 6 month probation period. They are also offered renewable 5 year contracts which pay out a generous lump-sum on completion.


The Singapore Girl has always occupied the limelight, but what about the Singapore Boy? Does he exist? Theanswer is, Yes! 30% of cabin crew are male stewards and there is no gender distinction. They enjoy the same benefits and perks that the Singapore Girl does and have to go through the same stringent selection process and training.


Upon securing a permanent position with the airline, what do advancement prospects and career progression look like for cabin crew? There are 4 ranks, indicated by the colour of the uniform. An entry-level stewardess wears the blue sarong kebaya. One level up is the Leading Stewardess who wears Green. A Chief Stewardess is clothed in a red kebaya, while the In-flight Stewardess wears Purple. The stewards’ ranks are distinguished by their neckties.Their jackets are navy blue in color. In order to maintain the high level of service which Singapore Airlines is well-known for, service rules and regulations are very strict. Cabin crews are continually assessed throughout the year, via evaluations which are conducted on-flight by different supervisors. A performance report will be given to them after the flight and the crews are not told in advance which flights they will be evaluated on.


In summary, if you want to be in the service industry, enjoy traveling and meeting people, are not prone to air-sickness, have a adaptable body clock and just happen to have a permanent, megawatt smile, it looks like a career flying the skies is for you. Almost 60 years of innovation and service have pushed Singapore Airlines to the forefront of the industry, so it looks like the Singapore Girl (or rather, Singapore Person) is still a great way to fly.


SIA cabin crew interviews are usually held as "Walk in" (held in Hotels or "Write in" types ( at SIA Training Center or commonly known as STC).




Sequence of an interview.




1) Self-introduction to a panel of cabin crew
executives (2), in groups of 10 candidates each.


2) Skin check for girls and skin checks for guys.


3) One-on-one interview and reading of a passage.


4) Management Round...2 groups of candidates of around 4 to 6 in each group. They may be asked to debate/discuss a topic as well introduce their fellow candidates to the panel of interviewers.


5) Kebaya rounds and skin checks again for girls. Boys are also given a thorough skin check.


After you've passed all the above you will be sent for a medical check up.


After getting a clean bill of health,you will then be sent for training at STC.

A tribute to the late uniquely talented Eva Cassidy.

Beautiful Eva died in 1996, from melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer. Her music was little-known during her 33 years of life, but today her soul-stirring voice is reaching people all over the world.


For some fans, the pleasure of listening is enough. Others want to know more: "Who was this remarkable singer? Why haven't we heard of her before?  Are there more albums?" Please click here to visit Eva's website.

Only 75 people "Like" me on FaceBook (above)...how can?

Sad la cos only 75 visitors "Like" me on FaceBook whereas Nicole Seah a member of the opposition party (NSP) has 105,000 plus "Like" in her FaceBook.
I think I should be like Nicole...ya go and talk,listen and empathizes with the old and poor. Better still like Nicole, shed a few drops of tears when listening to the plight of the poor and destitute and who knows I may get more "Like" ...hahaha. Ya it would be a good idea to carry babies so people will think I am very grand fatherly hehehe.

Maybe I should also blog and champion the poor,old and destitute hor?

Sons lose $7 million house to father's mistress

Prominent psychiatrist Dr Wong Yip Chong (1997 picture)

The $7 million Chancery Hill Road house at the centre of the court case between two sons and their father's mistress.


SINGAPORE - The fight for prominent psychiatrist Wong Yip Chong's $7 million house has ended with the judge ruling in favour of Dr Wong's long-time mistress, Madam Patricia Ling Ai Wah.

Dr Wong's two sons - neurologist Meng Cheong, 54, and locum doctor Meng Leong, 49, - had taken legal action in an attempt to block Madam Ling, 60, from getting the house, even though their father had always treated her as his wife.
To continue click here

BT: Why am I interested in the above case is because I have worked with Dr Wong in IMH from 1964 to 1967.

My ball-les svp and cockless manager

One day, my rather new and ball-less svp ( let's call him B) called me to his office for a "chat". " I have been monitoring your work and you have shown to be a good and conscientious employee and it's a pity you have not been rewarded all these years"..he said with a serious look. He then told me he would in the coming review reward me with a merit increment ( double salary increment for outstanding worker).

Months after the work review, I happened to bumped into B. I asked him what had happened to the merit increment he had promised me. He tried to avoid answering me by saying he was very busy with his work and would attend to me later on.

A month later, I went up and knocked at B's door. He had no choice but to let me into his office. He knew precisely why I wanted to see him. He explained to me that he wanted to reward me but my manager who was his subordinate refused to agree with him. Some crap reasons were given to B about my work performance and said I would be the last person to receive any reward.

Know what? That manager was a closet gay and I had probably passed some remarks about gays in general and that could have hurt him. To be honest, I do not dislike gays and some of my good friends were gays. My manager was just feeling guilty of being a gay. He couldn't obliged his mother's persistent nagging to get married and gave her grand children.

You see it was a personal grudge that gay manager had against me and so he unfairly blocked me from receiving the reward. Personally, I am not very much against that gay manager but my svp because he was a big boss without even 2 small balls. He could easily override that bapok manager's decision but he didn't.

I supposed in SIA and like anywhere else, if you are not a balls carrier you would be condemned and branded as a "renegade" or "useless".  Many balls carriers are doing extremely well even to this day.

My unsympathetic manager

Whenever a crew is away and his wife gives birth, SQ would give the crew a free ticket on the first flight home so he can be with his wife and the newborn baby. Also, if the said crew were to apply for leave in advance, the company would usually grant the steward his leave.

In my case, I was turned down when I applied for leave during the period which my pregnant wife was to give birth to our first baby. The reason given was the senior stewards had priority over me a junior steward back then. They were granted leave for things like going on vacations and of things of lesser importance.

So when my wife gave birth to our first and second child, I was away in a foreign country. Certainly, there were plenty of anxiety for me and my wife.

I was very upset with my manager for not granting me  leave on the two important occasions. Moreover, there was no such a thing as flying me home as a passenger.

What followed  may sound like a curse but I don't think so. I merely told that unsympathetic manager ( he had all the power to grant me those leave) that when it comes to his turn, I hope he would be far away from his wife and baby. I remember telling him this..."and that's if your wife could ever give birth".

All her life, that manager's wife was barren. They could not have a child. Today, he is an old retired manager not only without a child but also without a wife.

You may call it "retribution" but I really don't know.

Don't lose your job just because................

One chief steward was caught in a raid by the authority on illegal brothels in a foreign country. In that particular country, I was told one should not visit the cheap brothels because they aren't protected by the "authority". In expensive brothels one would feel safer as they, besides being protected are frequently visited by "big shots" who are "politically immuned"
Therefore the chances of being napped in a cheap brothel are much higher than in the expensive ones.
Many male crew told me they do visit brothels but have never experienced the anxiety of being napped by the authority. Of course, one has to pay something like S$200 and more for a good time. The cheaper brothels offer services averaging $50 to $100.

Don't be "Penny wise pound foolish" ok?. Why?..cos one will lose his job if caught patronising a brothel overseas ( in certain countries).

BT: In S'pore (Geylang) brothels are usually "legalised".

A tribute to my late Mom by boh tong

My dear old mother, a precious lady
At 95 she told me she was ready
To leave this world is the reality of life
But as her children, we should not cry

For she had gone to a better place
And one day we'll meet her face to face
The Lord is merciful and kind
Our mistakes His eyes have turned blind

Praise God our King Jesus is Lord
Cos at the end of the day, He's all we've got!

BT: When it's my turn to go I would like it to be a straight forward affair. I would prefer to be cremated  without any fuss or funeral. Cremate me asap and throw the asses away and anywhere it's convenient. The main reason for a non fuss and quick cremation is to avoid people visiting me. Many relatives,friends and ex-colleagues do not like to visit wakes but are sort of forced to because of customs or face. They would be present at your wake for the sake of formality too. Who also likes to part their money in the form of contributions to your funeral? So for me it's no wake,no funeral, no obituary and no inconvenience to others.

Did the Cabin Crew Executives (Check & Training) priced themselves out?

That's a good question (above title). It was exactly 10 years after the CCEs won their case (June 1993) against the company in the Industrial Arbitration Court pertaining to their salary and working conditions that they were offered early retirement (June 2003).
It took a gutsy and revengeful SVPcc to get rid of the CCEs. Gutsy, because he even fought his own boss and left his 5 figure salary job after 3 decades with the airline. Revengeful, because some of the CCEs had shown disrespect towards him when he first transferred to cabin crew.
Looking at the big picture, it's a combination of the 3 ( Guts,revenge and pricing).
The question here is does SQ fare better without the CCEs in terms of profitability and service standards?
The experienced cabin crew and regular passengers who have been with us all these years should be able to provide the more accurate answers.

BT's reply to Pillay