Nightmare in Melbourne

Well it's about time I updated. On the 1st of February, I arrived in Melbourne. Cold shivering and not knowing where exactly to go, me and a friend, Jon just decided to get our pick up service to send us to Global Village student accommodation. We were not looking for a long term place but rather a place to live in while we hunt for apartments. The rent was about $800 per week for a 2 bedroom apartment which was priced ridiculously high! Apparently they only give lower rent to people who stay longer term. If we sign a contract to live there for 6 months, we'll pay about $360 per week. You see the difference? We decided not to take it but had nowhere else to go.

For me I could always stick with my initial plan which was to bunk in with Edna while doing my house hunting. But I can't possibly leave Jon right? He supposedly cancelled his accommodation because 'I told him to' according to him. I made it entirely clear that he should only cancel when we get global.

Luckily for us we had a saviour and to this date he still is my saviour. I met this guy Jake from the pre-departure seminar provided by IDP Singapore. He was the President of the Student Association of Singapore in Victoria. He told me that if I had no way out, I could get a key from his friend Ching since we will arrive 12 hours earlier than him. We could crash at his apartment which was empty because his housemates moved out.

I've been busy looking for a decent apartment here and the rental rates are ridiculous. Apartment hunting is really tough in Melbourne. Back home, the real estate agents try to lease out apartments as soon as they can but over here, we have to literally hunt the agents down! So here's how it works, these real estate agents don't get paid on a commission basis, they are on payroll! So why work so hard if you're going to get paid anyway? I can just take my own sweet time to lease out the apartments. Who's to blame? I mean they're humans afterall right? The system is seriously screwed.

Alive And Kicking

Well well, it's been a long time since I've done this oh so familiar routine. Too much has happened the past 6 months and there's simply no possible way I could say everything in a single post. Easiest way out is to post endless pictures. You know how they always say a picture tells a thousand words? Used to think that until you start looking for accomodation online. Now I think they just tell a thousand lies.

About 6 months ago, I graduated from college with a Diploma in Communication Design, then I was on a quest to search for the most 'profitable' job. Profitable meant average income, no brainer and generic job. In less than a month, I've got probably about 10 calls from different ad agencies and design houses looking to hire for a long term position, something I was definitely not looking for. I could only commit for a period of 6 months. Anyways I went for a couple of interviews and had a couple of job offers. I had 2 seperate interviews with this local based ad-agency named Adtitude, both lasted for about more than an hour. I know what you guys must be thinking. Apparently they were looking for a long term player and someone who could commit. I couldn't tell them that I was leaving for Melbourne in 6 months time. It would definitely spoil my chances. After the 2 interviews, I told them I couldn't commit and they were even willing to put me on a 6 months contract. Then again, they were willing to pay only $1500 (according to some people its pretty average for a fresh graduate). If I take up this job, I'll probably be a zombie just working 24/7. How attractive it it to tell your prospective employee that she would have to stay back on certain days to finish up projects and even so, work on weekends? No no, thats definitely not going to work for me.

2 weeks later I received a call from Kelly Services, informing that a position has opened up in NTUC Income. I got the job in July (ages ago yes I know, well I'm updating now aren't I?) and they were willing to pay $1520 plus $300 bonus upon completion of a 6 month contract and it is definitely a no brainer job. I mean how hard could it be working at a call center and just talking to people? Customer service at a call centre, how tough can it get? Who the hell would call in anyway? Nothing I can't handle. Boy was I wrong LOL. Apparently I was not prepared for what this job had in store for me. Basically my jobscope now would be handling medical insurance enquiries. When I got the job in July (ages ago yes I know, well I'm updating now aren't I?), my first thought was that what are the chances of getting such a good job with a good pay.

On what we call a good day, I would received like 90+ calls and on a bad day it could reach up to 150 calls. There were just nasty people calling in every other day and of course, I didn't realise how stupid some Singaporeans are. Mainly our enquiries are on IncomeShield policies. I can't believe that some people would actually buy a policy without knowing what the policy is all about in the first place. Ok so here's how IncomeShield works, choose a plan type, pay a annual premium of a certain amount, depending on your age next birthday and you'll be covered for that year.

Ok imagine Mr A, he has been paying a premium of $50 dollars for a period of 5 years now, he was hospitalised and his bill is $1500. He calls in and started screaming asking us why he can't make a claim. Ok you guys are probably lost and clueless if I were to try and explain so I'm just going to cut it short and tell you what I think. Imagine this, you pay an absurdly cheap premium every year and every single time a claim it is 100% claimable? If you live in a place where this is how it works, let me know, I'll move there! If all insurance companies work like that, they'll all be declared broke and bankrupt. Oh and by the way, a friend told me recently that there are actually insurance companies who insure insurance companies. LOL. I don't know about you but I happen to find that hilarious. It's like the chicken or egg 'theory' on who comes first.

The way our system works is to handle first level enquiries and if it gets complicated, we would pass it on to the operating department who would then handle it. There are people calling in requesting to speak to the CEO of the company or claim manager. When you ask why, they'll tell you 'oh I received a letter from him and he signed off, I wanted if the premium has been deducted from my CPF Medisave account'. OMG! How silly can people get? Well if the CEO could answer your enquiry, the whole point of having a call center or customer service centre is totally redundant ain't it? I mean do you call the school dean to ask him for a copy of your timetable when he signs off a letter informing you that your school will commence on a certain date? LOL.

Enough about the bad part, working at our call centre isn't all bad. Apparently we're the best call center in Singapore. Hah. Wait till the judges see how we actually work. People are generally young (only in my department), even my supervisor. She's only 29 and plus she's the dopest and well a Zouk resident. Although she's cool about most things and hangs out with us, she's really dead serious when it comes to work. God knows how many times she screwed us and tell us it's nothing personal. LOL. I love my colleagues and most of all the 'culture'. Oh the call centre is 24 hours and well after 8pm when the big bosses are 'gone', it's a whole entire image altogether. The TV would be turned and we get really loud but not when either of us is on the phone of course. The entire working atmosphere's just great, people goof around all the time, we would mute the phone and curse at the stupidity of the nasty customers.


Melvin, Sarah, Natalie, Jack, Ida and Me


Sarah, Natalie and Me


Sarah and Me (Simply love this girl)

My contract ended last month and boy I miss this people like crazy!

Still Here

Sharon was here. I'm still alive. Those of you who wished I was dead, well tough luck. Will update again 'soon'.

A Day In The Life

Had a sudden urge to blog even though I know there would be no substantial content in this post. A mellow day in the life of a self-indulgent bitch. I'm feeling so disconnected today. I've had better days. I just got back from Peace Centre. Printed my name cards for the graduation exhibition. 100 pieces for 18 bucks. Quite a bargain. Been contemplating if I should design a display holder for the cards. LAZY!

So I was talking to my Mom earlier about my nicotine addiction. She wants me to get rid of it before I go over to Melbourne. Being an ignorant Singaporean, I would whine about how our government is constantly increasing tobacco taxes. Little did I know that the Aussie government is doing the exact same thing. I'm not about to pay that much for this disgustingly comforting addiction.

I'm thinking about applying for jobs to save up a little for 'emergencies' when I'm over there. Been considering some programmes at Gasi. Their Internship USA or Internship New Zealand sounds like fun. It'll definitely be a good experience. Plus it'll give me a warming up period for Melbourne. My mom's unsure about USA, she probably has a hard time letting her 'little girl' be that far away from home. My dad has a friend in New Zealand, so she's pretty cool about it. But imagine if I get to go to the States. I'll be earning 1 1/2 times more and I'll be doing what I love! New Zealand's cool too but I heard it gets so boring, you'll age faster there.

If I decide to go for this. I wouldn't be spending as much time as I would like to, with my family. Am still considering though. For now I need to get started on the bloody Questionnaire (which I still think is totally unnecessary) for RMIT. Shit! I've been putting it on hold for 2 whole months now. I still miss him.