Memorabilia: My Three Firsts

What the firsts are?

My first time working.
My first time walking around KL.
My first time to a concert, sort of.

It all started, when a dear friend of mine, who goes by JoBen, text'd me at exactly 11.03pm, on the 6th of December. Back then I was still on vacation. The contents of the message was very direct. A friend of a friend needs some help. Work. For celcom at the My Chemical Romance concert. Promoter.

So I thought,
"Gee, why not? I need some cash anyway, and I've never did an honest days work in my life!"

So I agree. The day before the concert, our employer, Mr. Kiran rang me up. Said he needed 3 more people to work for him. So I ajak Pravin and Razlan along.

Thus, come Monday, Me, Sue Anne, Razlan, Pravin all hitched a ride with my dear daddy to Stadium Kuala Lumpur where the concert was to be held. We couldn't fit JoBen in with us because our car was just a myvi and with my daddy and us.. that was 5.

We arrived at the staidum entrance at 12.45. Mr. Kiran said to be there by 1.30pm so I didn't wanna be late for my first job. So yes, I was early. WOW! I sure am changing my ways. Earning my own cash and being punctual! Too punctual actually. because we had about another hour and nothing to do. All of us were starving, so we trooped away in the direction of KLCC in search for something to eat.

As most of you would know.. I'm somewhat a strangely foreign bumiputra. It was my FIRST time to this part of KL. I didn't like one bit of it. The stench, the litter, the old unartistic architecturelywise buildings. All of these things worked together to build up two feelings within me. Disgust. Shame.

Personally I find it disgusting. And because I think it's disgusting, what would foreigners who visit The Heart Of Malaysia think? Thus the shame.

So anyway, we passed by this China Town. Had no idea wher we were. My one and only trusty toursit guide Razlan, failed me. We were lost. So after aimlessly walking we found ourselves in a sort of busy street and junction. Opposite us was Mydin. It had Kenny Rogers' Roasters, and McDonald's. But from afar we could see McD was crowded and i baru makan keny g's yesterday.
So we scouted abit more found this iddle widdle lot. KFC. it was so small! My classroom was bigger. The first floor of KFC was packed, but the upstairs wasn't. We chopped seats. Razlan just ate, so sue, me and prav went below to order. We waited in line till it was our turn to order.. and when it was my turn, the cashier lady actually said:

"Yes, Good Morning miss, how I help you?"

I gave her a very wide grin, she apologized afterwards. I ordered a pepsi and cheezy wedges.. wasn't that hungry either. But Sue, wow.. a whole snack plate. We exchanged our food around somwhat.. nobody but me seemed to like cheezy wedges. But I took generous helpings of Pravin's mashed potatoes and coleslaw. In the end, Sue tak berjaya habis makan her chicken breast.

We received a phone call from JoBen after that. He just arrived. So it was time for us to get back to the stadium. It wasn't very far.. but still we had our share of fun on the way back. Plenty of guys checking Sue out.. then there was the part she almost got hit by a car. You know, she being under the perception that guys would see her.

When we got back. We said hello to JoBen. Which the greeting wasn't returned. I'll excuse him, he was feeling down. SO anyway, it was 1.37p. Where the hell was Mr. Kiran? What kinda employer arrives after his employees?? I was curious. This Mr.Kiran seemed fishy. He said he was a celcom agent. But celcom was already there. Shouldn't he be here already with his company?

So while waiting for our late boss, we decide to find a nice place to laze around first. I founda great spot. A super comfy patch of grass under a big tree. And thank god the day was mendung and breezy.

We practically just lazed around. for about the next hour. Cuz he was REALLY late. So we decided to take pickies!

So after much pics taken, we get a call and finally Mr. Kiran sampai. He, being the the kinda guy he is, kept calling SueAnne, "Susan".So se asksus to follow him. So we do. We trek away from the stadium. So then after a few meters, we reach this place... a little island of sidewalk in the middle of 3 roads. And we see Mr. Kiran's car.

Plunk.

The truth hit me like a stone dropped on my head.

There is no way in the world this guy with this shabby car is affiliated with celcom! He soon unpacks his car trunk and asks us to set up shop. Took us a few minutes. And this was it.

Our Pathetic Stall

What a let down. But one shouldn't cry over spilled milk.There wasn't even a payung! We asked Mr. Kiran what wud happen if it rained.. he said. "Just pack everything up" Wow senang hatinya cakap! So anyway, there was another group working under our fraud of a boss Mr. Kiran.A bunch of girls. So we had some competition. Not wanting to lose, we immediately assigned each other to separate tasks. The stuff we were to sell were:

RM40 MCR shirts.
RM10 MCR tags
RM5 MCR tags.
RM 10 bubble glowsticks
RM 10 Colour Glowsticks
RM0 Raincoats

Me & Sue: Promote merchandise to pedestrians.
JoBen, Razlan & Pravin: Man the stall

We had our thrills and spills, being the juvenile entrepreneurs we were, we had no idea how to make people buy our stuff, plus the fact that EVERY other stall was selling the SAME stuff. So me and sue had to walk around and just offer it to people.

Strangely enough, me and SueAnne were dressed alike!

And let's face it, its NOT easy. I know none of you can't deny that whenever there was a promoter passing leaflets or brochures around you just ignored them. It was so hard taking all that rejection in one day :'(

Surprisingly though, the rempits were polite and bought quite alot and when they didn't buy they still smiled. The Chinese moms were very snobbish they would sometimes just say like NO in your face. Even worse if they just walk right by you as if you were part of the sidewalk! On the other hand Indian moms were VERY nice and friendly. Indian teenagers, not so... Foreigners, they were the worst kind of customers. Bitch about you in your face as if you can't understand them.. grrr.. *fists clench*

And that wasn't all. There was this very rude caucasian guy who told us to Fuck Off because we didn't have a license to sell mcr merchandise and HE did. But after awhile, we roamed far and wide tryna sell stuff. Sue naturally doing better with the guys and me for some reason doing good with families and couples. Soon after we saw that caucasian man walking around, with a disappointed look on his face. Hehehh.. if one thing he should've known.. was this; This is Malaysia! people don't care if its fake! As long as the quality's good and it's cheap Malaysians just buy them!

While trying real hard, a ray of hope appeared.. Kisu! she and her friend, being acquaintances of us, of course bought stuff from us! yippie! On top of that, I even managed to persuade her to buy one tag for her friend who didn't get to come to the concert!

Gosh, I think in all my life, that day was the day I saw so much mascara and eyeshadow and black nail polish and black lipstick! I mean, if our store actually sold black makeup instead glowsticks they mesti untung lumayan! I mean, at that moment.. i was so proud of my own mom. Seeing a some old ladies who were actually obviously 40 something.. wearing gothic and being all emo with make up as thick as the earth's crust dressed up for a concert was absolutely revolting.

So while we were away, the rest of them were manning the stall. But wow, after the first few sales, confidence just started swelling in me, and people soon started coming to me like vultures to a carcass! Soon my stock of 5 buck tags were depleted, so I went to restock. Here's what razlan and jo were doing when i got back.

Good Job scaring the customers Raz!

So a few hours go by, then we shift change. So now I man the stall. There was this girl, real rich, she just walked up, asked for 2 tags, and bought a shirt. no discounts asked. Pfft.. before she left sue anne actually said to her "I think you're very pretty" and in truth she totally thought the opposite! Sigh.. if only all the customers were like her.

While I was looking around for a possible wealthy target I heard a voice coming from the right saying

"Hoy! Aza, you working is it??"
it was Wee Lee! from RM band in his greenish blue-ish Wira with the windows down.

I said:
"Yeah! My first time!"

He nodded then drove away, couldn't say much, well hee was driving. Wouldn't wanna cause a traffic jam now.

So while we were here, someone else of course had to be out there to promote the tags. So we sent in the Heavy Brigade. Yeah, it's real dangerous for unknowing customers now! When this guy comes and asks u to buy, you buy! if not.. oho.. you're in for it. Persistence is his middle name.. you know who I'm talkin' about doncha?

"Hey, I know I'm selling crap but the least you could do was say no thank you!"

We met a few famous people there in the crowd. Like Nita from Malaysian Idol, and the cast of KAMI. Sue even got Nita to buy tags from her. She held the 10 ringgit note dear.. that is.. until she had to giv it away as change! Then it started to drizzle abit... and guess what? the supposedly FREE raincoats.. we sold to this desperate father of 3 for 10 bucks each! thats like 30 bucks untung bersih!

While I was following Pravin about, he bumped into some of his interact mates. So seeing a business opportunity, I terus serang! Interact people, somehow, all share something in common, somehow they have the same style, and have no problem talking to people like me, someone off the streets as if they were talking to an old friend!

Soon after, the concert started. People rush into the stadium. And you know what? since We were working for a fraud boss, with NO affiliation with Celcom whatsoever.. of course there was no chance for us to go in. But say I snuck in.. would you believe me??

Inside, thats the performance stage.

So anyway, the show took a really long time to start.. alotta crappy pre-mcr stuff. Now what's to be done with no customers...? we rest, eat, talk. And later our darn boss came with a new set of tags! after ALL that selling.. MORE?! We sold the previous batch sampai habis! and now thers 100 more to be sold! Then our boss senang-senang ask us to pack up and move to another location yang lagi "panas". At this new location, there was a huge poster, and with no customers, what else to do.. but the all famous pickies time !

A shot of JoBen and SueAnne

The four of us! (Where're you lookin' raz???)
.

Later the rest of us just joined with Fina, one of the girls working with us

After that the concert habis. We could tell cuz the music ended. So we started selling more. yada yada yada. When everyone balik.. about 11 0'clock. We finally closed shop. Our total??

RM1,771

Woo! that's a hell lotta money! but then.. datang our boss.. and he started doing HIS math and he deducted...

RM1,541

Which equals to..

RM230

Split equaly into 5.

RM 46?!

Later Sue Anne found 10 bucks in her pocket. And she split that too. so we all had RM 48 at the end of that 9 hours of work.

Bottom Line:
If you're working for money
NOT WORTH IT

But!
If you're working for experience
Tiring, Crestfalling, But on the whole, Fun!

So I had fun, it's not everyday you sell stuff around. It even felt kinda Amazing Race-ish in a road block.

So after that we just waited at the bus stop, for JoBen's brother.

This' what 9 hours of nonstop work did to us.

When JoBen's bro came, we squeezed into the savvy like sardines in a tin. Jo got the front seat.. so he was safe! But Sueanne and me had to be sandwhiched by Pravin and Razlan!

We spilled out of the car in front of ehsan for some midnight dinner. I couldn't even feel my left leg .

During dinner, JoBen asked us this question, which I cant even say the genius of it!

There was once a girl,
her mom just died.
There was a funeral held for her mother.

At the funeral,
she made eye-contact with this guy.
He was in the visitors side while she was at the family's side.
They both knew it was love at first site.

Two weeks after that day,
the girl's sister dies.

Why?

So you guys try and answer that! so anyway, after that we hitched a ride home from Sue's daddy and went home, tired, spent, slave labourly paid. And if i Ever hear the word Tag in the same sentence as the word Buy... I'm gonna freak! It's TABOO!

But hey,
It's better to be tired but happy,
Than full of energy yet sad!

***

-Cast-