Friday, March 23, 2007

animals are us

7 Mar 2007
Time: 11:23


I'm breaking the silence.

If you've read the papers lately, a baby elephant was consficated from a local themepark and transfered to Malacca Zoo.

His ribcage and shoulder blades would be the envy of supermodels everywhere.

He weigh will make those models swoon further.

He was starved and weighed only 40+ kg.

Boys and girls, babies and elephants. While I am no self-professed environmentalist, things like this anger me. Apparently this theme park has a bad track record. One wonder how many animals died from negligence while passing through its doors. The leashes they tighten around the animals' necks sealed their death certificates.

They are animals in captivity, unable to fend and feed themselves. They were ripped from their homes and can no longer go back because their homes has been decimated and they are no longer capable of hunting or looking for their sustenence. Or they are born in captivity, never knowing what is it like to be free, roaming as generations before them had.

Sometimes, I'm disgusted with the notion of human life. What are we? Who are we? Watch the Discovery ad...each species in the world depend on each other for survival. Yet none of them, not a single one of them, need to depend on us, human beings, for existence. We depend on them. And look how we treat them.

By the way. The baby elephant was sent to Malacca Zoo directly from the theme park it was seized from. That theme park is not far from the zoo. Which one, ever wondered? Go figure, folks. Even their holiday packages ad repulse me now.


On another note, I've had writers' block trying to write my weekly report on internship. This is because last Saturday, I had a terrible experience on one of my assignments. I was sent to a cheque persentation event in the city and it was scheduled to be at 10am on the 15th floor of that building. I arrived at 9.30am, went straight to 15th floor and was greeted by an embassy...and men, all men on the other doorway. I backed out and ran straightdown. There was nobody manning the reception.

So, I called back to the office to double check (who knows, I got the building wrong or the timing wrong, right?) but demmit, I got it correct. So I looked floor by floor desperately and thank goodness, found a reception on the 4th floor. After making some calls, the lady informed me the function is there, but is at 11am. WTF. So I sat and slept at a corner and got up at 10.50am to check on the venue and saw a screen saying the event is scheduled for 11.30am.

@#$#$^&%@!!!!

At 11.25am, I hovered in front of the doorway but nobody gave me a hoot so I walked in and sat and everyone else was in blazers and dressed very nicely. Hooboy, what is this? I wondered.
It was one of those Multi-level Marketing networks, one thing in life I hate with infuriating passion. Hoo boy. So I sat there alone, miserable, cold and hating it and when the event's over, I thought I should approach the she-emcee to verify a few fact, cos she had the paper and the attending VIP list, right?

That she-satan thought I was late when I introduced myself and I didn't correct her. I asked if she could print of make a copyof the VIP list and she snotily asked "Why? You can't copy?" I asked if she said "expo" or "exhibition" and she condenscendingly exclaimed "Expo is exhibition lah!" Best part, she told me to go back to the office to do my homework. And then she demand for my name, and said "You better not misquote me, I have your name. I know where to find you."

I was already pissed about the hour and half wait, and floor-by-floor search and now this she-devil? WTF!

She proceed to tell me what I can and cannot put in my article, and even told me "no, you stay here, let me explain.." in a patronising tone, and I raised my hand, stopped her and told her I've got what I need. She insisted on explaining but my temper snapped, I stopped her again and turned to go. She called to my back, "Next time, please be on time!"

That was it. I turned, managed to smile, and said, "You know what, I was here since 9.30am because your people told my paper the event starts at 10am."

She was taken aback, paused and recovered quickly. And gawd, she even said, "Well, then, why do you approach me and ask me all those then? You've seen everything, right?"

Fook her! Pui Yee got screwed by a she-satan-emcee!

I was boiling but I couldn't lose it so the drive back to office, I try not to dwell on it and when I briefed my editor about my assignment, I turned and started...crying. I guess I was shaken up and angry and felt injustified (?) because it all started with the base assumption that I was late in that she-bitch's mind.

..That was a chapter in the life of Pui Yee, student journalist.

Crap.

Yesterday 12 European and Indian publishers visited our office (Ifra they call themselves) and thanks to my kaypoh-ness I followed them around and went to the multimedia department. Correction: I discovered the multimedia department exists! I saw a studio with cameras and a board and turntables...whoa. Insta-o..er...I mean, and then the dept head said I could go upstairs and learn from them if I want to.

Well the letter's been written and printed, I think I'm extending my internship too.

*Says a little prayer*

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