Slipshod(t)

Today was supposed to be a rather happy day for me. I was going to renew my passport. It has finally been 10 years.

The not so happy bit (but not the worst yet) is that now, instead of 10 years, our passports are only valid for 5. The little consolation is that they actually set the expiry date back to your old passport's. In other words, if my passport were to expire in December of this year and I go and re-new my passport now, I 'earn' 7 months worth of extra usage. Not sure if you know what I mean, but I was all excited for my Dad, who had just gone to renew his recently, actually taught me the no-queue way of renewing it.

I just had to fill in a form, take pictures and attach 1 photograph of myself and drop it into a designated box. Easy peezy.

The horrible incident happened when I went to take photos. Well...what was I expecting when 4 photos cost only $5.35? How about some basic customer service or at least, manners?

First we met with people who did not know what a queue pole is for and lined up outside of the queue poles. We decided to go one floor up to Level 3, as according to my Dad, they have photo-taking services at every level.

The signboard stated "Yishun Broadway" and I thought this should be good (since the one at Level 2 did not have any 'signboard' at all). Boy! Was I so wrong. The woman gave one word commands and she was down right rude. "I/C number?? I/C number?? Sit down. Your fringe, your fringe! It is touching your eyebrow...cannot touch eyebrow... Your fringe... some more...lower your chin...tilt your head towards the right..."

Before I knew what was happening? "OK!"

WHAT???!!!!!! SO PISSED. She did not even warn me that she was going to take a picture. I only saw the shutter 'flash' twice and I wasn't even totally ready!!! I had a bit of a shocked look.

My Dad saw my picture on the computer and decided that it was not nice. He told me to take it again. She immediately said, "nobody takes again one lah. The this very nice what?? No, No."

I said," No, I am going to have this passport for 5 years. I insist on taking again!"

"You want to take again (rather challenging and agitated tone)?? ...OK lah...but the first one is good enough already".

What a old Ah Lian bitch.

Again, she did not tell me when she was ready and she took. She purposely took a bad one coz there was a white spot on my iris. Of course it would look bad. Plus she did not give me time to get ready and my head was tilted a little to one side (I think this is a perpetual problem coz I was told to tilt right every time I take a mug shot of myself).

I was seething mad and swore never to do this kind of on-the-spot photo-taking again. Ever! If I can help it. Even if I had to pay a little more, I would go to a photo developing shop like Fuji Plaza or Kodak to get my pictures taken. Call me fussy but really, the little drama was not necessary at all. I wasn't expecting SIA first class treatment but I think one should have basic manners and courtesy. I am not even talking about customer service yet!!

Doesn't mean that I look petite/plump (or whatsoever) that I am less deserving of basic manners. She had that "you are already ugly so no matter how many times you take also not nice" kind of look. Not kidding you. OK, it sounds like I am whining about my shortcomings again but all things aside, I was not kidding about her bad attitude.

I know too, that I sound like the typical complaining Singaporean, but that is part of the point of blogging right? Getting it out of your system. Now that it is, I feel much better. I just have to wait for them to notify me to collect my passport... with ugly photo.