The rantings of a (former) NPC shopkeeper

After a (sort of) less-than horrible experience of last-minute Christmas shoppers last week, I was actually prepared to write up a post about how surprisingly... nice people (well, most) can be.

Hell, it was even to the point that I could smile without it looking forced at all. And speak in a (kind of) cheerful-ish tone that wasn't completely made up and creepy.

Then... well, today pretty much reminded me why I was a misanthropist.

First off, hagglers - conversations basically go like this:

Customer: [places item on counter]
Me: Hi. [presses keys on the register] That'll be $X please.
Customer: I thought this was a/The $2 shop. (First mistake - This place ain't a $2 store. We sell stuff for that price, yes, but just because this place is classified as a 'discount shop' doesn't mean that EVERYTHING is $2.)
Me: Um... No. This store is called "Max! Out", and it sells things more expensive than $2.
Customer: Oh. Could you lower the price to $2, then? (Note: This is either worded as a question or a demand.)
Me: Um... No. I can't do that.
Customer: [stares]
Me: I'm sorry, but I cannot do that. I am not the manager of this store, and therefore do not have the power to do so.
Customer: Fine. I'll just go to the other $2 shop upstairs/on the other side of the mall. [exuent]

Then, the most infuriating and tears of frustration-inducing people would be the goddamn shoplifters.

Most of them come in groups and are roughly aged between 10 to 18. Again, mostly male.

Today was especially frustrating because I know what they stole, but can't really do anything because I don't know which one stole the damn thing and where the shi... person hid it.

To top it off, a more sympathetic customer actually told me that those people were shoplifting, but I couldn't exactly do anything because of above reason.

One kid even stole a lighter. I'm more worried of what that kid will do with it.

I really felt like breaking down and crying.

I still do, actually.

Funny. Every time something remotely good happens that makes me appreciate humanity a little more, something else happens that make me remember just why I hated people in general.

That's it. I give up. I'm not even going to bother trying to regain my faith in humanity. C'est mort.

On a less stressful note, at least once a day, there are Chinese people who, because I'm asian, assume that I'm Chinese (or speak fluent Mandarin) and speak to me in that language. Cue my interruption and awkward reply of "Sorry, but.. um.. I don't understand."

The situation becomes more awkward when they either don't understand English or think that I'm only pretending that I don't understand, and continue to talk to me in Mandarin.

Eventually, after repeated gestures and more awkward silences, the person leaves.

To those who know what I look like: Do I look Chinese? I've been mistaken for one by not only non-asian groups, but even Koreans. It's... unsettling, to say the least.

To be honest, I've been in said Retail Hell since the first of December, but couldn't be bothered didn't really feel I needed to say much.

However, having worked here in Max! Out (Not a typo) for what can tentatively be considered a week, I can (not-so) happily announce that I will one day look back on this experience and shudder. Or laugh hysterically, depending on my state of mind at that point in time.

General statements I'd like to make:

- As crazy as it may sound, it is not hilarious if you half-jokingly ask for a "100% discount for the Christmas Season". Funnily enough, some people have the same sense of humour as you, and will ask the sales clerk the SAME. BLOODY. THING.

- On the flipside, it is considered rude and downright stupid if you ask, in all seriousness, for a discount. In a freakin' discount store.

- If you break/destroy/pop/ruin an item, common courtesy states that you should tell the sales clerk about it. Depending on how sincere you sound, they may or may not let you off the hook for honesty.

- NO. WE DO NOT SELL BB GUNS.

An expanded version of this post may or may not come, depending on whether or not I can be bothered motivated able to do so.

After spending several hours researching the death penalty, and seeing both sides of the issue, I don't know what to think.

My initial thoughts were "Why the hell is it that Right-winged Christians condemn the death penalty, consider themselves 'Pro-Life' and yet wholeheartedly support the death penalty?"

Then I read about several cases, including the Mary Sue Seitz murder case. Now I don't know what to think anymore.

Currently, yes, I still think that the death penalty is wrong, and that 'an eye for an eye makes everyone blind.' However, I can see where the Pro-death penalty people are coming from, and UGHHH MY BRAIN

I'm not even halfway done in finishing this assignment. What's more, I've got another assignment to do about the meaning of Life.

This is not going to be pleasant for my "thinking mode".

It's late and I should be going to bed, but I just wanted to say that I created a Twitter account because I wanted one after seeing so many people use it.

Also, I may or may not update it more frequently than vox so... yeah.

I can't edit on Blog It. Just effin' great.

I'll try to fix up my previous post tomorrow morning.

Take that, Firefox! For it only occurred to me just now that I have an alternate internet browser available to me, namely the Internet Explorer.

... It's been so long since I used it that I completely blanked out on the name.

(Actually, I managed to use Blog It. Edited on the school computer due to lack of effect.. thing)

.... Anyway, today was the first day of a 3 day, 3-D animation/game design course I signed up for.

Needless to say, it wasn't exactly what I expected.

I started off the day waking at around 7-7:30am, after sleeping at around 2 or something the previous night (ie. morning). Got dropped off at Pak n' Save. Oh joy, I had an hour to wait until the course began. Went into Pak n' Save to buy some energy drinks to wake me up.

Went to to the counter, only to realise that I left my wallet at home.

Shit.

Had to walk to my mum's work and borrow money off her. Bought energy drinks. Arrived to the course on time, thoroughly drenched in the rain.

To be honest, I had (naively) believed there was to be at least one or two females around my age to be doing the course, and my class to at least have people my age.

Instead, barring the teacher, I was the oldest person in the class. There were two girls doing the thing as well, but one was like, 6 and the other was 12-14 (Never really asked for her age).

Of course, considering that I was placed in a class that only existed because there wasn't enough room in Samuel Marsden, I shouldn't have been so surprised. However, that still meant that I was in a class with little kids (like, around 5-10) and pre-teens.

The course itself is fun, yeah. Much fun is had learning how to make Space Invaders (almost) from scratch.

The little kids... not so much.

Until rather recently, I didn't hate little kids. I was merely... mildly perturbed.

Then there was an incident on a Saturday a couple of weeks ago that basically made me decide that I will never have those... things people call children. It involves a small room, lots and lots of cushions, and me being crushed under said cushions. And being hit repeatedly with said cushions and mandarins (don't ask) when I tried to get out for air. While having done nothing at all to provoke those little shits hellspawn ... whatever you damn well call them.

I couldn't fight them off because I knew that I don't know my limits and might actually cause a lot of damage (and consequently, a lot of crying) to them and of course, it is considered very bad form to hit children. Even if it was out of self defense.

I had a mental breakdown that day. The little kids retaliated by continuing to pelt/smother me with cushions and mandarins. They only stopped when a parent came into the room and only realised that someone was buried under the pile of cushions when the pile started to move and a kid tried to whack the pile back into place with a spare cushion.

... Actually, no; the parent only told the kids to stop and apologise to me after that. When he noticed that tears were streaming down my cheeks. They apologised in that way kids do when they're being told to say 'sorry' by a parent/adult. I really don't see how anyone feels better after hearing such a forced, insincere apology.

.... Anyway, back to the bubbledome course.

To be honest, the children really weren't all that bad (though the teachers had to really dumb down everything for the kiddies), except for this one kid that happened to sit next to me by some twist of fate.

Murphy's law is a bitch.

He was around 6 or 7, but he was slow, even by those standards. He badgered me constantly for help, reminiscent of a certain classmate in my year 9 IT class, also repeatedly telling me to see work that makes one wonder what the hell the artist was smoking or drinking when they created it.

I was patient enough, trying not to react violently every time he tapped me on the shoulder after having reminded him that I don't really like that.

The worst part? At around 2, I think he... had a little accident.

As in the "I just peed my pants" kind of accident. I'm not really sure if he really did or not, but let's just say that the smell convinced me readily enough. Never have I been so glad that I have a scarf that I can use as a gas mask.

I made sure not to get tapped in the shoulder after that.

To top everything off, I think I've caught a cold. It certainly seems like a cold - sore throat, half-blocked nose, headache... ugh.

Here's hoping that tomorrow will be better than this crappy day.

Nothing adds that certain je ne sais quoi quite like a good and fitting title to a blog post.

One of the biggest factors for me not blogging is simply because I cannot think up of a decent title for whatever I write.

Odd, but true.

Sometimes, this brilliant idea pops up in my head, which I really want to say something about. As I sit, frantically typing away at the keys, I briefly pause at around halfway through. 'Crap, what should I call this?' I wonder aloud. With this sudden realisation that I have no answer to that question, I seem to suddenly shut down. My hands cease to move. My brain goes into what it calls the "Pondering mode", where ideas as well as criticisms are tossed around by the many odd voices in my head. Here is a typical example of one of my silent discussions in my head:

'How about _____?' suggests one. That would be my creative thought coming through there.
'Nah, that's stupid. Sheesh, what the hell's the matter with you? That shit will never work,' snaps what I call both my common sense and conscience. (Some people seem to envision an angel as their conscience, or maybe even a certain Disney-inspired cricket. Mine is a sarcastic and quick-tempered little... er, thing, that loves to insult me at every chance it gets. Lucky me.)
'Guys, can't we just get along? We'd probably get something done more quickly if we work together...' Another one of the little voices in my head. It's probably the peace-making one, that always tries in vain to try and keep the voices in my head in harmony. As usual, the voice's plea goes unnoticed and the rest of them begin to think randomly.
'I'm bored. I wanna play on my DS,' Boredom decides to throw out.
'I wonder if knives can be flammable?' This would be my inner pyromaniac talking. I usually ignore that one.
'I want to go home!'
'We are home, stupid.'
'... We are?'
"Ugh, just shut up! All of you!" I mutter in my head (Sometimes I accidentally say all of this out loud). "This is just a waste of time!"
'... You do realise that you're talking to yourself again?' my conscience replies snidely.
"..."

At this point I ignore it, realise that around 3 hours went by with nothing accomplished, shrug, turn off my computer and sleep.

My blog remains un-updated and neglected.

Hearing music at around midnight isn't really that scary.

... That is, unless the damn music plays without any prompting from you. Every night.

I have a stereo upstairs that inexplicably plays Beethoven's "Fur Elise" every midnight (Alright, so it isn't that unexplainable. The CD inside the stereo features classical music, but you get the point).

I'm quite sure that there is a reasonable explanation for this, and that it has to do with a timer or something. But hell, it is not a pleasant experience to be woken up to hear Fur Elise every midnight.

... I'm scared.

Fears that apply to me have a [x] next to it.

[x] public speaking
[] staying single forever
[] Rejection
[x] being a parent
[x] giving birth (Honestly, the thought of creating spawn from my DNA is scary in itself.)
[?] being myself in front of others
[] open spaces
[] closed spaces
[x] heights
[] dogs
[] fish
[x] spiders (The legs... so many legs... *Shudder*)
[] flowers or other plants
[] that Scary guy...
[x] being touched
[] fire
[] deep water
[] snakes (As long as I'm at a safe distance, I don't find them scary at all)
[] silk
[] the ocean
[] failure (Am already one. :> OTL)
[] success
[?] thunder/lightning (My relationship with lightning can be instantly summed up by lightning flashing, me going "HOMG MY HEART" and then staring at the window in anticipation for the next one.)
[] frogs/toads
[] my boyfriends/girlfriends dad
[] my boyfriends/girlfriends mom
[] rats
[x] jumping from high places
[] snow
[] rain
[] wind
[x] crossing hanging bridges (Ties into my fear of heights quite well)
[] death
[] heaven
[] being robbed
[x] falling
[x] clowns (Street clown incident. Will never look at them the same again.)
[x] dolls (Only the Barbie-type ones. Those eyes... creepy eyes...)
[x] large crowds of people
[] men
[x] women (Not a huge fear, though I do fear them far more than men. Is it bad to be afraid of people of your own gender?)
[] having great responsibilities
[] doctors, including dentists
[] tornadoes
[] hurricanes
[] incurable diseases
[] sharks
[] Friday the 13th
[] ghosts
[] poverty
[] Halloween
[] school
[] trains
[?] odd numbers (I may have this fear, considering that I obsessively keep anything with quantity at an even number)
[] even numbers
[] being alone
[] becoming blind
[] becoming deaf
[] growing up
[?] creepy noises in the night
[] bee stings (Never been stung :D)
[] not accomplishing my dreams/goals
[x] needles (Unless it's ME holding the needles... ohohoho)
[] blood
[] dinosaurs
[] the welcome mat
[] high speed
[] throwing up
[] falling in love
[x] super secret (Rather not say)

Final Total: 15 fears, 4... er... Question marks.

Wanted to do this just for the heck of it.

Oh, and in other random news, badges have been made for the french fries.

The inevitable photos would probably come later from Lisa. Maybe.

(And no, this is not a poor attempt at using a "Lisa" tagged post.)

(... More like an intentionally half-assed one.)

For those poor, unfortunate saps people who have never heard of the joy that is Caramelldansen, I show you this: