Fire! Fire!
31st May 2005, Tuesday
Last day of May, and a pretty good one especially since JxMMy D is one a day of urgent (I try to refrain using emergency leave because that might mean his poor spouse is down with the illness again)... He composed an excruciating essay via SMS about his leave and what is left to be done back at work in which my phone would required to decipher in 3 seperate messages. And the most queer thing is that even with that long message, I still need a while to understand the true meaning of it, which actually could be summarise in a few words... if only he would speak out more words than his SMS, note or e-mail.
The bustle in our workplace today is the scheduled fire drill that took place in the morning. I was assigned as one of the 2 assistant fire wardens for our level but since I missed the briefing a few weeks back since I took MC for diarrhea on that particular day and LF went on my behalf; thus I wasn't too sure about the correct procedures.. To complicate matters even further, the designated Fire Warden for our level was recalled for reservist, and either me or the other assistant whom I had the slightest idea is had to assume the role of the fire warden...
So as I was kept busy with the routine service work in the morning I kept peeled at the clock, as I assumed the simulattion would starts at around 10am, and duly so the fire alarm went ballistic...
As the PA system at our side was almost inaudible, people started lining up at the corridor waiting for the confirmation message...
I went to check on the fire panel by the "Fireman Lift Lobby" to see whether the fire broke out at our level, but I missed the part that I had to call the Fire Coordinating Committee via the "Fire Phone" (think Commissioner Gordon's phone specially to summon Batman, just that this is inclined on the wall).
So the 2nd alarm went and the crowd duly made way for the escape route..Now the ruckus began when I had to scour every corner on the level for any obstinate patrons still adamant to the fire drill and continued doing their work, I had to usher a couple from our neighboring laboratory... I comb one side of the level while the other assistant did likewise at the other side.. We also had to check on the lavatories as some forgetful staff might had picked the wrong time to answer nature's call.. But seriously with all the little rooms here and there, some people might gone for their hiding and would be excluded by us (hopefully not)... Anyway if there was a huge fire raging the building I would be burnt to smithereens by now...
So we the fore wardens are supposed to be the very last to reach the assembly area and it was a long, unbearable wait under the hot sun for the roll call process to be done....
There went the entire fire drill, not as cumbersome as I envisioned it to be, definitely less tedious as the fire-fighting we had to do back in our Navy days....
One big local news that would hit almost everyone who is taking public transport (MRT & buses), is that by 1st July of this year, the inevitable annual price hike kicked into effect again... despite all the furore & public outcry all these while...
Well when it was to be done it would be done here in Singapore...I am just glad it only increase by 1 to 3 cents for MRT trips, which i calculated should be around 30 more cents for me for my trips to work and $15.60 for a year...it's a pinch definitely, but not strong enough to inflict blue-black...
Then in the forums, people started the "Stayer or Quitter?" debate again...
Seriously as quoted from my colleague, BY not too long back, we the common middle class whould not imagine migrating to a foreign land...and just ahd to bear with whatever new legistrations & regulations been enforced on us and tolerate without a quiver....
Last day of May, and a pretty good one especially since JxMMy D is one a day of urgent (I try to refrain using emergency leave because that might mean his poor spouse is down with the illness again)... He composed an excruciating essay via SMS about his leave and what is left to be done back at work in which my phone would required to decipher in 3 seperate messages. And the most queer thing is that even with that long message, I still need a while to understand the true meaning of it, which actually could be summarise in a few words... if only he would speak out more words than his SMS, note or e-mail.
The bustle in our workplace today is the scheduled fire drill that took place in the morning. I was assigned as one of the 2 assistant fire wardens for our level but since I missed the briefing a few weeks back since I took MC for diarrhea on that particular day and LF went on my behalf; thus I wasn't too sure about the correct procedures.. To complicate matters even further, the designated Fire Warden for our level was recalled for reservist, and either me or the other assistant whom I had the slightest idea is had to assume the role of the fire warden...
So as I was kept busy with the routine service work in the morning I kept peeled at the clock, as I assumed the simulattion would starts at around 10am, and duly so the fire alarm went ballistic...
As the PA system at our side was almost inaudible, people started lining up at the corridor waiting for the confirmation message...
I went to check on the fire panel by the "Fireman Lift Lobby" to see whether the fire broke out at our level, but I missed the part that I had to call the Fire Coordinating Committee via the "Fire Phone" (think Commissioner Gordon's phone specially to summon Batman, just that this is inclined on the wall).
So the 2nd alarm went and the crowd duly made way for the escape route..Now the ruckus began when I had to scour every corner on the level for any obstinate patrons still adamant to the fire drill and continued doing their work, I had to usher a couple from our neighboring laboratory... I comb one side of the level while the other assistant did likewise at the other side.. We also had to check on the lavatories as some forgetful staff might had picked the wrong time to answer nature's call.. But seriously with all the little rooms here and there, some people might gone for their hiding and would be excluded by us (hopefully not)... Anyway if there was a huge fire raging the building I would be burnt to smithereens by now...
So we the fore wardens are supposed to be the very last to reach the assembly area and it was a long, unbearable wait under the hot sun for the roll call process to be done....
There went the entire fire drill, not as cumbersome as I envisioned it to be, definitely less tedious as the fire-fighting we had to do back in our Navy days....
One big local news that would hit almost everyone who is taking public transport (MRT & buses), is that by 1st July of this year, the inevitable annual price hike kicked into effect again... despite all the furore & public outcry all these while...
Well when it was to be done it would be done here in Singapore...I am just glad it only increase by 1 to 3 cents for MRT trips, which i calculated should be around 30 more cents for me for my trips to work and $15.60 for a year...it's a pinch definitely, but not strong enough to inflict blue-black...
Then in the forums, people started the "Stayer or Quitter?" debate again...
Seriously as quoted from my colleague, BY not too long back, we the common middle class whould not imagine migrating to a foreign land...and just ahd to bear with whatever new legistrations & regulations been enforced on us and tolerate without a quiver....
Japanese word of the day: 火事 ~ka-ji~ (Fire) Touchwood!
posted by Kei at
3:23 PM
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