left: the kiddy ride beside the escalator, before cafe cartel
center: osim
right: a florist
Everything was a mess. I had problems with the setting up of standees(i'm too short to reach the top) and had problems with the visual display(yes remember i need to work on presentation skills...i totally suck at it).
A eurasian lady came by. I thought she was rather unapproachable at the start. But once i got to talk to her, telling her that the woodcraft were done by prison inmates, being part of TRANSAH's collaboration with the Yellow Ribbon Project, she got interested in getting a clock for herself. She didnt choose the pretty stuff, but on the other hand, chose "the messy one". Just as i told her i didnt know how to fix the clock mechanism, a father came by with his oh-so- enthusiastic son and was keen on donating some cash for a clock too.
I appeared very disorganised because i had just arrived not too long ago and was not accustomed to dealing with people yet. the whole table was a wreck... the flyers were everywhere, mechanisms, tools and display items were stacked on top of each other... clearly no one would wanna approach the booth. But the two separate customers stood by my booth in support of the sale of items.
The marketing exec of TRASNAH had actually agreed to deliver the clocks personally to each household if i didn't know how to fix the mechanism, but the father wouldn't be home till late. In the end, i had to agree to TRY TO fix both clocks by the time they came back from shopping. I actually hate it that i am all alone and i am thrown in this pithole to struggle and figure things out myself. And i tried.
The father's son was really very eager to help and his dad actually told him to "stay and help this jie jie" with the distribution of flyers. The boy did it better than me. This was blessing in the midst of chaos. He only knew that the woodcraft were done by prisoners and started approaching people with gusto, bringing them to the booth, showing them (in broken english but it was okay!) the clocks and i came in to explain the rest. He heard me and started to add on the the info he had before and the flyers got distributed so fast i had to replenish 20, 40, 60 at a go!
I was so grateful for his help. I loved his eagerness. He even told me that it is good to help other people. He's so young, yet so kind. i was touched. It reminded me of myself when i was younger, and in my brownie days. I wasn't as daring or eager as the boy, but i loved to help people. I cringe at myself whenever there's an opportunity to help and i just let it go pass me. I recall a time when i was waiting for HER at the void deck below my block to go shopping. An old lady came by with huge bags of groceries from the wet market. she kept putting the bags down after a few steps and i pitied her. Why would someone just stop and stare upon seeing a sight like this? I told myself i'd only feel guilty if i did not help. i plucked up some courage and stepped up to the old lady and asked her if she needed help(in mandarin). i actually forgot if i ever helped her with the load or if i helped her in my dreams. But u get the gist.
boy in action!
boy in action!!
boy
i loved The boy's attitude and i admire his spirit. My only regret was that i didnt get his name.i was too busy to care about anything else. and when i realised, it was too late. they had left for another destination.
The eurasian lady came back and got herself two more big coasters at $5 each, along with her "messy" clock at $8.
hours later, another chinese lady who was interested in enrolling her kids in TRASNAH got a clock to replace her spoilt one( i fixed the hook the wrong side, just realised it !!)
Thereafter, no one took interest in the stuff the inmates painted. PRobably because the ones that were left were marked as un-beautiful.
The last purchase was at seven. Another eurasian lady came by and i talked to her by chance. She was walking off already, taking slight glances at the masterpieces then. The wall clock caught her attention and since she was very keen with the small coasters, i gave it all to her at a discount of a dollar, rounding her purchase off to ten dollars.
the day ended with the packing up. the exec dropped me off at woodlands where i got tempted into eating. Got Wanyi a shawl and the last food item i bought was this honeydew flavoured milkcurd. yummy yummy yummy. YUMMY!
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