The sad miserable life as a business traveller

I was v awake during one of my overnight flights back to Singapore. Awake because my flight was delayed due to technical error and I was stuck in the tiny seat of cattle class in sweaty furnace for hours on tarmac. Hey sounds familiar?

Apparently SQ has decided to take a leaf from our MRT n trap their customers inside their craft without air conditioning or announcement updates. Stewardess totally forgot these are humans sitting in the airless chambers n children developing fevers due to the heat. They finally got it into their thick skulls to start serving water only for those who vigorously complained n demanded after a solid 1.5 hours. Fantastic service, best of its kind, Singapore style.  

For my past month of flying, 45% of flights were delayed from 2-8 hours. Few airport have wifi and that means out of 5 working days a week, non communication hours can add up to 2 full days (including flight time). And when companies question frequent fliers like myself why we cannot keep track of day to day office movements and cannot communicate w office staff more while on the road, I and I recommend my numerous friends who fly to give such companies the middle finger.

I fly for business. I do not fly for joy. Relatives and friends joke that I take planes more than I take taxis. Companies must understand FAST the needs of staff travelling for business. We fly for your business to survive and when you try to save hundreds of dollars here n there by putting us on lousy carriers, god forsaken hours, weekends, I give you my middle finger.

Air travel is not a privilege, it is a pain in the ass. Many of us go through this torture every week and it will be nice to show us you care by at least giving us seats that does not break out backs and cause long term physical deformities. Many of us are not despising cattle class, but hearing companies insisting to give staffs back ache because of great company policies while all the time expect staff to perform and be as loyal to them as North Koreans are to their great leader Ah Kim. I give them my middle finger.

I recall friends who tell me that their companies actually make them feel getting an SQ flight is already a great personal favor. Er, because SQ claims to have the best economy seats? Wow, that sounds a lot like saying this prison serves the best food so we should all be so appreciative... Allow me to show your companies my middle finger.

Oh! Oh? The best airline in the world is finally making an announcement!! Beijing ground staff are unable to rectify the problem and needed another 45 mins. Sure, I trust u, considering that your last announcement of 5 mins delay has just clocked 2.5 hours. Oh! Pilot speaking!! An apology plus reassuring that stewardess will ensure we will be looked after... What stewardess? Where? All at business class I assume...

I better walk to the pantry myself to get sum water. Dang!!! 20 plus pple crowding around the pantry!!! Dang! I heard someone say no more water!!! Can someone smash the plane's window to let in some air, please? Pregnant woman and old man almost fainting here! Do any staff care? Of course NOT, we are cattle.

To all of you out there bearing the burden of constant terrible flights and living the miserable lives of a frequent business traveller, be nicer to yourself even when you are unable to convince your company to even pretend to care. On that note, I think I may consider working from home and finally see a bit of my family coming Monday to compensate for my 10+ hours flight from Beijing on my Sunday. Yes, for my insistence to look after myself when you don't, go ahead and sack me!

Amazing People

Around me are filled with amazing people... so lucky to be surrounded by such wow personalities who constantly inspire me to be a better person.

Ont

Got to know her more during a Myanmar trip together recently and she is a different breed of Thais - straight to the point, understands our industry well and has a fast logical brain... I like. Already felt that working with her will be a breeze.

On top of that, she is pretty, has a personality and tons of talent in many things things that is non work related! Check out her oil paintings .... how cool is that!

Ivan Micheal Pung

Met him on my way back from massage (lousy flights giving me severe back pains and migraine). He was bringing Kira to the library then swimming lessons. His over sized bag weighted down by his laptop and work to be completed during Kira's one hour swim. As usual, he complained he is going crazy with the overwhelming workload, what with a solid day job and a booming personal dive business. Plus two young girls who demand all his attention when his wife, Karen is zipping around the globe, full time.

When when you slow down and think about it, Ivan can choose not to load himself with his two daughter's activities. He can be the typical father figure who talk about importance of enrichment classes and holistic learning but really don't participate in much. But Ivan being Ivan, he will tell you he is dying and have zero time, THEN he will simply sleep less and still try to do more.

Ivan, you have my 100% respect.

My Mother In Law

To sustain something long term is harder than to perform something spectacularly short term. And my MIL is those type of people who work tirelessly, not asking for credits. The photo above is, by the way, not my MIL... It is the naughty Megan Loh whom my MIL is looking after everyday.

Ok, take off the shades and here we are .. cheeky face.

She climbs up and down, shakes right and left... She is unstoppable. And for those who have seen my MIL before, you know she is very small and thin. No easy feat to chase down the little rascal...

She is the reason why I am able to sustain my work. She is the reason why Megan is OH SO HAPPY and has so much energy to be OH SO ACTIVE....