Uob Travel

My very first time writing about my job, well, not literally. I was mentioning to the girl on how i meet all sorts of interesting (some, VERY interesting) people throughout my course of working in UOB Travel for coming to 2 years. Jokingly, i would have this great example of a tele-conversation i had with a assumingly CHEENA lady.

ME: Hello, UOB Travel....
CHEENA LADY: Hello, can i *blur* Manjurini?
ME: Sorry?
CHEENA LADY: Manjurini...
ME: [Search around and ask my colleague who is Manjurini]
ME: [still holding the line and check through my phone book list of my company, still no Manjurini to be found]
CHEENA LADY: Hello?!?!?
ME: Hang on Madame.
CHEENA LADY: Speak MANJURINI!!!!
ME: I'm sorry Madam, but there's no one by the name of Manjurini here. I think you've called the wrong number.
CHEENA LADY: Speak MANJURINI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ME: I'm sorry????!?! [Frustrated already]
CHEENA LADY: 讲华语啦！！！
ME: [showing the 'WTH' face] 可以讲华语！
and so....the tele-conversation goes on...

This job wasn't a fantastic one, purely because it's not something i regarded very well when i first got it. At that point, it's really just a JOB. slowly, my interests in this industry increased and it got me to hang on until where i am today. At times, i had to admit the work environment turns me off, but the loads of stuff i learn over here, is definitely what i cherish and would like to share with just about anyone.

I've learnt more about destinations both possible and impossible to travel. I've learnt about destinations i've never heard before, and learnt MORE about destinations i've heard before, and i'm proud of it, because it's really so wonderful and interesting to know these facts. I start loving Travelogues, Travel magazines and alot more stuff, such as the design of aircraft, the different models of aircraft, the wonders of car hire, the amazing facts on certain places on earth. Perhaps, i'll take this chance to share...

[Maldives is made up of thousands of islands and Mauritius is just one island by itself (twice the size of Singapore)]

[Hohhot is a city in Mongolia]

[New England is located in United States of America, not Great Britain]

[Jeddah, the capital of Saudi Arabia can only be entered by Muslims]

[North Korea - only one travel agency in Singapore does it and you are not allowed to bring your mobile phone into the country and one North Korean must accompany you to everywhere except when you are sleeping, shitting or peeing (making love included)]

I decided it's too much for me to share and i'll probably spill them all out when i'm in the right mood..

Personally, i've been on trips because of my job and probably one of the best satisfaction i can get as well. It's great how i can go on trips for both job and personal purpose and ultimately share it with everyone, friends and customers included. Observations on how kiasu and ugly some customers can get as well WOW-ed me at times. Of course, aside from that, there are customers who made your day. Till now, i will never forget how there is this nice customer (yes, an auntie) made my busy day. She was a customer whom i served, booked a package with me. Satisfied by my service, she not only praised me. She hanged around the fair for a few hours after she booked the package with me, only to pop out so suddenly (while i'm still serving another customer of mine) with a cup of hot coffee. One word to describe that, heart-warming...

After being in this line for so long (ok, not very long, but long enough to make some interpretions), the hardest to deal type of customers is naturally those aunties. Surprisingly, the easiest to deal type of customers is also aunties, so i have this love-hate relationship with aunties.

One of the most memorable experience with passenger would be one which just even happened yesterday when i served a pair of handicapped couple. Husband, Dumb and Deaf, and wife, Dumb, booked a vacation. Surprisingly, my first time handling such passenger and it's a touching experience i would say.


Many lessons and experience i've learnt through my job, and one of things which i regard it as the most important aspect of travelling is the preparation for the travel, the 'what to pack and what not to pack' into your luggage that is. Something i love to share and at least, the next time i travel, i know where i can refer to again. 20kg baggage allowance is no joke. It may seem alot, almost half the weight for some, but seriously, especially for ladies out there, 20kg is just a mere figure. Some are so horrifying that they already take up near 15-18kg before the trip and coming back would be a big issue, unless they do not mind paying crazy amount for excess baggage.

My Must Bring List (enough to hit between 10-13kg already)


- Toothbrush & Toothpaste (even so the hotel provide, most would be pathetically small and could barely cover all of your teeth)

- Shampoo, shower foam & condition (same as the one previously mentioned, even if the hotel provides, you won't know what the previous user [it could be some prankers] put inside the container, all the hotel do is refill). Unless the hotel provides you with the bottle type, then you can be assured to use them.

- Swiss army knife (you never know when you need it and seriously, it's super handy, be it opening a bottle of beer, cutting stuff etc)

- Luggage tag (many luggage look damn alike, how would you even know your luggage is really yours, save yourself some trouble and embarassment, hang or attach a luggage tag on your luggage, at least when it comes out for the luggage belt, you know right away it's yours)

- Cup Noodles (to spare myself from going to bed hungry at wee hours at night, or to satisfy my in between hunger. you'll never know how expensive the room service can be and where to even get the food if you don't know the place well)

- Undergarments (disposable ones would be better. You won't want to wash those smelly during the trip and what's worse, imagine going for a long trip and when you are back home, unpacking eventually what would seem or smell so unpleasant. Err...just imagining is bad enough...)

- Medication (a must for me, flu is a common thing for me because sleeping through the air con room is too 'powerful' for me. For those who need to medication on a regular or certain basis, this is a must bring, and of course, just in case, no one can predict what can happen)

- First Aid Kit (definitely for case of emergency, accidents do occur, especially when you least expected it)

- Moisturing Cream (our skin tends to get dry and it is very essential)

- Lip balm (cracking lips is no joke, you can bleed from it. you got to apply it before your travel and not during your course of travel)

- Shaver (travelling also means you should groom yourself, so, look tidy)

- Facial foam/cream (our face is just as important as our body)

- Clothings (depending on the countries you are visiting, if it's hot weather, chances are you will bring more clothes to change)

- Mobile Phone (only if you want to stay in contact with your loved ones. Also note that certain mobiles phone are only workable in certain network at the destination you are visiting, i.e: Only 3G phone are workable in Japan) PS: Double check with local operator to check which operator should you connect to when you reach your destination in order to obtain the cheapest rates


- Passport (forget to bring this and you can forget about leaving the country, unless you think you are Mas Selamat)


- Camera (it's considerably one of the must bring when travelling in today world. I'm sure you would want those moments to be captured as perfectly so that 10 or 20 years down the road, you can at least flip back these photos and remember, how enjoyable everything once was)


- Umbrella (unless you are god who can predict no rain at all, or not scorching hot sun, or you just love soaking yourself in the rain, if not, safe than sorry always works)


- Tissues (for your mouth, butt, face, body and everywhere else you can think of)

- Travel Insurance (the ultimate 'safe than sorry'. Period)

It's a job that i hold high interests in. Every now and then, i get to see the world and i'm thankful for all that opportunities. Friends alike always feels i'm lucky but the work behind it was hidden by this partition that no one would understand unless you are in the same trade as me. It made me realise how important networking is as well as somehow, provides me with soft skills. I love travelling more than ever thanks to this job and right now, this has become my dream to travel around the world. Till then, i foresee myself still sitting and doing what i am doing, probably not for long but what i've learnt from these one year plus, is definitely what i will bring with me, throughout my entire life.