An Exasperating *gasp* moment

I'm about three quarters into my next book (which is actually a sequel to A million little pieces), and so, I decided to pop by at Kinokuniya Bookstore at Bugis to get another book after work today just before I head off to classes.

I usually search for titles, read through reviews and decide what book to buy on Amazon.com before I head down to the bookstore with the book information. I spotted a title that interests me the other day on Amazon and decided to go buy it.

The title of the book is : Fingering the family jewels by Greg Lilly. It is a gay story, about the main character, his life, his family, its not-so-glamorous past, and events that spun around it and such.

I didn't manage to see the book around, so I thought I'll ask for some help from the gal at the counter, figured it might be faster too. Which I did.

What happened next was classic I tell you. It was irritating and funny in a way too actually.

The gal I approached at the counter was kinda dumb, She seem to have a BIG problem with her English and was speaking to me in broken English the whole time. I repeated the goddamned title so many times and YET, she still couldn't get it right.

So she picked up the phone to call a colleague of hers to help find that book in the store room or something, and not suprisingly, she STILL couldn't get the title right so I heard her over the phone:

"Hey, can you help me find a book? Title is... fingering(I wished)... fingering(she would)... fingering(keep her volumes down)..." (turns to me) "FINGERING WHAT HUH??" -_-

Did I forget to mention that she spoke in tones similiar to that of an aunty in parsar malam. Fucking loud can?? Everybody in the area turned and looked at her and then me. I was so embarrassed!!

I tried hard not to notice the people's stares while I blushed crimson.

After what seems like eternity, she finally managed to pronounce the title correctly (to her colleague at least) and she hangs up, goes back to what she was doing when I approached her WITHOUT saying a word to me.

Fine. I wait. After a while, her colleague comes to the counter and to check AGAIN what was the title of the book I wanted. -_-

The gal I approached couldn't remember how I looked like and so, guess what she did to "locate" me?? She called out in mandarin (in her pasar malam aunty tone n volume again) "Hello, excuse me, the one who wants to look for a book..."

I was standing in fornt of her but she couldn't recognise me, and continues to call out again to no one in particular. -_-

I wonder why Kinokuniya actually hires people like that.

First, she apparently cannot speak proper English, secondly, she doesn't know how to serve a customer, if she fucking cannot get the title of the book, can't you even take a piece of paper to get me write it down?? Third, it was fucking rude to be calling out for a customer like that.

Obviously, she isn't a reader, which is fine, but what about your product knowledge??? Service excellence? I think we got a long way to go.

Anyways, I didn't manage to get my book after all the trouble and "commotion", turns out they didn't sell books from that author.