Getting Lunch Boxes

That day when the carpenters were fixing shelves and all at the new flat, and after the briefing and eyeballs on angles and height of shelves, I left them to their work, and was fixated on the MacBook clearing work. It was a full day's work; at midday, they took a break and went out to buy lunch. They even asked if I wanted anything. Nope, I had eaten, and I had my coffee. All good. Went back to stare at the MacBook to pound out work essays and emails.

A week later, it hit me. A whole week later... 😔 I CAN HAZ ZERO EQ SOMETIMES. OMG. I FORGOT TO BUY THEM LUNCH! I should have reimbursed their takeouts! The carpenters weren't even hinting, and were simply being nice when they asked if I wanted food, since I was gonna be around the whole day too. 

Luckily they returned again to fix up my acoustic door (for the music room), and little corner shelves, I handed the foreman cash for lunch and kopi today, and to reimburse him for the last time. "Paiseh!" I said. Hahahah. Perhaps it's unnecessary, but to me, it's a MUST. They didn't blink when I borrowed their caulk gun to seal up things. They offered to help, but when they inspected my work, they decided that I could fend for myself. Ha! For all their rough talk and yelling at one another, or talk like they're gonna start a fight, they're always unfailingly polite to me. MUAHAHAHAHAH. 

My contractor's hires (and even the wallpaper workmen whom I sourced from another shop) for all the jobs, are Malaysians who currently live in Johor Bahru. They drive in daily to Singapore to work. It explains why their work day onsite usually starts at 10.30am and ends at 7pm. Food options at the coffeeshops around this area costs about S$4.50 to S$6 for a meal of say, point-point rice (every cuisine has a version).  That averages out to be RM$15 per lunch box. A McD's takeout meal upsized plus delivery charges is about RM$50/SGD17. (A 'Mega Mac' burger in Malaysia now costs RM$15.40/SGD5.20.) Hefty. 

The workmen are helping me shape up the flat into a livable space. It's hard work. It's manual labor, it's hot and dusty. They eat on-the-go. The least I can do is to buy them three lunch boxes out of 1095 meals in a year.