EDIT: Added Day 5
I should do it systematically, day by day.
Everything happened in Garden City which is 15min walk + 10min bus ride away from home.
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Day 1
I visited Telechoice, which is a reseller of Optus and Virgin Mobile.
Wanted to get a post-paid sim card for 12 months with Optus.
The staff named me a list of required documents to apply for it, and I missed out on bank statement.
Day 2
Visited Teleshoice again. The staff recommended me to use Virgin Mobile’s plan instead since the plan covers international call. Good. They also allowed me to port my old Optus prepaid number over.
Provided all the documents, including the latest bank statement available, which is printed from my online banking account.
The staff checked my documents, and realised that I do not fulfill the 100 points requirement.
I had the following
- Passport (30 points)
- Bank statement (30 points)
- ATM card (30 points)
The next possible thing that I can provide is Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), which is worth 20 points. However, my card expired last year. So I went home and update the details on OSHC site. Ordered a new card and printed out the temporary document on paper.
I went back to Telechoice. This time round, the problem was that my bank statement did not cover last 3 months old. That was the newest bank statement I can provide and it only covered till October. So I just went home.
Logged on to my online banking account when I was home.
I set the date of the requested statement which covered the duration of last 3 months. Error appeared!
I called the hotline of Commonwealth Bank. 8 times for 2 days. Held on to the line for 20-30min each. No help at all.
Below is my tweet history with Commonwealth Bank.
Me: I need to provide bank statement for the past 3 months to apply for my Virgin Mobile number, and @CommBank only has up to October.
Bank: @mrmaxilicious Hi Max, to organise an account statement, please contact our Helpdesk on 132221, 24/7 where a specialist can assist. Thanks
Me: @CommBank I called for 2 days, a total of 8 times, and held the line for 20-30min each. I still don’t get help. #bankoftheyear
Bank: @mrmaxilicious Hi Max, we’d be more than happy to help organise a statement. Please DM us your contact details and we’ll be in touch. Thanks.
Day 3
I, physically, visited a Commonwealth Bank branch. Got my bank statement for the last 3 months.
Went back to Telechoice. Filled in the forms and everything. The staff photocopied all of my documents, passport, bank statement, E-Visa, OSHC and ATM card.
The staff submitted the application online after I signed everything. It was rejected. He then called Virgin Mobile, and was told that I needed to wait for 24 hours.
How efficient.
Day 4
Visited Telechoice again.
Apparently, it wasn’t ready yet. The staff called again, and this time round the person at the other end of the phone said that the photocopy of my passport wasn’t clear enough. So, photocopied my passport and sent it over again.
The staff told me to wait for another 24 hours again.
What the fuck?
Pretty fed up and I told them that I didn’t want it anymore. I took back all the photocopied documents they were holding on and went to Optus shop.
An Optus staff checked my documents and everything seemed fine. Then he asked if I’m living in ‘Address A’, which was printed on the bank statement. I replied ‘no’, since that was the old address that I had more than one year ago.
He said that he couldn’t do it for me because I’m not living in the stated address on the bank statement. We then had an interesting conversation.
Me: It doesn’t really make sense. So I can just sign up with the address on the bank statement, then I move the next day. I don’t have to come down to your shop bring an updated copy of bank statement with the new address, do I?
Staff: You’re right. But the thing is that, I know about it now.
Me: There is a reason why I didn’t update my address. There is a security feature for online banking whereby I need to key in a Netcode to verify my identity before I can change my address. Everytime, a Netcode is sent to the very number that I wanted to port over from my past Optus prepaid service. The number expired long ago. So, if I don’t get the plan with my old number, then I won’t be able to change my address on my bank statement.
Staff: Let me check. (Enter a room)
- After several minutes -
Staff: I’m afraid I can’t do it. You need to have the updated address on the bank statement.
Several choices came to my mind at that point,
1. Visit another Optus shop and lie that I still live in the old address.
2. Go to a branch of the bank and change my address.
3. Get from another company, which probably have the same problem.
I choice 2.
The bank staff told me that they couldn’t provide me with a bank statement with the updated address until the next day. So they printed me something with an official stamp to prove that I had changed my address with them.
Went back to Optus. They insisted on having a bank statement with the new address.
I just took back all the photocopied documents they had and left.
Next, I visited Virgin Mobile shop. The first thing I asked is whether I can get the service on the spot. The answer is a clear yes. I asked again just to confirm, and the answer was consistent.
We sat down and the staff asked for my documents. Apparently, I know more than the staff. What’s required etc. She took my passport, E-Visa, ATM card and bank statement. We then started filling in the forms. She kept making mistakes and I had to sign over every correction she made, which was fine. As she was listing the documents I provided the form, she realised that I did not have 100 points (just like what happened earlier). I provided my OSHC slip. She wasn’t too sure about it. So I actually took her file, and flipped to the page that had info on that. I pointed at one of he lines that stated that OSHC is worth 20 points.
Come on! I had so much experience in just few days.
The next problem came. She got my assigned plan wrong, so we had to fill in all over again.
Just when I thought everything was finally gonna be done, she told me that I needed to wait for 24 hours and come back the following day.
F-U-C-K.
Which part of the “Can I get it on the spot today?” did she not understand?
Moron.
I just got tired with all the shit, and carried on with it. Gonna go back the next day.
She then asked for all my documents again, so that she could photocopy them again. She asked another staff about my Visa, and the other staff said that they only accept a Visa sticker on my passport and not E-Visa. I had to explain to them that E-Visa is the current document used and sticker is no longer used by the embassy. They insisted in their own way and said that they gonna loss their jobs if they accepted my E-Visa.
They weren’t listening. Only E-Visa will be issued!
I was pissed. I collected back my stuff and left.
Day 5
I printed out my new bank statement with the new address. It doesn’t exactly have any transaction on it, and is certainly not ‘last 3 months’. I made a call to Optus to ensure that it still works.
So…
I traveled to Garden City again, for the fifth time of the week. Walked to Optus.
Presented document.
The staff said that the name on my ATM card is ‘SIK C YU’ and not ‘SIK CHUEN YU’, so it won’t work. Also, the name on my passport is ‘Yu Sik Chuen’, so they don’t tally.
How ridiculous is that!!!
After I asked why there wasn’t such problem yesterday, he explained that it was his colleague’s fault for not picking it up.
WTF.
F
U
C
K
T
H
E
S
E
M
O
R
O
N
S
In the end, I just went for a prepaid SIM card with Virgin Mobile.
FML.
Reached Brisbane on 11/02/2012.
Grateful that Karen picked me up at 1am.
Gonna stay with Tim and Karen in Eight Mile Plains. The room and everything else is great, except that it’s far away from school. I’ve to take a 15min walk to the bus stop to take 150 to Garden City, then transfer to 169 to UQ lake. It takes approximately 45-60min.
I will be spending even more time in school this time round since I’ll be tutoring as well. It’s a rare opportunity to be able to teach in uni. Let’s hope I don’t get too nervous =)
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Before I left Brisbane last year, I packed (mainly my mum) two boxes of… let’s just say everything that I wanted to use in Australia when I’m back in 2012. I left them in the garage of Karen’s parents.
So Karen drove me there to pick those up on Monday evening, which includes my table and chair. I left my fan there, since it can’t fit into the car. While I unpacked my things, I couldn’t help but to admire the packing skill of my mum. Astonishing, really. It took me a night to arrange everything, assemble my table and chair etc.
Filed under: Daily life
I spend most of my time on Starcraft, sleep and Ching Ching.
Dickson was gonna go back to HK, so we had dinner in Sunnybank and pool in City. It was my first time to play pool in Aus. Oh, I like the table, the balls drop out nicely into the triangular tray.
Watched Cars 2 by myself since I know no one wants to
Gonna watch Popper’s Penguin with Ison and Carrie later (now)
I didn’t catch Green Lantern, X-Men, Transformer etc.
Tim and Karen picked me up at my place in the morning because I didn’t stay over at their place. It took hours if I were to take a train to go to Gold Coast.
40min drive?
Stop by Yatala Pie for brunch
Filed under: Daily life
Kinda lazy for the last few days, so I shall catch up on the posts.
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Tim and Karen came to my place for dinner.
I picked up pizza and beer from Toowong
Crazy night
LOL
Supper in Indooroopily McDonald
They told me to stay over at their place, but I wanted to webcam with my Ching Ching.
Exam is over!
All of a sudden, I don’t know what to do.
Starcraft, go out with friends, movies etc… oh, and clean up my place.
Went to Salt and Battery with Karen and Tim after the last paper.
At the cashier
—
I just lazed around for the next day and did some grocery shopping. I had been eating instant noodle for most part of my exam period.
Yesterday morning, the maintenance came up at last to fix my shower.
The whole ‘head’ was changed, and rightfully so!
We were searching EVERYWHERE for the main water switch
—
One month to go, and I need a new pot.
Last teaching day of the last semester.
2 research assignments by Monday.
Special praise to Sue, who does the SPSS part of the research. Good job.
There’s little time to prepare for exam, whereby my first paper is on 14 June. Following weeks will be intensive.
My parents are coming to Brisbane on 7 July (I think >_<).
Gonna break lease, and it is troublesome.
Submitted my application for Honours program which starts next year. It is a major check point of my goal. Perseverance!
My Ching Ching is keeping me company everyday, and night. =)
Thank god I’ve the details in my mind. If not it is going to be messy!
Sue baked this. It is so good that I think it is based on my preference!
See him next year~
Hobby: post picture of dinner. lol.
I didn’t sleep on Thursday night, and just kept working on my school work. Met Sue in the lab for our research assignment after I had submitted the behavior essay. I just keep working till 8pm in school.
Sue is so much better with SPSS than I do
Nothing but these 3 drinks for the day
It’s amazing that “Max” became “Pat”, there were even “May” and “Matt” in the past.
Drop by Nando’s on my way home
Basically, after 46 hours without sleep, I just slept my whole Saturday and woke up to cook dinner before I watched the Champions League Final 2011.
When Manchester United got behind the ball and defended against Barcelona, it was considered as “tactical genius” by critics. When Arsenal did the same against Barcelona, it was “not attacking enough”. When Manchester United lost, it was “no shame to lose to the best team in the world.”. When Arsenal lost, it was “you can never win with boys.” Seriously!?
Undisputed best team in the world
Hopefully I can move to Platinum when I’ve more time after exam
Just had my supper and it didn’t taste that good.
I realised that most people know where to go when they’re looking for me in school, unless i’m in a class. I’m always in front of a computer in building 35 lab. Sometimes it is hard to get a vacant computer especially when everyone is rushing for assignments.
There are inconsiderate people who just occupy the computers for gaming. Some just sign in to the computers and go somewhere else.
DotA
Sign in to one, then use her own laptop.
It took me sometime to get down to work, which is bad.
I played a few games of Starcraft in the afternoon, and I’m satisfied with my improvement. I’m able to beat gold league players consistently but struggle against platinum players. One month ago, I’m struggling against gold league players, and occasionally losing to silver league players.
Why do some people become overweight and even obese, whereas others appear to be able to keep their weight within normal range? This question has interested psychologists for many decades (e.g. Bruch, 1961; Herman & Polivy, 1984; Kaplan & Kaplan, 1957; Nisbett, 1972; Schachter, 1971).
Stroebe, W., Papies, E.K. & Arts, H. 2008, “From Homeostatic to Hedonic Theories of Eating Self-Regulatory Failure in Food-Rich Environments”, Applied Psychology: An International Review, vol. 57, pp. 172-193.
The above statement just reminds me of how my Ching Ching who always monitors my diet. “Drink more water!”. So my answer to that question above is: “because some have girls to mother them.”
My housemate is watching Power Ranger. lol. Probably influenced by my Pokemon craze. In fact, he’s done with Pokemon and in the middle of Power Ranger season 2?
I came across this on twitter just now. It’s nice to see people who actually make an effort to return a stranger’s wallet. (Probably she just wanna meet this guy. lol)
And I cook better day by day.
