*Edited*

Question: How the hell, did they get my number??

I've been receiving spam messages from Maison (a club i went too once, after coming back from the UK..) and the Ice bar (i went there to have a drink with my cousins once, i didn't exactly enter the ice bar.. just the one next to it... which i guess is part of it...==)..

so i guess maybe that's how they got my number.. Though i don't recall giving my number to the ICE BAR in the Curve... Damn.. so irritating.. How I wish Digi has the service to block Spam SMS..

Anyway back to the topic at hand...

Phone scam... believe it or not... i got one today.. when i was in class...

There I was, wishing that Raja Singham (my lecturer, and well, i was known as a kaki ponteng for classes back in high school, i changed in University.. but, asking me to sit still for 5 hours.... is like asking me to sit on a bed of nails.. my max is 3 hours.... or well, maybe 4, depending on the subject...) would just STOP already...

When my phone vibrated.. taking it out.. it was an unknown caller... now, people rarely call me, most of the time they text/SMS me....

if the number doesn't show up on the screen, it's usually a call from overseas.. most probably my siblings.... and since i was sitting.. way, way behind in class, i just answered the phone softly.. the moment i heard the person speak on the other side.. i knew what i was in for...

So here was what transpired, as i answered my phone as softly and as quietly as possible...

To be greeted by some China national, trying to speak horrendous English..

"Do you speak Mandarin?" with a Female version of a really 'Ah Pek' sounding voice..

I answered in Mandarin.. "A little" in which she repeated after me in Mandarin... "oh ok, a little"

She continues in mandarin.. "we are a company based in Hong Kong and would like to conduct a survey, is it okay if we question you, it's only 2 questions..."

Me? internally, i was going.. damn, it's the phone scam, and i don't know how to record it using my phone... i told the girls sitting next to me.. "damn... i kena the phone scam..."

and i was also wondering... if they are a Hong Kong company, why don't they speak Cantonese? i should have asked her to speak Cantonese.. but i know she can't...

so maybe that's why i didn't.. i wasn't concentrating much on the phone conversation anyway.. i was just thinking.. how did they get my number??... and well.. how to keep myself unnoticed by the lecturer, since I was on the phone.. (since i was sitting behind, it's kind of difficult to leave.. to go out to talk on the phone.. i would be disturbing a number of people..)

i answered in mandarin.. "Ok [好- hao]"

She continues.. and sometimes, i wonder... is it good that i'm a half banana?... she asked me something relating to electronics.. i think.. something about when i buy... electronics? where do i go/what do I buy (i'm not sure, as i said my mandarin is limited. if only she spoke Cantonese..)... and she named a few things/places/brand which i haven't a clue..

so i said, "sorry, but i don't understand... you're speaking too fast"

so she tried to repeat.. and i was still clueless...

as i was in class, i was trying hard to be quiet and not laugh.. or whatever, and was afraid that the lecturer might spot me, even though i'm almost a 100 metres away... (okay, sue me, i exaggerated... it wasn't that far, maybe 50 metres....)

Then she gives up trying to explain to me in her crappy, atrocious English what i don't understand and started to ask for my name... (See? that's why i didn't bother asking if she could speak Cantonese...)

no wonder she is participating in this fraud.. i bet she couldn't find a job elsewhere.. it's mean of me to say so.. but i don't pity someone who cheats her own people.. we are all Chinese.. even if we aren't.. she's aiding some syndicate in cheating people out of their hard earned money.. she doesn't get my pity.. i would even ask her to go to hell if i could.. 去見鬼 [chi jian gui... go & see ghost.. could also mean, go to hell... i guess..]

i replied, "you can just call me Cindy.."

And she insisted that she wanted my name in Chinese, and was asking if i had a Chinese name....

internally, i was like.. you want my Chinese name?....

What for? to cast a spell on me?? so i thought of giving her the name Zhang Hui Mei [張惠妹], the Taiwanese singer.... it is kind of close to my name....

but thought that was too obvious. so i opted to give the surname as Chan. to make it Chan Hui Mei.. (ironically although it was xian ai sitting next to me, i thought of chan because of ccy.. weird.. )

but she didn't get what i was saying, and i tried to repeat the word Chan to her a lot of times.. (i don't blame her.. i was soft.. but, then again I was in class... also maybe i should have said Chan in mandarin.. but i couldn't think then...5 hours of classes just fries your brain dry....) till i got fed up..

by that time, i was on the phone for approximately 3 & a half minutes already.. with her doing most of the talking... as i was trying to be quiet.. i repeat... I was in class after all...

Irritated that i had to repeat my "Name" like 3 times, i just hung up.. i know she won't call again.. And well, if she does.. and if I'm not in class, I'll most probably play around with her more..

How? Hmm~ I don't know, like maybe give her a name that sounds like this.. 不能騙 which means, "cannot bluff/ can't be lied to" [bu neng pian] or 沒有钱 which means "no money", [mei you qian]

And tell her.. if, i used the first name that is, i.e. 不能騙 [bu neng pian, cannot be lied too] and if they realise my little trick (you never know, they could be dense.. since Kenny Sia gave them a number like this --> 748 in mandarin.. it means.. go and die haha [去死把 - chi se ba] ... i would just say.. i can't be lied too, because i know about your scam.. stop trying to cheat people of their money..

if i used the latter name, i would just go.. it's pointless to try and cheat my money, because as my name suggests 沒有钱, [mei you qian, no money] i have none haha

so yeah, that would have been interesting.. (my little 3 minute in-class entertainment... ) apparently they start off by going with this survey thing, then they'll ask for your details for some lucky draw thing, and call you back a few days later saying that you won in the lucky draw and you need to deposit this certain amount of money to claim your prize money.. bla bla..

for the full details... look below.. taken from kenny sia's blog.. (the company's name may differ though.. i think kenny sia's was to do with jewellery.. mine is electronics... which come to think of it, is stupid.. because China has all the cheap stuff.. i don't need Samsung or Hitachi.. well unless i want something long lasting haha...)

I have to thank Kenny Sia for this.. or i wouldn't be aware of it.. then again.. since i'm half banana.. i think it would be a tad harder to cheat me... they would most probably give up due to frustration, before completing their scam.. besides.. i don't have any money to to put as a "insurance deposit" for them.. and i would get suspicious if they are so eager to give me something free.. as there is a Chinese saying... forget it.. i will use the English equivalent..

'There's no such thing as a free lunch...'

Here is the video from kenny sia's blog.. for the full story go -->here



-Oracl3-

P/S: thanks to Seck Wei for helping me with the Chinese words.. i wasn't sure which words where which... my Chinese is like a primary 2 student's, maybe worse..... and since ccy, my usual translator isn't around..

but i guess.. my Chinese isn't that bad after all.. seeing that.. i'm part banana haha.. :p

also, i just came back from a dinner celebrating a friend's birthday i.e. Wendy.. i'll blog about that later... as i'm tired, i have class tomorrow... and well. that one involves pictures.. and we all know what a pain my connection is...

and for my sister.. i have an interesting picture of the dog.. which i'll post later.. when i'm free... and if connection permits...