My Daily Affairs.

Everyday, before I start to post, I would first check my emails, read, write replies, watch videos and after having done all that, I will then start on browsing Facebook, just like my mails, so many interesting articles, photos and videos to go through, so, by the time I am finished, it is two to three hours spent and mind you, its really tiring and time passes by too quickly.

This has been a daily sort of 'ritual' for me each time I sit down and face my computer. There is no fixed time when I start to write a post. It can happen as soon as I reach home, maybe after watching TV movies or whilst having snacks or as soon as I get up from bed. Usually in between sips of my coffee and enjoying my variety of titbits, I start to begin recalling, trying to remember and picture immediate and recent encounters, chit chats, meals, get together with other cabbies, or any happenings, incidents and whatever after finishing my workday. This process takes at least a couple of hours and there are times when my thoughts get too congested I simply cannot focus or get to start typing a post. In such times, I have to call it a day, forego what I wanted to do and to write the next day. It is no easy task, but I enjoy indulging in my pastime very much.

Back To Normal.

The increase in taxi fares has yielded an average additional income of about $20 to $30 for taxi drivers as far as I am concerned. This additional amount has been a great help in off setting the high cost of diesel fuel. For longer trips, an increase in the metered fare is more visible, whereas in shorter trips, the difference is quite negligible.

Nowadays, there is hardly any talk about the fare hikes and it seems like it is now generally accepted by commuters. Ever since the increase, I have had only three minor comments from passengers whom I sense are very occasional cab users. Anyway, it is good that the talk about the increase in fares has died down which makes both the drivers and passengers feel more at ease and comfortable during the trips.

Chinese New Year celebrations is still on and commuters are aplenty. I find it easy and not much of a hassle getting passengers which makes for pleasant workdays. Fridays and Saturdays are always very busy and hectic workdays for us and none would think much about resting or taking leave from driving. Today being a Saturday and I am already eagerly looking forward to start after a good day's rest.

Big Notes for Short Distances.

Yesterday was another good workday for me. There were commuters everywhere I went. The only difference was that all trips were for short distances except for one, a young Chinese man and his two women companions going from Peoples Park Complex to Tanah Merah Ferry Point near Changi Coast Road, the metered fare came to $23.00 and from there, a man, a woman and child board my cab to go to Tampines Street 82, their fare came to $11.70 and that was the second highest amount I had collected for the whole day.

After ferrying my third passenger, the rest of my next five passengers gave me $50.00 notes each for fares which were less than $10.00 consecutively and so when the 6th passenger, a middleaged woman also wanted to give me a $50.00 note for the metered fare of $7.50, I had to apologise to her for not having enough small change but when I suggested going to the nearest 7/11 store or petrol station to try to get some small change, she hesitated and asked me to hang on while she searched her handbag for some loose cash, and what do you know, she managed to scrape up $7.20 short of 30 cents. I told her it was alright and not to worry. We thanked each other for being able to avoid unnecessary inconveniences and bade farewell as she started to alight.

7 Hours Non-Stop Drive.

This is the third day of CNY celebrations and last night after hectic days of activities begin to slow down, I started driving from 7.00pm after laying off and away from the roads for the past three days.

After picking up my first passenger, it was then a continuous non-stop and busy evening of work for me ferrying passengers here and there all over the island. People were everywhere, when one alights another immediately boards no matter where. It was a very good day and how I wish it can be like this always.

It was also a very tiring workday as I concentrated more on my driving albeit only wishing my passengers the 'magic words' "Gong Xi Fa Cai" and "Happy New Year" to everyone, locals, foreigners and visiting tourists.

It was also a marathon driving session as I drove without any breaks at all, that means from 7.00pm right till I stopped at 2.00am this morning, a total of 7 hours continuous non-stop driving. You can just imagine how sore my legs were and my back, it aches. Overall, apart from the aches and pain, I still truly enjoyed this special CNY adventure.

Let Us Altogether Celebrate CNY !!!

Dear Friends, I will not be putting up any posts during this Chinese Lunar New Year Celebrations until after Tuesday 24th of January.

Once again, I wish you all "Happy Holidays" and "Gong Xi Fa Cai",

Cheers!
Uncle Frank.

Changing Times Of Peak Hours.

The peak hour has been changed to start from 6.00pm to midnight, one hour later but continues till midnight. With the change, we notice nowadays that there are long queues of commuters at taxi stands between 5.00pm to 6.00pm and very few taxis around. Soon, there will be complaints of taxis shying away or hiding till the clock strikes 6.00pm.

The case of the missing taxis just before midnight was similar until the imposition of the midnight charge of an additional 50% of the fare. I suppose taxi drivers possess some sort of bargaining powers to enhance their daily earnings.

For the time being, I am just comfortable and enjoying doing my job.

Unforgettable Lovely Lady Passengers.

Yesterday evening, I had the pleasure of ferrying two kind and lovely ladies to their residences. The first one that I fetched was from Takashimaya and she wanted to go to Shunfu Road where she lived. She was from Indonesia where she was born but grew up in Melbourne and Brisbane where she also met and married her husband, a Singaporean. She has been living here for the past 12 years and still loving it. I detected a bit of accent when she spoke and thats how we came about chatting and laughing throughout the journey to her destination. After she paid the metered fare of $12.00, we thanked and wished each other Happy New Year but just before alighting, she handed me a paperbag containing two pieces of chocolate cakes, my favourites, at first I refused to accept but she was persistent and kept insisting, saying "I have a few more in my other bag, please, please I want you to have them". I finally relented, "Thank you so much, you are very kind". Later during my break, I ate the two pieces of cakes and I tell you, it was really good and I really enjoyed them.

The second pretty lady whom I fetched was from Novena Taxi stand and she was going home to her apartment at Fernvale near Jalan Kayu Road. Coincidentally, she too was from Indonesia, also married to a Singaporean and has been living here for the past 10 years. She spoke in flawless English, telling me that she had recently tendered her resignation from her job. I asked why she did that and she told me, she has two lovely children, a daughter who is 5 years old and a 1 year old son. Her son has a slight medical problem and she wants to personally care for him till he is well. We were chatting away along the CTE and to my horror, I missed the left turn into Yio Chu Kang Road, that means I had to take a big round, exit into the SLE and into Jalan Kayu. I kept apoligizing and promised to deduct whatever additions incurred. She was not at all angry nor annoyed and said "Not to worry, its alright". I felt very bad and so when we reach her destination, the metered fare showed $20.50, inclusive of the surcharge of $4.00, I immediately said "Just pay me less the surcharge amount which is $16.00 will do, its my mistake, I'm so sorry". She answered, "No, no its was just an honest mistake, no,cannot" She then paid me exactly the metered fare of $20.50 no less and insisted she wants no change at all from me. She thanked me for having such a pleasant and enjoyable ride home and I did the same. We wished each other Happy New Year as she happily alighted.

What sweet and delightful journeys they had been with such excellent, kind and caring passengers.

Busy Days Ahead For Cabbies.

The Chinese New Year celebrations, year in and year out, continues with scenes of flocks of shopping and marketing commuters with tons of shopping bags, individual trolleys queueing up at all taxi stands in the popular shopping centres and eateries once again.

This is a very busy and hectic week for all taxi drivers till the family re-union dinner date thereafter, a noticeable calm and quietness will set in with the disappearance of taxis on the roads as most Chinese drivers stay home to celebrate and spend time with their families and friends.

For myself, I will most probably take a few days off away from the roads and just relax and enjoy the family gatherings and of course, what else, food. Oh no, I nearly forgot, I still have to work rightaway and maybe sweat a bit first, hahaha. 

Friendly Vietnamese Passenger.

Yesterday after midnight, on my way home, I picked up a young Vietnamese guy near Lakeside MRT station. "Uncle, Queenstown Strathmore please, I just missed the last train" he told me. I said, "You should have checked the time of the last train, its already past midnight now". "I know, but I was with my friend, still chatting and forgot about the time" he answered. "Well, because you were carried away and forgotten time, you will have to pay a taxi fare now and not only that, it means, plus an extra 50%  midnight charge also, hahaha, unlucky for you but good for me". I spoke jokingly and we both laughed.

This young man from Vietnam, speaks good English, had been studying in Singapore for the past three years, just graduated in Marketing and presently working in his first job here for about two to three months already. He simply loves our lifestyle and hopes to live here for good, adding also that he has a Chinese girlfriend from Malaysia who is still studying here. He has begun taking up a course in Mandarin lessons.

We continued chatting and joking happily throughout the whole journey. The trip cost him $15.60, he gave me $16.00 and to keep the change. He was kind, informative and had a very friendly disposition.

"Gong Xi Fa Cai".

Folks, I am not able to put up any post today because I am going shopping to buy myself a pair of shoes, socks, a belt, a wallet, a shirt and a pair of pants for my own Chinese New Year presents. This yearly exercise usually takes up a bit of time and my cab will be for own personal use only for today. My transportation cost will be the taxi rental amount.

I would also like to take this opportunity in advance to wish you all, my Friends, Blog Followers and Viewers, "A Happy, Healthy And Prosperous CHINESE NEW YEAR 2012 !!!".