Suzette's Parenting and Breastfeeding Blog

Finally I received an email reply from McDonald’s restaurants on my last complaint.  However, I think their reply really doesn’t mean anything to me.  Just a normal ‘corporate-affair’ style of response.  I won’t pursue further, just not my style…  Below is the email:

Thank you for letting us know about the experience you encountered when you visited McDonald’s restaurant Jusco One Utama. We are very concerned when a customer informs us of an experience such as yours. Please be assured the circumstances, which you encountered are not typical of the high standards that we strive to achieve at McDonald’s.

Many steps are taken in our employee hiring and training to ensure every customer receives not only hot, tasty food but also friendly and efficient service. Our goal is 100 percent customer satisfaction and that means high quality food, in a clean and friendly environment and efficient service without exceptions.

We have noted your complaint and have discussed your experience with the management team of the above McDonald’s and please be assured that appropriate actions have been taken.

Again, thank you again for taking the time to bring this matter to our attention. We value such feedback because the best way we can improve is if people who are not satisfied with us tells us so and tells us why. We hope the experience will not deter you from visiting McDonald’s.

Thank you.

I’ve been reading most of the blogs through bloglines.  Last week I went into MMB’s Blog to leave a comment, and realized that it has changed its look.

There are 3 cute and chubby breastfed babies’ photos on top, and they are rotated randomly amongst a set of 23.

And, the exciting part of it is, Lilian (the site owner) has used 5 of Ian’s photos that I submitted last year!  Now looking back at the small Ian, it doesn’t look like him at all.  Hmm… he used to be that chubby! 

As for me - I am happy as a proud mama.  :D 

p/s: if you want to know which ones are Ian, they are labeled as: n, f, x, s and r.  I suspect SQ is there also…

In the old days, when I was still a small kid…

Our family earned just enough for what was needed. We were unable to buy any new clothes or toys anytime we like.

I still remember that we kept our coins in piggy banks, whenever there were coins around. That was the only way that we could save money for the ‘luxury’ expenses in CNY.

A couple of weeks before CNY, we would break the piggy banks, and used the money to buy ‘luxury’ items – new clothes.

In the past, we only had new clothes during CNY. That’s why CNY was the happiest festive for us, and it is still the same now.

After we’ve grown up and started earning our money, new clothes are not only bought during CNY. We can afford to buy new clothes any time. In my previous company, the MD even made it a policy that all staff must buy at least a new clothe a month, to maintain the ‘professional’ image of the company (she doesn’t want the staff to look lousy, what a thinking??).

However, though we can and are buying new clothes anytime we like, during CNY, we still have to buy something new!

I think this is just a cultural practice that we will not give away – who don’t like new things?!

I believe the sales during CNY are good for nearly all products. Apparels, food, drinks, snacks, luxuries, etc.

Though I can’t spend much this year (due to uncertainty of my job), I still had to buy a few pieces of new clothes and a pair of shoes for Ian. Also had bought some snacks from Bangkok too. Of course, nothing for myself, coz I am BIG now and I’ve just bought some maternity dress last month! So I will be wearing those half-new-half-old maternity dresses.

Oh, CNY, CNY, a season to spend! But where is the extra money? Ehh! Don’t care first lah! Enjoy first.

On Sunday morning, I went to McDonald’s 1U for breakfast with my family.

When there was only 1 customer left in front of my queue, I suddenly saw a shocking scene.

Behind the food tower where the burgers were lined-up to be served, there was this manager packing a tray of burgers. The shocking/disgusting part was, he wasn’t wearing any gloves! He was touching, holding, and packing the burgers with his bare hands.

I was too stunned to see it, and started to doubt whether it was a standard to use gloves at all.

Then, this brave customer in front of me made some noise. He asked the counter girl loudly, so the manager could hear too. He asked why the guy wasn’t wearing his gloves.

But, what happened was, the manager didn’t even bother, or didn’t realize it. For a minute or so, this customer couldn’t bear it anymore, shouted at him “WEAR YOUR GLOVES!”. The manager still stood there for a few seconds, only ‘realized’ that he needed to wear it.

The thing is, DH felt that I should have asked the manager to discard all the burgers he has touched with his bare hands. And DH felt that I shouldn’t have accepted those ‘dirty’ burgers and eaten them. (Now he made me feel like puking already, :p)

Ya, I know, we don’t mind the hygiene of Ramlee burger or other hawker food. But when we go to McDonald’s, we expect a high quality standard, including this kind of hygiene practice.

Anyway, I have written to McDonald’s about this event. Let’s see how they respond.

I hate hand-washing clothes. I actually hate the rinsing part.

Yesterday I did some laundry, and after that, my lower back ached so badly.

The aching pain made me hard to even lift my left leg and move around.

Not sure if it is related to my pregnancy, but I just feel lousy.

At night, when lied down, the soreness magnified. I just couldn’t change side on the bed. Slight movement made my back extremely painful. When I woke up to walk to the kitchen/toilet, I just felt tearing pain on the lower left back, as well as the left pelvic.

How I wish I had a maid to do the housework.
How I wish DH can pay more attention and be more sensitive to my aches and complaints. At least to show sympathy and concern, rather than giving me a cold and ‘not again!’ look. I was not showing my pain just to attract attention. I was really painful. I was not acting.