Oh gosh. I tell you this is indeed rather sad to share but it have left me with no choice.
Kurrajong Village is a very beautiful on-campus housing services provided by the Curtin University of Technology, in Perth, Western Australia, which is also the university that I am currently studying in.
Sad to say that, I am also graduating from this university at the end of this semester.
The incident happened in a very TRAGIC manner which shocked me on the early Monday morning which my mother, grandmother and dad encountered together with darling and myself.
What an EDUCATED Senior Manager that you can find which is so RARE in the world! Hard to find too!!
Some kind souls should teach him something on respecting the elders. I think this is what we Chinese learn even at a very young tender age.
This is an email from my dad to the Associate Director of Curtin Housing Services, Mr Andre Lee, informing him on the incident.
Share it with you guys!
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Subject: A VERY UNHAPPY ENDING OF A WEEK'S STAY AT KURRAJONG VILLAGE
Attn: Mr. A.T. Lee -- Associate Director of Housing
Dear Mr. Lee,
My son, an undergraduate of Curtin University have booked a flat for short term stay at Kurrajong Village for his Mother and 82 years old grand-mother for their stay during the last 2 weeks of his final semester at the University. Unit 05 was allocated for the 2 ladies and full payment was made for their stay from 2nd to 9th of June 08. My wife and her fragile mother of 82 checked in happily but ended up being chased out of the apartment under heavy rain by an extremely arrogant man whom they first thought was a junior security officer but later found that he is the Housing Manager of Kurrajong Village.
On the morning of 9th June between 9.00 to 10.45am it was raining heavily (please check with the university's rainfall record). Around 9.30am my wife feel the she will not be able to finish her packing in time and even if she does make it, will not be appropriate for her old mother to walk from the flat to the car park (some 30 meters of uncovered foot path) under the heavy storm. She called the Housing Office, with a view of requesting for a short extension of stay but was only met with some voices on the answering machine (please check that she did call from the phone of flat 05 on the answering machine) although she did not leave any message as she is not familiar with the use of such service gadgets in Singapore. Around 10.00am a courteous lady call at the flat to pick up the towels and sheets for washing which my wife readily complied and taken the opportunity to request her to inform the housing officer for a slight extension of stay because of the heavy rain and also she needed more time to pack and clean up the apartment before leaving. The lady thought that it was not a problem and my wife believes that she did conveyed the message to the housing office.
Fifteen minutes later, at about quarter past ten and I have already arrived at the apartment to help the ladies to pack and clean the apartment, a rude and very arrogant Mr. Norm Johnson storm into the apartment and shouted abusive at the two ladies. The first sentence was "I want you to get out now !!! " , "Have you not read the email about the check out time " , " I will charge you another day's rent for the extra time you stayed". My wife, not being use to such arrogance, apologized to him not less than 3 times that she is sorry as she only knew from him at that very moment that even a sort extension of time cannot be granted. I was astonished by his rudeness and arrogance but said nothing as I also do feel that it is the accommodation's prerogative of not granting any extension nor matter how old is the visitor and how heavy is the storm outside. He left the flat but not before yelling once more " I want you to get out now !!!". We continued frantically to pack and try the clear the apartment at the earliest possible time.
Just at about 10.30 or another 15 minutes after he have informed us that we are to get out now, I have already put the first bag into the car and was already soaking wet from the heavy rainfall when he comes in again yelling a string of abusive, including the followings:-
- I want you to get out now !!!
- You will have to pay me in cash a sum of $20 for the extra time.
- I will call the security to throw you out.
It was then that I have lost my cool and have to tell him in the same tone he have used that I can afford to pay him anything he asked for but just leave the ladies alone to finish their packing. I also said that it will be nice if he indeed call the security so that they can help us with the luggage to the car. His answer was, as expected " why should I call to help ? ".
We were all out of the flat, totally cleaned to it original condition by 10.50am. This is just 35 minutes later than we were first told that extension of stay cannot be granted. Does this 35 minutes delay mainly because of an 82 year old lady and her daughter and the heavy rain justify all the abuses from this so call "Housing Manager" ???
The episode have not ended until, he refuses my Son's entry into the car park to pick up his grand mother. He prefer that the old lady should walk another 50 meters or so to the area where it is not designated for residents only. When I offer to pay the $20 late penalty he earlier asked for, he again shouted "I just wanted you to get out now". What a way to say good bye. We do not expect to have any special services in an University accommodation but I would expect at least some friendliness, courtesy, self respect and compassion is to be given to all visitors of Curtin and in our case this is an 82 year old lady with her 60 year old daughter.
When I was serving in the National Service in Singapore, such rudeness and arrogance from junior NCOs manning a recruit barrack can be expected and accepted by all.
I can tolerate if such behavior is to come from some very low ranking security staff of the institution. When these abuses comes out of the mouth of what I presume to be an educated Senior Manager of Curtin's Kurrajong Village, it is totally beyond my comprehension.
I am sending this email not to expect an apology. It will be a dis-service to the University if I do not make known this episode to the highest level. If left unchecked, such incidents will surely tarnish the otherwise absolute good name of Curtin University whom I have trusted with my son's tertiary education and his entire stay in Australia.
If called upon, I will be happy to substantiate that all the above are true narrations of our very Blue Monday in Perth. On the way to the airport, my mother-in-law was so tramatised by the incident to the extent that she busted in tears on two occasions.
Yours sincerely,
MR NG +
==(my dad)==
SINGAPORE
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So what do you think? ARROGANCE which is so prerogative!
Someone should actually do a check on such incidents which should not be happening.
This is just how far is the distance of 50meters to the carpark can be. This is what a SELFISH and SENSELESS man would ask u to walk in the heavy downpour!
It just brings me to one point:
when you give food to a dog, he will be very appreciative.
if u step on his tail (regardless of what happens), HE WILL BITE YOU!!!
Why?
Cause he cannot think for himself!!!
I remember him being very chatty when I brought in AUD$150 for the security of the rental of the flat for the time frame. WE SPOKE NICELY!
And just because of one TRIVAL matter, he comes pouncing onto you!
Is this what you call thinking out of the box?
Or perhaps thinking straight and no box attached?
Well, I think that he did a great job in handling this matter! If anyone sees or meet him, please tell him that he did well and deserves a pat on his shoulder!
If I was the Human Resource Manager, I would actually recommend him the following:-
1. Complete a 20-hour Community Service in the old aged home and boss around with them and get him to give a report on the after effects of being BOSSED around!
2. Attend trainings on Stress-handling management in which he learns how to handle stress including MINUTE and TRIVAL stress. (I personally don’t even think that it is stress, its just about your own self-respect and dignity)
3. Feedback to me on how to handle the occupants in a better manner.
I’m just so afraid that he would be the black sheep to the university and would tarnish the reputation of the name of CURTIN ==> on its service sector, of coz!
I can tell you that I am very upset about this matter which I really want to hear from him in which he thinks that if he is still right on what he have done.
PLEASE THINK TWICE OF SOMETHING IN WHICH YOU HAVE DONE!
In which have brought a lot of BULLSHIT to me! RUDENESS!
THINK OUT OF THE BOX, MATE!
P.S: I am still waiting for the reply of the email!
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