Saturday, January 03, 2009

The end of Woolies

The news have been replaying the same news stroy over and over again. I couldn't even recall what people use to call it, before credit crunch got into our vocabulary. (side dish: anyone still using the thick physical dictionary? They must have a hard time having to upgrade it every single time a new word came about)

Anyway, we went to Woolworth a couple of times since the news about their administration came out. There isn't one in Luton, the branch closed way before the whole company collapses-early this year and the nearest one is in Hitchin (about 30 mins away). I remember having a conversation with a local Lutonian about Luton not having a woolies ( I love the chocolate there, my visit to ole coventry town would not complete without a trip to wollies). Many loved the pick&mix there and some joked, even if no millionnaire wanted to save woolies, at least save this part for the sake of the kids who wouldn't be able to enjoy the variety on offer. I never tried them but they looked quite good.

During our visits, there were hardly anything worth buying for really. The good chocolates of course had been scoured by many a visitor during it's last few days of opening. On our last visit to the Milton Keynes branch, all the fixtures and fittings were on sale too. Even the manager's desks, the employees' lockers, racks, shelves, every single thing. The whole store still had items left over though, old socks, dusty shoes and kids apparels, rusting nuts and bolts, the odd plastic bins, the old cds that nobody wanted to buy either because the singer was rubbish, or they already had a copy, or they hated the song. Or all of them, or they'd rather listen to the free youtube.

Looking at the unwanted shoes, the nuts and bolts, the pink shorts and skirts, and many other stuff that were still in plastic boxes on the floor: I wonder what would happen to them. Would the employee bag them for free and give family and friends after they left Woolies and tried to look for another? Would they be given to charities and the homeless? Woul they be recycled?

What would the employees do? They've been quite helpful in helping Woolies end on a high note, but everyone knows the market is as gloomy as ever, Woolies is not the only one in the retail industry loosing its prominence: Officer's Club, Whittards of Chelsea, Zavvi, and the kitchen supplier MFI. And experts are saying hundreds more will face the same fate soon. Which means the chance for these employees to find a job in the retail industry is arguably slim.

Thankfully there's jobseeker's allowance for these people, and redundancy payments to help ease the burden, but even these money came from from 'someone else's' pocket. How long would these continue??

Let me just finish this cup of Milo as for now....

Empat belas tiga puluh & two-oh-oh-nine!

As we welcome the new year, I can't help but look at how the past year has been for me, so many ups and downs, so many new things learnt, new experiences, new failures and wins. Let's summarise shall we:

January: After an incidental chat with a group mate at Warwick Library, I realised I needed to do something with life after graduation. Taken the advice and acted upon it in less than 3 days. Alhamdulillah I can never thanked you enough friend. (I told him about this and hope Allah balas sewajarnya InsyaAllah).

February: Went for two nerve wrecking interviews and along the way had help from friends. Very pleased with the results and helped me concentrate on exams more. Got the best present ever for my birthday, a job offer!

A couple of weeks before the interviews, I had the most upsetting result for one of my assignments. It was really bad considering the amount of research and time spent on it. To be fair, it wasn't my best essay ever, but I really had numerous chats with the lecturer, more than I had with any other subject. Had even sought for moral support from the senior person, the lecturer himself, and my personal tutor. I knew then it was impossible to change the result, but I guess I was comforted by the fact that many shared the same fate as me.

It wasn't easy to forget, but I knew I musn't let it consume me.

March: No highlights? I was too consumed with work!

April: Trying to revise as early as I could, and exams came in early this year too!

May: Exams!

June: Lost 5kgs in time for graduation and before Mama came. All thanks to moving halls, panicking about not finding a place to live after graduation and work. What a shame that I have gained more than that since living in Luton with my parents! The cold weather doesn't help I tell you!

July: Graduation!!

August: Moved to Luton. Bade sayonara to my old laptop and bought a new one.

September: Started college and meeting new people, started a new routine of going to classes, with homework to finish and exams to sit for.

October: Raya in Luton with parents after 3years!. New experience for my parents and to a lesser extent, me. Not to mention the nerve-wrecking moments when Abah was stranded in Dhaka by British officers. Scary scary moments. Couldn't concentrate in class, but everyone was so helpful even my Law tutor tried to help by recalling his stories of being stranded in Korea. He always has a story to relate to everything!

November: The result came out! Alhamdulillah, passed all papers! Dreading the next phase!

December: Loved all the trainings, stayed at nice hotels, met nice people, lovely desserts. ahh bliss.. On the side: started client work.

Bring on 2009!