The thing is this:
One fine day, I suggested that me and some of my colleague friends should go to JB to get those makeover done there. It is much cheaper to do it there than in SG. So one of the friends, who is a PRC, said since her landlord is a photographer, maybe we could ask him for advice on where to get the shots done. So she proceeded to ask her landlord. Days later she SMSed me that her landlord can recommend his friend, who has a studio in JB, to us. He charges MYR480 per pax. We all thought that the price was okay, as long as it is cheaper than in SG. We then ask my PRC friend to book a date with the landlord. Everything was settled. Or so it seemed.
Then the three of us were all happy and looking forward to that day. But thanks to the increased crime rate in JB, I got to know about the terrible deeds that had been commited when I saw my MAs signing the petition to protest about the heinous crime rates. Then I told Hubby about it and he was apprehensive about the whole photo shoot thing.
He insisted in going to JB with me. He was almost sure that the landlord could not be trusted. So I promised him to check this thing out from my PRC friend. I SMSed her 1st thing in the morning. She called me at our workplace, and told me that she had developed allergies on her face. When asked if it was serious, she said I will know when I see her. She wasn't sure whether she could put on makeup in such a state. I asked her to consult her landlord, since he was a professional photographer, he should also know the makeup.
So after work, we met at the company doctor's. When I saw her, I was shocked to see her condition. She looked like she was wearing red colored face mask. Her allergy affected the nose area and the chin area. It looked pretty bad and certainly not suited to put on makeup. So while waiting for our numbers to be called, I chatted with her.
I asked her what did her landlord said about her condition, and the landlord said that it was ok, his friend can always edit her pictures using the software so she should just carry on with the photo shoot. When I heard that, I knew that this landlord was up to no good. In fact, when I talked to her over the phone about this, I had an uncanny feeling that the landlord was going to ask her to go ahead with the shooting. And I just told her all my fears had been realised, and that her landlord was out to cheat her, and us. She continued to tell me that the landlord had ask her to give him the money first, then he would in turn pass it to his friend. That was strange, considering that we will meet his friend and we could pay him the money directly. Then I quickly asked her to call her landlord, to tell him that we were cancelling the shoot.
The 1st time she called, he was certainly unhappy about it. She told him that the doctor adviced her against putting anything on her face at all. He then told her that, "Ok, you(my friend) don't take the photos nevermind, you just bring your friends over." Wow. Hardseller. I told her no. Since we knew that it was a scam, it would be stupid to fall for it. Then after several rounds of phone calls and coaxing, he finally relented.
Well, you thought that the story will end here? Not quite. Soon after we parted, she SMSed me one strange message. The message read something like this: Later you reached home, can you lend me $200? I need to pay for my friend's losses. Moments later, she called me. She said that her landlord sent her this SMS. I told her that don't ever lend him this money. There is no such thing as making up for his losses, or his friend's, for that matter. We did not sign any agreement at all, I told her. If she lends him the money, she will never get it back. Anyway, it wasn't the 1st time that the landlord had borrowed money from her. But alas, she lended him $200 the 1st time. And now, he wanted her to lend him money again without him ever repaying her the 1st time?!
Conclusion, this man, whoever he is, is a disgrace to all SGers. Fancy calling himself a professional photographer and yet, needs to borrow money from a PRC whose basic salary is less than $900. And when he is in need of greater amounts of money, he resorts to cheating. Or attempted to cheat. I have calculated. If he got his way, he would have pocketed at least half of the MYR480 from us, and give the other half to his friend. That would be more than $300 SGD.
Pathetic, if you ask me.
To be continued, Ugly Singaporeans-Part2 The Ugly Landlady.
"If you don't defend your honor, people will assume you have none."
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