My Experience as a CA
It was an opportunity for me to be part of the Polling Day with my appointment as a CA or Counting Assistant. I get to be in the heart of counting the balloted votes and witness first hand at a rough estimation of who may be leading. It was pretty obvious already even before counting when we sorted out the votes. Of course in my heart I was like, oh no...but then again, what can be done as the people have voted.
It was nerve wrecking, nevertheless, but I enjoyed the experience though one PAP CA or Counting Agent was pretty aggressive when a vote was clearly for WP but he protested to say that the vote was void as the voter (or the joker) crossed out their symbol instead of putting an X in the box given.
Anyway, lucky thing my ARO or Assistant Returning Officer of my table was very calm and collected and answered in a manner which emphasized that his decision is final. But the best part was my SARO who presided over the counting centre and he was so funny and engaging during the times when we had to wait for the other counting centers to finish counting and then followed by recount. He is Mr Koh principal of River Valley High School. I also like his lighthearted yet wise conversations he had with us. He also shared his opinions of the younger principals but which I didn't quite hear much coz he was talking to the teachers instead who were the AROs in that centre.
He told us stories of back in the days when he was a young boy and that food was so cheap and taste so good unlike now when they're so expensive and do not taste as good.
By the way, I also bonded with the neighbour next door whom I had not talked to despite living next door for years, heh. She was also a counting assistant at the very same table so you tell me, how can I avoid her. My brother said that I'm very unfriendly. Somehow, my face always send the wrong signals to people that I'm not friendly, haha. So it's like a case of don't bother talking to her. So if that is the case, then I don't bother also lah. I'm not like my mum who can talk to random strangers and
Overall the experience was a good one. Tiring coz we started at about 6pm all the way to 2 am but it could not beat the other people who were on duty from 5am all the way to 8pm or 3 plus am in the morning. Must be very tiring for them but then again, how often do we have the general elections?
I shook hands with one of the members of the opposition party, which for the life of me I can't remember his name, haha...and he was very humbling despite his various educational background and extensive career.
I don't know when I will be paid and coz I clocked in 2 hours of overtime, I will have OT pay also, yay! Anything to add on to my diminshing rainy day account. But of course, dollars and cents can't equate to the nerve wrecking experience of counting the votes with the counting agents hovering around my tale, ha!
follow me at http://twitter.com/rahayupopz
It was nerve wrecking, nevertheless, but I enjoyed the experience though one PAP CA or Counting Agent was pretty aggressive when a vote was clearly for WP but he protested to say that the vote was void as the voter (or the joker) crossed out their symbol instead of putting an X in the box given.
Anyway, lucky thing my ARO or Assistant Returning Officer of my table was very calm and collected and answered in a manner which emphasized that his decision is final. But the best part was my SARO who presided over the counting centre and he was so funny and engaging during the times when we had to wait for the other counting centers to finish counting and then followed by recount. He is Mr Koh principal of River Valley High School. I also like his lighthearted yet wise conversations he had with us. He also shared his opinions of the younger principals but which I didn't quite hear much coz he was talking to the teachers instead who were the AROs in that centre.
He told us stories of back in the days when he was a young boy and that food was so cheap and taste so good unlike now when they're so expensive and do not taste as good.
By the way, I also bonded with the neighbour next door whom I had not talked to despite living next door for years, heh. She was also a counting assistant at the very same table so you tell me, how can I avoid her. My brother said that I'm very unfriendly. Somehow, my face always send the wrong signals to people that I'm not friendly, haha. So it's like a case of don't bother talking to her. So if that is the case, then I don't bother also lah. I'm not like my mum who can talk to random strangers and
Overall the experience was a good one. Tiring coz we started at about 6pm all the way to 2 am but it could not beat the other people who were on duty from 5am all the way to 8pm or 3 plus am in the morning. Must be very tiring for them but then again, how often do we have the general elections?
I shook hands with one of the members of the opposition party, which for the life of me I can't remember his name, haha...and he was very humbling despite his various educational background and extensive career.
I don't know when I will be paid and coz I clocked in 2 hours of overtime, I will have OT pay also, yay! Anything to add on to my diminshing rainy day account. But of course, dollars and cents can't equate to the nerve wrecking experience of counting the votes with the counting agents hovering around my tale, ha!
follow me at http://twitter.com/rahayupopz
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