New operating hours

Dear friends,

From today onwards, new operating hours for prawn fishing at Bottle Tree Park will take effect.

Fri & Sat: 9am - 3am

Sun - Thurs: 9am - 2am

See ya there!

Know-everything-&-anyhow family day at the park.

When we run a business, definitely, we will face all kinds of problems with all kinds of customers. Dealing with hard-to-handle customers, we always have to put on a smile no matter what and do our best to resolve the situation. At the end of the day, running a business is about making money and not about creating enemies from customers.

There is a group of people which is hard to handle as well and they are NOT even customers. I call them the "Know-everything-&-anyhow".

These people would never contribute to the business. They will never buy anything from retail shops. They will never take out their wallet if their intention is to walk-walk-see-see only.

I have met many such cases at my business premises.

Know-everything-&-anyhow family day at the park.

Know-everything-&-anyhow grandma, "Fish prawn so expensive, market cheaper. Market prawn more fresh lah. Why these people waste money? So stupid! Market prawns more fresh lah."

How is it possible for a dead prawn to be fresher than a lively prawn?

Know-everything-&-anyhow uncle, "Aiyo, all these people so stupid. The operator feeds the prawn full full so that they catch nothing. So stupid. Waste money only. Go market buy better lah. Prawn fresher somemore."

If this uncle ever starts a prawn fishing business using such tactics, he would soon find his name in the history book. HISTORY!

Know-everything-&-anyhow wife, "Is it? They feed the prawns? Yalor... these people so stupid. Waste money. Prawns in market fresher lah."

The grandma's comment has a 'parroting' effect on the family. Dead prawns in market are fresher than live prawns.

Know-everything-&-anyhow family, "Stupid people. Waste money. Prawns in market are fresher lah. Hahahaha."

The above is not fiction nor just-for-laugh.

It happened yesterday at my place. This Know-everything-&-anyhow family was standing like only 3m away from the counter. Their Know-everything-&-anyhow comments started flying here and there. It was really irritating. As they were know-everything-&-anyhow commenting, their voices got louder.

Just then, a customer had just ended his session and packing his prawns at the packing station. He had a bag full of prawns. Know-everything-&-anyhow family looked at it and then said, "Market prawns look better and fresher. Hahahahaha. Waste money." The customer stared at them but they seemed so happy and started to get carried away.

"Hello. We don't feed our prawns here. We are doing a business here. We DON'T feed our prawns at all. We are doing a business here."

I had no choice but to 'interrupt' their behavior. Upon hearing from me, they 'lowered' their voices but I could still hear them from 5m clearly. (I was eating dinner on another table.) This time, I repeated firmly to them and finally, they kept their know-everything-&-anyhow mouths shut. They kept turning their heads back to look at me. I smiled back. Even as they were walking away, they kept turning back to see if I was still looking at them. Indeed, I kept my pair of eyes on them.

Apparently, this Know-everything-&-anyhow family was merely visiting the park for the first time. They did not have dinner at the park nor did they patronize any of the services in the park as well. They are not customers and then they know-everything-&-anyhow comment about the services...

Just another day at my premises....

One day at my pond....

One day at my prawn pond, two ladies walked towards my counter. They seemed to be debating something about the prawn fishing.

Aunty Anyhow, "How much for prawn fishing?"
Lady Knowhow, "$14.50 lor."
Aunty Anyhow, "See... they don't provide rod for fishing."
Lady Knowhow, "Got lah. Look at all the rods behind the counter..."
Aunty Anyhow, "They don't give baits one...."
Lady Knowhow, "They do. Look here. These are the baits and wow, all cut up."
Aunty Anyhow, "Water blur blur... cannot see prawns. Sure got no prawns."
Lady Knowhow, "Walau. You see yourself lah. There, got prawn come up liao."
Aunty Anyhow, "Down here no big prawn one lah."
Lady Knowhow, "Yesterday the one I caught big or not?"
Aunty Anyhow, "Big, that one big."
Lady Knowhow, "I caught here one lah!"
Aunty Anyhow, "Err... $14.50, market can buy more prawn lah."
Lady Knowhow, "......................................"


Sometimes, presumption just simply makes you look really stupid. All you have to do is ASK but please don't ask stupid questions too.

"I come so many times and I never see you all put prawns one, got prawns or not?"
"If we never put prawns, then I could have properly packed my bag and balek kampong liao... if no prawns, why are you coming back after so many times?"

My hermit crabs are GONE!!!

Today, when I reached the park in the afternoon, I noticed that something was amiss. I found my dear hermit crabs missing from the tank with the lip of the cover opened. I asked around, no one noticed anything except my part timer saw 3 kids were crowding round the crabs earlier on.

Argh.... my crabs are STOLEN!!!

By who? The thief or thieves got away.....

I just hope that the thief would really know how to take good care of them and if you the thief happens to be reading my blog, just wanna let you know, YOU SUCK! Oh well, please take good care of them though. One more thing, these 3 little fellows love rambutan. YES! RAMBUTAN!!!

Getting motivated?

Some FAQ lately.....

Some FAQ lately...

Man One: "Fishing main pond, how ah?"
Ans: "Fishing is only available during weekend and public holidays. 8am - 5pm only. $35.00 per rod. Rod rental is available but you have to bring your own baits."
Man One: "I see. So... Mon to Fri got open or not?"
Ans: ".........."
Man One: "Got sell baits or not?"
Ans: "...................."

"I wonder why do people ask about something and when the answers are given, they seem not to understand the answers at all. They have to ask again but with a different approach. Even at different approach, ain't the answers the same in the first place?"


Man Two, "You all got replenish prawns one or not?"
Ans, "Never!"
Man Two. "Then how come they can catch prawns?"
Ans, "Trust me, 5 months never put prawns liao."
Man Two, "5 months!!! Give me two hours."

"Negative approach produces positive results?"


Man Three, "So many prawns caught, you all got replenish prawns or not?"
Ans, "Yes, of course. We top up whenever necessary."
Man Three, "Then, got big prawns or not? Or is that photo bluff people one?"
Ans, "Got. Sir, we are honest business men here."
Man Three, "How I know you got put prawns?"
Ans, ".........."
Man Three, "You say got top up, how I know you bluff me or not?"
Ans, "..................."
Man Three's wife, "WTF are you doing? Stop asking stupid questions! If no prawns, then why is there so many people? Sorry hor... paiseh..."
Man Three, "Then the big one people catch liao. Then you got top up or not?"
Ans, "We do top them up sir, whenever stocks are available, almost daily."
Man Three, "How I know you got top up?"
Ans, "........................................................"
Man Three's wife, "Shut up! Let's go!"

"Being smart is good, overly smart is a form of stupidity. This is a chinese saying."