Monday, June 27, 2005

lesson #188: dealing with Mr B.O.S.S

B.O.S.S... That dreaded course-bidding system that SMU students have to make a date with every half-year or so. This is its story.


I managed to get the Audit course which I bidded for. My original bid for it was around $19, but then people started asking me, "Don't you think your bid is a little too low?". The first time round, I could look them in the eye and say, "No." After a few more people have popped the question though, my confidence started draining away. Then The Boyfriend mentioned that he'd heard from his friends that they're all bidding at around $24. TWENTY-FOUR DOLLARS???


So I raised my bid to $20.72, and informed the people I was bidding with of my new bid. Then, minutes before the closing of B.O.S.S, I received news from The Boyfriend again. The bid of his friends has gone up to $27. TWENTY-SEVEN DOLLARS??? So I made an executive decision and raised my bid to $24.72, and then seconds before B.O.S.S. closed I topped it up with another $2 as a safety net. So guess what amount the lowest successful bidder was putting in? $10.88. TEN BLOODY DOLLARS AND EIGHTY-EIGHT CENTS???


Freak. I should've known that The Boyfriend's friends are what you may call Safe Bidders. They're normally very nice people really, and some of them are my friends too, but really when it comes to bidding, they suck. Oh well, it's my fault to for overpricing my own bid. I mean, I didn't have to follow them or anything. But I chose to because I thought it was a strategic move because I thought they're smart and that I should also do what smart people are doing.


Managed to get Company Law (my last-choice course) at $10.30. Seen the results, my bid was the lowest for that class. Not sure whether I'd take it up though, because I bidded the course as a safety net and know of absolutely nobody who's also taking Company Law G4.


My CAT bid skimmed the lowest bid by a dozen cents or so, so I should count myself lucky that I managed to get that class. But at the same time, If I'd known the bid for the afternoon class (I bidded for the 8.30 session instead of 12.00 noon because I was stupid) would be around the same price, I'd have gone for the afternoon class instead. So I was a Paranoid Arse.


Happier thoughts, happier thoughts...
Second round @ Mango:
1 orange sleeveless with panda patterns (it looks much nicer than it sounds) - $19
1 ivory make-up pouch - $13


Literature is food for the brain:
1 July edition of US Cosmo - $13


Balanced eyebrows are the perfect zen:
1 eyebrow shaping session - $18


A picture paints a thousand words:
1 guy in jeans on the bus with huge bulge down crotch area. Either he is really well-hung or he's stuffed something down there. Now don't call me a perv for noticing. I was sitting down and he was standing up, my eyes were level with his cr*tch. It's really quite hard not to notice when it's just, like, in your face.