Another harrowing day in the life of a clueless journalist

Someone please tell me why I'm in this line.

I don't read the papers often enough, I don't update myself with current affairs, my voice is Ching Chong (Jialing: I'm guessing she meant that I had a Chinese-twang or something like that) and I evidently have no idea what the protocol is when it comes to greeting ministers.

Someone please shoot me....

I'm joking lah. I love my job! Which other job provides jolts to the heart and unexpected adrenaline rushes at all times of the day?

Tell you, covering the Mas Selamat case was kick ass. Even if all I did was walk up and down and stare at army men.

Oh oh, and the A levels.. HILARIOUS. The levels of secrecy when I tried asking for percentages and breakdown of the grades, schools tooting their own horns, pimply army boys who are so proud of themselves it's adorable watching their pleasure, one top school which barred reporters into their school hall (we think it's cos they screwed up the new syllabus)... fun fun fun.

But alas, I made a boo-boo today. I was covering a simple (or so I thought) event. I thought I'd go in, look around, take a couple of shots and call it a day.

But lo and behold, there's a Minister present and the press swarm him, asking his opinion about this issue that was raised in Parliament.

The protocol when that happens is to report what he said. Cos cannot lose out to the other press companies what.

Ahem. Do I look like I follow the Budget debates? Do I look like I would know what the hell the other journos are talking about?

Of course not.

So.... as the other journos were from the Chinese language papers, and I was the only English journo and I needed an English soundbite critically... I started sweating like mad.

What to do? Hang my head and ask the Chinese journo for clarification on the issue she wanted to ask. Luckily she was nice enough to help, even though we're from rival companies.

And then when it came to interviewing the Minister, instead of greeting him "Minister ---", I said "Mister ---".

All the other journos called him Minister. Apparently, that's how you show respect.

Can I get any greener?

Sigh, sigh, sigh....