Happenstance.

Close to 7pm on a Friday evening and I found myself at the box office of a shopping mall located in the heartlands, with the intention of buying tickets to an upcoming blockbuster that I have been DYING to watch since... like, forever. Of course, Friday evenings being Friday evenings, and with the opening of "Red Cliff" (Tony Leung and Takeshi Kaneshiro, drool drool DROOOOOL), the ticket queues were massive. There were human beings everywhere - most of them teenagers and twenty-somethings, (seemingly) buying tickets for the popular movies like "Red Cliff" and "Wanted", both of which were on the verge of selling out.

I initially wanted to back off and return another day to get my tickets, since I was buying them way in advance anyway (and I mean WAAAAAY in advance), but I decided to persevere and stay in the what seemed like a 20-person queue with a 15-20 minute wait. So while everyone in the queue was desperately praying for decent seats and discussing the options of alternative showtimes, blah blah blah... I stood there, cool as a cucumber, twiddling thumbs and waited for my turn with no anxiety whatsoever.

Then came my turn at the counter.

L: Hi, can I have two tickets for "The Dark Knight"... on the 22nd of July please.

Counter Staff (CS): .... T.... TWENTY-SECOND??

L: Yes, it's already in your system. (I replied confidently)

CS: Hmm, actually I don't think it's in our system yet...

L: No it is, the showtimes are already on your website, which means I can buy already.

Manager on CS' right who overheard our conversation: Sorry M'am, it's too early to get tickets for 22nd, our system hasn't been updated yet...

L: (somewhat resigned) Huh... oh... okay then...

Manager: But we'll do a check for you on the system anyway.

L: Oh thank you. ^_^

Manager: Oh it really is in our system! The showtimes are already there.

L: Yay!!!!!

(After purchase)

CS: Today's only the 11th and you buy for 22nd already ah?

L: Yeah, very kiasu.....

CS: No lah....

L: O_o

I walked away with $6 tickets to "The Dark Knight", feeling so triumphant and smug about the cheap deal, as well as the excellent seats... that I had to phone the Pig and squeal (no pun intended) about the entire experience.

And the moral of the story is: The movie buff is always right, even if you work at the box office. :p

Now if there is anyone out there who'd like to hire a part-timer behind the counter...?