Changing of the Guard?

Saw this at Somerset on Sunday.. is Singapore having a changing of the guard ceremony like Buckingham Palace? A pretty small scale one though. Only 3 contingents












This is an interesting ad at the busstop outside Plaza Singapura. The product is placed in the aquarium at the busstop. Suppose to guess the name of the fish and sms it to some number to stand to win a prize..
Love the Pucca biscuit. It is much better than Meiji Panda biscuits.

Crap Service and Response!

Whenever I come across extremely bad service, I never fail to complain to the company via their website. Usually I get a satisfactory response. But this sure was one eye opener.
The story (or rather, the complaint) goes:

On 22 Nov I was feeling unwell in the morning, and I left office to see doc at Clementi Polyclinic. It was 1130am by the time I left office, and I took the precaution of checking the website to see what time your polyclinic closes for lunch (stated as 1pm on the website). I reached Clementi Polyclinic at 1215pm only to be told, due to large number of patients, the registration had closed so that doctors can go off for lunch at 1pm sharp and we can only see doctor at 2pm. This is unacceptable! There was no pre-notice abt cut-off for registration time. And who was to know when it would be peak ? It was mid-week, i understand usually its monday that is peak period. The registration staff argued that the website timing is 'operating hour', ok, but there was no information on registration hours. What if some days , there happen to be alot patients in the morning, does that mean the polyclinic will impose a cut-off registration time at 11am? This adhoc cut off time is not fair to patients. I had to take transport to rush to the polyclinic, only to be told that i have to wait til 2pm, and my house is not nearby, so I either loiter around in discomfort or pay more for private GP. Please look into better practice so that patients will not be unfairly inconvenienced!

Here's the ultimate response you can get from a Department in charge of Quality:

Dear Ms XXX,

Thank you for your feedback. We would appreciate if you could provide us with your particulars (Name and NRIC No) for the clinic to look into the matter and reply to you.

Best regards,
YYY
Quality Management Office

Huh? How come you need my exact name and IC to look into the matter? Haven I given you the date, time, place which it happened? Does my name and IC matter? I din see the doctor in the end becos I couldnt wait. I dun wish to hear any more of ur excuses to say that if my case had been urgent, they would hv let me see the doctor. This is not abt the seriousness of the patient's condition. This is abt your F*** U* process, u get it? Secondly, as the quality department, shouldnt you be the person in charge of looking into the matter to give me a reply? *shake head*.. i should have known to expect such sub-standard service since I couldnt find the 'Singapore Quality Class' / 'Service Class' logos in their corporate info.


Since I am the in the topic of complaints, here's another incident:
One day, my bf and I went to Jack's place for dinner. I ordered a grilled fish and it turned out fishy n mushy. I suspect 1) fish was not fresh 2) fish was not properly thawed. I feedback to the manager that my fish tasted weird. The manager promptly took it back to the kitchen... 5 mins later, the cook served me the fish himself - slathered with lots of butter n cooked again.. still the same fishiness n mushy texture.. the liberal doses of butter was to cover up the smell. I vowed never to go back there again. NEVER !

Further Update: Looks like I am not the only one who thinks NHG has a problem in responding to customer issues.

Extract from ST Forum, 28 Nov, letter from reader Chua Koon Ngee:

Why medicines cost more at polyclinics
I REFER to Mr Tan Bee Loke's letter ('Why the big difference in subsidy?'; ST, Nov 15) and National Healthcare Group (NHG) Pharmacy's Ms Ng Mok Shiang's unhelpful response ('Polyclinic patients enjoy higher subsidies'; ST, Nov 23) on subsidised medication sold at polyclinics and restructured hospitals.
Mr Tan was referring specifically to subsidised medicines but Ms Ng clouded the issue by digressing into the cost of subsidised consultation, laboratory fees, etc.

Secondly, she said there is a long list of medicines where prices are not identical, without offering any explanation on why this is the case, especially as both institutions referred to are part of the NHG cluster.
......

Wedding Woes

It all started with my impending ROM in dec 06. I thought a wedding is between 2 persons - the bride and the groom. Hence I planned a simple ROM with no wedding banquet. My mum insisted that there must be a banquet. Fine, we'll do it for her relatives in Malaysia, ie, hold a wedding banquet in Malaysia. U want banquet, I give u banquet. That's it. Now she says, must also have the day tea ceremony where the groom picks the bride fm her place.. I dun need that, and I dun want that hassle! My mum thinks its all very easy - the groom will take care of it. During her time, her father arranged it all for her brothers' weddings, while her own wedding, my father's side took care of it. All the bride has to do, is wake up, makeup , get dressed, look beautiful and the rest will take care of it.
But not in these days. The bride has to do 50% of the planning , coordination etc... Just that my mum doesnt see that part, and she still thinks its very easy.. Puke blood..
my insistence to have things as simple as possible, was not accepted. She threw out reasons like " I am marrying my daughter / you are siding so soon with ur in-laws by helping them save $" .. ok, 1st reason has a moral fillial ring to it.. so now a wedding is not between 2 pple.. a wedding is actually a parent marrying off his daughter and the other receiving a daughter in law.. so that's why the elders want such the day tea ceremony... 2nd reason - again, its outdated. My friends all paid for their weddings without the parents help. If there is any loss, they have to absorb it. And on top of that, the groom has to give the bride's family a specific no of tables so that the angpows will go to the bride's parents. If its money u want, fine! I give u a specific sum straightaway, why bother with the hassle of collecting angpows , having banquet etc.. worse, my future mother-in-law unintentionally offended my father previously and petty him has been badmouthing her , poisoning my mum abt her such that my mum believes it. She thinks that my in-laws who are ok to not having a banquet etc, are doing so becos its to their advantage. But i see it as, they are liberal and they gave us the freedom to choose. Not like my mum who insists things must be done her way. And my mum has this 'poisoned view' that my future MIL is a mean woman etc, who will bully me. But I know its not true (becos i cannot be bullied!) .. so anyway, this wedding tussle is making me very exasperated...

Rewards Redemption

I am sure most of us have more than one credit card. To get the max out of the card, it is best to concentrate your expenditure in one card so that you are able to accumulate sufficient points for redemption of rewards. Me, I prefer food vouchers. Citibank used to give a good deal. For $560 citidollars, I could get a $20 voucher at Olio restaurant / Dome cafe. Most of the other credit card companies require easily $680 - $780 card dollars for a $20 restaurant voucher. So I happily concentrated my spendings on my citibank. Lo behold, its time for my redemption, finally accumulated substantial reward points... and .... citibank raised their redemption points needed. No more $560 citidollars. It now requires $780 citidollars to redeem the same $20 Dome cafe voucher. Even a $20 sakae sushi voucher required $1000 citidollars! I went to UOB website n checked, their $30 sakae sushi voucher required only $930 uob points and both citibank and UOB have the same computation for their points - every $5 charged to the card gives u 1 reward point.What the $%#*&@!~@

Here are some other obvious ones:

Din Tai Fung $20 voucher = $1000 citibank points OR $750 uob points
Jack's place $20 voucher = $890 citibank points OR $750 uob points

UOB also provided more choice if you have < $500 points. There were more variety for $5 - $15 food vouchers that catered to those with fewer points.

It's just unfair to us consumers when they change and raise their rewards redemption points quietly!! I'm taking my expenditure back to UOB!

Afternotes & Updates

Tiger Airways now has contact numbers. but they are too cheapskate to make it toll free. I tried calling it a few times, and had to wait at least 10 mins to beyond 30 mins.. (gave up after 30 mins) before I get the customer service officer.
mediacorp repeating history - Fairy of the Chalice vs Lotus Lantern (same concept - one uses chalice, the other has lotus lantern.. n still the same exaggerated act cute acting)
Family values vs An enchanted life - mirror image. 2 guys vying for a gal, vs 2 gals vying for a guy. Pierre Png's suit - who wears suits in SG??! Prob trying to copy My Lovely Samsoon 's rich bf who wears those smart suits to his restaurant.

Just lots of foodie pics

A recap at what I have been clogging my arteries with in 2006.

1) The homecooked food

(Mexican) - Quesadilla






(Western) - Egg potato salad with ham



(Western) - Pan Fry Salmon + Egg Potato Salad + Garlic Mushroom




2) The "I'll BE BACK" list

Oosters
Raspberry Beer



Mussels in White Wine sauce


Frites to go with mussels


Menotti
Codfish Ravioli



Crabmeat Linguine


Creme Brulee



Sarawak Kolomee
Special Version

Char Siew Version



Fried Wonton




AZABU SABO
Cold Seafood Ramen



Red Bean & Green tea icecream


Mama Fudge cake from Chocobloc


Ice blended tea from cafe gallileo




3) The "The So-So" list

Tambuah Mas







Cafe 211







Brewerkz

For the sake of IMF meeting

I went Suntec City last sat (23 Sep) knowing that most people would be avoiding that place due to tight security and cordoning of certain areas. Indeed, I had to take a BIG roundabout to reach suntec from Cityhall MRT. Just outside the MRT, where they cordon off the areas, flowers were planted to decorate the place... even in orchard road, i also saw alot of colourful flowers.


catch it while its still there

It was a pretty sight indeed and many tourists posed for pictures. I wonder how long these flowers will be there... seems to be rented pots of flowers that will be collected back after the event.

CCHS (Main)

I hail from a secondary school that is older than Singapore’s age as an independent nation. CCHS (main), a chinese school that is easily about 60 years old. It has the privilege of being the only school in Singapore with a ‘main’ and a ‘branch’ school and I’m pretty sure the school pond is the biggest among all the other ponds in Singapore secondary schools. The pond’s estimated size is (in my opinion), 5? Basketball courts (minimum). It took 10-15 mins to walk its circumference in a strolling pace.

During my time, the school was pretty run down. Tree roots and plants grew out of the pavement, making it uneven, and tripping up many unsuspecting students much to their embarrassment. The pond was filled with murky water of an unknown depth and mysterious fish leapt out of the pond every so often in the early morning when we sing the national anthem. The Chinese newspaper Wanbao even reported before that the deepest part of the pond is easily 5 (HDB) storeys deep! On mid-autumn festival, the school held fund raising through fishing competition and encouraged the public to stroll its garden-like compounds while we students sell bookmarks to raise funds. I’ve seen really big fish caught from the pond. Due to its depth n murkiness, we students were usually banned from swimming in it. And I think no one really dared to jump in and swim right to the centre for fear of what lies beneath – monster fish? Quick sand?

Though I was disheartened by what I saw when I first joined the school – grey and dilapidated buildings, I have come to think otherwise. The buildings which house our old classroom, home-economics class, old auditorium, volleyball courts are all gone and in place, filled with spanking new stuff. The pond has been cleaned up and its size reduced drastically. Gone is the rustic charm, and in place, a neat-clean somewhat man-made environment. Just like what Singapore is. How I wish the school would be left on its own, without the usual ‘upgrading’. Now that I look back, those old buildings are filled with memories. Sitting by the pond on stone tables with weeping willows and big trees providing shade, I feel like I have been transported back to olden days (like Chinese period drama). With such a cultured environment, I’m sure the school would be able to churn out many poets steeped in Tang and Song dynasty Chinese poems, lyrics and Chinese history.
one of the new buildings - the magnificent pond is blocked by the building

one of the few remaining old buildings - where the science labs and staff room used to be

Protest

Excerpt from TODAY Online,
PROTESTING THE WORLD BANK FROM BATAM
Thursday August 31, 2006
On Sept 18, as many as 700 people from a dozen countries will take to the
streets, waving banners and chanting slogans to protest the policies of
the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Group.
But instead of marching in Singapore, where the annual meeting will be
held at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition
Centre, the protesters are taking their gripes to Batam.

The first thing that came to my mind was a chinese saying 'Ge An Guan Huo' (watching a fire from the opposite bank). How do u protest fm such a distance??!! Sounded quite ridiculous and hilarious to me. And why Batam?

The International People's Forum (IPF) will be attended by delegates from
several international groups and is being coordinated by Mr Ramches
Merdeka, an anti-human trafficking activist based on the island. Batam was
chosen because it is close to Singapore and offers cheap accommodation,
said Mr Ramches.

Cheap accomodation only? I suspect that the organisers / participants must be predominantly male, and staging a protest in Batam will give them a legitimate excuse to go Batam, which also offers a certain pleasurable activity at very cheap rates. How abt that.

Most of the foreign participants are expected to enter Batam through
Singapore. Several Singaporeans will also attend the forum, said Mr
Ramches, but did not say how many have signed up so far.

Oh well, if they need more Singaporeans, there will definitely be alot of Singaporean DOM (Dirty old men) in Batam to supplement numbers. Or maybe, for a small fee, they can easily hire more pp to join in the protest. Afterall, Batam labour is much cheaper than Singapore labour .

Newspaper Headline

4 Aug , Today Paper:


JUDGE QUITS CHEE CASE TO WARD OFF CLAIMS OF BIAS


In an unusual development, the judge presiding over the defamation suits against Opposition politician Chee Soon Juan and his sister disqualified himself from the case.

This followed an application by Mr M Ravi, the lawyer for the Chee siblings, who had claimed that Justice Woo Bih Li may be biased against him.

The lawyer and the judge had been involved in a sharp, widely-reported exchange in court some three years back in a completely unrelated case.
.....
.........

In 2003, Mr Ravi was representing convicted drug trafficker Vignes Mourthi, 22, who had been sentenced to death and had exhausted all avenues of appeal. Despite that, Mr Ravi sought a retrial and insisted on arguing even after the judge explained the case had run its course. He also sat down while the judge was taking notes.
"I find your conduct improper and I have to make a complaint to the Law Society," Justice Woo told him then.
To that, Mr Ravi had replied: "I have no fears ... I am migrating to Australia next month." Mr Ravi was subsequently fined.


Isnt it interesting how birds of a feather flock together? If I were the newspaper editor, I would use this headline instead: Problematic politician hires problematic lawyer
And for a tabloid paper, this would be my headline: Judge byes to Chee case / Judge says goodbye to Chee case

Another Hike

SBS Transit and SMRT have applied for bus- and train-fare hikes. **#(%!!!

Feels like we hv had a few increases for the past few years...

A reader wrote to ST forum:

"I don't understand why SMRT and SBS Transit have decided to raise fares when SMRT registered operating profits of $68.9 million in 2004 and $70 million in 2005 on its bus and MRT services. SBS Transit, too, enjoyed healthy operating profits, of $52.6 million (2004) and $57.15 million (2005). Both companies enjoyed operating margins in excess of 10 per cent in both years. "

*APPLAUSE*

My sentiments exactly. My JC GP Tutor once told us that Singapore is the only country where the public transport carriers are making a profit. This is becos the government pays for the cost of the infrastructure (the roads, the rail, the station etc). So the public transport carriers does not have the burden of the heavy overhead investments.

Reasons for fare increase were due to higher fuel prices and higher wages. But, profits are still in millions! Note that profits = Revenue - Expenditure. Hence after deducting higher fuel costs + higher salary costs, they are still able to survive. So what's the case for having higher fares? So that they can continue to maintain their astronomical profits? That's not my biz! They should operate more efficiently and find other ways to cut cost! If not, then what's the issue if profits drop from $50 mil to $25 mil? Too low ? Try going to Indonesia... the population is many times ours, but their losses are many times ours too.

I think the government should just liberalise the transport economy and allow private bus operators to come in. The government's stance is they do not wish to hv duplication of efforts. But it should not be the government to worry abou this. If indeed there is duplication of effort, and it becomes unprofitable to operate > 1 bus on the same bus route, leave it to the market to vote, so that the fittest and best will survive. Another reason cited: low profit margins will lead to less investment / maintenance of buses, meaning, u will get lousy , dirty buses etc. Again, survival of the fittest. Just like there r budget carriers and full service airlines, let the consumers decide whether they want to pay 20cts for a non aircon bus, or 60cts for aircon. Besides, in Hong Kong, even though there are many bus operators, I did not spot any lousy buses. Even their mini-bus is ok... and they also hv the slick double storey aircon bus like ours.

But anyway, nothing I say will make any difference. I predict the opposition and MPs will put up a fierce debate over fare hikes, but at the end of the day, it will still go thru.. Just a wayang.. after all, how many people in Parliament take public transport?

White Tea wannabes

Some years ago, I had the good fortune to try white tea at a tea house, and to brew it using the special 'gongfu pao' technique. The taste of the white tea was memorable - subtle, fragrant and leaves a sweet taste in the mouth. Or to put it more specifically, " delicate lingering fragrance and a fresh mellow sweet taste devoid of astringency or grassy flavor. " Now, thanks to a kind and generous friend (with equally kind and generous relatives), we are both enjoying the great subtle taste of white tea. I hope she likes it as much as I do..

Nevertheless, there are many types of white tea, and the one I am referring to, is the highest grade - Yin Zhen Bai Hao (silver needle white tea).. so named becos of its sharp needle-like leaves. To quote from wikipedia "This is the most expensive variety and the most prized as only top buds are used to produce the tea..... The very best Yinzhen are picked between March 15 and April 10 when it is not raining and only using undamaged and unopened buds..."

This is what its supposed to look like.

fleshy, bright colored and covered with tiny white hairs

For those of you who have tried the canned white tea from Heaven & Earth or white tea bags from Lipton, but not tried the actual white tea, I would say, nothing beats the real thing. The silver needle white tea is an expensive tea, easily costing USD16 for 100g ($25sgd for 100g). Its prob not the most expensive in the market, but still, its a rare tea and not cheap. Therefore, drinking a canned version or cheap tea bag version, is the same as drinking the canned bird's nest drink - not much of the real thing inside, but full of flavouring to make it seem like the real thing.

If u read the ingredient list on ur can of white tea / tea bag, u would see that jasmine green tea, apricot / peach are used to emulate the fragrance of white tea. And in the canned version, sugar is added to give u the sweetness. The tea bag version tastes bitter becos of lack of sugar n fm the strong green tea leaves used. The ingredient listing also puts white tea near the end, meaning, white tea leaves form only a small portion of the tea bag / tea drink.

So my advice is, spend abit more $, drink the real thing, and enjoy the benefits -
In addition to its anticancer properties, tea has a calming and detoxifying effect on the skin. White tea is especially potent in that it is has three times as many antioxidant polyphenols as green or black tea and has been shown to be 100% more effective in mopping up free radicals that cause skin to sag. (http://www.culinaryteas.com/Store/Peony_White_Needle.html)

HP edit function

Was playing with my hp on a long boring MRT ride when i discovered the additional features in the editing of photos. I mean I hv noticed the 'edit' function, but never bothered to really check it out. Its really interesting.. ok I know I am S-L-O-W to only know it now.. so anyway, here r some creations using the tools / effects etc in the picture edit function of my Sony Ericsson K750i.
From boring cow to

FUNKY COW!



An exquisite pin from Hard Rock Cafe BKK.



James Bond Visa Card advertisement?

My soba meal... looks better in X-ray version

GSS

The Great Singapore Sale ended last sunday (23 Jul 06). Though I think I should have gotten some good buys, I can only recall the bad experiences and more than once, I missed out on the additional discounts by just one day. It feels more like the Great Singapore Scam to me. Here r some examples:
1) Honeyworld at MSq: Citibank credit card mailer mentioned that there was 30% discount storewide. I rushed down to buy the Manuka Honey, only to be told that there was only 15% discount for that. Not all items were going at 30%. So, who should I scream at? Citibank for printing storewide? or Honeyworld for not recognizing what has been printed?

2) Saw selected Gordon Max rings going at 50% discount at Seiyu . Fyi, Gordon Max rings are made from stimulated diamonds, which look as good as the real thing, but at a fraction of the price. I saw a ring that I like very much, and went back to get it the next day. It cost me $89.50 after discount, not cheap, but I thought it's worthwhile. I shared the ring with my mum who wore it the next day after I bought it. Unfortunately, one of the many stimulated diamonds in the ring fell out at the end of the day! Yes, great quality indeed... just one wear and it fell off, leaving a gaping black dot in the midst of the diamonds. Naturally I brought the ring back, furious. To add injury to the insult, now all the rings which were going at 50% discount, have been reduced to 2 for $100 ! WTF !!! The sales assistant had the cheek to tell me I will have to pay for the repair of my ring . After I argued, she proposed to check other outlets for the ring to exchange. But she would not let me trade-in my ring and get 2 for $100. Hey, they did me a wrong by giving me a lousy ring, they should at least let me enjoy the promo given that I only bought mine 2 days ago! It's really really shitty... just 2 days, i could hv bought 2 rings with another $11.. and to think i waited to buy it the next day so as not to make it an impulse buy. Anyway, they had my contact number and they still sms me to inform me of their new products etc. Please... I am so fed up with them! Still sms me. No more Gordon Max rings, and no more rings with gems on it... Thanks to Gordon Max, I will carry this fear of gems falling off my rings forever.


What I thought was a good buy, but turned out otherwise.



In addition, I also missed out on the Luggage sale at Robinsons. They had 20% discount for cardmembers, but I was one day late. Similarly, the one day difference cost me the additional discount for G2000 cardmembers. In both cases, i chose not to buy even though there were discounts off the items I want. It's a matter of principle, the further discount for members would mean I make substantial (> $10) losses for buying the items without it.


I also noted that Zara and MNG increased their discounts as their sale progresses. This lesson learnt when I bought clothes from MNG at 30% discount only to see that within a week, the sale is now 50%... a lesson learnt at a cost of $20.

Comparing Customer Service of Mobile Subscribers

My mum's mobile plan is expiring in Jul 06 and the special rate she got is unlikely to be renewed. Knowing that my company has some corporate rates with the 3 mobile companies, I called them to check.

Starhub (8/10, becos this was what I expected)
The operator was able to answer all my questions at one go, and though I could only go down to Cuppage to register, I could also choose and buy a mobile phone on the spot to go together with the corporate line contract.


M1: 6/10
The operator had a cheerful voice. But I had to call another line for corporate plan , and she diverted me to that number (-1). Procedure was also complicated. I had to download a form, fax in with photocopies of my IC and staff pass before the SIM card is delivered to me. (-1)Then what about the mobile phone? It would be considered as an upgrade if I get a new phone within 3 months of my new corporate line. (The corporate line comes with a 3-month contract). Looks like I will not be able to enjoy the special price for new customers unlike starhub. (-2)

Singtel: negative infinity to O. (lost track of the no. of points I wanted to deduct)
Similarly, I had to call another line for Corporate plan, but the operator did not offer to divert me . The corporate service line was screwed up, upon dialing the line, I was prompted to key in my corporate mobile number, no other options. Hey, I dun have one, that's why I am calling to apply for one ! But nevertheless, I keyed in my mum's number which is under my brother's corporate plan from Singtel. I got thru to Customer Service, who could not get what I was trying to say. (How come u dun understand me when the other 2 companies could?!). Worse, he kept saying "Have u tried asking ur HR?" Finally, I got fed up, I lashed out at the customer service officer "WHY CANT U CHECK FOR ME WHETHER THERE IS ANY CORPORATE PLAN FOR MY COMPANY WHEN STARHUB AND M1 COULD?!!!" bo pian, he asked for my organisation and went to check. (hmm.. so losing ur temper works).. unfortunately he came back to say there was no corporate plan, which I dun believe. My company had circulated one for us early this year i am sure, except i threw it away.. oh well, since they dun want my biz, I will not bother. The reception for this call was pretty lousy. I called from a fixed phone line, but the other side seemed to get cut off quite abit and I could hear 'ssss shshhhhh' sounds in the background. What an irony for the telco with the strongest signals in Singapore...

Where's the logic?

Excerpt from newspaper:

Meanwhile, the HDB has relaxed its rules on shop tenants who sublet illegally.
Before yesterday, those caught subletting part of their shop without permission were fined two months' rent, while those caught subletting their entire unit were fined four months' rent. They also had their rent revised to the market rate. Repeat offenders faced eviction.
With the change, those caught subletting part of their shop will pay a $500 fine each time they are caught.
The HDB said it has reduced the penalty due to a decline in illegal subletting. It handled an average of 20 such cases a year before last year. Last year, there were about 10 cases. This year, there were just five.

huh? excuse me, just becos there r fewer offenders doesnt mean u reduce the penalty... it is precisely becos of the strict penalty that's why there are few offenders. This is like saying, since there r fewer murders, we shall reduce the penalty for murder... or since I have become slimmer, I can eat more again.......Reducing the penalty is like tempting people to break the law becos now the penalty fine is no big deal. $500 for each time u r caught.. imagine u sublet illegally for 1 yr, but was caught once... $500 is a small fine, u can still pocket the rest of your illegal rent payments. Or maybe the govt has a hidden agenda. By reducing the penalty and hence 'encouraging' people to sublet illegally, they can go out and catch more offenders, and collect more fines.. brilliant!

Budget Terminal and Budget Airlines

Excerpt from newspaper:LOW-COST carriers Jetstar Asia and Valuair have given up plans to move to Changi's Budget Terminal, swayed by passengers who voted overwhelmingly in favour of Terminal 1, with its good shopping, nice carpets and aerobridges.

People are so afraid of uncertainty. Thru my experience of flying budget airlines, budget airline's non-assigned seating works to our advantage. If u queue early, u can get the best seats - near the exits, with the most leg space.. but of cos, such privileges come with responsibility, the air stewardess will tell u what to do in case of emergency. U r supposed to open the door etc so that pple can evacuate. But hey, that also means u can escape first (if *touch wood* emergencies happen). Of cos, u may argue that u hv elderly / children and u cant move as fast as the youngsters to grab the seats, NO PROBLEMO... the airline crew will give priority seating to elderly and those with children. Even if u r pregnant, u and ur husband can also board first (provided u look obviously pregnant).. i doubt anyone would complain abt that.

Next, budget terminal. It's not that bad. We can self check- in customs the 'MRT way' - scan ur passport, gate opens, cross, scan ur thumbprint, open another gate, cross and voila! done. Abit slower than our MRT 'touch-n-go' that's all. There r some shops n cafe inside with free internet. The supposely non-sheltered path to the aircraft ? Its so short! Just that few tiny steps, the length of a zebra crossing... u hv to climb up the stairs to the aircraft though. But what's a short flight of stairs? If u r that frail, i am sure there's bound to be a good samaritan nearby, who would help u. Just make sure ur handcarry luggage isnt too heavy.

My complaint is : WHERE ARE THE SAVINGS? Tigerairways flies via budget terminal, yet I noted that my tax + admin fees are higher than airlines using Terminal 1/Terminal 2. Here's a sample of the admin charges + taxes for different airlines:
base on flights fm SG to BKK round trip, per person (exclu ticket fare)
Tigerairways - S$92
SQ - $101
Cathay Pacific - S$71
Swissair - $69
Jetstarasia - S$93
AirAsia - $84
ThaiAirways - S$85
Garuda - $50

Ok, so Tigerairways is not the most expensive, but how can its taxes / admin fees be higher than a full fledge airline or any other airline that operates at the higher cost Terminal 1 / Terminal 2 of Changi Airport?Another point to note: Jetstarasia and Airasia taxes / admin Airasia charges are pretty high too, more expensive than full service Cathay pacific, Garuda and Swissair airlines etc..

Yes, the ticket prices for budget airlines are lower than full service airlines. But u are paying peanuts for no-frills service on board, hence the low fare. The downside is, u pay more or unjustified prices thru taxes / admin fees. Also, budget airlines can cost much more than normal airlines if u book the tickets near to ur departure date . If u hv less than a month to ur travel date, its best u scour normal airlines for deals. The airticket prices of budget airlines would hv risen to ridiculous levels by then.

mediacrap

TODAY newspaper reported that 'Mandarin TV channels praised but can improve', and that 'THE improved storylines and acting in locally-produced Chinese television dramas were praised by the committee monitoring the performance of two MediaCorp Chinese television channels.'

My gawd! Since when are the locally produced dramas good? Even the ones with overseas collaborations (Taiwan + China) sucks... the acting is exaggerated, or unconvincing and basically the actors do not hv a natural screen personality (except for the veteren actors). Most of the actors are just busy trying to act coy / act sweet / act bitchy / act stupid.. in other words, u can tell they are ACTING, and they are reading from a script. Worse, these days, they no longer dubbed the shows, and actors have to use their own voices... u get all sorts of lousy diction, poor pronounciation.. really makes me cringe to hear them speak mandarin. And for overseas collaborations which have the privileged of getting voiceovers, the dubbing is simply unnatural, u can tell that its dubbed....

more from the newspaper article:
Ms Ho Soo Fung, Channel vice-president, Network Programming & Promotions (Chinese Broadcast) and Network Programming & Operations for MediaCorp TV, said: "One of the reasons that our dramas are so popular among our viewers is because we're able to strike a chord with our viewers and the drama is actually a reflection of life.
"Our producers work very hard at fleshing out a variety of stories with different characters, and they're portraying these characters in a realistic approach."
.Since the merger, there has been a bumper crop of variety programmes — some innovative, but others still dependent on low-brow slapstick antics to win ratings, said the committee.

Pleeazeee la....... variety of stories? U can always depend on how predictable their shows are... loving husband / boyfren has affair. wife / gf is HOT HOT HOT.. lots of people going after them.... kids are long suffering and child prodigies....... the script varies with a deviation of + - 0.1%

bumper crop of variety programmes - I'll take my HKG dramas anytime. Dun give me anymore international collaborations (Lotus lantern sux), and the whatnot... just plain old good HKG shows + Taiwan variety shows..