Sampan Rides (The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Singapore)

While there is the famous gondola in Venice at the Venetian Macau where you get to have a boat ride with a gondolier that sings as he rows you down the Grand Canal. Singapore has its own version, well something similar but minus the singing – the Sampan Ride at the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Singapore which is indoors and sheltered from bad weather. A sampan is a flat bottom small Chinese wooden boat and the name is derived from the original Cantonese (Chinese dialect) term for boats.

The sampans making their rounds

A ride on the sampan in the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Singapore's canal will take you along the Canal, the Shoppes and around the Rain Oculus (a 22-meter diameter acrylic bowl set on a 90-ton...Read more>>

TWG Paris-Singapore Tea

My first encounter with TWG’s (The Wellness Group), a Singapore-based tea company, tea was really when I was on a staycation at Moevenpick Heritage Hotel Sentosa last weekend. TWG’s Paris-Singapore Tea is the first tea that I have tried from this brand. TWG describes its Paris-Singapore tea as a “distinguished green tea enhanced with fragrant cherry blossoms & red fruits. A sensual & sweet tea of reminiscence”.

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1st Staycation of 2012 @ Moevenpick Heritage Hotel Sentosa (2D/1N)

Signboard 60m before the entrance

Entrance

Check-in to the Moevenpick Heritage Hotel Sentosa was a breeze. The booking was made via a 3rd party, but that did not hinder the check-in process when we arrived at about 3.30pm. With Chinese New Year around the corner, the hotel was decked out in Chinese New Year Decorations. The front desk personnel were most polite and service-oriented, we were greeted with a smile and the doors were opened for us. We were even given 2 cups of complimentary Moevenpick (mango flavored) ice cream! In addition... Read more>>

Applying for EZ-Reload with POSB Everyday (Credit) Card

I have decided to apply for the EZ-Reload which allows my ez-link card to automatically revalue itself when its stored value falls to zero or below when it is used on buses, the MRT or LRT, at an administrative fee of S$0.25. With the POSB Everyday (Credit) Card there is a 2% rebate, which would work out to be about $0.75 per pre-set top-up value of S$50. The pre-set top-up value has a range of S$20 with S$10 increment until S$50. No matter the pre-set top-up value that is selected there will be an administrative fee of $0.25. So with the POSB Everyday (Credit) Card, I would actually be “earning” about $0.75 in cash rebate for each top-up. Seems like a good deal, it saves me time from queuing and is convenient. Though I don’t travel much, this can help me keep track of how much I use and I can carry one less card around with as the POSB Everyday (Credit) Card works as an ez-link card, no need to carry an extra ez-link card.

According to the EZ-Link website, there are various credit cards that can offer up to 7%... Read more>>

Premier Taxi price hike

Premier Taxi is the next taxi operator to follow ComfortDelgro and SMRT to increase its fares. Flag down rates will now be increased to S$0.20 to S$0.70, making the updated rate cost between S$3.00-3.90, depending on the taxi model. Distance fares will also increase by $0.22, an increase from the original S$0.20.

Like ComfortDelgro and SMRT, Premier Taxis also reduced their peak period surcharge, which is from 35% to 25% of the metered fare. While the peak period has been extended to 6- 9:30am from Mondays to Fridays (excluding public holidays), and 6pm - 12 midnight from Monday to Sunday, including public holidays.

It was reported that Premier Taxi attests that with the new fare structure, drivers will experience more productive hours on the road. Premier Taxi, like ComfortDelgro and SMRT, state that the increase is due to inflation and higher operating costs, so their drivers' incomes have been affected (which would imply that the taxi operators are also affected?). It is a matter of time that Prime Taxi will follow suit. After which, the rental for taxis will also increase; ultimately making the taxi operators the ultimate winners.

These taxi operators have claimed that they have consulted their drivers and studied the situation before making such a decision, but perhaps they forgot to consult the "source" of their income - the passengers (many of whom may or may not be able to afford such luxury anymore or simply unwilling due to the high-handed nature of the assumption/announcement), assuming compliance. It is hard to tell the true impact of these price hikes as it is the festive season, with more people willing to splurge and less people actually in the country as they head out for their holidays.

The recent MRT disruptions and boo-boos in PR skills, has resulted in disgruntled Singaporeans. And who can blame those disgruntled ones? It is hard to adjust when you have been informed and assured that your country’s transport system is one of the best, only to have needless(?) disruptions and poor contingency plans shatter your "perfect pretty" world, resulting in utter disappointment and discontent. Timing is everything, and the MRT disruptions together with the saga that followed right after the announcement for taxi price hike, couldn’t be a better timing, but unfortunately for all the wrong reasons. This plus the fact that everything else but salaries are increasing (more rapidly) is adding more fuel to an already fanning fire of discontent and unhappiness; when nothing "seems" to be done about anything in particular.

I believe that (majority of) Singaporeans are reasonable (as long as it is within reason). However, the younger generation, unlike the older one is not as trusting or forgiving when it comes to things that "should not" have been (per ingrained mindset or perceived perception). They not only want to be heard, they want their opinions to matter and not be brushed aside because they are “young and inexperienced”, or simply “not qualified enough”.

**Please note that this view is that of an individual with a “microscopic” view of this situation, unlike that of bigger organizations (e.g taxi operators) who are extremely "macro" that they see the “full picture” and think of the “greater good for all”.

Wonton noodles

Wonton noodles, also known as wanton mee, is a Cantonese noodle dish which is popular in Guangzhou, Hong Kong , Singapore , Thailand , and Malaysia . The word "wanton" is a Cantonese or dumpling while “mee” means noodles in Hokkien, both Chinese dialects. This noodle dish is usually served in a hot broth, garnished with leafy vegetables together with wonton dumplings, or served dry with sauces like chilli, black sauce, and/or ketchup.

The Singaporean version of this noodle dish is either soup based or dry with chilli or ketchup. It is not that common to have black sauce added into the noodles here, unlike in Malaysia . Along with the noodles are green leafy vegetables usually cai-xin, slices of barbequed pork (known as char siew) and bite sized wontons (dumplings). If it is served...Read more>>

Review of Def!nd: Not Singapore’s Answer to Siri Review of Def!nd: Not Singapore’s Answer to Siri

Touted to be the Singapore version of Siri, I was expecting something of a similar level. However, Def!nd has proved to be a disappointment of sorts: it is less intuitive than Siri and even requires many unnecessary hand actions to select options. The only good point about Def!nd is that it localized to Singapore, but that is about it. The application’s menu is cumbersome and the interface not user-friendly enough.

When my friends and I were testing out Def!nd, it took us a while to figure out where is the ‘tap to speak’ button, whist everything else was actually accessed via touching the options on the menu. Categories such as restaurants and movies were sub-categorized into menu options, which required users to select that item before “speaking”, which defeats the purpose doesn’t it? With Siri you are able to find locations and do things with just your voice most of the time, but with Def!nd, you have to use more effort and energy. I might as well just key In my search into the search browser than use Def!nd....Read more>>

Def!nd: Singapore’s Answer to Siri?

To cater to the local market, Singtel, one of Singapore’s major telco, has developed an application called ‘DeF!nd’ which understands Singlish. According to Singtel,  DeF!ND is a localised Siri-like application that is able to decipher uniquely Singaporean accents, names and locations. Singtel also said that DeF!ND will be available for free on the Android platform and Apple’s iTunes “soon”...Read more>>

Wave House: Surfing Made Possible in Sentosa (Singapore)

Singapore has always been known for its food and shopping. However, If you are a beach enthusiast, or if you are just looking for something more than just shopping and eating, head down to the Wave House located Siloso beach on Sentosa island – a resort-styled island off the southern shores of Singapore and popular destination for locals and tourists alike.

Wave House Sentosa, according to its website, is the fourth such installation of Wave Houses around the world. It takes about10- 15 minutes to walk from the rail station to Wave House Sentosa, which is located along Siloso beach. The Wave House offers two rides, the FlowRider and the FlowBarrel.

FlowRider
Compared to the FlowBarrel, the FlowRider is the more basic ride, and recommended for beginners. With 30,000 gallons of water gushing out per minute at a speed of 20 mph (32 kmph) over a plastic surface, it generates a thin, fast-moving sheet of water; resulting in a safe, non-curling, endless wave.

Riders have the option of using body boards or flowboards. Beginners will learn to balance and stand, while those who have mastered their balancing will learn how to slide down and ride the wave (e.g. carve turns).


FlowBarrrel
The FlowBarrel on the other hand, would be the more challenging of the two: with 100,000 gallons of water per minute gushing out at 30 mph (48 kmph), it creates a curl over the surface which looks like a section of a skateboard park. The speed at which the water gushes out, results in a perfect, endless tubing six-foot wave that has the power and challenge akin to the waves along the reefs of Indonesia...Read more >>

Implementing an Integrated Marketing Communication Plan - Carl's Junior

Assume that Carl's Junior does not provide comprehensive brand advertising and promotion support to your franchise operation. Suggest ways in which you can implement an integrated marketing communication plan to build brand equity for your franchise. In your recommendations, you should also consider how much effort you would like to devote to push and pull strategy.

As Carl´s Jr.® is a contractual vertical marketing system (fast food franchise), push strategy (generating more sales) would be mostly implemented by the franchisor whose intermediaries are the franchisees (e.g. discounts when purchasing from suppliers, incentives when more sales are achieved etc...). Thus, effort should be concentrated on pull strategy to attract new customers and retain old customers.

Carl´s Jr.® appeals to consumers who have (growing) affluence, want a different burger experience, and are willing to spend a premium for that different experience. Although the brand equity (popularity) of Carl´s Jr.® has been increasing over the past 4 years, more can be done to reach out to a wider target audience who are yet unaware of Carl´s Jr.® brand of food; increasing brand equity (awareness) and sales (growth).

(Marketing) Public relations with a pull strategy would be the most appropriate method to promote of Carl´s Jr.® image and generate interest in its products. Thus, in order to generate interest and increase brand awareness (e.g. credibility) the following marketing communication tools would be used (Kotleretal. 2006):

1. Advertising

a. (Persuasive) TV Ads (one of the most powerful mediums)

i. Builds brand knowledge (awareness) by positioning Carl´s Jr.® points-of-parity (e.g. big servings of tasty charbroiled burgers)

ii. One example would be occasional product placement in movies and/or television, which would further expose the brand (through cameo appearances). Thus, integrating the Carl´s Jr.® brand into everyday life of consumers in an unconventional (innovative) way, as opposed to traditional TV advertisements.

b. (Informative and Persuasive) Internet Ads

This method will reach out to a portion of the potential target audience that is most unlikely to read newspapers, or be affected by TV ads...Read more>>

Choosing a Consumer Franchise - Carl's Junior

If you were to choose a consumer franchise to operate, what would it be? Why? Ensure that emphasis is placed on marketing related factors when providing the reasons for your choice.

According to Food & Beverage Franchising (2003), Singaporeans expenditure on food made up 21.3% of the total expenditure, and it was reflected that there was a preference for eating out over home-cooked food: expenditure on cooked food products accounted for 57% of the total food expenditure. In addition, Tay (2005) states that in an ACNielsen survey carried out in October 2004, “Singapore was ranked fourth in Asia Pacific for the percentage of population that eats at fast-food restaurants at least once a week”. Therefore, based on the sustainability of the food industry and popularity of fast food in Singapore, I would choose to operate a Carl´s Jr.® franchise.

Today, the steady franchise growth of Carl's Jr.® is evidenced with “1,101 Carl's Jr. restaurants operating in 12 US states and 5 foreign countries”. From a Singapore (local) perspective, given the fact (trend) that it has since tripled (from 2 outlets in 2005 to its current 6 outlets) in Singapore, makes it a lucrative (niche) business opportunity. Its ceaseless focus on quality, service, cleanliness, and product innovation, gives it a competitive edge over competitors; it has “long been known as the place to go for juicy, premium quality charbroiled burgers”. (Carl´s Jr.® Singapore 2006)

“Carl´s Jr.® is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CKE Restaurants, Inc., a publicly traded company listed on the New York Stock Exchange” (http://www.franchising.com/carlsjr/), and has “been satisfying the tastes of hungry young eaters for decades, ever improving their products and services along the way” (Nation's Restaurant News 2007). The Carl´s Jr.® franchise is a contractual vertical marketing system “with an emphasis on franchisee support, innovative business systems and sheer dominance of the quick-service burger market” (Nation's Restaurant News 2007). Thus, by teaming with one of the largest and most experienced company around (Carl´s Jr.® Singapore 2006), it provides security and assurance to the franchisee as (staff) training and support (managerial advice) is available in starting the business... Read more>>

Indian Culture in Singapore

There are many races that can be found in Singapore. Besides the Chinese and Malays, there are the Indian, who also make up the majority of Singaporeans. Indians are famous for their strong sense of family, remarkable (and delicious) curries and striking religious festivals.

Having arrived from India, the Indians of Singapore are a diverse group: coming from various places such as India, Pakistani, Sri Lanka, and even some parts of Africa. (Culture Shock! 193) The majority of Indians are Hindus, while the rest are Christians, Muslims and Buddhists.

Hindus celebrate Deepavali (also know as "Dewali" or festival of lights) as a sign of remembrance of the battle of light over darkness. During this time of celebration, most Hindus will decorate their houses with colored lights and also flower garlands. They wake up early in the morning and offer their prayers at the temples. Children pay ritual homage to their parents, and people pay visits to friends and family reaffirming their ties of solidarity. The festivities also include having 'open house' for friends and relatives alike... Read more>>

Malay Culture in Singapore

One of the main minorities in Singapore are the Malays. Malay influences can still be seen throughout the island today. In the past Malay culture centered around the kampong ( the Malay equivalent to a village), but today, like many Singaporeans, Malays living in housing estates in Singapore.

Like many Asian culture, the Malay culture emphasizes on family values and are a close-knitted community . As majority of the Malays are Muslims, the two main celebrations of the Malay community are Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji; both are public holiday which all Singaporeans enjoy. The smaller-scale festivals are: the first day of the Muslim calendar month of Muharram (a New Year celebration), and Maulud (Prophet Muhammad's birthday).

As majority of Malays in Singapore (and throughout the world) are Muslims, they do not eat pork. So when entertaining Muslim guests, make sure that no pork, lard or alcohol is used in the cooking, and that the meat is bought from a 'halal' food supplier. Also, when visiting a Muslim home never bring wine and always dress modestly...Read more>>

Chinese Culture in Singapore

Some of the festivals celebrated by Singaporean Chinese, as well as customs.

Singapore, like many other countries, has its own cultural "flavor": from the various ethnic groups which populate the island, which consists of a mixture of mainly Chinese, Malays, Indians, and other races. The Chinese are one of the majority on this "small little" island and here is a little more information about some of the festivals celebrated by Singaporean Chinese.

Festivals:

• Chinese New Year

Being one of major festivals, that's celebrated island wide among the Chinese in Singapore. Similar to its western counterpart, Chinese New Year, it represents a fresh start of the year. It is celebrated based on the lunar calendar and is celebrated in the month of February. It is one of the major public holiday (usually 2 days) that all Singaporean enjoy...Read more>>

Singapore: How Culture Affects Racial & Religious Harmony

Discusses what is culture and how it can affect racial and religious harmony in a multi-racial country such as Singapore.

Introduction
"Culture", a word that encompasses the way of life passed from one generation to another, is generally defined as the integrated pattern of human customs, taboos, beliefs, ideas, and other related components. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1989) It is one of the fundamental ingredients that can weave a country together towards racial and religious harmony. There are three forces that impact an individual's sense of culture. (http://www.hoboes.com/html/NetLife/Children/Culture_Shock.html)

• 1. Education by cultural standard-bearers who wish to mold the individual into a proper member of society.
• 2. Environmental forces, such as climate, economic opportunity, and population density.
• 3. Exposure to external models of behavior.

Culture enables a country to absorb talented individuals from different backgrounds and fit them into the community. If a country cannot accommodate the tensions, then the diversity as well as racial and religious harmony could be disrupted.

Singapore Culture
Singapore, like many other countries, has its own cultural "flavor": from the various ethnic groups which populate the island, which consists of a mixture of mainly Chinese, Malays, Indians, and other races... Read more>>

Quirky Singapore Campaigns

This is a compilation of interesting campaigns that have been going on this little island of a city called Singapore. Campaigns have been in Singapore ever since 1980s or even earlier, and there have been quite a few memorable ones. There is almost a campaign for everything here in Singapore! Here we go:

1) The Courtesy Campaign & The Singapore Kindness Movement

This campaign began around 1979, it was to encourage Singaporeans to be more courteous, friendly and considerate towards others; and basically be more polite create a pleasant social environment. The duration of 10 years can be one of the longest ongoing campaigns here in Singapore. It even had its own mascot, Singa the Courtesy Lion. Banners and posters were hung in public places like bus stops, shopping center and open-air markets. Leaflets, handbooks and pamphlets were also handed out to further educate the people.

Essay competitions in all four national languages (English, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil) were arranged in schools to reach out to children as well. This movement soon saw to an assortment of memorabilia consisting of mugs, plushies, key chains, notepads and vases that featured the mascot, Singa; along with courtesy songs, fables, and slogans...Read more>>

The Great Singapore Sale (Gss)

If you simply adore travelling and shopping, do drop by Singapore during the Great Singapore Sale! This annual shopping event is co-organized by the Singapore Tourism Board and various retail companies together with shopping malls and stores, all in a bid to promote tourism in Singapore. The participating malls and stores are mostly usually located along Orchard Road, dubbed the "town" area - the heartbeat of Singapore - all the way to Marina Bay. It is usually lasts for about 2 months and is held from late May to late July. This extravaganza started in 2005 and has since stayed on to be one of the tourism attractions of Singapore!

During this period, participating malls and stores will extend their shopping hours all the way till 12 midnight and beyond on selected weekends. In addition, tourists would be able to have access to special privileges specifically created for them during this period - enjoying a range of exclusive lifestyle promotions such as gourmet dining, wellness, nightlife, and entertainment options...Read more>>

Dog bashed to death

By Kimberly Spykerman

The dog was found in the void deck of an HDB block on Wednesday. Blood covered its muzzle and the inside of its ears.

-- PHOTO: SPCA

THE bloodied body of a dog was found in the void deck of an HDB block in Sengkang on Wednesday evening.

The dog, which appeared to be a Pomeranian, is believed to have been bashed to death.

A preliminary examination by a vet called in by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) noted that the animal had head injuries consistent with trauma. Blood covered its muzzle and the inside of its ears.

Police said they had been alerted to the dog's body by a member of the public, who had spotted the dog lying motionless with its leash still attached. The floor around it was blood-spattered.

A spokesman for the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) told The Straits Times that a post-mortem is in progress, and that investigations into the identity of the owner are ongoing.

Although the dog had been microchipped, the owner had not followed up the microchipping by registering the animal with the AVA.

Read the full story in Friday's edition of The Straits Times.

It's things like this that leave me speechless and lesser faith in the human race. Why must we be so cruel? I hope the person gets caught and punished severely. Acts like that shouldn't be condoned, I wonder why no one called for help. Imagine if it were a human life.

This case just happens to be one that was discovered, I can't even begin to imagine for those that go unnoticed. It's just so... sad...

Humans are funny beings. We contradict ourselves most of the time, being selfish and sometimes actually thinking we're being caring and considerate. It seems that everything that we do has an motive behind it. When will we truly understand that it really isn't just all about us... Frustration is never an excuse to bully those that are smaller and have no defenses against you.

[SG FAIL] Miss Singapore World 2009 - Ris Low

A Quick Piano Lesson to Get You Started

The first thing you need to know is where the notes are, and the tones. On most pianos and keyboards there are 61 keys. Each key is a sequence of several notes. These notes are like the first seven letters of the alphabet which are: ABCDEFG. Each of these letters have a series of several tones that lead to a tone similar to the first. This makes these notes a scale of eight notes. If one were to use numbers it would be written as 12345671. Each notes represents a key to which a scale follows as a succession of tone sounds... more>>