The Great Singapore Spruce Up - Power of the caucasians

[freebsd]

one word, 'wayang'

 

[freebsd]

Cloud seeding to creat rain. Rain will wash down the particles in the air. Visitors will get wet. We will sell more umbrellas and camera water-proof housings. :bsmilie:

no wonder last few days 'bo-tai-bo-zhi' rain..
must be due to cloud seeding

 

[freebsd]

Why the negativity? Can't we all think about it as more positive, all it takes is a individual to start the ball rolling. Look at Thailand, the people are warm and nice, and why are they the land of smiles?

It is so easy to say " oh, we are like that lor, cannot change..", " you will only see good service to Ang mohs" , blah blah balh....

If the thinking mindset is so small, then we as a nation of people will never grow..

my 1 cent

simple, cause $ingapore is majority Chinese. and most Chinese are 'money-minded' species.
if the ang mo is poor poor vagrant begging/busking in streetss, you think the Chinese sharks would give them good quality service ?!?

it all boils down to $$, cause the general perception in Singapore is that
white = power = $$$

 

[Sion]

For info, I'd rather go for a girl that is more conservative to asian values than the one easy easy to get simply coz am angmoh one....

If you have too many of the easy ones please pass them to us.

One thing we can use them as free models. :bsmilie:

 

[DT_]

i am sure many of us have noticed in recent days how much singapore has been transformed.

1) the road otuside suntec city has been tarred over. before that, it was just white metal plates that made your car rock about as you drive over it. according to reports, the tar will be stripped off once the IMF-WB is over.

2) outiside marina square new plants have been planted. the whole landscape has been spruced up totally.

3) outside The Adelphi and supreme court, plants also have been planted and new tar and paint on the roads

4) the zoo and bird park have been renovated in time for the IMF-WB

5) staff are suddenly more friendly around the marina-suntec-city hall area.

6) the whole of mandai road has been re-tarred because of the zoo. prior to this, it was a bumpy road with potholes all over.

7) we launched the 4 million smiles campaign. we can't even smile at our fellow singaporeans but we are expected to smile to foreigners?

8) as a last point, let me relate my experience today at the running lab at funan. i was in the shop with a caucasian. i was totally unattended to and had to call for the salesgirl. when she came, she lacked initiative, and didn't offer much information about shoes. 5 meteres away, her male colleague was busy attending to the caucasian customer, explaining to him the features and usage of a product. i didnt even bother feeling sick about it because i'm so used to seeing this.

does it take foreign visitors to singapore before we can put on our best behaviour? does it go to say that we singaporeans don't care and don't matter to each other? i'm just puzzled here. the 4 million smiles campaign was aimed at foreigners. so it means that singaporeans don't need to be smiled at or treated well in shops?

what do you all think?

and even road side concrete, bridge pillars were coated with paint.. nvr before in our history...

 

[eikin]

i am sure many of us have noticed in recent days how much singapore has been transformed.

1) the road otuside suntec city has been tarred over. before that, it was just white metal plates that made your car rock about as you drive over it. according to reports, the tar will be stripped off once the IMF-WB is over.

2) outiside marina square new plants have been planted. the whole landscape has been spruced up totally.

3) outside The Adelphi and supreme court, plants also have been planted and new tar and paint on the roads

4) the zoo and bird park have been renovated in time for the IMF-WB

5) staff are suddenly more friendly around the marina-suntec-city hall area.

6) the whole of mandai road has been re-tarred because of the zoo. prior to this, it was a bumpy road with potholes all over.

7) we launched the 4 million smiles campaign. we can't even smile at our fellow singaporeans but we are expected to smile to foreigners?

8) as a last point, let me relate my experience today at the running lab at funan. i was in the shop with a caucasian. i was totally unattended to and had to call for the salesgirl. when she came, she lacked initiative, and didn't offer much information about shoes. 5 meteres away, her male colleague was busy attending to the caucasian customer, explaining to him the features and usage of a product. i didnt even bother feeling sick about it because i'm so used to seeing this.

does it take foreign visitors to singapore before we can put on our best behaviour? does it go to say that we singaporeans don't care and don't matter to each other? i'm just puzzled here. the 4 million smiles campaign was aimed at foreigners. so it means that singaporeans don't need to be smiled at or treated well in shops?

what do you all think?

i'm sure alot of people will clean up their homes nicely when a big bunch of guests are coming to visit. how many people actually start stuffing the rubbish at home into the tiny storeroom before guests come and later on mess up the whole place again after they leave?

we all know it's a show, but everyone does it, because we're all visual creatures and first impression always counts. the only time 'white supremacy' stops is when people stop thinking about it.

 

[Wolfgang]

I am amused. I am glad fiip mentioned what it is like to be a caucasian in Singapore. I do feel really sorry because for the price they have to pay for such wonderful service. Case in point, Chinatown. Guess how much a fairer skinned tourist had to pay for a plate of friend rice? SGD$16. I was there when he was billed. In fact, try going out to Newton with a group of friends with one of them being caucasian.

It is always so easy to bemoan the lack of good service but is that really fair? I absolutely agree that some of the shops and their sales staff are left wanting when it comes to their level of service but i too have had very pleasant experiences right here.

I stand in line to pay for something and i see the cashier smiling and being really pleasant. Now guess what was observed/overheard?

"Aiyoh, why so slow..." (loudly - by a local gentleman)
"Why she keep smiling?" (whispered not so softly between 2 ladies)

And you have the roles reversed, and you stand there attending to customers whom do not appreciate what you are trying to do and make snide comments, what happens?

Be mindful when you cast the first stone. Examples have been made in this thread when you yourself try to smile and end up having it come out the wrong way. After awhile, you stop smiling. So what makes the sales staff any different? After awhile, they too get discouraged. They too, are human. How you react to service, good or bad, says alot about you as a person too.

As for the sprucing up, i find such remarks terribly short sighted. You can look at it both ways. Now we too, get to enjoy the nicely paved roads. Enjoy the economical benefits of this event and of course in the long run, reap the fruits of giving a good lasting impression. Or you can "kao peh" and raise a ruckus about this whole experience over something that you can only grumble about online.

How we see this as individuals boils down to our own experiences in life and how we have been treated.

Meanwhile, do note that I will not tolerate any form of bashing, white bashing or otherwise in this forum.

Thank you.

 

[Wolfgang]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63bWYFGBTuE

Now, as much as this video is meant to be taken with a handful of salt, I must say that there is some semblance of truth towards the end when Richard, the indian friend of Philip makes a point about confidence.

 

[gossipmonger]

the sprucing up is to be expected when a country hosts an impt event.... you want to look your best when you have guests coming.... just like spring cleaning for CNY or Xmas. i dont think it has anything to do with the race of the delegates. (anecdote : my mum wont even call the aircon repairmen or gas deliveryman if my house isnt tidy!!)

what im more concerned with, is the inconvenience tied to the event. motor vehicle-owners used to driving down the padang to access beach road/marina/nicoll h'way will have to make a big detour and go by clemenceau, then CTE-PIE to get to the East!!! wah piang!!!

 

[kiwitan]

*********ans koqtow to them because they were once our colonial masters. The P @ Pies have always taught they are more capable and longer and superior

i am sure many of us have noticed in recent days how much singapore has been transformed.

1) the road otuside suntec city has been tarred over. before that, it was just white metal plates that made your car rock about as you drive over it. according to reports, the tar will be stripped off once the IMF-WB is over.

2) outiside marina square new plants have been planted. the whole landscape has been spruced up totally.

3) outside The Adelphi and supreme court, plants also have been planted and new tar and paint on the roads

4) the zoo and bird park have been renovated in time for the IMF-WB

5) staff are suddenly more friendly around the marina-suntec-city hall area.

6) the whole of mandai road has been re-tarred because of the zoo. prior to this, it was a bumpy road with potholes all over.

7) we launched the 4 million smiles campaign. we can't even smile at our fellow singaporeans but we are expected to smile to foreigners?

8) as a last point, let me relate my experience today at the running lab at funan. i was in the shop with a caucasian. i was totally unattended to and had to call for the salesgirl. when she came, she lacked initiative, and didn't offer much information about shoes. 5 meteres away, her male colleague was busy attending to the caucasian customer, explaining to him the features and usage of a product. i didnt even bother feeling sick about it because i'm so used to seeing this.

does it take foreign visitors to singapore before we can put on our best behaviour? does it go to say that we singaporeans don't care and don't matter to each other? i'm just puzzled here. the 4 million smiles campaign was aimed at foreigners. so it means that singaporeans don't need to be smiled at or treated well in shops?

what do you all think?

 

[redstone]

Yah lor!! Smile at the opposite sex and they think you trying to be funny!! :sweat: If unlucky they give you one kind of mean look...

I had ever been greeted by stranger foreigners in the streets before.\

If you do that to a local, he will think you're crazy. If the opposite sex, he/she will think you're desperate or perverted.

It's sad.