Uniquely Singapore


Bukitimah

Senior Member
Nov 28, 2010
1,281
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Singapore
What are your observations of Singapore that you don't see elsewhere beside the HDBs? Queuing for transport or food- NO this is quite common although I was told only we Singaporean queue

Cleaners sweeping the food from the tables to the floor in hawker centres, if there are any cleaners around though. Wall fans that ensure everything left on the tables are blown to the floor at hawker centres. Amazing, all these hawker centres are owned and managed by NEA!

Go to most HDB area, it seems quiet and where these occupants gone? Go to the neighborhood shopping mall, they are all there. Doing what? Eating! It is all about food. You see them on TV programmes, newspaper delicate many pages on food.

Nafa tour or electronic sales, you see thousands of people. Sport events, maybe 200. It is challenging to fill a stadium without super star. Is it we work too hard that we don't understand what life is all about?

Have you guys notice anything different from me?
 

i seem to have trouble understanding your post.
 

i seem to have trouble understanding your post.

Let me try to explain in cat language, hahaha.

1st, we have the great NEA and they run the hawker centres here. They farm out their duties and just collect licence fees. Look at our hawker centres, the cleaning standard is just "@#$#*&$#". Who is responsible? NEA will tell you it is not their problem. It is about time to wake up!!!

2nd, who install those wall fans in hawker centre? Did they use their brain when they installed them or at least consult users? The fans blow direct at the table and with disposable utensils, you can imagine the condition. Singapore is also a place where the consumption of tissue paper will rank among the top in the world. naturally, you will find them on the floor more often than on the table with these fans.

3rd, Singaporean have no healthy recreation or rather not much choice for such activities. It could be the weather but most people spend their leisure in shopping malls. If you do a survey, I am sure you will get the answer. OK if they are there to shop or buy something but most times, it is about food. So, life is about work and food. We should look into a more balance life style... for example photography..hehe

I was curious and did a check with my fellow colleagues. I asked a very simple question to each one of them. So how is your weekend and where do you go and what did you do? The answers are almost identical for most. The rare ones are: I brought my children out to the seaside camping, we went to climb Bukit Timah hill, we went to Pulau Ubin, etc.

I would also love to see other responses and give some ideas to fellow Singaporean or even FT working here what else they can do. RC or our so called Community Clubs should orgainse more meaningful events rather than the usual makan events and bazaar which is again food.
 

actually going shopping is pretty good exercise . . . if you clock the mileage and play change parade like the women. . . that failing to burn enough energy, can always carry DSLR and shoot inside a mall or shoot around.

if junior or kittens coming along i guess it's good to play tour guide wherever the family is headed to.

about hawker centers with disposable stuff, i always eat more carefully when nearly finishing the food. hint- the foam plates are sticky if you use some condensed water vapor from drinks to create a layer of water between plate and table.

personally i will just clear up my disposables if the cleaners are known to be slow.i don't eat sloppily so my disposable stuff is easy to clear. i would rather expend some energy than feel foolish and apologetic when my stuff flies off to table, or worse, onto someone else's meal.
 

Well I think you talked all about yourself while he was talking about the general public. Not sure if your response made any sense with regards to his question
 

actually going shopping is pretty good exercise . . . if you clock the mileage and play change parade like the women. . . that failing to burn enough energy, can always carry DSLR and shoot inside a mall or shoot around.

if junior or kittens coming along i guess it's good to play tour guide wherever the family is headed to.

That is something we should discourage! Just imagine we are exposing our young nothing but shopping. when I was a child, going shopping was a big thing (Robinson). My childhood time is fun playing games with my neighbourhood friends.

about hawker centers with disposable stuff, i always eat more carefully when nearly finishing the food. hint- the foam plates are sticky if you use some condensed water vapor from drinks to create a layer of water between plate and table.

personally i will just clear up my disposables if the cleaners are known to be slow.i don't eat sloppily so my disposable stuff is easy to clear. i would rather expend some energy than feel foolish and apologetic when my stuff flies off to table, or worse, onto someone else's meal.

Do visit more hawker centres and try to return your bowls or plates. There isnt even room for the ah soh and ah pek to push their trolleys, where go place to return trays? Unlike foodcourt, there is also no central dishwashing point. I do see one in People Park Centre but the cleaning there is *&%$%@#. Learn form Kopitiam and see how people runs them. They pay high rental but food is also almost the same at hawker centre. who is getting the big difference?
 

oh my.

i thought i could do one day without anyone whining about governments or government bodies.

:bsmilie:
 

3rd, Singaporean have no healthy recreation or rather not much choice for such activities. It could be the weather but most people spend their leisure in shopping malls. If you do a survey, I am sure you will get the answer. OK if they are there to shop or buy something but most times, it is about food. So, life is about work and food. We should look into a more balance life style... for example photography..hehe

You've forgotten about Geylang.

There are more healthy and sweaty activities happening in the hotel rooms there than you can ever imagine.

:)
 

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2nd, who install those wall fans in hawker centre? Did they use their brain when they installed them or at least consult users? The fans blow direct at the table and with disposable utensils, you can imagine the condition. Singapore is also a place where the consumption of tissue paper will rank among the top in the world. naturally, you will find them on the floor more often than on the table with these fans.

The fans are there to blow the flies away. Tha'ts why you don't see flies in our food courts.

:)
 

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u obviously didnt attend the UFC event. def more than 200 :)
 

this is probably one of the most random threads is sub forum, lol. every one is talking about something else unrelated.
 

Many spent their weekend catching up on their sleep :)

They slept 4-5hrs on week days and 12 hrs on weekend.

Others spent their time in the mall so that they can enjoy the air-con. Save electrical power at home :)

Some of my friends went cycling at punggol every weekend.
 

oh my.

i thought i could do one day without anyone whining about governments or government bodies.

:bsmilie:

Sorry, this old man avoid the hawker centre on weekdays as I would pack my lunch back to my office because I simply cannot accept the condition of the hawker center. On weekends, I thought I could go out of the house but when I sit down, I regretted.

Just nagging away while I was waiting for my food. Don't you guys hate the way the hawker centre is run? Surely we can improve them.
 

What are your observations of Singapore that you don't see elsewhere beside the HDBs? Queuing for transport or food- NO this is quite common although I was told only we Singaporean queue

Cleaners sweeping the food from the tables to the floor in hawker centres, if there are any cleaners around though. Wall fans that ensure everything left on the tables are blown to the floor at hawker centres. Amazing, all these hawker centres are owned and managed by NEA!

Go to most HDB area, it seems quiet and where these occupants gone? Go to the neighborhood shopping mall, they are all there. Doing what? Eating! It is all about food. You see them on TV programmes, newspaper delicate many pages on food.

Nafa tour or electronic sales, you see thousands of people. Sport events, maybe 200. It is challenging to fill a stadium without super star. Is it we work too hard that we don't understand what life is all about?

Have you guys notice anything different from me?

lol
no fan -> complain hot
got fan -> complain blow things around
:dunno:

maybe you're hanging with people who prefer to hang in shopping center and enjoy aircon - most ppl i know are either at zoo/bird park, kayaking, running, cycling etc.
 

Not looking after our destitute elderly. Did not spot this in my limited travels elsewhere in other nations.

SPA54376.JPG
 

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Not looking after our destitute elderly. Did not spot this in my limited travels elsewhere in other nations.

SPA54376.JPG

i've seen in HK, MY etc.
Oh, i also have friends who volunteer on weekends, mostly senior citizens homes.
 

2nd, who install those wall fans in hawker centre? Did they use their brain when they installed them or at least consult users? The fans blow direct at the table and with disposable utensils, you can imagine the condition. Singapore is also a place where the consumption of tissue paper will rank among the top in the world. naturally, you will find them on the floor more often than on the table with these fans.
That is due more to civic mindedness, I always place my used tissues under utensils so that they don't fly to other people dishes while they are eating.
 

Hawker center culture is good - chopping seats with tissue packs, sharing table with strangers, ordering drinks via kopi uncle and aunties, leave after eating, etc. Uniquely Singapore.

Don't expect NEA to do too much without raising rental and hence food prices. Just keep things as they are.

If want a bit more comfort and don't mind higher prices, there are always food courts inside malls.