SINGAPORE SHORT STORIES

Free Stock Photos for websites - FreeDigitalPhotos.net I called up a service provider today, enquiring about some matters regarding service delivery. Though I started off my enquiry in English, I was startled to hear the man on the other end of the line, a Chinese PRC, answering my enquiries in Mandarin. Well, though the customer service officer might have known that I am a local Chinese from my voice, however, should he not converse in English with English being the official common language of Singapore? I persisted in talking to the officer in English, however the latter insisted in replying my queries in Mandarin to my indignation that I have to speak to him in Mandarin too, as his spoken English, however few, was also hard to bear! Should Singapore aim to raise the standard of spoken English here, the Singapore Government should really ensure foreigners fronting customer service desks be conversant in good spoken English and to use English as the medium for interacting with custom...

Mention Fengshan, and the image of an ordinary town will appear in the minds of many. Indeed, Fengshan is an ordinary town in the East Coast GRC, so what is the distinct landmark in this town? If you were to ask me the aforementioned question, I would unanimously say that Fengshan Food Centre at Blk 85, Bedok North Avenue is the icon of Fengshan. Every night, you would see that the food centre is packed with food lovers and the many owners of the highly acclaimed stalls are busy cooking and tending to their patrons! Just look at the food stall above which sells a mix of delicacies like Char Kway Teow, Or-Lua, Carrrot cakes, the owners are busy cooking and cooking through the dinner rush hours, serving steamy hot delicacies to placate the hunger pangs of foodies. Or Lua Char Kway Teow

NATAS Travel Fair 09 is currently ongoing at Expo Hall 4 and 5 and will be on till tomorrow. Another exhibition is also ongoing from yesterday till tomorrow though it is held on a more low-key note as compared to NATAS Travel Fair: Asian Food Delights 09 If you are thinking that the food exhibition is akin to the Singapore Food Festival exhibition, you will be a tad disappointed, for Hall 6 where the exhibition is held contains not only food stalls but also stalls of other household themes. Nevertheless there is still a slew of great stalls offering great food at good prices! Just look at the people eating: After my Dear and I toured the NATAS travel fair yesterday and decided on the plan, it was already past 9pm! Our stomachs were growling as we rushed to the fair right after our work to avoid the weekend crowds and to clinch an 'early bird' deal. How timely the food exhibition was! We proceeded to visit the food exhibition and with the closing of the food stalls at 10 pm, it...

Go and fly kites today and tomorrow! Oops I am not scolding you, do not get me wrong! What I am saying is that there will be an inaugural Singapore Kite Festival 2009 held from today till tomorrow at West Coast Park from 4 pm to 7pm and admission is FREE! I must comment on the organizers for holding such a traditional hobby event. Kite flying is actually a great activity which can involve family and friends, build camaderie and simply rest and relax! Traditional and simple hobbies are fast fading, what we have these days are legions of computer games and entertainment which causes many of us to be "computer tubbies" For more details of the event, visit this link now!

My Dear and I just came back from the NATAS Holidays Travel Fair 2009 commencing today (28 Aug 09) and held till 30 Aug 09 (Sunday). Huge crowds thronged Exhibition Hall 4 and 5 right on the 1st day today! The NATAS Holidays travel fair was supposed to be where one could get the best bargains but for the destination my Dear and I had planned to visit, the price, on average, was quite normal, not really a discount. There was a mix of big and traditional travel agencies and many other smaller and newer travel firms. I believe if one were like to get a better pricing, the smaller and newer travel firms would be suitable, however for my Dear and I, we prefer the old and trusted brands. I believe trust of the customers is the barrier for the smaller and newer firms to cross. Finally, after a detailed planning and analysis, we chose a firm which offers the best value-for-money package for our destination. The number and type of free gifts in this fair is not as generous as the previous fair...

This is Joo Chiat, one of Singapore's best haunts for foodies with its wide array of stalls offering Peranakan, Japanese, Korean and Western cusines as well as local ethnic dishes. Joo Chiat is not only about food, it is also about culture as one can see a slew of heritage buildings adorning the precint. I would encourage one to pay Joo Chiat a visit as it is indeed a colourful town.

Geylang Serai was a buzz of activity last Saturday with the launch of a community carnival at the annual Geylang Serai Hari Raya Light Up! The area was attractively lit with bright streams of lights, an annual attraction to usher in Hari Raya Puasa Geylang Serai becomes transformed into a hub of Malay heritage with the setting up of giant 'Pasar Malams'. Inside these beautifully set-up tentages, you can find almost everything related to Malay celebrations accessories such as clothes and lightings. I took a double glance at the giant billboard below and for some moments, I could not figure out which Malay community leader was in the billboard, it was only after sometimes that I realised it is Dr Ong Seh Hong, PBM, Member of Parliament for Marine Parade GRC and Advisor to Kampong Ubi Constituency Grassroots Organisations. Regrettably, my Dear and I visited the area a bit late as the celebrations of the community event graced by Dr Ong has just ended an hour before. Singapore Sho...