Not the nasty blocked nose again. I think I am having it again today. I don't know, as I was packing the lugguage, I seemed to have be having it. Not when it's two days more to the Malaysia trip.
I almost jumped when I saw my Primary Three English teacher today outside the Thomson Plaza's NTUC supermarket. It's Mrs Chua. The teacher I will always remember having the sunny personality in class. It took me a split second to remember who she was and she still remembered me. Eek. Later after she left, Mother asked me whether she had taught Alvin or not before and I said a No. If anyone want to ask me why I never seemed to fail in my Literature tests and exams (I am not boasting, it's true) in lower secondary school days in BPS, the reason indirectly lies with Mrs Chua. She was the one who encourages reading.
Literature is just like that. Reading quality novels does help in a way or another. It's just like that, we don't realise it. I mean, I had no idea myself till Dad pointed it out that it was my love of reading made it possible for me not falling below the passing rate for Literature then. But the highest I can get it is less than 65. That is already an achievement, considering I come from a class where it's almost everyone not liking the subject (I can see it) and if you say you like it, almost everyone will give you the 'look'. Ha. So I only told my friends that I just kind of like it then. Okay...trying to cover up my liking of the subject. LOL.
It does kind of helped when you come from a school where they place a lot of emphasise on English and still paying attention to the rest too. I was lucky enough to come from two schools which come under this system.
Okay. On with the unofficial series of events big in 2005 for me. Watching the nightly news on CNA yesterday gave me some ideas. It will be about local news this time - security, service standards and integrated resorts.
With the aftermath of the London bombings in July and the Bali bombings in October, security measures had been beefed up. And just today on the news that there will be a mock exercise next month to test our preparedeness in terms of a terrorist attack. But it will make it look so real. To admit, I am worried sometimes how ordinary Singaporeans will react to such things because we are a target once too.
We got a awakening during this year's National Day Rally speech. Level of service standards. All along it had been a topic being worth discussed and debated and it had reached to the top levels of government too. Needing to upgrade the service standards or else. Yes, we Singaporeans love to complaint about anything and everything, I have to admit! *laughs* Service standards too. Naturally every now and then after the speech, there had been horror stories and stuff worth being applauded for in the forum section of the papers. People had began to realise how service to the customer really means a lot. And it leads me now to the integrated resorts.
Squeaky clean Singapore getting two integrated resorts with casinos? Hello, I know that is how sometimes the western media love to call us - squeaky clean. But we had come to a time where remaking and rebranding the country is vital and relevant to stay ahead. Yes, it was a real big topic and eventaully, it was given the go-ahead. At last count, there are now five bidders vying for the Marina Bay site. No idea about the Sentosa one though. One is to cater to business people (Marina Bay) and the other is for families (Sentosa). With the known knowledge that we are a bunch of gambling freaks (okay, for the minority who can be like that), something has to be done for the locals to support their home economy. All the necessary measures had been taken in leading to the completion of both sites in approximately 2010.
The series to be continued soon. Bye for now.
