What comes to one's mind when asked to name a true Singapore brand? It would definitely be SIA, simply because of her reputation as a top commercial airline who has put us on the global scene as justified by her numerous acclaimed awards, and all the prestige and pride in maintaining her integrity. If given a chance, who wouldn't want to be employed under SIA? The generous bonus given out, free/discounted travel on our national carrier and a wide range of benefits.


In view of the recent news revolving around SIA, there is certainly more to be desired from the management side as well as the public. I chanced upon this Asiaone forums discussing the slapping of a cabin crew(cc) and the alleged bad attitude of a lead stewardess. http://forums.asiaone.com/showthread.php?t=9136


http://forums.asiaone.com/showthread.php?t=8805


These 2 threads alone drew a whopping 75 pages of comments and more than 130,000 views from netizens! And the amazing thing was, I managed to scroll through all the pages yeah. What spurred me on to finish reading was the really heated debates between the 2 extreme groups namely pro-SIA and anti-SIA, supplemented with non-stop flaming, downright accusation, and personal expriences onboard SIA.




I am really amazed by what some Singaporeans are capable of, in this case, blowing out of proportion a simple case of being not granted a 80 cents Straits Times onboard a plane for valid reason, into 48 pages of comments with a plethora of opinions, and having the vice president to make a public apology. I believe cc had to undergo intensive training before they are allowed to serve onboard, especially SIA, which demands the best from its crew. And mind you, being a cc is not just about performing the job of a waitress on air, it also requires one to do PR(public relation) with pax, attends to different dietary needs of pax, recognises the faces of PPS and biz pax and to endure/retaliate against the physical/sexual abuse by pax.( I can testify this on personal account of my relative, a ex-cc) Which normal guy won't feel high when a hot stewardess bends down forward to serve u food..lol

What I am trying to bring out is that people are usually judged by their wrongdoings, albeit all the good deeds. A cc could probably bring her service standard to the apex by attending to the needs of all pax, but a single negligence easily sets the flame ablaze. Another point of contention brought up was the preferential treatment of caucasians over Asians pax. I don't know whether to believe this or not because from my experience onboard SQ and other national carriers including no-frills flights, I have not encountered any of such treatment. Blame it on my indifference towards my surroundings onboard as I only care to indulge in my in-flight entertainment and that occasional sly look at that hot stewardess. Sometimes, people do not judge you by your skin colour, but the way people are made appreciated makes the difference. A typical westerner, who is more open to expressing his gratitude than a Asian, would certainly leave a greater impression on the cc who in turn, is more willing to provide better service. There are always appreciative pax and service-oriented cc, just as there are suckers who stretch their dollar and get value for it, and SPG Stewardess suffering from colonial hangover.




What about the rich tai tai who laid her palm on the cheek of the poor stewardess? I sympathize with the latter because she had to fork out her own legal fees to bring the accused to justice. SIA could simply provide more assistance to its crew instead of labelling it as a personal matter. I wonder any actions will be taken by SIA if it were a normal pax instead of the wife of a CEO. Quite a dilemma for the management team yea...to protect the pride and dignity of its cabin crew and to preserve its business with influential pax at the same time...sensible and political thing to do is of course to take a neutral stand with a declared zero tolerance for abuse of crew. Right now they are probably more interested in securing a stake in China Eastern and delivering the A380 to the world.


I think I shall not go further into such sensitive issue. Although I have full respect for SIA in handling its affairs and flying the national flag high, there is still room for improvement. With so many pairs of eyes fixed on SIA over the years, it is imperative to maintain a even higher standard as expected. We do not want to lose out to other 1st grade airlines like CX, emirates, Thai Airways..etc. I am sure our million-dollar ministers and perm sec. will not sit there and do nothing when that really happens.

Another weekend just swept by but I would say it was very eventful but more importantly, extra long! That’s because I took a day off on Monday to attend my platoon’s chalet, which lasted from Sunday evening to the following morning. As short and sweet as it was, the gathering of a small group of us was really meaningful, especially when some of us had not been in contact with each other since our ORD. We got together for a bbq, some late night TV show, and blackjack, though I wasn’t as lucky this time with my deck of cards as when in Justin’s house. I must admit that those are quite normal activities that people usually engage in chalet, but it feels a bit awkward without those pillow fights and live bunk wrestling, late-night street soccer matches, swearing of vulgarities across the bunk, psp marathon and rat-killing operations. Lol..I am still recalling those days in army, the type of communal living that we will never get to experience again.

Besides the platoon gathering on Sunday, I, together with my gang of 04S201, visited Mr Wee, our GP tutor’s house for a supposedly, but belated Chinese new year get-together. It might have been 2 years since we graduated from college, but the camaraderie and closeness exhibited made me wonder if we had just completed our studies not long ago. And with all the interaction flowing in spontaneously, I see all of us are getting on well with our life and maybe I should change my job for a more meaningful and high-paying one. In fact, I just discovered that MJ is paying its ex-students to act as invigilators during the common test period! Besides, I am still waiting for a reply from my science HOD, as I had already sent in my name to give tuition to my juniors. As intimidating and challenging as it may seem, giving tuition to A level students isn’t really my cup of tea but I will still give it a try, since it provides me with a chance to revise my science concepts in preparation for uni work.

Now that the lunar new year is coming to an end, it is back to real work, the routine that most would choose to take up. The mindset that one’s satisfaction in life with getting good grades and landing up with a stable, well-paying job, is ingrained in most of us Singaporeans. There is absolutely nothing wrong with leading a simple, tranquil life, but it is also reasonably rewarding and fulfilling to venture beyond one’s boundaries and out of our comfort zone, and indulge in the sights and happenings around us that may appear subtle previously.

Just yesterday, I was on the train ride to Aljunied to meet Sandip, and as usual, the grumpy and lethargic expressions on the commuters were exchanged after a day’s work. What caught my attention and amused me was actually a young boy in his teens, who was walking up and down the carriages shouting to himself the names of the respective stations at every stop. Not a usual sight, and I think the rest of the commuters would agree with me that he is mentally retarded. I was trying my best to suppress my laughter and I spotted some smiley faces across the aisle. There was nothing to be amused of and I didn’t see it as an entertainment.

The same incident struck again this evening when I was on a bus ride home. This time round, a young man in his 20s had the habit of violently pulling and shaking the handle pole of the bus exit whenever the bus made a turn. It was a double decker bus packed to the point where passengers had to stand on the lower deck. That guy was really making a
mockery out of himself. We can’t really blame him because his action might be involuntary due to some medical conditions.

Living in a complex, borderless society, we may encounter snippets in life that are worth reflecting upon. The world is undoubtedly getting more competitive, but are we able to cope or have some of us being defeated? We live our lives only once, and what we are going to tell our next generation will depend on how we live it to the fullest.

Yesterday was Valentine’s day for some and “Virgin’s day” for others, and that includes myself. Not that I am bickering over being single, in fact there are many people out there who are enjoying their single hood. The idea of spending astronomical sums of money just to please your other half on this special occasion is widely accepted and we can’t blame retailers and business-savvy marketers for raising the prices of gifts on this once-a-year event. But I feel that any other day can be a V day and one with a clear sense of mind doesn’t have to burn a hole in his pocket for getting a rose for 100+ bucks when on other occasions it would have cost half the price. There are 1001 different ways to express love for your beloved, and I shall not go further into elaboration given that I am a green horn!

Like what my colleague told me yesterday, V day is nothing …it is just a virus day..so better stay home and hide..lol. I was on my way back home on the bus and it was rather heart-warming to see commuters, students and office executives alike, carrying flowers and packets of gifts, stuffs that they had probably received on V day. That brought back memories of school days when playful dedications were made to tease our friends, gifts were exchanged all in the spirit of goodwill and love. Memories, in my perspective, are invaluable. They can only be reminisced, never ought to be re-lived physically. If a price is needed to sustain love, then true love will no longer be priceless.

That makes me sound rather philosophical yea? Lol

Down with flu today, in fact I was sneezing non-stop since monday when I stepped into office. Today is really a busy day like any other working day, except that I started giving my first tuition lesson to a Taiwanese boy on a weekday after work. After 9 hours of repetitive work in the office, I had to hurry home and got ready for my tuition lesson. Surprisingly and as always:), things went smooth for me and the only challenge is that I had to communicate with him in mandarin...imagine explaining to him organic chemistry and cumulative frequency with my best ability in mandarin..it's not that he doesnt understand English since he is studying in a government school, I just want to make things more comprehensible to him. And now, here I am, after 14 hours of work and study, still feeling energetic and awake..which doesnt seem quite normal for a lazy guy like me.