About Me !
Name: He Zhe Nan (賀哲男)
My 'Hatch' Day: 12 Jan 1992
Fav. Colour: Gold
Fav. Food: Western cusine
Fav. Drink: Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
Fav. Hangout: Orchard Rd
Fav. Song: 不知不覺愛上你 by Hacken Lee
On October 25 2007, the world's first A380 Commercial Flight took off frm Changi International Airport (SIN) at 8am (GMT+8) & arrived at Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) at 5.25pm (GMT+8) before returning to Singapore the next day.
It is a start of a new age in both SIA [Singapore Airlines] & aviation history. The pics below shows us the A380 which is the KING of the sky while the QUEEN is the B747.
Here are the cabin interiors of the Singapore Airlines A380 has been revealed by Airbus. Here are the pictures of all 3 classes - Singapore Airlines Suites, Business Class & Economy Class. In addition, I hv included a video.
Singapore Airline Suites:
Available exclusively onboard the Singapore Airlines A380, the Singapore Airlines Suites are truly a class beyond first. Each Suite offers an exquisitely private space. Lounge in the largest ever seat; a lavish armchair with adjustable headrest and armrests.
For a restful sleep, experience the pleasure of sleeping on a standalone bed; not one converted from a seat, topped off with our turn-down service with fine linen and full-sized pillows.
The New Business Class:
Our Business Class seats are the widest in its class with each leather seat unfolding to the largest full-flat bed in business class, with more room to stretch and enjoy a rejuvenating night’s rest.
Even work is a pleasure, with all the conveniences you would find in an office provided for in a centralised business panel offering in-seat power supply and USB ports.
The New Economy Class:
From roomier seats to the widest choice of on-demand entertainment options, the New Economy Class offers you the warmest welcome in the sky. Enjoy an inflight entertainment experience that even other airlines talk about, presented on a 10.6 inch wide LCD screen, undoubtedly the largest in its class.
KrisWorld:
Watch the latest movies and TV programmes, listen to music or play interactive games on the new KrisWorld, our inflight entertainment system with over 1,000 on-demand options. Even business is a pleasure, with in-seat power supply, two USB ports and built-in Microsoft Office software.
10:23 PM
Saturday, June 12, 2010
This article was first published in The Straits Times, LIFE ! on Jun 12, 2008 & written by Tara Tan. It featured some details of the Arts programme in our school.(PS: I hvhiglighted it ingreen& bold it.)
Sme ppl featured in the article: My Bro,Bernice,Lim Yen,Joey Tan,Li Kiong,Donald,Steph Loh,Lena,Chloe,
etc ... ....
THE King Lear Project by Ho Tzu Nyen, showing this week as part of the Singapore Arts Festival, is far from a conventional staging of Shakespeare's famous play.
The first night is an audition, the second revolves around rehearsals of the play's notoriously difficult scenes, and the last night features a post-show discussion between the actors and audiences.
But this has not deterred Serangoon Junior College literature teacher Melissa Chew from booking 194 tickets for each of the three nights, filling up a third of the Drama Centre Theatre at the National Library each night.
Miss Chew, 25, says: 'King Lear is one of our A-level texts and it would be good for the students to be exposed to different interpretations of the work.
'Also, I think this piece would give them a unique insight into how artistic decisions are made.' Students are an emerging - and sizeable - force in the theatre-going market.
It is telling that big theatre companies such as the Singapore Repertory Theatre, Wild Rice and The Necessary Stage have at least one full-time staff each dedicated to marketing and coordinating ticket sales to schools.
Others like Mandarin theatre group Drama Box set up an education arm, NeNeMas, to put on youth-orientated shows.
Most of the school-going crowd apply for the Tote Board Arts Grant, administered by the National Arts Council's (NAC) Arts Education Programme. It was set up in 1995 to subsidise up to 60 per cent of the ticket price for students.
So for a show at the Singapore Arts Festival, for example, a student would have to pay only $16 for a $50 ticket after factoring in a 20 per cent student discount on top of the subsidy.
More schools are making use of this grant now, compared to 10 years ago, an NAC spokesman said, adding that the number of students participating in the programme has jumped from 39 per cent in 1997 to 60 per cent in 2006.
It's hard to ignore the burgeoning trend. Last year, students snapped up 4,500 tickets for SRT's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and the performances of King Lear and The Seagull by The Royal Shakespeare Company, which the theatre company brought in.
Students also accounted for 3,072 tickets to Wild Rice's Beauty World earlier this year, making up about 10 per cent of total audiences.
They made up more than half the audience for shows in smaller-sized venues, like TNS' Off Centre at the 200-seat Esplanade Theatre Studio and Survivor Singapore at the 388-seat Jubilee Hall last year.
Industry players attribute the increase to factors like higher production quality in local shows and the awareness of the importance of arts education.
Some schools, such as Raffles Institution (RI) and Swiss Cottage Secondary School, make it compulsory for their literature students to attend at least one performance a year.
Miss Felicia Kuo, 27, RI's literature subject head, says: 'It's been a longstanding tradition to expose our students to various art forms.'
The school chooses the shows based on relevance to the curriculum. For instance, the entire Secondary 1 cohort watched Wild Rice's Animal Farm in 2002, as it was part of the syllabus.
She adds: 'More recently, because we were studying black comedy, we booked 100 tickets for our upper secondary students to catch young & Wild's Hypochondriac and 50 for SRT's The Pillowman.'
Yeap Choon How, 16, a Secondary 4 student at RI, watched Wild Rice's Blithe Spirit last year with his schoolmates. It was the first time he had watched a play.
He says that theatre-going is 'an experience we need'.
'To see and synthesise what we learnt in the classroom with what is on stage is such an enjoyable experience,' he adds.
But it's not just the independent schools that want in. According to the NAC, 13 government and government-aided schools bought tickets for Singapore Arts Festival shows this year.
Mayflower Secondary School in Ang Mo Kio, for example, is enthusiastically jumping in on the action.
Miss Jean Mok, 36, the school's arts activity coordinator, started taking students to shows four years ago.
Hooking young students to theatre for life
For this year's Singapore Arts Festival, she block-booked a total of 107 tickets for the ballet The Architecture Of Silence and The Lord Of The Rings Symphony. Outside the festival, the students have also been to see Moon Bird by I-theatre and Hamlet by TNT Britain this year.
She says: 'For those who can't afford it, the school helps them with the ticket costs.
'Prior to the event, we would brief them on theatre etiquette, like how to be considerate to other theatre-goers. We always try to arrange an interactive session with the artists after the performance, so the students can ask questions and have a better understanding of the work.'
Secondary 3 student Chua Jia Qi, 15, stepped into the Esplanade theatre for the first time when she and her schoolmates watched The Architecture Of Silence, a contemporary ballet piece accompanied by 65 musicians and 80 singers.
She says: 'It was so nice to see the dancers who were so organised and flexible. It was very different from what I learnt in dance class, and I enjoyed it very much. It was an amazing experience.'
Her schoolmates, Chloe Pek, 16, and Lim Yen, 14, also enjoyed themselves.
'Forbidden City by SRT was my favourite,' says Chloe, who has seen shows as varied as Off Centre and Moon Bird.
Yen adds: 'I really liked Hamlet by TNT Britain, although I didn't understand some parts.'
Once they start, they can't stop, says Miss Sukhjeet Kaur, 29, literature teacher at Swiss Cottage Secondary, whose literature and drama club students catch three to four plays a year.
She says with a laugh: 'Before, I had to literally beg the students to come to shows, now it's on a first-come-first-served basis. Four years ago, we didn't even have a drama club, now the upper secondary students are putting on plays like Stella Kon's Birds Of A Feather.'
Gaurav Kripalani, SRT's artistic director, says: 'If you get the two-year-old and the 14-year-old into the theatre and they enjoy themselves, they are hooked for life.
'It will spark off their interest in the arts and they will start seeking more shows to watch, generating our next wave of theatre-goers.'
MORE students might be going to the theatre, but not everyone is enthusiastic about sharing their theatre experience with excitable students.
In 2004, dance student Lee Mun Wai got so irritated when some Katong Convent schoolgirls giggled at the transluscent leotards worn by dancers from Korea's A-Soon dance company that he stood up during the interval and scolded them.
The kerfuffle at Victoria Theatre was reported in the papers and sparked off a debate about students being taught proper theatre etiquette.
More recently, disgruntled theatre-goer Brian Tan wrote in to Life!, saying his experience watching The Necessary Stage's Off Centre last year 'was marred by the students' incessant chatter and commentary that filled the auditorium'.
He wrote that 'they also kicked the seats on purpose at regular intervals' and 'their inconsiderate behaviour caused others to miss important lines and sound cues'.
But big groups can be difficult to control, say five teachers Life! spoke to.
Miss Sukhjeet Kaur, 29, from Swiss Cottage Secondary cites the time she took the entire cohort of 320 Secondary 1 students to a play, which she declined to name.
She says: 'They got too excited and during a show, you can't really control them. Some of the audience members got irritated.
'But the public needs to be more understanding and patient towards students. To me, it's fascinating to see how they react, because their responses are usually more immediate and honest.'
TNS resident playwright Haresh Sharma, 44, whose play Off Centre has become part of the O- and N-level literature syllabus, is used to hordes of students attending his plays and says they can be noisy sometimes.
He says: 'We usually tell the actors beforehand if there is a large group of students coming in, so they can focus their energy differently.
'But whatever the problem is, even if there is inappropriate laughing or talking, there is nothing bad about teenagers or pre-teens going to the theatre. It is all about nurturing future audiences.
'There is so much energy because they don't have this theatre-going experience often enough. I can imagine if I were in their shoes, I might get a little over-excited myself.'
Actor Tan Shou Chen, 26, who performed in Off Centre last year, says: 'Some of our best audiences have been our most challenging. It's great because they are so into the play that they had to share their reactions with their friends.
'It can be very distracting, but I think all actors should perform to rowdy audiences to train their focus and commitment.'
Miss Mary Loh, 42, a lecturer at Lasalle College of the Arts and a regular theatre-goer, notes that apart from that particular incident in 2004, there haven't been any recent bad experience with disruptive school children.
She says: 'Whether the schools are teaching the kids proper theatre etiquette, or we have a culture now where we engage young people, things have moved on.
'I advocate bringing students into the theatre so they're exposed to this sort of experience and may not get as over-excited.'
Ms Sangeetha Madhavan, 33, a freelance writer, says: 'Perhaps it's also a question of age-appropriateness, which educators should take into consideration when choosing a play. 'An abstract piece could be lost on secondary school kids. Perhaps they need more concrete verbal ideas or visual cues to think about.'
10:02 PM
Sunday, April 18, 2010
2 yrs ago,on this particular day we had a celebration in sch called ''MF Reach". I still can remember vividly what happened last yr (18-04-08).
On that day,there was NO sch in the morning as it was speech day so I slept till late morning. By the time I woke up, it was 10.35. After havin a heartly brunch, I decided to look for my clothes in my cupboard for the dinner which was held in the evening @ sch.
I decided to wear my Louis Vuitton [LV] tie,dragon bling,AIX [armani exchange] formal pants,my Nautical watch + a dark grey Daniel Hechter long sleeved shirt.
By the tme I found my clothes,it was soon time to leave to my bro's house. Anyway,when I reached his place it was ard 17:00. I waited for him while he was bathing + changing for the occasion. Once we were dne, we sprayed sme cologne & off we were to sch.
At sch,we saw the porch of the sch transformed. There were also exhibts in the Art-quarium. We waited for a while (abt 15 mins) at the canteen whn Mr Tan Yit Kee ask my bro to help him do something. Anyway, while he was away,I contacted my friend,Chuan Ying whom I met during one of the musical training. She replied & said she was on the way with her bro + parents.
Anyway,by the time my bro was back,Chuan Ying had just arrived. I chatted with her for a while before going upstairs to the hall which was the venue for the dinner.
Once we (my bro & I) were upstairs, we met many teachers such as Ms Daisy Lim,Mdm Shanti,Ms Jasmine Oh,Mrs Shirlyn Toh (although she's no longer teaching in the sch nw) & many more ... ... ...
After that,we went inside the hall,it was transformed into a 4 * hotel ballroom. I enjoyed a 9 course dinner meal. I sat with Ms Daisy Lim & Mrs Nathan along with a few other ppl frm 4J & 5H. The emcees for the day was Mdm Tay & our formal VP, Mr Vimal. For the first item,we had the modern dancers dancing through the pipe in music which was ''Crush'' by Jade Valerie.
Halfway through the meal,I went to the toilet & was surprise to meet Chuan Ying on the way there. She asked me to take a photo together. I agreed ! Anyway,after doing my 'business', I headed back to the hall. I also took another photo with Mr Joshua Shoo,Li Kiong & Sherylene .
I also took photos with some chio bu's (female teachers) + Nuturing teachers with the help of my bro ... ... of course.
Anyway,the 1st highlight was the lucky draw. I donated $10 to charity for the pendant. Unfortunately,I didn't win it. The other 2 items were the camera & Samsung hp (oops ... I forgot what model). There were another highlights which include walking on glass barefooted by our P (Mrs Doris Lim) & VP (Mrs Selva), the auction for an art piece as well as a dance by Ms Sim (now she's Mrs Lee), Mdm Tay, Ms Chew with music frm a 'band' which consisted of the trs + Mr Kwek who was the singer. He sang ''That Things We do''as well as another singing session by Mr Lam, ''I'm nobody's child''. Also,one of our trs, Mdm Koh Hwee Siang was featured in the New Paper.
Time flies whn u hv fun as soon,it was time to go home.
That's all I hv to say ... ... Enjoy the pictures + the songs.
On 3 Nov 2007, I took my 1st ABRSM Exam (Theory). Anyway, people always ask me, why do you take up music lessons? How do you find time? And is it worth the time and money?
To me, I personally feel that music is a hobby which I've always wanted to pursue. When I was young, my parents could afford to give me private music lessons. But I didn't take the lesson SERIOUSLY. After that, I regreted & decided to try again (2nd chance) My Parents told me OKAY. I hv to change my ways as I plan to join either the SSO or SAF Music & Drama.The "regret" has bugged on me whenever I see young musicians playing onstage or reading in the newspapers.
I took up all these music lessons the moment VERY late(ard 13yrs old). Afterall I have already wasted 12 years of my life - I can't afford to waste any more time! My goal in music is unrealistic but I believe that I can achieve it as I want to clear Grade 8 piano ASAP(high hopes). I'm even planning on how I can go on to diploma(s) - DipABRSM, LRSM, FRSM & passing my graded exams(both Theory & Practical)
Anyway,the results will only be out after 6 weeks(maybe longer for International Centres), keeping my fingers cross =X
I admit that I may not have the talent to play other instruments,(doesn't mean that I don't play other instruments) & I hv regretted not ever learning piano(for the past 12 yrs).Because of this, I would definately let my children(if I get married) learn piano or music.
You Should Play the Piano
You are a true music aficionado who loves many musical style and eras. You find music to be an escape. And you'd like to be relaxed and comfortable when you're making it.
You're very innovative, and you have a unique way of knowing what may sound beautiful. There's a strong possibility that you could compose some of your own work songs quite easily.
While you have a lot of creative energy, you are also serious and conscientious. Your musical talent needs time, practice, and lots of privacy to flourish.
Your dominant personality characteristic: your painstaking attention to detail
Your secondary personality characteristic: your natural tendency to be whimsical
Easter - Easter is the most impt festival for Christians. It celebrates Jesus' rising to life after his death. This event is called the Resurrection.
ORIGIN
Jesus Christ lived in Palestine abt 2000 yrs ago. He worked miracles which Christians believe were signs of his power to heal the whole person - body,mind & spirit. As crowds gathered round him & many became his disciples, the rulers of Palestine were afraid that he would become too powerful a leader. The Jewish priests actually wanted to have him killed for claiming to be divine & for not following their teachings.
After a special Last Supper with his disciples, Jesus Christ was arrested, given a mock trial & unjustly condemned to death by crucifixion the very next day. Crucifixion was the common form of punishment in those days.
He was buried in a cave-tomb. 2 days later, when some women went to the tomb, they found it open & empty. Later, he was seen by many of his followers. He spoke with them, ate with them & even allowed them to touch him to prove that he was truly alive.
SIGNIFICANCE
Easter is a victory celebration of Jesus Christ. He was put to death unjustly, but Christians believe that he rose from the dead & that he would never die again. For Christians, Jesus Christ's rising from the dead, called the Resurrection, is a very significant event as it shows that he is truly the Son of GOD & therefore all that he claimed is true. His death & resurrection also resulted in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all people. Christians believe that the Holy Spirit continues to guide the church & each of them personally.
The Resurrection was a gift from God the Father. Christians believe that the gift of new life through Jesus Christ is offered to all people. The resurrection of the body for all people is only possible because Jesus Christ made the supreme sacrifice of loving all people even when they didn't deserve or return his love. In spite of so much evil & hatred around him, he was able to love by forgiving & not taking revenge. He offered his life for all so that they can come to know & live with GOD forever. Christians know this from what he did & said on the night before he died. He had a special meal, commonly known as the Last Supper, during which he revealed his great love by offering himself & saying, "my body is given for you" & "my blood will be shed for you". In these words, he referred to his death. Therefore, Christians do not consider the death of Jesus as a tragedy. but as a victory & as a sign of GOD's love.
Christians recall this event yearly & renew their faith in Jesus Christ that they will be raised from the dead at the end of the time when Jesus Christ comes again. On the Friday before Easter, called Good Friday, Christians commemorate the death of Jesus Christ.
OBSERVANCES
Special services are conducted in most churches on Good Friday & Easter Sunday. During these services, believers recall the suffering, death & resurrection of Jesus Christ through prayers, worship, scripture readings, sermons & a communion meal.
For more info: You can search the internet or watch "The Passion of Christ"
5:45 PM
Monday, March 29, 2010
Hey loyal readers of my blog, On the 29th of March 2009 which is Sunday I went to BFC,(Baptist Fellowship Church),which is Ng Kok Wing's church. haha ... Both of us wore blue colour except I wore a lighter shade of blue & short sleeve while he wore long sleeve with a darker shade of blue.
Sad to say, I recently did not attend the service or attend GCSS (Bible Study). Perhaps, 1 day I should go back.
Heres a prayer ... ...
Dear LORD,
I know I have sin but breaking one of the 10 commandments. I hope you can forgive me. I pray to you to grant me the strength & wisdom to carry on in my daily life.
In your precious name, Amen
7:00 PM
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Hey there, loyal readers of my blog (if there are any), here’s a super update (sry bout it) for the past months. Then it was my holiday trip to Hong Kong.
We left the house at 0815 & reached the airport at 0905. There weren’t many people checking-in at the J counters and lots of counters were open, so we were attended to almost immediately. We had done online check-in some 40 hours prior & managed to snag seat 11K, the first row of the first of two J (Business) cabins on SQ’s new 77W. Check-in was completed in 3 minutes & off we went to the Silver Kris Lounge.(SKL)
Personaly, I find the lounge is indeed not the best lounge in the world (my biggest gripes are the lack of apron view and natural lighting), but it's still is a great lounge with lots of food(Mmmm ... ... ) & drink offerings, full bar service(although I'm a minor), & free WiFi.Nonetheless, I do hope SQ will come up with a better lounge offering once T3 opens for business. There was also a separate food station where you can order Congee (Porridge) from the attendant on duty.
Our flight was assigned gate F59, one of the furthest gates from the lounge. Anyway, we left the lounge rather early at 10.15 & reached the gate when boarding had just begun.
9V-SWA would take us to HKG.
The In-flight Supervisor was on hand to greet us at the spacious entryway at door 1L. The new interior with wood/timber panels looked great and classy.
Found my seat just behind the F cabin. A Flight Stewardess came, said hello, and offered to hang my jacket. While another one asked me if I would like to read a paper. Finally, a third one passed the menu and asked if I would like a welcome drink. I asked for a glass of orange juice, which was delivered promptly along with my newspaper (Today).
My first thought upon seating down was how wide the seat was! At first it felt rather odd not being able to rest my left arm due to the width of the seat, so I put the pillow to wedge the gap and put my elbow on it. I was glad I got a bulkhead seat, as it is more spacious and far less enclosing than the non-bulkhead seats. The 15” PTV monitor is also located further away and there is a shelf in front, which made for a nice foot stool.
The leather was soft & felt nice although it was quite slippery. The cabin felt very private. Apart from those seated at the same row, you wouldn’t see the other passengers unless you try hard enough.
Row 11 has 2 windows …
... ... and this was what I saw when looking out of the windows. SIN was completely deserted !
We pushed back on time at 11.00 & without any wait, we roared down runway 02C & were airborne at 11.16. Those GE engines were very noisy.
Anyway,shortly after the seat belt sign was turned off I played around with the seat while waiting for lunch to be served.
Index of Pictures
i) Seat control ii) Storage compartment & USB/Video ports + power plugs iii) Mirror iv) Headphone hook. There are two headphone ports to plug your headphone into (one on each side of the seat). The active noise-canceling headphone is superb btw!
Soon enough lunch was served.
The meal was served in new crockery, which I didn’t like. The light grey trim made it looked dull indeed. Drinks are now served in full-sized glassware, which was very much welcomed, but no more proper wine/champagne glasses. The tray table is large and oriented diagonally (slightly facing the windows in my case). It is also height-adjustable for use when the seat is in bed mode.
My Lunch consists of ... ...
i) Salad of scallop with waterchesnut and black fungus
ii) Slipper Lobster Thermidor with Saffron Rice, Asparagus and Vine-ripened Tomatoes as my Main Course
iii) Ben & Jerry’s chunky monkey ice cream - Banana and walnut ice cream garnished with chocolate sauce and tuile
iv) Cappuccino
PS: I skipped the cheese & fruit courses
The Chief Stewardess brought around a tray of Pralines to end the meal.
Service was attentive,my water was topped up regularly. Overall the meal was good & filling, although the lobster was a bit of a disappointment after hearing such good things about it. Lunch was cleared when were off the coast of Vietnam & I decided to check out the next generation KrisWorld.
The main menu looked cleaner & easier to navigate than earlier versions & the response time was noticeably faster than the Wisemen 3000. The local time at both the origin and destination cities as well as the remaining flight time are always on display at the corners of the screen when in the interactive menu mode. Lots & lots & lots of AVOD programming to choose from.
The handset unit looks neat and it has a nifty display screen where the title of the programming is displayed along with the remaining flight time. And perhaps most importantly, there is a one-touch button that takes you to the flight path mode. Cool! No more rummaging through the menu ! + a Qwerty-type keyboard at the back of the handset to use with the Office applications.
I was also exploring the new flight path which was terrific. It had much more detailed graphics & it even shows the current position of the Sun.
I then visited the lavatory, which was much improved. Here is the rather fancy sink design with motion-activated water tap.
There is also a magnifying vanity mirror + the wood/timber finishing make the lavatory looks very nice. The only thing missing is a window.
With just over one hour to go before we land, I decided to convert the seat to bed mode. It’s a shame that SQ did not provide a seat guide like they did when they rolled out the Ultimo, Ultimo Plus, and the Spacebed.
Although, to be fair, there is an instructional video in Krisworld on how to convert the seat to bed mode.Converting the seat to bed was easy enough and there was a duvet and a bigger pillow at the back of the seat back.
The sleeping position is flat, parallel to the floor, but you have to lie diagonally.
Sleeping on your side is probably the best & most comfortable position due to the constrained shoulder/head area and legroom area in non-bulkhead seats.
The bed itself was nice to sleep on, firm & comfortable.
All too soon, the captain announced our descent in to Chek Lap Kok (HKIA) & we had some spectacular scenery prior to landing.
We landed on 25R at 14.31 after a flight time of 3 hours & 15 minutes.
Immigration was packed as usual but the line moved at a very brisk pace. It took less than 15 minutes to clear, by which time my bag was already waiting on the belt. After we all got our bags, we were off to the city for our 5 days stay in Hong Kong.
My Verdict frm SIN to HKG: Overall this was a very good flight. However, the cabin crew on this flight was average, not bad but not great either. They were faultless, attentive enough, and efficient. I was addressed by name and most of my requests were delivered promptly and most of the time with a smile.
HONG KONG
Hong Kong is always a nice city to visit. The weather was perfect during my stay, although it was a bit chilly on the day we left. We stayed at the Peninsula. A very nice hotel with some of the friendliest staff I’ve ever met. Personally, I must say that I was very impressed with the level of service in Hong Kong. Everyone from the airport staff, hotel staff, MTR staff, waiter/waitresses to shop assistants, were all very polite, friendly, & willing to help unlike Singapore service providers.
We went straight to SQ check-in counters at Area D and there was no line at the two J counters. The check-in agent was very polite and friendly and confirmed my special meal request.
Check-in was done very quickly. Immigration & the subsequent security checkpoint were jam-packed, but there were lots of booths open so we cleared them in no time. Our next stop was the Silver Kris Lounge.
The SKL in HKG is nothing special. It’s gloomy-looking with dated interiors and no windows at all ... (-.-) .
Food on offer included a Chinese Herbal Soup, a selection of Dim Sum, assorted hot finger food, and assorted cold sandwiches. There were also snacks and crackers, nuts, cheese and fruit, and small tub-sized Haagen-Dasz ice creams in various flavors.
We left the lounge at 15.25 and proceeded to gate 17, a short distance away. Boarding was well under way and most Y(Economy) passengers had already boarded when we reached the gate, even though it was only a little past 15.30. This time round, 9V-SWB was operating this flight.
Boarded through 1L and was greeted by a very young IFS. My seat was 14A, another bulkhead, the first row of the second J cabin. The Chief Steward hang my jacket and I was offered a welcome drink and a newspaper. I took The Sunday Times. The seat had some scratches, markings, & sticky stains on it.
Doors were closed at 15.55 and we pushed back two minutes late at 16.02.We were airborne at 16.20 & those seated on the right hand side was treated with an aerial view of the terminal building.
The cabin crew didn’t wait very long to start the meal service.
My dinner consists of ... ...
i) Marinated scallops with jellyfish and mesclun
ii) Roasted Chilean Bass Fillet in a New England Clam Chowder Sauce with Bacon and Spinachexclusively created by Alfred Portale of Gotham Bar & Grill, New York
iii) Black and White Sesame Panna Cotta with Kumquat Jelly
PS: I didn’t partake in the cheese and fruit courses and finished off the meal with a cup of Coffee again.
After my meal, I decide to watch an episode of Friends & an Australian Open special. Krisworld was a bit buggy on this flight. Response time was very slow & the program menu was mixed up in some places. After watching I decided to take a little nap. (Zzzz ...)
About 45 minutes later, a Flight Stewardess woke me up and said that we would be landing shortly. My jacket was already returned and placed on the coat hook. I went to the lavatory to freshen up .
An approach for 02L saw us flying down south before turning back to line up with the runway, allowing for a rather impressive view of downtown Singapore at dusk. We landed at 19.38 and after a long taxi, docked at gate F56 at 19.49.
My Verdict frm HKG to SIN: Service on this flight was slightly better than the outbound; the Chief Steward was particularly outstanding. But overall the service level was nowhere near the best I’ve had in J. Nonetheless this was another very good flight.
Overall feelings: The new cabin feels very classy with the use of wood/timber finishing. The color scheme is also very nice although I’m not to keen on the darker leather.
It also feels very private, especially if you are seated in the forward cabin or the bulkhead seats in the aft cabin. There is mood lighting, but since both flights were daylight flights it didn’t have much effect.
The lack of center overhead bins didn’t really pose a problem since there was plenty of storage space for everyone.The new seat is a vast improvement over the Spacebed. I like the ability to sleep fully flat, parallel to the floor and the bed is very comfortable indeed.
The recline function is essentially hopeless as the seat doesn't recline far enough to be comfortable. Bulkhead seats are by far more superior and have more space than non-bulkhead seats.
I have yet to experience non-bulkhead seats but I imagine the level of comfort can be quite different between the two.The new KrisWorld is simply amazing and a definite improvement over the Wisemen 3000.
With the breadth of choice it’s hard to imagine anyone who cannot find something to watch or do. The system still has a few bugs that will hopefully be fixed in the coming months.No significant difference over the current meal service, although on 77W longer routes, trays are no longer used. I don’t like the new crockery and table linen, which I think look dull.
The new full-sized glassware, though, is very nice.There are no changes in terms of amenities offered, although now you’ve got two pillows with different shapes and thickness and also a duvet in addition to the blanket. The blue/turquoise color of the pillows, blanket, and duvet is very nice. The sockettes and eye-shades also come in the same color. L’occitane and Etro products were available on the lavatory.
Overall, I’m very happy with the new Business Class. The overall product is very nice and a good step up from the Spacebed. SQ’s service level might be slipping and signs of cost-cutting were evident, but at the end of the day, I still think SQ as one of the better and perhaps the most consistent airline in the air today. And with their new products, they will continue to be ‘a great way to fly’ for many years to come.
Thank you for reading, I hope it was enjoyable despite the length & the gap between the time frame.
