Harry Osborn aka the New Green Goblin

3rd Year Anniversary of the World's First A380 Commercial Flight + its Cabin Interior Revealed ... ...

2010-10-25T22:23:00.001+08:00

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.

Shhh... students in the theatre

2010-06-12T22:02:00.000+08:00

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 hv higlighted it in green & 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.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THEY'RE EXCITABLE, AND WE'RE IRRITATED

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.'

Nostalgic Memories

2010-04-18T23:30:00.000+08:00

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.

MF Reach

As You Like It - (Music, actually)

2010-04-07T11:21:00.000+08:00

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

What Musical Instrument Should You Play?

A Glimpse into Easter + Good Friday

2010-04-04T17:45:00.000+08:00

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"

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T00:00:00.000+08:00

MySpace Graphics & MySpace Layouts

Nothing much ... ... just updates

2010-03-29T19:00:00.000+08:00

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

One of Harry Osborn's Trip to HK

2010-03-23T21:42:00.000+08:00

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.

~ Departure to HKG ~

09 June 2008

Flight Number/Route: SQ 862 SIN-HKG

Aircraft Model/Registration Number: B777-300ER 9V-SWA

Time: 11.00 – 14.45

Departure Gate: F59(T2)

Seat: 11K

Cost: SG$2,283 (including taxes & surcharges)

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.

~ Departure back to SIN ~

13 June 2009

Flight Number/Route: SQ 861 HKG-SIN

Aircraft Model/Registration Number: B777-300ER 9V-SWB

Time: 16.00 – 19.50

Departure Gate: 17 (T1)

Seat: 14A

Cost: SG$2,283 (including taxes & surcharges)

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.

Comments are always appreciated.

Be blessed that S'pore isn't Zimbabwe with its $500 million note

2010-03-18T18:55:00.001+08:00

I saw this interesting post on Stomp a few days ago.

Imagine having to bring millions of dollars with you when you go to the market. But you are a millionaire and yet NOT a millionaire.

This is what's happening to the sad people of Zimbabwe.

Because of corruption, gross economic mismanagement and bad political leadership, the country is a banana republic with an over inflated currency that's worthless.

Brad's message to Singaporeans: in these days of economic crisis, turn away from despair and count your blessings. Just be thankful that Singapore is not like Zimbabwe.

500 million dollar bill, just printed in May 2008...everybody can have it...just enough for breakfast/lunch (equal to about USD 2)

To buy tidbits in a plastic packet...you have to spend at least 10 million

To buy chicken...how many million?

If you want to eat in a restaurant, please prepare the money...

For a beer after office hours...

Your monthly salary...you need to hire a taxi or lorry to bring the money home...

Young kid - already a millionaire...

If you don't want to carry a lot of money...change it to USD. Nobody wants to count the money, just weigh it

Otherwise, this is what you have to do everytime you go to shop, market, bus station etc...

Everybody is a billionaire...

CCA Outing @ Fort Canning Park - Shakespeare Rox ! !

2010-03-16T23:47:00.000+08:00

Mat placed on a moisted grass with the sun setting...

Perfect weather for an outdoor event...

The more when the lucky me got a good viewing place...

Fort Canning was like a fortress...

Fully Packed ...

This is the 2nd time I had an outing with my CCA pals. The first time it was 2 yrs ago on 13 Nov 07,we went to Drama Centre (memories of 2006 Musical, The Fairies' Doll) as our instructor,Mdm Chio acted in it as a villian named Torville).

Below are some pictures frm my 1st CCA outing.

I've taken some pictures. ... ... ENJOY ! ! PS: I'll upload more whn I hv more pics

Anyway,heres what happened on the 23rd of May 09 ... ...

I went to Fort Canning Green with my CCA pals (Me, bro, Lian Yi, Bernice, Jingru, Chester, Su Wen, King Ian, Sharmini, Jie Chern, Tyr, Lim Yen, Joey Tan, Teng Sheng, Keith & Mahendran + Mrs Koh) to watch "Much Ado About Nothing" by SRT.

I left hme at 5.15, clad in red Burberry, headed to Dhoby Ghaut to wait for my CCA pals. I reached the station pretty fast ard 20 mins. I waited for abt 10 mins, thn I saw Chester & the gang which consisted of Sharmini, Su Wen, Teng Sheng, King Ian, Keith.

Anyway, we waited for abt 5 mins, thn Jie Chern & Tyr came. We also waited for Mahendran who was late. After he came, we headed to Plaza Singapura to meet my bro, Joey Wong & Lim Yen at Breadtalk. We also met Lian Yi, Jingru & Bernice on the way.

After that, head to Fort Canning Park to meet Mrs Koh. We thn settled down after laying out our mats. I sat beside Teng Sheng & in front of me was Lian Yi, Bernice & Jingru. Behind was my bro, King Ian & Mahendran.

The play was stunning & excelled in its comedic aspect ... Wendy Kweh & Adrian Pang are just brilliant ... Immensing into the charactor and bring them out like it was theirs ...

During the intermission, went to the toilet as well as I brought a small cup frm Ben & Jerry which cost $4.50 which Teng Sheng said it was a 'robbery'.

After the play, headed straight hme as I had my 'chauffeur' (aka Benice's dad) to send me back hme. I was with the car with Bernice's parents + myself, Benice & Chester.

I gave a call to my bro whn I reached hme & realised that he had just boarded the train.

That's all folks ... ...

Credits: Thanks GOD for the fine weather, ppl who attended & acted in this event, handmake sandwiches make by Lian Yi, my Perrier (sparkling water), potato chips, chocolates frm Keith ... ... ... etc

6 Lessons frm Eagles

2010-03-14T22:25:00.000+08:00

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31)(KJV)

Have you ever wondered why Isaiah 40:31 is written the way it is?

* Why is the Eagle mentioned specifically?
* What is so special about Eagles that they have a place in the Bible?
* What is the linkage between waiting upon the Lord and renewal of strength?
* Why is it that when you mount up with wings like eagles, you do not get tired?

The eagle is a creation of God. It is the most majestic of all birds and is mentioned many times in the Bible. In fact, the eagle is mentioned 38 times, much more than the dove or other birds.

An eagle is around 90cm tall and reaches over 2m between the wings. She builds her nest on the cliff or in a high tree. The nest is so large that a human can sleep in it. It can weigh 700kg and is also comfortable.

With the basis of God's word, we shall see what the king of birds can show us concerning truths about God, and also about Christians. May the practical lessons contained in here be of encouragement to you. God Bless.

Lesson 1: All Baby Eagles Must Learn To Fly

High in the mountains, a baby eagle is born. Like all other babies, there are two things that baby eagles, known as eaglets, love to do: Eat and sleep. The baby eagle would spend its initial life in the comfort of the nest. Everyday, mama eagle would find food and drop it directly into the open mouths of the hungry eaglet. With a satisfied stomach, the eaglet then goes to sleep and the cycle continues when it becomes hungry again.

This goes on for a few weeks, until one day, mama eagle would just hover over the nest. This time, there is no food. After hovering a few rounds, mama eagle would make a dive into the nest and begins to shake it violently. She then takes one of her babies in her mouth and starts soaring into the skies. The baby eaglet begins to tremble, "Mama is mad! Mama is mad!" Suddenly, she drops the baby eaglet that starts to struggle. Just before the eaglet smashes against the rocks, mama eagle would swoop down and pick it up. This goes on for about five to eight times. The eaglet starts to wonder why mama is doing this. Every time it is being dropped from the sky, the eaglet would struggle by flapping its wings.

"Mama can fly. I want to fly like her too", the eaglet says to itself.

What beautiful picture! Mama is teaching her young to fly. At about the fourteenth to fifteenth try, the eaglet begins to fly.

Relevance:
Christians are like baby eagles, comfortable in the nest. They come to church once a week for food. They would wait for pastor to drop "spiritual" food into their mouths. When service is over, they would go home, "sleep" for a few days and the cycle continues, until one day, something happens and they struggle. The nest gets shaken and they don't know what to do.

"It's the devil! It's the devil!" they exclaim. No, it's not! It's just our loving Father who allows our nest to be shaken because He wants us to grow into maturity, so that we can fly. It's no point being an eagle that cannot fly.

The Word of God says in Exodus 19:4 that God carry the children of Israel on eagles' wings. Here we see the eagle symbolizes God. The way mama eagle treats her young shows us how God treats His children. Just when it seems like we're going under.. SWISH.. like mama eagle, God, comes and picks us up.

In the world, they push people upward when they are going up. But God lets us fall down to get us up. Hard times come, but after a couple of times I start to pray a little bit more. I start to read God's word a little bit more. And suddenly I realize that the answers to my prayers are coming.

Hard times always come but I find I'm not helpless, no, I see that I can stand on God's word. What has happened? I've learned to spread my wings! I've learned to fly. GOD carries us supernaturally through all our trials, even if we don't feel it. Yea, who can see the wind? While mama eagle teaches her young to use their own wings, God teaches us to believe His Word and use our Faith.

Lesson 2: Eagles Are Made For The High Places

Unlike other birds that fly in the lowlands, eagles are made to fly in the high places, out of sight of the naked human eye and out of range of the hunter's rifle.

Relevance:
God made us to fly in the high places, free from the world's control. A tourist to the Jurong Bird Park once commented that the eagles there looked very clean. In reply, the bird-keeper said: "When eagles are in freedom, they are the cleanest birds. But when they are in captivity, they are the dirtiest."

God made us pure and holy to conform to the image of His Son. If Christians are in captivity, that is, being subjected to the ways of the world, we can be the "dirtiest" of all creatures. Unless we "fly" in the high places, out of the world's control, and according to how God has made us, we'll remain the dirtiest of creatures.

Lesson 3: Eagles Do Not Fly, They Soar

Eagles do not fly like other birds, flapping their wings profusely and using their own strength. Instead, eagles SOAR majestically, making use of the wind currents to gain height. What makes the eagle so special is that she sits on the rock and reads the wind and when the time is perfect she takes off and soars upward with her great wings. There is a special up-going wind where the eagle rides the wind and circle higher and higher toward the sky, without effort. She just spreads her wings.

Relevance:
The wind is referred many times in the Bible as the Holy Spirit. We can learn to cooperate with the Holy Spirit and let Him lift us closer to Jesus. The eagle in this case is the Christian who is being lifted by the Holy Spirit up and closer to Jesus.

Like eagles, we should learn to ride on the current of the Holy Spirit, instead of relying on our own strength. Only then can we "gain height" to "fly" in the high places. Isaiah 40:31 talks about growing in Christ that happens when we have fellowship with Him in the Spirit.

Lesson 4: Eagles Go Through Specific Periods of Renewal

When they are about 60 years old, eagles go through a period of renewal. An eagle would find a secret place up in the mountains. It would start to claw at its face and tear out the feathers that have been damaged over the years. As a result, it would bleed badly. The eagle would then wait patiently for the rays of the sun to heal it.

Through this, the eagle renews its strength by getting rid of the unnecessary things. Otherwise it would not be able to live till 120 years that it normally does.

Relevance:
Like eagles, Christians need to go through a renewal period sometime in our lives, to rid ourselves of unnecessary things and to wait upon the Lord. Renewal is a divine principle where God cuts off the unfruitful things in us so as to bring out the fruitful.

Lesson 5: Eagles Get Sick, Just Like Humans

When an eagle gets sick, it does not go to the doctor. It simply finds a favourite spot in the mountains and await the rays of the sun to heal it. The sun plays a major role in the life of an eagle and as such, is a major source of healing too.

Relevance:
When we get sick, besides going to the doctor, do we also look to the Lord who plays a major role in our lives as our source of healing?

Lesson 6: Every Eagle Has To Die

When an eagle is about to die, it will fly to its favourite spot in the mountains, wraps its wings round itself and look at the sun's rays and dies.

Relevance:
Ideally, all Christians should die looking towards Jesus as our source of hope and comfort.

A Reviva Post on Brunch @ Equinox

2010-03-12T20:25:00.000+08:00

Ahh ... the imposing Singapore skyline, a truly inspiring sight on a Sunday afternoon after church. My family & I had a Sunday brunch at Equinox, a restaurant situated on the 69th & 70th floor of the Swissotel The Stamford which offers stunning panoramas of our entire city-state.

We were fortunate enough to obtain a window seat which overlooks the floating platform at Marina Bay.Personally,I think it can't be denied that with stunning views like these, the ambience factor of the dining experience is greatly enhanced.

The restaurant looks rather oriental(some may hv different views abt it).Basically,brunch is served in the form of an international buffet & there is a very impressive spread encompassing the usual pasta & roast stations, as well as the more exotic saute stations for foie gras and seafood salad.

Lots of bread, but somehow none of them looked very appetising to me. The rolls, in particular, seemed extremely hard, so I decided to have my French onion soup without bread.In my opinion ,I find that the French onion soup was pretty good though.

The highlight of the buffet probably has to be the foie gras station, with numerous pieces of liver laid out to dry, just begging to be eaten.

The livers are pan-fried & are served with a croute & a slice of caramelised peach. I was fairly impressed by the chef's ability to handle such miniature slices of foie, without completely disintegrating them into puddles of oil. The foie gras is excellent - slippery, rich and oily, & I could probably have polished off the entire station, but I wanted to try the rest of the buffet too.

There was another saute station serving seafood salad; here you can see fresh prawns and scallops waiting to be cooked and slathered with mayonnaise. Decided to give this a miss, in favour of the Japanese appetisers on offer.

Frankly speaking,I'm not really a great fan of Japanese food, but I do think they make for excellent appetisers. Clockwise from top left: soba served with tobiko and spring onions, tofu cube with shrimp served with a mirin-shoyu sauce, tomato salad, roast duck salad, beet root salad and california maki. I've an idea budding of incorporating some of these into dinner.

The main buffet is an assortment of meats and vegetables, cooked in various ways. There were braised beef shanks, roasted lamb legs, teriyaki chickens, roasted potato wedges and kebabs.

Clockwise from top left: Duck breast, braised beef shank, roast lamb leg, roasted potatoes. Nothing to write home about, as some of the meats were a bit dry, but I did like the roasted potatoes, which were flaky on the inside but have a bit of texture without.

I headed back to the saute station,(again ... ) not for more foie gras but for the roast beef next to it. The roast beef wasn't particularly awe-inspiring, being somewhat on the small side, but by that time I was feeling rather filled up.

This beef looks plain. All you need to do is to add a nice helping of dark sauce and more of those roasted potatoes are just what this beef needs.

The dessert spread at the Equinox is pretty good, including panna cotta, bread puddings, and most importantly, a chocolate fountain. Unfortunately, it's not as good as it looks - the panna cotta wasn't set at all, and just puddled into unappetising creaminess. No complaints with the chocolate fountain though. As extensive as the dessert buffet was, I didn't get the chance to try most of it, since I was feeling rather full.(BURP ... ... )

Equinox is located in the heart of Raffles City, so getting there is a piece of cake. Ambience, as I've said, is pretty phenomenal, though I suppose on a rainy day there isn't much of a view to talk about. Being a buffet, service isn't fantastic, but I suppose it's adequate. The biggest drawback though, is undoubtedly the price. For Sunday brunch, it's $75 per person, without alcohol. With alcohol(I still can't take it until nxt yr), it's $90.By having a Feed at Raffles card,it allows us dine at half the price. Apparently,during weekdays, the price goes down to $40, but the amount of food isn't as generous.

Some people I know who dine at this 'posh' (it may be posh to u) place.They are Ng Kok Wing & my Bro,Evelyn Ng & of course ... ... ME ! !

DVD Time ... ...

2010-03-08T23:04:00.000+08:00

Today,I felt bored hence I decided to watch a DVD.The movie was "Balls of Fury". I still remembered I watched this same movie after my EOY exams with my bro @ Orchard Cineleisure. I could remember the event:

It started @ 9am on 12 Oct 2007,we met up & decided to go to Orchard to catch a movie.Anyway,I saw a black cat on the way,I was thinking in my heart ... "OMG,bad luck ... LORD,I hope everything will be fine". Anyway,our plans carry on as ususal until whn we reach there, it started to rain & we did nt bring our umbrella hence I use my jacket to shelter us across to the Meritus Mandarin as we were frm Ngee Ann City(Takashimaya). On the way, I trip(shit*) then it was alright. Nxt, when we were bout to go into the cinema hall, we went to the wrong floor(Rarr ... ) We went to Level 6 instead of 9(another bad luck), When we reach Level 9, we ran cos the show is starting soon, ... ... guess wat .... ... I tripped over a spool of wire. (Damm it ... 3rd bad luck).

The show was damm nice. Heres a plot summary: Randy Daytona, a star in the world of table tennis has been popular everywhere, until he trips and hits his head during the semi final ping pong tournament and deliberately blurts out, "I'm going to Disneyland!", Causing everyone to laugh at him and make him a shame. He attempts to recapture his former glory but is soon confronted by the FBI and asked to go undercover to smoke out a notorious criminal and ping-pong lord called Feng. He teams up with a blind ping-pong sage and Maggie Wong to complete his secret mission.

After the show, I gave him a treat.(lunch/tea-break).Anyway, all went well until when we went to DFS(opposite Hyatt) it started to rain(again ... wah lou), so we quickly went in DFS hv a quick look before going home. When we reach YCK [Yio Chu Kang station],we 'missed' our bus 70 (4th "bad" luck) hence we ran all the way to the nxt bus stop. Ironically,we managed to board on the bus(which we hv 'missed' earlier & reach home.

Fear Factor - S'pore Version @ TOC

2010-02-22T18:56:00.000+08:00

Hey readers of my blog,a couple of years back, I went to my bro's church,Tabernacle Of Christ(or TOC for short). Attended their 1st youth cafe.The first game,"Ice-breaker" was interesting although I lost in the game.The prize for this game was damm 'f***ing' nice - it was a box of GODIVA chocolates(one of my fav chocolates) frm UK

Anyway,let me carry on instead of falling into a pity party.I took part in the food competition with my bro ... we ate 15 mashmarrows covered in tomato ketchup within 3 minutes. In addition,we had to eat without using our hands.Ironically,we emerged as champion ... (yeah),we won a bag of potato chips.

Thats all I have to say ... ... going to the toilet to S***. .... ....

For more info: visit this website: http://genzion.blogspot.com/ or watch this video

My Bro's (Jeremiah aka JCKL) birthday

2009-11-08T20:51:00.000+08:00

MySpace Comments & MySpace Layouts

Happy Birthday(English),生日快乐 (sheng ri kuai le - Mandarin)生日快樂(Sang Yut Fai Lok - Cantonese),joyeux anniversaire(French),お誕生日おめでとうございます (o tanjôbi omedetô (gozaimasu) - Japanese),Selamat hari jadi(Malay),etc ... ...

Today, is my bro's birthday.He is 16 yrs old.Anyway,time flies when you are having fun ... ... ... I have known him for 3 yrs (till date & I am so happy(he can watch NC 16 at last ).

Thks bro,for being a great friend. Enjoy the slide show.(pls pardon the shortage of photos ... ... I'll upload more pics nxt tme)

I still can remember vividly what happened a few yrs back in the yr 2007. I went over to his place to celebrate his 14th birthday.The meals were Nasi Lemak, Ox Tail Soup, Cocktail Desert & Lasagna. We had lots of fun & played blackjack, Dai Ti(Big Two). I was the 'first' person ( nt exactly 1st cos my fren, Lim Yen was there ) to reach his place. Anyway, we had fun forfeits when we loss dai ti (I kanna the forfeit) cos we had to eat 3 different fruits frm the cocktail desert. (I took a peach,grape & Longan) When we played Dai Ti, Vanessa had 3 Di's(the most poweful card)& she ask who has the last Di(2 of Diamonds), can you guess who had it.

A) Myself
B) My Bro
C) Lian Yi
D) Madeline

Well the ans is ... ... ... Option A - Lols

I was the last person to leave his place & my bro pass a chocolate frm N.Z (New Zealand) to me. Thz a lot bro =)

The Chocolate frm N.Z that my bro gave me =)

When we eat the cheese cake, we felt very thirsty. Cos we did nt had any drink. I end up pai seh myself by asking for Jamaican Blue Mountain - (cos I drink in when I travel on SIA via 1st class) ... lols.

The Birthday Cake, Chocolate Fudge Cheesecake.

Me & Fern (Ms [Mdm] Tay)

Inaugural Opening Cermony

2009-11-05T21:09:00.000+08:00

This post is to notify that OSCORP TECHNOLOGIES will be starting its operations with effect from today.

More details will be posted at a later date ...

TEST - 031109

2009-11-03T19:51:00.001+08:00

Testing new systems.

Updates will be posted soon. Director Harry Osborn is on leave until further notice.

OSCORP TECHNOLOGIES is ready & running, always ready to serve you. The previous site has been overhauled to give you the one you are looking at right now. There is nothing much here for now, but rest assured, much more is on the way.

~ updates by OSCORP TECHNOLOGIES TECHNICAL DIVISION