What a delightful world this is eh? Of course, only if you're
rich.
http://mypaper.sg/lifestyle/more-turning-cupid-concierges-20140210
More turning to 'Cupid concierges'
DEBBIE YONG The Business Times
SO YOU went all out with that multiple-carat diamond ring or the
all-expenses-paid holiday for your other half last Valentine's Day,
but there's only one problem: Just how will you top that this
year?
Don't despair, hapless Romeo (or equally time-strapped Juliet).
There are people who can handle this professionally - and help is
just a phone call away.
"Cupid concierges" are a growing business in countries such as the
United States, and concierge-service operators in Singapore say
they, too, are seeing more couples turn to them for some extra
romancing on Valentine's Day.
The demand is expected to surge further this year with Valentine's
Day falling on the 15th day of the Chinese New Year, or yuan xiao
jie, signifying double happiness for many.
Mr James Eyton, the Asia-Pacific CEO of LesConcierges, which
partners with credit card company Visa to offer concierge services
to its top cardholders, has seen a 60 per cent increase in requests
for romantic activities from the Singapore market on an annual
basis, with most requests coming in the week before Feb 14.
Likewise, leading luxury concierge-service provider
Quintessentially Lifestyles has seen a 30 per cent jump in demand
during Valentine's Day over the past four years.
While most hotels offer ready-made Valentine's Day dining and
staycation packages, top luxury names such as the St Regis
Singapore, Pan Pacific and The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia hotels all
have in-house concierge services that up the pizzazz by pairing
them with tailor-made full-day itineraries including spa
experiences, sunset cruises and other outings around town.
Flowers, restaurant meals, wedding proposals and trips to popular
romantic destinations such as Bali are also common requests, say
independent concierge-service operators, though, with growing
affluence, customers are increasingly seeking private experiences
in exclusive venues, such as truffle hunting in France or
individual cooking classes with Michelin-starred chefs.
OUTSOURCE THE LEGWORK
Hate shopping? Outsource the task to The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia
hotel's in-house concierge-service team, who can help you pick out
jewellery and limited-edition shoes as gifts. Quintessentially's
team once sourced a black crocodile Hermes Birkin bag worth $82,000
for a client, cutting its three-year waiting list to just three
weeks.
"We've organised everything from a butler-serviced champagne dinner
on top of an iceberg, to closing the Sydney Harbour bridge for a
private proposal, and arranging a world-first opportunity for a
couple to climb the Sydney Opera House and watch the New Year's Eve
fireworks from the top of its 'sails'," recounts Quintessentially's
executive director, Ms Caroline Lam.
Concierge businesses say the voraciously growing demand stems from
heightened expectations of the highly commercialised holiday,
coupled with the increasingly time-starved modern lifestyles of
high-net-worth individuals.
"Roses are always lovely, but sometimes a little cliched.
Singaporeans are all becoming much more creative and expressive in
how we show our softer side to our loved ones, but don't
necessarily have the tools to arrange such things," says CEO Andrew
Long of Ten Group Asia Pacific.
Trying to get seats at a sell-out restaurant at the last minute?
Strong relationships between concierges and chefs could sometimes
be your ticket in, says Mr Eyton. "The strength of the concierges
is that we are part-assistant, part-detective and
part-magician."
Indeed, Aspire Lifestyles' most unusual request was from a customer
in Singapore who wanted to send flowers to his girlfriend in Japan,
but she would only give him a photo of the front gate of her house,
and the longitude and latitude of the place, recalls Mr Andrew
Quake, general manager of its Singapore office.
His team managed to locate her to send the flowers over eventually,
after some sleuthing.
Though requests can take hours to days to pull off, depending on
their complexity, Aspire's current record is a grand total of 40
minutes.
"A customer from Singapore called at 8am, as he wanted a cup of hot
latte delivered to his girlfriend in Seoul just before 9am, when
she would step into the office. Eventually, we tapped on our
network, and our consultants in Seoul managed to get it done
successfully," adds Mr Quake.
Requests for Valentine's Day activities are typically from males,
say concierge businesses, though there is equal demand from married
and unmarried individuals.
Some concierge services such as Quintessentially charge an annual
membership fee of $7,700 for unlimited requests, while others work
based on commission from their service partners, so customers pay
only for third-party costs incurred per request.
Prices can start from a few dollars for a bouquet of flowers to
US$250,000 (S$317,000) for a private charter of a yacht for an
idyllic one-week sojourn that LesConcierges once organised.
And though Valentine's Day scrooges may say that leaving it all in
the hands of a "Cupid concierge" reeks of insincerity, most
concierges - of course - disagree.
"Most people have no problems engaging a wedding planner to ensure
that their wedding turns out perfectly. No one would ever think
that the man or woman lacks sincerity in this case. The same
mindset should apply to Cupid concierges as well," retorts Mr
Quake.
[Video] - Local vigilante group in Peru enters nightclub,
whipping female employees
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/video/local-vigilante-group-peru-enters-210758448.html
Alyssa Bitante is a professional dog groomer, which means her
poodle is well used to the sound of a blow dryer. But since
Alyssa's daughter was born, the dog has rushed to her side as soon
as he hears the sound. As Alyssa explained to Storyful, "Now he
feels he must protect her from its evil!"
http://video.xin.msn.com/watch/video/dog-protects-baby-from-blow-dryer/2whnctiab?from=hp
On a Malaysian forum, a military comparison of Singapore vs
Indonesia : https://forum.lowyat.net/topic/2751770/all
http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/singaporeseen/this-urban-jungle/yet-another-touching-human-natured-thai-ad-that-will-leave-you-in-tears
It's a Durex advertisement about condoms, but it's also based on
a true story.
Video :
http://yahoosg.tumblr.com/post/76412018085/this-could-be-the-worst-valentines-day-scenario-ever
Haze from Indonesia is officially back. It’s 3am in the East of
Singapore now 13 Feb 2014, and the haze is clearly (the irony)
detected both visually and olfactorily. Long thread on the
EDMW forum with pple all around Singapore
detecting the haze right now.
http://www.republika.co.id/berita/en/international/14/02/12/n0uqtn-singapores-threepoint-agenda-over-ship-naming-issue
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Singapore has chalked out a three-point
agenda with regard to its protest against Indonesia's recent
decision to name its new ship, KRI Usman-Harun, according to an
observer.
"The Singaporean government has finalized three key points in its
national agenda, which is in keeping with its stance against naming
of the new Indonesian ship as KRI Usman-Harun," Guspiabri
Sumowigeno, the director of Center for Indonesian National Policy
Studies (Cinaps), stated in Jakarta on Tuesday.
He explained that the first point in the agenda was that Singapore,
as a US ally, was keen to garner attention from the superpower with
regard to getting more military support by sending a message that
it is threatened by the Indonesian military's revival.
He further added that Singapore has been diligently looking for a
loophole to increase its military capacity and capability by
supporting the US global policy. It has also offered itself as a
buffer country for safeguarding the US interests in the
region.
To support the "China Containment" campaign to block the effect of
China's revival as a world superpower, it also sent its forces to
support the US-led occupation operations in Iraq in 2003-2008,
which resulted in the US offering strong military support to the
country, he explained.
"Singapore's military development far surpasses its objective
needs. Through an agreement with the US since 1990, its Sembawang
military base has also been used as a maintenance facility by the
US military," he remarked.
He reported that Singapore now has advanced military hardware. It
has officially stated that its military budget reached US$4.8
billion and it also has 40 units of the F-16 fighter aircraft and
tens of other fighter jets.
"Singapore is one of the Asian countries that is involved in the US
research program for the development of the F-35 future fighter
jet, which is a stealth fighter aircraft," he emphasized.
Guspi stated that in order to secure its sea area spanning only 12
sea miles around the island state, Singapore has tens of warships,
four technologically advanced submarines and is still seeking to
procure six stealth frigates from France, plus four AWACS aircraft
that are capable of monitoring the entire South East Asian
region.
He warned that the recent tensions between the two countries can be
manipulated by Singapore to get additional military support from
the US, by giving the impression that Singapore is threatened by
two big countries in the region, namely Indonesia and China.
"This means that Singapore is seeking to build an international
perception that Indonesia's military revival is equivalent to that
of China threatening the South East Asian region," he pointed
out.
"This is clearly hurting the spirit of cooperation that has been
built over the past 40 years," he added.
Guspi explained that Singapore's second point of the agenda was its
intentions to foster nationalism and improve its national
identity.
He reported that Singapore has faced difficulties in nurturing
nationalism among its citizens as they remain sharply divided on
ethnic terms. There is also a common impression harbored by several
people that Singapore is a mere gift from the colonial
powers.
"This is what has robbed Singapore of its heroic and historic
moments, and so, the history of confrontation with Indonesia has
been considered its valuable asset in order to build Singapore's
nationalism," he claimed.
Singapore's third point of the agenda is that the current regime in
that country has been in power since the establishment of that
country. Recently, voices have been raised regarding the
authenticity of democracy in that country, Guspi stated.
The regime is fragile because the democratic process has so far
been engineered to preserve its power, he claimed.
To prevent its popularity from declining and increasing demand for
political reforms, it is now using its friction with other
countries as one of its defense mechanisms, he added.
He added that the friction with other countries has re-strengthened
the position of the ruling party.
Reconsolidation occurs in regime elements and in order to promote
national unity, support to the government should be mobilized
through mass movement and public opinion, Guspi emphasized.
"The presence of a common enemy can distract people from social
tensions, so that the political crisis, which has started to
overshadow the nation, can be dwindled," he noted.
He explained that the pattern has also been used so far by
Malaysia, which has always created problems for Indonesia.
It seems that Singapore's brittle regime is following the footsteps
of similar regimes in Malaysia, he reported.
"All democratic political forces in Indonesia must be alert with
regard to the presence of regimes, such as those in Singapore and
Malaysia and take common actions to face them," he claimed.
UK's The Guardian has an article on the rich-poor divide in
Singapore :
http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/feb/13/unaffordable-cities-singapore-workers-millionaire-island
Real-life case.
http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/singaporeseen/this-urban-jungle/how-this-girl-quits-her-job-is-shocking-but-you-wont-believe-how-her-boss
[China] - Attempted murder caught on video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Dx7aulvKXFc
Security footage: A woman made an incredible escape after being
stranded in a manhole for over 60 hours, the police department of
Haikou, capital of Hainan Province, revealed lately.
The woman said she was set up and kicked into the manhole
purposefully on Dec 12 by a man who is her town fellow and owes her
100,000 yuan. The man was surnamed Guo and has been arrested for
suspected attempted murder.
His action was filmed by a surveillance camera around the scene. He
replaced the lid of the manhole with pieces of hard paper, led the
unsuspecting woman toward it before kicking her down.
The woman was found stranded in a three-meter deep manhole with
1.7-meter deep drainage in an alley of Haikou, a city known for its
coastal tropical sights. At her rescue her whole body had turned
pale and swollen for prolonged soaking, the a passer-by surnamed
Yang said.The woman said she tore her clothes into pieces and made
a "cloth ladder" to get to the manhole lid.
She said she was quite scared screamed for help, and tried several
times before getting to the ground and saved.
http://mothership.sg/2014/02/nus-science-undergrads-apparently-not-very-good-at-asking-questions/
FCBC vs LGBT :
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/singapore-pastor-lawrence-khong-s--support-377a--guide-leaked-034943128.html
Download the leaked document here :
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/3i1y6s6c4g1ruak/GUIDE%2Bto%2BGiving%2BFeedback.377A.pdf
The New Paper
Tuesday, Feb 18, 2014
SINGAPORE - I keep that $2 note in my wallet's coin compartment.
This way, I'll not spend it by accident.
Sure, the amount is small change by today's standards. Yet, this $2
note holds special meaning for me.
It was earned through sweat, and very nearly tears, and it reminds
me of how, for some people, money is earned with much
difficulty.
Toiling in the sun, picking up things that people discard, that is
how they make a living.
On Thursday afternoon, I joined their ranks briefly at Serangoon
Road, in search of cardboard boxes to be sold to recyclers. I
wanted to find out if it is possible to earn a living this
way.
My hunt began after seeing an advertisement on Facebook. One
recycler was willing to pay 10 cents for 1kg of used cardboard
cartons. There must be an error because the payout is too little, I
thought.
But intrigued, I decided to give it a go.
A daily reality
At Veerasamy Road and Clive Street off Serangoon Road, 9 to 10
cents per kg is the daily reality for some senior citizens who form
the lines at the two cardboard collection points.
They eagerly wait for the weighing scales to show a favourable
weight.
"Gor chap kilo (50kg in Hokkien)... gor kor ($5)," Mr Lock Lee Jin,
50, who mans the collection point at Veerasamy Road, shouts to
sweaty uncle Tan Kim Seng, 80.
It is demoralising to see others, who carry smaller hauls, being
paid in coins. One elderly woman left with $1.50 after turning in
15kg of cardboard.
[Video] - 3 yr old girl ice skater from Russia
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/video/3-old-russian-figure-skating-183547685.html
Kirsten Han is a Singaporean blogger, journalist and filmmaker.
She is also involved in the We Believe in Second Chances campaign
for the abolishment of the death penalty. A social media junkie,
she tweets at @kixes. The views expressed are her own.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/why-controversial-pro-377a-guide-lawrence-khong-skewing-060344777.html
Following the leak of a LoveSingapore document advising church
leaders on how to mobilise supporters for Section 377A, chairman
Lawrence Khong has come out to (once again) assure us all that he
is not a homophobe.
“We are not against people. Not even people who practise
alternative sex,” he wrote in a statement to the press.
According to Khong, he and his fellow pro-377A campaigners are
merely concerned about the nation, and concerned about families.
They portray themselves as the valiant protectors of Singapore’s
“silent majority” and “moral law”.
But it’s all merely an illusion. LoveSingapore is a religious
organisation, determined to influence Singapore – a secular
Singapore – with their ideology.
“Our core values shape our dream to TURN this nation God-ward,”
their website says. “In a nutshell, since its inception,
LoveSingapore is all about God's greatest glory seen through a life
changed, a church revived, a nation transformed, a world
evangelized.”
Khong has also made similar statements.
In a society as diverse as Singapore, how can -- and should -- such
an organisation ever claim to represent a majority, silent or
otherwise?
This could perhaps explain why LoveSingapore’s leaked guide also
tells its readers to obscure their religious affiliations. It asks
that church leaders do not use their church or religious rankings,
and to use their personal email addresses rather than church ones.
It wants its supporters not to be identified as coming from
religious motivations, but to give people the impression that they
are all simply concerned Singaporeans.
It’s highly disingenuous, robbing the public of the chance to
consider their voice for what it is: an extremely vocal
conservative Christian organisation aiming to influence policy and
legislation with their particular brand of morality.
Their claim that it is “not against people” is also laughable.
Khong and LoveSingapore have been obsessed with the issue of gay
rights for a long, long time; perhaps spending far more time
thinking about gay sex than gay people themselves do.
They claim not to be “against people”, yet are ultra-sensitive to
anything that might help a gay person.
They have been campaigning hard for the retention of 377A,
portraying themselves as under siege from “homosexual activists”,
when the truth is that it's the equal rights advocates who have the
uphill battle here.
They are so worried about any possibility of treating homosexuals
with equality that they have pretty much begun campaigning against
same-sex marriage before the conversation in Singapore has even
gone that way.
Even the Health Promotion Board’s FAQ on sexuality was too much for
them. Any presentation of information – however backed up it might
be by science and respected international organisations – that does
not label homosexuality as an abomination is unacceptable for Khong
and LoveSingapore. They are not “against people”, but they would
deny said people access to information that could provide support
and even save lives.
They are not “against people”, but Khong has no problem lumping
homosexuals in with wife-beaters, murderers and paedophiles.
“Hate the sin but love the sinner” is a common enough religious
teaching. But this is not what's happening in the case of Khong and
LoveSingapore.
One cannot campaign so hard and for so long against the rights of
gay people and still claim not to be against them. One cannot say
things that are inflammatory and prejudicial against gay people and
still claim not to be a homophobe.
Opposing the right of gay people to live and love as they want to
is to be against them. Opposing the right of gay people to
information on mental and sexual health is to be against
them.
The issue of gay rights is an important one. Public discourse is
important.
But we cannot let Khong and LoveSingapore dominate the discussion
with their misrepresentation and prejudice.
Charming gentleman gives kindly dating advice to Singaporean
guys :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RacUarGPZNA
Play this video : https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152277792717533
Check out the "29 Missing Children" slideshow at the end of the
article below. Just in the USA alone, many thousands of children
(and many more thousands of people) go mysteriously missing every
year. Poor kids, hope they're all right somehow, or at least no
longer suffering.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/07/abigail-hernandez-missing_n_4404021.html
Primary schoolgirl knocked down by taxi at Sembawang :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQDRnRTs390
http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/singaporeseen/in-the-heartlands/a-dash-across-the-road-and-schoolgirl-gets-knocked-down-by-cab
The story of a (financially) poor Ang Moh in Singapore
http://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/think-surviving-5-day-easy-160000547.html
If this was really a case of a unlucky random target by a
psycho, then everyone gotta be more careful (with an increasing
number of psychopaths in Singapore these days). Just becoz you
don't find trouble, doesn't mean trouble don't find you.
Man ambushed and slashed clubber more than 10 times at Golden Mile
nightclub
http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/singaporeseen/this-urban-jungle/man-ambushed-and-slashed-clubber-more-than-10-times-at-golden-mile-nightclub
Singaporean ladies, do be extra careful when visiting JB (but
why would you even want to?).
