Singapore surprises

[zzm9980]

- An SQ stand dishing out $10 off flights 'home' vouchers.

... and that's how it goes...

$10? On SQ? Can you use it all at once? So generous la. I'm sure it's only valid if you show up at their ticketing desk at the airport and buy a full price ticket anyway.

Their COL calculator is a bit optimistic. I'd love to know where you can rent a condo for $2,000/month.

[JR8]

The nice ex-Singaporeans on that website look distinctly non-Singaporean.

The Archer lady looks oriental.

And check her name Dr. Thing! And what kind of name is Vrizlynn? Most unusual. The lady went to do a PhD in London, and returned home to SG afterwards. I'm unsure how that constitutes winning over someone who had decided to leave SG.

The other, Gabriel Lim, returned to SG, but only because his FT friend in SG offered him a job. How richly ironic is that!

[nakatago]

And check her name Dr. Thing! And what kind of name is Vrizlynn?

No longer surprises me, given the number of misspelled common western names among the population.

[BedokAmerican]

The first poster mentioned supermarkets.

I've learned that if I see a product I "might want" or "aren't sure" about, go ahead and buy it and buy enough of it. Otherwise, if you go back for it the next week (or even the next day), it'll possibly be gone and might not be in stock again for a long time.

About fruit, depending on the grocery store, sometimes flies fly around fruit indoors and that kind of shocked me that they allowed that and didn't spray (people should wash fruit before eating it anyway). Also, I was at a major grocery store last week and saw a roach on the snack food aisle. I accidentally gasped so loud that a stock person down the aisle looked at me. I motioned him to come over and he did and I pointed at the roach. He went and got one of the other employees who killed it. This guy just acted like he's done this a thousand times and had the roach-killing routine down pat. I'm glad he killed the roach but was kind of surprised to see one in a major grocery store.

[Hannieroo]

You can wash fly off or limited roach off, you can't wash off pesticide that has penetrated the produce. Considering it's grown outside and then shipped it's probably been crawled all over by all manner of things.

I used to get freaked about until I learned that the American food industry has an acceptable level of insect bits in it's packaged foods. Microscopic bits but bug eye in your cheerios all the same.

[sundaymorningstaple]

You can wash fly off or limited roach off, you can't wash off pesticide that has penetrated the produce. Considering it's grown outside and then shipped it's probably been crawled all over by all manner of things.

I used to get freaked about until I learned that the American food industry has an acceptable level of insect bits in it's packaged foods. Microscopic bits but bug eye in your cheerios all the same.

I assume that you will never eat rice while you are in Singapore, either at home or in the various types of eating houses here. The amount of weevils in a 10 kg sack of rice will put you right off if you are squeemish about insects. Those bright white grains of rice? Not the normal ivory colored ones, are hosts to weevil larva that will eventually hatch into a healthy horny weevel looking for other healthy horny weevils to propagate with. But always remember that rice is a starch and therefore innately bad for the body so the protein that the insect bits provide a counterpoint to help offset the starch.

[BedokAmerican]

You can wash fly off or limited roach off, you can't wash off pesticide that has penetrated the produce. Considering it's grown outside and then shipped it's probably been crawled all over by all manner of things.

I used to get freaked about until I learned that the American food industry has an acceptable level of insect bits in it's packaged foods. Microscopic bits but bug eye in your cheerios all the same.

Ok, good point about the pesticides, but a grocery chain should be able to afford monthly pest control services--cover the produce and spray the baseboards and corners...that kind of stuff.

But back to the topic of what was surprising about Singapore, one of the items mentioned was cleanliness or lack thereof.

[Hannieroo]

Heh, no. Doesn't bother me. You eat a peck o' shit before you die.

That was my point, bugs and bits are everywhere but have a far less damaging, in my opinion, potential than the chemicals designed to kill them. Plus if it's good enough for General Foods, it's good enough for me.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I'll second the peck. In fact, in my 65 years it's probably more like a bushel & a peck! But because of that and the fact that I beat virtually insurmountable odds just to walk on this dirt ball, my immune system is virtually impenetrable. I've had, what I think may have been a flu bug for 18 hours 10 years ago when my FiL (who lived with me) here in Singapore and my stepmother in the US died on the same day and I made two round trips to the East Coast of the USofA and back in 7 days. It think me biorhythms were probably well & truly screwed by that time. Otherwise, employers love me as I just don't get sick.

[nakatago]

But back to the topic of what was surprising about Singapore, one of the items mentioned was cleanliness or lack thereof.

But that's what makes very select hawker food so good!

[Hannieroo]

Yes, that surprised me. People are not taught to be tidy, they are taught that someone will clean it up. Amazes me when you see an overflowing litter bin and they are still shoving stuff in that then falls to the ground rather than keeping hold of it and looking for another/taking it home.

It's your best bet. Your immune system is worth nothing if you don't keep it fit.

I am sorry for your losses, that must have been a very tough time for you all.

[x9200]

About fruit, depending on the grocery store, sometimes flies fly around fruit indoors and that kind of shocked me that they allowed that and didn't spray (people should wash fruit before eating it anyway). Also, I was at a major grocery store last week and saw a roach on the snack food aisle. I accidentally gasped so loud that a stock person down the aisle looked at me. I motioned him to come over and he did and I pointed at the roach. He went and got one of the other employees who killed it. This guy just acted like he's done this a thousand times and had the roach-killing routine down pat. I'm glad he killed the roach but was kind of surprised to see one in a major grocery store.

How about this: I bough once some prepacked, vacuum sealed, pork sausages and after arriving home I discovered that some of them are greenish. I went back to the store (so called reputable chain) and complained. They apologized and exchanged to a new pack with more healthy colors. Next day I was shopping in the same place and guess what I found on the shelf. Yes, the same pack of the greened sausages.

[Sergei82]

Yes, that surprised me. People are not taught to be tidy, they are taught that someone will clean it up. Amazes me when you see an overflowing litter bin and they are still shoving stuff in that then falls to the ground rather than keeping hold of it and looking for another/taking it home.

It's your best bet. Your immune system is worth nothing if you don't keep it fit.

I am sorry for your losses, that must have been a very tough time for you all.

They are taugt to be tidy by hefty fines. Unfortunately, they still urinate on toilet seats: can't catch and fine there... but in one building (I guess, it is Riverwalk?) I saw SGD 500 fine for not flushing the toilet. Looks like they do not understand any common sense, only kick in the ass (in form of fines).

[Hannieroo]

But the fines aren't working. People shouldn't need fining anyway, it's a basic social function.

I have noticed my 5 year old has better aim than some of the workmen I have had in. FFS clean it up.

I am surprised that the most dangerous drivers on the roads appear to be not SG and going by the stickers on the cars I saw today not European either. People that hesitant shouldn't be driving.

[Sergei82]

Fines are working! If not fines, Singapore would have drowned in feces!