Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Youth Olympic Games - letters and blogs
1.
YOG'S TICKETING MYSTERY
Tickets sell out early, but venues are poorly filled
'Far from a sell-out as organisers had announced.'
'Half-empty venue was evident even on television.'
'Empty venues send the wrong message. Very sad.'
'Sadder still, Tan's parents had to buy tickets.'
2.
Invest same amount of effort in fringe events
"There were at least 4,000 empty seats, he replied.
And he performed at Marina Bay,
which was the site of a grand crowd just three nights ago..."
3.
YOG driver set bad example
"This continued for more than a minute until I managed to get alongside the vehicle
and indicated to the driver that he had been noticed.
He then put down the phone and continued on his way
towards, perhaps, Changi Airport..."
Youth Olympics a Singapore paradox too
Survey results - the Singapore Dream
49 people participated in the survey within 1 day. They gave their views on the two versions of the dream preasented by SM Goh and Lucky Tan. Read the survey report in www.tankinlian.com (see Latest, Singapore Dream)
http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=150
http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=150
Half empty stadiums at the Youth Olympic Games
Many stadiums at the Youth Olympic Games were more than half empty, although the tickets were reportedly sold out.
In the effort to look good, the organizers of the games asked the Ministry of Education to buy the tickets. The Ministry obliged and distributed them to the schools for the students to attend. Many students collected the tickets and did not show up. There is a saying "You can make a horse go the river, but you cannot force the horse to drink the water".
Why didn't the sports fans buy the tickets earlier? Typical Singapore behavior - wait for the last minute, unwilling to plan ahead, maybe can get free tickets!
This challenge has played the organizers of local sports and art events for more than a decade. I hope that our top leaders realize the challenges. They have been sheltered from the realities of the ground due to the hard work of their underlings over the years - to make things look good.
Many Singaporeans do not have time for sports, arts and leisure. They have to work hard to earn enough money to pay for the mortgages of their HDB flats and the high cost of living. The students have to study hard to get a job to pay for these things.
To lead a gracious and cultural life, one needs to earn enough to afford them. Unfortunately, this is out of reach of most ordinary people in Singapore.Not many people earn the high salaries of our government leaders and the elites.
Tan Kin Lian
In the effort to look good, the organizers of the games asked the Ministry of Education to buy the tickets. The Ministry obliged and distributed them to the schools for the students to attend. Many students collected the tickets and did not show up. There is a saying "You can make a horse go the river, but you cannot force the horse to drink the water".
Why didn't the sports fans buy the tickets earlier? Typical Singapore behavior - wait for the last minute, unwilling to plan ahead, maybe can get free tickets!
This challenge has played the organizers of local sports and art events for more than a decade. I hope that our top leaders realize the challenges. They have been sheltered from the realities of the ground due to the hard work of their underlings over the years - to make things look good.
Many Singaporeans do not have time for sports, arts and leisure. They have to work hard to earn enough money to pay for the mortgages of their HDB flats and the high cost of living. The students have to study hard to get a job to pay for these things.
To lead a gracious and cultural life, one needs to earn enough to afford them. Unfortunately, this is out of reach of most ordinary people in Singapore.Not many people earn the high salaries of our government leaders and the elites.
Tan Kin Lian
The cost of security
According to the coroner's report, Victor Yeo fell to death accidentally at the Hilton Hotel on his wedding night. He was locked in the staircase and tried many ways to get out. In desperation, he climbed through a ledge and fell.
I have personally experienced this type of situation in the staircase of some hotels. I like to walk through the staircase for exercise, and found that I could not get back. Sometimes, I had to go all the way down to the ground floor. The signs were usually inadequate - adding to the frustration.
I suspect that this must be a safety regulation from the fire department. It is impractical, probably unnecessary and caused a lot of inconvenience. It has now led to an unfortunate death.
Are there other safety and security regulations that fall in the same category - unnecessary, inconvenient and impractical? There are plenty of them - and they interfere with many aspects of our daily lives.
In the name of protecting the consumer, they expose the consumer to more risks. Some of them falls within the realm of internet banking and airport security, which I have raised many times previously. We need to find the balance between safety and practically.
I have personally experienced this type of situation in the staircase of some hotels. I like to walk through the staircase for exercise, and found that I could not get back. Sometimes, I had to go all the way down to the ground floor. The signs were usually inadequate - adding to the frustration.
I suspect that this must be a safety regulation from the fire department. It is impractical, probably unnecessary and caused a lot of inconvenience. It has now led to an unfortunate death.
Are there other safety and security regulations that fall in the same category - unnecessary, inconvenient and impractical? There are plenty of them - and they interfere with many aspects of our daily lives.
In the name of protecting the consumer, they expose the consumer to more risks. Some of them falls within the realm of internet banking and airport security, which I have raised many times previously. We need to find the balance between safety and practically.
The spoke in public transport
Many commuters are unhappy at the higher fares for public transport, following the implementation of the distance-based fare system. Was there an alternative approach that could have been implemented? Is there still time to implement this alternative approach? Read my views in www.tankinlian.com (Latest).
Improve customer service in Singapore
It is possible for large organizations in Singapore to improve their customer service. By taking the lead, they can set the standard for other organizations to follow. I wish to share my experience with a large insurance company that I led in the past. Read my story in www.tankinlian.com (search for "customer service"). The strategies can be adopted easily in most organizations, - large and small.
Here is the link to the article: http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=140
Here is the link to the article: http://tankinlian.com/admin/file.aspx?id=140
Divorce Software | Divorce Settlement Software | Law Office Software
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Call for champions to help FISCA
Are you able to help FISCA in any of the roles listed below:
membership relations
media and public relations
education
research
and others ....
If you wish to spend some time to assist FISCA, please complete this form
http://www.fisca.sg/financial_education?mode=PostView&bmi=401275
membership relations
media and public relations
education
research
and others ....
If you wish to spend some time to assist FISCA, please complete this form
http://www.fisca.sg/financial_education?mode=PostView&bmi=401275
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