Since young, I always wanna to work in the front office of the hotel... from the looks of it, it is grand, highly respected with a big cheque in the pocket monthly... but I said... from the looks of it.... behind the looks it is nothing but a backstabbing field between depts and a warfield of hurtful gossips.... and of coz, from the uniform you looks super cool but you are surely not as well respected and the pay cheque is also not as well as it looks.... I dun understand... ppl treat you like shit... they think they pay you (the hotel) big bucks and they demand everything from you..... when in fact not even half of what they pay the hotel goes into your pocket daily.... but anyway... without the service personnel in the service industry, it is nothing but an empty shell seriously.... so when you go overseas on holiday think twice before you start screaming at the front office, F&B staffs for peanuts....
Anyway... it is not only the people working in this industry that make this industry.... tourism is basically one of the most profitable industry in the world.... a small island like the Caribbean Islands, can earn big bucks in millions... after being structured into a beautiful peaceful relaxing getaway destination for cruises and tourists around the world... looks at Maldives... it has nothing but beaches and resorts... but making full use of it means you have enough for the rest of your life... provided nothing happen to the only natural assets you earn the money from... many destinations has followed suit in this trend... Bali, Bintan, Aruba...making full use of their natural asssets... of coz ignoring the fact that without proper protection and sustainable use, the negative impacts of continued usage will slowly set in and destroy the destination in a couple of years time......
But sometimes it is not just the natural assets of the destination that allow the country / island to prosper in the tourism industry.... a tourist destination can be created from bare hands... For example: building a Disneyland at St John Island.... it can also become a tourist attraction from nothing..... and like what Singapore is doing now... Build a Integrated Resort with a casino and a grand hotel turning it into a mini Las Vegas where people in Asia dun have to travel all the way to Las Vegas to enjoy the spectacular lights, the grand atmosphere and of coz, the chance to place some stakes on the gambling table in turn for a profit.... so the key point is if you have no natural assets, build something that attracts....
Sometimes it is the culture of the people that makes it into a tourism destination.... people can build a tourist destination..... so if you know how to make full use of the people... you might be able to create a niche for yourself somewhere... cultural tourism is the word... why?? In each country, they have a unique culture and tradition.. Thai culture, Indonesian culture, Japanese & Korean culture, Netherlands, Argentina, China, Mongolia... they all have their own unique and distinct characteristics when it comes to culture and traditions.... there is always something special about each country with their unique way of living.... and sometimes that is what people travel for... to experience other people cultures.... even for Singapore... we have our own unique culture being a multi racial society... with a mix of culture and religions.... we travel to Japan toto experience sleeping on a tatami... eating traditional Japanese food.. right??
Making a tourism destination might be easy... but breaking a tourism destination is even more easy... without proper planning and sustainable use, natural destinations might vanish one day... you might go to Pulau Redang and see a bunch of dead corals, no fishes, lots of plastic bags / floating water bottles and brown muddy water 20 years down the road... for man made tourist destinations... without constant upgrading and opening of new attractions, noone will ever wan to return to Disneyland 20 years in a row... you most probably go there once, tell everyone you have been to Disneyland and that's it... enough forever.... casinos maybe not... hahaha... after all, there will never be an end to gambling.... unless one day everyone decide to quit gambling.. which is unlikely and totally impossible.... for cultural destinations... culture are fading fast with the older generations gone, old traditions are vanishing at a fast rate... unless the government or the younger generations step in to protect and guard these old traditions, perhaps 10 years down the road, you might not be able to find some of the cultures now... for example: as more people from the hill tribes in Mongolia slowly moves into the city for higher earning jobs... the culture of the hill tribes will slowly vanish.... sad but true......
All of the above happens after a long period of time... but within a short period of time, things can also happen.. affecting the tourist appeal of the destination.... for example: a bombing, riots, war or natural disasters... Phuket has been seriously affected from the tsurami incident... Bali has been badly affected by the Bali bombing... Phillippines and Indonesia has yet to fully recovered from the constant riots and fightings of its own people... Malaysia is now threatened by the increasing crime rates and the increasing tourist complaints... and Pattaya, Thailand just got smacked right in the face with a murder of two tourists at one of the famous beaches... people get scared for their own safety.. and of coz when faced with some threats like this, rather switched their tourist destination to somewhere safer and not risk their life paying money to be one of the unlucky fews not to make it back safety...
Tourism... make it or break it.....it can earn you big bucks... but it has always been that fragile....
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Friday, February 23, 2007
Peace of Mind
Previous few weeks, read in the newspaper about this guy who died in a bike accident. He is on his way to meet up with his gf for dinner when the accident happen. The gf who was waiting at her place, started to panic when he did not turn up after an hour. She bombed his mobile with smses and calls but in vain.. until a police officer picked up her call and informed her that her bf is dead....
Today... read in the newspaper about a group of Malays who rid their bikes up to Genting Highlands for a holiday... brothers, frenz and gerfrenz all together.... they made it safety up to Genting.... then one of the guys received a call from another of their motorbike frenz who is in Thailand informing him that he met up with an accident and cant ride back due to an injured hand... so two of the guys after sending the rest back to Singapore rode up to Thailand to help the frenz in need... in the end instead of helping the frenz in need, they died in an accident at North-South Highway near to Ipoh, Malaysia.... their gfs tried to persuade them about the dangers of the trip.. but their bfs never listen to them....and in turn reassure them that nothing will happen.... but sad to say, something did happen..... and you will never have the chance to regret making that decision....
They were riding a 1300cc motorbike... I bet they trusted their own riding skills and their powerful bike so much that they thought it wouldnt be that much of a problem riding to and fro to Thailand....I wonder how would their frenz in need feels.. you asked your frenz to ride up there to help you in the end you are still alive and kicking.... whereas your frenz is dead..... you would never have thought that would happen... after all so many people made it safety to and fro before......but sad to say, not in their case.. they were just one of the unlucky fews who cant make it back.... North-South Highways in Malaysia is a very dangerous place no matter whether you are riding or driving... accidents happen all the time........ you cant gurantee nothing will happen.... no matter you are alone, with frenz or in a big group of khakis..... all you can do is pray or perhaps bet with the possbility that you are the 90% out of 100% to make it back safety...
Frankly speaking, from the bottom of my heart... I am soooo glad dar sold his bike........ becoz I can nv imagine both cases happening to me....
Today... read in the newspaper about a group of Malays who rid their bikes up to Genting Highlands for a holiday... brothers, frenz and gerfrenz all together.... they made it safety up to Genting.... then one of the guys received a call from another of their motorbike frenz who is in Thailand informing him that he met up with an accident and cant ride back due to an injured hand... so two of the guys after sending the rest back to Singapore rode up to Thailand to help the frenz in need... in the end instead of helping the frenz in need, they died in an accident at North-South Highway near to Ipoh, Malaysia.... their gfs tried to persuade them about the dangers of the trip.. but their bfs never listen to them....and in turn reassure them that nothing will happen.... but sad to say, something did happen..... and you will never have the chance to regret making that decision....
They were riding a 1300cc motorbike... I bet they trusted their own riding skills and their powerful bike so much that they thought it wouldnt be that much of a problem riding to and fro to Thailand....I wonder how would their frenz in need feels.. you asked your frenz to ride up there to help you in the end you are still alive and kicking.... whereas your frenz is dead..... you would never have thought that would happen... after all so many people made it safety to and fro before......but sad to say, not in their case.. they were just one of the unlucky fews who cant make it back.... North-South Highways in Malaysia is a very dangerous place no matter whether you are riding or driving... accidents happen all the time........ you cant gurantee nothing will happen.... no matter you are alone, with frenz or in a big group of khakis..... all you can do is pray or perhaps bet with the possbility that you are the 90% out of 100% to make it back safety...
Frankly speaking, from the bottom of my heart... I am soooo glad dar sold his bike........ becoz I can nv imagine both cases happening to me....
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Things just keep spoiling....
Things arent going well for me beginning of this new year lo...
First my computer graphics card is problematic... my computer screen keep flashing if not it will auto start down by itself or prompt me a blue screen with some funny words and rows of numbers telling me there is an error and I will need to restart my com in safe mode... and worst... after I restart the computer will prompt me with a popup that said "your computer have just suffered a serious error" dotz.. bloody hell I dun even know what is going on lo... gone case... I am especially idiot when it comes to computer hardware....
Then today I went to Blk 300+ for dinner with my family.. after we finished the dinner, while walking back home, mum stopped over a watch shop to change her watch's battery... then bro brought an alarm clock and I brought a cheapo no brand watch for 35 bucks... I cant wear anything expensive la.. being the clumsy me.. either I will lose or spoil it in the end........ anyway the important thing is.. as the shop lady was helping me to cut short my watch's strap, my specs went into pieces.... somehow the screw on the right hand side of my specs (the small little screw that is holding on to the frame that surround the lens) went loose and my entire frame snapped apart releasing the right hand side lens... thank god my lens is plastic.. if not it would have broken into pieces when it fell on the floor... everything just happen in that spilt second I didnt have any time to react before my eyesight went blurry... in the end got to walk back home without my specs.... luckily can still see a bit... bro and dad helped me to screw the frame back..but the specs still a bit loose.... doubt it can survive any longer....
Sat got driving lesson at 10am in the morning.... what if my specs fell apart then..?? Jialat.... but more jialat is hor... I will have to spend some money soon lo.... aiyoh... there goes all my ang baos money.... which isnt even enough to cover the cost of replacing my specs... kaos......... *heart pain*...
First my computer graphics card is problematic... my computer screen keep flashing if not it will auto start down by itself or prompt me a blue screen with some funny words and rows of numbers telling me there is an error and I will need to restart my com in safe mode... and worst... after I restart the computer will prompt me with a popup that said "your computer have just suffered a serious error" dotz.. bloody hell I dun even know what is going on lo... gone case... I am especially idiot when it comes to computer hardware....
Then today I went to Blk 300+ for dinner with my family.. after we finished the dinner, while walking back home, mum stopped over a watch shop to change her watch's battery... then bro brought an alarm clock and I brought a cheapo no brand watch for 35 bucks... I cant wear anything expensive la.. being the clumsy me.. either I will lose or spoil it in the end........ anyway the important thing is.. as the shop lady was helping me to cut short my watch's strap, my specs went into pieces.... somehow the screw on the right hand side of my specs (the small little screw that is holding on to the frame that surround the lens) went loose and my entire frame snapped apart releasing the right hand side lens... thank god my lens is plastic.. if not it would have broken into pieces when it fell on the floor... everything just happen in that spilt second I didnt have any time to react before my eyesight went blurry... in the end got to walk back home without my specs.... luckily can still see a bit... bro and dad helped me to screw the frame back..but the specs still a bit loose.... doubt it can survive any longer....
Sat got driving lesson at 10am in the morning.... what if my specs fell apart then..?? Jialat.... but more jialat is hor... I will have to spend some money soon lo.... aiyoh... there goes all my ang baos money.... which isnt even enough to cover the cost of replacing my specs... kaos......... *heart pain*...
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Valentine Finale
I have been too tired to blog recently... why am I so tired...?? I have no idea... my computer a bit funni recently lei... the screen keeps flashing.. so now a bit scared to open the computer... scared the monitor or whatever shit suddenly die down on me.....
I have many photos to post from Sentosa.. but I very lazy to edit the super big photos and post it up one by one.... slow and ma fun.... but anyway dar gave me a Valentine Day surprise this year...
We were both at work... talking to each other over skype.... and me and my colleagues were just discussing about no flowers being delivered to our office for Valentine day.... then a uncle walked into my office with a super big plastic bag... and called out my name... the first thing that came to my mind "shit man......" and my face started blushing as I signed for it..... I can feel my face being super hot and super red lo..... right up to my ears.. haha.. dar gave me a surprise and have flowers delivered to my office!!!!
Ok I really never expected that to happen... joke of the day in the office loh.. seriously... hahaha.. everyone was laughing at me.... hehehe... dar came and picked me up after work.... most of the office gals on the streets were carrying huge bouquets of flowers... hehehe... I also got... but mine is in a small glass vase.. becoz dar thought that it is more practical for me to decorate up my office table with a vase of roses... hehee.. but I brought it back home.. becoz my boss is allergic to flower pollen... hahaha... ok we went out for dinner... wasnt a nice romantic candlelight dinner at some nice fancy restaurant... we went to the hawker centre at Chinatown... and ate two plates of char kway tiao and one plate of oyster omelette... Valentine Day dinner... cool right?? Hahaha
After dinner, we went to the beach to sit for a while... the place where we first met, where feelings developed... and where we had our first date... ahhaha....
Seriously I dun think there is any big deal about Valentine Day... to me everyday can be Valentine Day... you dun have to wait until Valentine day to bring me to restaurants and give me flowers... then happily ignore the rest of 364 days.. how pathetic can the ger be??? So sad sia....
Anyway even though I insisted on not buying any gifts specially for Valentine Day.. dar went ahead and brought me a pendant... and thank god guessing that he had that up his sleeve... I brought him a wireless bluetooth headset in return.. but I got him a super lousy one...that toopidz headset need to press at least 4 secs before it can be used... damn.. so lousy with gadgets..
Ok I am going to end this blog with a photo of my pendant.. and the rest are sweet memories....
I have many photos to post from Sentosa.. but I very lazy to edit the super big photos and post it up one by one.... slow and ma fun.... but anyway dar gave me a Valentine Day surprise this year...
We were both at work... talking to each other over skype.... and me and my colleagues were just discussing about no flowers being delivered to our office for Valentine day.... then a uncle walked into my office with a super big plastic bag... and called out my name... the first thing that came to my mind "shit man......" and my face started blushing as I signed for it..... I can feel my face being super hot and super red lo..... right up to my ears.. haha.. dar gave me a surprise and have flowers delivered to my office!!!!
Ok I really never expected that to happen... joke of the day in the office loh.. seriously... hahaha.. everyone was laughing at me.... hehehe... dar came and picked me up after work.... most of the office gals on the streets were carrying huge bouquets of flowers... hehehe... I also got... but mine is in a small glass vase.. becoz dar thought that it is more practical for me to decorate up my office table with a vase of roses... hehee.. but I brought it back home.. becoz my boss is allergic to flower pollen... hahaha... ok we went out for dinner... wasnt a nice romantic candlelight dinner at some nice fancy restaurant... we went to the hawker centre at Chinatown... and ate two plates of char kway tiao and one plate of oyster omelette... Valentine Day dinner... cool right?? Hahaha
After dinner, we went to the beach to sit for a while... the place where we first met, where feelings developed... and where we had our first date... ahhaha....
Seriously I dun think there is any big deal about Valentine Day... to me everyday can be Valentine Day... you dun have to wait until Valentine day to bring me to restaurants and give me flowers... then happily ignore the rest of 364 days.. how pathetic can the ger be??? So sad sia....
Anyway even though I insisted on not buying any gifts specially for Valentine Day.. dar went ahead and brought me a pendant... and thank god guessing that he had that up his sleeve... I brought him a wireless bluetooth headset in return.. but I got him a super lousy one...that toopidz headset need to press at least 4 secs before it can be used... damn.. so lousy with gadgets..
Ok I am going to end this blog with a photo of my pendant.. and the rest are sweet memories....
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Valentine Prelude...
For this year Valentine.. we have a 2 days 1 night pre-celebration over the weekend at Costa Sands Sentosa. Acting like a tourist, we went to tour around Sentosa like we have never been there in our life... we went to Underwater World, Pink Dolphin Lagoon, Sky Ride, Musical Fountain, the pubs and the beaches... different from the past is this time we drove Baby Pica in.. so we get to explore every single inch of Sentosa without squeezing with people on the bus and of coz waiting for the bus......
The first day we were running around the attractions whereas the second day was more of a rest & relax day.. basically we took a beach mat and laid down on the beach.... soaked in the water for quite a bit.. and went back home dead tired... wahahaha
Pictures will be posted soon on my Sentosa trip....
The first day we were running around the attractions whereas the second day was more of a rest & relax day.. basically we took a beach mat and laid down on the beach.... soaked in the water for quite a bit.. and went back home dead tired... wahahaha
Pictures will be posted soon on my Sentosa trip....
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Holiday Mood...
You know.. it is so much different going on a holiday with my family / my frenz / my darling....
Going on a holiday with my darling is soo much more fun.... even though it is only across a bridge to Sentosa... like you start looking forward to it.... then it makes you so happy inside out.... just like a small kid who just keep screaming "Yippess I am going on a holiday!!!!"
Last time when i wanna go on a holiday, it is because i need to get away.. be it from work or anything else... I just need to go somewhere quiet, have some time to myself, relax and work my life out....
But going on a holiday with my darling is different... it is not to get away from anything... it is to break through the normal norms and do something different... and of coz to spend more precious time together...
Seriously I cant explain any reasons why.... I see him every weekend.. but it is never enough..because time always flies past in a blink of an eye when we are together... (or maybe becoz we always sleep through half of the day)... but somehow after we finish washing Baby Pica, half of our Sunday is gone... and it is back to bluey Monday...
But maybe it is because we only get to spend weekends together now, that's why we treasure it so much... but the funni thing about human nature is this... a little bit is never enough.. but alot is too much... I asked my darling the other day... if we are going to see each other everyday... 24 hours... 365 days... like when we are married and staying together... do you think we will still look forward to seeing each other, do you think we will still look forward to meeting each other.. or spending time with each other like how we do now...the answer for both parties is NO... sad but true...
Hey this is life.... by that time everything is a habit... so you are so used to doing the same thing everything, the craving wun be there anymore.... just like when you have the craving for bak kut teh one day... you have it once and stop... perhaps after a week you will still have the cravings for it again... but if you eat it everyday... dun even talk about cravings, you will get so sick of it that you dun even wan to snift it at all..
Maybe breaks are not that bad after all.. because it is only during breaks you realise how important the person is to you and how much you miss him / her when he / she is away
Going on a holiday with my darling is soo much more fun.... even though it is only across a bridge to Sentosa... like you start looking forward to it.... then it makes you so happy inside out.... just like a small kid who just keep screaming "Yippess I am going on a holiday!!!!"
Last time when i wanna go on a holiday, it is because i need to get away.. be it from work or anything else... I just need to go somewhere quiet, have some time to myself, relax and work my life out....
But going on a holiday with my darling is different... it is not to get away from anything... it is to break through the normal norms and do something different... and of coz to spend more precious time together...
Seriously I cant explain any reasons why.... I see him every weekend.. but it is never enough..because time always flies past in a blink of an eye when we are together... (or maybe becoz we always sleep through half of the day)... but somehow after we finish washing Baby Pica, half of our Sunday is gone... and it is back to bluey Monday...
But maybe it is because we only get to spend weekends together now, that's why we treasure it so much... but the funni thing about human nature is this... a little bit is never enough.. but alot is too much... I asked my darling the other day... if we are going to see each other everyday... 24 hours... 365 days... like when we are married and staying together... do you think we will still look forward to seeing each other, do you think we will still look forward to meeting each other.. or spending time with each other like how we do now...the answer for both parties is NO... sad but true...
Hey this is life.... by that time everything is a habit... so you are so used to doing the same thing everything, the craving wun be there anymore.... just like when you have the craving for bak kut teh one day... you have it once and stop... perhaps after a week you will still have the cravings for it again... but if you eat it everyday... dun even talk about cravings, you will get so sick of it that you dun even wan to snift it at all..
Maybe breaks are not that bad after all.. because it is only during breaks you realise how important the person is to you and how much you miss him / her when he / she is away
Monday, February 05, 2007
ROM Venue..
Hmm... havent decide on anything yet...
But first let worry about the venue... wahahaha...
So many places to choose from....
Now I think I have more or less lessen my venue choices...
For now I have decided not to use the packages at "Love that binds"... it is cheap..but unless I am rushing for time.. I will try as much as I can not to take their "easy" packages... unless I do my ROM there and have my buffet / dinner somewhere else... but then might as well just do everything elsewhere right??
After all, I studied event management for so many years... I think this should be the one and only time I will be putting all that I have learned into good use... so I should be able to plan well for my ROM...
Anyway... now I am deciding between Rasa Sentosa Resort, Sembawang Yacht Club or Amara Hotel... Rather keen on Amara Hotel though.. after seeing some nice photographs of the venue...
We shall see
But first let worry about the venue... wahahaha...
So many places to choose from....
Now I think I have more or less lessen my venue choices...
For now I have decided not to use the packages at "Love that binds"... it is cheap..but unless I am rushing for time.. I will try as much as I can not to take their "easy" packages... unless I do my ROM there and have my buffet / dinner somewhere else... but then might as well just do everything elsewhere right??
After all, I studied event management for so many years... I think this should be the one and only time I will be putting all that I have learned into good use... so I should be able to plan well for my ROM...
Anyway... now I am deciding between Rasa Sentosa Resort, Sembawang Yacht Club or Amara Hotel... Rather keen on Amara Hotel though.. after seeing some nice photographs of the venue...
We shall see
Thursday, February 01, 2007
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