Trip back to SG, TKL for Singapore President

Just back from Singapore for a 2-week holiday.

Wow... so much has changed, especially within town. So many private apartments were torn down to make way for high-rise condos. I think many of these owners have struck 'en-bloc' pot of gold.

What I like about Singapore after one and a half years hiatus:

• Food, glorious food.
  From rojak, to peranakan food, to hokkien mee, to just plain hawker centres (no foodcourts please. The food usually sucks!)
• Accessibility.
  Quite impressed with the transport system actually. The digital display of the arrival times is a very good way forward. Also the SMS to find out when your bus is coming. Definitely a plus!
• Shopping.
  After 9pm the nightlife in Orchard and various hawker centres in the suburbs are still vibrant. Gee, it's usually ghost town in Melbourne and I believe for other parts in Australia.
• Family, relatives and friends.
  Of course the usual catching up. Felt like a CEO filled with lunch and dinner appointments nearly everyday.

Dislikes:

• Weather.
  Hot, humid and wet. What do you expect during monsoon season?
• Crowds and congestions.
  Gosh, the jam packed crowds in the trains and buses. Not to mention it was off-peak hour at 2:30pm! Everywhere there are people of all nationalities and races. No wonder Singaporeans have expressed their unhappiness over lack of personal space. I felt stressed even while driving as compared to Melbourne.
• Cost of living.
  Way too expensive as compared to the national average wage.
• The Straits Times.
  All about damage control, one-sided reports and commentaries. Give me a break! And there is this happiness index by the Newpaper. Total waste of space. Er, who decides what components make a common man on the street happy btw?

Also the papers were abuzz with the latest saga:

Tan Kin Lian is keen to run for presidency. Cool or what?! This threw a curve ball because TKL is not on the same platform as Andrew Kuan. TKL was once the CEO of NTUC, a not-easy to meet criteria in order to run for presidency.

About time someone not handpicked by the government steps forward. And the best thing is - we get to vote!

TKL mentioned that if he can gardner 100,000 petitions, he will truly step up the plate.

Singaporeans have always complained that they don't have a choice. Well now is your chance. Don't hesitate and sign the online petition.