5th Most Competitive Economy

*cheers*

*clap*

We're the 5th most competitive economy!

I wonder if this will translate into 5th most competitive bonus.......


Have converted my blogger into beta blogger...which must have been a crazy thing to do. Everything looks so different. Even the sign-in.

Phew

NGOs 1 Singapore 0

The NGOs of the IMF/World Bank Meet in Singapore achieved what the American and Australian Governments could not do. In a rare reversal of its earlier stance, Singapore agreed to allow 22 of the 27 black listed NGO members into the country.

Which makes you wonder which pea-brained scholar was behind this.

There were 2 options which were open to us on the NGOs issue. Either we do a Germany World Cup 2006 and welcome everyone with open arms, or we choose the option more characteristic of Singapore and ban everyone. Once a decision was made, sticking to it was the easy part.

If we had chosen option Germany World Cup 2006, and we do allow them to protest here, (without imposing a million and one restrictions), and they put one toe out of line, then no one in the world would have blamed us if we had deported the whole bloody lot afterwards.

As for option Typical Singapore, if we banned the whole lot, and they move to Batam to sound war drums etc, and they put one toe out of line there, then no one in the world would have blamed us for banning the whole lot.

Given the massive number of NGO members, the odds of them putting even a fingernail out of line is extremely good.

But what did we do? We flip and we flop and we made a u-turn. So first we get flack for not allowing freedom of speech etc, then now we get flack for not giving NGOs enough time to prepare for the trip here. At the same time, now that the NGOs are united in slinging mud at us, what are the odds of them creating trouble in Batam?

For all the money, effort and 4 billion smiles we've put into this, what kind of press coverage in the world news have we gotten? Not about our beautiful country or the hospitality, for news coverage has been centred on the NGOs issue.

For this, NGOs 1 Singapore 0.

That pea-brained scholar who got us into this mess ought to be shot. Sometimes common sense is not so common after all.

Singapore 2006 - IMF/World Bank Meet

This is getting ridiculous!

It's one thing to deny protestors, who probably will not achieve anything constructive other than make a lot of noise, entry into the country. It's another to make your tax-paying citizens suffer so much inconvenience for a bunch of over-paid bureaucrats who probably have never been to this country before and never will, if it is not sponsored and they are not lavished with goodie bags.

I went to buy mooncakes today, and had my bags searched TWICE. The last straw came when they wanted to search my mooncake boxes. Then you realise that being a woman has its advantages.

The policeman who barked out the order looked like a pretty high ranked officer, given the number of pins and accessories on his uniform. Plus, he was in charge of giving out orders, while others did the work.

So it was with great satisfaction, to see him glower and simmer silently when I dished out my empty airhead/spoilt brat behaviour, all the while prattling off in a high pitch tone on what a waste of manpower/tax payer's money this was, and how I didnt see why there was a need to search through my mooncakes.

Cheap thrill I know, but it was a mastercard moment, when out of the corner of my eye, I saw his subordinate suppress a smirk. But honestly, if I could get that near to Westin Swissotel, it was enough to detonate whatever bomb I could be hiding underneath my clothes, ala jihad suicide bomber style.

The lobby of Westin Swissotel looked as though a Police Convention had just ended, with police officerSSSSS loittering around not doing anything construtive. Security reasons, is a line that has been bantered about too often and loosely that it is starting to grate on the ears.

If next year my tax bill goes up, I will know the reason why.

UOB Visa Signature Card

The latest credit card to hit town, with sufficient wow factor, is the UOB Visa Signature Card.

It seems that UOB is Visa's preferred bank in Singapore for launching new cards. Remember that very cutsy Visa mini, which was small enough to sling on your key chain? And if I'm not wrong, but I stand corrected, UOB was the bank that first launched the Visa Platinum card.

The concept behind the travel card is a fantastic one. I mean who can say no to complimentary upgrades to business class travel, discounts at premium hotels, dining priviledges at restaurants worldwide and even having to spend less on the card (as compared to other credit/travel cards) to qualify for the travel perks.

Until of course when you try to use the card and find yourself coming down to earth with an almighty thump. This is provided you were one of those lucky enough to be issued your card early, without having to hear the standard reply that due to overwhelming response at the card launch, processing may take a little while longer. Even as you politely thank the customer service officer, you find yourself wondering why did UOB not deploy more manpower to the processing department to deal with the surge. Perhaps sometimes, even the much vaunted private sector does have its off days.

Anyway, back to gravity, coming back to earth and the realities of trying to use the card. Then you realise as with all other travel packages, the special packages offered by the card is very much tied to the period in which you are travelling. That is, the charges are much higher during peak periods and lower during off peak. Surprisingly, you are not allowed to book travel packages for non-card members if the cardholder is not part of the travelling group. Yes, this applies even to your family members.

And some dates are black out dates, like for example, 'the date you wish to return is a blackout date', the travel planner helpfully informed me. As I did not have an alternative return date, I left without booking my holiday. After I waited at UOB Travel Planners at a queue that did not move for more than 30 minutes!!!

Which made me think how different are the packages offered by this credit card that makes it very different from the tour packages that you can select from Natas/Chan Brothers/SA travel fairs? At least at such travel fairs, consumers can pay for packages using any credit card they fancy, and/or buy packages for family members even if they are not travelling in the group. Failing which, there is the DIY travel package option where consumers book everything via internet and are not subjected to blackout dates. I subsequently booked my tickets online at SIA's website, for the precise same dates that UOB Travel Planners could not issue.

Perhaps I have expectations of a travel card that this card is unable to fulfil. Or perhaps the card was launched a tad too hastily, without having all the concepts thought through. Launching a travel card without any permanent travel benefit differentiating it is shooting yourself in the foot; since even complimentary business travel upgrade is a promotion that ends in October. Having so many terms and conditions attached does not endear the card to its holder either, especially since one has to fork out good money in the process too.

At dinner earlier, the Visa Signature advertisement came on. I spluttered with indignation at the "no black out dates" portion. But you have to give it to them for coming out with such a brilliant tagline - Where will your signature take you?

For me, it's taking me to Hong Kong in October, with my trusty DBS card.