What’s annoying & dumb in Singapore?
Here’s a list of annoyances and dumb acts by Singaporeans that never fail to irritate the hell out of me or at least make me wonder are humans that smart after all?
This list will grow as I encounter new ones. My readers please feel free to leave your comments with your own examples.
In no particular order.
1. Robotic female voice in taxis saying “Please fasten your seatbelt”
How many of us actually give a damn about that lifeless voice? For hundreds of times I take a cab without fastening the seatbelt, no cabby has never asked me to when the system fails to convince me. I would love to hear a more natural warm female voice saying something like “Please fasten your sealbelt for your safety”, then I will consider doing so. Hope I don’t meet with an accident before that!
2. Seeing people using “hands-free” with their hands
Don’t you think it’s really dumb when people are holding their mobile phones in one hand and fiddling with the the wires and buttons with the other, and continue doing that throughout the whole conversation? For goodness sake, if you are going to hold the phone in your hand, might as well hold it up to your ear and save the trouble of fiddling with wires and making the other side wait.
3. This machine cannot dispense $20, do you wish to withdraw $50?
I personally hate this as I don’t like to carry too much cash with me. I tend to spend it all away so I carry little to prevent myself from spending it on junk. I’m getting poorer because these stupid machines don’t have enough $10 notes. Alright, it’s my fault.
4. Teenagers blasting Chinese pop songs from their mp3 phones in public
I don’t mind if it’s Jay Chou or some really talented singer. Most of the time it’s some brainless meaningless pop songs (noises) that’s just plain irritating. What you like, others might not like. Listen at home please.
5. BASEMENT by Wisma Atria
Some event by Wisma Atria to save their basement business after SMRT closed the underpass linking Orchard Station and Wisma Atria. The name is just dumb. I’ve heard of “Eternity by Calvin Klein”, “Time by Raymond Weil” but what’s the big deal with a basement? What’s next? TOILET by Vivocity?
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Singapore » Blog Archive » Tri-Hoops on Dec 17, 06 – 1:35 am
[…] Here sa list of annoyances and dumb acts by Singaporeans that never fail to irritate the hell out of me or at least make me wonder are humans that smart after all? This list will grow as I encounter new ones. My readers please feel free … – more – […]
d on Dec 20, 06 – 8:59 pm
one of the most prominent teenage/young adults clothing spaces in melbourne is called basement. i personally think it’s a very cool albeit explicitly simple term
Aen on Dec 21, 06 – 4:01 am
The one in Wisma isn’t even a name for something as cool as that. It’s actually for the actual basement. And it’s not even Basement “@” Wisma Atria. It’s Basement “by” Wisma Atria.
Daniel on Apr 26, 07 – 1:42 pm
I hate the way when teenagers blast their mp3 phones on trains, Singaporean adults don’t do anything about it. In the US the teenagers would be cussed at and shamed (or threatened!). In Singapore the adults don’t bother to do anything. If they can’t stand up to dumb teenagers, how would they behave during a genocide or political unrest? Like Germans under the Nazis? Scary.
Aen on Apr 26, 07 – 2:11 pm
Maybe something like Hitler will wake us up.
kwokheng on Apr 27, 07 – 3:10 am
ahh. but basement at myers is hyper-designed.
even the signage type conforms to the retail space design.
Aen on Apr 30, 07 – 5:04 am
Where’s myers?
kwokheng on May 06, 07 – 2:44 am
Hi Aen:
Myers is the equivalent of Tangs for Australia.
basement is the youth section of Myers; the basement that d (on Dec 20, 06 ”“ 8:59 pm) mentioned.
kwokheng on May 06, 07 – 3:01 am
Some photos i found (not much but does give a feel of sorts):
http://flickr.com/photos/s2art/tags/thebasement/
The other thing that’s VERY big about myer in melbourne is its ‘christmas windows’ (it’s part of every melburnian’s childhood and is a longstanding tradition of sorts):
http://www.myer.com.au/about/christmas.asp
Myer’s christmas windows is one clear testament to the city’s thriving arts scene because the window displays are nothing short of something like an art installation.
kwokheng on May 06, 07 – 3:03 am
Sorry for my messy replies.
More photos: http://flickr.com/search/?q=basement%20myer%20melbourne&w=all&s=int
Aen on May 06, 07 – 5:07 am
Simply fantastic. Wisma’s is nowhere near this.
Thanks kwok… it’s an eye-opener!
kwokheng on May 06, 07 – 4:02 pm
You’re welcome. :)
kwokheng on May 12, 07 – 2:34 pm
(though the little niche indie designer shops are more interesting. more edgy.)
kwokheng on May 12, 07 – 2:45 pm
it’s also worth taking a look at melb’s retail strategy for 2006-2012. i think designers and SMEs tend not to look at the strategy stuff in singapore. but the way the strategy is being done for melb for 2006-2012 is well worth a look.
tata,
kh