4/09/2014

The authentic versus the fake

It seems that the Tourist Board is having second thoughts about the fakes and imitation tourist attractions that are sprouting up in the islands. With so much money pumped into the fakes, and with minimal returns, not mentioning that the bigger they are the bigger will the white elephant stand out, trying to justify their existence, to cover cost, is going to be a mammoth task. And for the poor guys that are tasked to promote such fakes and with targets that could not be met, it is a daunting and stressful proposition.
How much more would have to be coughed out upfront to build the fake gardens in the Marina Bay and how much would be needed to keep the glass, concrete and steel structures in good conditions and the plants in them comfortable? How many visitors are needed to be herded to these fake contraptions to just break even? And why would visitors from the temperate countries flew all the way here to see temperate plants? With travelling cost spiraling down, the hot land people would have no problem flying to the temperate countries to see the real things.
 

Has anyone wondered why the African states did not build such fakes? Did anyone ask why tourists are flocking to Africa to see the authentic and barren African grassland and savannah or the Amazon jungles? Oops, shouldn’t say these to give people the idea of creating an African wild park or an Amazon jungle, or they have already done that? And all it needs is a cut in the power or energy supply and all the plants in the greenhouses would turn to dust and the structures into wasteland.
 

How long would these fake attractions last compare to the Botanic Garden that has been in existence for more than a hundred years, and needing pittance for its upkeep? Millions of people have spent their times, several generations, in the natural environment of the garden. It is an eco system that is self sustaining, with minimal upkeep in trimmings, grass cuttings and trash clearing. The Botanic Garden, a genuine tropical garden, will continue to exist for the next few hundred years as a tropical self sustaining ecosystem. How long would the fake gardens survive without pumping more and more money for its upkeep?
 

The Botanic Garden is like the mature states of Europe, attaining a certain balance and equilibrium, not much haste or farce, but existing quietly and peacefully as part of the natural habitat. The fakes will need more and more effort to get the buzz going, a lot of effort to keep its artificial vibrancy that is unnatural and unbalanced, just like the haste and fast pace of development in this city. Just pull the plug and all will come to a stand still.
 

What is needed is to strike a natural balance, not too much haste and pace, a natural swing and momentum of its own. The high pace of social and economic activities and the chase for vibrancy are unsustainable. It will need more and more effort to keep the wheel spinning, all for the sake of spinning the wheel.
 

Yes, the authentic and natural attractions of the islands are what the tourists would want to see, would fly half way across the world to see. They don’t come for the fakes. And the authentic way of life does not need expensive upkeeping to stay attractive. Think the vastness of wild Africa and the likes of Nepal and Tibet, the seas of Maldives. There is no need to spend a couple of billions to built funny structures to attract tourists. Think the Bugis Street of the past and the present Little India and Geylang. These are the real stuff and cost free.
 

How long can we keep pumping steroids to keep things going at this frantic rate?

Kopi level - Green

33 comments:

  1. If no fakes, where got projects for the well paid bureaucrats to do and KPI to achieve, u tell me lah?

    If no foreign talents, where got GDP growth and KPIs for ministrer bonuses, u tell me lah?

    If no postings by RB, where got kopi kau for RB to drink, u tell me lah?

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  2. RB, now Bo bian Liao as already built so die die must keep it going. It attracted many sinkies to visit as those sinkies can not afford to see the real thing but as for tourists from the north and the west, they can see the real stuff so no need to visit lar.

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  3. Singapore was not a barren piece of rock or sleepy fishing village until LKY and the PAPigs "founded" us.

    Singapore was a thriving city even before 1965. It was a crown jewel amongst all of the British colonies.
    The British thought so too.
    They lost a lot of resources trying to defend Singapore in World war Two.

    But PAPigs have an ideological need to "develop" Singapore into a model (fake) city state.
    This is consistent with other fascist ideology like Hitler's Nazi party to build a new Germany.
    Remember the Olympic Games in Nazi Germany in 1936.
    Compare with the Youth Olympics in Singapore in 2010.

    PAPig ideology is costing Singaporeans a lot of money.
    Can Singaporeans afford such an expensive government?

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  4. Pull the plug and entire bay garden will turn dome to doom?

    Are you sure?
    When we had our drought earlier, all the trees and plants were dying of thirst and turning yellow and dry.
    All along holland road/buona vista and village area, and many more. Including botanic garden. The water level in the pond was so bad until the tortoises are coming up for air. Everywhere we are conserving water which makes me wonder how true to the statement is when Bala said as a nation island of 5.3m we can withstand drought up to 1-2 years no problemo.

    But the fake garden is probably the only one still getting the fake attention and watering..they are the ones being attended and watered to. Just think of this analogy and you will see it applies to how it will be with the real nature (local talents) vrsus the fake nature (foreign talents) that need to be nurtured in house by the special elites..

    Apparently, thousand millions of years of evolution where plants and nature can thrive on their own with its own cross pollination successfully (as god would make it - nature is perfect)..but when it comes to red dot and in the PAP hands, they think they can give nature a hand and help it along faster (than God and evolution can)..using taxpayers sweat and money, not to say all the artificial props.

    very smart or dumb...who is playing god...you decide.

    It reminds me all over again, the eugenics and the baby making of the first gen leader.

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  5. Anon 9:58, you are very right and the analogy very appropriate. We will let the Sinkies die but do everything possible to make sure the foreigners are very comfortable.

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  6. The film "Soylent Green", a 1973
    American science fiction
    production directed by Richard
    Fleischer, may interest some of you.

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  7. Gardens are fakes.
    Welfares for the People are also fakes.
    Everything is fake because the talents in the Leadership are themselves fakes.
    Fakes as in that they do not have the slightest sincerity.

    patriot

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  8. Patriot, everything is fake. But would you consider that the talents are real?

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  9. They are fake in their intentions and ability to help Singaporeans.

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  10. foreigners drools about flying all the way to visit our jewel @ the airport. lol

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  11. Nice Green Talk. Just take this artificial stuff as Art/ Design. No way to compare to the natural beauty of Blossom Flower/ Green Plant.

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  12. "But would you consider that the talents are real?"
    RB 11:13 am

    Of course the talents are real because they are available in large numbers and cheap too.

    Are Sinkie talents available in large numbers and cheap too, u tell me lah?

    So how can Sinkie talents be real with no enough Sinkie talents available in the opposition ready to be govt?

    And where it really matters most and also exclusive to Sinkies only?




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  13. Chin Leng;

    the Answer is made available by Dear Anon 1120am. Must say I cant give a better answer than that.

    patriot

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  14. How long, how many visitors would it take to recover the cost of the two mausoleums? Could they even cover the daily running cost?

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  15. If PAP govt can spend $4.3 billion for only 5 km of expressway, what is $1 billion to build Gardens by the Bay and $58M for annual maintenance, u tell me lah?

    Sinkies money no enough and angry with PAP? How many? 40%? 60%?

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  16. By building the Marina coastal Expressway and Gardens by the Bay, I think a lot of smart Sinkies also make money.

    And when smart Sinkies can make money, they will not join opposition.

    And without smart Sinkies joining, the opposition is not ready to be govt.

    When opposition is not ready to be govt, majority (aka 60%) Sinkies will not vote for them. And so the opposition lost to PAP every election.

    So it is a vicious cycle for the opposition.

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  17. There are some things which cannot be measured by $ returns, not directly at least.

    For instance, defence spending in the billions.

    In fact ordinary male Sinkies also pay for it with their precious youthful time, opportunity cost to career, and even lives. And how are they adequately compensated, let alone getting $ returns?

    But bo pian (no choice), tio bo?

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  18. One thing I like about the got in general and the stat boards in particular is how adept they are at spending OPM.

    Never once are you going to see individual civil servants put their hand into their own pocket to buy ridiculous artifacts.

    However, when you have access to vast quantities of OPM, you can go to town, like Imelda Marcos shopping for shoes.

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  19. The nature keeps on giving but the human keeps on consuming. The people keep paying but the rulers keep taking. Sinkies must really learn to vote opposition before the rulers help themselves to every cent that belongs to the people.

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  20. This artificial or fake society will lose all its' lustre and attractiveness in the not too distant future. Fake and artificial contraptions simply lack quality.

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  21. This is one of your better and sadder pieces RB. Yes the mollycoddled imported plants did well during the drought, just like they will do well if there is an electricity shortage. We will be rationed but they wont be. They are a symbol of this country's wastage and its twisted priorities and thinking.

    Until of course the so-called jewel at the airport is up. That should be a superBomb.

    As for all the clearance of forests that is now taking place, we'll feel the impact of that a bit further down the road. Should offer one Helluva wallop. Going by the recent colour of the grass, water tables in this country have dropped drastically.

    Makes me glad i'm old. I don't qualify for the PGP, but I enjoyed some of this country's best years. Those are Definitely past rather than yet to be.



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  22. We need a big dome to create a snow clad environment all year round for people to ski and skate and enjoy the cold air.

    Or with so many caverns that we have dug, can convert some into a museum to house fake Qin Dynasty soldiers. Can promote as another tourist attraction to collect money.

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  23. The alien plants and flowers get the air-conditioned treatment.
    While our old folks get to be toilet cleaners.

    I really question the values of the PIGS.

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  24. I disagree.

    Go to Dubai. It is desert with zero natural attractions. Everything has been built and millions are flocking there and buy properties.

    Gardens by the Bay is an excellent effort. Spend time and study the varieties of plants that have been transported here from Australia, S. America, Australia etc. And being climate-control it is actually a pleasant way to spend two hours or more.

    More can be done e.g. by putting a capsule to enclose the main shopping streets in Chinatown and putting in air-con.

    If you see the vast empty space at a fully aircon Changi Airport, we could have fitted all the Chinatown re-creation there too.

    In many cities, even in Japan they have re-created a past century and visitors go there to taste the food, buy the souvenirs, etc. It is merely an experience.

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  25. Hi Eddie, do you know how much it cost to build the two domes and bringing the plants from all over the whole here?

    Do you know how much it will cost to keep the two domes aircon and the temperature controlled to keep the plants alive?

    These two domes are the most wasteful projects in terms of use of precious energy and resources.

    The cost is utterly unjustifiable when the whole world is talking about saving energy and resources. All the efforts to save energy and going green could not save even 10% of the energy/water etc consumed by the domes. Just my estimate.

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  26. "All the efforts to save energy and going green could not save even 10% of the energy/water etc consumed by the dome."
    April 09, 2014 8:35 pm

    Sinkies. Please conserve water & energy hor.

    Aliens (including foreign plants & flowers).
    Use as much water & energy as you want.
    No need to be shy hor.
    Sinkies have a very high tolerance for pain.
    We will squeeze the Sinkies so that we can give you the best that daft people can afford.

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  27. When is the Water Festival going to be held?

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  28. They prefer to squander away taxpayer's money on fakes rather than spend a little more for the poor and needy esp our costly health care. It's all for the glory of this tiny red dot. They are to pump even more money in the Jewel at Changi Airport soon.

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  29. Wow, I thought there are more than 5 million residents in Singapore plus many more tourists. Yet, in the whole video, there were only 2 other persons besides the 2 Pinoys.

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  30. @RB:

    My favourite -- when commenting on Catherine Lim -- the most consistent barb in the govt's arse, boy does she give the good ol' boys a run for their money ;-)

    "Anybody who decides to take me on needs to put on knuckle dusters. If you think you can hurt me more than I can hurt you, try. There is no other way you can govern a Chinese society.”

    Spoken like a true gangster.

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  31. When everyone is a gangster, you need to behave like a gangster. Hope we have progress and gangsterism is a thing of the past. Otherwise we are stagnating or regressing.

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  32. Matilah - meet me at the cul de sac.

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  33. @935:

    Sure. Please bring a knife, knuckle dusters and a hatchet. I am a registered, legal, police-cleared firearms owner. I load my own 9mm and .45 ACP ammo at home :-)

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