Upgrading peasant expectations

We have made progress. We started by squatting on the roadside eating from street peddlers. We have moved to hawker centres, aircon food courts and into restaurants. Now we are even into fine dining. At hawker centres, the dirty hawkers would throw the plate of char kway teow at you, with the dirty chopsticks as well. And you cannot demand for anything. That was what you paid for. In fine dining, things changed. The cooks are of international standards and paid top dollars. They knew perfectly what they are expected to deliver. The ingredients are the finest and freshest. The dining tables and chairs, the crockery and cutlery, each piece may cost a few hundred bucks. The table cloth, the service staff, not simply waiters and waitresses, are specially trained with fine manners to pamper the diners. These are what the peasants must learn to expect in fine dining. And they need to upgrade their taste and attitude. They cannot simply accept slipshod services and quality of food. When the service staff are rude and uncourteous, they must be rudely told off. When the food are not well prepared, they must demand to see the chef. There is no excuses for poor quality. They cannot turn around and tell the peasants, 'If you don't like huh, you could yourself lah.' They may be peasant made good chefs, no matter. Professional chefs of international standards, and paid in millions, must live up to their reputation and deliver quality stuff. Anything less is shortchanging. There is no such things as asking the people on how to cook a meal. They are the experts, and they called themselves the experts. When the menu is for French cuisine, it must be French cuisine. How would the peasants know how to prepare fois gras or escargots? How would the peasants know what is good wine or higher grade vinegar? The attitude and expectations of both peasants and chefs must change. Peasants should be more discerning and demand for good service and quality products. And they must know what is good service and quality products. They have the right to demand. For they are paying top dollars for it. The chefs must have some self respect to do what they are paid for. They can't be expected to continue with hawker fares and shaft it down the throat of the peasants. It is terribly embarrassing for top chefs who can't deliver and still collect top pay checks. As we progress, everyone must upgrade their mindset, their training and skills and expectations. Then only we will have real progress.

How not to make friends?

I was staring at the Today paper this morning. And staring back at me, on the top right hand corner of the front page, titled, Where Money Talks, Some of Asia's least and most corrupt countries. Standing right on top is the famous brand, Singapore. Right at the embarrassing bottom, Indonesia. The thing is that there are many ways of presenting data that can help to blow our own trumpet without blowing foul air at people whom we have no reason to dismiss. Why can't the column just post the top 5 best and leave it as that? Or is it our nature to tell the brutal truth? I am best, you are last!

Myth 148 - The Golden Period

Many people will be turned off by this phrase. Many will sneer at its pomposity. Many will rubbish it off. But believe me, it is true. This is not a myth. We are indeed in the golden period. Never in our history have so many people who upgraded from HDB flats to live in mansions. And not only one mansion but another 5 or 10 private properties. And some better still, a few more properties overseas, to hedge just in case Singapore sinks tomorrow. With so much money to play with, they can have all kinds of contingency plans. Never in our history have there been so much wealth that $600k is rubbished as small change. And there are many people who have so much money that they can say, 'What is $5 million or $10 million?' And never have there been so many people bathing in money, earning millions and millions. If this is not the golden year, then what is? And the phenomenon is not only happening here. The same thing is happening in Malaysia. Many are also laughing all the way to the banks. Many have exceeded the Swiss standard of living by all means. For those who are left behind and cannot experience the golden ray, it is their fault. This is a land of opportunities. Exploit the system to your benefit. If you can't then don't blame others. I don't blame others though I am not experiencing any of the golden ray. Just not talented enough.

Infidelity - The Andy Ho Twist

We spent some time last week speaking tongue in cheek about lust and the sweet young things and about ladies night. The issue was how lusty and alluring these young things were compared to the more mature and experienced ladies in their matronly age. Who would be of more value to lure men to spend money on them in night clubs and to sought their company? It was all about how sex sells. Andy Ho has given the issue a new twist in his article in the ST today. He compares the value of the womenfolks with the value of aged women like his grandmother. Interesting way to include grandmother into the discussion on human lust. Now I am amused. Cheers Andy, for the humour.

Golden Period or Golden Era

There is a big debate going on now. No they are not arguing whether it is a period or an era. It is about who owns the most gold. And gold is what people should be going after. The prophecy of Matilah is coming true. The fiat money is shrinking so fast that once it took $1 million to buy a home, now it is going to take $2 million. Once it took $3 to buy a plate of noodle, not it is $4.50. Once it used to be $4 or $5 a trip on a taxi, now it is $8 or $10. The safest thing to do now is to convert all the fiat money to gold. Soon we may be trading, buying or selling things with gold when the fiat currency turns into banana currency. Good luck to your $200k or $1 mil savings in the CPF when you lay your hands onto it. Now you know why your savings will never be enough. Better to ask CPF Board to allow depositors the choice to convert their savings into gold. Welcome to the golden period.