Construction and logistic staffs involved in the setting up of this year's Heritage Fest Hub at Suntec City's Tropical Atrium, had to forgo their lunch break in order to add their finishing touches to spruce up the festival hub in preparation for tomorrow's exhibition - 'Who's Your Hero?'.
Work commenced as early as 9:30 a.m to the already completed exhibition hub, which consists of various different colorful booths narrating Singapore's historical milestones in the form of captivating and exciting visuals accompanied by short text descriptions.
Hatch One's marketing and events manager Jessica, who oversees the morning's project since her arrival at 10:30 a.m, hardly had the time to sit and sip her cup of coffee.
"We've been very busy since this morning and I hope that by seven, the setting up of our booths will be completed." Said the greying woman, who also handed this reporter a copy of the colorfully illustrated events guidebook at the Heritage Fest Hub's entrance booth.
"Do come back tomorrow and join in the opening exhibition. There'll be lots of people here and you can also bring your camera, too."
During the next hour while workers and staffs were diligently tying up all loose ends, a cultural dance rehearsal went underway for students of Yishun Primary.
By 2: 15 p.m, work was finally completed, save for the scattered mess which needs to be tidied before dusk falls. One by one, manpower slowly cleared off the work-site in herds of fours for a short break before returning back half an hour later.
Termed 'Who's Your Hero?', the 16-day Heritage Fest event kicked off last Saturday at heartland mall Causeway Point with a variety of traditional and cultural activities both the young and old as a form of tribute to the performing heros of our forefathers' time.
Exhibition highlights then included in the significant career achievements of Singapore's Cultural Medallion recipients such as Joanna Wong, Som Said and Santha Bhaskar, who did our country proud in the international arena of their own performing art speciality.
The upcoming festival hub will also showcase the making of the Heros Patch - a giant patchwork quilt featuring the fabric patches created by various different primary school children - which will be up on display at the Kids' Zone.
Students are allowed to design their fabric patches based on the festival's theme of heros.
With such large-scale family friendly activities, the National Heritage Board (NHB) is expecting to draw some 10,000 shoppers to join in its fun-filled exhibited daily programs and activities at its festival hub.
The event is expected to end off on a high note on the 27th July with the Travellators's showcasing their musical talents in their exploration of experimental music which fuses together the sound of the traditional Javanese gamelan, laptop music and syth effects to create a new breed of musical tones.
Meanwhile, individuals who are keen to sign up for the various outreach activities; are interested in knowing more about Heritage Fest 2008 are advised to visit www.heritagefest.com.sg for more information.
This is the NHB's fifth consecutive year running Heritage Fest.
Written 15th July 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Is It Practical To Implement It?
Imagine a friend of yours was involved in a major traffic accident and his newly bought Volkswagen beetle badly damaged.
Yet, he is unable to claim insurance pay-offs for his prized possession as he failed to file for a claim within the next 24 hours because he remained unconscious in hospital for the next two days, while the other motorist involved got off scratch-free and fled without rendering him help to avoid any liabilities.
Touch wood, but this would be the uneventful scenario motorists would face in an accident under the new Motor Claims Framework, which kicks in early this June.
Tuesday's (26th May 2008) announcement made by the General Insurance Association of Singapore (GIA) was followed by a month long delay to introduce this new framework to prevent insurers from incurring higher motor-underwriting loss.
Last year's $103.2 million high deficit was reportedly the worst for the sector since 2002, which coincided with a sharp rise in accidents, reports Channel News Asia.
This figure was up by 99.4% from the previous year (2006) at $625,000.
Under this new framework, motorists will have to report the accident to their insurers within the next 24 hours or latest by the next working day at any of their insurer's list of approved reporting centre(s).
Failure to comply will result in a claim being denied or worse, the loss of their no-claims discount upon policy renewal.
This three step reporting procedure demands for the individual(s) involved to be alert at the time of mishap, requires them to exchange important particulars with the parties involved, take a photograph detailing the accident scene for insurers to determine repair costs and call their insurer's hotline for further advice before taking their vehicles to an approved reporting centre.
22-Year-Old Miss Ng Yuin Jun, who just got her driver's license early this year, told us she found the new framework feasible but not for individuals caught in the above scenario.
"It would be better if motorists are given a week to file for a claim and gather sufficient evidence to support their stand."
Likewise, seasoned motorist Mr Tan Jin Ann, 56, said he sees no difference between the previous framework and the new structure.
"They shouldn't have implemented it in first place."
However, the GIA believes that with this new framework in place, the repair cost and cost of claims can be better managed. Insurers would be able to improve on their pricing and do not have to impose higher ratings on motorists, reports Channel News Asia.
Yet, he is unable to claim insurance pay-offs for his prized possession as he failed to file for a claim within the next 24 hours because he remained unconscious in hospital for the next two days, while the other motorist involved got off scratch-free and fled without rendering him help to avoid any liabilities.
Touch wood, but this would be the uneventful scenario motorists would face in an accident under the new Motor Claims Framework, which kicks in early this June.
Tuesday's (26th May 2008) announcement made by the General Insurance Association of Singapore (GIA) was followed by a month long delay to introduce this new framework to prevent insurers from incurring higher motor-underwriting loss.
Last year's $103.2 million high deficit was reportedly the worst for the sector since 2002, which coincided with a sharp rise in accidents, reports Channel News Asia.
This figure was up by 99.4% from the previous year (2006) at $625,000.
Under this new framework, motorists will have to report the accident to their insurers within the next 24 hours or latest by the next working day at any of their insurer's list of approved reporting centre(s).
Failure to comply will result in a claim being denied or worse, the loss of their no-claims discount upon policy renewal.
This three step reporting procedure demands for the individual(s) involved to be alert at the time of mishap, requires them to exchange important particulars with the parties involved, take a photograph detailing the accident scene for insurers to determine repair costs and call their insurer's hotline for further advice before taking their vehicles to an approved reporting centre.
22-Year-Old Miss Ng Yuin Jun, who just got her driver's license early this year, told us she found the new framework feasible but not for individuals caught in the above scenario.
"It would be better if motorists are given a week to file for a claim and gather sufficient evidence to support their stand."
Likewise, seasoned motorist Mr Tan Jin Ann, 56, said he sees no difference between the previous framework and the new structure.
"They shouldn't have implemented it in first place."
However, the GIA believes that with this new framework in place, the repair cost and cost of claims can be better managed. Insurers would be able to improve on their pricing and do not have to impose higher ratings on motorists, reports Channel News Asia.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
A Gloomy Awakening
Friday, 16th May 2008. 2:45 a.m.
I was rudely awaken by an abrupt phone call from my boyfriend, Ricky Wang, who informed me that he will be packed off to Chengdu in Sichuan, China, to aid in rescue operations following Monday's massive earthquake which shattered through 10 provinces.
He is among the 55 strong Singapore Civil Defense Force Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) code named Operation Lion Heart, scheduled for departure at 8:30 a.m this morning at the Paya Lebar air base.
Although I knew that he has been on standby for the past 2 months, I secretly prayed hard that he would not be re-called, knowing the imminent dangers which awaited him the moment he sets foot in foreign land - the possibility of post earthquake traumas or the sudden flooding of Sichuan due to leakages from the state's largest water reserves. My initial fears of not seeing him return home alive soon grappled within me.
I cried.
Yet, I knew that I could not spare to look on the negative side of the situation. And neither could I afford to remain selfish. With his safe return, he would be greatly commended by Singapore's top governmental officials for his help rendered in the search operation.
"I will be back in either 2-3 weeks time. That's the minimum time frame given. Then, they'll send their second wave of aides to assist in the rescue." As Ricky spoke, I could sense a tinge of despair in his voice. As much as I hated him to leave, he too, had no choice but to comply to the government's orders.
"Does your family knows about this?" I asked.
"Yes."
He is the sole breadwinner of his family.
After our phone conversation, we exchanged several SMSes before he switched off his mobile at 5:30 a.m in preparation for his departure.
For the past four days before Ricky's recall, I have been closely following up on reports of the massive 7.9 magnitude earthquake which claimed over 20,000 lives, most of which are students.
The worst hit province of Wenchuan has already left nearly 10,000 dead.
Chinese government officials said that the death toll is expected to rise to 50,000, reports asiaone news.
Currently, rescue aides in Sichuan are in the midst of a frantic search for survivors buried under heaps of mountainous rubble as time is trickling fast. Friday's SOS call sent out by Chinese President Hu Jintao to allow foreign aid teams to enter Sichuan came as a result of the government's fear of more deaths.
Japan was the first to enter the epicentre, bringing along with them sniffer dogs on an en route flight, followed by South Korea and Singapore.
Risks of diseases are especially acute in the counties of Wenchuan and Beichuan, where death tolls are amongst the highest.
Senior Communist Party official Bai Licheng of Sichuan's Aba prefecture conveyed his urgencies of the needs of body bags while in Yingxiu, amid the changing weather, which hastens decomposition, quotes Asiaone News.
For now, all I could do is to earnestly pray for his safety and return.
I was rudely awaken by an abrupt phone call from my boyfriend, Ricky Wang, who informed me that he will be packed off to Chengdu in Sichuan, China, to aid in rescue operations following Monday's massive earthquake which shattered through 10 provinces.
He is among the 55 strong Singapore Civil Defense Force Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) code named Operation Lion Heart, scheduled for departure at 8:30 a.m this morning at the Paya Lebar air base.
Although I knew that he has been on standby for the past 2 months, I secretly prayed hard that he would not be re-called, knowing the imminent dangers which awaited him the moment he sets foot in foreign land - the possibility of post earthquake traumas or the sudden flooding of Sichuan due to leakages from the state's largest water reserves. My initial fears of not seeing him return home alive soon grappled within me.
I cried.
Yet, I knew that I could not spare to look on the negative side of the situation. And neither could I afford to remain selfish. With his safe return, he would be greatly commended by Singapore's top governmental officials for his help rendered in the search operation.
"I will be back in either 2-3 weeks time. That's the minimum time frame given. Then, they'll send their second wave of aides to assist in the rescue." As Ricky spoke, I could sense a tinge of despair in his voice. As much as I hated him to leave, he too, had no choice but to comply to the government's orders.
"Does your family knows about this?" I asked.
"Yes."
He is the sole breadwinner of his family.
After our phone conversation, we exchanged several SMSes before he switched off his mobile at 5:30 a.m in preparation for his departure.
For the past four days before Ricky's recall, I have been closely following up on reports of the massive 7.9 magnitude earthquake which claimed over 20,000 lives, most of which are students.
The worst hit province of Wenchuan has already left nearly 10,000 dead.
Chinese government officials said that the death toll is expected to rise to 50,000, reports asiaone news.
Currently, rescue aides in Sichuan are in the midst of a frantic search for survivors buried under heaps of mountainous rubble as time is trickling fast. Friday's SOS call sent out by Chinese President Hu Jintao to allow foreign aid teams to enter Sichuan came as a result of the government's fear of more deaths.
Japan was the first to enter the epicentre, bringing along with them sniffer dogs on an en route flight, followed by South Korea and Singapore.
Risks of diseases are especially acute in the counties of Wenchuan and Beichuan, where death tolls are amongst the highest.
Senior Communist Party official Bai Licheng of Sichuan's Aba prefecture conveyed his urgencies of the needs of body bags while in Yingxiu, amid the changing weather, which hastens decomposition, quotes Asiaone News.
For now, all I could do is to earnestly pray for his safety and return.
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