I was the test speaker at a speech contest, to be evaluated by the Evaluation Contest candidates, so exciting for me, a dream come true. Without me there would be no contest, so I had to be there in time. The Learning Centre at Khoo Teck Puat hospital was the venue for the toastmasters International Area contest for Division U on Saturday April 20th 2019.
I had visited the hospital once previously for another contest, that time as a judge. What did I like most about the venue?
Likes
1 Firstly, the lifts. When I got inside the lift I was immediately struck by the luxury and creativity and originality of the design. The ceiling had a panel showing a green and white picture as if you were looking up at a canopy of leaves in a tree. On the wall, left of the door, was the explanation that the picture was based on a photo of a tree outside the building.
What else did I like? The framed pictures the length of the walls showing other innovative ideas in the hospital.
In the brief interval I had time to check out a picture or two. One was the photo of an embroidered butterfly. The story was that the hospital threw away a large number of blankets which had tears. An employee thought the smaller tears could be concealed by embroidery.
This saves about 30% of the blankets which otherwise would be thrown away. And the design is admired and liked by many patients.
Dislikes
What did I not like? The layout which made you walk a long distance to the toilets.
The basement car park was confusing. Had to find where the car was parked and hard to find the exit. All the car park is the same except for numbers. How to find your car? The solution has been found years ago. Disney in the USA had car parks with animal characters so you remembered the symbol. In Paris a car park near the Louvre had different colours on each floor. I recall wave patters. A simple system would be to have murals showing an underwater sea scene in the basement, B1. Then the waves on the sea or beach umbrellas on the ground floor, 1. The base of trees with lower branches and cats and dogs and squirrels on level two, 2. On the next level, birds' nests on the tree tops, level 3.
Birds circling against the clouds, above the trees, on the top level 4. Level 5 could have planes in the sky.
Since they seem so open to suggestion, I must write to them about revamping the car park.
Getting There
I took three buses but it was an easy journey.
The 184 was my local bus to the stop opposite Pending station.
The bus number 171 took me all the way to the bus Interchange at Yishun.
From there is it 4 stops on the 805 bus.
I was told it was about a 10 minute walk - no way, not for me. It's a good 5 minutes along the road to the Yishun MRT. Then left along the road past the shopping mall. finally you see the hospital. But the bus goes along the green in front and left along the side. I am glad I took the bus.
The hospital name is the name of the donor, years ago.
Useful Websites
wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Bust_of_Khoo_Teck_Puat%2C_Goodwood_Park_Hotel%2C_Singapore_-_20130313-02.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khoo_Teck_Puat_Hospital
https://www.ktph.com.sg/main/explore_ktph_pages/233/Eateries_outlets_amenities
Travel
singaporeair.com
Author, Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.
I had visited the hospital once previously for another contest, that time as a judge. What did I like most about the venue?
This is the man whose name is given to the hospital. I used to see this bust in the entrance up the stairs to the Goodwood Park Hotel which is near the heart of Singapore, the junction of Orchard Road (with Orchard MRT) and Scotts Road. (Yes, the double letter t is correct. I just checked.)
According to the inscription above his bust he lived from 1917 to 2004, a long-lived man, until his nineties. An apt patron for a hospital.
1 Firstly, the lifts. When I got inside the lift I was immediately struck by the luxury and creativity and originality of the design. The ceiling had a panel showing a green and white picture as if you were looking up at a canopy of leaves in a tree. On the wall, left of the door, was the explanation that the picture was based on a photo of a tree outside the building.
What else did I like? The framed pictures the length of the walls showing other innovative ideas in the hospital.
In the brief interval I had time to check out a picture or two. One was the photo of an embroidered butterfly. The story was that the hospital threw away a large number of blankets which had tears. An employee thought the smaller tears could be concealed by embroidery.
This saves about 30% of the blankets which otherwise would be thrown away. And the design is admired and liked by many patients.
Dislikes
What did I not like? The layout which made you walk a long distance to the toilets.
The basement car park was confusing. Had to find where the car was parked and hard to find the exit. All the car park is the same except for numbers. How to find your car? The solution has been found years ago. Disney in the USA had car parks with animal characters so you remembered the symbol. In Paris a car park near the Louvre had different colours on each floor. I recall wave patters. A simple system would be to have murals showing an underwater sea scene in the basement, B1. Then the waves on the sea or beach umbrellas on the ground floor, 1. The base of trees with lower branches and cats and dogs and squirrels on level two, 2. On the next level, birds' nests on the tree tops, level 3.
Birds circling against the clouds, above the trees, on the top level 4. Level 5 could have planes in the sky.
Since they seem so open to suggestion, I must write to them about revamping the car park.
Getting There
I took three buses but it was an easy journey.
The 184 was my local bus to the stop opposite Pending station.
The bus number 171 took me all the way to the bus Interchange at Yishun.
From there is it 4 stops on the 805 bus.
I was told it was about a 10 minute walk - no way, not for me. It's a good 5 minutes along the road to the Yishun MRT. Then left along the road past the shopping mall. finally you see the hospital. But the bus goes along the green in front and left along the side. I am glad I took the bus.
The hospital name is the name of the donor, years ago.
Useful Websites
wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Bust_of_Khoo_Teck_Puat%2C_Goodwood_Park_Hotel%2C_Singapore_-_20130313-02.jpg
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khoo_Teck_Puat_Hospital
https://www.ktph.com.sg/main/explore_ktph_pages/233/Eateries_outlets_amenities
Travel
singaporeair.com
Author, Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.
