Singapore Airlines Flights - feedback

 I took a 13 hour Singapore Airlines flight. Afterwards I wanted to give feedback. In the old days you filled in a form on board and wondered whether the crew would open it, read it, and destroy it if they did not like what they read. Nowadays, you can go online after landing - or even midair. 

I waited until after landing. I did not want to look like a nutter sending updates every five minutes.

I made my report as soon as possible, to be sure I had not forgotten anything.

But before I could start, I needed to logi with the flight number, date, and departure airport. Another reason to do the rport as soon as you can, whilst your details are handy.

How can you keep track? Photograph your boarding pass. Photograph your luggage tag before removing it. Note the date and time or your flight in your diary. 

Write your airline loyalty number in your diary or your vital Information Notebook/file, or email folder, or mobile phone notes.

Compliments

1 The meals were good. The O Brien ice cream was good. (Although it seemed runny around the edges.) The solid bread is a huge improvement on the old flabby buns. 

2 The inflight sandwiches were great.

3 I was glad to see the notice about the toilet basin surface being treated with antibiotic. 

4 It was useful to be reminded that the wastebin alongside the toilet can be operated by a foot pedal.

5 The music choices were great - lots of Country music.

6 The documentary films were good. I watched the discovery of Richard III in Leicester, and Amy Winehouse, and Changi prison series

Complaints

I am allergic to shellfish and the starter contained prawns. 

I had looked at the meals in advance and checked no shellfish was in the main meals. Somehow I did not see prawns in a starter. Perhaps it was not mentioned because there was no choice. I hope they will check that any shellfish in the starter is listed on the website.

I think there should be a choice of starter.

I told the crew that I was allergic. No alternative was offered. I felt the staff should have found me something, or offered something, either from another class, or a salad, or an apple, or a vegetarian sandwich, or even a glass of orange juice or tomato juice. 

I offered it to my husband, but he had had the same starter in premium economy. He also had prawns in his book the chef main dish. He shoulf not have had prawns twice in one meal. 

Suggestions

IN FLIGHT FOOD 

The system should keep a note of the fact that I am allergic to shellfish (crustaceans and molluscs), although salmon, smoked salmon, plaice and cod etc are fine for me. 

 I was not keen on the potato gnocci and would rather have had potatoes. 

I think the three meal choices should include one rice, one pasta and one potato.

Having Jacob's cracker and a piece of cheese after both meals was repetitive. The cheese was good. Maybe a different cracker and a different cheese.

IN FLIGHT FILMS 

I would like a link to all factual films. I also like true crime, murders solved, criminals caught.

FEEDBACK FORMS 

Allow two mobile numbers in this form. Having flown from one country to another, I am on a different number to the one which the system recognizes.

On this form I got stuck on the wording of the city of departure and arrival. I tried entereing what was on the boarding pass, including LHR and Changi. No luck. I tried just the city name for both. No luck. Finally my husband managed to type slowly and bring up the drop down box which turns London to London UK and  Singapore into Singapore Singapore. Maybe add the instruction, click on triangle for drop down box.

Useful Websites

https://www.singaporeair.com/feedback-form/

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Singapore Story Survey

This survey paid participants 25 dollars. Payment was an added incentive. Some, first felt motivated by the desire to express themselves and know themselves by writing. Others looked forward to the fame, the joy of seeing oneself published, memories made immortal.

What kind of questions were asked? I asked on Facebook and received these answers>

1 Life in early Singapore for 

school going children, 

2 Early adult life, 

3 What made me proud of Singapore, 

4 What disturbed me etc - 

These were questions analysed and discussed.

I was not eligible. Firstly, my age group quota was filled.  Secondly, more importantly, they were only interested in Singaporeans.

Obviously, a book about Singapore, funded by the government, is more inclined to favour positive stories. Unless the contrast is with the bad things of the past and how much life has improved. 

There are good reasons for a positive spin. Although negatives are useful feedback on things to improve, many readers would hope to find a book uplifting. 

I shall now try to quickly answer these questions myself. My answers may enlighten you about Singapore present and past.

Childhood

 I cannot claim to have spent childhood or teens in Singapore. However, I can contrast the education in Singapore with that in the UK (and USA, where my son went to school).

What contrasts did I experience?

Language - Singlish

The government tried to promote English as a common language. To prevent the Indians and Malays and Chinese being isolated from each other and hostile.

Kiasu Cars On Roads

Get ahead. Driving. People overtaking your car and pulling in front.

That happens less nowadays. So rarely do you have a clear road. You are in lines of parallel traffic!

HDB Lifts

Lifts stopped at every 4th floor. To get to my friend's flat in Spottiswoode Park, or an office in Waterloo Street, you would need to take the lift to the floor above and walk down a level.

The crowded city. 

Doors

People used to let doors fly back in your face. As one working class Brit in the UK told me proudly, "In England we are so polite. When we come to a door, we hold it open and say, 'after you'.

Americans are very helpful. If they are empty handed and you have two bags they instantly offer to carry one. A Singaporean has a maid to carry things. They are delighted to help if asked. But would not think of offering.

Chopsticks

I mastered chopsticks.  I was surprised to learn that a Singaporean, born in Hong Kong, was nervous about Western restaurants because he was confused by Western cutlery. So I gave a talk about it to a Toastmasters International club, Braddell Heights Advanced.

Please and Thank You, Yes, No

In Chinese (Mandaarin) sentences are constructed differently. This leads to many confusions.

Off the light does not mean carry off the table lamp but turn off the light using the switch on the wall by the door.

I am having an off day does not mean I am having a bad day. It means this is my day off.

Bring and take may be confused. The same word is used for both in Chinese.

He, she and it and the same word, ta, in Chinese. When the MC announces, 'He will speak,' the mc means you will speak if you are a woman. An English speaker is expecting to hear she will speak.

How has Singapore changed and improved?

New stations are being built all the time. The same as London. 

Art all over the city. Murals. Statues. Decorations on walls of stations. 

Brand new underground stations (MRT). Best of all trains run on time with no delays. Glass doors, designed to assist air conditioning, have the bonus of preventing litter, suicides, and accidents, and murders (which happen in New York when nutty strangers push random people onto the lines). 

Safe Singapore

At first I was scared of a country which caned hooligans and violent criminals and executed drug dealers and murderers. Now I feel safe. 

British English is used. However, many Singaporean young people have learned English in the USA or from series such as Friends. So they have American accents.

New Bike? Saddle up! Tips on buying Parts, Clothing, Helmets, Locks, Magazines, Bars, Events

Mountain Bicycle saddle. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

After you have spent money on your bike, mountain bike, motorbike, or scooter, your next purchases are upgrades, accessories and clothes. Trevor is a keen biker, motorbikes and mountain bikes. He has done training courses on circuits with champions. He avidly watched YouTube videos on riding. Taking corners. How to balance on a motorbike differs from balance on a mountain bike. How to repair or adjust or upgrade the parts of your bike.

Bike Lock

Before you even go out on your bike, shopping in an urban area, you need a security lock. The locks are attached to a thick black part which you attach to something strong and immovable such as a railing.

The bigger, stronger ones, which resist a little bolt cutter, are more expensive, thicker, and heavier to carry. 

Some areas or a town or city are more prone to theft than others.

After buying your lock, or upgrading it, next you need your clothes to go out.

He says,

Cycling Clothes - Shorts

'Bikers like to wear close, thigh-gripping shorts when cycling. If you wear loose shorts, they tend to get caught on the front of the saddle when you get on and off.'

Motorbike Clothes

Motorbike clothes have more protection Padded knees and elbows. Hot to wear.

Expensive. Look at them in a shop. Are the seams sewn securely. Sealed. Is there lining? Padding? 

Ask the assistant for advice. Then buy more in the sales. 

Eventually the stitching of gloves and suits will go. Or you fall off and a layer of the leather or fabric has scraped off. That's good. That would have been your skin if you had not worn the protection. It has done its job. It is worth the money. But time to buy another one, or bring out the spare.

Rain

Thunder and lightning sign in China. Photo from wikipedia, signs in China.

You might want to carry a rainproof poncho. A rainproof poncho is hot and sticky. So you have to look for a safe place to pull in when it rains to don the outfit. Wait in the shelter. 

Motorways in Singapore have shelters for bikers under some bridges. Look for the umbrella sign. The same applies in Malaysia.

Sign for shelter without distance marked in Malaysia.

Malaysian shelter for motobikes sign, with distance of 200 metres. From Wikipedia, road signs in Malaysia.

You can also buy a tiny umbrella to cover your mobile phone. 

Bike Helmet - photo by Angela Lansbury.

Helmets

You might want a spare helmet for a passenger. If two members of your family share a motorbike, and occasionally you go out together.

'If you already have a bike, then you buy a motorbike, you need another helmet. The same applies the other way. For a helmet, you obviously need adequate protection. But cycling helmets are not the same as motorbike helmets. Motorbike helmets have to be much stronger. You are likely to fall off a bicycle, but you could be catapulted through the air from a motorbike. Motorbike helmets have a visor protecting your face. They are heavier to wear. 

'A cycling helmet for a bicycle, or mountain bike, just covers your head. Then you wear a face mask when you walk into a shopping mall.'

Branded Scooter/Motorbike parts - real or fake?

'I have been buying parts to upgrade an old motorbike and an old bike. You go on the internet and you can see the prices for branded goods are high from the manufacturers. What are the branded goods made of? 

'If you saw gold at a very cheap price, you would suspect it was gold-plated or an alloy.  The same applies to the metals in component parts.

'Is it really titanium or stainless steel or aluminium? Is it strong enough? Flexible enough? Rustproof? 

Brand Names

'I sometimes draw up alongside a scooter at the lights. I can see that parts on a cheap Scooter have famous brand names. I see parts which cost as much or more than a second hand scooter. That's absurd.

'I don't know whether the owner knows the parts are fake and just wants to look good.  Or whether the owner has been misled by the fake goods. 

Buyer Beware

'When I buy, I look down to the specifications. If you saw something advertised as a diamond in the headline, but under product description, you read cubic zircona, you would know it's not a real diamond. If it says diamond in the headline and doesn't specify what it is in the product description, again, that's a warning sign. When buying parts, I compare the manufacturer's specifications, then I compare Lazada and Amazon.  

I have had more success with Amazon. But no website can be 100% guaranteed. It's not their fault. They have hundreds of items from third parties. They can't check every one. You can return goods. Keep the packaging. Look at it before you open it. Keep the labels and packing slips.

I often lose track of where I ordered an item from. It arrives from some address overseas. 

(Angela's note: I have the same problem with clothes. Did I order from Amazon, Lacada, Ebay, Etsy, Shein? The solution is to to keep a copy of purchases in your diary, or a dedicated notebook, or a folder, or in notes on your mobile phone. I write down what the item looked like on arrival, and a month after use. I give feedback and note it. Also, I add anything I didn't say in the feedback, such as I didn't like the look of it when it arrived, or it looked great. I might change my mind later. This is not only useful when you want to return the item. It is handy if you want to re-order for a friend, as a gift, or for yourself as a replacement or spare or another colour a year later.)

Finally, photograph everything. Yourself on the bike when it is new to prove it is yours. (A thief could claim you have stolen the bike from him when you try to retrieve it!)

You might want a picture to show at a mall or airport or police station when reporting the bike or helmet or key is missing. Or even a missing person. Insurance might want a picture of it. You might want to show that the bike was new and got damaged in the car park or on the plane or bike repair shop.  They can't say that parts of the item, or paintwork, was damaged already when you left it if you have a photo showing it in pristine condition hours before.

In Singapore you can hire bikes, Segway (Single large wheel vehicle).

Cycling alone is lonely. But in November 2021 the rules have changed to allow up to 5 persons from different households to meet up. Please check the latest regulations.

Useful Websites

CLOTHES

https://www.infinitymotorcycles.com/store

EVENTS

SINGAPORE Travel By Bike & Meetup Information

Four hours, 99 Singapore dollars:

https://www.letsgotoursingapore.com/trails-of-tan-ah-huat-3/

https://www.facebook.com/SoekSeng1954BicycleCafe/

https://www.facebook.com/HandlebarSGGillmanBarracks/

https://www.meetup.com/My-Bike-Group/

https://www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19-phase-advisory

UK

https://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/brilliant-bike-rides-from-london

Meetup in NE London (other groups around the UK)

https://www.meetup.com/Hubbub/events/282122726

USA

https://usacycling.org/encyclingpedia/events

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA_Cycling

Europe

Flat country The Netherlands is a popular place for cycling

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycling_in_the_Netherlands

MAGAZINES

https://cyclistmag.co.uk/christmas2021

https://www.motorcyclenews.com/

If money is no object, sign up to this course on ficing your bike, currently 57 Dollars.

https://www.masterofbikes.com/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=BB-ACQ-Bikes-Broad-WW&utm_content=BB-BroadTargeting-WW&utm_term=Bike_Break%2BTestimonialV1-Text_2&fbclid=IwAR3fUV2mmOujx6BlKk1CPPeOjPGLmjnRHmsncINUuO9ZkK7OzZttOPzypgk

About the Author of this blog, Author Angela Lansbury

BIOGRAPHY

Angela Lansbury B A Hons ACG ALB PM5 EH5 DL5 VC5 
The Author of several books, including  Etiquette For Every Occasion. Wedding Speeches & Toasts. How to be the Best Man. Quick Quotations. Who Said What When.

Blogs travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Club Vice President Public Relations (VPPR), Previous President

Join BHA 1st Wednesday 7pm and 3rd Saturday 2 pm Singapore time 

Vice President Public Relations (VP PR) of Tampines Changkat Advanced;

Secretary of weekly online Singapore International Dynamic Toastmasters Speakers’ Club;

Member and past president of Harrovians toastmasters club, UK; Past member of HOD Toastmasters, London. Past member in Singapore of: Toastmasters Club of Singapore (TCS); Tiarel; and Senja Cashew.

More details from Toastmasters International find a club.

Regular attendee at annual Swanwick Writers’ School, England.

Regular attendee at annual Writers’ Holiday, Wales.

Contributor to poetry readings, and after tea courses on: Speaking On Radio To Promote Books; and Plots And Character.

Winner of many club and area speaking contests in the UK and Singapore.

Language advisor to Empire Toastmasters club in Indonesia.

Language and speech workshops in Singapore.

Speaker on radio and TV in England, Scotland, the USA, and Australia.

Compiler of a school course on public speaking for teachers to prepare pupils for school open days with attending ceremonies before government ministers, Singapore.

Former member of Harrow Writers’ Circle, London, and two writing groups in Singapore.

Angela is on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter. She would be delighted to link up with new friends.

I  also have a blog on comic poems.

 Please share links to your favourite posts.

Helpful hotel and restaurant serving staff and how dare you staff!

Some hotels and restaurants have staff who are there to stop inconvenient guests causing trouble. They aren't there when you need them But as soon as you move a chair an inch, they magically appear and tell you that you can't do that.

Fortunately not everybody is like that. The bad ones remind you how good the good ones are. Being good might come naturally. Or it might come fron the top, picking staff who are naturally friendly, or training them to smile.




Other hotels have staff who think its their job to keep visitors happy, help when asked, and offer new suggestions - do anything to keep the customer happy and coming back  to the hotel. They run to get spare glasses. They move the fragile glass and unwanted ashtray out of the way. They fetch another spare chair just in case your group expands.

They suggest you sit in a place with a better view. They tell you their name or the name of the person they are calling to help you.

They might say, please give us a good write-up on TripAdvisor. They might hadn you a card saying so. They might have a reminder on the hotel entrance. They might have their ratings at the entrance - obviously proud of their reputation.

They might be thinking it but not saying it. They might be hoping for maybe you will give a tip. The hotel or restaurant might hjave a feedback form asking you to name any member of staff who was helpful. I find it annoying to fill in the form on the last day and not know the name of the person who was so helpful on day one. So I try to remember to write their name in my diary, or take their photosgraph with their name tag so I can look it up later.

Staff Awards
You may have or commend the hotel staff with a name label so they get this month's helpful staff bonus. Occasionally you see a wall of staff photos with the person's name, how long they have been working for the company and the month's awards.

They might be bored. They might be chatty and love talking. They might want to look useful so the manager doesn't sack them as being surplus. They might just be jollly, jolly helpful types, who love to do favours and see you smile.

Remember to thank them, ask where they are from, how long they've been working here. Praise the hotel and service.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

Updates on Comedy Courses + Watching Improv On Line

Clown laughing. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Problems
1 Where can I attend a comedy or compere course?
1 What if I am not eligible, not near the venue, don't have time and just want to watch on line?

Answer
1 Amused Moose course update.

2
Watch comedy TED talk on line. The lady demonstrates to the audience
1 Make yourself memorable by telling a joke about your current or previous profession.
She tells a story about pastors. She was a pastor or pastor's wife. I can tell a story about a speaker.
2 Get the audience to act in pairs.
3 Mislead the audience about when to start.
4 Do a short audience game.
5 Have an action and a silent part alternating. (That way the noise doesn't build to such a crescendo that you can't get back their attention.
6 Keep switching so both members get a chance to act or speak.
7 Get feedback from the audience.
8 Repeat what was said by the audience. (I listened to the video and either the sound on it goes quiet at the end or my playback isn't up to it. Unless you have subtitles and tell the watchers how to find them, repeat the audience shouts and comments, for the benefit of people n the audience at the time and anybody watching later. Give feedback and summarise at the end.
9 End with follow up action, how people can contact you, see you again.
10 Interestingly she does this to develop team work and customer service.

Does it always work for everybody? That depends on whether the exercise is short enough and has a purpose and does not eat into time needed for more vital activities.

On one occasion I went to a Toastmaster's conference where we had a game which involved a scrummage and passing balls and tying people up with string and knocking items off an overhead line.

Everybody else seemed to think it was hilarious. Except for three people. One left immediately. One left half way through. I stayed to the end, watching a very frustrated photographer who could not get any photos of the event because it was a melee.

Riotous Games
Why did I not join in?
a) It seemed pointless.
b) It was wasting time.
c) It was not related to the promised programme (learning to speak).
d) I was tired and not sufficiently quick thinking to do an active game.
e) I was smaller than several large men and thought I would be trodden on or knocked over in the scrum.
f) The clearing of chairs and putting unguarded property in piles on a far table or under it and scattered around the room, some of which was moved, did not strike me as safe. I was afraid of losing my shoes, smart shoulder bag, clipboard, notebook and pen, and spectacles, mobile phone, and damaging my clothes and property.

When does it work for everybody? At one conference we were missing the speaker leading a workshop. Nobody noticed because in the ten to twenty minute wait the Area Governor got us to stand in a circle and do an introduce yourself event.

We formed in pairs, of people who did not already know each other. If one person was left over, they paired with the leader.

We said our name, how to pronounce it, where we lived and worked, what our job or hobby was. We stopped after two minutes to repeat to the person what they had told us.

Then we swapped who did the talking and who did the listening. For the last five minutes we went around the circle saying what we had learned about the person on our right.

If the person due to speak had not arrived, we could have continued with: "My name is .... What (other person's name) didn't tell you was that I ...."

If we had needed to wait another five minutes we could have played, "What I would like you to help me with ..." . We could have ended with, "What I can help you with ..."

If we had needed to fill another five minutes we could have gone around the circle with feedback on what we thought of the game, when we could use it for networking in a club or organization.

Each of these games is a successful way of filling time when the meeting is running late - or the speaker doesn't turn up at all!

If you are running a conference where many people are there to make friends or network, include an exchange of business cards so the audience feel they have met you and somebody in the audience.

You Tube On Ted Talk And Demo On Improv With Audience Workshop:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMxS27bvM0s
https://www.amusedmoose.com/media/
http://speakersandtoastmasters.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/what-i-learned-about-improv-at-brighton

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Lost Travel Pass - oh dear - that'll cost you

My family is having one of those weeks. Somebody loses something every day. Sometimes we manage to lose two things. The person who is condemning the other person for their carelessness then loses a vital business card. 

Lost your travel pass?

You may have to pay for a replacement. It can take more than 10 working days for your replacement pass to arrive.

If it's been stolen and you've taken the time to travel to your nearest police station (they've closed down many of them), you must give your police reference number.

If you don't have one, your missing pass is deemed merely lost.

To replace a travel pass costs £10.

Sad. Those old enough to claim a travel pass are not earning and getting on to the forgetful age where they lose things.

Also one of the early signs of dementia is inability to make decisions. (Is some of that due to not have the facts and forgetting!)

Okay - first step to recovery. Go to the post office or go on line to get the form.

Always keep it in the same pocket. If you switch jackets or bag or put it in a drawer write yourself a note on your notice board where you've put it. If you are worried about security, make up a code.

Disappointingly you cannot get a replacement on line in time to travel the same day. So if you think it may be in another jacket or bag, or under the car seat, on your desk, under the bed  ... keep looking.

For more information see
www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/services/freedompass/faqs

There's a feedback form. They say 'we would love to have your comments, questions and suggestions'. I think not. I don't doubt their goodwill. I doubt my ability to write concisely and politely. Maybe I could be concise - cut my reaction down to four letters.