Farewell MyQueenstown

Farewell MyQueenstown #7 - Farewell KTM Tracks

On 30 Jun 2011 | 6 Comments

Much has been written about KTM Tracks lately. A simple search on Google and Yahoo will bring you to numerous websites such as this and this. After all, this cantankerous relic was Singapore's brave new world in the early 20th century.  I have always been a believer of my secondary school's motto, "Rooted in Tradition, Equipped for the Future."

永别了!女皇镇!#7 一摊油条传三代

On 30 Apr 2011 | 1 Comments

一摊油条传三代 在玛格列熟食中心,“生活公市”说得上是个客至如云的摊子。这个小摊子,不售卖任何煮炒;摊子主人则一年三百六十五天,天天在摊内起个炉炸上一条条的油条。 “生活公市”摊主李马才先生(58岁)是这家油条摊的第三代。 祖父自中国南来便炸油条为业,后来其父亦继承了祖父的业务。“生活公市”自1969年起,正式迁入玛格列熟食中心营业。李先生从小便跟随父亲学手艺,在油锅边打转。 李先生的油条,以香脆爽口闻名。在80年代初,李先生每一日几乎可炸近200条油条。李家一家五人总要齐齐上阵来应付顾客的需要。 如今,虽然李先生的摊子已搬迁到亚历山大村熟食中心,但他对玛格列熟食中心仍然十分怀念。再见了,玛格列熟食中心!

Farewell MyQueenstown #6 - The Taste of Wanton Noodle Lingers...

On 24 Mar 2011 | 19 Comments

Mr. Phoon Hon Sun, 64, and his family started selling barbeque pork from a pushcart at the terminal for Hock Lee bus service no.9 some 53 years ago. The bus terminal was located next to Blocks 6B and 7 along Margaret Close, a cluster of flats which were demolished during the 1990s. A familiar sight no more Every afternoon, residents who lived in the seven

Home Sweet Home @ MyQueenstown

Home Sweet Home #15 - A New Day Has Come =)

On 24 Apr 2011 | 11 Comments

Last week, MyQueenstown team interviewed Mdm Chan about her life in Blk 15 Holland Drive. Under SERS, she was assigned a new apartment in the newly developed blocks just a stone throw sway. Today, we visit Hisham Suni, 38, who moved over from Blk 17 to his new apartment in Blk 18C Holland Drive. Hisham Suni and his son =) Hisham is delighted by his new ap

Home Sweet Home #14 - Farewell Holland Drive

On 17 Apr 2011 | 3 Comments

Blk 15, Holland Drive looked vacant and cold when MyQueenstown team visited this morning. The shop houses under the apartment block were all covered with card boards and all that was left were traces of glass panels, which could possibly be a beauty parlor in its place before. The lift was still working. Mdm Chan - a long time resident at Holland Drive A c

Home Sweet Home #13 - Commonwealth 10! Here I Come!

On 10 Apr 2011 | 3 Comments

The front door was wide open when MyQueenstown team visited Mr Lee, 78, at his apartment in Blk 74 Commonwealth Drive. Feeling curious, we knocked onto the door and was greeted by a sleepy looking Mr Lee. Mr Lee who lives alone at Block 74 Retired more than a decade ago, Mr Lee is living alone as he prefers being independent to tagging along with his chi

News@MyQueenstown

Response to Straits Times Forum: "Active Citizenry Needs Space to Find Its Feet"

On 26 Aug 2011 | 25 Comments

A week ago, Mr. Eric Tan, Director of the National Archives of Singapore, explained that the archives have generously acceded to our requests for photographs to be published in our website, upcoming book and newsletter. This was not the full story. Last year, we wrote in to the National Archives of Singapore, requesting them to sponsor photographs of the ol

MyQueenstown Celebrates: Consecration Ceremony at Sri Muneeswaran Temple!

On 10 Jul 2011 | 1 Comments

Tanglin Halt residents are wokened up by the vociferous wailing of nadaswaram and thavil ensemble at Sri Muneeswaran Temple this morning. More than 15,000 residents and devotees have gathered at the Southeast Asia's largest Hindu temple worshiping the Muneeswaran god to witness the consecration ceremony. A consecration ceremony is a festive occasion done on

女皇镇1周新闻快讯 - 第二十五期

On 08 Jul 2011 | 6 Comments

女皇弄组屋 同一垃圾糟 两年3纵火  女皇弄组屋走廊垃圾糟,三度起火,居民人心惶惶,警列恶作剧纵火处理。 位于女皇镇一带的女皇弄第21座组屋8楼的电梯口,今早7时15分左右发生大火。 一名住在事发地点附近的居民,惊见滚滚黑烟从该处冒出 最高74万5000元 最低40多万 女皇镇 四房转售价 相差近37万  在热门组屋区女皇镇里,有四房式组屋最近以74万5000元的最高价转售,但也有37万8000元。 组屋溢价回升之际,热门地点如女皇镇的组屋转售价也持续攀升。今年4月,一间位于女皇镇史达拉摩道(Strathmore Ave)的四房式高楼单位,以74万5000元售出。 最后一次乘搭火车北上  火车开动了!该各就各位了吧。经过女皇镇、武吉知马、武吉班让时看到铁路旁站着许

My Father and I

Former Tanglin Halt Industrial Estate

On 14 May 2011 | 2 Comments

The industrialisation programme took off in Queenstown when the Tanglin Halt Industrial Estate was established to generate employment in the neighbourhood. Initially, the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) planned a small industrial estate at Tanglin Halt to provide employment for the new residents. Measuring some 20 acres of land consisting of 38 factories

Queenstown Baptist Church

On 03 May 2011 | 1 Comments

The Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) set aside seven sites for religious use and advertised for religious organisations to ballot in the 1950s. Of the ten enquiries received, four withdrew, leaving six Christian organisations. These went on to build the first churches of Queenstown; Queenstown Baptist Church, Queenstown Lutheran Church, Faith Methodist Ch

Archipelago Brewery Company (Anchorpoint)

On 22 Apr 2011 | 3 Comments

Established in 1931 by German businessmen, Archipelago Brewery Company was the first commercial brewery in Singapore. It was located next to the Malayan Railway, which provided convenient transportation for exporting the beer in Tanjong Pagar. Archipelago Brewery Company One of the more popular beer produced at Archipelago Brewery Company was Anchor Beer.

Makan Shiok!

Snacks Attack #13 - Ah Luck Bean Curd

On 23 Dec 2010 | 2 Comments

Mr Chua, 25, runs Ah Luck Beancurd in Tanglin Halt market for more than 2 years. He is renting the stall from the original owner who has based his stall in the same area for more than 40 years. Ah Luck Bean Curd offers drinks and deserts such as soya bean drink, grass jelly and the residents' favorite soya bean curd (60 cents). A Delicious Bowl of Bean Curd

Snacks Attack #12 - Satay Mad in Tanglin Halt!

On 16 Dec 2010 | 7 Comments

 Ann, 46 runs the family food stall for over 10 years in Tanglin Halt hawker centre. Serving halal food for over a decade in the same place, Ann has integrated her dishes to suit the taste buds of Queenstown residents, especially the Malay community. The simple food stall offers snacks such as satay, otah and seafood dishes. As a family styled bus

Snacks Attack #11 - Almond & Peanut Paste!

On 09 Dec 2010 | 0 Comments

DessertStory, located in Anchorpoint basement one, has been serving residents tasty snacks and deserts for the past four years. Wendy, the supervisor of the cafe, introduced the various homemade desserts that they offer. A bowl of Almond Paste Hot desserts are mainly the favourite choice among Queenstown residents. Firstly, they have almond paste which is m

Random Thoughts @ MyQueenstown

Random Thoughts @ MyQueenstown #9 - 7 Funerals in 2 weeks

On 22 May 2011 | 0 Comments

7 funerals in 2 weeks. There is a flurry of "activity" these two weeks for correspondents from My Queenstown. We did not leave our traces in photographs as a mark of respect for the deceased. We did leave our sincere prayers and heartfelt condolences for those present. Quietly and fleetingly, we made our way to some of the funerals and understood that all o

Random Thoughts @ MyQueenstown #8 - Block 39A No More (The Removal of Block 39A Part I)

On 05 Apr 2011 | 8 Comments

On a Friday afternoon three weeks ago, several Bangladeshi workers, presumably from the Town Council, took their tool boxes to the lift lobby of Block 39A. In less than half an hour, they carried a metallic frame on their shoulders and placed it on a lorry parked in front of the apartment block. Farewell Block 39A The letterboxes The stretch of corrid

Random Thoughts @ MyQueenstown #7 - A New Coat of Paint

On 22 Mar 2011 | 1 Comments

The Point Blocks, along with 5 other blocks at Mei Ling Street were given a new coat of paint over the past week. The familiar combination of blue, yellow and orange was a thing of the past as these foreign workers toiled day and night, rain or shine to make Mei Ling Street "attractive again." White seems to be the "in" thing in Queenstown lately. Ten-store

Other Recent Articles

Has the Youth Olympic Games 2010 Become a Joke?

By my queenstown on Wednesday, August 11, 2010 with 7 comments

The Youth Olympic Games 2010, slated to take place from 14 August 2010,  was greeted with initial fanfare. When the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced Singapore as the host for the inaugural summer games on 21 February 2008, Singaporeans were generally excited at the prospect of hosting the who's who in sports. Fast forward 2 years, the YOG has failed to attract Singaporeans despite earnest attempts by the state to promote and advertise it. While MyQueenstown Team feels proud and supports Singapore's bid and attempt to host a major sporting event, we felt that the approach taken thus far has been disappointing.


Official Poster for YOG 2010

Before we explore the root of the problem by interviewing Queenstown residents, let us recap at the major issues concerning with Singapore's bid for YOG. 

Firstly, the Games Village was initially planned at National University of Singapore. This project was abandoned after rising construction costs amidst a global recession. The Games Village was relocated to the current Halls at Nanyang Technological University and caused inconvenience to the students there. 

Secondly, the marketing of YOG has come under scrutiny too. On one hand, The mascots, Lyo and Merly, cannot be easily identifiable. On the other hand, some of the programmes organised by Community Centres and funded by the YOG sponsors, in conjuction with Games, has failed to attract many youths. An example will be "Let's Walk!" conducted by Queenstown Community Centre, which took place on 13th June 2010, were catered specifically to the elderly rather than youths.

Thirdly, in order to facilitate convenience for the participants and officials, road users may be fined $130 for not "giving way" to YOG vehicles. This approach has ruffled feathers among Singaporeans.

Give Way Sign Along Singapore Roads

Despite these hiccups, we believe that the YOG will be carried out smoothly. Young sportsmen and tourists alike will be impressed by Singapore's efficiency and dedication. However, to a heartlander in Queenstown, YOG remains very much a private affair. This begs the question why Singaporeans, Queenstown residents in particular, remains skeptical and oblivious to the Games? Let us find out!

Mdm Yeo Siew Khim, a resident in Tanglin Halt, commented, "Although I'm supporting Singapore's bid for YOG, I'm not going to watch Singapore at the games because it is essentially foreigners representing us! It feels as if we are buying medals (which is against the sporting spirit."

Mdm Siew Khim

Qing Jing, a student at Bukit Merah Secondary School, shares a slightly different opinion. "I'm excited about YOG because it is happening right in my school with the promotional videos... We will be having trips to the YOG Opening Ceremony. However, I feel that more Singaporeans should be inside the YOG team instead of 'Chinese' naturalised Singaporeans. This will make us feel proud of the team."

Qing Jing

Mdm Mizah, a housewife who lives in Tanglin, has heard about YOG on television programmes. She says, "I will watch some games but I think the media is not very effective in advertising and promoting the Games so that Singaporeans can identify with them. I am not very excited about it because they are so many foreigners in the Singapore team."

Mdm Mizah and her children

The spirit of Olympics requires "mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play." The main sticking point about YOG isn't the infrastructure, marketing or the 'hard-sell' approach. The main problem lies in the commitment to nurture local talents to participate in these sporting events. While foreign-born naturalised Singaporeans have brought medals, competitive spirit and additional zest in our team, they may deprive a young Singaporean his (or her) dream of representing the nation in a major sporting event. Although Singapore should strive to achieve success at any sporting events such as the YOG, it should not be achieved at the expense of the spirit of Olympics. Winning isn't everything.

Discuss Your Views about YOG 2010 at our Facebook Page now! 

POST COMMENT

7 comments:

b_girl said...
August 11, 2010 at 2:00 PM

Youth Olympic Games athletes for Team Singapore are not the same as Olympic athletes: they are 14-18 yr olds and are not the same bunch of "foreigners" that you think they are. Have you seen the young athletes for Team Singapore? See http://www.teamsingapore.com.sg/public/teamsingapore/athlete.html?mg=23

These youth are going on to do great things, and if they become stronger and are able to represent Singapore in the Olympics in the future, some support from their fellow countrymen would be very nice.

Lim Zhexin said...
August 11, 2010 at 6:48 PM

@ B Girl I can see that they are trying hard to create the sporting atmosphere in Singapore but making Singapore a sporting hub does not mean that Singapore must organise BIG events but Singaporeans must appreciate sports and value their spirit.

When your Sports school only accept students with certain grades, U allow ur TV channels to spoil market while bidding for EPL, U fine $130 for motorists not giving way for YOG... How can they inculcate sporting atmosphere and encourage OTHER Singaporeans to cheer for them!!

altiusdirectory said...
August 12, 2010 at 11:49 AM

For more information on Singapore Youth Olympics,For more details visit “altiusdirectory.com”. Below URL may be useful to you.
http://www.altiusdirectory.com/Sports/singapore-youth-olympics-2010.php

hoy said...
August 16, 2010 at 8:43 PM

seems like Singaporeans want to be proud but can't even make basic sacrifices. giving way is no big deal! well, think about it, if athletes go to training or competition late by even just a few minutes, it would screw the entire schedule up. anyway, do you know that in Olympics there is always a DEDICATED lane for olympic vehicles? like, you are not even supposed to drive on it at all? it is the first time in any olympics they are using a give way method. i think the yog ppl are very creative in that sense, we should support and stop complaining.

and as for housing the athletes, there are like, 4000plus overseas delegates? where to house them? i think using the hostels was a great idea. not like we have any space elsewhere! if we put them in nus also sure complain what. singaporeans will complain about everything. makes me feel damn paiseh to be singaporean. you guys dunno how big an effort it is to organise this, hope ppl can be more supportive instead of just complaining.

anyway, you dont have to be in sports sch to be a good athlete what...

Lim Zhexin said...
August 17, 2010 at 3:46 AM

@ hoy
No one is saying the organisation or dedicated lane is bad. It's the fine and harsh approach that piss people off!
No one is saying that housing them in NTU is a bad idea. It's the inconvenience that NTU students got because of the relocation of bus stops.

Seems like you're part of the organising committee and if you can't take in any feedback, you have shown urself to be equally stubborn.. No wonder so many Singaporeans are offended by YOG

hoy said...
August 17, 2010 at 10:14 PM

LOL im not even a volunteer !! hahhaa... like you, i used to think we would be wasting our money on smth like YO G and i even wrote to the newspapers abt it. but now i found that i feel super proud of us that we managed to organise this event so i feel that we should jus be as supportive as possible. otherwise all these overseas athletes come here and see that we only knw how to complain,not nice right??? of course there will be inconvenience, but if you can propose other ideas they will surely learn frm our fb.

anyway, we will nv be able to host any olympic games, we are so small. this is closest we can get. we should be proud!! the other day i got into a jam becos of YOG but i think ok, small sacrifices have to be made. we can't do it without everyones understanding after all..

Lim Zhexin said...
August 18, 2010 at 12:39 AM

@hoy
i guess you don't understand how ordinary singaporeans think about YOG. Singaporeans do not feel it's money wasted and do not feel "giving way" is troublesome...
on the other hand, it's the harshness in how Singaporeans are treated... "DOG food" "Fine:$130" that pisses us.. F1 is great Barclays Golf Open is great too.. they didn't do such drastic measures to organise the event

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