Queue, queue, queue...what will you be queuing for?

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Letter of the week: Long queues show sense of entitlement may have dulled sense of perspective​

People queueing for the Omega x Swatch collection at ION Orchard on March 26, 2022. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO


APR 2, 2022

The bedlam that resulted from the launch of the collaborative collection by watchmakers Omega and Swatch last Saturday provides us with food for thought (Omega x Swatch collection draws snaking queues at Ion Orchard, MBS, March 26).
Snaking queues had formed outside the Swatch stores at both Ion Orchard and Marina Bay Sands.
As there was no clear queueing system in place, it was inevitable that tempers began to fray when people were perceived to be cutting queue.
Although staff and even police officers were roped in and barricades were erected to manage the crowd, it was too little, too late.
While the onus should have been on the stores to anticipate the overwhelming interest and implement pre-emptive crowd-control measures, the ugly scenes of people jostling and shouting at police officers should not be condoned.
This incident is a good example of a "First World problem" stemming from the need for self-gratification.
It is a regrettably tone-deaf parallel of the scenes in war-ravaged countries of desperate people queueing up for food and supplies or safe passage.

Affluence and a sense of entitlement seem to have dulled our sense of perspective and affected our list of priorities.
There ought to be more important things in life that demand our attention.
If we cannot spare a thought for others in dire straits, we should at least try to channel our time and efforts to more constructive purposes.

Marietta Koh

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Queues at money changers as Singdollar hits all-time high against Malaysian ringgit​

A queue at a money changer in the Arcade on May 24, when the Singdollar was at a record high of RM3.1984 by 3.30pm. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN

Sue-Ann Tan
Business Correspondent


MAY 24, 2022

SINGAPORE - Consumer demand for the Malaysian ringgit rose on Tuesday (May 24) as the Singapore dollar continued strengthening against regional currencies and snaking queues were spotted at money changers in the afternoon.
The Singapore dollar was at a record high of RM3.1984 by 3.30pm on Tuesday after starting the year at RM3.0857.
This prompted queues at money changers across the island, with Singaporeans taking the chance to exchange currencies at good rates for their upcoming travel.
Nearly every money changer at the Arcade in Raffles Place saw queues of 10 to 15 people.
Mr Barakath Ali, managing director of Aramex International Exchange, said he expects the high demand for the ringgit to prevail as it continues to weaken against the Singapore dollar, and people are keen to go to Malaysia to shop.
"It is helping the recovery in the money changing industry, but business is still not back to pre-Covid-19 levels. Recovery is still some time away."
Mr Nabeel Ghaffar, chief executive of Exchange International, a wholesaler of currencies, said it is not just the ringgit that is in high demand as travel resumes across the region.

He added that the Thai baht and the Japanese yen are also in demand, as are the Indonesian rupiah and the Vietnamese dong.
"No matter what the price is, people just want to get out and travel," he said.
His company also owns online currency exchange provider Thin Margin, which is selling the Singapore dollar at a rate of RM3.161.

Mr Salim Majeed, who runs Million Dollar Exchange at Westgate, said he expects the high rates to last.
"But business remains at around 50 per cent compared with pre-pandemic days," he said.
"It will take a long time for it to pick up as some countries remain closed to travellers."

Mr Abdul Haleem, a partner at City Money Changers at the Arcade, said it is more about the time of year rather than the rates that draws people to change money.
"A few weeks ago, many were buying ringgit for the Labour Day weekend," he said.
"It is less about the rates and more about the time period. We will see more people buying ringgit in June, when the school holidays come."
Crown Exchange finance manager Kizher Shajahan Mohamed Ismeth said he noticed more people buying ringgit in the last two weeks.
"The ringgit is getting weaker but you never know," he said.
"Most of our customers are buying to go back to Malaysia, and not really stocking up because they cannot predict whether the rate will fall or rise. The Covid-19 situation is very volatile, so the exchange rate is also unpredictable."

Most customers The Straits Times spoke to said they were buying ringgit to travel to Malaysia.
Madam Xylia Kong, 54, a trade support executive, said she plans to go to Johor Bahru in two weeks' time. She changes about $500 to $1,000 at a time.
Broker John Lau, 30, said he was also buying ringgit for his upcoming trip, rather than as an investment.
Ms Salmina Jaafar, a 59-year-old housewife who was in a queue of about 16 people at ARJ money changer at Lot 1, said: "It is good for me because this means that I can buy groceries in Malaysia at a cheaper price than in Singapore."

• Additional reporting by Jocelyn Teo and See Yi Ro

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Pre-opening queues, crowds at OG's Orchard Point outlet after announcement of closure​

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People waiting to enter Orchard Point's OG outlet on July 22, 2022. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

Anjali Raguraman
Consumer Correspondent


JUL 22, 2022

SINGAPORE - Queues formed outside the entrances of department store OG at Orchard Point on Friday morning (July 22), the day after the retailer announced it would be shutting the outlet in October.
There were around 50 people each at the store’s two main entrances. Queues started forming just before it opened at 11am.
Customers entered in an orderly fashion, with most flocking to the first level’s womenswear section, and the fourth floor’s homeware and electronics sections.
OG, the latest familiar name to close its doors in Orchard Road, said on Thursday that it would be shutting the Orchard Point outlet after an 18-year run to make way for a new store specialising in fresh food and groceries.
It did not reveal the name of the new tenant taking over the space.
A spokesman for OG told The Straits Times that over the years, many different businesses have approached it to lease the building’s shopping podium.
“But last year, one local business pitched to us their vision to establish their flagship store at our Orchard Road location, building on their strength in fresh food and grocery to create a landmark experiential space that would have live seafood, differentiated food and beverage, and exclusive merchandise,” the spokesman said.


“We then accepted their proposal to transform the space into a mega-mart concept store and leased the space to them.”
The Orchard Road stalwart, which sits between The Centrepoint and Orchard Plaza, also announced a moving-out sale on its Facebook page, with clearance deals of up to 90 per cent off.
Among the customers picking up deals was Ms Aisyah Binsmit, 45, who is self-employed. She had seen the news about the store’s closing from messages circulating in her WhatsApp groups.

“I was not planning to come down today, but I missed the Robinsons and Isetan closing sales, so I thought I would swing by,” said Ms Aisyah, who bought shoes and a wallet during her shopping trip.
Robinsons had closed its remaining two department stores at The Heeren in December 2020 and at Raffles City in January 2021, while Japanese retail giant Isetan shut down its Westgate store in Jurong East in 2020 and its Parkway Parade outlet in March this year.
Ms Aisyah lamented the loss of department stores, which she said are a convenient one-stop shop.
“All the department stores are closing one by one; it’s so sad,” she said. “I’m old school, I don’t do boutiques... This is familiar and easy and quick.”

It was a sentiment mirrored by sales manager Cassandra Teo.
Ms Teo, 45, was not aware of the department store was closing and decided to walk in to check out why it was crowded.
She noted how some familiar department store names have either closed down all their stores or scaled down their operations here.
“Names like Sogo, Metro and OG don’t resonate with the new generation, but the older generation grew up with these names and there is a familiarity,” she said.
Home-grown retailer OG, whose operations date back to the 1960s, bought the Orchard Point building in 2003 and opened its outlet there in January 2004 after renovations.
The retailer has two other outlets at Albert Complex and People’s Park.
“As part of our long-term strategy, we are looking to open more outlets closer to our suburban customers,” said the OG spokesman.
OG said it hopes to add stores in the heartlands, where the majority of its customers live.
“We prefer to own the property that we operate in and are evaluating locations outside of the city,” the spokesman added.

Staff whom ST spoke to said they have not yet been told what would happen to their jobs once the Orchard Point outlet closes in October.
In response to queries from ST, OG’s spokesman said that staff from the outlet will be redeployed to the remaining two outlets, or to OG's e-commerce business.
“The OG staff will be transferred (to the other outlets) but we have not heard what will happen to the promoters,” said a promoter, who wanted to be known only as Ms Lim.

The 59-year-old has worked as a promoter at OG for the last 18 years. She remained cheerful while serving customers on Friday.
“Once they announced we were closing, we were very sad because many of us have worked here for many years,” said Ms Lim.
She expects the store to remain crowded this weekend, and all the way till it closes in a few months’ time.
“A lot of customers have told us, ‘Please tell your boss to stay here, we like it here...' but we can’t do anything,” she added.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Long queues due to fewer manned bank branches​

AUG 23, 2022

Many DBS Bank/POSB branches with manned counter services have either closed or been replaced with ATM-only booths.
Some seniors now have to travel long distances to a branch with manned counters to get help with their banking needs.
I have experienced or heard from others about long, snaking queues at bank branches, with people spilling into corridors and pavements, SMS queue numbers running out for the day before 2pm, and waiting times of up to 31/2 hours, mostly spent standing outside the branch as space is limited inside the premises.
At other banks, there are rarely queues extending outside the branch, and service is quick and efficient.
I wonder how many DBS/POSB branches have staff that serve customers compared with a few years ago, what the average waiting time at those branches is, and whether the bank collects feedback from its customers on their banking experience.

Gan Boey Keow

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Fans queue for six hours to taste Mandopop star JJ Lin’s Miracle Coffee​

The pop-up in Singapore will run till Dec 29 and a flagship cafe is scheduled to open in the ArtScience Museum in 2023. ST PHOTOS: JAN LEE

Jan Lee


SEP 30, 2022

SINGAPORE – To be one of the first few to taste the offerings from local Mandopop star JJ Lin’s coffee chain Miracle Coffee, some fans flocked to its pop-up at ArtScience Museum before dawn on Friday, way ahead of its opening to the public at noon.
Ms Isabel Lim, 20, and Ms Jaz Tay, 21, were the first in line among the 100-strong crowd. The pair of friends arrived at around 5.30am, half an hour before anyone was allowed to queue for the pop-up.
But the six-hour wait was worth it. Not only did Lin, 41, show up to wave to his fans, but the cuppas did not disappoint either.
Ms Lim, a part-time barista, praised the pourover coffee, cold brew coffee and the Singapore-exclusive Kaya Cloud – an Americano topped with kaya-flavoured fresh cream and shaved gula melaka.
She says: “I really like the nutty aroma of the pourover coffee made with Costa Rica beans. And usually cold brews can be quite acidic, but this one was very light and easy to drink. I found the Kaya Cloud very creative too – it’s like an Americano with that layer of ‘nai gai’ (milk cover) you see in bubble tea stores.”
Ms Tay, a university student, adds: “We’ve been waiting for the past two to three years to try Miracle Coffee. We know his chain opened in Taiwan, but we didn’t get a chance to try it because the pandemic hit and we couldn’t travel.”
Miracle Coffee was started in late 2017 by Lin in Taipei. It currently has three stores in Taipei and one in Shanghai. The pop-up in Singapore will run till Dec 29 and a flagship cafe is scheduled to open in the ArtScience Museum in 2023.

Lin launched the pop-up at a preview event on Friday morning before it opened to the public, which was attended by local celebrities such as music duo Carrie Yeo and Chen Diya of The Freshman and singer Hong Junyang.
Lin flaunted his coffee-making skills by brewing pourover coffee for Mr Paul Town, chief operating officer of Marina Bay Sands, and event host and radio deejay Kimberly Wang.
While the singer is a self-confessed coffee aficionado, he says he is not personally licensed as a food handler who can serve paying customers.
“Drink at your own risk,” he jests prior to his pourover demonstration.
Lin also attracted screams when he waved to fans in the queue and thanked them for coming out to support his brand.

The queue outside Miracle Coffee’s pop-up at the ArtScience Museum ahead of its opening to the public at noon on Friday. ST PHOTO: JAN LEE

JJ Lin with host Kimberly Wang at the Miracle Coffee pop-up launch at the ArtScience Museum on Friday. ST PHOTO: JAN LEE
A fan who travelled far for the coffee is Ms Meng Yuan, who is originally from Beijing and studying music in Italy. She has been on vacation in Singapore for about a month and arrived at the ArtScience Museum around 4am with her friend Ms Wu Bihua, 30, to also catch a glimpse of her idol. They joined the queue after it opened at 6am.
Ms Meng, 27, says: “We’ve been his fans for a long time. We basically grew up listening to his songs and we have tickets to his November concert at the National Stadium as well.”
She also gave her seal of approval to the Kaya Cloud she ordered.
“It’s not as sweet as kaya toast and there’s a really nice smell of milk in it too.”

 

[batman1]

Long long queue at CCs for CDC vouchers.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Long queues for new notes ahead of Chinese New Year​

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Members of the public queueing to withdraw notes for Chinese New Year at Ci Yuan Community Club on Jan 5, 2023. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

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People queuing at the POSB branch at Tanjong Pagar Plaza, where new and fit-for-gifting notes can be withdrawn, on Jan 5, 2023. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

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People lining up outside the DBS branch at HDB hub, ahead of the outlet's opening, on Jan 5, 2023. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG

Amanda Lee
Consumer Correspondent

Jan 5, 2023

SINGAPORE – A long queue, comprising mostly seniors who want to get their hands on new notes ahead of Chinese New Year, formed at two pop-up ATMs at Ci Yuan Community Club in Hougang on Thursday.
The majority of people there opted for new notes instead of used notes that are fit-for-gifting, which local banks are issuing for the first time for the festive period this year in a bid to reduce carbon emissions generated from issuing new notes.
As at 10am, about 60 people were queueing for the new notes, while 14 people waited in line to get fit-for-gifting notes.
Housewife Florence Tang, who was first in line to get the new notes from the DBS/POSB pop-up ATMs at Ci Yuan, said she prefers the new notes due to tradition.
“It has always been tradition for us to give new notes during Chinese New Year, because new notes signify a new start to the new year,” said the 60-year-old, who began queueing from 8.15am.
The pop-up ATMs operate from Wednesday till Jan 20 between 10am and 10pm daily, as well as on Jan 21 from 10am to 1pm.
New and fit-for-gifting notes can be withdrawn without any prior booking at pop-up ATMs offered by DBS Bank and selected UOB ATMs.

There are 72 POSB pop-up ATMs disbursing fit-for-gifting and new notes, up from the 64 ATMs in 2022. UOB has 17 ATMs dispensing new and fit-for-gifting notes, up from seven ATMs in 2022.
DBS and UOB will also provide $2 and $10 in larger quantities, as well as $50 notes, for withdrawal from selected pop-up and branch ATMs.
Walk-in exchanges at DBS, OCBC and UOB branches are available for those aged 60 and above and people with disabilities.

Housewife Jenny Tan was among those who queued for new notes at the community club.
“It has always been a tradition to give new notes to people during Chinese New Year. It will be strange to give people old or used notes,” said the 57-year-old.
But Ms Yvonne Leong, 44, who is self-employed, decided to try the new option.
She said: “There is no harm trying fit-for-gifting notes, because they seem quite new. I feel these notes are acceptable to give during Chinese New Year.”

Members of the public forming an L-shaped queue to withdraw new (left ATMs) and fit-for-gifting (right ATMs) notes at Ci Yuan Community Club on Jan 5, 2023. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
Likewise, sales merchandiser Winna Ho said she finds the note acceptable for the festive season.
“It doesn’t matter because the value of the money is the same regardless of whether they are new or used notes,” said the 48-year-old.
Fit-for-gifting notes are notes that are generally clean and of suitable quality for recirculation, including for festive gifting.
The condition of these notes has been verified by banknote processing machines. The notes are similar in quality to those dispensed by ATMs.
From Wednesday, the public can make appointments to exchange their cash for fit-for-gifting or new notes for Chinese New Year.
Those who wish to do so must pre-book through the online reservation systems of DBS, OCBC and UOB to minimise the likelihood of overcrowding at bank branches.
DBS’ first reservation window period opened on Wednesday till Sunday, with collection from Jan 10 to Jan 13.
Ms Lui Su Kian, DBS chief operating officer of consumer banking group (Singapore), said the bank saw strong demand in the first window of reservation on Wednesday.
“Only seniors 60 and above can reserve notes in this current window. Customers who did not manage to get a reservation slot this time will be able to do so again on Jan 9,” she added.
UOB’s first reservation window period opened on Wednesday, with collection from Jan 10 to Jan 14.

People queueing outside the UOB outlet at HDB hub on Jan 5, 2023. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
UOB managing director of group channels and digitalisation Benny Chan said booking slots for new notes and fit-for-gifting notes exchange at the bank’s branches were fully booked by about 8.30am and 12.40pm, respectively, on Wednesday.
OCBC Bank’s head of branch service and risk management, Ms Jean Oh, said the bank’s booking window for collection from Jan 10 to Jan 13 opened at 8am on Wednesday, and all slots were taken by 5.30pm.
The next booking window will be from Jan 9 to Jan 11, for collection from Jan 14 to Jan 17.

Queues forming up at 9.45am outside the OCBC branch at HDB hub, ahead of the outlet’s opening at 11am, on Jan 5, 2023. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
The Monetary Authority of Singapore had previously encouraged people to adopt more environmentally friendly options, as issuing new notes to meet the demand for festive gifting generates unnecessary carbon emissions and is a waste of resources.
Apart from fit-for-gifting notes, people are also urged to use digital red packets, or e-hongbao.

 

[blackmondy]

In Tiong-cock you will have to queue up for your cremation. Die die also must queue.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

The long queues were not reported in the Shitty Times and the state-controlled media

SO MANY SENIORS CROWDED IN COMMUNITY CENTRES TO PRINT CDC VOUCHERS, SOME HAD TO COME BACK LATER​

By Lin Jiawen

By now, you’ve probably heard about how all Singaporean families can now redeem $300 worth of Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers.
For the unaware, $150 can be spent in participating supermarkets, while the $150 can be spent on merchandise purchased from participating hawkers and heartland merchants.
And as of 10.30 pm on Tuesday (3 January), over 450,000 families have already received the newly-issued CDC vouchers.
On the other hand, while most of us might already be used to redeeming our vouchers with a few swipes on our phones, some of our elders might still be more accustomed to using paper hardcopy vouchers.
In fact, many seniors took to lining up at the Community Centres (CCs) near their homes over the past few days to receive hardcopy versions of their vouchers.
When reporters from Lianhe Zaobao visited various CCs in the Yishun and Canberra areas yesterday (4 January) morning, snaking lines of people queuing to get the hardcopy CDC vouchers were seen at the CCs.
Most of the people lining up to do so were senior citizens.
The snaking queues also meant that those who wanted to receive hardcopy versions of their vouchers had to wait in line for extended periods of time.
But as they say, there’s nothing Singaporeans like more than free stuff and queuing, which might make the queuing process feel a little less torturous.
In particular, individuals had to line up for an average of 30 minutes to an hour at the CCs in order to get their vouchers.
But the queue was much longer for those who tried to get their printed vouchers at Canberra CC, for the CC’s network server was down for around an hour at 10 am yesterday (4 January).
And here’s what these seniors have to say about obtaining their vouchers.

Some Went Back Home and Returned Afterwards When the Queue Was Shorter​

When speaking to Zaobao, a man named Li Mingping (Hanyu pinyin) shared that he brought three residents to Canberra CC at 9.55 am on 4 January to get the hardcopy version of their CDC vouchers.
However, he was advised by the staff at the CC to return at a later time.
Mr Li, a representative from the Residents Committee, added that he saw around 40 or 50 people lining up to receive their vouchers. Most of them were senior citizens.
He also shared that the staff members at the CC put up a notice regarding this issue. A contact number to get in touch with the CC was also provided in the notice.
According to Mr Li, the queue was much shorter when he returned to the CC at 12 pm that day. He was able to redeem the vouchers within 40 minutes of reaching the CC.

Some Seniors Keen On Learning How to Redeem Vouchers With Their Smartphones​

On the other hand, some seniors seem interested in learning how to get their CDC vouchers on their smartphones.
Song Ximei (Hanyu pinyin), a housewife who queued up at Nee Soon East CC, ended up learning how to redeem her CDC vouchers digitally on her smartphone after an Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) ambassador at the CC taught her how to do so.
She explained that although she has a Singpass account, she is not used to surfing the Internet with her phone.
Regarding the nature of the vouchers, Ms Song said that the hardcopy CDC vouchers issued previously were more convenient to use and share with her family members.
However, she added that she is willing to try and learn how to use the digital vouchers issued this time round.

​

Technical Difficulties at NTUC FairPrice As Well​

Unfortunately, it seems like CCs aren’t the only places that have been experiencing technical difficulties regarding CDC vouchers.
At the NTUC FairPrice outlet at Northpoint City, Zaobao reporters also saw similar notices that were put up at the cash registers of the outlets.
The notices informed customers that the store is currently experiencing technical difficulties, meaning that customers cannot pay for their items with CDC vouchers for the time being.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Tradition comes first as many brave long queues at some pop-up ATMs for new notes for CNY​

$10 notes had run out at the pop-up ATMs at Ci Yuan Community Centre on Jan 15, 2023. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN
Nadine Chua and Sherlyn Sim

Jan 15, 2023

SINGAPORE - For many people in snaking queues at some pop-up ATMs on Sunday to collect new dollar notes for Chinese New Year, tradition was more important than having to wait for up to two hours.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Association of Banks in Singapore have encouraged the public to opt for used notes that are fit-for gifting, or e-hongbao.
But many still believe that giving red packets with new notes during Chinese New Year, which falls on Jan 22, is too much of a significant gesture to miss.
Mr Benny Siow, 76, who waited in line for more than 45 minutes at the pop-up ATM at Ci Yuan Community Club (CC) on Sunday morning, said he was more than happy to queue if it meant being able to get his hands on new notes for his relatives.
The retired musician, who is single, said: “Giving new notes to my nephew, my sisters and my relatives is really meaningful to me so I really don’t mind waiting. It’s something I do every year.”
When The Straits Times arrived at Ci Yuan CC at around 10am, more than 30 people were queueing for new notes, with fewer than 10 in the queue for fit-for-gifting notes.
A sign at the start of the queue for new notes gave an estimated waiting time of two hours.

Ms Shane Lim, 32, said she arrived 30 minutes before the pop-up ATM for new notes opened at 10am and was surprised to see more than 10 people already in the queue.
“I’m collecting new notes for my mother-in-law, who loves to give them to her grandchildren every Chinese New Year. She also prefers the serial numbers on her notes to be in running order. As for myself, fit-for gifting notes will do,” said the sales representative.
According to MAS, fit-for-gifting notes are used currency notes that are generally clean and of suitable quality for recirculation, including for festive gifting.

“I don’t think I’ll be giving out e-hongbao anytime soon as I feel like it could be quite awkward, especially when meeting relatives face-to-face. Some older folk may not even understand the concept or know how to receive it. So I’m willing to queue,” said Ms Lim, who waited in line for more than an hour.
At Clementi CC, around 35 people were lining up for new notes at around 10.30am.

People queueing to withdraw notes for Chinese New Year at Clementi Community Centre at 10.40am on Jan 15, 2023. ST PHOTO: SHERLYN SIM
Mr Gan, 40, who works in construction and was queueing with his wife and toddler, said: “Chinese New Year is a special occasion, and this year we can finally meet up in person. So giving out physical hongbao the traditional way is more sincere. And kids love to receive them too.”
He waited about 30 minutes to get his new notes. Those who wanted new notes at other CCs did not have to wait as long.
At Toa Payoh Central CC, Ms Irene Tan, 51, walked right up to the pop-up ATM to get new notes.
The teacher, who arrived at around 1pm, said: “I live in Bukit Panjang but I was in the Toa Payoh area so I decided to see if I could quickly get new notes here. I heard the pop-up ATMs in Bukit Panjang sometimes have long queues, so I’m lucky I got what I needed without much hassle.”

People queueing to withdraw new bank notes at Toa Payoh Central Community Club, on Jan 15, 2023. ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
Most people ST spoke to were in favour of sticking with the traditional way of giving red packets and were reluctant to opt for e-hongbao.
A 75-year-old retiree, who wanted to be known only as Mr Seng, said: “For young people, e-hongbao may be convenient. But for an elderly person like me, it’ll be troublesome because I don’t know how to give e-hongpao and I’m worried about sending money to the wrong person.”
Madam Serenee Ong, 52, will also be sticking to physical hongbao this year. “I feel that when you give someone a physical red packet, it is a lot more sincere. Banks have been promoting e-hongbao over the past few years, but I think it’ll take quite a while for this way of giving to become a norm here,” said the sales engineer.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC
Old habits die hard? Why still give out physical hongbao and new notes?
Chinese New Year ‘market rates’ and giving hongbao after you marry: Time to update traditions?
Madam Venlaura Kong, 43, who works in sales, was among a handful who were open to going digital.
“Over the past few years when we could not visit family due to Covid-19 restrictions, we had to opt for e-hongbao. I’m not sure what the trend is this year, but I will be giving both physical and digital red packets,” she said.
Cyber-security consultant Bryan Sng, 25, said he does not mind receiving e-hongbao.
“To me, it doesn’t matter. It’s all about the gesture, and it’s really the thought that counts,” he said. “But I believe that while most young people are okay with getting e-hongbao, many older folk aren’t quite accustomed to it yet.”

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Long queues at Singapore Pools outlets in run-up to $12m Toto Hong Bao Draw at 9.30pm​

A queue forms on the last day to place bets for the TOTO Hong Bao Draw 2023, at the Singapore Pool Outlet on Feb 3. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Josiah Teo

Feb 3, 2023

SINGAPORE – Snaking lines were spotted at Singapore Pools outlets on Friday morning as punters placed final bets before the $12 million Toto Hong Bao Draw is conducted at 9.30pm.
Though this year’s top prize is less than last year’s $19 million, the prospect of landing a potential life-changing windfall is still alluring to many punters The Straits Times spoke to.
A line of 30 people had formed by 9.30am at the Singapore Pools branch in Toa Payoh Central. Among them was Mr David Soh, who said it is a “lucky” outlet for him because he had bought 4D tickets there previously and had made money.
Last year, a ticket purchased from the outlet was among the eight that shared the Hong Bao Draw jackpot prize.
Mr Soh, 66, an author, added that if he landed the big prize, he would invest part of it and donate the returns to charity. He would also use some of the money for a proposed trip to the United States in 2024.
Another punter in line was Ms Marchia Guinilac, 45, a retail assistant. The Filipino said she would use the jackpot prize to buy a small farm and fund charities in the Philippines.
At the Singapore Pools branch in Toa Payoh Lorong 1, around 15 punters were in line to place their bets at 11am.

Ms Monique Holdorff, 37, a private English tutor, said she would use the jackpot prize to support her three children in areas such as education.
Visiting the outlet near her home to place around $120 in bets for her husband and his friends who pooled their money together, the Singaporean bought a variety of Toto ticket types to widen the winning chances.
Ms Zita Ng, 34, spent about $15 on Hong Bao Draw and Singapore Sweep bets. The latter, whose top prize is $2.3 million, is another lottery game run by the Singapore Pools.
Saying she is not a regular Singapore Pools customer, the nurse added that she decided to try her luck because of the Chinese New Year festivities and would buy a condo if she became a multimillionaire.
The outlets close at 9pm and punters can check the winning Toto numbers at https://www.singaporepools.com.sg/en/product/pages/toto_results.aspx

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Long queue at Lucky Plaza nasi ayam goreng shop run by 'rude' & 'fierce' young man​

If you cannot handle him at his worst, you cannot have ayam goreng.
Belmont Lay
February 09, 2023

There are many fried chicken options available in Orchard, but there is always a long queue at one particular shop at the sixth floor of Lucky Plaza.

No, it is not a chain store, but a humble 24-seat eatery, Fiie's Cafe.
And the queue is apparently only getting longer.

A Feb. 7 Facebook post showed the queue at 12:30pm on a weekday.

The caption of the post said many of the customers in line were queuing to take away as many as six and 45 packets of fried chicken rice at one shot.

Spotlight on rude antics & nice fried chicken​

The shop, run by a pair of brothers, was recently thrown into the spotlight after 8 Days wrote about the elder sibling, whose reputation precedes him.
Shafiie, who is in his mid-30s, has been called out repeatedly in real-life and in online reviews for being everything from rude, aggressive, patronising, to discourteous, and a great chicken fryer.
But he doesn't care.
Saying that his meal is only S$6 -- despite the recent inflationary pressures, the price has remained the same -- he claimed that he just wants to do a good job continuing his mother's business and making excellent fried chicken rice for those who show up.
Those who expect service, can head to Jollibee next door, he said.
Funny.
The latest one-star Google review -- which is quite typical for this shop -- lambasted Shafiie on Feb. 8 for being "unsmiling" and "feral".

His younger brother, Rasheed, who is more soft-spoken, handles the customers in a public-facing role, leaving Shafiie diligently frying the chicken in the kitchen.

The two siblings run everything from cooking, to manning the store, to accepting payment, without help from assistants -- which explains the labour crunch and angst.

Even though Shafiie has been labelled a "Karen" -- a pejorative term for an argumentative and difficult person -- he has no shortage of fans who have little qualms being subjected to his dirty looks and put-downs.
All in the name of fried chicken.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Long wait at polyclinic but still did not get to see doctor​

Mar 14, 2023

I wish to express my concern about the accessibility of public healthcare at polyclinics in Singapore.
Recently, I took my 19-year-old daughter who had a fever of 37.8 deg C to Bukit Batok Polyclinic and was told to queue for a time slot to see the doctor.
But we ended up not getting a time slot because my daughter was not considered a priority case, as she was neither a child nor an elderly person running a high fever.
While I acknowledge the need for prioritisation in a busy healthcare system, I am concerned that this may prevent people from accessing the healthcare they need, particularly for minor illnesses that could escalate into more serious conditions.
For many families, polyclinics may be their only option for healthcare, and not getting treatment could have dire consequences.
In my recent experience, being in the queue for nearly an hour before being told we would not get to see the doctor was frustrating.
Many Singaporeans, like myself, have employee benefits at polyclinics that can help defray the cost of healthcare. Even with the Community Health Assist Scheme benefit, private healthcare costs are still higher than those for public healthcare.

Policies on public healthcare accessibility at polyclinics should be reviewed to ensure that everyone can receive timely and appropriate care.

Patricia Goh

 

[Scrooball (clone)]

Sucker for useless time wasting. Could have spent 5 seconds to do the same over the app.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Texas Chicken staff 'burst into tears and ran' after people swarm outlet for free chicken bags​

APRIL 17, 2023
ByCHING SHI JIE

Screengrab/TikTok/Usman26waw, Instagram/Texas Chicken Singapore

The early bird gets the worm, or so they say.
And when Texas Chicken gave out chicken bags on Sunday (April 16) morning to celebrate its 13th anniversary in Singapore, people started swarming the fast food chain's outlets for the freebies.
This, however, took a toll on one employee, who had to inform disappointed diners that the free item was out of stock.
Customers who purchased a meal deal — or Chick Deal as they called it — for $13.90 each from 11am onwards on Sunday can redeem the chicken bag.
A TikTok video shared by Usman Choo showed a staff member weeping outside Texas Chicken's Century Square outlet as a passer-by comforted her.
Choo, 44, told AsiaOne that he was at Texas Chicken's Century Square outlet at around 4pm and the bags were already out of stock by then.
"Two aunties told the staff member that they were waiting [in line] for five hours. She was still calm and composed at that time," he said.
"She burst into tears and ran [outside] after an uncle nagged at her to honour the redemption by taking down the names and phone numbers of those who were in the queue."



Choo's video has since garnered more than 100,000 views as well as hundreds of comments.
In the comments section, several netizens urged the public to be more sympathetic towards those working in the food and beverage industry.

PHOTO: Screengrab/TikTok/Usman26waw
While some blamed the diners there for stressing out the Texas Chicken employee, one netizen said that the fault lies with the way the restaurant handled the queues.
"Can't blame the customers. If they did a stock count and [gave] a cut off line where the bag would run out then people wouldn't make noise," he wrote.
Unhappy netizens also took to Texas Chicken's Facebook post to complain about issues with the queues at various outlets.

PHOTO: Screengrab/Texas Chicken Singapore
While the fast food chain said the promotion is on "while stocks last", it is unclear how many chicken bags have been given out.
Responding to AsiaOne's queries, Texas Chicken said that the chicken bags are out of stock and will not be replenished "at the moment".
"For those who left disappointed, we are genuinely apologetic and do promise to do better," the fast food chain's spokesperson said.
"Let us all spread kindness and love as we nurture our little chicks. Your understanding and support will go a long way."
For those who missed out on this promotion, it looks like you can still get your hands on the adorable chicken bag.
AsiaOne did a quick search on Carousell and found some people have listed the "limited edition" items there for up to $60 each.

PHOTO: Screengrab/Carousell
But others have found more wallet-friendly alternatives. The same chicken bags are sold on online platforms such as Shopee from $9 onwards.

 

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'Extremely ridiculous': Man warns of 3-hour waiting times at Chatuchak Singapore as event draws massive crowds​

FEBRUARY 13, 2023PUBLISHED AT 6:25 PMByMELISSA TEO

TikTok/Screengrab/Runawaykim, TikTok/Screengrab/Ngtianzu

Singapore's events scene is back in full force after a gruelling battle with the pandemic. So, it's understandable that many are excited to check out the latest happenings in town as the country reverts to Dorscon green.
But would you brave three-hour-long waiting times and suffocating crowds just to do so?
That's what some people did over this weekend at the new Chatuchak Night Market at The Grandstand.
In a TikTok video uploaded on Sunday (Feb 12), content creator Nurhakim Suhaimi showed how bad the crowd situation was at the event.
"Didn't even get to try any food," he revealed as he showed clip after clip of the swarms of people.
His only saving grace was that he managed to win a toy from one of the claw machines.
"10/10 would not recommend," he rated the event.

Avoid the weekends​

Joe Ng, a car salesman, also made a TikTok video about the crowd situation on Saturday (Feb 11).
The 28-year-old's showroom is at The Grandstand and he pointed out in the video that the best time to visit the night market is during the weekdays.
But even then, you can expect one-hour queues, he added.
And on weekends, be prepared to wait for around two to three hours for your food.
"I have some strong advice, very very strong advice. If you have nothing important to do at the event, don't bother coming," he warned in a mixture of Chinese and English, adding that the people in the crowd "look like ants".
"It's extremely ridiculous," Ng emphasised.
The human jams aren't the only issue to worry about — if you plan on driving down, you have to brace yourself for the jams going in and out of the area.
To prove his point, Ng showed clips of the cars — which were barely moving — lined up near the event.


Speaking to AsiaOne, Ng said the crowd wasn't that bad on Sunday (Feb 12), but only because it had rained.
He also shared that he visited the event on Thursday (Feb 9) evening and waited around one hour for his food.
Additionally, Ng noticed that the weekday crowd only starts coming in around 6pm, so if you've some spare time before that, you could try your luck.
"When I went around 4pm on Friday, it was still okay. Waiting time was around 15 to 20 minutes," he recounted.
Another TikToker, who goes by the username Eunicechok, visited the event on Thursday evening.
She shared that the event was just a series of lengthy queues.
"You need to queue to pay [for your food] and then queue to collect [your food]," she revealed.
"Some of the items ran out midway as we were queuing and some stores stopped taking in orders due to the high demand."
Despite the chaos, Eunicechok still complimented the food and said it was "good".

Wet Chatuchak​

Horrendous crowds aside, the recent rainy weather has been quite a dampener for those visiting the night market.
Just last week, Chatuchak made the news after it was flooded during a heavy downpour.
It had only been the second day of the event, and dismayed vendors and visitors ended up having to wade in ankle-deep waters.
One stall vendor had to temporarily put up a black cloth as her waterproof ones had not arrived yet. She also had to wheel in her luggage to prevent it from getting soaked.
The organiser told AsiaOne then that they are working with the management of The Grandstand to procure further flood control solutions in case a similar incident happens again.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Long, long queue at IKEA S'pore for its long, long hotdog at S$1, tensions slightly high​

Critical yikes.
Mandy How | Livia Soh
April 27, 2023,

Singaporeans are flocking to IKEA on Apr. 27, ostensibly for the launch of its 12-inch hotdog.
The new item is part of the furniture giant's anniversary celebrations that will run from Apr. 27 - May 1, 2023.
When Mothership reached the Tampines outlet slightly before the opening at 11am, there were already about 40 people milling about the Swedish bistro.

By the time it hit 11:30am, there were over 100 people.

Photo by Livia Soh

Photo by Livia Soh

And the queue was crawling.
To thank (or bribe) customers for their understanding, an IKEA staff gave out Daim chocolates to those waiting in line.

Photo by Livia Soh

Tensions running high​

Photo by Livia Soh

The bribe, however, did not work as well as IKEA would have hoped.
At around 12pm, IKEA staff opened up another queue to cope with the demand.

Photo by Livia Soh

Alas, that was met with unhappiness as people in the second half of the queue were shown to the new line.
A man audibly grumbled to the staff over the speed at which things moved.
It later escalated slightly, and a three-way altercation (albeit a rather mild one) was witnessed by other customers.
Others in the queue were also overheard criticising the kitchen staff.
We got our hotdog at about 12:40pm, at which point the length of the queue remained consistently long (and slow).

Photo by Livia Soh

Yes we waited like 45 minutes for this. Photo by Livia Soh.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Long queues at K-pop group NCT Dream's pop-up store at Kallang Leisure Park on opening day​

Another day, another long queue.
Hayley Foong
April 28, 2023

The game of queuing began early for fans of K-pop group NCT Dream on Apr. 28, following the opening of the group's pop-up store at Kallang Leisure Park.


When Mothership arrived at Kallang Leisure Park at 9:15am, a number of people were already in the queue to enter the store, which only opens at 10am.

Photo by Livia Soh.

By 9:59am, the queue had grew to over 40 people.
The pop-up store is opening ahead of the group's Singapore concert, happening on May 1, 2023 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Pop-up store​

Singapore is the second of three cities that the pop-up store will be opening in.

Photo by Livia Soh

Merchandise, priced between S$8 to S$75, are available for purchase at the pop-up.
Some items include:

• T-shirts (S$56)
• Ball caps (S$51)
• Light sticks (S$75)
• Key rings (S$21)
• Socks (S$8)

Photo by Livia Soh

Photo by Livia Soh

Photo by Livia Soh

Customers will have to queue to enter the store, and will be handed a brochure to indicate their purchases upon entering.
After which, customers can choose to browse around or proceed to the cashier to check out immediately.

Photo by Livia Soh

The merchandise are also displayed around the store, providing photo opportunities for fans.

Photo by Livia Soh

NCT Dream pop-up store​

Address: 5 Stadium Walk, Level 1 Atrium, Leisure Park Kallang S397693
Dates: Apr. 28, 2023 – May 2, 2023
Opening hours: 10am - 10pm

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

China’s Singapore visa centre to take more emergency visa applications after long queues form daily​

A queue outside the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre in Singapore on March 15. PHOTO: REUTERS

Ang Qing

MAY 7, 2023

SINGAPORE - Applying for a Chinese visa will become easier for Singapore residents from Monday as the Chinese embassy here takes steps to address growing demand for travel to China.
China’s Ambassador to Singapore Sun Haiyan said in a Facebook post on Saturday that the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre will increase the number of daily appointments for emergency visa applications amid a “significant rise” in such applications.
Despite China’s reversal of its strict Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, it has not resumed visa-free travel for Singaporeans. This has led to long lines as people here apply to travel to China for work and study, tourism or to visit relatives.
The increase in visa applications has been accompanied by problems such as long waiting times for appointment slots. Checks by The Straits Times on Saturday found that the next available slot for a visa appointment is on June 7.
In April, Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao reported long queues daily outside the centre, with a line of about 200 people forming as early as an hour before the centre opened its doors.
Ms Sun said the centre will adjust the process for emergency visa applications from Monday so that applicants need not line up in the scorching heat.
First, appointments for an emergency visa must be made online instead of queueing on site.

Second, the number of daily appointments will increase.
From 4pm to 6pm on each working day, the centre’s website will issue between 200 and 250 appointment numbers for emergency visa applications for the following day.
These additional numbers will not entail extra charges.
The existing two methods of online appointment and visa application for humanitarian purposes via the centre’s green channel remain unchanged.
Due to the high demand for visas in recent days, applicants are advised by the embassy to make appointments in advance and schedule their itinerary accordingly.
Ms Sun said: “The embassy and the centre are doing our best within our scope of duty to facilitate the process and offer better application experience.”
Since March, China has resumed issuing a range of visas to foreigners, with those having valid visas issued before March 28, 2020, being permitted entry to China

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Fans lining up at SingPost outlets islandwide for Coldplay tickets​

1 of 2

Fans lined up at SingPost outlets islandwide on Tuesday morning to queue for tickets to Coldplay’s concert tickets. ST PHOTOS: REBEKAH CHIA
Gabrielle Chan, Suzanne Chan , Christine Siow , Rebekah Chia and Dillon Loh

June 19, 2023

SINGAPORE - After failing to get tickets for British band Coldplay’s January concerts during pre-sales on Monday, barista Casey James decided to start queueing at Sengkang Community Centre’s SingPost outlet from midnight on Tuesday.
The 20-year-old and her friend were two out of 70 people in the queue on Tuesday morning, waiting for general sales to open at 10am. She told The Straits Times that her experience with online pre-sales were unsuccessful, as her preferred tickets had sold out within a matter of hours.
Ms James, who went early to ensure she bagged a spot at the front of the queue, said that she had taken a nap before going.
She said: “It’s Coldplay, so I expected the queues to be long.
“But it’s worth it because to see them live would be absolutely magical.”
Fans lined up at SingPost outlets islandwide on Tuesday morning to queue for tickets to Coldplay’s concert tickets after pre-sales on Monday sold out within five hours, with over a million virtual queue numbers issued. Many fans also faced technical issues like a blank ticketing screen and getting kicked out of the queue.
Ghim Moh’s SingPost outlet saw people queueing from 3am, two of which were husband and wife Balasupramaniam and Sharlot Lizardo.

Madam Sharlot told ST that she was looking to score tickets for her parents and siblings, all big fans of Coldplay.
“I’ve heard that they have a lot of energy, and they’re known for a good performance, even their special effects,” said Madam Sharlot, 35.
Mr Balasupramaniam, 48, added: “They’re one of the bands we must watch, so we can tick that off our bucket list.” He added that he felt hopeful at the Ghim Moh outlet as this was an “estate with more older folk” and expected demand to be less than at other outlets which served more youthful residents.


Fans at Ang Mo Kio’s SingPost outlet arrived at around 6am, with more than 40 people in the queue.

The queue at Ang Mo Kio’s SingPost outlet. ST PHOTO: DILLON LOH
Ms Jamie Foo, 31, who gave up on Ticketmaster after getting kicked out twice yesterday, decided to try her luck queueing in person.
“It was really frustrating, that despite my best efforts and following instructions on the website, it just doesn’t work for me,” Ms Foo, a senior manager at an American multinational corporation, said.

Elsa Tan, 19, who was queueing at Toa Payoh’s SingPost outlet, told ST that she arrived at 5am with two of her friends after sleeping for only three hours.
Technology analyst Alex Gazza, 35, who was also in the Toa Payoh queue of more than 28 people, said that he took urgent leave from work to queue for tickets on Tuesday after failing to score any during the pre-sale.
Those in line at some SingPost outlets received forms allowing them to fill out their personal details, how many tickets they would be purchasing, and to rank their preferred categories.

Forms to fill out their personal details, how many tickets they would be purchasing, and to rank their preferred categories. ST PHOTO: REBEKAH CHIA
British band Coldplay announced last week that they would perform at the National Stadium on Jan 23, 24, 26 and 27. They added an unprecedented fifth show after more than 200,000 pre-sale tickets were sold on Monday.
Organisers Live Nation said that Coldplay would be the first music act to play five nights at the National Stadium.
They last performed in Singapore in 2017, when they rocked the National Stadium over two nights. Formed in London in 1997, the band have released a string of hits over the years, such as Yellow, Viva La Vida, A Sky Full Of Stars, and Higher Power.