Les Petits Contes

About life's little observations, which matter. About hilarious situations, which illuminate. About stories which offer immense possibilities, open endings, different interpretations and perspectives.

Name:
Location: Asia, Singapore

Melancholic but with a quirky sense of humour

Monday, July 23, 2012

The filthiest block in Bukit Panjang

 
For the second year running, Singapore is ranked number 3 in the INSEAD-WIPO Global Innovation Index 2012, after Switzerland and Sweden.  For the 5th year running, since the Index was established, Singapore has always been the first in Asia.

For the third year running, Singapore is ranked number 2 in the Network Readiness Index of the WEF-INSEAD Global Information Technology Report, after Sweden, and followed by Finland.  Ever since this study was founded 10 years ago, Singapore has always been ranked among the top 5.

In the Economist Intelligence Unit’s ‘’Most Livable Cities’’ study, Singapore was no where in sight.  Neither was Singapore any where in sight, in Mercer’s ‘’Quality of Living’’ survey, nor in Monocle’s ‘’Most Livable Cities’’ study.  Yet Finland, Sweden and many Asian countries made it to the list.

Are we surprised?

Why is it that an educated, rich, modern economy like Singapore can score well in technological advances and taking advantages of ICT, but its people score pathetically when it comes to being civilized? 

I know we are getting cynical of ‘’rankings’’, but anecdotally, I can provide a catalogue of examples of churlish behaviour in our day to day activities that need not involve studies and ranking exercises: Texting and being glued to the smart phone at social settings and even to the extent of holding up queues while boarding MRT trains and buses, hogging and blocking jogging paths at gardens and ignoring ‘’excuse me’s’’ of the runners, walking towards the jogger as if the latter is invisible and not giving way, jumping queue, ill treating domestic helpers… Ironically, it is usually the maligned ‘’foreign workers’’ who gave way to me, allowed me to check out first ahead of them if I had only one item to purchase, and loaned me umbrellas during the pouring rain.

And of course, the latest example of barbaric, farmer behaviour – throwing trash out of the window, and ruining laundry that are hung out to dry, or soiling other’s property.

Take a look at this photo of Block 179 Lompang Road at Bukit Panjang, taken on Friday 20 July 2012.  Cakes and eggs had been hurled down from above, landing at my bedroom window.  This is the umpteenth time garbage has been thrown down, ruining my laundry or littering the window ledges. 

Appealing to the town council for help has been a frustratingly futile exercise.  My letter regarding this latest incident, attaching some photos, to my MP went unanswered.  I copied the Bukit Timah Holland Town Council and got in return a template, useless reply from their ‘’PR officer’’, saying ‘’the matter has been referred to’’ so and so and that  ‘’she will look into it as soon as she can’’.  I wonder which is more infuriating – the silence, or the nonchalant, might-as-well-not-reply’’ type of reply?

2 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I had the same problems.

If you know which unit is the culprit
try this:

"Dear neighbour, throwing water, food, eggs, cakes through your window is causing my laundry to be dirty. I need to rewash everytime this happens.

Please stop this.

Thank you,

Your neighbours who live below you.

cc: Town council
cc: Unit # 120,122,132,133


Since I wrote this, my upstairs neighbours has not thrown anything, or washed his toilet windows using a hose.

Worth trying and the town council cannot say you have not been accomodating and neighbourly.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012 5:25:00 PM  
Anonymous ape@kinjioleaf said...

Wonderful idea! A probable solution to a headache I am having now. Got copyright or not? :D

Saturday, July 28, 2012 2:56:00 PM  

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