Search the Community

So everyone is back on the road again and I’ve also joined the crowd I managed to wrangle a conference in Rome and will do a quick trip there. Singapore airlines has become too expensive to afford a business class seat so I’ve had to choose an alternative and swiss air is part of Star Alliance so at a considerable saving and only one hour difference in arrival time, I have picked them. now that is also the issue as the transit time is only 70 mins so it’s cutting its close. However when I called the airlines they almost felt offended when I asked if it was sufficient and so the journey begins .. So they use the silverkris lounge at changi and it’s pretty impressive with a wide selection of food and drinks plus free toiletries now for the airline When you travel you see and feel a lot and this is one of the major benefits of travel. You also get to compare and see what’s really good Swiss air is well very swiss in efficiency but they don’t have the smiles and warmth. That’s not so bad but dinner was a real low. The cod was possibly the worst I’ve ever had … stiff and over cooked Luckily the eggs for breakfast and the machine prepared cappuccino was fine. Usually there is a basket of snacks and here the basket does not have any fruits, just crisps and some mineral water. The bed is a lie flat with no bedding and just a blanket. Length is ok and the pocket for your legs is larger than the SQ equivalent So the most glaring thing is their seat arrangement Not all seats get aisle access easily and when you are trying to cross another passenger it’s a real bother. They charge extra for the so called ‘throne’ seats but you are rewarded with an abundance of storage. Great for people like me who didn’t check in any luggage. On the hand if you only got the regular business class seat, there’s only a small shelf and another side cabinet. The headphone are nasty though.. acoustics aren’t great and I don’t think their noise cancellation works at all. The inflight entertainment system works fine with a large 16” screen that is touchscreen. The selection are up to date but far more limited than SQ. Whilst you may say it’s unfair to compare since SQ costs 30% more but travelers will do so since they cater to the same market. But it’s the same little stuff that makes SQ stand out like free wifi. Here it’s a chargeable cost. So you do get the trappings of a business class seat but little things are missing and so it’s not in your face but where that 30% extra cost goes to shows itself. I have a one hour transit in Zurich and they assure me it’s adequate for my next onward journey to Rome. And that’s their plus - Efficiency So the transit fears proved to be unfounded and I make it to my next flight without fuss and even time to spare for a coffee at the lounge. You need to clear passports prior to going from one area gate to the next, but it’s a 15-20 min walk depending on how brisk you walk. Bringing a trolley bag was a smart move. There’s no more baggage checks so I regret not bringing my unopened sparkling mineral water along. There’s wifi for free in the airport but when you’re rushing, it’s good to have data because you need to jump through a fair number of hurdles to get on. The second leg is short flight so you get the same seats as economy but there’s no one next to you. They serve warm meals in the lounge and for a machine, the coffee is good. Grabbed a banana for the road and I have some apples too. Somehow coffee tastes better when you’re not at work? Onward to Rome 👋

‘We couldn’t wait for help’: Parents who created jobs for their special needs children SINGAPORE - When Mr Henry Teong set up 168 Neopolitan Style Pizza at Taman Jurong Food Centre with his wife Mylene in February, their goal was not to rake in huge profits. Instead, they wanted to create a future job for their 16-year-old son Jonas, who has autism. Today, Jonas helps out with food tasting at the stall. Mr Teong, 55, holds a day job selling chemical raw materials under his own firm. He told The Straits Times: “This stall was opened in the hope that we lead by example to help children with special needs. We hope that Jonas will have a future as he grows up and becomes more capable.” Over the years, a number of parents have set up businesses for their special needs children, even though they have no prior experience in the chosen sector. At the same time, they hope to extend employment opportunities to others in the special needs community. This is because people with disabilities (PWDs), who leave the safe confines of special education schools when they turn 18, have limited options such as sheltered workshops and day activity centres, or are even kept at home. This situation – which can be isolating for them and their caregivers – is described as the “post-18 cliff”. One such caregiver is Madam Faraliza Zainal, who operated a class for special needs students out of a small storeroom in Sultan Mosque in 2011. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine it would become an education hub with more than 360 students today. The former regional training manager had only wanted to let her son Mohd Ashraf Mohd Ali have an easier time accessing religious lessons, after he was labelled “gila” (“crazy” in Malay) by some of his madrasah, or religious school, classmates. Now 23, he has autism and tuberous sclerosis, which triggers epilepsy attacks. My Inspiring Journey Hub, or “MIJ Hub”, offers an academic curriculum, and vocational and daily living skills training for students with learning differences who are aged two to 30 years. It has three outlets in Singapore, and a new one in Kuala Lumpur. It even branched out into the food and beverage and retail sectors through Ashraf’s Cafe and INSPO – platforms that were created as a training ground for its graduates to enhance their vocational skills through paid employment. It also runs a food stall at Methodist Girls’ School. Madam Faraliza, 52, said: ”My students have moderate-to-high special needs and cannot get any job from open employment after they leave their special education school. Rather than wait for someone to knock on our door, we have to keep coming up with projects and opportunities to engage them.” One project is The Takeout Campaign, where Ashraf, his peers and a team of volunteers prepare and deliver meals every weekend to 36 low-income families with special needs children during Ramadan. As for Mr Khong Yoon Kay and Mrs Jeanne Seah-Khong, both 67, they set up Joan Bowen Cafe more than a decade ago so that their daughter Joan, now 33, could be socially engaged. They do not think that Joan, who has intellectual disabilities, can eventually take over the business. Said Mr Khong: “Food and beverage (F&B) trends and customers’ preferences keep evolving. A special needs person won’t be able to follow and adapt to the changes quickly.” It can also be hard to sustain the business or recruit more PWDs, as they need more supervision, he added. “There is already a shortage of manpower in the F&B sector, not to mention those who would have the heart to guide them.” The cafe is now staffed by the couple, Joan, and a special needs chef. In the early years, they hired more than 20 staff with special needs. Mrs Seah-Khong said: ”The challenge also comes from some parents who dictate what they want their special needs children to do when they work with us, or how much they should earn.” Statistics show that among residents with disabilities aged between 15 and 64, an average of 31.4 per cent were employed in 2021 and 2022. Singapore aims to have 40 per cent of working-age PWDs employed by 2030. Under the Enabling Masterplan 2030, there will be more community support services, as well as training and employment opportunities nearer to where PWDs live. The Enabling Services Hub will be launched in Tampines West Community Club by mid-2023, offering social inclusion activities and continual education for PWDs, as well as drop-in respite care to support caregivers. The first Enabling Business Hub will also be launched in Jurong West later in 2023 to provide job support for PWDs. The Enabling Academy by SG Enable is developing the Enabling Skills Framework to help PWDs chart their lifelong learning journey, and will recommend skills and courses to enhance their opportunities for participation in social and community life, as well as in employment. It will also ensure more accessible training programmes to upskill PWDs. The academy offers the Temasek Trust-CDC Lifelong Learning Enabling Fund, and administers scholarships by Google, Meta and VMware. It also seeks to broaden partnerships with continuing education and training centres and institutes of higher learning, among others. Crunchy Teeth, a bakery founded in 2019 by four mothers of children with autism, also hopes to collaborate with tertiary education institutions to explore methods such as virtual reality solutions to ease autistic individuals into the real working environment. Besides F&B, it hopes to train its interns, who are autistic adults aged 18 years and above, in areas such as horticulture and packing. Co-founder Tan Yen Peng, 46, said: “With extra patience and proper coaching, our autistic community does have the ability to fulfil its job responsibilities and produce quality work. “By having more open channels to speak up for our silent autistic community, we can open up the minds of potential employers, and, in turn, increase the chances of gaining employment opportunities for our autistic workforce.” https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/we-couldn-t-wait-for-help-parents-who-created-jobs-for-their-special-needs-children heartwarming. support

Edit: Add another one -- Sarpino Pizza Which one is better ha?

Have been upsetting some people lately with my other posts, so I thought I'd repent, and start a neutral topic. About Makan. Recently, I watched some some cooking shows on the telly like Masterchef, and wanted to try my hand at baking my own stuff. So I started with Pizza and Sausage Rolls and Curry Buns. I forgot to take photos of the Pizza, but here are photos of my 1st effort at mini hot dog rolls and curry buns. I'll post the next batch of Pizza. These are scratch made - ie. using flour to make dough, all the way to baking in the oven. It takes a few hours to do everything, especially in the beginning as a noob, and it is definitely not worth comparing effort to money saved - 'cos it is much easier to buy these from the nearest bakery or order pizza from Dominos. BUT, it is extremely satisfying to taste your own creations, and have neighbours and friends enjoy the food you made. up. Anyone else bake stuff at home?

Ang mo news claims it is the most insane ever: Link Anyone tried before? It looks like another heartstopping experience

Pizza's here usually gets delivered with Class 2b motorcycles though I have heard a well to-do individual uses his Mercedes. Order a hot pizza from Domino's in the town of Swindon, U.K. and you will be greeted by a delivery man in a Renault Twizy. Besides the standard Domino

jin ho jiak, right amount of seafoodiness and tasty salty anchovy mix with cheese , pizza is thin type. also very nice is seafood potpie. it's a homey, warm, cosy restaurant. not many ppl noe of tis gem. but really nice place for quiet , warm cosey italian dinner. this week went twice, and even met Khaw boon wan there with his family . waw seh tot minister under controlled diet it used to jalan leban but now moved. now located at Springleaf garden S(787112)

Saw two bikes from KFC delivery racing at each other on the road at AMK Ave 5 just now. Was wondering, can these delivery service using foreign bike to work? I presumed that working delivery in Singapore, you must have your own bike but Msia registered bike ride by Msia fits the regulations?

Just to let u all know that buy 2 big packet of Lays potato chip entitle to a FREE pizza hut personal (Hawaiian) pan pizza Promotion is on till 15 April 2011. Each packet is $3.60 and is available at all major supermarkets.

It was a rainy evening, and i ordered pizza hut delivery ard 840pm. I was told that it will arrive at 940pm. But at 10, it had not arrived, so i called Pizza Hut customer service and checked. I was frustrated on how they handled my query on the status of order. I called in twice to check and still I did not get a satisfactory reply on the status of my outstanding order. On both occasions, the customer service told me that they would get the manager in charge to call me immediately to advise, but I did not get any response at all. I totally understand that delays are expected in rainy days. However, the delays should be properly communicated to the customer when they called in to check the status. There should also be proper communication between the front line and the restaurant so that realistic schedules can be more accurately conveyed to the customer. Have anyone experience such frustration before? I have sent a complaint via their website but 2 days later, still no reply... anyone know the head office number or its Singapore GM's email contact? thanks

I was so fed up wif Pizza Hut service today. I've tried to call Pizza Hut hotline at 6.55pm for home delivery pizza. I've asked the guy what the waiting time was & he told me that it was abt 1hr time & I've told him it is fine. I also told him that if the waiting time is more den 1hr, I will cancel the order & he said that ok. So, I've waited till 8.05pm & yet, the delivery guy was not at my house yet. So, I've called back the hotline & checked wif them. A lady told me that she will ask the person to call me back. The person let me waited for so long.... until I've tried to call the 2nd time again. Finally, a guy called & told me to apologise for the delay & said that they got 130 orders. I've told him off straight away & cancelled the order.

Check what bike McDonald is using for delivery vs those from Pizza Huts !