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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 👋

hope this is the right section, went down to sports museum at kallang stadium yesterday, felt so proud seeing the silver medal the great tan howe liang won at the rome Olympics in 1960. this was the era of simple n basic training methods n facilities, no sports science, no huge monetary rewards, no multi million dollar training facilities, no professional coaches..... during 80s, used to head down to the demolished stadium gym n had on numerous occasions, met the great Mr Tan Howe Liang, who never had any airs n ever helpful, teaching us how to use the equipment there. Hes a true Son Of Singapore, not an imported FT, proud he could win a silver medal for our little red dot. together wif ang peng siong, who in 1982 was the worlds fastest man in the pool, should inspire future generations of home grown talents like the quah family n joseph schooling n others

And we thought Malaysia will do such cases, Italy also not safe. So where is safe??

Rome is still on track to host a round of the world championship in 2012 or 2013, the Italian capital's mayor revealed recently. A possible street race in the famous city has been on the cards for quite some time now, but it had been thought that political obstacles had thwarted the plans. But mayor Gianni Alemanno told a morning television programme on Rai 1 television stating that "from 2012 or no later than 2013, a grand prix will take place in Rome.

http://www.popsci.com/gear-amp-gadgets/art...0-flickr-photos This is a must-see. Scientists were able to combine different perspectives of Rome from photos of 150,000 Flickr users, and combine them with an algorithm to create 3D walkthroughs of various parts of Rome. Some videos are attached.

Hi, any one has a good hotel(not too expensive) to recommend? Thanks.

Two Beggars in Rome Two Beggars in Rome - One Catholic - One Jew- are sitting side by side on a street in Rome . One has a cross in front of him; the other one the Star of David. Many people go by and look at both beggars, but only put money into the hat of the beggar sitting behind the cross. A priest comes by, stops and watches throngs of people giving money to the beggar behind the cross, but none give to the beggar behind the Star of David. Finally, the priest goes over to the beggar behind the Star of David and says, 'My poor fellow, don't you understand? This is a Catholic country; this city is the seat of Catholicism. People aren't going to give money if you sit there with a Star of David in front of you, especially when you're sitting beside a beggar who has a cross. In fact, they would probably give to him just out of spite.' The beggar behind the Star of David listened to the priest, turned to the other beggar with the cross and said: 'Moishe, look who's trying to teach the Goldstein brothers about marketing!!