Anyone game for durian?

Hi people,

the durian season is here again! Anyone wants to visit this famous durian place for durian (and other fresh food?) http://717trading.com/pastries/. Now can even order durians online! Home delivery within Singapore for delicious butter durians!
onlinedurianstore.blogspot.com

Singapore Passport Error Fiasco

Please check you are using the correct passport when you travel!

Straits Times
June 24, 2008

He checks in at Changi, clears immigration and gets on Tiger Airways jet to Vietnam
By Carolyn Quek

IN HIS hurry to catch a flight at Changi Airport’s Budget Terminal yesterday morning, retiree Ang Heng Soon, 61, grabbed the wrong passport and left home.

He took his 39-year-old son’s passport. They had left their passports on the dining table, because the son was also flying from Changi Airport.
The father’s mistake, and how he cleared all security checks at the airport and flew to Vietnam, led to a long day for both.

Even with the wrong passport, Mr Ang first checked in at the Tiger Airways counter for his flight to Ho Chi Minh City, where he was headed for a six-day holiday.

He next got past the security check by Certis Cisco officers at the entrance to the restricted passenger area.

Then he ran into problems, failing repeatedly to scan his fingerprint at the immigration Automated Clearance System.

Cleared to go, again and again AT CHECK-IN

RETIREE Ang Heng Soon checked in at the Tiger Airways counter using his son’s passport. The counter officer issued him a boarding pass in his own name. … moreNoticing his difficulty, an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority officer directed him to a lane for manual clearance.

There, an officer cleared him to leave Singapore, and he boarded his plane.

Mr Ang told The Straits Times he realised his mistake only during the flight.

As soon as he arrived at the Ho Chi Minh City airport at 8.15am, he owned up to immigration authorities there and they put him on the same plane back to Singapore.
Around that time at Changi Airport’s Terminal 1, his son Vincent, an electronics company sales and marketing executive, also discovered the mix-up.
He was waiting to check in for his flight to Hong Kong when he realised that he had his father’s passport.

He cancelled his flight and went to Tiger Airways’ office in the Budget Terminal, where he learnt that his father was heading back.

Father and son were reunited at close to noon. Both made fresh arrangements and flew off to their respective destinations later in the day, correct passports in hand.
By then, it was too late for Mr Vincent Ang to make it to his business meeting in Hong Kong.

Speaking to The Straits Times before catching his flight, he said: ‘The question is, how did this happen? From a security point of view, this is pretty shocking.’

Responding to queries from The Straits Times, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority confirmed that Mr Ang had cleared all the checks at the airport despite showing his son’s passport.
In a statement late last night, it said that the immigration officer who looked at his passport and did the ‘face-to-face verification’ let him through because he bore a resemblance to the photo in the passport.

‘The officer should not have relied only on this but should have checked Mr Ang’s boarding pass with his passport,’ a spokesman said.

‘He should also have conducted a secondary biometric check to ascertain Mr Ang’s identity. The fingerprint scans would have led to the positive identification of Mr Ang and that he was holding his son’s passport.’

The spokesman apologised to Mr Ang for the inconvenience caused and said: ‘ICA takes a serious view of such lapses.

‘We will conduct a thorough investigation into the case. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against the officers responsible for the lapses.’

DPM’s Response

DPM: It’s totally appalling

Those who slipped up will be taken to task, says Wong Kan Seng, pledging action to improve vigilance at all levels

DEPUTY Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng issued this statement late last night, commenting on yesterday’s passport mix-up at Changi Airport:

‘I AM totally appalled and flabbergasted at this slip-up at the airport checkpoint.

The officers who failed to spot the discrepancy between the name in the man’s passport and on his boarding pass, will be taken to task.

But this will not be enough. I have been reminding officers of the need for vigilance repeatedly after each lapse of human error. Obviously the message is not sinking in deep enough to the last man.

I want all the heads of departments in the Home Team to directly take charge and step up checks to ensure vigilance on the ground at all levels and leave no room for complacency. They will have to do whatever it takes to get this going.

Just last week, I had directed the Ministry HQ’s Homefront Security Division to work with all the departments to review their security systems and processes. This may take time but we will get it done as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, all the heads of department will be calling up their subordinate commanders and managers and tightening scrutiny and supervision on the ground.

Each of the 26,000-plus officers in the Home Team has a sworn duty to do his or her job well. They deal with more than 350,000 people each day in the line of duty.

Mistakes will happen occasionally, but the Home Team has to keep these to the absolute minimum, especially where the potential consequences are extremely serious. They clearly cannot afford to be complacent, and must stay alert at all times.

There is no other way if they are to remain effective and not disappoint Singaporeans who put their trust in the Home Team to keep them safe. Any lapse by any department in the Home Team is a failure which all in the Home Team family must bear.’

Uncle Tan's bday

a very joyful evening with close friends, good food, better company and we missed yanwar and chen way, zane you should have really come, it was fun. anyway, here are the pics ;)

few lines

"I remember those old days,
When you were by my side,
You were there when i cried,
My tears trickled on your cheeks,
My joys played in your eyes,
I was your dream,
your life ...u said ... you said
you cared,
Has it become a dream, for you?
A mere thought, a dream?
If not, then why am I alone In the crowd?
Why am i feeling deserted?"

meaningful and hit me with some thoughts as i read them.
and ooops i am blogging at work!! guess there is some spare time today.

New fren (1xFemale) for Mr Chia

I have good news. I will try my best to arrange for a rollerblade session on a sunday, and a lady fren will blade with us (meaning master chia, me, joyce, maybe atul, and anyone else who is interested). This same lady was introduced to ben ben at a movie attended by YJ, me, atul and chia. She has nothing but positive comments about benben, like how nice he is, quite handsome, very gentleman, tall and career minded..the list goes on...

Something is happening here people, watch out for the updates. Joyce will be the evaluator this time, since me and atul have given the ok from that movie session.

Another Cool car ad! - I hope.

I dont know why, but the youtube honda ad is not loading....not sure if this is the same ad though, very cool too. Pls forgive me if its the same ad...

Take care, all my friends who are reading this! Love all around..