Mr. & Mrs. Kiasu

So Singapore have decided to come up with a new initiative to give a lot of people more work. And when I say Singapore, I really actually mean just the government.

(Disclaimer: I am a neutral party when it comes to our dearest government. Those who actually know me will know why. I won’t talk bad or good about the government for personal reasons. I will remain neutral like Switzerland and Dove Body Wash)

So anyways, this new initiative is about “Pro-family”. For those who find that a completely foreign word, “Pro-family” means, well, “in favor of” or “in support of” family togetherness. So they’re initiating this contest and getting the people of this nation to take a photo of themselves with their family members at any participating retail/eating/drinking outlets (e.g. McDonald’s, Burger King, my company, departmental stores etc.) and write an essay of not more than 100 words on why the family enjoy going to that particular place and why they think that the place is “Pro-family”. Following me so far?

In a nutshell: Take a photo, write a short essay why you think that the selected place is Pro-family and stand to win a trip to Japan.

Only one entry allowed per family.

I was going through the website to see if anybody wrote about my company and came across an interesting couple.

Let me introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Kee Ah Soo:

They love going to McDonald’s…..



They wrote:

McDonalds cater to the whole family. For example, for my husband’s favourite fillet ‘o’ fish meal, he can upsize it and get twister fries with it too, while I can have my usual healthy grilled chicken fold-over. McDonalds also cater to my daughter, with the cheaper student meals. Children are definitely not forgotten. Kids happy meals now have a choice of healthy foods like yoghurt, corn, or even apple juice. Also, for bigger families, the 2 and 4-seater tables may be joined up, for ease of family conversations. A truly unique family restaurant now offering greater healthy options.

As I was going on through more pictures, I came across 2 familiar faces. But look! They’re now eating at Burger King….. Sneaky, sneaky....




They wrote:

Burger King caters to the whole family because of its wide product coverage e.g. I can have my favourite Swiss mushroom burger with my taro turnover, my wife can have the junior whopper and my daughter can have her tasty chicken cheese sticks and a Milo drink. The flame-grilled burgers with its salad fillings appeal to modern, health-conscious families. They can top it off with green tea for the adults and orange juice for the children. For the larger families, the eight-seater tables are ideal to accommodate everyone. Burger King is definitely a great family outlet.

Hmmmm…. Quite similar to what they wrote about McDonald’s. Covering themselves with the burgers were not much of a disguise I must add. Nice try Mr. and Mrs Kee.

Oh but wait! I spoke to soon!

It’s the nice couple again, this time their full side profile. And they’re no longer stuffing their face with food. They at the National Library of Singapore!



They wrote:

A trip to the library is definitely a family affair. It provides fun entertainment for the whole family. For example, I can look for my Stephen King thrillers, my wife can get her regular dose of medicinal and health reading while my daughter can make a beehive for the teenagers’ fiction section. Best of all, this is free, healthy, family entertainment. It certainly beats anywhere else. Also, attached to most libraries is a café serving light meals and snacks. After a library outing, my family and I usually head to the café for drinks – excellent for family bonding.

Good luck, guys. Good initiative. Hope you win. (I wonder who took the pics though)

Anyways, speaking of not listening to instructions, I had asked one of our Branch Managers to take a nice picture of himself for our newsletter because I could not go over the store to take the picture myself. I emailed him the following, exactly:

Hi xxxxx,

For the story, please include a clear picture of yourself; either mingling with your customers or pretending to speak with your staff. Please do make sure that you give us a big smile in that picture and email me back latest by this evening. Thanks, xxxx!

Regards,
Ilyana

And these were the 2 photos he sent me:





Can you see what’s wrong with the entire picture?




I love my job, really. It gives me the opportunity to meet interesting people.