Singapore: Regulation or censorship?

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Storified by The Stream· Thu, May 30 2013 12:07:40

Singapore: Regulation or censorship?

Lessons In Cute: Swooning Over the Fullerton Hotel"s Bellhop Bear

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Lessons In Cute: Swooning Over the Fullerton Hotel’s Bellhop Bear

Where: Singapore, Singapore

You know those people who can’t walk by a pet store without coo-ing over the adorable puppies in the window? Or, say, walk around a mall without popping their head in every darn shoe store? Well, that’s pretty much us when it comes to cute teddy bears, and we totally fell for this little guy on a recent spin through the lobby at Singapore’s Fullerton Hotel.

Dubbed the “Fullerton Bellhop Bear,” he is one of four collectible stuffed animals being offered by the iconic hotel.

The complete Fullerton Bear collection includes: The Fullerton Postmaster Bear (referencing the hotel’s history as a former post office), The Fullerton Bellhop Bear (pictured), The Fullerton Bay Ship Captain and The Fulleron Panda Plush Bear.

And just in case you’re rolling your eyes right now at the frivolity of this post, keep in mind that the sale from each bear goes towards supporting two charities chosen by the hotel: Mainly I Love Kids (MILK), and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF- Singapore). The fundraising initiative started last year with just the Postmaster Bear, but due to its popularity, the hotel debuted the other 3 bears this past April.

Lessons In Cute: Swooning Over the Fullerton Hotel"s Bellhop Bear

Singapore"s food obsession

The way to a Singaporean’s heart is through his stomach. Raini Hamdi looks at Singapore as a source of and a destination for gourmands, both factors feeding on each other and fuelling growth

 

 

Artisanal and mouth-watering: Matt Moran and Jean-Francois Piege’s (top right) masterpieces

 

When a survey reveals Singapore has overtaken Japan as having the region’s top diners, Singaporeans are probably the least surprised, since their obsession with food is as endemic and conspicuous as the smell of cheese.

MasterCard’s latest survey of the dining-out habits of 7,678 respondents from 16 markets in Asia-Pacific shows that Singaporeans are prepared to fork out twice as much (US$262) as the overall average monthly dining spend of US$130 for the whole Asia-Pacific. Japanese and Chinese follow closely with an average monthly dining spend of U$225 and US$203 respectively. In contrast, the region’s smallest spenders – India and Indonesia – spend US$17 and US$19, or three and four per cent of their monthly household income, respectively, on dining.

According to the survey, Singaporeans’ spending on dining grew by nearly 25 per cent from US$212 in June 2011.

The findings came just as the curtains came down on the 17th World Gourmet Summit in Singapore where, for 11 days, the city’s FB scene burst like a ripe apricot with 45 special dinners and workshops in 13 host venues, 18 partner restaurants and eight wineries.

Top chefs, including Italy’s Gabriele Ferron (famed for his risotto), France’s “slow food” Jean-Francois Piege and Spain’s chocolate and sugar-pulling artisans Paco Jacob Torreblanca, partnered the head chefs of their host venues in presenting menus that showed their artisanal skills.

An Italian hands-on culinary workshop featuring masterchefs Corrado Assenza  and Lino Sauro was priced S$148+ (US$119), while a Chateau de Beaucastel wine dinner featuring Chef Jean-Francois and Christopher Millar at Stellar at 1-Altitude was sold out, even at S$448+. Food was paired with fashion (an edible catwalk showcasing diamonds had models wearing chocolate dresses), and with arts (a meet-the-cast of Othello with cocktails prepared by five restaurants).

Events such as this put Singapore on the world culinary map, while Singaporeans’ willingness to spend on dining ensures a steady stream of new FB establishments in the city, said Olivier Bendel, CEO and owner of Déliciae Hospitality Management.

The FB scene is so sizzling that entrepreneurs such as Paris-born  Bendel and top-gun chefs like Bruno Menard – the only three Michelin star chef in Singapore – now call the city home.

Said Bendel: “I’ve opened nine restaurants here in 2.5 years. We’ll open our second L’Entrecôte in the new Suntec Singapore (which is undergoing modernisation) in September and probably one or two more restaurants by the end of this year or beginning 2014. Then we’ll explore opening in the rest of South-east Asia.

“Singapore customers know their food and always want to discover new things, which is good as it keeps us on our toes. They go for both affordable and ultra-fine food.”

Which is why Bendel’s restaurants range from fine-dining such as Forlino, to the funkier and affordable Made by Bruno Menard, which sells handmade burgers. The majority of customers are Singaporeans, said Bendel. “I’m proud of that, as Singapore is my home now and I want to bring something to the community. I actually did not come here to open restaurants.”

2am:dessertbar’s owner and founder Janice Wong agreed that Singaporeans always want something new. She said: “The challenge is sustain interest and create new consumer experiences.”

Her latest experiment involves techniques with skins and seeds. “Mangosteen, melon and cantaloupe seeds are full of antioxidants and proteins. We’re turning edible stuff that are commonly thrown away into tasty sauces or for inclusions in breads and salads. So eating becomes meaningful and a social education as well,” she said.

Matt Moran, known for his successful Aria restaurant in Sydney aside from being a judge on MasterChef Australia (Season 3), said Singapore’s culinary scene kept getting better each year in the past 11 years he had been visiting. “You can tell by how many chefs are coming here from around the world, by how many great restaurants there are here – Singapore has become a food mecca,” he said. His favourite restaurant in Singapore is André, which he thinks is “top 10 in the world at the moment”. Asked why he had not opened a restaurant here, Moran said: “May be one day.”

India’s celebrity chef and restaurant owner Sanjeev Kapoor, judge of MasterChef India (Season 3), described such reality TV shows as “a theatre of food” – designed to entertain, not educate – and Singapore as “the biggest theatre we have in this part of the world”. But, like Moran, he too was non-committal about opening a restaurant in Singapore. “Let’s see,” said Kapoor.

The fact is, while FB has become big and Singaporeans are appreciating more good food, operating a restaurant in the city is a challenge even to the best of them. Menard said: “I thought I knew Singapore quite well, as I had been coming here (before moving to Singapore) most of the time. I’ve been here for over a year now and the experience has been challenging, to be honest.

“The biggest frustration is finding people to work in this business and I would not be the only to tell you that. We’re all struggling to find staff who want to spend their lives as a chef, waiter, maitre ’d or sommelier, which in Europe are real professions. It is also difficult to hire foreign talent.

“There’s also the challenge of getting fresh produce. We import of course but you can’t talk ‘fresh’ if you import. Fresh fish for me is fish caught overnight. Here, the freshest and nicest fish you get is five days old. Fortunately, the companies which import are trying to make it faster and better all the time.

“But it’s also exciting to live here, build up the FB business and create something new from scratch. When I came here 15 years ago, there was nothing in terms of French or European food. Today this is well-represented and there are lots of outstanding restaurants.”

 

 

Thailand: Where’s the beef?

 

THAILAND’s chefs and restaurants continue to build on the kingdom’s reputation as a destination for food lovers, but the country boasts few marquee gourmet events.

 

Innovative venues continue to spring up across Bangkok, ranging from Water Library, which boasts the city’s most expensive tasting menu, to smaller dining houses such as Opposite, Paste and Supanniga Eating Room.

 

Two Bangkok restaurants, Nahm and Gaggan, made The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2013 list. Another two venues, Eat Me Restaurant and Sra Bua by Kiin Kiin, joined them in Asia’s Top 50 Restaurants 2013.

 

Despite the groundswell of culinary creativity and local restaurants winning international plaudits, Thailand still has few major events or festivals that put it on the global gourmet map.

 

Last year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Visa International teamed up to launch Thailand Splash and Spice in Bangkok, a three-month campaign targeting Visa cardholders and international and domestic tourists (see list). “There are about 127 restaurants in this programme,” said a TAT spokesperson. “The programme is open to all restaurants interested in participating. These include hotel restaurants, dining venues at malls and authentic, must-visit local restaurants.”

 

The campaign is promoted through the media but has no dedicated sales agencies.

 

Thomas Kinsperger, FB manager, Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, said Thailand Splash and Spice had not worked well for the hotel last year.

 

In general, Mandarin Oriental, like many high-end establishments, relies on its own activities and organises five or more events with Michelin-starred chefs each year.

 

“We always target chefs that cook a similar cuisine to what we do in a particular outlet (we host the event in),” Kinsperger said. “It is important to us that the chefs are all established and known worldwide and have not been to Bangkok previously.”

 

Despite bringing in some of the best chefs in the world, a majority of diners at these events are local Thais or expatriates, with only one in 10 bookings into the hotel for the experience.

 

Of the handful gourmet events Thailand has, the pinnacle is the Annual World Gourmet Festival hosted by Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok, a week-long extravaganza which has built its reputation over the past 13 years. But tour operators still tend to focus on Thai food as more of a cultural experience when putting together  packages, rather than emphasising high-end cuisine.

 

“We’re not really influenced by food festivals or visiting chefs,” explained Michael Lynden-Bell, Thailand general manager, Exotissimo Travel.

A concerted effort from the public and private sectors is needed to promote the country as the foody destination in South-east Asia, said Kinsperger. “Both sectors should drive this, but particularly the TAT,” he added. – Greg Lowe

 

Key FB events in Thailand

Thailand Splash and Spice, March 15 – May 31 This campaign by TAT and Visa International was launched last year. This year’s event went beyond Bangkok to include Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Phuket. Prices start at 749++ baht (US$25) for lunch and 1,499++ baht for dinner.

14th Annual World Gourmet Festival 2013, September 2-8 Hosted by Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok, this event has grown over the years into Bangkok’s premier culinary event. Last year, eight top chefs from around the world were flown in with each showcasing their cuisine for two nights.

Samui Fine Dining Festival Now in its second year, this biannual two-month long event focuses on Thai and international chefs based on the island rather than flying in culinary superstars for one-off events. Each night, 16 restaurants create special six-course menus priced from 1,800 baht to 4,900 baht per head. More than 2,500 menus were created in March and April during the event earlier this year. The next takes place in June.

 

This article was first published in TTG Asia, May 31 – June 6, 2013 issue, on page 14. To read more, please view our digital edition or click here to subscribe.

 

Singapore"s food obsession

Be careful of overseas laws – especially online

Earlier today, Old Taskmaster read about some new internet censorship laws – sorry, online media regulations – that have just come into force in Singapore.

Basically, any website or blog that features more than one article about Singapore per week and attracting a readership of more than 50,000 unique IP addresses per month on the island nation (over a period of two months) now needs to get themselves a media licence.

A cynic would say the laws represent yet another attempt by big government to try to regulate the internet. Not Old Taskmaster – the official line is that the changes will bring websites into line with regulations for newspapers and broadcasters. And it must be true. After all, it’s not as if anyone in officialdom has ever done any spin doctoring – right?

Anyway, buried in the detail of this new law are a few clauses that Australian companies doing business in Singapore should be very mindful of.

The new law says that website owners must immediately remove any content deemed “objectionable on the grounds of public interest, public morality, public order, public security, national harmony, or is otherwise prohibited by applicable Singapore laws”.

And a key measuring stick for whether a piece of content is objectionable is “whether the material advocates homosexuality or lesbianism”.

Now, this is where it becomes tricky. Many businesses – perhaps yours – maintain “diversity statements” that pledge not to discriminate on the grounds of gender, ethnicity, religious affiliation or sexual orientation. A good example comes from the Australian-based power company SP Austnet.

SP Austnet, of course, is owned by Singapore Power, which in turn is owned by the Singapore government’s investment firm, Temasek Holdings:

“SP AusNet is diverse along many dimensions. Our diversity encompasses differences in ethnicity, gender, language, age, sexual orientation, religion, socio-economic status, physical and mental ability, thinking styles, experience, and education.”

Now here’s the crunch. SP Austnet’s statement saying it support diversity in its workforce in terms of sexual orientation could be interpreted as “material that advocates homosexuality or lesbianism”, and would therefore considered “objectionable content” by its ultimate shareholder, the Singapore government.

Welcome to the complicated world of doing business overseas.

Well, Old Taskmaster says this: Before doing business in a foreign country, make sure you do your homework first. After all, a throwaway line in a motherhood statement in Australia could be deemed immoral or illegal in another country.

Get it done – today!

Be careful of overseas laws – especially online

Win Singapore Math® Training; Help Colorado Charter Schools

• 

Cassandra Turner

I’m thrilled to have an opportunity to spread the word about the Singapore Math® curriculum and, at the same time, help the Colorado League of Charter Schools to honor Charter School founders”

Fort Collins, Colorado (PRWEB) May 30, 2013

Singapore Math® Training presented by acclaimed elementary math educator Cassandra Turner is among the among the silent auction items offered in conjunction with the Colorado League of Charter Schools’ 20th Anniversary Luncheon on Monday, June 3, 2013.

Turner donated one-day of Singapore Mathematics Training to the Colorado League’s silent auction. Proceeds will support the League’s 20th anniversary campaign, including advocacy programs and efforts to improve public awareness and understanding of charter schools.

The winning bidder will be able to choose from among several of Turner’s day-long renowned Singapore Math® seminars or apply it to a multi-day implementation training. One day of Turner’s training is valued at $2,500.

Turner is a Colorado resident and an internationally-recognized Singapore Math® teacher who has worked with more than 15 Colorado schools to have successfully implemented the Singaporean curriculum.

In addition to championing Math education, Turner is a long-time Charter School advocate and has close ties to two award-winning Charter Schools. She taught multiple grades at Benchmark School in Phoenix, Arizona, and is completing a three-year term as a member of the Board of Directors of Liberty Common School in Fort Collins, Colorado. Turner’s two sons attended both Benchmark and Liberty Common.

“I’m thrilled to have an opportunity to spread the word about Singapore Mathematics and, at the same time, help the Colorado League of Charter Schools to honor Charter School founders,” said Turner. “I’m a fan of the Colorado League of Charter Schools and truly appreciate all the great services they provide to charter schools.”

The League’s silent auction accommodates online bidding, and Turner is prepared to bring her training to schools outside Colorado. “If you don’t already know”, Turner said, “I’ll go ANYWHERE to work with schools and teachers looking to use Singapore Mathematics.”

Online bids will be accepted through May 31 at the following link:

Turner’s acclaimed seminars receive rave reviews (these are ACTUAL quotes from seminar attendees):

• 
      Fabulous!! Cassy’s energy, enthusiasm and knowledge make this one of the MOST FABULOUS days of staff development that I have been lucky enough to experience in 40 years! Thanks so much!


•     Cassy is wonderful! She has wonderful ideas and presents them with such enthusiasm! Amazing!!


•     Best seminar I have been to in my 25 years of teaching. Lively, worthwhile, keeps your attention. Taking back strategies and activities I can use in my classroom. Very motivating.


•     This seminar will significantly change how I approach teaching math problem solving with my high ability students. Cassy’s energy and enthusiasm for math made the day fly!


•     Wow! Wonderful strategies! Can’t wait to bring it to my classroom. Thank you!


•     This was the best workshop I have ever attended. Cassy was excellent.

Terms: training must be scheduled on a mutually agreeable date. Winning bidder may choose from several one-day seminar options or apply to a multi-day implementation training. For trainings outside Colorado Front Range communities, winning bidder will be responsible for reimbursing actual travel expenses (including, if applicable, fuel, rental car, airfare, lodging).

For more information regarding Turner’s donation, visit singaporemathsource.com/win-singapore-math-training/.

About Cassandra Turner

Cassandra Turner has been “passionate about Singapore Math® Program” since first encountering it in 2001. An independent math trainer and coach since 2008, Cassy has had the pleasure of introducing Singapore Math to thousands of teachers, administrators and parents in 34 U.S. states, Mexico, Canada, Ghana and Palau. More than 60 schools have chosen Cassy to help them implement the curriculum.

As a teacher, Cassy used Primary Mathematics at several grade levels, then traveled to Singapore to see the curriculum from the source in 2007 and co-authored a Singapore Math® Training Manual approved by the State of California the following year. Cassy currently conducts two different Singapore Mathematics Workshops for the Bureau of Education Research (BER) and hosts SingaporeMathSource.com (http://www.SingaporeMathSource.com), a website featuring news, resources, reviews and more.

In 2012, Cassy was awarded a contract by the Republic of Palau to assist the Ministry of Education (MOE) with the implementation of the Singapore Math Curriculum. In July 2013, she will be a featured presenter at the fifth National Conference on Singapore Math Strategies, hosted by Staff Development for Educators (SDE).

Since 2010, Cassy has served as a member of the Board of Directors of Liberty Common School, an award-winning Charter School in Fort Collins, Colorado. Cassy also serves on the Board of Directors of the Middle School Mathematics Institute (MSMI), a not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to help teachers, schools and parents ensure that students succeed at algebra.

Cassy is a devoted champion of Elementary Mathematics who loves to work with schools and teachers to make every child in every classroom a competent and confident mathematics student.

About the Colorado League of Charter Schools

The Colorado League of Charter Schools is a non-profit, membership organization dedicated to supporting the charter schools in the state. The League is committed to helping these schools reach higher levels of student performance and overall success by providing information and resources, including technical support, advocacy, public relations assistance, and much more.

Membership with the League is open to all charter schools in Colorado. The League also provides guidance and technical assistance for developing charter school groups, such as charter application reviews, contract negotiations, and general start up support.

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Win Singapore Math® Training; Help Colorado Charter Schools

SDE"s National Singapore Math Conference Will Feature Top Experts

PETERBOROUGH, N.H., May 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Staff Development for Educators (SDE), one of the nation’s leading providers of professional development for K-12 educators, is delighted to announce the line-up of distinguished presenters for its fifth annual National Conference on Singapore Math Strategies, taking place July 15-19, 2013 in Las Vegas.

Each summer, hundreds of educators from across the country attend the four-day event to learn about Singapore Math, a teaching method based on the national curriculum of Singapore, with a strong emphasis on problem solving and model drawing, and a focus on in-depth understanding of the essential math skills recommended in the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Curriculum Focal Points, the National Mathematics Advisory Panel, and the Common Core State Standards in for Mathematical Practice.

Since its inception in 2009, the conference has gained in popularity each year, as Singapore Math has been put into service nationwide by increasing numbers of educators.

Delivering the keynote address on the evening prior to the start of the conference will be celebrated educator Ron Clark. Known to many as “America’s Educator,” Ron is the 2000 Disney American Teacher of the Year, a two-time New York Times best-selling author, founder of the Ron Clark Academy, and the subject of the television movie, The Ron Clark Story.

Famous mathematician and Singaporean educator and author Yeap Ban Har , Ph.D. will lead one full-day session and four 75-minute sessions over two days of the conference, and will be on-hand to sign copies of the recently published book he authored with American educator Lorraine Walker , Every Child Can Do Math: Deceptively Simple Activities to Develop Mathematical Thinking, for grades 3-8.

Award-winning math educator Dan Meyer will present an insightful half-day session titled “Why Kids Hate Word Problems,” in which attendees will explore the quality of word problems printed on paper, the reasons for delivering curricula digitally, and effective methods for connecting math to the world outside the classroom.  

Also included in the top ranks of conference presenters is math expert and prolific author Greg Tang, who is well known for his work in developing intuitive approaches to teaching math. His books, Grapes of Math, Math Appeal, Math Fables and many others are well-used teacher resources in classrooms nationwide.

“The presenters at SDE’s National Conference on Singapore Math Strategies are all math experts. Every one of them is an educator with classroom experience using Singapore Math strategies—and we all know that teachers learn best from teachers,” reports Amy Aiello , Manager, Public Events Topic and Program Development at SDE. “They are best-selling authors on topics that matter to teachers, so they have lots of resources to share. And they’ll be delivering high-impact sessions that will meet participants right where they’re at.” 

About SDE 
SDE provides professional development for PreK through Grade 12 educators. Through Onsite PD, PD Events, Web-based PD, and PD Resources, the company empowers teachers and administrators across the country with ongoing professional development that is not only research-based, innovative, and rigorous, but also practical, motivating, and fun. All SDE training is presented by the nation’s top authors and educational experts, with the goal of creating extraordinary classrooms that prepare students for the evolving demands of the 21st century.

Educators interested in learning more about SDE’s national conferences and the many other professional development opportunities offered by SDE can visit the company’s website, www.SDE.com, or call 1-800-462-1478.

SOURCE Staff Development for Educators

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SDE"s National Singapore Math Conference Will Feature Top Experts

Ascendas Hospitality to Raise S$200 Million for Hotel Purchase

Ascendas Hospitality (ASHT) Trust is

planning to raise at least S$200 million ($158 million) in
Singapore to help fund the purchase of the Park Hotel Clark Quay

it agreed to buy earlier this month.

The business trust plans to sell 161.9 million new shares

through a private placement to raise about S$143.3 million, it

said in a statement to the Singapore stock exchange today. The

Singapore-based trust will also raise another S$56.7 million

from a preferential offering of two new stapled securities for

every 25 units held in Ascendas Hospitality Trust, it said.

Ascendas Hospitality declined 2.6 percent to 92.5 Singapore

cents in Singapore trading yesterday, bringing its year-to-date

decline to 1.6 percent. The company requested a trading halt

today before the announcement.

The trust agreed to buy the Park Hotel for S$300 million,

adding to the trust’s portfolio of 10 hotels spread across
Australia, China and Japan. Its parent Ascendas Pte manages

Singapore’s biggest industrial real estate investment trust, and

operates in 33 cities with S$14 billion of assets, according to

its website.

DBS Group Holdings Ltd. and Standard Chartered Plc have

been appointed the joint global coordinators for the equity

fundraising, Ascendas said.

To contact the reporter on this story:

Pooja Thakur in Singapore at

pthakur@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:

Andreea Papuc at

apapuc1@bloomberg.net

Ascendas Hospitality to Raise S$200 Million for Hotel Purchase