Mr ‘immune’ Trump back on campaign trail with a roar

US

AFP

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October 13, 2020

0

Mr ‘immune’ Trump back on campaign trail with a roar

by Sebastian Smith

Immune to Covid! Stronger than Joe Biden! Superman? Not quite, but Donald Trump wants America to know he’s back.

“Here we are!” he cried with a triumphant roar — made slightly hoarse by his bout with Covid-19 — at the opening of a rally in Sanford, Florida, on Monday.

Just a week after getting out of hospital with the coronavirus, Trump strode onto the stage, tossing out face masks, like a rock star handing out autographs.

But he wasn’t wearing a mask himself.

And neither was anyone else, barring a small minority, in the crowd of several thousand, who were jammed cheek by jowl to witness the Republican’s return to the campaign trail.

Which was the whole point.

Trump wanted to show he can defy the pandemic and his seemingly plummeting chances of beating Democratic candidate Biden alike.

Loud, coarse at times, diving into his well-worn jokes, and freely insulting opponents and journalists, Trump didn’t sound like a clinically obese man of 74 who only a few days ago was being administered oxygen by doctors.

“They say I’m immune,” he boasted. “I feel so powerful.”

From ditching his mask to parking the iconic Air Force One jumbo right behind the podium, this was a rally stage-managed to push Trump’s image as freak of nature unbound by the laws governing ordinary folks.

Maybe he wasn’t wearing a Superman shirt under his suit, as The New York Times reported he considered doing on being discharged from hospital October 5, but the crowd wouldn’t have been fazed had he done so.

“We love you, we love you,” they cheered.

– Man without a mask –
That defiance was on show even before Trump left Washington.

Waiting for Trump’s motorcade to come snaking across the rain soaked concrete at Joint Base Andrews, staff could be seen mopping and wiping down surfaces in the press cabin of Air Force One.

Unlike on past trips — even throughout the Covid period — staff, Secret Service agents and Air Force personnel all wore masks.

There’d been real tension around the trip: the White House has become a Covid-19 hotspot in the last 10 days, becoming a living symbol of Trump’s hands-off approach to a pandemic that has killed more than 210,000 Americans.

So the White House had assured the traveling pool of journalists that every person boarding the plane would first be tested for the coronavirus and anyone interacting with reporters would wear a mask.

But when the massive motorcade finally rolled up alongside Air Force One, it was jarring to see Trump step from his black armored SUV with no mask, the sole bare face in the entire cavalcade.

With a thumbs up to the press, he quickly boarded the plane, even jogging on one of the steps — an apparently deliberate show of vitality.

– ‘Protective glow’ –
Trump talks of enjoying a “protective glow” after getting over Covid-19.

The way Trump tells it, his special powers make him invincible against Biden too. Since reemerging from heavy treatment for the coronavirus he has mocked the Democrat’s travel schedule, his mask wearing and coughing.

“He’s got no strength left, he’s got no power left,” Trump told Monday’s crowd.

“He may be the worst presidential candidate in history and I got him,” he scoffed.

The polls do not bear this out.

They consistently show Trump far behind Biden, potentially heading toward a defeat of landslide proportions.

They show an overwhelming majority of Americans angry at Trump’s handling of the pandemic. They show women and the elderly — two key voting groups — abandoning Trump.

But Trump has spent a lifetime perfecting the art of creating a story about himself and on Monday night in Florida, at least, he was able to tell his story to an audience that hung on every word.

“These are the real polls,” he said, gazing over the thick crowd of supporters in red “Make American Great Again” baseball caps.

They cheered.

sms/ft/to

/AFP

China tests entire city for virus as WHO slams herd immunity idea

AFP

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October 13, 2020

0

China tests entire city for virus as WHO slams herd immunity idea

by Beiyi Seow, with AFP Bureaus

China rushed Tuesday to test an entire city of nine million within days after a minor coronavirus outbreak, as the WHO warned that letting the pathogen run free to achieve herd immunity was “scientifically and ethically problematic”.

The virus is still spreading rapidly around the world, with well over 37 million infections, and nations that had suppressed their first outbreaks are now struggling with fresh surges — especially in some parts of Europe.

In the absence of a vaccine, governments are wary of allowing the virus to spread unchecked, with China launching a sweeping drive to test all residents of Qingdao after a handful of cases were detected on Sunday.

“As of 8 am… our city has taken 3.08 million samples for nucleic testing,” the city’s health commission said Tuesday, adding that no new positive samples were found.

Chinese officials intend to test the entire city — around 9.4 million people — by Thursday.

In scenes contrasting with the fumbled testing efforts of other nations, health workers in protective clothing swiftly set up tents and residents queued deep into Monday night to provide samples.

In opposition to economically painful lockdowns and social distancing, there have been proposals in some countries to let the coronavirus circulate in the population to build up “herd immunity” — where so much of the population has been infected there are insufficient new victims for the virus to jump to.

But the World Health Organization said such plans were unworkable, and required mass vaccinations to work.

“Herd immunity is achieved by protecting people from a virus, not by exposing them to it,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday, describing the idea as “scientifically and ethically problematic”.

“Allowing a dangerous virus that we don’t fully understand to run free is simply unethical. It’s not an option.”

Further illustrating the challenge, a study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal indicated that exposure to the virus may not guarantee future immunity — and the second infection could come with even more severe symptoms.

– Vaccine setback –
The pandemic has claimed more than one million lives worldwide, and spurred breakneck efforts to develop vaccines and effective treatments.

Some have made it to late-stage clinical testing, but the optimism was dented Monday when Johnson & Johnson announced it had temporarily halted its 60,000-patient trial because of an unexplained illness in one participant.

There are ten firms conducting Phase 3 trials of their candidates globally, including Johnson & Johnson.

The pharma giant has been awarded about $1.45 billion in US funding under Operation Warp Speed, championed by President Donald Trump, who is keen for a political boost ahead of the November election with a coronavirus breakthrough.

Critics have excoriated Trump for his handling of the crisis, with more known infections and deaths in the United States than anywhere else in the world.

Trump was sidelined from the campaign trail for 10 days after he got Covid-19, but returned to the stage Monday.

“I went through it and now they say I’m immune… I feel so powerful,” Trump told a cheering crowd in Florida, few of whom wore masks.

His claim of immunity is unproven.

– ‘Catastrophic, catastrophic’ –
European nations are trying to contain new surges in infections, and governments are rolling out tighter restrictions to avoid the devastation of the earlier outbreaks.

Cases have soared in France, Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic in recent days.

And there has also been a spike in Britain, which has the highest death toll in Europe.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered pubs in Liverpool to shut as part of a new strategy to tackle a surge in infections.

He said businesses forced to close would get support from the government, but his focus on shutting hospitality venues sparked anger.

“Catastrophic, catastrophic,” said Simon Ashdown, owner of the Chepstow Castle pub in Liverpool.

“I don’t think there’ll be many businesses after this lockdown.”

bur-qan/hg

/AFP

Stir-crazy ‘passengers’ gobble up tickets to dine on parked Singapore jets

In the Hood

AFP

-

October 13, 2020

0

Stir-crazy ‘passengers’ gobble up tickets to dine on parked Singapore jets

Tarmac meals have become an unlikely hit for coronavirus-battered Singapore Airlines, with hundreds of “passengers” paying the equivalent of a budget ticket just to dine inside grounded A380 jumbos.

For a hefty sum of up to Sg$642 ($470), people with a hankering for airline food can have a meal on an A380, the world’s biggest passenger jet.

With the aviation industry in deep crisis due to the pandemic, airlines have turned to alternative ways to raise cash, from offering “flights to nowhere” to tours of aircraft.

Singapore Airlines, which has cut thousands of jobs and grounded nearly all its planes this year, decided to try another route: offer travel-starved customers the opportunity to dine on one of two A380s turned into pop-up restaurants.

The chance to eat plane food proved surprisingly popular — all 900 seats for lunch on October 24 and 25 sold out within half an hour of bookings opening on Monday, the Straits Times newspaper reported.

Citing “overwhelming demand”, the carrier announced the restaurants would be opened for an additional two days. Lunch and dinner are now being offered on all four dates.

The most expensive option is a four-course meal in a first-class suite, while the cheapest costs Sg$53 and consists of a three-course meal in economy class.

About half the seats will be left empty on the double-decker jets, parked at Changi Airport, in keeping with social distancing guidelines.

And for those seeking to bring the in-flight experience into their living rooms, Singapore Airlines is also offering home deliveries of plane meals.

But the airline has ditched plans for “flights to nowhere” — short journeys starting and ending at the same airport — following an outcry over the potential environmental impact.

cla/sr/oho/qan

/AFP

MAS Chief: As much as 20% of Singapore’s economy faces ‘deep scarring’ from pandemic

SG Economy

Anna Maria Romero

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October 13, 2020

0

MAS Chief: As much as 20% of Singapore’s economy faces ‘deep scarring’ from pandemic

Singapore—The managing director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, Ravi Menon, warned on Monday (Oct 12) that the current pandemic may cause “deep scarring” to as much as twenty per cent of the country’s economy, with the tourism and aviation sectors expected to take serious hits.

“What is going to happen to the industry when the planes haven’t flown, the pilots haven’t flown for months on a stretch?” Bloomberg quotes him as saying. “It’s not like picking up after taking two months off. When you take two years off, it’s very different.”

At a virtual event hosted by the Institute of International Finance, Mr Menon said that between ten and twenty per cent of Singapore’s economy is facing “deep scarring from which they may not recover,” due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The economy, heavily reliant on trade as it is, is already in recession. Local estimates say that it could see its most serious contraction on record, of about five to seven per cent in 2020.

In response, the Government allotted almost S$100 billion in stimulus funds to aid lagging businesses as well as to save as many jobs as possible.

According to Menon, the country is yet to see the worst of the economic fallout from Covid-19, adding that he expects to see more bankruptcies and bad loans into the beginning of next year, as well as face the question as to whether or not banks will be needing more capital.

The MAS head said, “What I’ve not heard, and I think people are beginning to talk about, is whether you need to raise new capital. It’s not going to be easy in a time like this.”

He added, “In a funny sort of way, the pandemic has made us all a lot more sensitive and aware of how vulnerable we are to the forces of nature.”

According to economists, economic recovery will be sluggish, although things are looking up for the latter part of the year.

“Improving the outlook for 4Q are government preparations to reopen further, including arrangements for air travel bubbles.

Reopening will have its limits, though, absent a widely available vaccine.

This — along with income losses and higher debt burdens from the virus crisis — will limit the scope of the recovery in 2021.

Growth and inflation are past their troughs seen in the second quarter,” said Chua Hak Bin and Ju Ye Lee, Maybank Kim Eng Research Ltd. economists, said in a report from October 5.

“But the recovery is sluggish and more U-shaped than V, dampened by strict border controls, social distancing rules and foreign worker shortages.” —/TISG

Virus-hit Singapore plunges into recession as economy shrinks 41%

Man, 53, drowns during family outing at East Coast Park

Singapore News

Anna Maria Romero

-

October 13, 2020

0

Man, 53, drowns during family outing at East Coast Park

Singapore — A man who had celebrated his 53rd birthday recently drowned off East Coast Park on Sunday (Oct 11).

The man, along with his elder brother and the latter’s family, were on a picnic at the park, according to the Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao.

The full name of the victim has not been disclosed, although Lianhe Wanbao reports his name as Osman and his brother’s name as Wahid.

The outing took a dark turn when soon after the picnic had been set up, the man was nowhere to be found.

The family became alarmed when someone who had seen the man earlier told them that he had not surfaced from the water in 15 minutes.

After searching for him proved difficult due to rough water conditions, the family called the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) for help at around 2.15 in the afternoon.

The SCDF deployed three teams to look for the missing man: Divers from the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team to search underwater, marine firefighters on board a Rapid Response Fire Vessel to reach the waters in the area and firefighters to carry out a visual search from the shore.

After three-and-a-half hours, as night approached, the search was stopped as a safety precaution.

The teams intended to resume the search at first light the next morning but the man’s body was found floating in the water at 7.14 that night, said the SCDF.

He was pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic.

His brother was quoted by Lianhe Wanbao as saying: “Osman lives with me. He is usually cheerful and friendly and loved by the whole family. He just celebrated his birthday last month. Two months ago, he was expecting that after the epidemic was over, we could go to Malaysia together. No one expected an accident.” /TISG

Boy, 14, drowns off Changi Beach Park, family thought he was out studying

KF Seetoh posts list of things he’d rather do than partake of SIA’s dining sessions

Singapore News

Anna Maria Romero

-

October 13, 2020

0

KF Seetoh posts list of things he’d rather do than partake of SIA’s dining sessions

Singapore—While Singapore Airlines’ dining sessions were sold out in less than half an hour and SIA has now added more opportunities for diners to enjoy the meals at Restaurant A380 @ Changi, food guru Kf Seetoh has taken to social media to say, thanks, but no thanks.

Instead, the founder of Makansutra, food consultant, photographer, writer and television host, whose opinion carries significant weight in Singapore, listed a few activities he would prefer to do rather than partake of SIA’s meals.

Posting a photo from The Straits Times’ article captioned “Top of the News: SIA adds cabin dining sessions after tickets sold out,” Mr Seetoh wrote “That one is not on my list,” adding that the meal “made no sense” to him, although he acknowledged that many would “find it so comforting.”

That one is not on my list, although many will find it so comforting to eat a $200 meal in a stationary airplane. I much…

Posted by Kf Seetoh on Monday, 12 October 2020

Here is the list of what the food guru would rather do, in Mr Seetoh’s own words.

have a picnic in the park with your family and friends. with a bottle of prosecco of cold milo and soft shell crab burgers for KEK or Arnolds fried chicken or whatever, cos you know it’s not abt the food
go cycling Ah Pek style, where you stop- cos the teh tarek and kalipap beckons and when a nice breeze came your way, then went on to cycle anywhere you want (off road, over the grass and easy pace)
treasure being alone by yourself ever so often
walk in the rain and feel the glory of nature
take a bus ride to dunno where, dun care when. and just be curious by all you see, like a kid.
wondered (sic) about and appreciate the effort how they made that beef rendang or chicken rice..a second before it went down your hatch and be really grateful we have this so easily here
stop to observe, really close, those little flower that blossom amid the grass patch outside your home and along the gritty streets, and realised they wanna stay pretty and natural no matter the situation around
lay down on the grass, looked up and watch clouds move
drink from a tap in Singapore, then splash water on the face
break out in song or dance to that wonderful ear worm tune in your head all day long..like Pharrell’s Happy , and you just didnt give a hoot, or danced along with someone who did just that (cos you can’t sing for nuts).
swim in in a lake
cast a fishing line into the ocean and not worry how big or if you are gonna catch any fish at all
worry about how much you gonna make from that deal
spare your dimes for the less fortunate, always

He added, “Without worrying about if the police will fine you, get drench, catch a cold, time all the those deeds, if loneliness will get you, wonder if you need that extra dollar in you pocket…..”

SIA announced its dining sessions on October 1, which range from S$50 to S$600, depending on what class seating you choose. Add-ons to the dining experience may include a tour at SIA’s training facility ($15 for children, $30 for adults) or S$500 for a flight simulator experience for up to three participants.

SIA’s kitchen is also offering home delivery meals for S$288 for a business-class meal for two and S$448 for a first-class meal. —/TISG

Ong Ye Kung: We ‘can’t wait around for a vaccine’ to revive Singapore’s aviation industry

“Insta-worthy” macaque touring Marina Bay delights Singaporeans

Singapore News

Anna Maria Romero

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October 13, 2020

0

“Insta-worthy” macaque touring Marina Bay delights Singaporeans

Singapore—The current pandemic has been a boon to a few of nature’s creatures, including a male macaque who was seen going around Marina Bay on its own, obviously benefiting from the absence of tourists.

It was spotted by Sabrina K. Nguyen while she was on a run on October 2, she wrote in a post on the Nature Society (Singapore) group Facebook page that has since gone viral, getting over 300 shares since she put up the photos of the macaque on Sunday, Oct 11.

Photos: Sabrina K. Nguyen – Nature Society (Singapore) Facebook page

Ms Nguyen wrote, “late post, a few pics from oct 2 during a run in marina bay. has anyone seen this little fella too? not sure how far he was from home!”

Media publications that have carried photos of the macaque have called him truly “Insta-worthy” for his “poses” against the backdrop of the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay as well as the Fullerton Hotel.

In one photo the animal is sitting on a railing and looking straight into the camera, in another it is curiously checking out a lotus bud.

No doubt about it, the little monkey certainly has star quality.

Ms Nguyen told mothership.sg that she saw the macaque at around 5:30 in the afternoon, while running past the Helix bridge, and at first she thought he was a squirrel.

Good thing Ms Nguyen had the presence of mind to keep her distance from the monkey, as to not frighten it when she took photos.

On the website of famed English primatologist Dame Jane Goodall, it says that the long-tailed macaque is “probably the most familiar non-human primates you see in Singapore.”

There have been incidents of conflict between humans and macaques, due to “a lack of education on appropriate human behaviours around wildlife” the site says. The best example is when people give these primates food, they learn that they can rely on us as providers of food, and can get aggressive and demanding.

Interested in seeing macaques in their natural habitat? The Jane Goodall Institute Singapore (JGIS) offers free guided walks on every second, third, and fourth Saturday evening of the month. There walks cover MacRitchie Reservoir Park, Lower Peirce Reservoir Park, and Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

JGIS writes, “The goal is to share our knowledge about the macaques, inform citizens on how to support a healthy relationship with them, and give all members of the public an opportunity to observe these fascinating monkeys’ day-to-day lives up close in their natural habitat.” —/TISG

Macaque pickpockets MacRitchie Reservoir visitor’s mobile phone before dropping it in the water

People’s Voice party urges public to shop local to keep small businesses afloat

The Independent

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October 13, 2020

0

People’s Voice party urges public to shop local to keep small businesses afloat

Singapore – Opposition People’s Voice (PV) leader Lim Tean took to social media to invite the public to support local businesses.

On Monday (Oct 12), Mr Lim shared a post by PV’s Shadow Cabinet Minister of Health, Kok Ming Cheang noting it was “time to buy local from your neighbourhood provision shops.” In his post, Mr Lim urged everyone to support Singaporean commerce and businesses which give priority to Singaporean workers.

Mr Kok attached a photo of a receipt from a small provision shop in Blk 212, next to the hawker centre in Lorong 8 Toa Payoh. “This provision shop (it calls itself “supermart”) used to be well-stocked, but I noticed a change,” noted Mr Kok. “The shelves were not fully packed, and signs of tough times were noticeable.” He mentioned how local provision shops were usually family businesses run by senior citizens.

“These small local shops really need help with more customers and turnovers,” Mr Kok pointed out. “The big supermarkets like Fairprice, Sheng Siong, Giant and Cold Storage are financially strong enough to ride through the pandemic storm but not our local neighbourhood provision shops.” Mr Kok added that the online sales of these big supermarket companies were drawing away more business from small shops.

Mr Kok encouraged everyone in his post that “the next time when we need some provisions and groceries, let us go to the neighbourhood shops.” Let’s help them by buying locally in your neighbourhood, he added.

“Our little help will go a long way to keep these small shops afloat in the pandemic.”
The post garnered agreement from the online community who noted: “for the sake of our locals and the local economy, it is time to turn a little protectionist.”

Other mentioned that these provision shops have been serving the community for years. Individuals who patronise such shops are not helping well-established businesspeople buy another property or new yacht, for example, but assisting a father put food on a table for his family.

Mr Kok shared the same sentiments and commented it was time for action. “Their prices are also competitive and even lower for some items. It’s more convenient too without the hassle of going through all the screening in shopping malls.”

Peoples Voice Supports Our Local Businesses! Let’s support Singapore businesses, and businesses which give priority to Singaporean workers!

Posted by Lim Tean on Monday, 12 October 2020

Pritam Singh’s pays tribute to elderly WP supporter who passed away at 90

In the Hood

The Independent

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October 13, 2020

0

Pritam Singh’s pays tribute to elderly WP supporter who passed away at 90

Singapore – Leader of the Opposition (LO) and Workers’ Party (WP) chief, Pritam Singh took to social media to share a heartwarming story of how a 90-year-old grandfather with dementia made it known that he wanted to vote for WP during the 2020 General Elections.

On Tuesday (Oct 13), Mr Pritam uploaded a Facebook post with the heading, “Never Forgotten.” He received news that a “lifelong WP supporter” had passed away. “Terence got in touch with me about the passing of his 90-year-old grandfather earlier today, a lifelong WP supporter but who had been a dementia patient for the last 15 years or so,” wrote Mr Pritam.

The family shared their concern on whether their grandfather would be able to exercise his vote at GE2020 according to his wishes given his progressively worsening condition, said Mr Pritam. They found a unique yet effective way of discovering their granddad’s vote.

The family drew a ballot slip and asked him to mark the box of his choice. “They did it again. And again. And all three times, granddad made his intention known,” said Mr Pritam. Attached in his post was a photo of the makeshift ballot with the WP hammer encircled. A blurred image of granddad sitting could be seen in the background.

“It was an honour and a privilege for me to attend Mr Liow’s wake. Thank you, Terence. Sincere condolences to you and your family,” added Mr Pritam.

With over 4,000 likes and 100 comments since posting, members from the online community extended their condolences to the family and expressed support for WP. “Once a WP supporter, always a supporter,” said Facebook user Don Low while another commented, “once a hammer, always a hammer.”

“Dementia every other thing, but not the WP,” said Facebook user Henry Kong who thanked the grandpa for “seeing the spirit of Lee Kuan Yew in the box he marked.” Facebook user Keith Er observed, “even grandfather who has dementia knows it’s time for a change for the future generation.”

Others were heartened by the story and wished Mr Pritam and the team all the best, as the WP “have certainly touched the late Terence’s granddad, and surely many of us too.”

Dementia is the umbrella term for loss of memory, among other thinking abilities that are severe enough to inhibit someone from their daily activities. Alzheimer’s is the most common condition caused by dementia.

Never Forgotten———————- Terence got in touch with me about the passing of his 90-year old grandfather earlier today, a…

Posted by Pritam Singh on Monday, 12 October 2020

Pritam Singh, “Your vote has always been a secret. So always make your vote count”

WP chief Pritam Singh pushes for universal minimum wage with S$1,300 base

Singapore News

Obbana Rajah

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October 13, 2020

0

WP chief Pritam Singh pushes for universal minimum wage with S$1,300 base

Calling a minimum wage “an act of national solidarity”, Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh on Monday (Oct 12) pushed for a universal minimum wage with S$1,300 as a base.

In a Facebook post, Mr Pritam wrote that a universal minimum wage for the Singaporean worker is not just a moral imperative, it is “even more relevant in today’s economic environment”.

The Leader of the Opposition added that the government’s minimum wage approach takes into consideration aspects such as sectoral productivity and career progression, all of which cannot be objectionable.

“The problem with this sectoral approach towards minimum wage is that it takes too long implement”, he explained. In eight years, only three sectors have been covered.

His comments follow an announcement on Sunday (Oct 11) that a workgroup will be formed to look into raising the salaries and well-being of low-income workers.

“This is far too long for Singaporeans who work outside these sectors. How long are they to wait?” he wrote.

He wrote: “What they could do is to consider a parallel endeavour that implements a universal minimum wage with $1300 as a base – and subject to regular review – forthwith, even as it explores sectoral improvements or what is effectively the Plus side of Minimum Wage Plus”.

“A universal Minimum Wage for the Singaporean worker is not just a moral imperative. It is a statement of what it means to be Singaporean. For the true measure of our society is found in how we treat our most vulnerable”, Mr Pritam added.

This is not the first time the WP has raised the issue; during the debate on the President’s Address last month it was also brought up by WP MP Jamus Lim in a broader speech about having compassion in policymaking. -/TISG

Minimum Wage Plus Taskforce—————————————— A universal Minimum Wage for the Singaporean worker is not just a moral…

Posted by Pritam Singh on Sunday, 11 October 2020

“What is going to happen to the industry when the planes haven’t flown, the pilots haven’t flown for months on a stretch?” Bloomberg quotes him as saying. “It’s not like picking up after taking two months off. When you take two years off, it’s very different.”

At a virtual event hosted by the Institute of International Finance, Mr Menon said that between ten and twenty per cent of Singapore’s economy is facing “deep scarring from which they may not recover,” due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Improving the outlook for 4Q are government preparations to reopen further, including arrangements for air travel bubbles.

Reopening will have its limits, though, absent a widely available vaccine.

This — along with income losses and higher debt burdens from the virus crisis — will limit the scope of the recovery in 2021.

“But the recovery is sluggish and more U-shaped than V, dampened by strict border controls, social distancing rules and foreign worker shortages.” —/TISG

The outing took a dark turn when soon after the picnic had been set up, the man was nowhere to be found.

The family became alarmed when someone who had seen the man earlier told them that he had not surfaced from the water in 15 minutes.

have a picnic in the park with your family and friends. with a bottle of prosecco of cold milo and soft shell crab burgers for KEK or Arnolds fried chicken or whatever, cos you know it’s not abt the food

go cycling Ah Pek style, where you stop- cos the teh tarek and kalipap beckons and when a nice breeze came your way, then went on to cycle anywhere you want (off road, over the grass and easy pace)

treasure being alone by yourself ever so often

walk in the rain and feel the glory of nature

take a bus ride to dunno where, dun care when. and just be curious by all you see, like a kid.

wondered (sic) about and appreciate the effort how they made that beef rendang or chicken rice..a second before it went down your hatch and be really grateful we have this so easily here

stop to observe, really close, those little flower that blossom amid the grass patch outside your home and along the gritty streets, and realised they wanna stay pretty and natural no matter the situation around

lay down on the grass, looked up and watch clouds move

drink from a tap in Singapore, then splash water on the face

break out in song or dance to that wonderful ear worm tune in your head all day long..like Pharrell’s Happy , and you just didnt give a hoot, or danced along with someone who did just that (cos you can’t sing for nuts).

swim in in a lake

cast a fishing line into the ocean and not worry how big or if you are gonna catch any fish at all

worry about how much you gonna make from that deal

spare your dimes for the less fortunate, always

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