காசிருந்தால்...

காசிருந்தால்...

10 நாட்களுக்காக புதிதாக தற்காலிக Road போடலாம்.
100 Police Security போடலாம்.
500 புது BMW வாங்கலாம்.
1000 கணக்கில் பூக்களை குவிக்கலாம்.
$2000 - க்கு பரிசு பொருட்கள் கொடுக்கலாம்.

இதையெல்லாம் ஒரு IMF meetingக்காக செய்யலாம்

This is for people like ME, who cannot read Tamil.
If you have money...

You can lay a new road temporarily for 10 days
Have around 100 Policemen as security
Get 500 new BMW cars
Get around 1000 Flowers
Can give gifts worth $2000

All this for a IMF meeting!!!

IMF singapore - general observation

Three meter high barbed wire fence, police men at every nook and corner, a dozen fire engines, riot police...does this sound like a scene from the high security camps? Well this is how it is around the Suntec area in Singapore. The IMF meeting is taking place at the Suntec Convention Centre. All roads leading to the convention centre, including the overhead bridge are blocked to public. A whole battalion of police is located behind the convention centre, ready for any challenge. There are a lot of fire engines, police vehicles and ambulances stationed there.

The hotels where the delegates stay have security checks including baggage screening similar to the ones we see at the airport.

But, the road blocks have not caused traffic jams as expected. We are still able to reach office with minimum discomfort.

All shops and restaurants in the Suntec vincity have special offers or discounts for the IMF delegates. But I have not seen many delegates shopping :)) Have to check with the shoppers...

The pedestrian way along Nicoll Highway had beautiful flowers. There were bees bussing in the morning. Gives a refreshing feeling when you walk to office. But I feel a bit sad to see the plants. These flowers are all temporary arrangements and so they are still in pots. The pots are buried under sand, to give an appearance of being planted directly. Each potted plant is tied together, so that the flowers are bunched at the top. But this looks so artificial, although it gives a neat look. I would prefer the unruly bushes with flowers :))

Colorful Singapore

A new comer to Singapore would be stuck by the greenery around him. Everywhere you go, you would find green trees and shrubs. Even in the highly populated City area, you would find fresh green plants smiling at you.

With so many plants you might think that there would be a few flowers around. Especially, since Singapore is touted as the Garden City. But, except for a few pathetic Bouganvilla plants along a few flyovers, there were almost no flowering plants. Visitors from abroad used to ask us about this and I never had a proper reply to this.

Now the image has changed suddenly. With the IMF meetings in Suntec, the area around suntec are surrounded by beautiful flowers. Daisies, marigolds and Canna adorn the city. A colorful smile to welcome the delegates.

PS: But somehow I feel that the flowers have removed the elegant and orderly look of Singapore ;)