Singaporeans Gracious?

I definitely dun think so... especially after my last 2 weeks experience in US and Vancouver ... after what I experience there on a daily basis, I now truly understand what customer service and graciousness really mean....

You are really made to feel welcomed and like they really care about you, and its all genuine... you know they are not just putting on a show.... struglle with a stroller thru a door, you have people walking out of their way to open the door for you, no need to ask..

Pushing the girls around in this stroller is no mean task and a tough butt workout!!

To think that people feel that Singaporeans are becoming more gracious.... yeah right! I just walked into Kiehls at Taka the other day, the salesgirl never even bothered acknowledging me. When I asked for the price of the lip gloss, "26" was the curt reply with a sharp nod when I said thanks, maybe she was busy especially with the store being empty! We've got a long way to go I tell you. I can still remember how I was treated when I went into Coach and was treated so well! You will get the same treatment even from any other smaller shops as well, people greet you, ask how you are doing, chat with you and go out of their way to serve you. Anyway, bad service is not tolerated with people ever ready to complain if they receive what they perceive to be bad service....they are willing to complain even if it was someone else receiving bad service (I actually saw that happening in MacDonalds'!)

The trip was really good with me buying half the coach outlet store! I just dun und why Coach Singapore has to jack up their prices by so much! The same bag in Singapore can be bought at just a fraction of the price in US. Shopping was definitely good with my luggage nearly exploding... and with such good service, who would not buy lots of stuff?

Playing on Grouse mountain in Vancouver... we had no idea how to make a snowman... anyway it was too cold for me to even want to try!

It snowed! And everything became a white wonderland...to think that Vancouver was once known as Sunny Vancouver cos it never was known to snow there...

And yes we got to experience snow for the first time! And ended up falling sick with me and the elder 2 girls registering 40 deg fevers! Must be the shock to the system to encounter such cold!

My best meal of the whole trip... eating at Crab Pot neat the waterfront... huge crabs, clams, corn and potatoes dumped on to your table and you dig in! YUM! It was good with the seafood being super fresh and sweet...

My meal of fresh oysters at the Pike Market

Pike Market.... where the fish go flying after you buy them!

Food though was a problem... not that there was no halal food but we had to really go out of our way to get them... So I went on a diet, not that I was not on one already! And I lost 3 kg! Which finally registered on the scales! What with all the walking, lack of food and 40 deg fevers! Ha!

The beautiful view of Mt Rainier and the Space Needle in Seattle.