As I watched the saga unravel, I can't help but think that it really botched this one up.

For someone who has been in this industry for so long, ERM should have known how to handle the entire affair better.

The newly-crowned and now, dethroned, queen, Ms Ris Low, is merely 19 – starry-eyed at winning the title and at the prospect of an even brighter future.

When criticisms were lobbed at her quickly and furiously over her poor diction, instead of hiding in a corner and sobbing her heart out, she publicly admitted that her English was not perfect and was taking steps to improve.

You have to give the girl credit for that, for some of the comments were pretty nasty.

ERM's comments?

"This is a beauty contest where beauty is most important. This is not a test of oratorical speech or a debating contest," said its events director Tracy Lee to The Sunday Times Lifestyle when asked about the public debate over Miss Low's bad diction.

Then as more skeletons in the closet started to be uncovered, such as Miss Low's conviction for credit card fraud, ERM hunkered down and could hardly be reached for comments.

When any one managed to get through, the comments were generally belligerent.

On Monday, they issued a press release:

"We will are now gathering information findings (sic) and investigating this issue.

We are also seeking legal advise (sic) from our legal advisors.

Once we have all the pertinent facts and documents, then we will make a decision about Miss Low which will be later in the week.”

At this moment we have no comments on the issue as we do not have full details.

Kindly do not call us or disturb for answers.

We will entertain you once we have a decision made."

Such was the way ERM chose to handle the affair while Miss Low had been granting interviews, giving her side of the story.

Whether you believe her or not, she is, at least, open and candid.

Now she is no longer queen.

Questions still remain over who will replace her.

ERM would only say in Tuesday's media statement that they will "interview" someone new. That in itself is rather strange since contest rules say the runner-up should be next in line.

Again when contacted, ERM declined to explain.

All it would say was: "We don't owe you an explanation."

Perhaps Singaporeans have not been paying much attention to the pageant in years except to criticise it or the contestants.

Still, is this the way a company that is sending girls to represent Singapore internationally should be speaking or behaving?

Read more:
Ris Low gives up crown
'Give Ris a break'
Who will represent S'pore?

The first time I visited the Resorts World at Sentosa work site was shortly after it broke ground in April 2007.

All I saw then was a huge muddy crater in the ground. It looked like what I pictured would happen after a close encounter with a meteorite.

In the last 27 months, I've visited the site at various stages and I must admit, every time, it just looked just like what it was: A busy construction site with more than 6,500 workers hard at work.

It was hard to find all those cranes, metal, concrete and mud beautiful or exciting.

But the site that I saw on Thursday was quite different.

The hotel's framework is up at Resorts World at Sentosa.
PHOTO: Zaobao

The hotel towers were all up, the rides were beginning to take shape. Things were looking good. Yes, it was still muddy and the pretty facades have not gone up yet on the building.

But, this was when I began to look forward to the opening. For I saw things that I might enjoy.

The finishing touches were put in place for the dark ride in the attraction named Revenge of the Mummy.

The stage for the Waterworld Stunt Show is coming along nicely. We caught a back-of-house view of where the various props, including a sea plane, would enter.

The thing that excited me the most was the duelling roller coaster with two options —  red for the relatively more timid, a regular  roller coaster and blue for that one that will head for the other coaster after taking one too many 360-degree spins and leaves one’s feet dangling in the air.

I wish they were done already. Strap me in and shoot me off.

Read more: Resorts World at Sentosa on track and see a video of the roller coasters.

As I swam, I was eye-level with the view of the rooms of York Hotel opposite and Far East Plaza in the background. At one section of the pool, I could see all the way down - to the little pond and grass patch below. Scary.

This was one of the most unique experience of my one-night complimentary stay at Quincy over the weekend (March 27). The 108-room boutique hotel is one of the latest new additions to the hospitality scene in Singapore.

PHOTOS: QUINCY

The rooms were done up in plenty of mirrors, glass, metal and brown hues which gave it a very contemporary and modern feel. The bed was comfortable and the showers warm, meeting my most basic requirement.

The one other perk was the fact that the standard room rate comes with three meals, an evening cocktail, two pieces of laundry a day, pick-up from the airport (which I didn't require, of course), internet and mini-bar.

The internet was great and very responsive. Both the wired and wireless variety were available.

There was also a huge LCV TV which came with cables which allowed me to plug in a DVD player or computer if I wanted to screen some movies or work on it while lying back on the bed.

Then there was also the well-stocked mini-bar with beers, juices, soft drinks and water together with the usual coffee and tea. For the peckish, there was also packets of potato chips. The best thing is they are all included in the room package.

So out went the lesson my parents taught me from young: Do not to consume anything from the hotel room's mini-bar because they are expensive. But my night at Quincy, I could sit back and relax, watch a travel programme on TV while enjoying my pack of potato chips and can of beer without any guilt or burning a hole in my pocket.

My other favourite experience is being able to watch TV while I take a soak in the tub because of the glass panel they used to separate the two rooms instead of a concrete wall.

I had a good night's sleep and couldn't ask for more.

Lim Weichean stayed at Quincy courtesy of the hotel.

Information about the hotel:
Quincy
Add: 22 Mount Elizabeth, Singapore 228517
Website: www.quincy.com.sg
For reservations, call: 6496-7699
Promotional rates till end April: $208++

I first noticed it at the official launch of the Ibis On Bencoolen on Feb 26.

In making his opening speech, Mr Ian Mackie, chief investment officer of LaSalle Investment, Asia, which is the owner of the 538-room hotel on Bencoolen Street, made it a point to thank financiers Royal Bank of Scotland for making the project possible.

He said: “Before, everyone took financing for granted.”

Not too long ago, bankers were never mentioned in such speeches.

The construction firms behind the building would be mentioned, the team that does the design would be mentioned. Everyone would be mentioned - all but the financiers, that is.

Now, things are different. Perspectives have changed.

At the second opening I attended on Monday, a mall owner thanked their bankers – OCBC this time – for lending them money.

Owner of Jurong Point, Starmall Property management director Michael Leong, was the man who did the honours.

It seems that every business is cognisant of the difficulty in getting banks to extend credit.

So, this may be a new trend in opening speeches this year.

Locals will take a walk in the nine-hectare park on weekends or public holidays and when there are overseas visitors coming, it was the place to take them to.

But today, it is shunned by many, local and foreign alike.

British tourist Liam O’Flynn, 30, said: “My Singaporean friends laughed when they heard that I was planning to come here.”

The place which was once the jewel of local attractions has fallen on bad times.

My deepest memories of Haw Par Villa were of the grotesque images of bodies boiled in oil, gutted by knives and dismembered.

I had albums full of pictures shot there since it was one of the few interesting places to go to during my childhood years.

Though the place scared me out of my wits, I also had fond memories of the times I tried to make sense of the Confucian morality tableaus.

Also, we had free rein in the park, to play with the statues of animals, mermaids and beasts.

Haw Par Villa had a short incarnation as a hip theme park with thrill rides and sound-and-light shows. But with an entry fee of $16 per person, it lasted all of six years before closing shop.

The rationale of most was, 'Why pay when you had seen everything for free?'

The park was in disrepair until a new management company was hired by Singapore Tourism Board in 2001 to run it as a free-access attraction, which it remained till now.

The fans still beat a path there. But gone were the days when it was bursting with crowds.

However, recent rumblings in the industry suggest that things should soon change. The authorities are looking for a new company to redevelop it.

What form its rebirth will take is up to anyone’s guess. We can only wait, see and hope for the best.

The first person in line for the Natas travel fair that began today arrived at 7 am – a full five hours before doors opened.

In scenes normally reserved for property launches and freebie giveaways, there were 50 people in the queue by 9 am.

Even a hardened travel salesman like Natas chief Robert Khoo was surprised by the early birds. “Really? So far, 7am is unheard of. Usually the queues start half an hour before the doors open,” he said.

Singaporeans are snapping up tour packages in preparation for the year-end holidays, and this has pleased agents who were initially worried that we’d gone off travel because of rising costs for food and other essentials.

The first day of the fair saw a smorgasbord of people swooping by to score deals: Parents with children in prams, elderly folks on walking sticks, and the occasional well-dressed executive.

Mr Early Bird?

He was in the market for a winter holiday in Hokkaido.

Only wanting to be known as Mr Tan, the 56-year-old said there was no particular reason he arrived at 7 am.

But his job description gave a clue: He’s a retiree.

The queue at the Natas travel fair.
ST photo: Lim Wei Chean