Are we there yet?

Been almost a week since my last post. Lots of stuff been going on in my little world. We had a mock terrorist attack since my last post. Supposedly, it was to test all the security agencies' readiness. The police, civil defence and medical facilities were tested, and not surprisingly they did well.I mean, this is Singapore - where everything runs like clockwork. Yeap, no such things as late busses or MRT are tolerated.

Few months earlier, the government was pushing for Singapore to be a services hub. Not like we weren't in the first place. Singapore has been at the forefront of modernisation, a jewel shining at the tip of Asia. The progress we have made has far outshone any economy over the last 3 decades. We have been courting envious glances from our neighbours and countries far away. Let's face it. How many countries can boast of the achievements we made in such a short span?

We have what it takes to make it as a services hub. We have the infrastructure and the financial resources to make it happen. Look at our biomedical sector. It's not a miracle that it happened in such a short space of time. The problem with being a service-oriented economy is we need service-oriented people. We have topped Math and Science Olympiads and numerous intellecual competitions.

So, that raises the question, "Are we service-oriented enough?" Personally, I don't think so. To be service-oriented we have to to be able to appreciate good service. Now, we do not appreciate great service enough. We expect good service, and anything below that expectation is unacceptable. We expect to be greeted at the door of a shop. But when the shop goes out of their way to get something we are looking for, do we appreciate that gesture? More often than not, we unknowingly, don't.

That brings me to another issue - ignorance. We are ignorant. Either by choice or by circumstances. Some of us didn't even know of the existance of such a major civil emergency excercise. We'll deal with it when it comes. Such lackadaisical attitude - so prevalent amongst us - will only bring glee to the deranged, deluded and misguided bunch who calls themselves "holy warriors" aka "terrorist".

It is forgivable to be ignorant - the only person affected by it is yourself. To be lackadaisical can lead to a catastrophic event where hundreds, perhaps thousands perishing. Remember Bali?