Intentions show through. Despite going through the motions of respect, politeness and customer care, the absence of real care shows through clearly. Many of the Singaporean service personnel I have encountered recently demonstrated this.

They take my money or credit card, and hand me receipts and change, with two hands. This is a sign of respect in Asia. But it is very clear that this has become a …

I was sitting in a popular dumplings restaurant (under the Paragon shopping centre on Orchard Road) in Singapore. It is obviously popular because we had to get a number and wait to get in. And the place was packed from about 6pm when we arrive to 9:30pm when it shut.

Despite its popularity, several factors made a potentially chaotic and unpleasant situation painless and transparent.

When you ask for a …

The service on Singapore Airlines is impeccable and faultless, even in Cattle Class. It was certainly not your average domestic no-frills flight.

And they know it.

The global airline industry is as competitive as any global business. While American Airlines is struggling with their inability to keep their aircrafts compliant with basic US FAA maintenance regulations, Singapore Airlines seem to be actively leveraging their reputation and record of good …