Ok, I really don't mean to sound conceited, but I feed my dog Lola much better food than that.Honestly, if I were a YOG* volunteer, slogging (ok, even if they're not slogging) out there day after day... and you hand me this plastic box which looks like the food's been slapped into it... I would feel very very insulted.
And the thing is... it's like... did they feed the YOG atheletes that Singapore is hosting... this same meal? Did they? Would you?
SO WHY THEN IS IT OK TO TREAT OUR OWN KIDS LIKE THIS???
I feel pissed off.. because here are our sec school and polytechnic kids (and army boys), who give their time and energy to serve at this event .... (not saying YOG is exploiting free labour or anything....) ... and yet we don't have the decency to at least feed them right?
And of course you will hardly hear complaints. They're kids, most of them will just eat it and think... oh boy, I'm famished... nom nom nom nom....
But just because they don't know any better, doesn't make this right.
I look at that packet of food and I think. F&%K. You're not treating these kids with the dignity they deserve.
I'm not saying serve them foie gras. But you can surely pull together a low cost meal and make it at least look like some effort went in to it. (*looking at the scraps of vegetables strewn in there in disgust*)
300 million of our tax payer's money is spent on this event, and you feed our kids this?!
Maybe we could have done with one less blast of fireworks (or just do away with the Oh Yeah Oh Yeah Oh Yeah song), if it would mean that the volunteers' welfares would be looked after. Heck, what's the point of having any fireworks at all, if you don't know how to treat your people right.
Don't run when you haven't learnt to walk.
*(P/S- for my non-SG based readers, YOG stands for then Youth Olympic Games which Singapore is hosting right now)
Comments
As volunteers i think they can't complain but then again, i think it's more like they were volunteered. Actually i don't get why the food look like that when army food looks and actually IS better!!! Maybe SFI is not delivering as promised. Even my NDP rehearsal as an NSF got better food, pizza hut & KFC :P
I think precisely because they are volunteers and that is why they should be treated well. I mean they don't get paid, they might as well be treated right isn't it?! They should be more grateful the kids are helping out... the cost of hiring paid workers could have cost them another million.
Anyway like what HJ said, the disparity between what they feed the YOG and the volunteers stink big time. They are all kids, why the double standards?
You singaporeans are too much. Everything also complain!
But here in SG, we have the $$ to have proper meals. So do not compare Africa in this instant. Really, it is quite mindless to even bring Africa into comparison.
I don't see Holly Jean as complaining, in fact, she is just speaking on behalf of all Singaporeans. I am sure all would agree that the rice box is totally pathetic.
Let's just assume the kids are happy to help out, there is a reason to do so and meal or not they wouldn't mind.
I guess it's up to us people who are not involve to help them seek justice haha.
If I were served that, I would just say... "you're fuckin kidding me."... and just leave and sit down somewhere for a nice meal.
But these teenagers don't have that kind of choices.
I imagine myself as a parent, and my kid spends hours everyday at this YOG thing as a volunteer... he can't just walk off and go eat anywhere as he pleases.
DO u know tht i received emails- apparently the army boys were TOLD to eat it, and not waste food.
I expect the organisation to at least feed him right.
I am not against the YOG and their huge budget... I just don't like to see the volunteers (no matter how small a segment of them) being served crap... and then expected to eat it.
As for the picture on the food, it do looks bad. But i am not sure does anyone complain it really taste bad?
The presentation of the food may be untidy, but imagaine you have to prepare so many meals for all the volunteers, plus transporting the lunch boxes to all of them in different area.
Dun give the crap that they are kids & hence they r more than glad to help out & meals like tis may b ok with them etc. It is becos they r kids & we are NOT, tats y we cant stand them being treated tis way!!
C'on! So much $$$ spent on this YOG & yet cant give our dear volunteers some decent food?! again, we are not asking for lobsters, abalone or wat have you, but for gdness sake, at least presentable, decent meals pls!
The organizer better wake up from their bloody idea!!
how about complaining only when you have seen all the pictures of food served? it might just be a single case of bad presentation?
oh.. this is most definitely not an Isolated Incident. I received emails from both Poly kids and a couple of NS boys to who have told me tht their meals were exactly like that in the picture.. and how it has gotten better lately, but still miserable.
Also, Singapore Food Industries (SFI) were the ones who looked at that picture, and DID NOT DENY that that is their product.
im sure my sis is also eating that pathetic box of food. no wonder she tells me everyday that she has no appetite to eat even though she's damn hungry and slogging for hours at YOG. poor students. i agree what u said. they should at least serve better food. or maybe, have a buffet for the volunteers?
i pity the kids.
Oh yes,Hollyjean, I do agree with doing away with the Oh yea oH yea song thingee..it's irritating!
That is so unfair! You have pasta and macdonald and fruits?!
I only got the rice with no veg, 2 small pieces of tofu and a very small piece of chicken cook in black sauce, it was mostly bones some more.
:( And a can of coke.
I am from NYP btw, I don't know if they are biased and serve different volunteers (different areas) all different quality of food?
Read on the papers the minister tried to eat same catered food as volunteers when he goes on site visit, come on,he is lucky he goes to the right venue...
But I am sure he didn't know tht some batches of kids were being fed crap... no directly his fault. But somewhere out there on our sunny island, is someone who thought it was fine to feed them that...