I am so sick of the Y-effing-O-G.
Have you realised that if you Googled “YOG”, the only articles/websites/posts about the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) are from Singapore? Also if you look at the comments on the music video for Everyone – the official YOG song – they seem to be mostly from Singaporeans. Such a big hoo-ha is being made, but it seems as if Singaporeans are the only ones being assaulted by the media blitz.
All this leads me to conclude that we Singaporeans are just about the only ones who give a shit about the Youth Olympics.
To be fair, this is the first time the summer Youth Olympics Games are being held, and it’ll probably take a few more before the world becomes aware of there being such a thing as the Youth Olympics. I’m not expecting it to suddenly become a massive global event like the FIFA World Cup is right now. But honestly, I am so, so sick of hearing about the YOG. Every time I see those mascots I feel like throwing up (they look like mascots for ages 3 – 6 instead of 14 – 18). Every time I read or hear something about the YOG I just want to scream. And the best part? IT HASN’T EVEN BLOODY STARTED YET.
Oh God, give me strength.
Here are just some of the examples of the incredible fuss Singapore is kicking up for the YOG:
- Kids get into YOG spirit at Causeway Point : we also have something like this at West Coast Plaza, but as far as I’ve seen it’s been pretty half-arsed
- YOG organisers set up operations at Games Village : what has happened to the students who were living in those hostels before, I wonder? 10 out of 16 blocks means quite a lot of displaced students, don’t you think?
- YOG opener promises to dazzle : time to spend some moneh!
- Do your part for YOG: PM Lee : this, on top of patrolling the MRT stations for terrorists/vandals, helping the NParks to monitor the trees and their underground roots, helping the PUB to check the drains aren’t getting clogged, trying to be a more productive worker? I am going to need so much Red Bull…
- Special lane for YOG vehicles : yes, there is a special lane on certain roads just for the YOG. This means that when cars see the marked YOG vehicles, they have to give way to these vehicles like they would to emergency service vehicles (i.e. ambulance, police cars, civil defence, etc.) That means you get fined if you don’t get out of the way for a YOG vehicle.
At the moment, this is my favourite YOG-related image:
YOG stalls along Orchard Road flooded. Image from Singapore Bikes Forums
I just have the feeling that we are making such a HUGE, HUGE, HUGE fuss about this whole thing, and for very little payoff. Because no one really gives a damn except us.
somehow this doesn’t feel like the Olympics…I am usually very excited when the Olympics comes around. The mascots also look pretty lame unfortunately. Why do they always have to be cutesy looking animals…what about inanimate objects or just something completely different? It’s just all so humdrum. I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of the kids are “encouraged” into participating by schools just like I remember being forced to help collect donations for NKF when i was in school.
Apparently MOE has bought 80,000 tickets for schools because no one else seems to want to go. *sigh*
I’m more concerned of the authorities gearing up for action to resolve problems like the flooding so as not to lose face in front of YOG delegates and the world , and not because expediency is part of their job description as, u know, the GOVT. I wonder how much they paid Sean Kingston to sing a few lines on the YOG song.
Exactly! It really shows us where our government’s priorities lie when their reaction to the flood is “OH NO WE WILL LOSE FACE IN FRONT OF THE YOG PEOPLE!”
WTF. We don’t pay you that much money to help Singapore SAVE FACE, we pay you to help Singapore FULLSTOP.
Am expecting hear from my nieces and nephews that they (and their class [ or school?]) were bussed in to form the bul of the audience for otherwise sparsely-attended events …
They are DEFINITELY going to do it!
i thought that singapore should not even apply for YOG in the first place. Our facilities do not match up to international standards. Right now the international spotlight is on Shanghai World Expo and World Cup, a Youth Olympic seems so much more subdued. Well, i’m supposed to be all hyped up over it, but sorry, i rather heed the call for productivity first and fill up my bank accounts with hard earned money.
Probably the parents of the delegates would want to have a game or two at our casinos?
You’re right, this year is a very bad year to have the 1st ever YOG. Perhaps if it were a more established event that had more global awareness it would be better but I definitely think that Singapore is backing a lost cause trying to launch the YOG this year when everyone is more concerned about the World Expo and World Cup.
I did not even know there was such thing as a Youth Olympic games!! I’m sure it would be fun to participate in one but to watch one would probably be a crippling bore as even the regular Olympics are boring 75% of the time.
Haha, true dat! I only usually watch the gymnastics things, because it’s insane what those people can do.
Do SGeans care about YOG ? Yeah especially if they have to put up with “give way” to ” YOG vehicles when you see them coming down specially designated lanes flashing their lights and sporting their exclusive YOG licence plates from Aug 5 to 26 ” along ” seven of the Republic’s nine expressways and 15 arterial roads ”
http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100619-0000073/Steer-clear,-Youth-Olympians-on-their-way.
Isn’t that just ridiculous?
Ya man. What the hell does the mascot names even mean? People are laughing at names like ‘Merly’.
*sigh* Merly. Every nursery schools don’t want.
so what is your favourite sport in olympics anyway? you like doing sports right kirsten?