I Took Some Pictures of Normally Crowded Places in Singapore During the Circuit Breaker Period

This was at the start of the Circuit Breaker period

Beaches were cordoned off

Normally crowded, central areas were seeing very little foot traffic

No dine-in was allowed, hence the taped tables and chairs

Playgrounds and Exercise Corners were similarly cordoned off

Seating areas in shopping malls cannot be used by customers

Larger or more established food outlets had areas for food delivery personnel to pick orders up, each delivery service getting its own dedicated space

It’s a little odd to see the atrium so devoid of activity

At least the lighting still looks a little cheery

My 8 Predictions for 2020 - As COVID-19 Progresses

There’s been A LOT of news flying around, not all of which are very encouraging. I’d really rather not add to the gloom, but certain things seem inevitable.

So here are my predictions for the rest of the year, 2020:

1) Singapore will have its elections, and the current party will win by a significant margin.

2) Singapore’s total COVID-19 cases will go up to 50,000 - 100,000 before Dec 31, 2020. This will occur due to a second / third surge of cases. I really hope I’m wrong about this one.

3) Air travel in and out of Singapore will be partially re-instated by July, and there will be an initial surge in demand.

4) New initiatives will be put in place, either by MOM or some other body, that elevate the status of freelancers / contract workers and make things easier for them in situations when they need what is typically quite easy for employed workers - e.g. bank loans, credit card signups, etc.

5) Video conferencing will see a sharp drop in demand once workplaces start having their employees back, and people start moving around again. It will, however, still go back up to a level of use that is higher than it ever was before.

6) China will experience a drop in prestige, but will continue to expand and exert its power over and through ASEAN, Near East, and African nations that are currently still friendly with it.

7) Trump will remain President of the USA after 2020.

8) World markets will have a downturn through the 2nd half of the year, though I’m not yet sure if it will ‘properly’ crash. I’ll probably have to update this when I see more signs.

Opportunities Amidst the Current Microbiological Climate

Unless you are somehow isolated from the world and its happenings, this is a period of constant daily news about the latest disease outbreak - that of COVID-19.

Almost like a throwback to the days of SARS, temperature taking and travel declarations are the norm again.

And thus, invariably, comes the economic downturn. What else would we expect from cancelled travel, delayed shipments, and affected trade?

And yet, within all of this, there appears to be vast opportunity.

The question is, can you spot it?

Depending on your location, expertise, and station in life, you may be in a unique position to take advantage of the sudden slowdown.

For some of you, this is the perfect time to start developing that area of business that you never had the time to do earlier because you have been constantly swamped with work.

For others, this is your opportunity to just take a step back and recover from all the stresses that you have been placing upon your body and your relationships.

And for still others, this may be a chance to explore new markets and clients that never existed before now.

What I’m trying to say is that sitting around, merely reading the news, and having a pity party for yourself is not going to get you very far. Take this unprecedented opportunity to do something. You will be glad you did.