Online Only – No cable? It’s a blessing
Letter from Gilbert Goh
06:50 PM Oct 07, 2009
From next August, football fans will have to sign up for a SingTel mio TV set-top box if they want to watch matches from the comfort of home.
As a Premiership fan, I was a StarHub TV subscriber for many years, mainly to watch football matches, until the subscription cost was hiked last year. I decided to terminate the contract and started to watch the matches at a coffeeshop at the foot of my block.
As it turned out, terminating the contract was a blessing in disguise.
At first, I sat watching alone, not being familiar with anyone. Before long, I realised that the same group of die-hard fans would turn up every week to watch the matches.
Over time – and after a few shouts of “Goal!” and coffee – we became good friends. One invited us to his home to celebrate Hari Raya. Some shared details about their personal life as we let our guard down.
A 65-year-old uncle became my “adopted father” when he heard that my father had passed away more than 25 years ago. He even offered his home for me to stay temporarily when he heard that I had sold off my house. All this because we were crazy about watching football.
For the affordable price of $0.80 a coffee, we developed a “kampung” atmosphere every weekend. When I bumped into them on weekdays, we would slip easily into conversation, which often ended up becoming an extended coffee break.
For those who are lamenting the latest developments in the telco wars, my advice is to consider heading to your neighbourhood coffeeshop. The atmosphere makes watching football matches more exciting, and you get to shout “Goal!” with people who may become good friends over time.
I must say a big thank you to StarHub for upping their subscription fee, or I would still be watching matches all alone at home without knowing the joy of interacting with my neighbours!
Perhaps others might say the same for SingTel down the road …
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