Top 10 Searches for SG in 2010

Now that the year 2010 is rolling to an end, what have you done for the past 10 years? Certainly, there have been lots of happenings in this past decade. And if there’s any word I could think of to describe these 10 years, it would have to be “turbulent”. See, the US is probably one of the most “depressed” countries for this decade. From 9/11 to other disasters like Hurricane Katrina, the sense of loss is definitely a huge one for the American giant.

Well, perhaps, the US is too far away to talk about in local terms. Sure, those major catastrophes might have punctured the whole world’s economy in some ways, but Singapore is definitely taking it headstrong. Let’s zoom in to the year 2010 for now, before its eventual passing. What are some of the events that have shaken our country?

The Fame and the Games

A recent report by Yahoo! Singapore sheds some light on what were the top searches for 2010. Here’s the list:
1.        Jack Neo
2.        Sentosa
3.        World Cup 2010
4.        Madam Kwa Geok Choo
5.        Youth Olympic Games
6.        Silviu Ionescu
7.        Vivian Dawson
8.        iPad
9.        HDB Resale
10.      Katy Perry

Surprised somewhat? Apparently, Singaporeans are glued to entertainment gossips. The scandal involving Singapore’s acclaimed film and TV director Jack Neo definitely sparked widespread following, ranking it as the No. 1 search for 2010.

On another celebratory note, Singapore was also immersed in the merriment of the Sentosa Integrated Resort (i.e. Resorts World Sentosa, officially) official opening back in February this year. After all, the casino on this island is just an added attraction to RWS’s Universal Studio entertainment centre, plus a host of other venues holidaymakers love to go to.

And who could forget the World Cup fever this year, despite the major hiccups local media powerhouses had for its “live” coverage on TV? Definitely, being one of the top 10 searches does not come as a surprise, judging by the huge base of soccer fans we have here. Also, Singapore has been a good host to the inaugural Youth Olympics in August, inviting wide acclaim from the international sporting community.

On a more sombre level, we mourned the loss of Madam Kwa Geok Choo, wife of Singapore’s Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew. Apart from extensive coverage in mainstream media, there were also tremendous outpouring of condolences seen in the Facebook walls of users.

Bad Romance?

Back to the realm of entertainment, here’s the top celebrity searches for 2010:

1.        Selina Jen
2.        Shinee
3.        Jamie Yeo
4.        Emma Watson
5.        Corrine May
6.        Lady Gaga
7.        Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
8.        Vivian Dawson
9.        Jay Chou
10.     Quan Yifeng

Topping the search is Selina from popular girl band S.H.E. News of her romantic engagement was met with a tragic accident during filming, inflicting major burns on her body. Local TV personalities Jamie Yeo and Quan Yifeng also made the top 10 list after their respective divorces. Yeo announced her engagement to her new man months after her high-profile divorce from radio DJ Glenn Ong, and also revealed that she was expecting shortly after.  It was also a rocky year for Quan who had to contend with a taxi driver’s accusations of assault, rumours that she was in a sex video, and speculation when she was spotted with a young man after her divorce.

Moving On…

It certainly seemed that the last year of this first decade of the new millennium is nothing short of ‘eventful’. As we bid adieus to 2010, we have much to look forward to in the next decade. Hopefully, the next top search list in 2011 will be peppered with events that could put more smiles to our faces.