Taiwan: Day 1

It took me more than a month to finally sit down and rewrite my entry about my trip to Taiwan a month back. The original entry was planned by segregating by places and the activities but it was just too much work. So I will rewrite by the days and events. Alas the first entry Day 1.

It has been 3 months since the last trip. Actual plan was for a solo trip but someone managed to slip in, non other than my best bud - Hakimbo. At least we managed a proper hotel rather than a guest house if I'm traveling alone.

The best departure and cheapest flight is by Tiger Airways for about SGD600, a morning departure and a 4hours flight. Upon arrival at Taoyuan International Airport, the place was a bit run down. Parts of the airport were under construction so there wasn't much to shop. There was only 2 ways out of the airport, by bus or by taxi. Taxi would cost around SGD40 so we got on the Kuo-Kang bus service 1819 which is only SGD5. The journey from the airport to Taipei City is 45 mins to 1 hour depending on the traffic.

The last alighting station is at Taipei Main Station which a central for all transportation, be it bus or MRT. Our hotel is an MRT station away. With a luggage in tow, we took the MRT from Taipei Main Station to Ximending. Getting around was easy as the signs are in Chinese and English. Buying the token was even easier. A day pass is TWD350 (SGD 10) for unlimited rides but majority of the trips would cost as low as TWD20 to TWD55 (SGD 0.80 - 2.30).  Hence getting a day pass is not worthwhile due to most places are within a few stations away.

The hotel Just Sleep is 5 minutes walk from the station. Something unique about the hotel is that the hotel is within an office building hence the room layout is different than other hotel. Average room cost within SGD120 to 220 during off-peak period. With my airline staff pass, I managed a lower rate.

The deluxe room is square spacious but the room facilities are just too awesome. The bathroom is totally cool too with the black tiled wall and a wide window overlooking the next door office building. Another cool feature is the magnetized door sign which you stick on the door outside. The bed is just a nice comfort for sleeping hence the hotel name.

A cool facility wall 

2 Way Business

The hotel is just across a trendy shopping district, Ximen. The whole area is packed with shops of trendy clothing, shoes, bags and novelties. Street foods are a bundle too but not as much as somewhere else. If you're hungry, it will still do. The first day was raining the whole day ever since arrival hence we bought an umbrella each to keep dry. Surprisingly, there are a couple of umbrella shops selling different sizes and grades of umbrella. We got ours at a convenient 7-11 store right underneath the hotel.

Wan Nian is a shopping mall that I've bookmarked in my itinerary. It's not about the clothing stores on the first two floors  but the toys and games stores from the third floor onwards. But most of the toys there were gunplas which are not within my liking. Games however are the same price as in Singapore so now purchase made.

The night was still young and we ventured out to Shihlin Night Market for some grubs. However upon arrival, we were not hungry so we wondered around the streets for the shops. Most of the item are similar to Ximen including ABC Mart. And with more time to kill, we had a massage in one of the few massage parlors around Shihlin.

So day 1 was wondering around shops and adding the shopping list. And of course a good night sleep.

Age Is Not A Matter

People would always say that age is not a matter should you fall in love with someone who way beyond your age range. If you love them, you won't mind all the controversies that comes along with it.

Another situation that age is a not a matter is health. No matter how old or young you are, when your health f**ked up, you might as well be f**ked up. Don't get me wrong. It does not mean that you'll lose all hope and give up to your health condition but the condition might just come without you knowing it even if you take care of you health and diet.

At an age beyond quarter century yet to pass my third decade mind you, I believe it may still be a long way till I experience some health issues. But I didn't really take care of myself in 2010 till I had multiple case of gastroenteritis which left me hospitalized and realized that the current job then was no longer suitable to maintain a good health due to weird working hours. Since then, I got a new office hour job and managed to take care of my health pretty well. I could have 3 type of meal a day, slot in a healthy workout regime daily and still have time to study, read, games and even movies. All is well.

But falling sick is inevitable. I did fell ill over flu and fever but I had tinnitus which I didn't quite understand why. I work in an engine company but handles external repair vendors so it's more of an office environment. I have little visits to the shop floor. Somehow I suffered tinnitus or ringing in the ear. Sure it normal but the prolonged ringing and a sleepless night had me visit the doctors for 2 opinions before moving to a specialist. With the hearing test conducted I experienced a 3% lost of hearing to my right ear. The doctor mentioned that it was caused but viral infection and prescribed some expensive antibiotics (freaking $5 per pill for 2weeks/2 times daily consumption - do your maths) and a vitamin to regulate blood flow.

After 3 months, I returned for a review and test results indicated that my hearing is back to normal but there's still a gap between my left and right ear. The ringing is still there but not as frequent and the frequency is not as high as before. Hence the doctor closed the case.

Hearing Test results
Jul 11(L) and Oct 11 (R)

Since my gastroenteritis incident in 2010, I've been taking care of my health with regular meals and working out. But recently in September, I had another attack, this time during working hours. Previous encounters were in the wee morning but shockingly 2011 is in the day. I went to the doctor and was prescribe the same medication but the pain subsided for a while and grew more painful. Hence A&E was the next option. The doctor managed to subdue to pain and tests showed nothing. Though 2 things came up as a concern - I was having hypertension at 174/110 count and my liver enzyme was at high of 125 count. They asked to check it out.

My recent gasteroentology review could not pin-point the possible cause of my condition and was schedule for an ultrasound and another blood test and a follow-up review afterwards. But again, they point out my blood pressure was at 140/90 and provided a statement to get my blood pressure checked.

So lastly, my blood pressure is high as the last medical review. Doctor asked whether I exercise and take care of my diet which both I managed well. He mentioned that I should continue it regularly as I'm still young to be undergoing the medication. Thank god!!!

After all this medical review and upcoming ones, it definitely burning through my pocket but I'm able to claim it from the company. However, this money has to be taken out from my upcoming travel funds.

We should all look after our health at any point of our life. Do not be naive, saying we are still young. Get yourself checked. I had 3 conditions after my review. Battle now than suffer later.

Take Care.

Penang Getaway

It has almost been 8 months since my last holiday. With the new career and new commitments (it has to do with home and nothing to do with the other half), I'm tied down in populated Singapore. Even my birthday was celebrated in Singapore.

I'd managed to slip in a holiday to clear my leave and deprivation of a holiday hence Penang was planned with Hakimbo for a 3 days 3 nights getaway. Flight booked by Hakimbo via Air Asia and hotel booked by me from Agoda.com.

Firstly, how is the accommodation? With Hakim around, you can literally kiss you bed goodnight. We'll be out most of the time and will only be back at night. Hence a cheaper hotel is the best. I've booked Sunway Hotel Georgetown which is a 4-star hotel and the deluxe room rate was only SGD 65/night. There's a swimming pool and gym which we didn't use. The room is just like most 2-4 star hotel; a necessary need of a comfortable bed, a complimentary wi-fi connection (not listed in website), a bathtub (for my need of relaxation after a long day walk), a fridge to chill the bottles of water and television just in case (under utilized as we brought our own shows in all means - iPods, iPhones and iPad). The hotel stay comes with breakfast but it's such a disappointment. We rather sleep through or eat out rather than coming down for breakfast.

Secondly, getting around can be quite a breeze. Sunway Hotel Georgetown is located about 5mins away from Komtar where every bus passes by. The buses are very similar to Singapore buses for the handicap and it's clean. Trips can cost as much as RM 4+ but majority of our rides cost a maximum of RM2.70. The buses are currently integrating the tap cards. The bus system may not be as idiot-proof as Singapore as they only point out the roads that the bus passes through. When you board the bus, you will have to tell the driver your desired location and ask for the fare which he will manually pass you the receipt. And twice we alighted at the wrong stop, which will be shared later. Taxis are another mean of transportation which we did not venture. Most remarks we received were that they are mostly metered and it's RM1 per minute journey. Note on my last ride, all buses comes with wi-fi connection.

Pasembur and Char Kway Teow

Next, come our belly fulfillment. Food are all over Penang and it's cheap. Just below the hotel, it's a food paradise. The road will be closed and make shift stall are erected to serve culinary Penang dishes like Asam Laksa, Bak Ku Teh, and many other chinese food. Sadly they're all chinese food and no halal food in sight. A great place to fill the tummy is at Gurney Drive. It'll put Newton and Lau Pa Sat to shame. Food there are awesome and selections are plenty. And stall owners do not rip you off your pockets. Anjung Gurney as it's callled only opens after 6pm and the place is packed to the brim. The area are split into halal and non-halal where it occupies a huge area. The Char Kway Teow (it's to die for), Pasembur, Lok Lok and other goodies can be found.

Another food hunts to note are the street peddlers. There are plenty around Penang Road and the famous one to note is the Teow Chew Chendul store which serves classic desserts by the road side. These famous stall are located at the junction of Keng Kwee and Penang Road. There are 2 stores here which serve the same things and both are equally packed on different days which is a wonder. The stall we visit comes with A table hence we patronized a more civilized dessert sitting down. The chendul does wonders especially on a hot day and you'll be begging for more out of thirst. It's definitely refreshing but you'll yearn for water to soothes the throat.

Other food ventures are Chilli's which is only located at Gurney Plaza. Another restaurant we went is David Brown's Restaurant and Tea Terrace, made famous from Cameron Highlands. The food there are wonder and it's quite affordable, converted to SGD.

So, what is there to do in Penang besides belly full-fillment? There's ton of walking around the heritage Georgetown which starts across Komtar. The whole area is filled with old shop houses and prominent buildings preserved by UNESCO World Heritage. There's also great beach activities at Batu Ferringhi which is an hour bus ride from Komtar.Trendy hotels such as Shangri-La and Hard Rock are located there with plenty of water activities such as para-sailing and jet skis.

In the center of Penang is the noted Penang Hill which is about 45 mins bus ride from Komtar. An early alighting lead us to Kek Lok Si temple which sits on a hill. The climb up the temple is not that tiring as your eyes wonder around the many shops surrounding the steps. Mid level of the climb, stood a hut on top of a pond filled with turtles. As we climbed further up, there are many levels to the temple. The entrance, first temple, second temple and another temple at a sub level. Further up is a giant statue which is currently under construction. It's so majestic from the view of the first picture below.

The Base Tram Station

From the base of Kek Lok Si, we're able to see the tram route up Penang Hill. Knowing the slow frequency of the bus, I convinced Hakimbo to walk to the base of Penang Hill which took us about 30 mins walk. That's for making me walk around Georgetown the day before. The tram service up to Penang Hill cost us RM30 but if you're a Malaysian citizen, you'll pay only RM8 if you show your MyCard. Queue for the tram ride is definitely long over the weekend but the line is definitely moving with it's 2 new trams which travels up and down hill faster than those of Hong Kong's Victoria Peak. So what is on Penang Hill. Well, it's practically nothing. There's a mosque and a Hindu temple, an inaccessible hotel with a bird sanctuary and A resident home. Only David Brown's Restaurant is the notable visit for it's food and dessert. It's least prominent as the restaurant sits on the peak of the hill but the view is spectacular. Best to dine outdoors but we had ours indoors as the only tables around were under the scorching sun and leaves were falling at every gush of wind.

The new tram

David Browns Restaurant

Would you expect any shopping done in Penang? If you're a shopaholic, it's possible. There are a few shopping mall around Penang with few selection of known brands. I was there during the Sale period but there wasn't much selection of items to choose from. Gurney Plaza is a great place to shop. The many arrays of shops will definitely thrill the shoppers. But there's nothing that interest me. So most of my trip money went to food.

Lastly, I would like to share my first experience overseas which is watching movies in the cinema. As lame as it seems yet it's true. Transformers DOTM just release so I planned to catch it in Penang. Booking was easy yet different, the website only ask for your mobile number and not your credit card details, and unable to select seats. Upon collection, just provide them the booking number and they allow you to relocate your seating. That was nice but hell broke loose when we entered the cinema. The whole place including the alley reeks of a musky stench. The seats were elevated for better viewing but when the movie ends, just don't look down. The WHOLE cinema was scattered with popcorn and our movie was the first for the day. Seriously???

Another irritating incident was the patrons, who won't shut up. The family (Parent and 2 boys) were yakking and yapping in the show and the mother couldn't sit still, moving in and out of the row which definitely disrupted us hence we switched seats to another row. About 30 mins passed, another patron came in talking on the phone, sat down and left once he completed his call. Seriously??? That's not all. Remember the family, 2 more of their kids(girls) came in about an hour passed the show and yak and yap till we hushed them. And is that the end??? Nope, about 30mins before the ending at it's most climatic scene, remember the family, another 2 guys came in and sit in front of them and turned to talk to the parents. Seriously??? I'm surprised that only Hakimbo and me are the shushing one while the others are not bothered by them. Gawd, can't we enjoy a show in the cinema peacefully anywhere?

So, did I enjoy my Penang trip. I did in a way because I glad that I managed to get out of Singapore. Penang is surely an experience but I don't foresee myself going there again anytime soon within the next 3 decades.

Check out the adventures of Penang.

Means of Replenishing Reserve

All the while I've expected to be summoned by the traffic police for my driving but this is utterly rydikulez. My first summon is for jaywalking. I was taught to look right and left to check if the road is safe to cross, even for jaywalking.

As the road beside Tampines Interchange's McDonalds was cleared of buses, I safely crossed the road when I noticed someone waving at me. That someone was a fully uniformed traffic police. When he asked for my identification, I can't help but to laugh at my luck. Between my best friend and myself, I'll be the one waiting for the green man. Just for this instance, I saw my bus arriving hence I made my way across once cleared. Sadly I got stopped and missed my bus.

When he returned my identity card, he mentioned to expect a $20 summon to be sent to my address. Fine, I admit it's my mistake that I jaywalked but seriously, shouldn't the police be deployed elsewhere. There are more pressing matter with the rise of dead bodies found over a 3-month period. I would made that comment to the dear traffic policeman but I knew he was just following orders. What are his superiors thinking?

I would conclude that all this was done to replenish the country's reserve. Since the last GE2011, concerns of high cost living were the issue. The government is planning to cut down certain expenses but with the pension payout to 5 ministers, the country reserve may not be sustainable. Hence to replenish the reserves and to relive the reputation of a "Fine" city, they are taking action.

말도 안돼

The Broers Cafe

Nestled in a little corner near City Square Mall, stands a newly open cafe established by two former baristas. I've worked with one of them before and was amazed by his pride and passion for his brew. His enthusiastic relations with the customers is commendable too. I've heard about his dream of opening his own cafe with the experience he gained at the former cafe.

Now, after years of searching and countless hours burnt establishing his dreams, he and his partner finally opened The Broers Cafe. It may not sit at a convenient location but for all the coffee lovers, you should check out the cafe.

The minimalist decor made the cafe a cozy corner for people to enjoy their cuppa. The high stool along the bar is a splendid concept for the two "Brothers" to interact with their customers about anything. The two are quite a chatterbox and their topics are quite versatile, a good way to keep the customers engaged. The other sitting area is quite spacious too, perfect to cater for events. Though sadly The Broers Cafe had just started operations, they have yet to set up a Wifi connection. Maybe it's a good way to stray off those laptop-welding/endless-studying table hoggers like those in most cafes. They can be quite a nuisance.

How about the main objective of a cafe, the coffee beverages? The Broers Cafe serves basic espresso beverages and simple blended beverages. By far, I've tried the espresso beverage, a cappuccino and also a sip of the americano. Boy, did I missed that espresso shot pulled from a manual espresso machine. The intensity of the shot with the creaminess of the steamed milk have been greatly missed. I can no longer have that manually pulled shot at my "usual" joint and the Broers provided the ancient legacy. The art of espresso have been revived. Others may have them but not many could provide that elegant intensity. Well done Broers!

Lastly, the food offering maybe minimal but it does look appetizing. I've tried a slice of the tiramisu and it was splendid. The moist and creaminess of the cake is easy to the palette and it definitely compliment the beverages. I will definitely try the others on my next visits.

The Broers Cafe is definitely young but the essence of a great cafe experience is excellent. They maybe out of the way but it's worth the travel. Do check out the updates at TheBroersCafe.sg and their Facebook for the location.

안녕...

Marina Bay Sands Theater - The Lion King

I am still fascinated with what Marina Bay Sands has to offer. When it first opened, I got to marvel the unique Helix bridge on the path to MBS. Next, I was awestruck by the vastness of the MBS Shoppes even though the shops were not operational. Then, I ride up to the Sky Park which sadly was a disappointment because it's only a 1/4 accessibility. I returned to MBS during the fully operational MBS Shoppes and awestruck for the second time by it's selection of shops. And when the Art Science Museum opened, I explored the interior of the unique Lotus structure for the Salvador Dali exhibition. And lastly within the week of the museum, I returned to MBS for the Sands theaters for The Lion King Musical.

Coming from a high school theater background, I truly enjoyed the experience of theater productions. Gone were the days that I'll be backstage, now I rather be the audience. Though most of my theater that I've attended were by tertiary production and the experience were sub-standard. I also attended a musical which was quite interesting, a different element to theater. It may still be a tertiary production, but the different element truly was a great change.

Now attending a proper theater production, is truly amazing. The Lion King was truly a great experience. The show has a 360 degree experience and thanked Hakimbo for the aisle seats, it enhances the atmosphere. Price may be quite steep for the seats but the location was just superb.

The show truly followed closely to the movie with an added local references which was truly enjoyable. The musical score was orchestrated with an African vibe that truly provided the authentic mood of the Pridelands. The props were beautifully designed for the vibrant visuals. The comical essence was true to the show and local references made it funnier somehow.

My experience for a proper musical theater production has truly been a great one. And the fascination for Marina Bay Sands has not left me. Now, I'm left with dinning, staying over and maybe the casino(which I would rather not, just like smoking).

안녕

A Foreigner In My Own Land

As much as I love to travel and experiencing different cultures, I would still love to return HOME and return to the culture and society that I grew up with. I'm a Malay Singaporean but I don't look Malay. My family categorized me as an "Indo-Extract" because of my mixed Indonesian heritage of Boyanese, Javanese, Bugis and Chinese.

I enjoyed the days when people were curious of my race. Cabbies would speak to me in Mandarin where I gallantly replied in Mandarin. Now those days are gone, with the influx of Foreign Talents especially the Filipinos. Cabbies now will asked me in English, even a Malay uncle greeted "Salamat". I furiously replied him "Terima Kasih" in a thick malay accent.

I still remember my first encounter way back in 2007 when I returned to Starbucks in the CBD. A "malay-looking" customer was waving at me while he's in queue, pointing towards the pastry case. In Starbucks, there is a practice of calling down the line where we'll get the order started before cashing out. As I came up to him, we started yapping something in a different language. I just gazed at him in bewilderment as he continued talking. It was a good 1 minute yap because there's no way for me to butt in "Excuse me". When I the opportunity came, he replied "Oh you're not Filipino?" in Tagalog. WTF!!! Both of us were embarrassed, him talking to me in Tagalog and me being a joke from then on.

Seriously, this incident has been going on till date. This people would blatantly communicate to me and most of my friends in Tagalog, and reply "Oh not Filipino" with majority change of enthusiasm when serving. Hello!!! Singapore not Manila!!! You guys have such obnoxious courage to try and see if we're one of you by speaking Tagalog. Most Singapore would still speak English when in doubt.

Recently, one of them managed to identify that I'm not one of them. But something ticked me off when he asked, "How often do you go back Malaysia?". I asked why go back and he asked me if I don't go back to my family. WTF!!! And the same "OH?" came out of his mouth when I said I'm born here. You're a freaking PR and don't you know that the Malays were the aboriginal and Indonesian, Chinese and Indians came to trade and build a society here. I hated him since, wait I hated him since the start (another story as you read on).

Singapore used to be litter-free. Now there's litters of them everywhere(Singapore is still clean). It used to be them clustered around Lucky Plaza and the park where Ion's was built over Sundays. Now they're everywhere on all days. They're packing the transportation which became a national issue. They're renting housing units which rises the cost of housing. So housing became another national issue because Singaporeans can't afford the price that was bench marked due to the foreigners. And lastly, they're taking over professional positions which also became a national issue.

And here's the last story I'm going to share about employment. I was initially employed as an executive but was pulled back the position before I started work due to no experience and the company do not want to create internal dispute for people who have been awaiting their promotion. I was fine with the decision as I require a job but a month after, my department hired a Filipino as an executive. Seriously??? As an employer before, I know foreign talents are cheaper, better qualification and they have a certain confidence that they are able to portray during interviews. They come in with degrees and experience but they're still doing shitty jobs. Local diplomas are worthless now, it's being graded similar to an ITE cert. We can't even get into the position that bench marked our qualifications, thanks to them and their degrees.

I'm fine if they can work based on their qualifications. They once show integrity because they were the minority before. Now that they became a common workforce, they tested the water and managed to skimmed through doing half-standard to shitty job. So this supervisor of mine produced shits that majority of the team are cleaning after. If my job offer is pulled because of him, I can take that position and do it better. If you can carry the balls of the boss, I know how to pull down your reputation which the team is doing currently. We had enough of clearing shits. Even the China employees are doing better than them.

I may have a few Philippines friends and they are somehow not the typical Filipinos. Heck, they're even against what had happened in Singapore. I'm became truly unhappy with the Filipinos ethics and it felt good that I managed to snapped at some of them. My patient tolerance is just not meant for them.

So please get this straight, I may be in an identity crisis but I sure am not a Filipino

Art Science Museum - Salvador Dali

I'm not really an arty-farty kind of guy. I may have a creative mind but not everyone can understand an artist mind. Hence I'm arty in my way. LOL...

Throughout my whole life, I dare to say that this is the second time I've been into an art museum. The first was Singapore National Museum during the Festival of Lights in 2008. Now in 2011, I've been to the newly opened Art Science Museum at Marina Bay Sands. I'm truly intrigued by MBS that I wanted to complete whatever that they have to offer. I'm left with the hotel stay and casino, I'll be checking the theater the following week.

Anyway onto the topic:

Salvador Dali

I first heard of Dali when I was in Starbucks Amazing Race, in search of Dali work in Singapore - Homage to Newton. Most of his works are eccentric and a term I learnt surreal. Dali with his iconic moustache does portrays similar surrealism and eccentricity as his work.


Another known work is the The Persistence of Memory, with his iconic melted pocket watch pieces. The painting was not featured at the museum but the elements of the melted pocket watch were everywhere. Other element that is scattered around the museum were the lobster and the Mae West Lips Sofa.

Litters of Lobsters

Mae West Lips Sofa

Melting Pocket Watch

Actually, my main intention was to check out the Art Science Museum. My friends wanted to catch Dali's Exhibition so I wanted to tag along. Not wanting to be left out, I did a quick read on Dali and I managed to relate and appreciate most of his work. 

Lesson learnt:

Read up about the exhibit before going even though you'll be able to read them at the exhibit itself. The experience itself is different between going into the exhibit as a total noob than knowing some facts of the exhibit. 

Check out my Flickr for the photos of the Art Science Museum.

Ja Matta!!!

2011 Birthday

Day 1:
I left work with a few outstanding items because I was chasing other's matter while they took half day off on the eve of Good Friday. So I came in the morning to clear all that was left and was very satisfied that I cleared the work till end of the month.

So what's in plan for the first day. SHOPPING!!! Went to Bugis to search for a present but most of the shop that sells the item were closed so I went to Orchard to meet Hakimbo and went around from Plaza Singapura to Raffles City and back up to Kinokuniya Takashimaya where I got myself my next read even though I've yet to complete the current one.


Day 2:
The longest day I'm out throughout the 5 days. Started with a breakfast out with Hakimbo, then a salon appointment for a haircut and treatment at Icon by Shunji Matsuo. The whole hair pampering was meant for Day 3 but I had time so I shifted it. My hair seems manageable now.

Then it's off to meet my partner-in-crime, Bion. Started with a movie, Scream 4 at Cineleisure (Funny show). Next dinner at Sarang at Orchard Central. Love the place for serving Korean food while blasting Korean music in the background. Food review as below:

1.

        2. 3.

4. 5.

1. 게살 전 & 두부 김지 (Gesal Jeon & Dubu Kimchi) - Crabcake on tofu 

2. 막걸리 (Makgeolli) - A beverage not meant to drink alone. It's unique on it's own or with food.

3. 불고기 (Bulgogi) - The beef is quiet tender and the seasoning is great

4. 계란 찜 (Gyeran Jjim) - steamed egg custard

5. 양념 지긴 (Yangnyeom Chikin) - Korean style sweet sour chicken

Not in pictures are 김지 (Classic Kimchi) and 김지 전 & 파전 [Kimchi Jeon & Pa Jeon(pancake)]

It was a good introduction to Korean food. Yes, as much as I loved things of Korean, I've yet to try any Korean food except Kimchi. So next up dessert at Marvelous Cream at Somerset 313. 

It was 10.30pm and both of us still don't feel like going back so we headed to TCC across Somerset 313 and sat till the store closes at 2am. That marks the end of day 2.

Day 3:
Is a lazy day. Meant for my hair appointment but I did the day before hence it's a stay home Sunday. I didn't even go for my training. So it's a rest day.

Day 4:
As planned, day 4 will be my spa treatment. Did my research during my stay-home Sunday, and found a good spa closest to home with plenty of good reviews. Appointment can be made online which was hassle-free. And further more, it's affordable. $110 for a 2-hours message and body scrub of your choice.

And where is this spa? It's Healing Touch. They have 3 branches around Singapore and the one at Tampines CPF Building is the latest one which opened a month ago. The staffs are friendly and the masseuse are fantastic. I had the Javanese Fusion oil massage and the Anti-Cellulite Coffee Scrub. All went well and it was quite rejuvenating. I would recommend others to try for a classy rejuvenation.

After the 2 hours of pampering, the coffee scrub tempted me for a coffee fix. Hence Starbucks it is where I had a favorite sit-in beverage, Vanilla Wet Cappuccino and managed to complete my book, The Power by Rhonda Byrne.

And when I got back, I just felt like keeping all my Transformers display. I managed to "play" before I store them away. It's a sign of growing up.

Day 5:
The day my Facebook and iPhone got bombarded. Not in a bad way but thank you all for the messages.

So I practically completed my birthday to-do list. A lot of pampering going on. Time to take a slight breather. Had breakfast with a new book in the morning at Starbucks, a movie (Source Code) in the afternoon and continued reading at Starbucks with Strawberry and Cream Frappuccino (They're Back!!!). And I was thrilled that I've completed a book within a day.

The five days were spent wholeheartedly. It was delightful but I would still prefer to be overseas on my birthday. Sorry to say this, but there's peace and quiet when I'm away. I won't be told that I'm a year older, especially when I'm still thinking young. Though I would really thank all for the wishes and presents and treats. You guys made my day merrier somehow.

Till next time which I still don't wish to be Singapore.

Ja Matta

Quarterly Meet

It has been a while since my last entry. Work has been a b!tch for the month of March where most of my free time were filled by my running routines, reading and learning a new language (to achieve my 2011 resolution). Soon after, March marches by so fast.

It's the first week of April and my partners from SBTP decided to meet. Seems like we've been going out every quarterly from the start of my time in the store. Everyone had moved on except for Rexlee who's still a barista at SBTP. The passion is still in her even though things around SBTP had changed drastically. As for the others,

From left to right:
The Student, The Financial Planner, The Officer, The Signaler, The Authorized "Tai-Long", The passionate Barista, The Unemployed, The Intern, and the MRO Planning Assistant

Every time we meet, we'll end up eating. It's just our hobby. We are versatile eaters, love to try new things. And some of our food hunts can be quite exquisite. This time round, we had Skinny Pizza. The queue was horrendous and we were not able to make reservations. There were 10 of us (someone left because he has other LIFE to attend to) and we had to queue for almost an hour. And would the food justify for the long queue? Let me show you the photos first.

Clockwise:
Curry Chicken Babaganoush pizza, Bolognese pizza, Wild Truffled Mushroom pizza and the infamous Squid Ink pizza

We had others but I'm too busy eating to take photos. There's the Truffle Fries, Squid Ink Paella and Lobster Pasta. The pizzas were the highlight of the tummy but the skinny crispy crust made us hungry still due to little serving(fine there were 10 of us with 5 pizzas)

After dinner, we were clueless to our next destination and we had some crazy photo shoots. I miss my zany partners. It was great to meet you guys. Till the next meet.

Wonder Full - The Light and Water Spectacular at MBS

My SBTP partner in crime decided that to meet up after the longest time. It has been almost half a year since we last spent time hanging out and talk about life and most of the meet ups will normally be at Orchard. This time round  I decided to go elsewhere, where both of us might enjoy, Marina Bay Sands. Poor boy have yet to visit the place since it opened. True enough he was thrilled to have gone to MBS for all the luxury boutiques lined up at MBS Shoppes.

Another reason I choose MBS was to check out the light show. It recently opened on 17th February 2011 and their time slots are on every Friday and Saturday at 8pm, 9.30pm and 11pm, and Sundays at 8pm and 9.30pm. It can be viewed around the Marina Bay but it seems that the best view is at MBS itself. Before the show, the view from MBS wasn't that fantastic as viewed from elsewhere around the bay. There was a bare skyline around the Padang and City Hall area which is smacked in the middle of Raffles Place skyline and Suntec Skyline.

The bare view of City Hall skyline

Back to the light show, it's unlike Hong Kong's Symphony of Lights where participating skyline around the bay will tune it's lightings to the music of the show. At MBS, it's about projection on water mist, which could be badly disrupted by the wind where the screen medium can be highly distorted. Though the laser can be quite mesmerizing but the whole show is something like a number from the National Day Parade. I'm not too sure how receptive a tourist would feel about the show but I'm for sure didn't enjoyed it.

The distortion of projection medium

The fountain lighting and laser

The pyrotechnic of the show

A better projection medium and a clearer projection,
though it seems like those you'll see from NDP shows

My Birthday Wish

It seems like I'm such a thick skin guy to write about my birthday wish, isn't it. If you're able to make it come true, then I'm truly grateful. LOL... No one seems to know what I want(go check my satisfaction of irrelevant needs wishlist) but I'm not that of a thick skin.

I'm at halt for thinking what I want to get myself for my birthday. You read it right, what I want for myself. I must be nuts! Well, I've been doing it for 2 years now and I find it meaningful - to achieve something on my own to celebrate my life. Lame as it might sound but it brought a personal satisfaction.

I may not remember what I got myself for my 25th birthday but I was surely happy for what I got for my 26th. I was in Bangkok on my birthday and I found a Hugo Boss wallet from their boutique in the airport transit at 50% off. It was truly an extravagant purchase. Sadly I'm not using it now since I changed to Burberry that I got during my Japan trip.

And for my 27th birthday, I got myself an IPhone 3GS. I was using happily using Samsung Omnia. But I enjoyed the apps on my Ipod Touch that I needed the 3G capabilities for my Hong Kong trip. Hence, I've decided to change to IPhone. Also, I'm not sure if I should input whatever I spent during my HK birthday trip. I'll just keep that as my holiday expenses, not a personal birthday gift..

And in 3 months time, it'll be my birthday and I'm clueless on my gift. Also, I'm not sure if I'm able to go for a birthday getaway. I have a few plans in mind but seem to have a firm idea.

Birthday trip:
- Bali
- Hong Kong(again)

Gift:
- IPad
- 40" 3D Television with a Blu-ray player(my 32" is huge enough but it'll be more satisfying to have it bigger)

Ok summarized, the gift I get myself were on impulse. The things I have before are still in good condition, maybe I want something better as the age get older. I wonder what it'll be when then time draws near.

Ja Matta.

Watching the Neighbors Walk By

Finally managed to get a full weekend unlike other weekends where I'll spend a day in the office doing overtime. Felt great. So what's the first thing I did. I went to run some errands in the morning and ended the morning with my regular latte and a copy of the Straits Times. It was so packed inside the cafe that I sat outside facing the junction of Tampines Green and Tampines Park, my neighborhood.

Sitting at Starbucks alfresco is the best place to people-watch. My top favorite is at The old outdoor Parkway and Tampines. You'll see all sorts of life.

So sitting down overlooking the junction, I realized that there are lot of people living in my neighborhood. Duh! Fine maybe 25% of them are from other neighborhoods, making use of the plenty of white lots of the Tampines Green carpark or alighting passengers from the bus stop at Tampines Park. But amazing that majority are good looking and not The Phillips or non-SG.

I'm truly impressed, I'm living in a "Good Looking" neighborhood. LOL... It's either they look good or they dressed well. Could it be that's it's a neighborhood status because we're living across Tampines Mall, Century Square or Tampines 1. No wonder my siblings dressed up whenever we go out to Tampines Mall, which we considered our void-deck Mama shop.

And true enough, my neighbors dressed according to the Eastern/Western Singaporean classification. LOL... It's just an observation I had with my SB partners on differentiating people from different locations in Singapore. Go figure, majority of a certain area has proper dress code; matching colors and shoes, another may have all the brands but no dressing coordination. Even for some who don't even bother what they wear or what brand they owned, they dressed acceptably.

Well, it's just my observation. You should try it some time. Take an alone time and observe the world walks by. It's kind of a stress relieving activity.

Ja Matta!

You Are What Starbucks Beverage You Consume

I was intrigued by how a friend read out my personality by reading from our chat conversations. I felt that most are true but some prediction are not. Maybe it's just that we don't perceived ourselves to that behavior without noticing that very action. So I started reading books on reading personality through actions or behaviors. But I need an outlet to test my findings.

And that is where I found Starbucks. I've been with the company for a total of 8 years and served different kind of customers and drinks. And it seems like only Starbucks are open and freely encouraging customization to your drinks. Hence I found my outlet of test from all the experiences that I served before.

Based on the standard recipe for different sizes, the content of the drink will depict the personality. I can't conclude the implication of hot or iced drinks except to depend that on the weather profile. So I'll leave that out.

Let's start by an example of a friend who enjoys a grande 1/4 soy Americano. An Americano will depict that the person is unique or different because of the non-dairy content(most espresso beverages are served with milk). That will also conclude that the person is missing out something in life, even with an added milk. As for the content of soy milk, the person is either cautious or a hint of sophistication.

Moving on to another that takes a Quad Venti Caramel Machiato. You are quite a complex or glamorous person to be enjoying a Caramel Machiato. But you will be deemed a poser if you are to stir the beverage because you would be no different that a Caramel/Vanilla Latte. To top it off with additional espresso shots, you are trying to proof something or to achieve a goal, generally applying both. Logically adding espresso shot is to increase the caffeine consumption to continue working hard to work overtime or to stay awake to study, alas achieving an end goal. But the intensity also states the suffering that one gone through or currently going through.

I've met a customer who had Soy Green Tea Latte. She has that certain kind of sophistication in her and she is quite culturally inclined. She is a teacher and well liked by her approach in teaching. She is quite attached culturally in the sense of arts or relationship with others.

So how about drinking Frappuccinos? You are either a kid or generally safe. I'll bet that your initial first Starbucks beverage is a Frappuccino because it is the safest. You are not daring enough to venture out of comfort zone. There are many flavors to a Frappuccino that will depict the different personality but you are generally safe, not even daring if it is your regular drink.

And what about myself? What is my regular Starbucks Beverage? My drink is a Tall 4pump Vanilla Low Fat Latte. Another typical drink, a trend follower and an added pump of flavor that I yearn for more in what I have or life. By changing to Low Fat, it breaks the common bond by creating a different density i.e. more relax or easy going but probably be hurt or used by others (The remaining 2% fat).

So you are who you are by your regular Starbucks beverage. Each customization; from additional shot, the type of milk preferred,the number of syrup pumps and even the option of adding whipped cream will depict the type of person you are. Maybe, I'll write the significance of the recipe on my next entry, when I have the time. For now,

Ja Matta...

The Topic Continues

My cousin just got back from his job training in California for 7 months. Lucky him. From all his facebook updates and posts, it seems like he's having a ball of a time. That includes his shopping and toys escapades. I did asked him to get me just one thing, which did cost a lot but I would love to get it because it's not found locally.

Ghostbuster II giftset

And on top of that, he gave away some of his California possesions such as his TMNT Technodrome Scout vehicles and some loose yet complete Transformers: Rise of the Fallen short on space myself. Though he did mentioned if I'm able to sell them off, he would like some of the proceeds to cover back the expenses. I guess it's best that I'll pass him 75% of the earnings.

Anyway, it has been ages since we last met. We don't normally meet even for Hari Raya because either one of us will be working, and we no longer have an elderly to gather all the cousins since our grandmother passed away many years back. The only time we get to meet is during cousins wedding.

And that's where the topic began. Out of the four cousins of the same age (we used to call ourselves Ninja Turtles), the second eldest got married 1-2years back. The youngest is planning to get married in November this year, leaving his brother, the third turtle and myself in the bachelorhood. Though my third turtle cousin is already in an open relation and by looks of it, he is happy with it. Hence left me in the singlehood.

I'm happy with what I have right now. I would still love to get married and have kids. But I don't feel it's time. I have yet to achieve my dreams, to explore and experience New York City. That was the promise I made with my mum. Once I conquered New York, she can bring in all the suitors. Apparently there are two in line, one from mum and the other from dad.

And now, with the new employment benefits where the company will sponsor their employees to continue study without a bond, my mum persuaded me to continue study. That became my 2011 resolution, hence marriage will be delayed further.

But it seems like the second turtle spoilt the market. He got married during his undergrad years and both husband and wife are happily married. They are now in Japan for an exchange program where the wife took 3 months leave to accompany him and cook for him (He grew skinnier in just a month period). How sweet. So if he can do it, why not me? But my mum is still supportive. She believe in chasing the dream. She already have two grandkids, so I'm not badly pressured. Now I just have to settle with all the aunties. I'm so gonna get it.

There are about 3 relatives getting married this year. The question will never end.

TGIF not really

THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY!!!

But it didn't really end well. I had a great time at work because it's Friday. Meaning, last day of the week and a shorter hour because I'm out for 2 hours for Friday prayers. Awesome! I was looking forward to end the day because I had plans.

BUT IT'S NOT HAPPENING!!!

Like last week on New Year eve, I had 6 plans. 6 PLANS!!! First 2 didn't happen, so proceeded to the third option which was bringing my cousin from Malaysia out around Singapore and go for the Marina Bay Countdown. But he didn't turn up at home and made other plans with my other cousins without any courtesy of informing me. I HAD 3 OTHER FREAKING PLANS AWAITING BUT NO!!! HE HAS TO MAKE PLANS WITH OTHERS. So I got lazy and didn't go for any other plans. TGIF not really.

And a week passed, original plan was an invitation by a friend to catch a theater production, The Rocky Horror Show. I've been yearning to go for a theater works but am not keen in Rocky Horror. I didn't really like the movie to begin with. And my god brother will kill me because he's dying to catch that show. Hence being a nice god brother, I gave my seat up to him.

And so I made other plans, to catch a movie with the Bulas. Days passed and nothing from them. So I didn't bother. So I ended up at Starbucks reading a book. And when I thought of coming home for dinner, my family was about to go out after dinner.

WHAT!!! THEY HAD DINNER WITHOUT ME!!!

Bummer. And now, here I am, typing this letters into words into sentences into paragraphs into a blog.

Ja Matta!!!