I was on the hunt for a new System 3 aircon for the past 2 weeks. My current 9-year-old Sanyo aircon broke down: one of the compressor serving 2 units no longer churn out cold air. Fortunately, the unit in Mayenne's room is still blowing coolness. Originally, we thought of surviving on the half-broken compressor till we shift out of the house then buy a new one before tenanting our flat out. But my wifey came to her senses that she should change it asap in order to enjoy the new aircon rather than offering the virgin blow to our future unknown tenants.
So last week she wandered around checking out the prices. She found a good deal at Best Denki for a Sanyo System 3 (non-inverter) for S$1899. The salesman convinced her to sign up for the BEST-OCBC Platinum Mastercard to enjoy even more savings. While discussing back home, we found that birthday month enjoys dollar discounts equivalent to your age. So I signed up too. And since we both are existing OCBC card holders, approval was swift and we got our cards within a week.
Today, we went down to Vivocity and placed our order. Here's a breakdown of what we spent and saved.
1. Sanyo System 3: $1899
2. 5-year extended warranty at 7% of purchase price: $132.90
3. Discount 8% for BEST-OCBC: $151.92
4. Discount for Birthday month with BEST-OCBC: $34 (for 34 years old)
5. Rebate for car park with BEST-OCBC: $5
6. BEST Vouchers $10 for every $500: $30 worth
7. BEST Gold points: $18.41 worth (1841 points)
8. 24 months 0% instalment with first month free: $76
9. Cost of dismantling old aircon: $150
10. 140+ worth of lucky draw coupons for a chance to win the BMW 318i
Original cost: $2181.90 (aircon + extended warranty + dismantling cost)
Real cost: $1866.57 (BEST-OCBC benefits + in-store offers)
Savings: $315.33
We grabbed almost every single eligible benefits for the BEST-OCBC card that it felt almost embarrassing to get so much out of a single purchase.
If you, like me, is going to spend a lot on electrical items, sign up for the BEST-OCBC card. 2-year fee waiver plus some other whatever 2.5% and 8% rebates thingie that's somewhat unsubstantial (unless you spend $10,000 above). But BEST-OCBC privileges like free delivery, car park rebates, free instalments) are very real and tangible cost savings. Go to OCBC website, do your math, and decide whether the savings work for you.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Mile High Movie Club
Watched 2 movies on the plane, to Hong Kong and from Hong Kong.
The first movie was "The Time Traveler's Wife". Although it's a rather far-fetched tale, it brings a fresh perspective about love and relationships that literally transcend time. What I find so surreal is that when Henry died, Claire his wife will have opportunity to meet him again in the future because of his time travel. It's such a beautiful thought: that even when your loved ones actually passed on, you will still get to meet them someday in future, randomly. No matter how short the duration is, that moment will be treasured for in eternity.
The second movie was on the way back from Hong Kong, "Julie & Julia". The storyline caught me by surprise because first of all, I didn't know Julia Child was so famous and lived in the post-WWII era, while Julie Powell, well, she' kindda famous too, with her blog. So it's pretty interesting how the screen writer intertwines the 2 tales together yet drawing to the same idea. And the best part is how the movie shows us that blogging can get you noticed and make you famous, if you blog about the right things.
I think watching such slow movies on the plane is a great way to relax yourself. Besides, the small TV screen on the plane is never conducive for fast-action movies, especially when the video quality and the sound is rather poor.
The first movie was "The Time Traveler's Wife". Although it's a rather far-fetched tale, it brings a fresh perspective about love and relationships that literally transcend time. What I find so surreal is that when Henry died, Claire his wife will have opportunity to meet him again in the future because of his time travel. It's such a beautiful thought: that even when your loved ones actually passed on, you will still get to meet them someday in future, randomly. No matter how short the duration is, that moment will be treasured for in eternity.
The second movie was on the way back from Hong Kong, "Julie & Julia". The storyline caught me by surprise because first of all, I didn't know Julia Child was so famous and lived in the post-WWII era, while Julie Powell, well, she' kindda famous too, with her blog. So it's pretty interesting how the screen writer intertwines the 2 tales together yet drawing to the same idea. And the best part is how the movie shows us that blogging can get you noticed and make you famous, if you blog about the right things.
I think watching such slow movies on the plane is a great way to relax yourself. Besides, the small TV screen on the plane is never conducive for fast-action movies, especially when the video quality and the sound is rather poor.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Hong Kong Nov 2009 - Day 4 and 5
29 Nov 2009
Morning to Day 4. Going for dimsum at Maxims then to Citygate factory outlets.
http://twitpic.com/re69b - Dim sum at Maxim's, located at City Hall.
When we arrived:
Before we left:
After the breakfast, we headed back to the MTR.
On the MTR heading to Tung Chung, the (2nd) last station of the line.
Tung Chung is where Citygate, the factory outlet shopping mall, is located. The train ride didn't feel very long, although it's actually one stop away from the airport. We forgot it was a Sunday, so that place was very packed. We spent the rest of the day there till about 3pm. I bought some shirts at Timberland and Esprit. Had lunch at Food Republic, tasted the Chicken Rice and "Hokkien" prawn mee. The chicken rice, apparently famous, tasted pretty authentic but the prawn mee lacks the prawn taste, it's more like a normal seafood noodles.
Done with Citygate. Now moving on to new destinations.
We took the MTR to Mongkok, visited a few electronic stores but bought nothing. Too many people. Walked along Ladies Street and bought a cheongsam for Mayenne to don during Chinese New Year.
Back to hotel. Getting earlier by the day, as we are really tired from all the walking. Maybe we'll go out again later after a rest. #fb Had dinner at a small cosy shop. The wantons are bigger, better and cheaper than Mak's!! I will recommend 桂记云吞面 along Carnarvon Rd.
30 Nov 2009
Day five in HK. About to check out at 8.3am.
Went to the rooftop for the last time to capture the morning glory.
Checked in at the airport. Waiting for the flight at 11.35am. #fb
Ok boarded the plane. It's been a good trip with a different experience from my previous vacations. This HK trip wouldn't be smooth without technology. Thanks to Google Maps, Facebook, Twitter, IM. Most impt, unlimited data service!!! #fb TOUCHDOWN to Singapore land!
Morning to Day 4. Going for dimsum at Maxims then to Citygate factory outlets.
http://twitpic.com/re69b - Dim sum at Maxim's, located at City Hall.
When we arrived:
Before we left:
After the breakfast, we headed back to the MTR.
On the MTR heading to Tung Chung, the (2nd) last station of the line.
Tung Chung is where Citygate, the factory outlet shopping mall, is located. The train ride didn't feel very long, although it's actually one stop away from the airport. We forgot it was a Sunday, so that place was very packed. We spent the rest of the day there till about 3pm. I bought some shirts at Timberland and Esprit. Had lunch at Food Republic, tasted the Chicken Rice and "Hokkien" prawn mee. The chicken rice, apparently famous, tasted pretty authentic but the prawn mee lacks the prawn taste, it's more like a normal seafood noodles.
Done with Citygate. Now moving on to new destinations.
We took the MTR to Mongkok, visited a few electronic stores but bought nothing. Too many people. Walked along Ladies Street and bought a cheongsam for Mayenne to don during Chinese New Year.
Back to hotel. Getting earlier by the day, as we are really tired from all the walking. Maybe we'll go out again later after a rest. #fb Had dinner at a small cosy shop. The wantons are bigger, better and cheaper than Mak's!! I will recommend 桂记云吞面 along Carnarvon Rd.
30 Nov 2009
Day five in HK. About to check out at 8.3am.
Went to the rooftop for the last time to capture the morning glory.
Checked in at the airport. Waiting for the flight at 11.35am. #fb
Ok boarded the plane. It's been a good trip with a different experience from my previous vacations. This HK trip wouldn't be smooth without technology. Thanks to Google Maps, Facebook, Twitter, IM. Most impt, unlimited data service!!! #fb TOUCHDOWN to Singapore land!
Friday, December 11, 2009
Hong Kong Nov 2009 - Day 3
28 Nov 2009
http://twitpic.com/r8r9i - We allowed ourselves to sleep in after 2 days of early wakes. A 9th flr view of hotel Panorama, 8.30am. http://twitpic.com/r9924 - First stop: Yung Kee's award-winning roast goose!!! Short walk from Central MTR exit D2. #fb
It's not as big as you think.
Those who like century egg will enjoy this. The yolk is very soft and doesn't have that strong alkali taste.
Good thing we reach there early. In no time, the place was full. We actually wanted to order just the goose but we didn't want to look too cheapo, so we order another kai lan. Our fears were unfounded, for many locals also went there just to order a bowl of goose noodles.
Yung Kee Restaurant
32-40 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong. (852) 2522 1624.
After the meal, we started our (or should I say, wifey's) shopping. She found the H&M outlet along Queen's Road Central and spent over an hour at the 4-storey store. I spent about 30 minutes, not finding anything that I like, then headed to the entrance to wait for wifey.
Standing near H&M entrance waiting for wifey. Alarm sounded, security asked person for the H&M shopping bag to rescan. No sound. Ok pass.
I thought to myself: if the shopper were to steal, wouldn't she put in her own bag rather than the H&M shopping bags? Ok the security checked another shopper's own bag when alarmed sounded again, but only because she didn't have a H&M shopping bag. The H&M entrance has lots of ppl waiting for their loved ones to finish shopping in the 4-storey store. Can stand but guard said no sitting.
Wifey finally emerged victorious with a bag of buys. We proceed along Queen's Road Central. We chanced upon this little girl distributing leaflets to promote a children's boutique. She looked very pretty, so we asked for a photo snap.
Lots of Christmas deco for sale.
Our next stop, Mak's Noodles.
http://twitpic.com/r9zkl - Now at Mak's Noodles to try their wanton mee, so good that even Sunday Times mentioned in Mar 12 2000 http://twitpic.com/raas4 - Waiting in line for Lucky Dessert, opposite World Trade Centre along Jaffe Road.
We were recommended to try Mango Grapefruit & Sago Sweet Soup 楊枝金露 and Durian Glutinous Rice Roll.
After the dessert, we headed to Hang Lung Centre, where there is a factory outlet of shoes. Then while thinking of what to eat for dinner, Angie suggested we go to Jiu Ji Beef Noodles at Gough Street, which is back to Sheung Wan MTR. Again, thanks to Google Maps, we figured a short cut through the lanes to get to our destination.
http://twitpic.com/raptb - We walked really far just to eat this beef noodles at 21 Gough St. And it's worth it.
http://twitpic.com/raqvi - Shopped at the smallest Toys'R'us ever, but bought the biggest Transformers find: 7 Devastator mini figures!!! Got back hotel. Our legs can't take us any further. Maybe later we might go out for supper. #fb http://twitpic.com/rb874 - Waiting for our BBQ hotdog for supper. http://twitpic.com/rb90q - Hotel Panorama got a great view & wind at 40th floor! Finally i'm feeling winter! #fb
That ends our Day 3!
http://twitpic.com/r8r9i - We allowed ourselves to sleep in after 2 days of early wakes. A 9th flr view of hotel Panorama, 8.30am. http://twitpic.com/r9924 - First stop: Yung Kee's award-winning roast goose!!! Short walk from Central MTR exit D2. #fb
It's not as big as you think.
Those who like century egg will enjoy this. The yolk is very soft and doesn't have that strong alkali taste.Good thing we reach there early. In no time, the place was full. We actually wanted to order just the goose but we didn't want to look too cheapo, so we order another kai lan. Our fears were unfounded, for many locals also went there just to order a bowl of goose noodles.
Yung Kee Restaurant
32-40 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong. (852) 2522 1624.
After the meal, we started our (or should I say, wifey's) shopping. She found the H&M outlet along Queen's Road Central and spent over an hour at the 4-storey store. I spent about 30 minutes, not finding anything that I like, then headed to the entrance to wait for wifey.
Standing near H&M entrance waiting for wifey. Alarm sounded, security asked person for the H&M shopping bag to rescan. No sound. Ok pass.
I thought to myself: if the shopper were to steal, wouldn't she put in her own bag rather than the H&M shopping bags? Ok the security checked another shopper's own bag when alarmed sounded again, but only because she didn't have a H&M shopping bag. The H&M entrance has lots of ppl waiting for their loved ones to finish shopping in the 4-storey store. Can stand but guard said no sitting.
Wifey finally emerged victorious with a bag of buys. We proceed along Queen's Road Central. We chanced upon this little girl distributing leaflets to promote a children's boutique. She looked very pretty, so we asked for a photo snap.
Lots of Christmas deco for sale.
Our next stop, Mak's Noodles.
http://twitpic.com/r9zkl - Now at Mak's Noodles to try their wanton mee, so good that even Sunday Times mentioned in Mar 12 2000 http://twitpic.com/raas4 - Waiting in line for Lucky Dessert, opposite World Trade Centre along Jaffe Road.
We were recommended to try Mango Grapefruit & Sago Sweet Soup 楊枝金露 and Durian Glutinous Rice Roll.
After the dessert, we headed to Hang Lung Centre, where there is a factory outlet of shoes. Then while thinking of what to eat for dinner, Angie suggested we go to Jiu Ji Beef Noodles at Gough Street, which is back to Sheung Wan MTR. Again, thanks to Google Maps, we figured a short cut through the lanes to get to our destination.
http://twitpic.com/raptb - We walked really far just to eat this beef noodles at 21 Gough St. And it's worth it.
http://twitpic.com/raqvi - Shopped at the smallest Toys'R'us ever, but bought the biggest Transformers find: 7 Devastator mini figures!!! Got back hotel. Our legs can't take us any further. Maybe later we might go out for supper. #fb http://twitpic.com/rb874 - Waiting for our BBQ hotdog for supper. http://twitpic.com/rb90q - Hotel Panorama got a great view & wind at 40th floor! Finally i'm feeling winter! #fb
That ends our Day 3!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Hong Kong Nov 2009 - Day 2
27 Nov 2009
On vacation but still have to wake up at 6.10am. Going to catch the 8.30am ferry to Macau.
We took a cab to China Hong Kong Harbour Ferry where we boarded the First Ferry Macau ship. We bought the tickets in Singapore via the Internet and so we just went to the e-ticket counter to get our tickets printed.
We chose First Ferry instead of TurboJet because
The above photo is Ponte da Amizade "Friendship Bridge", the man-made structure linking Macau with Cotai.
Once we arrive at Macau, we were advised by the tourist office to hop onto Lisboa Hotel's free shuttle bus that will bring us into the tourist belt.
Above: Grand Lisboa
Armed with the tourist map, we just walked down the main road and traced across several tourist attractions.
Below: this shop looks so rustic that the shop owner placed a "no photo" sign. Obviously his shop is a frequent target for avid photographers.
Finally approaching the main draw of Macau: The Ruins of St. Paul's.
Below, shot with Nokia E72. Looks fabulous!
From here, we walked back to Lisboa Hotel and checked out the casino. Angie played jackpot and initially lost almost half the capital. Then when she won back, I told her to let go, and so she won HK$9.50 (less than S$2). Wahahah. Then she went to another table to play some "wheel of fortune" thingie and lost HK$100.
By then it's already 1pm but we weren't hungry. I remembered there was this "Fisherman's Wharf" mentioned in the tourist map that there are some entertainment and shopping and I recalled \it was near the Ferry, so we tried to head back to the Ferry by hopping onto the Hotel Lisboa's shuttle bus. But neither did we realise that you can only take the bus if you had a ticket, and the ticket was given free inside the casino. We went back to the casion, found the staff and requested for tickets. She thought we were free-loaders, but we indeed played in the casino. Anyway, we got it and so headed back to Ferry.
Once we reached there, we found that the Fisherman's Wharf was actually quite a distance from the Ferry and didn't seem walkable, so we took a public bus and got off the next stop. And once we got off, reality set in: it's a freaking theme park!
I felt kindda cheated and embarrassed to bring my wife all the way there for nothing. So we decided to just grab a cab to The Venetian Macao, where it's guaranteed to be happening. With no cab in sight, we walked to Sands Casino and before we hopped on a cab, decided to visit the casino first. And wow it was much better than Hotel Lisboa. They had live shows featuring a guy performer with many other cabaret girls, with cheezy songs and dance movements.
And so we left the casino and walking towards the taxi stand when we saw The Venetian shuttle bus at the Sands Casino lobby area. Thinking that we might be able to hitch a ride, we walked further, and lo and behold! There really is a shuttle bus from Sands to The Venetian! We saved our cab fare!
So travel tip: if the Venetian shuttle bus at the Ferry is too crowded (and usually is), just hop on the Sands shuttle bus and transfer to The Venetian one.
Needless to say, The Venetian was breakthtaking. And by then, my ST550 totally died, so I used my E72 to shoot.
I had a great time shopping here. Bought some shirts, pants, a watch, some souvenirs. You can use HK$ in Macau cos it's about 3% higher value than MOP$. Technically, you lose when you use HK$ to pay for MOP$ priced items. Interestingly, some merchandise are quoted in HK$, like the G2000 I went. But when I paid by credit card, they will use the same amount and charge in MOP$. So you gain that 3%, but not withstanding the banks exchange rate.
We took the 8.30pm shuttle bus back to the Ferry terminal. Our e-ticket was pre-bought for 9.30pm trip, but it was just 8.50pm and we were already at the Ferry gate. We asked the gate keeper if we could just hop in the 9pm trip and he said no problem. Interesting, we thought. What if the Ferry was full? Perhaps they knew it won't be.
Back to HK! Waaaa! What an adventure in Macau, feels constipated not able to go online to share my experience. Now i can! So we saved half an hour's wait and reached HK around 10pm. We grabbed a cab back to hotel, but instead of heading back to our room, we walked to the nearest Guilinggao 龜苓膏 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guilinggao) stall, the famous "Hoi Tin Tong" for our nightly bowl. And also got some BBQ sticks for supper.
On vacation but still have to wake up at 6.10am. Going to catch the 8.30am ferry to Macau.
We took a cab to China Hong Kong Harbour Ferry where we boarded the First Ferry Macau ship. We bought the tickets in Singapore via the Internet and so we just went to the e-ticket counter to get our tickets printed.
We chose First Ferry instead of TurboJet because
The above photo is Ponte da Amizade "Friendship Bridge", the man-made structure linking Macau with Cotai.
Once we arrive at Macau, we were advised by the tourist office to hop onto Lisboa Hotel's free shuttle bus that will bring us into the tourist belt.
Above: Grand LisboaArmed with the tourist map, we just walked down the main road and traced across several tourist attractions.
Below: this shop looks so rustic that the shop owner placed a "no photo" sign. Obviously his shop is a frequent target for avid photographers.
Finally approaching the main draw of Macau: The Ruins of St. Paul's.
Below, shot with Nokia E72. Looks fabulous!
From here, we walked back to Lisboa Hotel and checked out the casino. Angie played jackpot and initially lost almost half the capital. Then when she won back, I told her to let go, and so she won HK$9.50 (less than S$2). Wahahah. Then she went to another table to play some "wheel of fortune" thingie and lost HK$100.
By then it's already 1pm but we weren't hungry. I remembered there was this "Fisherman's Wharf" mentioned in the tourist map that there are some entertainment and shopping and I recalled \it was near the Ferry, so we tried to head back to the Ferry by hopping onto the Hotel Lisboa's shuttle bus. But neither did we realise that you can only take the bus if you had a ticket, and the ticket was given free inside the casino. We went back to the casion, found the staff and requested for tickets. She thought we were free-loaders, but we indeed played in the casino. Anyway, we got it and so headed back to Ferry.
Once we reached there, we found that the Fisherman's Wharf was actually quite a distance from the Ferry and didn't seem walkable, so we took a public bus and got off the next stop. And once we got off, reality set in: it's a freaking theme park!
I felt kindda cheated and embarrassed to bring my wife all the way there for nothing. So we decided to just grab a cab to The Venetian Macao, where it's guaranteed to be happening. With no cab in sight, we walked to Sands Casino and before we hopped on a cab, decided to visit the casino first. And wow it was much better than Hotel Lisboa. They had live shows featuring a guy performer with many other cabaret girls, with cheezy songs and dance movements.
And so we left the casino and walking towards the taxi stand when we saw The Venetian shuttle bus at the Sands Casino lobby area. Thinking that we might be able to hitch a ride, we walked further, and lo and behold! There really is a shuttle bus from Sands to The Venetian! We saved our cab fare!
So travel tip: if the Venetian shuttle bus at the Ferry is too crowded (and usually is), just hop on the Sands shuttle bus and transfer to The Venetian one.
Needless to say, The Venetian was breakthtaking. And by then, my ST550 totally died, so I used my E72 to shoot.
I had a great time shopping here. Bought some shirts, pants, a watch, some souvenirs. You can use HK$ in Macau cos it's about 3% higher value than MOP$. Technically, you lose when you use HK$ to pay for MOP$ priced items. Interestingly, some merchandise are quoted in HK$, like the G2000 I went. But when I paid by credit card, they will use the same amount and charge in MOP$. So you gain that 3%, but not withstanding the banks exchange rate.
We took the 8.30pm shuttle bus back to the Ferry terminal. Our e-ticket was pre-bought for 9.30pm trip, but it was just 8.50pm and we were already at the Ferry gate. We asked the gate keeper if we could just hop in the 9pm trip and he said no problem. Interesting, we thought. What if the Ferry was full? Perhaps they knew it won't be.
Back to HK! Waaaa! What an adventure in Macau, feels constipated not able to go online to share my experience. Now i can! So we saved half an hour's wait and reached HK around 10pm. We grabbed a cab back to hotel, but instead of heading back to our room, we walked to the nearest Guilinggao 龜苓膏 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guilinggao) stall, the famous "Hoi Tin Tong" for our nightly bowl. And also got some BBQ sticks for supper.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Hong Kong Nov 2009 - Day 1
This vacation has been a unique experience for me, mostly because of mobile technology within my palm. For the first time, I am updating my whereabouts via Twitter and Facebook so that you people can get my latest status and photos.
And for those that missed my tweets, here's a chronological compilation over the past 5 days, plus additional footage (hahaha sounds like I'm marketing some "special edition" or "best compilation" or sorts).
Day 1, 26 Nov 2009
http://twitpic.com/qx5fd - 5.30am, i'm up, and so is the coffee shop.
Queueing to check-in manually at T1 Row 1. The self service counter is buggy, cannot process our e-tickets.
In the queue, i see everyone's irritated faces, and it really spoils the whole vacation experience for me. Flight is overbooked. The staff requested us to volunteer for the next flight at 1010hrs with compensation. We agreed n now processing.
For the inconveniences, we were compensated with S$90 cash and US$75 in-flight vouchers. Each. On top of that, they gave us breakfast vouchers to consume at the cafeteria. But the vouchers wrote for 5 pax, and the cashier lady so cute She insisted that we utilise the full value, even if it means take-away. And so we ordered an American breakfast, 2 croissant, 2 coffees http://twitpic.com/qxuli - ...1 tea, 2 mineral waters, 1 fruit punch, 1 can drink. Total worth about $33. And here's the photo of it all. Of all places, i found the SD card reader i've been looking for, in the airport duty free electronics shop. Just boarded the Cathay Pacific plane. Over and out, Singapore! Live reporting from Kowloon, Hong Kong!!! Got my unlimited data pack activated. China Mobile doesn't have a strong 3G network, now connected on low bandwidth and can't open too many connections on the phone. Bleah.
http://twitpic.com/qzrdh - Ingenious shop name! Can read front to back. http://twitpic.com/qzu38 - A magnificent view of the skyline! Great xmas lights!!!!
Here's another shot on the Samsung ST550.
HK weather was around 20s degree. The breeze is rather chilling but not freezing. If there is no wind you could comfortably walk around with a t-shirt. But it is a must to carry a windbreaker just in case of sudden climate changes.
From there, we walked to Hankow Road where the ESPRIT outlet was, and dropped by HMV to get "The Very Best of Enya" CD+DVD album.
http://twitpic.com/r2yet - My newest enya compilation CD album, bought only becoz of the DVD music videos included.
I already had a bootleg Enya DVD years back, but this album contains new music videos. I didn't like the track selections. Actually, the track listing is different from the CD-only version, very puzzling why Warner Music did that. This is the first compilation album I bought of Enya. I had all her studio albums and a dozen of her singles, meticulously collected to avoid duplicates, as many of her singles contain unreleased tracks.
After a quick shopping spree, we headed back to hotel and had a good rest in preparation for the next day trip to Macau, which I will continue in my next blog entry.
And for those that missed my tweets, here's a chronological compilation over the past 5 days, plus additional footage (hahaha sounds like I'm marketing some "special edition" or "best compilation" or sorts).
Day 1, 26 Nov 2009
http://twitpic.com/qx5fd - 5.30am, i'm up, and so is the coffee shop.
Queueing to check-in manually at T1 Row 1. The self service counter is buggy, cannot process our e-tickets.
In the queue, i see everyone's irritated faces, and it really spoils the whole vacation experience for me. Flight is overbooked. The staff requested us to volunteer for the next flight at 1010hrs with compensation. We agreed n now processing.
For the inconveniences, we were compensated with S$90 cash and US$75 in-flight vouchers. Each. On top of that, they gave us breakfast vouchers to consume at the cafeteria. But the vouchers wrote for 5 pax, and the cashier lady so cute She insisted that we utilise the full value, even if it means take-away. And so we ordered an American breakfast, 2 croissant, 2 coffees http://twitpic.com/qxuli - ...1 tea, 2 mineral waters, 1 fruit punch, 1 can drink. Total worth about $33. And here's the photo of it all. Of all places, i found the SD card reader i've been looking for, in the airport duty free electronics shop. Just boarded the Cathay Pacific plane. Over and out, Singapore! Live reporting from Kowloon, Hong Kong!!! Got my unlimited data pack activated. China Mobile doesn't have a strong 3G network, now connected on low bandwidth and can't open too many connections on the phone. Bleah.
http://twitpic.com/qzrdh - Ingenious shop name! Can read front to back. http://twitpic.com/qzu38 - A magnificent view of the skyline! Great xmas lights!!!!
Here's another shot on the Samsung ST550.
HK weather was around 20s degree. The breeze is rather chilling but not freezing. If there is no wind you could comfortably walk around with a t-shirt. But it is a must to carry a windbreaker just in case of sudden climate changes.
From there, we walked to Hankow Road where the ESPRIT outlet was, and dropped by HMV to get "The Very Best of Enya" CD+DVD album.
http://twitpic.com/r2yet - My newest enya compilation CD album, bought only becoz of the DVD music videos included.
I already had a bootleg Enya DVD years back, but this album contains new music videos. I didn't like the track selections. Actually, the track listing is different from the CD-only version, very puzzling why Warner Music did that. This is the first compilation album I bought of Enya. I had all her studio albums and a dozen of her singles, meticulously collected to avoid duplicates, as many of her singles contain unreleased tracks.
After a quick shopping spree, we headed back to hotel and had a good rest in preparation for the next day trip to Macau, which I will continue in my next blog entry.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Hong, Kong, Hong Kong
I'm off to the airport in less than 4 hours and I'm still blogging here! Just wanna drop a quick note that I'll be spending my days in Hong Kong from 26 to 30 Nov. And this time, I plan to utilise the social media to update my trip via Facebook or Twitter or Blogger or all of the above, depending on whether I have time and whether I can get the SIM to work with my E72 without any hiccups. China Mobile has this HK$78 Mobile Data Package that offers unlimited data usage for 30 days. They also have this IDD prepaid SIM that offers free IDD to selected destinations including Singapore, and all you pay is the local airtime of HK$0.25.
So if you are kaypo and want to know my every move in Hong Kong, check for my updates on the following sites:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chestertan
Twitter/Twitpic: http://twitter.com/musicdiary/
And while you are there, please comment and say hi.
Bye!
So if you are kaypo and want to know my every move in Hong Kong, check for my updates on the following sites:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chestertan
Twitter/Twitpic: http://twitter.com/musicdiary/
And while you are there, please comment and say hi.
Bye!
Microsoft Windows 7 64-bit
Those who follow me in Facebook or Twitter would know that I just purchased a new Intel i5 Core processor PC installed with Windows 7 Professional 64-bit OS.Why upgrade to Windows 7? Well, I completely skipped Vista, but Vista did have some visual improvements. And when reviewers started giving Windows 7 the thumbs-up, I decided that it's time to go for this new OS. Vista does have some great features, and Windows 7 has made them work better.
Why 64-bit? Because that's the future and it's the only way that software can utilise more than 4GB of RAM.
Why buy at launch and there are bound to be bugs? Because you're going to get free software updates anyway, so why not enjoy the entire software lifespan rather than buy it at it's end-of-life, like what happened to the Netbooks running on Windows XP.
The Aero theme certainly beautifies the interface, and some apps after make use of the Aero theme to deliver practical benefits. For instance, when doing file transfers using Windows Explorer, the window on the task bar shows the percentage completion with colour bar indicator.
I like the ease of able to pin applications on the start menu or the task bar. I like how the same app windows are placed side by side on the task bar (I disabled the grouping: I prefer to see every window represented individually on the task bar. I like how the context menu of the apps at the task bar shows app-related selections - for instance, right-click on the Live Messenger and you have options to change the online status.
While the Aero makes Windows 7 pretty, I prefer to stick to the classic (boring) theme. I can't stand how much space the Aero's window borders take and how it bloats up the application's frames. Thick borders are probably useful for touch-screen usage, for which Windows 7 readily supports.
But a few big benefits make the upgrade worthwhile:
1. Faster transfer speeds. It's probably more on the new Intel i5 Core processor and the new Gigabyte GA-P55A-uD4P mainboard architecture implementation.
2. Major speed improvements on some apps. Lightroom 64-bit is so much faster. Exporting 500 images took less than 15 minutes, when previously it could easily take more than an hour.
3. Overall overhaul on the OS. Bugs aside, the Win7 certainly has improvements on usability against WinXP. System stability is subjective from user to user. Afterall, stability depends a lot about the third party software and hardware. In that respect, branded computers will definitely run most stabily because the software and hardware drivers are optimised during product development.
I did have a few BSOD (blue screen crashes) during boot up, but after I removed a few legacy USB peripherals, it no longer has any BSOD. But a strange thing that happened is that Windows 7 has problems establishing network connectivity with my router on first startup. I can easily resolve this by rebooting the OS and afterwhich things are fine. Not sure if it's an OS problem or the router problem.
Some apps do have stability problems on 64-bit OS, like Firefox, that crashes many times on me. Good thing is that Win7 recovers crashes better.
I must say that I am very happy with Win7 so far and I recommend the upgrade if you run memory-hungry applications, like multimedia production.
Nokia E72: An owner's review
Yep, I cannot imagine not owning the E72 as it launched in Singapore on 14 Nov, but I had to wait until this Monday before I could get my hands on the Black edition from my nearest StarHub Shop (I could travel to another location but I could wait).I have come across numerous positive reviews about this phone, and while people do qualify that the phone is not a revolutionary difference from E71, my first-hand first-time experience is far from what they have summarised.
Here are some personal feedback about the E72, with direct comparison with the E71.
1. The black plastic at the back of the phone is matt. The E71 is a glossier plastic surface that feels more durable and more susceptible to usage marks.
2. The optical navi-pad needs getting used to in the first few hours of usage. The trick is to lightly glaze on the pad instead of rubbing it like an aladdin lamp. The challenge is to know how to control the speed of the slide. I don't think anyone can master it, as it really depends on the mood of the E72. I mean, for some apps, a swipe can scroll many lines. For some, a super swipe can only move one line a time. Fortunately, the D-pad can be used at the same time. And I wonder if this optical navi-key is durable enough to be abused with all the rigorous swipings and rubbings.
3. Nokia Messaging's menu transitions (edited 30/11/2009). In general, menu transitions can be turned off which will speed up the navigation. But this disabling option is not available for the Nokia Messaging emails. It's a small pain if you like to access the emails as promptly as your text messages.
4. Multi-press implementation on the keypad. On the E71, say when I press any key, I need not release the key before I press another letter, and the E71 registers the key. For E72, if I do not release a key, the next key-press within the number keypad range (1-0, * and #) cannot be registered (any other characters outside the keypad range is ok). As a result, I will tend to miss out a few characters during usage. I reckon there are some multi-press controls pertaining to the number keypads, but there wasn't such a problem on the E71, so I wonder why.
5. Key layout changes. In the E71, the softkeys and the answer/hangup keys protrude and the 4 shortcut buttons are recessed. In the E72, it's the reverse. The 4 shortcut buttons are slightly raised while the other 4 surrounding buttons are relatively lowered. As a result, I often find myself pressing the "Home" or "Message" keys more often.
6. Battery life. It's no different from my E71. Even if there is, the difference is negligible as I would have to charge the phone daily just in case.
7. Memory. After start-up, my RAM remains about 28MB. It's worse than E71 where it's a health 60MB. Phone auto-restart already happens a few times over the past 3 days.
8. Interface speed. While the transition effects slow some screens, the E72 zips by on the other standard screens. One noticeable speed bump that I frequently use is the Inbox message. It scrolls to the next message instantly.
9. Nokia Messaging. It's better integrated into the Messaging menu. It also has more sync schedule options.
10. E71 apps. All the existing E71 apps continues to work, even themes. But I'm not sure if there are any underlying issues, for instance, memory management. But for now, Handy Shell and Gravity are the only 2 third-party apps that I am running on the background most often.
11. Camera (add 30/11/2009). The camera app opens just as slow, and the focus is even slower than E71.
On the whole, the Nokia E72's major difference in the usage experience is the optical navi-pad. I got so used to the optical pad that I habitually tried to swipe when using the E71 (now proudly owned by my wifey). I prefer the handling of the E71 which feels more streamlined. And though statistics show that E72 is heavier by 1g, I actually thought the E71 felt heavier (perhaps with additional weight from the accumulated dirt).
Personally, I would not have bought the E72 if not for the attractive launch price coupled with the need to trade-in my old Sony Ericsson G900. Any later and the G900 would be worth nothing. On top of that, I signed up for the MaxMobile Premium at $9.95 for 24 months that takes another $100 off the phone price. So the final price tag for my E72: $118, recontracted on my wifey's PowerPlay II.
I'm very glad my wifey can now enjoy the benefits of the E71, especially in the ease of online connectivity. She is now able to Facebook more frequently and do Google searches with ease, certainly a better experience that her previous Samsung Pixon, no doubt a great phone and camera but fails terribly in online connectivity.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Flood at Bukit Timah
I heard about the Bt. Timah flood yesterday from Keropokman's tweet around noon. From there, I searched in Twitter and found many tweets mainly from students in Ngee Ann Polytechnic. As soon as I found some photos and video, I tweeted them by 3pm.
Yesterday's flood reminded me of a similar one I experienced in the early 1990s (or was it late 1980s) when I was in Secondary (or was I in Primary?) school. Similar to that effect, Bt. Timah Rd was flooded and traffic came to a stall. I was actually at Bt. Timah Road itself, at the stretch where it was no flood. But there was no traffic, probably because the other stretches of the road was flooded and thus no vehicles could pass through where I was. My parent's car was along the affected stretch and my mum described how the waters seeped into the car while she was driving and flooded the seats. We had to endure weeks of damp smell whenever we sat in the car.
Back then, Internet was non-existent and we had to wait for the following days to see the full impact from the newspapers or the evening news on TV. Today, I got the news within minutes after it happened from Twitter.
Today, everyone can get news the moment it happens. If you know where and how to search.
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_456468.html?vgnmr=1
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_456808.html
http://www.razor.tv/site/servlet/segment/main/news/39240.html
Yesterday's flood reminded me of a similar one I experienced in the early 1990s (or was it late 1980s) when I was in Secondary (or was I in Primary?) school. Similar to that effect, Bt. Timah Rd was flooded and traffic came to a stall. I was actually at Bt. Timah Road itself, at the stretch where it was no flood. But there was no traffic, probably because the other stretches of the road was flooded and thus no vehicles could pass through where I was. My parent's car was along the affected stretch and my mum described how the waters seeped into the car while she was driving and flooded the seats. We had to endure weeks of damp smell whenever we sat in the car.
Back then, Internet was non-existent and we had to wait for the following days to see the full impact from the newspapers or the evening news on TV. Today, I got the news within minutes after it happened from Twitter.
Today, everyone can get news the moment it happens. If you know where and how to search.
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_456468.html?vgnmr=1
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_456808.html
http://www.razor.tv/site/servlet/segment/main/news/39240.html
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Anna L: Portfolio
After the previous outdoor casual shoot, Anna and I did a studio session at my house. Every model must have a few of such photos in their portfolio when going for casting. And there should be minimal photoshopping (save to remove pimples or eye bags), as it is rather misleading if the real person turns out to look different from the photo.
Makeup and hairstyling by Lynette Pang, who also did a great haircut job for the shoot.
Apart from doing Anna's portfolio shoot over the weekend, I also did a pre-wedding photoshoot with Pierre and Jane. They are both avid scuba divers, and naturally, the photos revolve around the waters. I'll be ploughing through the thousand-plus images I shot in the 2-day shoot, but here's a preview shot:
Makeup and hairstyling by Lynette Pang, who also did a great haircut job for the shoot.
Apart from doing Anna's portfolio shoot over the weekend, I also did a pre-wedding photoshoot with Pierre and Jane. They are both avid scuba divers, and naturally, the photos revolve around the waters. I'll be ploughing through the thousand-plus images I shot in the 2-day shoot, but here's a preview shot:
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