Malacca

I just came back from Malacca. The trip will be fantastic if not for two bad experiences. The first is in Malacca where got a begger begs us for RM$0.10 saying he wants to call his friend. When I ignored him, he said:"Don't be stingy." I replied:"I no coins!". Even if I have, I also dun want to give him. I rather throw in Malacca river.

Another disgusting event is at the Malaysia check point when we are about to drive out back to Singapore. The police stop us and insisted my friend no wear seat belt and wanted to give us RM$200 summon! Then, he said:"Ok, lah. I "helped" you and you give RM$50 can liao." We dun want any trouble so we paid up and left. Corruption! This incident also got its good points. First is to make my friends and I more appreciate Singapore. Second is to make my friend remember to put on his seat belt! Heh heh. So I decided to boycott Malaysia for the time being. I intend to go Kuala Lumpur this May but I will shelve this idea.

Any way, driving to Malacca is not hard. It is around 210km from Singapore and quite straight forward from Tuas. Just follow the sign board. Just that it is a bit harder when you in Malacca Town. Any way, still quite ok. The charges to use 2nd Link Singapore check point is $3.70. You need to pay when you enter Malaysia and another time when you enter Singapore. The total toll from Johor Bahru to Malacca is around RM$36. Also must pay both time go and come back.

The hotel we stay not bad. A 3 stars award winning Aldy hotel. Service wise I feel still not too bad. The pricing also reasonable. Two nights per room with breakfast is RM$286. It is also situated beside the police station and within walking distance to all the tourist spots. The town is quite small. I took about one morning and finished visiting all the important tourists spot.

Then, we went to the nearby Mahkota Parade shopping mall. Quite big and got many things to buy but not cheap. We bought a few local food items and headed to Chinatown. It has a street called Jonker street where after 6pm, it is closed for traffic and stalls start to set to become a night market. At that street, there are some famous food. The first one is the chicken rice ball, second is the durian chendol but I dun eat durian. My friends said very nice. Third is the nyonya and baba laksa. Yum!!!

Off

Ok, polling is near and so far my side has no news. So a bit boring. Just when I am bored, a consolation price came knocking on my email. As everyone knows that polling will be held on a saturday which is a non-working day. It will be declared as a public holiday. My company policy is to give a day leave to compensate the holiday on a weekend. Hurray!!!

COE analysis April 2nd round

Ok, I decided to start a COE analysis one day after the latest COE price is released. Yesterday, the latest results is out and CAT A is $11,901. Same price as last bidding and CAT B is $13,101. Down $301. This might seems COE price is stablising but looking deeper at the number of bids received, you can see that demand has become slower. A few dealers said market is very weak. A quick check at Toyota latest car price shows that they dropped $1k for smaller cc cars and about $2k or more for bigger cc cars. This shows how the market leader feels about the trend of next round COE. So I feel expect to dive further for the next bidding. Those who wish to buy car can wait for a while. I feel $10k COE is about to come again.

Superbowl

I just came back from bowling. This is a new found interest in our lab. We went to the nearest bowling center which is Jurong Superbowl. Maybe now exam period and a weekday, the bowling center is very empty. We played 3 games and I am in number 2 throughout the 3 games. My results are 119, 104 and 98. Quite rotten.

LCD TV

Lately I feel like buying a TV to replace the one that exploded in my room. I have been looking around and I find that Samsung LCD TV looks the sleekest. Very professional! Now LCD TV like very cheap. A lot of promotion going on recently. 32" LCD TV now I think can get around $2k. But I wun get so big one cos put in my room. So I think I will get around 20". But must be HD ready. A lot of 20" and below LCD TV not HD ready. So maybe have to wait for a while more.

Qing Ming

Today my family and I went to pay our respects to our ancestors. According to chinese custom, tomorrow will be the last day of qing ming festival. We first went to Mandai. Reached around 9.30am. Everything done at around 11am. Lucky we went early. By the time we left, long queue at the main road!

Then, we proceed to Aljunied. Also another massive jam. But we are smart to take another small road where nobody knows. Heh heh. So in the end we avoided the jam. Pray until about 12.30pm, we went for our lunch at Yishun and proceed on to our last destination which is Lim Chu Kang.

However, it rained very heavily on our way there! So we detoured home and waited until 4pm where the rain stopped and then we went to pray. Everything ended at around 6.30pm and it is home sweet home liao.

Ice Age: The Meltdown

I just came back from watching Ice Age: The Meltdown. I would say this movie is quite nice. The effects are nice but I think can be nicer. This time I find it funnier than the first Ice Age movie. Story flow wise is quite good. Got nice musical songs also. Overall, nice.

Citibank

Recently I cancelled 2 Citibank credit cards as I did not use. Today I got a call from Citibank asking me to reconsider. They provide me with alternatives to keep the card without paying the subscription fee. But I really did not use. Then the officer said she upgrade me to Platinum and waive off another year for me! Haha! Any way, I accept it since free.

Exercise

Recently I am working out at night starting from 11pm to 12am. I feel I am getting fatter and fatter leh! Working in office really can make ppl fat. Another thing is I love to eat junk food and supper. No time to work out also due to busy work. Recently I everyday worked till around 10+pm! Tiring. So try to gym a bit at night which is my only free time. Sob sob!

Date Movie

Just came back watching Date Movie. Ok, a lot of people warned me how stupid it is but I watched it any way cos my friend got free tickets. Any way, recently quite stress also. Watched dumb show also not too bad lah. I think overall it is still watchable. Jokes are quite lame but some are funny. But I think got many part censored and a few scenes also dunno what they mean. But other than that ok lah.

Bowling result

Today my company bowling committee member email out the results. My team actually not bad leh. We came in 5th out of 21 teams. But a bit wasted!! We only lack 3rd and 4th team by 10 and 9 points respectively. If only my boss did not "strike" his back, I think we will be in top 3! Sob sob. In terms of men overall, I came in number 13. Not even in top 10! Ah...... Never mind. Next year try again.

Bowling

Today my company organised a bowling competition. I joined for the fun of it. First round I did not bad scoring a point of 112. My boss did three strikes but guess what? He also "strike" his back. So I help him to play the second round. The second round I play even better scoring a 157 points. However, I am so tired after the second round as I play double. Third round I bascially fall flat and only managed a 98 points. Sob sob! But ok lah. Play play loh since it is free. Haha!!

Swiss delights

I just came back eating cheese fondue at Swiss Culture in Suntec City. This is after I searching highs and lows for my fondue, some kind soul has pointed me to a right direction. Any way, the food serve very slowly. My family and I nearly die of hunger while waiting. Imagine today not many people. I cannot think what will happen if the whole place is packed! The cheese fondue is not quite I expected. A pot of melted cheese and some bread cost about $40! We order some other dishes and overall quite full lah. Food not too bad also. 5 of us eat around $137 after a 15% discount using NTUC card.

K Box

I just came back from singing karaoke at K Box. I long time no sing liao and feel like venting my stress. Finally manage to find a friend to go with me after my cousin decide to support his Liverpool team. We sing from around 5 hours starting from 9pm. Sing a lot Jay Chau's songs cos easy to sing. No need to sing lyric one. Haha! 2 of us cost around $51. Not cheap but ok lah as it is long long one time.

Italian food

Today I saw a promotion on a pamplet that got some place selling cheese fondue. As I never try before, I decided to go and eat today. This place is Spageddies Italian Kitchen at Marina Square. But after reaching there, guess what? Cheese fondue is just a promotion on weekday and it is not on the regular menu! So disappointed!! Any way, my friend and I ordered some food, drinks and dessert. It cost around $62 after a 10% discount using UOB credit card. Food wise is not bad. But too bad, did not get to eat chesse fondue. Have to go and find again.

V for Vendetta

Just came back from watching the movie V for Vendetta with my cousins. Weekend tickets costs me $9.50 but I watched it any way. Reason is that this is the first movie I have watched this year! So let the cinema earn a bit from me loh. Any way, this movie is quite nice though talks a lot and the story plot is quite good. The main actor V did not show his face at all! Until the end when the credit rolls, then I know he is Hugo Weaving! A bit surprising. The fighting scenes are quite nicely done too. However, I feel Natalie Portman a bit nothing leh in the show. She should fight also. Wasted. Over all, quite nice but I think got some parts censored. Typical Singapore.

Mashed potato

Today I went to a nearby AXS to pay my bill. But got someone in front of me. I realise my bill due date can drag some more and I do not want to wait. So I decided to leave. But I not willing to come all the way to AXS and go back. Guess what? I went to nearby 7-11 and buy mashed potato to eat. Quite nice leh. Only $1. My friend said I siao. Go pay bill but did not pay and in the end eat mashed potato. Haha!!

Fatal frame 2

Ok, I got my TV back after it is blown. Now working well I hope. Any way, I am now playing a xbox game call Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly. It supposed to be a very scary game. But guess what? I am not scare cos I played the game armed with a walkthrough. Haha! So I know what to expect next. I know it will kill the excitment. But without the walkthrough, it is quite hard to play. Ok lah, enjoy the storyline loh. Haha.

TV blown!!

Something terrible has just happened!! I climbed into my bed and decided to watch a late night movie. So I choose to watch a TV series DVD. I think I watched until 3 episodes later which is around 3 hours, my TV blown!!! AT first I heard a slight explosion and then smell something burning. As I was in pitch black, I dunno what happen. I quickly jumped out my bed and switch on the light. To my horror, the TV emit smoked!!!!! I quickly turn off all the switches and open window and door. My father suddenly walked in and asked me what is so smelly. I told him the TV blown. I turned on fan to improved air circulation. The whole house become very smelly. But after a while, it gets better. Now my room has no TV! Sob sob. But the good news is I can stun my brother LCD TV to use. Hahaha!!!!

Oscar

Another boring week has passed and basically nothing interesting has happened. Just that monday I watched the Oscar. Glad that Ang Lee has won the best director. I heard that he is the first non-white to win. But too bad, he lost the best picture award. This year I feel quite boring. The thank you speeches are boring, the presenter speeches are boring and the host speeches are boring with the exception of the opening line regarding actress not enough money to buy clothes that cover their breasts. Other than that. Zzz.....