Phantom 2 Remote Control RC Quadcopter Plane with or without HD Camera

Now only S$140 with Camera!  S$105 without camera!
Singapore buyers: Payment via ATM bank transfer or i-banking.
Delivery date: 1.5 or 2 weeks from payment!  You can pay 50% first & the rest when you collect.
Leave a comment to purchase!

Flies very far & very high.
360 degrees flips/roll-overs.
Flexible & Durable plastic body.
Beautiful night lights.
Boxed set with HD camera + 1 chargeable battery.

Click pics to enlarge: 

 

 

 

 

Grandma's Suntec City (Restaurant Review)

Excellent food. But service cold & poor.

Was there at about 4pm Wed before watching Big Hero 6 (bro & I didn't make it in time for the 4.30pm movie and subsequently watched the 6.45pm one.).

Before we ordered, the staff put a basket of Keropok (prawn crackers) on the table. Whether you like it or not, it's chargeable at $1.60. That's one of the things I didn't appreciate.

The staff didn't smile & she sounded rather rude when taking our orders. But she smiled at something I said, so that kinda saved it.  She said their lime juice drink was on offer. I didn't catch it & she repeated. I kinda shook at the "lime" part, said we'll just have the water and she smiled.

All the floor staff are very loose and need to be trained.

One female staff even tried walking past our table, pretending not to see my raised hand as I wanted to add my Gula Melaka dessert to the order.

Tried the Nasi Lemak & Gula Melaka sago dessert.

I love sago with Gula Melaka & must have it whenever a restaurant has it. Unfortunately, nobody has been able to make it right, except here at Grandma's.  It matches my memory of the first time I ate a very small cup many years ago at Doremi cafe at Yaohan when they used to have Yamaha on the topmost floor (7th or 5th?). After my organ lessons, my folks used to eat the local food at Doremi. The good old days (not too long ago) when foreigners were non-existent and nobody knew where Singapore was (before the stupidest man so far in Singapore's history took over).

Doremi sold the sago Gula Melaka in small, thin transparent cups with lids for about $1.20 or less. Can't quite recall. But the price kept increasing to $2.20 until one day the cafe closed down. Not sure if it was the management that closed them down.

That dessert was the only thing I loved and always ordered it. It was easily sold out, so by the time organ class was over, there was frequently none left.

In present time, Grandma's has brought back the flavor and taste of the sago and Gula Melaka. Very nice, almost the same as the past. Perfect @ $3.80, if I remember the price rightly. Nice big bowl of wonderfully made sago with excellent, thick Gula Melaka by the side.

The Nasi Lemak was also nice. Better than Madam Kwan's. Lovely chicken meat and excellent curry flavor. Excellent is the only word to describe it.

Bro tried the Duck Soup. He said it's sourish and thought it was the plum fruit. I said it's because of the salted cabbage (Giam Chye).  At $14.90, it was the most expensive of the 3 items we ordered.

After the movie, when bro & I were thinking what to eat for a late dinner/supper, he asked if we should go back there. I said, "No, poor service.".

For the food, maybe I might go back some other time. But the lack of proper service is discouraging.

Big Hero 6 Baymax Movie Review

Fri 12:06am

I love Baymax. ^_^ I want the one currently on display @ Westgate basement!  Put a heater in  there & he's good to hug (mmm... nice robot). Unfortunately, the big inflatable version is not selling on Taobao & sold out on Ebay (US$560). If only I could steal it from Westgate!!

Watched it Wed 6.45pm @ Suntec GV $8.50 each.  Bro said he was in a depressed mood before watching it but felt better after.

For me, I only watched it because of Baymax. I saw the trailer of him scotch-taping himself with that funny high-pitched air leak & it was just too funny to pass up.

I have been dragging bro to see it with me. He has been refusing because of a persistent cough until I said I don't care, we are going before the movie ends screening.

I don't like sugar-coated Disney movies. I only like Baymax.

I don't like the ending. I would've saved Baymax somehow. And allowed that old professor to kill that guy (why stand in the way of someone else's revenge?). And I would have killed that old professor using Baymax. That's why I don't like sugar-coated Disney. I don't like his cafe guardian either (she recovers from the death of Tadashi so fast, it's a wonder she even cared for them. How can she expect the boy to recover as fast as her?).

I feel there wasn't enough of big inflatable huggable Baymax & too much of him in his armor.  But Bro enjoyed it & that's good enough for me that it lifted his mood.

Bro said at least it was a happy ending. If it were not, and the guys ended up hating each other because of revenge like in X-Men, he would be upset.  "Reality is bad enough. I want to see something happy out of it. Furthermore, we pay for it.".

Well, I don't like sugar coating. Feel good type of movies that "teach" what should be right to do with happy ending, is not reality based.  But I still only like Baymax. He's neutral and huggable and factual.

BAYMaaXXxxx!!!! HUGSSSS!!!

Orange Lantern Vietnamese Restaurant Harbourfront

Expensive.
Flies.
Food salty & small amount (but taste better than Pho Street).
Waiter forgot to bring us the water.
It's even more expensive than Ramen Play & Kimchi & Ippudo.
Won't be going back.

Shortest review you'll ever get from me for now.

Warning to Inconsiderate Cosplayers: Anime Festival Asia (AFA) Singapore

Dress up as Japanese anime characters, yet these cosplayers ironically don't even have the Japanese sentiment of civic consciousness.

6 Dec Saturday, I was at Citylink Mall ladies' restroom.  Four cosplayers fixing their long wigs stood at the common/shared wash basin with their pencil cases a.k.a. make-up cases placed along the outer edge.

When I wanted to wash my hands at the available sink that she was standing beside, the woman didn't even bother removing her pencil case from the edge. If I were to use that tap, her case should be wet.

Yet she expected that I or anyone would move to another sink.  I shouldn't have moved but I did. There was just another tap available two taps down the row with another cosplayer woman beside it.

It's two taps down the row that I specially made the move. For what?   Not only that, when I used that other tap, a strand of wig hair clung to my hand.

Next time, I will not move. Whatever items on the common/shared sink that are not removed will be wet. Bear this in mind, cosplayers.

You are not kids. You're already women. Sexually mature.  Means you can already have kids of your own.  I don't care if your mental capacity don't match your sexual maturity.

If you love Japan and Japanese anime so much, learn the Japanese consideration so that you can proudly wear your characters. Otherwise, you are just shit.

If you really love your characters so much, wear it starting from home. What for wear it in the public restrooms and jam up the place?  Don't say the weather is too hot to wear your wigs etc etc... If you believe so much in the characters you play, then for the day/s of the convention, be that character in costume.

More likely, you don't have the guts to wear the whole gear alone from home to the convention.

I warn you again. Next time, if you jam up a common/shared sink with your things, take them away immediately when I want to wash my hands.  Otherwise, be prepared to have your pencil case wet.

In Japan, their civic consciousness is so ingrained in them, even a drunken man who was shouting into a drain at a train station nodded in smiling apology to a train conductor who told him off. The drunk was holding a tall can of a beer and he apologised even though he was drunk and miserable.

In Japan, it is difficult to find trash bins. Everyone takes their garbage along with them until they find a trash bin/recycling point.  It's a terrible inconvenience yet the streets, parks and other areas are clean even in Shinjuku, Harajuku and Akihabara.

Tokyo Star Optical (Citylink Review SG)

Very disappointed.  Delay after delay.  Excuses.  Finally when I get my frameless specs, the right lens is slightly scratched near the screw, some paint has come off at the nose bridge with a few additional scratches, and the top of the lens not cleanly cut.  Very shoddy rushed job done. An expensive $196.

Tokyo Star staff said their lab made mistake and only informed them of it 1 day before delivery. And the lab's mistake is so absurd, so amateurish, so unprofessional that it's hard to believe. They drilled the holes wrongly into the lenses.  (Bro said they must have hired China staff who being untrained and crude, made the mistake.).  So far no spectacle shop I've been to has this problem with their lab/s. 

The staff Jodie's prescription is wrong. As of Wed 10 Dec, I am still having a headache wearing it while typing on my laptop. The thought of having to make another specs from yet another shop adds to my headache. These stupid opticians. All graduates from the same stupid polytechnic.


Avoid younger opticians (in their 20s or even early 30s). Accurate ability to prescribe lenses requires substantial experience.  Optometry grads think it's easy with machines. But older optical shops with less fancy machines can do a better and faster job.

In fact, years ago when they didn't even have such machines, opticians were very accurate and I never had any problem with the lenses. The frames and lenses also lasted for years. Quality was very good.

Now even after 15~20 minutes of eye testing at the shop that day,  Jodie was still wrong in her prescription. 

Made the specs on Thurs 27 Nov.   Only on Sat 6 Dec,  was I finally able to collect after all the excuses and delay.  This is the longest I have waited for a pair of glasses I ordered.

I'm going to avoid Japanese optical shops from now on (Owndays reviews are also negative).  They don't know how to do business in Singapore.  This is a $196 review of Tokyo Star Optical. 

I checked for reviews before going but since there were none (except a few sponsored), I decided to check it out myself.  Particularly, I was drawn to their 15 minutes claim.

Their Facebook description: "Our concept is 3 basic price of $96, $126 or $156 with a fast processing time of 15 minutes per customer.".

This is not entirely correct.  It's just a gimmick.

1) The actual prices are higher for almost all the frames.

2) 15 minutes "processing time" only applies to plastic frames. The lenses are simply popped in and out of the plastic frames for in-store "processing".  Rather flimsy.  For frames and lenses that they don't do in-store, they send out.  They don't have the machine for setting in screws etc..

3) Inexperienced & untrained staff.  One staff even asked another staff Jodie, "What is Lau Hua Yan"?".  Working in an optical shop, all the staff should know.

4) Very bad customer handling on the phone.  Staff showed displeasure when responding to customer. No consideration for customer's unhappiness and dissatisfaction caused by their failure.

5) Sign of things not right when the collection date on the receipt shows next year's date. Staff was not even aware it was printed as next year's date.

6)  Staff do not honour what they say they will do. 

7) Unlike other optical shops, they take full amount as payment. No deposit.

8) Jodie said if your lenses have been wrongly measured after they have made it,  no redo. You're stuck with it. 

9) A company that cannot be trusted.

10) Their frames are not made in Japan.  Jodie said Korea,  but the "quality" looks like China.  From Korea but made in China? Only China products can give profit.  Made in Korea won't be cheap.


27 Nov Thurs,  I ordered a pair of frameless.  Jodie confidently told me 4 working days ready for collection. She even said she'll speed it up for me. So collection day will be the following Tues or Wed.

Since she said she'll speed up for me, I was expecting Tues (even though I was doubtful since usually optical shops take longer). 

On 3 Dec Wed, I called to ask.  The staff Nick--very irresponsible and stupid--said he "will check & call back".  Many hours later in the evening, he called to say it wasn't ready and it will be tomorrow.

Why wait so many hours to call back the customer?

Next day Thurs 4 Dec, which is actually a week since the day I ordered the specs, no phone call even after 2pm.

I called and the same stupid Nick answered.  He said he will "check with the agent" (same as what he said the day before).

I waited. No reply call for a long time. So I called again. He answered as if he had completely forgotten he was supposed to call back.  "Oh. The agent said they will deliver by tomorrow.".

I asked what time. He said, "Oh, I didn't ask.".   (It shows clearly he didn't even think of the customer who is waiting).

As to why he didn't call me back when he's supposed to, he said, "Oh, I was also checking with Jodie.".

On the phone, I told him that other spectacle shops don't do this. When they give a time frame, they deliver either earlier or on time. Even spectacle hut is on time.

Plus, Tokyo Star opened more than 1 month ago. Surely, the staff should be accurate in telling the customer when the specs will be ready for collection?

On the day I made the specs, Jodie told me that it will be ready either Tues or Wed. But now it's already Thurs. Still no specs.  And now,  a further delay.  Plus, my specs broke last night.

When I said these,  instead of considering the customer's side, Nick became angry.  His voice hardened and became unpleasant as he repeated that he will call me "tomorrow" when (and if) the specs are delivered. 

I asked what time can I expect his call? (Since he doesn't do what he says.).

He immediately didn't know what to say.   (Surely, he can't expect me to wait whole day for his call?)

I said, "Surely, you have to give a time so I know when to expect? Afternoon?  Or do I have to wait till evening?".

He finally said, "No, morning. Eleven.".

Very likely, it's not going to be "eleven" or anytime at all.  But I said, "Ok. I will wait for your call.".

That ended it.   Later, Jodie called to repeat that I can expect a call tomorrow morning but not necessarily at 11am.  

See how they keep being uncertain about the time? This is very different from other spectacle shops that are able to easily tell you when you can expect your glasses because the delivery timings and lab/agent are known to them. 

She added, "I think it's better you wait for my call.".   Meaning: don't call us, we'll call you, and don't come down to collect unless we call you.

Since I have already said what I wanted to say to Nick, there was nothing more to say to her.

Note that she said "morning".  As of 12pm Fri 5 Dec, she still didn't call.  "Morning" means before 12pm.  Yet once again, she had sounded very certain when she assured me that it would be "morning".

At 1.10pm, she called.  As expected, there will be no specs again. It will be tomorrow (Sat 6 Dec).

I said, "Then why did you say it will be ready in 4 days?". She said, "It's because I estimated it but the lab somehow took longer than expected and they have to get the lenses again and drill hole.".

Somehow took longer? Have to get the lenses again?? What did she mean?

I said, "Is tomorrow confirmed?".

She said, "Yes, confirm. It will be delivered tonight but I need to prepare it.  I think it'll be too late tonight because they're rushing it.  So you can collect tomorrow.".    (That's odd.  First, spectacle delivery is in the daytime.  Second, no spectacle shop ever says they need to "prepare it". )

I asked, "What time will it be delivered tonight?". She hesitated.

Without waiting for her answer, I asked, "Past closing time?". (I shouldn't have provided her this. Should have let her answer.)

She quickly said, "Yes.".

I asked what time should I come to collect tomorrow. She thought about it and said "1pm".   (The shop opens at 11am.  The answer should be I can collect anytime since she said delivery was last night. Other spectacle shops will always say "anytime" since it's already available.)

Sat 6 Dec. I arrived earlier at about 12.45pm. Jodie was cleaning my new glasses. Nick was also there.

I asked them what happened. Jodie said the lab somehow drilled wrong holes and damaged the lenses. They had no more stock of the lenses and had to get them from Japan.

I said, "The lab is experienced, right? How could they have drilled wrong?". She didn't know.

All this time, there was a problem yet they kept saying "tomorrow", "tomorrow", "tomorrow".

And Jodie even tried to cover it up by saying the collection date is stated 7th on the receipt!  (Ridiculous. She had said collection was either Tues (2 Dec) or Wed (3 Dec) and that she would even speed it up.).

I said, "The receipt is printed next year's date.".

She and Nick were surprised.  They looked at the receipt.  Jan 07, 2015.

After Nick made another excuse about why they were late (he blamed the lab), I left the place.

--------
On the day that I was considering the display frames with Jodie, the frameless one actually broke.  The frame was flimsy plastic and the left lens broke off from the screw.  I asked if this was going to happen if I ordered it.

She said it's because it wasn't impact-resistant.  But from my experience, if a display piece breaks like this, it means the frame quality is inferior (because it recently happened to me at another shop).

I paid the full $196 even though they don't accept deposit because I thought Tokyo Star could be trusted.

I don't think my new specs is going to last.

At first, I recommended to bro but now we are going elsewhere.
-------

Update 5:24pm 31 Dec Wed:

I don't have a headache anymore when wearing the glasses. But there is still a problem with the measurement somehow. Makes my eyes & mind tired when typing Word document. It feels like the measurement is heavy on the left eye and on the center of my forehead. I just want to take it off. But when I take it off, the words are not clear. So I put it back on... *shakes head*

Why is it so difficult to make one damn specs?

東京スターメガネを避ける (眼鏡 シンガポール)

非常に失望。遅延後の遅延。言い訳。私はスペックを取得するときに最後に、それは少しネジの近くに傷だ、いくつかの塗料が鼻梁とレンズの最上部ではないきれいにカットで降りてきた。非常に粗雑な仕事が行わ。

1）  実際の価格は、ほぼすべてのフレームの方が高い。

2） 15分は「処理時間」だけプラスチックフレームに適用されます。レンズは、単にインストア「処理」のために、プラスチックフレームの外にポップさ。むしろ薄っぺらな。フレームと、彼らは店内行わないレンズのために、彼らは発送致します。彼らは、などのネジで設定するためのマシンを持っていない..

3） 検眼用語に精通していない経験の浅い＆訓練を受けていないスタッフ。

4) 電話での取り扱い非常に悪い顧客。顧客に応答するときにスタッフは不快感を示した。彼らの失敗に起因するお客様の不幸や不満のためには考慮しない。

5) レシートに印刷収集日は、来年の日付を示しています。スタッフは間違いのさえ知らなかった。

6） スタッフは、彼らが行います言うことを尊重していない。

7） 他の光のお店とは違って、彼らは支払いとして全額を取る。デポジットは不要。

8） あなたは、彼らはそれをした後にレンズが誤って測定されていることが判明した場合、redoはない。あなたはそれで立ち往生している。

9） 信用できない会社。
英語のレビューはこちら：  http://therevolutioner.blogspot.sg/2014/12/avoid-tokyo-star-optical-citylink.html

Beyond the Pedestal Toilet: Where is Humanity?

Bro: They don't sell those discs anymore. Thumb drive now.

Me: Yeah. My SD card reader is so small but has 3 slots. Can insert into any hole all you want. For all their technology, humans are still so silly. Still haven't gone beyond the pedestal toilet. Is there anything better?

Bro: Squatting one. There's portable. Then there's the dig-your-own-hole type. Which one you want? The dig-your-own-hole type is the latest. No need sensor, no need flush. Just do it and go.

Me: HAhahaha!! You go backwards & call that the latest?

Bro: Well, yeah. That's the best. 

Humanity is just pathetic. They are just animals. There is no god, no nothing. A person dies just like an animal. Without any human dignity until the last breath. If there is a god, why a human does not die differently from an animal? No different than a goldfish.

People who cannot accept the truth, pretend there is a god. Such people are weak-minded & can be corrupted. That's why they can be conned.

Yoogane @ Westgate (Review)

Can't even hire good staff.   Don't hire airy-headed teenagers who can't even focus on the customer.

 
Bad customer interaction: 

1) Westgate Sat afternoon.  I see a big chicken/rooster (person inside) posing for photos with a few people on the ground floor. The name tag on the chicken said "Yoogane". I read it aloud "yoo ga ne".

One young Singaporean guy about 17~18 years years old appeared & gave me a round hard card with a small-printed chicken picture & a Facebook URL that told me nothing of what it is about.

"Want to take photos?"  (with the chicken) he asked.

"What's this about?" I asked.

"Today is our first day.  We have one at Bugis and now here. Korean chicken.". he said,  eyes already shifting away to search for other people.

"Oh. Like that Korean chicken..." I wanted to say 4 Fingers.

"But it's not fried." he said, turning to reply and turning to look elsewhere.

"Where is it?" I asked.

"Upstairs. 3rd floor. You want to take photos?"

I shook my head.  And his attention was already gone.  I emphasize there were only a few people around. So his impersonal & distracted attitude was minus points.

This is really bad for a shop/restaurant that has just opened on its first day.  Is taking photo with that chicken that important compared to directing the customer to the restaurant (which should be the target of their event)? 

First of all, that round hard card is useless.  The company & staff should provide the necessary information straightaway. 1) What is it.  2) Location of restaurant. Where is it near to? Or how to get there.


2) When bro & I went to the 3rd floor, the restaurant was nowhere in sight until we walked towards the left & bro saw the balloon decorations for their opening.

Seeing the standee of featured food, bro said "Unappetizing".

I noticed no one was at the menu stand to greet customers. One young waitress with pony tail about 17~19 years old, approached but turned & hung back looking behind at nothing, even though we were standing in front at the menu stand.

Looking at the menu, I considered trying their fried rice. "It is done by a Korean chef?". I asked.

"Yes, but we cook it." she replied just as I was stepping in.

I stopped, perplexed by what she meant. And asked again if it was cooked by a Korean chef in the kitchen.

"We cook it for you." she said.  "All of our staff are trained to cook for the customer. We cook it in front of you. Only for these... (she pointed at some items in the menu) are cooked in the kitchen.".

When she said they are all trained to cook for customers, I looked at the staff behind her.  All young, airy-headed girls like herself.   Very doubtful they can cook anything, and I would be very wary about letting them cook my food, let alone outside of the kitchen where there is no proper equipment except for a "stove" set in the table.

How hot can it get by "cooking" at the table?  Is the food going to be properly & thoroughly cooked? I don't want Pepper & Lunch type of "cooking".

The food should be cooked by real cooks, with a certain level of maturity and experience. Not by a waitress and certainly not by airy-headed staff who aren't even professional towards the customer.

Even while I was talking to her, it was obvious her attention was elsewhere.  Very distracted, very impersonal.  Same as that guy downstairs on the ground floor. Her dead-fish eyes and behavior tell me she is only here for the money. She don't care for the customer. And in fact, she don't care about the company or the food they are selling. She is not interested.  (From her voice, she is Singaporean).

She invited me to try the "new experience" of eating their cooking. I said, "Maybe some other time." and walked away.

I was reminded of the Yahoo article I read last night. "Why are fresh diploma grads still losing out?".... "due to lack of interpersonal skills".

Although I don't agree that employers hire based on interpersonal skills, it would seem that it's true young Singaporeans lack interpersonal skills in this Yoogane case.

Oddly, that yahoo article is gone.  Yahoo must have taken it down for some government-enforced reason.

I don't know why Korean restaurants are so poorly managed.  Bibigo@Raffles City & Kimchi @Suntec.

Coffee Significantly Raises Blood Pressure

Rarely do I drink coffee. Last night, just 1/2 cup of MacDonald's Caramel Macchiato (M size) at about 6.40pm.

At about 8pm (or between 7 & 8pm), systolic blood pressure was 103. At 12.25am, systolic became 132.  In just 4.5 hrs, blood pressure has significantly increased to prehypertension level. 

At both measurement times, diastolic pressure (bottom number) & heart rate no significant difference.

Caffeine constricts not only blood vessels, but also the heart muscle. Very bad. I only wanted it because ALT Pizza coffee was like water (some days back) & made me crave for the taste of Caramel Macchiato.

Bro and I talked about this before. That if a person consistently drinks coffee, it is possible that person will develop high blood pressure without knowing it.

At the moment, the caffeine is making me rather ill.  Because I didn't eat well before the coffee (caffeine irritates the stomach).

Only had 2 boiled eggs at about 11.30am, then went swimming & basketball & drank coconut Mogu Mogu in between. Returning home, I ate 2 oranges & 1 large persimmon. By then it was about 5.30pm. Dinner was at about 6.15pm, too late.  

While my heart rate was 77 at 12.25am, I felt (and am still feeling) rather strange, as if it's beating oddly (that's why I measured it).

In fact, a lot of soft drinks contain caffeine. And these drinks are easily available to kids at the supermarket. Women are always worrying about the sugar content. But actually, it should be the caffeine and phosphoric acid that they should be worrying about. (I don't drink soft drinks/soda, never liked them.).

Not only does caffeine raise blood pressure, it prevents absorption of many minerals & vitamins needed by the body. Example, iron. Very bad for women as many are anemic without knowing it.

Many people including (clueless) doctors underestimate coffee.

I Love the Smiles of Kobe Bryant & Michael Jordan

^__^ Such handsome men. So focused. So quick to react even under heavy pressure in the game. Love their fast reflexes. Amazing.





What's more amazing is ... this guy Skywalker who plays street basketball & can jump over 5 ft 4 inches (1.6m).

Why does 2014 FIBA Basketball Look Tame Compared to NBA?

Boring passes. No dunks, hanging or not. No crazy crowds? On Best behavior? No wild shots? No taking risks? Tame. Where's the hot fun passion? The flair?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YY3rtqBzpI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMAeQuV30Hw



Who's the guy with the beard? SO uncool. Where are the famous NBA players? They don't play World Cup? Where's Kobe Bryant?

ALT Pizza Suntec (Review)

Service excellent.   But...

While walking out the 2nd time we ate there... Thurs night. 

Me:  Ok. that's it. We won't be going back. This is the 2nd chance.
Bro (surprised): Not going back?
Me: No. Already 2nd chance. How many points you give?
Bro: 3.
Me: Even less than yesterday. Yesterday you gave 4. Yeah, this time is worse. Yesterday I gave 3, today they fail.

Never get a boy to do a man's job in making pizzas.

1) Nobody in the online reviews mentioned that the pizzas have burnt bottoms. Not totally burnt but there are burnt areas that I needed to scrape off.  Annoying.

2) I haven't come across a pizza that has ingredients to match the area of dough. ALT is no different.  Too few ingredients spread over the pizza. Too dry. I taste more dry dough than the ingredients. For pizza, you cannot stinge on the amount of ingredients.

3) The pizzas became cold very fast after only the 1st piece.


Wed about 6.20pm: C-food Pie pizza with add-on Chipotle Chicken + Cappucino + 8 pc wings = $49.45.

Thurs night about 8.15pm: Truffle Shuffle pizza + 1 Chamomile cup. $21.06.  

Bro said the cappucino was weak. "illy" brand of cup. "illy" brand of coffee? I took a sip. Yeah, it's like water. Worse than MacD's caramel macchiato (that I always complain tastes burnt at ARC).

The 8 pc wings. Bro said so damn salty. I agree. I think they were marinated with BBQ sauce, too much and for too long?  No special taste. Just... wings with a too strong & salty smoky BBQ flavor. The staff was generous with the 2 dip sauces that came with it. Mayo & a tangy chilli. The latter went better with the smoky BBQ flavor of the wings. The dips were actually useless with wings that tasted too strong on their own.

As mentioned in the points above, the C-food Pie pizza was somewhat burnt beneath. The shrimp was fresh & bouncy. Overall passable. Other than the shrimp, there didn't seem to be anything else significant to the taste buds.

The next day, we returned at night (Thurs) because I was craving for ALT pizza when I saw the lousy-looking Pizza Hut pizzas that people were eating at KFC. After eating chicken at KFC, we went home, dressed then came out again to Suntec.

The Truffle Shuffle was highly recommended by online reviewers. Since there wasn't much on the menu to try, I ordered this.   Result was even worse than previous day. Dry. Few ingredients. Nothing special. Again burnt parts on the bottom, and this time burnt/black onion strips on top. Disappointment. A young man (boy) with black-rimmed glasses was at the wood oven. If he made this, he should be fired or trained to make better pizzas.

The only thing good, was the Chamomile tea. And I didn't finish it because I've tasted better at Lady M that serves in a pot.

Therefore, ALT "ah gui, ah bo ho jia" (expensive and not nice. Expensive when it's not nice.).

I don't know how all the reviewers can say that it's so great. They went there for the beer, right? And were somewhat drunk and unable to discern. Or rather, everything's good as long as there's alcohol (just like Qusumi-san in Kodoku no gurume Japanese food episodes).


In terms of service, ALT is very warm (although the staff don't say much) & considerate.

Memorable: 

There were 2 spare plates stacked at the side of the table. 

On Wed evening, Bro took a plate & removed froth from his cappucino onto it. A staff later saw the plate, removed & replaced it with a clean one.  I like.

On Thurs night, when the bald man brought the pizza, he very attentively took the top plate and put it on my side before putting the other plate at my bro's side. Very nice initiative. I like.  He's the manager or supervisor? He was there on both days. I like his soft way of speaking, his tone of voice.  He speaks softly and yet strong enough to be heard above the oldies music (sound level just right).  Very professional.  When I speak, he looks at me.   But I think he's not local. There's some slight accent to his words?

The staff are very polite, friendly, observant, attentive where it matters & unobtrusive. I don't think the customers who were laughing & drinking realize this. This type of service is almost impossible to find in Singapore.

If only their pizzas were better. 

Gintama Anime

Currently watching this. So silly. Watching it for the voice/seiyuu (Kazuya Nakai) of Imayoshi in Kuroko no Basuke (Kuroko's Basketball).  Imayoshi (captain of the Touou Gakuen Basketball team) has a Very sexy dialect accent to his Very sexy & intimidating voice. What accent is it? Okinawa? Sounds like the characters from the anime Barakamon.

In Gintama, the seiyuu has lost the Imayoshi accent but his voice is still sexy. Unfortunately, his voice doesn't fit the role. The drawing and his voice don't match. He voices Hijikata Toshizo of the Shinsengumi.

Another unfortunate point about Gintama, is the drawing. Not attractive. No bishounen & no pretty girls. It's just silly humor that is sometimes so inane that I have to skip forwards.

Certain segments are good. Example at the end of Ep 5. Classroom with Gin-san & Hijikata (Imayoshi) over Gin-san smoking a cigarette while teaching when it's actually really, a lolly.  I giggled.

So hard to find good anime these days. Gintama is not it. Kuroko's Basketball... I watched it & re-watched it already.  So I watched the whole thing twice.  Waiting for next year March 2015 for Season 3.  -.- Long wait.

Wonder if the seiyuu for Imayoshi really speaks that dialect accent? Coz he sounds very natural. Is Nakai an Okinawan surname?

I saw Google images of Gin-san & Hijikata yaoi together... Curious & watching the Gintama anime to see any aspects that suggest so. 

In Ep 5, they meet each other for the first time. Hijikata tries to kill Gin-san with his sword. Gin-san dodges. Nothing yaoi there.

The moment I heard Katsura's/Zura's voice in Gintama, I knew it was Ishida Akira.  Sexy in a deep, heavy way. This time,  at one point he sounds a little like the seiyuu... Shiozawa Kaneto who died many years ago (voiced the sexy & cold hard-voiced blond Iason Mink in the yaoi anime Ai no Kusabi).

Can't believe Gintama can run into so many episodes when it's so silly.  200 over episodes. Just nuts. (brings to mind Naruto).

Had to skip the entire Ep 5. If it continues this way, I'm going to have to stop watching completely, Imayoshi's voice or not. I'll just have to search for more of his voice in other anime. Or ... re-watch his parts in Kuroko's Basketball.


 

China Men Squatting Outside Our HDB Flats

Was walking home with bro after a night out. Saw a China man squatting along the walkway watching an iphone in his hand.

Me: Look at that China man squatting there. The only illumination on his face from his phone.
Bro (glancing up): Looks like he discovered light.
Me (glancing up to look again & sees that it matches the China man's caveman posture exactly with that light on his face): Heeheeehee...

These days, ever since the Singapore government allowed in all these foreigners, China men have entered/invaded our heartlands & squat along our walkways.  China men love squatting. They have this mentality that since it's a public space, they can just sit around. Same mentality as Filipinos, India Indians and Indonesians.  It's very strange. I can only imagine that their countries must be a mess with everyone just doing whatever they like in public places.

That's why foreigners have no place anywhere. They come with their own ideas, own rules of their own game plan with no regard for their host country. It is detrimental to have them, rather than beneficial. They mess everything up and become an eyesore.

Foreign Workers Simulation Riot SG

1) Practice using our own SG people so that these foreigners don't know what we are practicing. Don't let them know how we are doing it.

2) Get the names of those NGOs rights groups people who are whining over this.  When the next riot comes, put them on the front line. We'll have fun seeing what happens next.

Useless to use real India Indians for show in pretend riot practice. Use SG people with real plans and real strategies.   First of all, you don't have enough manpower.  And what you have, are not trained.

Next time, it may not be India Indians who riot. And it may be bigger. If they all band together and riot at the same time island-wide, you're finished. Just around 400 previously and the police couldn't even handle.

Police chief at Little India admitted they can't cope every weekend. That riot was waiting to happen. Local Indians advise their friends against going to Little India. No longer safe. 

Interview with previous old policeman back in the days where they did everything, he said in those days, those foreigners would never have been able to touch the police cars let alone overturn these vehicles.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/simulation-exercise-involving-foreign-workers-dehumanizing--say-rights-groups-033241404.html

Now I Know Why NBA players look like Crooks

That's because they are.  My analysis of faces has not been wrong so far.

(If you show me a photo of the man/woman you're going to marry, I would be able to tell you what to expect. If you're having trust issues with someone and show me his/her photo, I would be able to tell you whether to trust this person or not.).

I'm watching a video on Kobe Bryant giving a free lesson (tips) to a Time interviewer on the court.  And one of the tips Kobe gives is to pin the interviewer's left (strong) hand with his own so that the ball slips off the interviewer's weaker (right) hand and Kobe then grabs it.

When the interviewer asks how Kobe gets away with it, Kobe says "it's too fast" "too quick" (to be seen by the referee).  Bloody hell. Dirty tricks. What fair play?

My question is, why don't the opponent inform the referee?  With the tip off, will the referee then watch more closely and stop this?

Turns out the anime Kuroko no Basuke is true to life. Wow. These people really do such things. As long as the referee doesn't see...

I don't know how a person can be completely happy and proud winning by such methods.  That win is tainted.

I swear that I don't know who Kobe Bryant is until I watched videos of him shooting and then a documentary.  I've only been into basketball these few days.  I only know the name Michael Jordan but it's only now that I take a good look at his face.

First impression of Kobe Bryant's face when I first had a good look on screen (before that Time video):  A clean/honest-looking face, symmetrical (attractive like Michael Jordan), his eyes seem honest. But there is something behind that face and those eyes that you might want to hold back on. However, it is still possible to risk putting a trust in him to test him out (for say, maybe you need him to do something for you).

First impression of Michael Jordan when I first had a good look on screen just now:  The face of a brute. Handsome. But a bad face. Not someone to be trifled with.  Like a drunk that sees only red. Not someone I would like to meet.  Aggression is written on his face. Low tolerance.  Bad temper and liable to be violent.   Based on an instructional video, he is definitely very calculative in his manoeuvres, more so than Kobe Bryant.  I would say he is a more forceful and stricter personality than Kobe Bryant. I don't know if he also uses dirty tricks to score but I won't be surprised if he doesn't (his face is a predominantly brutish face with no apparent undercurrent of underhandedness.). 

The NBA DUNK! Truth & Facts *smiles* *and smiling*...

I love this video. Thanks to Kuroko no Basuke (anime),  I'm into basketball these days & I thought dunks are one of the important things to learn or excel at. Watching the NBA dunk contest (where one of them even blew out the candle on a small cake on the seat of the hoop while dunking) affirmed it.  

But here in this video, I'm happy to know that dunks are actually ... for players who can't shoot even when it's a free throw and they are tall and big. It's a total bummer just watching them miss and they feel the same way too. Indeed, it's Inconceivable.  (I love Princess Bride also).

While watching, I wondered if this person was jealous of people who can dunk? A case of sour grapes?  As I watched the end where he shows the proof of dunkers being bad at free throws... I think I believe him.  (Why didn't he mention Michael Jordan? Did I miss it?)

Nevertheless, it's nice to be able to dunk even if it's like spinning the ball on your finger -- just for showing off.

Incidentally, why do basketball players look like crooks? They have very bad faces.

(I was looking for how to increase jump height. Little educational info so far until I came upon this video).

Sim Lim Square Tourist Vietnamese Man Refund

What a farce!

A man walks into a shop of his own free will. Attempts to buy an iphone and is conned. So?

Does this mean that every time a man or woman walks into a shop and gets conned, he/she gets crowdfunded???

Then might as well crowdfund for those aunties and uncles who also got conned buying fake jade from roadside stalls or got conned giving money to suspicious persons!

He was scammed, not robbed. Know the difference. Scammed means he had time to think through his options before deciding to part with his money. The choice was his own.  How can other people compensate him for a decision that he made poorly?

Even if he was robbed, there is also no need to raise funds for him.  

It's an iphone for shit's sake. A luxury item. A gift for that Vietnamese man to impress his girlfriend. You want to help such a wimpy and stupid man impress his girlfriend who will be breaking up with him anyway?

A man (or woman) who kneels has no pride.  For money (and just some few hundreds), he threw away his pride so easily and begged on his knees. On top of that, he's stupid.  That's why the Sim Lim shop owner/s laughed at him. In a war, such a wimpy begging man will be shot point-blank or beheaded. 

If foreigners had donated $15,000 to that Vietnamese man, I don't care. But if Singaporeans donated, then Singaporeans are mad & stupid.

Instead of helping your own SG people with the money, you give to foreigner. 

So many poor Singaporeans don't even have enough food to eat, no place to stay.  Singaporeans who need medical help but can't pay.   (When I say "Singaporeans", I mean the true blue ones. Not those new citizen or foreigner-I-was-born-here shit.).

Yet here is this so-called Singaporean who gives this foreigner an iphone6! And when that foreigner declines,  Kang Kang says $15,000 is all expenses paid trip in Singapore!

And that $15,000 is not even his to give. It's other people's money through crowdfunding.  This is the greatest fool of a Singaporean man I have ever read. If he is even Singaporean with a surname like that. Gabriel Kang. "Kang Kang" (empty in Hokkien). https://sg.news.yahoo.com/campaign-raises-almost-15-000-090243409.html

Real democratic countries know that SG is fake. So what "damage" to SG's image is there with Sim Lim Square? Tourists just won't go there. Simple. What for crowdfund to help a foreigner? All for show. Can't even think for yourselves.  Can't even help yourselves. And want to show off by helping a foreigner.

Why don't you crowdfund for me? I was robbed $100 by a foreigner.

Based on recent articles, the Vietnamese are actually even more patriotic & united than Singaporeans when it comes to going against foreigners. China & Japan are also more patriotic & united than Singaporeans. Even Hong Kong is more united than Singaporeans.

Singaporeans are an embarrassment.  They treat their own people badly whether in the office or elsewhere.  I don't know if Singaporeans have always been like this many years ago or a recent thing.  But many bad attitudes that I have come across as a Singaporean, have been from other Singaporeans.

It seems natural to assume that Singaporeans should treat other Singaporeans well, but that's not the case. In fact, it's the opposite.

Singaporeans "pity" foreigners very well.  But when it comes to interacting with their own people, Singaporeans show their really ugly side.  Proof?  One is right here! => Woman with guide dog injured after taxi driver refuses to ferry them  (This poor woman has been suffering the ugly side of Singaporeans so many times).

I used to be angry that Singaporeans are being "bullied" by foreigners & the government. By as I realize, I can't side with Singaporeans anymore. Singaporeans are more and more stupidly ridiculous. Too much iphone??

Update on 65daigou (Review)

2016 review: http://therevolutioner.blogspot.sg/2016/01/65daigou-goofs-up-again-at-start-of.html

(Update Wed 22 Jul 2015: Check out my guide on how to pick good Taobao sellers! http://therevolutioner.blogspot.sg/2015/07/how-to-pick-good-sellers-from-taobao.html).

-------------

Have they improved since my last reviews 3 years ago?  Not much.

Their speed has always been the same.  So, this is not a factor for consideration in this updated review. The difference now is that they also proxy for Taiwan and USA.

Even after 3 years, they still piss me off.

Due to negative changes in Peeka recently, I had to switch to 65daigou for the first time in 3 years.  Since then, I have continued to purchase 7 times through 65daigou.  So, can't say that I didn't give them chance.

This 7th time, I went to collect my sandals from Tanjong Pagar "warehouse" and this fat woman who looks like a housewife with acne scars, black-rimmed glasses and tied hair was rude.

It's always different people at the counter and usually they don't ask for handphone number.  I just need to tell them my username and it's fine. Also, with other people around, customers should not be made to say out their handphone numbers (this is customers' right to privacy).

This time, the moment I told this woman my username, she insisted on having my handphone number. I said I can't quite remember (it's an old number that I don't use anymore). She sunk her chin down to three layers thick, making a shitty face of doubt while looking at her ipad.

I said I had already paid for the remainder amount (I usually don't pay first but there was excess in my prepay and 65daigou automatically deducted).

It took her longer before she finally moved to get my item while saying, "That's not the point.".  Then what is the point, shithead?  Are you implying that for just a pair of sandals, I am pretending to collect someone's item? Don't be stupid.

When she got it out, her face showed that she knew I was super unhappy. What should have been a quick and easy collection became so shitty.

If 65daigou wants customers' to announce their phone numbers to everybody, it should always be done. Why does it fluctuate depending on the staff at the counter? Second, why in the first place should customers have to announce their phone numbers? Since username is acceptable, then this is enough.

A customer should not have to jump through hoops, even a little one, to get their already paid-for items. It's sickening.

Furthermore, if it weren't for their mess up regarding a 2nd item I wanted, I wouldn't even have ordered this pair of sandals.

This rudeness was on top of a wrong handling that they had earlier done. Therefore, I am fed up again with them.

I had originally wanted to order this pair of sandals together with a 2nd item. But 65daigou sent this message in lousy English without even a "Hi" or capital letter at the start (reflecting the sloppy and disrespectful attitude despite the "Pls" and "TKS").

electronics it's cannot be shipped via express/economy air shipment.You can choose sea or Sensitive air shipment instead.  Pls let us know your choice. TKS.

This 2nd item has an electric pump (that I chose forgetting that batteries and anything electrical can't be airmailed out of China). It's not "electronics". It's an electrical device.

Their so-called Sensitive air shipment is actually very expensive, as I discovered earlier when ordering a pair of Nike shoes. So, I didn't want to use Sensitive air.  Neither did I want to use Sea since it's slow.

So, I said I change it to hand pump. And since the hand pump version is cheaper than the electrical pump version, I told the person to refund the difference into my prepay.

The next message I received:

 Cancelled as requested

At this point, I was pretty shocked. I said change it to a hand pump and refund the remainder/difference. How is that translated as "cancel"?  Moreover, I didn't "request" it.

I checked my prepay. And here's another problem.  The refund was short of $1.06.

I went into chat and Bernard said the cancelled amount had been correctly refunded. The sandals however, are not cancelled.  He was polite but didn't explain or know(?) where that missing $1.06 went. I had to figure it out myself.

Turns out, $1.06 is the domestic delivery cost of the sandals.  Bernard should have said so.

I asked whether economy air was Ok if I got the hand pump version of that cancelled item. Here's his reply:

This shouldn't even be necessary. How can it go back to square one? Bernard should have been able to answer my simple question. Yet he didn't know.

The person placing my order should have done as I requested, that is, change it to a hand pump and refund the difference. Instead my order was cancelled with no information.

The order has not yet been placed. Why can't the person order the hand pump version instead of cancelling? Even if the order is cancelled and I have to re-order again (for the hand pump), why didn't the person say so in the message? Just rudely cancelling the order means that the person don't understand English, or the person is just plain shitty, or both.

With 65daigou having such staff with attitude problem, I didn't re-order.  And therefore, was left with just the sandals.  I wanted to cancel the sandals too, but it had already been sent out by the seller.

Before this incident, here are other things:

  
1) They never listen to instruction. I tell them to bubble wrap certain items, but they never do. The items come boxed, but the fact is that they don't bubble wrap for any item unless the sellers do it on their end.

When I used to order from Peeka, every item was very well bubble-wrapped specially by Peeka, even when I didn't tell them to. On Peeka's own discretion, they will bubble-wrap the item if there's a chance of damage.

I don't dare to buy glass objects from 65daigou at all. With 65daigou's shoddy way of handling items, there is a high chance of breakage.

2)  Shoddy, shitty attitude. My first purchase was a pair of authentic Nike running shoes (expensive). I asked them to check that the size was correct. When it arrived, I saw that the wrapping paper had been squashed under the shoes. It looked like the shoes were just dumped or shoved back into the box. Apparently, the size had been checked. Why couldn't they wrap the paper around the shoes nicely back after checking?  It's like, "You want us to check? Sure, we check." Checks and dumps back into the box.

They take no pride in what they do or how they present customers' items.

3)  I ordered a Japanese aquarium filter. Transparent plastic and dome-shaped.  A little gravel at the base with filter material already inside. The box is thin.

I gave instructions to have the item bubble-wrapped to prevent scratches on the filter or breakage. Also, to check that the item is the same as shown in the seller's photos with gravel and filter material already inside.

When it arrived, there was no bubble wrap inside or outside. When I took it out of the box,  the plastic casing was already badly scratched/scrapped down the side. The filter also looked old as if it was a display piece.  Why didn't 65daigou check it first before sending it to me? The seller clearly sent me a bad item and 65daigou accepted it. I was really unhappy.

4) I ordered a pair of sandals (a different one from the one I mentioned earlier). The straps were supposed to be white as shown in the seller's photos. But in a very surprising unprecedented moment, 65daigou took a photo for me without my asking when they received it at their China warehouse and asked if this white color was acceptable. Since it looked the same as the seller's photos, I replied that if the size is correct, I accept it.

When it arrived, the color of the straps was actually dirty yellow off-white. I couldn't wear it out because of such a poor color.  Why didn't 65daigou warehouse staff tell me that it's a dirty yellowish-type of white? Their photo showed white and their message said:  (notice again the horrid English)

hi we received ths items ,be informed the seller now the white color is this pls check it ,kindly advice if you are ok to accept tks 

"the white color is this"?? But it's the same as the seller's photos. If they had said that it was not white at all, I would have requested them to return it.  Can't believe that even sending a simple photo, 65daigou can mess up. 

-------
Latest update Thurs 15 Jan 2015: http://therevolutioner.blogspot.sg/2015/01/65daigou-review-taobao-shopping-service.html

Humans are so easy to Con. What's the matter with these people?

Check out this video that I happened to come across. 

Pranksters serve McDonald's to organic food experts.

Two Dutch pranksters fool food experts into believing McDonald’s food is a healthy, organic snack.  Sacha and Cedrique go to a branch of the famous fast food restaurant and stock up on hamburgers and muffins which they carefully prepare to look like canapes. They then head to a health food convention in Houten, the Netherlands where they proffer the snacks to unsuspecting attendees who provide some amusing feedback. “Tastes like fish, reminds me of cod, rolls around the tongue nicely, if it were wine I'd say it's fine” says one man after sampling some Fillet-0-Fish. Summing up their findings at the end of the video, Cedrique exclaims: “If you tell people that something is organic, they'll automatically believe it's organic!”

"The tomato's been here for at least a year.". I don't know if they got the food out of the trash bin or they purchased. If they got it from the trash, they should be brought to court together with the food convention organizer who allowed them on the floor without checking credentials first.

https://sg.screen.yahoo.com/newsflare-sg/pranksters-serve-mcdonald-39-organic-130000690.html

Kuroko's Basketball (Kuroko no Basuke) Season 1/2/3

Ahh... I can't believe I have to wait till next year 2015 to watch the 3rd season of this fabulous, FAbulous anime!!!!!!!!

It's been a long time since I've been this excited over an anime. I want to go Buy a basketball right now and start hooping!!!!!!!  I don't care if I'm not a member of the Generation of Miracles!!!!! I just want to DUNK!!!!  I don't care even if I Can't Dunk!!!!!!! I just want to play!!!!!!!!!!

That's how crazy excited I have been feeling ever since I started watching Kuroko no Basuke!! I take it that for Season 3 now, I have to read the Shonen Jump manga?  aAHhhhhh.... what a long wait for the anime!!!  I can't wait. Draw faster. Ink faster. QUICKER!!!! While it's still a hot, Hot game playing in my head!!!!

Bro asked earlier tonight while we were playing on my bed, "Why you suddenly want a basketball?".  He glances at the anime opening playing on my laptop. "It's because of that anime. If you didn't watch it, you wouldn't need to buy one.".

I don't care!! I want one! "The only problem is... I'm afraid I might play a bit and then stop." I said.

"Not 'might'. You will.". he replied.

Ah, damn. He has a high possibility of being right. I lose interest very quickly. That's why the price of a basketball at $24+ (that he helped me to check at Giant Supermarket) is slightly expensive... He's already foreseen it. "When you don't want it anymore, where are we going to put that ball?".

I don't care. Right now, I want a basketball. I intend to try hooping it alone in the nearby basketball court when it's empty... although it's surrounded by housing flats and it would be embarrassing if I practiced and missed... that's the part that I'm afraid might stop me from continuing.

Well, I don't care. Not for now.

"Basketball is boring." Bro said.

"No, it's not. I played before. It's fun.". I said.

KUROKO no BASUKE!!!!!!!!! I LUV you!!! I love Kuroko!!! The excitement, the tension, the unexpected every time they play!!! The close calls!!!! Unbelievable.

The artwork is superb, the characters' faces at every angle are consistent, the fast movements are drawn so well and clear.  The anime must have cost a lot to make.

I love the details in the plotting, no holes. Nothing left out. Amazing.

The only flaw ... is that it pushes the limits of normal basketball rather much, more and more towards the realm of anime towards the end of season 2.

I don't watch real basketball, but Ignite Pass? Vanishing Drive. Overflow? Meteor Jam? The Zone with sparks coming out of their eyes and strange aura radiating off their bodies. Ball and players that appear to vanish due to "mis-direction"?

Is that humanly possible? 

I do know that it is possible to shoot and goal from behind the board.  Could it be he had watched this anime??  https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/how-on-earth-did-he-score-from-there-080140960.html

With a great anime like this, it's hard not to grab pics!!  I've overloaded my desktop by saving these:

From Season 2:

Last episode:  With his hair tied (I've been wondering why don't he tie up that messy purple hair), Murasakibara in a bad mood looks like Hijikata-san. ^_^ So sexyy...  

I don't get why they draw these unattractive marks on his face. Wrinkles while he's crying? Dirt?

I love his crying voice. Seiyuu? *checks* Ah! Kenichi Suzumura. Married to Maaya Sakamoto. I know him from Maji Love.  I know Maaya Sakamoto from Wolf's Rain in which I loved her voice singing the theme songs.

I love this part.  He smacks away his captain's hand (behind) and waves him off while crying. I really love his voice when he's crying here. It's so full of bitter, painful hurt. For such a prideful man, it's surprising that he should cry like this.

Episode 21:  See how Murasakibara towers over Kuroko: One-on-one.

 

To be continued...

Let's Take the Wind (Arrogance) Out of China's Sails! US Taking Back Manufacturing!

At last! The moment that I've been wanting! That actually, has been going on quietly for a while already. The US is switching things back to the US.

As everyone already knows, China is only good for... nothing. They used to be great at making clothes that last and toys. Back then, nobody knew about lead-painted toys. Now, they are even bad at what they used to be good at.

Bro always says China can't even make a light bulb that meets standards. They don't take instructions and do whatever they like. "How can companies even trust them to make airplanes??!".

China has nothing to be proud of.  Their glory days of the Tang dynasty are over. When their ideas and inventions used to inspire the world, are over.  Bro says, "Now, they make garbage and send them all over the world.".

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/manufacturing-moving-china-us-survey-065217729--finance.html

More than 70 percent cited better access to skilled labor as a reason to move production to the US, more than four times as many who cited it for moving production away from the US.

about 75 percent said the move provided local control over manufacturing processes and improved quality and yield.

Even according to their own China designer based in Italy, they don't have the technology to make fine fabrics. They can sew but that's about it.   http://news.yahoo.com/fashion-made-china-fine-everyone-chinese-191950678.html

"The quality, for making the clothes, the basic sewing, is no problem in China," she says.

"But for the fabric it is 100 percent from Italy. For the material I have to say that China is not yet at the level. 

One Italian guy says:  "In these things, it takes centuries to arrive at a certain level.".

China wants to make everything for money, but they are nowhere anywhere. Why do companies even bother giving anything to China to make?

Fur Farms, Fox Fur, Burberry

I had to check the date of the article three times to make sure it was 2014 (yes, 20 October 2014, today's date). Didn't they ban real fur in the fashion industry years ago?  The ad where a model wearing fur trailed blood down the fashion runway?

2014 and still at it?? So primitive, this EU.

Good thing I don't like Burberry. So boring. Still checkered all these years.

The article does not state which markets the finished products or fur are being sent to. The largest importer?

When it comes to stopping such companies and farms, there is only 1 quicker way.  Don't bother writing petitions, don't bother discussing.  While petitioning, discussing or creating awareness, these farms are killing.

Just get assassins, remove key personnel. Or get guns & do like what Greenpeace does with illegal whaling vessels.  Terrorism should be put to better use here.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/when-i-grow-up-im-going-to-be-a-fur-collar-burberry-under-fire-from-animal-rights-group-9804778.html


  

Why I Won't Buy from Tokyu Hands SG (Westgate Review)

なぜ私はウエストゲートショッピングモールシンガポールで東急ハンズから購入することはありません。

I have been to Tokyu Hands in Japan (Shibuya) & it's 3 or 4 floors. Very big & sells almost everything including DIY pieces of wood (like Daiso) & hardware items (at rather expensive prices).  At that time, I never heard of Tokyu Hands.  I was desperately looking for a bag/luggage & happened to see the store. 

Bought a black, business-like haversack that cost around SGD 80, the cheapest among the several black bags available there at the time & it's been excellent quality. Very soft material yet firm with many useful & easy compartments.  Definitely a man's bag. No frills, just simple & stylish practicality.  Just the right size and surprisingly spacious and flexible when things inside expand it.

In Singapore however, Tokyu Hands has only been small, limited-time floor spaces that sell very expensive cosmetics, skincare, unimportant personal care & household items.

So when I finally saw that they were going to open at Westgate, I waited to see how small it was going to be & what they were going to sell. The single floor didn't look promising.

About 2 weeks after they opened (I wanted to be there when they opened but missed it), I dropped by & selected some soap. Total = $43. But I never bought them because of the very rude cashier. An old man called Mak with strange skin (I was a little concerned about him handling my items).

Last I saw, he is still cashier there (even though I phone-called the Japanese manager to complain).  If he happens to be rude to you or disrespectful to your purchases, by all means, tell him off on the spot & inform the manager.

As long as he is still a cashier there, I won't be stepping into the store. Tokyu Hands can forget about getting a cent from me.

As I told the Japanese manager on the phone, there are many people they could have hired. Why hire such a rude old man? (My thoughts: Did he pull strings to get in? Is he related to them in some way? Is it that hard to find better Singaporean applicants?).

After calling the manager, I let it pass. But every time I pass by there after that, I feel quite upset.  I didn't get the bars of soap that I wanted. And that man is still there.

I kept telling myself I have to talk about it here, but I always let it pass.

Before they opened, I already knew of these soap bars and was considering buying them online. But once shipping fee is added, the total price is unreasonably high.  So when I saw Tokyu Hands carried the soap bars that I have been wanting, I was really happy & put a few into my basket.  But ended up upset at  the cashier counter & had to let them all go. All because they hired the wrong person to stand at the cashier counter.

He does nothing but talk to the young cashiers there. And speaks rudely to customers.

While being rude to me, he went on being rude to a male customer who was holding a tap. As that male customer was unsure where to queue, he stood ahead of us & very gently placed his tap on the counter. (I was wondering why don't he buy it from a regular store that would be cheaper?).

That old man Mak said to him in a rude and loud tone, "Are you buying? Are you buying?".

For a moment, the customer seemed rather taken aback and didn't know what to say. But then he spoke quietly, "Yes.".   (He should have scolded that man.).

The Japs in Singapore have very poor hiring ability. Daiso, Japanese restaurants (example: CocoIchibanya) & now Tokyu Hands. They seem to hire anyone who drops by.

For the bars of soap I wanted, the moment I saw that old man cashier,  I was reluctant to go to the counter.  Just a feeling from the look of his face.  Turned out I was right.

1) He handled the soap bars without looking at how he was handling them. To him, they are just soap bars, even though they are expensive.  He impacted them against the counter-top, dropped them rather carelessly into the bag.

2)  When there was a problem swiping our card, he said that it was our fault. I said, "We just came from Tim Ho Wan and it was fine.".  He argued that his machine has been doing fine.

3) When Bro said he will go to withdraw from the ATM and I said I will remain at the counter, he stretched out his hand and demanded in the rudest voice that I return the bag of soap bars.

4) When I gave it, he took it from me and set it aside on the other side of the counter and kept watching it while I stood there. 

5)  After a while of watching him with displeasure, he seemed to realize it and was red-faced for whatever reason.  The more I stood there, the more it became meaningless to buy.  So I walked off.  $43 saved while Tokyu Hands lost $43.

When I returned home, I called the Japanese manager to the phone. He seemed to politely understand my English and said he will speak to the man.  But nothing seems to have been done since that man is still there behaving as if nothing happened whenever I look in while passing by. (I don't expect him to be fired, but I won't be stepping in either).

That man should be thankful he has this job at his age.  Yet he is rude and has no respect for customers' expensive purchases.  As he is old, such things are just things to him, as if he is bagging items in a market.

At $43 for just a few bars of soap,  I expect the cashiers to handle my purchases well. Even if it's just a $1 item, I want respect for my purchase.  If you cannot do that, then you don't deserve my money. Tokyu Hands.

(Anyway, bro says the household things they sell can be found at other places for cheaper.  As for my soap... I have to give them up, even though the Japanese manager apologized and said in English on the phone at the end, "Please come back again.").

It doesn't matter anymore, Tokyu Hands. Keep that man Mak. Whether he is there or not,  I think I'm not going to care anymore.  I just won't be stepping into your store. 

Is an ADA tank perfect?

I thought it was. But no.  Fed up of seeing 5mm, 6mm & thicker glass from China websites,  I was looking for an answer on how thick an ADA tank glass is when I came upon this online review:

I've read of the perfection of the seams/silicon (some guy on a forum said the Japanese ADA has a man removing excess silicon by hand/razor & that's why the high cost),  but this is the first time I am reading that  "almost all of the ADA cube gardens" bows.

From the photos, you can see the ADA tank glass has a blue side rather than green. It's not completely white as many China tanks that try to copy ADA. If it's all white, the tank will have a dead plastic look (from China reviewers' photos). So far, I've not seen a China tank glass look close to this blue:

http://www.projectaquarium.com/plantedAquariumReviews_ADACubeGarden.aspx

Incidentally, the link that the writer gives for where he gets his "ADA planted aquarium supplies" doesn't work.

Flower Grandpa Investigative Team/Grandpas over Flowers (Korean Drama) & Kuroko's Basketball

I'm only watching it because of this guy:

Looking good in white gloves here.  Looks like Sebastian (Black Butler anime).  Sexxyy...  But apart from this shot, the hair doesn't match well with his face.

Unfortunately... he & the other young guys turn into old men right into episode 1.

Well, then nothing left to watch, right? Who wants to watch old men? As usual with many Korean dramas, it starts out interesting but falls apart at the start with too much irrelevant jarring family arguments & talk.  Not enough main action. Too loose.

The reasons for the successes of Faith & My love from Another Star, are their attractive characters, tight plotting, surprising events & interesting situations.

Grandpas over Flowers is boring.  I don't think I can continue with Ep 2...

Actually, come to think... they should have done it the other way. Start out as old men but end as young men. So viewers will be held in suspense to know how handsome they really are. Which means, the story should start ... where they fall into that tank... 

Nahhh... it still means viewers end up watching a lot of the old men.  Therefore, this drama actually can't be done.  Yes I know Hollywood picked it up (?) but these days they pick up anything.

It's comedic in a way, but there's a limit to how far it can go.  I thought they would overlap the young faces over the old men so the viewer will know who is who. But so far, nothing. It's just elderly men.

*goes back to watching Kuroko no Basuke*    [I didn't think I would be interested in an anime about basketball & with so many episodes (there's even a season 2) ... but turns out to be good so far. I got to know this anime by accident.  Saw their handsome faces on the Gatcha machine that sells their keychain figurines at Toys R Us Vivocity. Wondered which anime it was.  Clearly it had something to do with basketball... went home to check online under images for "basketball anime". Viola! Found it.

Usually seiyuus come first for me: I'll only watch if the seiyuus I like are in an anime. But this time, the handsome characters & story are great even with seiyuus that I don't know for many of the main cast & don't really wish to check-and-match seiyuu to character.  Shinichiro Miki is there but minor character only. When I hear his voice, I need to watch Hakuoki.  I can't get past him playing Hijikata-san.  His voice so perfect.]

By the wayy.... Jimmy Lin is looking good here even after so many years! Pretty damn amazing! How ... What... did he do with his skin?? It's positively glowing like those Koreans! (Korean make-up artist?).  It's impossible. (Wait, how old is he in this photo? Checking... Wiki... 38. Oh.. married... to ... Kelly Chen? The Kelly Chen? The one who sang Eyes on Me?... *checks out her pic* It's another Kelly Chen...not pretty. Who is she?)

Wasn't he scruffy in Wolf (movie with the fabulous-looking-at-that-time Ambrose Xu)??

Well now (2012 Asian Idols), he looks like this: (unfortunately, very small-sized. I didn't know he was so small-sized. But at least he's still famous or even more famous/popular than the vanished Ambrose Xu who is/was my favourite guy of all time for the longest time.)

I love the first pic the most. He always had this sideways smile that he tried making it look sexy on screen... but here, he looks good with it. Very nice. I also didn't know he was so ... talented (from what Felix Wong said in the Asian Idols video.) .  He has become good-looking over the years while it's the reverse for many actors.

From the video, I see he has become natural, at ease & smooth in front of the camera compared to the past.... But when he later sings, his voice cannot match Jay Chou's.  His voice is still nice, nostalgic quality, but... hollow.

 

 

Aquatic Avenue - The Aquarium Specialist (Review) (Redhill SG)

Dishonest. Untrustworthy.

If you are new, don't be tempted to buy. If you have been buying, beware:  when you meet with their dishonesty, you'll kick yourself for having bought from them so many times.

On separate occasions:  2 instances of absurd pricing methods that no other shop does. 1 instance of attempted con. 1 instance of successful deceit & con.

For the sake of gaining $1 or $2, they deceive & offend the customer.  Not only do they lose the customer, they lose their reputation.  Not smart.

We predict the shop will last only 1 year or less. I give them a year. Bro says "less than", "a few months". This prediction hasn't changed since the beginning when we first went to check out the place.

1) Dishonest
2) Money first, even if it means losing customers.
3) Disrespect for customers
4) The business owners have no interest in what they are selling 
5) Internal conflict. Divided interests.
6) Don't know how to do real, practical business.
7) Don't know how other aquarium shops do their business.

It's good I see their ugly side earlier so that I can stop buying sooner.  I won't go into their shop again.

Luckily, I didn't order any aquarium tank from them.  Almost tempted to, but their price is high for ordinary-looking "crystal" glass. Their glass imported from Taiwan has a strong green tint.  It is clear & transparent but not low-iron. Definitely nothing near ADA.  It's a lie that "customers come here admiring the quality of our tanks.".  If it's not a lie, then these customers aren't well-informed & therefore susceptible to con.

Since the beginning, I noticed another thing. It seemed rather minor at first but it kept bugging me.  Regarding customer service. I won't elaborate so the shop will remain disadvantaged.

Additionally,  their aquatic plants have snails. Surprising since I expected their plants to be better than the C328 shop at Clementi (The plants I bought from the lady have no snails).

Bro says Aquatic Avenue is a combination of "green and greed". Green because they don't know what they are doing.


Details: 

There are 3 owners:

Gabriel: Beady eyes, glasses.  28 or 29 years old.  Looks like a China man.  Immature mentality & small-minded. Dishonest face.  The first time we saw him, we guessed he was dishonest. This has been proven. A person's character is written on the face. This was true during Shakespeare's time & still holds true now.

He sets the prices (improvises whenever he likes) & acquires the stock for the shop.  

In his own words, he is not interested in what they are selling. Has no respect or love for the aquatic life he is selling. He's only selling them because they are popular.  Has no patience at all with what he calls the "livestock".  Very rough handling of the fishes & finds it a chore.

To him, shrimps & cultivated fishes are "bastards".

Only interested in being at the cash register where he can improvise his prices.

If an item costs less than a rounded amount of currency given to him, he will improvise to avoid giving change. The same as some hawkers who take $50 but don't come back with the change & pretend to forget or deny they received $50 (there used to be many complaints about them).   

I was very shocked by the way he handled the fishes that I asked him to catch for me.

He used a big net, chased the fishes, scooped them together with another species of fish together with moss and duckweeds. Then he lifted the net out of the water & under the blindingly white light over the tank, used his fingers to carelessly throw out those not needed.  This means the fishes were unnecessarily exposed to dry conditions & very bright light for a rather long time.  His fingers then held the net surrounding the remaining fish that was dropped into the pot of water.

(I have never seen anyone use such a destructive method towards their own fishes & shrimps in any shop I went.).

By then, the fishes were so stressed after being caught that they floated upside down & appeared dead in the pot of water.  I was very concerned that being so stressed, the fishes would die when I brought them home.  Also, I am paying for these fishes. Therefore, he should be careful with the customer's purchase. Yet his behavior was appallingly immature.

When I mentioned their stress level, he joked, "I want them to fear me.".  This is greatly different from when I talked to Ronnie at Green Chapter.  Ronnie told me, "I take effort to keep them alive." & he wants customers to be able to enjoy the fishes & shrimps for as long as possible. 
 

Jaryl: The guy behind the Facebook replies.  But he won't take the effort to correct you if you mistake him for any of the other 2 guys (dishonest). Neither does he reveal his name when posting in their Facebook.  Only comes into the shop at night (after 8pm) "to count money".  21~23 years old.   Just a student. NUS business course.  He can use his own shop as example for his classroom case-study on "How not to do business.".


Eugene:   Well-liked by kids & adults.  Mr Nice Guy? Not at all. Birds of the same feather flock together. He can't be any better to have joined up with the other 2.

Stiff robotic voice.  Looks like a fish & is somewhat nerdy.  25 or 26 years old.  Spineless. Has no say in the running of the business & is fine with it. Even when he knows that a tank of shrimps has been wrongly labelled, he just lets it be: "they don't want to change it".  His financial contribution to the shop must be the least or zero.

His knowledge is based on reading up (something that anyone can do online & from books). Minimal experience.  The only one genuinely interested in what they are selling. As we already guessed when we first saw him, he is more honest than Gabriel. More often seen in the shop than the other 2.



Absurd pricing methods:

1) I was interested in an aquatic plant. Asked price. Gabriel used scissors to snip about 2.5cm of the plant with only 1 strand of root & said $1.50. I said that's absurd. He said that's the way it's sold. I said how can you sell it like this? He refused to admit that it shouldn't be done this way.

Nobody sells a plant like this. It's either a whole plant or nothing. Which shop sells it by a snip? The food & gutter oil in China must have messed up his brains (he goes there to acquire fishes & shrimps).  Or he was already messed up in the first place.

2) A handwritten piece of paper affixed below the Vietnam Bee shrimps tank says "$3.00 XL/L". Which shop sells it like this?  He thinks he's selling supermarket grey prawns, tiger prawns?

All shops sell aquarium shrimps at 1 price for any size. Even Eugene admitted it since size pricing can be confusing. He said Gabriel refuses to listen & has no interest in shrimps.

In fact, it is unfair to price based on size. The seller can take advantage of any size difference to quote a higher price, which is what Gabriel is doing & did.



Attempted con:

I wanted to buy 1 aquatic plant. The price said $3 and there were 2 pots in the row labelled "Rotala Indica".

When I gave a $5 note, Gabriel said $5. I said the sign says $3. Strangely, he refused to look & insisted it's $5.

I pointed to the sign until he looked. He said it's the wrong plant, it should be the one above which costs $4 (Rotala Macrandra). But above, I saw it was an empty row, just the name of a plant.

If it belonged in the upper tank, why was the plant in the lower tank priced at $3? If it was really a mistake, why didn't they move the plant into the right tank? To this day, the remaining pot of plant is still in the same $3 row.

I was dissatisfied & returned the next day to copy down the scientific names of the $3, $4 & $5 plants & returned home to check online for their photos. It seemed that the plant I chose is Rotala Macrandra (Variegated) & should belong in the upper tank at $4.

It is possible he had mistaken it for the $5 Ludwigia repens "Rubin" (as they look rather alike when bagged).  So, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. However, it was strange that he firmly insisted it was $5 even without looking or checking. Suspiciously, he appeared to be purposely not wanting to look until I insisted. And when he finally looked, said that it was $4.

Just because he saw I held a $5 note in my hand, he wanted it all.  In any case, a $3 labelled plant now became $4.


Successful deceit & con:      Sun 12  5.12 pm


I chose 2 shrimps at $5 each ($10) + 4 Vietnam bee shrimps.

I saw the handwritten note in blue pen below the Vietnam Bee shrimps tank "$3.00 XL/L" & asked Eugene about it. He said he already told Gabriel not to price it like this but that guy wouldn't listen. I said if you guys price it like this, you'll be the only shop to do so. Every shop sets 1 price for a tank of shrimps. Nobody sets a price by size.

Eugene agreed & said he'll just charge me $2 for each.

I chose 4 Vietnam Bee shrimps. Therefore, the total price for the 6 shrimps should be $18.

But at that moment, Gabriel entered the shop. When I was done choosing & asked how much, he said it was $22 (meaning $3 each for the Vietnam Bee shrimp).

I said it's $2x4 Vietnam Bee + $10 for the 2 other shrimps = $18. Eugene who was standing beside him, said to him in Chinese, "I already said you can't do this.".

Gabriel looked unhappy, but told me "$18". I said I will go to withdraw from the nearby ATM (since they don't have NETs).

Just 2 mins later when I returned & handed Gabriel 2 red notes ($20), he said it's $20 if I chose another shrimp. I knew he had overridden Eugene's opinion & had improvised in my absence.

Having agreed on the price of $18, now he's saying it's $20. Just because he saw 2 red notes, he wanted all of it. And despite knowing that I was in a hurry to go & a male customer was choosing from the same small tank, he wanted me to get another shrimp.

When I said I didn't want to spend time choosing another as I was in a hurry, he said, "Are you sure? It's $10 for 5. Only for today. I'll be increasing the price.". What a fraud. 2 minutes ago, he had agreed on the price that Eugene promised me. Now he improvises within 2 minutes. Meanwhile, Eugene was silently attending to a tank, his back facing us with nothing to say.

When I was sure I didn't want anymore shrimps, he said, "Then it'll be $20.". I said, "It's $18, right?". He gave a stinking look & said, "It's $10 for 5." (referring to the Vietnam Bee shrimps).

Unfortunately, as I had handed him the $20, I couldn't walk out. I went to get another shrimp.

Where there should have been $2 change ($18 versus $20), there was now none.

Anyone would have insisted that he honour Eugene's promise of $2 per Vietnam Bee shrimp. From his own agreed price of $18, it became $20 just after I returned from the ATM. (Earlier, it was even $22).

How can this be called an honest business? For the sake of 2 extra dollars, they do this to a regular customer.

Gabriel wanted to price the shrimps to the utmost advantage by charging by size. So, supposedly smaller ones would be $2 each, XL/L would be $3 each. However, this is not how it's normally done in other shops. Knowing this, Eugene said he would charge only $2 each. This price was promised me.

However, Gabriel couldn't accept this. The only way he can accept it, is if he cooks up an impromptu "discount" to make it $2 each. (But "only for today"). If I reject, he would earn an extra dollar each (each would then be $3 as he wanted).

I would say his "only for today" is a lie. As there was only the male customer & myself in the shop, the "discount" would apply only to us. After we leave, the price would increase & nobody would know.

I didn't want to argue with him. Since he wanted the extra $2 so much, fine, take it.   He sounded so pleased that he won.

What a stupid man.

--------
[Compared to Aquatic Avenue's meanness & dishonesty, Polyart uncle at C328 was so nice and generous. When I chose 1 shrimp with eggs for $6, he told me there were baby shrimps in the same tank and caught them for me as well. For $6, I got 1 shrimp with eggs and 6 baby shrimps. Wow.]