Merry Christmas

I still remember the fairy tale my mum told me while I was a kid ~ hang the sock near the window during Christmas eve, Santa Claus will put your Christmas gift in the sock if you're obedient throughout the year. I think I'm pretty obedient for this whole year, so...

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!! =)

冬至快乐!

昨天尝试自制汤圆，但水倒的太多却变成“麻薯”，最终以失败收场。今天只好起早到超市买现成的芝麻汤圆顶替，煮了一锅的黑糖汤圆... 冬至一过,农历新年的脚步就不远咯!

Recycle

Hi, I'm giving away the items below, drop me a email at gordon_bhliew@yahoo.com if you're interested

Self Collection from Woodlands mrt station

1. USB Cup Warmer
- working condition, use it only once or twice
- Heating zone Diameter 75mm
- Heating area temperature about 70'c
- Cable 1.2m

2. Wedding Ring Pillow
- brand new
- H7cm x L17cm x W17cm

Tissue Paper $1 for 3

"Sir, do you want to buy tissue paper?"... I was shocked by the approached not because of this incident as it happens around us almost everyday, it was a lady at late 30's who was trying to sell the packaged tissue paper to me while I was on my way back home after my weeekend "househusband" shopping. I can feel she is so desperate to sell her tissue paper, but still, i rejected her...

During this economic difficult time, it seems getting more and more disable, senior citizen even middle age guy walking around the hawker center, food court, bus interchange to sell the packaged tissue paper. Putting the legal issue aside, I think that just a way of making a living, it's a willing buyer & seller situation. However, it will gradually become a social problem when it's out of control.

Selling tissue paper can be consider as a "retail business" with a minimal cost, no rental & license fee are required. You just buy the cheap tissue paper from the hypermarket or grocery as your initial cost, the price different with your selling price is your margin. It sounds simple, but it's a kind of hard selling strategy and strong competition within this "industry". There are numerous tissue paper seller in a hawker center especially in the peak period. It won't be easy to sell when public are so well trained to reject the approach.

I fell pain everytime I saw the ah ma, ah gong walking around the crowd to sell their tissue paper, some are standing whole day long in the interchange and hope for the better sales. It's such a satire on the current society when seeing ah ma trying their hard sell while the young generation are having thier big feast. Even though the government is trying hard to improve the benefit and life of the older generation, the extend is not comprehensive enough to cover all the people who really need our help.

Exam Over

Exam is finally over... It was my nightmare by going through all the reading and calulation during the exam preparation. The volumn I've read over the past 2 months is definitely exceed what I've read since out from school. It was extremely difficult for me to pick up the momentum and concentrate in reading the heavy and bulky text book after so many years, and it took me more than 2 weeks to get into the momentum.

Library was my 3rd home in the last 2 months, I can even recognise the faces in the library who were there everyday and left on same timing. There are so many activities in the library besides reading, a 50's uncle with a mini laptop camping in the library daily 9am till 5pm just to trade stock market, at 5pm he will take out a small piece of paper to record his archievement for the day and wrap his laptop in a plastic bag and leave about 515pm. Uncle no.2, who always come with big NTUC plastic bag, inside got a big transparent plastic bag with water, the same piece of magazine (to hold the water bag which put on table) and newspaper (to put on his chair), he will just bite a hole on the water bag and suck the water then tighten it back to avoid leaking. There are also any uncle aunties camping in the library for the whole after reading the newspaper, magazine, sleeping, stone-ing...

Anyway, I need much more lucky on my side to create a miracle by passing my exam. Wish me good luck.

Joke of the day

一只鸡到巴刹买肉,为什么他只买猪肉而不买其他的蔬果、肉类呢？
因为鸡只会说:"pork...pork... pork...pork...porke"

Meal for Birthday

Wifey father is crazy for oysters,so both wifey and me decided to give him a surprise during his birthday. Instead of going for the hotels' seafood buffet which will cost us not less than $60 pax, we actually save the budget and have a special mean at home last evening. A combination of roasted chicken, foie gras (actually is duck liver, cheaper), with 1 and 1/2 dozen of fresh oysters.

We got the rock oysters from Culina @ Dempsey, it's extremely fresh and you can even taste the salty sea flavour, serve best with bit of lemon juice and tabasco, it's shiookk... $3.5 each.
This is the leftover shelf, I was busying shuck the oyster and forgot to take the picture
After happily buying the oysters, we realised we still short of the knife for shuck the oysters, and these are our tools...


Tabasco should heal my cough faster >_<

Pan fried foiegras served with sesame baguette from wifey exam's final product and with few lemon zest as topping. It's not as crispy as we imagined, still exploring the way to cook foie gras. We only cook 3 pieces as it just too oily and fatty. Package frozen duck liver in 6 pieces (325gm) @ $45.50

Roasting chicken in frenchzzzzzz style, when mentioning french style means BUTTER... lot lot of butter... It's a simple marination yet it taste heavenly! We marinated the chicken with garlic, butter, salt, pepper for 3 days, remember stuff the butter between the skin and meat, this will make the skin much more crispy after roasting.
This is my first time using the rotating function on my 小黑
Roast it for 45 mins in about 175'c and let it cool down for 10 mins, apply the sauce over the chicken, then continue to roast it for about 15 mins with 200'c.
For the sauce, heat up the sauce pan in medium fire, put in about 1/3 cup of soy sauce, after fragrant is out, pour in 1/3 cup of water, let it reduce to half then whisk in the butter, yes butter again. You can left some of the sauce to sprinkle over the chicken before serving. For the best taste and enjoyment, use your hand instead of fork, knife...
Final Product

Hamster

This little tiny thing was adoptd few months back from wifey uncle home, her (maybe "his", we still not able to figure its gender) temper is pretty hot and we still dont dare to hold it by hand coz she bites, i still remember she was thrown to to the air (by my self-defence respond) when it bited my finger and not willing to release it, it was really OOoouuucchhh!!! Since then, I dont dare to touch that little thing again... It's wifey's property, which mean she needs to take care of this tiny thing's everything since i still not get used to take care of animal...

How To Eat a Chicken Wing

I used to put the whole chicken wing inside my mouth and let my tongue and teeth do the jobs before spitting the clean bones out from my mouth. What's your way of eating a yummy chicken wing? Here is another solution for you to finish a chicken wing neat and clean. Errrmmm... I'm atually still prefer my way of eating, it taste better to me... =)

SPH - CIMB

One for the future

More light on Clementi bid

Maintain Neutral and S$4.38 target price; further underperformance could provide buying opportunity. We earlier believed that SPH’s bid price of S$2,797psf for a Clementi mall site represented a hefty premium over comparable malls. Since then, SPH’s share price has weakened. The large premium it put in over the secondhighest bid (42% premium) meant that SPH was unlikely to lose the tender. Thus, it was not much of a surprise when SPH announced that it has won the tender. Given its recent share-price underperformance, we believe further downside is limited. In an analysts’ briefing yesterday, SPH took great pains to explain the rationale for its bid, conveying its optimism on the Singapore property market and making it clear that it intends to own attractive infrastructure to ride on Singapore’s population growth and/or undertake future residential development projects. No change to our earnings estimates for now as contributions from the mall are expected only further out. Our sum-of-the-parts target price remains S$4.38.

The details. SPH teamed up with NTUC for a joint bid for a Clementi mall site. SPH will own 60% of the venture, NTUC 40%. The bid price of S$542m is for a site with 269,100sf of retail/commercial GFA and NLA of 193,750sf. Part of the difference is accounted by the space occupied by a library (21,250sf) paying concessionary rents. The Housing Development Board will build the core structure and facade, and hand it over to the SPH consortium in Aug 2010. SPH estimates fit-out costs at less than S$40m and expects the mall to start contribution in the first half of 2011. Adjusting for lower fit-out costs, the total consideration could be S$3,003 psf. The pricing still looks steep when compared with Ion Orchard (S$3,800 psf), Bishan Junction 8 (S$2,306 psf), Serangoon Nex (S$2,167 psf), Northpoint (S$2,129 psf) and Causeway Point (S$1,706 psf). Assuming gross rents of S$15psf, net property yield is only 4.8%. In contrast, mainstream landlords were bidding at closer to 6% yields.

SPH explained the bid differential. SPH gave three reasons for its aggressive bid. First, it had wrong intelligence that there was going to be an aggressive bid from a private equity firm. Second, its bid was based on expected rental rates in the future. SPH pointed to the neighbouring mall, CityVibe, where rents topping S$18psf had been achieved. Last but not least, SPH alluded to its ability to secure cheap financing, which can help push up the mall’s overall returns. No details on optimal gearing or cost of debt have been disclosed yet.

How good can it be? The wild card in this whole deal is really financing rates. Assuming SPH does achieve S$18psf rents and full occupancy in 2011, net property yields (un-geared) can rise up to 5.75%. If financing rates are low, effective property returns would look even better. Earlier in the year, REITs were refinancing at spreads of 200-300bp above cost of funds. By August, A-REIT had secured its refinancing at spreads of below 150bp. One could imagine banks pricing spreads for a retail asset with stable cash flow at below 150bp. The 5-year SGS is now about 1.36%. Taken together, the all-in cost of debt could end up at 2.5%-3.0%. Assuming the SPH consortium takes 60% debt for the project and borrows at 3%, the effective rate of returns (on a geared basis) goes up to 9.9%.

The quest for stable yields for ‘excess capital’. SPH’s declared dividends in FY09 amounted to about S$420m. FY10 dividends do not appear to be under threat from this property foray since there will be a similar amount of proceeds coming from Sky@Eleven in FY10. As at end-FY09, SPH had about S$993m worth of investible assets comprising S$299m cash, S$245m long-term investments (bonds) and S$449m short-term investments (equities, including stakes in Starhub and M1). SPH’s 60% share of the Clementi mall implies a share of project costs at about S$350m. Assuming the consortium does borrow up to 60% LTV, SPH would need to set aside S$140m for its equity portion, equivalent to half its idle cash hoard. Cash does not earn much these days, so the move to mobilise cash into retail malls can be viewed positively. We asked management if its dwindling cash hoard would imply an end to SPH’s property investments for now. Management’s answer: its potential property investments are not limited by current cash levels, but are assessed on each project’s expected returns vs. other investments within its S$1bn pool of investible assets. This is all done to provide adequate returns for its excess capital, outside its core media operations. We retain our view that the bid price was not low, but for a company in SPH’s position and given the current environment of population growth and low interest rates, one can understand the move.

Clementi Mall

HDB announced the bidding results of the Clementi Mall on Tuesday. The good news is a JV of SPH (60%), NTUC fairprice (20%) & NTUC Income (20%) is the winner of this project. The bad news is the bid price is closed to 42% higher than the second highest bidder.

Apparently, the bad news has lead the selling pressure on the SPH from Monday closed price $3.89 till current trading range at about $3.71 - $3.73. I think the investor could be over react on the project, specifically the excessive high bid price. By looking at the longer term perspective, the potential of the mall will definitely bring in the the much bigger benefit to the company. According to Knight Farnk, to archieve a net property yield at about 5.5% - 6%, average gross monthly rental of about $18 psf wold be required, while the current best suburban malls is about $15-16psf. I believe it won't be so difficult to archieve the targeted rental if the momentum of the economic is picking gradually until the completion of the mall.

I was complaining about the crowd and inconvenient of Clementi without a decent shopping mall during my NUS time. Hostel students flooded into Clementi town to get their grocery and foods. The demand of a shipping mall is definitely strong and firm.

Clementi mall will be located at the current temporary bus interchange which comprises two basement levels and five storeys above ground. An air-conditioned bus interchange will be on the first level and the third level will be connected to Clementi MRT Station. Fairprice will also operate a supermarket within. The easy accessible to the mall will definitely draw the crowd from others town nearby.

Generally, I'm quite optimistic on SPH with this new project. The company's effort in diversification of the business will definitely beneficial in longer term. besde it's core business in publication & media, the property investment on Paragon is sucessful, its BUZZ pod retail business and investor/financial onine portal seems also expanding at a faster pace now. The return in short-long term investment in M1 and Starhub will be stable too. It's appropriate to increase its capex to explore the higher benefit to the shareholders.

The strong balance sheet, stable dividend payout is attractive. FY09 dividend stood at 25cts (include contributions from Sky @ 11), assuming the same dividend for FY2010, a yield at $3.74 is an decent 6.7%.

Calculate Your Housing Loan in Excel

If you're not familiar with the financial calculater and fancy on how a bank salesperson calculate your housing loan monthly payment in just few pressing on the calcualtor, you may actualy DIY through microsoft excel function.

PMT:
each repayment/instalment amount

Rate:
interest per period of a loan, e.g 5% p.a divide by # payment per year = 5%/12 = 0.00417

NPER:
total # of payment for full tenure, e.g. monthly payment for 30 years = 30x12 = 360

PV (Present Value):
Loan amount

FV (Furutre Value):
For housing loan, ZERO as fully paid up the loan when matured e.g 30 year later.

To find out how much monthly repayment you're paying for a $250,000 30-yrs loan at loan interest of 5% p.a interest? You may key in the formula in the Excel cell.

=PMT(0.00417,360,250000,0)

The answer should be deficit figure of $1,342.05 and this is your constant monthly repayment.

Of course, the function of PMT, PV, FV, NPER are extremely useful in other area such as calculating effective interest rate for regular savings, investment, inflation and your financial planning, etc.

Do spend some time to manage this function, it will be very helpful.

The 5th Basic Taste

I heard wifey mentioned about the fifth taste previously and finally get to know about it from an article on magazine.

When we say the dish was simply delicious, how do we define 'delicious' in more specific way? The biggest contribution on our satisfaction is taste. Through the scientific experiment over the years, we manage to indentify the various tastes receptor on our tongues which are sour, sweet, bitter, salty, plus addition qualities such as spiciness or astringency.

The receptors for each basic taste transfer information to the brain through taste nerves. As a result, we recognize different flavours.

In the 19th century, a japanese professor of science came across a flavour now recognized as an additional basic taste, unami (旨味), produced mainly by the amino acid glutamate.

Generations of food connoisseurs have described the subtle savoury or meaty taste of unami as the foundation for what we perceive as delicious...

Written records show that fish sauce, which is rich in glutamate, was popular among the ancient Greeks and Romans as for back as 2,500 years ago. Soy sauce, another glutamate-rich seasoning, become popular in Japan arounf the 13th or 14th century...


Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umami

Chart Analysis

Pressure on shares price has last for previous whole week, some of my picks seems become attractive based on its price/book ratio and yield. The candlestick charts seems also suporting the move. Price fall below moving average price, RSI, stochatics and MACD all appear oversold status. It might be the time to take up some of your picks gradually.

Currently share price level seems to be more reasonably reflect a company's value, substainability still depend on the investors' emotion rather than the fundamental.

Be gracious!

While in the mrt on my way back home, the conversation of an aunty with another young lady with a series of vulgar words had drawn my attention. Why can't they lower down their 'volumne' with full mouth of vulgar words, i can feel the anger of the aunty through her tone and expression. What can make him so angry?... and this is the story....

There was an incident that both the aunty and a pregnant lady were standing in the same mrt cabin, the aunty took the middle seat when it was available, and the pregnant lady requested that aunty to give up the seat to her.

I don't think the request sound unreasonable while the aunty keep complaining how unreasonable the pregnant lady was by asking her to give up her seat instead of approaching those passengers sitting on the "Reserved Seat"...

"真的是没有脑的!" - this is what that aunty comment on the pregnant lady.

To aunty:
Giving up your seat to those who need it more than you is a common sense, it's a civic virtues actually. Yes, it could be understandable for you to angry with passengers sitting on reserved seats for not giving up the seat to the pregnant lady, but why the innocent pregnant lady who just want to have a seat at her most convenient approach to avoid falling down?

To aunty and inconsiderate people:
Please be more gracious, just a little bit more from you...

Stupid Bird

That stupid bird still at our house when i got back in late evening! Its wings seem injured and not willing to leave! We have no choice but to leave it in the paper box for a night before release it...

Whe the bird seem recovered in the next morning, wifey dad eventually bring the bird to downstair to release it...

You, stupid bird! DON'T EVER COME BACK AGAIN!~ There will be no more mercy...

House Break In

Shit~~ It's really a shit on my pc desk! How dare that stupid bird sneaked into my room and left a trace mark on my table! I curse that stupid bird flying without wing, shit-ing without "kar cheng".. errm.. do they have " kar cheng"...?

While blogging my anger on that stupid bird, I heard a soft water splashing noise from somewhere in the house! Is the culprit still at the scene? Is that stupid bird hunting my little aquarium fish in the living room? I finally found it! That stupid bird get all wet and stuck in my toilet bowl! oh no~ how this stupid thing get stuck there?

The first question appear in my mind: "Is this stupid bird got bird flu?"... No way! I got to think of a best solution... Close the toilet bowl cover, flush it away might be a best solution without expose the risk of bird flu. Of course, this will kill that stupid bird eventually. No, 下不了手ah~! I'm also don't want to get haunted by that bird spirit everytime when I am doing my "big business"... =(

How about call SCDF for help? errmm... I don't want get appeared on tv news because of this stupid bird either!

What to do... I've to DIY again! I put on my mask suppose for H1N1 protection, yes I'm "kiasi", used the dustpan and fishnet to rescue that stupid bird out. While opening the door and prepare going down to ground floor to dump that bird, I saw its wet body was shaking... what should i do? It just a stupid bird who spoilt my lovely weekend!

Out of my mercy on that stupid bird, I end up left that bird on my laundry area to dry up it body with the hair drier with a long long distance.... oppss...
(*** wifey: hair drier is completely sterilize even without close contact with that bird)

You this tupid bird better fly away soonest and DONT EVER COME BACK AGAIN!!! NEVER~

Fail Investment

I sold 2 of my my CPF-OA unit trust fund today to accomodate my hdb downpayment. It look pretty decent for $10,000 initial invesmtnet plus a 5% gain of close to $500. When take a closer look, I'm actually suffer a losses...

I bought the fund 3 years ago, which mean my gain is about 1.67% p.a (i.e 5%/3), this is even lower than the CPF-OA 2.5% interest. If I remained the principle amount with CPF, I would have gained a compounded interest of $769 today.

$769 - $500 = $269 is my actual loss in this particular investment.

I won't blame the bad timing due to the market correction over last few days, without the sudden price drop, I would have recovered my principle plus the interest if I remain the $$$ with CPF.

No regret in selling this investment because it's unavoidable. For investment, the key point still the holding power.

Reits again?

Price for reits seems are getting to their fair value, some of the reits market price already went above its nav, yield are mostly in a range of 5% to 7%, price/book ratio >1 and with high gearing. It seems not too attractive to me anymore when other high yield stocks are offering the similar yield with a healthy balance sheet.

90% distribution of the income for the reit is not a must nowadays. To archieve a better gearing, healthier balance sheet and fulfil the loan convenant, more than 20% of income will be retained to fulfil the truts' need. This means the reduction of DPU and lower yield.

Would the current downtrend be the correction period which just temporarily? Hunting a value stock with a long term prospect still the right strategy.

Investment Link Assurance Charges

Further to the topic on the Investment Link Insurance, let's take a closer look on the assurance charges

Wifey paid $100/month for the sum assured $82k with coverage of Death, Total & Permanent Disability, Terminal Illness and Crisis Cover Provider III ("Protection"). Of course, this $100 will go into purchase of unit trust while assurance and administration charges will be deducted by the insurance company by way of selling your unit in your policy based on market price. Different kind of charges will be imposed on the policy holder indrectly.

Based on the insurance policy booklet provided, for a Female, non-smoker, sum assured $82k, at the age of 56, the montly assurance charges would have exceed $100, which means that from age of 56 onward, your $100 are not sufficient to contra off your assurance charges, you are on the mercy of good unit trust performance and hope the balance units are sufficient to fill up the shortfall.

If another round of financial crisis hits during that period, price of your unit trust fall sharply, and unit deductions are much faster than the initial planned. When tthe time your existing units are fully deducted and your monthly $100 contributions is sufficient for the assurance charges, policy termination, premium increment, sum assurance reduction is the left few solutions for you.

Do you really want to fall into this dilemma?

药丸72粒...

感觉在忙完结婚的事之后身子越来越差，所以决定和一向身体较弱的老婆一起去看那个会骂人的中医!之前看了两回吃了两个星期的药粉、药丸，略有起色！昨天再去看第三回，医生竟然配给我一天三次，每次三种药丸共24粒，哇咾！一天要吃上72粒药丸... "怨枉"咯!... 吞都吞到"笑" ！ :(

Dividend Time

Reits and Trusts have been a major part of my investment portfolio since the financial crackdown down last year. I deeply believe relatively stable yield and grow are still my cup of tea for a mid / long term strategy. October is the month companies releasing their 3Q results, noticed most of the Trusts are reducing their distribution per unit (DPU) despite the improvement in net profit. Cambridge proposed a reinvestment scheme to opt for receiving shares instead of cash as distribution; Pacific Shipping Trust reduced its distributable income to 70% instead of 90%. These steps are necessary to assure the constant growth and improve the balance sheet (gearing) for a trusts, 100% income pay out are not substainable in a long term. Investors should get out from the mentality of high pay out sweet time. The long term growth still the key point to maintain substainable distribution.

Really a Lucky Draw?

While we were doing our window shopping, we got a flyer from a restaurant promoter. My first impression on the flyer is the high cost of the good quality paper while wifey was looking at the lucky draw t&c fine print.




So called lucky winner must collect the price within 10 days from the date of lucky draw (collection on weekend only). Weekend means Saturday and Sunday only, does the "lucky winner" have 10 days grace period to collect the price?

While giving a lucky draw, give it in a generously smarter way.

Speed Up...

Exam is getting closer... Unexpected circumstances have interupted my plan...

Completing the readings seems getting tough for me...

Am i really putting enough time on it?

Promotion Tricks

Can we assume promotion items on the top shelf are the cheapest you can get in the same shop? This is not really the case.

Take the toothpaste i got from NxxC yesterday as example,

(A) 1 piece single monthly special price pack x 250ml @ $3.15 (at the unnoticeable bottom shelf)
(B) 3 pieces value pack x 175ml @ $6.75 (at obvious promotion shelf)

What is your pick?

Here is the per unit (ml) price
(A) $3.15 / (250 x 1) = $0.0126/ml
(B) $6.75 / (175 x 3) = $0.0129/ml

The unit price of the "value pack"(B) is actually higher. We might end up buying more quantity at higher price and also use up the space of the storeroom.

Since both are the same original flavour and the expiry date for (A) is 2012 (not sure about (B)), I don't see the reason to buy (B) which indicating "value pack" on the packaging.

Why GST for Gold?

The weakness on US dollar has once again created another surge on gold price. The possible further weakness on the greenback and the rumours about countries are in discussion about using other currencies and gold rather than US dollars as trade settlements have further pushed up the gold price.

This prompt me a question, why are we charged with the goods & services tax (gst) while purchasing gold since it's considered a kind of 'currency' in trade. The gold is a currency in trade since thousands year ago and countries are considering gold as a payment mode nowadays, I wondering why we're still charged with the gst while there just a exchange of 'currency' instead of purchasing a goods.

Of course, the price of a gold jewellery includes the price of gold and the cost of workmanship, I have no problem to pay the gst for the workmanship, maybe not gold.

Hopefully when gold gradually become another popular mode of international trade settlements, people will realise the right price they should pay for.

易通卡

9个月前当公共交通公司开始更换易通卡的时候，我们看到了一大群极度“Kiasu"的公众涌现在地铁服务柜台更换易通卡。

在这9个月的更换期限中期，柜台似乎门可罗雀！

就在最后更换期限的今天，我们也看到了一大群极度"BoChap"的公众在最后一分钟才来大排长龙更换易通卡...

何苦呢？

还是“排队瘾”再次发作？

不解...

家具送到!!!

家具终于送到啦! 品质还算是及格，不会和之前所看的有太大的出路！总算完成这项重大任务！

我也不必打地铺啦！

老婆，你也是时候开始收拾房子的时候咯！

Wedding Album Collected

Finally collected our wedding album over the weekend... We're very satisfied with the final product and it was higher than my expectation... The feedback from the relative are generally positive eventhough there is a "compliment" which is not really appealing to wifey.. ha ha ha (^o^)'''

Up to current stage, we're still very satisfied with the services by the bridal house and we're definitely recommend it to friends.

Comparing the bridal shooting between Singapore and JB from the album I've seen so far, Singapore bridal houses (BH) have been more creative and lively in outdoor shoot, however the JB BH are catching up too with the wide range of natural scenery available in Malaysia, of course, the couple will suffer with one more round of make up in seperate day shooting for indoor and outdoor (if the location is out of town)... For us, in order to save the troubles in make-up, outdoor shoots are done locally in Sultan Garden within same day as indoor shoot...

For the indoor shoots, I feel like JB BH are definitely putting much more effort in bulting up the background set and custom comparing the plain color background indoor shoot in Singapore. The gown selection are wider as well.

For the price, you definitely won't be dissapointed with the advantage of the exchange rate. The keys point are knowing what you need, stick to the pacackages you have signed for. By adding additional pages and poses in your album migh cost much more than you initially budgeted. Just don't fall into the trap from the BH, try to get as many poses and pages in the album as possible when in negotiation stage, [20'x40'] & [11'x 14'] photo in frame, poster, photos softcopy in cd, photos montage in dvd, family photo in frame, 4R photos and some other freebies are essential.

If time is allowed for you, you may approach the BH during the 7th month of the lunar calender (农历七月) for signing your wedding album package if you are not "bandang" (superstitious), actual photo shooting can be done after that lunar month, this is the typical quiet season for the BH. There normally will be a better bargain from BH in order to keep their business turnover. According to an experienced salesperson from a jewelry shop, she signed the package at a price of more than 40% discount from usual time.

Besides, roadshow is another opportunities for you to seek a better bargain, BH are trying their best to archieve more deals in order to cover their cost for the roadshow. Just don't feel shy to ask for more, it's for the sake of your pocket.

Concerning the GST when bring your album into Singapore, there are some gudelines to follow.

Kampung Senang

在柠檬茶氏的极力推荐与倡导下，终于拜访了轻安村 Kampung Senang，一个位于政府组屋底层，以倡导甘榜乡情与精神的慈善团体。第一次的拜访，对于他们的内部运作和活动虽然还不是太了解，但活动中心外的一大片果菜园必定给你留下深刻印象！这果菜园不止让阿公阿嫲重拾昔日甘榜生活，更给在PSP、Xbox下长大的孩子一个体验，蔬菜是从地上种出来而不是从NTUC来的...




桑树
薄荷

背着书包上课咯!

几个星期前报名的课程终于开课啦!但是老早就邮寄过来的阅读资料却也还没有开始翻阅，感觉比大学时期还要来得吃力，注意力也没办法那么集中了... 老了哦！既然已经作了决定，怎么样也得撑下去了！挨过接下来艰苦的6个月后，应该可以好好计划明年的蜜月旅行咯...

第N次亲密接触

在房间里布鲁斯突然站着停顿了几秒，一边抖动鼻子问我：“什么味道？？...”

当我再次一那种邪恶的眼神望着他时，他似乎明白我给的答案..."哇靠！你又放屁..."。

布鲁斯马上逃离案发现场，在房外向我比“国际手势”以示抗议...

大哥，没办法啦！有屁就得放嘛，不然有害身心! Wuuaahhaaa...

难得给你个机会和我.... 的屁如此亲密接触... =)

婚礼筹备 - 买家俱

以目前荷包严重缩水作为考量，在确认品质后最终决定还是在JB购买家具。在JB买家具除了家具售价外，通常也需要另外承担RM200海关费用还有新加坡7%的消费税(数量够的话店家一般会承担运输费），但是价格还是低于新加坡的价格。估计在这个月内能够送到，希望一些顺利啦！

也在JB荣成预定了喜饼，没有办法啦... 便宜嘛!!!

刚预定的过大礼喜饼
JB酒席的请柬
接下来的这个周末也可以拿婚纱照了，好期待.... =)

婚礼筹备 - 买家俱

这几天一直在头痛是否应该从JB购买家具，非常有吸引力的价格让人动摇！省下的预算可以用在其他方面上， 但却又无担心收到的家具品质会出问题... 是否应该冒险一试呢???

明天会在到JB的家具厂走一回确认品质... wish me good luck... =)

Apple vs Blackberry

While consumers are more conservative on their spending, the competition among the industries are getting stronger...

婚礼筹备 (1)

过去几个月都在忙着筹备婚礼的事情，随着婚期将近，心情也开始紧张起来咯... 当然口袋也开始血流不止.. =)

还好目前的花费都处于预算以内的范围，得继续把关...

昨天终于把婚纱照的设计敲定，相簿将在3周后出炉，期待中... (真的太感谢Meowmeow在斟选照片时帮的大大大忙!!! 并无任何附加页数...不用加钱啦！！！

其实蛮幸运的，目前为止还我们还是非常满意婚纱店(Fables 菲比尔)的服务...!!! 与之前听到的许多婚纱店付款后的恶劣态度相比，Fables反而很体谅我们在预算开支方面的限制，对于某些细节上给予最大的让步...
(超感动的~~~)

昨天也到国光附近的一家家俱生产商的货仓选购JB和新加坡家的家具，因为是老妈朋友的弟弟开的，希望收到后不会货不对半... 不然又要“鸟”人了...

接下来要开始RSVP婚宴出席名单的艰巨任务了... 保重，红炸弹要来咯...~~~

Aunty, no plastic bag PLEASE..!!!!

Why NTUC aunty always don't understand my intension to save plastic bag as an effort to be environmental friendly? Why 5 apples for $1.45 still need a plastic to carry which no weighing is required and I'm with my recycle bag? The mindset has to be changed.

Accident (1):
At the cashier counter for payment (including my 5 apples without plastic bag), cashier seems troublesome to carry the apple one by one into my recycle bag, and put all the apples into a small small plastic bag before putting into my recycle bag.
** I, confused **

Accident (2):
At the weighing station for weghing my vege (1x carrot, 1x brocolli, 1x pepper), aunty seems having a habit to put all item in an individual plastic bag. I stopped her and insisted not to use the plastic bag and just place the price tag on the vege itself.
** She, confused **

Don't Anyhow Tap Your Ezlink Card (2)

I just got the refund for my Ezlink card double deduction on my bus fare last Friday!!! No doubt on their effeciency, but lack of awareness from the public on similar incident.

You may lodge your claim through their website, hotline or the Tickets Offices.
https://www.transitlink.com.sg/claim/claim_complain.html

Don't Anyhow Tap Your Ezlink Card (1)

I'm not sure how many of you are aware of the case of bus fare double deduction while tapping your Ezlink card on a reader which is showing "ENTRY" mode while getting off from the bus (particularly from the front door). There's a time the reader showing sign of new ride instead of the amount deducted and the balance figure of your card that lured my couriousity.

I went to the topup machine and checked my card records, it was a double deduction of my bus fare which mean the correct bus fare and the new ride fare from the alight bus stop until the last station/terminal.

After checking on the bus company website and I realised that by tapping your card on a reader showing sign of "ENTRY" instead of "ENTRY/EXIT" will occur a double deduction of bus fare which is not intentionally but not observable by some people like me. I'm wondering how many of you will check on the sign of the reader before tapping your card. I get down the bus from its front door (only me), the drive opened the door for me, and I believe I can I assume that I can just tap the reader for the right fare deduction.

I'm worrying for the senior citizens who are not aware of this system and don't understand English or what does it mean of the sign on the reader. There might be a huge amount of double deduction happened unconciously everyday just because we're to easy with the convenient we have now. Even though claims can be done, it's rather complicated for me. It can be much easier to set "ENTRY/EXIT" mode as default for front reader to avoid double deduction.

So, just have a check on the reader before you tap your card, it's ur hard earn money, protect it.


- A victim of bus fare double deduction.

老妈的缝纫机

婚期越来越近，老妈又开始为这盼望已久的日子缝制新的窗帘。周末回到家里，缝纫机“嘟...嘟...嘟...”的声音又在次环绕着家中。其实还蛮怀念这熟悉的声音！家里的的沙发套、窗单、窗帘还有外婆的“阿嬷装”都是老妈亲手车出来的。小时候，老妈还靠这太缝纫机赚取额外的收入...

老妈的缝纫机， 有的不止是儿时的回忆，还有老妈为这个家无私奉献的见证...

母亲节快乐...!!!