Tag Archive for Shopping

Early Christmas Pressie (for mum) – iPad Air 2

After much consideration, I decided that I should get my mum an iPad, as she was very keen to get one to use when she is on her travels, and also make it easier to read websites and digital newspapers etc…oh and to play her games 🙂 haha!

I was looking at the latest model and version – so it would be the iPad Air 2 – and I decided that the 16GB version would suffice.

I had done a bit of research and found that in HK, it would cost HKD 3,888 (about £330), whilst in Singapore it would cost S$688 (£340), whilst in the UK, it was £399. All of these prices were from the Apple website. So I decided to get it from Singapore, but used my Amex True Cashback card to get an extra 5% discount on top, which made it pretty reasonable 🙂

Definitely worth the purchase, and I am glad that my mum has something ‘new’ rather than a pass-me-down, for a change.

Mastercard Masterpass – Free $50 Prepaid Card

I never say no to freebies, so it was great to see some companies do some nice gestures as we approach the festive Christmas season…and no, I’m afraid this doesn’t include Amex!

Instead, it is MasterCard’s Wallet solution (called Masterpass) who have partnered with EZ-Link to offer a free $50 prepaid card for registering for their Masterpass service…so why not 🙂 MasterPass by MasterCard is a digital wallet service that makes online shopping safe, easy, and convenient. MasterPass stores all your payment and shipping information in one central, secure location. With MasterPass, you can shop, click, and checkout faster online.

Free $50 EZ-Link Fevo Prepaid Card

Free $50 EZ-Link Fevo Prepaid Card

Masterpass are really blitzing the island, with full-page ads in the various newspapers, billboards and bus-stop advert boards, not to mention these types of expensive promotions. So I managed to sign up and become one of the first 3,500 CMs and registed from 12th November (to 31st December – although I think it will be fully redeemed in a few days!) – and voila, an email confirming that I registered succcessfully, and a few days later, an email to confirm that I was indeed one of the first 3500 new Masterpass registrations! Yay baby! The great thing is that it can be used anywhere in Singapore where there is a Mastercard sign – at a bricks and mortar establishment or online store. I am sure I can buy myself something nice! Ha!

ROWAS 2014 Event (29th Aug)

ROWAS 2014

ROWAS 2014

Well another year, another Reach Out With A Smile (ROWAS) event – where we intend to visit as many merchants as possible, and refresh the POP and Decals and give the opportunity to re-enforce our Value Prop, obtain any merchant feedback and identify any new merchant leads or issues with merchant suppression.

This year, we meat at the Mapletree Business Centre, and then we registered – mine was at the Marina Square complex, so by 1pm, I made my way there with 2 other peoples, and we blasted the mall with decals, POPs and materials etc.

After finishing, I met up with a colleague and the g/f at the Black Swan – and we enjoyed the Friday evening at this quite pleasant establishment.

Another week finished…and now onto September 🙂

Intelligent Cleaning Robot (iClebo) GroupOn Offer

iClebo Groupon Offer

iClebo Groupon Offer

During an expo in Hong Kong a couple of years ago, the iRobot vacuum cleaner was the fad device on show – lots of manufacturers had stalls set-up promoting the device. They were quite expensive, 3-4 hundred quid, so I decided that I would probably not require it – and for me, it was easy to clean my UK home and my Singapore apartment with the more traditional Dyson vacuum cleaner.

However, there was a GroupOn offer and I noticed that there was one device on offer – so I decided to get it 🙂 It was the second time they offered it, so I presume that they had quite a few in stock – and were trying to shift them quick. It wasn’t the more traditional iRobot brand, but it was a Korean brand called iClebo (Intelligent Cleaning Robot).

The model number was YCR-M06-L1 – which looking on the iClebo website seems to imply it was a dated model – but alas, it should fit the bill for my needs. It’s listed RRP was S$999 (about £500), but the GroupOn offer was priced at S$389 (£190 ish.) – that was okay in my books.

Can’t wait to use it now – haha! 🙂

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The Features – the What, Why and How:

 

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Singapore Yacht Show at One°15 Marina Club

Through the investment company that I have an account with here in Singapore, I received an invitation to visit the Singapore Yacht Show in Sentosa Cove.

It was a 4-day event starting on Thursday 10th through to Sunday 13th April, so I decided to go on the Saturday to enjoy the sights and sounds.

I located the place with relative ease, taken the Sentosa Express all the way to the final Beach stop, and then the shuttle bus to the Sentosa Cove location.

The first part of the show was an exhibition tent ranging from expensive cars, to the parts and other bits and bobs that relate to yachts and sailing in general.

The second part related to a walk-about and in some cases (if you were early enough to schedule an appointment) a tour of one or two of the yachts).  I could see from a distance that it was going to be an expensive show (luckily no money left my wallet), but the Yachts on display were simply amazing. They ranged from size from the small(ish) to the most majestic and huge vessels.

It was fun being amongst the upper class (and there was certainly lots of those around the show), but for me, it was just interesting to see how the wealthy folks spend their money…haha!

ONE°15 Marina Club
11 Cove Drive
Sentosa Cove
Singapore, 098497
Tel: +65 6305 6988
URL: http://www.singaporeyachtshow.com

Dentist – Q&M Dental Centre Novena

Well it was that time of year that I should have a quick dental inspection.  I didn’t get around to arrange this when I was in the UK in March, and it has been over a year now, so hopefully there are no problems.

I passed a dentist which was in the nearby Shopping mall a few times, so decided to pop in for an appointment.  The good news is that work will cover the cost of this, as part of the healthy living programme, which is great!

The appointment was scheduled for 2nd April – and I went just after work at around 6pm, which was perfect for me to return from the MBFC office.  The check-up was fine, no fillings or anything, and a quick check and polish came up at around S$96 – I guess that’s the score for dentists these days (that is around £50!)   The only comment the dentist made is that I brush too hard and had damaged the gums around my teeth, even though I told her that I used the automatic toothbrush.  So I guess, I should just brush more gentler, as I know the motor goes pretty fast on those toothbrushes – haha!

Q&M Dental Centre
238 Thomson Road #02-01
Novena Square
Singapore 307683
Tel: +65 6251 3233
URL: http://www.qandm.com.sg

Folded Mah Jongg Table

Folded Mah Jongg Table

Folded Mah Jongg Table

Well it was something I was checking out for a while having seen it at a friend’s place – and my mum was keen to get one – so I decided to go visit a place in town and try to buy one.

I found a place on a website, it seems to be an wholesaler and distributor, but it also allowed ‘walk-in’ customers, so I thought I’d give it a go. It was in a business park, so finding it was a bit of a challenge, but once I located the building, I located the unit location. I took a taxi from work, and arrived at Playfield Road in Tai Seng district. The one I saw on the website was S$198 – and the table top size was 36″ x 36″.  The table was called ‘SHP Solid Wood Folding Mahjongg Table’.

(Un)Folded Mah Jongg Table

(Un)Folded Mah Jongg Table

When I arrived, they had one in stock, and when I saw it, I looked a bit surprised on the size of the thing. I could carry it, but it was quite awkward to carry. I took the table and booked a taxi back to my apartment – I had to put it on the backseat, luckily it fit (another nightmare moment). Then I had the thought of how I was going to get it to the UK…hmmm…

I weighed the item, and it was just over 9 kilos, so I knew I had to be careful on how much luggage I would carry back to the UK…luckily my allowance was 30kg on Emirates. I think I will just try to put it in the hold in the box and ‘fingers crossed’ that it arrives in one piece 🙂

But It was a nice table and I am sure it will arrive safely!! Haha!

Swee Huat Plastic Company
80 Playfair Road
#04-18 Block B, Kapo Factory
Singapore 367998
Tel: +65 62843313
URL: http://www.shp88.com 
E-mail: sales@shp88.com

New SingTel Phone Upgrade

I had purchased a 2-year phone contract from SingTel, and there was an opportunity to get a free upgrade after 12 months…free in the sense there is no additional contract charge, but the handset would still cost me $$$.

I had ummmed and ahhhed for a couple of months already, as I knew the iPhone 5S would be out soon. I decided to take the plunge (or easy option) and simply upgrade my handset to the new iPhone, rather than switching to an Samsung S4 (which was a strong possibility). The key reason is that everyone I had was on my iPhone, it was working fine, I liked the ecosystem and size overall and I knew it was easy to upgrade (in a few minutes), versus having to configure everything from scratch on the new phone type. I also thing that for me it was actually quite a nice size for my hands 🙂

Anyway, it cost me S$668 (for another 2 years) – which I know is a bit pricey, but I think worth the upgrade. I also set-up my old iPhone 4S for me mum to have – aren’t I nice 🙂

The funny thing is that I actually have gone for the ‘S’ versions for each iPhone…3S, 4S and now 5S. I wonder whether I should wait for the 6S next year, or whether I would be tempted away at that point…well that’s another year to go…so lets see what happens.

Aaron acts as a tour guide

Well what an interesting start of the year, an ex-colleague from the UK office was in town, as she was now working on a project that related to Singapore. It was great that she was able to come out and meet her team, whilst at the same time, we managed to enjoy the sights and sounds of Singapore over the weekend – Aaron became the tour guide for the weekend 🙂

She was in town for about a week, and it was good to see an familiar face and catch-up on the latest happenings from the UK and my old team – it sounded like a lot of change since I left over a year ago. I do kinda miss the UK and Brighton teams, but actually I don’t really miss the work.

So on Saturday, I commenced the tour from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on the north side of Marina Bay, we then walked along the promenade towards Boat Quay and the Fullerton hotel, we headed across towards China Town, and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the Year of the Horse – as we headed into the Chinese New Year festive period. After that, we took the MRT and went across to Marina Bay Sands, taking the sights and sounds of this landmark. We had a bite to eat at the MBS food court – like any tourist does these days. I then noticed that there was this Ice exhibition on, called 2 Degree Ice Art – in an area just outside of the main MBS facilities. So we went in here, the tickets were a bit pricey at S$32 a ticket, but at least my mum (who was joining us for the tour) was able to register with a Senior ticket (at S$26). The exhibition centre then had the audacity to ask whether we wanted coat and gloves…we asked what temperature was inside, and they said -15oC. I don’t think we had much choice as we were wearing summer-ware!! Anyway, they charged us another S$5 each…making the whole session a total of S$105. Ouch! It was fun inside, and a nice way to see the various monuments of the world calved into Ice Sculptures. We then headed back into MBS, and we decided to do a bit of retail therapy. I got a nice pair of Hush Puppies shoes – very comfortable and reasonable, and a nice selection.

We then had a couple of options, head towards the original Botanic Gardens, or visit the Gardens By the Bay. I decided that we should do this, so we headed there, which is a short walk from the MBS complex. There was a nice Dragon dance within the gardens which was very entertaining (I do wonder what these guys do for the rest of the year!!). We then continued our walk around the gardens until we arrived at the 2 domes, we went to the ticket line. I had my ‘free’ pass, and I then tried to see if there was any ‘senior’ tickets, they said only for local residents, which was a shame. Anyway, I then had this brainwave, and as local / EP-visa holders was slightly cheaper, I pretended to buy one for myself (even though I already had an annual pass entitling me free access), so I got one expensive (S$28), one cheap (S20) and I had my own annual pass …haha! a bit crafty – but that’s me 🙂 If no one tells, I won’t!!

We went into the two domes, I do feel that the flower one is better, as they change the displays to the current themes etc. The first time I went, they had a tulips display, previously it was the horse display, similar to this time. But still nice all the same. The Cloud dome was a bit boring, but was refreshing inside at least.

After this, we headed back towards the hotel across the Helix bridge, just as they were doing some sort of art projection on the ArtsScience museum monument. Very nice indeed, it was like they were throwing paint across it in time with the music. A great show! We then went to the hotel, and relaxed at the bar, and then said our farewells.

On the Sunday, it was more of an Orchard Road tour, so we met up for Brunch at the Wild Honey at Scotts Square location – very nice and tasty indeed. We did a relaxing walk down Orchard Road, being part of the hustle and bustle of the Sunday afternoon. A bit of window shopping and retail therapy throughout the sprawling malls and shops along the road, before we ended up at an interesting wine bar just off Orchard Road – the House of Robert Timms – an interesting spot, as you can watch the world go by and enjoy coffee (or wine, in our case) and chill and relax. We then made on our way, a nice way to end the Singapore tour and the busy weekend 🙂

Free Watch Repair – Thanks Tag Heuer

Original Watch

Original Watch

A couple of months ago, I noticed that there was a problem with my watch, I visited one of the Tag Heuer shops in Orchard Road, and they advised me that it the mechanism could have been damaged – and they asked me whether I had changed the date/time during the ‘freeze’ period between 8pm and 4am – due the risk of damaging the mechanism – I stated that I am aware of this risk, but stated that I did not do this.

The watch itself is still £2,050 from the Tag website, so it isn’t cheap…so anything to keep it going for another year or two would be great for me 🙂

I usually change the date/time when I wake-up at 6.30am, so I knew it couldn’t have been this, but this was the only thing that I could thing off that could have been damaged.  Anyway, after researching the issue (yup on Google), I did feel that this was likely the cause of the issue, I decided to email the Tag Heuer Service Centre in the UK, as I had purchased it from Ernst Young in July 2011.  I knew it had a 2 years warranty, so I could be slightly outside of this, but advised them that I noticed the issued a few months ago, and I know for a fact that I didn’t change the date/time during the freeze period, so am confused why the mechanism was damaged,  They said that I had to take it to the Singapore Service Centre, and so I decided to do this.  I decided to visit the local official Tag Heuer service centre here in Singapore and ask them for their opinion.  It was located in an office block within Ngee Ann City (in Orchard Road), so I finally managed to visit there after work (it closes at 7pm, so I had to be quick).

Anyway, they took the watch in for inspection, and after a week phoned me advising that the mechanism was date/time fine, but the face plate had been damaged, possibly due to a shock (like dropping the watch etc).  I knew I had not dropped or banged the watch, so I explained, I don’t think there was anything I did which could have caused this.  I said to email me a quote for me to review, and then I emailed this to the UK Service Centre complaining, that I cannot believe the watch had been damaged, and noting that the watch condition was like this was a few months already.

I continued to have a few more email exchanges between the 2 Service Centres, and then I eventually caved in and agreed for the watch to be repaired. About 3 weeks later, the Tag Heuer Singapore Service Centre called me stating that the face was out of stock, but they had an alternative face – it was still black, but the hour notches were slightly different.  I said to proceed, as I knew I would have had to wait for another month if they had to wait for the parts from another location.  At least, it will now be a ‘unique’ watch 🙂  They then phoned me back stating that the watch specialist looked at the watch and decided that as a gesture of goodwill, they will repair it free of charge, which was a nice touch from Tag Heuer.

I then received an email SMS on 3rd January advising me that the watch was ready for collection – wow, am so glad that it was free…I now have saved S$510!  Yay!  A happy bunny indeed.

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