Samsung SGH-F700

Introducting my upcoming phone, Samsung SGH-F700. Click here for the online demo.

Though it was only like 14 months ago that i've retired my previous O2 Xphone IIm, but i guess now will really be a good time to get a new phone.

EVEN THOUGH i have to pay an extra $100 before the 20th month is up.

This is how it looks like.



Even though i had wanted another phone, the Samsung SGH-i780 for quite a while, but it seem that it's a bit too bulky and it's a guy's phone after all. Moreover, i'm not willing to pay $500 for a phone.

Actually i didn't notice this phone, until i was browsing outside M1 Shop, and saw that this phone is going for $238. And i notice how the phone comes with a qwerty keyboard that is slided out.

I'm not someone who just look at something and buy immediately. I will go and do some research on it, and read what other users feel about this phone.

On GSM Arena, the ratings look ok at an average of 8.27 in terms of design, feature and performance.

On C Net It was given a rating of 8.5 for users rating, 7.8 for editor rating, with comments such as a iPhone lookalike, and maybe not so fantastic features.

Well, of course i do have my reservations, having used a Samsung clam-shell phone. But i guess the sleak look and the 3.0 megapixel camera phone and the qwerty keyboard won me over. And iPhone has absolutely nothing to do with it. Yes, i'm a big-time sucker for aesthetics. *sigh.

I guess in terms of electronics, sometimes u get good ones, sometimes u get bad ones. It's a matter of getting used to it. And my SE850I is for keeps, just in case.

Once i'll get this phone on me, i'll really review it from a user perspective. Watch this space.

SIN-BKK 17th Jun 2008

On our final day in Bangkok, Well-travelled Friend and i finally decided to wake up and go for the hotel's breakfast.

After the first few bites, i guess both of us felt that we should eat food sold downstairs on the streets.

It's no kidding. The breakfast is pretty bland.

Besides, we had to check out, and then we left it with the concierge and went out shopping.

Firstly, we ate lunch at Indra Square Food court. And i must say this lah: The street food is really more tasty. Then, we went back to Pratunam area and went back to Platinum shopping center to shop. And Well-travelled Friend went for a second round of food on her own and i went shopping again. And that time was like 1.30pm, and we have to be back at the hotel at like 5pm to catch the airport shuttle.

Well-travelled Friend and i met up at 3pm at the Food Court in Platinum. Like other foodcourts, they don't transact by cash. We needed to buy coupons. And being in a more atas place, they dont' issue paper. Being environmentally friendly, they have this card system, which is like our very own Kopitiam Card.




They have a standard card where, you can choose to input any amount u like into the card. Similarly you can also get a refund.

Anyway, my last meal in Bangkok happened to be Takoyaki, which we can also eat in Singapore. Hmmm... they are quite the same, but it's still very much more 划算 to eat there la.


6 Takoyaki balls for 45 Baht (equivalent to $1)

In Singapore, the cheapest price i know for 3 is like $2.20. And they are only slightly smaller in size than the ones we have in Singapore. They have parsley as garnishing, and no 柴鱼片on it.

And the shopping was continued, and i went to buy more stuff, separately from Well-travelled Friend who went for a massage...... And then, it rained, AGAIN!

And it was a terrible rain.



And i was caught somewhere along Pratunam Center in the middle of the rain and was stuck there till like 5pm, where the rain simmered very slightly. And thank God, i've managed to find get a Tuk-tuk to drive me back with all my stuff, back to the hotel at 40 baht (i quote the price) for a first-time price negotiation. =)

Anyway, both of us were waiting for the airport shuttle which came late at 6.40pm. Our flight's at 8.10pm. Technically we must reach the airport like by 6.10pm.

And lo and behold, there was huge massive jam just outside the hotel, because of the flooding, and maybe peak hour???


At 6.45pm (heavy rain)


At 7pm (see!! flooding)


At 7.10pm (we didnt' move an inch)


At 7.15pm (we haven't even move yet!)

By the time we were out of the jam, the darkness came and the van literally sped to the airport.


In the van from the start of the journey


Finally out of the jam and on the way to airport

We travelled from Day time till night time. We were stuck practically for at least an hour on the van.

And when we reached the airport, we practically ran to the the check in.

Then a stupid thing happened: My luggage was 19.1kg. And then the people said that the minimal baggage for each passenger is only 15kg. We will need to pay an extra 380baht (SGD 17) for every KG of baggage. And we have like 2 hand-carriers each already.

"Why don't u go rob a bank?!" - Well travelled Friend.

My mind went blank. Huh?!

Well-travelled Friend started to argue with the airport crew about the weight, which by normal standards are 20kg.

And apparently, Tigerair wants to be extra to differentiate itself by giving less baggage weight for their passengers. And we madly open our suitcases to remove stuff into another carrier so that the weight is urm.. passable.

And the gates are already open for boarding.

It didn't help very much that our boarding gate is rrrright at the backend of the airport. We walked-run-walked to the boarding gate, feeling the leg cramps coming.

We reached the gate, where many people were in queue. And just as we were feeling relieved to know that we won't get missed out on the flight that we heard...

"Attention all passengers on TR XX9, the flight will be delayed for 30 mins. Sorry for the inconvenience caused." (estimated sentence. I can't remember what is exactly being said)

What the hell!!! We rush like mad, and this is what we get?!

Seriously, the airplane didn't feel safe, and we even ran into a turbulence. And ended up, we left Bangkok at 8.4opm Bangkok time, and touched down Singapore at 0000hr Singapore time.

*****

I totally agree with Well-travelled Friend: Never , am i ever wanna take TigerAir again.

4 Reasons why i will NEVER want to take TigerAir
1) To Bangkok, delayed for 40 mins, no formal explanation/information on the PA system. No, nothing!

2) Back to Singapore, delayed for 30 mins.

3) Totally pathetic baggage allowance of 15kg per passenger.

4) Plane feels unstable and ran into turbulence. In fact i feel sick travelling through the journey home, because the plane is terribly jerky. If u didn't know, the plane doesn't rest. It flew in, alight passengers and then carry passengers up again within a span of 30 mins.

Seriously, i can't find any reason why i will wanna travel by Tigerair, ever again.

I'll rather pay extra $30 - $50 to take another budget airline or even travel up to JB to take AirAsia.

---

Next Entry will be the finale for this BKK Adventure. My prizes, and their prices. Get ready to be enticed and start saving for ur trip to Bangkok!

I see more drool! I see more drool!

IS this talking to me?

I have a Pink PSP... And i usually play it on the way to work (Yes, take bus from West Coast to Clementi - MRT from Clementi to Bugis), almost daily. Except on Mondays where my head will be buried under my favorite weekly magazine, 8 days.



And yes, i'm one of those described in the MyPaper dated today. I'm always distracted on my game console.

Sometimes i do think i am really extreme: I stare at the computer screen at work, i stare at the game console on my PSP while travelling home, and i stare at either my laptop screen on my desk or on the TV screen.

4 REASONS WHY I PSP instead of reading a book
1) It's interactive and exciting (yes in my personal comfort with a set of headphones)
2) It's colorful.
3) It's better than staring at other grumpy people who are squeezed like sardines on the train.
4) It causes me to exercise my fingers and brain in motion (for certain games only)

4 REASONS WHY I SHOULD READ A BOOK instead of PSP-ing
1) Stare too much at the screen strains your eyes. (oops...)
2) You run the risk of falling down when the train stops abruptly. (because both your hands are fixed on the console)
3) You can get hooked to a certain game and there ur beauty sleep goes.
4) As the saying goes, there's a golden house in every book (书中自有黄金屋). So knowledge is King.

Hmmm... back to 8 days next Monday. =)

Silly mindset

You can read it from My Paper, edition on 25th June 2008.

It's really pretty crazy about this huh?

I mean, you are here to work, and u get paid for it. Not ur bosses pay you to surf the internet.

No doubt some of us (yes, including yours truly) are guilty of personal use of the internet. But the key is knowing your limits.

I do check my personal, blog (like right now), and check my bank account via online, BUT it's during lunch time.

Not when lunch hour's over.

But i think it's really the icing on the cake to say that a person quits if personal use of company internet is restricted.

"Wha lau eh, u think u are the Boss' son/daughter??"

Food for thought: U have to check your personal things in office on the sly. U can do it at home, with a higher speed of broadband.

I, for one, only uses the internet in office for work, and occasionally blogs about surprising issues, like this. I love to YouTube at home, in my own time, own target. And blog for eons without disturbances.

Don't be a cheapo. Get your own internet.

SIN-BKK 16th Jun 2008

12 hours after the Phat Thai, and a tuk-tuk ride...



Digressing, let me just talk a bit about this Tuk-tuk car. If you have taken it more that 2 times, you would have realize these effects on you:
a) Your hair will never be the same as the one that u had when u boarded it.
b) Your legs need a stretch.
c) Dust in your face (hmmm.. not all the time. Not when it's raining)
d) Drenched to the skin (when it's raining)

My advise to these effects:
a) Either you gel it, or take a cab
b) You can walk
c) Just stay in your hotel room and not even step out. Then u wont' have dust in your face as like millions of others who walk in public.
d) When it rains, take the cab la!

So friends, i must say, that if u are in Bangkok, remember to take the tuk-tuk. If not, you won't be believed to have travelled to Bangkok.

The ride is pretty comfortable, except when it's bumpy. It's not as fast as a car, but it's relatively fast, and they dont' really go very sharply on bends. Oh, and on one of the rides, i realized that the Tuk-tuk is actually a modification of the scooter. It's like adding the carriage and the sheltering over a scooter and that's a tuk-tuk. While on a tuk-tuk, i realize that there's no steering wheel, just the handle that looks 100% suspicious like a motorbike/scooter navigator. Try it some time when u are there!!

Back to topic. As i was saying, the 3rd day, i wanted to attempt waking up early to eat the breakfast. But as like usual 2 days, we slept late. And i only woke up at 10.20am. Breakfast ends at 10.30am. And Well-travelled Friend was still sleeping. So, i ended up walking down alone, down to Indra Square, to try to look for McDonald's, which i didn't manage to find and didn't wanna navigate too inside lest i get lost.

And I found a Dunkin Donuts store and stopped there. Yeah, there's no Dunkin Donuts in Singapore (and the nearest one is like up north at Larkin), and it's a good time to catch up on its taste once again.


Dunkin store


The Siam Square (Thailand) and Mochi Ring


Donuts and iced coffee = good combination

This Siam Square is quite special with 2 ends with 2 different fillings, namely the strawberry jam and the custard, which i honestly think is mixed with maple syrup and caramel (sinful but nice - for the first 10 bites, the 11th onwards is a bit 腻)



And i found a shop here that sells 12 pairs..... 12 PAIRS!!! Of earrings at 120 bahts. Which is like SGD 45cents per pair!!.

Lunch was at the Indian restaurant next to Baiyoke Boutique Hotel, and i must say that the food's really quite ok, though the service showed that they are from the Land of a Hundred (pun intended) Smiles.


Left to right = Potato Curry, Fish curry (forgot what was that small saucer in the center)


Garlic Naan


Garlic Naan + The 2 curries for condiments. *yum*

There wasn't much interesting thing to blog about until i came to Platinum Shopping Center. I came across a Pet clothing store. So thought that i could get something for my 2 babies. And i saw that rabbits wear doggie clothings... Yes. RABBITS. See for yourself.



Technically, they have the same kinda body shape. But they look kinda out of place with clothings huh?

Oh, and the street food, is wonderful. They also have Cup-corn in Bangkok.


Oh, i must really introduce this cup-corn. The way that it's been made is totally alike how we eat it in Singapore. They add the following ingredients:

a) Salt [same as us]
b) Butter [same as us, but much more]
c) Sugar
d) Condense milk

So the whole thing is like sweet and salty. A bit rojak. Tasty and special with the first half-cup. 2nd half told me that i'll prefer my salt and butter mix anyday.

It cost 20 baht. [SGD 90 cents]



This is Well-travelled Friend's prelude to supper-before-massage meal. It consist of maggi noodles, some prawn and vegetables, and lotsa spice and tasty. We bought it at a push cart near to the open-air massage place. Sibeh Shiok ah!

It cost 30 baht [SGD 1.35]


This was my dinner.



This is known to us as Yong Tau Hoo, they call it Yen Tao Foa. It comes in Kway Teow with some fish cake, veg, tau pok and quail egg. Quite different from what we have here.

*****
Before i end this entry, please take note...

Stay tune to my next entry; SIN-BKK 17th Jun 2008. We are close to landing. 2 more entries to go before this series of entries closes. Next entry will show u how a flood in Bangkok (a small one la) looked like, and our adventure back to home-sweet-home.

Why 2 more entries, you may ask.

Because the last one will be the prizes and the prices (you will really faint if i tell u the prices - Ladies and aunties, watch out for it... I see ur drool! I see ur drool! Wait lah, be patient)

Hati Hamba - Heart of A servant

The latest song that has touched my heart tremendously. And i have found it in 4 versions. It is Written by Sari Simorangkir.

1) Indonesian (Original)




Ku Tak Dapat Lupakan
Kebaikan Yang Ku T'rima
Pengorbanan-Mu Yang Mulia
Jadikan Ku Berharga

Kau Tulus Menerima
Aku Apa Adanya
Kekuatan Kasih-Mu Nyata
Memulihkan Hidupku
Kau Bukan Tuhan Yang Melihat Rupa
Kau Bukan Tuhan Yang Memandang Harta
Hati Hamba Yang S'lalu Kau Cari
Biar Kau Temukan Di Dalamku

S'lama Ku Hidup Ku Mau Menyembah-Mu
S'bab Engkau Sangat Berarti Bagiku
Yang Terbaik Yang Ada Padaku
Kupersembahkan Kepada-Mu
Yesusku

Found it on Guitar4christ forums)

2) English
We sang it in church last week.



Standing In Awe Of Your Grace
Setting My Feet In Your Ways
Entering Into Your Presence
To Behold You Face To Face

God Of All Heaven And Earth
Holding Me In Your Embrace
Unfailing Love That Surrounds Me
Oh..God I Stand Amazed

My Jesus, My Lord
You’re The Love Of My Life
Wherever You Go
Wanna Be By Your Side
No Longer I
But Christ Living In Me
Serving You For All Eternity

My Eyes Set On You
In This Race That I Run
No Longer My Ways
Let Your Will Be Done
Make Me A Servant
My Heart's Ever True
Clinging To The Cross
I'll Follow You

I'll Follow You

3) Japanese
It was sung during one of the mission trips to Fukuoka in Japan. Found it by chance =)




しもべの心
SHIMOBE NO KOKORO

素晴らしいもの
SUBARASHII MONO

あなたから受け
ANATA KARA UKE

あなたの犠牲で
ANATA NO GISEI DE

尊いものへと
TOUTOI MONO E TO

こんな私を
KONNA WATASHI O

すべて受け入れ
SUBETE UKE IRE

愛が素晴らしく
AI GA SUBARASHIKU

人性変わった
JINSEI KAWATTA

あなたは
ANATAWA

上辺を見ず
UWABE O MIZU

あなたは
ANATAWA

富を見ず
TOMI O MIZU

求めおられる神
MOTOMETE ORARERU KAMI

心で従う者
KOKORODE SHITAGAU MONO

永遠にほめたたえる
EIEN NI HOME TATAERU

あなたの
ANATANO

他にはない
HOKANI WANAI

私のすべて　尽くし
WATASHINO SUBETE ZUKUSHI

全て 捧げます
SUBETE SASAGEMASU

イエスよ
YESU YO

(Found on Guitar4christ forums)

4) Chinese
I dunno if it has been sung in Chinese church yet. But here it is.

我永远不会忘记
主你那丰富恩典
如今我在天父怀中
因为你舍下自己

你不看我的过去
只是完全接纳我
主你的爱何等伟大
我的心完全融化

我亲爱救主
我心何等感谢
你单单在意
我这爱你的心
我愿一生
追求跟随我主
谦卑为你 服事这世界

我亲爱救主
我要一生敬拜
在我生命中
你是唯一的爱
毫无保留
我愿献上所有
何等渴慕能为你而活 耶稣我主

(Found on Guitar4christ forums)

How this song impacts me:
It's all about having a heart of a servant, to serve the Most High God. At many a times, people can get tired of serving God. Maybe they have forgot the utmost reason for serving. But this song reminded me, that why i am still here in Church, why i am in ministry, is simply because i love Him, and i just want to serve His purpose.

That's all.

SIN-BKK 15th Jun 2008

After one night of stay at the Baiyoke Suite Hotel, Well-travelled Friend woke up at 10.30am and prepare to check out and move back to Baiyoke Boutique Hotel.

Considering the time that we slept the previous night, i guess it was legitimate that we sleep in. Imagine if we were to go with a package tour, we would have lost quite a bit of sleep and freedom that we currently have - Free and Easy.

While Well-travelled Friend was sleeping, i was exploring the surroundings of the hotel. And it appeared that there is also a balcony in the hotel room!! Wha... that makes it such a gigantic room to stay at.


The first 2 pictures on the top tier were pictures taken from the hotel room. The window panes are really dirty. The picture at the bottom is taken live from the balcony, without glass panes.

Oh The Baiyoke Sky Hotel is really impressive and is well deserving of the tallest building in Bangkok. Just look at the skyscraper tower.



The bottom of it, is usually, not so atas.


I'd figured that it is really one of the bestest places to stay at, in Bangkok. The moment you step out, yo will be surrounded by hoards of people and street stores, and u can bargain for the price *auntie-alert!!*.

We checked out of the hotel at 11.30am, and was at the lobby for a while. Well, there's some similarity (i think) between the 3 Baiyoke Series. They seem to have these chairs.


Eh yes, i'm refering to the square white chairs that has a patch of 'grass' growing in the center of it. Baiyoke Boutique has that too.

This is how the lobby looked like.


Simple and nice. But i can't say the same for the services.

From Baiyoke Suite Hotel, we walked over to Baiyoke Boutique Hotel. It was a very challenging time as between the 2 hotels, there's the stretch of outstreet. Had to resist the urge to stop and look for things to buy, amongst dragging a 9 kg luggage through a bustling street full of people.

But we finally reached Baiyoke Boutique Hotel.

As mentioned in the previous entry, its exterior doesn't match the interior. To describe the interior will be like a rectangular 9 storey building, and not-impressive looking walls. But it's a totally different story inside.


Classy!! *forgive the blurred picture*

And this is how the room looks like.


Very nice and bright

Big contrast from Baiyoke Suite right?

And i saw something else that i've contrasted during Earth9's 10 Anniversary dinner about their toilets. And i think Baiyoke can give House's idea a run for its toilet ideas.



This should be much easier to identify which is which, right? As compared to this...



Anyway, we adjourned for lunch at the Foodcourt near to the hotel, at Indra Square Foodcourt.

The way they operate is quite different from Singapore. We have to buy their coupons then we can buy food.



I think they come in these denominations:
- 20 Baht in Blue
- 10 Baht in red
- 5 Baht in yellow
- 1 Baht in green

So if you have finished your food and u realize you have quite a bit of coupons left, you can refund them back for cash.

Practical though a bit 麻烦. And the coupons are in such denominations so that it allows the person to learn to count properly, Because, if you give a 20 Baht for a 12Baht drink, there's no change given. So, do u maths properly and allocate your coupon well.

Actually don't think that Bangkok's food court is not equal to us. In fact they are just like an ordinary foodcourt in Singapore, just that it's full of posters albeit in Thai.


drinks stall


A Japanese food stall in a foodcourt in Bangkok


This stall sells coconut-fishball noodles

From there, we decided to take a cab to go to MBK which is a shopping-center-that-you-must-go-la. But there was a massive jam, and the honest cab driver told us to take a train there.


The front of the ticket


The back of the ticket, with the whole train route
It's quite nostalgic to have the card on my hands, as it resembled the ones that our own MRT used, before the EZLink card came along.

The trains are really quite similar to the ones we have here, just that they are really more loud in terms of train advertisements.





The insides of the train looked like this - Check out their handles!!


So actually, the trains there are pretty similar to ours. But i think their's is more spacious and airy, with stronger and more comfortable aircon.

We were happily taking the train, where we were supposed to alight in 2 stops... and ended up we took the wrong direction, and had to take the other route back.

And we finally reached our station - National Stadium. (because it's next to the National Stadium)


MBK Shopping Center is on the right


Industrial buildings on the left

Special Mention of buildings that we'll never see in Singapore.



And i must say: MBK is really a good shopping center to be at. And i got like my bags there and a comfy pair of slippers. And this is where i realized that the AGBS really existed. It's not about my lame way of expressing the always great Bangkok Sale.



Children, repeat after me!!! It's the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale! And the sale is even more amazing in its own way. Our Great Singapore Sale started on 23rd May 2008 till hmmm July?? The Amazing Thailand Grand Sale is from June till August! Truly amazing!!

Mid-year is really THE bestest time to buy things at a great price!! =)

Anyway, MBK is a good place to shop, but i have to emphasize its a good place to buy things such as accessories, nice clothings. I'll call it a Semi-atas place. We didn't visit the atas place (Siam Paragon) at all.


Hmmm i think this should be Siam Paragon, the place with all the atas brands (i think it's something like our very own Paragon at Orchard), and Oh there's a Cinema (and it's not related to our very Golden Village in any way)
Before going for the open-air massage, we went for dinner and unexpectedly found something close to our hearts yet it was so far from us... A&W.

Awwwww..... don't you miss it???


Well, it was pretty disappointing, though we relish on the curly fries. The service wasn't really up to what we were expecting from "A land of a thousand smiles". Maybe it has divided itself unknowingly to become a hundred.

And we journeyed by cab to Pratunam Center where there was an open-air massage place. Well-travelled friend and i went for the 2 hour session, which started like 10.30pm. Yeah, we really slept late and spent the time out really really late.

Well, the 'sister' that massaged me was quite ok, just that maybe 'she's' pretty distracted with the bantering with other masseues. Though i did feel uncomfortable initially, but well, 'she's' actually quite alright.

Presenting my 萝卜腿


Despite it being open air, and in the public, but it's really the best massage that i've experienced. Maybe it's because it's right after a crazy day of walking and shopping and thus i felt it this way. But this is one leg massage i won't mind going for again. Though there were communication barriers between me and the 'sister', but 'she' understood the amount of strength to exert. If u are going to Bangkok some time, do drop by. Their rates are like 150 baht per hour. (we spent 300 baht each for the 2 hours massage).

And after the fulfilling massage, we went to eat Supper, somewhere opposite the massage place.

This is Phat Thai.


And yes, this is found on the streets. And, it's really tasty. Authentic Thai Phat Thai. (seafood fried kway teow)

*****
Alright, to conclude this entry, please look forward to the next entry, titled SIN-BKK 16th Jun 2008.

It took me like 2 days to load all of the *gasp* 26 pictures into this entry, let alone with combining some pictures into one for better time saving and explanation of the pictures.

Till then!