It was drizzling when we woke up the next day and was almost noon when we left the hotel (we were really tired).
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We went downstairs for breakfast at around 9am - a Y800 Japanese set meal which was quite tasty and value-for-money.
First thing on our itinerary was to visit Tsukiji Fish Market. It was a direct train ride via Hibiya Line and arrived at the market by 10.10am. It was truly a picturesque and lively atmosphere! It’s like pasar Geylang except it’s cleaner and doesn’t smell fishy. Err... I shouldn't be comparing a tiny Singapore market to the world's largest Market... I digress. It was a pity that we didn’t get a chance to view the tuna fish auction. Apparently, they do not allow tourists to see the auction in December. Even if they allow it, visitors have to reach the auction site as early as 5am! We bought some snacks at the market but that’s about it. I really wanted to try out sushi but Honz won’t be able to take it… another time perhaps. Besides, I later discovered that most authentic sushi bars laced sake onto the sushi… mmm... We did try a grilled oyster which was yummy! After spending two hours at the market, it was time to walk over to Ginza! We did some serious shopping at Matsuya Ginza mall, which was really high-end. Think Takashimaya… err... Taka is actually from Japan... Honz bought two new Coach coin purses for both of us! Not sure if it's cheaper in Japan but it's nice to say that our stuff were bought in Japan... ehem... The rest of the mall was pretty standard stuff and I didn’t think much of Ginza at the time of our first visit. We then walked over to the Imperial Palace (East) and spent the rest of daylight posing with the Nijubashi Bridge as our backdrop. By then, our hands were freezing and we quickly headed to the nearest train station just before sunset (445pm) Our next stop, Akihabara, was a must visit for any men who love tech stuff and gadgets! The first mall, BIC Camera, had me all ga-ga as every floor was filled with computers, cameras, and electronic gadgets. There was even a floor selling luxury goods such as Mont Blanc pens, and branded watches. Reminded me of Mustafa Centre. The camera section was fantastic! They actually let customers try out ALL the equipment, not to mention that most of the stuff are 10-20% cheaper than Singapore! It took a lot of me not to flash my credit card! Naturally, Honz, got bored so I reluctantly left the mall for dinner at a nearby Italian cafe. Our trip around Akihabara wasn’t over yet! It took a bit of walking to finally stumble the main shopping area and we were at awe with all the lighted buildings along the entire stretch of road. I couldn’t resist dropping by another gadget mall called Sofmap. It was amazing that Tokyo has a single-tenant mall selling just electronics! 7 floors to be exact! I was in gadget heaven. The mall was even selling their Apple product at a price that are 20-30% lower than Singapore! Once again, I didn’t get anything as it was only the Day 2 of our Japan trip and I didn’t want to spend so much so soon. While walking back to the train station, we came across two Japanese girls in their cosplay maid costume, handing out flyers. I’ve heard about the so-called Maid cafes in Akihabara and Honz dared me to visit their cafe. We weren’t quite sure what to expect upon reaching the cafe but we were so amused at how serious they are about the whole concept. Our waitress… err maid, who attended to us, greeted us with much “kawaii-ness”, calling us Master (me) and Princess (Honz), made us performed silly actions and said phrases like “Meow Meow” and “Oi Oi”… What amazed us were seeing older patrons doing the same stuff which I though was kind of sporting of them, if not disturbing. The whole experience cost us to a tune of about S$50 :( Just when we were about to reach the station, we spotted a Uniqlo mall and decided to do a spot of shopping. Damn… Uniqlo here is so much cheaper than in Singapore! Honz got herself a nice grey jacket while I got myself a grey scarf. Perhaps next time round, we’ll bring just one set of winter clothing to Japan and buy the rest here... Our 2nd day ended, reaching our hotel at around 11pm! Our original plan was to head to Skytree on the first day but since we were tired and unsure of getting around, we went to the nearby train station and went to the nearest tourist attraction in Asakusa, which hosts the famous Sensojin Temple.
Despite the mind-blowing population figure of 5.x million, Singapore still faces the challenge of not having enough of our own kind (i.e. Singapore-born Citizens) to produce more children. The 686 square meter island had to resort to importing foreigners - which I am fine with but not at a rate which outpaces our nation's infrastructure... this is one boo-boo which the Government admitted only after a series of MRT breakdowns. After studying in Australia from 2003 to 2005, I discovered upon my return that a 5-minute wait for the MRT during rush hour is unacceptable and I could see why as there are just too many commuters!
Why are we not producing enough? The Singapore Government and "experts" have given 1001 reasons why but it all boils down to poor foresight. When I left for Australia in 2003 to do my degree, i thought the country was doing ok then. I mean, there was no Baby Bonus to speak of and Singapore didn't feel that crowded (though 4.1 mil in 2003 wasn't something to sneeze at) so I assumed population growth was somewhat ok. In less than 10 years, Singapore grew to 5 mil and yet the Government was dishing out $$$ to encourage Singaporeans to produce more... what gives? Obviously, we opened our doors to outsiders too liberally in order to sustain our economic growth... Singaporeans became blinded by material wealth and the need to work harder so we could keep up... again, I have nothing against skilled foreign talents (e.g. nurses at hospitals)... Now let's talk about the part about being a middle-income-working parent of two children (born in 2011 and 2014). It is just plain tough... Don't get me wrong... I love my children but it's really sad that we have to spend all our time at work trying to earn enough so we could all have a decent comfortable lifestyle in one of the most expensive countries in the world... I'm not surprised that our scholars and elites would settle for 1-2 children or none at all... we have state of the art health facilities but we have to be able to afford to enjoy it... just when I thought that the Government is so hard up for us to have children that the least they can do is keep it affordable. What about those who face complications with their pregnancies... again, the parents have to bear most of the costs... Here is my typical weekday: 8.00am: Wake up 8.30am: Leave home 8.50am: Drop off son at childcare 9.00am: Reach office 6.15pm: Leave office 6.20pm: Pick-up son at childcare 6.45pm: Reach home 7.00pm: Have dinner (sometime I'm so tired, I will take a 1-hr power nap). 8.00pm: Spend time with family 9.30pm: "Me" time in my own room 10.30pm: Put my kids to sleep (most of the time, I sleep all the way too) 11.30pm: Spend time with wife (sometimes wife is busy with her own things) 12.30am: Sleep By the way, I'm now staying with my parents as I need their help to care for my wife and newborn girl so you can imagine how much tougher life is if we had stayed in our own home in Sengkang... I've yet to think of a plan of caring for both children once my wife returns to work from maternity leave... Having work in a primary school for the last 2 years, I really feel that Singapore is not pro-family. The Government expects all to work and support the economy but there are just not enough affordable childcare and student care centers to look after our children. Those days when we can rely on our parents to care for our children is almost gone. Even if they can, one must live nearby or have our own transport (let's not talk about the affordability of having your own car...)... I'm still a bit peeved with the Government for holding back the building of new HDB flats prior to the 2011 elections. After a disappointing election results for the ruling party, HDB built a shit-load of flats in just 2 years... grrrr... I am not being ungrateful for the life I have now but I do feel for those who barely make ends meet with less than sufficient income... (End of Part 1) It's been a while since I last posted anything on this blog. The reason being that the months of June and July have been really hectic. I have also been focusing more on my photography blog (www.studiorama.biz). Now that things have somewhat settled down, I will continue to provide reviews on day-to-day stuff that I use. Here's a list of what I hope to cover/review in the next few months:
1) Review of OSIM uMist Baby 2) Review of KKH Children's and Women's Hospital (yup! my wife gave birth to our 2nd child!) 3) Review of Facebook Ads and Google Ads 4) Review of Camera gears 5) Review of Joven water tank heater Stay tuned! I must say CNY this year is rather lousy as all three of us were not feeling well. I had a sudden fever and diarrhea on Sunday but managed to recover quickly enough to go to work the next day.
On eve of CNY, I had lunch with Eddy and Mane at AMK Hub. It was nice catching up with them. Last Sunday, I bought myself a Kobo Glo ereader. I must say that it's a more enjoyable experience reading on it. Have already completed reading 6 books in just over a week! The last noteworthy activity that occurred in Jan is a lunch treat for the administration staff in my school. This is to celebrate getting the $3000 reimbursement for my part graduate studies! For a moment, I thought I would not get it after waiting for year for my appeal to be considered by HQ. Glad it got settled eventually. Faris started his first day at Cambridge, a childcare centre located just 5 min walk from my school. Despite this being his 2nd childcare centre in just 7 months, I'm glad to see that he is adjusting well from the start. I met his teacher, a fairly young and pleasant Indian lady.
I find the cost for this centre rather high at $700 per month but it's nice for both me and Faris to have an extra 2 hours of sleep because the centre is so near and convenient to my workplace. My colleague later shared that there is a childcare centre at Hougang that cost only $300 with Malay and religion being taught. Told wife to check it out. In the meantime, I hope Faris continue to learn and enjoy himself there. Update (11 May 2014) The convenience of having my son placed in a childcare that is near my workplace is really fantastic. One thing that I find lacking in every childcare is the offer of Malay as 2nd language. I guess the issue is not having enough Malay kids to actually warrant the childcare centre to teach Malay. On a positive notes, there are 3 Malay teachers at Cambridge Sengkang and I'm happy to see them talking to Faris in Malay. In terms of additional activities, most of the external excursions would cost more than $100 and would require mommy or daddy to go... really... Oh, because the centre is actually a semi-detached house, I found my son coming home with all sorts of insects bites on his legs... my wife bought the J&J mosquito lotion and I applied it on his legs every morning and the result has been positive! Most importantly, my son enjoys going to school. While parents may worry about the things being taught, I felt it's important for him to be able to socialise with other kids and adults. Now, if only he can stop his baby talk already... A lot happened since my last post in October last year. Didn't post much as I was busy at work and home. Wife experienced a bad first trimester so I had to do most of the household chores. Very tiring especially taking care of Faris.
Hold a house warming a day after Faris birthday. Great turnout. Also d found a new childcare centre for Faris near my school. Cost almost twice but at least I don't have to travel so far too send him. Got 2.1 month bonus in Dec which was great news. I will also get my reimbursement for the PGD course that I attended. Such a relief after all that admin hassle. My last four gadgets for 2013 were as follow: - Aztecs IP camera - Casio G Shock with Bluetooth - Microsoft Surface RT - Logitech 602 mouse I've been going back and forth about getting a new phone as my iPhone 5 battery drain was getting on my nerve. Finally managed to get a good deal for a LG G2 at Far East Plaza. Really nice looking phone! Here's hoping for a wonderful year ahead! Finally found a rug that is of the right size,design and price (from ikea). This completes our living room. Ok maybe some photo frames on the wall would add a nice touch. One thing at a time. Now waiting for the dining table which should be arriving soon (after 2 months) Bought a spanking new TV, just in time for our housewarming party for my Siglap mates. Pizzas, pasta, and good company. It feels good to have our place that we can call home :) |
About MeJust your typical guy in his 40s, married to a lovely wife + three kids, living a life in tiny Singapore. Categories
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Class 2B Summary
Circuit Orientation: 1 Lesson 1: 2 Lesson 2: 1 Lesson 3: 1 Lesson 4: 1 Lesson 5: 3 Lesson 6: 2 Lesson 7: 1 Lesson 8: 1 Circuit Revision: 8 Road Revision: 4 Basic Theory: N/A Riding Theory: 4/4 Defence Riding Theory: 3/3 Internal Evaluation: 1 Riding Theory Test: 1/1 Final Practical Test: 1/1 Amount Spent $140+$300+200+200+150 Class 2A Summary Lesson 1: 1/1 Lesson 2: 1/1 Lesson 3: 1/1 Riding Theory: 1/1 Circuit Revision: 2 Final Practical Test: 1/1 Amount Spent $330 Class 2 Summary Lesson 1: 1/1 Lesson 2: 1/1 Lesson 3: 1/1 Circuit Revision 2/2 No show: 2/2 Final Practical Test: 1/1 Amount Spent $400 Total [2B+2A+2]: $1720 Archives
April 2023
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