Shanghai Expo with Coca-Cola – Day 3 of 4 (morning) On our third day in Shanghai, we headed to the Shanghai Expo, the highlight of this trip. The date was 8 May which was also Coca-Cola’s Founder Day or the global brand’s 124th birthday. To celebrate, the Coca-Cola Pavilion was to be launched on the same day and we were there early in the morning to witness the launch. My Shanghai Expo ticket My coveted ticket to the Coca-Cola celebration concert in the evening VIP pass for the Coca-Cola pavilion Tagged as a member of the Coca-Cola entourage Expo's Puxi entrance I spy the Coca-Cola pavilion from the signature red walls We are here! The Australian bloggers, a la Beatles Media registration Brenda from Coca-Cola China was there to greet us early in the morning About to join the queue to go into the Coca-Cola Pavilion The "Happiness Factory" opens it door! The cheery workers in the Happiness Factory, perched on the pavilion Giant Coca-Cola bottle display screen More of the Happiness Factory workers The pavilion was themed around the “Happiness Factory” concept that ran across Coca-Cola’s recent ad campaign. Stepping into the pavilion was like stepping in a mini version of Willy Wonka‘s magical Chocolate Factory. There are no oompa-loompa here, but Coca-Cola has its own stable of quirky characters. Upon entering, visitors are greeted by loud, smiley employees who will usher you along the tour of the pavilion. After a short introductory video on the main characters in the Coca-Cola Happiness Factory, visitors are guided to a cosy cinema to watch a slick animation. Counter inside the pavilion Pavilion interior - the entrance area Happiness Factory introductory video Employee of the Month Me inside the cinema room Super slick animation that must have cost quite a bit to produce After the cinema experience, visitors are presented with a free bottle of Coca-Cola in their environmental conscious PlantBottle, made from 30% plant-based material and is 100% recyclable. We were also showed a certain way to upturn, twist and then uncap the bottle before consumption so that a layer of ice will run at the top, due to a special freezing technique. A bottle of Coca-Cola for everyone after watching the video Brrrrr green screen which the kids love The PlantBottle - bottle of the future My PlantBottle fizzling up Me with Tom from Coca-Cola with our PlantBottles Outside the pavilion, there were magicians and other entertainers going around to keep the guests in queues occupied while waiting. There was also a gift shop selling limited edition Coca-Cola Shanghai Expo souvenirs. I bought a set of Expo-themed bottles for keepsake. Magician keeping guests entertained World's first soft drink dispenser to go outer space - Coca-Cola of course! Beijing-themed Coca-Cola bottle Free Coca-Cola for everyone Later on, we were entertained by some song and dance items featuring kids from around the world singing Happy Birthday to Coca-Cola on the pavilion stage. We lingered around till the end of the birthday celebration and then spent a little time exploring the Puxi area where the Coca-Cola pavilion is located. The Puxi area houses all the enterprise pavilions and these are generally deemed as less exciting by most visitors. The area tends to be a little quiet. I find it a pity as some of the enterprise pavilions like the Coca-Cola one for instance, is better than the average country pavilions. If you visit the Expo. Don’t skip the Puxi area. It’s great for time-starved visitors as there are generally no queues there. Happy Korean bloggers The Korean bloggers even brought a birthday cake for Coca-Cola! Me with cheery Australian blogger, Annabel Candy Me and Walter acting childish Me against the giant Coca-Cola mural After brisking through Puxi, I took a ferry across the Huangpu River together with fellow Singaporeans, Walter and June and Japanese blogger, Rikki-san. We were headed for the Pudong area where the key attractions – the country pavilions are. China Oil Pavilion Shanghai Corporate Pavilion Republic of Korea Business Pavilion - the exterior will be recycled into shopping bags after the Expo Space Home Pavilion - quite popular among the Puxi pavilions Haibao seen all over at gift shops I like these souvenir paper models of the iconic pavilions The jetty to board the ferries The free shuttle ferry that took us to Pudong On board the ferry Stay tuned to my next blog entry which will be a really lengthy one covering the Expo’s country pavilions and Coca-Cola’s Founder Day Parade. My previous posts on Shanghai with Coca-Cola: Shanghai Expo with Coca-Cola – A Preview Day 1 – Arrive Shanghai, The Bund Shanghai Expo Express (my paper travel story) Day 2 (morning) – Coca-Cola’s Global Innovation & Technology Center, Bloggers Confernce Day 2 (evening) – Xintiandi, meeting Expedition 206 crew Technorati Tags: shanghai expo, coca-cola pavilion, shanghai expo coca-cola pavilion, coca-cola’s founder day, coca-cola’s 124 birthday, coca cola birthday, coca cola happiness factory, happiness factory, shanghai expo happiness factory, coca cola plant bottle, coca cola plantbottle, plantbottle, china oil pavilion, shanghai corporate pavilion, republic of korea business pavilion, space home pavilion, shanghai expo travel, shanghai expo trip, hai bao, puxi ferry, shanghai expo puxi, enterprise pavilions, shanghai expo enterprise pavilions I am back! Lots of updates coming up! Here’s a preview of blog entries to come: 1. The remaining 12 days of my long ago India trip… 2. The remaining 2 days of my Shanghai Expo trip with Coca-Cola 3. My 9 days honeymoon in Sydney 4. My 3 days Ipoh wedding trip 5. My traditional wedding ceremony on 12 June 6. and a lot of other back log blog entries which I really need to clear… Stay tuned! Alvinology is back! Wedding Break from Blogging Wedding is just round the corner... After many months of planning, an eventful engagement party, a novel solemnisation ceremony on a plane coupled with a trip to Shantou, Rachel and I will be having our traditional Chinese wedding banquet this coming Saturday (12 June). We will then be flying off for our honeymoon in Sydney right the next day on 13 June and won’t be back till 22 June. That’s not the end yet. We still have another small banquet at Ipoh, Malaysia for Rachel’s relatives on 26 June before everything is officially over. In view of the above schedules, I will be taking a break from blogging from now till end of June when  Rachel and I have returned from Ipoh. Thank you for supporting Alvinology all this while. I will be back soon. This blog is just temporarily dormant. MRT Train vandalised by Swiss National – Is this another publicity stunt by SingPost? Made in Switzerland. Remember the recent SingPost PR disaster whereby they engaged a few kids to go around vandalising their own post boxes? The public were alarmed by the horrific random spray painting masqueraded as graffiti art. The police were alerted, wasting much public resources, resulting in a publicity backlash for SingPost. A MRT train was reported to have been vandalised by a swiss national today. Here’s a video recording of the the vandalised train: Via Straits Times.com: AN MRT train parked in a depot was hit with garish graffiti in what amounted to a serious security breach in a restricted area here. The vandal apparently sneaked into the sprawling depot at Changi, despite an array of barriers, including fences topped with barbed wire. Once inside, he spray-painted elaborate graffiti on one side of a train, across one carriage. The Straits Times understands that the vandal, a 33-year-old Swiss national, cut through the fence of the depot along Xilin Avenue, in what is believed to be the first such case of vandalism here. A middle-aged Swiss national cutting into a restricted area to beautify a train with graffiti art? This is a first in Singapore… no, wait, there was the infamous Michael Fay before this dude. If you check out the video, the graffiti actually looks pretty decent, at least a thousand times better than the crap that SingPost PAID kids to spray on their post boxes. Could this be the Part 2 of their lame attempt at a creative campaign? Or is this swiss national just another retard like the recent 7 Kallang Sarawakian Monsters who do not know how harsh the Singapore laws are? Michael Fay got his ass fried. This dude is likely to get the same unless he has some amazing mitigating factors or the President of Switzerland writes in to plead for him (which may not work cos Bill Clinton could not save Michael Fay either). I have a stereotypical image of a “swiss national” as a rich banker in suit. fixated in my head. Hence I cannot fathom someone like this bending down in his Armani suit with a rusty can of paint, painstakingly spray painting on a MRT train. It has got to be a publicity stunt…. SingPost, is it you again? Please own up. Technorati Tags: smrt train, smrt, vandalised smrt train, vandalised train, swiss national vandalise smrt train, swiss national vandalise mrt train, swiss vandal, michael fay, swiss michael fay, video of vandalised smrt train The 7 Kallang Sarawakian Monsters Singapore has always pride itself as a safe country where residents can roam free at night, even past midnight. Crime rates are low and even if there are robberies, they are more of the snatch and run variety whereby victims are seldom seriously injured. Seven men changed this recently. Seven foreign workers from Sarawak attacked four victims viciously on Sunday to rob them of a grand total of S$400 and three cellphones. The cowards slashed and hacked all their victims, leaving one dead, two seriously wounded in ICU and one with four fingers hacked off. The victims were chosen at random and have no relation with each other. I am trying to find the photos of all these scumbags. So far, I managed to dig out three as below: Three of the 7 Kallang Sarawakian Monsters Six of these monsters have been caught. One is still at large: MICHEAL GARING, 22. Status: Facing murder charge. SHAHMAN MILAK, 21. Status: Facing gang robbery charge. SYLVESTER BAROGOK, 25. Status: Facing gang robbery charge. HAIREE LANDAK, 19. Status: Arrested. PETER USIT MUSA, 22. Status: Arrested. TONY IMBA, 31. Status: Arrested. DONNY MELUDA, 19. Status: At large. I hope the police will get to him soon. Killing and severely wounding four strangers for just S$400 and three cellphones? What were these seven heroes thinking? Divide S$400 by 7 and each monster will only get less than S$55 each… Not only are these monsters incredibly cruel, they are incredibly dense too. There are many other ways to commit crime with lesser punishment and without having to harm others (not that I condone crime, I am just citing what logical thinking criminals would do). What were they thinking? That it’s brave and warrior-like to gang ambush lone victims from behind with weapons? In another report, I read that two of the monsters apparently managed to leave Singapore to Malaysia after committing the crime, but were so smart that they decided to cross back again and get arrested… I rest my case on their intelligence. I hope these seven stone-age barbarians will be dealt with duly by the Singapore law soon. Technorati Tags: micheal garing, shahman milak, sylvester barogok, hairee landak, peter usit musa, tony imba, donny meluda, sarawakian robbers, sarawakian monstiers, the 7 kallang monsters, the 7 kallang sarawakian monsters, the 7 kallang robbers, 7 kallang sarawakian robbers, kallang gang robbers, sarawak gang robbers, micheal garing photo, sylvester barogok photo, hairee landak photo, sarawak gangsters Ever heard of “Failbook”? Failbooking.... You have heard of Facebook, but have you heard of Failbook? I have been quite burnt out recently, attempting to balance work, my marriage preparation and other commitment at the same time. These few days, I been checking this website called Failbook intermittently to catch a chuckle or two for a breather. It’s quite amusing to see some of the downright odd stuff that people post on Facebook. Although Facebook is a closed network, it still resides in cyberspace and hence opportunities for privacy violations are aplenty. As long as there are friends in your network  who can take screen grabs or copy and save the messages or photos you post, your privacy is compromised. A lot of people do not seem to realise this. Please do, else you just might find one of your Freudian slip postings appearing on Failbook one day. Technorati Tags: funny facebook postings, failbook, failbooking, fail blog facebook, facebook jokes, funny facebook, freudian slip, facebook privacy, funny website SAF soldier caught visiting prostitute in Taiwan… News? Naughty SAF soldier caught visiting prostitute A reader sent me this Taiwan news story via The Liberty Time (自由时报). It’s about a SAF soldier getting caught in an illegal sexual transaction with a female prostitute when the Taiwanese police happen to raid a local prostitution den. In accordance to Taiwan’s vice law, the soldier was not prosecuted, but the female prostitute was arrested. I am wondering why this story made it into the newspaper… Having served my NS days and reservist in Navy camps, it is common knowledge that whenever soldiers dock at foreign countries, a large majority have sex on their mind and probably alcohol next. In Singapore, places like Orchard Towers exist partly because of the patronage of such foreign soldiers. SAF knows this too. That’s why condoms are issued to Singapore soldiers who go for overseas training exercises. Not that I condone prostitution, but I suppose the biggest mistake the soldier above committed was getting caught at the wrong place at the wrong time. Technorati Tags: SAF soldier caught visiting prostitute in Taiwan, saf, singapor armed forces, saf soldier visit prostitute, taiwan prostitute, singapore armed forces, the liberty time, 自由时报, orchard towers, orchard towers prostitute, saf condoms K’naan’s Wavin’ Flag – A truly international song K'naan's Wavin' Flag After hearing this World Cup theme song, Wavin’ Flag, at the Coca-Cola concert at the Shanghai Expo, I was hooked on the rhythm and the catchy lyrics. Here’s the LIVE Chinese version, 旗开得胜 that I first heard, sung by an international ensemble of Jacky Cheung (张学友) from Hong Kong, Jane Zhang (张靓颖) from China and Somali-Canadian, K’naan: The song has quite a bit of background. It has been sung in many different languages and released in many different versions around the world (via wikipedia): “Wavin’ Flag” is a song by K’naan from his album Troubadour, reaching #2 on the Canadian Hot 100. A remake by a supergroup of Canadian artists, credited as Young Artists for Haiti, became a charity single, with this new version going straight to #1 on the Canadian charts. A version of the song featuring will.i.am and David Guetta is targeted for international release. The song also appears on the soundtrack for the video game NBA 2K10. The song was chosen as Coca-Cola’s promotional anthem for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, to be held in South Africa. The English version was released as “Wavin’ Flag (The Celebration Mix)” by K’naan and many other bilingual and country-specific versions have been released. “The Celebration Mix” version of the song topped the singles charts in Germany, Swiss Music Charts and Austria. The original version by K’naan has more controversial lyrics. I actually like it better as it is more reflective of the struggles in Africa: The World Cup version is more celebratory and the lyrics has be adjusted accordingly: Below are some of the various international versions available which I managed to find and compile from youtube. Enjoy. I particularly like the Nigerian and Thai ones. Soccer and music can really bring the world together. Arabic version (with subtitles) with K’naan featuring Nancy Ajram: Brazilian version with K’naan featuring Skank: Chinese version with K’naan featuring Jacky Cheung and Jane Zhang: French version with K’naan featuring Féfé: Greece version with K’naan Professional Sinnerz featuring Komis X: Indonesian version (Semangat Berkibar) by K’naan and Ipank: Nigerian version (Naija Remix) by K’naan and Banky W. & M.I.: Spanish version by K’naan and David Bisbal: Thai version by K’naan and Tattoo Colour: Vietnamese version by K’naan and Phuong Vy: Technorati Tags: K’naan’s Wavin’ Flag, k’naan, wavin’ flag, wavin’ flag vietnam, wavin’ flag vietnamese, wavin’ flag thai, wavin’ flag thailand, wavin’ flag phuong vy, wavin’ flag tattoo colour, wavin’ flag spain, wavin’ flag spanish, wavin’ flag david bisbal, wavin’ flag international, wavin’ flag nigerian, wavin’ flag nigeria, wavin’ flag naija remix, wavin’ flag banky w & mi, wavin’ flag indonesian, wavin’ flag indonesia, xwavin’ flag ipank, semangat berkibar, wavin’ flag greece, wavin’ flag professional sinnerz komis x, wavin’ flag fefe, wavin’ flag french, wavin’ flag france, wavin’ flag chinese, wavin’ flag china, wavin’ flag skank, wavin’ flag brazil, wavin’ flag brazilian, wavin’ flag jacky cheung, wavin’ flag jane zhang, wavin’ flag arabic, wavin’ flag arabia, wavin’ flag nancy ajram, 旗开得胜, 张学友, 张靓颖, shanghai expo, coca-cola shanghai expo concert, coca-cola world cup concert What are these two YOG mascots doing? Via EDMW: Naughty YOG mascots You draw the conclusion yourself. The Youth Olympic Games mascots, Lyo and Merly may not be as innocent as they look. Moreover, if you look at the picture below, the naughty white creature on top (Merly) is a female while the one assaulted is a male (Lyo). Wah! So cool! I suppose in the next few frames, the mascots will go on the demonstrate how the Merlion was borned – a horrible cross-breed between a lion and a mermaid. In fact, are these two the parents for our beloved Merlion? Technorati Tags: mascot fail, mascot phail, singapore yog mascots, singapore yog mascots fail, merly, lyo, lyo and merly, merlion, funny yog mascots, epic phail mascot, naughty yog mascots Funny Polytechnic Graduation Videos Oops they did it again and again like the Teletubbies... Watch and laugh. First two feature graduate students from Singapore Polytechnic doing the “worm” on stage to collect their graduation certificate. The third one is from Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Pay attention and listen to the emcee reading out the names… really don’t know what to say man. Really serious blooper…. Technorati Tags: poly graduation blooper video, singapore poly funny grad video, singapore poly worm, sp worm video, sp graduation worm video, ngee ann poly graduation blooper, ngee ann poly funny emcee video, ngee ann poly kanina video, ngee ann poly vulgarity video, poly graduation funny videos Funny Polytechnic Graduation Videos Oops they did it again and again like the Teletubbies... Watch and laugh. First two feature graduate students from Singapore Polytechnic doing the “worm” on stage to collect their graduation certificate. The third one is from Ngee Ann Polytechnic. Pay attention and listen to the emcee reading out the names… really don’t know what to say man. Really serious blooper…. Technorati Tags: poly graduation blooper video, singapore poly funny grad video, singapore poly worm, sp worm video, sp graduation worm video, ngee ann poly graduation blooper, ngee ann poly funny emcee video, ngee ann poly kanina video, ngee ann poly vulgarity video, poly graduation funny videos Shanghai Expo with Coca-Cola – Day 2 of 4 (evening) On the second day evening, we headed to Xintiandi  (新天地) for shopping and dinner. Upon arrival, we were given around an hour free time to shop and told to assemble back at a modern east-west fusion restaurant called T8 for dinner and also to meet the trio from Expedition 206. Our beautiful guide, Yang Yang, showing us the assembly point for dinner These three guys must have everyone’s dream jobs – to travel to 206 cities where Coca-Cola is sold in 365 days and learn how the locals live their lives. How cool is that? This is my second visit to Xintiandi. The first time I visited was back in 2005 and the area was still under construction. Now, it’s full of giant high-rise malls touting luxury brands like LV and Cartier. Via wikipedia: Xintiandi is composed of an area of restored traditional shikumen (“stone gate”) houses on narrow alleys, some adjoining houses which now serve as book stores, cafes and restaurants, and shopping malls. Most of the cafes and restaurants feature both indoor and outdoor seatings. Xintiandi has an active nightlife on weekdays as well as weekends, though romantic settings are more common than loud music and dance places. Xintiandi means “New Heaven and Earth”, and is considered one of the first lifestyle centers in China. The area was developed by Shui On Land during the re-development of the surrounding area, when similar shikumen houses were demolished wholesale. The houses in Xintiandi were then restored, and now house an art gallery, cafes, and restaurants. The marketing of xintiandi is mainly targeted towards overseas visitors, especially visitors from Hong Kong, who seek to experience the romanticised atmosphere of old Shanghai. As a result, prices in this area are high, even by international standards. Eating or shopping in this area is seen as a status symbol by affluent local residents. Many tour groups both domestic and from abroad also visit Xintiandi as one of the main attractions in Shanghai. I am not a fan of luxury brands as they are way out of my price range. Hence I headed for the smaller shops and malls with Walter. We were intrigued by some of the local copycat brands that seem to be established brands in their own right too in China. Otherwise, the place is much like other high end shopping belts in major cities. I bought a reversible vest for myself and an umbrella at an Uniqlo outlet. Omega Coach Cartier Tiffany & Co More luxury brand stores Large tall buildings everywhere Huangpi Road More of the same A large shopping mall Mall directory I like the heritage buildings like this one Foreign brand China copycat brand... this one's called "Jordan" Uniqlo in Shanghai We found a back street with affordable food for the masses Thereafter, Walter and I headed back to T8 where most of the other bloggers are already gathered. I had a lovely evening chatting with the many bloggers and other delegates from around the world. I only managed to speak briefly to the Expedition 206 trio as they were on a tight schedule. They were extremely friendly though, always with a ready smile to pose for photographs. I forgot to take a photo with them… you can check out the Expedition 206 website to get to know Tono, Kelly and Tony. T8's entrance Our dining tables The food at T8 was fantastic. Particularly the beef tenderloin main course which leaves me craving for more. The dinner menu Getting seated for dinner The Korean and Australian bloggers Mushroom-shaped bread Unassuming, but yummy corn soup Tuna appertiser The very delicious beef tenderloin A brighter picture of the main course Desert Open kitchen - right at the restaurant entrance After dinner, we headed back to our hotel. As I was still relatively awake, I decided to head out to buy supper and also explore The Bund area at night. Oriental Pearl TV Tower and People's Heroes Memorial Bright buildings' light, empty street I felt good strolling along the cool empty street, listening to my iPod There are lots of policemen and police vehicle still on patrol at night Majestic stone lion The iconic Peace Hotel's entrance It was interesting to note that the street vendors touting fake Haibao (海宝) (the Shanghai Expo mascot) soft toys are out in full force after dark. Every street I turn, there’s a couple of them hawking the blue creature, hidden in black trash bags. Street food hawkers, not visible in the day were also out prowling the streets. A few wary looking pimps also approached me asking if I wanted any female companionship for the night, which I pretended not to hear with my iPod ear plugs on. Street hawkers and touts lined the street at night While the tourists sleep, an army of cleaners and construction workers come out to work in full force in the wee hours of the night. The clean streets and spanking new buildings sprouting up one after another in Shanghai do not miraculously appear from thin air. These people made it possible. Army of cleaners Construction work going on at night In the end, I bought a sweet and sour pork burger from the local McDonald. This is not available in Singapore’s McDonald restaurants which are halal. At McDonald, I saw many ragged homeless folks sitting in a corner, probably to escape the cold outside and find a place to sleep. My sweet and sour pork burger On my walk back, I noticed the beautiful lighting at The Bund (外滩) area are mostly switched off after midnight. That’s a good move to conserve energy. These were the only lights still on after midnight at The Bund I made myself a hot water bath when I got back to my hotel room. After a relaxing soak, I tucked myself in, looking forward to visiting the Shanghai Expo the next day. Stay tuned for my next update. My previous posts on Shanghai with Coca-Cola: Shanghai Expo with Coca-Cola – A Preview Day 1 – Arrive Shanghai, The Bund Shanghai Expo Express (my paper travel story) Day 2 (morning) – Coca-Cola’s Global Innovation & Technology Center, Bloggers Confernce Technorati Tags: Shanghai Pudong International Airport , haibao, hai bao, shanghai travel, shanghai world expo travel, xintiandi, t8 shanghai, coca-cola 125th birthday, coca-cola birthday, shanghai expo, coca-cola shanghai expo, coca-cola wang leehom, coca-cola jacky cheung, coca-cola fahrenheit, coca-cola global innovation and technology center shanghai, coca-cola gitc shanghai, coca-cola gitc, happy birthday coca cola, singapore coca-cola, coca-cola expo pavilion, coca-cola shanghai expo pavilion, coca-cola happiness factory, coca-cola shanghai, coca-cola kolab, coca-cola bloggers, coca-cola shanghai blog conference, coca-cola shanghai bloggers, xintiandi, expedition 206, coca-cola GITC shanghai, shanghai GITC, xintiandi cartier, xintiandi coach, xintiandi omega, expedition 206, midnight shanghai, midnight the bund Finalists of Singapore Blog Awards 2010 revealed Vote for your favourite bloggers A plug for omy.sg’s Singapore Blog Awards 2010 – a campaign I am running. The top 100 finalists in the ten main award categories are revealed. Vote for your favourite bloggers and stand to win attractive prizes like a Garmin ASUS M10 smart phone, luxurious resort stays from Asia Web Direct and many more. The full press release in both English and Mandarin are as below: Media Release Finalists of Singapore Blog Awards 2010 revealed Singapore, 25 May 2010 — The finalists of this year’s Singapore Blog Awards are revealed. Out of over 1000 blogs registered for the awards, a total of 100 blogs made the cut. There are 10 finalists in each of the 10 categories. Organised by omy.sg, the bilingual news and interactive web portal of Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), the Awards honour “new-age wordsmiths” who devote their time and energy to create and maintain informative and innovative blogs. The ten main categories are EASB (East Asia Institute of Management) Best Individual Blog, Most Insightful Blog, Best LOL (laugh-out-loud) Blog, Best e-Commerce Blog, Best Photography Blog, Best Lifestyle Blog, Best Modeling Blog, Best WTH (what-the-hell) Blog, Best Food Blog and The Y-Bloggist Award (for bloggers under 25), presented by tech brand iKnow. The winner of each category stands to win attractive prizes including a trip to Hong Kong with air tickets and accommodation paid for by the Hong Kong Tourism Board. Out of the 1000 blogs registered for this year’s awards, a number of entries are by bloggers from Malaysia, Australia, The Philippines, China and other countries. This is a sign that the three-year-old Awards has gained popularity among overseas bloggers. Some of the notable bloggers amongst the 100 finalists are: - TechXav (http://TechXav.com): A 16-year-old boy who is Singapore’s top Twitter user. He also operates an international tech blog with content submitted by youths around the world. - Aussie Pete (http://www.aussiepete.com): A self-professed “completely-localised and proud ang moh” from Australia who has been living and working in Singapore for many years. - Violet Lim (http://www.violetlim.com): A successful businesswoman who is also a mother of two and founder of Asia’s first lunch dating agency, Lunch Actually. - Gordonator (http://gordonator.com): A Star Wars fan boy who makes regular public appearances in his Storm Trooper costume. He is also a member of the 501st Legion, a worldwide Star Wars non-profit costuming organisation. - Ten gorgeous models in the Best Modeling category. These ladies are not shy to post provocative photos of themselves on their blogs and some of them appeared on television and even made news headlines. The winners will be determined via public voting as well as scores given by a panel of ten professional judges. Voting for the Singapore Blog Awards starts today via the official website – http://sgblogawards.omy.sg. Voters stand to win attractive prizes like a Garmin ASUS M10 smart phone, luxurious overseas resort stays and more. Judges for this year’s awards are Mr Kelvin Tong, movie director; Ms Kuo Jian Hong, Co-Artistic Director of The Theatre Practice; Ms Anna Lim, Radio 100.3 deejay; Mr Josh Lim, Managing Director of Advertlets; Mr U-Zyn Chua, CEO of Ping.sg; Mr Samuel Ng, CEO of Marine Parade Family Service Centre; Ms Xiao Han, Director and Lyricist of Funkie Monkies Productions, Mr Walter Lim, Director of Corporate Services and Marketing Communications, National Art Gallery and Mr Danny Yeo, theatre practitioner. Singapore Blog Awards 2010 winners will be revealed at a prize-presentation ceremony with details to be announced at a later date. The winner of each category will walk away with a custom-designed trophy created by Singapore Cultural Medallion winner Mr Tan Swie Hian and a variety of sponsored prizes, including a trip to Hong Kong, ASUS netbooks and more. The main sponsors for Singapore Blog Awards 2010 are the East Asia Institute of Management (EASB), National Heritage Board (NHB) and United International Pictures (UIP). Air tickets and accommodation for the 10 award winners are sponsored by the Hong Kong Tourism Board. Other sponsors include Rednano, ASUS, Asia Web Direct (http://www.asiawebdirect.com) and Fabrix. The awards is supported by blog networks, Advertlets.com and Ping.sg, as well as Singapore’s top Online Classifieds portal, ST701. Adding to the excitement is Rednano Best Mobile Blog Award organised by Rednano Mobile, the mobile platform of Singapore’s local directory search engine Rednano.sg. This is a new category introducing Mobile Tweet combined with Blogs for this year’s Singapore Blog Award 2010, which is predominantly online-focused. Participants who had submitted their tweets via mobile.rednano.sg had been evaluated by a Rednano panel of judges. The selected top 10 finalists are announced today. They can be found on http://sgblogawards.om.sg/category/. The public can now vote for their favourite bloggers by sending an SMS with the code of the blogger to 33833. Please visit the official website for the full list of finalists and the categories. 新加坡部落格大奖2010 百大入围部落格出炉！ 新加坡部落格大奖2010十个主要奖项的十大入围部落格已经出炉！ 今年共有1000多个部落格报名”格斗”，与往年相比，有更多来自马来西亚、澳洲、菲律宾、中国等国家的海外部落格格主前来分一杯羹，说明迈入第三个年头的新加坡部落格大奖已更广为人知，也更被重视了。 百大入围部落格的格主们各有来头，其中年仅16岁的男生TechXav除了是本地人气第一的Twitter用户，他的科技部落格更是国际化，内容由 来自世界各地的年轻人编写；Aussie Pete则是一名在新加坡工作多年的澳洲男子，自称是”已完全被本土化却又自豪的’红毛’”；Violet Lim是育有两个孩子的成功女性，她也是红娘公司Lunch Actually的创办人，让会员通过午餐认识异性的概念在亚洲可谓史无前例；Gordonator经常穿着Storm Trooper服装出席活动的《星际大战》粉丝；入围最佳个人靓照部落格的十位靓丽模特，当中不乏上过电视或出现在报章新闻的美女帅哥。 新加坡部落格大奖的十个奖项是：EASB最具个人特色部落格、最佳生活资讯部落格、最靓摄影部落格、最佳个人靓照部落格、最佳饮食部落格、最不可思 议部落格、最具深度部落格、最具娱乐性部落格、最佳e-Shop部落格以及由科技品牌iKnow赞助的部落Y格斗（开放给25岁以下的博客参加）。每个奖 项的得主都有机会赢取总价值超过4万元的丰厚奖品，包括由香港旅游局赞助的香港来回机票与酒店住宿等，还可捧走由新加坡文化奖得主陈瑞献设计的部落格鼎。 颁奖礼详情将在稍后公布。 上网投选可赢取奖品 网上投选也即日展开，只要到活动官网http://sgblogawards.omy.sg投票支持心仪的部落格，还能赢取智能手机、豪华酒店住宿等丰富奖品！ 奖项最终花落谁家，那就要视网上投选和专业评审的结果而定！ 新加坡部落格大奖2010的主要赞助商是East Asia Institute of Management(EASB), National Heritage Board(NHB)以及United International Pictures(UIP)。其它赞助商包括香港旅游局、Rednano、华硕、Asia Web Direct以及Fabrix，并由部落格网络Advertlets.com和Ping.sg，以及本地顶尖分类广告网站ST701鼎力支持。 为新加坡部落格大奖增添趣味的，是与Rednano联办的最佳海外名人部落格和最佳本地名人部落格奖。这两个奖项纯粹由投票决定，投票的网友可赢取丰富的奖品。与此同时，Rednano也推出了最佳流动部落格奖项，这三个奖项即日起也将开放投选。 新加坡部落格大奖由新加坡报业控股旗下的双语资讯娱乐网omy.sg主办。 Technorati Tags: singapore blog awards 2010, singapore blog awards, win a trip to hong kong, hong kong tourism board, asus, win asus net book, win asus smart phone, asia web direct, fabrix, fabrix cases, advertlets.com, ping.sg, omy.sg, omy, omy blog awards, easb, uip, nhb, east asia institute of management, national heritage board, united international pictures, rednano, rednano best mobile blog, singapore top online classified, st701, kelvin tong, kuo jian hong, anna lim, radio 1003 anna liim, u-zyn chua, josh liim, xiaohan, xiao han, walter lim, danny yeo, best individual blog, easb best individual blog, best lifestyle blog, best modeling blog, best wth blog, best what-the-hell blog, best food blog, most insightful blog, best lol blog, best laugh-out-loud blog, best e-commerce blog, best photograhy blog, y-bloggist, iknow, 新加坡部落格大奖, 新加坡部落格大奖 2010, 最佳个人靓照部落格, 最佳摄影部落格, 最佳饮食部落格, 最不可思议部落格, 最具深度部落格, 最佳生活资讯部落格, 最具娱乐性部落格, 最佳 e-shop部落格, EASB最具个人特色部落格, 最具个人特色部落格, 部落Y格斗 Shanghai Expo with Coca-Cola – Day 2 of 4 (morning) Me at the Coca-Cola Global Innovation & Technology Center in Shanghai On the second day, after breakfast at the Hyatt in-house restaurant, Aroma, we headed to the Coca-Cola ‘s Global Innovation and Technology Center (GITC) in Shanghai. There, we were provided some insights into Coca-Cola’s research and development initiatives, particularly in the field of eco-friendly and sustainable manufacturing. We also sat through an intense bloggers conference at the same venue, whereby Coca-Cola invited a host of global speakers to share with us marketing insights. My day job is as a marketeer for online portal, www.omy.sg – hence this was a rewarding session for me as I get to learn some of the marketing strategies of one of the top brand name in the world, Coca-Cola. One of my key take-away is to think long-term when it comes to branding and marketing. It may seems common sense, but when you are engulfed in day-to-day battle to meet various KPIs and ROIs, the long term branding and marketing goals tend to take a back seat. Running contests and giving away prizes are effective hit-and-run marketing to raise figures in the short-run, but they tend to do nothing for your brand in the long run. I need to bear this in mind the next time I am executing a campaign. Another key take-away from this trip is that Coca-Cola deems China as a very important market in the near future and are already working ahead, channeling resources to capture this emerging market. Just by sheer size with a population of over 2 billion, the China market simply cannot be ignored by any brand that claims to have a global presence. The other blogger who went to Shanghai with me, Walter Lim, have written five very comprehensive and detailed posts on the conference and other marketing-related insights. You can read his posts via the links below. It’s better to leave the niche marketing topics to the expert (Walter is the Marketing Director at the National Art Gallery under the National Heritage Board). Learning Coca-Cola’s Secret Success Formula The Impact of Macroforces on Coke’s Strategy Coca-Cola’s Brand-sational World Expo Pavillion How Brands Can Apply Digital Communications The 4 Rs of Coca-Cola’s Social Media Strategy For a junior marketeer like me, I will focus on the “experiential marketing experience” that Coca-Cola provided me with through this trip. I am now a convert and vow to drink  Coca-Cola over Pxxxi any time. I will let the images below the the captions do the talking versus a heavy chunk of text. My breakfast On board the bus to GITC Our pretty guide, Young Yang Yang (her real name) GITC entrance Happy to reach our destination Upon arriving at GITC, we were warmly welcomed by Brenda and Nancy from the local Coca-Cola office. Both of them gave us a tour of the building premise while explaining to us about Coca-Cola’s operation in China and their green initiatives. There are some 600 Coca-Cola China associates and the Pacific Group’s R&D team housed in the GITC. The building is also one of the few “green building” in China, boasting environmental-friendly features like rooftop solar panels, rainwater harvesting facilities and wind turbines-powered street lamps (Captain Planet will be proud of this building). Spotted these wind-turbine-powered street lamps Walter’s post has a detailed walk-through of the building. Essentially, we  visited their R&D labs where the bottle designs are incubated and produced as well as the koLab collaboration centre which looks at Coca-Cola’s collaborations with their customers. Due to commercial sensitivity, photography was not allowed in the labs. Sorry guys, you have to be there to see it. The koLab was quite an experience, starting with a 360 degree wall-to-wall video screening, followed by a sliding table top, where Coca-Cola beverages from around the world mysteriously popped up for our sampling pleasure. The sliding walls then opened up a large alley which individually featured various fully-stocked mock up Coca-Cola retailers and distributors like convenience stores, restaurants, bars, and even karaoke rooms. At the GITC lobby - the large oil painting featured China athletes like Liu Xiang and Yao Ming at the Beijing Olympics Another picture of the sprawling lobby Brenda from the local Coca Cola office greeted us once we arrived Brenda and Nancy from the local Coca-Cola office Bubbly team of Australian mommy bloggers The three friendly Japanese bloggers The Singapore team (L to R): Walter, me and June from Coca-Cola The filled bottles represent Coca-Cola's 12% share in the total China market The remaining 88% of the market to capture The captured market Australian blogger, Sunny Mommy, showing her sunny side The Coca-Cola "Live Positively" logo is everywhere Employee feedback boxes - I like the round friendly-looking feedback cards There are many designer bottles like these, each represent a Chinese province I see Eason Chan Auditorium Chinese people love slogans and this is felt in the Coca-Cola China office too Water conservation posters in the male washroom Staff library for ideas The tea room for enjoying and researching on tea Nancy explaining to us the importance of the tea beverage in Asian markets Really comfortable looking relax corner Bloggers plunging in One of the many rest/waiting areas Office cubicles Tried a bottle of this newly launched yoguart drink with fruit pulps - love it I love these "Live Positively" cushions Digital signboard to welcome the bloggers, how flattering! The top secret koLab - there's lots of cool stuff, but no photography allowed Me with a friendly Coca-Cola staff at the koLab After the tour, it was time for lunch. We headed to the GITC canteen where a buffet spread was already prepared for us. The Coca-Cola folks are great host and we all had a hearty meal. I was delighted to try some of their beverages which are not available in Singapore, particularly the funky “Sprite Ice Tea”. Garden in the middle of GITC A koi pond Staff canteen Me trying to blend in as a Coca-Cola staff in the canteen Spotted this cool bottle design at the canteen A buffet spread was prepared for our lunch in the canteen My heavy lunch Sprite ice tea! The combination seems weird, but it tastes surprisingly good. The Hong Kong bloggers enjoying their lunch After lunch, it was time for the heavy stuff – the bloggers conference on Innovation, Urbanisation and New Trends. The host very thoughtfully provided translation for various languages, in view of the international group of bloggers. We were also presented with some cool Coca-Cola premiums to take home. My name plate Translation ear-pieces - I feel like I am sitting in a UN conference! Translators in their boxes Live Positively notebook - gave this to my sister Coca-Cola video pen Coca-Cola can thumb drive I was seated in the same table with Walter and June The first speaker was Tom LaForge, Director, Knowledge & Insights, Coca-Cola. Tom’s job is to identify trends, foresee the future, and position Coca-Cola accordingly. He spoke on the impact of eight macroforces on Coca-Cola and the respective responses. You can read this post by Walter for the whole deal. In summary, consumers nowadays are more environmental conscious and has a general dislike of cold, big corporations. Hence the launch of the Coca-Cola’s “Live Positively” campaign, various green and eco-friendly initiatives in identifying with the consumers. Tom LaForge The second speaker was Deidre McGlashan, CEO, wwwins Isobar, Greater China. She spoke on digital communications in Asia, with examples from major brands like Toyota, LEGO and Nokia. You can read this post by Walter for the whole deal. Deidre McGlashan The third speaker was Natalie Johnson, Manager, Digital & Social Media, Coca-Cola. She spoke on the company’s 4Rs in marketing – Review, Respond, Record and Redirect. Again, you can read this post by Walter for the whole deal. Natalie’s segment was the most useful to me as it has the most relevance with my day job, marketing a web portal. Natalie Johnson After listening to three speakers, there was a blogger panel involving Stacey Sullaphen from Australia, Chen Qiang from China, Celia Cheng from Hong Kong, Motohiko Tokuriki from Japan, Kum Ran Son from Korea, Katika Saiseni from Thailand, and of course, Walter Lim from Singapore. Each gave a short self-introduction and answered questions posted by the moderator, Natalie and the floor. Bloggers panel Walter Lim’s self introduction: The last speaker for the day was Piers Fawkes, CEO, PSFK who spoke on innovation and sustainability. Piers Fawkes The Singapore team's GITC parting shot We had some time for mingling, networking and exchanging of ideas after that. This concluded the first half of my second day in Shanghai. Stay tuned for my next post on our evening at Xintiandi  (新天地) where we met the trio from Expedition 206. My previous posts on Shanghai with Coca-Cola: Shanghai Expo with Coca-Cola – A Preview Day 1 – Arrive Shanghai, The Bund Shanghai Expo Express (my paper travel story) Technorati Tags: Shanghai Pudong International Airport , haibao, hai bao, shanghai travel, shanghai world expo travel, xintiandi, t8 shanghai, coca-cola 125th birthday, coca-cola birthday, shanghai expo, coca-cola shanghai expo, coca-cola wang leehom, coca-cola jacky cheung, coca-cola fahrenheit, coca-cola global innovation and technology center shanghai, coca-cola gitc shanghai, coca-cola gitc, happy birthday coca cola, singapore coca-cola, coca-cola expo pavilion, coca-cola shanghai expo pavilion, coca-cola happiness factory, coca-cola shanghai, coca-cola kolab, coca-cola bloggers, coca-cola shanghai blog conference, coca-cola shanghai bloggers, xintiandi, expedition 206, coca-cola GITC shanghai, shanghai GITC, walter lim, cool insights, coca-cola shanghai office, coca-cola china office, coca-cola staff canteen, sprite ice tea, tom laforge, tom laforge coca-cola, deidre mcglashan, wwwins isobar, natalie johnson, coca-cola social media manager, stacey sullaphen, celia cheng, motohiko tokuriki, kum ran son, katika saiseni, keng, piers fawkes, psfk Shrek Forever After in 3D My Shrek Forever After preview ticket I was really looking forward to catching the final chapter to the very successful Shrek movie series. Here’s a picture of Han Joo and I posing excitedly with the stunned looking Shrek mascot before the movie preview at The Grand Cathay. Shrek looks really scared of us... Overall, I enjoyed the movie. It is the right kind of movie to catch after a long day at work and you are looking for something light to round up the day. My few complains are that the plot is too predictable and there’s no witty fairy tale satirical bits which were prevalent in the first two Shrek movies. The 3D effects were good to have, but did not add much value. Here’s the movie synopsis via wikipedia (it literally summed up the entire plot in just three paragraphs): After all of his adventures, Shrek (Mike Myers) has become a domesticated family ogre. Instead of scaring villagers away as he used to, Shrek agrees to autograph pitchforks. Longing for the days when he felt like a “real ogre”, Shrek is tricked into signing a pact with the smooth-talking deal maker, Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn), who offers Shrek a day where everything will be as if his adventures had never happened. Shrek can’t resist the offer- all he wanted was a day off to relax, to be a real ogre again. However, to get a day off, Shrek needs to give up a day from his childhood. However, after signing the contract, Shrek soon discovers he has been tricked: the day that he unwittingly gave away was the one day that was actually important- the day he was born. Having never existed, Shrek finds himself in a twisted, alternate version of Far Far Away, where Rumpelstiltskin is now king (because King Harold and Queen Lillian were originally going to give him the kingdom in exchange for him ending Fiona’s curse, but refused after getting news that Shrek had rescued Fiona); ogres are hunted to near-extinction; Donkey (Eddie Murphy) has never met Shrek, is forced into cart-pulling duty and fears him; Gingy (Conrad Vernon) is a gladiator fighting animal crackers; Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) doesn’t know Shrek and has become fat and lazy; and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) is an inexplicably hunted ogre who never met (and can’t stand) Shrek, and has become the leader of a band of other hunted ogres. Also Artie Pendragon (Justin Timberlake) has been forced to abdicate the throne for Rumpelstiltskin to become king. But even though all seems lost, there’s still hope – if Shrek shares “True Love’s Kiss” with Fiona by the sunrise of the next day, the contract he signed will be rendered null and void and the original timeline will be restored. However, Rumplestiltskin will do anything to stop Shrek and solidify his power that he now has. Here’s the movie trailer: Shrek Forever After opens in both 3D and normal cinema format from 21 May in Singapore. Technorati Tags: shrek forever after review, shrek forever after in 3d, shrek movie review, shrek the final chapter, shrek 4, shrek 4 movie, shrek forever after singapore release, shrek forever after singapore preview, shrek mike myers, rumpelstiltskin, walt dohrn, eddie murphy donkey, gingy conrad vernon, boots antonio banderas, fiona cameron diaz, artie pendragon justin timberlake, true love’s kiss, shrek 3d Match Fixer by Neil Humphreys Match Fixer book cover I had always enjoyed Neil Humphreys‘ witty columns in the local newspaper and had a good time reading all his first four books about Singapore. I came across his latest book, Match Fixer, while shopping for reading material to kill time during my reservist. Unlike most Singaporean males, I am not a big soccer fan. I do not play soccer, neither do I watch soccer. In fact, I believe I have never even played a full game of soccer before in my entire life. The few times I played, I was forced to do so during primary school PE lessons and was always made to play the defender position which other kids shun. Nonetheless, I bought the book because I have faith in Neil Humphreys and was looking forward to a light, humourous read. Alas, I was left disappointed this time. First off, the book is a fictional novel. Do not be mislead by the book cover and synopsis at the back into believing it’s non-fiction. There’s a fictional disclaimer if you bother to flip a few pages into the book. The synopsis on Neil’s website is as follows: Neil’s debut novel, Match Fixer, takes place inside the murky underbelly of Asian football. ‘Squeaky-clean’ Singapore plays host to betting syndicates, which have for decades fed off the insatiable illegal gambling habits of the local population and made a select few bookies very rich and far too powerful. Corruption is destroying The Beautiful Game in Asia and has spread its tentacles into the UK via spread betting cartels. Floodlights have been knocked out. Players jailed. Questions asked. It sounds pretty exciting isn’t it? Pity the plot fell kind of flat. There was a surprise ending to the story which saved the plot a bit, otherwise, the storyline was too predictable. As a result, the book appears a tad draggy as you flip each page, waiting to read what you already more or less know will happen. The book is not completely bad though. The characters in the book were pretty believable and distinctively Singaporean. There’s the villain, Tiger, a typical Singapore bookie; a SPG Malay girl, Yati; a black rapper wannabe Indian artist and of course, the protagonist, Chris Osborne, the ang moh expat footballer. Also, do take into account that I am NOT a soccer fan AT ALL. Given that the book was centered on soccer, it might have affected my reading pleasure too. Technorati Tags: Neil Humphreys, Neil Humphreys sixth book, Neil Humphreys match fixer, match fixer book review, Neil Humphreys book review, chris osborne, yati match fixer, tiger match fixer, s-league, Neil Humphreys s-league, Neil Humphreys soccer, singapore soccer, singapore bookie, singapore football, singapore football book Shanghai Expo Express Filed a story for my paper on the Shanghai Expo. You can click on the image below to read the full article: my paper, 17 May 2010 - click to enlarge Technorati Tags: Shanghai Pudong International Airport , haibao, hai bao, shanghai travel, shanghai world expo travel, xintiandi, t8 shanghai, coca-cola 125th birthday, coca-cola birthday, shanghai expo, coca-cola shanghai expo, coca-cola wang leehom, coca-cola jacky cheung, coca-cola fahrenheit, coca-cola global innovation and technology center shanghai, coca-cola gitc shanghai, coca-cola gitc, happy birthday coca cola, singapore coca-cola, coca-cola expo pavilion, coca-cola shanghai expo pavilion, coca-cola happiness factory, coca-cola shanghai, coca-cola kolab, coca-cola bloggers, coca-cola shanghai blog conference, coca-cola shanghai bloggers, 上海浦东国际机场, 海宝, hyatt on the bund, zhongshan road, shanghai bund, the bund, 外滩, huangpu river, pudong, puxi, oriental pearl tower, peace hotel, shanghai customs house, shanghai aurora, 和平饭店 Alvin & Rachel’s Wedding Invite Card – Physical Copies are now ready! Physical copies of the invite cards I blogged about my wedding invite card design a few days ago. The physical copies of the cards have been collected from our printer. They are ready for dissemination. Overall, I am very satisfied with the outcome of the card and envelop design. We reduced the tone of the sky to a light shade of baby blue to give it a more pastel, cheery look. The artwork was printed on Japanese wood-free textured paper for a hand-drawn, manga feel. Inner fold of the card Front of card Back of card Close-up of the card texture For the envelop, we bought the light-weight air-mail variety for thematic unity with the “flying” theme. The Chinese “double happiness” character was manually punched, one by one, by Rachel and I with a paper cutter we specially bought. Manually punched "double happiness" paper cut on the envelop How the assembled card and envelop will look When I passed my parents their portion of the wedding cards and envelops, my mom was amused by the effort and cost we put into these as she felt people will just “take and throw”. I told her it reflects our sincerity and we hope to spread our joy to everyone, with a little personal touch. The invite card is the first thing our friends and relatives will receive regarding the wedding and it’s important to give the right first impression. Technorati Tags: alvin and rachel, carl and ellie, up wedding, up themed wedding, carl and ellie real life, carl and ellie wedding, balloon wedding, singapore wedding, wedding e-invite, up wedding invite, pixar up, alvinology, alvin and rachel wedding, wedding card illustration Jay Chou shaved bald and star in Japanese porn? What is Jay Chou doing? Check out this video below: Apparently, there’s a bald-headed porn actor in Japan who bears an uncanny resemblance to the current King of Chinese pop, Jay Chou (周杰伦). Recently, some China netizens even went to edit the porn actor’s video clips together to spoof the music videos of Jay Chou’s latest songs. You can check out the spoof on 《烟花易冷》 and 《超人不会飞》 for a laugh. Technorati Tags: 周杰倫光頭拍A片, jay chou porn, jay chou in japanese av video, jay chou in japanese porn, jay chou pornography, jay chou porn music video, jay chou porn video, 烟花易冷, 超人不会飞, jay chou music video spoof, jay chou porn spof, jay chou song spoof, 周杰伦拍A片, bald jay chou, bald jay chou porn Shanghai Expo with Coca-Cola – Day 1 of 4 As mentioned in my previous blog post, I got to fly to Shanghai (上海) to experience the World Expo 2010, together with another Singapore blogger, Walter Lim, courtesy of Coca Cola Singapore. Our flight was at 10.10am on 6 May (last Thurs). I arrived at the airport relatively late, having overslept as my body was still repairing itself from the three weeks of sleep-deprived 24-hours guard duties for reservist. This is the first time I am flying Business Class. The check-in was speedier and there’s also an exclusive lounge to enjoy some light food and beverages. Light reading material is available too. Sorry if I am like a frog in a well as I usually travel on a shoestring budget, given my very average salary which I have to stretch every cents. Business Class ticket - woohoo! Food and beverages are available at the lounge Walter had specially dressed in an oriental top to fit the occasion. I met him and June from Coca-Cola Singapore at the lounge. June is the one who made this trip possible for us and I am sincerely grateful for the opportunity. We had a quick chat and promptly proceeded to the boarding gate for departure. Walter in his oriental shirt at the lounge In Business Class, the stewardess are more attentive and polite. They make an effort to address everyone by your surname and honorific: “Would you like a welcome drink Mr Lim?” quipped a pretty stewardess as I settled into my seat. Meals are served, one course at a time. The seats are much roomier and can be transformed into a flat bed. I was offered a drink and a magazine to read immediately after boarding Satay appetiser Another smoked salmon appetiser Duck rice main course Wider shot of my airplane lunch Cheese platter Lime sherbet for desert It was a comfortable flight for me and I got to catch up on much needed sleep. Singapore to Shanghai is a five hours flight. When I woke up, we had already landed in Shanghai. The last time I visited Shanghai was five years ago, during an exchange program paid for by the Singapore government. Much have changed since. Every time I visit China, I am overwhelmed by their pace of growth. Shanghai Pudong International Airport (上海浦东国际机场) looks clean and modern. The check-in was also very speedy, in spite of the heavy human traffic. Staff were courteous and helpful. A reason could be because, one is allowed to rate the custom officer serving you, immediately via a rating box placed in front of the counter where they are seated. Touch-down in Shanghai Shanghai Pudong International Airport I expected there to be a sensory overload of Expo ads and mascots at the airport, but was pleasantly surprised that the authorities have exercised much taste and did not engage in such hard-sell tactics. Sans for a few random Haibao (海宝) statues (the official Shanghai Expo mascot), there weren’t much ads on the Expo at the airport. Lonely Haibao We were then picked by a car from our hotel to ferry us back. The three of us checked into our hotel, Hyatt on the Bund, at around 4.30pm. Hyatt pick-up at the airport On our ride to the hotel We passed this sprawling suspension bridge along the way Hotel reception The hotel consists of a pair of identical twin towers; one is visible here After dropping my luggage, I made a few quick phone calls to my friend, Kok Kuan, who just relocated to Shanghai for work a week earlier to join his wife who is already based in Shanghai for around a year. I also contacted a local Shanghainese mutual friend of Kok Kuan and me – Xiaoyan, whom we got to know during the exchange program I mentioned earlier. As my schedule is quite packed, I figured I am only able to meet up with my friends on the first night and maybe for a short while on the last day morning. Kok Kuan agreed to meet up with me after dinner to go for a drink. He will also contact Xiaoyan and arrange for another get together. Welcome gifts from Coca-Cola - a bag made of recycled bottles; Shanghai map; Expo guide; Shanghai phone directory; a cap; welcome letter My hotel room Bathroom and toilet area View from my hotel window Thereafter, I met up with Walter and we went for a stroll at the landmark Shanghai Bund  (外滩) area. Here’s a useful infographic to help identify all the iconic buildings located on The Bund. Via Wikipedia: The area centres on a section of Zhongshan Road (East-1 Zhongshan Road) within the former Shanghai International Settlement, which runs along the western bank of the Huangpu River, facing Pudong, in the eastern part of Huangpu District. The Bund usually refers to the buildings and wharves on this section of the road, as well as some adjacent areas. The Bund is one of the most famous tourist destinations in Shanghai. Building heights are restricted in this area. The weather was breezy by the river. Temperature was around 20+ degree Celsius – comfortable air-con temperature to enjoy a leisurely stroll without getting all sweaty. Ready to head out of the hotel I was awestruck by the beautiful landscape which fuses modern and heritage architecture. Singapore will not be able to achieve this as we do not have a long and rich heritage like Shanghai, even though we probably have just as many modern buildings. Colourful traffic signboards Oriental Pearl Tower (东方明珠塔) can be seen across the river Another picture of the Oriental Pearl Tower The tower with water reflection The People's Heroes Memorial There were many security and police officers patrolling the area F&B vans The area was relatively crowded People zipping through the street Walter taking pictures for his blog Me by The Bund The view changes as night falls. The buildings gradually light up one by one, transforming the city into another whole new landscape. The electricity bill to the city municipal must be tremendous though. Building 13 to 17 on the Bund The building with the green top is the famous Peace Hotel (和平饭店) The Customs House (No. 13) Wider shot Lighted fountains Oriental Pearl Tower with water reflection at night Another picture showing the stretch of lighted buidings "I love Expo" More lighted fountains Even the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Heroes' Memorial are lighted too Even the floor was lighted Self cam-whore Another picture of me by the river Illuminated ship against illuminated backdrop Coca-Cola ad! How appropriate! Another Coca-Cola ad The memorial looks more solemn as the sky darkens Some communist revolutionary hero I suppose Another hero statue - this one waves a giant cape like Batman and Superman Spotted a small, but well-maintained garden on our way back Signboards depicting the various landmarks on The Bund Shanghai Expo information booth, manned by volunteers We spent around an hour or so soaking in the Shanghai atmosphere at The Bund before heading back to our hotel for dinner at the in-hotel Aroma restaurant where we will be meeting the other bloggers from around the world. Inside Aroma restaurant Over dinner, we met with the team of bloggers from Japan, Thailand and Korea as well as the Coca-Cola representatives from the respective country and the super energetic host in China, Brenda with her local team. We will also meet bloggers from Australia, China and Hong Kong the next day. Dinner was buffet style and there was a wide international spread available. In general, I often find the food in China a tad too salty and oily for my taste bud. The same applies for this buffet meal. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed my dinner and had fun mingling with the rest of the bloggers and the Coca-Cola staff. My first helping My second helping Final helping After dinner, I met up with Kok Kuan and his wife, Hairong, together with Walter. We took a cab to a French heritage street, Hengshan Road (衡山路), to settle down for a drink. In the end, we chose a cafe restaurant  called Lapis Lazuli  (藏龙坊) which serves both alcoholic beverages as well as tea and coffee. Their international food menu looks interesting, but we were all too full to eat anything. Newer commercial establishments Strolling through the French heritage street One of the many historical buildings in the area We almost went into this restaurant bar But we chose this cafe instead as it looks cosier on the outside Cafe interior The prices was comparable to Singapore. In fact, we learn over the next few days that the cost of living in Shanghai is almost on par with Singapore, even though the locals still earn less than Singaporeans. Rising cost of living and a squeezed middle class seemed to the problem of all bustling cities around the world. Walter and I enjoying our drinks in the cafe Me with Kok Kuan and Hairong I ordered a Lavender milk tea that cost around S$10 Kok Kuan and Hairong shared with us, their insights on working in the PR line in China. Kok Kuan has been in PR since he graduated from NTU where we both schooled. He was the top student in my cohort of mass communications graduates. His wife, Hairong, is a native Hainanese and has worked and studied in Singapore before returning to China. She was a financial journalist and has recently switched to PR to help a Singapore company set up office in Shanghai. I find the two of them the model overseas and native Chinese couple, set to conquer the world in the 20th century as China continues to grow as a economic and political powerhouse. That ended my first day in Shanghai. The next day, we will be visiting Coca-Cola’s Global Innovation and Technology Centre in Shanghai. We will also be heading to Xintiandi  (新天地) to do some shopping, ending the day with a posh, fusion dinner at T8,  together with the trio from Expedition 206. Stay tuned. Technorati Tags: Shanghai Pudong International Airport , haibao, hai bao, shanghai travel, shanghai world expo travel, xintiandi, t8 shanghai, coca-cola 125th birthday, coca-cola birthday, shanghai expo, coca-cola shanghai expo, coca-cola wang leehom, coca-cola jacky cheung, coca-cola fahrenheit, coca-cola global innovation and technology center shanghai, coca-cola gitc shanghai, coca-cola gitc, happy birthday coca cola, singapore coca-cola, coca-cola expo pavilion, coca-cola shanghai expo pavilion, coca-cola happiness factory, coca-cola shanghai, coca-cola kolab, coca-cola bloggers, coca-cola shanghai blog conference, coca-cola shanghai bloggers, 上海浦东国际机场, 海宝, hyatt on the bund, zhongshan road, shanghai bund, the bund, 外滩, huangpu river, pudong, puxi, oriental pearl tower, peace hotel, shanghai customs house, shanghai aurora, 和平饭店, lavender milk tea, Shanghai Expo with Coca-Cola – A Preview I am still working on the tonnes of photos and videos I took during my trip to the Shanghai Expo, hosted by Coca-Cola. The trip was fantastic – I got to meet up with bloggers from around the world, visit the top secret Coca-Cola’s Global Innovation and Technology Center (GITC) in Shanghai, attend the Shanghai Expo, attend a Coca-Cola birthday celebration concert that features regional stars like Wang Leehom, Fahrenheit and Jacky Cheung… stay tuned for more updates. Meanwhile, here are some photos provided by Coca-Cola that were taken on 8 May – Coca-Cola’s 125th birthday, at the Shanghai Expo: Technorati Tags: coca-cola 125th birthday, coca-cola birthday, shanghai expo, coca-cola shanghai expo, coca-cola wang leehom, coca-cola jacky cheung, coca-cola fahrenheit, coca-cola global innovation and technology center shanghai, coca-cola gitc shanghai, coca-cola gitc, happy birthday coca cola, singapore coca-cola, coca-cola expo pavilion, coca-cola shanghai expo pavilion, coca-cola happiness factory, coca-cola shanghai, coca-cola kolab, coca-cola bloggers, coca-cola shanghai blog conference, coca-cola shanghai bloggers Alvin & Rachel’s Wedding Invite Card I am done with the illustration and design for our wedding invite card. We have just sent it for printing and will be getting them next week. The theme follows that of the UP design which we did for our e-invite. This is the front view: Front view Back view: Back view The full view when you spread out the cover: Full view Long time never draw already. Hence took quite a while to complete this. I know I am not so slim any more, but that’s the beauty of illustration vs photography. Technorati Tags: alvin and rachel, carl and ellie, up wedding, up themed wedding, carl and ellie real life, carl and ellie wedding, balloon wedding, singapore wedding, wedding e-invite, up wedding invite, pixar up, alvinology, alvin and rachel wedding, wedding card illustration Coca-Cola is sending me to the Shanghai World Expo Happiness As part of Coca-Cola‘s Live Positively initiative – Coca-Cola’s commitment to making a positive difference in the world, I am one of two bloggers from Singapore (the other is Walter Lim) to fly to Shanghai for the World Expo 2010 to witness the launch of the Coca-Cola pavilion, explore their new Global Innovation and Technology Centre, as well as attend various event such as Coca-Cola’s Founder’s Day ceremony and an Expo Celebration Concert. How cool is that? I also get to fly Business Class and stay at the luxurious, Hyatt on the Bund. This is a world of difference for a usually budget traveler like me. Walter and I met up with the Coca-Cola representative last Friday and she gave us a short briefing on the trip, a press kit, some marketing collateral and even a personalised leather luggage tag. My Coca-Cola luggage tag My name is already on it I am really looking forward to the trip. The Shanghai Expo was initially one of my short-listed honeymoon destination. Rachel and I opted for Sydney in the end, but now, I still get to visit the Expo after all. I am serving the last day of my current ICT this Wednesday, following which I will fly to Shanghai the next day. What an awesome way to reward myself after a torturous three weeks standing in the hot sun to feed mosquitoes. During my stay in Shanghai, I will try to update my twitter, facebook and blog regularly. Stay tuned! Promise I will capture lots of photos and videos to share. Technorati Tags: shanghai expo, shanghai expo 2010, world expo 2010, coca-cola shanghai expo, coca-cola pavilion, coca-cola shanghai expo pavilion, coca-cola live positively, coca-cola singapore, live positively singapore, walter lim, cooler insights, shanghai expo tour Paying my dues to SAF It’s Labour Day and I will be stuck in camp doing duty, thanks to the wonderful organisation above. This entry was written a few days prior. I am currently attending a 3 weeks ICT (in-camp-training) from 21 April to 7 May, while doing a 8 sessions (4 hours each session) in 5 weeks IPT (IPPT Preparatory Training) at the same time. I am able to attend to both at the same time as my ICT practises a duty-dismount system where we work a full 24 hours shift and rest the next day.  I am attending my IPT on my rest day whereby I should be getting my 24 hours rest/sleeping time. These two are regular features that I am called up for every year and I still have another 7 years to go before I complete my full reservist cycle. This time round, I chose to do both together as I am getting married in June. I want to devote time to my wedding proper and not have my IPPT or ICT obligations get in the way; not to mention the need to juggle my career and social life at the same time. Stacking the two together make me realise how much time I waste each year on my National Service obligations. Nearly a month worth’s of my time that could have been better spent adding productivity to the workforce or making babies to improve our country’s birthrate is wasted annually. It’s times like this that I wish I am a foreign talent invited to study and work in this country by our Singapore government, rather than a born here Singaporean male. I feel discriminated. Pardon my whining. I will feel happier again once all this is over in a few weeks time. At least till my next call-up which is…. end of this year in November for another 3 weeks ICT! Sigh. And the Singapore government wonders why so many Singaporeans are disgruntled and opted to pack their bags and leave the country. Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen @ Toa Payoh Entertainment Centre Inside Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen Popeyes Chicken opened an outlet at Toa Payoh Entertainment Centre recently. It’s not under the Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits name, but instead, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. The menu looks the same to me though, so I don’t really know why the name is different. I have eaten Popeyes at Singapore Flyer and Changi Airport. The fried chicken at both outlets were good, definitely better than KFC. However, this outlet at Toa Payoh disappoints. Rachel and I cannot pinpoint exactly what was wrong, but it just didn’t taste as good as the usual Popeyes. The chicken was hard to chew and dry. The combo set The fried chicken and signature biscuit Unappetising looking chicken sandwich Usually, Popeyes outlets are always crowded. This did not seem the case for this outlet at Toa Payoh. I suppose for fried food, they taste better when served immediately, before the oil gets stale. Maybe if business moved faster, the fried chicken will improve. I haven’t eaten at this outlet since. Drop me a note if you ate there recently. Technorati Tags: Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen singapore, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen toa payoh entertainment centre, toa payoh popeyes, toa payoh popeyes chicken, popeyes chicken singapore, popeyes chicken and biscuits singapore, singapore fried chicken, toa payoh fried chicken Goodbye Grandpa My maternal grandparents, back when my grandpa was still healthy My maternal grandpa passed away last evening at around 7pm. He had gone quietly in his sleep and no one was by his side. He lived till the ripe old age of 85 and left behind an army of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I was attending an IPT session then and only got the news from Rachel at around 9pm, after I booked out of Khatib camp. I then drove down to my grandparents’ place in Ang Mo Kio after picking up Rachel. My parents, sister and the rest of my relatives were already there. Rachel and I were among the last to arrive. My grandpa was already been bed-ridden a month back. The doctor had told us back then  that he only had around a week more to live. Naively, I had hung on to the hope that my grandpa will be able to last till June to at least witness my wedding. Goodbye grandpa, thanks for the memories. I will always remember the fun times I had helping out at my grandpa’s provision shop and staying over during weekends and school holidays with my many cousins. Alvinology goes to Bintan – Day 3 of 3 Good morning Bintan On our last day in Bintan, we were very reluctant to leave Banyan Tree resort, having gotten accustomed to the relax lifestyle in our less than 24 hours stay. We woke up at around 5.30am, catching the first ray of the morning sun from the open window directly in front of our bed. Sleepy as we were, we dragged ourselves awake and started packing our stuff. We were to check out of our villa at 10am. Romi, our driver from Bintan Holiday.com was coming to pick us at the reception at 10.15am. He will then send us to the Bintan Resorts ferry terminal to catch our ferry at 11.35pm. Found these fruits peppered on the front porch of the villa in the morning The cool thing about staying at Banyan Tree was that they really take care of everything for you right to the last detail. Usually, one would have to collect your ferry boarding pass at the terminal yourself, at least an hour earlier. At Banyan Tree, the staff will have the boarding pass collected for you a day prior and hand deliver it to you with a nice thank you letter, as well as an accompanying feedback form on your stay at Banyan Tree. Personalised thank you letter Our boarding passes After we are all packed, we head off for our complimentary breakfast at Treetops restaurant via the buggy service. The breakfast starts at 7am. We were one of the first guests to arrive. Staff use giant leaves to sweep the floor instead of brooms There's a pool just besides Treetops restaurant Rachel, barely awake, by the pool Treetops restaurant Usually in Singapore, under the sweltering heat, we would opt to stay indoor at alfresco restaurants. At Treetops, the view was just too beautiful to give up. Rachel and I took a table at the edge of the railing, soaking in the sea breeze while enjoying the magnificent sunrise over our breakfast. Where we sat Me by the railing Rachel by the railing Another view of Treetops restaurant Morning sunrise Glistering sea Another picture of the breath-taking view from the restaurant There'a reason why the restaurant is called Treetops The International buffet offers a good variety of food to satisfy our palates. Rachel and I even poured a glass of sparkling Perrier with a tingle of orange juice each for a morning toast. My a la carte omelette Rachel's a la carte poached egg Rachel's first plate for breakfast My first plate for breakfast Rachel's second plate from the buffet line Perrier toast Breakfast fruits We ate quite a bit, slowly savouring our food while enjoying the view. It has been a while since we have been this relaxed. After breakfast, we headed to the beach again for one last swim. There weren’t much people around in the morning and we enjoyed a romantic stroll, picking up more hermit crabs along the way. Relatively empty beach in the morning Me before going for a dip in the sea Star jump Resort staff raking the sand The crabs left some interesting patterns in the morning sand We found some live shell fish this time Found some round shell hermit crabs The shy creatures slowly peeking out More of the usual hermit crabs Found a crab shell We then left the beach to head back to our villa for one final dip into the jacuzzi. All good things have to come to an end. Before we realise it, it was already 10am and it was time for us to leave Banyan Tree. A last dip in the jacuzzi pool Sipping juice by the window Bye bye villa From the outside Reverse angle Buggy sending us back to the resort lobby At the Banyan Tree lobby, waiting for our driver Our driver came at 10.15am sharp and fetched us to the ferry terminal promptly. There, we quietly went through the routine to clear the Indonesian custom and board the ferry back to Singapore. Rachel and I wished we had spend another night at Banyan Tree. We are likely to be visiting the resort again after our traditional wedding in June this year. Waiting for our ferry at the Bintan Resorts ferry terminal Alighting from our ferry, back to Singapore This concluded our Bintan trip. To book a holiday at Banyan Tree Bintan, you can visit HERE. My previous Bintan blog entries: Day 1 – Nostalgia Yasin, Agro Beach Resort Day 2 – Yasin, Banyan Tree Resort Technorati Tags: bintan holiday, agro beach and resort, agro beach, bintan resort, bintan trip bintan resort trip, nostalgia yasin, agro yasin, bintan holiday.com, banyan tree, bintan resorts ferry, tanah merah ferry terminal, happy soda, beach resort, staying at banyan tree bintan, banyan tree villa, banyan tree oceanic villa, bintan sunrise, bintan sun set, banyan tree bintan map, banyan tree destination dining, banyan tree dinner on the rock, banyan tree saffron restaurant, banyan tree the cove, banyan tree treetops restaurant, banyan tree pantai grill and bar, banyan tree bintan restaurants, yoga at banyan tree bintan, spa and massage at banyan tree bintan, banyan tree merbatu villa, banyan tree jacuzzi Alvinology goes to Bintan – Day 2 of 3 Good morning Yasin On our second day in Bintan, Rachel and I were woken by the first ray of the morning sun which pierced through the open window of our little hut. The tide has receded and what was previously seawater below our hut was now all beach sand. We made ourselves a simple breakfast and sat by the balcony to enjoy the sunrise while observing the little crabs running around on the sand. View from our hut in the morning The tide has receded Breakfast Already in a beach resort mode, we continued to laze around till it was lunch time. We had lunch at Nostalgia Yasin itself. I ordered a fish and chip while Rachel ordered some grilled fish with rice. We also ordered a freshly plucked coconut each. Freshly cut coconuts Our lunch Fish and Chip - Indonesian style Rachel's grilled fish Where we ate at Yasin As the serving was relatively small, we then ordered another omelette and our favourite “happy soda” (which according to Rachel, really makes her happy when she drinks it). The components that go into a Happy Soda Mixing my own Happy Soda Omelette to share After lunch, we packed our stuff and checked out of Yasin. A driver then sent us back to Bintan Resorts Ferry Terminal where we met Romi, a tour guide/driver who is a friend of Andri from Bintan Holiday.com where we did our booking. Romi spoke good English. He was able to provide us with much introduction and background on Bintan as well as its various resorts. Before driving us to Banyan Tree, he took us to a nearby area where the local workers hostels are located to buy some drinks and tidbits. The place Romi brought us to get supplies We checked in at Banyan Tree resort at around 3.30pm. The lobby itself was a world of difference from bare minimal Yasin, with smartly dressed, polite staff manning the counter and posh-looking furniture. We were served with ginger-lime tea while waiting for the staff to prepare the Oceanic Villa which we will be staying. The staff also gave us a map of the resort and took the time to explain to us all the facilities available. Banyan Tree lobby Waiting for the staff to prepare our villa They served us with Ginger and Lime drink while we were waiting Map of the resort There’s a free single Yoga lesson for guests and buggy to transport guests from point-to-point at no extra cost, with just a phone call. There are four restaurants in the resort – the signature Thai and Indonesia restaurant, Saffron; The Cove which offers view of the South China sea and serves Italian, French and Spanish cuisine; Treetops which serves International buffet, al fresco style on an open air terrace with views of the South China Sea; and Pantai Grill & Bar which serves US and Australian prime cuts and seafood. Massage and spa services are also available. Most importantly, there’s a beautiful private beach for use by only Banyan Tree guests. Rachel and I immediately fell in love with Banyan Tree resort when we checked into our villa. This is the dream house that we can’t afford back in Singapore – with a fantastic sea view, an outdoor jacuzzi pool, quiet surroundings, not to mention the giant bed and the other quaint furniture. Each villa has its own name - this is where we stayed King size bed A cloth turtle on our bed - Banyan Tree donate USD$2 on guests' behalf to save the turtles for each villa booking Complimentary scented incenses The large, cosy bathroom Lounge chairs in our villa Resting on the railing in our villa Sitting by the room window which offers a full view of the sea All set to head for the beach We excitedly changed into our beach gear and called for a buggy to send us to the beach before the sky gets dark. The sand is well-maintained at the beach, with staff seen picking up litters and scratching the sand every few minutes. We took a dip into the sea for a while and then went around hunting for hermit crabs. Thereafter, I spend much time just lying on the lounge chair, soaking into the atmosphere and doing nothing while Rachel was engrossed with her reading material. The buggy dropped us here At the pool area, above the beach Lots of lounge chairs around the pool area The beach Beach rules Clear water, blue blue sky A hermit crab Another shy hermit crab A dead sea coral with a star-pattern We picked up lots of hermit crabs More hermit crabs Lots of hermit crabs which we collected Life should be like this... Happy Rachel Rachel's feet My feet Strolling along the beach Another picture Ang moh family enjoying the sea breeze and view We spotted a cute little ang moh boy hiding between rocks Somebody had ordered "Dinner on The Rocks" Other than "Dinner on the Rock", here's another of their "Destination Dining" A last photo of the beach before we head back to our villa We then headed back to out villa for a shower, a quick dip in the jacuzzi pool and then got a buggy to go to Saffron for dinner. Rachel enjoying the jacuzzi while reading View of the beach from our villa A squirrel running by The dinner at Saffron was most delightful. Rachel is a light eater, but she gobbled down more than five scoops of rice that night – an astonishing amount as she actually ate even more than me. We ordered a duck curry dish and a fish dish. I cannot remember the exact names, but they both were cooked with many interesting herbs and spices. Rachel loved the food at Saffron very much. For their rice serving, they even have a “Rice Master” who explained to us the various types of rice they served and let us sample a little of each. We particularly like their water-melon rice (rice cooked, soaked in water melon juice). Saffron, the signature restaurant where we had our dinner Fresh and ready for dinner after a good bath Me enjoying the appetiser Close-up of the appetiser - cut fruits with nut sprinkles The Rice Master scooping out all the rice variety for us to sample Water melon rice and yellow rice for me Dinner is served The duck dish that Rachel ordered The fish I ordered First time I see Rachel eat so much rice The staff took a photo for us After dinner, we headed to the lobby to rent DVDs to watch for the night. Most of the DVDs were already rented out, but we managed to get a copy of Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay which provided us with much laughter and entertainment that day. The lobby at night The library near the lobby to borrow DVDs The buggy which ferries us around Thereafter, we tucked ourselves to bed, very satisfied with our stay. Stay tuned for the last update on my Bintan trip. Here’s a link to the previous blog entry on our first night stay at Nostalgia Yasin. If you are interested to visit Banyan Tree resort, you can do your booking HERE. Technorati Tags: bintan holiday, agro beach and resort, agro beach, bintan resort, bintan trip bintan resort trip, nostalgia yasin, agro yasin, bintan holiday.com, banyan tree, bintan resorts ferry, tanah merah ferry terminal, happy soda, beach resort, staying at banyan tree bintan, banyan tree villa, banyan tree oceanic villa, bintan sunrise, bintan sun set, banyan tree bintan map, banyan tree destination dining, banyan tree dinner on the rock, banyan tree saffron restaurant, banyan tree the cove, banyan tree treetops restaurant, banyan tree pantai grill and bar, banyan tree bintan restaurants, yoga at banyan tree bintan, spa and massage at banyan tree bintan, banyan tree merbatu villa, banyan tree jacuzzi KŌ Japanese Restaurant @ Intercontinental Hotel KO Japanese restaurant Usually, Rachel and I would not have dined in a hotel restaurant due to the hefty price tag, but we went to try out KŌ Japanese Restaurant at Intercontinental Hotel as I had won some dining vouchers at a lucky draw. The place was nearly empty when we reached, with only a couple of other diners. We appreciate the quiet and private ambient. Inside the restaurant We ordered a set dinner each, with an additional two side dishes. The total bill came to around S$200, but was mostly covered by our vouchers. The service was great, food was wonderful – one of the best Japanese food we had in Singapore. Ready to eat Hungry me For our starters, the sashimi was really fresh and the hand-made tofu, silky soft. The elegant presentation probably added to the food’s appeal as well. My beautiful sashimi platter Very plain looking, but delicious tofu My teppanyaki Angus beef cubes were nice, but not memorable. Rachel’s grilled fish was fresh and juicy. The portion could have been more generous though. Angus beef Rachel's grilled fish As the servings were moderate, we ordered two more side dishes – barbecued puffer fish and fried squid to round up the meal. This was the first time both of us ate puffer fish. It didn’t taste remarkable lei, pretty much tasteless sans for the seasoning. Fried squid Barbecued puffer fish meat that taste like salty bak kwa Rachel picking up a piece to eat The desserts had nice presentation. Otherwise, they tasted quite normal, but were a nice finishing touch to an enjoyable meal. Green tea ice cream Tofu cheesecake We are not likely to visit again due to the price lah… except maybe on special occasions. Here’s their address if you are interested: 80 Middle Road 1F Intercontinental Hotel Tel: +65 6825 1064 Opening hours: Mon–Sat, 12noon – 2.30pm, 6pm – 10pm Technorati Tags: KŌ Japanese Restaurant, ko, ko japanese restaurant, intercontinental hotel, intercontinental hotel japanese restaurant, singapore japanese restaurant, middle road japanese restaurant, teppanyaki, angus beef, barbecued puffer fish, japanese fried squid, sashimi, hand made tofu, japanese tofu, good japanese restaurant in singapore, singapore fine dining Alvinology goes to Bintan – Day 1 of 3 Ah... beach life Rachel and I took a weekend getaway at Bintan last week. Burned out with our work and wedding preparations, this was a good way to recharge. The booking was done via Bintan Holiday.com. Thanks Andri for the offer and the itinerary planned for us. This was the first trip to Bintan for both of us. We had a wonderful time there and really enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. We visited two resorts during our 3D2N stay – Banyan Tree and Agro Beach Resort, staying a night at each resort. These were on the two extremes of the price scale for resorts in Bintan – with Banyan Tree on the luxurious end and Agro on the budget end. On the first day, we caught a Bintan Resorts ferry from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal at 11.10am and arrived at Bintan at 11.05am (Bintan time is one hour behind Singapore).The ferry ride was quite fast and comfortable. Both Rachel and I took a short nap while on the ferry and were surprised to find ourselves in Bintan already when we woke up. Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal Waiting to board our ferry On the pier to board our ferry Ferry interior There's a TV inside that keeps playing Mr Bean At the Bintan Resorts Ferry Terminal, a driver from Agro picked us up and drove us to Yasin. Agro Beach Resort is located at Trikora Beach, approximately one hour drive from Bintan Resorts where Banyan Tree and most of the other more luxurious resorts are located. At Bintan Resorts Ferry Terminal Shopping area at the ferry terminal The driver from Yasin who picked us up at the terminal On the road Going through the Agro beach brochure We stayed at Nostalgia Yasin at Agro Beach Resort on the first day. This was a quirky little hut on stilts, raised on the seashore – a kelong house in other words. The rooms and amenities are minimal, but sufficient. It’s good for those who are on a budget. Nostalgia Yasin The little huts where Rachel and I stayed for the night Walking on stilts to get to our hut Another picture of the kelong houses and structure The huts from a distance The interior of the Yasin hut By the balcony Neighbours can peek at each other Rachel doing some quiet reading Although there’s nothing much to do at Yasin except a snooker table and to enjoy the sea view, there’s free tri-bike transportation from Yasin to the various other Agro-owned resorts where sea-sport activities, spa and massage facilities are available. Pavilion to hang around I can see the sea beneath our little hut Snooker table Beach chairs Upon reaching Yasin, Rachel and I promptly unpacked and busk in the sun by the balcony in our little hut for a while. We munched on some food we had brought along while enjoying the sea view…. gradually falling asleep. We woke up at around 4pm and took a tri-bike to the nearby Agro Resort for a Thai massage session at Oceanic Spa. The massage was done in a small pavilion by the sea. How cool is that? On the tri-bike Landscape that flies us by on the tri-bike This is what the tri-bike looks like Spotted this vintage car at Agro Some of the sea sports amenities at Agro The view was excellent and the massage was invigorating. Price was at around S$30+ per pax for an hour. Note that at most resorts in Bintan, Singapore dollars and US dollars are the preferred currency. However, at Agro, they accept Indonesian rupiah too, and at a better rate than for Singapore dollars. The main building for Oceanic Spa The reception at Oceanic Spa Preparing for our massage Thai massage by the sea Watched the resort staff kept the sea-sports facilities during our massage The pavilion for massage After the massage, both Rachel and I were starving and headed to the nearby Sun Moon Restaurant for dinner. The kelong structured restaurant has a good sea view and practises an interesting discount system – 10% off for 2 to 4 hours advance reservation; 15% discount for 4 hours to 24 hours advance reservation; 20% discount for one day or more advance reservation. I ordered a fried rice dish while Rachel ordered chicken with rice. We also ordered a “Happy Soda” to share, intrigued by the name.The latter turned out to be a delightful find and we were addicted to this drink thereafter. It’s basically a mix of soda, rose syrup and condense milk, fancied by the locals. Sun Moon restaurant The menu Somebody made early reservation Browsing through the menu Waiting for our meal Dinner is served Rachel's order My order Happy Soda! Another picture of the soda The waitress offered to take a picture for us The service was excellent at the restaurant. The waitress serving us was very attentive and polite. The food was average, but the ambient and view more than make up for it. Sun set Rachel standing on a rock Me, by the rocks restaurant view Plank walkway leading to the restaurant Me, on the plank walkway Parked small boats After dinner, we headed back to Yasin to laze and rest for the night. As I brought my laptop along, we were able to set up a make-shift outdoor “entertainment system” on the balcony. Under the moon and stars, Rachel and I watched a Bollywood DVD, Quick Gun Murugun, which we had bought the night before at Mustafa Centre. Night time at Nostalgia Yasin Enjoying the sea breeze Our own "outdoor cinema" by the sea Goodnight Most of our time at Yasin was spent lazing around, soaking in the beach ambient while reading the books we brought along or just idle chatting. Time passed really slowly. With our busy schedules, both Rachel and I seldom have much alone time and Yasin was really a good place to just sit back and do nothing. If you are interested to visit Yasin, you can do the booking HERE. This concluded our first day in Bintan. Stay tuned for my next update where we move to Banyan Tree Resort. Technorati Tags: bintan holiday, agro beach and resort, agro beach, bintan resort, bintan trip bintan resort trip, nostalgia yasin, agro yasin, bintan holiday.com, banyan tree, bintan resorts ferry, tanah merah ferry terminal, tri-bike, oceanic spa, bintan massage, sun moon restaurant, happy soda, quick gun murugun, beach resort