Tangle no more! Hassle-free Music and Phone Calls

While normal earphones with their wire (frequently) constrain movement or get caught up in something, and untangling the wire can be a (painful) hassle, it never really occurred to me how much more enjoyable music can be wire-free. So when I first heard of and received my Plantronics Backbeat GO 2 Wireless Earbuds, the first thing that came to my mind was, “Why didn’t I not think of getting one before? They are a God send!” 

Normal earphones have the tendency to get tangled easily, especially when they are not connected to the phone or mp3 player (nicely coiled and/or corded up). It’s a mess having to just rummage through a vast bag, and a torture having to untangle the wire (especially when you are up and about in a crowded place). Even when the wire is nicely (as much as possible) coiled around the phone or coiled inside a case, it is a nightmare having to uncoil it (holding on to both phone and bag) on a crowded moving bus or train.

Just to get music into the ears or even answering the phone with normal earphones can be a challenging affair, especially when in a crowded and/or moving platform (regardless whether the earphones are connected to the device). There are also just too many steps! You have to:

1. Take them out of bag and/or casing
2. Untangle or unwind them
3. Plug the earphones into device (e.g. phone or mp3 player)
4. Maneuver the wires around/into your bag or pocket
5. While you have music piped into your ears, you are still subjected to the constraints of the (slightly short) wire getting in the way (dangling from the ears all the way to the bag or pockets) and risk any device connected to it to accidentally drop.

However, with Plantronics Backbeat GO 2 Wireless Earbuds, listening to music and being on the go is much simpler. Minus the maneuvering constraint of (sometimes) short wires and headache of tangles. All you have to do is:

1. Take out the Plantronics Backbeat GO 2 Wireless Earbuds from bag / casing. 
2. Connect the earbuds to the music device via Bluetooth and you are done!

Pairing the earbuds with any Bluetooth enabled device (e.g. phone or mp3 player) is straight forward and simple to understand. All that is needed is to hold the center button till it says "PAIRING" (of course you have to also turn on the device’s Bluetooth function). Click “Pair” on the device... Read more>>

Tim Ho Wan (Plaza Singapura)

After a day out playing at St. Games, we made our way to Tim Ho Wan - the latest (branch at Plaza Singapura) place / craze for dim sum apparently. The restaurant takes no reservations, so the queue can and is usually insanely long (40 minutes or more just to get in!). Fortunately for us on a weekday mid afternoon there wasn't much of a crowd. LuttiSparrow & Co.were already famished at this point. Thankfully, it took us less than 15 minutes to be seated.

Interesting fact: Tim Ho Wan is a Michelin one star restaurant famed for it’s affordable and delicious dim sum.

http://www.travelbytez.com/2013/09/tim-ho-wan-plaza-singapura.html

It was a vibrant place bustling with constant activity (true to its Hong Kong origins I guess). Service was prompt and attentive enough (even though it was full house as the afternoon progressed); kudos to the service staff that day. Food was served at a relatively fast rate (we had to eat faster just to make... Read more>>

Hotel Equatorial Melaka (Review)

The lobby

Was in Malacca recently and stayed in Hotel Equatorial Melaka for 5 days (for a church camp). Hotel Equatorial Melaka claims to have a 5 star rating and its décor is on the vintage side (it has been around for some time and its age does show). Fortunately some areas seem to have undergone some refurbishment, but unfortunately the hotel ends up with what seems like an identity crisis: while some areas retain its old vintage-ness (and tired chairs / sofas / carpets), other areas attempt to be modern (but both not complementing each other in any.. Read more>>

Samcheong-dong - Bukchon Village: Food, Shopping, Cafe and History!

As Gyeongbokgung Palace (not to mention the Ginseng Chicken at Tosokchon) took more than half a day, we left Samcheong-dong to the 6th day. Samcheong-dong is near to Gyeongbokgung Palace and is relatively near to Cheong Wa Dae (the Blue House a.k.a the President’s Office) and Insadong; both of which are tourist spots worth to visit. To get there just alight at the some subway station stop (Anguk Station, Subway Line No. 3) for Gyeongbokgung Palace.

From the subway station out to Samcheong-dong

Just follow the signs and you will find yourself at Samcheong-dong, one of the most unique places in Seoul where there is the hanok (traditional house made out of wood and put together without any nails) Bukchon Village. Samcheong-dong is a beautiful neighborhood and will definitely take more... Read more>>

Farewell Dinner at Big Mama’s (Korean Food)

We had a farewell dinner (some time back) for our favorite Korean language teacher’s farewell and where else would we go but a Korean restaurant! Ke had suggested going to Big Mama, whose owner, to our pleasant surprise happened to be 샘's friend. So with venue in place and day scheduled, all that was left was to await the (farewell) dinner.

The day come and we met as planned at Tanjong Pajor MRT Station. Big Mama is just a walk way; about 10-15 minutes from the station. Coincidentally there was a Korean meetup group having the same meeting place and same venue - we had to clarify a couple of times that we were not the... Read More>>

Cold Eyes Singapore Movie Gala Premiere and Red Carpet

This summer the movie Cold Eyes is one of the hottest movie in Korea, topping the domestic box office charts in its first week of release on 3 July 2013 and earning more than US$36 million. In conjunction with the Singapore promotional tour, an exclusive preview screening was held for the fans at Marina Bay Sands MasterCard Theatres with a red carpet event to boot too!

Thanks to DramaQueen who had invited me, I had to opportunity to not only have a look (at me first red carpet event!) but also watch the movie before it hits the theatres in Singapore on 5 September 2013.

It was an eventful evening as we made our way to the Marina Bay Sands MasterCard Theatres to collect the tickets before heading over to have a peek at the red carpet event. The crowd for the red carpet was growing as the minutes ticked by. By the time it was time for the Korean casts' arrival, "orderly" fan chaos ensued. Earlier in the day there were promotional rounds and interviews, where... Read more>>

Madame Patisserie: Passion for Baking and much more!

Hidden in a corner of Boat Quay lies this quaint cozy looking cafe, Madame Patisserie, which serves pastries, desserts, tea and coffee (even wine!). There are even baking classes and you can customize your cakes! How cool is that? ^^

It has been a while since I last visited Boat Quay and since Mmy was invited by her friend, I tagged along and we took the mrt alighting at Raffles Place MRT Station Exit H. From there, it was a 10-15 minute walk to  Madame Patisserie, but in the scorching hot sun that day made the walk seem even longer. 

Madame Patisserie has outdoor and indoor seating, both of which are comfortable and overlooks the Singapore River (nice for a relaxing afternoon tea break on a breezy day). The menus are pretty and... Read more>>

That Girl in Pinafore - 我的朋友，我的同学，我爱过的一切 Movie

[Review>>]

Should you follow your heart or your head? That Girl in Pinafore is a coming-of-age tale set in 1993, Singapore, about dreams, friendships, and first loves. The story follows four teenagers' efforts to bring business back to a struggling folk music pub, and the blossoming love between Jiaming and May, both fans of Singaporean folk music.

1992 - Singapore is on the verge of electing its first President, and chewing gum has been banned. Hope and rejuvenation is in the air, everyone believes in the Singapore Dream. Young musicians strive to give birth to a local music industry, creating local music at a rapid pace. Music cafes spring up everywhere alongside the hot new trend, karaoke. Jiaming is a free spirited teenager who has never taken school seriously. His parents own a music pub called 'Meng Chuan', and Jiaming feels schooling is useless as he wants to help out at the business. True enough, Jiaming flunks his 'O' level exams and drops out of school. Jiaming's buddies Caogen, Haoban and Xiaopang pass their exams and move on to Junior College. But they are caught renting porn magazines by the principal and are suspended for a month. During this month, the boys take part in a local music competition, have a taste of first love, and work hard to bring business back to the struggling 'Meng Chuan'. 

This coming-of-age tale sees Jiaming and gang learn the harsh realities of pursuing dreams in the real world. In growing up, the boys learn that choosing between your heart and societal expectations is akin to losing your innocence to the adult world. The eventual closure of the pub 'Meng Chuan' paralells the real world demise of the 'Xinyao' movement around the mid-90s. It signifies the lost of youthful innocence to the necessities of growing up.

[Review>>]

Pal Ja Mak Chang (팔자막창) - HaHa's (Running Man) Korean BBQ Restaurant

 

If you are on a celebrity hunt, into food (not to mention crazy about Running Man), and happened to be in the Hongdae area (of course you could always make the trip down) you should visit HaHa's Korean BBQ Restaurant Pal Ja Mak Chang (팔자막창). Getting there might not be so straight forward (I just followed DramaQueen heh). You could follow the instructions from this blog or just use your GPRS (Google Maps rule! - I'm tech like that). Who knows you might even bump into the man himself (HaHa is said to often visit his restaurant at night and sometimes even ... Read more >>

Korean BBQ at BORNGA / 本家 / 본가 (The Star)

I have been wanting to try the Korean food at BORNGA / 本家 / 본가 , and I finally had the opportunity to try it (twice in fact). On both occasions, we had the barbecue (which isn't exactly cheap, but more on that later). The first time we were there , there was a crowd and some waiting involved. We ended up being seated at the (with no air conditioning). But it worked out as there were only two tables at the back. As for the second time, oddly enough there wasn't much of a crowd (even though... Read more>>

Koi Kei Bakery: Handmade Phoenix Egg Roll with Seaweed and Pork Floss

It’s been some time since I reviewed souvenir food! Mgln came back from her Hong Kong trip and she brought back a box of handmade phoenix egg roll with seaweed and pork floss from Koi Kei Bakery! It was a sweet gesture and well, the eggrolls were... Read more>>

BB Cream with a difference and my Laneige Spoils

Launched in 1994 in Korea, Laneige is a premium cosmetic brand that promotes lively, youthful skin with its most advanced ‘water science’ technology. Meaning ‘natural snow’ in French, Laneige values the artistic sense of snow crystals and its source, water. Positioning itself as the ‘moisture-expert’ brand, Laneige introduces a variety of ‘Water-full’ skincare and make-up products to bring confidence and sophisticated beauty to young female consumers, and women who want to achieve the radiant, dewy skin they have always longed for. Since its first launch overseas in 2002, Laneige can be found in 475 counters, in department stores and freestanding stores across 13 countries around the globe, as of December 2012.

There are countless of varieties of BB creams out there ranging from creams to powders, balms and even mousse. During my recent trip to Seoul, I encountered yet another type of BB cream, the Snow BB Soothing Cushion from Laneige... Read more>>

Ewha Woman's University Fashion Street Seoul (South Korea)

More people in the alleys

Looking for a unique (affordable and cute) Seoul shopping experience? Then the shopping area around Ewha Woman's University area is a good place to start! According to Wikipedia, Ewha Woman’s University (Korean: 이화여자대학교, Hanja: 花女子大學校) is a private women's university located in central Seoul, South Korea. It is one of the city's largest institutions of higher learning and currently the world's largest female educational institute, and is one of the best-known universities in... Read more>>

Season 1: The Human Condition Pilot Episode Review - 리얼체험 프로젝트 인간의 조건 (KBS)

It was a boring Saturday night or is it morning (since it airs at midnight in Singapore) when I came across this reality show with a twist of variety: a bunch of six comedians with different characters were set to live together for a week, and these comedians have to carry out a specific mission for that whole week (which basically meant of life without necessities). The pilot program started with the withdrawal of their mobile phones, and basically no usage of technology for 7 days (no TV, computer and mobile phones).

With six comedians, there’s bound to be some drama and lots of entertainment (especially when two of the eldest have unresolved issues with each other). They would be... Read more>>

Bugis Junction Food Trail with OMY.SG

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to go on a food trial with a wonderful group of omy.sg bloggers. We ate our way through 10 food establishments located within Bugis Junction from 11 in the morning all the way till evening! Unfortunately I had to leave earlier so I missed out on the last the 3 stops, but it was still a good experience nonetheless.

Having gone through 7 places, I have come to truly understand the meaning of a food “concussion”, by the 3rd top or so most of us were already stoning out. We covered many types of cuisines ranging from Western, Chinese, Thai and Japanese – it was a very foodful weekend!

Do note that everything in this post and the following posts are completely my own, based on my experience and thoughts.

Ok, with that out of the way, here is the list of places were ate our way though. If you want to know more about the place and see the yummilicious photos just click on the links and you will be brought to the respective restaurants with yummy food photos. Ready to be “hungrified”?... Read more>>

Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 1: On Jetstar back to Singapore

When the 5 days was up, it was time to bid adieu to Taipei. A taxi ride from Hotel Quote Taipei saw us to the airport within an hour. The staff at Hotel Quote Taipei were very polite and helpful when they helped us book the taxi to the airport. As the flight was in the late afternoon, we left at one in the afternoon.

It was a smooth journey to the airport and checking in the luggage was a breeze. Well, it was smooth until DramaQueen realized that the water bottle in her bag was not closed properly and everything inside was literally swimming. But that was easy resolved with a quick trip to the airport’s bathroom and use of the (multi-purpose) hand dryer - the wonders of gadgets. Well, that semi-wet passport of hers did make an interesting conversation piece between her and th... Read more>>

Taipei 101

Itinerary > Maokong Gondola > Taipei Zoo > Taipei 10

Hello Kitty Sweets Cafe >>

Taipei 101 was on our itinerary on Day 2 right after our visit to the Taipei Zoo. What is a visit to Taipei and not visit Taipei 101 (at least once)? It is like not seeing the Eiffel Tower when in Paris, but I digress. There is a free shuttle bus from the City Hall MRT Station, but we were too excited that we boarded a paying bus. It only cost NT$7 and took about 5 minutes to reach Taipei 101, so it... Read more>>

Dim Sum Time at Canton Paradise (Star Vista)

I’ve passed by Canton Paradise a few times and have always wanted to tried it and so opportunity presented itself. It was pretty late at night that we made our way to Canton Paradise after an event on a weekday night. We made it just in time for the last order (at 9.30pm). It was an ordering frenzy as we tried to order what we thought we would like to eat and how much we could eat. It was a memorable hungry frenzied moment as we hurried before the last order.

Located at the basement of Star Vista, Canton Paradise serves up Cantonese cuisine and all day dim sum (my favorite!). As we were there pretty late, there wasn’t any queue or much of a crowd, so there was no need to... Read more >>

Confessions of Murder Preview

I recently had the opportunity to attend the movie preview of Confession of Murder (thanks to omy.sg and GV), a Korean movie about a serial killer who evades capture after murdering 10 women, possibly 11, but the last victim, who was also Choi Hyung-gu’s (primary detective) girlfriend, was never confirmed. After some time has passed, the murderer comes out of the closet after the statue of... Read More>>

Hotel Double One (Beitou)

While in Taipei, Taiwan, what should not be missed is the hotsprings, especially in winter! So to reward ourselves, we decided to have a short stay (just one night) at one of the hotels in XinBeitou or Beitou. Initially I wanted to stay at Grand View Resort, but the price was just too steep with it being peak season and all (it was also quite a last minute planned trip).

We finally settled for Hotel Double One, a quaint little hotel located away from the hustle and bustle in Beitou. Service was excellent: there is complimentary pickup from the MRT Station, and they even offered to drive us back to the Beitou MRT Station on the day that we left. If you are in a rush, they would also offer to pack your breakfast for you to take on the go. How thoughtful! Breakfast itself was a delight with foods such as beef noodles and... Read more>>

Just Sleep (Ximending)

Just Sleep (Ximending) is conveniently located near the Green-Blue Metro line, Ximending MRT Station, and just 1 stop away from the Taipei Main Station. From the Ximending MRT Station, via Exit 6 (not exit M6 of the station in the direction of the "Ximen Intelligent Library", the hotel is about a 5-10 minute walk up a flight of stairs and right next to a 7-Eleven Store. 

The hotel has 9 floors, but it shares the building with offices, and occupies the 1st and 5th to 9th floors. The room we stayed in was quite compact (but expected for a hotel of this caliber) for two persons (with a double bed).

The comfy bed

Although compact, the room was comfortable enough and equipped with basic amenities such as 2 complimentary bottles of water (replenished everyday) and... Read more>>

Kim Jong Kook Singapore Fan Meeting (Showcase) Feb 2013

Kim Jong Kook was in town just a few weeks back for his fan-meeting showcase and I had the privilege of going together with DramaQueen. She is a big fan of Kim Jong Kook and I was swept up in her excitement (to an extent). You can read more about DramaQueen’s thoughts about her fan-meet experience here.

Apart from the MBLAQ concert, which we attended in Taipei last year, this would be my first fan meeting and the experience was interesting with fans more dramatic and enthusiastic than... Read more>>

Gangnam... no not Oppa its Gangnam Garden... again!

Went back to Gangnam Garden at City Square Mall again for lunch and they were still having their lunch promotion. This time there were 4 of us, 3 ordered the bibimbap set lunch, while 1 just had her Dundubu-Jjiage (soup) with her pork bulgolgi. If you want to know more about the lunch promotion or how the soup looks, please read my previous review here. But here are Gangnam Garden's options for the lunch promotion:

• A choice of one main dish: Dundubu-Jjiage (soup) / Dolsot-Bibimbap / Mul-Naengmyeon (Soup Cold Noodle) / Bibim- Naengmyeon (Dry Cold Noodles)
• A choice of meat: Chicken / Beef / Pork
• 3 Side Dishes

I have always wanted to try the nyeongmyeon (cold noodles) but the weather always seems to be cold (and rainy) these days. Why is it so wet and cold in Singapore these days when it’s not even supposed to be... Read more>>

Between Beitou, Xin Beitou and the Hot Springs Experience (Taiwan)

It might get confusing at times when Beitou and Xin Beitou are interchangeably used at times. For the benefit of those who are just as confused as I was and to the best of my understanding, Beitou is one of the areas in Taiwan known for its hot springs and contains both the old and the new.

Old Beitou, more commonly known as Beitou, is where the Beitou MRT Station, Beitou Museum and Beitou Market are located. Beitou contains hotels/spas which are slightly more up-scale than those located in Xin Beitou. According to Wikitravel, (old) Beitou is characterized by it high quality spas, good hotels/resorts (e.g. Grand View Resort Beitou/Villa 32), excellent living accommodation and... Read More>>

This Too Shall Pass

It’s funny how different people react to the same situations in life. Being stressed is one thing, but trying to offload your stress on someone else to make yourself feel better is another matter altogether. Yes, life is not a bed of roses and there are decisions to be made. People may disagree with you and you will have your fair share of being ignored or forgotten, but that’s just a small part of life. It’s not what happens to you that make you who you are. It is how you react to what happens to you that determines who you are. Life in itself is a learning process and it is one that will never end; a never ending lesson. It just depends on how teachable we are willing to be. The more willing we are the faster the ‘lesson’ and ‘pain’ will pass.

When (the going in) life gets tough, it is nice to have a listening ear, but what happens if there is no one on standby for you? Would you wallow in self-pity, leaving yourself to dismay and despair? Well, you could. It is always easy to start blaming people and the circumstances around you. It is also very easy and takes no effort at all in trying to ‘guilt’ people who lend you a listening ear to pity you or take your side in a (possible) attempt to isolate them together with you (because of your insecurities). It does, however, take effort (and grace) to ignore the negatives and focus on the positives instead, thinking your way out of that slump. After all, the more you think badly of a situation, the worse it will seem to be than it originally was.

For instance, when you meet a new group people, they will be nice and cordial to you (initially), asking after you occasional and inviting you to hang out. But if you constantly rebuff them (because you think you cannot get along with them based on first impressions) invitations will cease (since this is supposed to be reciprocal). It takes some ‘effort’ to ask and be asked, that’s how most (if not all) friendships begin, right?

So when people stop asking and invitations cease, there will be some who actually feel ‘left out’ and ‘abandoned’. However, they never stop once to think that they hardly reciprocated by asking after the other person or even making the effort to get a phone number or two and sending occasional messages. Everyone is busy – with work, school, studies, family etc… - so it’s not really an excuse; it takes some effort if you want to be friends with someone (especially new friends). Being sensitive could be a good thing for other things, but being sensitive in these scenarios is not beneficial (for the mind a least, especially those with a vivid imagination).

There are many types of people in this world that we live in, in particular those who are outgoing and/or nice (doing what they say they will and being there for you when they can), yet there are also those who are outgoing and want to be caring (or appear to be) but fall short (by making empty promises and leaving you stranded in the worst way possible at the end). But that is what makes each of us unique and even if such people exist (in any group of friends), it is always good to be aware of the possible situations that may arise and take necessary precautions (e.g. being prepared to make your own way to/back from a venue you have never been to before, make arrangements with some other people to go together, or decline going out with them altogether and find another group you are comfortable with). Even if we are unaware of any such situations, we should not let these experiences get to us and prevent us from getting to know more people; broadening our horizons (unless you want to live a narrow boring life).

In spite of everything, life with all its ups and downs is something we should relish, especially if we have been the best we can be (or tried to be) and done the best we could to live life to the fullest, what is there to regret? Since time can never be turned back, regrets should not be about wishing what could/should have been, but should be viewed as events in our lives that have made us realize what better things are to come because of the decisions we made (or the lack thereof). No point crying over spilled milk, just get yourself a fresher better tasting glass of milk.

No matter what happens (good or bad), life still goes on so it is up to us to determine how we want this life to be (though with grace it is really so much easier ^^):

1. Be the change you want to be, contented, happy and stress-free. OR
2. Be constantly stressed and unhappy over matters like money (because it’s never enough and you’d always want more anyways) and insecure of people that are better than you (plenty of them out there) wanting to be better than them all

Growing Up

There a many types of people in this universe, and it takes a certain amount of effort and fate or destiny (which ever you prefer) to be good friends with someone. Some people that we meet become life-long friends, while others just naturally fade away into oblivion. Through friendships we mature and grow, and hopefully become a better person through our experiences and friendship. There are friends that you can learn from, there are friends that learn from you, and there are friends that are sometimes a little bit of both.

However, despite the nicety of such an ideal, there are times when you have to pull away from friends who are taking advantage of you and start to make you tired: friends who only know how to take from you almost all the time and have to be reminded (verbally) to occasionally reciprocate, only always wanting to be encouraged and having a naïve (one-sided) viewpoint on the world. Just as with any relationship, friendship is not one-sided and it is always the small things that matter most when push comes to shove; it takes effort on both ends.

When a friend is too engrossed in his or her own world and every conversation ends up being about their problems at work and their ‘little’ world”, always asking for advice but never really listening or taking a really long time to learn the lesson, it makes you feel like a broken record having to repeat yourself. The icing on the cake would be that said friend is only interested in what goes on in his/her own world, complaining on and on about how they were bullied at work or who they like, so much so that you start to get tired. If fatigue sets in then perhaps it is time to take a break from such a person or the relationship will start to sour with resentment. Taking a break is a sign that you still treasure that friendship.

It does not help much if said friend decides to sponge on you almost every time you go out together to have a meal or whatnot, always wanting to pick the most expensive item on the menu and hardly a word of thanks when payment is made or even the initiative to offer to pay their share. It might not be the case that the friend intentional wants to take advantage of such a situation, but it is a sad fact that said friend takes it for granted. When and if asked, said friend would gladly pay for the meal, but when left unsaid that friend would conveniently “forget” about paying for, let alone offer to pay their share.

It is fine when we were younger and in school, but surely there has to be a certain sense of self-awareness or any sort of awareness when we start working and are in the ‘real’ world. Everyone has their phases in life, but ultimately isn’t it a goal for us to live, to learn and to grow from learning?

The Asian Kitchen (Bugis+ Plus)

 

After a fulfilling session at St Games, we headed down to The Asian Kitchen for some Chinese food. Its black and red theme, gives it a contemporary Chinese theme with its open concept seating (there are no high panes or walls surrounding the place, as with all restaurants on that floor, there i... Read More>>

Ju Shin Jung East 주신정 Korean Charcoal Barbeque Restaurant

Ju Shin Jung East 주신정 (Korean Charcoal Barbeque Restaurant) Entrance

Located in East Coast, Singapore, Ju Shin Jung (주신정) East is a Korean Charcoal Barbeque Restaurant. The signage is prominent with made it easy to locate the restaurant, however it is good to know that as with all eateries located in East Coast, it might be a little inconvenient (particularly at night) if you do not have your own transport.

According to the restaurant's website, there are 3 outlets, one in the East (the one we went to), West, and the last one in Katong. We were here for a family dinner and upon entering the restaurant, the atmosphere was welcoming and homey with the posters, magazines and newspaper that adorned the... Read more>>

Saizeriya Ristorante e Café (City Square Shopping Mall)

This week, lunch has been at City Square Shopping Mall, and out of the 5 days I had lunch at Saizeriya Ristorante e Café for 2 days. Of course the items were different. Saizeriya Ristorante e Café is located at a corner of City Square Shopping Mall’s basement 2 and is an Italian influenced...Read more >>