ouch!

Seems like the foot i injured a few weeks back has not healed...yet. It still hurts, especially today. I am not sure about the extent of the injury, but I would have thought that the pain would be gone by now, but still it hurts. If this goes on I may have to go see the doctor to get it checked out.

Whilst we are on the topic of feet, let me discuss footwear...
My favourite pair of Reebok's are getting really worn out. The soles especially have been falling out. Think it is time I got myself a new pair of running shoes. I have never owned a pair of Nike shoes believe it or not. Maybe that is what I should get. I do have a couple of pairs of Army issue shoes but those are not REAL shoes.

I got an email from Velder Lee regarding our experience at the Jewel Box on Valentine's Day. Velder is the guest relations officer there. At first I was going to make a complaint because of our bad experience there that day, but thought better of it since what is done is done. and no amount of complaining or whining is gonna change what had happened. Doubt I would ever go there again anyway so what was the point. Anyway, since I got her email, I decided to reply her and tell her my experience.

First her email:

Greetings! Wishing you a blessed & victorious Year 2007 ahead!

With regards to your last visit here with us.

I am assisting to collate the feedbacks on your behalf to the managment and make rooms for improvement, in order serve you better in future.

Kindly feel free to revert with anything that you were impressed and we also seek your kind understanding should there be ways we could have be better.

Once again, thank you for your presence with us and support for us.

Should I be of any further assistance, do not hesitate to call me at 94244813.

I will do my best for you.

Warmest Regards,

Velder Lee
Guest Relations
Mount Faber Leisure Group Pte. Ltd. (ACRA -197000546C)
The Jewel Box
109 Mount Faber Road
Singapore 099203

DID: 6 377 9688, 94244813
Fax: 6 273 4639
Website: www.mountfaber.com.sg

ACcenTuaTe tHe PosiTivE, iT's thE maTteR oF cHoicE...
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This communication contains confidential or privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify us IMMEDIATELY that you have received it and destroy it. We are not liable for any unauthorised sending of or interference with this communication.
*********************************************************************

then this was what I replied (in rather diplomatic fashion I might add):

thanks for the wonderful greetings.
Actually I was thinking about writing in myself to give some feedback regarding my experience at The Jewel Box, but thought better of it and had forgotten all about it. after such a nice intro makes it hard to give negative feedback... but I shall...

1) we had reached there around 7+. so we were early. but by then crowd had already started to come. we were give a table far from the throughfare, which is ok. But i was rather unhappy that after we were seated no one came to attend to us 'automatically'. despite waving and calling out to the various staff who happened to pass by the other tables away from us, no one attended to us. We were being ignored. It was not until 25 minutes had passed that someone actually came to our table. We had to inform him that we were ready to be served our drinks and appetisers!
2) it was 10 minutes until the above drinks and appetisers were actually served. By then the restaurant was starting to get more crowded. So it became increasingly hard to get the attention of staff due to the bad location of our table and the crowd.
3) then came time for the soup. it was the same ordeal. we had to wave and shout to the staff to clear our appetisers and serve the soup.
4) this sort of sequence went on throughout the entire meal, with us having to get the attention of the staff to clear our plates and serve the next course. at times we even had to make the same request to several different staff in order to be served our meal.
5) I personally felt that the amount of food (especially the main course) was too little. After dinner at your good establishment, we had to go grab a bite afterwards so as not to go hungry.
6) Then there is the issue of the quality. I was expecting a delicious meal, but i was disappointed that the food overall was rather tasteless and bland.

After hearing so many good things about The Jewel Box in the press I was expecting a good meal and a memorable Valentine's day dinner. But after my experience, I do not think I would recommend The Jewel Box to anyone. It was a costly meal ($168), to me at least. I expected good service and a good meal for what I had paid. I understand it was Valentine's Day and all, which may have something to do with all that happened, being that it was a hectic day for everyone concerned.

regards

Hope they act on my complaints. A bit of compensation for my 'hardship' would not be amiss.

Dad is in the hospital to have some tests done. Apparently he had a mild stroke of sorts and his extremities,specifically his arms, went numb. So mum rushed him to Raffles Hospital for a check. He had to be warded so test could be performed. Hope he gets well soon. I miss him already.

Went to Daiso this afternoon. We had been looking for a suitable playpen for Muffy and Scruffy (notice the change in order of names). Most on the market costs upwards of $50. You could also buy the individual pieces for upwards of $8 to build your own playpen. At Daiso I bought 12 (yes 12!) 40.5cm by 40.5cm black 'steel wire net' and a packet of connection joints at $2 a piece. So it came up to $26 for the whole thing.Not bad actually,if a tad bit on the heavy side. The packet of connection joints contained 12 connectors. should have bought another pack so each piece was fastened by 2 connectors rather than one. What I did was connect the pieces with 2 joints and then used a packet of cable tie to connect the rest. In the end it looks like it will not fall apart, so far so good. Tomorrow we bring the Lago's out to play, then we can put my creation to the test.

The weekend is finally here! This week has been a rather fast one because of the Chinese New Year holidays on Monday and Tuesday. So in effect this week had only 3 full days of work. Being also that I am not working this saturday either. Yippie!!

Watched Ghost Rider (starring Nicholas Cage) on Wednesday. It was ok. The effects and style was good. But it was one of those films that somehow left me going "Huh?". I guess after all the rave reviews I was expecting something of the calibre of Superman Returns, Batman Begins or Spiderman. But what I got was more in the league of Catwoman, Daredevil or The Hulk. In short it was a movie that could have been so much more, but ended up being merely entertained bt it. The bar for comic book adaptations has been raised so high by the former that it takes a fanboy to make a film based on comic book characters. These are one of the hardest films to make as you gotta exceed the aspirations and expectations of the built in fan base of comic book fans, as well as capture the imagination of the casual movie goer, and yet at the same time make both groups of viewers come back for more in the inevitable sequel(s).
rating : 3 and a half burning skulls out of 5

Went to the library and got 4 books on rabbits. Hopefully the expert advice dispensed therein will prove invaluable in my care of the 2 long eared creatures under my supervision. Rabbits make good pets, as good as dogs in some cases. Without all the noise and mess. But rabbits are a bit more expensive to maintain than hamsters that is for sure. And they live longer!

Did a through cleanout of the hamster cages and tanks. Re-distributed some of the toys and furniture. Re-shuffled the tanks and cages so that Rusty and Willow are on the rack behind me as I type. Mimi is in her spot as usual. The big 2 ft tank is now moved to the stand. I tink this setup works better. Makes it easier to feed and observe them. The big tank used to be on the top level of the rack as it was too big to fit into any of the lower levels. So it was high above me. To feed the occupant I had to either climb on my bed to throw food in or change the water. Either that or having to bring the entire tank down. Rusty's connected cages on the other hand somehow did not fit snugly on the stand. As such both cages we slanted rather awkwardly in order to make the tubing system connect properly. It also presented the situation where the lower cage was partially hidden by the bed from across the room and below the field of sight, it being barely a few inches off the ground to start with. I think the current setup is better as I can see the animals better and the space is used more economically. No awkward tilts or climbing needed.

Oh...and my music videos of my Israel Trip have been specially chosen by a travel agency, Omega Travel, to be featured on their website. It seems the eight videos have garnered much acclaim since I featured them. It is such an honour actually that people appreciate my work and that it has touched people I have never seen or met.

here they are again:

day 1= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_G3YSY22hM
day 2= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZCc22aAvks
day 3= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB2HWaiekO0
day 4= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTm3RvMj-T0
day 5= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6rPXQl-Pkc
day 6= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKwOlfa_y88
day 7= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8B9kDL_wcEE
day 8= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAkNHBSyoWQ
renewal of vows= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTXa6AHZoPU
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Istana Open House

Picked up Agnes and headed to Plaza Singapura. We were gonna go to the Istana Open House. Orchard was busier than usual. But still we managed to find a parking lot. We then walked over to Istana. By then quite a crowd had gathered.We had to join the queue to get in. But the queue was fast moving so we were inside in no time. At one point is started to drizzle, thankfully it stopped ater a few minutes. Would have been hard to enjoy if it had rained as neither of us brought umbrellas or rain coats.

The lawns of the Istana resemble a golf course. In fact certain parts are actually used for golfing. They even move around in golf carts.



At the performance tent there were a couple of schools playing. I believe they were from the Cannossian Convent.



We also took a tour of the inside of the istana for a nominal fee of $2



Took many pictures.


a major suck up tis..hahahaaaa...

We even got to get up close with the President himself. sadly did not get to shake his hand or order any prata. :(



Agnes had a field day with all the handsome men in uniform. And a couple who were not in uniform as well...





All in all a tiring but good way to spend an afternoon.

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After that we headed home to pick up Scruffy and Muffy. We brought them out to lay at Upper Pierce Reservoir.




The rabbits could be quite a handful at times. But nothing we could not handle. But Agnes was so worried after them. Think she may have nearly had a heart attack.



But soon it was getting dark and the mumy was tired so we headed home.



We then put the rabbits home and then went for dinner at Ang Mo Kio.

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The rest of the pictures can be found here:

Istana Open House

Rabbits at Upper Peirce with the other batch of rabbit pics

and the pictures taken at the Sentosa Flowers 2007
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anniversary & third day

Today was our anniversary. 2 looong years we been together. Sure there have been ups and downs. But I think that with each obstacle that we faced we came to know and understand one another better. Gave Agnes the pendant chain I bought her. She seems to love it. Doubt she ever had one like that before. But as usual the matter of costs came up. To me, one can never put a premium on love. To think of it another way, if things do not work out between us, she could pawn it for a tidy sum.
Joking! Joking!! Just joking...



Today we planned to go to sentosa to see the Sentosa Flower 2007. Kinda disappointed that her folks could not join us. Not everyday that we get to go out and do stuff as a family. Gonna be a while yet before we will collectively have the place and time to go out again. sigh.
Anyway, by the time we got there it was raining heavily, and the road leading to Vivo was jammed, so I continued up to Chinese Garden's. They were having their Spring Festival. They were charging $6 a person and it featured mainly lanterns, so we decided against it and headed back to Sentosa. Thankfully by the time we got there the rain had subsided somewhat, but there was still a sizeable jam.

Found the displays not as impressive as other years. Worse still it was on Imbiah Hill which made getting around the various exhibits a bit of a hassle as one had to climb stairs or take the escalators to get to where he or she wanted to go. Towards the end of our visit it started to rain heavily so we somehow managed to squeeze under a single raincoat and make our way back to Sunny.

After that I drove around a bit before heading to near Bugis. It was sure not planned to go there, but I saw it was open and I knew for sure Agnes would like it, so I thought why not? So we had steamboat!!

After dinner *burp*... we headed back to my place. First order of business was to clean out and replace the bedding of the rabbits cage. In the end Agnes got the hang of it.
Then it was presentation time! Agnes has a short presentation to give next week. So we worked on her slides and presentation. After a few rounds, i think she got it. It is supposed to be between 5 to 10 minutes long. The way it went it seems that Agnes will probably be going for approximately 6 minutes.

After that we kinda hung around doing nothing and took a nap until time to head home.

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I do hope we can meet up tomorrow as well....
But that depends on what is going on at Agnes's side...

Stuff we could do:

- Istana Open House
Tuesday, 20 February 2007 (to celebrate Chinese New Year)
Admission to the Istana grounds is free for Singaporeans and Singapore Permanent Residents. Others, including foreign visitors, are required to pay an entrance fee of $1 per person. Entrance to the grounds is via the main gate at Orchard Road. Opening hours are usually from 8.30 am to 6.00 pm.
next window of opportunity will be on Tuesday, 1 May 2007 (to celebrate Labour Day)
For an entrance fee of $2, members of the public are allowed to view the Staterooms in the Istana Building.

- We could also go catch a movie at PS next door if time permits.

- Put up the poster and car decals we got the other day.

- Bring Scruffy and Muffy to the park for a run out if weather permits.

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Got another of my YouTube videos removed. This sucks. I dun quite understand how they can just remove videos without actually telling you why or how. Viacom makes a claim and then they just remove it without ven actually checking the content of the video.




'This is to notify you that we have removed or disabled access to the following material as a result of a third-party notification by VIACOM claiming that this material is infringing:

The Big Deck: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToOAxHJcU6Y

Please Note: Repeat incidents of copyright infringement will result in the deletion of your account and all videos uploaded to that account. In order to avoid future strikes against your account, please delete any videos to which you do not own the rights, and refrain from uploading additional videos that infringe on the copyrights of others.

This part that really gets me is this:

'If you elect to send us a counter notice, to be effective it must be a written communication provided to our designated agent that includes substantially the following (please consult your legal counsel or see 17 U.S.C. Section 512(g)(3) to confirm these requirements):

A physical or electronic signature of the subscriber.
Identification of the material that has been removed or to which access has been disabled and the location at which the material appeared before it was removed or access to it was disabled.
A statement under penalty of perjury that the subscriber has a good faith belief that the material was removed or disabled as a result of mistake or misidentification of the material to be removed or disabled.
The subscriber's name, address, and telephone number, and a statement that the subscriber consents to the jurisdiction of Federal District Court for the judicial district in which the address is located, or if the subscriberis address is outside of the United States, for any judicial district in which the service provider may be found, and that the subscriber will accept service of process from the person who provided notification under subsection (c)(1)(C) or an agent of such person.
Such written notice should be sent to our designated agent as follows:...'

What it means is if i want to get my video back I have to submit a counter notice, get a lawyer and also show documentary proof that my video is under my 'copyright'. Like that how? I so free,ah? Got so much money to spend on such a trivial matter??
I hope more YouTube users like me can all band together to put a stop to this nonsense. YouTube are what they are today because of everyday people like you and me. And now that they have sold their souls to the Devil, they are biting the very hand that feeds them. In no time people like me will take their patronage to other video sharing sites who at least know how to put the needs of their customers first.

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Tomorrow is Tuesday already. One more day of fun. Not like I have had enough rest to be honest. Despite the long weekend and not having to work on saturday, I still find myself tired and just waiting for the weekend again.

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Agnes has promised to get me a gift for our anniversary today. But I have no idea what to get. I keep telling her the greatest gift she could get me is she herself. but still she does not get the hint. tsk tsk...

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I do realise that my room and my car are gonna be needing a spring cleaning soon. Been too long since I last really went through all my junk. But do not know when I will have the time.....

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The combined service at Indoor Stadium on sunday was awesome. Too bad Agnes did not take up my invitation. Somehow also managed to get in touch with jeremy and Simon too. So sat near them. At least I was not all lonely after all.
So many souls were saved that day. Glory to God!

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Post CNY eve

Suddenly there is like a deluge of movies to catch and so little time.
- Babel
- Letters from Iwo Jima
- Dreamgirls
- Epic Movie
- Ghost Rider
- Half Nelson
- Just Follow Law
- Hannibal Rising
- Notes on a Scandal
Hope to find the time and the company to catch a few of them.

Later to church. Was hoping that Agnes would jon me. But as it is looks like I will have to go it alone this time. She has to work on her presentation next week. So Hopefully she can finish it by today and we can have a good time tomorrow.

Yesterday, as we were preparing to head off to Agnes's house for the reunion dinner, the alarm of Sunny refused to turn off. So we were like stuck there for a good 15 minutes. I tried changing the switch and the batteries but to no avail. In the end I drove over as the alarm went off. After a bit, the alarm went off by itself. In the ensuing tension, harsh words were exchanged between me and my dear dear. Guess indecision and haste never make good bedfellows. But we made good in the end.

Dinner was chicken curry and sea cucumber stew(?). I much prefered the stew than the curry. After that was TV time as we caught the CNY countdown show on TV together. The rest of the family went to bed at around 10pm!

Our lunch yesterday was at the new IKEA at Tampines. Was not half bad actually, but the range of food was rather limited for an asian palate. Then was back to my house for rabbit play time. The rabbits were understandably not in a very playful mood being that it was their beddy time. So in no time they were back in their cages and we took another nap until it was time to go for dinner. Then the car security alarm thing happened which very nearly spoilt the mood for the rest of the evening. Good thing Agnes was in a forgiving mood. I can be a jerk sometimes.
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Our Chinese Horoscopes for 2007
Although I donot pay much heed to horoscopes i general, I thought it fun to include it here:

WATER OX Horoscope
Feb 6, 1913 to Jan 25, 1914
Feb 3, 1973 to Jan 22, 1974

Oxen in China are put on a pedestal. So it goes with Oxen people. Oxen are bright, peace-loving, often easy-going and trusting. But, on the other hand, they can also be stubborn, methodical, and fiercely competitive, with, shudder, fierce tempers to boot. Oxen are natural born mentors and life is filled with examples of people who have gone on to great success because of them. Mentally and physically alert to the point of genius, many Oxen belong to Mensa. They can create the most imposing structures, magnificent sculpture, and homes. They respond like poets to the beauties of nature and of solitude. Oxen are unique, they are The Flower that bursts through the crack of cement.

Bird's Nest Soup and Bean Curd are among the keys to good health!!

With Water Oxen you never have to sit around listening to boring lecturing and long-winded yada-yada. Through quiet self-assurance, they simply carry on with life, setting examples by deed, never by words. They make extraordinary leaders. They inspire others to do their best, through kind patience, knowing that even waiters finally come to those who wait. Realistic and open-minded about the foibles of others, they are rewarded with unexpected surprises when people turn around and show their best attributes. Tit for tat!. Their stable careers and "living right" give them the potential to be enormously wealthy, and they frequently are. For Oxen in general, love life is somewhat of a mystery, but immensely satisfying, interwoven very nicely with contrasts of quietude and passion, solitude and togetherness.

Famous Ox People: Tung Chee-Hwa, Sukarno, Richard Burton, Napoleon, Charlie Chaplin, Peter Sellers, Margaret Mead, Jawaharlal Nehru, Eisaku Sato, Princess Diana

EARTH HORSE Horoscope
Feb 11, 1918 to Jan 31, 1919
Feb 7, 1978 to Jan 27, 1979

Horse people have a balance of the best kind of qualities. Have you ever seen a wild horse on the beach, with flying mane and flaring nostrils, every muscle bursting with life and je ne sais quois? Without a doubt, the Horse is the standard for grace, strength, rhythm and nobility. They have an amazing capacity for hard work. As a result, they know great success and financial security in their lifetimes. Often quite ostentatious, they enjoy being with large crowds and always seek out the grand and magnificent. They need people and have a weakness for those of the opposite sex. You can often find Horses at concerts, music festivals, and the Super Bowls of life.

Parsley Soup and Ginger Root are among the keys to good health!!

With head held high, the mighty Earth Horse never has to apologize, never has the pangs of a guilty conscience gnawing away the very soul. The life of the Earth Horse passes all scrutiny. Earth Horses are elegant, spirited, and adventurous creatures. Poetry in motion! Earth Horses are among the most generous and caring of friends, tolerant of their friends' shortcomings, never judging, never showing cynicism. They blend the right balance of sympathy and empathy. As faithful and unwavering as the Horses are in their devotion to friends, it is important to tell you that they are never weaklings or martyrs. Their inherent dignity and pride demand honor and admiration. Earth Horses appreciate the good things of life and because of their dedication to their careers, have the financial resources to keep life on a steady keel. When it comes to Love & Relationships, life for the Earth Horse is exceedingly sad and dreary without love. The Earth Horse will go the extra length to please their partners. They love wild and romantic weekends and traditional whisperings of sweet nothings. They pass a happy life, their blood coursing with life bursting cadence.

Famous Horse People: Duke of Windsor, Princess Margaret, Billy Graham, Igor Stravinsky, Bertrand Russell, Joseph Haydn, Barbra Streisand, Nelson Mandela, Anwar Sadat, Neil Armstrong
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Have yet to put up the posters and car decals we got from the NUSS Welfare thing on Friday. will wait for Agnes and we shall do it together when we have the time.

Gonna have to take some nice pics of Scruffy and Muffy with their owners soon. Yesterday the rainy weather put paid to that idea. Today the weather is fair but we are not meeting up. Perhaps tomorrow...or Tuesday....

Next time I am at Serangoon North , gonna grab me one of those rabbit posters to complement the hamster one I have now.

The Government Budget for 2007 was announced on Thursday. It was widely expected to address the needs of the poor and the oft neglected middle class. Well the first part came to fruition. But somehow the middle class somehow got left in the cold once more. Not that our needs were not met. just that all the budget features seems to benefit the rich and very rich more than those who really need it (i.e. the poor and middle class). At least the poor have been addressed.

reduction in corporate tax to 18%?
I setting up my business is a little cheaper by 2 %. now can afford rice already...

cash offsets to impending GST increase to 7%?
ok lah...up to $250 a year for next 4 years. better than nothing

increase in employer CPF contributions?
oso better than nothing. not substantial enough in my view, but what to say?

reduction in road tax,maid levy,utillities fee and property tax?
now can afford to get a maid to wash my car outside my semi-D house.

$800 in GST Credits?
Err...ok....now I got em, what do I do with em? Ooh..cash handouts of $200 a year...$$...but oni to those in Public Housing?? means I dun get,ah? total $1,590 in rebates....alamak!

So between now and July 1st (when 7% gst kicks in) all of Singapore will be stocking up on essentials. Hahahahaa... NTUC, Giant, Carrefour.. watch out... here we come.....
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