Tuesday, August 29, 2006

a HK article got me thinking...

The more i stay in HK, the lesser I like it here. Dun get me wrong, I do like the HK colleagues and friends I made here.. its just the environment...

Sure there are nice people no doubt but there are just alot of things I do not like here. It only serves to make me appreciate our singapore govt more despite complaints of the way they pushes laws or policies though esp unpopular ones. There are no perfect govt but I appreciate what I have after living away.

In recent HK papers i saw 1 article on how in the middle of RESIDENTIAL where common folk lives, there was a business located top floor of a flatted factory that was operating as PET CREMETORY. Basically they charges a fee to burn your dead pet. What is obnoxious and vile is that this factory got some license to operate but they were spewing out dirty foul smell from the incineration of corpse, and there werer ashes flying into people's flat. The rate of people getting sick in that area got higher after their operation and the air is gross and not fit for breathing. People force to close windows but ashes still got in. It was reported that residents called SIX (6) govt agencies to complain, including environmental, labor, housing, urban to name a few, but all contacted agencies claim ignorance of responsibilities and push to another govt agency. No one wanted to shoulder the job of closing down the business. And NO ONE BOTHERED to take extra steps to find out who was in charge and who could be of help.

It was until the news hit the papers, that FINALLY someone did something and suspend the licesne to operate. If that had happen in singapore, I'm sure that factory would not last 48hrs, least of all years (i think quite a few years but i forgot the number). The reporter commented, he bet this would never happen in the EXPATS residential area like repulse bay or the peak, or if someone kick a stink from this EXPATs community instead of teh common kowloon community as in this case, the officials would be rushing to answer the call and bells would be ringing. I laughed when i read that.

In singapore, I had called NEA once just to complain about the noise of the contractors on a sunday afternoon for the new condo site behind room. They explained to me that it was allowable for contractors to work on sundays so long the noise is below certain decibels. I asked him "DO U SERIOUSLY EXPECT RESIDENTS TO HAVE DECIBELS DETECTORS?" In a flash, official called the contractor company and the operations was stopped for that few weeks and i didnt hear a squeak. Then someone called me up to explain they have spoke to the contractors to tone it down. I was glad, not becoz i got my wish of quiet sunday, but that someone actually responded. That's what i called efficient public service. They treat complaints seriously. It isnt the first time i called NEA and each time, they responded promptly and in good race. In HK, i think my complaint would have been lost. So for opposition lovers, I seriously think you have to live out of singapore for a while to maybe appreciate just a little bit of goodness of what we have.

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Some stores i tried in shilin market-Taipei

For cynthia and anyone heading to Taipei (too bad I missed out on Alex in Taipei. didnt know till he emailed me after reading my blog! haa haa) , here are some stores which i tried in shilin market (stop at jian tan station 剑潭站 )and I really love it!

I tried Aiyu (爱玉) which is some kelly gelatin made from seeds of a tree only found in taiwan. Not bad for a drink. (Store 536)

The next thing i wont miss is the mango ice (芒果冰). wah pianz damn good! Thinking about it still makes me drool! (I think its at store 497) I dunno if there are any other place that has better mango ice but canx complain what i have!

I didnt really tried the food but there was this store that had some steam or panfried meat buns that smell really glorious and there was a Q for it. But i was conserving "Okane" $$ for other things so i didnt try the food. I canx rem the place since it is right in the middle and it was kinda like a cart in
front of the store and i didnt take note of the number.

My vendors brought me to this Pig trotters place. Sooo good, feels so at home!!! Except that theirs is not the balck vinegar style which i am used to from home. In fact they were so surprised when i said ours back home is cooked in vinegar! They couldnt imagine! HK food just doesnt suit me..except the canto dishes. But general food places makes me "sianz". Taiwan is so like home, chinese music, chinese conversation and people are just warm. Plus a good thing, I hardly saw any mainlanders! The last few modern city with minimal loud booming mainland toruists that disgusts me with their inconsiderate behaviour. And somehow, typical Singapore tourists are more subdued and quieter in Taiwan comparing to other places,maybe becoz they can speak mandarin and not their horrid english that made them more bearable. haa haa.

Taiwan is filled with stores of variety everywhere so its really hard to say where to shop. I think Anna told me there where at Wuchang or Wufeng place that was really good but i canx rem which... Anna!! U better tell me when u going back to Taiwan and let me tag along!!! hee hee

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Les Suite Taipei

I really like Les Suite Taipei Hotel at 12, Ching Cheng Street. It is modern, free wireless and cheap. Can u imagine for a full set room service dinner that includes main noodle, soup, 2 appetiser, 1 vege plus 1 full plate of super sweet fruits (6 selections), it only cost 280NT + 10%service charge.

The superior room is spacious, bath room great with even simple thoughts of providing hair band and rubber band for ladies. I havent tried the bed yet but it felt alrite when i sat on it. The room has 100 channels, mainly taiwan programs and also Japanese programs (Ooops! I just saw an uncensored english channel with Jap subtitles flashing saggy boobs!)

Where can u get value like that? Good location (just next to MRT), fanastic plolite service and damn good looking stuff (guys) and new room and quiet location. Its amazing! The staff are so considerate and attentive, It was raining when they got me a cab. I forgot to ask for a brolly as it was sheltered but as i got into the cab, the hotel staff handed me a brolly and informed me to be careful as it was raining. He even put his hand on the cab door above my head in case i bump onto the taxi ceiling. Its really good service!! When i called for room service and happen to say I am hungry, the room service volunteered to give me extra serving and so I have 2 big bowl of vege soup atht tasted really good !! It was clear soup and healthy. I will definitely come back again for this is a value for money hotel!

Theer is a 24hr book store cafe but I am too tired now to check it out. But there is macs next door that close at 23.30pm and a 24hr family mart (7-11). What more can one ask for?

Compared to JW Marriott Shanghai, Marriott loses terribly in service. I was so fed up with the lousy room key which keeps deactivating and the staff keep jumping to conclusion that it was my phone or my other credit card atht affects the magnetism. For one, I kept my room card in my bag separate from my wallet and phone. So it was the card problem. 2 nites constantly and it was a hassle to walk to the recept due to weird layout. I was so irked that I wrote in to complain about the service. So Les Suite Taipei is indeed heaven sent!

shih lin market

had some time after work and so i headed to Shih Lin Nite market by myself after my colleague gave me instructions. Walked arounf for over an hour but i didnt buy anything but i tried quite a lot. So fun! Only because i FORGOT to change more money to taipei currency and only have enough money for cab back to airport (~NT$1300 to hotel).

It was amazing the collections they have and it was very interesting. As i walked, i reminded me of Anna and wished she was here. Damn, we should have come here earlier and we could have so much fun together!!! Shopping and eating!!! Oh well, have to wait a few more years now and the clothes wont even suit me anymore....

It was raining and so abit uncomfy since its not sheltered and a hassle to carry my brolly around. But i throughly enjoyed it. Didnt have time to go Ximen and janice said better not if too late since its not too safe. So next time Taiwan! I will be back! Now its's sleeping time! its 1am!

PS: canx believe i keep forget to bring camera

Where is my hotel!?

Has been more than 2 decades since i last visited Taiwan.

I was 12 when i first came to taiwan with my parents and cousin and honestly, my memory of Taiwan is vague and foggy. The only thing i remember was the Queen Elisabeth sand head statue at some beach. Only why the impression was so deep was because there was some storm and the wind was whipping upthe sand and hitting me damn hard and it bloody hurts!!!Other memories was mainly the tour bus where these 2 gay guys was especially sweet to me and chat with me through all the bus trip (only rem mum was always seemingly in foul mood...)

Anycase, it was a plesant surprise when the custom officer said "你好旧没来了哦!" I was stunned and laughed and said yes. He laughed and said more than 10 years right! I grinned and left.

After i arrived and check in, I didnt even realise i was in the wrong hotel!!! The hotel reception called me and told me my colleague had booked me at the other chain about 2 blocks away! Mind you, this is teh FIRST time i ever made a mistake and that is only because both hotel has teh SAME name in teh same district!!! So i had to grabbed a cab and rush to the other place, which is a good choice since this second hotel is newer and next to train station! Plus 10mins walking time to office.

Oh well, work day didnt end till about 8pm. Had a good chat with the D.M and I really like her. In fact i felt so at home in teh Taiwan office and had a superb time making accquaintances! People are even warmer than the shanghai office and somehow, I just felt more cosy and at ease. I felt more like new employee as i joked with Esther when she brought me around. They were wondering how i didnt have the HK mandarin accent and why my mandarin was fluent (though i insisted it really wasnt that fantastic though better than Hkongers for sure! haa haa), only to realise that I am a singaporean. They were even nicer! haa haa

Janice was so nice that she met me at the hotel and showed me how to take the train. It was very easy and i really like it and its dirt cheap. For some distance was only 30NT. I went to shih lin market for a quick look and it cost me only 30NT from Nanjing East station.

More later!

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Meeting a new friend in Shanghai

was exhausted by end of the 2nd day in Shanghai. But i strive for once, to walk beyond office and hotel for this business trip. So i decided to meet up with Karen, a friend I got to know in Friendster who is living in shanghai now.

We decide to meet at Raffles city for dinner. Clueless silly me, didnt even realise the Raffles City was the same Raffles city chain in Singapore until i see the Capital Mall logo on the building. It just didnt registered it was the same singapore chain!! Even the stores and layout has a singapore feel to it!! ha ha!

Anycase, we met and luckily we both look like what we do in the picture and she brought me to the Brazilian place on the 2nd floor. The food is buffet but u have roaming nomad waiters who hold the meat in skwers and walked around to serve u. I feel like a glutton next to Karen coz i was starving and i seem to order double the meat portion compared to her! haaaa!

The dinner was pleasant and we chatted abit and maybe its a singapore bond, it didnt feel weird or anything as we ate and talk. Karen remarked it was quite something to have 2 singaporeans, one living in shanghai, one in HK, to be eating together in shanghai in a singapore mall, chomping on Brazilian food with a bikini cladded dancer, dancing to somewhat a turkish sounding music and she looked like a filippino from far. Talk about intercontinental mix! haaa

We moved on to fresh food drink at basement and Karen finally decide to go for the durian sugarcane mix while i stuck to papaya milk. I told her abt my "gas leak" story when i was in school then and i nearly had her choking on the drink from laughing! I didnt realise i was so animated till she said i really shouldnt tell her a joke while she was sipping a drink. heh ;p

Then she talked about some personnel stuff and i joked with her that since she is so good at sniffing out the butt of durian, perhaps she should try her "durian" technique to hold by hair and sniff the butt of her potential employees during interview to pick the "good and ripe" one! We laughed hilariously over that joke!! I dun know what possess me to crack that joke but that image just turn up in my head and I couldnt resist sharing it. Haa haa. I think have Karen cracking over it:)

Afterwhich, Karen tried to show me the "naked parading shanghai woman" in the changing room of her gym upstairs but our plan was foiled by an overzealous gym staff who "respected" the privacy of the female guests. I find it hilarious coz they wont be walking ard naked if they really cared do they? Oh well, too bad for me... (god i sound so perverted! haaa)

Karen showed me another place called cross road at the food court where they served sg food! The picture of the prawn noodle had me drooling big time.. I missed home food!!! Then we saw Bakerzin and the counter gal tried to convince me that they SHIPPED/FLOWN in the cakes from singapore everyday!!! Do u believe it!!!!! I looked at karen and we both was like "absolutely non-convinced" but of coz we politely walked away.

The nite quickly come to an end. I thoroughly enjoyed Karen;s company and yes, we certainly clicked as our brain seemed to question things abt us the same way (like how do the first people first know coffee beans can be drunk??)

So Thank You Karen for a wonderful time and dinner treat! And canx wait to catch up with u again!

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Funny Bar in shanghai

Remind me never to be nice and allow baggage check in even if they tell u some sob story about the flight is full and limited cabin space. I agreed and I ended up wasting 45mins of my time at shanghai airport looking for my "misplaced" luggage. I waited for the belt number to flash on screen as to where to collect my bag but it never materialised. I thought it was strange after so long and found my bag at the lost and found counter. Shanghai airport didnt even have the decency to display on screen the belt!!!! Talk about crap airport service!

So i reached Marriott later than expected and rushed to office for meeting. The discussion got abit delayed and didnt leave till about close to 8pm. Went dinner with Wendy, to treat her a farewell dinner since we have gotten relatively along well. Gossips, jokes, stories. She brought me to this Nepalise place for dinner.

The restaurant is "Nepal Kitchen" located at "No.4 Lane 819, Julu Road, Shanghai 200031" (tel: 54046281). Dinner was ok, close to indian food really. However, I hate it as it was not non smoking and there was 2 tables of bloody foreigners (at least 20 people) who was puffing away and my eyes started tearing. I couldnt breathe, it was horrible to sit there. So we left and went next door for a quick drink.

It was called "Peoples 7" and u cannot just enter like that. At the entrance, there are big 9 circles on the wall and there is a 4 number code that you must activate to go in! When u have the wrong code, the opposite door will open with a mirror saying "sorry try again". I thought it was quite silly as u are driving potential customers away!

The inside was pretty decent but the decor for toilet is weird. Firstly, there were doors, look like doors , didnt function as proper doors. I tried the knob and it didnt turn... only to find out it was a decoy! U have to push where the hinges are supposed to be!!! And once inside, u cannot find the damn lights switch!!! I tried waving like a silly goose, only to find out, the lights will only turn on AFTER you latch the door!! I pray they wash the toilet enough since some guys may not latch the door and spray everywhere!!! Luckily for me, it was relatively clean.

We left about 11pm and i got a call at 11.30pm. Apparently, Wendy's husband locked her out!!! She was furious and cursing him. So in the end, I had her bunk over with me at the hotel and she left again early morn at 6am. The hotel room service only served to piss her off even more so we didnt sleep till like after 2.30am++.

Luckily I was able to wake up for work, only that the stupid hotel room clock was 15mins behind time!!! I ran for my life to office!!! Marriott has to do better than this.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Bad air quality in HK

Since yesterday, HK is shrouded by a thick haze. It is such major air pollution that I couldnt see the buildings across the sea from my office seat. It is DISGUSTING.

On the 8th Aug, 8pm, the green group had organised a campaign to turn off the lights for 3 mins. I didnt know if it was an act to campaign their cause about bad ait quality, or was it an effort to stop burning fuels for 3 mins.

In anycase, they had seeked private and public sector's support. Normally HK will have lights display at night at 8pm but Donald made a public statement (which i caught off the news segment on TV) refusing to support the campaign, citing that "..delaying the light show will have an impact on HK's image as a modern city."I was appalled. What kind of logic is that? The green group retort back and stated that "It is more a disgarce for a modern city to have such bad air quality such that blue skies and white clouds are a distant memory and hard to come by." With this sort of opposing mentality from public sector, it is no wonder that the air quality continues to deterioriate.

Thursday, August 3, 2006

Typhoon 3. or 8?!!

The storm in Hk is so unpredictable. After a few days of sunny weather, its now pissing rain and hurling wind. The typhoon 3 wind is so strong that it is enough to totally wreak your big brolly and twist its metal and send u walking in the direction which the wind is blowing.

Macau is having typhoon 8 and HK refuse to upgrade its signal and remains at 3. But u look at the damn wind and storm passing, you know it has to be larger!!!!

Although i could leave half hour earlier, i stayed on as i was hoping not to catch the rain. sometimes, the rain just come and go. So luckily by 7pm, the rain stop. Emily and Josephine brought me to buy something for my decongested nose. Bloody HK do not have VICKs. (Anna, looks like u may need to send it to me or get your hubby to pass me if i see him in Taiwan) and so i quickly ran to the bustop and caught it before it left.

On way home, i saw the traffic road for opposite direction came to a halt. A bloody HUGE tree was uprooted and slammed right into the cars and plonked itself in the middle of the road. Traffic directors and some workers were trying to get the tree out of the way. Its a mess. Some pipes burst and i saw some roads were filled with water.

I alighted the bus and the security guard said they locked the glass door and so we had to walk thru the general garbagge area to walk to carpark to get back to units. I was PUSHED by the wind. The woman behind me screamed and yelped. So imagine the force of nature is to be reckon with!