3rd Year

I didn't even have time to blog this down.

3years ago, we had our wedding dinner at Suntec City.
I woke up the next morning, hangover from all the drinks and i remember i stood along the window of the Conrad Bridal Suite.

Looking across to Suntec City on a Sunday morning.

It was peaceful. The breakfast arrived in the room. It was American style.
It cost SGD80 per serving. But was complimentary from the hotel.

I still remember thinking, wah i spend so much money and now, everything is over.
The glamourous moments are done. Back to life.

3 years later, i am so glad that we now have a beautiful family.
Our boys are here and we are all happy.

Mr Neo: "Darling, here's your Anniversary Present"
Mrs Neo: "WoW! Don't tell me it's a.."

Mr Neo: "It's just chocolates, i have no time to buy anything else"
Mrs Neo: "Chey, i thought it's DSlite."
Mrs Neo: "But i love it anyway! Thank you!"

Mr Neo: "Haha."

I take back my words

So it's confirmed that I'm getting only $200 of Starhub Voucher.

According to them, the next grade is $500 which they give to customers with the expensive price plan. Me. I'm on Powertalk 300.

No point I get a higher plan as I travel mah. So roaming charges still apply. Why get so much local airtime them. I tried explaining this to the guy over the phone. But he didn't catch what I was trying to say I guess... They should based it on amount spend per month. Not on subscription mah.

End of the day, you want to reward ppl paying you more right? So if I am on the most basic plan, let's say $9.90, but I end up paying $900. Will I get $500 voucher? I should right?

But it's not how they work. At least that's not how the guy explained it to me. I feel like changing subscriber and taking all my services away. Yes... I know I am just one of their tiny micro percentage. Maybe 0.0000000002% affected if I part them. But should be more rationale in tabulation right.

I get so irritated when people tell me stuffs which end of the day is due to "follow the guidelines".

I set down the limit. If next year, they are still like this. I will port my number across to another vendor.

And for now. I just pre order an IPhone 3GS (White). I wonder how much it will cost though. It's really not my first choice. But the HTC Hero's - shape is not too appealing. Should it not come with that chinny curve. It top my list with Andriod OS and a phone not many own.

IPhone is just too common. But I am hoping, in view of it's popularity, there will be more apps, more updates, more hardware and more everything free or at a cheaper price.

Ohhh... Did I say I chosen the 32GB?
Heehee.

Starhub, now with IPhone 3GS

Yeah.

Now Starhub is selling IPhone!
I got an sms earlier saying that they are doing the pre order for the phone.

Got really excited and went into their website to see.
No price is there yet though.

I guess the marketing department is trying to gather feedback to see the amount of people who are interested before setting the price.

But come to think of it. I don't think i will be buying the IPhone anyway.
I want a Andriod phone. Just waiting for my contract to be fully termed and hopefully they send me a big voucher. I should be in the Platinium Club by then too.

So i am really looking forward to a big voucher.
If not... hai.

Singapore Airlines - SilkAir

I hope someone from SilkAir see this.

My last 2 trips into KL, i've been experiencing delays.
Last round, it was 3hours.

Now they tell me it's delayed for 30mins. But the plane is still now here.

Departure time is 6.05pm. Now is 6.15pm and the plane is not even here.
How to depart at 6.30pm leh?

Omg it's like dejavu. I have a feeling they will delay and delay so very slowly like the previous time.
Tell you 30mins, then 30mins, then 15mins.

Why must they do that?
Don't they have the information on hand? Tell the consumer the truth.

Don't make us sit here and wait. For something we don't know.

Somemore i am paying for a SQ flight, yet i am put on a SilkAir plane and last 2 trips into KL.
It's always delayed.

Omg. Please improve yourself.

Yes.... I know sometimes it's not up to humans, there are natural aspects.
But then. Tell the people the truth!

Tell them it's going to be delayed for "x" time.
Don't go with the 30mins, 30mins thing.

Fustrated.

Facebook - Part 2

I still can't make myself update my Facebook.

I tried. But when i am about to log in, i just can't give myself any reason why i would use facebook for.

Maybe i will try to update next year.
I try.

The Gardens Hotel & Residence, Mid Valley - Malaysia / Kuala Lumpur

Hotel: The Gardens Hotel & Residences
Star: 5*
Feels Like: 4*

Mid Valley, you get many things here. Cinema, Food, Shopping.
It's like a Mega Tampines Mall, if i try to put it simply.
I guess the location is great. You can stay in shelter and move from the hotel to the shopping mall all together.

This round, i am lucky enough to stay in their Executive Deluxe King. The top grade room.

Pro:
The size of the room is not huge, however, nicely spaced and clean cut.
For executive rooms, you get to do your check in on Level 29, escaping the reception on ground floor.
As this is my first stay in the hotel, i actually wanted to check in at ground floor and was literally queueing up due to the crowd. However, the bell boy was very attentive and picked up my name from my luggage tag and directed me to the top floor. Plus to him!

The washroom, comes with rain shower, which i love! Bathtub, Shower and the Toilet are all separated by glass. Which makes the washroom very pleasant to be in!

Toiletries are nicely placed and the wash basin are perfectly spaced to prevent splashing.
The hotel also offer laundry service of 3 pieces daily. Cool!
You get to choose if you wish to have breakfast in the executive area, however, that only limits yourself to American Breakfast or go ahead to the buffet breakfast where you get a spread.

The hotel uses pretty advanced system of wave card, so you do not need to slot in any card to get into the room, just wave the card and the door auto open. Quite impressive.

Oh yes, another great point it that, internet in the room is via cable. I prefer cable over wifi.
Personal preference.

Cons:
The executive breakfast served is very very limited. I settled for bread, butter, a piece of cake and 2 glasses of orange juice. Quite a waste for hotel breakfast i must say.
I had difficulty also trying to locate the safe box. I called the reception and i had to wait.
They lady did not know where it was too. Omg.


Overall i rate the hotel 8 of 10.
I would love to stay here again on my next trip.

Just across the coast

Malaysia.

Just across the border.
In comparison, i feel Malaysians are stronger, more independent, much more exposed then us.

My partners in KL, they all are not born here.
They came from all over the place, rent a house here and start working.

Away from home, not like us in Singapore, where we usually stay with the family.
We have friends (Malaysians) who come over to Singapore to work, which is even further away from home.

I do wonder if it's such a good thing.
Good in terms of experience i guess. Independent and all. A little like how Americans would do it i feel.

Makes me feel i am a mummy boy.
Heehee

Facebook

I recently discovered that i can use Facebook on my mobile!
They have a mobile version.

Well, yeah it might be around for a long time, but i just found out!
Duhz.

I am never an avid fan of social networking websites like Facebook and Friendsters.
I have those accounts for fun. I start them and like update them once every 6months i think.

For those whom tried to add me and i did not get back.
I'm sorry, i'll try to add you by 2010 ok.

But next week i'll be in Malaysia. Usually there, i have a little more time at night after my appointment. I'll try to set a night out to sort out and "learn" about this facebook thing.
I hope to set it straight, add my friends then i can use it on mobile!

I love anything mobile.

Grand Kemang Hotel - Jakarta

Hotel: Grand Kemang Hotel, Jakarta
Star: 3*
Feels like: 3+*

Situated right beside the CBD area, Grand Kemang is a newly re-structured hotel, standing 4 stories high. This is a non-smoking hotel. So all rooms are fresh and nice.

I was supposed to stay in a Grand Deluxe. But i checked in very late that night and all rooms are taken up! So i was upgraded to a Junior Suite. Wow great!

Pros:
The hotel is a very ideal location for business travellers. Right smack beside the prime area, offices are easy to access (At least for the office i need to go). Why is that important? Because traffic in Jakarta is worst then that of Bangkok. It's not too much to say 30times worst!

You can find food, eateries from the familar KFC, Burger King to Sushi, Noodles what ever you can think of.

The Junior Suite is well spaced and comes with a pillow menu. In the room you will find a whole setup for dinning area. Something like what you see in Billy Bombers, table of 6. Yup you have one of those in the room. Beside that, you have a 5 seater L shape sofa with a designer lamp hanging right above it (but the bulb fused already.. duhz), a nice working desk, a Queen Size bed, the regular TV and lots of space. I guess suites are all about space. The items in it. Sometimes i don't even have a chance to use it. Why would anyone want to sit in that table of 6 billy bomber style dinning area when you can get out of the hotel and have proper food?

They do very carefully refresh your fruit basket everyday, sometimes there is even chocolates! My favourite white chocolate. And you get 8 bottles of mineral water free. Haha, if that is even a advantage.

High speed wireless internet is free for all rooms above deluxe.

Cons:
Other then just food joints, there is nothing near the hotel.
You get a Polo shop and a pub in the hotel lobby. That's it. There is no spa, no minimart, no nothing.

There is also no shopping centre to pass the night, no cinema, only cars and motor cycles.

The wash room, which is huge, however does not come with a standing shower.
I hate standing and showering in the bathtub. With that size of washroom. They can put a standing shower anywhere! But there is none.

The bathroom slippers, made with pvc, looks pretty classy. However, one pair had a cut, which makes me think its' worn by the previous customer. Minus points.

Overall, it's a nice business hotel. For leisure travellers, i suggest Hotel Nikko anytime.
For Grand Kemang. I will stay there again simply for it's location and also strongly because it sounds like a local hotel. I will never stand in JW Marriot, or for that matter any "branded" hotels in Jakarta! But the hotel is nice and clean - nothing short of a good night sleep.

I rate it 7 out of 10

Mercure Grand Mirama Hotel - Surabaya

Hotel: Mercure Grand Mirama Hotel
Star: 4*
Feels like: 3*

Surabaya - A city further away Jakarta, the 2nd largest city in Indonesia.
Weather here is extremely hot.
The Mercure hotel, a newly build hotel sit along a busy city side. There are no tall building around and the hotel stands 10 storey high.

Non-smoking rooms are from Level 4 - 6.

Pros:

The standard Accor group of hotels. Not the best in the range, but once you step into one of their hotel, it gives you a similar feel. This round i am in staying in one of their suite.
Cost = USD$130.

The room is neat, nicely spaced, there's a living space, a bed room area, dining and relatively large.
Before you even step into the room, they have switch the aircon on, turn both tv (yups, one tv in the living area and one in the bedroom area) on and was playing some nice music. There are DVDS for free viewing and the safe is one that you can swipe your credit card with to lock for extra security.

The suite is all located at the corner of the building, which i personally don't like.

Accor group of hotels are tied up with many cards, Krisflyer is one of them and you can earn miles for staying in this hotel.


Cons:

While all other servies are good, some interior finishings and details can be improved.

The hotel's bath robe seems very worn out. The material is the typical towel material. Sub standard for a hotel of it's class.

The "Do Not Disturb" sign is the regular hang outside the room type. For such a new hotel, i would expect a switch light instead.

This morning when the room service came to clean up the room, they removed on of the towel i used, but did not replace it. So i'm left with one hand towel instead now. I wonder why they did that.

The in-room internet is done via cable. Which i do not mind as long as it's fast.
But the point, is just beside the door! ........... So, i have to sit on the dining table beside the entrance door to work instead of the nice table in front.......... stupid.




There is no other shopping centre of any form of life at night.
There's KFC if you walk 10mins down the road, but i choose room service (remember i said the hot weather?). I would not recommend the hotel if you are here on a vacation. But for business trip, it works fine.

I rate it 5 out of 10 even in this suite.

It makes me smile

Identical?


Enzo with a cute kawaii pose & Everett stealing the punch


Enzo: Check me out with a funny face