Starhub Cable TV

It came out of the blue that I was offered free Starhub Cable TV. At first, I couldn't believe what I heard. Afterall, I have been taught from young that there is no free lunch in this world. So when the call came, I asked him - 'What's the catch? Are you really from Starhub?' Thankfully, I listened on - to what started off as a tele-marketing call, but turned out to a very good deal.

I was offered to watch 3 months of Starhub Cable TV for free. When the Starhub TV box was first delivered, all channels were available. And we were surfing through all the channels. But there was not going to be an all-for-free deal and our initial excitement was short-lived when they offered us only 3 groups of TV channels.

But that was sufficient to have us glued to the TV box. For the past week, I spent more time staring at the TV, as compared to the entire previous month. Channels, such as as AXN and TLC, are more favourites. Whilst there are many shows that give you an interesting perspective of life and additional knowledge, too much of TV can ruin one's days - with lesser focus on other aspects of life.

I asked - how good can this deal be? I guess it can only be good as I want it to be. With this additional tool - to educate, entertain and enrich our lives, the usefulness of this tool seems to have tremendous impact. Only time will tell. 3 months to be precise...

Batam - Planet Holiday Hotel

We stayed at Planet Holiday Hotel & Residences for one night. It was through no choice of ours, as we purchased an online deal and were cornered into choosing this hotel. The online coupon, provided by Straits Deal, initially gave a choice of 2 hotels - Planet or I Hotel. We wanted 'I Hotel', but after enquiries with the Travel Agency, they have carefully tricked us by telling us the endless unavailable dates of I Hotel. I wonder - why provide such an option in the 1st place?

Evaluation of the Hotel:

1. The room we stayed in was old, poorly-litted, but spacious. See photo below. We were given a low-floor. Thankfully the noise from the KTV below us did not travel to our room.

2. Check-in was prompt. Maybe it was due to the pre-registration done by our tour guide.

3. Reception staff was friendly. Though not exactly conversant in English, they were able to give us directions. We learnt that Planet Holiday was in Nagoya. Hence, the nearest shopping centre would have been Nagoya Hill. The additional point I wanted to make is that Planet Holiday isn't located adjacent to any shopping centre or amenties.

4. Eating joints are located a distance away too. We have to cross 2 road junctions to reach MacDonalds and KFC.

5. Breakfast seating could have been improved. I have never seen such a crowded restaurant, in which I had to wait for 10 minutes before finding a seat. Breakfast wasn't delicious, but there is a variety of food to whet your appetite.

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen isn't really just about fishes. It's a British romantic-comedy that focuses on a wealthy Yemeni sheikh's vision of introducing salmon fishing into the desert country. Sceptics believe it's never a possibility; the scientist thinks that it is physically impossible; the British government wouldn't want to support it.

Yet it introduces faith in an interesting analogy:
Sheikh Muhammed: You're not a religious man?

Dr. Alfred Jones: No. No, I'm not.
Sheikh Muhammed: But you're a fisherman, Dr. Jones.
Dr. Alfred Jones: I'm sorry, I don't follow.

Sheikh Muhammed: How many hours do you fish before you catch something? Dozens?

Dr. Alfred Jones: Gosh, hundreds sometimes.

Sheikh Muhammed: Is that a good use of your time for a facts-and-figures man? But you persist in the wind and the rain and the cold with such poor odds of success. Why? Because you're a man of faith, Dr. Alfred.

FAITH was the underlying theme on many occasions:

• When Dr Jones refused to take on the project
• When Sheikh caught a salmon once he started fishing
• When Harriet was worried whether boyfriend Robert was killed in war
• When Dr Jones decided to use farm fishes
• When salmons swimmed in the wrong direction before correcting their path
• When one fish provided the glimmer of hope after the disaster
• When Dr Jones decided to have a new beginning - in both his career and love-life
• When they decided to try again after a massive failure

If it wasn't faith, what was it? As mentioned by Paul Torday, 'Faith is the cure that heals all troubles. Without faith there is no hope and no love. Faith comes before hope, and before love.'

So easy to say, yet so difficult to grasp. How do I have faith, without having blind faith? How do I define faith, without questioning too much of it? And most importantly, how do I know I have that faith in myself?

Ayam Penyet - What It didn't Turn Out to Be

This is not one of the dishes I usually try, but I decided to have a go at it - whilst in Malaysia. I ordered the ayam penyet at Johor Premium Outlets (JPO). Every store in JPO has discounts, except for these food stores that charge exorbitant price in ringgit. They probably figured that if you can afford to drive there to buy branded clothes, you can definitely afford to pay a little more for local fare. My local fare - the Ayam Penyet = MYR 10.90 (SGD 4.40)

Ayam penyets are supposed to contain fried chicken lightly smashed using a pestle in a mortar. My piece of chicken was small and did not look flat enough. My dish contained sambal, but the sambal wasn't the spiciest one I ever had. I still remembered the sambal in Changi Village that left a burning sensation on my tongue for hours. They served the dish in a plastic plate - not on banana leaves nor on wooden dishes. The rice wasn't richly filled with coconut.

But my stomach was growling and so the ayam penyet was used to silence it. And so I learnt a lesson - not everything in Malaysia is cheap and authentic.

The Dark Knight Rises

I watched The Dark Knight Rises at Jusco Tebrau City for MYR 14 (SGD 5.65). It would have costed me SGD 11 in Singapore on a Sunday, almost twice the ticket price of JB's movies. Indeed, inflation has hit Singapore hard.

The Dark Knight Rises has a dense plot packed into a 2hr 45min show. I was glued to my seat for the entire duration. There were many scenes worth commenting. My focus will be on the part where Batman confronted Bane, but lost in the confrontation between the two. Bane broke Batman's back and sent him to a foreign prison where escape is virtually impossible. The inmates related the story of Ra's al Ghul's child who was born and raised in the prison and was the only person to escape.

For much of the time, Bruce Wayne couldn't walk, let alone save the city. But his determination enabled him to take a faster route to recovery as he focused to straighten his back, learn to walk and then proceeded to build up his muscle mass. However, escape was impossible - in a deep well that was 200 feet underground. For countless people tried before him and failed. He failed countless times. After numerous failed attempts with the safety rope, he learnt from another prisoner that Ducard's daughter escaped without any safety rope at all.  This fear of death, says the wise prisoner, rather than Bruce Wayne's absence of it, is the strongest driving force existent in man. His final attempt - in which he decided to try without a safety rope - on a path of 'succeed or die' - did he manage to succeed.

Maybe it was practice that got him across. Maybe it was his determination in wanting to save the city. Or maybe when he finally let go of his current safety ropes (and baggage), that enabled him to go further. The lesson is to go for broke - to do something as if it's a matter dying if you fail. The question here is - would we?

Le Grandeur Palm Resort - Johor

We recently had a staycation in Johor. Instead of the usual Thistle Hotel, we tried a different place - Le Grandeur Palm Resort. I haven't stayed in a nearby resort for quite some time, hence I was looking forward to check out what it would be like. My opinion - It was almost everything you could have asked for in a resort. The only missing elements were the beach and the sea.

I liked (i) the spaciousness of the room - we had a king-sized bed and a balcony, (ii) the ability of check in early - we reached the hotel at 10.30am and were issued our room keys promptly, and (iii) the tranquility of the hotel - a non-crowded resort and the greenery, which included a golf course, made the stay a relaxing one.

I do not like (i) the bowling alleys - our game had to be stopped 5 times due to a malfunction in the alley machines, and (ii) the room service - it took some time before our breakfast was delivered.

The Cost Of Living in Batam

Through my short stay in Batam, I figured that whilst it is a fast getaway from hustle and bustle of Singapore, it isn't necessarily cheaper. The cost of many items could be displayed in rupiahs, but these items are not necessarily cheaper. Afterall, Singaporeans are their main clientele and only the rich Indonesians could be seen in the shopping malls.

The Polo Ralph Lauren clothes cost more than S$50, even though they are displayed as sale items. The batik shirts cost S$15, even though we were visited their factory outlet. One of our favourite crackers was retailing for Rp 40,000 (S$5.50), even though the tour guide said that this outlet was known for its 'dry food'. Even Starbucks were selling their drinks - at the same price as their outlets in Singapore.

Batam is not a cheap place to visit. As I try to ascertain the cost of living in Batam, one definite conclusion is that the cost of holidaying in Batam is definitely high. (P/s: It might be the highest amongst all Indonesian cities.)

Aung San Suu Kyi - The Lady

'The Lady' was the film I just watched today. It starrs Michelle Yeoh as Aung San Suu Kyi and describes the sacrifice of her personal happiness for her people. Her belief that democracy will prevail one day - finally paid off.  Beyong the context of the movie, Myanmar only experiencing baby steps towards democracy in 2012.

She believed in democracy and the freedom from fear of military rule. The sacrifices she made include:

1. Isolation - She experienced long periods (15 years) of house arrest, in which she was deprived of communication beyong the boundaries of her house.

2. Time and Efforts - She sacrificed much of her life, initially starting the spread of the word of democracy by visiting different provinces of Burma, including the rural villages.

3. Love for her husband - She did not spend her husband's dying moments at his bedside.

4. Love for her family - She made a difficult decision not to go back to visit her family, for fear of not being able to return.
5. Hunger - She went on a hunger strike for 12 days to fight for her colleagues' safety.
6. Possible Death - She faced the possibility of death through several close encounters with the military.

Change - It takes a long time to change a person, let alone a country. Will she finally taste the fruits of her labour within her lifetime? Only time will tell.

Batam - An Online Buy

We went to Batam recently for a 2D1N holiday. It was a much needed retreat - to bring ourselves away from the stress of living in Singapore. It was my 1st time doing an online buy for a holiday packaged tour. The main advantage is that it was value-for-money. The below table illustrates what I meant.

Pros of the Online Deal:
1. Value-for-money - We saved at least 33% from the expected cost of S$233 and savings are actually more significant as the cost of tours to interesting sights were excluded from my calculation.
2. Hassle-free - I do not need to arrange for land transfers, nor do I need to worry about how to get to the ferry terminal.
3. Effortless Planning - I used to do a great deal of planning on the sights to visit or the things to eat, but a package tour eliminates that set of efforts.
4. Educational Tour - Tours provide information about the place, such as signficant shopping centres, type of local produce, etc.  

Cons of the Online Deal:
1. Not in Control of Itinerary - We asked the tour guide if we could do amendments to the itinerary, for e.g. we wanted to go for the massage or straight to the hotel, but this is not possible.
2. Additional Tips - We have to tip the tour guide, even though we did not want the tour.
3. Expensive Places - In a bid to boost her commission, the guide brought us to expensive places, such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Chocolate Store and Batik Factory Outlet.
4. Not Being Natural - We have to make friends; though we are not anti-social creatures, there are times when we wanted the holiday to be more of a private event, but we had to make small talk to the people around us.