Akan Datang ...

More pictures, information, recommendation and reviews on my current trip to New Zealand (Auckland and Christchurch) and Australia (Brisbane & Sydney) will be coming up soon ...

Night view of Darling Harbour

Stay tune!

Some Pictures from Street of Penang

An advertisement along the street. Not sure which one!

Penang's coast line. View from Northam Hotel

Mee Udang in Penang

I was recommended Mee Udang at the foodcourt opposite Northam Hotel. Mee Udang was actually prawn noodle made like pasta style with some spices and chilli.

It was priced at RM$6 for normal and RM$10 with more prawns & ingredient.

In addition, the foodcourt served good BBQ chicken wings and poh piah (or fresh spring rolls).

I would recommend anyone in the area to try the stall (pictured here).

Penang - Northam Suite Hotel

I was in Penang on May 17 and was put up at Northam Suite Hotel. As the name implied, this hotel only has suite of various class. However, do not be intimidated by the suite as this is probably the most reasonably price hotel in the region. It was extremely value for money with the RM$210 (appro. US$70) per night including breakfast. The room was extremely spacious and clean. Strongly recommended to try!



Recommendation (max 5 stars)
Comfort ****
Cleanliness ****
Value-for-money *****
Food (Breakfast) NA (No time to try!!!)
Overall ****

More Pictures from Mystic Hanoi - May 7 & 8, 2007

Outside Ho Chi Ming Monsoleum
A street along Old quarter ... Vietnam's Taxi


Singapore Airline Check-in Counter at Hanoi Airport. They made me queue even when I told them that I had already check-in through the internet despite the (blue) sign indicated an express lane for internet check-in and people with no check-in baggage. I also did not have any check-in baggage. Sigh!

New Blog on Technical Subject

I have decided to start a new blog to share my knowledge on quality, product safety and solution to technical barrier to trade.

Keep a lookout for it...

Cheated of S$1.20

Venue - IMM Level 2 (In front of the children play ground)
Date - May 12, 2007 @ around 7pm

What happen?

I inserted a one dollar and a twenty cents coin into the vending machine below in an attempted to buy a bottle of Blueberry drink. Unfortunately, the machine could not detect the coins and did show any indication of the coins invested. I tried pressing the button to select the choice of drinks but was unsuccessful. I tried getting the Tibits' store man to help but he could do nothing. I also tried calling the phone number (label below) for reporting but their office was only open from Monday - Friday. I could not leave message for someone to contact me.

Without help, I had to move on. Sign! I lost my $1.20. I doubt I would ever use any vending machine from this company. Just my luck!

Hanoi Sheraton - May 7 - 8, 2007

I was in Hanoi for the first time last week. I was arranged to stay at Sheraton Hanoi Hotel. We had arranged a limousine pick-up from the airport. The distance from airport to Hotel was around 35 mins. However, it was a smooth journey weavering through the narrow roads flanked by rows of low-rise shophouses and colonial style bungalows. The ride cost us around US$40. The hotel rate was around US$170 per room per night including breakfast.

Front yard of Sheraton Hanoi Hotel




View from Hotel room






Room of Sheraton Hanoi Hotel

Recommendation (max 5 stars)

Comfort ****

Cleanliness ****

Value-for-money ***

Food (Breakfast) ***

Overall ****

It's a Sad Week!

We lost 3 colleagues, good team members, partners and brilliant minds within a short span of a couple of weeks. It saddened me to see the team disintegrated, especially, in this way. It saddened to see organization lost the amount of knowledge that will leave with these teammates. The understanding, trust and comradies that were painstakingly built over time collapsed with the departure.

Undoubtly, there will always be a school of thoughts that find such departure as part and parcel of corporate evoluation and would argue not to make a mountain out of a molehill. I will still find such thoughts difficult to accept.

I was, and still am, a strong believer that high performance can co-exist with fun. Civilian organization, without the regimental rigidness of military organization, can be as effective and efficient. Mutual respect and good command and control can co-exist.

These series of departure, coupled with the negative energy arising from "politiking" among a specific group of people within the organization, were causing my morale to sink and fast reaching the seabed. These, and many other events, was affecting my confidence and my abilility to drive forward.

Have I lost the plot? Why should I bear with such nonsense?

Monorail Tour to Sentosa

Monorail station @ Vivo City

Sentosa

PSA whares - heart of Singapore trading

Interior of monorail

All pictures taken using O2 Xinc PDA phone.

O2 Zinc

I got my new toy, a O2 Zinc PDA phone. This phone came complete with WIFI, GPRS, QWERTY slide-out keyboard with cool grey finishing. This phone also came with a 3G SIM card.

I am begining to like the phone having gotten used to the keyboard spacing. However, the lack fo one-touch function that was associated with Nokia were missing. Otherwise, it was an interestingly nice gadgets - especially for a non-tech savvy person like me.