Despite mom and aunt being extremely sick today, we still went on with the decision to eat at Arnold's Fried Chicken (located at City Plaza). Why so? Well firstly, it has been quite some time since the last visit and secondly, granny has this 2 coupons which entitles her to redeem 2 FREE spring chickens and they expire today. Haha! If I'm not mistaken, granny got the coupons through a donation exercise done by her friend's organization. Cool, huh? :) I mean, I know that the heart matters when it comes to donation but, who would pass on free lunch (or dinner for that matter) these days? HAHA! :P

We arrived at around 6pm or so and the place was extremely packed, as usual. We waited for a good 10 to 15 minutes before finally entering the cute little restaurant. I wonder why the owner never want to expand the restaurant? I'm sure they can afford to buy the spaces next door! This is to accommodate the high number of customers each day. I'm just sad and tired of seeing customers shouting at the innocent waitresses because they have to wait in line for a long time. On one hand, it is of course the customer's fault for not being patient enough but on the other, shouldn't the management look at this issue as a "big problem" that needs to be settled? Oh wells. Whatever. Haha!



What I do know is, my family only want to just savour the sumptuous delicacies. Apart from the 2 FREE spring chickens, we also ordered the potato platter, coleslaw and fish & chips (not pictured). The quality of the chicken just keeps getting better over the years and I'm still crazily in love with the chilli sauce! :P I don't think anyone will ever get sick of Arnold's! I hope they still exist for many more years to come so that the future generations can also savour their delicacies. It's simply lips smacking good! :D

Regards,
Niz

ICA D&D 2008

As I've mentioned in the previous post, I accompanied mom to her company's Annual Dinner & Dance, last night. This year, it is once again held at the Ritz Carlton Millennia. It was only back in 2006 when they held the D&D at the same venue. I wonder why the repetition? Haha. Anywho, we didn't really dressed up for the 2006's D&D as mom was still in an "unstable" condition due to the discovery of my dad's second marriage. But this year, it's a totally different story! In fact, since the beginning of 2008, mom already had plans to attend this year's D&D, all dressed up. Well, that is obviously an exciting thought and I'm extremely glad everything went as planned last night.

Thanx a whole lot to mom's bestie for giving us a lift in her comfortable Toyota Wish. Mom initially wanted to drive but I didn't really approve. I rather take a cab! Ok don't question me why. Haha! So yeah, before long, we already found ourselves in the lobby of the hotel. I was quite disappointed with the deco of the lobby though. It just lacks the "WOW" factor! Sigh. Anyways, we quickly proceed to the grand ballroom to grab our door gifts, find our seats and then settle down. Soon after, we decided to head out to the open area outside the ballroom to have a FREE professional photoshoot taken by "picture ME" (www.pme.com.sg) [1st picture above]. Awesome, no? :)





Hmmm... know what? The only thing that catches my attention last night was the lovely dresses and suits worn by women and men of all age. They look damn good! I guess, everyone really took the effort to dress up for the event. Sadly, I feel their effort went down the drain as everyone was disappointed over the programme. Despite the entertaining emcee, he miserably failed to capture the guests' attention. Perhaps, it's due to the same "activity" that took place at the 2006 dinner! I remember everything vividly and I must say, it's such a carbon copy. I already lost interest at the beginning of the dinner! Now, here comes the worst part. THE DINNER itself!




I'm sure everyone expects a wonderful banquet experience in a 5 star hotel, no? Unfortunately, Ritz Carlton failed to serve delicacies that are of a high standard. The overall taste of the dishes and the way it was served just lacks a little something. I definitely couldn't savour most of it. I may sound picky but I can't be that wrong if most of the guests agreed on this, right? So anyways, here's what we had. Can U spot which two dishes that are missing? Hehe.







By 10.30pm, I was already so sleepy and I wish I could just go home. I endured a little and soon enough, everything was over. I was so relieved! Haha. Mom bid goodbye to all her colleagues and off we went. Imagine more than 500 guests at least, leaving the ballroom at once! Simply chaotic! Overall, I feel that the D&D was just fine. I do expect it to be way better actually. Oh wells. Mom said we shall not attend next year's D&D but I say, if it's held at a different hotel, then why not? Hahaha! I don't know... I do love attending events like this despite knowing that it will eventually be boring. :P





Regards,
Niz

Saturday, November 29, 2008
Dinner & Dance

Everything's set and me & mom are more than ready to enjoy tonight, at her company's D&D, held at the Ritz Carlton. Woohoo! More about it tomorrow, aite? :)

Regards,
Niz

Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Down Memory Lane. . .

It has been three good months since I left Songs Of The Sea. Ever since the day I quit, I never stepped back into Sentosa to settle my resignation. Haha! In short, I kinda left my part time job, just like that! I know it's wrong but it wasn't totally my fault! The in-charges never even acknowledge my resignation and I wasn't told what's the next step to take after resigning! Sigh. I guess they finally realised that I haven't settle everything, thus, one of the in-charges sent me a message requesting me to surrender my uniform, name tag and pass by today. I find it so weird and when asked, Mr A claimed he didn't receive anything. YEAH RIGHT! Anywho, I eventually agreed to drop by the island today as I also do not wish to drag the matter further.

I was all smiles when I found out that my Staff Pass is still valid for entry to the island on board the Sentosa Express. That means, I saved 3 bucks! Hey, in this economy downturn, we musn't spend "unneccessarily", no? Hahahaha! As soon as I alighted at Beach Station, I quickly headed to Coffee Bean to purchase my last drink & cookie and also Oscar & Co. to purchase some SOS souvenirs, all at staff price. Haha! U may say I'm a cheapskate but know what? I don't care! I deserve the benefits okay! :P Oh yeah, while I'm at SOS, I also snapped some pictures of the area for memories sake. Deep in me, I actually miss SOS and the people a whole lot but I just don't show it. :(







After spending a few minutes reminiscing the good old times, I once again boarded the Sentosa Express and headed to Imbiah Station. Upon alighting, I quickly made my way to the main office or Bunkers. The meet up with Ms R lasted barely 5 minutes but I'm glad everything's over! ;) Soon after, I decided to just walk around Imbiah for a bit before finally heading back to the main island. Since I no longer own a staff pass, boarding the Sentosa Express is obviously out of the question, thus, I have to resort to boarding the FREE Shuttle which headed for Harbourfront, instead. Haha!





On this note, I would like to once again aplogize to all SOS crews, Oscar 1s & 2s and also crews from other attractions, should I have hurt U guys in any ways during the course of my service at SOS. Without the opportunity that U guys had given me, I would not have been who I am today. Working at SOS has really given me a whole lot of great experience and I deeply appreciate and treasure it. From the bottom of my heart, I would like to say a million thanks to each and everyone of U. Take good care and do keep in touch, aite? :D

Regards,
Niz

Tuesday, November 25, 2008
New Family Sedan!

Oh my goodness. I'm extremely euphoric right now! Guess what? After many months of deliberation, me and mom finally decided on the most perfect new sedan for the family! :) As I've mentioned in a post 2-3 months back, mom already had plans to purchase a new sedan in automatic transmission ever since she got her license more than a year back. She wasn't and still isn't comfortable driving her current manual transmission Hyundai Accent 1.5L but she has got no choice. Switching sedans isn't as easy as what some people may think. So much money is involved and as such, mom needs a bit more time to save up before finally heading to the dealer to work things out. Haha.

I'm glad mom made it through the difficult times and finally saved enough to "splurge" on this new sedan. But, even with enough cash, that doesn't mean the problem is solved! Haha. We still need to choose the most perfect sedan. What I mean by perfect here is, the sedan must suit our extensive list of requirements (non-technical wise). Mom doesn't want to buy a sedan for the sake of buying. After all, I guess everyone knows that there's a 10 year bond involves, no? So it is just obvious that we have to be a little choosy. It's for a good cause! :)

So for the past 2-3 months, I had been actively doing an "in depth research" of all the targetted car models. Since it is a family sedan, we only target those that are at least 1.5 cc or above. If U recall, I did mention that we had settled for a Suzuki SX4 back then but eventually, I found out that it is not as good as I thought. As such, I came out with a few other models to be considered. Overall, the process was just tedious! Now, what was the chosen model and what were the rejected ones? Well, let's start with the negative. Haha.

These are the rejected models (coz they just don't fit most of our requirements):

HONDA FIT (1.6 A)


HYUNDAI VERNA (1.6 A)

SUZUKI SX4 SEDAN (1.6 A)

TOYOTA COROLLA ALTIS (1.6 A)

TOYOTA VIOS (1.6 A)

This is the CHOSEN model:

HYUNDAI AVANTE (1.6 A)

Now, I'm sure most of U would be asking why Hyundai? Korean sedans are so not appealing to most of U, no? Well, frankly, this is one model which I hate to own in the first place too. But as usual, human nature is to judge before finding out the truth. Haha. After a good talk to the dealer @ RTMT Motor, I found out that the sedan is actually comparable to any Japanese sedans and in fact, performs way better! It was really hard to believe in the first place but after experiencing the sedan personally, I must say that the statement is beyond true! Know what? There's absolutely no regrets in purchasing this sedan and drive it around for the next few years to come, at the very least. :D

Here are some "need to knows" of Hyundai Avante:

Model : Hyundai Avante 1.6 (A)
Engine Type : 1,591cc 16v in-line 4
Maximum power : 121bhp at 6,200rpm (most other models deliver only 109bhp)
Maximum torque : 153Nm at 4,200rpm
Gearbox : 4-speed automatic
Top speed : 180km/h
0-100km/h : 12.2 seconds
Plus Point : Smooth 1.6-litre engine, well-built interior, roomy cabin
Verdict : An exceedingly well put together small sedan that deserves to do well
Review : "You'd buy the Altis on the strength of the Toyota badge alone, but the Avante does offer a more up-to-date drive."

P/S: I think the sedan's too big for mom but not to worry, I'll take over it as soon as I get my driving license. Mom has agreed to let me take it after I graduate. Woohoo! :)

P/S/S: Mom already paid a so called "deposit" for the sedan but will only get to drive it home in mid January or early February 2009 as the newer models are currently being shipped in from Korea. Well, I guess patience does pays off! I really can't wait to see our new sedan in person! Weeeee~ ;)

Regards,
Niz