Good times

We were fortunate enough to have visitors in town these past few weekends. That usually means good company, good food, thus good times!

When my sis and her bf visited, we discovered Akanoya, one of the coolest Japanese restaurants in town, serving food the robatayaki way. Though on Tanglin, the izakaya-style place is so unassuming we only chanced upon it while looking for a place to eat around 12AM. The Japanese (we think) chefs cook fresh bbq food right in front of you and serve food using wooden paddles, which they extend from across the bar. It was all very novel.

We also went to the Tippling Club to sample the closest to molecular gastronomy in town, and was slightly disappointed by the food. Though not so much with the lofty ambiance and decor. The bar was unique with liquor bottles hanging from hooks in the ceiling, secured by cable ties. And we had a lotta fun just chatting and happily eating green curry foam.

Sis and Danny


Singaporean Hokkien mee at the Wisma Atria food court. I know mall food courts aren't always renowned for rustic good food, but I loved this dish. And if you're lucky, you may just get to watch the chef cook while waiting in line

Bobo and me


Bailey's cake at the Cookie Museum. Worth the whole $20 *Gulp


Having afternoon tea with Serene and Anita


Brunch at Jones the Grocer where cotton candy costs the same as a plate of bacon and eggs. There's something funny about that :) Loved the mushrooms!

This Friday, it's our turn to be visitors. Can't wait!

Goodbye MRM

Another farewell, another outing with the crew. The eventful night, which started at Overeasy followed by Stereolab, was playfully marked with declarations of love, hugs and kisses.

Perhaps one too many in some cases. Lol

You guys are just AWESOME!!!

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Beauty@Genesis sucks ass

Blogger was slow to load these few days and my anger has since simmered down to nothing. Well, almost. I have enough left in me to talk about one of the lousiest customer service experience I encountered on Wednesday. The situation was so comical, I feel impelled to share it with you.

Remember the Tiffany necklace the bf got me for our 5 year anniversary? Well, he got it from Raffles Arcade and received a free voucher for a 60-minute massage treatment at the (*barf) "Beauty"@Genesis spa. Considering how the purchase carried nothing less than a 4-figure price tag, the bf was quite pleased to include the voucher as part of the gift. In his sweet generous mind, a massage he didn't have to sweat over was kinda like a bonus for me.

Weeks later, I scheduled an appointment via phone and was assured that all I needed to bring was the voucher and receipt of the purchase. It was a usual Wednesday evening as I wrestled through the MRT crowds, making my way to the spa. Getting lost along the way, I called to ask where it was and was given the following directions "You get up the escalator and turn right all the way." After much difficulty turning "right all the way" (as I didn't know she meant multiple rights) a woman came to pick me up saying, "If you had followed by colleague's directions, you wouldn't have gotten lost." That's cool. I admit I could've tried harder.

When I arrived at the spa, about 5 women in white polo shirts greeted me at the door. Obviously, none of them had appointments to attend to. One of many key points. I handed over the receipt and coupon without being prompted, and sat down as I was told. Here comes the funny bit.

Just as I was following my masseuse into the room, a few voices exclaimed, "STOP! Maam stop!!! You CANNOT go in!"

Slightly alarmed by the sudden commotion, I went to the counter to ask why not, and here's how the conversation went:

W: Maam, I'm sorry you cannot go in because the receipt's not in your name.
M: Oh. My bf got me a present and was given this voucher, so here I am. Is there a problem?
W: The name on the receipt has to match the person who gets the massage.
M: I didn't know that. Let me see the voucher.

The voucher reads:

Exclusively for _______________
*Terms & Conditions
This treatment is exclusively for the person named above and is not transferable and not exchangeable for cash or kind.

M: It says here, "...the person named above. "Would it make a difference if my name were written on here (under Exclusively for_______________)?
W: No maam. You have to be the person who purchased the item.
M: But that's not what it says here. It says "exclusively for the person named above," and my name should've been written on here.
W: I'm sorry.
M: When my bf was at Tiffany's, they didn't tell him about this *assuming (right as I was, they didn't!)
W: I'm sure they would've liked to offer you a massage, but they're not the ones giving the massage. We are. They're just issuing the voucher. We can't let you in because your name is not on the receipt.
M: Neither of us knew he had to be the one getting the massage. He doesn't even like massages *pleadingly
W: It has to be him.
M: So if I were Chris Lau, you'd let me in? *jokingly
W: *Nervous laughter. Your bf can come for the massage. Not you.
M: So I guess I should've bought the gift myself * half jokingly
W: That was very nice of your bf but there's nothing we can do *slightly snide?
M: Can you make an exception? I wouldn't have come if I had known, and it was a bit of a commute to get here.
W: I'm sorry. We can't.
M: This seems unreasonably rigid. I wish it made was clearer on the voucher. Voucher aside, if someone had asked me on the phone when I was making the appointment, I wouldn't have come all the way. Whatever. You can be sure I won't come to this establishment again *angrily
W: Ok *nonchalant

Defeated, and not wanting to be massaged by people who refused to provide the service, I just picked up my things and left. I had wasted unnecessary time and was eager to get away. Though not before calling the bf to complain about the idiocy of the situation.

What do you mean "there's nothing we can do"??! It's a 60 min massage, not a BMW. Dude! You can do it! Even I can do it. There are 5 of you here. Just sitting around too! If it's SO important that my name be on the receipt, why wasn't I informed earlier? Say, how about when I called to make the appointment??! Worse, read this maam: the voucher wasn't clear!

Had they just gone ahead with the massage, I might've considered signing up for a package of some sort. Isn't that what giveaways are for? For potential customers to experience your service before taking the leap and becoming lower hanging fruits? Everything I experienced at Beauty@Genesis (including the name *snicker) is totally against customer service 101! Aaaaaaargh!

While I've always liked Raffles Hotel for it's impeccable service and one-of-a-kind colonial style, I can't imagine how it could allow places like Beauty@Genesis to be part of its organization. Perhaps it's just another space for rent. But their attitude and inability to be flexible just EASILY lost them a potential customer. And if I can help it, they'll lose a lot more. For once I wish I had a broader audience on this blog. Grrr...

Do not go to this lame place. Ever.

Livie's big day

Just about a week ago, my best friend officially became a missus. A Mrs. Moore to be precise.

I believe it's important to prep before the big day, so we sent dear Liv a little care package with the following goodies:

Bridal survival kit containing a chocolate bar, lip gloss, mint, band-aid + alcohol swabs and a sewing kit


For boo boos


For THAT kiss

Forget-me-nots: handmade stationery set and our favorite photograph from college, framed


Honeymoon kit for the trip to Cabo


Click to see what's in there!

Congratulations Liv and Peter! We are so happy for you and CANNOT wait to see you at the reception :)

Smiley face of the day

Is it crazy that I'm totally crazy about this kid in Knocked Up? I mean I am SO smitten that I actually googled her name to discover she's Leslie Mann's daughter. That makes me like Leslie twice as much knowing this giggly cutie's her lil' un:




SO adorable! I can't wait to see her again in Funny People.

PC Decision Tool launched this week

Check it out!

Months of hard work went into the development of this tool, which is designed to help consumers find the right processor for them before making a PC purchase. You can create your own personalized PC Buying Guide, which details everything you need before making the big jump. Think recommendations for memory, hard drive, optical storage, SKUs, etc.

If you're thinking, "What??!" the tool is just perfect for you.

APAC tool>
Australia tool>

Family portraits

My fam


The bf's fam


MRM fam


PubMo fam


Dexter fam. Love y'all!

Home is where the heart is

Especially when one has many places to call home.

I've been MIA lately because the bf and I flew to KL to spend time with family. We had 3 solid days with mine, only to arrive back in Singapore to his. Not to mention my other one at work.

Menu for Chris' mom's birthday last night

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Pictures of these recent events to come.

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PS: we saw Denise Keller on the plane, and the bf barely recognized her. Sometimes I surprise myself with how much I've learnt through the local media.