Sharpion's Dream

Cafe to Recommend

2025-09-01T21:49:00.001+08:00

I was completely BLOWN AWAY by the Coffee in this place. It is a really small cafe hidden in Tiong Bahru, amongst the iconic heritage shophouses. Besides the coffee, the steak was awesome as well. VERY reasonably priced! I'm definitely going back there again. Thanks to AW for recommending!

Here is the Google Map Link.

2025-08-31T20:52:00.001+08:00

Logitect Brio 4K (S$216)

Wow, the difference between this cam and my last one (Logitech C922) is night and day man! Main reason i bought this is to use Window's Hello to log into my PC. Besides being more secure than using a pin, it also is much more convenient. Get it here on Amazon.

HG Amaim Ghost MK2 (S$30)

Was looking everywhere for this simple High Grade Gundam Kit. Managed to find in Carousell! Went to promptly get it, in pristine condition. Can't wait to build and mod this! Selling on Amazon.

OHTO Pen GS02 (S$16)

This is from a lesser known japanese pen making company that specializes in metal pens. It's not really that expensive but really feels good! We bought 3 of these already. Get it on Amazon.

10 years later

2025-08-31T14:54:00.001+08:00

Wow, i just realized that i have not written here for more than 10 years. Somehow as I age, i feel the need to, rather than express and share, more to record and reflect. So as before, I'll start listing the stuff i bought/came across etc. More to journal my purchases and to some extent, my life experiences.

Recently, I have gone into reading a lot of self improvement books. This has been propelled largely by my need to achieve. I feel I want to get better.

Here are some of the books I have bought recently. These purchases have largely been inspired by William Wong, the Realstar Founder in the agency I currently work with, in my latest stint. His book is also listed at the end.

The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz

How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie

Master the Art of Selling Real Estate by Tom Hopkins

Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O Clifton

Listings to Legacy: Life of a Real Estate Maverick by William Wong

As you can see, these are really sales focused books. As a leading sales person in my own company, having a 98% sealing rate, I never thought i had a problem with selling. That just goes to show how ignorant I was/am, there is a lot to learn...

Awesome Site!

2015-08-31T10:41:00.002+08:00

As a professional who has worked in the web development industry for around 15 years, i have come across several businesses and websites. I would consider this one of the best online businesses I have seen.

I seldom come across a site i like so much, so i decided to write this.

The site is Massdrop

PRODUCT SELECTION

The community will discuss among itself on different items based on broad categories such as Audiophile, Men's Style, Tech, Writing etc.
Each user is able to set up topics and recommend products for the community to vote.
The highest voted product (with a min. number of votes required), gets selected and the Massdrop guys then get in touch with the supplier.

BUYING

Upon successful communication with the supplier, the product would then be added and people can start buying.
Based on the number of people buying, the price would drop accordingly (just as with a real mass drop scenario).
There is a cool feature which allows you to actually commit at the lowest price. A very useful feature.
Also there is transparency in the number of people purchasing the product and how it affects the price in a beautiful interface.
They even show the people buying under recent activity.
I also like the fact that they credit the users responsible for the winning options overtly on the buy page.
Having the Discussion link is very useful also as it is pertinent to the buying process. Sometimes i feel i need more 'convincing' before purchasing so i go there to read the comments (and sometimes post some questions too). There are times i did not purchase because of the comments and other times the reverse is true.
The Shipping is extremely reasonable and i would even consider cheap. This is one of the most important things to me as i live very far away.
There are several payment options to use.
For people who were unfortunate enough to miss the drop, there is also and option to vote for a re-buy.

POST BUY EXPERIENCE

Customer service is excellent. When a product was too delayed due to a supplier issue, we were compensated for our delay. When i had a missing product, i was sent a replacement with no fuss. This is simple and GOOD customer service! (Thanks Kat!)
Transactions are well documented
All relevant info is there, even delivery info is linked

DESIGN AND WEBSITE

If it's not obvious enough already, the site is extremely well designed.
It has a Clean, fast interface
Great UX
Very good backend system, fast and no errors encountered
Great features that people actually use
Good copywriting, even seems SEO optimized
Intuitive content, i find myself using almost all the links

MARKETING

The email marketing of the is great! It customizes it's emails to your likes. I find myself excitedly checking my email everyday to see the next cool thing that comes out.
Furthermore the emails are well designed, relevant and well written.
The site comes with a refer a friend feature which rewards you for introducing your friends. I find that i already would want to introduce my friends anyway so this is just icing on the cake.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I love the fact that they have a direct and transparent way of writing. They are open about suppliers, the problems they face and even if they are promoting stuff.

It's a site i visit EVERYDAY and it has even introduced several new hobbies and interests to me, without actually even intending to!

Why not have a look? Go there now: Massdrop

MUST Have List

2015-08-23T12:59:00.000+08:00

Things I recently got that I feel are off super value! If you don't have it, get it!

Kershaw Leek

Addictive opening mechanism, small with good grip, ultra sharp

Nitecore Tube

USB chargeable, ultra bright, tiny and super durable

ATH M50X

The MOST comfortable headphones i have even worn

Pebble Time

Apple watch step aside, this is 1/10 the price and is more than sufficient

Microsoft Surface 3

My go to carry notebook, it really is fantastic to use

New Fitness Toys

2015-08-23T12:50:00.000+08:00

Rocket Skates

Learn more about them here: http://www.rocketskates.com/

K2 VO2 100 X Boa 2015

2015-07-06T11:18:00.000+08:00

Candy Crush Tips

Just hit level 1160 and there are no more levels to play :D

Sharing what I've learnt so far:

Try to remove orphan candy, leaving behind similar candy in closer proximity
Think through every move as much as you can, patience is key
If the move doesn't benefit, then just do something else
Every level has a strategy, keep playing it till you find out the priority in which to do first, the rest is luck
Only use powerups once u understand the level, this is like failing at it for at least 10 times
Time is more important, don't be a purist, use money to save time or powerups
Different powerups and candy combinations work better in different situations, there is no BEST combi or power up. Sometimes even NOT combining a candy gives the better result

Blood Type B Diet

2015-07-02T18:51:00.003+08:00

Learnt about Blood Type Diets today. Not sure if its true or not, there seems to be several proponents and detractors. Anyway, here is a summary from about 5-6 sources SHOULD I choose to believe. Anyway it can't really hurt:

TYPE B: THE NOMAD

Emerged when type Os moved to the Himalayas as nomads, domesticating animals and living on meat and dairy.
Only one person in 10 has blood type B
Individualistic, relaxed, unconventional, uncooperative, goes against the odds, throws self into projects they love
Least dietary restrictions!
Closest blood type to a healthy, balanced diet.
Has a tolerant digestive system
Responds best to stress with creativity

GOOD

Fish
Turkey
Leafy greens and vegetables
Diary

Yogurt
Cheese
Low fat milk
Eggs

Fruits

Bananas
Grapes
Plums
Pineapple

Lean Red Meat

Goat
Lamb
Mutton
Rabbit
Venison

BAD

Corn
Wheat
Buckwheat
Lentils
Tomatoes
Peanuts
Sesame seeds
Rye
Sunflower seeds
Chicken
Pork
Normal Milk (because of a sugar)

FITNESS:

Maintaining the mind/body balance
Moderate exercise
Martial arts
Cycling
Golf
Hiking
Tennis
Swimming

EATING BAD RESULTS IN:

Fatigue
Fluid retention
Hypoglycaemia

WHEN CONTROLLED:

Blood sugar levels should remain normal after meals
Weight control

Plumbing Things Upgrade: Toto? Hansgrohe or Grohe?

2015-06-25T13:01:00.003+08:00

Basically, it is completing what i started when i first moved it but as i ran out of money, i couldn't,

For toilets, i can tell you that after years of dealing with poor toilets, the absolute best one in my books is TOTO. Go for elongated, double piece and whirlpool flushing system. It is absolutely awesome.

As for fixtures, i have always used Grohe stuff except for the kitchen and other bathroom. Now that my stuff pretty much broken down, i upgraded the kitchen and bathroom fixtures to Hansgrohe and also the sink to TOTO.

A question that keeps coming up even 7 years ago when i started this was, Hansgrohe or Grohe? Generally they are both good but if you MUST choose one, here is the answer i found most compelling:

GROHE

Some time ago, one of the younger members of the family that then owned Hansgrohe decided to strike out on his own and started Grohe. He positioned it as a company with a more youthful take on the products. Grohe didn't last long and the son cashed out quickly, selling the company to a rich MNC.

HANSGROHE

This is the original company and it was recently purchased by the parent corporation of American Delta. Hansgrohe is operated as a semiautonomous division of Delta and is the premium line of the Delta group, much as KitchenAid is the premium line of Whirlpool, Gagganau is a premium line of Bosch, and Lexus is a premium line of Toyota.

CONCLUSION
There is no longer any relationship between the ownership groups of Grohe and Hansgrohe.

Between the 2, although they are both very good, you probably are safe in assuming that the Hansgrohe model will be of higher quality.

New Hobby: Manual Shaving

2015-03-28T05:48:00.003+08:00

Edwin Jagger Shaver DE89BL

Bluebeards Revenge Vanguard Shaving Brush

Bluebeard's Revenge Shaving Brush Stand

L'occitan After Shave Balm

Kent Luxury Soap with SB3 Wooden Shaving Bowl

Feather Razor Blades Hi-Stainless Steel Double Edge

For newbies, go to The Panic Room and look for Jaime, she is really an excellent teacher!

Diary of an Adult Hand Foot Mouth Disease (HFMD) Victim

2015-03-03T05:26:00.001+08:00

Day 0

Wife calls me to say her foot has rashes and she WAS having a fever just yesterday and is still having a really bad throat. She suspects she caught HFMD because both our kids (2 yrs and 4 yrs) are down with HFMD. She goes to the doctor, doc says its not and sends her home. Later in the evening, spots start to appear on her hand, we go back to the doc and yes, it is confirmed, she has it. Apparently the sores in her throat were very far down so it was hard for the doc to see. Anyway it has been confirmed. I joke that she is a statistic coz adults don't get this.

Day 1

Got a bad cold today, whatever man, its just a cold. Whole family has HFMD but daddy is ok! Still continue my day as usual but as a precaution in case im a silent carrier, i choose not to go to work. Come back home and feel ok, however towards the night i develop a fever. Meanwhile, wife spots on her hands start to grow.

Day 2

Really high fever today, ranging from 38.1c to 38.9c. Developed a really bad and painful throat. Eating paracetomol and danzen every 3 hours just to earn some relief...really suffering. Was sleeping all day.

Day 3

Woke up feeling quite good and as they day went on, throat started to feel better and fever went away. By late afternoon, i was completely fever free and throat was much better. Just as a precaution, i visit the doctor and he checks my throat. Then he realizes i have sores inside my throat! He said, based on contact history, you probably got HFMD. Still was in disbelief, check hands and feet, no sores whatsoever. He prescribes the required meds and told me to just observe for a few days. Ok fine, so i go home. By night, i notice, hey whats this little spot here? ouch its like a blister...! oh no, do i really have it??

Day 4

After waking up, i realize that it kinda hurts when i touch things, to my horror i realize i have 2-3 spots on my hands! Wasn't bugging me much so just ignored it and still felt good as i had no fever and my throat felt totally fine already. As the day progressed, more and more spots started to appear! omg, its like 1 per hour. At the end of the day, i had like 20 spots on my hands. The worst ones were those on my fingertips which make it painful to type, like now (ouch!). As of this time, i have 3-4 on my feet too!! I can take this so far but really am hoping it will stop growing otherwise i'll really be incapacitated.

Day 5

Some more spots appeared on my foot making it even harder to walk but no more seemed to appear on my hands. Thankfully my dominant foot has been spared any spots so i can kind of hobble around on one leg. The blisters seem less painful or maybe im just getting used to them. They also seem to be more red and larger as they progress.

Day 6

All the blisters have stopped increasing in number now and the older ones have subsided and are no longer that painful. Mobility is back to normal already though a little irritating due to the small pangs of pain now and then with certain movements.

Day 7

Feel completely OK now, though the blisters still seem red and angry, they no longer hurt at all and i can't feel them anymore. Seems like everything is ok! Wife's blisters have started to peel. MAY be still contagious so I'm playing it safe and still staying away from people.

Day 8

Spots are turning brown already, everything seems fine now. Will consider this HFMD over! Overall, I don't think I got it too bad. Except for the 1-2 days that were a bit inconvenient, my throat was good overall and I was able to eat normally so that made a huge difference. Also my blister placements were not that debilitating.

Was lucky this time though unlucky overall to have even gotten it. Hope I NEVER get this again...

Some Stuff I Learned Today

2014-08-24T14:48:00.002+08:00

Interesting things today:

What Westboro Baptist Church is
Colgate Total can be cancer causing
Duck and Tuna may not necessarily be RED meat
Supposition vs Assumption vs Imagination

Goodbye Android!

2014-05-26T01:02:00.002+08:00

After 6 months of using my Sony Xperia Z1, I finally decided to go back to Apple. The phone just didn't do the basic stuff right (taking pics, usability, even making calls...i could go on...). The only thing im really gonna miss is the waterproof feature.

Well, anyway, here is what my new phone (iPhone 5C Yellow) looks like:

It's just a stand in till iPhone 6 comes out. Also, it completes my iPhone collection, so now, I have all models.

New Games

2014-05-13T05:02:00.002+08:00

Been really spending too much time on these games, but they really rock!

Diablo 3 Expansion Reaper of Souls
This what D3 was meant to be, they fixed lots of things and made the replayability awesome! I'm currently playing a Crusader.

Titanfall
Not really as endearing as Battlefield 4 but extremely fun and well made. Gameplay really reminds me of Call of Duty.

New Watchlist

2014-05-13T04:56:00.002+08:00

Kill la Kill
Very nice anime, 10/10. My buddy also likes it, which is weird, she never watches anime. Really unique and distinct, a classic for sure. Tempted to buy their cosplay stuff here.

Person of Interest
Not really THAT good but watchable and interesting.

Nobunaga the Fool
7/10 the most, just watching to finish it up

Ping Pong the Animation
Very interesting art style and anime. Though its a sports one, really can't get enough of the style.

New Hobby: Online Shopping

2014-05-13T04:47:00.002+08:00

Been suddenly buying lots of stuff online, here are my usual haunts:

Dealextreme: http://www.dx.com/
Nice for gadgets. I always check out the new arrivals. Free shipping!

Qoo10: http://www.qoo10.sg/
Yes people have already been coming here for a long time, i'm slow k. Check out the daily deals.

Massdrop: https://www.massdrop.com
Has some really nice stuff. I use email to get notified what's new. Very limited things though.

Rakuten: http://www.rakuten.com.sg/
Stuff from Japan. Haven't really bought anything from here yet, will soon.

New Toys: Misc

2014-05-13T04:36:00.001+08:00

Yoyos and Kendama

Yoyos have come a long way since I was a little boy.Was interesting for say...a week, then I got pretty tired of them...

Razor Deathadder 2013

Said I would never buy another razor product but just thought i'd try this sweet mouse. So far, its been working out great

Soundblaster ZXR

I love the control module, less so the sound, compared to my SB HD Titanium, can't really tell the difference.

Orobotix Sphero 2.0

My kids really love this toy. To buy it in SG, you can go to either Expansys or Apple.

Samsung Digital Door Lock P718

Really nice and good, makes my life much more convenient. Installed from these guys, who are quite responsive and friendly.

Yummy Snacks

2014-05-13T04:20:00.000+08:00

Meiji White Milk Full Cream with The Natural Unbearables or Wine Gums

New Toys - Gadgets

2013-12-12T00:41:00.003+08:00

Pebble Watch

New Toys - Photography

2013-12-08T16:10:00.000+08:00

Nikon D600
Skipped on the D700 and D800 for this once the price did a nose dive. Photo courtesy of Kenrockwell.com, big thanks to him and his reviews, saved a lot of money :)

Nikkor 28-300mm AF-S 3.5-5.6G ED VR

Capture Camera Clip System

New Hobby - Nerf

2013-12-08T16:09:00.001+08:00

My newest hobby, special shoutout to Nathaniel for all his advice on this.

Nerf Longshot CS-6

Nerf Retaliator

Nerf StryfeNerf Strongarm
Nerf Air Tech 3000

New Toys - Gaming

2013-12-08T15:55:00.001+08:00

Logitech G27 Racing Wheel with Wheelstand Pro

Works awesome together!

PS3 Super Slim

Goodbye to my old FAT PS3, the lazer just died on me.

Rocksmith 2014

Final Fantasy VIII

Final Fantasy VIII-2

Final Fantasy VIII Lightning Returns

Final Fantasy XIV A Realm Reborn MMORPG

Metal Gear Rising - Raiden

Metal Gear Rising - Raiden Play Arts Collectable

Technically not a game but well, it belongs together.

Battlefield 4

Call for Duty Ghosts

New Toys - Music

2013-12-08T15:42:00.002+08:00

SX Bass Guitar

Washburn Acoustic Electric

Schlagwerk-2inOne-Deluxe-Macassar-Cajon

Fiio Headphone Guitar Amplifier

New Toys - Audio

2013-12-08T15:33:00.002+08:00

My New Hobby!

Alchemy Portable Bluetooth Speakers
Its very very good, hard to find though...

Astro Mixamp Pro with A40 Headphones

For gaming

AKG Q701 Quincy Jones

For serious focused listening

Sennheiser Momentum Over Ear

For casual comfort listening and portability

JDS Labs C5 Amplifier

New Toys - Health

2013-12-08T14:56:00.002+08:00

Jaybirds Earphones

Withings Pulse

Keen Newport H2

Nike Fuelband