Commuting regularly between Singapore and KL means I’m always on the lookout for convenient means of transporation. My ultimate favourite is First Coach because of their convenient pick-up and drop-off points. Unfortunately, everyone else finds it convenient too which means tickets get booked up very quickly! Recently, I tried a new coach service under Luxury Tours & Travel. They promise luxurious travel from Singapore to KL with their coaches, some of which provide dinner on board. How did I find the service? Read on for my review of Luxury Tours & Travel below.

Coach Pick-Up From Orchard Road

One plus point about Luxury Tours & Travel coaches is their convenient pick-up from Concorde Hotel, Orchard Road which avoids the busy Beach Road bus terminal that most Singapore-KL buses use. The drop-off points in KL are at 3 main luxury hotels – Dorsett Regency in Bukit Bintang, Istana Hotel and Sheraton Imperial Hotel which provides easy options for accommodation if you are looking for a full package. The Luxury buses also use the Second-Link Causeway between Singapore and Malaysia which is slightly faster compared to the original Woodlands one.

Great Snack Pack And Entertainment Onboard

When I first boarded the bus, I honestly did not think it was very luxurious. The bus looked a little old and dirty in some parts although it had spacious and comfortable seats.

The bus we took did not come with a meal option which made it slightly cheaper at $39 per person one-way instead of the $51 option that comes with meals.

However, much to our surprise, the co-driver handed out small packs of refreshments which comprised of two tiny packaged swiss rolls, a mini pack of Oreos, a packet drink to wash it all down and a mineral water bottle. It certainly went well with the TV entertainment system provided onboard. However, unlike First Coach, Luxury Coach does not offer video on demand. Their seats come with in-built speakers which save you having to bring your own.

Mid-Way Stop in Yong Peng Between Singapore And Kuala Lumpur

Another thing I personally like about First Coach is how they stop at highway rest areas instead of turning out into Yong Peng which most of the interstate buses do.

Luxury Coach stops at Yong Peng which is off the highway and which tends to overcharge passengers for food as they know the passengers have nowhere else to go. An average meal there is RM6 and above and be prepared to pay top dollar for any snacks you purchase. The main incentive for these bus drivers is the free meals they get in exchange for bringing passengers in.

Stopping in Yong Peng also means that the drivers will be turning off the highway and back in again which wastes more time and makes the journey longer.

Our journey from Singapore to KL took almost 6 hours and it certainly did not help that the bus drivers were Singaporean and not familiar with KL roads! They ended up making several wrong turns and at one point, a passenger actually sat down on the steps next to them to navigate them to the first drop-off at Dorsett Regency.

Will I take this bus again? Well, my first preference will always be First Coach but at a pinch, this might do. At least it saves the hassle of heading out to Beach Road and getting off at Bukit Jalil temporary bus stop in KL which is nowhere near the city!

You can book tickets online or check prices of the Luxury Coaches at www.luxury.com.sg.

Not Fresh Products at Carrefour

I generally don’t like to make comparisons between grocery stores in Singapore and Malaysia but when I saw the state of some of the dry goods in Carrefour, I couldn’t help making that comparison in my mind. The Carrefour store in Singapore carries fresh and delicious-looking quality products while the dry goods I was looking at in Carrefour looked really bad. The onions looked like they were rotting with sandflies buzzing around them and I actually saw packets of dry chillies that were starting to mould. Needless to say, that cut my grocery shopping list much shorter!

Higher Prices At Carrefour Tropicana City Mall

In general, we found the prices at this particular Carrefour higher than other similar Carrefours. A box of Sunsweet prunes we were looking at was RM9 compared to only RM7 to RM8 in other Carrefour stores. Why are similar products priced higher in this store? Is it because it services the Damansara area and hence assumes people in that area have higher income levels? As a hypermarket, one would think that prices will remain controlled all across the country!

Terrible Service At Carrefour Tropicana City Mall

The unpleasant experience carried all the way to the check-out counters where we were served by inept cashiers who could not speak English or Malay well and screwed up the person’s transaction ahead of us, making the wait terribly long. While we were waiting in the queue, we saw a sign that promised a mystery gift for every shopper who brought their own eco-bag to the store. As we had our own bag, we filled it with our groceries and asked the cashier about the gift to which she rudely said it was for purchases above RM100. If that’s the case, please clearly state it on the sign as the sign had absolutely no indication of such a condition.

Purchases above RM30 from Carrefour entitles the person to free parking. When sis went to claim our free parking, the lady behind the counter told her it would only be valid for the first hour. However, when we went to pay our parking fee, a sign on the machine clearly stated that parking on a weekend was per entry and not hourly – which means we should have gotten our free parking. However, because the lady did not validate our ticket, we ended up paying RM2 for parking which was totally against the parking policy Carrefour had.

It was a very unpleasant shopping experience and I personally thought it a pity that a multinational company like Carrefour had allowed itself to degenerate that way. It will not cost much more to ensure good quality products are sold, to remove any rotting products and to train a team of good staff to serve your customers. We are, after all, paying customers and should be entitled to a good level of service.

Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM is hugely popular in Singapore, not just with the old but the young as well. It is so popular that Western medical centres such as Raffles Medical has even started their own TCM clinics to provide alternative treatment for people seeking non-Western medication. The charges, however, can be rather expensive and as TCM treatments are often long-term. So I was quite surprised to find that you can actually get free TCM treatment in Singapore, if you are prepared to wait!

Free Traditional Chinese Medicine at Thong Chai Medical Institute, Singapore

Located on quiet Chin Swee Road near Chinatown is a pink building that houses the Thong Chai Medical Institute. It has been providing free treatment and consultation for all people irregardless of race or religion since 1867.

Registration and Wait Time At Thong Chai Medical Institute

As it is free, wait times can be rather long, especially if you are a first time visitor. Head there, take a number and be prepared to wait quite a bit to be registered. Do inform the registration counter if you are there to visit their specialist doctors from the Acupuncture, Diabetes, Oncology, Nephropathy or Infertility Clinics and they will give you the relevant number. Take the lift up to the relevant floor and leave your pink registration card and a copy of your number on the relevant doctor’s desk and wait for your number to be called. Wait time can range from half an hour to over an hour, depending on the time you are there and the popularity of the doctor.

Treatment is done the traditional Chinese way by taking your pulse and prescriptions are in the form of Chinese herbs for which a unique combination is given to each individual patient, depending on their needs. Once done, head downstairs to the main lobby and wait for your medication to be prepared. Minimum wait time there can be up to 2 hours!

Medication is prepared by a team of old men behind a medication counter. They actually still use traditional methods of carefully weighing each herb with hand-held scales before wrapping up each portion in pink paper with your name and prescription on it. As with all Chinese medicines, you will then need to boil it to reduce the portion from 3 bowls to 1 bowl and drink the brew to strengthen your body and immune system.

If you are prepared to wait, it is a place where you might want to consider for free traditional treatment. All you need to do is to provide a voluntary donation for the services and medication you have received.

I’ve also heard very positive things about Thong Chai’s Infertility Clinic and a large number of women have successfully managed to conceive after treatment there when Western methods failed.

For a listing of their consultation pre-requisites and hours, please visit the Thong Chai website at http://www.stcmi.org.sg/index.asp

I love having a beauty expert as a sis. I just need to check with her for recommendations on skincare whenever my existing range has finished and can be sure whatever she recommends will be suitable and affordable! Sure beats trying various products until I find one that fits! So when my facial toner was running low, sis suggested trying the hugely popular Hada Labo which is only available in Watsons Singapore and Malaysia. Funnily, the Singapore Watsons carries the Hada Labo from Japan while the Malaysian branches carry the China Hada Labo range. Is there a difference? I’m not sure but I don’t believe there should be a significant difference except in price!

The Hada Labo’s most popular product is the Super Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Lotion that comes with a very convincing sticker of “1 sold every 4 seconds in Japan”! With a tagline like that and knowing the powerful properties of hyaluronic acid, I couldn’t wait to try the Super Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Lotion. Read on for my review below.

Pat, pat, pat on the Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Lotion

The secret in the Hada Labo lotion is hyaluronic acid which forms a moisture locking shield to replenish and keep in your skin’s essential moisture. Its ability to mimic your skin’s natural moisturizing abilities helps enhance water retention, keeping your skin soft, supple and radiant.

Unlike other facial toners which are dabbed on with a cotton pad, Hada Labo’s hydrating lotion needs to be gently patted in to help the hyaluronic acid fully absorb into your skin. I started with 3-4 drops initially and found that a little too much so I would recommend using only about 2-3 drops, depending on the size of your face. Smoothen on the lotion and gently pat it into your skin. You’ll find the lotion getting really sticky. Continue to pat and you will find the stickiness giving way to a nice dry feeling after the lotion is fully absorbed into your skin.

I’ve used it for about a week already and I do like how my skin feels a little plumper and more moisturized. However, the patting motions do take quite some time so make sure you invest the necessary time required to gently pat the lotion into your skin or you might find it not working as well for you!

The Hada Labo Super Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Lotion retails for S$22.90 at any Watsons island wide. Look out for the Hada Labo stands and try the in-store testers!

And how best to start my Singapore reviews than a review of their essential transportation backbone connecting the East, West, North and South of the island! There has been lots of complaints recently in the newspapers here about how crowded the SMRT trains have gotten. A population boom, thanks to the Government’s generous payouts for each baby you have, and an influx of migrants have left many locals complaining the trains are too crowded. Well, having used the service for several months already, there are some pros and cons about the SMRT service. Read on below.

Pros of the Singapore SMRT System

The SMRT provides cheap and reliable transport. I like how easily you can get a train during peak hours in the mornings. There is a train almost every 2 minutes which means you don’t have to waste time waiting for a train even if you’ve just missed one. It is an incredibly cheap way to get from one point of the island to another. Why, a trip from Changi Airport all the way in the East to Orchard Road in the city costs less than $2 using the EZ-link card.

Areas around MRT stations are bustling hubs with shopping malls, supermarkets and food courts especially in the heartlands where the majority of the locals live. It certainly makes picking up dinner or groceries on your way home from work a breeze.

Cons of Singapore’s SMRT

It is terribly crowded during peak hours and even non-peak! I used to think that attendants wearing white gloves to push people into already crowded trains were only found in Japan. Well, guess what…they have them in Singapore too! And once you’re pushed into that train, forget about any form of personal space! You’d be lucky if the person next to you does not smell!

The SMRT signs are not easily visible on ground level. I found that a little odd especially when I was new and trying to locate where the stations are. It didn’t make much sense especially since they are designed to be bomb shelters in the event of a war. It wouldn’t do much good if the public could not find the station in a state of panic!

There aren’t enough connections and this will hopefully be improved with the completion of the Circle line which will cut distances from the North to the West. Because there are currently only 4 main lines, trying to get from one end of the island to the other can take a pretty long time.

One thing SMRT could learn from the London Tube is to make network maps freely available. At the London Tube stations, there are always little stacks of conveniently folded network maps for busy commuters and tourists. With the Singapore SMRT, you will need to approach the desk for a copy and depending on queues, may take quite some time.

When I first came, it was a huge adjustment not driving and I got caught several times in the heavy rain before I learnt to carry an umbrella with me since most of the stations are no longer sheltered outside. Hopefully, with a few more trains and cooler cars especially in the early morning crowds, commuting can be a little more pleasant!

Singaporeans love shopping, no doubt about that. Just take a ride down their MRT system or a walk down the street and you will definitely bump into a mall! In fact, most of their MRT stations open up directly into shopping malls which is great if you’re a tourist or out for a shopping spree but not so good if you’re trying to save money!

One of the newest malls to hit the already saturated Orchard Road is the spanking new and iconic Ion Orchard. Read on for my review of Ion Orchard and how it measures up to the other malls on Orchard Road.

Impressive Architecture at Ion Orchard

Ion Orchard is impressive, no doubt about that. It is an architectural marvel with an interesting Media Facade wall along the outside made with cutting edge technology. This lights up at night to create a unique feature, glowing at one end of Orchard Road. I took the underpass from Wheelock’s Place and even the underpass hinted of the impressive technology to come with interesting LCD screen advertisements instead of the conventional paper ones.

Inside, the mall is all about opulent shiny floors, glass and long escalators snaking their way up and down the floors. Their toilets are posh and there are ample toilets so no need for long queues. Apparently there are VIP toilets available for customers who spend over $10,000, celebrities and foreign dignitaries! Although one wonders why that distinction needs to be made! Surely they are as human as the rest of us are!

Ion Orchard is known as a branded mall carrying most brands under one roof. They certainly do with a huge Louis Vuitton store right at the entrance, jostling for space with Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana and Dior. Enter and you will be treated to even more brands – Yves St Laurent, Salvatore Ferragamo, Prada, Miu Miu, Longchamp and more! A Bottega Veneta store is scheduled to open in just a few more months. There’s even a Harry Winston store there for women who like their bling (expensive bling!) which I took a peek in. Finally, a chance to see the jewelry that adorn celebrities at the Oscars!

Ion Orchard – What’s Good and Bad?

I was in Ion Orchard and was actually looking for something. Bad idea. I personally found the mall really haphazard. The escalators in the middle of the mall somehow make the space smaller and harder to navigate. The escalators are another big problem! They must be one of the longest escalators in Singapore and ironically, one of the escalators connects directly from the Lower Ground floor all the way to the second floor, bypassing the first. So if you’re on the first floor, you can’t take that escalator and need to go all the way to the end to take another escalator. I found that really irritating especially when I was rushing to look for the item I wanted.

I also found that whatever Ion Orchard offered, most malls on Orchard already offered the same as well. In fact, shopping in some of the other malls was a little easier as they were less crowded and were traditionally laid out which made the shopping experience much better. Ion Orchard does not seem to have an anchor tenant which most malls do and for average shoppers like me, I find anchor tenants sometimes easiest to find things in as they are all clearly labelled and laid out!

What I liked about Ion Orchard was their huge and impressive food court called Food Opera available on Basement 4. They actually have a dedicated escalator leading all the way into the food court. It is beautifully designed in line with the cutting edge technology the mall is based on with impressive designer furniture including ostentatious chandeliers and Philippe Stark ghost chairs lookalikes! A huge variety of food is available and I noticed a high number of Japanese type snack stalls and food concepts which we can’t find in Kuala Lumpur. However, be prepared to put up with crowds of people and not being able to find seats at anytime of the day! Otherwise, buy a few snacks from their snack area and eat as you walk!

Ion Orchard is easy to get to, the Orchard MRT opens directly into it and is worth checking out for their brands (if you’re a brand-whore), architecture, riding escalators and their Food Opera. However, if you don’t have much time to spend shopping and wandering around, it can be rather tiring.

I just caught the preview of the new romantic flick starring Jennifer Aniston and Aaron Eckhart – Love Happens. The romantic in me enjoys most romantic movies but ouch, having to sit through 1.5 hours of Love Happens left me aching and longing for the ending credits! Most romantic movies have a fail-proof plot but this had huge holes in its storyline and worse, no gorgeous eye-candy as their actor! Read on below for the synopsis and why I wouldn’t recommend Love Happens!

Synopsis of Love Happens

Aaron Eckhart plays Burke Ryan, a self-help motivation author who wrote his best-selling self-help book after his wife died in a tragic car accident. However, despite the seminars he conducts and the tips he gives people on how to move forward from sadness, he hasn’t really moved on himself from his wife’s death 3 years ago. In a week-long seminar in Seattle where he’s on the brink of signing a multi-million deal, he meets Eloise Chandler (is Chandler any subtle reference to Friends?!) played by Jennifer Aniston who supplies flowers to the hotel.

He approaches her, they date and he finds that she might just be the one to help him release his hurt. Will they get together? Will love happen in the least predictable circumstances?

Does it really matter? No, because the show drags too long on Burke finding himself then rushes it all the way to the end where out of nowhere, they end up falling for each other! Aaron Eckhart is terribly wooden and absolutely emotionless for someone who is supposedly grieving and later in love. If anything, he reminded me a lot of Guy Smiley from Sesame Street!

 As for Jennifer Aniston, she has definitely had better movies and this certainly isn’t one of her best. There isn’t any chemistry between the two and whatever potrayal of love in the movie seems pretty forced and superficial.

The only two things I enjoyed in the movie were the funny quirks Eloise had in writing uncommon words behind paintings and the music in the movie:

Quidnunc – a person who seeks to know all the latest news or gossip
Poppysmic – noise produced with smacking of the lips, from the Latin poppysma
Sesquipedalian – a person who loves to use long words

Air Asia has provided a low-cost way to travel to places as far off as UK and the Middle East. However, before it expands too quickly, Air Asia should take a good look at its capability to support on-time travel for not just their long haul flights but also their short local flights for delays often results in very disgruntled passengers. Read on for our terrible experience with Air Asia in just a span of one month!

Air Asia Delayed Flights For Over 2 Hours

I have booked an Air Asia return flight down to Singapore several weekends ago. I was initially rather impressed as Air Asia lands in Terminal 1 of Changi Airport which means you actually get to walk around Changi’s superb Duty Free shops instead of the Budget Terminal which has much fewer choices. On my return journey, I had to queue to collect some tax returns which took most of my time then ran to the boarding gate as the boarding sign was already flashing. However, when I arrived, the minutes ticked past and soon, we were past the 4.30pm departure time and still no news of boarding. Worse, there was not even a single announcement made by the ground crew to inform us of any delays in the flight. Soon, we were 45 minutes delayed and still no news.

Finally, the plane landed and passengers who were delayed from the KUL-SIN flight (Air Asia does turnaround flights) burst through the doors. Could we board yet? Unfortunately no. They still had an elderly passenger on board who needed a wheelchair to disembark. One would think that a wheelchair will be readily available in a world-class airport such as Changi. Unfortunately it wasn’t and it took the crew another half hour to hunt down the wheelchair before people could finally board. By then, it was already almost 5.45pm and passengers were all naturally upset and pissed off especially at the lack of communication! If they had been informed earlier that the flight was delayed, they might have been able to exit from the boarding lounge instead of staring blankly into space.

Worse, as liquids are not allowed in check in luggage, the poor passengers did not have any drinking water until they got onboard where most of them did not have much choice but to purchase overpriced drinks and water. A marketing ploy perhaps by Air Asia?

Air Asia Delayed Twice Within Two Weeks

Unfortunately the very same thing happened to J when he caught the Air Asia flight back from Singapore last weekend. And my friend’s mother experienced the very same the week before! Both flights were delayed for over 2 hours and passengers who were due to arrive at 8pm only ended up arriving close to 11pm!

Everyone can fly? Only if you don’t need to arrive on time!

With the influx of budget airlines servicing the Asean region, Air Asia had better seriously pull up their socks if they still wish to keep their passenger loyalty. Otherwise, there might come a time when zero fares will not even help!

Travelling is always enjoyable and its even more enjoyable when your travel experience starts off stress-free from the airport itself. I’ve always secretly envied business class travellers who saunter off to the premium lounges to enjoy some food and wine and relax before their flight without crowding with the tired, cranky masses flooding the airport. So naturally, I was thrilled when I got a chance to experience the Plaza Premium Lounge in LCCT before my flight. I was rather surprised to see that the KL budget terminal had a premium lounge for their travellers as I thought everything would be low-cost and no-frills. Nevertheless, it was nice to know there’s somewhere quiet to wait in especially since the LCCT is usually so crowded and noisy.

Locations Of The Plaza Premium Lounges in LCCT

There are two lounges in the KL Budget Airport. One is located just before the immigration counters near the Air Asia international check-ins. Head left once you enter the Low Cost Carrier Terminal; go pass McDonalds and the Immigration counters, and towards the Air Asia International check-in counters. You will see Plaza Premium Lounge on the left.

The other lounge is located at the gates. When you go down the escalators, head for the gates, the Plaza Premium Lounge is on the left near the bookshops.

I took a peek at both and the earlier lounge is rather small and does not have much in terms of food, mainly sandwiches. The second lounge near the boarding gates is bigger and has a wider selection of food including hot food.

Experience At The LCCT Plaza Premium Lounge

I rushed from work to the airport and hadn’t had time for lunch so I was grateful for the hot food offered at the lounge. There wasn’t much honestly, just an offering of pasta with some sourish tasting sauce, a bit of briyani rice with chicken drummets cooked in kurma which tasted rather off and some stir fried vegetables which were the best tasting food there! There was a pot of chicken porridge but as hard as I tried, I couldn’t find a single bit of chicken in there! Some really sad looking local kuih, some terribly dry sandwiches and some brown jellies in the fridge that resembled little turds! The saving grace for me were the fried vegetable fritters which at least tasted edible! Another fridge of drinks including beer is provided for you to pick your own drinks or you can have fruit juices from the self-service counters which were pretty sweet and diluted.

Internet is available from one of the three computers at the entrance and a smattering of newspapers are provided for passengers. A flat screen TV ran the sports channel (why is it always the sports channel?!) for entertainment. The chairs were pretty comfortable and the low lighting did make it a rather nice place to relax in compared to the hard chairs and noisy crowds outside.

Plaza Premium Lounges Have Showers

One thing good is that they have their own bathrooms so you don’t need to queue outside with the rest of the crowd for bathrooms. It even has showers! I took a quick peek and its a basic shower with a green shower curtain with a soap and shampoo dispenser. Its quite spartan, nothing like the luxurious bathrooms found in the MAS Golden Lounges, but it does serve its purpose for travellers.

The Plaza Premium Lounge is chargeable at RM88 for a 2 hour package and RM128 for a 5 hour package which includes all these privileges including an OSIM massage chair! Otherwise you might be able to get in for free with one of their partner cards including the American Express Gold Krisflyer Card or the Citibank Platinum Card.

Go for a nice and quiet place to wait in and have a drink before your flight. But don’t go for the food or you might be sorely disappointed!

Although I drive, I’ve never been good at renewing my road tax. Usually, a quick call to the salesman who sold me my car gets my insurance and road tax done in a jiffy. However, recently, I had to renew J’s road tax and as the usual salesman who helps me had left the company, I had no choice but to do it the hard way – on my own! I remembered some advertisements some time back on MyEG, an online service linked to JPJ that allows you to renew your road tax online. Perfect! So I gave it a try recently and managed to renew my road tax pretty fast! Read on for my review of MyEG below.

Renew Your Road Tax and Insurance Online

To renew your road tax via Myeg, you first need to purchase valid car insurance. You can opt to buy your own and ensure it is updated before you log in or opt to buy it from Myeg itself where they have comprehensive packages linked to RHB Insurance Berhad. Apparently, if you opt to buy the insurance from MyEG, you actually get a discount on the road tax renewal!

Logging on to MyEG and clicking Road Tax renewal will take you to the screen below where you will be required to upate your information.

It will then take you to the payment page and you can opt for Credit Card payments, direct debit or Maybank2U.com which makes it easy and convenient. Once you fill out the payment details, you’re done! Just sit back and wait for your road tax to be delivered to your house or office address within 1 day!

Best of all, renewal of road tax with MyEG does not require you to produce your car grant. That can be rather inconvenient if your car is still under hire-purchase as you will need to take the original copy from the bank, renew your road tax then return it. However, as the original grant does not get updated when you renew your road tax online, be sure to update it manually when you are able to so your grant reflects the correct information.

Contact MyEG Customer Service For Assistance

Any queries you might have during your online experience with MyEG can be answered by their customer service officers. I called them shortly after making my payment to check when they could deliver the road tax and they reverted rather promptly after checking to tell me I could get it by the next morning.

Some satisfied users have even gotten their road tax on the same day evening for renewals done in the morning. The recipient of the road tax package is actually required to sign for the document but I was a little surprised that I was not asked to produce my IC when I signed for it when I had read that previously they were rather stringent, even finger-printing recipients to ensure it does not fall into wrong hands.

The MyEG service comes with a delivery charge of RM8 which includes a RM2.95 service charge. Its a small price to pay for convenience especially if you’re busy working and don’t have the time to run around to get your road tax renewed!