A Surprised and Shocked Asian idol

December 17, 2007

I wasnt counting on Mau Marcelo to win.I thought it was either Jacky from Malaysia or Mike from Indonesia but I think everyone got a shock of their lives when Hady Mirza of Singapore won.

Nobody thought he would win I dont think he even thought he would win.

That goes to show who has the money…it was based on voting.

So judge for yourself, who is the winner. Here are the videos of Mike,Mau and Jaclyn and Hady the First Asian Idol

                                                                 MAU MARCELO

 

                                                                 JACLYN VICTOR

 

                                                             MIKE MOHEDE

 

Pasalubong from Singapore

December 15, 2007

I often hear of balikbayan boxes from the US containing Nike rubber shoes, M& M chocolates, Coffee in Bottles and Barbie Dolls.

If ever there is such a thing as Balikbayan Box from Singapore what do you think will it contain?

Well, just to give you an idea of the things I plan(but might not want to bring home) in my box for Xmas are:

1) 2.5 kilos of chicken wings(the wings are packed in 2.5 kilos) which costs $6 or about P180(cheap di ba) for 2.5 kilos which means a kilo is less than P90

2) Cloves of Garlic in Singapore are very much bigger than in the Philippines and you can buy a dozen of them only for a $1.

3) Three in One Coffee and tea ($2.8 per pack of 30 sachets);

4) The most famous pasalubong of soap (lux soap each pack containg 6  bars selling at $1.7)

5) Thai rice(hate to say it but rice sold here is cheaper and has better quality). 5 kg would cost about $6.

6) An LCD Tv. The prices of Plasma and LCD has been dropping with the lowest priced at about $300. 

7) Latest handphone or cellphone model(which comes for free if you are renewing your line or subscription)

These are the items that are worth bringing back home this Xmas.

5)

A Star is Born-My Niles Boy

November 25, 2007

On the last day of the school year, my boy Niles gave me two complimentary tickets for the Musicale Annie Jr. All I know was that he was in the back stage staff . But I didnt know why I was almost teary eyed when the curtain began playing the tune "Tomorrow".

I was very proud of my son even if he is just in the back stage .But imagine to my surprise when suddenly out of nowhere my son just came out onstage with his arms around another boy and suddenly he was dancing on stage.

 Even his eldest brother Nygel was laughing.We both didnt know he was going to dance in the musicale.

Happy Birthday Ate Nette

November 15, 2007

Happy Birthday to our dearest Ate Nette, my alalay, a dear aunt to my two sons.

She has been with us in Singapore since my two sons arrived in 2000. Every year that we go home she goes back with us to the Philippines to visit her daughter and husband. She has devoted practically 7 years of her life to rearing my two sons.

Sometimes I think my sons have caught their sociability  from her since she has a lot of friends and whoever her friends are are also my sons friends.My two sons are quite good talkers maybe because of her. I am quite the opposite since I hardly talk and would take time to approach people.

Thanks Ate Nette and Happy 34th Birthday to you.

Arnel Pineda Who? Watch Out for Him

November 4, 2007

Arnel Pineda, of a band called The Zoo, has been chosen to become the next lead singer of American 80's glam rock band, Journey starting in November.

To Refresh your memory, Journey  is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco, California.

The band has gone through several phases since its inception by former members of Santana. The band's greatest commercial success came in the late 1970s through the early 1980s with a series of power ballads and soaring classics such as "Don't Stop Believing", "Any Way You Want It", "Faithfully", "Open Arms", "Separate Ways" and "Wheel in the Sky".

Here is the original version of the Journeys Open Arms 

 

This is from the latest news about the band…

As of November, 2007, a new lead singer had yet to be named. Longtime friend of the band and former Storm frontman, Kevin Chalfant, had been considered a strong candidate for the position. The band briefly gave serious consideration to 36-year-old Jeremey Hunsicker of Roanoke, Virginia, the frontman for the Journey tribute band Frontiers, but Hunsicker soon turned down the position.^[3] Other conjectures included Hugo Valenti, the frontman for the New York-based Journey tribute band Evolution. In September, a picture surfaced of the band with little-known Filipino singer Arnel Pineda, from the former cover band Zoo (now performing original material).^[4] Accompanying articles stated that Pineda had been invited to the United States to audition for the position of lead singer, and that MelodicRock.Com's Andrew McNiece, who had been the first to accurately predict the departures of Steve Perry and Jeff Scott Soto, was now predicting Pineda's having been hired by the band.^[

and here is Arnel's Version of Open Arms  and Faithfully both Journey songs

(MABUHAY ANG MUSIKERONG PILIPINO…..galing Olongapo yan!!!!

SINGAPORE ECONOMY IS THRIVING AND MY RENT IS SOARING

November 1, 2007

The good news these days in Singapore is that unemployment hits the lowest record in a decade.

Salaries of employees have risen and this end of the year a lot of people are anticipating record breaking bonuses. My business is thriving which is good for my bank account.

 Housing prices have recorded its highest increase in years. Flats are selling almost 50-90% over and above previous prices.

BAD NEWS however is that I am renewing my 2 year office lease and my landlord is increasing my rent by 100%.That means I have to work harder. So much for good times 

 

Away from Home and Worrying

October 21, 2007

Everyday I open my laptop to view the news in two major Philippine newspapers..The Philippine Star and the Inquirer. Whenever theres a happy news home I become happy and when there are grim news like the Glorietta bombing…I feel so down.

Maybe some people in the Philippines think that Pinoys like us working and staying overseas dont mind what is happening in the Philippines but I guess 80-90% of us rejoice when there is good news about our country and get sad and angry when crisis and situations like this happen.

How can we invite our friends here to join us for vacation in Manila when we ourselves are not sure whether something wrong will happen to them while they are in Manila for vacation. Even now I am thinking what we will be doing for our two weeks holiday in December when the threat of bombings is always at the back of my mind.

I dont know how things will get better. If the main purpose of these bombings is to sabotage and bring down the current government, I guess a lot of us working and staying overseas will never have a chance to go back and enjoy the fruits of our labor. Why cant we help the government improve the economy and maintain peace so that we can all improve our image overseas.

I pray that I could still see this in my lifetime. At least my two kids still have a good image about the Philippines.Maybe if we were not able to achieve this in our lifetime, my kids could do so.Amen.

 

 

 

Im Sick and working from Home

October 17, 2007

Last night was a terrible night for me. My blood pressure went up to 150/93. I knew this time I have to go to the doctor.

My body is an efficient machine.It gives me signals.Im lucky for that since some people just drop dead from a heart attack. No I am not having a heart attack but I had to make sure.

I am not afraid of going to the doctor.I am more afraid of paying too much for nothing. But today was MAJOR. I went to the Doctor as soon as woke up and lo and behold I was given 13 as a queue number,I told the lady at the counter to give me another number but I dont think she heard me so she just shoved the queue number to me with a card of the doctor(in case I want to make a follow up).

So i was given 4 kinds of medicine , one for hypertension, aspirin which they said protects the heart, a pain reliever since I was having tingling feelings on the left side of my body. I was also given an ECG and the results were insignificant. Total cost was $140 for the ECG,blood test and medicines. This is why I am afraid to see the doctor.

After taking the medicines,I felt dizzy and when I checked my blood pressure it was already  97/60…So that was the reason why I felt dizzy.(low blood naman ako).

I could just smile when I remember what Niles said last night while he was watching TV about a man who had AIDS. He told his kuya Nygel" Lets look at the bright side…at least he will already see God"(meaning if he dies he will see his creator) 

  But  again I had to see the heart specialist (consultation fee is $89)on Tuesday. I hope nothings wrong with me.

 

 

 

 

Our Krabi Vacation

October 3, 2007

       We We  just got back from Krabi.

View our Krabi photos here and here

What will you get from a 3 day 2 nights trip to Krabi?

-chance to ride a boat and experience the huge sea waves(exciting and scary ride)

-chance to see a lot of natural rock formations and maybe do rock climbing if you are still young to do so(not me)

 

-chance to island hop in just one day and see some of the most beautiful islands in Thailand

How much budget do you need to take a 3 day trip?

-2 airlines fly direct from Bangkok(One to Go and ThaiAirways) and 2 direct from outside(Tiger from Singapore and Air Asia from Kuala Lumpur) The cheapest ticket(Tiger) costs less than S$100 per person(All inclusive)

-3 star accomodations in Aonang hotels range from S$30-$80. My best tip for you is to stay at Tipa Resort.

-Food is cheap, you can buy barbeque at any outside stall at BHT20 each or eat all you can restaurants at BHT250/person

-Trips to the islands would costs from BHT100 to as much as BHT6000(renting one speedboat)

-Airport tax out of Krabi is BHT400/person

for a party of four inclusive of shopping, the budget would be around S$1000(the cheapest)

Where to Stay?

Aonang beach is reachable by land and is 30 minutes from Krabi airport, Phi Phi and Railey Beach can only be reached by long tail or speed boats. Aonang has a lot of 3 star hotels at every nook and cranny of the stretch of Aonang Beach. Choose a hotel that is not located near a club since it would be hard to sleep at night with all the music and karaoke singing going on.

Tipa resort (where we stayed) is like a mountain resort with cottages near the hills and is surrounded by trees and thick foliage.

What to bring?

  Lots of sunscreen,sunglasses, shorts, t shirts, camera, slippers, rubber shoes, insect repellant(specially for bees),beach wear, hat, snorkelling or diving equipment,cash(most restaurants dont accept credit cards).

Robert Sunga-The Champion

September 26, 2007

 Robert Sunga, the only Pinoy in LIVE THE DREAM sure looks like a winner every week…he can move, he can groove and he has a good falsetto voice.

Good Luck, Robert. I HOPE SINGAPOREANS ARE NOT TONE DEAF!!!

PS…ROBERT WAS ELIMINATED….SINGAPOREANS ARE REALLY TONE DEAF!!!!That one I am now very sure…they dont know how to sing and maybe their ears have thick ear waxes(tutule). BEh!!!! Inis Talaga ako. It destroyed my evening. THE UGLY SINGAPOREANS.

Now those left are two off tone singers and one that looks like a (never mind)

Robert Sunga-The Best Performer in Live The Dream

September 19, 2007

 

Robert might yet win this contest in Singapore.

Cute naman ng Mommy niya,.She is so happy and definitely  proud of her Architect-Singer Son.

Yummy Doughnuts Anyone?

September 14, 2007

        On the way home, my neighbor suddenly appeared from nowhere and

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

told  me to try out the new doughnut store near our block. When I reached the store, a long queue was starting to build up.(Flavored doughnuts is a new thing in Singapore).

 

I remember twenty years ago when Mister Doughnut ,Dunkin Doughnut and the other doughnut stores started sprouting in Manila, I would always have my favorite Bavarian Kreme for breakfast and snacks. My then Boyfriend(not my hubby) would always have a box of doughnuts for me as pasalubong(it was California Doughnut from Taft Avenue).

Knowing that Singaporeans dont have a penchant for very sweet food, I told myself I have to try these doughnuts. Well it turned out very nice. I have to come back and buy again a fresh batch. Each doughnut costs $1.20 or about P36.00 each.

Look at the photos, they are quite different from our the doughnuts back home. 

 

 

My Cousin Rolly Tenmatay Abad- UP Frat Violence Victim

September 10, 2007

Twenty Nine years ago, I was in my senior year at UP when I received a call from the UP Police and UP Infirmary asking if we had a cousin named Rolly who was from APO (Alpha Phi Omega ) fraternity. They were looking for relatives of Rolando Tenmatay Abad and since I am a Tenmatay, they called our number at the UP Campus(My uncle ,Dr Augusto Tenmatay was previously UP Vice President ).

 I didnt know then that I had a second cousin named Rolly and that he was already a senior student at UP. All I know was that  they live in White Plains. Later on all my relatives called us up asking what happened to my second cousin.It was then I found out that Rolly Abad's mother was my fathers first cousin.

 At the wake, I found out that my cousin Rolly was just attending his last remaining class of Spanish at the Arts and Sciences building(a requirement for his fifth year in Engineering) when he was caught in the frat riot. He didnt even know that there was a frat war going on between his frat(APO) and another fraternity.He was already completely out of touch with what is happening in UP because he had just 3 classes left for him to graduate that semester.

Rolly was a big guy and during that time(1977) he was wearing clogs and the flare pants that was in fashion at that time. Since he was a little bit on the fat side he was not able to run when the riot started .He was stabbed by a member of the rival fraternity with a ballpen. The ballpen bore a small puncture mark near his tummy and the UP Police didnt know that it was that bad that he had to wait for the Police to round up the suspects before he was brought to the Infirmatay(we call the UP Infirmary).Rolly died four hours after he was brought to the Infirmary due to internal bleeding.He was just 23 years old.

My cousins family spent  a lot of money in fighting the case against  the fraternity men who were  responsible for my cousins death. It took them more than ten years to get a decision. By that time most of the frat members who were held responsble for Rollys death have either gone abroad or have already completed their university degrees .

Why am I writing about this? My cousins family was rich. Rich enough to hire a lawyer and fight his case in court. My cousin Rolly was not a hazing victim, he was a frat violence victim. But what is the difference…the same thing happens over and over again. Why does it have to come from UP where people are supposed to be civilized and not barbarians.

WIth another hazing victim in UP in the news…will it change the scene if people clamor for justice.I hope so..but justice comes slow….I hope this time the victim will get justice for his death fast.

 

 

A Pinoy Wins the US Game Show "Identity"

September 4, 2007

There's a new show in Singapore "Identity" which replaced "Desperate Housewives" on the 10pm evening slot.

Last night, we watched the show and a Pinoy , ROBERT TALON won the US$500,00 grand prize. He said he will build a foundation for street children in the Philippines were his parents  come from.

Robert Talon, a Filipino-American Loan Officer from Chula Vista, romped away with the $500,000 grand prize on the second episode of NBC’s newest game show “Identity.”

"Identity" is an intense game of impulse and reasoning, where keen perception and instincts can lead to big money. Each contestant faces 12 strangers and a list of 12 identities. The game unfolds as the contestant picks an identity, ranging from a profession to a shoe size and tries to match it with one of the 12 strangers. The stakes get higher with each correctly identified stranger. If all 12 strangers and identities are matched correctly, the player takes home the whopping top prize of $500,000.

Emmy Award-winning comedian and magician Penn Jillette of "Penn and Teller" hosts the show.

His "game show career" began as a contestant on “The Price is Right" in 1992, where he won a couple of pocket watches, some gym equipment and a television. He lost during the big spin, but nonetheless, it was a great experience for Robert to have met Bob Hope and his girls.

In 1999, Robert and his family auditioned for "Family Feud" and won $10,000. Louie Anderson hosted the show during that time. From then on, Robert made it his life’s mission to get on a primetime national show.

Seven years later, Robert gets handpicked from thousands of aspiring applicants to participate in "Identity."  The rest, as they say, is history

I hope he fulfills his promise of opening a foundation for streetchildren in the Philippines. 

 

Anya I Am Not A Plastic Bag- Madness

August 24, 2007

 

 This is the Anya Bag. Very simple, yah? So I dont understand why a few months ago, there were near riots in HK just buying it. Stores ran out of stocks and it can only be bought at E bay at the price of US$30- $49.99. This bag has sold out in the USA.

I saw it for the first time in Singapore being carried a passenger who took the same bus with me going to Orchard Rd. I just have to take a photo.

  

See the warning from the anyahindmarch website:

Due to the unprecedented demand for I’m Not A Plastic Bag in South East Asia and our concerns for our customers safety we will be cancelling the launches at the following stores: Anya Hindmarch Beijing, On Pedder in Shanghai and On Pedder in Jakarta

Do you think buying it for $49.99 would be reasonable? A bag that was launched and was sold at US$10  selling at $50. Thats daylight robbery.   

Who is Malu Fernandez?

August 18, 2007

Who is this girl Malu Fernandez who is the subject of  campaign by bloggers.?

 

Aside from writing in the Manila Standard publication and magazines..what I know is that she used to sell cosmetic products for the face.

 

Her family is really Buena Familia from the uppity side of Forbes Park. Her father is the well known dermatologist Dr. Manuel C. Fernandez who is one of the founders of Makati Medical centre and of the Philippine Dermatological Society. Her father belongs to the old school dermatologists not like the Vicky Belo's of present time.

 

She has beautiful sisters and brothers one of them is Melissa Fernandez who used to be the girl friend of Aga Muhlach. Before this article came out,  I recall her vividly because when I saw her photo together with her siblings…I was thinking to myself,,,maybe she has such an inferiority complex because of her size(I dont want to demean people who have big size problems because I am one myself).

 

The way she wrote the article reminded me of my classmates in UP..those who would want to flaunt their status..that they are rich…They dont want to associate with the poor UP students. Kelangan they have to go with their fellow Assumpstionistas or mga taga Ateneo. But how can you blame them.

 

At UP I learned to understand the pysche of the rich and of the poor. The pysche of the rich is to associate with one like them(kaya nga ng mga mayayaman nag kakaasawa rin ng mayaman because they dont want to mingle below their class).

 

This is very evident in our society and at UP you will see the rich kids mingling with the rich and if ever the rich mingle with the poor like us…they get shocked or they find it a weird experience.

 

So how can you fault Malu for her observation. Even if she didnt write it she would still have that mindset which is perpetuated by Philippine society.

 

Maybe the editor should have edited her article or totally didnt allow its printing so that it wont elicit such furor.Or maybe just maybe they wanted to elicit this kind of attention to improve its circulation.

 

But your see Pinoys are so forgiving…todays anti heros will be forgiven and come out as heros or famous endorsers of ads.

 

 The future wont be anywhere bleak for malu…I foresee ad endorsements about flying economy in PAL or ads about OFWs being welcomed by Malu. She has became famous just because of her so called Acerbic wit? I dont think its acerbic wit….its more like inferiority complex….

 

Syempre ayaw ng mga mayayaman na makita sila na nag eeconomy class lang. Ayaw ng friends nya no…ma oostracize sya.

 

So much for that…Lets stop this fuss. 

Its the Hungry Ghost Month Again

August 13, 2007

The 7th month of the Lunar New Year is the Ghost Month and it usually falls on August my birthmonth.

 

How do I know?..well its quite obvious..today I saw oranges, bananas,cookies and incense sticks along the road.

 

A lot of people are burning paper money and I can smell incense smoke from up here on our 6th floor flat.

 

My son says that the hell gates will open to release the ghosts(that is if you believe in ghosts).

 

So I have to endure the smoke every night.

 

P.S.    Donot step on the ashes(I am tempted nga na pulutin ng mga oranges at mga saging sa daan…bawal yon).I will be haunted by ghosts daw. Ano kayang klaseng ghosts yon chinese o malay o indian ghosts. he he he

 

 

The Simpsons-the Movie

August 9, 2007

Niles ,my youngest and I went to watch the movies yesterday. I went half day from the office since the boys were also on half day session.

 

I wanted to bring both Nygel and Niles but Nygel didnt want to go. He said why will he watch when he can watch it for free on TV every Sunday.

 

And thats the opening line in the movie"Why will you watch a movie that you can watch for free on TV?"

 

 From start to finish Niles was rolling in laughter. Most of the kids who were watching the movie were also laughing their heads off. For myself I cant see any reason for laughing…Homer Simpson was the "Daddy from Hell" for me.

 

The movie dealt with th issue of the environment (imagine the family even moving to Alaska) and there was only 1 thing that made me smile …..when they made ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER as President of the United States.

 

Happy 42nd Birthday SINGAPORE!

Today, allow me to greet our host country for the last 7 years, Happy Birthday Singapore!!!

You can watch the live parade at this site starting at 6pm tonight August 9 at this site. 

 

My husbands Favorite Advertisement

July 31, 2007

Mocca is a new search site for buying ,selling and connecting.

 

But for the past few days Hubby has been amused with this Ad.

 

Crush niya yung  isang girl(I knew it!!!)

Broadway Should See This(Cebu Prisoners Dancing)

July 28, 2007

They should bring these prisoners to Broadway. May talent talaga ang mga Cebuano.

Exercise lang to sa preso. Di na uso ng "Mag Exercise tayo tuwing Umaga" Ni Yoyoy. Puro Broadway na ng sinasayaw tuwing umaga sa mga preso sa Cebu.

At ito pang ang super production number ng THRILLER Ni Michael Jackson.Sayang Kalbo ang piniling binabae.

 

 

 

Boom Times in SIngapore

July 26, 2007

Life and for that matter business has never been better than this year in Singapore.

 The economy is booming and new grads are being offered starting salaries ranging from $2800-3,500 .These salaries are for fresh graduates only. In contrast a few years back,business was so bad everyone had to have a pay cut(and nobody complained)..

 

Ministers pay as well as government employees salaries have risen during the current year. 

 There are a lot of expats coming in looking for maids. Residential apartments rentals are also on the rise as well as costs of HDBs(government apartments).And even my business is booming.

 

When I go home early, my husband will always kid me"Naka quota ka na ano,kaya aga mo?"

Let the good times roar!!! I love it.

Nygel was at the National Day Parade

July 15, 2007

   

Nygel was at the National Day Parade Rehearsals yesterday. Niles was so excited when he saw that it was broadcasted in the news.

Nygel came back at around 10pm very excited with stories about the fireworks and the free goodie bag and McDonalds dinner they had. 

 

 

Nygel’s National Day Parade Preview

July 12, 2007

Nygel is already excited for the National Day Parade preview show that he will be attending on Saturday. He is specially excited because he will be watching it together with all other Primary 5 students all over Singapore.He wrote about it in his blog.

 

 To Singaporeans, the National Day Parade(NDP) is a very important event that getting a ticket to view it is a big deal. Some of those who are not lucky(like us) to get free tickets resort to buying them online.

 

What can you see at the NDP?

 

The parade of military vehicles and superfighter jets, song and dance routines of numerous schools and companies, performances of Singapores popular artistes, and fantastic fireworks. In addition, there is the goodie bag that is given to each participant and spectator. 

 

 P.S. My Nygel has been attending and is quite interested in his sex education classes. For the last few days he has been asking me questions that sometimes embarrasses me. Today he asked me"Mom, if I have wet dreams do I have to tell you?" Wow, how do I answer that question?

 

Today is 07.07.07

July 7, 2007

A very auspicious date. Its nice to remember that today the world is trying to commemorate and to publicize Awareness of the Environment. But now while doing this blog, I am listening to a noisy band in Tokyo. I dont think this is a good example of Conserving Energy. Maybe a day of silence or the whole world turning off their lights and electricity rather than Live Earth Concerts would have a better effect on the environment.

 

One concerns of the depletion of the earths resources is its effects on health.

 

With my relatives , for example, we have a succession of deaths due to Breast cancer. Two of my cousins died just months apart two years ago from the disease. Another cousin in law died this week also from the same ailment. My sister and a cousin has been battling the same ailment for years now. My sister told me that in her previous neighborhood in Canada, a number of her neighbors are suffering from breast cancer(apparently they lived near a power station before) and two of them have already died.

 

During our grandparents time, they have never heard of deaths due to c ancer but as the earth developed cancer has become a disease of progress.

 

Just thinking aloud…I hope the noise created by the concerts today would not create more noise pollution. They sure are having fun out there!!!

Tulong sa Mga Turista (Rooms for Rent in Singapore)

July 6, 2007

There are a lot of Pinoy tourists in Singapore now..but a different kind of tourist. These are the job seekers and the most common problem and concern they have is looking for lodging.

 

 This website will help our kababayans to look for lodging in this small city state. Here is the roomsDB.net

 

The site has a good listing of rooms in HDB(government flats) and condos. Some rents of condos go as low as $895 /month  and rooms at $250/month.

How well do you know the Philippines?

July 5, 2007

My parents have never been outside Metro Manila except maybe for occasional visits to Baguio and Tagaytay  and my Moms visit to Cebu, they have not travelled anywhere else in  the Philippines. I am sure that a lot of Pinoys have gone to HK Disneyland(due to cheap fares) but probably have never set foot in Cebu or Davao.

 

 This website will test your Lakbayan(travelling) profile. What is your Lakbayan score?Mine is B-.

 

Thanks to my previous work with the Development Academy of the Philippines I was able to travel for free extensively throughout the Philippines. So if you want to travel work with the government.

All ABout Credit Cards in Singapore

July 3, 2007

It was only tonight that I took stock of how many credit cards I have in my wallet. I never realized I have twelve of them since effectively I was only using about 3 or 4 of them every month.

 

To date, I have the following cards:

DBS (3) - 1 Visa Platinum,1 Masteracrd Platinum and 1 American Express

Citibank(1) Gold Card

OCBC (1) Robinson Visa card

UOB(2)- 1 Tiger Visa card, 1 UOB Visa Signature

HSBC (2)- 1 Visa and 1 Mastercard Gold

1 Diners Card

1 Standard Chartered Platinum

1 ABN Amro Platinum Card

 

I am doing a summary now because I just got my recent DBS Bill and its charging me annual fees for

 

American Express (150 + 75 for supplmentary=$225)

DBS Visa Platinum (180 + 90 for supplementary=$270)

DBS Mastercard Platinum($180 + 90=$270)

Citibank= $142.86 for main cardholder

 

 

I already told hubby to call the bank and cancel our cards because we dont want to pay the annual fees. Yesterday Citibank already told me they will waive my annual fee when I told them to cancel my card since I dont want to pay the annual fee. So that is one card down.

(UPDATE 07/08/2007- Hubby was able to renew the DBS cards and waive the annual fees when he told the Bank officer he would like to cancel if they will charge us the renewal fee.)

 There are advantages and disadvantages of having many cards but most of the time I use my cards to my advantage. Here are some of my favorite credit cards and why I use them:

 

1) UOB   Tiger Visa card- I buy my clients Tiger tickets using this card . I get an instant rebate and free vouchers to allow me to use for free flights.

2) DBS POS Bank Everyday Card- I buy Jetstar tickets with this card since it gives me automatic 5% discount on flights. I use this for my business.

3) OCBC Robinson Card- I often shop at RObinsons and John Little and with this card I get automatic 5-10% rebate and card member sales of up to 25% on top of current sale prices.They offer free spa and massage vouchers.

4) ABN Amro- Of all the credit cards, ABN provides the best rewards programme and their choice of items are wide ranged.

5) HSBC- During sale period they offer $1 items provided you buy a minimum of $50. They also offer free movie nights to card holders.

6) Citibank- This is my favorite card since it is the longest card I have in possession. My first credit card was a CItibank Card.It also provides the best cash withdrawal /funds transfer(as low as a flat fee of $20 for as much as $10,000 loan spread over 6 months or about 1.99% interest). It also provides the longest 24 months interest free installments for appliances and furnitures.

The latest survey /comparison of credit cards was done by CASE SIngapore in Oct 2006  click here .

 

However,if you want to make a most recent comparison of credit cards in Singapore you can search for it here.

 

One good advice, its not the number of cards that you use, its how you use them. Make sure you pay all your balances on time. DONT pay only the minimum sum. A credit card is not cash. DONT be tempted to buy something beyond your budget.

 

 

    

I hate I.PH…BEING AN ALALAY

June 30, 2007

I hate i.ph. It always hangs up. My son asked me why I am not blogging here anymore.

 

I say it always hangs and my blogs gets lost.

 

I.Ph wake up!!!!!!

Its a free site but terrible….

ON BEING AN ALALAY FOR TWO DAYS

My feet nearly grew numb. For two days , me and my son Niles were Alalays to my sister Mean and her friend who visited Singapore just to shop. Its the Great Singapore Sale… and tomorrow the GSt will already be increased to 7%..

 

I never realized my stamina …biro mo from 10 am till 6pm we walked the malls of Vivo City, Suntec, Harbourfront, Orchard Road  …I never had done this kind of walking for a while.

 

My youngest son Niles can already work as a tourist guide. For his two day effort of bringing around his two aunties and carrying bags he got extra pocket money and baon.

 

 

Happy Fathers Day

June 17, 2007

Two days ago my husband got angry with my two boys due to my sons computer conking out again.

 

 Everytime my husband gets angry with the two boys lagi akong damay sa scolding. We all get scolded, me ,the two boys and even my maid dont escape the ire of my husband when he is angry. He was seething with anger more so because i was just looking at him when he was spanking the two kids.

 

I just kept quiet and I was so sure that he was going to have a big migraine again due to anger. I was right. Midnight he was already nudging me asking me for Whiteflower.

 

When I am angry with hubby I just keep quiet . He knows when I stop talking and dont answer him  I  am surely angry.

 

 The following day hubby woke up smiling at me and kissed me as soon as he went out from the bathroom. So bati na naman kami.

 

 Alam nya siguro na fathers day today kaya ako binati.

 

 So to my precious husband….Happy fathers day!!!!

 

Also to Lolo Taba (my father in law ) and  Lolo Cecil(my father)Happy Fathers Day !!!

Here is a touching song about fathers and sons…I hope my two kids will grow up to be as loving to their wives as their father and grandfathers.

Father And Son Lyrics (Cat Stevens)

Father
It's not time to make a change,
Just relax, take it easy.
You're still young, that's your fault,
There's so much you have to know.
Find a girl, settle down,
If you want you can marry.
Look at me, I am old, but I'm happy.

I was once like you are now, and I know that it's not easy,
To be calm when you've found something going on.
But take your time, think a lot,
Why, think of everything you've got.
For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not.

Son
How can I try to explain, when I do he turns away again.
It's always been the same, same old story.
From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen.
Now there's a way and I know that I have to go away.
I know I have to go.

Father
It's not time to make a change,
Just sit down, take it slowly.
You're still young, that's your fault,
There's so much you have to go through.
Find a girl, settle down,
if you want you can marry.
Look at me, I am old, but I'm happy.

Son
All the times that I cried, keeping all the things I knew inside,
It's hard, but it's harder to ignore it.
If they were right, I'd agree, but it's them you know not me.
Now there's a way and I know that I have to go away.
I know I have to go.