Lakbay (Car Rental) Services, Philippines

I am NOT connected with JT Lakbay (Car Rental) Services (Phone No. +632-4549000)… Just a happy customer!

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One of the toughest things in Metro Manila is trying to reach point A to B without your own car…

I grew up in Metro Manila and I still find commuting to be very inconvenient.

Taxis are there but you should always bring small change as the drivers always expect a tip! A simple rule when paying for your taxi fare is just to add PhP 20.00 to whatever amount the meter says.

It’s also difficult (almost impossible) and costly if you ask a Taxi to bring you outside Metro Manila.

Most common Taxis are the Avanza, Vios and the Accent, from the list you’ll notice that they’re very small cars! To save fuel, drivers normally adjust the car’s idling to around 500-750rpm making the car shake like crazy during traffic jams and they also adjust the car’s climate control to the hotter side!

Buses, Trains (MRT & LRT), Jeepney and Tricycles are there but believe me… It’s not as convenient and simple as you think…

Buses need to be paid in cash, Trains does not have a unified ticketing system (as of May 2013) and you have to forget about the Jeepney and Tricycle option!

Since I am already based abroad, I normally borrow a car from relatives during my vacations.

Basically I get the more than 10 year old spare car used once a week thanks to Metro Manila’s Uniform Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (more popularly know as color/number coding).

The hard part is when I’m in Manila for business trips where a good car is a requirement for bosses and colleagues.

Here is where a reliable car rental service becomes handy.

Found JT Lakbay (Car Rental) Services (Phone No. +632-4549000) online and I was very happy with their vehicles and drivers!

I am NOT connected with JT Lakbay Services… Just a happy customer… Believe me… When in Manila, you need a reliable car and a dependable driver… (Send me a message if you need their e-mail add)

The Seacare Hotel (Singapore)

The Seacare Hotel is one of the newer hotels in Singapore.

 

Had an overnight stay with my family last weekend (Superior Room) and here’s what you can expect.

Location: 52, Chin Swee Road, Singapore 169875

Nearest MRT is Chinatown.

Walking directions from Google Maps states that the hotel is 10mins away from the MRT station, but you can actually walk through the food centers to cut the walking time in half (check out the red line).

Facilities:

SKY LOUNGE – this is located at the 16th floor of the Hotel. I believe this is reserved for corporate functions/events.

GYM – also located at the 16th floor. It has limited equipment but more than enough for your normal routine.

SKY TERRACE – located at the 10th floor, it’s a good space to sit and relax.

CLUB@52 – located at the 2nd floor.

NIJI JAPANESE RESTAURANT – located at the 1st floor. The restaurant is configured for the buffet breakfast from 7-10am.

In-room Amenities LED television with free cable channels (Singapore local channels + HBO)

Complimentary coffee & tea-making facilities

Complimentary in-room high-speed broadband internet & WiFi access (user name and password will be provided upon check-in)

 

 

Here’s a quick test on the speed of their internet.

Complimentary bottled drinking water

Electronic in-room safe (the room also has a small closet)

Mini-fridge

Our room also had an alarm clock that has a dock for the 30pin adapter of the iPhone.

 

Here’s what our room looked like.

View from our window

Bathroom

Toiletries are included

Room will come with a complimentary buffet breakfast for 2. Additional persons will be charged SGD 18.50.

Now for the sad part… Breakfast wasn’t good…

Choices were very limited and my coffee wasn’t hot enough.

Buffet breakfast needs improvement and the location is also not convenient if you need Halal or Vegetarian meals.

Will definitely recommend The Seacare Hotel to friends who are looking for a hotel near the city area, it’s modern, new and reasonably priced.

Click here to view high-res photos

Instagram: #seacarehotel

For more information: http://www.theseacarehotel.com.sg/

KSL Hotel & Resort (Johor Bahru, Malaysia)

Judging on outside looks alone… KSL Hotel & Resort must be the newest hotel in Johor Bahru!

Spent a short weekend there and the experience was really good!

Going there was really easy, there’s a bus from JB Sentral and you can always take a cab.

(please note that public transport only accepts cash payments)

Upon arrival at KSL, I suggest that you immediately go to the hotel lobby and check-in.

A queue number will be provided and on an off peak week end, it took us almost 30 minutes before getting called.

Drinks and biscuits are available and you can ask for wifi access from their staff.

Our room’s size was reasonable. There was a TV (no cable) and an empty fridge (ice tray is available)

Toiletries (including shaver and comb) were provided, BUT sadly our toilet did not have a tub.

Hotel facilities include Golf Simulator, Billiards and Table Tennis.

They also have a Gym

And Swimming Pool

 

(top view of the pool, taken from the window near the lift)

Buffet breakfast was good (or may be just better than what I was expecting).

Restaurant was a bit noisy, but I believe it’s just normal for the number of people presently there.

KSL also has a mall beside it that has a grocery and cinema.

The grocery was a big surprise for us since chips and beer can be easily purchased, you may be disappointed if you’re looking for hard liquor and wine.

The mall also has enough shops to keep you busy for a short vacation.

If you need any additional information about KSL, better visit their website.

*sorry about the quality of my photos… will try to take better photos on my next visit

2013.jpg

Mutiara Johor Bahru

Spent a weekend at Mutiara Hotel with my family.

It’s actually our first time in Johor Bahru and we did not know what to expect.

Mutiara’s rates are affordable compared to Singapore hotels.

Room size is ok but for my family, the tub is a bit small.

Facilities include a gym and a swimming pool.

They do not have lifeguards so please don’t leave your children unattended.

Hotel lobby has wifi but you’ll need to ask for a password from the front desk.

Prices of drinks in the room’s bar is a bit pricey (as of 01 September 2012), thankfully there’s a mall (Holiday Plaza) just beside the hotel.

Click for a larger image

Our room came with complimentary buffet breakfast for 2 adults and our daughter.

Breakfast was the usual stuff you would expect from a budget hotel.

Holiday Plaza Mall is just beside Mutiara… But honestly, don’t expect too much from it…

Positive side is that Holiday Plaza has McDonalds and a KFC.

KFC Malaysia serves buns! It’s not the dinner rolls we’re all looking for but at least we don’t get our carbs from instant mashed potatoes alone…

Here’s how Holiday Plaza loks like from the inside…

Of all the shops, I only saw one stall inside selling beer… Didn’t bother searching for wines or hard drinks since there are more shops selling bootleg items than alcoholic drinks in this mall.

To wrap up my experience with Mutiara Hotel…

The experience was great! For its price, I will recommend it for a short 3-4 night vacation.

A week stay will be too much since they’re buffet breakfast has limited items.

To view my entire album, please click here.

Goodbye Multiply…

Opened my Multiply account yesterday (06 Sept 2012) and was surprised to see this message…

Hello. Stefan here, writing you from Multiply HQ in Jakarta, Indonesia.

As most of you are probably aware, Multiply’s mission has evolved over the past year and a half to become the biggest and most beloved ecommerce marketplace in two very exciting markets, Indonesia and the Philippines. As our focus has shifted, we have reviewed all of our operations, and made some decisions that will affect everyone here.

From December 1st, we will unfortunately no longer be able to support Multiply in its current form – notably we will be removing the social networking and content sharing part of Multiply (photos, videos, blogs, social messaging, etc.). We have decided to discontinue providing and hosting these services, as we have concluded that other Internet sites who are committed to social networking services will do a better job serving you than we can.

For our existing users of social networking features, we will be providing easy ways for you to either download your stuff (photos, blogs, content, etc), or migrate it to other online services. We’ll announce the precise details shortly. It will be your choice whether to download, migrate or just let your content lapse (and get deleted).

For our existing ecommerce users (both buyers and sellers) in Indonesia and the Philippines, there will be no action required.

Regarding any existing Multiply Premium subscriptions we will refund any unused balance, and apologize for any inconvenience this will cause. Please contact customer service to request a refund. Note that this is for Multiply Premium, not the ecommerce related Multiply Trust product.

I am aware of how disruptive this news may be, and understand the disappointment that it may cause. Ultimately this was a business decision, critical to our to success moving forward. Instead, we are excited to pursue our own mission to give the 350 million consumers in Indonesia and the Philippines a great way to buy and sell items online. Our singular focus now is for Multiply to retain its status as a vibrant e-commerce destination in Southeast Asia in the years ahead.

I suspect that many of you will not like this news, and am sorry to have to deliver it now. I hope that you will be able to understand the reasons for our decision and thank you for being a part of the Multiply community over the past eight years.

Stef

So I guess its time to say goodbye to Multiply and find another place to keep my photos…

I’m presently “trying” SlickPic and I really hope it works better than Multiply. Also hoping that Miltiply can help in transferring my photos from their site to SlickPic.

If anyone can recommend a good photo sharing site thats for free… Please feel free to post the links in “comments”

Johor Premium Outlets

Made our first visit to Johor Premium Outlets (or JPO as the local’s call it) last Saturday (01 September 2012).

First thing you have to know is that its actually far from Johor Bahru… Its actually in Indahpura.

Click here to view from Google Maps

As per Google Maps… 26mins by car!

Blue Taxi going back to Johor Bahru will cost around MYR 85.00!

Had our coffee and lunch at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf…

Was really surprised when I was told by the staff that THEY DO NOT SERVE WATER! Don’t get me wrong… We all ordered drinks… We just needed the water for our medicines… No idea if this policy is for this specific branch or if its their company policy for branches in Malaysia.

JPO has vendo machines near the rest rooms which sold drinks for MYR 2.00 each… They also have drinking fountains…

Click here for a list of shops… (photo was taken 01 September 2012)

Photo’s “Polaroid” effect was made using Poladroid!

To view my entire album, click here! (no Polaroid effect)

Singapore Service Centers… Why are you located at the most inconvenient places?

This post is for all of us who keeps the receipts after every purchase since we believe that a purchased item’s warranty is very important.

Here in Singapore, although keeping the receipt is a first step, you’ll also need to keep the warranty card after mailing the other half!

I do not understand why retailers cannot mail the warranty card for us after we write all the required information.

Actually, I do not understand why receipts need to be kept!

M1 has a record of their phone’s serial number so if your phone has issues, you can just drop by their shop at Orchard Rd. and have your phone checked… They normally will not look for your receipt but I recommend that you bring it just in case.

Seagate even offers a better service! You can check your Hard Disk’s Warranty Status on their website and they have a drop-off point at Funan DigitaLife Mall just in case you do not want to spend on mailing your faulty Hard Disk to their office.

Now for the location of some Service Centres here in Singapore…

Echolac Bag – School bag!

Service was great! Their staff was friendly and easy to talk to, but the bus ride to get there was really long!

SKM Luggage Industries
No.5, Kaki Bukit Road 2
#01-07 & #02-07 City Warehouse
Singapore 417839

17 mins away by bus from Tai Seng MRT

Sona Electronics – Electric Oven.

You can actually walk from MacPherson MRT but walking and crossing the street is not easy when you’re carrying an electric over.

Cahaya Electronics Pte Ltd
#04-11, 10 Ubi Cres LOBBY B,
Singapore 408564

11 mins away by bus from MacPherson MRT

Aerogaz Garment Steamer

Great service and their staff are very friendly… But their location is far far away!

Aerogaz Singapore
1 Loyang Way 1
Singapore 508702

15 mins away by bus from Pasir Ris MRT

Tamron Lens

Talk about far far away… This service centre is so far (includes a lot of walking), I would suggest that you take a taxi instead!

GSH Corporation Limited
11 Changi North Way,
Singapore 498796

24 mins away by bus from Simei MRT

Monster Headphones Singapore

Although only 10 mins away from Boon Keng MRT, bus interval is around 30mins!

Unit replacements are not readily available and they are not open during weekends!

Hwee Seng (Electronics) Pte Ltd (Home A/V & Apple)
81 Genting Lane #02-02
Everich Industrial Building
Singapore 349566

10 mins away by bus from Boon Keng MRT

I’m not asking for these companies to move their warehouse/service centres to more convenient locations…

But they can arrange drop off points for their items that needs repair or replacement!

If it’s not economical to rent a small space near MRT Stations, maybe they can just have an agreement with stores to accept non-working items that are under warranty.

Dear Google… (a Wishlist for Future Nexus Devices)

To those who aren’t familiar with Nexus Devices…

They are Devices (Phone or Tablet) released by Google that runs stock Android…

No TouchWiz, HTC Sense and Motoblur. Actually almost all manufacturers put their own skin on top of Android… But for me, stock Android is perfect…

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There are rumors that Google is planning to launch additional Nexus Devices…

I just hope that they consider to release devices with the following features as the market doesn’t need another slate with limited physical buttons.

Phone for Gamers

Xperia Play was a good idea… I hate playing games on my Phone since the screen is too small. Viewing the game on a 4 inch screen plus having your thumbs block the screen is really not a good idea…

Can you just imagine if a Nexus Version of the Xperia Play can mirror video to your TV using the Nexus Q?

Qwerty Phones

There are very few choices if your looking for a Smartphone with a Qwerty keyboard.

Most people I see use (a company issued) Bold and I think the next option will be the Chacha (if you want something running Android).

Sliders (e.g. the Dream and the Droid) are available and I honestly prefer them BUT I would prefer that the keyboard slides in portrait mode, just like the Torch and the Pre.

I once had a colleague who wanted a Qwerty Phone for SMS/IM and did not want a Bold. She decided to get a Chacha and hated the phone everyday… It would be nice if Google can look into this form factor as the market needs more options.

7 Inch Tablet with Full SD Card – or better yet, a CF Card!

Great for photographers.

I presently use a camera connection kit for my iPad and it’s really annoying bacause you need to copy the photos to your internal memory before you can view them in full screen. Another option I have is using the Eye-Fi but it really affects my camera and tablet’s battery life.

The Thrive had a Full SD Card slot but limited internal memory.

What if, theres a device that can accept a Full SD Card for easy access of files and a MicroSD Card for Apps…

7 Inch Tablet with Full USB Port

The Iconia A500 has one and AC Ryan also released a 7 inch tablet with a USB Port.

Great idea since transferring files from PC to tablet will be easier… it will also allow users to use a cheaper USB keyboard and mouse for productivity.

Portable Media Devices with Camera – its hard to get rid of our point and shoots. They still have better sensors and better zoom compared to a smart phone.

As Nikon Announced the S800c and Samsung is also rumored to release their own Android Camera…

This will definitely excite the casual shooter who just loves to upload photos in Social Networking sites. For the more serious photographers… Then the tablet with an SD/CF Card will be a better device for them.

Now of all the devices I mentioned above… Wouldn’t it be great if they can all connect to a Lapdock???

I know its not that easy to create the perfect device but I believe Google with all its hardware partners has what it takes to innovate…

FairPrice Finds! – Colt 45

Found this at Fair Price Xtra at Nex (Serangoon)

Colt 45!