Fragrance pure lotus single yolk mooncake is made of a mixture of mungbean paste with a flavour of sesame oil

Fragrance pure lotus mooncake is not pure lotus. It is a mixture of lotus paste with plenty of mungbean paste. To enhance the flavour of this mixture, Fragrance relied on sesame oil. 

In terms of price, that is why Fragrance mooncake, i.e., "pure lotus paste" with single yolk is sold at merely SGD 5.50.

How was the taste? It was not pure lotus paste. Lotus seed is expensive, and so is its paste. If you expect lotus paste, you will be disappointed. If you just wanted to have something sweet, it is not bad.

In Singapore, it is rare to get a mooncake with pure lotus paste. Mostly are adulterated with mungbean or other paste. There are several brands that used pure lotus paste and these brands also catered to have less sugar in the product. 

Pure lotus with less sugar will enhance the flavour of lotus. If you had never tried a mooncake that is made of pure lotus, you should try once. Bengawan Solo is one brand that we preferred, and the same pure lotus paste single yolk mooncake is SGD 10.50. Almost twice as much as Fragrance's. 

It was not surprising that we were disappointed with Fragrance's but in terms of price, we can't complain.

Fig. 1 Pure lotus paste single yolk mooncake from Fragrance

Fig. 2 The mooncake from Fragrance

 

"Smart" lift invasion in Singapore taken over human mind

This could be the first incident of "smart" lift that ignored and overridden human "command". An elderly lost her left hand to a lift at Tah Ching Road.
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I'm not sure if this incident happened due to machine fault, poor maintenance, or worst, "smart overriding" program installed into the machine (to prevent holding of lift by users). The lift that severed the elderly hand was from Sigma Elevator Singapore.
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I'm not sure if many have realized that we are seeing more smart lifts in Singapore. Lifts that are able to override user holding the lift doors open for longer than allowed time. There is a program now to prevent lift hogging/waiting by users. Although it is useful to many, such smart program is dangerous to some users.
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I've recently visited Gardens by the Bay. My family stopped at Bayfront MRT station. We travelled with two baby prams. On three out of four occasions, while using the lifts there, we had the lifts close their doors on us while we were trying to move the last pram out/in. This is in spite of holding the open button from both sides of the doors. The lift just sounded the warning alarm as it nonchalantly closes. For reason unknown, it has to close before it can open again. Anything in its way will surely get squashed, our baby included.
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In instance like this, I prefer the mechanical sensor over light-mediated sensor. With mechanical sensor, there is less likelihood of failure to stop the door from closing. I am made dumber by this smart lift. I hope this is not the reason for phasing the mechanical ones out.
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Having warning sign discouraging users from holding the lift door by hand is useless and insensitive. There is no need to hold the door if we are clear from it in the first place. Don't assume that users are holding the lift door for FUN. Think about the user's who are pushing someone on a wheelchair. How about parents with two baby prams? How about users who have difficulty moving? 

A no hand warning sign is stuck on the leave. I have no idea what it means, although it is safe to assume that users are discourage from stopping the doors with their hands.

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The case of the above "smart lift" can only be designed by someone who are clueless and ignorant about practicality. Having the know-how but lacking practical sense does unfortunately defeat the purpose and aim of developing a modern and useful living concept. If the programmer/designer had taken into account users such as those with difficulty moving, or family with members who are reliant on prams/wheels (make it a family with two prams and an elderly on a wheel chair going to the lift at a time), they would not have made the oversight in the first place.
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Another stupid example is the water faucet at public toilet. Most mechanical ones are phased out and replaced by "smart faucets" with motion/light sensor. To conserve water, users are only allowed a running water for like 1-2-3 sec. The time-out is irritating when the freaking liquid soap that these toilets provide are so foamy that they are difficult to get rid off by a 3 sec running water. It takes at least 5 x 3 sec to remove that stuff off my hands. Now, what happens if a parent needs to rinse a baby's bottle? Try it out and you will fume. That's because some sensors are homing only to heat signature (aka infra-red)!
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Sometimes, I think it would be much better to just walk out of the public toilet without washing my hand.
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Now imaging me shaking your hand later. Now imaging all Singaporeans in public shaking your hands daily. What happens if these people who forgone washing hands in washroom/toilet starts preparing food or drink? What if hospitals have these "smart faucets" and the staffs there starts to forgo washing their hands.
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Not so smart now, right? When technology impedes our daily activity, we "adapt". In other word, if we can't adopt a technology, we have no choice but to adapt.
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Having smart technology will only work if the public is given the avenue to give feedback. Don't just shove it up to our face and neglect to take note of feedback.
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While most tech gadgets die naturally in the market when they are deemed useless by the public, I can't say the same for public infrastructure. They will stay longer because of the higher cost of installation. So, before we buy in bulk or commit to signing contracts with manufacturers, at least have a trial run using the public as Guinea pigs. Our feedback will be priceless and helpful to prevent unnecessary cost/live later.
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Just a thought.

Getting a laptop in Singapore? What to look out for?

Whenever I am set out to look for laptop, I am never prepared. The thing that I took into consideration first was always price, CPU performance, and RAM. Most times, the acquired laptop would last me more than 5 years while one time it only lasted a year.
I have a Samsung notebook that I am still using for > 10 years. It can no longer support most of the software in use today, but is can still permit playing yesteryear games and doing some MS Office 97.
This particular notebook elevated my impression on Samsung product. I have another netbook and ultrabook from Samsung. Both never disappointed me so far. In our household, we have NEC Versa notebook and it is still working. However, NEC design was bad. the wiring from MB to LCD got severed when the notebook was repeatedly flipped open and closed. I had to disassemble the machine to notice the severed wire and get replacement cable to replace it. I did that DIY as the 2 years warranty was over.
Acer TravelMate was a bad experience. The machine constantly burns up whenever in use for a duration of time. It crashed after less than a year. A visit to the Service Centre suggested that the MB was dead. The tech guy suggested that I top up few hundreds to get a newer and better version. I adamantly declined since I didn’t want to invest further on a brand that didn’t do a good job in the first place. After the MB change, the LCD kaput after few months later. Fortunately it was the backlight problem and EBay again solved my problem. I scoured for the right inverter and got it delivered to me. DIY to replace that part. A visit to any store would have requested that the whole LCD be replaced, which would have cost S$200 or more as compared to S$20 to 30 for the inverter.
Now, after 3 years of using the current Notebook from Samsung, it is time to get a new Notebook that will support most of the current software in use. I am still a MS Windows supporter. Although, I have dabbled with Linux, Mac and Android, I think MS Windows is still the choice for me.
Criteria for the next machine:

• Processing speed. Intel is best, AMD is good and affordable. A review of processors at ComputersShopper and TechRadar. I would want one that is power efficient and “cool-headed” (not burning up with fever).
• RAM. Slots and maximum RAM available for upgrade.
• HDD. Now there are two main types, spindle-type/mechanical HDD and solid state SSD. The latter is like a thumbdrive/flashdrive storage, only better. The spindle-type HDD makes noise and if dropped, it will damage the mechanical parts, whereas SSD will not. Talking about that, a salesperson at Challenger did that demonstration for a colleague to make that point! I was an accidental observer. SSD is faster than HDD but SSD is expensive. Soon, there will be light-based memory to take the spot of SSD. Probably then SSD will cost less. The capacity of SSD/HDD isn’t very important (as long as most software/games can fit into it comfortably). A 1 TB should be safe, while 500GB is no complain. Cloud storage is the way to go nowadays with their great sync and RAID function allowing better protection of our precious data. For example, Dropbox charges approx. USD10 per month for 1TB to USD15 per month per user/team for unlimited storage.
• Graphic and sound should be above average.
• Additional features: USB-A, mini- and micro-USB ports are going obsolete, there is a newcomer in town and it is USB-C. However, I still don’t like the feel of USB-C. Similar to USB-A, mini- and micro-USB, they jut out like a patient wearing intravenous (IV) cannula on an arm which is easy to accidentally shift the connection (Fig. 1). Thumbprint security feature is a joke. Longer battery life is a must (at least 6 hours). Screen size should be > 10.1” diagonally. Should have desired preloaded software, e.g. OS, MS Office, Brand’s additional bundled software, etc. Noise level tolerable (without internal cooling fan making aeroplane turbine sound). Trayless DVD writer. Don’t get Blu-Ray Disc (BD) ROM because a 25 GB BD disk is very expensive (at a range of S$0.50 to >S$1.00 per piece. If you get an equivalent 1 TB, it is about 40 pieces BD. That will cost 40 x S$0.75 = S$30.00 (for comparison 1TB “rewriteable” external HDD is at S$85.00). Moreover, BD is rare in Singapore. Bluetooth, HDMI, and network port are must. Touchscreen is okay but not necessary. Built-in webcam. Wireless connection should dual band at both 2.4 and 5 GHz (e.g. 802.11ac) but not necessary because a  dual band wireless adapters are selling at S$20 to 40 on EBay.

Fig. 1 USB-A, mini-, micro-USB, and USB-C all share the same bulky plug that jut out precariously like an IV cannula.

Customers with checking accounts in Singapore should be aware of T&C and bank service fees

What irks me and probably many others is that banks don't work in the best interest of customers. When banks advertise next time, they should just say the truth, "WE WORK ONLY FOR YOUR MONEY & CUSTOMERS ARE JUST NUMBERS".

I have just realized that Citibank checking account had updated their terms and conditions (T&C). It used to be that we have to keep a minimum of $2000 in the account to have the service fee waived. I was surprised to notice that that minimum amount had been revised to $5000. If customers have less than $5000 in their checking accounts, a monthly fee of $10 per month applies. I am charged $50 for 5 months.

What does it mean?

Citibank is earning at least 2.4% pa of interest if my deposit is $4999 (above $5000 for waiver). Or at least 12% pa if my deposit is $1000. Also, if I have $100 in the account, it will only take 10 months for Citibank to wipe it clean.

Now, what upsets me is that Citibank did not contact me to inform about the service fee charges. There is no courtesy call to talk to customers and advice them to top up the deposit so that Citibank will not keep on savaging customers' hard-earned deposits (without them knowing about it; akin to a silent killer, e.g. cancer). If there should be any service charges, we as customers should be made aware of first before Citibank (or any other banks) starts deducting deposits! Furthermore, Citibank should charge us via bills and not by automatic deduction from our accounts! At least with bills, customers are made aware of impending fees or bills to be paid. By surreptitiously deducting our deposit is unfair (especially when some customers don't regularly check online statements) or might be oversea on months' assignment.

Why Citibank bother to get customers' contact details if Citibank will not use that to talk to customers when there is a REAL NEED? To me, the only use of my contact detail to Citibank is to SPAM call me about additional credit cards, more loans, insurance etc. That is not for my best of interest. That to me is a nuisance. It irks me more especially when Citibank failed to call me when they decided to charge me service fees. If Citibank had billed me instead of deducting from my deposit, I would have been less upset. Parking my money with Citibank is not safe anymore after this incident and especially considering that Citibank could at their whims decide to deduct something from my checking account (without notifying account holders). I am deciding to look for alternatives real soon.

Note that I have severed any link/business with Maybank Singapore. The reason: I was upset by the way Maybank handled my online money transfer oversea. I was charged two types of fees to transfer the money, i.e. transfer fee and exchange fee in Singapore for a sum of money that I wanted transferred to someone in Malaysia.

I was shocked to get a call from the recipient saying that the amount I transferred was insufficient. It seemed that Maybank Malaysia decided to charge me a transfer/deposit fee as well (and deducted the sum from the money transferred without notifying me!). That was a big embarrassment to me especially when the exact sum transferred was to pay off an EXACT debt! Nowadays, whenever I see solicitors from Maybank credit cards/services, I simply tell them that I hate the bank they represent and walk off.

I am contemplating of doing the same for CITIBANK.


Sorry, I just needed to vent out my frustration. That was my two cents thought.


Related complaints about fees for checking accounts in other banks

• Standard Chartered Bank complaints - monthly fee for checking account

Read also
Singapore Checking/current accounts

How to fix a defective laptop LCD screen?

In Singapore, it is easier to just get a new electronics rather than fix/repair it. To repair an item will cost more than to buy a new one (especially when warranty period is over). For example, you will be charged with a diagnostic fee, then the repair fee, and the not-so-cheap replacement parts (that are always not available in Singapore) and need to be ordered.

Sometimes, for a fault that cost only a few dollars can escalate to more than SGD 50 when service charges are included. Other instances, to save time, the repair shop will suggest to change the whole module without determining the component fault.

For this blog, I will share my experience regarding my laptop and its LCD screen (that has gone black).

A visit to several repair shops suggested that the LCD need to be replaced. When I asked them if it could be back light or LCD inverter that is not working, they said it is possible. However, they will need to test it. Diagnosis will cost SGD 30 (others quoted SGD 50), and if I decide not to go on with the repair, I still have to pay for the service fee. Wow, the inverter only cost SGD 10 to 15 in my case (from eBay which I browsed earlier). It was just not worth the repair, unless if I decide to change the LCD screen that will probably come with its bundled inverter! That would cost me at least SGD 150.00.

So, I have decided to go on with a DIY project (that will cost me less than SGD 20). I guess if it doesn't work, I can comtemplate changing the LCD later.

• The first thing that I needed to do was to disassemble-and-reassemble the LCD panel and be very comfortable with the process. Fortunately, Youtube provided plenty of examples from contributors in this regard. Update: I found it easy to do that with my laptop model (thank you Acer).
• Secondly, I needed to purchase the backlight inverter from eBay (SGD 19.31 plus delivery) for my laptop model. Most of the parts are readily available from China and Hong Kong (with free delivery sometimes) whereas those from US or UK has higher delivery charge which is more than the price of item (and took longer time). I studied the reviews from the seller before committing the purchase. When that's done, I just waited for the item. It will take at least three weeks to a month for the item to reach Singapore. Update: the item reached my home on the second week. Note that the item doesn't come with a warranty, but it was mentioned by the seller (personal warranty for limited time).
• When the item arrived. I removed the old inverter, and replaced with the new one. Update: it worked and the LCD was not at fault. I saved plenty with this DIY. I will wait for couple of days to leave a positive review to the seller, just to be certain that the inverter is working :)

All in all, I have spent approx. SGD 20 and had a great experience trying out a simple DIY to change the inverter. I just hope the inverter will work for at least a year.

Just to share.

HDB ceiling leak in bathroom

If you noticed that the ceiling paint inside your bathroom(s) is peeling, don't assume that it is due to Singapore's humid weather (or the humidity in your bathroom). That is because, most paints are resistant to humid condition and will not peel due to exterior condition.

A most likely reason for the peel is due to a leak that resulted in wet ceiling that caused the paint to deteriorate and peel.

Now, how can a ceiling be leaky? As I got to find out, bathroom in HDB is layered by water-proof membrane (it is just paint-able waterproof polymer that will solidify and function as a water-proof layer). This waterproof layer act to direct excess water to a sink (or drain), while preventing water leak to the lower unit. See the figure for explanation. Due to wear and tear, the water-proof membrane need to be replaced.

 Fig. water-proof membrane (dark gray) and the bottom layer is the concrete scaffold holding the whole bathroom unit. A sink/drain is shown. Please don't be misled to think that the water-proof membrane is thick; they are not and comprise just a thin coat of paint!

 Fig. 2 dimension representation of bathroom floor layers. The uppermost is the tiling, the layer immediately down to the tile is the concrete/screed (for support?), the dark gray colored layer is the water-proof membrane. The bottom-most layer is the strong scaffold/concrete supporting the bathroom unit. The blue arrows are the water-flowing to the sink/drain whereas the red arrow shows a leak when the membrane is worn out.

I was surprised (if not shocked) to know that the water-proof membrane can only last 10 to 20 years. That is a short time as compared to a 99 years leasehold for HDB home. It means that we will have to repair our bathrooms at least 5 times throughout the lease. Well, that's not actually a bad news, considering that some of us (not me yet) tend to renovate our home after some time. Having said that, please remember to ask the contractor to repair the waterproof membrane too the next time you decide to renovate your house (especially bathrooms). This is to prevent unpredictable leaking to the lower unit that will cause a revamp/redo of your newly renovated bathroom! A competent interior designer (ID) will be able to advise homeowner about this (to save future cost and headache).

Fortunately, any bathroom leak in HDB unit will be "subsidized" by HDB in their Goodwill Repair Assistance (GRA) scheme, in which HDB will co-pay 50% of the repair cost and the the remainder is shared by both vertical neighbours at 25% each. For more information, refer to HDB website pertaining to "repair of ceiling leaks".

All the following took 2-3 months time (and it depends on the speed of home owners to response to HDB because HDB is powerless to "compel" owners, and so being responsible neighbour is important):


Once you report a leak, an officer will come to your home and inspect the leak. Once the leak is confirmed to be due to ceiling leak, they will send request for GRA scheme and repair. You will receive a letter confirming that HDB will co-pay the repair and an HDB contractor/surveyor will visit to assess the bathrooms and write prescription about the repair work and they will show you the type of tiles, toilet bowl and explain the procedures. When we agreed to the repair, the surveyor will arrange a convenient time for the repair work.

For the repair, the first day will be very noisy and dusty. The contractor will provide a protective sheet for you to cover your bed (up to king size about 6.1 inch in width). You might need to prepare more protective sheets for your other items on the master bedroom (if that's the case). The first day will likely fall on a weekday, and ideally on a Friday (so that you will only need to take one day off work). Your bathroom will be demolished along with your favourite toilet bowl (you can't salvage it UNFORTUNATELY!). Any fixture at the bottom will be removed. However, anything that can be salvaged will be removed with care (that's how good the HDB contractor is; at least what I experience that day).

On the second day (ideally on Saturday), there will be two visits per day. The first visit is to paint the water-proof material (black in colour) to the slab of concrete layered on the first day. When the water-proof layer is dry, the next visit on that day would be to layer the subsequent void with concrete (or screed). That will be left to dry for two days (because Sunday is off day).

On the third day (or rather fourth day because it fell on a Monday), your chosen tile will be laid. Now, if you don't prefer to have the 20 x 20 cm tiles (and would prefer a larger 30 x 30 cm tiles or larger still), you will need to source it elsewhere. A minimal fee of SGD 80 will be charged for the tile work (if they are not from HDB specification). I don't understand why HDB is not providing a minimal 30 x 30 tiles (because that will ease the contractor's work during laying down the tiles (rather than having to repeat many times for the smaller dimension tiles). Furthermore, the price difference is not a lot for these tiles (see different types of tiles in Singapore). For those owners with concealed piping for sink or other fixture, you will not be able to conceal it once HDB contractor finish their work. If you insist on having them concealed especially those "ugly" piping, you can arrange with the contractor (but with added cost). That is because HDB only allowed basic repair work that fix the problem while preserving the function of your bathroom, rather than to "beautify" your room. HDB contractor can advise you about added work but they normally will not "hard-sell" you of their added services (due to HDB regulation I guess, which is good because you are assured to get the best of what HDB expect, while better than best would require your own insistence).

The work comes with a warranty (10 years).

A letter to therealsingapore highlighted a ceiling leak of a 20 years old building, the title was "HDB not taking responsibility for building defects" (19 May 2014). The complainant was unaware that waterproof membrane is not forever, and HDB does help owners to subsidies the repair work. Any warranty for the waterproof membrane on the new HDB unit is for 10 years and it is owners' responsibility to repair the leak thereafter (but co-paid by HDB on Goodwill scheme). The complainant was unaware of his role and blamed HDB for defect without approaching HDB for help and clarification.

Here are several responses from readers (of therealsingapore):
Khor Wee Siong · Top Commenter
"This accusation is based on assumptions which may not be accurate - namely - that the building work was defective and that the leak was caused by defective materials and/or workmanship. The normal warranty for waterproofing is only 10 years. So, if the slab remained watertight for over 10 years, it has already performed beyond the warranted period. This leak is thus fair wear and tear. The cost of repair should thus fall upon the owners, not the HDB."

Tempest Abraham · Top Commenter
"Seriously dude, your ceiling has started to leak after close to 20 years. Poor initial workmanship or not, likewise premium quality construction materials or otherwise, it is not unreasonable for them to start failing now. How often do you get life time warranties?"

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Do I like my bathroom now?
Well, I preferred my previous bathroom because it was sleek and beautiful BUT I don't dislike the current fixed bathroom because the work was surely not done shoddily. The officer-in-charge, the surveyor, and down to the contractors and workers were friendly, helpful and professional. Based on all these, I would give 4 out of 5 stars, with one star left out to encourage continued effort to improve.

My hope is that the waterproof membrane will last for 10 years plus plus.

Just a thought.

Updated (20141129)

• HDB ISN'T DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THE LEAKING PIPES IN MY CEILING (TRS, 2 Jan 2014) - I guess it's really difficult to expedite some repair, especially severe leakage that causes drips (if not pour), and it is important to spot the fault early so that immediate action can be taken. Fortunately, the above neighbour cooperated (as according to the contributor). We need to understand that HDB is powerless to compel people to act according to being neighbourliness and responsible because there is no law for HDB to act upon to compel owners to cooperate. It all boils down to being responsible neighbours. For example, in my case, when HDB informed me that my unit was leaking water to my neighbour at lower level, I immediately followed HDB recommendations to repair the leak. It was all done in less than 2 months time. As for my upper level neightbour unit that is causing my ceiling leak, it was difficult for HDB to contact them for several weeks but when HDB did, this neighbour followed the recommendation to fix the bathroom and the expected repair took about 3-4 months time. Considering that repairing leak (plus the paper works) takes longer time, it's always good to spot the fault before it gets bigger. However, there is also a hotline to call HDB in case of emergencies, e.g. ceiling pouring down water overnight instead of drips (e.g. 1800-225-5432 from 8.00am to 5.00pm on Weekdays). I guess we should hope that there is no emergency on weekends... All in all, we should understand that HDB is not superman (who can fix any problems immediately), the importance of being good and responsible neighbours, authorities act within bound of law (and not "common sense"), e.g. HDB don't hand-cuff people because they failed to cooperate.

Digital TV transmission in Singapore

MediaCorp started transmitting free-to-air (FTA) channels in digital format (i.e. the Is and Os) since Dec 2013 using the Digital Video Broadcasting - Second Generation Terrestrial (DVB-T2; previous version being DVB-T) standard. The analog transmission will cease operation once the switch to digital transmission is completed (expected to be around 2016-2020). This blog is just to educate myself about the transition from analog to digital TV reception, especially considering that my TV is not digital TV-integrated. I tried to research on this topic..

The benefit of digital transmission versus analog can be referred to this site (briefly, better resolution and sound quality, unclog/clear the radio-frequency being transmitted in Singapore [for other commercial purposes], richer content [more function for viewers and content provider], et cetera).

What must I do (or what had been done)?

• Digital transmission in Singapore (ready and in progress) can be referred here (MediaCorp). The report is just to show which area is digital TV ready and when will the other region be expected to be ready to receive digital transmission. Transmission is via several radio frequency bands, e.g. VHF III (174-230 MHz), UHF IV (470-606 MHz), and UHF V (606-862 MHz) bands. In Singapore, we will be using UHF IV-V band (e.g. 470-862 MHz).

Fig. Progressive rollout of DTV transmission from 2013-2016 (sourced from MediaCorp)

• What will I need to get to enjoy DTV? A digital TV antenna and also a tuner/converter.

A digital TV antenna (that can bandscan or search VHF and UHF). For example, Philips DTV tuner/antenna (Model SDV1125T/27) that cost USD 15 (output is via coaxial connection). Ebay Singapore produced several hits when search input was "Philips digital TV antenna" and the price range was around SGD 30 and above. The antenna will be connected to a tuner/converter before being fed to the TV.

A digital tuner/converter box with several output connections, e.g. coaxial, S-video (or RCA), HDMI, USB, etc. Things to look out for are support options (aspect ratio, resolution, closed caption, parental control, etc.. A search in Ebay produces an example, e.g. Supersonic SC-58 DTV Digital to Analog Converter box +HDMI Output (1080P) +USB for reference. It cost below USD 50. The output connections for this item are HDMI and RCA (aka A/V jack).


I guess the next step would be to search for an antenna and tuner/converter. In the US, the transition from analog to digital was sponsored by the government, with a "voucher" at USD 40 to get the antenna and converter/tuner. Not sure if Singapore is going to sponsor the transition to digital when the analog transmission is ceased (considering that many household will be affected)? For those who can't wait to enjoy better TV experience, I guess they will be looking for one right now (or had got one). I'm still deciding...


References

• What is DVB-T2 and why should I care? (HardwareZone Sg)
• Radio frequency (wikipedia)

Re: 4-year-old's death from eating tainted food a misadventure, says coroner

As any readers, I was surprised when I read this news 4-year-old's death from eating tainted food a misadventure, says coroner (The Straits Times; 30 Oct 2014). What was more surprising was reading it in The real Singapore, CORONER: DEATH OF 4YR OLD THAT ATE TAINTED FOOD FROM FOODCOURT WAS JUST A "MISADVENTURE". Do take note of the quotation marks in the latter.

I asked myself, "Surely, I must be reading this wrongly?".

So began my quest to understand the terminology used in coroner's language. Sure enough, the terminology used, e.g. misadventure was used in a proper context, and in line with the coroner's work. That is because, terms such as these: Misadventure, accidental death or an open verdict only meant to be used to describe a death that was not due to deliberate action by someone/oneself.

In the above case, the boy did not intentionally poison himself, and similarly the food stall operator did not intentionally (nor premeditated to) poison the child. That's the coroner's language...

Having said that, it does not mean that Kopitiam (or the stall owner) is free from liability. Civil liability or negligent cases can still be heard by the court and compensation can still be meted out. In addition, Singapore authority can proceed with additional charges and include punitive measures to curb a recurrence.

Let's just hope that the parent will proceed with a civil suit against the stall owner (and/or Kopitiam) to get justice. There is a pro bono legal services in Singapore for help. Having said that, we as readers shouldn't be too shocked with the term "misadventure" used in the reported news. The verdict do not preclude/omit a civil liability of Kopitiam/stall owners (nor did it free them from any wrong). With sufficient circumstantial evidence provided by investigators/authorities, and if the evidence is strong (e.g. presence of Salmonella in the stall/operator), it would make a strong case to get justice and mete out a deterrent sentence.

Just a thought.

References

1. Inquests in England & Wales (Wikipedia)
2. Civil liability/Legal liability (Wikipedia)
3. Negligence and negligence suits (Wikipedia)
4. The Law of Negligence (SingaporeLaw dot Sg) - Note that it's too technical for me...
5. Pro bono legal services in Singapore (by the Law Society of Singapore that provides free legal service for public).

Ezlink card expiration a nuisance especially when the renewal is cumbersome

Consumers are left without a say in this matter. The Ezlink cards that they possess have expiration dates and when these cards are expired, they will have to renew them. The renewal process is very cumbersome. Consumers have to locate the nearest ticketing offices to have these cards renewed. The control stations or customer service counters at MRT stations can't renew your cards.

Here are the points that get on my nerve

1. The ticketing office is available at certain hours and locations (Transit Link ticket office & working hours). So, it means that for those who travel to work and home at odd hours will not be able to renew their cards.
2. There is no alternative means but to renew expired Ezlink cards at ticket counters. How inconvenient is that?
3. Expired cards can't be top up at the top up machines. The only way that consumers are able to top up the card value is via the control stations/customer service centers.

Now, wouldn't it be more convenient if

1. Renewal machines/kiosks are setup at MRT stations for consumers to transfer the remaining credit value from their expired card to the new card issued by the machine. The expired cards can be discarded in the bin provided (if there is a need for recycling). Wouldn't that be more convenient, especially considering that Ezlink card expiration is inevitable (or continuous event) and involves large amount of people?
2. Allow top up function for expired cards at top up machines. I guess the reason for causing inconvenience to consumers is motivation to renew their cards sooner? That's not really fair considering that the renewal process can be cumbersome. For example, what if I travel at 6.30 am to office and at 7.30 pm back to home? When and where is convenient for me to renew my cards?

To me, there is no real motivation to renew my Ezlink card. I guess the only motivation is actually attributed to compelling prospect of inconveniences for not renewing these cards. Well, at least add machines to help the renewal process!

Bicycle pump that doesn't work

Bicycle pump designed without much thought about function is doomed to fail. The valve made of plastic is the culprit. Anyone deciding to get a bicycle pump, be advised not to choose this type of plastic valve because it won't work. This pump can't even pump a balloon! What a pathetic pump. 

Note that the valve is the pump's "nozzle" for fastening to tyre's valve stem. 

Samsung Note 3 review

I've been a fan of Samsung phone since I started using Samsung S2. Since then,  I've used Samsung Note 1, and currently I'm using Note 3.

I loved S2. S2 persuaded me to switch to Android OS. Previously,  I was Nokia fan and loved the simplicity. However, as phone gets smarter, I feel in love with HTC with its Windows OS. I loved the HTC keyboard with "ctrl" function with allowed copy/cut and paste function. It also had other ctrl keys such as ctrl+A (select all) etc. However, MS Windows market was too boringly paid with negligible freebies. My transition to HTC Magic with Android was a culture shock. I didn't enjoy the experience. Magic was no magic to me. It was not intuitive to use Android. However,  the marketplace was full of freebies freewares and choice. It was simply better than MS windows.

Samsung S2 was the best. It was fast, sleek, unclutteredly clean and intuitive. The swype function was cool thanks to Samsung being first to adopt it in Omnia models. The inbuilt camera was pretty ok.  I was instant fan.

My second Samsung phone was a Note 1 was not so comfortable. The size hindered my mobility,  especially when I was wearing my jeans. I preferred placing the phone in the front pocket and it was impossible to climb stairs with Note 1. However, the screen was unbelievably big. I can read,  draw, and watch movies with ease. The drawback would be that I can't text with one hand. The stencil was very responsive that I could draw and paint. There were many apps I could download with Samsung and Android.

Now, I have Samsung S4 and Samsung Note 3. The S4 acted funny when it restarted with Samsung/Android update. S4 kept restarting continuously. I had to return the phone to Samsung Service Center. The motherboard was spoilt and had to be exchanged. Since then, S4 has been performing at below par.

As for Note 3. I've been using it for almost a year now. Lately, it has been unresponsive and sometimes, freezes. I had to restart couple of times to remove the fault, which will come back after some time. I'm guessing that it could be Android that is causing the problem. Also,  the camera in Note 3 is not good. Snapping a photo is lagging. The culprit was the stabiliser, but disabling that caused blurred pics. I've tried Oppo and Xiaomi. Both had beaten Samsung in pic quality. Both have smooth,  fast,  sleeker,  meaner and uninterrupted experience. Alas,  my Note 3 is a lagging snail. 

The decision has been made. I'm going to try either Xiaomi (cheaper) or Oppo (slightly expensive,  but better) in my next buy. So long Samsung. It's been fun, but it's time to change.

Different types of tiles in Singapore

Google is disappointment in this topic too. Sigh, probably lack of data to show.

What I wanted to know

1. Different types of tiles
2. What are the material that made up these tiles
3. Comparing the performance of each tile, or the pro and con of these tiles

I've got one blogger who provided a good answer to my query, "Home Memory" blog and the types of tiles (Laminate, homogenous, granite, parquet, teak, marble, ceramic), and the pros and cons. Parquet is a flooring design made of wood, whereas a teak is a wood derived from evergreen tree (Tectona grandis) of southeast Asia. Therefore, parquet is a process whereas teak is the material. Similarly, don't confuse with mosaic with tiles. Mosaic is a process that uses materials other than tiles.


Types of tiles
Homogenous(or homogeneous) tile
Man-made tile composed of uniform materials (no information regarding the material used), and considered to be as tough as granite (coarse-grained, light-coloured, hard igneous rock [composed of quartz, orthoclase/microline, and mica]).

Marble tile (not to be confused with marble toy)
Durable, but weaker than homogenous and granite tiles. Marble tiles can be porous (even though after polished or honed) and coloured liquid can easily stain marble tiles. In addition, constant acid (such as lime juice) exposure will corrode marble tile (but not to worry because it could be repaired with cost).

Compressed marble
Not as durable as homogenous tiles. The compression might not be as efficient as nature intended.


Granite tile
Granite is hardest stone used for flooring, but can be slippery if not well maintained.

Ceramic tile (not homogenous)
Low cost, not durable (if in constant contact that could cause cracks) and hence not advisable for flooring. It is made of red clay and glazed with surface coating.



Pricing
Got it from Forum
Thanks to yoongf for the input in a forum estimating the price of different tiles (minus workmanship and other materials; which can markup the price 20% to 80%).

• Real Marble approximately SGD 12 per square foot (psf), 
• Compressed Marble approximately SGD 9 psf, 
• Homogenous Glossed approximately SGD 3.50 psf. 

Note that 1 psf is roughly 30 x 30 square cm (or exactly 929.0304 square centimeters). 


I will continue the blog once I visit the showroom and compare the prices for homogenous tiles. I'm looking for textured homogenous tiles.

Too bad, first experience using Acer notebook left a lasting impression

My first experience buying Acer Travel Mate 6292 notebook at IT Fair gave a bad impression. The notebook was loud, with the CPU fan churning too much distraction. The keyboard felt hot to touch especially around the CPU area suggesting that it was over-heating. The usage of external cooler to dissipate heat was useless. After a while, I couldn't start the machine. The power button was useless and had to bring it to the Service Center. Got it fixed.

Then, after several month, the notebook wasn't powering up again. Luckily it was still under warranty (thanks to the extended warranty I paid during the IT Fair). The Service Center said the motherboard got burnt. They suggested that they could offer a buy back and upgrade option, e.g. I just have to pay extra money to get a brand new and better model notebook. I felt it was unneccesary wastage of money and decided to go through the revamp. A new motherboard was fixed to the machine.

The same loud fan and hot keyboard was still a nuisance. Anyway, got to use the machine for several months before the screen went black. It seemed that the backlight (inverter problem) or LED screen could be causing this problem, because as I plug my LCD monitor via VGA cable, I could use my notebook. Right now, the only way I can use my notebook is to take it as a desktop plugged to an LCD monitor. What a bummer. I could invest in an inverter or LED screen but have no idea how to test which is not working. The inverter costs sgd 19.00, while the LED screen sgd170.

I have Samsung machine which I have used for > 7 years. An NEC notebook which I have used for >5 years. Another Samsung notebook which I have used >4 years and another Samsung netbook >3 years. Having an Acer that broke down around 1 year sort of shunned me from ever trying Acer notebook again. I would try desktop, or home theater PC (HTPC) from Acer, but with caution. That is an unfortunate long lasting impression from first experience.