Flight: MU 568 Singapore - Pudong (Shanghai)
Flight: MU 587 Pudong - New York (JFK)
At a glance, this is the cheapest flight form Singapore - New York. The cost is about US$1400 which is about $400 cheaper than the other flights. As I was saving up for a camera lens, I decided to fly this as I have enough miles on China Eastern to upgrade to business class on the latter flight.
Initially, I booked at several other webpages, and all of the bookings seemed to be cancelled. I wanted to book with Singapore webpages, Zuji and Asiatravels.sg, however for the same (cheapest flight) the cost is S$150 more than the US sites. Hence, I decided to try the other sites, and eventually, with Orbitz, the order got through.
The flight was however far from satisfactory, but at $400 cheaper, I decided to try. Firstly there was a 14 hour stop over at Shanghai, this allowed me to meet a friend and go around the EXPO area again.
It was strange how many passengers on the airlines are just so eager to get on board, from the beginning, this flight to JFK (New York) seemed to be a nightmare. The flight attendants of China Eastern cannot seem to control the crowd. The boarding was very chaotic, and everyone seemed to be fighting to get on board. On the plane, the passengers do not seem to know where to sit. I had a person in my seat because there was someone in his seat, and someone else in his seat...
Nonetheless, the flight took off on time. On the flight, I requested for water after 30 minutes in the air, and the air stewardess was no where to be found. 30 minutes later, they started serving water, and for the initial few people in front, they seem to get beer and other beverages, however, when they came to me, there was no more beer and orange juice, just apple juice and coke.
Then dinner came, and again beef rice was out, and chicken noodles was what's left, and indeed, it is inedible. The fruits are soggy and food is simply nasty. They ran out of beverages, and they only have water and tea. I requested for playing cards, and they are out of that too. This is simply insane!
When I arrived in Shanghai, I met my friend for dinner and we travelled around the EXPO site and had dinner, later I checked into a motel. It was a decent motel for $60, but there is no internet access. I was quite glad to have this break in my flight for a nap, and it may prove to be very good. 2 showers amd a breakfast, it may seem all worthwhile.
The second leg of my flight is from Shanghai to New York. The plane is much bigger and the business class is much more spacious compared to economy. In business class, the food however is as miserable as before, and what I can simply call NASTY, hence I decided on my liquid meals, 6 beers, and they have only Bud light, but still, its better than crappy food. Surprisingly, in business class, the "China" people who fly seemed to be similar. As I was sitting near the toilet, I could say that 1 out of 2 people flush, and about 2 out of 3 knows how to lock the door. It was a very sad seat indeed when you hear people from the toilet trying to have a conversation with their friend outside.
I usually get a lot of sleep on flights, but this bunch of people are extremely noisy, the "real estate tycoon" beside me who boasts of 7 digit income per month and several mistresses around seemed very eager to share too much information, and show me his keys to the different cars he own, and one of them was a limited edition E63 AMG with Swarvoski Crystals embedded in the key. He also talked about his Cadalliac and his Audi R8 in Manhattan, I wonder where is there space to own a supercar?
The beers for each meal kept me going on, no food and simply light beer seemed to work so far. I'm really looking forward to meet my friends, and all the pain endured, and more pain to come (Metro, and probably bus from NYC to Boston) will be rewarded with good company.
Overall, the trip was indeed "Budget" and it feels like it, the meals are poor, and experience rather bad, but it felt safe and ok when you arrive. Do you think it is worth it?
-- Robin Low
Friday, November 12, 2010
Sunday, November 07, 2010
Cheapoair.com
This is the first time I booked with CheapoAir.com
Its $1 cheaper than Orbitz and much cheaper than Travelocity and Kayak.
I've tried Orbitz before, and it was plenty of FAIL, and so because of price. (And saving up for that stupid lens) I've decided to try CHEAP, and fly this stupid airlines.
Initially, when I saw the above ad, I was pretty happy, but when there is no way of entering the "coupon" during checkout, I realized that it was a FAIL and a ploy again.
Then checking on AsiaTravels.com and Zuji.com.sg, the prices are $120 higher, and I decided that since it was the same flight, I'll trust the Kayak Price comparison, and go with CheapoAir.
By The Way, Singaporeans without a US Credit need not even try as they need a US / Canada Billing address. So go pay your $120 more with AsiaTravels.
I am going to earn some miles, and get lots of pain! (I've got China Air miles eligible for upgrade!)
I booked the tickets and got this reply.
I have a feeling that this service may suck as well, and there may be verification calls to add on the pain. Nonetheless, I hope that returning to Boston to meet my friends for the holidays will make it all worth while!
-- Robin Low
Its $1 cheaper than Orbitz and much cheaper than Travelocity and Kayak.
I've tried Orbitz before, and it was plenty of FAIL, and so because of price. (And saving up for that stupid lens) I've decided to try CHEAP, and fly this stupid airlines.
Initially, when I saw the above ad, I was pretty happy, but when there is no way of entering the "coupon" during checkout, I realized that it was a FAIL and a ploy again.
Then checking on AsiaTravels.com and Zuji.com.sg, the prices are $120 higher, and I decided that since it was the same flight, I'll trust the Kayak Price comparison, and go with CheapoAir.
By The Way, Singaporeans without a US Credit need not even try as they need a US / Canada Billing address. So go pay your $120 more with AsiaTravels.
I am going to earn some miles, and get lots of pain! (I've got China Air miles eligible for upgrade!)
I booked the tickets and got this reply.
|
| Customer Information |
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| Trip Summary |
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| Disclaimer: All special requests, meal preferences, seat requests are not guaranteed. You must contact your airline to reconfirm that they have received this request and confirmed it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Please note: As Airlines have frequent schedule changes, please call the Airline 24 hours before departure to reconfirm your flight details. Airline Phone Numbers Your ticket is NON-REFUNDABLE . For any changes to dates or routing, please call our Customer Service. These changes may have airline penalty and our fees. Some flights may be completely NON CHANGEABLE even with an airline penalty. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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I have a feeling that this service may suck as well, and there may be verification calls to add on the pain. Nonetheless, I hope that returning to Boston to meet my friends for the holidays will make it all worth while!
-- Robin Low
Monday, November 01, 2010
Moist+ 2 Review.
Moist+ 2 Facial Masks.
Moist+™ 2 is a relaxing at-home facial treatment for vibrant, soft and silky-smooth skin. The soft Eco-cotton facial mask will give you the moisturizing and relaxing benefits of a spa-quality facial in your own home. Each mask is pre-cut and pre-moistened with a relaxing mix of rose hip extract, marine collagen, Hyaluronic acid, Mulberry Bark Extract and Matricaria extract, to moisturize your skin and boost its radiance.
From the packaging, it looks like a simple Facial mask, but after opening it up, I was pleasantly surprised.
The Unique Facial Mask has a very nice pattern, and the grey parts contain Eco-fabric which helps absorption of nutrients.
It looks very interesting and the mask, backed with a piece of plastic is easy to open and apply to the face.
The nutrients are also very thick, and pretty much odourless, with just a tinge of faint refreshing smell. The thick nutrients feel good when applied, and the mask fits rather well to my face.
Directions:
Wash face thoroughly.
Open packet, take out pre-moistened mask and unfold.
Apply mask to face and press lightly with finger-tips to set in place.
Relax for 15 minutes and remove mask.
Discard mask after use.
After 15 minutes, I rinsed my face and my face does feel softer and refreshed. The short 15 minutes of relaxation also calms me down after a long day at work.
This is simply Genius!
Ingredients：Rose Hip Oil , Marine collagen, Hyaluronic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizinate, Extracts of Matricaria, Bamboo Charcoal, Mulberry bark, Sea Weed Extract, Perilla Extract, Carbopol, Butylene Glycol, Methylparaben, Distilled water.
Nothing out of the ordinary.
The masks feels top quality, and compared with the top brands like SK-II, it actually feels similar, but the masks looks more interesting.
Many people were afraid of Methylparaben, but I did some research, and found that top brands are using them, and though Paraben is banned in Japan, SK-II and Moist+ 2 are sold in Japan and according to many credible websites, MethylParaben seems completely safe.
Wikipedia Entry.
I would totally recommend this product.
-- Robin Low
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
New Facebook Group Test - Singapore Social Media
I've started a Group on Singapore Social Media, and I invited my friends who are on Twitter and Facebook to join.
Within a few seconds, I realized that I actually have a lot of friends on Facebook whom I'm not following on Twitter, and I would like to add my friends on Twitter to Facebook as well.
I have a Singapore Twitter list. Where I listed a lots of interesting Singaporean Tweeps to follow.
I hope this helps businesses in Singapore to look for influencers in Singapore as I believe a lot of them are indeed very influencial!
I'm still testing out how Groups work on Facebook, and I will share more information soon.
-- Robin Low
Monday, October 11, 2010
Audiophile In-ear Head Phones 2010
I have the pleasure to try out these fantastic devices over the weekend, and I was indeed pleased with most of them. Here are some of the reviews.
Monster turbine pro high-performance in-ear speakers gold
These babies are simply insane. The separation is very clear, and they seem to have the best base you can ever get. I mean -- Subwoofer base -- right in your ear! Listened to Hip Hop and it felt like you are in a show car with all that BASE! For most other headphones with base, the other ranges of sound usually suffers, however these babies are crisp and clear.
I'm really impressed with the technology, and this headphone is the only one you need to listen to hip hop, opera or classical music! (However the price is rather intimidating)
Shure SE535 Sound Isolating Earphones
Triple High-Definition MicroDrivers
Featuring Triple High-Definition MicroDrivers, the SE535 utilizes dedicated tweeter and dual woofers to deliver spacious sound with rich bass. A detachable cable with wire-form fit enables easy replacement, both extending the life of your investment and providing a secure, comfortable fit. Sound Isolating sleeves in multiple sizes provide up to 37 dB of isolation, and a wide assortment of accessories offer premium customization.
In short, this is INSANE. Though the base was not as deep as the monster turbine, it was very rich, and when used in crowded areas and loud places, the sound isolation REALLY works. Very comfortable and GREAT quality. It comes with a lot of accessories as well. The removable cables is indeed cool, but the price is SCARY.
Klipsch Image X10 Noise-Isolating Earphone
These headphones don't look impressive. They are indeed light and could be the smallest audiophile quality headphones ever! I was shocked by the clarity of the sound this headphone produced, and the sound isolation and base is relatively top grade as well.
They are so small and light, I forgot that the are on my ears sometimes. Very comfortable to wear! Again, price is a major consideration, and a tad $$$$$$.
The High-fidelity Sennheiser IE 8 Premium Audiophile
Ok, I don't really get this. The owner I borrowed it from bragged about the quality, and the reviews I read were stunning. However, when I put them on, they did not fit perfectly like the other headphones, and I felt it was lacking in base. I could not tell that it actually had more frequencies in the inaudible range than the other headphones (As I'm not a dog) and I frankly do not care.
It produces a good sound, however when compared to the rest, and at the price of these headphones, I did not like it at all, perhaps because of the fit.
Grado GR8
Initially, I did not feel that this was in the same range of headphones I've tested, but after seeing the name Grado, I realized that there must be something great behind this babies. Although they feel a little plastic, they were actually the most comfortable of the lot, and the sound is nothing but stunning. The build quality is rather good, and the cables feel sturdy with certain parts reinforced and strong. I like them, but again, I feel that this is just a "cheap" Grado product, something pretty affordable, while giving you all that good sound.
Still cheaper than the SE535, these seemed like good value for money, when you put on the brand.
-- Robin Low
Monster turbine pro high-performance in-ear speakers gold
These babies are simply insane. The separation is very clear, and they seem to have the best base you can ever get. I mean -- Subwoofer base -- right in your ear! Listened to Hip Hop and it felt like you are in a show car with all that BASE! For most other headphones with base, the other ranges of sound usually suffers, however these babies are crisp and clear.
I'm really impressed with the technology, and this headphone is the only one you need to listen to hip hop, opera or classical music! (However the price is rather intimidating)
Shure SE535 Sound Isolating Earphones
Triple High-Definition MicroDrivers
Featuring Triple High-Definition MicroDrivers, the SE535 utilizes dedicated tweeter and dual woofers to deliver spacious sound with rich bass. A detachable cable with wire-form fit enables easy replacement, both extending the life of your investment and providing a secure, comfortable fit. Sound Isolating sleeves in multiple sizes provide up to 37 dB of isolation, and a wide assortment of accessories offer premium customization.
In short, this is INSANE. Though the base was not as deep as the monster turbine, it was very rich, and when used in crowded areas and loud places, the sound isolation REALLY works. Very comfortable and GREAT quality. It comes with a lot of accessories as well. The removable cables is indeed cool, but the price is SCARY.
Klipsch Image X10 Noise-Isolating Earphone
These headphones don't look impressive. They are indeed light and could be the smallest audiophile quality headphones ever! I was shocked by the clarity of the sound this headphone produced, and the sound isolation and base is relatively top grade as well.
They are so small and light, I forgot that the are on my ears sometimes. Very comfortable to wear! Again, price is a major consideration, and a tad $$$$$$.
The High-fidelity Sennheiser IE 8 Premium Audiophile
Ok, I don't really get this. The owner I borrowed it from bragged about the quality, and the reviews I read were stunning. However, when I put them on, they did not fit perfectly like the other headphones, and I felt it was lacking in base. I could not tell that it actually had more frequencies in the inaudible range than the other headphones (As I'm not a dog) and I frankly do not care.
It produces a good sound, however when compared to the rest, and at the price of these headphones, I did not like it at all, perhaps because of the fit.
Grado GR8
Initially, I did not feel that this was in the same range of headphones I've tested, but after seeing the name Grado, I realized that there must be something great behind this babies. Although they feel a little plastic, they were actually the most comfortable of the lot, and the sound is nothing but stunning. The build quality is rather good, and the cables feel sturdy with certain parts reinforced and strong. I like them, but again, I feel that this is just a "cheap" Grado product, something pretty affordable, while giving you all that good sound.
Still cheaper than the SE535, these seemed like good value for money, when you put on the brand.
-- Robin Low
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
#Newtwitter Review
I've been using the New Twitter for some time now, and I would say, it has been an improvement from the previous Twitter.
Some features are pretty nifty, and when you click on a person's Tweet, their last tweets will be shown.
The window on the right also shows much more information like the #Hashtags used, Retweets, and your replies, making it more useful than before.
I feel that the direct messages portion, though it may be more fancy than before, is harder for you to delete messages, especially spam. It is still not useful for me as I have too many spam in my DM box, and I can't be bothered to check.
The Retweet still feels weird to me, as I much prefer the standard way of using RT, even it does cost 3 characters.
For many people, even @Mashable, their backgrounds definitely need to be edited to fit the new Twitter, but otherwise, I would say its fun, and an improvement.
-- Robin Low
Friday, October 01, 2010
Legend of the fist - Review
Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen
This is the new Donny Yen movie, and yes, it is with fast punches, parkour, and of course... Super Heroes.
Seven years after the apparent death of Chen Zhen, who was shot after discovering who was responsible for his teacher's death (Huo Yuanjia) in Japanese-occupied Shanghai. A mysterious stranger arrives from overseas and befriends a local mafia boss. That man is a disguised Chen Zhen, who intends to infiltrate the mob when they form an alliance with the Japanese. Disguising himself as a caped fighter by night, Chen intends to take out everyone involved as well as get his hands on an assassination list prepared by the Japanese.
Not to be confused with the Fist of Legend, this new Gordon Chan movie is about Chen Zhen, after he returns from France, being a "war labour" and somehow also a hero, and he is indeed a Superhero.
This is the sequel to the Fist of Fury, made popular by Bruce Lee, and is set in Shanghai before the Second Sino-Japanese War, seven years after the apparent death of Chen Zhen, who was shot after avenging his teacher (Huo Yuanjia).
In the spirit of the good old Bruce Lee movies, it brings out the incompetence of White people, and the arrogance of the Japanese, and how all of them should be killed with the fist!
To make things more interesting and Superhero like, Donny Yen puts on a ridiculous fake mustache or a black mask (like the Green Hornet), and the action in the movie is also making Chen Zhen look like just another invincible Superhero.
I must admit, the action is quite interesting, however, it fails to deliver much message like Ip Man, and the characters are indeed pretty flat. There are a few characters(Shawn Yue) in the movie that does not do much, and are simply a distraction.
Many of the action scene are simply over the top -- like Crank, and simply too hilarious. It is a good action flick, and should be just taken as that if you intend to go catch it.
I've watched it a few days ago, but decided to review it only after a few requests.
I would give it a 7.5/10 for action and 3/10 for story.
The last villian fight is indeed fast like any other Donny Yen movie, and I feel like when you watch Ip Man, you probably recognize some of the similar scenes. I`d say LEGEND OF THE FIST is a damn solid Donnie Yen movie(If you are a fan), and a kung-fu extravaganza to please all fans of the genre. While I prefer both IP MAN films, as well as SPL, and FLASHPOINT, it would be a great way to de-stress and watch Donny beat the Japanese to a pulp...
If you love Gore, you will love this movie! (It needs lightly more blood... to qualify as a B-movie)
-- Robin Low
This is the new Donny Yen movie, and yes, it is with fast punches, parkour, and of course... Super Heroes.
Seven years after the apparent death of Chen Zhen, who was shot after discovering who was responsible for his teacher's death (Huo Yuanjia) in Japanese-occupied Shanghai. A mysterious stranger arrives from overseas and befriends a local mafia boss. That man is a disguised Chen Zhen, who intends to infiltrate the mob when they form an alliance with the Japanese. Disguising himself as a caped fighter by night, Chen intends to take out everyone involved as well as get his hands on an assassination list prepared by the Japanese.
Not to be confused with the Fist of Legend, this new Gordon Chan movie is about Chen Zhen, after he returns from France, being a "war labour" and somehow also a hero, and he is indeed a Superhero.
This is the sequel to the Fist of Fury, made popular by Bruce Lee, and is set in Shanghai before the Second Sino-Japanese War, seven years after the apparent death of Chen Zhen, who was shot after avenging his teacher (Huo Yuanjia).
In the spirit of the good old Bruce Lee movies, it brings out the incompetence of White people, and the arrogance of the Japanese, and how all of them should be killed with the fist!
To make things more interesting and Superhero like, Donny Yen puts on a ridiculous fake mustache or a black mask (like the Green Hornet), and the action in the movie is also making Chen Zhen look like just another invincible Superhero.
I must admit, the action is quite interesting, however, it fails to deliver much message like Ip Man, and the characters are indeed pretty flat. There are a few characters(Shawn Yue) in the movie that does not do much, and are simply a distraction.
Many of the action scene are simply over the top -- like Crank, and simply too hilarious. It is a good action flick, and should be just taken as that if you intend to go catch it.
I've watched it a few days ago, but decided to review it only after a few requests.
I would give it a 7.5/10 for action and 3/10 for story.
The last villian fight is indeed fast like any other Donny Yen movie, and I feel like when you watch Ip Man, you probably recognize some of the similar scenes. I`d say LEGEND OF THE FIST is a damn solid Donnie Yen movie(If you are a fan), and a kung-fu extravaganza to please all fans of the genre. While I prefer both IP MAN films, as well as SPL, and FLASHPOINT, it would be a great way to de-stress and watch Donny beat the Japanese to a pulp...
If you love Gore, you will love this movie! (It needs lightly more blood... to qualify as a B-movie)
-- Robin Low
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