Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Surprise!
Meet my Sg barkada: my dear sister Zarah, Candy, Lesley, Sunshine, Dian, Ate Vivi, Chelle, Elaine, Jen & Joan (photographer) . These are the people who makes my Sg life a bliss. Amidst loneliness, stress & problems, they are always a call or an sms away from making things better. So even after moving to different companies, we still try to meet each other regularly. Even if it's just to see a movie or have dinner at Lau Pa Sat, seeing my friends gives me the strength to move on.So when Jo proposed that we join the Vietnam trip that she planned for Jen's birthday as a surprise, we quickly agreed. I think we started planning the trip since July. Since most of us just changed employers, we had to save up & plan the trip way ahead of time. Of course without Jen's knowledge
On Aug 1 am i received an sms from Jo & Elaine that Jo & Jen have already booked the air ticket. She gave us the flight details & encouraged us to book the same flight. I sent a blast to the girls telling them that as long as 1 other person confirms, i would proceed to book the flight. Luckily Elaine confirmed, thus I booked the same flight for the both of us.
Unfortunately, as much as we want the gang to be complete, Ate Vivi was in transition at that time, Candy & Lesley were saving up for something bigger, Zar was still in Pinas & Chelle has already been there and was going back to Pinas on the same weekend.
Later in the day Sunshine & Dian confirmed so also booked the same flight for them. Joan later informed us that LA would also be joining us, along with Jen's Mom & Lola. Now the tickets are settled, now we need to find a hotel.
Jen actually wanted to stay at Lan Lan Hotel because it's very near the Ben Than Market. So we did a little research. The place did not get any good reviews from the sites that I frequently visit for reference. So I advised Joan to look for a different hotel. Of course we placed her in a difficult situation because she couldn't tell Jen the reason why they can't stay there. Eventually she managed to convince Jen to book a different hotel. Luckily Jo found Sophia Hotel online, so by Aug 31st our accommodation was settled.
It's usually a habit of mine to prepare a travel itinerary whenever I go. But unfortunately the transportation system in Vietnam is not as developed as the previous countries that we've been to. I've visited various sites for information on how to go to the key places, but the only option feasible was to take a cab, which would cost you around 5USD/trip. So we just printed the info sheet about the places that we want to visit & just see how we could get there once we're checked in.
Sept 19 4am: woke up, took a shower & went to the airport. i was the first one to arrive. i smsed the group already & everybody replied except for Sunshine ( as usual
). Elaine & Dian arrived next, with Elaine's bf Emerson who was automatically assigned to be the photographer. Shortly after that Sunshine arrived. After a few pictures, Dian & Elaine went to find an ATM to draw out money. When they returned they were already with Joan, LA & Jen (with a puzzeled look on her face)
Jen: "Ano ginagawa niyo dito?"
Ailene: "Aba ewan ko sa'yo, basta kami
pupunta kami sa Vietnam"
Jen: "Ha?"
Everybody: Surprise!
Happy Birthday Epang!
Even after we have checked in for the flight Jen still couldn't believe that we were joining them for the trip. It was really funny & exciting to surprise her like that. Good thing Dian brought her video cam & it was properly documented.
It was supposed to be a 2-hr flight, but since Vietnam was 1-hr behind from Singapore time it seemed like our travel time was just 1 hr and it also helped that we were sleeping the whole time =)
The Tan Son Nhat International Airport was reminiscent of our old NAIA. The immigration queue was moving quite slow, good thing they opened a few more counters upon our arrival. Jen, Jo & LA went to Baggage Claim Zone 3 to meet Tita Lu & Lola, while the rest of us went to the money changer & became instant millionaires (in VDN). Jen booked a van for 20USD to bring us to the hotel and after almost an hour drive, we reached The Sophia Hotel. We were greeted by the friendly staff & the uber efficient front desk personnel. Dian, Sunshine, Elaine & I were given Rm 606, while Jen, Jo, LA, Tita Lu & Lola were given Rm 406.
We reached there about lunch time so we were all famished. Chelle recommended that we look for Pho 2000 & try out the spring rolls. Luckily there was one just around the corner from our hotel. And Chelle was right, the spring rolls were the best! 
...to be continued
Sophia Hotel - Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
| Rating: | ★★★★★ |
| Category: | Other |
Contrary to what they said, our trip proved to be one of the most exciting trips I've ever had. A big part of the excitement was contributed by our wonderful stay at Sophia Hotel.
The hotel staff was great! The bell men at the entrance were really friendly, they had a ready smile & would assist us in anyway they can. They would check out the taxi meter before we pay the driver to make sure that we were not cheated & they would help us bring your stuff without expecting any tip. We noticed this because they did not linger after helping or bringing us the adapter & weighing scale (yes we were quite a demanding group ;-) They just politely brought the things & said thank you.
Special mention to Dung, the Front Desk Manager, who went out of his way to assist us book a free & easy city tour on our first day. For USD100 all 9 of us had one van bring us to the key tourist spots in the city & to anywhere else we wanted to go. Our driver did not speak much English so every time we needed someone to explain things to him, he would call Dung on his mobile & ask us to talk to him & he would then in turn translate. It was value added service to the max! Thru this we managed to tour the city in just half a day, have dinner at Jollibee, have a blast of shopping at the Ben Than night market & conveniently brought back to our hotel by 10pm.
The next day we booked a guided tour with lunch for Cu Chi Tunnel & Cao Dai Temple for USD252, again with the help of Dung.
The room was just the right size, very clean & well furnished. There was even a safety deposit box in the closet (free of charge) which I have never experienced in the previous countries that I've visited. The bathroom was nice & very clean. They also have 3 internet terminals at the lobby & serve you water while surfing.
The only thing that could have lowered their mark on my rating meter by 0.02% would be the breakfast. They did not prepare enough fried rice so those of us who came in a bit later than the others had to wait for a few more minutes while they cooked the rice. But then I would just attribute it to miscalculation because apparently they did not expect my petite friends to be big eaters (if there is such a word) hahahaha. But then bringing in Jen's cake & let us eat it in the dinning hall without charging any corkage fee sets the negative rating off because we got a better end of the deal.
Overall i give them a 100% rating for a job well done. For those who are thinking of going to Ho Chi Minh on a budget, Sophia Hotel is the best place to be. Just visit their website below for more details:
Website : http://www.sophiahotelvietnam.com/
Address : 36-38 Thai Van Lung, Ben Nghe Ward, Dist.1, HCMC
Telephone: (+84-8) 38256972 fax (+84-8) 38256971
Email: info@sohpiahotelvietnam.com
reservation@sophiahotelvietnam.com
Friday, September 25, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Sunday, September 06, 2009
Private Swaps from Postcrossing
This album contains my private swap postcards from www.postcrossing.com
Sunday, August 16, 2009
The Quickie Fire at our Block
i was alone at home happily listening to rx 93.1 & doing a travel itinerary for my friends when i noticed a lot of smoke coming in from outside. then i smelled burning rubber. i immediately went outside to see what was happening & our next door neighbor told me that there's a fire at the 3rd floor of our block. she told me that i can be seen from our kitchen window.
our neighbor was very quick in calling the fire brigade & another neighbor already called the police and in about 10 minutes, the fire engine & police arrived...
... quickly set up the perimeter line.
a police officer asked all us to evacuate & so i did. i called my housemates who were at vivo city. however, by the time that they reached home, it was all over. the fire was under control.
i didn't even have the time to panic or be scared because it all happened very fast, as in super fast (about 30 minutes). there was only 1 fire truck, i saw about 4 fire fighters & 5 police men. there was no drama, no chaos, no shouting. everyone was just quietly observing everything. <--- yes may mga uzi din pala sa singapore, hindi nga lang katulad ng uzi sa pinas hahaha ---> until we were advised to go back.
it was so comforting to experience the efficiency of the singapore emergency system. one would really feel safe & secured knowing how vigilant the police, fire fighters & citizens are. i was so amazed. which made me realize that i want to stay here in sg for a very long time, if not forever.
our neighbor was very quick in calling the fire brigade & another neighbor already called the police and in about 10 minutes, the fire engine & police arrived...
... quickly set up the perimeter line.a police officer asked all us to evacuate & so i did. i called my housemates who were at vivo city. however, by the time that they reached home, it was all over. the fire was under control.i didn't even have the time to panic or be scared because it all happened very fast, as in super fast (about 30 minutes). there was only 1 fire truck, i saw about 4 fire fighters & 5 police men. there was no drama, no chaos, no shouting. everyone was just quietly observing everything. <--- yes may mga uzi din pala sa singapore, hindi nga lang katulad ng uzi sa pinas hahaha ---> until we were advised to go back.it was so comforting to experience the efficiency of the singapore emergency system. one would really feel safe & secured knowing how vigilant the police, fire fighters & citizens are. i was so amazed. which made me realize that i want to stay here in sg for a very long time, if not forever.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
and then, i move on...
a lot of things happen in this world that are beyond our control. whether it's good or bad, we all have no choice but to accept them. however, it may lead us to a downward spiral of depression & agony or to a new window of opportunity, the path that we choose would be the seed for our next adventure in life so we should choose wisely.
recently i have come across another hurdle in life. my old company had to let go of a lot of employees because they were moving fast forward, unfortunately they decided to leave a few men behind. people often said that this company was very stable because it is one of the biggest here in singapore, but i guess the size of the company doesn't really matter when it comes to the big "R". it was so disturbing at that time to see people disappear one by one and then later come back with a box to put their things in or to come back from a holiday and see that one of your colleagues has already left a day or two before without even saying goodbye. sad as it may seem, i saw it in a brighter perspective, i chose to see it as a window of opportunity.
today, i got my new spass. my pass was processed on the same day that my previous employer cancelled my old spass & was approved within 24hrs. it was quite easy for me this time around compared to my first application 1.5 yrs ago. i had to stay jobless in singapore for 3 months, constantly buying newspapers and applying online and had to wait for 2 weeks before my pass was approved. but it all worked out well for me. i am still very thankful to my previous company where i gained the experience and the friends (my special thanks to christie, the kindest and sincerest person you'll ever meet) who helped me & my pinoy friends to move on.
so in the end it still boils down to my favorite mantra "all things happen for a reason." what seems to be a very bad or sad thing, may turn out to be the start of something big for you. just try to look at the bigger picture, have confidence in yourself, always trust in God, and then move on.
recently i have come across another hurdle in life. my old company had to let go of a lot of employees because they were moving fast forward, unfortunately they decided to leave a few men behind. people often said that this company was very stable because it is one of the biggest here in singapore, but i guess the size of the company doesn't really matter when it comes to the big "R". it was so disturbing at that time to see people disappear one by one and then later come back with a box to put their things in or to come back from a holiday and see that one of your colleagues has already left a day or two before without even saying goodbye. sad as it may seem, i saw it in a brighter perspective, i chose to see it as a window of opportunity.
today, i got my new spass. my pass was processed on the same day that my previous employer cancelled my old spass & was approved within 24hrs. it was quite easy for me this time around compared to my first application 1.5 yrs ago. i had to stay jobless in singapore for 3 months, constantly buying newspapers and applying online and had to wait for 2 weeks before my pass was approved. but it all worked out well for me. i am still very thankful to my previous company where i gained the experience and the friends (my special thanks to christie, the kindest and sincerest person you'll ever meet) who helped me & my pinoy friends to move on.
so in the end it still boils down to my favorite mantra "all things happen for a reason." what seems to be a very bad or sad thing, may turn out to be the start of something big for you. just try to look at the bigger picture, have confidence in yourself, always trust in God, and then move on.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Chin Chan aka Pee Pee Boy
These toys were given to us by my Sifu Jean when she came back from her Beijing holiday. Apparently he is also very famous there as "Pee Pee boy" while in the Philippines he is known as Chin Chan.
We followed the instructions properly:
1. Immerse the toy on hot water for 2 minutes.
2. Immerse the toy in cold water.
3. Take out the toys & put a bit of hot water on the head & water should spurt out of his "thinggie"
....but it didn't work. Maybe we will try it again tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Random thots
12MAY2009 - Today i have confirmed that helping a person in need is very rewarding indeed. I helped 2 girls find their way back to their hotel & in doing so i discovered that bus 57 is a direct bus from t. Blangah rd to the merlion park & the esplanade =)
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
a series of cute but unfortunate events: the sunshine chronicles
this is a compilation of stories about my good friend here in sg. since she is too busy to blog her own stories, i am blogging them on her behalf to share the joy & laughter that de-stresses us during our lunch breaks. to protect her identity & reputation, i will not use her real name, but instead use her pet name "little miss sunshine"
book 1: ash wednesday
the first quarter of the year is always the most toxic period in our lives at work, where we spend 10 - 12 hours each & every single day including saturdays. as we were all preoccupied with work, we were all unprepared for the coming of ash wednesday. although we have discussed it a few weeks back, when the actual day came, we were caught off guard on the mass schedule of the churches that we usually go to. a good friend told me that there would be an 8pm mass at st. theresa's (the church near our place), diane already had plans of going to their church in tampines, candy was going to st. anne's in sengkang & our other friends had plans as well. but our little miss sunshine was still undecided whether to go with us to st. therese or go to woodlands with her roommate... it was already 7:30pm when my sister & i left the office, we took a cab to get to st. therese on time, we were such in a hurry that we forgot to ask whether little miss sunshine would be joining us or not.
so in the end she went by herself and since she was caught in a traffic jam & could not make it on time to woodlands for the mass, she alighted at the stop next to the nearest church that she could find. this was the st. andrew's cathedral near the city hall mrt station. she immediately went in & sat at the front row. at the time that she entered the priest was already giving the homily. she sat there for about 30 minutes, wondering why the priest was giving such a long homily. the homily stretched a few minutes more, which made her wonder... is this a mass or is just a bible study??? she waited a few minutes more but the priest went on. so she finally decided to step out. past the door she saw a few church elders and asked them : "would there be a mass for ash wednesday after this?" and the elder quickly replied: "oh no no, this is not a catholic church, this is anglican. but if you are free you can join us for our service as well."
book 1: ash wednesday
the first quarter of the year is always the most toxic period in our lives at work, where we spend 10 - 12 hours each & every single day including saturdays. as we were all preoccupied with work, we were all unprepared for the coming of ash wednesday. although we have discussed it a few weeks back, when the actual day came, we were caught off guard on the mass schedule of the churches that we usually go to. a good friend told me that there would be an 8pm mass at st. theresa's (the church near our place), diane already had plans of going to their church in tampines, candy was going to st. anne's in sengkang & our other friends had plans as well. but our little miss sunshine was still undecided whether to go with us to st. therese or go to woodlands with her roommate... it was already 7:30pm when my sister & i left the office, we took a cab to get to st. therese on time, we were such in a hurry that we forgot to ask whether little miss sunshine would be joining us or not.
so in the end she went by herself and since she was caught in a traffic jam & could not make it on time to woodlands for the mass, she alighted at the stop next to the nearest church that she could find. this was the st. andrew's cathedral near the city hall mrt station. she immediately went in & sat at the front row. at the time that she entered the priest was already giving the homily. she sat there for about 30 minutes, wondering why the priest was giving such a long homily. the homily stretched a few minutes more, which made her wonder... is this a mass or is just a bible study??? she waited a few minutes more but the priest went on. so she finally decided to step out. past the door she saw a few church elders and asked them : "would there be a mass for ash wednesday after this?" and the elder quickly replied: "oh no no, this is not a catholic church, this is anglican. but if you are free you can join us for our service as well."
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Dr. Dulce Amor Feliciano - Galang
hi friends!
this time im not writing a blog about myself, but about my friend Dr Dulce Amor Feliciano - Galang. Actually its not a blog, promotion lang hehehe. So if any of you would like to seek the help of a pretty & reliable derma here is her schedule:
Monday 9:30 am - 1:00 pm
Clarity Aesthetic Medical & Dental Center by Healthway
Ground Floor, Padre Faura wing, Robinson's Place Ermita, Manila
Monday 2:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Thurs & Sunday 12nn - 6:00 pm
Philosophy by Mikaela Advanced Aesthetic Center
Penthouse level 832 A. Anaiz Avenue Makati city
Tuesday 1:00 - 5:00 pm
Humana
Ground Floor, King's Court building 2, Chino Roces Avenue, Makati city
Friday 1:00 - 5:00 pm
Fortmed Medical Clinics
3rd Floor BDO building Jupiter St. Bel-air, Makati city.
Wednesdays & Fridays
Acne Cure (Opening Soon)
Aguirre St. BF Homes Paranaque
She is also affiliated with BHMG (Beverly Hills Medical Group)
57 Paseo de Roxas St. Makati city
- for laser hair removal, skin tightening, acne scar revision
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Dementors in my midst
lately i have been feeling down. although there are so many reasons for me to be happy, i just can't seem to shake it off. perhaps its because of the dementors lurking in the shadows.
for of the benefit of those who do not know ( as if there's someone out there who doesn't), DEMENTORS are creatures who feed on the happy emotions of humans, leaving one cold and sad. The kiss of the dementor is when the dementor sucks the very soul out of a human, leaving you emotionless. (Source: The Harry Potter Glossary)
Dementor #1: Little Miss Perfect (Ikaw na ang magaling!)
Dementor #2: Little Miss Miserable (Pasan ko ang Daigdig)
Dementor #3: Little Miss Nagger
hope i could cheer up soon.
for of the benefit of those who do not know ( as if there's someone out there who doesn't), DEMENTORS are creatures who feed on the happy emotions of humans, leaving one cold and sad. The kiss of the dementor is when the dementor sucks the very soul out of a human, leaving you emotionless. (Source: The Harry Potter Glossary)
Dementor #1: Little Miss Perfect (Ikaw na ang magaling!)
Dementor #2: Little Miss Miserable (Pasan ko ang Daigdig)
Dementor #3: Little Miss Nagger
hope i could cheer up soon.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Uniquely Singapore: Discovering the Southern Ridges (08Feb2009)
The Southern Ridges comprise a 9-kilometre chain of green, open spaces spanning the rolling hills of Mount Faber Park, Telok Blangah Hill Park and Kent Ridge Park before ending at West Coast Park.
(Some captions & info were taken from http://www.nparks.gov.sg)
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
going to JB Malaysia by Train
Everyday on our way to work, Zarah & would I pass by this old railway station. We often wonder if it's still being used or not because it's so shabby. And considering this day & age, would anyone still want to board a train that is so slow & old? Then there was one time that we saw the train leave the station, so we thought maybe its just a cargo train but later my friend Diane told us that we can actually go to Malaysia thru this train. So we have all planned to go somewhere in Malaysia one day aboard the train, just for adventure sake.
Since Jan 5 of this year, the same train opened a terminal at the newest Mall in JB - Danga City Mall. For a limited period, people from Sg can now travel to this Mall via KTM for only $3. It was Che, our housemate who saw the ad from Today Newspaper and asked us if we are interested to go, of course! So we planned a trip to go there with the whole household. I also told Diane & our other friends from work about this. Finally we have all decided to do it on the first day of CNY (Chinese New Year), which was yesterday 26Jan2009 since it was a holiday in Sg.
A lot of people were discouraging us, mostly Sg locals because they say that Malaysia is not a safe place & that there was nothing much to see there. Even Filipino friends were telling us this, but they were all missing out the point. We just want to go there to experience what it feels like to ride a train & that going to the mall was just a plus. Unfortunately, Miller (Che's hubby) became hesitant to bring his kids there because the Uncle cabbie told them all this. Likewise, Diane was still tired from our Sentosa trip the other day so in the end it was only Zarah & me who went.
The terminal was very near our place so it was very convenient for us. You can take buses 10, 30, 80, 97, 100, 131, 145 & 57 & alight at the Railway Station Bus Stop or the Opp Railway Station Bus Stop if you're coming from the other direction. The nearest MRT Station is Tanjong Pagar, if you are keen on walking. If not I suggest that you take the MRT going to Harbourfront & from the Opp Vivo City Bus stop take the bus numbers below. The Railway Stn Stop is just 3 stops from Opp Vivo City.
Thanks to the bloggers who posted their feedback & suggestions I got a few tips on what to do because as expected, there was nothing in the paper, brochures or even the train station itself that explains the necessary details of the limited offer package. The train schedule was not even posted on the station itself. Luckily it can be accessed thru the mall's website http://www.dangacitymall.com
I purchased 2 tickets for Zarah & me. (Note: See the stamp SEATS ARE NOT GUARANTEED, which will be relevant later).
There is no round trip ticket sold at this station. The trip back has to be purchased at the 2nd Level counter in side the mall
Since we did not bring any luggage or bulky things we did not have to go thru the Customs checking. But if you do, you have to go thru the checking first. But we still need to fill out the White Immigration cards. Hmmmmm, where can we find them? In most ports or immigration offices they are conveniently stacked near the ticket booth or information counter, but not this place. The people who were there before us said that there was a staff who was giving them out earlier, but he is now no where to be seen. So we did our own searching... we had to go inside the Departure are & had to go inside an office, which has the CLOSED sign posted on the door but the we were later told that its actually open & we can just take the cards there. Very informative right?
Then we had to go out again, fill out the card, queue up, get our tickets punched, go thru Malaysian immigration & board the train. The train had a few coaches labelled alphabetically. Since there was no indication on the ticket for which coach to take, we took the nearest one that we could find (K5 coach). But we later saw that it was crammed so we alighted and boarded the next one. So if it says SEATS ARE NOT GUARANTEED one would think that it is a free seating right? Thus, one can just take whatever seat that you can find. But unfortunately, it has a different meaning for KTM (lost in translation!?).
After taking our seat, one rude man approached us & asked to see our tickets. So we confidently showed them to him. He asked us, (in broken English) do you see what is written there? No seats guaranteed. Do you know what that means? I told yes, No seats guaranteed (smartass hahaha). He then told us that we should remain standing at the connecting hall of the coaches and see if those with guaranteed seats would be taking their seats first. So i asked him where we should stay, he just rudely pointed there! just there! waaaaaaaaaa. Of course I had to clarify everything & believe me I was really practicing my patience until my lungs were about to burst. But he retorted : Do not argue. waaaaaaaaa! Apparently his English was not very good so there was no point in talking to him. A few other pinoys heard this & got worried. They all stood up & followed us out of the coach because they were also holding the same ticket. Apperently, going to Danga City mall for a cheap price has its set backs. And this is the major issue of all, you would have to stay on the Buffet coach or stand in the regular coaches & wait if there will be available seats until the train is moving. How pathetic! The more irritating fact is that we were not even given an option to purchase tickets with guaranteed seats. Once you tell them you're going to Danga City Mall they would just issue the $3 ticket without any explanation on the terms & conditions of buying this ticket.
I then asked the more reasonable staff about the terms of using the ticket, they explained to us that we should take the Buffet Coach which was after the K1 coach. It was already 2pm & the train was about to leave so my sister & I ran towards the front of the train to find the Buffet coach, as expected it wasn't labelled so no one would really know where the hell it was. We were just able to figure it out because it looked like a mini-food court. It could take about 40 seated passengers. Lucky for us there were still a lot of vacant seats. So apparently a lot of people did not know about this. Whew! (After going thru Woodlands Immigration, a few other people joined us, so the place was quite crammed with people standing up)
The train left at 2:20pm we still had to stop at Woodlands to complete immigration requirements. All the passengers had to alight at the immi point, queue up & go back. It probably took us about 20-30 mins to do this & after 10 - 15mins we finally arrived at the Danga City Mall.
Since it was still new, there was nothing much to see there. The clothes are still expensive if you think in terms of SGD & Peso. For shoppers of expensive clothing they have the Metrojaya, which is like Rustans in the Philippines. But the groceries, toiletries & small appliances were quite cheap. There was a Bowling Alley where you can play 1 game for RM4.80 (P62 or SGD2.40), Billiards Hall & an Archery area (something different huh?). [I still like the Jaya Jusco Mall http://www.jusco.com.my/JuscoHome/html/jusco/scinfo/sc_tc.php that we visited last time because they also have shops of International brands Giordano, Bossino & the likes]
Our trip back was supposed to be at 8:08pm but the train was (again!) delayed so we ended leaving at 8:50pm. The only good thing is that we did not have to alight at the Malaysian Checkpoint for Immigration formalities because the Immi officers were the ones who boarded the trains & signed our passports. Cool! But of course we still had to alight at the Woodlands Immi. But I was so glad to be back to the very organized way of life in Singapore, where every important information is clearly posted (in understandable English) & you have reliable people at the Information counter who can explain rules to you in detail.
So at 10:55pm we finally reached the KTM Train Station where we ate one of the most amazingly cheap & tasty Nasi Lemak ever.
Tips & relevant info to make your trip a bit easier:
1. It's good to be at the terminal at least 1 hour earlier.
2. Buy your tickets & fill out the Immi card.
3. Stay near the boarding gate so that you can board the Buffet Coach ahead, otherwise take the trip while standing for almost 90 mins to JB =(
4. Quickly go thru the Woodlands Sg Immigration formalities & stay in front of the closed Boarding gate (for about 30 mins) quickly find the Buffet Coach once it opens.
5. Buy your return tickets upon arriving & be at the Departure area at least 15 mins early. No point going there early because there the train is already packed. You'll be lucky if you can find a seat before you reach Woodlands. And most probably, it will arrive late.
6. It is not advisable to bring kids along, but if you will make sure that you bring games for them to play with because the trip is quite boring because all you would see are rocks & trees.
P.S. Effective Feb 1, 2009 the fare for Danga City one-way trip is now $5.00
Since Jan 5 of this year, the same train opened a terminal at the newest Mall in JB - Danga City Mall. For a limited period, people from Sg can now travel to this Mall via KTM for only $3. It was Che, our housemate who saw the ad from Today Newspaper and asked us if we are interested to go, of course! So we planned a trip to go there with the whole household. I also told Diane & our other friends from work about this. Finally we have all decided to do it on the first day of CNY (Chinese New Year), which was yesterday 26Jan2009 since it was a holiday in Sg.
A lot of people were discouraging us, mostly Sg locals because they say that Malaysia is not a safe place & that there was nothing much to see there. Even Filipino friends were telling us this, but they were all missing out the point. We just want to go there to experience what it feels like to ride a train & that going to the mall was just a plus. Unfortunately, Miller (Che's hubby) became hesitant to bring his kids there because the Uncle cabbie told them all this. Likewise, Diane was still tired from our Sentosa trip the other day so in the end it was only Zarah & me who went.
The terminal was very near our place so it was very convenient for us. You can take buses 10, 30, 80, 97, 100, 131, 145 & 57 & alight at the Railway Station Bus Stop or the Opp Railway Station Bus Stop if you're coming from the other direction. The nearest MRT Station is Tanjong Pagar, if you are keen on walking. If not I suggest that you take the MRT going to Harbourfront & from the Opp Vivo City Bus stop take the bus numbers below. The Railway Stn Stop is just 3 stops from Opp Vivo City.
Thanks to the bloggers who posted their feedback & suggestions I got a few tips on what to do because as expected, there was nothing in the paper, brochures or even the train station itself that explains the necessary details of the limited offer package. The train schedule was not even posted on the station itself. Luckily it can be accessed thru the mall's website http://www.dangacitymall.com
I purchased 2 tickets for Zarah & me. (Note: See the stamp SEATS ARE NOT GUARANTEED, which will be relevant later). There is no round trip ticket sold at this station. The trip back has to be purchased at the 2nd Level counter in side the mall
Since we did not bring any luggage or bulky things we did not have to go thru the Customs checking. But if you do, you have to go thru the checking first. But we still need to fill out the White Immigration cards. Hmmmmm, where can we find them? In most ports or immigration offices they are conveniently stacked near the ticket booth or information counter, but not this place. The people who were there before us said that there was a staff who was giving them out earlier, but he is now no where to be seen. So we did our own searching... we had to go inside the Departure are & had to go inside an office, which has the CLOSED sign posted on the door but the we were later told that its actually open & we can just take the cards there. Very informative right?
Then we had to go out again, fill out the card, queue up, get our tickets punched, go thru Malaysian immigration & board the train. The train had a few coaches labelled alphabetically. Since there was no indication on the ticket for which coach to take, we took the nearest one that we could find (K5 coach). But we later saw that it was crammed so we alighted and boarded the next one. So if it says SEATS ARE NOT GUARANTEED one would think that it is a free seating right? Thus, one can just take whatever seat that you can find. But unfortunately, it has a different meaning for KTM (lost in translation!?).
After taking our seat, one rude man approached us & asked to see our tickets. So we confidently showed them to him. He asked us, (in broken English) do you see what is written there? No seats guaranteed. Do you know what that means? I told yes, No seats guaranteed (smartass hahaha). He then told us that we should remain standing at the connecting hall of the coaches and see if those with guaranteed seats would be taking their seats first. So i asked him where we should stay, he just rudely pointed there! just there! waaaaaaaaaa. Of course I had to clarify everything & believe me I was really practicing my patience until my lungs were about to burst. But he retorted : Do not argue. waaaaaaaaa! Apparently his English was not very good so there was no point in talking to him. A few other pinoys heard this & got worried. They all stood up & followed us out of the coach because they were also holding the same ticket. Apperently, going to Danga City mall for a cheap price has its set backs. And this is the major issue of all, you would have to stay on the Buffet coach or stand in the regular coaches & wait if there will be available seats until the train is moving. How pathetic! The more irritating fact is that we were not even given an option to purchase tickets with guaranteed seats. Once you tell them you're going to Danga City Mall they would just issue the $3 ticket without any explanation on the terms & conditions of buying this ticket.
I then asked the more reasonable staff about the terms of using the ticket, they explained to us that we should take the Buffet Coach which was after the K1 coach. It was already 2pm & the train was about to leave so my sister & I ran towards the front of the train to find the Buffet coach, as expected it wasn't labelled so no one would really know where the hell it was. We were just able to figure it out because it looked like a mini-food court. It could take about 40 seated passengers. Lucky for us there were still a lot of vacant seats. So apparently a lot of people did not know about this. Whew! (After going thru Woodlands Immigration, a few other people joined us, so the place was quite crammed with people standing up)
The train left at 2:20pm we still had to stop at Woodlands to complete immigration requirements. All the passengers had to alight at the immi point, queue up & go back. It probably took us about 20-30 mins to do this & after 10 - 15mins we finally arrived at the Danga City Mall.
Since it was still new, there was nothing much to see there. The clothes are still expensive if you think in terms of SGD & Peso. For shoppers of expensive clothing they have the Metrojaya, which is like Rustans in the Philippines. But the groceries, toiletries & small appliances were quite cheap. There was a Bowling Alley where you can play 1 game for RM4.80 (P62 or SGD2.40), Billiards Hall & an Archery area (something different huh?). [I still like the Jaya Jusco Mall http://www.jusco.com.my/JuscoHome/html/jusco/scinfo/sc_tc.php that we visited last time because they also have shops of International brands Giordano, Bossino & the likes]Our trip back was supposed to be at 8:08pm but the train was (again!) delayed so we ended leaving at 8:50pm. The only good thing is that we did not have to alight at the Malaysian Checkpoint for Immigration formalities because the Immi officers were the ones who boarded the trains & signed our passports. Cool! But of course we still had to alight at the Woodlands Immi. But I was so glad to be back to the very organized way of life in Singapore, where every important information is clearly posted (in understandable English) & you have reliable people at the Information counter who can explain rules to you in detail.So at 10:55pm we finally reached the KTM Train Station where we ate one of the most amazingly cheap & tasty Nasi Lemak ever.Tips & relevant info to make your trip a bit easier:
1. It's good to be at the terminal at least 1 hour earlier.
2. Buy your tickets & fill out the Immi card.
3. Stay near the boarding gate so that you can board the Buffet Coach ahead, otherwise take the trip while standing for almost 90 mins to JB =(
4. Quickly go thru the Woodlands Sg Immigration formalities & stay in front of the closed Boarding gate (for about 30 mins) quickly find the Buffet Coach once it opens.
5. Buy your return tickets upon arriving & be at the Departure area at least 15 mins early. No point going there early because there the train is already packed. You'll be lucky if you can find a seat before you reach Woodlands. And most probably, it will arrive late.
6. It is not advisable to bring kids along, but if you will make sure that you bring games for them to play with because the trip is quite boring because all you would see are rocks & trees.
P.S. Effective Feb 1, 2009 the fare for Danga City one-way trip is now $5.00
Sunday, January 25, 2009
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