mesh mesh

are you a fan of mesh bracelets...????

not me......

it used to be popular decades ago..... but retro isnt always in right...??

as the watch case is stout and thick, a muscular-looking bracelet is a better choice....

should i upgrade.....

yes the question is should i upgrade to a 2.0 litre car...???

right now the COE for big cars are at very low levels...... which means the prices for bigger cars are more tempting that usual......

especially now mitsubishi is giving a 1.99% interest rate and also 3 years free scheduled servicing for any car purchased now.....

hhhmmmm 3 years free servicing will kinda take care of any headaches for 60,000 km .... right??

but i would have to take out close to 7k for the downpayment..............

what should i do..??

managed......

ah this time around managed to pass my fitness test......... yeah.....

even though i carrying a flu, i decided to go through with it............ once and for all

cya next time..!.......

worthless.....

after owning my car for 4 years and 1 month, it feels kinda painful to know that it's worth nothing after all......

haha what a waste of time and money........... that is if i decided to buy a new car and trade the present car in......

let me mull over it carefuulllllyyyyyyyyyyyy

say no to fakes....

i kinda like this campaign........

say no to fakes...... FAKES WATCHES ARE FOR FAKE PEOPLE....

but seriously: what are fake people?

a rest....

too little rest and too much heaty snacks and foods during the festive period = sick.........

so i am taking a short break..........

black box....

here is another digital to analogue converter in a black box ...........

at US$975, it surely gives the benchmark DAC-1 a run for the money......... cos we get similar features at a lower price..... moreover lavry is quite a name in the prosumer industry too, having made its mark with very expensive and state of the art equipment....

a DAC-1 usb in singapore costs S$2050 and if i get my friend to hand-carry this little gem from lavry to singapore, i could shave more than a few bucks .... which is very useful during troubled times like this....

just one note: it looks pretty old-fashioned.....

15 mins....

yes..!... in 15 mins time, it will be Chinese New Year...!!

GONG XI FA CAI............!!

knob...

compared with the suzuki shift knob, i very much prefer my momo atomik knob............ too bad the rubber coating is not THAT durable...........

so for anyone who's into momo knob......... pls buy a metallic/leather knob. i think those can last a lot longer....

too high too high.....

after the recent drop in COE prices, i decided to give myself a chance......... and with my friend in tow, i went to SEE the suzuki swift sport 1.6 VVT at champion motors....

last week's promotion was:

S$54,900

free servicing for 1st year

free 3M solar films

and S$1,888 cash rebate

i think the interest rate was 2.3%?? or around that figure...

this week's price:

S$52,900

free servicing for the 1st year

free 3M solar films

interest rate = 3%.......

at 3%, there's no reason to rush into it....... cos at this rate, it's quite ridiculous.... if the banks are hungry for business, then too bad for them........ i am not going to buy with a loan rate of stupidity.....

and if you compare the promotion offered for this week, the bottom line is almost similar..... but the catch is more interest charges for the customer...... and certainly is worse off for now....

----------------------------------------------------

as for the car, it's pretty OK i think...............

to make things easier for comparison, here's the list of likes and dislikes.

likes:

compact size

125bhp from 1.6 litre engine

class-leading acceleration 0-100 kph in 8.9 seconds

comes with monroe shocks and stiffened spring-rates

nice looking speedometer and display

steering wheel is of good size and feels comfortable

original 16-inch alloy wheels

4-wheel disc brakes

nice looking twin exhaust-pipes

dislikes:

sport seats are of poor quality fabric

rear seats are too cramp

boot kinda small

front panel for radio/cd player is super tacky

gear knob feels cheap

clutch is super soft

i may choose to buy if the finance rate is reasonable............ let's see what happens after CNY......

black vs black....

which is the more desired black..???

forged carbon or ceramic...??? i wonder which is tougher to manufacture...... and also more costly to make....

for 2009, AP has a forged carbon watch case for their ladies ROO watches.....

and JLC is also quick to offer a ceramic case for their ladies master compressor diving gmt.....

so is 2009 the war of the blacks...???

one thing is definite: carbon is lighter than ceramic  

more black carbon

when the first carbon-cased watch from AP was launched, everyone went ga-ga over the team alinghi......... 1300 pieces for the forged carbon version were all sold out in double-quick time.......

the next carbon-cased AP ROO Offshore unveiled: singapore gp f1 edition; 250 pcs were barely enough to meet local demand............

and now finally, a non LE carbon-cased watch is now available from AP..... and it even comes with a ceramic bezel.......... how's that for improvement???

this one is worth waiting for..... and i am sure demand will be sky high..... only if you like yellow....

so watch it...!!

what's this......... ????

errr.......... may i know what's this????

made by the richemont group for ralph lauren........... this seems like a joke really.....

although there's a slight sprinkle of cartier's touches here and there, i dun think the demand for this will be good at all....

good luck....

mulling....

checked the webpage yesterday and also the papers this morning.....

so the suzuki swift sport 1.6 is priced at S$52,900 ..... but the interest rate is at 2.8%?????????? what's up with such a rate at all..?????

dun quite understand what are they up to............ what's more they did not indicate the amount of cash rebates to be given...... well well maybe i can give them a call.....

anyway a mitsubishi lancer ex 2.0 is available at S$59,989........... with the lending rate at 1.99%..........

very tempting to switch for a new car.... but why am i holding back....???

maybe it's just prudence at work....

colourful musical chairs.....

blancpain has done it again.......... after the regular model, we have seen the other versions in black and white.....

so what else....?? it's blue for the SIHH 2009.........

that's far from being creative or innovative............. in fact it smacks of laziness.....

for you and concord

this picture is dedicated to my good friend css...... who had very strong opinions about the concord c1 chronograph when we first saw it .....

haha remember what you said?? cant help but laugh at ourselves.....

a good catch....

in recent years, spotting a ferrari on our roads is a more regular affair...... 360, f430 and f430 spyder u name it....

however, seeing a f430 scuderia is NOT a regular affair......

that's the car........ UBER COOL......

wow.....i like...

dive scope.....

between the 2, i prefer the all black version............ 

based on what they have in recent years, i think this is a good effort from jeanrichard................ 

by convention, the hour hand should always be larger and wider than the minute hand...... and they have applied this rule according to the "rule book".......

black on black is cool.......

AHA...... tough SEAL....

here are the pictures for the newly launched:

JLC Master Compressor Diving Chronograph GMT Navy SEALS

very impressive-looking and chocked full of features.....

even though this is only a prototype, i kinda like how it feels on the wrist.......... very very light.....

up size for your JLC??

for those who are waiting for the up-sized master compressor diving gmt in 46 mm, here's the good news......

available at the stores now......... and no longer limited in production......

that will surely bring the prices down abit................

the 1965 polaris re-issue.....

limited and cast in precious and expensive platinum, the 1965 re-issue has so far been over-shadowed by the 1968 version......

during these difficult times, it may be quite a tough act to spend so much on a watch...... 

anyway just enjoy the pics...

getting smarter......

new ways to smuggle weapons.....

http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5862

very interesting...... but also challenging to catch......

picking things up....

needed to top-up the air-freshener for the toilet.......... 

at S$2.90 for one or S$8.00 for 3, the "no-brand" aromatic spray with greentea scent is surprisingly good................. since one can lasts for a good time, there's no need to buy 3 at one go.....

bought a few other small items just for the fun of it....... especially the colourful-and-pretty-looking cable ties 

today's total expenses = S$12.00 (including 2 maxwell batteries for the car remote controller)

will this sell?

limited to 7969 pieces, this is another LE for the omega speedmaster.......

i wonder will this sell in good numbers? 

maybe unlikely........ especially now

poor thing....

fact: ministers and top civil servants earn relatively big money in singapore..... 

relatively big when compared with politicians from other countries but could be peanuts if they had worked in the private sector or engaged in business

fact: poorthings cos they cant spend the big money in the way they wish..............

haha cant even go for a cooking course without attracting unprecedented levels of criticism from many quarters.....

give the guy a break, he's spending his own money.........

those top ppl that took a HUGE payout to be political office holders are losing alot of money every month and every year.....

i wonder if any of the ministers and top civil servants yearn to own a ferrari.......... however no way i think that will happen the day they are still in public office.......

gonna wear this...???

no way am i going to spend my own money to buy and wear this......

no way am i going to wear this even i dun need to spend my own money on this........

it's out of my league .... haha

more luxury and silvery

on a previous occasion about a suitable gift for your man, i wrote about the body shop shaving brush............

a wooden brush probably lacks class, well perhaps probably cos if you have the money to spare, then the one from tiffany will be perfect....... cos it comes in sterling silver and designed by elsa perretti...... 

a fren of mine was looking for cuff links recently ...... and after looking through its collection, i heartily recommend this pair........... classic, handsome and very versatile, it's 100% signature tiffany design......

flat out at backyard.......

well, it's not bad if u have one to thrash at your own backyard........

incidentally, there's a yellow f430 spider a few streets away from my place...... 

but i have never seen a flat out from him haha

that would be a sight to behold......

the thinnest ever richard mille....

and yes....... it's thin but it's no watch.......

just a richard mille towel.......

however the material isnt sufficiently soft for use on watches....... it's unlike the polishing cloth my AD uses.....

thanks to a friend who kindly presented me with not one but two........... thank you css & gf!

nice number......

saw this on my way to town yesterday afternoon............ 

i like this nice-looking registration number..... but the car? less so....... although it's still a beemer after all

all of the same kind......

lunch for saturday was laksa bee hoon yong tau hoo................ i think that's ok since it was quite some time since i last visited the food stall.........

and guess what, last week i had steamboat for dinner......... so i dun quite understand why did i end up with steamboat for dinner yesterday....... laksa steamboat to be exact.........

huh? laksa gravy for both lunch and dinner...................? doesnt happen very often.......... dun think i gonna have laksa in the days and weeks to come...... the saving grace is both the servings of gravy are excellent.....

pics are of the aftermath...........

less of a warzone but very much cheaper than the previous week......

slipper-y LV....

first stop for saturday afternoon was the louis vuitton boutique at hilton hotel.............. always nice and cosy. if u visit the ngee ann city outlet regularly, you surely will prefer the one at hilton hotel .... you will never need to queue at hilton hotel.....

after seeing the new range of slippers on the lv webpage, i had wanted to take a closer look.......... well the good news is: it's less than S$600 after all......... more like $585 if i remember correctly....

and this design will surely up your signature cos this is no low-profile pair of slippers.... :)

another casualty.........

a relatively young watch company files for bankruptcy.............. well well is that a surprise?

http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=msg&goto=4215460&rid=18872#msg_4215460

i have never much like their offerings......... and i wont miss them anyway.....

it's a matter of fact that the market is getting saturated and very soon a few more will make an exit cos they cant survive the competition ........... 

customers are more discerning and demanding than ever before...... so charging exorbitant prices for a generic movement is no longer tenable: the formula has outlived itself.....

bye bye villemont....

let down....

i had looked forward to a good reading for the weekend's papers............... i mean for both the paid and free newspapers..... but it's such a letdown..... especially the commentaries: weak......

very soon we will welcome the coming of the chinese new year but since the mood is pretty grim and sombre, the break is good just for staying away from work haha.............

is anyone stocking up on new clothes for the festive celebrations...??? i wonder if one should grab a red underwear to usher in the new year ..... for supposedly good luck haha

yes red underwear is always IN...... during the lunar new year....

i should go shopping today.... let's browse the shops for ideas....

please do something else...

if one is so free..... go do something else...... i.e. something constructive .......

and please read carefully......... the ads are by google.........

sooooo inconsiderate.....

AHHHHHHHHHHH !!!!!!!!

i cannot believe that at 0630 hrs there are road hoggers on the expressways!! .............. since the traffic is so light, there is no reason why one should not strive to keep left unless they are overtaking............

seriously i cannot comprehend what these guys are thinking............... why do they wanna stay on the fast lane? why dont they check the mirrors and see who's behind them.................. cant they tell they are blocking everyone else...???

sigh...... i cant stand these ppl.....

even when i am on the way home, these guys are aplenty..............

and so....

and so the cycle repeats.........

get ready for bed and then gotta wake up early in the morning............ haha

what else? nothing much until i get used to the cycle and pattern......

no matter what i gotta keep on going...!!

exotica..... louis vuitton homme

received this via the mail today: shoe collection for men 2009......

subsconsciously i always welcome a mailer from dunhill, louis vuitton, jlc etc...... just so to keep me in tune with the latest......

i found it to be much thinner than usual but as always very nicely done up........ no slack up by louis vuitton in terms of photography and prints......

although most of the collectiont can be seen at the LV official webpage but the pictures there may not tell the whole story.... having this booklet and visiting the boutique help to make the final selection easier....

any comments on this pair of casual sandals..???? looks pretty good i think.... i am sure the price is  GOOD too.... haha

to give us a choice, there's always something unusual for the exotica..... e.g. snake skin ......... 

is it waterproof???? i wonder........ and i wouldnt wanna be caught in the rain while wearing this.......

guess what....... if IT happens to rain, one may contemplate taking it off before running for shelter :)

needed this break....

after a much needed nap.... which was very critical just a few hours ago, i began to regain some bodily functions.....

hee........ lack of sleep = brain slowing down.......

it's no laughing matter in fact...........

in many ways, my body is trying to make adjustments to the new schedule......

zombie...

oh my oh my.... i feel like a zombie now.... a zombie that needs craving for something .....

i must have woke up too early this morning haha.......

i am zombie now.....

today today

today was slightly better......... and of cos i hope things will improve.....

it's always a challenge to learn new things..... and to relearn old things .... as not to upset others, i take it as if i am attending a refresher course......... 

tomorrow starts the killer....... and i plan to wake up at 0530 hrs so that i can take my time to wash up.... and also re-adjust my schedule in the coming days....... one obvious advantage is a smoother journey if i leave at 0600 hrs compared to 0700 hrs for the two days so far....

alot more sacrifices are required than i'd expected................. sigh

no nonya....

during the television news, i was so surprised that the DVD sets for the little nonya have sold 5000 copies since its launch.............

i knew the drama serial was very popular... however it was broadcast on free-to-air tv... so to have to pay for the DVD is altogether another thing...........

hmmmm, looks like singaporeans really cant get enough of the little nonya............

maybe for the money and resources invested, mediacorp should have shot the series in full HD1080......

car car cartier....

hey hey this looks hilarious............. more cartoonish than bejewelled .....

kids might love it..... not me, i think this is garish...... a complete waste of gold, diamonds and craftsmanship....

first impression

they say first impression lasts.....

if that's the case, then almost everything is fucked-up...........

right from the start.......

oh oh and no no....

i have to wakeup at 0630 hrs in the morning.... but at 0130 hrs i am still wide awake.........

hehe........ maybe bcos i woke up at 1500 hrs in the afternoon sunday....

anyway i will have to try my best to wake up on time...... to avoid ERP charges ....

quite a mess....

a warzone? the aftermath of saturday's dinner......... ended up as quite a mess though haha......

i like steamboat............ but only occasionally..............

sensation......

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/401647/1/.html

wow.... a case where a member of parliament was doused with thinner and set on fire.....!

never thought it will happen in relatively orderly singapore.....

really wondered what happened to warrant such a response 

sheesh..........

too bad....

sigh.... more bad news

due to the rising yen, the retail price for a sony playstation 3 has increased....!!

if u had expected it to fall in time, then this is something that bucks the usual trend....

lock it signature

new for this season and shrouded very much in mysterious black, this pair of cufflinks in onyx and sterling silver calls out for our attention and make no mistake, this is signature louis vuitton at its best......

surely it looks delicious enough to eat............ and very collectible...... i am quite sure it wont be in the stores for long.....

ever smaller sony

so i thought the mini laptops or netbooks are small and light .......

but the new sony vaio p simply blows the rest out of the water............

small enough to fit into your rear jeans pocket..... how's that for size huh......??

and it's no slouch ..... except for the price

i want one too........ haha, just for the fun of it.....

quite a luxury...

trust me, using a shoehorn is a good habit......... it certainly helps you, well i mean, your feet to get into your shoes easily...... in most cases it also helps to extend the life of your leather shoes.............. so it is quite a necessary tool for those who love their shoes....

a plastic one costs next to nothing.... or u might even get one free with your pair of new shoes from the mall....

on the other hand, getting one at US$345 from tiffany is something most ppl would never contemplate.....

i have to say it looks very nice..... but i can live with a plastic shoehorn for the time being...

very hardy...

pic copyright of telegraph.co.uk

despite their all aluminium construction, ferrari cars are amazingly safe cars for drivers and passengers......

look at what happened to ronaldo's ferrari 599....... it's almost destroyed but the driver is OK... really OK as in no scratches (to the person) at all......

i have also heard of anecdotes.... whereby the car was smashed up but drivers are still OK.....

ferrari not only make great sportcars but also very safe sportcars...

RM025 update

wow.... saw the report in the chinese papers....

retail price = S$1,240,000.

no point....

i look at my 4-year old car........ and see the scratches, potmarks, dents here and there.............. but i feel ok.....

guess what, i no longer cringe when i discovered a new scratch or dent.... well, i guess when it happens to an old car, it doesnt matter anymore....

but if i buy a new car, the whole cycle will repeat itself....... since many local motorist and passengers are anti-social creatures, getting a new car is a pointless exercise at some point....

why? cos these ppl would open car doors indiscriminately.... which means your car get smashed left and right..... a new car, in many ways, get defaced in no time here in singapore......

i can save myself from heartaches if i continue to drive my potmarked car......

finally finally........

my packing is done...... and i am ready to go..........

after a few years here, it's time to say goodbye............

since my new place will be much busier, i forsee i will be writing less..........

hope that everything will be better in the year 2009......

cheers.....

what if.....?

yes the question is .... what if you have the money to buy out honda..... i mean honda f1 team, rather than honda the motoring company..... will you do it....???

of cos buying the team is one thing, getting the cash to run the team is another........ that's about sustainability......... with the dwindling number of potential corporate sponsors, it's just going to get tougher

it is every boy-racer's dream to become a f1 driver.... but i guess it's almost as fun to be a f1 team boss............ imagine flying around the world during the season to major cities...... and networking with all the important people....... telling the drivers what to do...... haha........ what's more, you no longer have to buy tickets to the races..... isnt that a great perk???

so if u have the money, buy the team......... !

move it move it....

right now i am busy packing ...........

after a few years, i discovered that i have a mountain of personal belongings in the office....

clothes, sport attire, socks, lanyards, cups/mugs/containers, files and more files..... and many more.......

and since i'll be moving to another place next week, i'd started packing much earlier..... but there is still quite a mountain to climb.....

it's really a chore to pack and move......

no choice really........ it's a dog's life.... haha...... all for the sake of earning a living......

ouch ouch!! chey..

so sad to know that after a series of price cuts, petrol prices finally went up yesterday.........

they surely respond to the market SO quickly when prices go north huh......... but always drag their feet when it comes to lowering the price....

but what we can do? all of them charge the same price.....

in these difficult times, it's even more imperative to drive smoothly to minimise fuel consumption.......

spot on....

for the sake of finding out.............

my outstanding amount for my car loan is approximately S$24,000

the rebate to be received if i sell my car is about S$24,000

which means if i wish to buy a new car now, i have to find cash to pay the downpayment..........

i guess i should keep the car and keep the money to buy watches? haha

yes no sympathy...

http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Online%2BStory/STIStory_322695.html

"I have no sympathy for such drivers if they cannot squeeze into the correct lane. "

i agree with the writer..... and i dun like queue jumpers.....

say no to queue-jumping.........

end the violence....

some latest info...



can they stop the violence...???

to end the violence, someone needs to stop the rockets....

oh come on....!

i bought a pair of casual pants......... tried it on back on saturday and it felt fine........ so i though size 29 was ok..........

however on monday, it was a little loose........... maybe i shrunk in size over the weekend..???

called up the store this evening and oh my god there is one more piece left in the flagship store.... which means i have to go to town......

the staff agreed to keep it for me....

come on, let's waste no time to get it exchanged...!!

thank you....

no more...

ok no more of little nonya from tonight onwards.................

and i have become more of a tv addict and couch potato haha........

but other than the mediacorp drama serials, there's nothing much on tv in the evenings.....

a rolex guarantee.....

on many occasions i have read about and heard of ppl who are overly suspicious......

they who speculate that rolex, and perhaps many other swiss watches, are made elsewhere e.g. china (why do china come to mind in the first instance?), and then boxed up in switzerland........

so what is the truth? ... who do we believe in? ...... the manufacturers or the rumour-mongers.....??

so let us read up the rolex guarantee, which is a green little booklet......





most importantly, read the last paragraph...........



"Rolex SA certifies that this watch has been entirely manufactured in Switzerland."

if this is not sufficient for you, nothing else will...................

so easy oh yes...

i was at my regular watch AD to chit chat....

coincidentally a regular bigwig customer was at the store....... his big spanking more than a million-dollar coupe was parked a short distance away but still in full view of whoever was there.....

it was fun to see how a person can buy a 60k watch with such ease and carefree attitude..... just that the way i buy a macdonald's hamburger..........

hee..... i guess when you are THAT rich, 60k is just small change......

what a start......

ushering in a new year is usually a feel-good experience but across the world, things are not exactly peaceful.........

let's hope that armed conflicts could end quickly for those caught in between......

smelling like sior....

some time ago when i was at tangs, managed to come across this: bvlgari pour homme soir....

it may not be the newest scent available but it's really good....... if u have the chance, do get a sample and decide for yourself.....

unfortunately it's also one the more expensive scents .....

the lady at the counter also gave me samples for bvlgari aqva...... while the aqva is not bad, i prefer the soir....

welcome back...!!

after the scare with melamine-tainted food products, what a relief to know that the evergreen favourite candy is back....!!!

what is chinese new year with white rabbit candy right...???

yeah welcome back!!

dump it...

weight is the real enemy.............. and every gram adds up to the load your car is carrying....

e.g. CDs, car shampoo, cloths and rags etc......

so if u can, dump the spare tire and wheel to save the many kilograms............ this can also help your car to achieve better mileage in the long run.....

----------------------------------------------------------------------

many are eagerly waiting for a lightweight V-spec nissan GTR to come in 2010............ if nissan do shave off 100 kg or more, that will be awesome...!

choco choco 2

more about choco here....

and made in malaysia.....

http://www.londonbiscuits.com.my/product/swissroll.html

choco choco.....

i have been hearing so much about london choco rolls .... of cos it is from all the tv advertisements..... and that infectious jingle....

english version....



isit really that nice?

chinese version:



has anyone tried it yet???

back to normal....

ha the vacation leave has been consumed and now everything is back to normal = need to work everyday.....

sigh...... and i have a big problem at hand cos my sleeping hours are all haywired....

let's hope i can wake up on time....

finally ...

yes finally 2009 is here....

and with it, many singaporeans and residents were out in the streets even in the early morning........

so many of them, in fact, that my regular late night noodle store was FULL HOUSE.......

incredible......... it was almost like a dinner crowd!!

as i was hungry, no choice just have to wait a little longer than usual....