Car Park Rates & Redemption at the Robinsons Orchard @ Heerens

Since the new Robinsons Orchard opened its door in Nov 2013, I had been to the place twice.  The first time I was there for more that 1.5 hrs but less  than 2 hrs, I incurred a parking fee of more than S$8 (can't remember the cents, I think it should be S$0.56 GST).  The rates are S$2 per half hour from 8am - 11pm daily.

Today was my second visit.  Though I didn't park inside the car park, I managed to find out the car park redemption policy for Robinsons.  For purchases in Robinsons of S$200 (in one single receipt, no combination of receipts allowed), 1 hour free parking (a complimentary parking ticket will be issued at the cashier's to be used within the same day).  2 hours free parking for purchases of S$400 (in a single receipt) made in Robinsons.

Take note that no combination of receipts is allowed.  So if you make 2 separate payments of S$200 each, you will only receive 1 hour free parking.  This is what happened to a lady customer today when she made 2 separate payments in order to utilize the two S$20 Robinsons Voucher (issued for every S$200 purchase in a single receipt and can instantly offset but only one voucher against one receipt) and was surprised to learn that no combination of receipts allowed to claim the free 2 hours parking.

So, next time, better double confirm with the customer service/concierge whether can or cannot combine receipts before making payments.  However, I feel that Robinsons Orchard has too much restrictions in terms of voucher usage as well as car park redemption.

Picnik to watermark photos

Today I discovered another photo editor to watermark my photos, which is much easier than photobucket.  It is 'Picnik'.  Too bad they will be closing on 19/4/12 and moving to Google+.  In the meantime, you can enjoy their features, including Picnik Premium for free.

There's no need to download.  Just go to http://www.picnik.com/ and get started.

Just upload your photo, choose the 'Text' option on the menu at the top and a box will appear on the left for you to type in the text.  To type in the copyright logo ©, simply hold the 'alt option' key and 'G' (for Mac).  After typing the text, hit the 'ADD' box.  A text properties box will appear on the right for you to choose font colors, sizes, etc.  You can move the text to your desired position on the photo.  When you're all satisfied, hit the 'Save & Share' option on the menu at the top.  A 'Save this photo to my computer' screen will appear.  On the top menu, you can choose to save in Picasa Web Albums, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr or Photobucket.  You can also email or print photo.

After selecting the platform to save your photo, give a file name and hit the 'Save Photo' box at the bottom.  Depending on your options, you'll be directed to the respective platforms.  If you choose to save in your computer, you will need to specify where in your computer that you would like to save the photo.  For other platforms, you will be required to connect to your respective accounts with them.

La Mer Totally Brilliant Workshop

I attended the above-mentioned workshop on 15/3/12 from 10am-12pm at Oasia Hotel.  The cost of the workshop is S$80 per person and S$120 for 2 persons.  It's a 2-hour hands-on session with guidance to brilliant skin from the La Mer (pronounced as 'La Mair' by the brand & marketing manager) expert.  Participants also received a welcome door gift (consists of the Eye Concentrate 3ml and the Hydrating Infusion 15ml) as well a S$80 La Mer Voucher (S$60 for each person if registered for 2 persons) which is fully redeemable for La Mer skincare.  The 1st 100 UOB cardmembers who successfully registered is also pampered with a complimentary La Mer facial worth S$150.

Pictures of the door gift:-

The Eye Concentrate 3ml

The Hydrating Infusion 15ml

Pictures of the Boardroom where the workshop was conducted:-

No photo taking was allowed during the workshop.

The workshop began with the brand and marketing manager introducing the history of La Mer (the famous Dr Max Huber and how he formulated Creme de la Mer, aka the Miracle Broth), followed by a short video (of course about La Mer).  Then she gave a lesson on the 3 basic steps of skin care routine, ECP (Erase, Control, Protection) using the whitening collection which consists of The Cleansing Foam, The Whitening Lotion Intense, The Blanc de la Mer Infusion, The Whitening Essence Intense and Blanc de la Mer The SPF 30 UV Protecting Fluid.  Erase refers to removing make-up, cleansing and exfoliating.  Control refers to the moisturizing, hydrating and whitening (in USA, this is termed brightening).  Protection refers to sun block to protect the skin from the sun's UV rays.  As the main intention of the workshop was to introduce the whitening collection, the various products under the collection were introduced as well as their main ingredients.

Next came the hands-on segment.  We were led step-by-step from removing eye make-up, mascara, face make-up to cleansing, toning, whitening, eye cream and of course, the legendary Creme de la Mer to moisturize and lastly the UV protection.

Of course, the workshop ended with participants purchasing the products.  As my main intention was to try out their original formula, Creme de la Mer, I only purchased the smallest version 30ml.  The cost is S$249.  The 60ml is S$429 (I think, can't remember exactly).

Pictures of the Creme de la Mer 30ml:-

the applicator

How to watermark your photos in your blog?

Yesterday I suddenly have the urge to watermark my photos on my blog when I was updating it with the news of Goyard malletier coming to Singapore in the 4th quarter of 2013.  After researching a bit on Google, the most commonly proposed one is the Adobe Photoshop, the other one is Picasa.  Of course, there are many watermark softwares available, some are free, some you need to pay.

I accidentally found out that Photobucket also has a watermark function.  As I do not wish to download any more softwares into my computer and since I already have Photobucket in my system, I decided to use it.  It's pretty easy to use.

Here are the steps:-

 1. Log in to Photobucket.

 2. Hit the 'Upload' button (green in color) on menu bar at the top.

 3. Hit 'Select photos and videos'.  Choose your desired photo and upload it onto Photobucket.

 4. After uploading, hit 'albums' on the menu bar at the top.

 5. Click on the photo you want to watermark.

 6. Place the cursor on your photo and a menu will appear on the top of the photo.  Hit 'Edit'.

 7. Hit 'Decorate' on the menu at the top.

 8. Hit 'Text'.

 9. A white box will appear on your photo.  You can drag the box to the size you desire.  Then you type in your text.

10. After typing in your text, you can drag the box to wherever you want it to be on your photo.

11. On the right of the photo, there's a 'Text Options' box.  Highlight the 'Transparent' box.  Then you can choose the font, font size or text color.  When you're satisfied, hit the 'Apply' button below.

12. Remember to hit 'Save a copy' button and not 'Replace original' button if you still want to keep the original in case you want to redo your watermarking.  Once watermarked, it cannot be removed.  You will have to re-upload your photo if you want to redo it.

13. Go to your albums again, place the cursor on the photo you want to upload to your blog, a box will appear.  Place the cursor on the direct link to copy it.  Go to your blog and place the cursor on the spot where you want the photo to be and 'Ctrl V' to paste it.  That's it!

16/3/12 Update:-
According to Urban 16/3/12, Goyard will be launching in Takashimaya Shopping Centre in Singapore in the 3rd quarter of 2013.

Goyard Coming to Singapore

Goyard is a French luggage manufacturer established in 1853, one year before Louis Vuitton, by Francois Goyard (1828-1890) located on the Rue Saint Honore in Paris.

Currently, Goyard has 11 stores worldwide and Singapore is not one of them.  The nearest one to Singapore is in Hong Kong, The Peninsula in Tsim Sha Tsui Kowloon.  Goyard lovers in Singapore have made their purchases mainly by ordering them from the Paris or London store.

According to the Monday's The Straits Times, 12/3/12, Goyard will be opening its first standalone flagship store at Takashimaya Shopping Centre in Ngee Ann City sometime around the fourth quarter of next year. Leading fashion retailer and distributor F J Benjamin will be the exclusive retailer.

Prices for the bags may start from about S$1,400, including the most talked about St Louis tote bag.  Prices depend on the colors (standard/basic and special) of the bags (in the past, the St Louis bags' prices were the same for all colors.  Now, the price difference between the standard/special colors applies).  Standard/basic colors are black/black, black/tan and red. Special colors are green, light & dark blue, white, orange, yellow, burgundy/bordeaux.  In the past, they had come out with limited edition colors like pink, gold and silver.  Be expected to pay about 30% more for the special colors.   They also do customization (3 stripes, 6 initials) for €EUR120 (paints) and €EUR240 (metallic paints).  It takes about 6 weeks.

I myself had purchased the black/black St Louis PM tote and the Zippe GM Matignon zip around wallet, black/tan by ordering from its London store and had them shipped to Singapore.

Goyard St Louis PM tote black/black

Zippe GM Matignon zip around wallet black/tan

I bought them in May 2011.  I have enjoyed using them very much.  Prices have since increased twice in July 2011 and February 2012 by about 20-40%.

16/3/12
Update note: According to Urban 16/3/12, Goyard will be launching in the 3rd quarter of 2013.  Prices have not yet been confirmed.  Based on the Hong Kong prices, they start from HK$2,300 (S$375) for the flat card case and from HK$8,700 (about S$1,420) for the classic Goyard St Louis bag.

Singtel Hi-card PUK locked

If you keyed your pin wrongly for 3 consecutive times, your SIM card will be PUK locked.  Simply call Singtel Hi Card hotline 1800 4822800 between 8am - 8pm.  Press '0' for other enquiries, then '1' for Prepaid Mobile and then wait for an available customer care consultant.  You'll be asked to verify the owner of the hi card with the name and NRIC number.  You will also be asked to read out the numbers behind your SIM card to verify, so take out your SIM card before you call the hotline.

After all proper verifications, the customer care consultant will give you a 8-digit PUK code.  After keying in the 8-digit code, your phone may ask you to key in a new PIN code.  The Singtel customer care consultant will then ask you to switch off and on your phone again and everything will be as per normal.

Please note, after your SIM card is PUK locked, don't try to break the pin code anymore.  If you key in the wrong PIN code for 10 consecutive times, your SIM card will be rendered obsolete and there's no way to revive it anymore, not even Singtel can help.  You will then have to purchase a new SIM card, and that means all your data on your old SIM card will be lost and you will have to start from scratch again.

Long Beans with Pork (乱棍打死猪八戒)

This is a very simple and common chinese dish.  I think almost every housewife knows how to cook this.  I have used only 3 basic ingredients here: long beans, thin pork slices and carrot.  Normally, I would add fried egg tofu, but I didn't buy it during my routine morning marketing because I thought that I still have two tubes of it in my refrigerator.  Well, stock checking is also an important step in cooking.  Anyway, it will not affect the taste of the dish except that my eldest son will ask why there is no fried egg tofu because it is his favourite.  However, my youngest son hates it.  He only likes the long beans.  My second son likes the pork meat.  Sometimes, instead of pork meat, I will add prawns or chicken meat (breast or fillet).

The chinese wordings in parenthesis means "A lot of wooden rods kills the Pig God".  This was a nickname given to this dish, because the long beans symbolize the wooden rods and the pork meat symbolizes the Pig God {The character is from a famous masterpiece "JOURNEY TO THE WEST" which talks about a monk traveling to the west to collect the Buddha Script (唐三藏西天取经)}.

Ingredients:-

Long beans (2 packets)
Carrot, thinly sliced
Pork, thinly sliced (or prawns or chicken breast/fillet)
Egg tofu
Light soya sauce
Sesame oil
Garlic
Pepper
Cornflour
Peanut oil

Method:-

1. Wash and pluck the long beans into short strips (about 1½ inches long).
2. Cut the carrot into thin strips.
3. Marinate the pork with light soya sauce, sesame oil and pepper.  Just before stir-frying, coat it with some cornflour.
4. Heat up a wok with some peanut oil.
5. Stir-fry the garlic till fragrant.
6. Add in the marinated pork and stir-fry till slightly golden brown.  Dish up and set aside.
7. Heat a little peanut oil, stir-fry some garlic and carrot and then add in the long beans.  Mix them well and cover with a wok cover.
8. Open the cover and stir-fry the mixture a few times until you can smell the fragrance of the long beans.
9. Lower the heat and let the long beans simmer (with the cover back on).  Remember to stir-fry it every few minutes to make sure the long beans don't get burnt.
10. Use the spatula to press on the long bean to feel the degree of softness.  Once it has reached your preferred softness, add in the pork, mix it well and cover it to let it simmer for a few more minutes on medium heat.
11. Then add in the fried egg tofu, mix it well, add in the light soya sauce to your taste, mix well on high heat for a few seconds, dish up and serve.

Whenever I was stir-frying the pork, the aroma will attract my second son (if he's at home) to the kitchen to find out what I was cooking.  He would comment "Wah, smell so good!"  I would cook this dish at least once a week.  Sometimes, I would put prawns as they are said to be good for the development of the brain power.  Don't know true or not, but it's definitely a good source of protein for the developing children.