Hi Tech Lo Tech

I couldn't help noticing the contrast. One is on 100% paper and pen, the other not. Taken at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf cafe in Changi Airport T3.

Inflated Mee Goreng

A simple meal of Mee Goreng, bought off an eatery in the Aljunied MRT station, set me back by S$4.00! The MRT is frequented by the low to lower middle-income people, like me. That's runnaway inflation for you!

Dud Discounts

This looked too good to be true, and even before the Great Singapore Sale! Guess what, it was too good to be true. I hauled 5 items to the counter and was told that only 1 of the items qualified for the 25% discount. The rest? Pony up the list prices. Retailers are abusing the phrase "storewide discounts". How can 20% of the items in my basket that qualifies for discounts be considered "storewide"?

What a fake.

New Kid on the Block

I was wondering where to put these series of interesting ads on Microsoft's Windows Phone 7. Well, here it is. I must qualify that these videos weren't taken by me.

Fart Shocker

Alvinology was shocked with the Marthur Farker label. Well, here is one who seems to be wearing that label proudly on her (yes, its a her) butt.

Sorry the cam was somewhat out of focus. Happens when you need to take a picture of someone else's butt in public in a hurry.

Gangly Knives

With all the bad publicity lately about gang fights in Singapore, I thought this wasn't something that a popular supermarket should promote at this time - and at 10 years warranty to booth!

See: 

Crack down on Youth Gangs

Teen Slashed in Ang Mo Kio

Coupon Bonanza

Coupons are great. Coupons are real price savers. No matter if they sell hardware, aesthetic packages, or food. But the prices on this coupon takes the, err, cake for doing the opposite:

I wonder if I can get this at the usual price (UP) instead?.

Stevey

Yes, that's Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, in person, in Singapore, in the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre on Wednesday, 26 May 2010. It was taken on my aging camera-phone, so the resolution and all aren't all that fantastic.

Lemonade

First, there was the issue of the pronunciation of Esplanade. I would pronounce it 'Es-ple-nard' but the guardians of good Singapore English would have it pronounced as 'Es-ple-nade' as in 'm-ade'. But then, if you listen to the news on the official TV channels, Promenade is pronounced 'pro-mi-nard' and not 'pro-mi-nade'. Talk about being schizophrenic. It just doesn't stop there. Now even language translations show elements of schizoid syndrome that plagues Singapore's officialdom.

With this kind of public display of linguistic ambiguity, who needs good English?

Tantalising

Saw this in a supermarket. It is at once tantalizing and puzzling. I thought it read 'Buy ALL for $4.00". The '2' seemed displaced. But of course, any offer like this is too good to be true. "Buy 2 for $4.00" would have been much clearer, though not necessarily more eye-catching.

Postcards for the dead

I must hand it to the Japanese. They can think of making anything, miniaturizing, and selling them. They do this even for the dead and departed. Here are invitation cards you can buy and invite people to that last journey.

Money Tea

It is Chinese New Year, and restaurants are all getting in on the occasion by offering one meal package or another. This restaurant shows it understands the sentiments of the occasion.

Video Cart

This is really not new, but in the context of Singapore supermarkets, it is the first time I've seen it. Carts with attached video streaming in-store commercials are now available in Cold Storage supermarkets. Apparently it is an eye catcher because some kids where following me all over as I pushed the cart around the supermarket.

Hail the New Year

You know that the Chinese Lunar New Year is around the corner when you see rows and rows of red in the supermarket.