Great Service

While I have my fair share of disappointments with the kind of service level received in Singapore, I must say my little experience today got me to think that there IS great service around us.

I was shopping around in Uniqlo (for those who still have no idea what this is... you need serious help) and within seconds after I picked out the third piece off the rack, an enthusiastic staff appeared from nowhere with a basket and helped me unload everything from the hangers.

As the fitting rooms were full, I had to stand in the queue for my turn.  Again, within seconds, another staff came over with a stool and kindly offered me a seat while waiting.

In another shop - Outfitter, a very patient staff helped me pick out the same sizes for all the different designs I wanted to try on (maybe being preggy makes me a bit more fickle-minded).  Even after asking for the sixth or seventh design to be tried on, she still assisted with the warmest smile.  

Lastly in a maternity shop - New Maternity, the staff not only took the initiative to pick out something that suited me when I looked 100% lost (as usual in a maternity shop) but also went on to suggest what could be worn with it to look good.

These may all sound like very simple gestures or standard behaviours that we expect service staff to possess. However, I am really appreciative because don't you find that more often than not, service staff tend to give you that "black long face" when you so much as to ask for another size or colour... or give you the infamous "It is all there on display" and expect us to plough through the entire stack or rack ourselves?

In the end, I did walk away with something from each of these shops.  I must say the great service helped in making those purchase decisions.

So I say, keep it up!

Satisfying Makan

Just want to share two makan places I patronised recently where great food and great atmosphere co-exist.

My friend found this authentic Jap dining place with a romantic setting in Gallery Hotel. 

What I liked best about this place is the servings of their fresh cabbage, carrots and cucumber sticks with a tasty miso-like paste for dipping.  In fact it was so addictive and finger-licking good that we asked for a second helping.

Then there was the succulent grilled beef steak...

And also the intensely flavoured fried udon with kim chee and pork...

We had about nine dishes altogether that night (whose photos I shall not flood this page with) and after that we could hardly get out of our seats :)

Then there is Blooie's, a pub that is tucked away in an obscure corner of Jalan Tua Kong. As a sausage lover, I ordered for myself the Jumbo Sausages and when it was served, I really think Jumbo was an understatement!  Too bad beer is off my list, otherwise, this would have been the perfect meal :)

Time For A Dip

I am so glad I finally made it to the pool this afternoon for the very first time since I was preggy.

I have been putting off this whole idea of swimming because my whale-like body could no longer fit into any of my teeny weeny bikinis... not even close :(

And all those maternity swim wear I came across so far looked just too hideous and ridiculous that I would never be caught dead in them.

So finally last weekend... I found the PERFECT matching set that caught my eye the moment I set foot in the store (from this Australian brand - Sun Seeker).  Most importantly, it fits! (but the size of the bottom piece is really embarrassing to reveal... the sales girl even asked me twice if I was sure the size is right). 

Anyway, I had a really great time at the pool... I haven't felt so light for months!  Especially when I feel really breathless these days just after a 10 min walk, this swim felt like heaven.

I wasn't ambitious at all thinking that if I couldn't manage to swim, I would just walk in the pool. To my delight, I did ten laps slowly without the slightest difficulty! 

Think I am going to hit the pool everyday from now on... or at least every other day :)

 

A picture paints a thousand words

Some time back during one of those inspired afternoons, I painted on a little flower pot (one of those plain ones from Ikea).  I stared at it for the longest time before I decided on a simple green landscape with a clear blue sky... mainly because I realised after long periods of inactivity, many of my poor tubes of paint were sluggishly hardened... with the most promising tubes from the blue & green family :)

After an afternoon of intense painting and getting all my fingers embarrassingly stained, I showed it to The Man with much excitement (like that of a child bringing home from school an art piece that the parents would be proud of), expecting some kind of compliment or praise.

The Man (staring with disapproval): How come your painting look so lonely! No houses and no people??

Me (dumbfounded): err...

I then turned around the pot and pointed out.

Me (depserately defensive): Lonely meh? But look... there is a little windmill on the other side mah...

Ok, maybe I was feeling a little lonely that afternoon...hahaha :P

Moving Out... Soon

I have been largely distracted these past two weeks by the sale of my house and the relentless hunting for a new place and thus, the lack of blogging.  Now that the dust has settled with most of the documentation and planning taken care of, the rest is execution.

Concerned friends have questioned the timing of the move, given that I will be into the last trimester of my pregnancy.  I would be lying if I claimed it wasn't even the least of our concern but then after some deliberation with The Man, we thought why not... since I am on leave and that gives me much room for all the planning and coordination, which would otherwise be even more challenging with both of us slogging away at work.

Given that our new place will not be ready in at least another three years, we will be moving in with my in-laws for now.  We started off with properties that will T.O.P by this year but the asking prices for these sub-sales have been nothing but ridiculous.  We also contemplated the possibility of putting up in a rented apartment in the meantime but three years of rental will set us back by quite a bit.

So this week is when I start all the light packing since I am under strict instructions not to do any heavy lifting :) Not that I can manage anyway... given the clumsy and bulky state I am in.

With less than two months to go before I have to leave behind this lovely first home of mine, the emotions will no doubt start to sink in. It feels like just yesterday when we were still doing up this place with all the resort-themed ideas and furniture.  I will so dearly miss this place that was once filled with parties & booze, fun & laughter, ups & downs... 

It will be a pity that Junior wouldn't have a chance to stay in The Eden after he is born and so we have been snapping away in the house, hoping to show him each and every corner of our first home in the future.

Poo in Pool

Having stayed here for more than 5 years, I have never seen the pool like this.

My curiosity got the better of me and I asked my neighbour whom I happened to be with.

Me: So do you know what happened to the swimming pool?  

Neighbour: Oh, some kid shit in the pool last evening!

Me: OMG, yaks!

Neighbour: Should be one of those kids from the swimming class.  They were the only group there... I still remembered the instructor was in a foul mood yesterday, throwing the swimming board into the pool and shouting at the kids.

Me: Haha... looks like the instructor literally "scared the shit out of the kids"!

And then I detoured avoiding the "crime scene", not wanting to spot any poo that may be still floating in the pool...