It's going to be Chinese New Year!

Are you excited about it but yet like many others, fearful of the annual routine "有没有男女朋友，几时结婚，几时生孩子？ (Are you attached? When are you getting married or having babies?). It's mandatory and incessant and seemed to be able to make most feel weary and irritated.

A ear plug might be a good idea.. (Source: Wikipedia)

But they will willingly nag you that to get married or give birth at a younger age is better. Then carefully remind you that you are not young anymore :( After which, they will go into their own stories on how young they had their children and that it is not easy to conceive when you are ready. To push others about having babies is just weird.. you mean you are encouraging people to have sex without protection? It's such a R21 topic, haha!

The younger the better ma... (Source: youmbo.com)

I don't blame them though. In this area, they have been through it and able to share their stories. The only thing common is getting married and giving birth and they are experts in the subject as they have been through it. So when you find your relatives annoying, try to understand that they just want to strike a conversation with you and there are no other topics. If you can think of other topics, you can easily change it to stop the onslaught of interrogating. Some of my introvert cousins will just try to avoid standing near these relatives but it's always good to be sociable.

If no other topics, blame the government for everything happening.. (Source: Wikipedia)

But the thing is, if your friends are the ones asking about these things.. you probably won't be annoyed. Why the difference? My guess is that you can really share with your friends more details but not to your relatives. The relatives never seem to bother asking the reasons why you are not getting married and why no kids yet, just only when you are doing it. Then they start nagging and launch into their stories of how delaying is not recommended. It's more of a monologue than a dialogue, no wonder it became dreary.

Maybe that's only my relatives. They like to talk more than listen and it's kind of amusing to hear their same stories every year. I'd like to think I am different from these relatives but in actuality, I have also started asking those younger than me about their relationships. I hope I come across as more concerned like a friend than just plain naggy!

Definitely a vicious cycle...

So everyone, just get ready your bulletproof vest and await the firing! 祝大家万事如意，洋洋得意， 新年快乐！

A 4D3N stay in Seoul is definitely more than enough as the main highlights are shopping, eating and palaces. Do take a look at Part 1 and Part 2 for the Yongpyong and Jeju highlights. It's due to the recent Korean Wave that hyped up its attractions and boosted its image. To be honest, I would rather go Japan than Korea but everyone needs to go once to find out their interests.

The first thing to do after landing is to buy T-Money (metro card) that can be topped up when needed. Get refunds at the last day in airport station. You can find more information here. You can also take a private shuttle from the airport.

We stayed at Hotel Icon near Insadong. It's a good place to walk to nearby attractions and 10 minutes walk from Anguk Station Exit 4. I headed to find Korean fried chicken the first thing after checking in. Tried Two Two fried chicken at Myeongdong and it's crispy but not shiok enough. Kyochon chicken at Gangnum is better and I will talk more about it below.

Two Two fried chicken at Myeongdong.. Lean and crispy!

Back to the attractions in Seoul, I separated this trip into the main highlights:

Palaces
Gyeongbokgung (景福宮, Gyeongbokgung station Exit 5) is the main royal palace, and is the largest, grandest of all the palaces. I like that it is walking distance from my hotel. I am not really a fan of such places and just walking around looking at their past living quarters is really optional for me. I overheard some Chinese saying it's nothing compared to Forbidden City and I agree. I would suggest to visit this palace only and that's it. The other palace below is visited on a different trip.

The nice palace that is right in the bustling city! It's not obvious from the picture though.

Many of such entrances and exits..

They are standing at Gwanghwamun for your photo taking..

Changdeokgung (昌德宮, Anguk station Exit 3) is the second most popular palace after Gyeongbokgung and is the most well preserved. Most tourists go there for the Secret Garden and you can only enter this garden with the walking tour via Huwon entrance. This secret garden is only exclusive to the king so it's quite grand with ponds, pavilion and some unique trees. It's a nice hike but nothing special.

It could be that beautiful in the autumn... (Pic from triptokorea.com)

Shopping
Dongdaemun (东大门, Dongdaemun station Exit 14)
This is a bit like Mustafa Centre where you get everything here at wholesales prices but there are so many products that you feel confused by all of it. It's opened 24 hours so it's perfect for late nights shopping and is walking distance from the subway station. I would prefer to go Namdaemun though.

The start of a major shopping trip...

Namdaemun (南大门, Hoehyeon station Exit 5)
I would link Namdaemun to Bugis Street and I prefer the open market concept which is kind of similar to Asakusa or Ueno Street in Tokyo. They have everything you need and I particularly like eating while shopping but yet it's not that crowded so this place is just right for me.

Namdaemum really looks like Ueno in Japan...

Ewha university (Ehwa Woman’s University station Exit 2)
No, not exactly shopping in school. It's the streets outside the school and the subway station has the same name. If you like online shopping for bags, dresses and accessories, then this is a really suitable place for you. The crowds are usually teenagers and young adults so it's a pretty good place to chill and ogle.

Seoul Plaza (City hall station Exit 5)
Everyone knows Seoul Tower from the Korean shows where a couple put a padlock on the fences and throws away the keys to seal the commitment and love for each other. So cliche and commercialized and I tend not to go to such places. The best part of going free and easy is to be able to select where you want to go! Instead, I went to the business area in Seoul Plaza and took a stroll and found an outdoor skating rink! It was slightly snowing so it looks beautiful and Krispy Kreme is just right around the corner for a good breakfast.

The millions of locks up on Seoul Tower... Good locksmith business there!

It's too crowded but looks fun!

Insadong (仁寺洞,  Jonggak station Exit 3 or Anguk station Exit 5)

Not many things I could get there... (Source: Wikipedia)

If you like designer brands and shopping in nice tree-lined streets with up-class atmosphere, then this place is for you. Shops like Abercrombie, Forever 21, Zara are located there and nice cafes like Beansbin is also available when you need a break. Overall, I would say a relaxing place to hang out and people watch.

The main tourist shopping place similar to Orchard Road. A very scary place where tourists are more than locals and people buy cosmetics like it cost nothing. Faceshop, Skinfood, Nature Republic, Etude, Missha and Laneige.. whatever you want on you skin it's available there. Tourists normally buy in basket loads as the price can be 50% difference compared to the exported goods. I don't see most shops in Incheon Airport so better to buy first and get all the freebies before going to the airport to get the tax refund. They will have a wider range and higher inventory here than the airport too. Visit this place at night or before you leave so you can carry the heavy stuff back straight away.

Myeongdong theatre to watch Nanta

Besides shopping, the highlight is the variety of street food. pancakes, fruits, egg buns, candies.. Basically everything. Yummy! There is also a wide variety of shopping from high end ZARA and GAP to low end pushcarts so whatever you are looking for should be sold here, just at tourist price. It's kind of scary as it's really crowded at night but the vibrant bustling atmosphere is infectious. If you have time, you can also catch the famous Nanta show, a light hearted comedy that is interactive and fun but cost around S$50.

Lots of food and nice smell in the streets!

Eat 
Noryangjin (鷺梁津水, Noryangjin station Exit 1) Fish Market is like Tsukiji Market, just much much smaller and with tremendous hassling from the vendors. Cross a long bridge after exiting the station and you will see this place. You can choose your own seafood and they will recommend the restaurant to prepare the food right away. The style of cooking is totally not to my liking and not that fresh and cheap anyway so I will not travel so far just for this again.

The myriad of seafood stalls and all of them sell similar seafood!

The varieties that they have such as salmon, oysters, fish, crabs, prawns, abalone.. not cheap at all!

Seafood feast that was frankly, just average...

Hongdae (Hongik Uni station Exit 9) is a place for BBQ and drinking but you don't have to go there specially unless you have time to spare and explore their neighbourhood. They have many well known BBQ restaurants and the nearest station is Hongik University. Please come out from Exit 9 if not you will get lost and not know where to head to. Based on reviews, I went to Hongik Sutbul Galbi Bbq. The grilled food is really delicious and signboards are all in korean so just look at the signboards. I think it's cheap and I would definitely return next time.

BBQ beef, pork, chicken organs... you name it and grill it, slap together with lettuce and eat it with onions and their special sauce. Oh so yummy and oh so smoky!

Near Geongbokgung MRT station, there is a well known Ginseng Chicken (Samgyetang) restaurant nearby. Contrary to common belief that it's a winter food to keep people warm, my Korean friend said that Koreans have it in the summer traditionally in the hottest days of the year to revitalize them. This restaurant rather hidden behind the main road so do look at the instructions from the reviewers for Tosokchon Restaurant (Behind the main road). Oh, it's really good and tasty with glutinous rice hidden inside the chicken, money back guarantee.

No heavy ginseng taste in the soup unless you eat the ginseng, of course.

I have mentioned the street food and I will mention again! They serve everything and are cheap and mostly delicious. One of the common comfort food is Tteokbokki and they taste the same, just go for those with more exotic ingredients in it like fishcakes and hotdog and ham. However, beware of some of the street food like the chicken BBQ skewers you see everywhere. Some served uncooked meat and there are friends who got severe stomach upset due to that. Go for stalls which have high traffic and crowd so you will get the freshly cooked ones.

Tteokbokki is a winter food and is really just flour shaped cylinders with spicy tomato sauce.

My favourite egg bread which is cheap and good!

Oh this is pig's intestines... not for the faint hearted!

If you like Korea's game show 'Running Man', you will know that Leesang's Gary has a grilled pig's intestines restaurant called Paljamakchang. Turn to your right after Exit 9 and at the third cross junction, it will be on your left side.After the popular Gangnum (Gangnum station Exit 9) Style song, I am sure everyone is as curious as me to explore this neighbourhood. It's home to many impressive headquarters and is the most affluent neighbourhood. You will find some shops that cater to the prestigious top class and the prices are quite shocking.

Special

Nice little house with all the earthy elements.. spot the guard dog!

The hilly experience but absolutely serene.

I have never thought that a hotel would ever give me such a bad experience.

I mean, I don't stay in there much and my basic requirements are simple. Just as long as it's clean and everything is functioning well, there is no reason for me to condemn it.

This is definitely good enough...

Free shoes, all right! (Source: Wikipedia)

Did they not do room service first before I check in? That's really weird.

Then it struck me, the hotel has given me a room which was occupied! It unsettled me while I was bathing. So, I hurriedly finished my shower and will whoever is staying here to stay away. Luckily, I managed to finish my bath and went around to take a look around. Someone's luggage is inside the closet. I closed the latch on my hotel room and called the customer service. I plainly asked them, why is there another person's belongings in the room?

Not sure which is which.

They said they will check. When they called me, they asked if I am Abdullah something. I was in shock! They did not even know who I am and the mistake they made. The hotel manager apologized and said they have told me the wrong room. My correct room is 308 and not the previous 305!

How unnerving! My room card was clearly written 305 and I could get into 305's room.

It's surely not just a simple case of miscommunication. What if the guy came back when I went out? What if he came back when I was showering? What if I went in and he was bathing? What if I went to bed? Luckily they are only What Ifs. The thoughts are all scary anyway. How can a hotel be so poorly managed to allow this to happen? Never cross my mind that this could ever happen that I can't even relax in my own hotel room or while taking a bath.

I did not kick up a fuss because nothing happened but I could see that they do not know why this has happened. But this is a good lesson, I will always latch my door even if I intend to take a short nap. It's a good practice and is deeply ingrained thanks to them. Hope nobody else have this weird experience.

I would never have guessed that everywhere is so dirty if not for the routine annual spring cleaning we do before Chinese New Year.

Back breaking work, really!

I sit on the sofa every day but I could never have guessed that it's so filthy with just a quick wipe. I did not know that my closet full of clothes could ever be so dusty and sandy... I mean there is only clothes there and I don't put my shoes in there! Sometimes I really hope that all the filth are gone in a flick of my wrist and magic is put to good use.

But I digress. If I don't put special attention to tidying up the house, I would never have noticed that there is a spray can of paint in my drawer or there is a dead cockroach in the shoe rack. Argh...! Maintaining a house is surely not easy and this forces me to inspect and scrutinize to find out what's really happening underneath the carpet (pun intended).

I remind myself and future homeowners to always be practical when purchasing furniture. Those that are aesthetically pleasing but look flimsy will break apart in time to come, no doubt about it. A quality furniture is worthwhile and less time and headache is needed to maintain it.

Not a good idea to jump on the white sofa, sweetie.

Always avoid white materials. White chairs, cloth, shower curtain, walls.. whatever is white will be disfigured! I mean discolour and turned dirty and grimy. Bacteria is black in colour so they will also be more visible on white linens.

I am glad I don't like to store junk items around. Less cleaning and tidying is needed and the things you did not know existed should probably be thrown away or donated. I hate to waste money on a good usable item but let's face it, if you don't need it in a year, you will not need it at all. Better to give it to someone who does ok.

Similarly, it's good to sit down and think of tidying up my financial portfolio. Following Derek's post,  I wonder if my asset allocation is considered risky as my stocks take up more than the normal 50%.

It's always good to start off bright and fresh for the year.

A new road ahead! Chiong ah!

Being not interested at all in computer technicalities, I really have to thank Coftea for doing this pretty blog for me. There are still some kinks to work out but I really like this vibrant layout.

Anyway, my most popular blog post for last year which is only 3 months worth, is on OCBC. This is quite cool as it means that many are catching on to their OCBC 365 promotion and taking the first proactive step which is to research on it.

Seriously?

This reminds me of my first proactive step in investing. I was talking to my good friend and she recommended to look at the shares of Olam. Yes, a very big company indeed and I opened an account and bought it in 2006. Thanks to my friend's tip and my own luck that it coincides with good market timing, I made my first profit within 6 months. Hooray! Investing is so easy... additional pocket money to spend!

So being easy money, I sold it away and patiently waited for Olam's shares to go lower. It never did... it only went higher and up to the peak at more than $3. Everyone was jumping on this cash cow and market was at a frenzy. Fortunately, I did not buy it in 2010. I was happily studying and not really caring about the stocks market anyway.

In 2011, I bought it back at a $2.50, which is the price I bought in previously. Thinking that it should be the same easy money, no research was made and money was left there. The share price kept falling. I did not know why but I have confidence that it will go up. After all, everyone will need oil and sugar and other commodities right?
Right, but that's not how share price will increase. In 2013, Muddy Waters happened. Share dropped to $1.4. Yeah, I lost money. Being the first foray, it was only 2 lots but it's my entire savings. I was reading up on their reports but I don't really understand much. To be honest, I don't really understand much of its business at all. It's sad that I lost money on paper but I have never considered selling it. For starters, I feel sentimental about it and it's there to remind my mistake where I don't do my research and just buy based on price.

And then, Temasek happened in 2014. Hopes were lifted. My losses were not so bad after all! Why did I not buy more at the rock bottom price... haha. This month, they sold away their wool unit in Australia. Last month, they acquired some cocoa and peanut sheller (Didn't know such things existed) businesses, and so on and so forth.

How complicated.

This is Olam's businesses... cocoa, rice, peanut, wool, cotton...

I would not recommend it to newbie investors like me because their business is really not so straightforward. The oil price, commodities prices, exchange rate losses... it's really too much to handle. Go for a company that you can see what they are selling, how the crowds like their product and how visible their marketing is.. that will be a good start.

Of course, looking up on the annual reports helps. A lot, in fact. It's the first step before investing although it doesn't guarantee success, but it gives me confidence to hold on to a stock or sell it away. Anyway, who am I to judge and advise seeing my first foray into stocks is based on some good friend's tips?! It is not good to invest blindly but at least I jumped right in!

What's your first stock?

I know I am too old for this.

I cannot believe that I am straightening my teeth at 28 years old. I am not a teenager anymore which is why I start to look for alternative rather than braces. For a sales person, I need to meet new people everyday, I don't wanna be inhibited by braces. I don't like that my mouth shape will be distorted by the additional braces, very vain indeed. I don't want to extract 4 teeth, it is too painful and recover too slowly.  Introducing the newest technology Invisalign, that solves all these and is very suitable for young adults like me.

(Source: alliancedentistrync.com)





Braces	InvisAlign
Takes 1.5 to 2 years	Takes 1 year
4 teeth must be extracted	No extraction of teeth
Braces are shown visibly	Invisible retainers
Every month visit to dentist	Initially every month then less frequent
Damn painful	Slight discomfort initially
$2000 - 4000	$7,500 ($6000 to 8000)

One of the reason why InvisAlign is more for young adults is because of the price tag. The other reason is because only young adults will need the advantage which is the invisible retainers. Mind you, my teeth are really crooked with 2 vampire tooth hence the higher price. For those with better teeth conditions, it should be cheaper. The clinics in the central area will also command a higher price. I have checked with Dental on the bay at Vivocity and they quoted me $10,000 before :( To save money, you should definitely head to neighbourhood areas and you can check the clinics offering invisalign here.

Last week, I was in Bangkok for business and I had the chance to stay in Banyan Tree. It is classified as a 4.5 star hotel and is ranked #17 on Tripadvisor. It's not a bad stay overall, but it's puzzling why it's not even better for the price of more than SGD180 a night.

For a start, I can't find where to adjust the aircon temperature. I know I should call and ask the reception but it's pretty mundane...Thought it should be located at some walls but strangely, nowhere at eye level.

Anyway, the real reason why I will not go back to this hotel is that the power socket to charge my handphone is located at the foot of the bed instead of near the bedside tables. This is my first encounter of such strange layout, even though I have tried many 3 to 4 stars hotels. I hated not being able to read and charge while lying on my bed, and also not being able to snooze my alarm hehe.

Charging is located at the partition beside the toilet at the foot of the bed (Source: wikipedia)

Another thing is about the shower. I know I am whining about trivial things but it's because I expected better services from a high class hotel. The towel rack situated at the glass door is usually facing the outside. For this hotel, it's placed on the inside. It is definitely not practical as the water will hit the glass door and if I hang my towels there, it will become wetter than myself. Weird design you see. Also the first time I see this. Maybe it's not to hang towel but used as a handrail.

My most hated thing is that the shower water temperature alternates between extreme hot and cold. I wanted to enjoy a hot shower but was denied after a hard working day. What's wrong with this hotel? Probably because it has 59 floors and I am staying on the 38th so the water needs to be pumped up, causing the fluctuations in temperature.

Doesn't matter, there are many more hotels that are cheaper and better in Bangkok. Anyway, happy new year everyone!