Social Stigma and Prejudices Against Doing O.T (Overtime)

Have you ever feel guilty having to stay back in the office to finish up those unfinished work?

No, I am not referring to the group of O.T (overtime) mercenaries who laze around in the day and stay back in the evening to finish up what could have been done in the day for that measly 1.5x monetary compensation.

Most supervisors/bosses do not want to see their staff working overtime. Why? Besides having to pay for the O.T claims, it is a direct signal to the boss that you have poor time management and/or you are not skilled in doing the work given to you i.e. inefficiency.

Of course it all depends on the nature of the industry you are in. If you are in the I.T industry, working O.T is part and parcel of the job. A server crash in the computer room or in one of the regional office (where there is zero I.T staff) would mean canceling that dinner appointment with friends or loved ones. While it also means extra money in the pocket, most people would rather choose to spend the evening watching TV with family members at home.

Companies with work life balance policy usually do not encourage their employees to stay back after normal working hours. They believes that staff that do not have a healthy work life balance will either get physically or mentally burnt out and will end up clocking in more medical leaves.

Although I personally do not like to do O.T, I do see the rationale behind doing one if the situation calls for it. And there are works to be done and if you have nothing much to do at home, it does not hurt to do a few hours a week for help pay off some of that car or mortgage loan.

And if you are one of those "couch potatoes" who happen to have unfinished works in the office, then instead of feeding the stomach with junk food while lying on a couch watching predictable drama series on the TV, you are obviously better off working in the office for some extra cash for you to splurge on your next holidays in Korea. :)

Like I said, while it is fine to earn that extra pocket money, do also consider the social and personal impact on your life. e.g. If you are someone with a new born kiddo at home and a single mum, the impact for your case will be HUGE and it will come back to haunt you for years to come.

Part 1 - 10 Must Eat Hawker Food in Singapore

Most Singaporeans love to eat - and that includes yours truly too. :)

Although there are chains after chains of restaurants in Singapore, I am sure most of you would agree most of the food are pretty much the same. After all, there are only so many ways you can prepare a US beef steak, Japan Bento sets, Korean Bibimbap, Italian pizza and so on.

Boring.

Unlike hawker food, there are basically endless varieties you can choose from when you step into hawker centers. Although hawker centers are not air-conditioned, and seats are hard to find during peak hours, the food there are good and economical for the most part.

If you are like me who has gotten sick and tired of restaurant food, below is a list of food that you must really try - especially if you are a tourist. :))

1. Hainanese Chicken Rice

Truly one of the most popular local hawker food in SG

Just a simple Google search will reveal a few stalls in Singapore

If you are new to Singapore, you really MUST try out this local delicacy. You can easily find it across hawker centers. If you really can't find any, refer to the above few that I screenshot from Google search portal.

2. Bak Kut Teh

 

Yet another DDMT (die die must try) food in Singapore

 

Almost every hawker centers in Singapore have at least one Bak Kut Teh stall and personally I feel that the hawker center ones taste so much better than those in restaurants. So why spend that extra ten or more bucks (including GST) eating out at air-conditioned Bak Kut Teh restaurants when you can get a more authentic and more economical version everywhere else.

3. Indian Rojak

 

 This food needs no introduction for local Singaporeans. I have not known anyone who has not eaten or tried Indian Rojak before. If you really have not tried it before, please, do yourself a favor, order one today. This dish can also be found at almost hawkers out there.

4. Fried Hokkien Mee

 

My favourite food of all time!!

With the few locations listed inside the Google listing above, there is really no reason for you to miss trying out this local delicacy if you are new to Singapore. Try it and thou shall hath no regret...:)

5. Fried Carrot Cake (Chai Tow Kway)

 

 

I have been eating this food since I was six years of age and no, I have not grow sick of eating it at all. I personally like it fried in black sauce but the white one is equally yummy. Please never try this dish in restaurants, most of them will never be as nice as those in hawker centers. Trust me on this. 

6. Satay

 

This is probably one of those food which my hubby and I have different opinions when it comes to which meat taste the best when dipped inside the peanut sauce. I like the mutton best and my hubby love only the pork and the chicken meat. Anyhow, please give it a shot if you are tourist and have never eaten a single stick of satay your entire life.

7. Roti Prata

 

 

There are many argument in the web where this food originate from but to me, who cares. My stomach wouldn't care any more than I do. :) Good food are meant to be eaten, and not to be argued about, ya?

8. Katong Laksa

 

Another one of my all time favorite local delicacy.

 

If you are a tourist and have only one more food to eat and one more place to go - your choice is clear. Go to the above address listed in the image above - 328 Katong Laksa. Yo will simply love it
!!! Nope, unlike typical Laksa, you do not need a chop stick to eat this bowl of delicious Laksa.

9. Char Kway Teow

 

How can any restaurant food beat hawker food like this one!

 

My whole family is in love with this simple looking hawker food and although there are many version of it in Singapore, most of them taste the same. Refer to the above Google search listing if you can't find any decent one.

10. BBQ Sambal Sting Ray

 

This one SIMPLY rules them ALL! IMHO of course.

BBQ Stingray. Who could ever resist its taste and its sambal fragrance. This food go extremely well with rice and if you are simply NOT a sambal lover like me, do ask for a non-sambal version. :)

As you can see by now, Singaporeans will never ever grow sick and tired of hawker center food - there are just too many to choose from and this post is only part 1 of the series of hawker food.

Meanwhile, make sure to go try out the above list of food and stay tuned for the next post.

Japan Series 1 - 5 Must Visit Shopping Malls When You Are in Tokyo

Writing this post has certainly gave me lots of memory flashbacks, especially Tokyo, the place I had my first honeymoon when my hubby and I first got married.

Although I have been to Japan a few times, nothing beats the feeling I had the first time I was there 13 years ago. After a long 7 hours flight, at 5.45am, 2 very sleepy newly wed hurried down the airport baggage department escalator to grab their luggage and worriedly hunt down their Japan group tour leader who was nowhere to be found in the crispy cold coach parking area of the Narita airport.

It was our very first trip to a cold country, naturally both of us did not put on our jackets and was shivering after we manage to locate our tour leader and the rest of the group members. Although it was so very cold at 6 degree celsius, the air was fresh and when the first warm ray of sunshine shone upon the face of the two cold and obviously hungry souls, the feeling we had at that very moment was indescribable. I could still feel it till today...:D

Ok, enough of my memory flashbacks. Below is a list of big shopping malls which I personally like to visit whenever I am in Tokyo (I am really a shopaholic). Nope, some of the malls weren't around yet when I was there 13 years old. In case you are wondering...

1. Tokyo Solamachi

Are your stomach growling at you after a long day at the mall? No worries, take a look at this gourmet guide from the mall which has a HUGE varieties of food - I am sure your hunger will transform into bloated stomach before you leave the mall. Below is just a glimpse of what's inside the guide.

Now you know why I love Tokyo so so much...

After a fulfilling meal at the restaurants, I reckon you must be itching to shop again. In case you have questions regarding their facilities and you can't read Japanese like me, be sure to print out this FAQ guide and bring it with you when you are there. It's gonna be a life-saver for you especially when you are out of cash and urgently need access to a ATM.

 

If you are in the mood for fashion shopping but has limited budget, then shopping here may burn a hole in your wallet. The clothing here are rather expensive. For me, I usually come here for food and would usually shop for souvenir/gadgets which cannot be purchased in Singapore.

2. Futakotamagawa Rise

 

This is another huge retail mall for shopaholics like me to indulge in this shopping paradise. :) Besides shopping at this giant mall, there are 4 other buildings and in total if my memory still serve me well, they have a total of more than 180 shops. Take a look at the list of shops there and below is a  list of the other 4 Plaza and Malls.

Futako Tamagawa Rise Dogwood Plaza

Futako Tamagawa Rise Oak Mall

Futako Tamagawa Rise Birds Mall

 


Futako Tamagawa Rise Plaza Mall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Tokyo Station

Although this is not really a shopping mall per se, since it is really a railway station in the Marunouchi business district of Chiyoda, Tokyo. But with more than 100 retail shops within its facility, I really can't bear to strike this place out from my list.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Care for duty free shopping here? Then you should definitely take a look this guide here. And in case you are looking forward to traveling around via the Tokyo Station, there's a site that has all the travel information you may need.

While the place may not look grand and glamourous like those big mega malls, it has almost everything you will need as a traveler.

Check out Gran Gourmet which has 3 restaurant zones that serve mouth-watering food.

Gran Gourmet is broken into 3 zones which are Kurobei Yokocho, Kitchen Street and Kitamachi Dining.

Be sure to bring enough cash where you are out and about in Tokyo as you never will know when you will see something that you really like but has not cash for it and the worst thing is that the shop does not accept VISA. (>~0~<)

4. Takashimaya times square, Shinjuku

Whenever I hear people say Time Squares has it all, I totally agree. When I was there the first time many many years ago, I was already impressed by how far advanced they were when compared to Singapore back then. Yeah, I know, Japan is forever at the forefront when it comes to things like fashion, technology and food. Oh, I am hungry again... :)

In case you are going to be there for the first time, be in awe of their 16 floors worth of retail store and restaurant outlets. For a full listing of the latest shops, be sure to check out here. If you are the shopping type like me, then most likely you may have to arrange other activities for your significant others while you shop to your heart's content.

Be sure to check out the service guide when you are there.

.

Night view

5. KITTE Marunouchi

When you are here for the first time, "wow" could be the very first word coming out of your mouth. 7 floors of spacious retail and restaurant outlets awaits at every turn. I always plan out where to shop whenever I am in a new mall so that I do not waste unnecessary leg energy on floors that do not have any fashion outlets. Check out the list here if you want to do your homework first before shopping around.

This post is only the first of many in the Japan series in which I will be writing about. If you wish to know more about some of the best food to eat in Tokyo, do not miss out my next post on this series.

Intro Part 2 - My Kiddo Hates These 3 Deadly Passions of Mine

Passion can be a dangerous thing to have especially when you have to pay a heavy price it, both mentally and financially.

The 3 passions that I will be talking about below are actually quite common among ladies and possibly some housewives. After an extended displeasure from my hubby (all 3 passions) and especially my kiddo (2 of my passions), I have since toned down the 'unhealthy' intensity I have for these three passions.

The Shopaholic Who Once Owned 50 Pairs of Shoes

 

Need I say more? Before Cyber Malls became all secured and trendy, I was always hunting out discounts and offers across newspapers and fashion magazines. Most part of the left over salary would always get spent on things that I would only wear once.

Why? Ha, I simply had too many choices and since according to the Pareto's 80-20 rule, 80% of what I usually wear come from 20% of the clothing in the wardrobe. So what happened to the rest of them? I would usually either give them away or donate them away. Truly heart pain and sad moments...


Ok, ok, ok. Let me admit it. Most of them are clothing that I could no longer wear because of my expanded waistline over the years and while it feels good to glance over them once in a while, they have been taking up unnecessary real estate within my wardrobe. :(

The same goes for my big collection of shoes. Since I once own about 50 pairs of them, my hubby had to buy additional shoe cabinets to house them. Sigh...

These days, I have learn to plan out what I want to wear across the entire month and only buy what I need. There is hardly any 'white elephant' clothing inside my wardrobe now. How long can this last? I have no idea. Fingers-crossed.

Who Needs a Drama-holic Mum?

 

Come on, these days, who is not a big fan of Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese dramas? I used to love them so so much, to the extend of owning many cabinets of them.

During the time when I was so hooked up with them, I had very little time for household chores and cooking. Cooking? What cooking? Are you kidding me, that beautiful and kindhearted lead actress just got kidnapped by 3 Korean gangsters, who has the mood to cook? Delivery please. :D

My poor kiddo and hubby had to eat out most of the weekends or if they ordered deliveries, both of them had to eat without me as I run my worth of "dramathon".  The wake up call came after our beloved TV broke down and my hubby did not want to get a replacement. Although I was able to watch them via laptop, I chose not to as I know I was already too addicted and had to put a cap on this unhealthy passion of mine.

Fast forward 3 years and I am still watching dramas. While I am no longer so hooked up, I am still very much a fan of most dramas from Japan, Korean and Taiwan.

Mobile Game Addict

Ever since the introduction of Play-store games from one of my colleagues a couple of years ago after I switch to an Android phone, I immediately got hooked by the great varieties of games they have.

Even though most of them are free to play, I have spent hundreds on some of the games that require purchase of special items in order to achieve higher levels. Besides financial strain, I used to sleep only about 5 hours and I had to catch up with my sleep over weekends.

As you can imagine, my family life suffered as a result and as fate has it, my poor phone suffered a malware attacks some months ago. As a result, I had to get my hubby to do a factory reset and wiped out all the games inside the phone which were easily worth hundreds of dollars.

Like I mentioned above, these days I have manage to curb my urge for these passions and will only do it once in a while. Months have passed and I am still in control over all the three passions. And of course both my hubby and kiddo couldn't be happier these days. :D

5 Coffee Places You Should Definitely Chill Out at in Singapore

Are you running out of places to hang out with your loved ones or buddies? Singapore being a super small country so my hubby and I have always been on the lookout for new coffee places to hang out with either friends or for our very own couple dates. :)

Having tried out quite a few places, below are 5 of them which I personally recommend. Some of them may be costly but it is definitely worth the price if you are looking forward to enjoy a good time with friends or expressing feelings for your beloved.

Jewel Coffee - 1 Shenton Way #01-07 Singapore 

A Cup of Yummy coffee to Kickstart the day

Mouthwatering Breakhast/Brunch

Have you heard of Panama Coffee before?

Love La Mula coffee? Then you really should not miss their La Mula coffee from Panama. Besides serving great coffee, they also offer brunch at their branches.

Yahava KoffeeWork - 4 Jln Gelenggang, 578188

Spacious seating area

I have to admit they really do serve of the better coffee in town and while you may not agree with me, try it out a few more time and you will slowly come to appreciate what coffee really is. If you are in deep love with coffee from Yahava KoffeeWork, did you know that you can order their coffee online and they will deliver it to your house or office?

Jimmy Monkey  - 9 One-north Gateway #01-51 One-north Residences

Like the type of coffee place I like

What's that WC doing at the upper window?

Really a conducive place for meetings, dating and meetups. Their interior deco is one of the best around.

The Department of Caffeine (D.O.C.) - 15 Duxton Road, Singapore

Irresistable coffee for coffee addicts...

Can't wait to eat that again!

  Does the mouth-watering sandwich enticing enough for you to pay them a visit?

Open Door Policy ODP Singapore - 19 Yong Siak Street

Super sleek interior

The ambiance at ODP makes it perfect for couple dates and friend gatherings. This is so far one of the favorite coffee place in town.

If you have come across any special or creative coffee place that serves both great coffee and food in Singapore, please let me know so that I can add them to the list above.