So, the school holidays are here. School children every where are glad that the schools over and they are finally able to have some fun. You know, nowadays schools can be very stressful for kids. It is not like in the past where school is just a place for learning maths, science and language and then you return home. It is now a place for learning everything. And our brilliant expert “educationists” have recommended that our school system have more “project work” which teaches “team work” and “responsibility” , improves “creativity” and allows students to think “independently”. Basically it means that our young school children is pumped with tons of stuff to do in order for the Education Ministry to look “good”. Oh, they are telling us to help them give our children the education they deserved. I find it very sad that our children are forced by our authorities to have such a stressful time in school and even at home, when they should be enjoying life. For god’s sake, they are children, not adults and they do deserve to have some fun once in a while.

I have seen parents piling their children with schoolbooks, textbooks and what-not every day. Even during the school holidays. That frightens me. I wonder how will their children turn out? My thought is that when adults are miserable, they tend to want to inflict their misery on others. What easier victim than their own children? If you think that it is not true, you will be surprised. We are supposed to love our children, but the truth is, some of the parents do not have the best interest of their children at heart. I have seen parents complaining to schools about the lack of “homework assignments” and “projects” and I was stunned. They have already a lot of homework assignments to do! Every day, you see school children heaving a huge bag of textbooks to school and they are telling me that there is not enough homework assignments??? What gives? I know it is not in the Singaporean parents’ nature to be understanding, but it doesn’t take much of an brain to realize that there is always a limit to what can be squeezed. And if you keep on squeezing, one day your child might just break and as the parent, you will have to be responsible for the consequences. But of course, most Singaporean parents will blame someone or something else.

Oh, if this is not scaring you the slightest, then I have a listing of Singapore Tuition Centres for you to enjoy browsing through.

Well, of course we do. Unlike in the “olden” times when the wife can usually stay at home and take care of the family, nowadays, it is very different. The cost of living in Singapore has gotten so high that most of the couples cannot afford to have only one breadwinner, so both have to work. And they do work very long hours. So when they get back home, they are most probably too tired to do any housework or anything else for that matter. Thus, they are left with the only option - hire a maid to take care of the housework. Can we blame them? No, the society nowadays is so hectic that they are left with not much options at all. And even worse, some of them have to bring back work to do. I doubt that most of them don’t even have time to get a proper rest at night, let alone doing household cores.

How about parents with little children?  For them, they are even worse off. Taking care of children requires a lot of effort, time and energy, something which their work had siphoned off. Most parents would leave their kids at child care and only in the evenings, take them back home. Or at most have their parents to do the taking care. However, some parents do not the luxury of having their parents to take care of their little ones, and yet again, the only option is having a maid to help out. And no matter what the government says, Singapore employers are properly the worst when it comes to flexibility in working hours. So, it is either come and leave on a fixed time or you are fired. And Singapore employers lack understanding. I have seen a lot of such cases to tell you that Singapore’s population increase will never come at the expense of businesses. I had thought that it is a small sacrifice for the country to pay for increasing the national birthrate, however apparently, the government thinks otherwise. They seem to favour importing foreign talent instead. Who am I to question the experts in our government?

Anyway, if you are interested in hiring a maid, please take a look at my listing of Singapore Maid Agencies.  From what I heard from my friends and relatives, hiring maids is easy, hiring a good maid is tough. You will have to face with all sorts of unscrupulous maid agents, unethical maid agencies  and lazy maids. I wish you good luck and it is important for you to ask your friends and relatives with have experience with hiring maids.

Come on, we all know that you are very stressed with your work. I mean, who isn’t? Singapore is one very stressed place to live in. I think unless you are one of those Singapore “elites”, you are bound to have a ton of weight on your shoulders - your work, your family, money, housing, your children’s education, raising prices of everything, ever increasing taxes, job security, stupid bosses, food poisoning…..You name it and it is right here in Singapore. I am just surprised that Singaporeans just doesn’t explode from all these stress inside. Every time I go near a Singaporean, I am thinking “grenade”!

So, what is there a better way to relief stress than to go for a long nice holiday overseas? You know, don’t need to worry about work but just to relax and have some fun in a country as far away from Singapore as possible? Enjoy some other country’s culture and meet other people, eat different type of food, breathe a different kind of air - those kind of things. A lot of Singaporeans are starting to realize the importance of going for a break from work. Actually, I think it is a must for Singaporeans to do that once in a while. All work and no play, and we all Singaporeans will go crazy from the stress we are facing.

And of course, you must bring your family along. Can’t go on holiday with just your mistress right? Very suspicious to the wife. But how to do that when your children is schooling right now? We don’t want them to miss out on their education right? Might interfere with their dream of becoming a doctor or a lawyer. So go on holiday during the school holidays loh! That is what most people are doing anyway.Yes, the school holidays start somewhere at the end of May. But you can always plan first. In fact, it is better to start planning now and get the best deals instead of waiting for the inevitable rush at the tour or travel fairs. Don’t you just hate squeezing and being squashed at those overcrowded fairs?

Anyway, if you are planning to go for a break, please take a look at my list of Singapore Travel / Tour Operators. Yes, I know it is not complete, but it is a rather comprehensive list of travel agencies in Singapore. It is always good to do some research first and get the best deals.

The cost of healthcare in Singapore has been rising continuously throughout the years. And even with the poor economic outlook, I really doubt that healthcare cost will go down anytime soon. I mean, people still get sick during recession right? In fact, more people are getting sick due to work related stress. It is not like doctors or whatever are not longer in good demand during recession. My friend told me that the most recession proof job is a doctor. Nowadays getting sick is like being fined in the courts. You pay lots of money. That’s about it. Just a few months ago when I was down with fever, the medicine and the consultation fee added up to S$150. Furthermore, I had to go for blood screening, which I think cost about S$30 or so. Yes, that is in total about S$180 wasted. And I got nothing out of it anyway. It is not like eating medicine will make me healthier or fitter. It is not like I won’t get sick again.

However, we all have alternatives. The best way is to start eating right. It isn’t expensive at all. If you browse through your local supermarket, you can find all sorts of healthy food which are pretty reasonably priced. Fruits, vegetables, fish among others are all healthy alternatives to fried and oily staff we eat everyday. I eat yogurt and drink Kefir everyday.  The additional cost is like S$3 per day or so. But I definitely feel much healthier now. I don’t tired easily and at night, I can sleep properly. The S$3 I spent is more than worth it.

Another way to a healthier lifestyle is to exercise. I am lazy and I found it very difficult to get myself to exercise. Well, pretty sure that I am not alone in this. Everyday after work, we are all so tired that we just want to go home and sit on the couch to watch TV and relax. Well, to at least have some exercise, now going home, I stop about 1 bus-stop before my actual bus-stop and walk to rest of the way. I know it is not optimal, but it will do for now. For those who drive, it can be a problem, especially if you have limited parking areas.

If you find it difficult to get up and exercise, what you need are friends! Yes, they do help to motivate you to go out and exercise. Get a group of friends and regularly plan to exercise. It can be as simple as a game of squash, basketball, soccer or just a jog around your housing estate. Before I started work, I spend my days lazing around in the house. My friend living nearby asked me to go swimming with him.  Initially I dreaded going swimming, but after a while, I found that swimming with friends can be fun and yes, it is good exercise as well. Or try taking up Yoga courses with your friends. Yes, I know that such courses are not cheap, but due to the reason that it is not cheap, it is good motivation for you to continue to go to the Yoga courses which you have already paid for. Wuhahah, money as a motivation actually works wonders.

Well, if you are looking for Yoga classes, please take a look at the list of Yoga Courses in Singapore I have created. Live long and prosper!

Have you guys tried Yami Yogurt before? If I am not wrong, it is some sort of soft frozen yogurt and they have a number of branches in Singapore. Well, surprisingly, I didn’t seem to notice this brand of soft frozen yogurt nor did I realize that they have quite a number of outlets located in numerous parts of Singapore. They even have an outlet at Junction 8 (a place where I often frequent) and how could I miss that? Probably because Junction 8 is so damn crowded all the time.

What they offer to their customers are soft frozen yogurt topped with different toppings like peach, bananas, peanuts, rasins and so on. They also have a variety of choices in their menu which includes Peachie, Tropicana, Banana Boat, Ecstasy and Yami shakes. Of course you can just order plain yogurt too! If you are a health freak, I was reading their website and it seems that their frozen yogurt contains the live cultures l.acidophilus, s.thermophilus and l.bulgaricus which are all good for you. I am just wondering whether frozen yogurt are better than normal yogurt when it comes to culture counts. Since the cultures are in frozen form, how well do they perform once they are in our body? I guess I will need to read up more about this.

But of course, you may not be all that interested in the health benefits. You are more interested in whether the Yami soft frozen yogurt tastes good or not. Well, I have no idea. I think I might have eaten them before, but my memory about the Yami Yogurt is a bit hazzy so I cannot say for sure. Have any of you tried Yami yogurt before? Please leave us a comment and tell us your experiences with their yogurt. I am pretty sure that their yogurt will be very sweet. As all dessert stores in Singapore, the yogurt offered by Yami Yogurt should be packed full of sugars and additives. For me I don’t mind since I am not fat or on diet, but for others, it is better to take commercial yogurts in moderation. You don’t want to be surprised to find out that you have actually gained weight after eating one too many yogurt. And if you know of any other frozen yogurt stores, leave us a comment as well. I am particularly interested in stores selling natural yogurt. That means that they don’t add any sugar, flavourings or additives.

Oh by the way, they do delivery as well. But the areas they cover seemed limited and you will need to order a minimum of S$20. So if you are planning to eat a hell lot of frozen yogurt or if you are having a yogurt party, you could try their delivery service.

I am here to introduce to you yet another company listing I have done. This time it is for car or vehicle leasing/rental. So if you or your company is looking to lease vehicles in Singapore, you should take a look at the list I have created.  I am very sure it is not comprehensive but I guess it can be a good start for anyone looking to lease cars. The thing about leasing vehicles is that sometimes it can be rather difficult to get the right vehicle with the right budget at the right time. This is due to the fact that there are always seasonal demands for certain type of vehicles and most leasing companies have only a limited stock of vehicles. So unless you are real lucky or if you are willing to sign a long contract (2 years or more), you will probably not loan that “dream” car you always wanted. So it is much better to have a wide choice of rental companies for you to choose from.

I think the most important thing for anyone when they are looking to rent vehicles is the budget. How expect a million dollar car for a rent of a few hundred bucks per month.And another important factor is how old is the vehicle. You won’t want to be driving a 5 year old car which have been in constant use since there is a good chance that it will break down and break down often. I mean if you lease a vehicle, I am sure you want it to work for you, instead of spending all it’s time in the workshop. You never know what the previous driver(s) are doing and from what I see on the roads, some drivers are really crazy when it comes to braking, changing gears and speeds. More so if the car is not theirs. I would prefer to get a newer vehicle with a lower milege than a vehicle which is more powerful. It is obvious why.

For companies, they should get a very trusted provider and look long term.  It is very important to get a reliable leasing company so transportation is extremely critical for businesses nowadays, even if the rental fees are higher. Sure Singapore is well connected by the public transport, but if speed is of the essence, then you will need car replacements and car repairs fast. Your staff cannot be waiting for their vehicles to be repaired or in the long run, you will probably lose efficiency.

Anyways, please take a look at Singapore Car Rental and Leasing Companies. Hope that they will come in useful one day.

Well, I am sure that most of you guys are planning a little trip overseas for your vacation, right? I mean Singapore is so stressful that everyone is glad to leave the country, even if it is just for a few days. Come the December holidays, you will see hordes of Singaporeans and foreigners working in Singapore trying their best to escape from this prison through our airports and across the cross-way into Johor. Well, if you are living in Singapore, I am sure you understand why so many people are attempting to get out of the country. I don’t blame them. Look at how stressful the life is in Singapore. You got to work long hours, face and endure crazy bosses, eat poor quality frozen food, take overcrowded public transport that cost a bomb, breathe dirty smoky air from vehicles, sleep in tight spaces without air-conditioner and have a lot of children because the government said so. A lot of people will break under the strain if they don’t escape from Singapore once in a while. What better time then to follow the crowd and go on a vacation when everyone is on vacation as well. That way, although you know that you are not in Singapore, you can still fell safe when you meet your fellow Singaporeans when you go on tour.

And in Singapore, no matter what, you still got to plan ahead. Yes, you will need to plan where you want to escape to now. Although the holidays are still a few months away, you will have to plan where you travel to, how many of your 10 children and maids you are going to bring along, what clothes to wear, how much money to save, who is going to feed your pet goldfish when you are not at home and which of your children’s university fund is going to be sacificed for the trip. Yes, even planning to go on tour can be stressful. What did I tell you about Singapore?

Anyways, if you are still considering to go on tour for your holidays, please take a look at my listing of Tour and Travel Agencies in Singapore. I have complied quite a number of travel agencies which will definitely help to make your dream vacation come through. And at the same time, lighten your wallet. Remember though, it is always good to ask around the various travel operators first before making your decision. You might even get a great deal!

Well guys, this has been 2 years in the making. I have complied a list of restaurants in Singapore. They include Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Thai, Fusion and other types of cuisines and I hope that the list will be useful for you when it is time for you to choose a restaurant. Yes, it’s not complete. Heck, I think it is not even half complete but at least it will give you several choices to choose from. It is always good to have different choices when it comes to filling our stomach right? I don’t want to keep on going to the same restaurant time and again. Yes, we do have our favourite restaurants and we will frequent it often, but after some time, we will bound to get bored with the food and look for other alternatives. Hey, that’s good. If we stick to the same old food day and night, we will be bored to death in no time.

Anyways, what do you think of the standard of restaurants in Singapore nowadays? In my opinion, I think a lot of restaurants’ standard have dropped recently. True, a few good ones have kept on providing a very high level of service and food quality, but generally, I think it has dropped. Probably due to the high cost of food in Singapore, even restaurants have started to cut down on the quality of foodstuff to “cut cost”. I guess this is a fact of life in Singapore. One of my friend who owns a small restaurant told me that he is now spending nearly all his time sourcing for food, instead of cooking. He hires someone to cook and travels around the region looking for cheaper meats. The best excuse he gave me was “No Choice”. I am sure that this is not what he expected to be doing when he started his restaurant.Nearly every restaurant and even small cafes are doing that now. Probably why the food in Singapore is getting from bad to worse. It is no wonder that a lot of Singaporeans are going to Johor Baru to enjoy the food there. The food in Singapore is either getting worse or just too damn expensive. If we don’t do something to control the ridiculous price increases in Singapore, soon Singapore won’t be the food paradise that everyone is raving about.

Well before you lose all hope, please take a look at the list of Singapore resturants I have created.

I am pretty sure that this is usually the case, especially in Singapore. Well, the long working hours is one of the main cause of why Singaporeans are often rushing here and there. Sure, it states 9-5, but in all seriousness, how many of us actually do work only from 9 to 5? And even if we do, how many of us bring our work back from office to do at home? Plus, just look at the horrible traffic we get in Singapore nowadays! If you leave your office at 5pm, you could reach home only after 7pm! Worse for those taking our overcrowded bus or train services and with the jams, it can take up to 2 to 3 hours to travel to and from work everyday. And with so much of our time spent traveling, I often wonder how can we find time to do our household chores? Furthermore, most of us come back from the office too tired to do anything else but to sleep.

For those with children, I am guessing that the lack of time is even worse. Who is going to take care of our children when we go to work? In Singapore, both parents are usually working. I mean, how many Singaporean families can afford not to have both parents not working? Very very few. And they are only the rich who can afford to do that. Us mere mortals don’t have that luxury. And who is going to bring the children to school everyday? How about taking them back from school? Don’t tell me your employer allows you to take time off from work to go and fetch your child? Come on, this is Singapore, that ain’t going to happen anytime soon. Even if they did, who is going to take care of your 5-year old child when you have to go back to work? Or are you just going to leave them in your 2-room HDB flat alone without any sort of adult supervision?

So, what’s the other alternative? Yes, to get a maid. They can help to maintain the house while you are at work and help with your chores. They can also pick up your children and at least provide some supervision when you or your spouse is not around. Of course, it is important to note the word “help”. I am guessing that a lot of families are now so reliant on our maids that we can’t function without them.

Anyway, if you are thinking of hiring a maid, please take a look at a listing I have done: Singapore Maid Agency Listings.

Hello guys, just a quick update here and a little information for you if you are interested in getting some new furnitures for your home or office. I have complied a list of Singapore Furniture Retailers and contains about 76 listings for you to choose from. If you have purchased furnitures before, I am pretty sure that you know it can be a real hassle. I mean you need to find the right colour, right type (plastic, wood, metal or some other material), quality and style. Look at the interior styling of houses these days, we get a lot of mish-mesh of different furnitures, making the house look out of place and ugly. Of course, it is easier for you to get everything from one store or from one manufacturer, but sometimes it is just not possible or it could be out of your budget. Or the designs are too outdated and may not be in production anymore. So you are forced to source around.

We are also very sick of looking at furnitures from Ikea or Courts. Basically these two big retailers control a large portion of the furniture retail market and well, they are very convenient. Not to say that their designs are bad (in fact, some of which are pretty good) but there are common place. If everybody buys the same furniture from the same store, we are going to see every house in Singapore looking identical to each other. Why spend so much money on your furniture and interior designing and renovation, just to look exactly like your neighbour’s house/flat? I am all for uniformity, but come on, we are not the military.

And furnitures can really make your house look unique and in many ways very stylish. That is if you do it well.