How to say "NO"

I think I have perfected the art of saying "NO".

Since July till now I have gone to numerous facials and body treatment shops and spa with the discount vouchers that my youngest son Niles gave me and I have been subjected to numerous sales talk even before I do the treatment.

My usual answer:" I'll think about it".

My rejoinder after they tell me that the special promo is only for that day, "Ok, I will just call you even if I pay more, I didnt bring my credit card and I dont have cash now".

My tips to go for free or discounted facials and body massage and treatments and not to buy a single package:

1) Dont bring your credit card with you.
2) Just bring enough cash to pay for the discounted treatments so that if they offer you a package you tell them you dont have money or credit card to pay for it.
3) You tell them that you already have a monthly facial or body treatment plan with another spa;
4) Tell them you will be going away for a long vacation;
5) Tell them you are not satisfied with the treatment(Ive said this only to one spa when my face turned red due to the facial);
6) Tell them you are not working and that you dont have money to pay for the package
7) Tell them you have no plan to get a package.

If you can tell the consultant any of these reasons even before they do the treatment it will save you 30 minutes-1 hour of your time in the spa since they will really try their best to sell something to you.

Most people are turned off and dont use their vouchers for these free or discounted treatments because they cant say NO and end up paying hundreds and thousands for a package.

Why dont you try the above excuses and go for it!

Are you Migrating to Canada

(My sister Bambi,brod in law Marvin and Madi and Mikaela, Scarborough,Canada)


A month ago Father Angel our resident Pilipino priest in Singapore gave a sermon regarding the Pilipinos never ending quest for the proverbial green pasture. He told the story of a family who left Singapore for Canada and who up to now has not found a job. He also said that another family who left for the UK is now back in Singapore after finding it hard to adjust to life in London.

Actually we have a pending application for a Canadian immigration. It might come next year or anytime soon but me and hubby are undecided and having second even third thoughts of migrating or not. We want to go to Canada basically for our kids.

If we stay in Singapore, my two boys have to go to NS(National Service) a 2 year military service that would rob them off two precious years of university life.

Sans this we are actually perfectly happy where we are now in Singapore.Its year round sunshine here...no typhoon, no traffic, no smog, no earthquake and nothing at all happening (sometimes a little but boring) We have good jobs, the kids are studying in a good catholic school and we are all safe..here .We can be safe sleeping at night without thinking a robber will creep into our house to steal. Even snatching , theft etc is almost non existent in SIngapore. Contrary to this, a few months ago my sister called me saying their house as well as other houses in their neighborhood was ransacked by thieves and her kids nearly escaped from the thief when they entered the house while the robbers were still inside their place. Here in Singapore so far this hasnt happened yet. So what more can we really ask for.

Another reason we want to try Canada is that my younger sister Bambi and her husband and two kids and my first cousin and her husband are now Canadian citizens and are pretty well settled there. My best friend Len, and two other friends are also settled in Canada.

Our neighbor of four years who used to live about 4 steps away from our apartment just migrated to Canada (with her husband and 3 kids) and she visited my sister Bambi when they just arrived in Singapore.

Here is her latest email to me (she wrote it without much prodding on my part as if discouraging me to go there):

HI Betty, thank you for updating us regarding the letters. WE are now busy these past few days. It's really hard to find a job here in canada, it's very complicated and unsystematic. WE talked several new immigrants ahead of 4months ago with us until now they couldn't find a job. kelangan may magrecommend pa saiyo or kelangan may canadian work experience pa before you can take a work you really incline in. i'm not discouraging you but i really tell u the truth what's happening out here. may ilan kami ka-churchmate dito na last april 2008 pa sila dumating but until now wala pa sila work umiiyak na nga sila kapag nagbibigay sila ng testimony. we are so blessed that Ting got a job quickly(less than a month). Kelangan talga marami dalang pera dito, more than enough to sustain the family for 6months. ang mahal ng mga apartment dito esp condo usually kumukuha sila ng basement apartment para kasama na ang utilities. marami dito hindi nagtatagal magstay sa kapatid nila mismo or kamag-anak mas mabuti pa tumira sa kaibigan lang or landlord. ganun din ang nangyari samin kaya humiwalay agad kami sa sister in law. but this is only base sa experience namin ni ting dito sa ngayon maybe iba rin sainyo nina tony kapag nagpunta kayo dito. make it sure tama ang mga information makukuha niyo. marami benefits din ang gov't once nakasettled na dito esp naka-3months na. sa ngayon wala pa kami benefits sa OHIP yun health insurance 3months before you will receive it kaya bawal magkasakit. ok so much for this. maganda lang dito may sasakyan kahit summer malamig lagi hindi na kelangan aircon.kamusta na lang sainyo diyan lahat. regards to nenet, niles & nigel.

(Snow is something my kids would probably like at first but which I would surely hate)

So are we still going? Are you?

Hayden Kho Debuts on Singapore TV

This is the first time I have actually seen this guy.The only thing I know about him is that he is the boyfriend of Dr Vicky Belo.

In the final season of "The Yang Sisters" he plays the guy who is wooing Kim Ng. He is weird in a way since he is always singing everytime he is with the girl which made the girl think that he is"not serious enough" to go into a relationship.

Here are some photos of the TV series :

This is part of scene 1 showing Hayden serenading Kim Ng.Look at Kim Ngs face showing displeasure.
















and this is the scene were Hayden is introduced by Kim Ng to her nephew.






and finally this is the break up scene were Kim Ng tells Hayden that there is no future in the relationship.






He is quite photogenic onscreen but I dont like his voice. Does he really love to sing?Maybe he should concentrate more on being a doctor.

My HP Mini Note 2133

Finally after almost a month of waiting, I now have a mini laptop. It came free with my two year Maxonline unlimited internet connection which costs $58 (P1700)/month.
The box was so small
the peripherals
the mini note is even smaller than the box



The screen and keyboards are just the size of my hand.

See how small it is compared to my NEC.



See photos here.
and best of all its comes with free $70 Robinsons voucher...Dont you think I got a good deal?

Happy 43rd Birthday Singapore

Today is Singapore's 43rd Birthday. Everyone is in red and all shops are giving away hefty 20%-43% discounts. Its nice to do ones shopping today.

iPhone to be sold in other countries by Aug 22,2008

This is the latest:

August 22, 2008 will be a big day for those have been waiting patiently for the iPhone to become locally available in their country. Below is the list of confirmed countries and the corresponding carriers who managed to snag a lucrative deal with Apple.

1. Argentina (America Movil)
2. Chile (Claro/America Movil, Movistar/Telefonica)
3. Colombia (America Movil)
4. Czech Republic (Telefonica O2)
5. Ecuador (America Movil)
6. El Salvador (America Movil)
7. Estonia (TeliaSonera, EMT)
8. Guatemala (America Movil)
9. Honduras (America Movil)
10. Hungary (T-Mobile)
11. India (Bharti Airtel, Vodafone)
12. Latvia (TeliaSonera)
13. Lithuania (TeliaSonera)
14. Paraguay (America Movil)
15. Peru (America Movil)
16. Philippines (Globe Telecom)
17. Poland (Orange, Era)
18. Romania (Orange)
19. Slovakia (T-Mobile, Orange)
20. Uruguay (America Movil)

[via TUAW]


As you can see, some countries have the luxury of having more than one carrier which should make the pricing more competitive in their part of the world. However, there are no confirmed prices available for most of the listed countries with the exception of the Philippines. Globe, for their part, has already started taking reservations for the 3G iPhone.

While the handset prices are definitely more expensive when compared to the $199 and $299 US sale price, Globe does manage to bundle it with a more consumer friendly package that’ll cost at least $1254 after two years as opposed to the cheapest voice plan of AT&T which will cost $1975 after the same amount of time for an 8GB iPhone. However, the cheapest plan from Globe has limitations on mobile internet use. AT&T comes with an unlimited data plan. So, it’s really hard to compare the two due to the differences in the service they provide through their plans.

However, comparing the prepaid kits clearly shows how expensive it is in the Philippines. Globe offers the 8GB version for roughly $950 (P41,889) while the 16GB variation is being sold for $1110 (P48,899). AT&T now sells the 8GB iPhone for $599 and the 16GB for $699 minus a post-paid plan. Vodafone in Italy, likewise, sells it without a plan albeit a bit more expensive ($770/877 for the 8/16GB) than the US, but still cheaper than what’s being offered by Globe. Yeah, they’re all expensive, but at least you won’t be locked-in a two-year contract with a carrier.

Singtel has not yet announced the release date but TV news yesterday hinted that it could be be sold before the end of August 2008.

So you can now start asking your US relatives to buy iPhones for you since its cheaper to buy the gadget in the US.

Philippines Wins World Hip Hop Championship

Something to be proud of...our kababayans Pilipino All Stars won the August 3,2008 Las Vegas World Hip Hop Competition. Amidst the chanting of Pilipino,pilipino these guys proved that they are world class talents