Universal Studios Singapore

Singapore is becoming a more exciting place with the partial opening of the Universal Studios soon!

It will be opened from 5 pm to 9 pm from 14 Feb 2010 to 21 Feb 2010 for the public to take a sneak peek at what is inside.

Sale of the tickets (costing $10) will begin on 12 Feb. There will be no sale of same day tickets available at the front gate (don't ask me why).

From what I know, when it is officially opened, weekday passes would cost $66 while weekend pass will costs $72. So the current $10 admission fee is a STEAL if you ask me.

There will be roller coaster rides, movie themed attractions and lots more! So fun. No need to go overseas to sit rollercoaster anymore =)

There are height restrictions for certain of the rides though. If you are above 125cm, you will be able to enjoy most of the rides.

Valentine's Day Ideas That Worked for Me

Valentine's Day this year unfortunately (or fortunately) coincides with Chinese New Year.



As I am married, I no longer celebrate this special occasion. (Yes, the death of romance in marriage)



But I used to recall the days when I would be wondering what to get my girlfriend for V-Day.



I found that this simple formula always works for me. I am not very good at gifts actually. But what I did was so simple and so easy. Nothing fanciful needed. So here is a step by step formula for the perfect Valentine's Day.



Step #1 - Order Flowers



Just order that bouquet of flowers. Yes, it is expensive but it is the bare minimum. I used to get my flowers either from City Hall or Jurong Point. You need to make sure you order beforehand though I am pretty sure that they have enough supplies to entertain walk-in customers. Bring a large paper bag if you are embarrassed to be seen with a large bouquet of flowers.



Step #2 - Write a Well Thought Out Card



This is KEY. Don't just buy a card and write silly stuff like "Happy V Day, I love you". Instead, think about what you would really like to say to her. Thank her for all the things she has done for you in the past year. Recall your favorite memories with her. The card should be like a letter if possible. It should include huge paragraphs that she can read and re-read again. It needs to be well-thought out and not just a few sentences. Think of it as writing a 500 word essay on why you want to spend the rest of your life with her. Remember that the grader is your girlfriend. I really cannot emphasize how important a well written card or letter is. In fact, I would think that it is more important than the flowers. But you still need to have the flowers.



Step #3 - The Gift



If your girlfriend or wife has been easy on you, she might have hinted to you what she already wanted for V-day. But if you simply have no idea, go for this: Perfume. I always buy perfume because it is the easiest to chose and it is classy. Of course it will cost you around $70 to $100 but it will be money well spent. You will be the one taking in the scent afterall =)



Step #4 - The Meal



Her favorite eating place or somewhere with good ambience. Simple as that.



Conclusion



Just follow the 4 steps and you should do just fine. If anything goes wrong, don't blame me. I am just offering some suggestions. It is what I used to do for my girlfriend (who is now my wife). So it worked for me at least.

A day at East Coast Park

I went to East Coast Park today to do some cycling and walking.

I must say that I am quite amazed at the recent developments and how the beach seems to have alot more sand than before.

There are a lot more eateries and there was also the newly opened skateboard park near the Jetty.

The crowd that was at East Coast Park was also amazing. Lots of people running, cycling, blading or just walking their dogs. Many people were also playing beach games at the beach.

I am pretty sure that they imported sand from somewhere and threw it all around East Coast as it looks a lot like Sentosa already.

Anyway, the wife and I rented a bike each at a total cost of $13 for 2 hours. We cycled to the nearby food centre and ate some delicious chicken wings which cost $3.60 and had some drinks which cost $3.50. After cycling for a little while more, we got tired and decided to return the bikes.

It is amazing but we paid $13 for the bike rental and I do think that the bikes can be used again and again for almost eternity (okay, maybe for 5 years). It seems that the bike rental stores there are really having a good business (not to mention location).

It is empty during the weekdays but during the weekends, the number of bikes that they rent out can easily hit a hundred every hour. Simply amazing!

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Norway is Best Country to Live In

Looking for the best country to live in? Based on United Nations data released, Norway has been voted as the best country to live in.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) index was compiled using 2007 data on gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, education, and life expectancy, and showed marked differences between the developed and developing world. It was published as part of the UN's Human Development Report (HDR) 2009

Japan, staying in 10th, was the only Asian country in the top 10.

Singapore ranked 23rd, swopping places with Hong Kong at 24th.

South Korea and Brunei came in at 26th and 30th respectively, retaining their previous positions.

Top 10 Most desirable countries to live in(2009):
1. Norway
2. Australia
3. Iceland
4. Canada
5. Ireland
6. Netherlands
7. Sweden
8. France
9. Switzerland
10. Japan

Least desirable countries to live in
173. Guinea Bissau

174. Burundi
175. Chad
176. Democratic Republic of the Congo
177. Burkina Faso
178. Mali
179. Central African Republic
180. Sierra Leone
181. Afghanistan
182. Niger

If there is any commonality, it is that all these countries are located in Africa and many of these countries are land-locked.