Why I won’t return to Restaurant Chako

Makansutra gave it 4 out of 6 chopsticks. Seetoh featured it on his “Makansutra Raw” tv series. Jimmy and I like checking out new eateries. I remembered that on the episode featuring Restaurant Chako, Seetoh made a big deal about how tough it is to get a table so I made a reservation for two.

The girl who answered the phone was a sweet young lass who offered to email the menu to me. Later, she called back to get my orders. I don’t mind that at all. I do that with Aunty Lee’s when I go Melaka for Peranakan food. In fact, you can pretty much forget about walking in at Aunty Lee’s without a reservation and pre-ordering your dishes. Aunty Lee buys her food fresh and just enought for that day’s orders.

But this isn’t an Aunty Lee review. This is about Restaurant Chako and how despite pre-ordering our food, it still took us 1.5 hours wait. To rub it in, they didn’t serve us at the same time. The Chicken Katsu Curry came after a 20 minute wait and the Beef Yakiniku came an hour after it. I watched Hell’s Kitchen and Gordon Ramsey is always ‘Effing’ the contestants if the dishes don’t go out together. Of course Ramsey runs a 3-star Michelin restaurant that I am too poor to eat at.

The thing is, we weren’t the only ones not being served promptly. The entire room was filled with groups of diners being served one-by-one.

And that is what I don’t get: what is the point of calling your customers to pre-ordering? Unlike Aunty Lee’s where the food comes piping hot and fast, here the wait is still going to be excruciating.

To be fair, there was just one cook — the Japanese lady. And she painstakingly cooked and plated each dish. Why she couldn’t cook 2 beef steaks at the same time, I don’t know. But Beef Steak #1 came out and then Beef Steak #2 went on the stove.

Dont get me wrong, the food was reasonably priced ($18 and $19) and I know the lady chef takes great care and pride in her meals. But waiting 90 minutes for food is crazy. No food would taste good after such a long wait. I remember a Bon Voyage dinner party at a Mediterranean restaurant that took 3 hours to serve all the diners. The person who reccomended it said that was common and she typically waited 2 hours for her food. Why she would go back beats me! I don’t even want to try it, knowing how long I would have to wait. No food is worth wasting my time WAITING.

So, that is why I would not return to Restaurant Chako, 4 chopsticks or not.

How I fixed my “iPhone has no sound” problem

The other day my iPhone glitched. I could make calls with the headset plugged in or use the speakerphone. It would ring but no sounds when texting, clicking the sleep button, unlocking the slider, playing music or videos, sms alerts, etc. I brought it to the SingTel service at Comcentre (Exeter Road) where the iPhone service technician (they’re not called “Genius”) told me it could be a OS malfunction and they would have to reset the phone and reinstall the latest OS.

Reset.

That means a total wipeout. Everything. Gone. Contacts. Smses. Notes. Photos. Videos. EVERYTHING.

My last backup was a month ago. 30 days. Oh well. Que sera sera, right?

So he reinstalled. But the problem remained. Whereupon he told me, “I’ll get you a ticket and you can get a replacement.”

Happy news? Oh, not quite yet.

When I got to the counter, they took another look at the water triggers and said, “Your phone’s has suffered water damage. And when there is water damage, one by one the components will start to fail. Which is why the receiver is now failing. The replacement will cost SGD 350″

I shouted (yes, shouted) THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS?!?!

Forget it. I’m not paying SGD350. I’ll adapt. Use the headset to make calls. Whatever.

By the way, I have no idea how sensitive those liquid sensors in the iPhone are. But if you want to know what to look for, check out this site. You’ll need a torch light, and its standard practice for SingTel to check. And boy, do they CHECK! The service technician will check, the counter staff will check, everyone down the line checks if the liquid sensors have been triggered. REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU SAY THE PROBLEM IS! I know, because I waited in line and watched them check for those little pink lines whether the customer’s complaint was a software bug or battery failure.

Anyway, I went online and starting searching all over. Lo and behold, I found a forum thread with several suggestions, including “most of the time its dust in the headphone jack, blow it out good and try again”. So I did. I twisted the corner of a piece of tissue paper, stuck it into the headphone jack and wiggled it about and… IT WORKED!!! Some people snip off the bulbous tip of a cotton bud and lightly spray the remaining cotton with window cleaner and clean out the headphone jack, much like how you would clean out your ears. I didn’t want to do that. But if you are brave enough to try it, let me know how it works for you.

Stupid SingTel. No wonder you don’t call your iPhone service technicians “Genius”.

How a post on a forum can result in USD500 to Doctors Without Borders’ Haiti efforts

Karen Start, owner of my favorite mineral make up — Silk Naturals — will donate USD 0.50 for every person who posts on THIS THREAD. So sign up and post something uplifting, share what makes your day and know that you’ve helped to reach the goal to donate USD500.

We’re a bunch of friendly, warm and enthusiastic ladies there. Frankly, the SN forum is, to me, a rare place. I have hung out there for yonks and like the home on the range, never heard a discouraging word. No flame wars. No snippy remarks. Everyone’s tactful and respectful… heck, if we all behaved the way the forum behaves, “world peace” may not just be a comedic catchphrase for Hollywood movies.

A Joy A Day #003 – #011

I know, it feels like I’m dumping a whole lot of Joys out in one post… but while I have been diligently updated the Facebook counterpart of this series, I haven’t exactly been very diligent about updating this blog. So I’m sorry, but here they are… my little photos and Joy memories/observations from the last few days.

A Joy A Day #003

Jimmy is a joker and so fun to be with… He is one of the rare few people who can coax a smile from me when I’m sullen. That he adores me, gives me hope.

*This was for a staff dinner. The theme was movies and his team got “Harry Potter”

A Joy A Day #004

J and I learnt to drive only in our 30’s. For years, we took the public transport. Neither one of us was born into a family that owned cars. Today, we drive a black Honda Fit. It’s a luxury and I am grateful for it.

*this shot was taken while driving along Old Tampines Road in said car.

A Joy A Day #005

Kandee Johnson blogged that sometimes when we feel we are goig backwards, it’s like a catapult. When relationships, work, goals, life, etc seem to be going in the wrong direction, it may just well be that you are being pulled far back just to store enough power to shoot you into the sky! Now that gives me hope.

*photo taken at the bottom of the Petrona Twin Towers, KL.

A Joy A Day #006

Do you use a phone protector? I have an iPhone and it’s expensive. I value my phone so I stuck a screen protector and encased it in a cover. We have to take care of the things that are valuable to us.

If we go to such lengths to protect our phones, what about our hearts and minds? Mean things can scratch our heart and mind. Maybe those mean things are hurtful or discouraging people. Maybe they are even your own dangerous thoughts! Remember, no one else is going to protect your heart and you mind, but yourself. Your heart and mind are valuable! (credit again to Kandee, for this inspiring perspective)

A Joy A Day #007

My stubborn, short, straight eye lashes have met their match! The duo of Shiseido’s curler + Lasting Lift mascara magically turns up my lashes skyward — no smudging and no flaking!! This may seem superficial but I felt soooooo much joy upon discovering it, and yes, my stubby lashes have hope!!

A Joy A Day #008

I’m so glad I met and married Jimmy. He is so smart but never smug. He is sensitive to my feelings and cares for my needs. He understands me and keeps me accountable. Everyday I am a better person because of him.

*That’s a picture of a cup of Nespresso — he got a Nespresso Citiz for Christmas.

A Joy A Day #009

Home made wedgies (yes, I know its ‘wedges’ but want to act-cute, can?) lovingly seasoned and fried by Jimmy. He is so handy in the kitchen! And having a cleaner come in once a fortnight makes me less freaked out about frying. Joy!

*tasty wedgies that have no recipe cuz he won’t tell me what he put.

A Joy A Day #010

I love that I can have mouth-watering, yummy food and at less than SGD 5, including drinks.

*Our fav chicken curry noodle from Kovan Hawker Centre, unit #01-05.

A Joy A Day #011

My ‘Joy’ for today is being thankfully aware that even after 8 years of marriage and 5 years of dating, we still go on dates and have things to talk about… And laugh together.

* “Ugly” Salmon Cakes from The Garden Slug. I’m not being mean. That’s what they call them — Ugly Salmon Cakes. Yummy.

There you have it… I shall try to be more consistent with these posts and not be like Singapore weather — D.R.Y. and then KABABOOM it pours!

A Joy A Day #001, #002

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. But I do have goals. So for 2010, my goal is to find A Joy A Day. Yes. One experience to be joyful about EVERY DAY. If that sounds simple to you, then you must be one of those special people who live in Fantasy Land and never experienced death of a loved one, or loss of a job, or betrayal of the heart…

I have no rules for this except…

(1) must find a photo to accompany it because I may as well practice iPhoneography while I’m at it, and after 365 days I should be better than I was a year ago

(2) the Joy need not be current. Because reality is, there will be days when your world is as so bleak, and the situation you are in is so terrible, that there is NOTHING in the moment to be Joyful about. But Joy still exists. Somewhere. So I will look for it. I will focus on it. And, it will give me hope that I so desperately need.

So here’s the first two (I actually started on Jan 01):

A Joy A Day #001

We may be separated by the Pacific Ocean, but knowing that my close friends are just a Skype or G-chat away…gives me hope.

*These heart shaped sequins were copiously littered in a bag sent by Mel. Bag contained lovingly hand knitted gloves

A Joy A Day #002

Parenting & Marriage are difficult. Fraught with challenges and doubts. Knowing the lengths that Mei Ann & Shan Mae went to surprise Lan & Bob on their 60th birthday & 35th wedding anniversary … Gives me hope.

*Lan loves loves loves Chillis.

What’s your goal for 2010?

J’s threadless tees came in today!

They’re gaining in popularity, and some would say that they’re as ubiquitous as Giordano tees. Is that a bad thing… or good thing … or, heck, anything? Its just a t- shirt. If you like a print, does it matter that someone (or many many other someones) like it too?

You want exclusivity? Go order from Woot.com. They don’t deliver to Singapore. (why! why! why!) You can jump through all those transcontinental delivery hoops just to have that smug feeling that you’re in a very unique club.

Either that or don’t wear clothes. That one confirm nobody else will have.

Speaking of being unique, I just remembered a quote: you are unique… just like everyone else.

Happy 2010 and hugs all around!

I signed up for the Women’s 10K Sundown race

I plonked down SGD 45 to run at an Adidas Sundown race. Initially I was going to sign up for the half marathon. But that 21K will have to wait for 2011. I am so out of shape and work is so busy that I definitely won’t have the time to train every day. So 10K it is.

I’m just proud of myself that I am stepping out of my apathy little by little. This 10K is me telling myself that I can do this, I am worthy of being healthy, I deserve to look and feel good about myself.

What about you? What is one good thing you could do for yourself today? Go on, you deserve it. It doesn’t matter if you have made mistakes — we all do. Big ones. Little ones. But your mistakes do not define you. What you do about them does. So give yourself a break. Stop beating yourself up and do something good for yourself. Because you deserve another chance. Give yourself one, and the world will follow soon enough.

How To Know When It Is Bad/Good To Use An iPhone

Its the holiday season and your significant other just bought you a new iPhone 3GS! Either that or you both got each other iPhones 6 months ago and now have >14 pages of apps between the two of you. You’re excited and you want to share the joys of this amazing gadget. But is there such a thing as TOO MUCH iPhone goodness? Yes. Check out this chart below and may it help you navigate this holiday season of feasting and merriment.

Here’s looking forward to more laughter and joy in 2010!

Christmas 2009

How was your Christmas this year?

It’s been a really difficult year for me. The last few months have been rather depressing and sometimes it seems that all I ever want to be is angry. Angry at the things I lost. Angry at the people who hurt me. Angry at being abandoned and rejected.

But always there is a choice isn’t there?

I can choose to look at all the things, people, situations, decisions that have gone badly and become bitter and begrudging.

Or…

I can look at what I do have and celebrate that there are silver linings.

Celebrating means no second guessing. No marginalizing. If someone gives you a present, be thankful that they remembered. Don’t go diminishing the joy by saying “it’s just a formality for them” or “but my best friend forgot!”

Just accept that someone remembered. Yes, it sucks that the people who mattered don’t value you the way you deserve to be. But are you going to side with them and put yourself down too?

So… this Christmas, give yourself the best gift (at least I think it’s the best):

Value your own worth. If believe in God, then you need to read all those Bible verses that remind you that you are loved for who you are NOW. Sure, there’s room for growth, but that doesn’t make you unworthy of being loved just as you are now. Nobody is one dimensional. We are all multi-faceted. With good days and bad days. There’s gonna be plenty of people who will define you on one or two incidences and extrapolate all kinds of horrible things. That’s THEIR short sightedness. NOT your problem!

And even the closest of our friends can sometimes make mistakes and be short sighted too. They’re multi-faceted with good and bad days too.

So love your multi-faceted self, know that an almighty Creator loves you, and whether you believe it or not, things will get better when you start to value yourself more than you value others opinions of you.

Merry Christmas!

I understand French & Spanish… Sort of…

Part of my work involves mixing down readings of children’s stories into podcasts. I love that part of my job — I like happy stories and these are always happy.

These are also in English. Until recently. When the client sent me Spanish readings. Today, it’s French.

I’m just amazed at how I kinda know when then background music should fade out just based on the inflection of the readers’ voices. I’m sure linguistics experts will explain it better. I just explain by saying: I am PRO! (riiiiight)

Today I received a batch of FRENCH readings. The french words are so cute! I keep smiling as I mix. Partly because I wear headphones and all the throaty french sounds tickle my ears… and make me want to watch Disney’ Little Mermaid.

I wonder what’s next? Italian? German? How come no Mandarin or Tamil ones!

(the Spanish ones make think of Catherine Zeta Jones and carving “F” with my sword)