SG Housing Agents are Unprofessional; Crap & Dirt!

In my quest to look for a place to stay, I have encountered many agents. I have come to one conclusion, most agents, if not all, are crap! I have heard of all of this before, from others who have had bad experience with them. But dealing with them really can cause you unnecessary pain and distress.

Let me enlighten you on some. It is a booming market here in SG, whether you want to rent of buy a place. Which has probably given the agents the right to grow a nose so high that they look upon any potential home seekers as dirt.

F**k you, agents. We are the customer! We are the ones paying you to find us a place, not the other way around. BTW, here in SG, both the landlord and the rentor both pays comission to the agent! Yes, it's dumb, but that's the practice here.

I came across an ad in the papers, claiming to have rooms in certain areas, etc. I called up and he said he had no more rooms now. Ok, so I told him if he had any rooms, he could let me know. He responded rudely saying he does not have time for this and insist that I call him to find out myself. Barger! Who is the customer now? Scrap one agent of my list.

Then I decided to post online to potential landlords to contact me directly. In the end, another agent called me, at 11.10pm at nite. He called up and told me that he had a room to view NOW! He did not even introduce himself, and I was still wondering who the f**k he was. He just said that the owner is coming home at 11.30pm and ask me to go there immediately. I told him it was late but he insist I get there by 11.30pm. I told him no and he said he'll called me back. Till now, there's no call. As**ole!

When I first arrived here in SG, I was a bit surprised why every ad that I called in the papers was an agent. It seems to be a norm here in SG that nearly 99% of all potential landlords engage agents to find suitors for their unit. Any Tom, Dick or Harry can become an agent. You do not need a license or training. All you need is a unit for rent or a rentor. Then why the heck are the landlord still engaging agents?

Most agents, if not all, are independent agents. Meaning that they do not have any agency or a damn big database of customers. He could be having only ONE unit for rent, which is probably his neighbour's or his friend's. Even those that tie up with housing agents, are only for namesake, so that they have a nicer namecard! Or they can reccommend a potential rentor to another agent who has a room, whom he happened to bump into at the agency. Then they can share the commission.

When you engage an agent, what most of them do is post an ad online, at no cost (which you and I can do easily, without costs as well) or stick an ad the size of a post it note on the notice board at the bus stands. But they still prefer to engage agents. Beats the heck out of me why they do it. Maybe they feel proud that an agent got them a rentor or an agent can get them a better rentor.

Wake up landlords! Agents do not do what you can do yourself! He does not screen your potential rentors. He sends you the first person who calls him. He could be a mass murderer or the unabomber, and the agent won't even care. All he cares is his commission.

In Malaysia, if I wanted to rent my room out, I would just hang a sign in front of the house. I can post online myself as well. If I post an in the papers, it would be maybe RM20 for one whole week! It's still cheaper than paying the damn agent.

Unlike Malaysia, it is very much easier to advertise. There's more or less only 1-2 major newspapers to advertise. And there are only a few prominent websites to advertise. It is so simple my 12 year old nephew could probably get me a dozen tenants to choose from. I still cannot understand the logic in someone paying an agent in this hot market. SG landlords, wake up lar! Stop pampering the damn agents. Let them know who's boss!

Looking for a new place to stay

It happened, a tad bit earlier than I expected, my landlord asked me to move. I was already planning to move, just not this early, maybe in January 08, when I expect to have more free time.

Instead, she just dropped the bomb on us. Suddenly last weekend, after lunch, she told us she's giving us one month's notice to move out. I have no arguement, since I was not interested in staying there very much longer. But the timing is a bit out.

I am not too bothered about the reason, even though I know more or less what it was, one for pride, the other for monetary reasons.

The only thing on my mind now is to find a place to stay. The problem is I am not free this week and I will be back in Msia next week. And the subsequent weeks I will be busy. But I still have to look anyway.

Anyone out there has got a room or unit to rent, just drop me an email or you can just leave ur contact in the comments section.

I passed my Basic Theory Test for Driving!

I passed! I passed! Yesterday I went to take the Basic Theory Test for driving in SG. If you have a Msian driving license, you can still drive SG, provided you have not worked more than 6 months.

I've been here for a year, which makes me illegible. So, I needed to convert my Msian drving license to a SG driving license. All I need to do, was to take a Basic Theory Test, which is similar to MY's Undang-undang Jalan Test.

Here in SG, you are not required to go for any courses; you can, if you want (don't waste your money). All you need to do is buy the book for SGD3.00 and you can self-study. They even sell question and answers books(past years questions, no doubt) for you to practice (it's like taking my SPM exam).

Anyway, it's a paperless EXAM. You do the EXAM on a touch screen monitor. You answer 50 questions in 50 minutes. You need to get minimum 45 correct answers. It's conducted in English, Malay, Chinese and Tamil, whichever you prefer. Once you have completed, the monitor tells you immediately if you pass or fail.

I have not gotten the license yet. I still need to go to JPJ (MY) to get a letter and go to the SG's traffic police counter to get the license.

Oh yeah, in case you were wondering, NO, I am not buying a car. Just getting the license just in case I need to drive.

Donut Factory

One thing I have learnt in Singapore is that where ever there is good food, people will queue for it, no matter how long. There is a new crave in Singapore, for donuts. And there is one leader in this new craze called Donut Factory. I think there are 2 branches in SG, Raffle's City and Suntec City.

Donut Factory Outlet

Let me share my experience with you. I came upon it by chance in Raffle's City. The first time I was there was at 7pm, there were 2 long queues. I was thinking, "What the heck are these people queueing for? Free food?"

The 2nd time I was there, it was 6.30pm, I tried to queue, at the persistence of my wife of course. But was told the queue was closed (luckily).

The 3rd time, at the persistence of my wife again, I went there after work. Arrived at 6.00pm, I went straight to the queue. The queue was not too long, so I thought "Great, I arrived early." Suddenly, a girl came up to me and said, "I'm sorry sir. The queue closed 30 mins ago."

"What! It's only 6pm and they close at 9pm." I thought.

Anyway, I left and passed by around 8pm. The queue was still there!!! People had been queueing for 2 hours!, for donuts!!!

Another time, I was there during the weekend. Arrived at 10am this time. There was already a queue, but the shop was not open yet! I found out the shop opens at 11.30am. So I came back at 11.45am just to see how the queue was. OMG!!! There were 3 queues!!! Can you imagine!

Anyway, on Saturday, I came upon this branch in Suntec City and was explaining the situation to Douglas, when suddenly my wife said, "Hey, the queue is not long here, why don't you queue?" Great suggestion.

It starts here

The queue in front of me (trust me, this is short)

The queue in front of the shop

At last, after half an hour of queueing, it was my turn. Luckily I started early. The queue got longer by the minute. Anyway, got half a dozen donuts, all with different toppings and fillings, for SGD7.00. I queued 30mins for 6 donuts. That's 5mins per donut.

Anyway, we passed by again an hour later. The queue was still there. In cantonese, there is a saying, They have never eaten donuts in their previous life (Chin Sai Mei Sik Ko Donut).

These people must really like donuts

Well, we stuffed ourselves with the donuts just before dinner. TBH, the donuts were good, really good. The dough was easy to bite and not powdery. A few bites and you swallow it easily. Donuts made to perfection. Reccommended for donut lovers.

But if you ask me to queue for 30mins again, I'll say never mind.

Mooncake Festival Funfair

What has Mr. Bean got to do with Mid Autumn festival

Ian brought us to a funfair last week in Bishan. I think it was in conjunction with the mooncake festival (the funfair of course). Anyway, it was a small funfair, more to cater for the young kids. The highlights include.

The world's smallest merry go round

The world's smallest pirate ship as well

Bumper Cars - something I haven't seen in a long time

Something for the cheap thrill seekers

But there was one more thing that was more interesting. They had lifesize dolls of cartoon characters in the fair, such as Mr. Bean (as seen in the pix above), characters from Mr. Bean's cartoon.

But there was one other character there, ... the Crazy Frog. Got a picture of it.

The Crazy Frog

What's interesting is not the Crazy Frog doll, but what was on the doll. For those of you who did not catch it the first time, here's a zoom in.

What in the world is a doll like this doing in a childrens's funfair? Imagine kids running around the place when suddenly one of the them asks, "Mommy, mommy, what is that?"

"Errrr ... Well ... That is, err ... where they blow air in to keep the doll inflated ... "

or "Good question, go ask your dad ..."

Somehow strange things just happens.

Frog Porridge at Geylang

Wednesday night - Ian & May took A.Ze and me to Geylang for frog porridge. Geylang is a very busy area. Cars flowing non-stop along the road. Shops were aplenty with food shops dominating the scene. There are crowds of people everywhere.

I know, most of you all, the moment we mention Geylang, you associate it with prostitution and such. That is partially true, you all can ask Ian (he's the expert). There's also plenty of accomodation, mostly charging by the hour (I wonder why), not that I recommend you all stay at any hotels there.

There are also plenty of restaurants, hawkers and kopitiam selling local delicacy. We had frog porridge for dinner. The restaurant had just been renovated and was very clean. Anyway, it seems the restaurant is quite famous, being featured on TV and newspapers (most of SG's food places have been on TV, papers, magazines, etc.) Anyway, the link to the restaurant is here.

Frogs cooked in a pot

You don't see the porridge in the picture huh. That's because the frogs are cooked in a pot and they serve you plain porridge in another pot. So you can order different style of cooking frog.

They have a promotion or some sorts. Order 2 frogs and get 1 free. We tried 2 different type of frog dishes. The food was great. We tried the kung pao (dried chili) style and the white pepper (only available here). It was spicy and very tasty especially when you mix it with the porridge.

If you decide to come and try this dish, feel free to call Ian. I think he's becoming a regular there.

East Coast Park

Tuesday night, Ian brought us all to East Coast Park. A place by the beach where there are restaurants, hawker food, camping (that's right, camping), sports, etc.

Waterboarding in the lagoon

There was also this place where people practice water skiing or water boarding whatever you call it. They surrounded an area and made a lagoon in the beach. Then pulled a cables around the perimeter of the lagoon and allow you to ski around the lagoon.

This is where they launch off

As the cable circle around the lagoon, you launch off when the cable you are holding on to gets hook on. And then you go round, and round, and round. Once in a while you get someone who thinks he's damn good and start doing tricks. Then you hear us laughing when he falls off.

Some fellar who thinks he's damn good at waterskiing

They charge by the hour. It gets cheaper the more hours you buy, up to a maximum 4 hours. How the heck do you hang on for four hours?!!! Anyway, maybe I'll give it a try one day. I'll bring a chair and see if they can pull the chair instead.

Night out at Makan Sutra

A.Ze arrived in SG yesterday for a 2 week working trip. We went out for dinner along with Ian and May at Makan Sutra next to the Esplanade. We went in Ian's new Toyota Yaris. Nice semi-compact car. Even with 5 of us, it was still comfortable. It was raining when we arrived, but still managed to get a table under a big umbrella.

Makan Sutra is a "semi-tourist" attraction, according to Ian. It has the hawker food of Singapore but situated next to Esplanade and the sea with a view of the Marina coastline. Place is clean and the food was great. 3rd time I've been there so far. Recommended for anyone who is visiting SG.

Will call A.Ze tonight, see what plans he has.

Dinner at Thai Express

Apply for the Orange card and you get 10% discount plus birthday discounts

Went to dinner with my wife last Sunday at this Thai restaurant called Thai Express in Vivo City. The environment was not bad. Lucky we went there early, it was packed after 7pm.

The ones in the orange shirts are the waiters & waitresses

The Tom Yam Kung

Ordered ourselves the Tom Yam soup. Don't be fooled by the colour of the soup. It may look plain but there are cili padi all at the bottom of the bowl. Once you stir it, it's really spicy.

The BBQ Seafood Platter

The BBQ Seafood Platter was delicious. It is served with rice. What you are seeing is the fish and squid on top. Below the fish are an abundance of prawns, all grilled perfectly. Dipped with the chilli paste, it taste really good.

Fried Glass noodles with seafood or something

Tried out the glass noodles as well. Tasted great as well. The glass noodles were fried with some sort spice that makes it taste like Maggi Mee Goreng. On the dish, there are peanut and chilli sprinkles condiments that you can add to your liking. Overall, it taste great.

This is my 2nd time I've been here. The food's great. Environment's soothing and the staff was really nice. I changed my order a couple of times and they were nice enought to accommodate. The price was not too pricey, comparable to some other fast food restaurants. Check it out if you have the time.

Urine Detection Device

I saw this sign in a lift yesterday. OMG! What the heck is a urine detection device? So if you piss in the lift, out comes a camera and snaps your picture. That's my first guess. And the best part was, it was found in a lift that was over 20 years old.

But firstly, how do you detect urine or when someone is pissing. Detection by smell? hmmmm. I don't think that the machine is that advanced yet. Moreover in a 20 year old lift. Or maybe if it detects water on the floor. Don't think so. If someone is washing the floor or on a rainy day, then the camera would snap like mad.

I actually looked and investigated thoroughly the internal of the lift. Not a single camera to be found. It could have been a hidden, hidden camera. One that is so hidden, you cannot see it. But once urine is detected, it jumps out and snaps your picture.

To be honest, instead of using such a high-tech device, a small camera in the lift would be more than sufficient and it would deter crimes from happening in the lifts as well. If you really need a urine detection device, I think the most efficient one would be to hire a person and hide him in a compartment in the lift. When he smells or hears someone pissing, then he sticks his head out and snaps the picture. Definitely more efficient and cheaper.

Local Indonesian Pork in Singapore

Found this at Giant, Singapore. A bit confusing thought. What do you mean by Local Fresh Indonesian Pork in Singapore? Local means in Singapore. So that makes it Singaporean pork, but it's local Indonesian pork, so it's probably pork from Indonesia. But wait, how can it be local, if it's from Indonesia. Arrrgggghhhhh. I am getting a headache.

Wait! I got it. It's meat from a pig that was born in Indonesia, but moved to Singapore and grew up and finally slaughthered in Singapore. Yar, that's it. Or maybe it's a Singapore pig who grew up in Indonesia. Man, they actually sell meat based on the citizenship of the animals. What next? Local fresh Malaysian fruits? Locally bottled Vietnam water?

Ferrari for babies

Lifestyle for people are really changing. I was looking around in the toys store the other day and guess wat I found. Ferrari for the young! And they start really young now, babies.


This stroller is by Ferari. Boy, do they start getting the customers early. Your kids can now tell people that they were riding in a Ferrari since they were babies. Or maybe to satisfy the need of the parents who alwiz wanted one. Now they can push the baby around thinking they are driving a Ferrari. Maybe have a F1 race of strollers.

If you dun use strollers, dun be despair. I found something else.



Baby seats in the car by Ferrari. Now you can drive around with your kid in a Ferrari, literally. Strap your kid in with the seat belts and you are ready to go, in a Ferrari, ur kid of coz. But plz dun speed. Remember ur kid is seated next to you.

Tell the difference - Ipod Nano

I was hunting around for an Ipod Nano for a friend of mine. For the benefit of a doubt of those who dunno what it is, the pix is as below.



He wanted a 4Gb black Ipod Nano.Went searching searching. Everywhere the price was the same SGD354, but I could not find a black one. Turns out one of the shops told me that the 4Gb dun come in black colour. Bugger.

Anyway, I went to Giant to see if there were any there. Immediately I saw the gadget, selling at a price of SGD59.90!!! Hard to believe. I looked at it again. An Ipod Nano!!!



Then I saw the price tag again. It's another brand. Slix. hahaha.



At first sight, it could be mistaken for an Ipod Nano. For anyone of you who wants a cheap look alike Ipod Nano, buy this one.

Cheapest chicken rice in SG, JB n some say KL

Some say the food in SG is really really damn expensive. But I say otherwise.

I managed to find something that's really affordable. Like most ppl know, SG is famous for chicken rice. And I managed to find the cheapest chicken rice in SG and JB and some even say KL.

Behold. Chicken rice inSG for only SGD1.50. Believe wat u see. Even if you convert this back to RM, I think you can't even get it at this price in KL. And would you believe it, this shop even appeared in the newspapers

So the next time you all come here, I'd buy u all a good dinner with the best chicken rice ever.

Monday work

Monday is the first day of the week. It's supposed to be the start of the week. Starting everything afresh. Makes me think ... What the heck was wrong with last week? Why did it have to end? Extend last week by 2 more days and let me rest for 2 more days. SIGH.

Coming back to work today seems tiring. Like battling in a war for a whole week last week and dragging myself to work today. Makes you appreciate Sunday rest. Literally slept the whole Sunday. What a great Sunday. Why did Monday come so fast!!!!!

Monday morning blues nearly over. 40mins more to lunchtime. Maybe can catch some shut eye.

Anyway, watched Transformers on Saturday nite. TBH, it was not bad, given the reviews I have read. But Michael Bay always tend to focus too much on the emotional side of people. Please remember this is a Transformers movie. I came to watch my Autobots vs Decepticons battle, how my fav characters fight each other, NOT so much of American Politics. Nevertheless, it was good. Reccomended to those who have not watched it.

Update later, everyone seems to be hanging around the office just before lunch.

Saturday work

I am actually writing this post on borrowed time, my so-called office hours. It's a Saturday and I am here WORKING today. Can't actually blame anyone, coz I ular-ed the whole day yesterday and got nothing done. So I have to come and complete my work today. SIGH.

Well, life in SG here is not bad. SG here is clean is most of the areas, and when I say clean, I mean CLEAN. Not much rubbish around, and I noticed there are actually a lot of cleaners washing drains, cleaning MRT stations, etc.

Food here is OK. Though I still crave for food in KL. Hawker food is more or less edible, but the Tai Chow is nowhere compared to Malaysia. And I really miss the mamak stalls. When I get back, I am having roti canai, nasi lemak, maggi mee goreng and the sorts all night long.

Travelling here is easy, if you like to WALK. Buses and MRT here links everywhere. Unlike buses in KL, the ones here is quite frequent but rather slow. Nothing like the days of the old mini bus drivers who can drive with one hand while the other holds a packet of chicken rice.

Anyway, I'll just keep updating what happens over here.