On our second day in Japan, we took a bullet train from Shinagawa Station to Odawara. This is the first time in my life that I have ever travelled in a bullet train. From Odawara Station, we took a normal train to Hakone-Yumoto Station, the gateway to Hakone.  We spent a bit of time in the vicinity of the station ...

After our Japan trip, we stayed in Singapore for three days. On the first day, we made our way to Gardens by the Bay to visit the Flower Dome. During our last visit to Gardens by the Bay a few years ago, we only visited the Cloud Forest as the Flower Dome was under maintenance at that time. Gardens by ...

During our trip to Japan in the last week of January 2017, my son Clarence booked tickets online for the Robot Show at the Robot Restaurant in Kabukicho – Shinjuku’s red light district, Tokyo. Initially I was not gung ho about the show, thinking that it was for kids. When Clarence told me what the show is like, I was ...

Clean, polite, safe and cute….these words are often used to describe Japan. So during my family trip to Japan from January 26 to the 31st, I thought I was prepared for all these. But I found myself bombarded by a “kawaii explosion”, getting caught in a severe case of cuteness overload. The word “kawaii” literally translates into “cute” and symbolizes ...

Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul. – Luther Burbank We live in a world filled with busyness. It is easy to be so caught up with our busyness that we pay little attention or take the time to appreciate just how precious life is. In striving towards some ...

I wasn’t aware that there is a speech-to-text function on WhatsApp until my sister informed us about it in our family WhatsApp chat last night. Since then I have given it a try and as long as I pronounce the words correctly, the function really works! Instead of typing or using the audio option, I can use the speech-to-text function ...

A lot of people mistake a short memory for a clear conscience.  – Doug Larson In slightly over a month’s time, I will be 59. As 60 looms, I worry about how to stay in shape mentally. I am a bit fearful that the state of my mind will gradually decline. I know that my mind needs constant workout to ...

The 2016 “Collection Exhibition Miri” (CXM 2016) commenced today at the ground floor of the old wing of Bintang Megamall. The exhibition, hosted by Bintang Megamall in partnership with Naja Enterprise, is attracting big crowds and will end tomorrow. The exhibition is great news to fans of cosplay, anime, comics, Gunpla (Gundam Plastic mechanical module) and everything related to Japanese ...

We love to fiddle with our smartphones They keep us company when we are alone They are such a useful tool Making us feel so cool.   Whether you have an android or an iPhone I believe you love its mesmerizing tone With so many apps for you to download You no longer need a desktop.   You can access ...

When you are in a restaurant, take a look around you. You will see that the majority of people are bent forward towards the glow of their smartphones. Whatever is streaming on their phones is so engrossing that they seem to be in some sort of hypnotic trance, ignoring the people around them. Conversations at dinner table are limited to ...