Poh Ern Shih

I have always felt a great affinity for Poh Ern Shih. Located on a hilltop near NUS, it used to be one of my fave places to visit, especially during my final year in NUS. The tranquilty experienced at the old temple was marvellous.

Unfortunately, the old temple had to give way, but for a good cause - to make room for a bigger facility to cater to the needs for a larger grp of buddhists.
2 weeks ago, i re-visited the temple after 3 long years of absence. Indeed, my graduation from NUS (leaving the campus compound) has given a great impact on my life. I realised I have stopped doing many things which i used to do routinely when i was a student in NUS. Visiting PES is one of them.

The old buildings are now totally gone - not a single trace of the old authentic feel can be felt now from the new commercialised looking modern building. 1/2 of the new temple is up, but the other half is still under major construction. Nevertheless, the tranquility and peacefulness could still be strongly felt, even admist the noisy piling noises pouring out from the constructions.

I have a good chat with Mr Lee, the owner of the temple who hosted our BS MC retreats some 3-4 years ago. He looks much more aged now, probably due to the pressure and stress from managing the re-construction of the temple. But i have no doubt he still has a gold-filled heart, just like his father who used his own money to build this temple up for the public - The Thanksgiving temple, housing the Ksitigarbha bodhisattva, taking care of the lost and wandering souls of our brave WWII soldiers who sacrificed themselves during the fierce battles with the Japs.

The New Looks

Although 1/2 the temple building is up now, the temple is still seriously lacking in funds. If you have ever been touched by this temple, or by the stories written in the website, pls kindly offer your support by making donation/dana to the temple. The Sangha community needs our support. May the Triple Gems be always with you.

Temple Website: www.pohernshih.org

Best and Worst of 2007

Most Entertaining Movie #1 - Hairspray
Hairspray, yeah, i fell in love with it instantly when i chanced upon its trailer while watching another (forgetable) movie. Although the plot is pretty senseless and weak, i find the movie extremely entertaining with the lively sound tracks, colourful pictures and the best of all - the superb dances. At the end of the tiring working day, you just do not wish to think much but enjoy the movie. Trust me, I enjoyed the movie so much that i felt like standing up and dance along in the cinema~






Most Disappointing Movie #1 - Warlords



Similarly, the trailer of this movie caught me by awe. However, i walked out of the cinema feeling very disappointed. Although the movie comprises big name actors, only Jet Li's performance is satisfactory. Andy Lau's performance sux especially.



Most Entertaining Movie #2 - Enchanted
I didnt choose to watch this movie. The tics were bought were bought without my consent, when i only agreed on a movie with some friends. Nevertheless, i ended up enjoying myself much more than i have expected. Although the female lead looks far too old and haggard to play the role of a princess, i thought her dance steps were marvellous and superbly graceful. It clarified my earlier doubts on why she was chosen for this role. Yeps, i love this movie.




























Most Disappointing Movie #2 - Mr Bean's Holiday


SUX is the only word i can think of for this movie. Fancy i am a #1 Mr Bean fan, i am truely disappointed. I need not say more....















Best Buy #1 - Toyota Vios


I am glad i have made the right choice at the right time. A toyota vios has never been that cheap in history. In fact, cars have never been that cheap for the past recent years, with the COE price at its lowest point of 5.2K , and i hit the jackpot.

Not a performance car, but definitely a practical and economical car.

Although the ERP & petrol prices keep going up, it is still relatively cheaper than owning a car 10yrs ago when the car prices were much more expensive. Comparing the price of a nissan sunny in 1997 (91K) and 2007 (41K).

Best Buy #2 - K800I Sony Ericsson

Yes, this is an old phone, launched since mid 2006. Nevertheless, i have decided to lay my hands on this phone, because i simply love the Cyber Shot camera. Many ppl have mistaken the fact that the quality of a camera is determined by the number of megapixels. I am not an expert myself and i shant elaborate here. For just $102, i am really satisfied with the picture quality of this cam phone. In fact, all the pics u r seeing in this blog (the recent entries including the cambodia trip) are from this camera phone.










Worst Buy #1 - Seahorse Sofa
I used to think that Seahorse delivers high quality products at reasonable rates, but i am terribly wrong. On the last few days of 2007, i ordered a set of leather sofa and it was delivered to me with several holes, cuts and even a stapled wound/mark.

To make the matter worse, the very-hard-to-get-through customer hotline was actually directed to an outsourced China service centre. The china lady was unable to help me solve my problem as she kept calling me everyday for an entire week, giving me ridiculous explainations on the defects and proposing pathetic compensations. In the end, i have to resort to losing my temper to get the problem solved.

In summary:
1) Seahorse said that the defects i am seeing is normal, but i protested and argued its not.
2) Next, the lady told me my sofa is probably made from an 'old cow', so i am seeing more defects. She offered me 10% rebate as a compensation, and this 10% only applies the price of the 3-seater and not the entire set! I rejected.
3) She then offered me a replacement set but is UNABLE to give me even an estimated delivery date, citing the fact that the leather is currently out of stock, and the factory workers will be on leave for 2 weeks during CNY. I challenged her that if i were to walk to their retail outlets now to order a new set, i am sure they will be able to give me a delivery date. So why cant she do the same for a replacement set?
4) I asked for a 30% rebate as a compensation to close the matter, but she called me for 3 consecutive days to negotiate for 15%, then 20%, then 25% - a great waste of my time.
5) Eventually, she agreed on the 30% rebate, but it will be a voucher instead of cash rebate. I told her i do not trust their quality anymore, and there is no way i am going to use that voucher. I demanded cash.
6) Finally, she agreed to the 30% cash rebate - but i have yet to receive the money......

If you are thinking of buying seahorse product, pls think twice.

More pics from Cambodia

More pics can be found here

This cambodia trip is no doubt a very fun and enjoyable one. The scenery is nice, the hotel is nice, the food is nice, the transport is nice, the prices are nice, and most importantly, the companions are nice! Its an almost flawless well-spent trip, as it wrapped up my 2007 marvellously.
































More pics can be found here

Angkor Wat @ Dawn - Marvellous!