Vote for Your Tiger Beer Party

To celebrate the 50th year since Tiger Beer released its first can to the world, Tiger Beer has lined up a slew of events and activities to commemorate this milestone in the nation’s history.

To uncage the nation from the usual celebrations, Singapore’s Unofficial Official favourite local beer will present a fresh take on how National Day is celebrated, by throwing its own epic National Day party, replete with surprising and remarkably unusual party elements. Truly a party for the people, it puts the power in the hands of the people by getting Singaporeans to vote for what they want to see at their party – the wackier the better. Party elements include aerial drones, chilli crab fountains, trishaw massage chairs and more!

Voting chilli crab fountain!

The power is now in your hands and you may cast your vote through your social media platforms by putting an ‘X’ against your favourite party highlight and posting an image of your ballot with the following hashtags – #TigerBeerMediasChoice and #UnofficialOfficial. Voting begins on 22nd June and closes on 19th July. You can vote online at tigerbeer.com.sg or at mobile polling stations at Knightsbridge on 4th July or One Raffles Place on 9th July if you are above the age of 18. Tickets to the party cannot be purchased and only those involved in the voting process may stand a chance to win tickets.

To round off the celebrations, Tiger Beer’s iconic blue and silver packaging will also receive a patriotic SG50 makeover, with the release of limited-edition red and white livery on all its cans, pints and bottles.

Relax and Recharge with Celebrity Facialist Su-Man at AWAY® Spa

To all ladies out there who wants to pamper yourselves and do some facial, you will be pleased to know that celebrity facialist Su-Man Hsu will be back at AWAY® Spa from 1 July to 12 July! That is in less than a week's time, so if you want to watch her work her magic, hurry and make your reservations!

Celebrity facialist Su-Man Hsu

Background info on Su-Man:

Holding the secret to eternal youth, Su-Man promises to condition your skin to become radiant and smooth with her blend of Asian and Western infusions. With nimble fingers and her knowledge of facial massage, Su-Man invented her own uniqueoriental facial technique and is known to give the most amazing facials. Her signature ‘facelift in an hour’ facial has been hailed as a ‘natural alternative to 'botox’ and has been lauded by Oscar-Winning Celebrity Anne Hathaway as a “Life Changing Experience”. This is an opportunity not to be missed because this treatment is only limited to 5 treatments per day.

AWAY Spa Lounge

AWAY Spa Vitality Pool

I have been to the Vitality Pool before and trust me, it is superb for chilling out. It helps to energise and relax your body. There's no better place for a day of relaxation and facials at AWAY Spa Vitality pool with Su-Man Hsu!

For more information visit http://www.wsingaporesentosacove.com/suman.

Location: AWAY® Spa, W Singapore – Sentosa Cove 21 Ocean Way, Singapore 098374              
Date: From 1 July 2015 (Wednesday) to 12 July 2015 (Sunday)                   
Time: 10.00AM to 6PM (5 treatments a day)                 
Price: SGD380++ for 60-minute treatment
Contact: +65 6808 7290 / awayspa.singapore@whotels.com 

Mobile Game Review of Kritika: The White Knights

Before I begin the review, you just simply have to check out the trailer. The graphics just make me go wow! 

Kritika: The White Knights is an action RPG game. Basically involves slashing and dashing around killing mobs. You can either start off as a berserker or a cat acrobat. For the beginning stages, it's pretty easy as you slice and dice your way through enemy creeps, experimenting with the various skills available. In fact, there's even an auto mode, so not much thinking required, except maybe when it comes to the boss, where you might want to take control of your character and avoid their AOE (area of effect) attacks where the ground struck will turn red in advance. In fact, it is usually the bosses that are designed with special skills and require a bit more character management to defeat.

Time to roll! 

The good thing about this game is that it is pretty much guided in the sense that they direct you where to go with directional arrows and there are gates that need unlocking so you won't venture out of the area in advance. All you need to focus on is what skill to use and when, at least it's pretty straight forward at the beginning levels. What I really like about this game is the visuals when it comes to the use of skills. Just check out the cat acrobat in action!

Trying out the cat acrobat against the boss

Loot wise, thankfully it's not something difficult to manage. Out of the 3 loot dropped, you will be randomly allocated one based on your luck (you choose 1 out of 3 chests). Like other RPGs, how many stages you can fight is based on your energy and besides that, you also get to combine, reinforce or transmute your equipment, level up your skills and do dungeons (at level 17).

Loot time!

If you are looking to create a bad ass character, check out the avatars. They have so many cool looking swords, armours and even wings, that I could be spending all day choosing had I sufficient Karats (game currency).

Avatar shop page

There's lot more to the game but I haven't gotten to unlock other features yet. So having introduced you the basic features of the game, you can decide whether it is your kind of game.

As your starting character levels up, other characters will be available to you and there is even the option of pets but unfortunately only at level 30. I will leave you to try those features out yourself, after all it's exploring and trying out the game for yourself that makes it fun.

Character home page

Visit https://www.facebook.com/KritikaGAMEVIL for the latest patch updates and more information.

Google Play: http://bit.ly/Kritika_AD
App Store: http://bit.ly/Kritika_iOS
Amazon: http://bit.ly/Kritika_AMZ

Is Economic Development Worth It?

The theme for this year's Singapore International Festival of Arts is Post Empires and they encourage audience ownership of issues and themes through O.P.E.N. which is short for 'Open, Participate, Engage, Negotiate'.

First off was the photography exhibition by Lu Gang titles 'The Price of Neglect'. It was held at the Deck and sought to ask what remains after an empire is established.

Holding the photography exhibition at the Deck was pretty cool because we had no idea that a place like this existed.

This is but one of the many photographs taken by Lu Gang and I won't spoil it for you by showing you others. Go experience it yourself. He has a series of photographs that depict the issues faced in China as they pursue economic growth. There are kids who grow up as orphans, having even to bury their own parents who die to HIV as a result of selling blood. Oil spills in the seas that pose dangers to militant personnel. Crops that get poisoned by polluted waters. 

As I walk along the Deck looking through Lu Gang's photographs, I can't help but think, how can people just glance at them and treat them as mere art pieces? The reality that is captured by these photographs tells me the seriousness of the situation and all I can feel is unfairness. Why are they facing this? Why should anyone have to go through this? Why is economic growth that important? Having been through several exchanges in other countries, I seem to have come to the conclusion that   as a person, as long as I can live happily (have a job, a place I call home, one that is safe), that is sufficient. I know that simplifies a lot and life is often more complicated but when you look at how these people suffer just to survive, you will think twice about many things. I left the exhibition with a very heavy heart. China, is known as a superpower, so? At what cost? 

Now on to something more light hearted, 15 stations. 

Held at Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, it presents an augmented reality. Created as a downloadable app that can be played on your smartphones, it's quite the experience. Plug in your earphones and as you explore the railway station through the various routes, you get to see the past, present and future of this place.

If you see people raising up their smartphones, nah, they aren't taking photographs. They are scanning various materials located in the station that will show them certain animation. 

All these and more at your favourite Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, one of the places you should check out at least once.

Mobile Game Review of Dungeon Link

Have you seen this game in the app store on your smartphones? Dungeon Link was launched in April by KONG STUDIOS and GAMEVIL and is one of the newer puzzle games that incorporates RPG elements into it. It is free, if you are wondering.

I am no fan of puzzle games but when it comes to RPG, you got me there! So let's take a look at this game.

It's pretty neat when it comes to the visuals. Has an arcade kind of feel even with cute looking heroes and monsters. Yes, more to the cute side than the cool, blow your mind kind of visuals. 

      

You definitely want to check out what kind of heroes you can collect or summon over time. There are close to 300 different heroes, so that's plenty to choose from. 

I started out with Akayuki the Samurai, had an orc automatically added, a choice of a random summon, of which I chose this White Tiger and Clara the Cleric has joined my team. As usual, each hero has an ability or skill and they are ranked. Clara here is only 3 stars. 

If you are looking for a storyline, there's one. Decent enough to keep you going and to get you geared up with a few more basic heroes. Honestly, if you like the graphics and the game play, what's the storyline to you right guys? You are still going to continue playing even if it's crappy. 

Ok, so you have seen the heroes that you can add to your team, now you are probably wondering about the game mechanics. When you hear puzzle, you think of 4 in a row connect the gem kind of game. Surprisingly, this game doesn't work that way. Let's check out the tutorial I went through.

Basically, it involves moving your heroes from one circle to another circle. It gets more difficult as the position of the circles vary in every stage and each hero has their own routes to take, meaning with more heroes, it gets a tad more complicated.
         

Notice that to deal the most damage, the ideal situation is to use all blocks for the so called 'perfect attack' and to wipe out all the monsters in one turn. It means that you have to think how to move your heroes in a way that they reach their circle but at the same time use up every block that's there.

So, a simple stage in the early game will probably be something like this. Simple enough huh? Wait till you have 4 heroes in your team. Not so easy after all. That's where the challenge lies. Oh and if you really want to do like the ultimate damage, don't forget all your heroes have their own skills which will come into play. 

I usually try games that catch my eye and the first thing I look out for is probably the visuals, followed by the game mechanics. This game has pretty cute looking heroes and this is a plus point for gamers who enjoy RPG, in fact I think I know of a friend who might be interested. Unfortunately for me, I go for cool looking heroes rather than cute looking heroes and as I mentioned previously, puzzles don't typically sit well with me. Other than that, if you are bored, try this game! It's definitely more worth your time compared to like...clicking non stop.

So if you are keen to check out Dungeon Link, here are the links:

iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/sg/app/dungeon-link/id950464728?mt=8
GooglePlay: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gamevilusa.dungeonlink.android.google.global.normal

Round 2 at Yam's Kitchen!

Disclaimer: Invited Food Tasting

Round 2, fight!

Back to Yam's Kitchen but this time round at their Thomson outlet. Compared to their outlet at E!Hub, it is more posh and has a fine dining atmosphere. However, price wise, nothing's changed and that's applicable to their menu too. Check out my previous experience at their other outlet here.

They even have private rooms available for those huge family meals that we Chinese always have on festive occasions. Looks pretty comfty.

I was wondering what dishes they would recommend, after all I have tried a couple of their dishes. Let's see if the following dishes tempt you.

Smoked Duck Wrapped in Crepe and Fragrant Wine Pork Belly

Meat on a really cool looking ship utensil. 五花肉 as we call it and there's smoked duck wrapped up in those popian skin. What's special about the duck is that it has been prepared in a way that the duck meat is actually mashed up with other ingredients and it's not obvious that it's duck anymore. Feels like nhoh hiang or popian in some sense and makes a pretty good appetiser. The pork belly is crisp and really addictive as you pop one piece after another into your mouth.

Tofu. I really liked this tofu dish. I know it doesn't look unique but as they say appearances can be deceiving.

Tofu with Cai Poh and Meat Floss

It came with some toppings as I would call it, with cai poh and meat floss as a garnish. When you pop it into your mouth and bite on it, you can feel that the flavor and texture of the garnish and tofu complement each other, giving it a taste that will leave you going 'wow!' The dish is crispy, sweet and the tofu's original flavor is enhanced with the cai poh and the meat floss. Never thought that it could taste so good.

Fish tails. As mentioned in my previous post on their specialty, their fish tails are a must try. If it's rice and a few dishes you are ordering, get a fish tail and I assure you that you won't be disappointed.

Deep Fried Fish Tail with Coconut Sauce (Red Snapper Fish)

This fish tail comes in a curry sauce that has a very thick coconut flavour to it and reminds me of Malay cuisine. Interesting huh? Chinese cuisine but the way in which it is prepared may perhaps be influenced Malays' use of coconut. Fragrant, a little spicy, it is one dish that deserves two thumbs up if you like the taste of coconut. 

Soup. Yam's Kitchen is known for its soy bean based soups. Healthy, light and refreshing, it is THE dish to go for to curry favour with the elderly.

Pork Ball with Double Mushroom in Bean Paste Soup

Looks really nutritious and healthy with the veggies huh? Also, there's no MSG! Sweet and creamy, it is served with meatballs and greens.

So out of these dishes what catches your eye? I would recommend having a meal here if you are looking for a few dishes to share with your family or friends, especially since there's no service charge. To all my readers, flash the discount code 'SFBloggerYamsKitchen' to enjoy 10% off your total bill (for A-la-carte orders only).

Thanks to Singapore Food Listing for the invitation. If you would like more information on Yam's Kitchen, click here and to check out my previous post on other more mouth-watering dishes head over here.

No 4 Jalan Leban

Upper Thomson Road Singapore 577548

Contact: +65 6836 5020

Operating Hours: Monday To Thursday: 11.30am – 10pm,

Friday To Sunday & Public Holidays: 11.30am – 10.30pm

Relieve Muscle Aches with Deep Ocean Mineral Gel

Just completed your gym or yoga session or some sports and you feel like your body's aching really badly? A few weeks back I would have told you to just hang on and the aches will go off naturally. After all they will go away over time and they are possible signs that your muscles are being worked out. What about now? I was introduced to this Deep Ocean Mineral Gel (DOM) that relieves muscle aches and having used it for the past two weeks or so, I am here to pass my verdict. (Just kidding!)

So after a gym session, what I always look forward to is a cold, refreshing bath and then I will apply some of this gel on my hands and rub it over my arms or thighs depending on whether its arms day or leg day, maybe both. You can always apply it before sports but let's just say I am not very used to doing that.

What I like about this gel is that it doesn't have any smell to it, nor does it have any powdery or oily feel to it. It feels a little sticky though. Probably because the gel has deep ocean minerals that is made into a concentration. It is colourless, so after rubbing it on it can't be seen. I won't claim that it work wonders, after all I don't know the extent of its effects on my body but knowing that it has benefits to my body is good enough. As long as it's beneficial and helps in soothing and relieving those aching muscles, why not give it a try? Definitely would help to get me back into shape before my next gym session. Hasta la vista (bye bye) muscle aches!

Some advice on the gel? Go slow on the dispenser because it dispenses quite an amount of gel at a go. Apply it by rubbing it in your palms, yes, kinda like what you do for wax, to even it out and then rub it on the areas that ache.

How do I know it is beneficial? Check out the ingredient list. Among the ingredients are Butcher’s Broom and Centella which help to reduce inflammation, edema and varicose veins and English Marigold reduces muscle spasms. Besides those is the Ionised Deep Ocean Minerals (DOM) concentrate. Any form of magnesium relaxes muscles and nerves and Calcium causes contraction in skeletal muscle fibers. So it basically relieves the discomfort caused by muscle pain and tension and  these nutrients in the DOM Gel are delivered to the body through the skin when you apply it on. 

Some cool background information on the Deep Ocean Mineral Gel:

It is made in deep sea water which is the source of these natural minerals. This deep sea water can be found in the Pacific Ocean off Hua Lien Coast (Taiwan), over 2,200 feet deep and is kept pure and unpolluted. Deep Ocean Mineral Gel is made there using only the cleanest and naturally mineral rich water.

If you do sports, DOM Gel comes highly recommended for increased athletic performance and faster recovery from sports injury. It is also suitable for massage, producing that desired relaxation effect on muscles that is exceptional when compared to traditional massage oils and gels. Of course, there is no harm using it at home as a topical gel.

Retail Price: SGD$48.00

Available online and in Meditrina authorized beauty salons

Website: www.meditrina.com.sg

Meet All your Expectations with the New P660 from PHICOMM

When it comes to new phones, who isn't interested? If you can get one of a decent price and it meets all your expectations, why not? 

With pretty ladies introducing the P660 from PHICOMM, you should certainly be tempted to read on. PHICOMM Singapore has launched the P660 and it is making its debut in Singapore during the launch event held at CommunicAsia 2015. It's the one phone with so many functions that you wonder what you can't do with it. Why do I say that? Let's dive into the specs of this phone and see what it can do.

Features:

- Lightweight aluminium-magnesium alloy frame, 7.3mm thin and 110g in weight
Layman terms: Super light

- User interface based on Andriod Kit Kat 4.4.4 and equipped with Snapdragon 1.5 GHz Octacore MSM8939 processor
Layman terms: Runs multiple apps without affecting performance

- Comes with dual-SIM support
Layman terms:  Great for those having separate SIM cards for work and personal use

- Maximum download speed of 150Mbps
Layman terms: Fast downloads

- 13-megapixel camera with Multi Face Detection and HDR functions
Layman terms: Easier to take good wefies and fit more people in your photos

Are you amazed yet? Here's some information on PHICOMM. 

It is a Shanghai-based manufacturer of networking and communications products and is R&D driven. With sales offices and service centres throughout China and R&D centres in Germany and USA, it is looking to expand into other markets.

As shared by their President of Global Sales and Marketing, Jeffrey Fan, they intend to keep prices of the phone affordable. With all the above functions, priced reasonably, the P660 might just be that alternative you would want to consider. After all, aren't the prices of iPhones and those of its kind high enough? We all know it's the brand we are paying for but if a new product can perform as well as a branded good, which would you go for? 

For me, I found the phone pretty light and compared to the sizes of phones out there, it's already a tad smaller. Well, functions wise, I haven't gotten round to playing with the phone, so I can't say much about that.

The P660 is retailing at $318 and is available in black and white. If you are keen to try out the phone for yourself head down to their showroom at 470 North Bridge Road #04-22, Bugis Cube, Singapore 188735. Alternatively, click here for full product specification.