How To Deal With A Date Who Is Late

I have a bad habit of grumbling about Bryan being late. Then again, Bryan being late is a bad habit, in my perspective. As for me, I'm not very good with being punctual either but I try. This month, my resolution is to eliminate this bad habit altogether. I've started setting goals for myself to achieve for the remaining year. One of the key goals is to be on time at all costs. I'm very firm with myself now. It's a matter of respecting other person's time just as you'd expect him to respect yours. I've been pretty sucessful so far in being early and it makes me feel good.

Leave the house when you're supposed to. End the conversation with the friend you ran into on the street so you can be on time for your appointment. It sounds so simple but for someone who has the habit of being compulsively late... it's more difficult than that. The inertia to move requires more effort. But because I'm trying to eliminate this bad habit, I was expecting Bryan to be on time so I won't spend too much idle time alone waiting. This also implies that I'm imposing my beliefs or values on him. For selfish reasons, I also don't like to 'waste time' hanging about waiting, hence I'd like him to be as punctual.

One afternoon, I was thinking that shouldn't you treat your partner better than your best friend? If you're meeting a girlfriend and she's late, how would you react? The last thing you'd do is to give a black face and throw tantrum at her, isn't it? Then, if our partner is our lover and best friend, why do we give them the worst possible reaction? They deserve better than that!

So we had a date at Clark Quay last night. We haven't decided on a dinner venue but we know we'd be going for drinks and dessert, just as we always do when we're in the area. Bryan was late. I was amazingly punctual. Instead of throwing tantrums or lamenting (as I would do), I sweetly thanked him for buying me dinner for my half hour waiting. I didn't choose the cheapest place either. I figured, whenever I'm super late for my dinners with the girlfriends, I'd offer to buy them dinner as a form of apology. The same expectation can be applied to your partner, isn't it? This works much better. Sends the message across strong and clear, yet save the quarrel and you get a lovely dinner date.

Thanks for the Eel Don, sugar!

Body Combat

Body Combat class was "as easy as taking a dump" (as I told Fiona) a few weeks ago. My inactiveness for a couple of weeks make it hard as shit today. Punch punch, kick kick, now do a flying kick! I almost died. For the first time, I couldn't catch up with the rest of the class. It's a very good indicator that I need to start working out if I want to run 21km in 2 hr 30 min. I haven't got a training program for myself. I know I'm not going to stick to it, so I'll just keep it at the back of my head everytime I'm working out.

So I had lunch and I had a cup of coffee alone, while I jotted down some ideas. It's been a really good day so far. I was testing and working till 10:30pm but it's all very satisfying. I hope you've been having an awesome week so far!

Swimming Against Current

What a hectic day. I budgeted 3.5 hours to create 5 new products. In the end, it took me 4 whole hours to make 3 products, out of which, only 1 works! I feel like I am swimming against currents today. Good thing Bryan popped by my place. We had dinner with my family and had a few rounds of Monopoly Deal, which I am really addicted to at this moment. It's simple nights like these that keep me sane and happy. It's moments like these I love looking forward to.

Krabi Part C, Travel Expenses

Summing Up Krabi

We visited Krabi during the low-season for 6 nights in July. This is our expense breakdown, which might help to plan your future trips. This is also a great reminder to myself for budgeting future trips.

For the 2 of us, transportation from Phuket to Krabi cost 792B ($34).

Our 3 Swensen's indulgences cost 445B ($19).

The 3 days worth of tours cost 5,400B ($232) for both of us.

Food for 6 nights between us (meals including snacks, supper and drinks) is 2,824B ($121). We bought a bottle of wine, quite a few cocktails, lots of beer and lots of vitagens. We ate at good western restaurants a couple of times but we also have tons of street hawker meals. It work out to be only $10 per pax a day.

1 thai massages and 2 oil massages for each of us, which means 6 massages in total, work out to be 1,730B ($74).

Last Day - To Phuket

On our last day in Krabi, we took a van that cost us 300B ($13) each that brings us from Ao Nang Cliff Resort to Karon Princess Resort in Phuket. We book this van with Jirawan as well. The van was hot and stuffy. Try not to sit at the back row, it will kill you. Aim for the first row if you are fast enough. It was scheduled to arrive at our hotel at 3pm. However, we reached only at 5pm because the driver stopped thrice. First, they emptied all passengers somewhere in a coffeeshop and reshuffled them into different vans. That took 45 minutes. Then, few hours into the journey, our driver emptied all his passengers out so he could read his newspaper in an office. One girl got annoyed and bugged him to leave. The last time, our driver stopped at Patong Beach for his pizza, his lunch. Bryan and I were the only passengers left. I was really annoyed but I forgave him after he bribed me with some pizza.

We reached Karon Princess Hotel at around 5pm. Don't stay there, there are many nicer hotels nearby that are potentially just as cheap. Our first room had a huge army of ants and my luggage got infested with ants at some point. We wanted to change the room but the receptionist offered to fumigate our room. We told her we'd die of suffocation ourselves. She reprimanded us for opening the windows to let the ants in. They changed our room in the end, but we were really put off by the hotel. We paid $40 net for one night there, booked via AsiaRooms. Well, we'll make it a point not to stay there again.

We spent 2+ hours boogie-boarding at Karon Beach, which is right outside the hotel. The beach stand right outside our hotel was really nice. The guy offered us deck chairs for 100B ($4.30) but loan us the boogie-boards for free. The waves were fierce but it was really fun. At night, we spent 200B ($8.60) to Patong Beach and clubbed at Hollywood Patong. It was Ladies Night and the club was giving t-shirts and beach slippers to all ladies. The cab fare from Karon Beach to Patong Beach was supposed to be 300B. The transfer from our hotel to the Phuket Airport was meant to be 800B. But we bargained for 2 trips together, so we end up paying 200B for trip to Patong, and 700B ($30) for airport transfers.

So, that's my one week in Krabi-Phuket! Bryan and I are already talking about our next trip!

See Krabi Part B, Cycling In Ao Nang, Booking Of Tours and Pool

See Krabi Part A - Traveling To Krabi From Phuket Airport

Krabi Part B, Cycling In Ao Nang, Booking Of Tours and Pool

On day two, we spent a good part of morning taking turns to reply e-mails for our business and lazing about by the pool. We were feeling adventurous so we rented bicycles at 150B ($6.40) each. We cycled around Ao Nang and past the area meant for tourists, to their local market. It's nothing like Chatukchat but it's more like a wet market, with some street food, clothes and shoes. You see mainly locals, not tourists. We have to race the bike through heavy rain when returning to the hotel. The bike ride back was extremely muddy and wet but oddly pleasant.

At night, we booked our tours with Jirawan. It's better to research and know where you want to go, then book everything with the same guy so you could bargain for a better price. There's only that handful of service providers but there are lots of tour agents out there, so it doesn't matter who you booked it with. The agents are just the middleman and their rates are negotiable. Jirawan is a really nice lady who sits at Ao Nang Visitor Centre at 225 Moo 2 Aonang. It's right opposite the beach.

I kinda went crazy booking various tours because I was afraid of being bored. We've 6 full days at Ao Nang. I want to do as much as I could in my stay there. I think going on 2 to 3 tours are just the right amount at Krabi. Ao Nang and our hotel are beautiful and there's much to be explored. We still wish that we've more days at Krabi.

Our kayaking excursion to Bor Thor, their national park rich in archaelogy, cost 900B ($38) per pax. It's our favourite trip amongst the 3 tours we booked, because there's a lot to see and it's pretty exciting kayaking through extremely dark and narrow caves where the bats reside. The guides are extremely nice and take very good care of you, if you book with Krabi Nature Group(service provider, not the agent). Later on, the guides took us to a very cold stream. Very clear water, lots of fishes but super refreshing cold water. It's quite fun splashing about. The tour ends around 5pm.

We booked the 4-Islands Tour that comes with snorkeling and travel by speedboat for 700B ($30) per pax. It's cheaper if you go by the longtail boat but if you're mildly sea sick or rushing for time, then just go for the speedboat. We went past the overrated Chicken Island. We literally walked from one island to another thanks to the low tide. We also snorkeled when it was pouring heavily. It was pretty fun, but the trip didn't leave much of an impression. However, the service of the guide is really, really good and we can't stop raving about how well they take care of you. Book with "Koh Phi Phi Tours" with your agent. They really are the best. Snorkeling at Krabi is not as awesome, but to be fair, there was a storm coming when we went out to sea. The whole trip ends around 2.30pm to 3pm. We've got much time left to hit the beach for drinks.

We initially booked the Hong Island Tour by speedboat for 900B ($38.60) per pax. But later we cancelled and change to a Jungle Tour (visit to Hot Springs, Emerald Pool, Tiger Cave and Elephant Trekking) for 1,100B ($47) per pax. We thought we are always doing the same thing when we take vacations (go out to the sea, snorkel...), so we wanted to try something different. This Jungle tour is meant for older crowd. Less adventures, lots of car rides but more comfortable. This time, the guide is not as good. She doesn't give a shit about the passengers but unfortunately, I don't remember the company she belongs to. The Hot Spring and Emerald Pool are fun to visit, but we didn't like the elephant trekking much. It was very touristy, and the elephant guides kept trying to sell us ivory accessories. They also made the baby elephant shove a basket in your face for money donation. The Tiger Cave is rather forgettable but it could be due to the fact we've seen such awesome caves during the kayak trip. This tour ends around 5pm or so.

That's 3 days worth of tours for you, 1 tour for a day. That cost 2,700B ($116) per pax in total. We will want to try the kayaking at Hong Island when we visit Krabi again.

Our most highly recommended tour to go to is the kayaking trip at Bor Thor. It's one of the best things we've done for our vacations!

Krabi Part A - Traveling To Krabi From Phuket Airport

This has been one of the best trips we've taken. For one thing, Krabi is so darn beautiful. There're lots of good restaurants catering to vacationers but it's not as touristy as Koh Phi Phi or Phuket. Another thing, huge cliffs and trees are everywhere. The buskers at Ao Nang are not as hardcore. Ao Nang is not a huge place (say, 2 long streets worth of shops, massages and eateries) so it's cosy as well. We bumped into new friends on the streets whom we've met on tours or at our hotel. We love talking to Jiwaran, a lady who booked our tours at the Visitor's Centre so we have a chat with her every night after dinner.

During low-season, things are cheap. We went from 14-21 July 2010. Our Jetstar tickets to Phuket cost $44 net per pax, return trips. Initially, we wanted to just hang out at Phuket. Then Bryan found out that Krabi is just 3-4 hours away. Since we were at Koh Phi Phi and Phuket last year, we thought we might as well try a new destination.

We stayed at Ao Nang Cliff Beach Resort for 6 nights, booked via PYOTravel. There was a "stay 2 nights and get 1 night free" promo so we paid $66 net per night. The hotel is awesome. We love our room and the pool. It's smacked at McDonald's, 7-11 and Swensen's so we've a sundae almost every night.

Upon arrival, we took a cab from Phuket Airport to Wan Mai bus-stop, a deserted shabby looking bus stop, so we could take the local bus from Phuket to Krabi Town. We paid 146B ($6.30) per pax for a 2.5 hour ride. We dropped at the Krabi Bus Terminal, hopped onto a taxi that cost 300B ($13) for 2 of us that will take us to our hotel. I was eager to get going so I convinced Bryan not to bother checking on competitors' rates. Although on hindsight, we could have gotten a much better rate. Hmmmm.

It was about 3pm by the time we've washed up. So we just blew 400B ($17) between the 2 of us for Thai Massage. There was a DVD player in our room so we bought some DVD for 100B ($4.30) each. We ate a sundae and have a pizza and some cocktails (lots of 1 for 1 cocktail promotion during low-season). In just day one, we spent 24313B ($105) between the two of us, with the bulk going into transportation.

I'll write more tomorrow onwards and give an expense breakdown, if you ever would like to visit Krabi. It's really a beautiful place and it's not expensive during low-season as well. Till then, I hope you have had a good weekend!

Mid-Year Planning

After a one-week trip, I am feeling a little lost and still in the holiday mood. So today, I invested majority of my time planning for next year. It's not just for business but for my personal growth as well. There are just too many things I want to try and I can't not plan. I have written things I want to accomplish before this year ends. I also have a list of things to accomplish by 2011, but I broke it down into smaller projects so I can track it in a quarterly fashion. Planning is not complete and it's taking a lot more time than I expected. I'm planning today because I'm not ready for 'real work' anyways. One of the key things I want to do is to start saving in my personal savings account. I have been prowling money out from my savings for our business, now it's time to put it back. I am focusing on that because I'd very much like to rent my own place when I turn 29. At least, move out before I hit 30. I love living with my parents but it's a really nice thought having your own place and doing all manners of nonsense in it. And isn't it nice to have your very own toilet?!

Another key thing I want to accomplish is to complete 21km in 2.5 hours this year, and I intend to pursue the whole 42km next year. I have completed the 10km, so now it's for greater distances. For now, I'll hit town for the library and some dinner. Need to slowly ease myself back to earth!

Hello Again

We just got back from our week stay at Krabi, Thailand. I'm absolutely knackered but the trip really gave me tons of new energy and things to look forward to. I'll tell you more about it tomorrow!

Hello.

I'm away for a week and returning next Wednesday. Till then, have an awesome week!

How To Get Your T-Shirts Cheap, Fast And Good

Here's a guide on how to get your t-shirts cheap, fast and good.

Are We Fast, Good Or Cheap?

I'm mad excited because next week, we're taking one-week break. I'm especially so looking forward to it because I've to fucking reply emails till 4am for this week. No, no I'm not a tycoon anytime soon. It's just that people who need our services are always needing it urgently. So yea, as a good t-shirt & gifts service provider, we give our customers happy ending by fulfilling your urgent needs.

You know the famous project triangle - do you want to be cheap, good or fast? You won't have resources to focus on all 3 so you must choose 2. It's not possible to optimize all 3 so 1 will always suffer. I can't decide what we are since it varies projects from projects, depending on needs. Overall, I believe we're like fast and good. In comparison to competition, we're considerably cheap since we operate online.

We never really sat down to talk about mission & vision. I learnt that talk is cheap and based on my observation of corporations in my previous work environments, most people spend more time talking than doing. I might have spent more time talking than doing in my first couple months of entrepreneurship. Talk is cheap, doing reaps results. But as we're closing in to half-year old of our business (yes, it's only half year old), I do think we take care of our customers very well. We're proactive in chasing them to get down to work so that they can meet the deadline for their project, which is very important especially for events. Sometimes, they are so caught up with their own event that we try our best to be part of their team in managing the logistics. We even go down for their project meetings to be kept in the loop. One thing I'm really proud of us is that we're not a faceless corporations. There's some personality injected to our day-to-day runnings. So what's our unique selling proposition? I really don't know yet but we deliver and we're quite fun to work with.

Read 27b/6

Are you skiving at work now?

Pssssssst, this is really one of the best blogs I've ever read. My faves are the first two links.

Hey, How's Life?

Someone asked me how's life today. Must say, life is good.

We've been damn busy because of high volumes of referrals of late. Things have picked up and results are showing. We fumbled a little with our first order early this year, so we sat down and made proper processes when it comes to servicing customers. We must have set some processes right and we still need to tweak and improve on others. We've learnt to reject customers now when we think that we can't deliver. It's better to overdeliver as opposed to overpromising but underdelivering. It's really not easy work. Nothing drops from the sky and we went through quite a bit of hardship. But all in all, we're happy for what we've achieved so far.

And that calls for some sort of celebration. I love celebrating all manners of stuff. So B and I are heading for a one-week break next week.

Despite my bout of flu and crappy period cramps, my days have been enjoyable. I got to meet up with quite a fair bit of friends lately. I had coffee with Lian. Dinner with Ju-En & Nerine. And of course, dinner with Fiona, Bernard, Daniel and gang. I'm meeting friends from work on Friday. I like time with friends and being able to see them, so that's quite nice.

And I also went for some girly pampering with my mom. It was the first time we went to do a manicure together. We did it at Polished Diva at Bugis Street. You've got to try it because besides your manicure/pedicure service, they offer a nice hot proper drink (I had honey but you can opt for fruit juice too) and get that...a movie at your seat. I saw He's Just Not That Into You. My mom watched Marley & Me. It was a weekday afternoon so there wasn't anyone else. We got to see the whole movie while our nails dry. It's really quite a good deal.

Work wise, I work at all manners of hours. Some nights I sleep at 4am and wake up in the afternoon. Some days I get up early and skip the coffee routine but go straight to my desk. But I don't really care as long as I get stuff done so I've stopped beating myself up for not being able to get up in the mornings already.

This weekend, I'm going to the zoo. Life's been good. There're tons of things happening. Some faster than I can handle. Some much slower that I like it to be. But yea, I really enjoy my days a lot more now.

If You Were A Wink, I'd Be A Nod

I can't stop listening to this song.