My last tips for 2007 - How do get business class treatment when flying economy class

On Dec 24th I flew with Singapore Airlines from Singapore to London. It was an early morning flight and I will reach London at 6pm London time. It was my longest Christmas eve. When I entered the plane to my surprise there was only 16 passengers in the Boeing 777 plane!

I think the air stewardess over numbered us instead! I totally enjoyed the flight coz I can sit anywhere I want and eat any snack I want. The air steward even came to me and chatted me up and offered to make any drinks I would like. It was really fun. We even took pictures in the plane because it's very rare to have an almost empty flight to Europe.

According to the air steward, usually on 24th Dec it will be very quiet. So now that I know this, I don't mind flying to Europe on 24th Dec! You get more than you bargain!

No Maps? No Worries use a business card!

Whenever I am in a non speaking countries, I bound to have problems giving the right directions. Even when I tried telling all the landmarks, they cab drivers will look at me as if I am from Planet Terror! After all these trials and tribulations, I found a quick solution ..at least for now.

On the first day of work at the location, I will start collecting the local's business cards. Yes, their positions are important, and don't you ever forget that! But little that they knew, my little secret for dying to have their business cards is for the cab drivers :-P

Most of the time, in non speaking countries, the business card has dual lingual, one side english the other side the local language. There you go, save up all the business cards, it will saved you from a lot of frustrations!

Lost in Translation - the Seoul way

I looked at my watch and were late for a meeting. I jumped into a cab outside the hotel, and told the cab driver I wanted to go to Dogok station where my office is. The cab driver just started his engine and zoomed away. Later he kept asking me where I wanted to go. With my limited Korean vocabulary I could not make him understand the location again. (Due to my pronounciation!)

In Seoul when you are lost in translation, there is a way to overcome this. Thanks to the Seoul Metropolitan government, they had introduced Free Translation since the World Cup in 2002. All you need to do is call 120 and speak to the english speaking operator. You can even ask things like where is the best clubs around your area, or nearest cinema. Its like a walking yellow pages! The cab driver will usually hand their mobile phone to you, and you need to dial 02-120. That easy!

I really think it's a brilliant idea and very useful for us who is kiasu and kiasi travelling in Seoul!

Namdaemun market tips!

Everytime when I am in Seoul, I always visit Namdaemun market for good bargains like t-shirts, caps, socks and jackets. However, you will notice during the day time there wasn't a lot of so call "fake" branded stuffs. One of my favorite is Adidas shirts and you can hardly find them during the day.

However, when the night time fall, around 6pm onwards, you will find more shops opening on the center of the road. Here you can find varieties of branded stuffs usually labels like Adidas, Nike, and etc. The quality of these shirts are usually very good (compared to those cheaper version you can find in China).

Namdaemun used to open late in the past, however, the business has been slowing down and most shops closed after 9pm! So make sure you go to the right time for more bargain and surprises.

Grade A export market in Beijing

If you are looking for grade A jackets or pants like Boss, Y3, Miss Sixty, Burberry and etc, there is a place where you can find all under one roof. Tell the cab driver to Ritan Shuang Woo (Ritan Business Trade) and it's very near to Ritan Park.

In this building, it looks more like an motel with many rooms, each room was rented out to these retailers who carried all these branded stocks. I was told, in fact some of the stocks they have were genuine. What happened was the factory made say 1000 pieces, but the company only took 900. So the remainder the factory sold to these retailers (it could be slightly out of season stocks too).

You must bargain over here as well. My friend bought a wool jacket with an asking price of 1800RMB, and she got it at RMB900. She tried RMB200 but the shopkeeper waved bye bye to her without regret! Get the point? These are not Silk Market quality stuffs :) Also, chances of you having the same dress with the mass is lower probabilities. Once the stocks were sold out, they will not be replaced. It is usually limited collections.

Well, if you are a shopaholic, I am sure once you are in this building, it will took you hours to get out! Remember to bargain ok!

Cheap Budget Air and Hostel at your finger tips!

I found this 2 interesting sites where you can locate budget air available all over the world. All you need to do is choose a "from" point and "to" point, then a list of budget air will be listed out!

http://www.whichbudget.com/

The other favorite site of mine is the world hostel. You can pre book your hostel here at an extremely unbelievable price. However, please remember to read the forum for the hostel you choose. Some comments were good about the hostel and some were not. However, the visitors will tell you what is surrounding the area and what to bring along.

http://www.hostels.com/en/index.html

For those kiasu who likes to do their homework before travel, please visit these invaluable sites ;-)

Travel must have ?

There are 2 things I must have in my wallet everytime I travel. The first one is Lomotil! The tiny little pill could stop you from a severe purging instantly. However, you can't find Lomotil in Malaysia and Thailand anymore, as it is listed under ban item. Don't ask me why! However, you can find them in Singapore. Stock them up and put in your wallet.

The 2nd item, the must have is Clarinase 24! When you have nose block or running nose, when you are flying it can affects your ear and let me tell you it can be miserable. The Clarinase 24 do magic and could clear your nose within minutes. Morever, it will last for 24 hours.

Anyway, these magic pills does help me a lot. Pack them in your bag when you travel!

Zebra Cross - Dead or Alive

Have you ever wonder whether a zebra cross is reliable? By right on zebra cross, the vehicle should stop for the pedestrian ..however, sometimes in certain countries zebra cross can caused you ended up like a dead zebra!

Following are some of the zebra crosses around the Asia Pacific (based on my personal opinion) :

Malaysia - never trust one, the car will speed faster when they see you attempting to cross!
Singapore - most of them were pretty reliable, i guess they don't wanna get fined or sued
Hong Kong - usually won't trust them as well especially during peak hours, the cab drives like F1
China - unless you have 9 lives like a cat else don't ever attempt
India - err have not really seen one yet .. just use your hand to stop them
Australia - most courteous however, don't attempt at night when most of them had been drinking!

Well not all Zebra crosses are safe! So be a smart zebra pedestrian.

Lack of Sleeps may Kill you!

There were several reported cases where people died because they did not sleep enough. In New York a radio jockey ran a music marathon on a radio stations for several days without sleep. He died shortly after the marathon ends. Also, most recently, a teenager in South Korea found dead in his room, because he was playing on his computer gaming for few days continuosly!

Nobody could explain why our body needs to sleep, however, lack of sleeps contributed to high blood pressure and this itself could leads to cardio vascular related problems. For me lack of sleep contributed a few things which was very very obvious. I will find myself very haggard, my skin will look so tired and loose. Sometimes certain people has big eye bag which looked like they were punched. On top of that, I often get headache and sore throat too.

So really, if you want to look beautiful, you may not need Botox for your skin. What you need is plenty of water and a good night sleep. Why spend when we already know the secret of looking younger and longer life is to have enough ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Buy in Bundle is not always Better!

Sometimes in the supermarket we see oranges probably one may cost you 60cents, but due to convenience you may buy a pre-pack bundle 8 for RM5.60! You may not be aware actually it may cost you 10cent more! The supermarket always target people who wants convenience!

Also, during festive period, if you plan to buy hamper, go and pick it yourself and put into a basket! Those pre-pack hamper usually may contains things which has expiration less than 6 months! This is the best time for them to get rid of their older stocks!

So be smart, excercise a bit more and save more lah!

Cheap hostels? Do your homework here ...

I came across this very useful link for all the hostels in the world. Prior to your travelling, you can find out what hostels are available at the destinations. On top of that you can pre-book through the net. Most of the rates are very very affordable.

What makes it more interesting was there are also galleries of most of the hostels and comments from backpackers who had stayed there before. I came across some bad comments too so stay away from those.

Anway, in case you need to know you can go to the url below :

http://www.hostels.com/en/index.html

Factory Outlet in Hong Kong. Where?

I am staying at Mongkok currently and the place is so lively. Human traffics everywhere. However, at this place you won't have any problems finding food or shopping places. Halal or non-halal, cash or credits, you name it! They will help you to spend it.

During one of the night I discovered few outlets around Mongkok! Most of the items are marked 50% and above! It's slightly out of seasons but no complains!

Take a MTR to Mongkok Station, go to Exit B (Bank Center), then turn LEFT and head to Sai Yeong Choi Street. The outlets are around Broadway Cinema. There are Esprit and Baleno outlets there. I got a nice tee for 29HKD and I am happy!

Cheapest "pirated" DVDs!

Well oh well, where can one find the cheapest "pirated" DVDs. In Malaysia, average in most shop they sell you at RM10 each DVD. Guess what ? In China you can find the same movie at only RM 5 (RMB10). So when you buy them in China make sure you don't pay more than that.

But hor the cheapest so far or the champion .. surprise suprise is in Jakarta! At only RM2 each DVD! Where can you find leh! Just head to Chinatown in Jakarta you will find tonnes of DVD shops! All you need to do is bring enough cash! Now with Air Asia you can go there faster and cheaper too :-)

Yum Seng to Bottomless Drink!

I was at Esquire Kitchen the other day. We ordered a few cuppa tea. On top of that after you finished your tea, you are allowed to get a free re-fill.

My aunt was wondering, if it's free re-fill, why don't we just order one cup! Then pass them around then all we pay is only 1 cuppa?

Ya tak ya jugak! Now you can try this at TGIF or other restaurants that offer free re-fill. Save money why not?!

Budget airlines and Clark Airport, Philippines

For those who always travel with budget, this message is especially for you. I know Air Asia fly to Philippines, however they uses the Clark airport. The Clark airport is formerly a US military airforce based. If your purpose is to visit Makati or Manila, fyi, it is around 40km from these cities! Also, traffic can be really bad during peak hours. Normally it will take 3 hours to 4 hours to travel from Clark airport to Manila!!

The better choice of budget airline is Cebu Air, it flies directly between KL and Manila. It takes only 25 minutes to the city during non peak hours :)

Yes you may save money on the flight, but time is also money! If you are retired and has nothing else to look forward, then of course you can take the longer route!

Lost and Found - drama in Bangkok

It was rainning really hard in Bangkok on Saturday nite. I just finished shopping and I spent a fortune at Ted Baker boutique at Central. I had a good bargain and was happy with my purchases although it was quite a big sum I had spent.

I jumped to a cab and directed the cab to go to my hotel. When I reached the hotel, I paid and grabbed my bags and jumped out of the cab. For a second I thot something is not right I had more than 3 bags! I left my entire Ted Baker bag in the cab! And the cab had zoomed off!

I was praying hard the cab driver will return my bag to the concierge. I waited one day, and it has not! Well my heart was aching of course but dear kiasus! Next time even when you don't have hands! Especially when you are in a foreign land after shopping. Make sure you read or write down the car plate! Or in Bangkok remember the color of the cab. You can always call the company and reported missing. I had friends who told me his friends recovered his goods after gone missing in the cab.

Now when I board a cab even day or night or rain! I write down the no. on my newspaper or whatever paper I could grab. Let's be kiasus and say bye bye to heartache! Sighhhhh!

I hate Ironing!

Do you realise when you try to iron a pair of DARK pants or yr DARK skirt you will notice after iron there were many white patches. Sooo unpretty!

I visited a laundry recently and complaint to them on my problem everytime I tries to iron one. However, I learnt a tip from them. The told me before I iron on a pant, put a DAMP HANDKERCHIEF on top of the pant. Then iron on top of the handkerchief. Ta Dah - no marks left behind!

Also, when I tried to iron a shirt I always struggle on the sleeves area or at the corners of the shirts. What you need to do is button up everything. Then slot the shirt onto an iron board. You can iron every corner easily when everything is buttoned up!

However, the best solution for all these is to hire a Marianne!

Diner's Card and Duty Free

I was told by my colleague hor that when you apply for a Diner's card they will give you a Duty Free Shop (DFS) card where you can use at Singapore Duty Free (SGP DFS also ran the one in Australia). By flashing the card you can receive a 10% discount of the displayed price.

Another thing I realised at the airport around Asia, there are Diner's lounge and it can be used by Diner's Card holder as well. I know Japan and Korea has Diner's lounge.

OK now you can save more money for your old age .. apply Diner's :P

Smile .. you are on Hidden Camera!

Hi all kiasus brothers and sisters! It has been a while I haven't blog. Seriously something happened lah! My house was broken by strangers and taken most of the valuables with them! Grrr

Immediately after the incident, we put an alarm box in our house. However, we also found from the guy who sold us the alarm that some customers will only buy EMPTY alarm box too. They even sell camera which is not operating too!

You see according to them this will ward off strangers from breaking into your home! See like this also can save money! If you damn kiam siap and feel you want to get some protection also, kindly install the empty box and non operating camera today!

Prevention is better, but cheaper prevention - LAGI BEST!

If you are KIASI - try the Death Calculator!

I found this interesting calculator that will look into your habits and lifestyle. The recommended lifespan in US is 79 year old, however, when I read this in Manila, the recommended for the local is around 70 year old. So I let you decide what you wanna put in :P

http://www.demko.com/deathcalculator.htm#top

Well at least you know what to do to prolong your kiasu life for example, stop smoking etc etc!

If you don't use your Airticket, claim your Airport TAX Back!

Recently, in a local newspaper the Transport Ministry revealed those passengers who did not fly on the scheduled date, the tax will not be absorbed by the Airport authority! Now where has the money gone to? Early this year I had booked a flight to Hanoi and I didn't use it. Without knowing our rights, I assume the tax was penalised as well.

Apparently, Air Asia (or probably other flights) did not inform the public that the money can be refunded! Wah Liaw, diam diam ubi! To think about it I had at least 2 trips I canceled without using the ticket. By right I can claim all of them back. A friend of mine had done it and get his airport tax back.

So if you are not aware of this, please ring Air Asia, give them your booking no. and asked them how can you claim back! You think we print money ah! Don't let them telan bulat bulat (swallowed all the $$)!

I owned an IPOOT!

I owned an IPOOT now! Well you will be surprised how much it looks like IPOD NANO. I got it from China. The beauty of this Mp3 player is it does not requires any software to synchronise. It is actually just like an external drive where you just drag and drop into the folder!

The one I got here is 2GB and you can expand the storage by buying additional memory card! IPOD cannot expand! Also, besides MP3 and WMA music files, you can watch AVI or MPeg4 movies! IPOD Nano cannot play movies! Then hor, you can record voices and store into the folder! IPOD also cannot record sound! Wow now you tell me who wins?!

On top of this, the cost of this little copycat is .... drum roll ... RM200!! While IPOD NANO around RM940!!! Do I need to say more? Now I call that an IPOOT!

Welcome to Survanabhumi Airport, Bangkok - Cheap Food this Way!

Many times most international airport including KLIA, always hiked up most of the food prices. Being a consumer I always felt being ripped off! They think I have a money printing machine at home kah! Because I am starving I am being taken advantage?!!! This is not fair demand and supply, this is being Forced down on our throat ..grrrrrr !

Ok sabar sabar, errr Slipper Whore (a reader with a errrr yucky nick) had contributed the following cheap food hunting at the Bangkok airport. According to errrr the whore (yucks yucks), after you check in your luggage, do not cross to the custom yet. Go to Counter "S" look for a lift and take a ride to 1st floor. Once you come out from 1st floor Turn Left, and you will notice a foodcourt meant for the AIRPORT Staffs only. It is call MAGICLAND food court! However, no luggages are allowed in the food court. You proceed to purchase a pre paid card and Wah Laaaa, enjoy the discounted food at the airport. Please don't act like kampung mari or kiasu tourist ya (although deep deep in our heart we are!) . I can't guarantee if you get kicked out.

According to errrrr errr (the contributor), his mix rice with 3 dishes was only Baht 40 (4RM) and a bottle of water costed him only Bath 7 (70cents)! Wow unbelievable for prices like this can be found in a major airport! Well enjoy and thanks for sharing the kiasu tips!

Stop the Grunting cabbies in Beijing!

The last time I reached Beijing airport I told the cab driver to the hotel I want to go. Before I stepped into the car, a guy with a writting pad will approach us writting down the taxi car plate and the destination.

During the ride, the cabbie kept cursing me like mad! He told me he had queued for 3 hours and my destination to Hilton, or Sheraton (Chaoyang area, 23km) is very close and he was very unhappy! He told me they can't make a living with 3 hours wait and earn peanuts for the day. The usual grunts!

I felt so pissed off on that day and vow to find out what was wrong with the system. Later a colleague in Beijing told me she had experienced the same issue, however, there was a trick to it. The next time when you are going to Chaoyang area, you can tell the officer who write down the car plate to LIDO HOTEL (very close to airport, below 20KM). However, in the car tell the cabbie exactly the actual destination. By doing this, the cabbie can come back to the airport without queing again!

Anyway, as a consumer of course we think it's our right that the cab driver who queued up take us to where we like to go. However, on the other hand, if they had waited for 3 hours (you will noticed a long queue outside) for a 50RMB, it is indeed very tough business.

First drink you pay, 2nd drink on Starbuck!

This following tip is only for Tea Drinker at establishments like Starbucks or Coffee Bean and etc. If you plan to buy a cuppa tea, you will notice it always come in 3 sizes, Small, Medium or Large! However, you can always stick to the SMALL one !

After you pay the first cuppa tea, you get the 2nd, or 3rd cup for FREE! How?? Hehehe, well just bring your cup to the counter again and ask for more HOT Water! So far I have not been refused before. On top of that, why pay for big cuppa when you can get 2nd and 3rd for FREE?

So be smart ya don't simply buy BIG cuppa tea!

Go Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV)! Why not?

There were so many debate on world climate today. Everyone needs to play a part. Being kiasu also kiasi, there are many ways we can help the environment. One way is to go NGV! Using natural gas for your car will not only save the world but also your money!

I had asked my taxi driver who has experienced in installing of of the NGV tank. Most of the Malaysian town taxis are using NGV today. A NGV tank usually cost you around RM2K to RM2.5K. The size of the tank is around 2-3 feet. If you drive a Kenari, it will take half of your boot space!

The cost of KL-Sepang by petrol is around RM10, but with NGV it is RM4! That's a lot of money if you drive daily from KL-Sepang. The only challenge is the NGV station! Today it is limited and if you are in town, most of the time there were long Q (mostly taxis). However, I was told if you work in Sepang, the Q is lesser and won't take long to fill up your NGV!

How about long distance driving and there is no NGV station! Not to worry, On top of that, if the tank ran out, there will be an auto switch from NGV to petrol. You won't be stuck in the middle of the road.

So isn't this a good investment? Let's do a part to save OURSELVES!

Why buy when you can read them for Free?

This chapter was contributed by Andrea Gail :-)

In Kuala Lumpur these days has many big bookstores like MPH, Kinokuniya, Popular and etc. However, some of these books are very expensive to purchase. On top of that, for me I have problems placing them in my home. To give it away makes me a charitable person but hor how come nobody donate to me one! Hmmph!

So Andrea Gail shared her story, where her friends (could be herself too :-P, it's ok to admit hehe) will go to MPH to pick up an interesting book and read there. Sometimes certain books are so exciting you won't wanna let go. In the end, you finish reading them in a several visits!

The cost of this -zero, except that you need to invest probably an hour or 2 each day. Also, MPH has a cafe there and they play light musics! What else lah do you need. The environment is setup sucha way that you can read there leisurely.

Come and save paper! Don't purchase them, but read them for freeeeeee ....

No worries to Foreign Exchange, bring your ATM card

For the past few days there were at least 2 persons that asked me, if they go to overseas, how much should they bring? My answer to them is bring little foreign cash!

Why?? How about my shopping? Well if you are a Maybank ATM card holder, turn to the back of the card and locate for the PLUS sign! With this sign, you can access to all the ATM almost around the world. So far I have not faced any problems yet.

You may also asked how about the exchange rate? Actually, I did some calculation, the daily exchange is very close to what you get at the mamak counter. However, they will be RM12 for each transactions from the ATM machine will be charged. So make sure you withdraw more to enjoy the benefits!

I won't advise travellers to bring too much cash with them. With PLUS, it can be your 11th hour savior! You have nothing to lose :P

Super dry skin solutions

A friend of mine complaining that his skin was so dry and starting to look like kucing kurap skin (ber tompok tompok) or red patches all over his leg. Instantly this reminded me of my trip to Japan, where I had red rashes all over my body.

I went to a skin doctor after that and I learnt a few important tips for you with super dry skin who is living in winter countries or constantly under the air condition.

First of all, if your skin is dry, please make sure you do not shower under SUPER steamming hot water or chilly cold water. This will makes the condition became worst. Instead just use warm or room temperature water. Right after shower, make sure you use lotion and rub all over your body. If you are using heater or air cond, make sure you turn it low. Also, if you are in a hotel room, fill up the bath tub with SUPER hot water, and the steam will humidify your room.

If all above still does not help, before shower, rub the lotion all over, and then only go to shower. After shower, then rub the lotion again. The key to this is to maintain a layer of moisture to protect your skin.

Anyway, dear kiasus, make sure you put the enough lotion daily or else you can remain like kuching kurap!

Choose the Right Airlines with Right Seats!

At one time, a western guy told me he preferred Thai Airways seat because it's spacious in certain flight. Probably for us who are in shape may not aware of this. The truth is many of us who is OUT OF SHAPE can do some homework and choose the right flight for yourselves.

Different airlines has different setup inside the plane. Everytime before and after I booked a flight, I will check the width and pitch of the seats (look see if spacious) especially for the long haul flights. On top of that, you can see if the seat is placed next to a toilet or pantry.

The Good news is somebody had documented all these information in a website! Do pay the site a visit if you want to know what you are getting!

http://www.seatguru.com/

Hotel Reservations, Go Online or Offline

Actually this happened to me few years ago. I wanted a room at a cheaper rate and found a room with Hyatt group on the net. The online special was even cheaper than my corporate's rate. Being kiasu, of course go book on Online lah!

Few days later, my trip got canceled and I need to cancel my online booking as well. Little that I know a fee of USD 50 was charged to my credit card. I found out there were many fine prints written on it. It does not matter whether you give ample time (even if you cancel 1 year ahead) for cancelation on ONLINE, you will be subjeted to a USD 50 fine. I rang the customer service up and complaint but rules are rules!

However, if you book through phone or OFFLINE, this condition will not apply to you. According to the Hyatt group, the special online rate is special hence that's the condition you have to be bound with.

So to all my dear kiasus. Whenever, you see ONLINE or INTERNET SPECIAL hor, please read the FINE PRINT! Sometimes it does not make any business sense to the customer but they want your money for sure :-P

Sniff for Free WI-FI access in HKG Airport (Updated)

You know what, most of the airports in Asia these days provide Wi-FI access. The KLIA airport allows any users with wireless capabilities to utilise the services for FREE! Thank you KLIA! However, in Singapore (SGP), Thailand and Hong Kong (HKG) it will involves a fee unless you have access to the business lounges. I have yet to discover any free ones in SGP and Thailand yet.

Well well well, being kiasu, I like to boot up my notebook and walk around the airport trying to sensor any hotspot and of course it has to be FREE lah! Sniff Sniff Sniff and Ta Dah I found this!!

While you are in HKG airport, to all my kiasu-men, you can go to GATE 40, when you look up it is actually the Thai Airways Lounge above. So far this is the strongest WI-FI access point without any password required!

So when you have a spare time in HKG airport, forget about shopping because you have to use your $$$, but you can definitely SURF! (for FREEEEEEE!!!!)

Updated : May 6, 2007 - Good news, PCCW has finally provide FREE connection at HKG Airport. Search for FREE WIFI access!

Dim Sum tricks @ Hong Kong

I learnt a new trick from my friends for eating cheaper dim sum at Hong Kong. Most restaurants in Hong Kong opened at 7am for Yum Char (aka dim sum). Usually the prices on weekdays the dim sum is sold at a lower price. For those who like to sleep in and only go for Yum Char at a later time, make sure you reach there just before 11am!

How come ahhhh? That's because after 11am, the price may be 20% - 30% more! So you need to find a seat before 11am, order all the food you want, and most important PAY THE BILL BEFORE 11am. Then only you enjoy the early bird discount!

So my dear Kiasus who is visiting Hong Kong soon! Please take note ya.

The Tale of 2 Toll Gates!

Recently, I had chatted to my regular cab driver on how to pay less toll at the highway. Sometimes we noticed the lorry drivers will park their lorries at roadside, then the 2 drivers will meet up in the center of the road. You must be wondering why?

This is their interesting tale. No! the drivers did not talk about their journeys or minum kopi at the center of the road! Instead they were swapping their toll tickets. For example, if one starts from Rawang and another in Sepang. When they meet halfway and exchange their ticket, they are only required to pay the distance from where they came from. In this case, they may only pay a minimal fee if they went back to the same toll they came before!

Now, with this theory, I wonder, if we can do the same? Probably can meet at one of the Rest and Relax Bridge say Rawang or USJ. No need to get yourself hurt in the center of the road! Swap the ticket and the rest may be a history. What do you think?

Additional comment : A kiasu reader told me he did above however when he went back with his TOLL tag it was zapped to ZERO! So make sure you go a different exit nearer to the original one ya!

Cheaper "Duty Free" items?

When we thought duty free items are always cheaper, you are only half right! There are cheaper duty free prices, you just need to look harder :-P

Whenever I travel, my travel agent always asked me to get them a carton of ciggy. Till recently, I noticed there were differences in price if you shop in the plane. For 2007 (price may change), in the duty free shop at KLIA will cost you RM48 for each carton. Meanwhile the price at the Malaysian Airlines catalog is RM45!

Isn't this great? All you need to do is sit there, pass the card, and get your goods. On top of that you gain mileage points. This is what I call a truly wheelchair bound kiasu-shopper! I wonder if they will come up with a personal toilet in the future.

So make an effort to study the airlines catalog, or take them with you! It's your copy anyway. Then walk to the duty free shop and mark down the shop's prices in the catalog! You may find a few surprises :-P

Royal treatment at the Immigration Line

Have you ever wonder in certain countries the immigration can be a nightmare. It took forever to get your passport stamp especially after a long haul flight. Well the kiasu solution to this is with a 4 letter word : A-P-E-C! The Magic word!

There are a set of requirements in order to qualify for this card, however, I had seen my colleague in Australia had done it without a sweat. For Malaysian, the fee is only RM100 (claim them under company expense). Once approved you will receive a credit card size of APEC delivered to your home.

Everytime when you visit an APEC country (see listings in website) you can queue at the priority APEC line. Say goodbye to long queue, say hello to APEC!

For Malaysian : http://www.imi.gov.my/eng/perkhidmatan/im_Apec.asp
For Australian : http://www.businessmobility.org/key/apec_application.pdf

IKEA Non Furniture Special?

When we thought of IKEA we though of furnitures, oh well, this may changed soon :P This morning I went to IKEA at Mutiara Damansara, Malaysia. In fact my 2nd trips. If you are an early riser, hit to IKEA at 9am sharp, then you will noticed a long lines (especially weekend) waiting and roaring to rush into the premises. One must be wondering why?!

Since few months ago, IKEA has this special breakfast treat daily! Usually comes in set, the first time I was there was Nasi Lemak with 2 decent pieces of chicken, and bottomless drinks (coffee, tea, soda). Today, I had Sausages and rolls. All in all only RM2! Yes RM2! You have to be there between 9am-10am for this special. After 10am it will be RM3!

For those with big families, this is a real treat. For RM2, probably Roti Bakar (toast bread) at coffee shop excluding drinks!

OK great now you know where to go on weekends especially for the Papas and Mamas! I should venture at other IKEA in Singapore or Hong Kong. Let me find out if they have the specials too :P

Sir/Maam, Coffee, Tea or Wine?

Few days ago, I was talking to a friend who is in the airline industry. After a conversation with him, I was able to relate to a few pleasant occassions in my previous flight.

OK for all of you - the kiasus - who drinks wine, listen up! Next time when you see the air steward(ess), be nice to them. Smile to them and call them by their name (look at the tag!). One time, the air stewardess in US told me, never in her industry life, anyone call by her name! Look at your watch and probably 45mins or 30mins prior to landing usually that's when the air steward(ess) start packing up their pantry areas.

This is what you need to do. Press the flight attendant button, (smile), and asked the air steward(ess) especially the one you know by name, ask them if they have any opened bottle of red or white wine. You see in case you do not know ya! My friend told me once the bottle is opened even just for a glass, they are not allowed to re-use the same bottle in the next flight. 80% of the time, if they have leftover, they will usually wrap them in a plastic or paper bag and will hand them to you nicely. If you are nice enough, you can even put down in the feedback form that you had a fantastic experience during the flight and remember to name the attendant.

Ta Dah! Who says must get things from the Duty Free, when you can actually drop the word DUTY literally when you are travelling!

The Annual Meeting you must not Missed

Everyday and month we have so many meetings at work. However, there is one meeting you should not missed. I believe some of us invested in share markets. Every year, the public listed companies will run an annual meetings for the public and will share with you the health of their past and future businesses.

For those who has shares with businesses like KFC, Parkson, Starbucks or so on. And especially for those who attends the annual meeting will be treated with freebies like FREE VOUCHERS and sometimes meals. All you need to do is to attend this 1-2 hours sessions! Why not ?? It's only once a year and you get free stuffs! Good deal eh!

So I encourage all the kiasus to attend whenever possible. Who knows if you have shares with MAGNUM (a betting company), they may give you a HORSE!

Put up a Fight for Free Credit Cards

Credit cards are such a beautiful trading tools these days. There are so many banks offering their services and they only worry if you are not with them! Bingo! Every year when the credit card company going to send me an annual fee, I will always put up a fight with them.

I will begin by telling them nicely, I am not happy with the charges, and other is offering more attractive promotions or fees! Tell them you want to switch, unless they do something for you. Almost 80% of the time they will agrees to WAIVE the annual fee for you. Hehehehehe! Why not! They have been making us using the card and they benefits from it. Somemore wanna charge us annual fee.

However, this stance is only for good paymaster. If you were the kiasu who always have bad paying history then it will not work for you. It will be an answered prayer to the credit card company that you are self terminating :-P

Eating Spree in Japan!

One will never grow hungry when they are in Japan especially in Tokyo! You can eat for free!! No no no, it has nothing to do with pyramid scheme like selling those vitamin or suplements capsules. We are talking about real food here :P

Everytime around 5pm or close to dinner time, I will walk to a big supermarket in Japan like Isetan, Mitsukoshi and etc. Usually under this big supermarket at lower ground, is a food heaven where many stalls allowed food tasting from sushi to candies. All you need to do is walk near the store and check out the item you like to try (with must EAT them in "mind") and smile to (usually an elderly) attendant. They will hand you the sample of their food, sometimes, probably out of genoristy, the portion is a meal by itself. Then move to 2 stores away, to maintain your pride a bit (not seen by nearby stalls), try another kind of food. After all the sampling spree, finish with a mini cup of tea or soft drink. Say Ahhhhhhh! Burp!

Who says food in Japan is expensive! There are free food everywhere, even the local will participate in this eating spree! Who says kiasu is only in Singapore :-P

Meet your Idol after the Play or Musical

Last night I went to a play at West End, London. I went to a controversial play called 'EQUUS'. One of the lead in the play was Daniel Radcliffe of Harry Potter famed. If you get a chance or it does come to your town near you, go watch it :-)

You must be wonder how can this be under kiasu blog! Well well well, after the play, I joined a small group of kiasu from around the world to the backdoor. Most of them were holding the program book and hoping Daniel will appear. True enuff, he did and we were very excited. He was very friendly and starting signing autograph for all his fans. I did not buy a program book but instead I took out my travel guide book for him to sign. He turned to me and laughed. I told him that's all I have for now. I continued to praise how well the show was - and indeed he was good. Very versatile young actor.

Now now now! I have my travel book signed and I can sell them in EBAY! A colleague in UK already asking me to sell it to his daughter! I am still considering ..... hehehe ;-)

Smaller Notes maybe Tedious but Safer in China

I had been travelling into China many times, however, late last year I got "Conned"! It's like this, usually when you exchange the foreign notes into Chinese Renminbi (RMB) they will give you bigger notes like RMB100 or RMB50. Sooo one day, I went shopping at Pearl Market in Beijing. I bought some bags and handed the lady (looked very honest) a RMB100 note. She changed back with several notes in RMB50 and, the rest in RMB10s and cents.

When I boarded a taxi and try to pay the driver with my "exchanged" RMB50 note, I was told it was a fake note!! Since last month I had been cheated twice! Probably because the Olympic 2008 is approaching and they expect more foreigners coming into the country! They can take advantage on those tourist who are not familiar with their dollars and sense!

So the lesson is when you plan to shop, make sure you change all the bigger notes to smaller notes! Preferably RMB10, because usually they prefer to counterfeit bigger notes! Also, it's worth to invest in a small torch can be used on RMB notes. You can find them everywhere in China.

If you like to shop and you can't tell the real from the counterfeit one! Carry smaller notes !! Although it's inconvenient but at least I feel better! Grrrrrr

Hire a car from 5 star hotel at cheaper rate but Shhhhhhhh

I learned this trick accidentally when I was in India for a holiday. I was new to New Delhi at that time and wanted to hire a hotel car to go around the city. I had checked the car rates around the town and most of the tour agency quoted the similar price as the hotel. So to save all the hassle and time I decided to rent one. I went up to a concierge and started asking for the rental rates. I purposely said it's expensive trying to negotiate with the concierge. What surprised me, the concierge told me he has friends who work as a driver for special prices. And the price is half of all the prices I was quoted before! So so so never underestimate what can a concierge do "outside" of the hotel :-)

All you need to do is smile to them nicely, ask for ideas and probably tip them a little and you get a great bargain! But do it quietly ..shhhhhhhhhhhhh

You want to shine but not your Shoe!

You were in a hotel or office, and next thing you know you need to meet your boss. As always you need to shine in front of them! But wait a minute, your leather shoes was not polished and looked awfully old. What can you do!

Check the toiletries in your bathroom or in your bag. Look for a bottle of cheap hand lotion and rub it on your shoes. The best thing is you can apply on any leather color. It will come just shiny for at least half a day! Impress your boss and it cost you little!

Big Blue Special at Selangor Pewter

Few of us may not aware of this .. however, don't under estimate the IBM badge. If you are IBMer and also happened to be kiasu .. next time when you want to make a purchase at Selangor Pewter in Malaysia flash your card! You will be automatically receive a 10% off! Better than nothing right?!

Also, if you going are for a business trips in China under IBM, when you eat around IBM Beijing at Chaoyang office, remember to flash your card. Most of the restaurants especially in Pacific center building itself will give 10-20% discount!

Flash them today!

Save your $$ at Baskin Robbins

The following kiasu tips is from Bahija! Thank you in advance.

The next time when you go to Baskin Robbins, you wanted to buy a single scoop of ice cream. Your friend also wants a single scoop as well. Usually if you buy single scoop if noT wrong a junior super small scoop cost you around RM6 witH tax.

Following is the kiasu stance you can use .. Get A 2 scoop ice cream pay around RM8, then buy a sIngle cone only for RM1. Ask the ice cream attendant to pLace one of your double scoop to the cone. TA dah .... total RM9. You may saved RM3 ! (Prices above are estimation)

We have not tried this trick at HaageN Daaz or other vendor yet .. but please explore this kiasu stance!

Good deal at the Malaysia Hall in Australia

I always noticed the Malaysia Hall with a big car park compound and probably 2 km away from the University of New South Wales in Sydney. Being a Malaysian I am curious what do they do inside the hall. Later, I found out it actually can host Malaysian students or parents /relatives who has kids studying in Australia.

The charges for the hostel are unbelievable good deal. Of course this is only open for Malaysians only. For Undergrad : 4 AUD a night; For Postgrad : 6 AUD a night and For Parents/Relatives : 12 AUD a night. Maximum you can only stay for 3 nights. For parents/relatives, you need your kids to fill in the form for you. There are currently hosting in Sydney and Melbourne only.

This is a great deal, anyhow no harm trying eh! For 12 AUD a night, that's a cost of a movie ticket in Australia!

More at http://www.msdaustralia.org.au/Myhall2.htm

Rebates from Energy and Waterworks New South Wales, Australia

For those who are living in Australia, this piece of information is very handy. The government often come up with ideas to save energy and water. If you comply to their measurements you can get your rebates. For example, if you buy a washing machine, make sure it complies with the announcement below :

Washing machine rebates reach 20,000
(7/12/06) Sydney households receiving a rebate for purchasing a water efficient washing machine have reached 20,000 and together they are saving 420 million litres of water a year. Customers can receive a $150 rebate from Sydney Water for purchasing a 5A water efficiency rating washing machine before 31 July 2008.

There are many various forms of rebates. Just visit http://www.deus.nsw.gov.au/index.asp , go to search and type "rebate". Ta Dah you will be able to find out what you can claim back in no time! Yeah Kiasu rules again!

Clean Budget motel in China

I discovered this chain when I was looking for motels for my aunt. It's call Super 8 motel or "SU BA" in putonghua and it's expanding throughout China today. It is an American chain and the focus is cheap and clean rooms.

Personally, I stayed once in Shanghai. I was amazed with the location of the hotel. Most of them time it is centrally placed near the sightseeing areas or very near to a subway! The hotel is a bit small but if you are on a shoe-string budget, no complaints! If you want slightly comfortable room, book a business executive room - above 50RMB more usually. I had even tried to tip the housekeeper and they refused to accept! How can you beat that?? You can save more! Kiasu rules!

You can book through the internet http://www.super8.com.cn/en/index_en.asp , or you can give them a call directly. I realised during off peak, you can use this trick. Call them directly, tell them you are checking prices and comparing with other motels! Guess what, 80% of the time, they will tell you they will give you more discount and cheaper than internet rates!

How to eat and drink for "free" at the airport

When you have a long haul flights, a good airlines lounge is what you need! However, some of us may not have clocked enough mileage points to use one. So what can you do? Easy, always travel or find a friend (you newly met at the airport) who carry a GOLD Singapore Airline's Krisflyer! Their policy allows each Krisflyer to bring in a guest. Usually in the airport lounge, they have free flow of beer and liquer, food, TVs, internet access blah blah blah!

Ta Dah! Be alert when you see a GOLD card holder travelling alone! Smileeeeeeeeeee to them ;-)

Books - where can you get cheap books!

I had visited several countries in Asia, but India is the best place for book shoppings! For example, a latest novel will cost you around RM25 (USD 7) but if you get them in Malaysia it will cost you like RM38-42 (USD 11). The main reason for the cheaper price is because of the Indian publisher has a lower publication rate. However, if the books are not published in India, it is usually still 20% cheaper than outside India :-)

Now you know, if you happen to go to India or friends going there! Pass them the rainbow bag (balik kampung bag) or golf bag ..and stuffed them!

Welcome to Kiasu-Dom!

Hello all my friends out there. I had decided to put up this blog to share all our kiasu tips in order to save our pocket money for future big houses or diamond rings ;-)

All this while during my travel either outside or within Malaysia, I came across many goodness and sometimes it does not cost you a cent! Ahhh why did not think about blogging them earlier! Anyway, never too late to do so!

If you know any good tips, do let me know and I will share them with all the readers here. Good things must not be hidden!

Long live the Kiasuuuuuussssss :-)