1 year to YOG

update:

Woot! My winning photo shot on Twitter :) Wasn't expecting this so I look kind of shaggy :s

So this was what I was at The Padang for. A limited edition pin for the 1 year countdown celebration of the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore 2010! Hurray for being the first to win the Singapore 2010 collection pin on Twitter :D

Singapore Toy, Games & Comic Convention

Seeing @claudia's photos @ STGCC just made me want to go there so badly!

I finally persuaded wx to bring me there last night. :)

We were at The Padang (for a some reason), then walked over to Suntec to have dinner. By the time we reached the exhibition hall it was already close to 9pm. Rather late, but not bad at all considering that most crowds were already dismissed.

Specially taken for my sister, who bought me two Uglydolls back in the States :) Look! So many Uglydolls! Big and small. Didn't seem like they have any Uglydoll freebies for me though :p

I read in Claudia's post that there is a Play Imaginative (pi.) membership for $20 + free Baby To-fu & a Strawberry To-Fu notebook. For sure I started looking around for the PI booth, where I found this cho kawaii Strawberry To-fu figurine! Too bad, was trying to cut down on expenses these days so I didn't get the membership. Still got chance in the future right? :x

Not a fan of Gundam, but I thought these super big toy figures are meant for photo taking. So I took one anyhow. And it's a robot! And Transformers are robots too! OK. They look very different, but that was how this photo ended up here. I thought Wah Transformers!

We wondered off to the toy capsule machines! Hey another *mini* Gundam! There were lots of selections - Hello Kitty, To-fu (again) just to name a couple. And my favorite is...

Ta-da! Doraemon!! Aww so cute~ $3 per capsule. I didn't get :(

Playmobil! My favorite toy as a kid :) I had a schooling set - with lots of little tables and chairs, and a writable blackboard - and a kitchen set - mini ladles, pots and pans and cabinets that can open too! (Life-size Playmobil model!)

But nothing like that at the exhibition. (Meh) The focus is on an exclusive collection of Egyptian Playmobils!

And look, a mummification ceremony! :p

Nevertheless, I did not go home empty-handed!

#1. A keychain/cellphone accessory from Dooodolls booth! Just lost my SanDisk one earlier that evening (at The Padang) :( This one not cheap but it's rather big for a cellphone and cute! wx buy me de :) $9

#2. 2 boggling pens from mymailmoment.com! Do surveys and reviews to earn points for gift vouchers and freebies. Service by Sing-Post, so.. don't think is spam lah.

#3. Hello Kitty Online game poster and DVD client installer! Hello Kitty Online (HKO) is a free MMO game, much like Maple Story and Angels Online. Just sign up there to get these freebies. Will write up a detailed post on the game later.

That's all for now :)

Read more at TOYSREVIL, official blogger for STGCC.
STGCC is at Suntec Convention Centre Hall 401 and 402, 14-16 August.

More than just a box

Came across some animations by Japanese visual designer Makoto Yabuki on R27 CreativeLab.

I liked this piece in particular, titled White Box. Very creative compositions, with several references to Origami arts which is popular in Japan.

Enjoy.

White Box from makoto yabuki on Vimeo.

This has spiked some creative juices in me! I look forward to having the time to work on something as imaginative. :)

Cute toothbrush holders

Kawaii cartoon toothbrush holders selling at $1 in Toa Payoh Central!!

wx bought me 5 today XD

These two are for me (left) and wx (right).

& Three for my three kawaii niece - qiqi, xiaomin and xiaoyu :D

Look! I've already put up mine and wx's in my bathroom. But too bad wx doesn't have a toothbrush at my house. :(

Then I realized something was wrong with the packaging. Can you see it in the image above? Not surprisingly, these toothbrush holders are "made in China".

(Cartoon was spelt with an "h" :p)

P.S: Wanted to get the Garfield one for qiqi, but no more stock! Later, I saw someone bought the display set. Sobs, perhaps I should have done so. :(

Widget development @ Cellcity

Can't remember when I last blogged about work. Since the very beginning, I have moved from gathering data for website content, to managing part-timers for that same purpose, to creating and managing a presence on Twitter for website content promotion. Plus some other duties on and off, like sending out eDMs and updating the coupons on our website. Now, I'm on widgets testing!

Our current main product line is a series of GO widgets (mobile applications), breaking our original DC2Go content into GO EAT, GO PARTY, GO SHOP, and GO EXPLORE. Primary features include browsing and searching for merchants, check out driving directions using GPS, click-to-call for reservations, and share the info with friends via SMS or email.

The Marketing team has been assigned to QA the end products before they finally get published online across various app stores. Recently, we've just approved our first batch of GO EAT widgets for Nokia's S60 5th Edition family. Hopefully they will be up on the Ovi Store shortly. (Nokia still has to test and approve..)

We already have two free apps on the Ovi Store. :)
1) Buses@ Sg A Singapore bus guide lets you know which bus to take and when it will arrive.
2) Check Flights Suitable for any traveler, live updates on flight schedules.

We also worked with DBS Bank in Singapore to put together a free DBS Indulge mobile app! (If you are familiar with DBS promos, DBS Indulge has been ongoing providing DBS debit/credit card holders exclusive dining discounts..) This app is also on the Ovi Store and linked from the popular Hungrygowhere.com DBS Indulge Foodster page.

Couple weeks ago, I also attended, as from a mobile developer perspective, MDA's FutureMobile initiative launch event, where partnering networks (Nokia, Singtel, Microsoft etc.) put together a presentation & demo session to call for talented mobile content and application proposals in mobi lifestyle, games, and healthcare. The objective is to build Singapore into a mobile publishing hub.

Zingmobile caught my attention in particular - they have signed rights to the Jay Chou IP!!! :D So want to see what Jay Chou apps or mobi content people would come up with. I can't decide what I would do either, perhaps I should start my own list. hehe

That's all for now. Hope to bring more status updates on our mobile apps development soon. :p

Magic of garlic - Sakae Teppanyaki

update:
Sakae is awesome~ Not only did I win the $50 Sakae Sushi Cash Vouchers, they are also offering me free Sakae card, topped up with $30 monthly!! :D All I got to do is blog about my Sakae experience every month. Haha so nice, I can save up on my food expenses :)


You would be surprised that my favorite foodie places would most seldom appear on my blog. Well, 1) because I eat there very often, sometimes 2-3 times a week and 2) because each time I'm there, I just want to EAT. But ultimately, being my favorites will have to make their way to my blog some time. Here, you get to hear about the first. :)

Sakae. The Sakae chain has a very cute froggie mascot. In their sushi bars, they even have froggie mouses hooked up to a monitors that display promotions and a navigable menu (possibly click-to-order as well?). I wondered, do they actually sell those froggie products? The fact is, they do! I think you would have to ask them at their counter if you're interested in purchasing any of the Sakae mascot merchandise. I've seen a number of them displayed in glass windows of some branches, though haven't seen the mouse in display before. I hope they sell that too. I should ask that next time. :p (Am a keen collector of cute computer mouse..)

Less presence of the froggie mascot at Sakae Teppanyaki, but the better of the two imo! It is where wx and I would always complain about my garlic breath the day after. But as always, rather inevitable as garlic is what makes the best of Sakae Teppanyaki. :)

(I used to ask for an extra dishful of really-spicy-garlic, but wx has forbidden me so because of the aftereffects :\)




A Teppanyaki Night

wx and I have our standard menu :)
1 Beef and 1 seafood set. Change both rice to garlic rice. Change assorted vegetables (for seafood set) to assorted mushrooms (add $2). 1 hot and 1 cold green tea. Each set comes with a salad, miso soup, and a dessert (ice-cream). - Total $52++

For starters, I would eat 2 servings of salad! Why 2? Because wx never liked veggies and tomatoes, so I get to eat his share too.

If you know me, I hate salads. All that Caesar's dressing, Ranch and Thousand Island just makes me puke. The only kind I would eat is the Japanese style salad dressing, with a unique sweet and sour taste. The first time I had it was in a Jap restaurant in Atlanta.

& While finishing up my salad, we would watch our teppanyaki chef cook..

Garlic rice!! Sprinkled with Japanese dried shrimps. (I like to top mine with extra scoop of fresh garlic!)

Next up, squuiiidd! (Dip dip, more garlic!)
Hmmm, I eat the seafood set because of this..

Bamboo clams!! (Tastes even better with extra garlic!) :D

Oooh, jumbo prawns.. (Moree gaarrrrlicc!!)

Original seafood set comes with assorted vegetables. But mushrooms is just much better, don't you think!!? (& I need more garlic!)
By this time, my tongue's usually scalded by the spiciness of the garlic. I could almost taste nothing else! Now, a hot miso soup really helps to soothe my taste buds.

Oooh ahhh~

Finally gulping down a cup of warm green tea or two to neutralize the overwhelming taste left in my mouth.
But that is not all!

A scoop of cookies & cream ice-cream served in an iced bowl. Usually good to have another cup of green tea at this point.

:)

Rating: ★★★★


-----
Dedicating this blog post to Sakae's Monthly Bloggers Affair :p chance to win $50 Sakae voucher!!