Personal posts and the diary I have kept since 2002: birthdays, year-in-reviews, milestones, and whatever is on my mind.
My Ariston Andris Lux 15L water heater, bought in March 2016 for S$280 and smart-home integrated, started leaking intermittently this year. Two weeks ago it began leaking non-stop, forcing me to shut the valve off.
With Singapore's COVID Circuit Breaker running from 7th April 2020, and having worked from home since mid-March, I tidied up our work-and-play setup. This post shares some photos of our home arrangement.
For my 36th birthday, Li Xiang and I had a last-minute buffet at Edge, Pan Pacific Singapore, on 14th March 2020. As my brother's birthday is four days after mine, we also celebrated together at Lei Garden, CHIJMES.
Looking back at 2019, I expanded my smart home with an Amazon Echo Wall Clock, and bought a PS4 Pro bundle on 11/11 for Final Fantasy VII Remake, plus a GoPro HERO7 and my first eGPU.
After nearly five years, it's time to update my Singapore Future MRT/LRT Map. The 2014 version drew strong SEO and views. This April 2019 edition covers the Cross Island Line, Jurong Region Line, and Circle Line Stage 6.
I celebrated my 35th birthday with a one-night staycation at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel, a gift from my mom. They upgraded me to a Premium Deluxe Room, with late checkout and a good breakfast at Marriott Cafe.
Looking back at 2018, I left my smart home mostly alone, adding three voice-assistant devices: an Echo Spot bedside alarm, an Echo Show photo frame, and a Google Home Hub. I also upgraded to the iPhone XS Max.
After seeing a colleague's lock pick set, which looked like a fun puzzle to solve, I bought the same one from Lazada for S$12.73. It includes 12 lock picks, three tension wrenches, and a transparent practice padlock.
As a Synology fan owning several of their NAS and routers, I rate their DSM and SRM software the best around. For some reason I started collecting their swag, from a USB drive to a luggage tag and SIM holder.
I spotted these Photoshop and Illustrator keychains on Geek Culture's post from STGCC 2018. They're by designer Yu Xin of Tea and Buns, sold on Tictail and Etsy, though they often sell out.
My brother and I celebrated our 34th and 29th birthdays in Bali with our family, my first time there, in March 2018. The flights were essentially free, redeemed from S$500 Circles.Life travel vouchers.
Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) launches in Singapore on 9th February 2018, with Singtel the only telco supporting its cellular function via NumberShare. The service costs S$6.90 a month on a 12-month contract.
Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular) arrives in Singapore on 9th February 2018, with pre-orders from 2nd February. Singtel is the first and only telco to support it, launching NumberShare so the Watch can share your phone number.
Looking back at 2017, almost two years into my home, my MCO Touch Panel smart switches proved unreliable. Three 1-gang units lost power entirely, and the Z-Wave module in a 4-gang panel failed.
I turned 33 yesterday, with my brother turning 28 in three days. We celebrated together with our family at Naked Finn in Gillman Barracks. As Li Xiang had a housewarming, I'll celebrate with her tomorrow.
Looking back at 2016, my biggest change was moving into my new house on 14th May, which I made smart with Fibaro, SmartThings, and Amazon Echo. I travelled three times, to Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Munich.
On Amazon, a Kindle Paperwhite with Special Offers is US$20 cheaper than without. I recommend buying the Special Offers version, since the ads can be removed afterwards. Just register your Kindle to your Amazon.com account, then request removal.
Circles.Life is a Singapore MVNO riding on M1's network. I attended its May 2016 launch and signed up for a free three-month trial, with a bonus 2GB giving 5GB and 100 minutes for an attractive S$28 monthly.
My Circles.Life referral code is IOA0Z. Using it earns me an extra 200MB of bonus data each month and gives you S$20 off your registration fee, with no cap and lasting while we both stay subscribed.
I took leave for my 32nd birthday, which turned into an errand day. I started at the Singtel Shop to move Li Xiang's plan to SIM-only, then to OCBC to open her an OCBC 360 account for higher interest rates.
Singtel has partnered with Netflix to offer customers promotional access. Re-contracting or signing up for a Singtel mobile plan or Fibre Entertainment Bundle+ between 22nd January and 22nd July 2016 earns up to nine months of free Netflix.
Singtel Easy Mobile is a postpaid plan that lets you customise your tariff each month to fit your budget. It's my second-favourite after SIM Only, and I'm deciding between the two as my Combo 2 plan expires mid-year.