Retreat

Q: Where was the retreat?
A: The department retreat was in Singapore (unlike the division retreat where we went Genting).

Q: What did you do there?
A: Apart from the usual workplaning, we had activities like board games, table tennis, karaoke (yeah!), lucky draw (I won a can of abalone mushroom) and unique rides. Oh ya, breakfast and lunch were provided.

Q: Was it fun?
A: It was quite a fun experience, with some disappointment though...

Q: What was the disappointment?
A: The supposed highlight of the retreat was the duck tour, hippo bus ride and the DHL Ballon flight. I look forward to boarding the sea, land and air transport.
Duck Boat Tour - This was the only ride that we managed to take but it rained heavily just as we waded in the river! All wet and stuffy in the boat and couldn't take any clear pics of the Singapore Flyer and Merlion up front!
Hippo Bus Ride - Didn't take the ride as the seats on the topless bus were wet because of the heavy rain.
DHL Balloon Flight - Was told that we couldn't take it as it was under maintenance but we saw it flying during our discussion session!?! I never get a chance to go up and catch the view from the top...

Q: Any memorable moments?
A: The Karaoke session was memorable. A lot of new songs were available and the projection screen was big. The duo Boss and Ray was funny... haha...
Also, I was "sabo" to present the workplan because I was the last one to sit down on the chair! They had decided to play this musical chair game when I was in the washroom... if only i had known, then I won't go wash my hands then!

Program Highlights:
09:00 am : Opening
09:05 am : Introduction of new staff
09:30 am : Presentation of Achievements for the past year
10:00 am : Team Workplan Discussion (with breakfast on the side)
11:00 am : Team Presentation
11:30 am : Presentation of Workplan for the coming year
01:00 pm : Lunch at Swensens@Suntec
02:00 pm : Games@Clubhouse
03:00 pm : Duck Tour
04:00 pm : Hippo Tour
05:00 pm : DHL Balloon Trip


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CNY @ Chinatown

What is Chinese New Year without a visit to Chinatown. As usual, there are a lot of people there, photographers as well. Me? I didn't get anything. It's more for the CNY atmosphere, to take a look at the decors, to squeeze with the crowds. I bet it will get more crowded as CNY draws nearer.

The Hitcher

A 2007 remake of the 1986 horror film. DC and I rented and watched it at home...

A young couple decided to give a man a ride to the town but soon realised that it was a serious mistake. The hitcher turned out to be a brutal murderer who framed them for his crimes and they ended up paying a high price for their actions... boy was tied between a truck and trailer and torn to death, girl had to undergo psychiatric treatment after she lost her sweetheart and the hitcher killed by the vengeful girl...

The film didn't perform very well in the box office. It is said to be inferior to the original film. It however did deliver some shivers down our spine. After watching so many travel-tragic films in the recent 2 years, it makes us wonder how safe is it really to travel alone backpacking in another country?

The Morale of the story is: Never pick up a stranger on the road!

Related Movies that we've also watched:
Wolf Creek
Hills Have eyes
Hostel
Hostel: Part II
Turistas

First Wedding Celebration of the year

Attended the first wedding dinner of 2008. Good for you, Damien. We are all looking forward to you getting hitched.

Venue: Grand Copthorne Waterfront

As usual, I am there with my Nikon.

It's Springtime!

Yes, it's 2 weeks to Chinese New Year! :D

Away with the old, in comes the new... If you've noticed, I've replaced the black inauspicious blog header with a new design to suit the spring mood! There're the festive flowers, the auspicious red and gold for the Chinese New Year, the standard CNY well wishes, mandarin oranges and fire crackers! :) If only I've the space to put in the lions... hehe...
Before

After


The common area outside our house was also beautified with nice red "Ong Lai" - Red pineapples that symbolise luck and red CNY decorations, all put up by our friendly neighbours. :)


Haven't really started decorating the interior...It's time to do so! :)


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Happy Birthday to me!

My chinese birthday is a couple of days ago...



As Mummy instructed, I ordered Mee Sua (the longevity noodle that chinese eat during birthday) for dinner. The Mee Sua soup at Thai Express was nice and tasty... Have been eating too much oily and rich food lately, it actually feels very refreshing to tuck into this bowl of simple dish. But of course, nothing beats Mummy's Mee Sua. It's one of DC's favorite too! :)


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New Additions to the Cosmetics Bag

Thinking that there is 50% discount for members during birthday month, I swept the following KOSÉmetics from the counter:



Then, I was informed that 50% discount is for facial & hair services only, not applicable to products! For product purchase, only 50% more POINTS will be given during my birthday month.

I decided to get them anyway. DC arrived just as I was about to pay. He saw red when he heard the price... a whooping $385, oops!

I did warn him beforehand and had his permission to buy whatever I want at no cap!

"I'm going KOSÉ to get cosmetics"... ok
"Sure you let me buy?"... ok
"Even if it's expensive?"... ok
"No upper limit?"...ok

So, when guys say ok, they needn't mean it too! To think that I almost ask him to reimburse me 50% cos he had said expenses will be on him this month!

What I bought:
ULTIMATION Day Serum, 30ml $68
ULTIMATION Liquid Makeup, 30ml $91
Loose Powder Makeup, $72
Compact Case, $20
ULTIMATION Powder Makeup, $74
Concealer, $60
... Ok ok, I admit it's indeed a little too much, some of them I could have do without but I got 2 bags as souvenirs in return!


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Crushed by DC

This morning I couldn't find my medical certificate which I left on the table yesterday. I found it in the end, all thanks to DC... he actually thought it was just another leaflet, crushed it and threw it away!

I got it out from the bin but it was all rolled up into a tiny ball. Although DC managed to iron it back to its original shape but it was all crampled... no choice lah, will submit as it is.

Despite this, I have counted my blessings.
Thank God DC didn't tear up the "leaflet"...
Thank God DC didn't throw it down the chute...
Thank God DC help me iron it back and it's not beyond recognition...




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Cloverfield

5 min into the show and I am already feeling a bit giddy. Filmed using a hand-held videocam, it's somewhat like the Blair Witch Project. The first 15 min was quite boring, no action. However, it gets better from then on. The effect of the videocam gives you a sort of up close perspective, as if the action was right before you.

I couldn't stop thinking about this show after watching it. It's not a happy ending. It doesn't seem to give you hope, because the alien/ monster still survive. It's definitely a in your face feeling.

Makes you wonder if it's worth it to go all the way back to rescue Beth, the female lead. If it's your loved one left behind, will you go back for her ... ?

Farewell CFO

The whole division lined out a series of activities for CFO's farewell session. This is by far the most extreme I've done for anybody's farewell: Pen-ing down farewell notes on paper, decorating a two-sided page photo album, participating in the making of video clip for CFO (department activity) and learning songs about friendship for karaoke session!

The whole process we went through makes me feel like a school student doing a major school project. It was quite fun along the way actually.

Program Highlights:
- Welcome CFO
- Show video clip contributed by every department (a word from CE, words from various departments, songs, puppet show, etc)
- Farewell speech by CFO
- Sing-along session (Karaoke: Hey, the CFO sings quite well!)
- Present CFO his farewell Gift (a scrap book)
- Makan session





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Cat on TV

Mummy reminded me week after week to look out for and to record this TV program. Why? Because Cat is on TV. :)

It's always nice to see someone you know on TV. Actually I've seen a few: Uncle on a variety game show, DC's cousin on a sunday morning kids' show, my secondary school Maths teacher on a i-forget-what show (she was the host!), a JC friend on a popular 6:30pm game show then, DC's colleage on The Dance Floor and now Cat... wow, she was quite blessed to have won the big prize of $1,888 on the very last episode! Congrats!

I've burn it into a disc and brought it to Mummy last weekend. At her place, all of us (mummy, sisters and ah boy) watched it on the new wall-mount LCD TV together in bro's room. All the questions, comments and giggles... that feeling was just so cozy... what I call family :)

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Cloverfield -- Her Say

We went to watch "Cloverfield" after work today. The movie was about what people would do to run for their lives and to save their beloved's life when a huge lizard-like monster attacked the Manhattan city. The story revolves around a man who, upon knowing that his girlfriend was trapped in her apartment, risked his life to return to the danger zone for her. The whole event was filmed using a held-held video camera. It felt like we were watching a real video tape without much cinematic effects. Some of the scenes were very shaky and they made me giddy. An interesting show and at times heart-throbbing but I thought the ending was imperfect. Why didn't everyone survive? Why was the monster unbeatable?

Cloverfield reminds me of another movie -- "The Blair watch project" which used the same filming approach.

At the wheel again

Not as diastrous as the last time... I managed to drive to parent's neighbourhood from our home and to Yishun... I'm getting better, I hope! :P

DC gave some pointers... he's surprisingly patient with me today :)
1. Never step on the brake when changing lanes
2. How to gauge whether the car is within the lane
3. Watch out for motorbikers when you turn
4. Never cross a traffic junction when you could not tell whether there's incoming vehicle, even if you are horned by vehicle behind... do it only when you are abosutely sure you can cross
5. Do not step on the brake too hard, car will jerk

Yeah! Till my next drive! :)

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Finding ē spirit

Went Vivo City with DC and his parents for lunch and shopping. DC was in the mood to shop today. :) I thought that would be the last place he would want to be esp. in a Sunday where it would be packed with people...

Lunch was at the White Dog Cafe. They serve good mushroom soup there. My baked rice wasn't that fantastic, DC's cheesy chicken tasted much better.




Next was shopping. The purpose today was to find the shop Esprit.. I wanted to book an appointment with the manicurist but it seems that all the slots I wanted were taken up. Managed to book one eventually but realised that day is a friend's wedding. Urghhh... seems like my birthday voucher would be put to waste. Anyway, it's not much of a discount if you add in the CNY surcharge of $10. DC wanted to get the polo tees but was disappointed too as he couldn't find the designs he like. Just too bad, we shopped for a little while before we went back home.

It was only at night that he managed to get his polo-tees and shirts at the Esprit in Junction 8 at a super deal of 20% discount... :)


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Kara-Okie!

It's the ladies night yesterday night... Went karaoke crooning at the Party World@International Building to celebrate birthday. It has been quite a while since I last sang at a KTV, it's really time to learn new songs and brush up skills.

Been to a new nice singing place, Heard some nice new tunes, Seen some nice MVs and Sang some new songs... Satisfied! :)


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Crowning Glory or Clowning Gory?

I spent 4 hrs (from 5:45pm to 10pm) in the salon doing everything possible to make my 50% off ALL hair services birthday voucher worthwhile. Hair trim, perm, colour, treatment and hair product... the cost summed up to S$256 after discount.

I went to a new hairstylist this time. Despite my previous hairstylist's advice to keep the hair longer till March, I decided to had it permed today by the new hairstylist. I'm always wanting (for maybe past 6 mths?) to perm my hair... but he always tells me it's too short. I can't wait any longer...just had to do it today!

The end result was not something I'd expected... fringe was cut short short. Now, I looked exactly like that time when I had my hairperm in China in 2004!


DC commented that I look horrible...very dumb looking and like a 村姑!! He was downright angry and hated the fringe! :(


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Air Supply

Went for a free talk on first aid by Air 02& First Aid Pte Ltd organised by the company's recreation club. Topics covered included how to save a life by administering first aid, how to conduct CPR and Everything about O2 (not the phone but Oxygen...).

Was told to take an oxygen deficiency assessment when I arrived. The person who took my readings had this strange look on his face, he kept asking me whether I'm not feeling well. I peeked at the instrument that reads 48 (or was it 84?).. took in a few deep breaths and saw the figure slowly scaled to a height of 98. It was later that I knew from the talk that anyone with an oxygen saturation of below 90 would require life support and strapped to a hospital bed to sustain life... that explained the weird look on that man's face haha.. anyway, dun worry I'm fine, my body's air supply of 98% is still at a normal level. :)

The last part of the talk focus on the importance of Oxygen. Since O2 is a company that sells oxygen in a can, some sales talk is inevitable... S$168 to sign up as a member, S$28 for a can of Oxygen plus you get a free refill worth S$28, will you buy... I didn't get it. If I need to take in fresh oxygen, I could have gone to the Oxygen room in my beauty parlour.

Some Benefits of Oxygen
- Relives stress and anxiety
- Has a positive effect on lifespan
- Dramatically boots energy levels
- Strengthens the immune system
- Improves metabolic functions
- Aids in recovery from injury, strenuous exercise and heightens mental alertness
- Essential in the treatment of respiratory and allergic conditions
- Enhances our protein, vitamin, mineral and other essential nutrient intake
- Promotes skin elasticity and checks premature ageing
- Strengthens the heart, reducing the risk of disease
- Provides a natural remedy for headaches, after effects of smoking and alcohol consumption
- Lessens chronic fatigue syndrome and improves sleep patterns
- Plays an important part in the repair and growth of muscle tissue

Now that I know about the benefits of increased Oxygen intake, probably I'll do more oxygen masks during facial sessions and buy more oxygen in-fused products e.g. the N-v-- brand's oxygen power reviving cleansing gel, moisturiser and night creams... DC is probably gonna faint when he sees this, hehe...


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Have I stepped on the lion's tail?

DC has been very grouchy recently. Perhaps it's due to the erratic weather? mood swings? or maybe it's his knee pain that makes him easily frustrated and difficult to handle...

Anyway, I'm thankful that he did not act up on my birthday as I had quite a delightful one. :)

Now, I just have to watch my mouth, keep it zipped up and be careful not to step on the cat's tail... Shhh.... :P




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One year older - Happy Birthday to me!

I didn't have the luxury to take leave this year as I have important work to do but I never thought I will be working OT on this special day. :( However, put work aside, I do quite enjoy TODAY, really! :D

The day started off with DC writing some greetings on our glass notice board. The message brightens my morning! :)

In the afternoon, DC came to meet me for lunch. We went Spageddies at Tanglin Mall. When I saw him, he was carrying a paper bag and I thought that would be my present. But nope, there was only his camera inside.



At night, we had to cancel our reservations at a French restaurant because I couldn't make it in time... you must have guessed it, ya I had work problems to settle.

We arranged to meet at Orchard Road and picked a Japanese Charcoal Grill restaurant for dinner but hey, dinner was no disappointment at all! The ambience was good... the lights dimmed and piano music playing in the background. The food was good ... the portion was small but every dish has its own distinct flavour. We had maids or rather, waitress dressed as maids to serve us. The restaurant felt like a cosy home... no wonder the name Angus House. :) The ambience and waitresses' uniforms reminded me of Lawry's.


Bourbon Rose and Singapore Sling cocktails

The dinner tonight was the best part of today. I had a pleasant surprise from DC during dinner. He DID actually prepare a present for me! It was a pouch to replace the current one I'm using. :)



Wagyu Sirloin Steak

[DC: This is a steak house so how can I resist Wagyu beef. I definitely like the way it is done. Blackened-grilled beef, the meat is tender and juicy. It kinda like melts in the mouth. Is this what Wagyu beef is supposed to taste like? Got to try others and compare ... goody.]

Seafood Grill



I enjoyed this year's birthday very much. Cheers!

Needless to say, all expenses today was on DC! :) Thanks!


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Vandread

Completed this anime series this weekend. It's really fantastic!

Set in the futuristic universe where men and women live in separate planets and consider each other as enemies, the story tells of how 3 men held prisoners in a ship full of female pirates were slowly accepted by the women as part of the crew and how they unite with other human spieces of other planets to fight "Earth".

There is a combination of actions (space battles), romance and comedy. The man mech robot (known as Vanguard/Bangaata) could combine with the women's fighter (known as Dreads) to form a "Vandread". There are about 3 types of different Vandreads in the anime and they were so cool and powerful!!! Reminds me of transformers...

Thumbs up for the anime.


The Vandreads in action...



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Skinny Ties

It's all the craze now. So CP bought it for me as a Christmas gift. And what a pity, I didn't get those photos taken at SNAPZ. Lucky CP was fast to snap a pic, before another fella told us off that no pics allow. And he used a comic analogy -

If you go to eat chicken rice, will you be allowed to bring your own chicken rice?

Anyway, we got our pic and that's what matters. Long live the K850i!!!

Celebrating January

Yep, it's CP's birthday month mah. Nowadays, those retail shops are really smart, sending vouchers for your birthday, just to get you to spend. Needless to say, she got lots of it and I'm going to make use of them also, hehe.

So I told CP from today till end of Jan, I'm gonna celebrate her birthday. That means food will be on me, maybe some retail spend also (within reasonable limits, of course) :).

We started off with a photo shoot today. Nah, it's not by me. It's a free thing offer by SNAPZ at Hong Kong Street. We had quite a hard time thinking what outfits to wear because we know that the ones at the studio are very limited. In the end, we find our combi quite pleasing!



I'll just try my non-professional critique on the photos.

1st Pic:
1. I though my pose was pretty awkward.
2. Hair cropped off

2nd Pic:
1. Details in the shadow area seem to be lost. Maybe if there's another light behind us, it'll be better.
2. CP and me are not centered in the pic.

Anyway, it's a free thing, what more can we expect. However, we can't choose the 2 photos we like, the consultant had to choose it for us, which obviously don't know much about basic photography even. Pity her, she had to show us basic Photoshop editing, like Cloning, Layering, puting two photos together to make a collage. Again, she failed terribly.

Here's the advice, go and enjoy the process if you ever get a call from any photo studio. However, be prepared for sarcastic remarks if you don't signed any package at the end of it. Anyway, I didn't put up with it and gave them a good scolding at the end of the session. Poor service, we are the ones being invited down and we will not put up with any poor attitude. You can't expect everyone to sign up right.

That's the problem with them. Hey, put some effort to the photography - 100% effort, show some good service, even if you can't get the deal. If you cannot impressed, how can we sign up right? Right now, we are all the more convinced we made the right choice not to take any package.

Stitch It

DC asked me to help close an open stitch on his tie yesterday. Not that I've never done this before (I've mended my own clothes before), but somehow this time I felt nervous "operating" on DC's tie. This is the woman's pride at work I gathered... the time to prove to him that I'm still worthy of the "Best Home Econs student" many years ago has finally come.

Actually I've forgotten most of what was taught in school. The operation was not at all perfect but at least it was successful... I got the tie back in shape. Have to admit that the result was a bit slipshod but haha, DC accepted it. :)

I have since refreshed my memory to prepare myself for the next stitch:

Backstitch
Backstitch is the strongest hand stitch and is used to imitate machine stitches.
Work backstitch from right to left.


Oversewing Stitch
Oversewing, or overcasting, is a way to neaten a raw edge to prevent heavyweight fabrics from fraying. Relate the length of the stitch to the fabric and how badly it will fray.


Running Stitch
This stitch is used for seams and for gathering.


Slipstitch
This stitch is used for holding a folded edge, such as a double hem, to a flat piece of fabric.


Tacking Stitch
This is used to hold the fabric in position while it is being permanently stitched. Similar to running stitch but with longer stitches. Also known as Basting.

Dress to Impress

Signed up for Grooming & Makeup talk conducted by Audrey Quek Image Consultancy and Shiseido respectively during lunch.

The saying always goes "You never get a second chance to make a first impression." Hence, it's very important to dress up your body (with the right clothes) and face (with the right makeup) to create the desired impression. The talk covers topics like color analysis, wardrobe planning and coordination (tips to avoid faux pas and wardrobe must-haves) as well as basic makeup techniques in the day and evening (Tips on how to draw eye brows, apply mascara, etc).

Although the session was brief, I do find it beneficial. Both speakers sound confident and convincing. Does the name Audrey Quek sounds familiar to you? She's a beauty paegent queen 1999. Tall, slender and very well-dressed... I love the way she carries herself! She makes me motivated to dress up to work everyday.

Here's Audrey Quek giving the talk and the Shiseido makeup artist beside making over one lucky colleague:


Free Lunch was provided, I was so very hungry after the talk!

It's Birthday Month!

Found 2 more people in my workplace, same team born in the same month as me! :)
Chwee Ling: 22 Jan
Jary: 28 Jan

Our boss found this fascinating: "Wow, why all your mothers' stomachs pain at the same time?" Haha...

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Free Day Off

CFO called for an urgent meeting in the auditorium today to announce his resignation. He would be joining a recently-listed company as CFO. On top of that, he granted all of us a day off. Hehe, the off day was given not to celebrate his leaving, it was actually to award all for attending the recent weekend retreat at Genting.

Yippee, 1 day off! :D I must plan how to make full use of it. To use it on my birthday or ...?

Taxi queue up for the first time

I never thought I will see this but there's actually no queue for taxis. No people queuing! It's the peak hour - about 10 p.m. Saturday outside Plaza Singapura. We'll see if this situation last after people adjust to the fee hike.

Early Spring Cleaning

We had our spring cleaning early this year...

DC's parents were here to help us clean up our house. Our sofa covers were washed, X'mas tree was kept, windows were cleaned, storeroom was cleared, shelves were wiped and floors were swept. All expired food in the kitchen were also thrown. The home now is very neat and clean, all thanks to Father and Mother! :D

Out Whole Day

Yup, we were out the whole day today! It felt like ages since we last did that... thank God DC's leg is on it's way to recovery! :)

In the morning, DC brought me to a doctor's at Bendemeer for skin checkup. The clinic's exterior was in a state of neglect, brick walls and old discolored signboard... definitely not inviting; it's a wonder that anyone would notice the clinic esp. when it was obscured by the black tinted glass door. The interior was also old, but much better maintained. The consultation room doors looked new, a contrast to the records cabinets, the ceiling fans and the waiting area seats which were all in their first original states...


As we still had some time before our next appointment, DC decided to watch the movie "Michael Clayton" at GV Plaza. I find the movie slow moving, story only got interesting after 1.5 hr into the show. It is a thriller... Was I thrilled? Hmm...I don't think so. There were a lot of dialogues, little actions, and sometimes confusing. Overall the show was still watchable and the ending was good! Bad deeds were exposed and the murderer was brought to justice! :) Need reasons to watch the show? Here's two: (1) To see George Clonney as Michael Clayton, he still looks dashing in his late forties. (2) It's got 4 Golden Globe Nominations.

Read the synopsis here.


After the show, it's time for our facial. As usual, the session was good but they forgot to do eye treatments for us! It was promised that we would have eye treatment for every sessions... When I checked with the therapist and the aesthetitician, they both told me that it was not stated down in the package. When we were booking our next appointment, I saw the consultant whom we purchased the package from and brought this up to her attention, she confirmed that our package did come with eye treatments and the oops, reprimanded the therapist. Anyway, our next appointment would be a spa session. I look forward to it...


In the evening, it's back to GV Plaza for another movie "Elizabeth: The Golden Age". I enjoyed this show better than "Michael Clayton". There's both romance and war in the show. All the gowns worn by the Queen were very nice and elaborate, I like them all. There's a part that got me all confused: Who exactly does Raleigh (Clive Owen) like - the Queen or the maid?

Read the synopsis here.





We had late dinner at Secret Receipe. It was a satisfying meal as I finally get to eat the cheesecake! :) The last time we were there, we were told that the signature marble cheesecake was unavailable.

After dinner, we went to the info counter to make redemption and enter the CNY lucky draw contest. We were told by the staff to come back the next day and that the counter will close at 9:30pm. The time then was not even 9:30pm yet. Moreover, the shopping mall closes at 10pm and there was no notice that informs the shoppers that the counter closes at 9:30pm. Luckily DC and a man behind us in the queue fought for our rights, the staff had no choice but to allow the few of us in front to proceed. We were rather displeased with the customer service, it was also obvious there was understaff problem. When we got home, DC submitted an online feedback to the management of the mall. Hopefully, the situation would improve before this festive season ends.

Here's the notice that the staff hastily put up after we complained.