Disrespectful Tourists

I'm not sure if you guys had seen this already but apparently some time back, a US vlogger called Logan Paul made a video about his trip in Japan. Among the places he visited was a forest called Aokigahara (青木ヶ原) aka Sea of Trees or what's popularly known as Suicide Forest where he came across a suicide victim. He then uploaded the video onto his channel, but soon took it down due to the immense backlash.

Logan Paul in a screenshot taken from his deleted video

In case you are not up to speed on the news, here are a few news articles you can check out:

1. YouTuber Logan Paul apologizes for filming suicide victim, says ‘I didn’t do it for views’
2. Suicide prevention group slams YouTube celebrity Logan Paul over controversial video
3. YouTube punishes Logan Paul over Japan suicide video
4. YouTube star Logan Paul apologises for film of man's body in Japan

Now, suicide is no joking matter but apparently this man saw fit to make light of the matter and uploaded it online. And that's not all, on top of this particular video, the other parts of his trip in Japan on video were just as cringe-worthy. You can watch a super cut here where he even took off his pants in the middle of the streets in Tokyo and threw a Pokémon ball at random passers-by including a Japanese policeman. >.<

I'm sure you've seen or heard of disgraceful behaviours but this really takes the cake for me. Whether you are a tourist or frequent traveller, the most important thing to do is to respect the place you are visiting and NOT pull stunts like this for the sake of eyeballs. He's not alone either. You have American tourists who bared their butts at a Buddhist Temple in Thailand, Chinese tourists who shake, kick and climb trees to create cherry blossom 'rain' for photographs etc. Seems like common sense is not so common after all.

So how do you become a respectful tourist? Well, Tailwind by Hipmunk has a rather insightful article on this so I'd suggest you have a read. In other words? Always remember to treat someone else's 'home' with the sincerity and respect that you want others to treat you with and people will return the same favour.

Oh ya, this reminds me of a movie I recently watched. You can catch it on Netflix but you can watch the trailer below. =x

Earn CASH when you book flights & hotels!

I'm something of an online shopping queen at the office so whenever my colleagues want to buy something online, they would always ask me to help them check for good deals. Now, I don't claim to be an expert in this, but I do LOVE a good deal or two. ESPECIALLY when it earns me cold hard cash. Shopback is one such website.

Once you sign up for an account on this website, all you have to do is click through it to the website of your choice (e.g. Qoo10, Expedia, Hotels.com), make a purchase and voila! Instant cashback, although the cashback for a flight or hotel booking will only be reflected in your account after the trip.

And the best thing of all? You get $5 upon signing up PLUS another $5 after you make a purchase! Just click my referral link here to start enjoying cashbacks! I've earned almost $100 by simply booking my hotels and flights through Shopback so I personally think it's a great deal. Oh and if you make a purchase of $25 and above, I will get $5 too so thanks in advance, ya. :)

Another way to earn cashbacks is to download an app called FUZZIE. Now, this was recommended to me by an intern who used to work for our company at a time when every successful referral will get you $5. But due to overwhelming response, they later changed the policy to only giving you $5 upon a successful purchase. Nonetheless, it's still a good app to have if you are an ardent shopping queen/king.

How does it work? First, you download the app on either the Apple App Store or Google Play. When you sign up, use my invite code lilian4382 and get $5 instantly. You can either use this credit on your next purchase or accumulate cash credits by purchasing gift cards on the app. They have loads of stores for you to choose from. For instance, if you are a frequent GRAB user, then you can buy gift cards in denominations of $6 to $35. Every denomination has different levels of cashback. In other words, the more you spend, the more cashbacks you get!

Each gift card will come with a promo code that you can apply in the respective stores so you not only get to shop, you also get cashbacks to spend on other purchases. Shiok, right? FUZZIE also features Klook, which is another awesome website where you can book experiences and tickets at cheaper prices. I would know, coz I often book my holiday experiences there! Hehe.

PS: I will also get $5 when you make a purchase on FUZZIE via my invite code so please support, ya!

Last but not least, Klook! There is one other website that offers similar services but Klook appears to be the only one that offers you credits for doing reviews AND credits when you sign up via my referral link. You can get all manner of experiences here: from airport transfer and day trips to dressing up like a Geisha in Kyoto. When I go holidaying, I will often check out this website to see if there are interesting experiences to book.

Excited to see what Klook can offer you? Then don't forget to sign up on the website via my referral link and get $4.40 as soon as you sign up!

Hope you guys enjoy my recommendations. Hope you earn many many cashbacks! XD

How much to tip?

If you're an ardent traveller, I'm sure you've come across the rather tricky issue of tipping--that is to leave a small amount of money as a way to thank the person who has rendered you good service. Unlike Singapore where people don't usually give tips due to the already existing service charge, countries like France, Germany and USA do have the custom of tipping. But how much tip enough? Well, no worries. =D

I've written an article on this and it can be found on Silver Kris, an online magazine for SIA. Do head on over there to find out more about the custom of tipping so you don't inadvertently commit a faux pas that could potentially ruin your holiday~!

So have you guys ever run into a situation where you didn't know how much to tip or the refusal of a tip caught you off guard? It'll be great to hear from you guys in the comments. =D

Have fun then!

How to beat the blues after a holiday

I'm lying flat on my back till I get
my mojo back. >.<

Have you ever felt like the world is going to end on the last day of your vacation? Or maybe you wished you never had to leave the place you were holidaying in? You might even have fallen sick once or twice after your holiday, as if your body was protesting the amount of activities you cramped into itinerary.

Well, this is known as the "Let Down" effect where your immune system becomes weaker after a period of high energy levels is immediately followed by a period of low energy levels. It's just like a speeding car that was forced to stop without the brakes. I'm sure you can imagine the kind of damage it can do to the car. =x

It's natural to feel emotionally low or physically ill after the euphoria of your holiday, but it's important to have a cool-down period where the shock of having to handle a low energy period after a high energy one is not too overwhelming for your body. Here are a few tips:

Put away your stuff
Don't procrastinate and put away your luggage soon after you reach home. It's a great chance for you to look through your travel photos and vids, plus divy up the souvenirs that you had gotten for your friends and family. Better than sitting around aimlessly and emo-ing about your holiday, right? =)

Pamper yourself
If possible, book a spa session or two for yourself soon after your trip. You'll soon feel the cares melting away from your body. Shopping's more your thing? Then plan a shopping spree with your girlfriends! Or fix a gaming session with your boys. The key is to acclimate your body rhythm to the pace you were used to before you went on that holiday.

Go on an adventure
The common complaint about living in Singapore is that it doesn't seem to have enough spots to have fun in, but you'll be surprised at what you can find if you bother to look. Going on an adventure in your home country may not be exciting as the one you had on your holiday, but at least your body will have more time to get used to the change.

Plan the next vacation!
Remember the excitement you felt when planning your getaway? Well, studies have shown that people are generally happier when they are in anticipation of a trip so instead of feeling down, why don't you plan your future trips now! XD

Do the above tips work for you? What do you do to recover from your holiday? Do feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

Shopping must-haves in Taiwan

Taiwan is like a paradise for budget shoppers like me. You can get shoes, beauty products, cosmetics and bags at a much cheaper price than what you'll pay for in Singapore. Plus with all the delicious sun biscuits, pineapple and assorted pastries that you can get your paws on, the shopping possibilities are endless! =D

And if you can read Mandarin well, try signing up for Taiwan's Groupon. Who knows, you might get to use some of those coupons while you're in Taiwan!

Beauty Products
There are a few ways of stocking up on your beauty essentials. The easiest method is of course to visit the Watsons, Cosmed and Momo outlets that can be found almost everywhere in Taiwan. Unlike our local versions, Taiwan Watsons can go up to 3 storeys high or more so you'll definitely have fun browsing through the wide range of products. Beauty must-buys include face masks from Lovemore and My Beauty Diary, The Face Shop, Skin Food, cosmetics from Jill Stuart etc. I bought seven boxes of masks from Cosmed at Taipei Main Station because they had a buy one get one free promo for Lovemore while I was there. Each box cost 199NT so I effectively paid less than 10 SGD for two boxes! Best buy ever. A similar box of face masks in Singapore will cost at least 15 SGD. Definitely don't need to replenish my mask supply for some time! XD

It was such a good bargain that I see women buying baskets of face masks off the shelves for themselves and for their girlfriends back home. =x Can't decide what you want? Then get the compilation boxes where you can try one (or two?) of every face mask within a series.

That aside, you can also buy your beauty loot (女人我最大 products for instance) online at websites like Naruko or Payeasy and have them delivered to the 7-11 that is nearest to your hotel in Taiwan. I haven't done that personally but apparently some podders on Flowerpod have done it so I guess you can give it a whirl. Read here and here for the podders' replies and advice on how advance an order you can place online (You need to register or sign in to read the posts). Here is an English guide from PayEasy and another from Love Eye Beauty on how to register plus place your order.

If you want to buy 女人我最大 products from a brick-and-mortar store, then try the Breeze Centre, (Level 6, just take the MRT to Zhongxiao Fuxing Station and exit by Exit 5. It's about 10 minutes' walk or you can take a shuttle bus there).

Address: 39, Fu Hsing South Rd, Sec 1 (at the intersection of Civic Boulevard and Fu Hsing South Road)
Tel: 0809-008888 or 02-6600-8888
Opening Hours: 11 am-9:30 pm (Sun-Wed), 11 am-10 pm (Thurs-Sat)

The best time to go shopping in Taiwan for cosmetics, according to sg_beauty at Livejournal, is in mid November (2nd & 3rd week) because that's when most stores will have their sales. So if you're aiming to buy all your favourite cosmetics and beauty essentials for cheaper prices, try planning your trip to Taiwan in November! =D

Oh and apparently Acuvue contact lens are very cheap as well. One podder from Flowerpod paid 250NT for a box of daily wear contacts (10 pairs) and 500NT for a box of fortnightly wear contacts (3 pairs). So don't forget to stock up on them as well! Other goodies include:

• Fake eyelashes from Shilin Night Market, most going for about 100NT per box
• 我的心机 face masks from 7-11, Cosmed and Momo

Delicacies
Who can go home without buying a few boxes of local delicacies for the friends and family back home, right? Local favourites include Sun biscuits, cranberry tarts, sesame tarts and pineapple shortcakes with egg yolk. These snacks can be bought almost everywhere in Taiwan. In fact, I bought 3 packets of mushroom and peanut flavoured snacks from a very eloquent lady in Jiufen. Was "conned" into buying more than my initial intent of ONE packet but her good cheer and friendly demeanour convinced me to buy more. LOL. See, this is what a smile can get you. More business! She was also very generous with her samples and even  said that one of the flavoured snacks (forgot what flavour) is good for the man's prostrate! Don't know if it's true or not. =x

The thing about these snacks is, you can't keep them for too long. The sun biscuits I bought for instance, can only be kept for 15 days. So if you want to distribute to your friends and family after you return home, don't wait too long!

Anyway, you can see for yourself the packaging of the snacks I bought. The ones I was talking about are on the right side of the picture. They come in many flavours like mushroom, wasabi, peanut and...that flavour that enhances a man's prostrate. =D

The pineapple shortcake and the sun biscuits in the following picture are from Li Yi. I personally like the sun biscuits much better than the pineapple coz it has a nice sweet creamy taste that is totally delicious!

Recommended shops where you can buy great snacks include Chiate and Li Yi. I bought my stash of sun biscuits (my most fave pastry ever!) at the Li Yi outlet in Jiufen and they offered to deliver my loot to my hotel in Taipei. All I have to do is to provide them with the hotel address and voila! It gets delivered before 12 the next day. Li Yi is also available at Taipei Main Station Front Metro Mall so if you're not planning to visit Jiufen, you can check out this central location. Other stuff you can buy are jellies that come in cubes or small packets. Since I had a craving for jellies back then, I bought a few packages and stored them in the nifty little fridge that was in my Windsor mishu room. =D

Shoes, Bags & Clothes
Last but not least: shoes, bags and clothes!!!

I didn't buy any clothes in Taiwan because their sizes and fashion were mainly for the young and not so generously proportioned. =x Ok, maybe I didn't look hard enough but the clothes I saw so far wouldn't have fitted me. Nevertheless, it doesn't mean YOU can't shop for clothes! Like everything else in Taiwan, they are much cheaper than what you can find on even blogshops! Provided you know how to haggle well, of course. Prime spots include the very very famous Wufenpu, a wholesale paradise where blogshop owners typically go and replenish their fashion line-up. Raohe Night Market, which is about 10 minutes' walk from Wufenpu is also another good spot. Avoid visiting Wufenpu on a Monday because that's the "wholesalers' day". I think it's when other wholesalers come down to restock or something? In any case, it's a bad idea to be there since the retailers may be too distracted to service you. How to get to Wufenpu and Raohe Night Market? Check out JYS's blog for her directions and review. Wintertime is also the time when retailers will start selling winter wear so there are very few summer clothes left for sale unless you do a detailed sweep over the night markets.

I personally LOVE the metro underground mall at Taipei Main Station coz that was where I got all my shoes! And bags. I saw many cute furry boots and was almost tempted to buy one pair but decided against it since there was really no occasion for me to wear it in Singapore! =)

Kawaii pink shoes...got it for 299NT

Off-white shoes at 299NT

Hardy boots for 499NT

Simple white heels for 499NT

Pink haversack for 350NT

Bought this white bag for 550 NT. Big enough to carry my
beloved netbook and then some. Cheap yet pretty enough. 

And there you go, my shopping is mediocre compared to some girls but I'm happy enough with my loot. I want to go back there again! =D

Taiwan Travelling Tips

If you're planning to visit Taiwan in the near future, here are a few tips for you, especially if you're planning to travel free and easy: