My New Phone - Can you trust China brands?

OMG, it has been a really looong while since my blog was updated.

HOW ARE YOU GUYS DOING?!?!

 

Many things have happened; and there were several that I had wanted so much to update on my blog but ended up forgetting all about it.

*faints*

 

Anyway.. Here's a recent update that I MUST share:-

I have changed a new mobile phone!!

 

No, I didn't change it deliberately- but my Samsung phone somehow stopped working while I was playing Pokémon Go (I guess it was overheated). #Truestory

 

 In case you are wondering... No, it wasn't a Note 7.

 

Being a Samsung user for years, I decided to give other brands a chance.

When it comes to mobile phones, I believe the first two brands that popped into everyone's minds would be either "Apple" or "Samsung".

 

I had wanted an Apple, but it is undeniably PRICEY.

Nope. Not within my budget.

*strikes off the list*

 

Samsung?

Will it explode? Kidding.

I felt many of Samsung phones are quite similar.

I wanted to try something different.

*strikes off the list*

 

I went online to research on other brands.

It was then that I spotted OPPO.

 

 

I was not really familiar with the brand, although I have heard of it.

It was said that this phone is one of the BEST selfie phones in the market.

Did anyone say SELFIES?!?

Now it has definitely caught my attention.

 

Not only that, the brand has a tagline that goes (I am sure many of you have heard this before as their advertisements are everywhere in cinemas as well)

"充电五分钟通话两小时"

(Translation: Charge for 5 minutes, chat for 2 hours)

 

Really meh?! Too good to be true or not?!?!

 

Online reviews were surprisingly good  - and I spent a whole night researching on it.

 

And the next day...

 

I settled on an OPPO R9.

 

There were people who commented that the design and user interface (UI) is a knockoff from Apple iPhones, which I admit it sure does look like an Apple from a distance.

Even the available colours are close enough - Rose pink and gold.

 

 

I don't really care about that though - as long as the phone serves its purpose.

Yes, so what if it's a China brand - not all China phones are bad, right??

Although I do agree to a certain extent that China is good at imitations, but it does not stop me from giving some of their products the benefit of doubt.

 

I know some of you have been wanting to know my opinions about the phone ever since I've gotten it and whether it is REALLY good, here is my verdict:-

 

I LOVE IT.

(No, OPPO did not pay me money to say this)

 

1) Is it really one of the best selfies phone in the market?

 

YES, YES and YES. (In my opinion)

 I was seriously amazed by the quality of its camera. In fact, its front camera has even higher pixels than its back camera! Not only that, it came equipped with a beauty function as well that makes my complexion glow (Okay, that gives me a fake sense of confidence because I do have bad dark eye circles in real life... but the results of the pictures sure are satisfying! In fact, many of my friends have tried using my phone for selfies and were quite tempted to get one for themselves)

 

 

 

This was taken under extreme dim lighting in a karaoke room:-

(It seems to have auto brightness control!)

 

 

2) Is "充电五分钟通话两小时" true???

 (Translation: Charge for 5 minutes, chat for 2 hours)

 

It sounded too good to be true initially, but it didn't fail to amaze me on this one.

OPPO has its own VOOC flash charging system that will get your smartphone to 75% of battery with a thirty-minute charge.

I used to charge my ex-mobile phones overnight (which can be quite dangerous), but I did not have to worry about that one when it comes to my OPPO phone.

I AM SERIOUSLY TAKEN ABACK by how fast it can charge my phone to full bar within a short time span.

At first, I did not believe that the battery will be lasting since it charges so fast.

I was proven wrong.

It lasted me even longer than my older phones - which means that I can go a FULL day without charging.

(Note: I am a HEAVY phone user)

(Extra Note: In order to enable the fast-charging mode, I have to use their own proprietary cable in which it comes as a set with the phone. I can still use normal USB cables to charge it too, just that it will only be at normal speed.)

 

It takes EXCESSIVE usage in order for the battery to drain to 0%.

Of course, the phone is still pretty new currently and I am not sure if this standard will maintain for long - I'll keep that under review for now! 

 

3) Does the phone lag or have overheating issues?

So far, the speed has been pretty satisfying for me. It only lags if I am excessively using it, but it works really wonderfully most of the times!

As for overhearing issues, it did not really heat up much unless I was running many applications at a time.

(I downloaded an app to clear background running applications to keep it cool, so everything has been pretty great)

 

4) What are some of the cons? I mean, it certainly does have bad points right?

Yes, of course we can't have the best of both worlds.

One thing I find disappointing is that the battery is an in-built one. (non-removable). I always feel unsafe about batteries that cannot be removed.

If the phone is spoilt, there is no option to purchase a new battery for replacement.

It will mean going to its service centre. (But mine comes with a 2 year warranty)

 

Also, its dual SIM card slot and memory card slot share the same position. In other words, it means that if you decide to use it as a dual SIM card phone, then you will not be able to insert an external memory card into it.

You have to choose your preference.

 

Other than that, the phone is pretty worthy of its price!

I got it at $440 online from Carousell.

I was lucky to met the seller who happens to be an owner of a mobile phone/gadget store and he gave me additional perks! He threw in 2 free casings (which are worth approximately $10 each), new tampered glass screen protector (which he was kind enough to paste it for me) and original accessories + unused warranty.

 

Although it is considered a second-hand phone since it has been used, but it was in an almost near-perfect condition as the previous owner had only used it for 3 months.

 

I am totally in love of how my OPPO looks!

(My friend, Si Ling, gave me a gold-colored signature of Michael Jackson that I could use to paste it on my phone.

I LOVE IT SO MUCH THAT I ALMOST CRIED.

Thank you, Ling!)

 

And this is how it looks like with the casing on.

(This casing was one of the two that the seller had given to me!)



 

MAD CHIO.

 

I am not helping OPPO to advertise in any way by posting this, but just purely sharing my thoughts as a OPPO R9 user.

 

Oh, by the way.... I actually dropped my phone on the floor and into a toiletbowl accidentally...

It survived.

THANK GOD.

 

 

I hope it helps anyone who happens to chance upon my blog while researching on the phones!

Till then, do stay tuned for more posts coming up!

ANIMAL CRUELTY- Turning live animals into Keychains?!

I'm not sure if this is well-known to many, but I sure had a look of horror plastered all over my face when I came across these photographs that spell "ANIMAL CRUELTY".

(If this isn't animal cruelty, then I don't know what is)

At first glance, they may look like your typical keychain souvenir. Honestly, they look so colorful that you won't believe what is really happening until you take a closer look... ...

Rubber animals encased in a small plastic bag? Cute?

NOT.

Mind you, they are REAL animals (tortoises, fishes, etc) being trapped in small bags and used as accessories to hang on your mobile phones or bags.

According to several online news reports, those animals were suspended in brightly-colored liquid (as pictured above) that supposedly contain the "essential" oxygen and nutrients to keep them alive for a few days. Thereafter, they would be left to die. 

What would be left in that sealed plastic is a lifeless animal that you will be carrying it around everywhere with you. EEEW. Can this get anymore disgusting?

SERIOUSLY?! WHY WOULD ANYONE EVEN BUY THAT?!?!

Not to mention that they are being sold on the ordinary streets of China.

THE EPITOME OF DISGUST.

A closer look at how appalling Mankind can be.

These poor tortoises were trying to swim their way to freedom - but of course that's visibly impossible.

Can any kind soul please cut the bags open and free these animals?! Hello?!?!

Here's a video of them in action:

If I have the money, I would gladly purchase EVERYTHING they have and set these poor animals free. I totally cannot imagine hanging these keychains on my bags or mobile phone and watching the innocent lives of the animals draining away.

What would you have done if you come across these supposed "souvenirs" in China?

(For more information, click here for the original post.)

Joke of the Internet -蛇精男

So there's a recent uproar of a guy who blatantly insulted Singaporeans sometime back (but it appears that he has taken down the post already. Guilty much?)
I'm sure this face would not be unfamiliar to many (If you are an avid Facebooker, I'm sure you would've seen one or two of his *appalling* pictures somewhere...)

The perfect definition of Photoshop.
In case you are wondering, yes, they are of the same person.

Just a brief introduction about him (if you are not aware) - He's simply someone who gained fame through insulting people from time to time. As long as you are human, there's a possibility of you being insulted by him because he thinks he is more superior than everyone else.

Yes, he's none other than 刘梓晨 (otherwise infamously known as "蛇精男")

One of his proudest "assets" would be the infamous chin, which many netizens claimed that it could pierce through anything and cause imminent death.

You know, it's really amusing to see the delusional world this guy has crafted for himself. 

I'm not sure if this guy is for real - but one thing I'm positive of is that he has successfully became an international joke.

Look at that natural-looking sharp chin!

(Oh puh-lease... Photoshop also must photoshop better lah...)

For more laughable photos, you can go to his Facebook profile by clicking HERE. (It's highly entertaining if you are taking a break in the toilet)

I don't wish to flood my blog with so many of his natural-looking photos.

Here's something interesting:

Some netizen had spotted him on the streets and snapped pictures of him in real life.

OH - WHERE'S THE CHIN HUH?

Nice usage of eyeshadow on that nose there, guy.

I'm starting to think that Steven Lim is kinda' normal now.. If you know what I mean.

My Halloween Memories!

It's August and I smell Halloween already! 

(Yeah, I know it's still a wee bit early, but well... ...)

It's a shame that Halloween isn't a WIDELY celebrated day in Singapore; but its getting more well-known now, with thanks to annual Halloween events such as Halloween Horrors (Universal Studios) and Sentosa Spooktacular, etc.

My love for Halloween began at a really young age, with my dad bringing me to an event that was held at Jurong Bird Park (I still remembered it was called Hocus Pocus). I was deeply intrigued by those scary-looking props and being "frightened" by humans dressed in ghostly costumes. 

As years went by, I began looking out for Halloween-related events in Singapore... and even had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity working for Universal Studios during its first Halloween Horrors Night. What an honor! It became part of my memories that I will NEVER forget, and I thank God for the opportunity.

Here were a few of my dress-ups from previous years:

This was for a Halloween Audition and all 3 of us went all out for the deal!
(YES, WE EVENTUALLY GOT THE JOB! *squeals*)

And here's another look @ the Singapore Flyer:
With le' bff, PW. :)

The 3 of us - That's Miao on the left; I did the make-up for her and it was a success as kids were frightened!

And I was Michael Jackson last year. LOL

Ahh, so many fond memories just by looking back at my Halloween pictures. HALLOWEEN IS THE ONLY DAY WHEN I CAN DRESS UP FREELY WITHOUT ANYONE THINKING I AM CRAZY!

So.. You might be wondering what I am planning to be this year...

I have got my costume and wig ready..

So...

.

.

.

.

.

Behold..

YES! I will be Queen Elsa from Frozen! 

LOL. I am quite excited about the turnout though *trembles*

Stay tuned to my blog for more updates nearer to the Halloween period! I'm just as excited as you are!

P/S: Do feel free to contact me if you do know of any Halloween event in Singapore that is worth joining!

Groupon Review: Oriental Spa Chamber [PERSONAL EXPERIENCE!]

You may not know, but I am a total fanatic of massages!

In fact, I have been to quite a few that I kinda' regretted not blogging about them - reason being that I always purchase them through Groupon deals, and I am sure many of you out there would be googling for some reviews before clicking that "Buy Now" button.

Right, right... Right??!!

As such, I have decided to be *kind* and start blogging down my experiences for each Groupon deal that I purchase for the benefit of anyone who may be considering about it.

Be rest assured that I am not PAID in any way to blog about their services, hence these reviews are definitely not any form of advertisement. If they are good, then they simply are.

 If they are not, then I hope they are now regretting how badly they treated me (Note: Never offend a blogger! *glares*)

I have always believed in the importance of REVIEWS. They form a huge part of the company's reputation, no?

OK, so here's one that I purchased and tried yesterday with my Shreky:

The Oriental Spa Chamber

I actually came across this place randomly once and was amused by its name. The chinese words "Huang Ah Ma" literally mean "Emperor Dad" (not sure if I translated correctly) back in the olden Dynasty times. I was tempted to visit the place; and my wish was somehow granted when I spotted it on Groupon coincidentally on another day.

 Ok, it is not really THAT cheap - I got the one that was on promotion for 2 pax and we paid $42.50 each for 90 mins of session with them. It's usual prices for ala carte are WAY, WAY more expensive than the deal price!

(The session includes 60 minutes FULL body massage + 15 mins foot soak + 15 mins Sauna)

What appealed me was its ORIENTAL interior design of the place based on the photos that were advertised on its website. (Not to mention that I am a huge fan of oriental style).

So you can imagine my excitement when I managed to secure an appointment with them after I purchased the deal.

However, the booking of appointment wasn't really a smooth-sailing one as I was unreasonably told that they do not offer massage services AFTER April (I had wanted to book for a slot in June). I was appalled as it was supposed to be valid till AUGUST as stated on the Groupon website! The person who picked up my call did not provide me any reason despite me asking; and just simply insisted that they do not offer the services after April.

Well then, I gave in and went for a slot in March.

And so we went - Fortunately, the place was easily located as it was within a short walking distance from Chinatown MRT (Purple Line) - Exit E.

Gosh, I love, LOVE this painting on the wall. Talk about oriental!

Kudos to whoever painted the wall. Haha~

The Oriental Spa Chamber actually resides INSIDE a hotel, so its unmistakable!

We actually spent some time admiring the exterior and taking some random photographs before heading in for our registration.

Gosh, I believe this is one of the rarer times I'm posting a non-makeup photo of myself - but heck. I am not gonna care what you think. Ugly then ugly, lor.

(I don't know why, but I am not into makeup nowadays unless there are really important events. Getting lazy, I guess? But whatever)

When we finally got our asses into the place, we were led to a small cozy room and Ginger tea was served! We were told to wait for our turn as it was a busy Sunday for them. Since their waiting area was VERY comfortable (it somehow reminded me of those small study room in an ancient palace)

Pictures unclear due to the dim lighting and we were using our front camera - my sincere apologies!

Here's a pic taken from my better camera:

Palace, palace!

When it was our turn, we were called in to a small room that consisted of 2 comfy massage-alike chairs:

We were told to soak our feet in the bucket of sea salt water.

(It was #(*$##*$ scalding hot and it took us awhile to adapt to the temperature before we could fully soak our feet in)

Here's a pic of me getting all panicky at the feel of the hot water~

That's my Shreky:

(Note that she did not insert her feet entirely into the water too HAHAHA!)

Ok, now that the water is not that hot...

(We were allowed to bring in our Ginger tea to drink & enjoy the feet soak at the same time)

Shreky's Crayon-Shin Chan manicure design that she did in Malaysia! CUTE to the max!

Look at this door that I love so much:

When our 15 mins feet soak was up, we were led to hall of different compartments where we could finally lie down and relax for our 60 mins full body massage. I was SO hyped up at the thought that  I couldn't wait to pounce on the massage bed so badly. Speaking about being desperate. HAHA.

We were given time to change and wrap ourselves with towels while awaiting our masseurs. (Don't worry, they are all female masseurs!)

Sorry- as much as we had wanted to take photos of us during the massage session, we couldn't as we did not have a photographer with us. (Not to mention that we were given lockers to lock our bags outside)

Both Shreky and I were lucky that we were in the same compartment (We actually bought the 2 pax meant for couples); hence we were able to communicate with each other more freely!

So... You might be wondering how well the body massage went, right?

To be fair, I have to say that it was OK-OK. The initial part started out being painful as the masseur seemed to have powerful hands (I did tell her that it was quite painful and she used lesser force. In fact, it is always important to let your masseur know the level of pain you are experiencing during the massage!) . Thankfully, it became slightly more comfortable soon-after and I almost did fall asleep.

I would give the massage services a 7/10. 

It is definitely not the "VERY SHIOK" kind of massage; but its still okay for the experience. I mean, if you are not able to take the pain... Just voice it out and the masseur will definitely respect you. :)

The masseurs were friendly people, and despite the fact that we came in using Groupon vouchers, they still gave us good service (There are some places that will totally offer you a not-here-or-there service if they see that you purchase their services using vouchers).

Fortunately, the service at Oriental Spa Chamber was great.

We were being taken into a small room for our 15 min Sauna (In fact, it was my VERY first Sauna experience!) I didn't like it at the beginning, but slowly adapted to the heat and I was amazed by the amount of sweat that came out from all parts of my body - including my face!Honestly, I felt like I was a pig being roasted in a hot oven - but the "after-effect" was awesome.

The moment when we stepped out of the Sauna room, I FELT LIKE I WAS REBORN AGAIN. HAHAHA.

Our masseurs came over and gave us our towels to wipe our bodies before proceeding back into our compartment to change.

The best part of all about the Groupon deal?

THERE WAS TOTALLY NO HARD-SELLING OF ANYTHING.

 No hard-selling of packages or products, etc. I was most impressed.

So if you were to ask me whether this is something that is worth purchasing, I would say.. 

GO FOR IT! :)

Even if its not for the massage experience, you may be interested in the oriental style of its interior.

So I guess that shall end my review here... Do bookmark my blog for more future reviews on the different deals I'm gonna try out! :)

Crazy woman drank CAT SOUP. [Yes, CATS!]

It has been quite some time since I last blogged... I was really damn busy with work!

There were many a time when I saw something and I would go "Hey, I MUST blog about this!!", etc.. And more often than not, I would end up forgetting all about it. Duh, am I becoming lazy or what?!

Anyway, here's something I felt I SHOULD blog about - something that might catch your attention due to the cruelty level. I came across this news on Shin Min Daily days back, and went online to research about this crazy woman who actually ATE cats and BOASTED about it.

YES. She freaking ATE a cat.

As below is a screenshot I got from a China forum - That poor cat was literally torn apart by her.

(She defended herself in a post saying that the cat was actually her friend's pet, and it was suffering from an incurable injury. The cat was reportedly put down before she decided to cook it. T_T)

Behold - Here are some close-up pics...

Heartbreaking, I would say.

I totally lost it at the pic of the paws....

Her online username is "许金榜".

(Yeah, you can google her up if you like)

I really cannot comprehend how this lady was able to lay her hands on such an innocent-looking cat. I mean, this is NOT something normal humans will do, right... ...?

Besides that, I can't imagine feeding on cats?!?!

Now, I shall end this entry with a loss of appetite.

What is Passion?

I did another art piece today - The Marina Bay Sands

(I'm not really contented though.. Guess there is still room for improvement)

Seriously, it has been quite a long time since I last came up with an art piece. (I was afraid that I would lose touch with it!)

And having the opportunity to do what I love to today just feels awesome.

Out of complete randomness, I drew another one:

Kai Kai and Jia Jia??

When I showed my dad the drawings , he said "You draw these for what? For competition ah?"

Well... Probably to some, it may seem like a waste of time to do these. 

If only people can understand more about Passion.

To me, drawing is MY passion. It's something I love to do without obligations.

I have hopes to bring smiles to people through my art pieces. 

It'll be enough of an achievement for me. :)

Do feel free to follow me at  :

www.facebook.com/CJcartoons/