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Food Tasting at Hard Rock Cafe Singapore

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Hello Everyone,
recently, Baby and I were invited by Dawn [blogger of 365 Days to Play and Eat] to an exclusive all-bloggers food tasting event at the Hard Rock Cafe Singapore and I must say this, the dinner was a blast!

It was my virgin experience to Hard Rock Cafe Singapore and when I received the invite from Dawn, I was totally excited about the whole event! As I was there early, I went around taking photos of the external facade of Hard Rock Cafe Singapore. Here are some of the noticeable structure that caught my attention.

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

I believe everyone whom frequents Orchard Towers/St. Regis/The Forum Mall would have past by the Hard Rock Cafe Singapore and noticed this rather unique facade of Hard Rock Cafe Singapore.

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

I also like their unique guitar railings along the stairs.

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012
From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

In case you’re wondering what are the operating hours of Hard Rock Cafe Singapore, they are open from Tuesdays to Fridays from 1100 hours to 0200 hours and from Saturdays to Mondays from 1100 hours to 0300 hours. It is highly recommended that you make a reservation before going to dine at Hard Rock Cafe Singapore. Their contact number is 6235 5232.

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

And yes, Hard Rock Cafe Singapore has live band performances so do enquire about it before heading down.

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

When we were inside, the interior was simply vintage and classic. There were musical instruments all over the place and they are real! It would have been lovely if Hard Rock Cafe Singapore gave me a guitar as a welcome gift instead! =P

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

Anyway, the dining area at Hard Rock Cafe Singapore is pretty cosy and it is suitable as a venue for group gatherings, romantic dates, or even for a simple drink and snacks.

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012
From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

The Happy Diners for the Night!

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

While we were looking through the menu, we were really spoilt for choices because there are really tons of food and beverage offerings! Nevertheless, because Hard Rock Cafe Singapore recently launched their Seafood Menu, we had the privilege to try all their seafood items!

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

And also, we were given the liberty to order any sort of beverage for the night [liquor included]. Hence for beverage, Baby ordered the Berrilicious while I had the Mango-Berry Cooler.

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012
From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

I really like the presentation of the drinks and what’s really cool is that you can actually bring the glass home as a souvenir, just by paying a few additional bucks.

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

Alright, so much for the introduction, here comes the glorious food from Hard Rock Cafe Singapore! By the way, due to the poor lighting, some photos might look a bit darker than usual.

As mentioned earlier on, Hard Rock Cafe Singapore recently launched their new Seafood Menu and here are all the seafood dishes that we tasted.

Seafood Platter

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012
From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

Chilli Crab Spaghetti

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

Crispy Sea Bass

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

Crab Fried Rice

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

Chilli Crab Dip– served with either Chinese buns or Nachos

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012
From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

Of all the seafood dishes that were served, I personally like the Seafood Platter and the Chilli Crab Dip.

Here are some of the side dishes that we had for the night.

Hickory Smoked Chicken Wings

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012
From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

Hard Rock Nachos

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

The side dishes were fabulous and I really like the Hickory Smoked Chicken Wings. There are in fact three flavours that you can choose from; classic rock, heavy metal, and tangy BBQ and you have to try them all because their flavours are unique and extremely tasty!

For Mains, we had the Hickory Smoked BBQ Ribs.

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

I’m not exactly a fan of pork ribs but if you fancy them, you could give it a try.

After all the awesome tasting food that we had, it was time for desserts and we tried three of their dessert offerings.

Apple Crumble

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

Mud Pie

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

Hot Fudge Brownie Sundae

From Hard Rock Cafe Singapore 2012

Honestly, all their desserts taste good although they are kinda sinful to my diet plan. Nevertheless, they are really a sweet ending to an extremely perfect meal.

Well, this will definitely not be the last time I will visit Hard Rock Cafe Singapore because the food is truly awesome, the ambience is comfortably cosy, and there’s live band performances for some chill-out session too. All thanks to Hard Rock Cafe Singapore‘s Marketing Manager and Dawn of 365 Days to Play and Eat for hosting us and the kind invitation. It was really a lovely start to the weekends and both Baby and I really enjoyed the dining experience at Hard Rock Cafe Singapore.

If you haven’t been to Hard Rock Cafe Singapore, you should visit it one day because it is something you must do once-in-a-lifetime and not only that, you should check out their souvenir shop that sells memorabilia items too [perfect place to shop for gifts!]

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God Bless!

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Let’s Talk About Food Using the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone

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Hello Everyone,
as you can see from the topic of this blog entry itself, yes, it’s all going to be about food but for this particular blog entry, the photos that are published here were taken using the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone!

So anyway, in conjunction with the Singapore Food Festival that is organised by the Singapore Tourism Board, 313@somerset is presenting a month-long celebration of food, entertainment and shopping from July 27 to August 31 at the Discovery Walk, Level 1 of 313@somerset. This event is none other than the, “Let’s Talk About Food”. As part of the Let’s Talk About Food event, a series of exciting themed acts and performances have been lined up; so if you happen to be at 313@somerset on 3-4 August, 8 Aug, 24-25 Aug from 6pm onward, be sure not to miss these whimsical performers! The best part about Let’s Talk About Food is that during this period, you can definitely look forward to indulging in your favourite dishes at significantly discounted prices and I really mean it!

Here’s why; 313@somerset is launching the exclusive 313 Dining Wallet where you can purchase it for just $19 and inside this 313 Dining Wallet, it contains $40 worth of dining vouchers that you can use at selected Food & Beverage [F&B] outlets. Now that’s really something you ought to consider because you pay half price for the value that you are getting! However, this promotion is only valid till 31 August 2012 so be sure you don’t miss out on this awesome deal.

From Let’s Talk About Food 2012

In case you are wondering, there are many F&B Outlets where you can utilise your vouchers. The vouchers that are inside the 313 Dining Wallet are, $5 Coffee Bean Voucher, $5 Famous Amos Voucher, $10 The Flying Bread Voucher, Lunch Voucher, Drink Voucher, Snack Voucher, and Dinner Voucher! For the vouchers that have cash value such as the Coffee Bean Voucher, the Flying Bread Voucher, and the Famous Amos Voucher, all you have to do is to use the vouchers at their outlet respectively and use it to purchase whatever food you are planning to purchase. If the amount exceeds the indicated value on the voucher, all you have to do is to just top it up with your own cash.

From Let’s Talk About Food 2012

For the Lunch Voucher, Drink Voucher, Snack Voucher, and Dinner Voucher, all you have to do is to present the voucher at the respective participating outlets as indicated in the brochure found in the 313 Dining Wallet and select your food choices that are also indicated in the brochure. For the Lunch Voucher, you can only utilise it at a stipulated time from 1130am to 230pm and for the Dinner Voucher, you can only utilise it from 6pm onwards.

From Let’s Talk About Food 2012

Thanks to OMY.SG and the team from Land Lease, I was part of a group of 20 bloggers whom were given the opportunity to taste some of the food that the participating F&B outlets have to offer.

From Let’s Talk About Food 2012

We started off at the Basement 3 Food Hall where we sampled some snacks and light-bites from Jollibean, Umi Sushi, The Flying Bread, and Paradise Inn.

The Umi Sushi Outlet at 313@somerset.

From Let’s Talk About Food 2012

Look at the variety of sushi, handrolls, and sashimi that they have.

From Let’s Talk About Food 2012

The Green Salad we had from Umi Sushi

From Let’s Talk About Food 2012

The All Salmon Platter from Umi Sushi

From Let’s Talk About Food 2012

Jollibean Outlet at 313@somerset.

From Let’s Talk About Food 2012

The Chicken Floss Pancake that we tried [from Jollibean].

From Let’s Talk About Food 2012

The Flying Bread Outlet at 313@somerset

From Let’s Talk About Food 2012

Look at all the wraps they have!

From Let’s Talk About Food 2012
From Let’s Talk About Food 2012
From Let’s Talk About Food 2012

And yes, we too got a chance to sample the wraps made by The Flying Bread.

From Let’s Talk About Food 2012
From Let’s Talk About Food 2012

The Flying Wrap’s Calamansi Juice with Mint is really something I really like because of its refreshing minty taste.

From Let’s Talk About Food 2012

The Paradise Inn outlet at 313@Somerset.

From Let’s Talk About Food 2012
From Let’s Talk About Food 2012

I have earlier done a review on the Paradise Inn restaurant so do check it out here for further details –> https://awinsomelife.org/2012/07/05/paradise-inn-greenwichv/

From Let’s Talk About Food 2012

Here are some of the dishes that we sampled from Paradise Inn

Braised Vermicelli with Seafood

From Let’s Talk About Food 2012

Homemade Style Fried Vermicelli

From Let’s Talk About Food 2012

Then we went to the Malones Irish Restaurant and Bar and the Charlie Brown Cafe, both of which are situated at the Discovery Walk, Level 1 of 313@somerset.

The Malones Irish Restaurant and Bar at 313@somerset, where we tried their Margherita Pizza [with tomatoes, mozzarella, and fresh basil].

From Let’s Talk About Food 2012

The unique Charlie Brown Cafe, one of its kind in Singapore.

From Let’s Talk About Food 2012
From Let’s Talk About Food 2012
From Let’s Talk About Food 2012
From Let’s Talk About Food 2012

At Charlie Brown Cafe, we sampled their Chicken Wings and specially concocted drinks.

From Let’s Talk About Food 2012
From Let’s Talk About Food 2012

Oh, and they even gave us a lovely badge too!

From Let’s Talk About Food 2012

And we finally ended the whole food tasting session at Food Republic, Level 5 of 313@somerset where we sampled dishes from You Men HK Roast, Bangkok Gem, and Heniu Teppanyaki.

From Let’s Talk About Food 2012

Bangkok Gem’s Olive Fried Rice

From Let’s Talk About Food 2012

Just in case you are wondering, the dishes that are featured in this blog entry are not exhaustive of what is offered in the 313 Dining Wallet. In fact, there are also other F&B outlets [such as Yoshinoya, Wang Cafe, The Handburger, Blue Mountain Cafe, Honeymoon Dessert] that are not featured here. For a full list of participating F&B outlets and the food choices available, click here –> http://apps5.noisycrayons.com/313somerset/foodfest/coupons.html

Well, through this event, I also got the opportunity to meet some bloggers and they are Albino, Elrica, Luke, Isaiah, Deenise, Dawn, William. Do check out their blogs because they are really interesting.

So, do make use of this opportunity to check out the 313 Dining Wallet and go on a food fiesta!

Stay tuned to more updates from us.

God bless!

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LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone

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Hello Everyone,
I am really excited about this blog entry because in this entry, I will share with you readers the latest information first-hand, regarding my experience [thus far] with the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone.

From LG Optimus 4X HD Launch 2012

Thanks to the team from LG Mobile Singapore and One9Ninety, I was selected to be one of the 12 bloggers whom are given the opportunity to try out LG’s latest mobile phone, the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone. In case you are wondering, yes, the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone was loaned to me for 2 months so that I can try it out and give you readers my honest opinion and review.

Well, the last LG phone that I personally owned and used was the LG KM900 Arena and that was in the year 2009! Thinking about my past experience with the LG KM900 Arena, I would never have thought that I would lay my hands on a LG phone ever again because the rise in Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy were just too attractive! But having touched, felt, and fiddled with the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone for the past 1 day, I’m now very confident and open to consider LG as a possible brand for my next phone purchase. Ever since I first started using the mobile phone in 2000, with Nokia 3210 being my first phone, I have used various mobile platforms such as Symbian, Windows, iOS, Blackberry and now, the Android. Out of these various platforms that I’ve used, I personally like the iOS and Android because of its user-friendliness and ability to personalise the phone. So, you can be very sure that my next phone purchase would be one that runs on either the iOS platform or the Android platform [unless there happen to be any significant developments that can far exceed the iOS or Android which I highly doubt so]

So, being a first-time user of the Android platform on the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone, I found the user-interface relatively easy to navigate around. I was able to run multiple applications on the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone with no problems and every applications ran rather smoothly. For me, the most important thing that must be in my phone are applications such as Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Instagram and I must say, I’m pretty pleased with the way these applications are running seamlessly on the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone. As I frequently access my emails, I am really extremely happy that my emails can be “pushed” to the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone instantly so that I will never miss any important emails and reply them on the go! One very important reason why I actually liked the iPhone iOS was because it had the iCloud function where every photo I take can be uploaded straight to my computer wirelessly. Thinking that this particular ability was restricted only to the iPhone, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that the Android platform allows me to do the same thing too! In addition, the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone was able to sync my Google Calendar and Picasa Photos which I used frequently on my desktop and that really made life much better for me because I can work efficiently and productively using both the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone and my computer.

Well, some of you may be asking me how the camera of the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone compare to other Smartphones like the HTC One X, the Samsung Galaxy S3, and the Apple iPhone4S. To be frank, I still prefer iPhone4S camera because its autofocus mechanism was pretty fast and the photos that it takes are pretty accurate in terms of colour and exposure. The photos that the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone takes appear to be more on the warm side.

The camera on the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone also has this, “Time Catch Shot” function where it takes a photo even before the shutter button is pressed. This would then allow you to pick the best image and save it accordingly. Such a function would be very much suitable for taking photos of moving objects, children, and pets.

One other cool function of the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone is its ability to zoom-in and zoom-out of a specific area in a video while watching it. While I don’t think I would use this function frequently, I believe it is useful for people whom want to scrutinise any inconsistencies in a video that they have probably directed or produced.

And check out this rather chic function of the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone. You can connect your phone to your computer and use your phone from the computer to send a text message, make a voice call, check out your facebook, and so much more.

From LG Optimus 4X HD Launch 2012

So if you’re wondering what the box contains, here’s what you will find:

The LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone

From LG Optimus 4X HD Launch 2012

A Quick Start Guide, A One-Year Warranty Card, A Charger, A Data Cable, A Stereo Handsfree Earpiece, and Two Near Field Communication [NFC] Tags

From LG Optimus 4X HD Launch 2012

Ok, I have heard of the NFC function before but I haven’t really utilise it. In fact, my Blackberry has this function but I do not use it at all. Well, as the box contains the NFC tags and it was a virgin experience for me to explore the NFC function, I actually stick the NFC tag which was labelled for car onto my car windshield. When I placed my phone near it, the phone detects the NFC tag and automatically activates the Car Mode where it offers navigational capabilities. Its pretty cool I would say. Oh, and I heard from a fellow blogger, Lester Chan, whom were there for the launch as well, mentioning that the NFC function could even let you check the balance on your EZ-Link card!

From LG Optimus 4X HD Launch 2012

Anyway, LG is having a promotion with Box.Net where every user of a LG Android Device [the device must have a display resolution of 320 X 480 or higher and must be running on Android OS 2.1 or above] can qualify for the free 50GB LIFETIME Cloud Storage Promotion. I must say, this is really an awesome deal considering that Samsung Galaxy S3 is only offering 50GB of Dropbox Storage for 2 years.

From LG Optimus 4X HD Launch 2012

Ok, moving on to the more important aspect of this blog entry. Personally, I am a heavy phone user where I make alot of phone calls, reply a lot of emails, and frequently access my social media applications such as Twitter, Instagram, Whatsapp, and Facebook; hence, the battery life of a phone is of utmost importance to me. In terms of capacity, the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone is the highest as compared to Samsung Galaxy S3 or the HTC One X. Given the way I used my phone, I reckon that the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone could last me 1 day on 1 full charge. Hearing from some of my friends who uses the HTC One X, they regretted getting the phone because the battery life is super short [lasting them a few hours]!

So, whats the price of the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone? Well, for Singtel, it is retailing the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone at a price of $288 for a 2-years mobile contract on the iOne Plus Plan; for M1, it is retailing the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone at a price of $448 for a 2-years mobile contract on the Sunsaver Plan; for Starhub, the phone is not available yet. If you compare the price of the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone to Samsung Galaxy’s S3 and HTC One X, the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone definitely offers much more value.

Well, I shan’t bore you all down with the details and specifications of the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone any further but if you do have any questions or if you want to have a feel of the phone, do let me know so that you can try out the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone that I am currently holding onto. Other than that, do stay tuned to my blog entries for the next two months which will feature photos that are taken using the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone Camera and if I really have the time, I would do some guitar recordings of myself and share it with you all.

In case you want to compare the specifications and features of the HTC One X, Samsung Galaxy S3, and the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone, check out the following screen grab I gotten from Singtel Mobile’s Website.

From LG Optimus 4X HD Launch 2012

Here are some photos that I took during the LG Live Event that was held at the Marina Bay Sands:

This replica was imported from Europe and it didn’t come cheap.

From LG Optimus 4X HD Launch 2012

The LG Smart 3D Split-Screen TV where two gamers can play games and see things from their own perspective is rather unique.

From LG Optimus 4X HD Launch 2012

Our trainer for the evening whom guided us to the various functions of the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone.

From LG Optimus 4X HD Launch 2012

The following commercial basically summarises the benefits of the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone:

And if you’re interested to read a review from Hardware Zone about the LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone, click the following link: http://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/review-lg-optimus-4x-hd-affordable-quad-core-contender

Life’s really good with the zippy, trail-blazing and sleek LG Optimus 4X HD Smartphone!

Stay tuned for more updates from us!

God bless!

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Vendors/Suppliers for Jacqueline’s 24th Birthday and Proposal Party

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Hello Everyone, this is one long overdue post but nevertheless, here it is!
Here are the details of the vendors/suppliers whom I engaged for Jacqueline’s 24th Birthday and Surprise Proposal Party

Meyson Jewellery

Many ladies and gentlemen whom are of the same age as me have absolutely zero knowledge about diamonds. In fact, most of the people whom I know are absolutely clueless about choosing diamonds; especially the gents whom are preparing or planning to propose. Well, I am not a professional in this area but I shall attempt to impart some basic knowledge I have about choosing diamonds. A friend of mine once asked me if diamond rings are still relevant in today’s context and my answer to him was a big, “Yes!”.

Ok, there are 4Cs you got to look out for when considering to purchase diamonds.

The 4Cs are Carat, Colour, Clarity, and Cut.

Carat is used to measure the weight of a diamond. The bigger the number of carat, the more expensive the diamond will be. However, the price of 2 diamonds that are of the same carat may differ greatly as there are factors such as Colour, Clarity, and Cut to consider.

Colour of a diamond is graded from the alphabet D to Z. Diamonds that are graded D in colour have the purest colour, that is, they are colourless and they are the best colour for diamonds. A totally colorless diamond allows light to pass through it easily, resulting in the light being dispersed as the color of the rainbow. For diamonds that are graded E-Z colour, you can actually see that the colour of the diamond is tinted yellow or brown.

Clarity of a diamond is graded from Flawless [FL] to Inclusions Visible to the Naked Eye [I3]. Most diamonds contain very tiny impurities know as “inclusions.” An inclusion can interfere with the light passing through the diamond. The fewer the inclusion, the more beautiful the diamond will be.

Cut of a diamond has a few varieties and they can be graded good, very good, and excellent. In fact, under the microscope, if the cutting of a diamond is perfect, you can literally see shapes of hearts and arrows. However, diamonds with rather fanciful cuttings tend to be quite expensive; especially those from Lee Hwa, Goldheart, and etc. Well, for Baby’s diamond ring, I specially got it from Meyson Jewellery [Serangoon NeX] because the price was extremely reasonable and their service were excellent. If you are planning to get diamond rings, you might want to consider getting them from Meyson Jewellery. And if you are going to the outlet at Serangoon NeX, do look up Angel [one of the retail staff] because she can really recommend one that your other half will like.

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Party Blasters Setting up decorations can be a tedious task and especially time consuming. Hence, for Baby’s party, I specially engaged Party Blasters to do up the decorations and they have indeed done a really excellent job. If you are looking for a trustworthy, reliable, and creative decorations team, do check out Party Blasters as they have a wide range of exotic balloons that you can choose from. Better still, head down to their office [situated at MidView City] for a non-obligatory discussion. To check out the various decorations they have done for events, like their Facebook Pagenow!

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Pine Garden’s Cakes I first tasted Pine Garden’s Cakes when I attended Winnie’s 21st birthday and I must say, Pine Garden’s Cake is absolutely delicious. The price of Pine Garden’s Cake is also rather reasonable and their service is prompt and efficient. There are also a whole range of flavours that you can choose from to customise the cake. If you are looking for cakes that not only taste delicious but one that appeals to the eye, you might want to consider Pine Garden’s Designer Cakes.

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Eesha Eesha is a Taiwanese professional make-up artist and Baby gotten her contact from Cozy Cot’s website. Since Baby wanted to look really pretty for her party, Baby engaged Eesha’s service and Eesha was really service-oriented. When we reached Eesha’s place, she made us felt rather comfortable and even offered us drinks. Eesha also has a professional make up space at her place so you can be rest assured that everything is all professionally done. If any of you are interested to engage Eesha’s make up service, you can contact her at 81812528.

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Foodlink Catering From what I heard, Foodlink Catering is a rather new food caterer and I had mixed feelings when I wanted to engage the services of Foodlink Catering. Even after the party, our guests had mixed feelings about the quality of the food. While the buffet line-up was pretty impressive, I personally felt that the food quality was perhaps average. The price per person is also not that cheap too. Hence, I perhaps would not recommend Foodlink Catering if you are going for quality food. In fact, Neo Gardenmight be a better choice instead.

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Bloom Room There are many florists in Singapore that sells 99-roses bouquet and I happened to chance upon Bloom Room during an Internet search on Google’s website. In fact, out of the many florists that sells 99-roses bouquet, I engaged Bloom Room because of their extremely personalised service and their reasonable pricing as well. Jaclyn [the staff from Bloom Room] was very helpful and she even went the extra mile by offering me 3 ideas of 99-roses bouquet to choose from. So, if you are looking for a 99-roses bouquet for your other half, you might want to consider Bloom Room.

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

No. 1 Costume Costume There are quite  a couple of costume shops in Singapore and the first time I heard of No.1 Costume Costume was when I performed for NDP many years ago. Although I did thought of checking out the rest of the costume shops apart from No. 1 Costume Costume, I decided that location was going to be the top consideration as I wanted to save the hassle of travelling to and fro. Moreover, No. 1 Costume Costume is perhaps Singapore’s largest costume shop  and they probably have the most widest range of costumes to choose from. If you are looking for a costume for a themed party, No. 1 Costume Costumeis one place you must visit!

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Sticky Sticky’s first candy shop was at The Central, Clarke Quay and since then, they have flourished and opened other outlets in Cathay Cineleisure Orchard and Jcube too. Sticky’s candies are honestly perfect for doorgifts and not only that, their candies are really tasty and addictive. The best thing is, it is not very expensive! If you are sourcing for suitable doorgifts for your party, you might want to consider Sticky!

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Stay tuned to more updates from us!

God bless!

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Insights to Jacqueline’s 24th Birthday and Surprise Proposal Party!

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Hello Everyone,
in this blog post, I will be sharing with you the insights to Jacqueline’s 24th Birthday and Surprise Proposal Party and how the event was conceived.

Well, the idea for the proposal was conceived in January earlier this year and the plan was to coincide it with Jacqueline’s 24th birthday. In fact, the main plan all along was to coincide the proposal with her birthday. I had about 6 months to plan this entire event and there were many ideas that came to my mind.

Some ideas for the proposal were:

1). Tell her that I have regimental duty in camp and won’t be able to book out in time for her birthday celebration; then tell her sister to bring her out to the movies and viola, screen a video proposal in the cinema where family members and friends have all been seated by then.

2). Bring her out for lunch with family members and friends at a restaurant and propose after the lunch; then have a staycation with her and a romantic dinner by the waterfront.

3). Take her to the Universal Studios Singapore for a day of excitement and fun; then have a dinner at one of the restaurants where family members and friends have all already been settled down to celebrate her birthday; and finally propose during the fireworks show.

4). Rent a private yacht that can accommodate 12 people for 3-4 hours and have a romantic dinner and propose to her out at sea.

As you can see, there were so many ideas for the proposal but there were also two main considerations that I had to bear in mind and they were:

a). Finance/Budget
b). Number of people Attending

Being a NSF [where allowance is just barely enough to make ends meet], I had to save really hard so that the proposal could come to pass. Hence, this was one important consideration that I took note of as I only had 6 months to save. The number of people that would be attending the event was also another important consideration for me as the greater the number of people, the more it would cost.

So, after much planning and re-planning, I finally decided on the final idea for the proposal and that is, to hold a birthday celebration for her at a function room where family members and friends would be present, do a “disappearing act”, and then dressed up in a mascot costume to surprise her during the cake-cutting, sing our favourite love song, and finally propose to her.

With that idea in mind, I went on to meetup with lots of vendors/suppliers to negotiate for a reasonable price for their services and it was really quite a draining process as I had to send out emails after emails for quotations and confirmations.

As I was counting down to the day of the proposal, I was naturally anxious because I wanted to make sure that everything would go smoothly. In fact, two weeks before the proposal, I had to change the date of the proposal from the 16th of June to the 17th of June as the function room wasn’t available on the intended date for the proposal! Hence, I really thank God that we managed to book the function room for the 17th of June even though I had to liaise/communicate with the suppliers/vendors via email regarding the changes.

Well, the day finally came when I had to propose and all the hardwork and effort that I put in was all worth it as Jacqueline was so surprised and touched with the proposal that she said, “Yes!”

Check out the photos below:

As the theme for Jacqueline’s birthday was, “Candylicious”, I decided to get handmade candies from Sticky so as to distribute it as door-gifts to all the guests. Each bottle would normally cost $2.50 but I was given a discount of $0.30 per bottle and hence paid $2.20 per bottle. On top of that, I was given a 5% off by Sticky. I’m so glad that all our guests loved the door-gifts!

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

To make the event a rather special and memorable one, I engaged Party Blasters to be the official decorations team for the event and I must say this, they did such a fantastic job that everyone talked about the decorations and commented that it was so fairy-tale like! So, if you are looking for someone to decorate your event, do check out Party Blasters and I’m sure you will be blown away with their stunning creativity!

The Hello Kitty Walker was quite a hit with everyone as everyone wants to have a picture with it.

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

The Tea-Light Candle set the perfect mood and ambience for the event and it was on every table and the buffet line as well.

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Here’s Cheryl and Winnie whom were manning the reception desk where guests had to write their well-wishes on the heart-shaped sticker and then take a Polaroid photograph to attach to the guestbook!

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

The Food Caterer was Foodlink Catering and it was our first time engaging their services. There were mixed reviews about the quality of the food as some said it was excellent, some said it was so-so, while some said it was not good. I guess everyone have their own taste but well, there were tons of leftover food because 10 people backed out from the event at the eleventh hour [yes, they said they could not make it on the day itself! If it was more than 3 days before the event, I could still accept, but well, on the day itself is a bit too much uh!] Honestly, I was quite disappointed as the people whom flew my aeroplane were the ones whom I thought I could trust and depend on. Well, from this experience itself, I could kinda tell who’s my friend and who’s not.

Overall Buffet Line

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Pineapple Fried Rice

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Xin Zhou Bee Hoon

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Curry Chicken

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Butter Prawns

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Spring Rolls

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Ngoh Hiang

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Sweet and Sour Fish

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Braised Toufu with Mushrooms

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Alright… so now on to the more interesting part of my blog post.

Ming Wei, Winnie, Xin Ying, Wanli, and Shaun were doing the “behind-the-scenes” work for the proposal and they went to my car to prepare the light sticks to form the words, “Will U Marry Me?”

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

And here’s Xin Ying and Winnie helping me out with the costume! Yes I looked retarded cause it was so hard to get dressed up!

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

In case you are wondering where I rented the mascot costume from, I got it from No. 1 Costume Costume and this was perhaps the cutest costume that was recommended to me by Jordan, the staff from No. 1 Costume Costume. They have a whole range of costumes for parties and you might want to check them out should you be attending any dress-up parties.

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

On my way to the function room from the carpark, with Winnie and Wanli guiding me!

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Meanwhile at the function room, Ming Wei was coordinating the whole birthday celebration and they were all getting ready for the big moment! Baby thought I was still in the toilet answering to nature’s call.

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

The cake that I gotten for Baby was designed by myself and it was baked by Pine Garden’s Cakes. Honestly, their cakes are really awesome. I personally tried it myself and I really like the soft texture of their cakes. The top tier of the cake that I designed for Baby was Bailey’s Chocolate Crunch while the bottom tier of the cake was Black Forest, both of which were simply delicious! If you are looking for delicious-looking designer cakes, you have to try Pine Garden’s Cakes!

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

And so.. the celebration began! Baby thought I wasn’t able to make it on time to celebrate her birthday as I was still in the “toilet”.

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

After the singing of the birthday song, I appeared in the Mascot costume and she was so surprised that she teared!

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Needless to say, she guessed correctly that I was the one in the Mascot costume.

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Then, a proposal video produced by Calista was shown to her on the iPad while I was preparing my guitar to sing our favourite love song, that is, Telling the World by Taio Cruz.

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

And so… I proposed to her!

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

and she said, “Yes!”

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

This was my birthday gift to Baby and I got it from TeddyHub at a really good price! The bear is 1.4M tall by the way.

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

And these are all the presents that Baby got on her birthday! She’s truly blessed indeed!

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

Alright, for you guys out there who are going to propose soon, you must be wondering where you can get a 99-flowers bouquet! For mine, I got it from Bloom Room and they did a rather excellent job of designing the bouquet and wrapping it up. Well, I didn’t expect that a bouquet of 99 roses would be so huge and heavy but really, a 99-roses bouquet definitely adds a “WOW” factor to the proposal! I got the 99-roses bouquet at a rather decent price and many people whom asked me about it were so surprised that they asked me for their contact!

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012
From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

So, this is the story of my proposal and how it all went about. Well, I’m sure all of you would surely have your own story to tell too!

If you are interested in engaging the services of the vendors/suppliers that I engaged for my proposal, do feel free to contact me and drop me an email at melvinlee@awinsomelife.org

Stay tuned for my next blog entry as I share with you the details about the various vendors/suppliers whom I engaged for the proposal!

God bless!

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Official Thank You Note for Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

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Hello Everyone,
this is an Official, Sincere, and Heart-Felt Thank You Note to everyone whom attended Jacqueline’s 24th Birthday and Surprise Proposal Party!

As an individual, I am not really good at giving speeches as I mostly tend to give an overall view of a particular topic and may sometimes miss out on the more important minute details. Hence, this note serves to complement what I have shared during Jacqueline’s 24th Birthday and Surprise Proposal Party.
———-
Baby and I taking a photo with the Hello Kitty Walker before the start of the event

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

———-
First and foremost, I would like to thank my parents whom were really supportive of me in everything I do. If not for them, this event would not have been possible. In fact, they were the ones whom sponsored the entire food catering and I really felt blessed as it lightened the budget that I have allocated for the entire event.

To add on, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my siblings; Jacqueline’s sister and brother-in-law [Jasmine and Melvin]; my relatives [uncles, aunts, cousin]; and family friends [Mr. Ng and family] whom took the time off to grace this special occasion. Your presence has made this event a rather special and meaningful one and I really appreciate the thoughtful and kind gesture.
———-
Family Photo [with Parents, Siblings, Uncles, Aunts, and Cousin]

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

———-
Photo with Baby’s Sister and Brother-in-Law

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

———-
Photo with Mr. Ng and Family

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

———-
There are also a couple of people whom have contributed significantly to the event and I also want to show my appreciation to them. They are,

Ming Wei- for coordinating and assisting me in planning the proposal and birthday celebration

Calista- for burning her weekends to produce the awesome proposal video

Winnie- for assisting me with the bunny costume and the signing of the guestbook

Cheryl- for helping me out with the distribution of door-gifts and the signing of the guestbook

Xin Ying- for being the official event photographer

Wanli- for assisting me with the flower bouquet, proposal ring, and being the co-event photographer

I would also like to thank Yong Siang, Verene, Jing Yi, Kenny, Shu Yi, Shaun, Jun Xiang, Shane, Sihui, Chao Han, Chao Hong, and Xin Hui for being so helpful in every way that is possible so that the event can run smoothly.
———-
Group Photo with the Cellgroup

From Jacqueline’s Birthday and Proposal 2012

———-
In addition, here are the following suppliers and vendors whom have contributed to this memorable event as well and I would like to thank them for the efficient and attentive service that they have rendered. They are,

The Bloom Room; Sticky; Party Blasters; Pine Garden’s Cakes; Foodlink Catering, No. 1 Costume Costume, TeddyHub, and Meyson’s Jewellery.

That’s all for this thank you note and do check out my next blog post for more insights about Jacqueline’s 24th Birthday and Surprise Proposal Party!

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3 McDonald Land Hello Kitty Plush Toys Down! 1 More to Go~!

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Hello Everyone,
3 weeks ago, I put up a blog entry about the launch of McDonald’s Hello Kitty plush toys and since then, I have been receiving tons of queries asking if I have extra Hello Kitty plush toys.

Well, I’m sorry to say this but I absolutely do not have any extra Hello Kitty plush toys because the ones that I have are for my own personal collection.

As mentioned in my previous blog post, the McDonald Land Hello Kitty plush toys are expected to sell out really fast and hence the reason why I encouraged everyone to get them on the day of the launch. Well, for this particular week, the Ronald Hello Kitty will be available on Thursday [that is in 2 days time!] and it is the last of the Hello Kitty plush toy that you can collect to make it a complete set [provided that you have collected the Hamburglar Hello Kitty, the Grimace Hello Kitty, and the Birdie Hello Kitty“!

Here are 4 tips for you to secure your Ronald Hello Kitty this Thursday before it is sold out:

1). Go for a McDonald’s breakfast early in the morning on Thursday!
2). Dine at a McDonald’s restaurant that is not so crowded!
3). Go for a midnight McDonald’s supper on Wednesday!
4). Call for McDelivery lunch on Thursday if you ain’t free to dine at the restaurant!

From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012

Here’s my personal collection thus far. 3 down, 1 more to go! And yes, it is a perfect gift for any girl who loves Hello Kitty plush toys!

From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012

Hope this helps!

Stay tuned for more updates from us.

God bless!

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Launch of MacDonald’s Hello Kitty

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Hello Everyone,
thanks to OMY.SG and McDonald’s, I was privileged and honoured to be invited to an all-exclusive Hello Kitty Chill-Out Session just yesterday at the Alocassia Apartments McDonald’s Outlet!

From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012

Enjoying the Chill-Out Session with One Another!

From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012
From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012

As you can see, majority of the bloggers whom attended the event were ladies. Only William and I were the only “thorns” amongst the roses. =X

So what’s all this hype about?

Well, for you “Hello Kitty” fans out there, if you haven’t heard yet, limited edition McDonaldland Hello Kitty plush toys are coming soon to McDonald’s restaurants islandwide and if you’re an avid Hello Kitty Fan, you MUST check them out as they are only here for a limited time! I’m sure many of you would have remembered 12 years ago [year 2000], the Hello Kitty and Hello Daniel plushies that were dressed in wedding costumes of different cultures were literally selling like McDonald’s HotCakes and many people were just dying to get their hands on the plushies!

Remember these Hello Kitty and Hello Daniel plushies that were only available 12 years ago?

I’m sure you do remember the long queues of people queuing up just so that they can lay their hands on the Hello Kitty and Hello Daniel plushies!

This time round, McDonald’s introduces its first ever McDonaldland Hello Kitty plush toys featuring a series of four Hello Kitty characters each decked out in costumes that are inspired by McDonaldland characters! Each McDonaldland Hello Kitty plush toy is available at $3.60 each with every purchase of an Extra Value Meal and you are entitled to purchase only one toy with every Extra Value Meal purchased. If you just want to purchase the plushies separately, they will cost you $9! So, purchasing the plushies with the Extra Value Meal is more value-for-money than purchasing it separately!

In order of availability from left to right!

From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012

Hamburglar Hello Kitty available only from 17 May to 23 May [Yes, the Hamburglar Hello Kitty plushie is out tomorrow!]

From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012

Grimace Hello Kitty available only from 24 May to 30 May [this particular Hello Kitty plushie is by far my most favourite one because of its ultimate cuteness. I am so gonna get this one when it is out!]

From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012

See, you can even take off the hoodie [the top only] that Grimace Hello Kitty puts on.

From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012

Birdie Hello Kitty available from 31 May to 6 June

From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012

Ronald Hello Kitty available from 7 June to 13 June

From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012

Check me out! Yes, I am darn sure you readers are envious!

From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012
From McDonald Hello Kitty 2012

So…hurry and start collecting your McDonaldland Hello Kitty plushies from tomorrow onwards because it is while stocks last!

Stay tuned for our next blog entry about the McDonald’s Smoothlicious Smoothies!

God Bless!

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A Rather Fruitful Johor Bahru Trip

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Hello Everyone,
Baby and I recently went to Johor Bahru [JB] for a day trip and I must say, it was a really fruitful one as we [not really we, but rather I] bought loads of stuffs.

Here’s us fooling around with our Canon Powershot S100 before heading to the Woodlands Checkpoint.

Yes I’m trying really hard to act cute but it looks kinda wrong especially since I’m wearing the Superman shirt that the CG gave me for my birthday present.

From JB Trip 110512

Baby was trying to act sick and pale and she succeeded.

From JB Trip 110512

We parked our car at the nearby public carpark and it took us quite a while to walk to the Woodlands checkpoint. Seem so near but yet so far.

From JB Trip 110512

To start off the day, we had our usual lunch at our all-time favourite Hong Kong Cafe, Wong Kok Char Chan Teng, that is situated at City Square. Seriously, the service at Wong Kok Char Chan Teng is rather exceptional. We haven’t encountered any bad experiences so far and whenever we go to JB, it is a tradition that we always visit this fabulous Hong Kong Cafe. The price is rather affordable and the quality of the food is superb. Not only that, the portion size is huge~!

From JB Trip 110512

For those of you whom subscribes to auto-roaming. Don’t forget to turn off the mobile data/3G setting or else you might end up paying un-necessary money. Yes, I know I looked abit awkward fiddling with a pinkish iPhone.

From JB Trip 110512

Act Cute Take 2

From JB Trip 110512

Act Cute Take 3

From JB Trip 110512

This Passionfruit Tea is something to try. It’s large in portion and not very expensive too.

From JB Trip 110512

The normal Traditional Hong Kong Iced Milk Tea

From JB Trip 110512

My all-time classic favourite, Nissin Noodle with Luncheon Meat and Sunny Side-Up Egg

From JB Trip 110512
From JB Trip 110512

Baby ordered a Curry Pork Cutlet Rice served with Salad, Corn Soup, and Fruits. The Curry tasted quite authentic, spicy, and rather flavourful. The pork cutlet itself was also crispy and smooth.

From JB Trip 110512

Sweet and Sour Bacon Roll. It was our first time trying this and we must admit, we almost fainted when we saw the gigantic portion size. Nonetheless, the bacon roll was rather flavourful and its juices just oozes out upon chewing.

From JB Trip 110512

This is our all-time favourite Thick Peanut Butter Toast! Honestly, you can’t find this anywhere in Singapore and even if you do, it definitely can’t be as good as the thick toast at Wong Kok Char Chan Teng. In fact, we tried several “thick toasts” in Singapore and they just aren’t as thick and crispy as the ones we had at Wong Kok Char Chan Teng.

From JB Trip 110512

The total bill for lunch! It’s about $12 SGD per person!

From JB Trip 110512

So after lunch, we walked around City Square but unfortunately, due to the major renovation that they are undergoing, we decided to head down to KSL City instead. We took a cab and the journey cost us just $7RM.

Fatty Bom Bom Me!

From JB Trip 110512

Fair Lady!

From JB Trip 110512

Some City Scenery! Classic Ol’ Town Feel indeed!

From JB Trip 110512
From JB Trip 110512
From JB Trip 110512
From JB Trip 110512
From JB Trip 110512

Upon Reaching KSL City

From JB Trip 110512
From JB Trip 110512

And well, after all the shopping and eating, we journeyed back to Singapore and here are some photos we took along the journey back to Singapore Customs.

Baby bought the infamous Kueh Bahulu for my Mum.

From JB Trip 110512

Some highway/causeway shots.

From JB Trip 110512

Just as there were many cars that were waiting to cross the Malaysian border, there were just as many cars wanting to cross the Singaporean border as well. Peak hour jam they say.

From JB Trip 110512
From JB Trip 110512

Trying my best to shoot the City Skyline of Johor Bahru

From JB Trip 110512

As I’ve said. This JB trip was rather fruitful because Baby bought quite a number of stuffs for me! She bought me a rather classy Omega Seamaster Watch.

From JB Trip 110512

Yes, I know I’m hairy.

From JB Trip 110512

And she bought me an Armani Exchange T-Shirt!

From JB Trip 110512

So all in all, we had a rather fruitful JB trip and we just can’t wait to go down to JB again! Well, just a precaution though, when you visit JB, be wary of your surroundings. I am sure many of you would have heard of the various crimes happening in JB. Hence, if you’re planning a visit anytime soon, just be streetsmart and you should have an enjoyable time there.

Stay tuned for more updates from us!

God bless!

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Yamaha CPX-700 Semi-Acoustic/Electric Guitar For Sale!

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Hello Everyone,
I have a Yamaha CPX-700 Semi-Acoustic/Electric Guitar For Sale! The condition of the guitar is 9.5/10!

From Yamaha CPX 700 Shots
From Yamaha CPX 700 Shots

I am selling it for $650 (negotiable). Retail price for the guitar is $835.

The reason why I am selling this is because I am planning to upgrade to a new guitar.

You can see that the guitar is extremely well-maintained. Look at the well-polished shiny smooth surface.

From Yamaha CPX 700 Shots
From Yamaha CPX 700 Shots
From Yamaha CPX 700 Shots
From Yamaha CPX 700 Shots

The guitar comes with a pickup and a pre-amp tuner that runs on 9V battery as well.

From Yamaha CPX 700 Shots
From Yamaha CPX 700 Shots

If you are interested or know of anyone whom is interested, please kindly drop me an email at melvin.ocs@gmail.com. No trades please. I have people asking me if the guitar have any small “dings” a.k.a knocks and I can be brutally truthful here. There aren’t any noticeable “dings”/knocks. You can view my guitar personally to believe my word. In fact, the guitar itself looked as if it is just bought from the store.

From Yamaha CPX 700 Shots

In case you are wondering how the Yamaha CPX-700 Guitar sounds like, check out this youtube video.

On a side note that is entirely not related to guitar, here are some photos [nightshots] taken by Baby with the Canon Powershot S100 from my house. Credits also goes to Baby for the Yamaha CPX-700 Guitar photos.

From Yamaha CPX 700 Shots
From Yamaha CPX 700 Shots

Stay tuned for more updates from us!

God bless!

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