My new Speedo Water Shoe

I have always wanted a pair of watershoes that allow me to run and walk on the beach when I realise that there could be broken glasses and even needles from disposed syringes everywhere. Another bad experience was I actually stepped onto some dead jellyfish along Kuantan beach some years ago.

And I did not expect that I could find a cheap pair of water shoes from Speedo at Stupid Price and costs me only USD8 with tax included. They only had a pair of size 9and it fit me very well.

It was a small dream come thru - cheaply - for me.

My catch at Stupid Price!

Here are some of the catches I made in Stupid Price store in Summer 2008.
Sometime I did not want to buy because I need to wear them. I bought just because how the originals can be priced so low. The brands range from Dockers to Calvin Kline pains. And they are priced at around USD10 or less.

Just look out for the green tag items and you cannot go wrong with them.

Stupid Price!!!

If you are going to US for a shopping trip, this is a name that you must remember (and it is not difficult to remember at all): STUPID PRICE!

They are not everywhere but they have a great business model. Go to their website to find out how they are different from the rest of the stores. Everything are priced deeply low. And you can find just about anything you want there. And because they run cheap, the stores are usually small and all merchandizes are not organised too properly but I can tell they are doing their best to.

Now you do not expect a fantastic attentive customer service there like many other stores but still their service are still far better than those in Singapore premium stores. We should feel shameful here.

Yet they have great return policy - not moneyback but you are welcome to exchange other items an din different stores too.

So next time you are in US, do yourself a favour: go visit them and look for the top brands but pay at donkey price.

My new Columbia Beartooth in Mud/Gypsy Colour

Believe it or not, this is my first pair of Columbia product and it better be a pair of footwear. Known as Columbia Beartooth in Mud/Gypsy Colour, not only it loks good on the design but it is also very comfortable too. I put them on immediately and paid on the spot.

Got it at the Seattle Premium Outlet in the Quil Ceda Village
http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=71
where a shop would sell all shoes and display them not according to the brands but according to the sizes. Simple reason: shoes that were unsold in the other stores were shipped here in a central location and arranged accoridng to sizes and then to be sold at a reduced price.

I got my eyes on another pair of Columbia footwear initially just because it was priced at USD49.99 but I could not let go of this pair that I finally got but cost USD62.99.

Well it is still cheap compaired to what my local stores can offer so I put on and walked out immediately. It came with the standard version and the wide version and thanks to my damn gout problem, I now have a wider left foot and therefore have to choose the non-standard version. Both are priced the same.

A day later, I spotted another pair of the exact model at The Supermall in Auburn but only costs USD40 but they only have the standard size not the wide type. Without hesitation, I bought it with the intention to return this pair to the first store for a refund. Thanks to the wonderful superb customer service in the US that allowed me to exchange the item without question asked.

This experience not only saved me money but also let me personally experienced the super service in the America which I salute am thankful. Of course the only trouble is the travelling bit but thanks to my little bro who took me all the way back to the outlet to change them.

Wonderful wonderful wonderful shopping experience!!!

Now here's some note that I like to document down on my new footwear.

1. Active temperature rating:
Temperature ratings are approximations based on high activity levels and can be affected by many conditions, including weather, wearer's activity level, fitness, metabolism, perspiration, circulation, exposure time, clothing andcold sensitivity.
(well sounds like common sense but made into some hard theory.)

2. Care Instructions:
Remove loose soil with nylon brush. Wipe surface with damp cloth and mild soap. Air dry away from direct heat. Do not machine wash. Avoid solvent-based waterproofing aplications on all waterproof footwear.
(ok sounds rather practical but I would nottake the trouble of going all out to maintain my shoes anyway.)

I am ready for my next tracking experience with my new pair of shoes while my other pair of Rockport is not abou tto die anytime yet.

My new Adidas FZ 3S Hoody 6 (Medgrehea/Darnavy)

Why does it has to show up so late?
I have been wanting to buy something like that for a long time and have been searching for years and could hardly find any.
I hate to advertise for any brands so I usually like it plain on the chest.
But since it is an Adidas and has it's logo on the left chest, well, I thought that it fine.
Got it at the Adidas outlet in my last trip to Seattle in Summer 2008.
Regular price set at USD50 but they are offering USD39.99.
Yet I could buy the second piece for a 50% discount.
Without hesitation, I bought one for Jia who took the trouble to send me there.
I have to choose Medium size for myself and Small for Jia.

Size M in the US term is 38"-40" Chest, 32"-34" Waist, and 31" Inseam.

mmm...too bad, don;t have the picture here.
The famous three dark strips makes me look like a Sergeant in military rank.
Everything else is in MEDGREHEA colour.
The ideal hoody would be just plain MEDGREHEA with full zip.

My new Nephew

Aiden - this little guy that made my summer in Seattle a wonderful stay. Born in 2007 November, he is a scorpio just like me. Forget about what the almanac says but I think we have something in common. Curious, get bored with the same old toy quickly, always wanting to explore new stuff. Loves freedom and not locked in a little baby cot. Cheerful cos he would smile all day and considerate because he would not wake up his mum when he can. And even when he is complaining, he only cry lightly instead of yelling out loud that usually irritate people a lot. So when a nice baby like that cries, he is actually winning a lot more attention than other babies. And he makes like easy for his mum and da cos he hardly wakes up in the middle of the night. Once he is fed sufficiently, he would just go off and sleep all night like adult. It has to be the most wonderful baby that I have yet to find among those that I have come across.

Bak Kut Teh Deals

Just visited the Ng Ah Sio Bak Kut Teh at the Rangoon Road yesterday.
It is meant to be a famous stall but now that I have tried Ah Hua Bak Kut Teh along Keppel Road, I have to admit that the latter is truly a better value for money - not only that it tastes better.

Once taken Ah Hua's Bak Kut Teh, my head will soon perspire thanks to the rich amount of pepper used in the soup. What's more - they keep topping up your soup free of charge while Ng Ah Sio seems rather stingy about adding more soup.

Price-wise, Ng Ah Sio's costs S$5.50 for a miserable amount of ribs or Bak Kut.

I would still go back to Ah Hua's from now on.