Why I'm happy to be a Maxis customer

When I owned my first mobile phone, I started off with that other service provider - Celcom. (You know, their latest promotional gimmick is "A Great Sale". I don't understand the concept of a telephone service provider having a sale. It's like, what's there to have sales about?) Coverage was so-so but the bills were really costly every month for a single user.

That's when the family decided to consolidate all lines under a single service provider. Not only would it be cheaper, it would also be logistically easier - Dad was on Maxis, Mom was on DiGi and I was on Celcom. We also liked the idea of "free" calls between family lines la.

Since my mobile phone got stolen recently, I had to go and get myself a replacement SIM card. Since the line was registered under Dad, I couldn't do it on my own but needed to have a letter of authorization plus a copy of his NRIC. Armed with the necessary documents, I went to the Maxis Centre in Taman Tun Dr. Ismail (TTDI). Why TTDI when I don't stay in the area? I was already there mah. *wink*

Firstly I was stunned at the number of people there at 2pm on a Saturday afternoon. It was like our gah-men office... that many people and some small overflow outside as people went in and people left. I mentally prepared myself for a long wait and stepped inside. Did ya know that Maxis has these nice customer service people to open the doors for you and greet you? Well, now you do. And it was a nice feeling, I tell ya. It could've been a bit better if they actually directed n00bs like me to the right counter, but can't blame them for that.

Stopped by the customer service counter and explained to the staff there that I wanted to get a replacement SIM card. He gave me a number - there were three in line ahead of me. Hardly had I put down my laptop, took out my camera and snapped this quick pic (that's like only 1/5 of the people milling around), they called my number! Within the space of 2 minutes! I was impressed. Of course, it also helps that they had like 10 counters open at the same time, helping to move the people along quickly, like factory processing.

Went to my assigned counter, produced my documents to the lady there. She only asked for my NRIC to verify that I was the sub-line owner specified in my dad's letter of authorization, click here click there then she gave me my new replacement SIM card, telling me that it would be activated in 2 hours time. So efficient and fast!

Earlier before I went to the Maxis Centre, I had called the Maxis Hotline to verify the type of documents I needed to ask for the replacement SIM card, and the customer service personnel there had mentioned a replacement fee of RM25 for the SIM card. So when I got the new SIM card, I asked the lady if I needed to pay for it. Her reply:

"No need to pay one. We normally issue replacement SIM card for free."

You say nice or not? :o) I was very happy to hear that and even happier that the whole trip to Maxis Centre took me less than 10 minutes total in and out. So, I'm very happy to remain as a Maxis customer!

Bamboo as clothing

I was surfing the Net and happened upon this very interesting concept of bamboo as clothing! Who would imagine that bamboo could be turned into wearable and comfortable clothing? The fibre cloth made from bamboo is all natural, breathable and has outstanding anti-bacterial and moisture wicking qualities but yet is soft enough for babies. It's interesting to read how the clothing is made, and I like the fact that bamboo clothing may be the most environmentally friendly and "green" clothing choice around.

I am thinking of getting myself a bamboo fibre t-shirt to try. But I'm more partial to the Bamboo Original camisole, which looks super trendy and comfortable. What say you?

Metrojaya Pre Stock Take Sales

I popped into the Metrojaya stores last week to check out their month-long Pre Stock Take Sales and have to say that I came away quite impressed with the range of discounts given. Some brands were going at prices up to 70% off whilst other similar departmental stores were selling the same thing for just 50% off. I grabbed some good deals, but missed out on others due to sizing issues. *grin* But all in all, I think this is one sale you should check out!

Earn more with Snapbomb

Did you know that you can earn money with your blog? Advertisers are now looking to create marketing buzz by using bloggers to promote or review their products and services. It's a new phenomenon known as blog marketing. Those bloggers who want to make money would have heard of or joined some of the more well known outfits out there like PPP (who was one of the first).

Well, there is a new kid on the blog called Snapbomb. And let me tell you that using the Snapbomb interface is so simple and user-friendly that even the most new blogger would find it a snap to register their blogs. All it takes is a simple two step process of signing-up for an account and registering your blog before you can start bidding for opportunities that you can write about. I was up and running within 5 minutes.

Snapbomb even takes the work out of wondering how much you can make per post with their system of listing out how much you can earn per opportunity with each blog so that you can pick the best blog for you!

So, why don't you try out Snapbomb and see for yourself how easy it is to earn with your blog?

Get a free Clinique sample

I cannot resist free stuff, and when the free stuff happens to be branded, there's just no excuse for not picking it up, is there? *grin*

Clinique Malaysia is giving out free deluxe samples (15ml) of their famed 3-Step system to those who are willing to leave some details with them - Name, NRIC number, mobile phone number and email address. Click here to register yourself for the free sample, which is available at only selected Clinique counters in the Klang Valley and is valid for redemption until 23 January 2008.

I've never tried Clinique before but have heard good reports about it, so I shall be off to pick up my samples real soon!

Tommee Tippee for baby and you

I don't have children of my own right now, but I do look forward to the time when I do and I'm learning all I can by being an observer of my close friends and their babies. I'm quite lucky in the sense that their children are close in age - all under two right now - so I sometimes join in the mommies group as they trade tips and tricks on bringing up baby.

One of the hot topics in the beginning was breastfeeding. I now know that it's a tough challenge to want to breastfeed your baby as long as possible and even more so when you're a working mother. Their stories of trying to find time to express milk in the office have made me think twice about what I want to do when the time comes, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Then after the breastfeeding time there has to be a time of weaning and that's another huge responsibility for mommy. The transition from a purely milk diet to semi-solids and then solids can be a trying time for some, like my friend whose daughter seems to prefer milk over any kinds of solids. I do believe she's tried nearly every trick in the book - from tricking her baby with different types of food and tastes to cajoling and even buying pretty cute bibs and cutleries to tempt her toddler to eating instead of demanding for milk.

I personally like the Tommee Tippee range of cute bibs and sipper cups and the toddler weaning kit seems to be the perfect pressie for the special little one in your life. Why Tommee Tippee? Well, they've been UK's leading baby accessories brand from over 50 years and hey, I used stuff from them when I was a babe too. It's a pity that it isn't more readily available in Malaysia, but if you can get your hands on 'em elsewhere, I'd definitely recommend you do so.

Malaysia Year End Sale (2007)

We (Malaysia) wanna be known as a better shopping paradise than our Northern and Southern neighbours so we have nationwide sales thrice yearly. Of course, we must end the year with a big bang, so some brilliant chap came out with the Malaysia Year End Sale (2007 edition). That is great news for locals and tourists alike because that means sales, sales and more sales. And sales mean discounts! *grin*

Photo credit to shoppingnsales

Beyond the normal sales discounts, tourists can get additional privileges by showing their passports and selected shopping malls will have later closing hours. So shopoholics, get your shoes and wallets ready and shop til you drop!

Do you shop til you drop?

I saw this quickie quiz on my shopping buddy Giddy Tiger's site and naturally, I couldn't resist taking it too. I don't think the results are that accurate for me because...

You're a Window Shopper!

You know that shopping's a blast, but you prefer to save your money You hardly ever give into an impulse buy, unless it's a total steal You've always got the most money of your friends - and you never have to borrow And you've got a nice wardrobe too ... of classic pieces that last years!

Do You Shop More Than Most Women?

~ I window shop a lot. A whole lot. Like every Saturday and Sunday I do nothing more than haunt the shopping malls. Which in turn leads to temptation to buy stuff that I don't need.

~ So yes, I do impulse buy stuff on a regular basis but hey, they're always total steals! I never pay full market price if I can help it.

~ Hurhurhur. I shall take it as a prophecy that I have got the most money of my friends and that I'll never have to borrow to shop.

~ Yes, my wardrobe is full of classic pieces that I can wear for donkey years, which made my mother comment that I have the wardrobe of a 40 year old. Ha!

The new Nokia N82

Have I found my new love? I know it's a little too soon, seeing as how I got my Nokia N80 baby in August and am honor bound to keep on using it for at least a year... but just reading about the specs of this latest phone from Nokia on Colbert's blog makes me drool and sets my heart aflutter with anticipation. I can't wait to see the real thing once it's launched...

Everyday Minerals Multi-Tasking Concealer

Yes, after so long, I finally got down to checking out my mineral makeup purchase from Everyday Minerals. I was somewhat thwarted from initial plans to review it straightaway by a minor breakout on my cheeks, so I decided to err on the side of caution and wait until it had subsided before I tried out something new on my skin.

So far I've only test run one product - the Multi-Tasking Concealer - and am glad to say that my experience is quite alright. As mineral makeup comes in loose powder form, I first had to get myself a proper tool. It so happened that I was at an Elianto cosmetics stall so I picked up their Foundation Brush (which I hope to review later on) as it seemed to be the right size for the teeny tiny Everyday Minerals pot. Getting the mineral powder onto the brush in the right amounts proved to be a little tricky at first as there is a secondary tray under the lid of the pot. I got around this by shaking it upside-down with the lid screwed on tight then sweeping the brush around the tray to pick up the mineral powder. Perhaps a little powderpuff would have worked better for me, but that's just my opinion.

The mineral powder is pretty fine and the foundation brush worked like a charm to pick it up and dust it onto my face. I'm not much of a makeup fan, preferring to go natural where possible and also keep the appearance of having applied any makeup at all to a bare minimum, so my routine was pretty simple. Dust on the Multi-Tasking Concealer where needed, apply a slight touch of blush to the cheeks, draw in my brows (a must for Asians, unfortunately) and a light touch of lipgloss and I'm good to go. The mineral powder went on quite well, and didn't show up as glaringly as my Maybelline loose powder used to do in the facial lines besides the nose and under the eyes. In fact, you could hardly tell that it was there. I still had a bit of redness and spots from the breakout and perhaps because it's a concealer (I've yet to try it in conjunction with the foundation powder), it did work quite well in minimizing the redness and covering up the spotty areas. But I do qualify my statement by saying that it wasn't a really bad breakout, just bad enough to be visible without any concealment.

The color of the concealer seems to suit my skin tone well - I could hardly tell that I was wearing any make-up on. However it should be considered that I didn't really layer it on, just a light dusting all over and a little more on the red spot area on my cheek. So far so good and I'm going to try the other foundation colors next!