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Joy: "Look Pa, I found these free mini plastic bags from the ladies' toilet we can use for anything on our road trip."
Me: "Why you take the bags for disposing women's sanit—… never mind."
Turns out the little bags make fine trash bins in the car as we drive around France.
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Singapore Police pose garang-ly in front of… cans of paint belonging to graffiti vandals they caught.
Fierce siol.
I joke about that garang police photo but I tell you, those two German vandal morons deserve it. They thought can fly away and escape but kena caught in the end.
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This is the five-port 10.6A USB charger I use when I travel. It saves me from a lot of headaches when the hotel room has only ONE power point. But thankfully the hotel we were staying in in Paris had more power points.
We didn't stay in Paris for long, just one night. We drove off to Caen after one day here. We will be back after we finish our road trip. It's our final leg.
We had to rent two 7-seater MPVs to carry 11 of us and or luggage. Thankfully they came with GPS built in so we didn't need to pay for that. We did add an €11-a-day Hertz mifi router with unlimited 4G internet, one for each car. That way we all had Internet and could Whatsapp group chat between the cars.
We did manage to make it to the Eiffel Tower on our first night here though. The wife and I just had to do a default lovey couple photo in front of the Eiffel.
Our gang saw the queue and didn't bother going up. We just enjoyed the view from below. So pretty, the Eiffel Tower is at night.
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This is our packing for a 15-Day trip to France with my brood. It is winter there so we are packing more warm clothing for the kids and the wife (we are Equator dwellers, so our bodies aren't as acclimatized to cold weather).
Still, I am rather pleased with how efficiently we managed to pack.
My clothes are in the Aeronaut 30 (weight: 6kg, about 13 lbs). This includes all the jackets and sweater consisting of Icebreaker merino wool stuff, Uniqlo down jacket and a Columbia softshell.
My camera gear and iPad Air are in the Co-Pilot. I am debating whether to take the Night Flight Travel Duffel instead. It has double the capacity of the Co-Pilot but the latter is more compact.
My two younger ones age 9 and 11 carrying the Synapse 19 backpacks. The Synapse 19s contain their winter wear and one set of spare clothes. About 2.5kg (5.5lbs). I reckoned they should be able to handle that load. Their school bags are already more than double that weight (weight is a problem with SIngapore school bags, kids carry way too much). The key is to ensure that they have something to wear the moment we touch down. So even we lose our one checked luggage, or it is delayed, they still have a set of clothes and all their winter wear.
Faith isn't going on this trip, and is staying home with my mom. Her sensory issues don't deal with 13-hour flights very well. But Mom is taking her to Malaysia for a 4-day road trip with our helper. So she will have a ball.
I gave the missus the Dyneema Aeronaut 45, the bag on the far right. She has most of her clothes in there. About 6kg (13lbs) too. The bag is like a cave, swallowing all her belongings. This carry-on legal bag can be carried by the handle, by slinging or by the hidden backpack straps. The wife carried it backpack-style to leave her hands free to handle the kids.
We have one checked luggage. The mid-sized suitcase is carrying the balance of the kids' clothes, some toiletries and cosmetics that belong to the wife that won't pass the TSA 3-1-1 test (one does not argue with the wife about her toiletries and makeup) and the wife's high boots.
I tried suggesting that the wife wear the boots on the plane but she wanted to wear something lighter. Again, one does not question the wife when it comes to what fashion is needed on a trip. Hey, it's Paris, she wants her boots, she gets to pack it.
Not too bad for a family trip for half a month. We used to pack at least three suitcases for something like this.
And you don't realize how OCD you are until you are responsible for packing not just your own stuff but for the family. Color-coordinated packing cubes anyone?
I made a pre-trip run to NTUC Fairprice before we left. One must always have the right meds and other random stuff like Travel Wash and wet tissues. I usually use Dr Bronner's liquid soap for my own travel washing but I thought this time, I'd try the Dylon one for the family.
It is the first time the kids are on such long flight (13 hours!) and going to somewhere this cold. They asked me if the movies on the plane are free and if the meals are free too. They are used to budget flights where everything is extra. I explained to them that the stuff on this flight isn't "free" per se, just included in the price.
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Comet landing? Singapore aims higher!
Download or listen via the Soundcloud player above or the mrbrown server below:
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YouTube link: http://mrbrwn.co/116j5Vz
The music video of our Under Happy song. We know it isn't very pro because we shot thing on a whim and with an iPhone 6 Plus. Don't be Unhappy with us, ok? At most, be Under Happy.
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A National Workplace Happiness Survey says that Singapore's overall workplace happiness falls into the band "Under Happy", between "Unhappy" and "Happy". So we thought of Pharrell's song. And shot the whole thing on an iPhone 6 Plus.
Download or listen via the Soundcloud player above or the mrbrown server below:
Play "the mrbrown show: Under Happy"
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I read in the news that in a National Workplace Happiness Survey, Singapore's overall workplace happiness index is 59, which falls into the band "Under Happy", between "Unhappy" & "Happy".
This made me Over Sad, so I went on Twitter to start the #UnderHappy hashtag.
1. @mrbrown: Bak Chor Mee came with one less meatball. #UnderHappy
2. @kuekj: Bak Chor Mee, no ter kwa! #UnderHappy
3. @mrbrown: Boss just bought a Lamborghini after announcing this year no bonus. #UnderHappy
4. @mrbrown: "Realistic and correct salaries" for "morally upright" ministers. #UnderHappy
5. @frhn: Managed to board SMRT. Personal space violated and guy beside me has bad breath. #UnderHappy
6. @polarpaws_: Finding the last clean and dry pair of underwear when out on field camp. #UnderHappy #UnderWearHappy
7. @vinyarb: Thirsty, but Dao Huey Zui too hot. #UnderHappy
8. @mrbrown: On the ball during BMT to go to OCS, kena SAFINCOS. (Ok, it's called SISPEC now. I am old. Update: I am told it is now SCS.) #UnderHappy
9. @shunoski: My ban mian never put anchovies. #UnderHappy
10. @mrbrown: Just bought an iPad Mini with Retina Display. iPad Mini 3 with Touch ID announced. #UnderHappy
11. @mrbrown: Whipped cream on my Frappacino when I told them no whip. #UnderHappy
12. @mrbrown: Barista spelled my name wrong on my latte. #UnderHappy
13. @rasuanta: Barista spelled my name correctly on my frappe. Cannot instagram. #UnderHappy
14. @weilien: Finding the last available stall in a public bathroom, but it's a squat toilet. #UnderHappy
15. @mrbrown: Paid 10 cents to enter a public toilet. Toilet looks like shit. #UnderHappy
16. @mrbrown: Wife ate the food before you could Instagram it. #UnderHappy
17. @mrbrown: The ice in your Teh Si Peng melted before the drink became cold. #UnderHappy
18. @ErvinHan: Normal is too sweet. Siu Dai is not sweet enough. #UnderHappy
19. @marcdnair: Tapao food, forget to take spoon. #UnderHappy
20. @brianistic: Boss say leave cannot bring forward next year and no cash out, must clear by this year #UnderHappy
21. @marcdnair: Receive camera as birthday present, but win the same model last week in office lucky draw. #UnderHappy
22. @marcdnair: Got cash voucher, but only valid in one ulu outlet. #UnderHappy
23. @nyithetnyi: If Pharrell had grown up in Singapore. #UnderHappy
24. @mr_wilson95: Not all pieces of chicken on my roast chicken rice had the skin on them. #UnderHappy
25. @mrbrown: The vending machine still doesn't accept the new Singapore coins. And that's all you have. #UnderHappy
26. @mrbrown: Ordered Teh Si Siu Siu Dai, kopitiam auntie made it Siu Dai. #UnderHappy
27. @furryphotos: Leave house, phone at 50%, no power bank #UnderHappy
28. @mrbrown: Brought Powerbank for iPhone. Didn't bring Lightning cable. #UnderHappy
29. @ErvinHan: Tons of 'Likes' on Carousell but no offer. #UnderHappy
30. @mrbrown: Friend spams Carousell posts on your Facebook Feed. #UnderHappy
31. @mrbrown: The state of the S-League. #UnderHappy
32. @furryphotos: Made #UnderHappy joke but @mrbrown already did it earlier.
33. @mrbrown: Harass and scam customers, then online parody site posts your cringeworthy shirtless photos on Facebook. #UnderHappy
34. @mrbrown: Bus app says "3 MIN" but bus already "ARR". #UnderHappy
35. @DanielFoodDiary: 2nd in line. Person in front tabao 2 dozen packets #UnderHappy
36. @MrFoxxie: Want to change fries to onion rings at BK, no more onion rings. #UnderHappy
37. @syuk_cookie: After a 12 hours night shift,need to attend another 3 hours 'work life balance' course #UnderHappy
38. @MothershipSG: Ask real Indian foreign workers act #underhappy at fake riot. #UnderHappy
39. @marcdnair: First in class but report card says got room for improvement. #UnderHappy
40. @weilien: Someone praises you in the comments on Instagram but, for some reason, doesn't "Like" your picture. #UnderHappy
41. @amirulhsbm: Want to think of #UnderHappy jokes but can't think of any. #UnderHappy
42. #UnderHappy is the new #Sianhalf
43. @mrbrown: Ordered Mee Kia. Gave me Mee Pok. #UnderHappy
44. @mrbrown: No one understood your hipster-ironic t-shirt. #UnderHappy
45. @mrbrown: #UnderHappy is the Singaporean employee's Whatever.
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YouTube link: http://mrbrwn.co/1xlMBCr
I meet Producer Roy Conli, Directors Don Hall and Chris Williams in Tokyo, and ask them about Big Hero 6. And I also find out what they think about our national airline.
Watch the trailer here: http://youtu.be/p5oiw1Zn_Xo
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I do not know when a visit to the neighborhood GP went from an average of $28 to what is now $52. Don't fall sick in Singapore. Can die one.
What went up for doctors? Rent? Staff salaries? Cost of antibiotics?
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YouTube link: http://youtu.be/8lYRxA6RhjA
I was at the red carpet of the 27th Tokyo International Film Festival, and caught a glimpse of many stars, including Arashi, Festival Muse Miki Nakatani and the team from Disney's Big Hero 6.
Watch out for my interview with the Big Hero 6 team, coming soon!
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Buyer beware, when you shop in Singapore's IT paradise!
Download or listen via the Soundcloud player above or the mrbrown server below:
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Ok, I am sorry that you caused me inconvenience.
[via my friend Jason]
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18 complaints against this Sim Lim Square shop and nothing is done.
This Sim Lim Square case shows you that the Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) is still a useless and toothless organization that can't even deal with the random chow Ah Beng.
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This is Kim Jong-Un on some PR visit to an orphanage. Some brave soul decided to add a little photobomb into the scene. You would miss it if someone didn't point it out to you.
[via http://mrbrwn.co/1piUTem]
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