Parking in Singapore, and Everything In Between (Not Just for the Noobs)

I have recently been slapped with a few annoying parking fines within 2 weeks. And I HARDLY drive the van can... Somehow I will always put like $5 to $6 worth of coupons if I'm going to be somewhere for quite a while (White lots), and then I will be a little late (like, 15 min, half hour, occasionally a little over an hour) to find that #%^&%!%$#^ white slip on my windscreen that makes me wanna go KNNJDCYDCCB #$%^~%$ and kick the parking attendant.

Me? Violent? I don't mind donating money to charity you know, but ask me to pay $20 to the government when they're already eating up so much money from ERP charges and COEs (that's WITHOUT solving the traffic congestion issues, mind you...), kuh jia sai. 

So I got fed up, and decided to nose around the HDB site to see if there's an easier way of paying for parking (instead of having your dashboard filled with 15 purple 50-cent coupons), in carparks which have not yet utilised the EPS (cashcard system).

I was amazed at how many types of coupons there were.....

Before I go on about the coupons, I think I'll go a little into how HDB/URA carparks work. This info should come in useful for drivers who have JUST gotten their licence, or actually, first time drivers and car owners.

For motorbikes, I'll cover in brief (look out for the purple text), because I'll do a separate post purely Bike-relevant. ;)

If the carparks are using EPS (Electronic Parking System), easy. Just make sure your cashcard has sufficient funds before you leave. A safe amount to top up each time for a car cashcard (it's the same cashcard with cars and bikes la...just that it's easier to make references like that) would be $50. I remember before I bought my bike and was driving my little red car (I've had this thing for red vehicles...every single one of my vehicles have been red so far...lol) a $50 cashcard would barely cover a week. Yah...shiong...I know...with the increased ERP charges and somehow-no-longer-per-entry charges on weekends for many shopping mall carparks, I think you'll be seeing the cashcard top-up machine quite often, EVEN with a $50 credit on your card. 

 

Bikers, some of these carparks are kinda troublesome, they require you to manually insert your cashcard and will deduct payment UPON ENTRY. An example would be the Cairnhill Carpark beside Heeren off Bideford Road, and Bugis Junction. So make sure your cashcard always has sufficient funds BEFORE you leave for your destination. 

For me, I find that a cashcard with $20 can last me a good 2-3 months, assuming I don't go to town that often, and don't usually in these automated carparks unless I don't have a choice. Tell you why later.

One easy way of not having to top up your cashcard so often, is to link your IU with your credit card, using MotorPay. This is EXTREMELY useful if you're the forgetful sort who will often kena fined simply because you forgot to insert your cashcard, or if your IU doesn't have the cover. Most car owners with IU w/o cover will remove their cashcards after they park, and often when they drive out the next time, will forget to insert the cashcard. Unless it's a Sunday, ALWAYS have your cashcard in the IU. With more ERP gantries popping up at unexpected places, and them shifting the gantries around, you'll never know if you'll go pass one. 

As I was saying, link the IU with your credit card. So even if you forget to insert the cashcard or CEPAS-compliant card (more on that later), it doesn't matter. The ERP gantries will detect your IU when you pass under them, and the IU will only reflect how much has been deducted. The charges go direct to your credit card, and you pay at the end of the month when your credit card bill coms. Convenient? 

You don't know this service exists? *tsk tsk tsk*

Okay first and foremost, ensure you have the following:

• A valid Visa/Mastercard with at least 9 months' validity before its expiry date. (Any change in your card details means you have to terminate and re-register for the service.)
• Your Vehicle Number (What is it??? Duh!!!! That number on your carplate!)
• The 10-digit IU number (usually there'll be a sticker
• ID of the Registered Vehicle Owner

Your vehicle MUST have an IU installed at all times. All locally-registered cars come with one, so not too difficult, isn't it? Just make sure it is a WORKING IU, otherwise it's as good as not having one.

Registration is limited to 2 vehicles per registered user. If you have 10 cars at home, get your family members to help. If you are a boss of some bigshot company, get the authorized drivers' to register and claim from you when the bill comes. This kinda stuff dunnid me to teach la huh?

Next, you will need a Telemoney account for this service. If you already have a Telemoney account, you will need to log in to register your vehicle. So go to www.motorpay.com.sg to do that.

Instructions are all there. I'll leave that to you.

Bike owners can register for this service too la...but come on, our ERP charges are hardly ever more than $2 (that's considered expensive already). Usually it's what, 25cents? 50 cents? 


 Alternatively, if you're not gonna register for MotorPay for some reason, and you see an ERP gantry but cannot freaking find your cashcard, or your cashcard has insufficient funds, try to see if you have the new EZ-link card. If your car is a new car bought after early 2009, it should be using the new Dual-Mode IU, and can read CEPAS-compliant cards. The new EZ Link card is one such card.

See the ERP sign behind the card? Yeah, that means you can stick this card into the Dual-Mode IU and pass through ERP gantries. The gantries will just deduct value from the card.

So, sending your kid to school in the morning and you see an ERP gantry in the distance and your cashcard has insufficient value? Get your kid to pass you his EZ-link card (supposing it HAS sufficient value) and insert it into your IU. Hallelujah~ ^.^

Actually, any card with the CEPAS sign should work. ;) I think.

Okay, back to parking. I was talking about what huh? Oh okokok!!! EPS carparks! *scatterbrained*

Supposing it's not an EPS carpark, you'll need coupons. Yes, almost every white/yellow lot you see on the roads are HDB/URA parking lots. And they require you to tear coupons. (and then throw them out the door when one leg is outside the car while you're tearing the coupons. Admit it!!! LOL!!!)

White lots: 50 cents per half hour. Can be whole day, or from 7am to 10:30pm, or from 10:30am to 5pm. Look for the signboard which will usually be seen around these carparks.

Yellow lots: $1 per half hour. The most commonly seen in CBD areas. These yellow lots "become" white lots after 5pm and on Sundays and PHs, meaning parking becomes 50 cents per half hour. But please always check the signboard to double-confirm. 

Red lots: These lots are STRICTLY reserved for Season Parking Ticket holders. You park there without a valid SPT, you ho seh liao. Get prepared to be fined. Understood? 

Well unless you're parking in an EPS carpark. Carpark attendants don't really check those. Take your risk with the red lots. Kena don't come to me.

Season Parking tickets are for long-term parking at specific HDB carparks (i.e you stay there) so you don't have to display parking coupons. You just need to display the Season Parking Ticket disc, also known as the RFID tag, that is unique to yor vehicle.

Display this on your windscreen hor. Using some decal la.

How to apply for Season Parking?

Click here if it's the normal HDB coupon carpark. If it's the EPS carpark, click here.

(This is not the main point of my post la, so go and read it yourself okay.)

There's also such a thing as Family Season Parking Ticket okay. If you already have an SPT for your own residential carpark and want to get one for your Mum's place, you can do so at 50% off the usual price. If you visit family members, especially parents, a lot, even on Weekdays, do consider this as an alternative to tearing coupons.

Red and White (Bi-coloured) lots:  These lots are reserved for Season Parking Ticket holders between 7pm and 7am daily OR 7pm to 7am on Monday to Saturday and whole day on Sunday and Public Holidays. Reason? The residents staying there will come home after work right? Then if everyone parks there because they're there to makan (classic eg - Holland Village), the residents park where?

Yah you get my point. So non SPT holders, only park at these red n white lots between 7am to 7pm, Mondays to Saturdays. Sundays? Look for other coloured lots.

The whole point of this post actually was to share with you my discovery of the many types of coupons out there and stuff you may not know about coupon parking. But I've gone and shared with you all the other things above. Because I know there are drivers who are clueless about these things, and new drivers who may find the information useful.

I very helpful hor? You're welcome. 小事啦~ *waves hand casually*  ;)

Okay here comes my main point. LOL~!!! 

(在作文这叫严重离题...hahah~ You can also call this beating one huge round around the bush... *blush*)

Okay these are the most common ones you've seen right? The ones in 50-cent, $1, and $2 denominations. They come in booklets, and can easily be purchased at:

• NTUC Fair Price
• Singapore Post
• Selected Petrol Kiosks
• 7-Eleven
• The URA Centre service counter
• Any HDB Branch Office
• Any appointed sales outlets

Have you seen these?

 They come in $3 and $4 denominations too!!!!

You use them like you would a normal coupon, just that you tear less of them, thus reducing the hassle of tearing many coupons. For the $4, this is a normal day coupon. 

Do not confuse it with the $4 night coupon:

If you want to stay overnight at your boyfriend/girlfriend/whatever friend/relative's house, display this. This is valid from 10:30pm to 7am the next morning. So yes, between that time, parking is capped at $4 for valid HDB overnight parking carparks, so don't go and tear like 17 of the 50c coupons (8.5 hours). 

Tip: If you think you're not going to wake up at 7am and leave, do place additional valid coupons from 7am onwards. If you forget/oversleep, be prepared to pay a $30 fine.

Yes, experience talk. I kena before... *mumble mumble*

Whether or not that carpark allows night parking, you can check the signboard at the entrance of the carpark.

There are carparks which don't allow night parking for non SPT holders. You will usually see this sign:

Coupon parking until 10:30pm.

Then comes the interesting discovery...did you know that White-Lot Parking (those you normally see at HDB areas, 50c per half hour kinda lots) is Capped at $10 per day?

Did you know??? I didn't know! 

So if you think you're going to be somewhere for a WHOLE day, like, even overnight, you don't need to put soooooooo many coupons for every hour you park! 

YOU JUST NEED ONE $10 COUPON FOR ONE ENTIRE DAY, UP TO 24 HOURS!

 The $10 coupon, and comes in light brownish colour.

OMG this is a discovery I think I should share with all you drivers out there.

 Yes, parking at white lots is capped at $10 per day, and is valid from 7am of that particular day to 7am the next day!

The $10 coupon is only valid for the specific day it was torn for, and includes overnight parking for that day, if the carpark allows Night Parking. Which means you don't need to tear an additional $4 overnight coupon once you've displayed the $10 one!

Okay example: You come to my house for a slumber party. (Not that I actually hold any of those.) You reach my place at, say, 10am today. So just tear one $10 coupon and display it on your dashboard. Neat. And then you decide you might stay until tomorrow 12noon. So on top of the $10 coupon, you'll tear an additional $5 worth of coupons for 7am till 12noon. (It's $1 per hour for white lots.) 

 Okay some coupon-tearing basics: You can tear them in running order. 

E.g using 50c coupons, you tear coupons for 7am, 7:30am, 8am, 8:30am and so on. 

OR 

You can tear them all starting from the same time. 

E.g tear all $5 worth of coupons starting from 7am.

How about parking in CBD areas where yellow lots are concerned? 

Use this - the $16.50 coupon. Yellow lots cost $2 per hour to park. If you've never known this before today, thank me for saving you money from excessive (unnecessary) coupon-tearing.

This one takes you anywhere, as long as it is a valid coupon parking lot, and works the same way as the $10 coupon. Travelling Singapore a lot today and not sure how long you'll stay at each location?  This one solves your parking woes.

There are $300 monthly coupons and $460 monthly coupons available too! (My jaw dropped with each discovery. Not sure if the same is happening to you.)

 This works just like the $10 coupon, except that it's valid for the entire month.

And this works like the $16.50 coupon, for one month.

Not sure who would need these, but I'm sure there will be, since such coupons exist. Delivery men? Or people doing sales? Maybe. Keep this in mind okay? ;)

Now, the common denomination coupons such as the 50c, $1, $2, $4 Overnight ones are easily available from the places mentioned earlier in the post. I'm not so sure about the $3 and $4 day coupons, they're not so common, but I'm sure some of these places do carry them.

For the Full Day coupons ($10 & $16.50) and Monthly coupons ($300 & $460), they can only be purchased from any HDB Branch Office or URA Centre.

Oh, and this is extra information: What to do if your unused coupons are expired? (2003-2008 but it's now 2011).

You can actually exchange expired/outdated parking coupons containing at least one segment of the tabs intact (with no folds or tears) for new coupons. Yup, don't need to throw away!!! I threw away quite a lot from my first car (found them many years later) before I came across this!

That said, a wrongly torn coupon can be exchanged too! Let's say it's 30 July 2011, but you accidentally tore the tab for 29 July 2011. As long as AT LEAST ONE SEGMENT OF THE TABS IS INTACT (hour, minute, month, day, etc), YOU CAN EXCHANGE THE COUPON FOR A NEW ONE!

The exchange can be done at any HDB Branch Office or the service counter at the URA Centre.

Keep that in mind okay?

Yeah, parking for cars are expensve, but I hope this write-up will help you save money on excessive unnecessarily-displayed coupons and/or paying fines. And knowing your parking's covered for an entire day, the stress from having to keep time and battle races with Fatimahs is greatly reduced to almost nil. 

I still prefer using my motorbike to commute though. Want to know how much motorbike coupon-parking costs?

Can see not?

Motorbike coupons cost 65c each. Bikes are exposed and anyone can steal our coupon, yes, but we write our Vehicle Numbers on the coupons. People can saboh and just steal the coupon la, but hey, just write appeal letter lor. I've only had a coupon stolen from my motorbike once in my (almost)1.5 years of riding.

And take a good look at our coupons - other than the Year, Month, and Date, there's only Day/Night. 

Yes, one coupon lasts us an entire day from 7am to 10:30pm, or an entire night from 10:30pm to 7am. Which translates to $1.30 per 24 hours. And we don't have yellow/white lots. Sure, there's the season parking red lots for bikes, and those lots we can't touch after 10:30pm. But if we're going to a CBD area, it'll cost us the same, not double, unlike CBD car yellow lots. That one single coupon can take me from Bt Batok to Choa Chu Kang to Woodlands to Orchard. It works almost like a $16.50 car coupon, except that overnight parking requires another 65c coupon. 

There really is no reason to get yourself a parking fine if you ride you know? 65c...come on...

I'll still drive when I have to, but...

Have I mentioned I love riding? 

Woohoo~~~

ThatBikerChick,

Silver Ang

Picture credits: www.hdb.gov.sg, ezlink.com.sg, and my fanpage. ;)

Sorry?

I had wanted to write this weeks ago, but somehow then, I couldn't really articulate my thoughts. I'm not sure I can still, but I figured I should get this off my chest.

One day ex-boyfriend (yes, Joel, or Nicholas, whichever name you remember him by) made me listen to this song by Anthony...

 I would be lying if I said I didn't tear. 

Especially when I know you did.

After all, when you have trusted and loved, and gotten hurt by the very same person, you try your best to move on...

Then when you have decided to let him die inside you, and he comes back apologizing, wanting so bad to make it up to you after all he has done, and you know that the guilt and hurt he feels is genuine, it will hurt.

Because you've moved on. And knowing that he is too late somehow hurts. Because you know it could have been so much more. If only he had respected and appreciated you before as much as he does now. Before things became the way they have become.

Have you ever felt this way? That when you so wanted him to stay, he just walked away without even turning to look back. And you let your heart die, and after you did everything in your power to tell yourself he will never be worth it again, he comes back, full of genuine remorse, wanting you back, telling you that he was a fool and was blinded. That he has left the very girl he left you for in the first place so that he could come back, because without you, he will never be complete, he says. And then you feel stuck.

It had my heart cramped. Like I didn't know how to feel. 

Because I have already, without intention, given other people a chance.

Because for someone you have loved, you will always have a soft spot for him, especially when he's regretful.

Because deep down inside, I was still angry with him for doing what he did. I was still upset that he could be violent to me just because he didn't want me to touch his phone. I was still hurt that he could bring another girl home casually, just like that. I was disgusted with the fact that he said "other girls wanted him too". I was disappointed that he always breaks his promises to me, to bring me to Japan, to bring me to RWS for Universal Studios and to buy my VS bras, to bring me to MBS just because I've never been, to bring me to East Coast cycling, because I mentioned it would be nice. All the things that he said he would do, he never did.

Because I know that I will never forget, and I don't know if I can ever forgive...

 Because I still believe he is a good person, just that he made some fairly stupid decisions.

 And because I really want to give this new person I'm seeing a fair chance.

I really want to, but how can I trust him again?

How long will it be before he pulls another stunt on me? He's not that kind of person, he once said. I tried to believe him. I tried hard, you know, I did

Then when I finally trusted him (after so much effort put in to earn my trust again), he proved my initial instincts right, once again. -.-"

Now he tells me he wants to set his life straight, and it will definitely include me, that he was sorry for everything he has done.

Sorry doesn't turn back time...

A part of me wished I had not moved on, and that maybe I should have given myself a longer time to grieve. And hoped he would return...

Then again, I don't know if I would be able to let go of what happened and start anew with him, after everything... I don't know if he can prove to friends, family, readers, that he will love me for good. Yes, he no longer has to just prove to me and me alone. Everyone will be watching him, waiting for him to commit yet another mistake. Can he take the stress? Can I take the pressure of risking another chance to be called "stupid woman" by annoying strangers? Can he prove himself sincere for good?

Another part of me is happy I moved on, because I gave myself a chance to feel pleasant emotions again, to be happy with someone else. I'm now in a happier place. Foreign ground, yes, but no longer bitter, no longer constantly resentful. Those are terrible emotions, trust me. New relationships have less complications, definitely. I'm not in any position to compare, not that I want to. It wouldn't be fair to anyone.

One thing is for sure: I smile more now. And I have so much less negativity in my life I think I even look better. Yes sometimes the mind takes me back to a time not so long ago, and it gets my heart cramped again. But I know, for me to get back with the guy who pushed me down so hard, it will not happen. Not in the near future anyway. You're so unpredictable it scares me. And I don't know how well I can handle relationship uncertainties anymore. Life's many surprises, I can take them. Relationships? I think I need one where I can feel secure in.

I'm starting over, trudging carefully on soft ground.

Maybe if I get dumped (yet again, but CHOICHOICHOICHOICHOI la!), and you happen to be still hanging around waiting for me, I might take into account your sincerity and reconsider. But it may be a rather long wait, because right now, I'm appreciated, I feel loved and wanted, I'm happy. I warn you: this person may never want to dump me. And should that be the case, it would be your loss. 

谁叫你当初不懂得珍惜？

Because I really deserve to be loved. Not just momentarily, but for life.

最懂得一辈子珍惜我的人最值得爱我一辈子,

*~Silver~*

Sorry?

I had wanted to write this weeks ago, but somehow then, I couldn't really articulate my thoughts. I'm not sure I can still, but I figured I should get this off my chest.

One day ex-boyfriend (yes, Joel, or Nicholas, whichever name you remember him by) made me listen to this song by Anthony...

 I would be lying if I said I didn't tear. 

Especially when I know you did.

After all, when you have trusted and loved, and gotten hurt by the very same person, you try your best to move on...

Then when you have decided to let him die inside you, and he comes back apologizing, wanting so bad to make it up to you after all he has done, and you know that the guilt and hurt he feels is genuine, it will hurt.

Because you've moved on. And knowing that he is too late somehow hurts. Because you know it could have been so much more. If only he had respected and appreciated you before as much as he does now. Before things became the way they have become.

Have you ever felt this way? That when you so wanted him to stay, he just walked away without even turning to look back. And you let your heart die, and after you did everything in your power to tell yourself he will never be worth it again, he comes back, full of genuine remorse, wanting you back, telling you that he was a fool and was blinded. That he has left the very girl he left you for in the first place so that he could come back, because without you, he will never be complete, he says. And then you feel stuck.

It had my heart cramped. Like I didn't know how to feel. 

Because I have already, without intention, given other people a chance.

Because for someone you have loved, you will always have a soft spot for him, especially when he's regretful.

Because deep down inside, I was still angry with him for doing what he did. I was still upset that he could be violent to me just because he didn't want me to touch his phone. I was still hurt that he could bring another girl home casually, just like that. I was disgusted with the fact that he said "other girls wanted him too". I was disappointed that he always breaks his promises to me, to bring me to Japan, to bring me to RWS for Universal Studios and to buy my VS bras, to bring me to MBS just because I've never been, to bring me to East Coast cycling, because I mentioned it would be nice. All the things that he said he would do, he never did.

Because I know that I will never forget, and I don't know if I can ever forgive...

 Because I still believe he is a good person, just that he made some fairly stupid decisions.

 And because I really want to give this new person I'm seeing a fair chance.

I really want to, but how can I trust him again?

How long will it be before he pulls another stunt on me? He's not that kind of person, he once said. I tried to believe him. I tried hard, you know, I did

Then when I finally trusted him (after so much effort put in to earn my trust again), he proved my initial instincts right, once again. -.-"

Now he tells me he wants to set his life straight, and it will definitely include me, that he was sorry for everything he has done.

Sorry doesn't turn back time...

A part of me wished I had not moved on, and that maybe I should have given myself a longer time to grieve. And hoped he would return...

Then again, I don't know if I would be able to let go of what happened and start anew with him, after everything... I don't know if he can prove to friends, family, readers, that he will love me for good. Yes, he no longer has to just prove to me and me alone. Everyone will be watching him, waiting for him to commit yet another mistake. Can he take the stress? Can I take the pressure of risking another chance to be called "stupid woman" by annoying strangers? Can he prove himself sincere for good?

Another part of me is happy I moved on, because I gave myself a chance to feel pleasant emotions again, to be happy with someone else. I'm now in a happier place. Foreign ground, yes, but no longer bitter, no longer constantly resentful. Those are terrible emotions, trust me. New relationships have less complications, definitely. I'm not in any position to compare, not that I want to. It wouldn't be fair to anyone.

One thing is for sure: I smile more now. And I have so much less negativity in my life I think I even look better. Yes sometimes the mind takes me back to a time not so long ago, and it gets my heart cramped again. But I know, for me to get back with the guy who pushed me down so hard, it will not happen. Not in the near future anyway. You're so unpredictable it scares me. And I don't know how well I can handle relationship uncertainties anymore. Life's many surprises, I can take them. Relationships? I think I need one where I can feel secure in.

I'm starting over, trudging carefully on soft ground.

Maybe if I get dumped (yet again, but CHOICHOICHOICHOICHOI la!), and you happen to be still hanging around waiting for me, I might take into account your sincerity and reconsider. But it may be a rather long wait, because right now, I'm appreciated, I feel loved and wanted, I'm happy. I warn you: this person may never want to dump me. And should that be the case, it would be your loss. 

谁叫你当初不懂得珍惜？

Because I really deserve to be loved. Not just momentarily, but for life.

最懂得一辈子珍惜我的人最值得爱我一辈子,

*~Silver~*

Good Luck to All at Singapore Blog Awards 2011!

Singapore Blog Awards 2011 happens at 14:00hrs today at Shanghai Dolly~!!!

Theme? Historical Figures.

I honestly don't have anybody who died whom I really wanted to go as, other than perhaps Anita Mui, but I don't have the outfit (it's with the Chen sisters), probably an inspiration block or something, so I'll just go as...erm...myself. 

Last year I had an interesting outfit though. Remember what I wore? ;)

Cool huh? I had it specially made (credits to Kit and Jessica) to represent SILVER. ;)

This year I shall just be simple. 

Anyways, here's wishing good luck to all those who need it, at the Singapore Blog Awards 2011! I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone will be wearing later~ Samsui women? Mr Pringles? Maozedong? Ong Teng Cheong? Leslie Cheung? Coolie? Hey coolie sounds quite cool u know (no pun intended), just wear a singlet and old black pants, folded up to 3/4 length, complete with black ah pek slippers. Add the long braid for effect and you have a fairly comfortable outfit, plus you can sit with one leg up on the edge of the chair for characterization. Too bad I'm female....

To all those who are heading there now, SEE YOU LATER!!!! *MUACKS!*

Muhuki,
*~Silver~*

Good Luck to All at Singapore Blog Awards 2011!

Singapore Blog Awards 2011 happens at 14:00hrs today at Shanghai Dolly~!!!

Theme? Historical Figures.

I honestly don't have anybody who died whom I really wanted to go as, other than perhaps Anita Mui, but I don't have the outfit (it's with the Chen sisters), probably an inspiration block or something, so I'll just go as...erm...myself. 

Last year I had an interesting outfit though. Remember what I wore? ;)

Cool huh? I had it specially made (credits to Kit and Jessica) to represent SILVER. ;)

This year I shall just be simple. 

Anyways, here's wishing good luck to all those who need it, at the Singapore Blog Awards 2011! I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone will be wearing later~ Samsui women? Mr Pringles? Maozedong? Ong Teng Cheong? Leslie Cheung? Coolie? Hey coolie sounds quite cool u know (no pun intended), just wear a singlet and old black pants, folded up to 3/4 length, complete with black ah pek slippers. Add the long braid for effect and you have a fairly comfortable outfit, plus you can sit with one leg up on the edge of the chair for characterization. Too bad I'm female....

To all those who are heading there now, SEE YOU LATER!!!! *MUACKS!*

Muhuki,
*~Silver~*

Visa go. Hong Kong Super Shoppers!

Ah~ Hong Kong...I've already been there twice in the past year already, and there's so much I've yet to explore... Now is yet another chance for me to head back. *hou hoy sum ah~~~*

What do you think of when the word "Hong Kong" comes to mind? For me that Hong Kong ad kind of stuck. Remember the “买东西吃东西买东西吃东西~！”ad? Yeah, ever since then my impression of Hong Kong has been a place for great food and fantastic shopping. In fact, more the shopping than the eating, as I ALWAYS made sure I watch my diet whenever I go to Hong Kong, just in case. (Food's too good, dangerous~~~) 一不小心腰围粗了，那不是得舍弃香港的购物？*horrors*

The Hong Kong Tourism Board, knowing there are too many people who love shopping in Hong Kong, have organized a Visa go. Hong Kong Super Shopper contest, and together with Omy.sg, have extended the contest to Singapore!!!

How it works?

Fashionable participants (in groups of 2) have been selected, and each group, together with 1 of 6 fashion/beauty bloggers in Singapore (yes, that's where I come in), will form a team (by drawing lots!) have to complete a fashion theme challenge as set out by the organizers.

So...What's the Challenge?  

We will be given a theme, and the theme would be destinations/places in Hong Kong (e.g Kowloon, Causeway Way, Lan Kwai Fong etc. Each team will be allocated a $50 budget to create an outfit which they think best represents/suits their theme WITHIN 24 HOURS, after which they will present the outfit to a panel of judges. The blogger (me) will then write an entry about the whole teamwork process.

And the Prize...?

The winning team from Singapore will get to go for a 4D3N trip to Hong Kong, and represent Singapore in the Challenge taking place from 30-31August against teams from from Hong Kong, China, and other countries to compete for the grand prize of HKD200,00 Visa spending credit!!!!

VOTERS WILL ALSO GET A CHANCE TO WIN A 3D2N STAY IN HONG KONG!!!!!!

Yes dears, you'll get to DISCOVER HONG KONG~~~ Oh yeah~~~

  

(You know what to do~ *wink*)

Guess who's in my team!!!!

You won't believe this...

Recognise them? It's Nicole Chen and Celeste Chen!!! Yup, the hot sisters~

I just googled them, and trust me, even when we were putting the outfit together I had NO idea they were so famous.

Nicole's an international celebrity model DJ, while Celeste, the younger sister, is also a model. 

Both of them looked super well-put-together, it's like they're fresh out of Vogue magazine. I'm not kidding. =)

And the exciting moment....

6 cards were presented to us, face down. 

We had to draw one!!!!

Celeste reached out her hand and....may the force be with us....

We got....

We got............

Oh gosh we got.............

Ah~ Memories~~~

Tsim Sha Tsui was the first-ever place in Hong Kong I know about, because the first time I went to Hong Kong, I stayed in a cosy hostel in Mirador Mansion known as EastSpider Hostel, and that, ladies and gentlemen, is right smack in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui. ^.^

A shopper's paradise~ Tsim Sha Tsui is one of the main shopping destinations in Hong Kong, where you can find great malls such as iSquare (located just right next to the MTR station!!!!), Harbour City and K11.

Now, how were we going to come up with an outfit that would suit the theme of Tsim Sha Tsui?

To us, all Hong Kongers dress well. Do they have a Tsim-Sha-Tsui way of dressing? And if so, what does that mean? How is it different from say, Causeway Bay?

I came well-prepared. While the girls were still thinking, I whipped out my iPad (brought ESPECIALLY for the discussion today. I like to be efficient. *wink*) and started googling "Tsim Sha Tsui".

Voila~! Out came a long string of results. I chanced upon the words "Avenue of the Stars", and something clicked. We could do a movie star dressing, like one of the stars whose names are along the avenue at the Victoria Harbour waterfront. 

After some discussion, we decided it had to be Anita Mui. (It was a real pity her handprints were not on her mould.) She's one of the most iconic stars in Hong Kong, and one with great character and edge in her dress sense, especially at the peak of her career. She made major contributions to the Cantopop industry, one which Hong Kong would call her own, and she was famous for being the "Madonna of Asia". 

Who better than Anita Mui can we pick as the inspiration for our to-be-created outfit?

We went on to search and study Anita Mui's style...

If this last outfit seems familiar to you, it was the outfit she was "waxed" in at the Madame Tussauds Hong Kong.

I think they have since changed her outfit, because the last time I went in 2009, the wax figure of Anita was wearing this:

Is it the same statue or were there 2 statues??? *confused*

Different outfits, yet distinctly Anita Mui. 

Our conclusion of her style: Edgy, always with a female touch. It could be in her red lipstick, the cut of her outfits which would accentuate her waist and legs, or her eye makeup. And there will always be a somewhat androgynous feel to whatever she pulled off. She could be womanly, yet give off the aura of the strength and 气质 (disposition) of a man.

So that's our brainstorming....
Now comes the REAL challenge: How are we going to be able to pull off that kind of style with $50?????

And it's off to the trendy yet famous-for-inexpensive-clothing Bugis Street!!!

Had wanted to take a picture of the famous lighted words of "Bugis Street" at the entrance of the shopping haven, but it was replaced by a huge TV screen.

Anyway, if you don't know where this is (where HAVE you been???), it's just across the road from Bugis Junction. 

 And our sisters began their search for the perfect Tsim Sha Tsui-inspired-Avenue of Stars-inspired-Anita Mui-inspired outfit.

Celeste seemed to be the expert in Bugis Street - she knew every corner of the place, where to find what, and she manouvred the alleys with swift speed and ease. I was impressed. 

And there's Nicole just following her sister around the place, and there's me following the 2 of them, totally lost. >.<

 Nicole: My sister's the expert. 

 Celeste in fitting room, figuring out how to put the pieces we chose together.

 We picked this corset. Half corset actually. I told Celeste to just wear a nice bra inside, with lace, so it's more edgy and statement-y.

 Check out the material. Pretty!

 "Will this go with the black skirt we chose or not?"

They picked this mid-calf length black skirt with a netted outer layer that looked slightly gothic.

"We will finish the outfit with the huge hat we have at home."

"Ah! You can add long black gloves!"

"Yah yah yah!"

And then Celeste spotted this:

 Alright~ The outerwear looks like something you can actually wear to an event or function, so we dropped the gloves idea and decided the outfit shall be statement-y yet wearable. Woot!

Celeste: Auntie this one how much? 

*aunty mumbles*

Nicole: 可不可以便宜一点auntie? 我们很穷~

O.O

Aiyoh Nicole where got people bargain like that one???

In the end it was too expensive and would exceed our budget of $50. So the girls decided to wear something from home. I suggested meshed stockings with glam high heels. 

And our Tsim Sha Tsui theme look would be complete. ;)

When Celeste tried on the clothes I was very impressed with the Anita-Superstar outfit we came up with. 

It was gorgeous, edgy, loud, outrageous, and yet stylish with a female touch, AND it had a somewhat androgynous feel. It looked like something Anita would wear. *proud of us*

Curious?

I'll reveal the outfit pictures in a couple of days, how about that? And after you see the pictures, don't forget to vote for our team! Remember...VOTERS WILL ALSO GET A CHANCE TO WIN A 3D2N STAY IN HONG KONG!!!!!! *hint*

Yes I know you guys are very smart. ^.^

 May the force be with us! I WANNA GO BACK TO HONG KONG!!!!!!

RAH!!!! Huat ah!!!

IShallStart减肥ingSoICanBuyPrettyClothesInHongKongWithoutHavingToTryThemOn,

*~Silver~*