Mini Liew: 2013

Monday, December 30, 2013

Do-Not-Call

Date: Dec 30, 2013

OK. You cannot blame DNC for doing so. The companies sold merchandises to you, and sometimes thru the fine prints, they have to right to sent marketing materials to you, as a customer. DNC should allow them to do so.

DNC should prevent those companies who does not have any relationship with you to cold call you for business.

So, in my opinion, the correct way that DNC should do is...

1) These company should inform DNC a list of mobile phone numbers where they have obtain rights to sent marketing material.

2) DNC should take the list and compile it into their master database.

3) Each individual mobile phone owner should have each individual LOGIN account. So, when they login, in addition to the three things that they can select, they should be able to see all the COMPANIES that has relationship to sent marketing materials to that mobile number. So, by doing so, each mobile phone users can CHECK or UNCHECK the companies name.

4) Then, every now and then, DNC synced all these new data with the "REGISTERED" companies who wish to do cold calls.

5) Although company name has be UNCHECKED, these companies will still show up in the list of "Relationship" companies. So that at any time, the user can ADD back or REMOVE the company names in their list.

By doing so, we will have the right to decide who can or cannot sent marketing materials.

:)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

No WiFi in my Bedroom

Date: Dec 24, 2013

Few months ago...

http://www.mnn.com/health/healthy-spaces/blogs/student-science-experiment-finds-plants-wont-grow-near-wi-fi-router

Five ninth-grade young women found the following facts...

Left (Green): Plants grow healthy when it is not near WiFi Router.

Right (Brown): Plants cannot grow when it is near WiFi Router.

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I have made a huge decision of my life today.

1. Shutting down the Apple Airport Express (WiFi Router) in my bed room. No longer I have strong WiFi signal in my room. Only when I need it, I will turn it on, and when I don’t need it. I will shut it off.

2. Shutting down the Apple Airport Extreme (WiFi Router) in my study room (just 1 meter away from me). This is the probably the strongest WiFi router I have at home. So, I will use it only when I really need it. For now, it will be turned off most of the time.

3. Removing all the Apple chargers in the room. If you have a charger in your room, that means, you will charge your iPhone or iPad. Bad! So, these chargers will be moved elsewhere. Benefits will be tremendous. No SMS, no Whatsapp. But best of all, no devices in your room to get WiFi or 3G or 4G signal.

The only active WiFi router will be in the living room and the network cabinet and my Kitchen Washing area. So, that is fine, those can leave it on. My iPhones/iPads in the study room can still get a WiFi signal from these routers.

Let’s live a better and healthier life, ya!

Monday, December 23, 2013

台湾私人导游包车自由行 2 － Taiwan Private Tour Guide & Itinerary

Date: Sep 14, 2013

I did my first Taiwan tour with a private tour guide using a tour van during June school holidays. I had lots of fun.

http://miniliew.blogspot.sg/2013/06/taiwan-private-tour-guide-with-van.html (click the link for previous tour)

(六月份的学校假期，我和朋友两家人用私人导游包车游台湾7天。玩得挺开心！)

This time, during December school holidays, we came back to visit Taiwan again, and this time, we bought along another 5 families.

(十二月假期，我又回来包车游台湾了！这一次，我还带了另外5个家庭。)

We sit in A Car.

（我坐A车。）

WHY WE USED A PRIVATE TOUR GUIDE WITH VAN

（为什么我建议用私人导游包车游台湾呢？）

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1. We visit from the north down to the south. The vans follow us. Our luggage always follow the vans. Sometimes, the luggage don’t even have to get down the van.

（我们从台北玩到垦丁高雄，行李一直跟着小旅游车。有时有些行李也不用下车呢！）

2. Van is smaller, so, we visit places where there is fun and lesser visitors. I really don’t like a lot of visitors. So, there are some exclusive touring spot which is nice, and can only be accessed by smaller vehicle. Such as the Plum Roasted Chicken restaurant on top of the hill, big bus cannot even go there.

（我们玩小旅游车可以玩的景点，这些私人景点，大旅游巴士不能来，路太小了！所以玩得比较痛快。）

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3. When you have your own private van, you can do whatever to it. For example, my Kay Kay is asleep, so, I choose to stay in the van, and the rest went to tour the place. You can choose to stay in the van or get out of the van. It is very friendly to kids.

（您可以选择留在车上或下车谁团玩，如果小孩睡着了，就让他在车上睡！）

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4. Private tour guide will basically gives you a list of places to visit. But you are the boss, so, you decide what time to wake up, what time to move out and to change the itinerary on the spot. Don’t worry, at the end of the day, those you did not visit, and you have paid for the tickets, the money will be refunded. For example, we think we wanted to stay more time at the onsen hotel, so, we did.

（任何时候，想去哪儿就更改行程去哪儿。几点出发就几点出发。很方便。如有多还钱的，还会退钱回来呢！）

5. Having so many vans, we can always allocated a van and a tour guide to go different tour if you need. For example, all the old folks may be going to old folks friendly place to visit. Lesser walking.

（那么多小客车，老人团也可以单独去方便老人去的地方。阿公阿嬷也不用一直陪着小孩们玩小孩玩的景点。）

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6. Some van can choose to eat MacDonald. Some van can choose to eat traditional breakfast.

（大家有时也可以选择不一样的地方吃东西。）

7. There are 6 tour guides to look after us, and most importantly help look after the kids.

（那么多导游，也可以帮忙照护小孩呢！）

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8. When we arrived at Airport, we are 1.5 hours earlier. The tour guides didn’t just leave. Instead, Danny said, you guys go to basement and eat. We will look after your luggage here until Scoot check-in counter is open.

（早到机场，他们也提供特别看管行李服务呢！）

9. Kay Kay left his bakugan on the tour van. Danny has left the airport 10 minutes ago. He called and said, he found the bakugan on the van and will deliver to me in 5 minutes time.

（我的儿子把玩具留在车上，他们也把它送回机场。）

TOUR GUIDES

He is my tour guide.

His name is Danny Hsu. But we all call him 小平哥.

（我的导游依旧是小平哥。上次的服务超棒，所以这一次用回他咯！）

Below link is his Facebook page.

（这个是他脸书网址）

https://www.facebook.com/hsushihping?fref=ts

His phone contact is here.

（电话在此）

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He is a retired colonel from the army. Back in the army, he responsible for logistics and supplies in 台东，花莲&垦丁.

So, he is very organised person. I am guessing that the army train him to be like that.

He is very good in all the small details. And he is very fast in grouping the team and redesigning the itinerary.

He is a tour guide, official tour guide. So, he has to explained all the things we see.

He is the tour guides leader for this mega Taiwan tour group. (to me is Mega, OK?)

(小平哥是个退伍军官，在军队里是上校。负责台东，花莲，垦丁补给。他很健谈，是个官方导游，有导游证的哦，他一路上就不停的跟我们谈天，介绍我们台湾。)

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These are all our tour guides.

（这就是6位可爱的导游们！）

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We were given the contact info of all the tour guides. Tony is another one that has served us last trip in June.

（这是导游们的手机电话和车牌）

Basic Fees: TWD$6,000 per day. From 8-9am to 8-9pm. (Pre-paid)

Accommodation: est. TWD$1,000 per day. (Pre-paid)

Tips: est. TWD$1,000 or above for per day. (Give on the last day)

The above fees will includes all the transportation to any places you like to go, includes gas, includes services.

Basically, I am the one that choose most of the hotels. And he will help me to take care of all the logistics in booking the hotels. And some times, he will collect some deposits to book the hotels. I don’t have to worry about how to book the hotel, how to pay. I do a bank transfer to his Taiwan bank after we have negotiated.

Please take a look at the below PDF itinerary file to find out how much we spend for the whole trip.

(导游收费一天台币6000元，住宿一天台币1000元，小费一天大概台币1000元。小平哥帮我全全负责一切酒店的预订和购买火车票，门票等。)

（请下载下面的PDF文件来看看我们大家花了多少钱。）

ITINERARY & OTHER FEES

I never thought Taiwan tour can be so much fun. So much thing to see. So, after that trip, I decided to come back to Taiwan again during the December school holidays. This time, I am bringing more people to show them Taiwan. Jay Jay is going Taiwan with 5 of his K2 classmates. There will be in total 6 families, 12 children, 12 parents, 7 grand parents, and a domestic helper on this trip. A total of 32 person. We will be using 6 vans, along with 6 personal tour guides. 8 days and 7 nights. We will be staying in 5 different hotels. This will be one of the memorable journey and tour for our children.

（准备一个32个人的旅行团，我的压力可大了！小平哥压力更加大！）

I am the tour leader who design this trip. Thank you for all the rest of parents to put all the trust in me. And I hope I have not disappointed the kids or the parents too much. I think as early as July I have put the trip itinerary together, arranging with the tour guides to plan the tour routes, to book the hotels and design our trip here. If you wish to download the itinerary, below are the links. This is version 5. It reduced from 97MB down to the size of 37.7MB. It has the pricing that we paid for all 6 families and 32 people. We spent less than TWD$757K for the trip excluding the air tickets for 8 days. So, if you divide it, it is about SGD$1K each head count.

（可以在这下载台湾私人导游包车自由行 2 的行程表与价钱报价表）

Google: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_2LIa_dWu8sU3ZlVnhRS09RNk0/edit?usp=sharing (37.7MB)

Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/s/djq4pnxv0vj6w2t/Taiwan%20Trip%20Dec7-14%20Planning%20Draft%205small.pdf (37.7MB)

NO IPAD / IPHONE RULE

In order to make this trip successful, with so many kids around, we have to come up with strict rules. And the rule is no iPad or iPhone around when kids are gathered together. And I must say, both the parents and kids did superbly in following this rule. You can see how the kids have lots of fun during this trip.

（这个旅行最大的特别处就是不让孩子们在其他孩子面前玩iPad和iPhone. 孩子们真的还挺听话地！）

http://miniliew.blogspot.sg/2013/12/taiwan-vacation-rules-no.html (click here to see the blog)

OK. Let’s take a look at what we have been thru for this memorable Taiwan 8 Days Tour for our small little 32 people tour group. Wahahha

好了，下面就是我们玩的所有一切部落格网址。

Taiwan Vacation 礁溪温泉公园 (Day 1)

http://miniliew.blogspot.com/2013/12/taiwan-vacation-day-1.html (click the link or photo to read the blog)

The kids always love to play around water. But how about “hot” water? This is definitely one of the first for them. Playing with their friends at the hot spring. To the adults and seniors, this short stop has rejuvenate our energy by simply soaking our legs in the hot spring for 10-20 minutes. Makes us warm. Makes us energetic. Especially after a red eye flight.

（坐红眼飞机，当然累啊！第一站就让大家来温泉泡泡脚。孩子们倒还没试过在热烫的温泉水边玩呢！）

Taiwan Vacation 宜兰传统艺术中心（Day 1）

http://miniliew.blogspot.sg/2013/12/taiwan-vacation-day-1_10.html （click the link or photo to read the blog)

To understand a country culture, you need to visit this culture centre. Here there are history and memories of Taiwan. There is a old street mimic most of the buildings back in many many years ago. It is a place where kids can play, adults can see, can eat, and have fun!

（这里把台湾著名老街给搬来啦！这里介绍台湾民土风情，有吃的，有看的，又有得买东西！大人小孩都玩得好开心！）

Taiwan Vacation 吃 - 骏怀旧餐厅（Day 1）

http://miniliew.blogspot.sg/2013/12/taiwan-vacation-day-1_7899.html （click the link or photo to read the blog)

All these items found in this restaurant brings back a lot of memories. The food is nice too.

(无敌铁金刚，儿时的玩具一一呈现在眼前。童年记忆就在这餐厅回忆起！当然食物也蛮棒的！)

Taiwan Vacation - 力阿卡铁牛 Iron Cow (Day 1)

http://miniliew.blogspot.sg/2013/12/taiwan-vacation-iron-cow-day-1.html (click the link or photo to read the blog)

The kids never sit in such a tour cart before. They like this unique transportation to tour the inner city of Yilan.

(孩子们第一次坐阿力卡铁牛车队去游览宜兰内城。享受一下乡间风土民情。这样的感觉太棒了！)

Taiwan Vacation - 几米公园 (Day 1)

http://miniliew.blogspot.sg/2013/12/taiwan-vacation.html (click the link or photo to read the blog)

You have to understand Ji Mi (几米) Comics to appreciate this small little park sitting beside one of the bus/train station. I grew up by reading 几米 comics. I know the styles and I of course know the props used in his comics. And all those props are now here in this small little park.

(您有看过几米的漫画吗？如果没有那么这个几米公园就没什么意义了。向左走，向右走，造化弄人。童年看几米书的回忆像是昨日的事情那样而已！)

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Taiwan 民宿 - North Zart 北方扎特 (Day 1)

http://miniliew.blogspot.sg/2013/12/taiwan-north-zart.html (click the link or photo to read the blog)

I must say, It is very hard to decide which accommodation is the best during our trip in Taiwan. All accommodation has scored a flying 100 marks. Instead of staying in hotel, we will try our best to stay in Bed & Breakfast accommodation, i.e. 民宿. Like this 北方扎特 is build to be different from any of the others 民宿. It haves you a feeling that you are not in Taiwan at all. The weather is cold, and the appearance of the accommodation gives you a false impression that you are in an European country or US/Canada. The children go crazy about this first accommodation, they like the wooden feeling, and climb upstairs and downstairs exploring every inch of the 民宿.

(住民宿是我们的首选。这一次的旅行，所有的民宿酒店，我都很满意！我比较喜欢选择比较不同的民宿。比如这个北方扎特，它给您一个不一样的感觉。您觉得您好像是在欧洲或是美国加拿大那样。太棒了！孩子们都玩疯了！)

Taiwan Vacation - 桧木 Container (Day 1)

http://miniliew.blogspot.sg/2013/12/taiwan-vacation-container.html (click the link or photo to read the blog)

During the trip, we learned a lot of new knowledge. Like this one. The container is feng shui related. And it contains a lot of 桧木 chips. It smell so good.

(这是桧木的香味！香味是从哪里来的呢？一切谜底即将揭晓！)

Taiwan Vacation - Train Ride from Yilan to Hualian (Day 2)

http://miniliew.blogspot.sg/2013/12/taiwan-vacation-train-ride-from-yilan.html (click the link of photo to read the blog)

Every trip I must insert in 1 or 2 train rides. Kids simply love to sit on the train. May be is because they find it fascinating. Today, we need to sit on a train to skip one of the most dangerous road in Taiwan, i.e. 苏花公路. We sit on the train, and our tour guides and vans will drive the road.

(这是孩子们的第一趟火车。我们就不驾苏花公路了！要不然有些孩子可能会在车上呕吐呢！那样子导游们也可以驾快点啊！)

Taiwan Vacation - 清水断崖（Day 2）

http://miniliew.blogspot.sg/2013/12/taiwan-vacation-day-2.html (click the link or photo to read the blog)

(花莲的海景真的是好美好美！不同层次的蓝色与天空蓝形成了无比的景色！)

Taiwan Vacation 吃－达基力部落风味餐厅（Day 2）

http://miniliew.blogspot.sg/2013/12/taiwan-vacation-day-2_16.html (click the link or photo to read the blog)

（来台湾吃了好多不同名族部落的美食。这跟新加坡的台湾餐馆吃的台湾食物完全不同啊！）

Taiwan Vacation - Taroko National Park 太鲁阁（Day 2)

http://miniliew.blogspot.sg/2013/12/taiwan-vacation-taroko-national-park.html （click the link or photo to read the blog)

Ater you had a very full lunch, it is time for you to walk. There are a couple of routes to walk. So, we picked two of them. Although the sky is raining, but I am very sure that all the kids are quite happy playing.

（吃饱饭就得下来走走。看看险峻的山景）

Taiwan Vacation 吃 - 花莲的炸蛋葱油饼 (Day 2)

http://miniliew.blogspot.sg/2013/12/taiwan-vacation_17.html (click the link or photo to read the blog)

Come to Hua Lian, must eat this unique Egg Bomb onion pan cake.

（走累了，就尝尝这个花莲特产炸蛋葱油饼！好吃极了！）

Taiwan Vacation - 七星谭（Day 2）

http://miniliew.blogspot.sg/2013/12/taiwan-vacation-day-2_17.html (click the link or photo to read the blog)

We love this beach. It is so beautiful. Although you cannot play in the cold water, but the kids seems to have lots of fun here. Throwing rocks to the roaring sea. Building huge sand castles. Very fun indeed.

（花莲海边真得太美了！孩子们玩疯了！）

Taiwan Vacation - 敦煌宝石博物馆 Precious Rock Museum (Day 2)

http://miniliew.blogspot.sg/2013/12/taiwan-vacation-precious-rock-museum.html （click the link or photo to read the blog)

Later on that day, we stopped by a precious rock Museum. It is actually a shop selling all these jewels, rubies, and so on. Some of them is quite nice.

（皮包破了一个大洞！）

Taiwan Vacation 吃－炒天下南北热抄啤酒餐厅 (Day 2)

http://miniliew.blogspot.sg/2013/12/taiwan-vacation-day-2_5211.html (click the link or photo to read the blog)

The food today is so so only.

（今天的食物算普普通通！）

But the fruit beers are nice!

(但是水果啤酒却是超棒的！)

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Taiwan 民宿 - 台湾光复糖厂日式民宿 (Day 2 & 3)

http://miniliew.blogspot.sg/2013/12/taiwan.html (click the link or photo to see the blog)

I have insisted to stay in this 民宿 hotel. My tour guide - Danny told me not to. His reason is simple, it is very far away from Hualian city. It is about 20-30minutes. I think I key in the wrong address when I check the Google Map. My impression is that this hotel is near by the city, only 5 minutes.

Because of this decision. It turned out that this is one of the best hotel. Why?

The kids love it! We booked I think 9 chalets. And the kids every day visit from one house to another. It is like home visit to them. “OK, today come to my house.” “Tomorrow I go to yours.”. “Let’s play Monopoly Deal at Anna’s house”.

And some of them actually spent a night at his friend’s chalet.

This sort of fun, you seldom can get it in Singapore. So, we are glad that the kids love this!

（小孩们把这9间木屋当成他们的家。他们玩完一家在去拜访另一家。感觉很好玩。大人们也不管地让他们到处乱跑！我们在榻榻米上睡觉也睡得挺香地！）

Let’s do a Japanese bathing before we sleep, ya!

（连冲凉房也很日本化！）

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Taiwan Vacation 吃 - 阿嬷厨房 @ 台糖（Day 3 & 4）

http://miniliew.blogspot.sg/2013/12/taiwan-vacation-day-3-4.html （click the link or photo to see the blog)

The breakfast is nice too at the Taiwan Sugar Factory.

（台糖早点也好好吃！）

Taiwan Vacation - Farglory Ocean Park 远雄海洋公园（Day 3）

http://miniliew.blogspot.sg/2013/12/taiwan-vacation-farglory-ocean-park-day.html （click the link or photo to see the blog)

The Ocean Park is surprisingly fun to be there. All the rides suitable for younger kids too. This is a very friendly theme park indeed. We all had a great time there.

（海洋公园很适合年纪小的弟弟妹妹们玩。大家都玩得不亦乐乎呢！）