Tips from Singapore Trip

We (a group of 10 from 3 families) visited Singapore during Christmas Holidays, last year (2017). Though the joyful moments and experiences had been covered in the form of travelogue posted in WhatsApp groups, I have few lessons learnt and tips to share.

1 Planning
We decided to go Singapore long back but we delayed a lot in booking the flight tickets and accommodation. That costed us significantly. For any such annual vacation prior planning saves a lot by way of:a Cheap airfare b Cheap hotel accommodationc Optimum rates for local attractions (One can buy online tickets well in advance)

2 Check list
For a regular traveler, it is easy to prepare for the trip as he or she knows things to pack and actions to take. To keep things easier for everyone and for future travel planning, a check list has been prepared and published here for quick reference. (https://poornisen.wordpress.com/2017/12/03/check-list-for-traveling-abroad/)

3 Individuals and interests
As everyone’s interest is generally different, it is better to discuss and plan the outings. Knowing the interest of one of my friends, when I took the group to see the ‘Asian Civilization Museum’, I realized after some time that I tried other’s patience.

4 Local Mobile Facility
We stayed at IBIS hotel. The hotel service included free mobile phones (on refundable deposit of $50 per phone) with unlimited data and voice including ISD. This info was shared by my friend who arranged the hotel accommodation.
It was undoubtedly useful for the group as we could split in theme parks and other places. Such facilities do not get published by hoteliers. It is beneficial to explore hotel facilities on checking in, though the trip schedule is tight.

5 Timing
The crowd control method at popular attractions resembled our Tirupathi temple queue to some extent in Singapore Zoo (night safari). Better try avoid trips to popular destinations during Christmas / New Year or any Holiday season. I know this is easier to say but hard to practise.

6 Culture and Behaviors
Tipping is not prevalent in Singapore. It is advisable to know local culture on tipping and general people behaviours before the trip.Behaviors (I can call as culture too) of some Indian tourists in a foreign land might make you upset. But we need to keep our cool to avoid disturbing the group mood. When queue-jumping was done in the night safari queue at Singapore Zoo by some Indians, many in the group got upset.

7 Foreign Exchange
If you plan to use your credit card outside India, better to inform the bank about your intended travel and ask them to release the restrictions. Else you will be embarrassed like one of my friends, when his payment was not approved by the system, that too when he was buying jewelry for his wife’s relatives. He might have done it purposely but he forgot friends like me around him, who can make him spend.

8 Group tour vs Family tour
Singapore is one of the countries where one can feel very comfortable because of
a Language (English everywhere primarily)b Safetyc Convenient local transport (Bus, Metro & Taxi)
So without any hesitation one can tour the country with his family. If it is going to be a boredom touring with family for reasons imaginable, then go for a group tour with few families.

9 Photography
Though every smart phone has built-in camera, taking a digital single-lens reflex(DSLR) camera is advantageous because there will be some compulsion to capture the important moments, scenes and sceneries in high resolution.
Also sharing of all photos amongst the team is to be ensured before you land at the airport on your return. Else you will be fed up (like me) in following up with some friends who don’t bother to respond to your reminders.

10 Expenses
It costed per head INR 67K approximately. The break-up is given below. It does not including shopping expenses.

Airfare (from Chennai – 20000
Accommodation   – 22000
Food & Local travel expenses – 15000
Entrance Fee for Attractions   – 10000

One can save a  minimum of INR 10000,  if he/she plans the trip well in advance as stated earlier.

Check List for Traveling Abroad

Travel Documents
 1 Passport with valid VISA
 2 Driving License (International if required)
 3 Flight tickets
 4 Hotel reservation confirmation
 5 Invitation Letter (if applicable)
 6 Priority Pass or Frequent Flier Card

Tasks
 1 Online check-in 2 or 3 days before the travel
 2 Out of office message in email client
 3 Activating International Roaming facility in mobile
 or getting international sim card or local sim of
 visiting country
 4 Providing destination details and flight info to
 family members
 5 Keeping photocopy of all travel documents listed above
 with emergency contact info in both cabin baggage
 and hand luggage
 6 Scanning passport, visa and hotel reservation
 using mobile camera and keeping it for quick reference
 7 Some important items to be kept hand luggage
 a One or two sets of dresses
 b Mobile charger with destination country/universal adapter
 c Pen
 d Some money
 e Copies of passport, VISA, flight tickets, hotel address,
 invitation letter, etc.,
 f Tablets (as required)

Money
 1 Forex / Travel Card / Credit Card
 2 Indian currency (for using on landing at home country)

Electronics
 1 Destination country Adapter or Universal adapter
 2 Mobile charger
 3 Laptop with accessories
 4 Camera with charger
 5 Pen Drive / External HDD

Garments
 1 Ties if required
 2 Dresses as required
 3 Winter wear if required
 4 Inner wear as required
 5 Sewing kit
 6 One or two sets of dresses in hand luggage

Bathing & Beauty

 1 Shaving kit
 2 Dental kit
 3 Scissors
 4 Hair oil
 5 Buds
 6 Bathing Soap
 7 Detergent
 8 Towel
 9 Shampoo
 10 Body spray / perfume
 11 Moisturizer
 12 Cotton

Medical
 1 Overseas insurance
 2 Tablets / Syrups
 3 Pain Balms
 4 Plasters

Footwear
 1 Shoes
 2 Slippers
 3 Socks
 4 Shoe polish with polisher

Essentials
 1 Locks for suit cases
 2 Spectacles
 3 Business cards
 4 Pen
 5 Nail Cutter

Extras
 1 Extra empty bag
 2 Polythene covers
 3 Umbrella
 4 Adhesive like Fevi quick / anabond
 5 Mini torch light

Kitchen / Food items
 1 Ready made food packs (as required)
 2 Electric cooker
 3 Dal powder

Packaging and Selling yourself – The Tea Bag Theory

When you sip dip tea, have you observed how the tea leaf particles are packaged before enjoying the convenience of having tea? Yes, it can resemble how one packages and sells himself or herself providing the convenience to hirers as well as getting sold at a premium. A win win indeed!

Tea leaves are crushed and processed to bestow the value they have, before they go for packaging. This is the same way one does hard work to gain valuable experience, be it the educational studies of freshers or work life of already employed.

But it is not the end of the story. Packaging plays an important role in selling anything. Coming back to the tea bag, we see that the processed particles are packed in a permeable envelope which is tied to a paper holder using a staple pin. All these are done not only for the sake of packaging but also for easing consumption.

Extending the above to employability i.e., salability, the envelope refers to one’s successful projects that wrap the experience and that act as a medium to extract the valuable experience for applying to new projects.

The thread refers to the commitment that one attaches to everything he or she does. This needs to be brought out during the interview process effortlessly. A simple example is to describe how you opted out of a new opportunity inside or outside your organization as your current assignment or project was half way through. This proves how committed you are.

The staple pin refers to the bonding. In HR terms, it is one’s interpersonal skills. This is very important in professional life, if one aims to climb up the corporate ladder.

The paper holder can be related to the ability of being approachable. Most of the leaders exhibit this trait even if they are tightly engaged with their business activities. Saying hello or chatting for few seconds are commonly seen actions for being approachable. In this era of doing business through emails, responding to emails on time is also a sign of being approachable.

Finally comes the sachet of the tea bag. That is straight forward. It refers not only the external look but also the positive manners and gestures one habituates.

Having read the above theory of relating tea bags to packaging and selling yourself, I am sure that your next sip of tea will kindle the thoughts for packing your experience and skills in an attractive goody for selling yourself as a hot cake!

Visit to ‘xx’th Divya Desam – Thiruninravur

Visit on – 30th Aug 2014
Occasion – Saturday trip
Location – 35KM from Velachery
Lord – Bhaktavatsala Perumal
Tips – Take only main roads (NH or State Highways); Don’t get diverted to villages when using GPS based navigators. Roads may not  be motorable.

How to get International driving license (IDPL)

It is easy to get IDPL. The process goes like this.
1.Download form and fill
2. Get medical clearance as well (form 1 and 1a)
3. Paste photos and take two extra
4. Keep copies of passport and LMV driving license along with originals.
5. Keep flight ticket
6. Goto RTO
7. Show to receptionist (I just call him so but he does the verification and guides to get IDPL)
8. Meet RTO. He verifies the application and signs his approved
9. Go to the counter and pay INR 1000.
10. Go to license issuing section and hand over the application with payment receipt.
11. You may be asked to come on same day afternoon or next day.
12. Go and collect your IDPL☺

It is very straight forward and hassle free. I got mine at Thiruvanmiyur RTO.

Cheating – Tampered Digital fare meter in Auto rickshaw

Here is the unfolding of the story of my experience in Bangalore today. I engaged an auto at Shanti Nagar for going to RT Nagar. Auto driver asked 40 rupees more than the meter reading and I agreed. After getting into the auto, I switched on Google navigator and started tracking the route. I was shocked to see how the auto fare meter reading was jumping compared to the distance that was shown in navigator. I found that i was calibrated in such a way that it showed 100m for every 50m. I got down after complaining about this to the driver midway and took another auto to reach my destination. So try to watch distances shown in digital meter also. There is belief that such wrong calibration is possible only in analog meters. Your GPS enabled phone or tablet can be handy.

Nexus 7 4G LTE and BSNL SIM

It was exciting when I got the Nexus 7 LTE after some waiting. While it works fine on Wi-Fi, I tried with a BSNL SIM. I t works good for data though I had to cut and insert the SIM. But the shock is that Nexus 7 does not have any dialer or phone application. So you cannot dial to anyone or you cannot use your Nexus 7 as a phone. You can receive text message but cannot send.

Velachery – Chennai Beach Train Timings

Velachery MRTS train timings as seen in the display at Velachery station

Visit to ‘xx’th Divya Desam – Padalathri Narasimma Perumal Kovil

Visited on – 02 Nov 2013
Occasion – Deepavali
Location – 15KM from Vandalur or 40KM from Guindy
Lord – Narasimma Perumal

Padalathri Narasimma Perumal

A trip to Yelagiri

Nine of us went for a trip to Yelagiri from Chennai. It was enjoyable as none of us had seen the place before. Travel tips:

1. Takes 5 to 6 hours from Chennai depending on your driving speed and fun

2. Plenty of lodging available. Better to get book before you travel through phone / the Internet

3. Places of interest

a. Mangalam reserved forest where you can climb a hillock. Details in the map here. This is the best part in our trip as we enjoyed walking for hours burning calories.

b. Boat house

c. Nature’s park (well maintained)

Apart from the above there are other places of interest like view point, jalagamparai, etc., We could not cover those as we planned only a day’s trip.

It is recommended to plan as below to cover most of the places.

i. Start on Friday afternoon

2. Stay overnight

3. Spend whole Saturday in the hills visiting places and by trekking

4. Return by Sunday afternoon