The 5-days celebration started since yesterday! Had a seafood feast with my family and Mr GVM at Owen Seafood Restaurant at Turf City Shopping Mall. More calories that cost us $277 (sponsored solely by Mrs Ng!)
Yummy! Totally love the clams! But Mr GVM thinks that the chilli crab was his favourite of the night.
22 Oct – Woke up at 9 plus in the morning, had our breakfast at Northpoint Ya Kun Kaya Toast and off to Batam!
To be honest, I am not into massage nor spa. So this trip was not a very fruitful one. In fact, both Mr GVM and I felt that shopping at Batam is like preparing to get cheated any minute!
But of course, the food at Batam is still cheaper than those in Singapore.
Everything you see on the table cost us about 13SGD
We didn’t quite shop alot…Cause we don’t really have much time. Only visited the Mega Mall at Batam Centre which is right next to the ferry terminal and the Batam City Square (forgot the name liao) which is tucked in the middle of Nagoya City. The clothes, the shoes, the toys are OH so expensive lor, like shopping in Orchard Road.
PSP = SGD300 (RP2,010,000)
WII = SGD500 (RP3,350,000)
Shoes = Average SGD20
Clothes = Average SGD25
They have so many so many imitated goods, i.e. Chanel, LV, Burberry, Anna Sui etc. All not very cheap and look super fake.
I highly advise that you do not shop at Nagoya City at all! Unless there are any other nice malls that are selling stuff at very low prices, the one I visited is MADNESS.
I had such a bad experience with this shop selling those toys and Hello Kitty collectible items. I saw the whole set of Hello Kitty Mahjong tiles in a pink leather casing which is super chio. I remembered seeing the same one at Toa Payoh selling at SGD130+.
Me: How much is this mahjong set?
Auntie: About 160
Me to MR GVM: 160000 rupiah is how much?
…after calculation…SGD25! @$#$%$^ isn’t this like dirt cheap? Besides the fact that it does not have dice included…it’s damn chio and I’ve always wanted a set lor.
So was about to pay, then
Auntie: OH I MEAN SGD160
WAT THE FUCK. She totally assumed I am from Singapore and converted the price for me automatically lor! Then I refused to pay rightaway! MADNESS. Singapore also cheaper lor. FUCK must be trying to chop my head. WAIT LONG LONG LOR. She even got the face to say: “You ask me how much in Sing dollar what.” I was so angry I rebutted that I did not mention a single word about SINGAPORE right from the start.
Then when I stepped into another shop to ask about the price of a top. The salesgirl also right away converted the currency for me.
Salesgirl: about 23 dollars
Me: 23 what dollar?
Salesgirl: Sing dollars
Me: huh? oh but I’m from Malaysia leh.
Turns to Mr GVM: She said this one about 50 ringgit wor.
I think shopping at Batam must be super careful because they adopt hidden cost policy. All cost are hidden until you ask and they can anyhow slash the price or up the price one…all depending on your accent etc.
The taxis are also not any better! We took the trip to Nagoya City which cost us about RP45,000 (SGD6). Then upon arrival, the taxi cab keep pestering us to engage him for return trip as well or even a trip to various places etc. Guess how much he charged for return trip together? RP120,000. FUNNY ANOT? Unless his Math is fail de, return trip add together only RP90,000. Fuck him! Wanna cheat money also not like that. Best part, we paid him RP50,000 and he said no small change! Okay lor! Anyway RP5,000 also about SGD1.
All in all, Mr GVM only came to a conclusion that he felt totally insecure at Batam because it’s as if we are going to get cheated almost any second, any time! Before we finally end our terrible shopping experience, we had nice A&W waffles!
Okay, anyways, already back from Batam. 22 October is over! I shall cherish every seconds of the next three rest days…
and guess what!
Audrey Hepburn from IKEA to my house! (:
Let the celebration continue please!
