Showing posts with label Suntec City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Suntec City. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
OH ROY! MEET TOY MAN SOON
Recession or not, it's business as usual for The Falcon's Hanger owner Roy Soon
YOU may have heard that the world is in the midst of a severe economic crisis.
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| TOY MANIA! Toy Carnival @ SAM will take place at the Singapore Art Museum this Sunday from 10am to 6pm. |
But for Mr Roy Soon, the 37-year-old owner of The Falcon's Hanger, which specialises in selling toys and collectibles from Japan, Hong Kong and the US, it's been business as usual.
He believes what has helped his company during this economic downturn is his 'customer profile, which is middle-to-upper income'.
He told The New Paper in a recent interview: 'Our customers have a buffer. That's why they've been with us for years.'
Just like the movie business, which doesn't seem to have been adversely affected by the global meltdown, toys appear to be recession proof.
Said Mr Soon: 'When the downturn hit, yes, some were affected. Some cut down here and there. But most will say that it's bad enough that every day is bad, the toys can't go! This is my end-of-the-day joy!'
Mr Soon is so optimistic about the toy business here that he is helping to organise the upcoming Toy Carnival@SAM. It will take place at the Singapore Art Museum this Sunday from 10am to 6pm.
A total of 30 vendors will be participating in the event, which Mr Soon hopes will attract families, in addition to hardcore collectors.
'It's a low-cost event, and there are free giveaways.'
Local toy collector Sam Leung, a 29-year old flight attendant, says the recession has curtailed his toy-buying sprees to a certain extent.
He said: 'I used to spend from $200 to $600 a month on toys. But for the past two months I haven't bought any.'
Yet, he said if he really likes something enough, as an avid collector, he would not hold back.
As for the carnival, Star Wars fans will want to take special note, as the members of costume enthusiast group 501st Legion Singapore Garrison will be there in full Star Wars regalia.
Droid hunt
Said Mr Soon: 'They've organised games for families, such as a droid hunt. They'll also be free to pose for pictures - they live for that!'
For those who love Japanese pop culture, the carnival will also feature cosplayers dressed up as anime characters.
Based on past experience with smaller-scale events held by The Falcon's Hangar, Mr Soon is confident that the carnival will draw a large crowd.
But some might wonder if Singapore can support two separate toy fairs.
The Singapore Toy, Games & Comic Convention (STGCC), supported by the Singapore Tourism Promotion Board, kicked off last year. It will be on again next month at the Suntec Convention Centre.
Mr Soon doesn't see a conflict.
'The STGCC is international. Our event is more of a local, Sunday family event. We don't want to compete with them. I invited them to come down and do their publicity with us.'
As for the toy fans themselves, two events are obviously better than one.
Mr Leung says that he would definitely go to the Toy Carnival.
'There isn't enough of this kind of thing in Singapore.'
Thursday, July 2, 2009
TNP's carnival magic
CAN'T wait to see who'll win the grand prize of The New Paper Auction - the Derbi motorbike?
Come for our grand finale at Suntec Galleria Foyer on 11 Jul to find out who gets to ride off with the motorbike.
The New Paper's Hed Chef Hedy Khoo will give away the prize.
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But this isn't just a prize presentation.
For those who still have The New Paper Dollars (TNP$), this carnival will be your chance to bid for prizes like a Nautica watch, or a dinner date with Radio 91.3 hosts Rod Monteiro and Andre Hoeden.
Bid for these prizes on the spot with TNP$.
And if being regaled by the Radio 91.3 morning crew isn't enough, there's a whole slew of energetic performances lined up.
For one, fire-magician Danny Koh's act will leave you gasping. Besides swallowing fire, he also spins fire-wheels to rock music.
Stunts
He will also thrill you with stunts like threading razor blades through his teeth.
'People tell me that they can't find such action-packed fire tricks anywhere else in Asia,' said Mr Koh, 28, who performs at BluJazz and GoingOm cafes.
Also, prepare to be stunned by yo-yo tricksters Spinworkx. Their frenetic routines will convince you that yo-yoing counts as an extreme sport.
Want more acrobatics? The Braddell Heights Legacy All-Stars cheerleading team will be cartwheeling, flipping and tumbling across the foyer.
But stunts aside, what's a good party without dancing? Ngee Ann Polytechnic's dancers will have you bopping to their samba beat.
And don't forget that you have onlytill the end of this week to bid for the Derbi Terra Adventure 125 motorbike and accessories, worth more than $16,000 in all. To bid, simply cut out and collect TNP$, which appear on the front page every day.
SMS your bid to 79777 in this format: TNPE1Bid AmountFull NameNRIC
The highest bid wins. But you must back up your bids with actual TNP$.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Porridge with air-con at KFC
RECOMMENDATIONS through word of mouth may not always be accurate. But when a few different people recommend the same thing, you got to pay attention.
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Recently, all I had to do was casually mention that I was headed to KFC to try out its range of breakfast and the response would be: 'The porridge is good!'
That piqued my curiosity. So when I finally got a taste of it, I must say I agree.
The a.m. Porridge is one of about six breakfast options offered by KFC.
The truth is, I had little hope for the porridge.
This is a dish best made fresh and individually. It takes time to ensure that the rice is really mashed. The stock has to have a strong but not overwhelming flavour.
And, let's face it, porridge is a comfort dish that we all have wonderful memories of, so it is hard to just accept anything.
The a.m. Porridge arrived piping hot - a good sign - in a container that contained more than it looked capable of.
The rice was broken into bits - another good sign - and in it were chunks of Original Recipe chicken fillet.
A KFC spokesman assured us that a staff member goes into the outlet early in the morning just to prepare the porridge.
The best part may be the price.
It's $2.50 (add a dollar to get coffee or tea), about the price you would have to pay at the hawker centre.
Here, you get air-con at the same price, so you may want to consider this option, especially with the heat wave we've been experiencing lately.
If porridge is too traditional for you, the a.m. Waffles & Egg meal ($4.80) is also recommended.
The waffles were golden brown and crispy, and went well with the fluffy scrambled eggs.
I'm hardly big on waffles, and even I wanted to finish up my share.
Breakfast at KFC is served from 8am to 11am, and available in nearly 50 outlets throughout the island, including Ang Mo Kio, Bugis Village, Clementi, Heartland Mall, Plaza Singapura, Suntec City, Toa Payoh and Yew Tee Point.
You can visit www.kfc.com.sg for details and locations.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Man held over laptop theft at fair
A man was apparently caught red-handed stealing a laptop at The PC Show at Suntec Singapore on Sunday night.
Stomper Surrephoto, who took photos of the incident, said it happened near the closing time of the fair.
"A man had apparently stolen an Acer laptop... There was jeering, but also sympathetic onlookers. Some people even threw scraps of paper at him.
"The photos show the security guard at Suntec Convention Hall who had the man tied up," he said.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
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