Fraser Rewards Card Reviews

Having a whole loads of cards in my wallet... Why another card? What are the benefits of having this card?

There are a list of benefits from this card, let me start from the one that attracts me the most and most useful to me to the least:

First of all is the FCM$ where you earn 1FCM$ for every $1 you spend AND this FCM$ DOUBLES on your birthday month! So it's my husband's birthday this month, and i bought $600+ worth of things from Challenger so i decided to get this card!

Secondly, it is the convenience of signing up for the card on the spot! I actually found out about this card after making my purchase at Challenger and was introduced to this card by the cashier in Challenger. When i went to find out about signing up for this card, the counter lady was very helpful, you just need your NRIC and key in some particulars over the iPad provided and the card was done almost instantly! The next best thing was that they allow me to credit in the FCM$ of what i have already made payment for at Challenger as long as it was on the same day!

On top of these, the third thing that happened was that i found out about instant rewards of complimentary gifts with purchase or promotions that vary across the malls, with minimum spending applies. The existing promotion at Northpoint was, spend $50 = receive $5 e-cash voucher or spend at least $150 = receive $15 e-cash voucher. You can combine up to 3 receipts in the same day. I have already spend $600+ in a single receipt at Challenger, so i was credited with $15 e-cash on the spot.

What can you do with the FCM$ you have earned? You have to convert your FCM$ into e-cash in order to use them to make offset of your next purchase. Some points about converting your FCM$ are, you need to have a minimum of 500FCM$ to start converting. Every 500FCM$ = $5 e-cash. You are capped at earning 8000FCM$ ($80) per redemption year (1st July to 30th June of the following year).

Every $30 you spent earns you a chance for promotional periods Fraser Rewards Travel Draw. I'm not sure how this draw will goes but who knows? You can win yourself a trip for a nice getaway~

Free weekday parking (with minimum spending) is something i have yet to try. Below are the list of participating malls! Find out more about the minimum spending for each mall and it's existing promotions by checking http://www.fraserscentrepointmalls.com !

* Anchorpoint
* Bedok Point
* Causeway Point
* Changi City Point
* China Square Central
* Compass Point
* East Point
* Northpoint
* The Centrepoint
* Robertson Walk
* Valley Point
* Yew Tee Point

Just a summary of my first transaction with the Fraser Rewards Card:
- Spent $600+ at Challenger = 600FCM$
- Double the points on birthday month = 600FCM$ X 2 = 1200FCM$
- Existing mall promotion of spending at least $150 = receive $15 e-cash voucher
- 1000FCM$ = $10 e-cash
- $30 = a chance in the Travel draw. $600 = 20 chances
Total i earned $25 e-cash and 20 chances in the travel draw!

*One not so good thing about this card is... you have to bring the physical card around and swipe it for the points. Many retail malls or shops have already gone 'card-less' where points can be credited directly to the account via NRIC or telephone number etc. So it just adds on the the stack of membership cards in my wallet~

Uber Taxi App

From this post, you will find out more about Uber's benefits and exactly how it works!

Many would have heard about Uber Taxi Application (Singapore) by now. Maybe like most people you are still unsure about how it works or it sounds too good to be true to you.

Like most people and drivers, i was not sure and was sceptical about it for awhile till i found out more about it just 2 days back.

Downloading the app from the app store was the first step, but the app sat quietly on my phone for almost a month simply because it required a credit card details for logging in. Like many caution users, we do not give out credit card details easily without finding out where the information is going and what are they used for.

So here's what i found out and hopefully it helps you to understand this Uber better and why you should use Uber and how it works!

Uber is a company started in the US, with a strong arm, google. That is a reason why they have live google map function that held an upper hand compared to other taxi apps. This app can be used in 57 different countries! It has very good functions that benefits both passengers and taxi drivers!

Problems with current taxi situation for either passengers or taxi drivers:

Problem #1 

(Happening to passengers): Have you ever called Taxi hotline and was put on hold to listen to music for 10 minutes and it says "Sorry there's no cab in your area now. Please try again later" and hang up on you? Especially when you are in a rush and there seems to be to no avail no matter which cab company you are calling?

Solution from Uber #1 

In 2 simple steps...

- Set pickup location according to the drop pin and make sure the address on the PICK UP LOCATION) is correct. You can already see the location of all the Uber taxis near you!

- Wait for the timing to load and you can see exactly how long the nearest cab will take to reach you!

Problem #2
(Happening to passengers): Have you ever called a taxi, couldn't find the taxi because it went to a wrong spot or pickup location?

(Happening to Taxi drivers): Received a call, got there but could not locate passenger due to lack of contact info or exact info of pick up location?

Solution from Uber #2
(To passengers): Be sure you can reach the pickup point within the timing shown and tap on the (>) on the black bar and it will lead you to the following. Tap on the Request Taxi and wait for your Taxi Driver's car plate info and watch the taxi come towards the pickup point LIVE. In the event if the driver goes to the carpark or is waiting at a wrong spot, you can tap on the (^) on the right hand side of the taxi info and tap on the tap that says "Contact Driver"!

(To Taxi drivers): You can now have access to "Contact passenger" to verify or confirm pickup location in the even if you are unsure or could not find the passenger.

Problem #3
(Happening to Taxi drivers): Faced with 'no show' incidents where passenger did not show up and just cancel call after you have arrived because they got on another taxi?

Solution from Uber #3
(To Taxi drivers): I'm not sure about this yet, but i heard that passengers who call and only cancel the Taxi last minute will be charged $7, which is good because people do not call Taxi for fun just because the Taxi queue they are in seems a little long and that they can cancel anytime. Less people will hog the Taxi hotlines. And in such event, Taxi drivers get paid $5 so that their trip over is not wasted. This app is for serious users only! ;)

Other benefits of Uber!

Get a FREE $10 Credit when you sign up via https://get.uber.com/invite/xiuzhenl or key in "xiuzhenl" under your promo code when you sign up! it will be automatically credited in your Uber credit, calculated and deducted from your overall Taxi charge.

No hidden or extra charges! You will receive a entire trip summary in your email with the starting location and time to the ending point and time. The whole journey, including the route the driver took will be recorded. Charges are charged directly to your card with no cash payment needed and fare breakdown are displayed clearly as shown!

You get to rate your trip and even leave a comment at the end of your trip, for both the Taxi driver and the passenger! This helps to ensure both parties are doing their best to provide a pleasant ride for each other!

Very good promotions all the time! Like ALL DAY FREE TAXI (just yesterday on Thursday, 23rd Oct) and 25% off ALL Taxi rides till 31st oct (still on-going now)!

As you have seen from my trip summary above, my Taxi charge was $22.10. There's a on-going 25% discount, which is a $5.52 off my total charge, plus my FREE $10 credit. That makes my entire Taxi fare only $6.58!

So far, i have taken Uber taxi 4 times since 2 days back and every ride was a bliss from beginning to end! No more listening to music for a never ending duration... Taxi drivers are friendly and pleasant! The whole journey and experience is easy and comfortable! You will know it when you tru=y it for yourself!

Eagle's nest

Sometime ago, a terrible storm in the middle of the night with loud thunder and frightening lightning, destroyed the eagle's nest opposite my house where the entire umbrella of the tree was struck down.

Today as i was sitting at my desk doing my work, i noticed a couple came by! I took my camera excitedly to capture what they are doing!

Photographer: ME!

They are building their nest! =)

I believe these are a different couple from the previous couple because the previous couple came and left with 4 baby eagles.

A research shows that eagles usually stopover to build a nest when the female is going to lay eggs and they often nest the eggs before they continue in their journey. The previous eagles came in a pair and i watched how they nested their eggs and saw their baby eagles soaring for the first time and saw them leaving as a family as the nest was destroyed in a stormy rain.

Looking forward to see their nest soon and the babies that are coming along! <3

I'm so thankful for my Canon SX40HS camera that allow me to shot them up close and personal!

Expectation management

Feeling rather disturbed today... Started the day feeling very very emotional..

Started off with the build up of emotions and irritation and pressure from this trip... Honestly I never felt like I wanted to go home so much.. I miss my home, my poshie, my husband..

But at the same time, I learnt a important lesson today...

Not everyone is willing and able to share how you feel.... Some people can only share your joy and when things are going smooth and where nothing deep are shared.. And when u really share some things that mean a lot to you, they don't reply or reply with sweeping statements that actually makes you feel worse.. This is why, you cannot share everything with everyone..

What are we really looking for in our sharing? A listening ear, where you know that they really did read your msges... Not feeling like the msges ended up no where... or even, some times replies sounds like it doesn't even require them to have read your msges.. Hahahaha!

Is it really possible to expect others to understand what I am going through? Hahaha I know it is not.. But some times, we just need to feel that we are important and cared for.. And at least there's a reply after reading...

But at the same time, I learnt that people's importance to us in our lives does not equal to our importance to them.. And this is where expectations got to be managed.. Disappoinent happens when we expect something and it doesn't happen..

Expecting a simple reply, a simple reassurance, a simple message to know that you are remembered.... Can result to great disappointment...

Is it possible to live a life with no expectations?

Does it really make one happier?

Should priority be rearranged so that with the drop of importance, the effect and expectations will also be lowered?

And this is not the end... Going for the last dinner together on this trip soon and hoping and praying that it will turn out to be a fine experience... So that I can at least some a bit of good memories with me at the end..

Looking beyond

Looking beyond what meets the eye...

Today is the 9th day of my Europe trip... The past few days traveling through Barcelona to Madrid and now in Paris, cause me to think a lot..

The rich culture and art from the places inspire me to start designing again and motivated to make my designs appear when I visit Paris again next year!

Being on this trip with a combination of interesting people cause me to think... What do I want in life? And what is it that I'm trying to achieve...?

On this trip, there are the rich who do not flash their wealth; there's the rich whom I don't know if they are really rich cause they hang their riches on their lips..

There was a lady whom I thought she was quite indifferent and do not want to talk to anyone, but to discover that she is very warm and friendly but was sensitive to people calling them mainland china Chinese..

A group whom I knew of before the trip but never had the chance to really know them.. Thought they are bossy people but to realize how friend and sincere they are..

There's also one whom I always thought was a really nice person even before the trip, and got to know her better during the trip.. And realize the pride that is subtle but yet sharp...

I haven't been perfect either.. I tried my best and prayed really hard that I will not end up judging.. But just simply observing people.. Throughout the trip, I prayed that I will be a good testimony and not judge anyone for their actions or words.. And that God will open up doors for me to know them in a different way...

Most of them are quite well off and like any other Europe trip... Combing the brands are like a ritual that cannot be missed.. Then the comparing begins as they see who could afford a more expensive branded item.. The comparison kinda irritates but I choose not to be affected nor to be part of this rat race.. It is inevitable for them to compare but I just don't care.. Not that I don't have, but I choose not to depend on these branded items to define my self worth and value.. Though I admit, thoughts do run through my mind, on where will I be in 5 years time...

Today we went on a business dinner on cruise. It was suppose to be a very class and fine dining experience where we got dressed up for.. Then a group started singing and talking and laughing loudly... Then another loud roar of laughter from another table.... And then people start getting drunk from yet another table... At the beginning the embarrassment was overwhelming.. But then I saw the sorrows in their laughter and smile.. And I realized.. They may have everything they need or want but they are not truly happy.. They have wealth and riches but they do not have true joy and peace.. Their pacing up and down with more cigarettes and more alcohol only reveals their deepest sorrows.. Speaking very much of the opposite of what they are going through...

Sitting there... I understand that yes they may seems to have all that they want and could afford anything.. But true joy and peace only comes from above...

A few days back, our tour guide shared with us a story:
There was once he was at the hospital waiting for his turn to visit the doctor with one of his cilent. On his left was a Aunty scolding and shouting at the top of her voice in Spanish.. Not understanding what she is saying, he just assumed she was scolding the husband, who walked passed her and patiently went to the public phone to make a phone call.. Everyone was looking at her but no one went up to her.. A policeman nearby just gently say "Aunty be patient".. Feeling annoyed like everyone, he just continued using his phone.. Suddenly when he looked up, the Aunty was sitting right in front of him and he realized that she was actually blind.. She is shouting because she could not see the husband..

Sometimes things may seems like one thing from the back and a completely different thing from the front..