Leading P&G air fresher brand, Ambi Pur did a test to find out just that.
Ambi Pur set up a room full of smelly items, with old shoes, durian, and dirty food cans. They then guided some real, blindfolded folks into the room, asked them to smell the room thoroughly, and then describe their experience.
Can Ambi Pur undo the damage from the stinky items? Watch this video to find out:
I remember when I was serving my NS, our air-con bunk always smell of sweat and old socks. Repulsive. A healthy dose of Ambi Purthen would have made all of us happier and fitter to defend the nation – a real life scenario of #SmellyToSmiley.
Can you think of other real life #SmellyToSmiley scenerio?
Tweet and share them with Ambi Pur using #SmellyToSmiley. Here are some of the examples I thought of:
1. School changing rooms, especially after a long PE lesson.
2. Car interior after transporting a cargo load of durians home for the family.
3. A guest lighted up and puffed away in your home with your air-con on.
Simple Replacement: Designed to fit and work with existing sockets and fixtures, this means existing bulbs can simply be taken out and replaced.
Save On Energy: Consume around 80% less power than traditional filament bulbs, while delivering the brightness you expect.
Longer Lifetime: LED bulbs last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs, and have at least twice the lifespan of fluorescent energy savers.
Instant Start: Get maximum light output that is natural and glare-free as soon as you flip the switch, no waiting time required.
At 165 meters high, the Singapore Flyer stands as tall as a 42-storey building and is the largest observation wheel in the world. Do you know it is equipped with Philips’ state-of-the-art LED lighting systems, making it a sight to see at night, as well as during the day?It is also the first lighting installation in the world to be controlled using a wireless infrastructure.
SAYS (http://says.com/sg) is Singapore’s social news network, featuring Singapore’s must-share stories, links, videos and advertising campaigns (Specials) that are broadcasted by its community of local social media users like you and I.
SAYS is on a mission to create a next-generation news site, and is now in Malaysia and Singapore.
For the upcoming Chinese New Year, SAYS is giving away a total of S$10,000 ang pows in cash every day for 30 days! Read about their CNY Giveaway here:
The biggest ang pow available is S$5,000. SAYS users who join will be given a lucky ticket for every daily Special they share that receives a minimum of 1 unique visit. The more tickets a user gets, the higher the chances you have to win the ang pows. I already joined and my lucky ticket today is #3359! Wish me luck and good luck to you too. 🙂
If I win the S$5,000, here are five things I would do:
1. Buy a laptop for my wife Damage: ~S$1000
Macbook Air
My wife’s old ASUS netbook is getting a little cranky. It also looks dated and chunky in today’s fast-moving laptop market. Time to give her a nice little surprise present.
2. Buy a new mattress for my son’s bed Damage: ~S$1000
My son, Asher’s bedroom
The mattress from my son’s bed is currently an old one inherited from my parents-in-law. It would be great to get a new, sturdier mattress to replace it.
3. Buy a new, portable digital camera for myself Damage: ~S$1000
Panasonic GF5
I damaged my portable digital camera during my last overseas trip to Taiwan. The warranty for the camera has just expired. Although I still have a DSLR, I do not like to lug a heavy camera around on a regular basis. Time to buy a new camera!
4. Treat my parents and parents-in-law to a sumptuous CNY reunion dinner Damage: ~S$1000
Peng Cai served at a 2011 CNY reunion dinner with my parents
It would be wonderful to play host to my parents and parents-in-law for the first time this year during Chinese New Year. The four of them have been helping Rachel and I take care of our baby son Asher throughout the past year and we are deeply appreciative of their effort.
5. Save the remainder for my son’s future education fund Damage: ~$1000
My son Asher
It is always good to set aside some money for rainy days. Rachel and I are looking into setting up a financial plan to save for our son’s future education needs. This initial sum will be a good start.
This is a lot of stuff for S$5,000 isn’t it? Moreover, I am spreading the amount with my family members and loved ones, making it all the more meaningful.
A little tip for Alvinology.com readers: early contestants will stand a higher chance of winning if you sign up on SAYS Singapore and join the CNY Giveaway as soon as possible as there will be more opportunities for tickets.
Can you see a flashing banner of Kohe Pets on the right-hand-side of this blog?
Well, Kohe Pets offered to take care of the pet food required for my wife’s two cats, Spooky and Amber.
So far, Rachel had done an order with them via their online store smoothly. There is a wide selection of pet food available and the delivery was prompt and efficient.
Kohe Pets online store
Instead of having to physically go down to a pet shop to replenish the cat food supply whenever they run low, Rachel is very happy to have the online order option now and have it delivered to her doorstep!
Here are the items Rachel got from her first shopping experience with Kohe Pets:
– A litter pan with lid and swing door
– Tom & Pus pine litter
– Royal Canin Health Nutrition Indoor +7 Dry Cat Food
– Fussie Cat canned wet food
– Solid Gold dry cat food
Rachel’s first order from Kohe PetsThe wet and dry cat foodFussie Cat Canned Wet FoodAmber came to inspect the order and was satisfied
The original litter pan which Rachel had wanted was out of stock, which wasn’t indicated on the website, but the customer service officer promptly called her up to offer an alternative. The goods were delivered within 24 hours and the cats were happy to inspect the loot when their stuff arrived.
Kohe Pets is not a fly-by-night operation and have been in the business for a while. Hence you need not worry about them scamming you. Check out their official website, Facebook page or blog for more information.
Have you dined at home-grown restaurant chain Dian Xiao Er (店小二) before?
Ever wonder why their business is so good? During lunch and dinner times, there are always long queues.
I had the rare opportunity to sit through dinner with the founder of Dian Xiao Er, Samuel Yik and his wife, Eliza. Both of them are super nice folks with “no air” that people like to stereotype with Chinese towkays.
Inside Dian Xiao Er restaurants
Samuel spoke with strong passion on how he started and operated Dian Xiao Er. He also shared some dining tips on their speciality dishes and enthusiastically explained to us the background of each dish.
I asked Samuel a lot of questions on his business operation. He answered everything candidly and was open to sharing just about everything (sans the recipes to his signature dishes of course). This is a hands-on boss who is on-the-ground and knows what he is doing, definitely not one shaking his legs in office.
Some people say the standards have declined in the past couple of years, but now that the founders are back in control (as of mid-2012), it is definitely worth visiting again.
Well, I am giving out 5 x S$50 Dian Xiao Er dining voucher to five lucky readers to try out the food at Dian Xiao Er!
Now, allow me to introduce to you, some of Dian Xiao Er’s signature dishes so you know what you can expect. 🙂
I am no stranger to Dian Xiao Er restaurants and am a fan of their signature Herbal Roast Duck since I first tried it at their Marina Square outlets a few years ago:
Dian Xiao Er signature Herbal Roast Duck
A lot of work goes into the preparation of the roast duck. Those who cook will know how tedious it is to prepare roast ducks.
The ducks at Dian Xiao Er are prepared daily for freshness. The ducks are marinated overnight to allow the herbal flavours to permeate each duck. A generous mixture of Chinese wine and herbs are sealed within the duck throughout the marinating process. The ducks are then roasted with the herbs and wine sealed inside their stomach. The roasting process releases the alcohol content of the wine while cooking with the herbs, resulting in the flavourful sauce that resides within the duck. This flavourful sauce is to be served with the portioned tender duck meat.
A lot of people has the mistaken notion that the herbal sauce is prepared separately and poured onto the duck, it is able to maintain the flavour, precisely because it is cooked INSIDE the duck.
Dian Xiao Er Herbal Roast Ducks are available in three flavours: Angelica Herb (当归), Ten Wonder Herbs (十全) and Wild Ginseng (泡参). Price for a small portion (approx. 2-3 pax servings) starts from $12.90++, a really reasonable price for a very tediously prepared dish.
Other favourites includes the following:
Dong Po Pork
Dong Po Pork
This special cut of pork belly is well marinated with a concoction of spices and steamed till soft and tender. A flavourful dish with a “melt in your mouth” sensation. The skin is finished with some hot oil for better texture. Pork belly is sinful food, but I absolutely dig it.
Mongolian Spare Ribs
Mongolian Spare Ribs
Another of Dian Xiao Er’s signature dish. The crispy ribs are coated in a layer of sauce with flavours of plum and black pepper, delivering a tangy, yet slightly hot taste.
Stir Fried Lotus Roots with Macadamia Nuts
Stir Fried Lotus Roots with Macadamia Nuts
This dish is one of the all-time favourite at Dian Xiao Er due to the unique blend of ingredients. The ingredients look very simple and the dish looks unassuming, but this is an area where Dian Xiao Er excels – delivering culinary delights through simple dishes. The Macadamia nuts crunch down well with the lotus roots.
Silver Cod Fish in Superior Soy Sauce
Silver Cod Fish in Superior Soy Sauce
Deep fried Silver Cod served with a dash of Dian Xiao Er’s special soy sauce mix. I love cod fish, but it is difficult to cook because of it’s oily texture. I like how the cod is crispy on the outside, yet soft and smooth on the inside.
Claypot Frog & Jumbo Prawn Bee Hoon with Wine
Claypot Frog & Jumbo Prawn Bee Hoon with Wine
Frog legs and jumbo prawns in a comforting stock spiked with Shaoxing wine and beehoon to soak up all the goodness. This is Dian Xiao Er’s own creation and I find the mix of frog legs with jumbo prawns rather intriguing as I do not recall these two items being cooked together in any other dishes in Singapore. The result is pretty amazing though. I slurped up every last drop of the flavourful soup.
If you are interested to visit Dian Xiao Er, they currently operates eight outlets in Singapore. You can visit any of them and be assured the quality is consistent. The boss, Samuel personally make surprise visits to all of them for tasting to ensure this:
1. Marina Square, 6 Raffles Boulevard #02-203/4 | Tel: 6337 1928
2. Vivocity, 1 Harbourfront Walk #02/137/8 | Tel: 6376 9786
3. Ang Mo Kio, 53 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 #B2-02 | Tel: 6484 2268
4. Jurong Point, 1 Jurong West Central 2 #03-26/27 | Tel: 67926268
5. Lot One, 21 Choa Chu Kang Ave 4 #B1-32/33 | Tel: 6766 1776
6. Terminal 3, Changi Airport #03-42/43 | Tel: 6542 3789
7. Tampines One, 10 Tampines Central 1 #04-07/08 | Tel: 6783 6068
8. Nex Serangoon Central #02-09/10 | Tel: 6634 4828
A L V I N O L O G Y 