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Singapore IT Show March 2009 @ Suntec City Mall

Buy a 50+” flat screen TV and get a 17″ tv free. Xbox games at 80% off. $10 off for premium external hard drives every other hour. Ipod touch bundles with $78 worth of freebies.

swarm of people lining for the escalator

Literally thousands of shoppers — the escalator from the ground floor to the second floor was manned by staffs to regulate human traffic. Advisories were flashed on big screens telling guests to come back in an hour — due to the number of people that flocked the Suntec City Mall convention center at one time.

see the green text in the big screen

Laptops and Ipod Nanos were flying off the shelves like toothpaste. Laptop bags and gadget purses at 40-60% off. And if IT products weren’t enough to sate the appetite of bargain shoppers, Jean Perry linens were also sold for slashed prices. There were also underwears, sneakers, chocolates, and clothes.

At one part of the exhibition, there’s a dispenser of delicious milk tea in mini cups!

delicious milk tea in mini cups

live manequin

gimmicks by the entrance

I said I would not buy myself anything, so I only brought money enough for food and transportation. But I ended up eye-ing a Hedgren laptop bag at $20 off. And, seeing bargains at irresistible prices, got myself a White 320G My Passport Essential portable external hard drive.

outside the Suntec Mall

People went there to shop. At really low prices. So no one went home empty handed, so to speak.

no one went home empty handed

I’m ready for my next adventure.

When I went to Singapore, I got myself an Olympus Stylus 1050 underwater camera and an Adidas watch that can go down to 100 meters.

I have a new Samsonite camera travel bag with pockets enough to carry the Victorinox Swiss pocket multi tools that Amrei gave me as Christmas present. I’ve been wanting this since long ago.

I also bought Billabong and Voodoo Dolls bikinis to match my new Kycs swim shorts.

Tomorrow, I’ll start walking with my new Adidas Ayuna 2W slippers.

I don’t know where I’m going yet but my gears are sure to take me there.

Ariving at the Changi Budget Airport where all flights from Cebu Pacific Clark are, my companion tried to take a photo of the Chinese signage on the door but two Chinese airport officials immediately stopped her.

We were warned that the Budget airport is true to its name, said it only looks like the NAIA Terminal 3 airport, but the truth is, our NAIA T3 airport looks better, and definitely has a cleaner comfort room.

After four days in Singapore, it’s time to leave. I had an Ikea carrying sack, my TNF 65L backpack and the SAM bag filled with vases and drinking glasses. The vases and glasses were immediately noticed by the security officer at the baggage checking area. “You’re bringing glasses to the aircraft?” he said, with a distinctively Indian accent. “Yes, it’s for my mom!” It’s December 9 and he knew that a lot of tourists have been shopping in Singapore. “For the holidays?” he said. I said yes.

After passing through, I waited with a friend, Nick for Amrei, my companion, to get through the check. Nick was drinking from the 1L bottle of mineral water he brought from the house. We had to throw it away because we’re not allowed to carry any liquids inside the plane.

Amrei was holding a big Mustafa Shopping Center plastic bag. The officer checked the contents and told Amrei that she couldn’t bring these things inside – they were bottles of body wash and lotions. The officer told us with sympathy that as an international airport rule, he had to confiscate the items for we couldn’t carry any liquids to the plane, and we cannot check the flimsy plastic bag. We know that we couldn’t check in the plastic bag for sure, that’s why Amrei was carrying it, also because we asked the lady in the check in counter if we could hand carry the plastic bag. She was also carrying it in the plastic bag because we have yet to have it checked for GST refund.

After arguing about the plastic bag and pleading to the officer to not throw the liquid items away, I asked if we could just buy a bag to check those in. He said that there’s a bag shop inside the departure area and Amrei could go inside and buy if she left the items with the officer. We complied.

When the items are packed inside the bag, the officer reminded Amrei to bring some cash, in case our check in baggage exceed in weight. He then escorted Amrei to the customs desk to fill up some forms, and inside another door that says “Authorized Personnel Only” to check in the bag. From afar, it looked like Amrei was caught with illegal supplies on her baggage being escorted by the officer and leaving her other things with me.

After much ado, we were finally inside the departure area. Thanks to the friendly Indian national officer.

Lesson learned.