$5 eye examination at Ngee Ann Polytechnic

I got to know that Singapore Poly (SP) and Ngee Ann Poly (NP) both offers comprehensive eye check at a nominal rate of $5 when lamenting to my friend about how expensive it is to get a proper pair of spectacles made in Singapore. A basic pair of spectacles cost me $140, mind you, that was 5 years ago. Now that my current pair of spectacles is getting rather worn out, I figured that it is time to get a new one.

I always thought that it was necessary to visit a spectacle shop to get many precise measurements to make a pair of spectacles so that they fit perfectly on me. Turned out that the only few details they need to make a pair of spectacles were just shortsightedness details, astigmatism details and the distance between your pupils. That's it! Assuming that you are only trying to correct shortsightedness.

This meant that it is possible to order a pair of quality spectacles online from whatever company in the world. My experience from online shopping tells me that goods purchased online tend to be more value for money because the competition is just a click away and you cut away the middleman. In Singapore where rental and property prices are so expensive, I really do not want to have these costs added to the purchase of a product when buying from a brick-and-mortar shop.

My visit to NP

Long story short, eye checks from SP and NP are so cheap because they are done by students. However, don't let that put you off because their findings are re-checked by their supervisor. With that, you can be sure that you are getting accurate and proper eye examination. According to a New Paper article, a similar eye check costs $100 outside.

Let me share with you my experience at NP.

1) Booking a slot online (http://www.np.edu.sg/hs/industry/Pages/NPOC_Registration.aspx)
Just fill up the minimalistic google docs form and some shy student will call you up within a few working days to confirm your slot.

2) Getting there.
The eye check is conducted at Blk 6, which is near the main entrance of the school. It is easy to find once you alight at Bus Stop 12101 or 12109 depending on which direction you come from.

3) The Eye Checks
Firstly, a questionnaire about you and your family's eye health history.

Next, you get the standard eye test where you are asked to read the alphabets, which lens look clearer, etc. This is where your degrees, astigmatism measurements and pupil distance are obtained.

Followed by an eye movement test where you are asked to look into a pen light and follow it..

Then, a "back of eye" examination where the student will come really close to your face with a handheld magnifying tool to look into your eyes. I got really shy and became very aware of my own breathing because the student was only inches away from my face. I guess this part was to check the integrity of my retina and to see if any glaucoma has occurred.

When that was done, the student proceeded to check the front part of my eyes with a slit lamp to light up the front of my eyes. This is to reveal any corneal scars and cataracts.

Lastly, the checks concluded with puff test to determine the pressure within the eye. This machine blows a really strong jet of air at your pupil and records how much air is deflected back. High pressure in the eyes is also points towards impending glaucoma. The machine blows 3 times each eye and it was quite shocking. The student was not satisfied with the results on my left eye and had to redo the test. Ugh, scary!

The whole process took 2 whole hours. At the end, I was handed a slip containing all the information I need to get my glasses and was verbally told that my eyes are healthy! Yay!

I think this is a great. I see no reason why anyone should pay $100+ to get eye checkups from private practices when such services are available. Moreover, by using their service, you are also giving future opticians a chance to practice their skills. It's a win-win situation!

Schick Hydro Sensitive Shave Gel review in comparison with the Tabac Soap and Gillette shaving foam

In my 5 months with my encounter with traditional safety razor shaving, I have been alternating between the Tabac soap, Gillette foam and the Schick gel. Had my fair share of nicks and cuts with all 3 and I'm slowly reaching the conclusion that the foam and the gel, the modern evolution of the humble shaving soap, all perform equally well in ensuring a slick and comfortable shave provided that you are able to find out for yourself how best to use it to suit your skin.

In terms of convenience, both the Schick gel and the foam are very easy to apply. Just spray some on your fingers and swirl them on your face. All I need for a 3 pass shave is a small almond quantity. The Schick gel, initially greenish blue in colour will start to turn into whitish foam as you whirl it and become nicely slick to shave with. If the blueish blob is still present, that means that either that you are using too much shaving gel or you haven't got enough water in the mix.When it becomes slightly dry, you just have to splash some water and swirl it a little more. The Schnick gel seems to be made with convenience and ease of use in mind. It is suited for the modern man to get things done quick. So there is no need for a brush to lather up the gel like you would with a shaving cream or soap. In fact, there is no need to shake the can at all. Just press the button and the shaving gel comes out easily.

Yes, wet your face, wet your hand, squeeze out some of that blueish substance and swirl around your face until you get the nice slightly foamy texture.

Smell wise, it has a fresh menthol scent and the icy cool feel of the menthol is invigorating and pleasing. Too bad I only shave at night when I have the luxury of time to get my shave on. Otherwise, it would really wake me up from a sleepy morning.

 That's actually more than what is required. Had to keep mixing more water to avoid getting the dry feeling.

Coming to the shave itself, I'm not sure if the menthol really helps to numb the sensation of the blade on the skin or if the gel is providing a great slick protective layer for my skin. I'm able to go through areas repeatedly to clean it up without having to re-apply more gel. If it does get slightly dry, I just have to splash a little water and swirl that area up once more. This is very different from the Tabac shaving soap where the skin will become "stickily clean" after a single pass if too much water was used. The Schick shave gel is a very forgiving gel and there isn't much to learn in order to obtain a comfortable and close shave.

The only time I didn't had a good shave with this gel was when I tried applying it using a shaving brush as it soaked up much of the gel without giving me much slickness return. This shaving gel is best used without a brush and performs best when your face is really wet, by wet, I mean dripping with water wet. This is when the menthol is not overpowering and the slickness is optimal.

Taking these 3 types of shaving lather as a representative of their type, it seems that all 3 performs just as good as one another provided that you experiment how much water you'll need to bring the best out of the product. 

Logitech M235 Wireless Mouse Review

I got myself a Logitech M235 wireless mouse during my weekend trip to Malaysia at a bargain price of $20 at a Popular book store. Yep, its the same Popular you get in Singapore. The listed price on the website is $29, which translates to a 30% discount when bought across the causeway. Wee!

My requirements are simple. I'm not a gamer, but I do use the computer for long periods for of time.


In short, I need a mouse that is:
1. Comfortable. It must be reasonable in size to fit an average sized hand comfortably.

2. Has power saving features to save battery when my computer is turned off because I can't be bothered to turn it off manually.

3. Uses a single battery. For super-low power consumption devices, there is always a risk of having one of the battery run completely flat while the other battery forces current through it while the device continues to work (also known as "reverse charging"). This increase the chances of a corrosive leak that slowly eats through the metal contacts of the mouse. Having a single battery simplifies things.

4. Runs reasonably precise on typically surfaces I throw at it. I'll need it to work just about on any surface I put my laptop on so that I do not need to bring around a mouse pad.

5. The receiver module must be small enough for me to leave it in my USB slot permanently without worrying that I might break it when slipping my laptop into its bag.

It features a silent 2-way scroll wheel for flipping through long documents without disturbing your colleagues.

In addition, there are a few notable points that make this mouse better than what I've expected.

6. There is a slot to keep the USB module within the battery compartment during transportation and it fits snugly so that you won't drop it the moment you open that compartment.

7. There is a little battery indicator LED that shows up green or red for easy checking of remaining battery life. I switched my new battery (1.5V) for a depleted cell (1.05V) and it worked just fine even though the LED showed red. Using s single AA battery means that it has about twice the capacity of a AAA battery and will last a very long time.

    

Red LED: 1.05V Depleted AA cell.
Green LED: 1.14V Almost Depleted AA cell.