Category: Organic News

Organic News

SilkAir to launch non-stop flights between Singapore and Hiroshima

SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, will be launching non-stop flights between Singapore and Hiroshima, Japan, this year. Commencing 30 October 2017, this return flight service will run three times a week, on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The addition of Hiroshima and Japan to SilkAir’s route network marks a significant milestone for the airline and demonstrates its continuous commitment to bring customers new and exciting destinations.

The new service to Hiroshima will be operated with SilkAir’s fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft, which features both Business and Economy class cabins. Customers can look forward to a full-service experience, including in-flight meals; wireless in-flight entertainment on SilkAir Studio; baggage allowance of 40kg and 30kg for Business and Economy class passengers respectively; as well as through check-in if they are connecting to, or from, another SilkAir or Singapore Airlines point via Singapore.

“SilkAir is proud to be offering the only non-stop flights between Hiroshima and Singapore, and we are confident that we can serve the demand from both cities. Hiroshima has been popular with Singaporeans, due to its historical significance, good weather and proximity to various attractions in neighbouring cities,” said Mr. Foo Chai Woo, Chief Executive of SilkAir. “We are also hopeful that the Japanese traveling to Singapore from Hiroshima will find this route more convenient, especially for connecting to the other Southeast Asian destinations that SilkAir serves. Expanding our network to Japan is something we have been very excited about and working very hard for,” he continued.

With the launch of Hiroshima, the combined Singapore Airlines-SilkAir network will serve a total of 6 Japanese cities. The number of destinations in SilkAir’s route network will increase to 54 destinations in 16 countries.

Details of the flight schedules are as follows(all times stated are local):

Flight Routing Days of Operation Departure Arrival
MI868 Singapore – Hiroshima Mon, Thu, Sat Singapore

01:45

 Hiroshima

09:30
MI867 Hiroshima – Singapore Mon, Thu, Sat Hiroshima

10:25

 Singapore

15:40

 

About Hiroshima and Tourism

Located in the Chugoku Region of Japan, Hiroshima (広島) literally means “Wide Island” in Japanese, and is home to two World Heritage Sites: The Itsukushima Shrine; and the A-Bomb Dome of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. Situated in the middle of the sea, the Itsukushima Shrine is the only shrine in the world with a torii-gate, and its prime location guarantees one of the three best views in Japan. Located at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, the A-Bomb Dome is one of the most significant landmarks in Japan as it was the only structure left standing in the area where the first atomic bomb was dropped in 1945.

For those seeking outdoor activities, embark on a curated two-day bicycle ride that allows one to weave through nearby villages and islands, via a 60-kilometer long toll road from Honshu to Shikoku. Onomichi, a prosperous and quaint seaport town situated along the Seto Inland Sea, is packed with cultural sites and ancient Japanese heritage.

As one of Japan’s three great sake-producing areas with approximate 50 sake brewers, visitors are also encouraged to experience the city’s unique Hiroshima sake at Saijo, a renowned sake town. Meanwhile, Japanese cuisine enthusiasts can delight their palates with one of Hiroshima’s most famous dishes, the Okonomiyaki, a savory pancake cooked on a hot plate.

Situated on a river delta, Hiroshima makes a wonderful destination all-year-round with mild winters and late summers. The city’s surroundings are rich with mountains, sea, islands, rivers, valleys, plains, and highlands that are unique to Japan.

 

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Organic News

Your Hacks to Great Singapore Sale 2017

If you have been saving a whole year for this very occasion, you are probably going to bag home your entire wish list at very good deals; but what if we told you the deals could be better than it already is?

 

 

Plan your List, Set your Budget
Before you happily head out, get on with a list of the ‘to-die-for’ that you have been eyeing on; set out with a healthy budget, what you need to include is some spare for those moments when you grab the unplanned items. Yes, it’s sales; but burning a hole in your wallet isn’t quite the thing you’d want to do.

The word ‘SALE’ can be very enticing, so know your market and don’t assume all the items are on discount.

Fill the ‘Points’ Meter
It’s shopping season and most merchants are ‘points ‘rewarding you; so power up your shopping matrix and collect them. Now is the time to dig up your membership cards, recall your membership IDs and head out to make the most out of the sale paradise.

Your membership may entitle you more than just the retail discounts, something that most merchants want to offer to thank you for the loyalty within the past year; and if that isn’t already rewarding enough, your membership points may get you some very useful freebies.

Working the Cards to your Benefit
Banks are going all out to get you to spend with their credit cards too; so just keep a lookout for the promotions from the partnering banks before you checkout your purchase, this is the time when you know that owning multiple bank credit cards is a plus; with credit card cash back, points and rebates to help ease off the spike in your spending.

If you are lucky enough to win some of the treats that your banks are offering, you may just end this shopping season in a jolly good mood! After all the happiness and enjoyment, just remember to get the bills settled.

The Online Shopping Scene
No butler to carry your shopping bags, no time to get out from your busy schedule or simply just want to be in the comfort of your home while you get your loots? Shopping online is your best bet if you’ve found a site that gives you the best of both worlds; which somewhat translates to things like being spoilt with choices, good service, free delivery, exchanges, affordability and promotions.

In this season, we are sharing our love and throwing in some very good deals – buy from Pepperkoko Singapore and stand a chance to win movie tickets, with up to 25 pairs up for grabs. With the ‘can’t miss’ movies screening this June and July, you will be looking good while on a date at the movies.

 Brought to you by Pepperkoko Singapore

Lifestyle, Organic News

A Traditional Treat with a Modern Twist: Feet Haven opens 3rd outlet in Bukit Timah

Take any old-fashioned ideas of dowdy foot reflexology parlours located in obscure corners of old shopping malls and cast them aside. With the opening of Feet Haven’s 3rd outlet in Bukit Timah, the company is shaking off these outdated impressions and injecting a shot of fresh, youthful energy into the industry.

Along with café hopping, chilling out with tea and pastries, or spending the afternoon getting mani-pedis at nail bars-cum-cafés, Feet Haven is declaring foot reflexology a bona fide hipster activity to indulge in. Customers who are flocking through the door are young – typically in their 20s and 30s – card-carrying members of the generation who are spreading the word of this hidden wellness gem virtually and virally. And the trendy crowd approves: Feet Haven’s boutiques have received rave reviews among customers in the area and in the blogging community for its stellar foot reflexology and body massages.

Calming music and essential oil scents wafting in the air and free flows of beverages for customers come together to create a soft, intimate environment. But Feet Haven offers more for a discerning crowd who has seen it all. Fun daily status updates outside the shop and a cool, fresh interior style of clean walls accented by Polaroid shots and the work of independent artists and designers; shelves of books and magazines; and neutral, taupe furnishings make a welcoming, appealing impression.

Feet Haven’s 3rd Outlet at Bukit Timah is tucked away in a little recluse of Jalan Bingka, Bukit Timah, away from the hassle and bustle of the world.  Offering a whole range of services under one roof,  the company restores customers’ well-being and calm with their therapeutic services of body treatment and reflexology.

The locations of its current two boutiques are hipster-approved; instead of hard-to-find spots in veteran shopping centres, they are established in shophouses within the creative, trendy districts of Katong and Serangoon Gardens, sharing neighbourhoods with establishments like Cedele and Brotzeit.

Signature standout treatments include the 60-minute Shiok Feet Indulgence; 60-minute Shiok Basic Body and 45-minute Shiok Basic Blend of a shoulder- and neck massage coupled with foot reflexology. Feet Haven only hires senior, experienced masseurs who provide pampering sessions that have lulled many customers to sleep long before the treatment ends.

There is currently an opening Promotion. Customers can enjoy a 60 minute Body Massage for 1 Pax at $50 (Usual $68) or a 60 Minute Body Massage for 2 Pax at $90 (Usual $136)

www.FeetHaven.com

www.Facebook.com/FeetHavenUBT

www.Instagram.com/Feethaven.com

About Feet Haven Reflexology

Founded in April 2011, Feet Haven Reflexology is a boutique Foot Reflex spa offering foot reflexology and body massages to its customers. The premier foot reflexology spa located at 136 East Coast Road has received interest and support from residents staying in Joo Chiat, Marine Parade and Katong.

(Katong Branch, 136 East Coast Road, S428821, Tel 63447311)
(Serangoon Garden Branch, 4A Maju Avenue, S556682, Tel 62882314)
(Upper Bukit Timah Branch, 5 Jalan Bingka, S588899, Tel 64630506)

Lifestyle, Organic News

Singapore’s lifestyle ranked the best for UK expats

expat-ranking-sm-compressedUK expats are urged to set sail for Singapore as research reveals it to be the most ideal location for those looking to move abroad.

The study found that overall, the Southeast Asian city state topped the charts when it came to the lowest levels of crime and unemployment as well as having the highest education standards and the most efficient healthcare system.

In total, the research by international removals specialist, 1st Move International, studied 18 countries, including less traditional destinations for UK expats.

Second and third to Singapore were Canada and Australia, which both scored highly for incomes and English reading, speaking and writing levels, but were let down by living costs, property prices and crime rates.

Spain, France and South Africa which all have high UK expat populations performed poorly, largely due to low incomes, high income tax, but also due to social factors such as unemployment, education healthcare and crime, but also English speaking levels, as did China, India, Brazil and Russia.

In number one ranking Singapore, take home pay is almost double that in the UK, due to higher average annual incomes and a lower top level of income tax (22% compared to 45%), a Brit earning the average wage in Singapore could walk away with £33,019.26* in their pocket every year after tax, almost double £18,497.52* in the UK.

The city state was also top when it came to healthcare. In Singapore, you can expect quicker diagnosis with better medical technology as well as shorter waiting times, quicker test results and better staff. Comparatively, the UK healthcare system placed 10 on the efficiency scale for the countries examined.

With a 2.1% unemployment rate, Singapore’s jobless rate is twice as little than UK’s figure 4.8%, leading to improved job prospects on top of higher incomes, in addition to the world’s best education system meaning a brighter future for expats looking to relocate their families. Topping the charts for unemployment were South Africa and Spain with 27.1% and 18.9%.

If that’s not enough, English is listed as an official language in the former British colony, it is also the language of business and government as well as being the language children are taught with in schools, making it easier for people from the UK to settle in.

The research

1st Move did the research by examining the figures on eleven different sets of data provided from sources such as: The OECD, UN, World Bank, Bloomberg, Trading Economics and Numbeo. The figures were then ranked by the most favourable results which provided an overall ranking table.

The data included looked at 11 different factors:

  • GDP per capita
  • HDI rank
  • Property price to income ratio
  • Average income
  • Income tax
  • Real income
  • English proficiency
  • Education standards
  • Food costs
  • Crime rate
  • Healthcare efficiency

How the other countries performed

At the other end of the scale, India, despite having the lowest cost of food for a weekly shop (£84.62) compared to £174.74 in the UK for a family of four, was statistically the worst location, with once UK expat hotspot South Africa and Brazil making up the bottom three.

Elsewhere other countries outperformed Singapore and the UK across different factors but overall, they did not perform as highly as a whole on the scale of liveability and the chance of better prospects.

USA (5th overall) had the best property price to income ratio but poor rankings on healthcare, education and crime let it down. Similarly, the UAE had strong economic appeal due to cheap property and the highest real income, due to no tax, however social factors had adverse effects.

Norway topped the scale on English proficiency and on the HDI index but unemployment, high taxes and living costs had negative connotations on its overall standing, dragging it down to 6th.

Spain, which has close to one million UK expats performed poorly, with annual wages lower than the UK’s, and 18.9% level of unemployment making the country not so sunny for people looking to emigrate for socioeconomic reasons.

 Jim Limerick, Owner, at 1st Move, said: “We were expecting to see the traditional destinations perform quite well, such as: the USA, Spain and Australia, but this wasn’t the case.

“Some countries did really well on certain things but there were factors on the data we examined which dragged them down. Singapore was consistently strong, making it appealing to potential UK expats on a wide range of financial and social reasons, which tend to be the main driving factors of people looking to emigrate from the UK.

“With more money in your pocket, no language problems and an average annual temperature in the high twenties, what isn’t there to love!”

Organic News

14 ONLINE SHOPPING TIPS YOU MUST KNOW

Read before you make your next cart!

This article is brought to you by Pepperkoko.com

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Being an up and coming online business, pepperkoko Singapore is here to bring you fast, affordable, reliable and quality services throughout your shopping experience. Because you don’t only shop with one, so we are going to get you ready for the shopping spree. Some of these tips may come in handy wherever you shop next!

  1. NEW ARRIVALS

Keep a lookout for those days of the week where the new stocks come in. Some even have a scheduled time that makes it predictable for shopping.

  1. PROMOTIONAL DISCOUNTS

Every celebration will warrant a promotion! Check with the customer service if there is a deal that you can apply. Most online stores do offer a promo for their customers’ first purchase so check it out.

  1. DELIVERY OPTIONS AND TIMING

Get a rough idea of what delivery options is available to you, if you have a good feel of the delivery time frame of the store, you are also looking at a good schedule to know when your parcels will arrive.

  1. SECURED WEB SITE

Make your purchase from a site with a Secure Sockets Layers (SSL) to minimise the risk of information theft off your credit card purchase. Look at the link search bar and look for the ‘lock’ icon or website that starts with https:// to indicate a SSL site.

  1. CUSTOMER SERVICE CONTACT

Raise your concerns through the many platforms. You can look from Web Live Chat, Email, Phone, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Twitter, Instagram, etc. conveniently being in reach with the seller is key after your purchase.

  1. FREE SHIPPING

Check out the free shipping criteria just to be sure you hit the required minimum spending. Some online stores offer free local shipping too!

  1. INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING

Look through the fine prints if you are buying outside of the country the store is in. You may find some good offer with minimum spending or free to begin with.

  1. WISH LIST

Some sites offer a wish list feature just so that you can place the items that you are unsure of in there. Otherwise, just leave them in your cart and re-visit it to refresh your wish list.

  1. CHECKOUT AS GUEST OR REGISTERED USER

If you wish to retain certain information, then you should probably go for guest checkout, aside from staying out of mailing list, the seller will probably still have information on your address and contact for delivery. But here’s why you’d want to register yourself: ‘Members’ tend to receive promotional updates with better entitlements should the offer issued require a registered account to complete the purchase. You’d also have some place to refer your last purchases to, just in case you forgot what you bought in the last spree.

  1. SIZES AND MEASUREMENTS

If you are unsure of the size, whip out your measuring tape and get those numbers in check, some site offers pretty substantial size charts that will help make your pick. We are somewhat used to getting the common sizes we know fits, but if the size chart says otherwise, you’d have a better bet so pay closer attention to it.

  1. RETURNS AND EXCHANGES

Go through the fine prints and make sure you got the after-purchase covered! Some of us just can’t fit in the item right and may require an exchange. Otherwise, return the item to get a refund for another purchase. Some sellers may offer the return at a minimal charge, to your bank account, credit card or as a store credit, you can be sure that you are still getting your money back some way or another.

  1. FLASH OR CLEARANCE SALES

Set an alarm on what not to miss when the seller is about to have a flash sales or a clearance promo. You’d probably check out with a shopping bag full of items more than what you’d expect.

  1. ONE-STOP ECOMMERCE

Start buying from one store where you can grab 80% of your shopping list. It’s much easier buying from one and handling your after-purchase matters, than multiple stores with different response time.

  1. USERS REVIEWS

Comb the web, blog, and social media for reviews from other shoppers to get a feel of what your shopping experience will be like.

Pepperkoko Singapore is a one-stop online fashion store with a SSL webpage with over 6000+ products and new arrivals weekly­. We are running ongoing promotions for new and existing customers for affordable and quality apparels. Local orders usually take 2-3 working days to reach you. With excellent after-service support – customer service, return and exchange policy, you can be sure to have a fulfilling shopping experience with us! Shop now at: www.pepperkoko.com.sg