Khind Stand Mixer SM506P - 5 Litre Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl and a 1,000 Watt Motor from AEON Tebrau in Malaysia

From the start of my baking journey, I had heard of the queen of all stand mixers; the brand, KitchenAid. With beautiful colors that sparkle in the eyes of amateur bakers, it's my dream to own one.

Pity the pricing for KitchenAid was just too exorbitant for me to stomach and when my economically-priced Sensonic Stand Mixer died on me a year ago, I worked with a simple hand mixer until I got the Khind Stand Mixer today! 

Purchased from AEON Tebrau in Malaysia, and delivered back to Singapore by my kind sister and brother in law, it's time to unravel the beauty within that commanded a 1,000 watt motor and a 5-liter stainless steel mixing bowl. 

As with most stand mixers, the accessories included whisk, a mixing hook and a kneading hook. A complimentary spatula was also provided but I already have quite a few in my kitchen.

Measurements for the Khind Stand Mixer, model SM506P, as follows: 353 x 240 x 320mm. I love kitchen appliances that are bright red, since they contrast well with my black and white kitchen theme! 

Almost forgot - it came with a splash cover too! 

I can't wait to use it but before then, let's clean them up first! The stand mixer came timely as I was tasked to make cinnamon rolls for reunion dinner on the eve of Lunar New Year. For those wondering about the pricing for this stand mixer; it was priced RM 227. Based on current exchange rate: about S$65!  

Divoom Tivoo Max - The Speaker with Pixel Art Animation

Men love gadgets and unfortunately, it doesn't quite diminish with age. Unlike men my age who would likely go for pricey gadgets like cars; my salary can only afford me things that are not priced beyond the hundreds' range.

For example, the captivating Divoom Tivoo Max! It's a speaker and those who know me well would be aware I am a tone-deaf guy and are not particular with sound quality. However, it's not the speaker that appeals to me; it's the pixel art visualization screen, which was so retro-cool, that caught my eye! 

Don't you love the feeling of unboxing?! The anticipation for the product and the things that you may find within! I found some cards which had been scratching my head. What would they be used for? Publicity?

Turned out they are postcards! Well, I am more for efficiency and snail mail is just intolerably long compared to email. Not to mention that no one would know what I am writing with my horrendous handwriting.

Stickers with pixel art. Guess I can still pass to my niece; I am long past the age where I would paste stickers on my gadgets, and I simply don't have the eye for placement 'design'.

After connecting to the power source via a USB-C USB cable, it's time to switch on the button at the back! There are engraved buttons on top where you can adjust the volume. The silver knob at the side is to toggle the different visualizations you can set, including time. There's another small button below the knob where you can choose between bluetooth connection or direct connection via an audio jack.

Dimensions of the speaker: 16.31cm wide, 8.61cm deep and 18.44cm tall, weighing about 1.5 kilograms. Just the right size for my table! It comes in black, white and red and given that my house is generally black, white and grey; I think red would add to a splash in color. 

Isn't it a beauty? 

To truly appreciate the functions and features of Divoom Tivoo Max, you have to download the app and connect it to the device. This would allow you to create your own pixel art for the speaker, set alarm, key in reminders for important events and many more! 

Am I loving it?

Of course! 

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Purchase From

You can buy direct from Divoom website but unless there is a big discount, it may not be worth the cost for you to ship over to Singapore. Another option is Shopee, which is cheaper but warranty is only 3 months. I got mine from TK Foto at Funan; S$152 after member discount (free sign up) and came with 1 year warranty! 

New Toy - Apple Watch

A loyal apple user would frequently get anything that's Apple related and while I have an iPhone and a pair of Airpods Pro; I have never really considered the Apple Watch as its price point of at least S$400 is too high for stingy me to stomach and I honestly don't need all the fancy functions.

But I can't stop someone from gifting an Apple Watch to me! 

It's interesting to receive the longish box and I took a few seconds to figure out how to open it! Just remove the ear-loop like stuff on each side and the box shall miraculously unravel its content.

Mountain tortoise here as I was totally expecting just one box! There were two long boxes; one for the watch face and the other for the straps. Waste of packaging but can't deny how impressive I was with the presentation. 

Inside the watch face box.

Wireless charging cable which is quite the norm nowadays for these kind of watches. Even my Fitbit uses this kind of wireless dongle. Speaking of which, maybe I should give away my Fitbit Inspire HR. 

Watch face.

The straps; unlike some of the types I have seen, they were easy to slot in with a catch for quick removal. This function is nifty and there were plenty of Apple straps in the market if you choose to have a special strap for each day of the week and / or special occasions. 

Mesmerizing cosmic imagery for connection to your iPhone. Can you imagine if you could project the same image onto your ceiling every night before you sleep!?

Setting up which surprisingly took quite a while.

All ready for use! I actually got the Apple Watch a week ago and my experience so far has been more than positive as there are so many functions; I could use it as a walkie talkie to talk to fellow Apple Watch users who are friends on my contact list and even as a remote for my iPhone camera! More to explore in time to come!

iPhone 12 Pro Max

While 2020 is a sad year filled with gloominess due to the pandemic and the travel restrictions, there were still spots of optimism and hope; one such instance was that I finally managed to shed off some weight! Another key highlight was spending almost S$1,900 for Apple's latest phone; the iPhone 12 Pro Max!

I got the pacific blue 256 gigabyte option; frankly, the colour doesn't bother me. You can give me neon pink and I might still take it as the colour would eventually be covered by the quality phone cover anyway. To be honest, I don't even remember the colour of my iPhone XR.

Why change? The simplest reason is that it's been two years since my last upgrade and I was thinking of passing my XR to my dad as he always appears to break his mobile phones. I am not kidding; they were literally cracked right in the middle. As iPhone is more popular, there were covers made of military grade material that would hopefully address my dad's frustrating issue.

Another reason - the heavily publicized cameras, said to be the best, even among Apple's toughest competitors! I am not a techie expert but quality is definitely leaps ahead compared to iPhone XR; the colour, the detail and the clarity! 

One of the cameras' function is the ability to take wide-angle shots! Even though this isn't something new, I was still darn happy with it as this would be helpful when I am reviewing overseas accommodations, especially cramped places like the bathroom.

Lugging a heavy DSLR can be troublesome (and tiring); hence, I am hoping this new iPhone 12 Pro Max would contribute more towards the pictures uploaded in this blog. I actually already did; the review for Empress Porridge used the photographs taken using iPhone 12 Pro Max! 

A New Toy in the House - Ogawa Smart Jazz Massage Chair! #ogawasmartjazzmassagechair

I don't have the capability to stay in a big house and while my home isn't that cramped for a 3-room flat; it's still a fight for precious real estate whenever i need to purchase something of substantial size. 

And this box delivered to my house appeared way too bulky for my tiny space! Although i didn't pay a single cent for it, i treasure comfort and the item hidden in the box might be a side-bump hazard! 

Ironically, the product is designed to give me more comfort; yes, it's a bloody massage chair! Brand is Ogawa and model is Smart Jazz. To be honest, i have always wanted a massage chair but more so for my elderly parents; especially my mom who absolutely adores massages! 

Anyway, moving in proved to be a challenge as my doorway was way too narrow even though the experienced deliverymen had removed one of the gates. 

They deftly removed the components; guess it's not the first time they are sending their massage chairs to a HDB flat. From what i gathered from one of the guys, this is a new model and just on that day alone, 15 units were delivered all over Singapore.

Actually, it's better i don't see all these as from young; i am known to remove parts from mechanical toys, clocks etc. Putting them back together is, unfortunately, not my forte. Given the price tag of the massage chair, i must constantly tell myself that i mustn't attempt to remove any of the components! 

A success in moving the chair in! 

Putting everything back so that it can function as one! Frankly, i roughly can work out the "removal" and the "reinstatement". If the need arises, handyman Cavin shall do his best! 

Ooooo, it can recline back so much?! I did a trial massage at Ogawa's branch at Northpoint and didn't even realize it; it's actually one of the features known as zero gravity. 

Guess who was one of the first "customers" for the new massage chair? Of course it has to be my mom! And enjoying the relaxation, she sure did. As she has the keys to my home, i guess i would see her dropping by more often. 

With seven automated massage programs (waist and hips, neck and shoulders, sweet dreams, thai massage, recovery, shape and tone, and deep tissue), the zero gravity and the ability to massage your hips and down to the sole of your feet, i must say this satisfies us beyond expectations. 

Hope it wouldn't become a white elephant! 

Replacement for My Loss - Another Nikon D750 #nikond750 #alanphotosg #funanmall

After three months of consideration since the unfortunate loss in China, i knew i had to do something as i clearly wasn't satisfied with pictures taken from my iPhone Xr and the old Nikon D7100.

Eventually decided on an exact replacement, the Nikon D750; it was a tough call for me as i couldn't decide on the brand / model. On one hand, i would love to try something new yet on the other hand, i do have some Nikon lenses which would be left redundant should i change brand. 

Unravelling the prize in the box; similar to buying a new car, there's this new camera smell fresh out of the box that excites the mind! For me personally, the contour and the feel of the camera also brought forth a strange sensation; like i have gotten back the D750 camera i lost in Kaili, Guizhou. 

Attaching the strap to the two eyelets on the sides of the camera; this is by far the most tedious stuff for any new camera! Can't they just do it at the factory?! 

So why did i decide on purchasing the same camera that i lost? Reason is simple; i am cash strapped and for the amount i could afford, it's a fight between the newer, more expensive D500 and the older, cheaper yet full-frame D750. 

I was almost ready to get the D500 despite people telling me that it's more for sports (which i honestly have no interest in) but the game changer is this website i chanced upon a few days ago; cameradecision.com. Right on this page, it weighs the pros and cons of each camera and it's obvious that for the purpose i have for phototaking; D750 is the preferred choice. 

Now, i have to read the user manual more carefully to at least have a better idea of the functions and features of the camera. As of now, i am amazed that i didn't know that there's this time-lapse function! 

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Purchased From

Alan Photo,

107, North Bridge Road,

Funan Mall, #03-29,

Singapore 179105

Additional Information

The camera was purchased from Mr Rod Foong, a friendly product specialist at Alan Photo, who doesn't hard sell, is knowledgeable about cameras (as versus to me) and able to offer options for the limited budget i had.