Obtaining a Pre-paid Sim Card in India

Note: if your stay in India is less than 3 days, forget getting a pre-paid sim

Thankfully, I did some research beforehand and had some idea of the process. Unlike in most countries where you can get the sim activated on the day of purchase, it actually takes days (2-3 days to be more precise). You will have to call a certain number once you get signal to verify your name, address and father's name. I would assume these safeguards are in place for reasons relating to terrorism. Otherwise, it would simply be appalling inefficiency.

I chose Airtel (Red logo, you won't miss it - right when you enter the arrival hall at Delhi International Airport), in part for its affiliation to Singtel (no, I am not a shareholder at the time of posting), although Vodafone would probably serve the same purpose. Again, another complex process awaits; a form to fill, affix a passport photo (don't worry if you have used your last for your Visa on Arrival; they have a webcam and color printer to serve as a crude backup).

I was carrying an iPhone 5, so the guy had to cut the sim into nano sized (I'm pretty sure he has a micro cutter if your phone requires).

In all, I paid about S$10 for 200 minutes worth of local calls and 1GB of data (valid for a month). Data allowance and credits could be used anywhere in India (I visited a few states). The salesman tried to peddle a top-up of 1300Rs (S$26); but I knew better. Ask for the cheapest top-up amount with data, you can top-up if you run out of credits.

My advice is, if you are staying for more than 1 week, get the data. Against conventional wisdom, Google Maps actually work wonders in India (especially if your tuk-tuk/auto driver has no idea where your hotel is).

Visa on Arrival at Delhi International Airport

While the Singapore passport exempts holders from visa requirements for many states, I found out that India does not exempt Singaporeans from visa requirements. Instead, upon arrival in India (Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Trivanduram, Bangalore, Hyderabad etc.), a Visa on Arrival needs to be obtained (remember to bring a passport photo).

I would not describe the process as a breeze - it took the officer about 20 minutes per passenger. 3 passengers were ahead of me, and it took a whole 90 minutes to get my visa. Every single field is vetted.

You would imagine that for US$60 a pop, there would be more staff serving/a quicker experience. Sorry to disappoint.

They says first impression counts; I counted 90 minutes of my time away. I would recommend that if you have a connecting flight/train/bus to catch, have a comfortable allowance or try to get the Visa in Singapore (not sure if this is possible).


For more information on Visa on Arrival (VOA) for Singaporeans, visit the Indian High Commission's page (Singapore).

Credit Card Payment Options in Singapore

Stumbled upon a post on hardwarezone, where a helpful forumer had helped compile a useful list of payment options for local cards. Note that this list was last updated in 2009, nonetheless, still was of great use to me!

DBS/POSB
AXS Stations (Via Nets or Cash Card)
DBS Phone Banking (for DBS/POSB account holders only) 
DBS Internet Banking (for DBS/POSB account holders only) 
DBS/POSB ATMs (for DBS/POSB ATM cardholders only) 
Cheque 
InterBank GIRO (need to complete GIRO application form) 
Cash Payment at DBS/POSB branches 

http://www.dbs.com/sg/personal/cards/addit...fo/faq/payment/ - refer to point 1.

UOB
AXS Stations (Via Nets or Cash Card)
SAM
Post Office
Interbank GIRO
Personal Internet Banking
Phone Banking
Cheque
UOB ATM
UOB CDM
Cash Payment at UOB branches

http://www.uob.com.sg/pages/personal/cards/index.html

OCBC
AXS Stations (Via Nets or Cash Card)
OCBC ATM
Phone Banking
Internet Banking (OCBC/NTUC FPP account holders)
Interbank GIRO
Cheque

Citibank
AXS Stations (Via Nets or Cash Card)
Citibank ATM
Citibank CDM
24-Hour Citicard Banking Centers 
Interbank GIRO
Cheque

HSBC
SingPost outlets 
SAM machines 
online@hsbc (if you have a banking account with HSBC) 
7-Eleven outlets 
AXS Stations (Via Nets or Cash Card)
HSBC ATMs 
Phonebanking Hotline on 1800-227 8888 
Bulk Cash Deposit machines in ATM lobbies 
Cash at any HSBC branch 
Autopay/Inter Bank GIRO for automated bill payment 
Cheque made payable to "HSBC" 

http://www.hsbc.com.sg/1/2/miscellaneous/p...redit-card-faqs - Scroll down to point 15

RBS
AXS Stations (Via Nets or Cash Card)
SAM
Interbank GIRO
Cash payment at ABN AMRO branches
Cheque

Maybank
AXS Stations (Via Nets or Cash Card) 
Cash Payment at Maybank Branches 
Cheque
Interbank GIRO
Maybank ATM
Maybank CDM
Online Interbank Funds Transfer (for Citibank, DBS Bank, OCBC, Standard Chartered Bank or UOB accounts only)
Phone Banking
Internet Banking

http://info.maybank2u.com.sg/personal/card...ips_payment.htm

Standard Chartered
AXS Stations (Via Nets or Cash Card)
Standard Charted CDM
Internet Banking
Cheque

Diners
Internet Banking (for DBS/POSB, Maybank, OCBC, UOB account holders only)
AXS Stations (Via Nets or Cash Card)
Cheque
Cash Payment @ Diners Club Office

American Express
Cheque
Sam Machines
Internet Banking (applicable for OCBC, UOB, DBS and POSB account holders)
Over the counter payments:
• Foreign Exchange Counter, 320 Orchard Road, Tang Plaza, Singapore 238864 
o Operating hours are: 9.30am to 8.30pm, open daily inclusive of Sundays and Public Holidays 

• American Express Bank, 16, Collyer Quay, Hitachi Towers, Ground Floor, Singapore 049318 
o Operating hours are: Mondays to Fridays 10.00am to 3.30pm, closed on weekends and Public Holidays 

http://americanexpress-sg.custhelp.c...se_cat_lvl1=28

Featured on the Singapore GP site

Me getting a Pirelli cap signed by Kimi :)

Singapore GP 2012: Meeting Kimi Raikkonen in Person

By some sheer dumb luck, I got myself access to a closed-door Lotus event that Kimi would appear in during the build up to the 2012 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix.


Basically the event was scheduled in three phases - Media, Lotus car owners and invited guests of the public like myself. Needless to say, Cheryl Tay was in attendance as part of the media. She's a really prominent feature in most, if not all of these exclusive sessions. How fortunate! I am always eyeing her Paddock Pass with envy! Hah!


 As we waited patiently for our turn, some finger food were served...

I did unfortunately catch Raikkonen in a grumpy mode though. Perhaps it was the group of fans who went behind him to get a photo with him, or just too much signing.

  Nonetheless, I'm not complaining! See what I managed to get signed!! He was even willing to autograph a Ferrari card I brought to the event. Thanks Kimi! And thanks to Lotus for the really heavy coffee table The Lotus Book. I also got him to sign on it! That's one for the future coffee table. All in all, a pretty cool session, even if it was really short.

Singapore GP 2012 Driver's Autograph Session Experience

Lucky me Lucky me!! This Formula 1 season, I managed to get my hands on coveted passes to the Official Singapore GP organised Autograph Session at the all exclusive Paddock Club. 

An absolutely delightful experience I must say. Although I do have to point out that this year's session was pretty disappointing in terms of the beverages and reception on offer. The conspiracy theory is that there are budget constraints, especially since the contract extension was still in the works at that point in time.

And the appearances of drivers were poorly staggered! Everyone was in the queue for the Ferrari guys when Alonso and Massa appeared, as there were no other drivers at other tables. A pity I didn't get the chance to meet them.

Check out the signed postcards I also managed to collect! This time around I managed to get the full complete set! It was just hectic - the session. I have every single Driver Card signed, except Kimi's, so hopefully he doesn't leave the sport at the end of the year. I need to get him to sign it next year! 

To cap it off, Michael Schumacher obliged me with a photo! Pretty darn amazing if you ask me, seeing as its his last Singapore GP race and season. Who cares if he crashes into the back of some poor kid? 

Finally, a special shoutout to Richard for affording me the opportunity! Cheers!!

How to maximise your Dropbox space quota

What is Dropbox?
Dropbox is the easiest way to store, sync, and, share files online. There’s no complicated interface to learn. Dropbox works seamlessly with your operating system and automatically makes sure your files are up-to-date. Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.


Sign Up using referral link (+0,25 GB)
Sign up for Dropbox from THIS LINK and install the software on your computer when prompted. That will start you off with 2.25GB for free as opposed to the 2GB you would get from signing up normally, just for signing up from that link.

During the installation (after signing up from the link above) choose “I already have a Dropbox account” and enter the same information you entered during signup. Then, under “Select your Dropbox size” choose 2GB (free) and you will be credited the additional 0,25GB automatically immediately after installation!


Share in Twitter and Facebook (+0,75 GB)
Head over to https://www.dropbox.com/free and follow the instructions for connecting your Dropbox account to Facebook and Twitter. You will have to complete 6 easy steps and you’ll get 128MB for each one, making it a total of 0,75 GB (128 * 6 = 768 MB)


Duplicate referral space with .EDU email (+8 GB)
Now, assuming you have access to a .edu email address, you can go to https://www.dropbox.com/edu to verify that address so that you will receive double space (+0,5 GB) per referral (applies retroactively to past referrals as well). It does not matter whether you signed up for Dropbox with a .edu email address or not, you simply have to verify that you have one to get double referral credit.


Courtesy of: http://maxyourdropbox.blogspot.com/