Need guiden in Batam

[sassina2]

Originally Posted by meatlover

Sad to say ... But there're still many "Roberts" paying high fees for a cab thus spoiling the market on a whole ...

Look at it positively, the "roberts" feed the taxis and other touts and keep their wallets fat so we can walk the streets safely and less risk of robbery and other petty crimes.

There is a good side to it too!

[DNAT]

Originally Posted by meatlover

Sad to say ... But there're still many "Roberts" paying high fees for a cab thus spoiling the market on a whole ...

Originally Posted by sassina2

Look at it positively, the "roberts" feed the taxis and other touts and keep their wallets fat so we can walk the streets safely and less risk of robbery and other petty crimes.

There is a good side to it too!

so what is the conclusion?

[DNAT]

Originally Posted by sassina2

In Batam, everyone who has no education and job wants to drive the taxi because there are so many "roberts" from Singapore to 'chop'
esp if they go shopping for cewek or look for makan. The commission they earn one day from a group of 4 each taking one cewek from a joint is half a months salary to some of them!

Sorry to say, thats the way it goes on the predatory pricing on transportation charges in Batam (comparable to our GL Cat 40 which charges S$80 when it is a ang moh patron).

Still, we do benefit from the Batam's relatively low price index, particularly the bonking and golfing charges ...

My view = we cannot possibly expect everything to be good and cheap

[sassina2]

Originally Posted by DNAT

Sorry to say, thats the way it goes on the predatory pricing on transportation charges in Batam (comparable to our GL Cat 40 which charges S$80 when it is a ang moh patron).

Still, we do benefit from the Batam's relatively low price index, particularly the bonking and golfing charges ...

My view = we cannot possibly expect everything to be good and cheap

On a relative basis, rarely do you find that good is cheap when you compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges.

Some people compare apples with oranges and then they say cheap - pay lah!

Others too lazy to get localized & learn always dependent on people - pay tourist "rape-me" prices; that's what they deserve.

There are people who do walk around with a "sign on the forehead" that says "I am Robert, Screw Me!"

[Pest]

Sassina,
How do you describe the fish head with bitter gourd in black beans in chinese?
Went to Siang Heng last night and after explaining in bahasa,the lady said okay,no problems.....turns out the fish head becomes curry fish head !!!

[DNAT]

A story to tell:

There was once a so-called 'penny wise' (PW) fella went to a hawker centre style eatery with a Sg man who resides in Batam for many years.

PW told the Sg man that he knows the stall owner and the stall owner always give him very good discounts.

When they arrived, it turned out the Sg man knows the stall owner even much earlier than PW cos Sg man always patronise that stall hence he knows the stall owner and the practise of differential pricing on locals & foreigners.

The best part is when the bill came, it turned out the makan items were charged at foreigner pricing and yet PW still duno.

[Pest]

Originally Posted by DNAT

A story to tell:

There was once a so-called 'penny wise' (PW) fella went to a hawker centre style eatery with a Sg man who resides in Batam for many years.

PW told the Sg man that he knows the stall owner and the stall owner always give him very good discounts.

When they arrived, it turned out the Sg man knows the stall owner even much earlier than PW cos Sg man always patronise that stall hence he knows the stall owner and the practise of differential pricing on locals & foreigners.

The best part is when the bill came, it turned out the makan items were charged at foreigner pricing and yet PW still duno.

And the moral of the sory is......?

[sassina2]

Originally Posted by Pest

Sassina,
How do you describe the fish head with bitter gourd in black beans in chinese?
Went to Siang Heng last night and after explaining in bahasa,the lady said okay,no problems.....turns out the fish head becomes curry fish head !!!

"Her Thou, Khor Kway char Or Tau"

A story to tell:

There was once a so-called 'penny wise' (PW) fella went to a hawker centre style eatery with a Sg man who resides in Batam for many years.

PW told the Sg man that he knows the stall owner and the stall owner always give him very good discounts.

When they arrived, it turned out the Sg man knows the stall owner even much earlier than PW cos Sg man always patronise that stall hence he knows the stall owner and the practise of differential pricing on locals & foreigners.

The best part is when the bill came, it turned out the makan items were charged at foreigner pricing and yet PW still duno

Another story to tell:

There was once a penny wise (PW) fella went to Batam and was brought by Sg man (BR) who resides in Batam for many years.

The PW fella hates to go to Beng#### to eat but somehow got dragged by the BR to go there. The BR says "Don't worry lah, I got discount there nowadays." I local and there is no commission when you go with me."

The best part is when the bill came, it turned out that the pricing was not much cheaper than going with taxi driver (foreigner pricing) except that it was a little cheaper than eating in Singapore. Only a little.

The worst thing is that the cooking was lousy and the BR don't even know its lousy!

Lucky got other "Roberts" to share the bill or it would have been a little painful for one person alone.

[sassina2]

Originally Posted by Pest

And the moral of the sory is......?

The moral of the story is depending on who you telling the story to lah!

Different stories for different folks!

Of course who is the story teller is important lah.

After all, its only a story mah right?

[DNAT]

Originally Posted by tanner132

Dnat. You forgetful lah. That time I told you I back from Australia liao. No more working there anymore. 1 year enough liao Kind of boring in that cowboy town. Now in Sg already 7 months liao. Went in Batam already 6-7 times liao.

sorry Tanner, now I remember you mentioned before that you would be back in April 2004 ... hehe

why not we exchange contact and lets have kopi together ya?