Great customer service from a Shopee seller

So, I just bought a HIFU device as a holiday gift on Shopee. It works, but the clear plastic cover for the head was broken. It doesn't really affect the performance of the device, so I still gave a 5-star review. I did still include the picture of the broken lid in the review. About 30 minutes after, the seller sent me a message. They apologized and offered to send a replacement cover.

Now, that is great customer service! You never find sellers like these anymore, ones that proactively check if their customers are satisfied with their products. This attention to detail is what builds customer loyalty. So, if you need a HIFU device, I'd like to recommend this seller on Shopee:

shopee.ph/wholesalestore122

The device is great. It has three functions: HIFU, RF, and EMS.

The mini HIFU 2.0 is cheaper than getting one HIFU treatment at a dermatology clinic, which makes it a worthwhile investment.

16 Kilometers of Miami and Costa Rica in One Day

20,000+ steps, according to my watch.

Miami isn't all that glamorous as Hollywood portrays it to be. From Miami Vice in the 80s to that Versace mini-series recently, you'd think that South Beach is all glitz and glam. We went downtown, too, and it was even more depressing. The whole city is old and dirty, and to be honest, kinda scary. I walked Seattle a few years ago, right before the pandemic, and it seemed safer there. Mind you, they were already in the thick of their homeless problem, but I felt safer there.

Seems like Miami is stuck in the 80s. Lots of old, decrepit buildings. I didn't see the charm. Plus, the people there weren't quite as nice compared to other cities in America.

We got to Costa Rica at around 10pm and we were so hungry, so we walked around looking for a place to eat. Turns out our hotel was in the more affluent neighborhoods of San Jose, so it wasn't really a walking-friendly place. Escazu didn't have a lot of sidewalks so it was kind of scary walking around close to midnight. Plus, it seems like Ticos like sleeping early, as there were no people outside at that hour.

24-hour establishments aren't a thing in Escazu, and we had to walk about 4 kilometers to a McDonald's in the next town, Guachipelin. The store closed a few minutes before we arrived. The only 24-hour place that we could buy food from was a gas station convenience store, Delimart. They don't even have 7-11s here. Good thing that the gas station food was awesome.

I'll hold off any judgment about the walkability of Costa Rica, as I've still only seen this trendier district of Escazu. This is the place where diplomats live: I saw the residence of the ambassador of UAE and another middle-eastern country while walking back to our hotel.

Also, for a country that supposedly speaks good English, they actually don't speak English at all. Even the concierge at our 5-star hotel barely spoke English. We roamed the mall near our hotel, and it was so hard to shop because no one spoke English. I had to resort to using the google translate app to converse with the salespeople. Oddly, the only person who spoke English well enough to hold a conversation with was a cashier at a KFC. At least in the Philippines, even street vendors can talk to foreigners in broken English. 

Trinx M166 29er Upgrade Path - Part 2

I forgot to update this post. Shortly after part one, I upgraded the groupset. We tried the Cobra trail at Filinvest and with my non-existent bike skills, I couldn't even make it up past the first uphill. I needed bigger gears. The stock cogs are 7-speed  14-28s. I wanted to keep costs down, so the best compromise was an 11-50 10-speed.

The downside to buying a cheap bike is that you will have to upgrade everything just to upgrade one thing. My cogs were threaded, so I needed to upgrade my hubs to be able to fit a cassette-type freewheel. I also had to upgrade my rear derailleur, of course, to match the new cassette. My shifters also had to be upgraded, but I had combo shifters (brakes are integrated with the shifters), so I had to get new brakes, too. I went with a 1x10 setup, but I did forego splurging on a bottom bracket just to keep costs down.

Here is the parts list:

Weapon 11-50 cassette

LTWOO A7 Elite RD (Make sure to get the Elite, or long cage version. The regular version will only accommodate up to 46 IIRC)

LTWOO A7 shifter

Ragusa XM-500 hubs

Ragusa crank

Deckas 34T oval chainring (oval cranks = game changer)

Shimano MT-200 hydraulic brakes

I also added a long seat post (400mm) from FMFXTR.

All in all, I've spent around 8k just for the upgrades above. Yikes. Remember that the bike cost 6.3k new, plus I already spent over 1k on the cockpit. That brings me to around 15k spent on the bike. Still waaaay cheaper than an entry level Giant, Trek, or Merida bike. Those bikes cost about 25k new. My bike may not have the prestige of those three, but I can run circles around them.

The last upgrade on my list would be the bottom bracket. My square type bracket is about to give, so I'll be upgrading to some hollowtechs soon.

But…I'm also thinking of getting either an air fork or a rigid fork. I think a butterfly bar and a rigid fork would look cool.

How to connect a MIDI keyboard and headset to an iPhone

I've been using GarageBand on my phone to make music on the go since it came out on iOS. Since Apple did away with the headphone jack, I couldn't connect a headphone and a MIDI keyboard at the same time. Google didn't have a definitive answer for me. Or at least the answer that I wanted (i.e. cheap). Most videos and articles suggested that I buy a USB audio interface, which is around a hundred dollars and quite bulky. I was surprised that my problem was an uncommon one, but I found a solution.

You'll need the following:

1. Lightning to USB adapter

2. USB sound card hub

3. A monitor and/or mic with 3.5mm jacks

4. Your choice of MIDI keyboard

5. And of course, your iPhone 

Plug everything together, and that's it! This is the most compact and most cost effective solution that I can think of. 

Below is my on-the-go setup. I am currently using an iPhone SE 2020 which has a painfully small screen, so the MIDI keyboard is a must. As you can see, the peripherals are tiny enough to carry in one hand. This is perfect to take on vacations, and in case you get inspired to make music in your hotel room or on a long car ride.

Pasig for the win!

I got vaccinated just a week after filling out the online form! Shoutout to Pinagbuhatan Elementary School (PES) and the Barangay Pinagbuhatan people for maintaining an orderly vaccination program. The barangay tanods were very helpful and courteous. There was even a secure bike rack. I was done in 30 minutes after arriving!

#pasig #pinagbuhatan #PES

Trinx M166 29er Upgrade Path - Part 1

First on the upgrade list for me is addressing the riding position. Cheap bikes usually don't have sizes, so I'm stuck with a medium size frame. I'm six feet tall, so to be able to ride my bike comfortably, there are a few upgrades that I need to make. With the seatpost way above the recommended maximum height, I find that I'm too bent over the handlebars. I prefer a more upright position, so the stock setup won't do. The bike came with a long stem and 720mm handlebars.

To fix the stem height, I bought a stem mount extender. This raised the stem height about 1.5 inches. I also bought low rise short bars, which raises overall height a bit more. The bars I bought were 620mm, about 4 inches shorter than the standard wide bars. I chose short bars for personal preference since I grew up riding short bar bikes. Most people will find a short bar too twitchy. Lastly, I got a short stem, which moves the bars closer to the body (leading to a more upright position). To complete the cockpit, I also bought bar ends and bar end plugs. Bar ends are good for coasting on long rides, plus they give the bike a unique look since everyone uses wide bars now. All parts are from Wake, ordered through Shopee. 

Stay tuned for the next part, where I upgrade the groupset.

I Bought A Cheap Bike!

My brother-in-law recently got into mountain biking, so I decided to buy a bike so that we have something to do together. I've been biking casually since high school. When I was in Saudi, my dad had a Diamondback MTB that I would trash around Saudia City. I also go trail riding with my uncle at La Mesa, using one of his Trek or Giant bikes.

TBH, I'm not that good enough of a rider yet to notice the difference between a 5k and 25k peso bike. So, I decided to get an inexpensive, quality bike. My goal was to keep it under 10k, otherwise it would have made more sense to get a branded one. I also chanced upon one of Wil Dasovich's vlogs where he biked around Metro Manila using a Trinx bike. I thought that if someone like him who can afford a Merida, Trek, or Giant MTB, uses a Trinx, that means it's good enough for someone like me who's getting back into biking. 

The bike I got, after a month of research, was a Trinx M116 29er. It's an older model, but I needed a bigger bike to match my 6-foot frame. Cheap bikes in the Philippines usually don't have sizes, so I decided to go with a 29er. I chose the Trinx brand because they had a solid reputation. I also seriously considered Keysto and Foxter, but the M116 from Trinx was the best value for the cheapest 29er. I bought the bike at Stan13 on March 13 for Php 6,300. It's a 21-speed with mechanical brakes, outdated stuff, but it has Shimano combo shifters.

I've charted an upgrade path to tailor fit the bike to me, with the goal of keeping the total cost under 10k. 

First, I'm addressing the riding position. Since the seat is raised to the max position, I'm hunched over the handlebars and I feel unstable and uncomfortable in that position. I want to take off a bit of weight over the handlebars and get into a more upright position.

Second, as a 90s teen, I'm used to mountain bikes that have shorter handlebars. I rode my bike through Filinvest trails and I was really weirded out by the wide handlebars.

To fix these issues, I've ordered four components from Shopee: a riser that raises the stem mounting point and a short riser bar. This should solve the hunched over problem and give me a more upright position. My stock steel bar is a flat 720mm, I got a 620mm riser. I chose a shorter bar because I'm used to a shorter turning radius. I also ordered a short stem, 35mm, to decrease the pivot point and bring the bar closer to my body. Lastly, I ordered bar ends for that 90s flair.

Stay tuned for the next post where I'll post installation pics. All in all, I've spent about a third of my upgrade budget (Php 3.7k) on changing the riding position. That leaves me with around Php 2.2k for other upgrades. A hydraulic brake set is around Php 1.5k, so that will eat up most of the budget. Since my bike has a combo shifter, I'll also need to get new shifters.

Down the line, I plan to get an single oval/narrow-wide crank and an 11-speed in the back, but that will take it over 10k. I'll save those upgrades once I've ridden the shit out of my bike.

A Mini-Review of Some Cheap Tires in The Philippines

A Mini-Review of Some Cheap Tires in The Philippines

Sportrak SP726 Tire Review

We had a full set of the Sportrak SP728 205/65R15 installed on our car. Two tires in the front bulged within a year, and one in the back just under two years. The tread was still thick, but they were already useless since they were out of shape. the first two tires that went oblong bulged near the center of the tread, while the third caved in near the center.

The tires were noisy during cornering, even when they were new. They would start squealing at around 60 km/h. It seems like the tire has been discontinued, but when I went tire shopping in January and March of 2019 they were still available here. Some tire sites say that it's discontinued, but the Sportrak website still shows the tire.

I will never buy Sportrak tires again. I doubt that this is a fluke. Three out of the four tires failed.

Sailun Atrezzo Elite

I normally buy the most expensive tires within my budget since I occasionally push my tires to the limit. Tires are the point of contact between the road and your car. It makes sense to invest in them. Here's a scenario: even if you have six-piston Brembo brakes, they won't be able to stop your car any quicker than your stock brakes if you have crappy tires. However, this case is different. I thought to myself, "Why spend Php 5,000 per tire on a slow, diesel MPV that I rarely take above 100 km/h?".

Undaunted by my initial failure with cheap tires, I wanted to try other brands. I spent many hours canvassing tire shops and browsing forums for the cheapest, reliable tires. I replaced the first two tires in January with Sailun Atrezzo Elites for Php 2650 each (including balancing and wheel weights). Sailun has been sold in the Philippines for quite some time now, compared to the relative newcomer, Sportrak. I reckon that they wouldn't have lasted this long in the market if they weren't reliable.

I've been driving on them for almost three months now and I am pleasantly surprised so far. It has a high treadwear rating of 360, but it grips pretty well for a tire with a traction rating of A. It used to be that tires with a high treadwear rating are like bricks that offer no grip whatsoever, so I'm impressed that Sailun managed to create a tire compound that is grippy but still have a long life. I'm used to UHP tires that are grippy but wear down quickly (around 200 treadwear rating). I've taken off-camber sweepers with the Sailun Atrezzos at 80 km/h and I don't hear a peep from them. It's pretty quiet, too. Road noise decreased compared to the Sportrak tires. The Sailun tires have a V speed rating (safe to take up to 240 km/h), but I've only taken them up to 140. I have not seen any noticeable tire wear yet in the three months that I have used them. The only thing I don't like about the Atrezzo Elite is its profile. It has rounder sidewalls, which doesn't look sporty at all.

Doublestar DH05

I replaced my next two tires using Doublestar DH05, which I got for Php 2,200 each. These were initially my first choice, but they weren't available at the tire store where I got the Sailun tires. These tires are distributed by Tiara Commercial and Industrial Corp. For those that don't know Tiara, they are the distributor of a some of the best tire brands on the market: Continental, Kumho, and Michelin. Doublestar is their least expensive and their only budget tire brand. For a company that has a solid reputation, I doubt that they would ruin it by selling subpar tires.

The Doublestar DH05 has an H speed rating, which is faster than what the car will ever see. If I remember correctly, the tires have a slightly less treadwear rating compared to the Sailun Atrezzo Elite. Those numbers are still pretty good, considering that the Sailuns cost a bit more.

I've only had the Doublestars for barely a month, so I can't yet say with certainty if they are any good. As for road noise, I feel like it's slightly noisier than the Atrezzo, but quieter than the Sportrak.

Sportrak SP726  tire review Philippines

Sailun Atrezzo Elite tire review Philippines

Doublestar DH05  tire review Philippines

Megir Mesh Chrono M2011 Watch Review

I recently bought a Megir Mesh Chrono M2011 from seller "Watch Me!" on Lazada. I've been wanting to get a cheap but reliable watch to put into my daily wear rotation. I initially set my sights on an automatic Winner watch, but I saw that the Megirs were on sale. I remember researching on a watch forum a couple of months back and saw some favorable reviews for this brand, so I decided to postpone getting my first automatic watch. My dream watch is the Panerai Luminor Marina, so I wanted to get the Megir Low Fly Chrono. However, the local sellers on Lazada didn't have it on stock, so I ordered the Mesh Chrono instead.

Panerai Luminor Marina. My Dream Watch

Megir's tribute to the Pam: Low Fly Chrono

I was apprehensive about getting a Chinese watch online, especially since you can't inspect it or hold it in your hand, but I was willing to take the risk. I wouldn't lose too much sleep over 800 pesos...as long as the watch works. Fast forward three days later, and what I received was almost certainly life changing.

A brief background before I move on with the story: I used to be a watch snob, thinking that the only watches worth lusting for were the ones made in Switzerland. Growing up, I've had my share of entry-level Swiss watches: Swatch, Swiss Army, Bulova, etc. My most used watch in my daily rotation is a beat-up Tag Heuer 1500. I've also had some Fossil, Ice, Timex, and Casio watches which are totally reliable, but I've never loved them as much as my Swiss ones. They usually end up as a workout or beater watch. Recently, my Mom started sending me fashion watches. In the past few years, she's sent me Lacoste, Zoo York, and Ted Baker watches. I didn't have a high opinion of fashion watches due to my experience with Guess watches during my younger years, and the Lacoste and Zoo York watches confirmed that. The Lacoste watch's faux-crocodile leather peeled off, while the Zoo York's bronze-plated finish wore off and the metal underneath corroded. The Ted Baker watch totally changed my opinion, however. It was exquisitely made; the finish is at par with the more well-known fashion watches like Michael Kors. It felt sturdy and expensive. Even after being my daily watch for the past few months, it still looks as shiny as the first day I got it.

Now, back to the Megir. Buoyed by the positive Megir reviews, I had high hopes for the Mesh Chrono. Let's just say that all my expectations were exceeded when I held the watch in my hands for the first time. The Megir Mesh Chrono is a tribute to Skagen watches, using a Milanese loop strap as popularized by the brand. I do not know how long the Megir strap's finish will last, but I'll update this post if ever discoloration occurs.

The face is made of mineral glass, but it protrudes above the bezel, so extra care should be taken. The dial has a sunburst finish and all the markers/indices are aligned properly. The lume on the sword-shaped hands glow dimly in the dark. The crown is push-type, first indent when pulling is to adjust the date, another pull to adjust time. The date window is a circular cutout. What's amazing to me is that the chronograph works. I still can't believe that you can get a chronograph at this price range. The top pusher starts and stops the timer, while the bottom pusher resets the hands back to their original position. I read that the watch uses a Sunon movement, which is supposedly pretty reliable.

One thing I don't like about the watch is that the case back protrudes from the case, which makes it look like the watch is floating above your wrist. Another minor niggle is the folding grip clasp, which is a bit fiddly. Strapping on your watch requires three things. First, you must hook the clasp to provide initial closure. Next, you'll have to push down on the lock. It's a bit tight right now, but it might settle down after a few weeks of use. It's kind of scary because I'm afraid to push down too hard. Last, push down on the flip lock to secure everything.

The case looks like its floating above my wrist.

In conclusion, the Megir Mesh Chrono is a really good deal. It looks and feels way more expensive than the price leads you to believe. I'll be purchasing more Megirs in the near future before their price goes up.

Suzuki Ertiga GL Manual Review

I had a chance to drive the facelifted Suzuki Ertiga GL with a manual transmission last Sunday. We went to Calatagan, Batangas with a few friends. I must say that I missed driving a stick shift car. It was a really enjoyable experience, especially because of the precise driving controls of the Ertiga. The preciseness of the car was remarkable, particularly at this price point.

The steering was light, and a bit muted. It was so boosted that I could not feel the road that much. However, it was very precise. There was absolutely no "sneeze zone", or dead spot in the center. A small flick of the wrist and the car will turn. You definitely would not want to take your hands off the steering wheel or even drive with one hand while cruising (which is bad practice, anyway).

The gear shift was tight, and accurate. Not once did I miss a shift or grind gears. It was very smooth as well. The pedals were spaced properly, and the action was light. Even in standstill traffic, I did not have problems modulating the accelerator and clutch. The pedals did not have any slack. It was easy to start from inclined roads.

The suspension is one of the best I've experienced in this segment, ride quality-wise. Bumps were well damped, and it did not permeate through the cabin. Even on with six passengers on board, it did not bottom out. It's tuned more for comfort, though, as it felt quite wallowy. Body roll was not that evident during highway runs, but going through some unpaved roads, I felt that the suspension was anchored on jello. I think that sport-oriented tires and gas shocks would solve most of my complaints.

My only real gripe is the engine, which is actually just perfect for city driving. On out of town trips, though, you will find that the Ertiga is underpowered. With a full load (six people and about 100 pounds of luggage), you'll have to rev hard and shift late to get moving. I found myself close to the redline a couple of times while overtaking. I normally wouldn't mind, but the engine is quite noisy at high RPM.

The interior space is quite tight, which is understandable for a short, three-row car. The habitable space seemed as big as the Livina's. In a Nissan Livina, I could fit in the last row, though. I didn't try with the Ertiga, but looking at my 5-foot daughter in the last row, I doubt that my 6-foot frame would fit. The other edge that the Livina has is that it has a bit more cargo space. With the Ertiga's third row seats up, there's only a shoebox-sized space left for your things. We only put one seat up for the third row so that we could fit our things.

Overall, the Suzuki Ertiga is a nice car. I totally understand why it's so popular these days. I would choose this over the Toyota Avanza even if the Avanza has more space. It's not every day that I'll get to use the third row, but it's there when I need to ferry more people. Ride-wise, it's just slightly behind a Honda Mobilio. I would maybe even choose the Ertiga over the Mobilio because of the creature comforts. The Ertiga's interior is way better than the 90s-inspired interior of the Mobilio and the Ertiga is also better equipped, but the Mobilio has way more legroom.