Southampton Ice Skate experience

Ice Skating Fun in West Quay

After going to church this Sunday, our family went to Southampton to have fun and guess what we did, Ice Skating. Mind you, we don't know how to skate how much more skating on ice. We grew up in a country where there's no snow and definitely no ice skating rink. But, no matter what the odds, we still went ahead.

First obstacle was getting a ticket, the day before we already went and check. But, we did not manage to get a slot because it was sold out that day. So, what we did was book online. Again, even booking online was difficult. Seems like everyone wants to go skating. We got the 2:30 PM session. No penguins available when we booked online.

Now going to Southampton was traffic that day and it was really horrendous. We opted to park in IKEA because it seems like everyone was parking in West Quay. But, even there, it was jam pack too. Straight away, we went to the ticket booth and showed our booking confirmation online. It was straight-forward. They will just give you token and direct you where to go or what to do. We enquired if there were penguins available and the lady at the ticket booth said there were two available. So we took those.

Went inside and there are bench and lockers plus loads of friendly staff to assist us. Again straightforward, shoes off and hand it to the staff and asking what for your shoe size. Then, they will give you your ice skates. You can ask for helmet and wrist support/guard, and it's free. We noticed that all the staff are jolly and you know that they really love what they're doing.

We waited for about 5 mins or so because they were cleaning the skating rink and making sure that it's good to go. Then, queue started to buildup and the excitement as well from the room was just going higher and higher. And, when they announced that the skating rink was open, every was just too keen to go.

Coming in was really difficult because apart from lots of people on queue and getting penguins, the ice was really slippery. After we got our penguins, we were just moving slowly and holding on the sides. We managed to go around counter-clockwise, following everyone. There were lots of people who fell and bump their bums on the ice but staff were there ready to help and also most of the people were helpful to assist each other. It was generally fun. Just be mindful because there were loads of people and kids, so you don't cause accident or if you are looking after a couple of kids or more, keep an eye always because there are really loads of people. The music was also added attraction. It makes it more energised and fun to skate.


I thought that we were only gonna go for one round and that's it but we managed to go about 4 or 5 rounds. It was tiring though because most of the time, I was holding on the rails and looking after my little boy. So, after the session was finished, we headed back and return the penguins and the skates. We were really exhausted and hungry. But that's not a problem because there are lots of restaurant/fastfood nearby. We went to Five Guys. There was a queue but it was not that bad. The peanuts there was free and it taste nice, just be careful and mindful of allergies. The serving was big. Because we ordered little burger and I don't think it was little. The chips was also delicious. Hotdog was lovely as well and tons of choices for your drink. Also it's drink all you can.

That completed our Ice Skating experience.

Review of Phillips Series 3000 Shaver

Phillips Series 3000 QG3332/23

This is a 4-in-1 men's grooming kit (beard, stubble trimmer, hair clipper). Waterproof, can be washed directly under the tap but make sure that the charger wires are not hooked.  Skin-friendly, high-performance blades for a gentle trim. Really soft and smooth to the skin. Up to 60 minutes use on a 10-hour charging. Really good wireless shaver.

Q7 Wireless Handheld KTV Karaoke Bluetooth Microphone Mic Speaker For Phone UK Review

Q7 Wireless Microphone and Hi-Fi Speakers

We love singing, and our family bonding would always be KARAOKE. Such a shame our next door neighbour is not a big fan of it and will bang our walls each time.  We can't do it even if it's only 3 in the afternoon or even on Christmas eve. Party will never be complete for Filipinos when there's no Karaoke or Videoke. Good thing I found this Q7 Wireless Handheld KTV karaoke bluetooth microphone when we went home in the Philippines. Saw it in the mall.  Actually, one of our friend already mentioned it to us that there's this bluetooth microphone that they are using and their neighbour now is not complaining because of this bluetooth mic. So, I looked online and bought one for my wifey through eBay. It's quite cheap but it did arrive and delivered on time and complete.

Unboxing: It came with a softcase. It was not as secured as I would expect. But I guess you get what you pay for. The unit is fine and it came with two leads. One USB lead for charging and the other one is the earphone lead for your phone so you can connect the microphone and sing and record using your Android or iPhone. You can operate this microphone even without reading the manual. But it's good to browse the manual so you got a better idea of what you can do about this microphone.

It is rechargeable, so when it came I had to recharge it first before I can use it. Also at the bottom of the microphone there's a USB input. I used my USB flash drive which has almost 1000 mp3 songs and it converted the microphone into a Hi-Fi speaker system. It is much louder than using the microphone speaker as your karaoke monitor. The USB option for flashdrive is amazing. I love it. The sound quality is a lot better than when you are singing through this mic.

The only downside that I can think of is that.... they could have put an earphones out. So you can connect your headset to it as your monitor. That way your speaker system can be private at times and also when you're singing, you can connect it to a portable recording device because it has an earphone line out.

Wireless Headphone 5-in-1 Hi-Fi S-XBS MH2001 Review

Cheap Wireless RF Headphones

I was looking for a headset that is cordless but not bluetooth connectivity because I will be using it for my guitar effects pedal or when Im doing home recording using my Native Instrument Guitar Rig Session IO. That's when I found this Hi-Fi S-XBS MH2001 5-IN-1 Wireless Headphones on eBay and it's quite cheap. So, I said to myself, I will have a go and buy one. Anyways, it's cheap what can go wrong.

Parcel Arrived: Well packed and it's not bad. I mean cheap but decent. I then tried it, followed the instructions on the manual which is quite easy and straightforward. They call it RECEIVER and EMITTER. Before, we use to call it Receiver and Transmitter isn't it?

The box contains the Receiver and the Emitter, one mono 3.5mm short earphone lead and manual. The Emitter already got the necessary lead connected to it. Also there's option to use 4.5v adaptor or batteries which doesn't come with the unit when you purchase. Good thing I always got batteries. The Receiver needed two AAA as well as the Emitter also needed two AAA batteries.

It is quite easy to use. Just follow the polarity of the batteries when you install it to the Receiver and Emitter. Only problem was when I was opening the battery compartment of the headphones, it's a bit hard because firstly, locating it. Although it was illustrated on the manual but sometimes we are not sure or what we don't care to read what's on the manual.

The battery compartment is located on the Left side opposite to where the volume and on/off control, reset and scan buttons. Slide to open the battery compartment. Once batteries are installed, turn volume control up to turn the unit on. Press reset and then press scan to use the FM function of the the headset. I enjoyed the FM functionality of this headset.

By the way, the headset is lightweight and comfortable. Fully adjustable, it even fit my 7-year-old boy. The materials are cheap but acceptable, I can't complain because the price is quite cheap. Sound is decent, got low bass sound as well as high trebles. However, when I tested the wireless functionality, it was not as loud as the FM volume. And, to pair your headphones to the Emitter, you have to press RESET first and then SCAN. Otherwise, it will still function as FM headphones.

I haven't tried the WIRELESS NET AUDIO CHAT and WIRELESS MONITORING because these weren't the reason why I bought this unit. I've tried the Wired headphones and I liked it. It's much louder and clearer compared to being wireless. I didn't like the lead that came with it because apart from it's short, the quality is cheap. So, I decided to order on eBay a longer and much better quality lead.

So far, I am quite please with this unit and will be using this most of the time; around the house whilst washing the dishes, ironing clothes, before going to sleep and of course jamming with my guitar and doing some home recordings. This time there will be no annoying cord/lead hanging in the way when I play my guitar.