US and Japan pals
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Boas-vindas


Da Belleza

Jasmine Ling
25oct1986.
Pretty.Ugly.Flabby.Blurr.Cheerful.
Speed.Travel.Sleep.Eat.Enjoy.
Deep.Fierce.Daring.Loud.Noisy.


Check this out!!!



Lusts 2010

Europe.
New Zealand.
South America.
Mauritius.
Egypt.

US
Maryland-Baltimore.
Washington-Seattle.
Utah.
Pennsylvania-Philadelphia.
Oregon.
Texas-Houston.

Australia
Brisbane.
Cairns.
Christmas Island.
Darwin.
Perth.
Melbourne.
Sydney.
Queensland.
Canberra.

Asia
Maldives.
Korea.
Japan.
Taiwan.
China.
India.
Philippines.
Nikoi Island.
Lombok Gilis.
Bali.
Phuket.

Malaysia
Perhentian.
Sipadan.
Redang.
Langkawi.
Terengganu.
Pulau Rawa.
Pulau Pemanggil.
Sibu Island.
Kota Kinabalu.
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Powered Pleasure Craft Driving License.
Wakeboarding.
DSLR.
Shades.
Facial regimen set.
UV protective face cream.
LV Tambour Diving Lady Watch.
Volkswagen Beetle
Remove all keloids on me.

Royals

Jie²
Amylia
WanPing
Mr Ng
Sandie WeiFen
Lai Yi
Jeremy

Pass it On!
sgtravelcafe
Riverkids Project
ASIAN GEOgraphic
Stanley William Moore
The Bitter Stickgirl

Of Yesterday
My Happie 23rd Birthday
My 23rd Birthday Wishlist
Vietnam Getaway for National Day long weekend (7-1...
Feeling Lousy...
Advanced Open Water at Pulau Aur (yes Aur again)
Work work work
A week at Work!
Happy New Year 2009!
Finally!!!
Awesome Christmas Getaway to Batam~
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April 2008
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June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
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October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
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July 2009
August 2009
October 2009
November 2009
December 2009
January 2010
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January 2012

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Sunday, November 22, 2009

7-16 Nov 09 Hong Kong, Macau & Zhu Hai

Yes it's HK again and I realised that I really ♥ HONG KONG! This trip was initiated by work as there was an interesting conference related to my industry taking place at HKCC hence I seeked permission from my boss to attend it.

Managed to get a good deal on JetStar at S$288 (all inclusive with 20kg check-in) return air tix. What's more? I had the luxury to depart to HK and return from Macau. Sweet! Darling decided to take a short break from work and tag along with me to explore HK as he has never been there before...



Haha dunno why that cheese ring pack ballooned so much! I watched the movie "He's Just Not That Into You" on board and I really liked the movie because it really makes sense. Don't be mistaken, it was on my netbook, Jetstar still doesn't have personal screens. For the price I am paying? Dream On! We took bus a21 from the airport which takes us to Tsim Sha Tsui, very near to our hotel. It cost about HKD30 and passes the whole long Nathan Road so I suppose you can go to MongKok too.



Lucky for me, I got a food list from SeeKee and it was such a treasure! The list contains all the good food and addresses of where to find them. Darling and I basically live off it for the whole time we were in HK. You will know what I mean as you see more of our food hunt adventures. I will update the list according to my own experience too, let me know if you want it, more than willing to share! Our 1st stop: Macau Resturant



Food taste pretty good but not exceeding expectations and the serving was too large for both of us to share. Tarts were good! Took a random shot with the billboard that has Sammi Cheng haha. It is really odd that we didn't take a photo with our hotel along Kimberly Road. I only realised after I tried to find a photo of us with our hotel but couldn't. Maybe because it wasn't impressive at all and their service was very disappointing. Anyway, we stayed at The Empire Hotel, Kowloon at S$780 for 6 nights. I would consider it expensive as the hotel was as good as guesthouse standards only and it was quite a distance from the main road to take buses and MTR.

I am not too sure if it's the street that is atas or what but all the cars that runs along this street are Lexus, BMW, minicooper, Mercz, Bentley, Audi, Lambo, Ferrari, Porsche etc. The amount of BMWs, Lexuses, Merczs, Audis etc are that of our honda, nissan, toyota, suzuki and their Bentley, Lambo, Ferrari, Porsche are equivalent to the no. of Mercz, Lexus, BMWs we have on our roads. WOAH... was there problems with my eyes or car's too cheap over there? None! I was told that if you are considered rich in HK, you really are and you won't want to buy an asian-made car.



Took the MTR to ShaTin to see horse racing. Initially planned to go to Happy Valley but the hotel staff advised us to go to ShaTin instead as you can see the real horse in action and not only the big screen. Haha the cushioned seats you see me sitting on was actually for 1st class MTR tickets. I went to the wrong cabin =P We were a little late as we reach in the late afternoon at about 4pm and there were no more trains to the racecourse station hence we had to take the MTR to Fou Tan and take a short 10mins walk over. It was worth it! The place is definitely much bigger than Singapore's Turf club although I haven't been to SG's one before. The grand stands are so huge and stretch all the way across a few mountains! I'm not kidding. It's cool to see so many people who really do hardcore gambling, shouting and swearing at the horses and throwing their wasted tickets on the ground haha



Headed over to Hong Kong Industrial Centre next as I heard that it's a wholesale centre for lady's fashion, clothes, bags accessories etc. It proved to be a wrong choice as the season is fall and their clothes are all long sleeve, not suitable for summer Singapore! Moreover, the people there are a little unfriendly as they prefer to do wholesale than retail. Left after a few rounds and headed to the oh-so-famous MongKok. Haha did the usual of shopping around then went for our 2nd food stop: Mai Wen Ji Mian Jia. Best Wanton Mee in HK! We also ordered nai cha and steam egg from the neighbour stall Australia Dairy Company which was also recommended on the food list.



Day 2 was all about nature! We took MTR again to Choi Hung, a more sub-urban area for hiking at Sai Gong. Sai Gong is a very interesting place where seafood is very fresh and a main source of living for some. Check out the fresh seafood in the containers on the boat. People standing at the jetty can just purchase them directly from these fishermen. I filmed a video of how this live seafood are being processed! Damn yucky =p



Embarking on our nature trail...



I love this hike, all thanks to darling who planned it! I never knew HK have such places to visit. Previous 2 times I visited HK was all about shopping eating and growing fat. Simon kept saying that it would be so nice to live in HK because you will work in the city during the weekdays and on weekends you can choose to experience nature by coming to such places which are not far away. Just hiking, jogging or long walks will make one feel so good to be in touch with the natural environment again.



Unfortunately for not-so-strong me, I had to take many breaks in between and even stopped for a bowl of tou fu hua =P We were also a little too adventurous as we were advised to take a cab or bus but thought that we could manage a 6km trail easily, not knowing that it was a up-down-up-up-down-down route instead of a flat ground route. Plus down is those really steep kind which you will slip and fall if not careful enough. Haha wells, it was all worth it...



After a long tiring but fulfilling hike, we must of course reward ourselves to good food and so food stop 3: Mikawaya at Hung Hom. We were so tired that we took a minibus back to Sai Gong and took another minibus back to central area. As the bus stop by Hung Hom which is near to TST, we thought we should just select a food place here to try out. FOOD WAS GREAT! Curry Pork Chop Rice and Smoked Duck Breast Udon!

Oh there's this drink in HK that I like a lot - Yang Chi Gan Lu! It can be conveniently found at all those shops at MTR stations selling drinks. You really should give it a try if you like mango =)



After a tiring day, we went back to our hotel room to nua but thought we shouldn't waste time like that! As such, here we go: Isn't it gorgeous?



Day 3 was hanging around central and causeway bay, looking at their CBD area which is a great interest to Simon. He is especially interested to take a look at one of the strongest finicial hub in asia. We took the affordable HKD2.80 ferry over. This mode of water transport across the sea (known as "guo hai"), I guess has been around for a long long time. Food was of course our priority too and therefore food stop 3: Lin Heung Tea House



It's such a chaotic place and check out my "sian diao" face after managing to grab a basket of food! Guess it's really for the brave only as suggested by the food list because it's a very old style teahouse and the old people already know what they want to order and the culture. Basically in Hong Kong they don't value customer service too much and you are required to know what you want the minute you sit down, no time to waste! You will even be scolded if you take too long to decide what to eat! I think only the char siew pau is nice.



We walked around again before heading over to the childhood fantasy land - Ocean Park!



Although I have been there before on the 1st time I went to HK, it was always my dream to go pak tor with my date as always seen in HK serials or movies haha dream come true!



They have a few new rides I think. There's this new tunnel train that brings you from the top to bottom and vice versa, a whole lot faster than the long-winding escalators. The roller coaster never fails to excite me and as usual the big wirly curly roller coaster is closed =( I plucked up courage to ride on the free fall this time as I didn't dare to the previous time I was here after my scary experience in Genting haha. It wasn't as scary as I have expected, maybe because I am older?



We had a fun time at Ocean Park, the company counts the most =) Went for food stop 4: 新翠華茶餐廳 - A char chum ting at causeway bay that sells the best claypot rice in HK! Very very true, both of us enjoyed it alot. Order anything from the menu, you will not go wrong! We also went to try the "zha leong"(you tiao wrapped in chee cheong fun dipped with soy sauce)at Ocean Empire Food Shop woah... nice! I brought dearie to a xiu liu shan near our hotel as he haven't been to one before. I guess quality is assured at all outlets and we both love it!



Last day for baby in HK and so we must visit the place he wants to go to the most - HK stock exchange! I was in Tokyo stock exchange before hence this didn't excite me too much. Moreover the hype of trading with bare hands, shouting across the platform era was already long over so there's really nothing much to see...



Strolled along WanChai and Hong Kong Convention Centre. Our food hunt continues and we particularly ♥ this Tai Cheong Bakery which really sells the best egg tarts in HK. I like this kind of buttery crust, that of pineapple tart more than the pastry type. We also tried out Mido Cafe(cheese bake rice, wanton with sweet sauce), which was highly recommended by many but it turned out to be so-so only...



Don't be mistaken. Nope we didn't go to Disneyland. We were actually on our way to Tung Chung CityGate outlet mall and I thought since Simon haven't been to Disney before, why not just take a peek? Haha and indeed he was very impressed... The outlet mall wasn't impressive at all, I cannot image why do people like to go there. I wanted to buy another Kate Spade bag or some other branded bags for myself but couldn't find anything. Their collection is so limited and not nice =( We went for dinner at Itamae Sushi before baby goes back to Singapore and leave me all alone in a foreign land *boo... The sushi is awesome! They even give clear instructions as to how to eat sushi in the proper way, dipping it into the sauce etc. Ken told me that it's in Singapore already at ION Orchard, I really hope so and will definitely eat it again!



As baby left, I went according to plans to meet Ken, his love and his gang! It was very coincidental that one fine day when I was having Ben & Jerry's ice cream at The Cathay, Ken passed by and we both started talking. It was then that I realised that he was getting MARRIED!!! Woah so fast, oh my! I had already planned my travel dates and asked if he will be in HK and guess what? He planned for his wedding shoots during the same period in Macau too. Oh yeah and so here we are, meeting up for KTV. He introduced me to his wife and sister (who is so kind to follow him to HK to help out for the shoot). Others you see in the photo are his wife's friends whom Ken himself also didn't really know haha. It's ok, youngsters get along easily.



Next 2 days are just work but also fun at work. I will still hold food close to my heart, no doubt about that! So lonely as it may be, I still continued the good food tasting at WanChai all by myself during lunch...

1st lonely lunch was at Wing Wah Noodle Shop, wanton mee rockz! There's this preserved white carrot on the table which taste good. You can help yourself to to it, free flow. If you are wondering how I could still take a photo, I asked a lady sitting opposite me to do that =P Embarrassing!
2nd lonely lunch was at Sang Kee Restaurant which I had to walk into a building through the corridor behind a metal gate and take a lift to 2nd floor, those kind you see in HK serials? Ordered the recommended 豉油王炒麵 (fried mee) and a bowl of tasty soup came as a yummy surprise! The waiters there were a little surprised to see me visiting their resturant to eat alone haha I was later informed by a couchsurfer's friend that the resturant is good for family or big group dining. In case you are wondering again, I self-took the photo with my noodle =P



I also took the chance to meet up with couchsurfers to have them bring me to see the real HK! Alfred was the 1st host of mine and he's a real foodie - I asked for a food tour and he really fulfilled his role! I ate yong tau hoo, pig liver noodle, some lard-alike stuff, dessert and clay pot rice. The list is not exhaustive =) He also brought me to the computer mall, that of Sim Lim Square and the "Light"streets where you can find all the lightings you ever need. Would really like to say a big Thank You to him for bringing me to the no-tourist places and making me FAT!



My 2nd evening was spent meeting yet another couchsurfer Jeffrey who brought a friend Ben to make a group. They had initially wanted to bring me to the claypot rice which I had previously visited with Simon and was shocked when I told them that I have tried it. Seem like I am quite resourceful heh! I told them I was craving for shao er and they brought me to Tai Hing, a modern resturant. After which, we took the HKD2 tram around the island and headed to the famous Lan Kwai Fong! Jeffrey had a lot of card tricks and some were really impressive while some were errr haha. We also met up with another of Jeff's friend, Vic and his gf. Vic's gf brought me into the clubs and let the guys wait outside as it's ladies night and I just wanted to see how's HK clubs like =) Pretty much the same as Singapore, guess it's universal huh.



Next day morning was to Kwai Chung Plaza for shopping myself before I leave Hong Kong. The weather started to turn chilly and I could feel it when I stepped out of the hotel, luckily I chose long sleeve for that day. It was the kind of mall that I wanted but unfortunately, the shops were all closed and started to open only after noon time =( They have ladies fashion wear like dresses shoes, bags and accessories at cheap prices just like our Far East Plaza. Sadly, I didn't have much time to shop as I had a lunch appointment with Jeff or Ben, whoever can meet me. In the end I met Jeff at MongKok as his lunchtime was later which means I could shop longer. The plaza is located at Kwai Fong station which is quite a distance away from the central. Anyway there is one very interesting thing I must share about the MTR station - there is 4 computer stations with internet connection for use at the MTR station! How cool is that for a tourist who sometimes badly needs internet for just a couple of minutes?

Anyway, lunch was really good! It's at a eastern-western cafe-resturant called Feng Yue Tang. The lunch set was everything sufficient to satisfy all your cravings - appetizer, bread & butter, main course, tea, dessert! Mind you the dessert is waffle ice cream, not some kind of cheapo cakes or tiny-sized dessert yeah!



I bought a ferry tix online at New World First Ferry (Macau) for HKD133 and set sail alone from HK to Macau... So lonely! Luckily I had my ipod with me and the seats are pretty alright plus the journey was only less than 2hours. I totally slept through the whole 2 hours haha



Finally!!!! My bella queen suite...



More of macau and zhu hai to come... [stay tuned]