I'm back from Hong Kong!

Yesterday.




Or two days ago since it's already 2am in the morning. Slept the whole day (ho ho ho I love sleeping), it was an extremely exhausting trip from too much walking and playing and shopping.

SHOPPING~~ I love SHOPPING!

Omg I'm becoming a city girl! o.O





Hong Kong Disneyland reminds me of a pathetic sad sorry version of Tokyo Disneyland. Even the Buzz Lightyear and Space Rider rides are exactly the same.

It's so much smaller, more expensive, smaller, lousier rides (a sad excuse for modern technology), and way smaller.




Anyway, I'm back and I am ready to visit some houses and hit the poker table! It's not too late is it?

Blog later, got to go catch up on more sleep. Ciao~

Mommy's Gift This Year

A week ago I celebrated my mom's birthday.

Got her a present during my stay over Xmas in Singapore from Takashimaya.

Last year I got her a bouquet of CASH.

Yes cash. As in roses made of money.




Two years ago, it was flowers made of RM1 notes.

Then last, I decided to upgrade my present, pooling money with my brother, to RM10 notes flower.




So this year I decided to give her something different.

My mom is a lover for Bone China.




Despite its name, bone china is British made porcelain crockeries.

But the thing is she doesn't own any. Her reasons for it was that when she was younger, she couldn't afford them. And now I think she prefers to save the money than to spend on unnecessary items.


Old Country Rose from Royal Albert


So when I went to Singapore, I decided to scout these cups out.

Two of the more well known Bone China brands are Royal Doulton (owned by the father) and Royal Albert (then the son).

However, when Old Country Roses design was launched 1962, it became one of the biggest hit and till date most popular English bone china design.




And seeing that my mom loves big red roses. I decided to get some of these. In the end, I brought home two sets of cups and saucers, and a mini milk jug. :D

Why all the way to Singapore? Because it's bloody expensive to buy it in Malaysia. One cup and saucer set can easily cost more than RM300, whereas you can get half that price in Singapore. A teapot can cost between RM2~300 after conversion in Singapore.

Just imagine, how would would this table cost?




But even with just a normal set of saucer and plates, sipping afternoon tea with some of these exclusive bone china. Fuu wa... Damn posh feel.




I got my experience sipping afternoon tea in some of these 22k gold rimmed teacups one day at Angelic, which was how I got to know about this particular bone china.




The setting of this cafe was SO nice I could just die! I was already wishing my future living room to be set up something like this.




Don't I look damn comfy?




Did a bit of camwhore while I was there.





Love the gold santa! was there during xmas








I wanna go back to Angelic.

Magic Mah Jong Table

To those who loves Mah Jong to bits.

Here's a little nifty gadget you might want to get from Shenzhen, China. (or any parts of China but then this video was taken in Shenzhen today, so yea)

Cost CNY3000 (China Renminbi, roughly RM1600).




It's cool. But man...

Getting this is like spending money so you can lose money faster.

Farewell Adelaide - Dim Sum and Chocolate Fondue

On my last day in Adelaide, I met up with Jeremy Andrew (who has just graduated the previous weekend before this photo was taken) at Star House for breakfast dim sum.




And then there was Ms Doreen who's the admin of Uni of South Australia. She's so sweet to extend my student card expiry for me (I was still an active student) so I could get cheap bus fare around Adelaide.


Me, Jessie, Doreen, and and.. er... forgot what's her name :p


Okay, let me tell you a bit about Australian Dim Sum.

Those peeps down there serve the best dim sum in the world. I have tried Dim Sum in some of the most renown places that are best known for their dim sum, like Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Shanghai, and yet, despite the magnificence of Hong Kong dim sums, the best was still in Australia. Generic wise (which means by randomly picking any restaurant on the street in Australia, you'll be find the dim sum quality and taste way better than any random restaurant you pick in other countries).





If you're ever in Adelaide, I would strongly recommend the Mango Pudding in Star House located in China Town.




This has to be the best Mango Pudding I've ever tried in my life, other than the one in Hong Kong, but that's a whole different sort of mango pudding.


Later that evening, my wonderful readers of Adelaide and I had a little fondue farewell getaway.




It made me feel like I'm a student or permanent resident of Adelaide suddenly, instead of a typical traveller or backpacker in Australia. Hanging out with fellow Malaysian students and residents felt pretty much at home.







My final reader I met in Adelaide was Regina, a kuchingnite (seriously, they're everywhere) living and working in Adelaide for 8 years now with her Japanese boyfriend (whose name I forgot :p).




This is Regina doing a koala move on her boyfriend. Oh yea... those kinky Australians.


Leaving Adelaide was going hard, having met and hang out with all these wonderful people together for days, I was just reluctant to move onto to the next city.




Goodbye Adelaide, I'll be back soon.

Pietro and his Ribena Guinness

Hung out with Pietro and Shawn the other day during the Bride Wars premier at Mid Valley.




Which was btw a must watch if you're a Kate Hudson or Anne Hathaway (or both) fan. I'm definitely Kate's fan. But Anne has the best hot bod any girl would die for. Woot!

I would gladly give my purse, my cuticles, my toe nails, and half the length of my hair for her legs. They are oh my god.


Anyway, back to our night.

One might easily assume that a guy such as the Radio DJ might be all about glamour and up-market style, but Pietro is actually a pretty cool sensitive guy.




After the movie that day, he, Shawn and I proceeded to Irish Pub on the ground floor for a quick drink.

And I learnt from Pietro that Ribena do make Guinness taste much better. It's a pretty good combo. You should try it.

I had Bailey's Cheesecake instead.




Which was the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted. Bitter, sweet, frozen (cheesecake?), simply... ugh.


Oh yea... everyone remember Shawn?




We first met in Bangkok while I was travelling and him on business trip, had great wet fun during the Songkran festival.

And yes.
He cut his hair.

*all the girls please squeal*



Shawn has always appeared to be this really rugged half shaven dude that seem to have come out from an Indiana Jones movie in his tracksuit and army pants.

And the thing about him, he always has this longer, slightly wavy hair that set out a particular charm. A sort of I-am-a-naughty-boy-and-I-know-you-like-it-you-saucy-minx aura.

This was his photo last year in Langkawi.




And there was I always too busy taking photos of something else ignoring his camera advances.




But he was always been rather appealing, despite my silence, and everyone else's for that matter, back then.

Now....

now... he has become Forest Gump. T_____T





It's ok. We still love you, as long you still join us for diving this year. :D

And then there's me.




Been experimenting with photoshop new brushes. :D
Hope I am not over-doing it. :p


Editor of OK! Magazine spotted on the left. What's her name again?

It's the Chinese New Year Eve...

CNY Family Trip

It's been years since I last went on a full family trip to a foreign country.

Oh I had several trips to foreign land with my mom before, more than one occasion. Just three years ago I brought her to Bali and we had a ball at white water rafting. Oh yea, at the age of 61 (58 when she was in Bali with me), my mom still rocks my socks off, and this is her with spinal and joints problem.




In 2004, I brought her (carried her bags too -.-) to Italy and France for a two weeks backpack trip. Going through Milan, cruise through Venice, slept in caravan in Florence and toured through Rome and stole a few shots in the Vatican city. Got our camera stolen in Paris and visited castles in Tour (a city in northen France).

Ate Gelatos three times a day, pizza twice every meal, walked a dozen miles (which she complaint endlessly), walked through the Lourve and ate pâté with baguette till our teeth drop.

Back then she claimed that she must've been the oldest Asian backpacker around (hardly able to find 56 year old mother backpacking with her daughter). I laughed.

Then it was 13 years backward when she brought me to California for a 10 days trip, at the age of 12, the biggest fun I remembered was Disneyland Los Angeles. Riding the waterlog with my mom. It was the most glorious moment in my life, because both of us were (still are) terrified of extreme rides that involved speed + height.

The closest of a family trip we had for the past 15 years (maybe even more) 17 years was my whole family coming up to KL for a night in One World hotel (it was odd for me, seeing that I only needed to drive from Puchong to 1U to check in). Anything further would involve my mom, my brother and me spending Chinese New Year in Guilin, China three years ago.


This year, it's going to be different.

This year, we are all going to Hong Kong for Chinese New Year. 5 days 4 nights.




I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am about this trip. I have not felt such excitement about travelling in a long time! Not since my first trip to Indo-China last year, but even that one didn't give me such anticipation.

You could say I have been dreaming, for yeeaaarrrrsss, for this very day to come. One whole family of four going on a trip together.

Yes I have been to Hong Kong before. But that's least of the point, I really don't mind where we're going. For all I know we could be in Laos or Bangkok, I don't even mind being the tour guide and show them around (which I am most gladly to) and bring them to the best eateries. The most important thing, we're together, and we're going to be having fun.




Speaking of which. Mom, dad, bro, you are sooo going to die when you try to Hong Kong mango pudding!! And their "lou po beng" (wife cookies) fresh from oven! OMG I can't wait!!!!!




I'll be chanting "Hong Kong" every night from now.

Low, lower, lowest!

I love this, I really do.

Nothing beats a good flight fare deal.

Sometimes I really wish that flying can be SO dirt cheap that at the snap of a finger I can be boarding a flight to Sipadan or Sandakan and chill out on beach, say, three hours from now.




But then not all our fathers print money, so we just have to make do with earning a living and saving up for that very special year end trip. In my case, my travels mostly fall in the middle of the year. I just like to travel when no one is, less crowd.




We, however, do have a choice. Now imagine if I were to work for a big corporate company, hold a high position; (okay, you can start laughing now, cause I am; but yes, just imagine) I will be travelling to a lot of places for business. And the good thing about working for a company is that all your travel expenses will be covered.

Oh yea baby. You know what I mean.




I’ll be going for the most expensive hotel, the most expensive restaurants, and most importantly,



Business class flight.

What if you are not important enough to fly business class? Hey, you still can fly on company’s expense and don’t have to book a flight 30 days in advance just to get a cheaper fair, and you can fly to London and back ANYTIME you want. FLEXIBLE dates.

If I were you, I would take few days leave and stay back and fly back on company’s budget. Free trip, free air tickets, and if you’re lucky, free accommodations.

But then I’m not working for a big corporation, do not have a very generous boss and do not have a very big fat bank account.

So I have to be like every backpacker out there (hey I enjoy backpacking, it’s fun and I get to meet many travelers around the world and share experiences with them)




and PLAN (yes I do plan, not often, but beggars can’t be choosers) for my trip so I will know what date I am flying in and out of a destination, hence to obtain the cheapest possible flight fare.


MAS airline is offering this FOUR new fare options where travelers can choose among
MHlow Fares (for me! Yay!),
MHbasic (also for me! Yay! This one can change date in case of emergency),
MHsmart (this is for rich well-off people who don’t want to pay full fare but want to afford missing a flight or two),
MHflex (this is for my business class imaginary self who has no budget constraint whatsoever).



These offers are only available for domestic flights


MAS has now removed domestic fuel surcharge and the All In Fares are cheaper. Check out the reductions!





OMG. Speaking of flexible dates, if I could actually recollect all the money I “wasted” on paying for brand new tickets on flights that I’ve missed last year, and let me remind you, three in a year was a lot (twice in the bloody same month!).




DAMN IT, how many times does a girl need to lose her flights to prove a point!
(that it’s about time they come out with flexible discounted fare).

I would have saved so much money from all my trips from MHsmart fare.




That's it! Before I buy any more air tickets, I am going to check out www.malaysiaairlines.com by clicking on their website every day from now on.


psst: I heard another air tickets promo coming up right after CNY, I got my eyes set on going to penang and alor setar in Feb and March, but shhh. Tee hee