Archive for November 2013

What better way to indulge than an afternoon tea filled with sweet delights.

I've once read about the afternoon tea of Mandarin Oriental Bangkok in a magazine and thus a visit has to be made. I was really looking forward to spending a beautiful afternoon with my friends after walking all morning in the famous Author's Lounge, but was offered elsewhere to sit (with a view) because all the seats were taken. So make sure to get your hotel to make a reservation for you a day before to ensure available seats.

Author's Lounge (image taken from Mandarin Oriental webpage)

There were two sets to choose from: Traditional Afternoon Tea Set and Mandarin Oriental Thai Tea Set. (Both of which were ordered)
Each set came with a choice of tea, coffee or infusion.

refreshing lime sorbet to start your palate engine.

Thai tea set is served with pandan scones and chiffon cake and some other thai fusion and local sweets
(you can refer to the ingredient items in the menu images below)

my favourite panna cotta with berry jam and opera cakes

assorted finger sandwiches to sink your teeth in before diving into desserts.

perfect cuppa creme brulee, torched to perfection

Four choices of jams from two different set options and balls of butter for the scones; including whipped cream which we've refilled several times.

the stars of the afternoon.

Mandarin Oriental Bangkok's Author's Lounge was getting so famous with their scones that they sold them in package to dining guests and hotel customers, even walk in buyers.

Honestly, after swamping myself in so many sweets, it was difficult to justify the flavor of these scones. But they were delicious, no doubt; fluffy soft and filling texture. Perhaps it would make more sense to savor these simple carbs on their own, hence the separate purchase.

Menus for reference

If you're ever Bangkok on a girls trip, maybe it's worthwhile to consider spending an afternoon in Author's Lounge in Mandarin Oriental.

Wrote by Nicole

If you only have a weekend or just a full day to explore Boracay, then dedicate that day to Ariel's Point. You'll never regret it. (written itinerary somewhere in the middle of this post)

3D2N can be gruellingly short to see and enjoy Boracay, mainly because the big Kalibo Airport is freakingly far from the island; unless you fly premium into the nearer Caticlan airport, you're likely to end up on the island either in the late afternoon (early afternoon if you have an early flight coming from Manila, which meant you have to spend a night in Manila the evening before) or just after sunset.

However, a weekend 3D2N trip to Boracay can still be done.

If you're a frequent visitor (like myself) to the many island trips in South East Asia, Boracay is just like a typical beach holiday for any visitor. You have the sea, the sandy beach, plentiful hotels, shopping and good food. There's not a lot of tourist spots to see but you'll be guaranteed a fun time if you're willing to spend, activities are abundance.

Which is why it makes sense to spend your previous one full day in Ariel's Point that requires you travelling out on a boat and only to return right before sunset. Ariel's Point is the one place that makes Boracay interesting and different. You'll have fun, get to meet lots of people, enjoy good food and drinks or even chillax if you can find a spot.

Here's a quick itinerary for a 3D2N trip:

Day 1
After checking in to your hotel, spend the remaining of the day soaking up the sun and enjoying the lovely beach in front of your hotel/resort.

Have a walk to and around D'Mall in Station 2 to do some shopping and dinner.

Day 2
Wake up at 9am, after breakfast, walk along the street in front of your hotel and keep a lookout for travel agency that offers Ariel's Point tour; or you can walk to Station 1 and look for Ariel's House and register yourself before 11am. The price is pretty standard all over the island at 1600 PHP per pax. During peak season, it is advisable to reserve a day before to guarantee a spot.

After return, you can have free and easy to enjoy the last of the beach, explore other parts of the island and go clubbing at night.

Day 3
Check out. More beach. Last minute shopping. Have your hotel arrange your transport out to your airport before your flight.

end of itinerary

1600 PHP buys you a round trip to Ariel's Point, BBQ lunch and afternoon snacks, unlimited drinks like San Miguel Pale Pilson, San Miguel Light, soda, rum, Red Horse, juices and mineral water. Enough to make you full and high and happy.

Have a cup of coffee while waiting.

You will depart from Ariel's House beachfront lounge at 11:15-11:30am to Ariel's Point. Which will take 30-40 minutes on the boat.

There are various activities and prepared equipment for you like snorkelling, kayaking and rafts for you to enjoy. But the HIGHLIGHT of Ariel's Point is this.

And this.

referring to the alcohol

And then more of this.

Do attempt this while slightly intoxicated. Life guards at the bottom so no worries there.

You have 3, 8 and 15-meter platforms to choose from (the was a 12 meters plank but it was closed off during my visit there).

How high is 15 meters?

No, higher.

Lunch

PS// I wore hotel slippers to Ariel's Point. Hehe.

Wrote by Nicole

Two weekends ago I spent my Deepavali painting a mural for this refugee learning centre of Afghan and Kazakhstan kids, well kids from central Asia.

It all started with Amanda texting me one day asking if I was interested to do some charity work that involved painting, being me I said yes without even asking where or what or who. "Why not?"

So two weekends before that we visited the centre and saw the walls and then the following week we went to scout for materials. Impressed that Amanda managed to secure sponsor to pay for the materials within the first week she decided to do this. Then she invited her friends + sisters and I got a new friend of mine who's into volunteering and we met on Deepavali morning for roti canai at 9am before starting a hard day's work.

We didn't know what we were doing. I supposed we were quite privileged in life to never have the need to paint our own walls. Water-based and oil based paint were all new stuff to us. Thanks to a sponsor campaign I had with Nippon years ago that I learnt a little bit about painting a wall: simple things like double coating and water-based paints are always easier.

The girls on the fun wall.

While the boys work on the less creative art - calendar. lol.

When everyone was sketching out something with a pencil on the wall, I sneaked a rest after lacquering the wall with white base paint; though such luxury was short-lived after Amanda caught me snooping lazily behind so she passed me a pencil and asked me to draw something too.

So I drew a fairy.

Kids need some magic.

Then I realised it was really difficult to apply house paint on delicate drawings. -.-
And even more troublesome to mix paint to achieve the exact color you want. We only have the basic colors to play with.

So I cheated with Sharpie. lol

Then I asked for Gary the snail (from Spongebob Squarepants) to be painted on the wall. So Amanda drew the snail and Van painted it; with a few modifications. Cause they didn't want the snail to look too much like Gary.

boo...

Close enough.

Took us three whole days to finish everything, longer than we had expected. But in the end we managed to finish it by Tuesday (public holiday, bless Malaysia), skipping Monday which was a work day.

Here are some of the images of the mural that day.