1 Out of 7 Billion
The world is getting smaller everyday but a lifetime is not enough to explore it. My adventure starts in Singapore.
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Miss Universe 2010
August 22, 2010
The event happens on Monday night (USA) / Tuesday morning (Singapore). Singapore telecast will be on Tue, 24 August, 9 AM over at Mediacorp Channel 5.
Every year, I am hoping that Miss Philippines lands a spot in the semifinals but there are always a lot of surprises in this type of competition. In the end, it really depends on the judges during the presentation show. (FYI, there is a different panel of judges during the finals night).
Anyway, here are a few photos from the swimsuit preliminary competition held last week which I picked up from the Miss Universe website.
Representatives of countries where I used to live and where I am living in right now.
Miss Philippines - Venus Raj
Miss Singapore - Tania Lim
Candidates of countries which won the Miss Universe title during the past 10 years. Venezuela and Puerto Rico won 2 years each.
Miss Dominican Republic - Eva Arias
Miss Australia - Jesinta Campbell
Miss Canada - Elena Semikina
Miss India - Ushoshi Sengupta
Miss Japan - Maiko Itai
Miss Panama - Anyoli Abrego
Miss Puerto Rico Mariana Paola Vicente
Miss Venezuela - Marelisa Gibson
Since a different set of “cheeks” were shown in the above photo :p , I thought I’d post her close-up shot. I think she will be a shoo-in for the semifinals.
Close Up Shot of Miss Venezuela - Marelisa Gibson
The pageant will be held in Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. If only I had the time, I would travel to Vegas, spend some dollars at the casinos, and catch the event.
Miss USA - Rima Fakih
Good luck to all candidates.
Hong Kong
June 1, 2010 — 4 Comments
My “renewed” relationship with Hong Kong in terms of shopping started 3 years ago. I have been visiting yearly since then.
Going to Hong Kong means filling up my luggage with H&M stuff, my most favorite brand. Zara, Pull & Bear, Esprit being the runners up.
Here’s a photo from my very first trip to the H&M store in HK in 2007.
May 2007
At almost the same spot during my recent trip there…
May 2010, minus the yawning lady in the background
Have I aged so much that the guy in the 2007 photo looks like my son?? Oh well. I guess with age comes a higher level of maturity to control impulse shopping and improved fashion sense. My hair is parted on the other side too. :p
Anyway, this 2010 HK trip is not just for my own shopping satisfaction but that of my sister’s who has not seen this beautiful city since 1988. Back then, she always wanted to be carried around by my parents as she could not survive walking along what used to be called Ocean Terminal in Kowloon. No wonder she hardly had any recollection of that trip.
She’s all grown up now and ready to spend more than I could ever imagine! At 20+ yrs old, no one in our family could carry her anymore without risk of serious injury… ha
Welcome back to Hong Kong!
When I was booking the flight, I made sure to choose the Singapore Airlines aircraft that had the new Economy seats. Some years back, Singapore Airlines introduced a new layout for Business Class and improved Economy seats. This aircraft has the same look and feel as the A380 but single deck only. A few photos of the Economy seats I am talking about.
Larger display, better looking remote control, and improved interactive menu
We arrived in HK slightly after noon and it was shopping and sightseeing for 3.5 days.
Hotel lobby of Jia Hotel in Causeway Bay (been staying here for the past few visits)
Cozy bedroom. One new gadget this time around is the iPod player/speaker near the TV.
HK MTR stations are characterized by numerous exits, 2-3 levels of escalators, and thousands of people. This one is like 10x the size of Dhoby Ghaut MRT station in Singapore
The tram that took us to The Peak
Sky was not clear but still happy with the view from above
Near the Madame Tussauds entrance getting intimate with Bruce. We decided not to go into the wax museum due to lack of time.
With Ron and William
Langham Place (mall) in Mongkok. I braved 13 levels and had quite a few good purchases. (Nearest MTR: Mongkok)
Citygate outlet shopping (Nearest MTR: Tung Chung)
More shopping, this time in Kowloon island, near Harbour City (Nearest MTR: Tsim Tsa Tsui)
Before we packed our stuff into 3 suitcases, we checked out the shops near Times Square (Nearest MTR: Causeway Bay)
Final day (morning) spent on a bus tour of south HK island. Passed through Repulse Bay on our way to Stanley Market. Awesome residential properties with stunning view of the bay.
Area surrounding Stanley market
Grabbed lunch at agnes b restaurant in IFC mall
We didn't need to request an additional chair for our bags and jackets as they had a low bench for them.
Spent more than expected but no regrets. I'll go back in 2011. Need to check out New Territories, have a round of drinks in a bar overlooking the city, take the cable car at Lantau Island, ride the ferry to the other island, bargain at day/night markets, eat good dimsum
Special thanks to Steph Ho, Kristy Teng, Vincent Ang, and MJ Kuok for the shopping / bar hopping tips.
And speaking of MJ, check out his latest single “Once Twice 3″.
Support talented musicians like him by purchasing his music from iTunes (search “mj kuok”) or from www.mjkuok.com (Click Shop Online).
Klapsons – New Boutique in Singapore
April 10, 2010 — 2 Comments
(This is not a paid advertisement — not even a meal voucher) 
I checked out Klapsons, one of the newest boutique hotels in Singapore. I always see it on the way back home and was intrigued how it looked like.
There’s a restaurant on the ground floor called Lucas which serves contemporary European cuisine (at least that’s what I have been told when I made a booking for lunch).
I tried the lobster risotto which was really good.
This is really yummy that I feel hungry again just blogging about it.
After lunch, my sister and I asked one of the reception staff to show us one of the rooms available for viewing. They have about 17 rooms, each with its own design and concept.
There’s a standard set up though for the shower — it’s a transparent cylinder type of shower area just a few steps away from the bed. So if you plan to stay there with someone whom you are not so comfortable with seeing you sing while in the shower in full glory, book somewhere else! Otherwise, next thing you know, you are a You Tube star.
Sorry I didn’t take a photo of the shower area but guess you have an idea already right.
More photos:
Btw, even their rest room labels are quite creative. Take your pick.
Klapsons
15 Hoe Chiang Road
089316
Singapore
Website: http://www.designhotels.com/hotels/asiapacific/singapore/singapore/klapsons
Arab St, Haji Lane & Maxwell Chambers
January 17, 2010
Checked out a few places this weekend.
1) Arab St & Haji Lane
Sufi (48 Arab St, Singapore 199745 ; Ph +65 6298 2258)
Time to go Turkish in Singapore
The design of the vanity mirror which I got for my sister during my Istanbul trip a few months back matches the wall!
Babaganoosh - Roasted eggplant pureed with garlic, tahini, olive oil, and lemon juice
Salmon steak - charcoal grilled salmon with delicious (Sufi) homemade sauce
Adana kebab - Skewered minced lamb and beef, spiced and charcoal grilled topped with a delicious tomato based sauce
Kasarli kofte (my main course) - Minced lamb and beef, formed into patties, topped with cheese and tomato based sauce; freshly baked in a clay pot
Baklava - Walnuts, pistachios, and honey syrup rolled into filled pastry
After lunch, I attempted to burn off some calories by dropping by a few shops along Haji Lane.
Haji Lane
This time with Haji Lane as my backdrop.
2) Once Upon a Milkshake
You can find it in Maxwell Chambers near Tanjong Pagar station (32 Maxwell Road, Singapore 069115 ; Ph +65 9823 3779)
Maxwell Chambers (white house) is beside...
... a red building called Red Dot Museum
Milkshake Menu
Left : Chocolate Truffle Castle (my sister's) ; Right : Nutty Peanut Butter (mine)
Really good. Will be back soon.
Hong Kong
August 11, 2009 — 2 Comments
I had been thinking of heading to HK for a few days and I finally did it. I decided to book a flight one week before the actual trip so I didn’t get to fly with my favorite airline as the suitable flights were fully booked.
Instant holidays are costly (more expensive air tickets, lesser time to research clean but reasonably priced hotels, etc). However, having a relaxing trip and doing what I really wanted to do (shopping, spending time on my own, catching up with friends & meeting new ones) is truly satisfying.
Welcome back to HK! (Photo taken in one of the newer posh areas near Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui
I was impressed at my ability to go on impulse and whirlwind shopping.
After 1.5 days of :
- hopping from one train to another and enduring the congested MTR walkways
- shielding myself from the sun
- sweating like a pig(let)
- exercising my arm muscles with the clothing-filled bags; and
- eventually forgetting I had set a shopping budget …
I felt the need not to do anything much on my 3rd and last day. I just walked around a few areas with very minimal purchase and had a haircut (as I was seriously getting bored).
Some interesting info about my trip:
- Number of hours being restless in the plane : 3 hours (most of the Singapore to Hong Kong journey)
- Number of people met : 5 friends (including 3 new ones) + 2 acquaintances
- Liquor : only 2 bottles of beer and 1 cocktail over two night outs (really don’t like drinking)
- Favorite train stops : Central, Causeway Bay, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
- Pleasant discovery : IFC Mall near Hong Kong station, Jia Hotel in Causeway Bay
- What I wanted to do but ran short of time : Explore Lantau Island (I attempted but could not get out of Citygate outlet mall) ; clubbing
- First set of purchases : 2 Gorilla pods (funky short tripod for electronic gadgets) and a Belkin adaptor for multiple iPods
- Last purchase : Pictionary Man boardgame – believe it or not, I got the item from a shop next to my boarding gate. And I thought I was done with shopping by the time I reach the airport.
Thanks to Ron and William for hanging out with me during the weekend and for introducing their friends to me during my trip.
Photos
1) Accommodation
Jia Hotel, 1-5 Irving St, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong ( http://www.jiahongkong.com/JIA.html )
Thanks to Vincent A for the recommendation!
Jia Hotel is the 1st boutique hotel in Asia designed by Philippe Starck
The other side says "Seriously Messed Up" :p
Playing around in the lobby
2) Shopping
IFC (Nearest station: Hong Kong)
City Super -mostly food. I bought some useless stuff from this place.
Club 21 Outlet @ Citgate Outlet Mall (Nearest station: Tung Chung)
Harbour City (Nearest station: Tsim Sha Tsui)
3) Catch Up’s and Walkabouts
With good HK buddies - William and Ron
Cathy and Lydia - new friends I met during my trip
The bar we went to had some function rooms -- Heaven, Hell, Eden. Took a photo of my target destination.
Awesome Sunday night food in the Whampoa area
With William, Larry, and Ron
Drinks by the harbour. Panasonic Lumix at its best.
Haircut at HH Il Colpo Group (Harbour City mall)
This is the "benchmark" hairstyle. You have to see me in person to confirm if the result is the same!
4) Random
Ad for the HK subway system
Yeah, clean is in.
Taken at IFC mall. These kids were initially body slamming the in-house ad, with parents watching them from a few meters away. The kids were acting like human mops here.
"End of the world" scene. Rainy Monday afternoon in HK.
Best dessert I've tasted in recent memory. Too bad, I have to travel all the way to HK for this one.
Also took two days of leave and spent them in Singapore so I could say I was able to rest, re-energise, and enjoy the local scene before heading back to work.
Hong Kong
October 28, 2008
I spent the Deepavali long weekend in Hong Kong and what a relaxing weekend it was (my wallet got exhausted though).
This is my 4th visit within a span of two years and I think everytime I feel like going away for a long weekend I will book a flight to Hong Kong (instead of Bangkok).
Why do I love Hong Kong?
- The place gives me a sense of organised chaos which I welcome once in awhile.
- Shopping. I always go to H&M but I feel I’m missing out on a lot more good shops.
- Food
- I like hearing Cantonese.
- I have good friends who are superb hosts and fantastic party buddies.
I stayed at the Cosmo hotel which is one of the boutique hotels in the Wan Chai / Causeway Bay area. The location is not very ideal ; I always needed to take a cab to and from the place. However, the room space is just right for a short stay. Comfy bed too.
Good to sleep on a single bed for a change.
The couch area is where I would dump my shopping bags at the end of each day.
Sat, 25 October
- Got upgraded to Business Class on Singapore Airlines. It’s my 4th time to be upgraded (3rd on holiday). I initially wanted to upgrade my purchased Economy class ticket but was told no seats were available. Thanks SQ!
- Went to H&M shortly after I checked-in. Did some panic buying and shopping for family and friends. The selection was rather disappointing and I guess I can say that for most of the shops. They were selling winter stuff and I could only buy so much. May / June would probably be the best time to go next time, based on previous experience.
- Met up with Ron at Causeway Bay and walked over to William’s place. William, Grace, and Louis hosted an awesome dinner with hairy crab as the main dish. Met a few new friends as well. Struggled in eating the crab with my bare hands (havent done that in ages) but I can say it was worth the cracking and scooping effort.
Causeway Bay, one of my fave areas in HK
With Ron and William, my great buddies in HK
Hairy hairy crab
- Decided to have an early night after waking up for an early flight but managed to stay awake for an hour listening to a few singers in the bar at Cosmo hotel. I knew most of the songs so I was singing softly in my little corner. Ha.
Day 2 – Sun, 26 October
- I had to make another trip to H&M to see if any new stocks came in but since I arrived slightly earlier than opening time, I walked around to explore the central area.
Why dont we have H&M in Singapore?!
- Ros invited me to have lunch with her and her husband Blums over at Taikoo then went around the mall for any interesting stuff.
Catching up with Blums and Ros at Simply Life Bakery/Cafe
- I was supposed to meet with Ron and William but they were fairly busy until late afternoon so I decided to go back to Causeway Bay. There were two events happening. One at Sogo which had a brief show that featured Eunice Chen, one of the popular models in HK. The other event was a promotion for Minute Maid orange juice which had official endorser Eason Chan, a pop artist/singer, making a special appearance.
Eunice Chen - took me some time to figure out her English name from the people I asked in Sogo
Eason Chan
- Met up with Ron and William near my hotel and went to a revolving resto for a drink before going to Lin Heung bakery/ tea house at Central for dinner. Peiru suggested that I try the BBQ pork while in HK so I requested them to include this in our meal. One thing that struck me is that customers soak the bowls in hot water before using them. Never seen that in previous trips. William told me that it’s the usual practice in HK. He did the honor of doing that before our meal…
William's fingers in their first-ever close-up appearance in my blog
- Lyn (my friend from Malaysia who happened to be there for work+holiday) and Dorothy (friend of Ron) joined us for dinner as well. We then went to Peel Fresco Music Lounge a few blocks away for some jazz music.
William, Lyn, Ron, Dorothy, me
Day 3 – Mon, 27 October
- No set plan but to pack neatly and reach Kowloon island for the first time in 20 years (yes, only because my previous visits were all in HK island).
Not teary eyed but quite a nice feeling being back in this part of HK.
- Had lunch at Harbour City. I officially ended my shopping in that place.
- Headed to the airport via airport (train) express, bought a few boxes of Krispy Kreme donuts for Pierre, Peiru and the SQ cabin crew, then boarded the flight. I arranged for an upgrade to Business Class previously so had a comfortable evening journey back to Singapore.
Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down
September 13, 2008 — 1 Comment
I can count with my fingers how many times I’ve ever worn a tie since I graduated from university (where we were required to wear one for group marketing presentations).
The dress code in my company is smart casual (well, maybe business appropriate for the office I work in) so my long sleeved shirts and slacks are fine for most days of the week.
I have to admit that I really don’t know how to wear a tie. I keep several ties in my closet though – these either given by friends or ties I purchased during overseas travel.
The last time I wore one was at a friend’s wedding in Sydney in March 2007. I managed to “get by with a little help from my friends hotel receptionist” .
Today, I shall be attending my first ever wedding in Singapore, another opportunity to test my memory after a year and a half post-”overseas training” on how to knot a tie. As I write this, I can say that I have failed miserably. Fortunately, almost everything is on the Internet. Drumroll please…
The “Four in Hand” knot.
Oh this one takes some practice. “Full Windsor”
It definitely won’t be as easy as doing a knot for these surf caps… (Taken at Bondi Beach, Sydney in March 2007)
10.30 AM — I hope I don’t strangle myself.
1:00 PM – I didn’t.
Not the most perfect knot but I look more decent.
