HK Trip 2010 - 22nd to 27th Dec - Part 3

26 Dec - 'Wedding' Day

Yeah so today's the day we have to meet relative and friends to celebrate our union. We were up early again and met Papa, Mama and Sis on Hong Kong Island. Papa has an apartment at Wan Chai and Meimei used to live there in her early childhood years. So we met at a Dim Sum restaurant to meet the old neighbors. I'm surprise they still keep in touch, even though it's been so many years since they were there. We even had a walkabout to sight see the old markets Mami used to go to buy vegetables and meat. It's nice to see that the streets and the people have not changed, even though Hong Kong has modernized so much.

For lunch, Papa brought us to the famous Yung Kee Restaurant for their roast goose. Oh my goodness, how do I describe it ... I'm at a loss for words. The goose was so fragrant, I could easily have swept three bowls of rice just with the gravy. We also ordered a prawn roll which was just as tasteful. The only gripe I have of that meal was that we didn't order many dishes for a table of five. I implanted into memory the place and made it a point that we have to return here again. For sure!

We spent the rest of the day shopping again till we set off for dinner at a restaurant. I can't remember the name nor the place now. We are pretty much 'going through the motions', not in a happy way but basically doing as told. Papa organized the entire event and all Meimei and I had to do was to be there. Even Grandma, who doesn't like going out of the house, was there as well. There were a lot of unfamiliar faces but it's all good. It's most important that Papa gets to 有个交代 with friends and family *wink

27 Dec - Back to Singapore


We are on the mid afternoon flight today. Both of us have to work the next day so we couldn't bank on the last flight. We had the last chance to have the meats at the airport, which turned out pretty good. 

The only incident we had was messing up the departure time. Our luggage was literally offloaded when we got to the gate. We had to beg the stewardess to let us get onto the plane. Meimei had a bad fall while running down the ramp to the plane >.< thankfully we managed to get on ... 

Afterthoughts

This is the most fun I've had in a long long time. I wished we had the time and money to go on a longer trip. But I will put it down to solely my fault for not having a real honeymoon. Meimei was very nice about it and termed this our Honeymoon instead. Man, I really love this women. Any other lady would have made a big huge fuss about it. But not her, she thinks the best of any situation and more so of me.

On a side note we came back with a whole luggage of loot! All that shopping! We must surely do this again!

HK Trip 2010 - 22nd to 27th Dec - Part 2

24 Dec - Shopping Day

Today's all about shopping. We spent most of the day in Mongkok and Tsim Sha Tsui running around the shops and outlets. Specifically we went for the Esprit outlet where I bought a whole wardrobe of clothes. Hmm I think Hong Kong is where I'll be getting all my future clothes shopping done!

After a hard day of walking, we returned to the Kowloon Hotel at TST. Even though it was 9pm, the streets were still buzzing with activity. So we set out again to walk around the area. I'm pleasantly surprised that they actually close out the roads along TST for the Christmas countdown. I mean, try doing that at Orchard or Marina and you have total chaos. Interestingly the police were able to control the crowds and the traffic. I suppose they are well practiced for this since they must have been doing this every year. The main attraction were all these buildings deck out in Christmas cheer. Beautiful!

25 Dec - Hong Kong Disneyland

We were up early this morning and met Papa, Mama and Sis at a 茶餐 厅 near Prince Edward MTR station for breakfast. They were staying at the Metropark Hotel close by. Dad had something planned for the day so didn't join us for the Disneyland Trip.

We took the MTR to Sunny Bay station to transit to Disneyland. What struck me when the train came as that it was furbished totally in Disney character motifs. The windows were crafted with Mickey's iconic head and there were various little handles and nobs with Mickey's icon. Even the handle bars were in the shape of Mickey. They really go all out to immerse you in the Disney experience.

Well they really try to bring you the Disney feel and in some ways they succeeded. Though truth be told, it wasn't as grand as I thought it would be. The place was small and we were pretty much done with all the rides and sights by dinner. We stayed around to catch the night lighting and fireworks. It was raining by that time and the chilling wind was freezing. We bear through it and rushed to the trains the moment the show ended. Best thing to come out of this trip were the gifts we found for our friends and colleagues. I bought a few sets of pens for the team at office.

If I had to choose to come again, I would opt for Ocean Park versus Disneyland. There's not much else to see here. Now if this was another Disneyland like in Tokyo or California, that's a different take altogether. I'm definitely game to try those locations.

HK Trip 2010 - 22nd to 27th Dec - Part 1

This was kinda like a continuation of our wedding celebrations. Meimei's grandma wasn't able to come to Singapore for our wedding and my father-in-law couldn't invite other relatives and friends due to the limited seats for our wedding. So to make up for it, he organized a dinner in Hong Kong instead. So besides holidaying, I had a chance to meet up with all the relatives, which is definitely a nice touch to the festive season! :-)

22 Dec - Arrival

So we reach HK about noon and made a trip to see Grandma first. The rest of the day was spent visiting the markets and usual run to Honolulu for tea and egg tarts. We came back to Grandma's place for dinner after with several of the uncles as well. At night we were at the avenue of stars overlooking Hong Kong Island. And because it's the Christmas season, the lights and decor were all up on the famous HK skyline. It does give you an added festive feel to see all the bright lights. The cold weather sure helps as well hehehe.

23 Dec - Ocean Park

We were up early for breakfast at Honolulu today. You would never get tired of the food there. It's simple, but all so alluring. And again I must say, it has the best egg tart in the world, only rivaled maybe by the egg tarts at Crystal Jade Palace at Takashimaya Singapore. But yeah, Honolulu's still the best!

So anways we had our fill and went off searching for the bus rides to get to Ocean Park. I think it's the holiday season and so the queue for the tickets were quite long. I must say though people (mostly Mainland Chinese folks) were pretty well behaved and there wasn't any pushing or queue cutting. It must be the weather *grin.

Ocean Park lives up to it's name as a main theme park attraction in Hong Kong. We had a ball of a time visiting the different animal exhibits and rides. I've even taken my first cable car ride! I remember I was griping the bars the whole time and Meimei was patiently comforting me haha. No, I did not pee in my pants!

It's the most fun I had in awhile and sure is a good start to the holidays. We didn't get back to the hotel till close the midnight. By which time both of us were truly exhausted. Wow, what a day! Fun fun fun!

Showroom Kitchen

Well it's not showroom quality per se, but it's still in pristine condition after five months. It has a large floor space, though the center may be a little wasted. We initially considered an island, but due to HDB regulations that pipes cannot be concealed, we decided against having a hump through the kitchen floor just so we can have a working counter in the center.

So we kept the place plain and simple. We don't really cook much so that helped to keep it white instead of the ugly yellowish tone you would expect due to the cooking grease. I loved how the washing machine and dryer are placed. If we had to find an improvement, it will be more counter space. Preparing food at the corner between the stove and sink gets a little tight and we can't both do it at the same time due to the corner. So yah it's pretty good but if we are going to reno the space again, we are definitely going for more space. Oh and if we ever move, surely to get a place with a service yard. It's just a nice to have, we are in love with our place.

2010 Birthday Present!

Bought a watch for my birthday. I had extra vouchers from work and since there was a 33% discount, don't see why I should be buying it anywhere else. I'm actually more of a leather strap person but those usually smell after awhile. So I'm going for a metal one and propel myself into uncle-hood hahah.

Lunch at Nanxiang

So with married life comes involvement in Meimei's habits. She goes to church every Sunday with Mami and Sis. And I'll drive them there and wait at a coffee place. It's usually at Starbucks where I'll whip out a book or whatnot. The highlight of the trip, at least for me, is usually lunch. Which we typically have at Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant. It has become the go-to comfort food for our lazy Sunday brunch. Staples include the 云吞soup, the fried rice with braised duck in special sauce, poached chicken in scallion cause, etc. And the best part of it is that the price are reasonable. Not as cheap as food court (which really isn't cheap these days) but won't set you back a ton. I'll recommend this place anytime.

** Update Sep 2013 - Nanxiang at Plaza Singapura has been bought over by Mouth Restaurant over the last year. The only outlet left is at Bugis Junction. We were there today and I have to say I'm totally disappointed with the food. It's no longer what it used to be before the takeover. What was once a weekly go-to restaurant is now a pale shadow of its former self. Another wonderful restaurant gone down memory lane forever ...

Universal Studios Singapore

Meimei's company had a Family day at Universal Studios and so we bought extra tickets and had a JJJ outing.

The day started off fine, we were early and the weather was still cool and nice. As the morning wore on, it started to get hotter. The crowd didn't help either. The queue at the popular rides were long and there wasn't really ample space for folks to hide from the sun. So as it turned out, it was a labored effort to get through the attraction. On a good note, I kept my temper in check ... you know, hot sun, crowds, sticky back, heavy perspiration ... all these are a lethal combination for me.

If it were up to me, I would never ever come to Universal Studios Singapore again. It just doesn't have that theme park feel and the place is so small you'll be done with it in half a day. So what's the point of going again?

The Big Day - Project 626

Nothing gets bigger than this. This is what dreams are made of. Months of preparation accumulates in today. Today is the day we commit the rest of our lives in the most wonderful union.

There were times over the course of my early adulthood where I thought I could never find my one true love. Luckily I did and I could never find a better partner and mate to spend the rest of my life. The way she makes me laugh, her smile, her bubbly nature, all of this are something I cannot do without.

So infront of everyone we say "I do". And the world becomes that much brighter. 

Fit as a 25 Year Old!

Hey, it seems I'm still as fit as I was a few years ago. After 3 months of non-voluntary intensive physical training, I finally pass my Individual Physical Proficiency Test. And I passed it pretty well, the scores are good enough for a 25 year old to pass the test as well.

It didn't come easy though. I had to spend a few hours each week, at least once on the weekends, to train. And it was mandatory training by the government enforces on all able-bodied male in Singapore. Thankfully Meimei was patient and didn't fuss about having to go home by herself whenever I had to go training.

First Step to our Abode

Yeah we finally gotten our keys! Now the renovation can start. Hopefully we can get the place done up and handed over before the wedding. It's been very tiring journey for the past six months and even more to come till June. I really have to thank Meimei for organizing all of this. I would never have been able to take so much stress on the planning. I'm marrying an amazing lady.

We start our search with a few simple criteria, one it has to be a mid to high floor. Preferably we can find a one with a bigger floor space than the shoe-box units in the new estates. Corner unit is a must, we cannot stand having a window looking out into the walkway. And lastly, it must be affordable. The market is getting heated and flats were transacting at sometimes excessive prices but we didn't want to burden ourselves with a huge housing loan.

So our hunt took us from Bedok to Bukit Batok and finally we settled on Tampines. The flats in Bedok were going for ridiculous prices. The cash over valuation on a simple 4 room 30 year old flat was going from $20-30K. The going rate was even worst for 5 rooms at $50K. And that's for units that are un-renovated.  The ones in good condition were attracting even more premiums. After several months of hunting we gave up, we just couldn't afford any unit in Bedok.

Thankfully we chanced on a 5 room unit in Tampines. At 126 sqm, it's one of the larger units we have seen. Though it has weird inlets and design, I had a vision of how we could reno it into a good layout the moment I took a walk through the place. It had an added bonus of having 4 good size bedrooms which translated into the possibility of having a study room. This is an ideal place, and at $23K cash over valuation of $385K, though still on the high side, was something we were willing to fork out. So long story short, this became our first home.

CNY 2010

Chinese New Year this year was really mellow. It isn't what it used to be. But wait why am I complaining here . . .

I've always dread having to go visiting for the 2 whole days of CNY holidays. It's more 'work' than holidays and at the end of it, I'm more drained than ever. It's like washing the 2 days of holidays down the drain. I meet people whom I only meet once a year and the same topics are always being discussed and talked about. It's so fake it erks me.

But as the years go by, many of the granduncles and grandaunties have passed on. And with them, our scheduled stops at their place to bid them happy new year, longevity and prosperity. This year we only went to 2 distant (in my case) old relative's place. One is my Grandpa's younger half sister and another is his older sister-in-law. We completed the visiting all on the first day of CNY.

But why am I not feeling happy? Funny . . . ok I know. I'm a slut. When I have it I hate it, but now that it's gone I miss it. Phhhffff. Now I am reminiscing about the 'good ole days' when we would run all over Singapore to visit. *facepalm . . .

I know it's not the ang pows I miss. I think it's more of seeing the finite-ness of life that bugs me and makes me consider my own.

Will You Be My Valentine? 2010

Valentine's Day 2010 happen to fall on Chinese New Year. And as that was the case, I didn't organise anything or any gift for Meimei. I cheaped it out and assumed the Bday gift was included as the Valentine gift >.< What I didn't know was that Meimei had a special surprise gift for me!

I've been generously dishing out hints that I would like a 10 CD box set of oldie songs for a gift. Though we bought it together, what surprised me was that I didn't expect to find it in my car on Valentine's Day. Meimei and sis had to board a plane for Indonesia on the 13th and she messaged me to check the car. Somehow, she managed to sneak in the gift unnoticed!

It was such a surprise that I was grinning ear to ear after grabbing it from the car. *kiss Thanks Meimei, I love the card very much!

Meimei Bday Present 2.0

Meimei loved the Agnes B wallet, but she was looking for a bigger one. So armed with her puppy eyes, she asked if she could go change to a bigger one. She even offered to pay the balance. Seriously how does one say no to 'the look'.

So yah we went to the outlet again and she found the one she wanted. I paid for the balance, hey it's her birthday present isn't it. :-)

High Tea at Rose Veranda, Shangri-La Hotel Singapore

We are on an island-wide high tea tour! So here we are at Rose Veranda. The 'unique' thing about the place is that they let you have your pick of two types of tea versus the usual single selection at other places.

As usual, Meimei went for her English Breakfast Tea. I had something more exotic, though I can't quite remember what it is now. The food was good, buffet style. They had a big section for scones which I loved. 

Quiet, hidden away in a corner of the hotel, with a view of the lush greens of the trees around the hotel. One for the slow afternoons.

I Think I'm Starting to Like Window Shopping

I was browsing Meimei's blog to check out her "I covet" list. Lots of electronic gadgets on it, but being the IT unsavvy nut that is me, I passed on those. So a small list of 3 items stayed, namely a coin bank, an Agnes b wallet and a breadmaker. With that I planned out my route and went shopping at Orchard Road. I setup base at Tangs and off I went.

First stop: Tangs Marketplace
I recall a piggy the last time we were here. They still have it and it's still as expensive. $59 for a piggy. I remembered Meimei pointing out that she would have to save lots of coins just to get it, i.e. why get it in the first place?

Second stop: ION Orchard
Tried my luck by walking around, slowly browsing each store. Found a decent tin can bank at a stationery shop for $16. Not bad not bad. I put in on my shortlist and continued on my prowl. And I chanced on a shop . . . or should I say I chanced on a gift. It's a retro diner phone we saw from a reno magazine. My face literally lid up the second I saw it. Good things do come expensive, for a good $299. Ouch. No worries I told myself, shortlisted.

Third stop: Takashimaya
I chanced on a Agnes B corner boutique in Takashimaya. Was walking aimlessly in the bags section and found it. I remembered Meimei eyeing a pink wallet from the 2009 collection. Sadly, they no longer have it in stock. The salesman tried to call other outlets in the vicinity and all of them didn't have it. Darn! Good stuff always run out fast . . . Sigh . . .

Fourth stop: Agnes B outlet at Wisma Atria basement
I recall walking pass it before on my way to Taka. So off I went and asked about the pink wallet. (I didn't want to believe the Taka salesman that it was out-of-stock everywhere hahaha) And again I was told they no longer carry it. Instead they had the new 2010 line of wallets which comes in metalic grey and gold. Hmmm, it looks pretty enough. But wait there is another outlet at Isetan Scotts! Broooommmm!

Fifth stop: Agnes B boutique at Isetan Scotts
Lo and behold, they didn't have the pink one too . . . this is becoming an afternoon of constant rejection. So I guessed I'm gonna have to get the 2010 collection, which honestly looks very good as well. But being a guy, which instantly qualifies me as 'colourblind', I called Meimei and simply asked her: "Do you like gold or silver colour?" Deep down I was fighting very hard not to let the cat out of the bag . . . Sigh . . . it's hard keeping things from her. I seem to always blurp out stuff unknowingly when I talk to her.

Anyways I eventually settle on the gold one. This is going to be a great (and pricy) gift for Meimei's Bday. Weeee!

Oh and I did gather something from today's hunt. Window shopping is fun fun fun!

Plans Folded!

After serious deliberation on the present, I've decided to go with a uZap Mini. But guess what? They have discontinued it! Arghh!!!

I was at the store at West Mall today and they didn't have it. I called the IMM, Best Denki and CK Tangs outlet and all didn't have it! The service staff at CK Tangs was kind enough to tell me that they discontinued it and I'll have to wait for the new uKimono Mini. Bah!!!

What is this??!! I'm like days away from The Day ... and I don't have a gift.

Presents Give Me a Headache

Meimei's Bday is coming up ... and I don't know what to get her. Below is a brain-storm list.

1) Sirotan
- First Choice. Sadly they have moved out of Singapore. I've been sourcing for this for the past few months. I even emailed the japanese sales staff at the MotherGarden office in Japan. Bah ... not a single reply. Damn, I really need to pick up more conversational Japanese . . .

2) Asterix
- Hahah, this is the defacto Christmas present ... not a good choice for Meimei's Bday.

3) uSnooz Massage Wrap
- I happen to chance on this while surfing for Smile rewards points redemption. This can be a possible gift. She's been having stiff neck recently, caused by vegetating on the bed for long hours watching tv serials.

4) Slim Belt & uZap Mini
- Found this after checking out the uSnooz webby. This looks even better as a Bday gift. I might need to buy 2 uZap though. Serious contender.

5) Bag
- Can never go wrong with Bags. Meimei has been hinting that her white Carlo Rino bag is spoiled and wants to get another. This is a good option for a gift, though the danger here is that I might get something which she might not like, but yet forced to use just because I bought it for her. Have to think about this one.

I have like 11 days to get something. Why oh why did MotherGarden moved out of Singapore. *Sign . . .

I Got A New Phone, I Got A New Phone

I got a new phone. It's the perfect gift from Meimei. Hehe, my old Nokia 6300 has been giving me problems for the past few months. The centre button doesn't register clicks anymore unless you jam it real hard. So I couldn't access the call register to see my missed calls nor send SMSes.

So Meimei took pains to check out a range of phones and eventually pulled me to Tampines mall to take my pick. And well, being the creature of habit that I am, I went with my old trusty 6300. The surprising though was that it was retailing at $229 . . . 5 years after it was first launched. Other phones which were newer models were going for half that price. Weird isn't it. But as the salesman explained, the body is made of stainless steel which is why it's price is still up there. Ahh, no wonder it doesn't spoil as easily when I drop it. I love it for it's durability and rigour.

Thanks Meimei! This is the perfect gift!

New Year New Look

New Year again. And I just noticed that Blogspot has the Verdana font. So I'm gonna start using it to give this place a new look feel. Maybe revamp the place too if I can find time.

Oh and Happy New Year 2010!!! Cheers!!!


P.S. And if anyone is asking, I didn't come up with a New Year's resolution list this year . . . cos I haven't even finish any of my last year's ones !!! >.< I'll just recycle and use the 2009 one . . .