My perpetual love affair with....Hong Kong

30 March- 2 April 2012

Hong Kong

Is it loserish that despite everything that has happened, reliving this trip makes me happy?

Hong Kong is a place I've always had an affinity for-- friends, places-- or maybe its having grown up on a diet of TVB dramas and movies--it just always seemed to be the place I was destined to have a relationship with.

I have very clear memories of the trip (which is rare for memory-challenged me). Only good memories-- despite the fact that cognitively, I do remember certain parts of the trip where I was sad or angry, but somehow my mind (heart) has blocked off all negative moments. Perhaps it is a little like how the love for a new baby makes mothers forget the pain of childbirth? Or maybe it was simply because the trip had taken place amidst a consistent low that it became such a highlight of that time.

I arrived at Hong Kong via train. It wasn't at all difficult or chaotic at all at the train station, unlike what I read online-- which goes to show that I really should improve on my Mandarin so that I can read Chinese reviews of Asian places, rather than having to rely on gweilo commentary all the time.

From the Hong Kong train station, I realised I had no idea how to get to the hotel. (great planning again, Rach!) I figured that Hong Kong taxis aren't that expensive, so just hopped on to a cab and was done with it. Of course the taxi had to be unfamiliar with the area (CAUSEWAY BAY!) so in the end I still had to lug my bags over some cobblestones to the hotel which had a very inconspicuous sign.

Not as inconspicuous as an old lady selling sex toys! 

Butterfly on  Morrison is a pretty good choice next to Causeway Bay. Its not expensive by the territory's standards but was also nothing too memorable. The only thing I can remember is the three-storey CK underwear ad that the window opened to. Neon green briefs. Nice.

Holly and Leon came up to the room after their work and we waited for JL for dinner. His flight was like five hours late wtf. Dinner was a hole in the wall seafood place that Leon knew well. Delicious! The owner PRed super well with everyone except me with my rubbish Cantonese couldn't understand.

After dinner was drinks at LKF then we headed home on the tram. JL grew up spending summers here so he was very familiar with directions, and I followed him like a spaniel. I've been here probably more than 10 times in as many years but I can never navigate anything apart from Mong Kok Centre.

You know how Hong Kong movies/TV always have scenes where people take the tram late at night and there is no one in the upper deck so its uber romantic and atmospheric (or sometimes, with a lone sleeping dude for contrast)? That night was like that for me (I don't mean the sleeping dude!).

Sometimes when I am on holiday, I don't really live in the moment fully, or enjoy it for the experience. After the holiday has ended, I might have a general sense of having enjoyed myself, but at each and every point, something might have been going on (usually in my head) that did not allow me to entirely immerse in the present, that made that point a little unpleasant in some way-- always something small like a minor tiff, half-thinking about work, feeling too hot, too full etc. I personally find it difficult to live in the moment generally I guess because I'm always thinking and analysing. So I guess I need to be thankful that just for these few moments, I let myself go and really embraced them.

Looking back, I feel that night pretty much sums up our whole relationship--beautiful, transient, not very real (all shadows and neon lights playing tricks on my mind). All that was lacking is a soulful cantopop tune.

Over the next few days, we did a day trip to one of the outlying islands, visited salsa clubs, wandered in the back alleys around the hotel, ate at Meixin's and McDonalds, walked some more.

Now my memories of Hong Kong will always include him.

Where do you get a lobotomy when you need one?

A must-eat for me every time I come,
ever since I first had it as a kid

One of the best egg tarts

In-And-Out Jakarta

2-3 April 2012

Jakarta, Indonesia

Terrible trip which involved flying into Jakarta at 1am, sleeping about 3 hours before having to get ready for a workshop (I even had breakfast at Mulia, first time ever). In the evening, frantically trying to get a taxi in rain-soaked city in time for flight. #worstdayever

Marhaba Makati

11-19 April 2012

Manila, Philippines

A week and a bit in Makati for work.

Stayed at the Mandarin Oriental, which was a little run-down. But the hotel really made up for it with the excellent service--- imagine the natural sunny disposition of Filipinos plus top-class training and multiply it by pride in their work-- priceless!

Unfortunately, being based in the hotel also meant that I ate at the same restaurant about 10 times (more if I woke up in time for breakfast, but that's not usually my thing so...). Don't all hotel buffet joints taste samey after a while, the world over? A mix of pseudo-local dishes,  a daily roast, western meals and a generic dessert counter. Reheat and repeat. Or perhaps am I just too pampered to appreciate the good things in life any more? (I'm writing this post in bed after a bad case of projectile vomiting brought on in part due to festive excesses, so excuse the moroseness!)

 

Halo Halo! A very traditional Filipino dessert--- very very sweet! It tastes like a Singapore dessert, Ice Kachang, but with ice-cream, coconut and other candied fruit. So pretty! But I could only have it the first day-- it was muy too sweet!

On the days i did manage to wander out of the hotel for my meals, didn't find anything particularly delicious-- although I did discover a love for Jollibee-- a local brand of cheap fast food which is neither nutritious or particularly tasty.

But I guess I was just nostalgic to relieve the memories of a previous trip to the 7107 islands when I walked in to pick up a late dinner of spaghetti and fried chicken. The spaghetti sauce was incredibly sweet, like candy even, but strangely it hit the spot.


I've realised that I do have a thing for eating junk food in hotel rooms...maybe its cos I was never allowed to eat in my bedroom as a child. Go figure.

Haven't (yet again) not done any research prior to this trip (too busy mugging for the work part of it, no doubt), I hadn't planned any side trip to Boracay or some such thing. In fact, was perfectly happy to laze by the pool, something I had never really found appealing (must be getting old)


'Nuff said

Then I felt guilty about not making full use of the weekend so arranged for a half day tour around the old city.  I really wanted to go for the Imelda Marcos tour-- the lady is such an intriguing 'personality' but it doesn't run on weekends WTH. The tour did cover a little bit of her reign--such a mark she had stamped on the city-- but it just wasn't the same as what the satiric walkabout would have done.


I have to say, the woman was really beautiful, no wonder Ferdinand snapped her up after just 11 days


Obligatory tour in Manila-- Street Procession, American Cemetery, Green Belt, Old Town, Jollibee in the very same colour scheme as Ronald McDonald, funnily enough.

Rustic Indonesia

21-27 April 2012

Banjarmasin, Kalimantan, Indonesia

One week trip to nowhere!

NOWHERE

Conducting workshops on client-site, we were meant to be taking the company propeller plane from Balikbapan to Tanjung, which would have taken about 45 minutes and some serious praying. However, we couldn't fly in over the weekend as the pilot was off-duty, so we ended up with a 10 hour car ride (maniac driving over potholes!)through the Indonesian countryside. To this....



You know how professional photos lie......

Seriously...my first thought when I saw this was YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!

Still...credit where it's due--good effort to doll-up the building in happy colours! 

And as we would soon find out, this was the most modern building in this sleepy town-- certainly the only one with lights on after 8pm(say nothing of wi-fi or alcohol!). Really appreciated the hotel's creature comforts after I saw the only other hotel in the village.

We certainly needed a drink after that long car-ride! But drinks in Indonesia only mean one thing for us--- Avocado (MW drank so many on the first day, the hotel ran out for the rest of our trip *&^%$!)

We had a really good time with the hosts, who insisted on bringing us out to try the local specialties - bakso, lamb satay, local halal tze char, and beautiful bebek with fresh chilli. Yums! So whilst there wasn't much by way of sights, we experienced the food culture of Tanjung thoroughly. Delicious!!!

With no entertainment to be had (after entertaining the client, work emails and finishing all three chapters of The Hunger Games), this is what we did..

On the last night, we had to get up at the ungodly hour of 2am to drive to the airport for a 7am flight or some such nonsense. Turns out they had grossly overestimated the time we needed for the drive, so we ended up 2 hours early, and had to snooze in the airport, but not before they confiscated my lump of gold (i mean coal) which was a souvenir dammit!

All in all, a very educational trip, and a fantastic client to work with, but we still were very happy to get back to civilisation (aka Soekarno-Hatta -- hey you can't blame the city-starved city-slickers!) for massage, shops and good ol'...

'Malam!

Just another day in Jakarta

30 May-1 June 2012

Jakarta, Indonesia

Quite unceremoniously, this would be my last trip to Jakarta-- although I didn't know it at the time.

Still, nothing much that stands out for this trip, apart from discovering a Marutama Ramen in the basement of Plaza Senayan.

Tasted different from the Singapore branches-- a little more salty-- and also with chicken char-siew instead.

And as usual, cut it very fine in getting to the airport (PS trying to find an old lunch joint he remembered but was not open for lunch, ended up in a terrible dive, but then again, you can't find bad nasi goreng in this city, so it all worked out fine).

Fortunately, Paul asked the company driver to speed me all the way to the airport, using a rather unfamiliar route, but we got there all right. Never a dull moment!

Ciao Bella!

London, Brentwood, UK

Pisa, Florence, Italy

14-24 June 2012

After the Great English Countryside Wedding Experience, Tomomi and I hopped onto a plane for a few days in the fierce Italian sun.

We were lucky to have gotten a British Airways package trip which bundled flight and hotel for a decent price. To be honest, we were at a loss where to go (Amsterdam? Paris? Stockholm?)one week before we were due to fly (yet again evidence of our excellent planning prowess), and prices were already sky-high (so much for lastminute.com). So in the end, we pretty much had to go for a package which could fit into our time schedules and budgets, which turned out to be Pisa and Florence, and not a bad trip at all.
I'd been to Florence about 10 years ago, and really liked it, so was happy to go again.
 

We went around talking (shouting) to each other using the first hand gesture indiscriminately. The whole of Florence must have thought we were so rude wtf


Our flight landed into Pisa Airport from which we could catch a train into Florence, but it was still early afternoon when we landed so we decided to do a whirlwind tour of Pisa. Which really only comprises one thing--- that tower which names escapes me at this moment but you'd probably figure it out when you see the picture below. 

 

Was not tilting as much as we thought it would!


 

Tuttomondo by Keith Haring




Our first taste of Italy. The most beautiful mussel and bacon pasta from a sleepy trattoria crowded with locals and houseflies.



We then grabbed the train into Florence which was crazy hot, crowded and rather unpleasant so we were glad to get off and look for out hotel, which was right next to the train station. I wonder why train stations are always in such seedy neighbourhoods....

 

Good Morning Florence! View from our hotel the Best Western near the Train Station




Duomo. Doesn't this picture make it look like a very intricate chocolate cake?!





Osteria L'Antico Noe.  Reccommended by the Japanese dude.





I still can't get over the freshly baked olive bread. Ate so much of this despite knowing about....





the huge florentine steak that was coming right up. So delicious.





Ponte Vecchio at night. I think Italy is more romantic than France any day. By the riverbank, a little tavern/osteria is set up for people to enjoy wine and dinner. Love it!




One of the many bridges of Florence by dusk. Aren't iphone apps the best?



So the whole point fo me going to Florence was to visit the Uffizi Gallery, but I neglected to book tickets online, thinking that I would be able to buy them at the door. WRONG. Mistake number 2: Waking up only at 9am, then having a leisurely breakfast (we were really ogling the gorgeous gay couple having breakfast at the next table) followed by a lazy walk round the various piazzas meant I only reached the museum at 2pm after lunch. The queue simply did not move an inch in the one hour I waited. I decided to then give up and just wander around the other side of the river, fuming at myself.

Tomomi had decided against visiting any museums anyway, so had cleverly wandered off to do her Japanese-tourist-shopping thing.

Fortunately, the charming backstreets of the non-touristy part of the city soon had me back in good humour. I think this is also the side of the river I stayed at way back in 2000 (I remember it being a hostel converted from a old nunnery).

Along one of the streets, an old Italian gentleman in a wheelchair who was being pushed along by his friends suddenly shouted very loudly in the quiet street, making me jump. My first unkind thought was that he had Tourette's but he was really going "Ciao Bella!" at me (ok fine, it was more of my very attention-seeking red floral dress since I was so far away from him). How about that for perpetuating the stereotype of the romantic Italian man!



Quintessential Italia.




Asians must definitely go shopping for discounted brands. The whole bus to the factory outlets were ONLY ASIAN. In fact, we were probably the only non-PRC people there. We had to fight our way to get seats on the bus....all that MRT training does count for something after all.. I didn't get anything cos my shopping mojo was in a coma, but Tomomi did herself proud.





One last picture of the food. Fresh tomotoes and the most delicious Bottarga pasta ever. We honsetly were not expecting much from a tourist restaurant right next to Duomo, but really needed to escape the hot sun. We were glad to have tried this though. So delicious!



Note to self: Need to learn to take more interesting pictures. My travel shots are putting me to sleep, I'm so ashamed!

Travel buddies

Potato's motto for travelling with good friends has always been "Go as friends, come back as friends"

I think there is a lot of truth in that. Travel should be all about enjoying the experience and the moment, and a big part of that is the companionship (or lack thereof).

Travelling together can be stressful, so it is important to set the right expectations when holidaying with others, especially when you still want to remain friends after the trip! While I don't think it is necessary to be on the same page all the time, there must be agreement and ground-rules (budget, pace, sights come to mind)

Even with good friends, it is important not to take things for granted, be presumptuous or generally behave like a spoilt brat. (This is particularly true when you travel with a partner, as one tends to be more selfish and all princessy! Not a good habit at all)

Anyway I've realised that I travel well with particular types of people. I hope the feeling is mutual!

1. "Impromptu"/non- decision makers

I've noticed that a lot of my friends are really last minute when it comes to making travel decisions-- so our trips always are rather haphazard. At the same time, such people are perfect travel companions as we tend to be easy-going about itineraries and do not really mind taking a detour down an interesting looking street.

This is my preferred travel style-- so I seldom do much planning. I usually only have a couple of things that I really want to do, but otherwise I'm happy to go where the mood brings me. 

I used to struggle with this as I felt that I was not maximising my tourist experience and taking in all the attractions, but now, I've come to realise that I much prefer walking around randomly and "feeling" a place rather than rushing around taking photos of key tourist sights which more often than not, are simply underwhelming. Having said that, I do recognise the need to take some effort to read up, as I sometimes so come away from a place feeling like I haven't experienced it at all. 


2. Inquisitive, observant and introspective people

Sometimes I feel I go through life like a horse with blinkers on. As a result, I miss out on interesting sights, people and sounds. So I really like travelling with people who are more curious and observant. as they often point out to me really cool things that make a trip so special. And I always love hearing about people's reflections on trips. 

Oh dear, not sure what I can offer in return?


3. Fun, interesting and sociable people

This is a no-brainer. I've quite boring myself, so I always love to travel with people who know how to have a good time, can talk about anything and everything, who can be silly and liven up a long train-journey when boredom sets in. oh it helps if they don't judge me for indiscriminate cam-whoring.



I'm such a leech, I know.

4. People who can shut up

You know how some people are uncomfortable with silences? Being with anyone twenty-four seven is no joke (not sure how married people do it), and introvert that I am, I need to have down-time, without feeling guilty for not making conversation all the time.

Usually in the evenings, I like to stare at the TV (In my defence, I'm deprived without cable-TV at home, so soaking up mindless entertainment in hotels is a must for every trip) or something. 

Sorry to everyone who has had to endure my slack-jaw, non-communicative self when travelling with me!


5. Navigators

Hoping my furry friends would read the map for me

Writing this post makes me realise how lazy I am with trips! I hate to navigate so it is always great to have someone who knows how to read a map or is instinctively good with directions! I am perfectly happy to take a wander around blindly. 






Gosh i think I must come across as a lazy, boring, stroppy, uncommunicative travel brat. I'm amazed at why people want to go on hols with me. I think I better reflect on what kind of travel buddy I am. Otherwise, people won't want to travel with me anymore!!

The Great English Countryside Wedding Experience.

London, Brentwood, UK

Pisa, Florence, Italy

14-24 June 2012

I'd never attended an English country wedding before, so this was one experience I was looking forward to, especially with all my girls!

And it was everything I fantasized it to be- church bells chiming, beautiful ceremony, Sammy looking gorgeous, amazing blue sky even though it was really freezing (that I didn't fantasize, I just expected nothing more of British summer)

The groom's senile grand-dad commented that we were like the United Nations or Spice Girls or something (except he said it in a mildly-racist/sexist way but you kinda let it go cos he is so old), because of all our different ethnic backgrounds and nationalities. We had English Rose, British-Indian, Japanese, French-Muslim, Scottish- Nigerian and of course, Singaporean Chinese. We were truly the centre of attention!

The wedding dinner was held at Rose House-- the Groom's family home in the country, named because red roses are planted in the garden and creeping up the walls (just like Enid Blyton books!). The bouquet was made out of 12 (?) almost-identical red roses lovingly selected by the groom. *Melt*

A heated Marquee (who knew such a thing existed?) was set up in the garden, where we found all sorts of traditional English games, ice-cream and cake selection, copious amounts of alcohol and wonderful food. The wedding lasted well into the wee hours, ended with roast pork baps and a disco. We danced to Alicia Key's New York as well as all the hits from the summer of 99 (Summer girls was our anthem during our West Coast road trip)! So.much.fun. So many memories....

Cake cake cake I love the cake!

Hahaha posh!

I really enjoyed the Great English Wedding Experience. So there are many differences in wedding traditions compared to the more Asian style that I am familiar with. 

But what struck me more than anything was the love that the couple had for each other that was just so luminous. 

Sometimes when you have been friends for a long time, what sticks in your head tends to be the image of your friend as the person they were when you just met. Sam would always be to me that flirty, friendly 19 year old with the long red hair and great sense of fun. 

That day, I saw Sam through fresh eyes-- the loving, gorgeous, grown-up that Ted was so proud to love and cherish.

L-O-V-E <3

The ties that bind

London, Brentwood, UK

Pisa, Florence, Italy

14-24 June 2012

This evening, I bumped into a primary school classmate at a hawker centre next to our old school. We were queuing for Hokkien noodles from one stall. Whilst waiting for our meal to be cooked, we agreed that this had to be our all-time favorite Hokkien mee stall in Singapore, and that we could never ever find another plate quite as delicious.

However, I recounted that other friends (who had not grown up with this stall) whom I had brought to try my beloved mee had invariably found it average. In fact, some found it downright mediocre (I always dismissed their opinions as bad taste).  We were forced to admit that if we were honest with ourselves, the noodles were only so-so. In fact, a little on the "wet" side, not enough ingredients etc etc.

In the end, we had to conclude that it was nostalgia and the associations with our youth which made the dish taste so special. But isn't this always the case? One always looks back at simpler and more romantic times with great fondness.

And so it was this hankering after days gone past and with rose-tinted glasses firmly on my nose, that I accepted an invitation to attend Sam's wedding in the UK. In fact, it was the first time in a long that I had booked an air-ticket more than 3 months in advance. Proud of myself for the advanced planning!

Big Sam and I met 10 years ago on a work exchange in America, where we had summer jobs at the Statue of Liberty in New York. It was only one short summer, but friendships were forged and lives changed forever over the toil of minimum wage, shared student apartments in big bad Brooklyn, road trips on the West Coast, and summer romances.

After summer dreams were ripped at the seams (those summer nights!) we continued to meet up occasionally back in UK, although  we were all at different unis. Contact was by no means anything more than sporadic, but somehow the ties stayed strong over years, continents and life stages. I'm forever amazed at this rare and precious gift, especially when I consider that relationships that lasted longer, or with less distance in between, had crumbled so easily.

I guess if birds of a feather flock together, then we girls must be kindred spirits then as we excitedly prepared for a 10 year reunion to celebrate our wildest girl's transition to matrimony!

Group picture outside the church in Brentwood, which is where Ted's family is from. Such a picturesque town! 

Around Asia in 80 minutes

Legoland (Fine...Johor Bahru, Malaysia) 10 November 2012

Day Trip to the newly open Legoland just across the border!

There weren't that many favorable reviews about Legoland-- usually about how small Legoland is, and that the rides were too kiddy etc, but I found it really fun! Even though it was tropical thunderstorm day alternating between heavy showers and high humidity, we still managed to go on most of the more exciting rides and also visit the key sights of Asia painstakingly put together with what else but Lego? It took some 50 million bricks and I imagine lots of sweat and tears to build Miniland. Respect (and a lot of camwhoring).

Landed in the Legoland airport. 

Karaweik Hall, Myanmar

Thai temple- forgot the name. There were little revolving thai dancers made of Lego as well.

Overheard mother to kid:  " Don't climb over! It's forbidden!" Hahahaha.

 If you don't know where this is, shoot yourself now

Boat Quay! View from my former office! When I sent this photo via Whatsapp to friends, they couldn't even tell it was not the real thing.

Then we headed to KL Sentral for makan

Petronas and KLCC! The twin towers look like they are conducting the dark skies. Very Gotham

Bandar Seri Begawan

Tanah Lot in Bali.

The real thing from my trip in 2008!

Hoi An-- Unesco World Heritage site which I have always wanted to go to!

Adventure Land. Don't you just love water rides? This one was pretty good although we were already wet because of the rain.There are even ringgit-operated dryers which work like huge hair-dryers for you to dry off after the ride. Would be nice if they were working though.

I pity these 2 teachers who had to accompany their primary school charges on the ride. The two machiks (malay for auntie) did not look at the excitement seeking sorts. 



Dragon school to entertain you whilst queuing for the roller coaster. Too bad the voice recording was a bit koyak.

After tutorial on how to breathe fire or cough smoke, we headed back to medieval Lego Kingdom for another Dragon ride. 





After a day of play.....we were like that.... (tired I mean, not drunk!)

But still took time to photobomb this lonely old man sleeping by the lake waiting for his kids....



Play happy families with the machik-machik....

And end the day with yummy Chilli Crab in CCK of all places!