Sightseeing

Sometimes, when the shopping is bad, sightseeing might just be a better option.

So today, we caught a bus from Exchange Square and headed for Stanley Market/Beach. Along the way, we passed by Ocean Park (which we decided to give a miss after some thought) and Repulse Bay. Stanley Beach was a little touristy with nothing much to buy (again!), but being away from the bustling crowd was somewhat refreshing.

We went Thai for lunch at Chili & Spice at Stanley Beach. Good food in an old style colonial building (Murray House) by the beach. Nice.

Chilli & Spice and ambient nice. :)

From Stanley Beach, we caught a minibus (the type I always see in HK dramas and movies) to Aberdeen. From Aberdeen, we took a 40-cent sampan boat ride over some smelly fishing waters to Ap Lei Chau (Duck's Tongue Island). Ap Lei Chau used to be a centre for building junks, but is slowly being replaced with concrete housing.

Someone mentioned that there were lots to buy at "Joyce" factory outlet. We were so grossly disappointed. And there was absolutely nothing else to do at Ap Lei Chau! If not for the experience of the sampan ride, I would have throttled your friend for that recommendation, Shades of Pink! All that travelling on bus and sampan to spend 20 min at Ap Lei Chau??

Done after that 20 minutes on that island, we took the return sampan trip to Aberdeen and took a bus to Central, HK. From there, we took a train to Tai Koo and did some shopping at City Plaza there. Tai Koo is kinda in the suburbs. So the only reason I knew about it is because my aunt had an apartment there and that was where we stayed some 15 years or so back. City Plaza was where I first ice-skated too. It still has the rink, but the complex has doubled in size! Suburb as it may be, we actually managed to shop quite a bit here....at MNG. Funny right? Go Hong Kong and shop at MNG.

Done with our shopping, we headed back to Central and joined the snaking queue to get on the tram up The Peak. The 45 minute wait was worth it, just to get a view of HK from The Peak.

With all that running around today from island to island and hopping from one transport mode onto another, here was our sustenance for the night...

Causeway Bay, HK

After hearing people rave about the doughnuts from Krispy Kreme, I finally had a taste of it today. Yea, it's nice. Softer, fluffier, more melt-in-your-mouth than the normal doughnuts. And they cost HK$12 (S$2) a piece. A tad expensive for a doughnut though. But if there had been a queue like the one at Raffles City's Doughnut Factory, I wouldn't have bothered.

With just two buys yesterday, it was time for more shopping today at Causeway Bay. Times Square and the areas around it. Funny that the shops in a couple of the buildings were not open even at 2 in the afternoon. So we decided to make a trip to Central and return back later in the evening to the 2 remaining buildings whose shops had yet to open. Shades of Pink got a dress at Peddar Building while I managed to get a top and a dress from H&M. Upon returning back to Causeway Bay, I picked up another top at one of the buildings we returned to.

Hmmm. I must say the shopping hasn't been that fantastic eh? So at night, we picked up these at Jade Market along Temple Street.

Hello Kitty lanyards (for our new staff passes at our new workplaces). Hello Kitty note pad. Strawberry Shortcake magnetic bookmarks. Forever Friends magnetic bookmarks.

Quite rubbish, we know. But we don't seem to buying much clothes and shoes despite people raving about HK's summer sale! At least we have these right?

The highlight must be the steamed milk or "dun nai". I had the ginger steamed milk while Shades of Pink had the coffee one.

Good calcium replacement for the legs after all that walking.

Hong Kong Day 1

Shades of Pink and I touched down at HK International Airport at 12pm and bought our Octopus train tickets (Airport Train and 3 days unlimited MTR rides). Because our booking did not come with transfers, we caught the Airport Train to Central Station at HK, then switched over to the MTR and headed to our hotel at Yaumatei, Kowloon. Check out how we had to lug our baggage from the station all the way to the hotel! (That's Shades of Pink, btw.)

It was just 7 mins away actually, but with a temperature of 32 degrees, the polluted air and the drips of air-con water occasionally dripping on us, the walk seemed like an eternity. And when you have 2 girls, the map reading goes haywire. We would probably have taken double the time, had it not been for a passerby who was kind enough to show us to the hotel.

The hotel room was T.I.N.Y. No wardrobe, no dresser. I'm standing just outside the TINY toilet.

Nathan Road.

That was the plan for today. From 2 pm all the way till 10ish at night. The Nathan Road stretch is never ending. I think we walked almost 5km in total. It's totally different runnning and walking 5km...I think walking the distance is more tiring. Along the way, we had these...

Not all. Just four types. The sotong was very very yummy. The sausage and the scallops were so-so. The small intestines were smelly, I think. I dunno. I didn't try it. Shades of Pink did. How can anyone eat intestines? You know what is held in there right??

So we finished one stretch of Nathan Road, and continued with the other stretch, ending off with Ladies Market. Decided to head back to the hotel halfway thru as our ankles were seriously gonna break soon.

Stopped by a roadside coffee shop behind our hotel on the way back for wanton mee. No char siew you know, just wanton. I think that's how it's supposed to be, just that Singapore modified it. It was yummers anyhow.

You know what? After a full day's shopping at the Nathan Rd stretch, I only got ONE dress and ONE top. Tsk.

Off To "Lau Bo Bing" Land :)

So I found my passport.

And since BFC had extra HK dollars from her brother's recent trip, I decided to change some more money. Cos I don't really like using the credit card. Plus I think what I changed is not gonna suffice. I have to remember that the prices will not match that of Bangkok's, which I am so blardy used to.

Last few things to throw in later:

- Handphone charger
- Contact lenses and solution
- Sunnies
- Toothbrush (which I will have to remember tomorrow morning)
- Mini skirt

In case you're wondering about the last item, it wasn't really included until I was talking to my travel mate just now over msn.

Shades of Pink: Eh, you changing clothes every day ah?

Purples: Ya la. The day ones changing. But the night one, every night the same.

Shades of Pink: Walaueh! So you bring 4 tops and 4 bottoms ah?

Purples: 3 la! Since tomorrow's already counted as one right?

Shades of Pink: I see whether I want to be like you. I bring capri, skirt and something else.

Purples: Skirt?

Shades of Pink: Ya. Short one. Above the knee one.

Purples: Oh! Ok, then I bring my mini skirt.

Shades of Pink: Bring la. Easier to get in and out of things.

Ah....

And there I was, wondering how come this girl so hiao - bring skirt, above the knee type! heh.

Ok, I'm off to bed. Better catch my forty winks. As it is, I think I'm gonna have a problem waking up already.

And when I'm back, I think I'm gonna need to run and run and run to shed all the extra kilos I'll be putting on in the next 4 days!

The Third Baking Class

We did a Tiramisu cake and Curry Chicken buns!

The buns were really really good. I think all of us finished most of it by the time we got back home.

The tiramisu was just heavenly. And because I am leaving tomorrow morning, I had to taste a piece of it TONIGHT. It was a good thing it didn't need any overnight setting, unlike the cheesecake.

Check out today's bakes...




A good gauge of whether what I whip up is good is my dad. The fussy eater actually commented that the buns and the tiramisu were good!

We're gonna give next week's class a miss cos the items are not very interesting, and we're tied up. But we'll be signing up for the following week's session, in which we'll be taught Apple Cheese Crumble and Mixed Grain Bread.

Kayestercan and Dr Lee, we're signing you up ok? Dr Lee, are you serious about enrolling your domestic help as well? Then she can wash up for us. ;p

For anyone else who's keen, do check out the schedules and register at http://www.phoonhuat.com/

All Packed

I usually do my packing the night before I leave for a trip. But today being really packed with baking classes this evening, I decided to do it this morning.

So I'm all packed and ready to leave real early tomorrow morning, but I can't seem to find my passport!

How liddat??

Shades of Pink, at the worst, you travel alone??

How Many Did You Know?

So the new 7 wonders of the world have been revealed. And they are:

- Taj Mahal (India)
- Great Wall of China (China)
- Ruins of Petra (Jordan)
- Statue of Christ the Redeemer (Rio De Janeiro)
- Incan Ruins of Machu Picchu (Peru)
- Ancient Mayan City of Chichen Itaza (Mexico)
- Colosseum (Rome)

And the Great Pyramids of Giza, the only one of the old 7 wonders that is still standing, is automatically included as the 8th wonder.

Honestly, how many of us actually know all of the original 7 wonders of the world?

The Pyramids, I knew. The Hanging Towers of Babylon, I knew.

But I thought Taj Mahal and the Great Wall were amongst them.

Then I thought sites like the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy and the Eiffel Tower in France were too! And the Niagara Falls too.

All wrong! :0

So here's the old list...

- The Hanging Towers of Babylon (Iraq)
- The Colossus of Rhodes (Greece)
- The Statue of Zeus (Greece)
- The Lighthouse of Alexandria (Egypt)
- The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (Turkey)
- The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus (Turkey)
- The Great Pyramids of Giza (Egypt)

Now, how many did you get right? ;p