Archive
Around the World #7 – Harbin, China
***Photography by journeyexplorer
Around the World #6 – Suzhou, China
***Photography by journeyexplorer
Everything London #12 – Vera Wang Wedding Dresses up to 75% off
At these prices, just get one even if you are not getting married or don’t even have a boyfriend yet!
Check it out!
FOR 2 DAYS ONLY
SAT 12 AND SUNDAY 13 MARCH
FINAL SALE
THE WEDDING SHOP
AT SELFRIDGES LONDON
Around the World #5 – Yellow Mountain, China
***Photography by journeyexplorer
Chinese Mothers are Superior?!?
When I first read the article Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior from the Wall Street journal, I thought ‘Wow this women is so brave and must have a lot of guts to write about the difference between Chinese vs Western parenting, and challenging the politically incorrectness whilst doing it.’
Originally, I thought maybe she is just some stay at home mum that expressed an opinion on Facebook or something. But she is actually a professor at Yale Law School and author of two other books. I totally admire her boldness, so I read her book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother to see what her story was all about. I have great respect for her sharing of her story about life with her two children, and I emphasis on the sharing bit because she is retelling her story and not trying to impose any parenting skills or rules on anyone.
I’m undecided really. On some occasions, I think she is making everything about her regardless of it being piano or dogs or tennis, because she is such a high achiever she tries to impose on her children to be the best at everything they do. But I must admit her involvement is to be applauded because she herself knows all about scales and techniques in order to push her daughters through their music learning, she is not just all talk like some mothers.
The point that strikes close to me is that you don’t give up something because it is hard, which is something I do everyday. I also agree that if given choices children would like to slack off and choose interesting and fun activities as discipline is not learnt or realised at such a young age. Maybe she is going to extremes with not letting them go to the toilet or have dinner and practice until midnight but I think something can be learnt from her style of persistence. You can see Olympians from China doing hours and hours of training in their particular sport from a very young age and they do nothing else at all. So that’s why they can be the world’s best at what they do. But parents have to ask themselves what they want for their children or should I say if parents allow themselves to let children want things for themselves.
She also goes into the different generations of immigrants which I totally agree has everything to do with it as well. I would recommend a read, especially if you have that migrant background because we are so unique. We have our own culture but we also live in a land that is not of our ancestry. I’m not yet a mum, but it has given me some things to reflect upon or prepare when I am ready to be one.
***Photo by bgorsphotography
Everything London #11 – How to get tube, DLR or Overground refunds
Well we all know the Transport for London doesn’t do such a great job and many of us have experienced tube delays or the chaos during peak hours etc. I honestly have no idea how they are going to cope with the over capacity when it is time for the London 2012 Olympics. But as much as we are frustrated by the efficient and quality service they provide, we still have to use it unless you go on strike and vow to only walk or cycle.
So here is a chance to get back something from them. If your journey is ever delayed for more than 15 minutes due to signal failure or whatever other issues the tube is always seemed to be having, you can claim refunds from their website. This applies to all tube, DLR or overground travels but unfortunately not on bus trips. You will be refunded for the cost of a single journey on a Oyster pay as you go.
***Photography by journeyexplorer
Princi@Soho, London
After lunch we ventured into Soho for some desert and coffee. As soon as I stepped into Princi I was attracted by the deco and atmosphere, and the place was buzzing with people I was so delighted.
My Italian friend said that they have this in Milan and opened this in London just last year or so. Typically, they went for tirimisu but since I’m not into coffee, I decided to try the passionfruit cheesecake. Althought she was skeptical since Italitian don’t really do cheesecakes but this one was really refreshing. The cheese was smooth and creamy, the crust was not too hard and the passionfruit is very tasty and light.
I definitely want to go again because their savorory food looked so delicious but we were too full to try. Their pizzas look so awesome, even though I’m not really into pizza at all. Other bread, sandwiches, baked goods and salads look very attractive, can’t wait to go again and try them all out. Then of course I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to try all their other deserts also!
***Photography by journeyexplorer
Reverse L’Oreal Syndrome
Anna is desperate for love; yet she pushes away those who ever try to love her. Anna is so insecure that she needs to put those who love her to test, push them to their limits to see how they will respond.
When she gets in fights with her boyfriend, Alex, she tells him ‘I don’t want to talk to you.’ Then she will not answer his phone calls for three days and let him worry sick about her. But all this time she is hanging by her phone to see how many times he’s called her and how many messages and voice mails he has left to apologise.
When Alex says something that pisses her off, she will run away and let him chase after her in the busy shopping mall. One time she even hid in the ladies’ toilets for a while but then she got worried that he wouldn’t be able to find her, so she came out and stood where it was easier to find her.
When she wants something, she makes sure that he goes out of his way and move mountains to get it for her. Alex lined up overnight in front of HMV to get the concert tickets she really wanted, but she just dismissed them and put them on the table when he produced the tickets hoping it would bring a surprised and pleased smile to her face.
But despite all Alex’s efforts, who proved again and again that he loves her to bits, she is still uncomfortable to let herself just simply be loved. She makes a drama out of everything and makes herself into a selfish difficult person so if one day he packs his bags and go, there will be a valid reason for that and it might hurt less. If there is any hint that the relationship is getting a bit edgy she will convince herself that she didn’t really love him that much anyway and she can easily move on if it didn’t work out. She believes that it is better to break his heart than live with a broken heart. She wants to make sure that Alex loves her more than she loves him, that it will only ever be that she leaves him and not vice versa because she is terrified of losing.
Anna has a disease. It is called Reverse L’Oreal Syndrome – “Because I’m not worth it”.
***Photography by bgorsphotography
**The term Reverse L’Oreal Syndrome comes from the novel, A Room Swept White by Sophie Hannah
Around the World #1 – Sydney, Australia
***Photography by journeyexplorer
Everything London #10 – Speakers Corner, Hyde Park
After catching up with friends this afternoon I noticed a nice sunset coming along, so I thought I’d head into the direction of the closest park around and I might get lucky to snap a few nice shots. So not knowing my way around very well, I landed at Hyde Park. Not quite the sunset I was hoping for tho…
Even better I took the opportunity to walk around Speakers Corner and see what topics are on, then I saw this guy! I really support FREE HUGS activities I honestly think everyone should do it. I must say this guy had some dedication being on his own, and it was bloody freezing.
***Photos by me
Closer
Donna and Tom have been happily married for 5 years. Tonight is a typical Tuesdays night, Tom gets off work around 9pm grabs a quick bite, gets home and starts working on his laptop again. Donna gets home just after 11pm from a clients’ dinner. She walks home and finds Tom working on a presentation as she walks in to the study, she gives me a kiss on the top of his head and says “Hey honey, I’m home.’ Without lifting his eyes off the laptop or turning his head, Tom says ‘Hey sweetie, how was the dinner? Is Clifford going to sign on with you guys?’
Donna walks gets changed into her nightie and says ‘Yeah I’m pretty confident I can get him on board. Have you eaten honey?’
‘Yeah I just grabbed a quick bite before I came home; I have to get this presentation to Stephen tomorrow. By the way, David and Susan asked if we wanted to go over to their place for dinner on Saturday’ says Tom as adjusts the graphs on his presentation.
Donna walks into the kitchen, downs her daily glass of milk and Vitamin A-Z tablet and replies ‘Saturday should be fine, if you pick me up from my yoga class we can grab a bottle of wine on the way and head over to their place.’ Then Donna heads into the bathroom for her make up removal and “evening wrinkle minimisation hydromoisutre” routine as she listens to Tom type away.
Donna checks her blackberry for any urgent emails and her schedule for tomorrow then head off to bed, ‘Goodnight honey.’ ‘Goodnight sweetie’ Tom mumbles to his laptop.
As Donna lies in, she removes the neck brace she has been wearing all day since she strained her neck this morning and the doctor made her wear it for a couple of days to keep her neck from too much movement and pressure. Within the whole two hours that Donna and Tom spent in the same space in their home, Donna failed to mention it and Tom failed to see the brace she had been wearing on her neck because his eyes were glued to his laptop.
Do we all roam about life like this without noticing the details? Are we living in the same space but yet failed to observe? Are we physically there but not in mind and spirit?
***Photo by bgorsphotography
Who will cry at my funeral
There are what I call “Time and Location” friends, where you happen to become friends at a particular point in time of your life due to time and location conveniences. For example, you befriend Tom because you happen to be studying the same subject this semester. Or your colleague who you hang out with, or friends you make when you have moved to a new place and the likes.
Then there are what I call “Eat and Drink” friends whom you wouldn’t mind to spend your meal time with and hold some kind of interesting conversation whilst you enjoy a meal.
Also in this day and age, there are what you call “Digital” friends. Those people you have on your Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and what not. You may have 10,000 followers on your Twitter, or 1800 friends on your Facebook, so you know what I’m talking about.
Finally there are what I call Real Friends whom you share the joys and pains of life with, someone you would call or email or message when you need someone to be there for you. I have a very special and unique relationship with a friend where you can read in my Long Distance relationship post. I think the best way to measure your friends circle is not by your Linkedin connection profile but by who will come to your funeral. That is different to weddings, because people always like to share in people’s joys. Trouble is you always have to try to limit your wedding invite list since you or your family is paying for it, or you may only want to invite ‘close friends and family’ since it’s a small wedding.
But those who will come to your funeral is a completely different matter. So have a think about it, when you are spending 15 to 18 hours a day with your online circle. Who can you imagine being there at your funeral? Those are the ones you should be spending quality time with. Most importantly, who will cry at your funeral? Those are the people who care.
***Photography thanks to BGOR’s photography
5 Ways to Survive Plane Travel Unscathed (via TIME Healthland)
via TIME Healthland
Everything London #9 – Barbican Weekender
Looking for something to do this weekend? Apparently the Barbican Weekender is on, so go check it out.
Everything London #8 – Tate Modern
Well I know nothing about art, but I thought I’d give myself a chance to explore my artistic potentials whilst I’m in London. I went to visit the Tate Modern since the name Ai Wei Wei suggested it was a Chinese person who had an exhibition on, so I thought I’d go and see what it was all about.
Conclusion: I still don’t know anything about art to appreciate it.
Home
It is not a physical asset.
It is not who you live with.
It is not a country.
It is not where you store your possessions.
It is not where you sleep.
It is something I have been utter desire and craving for ever since I became independent.
It is about a sense of belonging.
Maybe I won’t have a home until I have my own family.
Check out my card
Everything London #6 – ALDO outlet
I love ALDO shoes but I must say they are not cheap, so I only ever buy them if they are on sale. Today I stumbled upon their outlet shop in Camden, London and even better, they had extra 50% off already marked down prices so I couldn’t resist. These boots were just 15 pounds. Yay! Happy purchase!
Concorde Opera @Paris, France
I had an early arrival around 7am, although they didn’t have any rooms available for me to check in until around 10am I just spent time in the business centre going on the internet. The receptionist was very helpful and even gave me his mobile number in case I needed to call him about anything during my stay! After a quick croissant breakfast across the road, they had my room ready for me.
The superior room is actually a very decent size for a Paris hotel. There is a separate room for the living room which I didn’t spend any time in during my two-week stay, so I would prefer it if it was just one big open area instead of another room. The bathroom is clean and spacious with bathrobe and all amenities provided, it’s a habit that I don’t bring my own toothbrush now if I’m staying in hotels.
I had room service for dinner on the first night, the salad was just so so. The next day, I tried their buffet breakfast and they had a variety of breads, hot food and even cup noodles. I made myself a smoked salmon with fancy cheese baguette with the food provided and it was delicious, a great start to my day.
The location is awesome which is why I choose it in the first place. Walking distances to eateries around Opera area, and I could drop my bags off at the hotel after a shopping spree before I headed out to dinner, since they have dinner quite late in Paris. 30 secs to a metro stop, so what more can one ask for. It’s a pretty safe area I felt, although walking home after dinner one night I had a guy come up to me asking for money. He said he left his credit card inside Galeries Lafayette and asked for 50 euros for his taxi fare. He had a whole story going, that he worked for RBS and I can take his watch or passport if I wanted to as security for the 50 euros. He just needed a cab to his hotel because it can’t be reached my metro etc. If he asked for 5 euros for a metro ticket I would have given it to him, but 50 euros is a lot so I just said “Sorry, can’t help” and walked away. I felt pretty bad afterwards but these things you really never know.
Laundry service is efficient and clean, although they lost one of my thermal pants and couldn’t find it, or couldn’t understand what I was trying to say, so I just gave up in the end.
They had free wi-fi which is very important to me as I don’t like to pay for my internet service and having to time how long I’ve been on it etc. This is stress free.
Overall a very pleasant stay as they called a taxi for me to get to the airport, I would recommend this hotel to anyone who doesn’t mind paying a premium for a nice stay.
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Everything London #5 – Breast milk ice cream, Covent Garden
Baby Gaga – Breast milk ice cream at 14 pound a serving.
This is an after note @2 March 2011 – Let’s see what comes out of the product now being confiscated for testing. Well it was good publicity for the restaurant in any event.
Long distance relationships
I’m not a fan of long-term relationships. Usually give it a month or so and it starts to get shaky and awkward. But funnily enough, I have kept this long distance friendship with no sweat for the past 7 years or so and we have crossed multiple time zones and continents, such as:
B in Hong Kong — M in Australia
B in Hong Kong — M in UK
B in Australia — M in Hong Kong
B in Australia — M in UK
Despite all sorts of time differences and having met up for maybe 10 times in the last 7 years, we still manage to communicate every single day. Obviously thanks to the advancement of technology and the digital era, we have managed to exchange over 5000 emails, endless conversations over msn messenger, a million or so likes and comments on Facebook, physical birthday and Christmas cards to maintain our strong 15-year-old friendship. We whinge to each other on bad days, we consult advice on relationship issues, we tell of weird dreams after we wake up, we speak in code that no one else can understand, we know each other’s family, we’ve picked up a call with tears on the other side; and most important we laugh together and carry each other through difficult times. I absolutely can not disclose her identity because she knows ALL, and I mean everything, about me and she would be the first to kill if anyone needed ***TOP SECRET*** information about me.
Last month, as we met up for a drink on the rare and miraculous occasion that we are in the same city and same country, since there had been one time where we were both in Japan but in different cities, I kept trying to prolong our time together. After drinks I suggested we go for supper as well, since it’s so good to have a physical person there to chat with and laugh with. After I got on the taxi on my way home, I had a sense of emptiness and realised ‘Man, I really do miss her a lot!’ I don’t really have anyone one to go shopping with, to pig out on a plate of pancakes after we’ve just had all you can eat dinner, or go to facials and spas with. But somehow our friendship has evolved into how it is today and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else. Until the next time we meet, my dear friend.
***Photography by BGOR’S photography
Pizza Express @Moorgate, London
I don’t like pizza, full stop. But since I’m meeting a friend for lunch today and he already had a place in mind I didn’t oppose it – it was Pizza Express. It is a very common eatery and you can even see their boxes of ready-to-bake pizzas at supermarkets in London. As soon as we sat down, my friend brought out a 10 pound for two course lunch coupon and since I’m unemployed at the moment, way to go and no complaints.
For starters, I ordered a Bruschetta Piccante which was hot and fresh, served on a board with a cutter. It looked more like a mini pizza than the other bruschettas I was used to having, very delicious although the peppers were way too hot. I then had the Pollo Verdure salad which was really delicious. The warm chicken was soft and tender. The rocket was fresh with a nice blend of dressing. I was most impressed with the bits of bread on the side for those who can’t call themselves full without a dose of carbohydrates. The only thing I didn’t like was that their aubergines were too oily and over cooked, but other than that after today’s lunch, it completely changed my impression of Pizza Express and I can say that I will go there again if not too soon.
Le Pain Quotidien, Southbank London
A nice place to grab a quick bite, chat with a friend or use their free Wi-fi over a cup of coffee – Le Pain Quotidien. I’m so glad they are opening in many more locations in London, and yesterday I visited one by the Southbank next to the Royal Festival Hall. I ordered the crab and avocado tartine with a cup of large hot chocolate. I always find their organic wheat bread a bit too hard but that is just personal preference. They had some sort of paste spread on the bread before they piled on the cucumber with crab and avocado. The avocado is ripped just right, soft and tasty. The large hot chocolate was served in a bowl. I also really enjoy their breakfast menu tho, although I just missed out since it is only served til 12.30pm each day.
***Photography taken off the internet since I forgot my camera.
Ben’s Cookies@ Covent Garden, London
Ben’s Cookies are charged by weight and you simply can’t resist just walking past without buying one or two, or ten! My favourite is Double Chocolate Chunk.
Wow I can’t believe they have shops in Saudi Arabia.
Day out@ Sai Kung, Hong Kong
Sai Kung is a wonderful place with a nice expat population but it has kept up its old traditions where seafood can be bought from fishermen on their boats. The price isn’t cheap I must say, unless you go when it’s around 4 or 5pm when they are about to sell out and go.
TO DO
Hong Kong being in a tropical area, takes advantage of more warm days than cold ones during the course of the year. So anytime from about March to November you can go out for wake boarding, one of my favourite sports.
TO EAT
Don’t ever try the seafood restaurants by the waterfront, it is a rip off for tourists and the seafood quality and portions are ridiculous. We even got food poisoning last time we were there, definitely a no no.
A low-key 1 star Michelin Chinese restaurant called Loaf On can be found on a side street which offers seafood at an acceptable price with a few signature Chinese dishes.
For a cheap lunch, go to for some Thai chicken rice or noodle soup down the alley way .
Or if you fancy an all day breakfast, go to Jaspers.
After dinner, for some Chinese deserts, where else but Honeymoon.
TO WATCH
On a nice day you will see tons of dog walkers with their dogs of all different shapes and sizes. Since there are not many dog friendly suburbs in Hong Kong, they tend to gather around the Sai Kung area. One time I even saw a white poodle dyed pink! Now that is a fashion statement!
***Photography taken by me with Panasonic GF1
Everything London #4 – Mr Simms Olde Sweets Shoppe, Covent Garden
As soon as you walk past this shop, you just want to walk in and buy a bag of lollies in a brown paper bag – such classic! I’m a bit disappointed with their website tho, it completely doesn’t come across with the same feel and message…
***Photography by me
Everything London #3 – Shu Uemura, Neal Street
I’m a big fan of Shu Uemura products, especially their oil cleanser which is so smooth and gentle on the skin. It is a facial cleanser and removes make up all in one go, perfect for a lazy bum like me who doesn’t want to spend more than 5 minutes on my face at the end of the day. My favourite is the green one which is green tea based with anti-oxidants, the latest edition has added a tint of scent in it which just makes face washing more enjoyable as it stimulates your senses.
I remember a few years ago when Shu Uemura just started appearing in London and I enjoyed splashing out on their products. But now being a smarter shopper, I know where to get my cheap Shu products in Asia! *wink*
If you are in need of some pampering and fine quality products, go check out their store tomorrow whilst their event is on!
Everything London #2 – Old fashioned buses
It is rare to see old-fashioned buses on the streets anymore, and #15 seems to be the only route operating with a few. I’m guessing because it runs a Central London route so tourists can take advantage of it.
Everything London #1 – Museum of London
To kick off this series of Everything London, I started off by visiting the Museum of London yesterday. Originally my sole purpose of visiting was to see the London Street Photography exhibition which had been advertised on the tube posters and started on Friday 18 February 11. Unfortunately because it was a new exhibition and it being a Saturday, there was an hour-long queue to get in which I didn’t want to stand in for. So I decided since the exhibition is on until September and I can make use of my unemployment status I will come back another day for it when there were fewer people, I then ventured to check out the other exhibitions on in the museum since I’m already here. This is when the large print photography of London landmarks captured my attention. It was the London Futures exhibition which are such strong and powerful images it makes you stop and think. It tries to portray what London would look like in the future with our climate changes as a pressing issue such as London being flooded or turned into freezing hell as River Thames freezes permanently. But this image striked me most – where the proud iconic high-rise office building turns into an accommodation for the mass.
Catch it before it finishes on 6 March 11 – highly recommended!
Hotel Chocolat @ St. Lucia, West Indies
Chocolates are good for all occasions; Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, birthdays, parties, Chinese New Year, Mother’s Day, the lot! Chocolates can be made into different other types of food such as cakes, muffins, ice cream, popcorn, you name it! For all the chocolate fans, do we dream that one day we can live in a world of chocolate?
During university, my friends knew very well that I was a chocolate addict and joked every time I ordered ‘Death by chocolate’ that they would do that for me. They said that I should have a chocolate coffin and make sure my bones chocolate dipped.
So is The Hotel Chocolat a dream come true for us? As I browsed through the Hotel Chocolat shop, I found out they are actually opening a chocolate themed hotel soon. With its soft opening on 28 February 2011, it offers cocoa butter spa products for massages, visits to the cocca groves, chocolate making classes and chocolate inspired dining. Located in St. Lucia, West Indies it is a popular destination for the Brits. I would say it is a good destination for any chocoholic as it adds a bit of flavour to your holiday.
***Photo taken by me in the Hotel Chocolat shop on the Strand@London
Marks & Spencer Food@ London, UK
I always remember their slogan “It’s not just food, It’s M&S food.” Over the many years I have witnessed their truly amazing quality of good. Anything from their prepared fruit packs, nacho cheese corn chips, chewy chocolate cookies to their ready to cook meals.
Last night as I was starving on the way home, I decided to treat myself to a M&S fine dinner. Of course I couldn’t resist just buying a main meal from them, I also got myself a packet of sun ripped orange melon and half priced cherries for my 5 a day fruit intake. And also a pressed apple juice, since buying healthy food at a premium price at least I can justify with myself.
I already knew I wanted lamb for dinner so I quickly picked a packet of lamb from New Zealand which looks so fresh in its clear packaging. As soon as I got home I was so hungry I forgot to marinate it with a pinch of salt or some nice herbs, and I just threw it into the grill and cooked it until it was nicely browned on one side. Then I flipped it and watched it turn into a nice dark brown, switch off the grill and done! Dinner is ready! Oh yes, I also chopped up a red pepper and threw it in when I turned the lamb on its other side as it soaked up the oil and juice from the lamb very nicely. I couldn’t wait to dig in, so did a quick snap shot as you can see and off I went. OMG, it was heavenly. So juicy, so tender and full of flavour without any added ingredients or flavouring. You would think this is a dinner for two, but no way! I finished it all by myself wanting for more!
Nobu@ Dallas, Texas US
Yesterday whilst waiting to meet with a recruitment agent, I read the City A.M. article ‘The Codfather on life, fish and Nobu’s enduring success. I’m always fascinated by the story and the person behind the success of a business as I want to learn lessons and tips from them. It’s interesting how Nobu said his brother took sushi lessons, I didn’t know they existed. I only know of apprentices in Japan who have to endures years of dish washing, cleaning and hardship before they are even allowed to touch a knife. I have seen reality TV shows of apprentices who want to be sushi chefs, but it’s so tough that the end up crying at the back of the shop most nights as Japanese masters can be tough teachers with their cultural background.
Last time I lived in London, I didn’t dare spend 120 to 200 pounds on a meal at Nobu, a one Michelin star Japanese fusion restaurant, although I have heard much about it and people say you should at least splash out once. So when I got a chance I didn’t miss it. I went to visit a Nobu at Dallas, Texas whilst on a business trip. It’s funny because it is located at Crescent Court which also homes a luxury hotel and other upscale restaurants. As soon as you drive into their car-park you feel an air of finery with fancy cars parked in and valet attendants waiting to take your car. With me driving a low-end Chevrolet, I parked my own car and walked towards Nobu which crosses part of the hotel area.
Being on my own I decided to sit at the sushi bar, which I later regretted as it was too up close and personal as the sushi chefs tried to make conversation and I don’t like it when people watch me eat. Being a scallop lover, I ordered thinly sliced scallop sashimi fanned on a scallop shell with a lemon based sauce as a starter. The presentation is no doubt neat, but I didn’t really like it because it was too sour, I prefer a whole scallop which I can just defrost from a box I get from Citysuper or Jusco. I guess I never vote for fusion food anyways, because I believe it should be authentic which is the whole point of food originating from a particular region or country as it is backed by culture and history. I also had the Alaskan King Crab Tempura which was just ordinary. Maybe next time I will go with a date then at least I won’t be rushing out because the sushi chefs are paying me too much attention.
A380 @ Emirates
Being a budget traveler this time round, I decided to opt for an indirect flight to London. Since Emirates is an airline without any fuel surcharge, I was not affected by the increased prices with the other airlines such as Virgin Atlantic, BA or Cathay Pacific. As soon as I stepped onto the plane, it felt like I was in a lounge instead of inside a plane since it was much more spacious and glamorous than other planes, and I thought ‘Is this what A380s are all about?!?’ I was surrounded by a luxury setting and usually space comes with a price tag on planes, so I was very happy with what I got.
Welcomed by warm smiles as you boarded, a warm towel to freshen up is provided and I was impressed with the variety of languages spoken by the cabin crew on broad which included Italian, Arabic, Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish and Korean. There are USB plugs available for your use at your seat. Their in-flight entertainment can be used as soon as you board right up till the moment you land – no restrictions for take off and landing. And it’s touch screen! To cater for the variety of movies and TV shows for such a wide audience it didn’t have any particular new Blockbusters or TV shows. But that’s alright, because this flight I decided to focused more on my sleep. Surprisingly not crowded for a Friday night flight to London Heathrow via Dubai, I had all three seats to myself which I made the most of to get a good nights sleep since it figured it might be more packed on the leg from Dubai to London. But luckily again, I had all three seats to myself on that leg also!
I’m not a fan of plane food, usually I just take a bite here and there then just leave an empty stomach to pig out on arrival. They handed out menus in advance so I decided to skip the late supper of cold meats. The breakfast choices prior to arrival were between omelette’s or noodles so I had the noodles which was not bad at all. Then I had a second breakfast with my second leg flight, and I choose the omelette as opposed to the scrambled eggs which was a bit disappointing but I am a fussy eater so can’t really blame them. The light snack on arrival was a chicken and mayo sandwich with blueberry muffin – yum.
The little things make a difference, they had stickers inside the amenities pack you can use to indicate your availability or to be woken up for a meal or duty-free so you don’t miss out!
Harvester@ Arnos Grove, London
On Valentine’s Day, I went to visit an ex-colleague from Yahoo! and we went for dinner at the restaurant closest to her home – Harvester. As we stepped in, the waitress was running about and said she will be with us in a minute. When we thought she was taking a menu from the counter to take us to a table, she wrote our name down and said waiting time was 45 minutes. Well must be the Valentine’s crowd, we thought, so we headed to the bar for a drink to wait for our seats. But the thing was when she had a table ready for us, there were at least three other empty tables which she was not in a hurry to fill. Maybe all the waitresses on duty called in ‘sick’…
Menu and ordering was easy enough, choose a main dish, choose the choice and an order of sides. I ordered the 10oz sirloin steak medium rare with red wine and shallot sauce with a side of fries. Whilst waiting for our food, we helped ourselves to the all you can eat salad bar which didn’t look very hygienic nor attractive. I just picked and choose a few things then was proven right with the soggy cucumber, flavourless coleslaw and canned pineapple cubes.
When my food arrived, the presentation was not bad. Usually I can’t stand people who take photos of their food before they eat, but to make this blog more interesting as I want to attach a photo with each post, especially food posts, it’s important that I overcome the emotional hurdle. The steak was overcooked, dry and chewy but dipped in the sauce it was eatable. Fries are fries. I don’t eat peas so no comment on that. We decided to skip desert and ask for the bill as I am once again reminded of the food culture in the UK – non-existent!
Beethoven’s Love Letter
“my eternally beloved”
Though still in bed, my thoughts go out to you, my Immortal Beloved, now and then joyfully, then sadly, waiting to learn whether or not fate will hear us – I can live only wholly with you or not at all – Yes, I am resolved to wander so long away from you until I can fly to your arms and say that I am really at home with you, and can send my soul enwrapped in you into the land of spirits – Yes, unhappily it must be so – You will be the more contained since you know my fidelity to you. No one else can ever possess my heart – never – never – Oh God, why must one be parted from one whom one so loves. And yet my life in V is now a wretched life – Your love makes me at once the happiest and the unhappiest of men – At my age I need a steady, quiet life – can that be so in our connection? My angel, I have just been told that the mailcoach goes every day – therefore I must close at once so that you may receive the letter at once – Be calm, only by a calm consideration of our existence can we achieve our purpose to live together – Be calm – love me – today – yesterday – what tearful longings for you – you – you – my life – my all – farewell. Oh continue to love me – never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved.
ever thine
ever mine
ever ours
Felix @ Peninsula, Hong Kong
On a casual Tuesday night, two girls decided to go to Peninsula for a drink after dinner. We entered the brightly lit lift and pressed 28. Three seconds prior to the halt on the 28th, the bright lights dimmed into a reddish dark tone to prepare for our arrival into this high-rise restaurant and bar. We asked for window seats for drinks and possibly deserts, and the waitress promptly brought about both the food menu and the drinks menu for our study after we sat down. We are like many other girls are big desert fans but were utterly disappointed with the list of non appealing deserts offered including raisin cake with red wine ice cream and slow cooked pineapple. OK, call us ignorant but we didn’t know what Chocolate Ganache was and we weren’t brave enough to try it. So we decided to choose from the range of supper menu which we were surprised and pleased they had, we settled for crab spring rolls with two glasses of champagne cocktail.
Cocktails were nicely blended, although not very rich in flavour. Spring rolls were nicely presented as expected and it was true to its word as it only contained crabs and nothing else. It lacked a bit in colour as compared to vegetarian spring rolls where they have carrots and variety of vegetables. I also would have preferred if it were a little less oily. Complimentary nuts were not provided until asked for as we saw the other tables had them.
The table next to us had two tall and nicely made up girls sitting with a slim middle-aged man who kept sharing stories. The girls looked like attempt models who may have worked as entertainment journalists at nowTV or something like that. As the girls ate, they responded politely to his stories whilst they drank red wine. Assuming he is a well off gentleman, it’s interesting how he felt he had to make the effort to keep the girls entertained by telling interesting stories. Two sides to the same coin though, my curiosity thought about whether the girls would really be here if he wasn’t well off and paid for this expensive dinner. I always notice so much of other things at restaurants and that makes dining out so fascinating besides absorbing its food. But I can’t say I’m much different from them in this respect, as I walked to the bathroom which you have to walk past the lifts to get to, I noticed four finely dressed gentlemen standing around waiting to get down. So I quickly adjusted my mini skirt, took a deep breath, held my head high as I did my catwalk to the bathroom. Just as I had planned it, their eyesight followed me right through the female bathroom door.
***Photography contributed by BGOR’s Photography
Finest Argentine steaks – Gaucho, London
For a girl, I have an especially big appetite for steak. Beef generally within a stir fry, roast beef or fatty beef used in Chinese hot-pot doesn’t turn me on at all. But give me a good steak and I’m on a high. So I can say I know how to judge a good steak, by a personal standard.
As soon as you walk into any Gaucho, you will be impressed by the nicely designed furnishings which creates a trendy and hip atmosphere. You can hear chatter among their nicely dressed guests as you are being brought to your table. I always recommend booking in advance to avoid disappointment. Once you have sat down with your menu and ordered your drinks, the waiter/waitress will bring out a board of raw meat and explain the different cuts, their meat texture, and recommendations on how the meat should be cooked. It is great to see s sample of what you are about to get and you can feel confident with their quality, because if they use such good meat just to saw you as a live menu, I feel my steak is going to be awesome. And surely for those who can never decide what to order or are not familiar with the different cuts of meat it is a good way to help them along.
Taken from Eat London, by Peter Prescott and Terence Conran, “The main reason for their success is the excellent quality of the Argentinean beef they use. Due to the adequate moisture, mild climate, rich soil and vast terrain on which the cattle graze, as well as the process in which the meat is aged. Argentinean beef develops its own distinctive flavour. The Argentine Aberdeen Angus that grazes freely over grassland contains less cholesterol and has less intra-muscular fat. At Gaucho the meat is cooked in the traditional Argentine manner whereby the steak is only turned once so that there is a greater caramelization, which forms a delicious crust and enhances the flavour.”
Besides their fantastic steak, I must mention their cheese bread which is absolutely divine and lush. I have tried to find recipes that are remotely similar to what they produce, but to no avail. It is warm and soft, with just the right amount of cheese, butter and flour mixture it gives your tongue a heaven like sensation. I can eat a whole basket alone but I always have to resist and remind myself there is a mouth water steak waiting for me. A nice steak cooked to perfection paired with Argentinean wine is just the ultimate way to indulge for a nice evening out.
Day out @ Stanley, Hong Kong
Stanley market welcomes you as soon as you arrive with shops selling souvenirs and other local products to attract tourists. You can utilise your bargaining skills and grab yourself a straw hat or sunglasses but most interesting is the typical Chinese styled clothing, especially the ones for children – they are so cute. Every time I walk pass, I want to get a pair of those tiny baby shoes for my friends’ children back in Australia.
After roaming through the market, you can enjoy a breezy relaxing lunch by the waterfront at one of the restaurants such as Pickled Pelican. If you having a craving for fish and chips, here is where you can get it. They offer a variety of good food and nice outdoor sitting ideal just to chill out.
As you digest the lovely food and drink, go for a walk on the main beach and get your feet wet or sit down and watch people enjoy some water sports (except in winter). Also visit the Murray House, which is a Victorian era building moved to Stanley from Central with an effort to preserve its historic value.
A perfect way to wrap up your afternoon is with an ice cream from Gino’s Gelato just outside Stanley Plaza. Their waffle basket is not bad, but none can beat The New Zealand Natural ones especially the ones I made when I used to work there. **wink** Before you go, buy a tin of cookies as take home gift from Jenny Bakery. With is buttery cookies so addictive it makes you want to eat the whole tin all in one sitting, plus a cup of tea it is truly divine. I would recommend the small 4 mix tin at a reasonable price and nice variety. But if you are a nut fan, you should get the 8 mix and they all come in a lovely pictured tin which you can reuse after you have consumed all the cookies.
***Photography by me with my LOMO Diana F+
Momtrepreneurs @Sai Kung
Hot off the press…my first cover story article on page 12. Yeah!!! Check it out…
http://issuu.com/saikung/docs/saikung_february2011/12
Day out @ Shek O – Hong Kong
On a spring or autumn’s day at Shek O, you can go for a stroll around the area or bring a book and relax on the beach. The surrounding hiking trails may be of interest. It is also a very popular spot for photography lovers as the beach is surrounded by colourful village houses which offers a pleasant touch.
You can grab lunch at Shining Stone, their cosy atmosphere is relaxing and the soup I had last time is worth trying. Or visit the Thai restaurant Happy Garden as their BBQ satay skewers and garlic bread are the highly recommended. If you have a whole afternoon and evening to spend, definitely try the HK style BBQ on the beach side. You can buy food from the shop where you rent the fireplace also and choose what you want.
Girls and their biggest love: shoes!
We all know of a worldly phenomenon and obsession about shoes by the female population across all ages and nationality.
It is nothing of a surprise for any girl to own over 100 pairs of shoes in all different shapes and styles to cater for a variety of occassions, weather and outfits. Anything from a pair of Havaianas to a pair of Minolo Blanik brings joy to its owners. Even if we get blisters on our already scarred feet or if the stiletto is so high it makes us walk like a penguin, it will not get in the way of our never ending love for shoes.
So the million dollar question is: why are females so obsessed over shoes?
Because shoes can never make our feet look fat.
Sex and best friends
Last night, with a bit of ME time, I watched two episodes of Sex and the City. It reminded me of the days when I was still living in London, me and my flatmates would sit around the 14 inch TV watching Sex and the City on DVD laughing and chatting about the storyline. It was one of my favourite past times. One of my flatmates is a French girl, who loves the show so much she had memorised quotes from the show and treats them as her life coach. I was dumbfounded when she used a line from the show to deal with her recently broken relationship – “It takes half the total time you went out with someone to get over them.”
As much as this show is about sex, I personally think it is actually about friendship. It is only with your closest and most trusted friends can you share your intimate feelings, sex life and the joys and sorrows of life. In their first movie, there was a scene where Mr. Big failed to show up at the wedding and the girls rushed Carrie into the car. But when they saw Mr Big’s car drive past, her friends stood up for her and protected her when she was most vulnerable. That was my favourite scene of the movie because behind that act it represented the histories and foundations of their solid friendship.
Friendships need investing in. Despite our busy schedules, distances, and other fighting priorities we must make the effort to maintain friendships, otherwise it is like sand on the beach that gets washed away by waves.
Escape from life
Have you ever finished a course or a project then feel like you don’t know what to do with yourself now? For many of us, our goals in life include are career, property, partner, family and children. As long as we are busy and working hard in achieving these goals, it keeps us going and our momentum is running on high-speed. We are climbing up the corporate ladder. We have just bought a property and drawing up renovation plans. We have found our soul mate, and we are planning a marriage and family together. We have children that we want to put through to college. But after we have accomplished these and are still not happy then we feel we are stuck and trapped because society tells us we ought to be happy and content with what we have.
However, it is not uncommon when people reach a point in their lives where they feel overwhelmed and lost to the point of breakdown, and decide they need to take a break. A wife may file for divorce and travel half way across the world to find herself again. A successful sportsman with a glamorous car and mansion may choose to live on the streets as a homeless. A managing director may venture into the jungle and live like an ape for a little while.
Are these methods effective? Does it really help them or is it just an excuse to escape reality? After they have “found themselves” can they really go back to where they left off? Can they leverage off what they have discovered then find a meaningful and happy life afterwards? Or is it just like charging your batteries and you can go back to your old life again revitalised? Or is it better that they live a more balanced life to begin with then they wouldn’t need to escape from it?
Always welcome a good read
An interest in writing inspires an interest in reading and vice versa. This week I’m reading The Zahir: A Novel of Obsession (P.S.) by Paulo Coelho as I’ve started reading his series of books at the moment, some are so in-depth it’s hard to comprehend if you are not in the right set of mind but this one is treating me alright. Reading is a great joy for me either as a hobby, self-reflection tool, idea simulator or time killer. Below is a list of books I have read in 2010 which may I hope may inspire you:
- House Rules: A Novel by Jodi Picoult – Usually I like to follow authors, if they have one book I liked I will read all their existing books or as and when they come out. I’m a dedicated follower of Jodi Picoult, buying all her newest releases. This one was purchased in Bangkok whilst on a hens weekend trip for nearly half of what you have to pay in HK. Happy reader!
- Stolen by Lesley Pearse – I had extra cash left at the Singapore airport, so I treated myself to a new book. Descriptive and details writing of characters and scenes, but not the type of thrill you would find from a crime thriller novel, it focuses more on telling the story of the girl.
- No More Silence by David Whelan – I am always intrigued by books on the subjects of abuse, violence and neglect on children, especially proud of the author when it is a biography. This book doesn’t dwell too much on what happened during the abuse but how his life is shaped and the struggles he has to go through because of it.
- The Swan Thieves: A Novel by Elizabeth Kostova – On my way to Paris on a business trip and because this novel is set in Paris I thought it would be a nice fit in setting the scene for my two weeks’ stay
- Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life’s Greatest Lesson by Mitch Albom – I didn’t like The Five People You Meet in Heaven but every author deserves a second chance. I liked the set out and topics of each lesson learnt through his sessions with his dying mentor.
- A Room Swept White by Sophie Hannah – The story failed to offer any climax but gave away the answer by providing hints along the way, I still liked Hurting Distance best. I bought this at a hostel in Chengdu, China prior to my departure for Tibet, and the young chinese lady behind the counter asked me what the book title meant. I admired her curiosity and eagerness to learn more English, but I didn’t do a very good job of it as I tried to explain it to her literally.
- The Virgin’s Lover (Boleyn) by Philippa Gregory – After watching the movie The Other Boleyn Girl, I read the book which led me to an interest in the English Courts together with all the love affairs, deceiving plans, power struggles staged around that.
- The White Queen: A Novel (The Cousins’ War) by Philippa Gregory
- The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory
- Veronika Decides to Die: A Novel of Redemption by Paulo Coelho – This one is a good and easy read with a mini twist in the end.
Mark Zuckerberg: just a technology guru?
Mark Zuckerberg is not your typical CEO. After watching an interview of him, I’m utterly surprised at how he made it so far because he doesn’t sound like he has a lot of business sense, nor does he have the presence that makes people listen to him and in fact he doesn’t look like a people person at all. I’m sure he is very good in his area of expertise being computing and a very smart and talented university drop out. But having a high IQ doesn’t equate to knowledge and I don’t think age is the issue here.
So how the hell did he get to be named Person of the Year 2010 by TIME with a net worth of $6.9 billion? If he is just a computer geek, no wonder he came up with the idea of interacting with people virtually instead of face to face. But how did he get his company to grow so much in the past 6 years? We know it wasn’t pure luck, and according to the movie Social Networks, which I don’t even know if it is meant to be based on a true story, he had help from an entrepreneur. But I have doubts on how he can continue his position as CEO with his personality and background as the business continues to grow faster than one can predict. So my suggestion for you is continue being a user all you want but not an investor, just yet. Maybe he will step down as CEO one day and just be CTO instead as that seems like a more suitable fit.
OpenRice.com expands into travel
Hong Kong is a very unique city, being such a small island covering only 1095 sq. km (423 sq. miles) but has a population of over 7 million. As a result of this, news and trends via word of mouth or media goes a long way especially taking into account the ‘following’ culture of Hong Kong people. They want to try or know about everything in order not to miss out or perhaps so they can participate during discussions of the topic. Some examples include queuing overnight outside H&M for the new H&M x Lanvin collection where they are only allowed 10 minutes inside the store for choosing and purchasing, queuing for 2 hours outside a newly opened noodle joint which a celebrity chef has recommended where only 200 bowls of noodle are served a day, a very popular TVB series aired its finale with 99% ratings and people are quoting lines by the characters .
With this fast paced environment where people are at such close proximity, I personally believe that social networking and e-commerce has less of a place in this city as compared to the US or Europe. Having said that, OpenRice.com has done really well for themselves tapping into the local dining out phenomenon and the love of taking photos of food. OpenRice.com is Hong Kong’s most popular dining guide with reviews written by local people. They even have free apps for all the local Apple product fans, which is something like every 7 out of 10 Hong Kongers. They are now looking to expand its operations, client base and advertising in dining as well as travel to the English-speaking people in Hong Kong, since there is a beefy community of expats here. But whether they can make it as succesful as the Chinese site takes a big leap of faith since targeting the English-speaking in Hong Kong may not be such a lucrative business, even the South China Morning Post and other sites such as geoexpat.com seem to be struggle to reach its audience. Well, let’s all wait and see.
給爸爸的信
親愛的爸爸：
今天是你的六十大壽。
我最記得你響廣播道樓下教我踏單車，很深刻和難忘，永遠都會記住你份耐性和鼓勵。你帶我去公園，和沙灘玩，又去日本，美國旅行，所有回憶歷歷在目。今次係我帶你去旅行咯。好野！
當我考完會計師牌，決定辭職去英國體驗人生，你無反對只有支持，雖然好唔捨得都放手讓我去。差不多倆年都無返去探你，只有日日打電話比你，同你MSN。你來歐洲旅行和探我，過了十天二十四小時一起的生活，你就快要走時真係好唔捨得，又唔知道下一次幾時再見，當我想到這點我就忍唔住眼淚。去到機場都唔知點好，就快快送你上飛機了。兩天後，收到你的電郵話你入到裡面的時候都忍不唔眼淚，我又哭了。
咁多年來你一直都只有付出，但你的好脾氣，勤力和耐心我一D都學唔到，只有不停地收收收。以後我會多D考順你，服侍你，帶你去地方和食好野。
爸爸， 生日快樂！
愛你的女兒
Tears
Tears are powerfulBeg for sympathy
Cry of desperation
Speak without words
Touched with joy
Burden of sadness
Utter helplessness
If crying is just an expression of emotional like any other such as smiling for example, then isn’t it acceptable that we cry just as often as we smile? Since life is full of ups and downs, isn’t it ok for us to smile half the time and cry the other half the time?
But ask any psychologist and they will tell you that too much crying can lead to depression which may involve other emotions such as sadness, discouragement, despair, or hopelessness. But what if you laugh too much, is that an issue? Or what if you just felt bored and felt like having a big cry over nothing in particular?
Imagine you are having a conversation with a friend on the train and you burst out in laughter.
Imagine you are having a conversation with a friend on the train and you burst into tears.
Maybe it’s because we don’t want to put others in the difficult situation of not knowing how to respond. So the answer is: best not to do it in public. Although the same also applies to masturbating.
Berlin – Germany
Travelling always brings new insights and memories depending on who you are with and what mood you are in.
2011 resolutions
Having travelled to over 35 countries, I have met many people of different nationalities. However, I have not yet set foot in South American but hey, you don’t have to go to Brazil to meet a Brazilian. Just widening my circle of friends and decreasing the 5 degrees of separation even further.
Labels
Michelle Chan’s Top 5 cities for 2011
Now is a good time to promote and plan your travels for the new year. With my most trusted and relied upon source and brand for my travels, they have released Lonely Planet’s Top 10 cities for 2011 which has nudged me to keep up my travel writing.
Michelle Chan’s Top 5 cities for 2011
1. Istanbul
Istbanul is a city that touches both Asia and Europe, the only metropolis in the world that is situated on two continents. Religion plays a big part in Istanbul, you can hear prayers being broadcasted over the loudspeakers all over the city at different times of the day such as prior dawn, dawn, midday, afternoon, sunset and evening. Mosques are frequently visited by locals and tourists, and they have women only sections.
I would highly recommend you visit the Turkish bath houses also known as hammams, althought it is very basic and simple – nothing glam or fancy at all. Finally, of course you can not leave without tasting some very colourful and high sugar dosage Turisk delight then buying a Next time I visit Turkey, I definitely want to go to Pamukkale – just google it for pictures then you will know why.
2. Marrekesh
Since Morocco had a period of French control, it has a touch of french influence. Of interest is that you can stay in hotels which they call ‘Riad’ which is like a house with a garden, I found it very pleasant, relaxing and lovely – a completely different world to the old city just outside the alleyway of the old town
The main market is like a circus and adventure park all in one. You can see people performing, preaching, getting hanna tattoos, selling food and orange jucie, whilst the side streeets are filled with small stores selling all kinds of goods such as leather shoes, bags, musical instruments, glass lamps and clothes etc. Bargaining is huge and food also comes in its range of diverse varieties. You would think the Chinese has tasted all kinds of creatures and animals, but there was one thing i found intriguing- snail soup. Not very tasty I might add! After we finished our food at one of the outdoor street stalls with skewers and other BBQ sorts, one kid came to ask if he can have the left over bottle of coke. There are many beggers or people who just come up to you and ask for money on the streets also.
3. Budapest
Funnily enough, Budapest has two parts to it being Buda on the West bank of the Danube River and Pest on the East bank. The Danube – Europe’s most celebrated river – runs majestically through the center of Budapest. The city has taken full advantage of this and it now offers some of the finest panoramas with magnificent buildings and architecture adding flavour on both sides of the river.
4. Dubrovnik
With coastal views together with rich cultural heritage, combined with magnificent natural beauties, Dubrovnik keeps its visitors happy with what is has to offer. The old city is surrounded by City Walls which are 2km long which historically offers protection against its enemies.
5. Reykjavik
Reykjavik is the capital of Iceland, the northenmost capital city and one of the three coldest capitals in the world. The place was named Reykjavik – “Smoky Bay” – after the columns of steam that rose from the hot springs in the area and made such a profound impression on the original settlers.
You are not me
Sometimes I get frustrated when people just dismiss the idea when I mention to them that I have adult ADHD because in their heads they are thinking about crazy kids running around the room. It’s just because they really don’t understand the effects that is has on one’s life.
When people read through the below symptoms, they think well many of these apply to me as well and I don’t have ADHD, but I’m telling you imagine you have ALL of these symptoms all at the same time and they occur every 15 minutes or so. Then can you try to imagine what life is like for us?
Disorganization and Difficulty with Task Completion-
– Poor organizational skills
– Chronic procrastination or trouble getting started
– Working on many projects simultaneously
– Trouble with follow through on promises or commitments
– Changing plans, enacting new schemes or career plans and the like
– Difficulty structuring time and setting priorities (e.g., chronic lateness)
Impulsivity-
– A tendency to say what comes to mind without considering the timing or appropriateness of the remark
– Difficulties with self-control
– Spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment behaviors or comments
– Frequently interrupting others when they are talking
– A tendency toward addictive behaviors
Hyperactivity-
– Physical or cognitive restlessness
– Craves excitement, frequently searching for high stimulation
– An intolerance of boredom
Attention Problems-
– Easily distracted, trouble focusing attention (e.g., tunes out or drifts away in the middle of a page or a conversation)
– Chronic forgetfulness
– Inaccurate self-observation
Emotional Instability-
– An ongoing tendency to worry excessively, that may alternate with disregard for actual dangers
– A sense of insecurity
– Mood swings
– Chronic problems with self-esteem
– Frequent boredom and discontent
– A chronic sense of underachievement, of not meeting one’s goals, regardless of actual performance
Low Stress Tolerance-
– Impatient, doesn’t deal well with frustration
– Easily flustered, tense
– Exaggerates the significance of negative events (i.e. makes “mountains out of molehills”)
– Short temper, likely with a history of explosive episodes
Others think that this is just an excuse for my flaws or underachievement, which sometimes is easy to turn to but to try to turn these weaknesses into my strenghts is totally a different story. I have lived with ADHD for 30 years now and only in the last couple of years was I introduced to this term and learnt about it. Luckily enough I am just a borderline case and I can pretty much get on with life with only mild disruptions, although that is not to say that my aspirations and goals have not been affected drastically by this. Also fortunate is that our minds are smart enough to teach ourselves mechanisms to cope better and to mitigate the damaging effects but some things are just out of our control and we must surrender to professional help.
I’m a big fan of Jodi Picoult’s books and couple of months ago, I read ‘House Rules’ where Jacob has Asperger’s Syndrome and his behaviour can be related to most teenager boys. I quote below line from the laywer, who tries to mock the symptoms of Asperger’s displayed in Jacob’s behaviour. “Not connecting with his peers,Being the centre of his own universe. Self-preservation is the one inviolable rule. Temper tantrums and anger management issues…Sounds to me, Dr. Murano, like Asperger’s is the new selfish.”
Even those closest to me who witnesses my symptoms on a daily basis and tries to cope with my behaviours can never really truly understand, because in the end they are not me.
I Have a Dream
The media promotes public figures, successful people and stardom like you never get enough of it and sometimes you think just like the slogan ‘Maybe she’s born with it. Maybe it’s Maybelline.’ For example, the co-founders of Yahoo! both went to Stanford so it’s not a surprise that they became successful and CEOs of their own company. Or well Prince Harry is royal blood, so you can’t beat that. Or when you see Nichole Kidman you think she is so perfect her DNA is made up of the Golden-Ratio so you can’t doubt her.
That’s the reason why I love watching competition shows as such So You Think You Can Dance, America’s Next Top Model, X-Factor, UK’s Got Talent and the like. I am always amazed at how ordinary people’s lifes can be transformed over night. For example, Paul Potts was a chubby looking mobile phone salesman before he won on the show then performed for the Queen at her party.
For some of us, our jobs just pays the bills. We don’t really enjoy our time spent there, would rather be doing something else and can not wait to get off work. We envy those who loves their jobs. For some of us lucky ones, we may have hobbies that we are passionate about – photography, music, dance, reading, travelling etc. We sometimes wish if only we could make a living out of doing the things we love. But maybe if we do turn our passions into our daily jobs, it would take the love and fun out of it that it just becomes any other regular job. In the past year I have tried to come up with many ways of making a living other than a regular day job, like opening a cafe or maybe running a wedding planning business, even considered running a teaching centre. But each time there are excuses or knock backs or discouraging words that stop me from actioning. However, today I am reminded of what Martin Luther King once said ‘I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream.’
Maybe this new turn of the decade will bring about new challenges and positive change that is nothing like anything I have ever dreamt of.
Self pity
From the bible Acts 20:35 it reads “In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” The proverb in Chinese being 施比受更為有福. I never really agreed with this at all, since I always love to be on the receiving end then the giving end in all circumstances.
I have a friend who takes nothing from a father who have wronged her because she believes she shouldn’t take anything that she didn’t rightly earn, I highly respect her for that. Since it is so much easier to take than to give. Whilst some poeple always love to be on the receiving end either in friendship or relationships as it makes them feel self worthy. Well recently I’m discover that maybe it is more blessed to give than to take. I’m a Queen of Self Pity, who love to feel sorry for myself and make others feel sorry for me as often as possible. On many occassions that leads to depressive behaviour such as crying, hiding, losing self image, and letting yourself go. But attempting to help others whilst you are feeling such self pity takes so much attention off yourselves and focuses on the needs of others, which surprisingly actually makes you feel like you are not in such a bad situation after all.
So maybe you should try it next time, when you are about to burst into tears on the train, maybe offer up seat up to someone. Or when you are sitting on the couch with a tub of ice cream, five packets of chips and two bars of chocolate in hand, maybe see if your family needs a hand in doing something. Or when you are looking at all the negatives in your life, try going online and sponsor a child. I haven’t tried this one out and you might end up with 50 sponsored children under your name by the end of three months, but hey this just might work for you.
Tibet – China
During my 16 day trip we sit comfortably in our 4WD travelling the long distances of Tibet for leisure and sightseeing, we would see many people on the road. Some people travel as far as 2000km on foot or should I say ON THEIR KNEES literally 五体投地, kneeling all the way from their home town to Lhasa just to worship their god.
Apparently, every day at home they will also do “full body prayers” as many times as day as they can. Our driver told us that his mother in law has completed 100,000 times of this to pray for blessings for her and generation after hers as well. Sometimes, in the morning when we have to get up at 4am to start our journey, our driver would do his praying whilst he was driving.
I am not disputing their actions because all religions have their rituals but applaud their utter surrender. For example, I, being a Christian am grateful that my practices are so ‘convenient ‘as compared to others such as Mormons who take two years out to preach and Muslims who go to Jerusalem for their pilgrimage. I can’t help but wonder if they are blinded by ignorance or is it their true believe that they must earn blessing by their acts and deeds. Even if not for this life but for their next life, they would tell me, ‘不为今生为来世’. I wonder if they choose to behave in this way or it is just part of being Tibetan, simple as that.
Their joys, pains, experiences, hopes all carried on their FACES…
Abandoned
Inspired by Matthew Koon
I was in Singapore last week and watching Got to Dance on TV, I was so very inspired by this young boy – his passion and beauty in dancing. In the interview, his parents expressed concerns over his choice of career in dancing, being only 15. Somehow it has to do with culture issues, as both his parents are Asian I think that had something to do with it. My personal belief is that Asian parents tend to look more at academics and wants their children to become doctors and lawyers since artistic talents are hard to measure and even hard to earn a living off. Sure I’m being a huge stereotype and quick to judge but maybe our parents’ generation came from a background where education is the door to better standard of living when they had experienced war and depression periods.
Many of us succeeded in our parents expectations by being university graudates and finding a stable job which provides us with a quality of life that they did not have the luxuary of experiencing. But what do we expect from our offsprings then? We all hear stories different stories and theories of raising children.
Do we just want our children to be ‘happy’? Maybe only those that do not yet have children say that because when it comes to your turn, you will still follow the path of enrolling your kid into a private or international school before they are even born! We want to provide the best opportunities available to our children in this harsh competitive world yet we find it hard to balance between what they want and what we want.
Budapest
There are so many cities in Europe you can visit, hence I tend not to do doubles unless it’s such a big city like Paris then you can’t really avoid it. But I went to Budapest twice in the space of one year because it was just so amazing!
Unlike Prague, Budapest is not so popular among Asians but this is where you find the hidden treasures of Eastern Europe.
Awesomely breathe taking architecture and sky line. There is a castle on the mountain top facing the long river with several bridges on it. On either side of the river there are also old buildings like the Parliament House etc. Both day view and night view is really pretty.
Even tho I don’t particularly like travelling in winter besides skiing since I do like to feel my feet and that they are still attached to my leg, but snow in Budapest is just very beautiful.
You can visit a ‘bath’ which is like the hot springs you go to in Japan with pools of hot water for good blood circulation, your skin and general health. But you can also opt for a cheap scrub and massage inside the showering area, which is nothing more than lying there like a piece of meat and being rubbed from head to top by a chubby women in her underwear (since it’s all wet in the bathing area).
There was a public bath we went to that had 20 or so pools outdoors which was fun but freezing. Whilst you are enjoying a dip in the pool just relaxing and chilling out, you also want to try other pools so you step onto the snowed floors and run at your fastest speed to the next pool then jump in to defrost again. Repeat this as many times as desirable.
I’m not so keen on food from Eastern Europe tho, lots of meat and not very tasty but after being to Poland I realise this is very much part of the culture and history of the countries. A few meals we did splashed out on goose liver tho which is much cheaper then those you can get in France which is worth trying if you are a fan or not on the verge of getting a heart attack from cholesterol.
For one special evening, we visited the most expensive restaurant in Budapest. It felt like a royal court when we first stepped in because there was a mini orchestra playing which was a surprise and very pleasant. The food and service was needless to say of high standard.
People wise, they are not particular friendly but that is probably due to a lack of English skills. Also you can always judge a country’s level of civilisation by their quality of toilet paper, Hungary leads towards the low end with toilet paper that feels like scrap paper or newspaper.
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik really is the best of both worlds; sun and beach resort combined with a touch of culture since the old town just a bus ride away. So after a day of UV absorption, you can visit the old town for some gourmet food or stroll on the streets with an ice cream in hand or just sit in the dark by the sea at the wharf listening to the waves. This little city is really nicely situated where cruises sometimes drop by for the day and let their guests tour the old town, then they can hop back on their cruise again. 
We went to a restaurant by the sea in the old town and they had tables also set up on the beach if you choose to dine on sand with candle lights. Next to it was a bar where they had four post beds set up outside on the sand area, don’t you just love it when party, beach, alcohol and sex just all blends together nicely. But it wasn’t high season when we went, so none of that was witnessed, but it reminds me of Mykonos in Greece the party island. But I will have to leave for another episode – so stay tuned! Two other nights we spend dinner by the sea watching the sunset which was just so relaxing and well romantic depending who you are with, haha.
You can join day tours from Dubrovnik, one of which is to the Island of Mljet where part of the island is actually a National Park so you can see birds and other animals such as peacocks running around in the forest. There are also waterholes where you can go for a swim in the super clear water. Other island hopping day tours are available if you get sick of the beach outside your resort or fancy being on a ferry/boat.
A very interesting day trip you can go on is to Bosnia which sounds so very mysterious, but unfortunately with the HKSAR passport you require a visa which we couldn’t acquire on the spot so had to forgo the trip.
You can spend anything from an afternoon to a week in this place depending what suits your taste, so highly recommend it.
Reykjavik
I love the fact that scenery in Iceland feels so untouched like you are the first to ever visited because it’s just so natural.
Public transport is basically nonexistent in Reykjavik, tourists have to rely on tourist targeted transport to travel to sightseeing spots which are not cheap. Famous sightseeing spots include the Geysir and volcano aftermath. My favourite was the Gullfoss waterfall which is so powerful when the water rushes down and the noise also feels so majestic. You can feel the splashes of water just standing in front of it trying to taking photos.
One of the day activities you can try is horse riding through the lava fields. Icelandic horses are something of a special breed; their legs are especially short and look quite stumpy. There are many other more adventurous activities you can try such as ice climbing, hiking or hole fishing, if you can stand the cold or don’t mind your nose falling off since it is called Iceland for a reason. The weather is cold all year round, I remember we were there in July and the hottest day of the year was 10 degrees Celsius!
Public thermal swimming pools and spas are quite popular. No doubt, the blue lagoon was definitely the highlight, where there is a wide span of area filled with blue geothermal water. Silica mud is provided around the pool area where you can attempt to put on yourself for skin nurturing. Actually a lot of places in Reykjavik smell like sulphur not just thermal baths, even the tap water in our hostel smelt very strongly of it. I quite like this smell although my friends say they can’t stand it.
I must say though with such a small population, Icelanders actually have very nice face features, especially the men but damn – most already married! Apparently, people get married and have children at a really young age, if you are 24 and not married that is considered really ‘old’. The streets are very clean indeed and among the deserted population, you can usually see young couples pushing around baby strollers with even cuter babies.
No selfless deed
“Charity” and “Ministr
y” seems like big terms that refer to big dreams and goals that require vast amounts of effort, organisiaton and commitment. I am very clear about my gift and passion, it is in children’s work. I want to be involved in bringing about fun, joy and love to any child’s life, be it my own or others. I always remember the days when I used to teach Sunday school and how much I enjoyed spending time with the children. Occasionally they would run towards me at full speed when they see me in the corridor, or come to class and hang me a drawing with ‘Dear Michelle, I love you, from Alice’ on it. It brings joy to the heart and a smile to the face like no other and words cannot describe. I am not yet a mother but I’m sure those of you who have become parents will know that feeling I’m referring to.
So we all know about the child sponsorship programs run by so many different programs in so many different countries but yet they seem so far and distant from our lives. I could never really comprehend what their lives would be like and in what way my sponsorship helped them. I didn’t really get to keep up with their progress. Or worse you receive a letter from your organization one day, which just announces that your ‘child’ has left the program and now they will stick you with another child. I mean, sure money solves problems but what is that children really want?
Then I was so dedicated about building and opening a charity school for children in China for local children as it is surprisingly affordable and you can make foreseeable changes in the lives of poor children. But when I was travelling in YunNan and Tibet I faced a dilemma – even if I take all my holidays to visit them in the countryside and to observe the changes I have supposedly brought to their lives, in the end, I only get to spend max 4 weeks out of a whole year with them.
So I change my direction of thinking slightly and come up with that, time is the most precious thing I can offer at the moment, not money or buildings.
Since I’m slowly settling down in HK now, I started to look for places where I can help children and also spend quality time with them. But as anything in HK there is a waiting list even to become a volunteer.
But water doesn’t kill a heart with fire, tomorrow I will go for my ‘interview’ and hopefully I can start becoming a weekly volunteer to spend time with kids again. Not sure where my role lies yet, if they need someone who teaches or plainly assist in looking after them etc. Let’s see what can come out of it…but I’m sure I will be the one who end up gaining and benefiting the most out of this, not the children. See, there is no selfless deed, even ‘charity’ or ‘ministry’.
About me
A lost soul who travels the world in her search for life's adventures and answers.
journeyexplorer 
