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+ Elenana
+ 04 Jan
+ elenatan@gmail.com
Full time music teacher
Loves God's creation, Loves travels, Loves beaches........
+ 04 Jan
+ elenatan@gmail.com
Full time music teacher
Loves God's creation, Loves travels, Loves beaches........
Friday, August 18, 2006
Back From Hongkong/Macau
It's gonna be a long entry, and i'm just sitting here doing some recollections of the past few days' events. Probably will upload my pictures (a few thousand shots combined) next wk.
Friday (11/08) - Flight was 9.50am, had to be at the airport at 8am, 7.50am to be exact. Thank God for sending a cab our way, with no need to call, no morning peak surcharge which starts at 7am. After doing our check-ins, headed to HANS for breakfast. Yes, where's my BK Breakfast??? But yeah sigh, Budget terminal doesn't have any BK, and it was too rush to head over to terminal 2, so we settled for HANS. Not too impressive though. Did some final emailing, said some final goodbyes, yeah, for those of you who know me well would know i take every holiday departure pretty seriously. Fantastic, boarded the plane, sat at the emergency exit (for the sake of having more leg space but sacrificed inclining chair), and there was a DELAY. But it wasn't that bad...only 1 hour la.
Reached Macau, took a ferry to Hongkong. Pretty fast. It was quite an experience lugging our luggage everywhere. Even in Hongkong, we took the MTR to our hotel and it wasn't easy. Especially when u have pple standing there just WATCHING you struggle your way thru, impression of Hongkongers just went "UP" one notch. (Fortunately my hongkonger friends are no where like them!!) Hotel was nice, simple, and cozy. Thank God for the free internet access, which helped me unwind and communicate. Went to walk in Causeway Bay. Checked out the area nearest to where we stay. Had a late dinner because we had a late lunch. Guess what, we had KFC for dinner...IN HONGKONG??????? Yes, in Hongkong. Waha.
Saturday (12/08) - Met up with Olivia and Nelson, brought us to Yum Cha, yum yum...went to this restaurant by the Maxim Group called "Jade Garden", very near our hotel. After that, we went to Tsim Sha Tsui, in the southern part of Kowloon. Hongkong has a fantastic transport system called the MTR (just like our MRT la) but it's fantastic how u can get from one place to another in such a short time, and mind you it's Big Hongkong, not Small Singapore. Yeah, truly impressed. Had a shopping time in Esprit, Miramar Buiding - UniQlo, Grandville Road, and then Star Ferry Terminal where Shirley went to meet her friend. At night, we went to the Avenue of Stars where we watched the Symphony of Lights display across the Victoria Harbour. Splendid experience, it's just like walking along the Esplanade Waterfront, i always enjoyed such leisure walks.
Soon, it was time to ferry our way back to Causeway Bay for dinner. Noticed the culture in HK, pple don't rush to board the ferry, they take their time. Unlike in Singapore, u see how pple push their way to grab seats. Finally, at 11pm, we were given our table for dinner at Watami Jap Restaurant. (Had an interesting video taken of my dish cooking, it was DIY omelette making.) Finally, it was time to head back for some REST!!
Sunday (13/08) - Today, we visited SOGO and later decided to have lunch at "CHI JI", place that Pastor recommended for Wanton Mee. Did we go to G.O.D? After that, headed to Mongkok, Ladies Market which sold things which could mostly be found in Thailand as well. Got some daily necessities. Didn't manage to get much also, market quality stuff cannot make it.
End of the day, i did some reflections which i jotted down, "Shopping here is not that fantastic and yes, i'm kinda thankful to be staying in Singapore. Food in Singapore is not that expensive too. In Hongkong, i can spend abt $30 on food a day, just simple meals."
Monday (14/08) - Today was declared Sight-seeing day, according to our itinerary. Went to get some disney stuff and then headed to Macs for Brunch. (Yeah, Macs this time...and Macs provides one of the cheapest alternative for food..) Yeah, my hotel provides free set breakfasts but i never usually make it on time for them, mainly no incentive cuz the sets are the same EVERYDAY.
Off we went to Ocean Park, it was indeed a HOT DAY. i could literally BBQ and bake in the sun. The escalators there are cool. Long and neverending. Didn't manage to take the rides, queues were too long, weather was just too HOT! Ended up, went to all the aquariums, see jellyfish, sharks etc. Ended the day with a scenic cable car ride. The 30 min queue was worth the wait. The scenery was beautiful, the cable car ride is similar to the one i took in Langkawi just that it wasn't as steep.
Went to TST again, by then Shirley was already dead tired, and had to scrambled back to the hotel for some time off. That night i did quite alot of reflections, lotsa thoughts were going thru my head. Was feeling sad, regretful, unhappy, and all the negative thoughts just flowed into me one by one. On the trip, i really looked forward to my every-night-time-with-God. The walking and walking just ate into me. And yes, this holiday was meant to be for leisure!!!
Tuesday (15/08) - Today was declared FREE N EASY day, boy was i thankful. Went to Yum Cha with Shirley at one of the Chinese Restaurants. Went to island beverly walk, and then we were off on our own. She went to meet up with another friend, and i took a casual walk in Causeway Bay. Yes, finally, casual walk, to unwind, but cannot make it la..the air so polluted. Went back to the hotel, laid all my things down, decided to head to TIMES SQUARE Supermarket. Was quite therapeutic to grocery shop. Was trying to look for some food stuff to buy back, only found one. Some erm Black Pepper Sliced Salami.
At night, after dinner at another Wanton Mee place, Shirley and I went to THE PEAK. i enjoyed the tram ride, seemed like a mini aeroplane take off, very steep. We had Burger King up there, (yes it was a luxury...) Took some pics, breathed in some nice cool air, and then came down.
Wednesday (16/08) - Today, gonna leave HK for Macau...did some last minute picking up of stuff, yes, finally we had breakfast again at the hotel. Our last breakfast wahaha. Finally shared with Shirley that i was feeling down. And she got me GODIVA Chocolates to perk me up!! Thank you, yes first time trying GODIVA chocolates was a luxury too. Went to find "DAN TA" (egg tarts) decided not to buy home but ate one there instead. Yummy yum.
Time to leave Hongkong, say hi to Macau, reached there, checked into hotel and took a nap. Went to some touristy attractions for some nice picture-taking. Had Macs again, this time at 5.30pm, we were having lunch-dinner. (Not bad hor...Macs everywhere, but yeah they sell different things..there's so much to compare.) Headed to the Ruins of St Paul's Church, walked a huge round to get there, where actually it's only abt 10 min walk from our hotel. (Again, will put up the pics later..i think i should join the photography club) Place is somewhat polluted, worse than HK. Buildings all dilapidated. Again, visited a MacCafe this time, for the Mango Frapp. We went to the Hotel Lisboa Casino, seeing the way pple win money is so fun!!!
Did some reflections again, yeah, was glad my thoughts and emotions were understood internationally, thankful for the emails/SMSes, i needed them. James 1 spoke again.
Thursday (15/08) - Today was our last day in Macau, we went for Yum Cha in the restaurant in our hotel for brunch. Then checked out and headed to New Yaohan. We yao-ed our way thru that shopping centre then headed opposite for more attractions and picture-taking. NICE!!!! The man-made structures were very pretty. Took pics until cameras went flat. Saw many different kinds of lamps. But it was broad daylight, so they were not lit. Back to hotel, to airport, and back in Singapore!
My stamina increased man, after this holiday, but no, i no longer enjoy extensive shopping. I'm growing old. Probably didn't put on any weight because of all that walking, but my intake of chocolates certainly increased. Yea, when i'm unhappy or stressed, choc intake is high.
Now, what do i need? Another holiday to recuperate from this. I'm really thankful to be living in Singapore, no pollution, cheaper food, cheaper things, good roads, nice taxi drivers.
Friday (11/08) - Flight was 9.50am, had to be at the airport at 8am, 7.50am to be exact. Thank God for sending a cab our way, with no need to call, no morning peak surcharge which starts at 7am. After doing our check-ins, headed to HANS for breakfast. Yes, where's my BK Breakfast??? But yeah sigh, Budget terminal doesn't have any BK, and it was too rush to head over to terminal 2, so we settled for HANS. Not too impressive though. Did some final emailing, said some final goodbyes, yeah, for those of you who know me well would know i take every holiday departure pretty seriously. Fantastic, boarded the plane, sat at the emergency exit (for the sake of having more leg space but sacrificed inclining chair), and there was a DELAY. But it wasn't that bad...only 1 hour la.
Reached Macau, took a ferry to Hongkong. Pretty fast. It was quite an experience lugging our luggage everywhere. Even in Hongkong, we took the MTR to our hotel and it wasn't easy. Especially when u have pple standing there just WATCHING you struggle your way thru, impression of Hongkongers just went "UP" one notch. (Fortunately my hongkonger friends are no where like them!!) Hotel was nice, simple, and cozy. Thank God for the free internet access, which helped me unwind and communicate. Went to walk in Causeway Bay. Checked out the area nearest to where we stay. Had a late dinner because we had a late lunch. Guess what, we had KFC for dinner...IN HONGKONG??????? Yes, in Hongkong. Waha.
Saturday (12/08) - Met up with Olivia and Nelson, brought us to Yum Cha, yum yum...went to this restaurant by the Maxim Group called "Jade Garden", very near our hotel. After that, we went to Tsim Sha Tsui, in the southern part of Kowloon. Hongkong has a fantastic transport system called the MTR (just like our MRT la) but it's fantastic how u can get from one place to another in such a short time, and mind you it's Big Hongkong, not Small Singapore. Yeah, truly impressed. Had a shopping time in Esprit, Miramar Buiding - UniQlo, Grandville Road, and then Star Ferry Terminal where Shirley went to meet her friend. At night, we went to the Avenue of Stars where we watched the Symphony of Lights display across the Victoria Harbour. Splendid experience, it's just like walking along the Esplanade Waterfront, i always enjoyed such leisure walks.
Soon, it was time to ferry our way back to Causeway Bay for dinner. Noticed the culture in HK, pple don't rush to board the ferry, they take their time. Unlike in Singapore, u see how pple push their way to grab seats. Finally, at 11pm, we were given our table for dinner at Watami Jap Restaurant. (Had an interesting video taken of my dish cooking, it was DIY omelette making.) Finally, it was time to head back for some REST!!
Sunday (13/08) - Today, we visited SOGO and later decided to have lunch at "CHI JI", place that Pastor recommended for Wanton Mee. Did we go to G.O.D? After that, headed to Mongkok, Ladies Market which sold things which could mostly be found in Thailand as well. Got some daily necessities. Didn't manage to get much also, market quality stuff cannot make it.
End of the day, i did some reflections which i jotted down, "Shopping here is not that fantastic and yes, i'm kinda thankful to be staying in Singapore. Food in Singapore is not that expensive too. In Hongkong, i can spend abt $30 on food a day, just simple meals."
Monday (14/08) - Today was declared Sight-seeing day, according to our itinerary. Went to get some disney stuff and then headed to Macs for Brunch. (Yeah, Macs this time...and Macs provides one of the cheapest alternative for food..) Yeah, my hotel provides free set breakfasts but i never usually make it on time for them, mainly no incentive cuz the sets are the same EVERYDAY.
Off we went to Ocean Park, it was indeed a HOT DAY. i could literally BBQ and bake in the sun. The escalators there are cool. Long and neverending. Didn't manage to take the rides, queues were too long, weather was just too HOT! Ended up, went to all the aquariums, see jellyfish, sharks etc. Ended the day with a scenic cable car ride. The 30 min queue was worth the wait. The scenery was beautiful, the cable car ride is similar to the one i took in Langkawi just that it wasn't as steep.
Went to TST again, by then Shirley was already dead tired, and had to scrambled back to the hotel for some time off. That night i did quite alot of reflections, lotsa thoughts were going thru my head. Was feeling sad, regretful, unhappy, and all the negative thoughts just flowed into me one by one. On the trip, i really looked forward to my every-night-time-with-God. The walking and walking just ate into me. And yes, this holiday was meant to be for leisure!!!
Tuesday (15/08) - Today was declared FREE N EASY day, boy was i thankful. Went to Yum Cha with Shirley at one of the Chinese Restaurants. Went to island beverly walk, and then we were off on our own. She went to meet up with another friend, and i took a casual walk in Causeway Bay. Yes, finally, casual walk, to unwind, but cannot make it la..the air so polluted. Went back to the hotel, laid all my things down, decided to head to TIMES SQUARE Supermarket. Was quite therapeutic to grocery shop. Was trying to look for some food stuff to buy back, only found one. Some erm Black Pepper Sliced Salami.
At night, after dinner at another Wanton Mee place, Shirley and I went to THE PEAK. i enjoyed the tram ride, seemed like a mini aeroplane take off, very steep. We had Burger King up there, (yes it was a luxury...) Took some pics, breathed in some nice cool air, and then came down.
Wednesday (16/08) - Today, gonna leave HK for Macau...did some last minute picking up of stuff, yes, finally we had breakfast again at the hotel. Our last breakfast wahaha. Finally shared with Shirley that i was feeling down. And she got me GODIVA Chocolates to perk me up!! Thank you, yes first time trying GODIVA chocolates was a luxury too. Went to find "DAN TA" (egg tarts) decided not to buy home but ate one there instead. Yummy yum.
Time to leave Hongkong, say hi to Macau, reached there, checked into hotel and took a nap. Went to some touristy attractions for some nice picture-taking. Had Macs again, this time at 5.30pm, we were having lunch-dinner. (Not bad hor...Macs everywhere, but yeah they sell different things..there's so much to compare.) Headed to the Ruins of St Paul's Church, walked a huge round to get there, where actually it's only abt 10 min walk from our hotel. (Again, will put up the pics later..i think i should join the photography club) Place is somewhat polluted, worse than HK. Buildings all dilapidated. Again, visited a MacCafe this time, for the Mango Frapp. We went to the Hotel Lisboa Casino, seeing the way pple win money is so fun!!!
Did some reflections again, yeah, was glad my thoughts and emotions were understood internationally, thankful for the emails/SMSes, i needed them. James 1 spoke again.
Thursday (15/08) - Today was our last day in Macau, we went for Yum Cha in the restaurant in our hotel for brunch. Then checked out and headed to New Yaohan. We yao-ed our way thru that shopping centre then headed opposite for more attractions and picture-taking. NICE!!!! The man-made structures were very pretty. Took pics until cameras went flat. Saw many different kinds of lamps. But it was broad daylight, so they were not lit. Back to hotel, to airport, and back in Singapore!
My stamina increased man, after this holiday, but no, i no longer enjoy extensive shopping. I'm growing old. Probably didn't put on any weight because of all that walking, but my intake of chocolates certainly increased. Yea, when i'm unhappy or stressed, choc intake is high.
Now, what do i need? Another holiday to recuperate from this. I'm really thankful to be living in Singapore, no pollution, cheaper food, cheaper things, good roads, nice taxi drivers.
at 9:54 AM
Arabesque
Elmo-nette
BI-eliza
PIC
The 4th Haven
Bobochacha
Chrisnana
Cheongster
Chefs Affair
The Oxymoron
Pirouette
Elmo-nette
BI-eliza
PIC
The 4th Haven
Bobochacha
Chrisnana
Cheongster
Chefs Affair
The Oxymoron
Pirouette