CNY Plan

Babe and I have spent numerous weekends afternoon facing the laptop, clicking here and there to decide where to go this CNY. Since this year is the first year my dad not with us, there's nothing to celebrate back home. Mom also planned a trip with sister to go out of country. I hope they have a great trip.

Our first option, Bali. Since mom just came back from there in Nov and she said it was nice to go there, so I click click and submitted all information. After that, I clicked to check the weather there. Damn it, of 12 months in a year, January has the heaviest raining season in Bali. What else I can do in Bali if it is raining? So I quickly called the tour company and cancel my trip. And, wasted my few afternoons efforts. Because I like to check through all hotels comment before commited to one, and this kind of research takes time. I was exhausted and giving up. Then Jay said let's just go Japan.

I am not a Japan fans, but I figured out we don't have a choice. I ain't gonna waste my precious holidays staying in Shanghai. So, I click click and submitted info. This time I don't have to do research on hotels because I don't have the opportunity to choose. It's all pre-set, because it's a group tour.

Of so many countries, Japan is one of the country that needed Malaysian to get a visa. So, we went to the Japan embassy in shanghai, submitted passport and money, and it was quite efficient, after exactly 7 days, they called us to pick it up.

Some how, the news that I am going to Japan has spread to the whole office, including our vendor also know about it (i really wonder why). They were very jealous, you know why? For chinese citizen to go Japan, if you are a single female, you need to prepare 250,000 RMB. 150,000 RMB is for deposit purpose (will return to you after your return from Japan), and you need to make sure you have at least 100,000 RMB in your bank account, at savings. If you are a married person, then you just need to prepare 200,000 RMB. Wow... no wonder they jealous. Because being a non-china citizen, we don't have to fulfill that. We just get visa paying RMB200.

So here am I, waiting to go Japan... not quite excited, because it's winter, but, at least something to look a bit forward to, right or not folks?

HK trip with babe~

I used to think HK is a very boring city, except for shopping. Apparently, if you go to any city on a vacation purpose, together with your love ones, it's an exciting trip:-)

So on a short circuited decision, we have decided to visit HK on Jan 2 - 4th, with some HKD, and a book about HK eating places, we boarded the plane to HK.

We arrived HK airport around noon, stored the luggage in HK airport for only 55 HKD for more than 3 hours storage service, and took S1 bus from HK to DungChung, to visit the Buddha. It was a fun ride (yes we both bought the octopus card). within 15 min and reach already, it's a double decker:)
Winston was late for an hour! He said overslept.. But anyway, the cable car ride was quite fun, with the luxury of viewing the HK airport, and crossing many small mountains. It was quite cold up there.


I like this picture a lot... give a very peaceful thought looking at it.. with the sun setting behind the Buddha.

There are a lot of people on that day, and it took us half an hour queeing up to get on the cable car to go up, and another half an hour to come down, and each ride is also a half an hour. Oh, heard that cable car got accident before - dropped to the sea during the test ride, wah lao eh... scared scared. But anyway, by the time we get down to the base again, it was 7.30pm. We quickly take the bus back to airport, claim our luggage, and took another airport shuttle bus to hotel (we got a good deal on shuttle bus, only 160 HKD for 2 person, coz we booked the airticket with ctrip. This kind of shuttle bus brings us to hotel directly, not the one just stop at subway).

By the time we got to hotel, it was past 8pm, we were hungry, tired, and have to meet winston at causeway bay at 8.30pm, so we were very rushed. Upon checking in Park Hotel (at Tsim Sa Zui), we were so surprised the officer upgraded us to a suite!! It has a living room, 2 TV, 2 bathroom, and a bedroom. I was jumping up and down in the room, feeling so happy with the space and the treatment. Woo... this is a bonus:)
The dinner that Calvin treated us was so tasty, until I forgot to snap some photos :( yah, too hungry and too busy eating. haha.. and I can't remember the place name again. ee... it's something under the bridge. The lala and prawn are so tasty! After dinner, we shop shop, walk walk, and it is so hard to believe the street is still full of people even at 11.30pm. Wow...


The first night, I got my loccitane lotion, 1 pair of converse, and Jay got his facial stuff, from sasa, haha, i can't believe he is so concern about his facial products.

Jay almost dropped dead when we reached hotel. So we slept and only woke up "naturally" (自然醒） the next day.

More shopping the next day, we went Mongkok for Jay's shoes, and then meet winston at 金钟 for lunch, where we bump into a friend we know in Shanghai, what a small world:


Babe has his favorite wonton mee, twice some more.
The day ended with shopping shopping and shopping, we have to go back to hotel for 2 times to put down the stuff because we can't walk with heavy bags. Luckily the hotel is in town and thank God HK has efficient subway system. Supposed to meet Lee Ken Kok my high-school schoolmate for dinner, but Jay was so tired he barely can open his eyes. So Ken only came to our hotel to chit chat with us. Feel so pai seh. Babe closed his eyes half way of the conversation, Ken and I were puzzled for 2 seconds. hehehe...

The next day, it's the check out day. We left our luggage with the hotel, because our flight was in the late evening. Both of us are tired of shopping, and so we decided to take a good look at HK. We visited the 半山扶梯 at 中环. It was a Sunday, we are not sure does the Philipino maid get off day on every Sunday or not, because the WHOLE 中环 is full of them, sitting on the floor, chit-chatting, laughing, and buying stuff.

This is one of the entrance to the escalotor link alley:



We also went Lan Kwai Fong, just for the fun of mimicking those HK stars walking down the staircase in drunkard steps:P

Saw this cute little poster, about the mut-dou in the subway hall, so cute lah:) And the subway station in zhonghuan is so empty, look:



So after that, we went back to Tsim Sa Zui, and walk to the 星光大道 where lots of HK stars palm-print onto the floor. I am surprised to see many BIG palm, and also surprised some people have small fat palm, like 郑志伟，hehehe... Below one is my favortie HK star, 刘青云
This is Jay's most respected HK star, Bruce Lee!



So you see, we did a lot of walking. By the time we finished that stretched, Jay is so hungry, he kept saying he wanted to eat dimsum. So I brought him to the dimsum place where our company always go during the toy fair, 鸿星酒家, yum yum. Can you see Jay's happy face?:)


By the time we finished dimsum, it's about time to go airport. So we went back hotel to collect our luggage, and took their free shuttle bus to kowloon airport express subway station. HK do everything so efficient, and if you buy ticket for 2, you even get discount. I only pay 140 for tickets of two for the express train, instead of 160. And, the ride is smooth and short.
I returned home, feeling happy with 3 pairs of shoes (the discount is even better than Shanghai buy 300 free 150), and 1 Le Sportac bag:) Almost bought a Gucci bag which is on 30% sales in airport, but Jay gave me that kind of look... so I say to the Gucci bag, "perhaps next time sweetie, I will keep you in mind"

It's a fun trip, most importantly, because it was with Jay:) (have been to HK many times for business trips, and I never really did walk around it like this time)