Of coffee, good friends and autumn leaves
November came and went… silently… December has arrived.
As I score zero on the shopping chart - after all, did you hear that Chanel has increased prices once more? And my 2.55 has doubled its value (and slightly more) in just merely two years? - I did set my eyes on meeting good ol’ friends this festive season.
Everyone loves a meet up over Starbucks. Proof that we are all Starbucks addicts. All drinks were on the house (13th cup).
This Christmas (rather pre-Christmas) I gifted my friends with this lovely cup from starbucks.
One wish I have to get granted one of these days is to drink a cup of coffee mix with eggnog.
Though having felt extremely guilty for bursting my shopping budget time and time again… I did succumb to adding this little number to my closet. I usually steer far away from prints, but there is just something about these that I just fell instantly in love with.
Remind me when 2012 comes, I ought throw out some clothe, reinvent my wardrobe and blog more often.
Merry Christmas everyone!
J’adore my very first vintage Chanel
As I lament how rough the stocks have been doing in the last two months, let me say that it has been an equally rocky ride on Chanel stocks - the price of the bags that is.
As people watched to see the US markets free fall, eBay bidders watched the price of Chanel yo-yo. Everyone adopted a watch-and-wait attitude.
For the longest time ever, the bids for Chanel were surprising low, I gawked and almost slapped myself at seeing a Jumbo Maxi XL go for a minimal USD$1600. Yes, the same bag that you see glorified on Richie’s and Beckham’s arms.
Or, how about that clutch bag that vintage classic lambskin that I saw auctioned for USD$800?
Comparing to the current Chanel price, that is great divide.
Those days of Chanel eBay hunting were one of the best past times ever. The exchange rate was in my favour, coupled by low bid rates. Hey, I think I was close to Chanel heaven.
Well, I confess, I got lucky and score myself this beauty for a really affordable price.
I fell in love with this bag on first sight when I saw it on eBay. What is there not to like about the golden logo, something so different from the usual CC turn-locks or the mademoiselle lock.
It’s really tiny, but manages to store my essentials - phone, lip balm, wallet, car keys. And over sometime, the purse softened, expanded and became more charming then when it first arrived.
The chains can be tucked in, and voila, it becomes a nice clutch with character.
After owning one semi-vintage Chanel, I have gotten over my fears of owning some old lady’s purse. Vintage Chanel prides itself for being extremely well made for its time. And its true. Some of the vintage Chanels are far superior than current seasonal (and classic) Chanels.
So here sits the mini lady that is 30 years old. She was born from 1980 - 1985. Pretty fine for her age.
J’adore, j’adore, j’adore.
C’est tu?
The Pendulum.
Swinging like a pendulum.
Immersed in a stack of never ending pile of thick solidified tree pulp.
The urge to cut it all off, dye it neon pink; drink some banned liquor and party till the night go down.
Such is the conflicting interest of life.
‘Till the dusk no longer sets at 22 00′, I say.
And away I go, furiously painting red all over town.
Hong Kong: 山和水
Kowloon Hong Kong
We like Hong Kong
That’s the place for you
Walking down the street full of joy
Come here come here richshaw boy
Take me down the street Chop Chop Chop
A Habba Habba Joe Ding How Ding How
Kowloon Kowloon Hong Kong
We Like Hong Kong
That’s the place for you
There are a few places in Hong Kong that you must explore.
The first on anyone’s list, should be causeway bay.
Visit at about 19 00 and wait to catch some junk boat and the light show at 20 00.
The light show runs daily and spans across both sides of the water body.
Along the bank, spend some time to walk the avenue of stars - a spin off from that of Hollywood.
It is along this stretch of road that you would come across the Olympic torch.
The other popular tourist site is the peak.
Pay a nominal fee to board the monorail or spend 2 hours odd climbing the steep slope. I do recommend taking the monorail. It is quite an experience.
I liken this experience to walking down lombard street.
The peak provides an unblock view of Hong Kong.
Those condominiums’ rent are one of the highest in the whole of Hong Kong.
Although, this house that is situated right at the peak of Hong Kong, must be the most expensive of them all.
I’m almost certain it has appeared in several Hong Kong dramas because…
This street (that is located just next to the house) has!
So has this!
One of my favourite shot of the entire trip. Never realised that my nose can look so sharp!
And why would I leave you without another food post!
Ice-cream for you?
The wanton noodles at Mak’s is really good.
Are you hungry yet?
The streets of Hong Kong
Seriously, travelling on a road trip with best pals you have known for a decade is a crazy affair. No cat fights, but tons of shopping.
HELLO STREETS OF HONG KONG!
What I wore: Bysi ruffled top and Zara leggings. Balenciaga triple tour, turqoise necklace from River Island and Asos leather bag.
Day two, we hit Ocean Terminal and Pedder Street to check out the fuss.
In many ways, Hong Kong reminds me so much about Singapore. At every turn in the city, you will see a luxurious brand.
But of course, my heart never strays far away from…
Unfortunately, it turns me off that I have to wrangle my way through the thick crowd to get into Chanel. So, goodbye my love. I’ll see you in Singapore.
I did, find the time to check out the first Shanghai Tang shop in the world at Pedder Street.
While the exterior looked Eastern and promising, the shops in this building failed to impress. With exception of this…
In typical Singaporean style. Spot the slippers.
Moving on, I did find a shop that I was drooling over.
I’m a huge fan of Nars’ blusher. My favourite colours are Orgasm and Deep Throat. While I had no qualms about buying another blusher, I had difficulty parting with their $80 Kabuki brush. If only I hadn’t cave into my Chanel make-up indulgence…
To balance beauty shopping, there is always a need to buy some clothes!
Way before H&M decided to come to Singapore, there was H&M in Hong Kong. And boy was it fun!
I love my girlfriends.
Hong Kong: The food edition
I have serious wanderlust.
Acting on a spur of the moment, my gal pals and I took off to enjoy the Hong Kong breeze. What was an informal proposal to shop our hearts out in Bangkok became a mini trip to Hong Kong. Within two weeks, everything was booked and off we went!
It feels so good to be on a jet plane.
Hong Kong is like Singapore in so many ways. Or some would say, Hong Kong is what Singapore would be, 10 years from now.
Once off the plane, we headed immediately to satisfy our hungry stomachs.
No matter which eatery you patronise, their roasted goose is superb. I’ve yet to eat a terrible roasted goose in Hong Kong!
Shortly after that, my Singaporean self kicked in again. Within 2 hours of taking our breakfast, we headed to eat lunch!
I received queer looks from my friend’s HK friend when I took this picture. Self-shots with food is definitely not taking flight here!
We took our lunch at this little noodle shop next to the famed Australia Dairy Company in Jordan. It’s supposedly very popular with the locals. There was never a moment when a table was empty.
Unlike Singapore, there lies a cultural norm of sharing tables with a total stranger. This ensures that business is maximised and customers’ hunger is satisfied. Also, be prepared to take your meal quickly, or embrace yourself to be chased by the shop attendants.
While I like the wanton - the crunch factor is spot-on - I did not like the bland noodles. Needless to say, I was also too full to finish the noodles.
But there is always a spare stomach to savour ice-cream! Especially if they are coming from a cute looking mobile ice-cream van!
Wearing: Zara printed tee, Balenciaga triple tour, Quartz necklace from River Island, Tulle skirt from Japan. Black pearl nail polish by Chanel. Leather bag is from Asos.
Over the years, I have learned that packing light is the way to go on any trips. There is always time and space for shopping! These days, my travel bag consists of separates that can be easily paired up - accessories included - and my travel palette steers towards neutral tones. I’m currently into maxi dresses. Great way to turn up the glam factor while keeping the bag light!
What a cute cone cover ain’t it? As usual I received stares. I got to remind myself that it ain’t cool to take pictures of food in Hong Kong.
But, Hong Kong is a food paradise! So for my readers’ sake, I am going to brace the stares, act like a dork and take more pictures of food!
Just like touring Taiwan, it is a must to enjoy a bowl of mango dessert. This is mango with pomelo. The mix of sweet and sour makes it real good.
The highlight of the day, however… has got to be this…
High up on my food list…
Fancy eating 蚝煎 for appetiser?
Do not belittle these two pieces of fried oyster omelette. Made from fresh duck eggs and a generous serving of baby oysters, this store’s omelette will turn haters into fans.
The batter is fried to perfection and the temperature is just right. And did I tell you that this is the ’small’ portion and costs SGD2?
And if you thought that looked really good, wait till you try their boiled vegetables. Do not be deceived by this simple fare. It is really really really good. The vegetables are sweet, soft with the right amount of texture to it.
Dinner was a bowl of claypot rice. I recommend that you try what I had, which was the smooth chicken claypot rice. Mixed in the right amount of black sweet soya sauce and dig in! The chicken portion is generous and you would definitely have a happy tummy at the end of the meal.
This eatery is not easy to find. But when you do find this little treasure hut somewhere along Arthur Road, you would thank me for it.
Nostalgia
Nostalgia is hitting me like bees swarming around flowers in spring.
As I wrapped up my extensive travel across Canada, I came across the photos of people I have met and made friends with.
A huge shout-out to everyone who made my stay in Canada memorable.
Thank you everyone!
#17
So I’ve been knocked out cold.
Recall #32?
It was #17’s turn.
To cheer myself up, I bought a Barbie kid’s toothbrush a day before the surgery.
Not that I really needed it much since I could barely eat after the op.
The moment of regret came when my dentist started to saw a part of my jaw just to pry #17. The sound of the saw in thy jaw was so sick, I probably said 20 prayers. My dentist made it worse by playing classical music - seriously, it reminded me of a horror movie.
My dentist sure knows how to make an impression.
The next time round I’ll opt for a GA.
The Hectic April
I’ve always been warned that April is a hectic month.
And it has been so busy that I’ve left my blog stuffed somewhere in the drawer! Even my repaired Chanel accessories have been sitting comfortably in the MBS oulet for *Gasp* two weeks!
Seriously, someone please take me for a shopping trip.
Ladies, I promise I’ll be back in action in no time at all.
Happy Good Friday!