San Francisco: Day 1
One of my favourite place to visit in the US is San Francisco. Heck, it should be on everyone’s itinerary!
I’ve been to San Francisco only twice, but I have fond memories of that place.
The first time was on a school trip. I roomed with my best friends and we formed such vivid memories that we now have classic jokes - and we still get tickled by the jokes all the time. The second time was when I was on exchange.
The only difference between the two trips? On the second, I unleashed the shoppaholic in me, and I just adored the shopping streets of San Francisco!
Taken at the Old Cheesecake Factory overlooking Union Square.
What is there not to love about the F21 store in SF? Way before F21 took Singapore by the storm.
So as luck turns out, when you are in SF, there might be a mini parade of some sort.
Before heading off to Fisherman’s Wharf, we took lunch at the Old Cheesecake Factory.
I’ve been thinking about this place since I left SF and have been harping on it for eons. I heard that the standards have wavered, but I still would like to take my lunch there someday.
Glorious cheesecake. If only those in Singapore were half as good or half as generous with the whip cream (not that I eat any of it, but it makes this dessert visually very appealing) and strawberries.
A familiar sight on the streets of SF is the tram. I don’t know if this is truly a economical or efficient way to get around the city, but it’s definitely part of the heritage. When I took the tram, the tram kept stopping. It sometimes is faster to walk to get to your destination.
But when you see this…
Perhaps taking the tram was a wise idea.
We opted to take a leisurely stroll throughout the entire day of sightseeing.
My geeky student self. I’ve since learned that concealer, eyeliner and mascara are essential items in any girl’s make-up pouch. Age does wonders as well. Thank goodness I was never crazy over loosing weight when I was young. As one ages, the baby fats on the face really do disappear and you don’t understand where they could have gone to!
The Transamerica Pyramid.
The Belle Tower.
The Crooked Lombard Street.
As the sun started to set, it was a mad dash to Fisherman’s Wharf.
Almost there!!!
It’s a pity that the number of seals at the Wharf is dwindling.
It’s also a pity that my camera could not take proper pictures at night… So till the next post, have a good PH everyone!
Kota Kinabalu, Part 3.
In between napping and staring outside, this peculiar looking house caught my attention on day 1. I was so keen on capturing it on my camera that I stayed awake for 30 minutes staring out at the window on day 2.
Turns out that, hey this has become a tourist destination in Sabah. It was even featured in Straits Times 2 days after my return. To think I thought I struck gold.
It’s a house built to look upside down. Even the garage is upside down.
Up the slopes to see Kota Kinabalu!
Do you see the peak shrouded in white clouds?
It was a race against time to reach the market as the peak will be covered within 40 minutes. It was going to rain.
Within 20 minutes we reached the market. Yes!
But of course, the attraction for the day is not the fish. It’s the peak of Kota Kinabalu!
I did not get the chance to trek up to the peak of Kota Kinabalu. But this is satisfying enough for me.
And sure enough, the moment we left. It rained.
Crossing over to the other side of the mountain we drove through to Kundasang.
Rumbling meadows, misty clouds. I felt like I was not anywhere in Malaysia. Even though it was about 20 odd degrees, I felt like it was 10 degrees. I love the feeling of being so close to clouds!!!
And so you spot what I see? Your eyes are not playing tricks on you.
It’s a cow.
Hey to a city girl, seeing livestock in their natural environment is quite a comforting sight. Beats seeing them in the market, hung. Ha!
I know I look pretty pale in this. But this is me with almost zero make-up. I’m always slightly possessed by the lazy-bug when I go travelling. I was way much worse when I was younger.
The reason why I saw so many cows was because I was at a dairy farm. Not that I’ve not visited one before. I have! On a farm in Australia, and I got the chance to milk a cow! And… drink the milk that I milked!
Not this time round though. I had to buy. As I said, I don’t know what I was possessed with, but being lactose-intolerant I can’t imagine why I would willingly shell out money to buy 500ml worth of fresh milk to drink by myself. 100 ml worth of chocolate milk is good enough to send me packing to the bathroom.
I lasted… 250ml. And let’s just say that lunch was an uncomfortable affair.
If you are in the area of Kundasang, you should take some time to visit the war memorial park.
The war memorial park was in disarray before Mr Sevee Charuruks stepped in to fund the restoration with his retirement fund. The war memorial park has been restored to its former glory and it is quite an educational trip for Singaporeans.
It is a place to remember the Australian troops who fought for Singapore before we fell into Japanese hands. It is a place to commemorate those who lost their lives who bravely stood to the end for the integrity of Singapore, choosing to walk the hardest path. Even though… they knew death marked the end of their doomed destination.
Things they never told you in our history books. I have great respect for these soldiers who fought so hard for a country that was not their own.
Thank you.
The misty road home.
Thanks for reading my blog everyone!
Kota Kinabalu, Part II
Hello everyone, so sorry about the month-long wait. I’ve fallen ill so many times in the past month, I’m left jaded… again! And not to mention, I’m now a little tired of visiting the doctors entirely.
Anyway, back on my adventure in Kota Kinabalu.
Malaysia really has a lot to offer. Up north, brimming with corals. Down south, full of lush forests and biodiversity.
If you are in Kota Kinabalu, you can opt for a homestay programme instead of staying in a hotel. There, you get to experience a different type of lifestyle. Serene, away from the bustling city life…
I walked past paddy fields before reaching the bridge that I was to cross.
The homestay programme also offers you to experience the daily livelihood of the villages. That includes trudging through a paddy field (watch out for snakes!) and risk getting bitten by army-trained mosquitoes.
I will never be a good rubber-tree tapper.
Back at the village, the sun was scorching. I felt relived that I have put sunblock on my ears. If only I had layered even more sunblock on my arms.
But the nightfall over the village was gorgeous…
In the next post, experience the cold air up closer to the peak of Kota Kinabalu and Kundasang.
Kota Kinabalu, Part 1.
I took some time off and headed to Kota Kinabalu. If retail therapy doesn’t kick in some excitement, perhaps being in a different place would help.
The ride to Sabah was rocky. Lightning flickered through the overcast sky, the rain poured angrily over the tiny plane. I was pretty glad to have landed safely in Kota Kinabalu.
For many reasons, Kota Kinabalu reminds me of Kuching. A relatively clean city where the pace of life is enjoyable. Till this day, I do remember the taste of ABC ice kachang fondly.
City life in Kota Kinabalu is made up of two different worlds. You have the modern buildings standing comfortably side by side to old monuments.
Kota Kinabalu overlooks the South China Sea. The sun was feeling generous and shone so brightly, I really regretted not having put on more sun block.
I was rather tickled that the map given by the hotel had the “fishing boats” starred as tourist attractions. Seriously?
If you’re wondering. These are a bunch of fishermen / fish-sellers doing their daily business. An innovative way to do business.
A short walk away, you will enter the central market.
Long gone are those days of wet market in Singapore where you will see fresh pork hanging on hooks and dripping with blood. No longer are you able to get curdled blood of pigs.
But here in Sabah? It’s pig trotters’ heaven!
And every time I went to the market with my parents on Saturdays, my daddy will always sing this to me…
To market, to market to buy a fat pig. Home again, home again, jiggety-jig.
Ahh… those days.
Being half Cantonese, I grew up eating roasted pig. I really contemplated on bringing this home.
Another sight that stuck in my memory of the market shopping trips that I did with my parents was the barbaric killing of chickens.
Chickens were kept in coops till they were chosen by the buyer. The stall owners will proceed to slit off the neck of the chicken and let the blood flow into metal bowls. Of course, this was not always successful and the floor was splattered with blood from time to time. The smell of the blood was not something that I’m really fond of.
Then, the owners will go through the daunting task of plucking off all the feathers from the chicken.
Am I glad that we have technology to process chickens. It seems more humane.
The Central market spans across three major sections - meat, vegetable & dry goods.
The vegetable section looks the same in most countries so I shall not bore you with the pictures that I took. But the dry goods section… Heh, sure brought me back to my childhood.
Who can ever forget those days where you purchase coconut shavings the old school way.
More pictures in the next post!
So long Mr KTM…
Hello folks! How have you been doing?
Two months ago, history was made.
Singapore and Malaysia finally came up with an agreement to have the land that the Malaysian trek was sitting on, returned to Singapore. In return, Malaysia was given a piece of prime land in the heart of the Marina Bay area.
For nature lovers alike, the call to preserve the treks was made. We hoped, we wished, we crossed our fingers.
One month was all that we were given to walk the trek. 2 weekends was all I had.
I lost count as to how much I walked. But it remains etched in my memories.
Enjoy.
I started my walk from the RailMall.
I walked the path in my trusty haviannas. They didn’t break.
But I did spot a lot of worn shoe soles. Unfortunately, the trekking did ruin my toe nails. I had chipped and broken toe nails that had to be glued back.
How timely that half bleached hair was in. Now where did the California sun go to?
An interesting fact is that this number is not the year that the train trek was built. This number denotes the numbering of the bridge. Each bridge has it own unique number.
T-to-t modelling. Watch the arched feet.
I love frangipanis. They are so pretty and elegant.
A freshly fallen flower from the African Tulip tree.
Twenty years ago, I woke up at 7am every single day to watch the train chug pass this corridor.
Adversity.
We love you, Mr KTM.
The August Wind
This month just flew past in a flash.
So many places to go, so many friends to meet. So little time.
Me on the KTM treks.
F21 shorts, studded bracelets and my mosqi patch are the best accessories for this journey.
Hong Kong: Of friends and fun
This is my final post on my Hong Kong trip with my girlies.
Oh the fun, the glamour and the drama.
No prizes for guessing which is my bag.
So long!
Hong Kong: Breathing in the sights and sounds
I had much fun walking the streets of Hong Kong with my girlies and it’s much regret that I’m ending my posts for this trip soon. =(
On day three, we woke up really early to cross over from Tsim Tsa Tsui to Central.
I’ve never taken the star ferry and was super excited! It’s a really inexpensive way of travelling across the bay.
Limin will kill me for putting this picture up. But, check out the smile on our faces!
Wenbing loves me, I love Wenbing, we love Limin!
Once we alighted the ferry, we headed immediately to the Golden Bauhinia monument.
My friends had great difficulty taking a picture of this monument without any humans in the way. Ta-da! Amazed that I did.
Wearing: H&M Black maxi dress - purchased in HK! Love this so much. Asos leather bag. Grey jacket by Stephie’s shop - totally worn to death.
Limin says she loves this picture a lot. So I will upload this on her behalf.
While goofing around the bay…
You probably spotted me wearing this grey jacket like 9 times out of 10 pictures from my travelogues. This is an item that I really love so much. It completes my outfit. I have two of them in grey, one in black, one in blue. But my favourite is still the grey. What am I going to do when both are all tattered and torn? Sigh.
Exploring Central is easy peasy.
Argh, I miss my long wavy hair. If only I had not been so tempted as to ask my hairstylist to chop it all off! But, it was between the chops or having split ends in the middle of my crop. Decisions.
While I get totally engrossed with my dried hair. It is obvious that Ganny really does not like to take pictures with me.
Oh well, love that girl anyway. Even more after Margarita and Mojito.
I love this other girl as well.
While you look past the love-struck look - evidence of having too much fun in Hong Kong - that is the world’s longest travelator.
Tucked away on one of the streets here at Central lies the most famous bakery shop of them all… Tai Cheung Bakery. At SGD1 per egg tart, hello this is heavenly inexpensive and so good. I bought a dozen.
Being half a Cantonese, one of my other favourite bakery delights is this…
Steam caaaaake!!!!!!! I love steam cake! It always made my day when my mum packs one for me for my school lunch.
Aye, immediately after this short detour to get delicious pastry…
It’s back to Tsim Tsa Tsui.
Thankfully, shopping makes up for it all.
Christmas wish… AE would you come to Singapore?
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.