Around The World

One Night in Beijing

Saturday, January 21, 2012 3:40 AM Posted by wens

This is one of my favourite hotel, Sofitel Wanda Beijing! Free internet, super awesome room with king size bed!

The traffic in Beijing city is kinda bad, and it took awhile before reaching the hotel

Best thing in this room...... the TV in front of the bath tub! I seldom use the bath tubs in hotel cos I just wanna get over and done with washing up, but I just had to enjoy the TV in this bath tub, even though I was just watching cartoon!

I was super hungry after touchdown and had nothing to eat! I opened the pringles and ate it. OMG its like 5sgd for that pringles?!

Its winter and its super cold at night. My ears were freezing and it could have dropped off if I didn't cover them!

The next early morning, I took a cab to silk market to do some shopping.

It opens at around 930am, and alot of people were crowding around the entrance even before it opened.

There's quite alot of shops selling knock off branded items who tried to cut your throat by quoting sky high prices. You gotta be thick skin enough and fierce so that you wouldn't get bullied.

I went into the first shop selling winter coat and just randomly asked for the price of a coat and she quoted be 500RMB, which is 100SGD. I walked away hearing how ridiculous the price was and she dragged me back and asked how much I was willing to pay for it. I insisted 100RMB and she said I was crazy and kept scolding me in mandarin. I was super pissed and scolded her back! Then she got scared and toned down. LOL. Like WTF right, forcing me to pay when I'm the customer. In the end she charged me 30sgd, 150RMB, but I was reluctant to buy from her cos her attitude sucked.

Sunny day, but it was still cold.

Went back to the hotel area and headed to carrefour to get some stuffs. Bought 2 pre-packed peking duck cos I didn't had a chance to eat it! It was 1kg each and its super heavy with all the stuff I bought!

Start a new year in Shanghai

Thursday, January 12, 2012 3:43 AM Posted by wens

All I can say about the end of my 2011 and the start of 2012 is rather different. I spent the last moment of 2011 preparing for a flight to shanghai, and the start of 2012 on the flight itself. So much so that I've kinda lost the excitement of celebration for a new year or the end of an interesting year!

Touched down early in the morning just before the sun rose. Was so freaking tired that all I wanted was to crash on the bed. BUT, once I stepped into the room, I was wowed by how gorgeous it is. Look at the see through window into the toilet! I'm someone who's damn particular about toilets, and this is probably one of the nicest toilets I've seen. I didn't even use the bathtub on the left, cos the weather's so freaking cold that I just want a quick shower and snug into bed.

Thats the wardrobe and walkway from the door

The huge mirror and the very business-like table to put all my barangs. Unfortunately, the light is too dim for me to put on my makeup properly.

By the way, there are 2 beds. One for sleeping, and the other one? To chuck all my clothes and belongings. It definitely feels great to have a room to myself, that I don't have to be conscious about how I spread my things all over and being so untidy.

Thats the morning view from the hotel window.

Had lunch at a curry place just beside the hotel, then headed down to pearl centre for some shopping.

Well, probably one of my resolution in 2012 is to be more adventurous. So here I went, alone in a foreign land travelling to this mall in a taxi, hoping that he won't bring me to some weird place instead.

Enjoying the beautiful view of the city along the ride, and I love how picturesque these scenes are.

That's just outside Pearl Centre.

The stuff there are pretty pricey and gotta haggle quite a bit till both of us are frustrated with each other. Its kinda scary, how once u asked for the item, you are quite obliged to buy it, except for some nice ones who won't bug you to buy. Annoying!

Saw this hot pink car outside the mall and its really nice.

Saw this stall vendor along the street out of nowhere, selling animal furs. It looks like the whole piece of animal was skined alive! The head is still there!

Walked and walked, and saw this random nice cafe out of nowhere nice. Feels very korean.

Bought some strawberries along the street. Its kinda pricey, like RMB 25 for this small amount of strawberries. But omg, they are damn sweet and big. Just a pity that they almost rot the next day when I was about to eat it.

Shopped at Carrefour a little. Its so huge and they even sell clothings! Nowonder everyone goes there.

Alrights, back to the hotel for the new year dinner. I was kinda sian to go back cos I wanted to roam around more.

The food is damn good, and having a sweet tooth, what I like most is of course the dessert!

There's this chef who would cook the pancake is some sauce of butter, alcohol, cherry and orange syrup. Topped with some movenpick ice cream and you'll fly to the sky!

So that's my shopping loot, its really little! Just glad that I've gotten my boots as well =)

Just a day in Melbourne (9th-10th Dec 11)

3:40 AM Posted by wens

Touched down in Melbourne at night, and there was nothing much to be done except for eating and going to the grocery nearby. Saw horse carriage on the street and was pretty amazed.

The next day early morning, went around the hotel area for a walk. Apparently, this pie face is rather popular in Melboune and could be seen in almost every street that you walk into.