We were out of ideas again of where we should go. Bak Kut Teh was seemed heaty and our appetites weren't that good, so we opted for a simple fare of noodles at a coffee shop. After food, we hopped over to Coffee Bean for a cuppa..
There's a reason why people pay a who lot more to enjoy a cup of coffee than just pay 70c for it at the nearest coffee shop. Branding aside, it feels a lot more comfortable sitting at a quite corner and reading the papers. I'd always start with my favourite section...the comic page. Haha. And I do remember someone once told me that what we read reflects our characters. And I guess its quite true. A friend once told me that I was a walking joke. Haha. Oh well, it sure beats being someone who starts the day reading the obituary.
We headed home and I got a call from mum. She's down at my sisters place. So, at least for today, we wont need to crack our heads on where we should be having dinner or what we should eat.
Pass Bedtime..
Goodnight!!
Go to sleep now close your eyes,
Try to think of tomorrow,
All of us wish you good night,
So I'm switching off the lights,
One more hug,
One more smile,
Kiss you once,
Kiss you twice,
I will be here for a while,
Try to sleep now & close your eyes.
Go to sleep now close your eyes,
Try to think of tomorrow,
All of us wish you good night,
So I'm switching off the lights,
One more hug,
One more smile,
Kiss you once,
Kiss you twice,
I will be here for a while,
Try to sleep now & close your eyes.
Dragon in 08
Colleague sent me this.. All dragons please note..
General
Though you will have many opportunities in terms of promotions, bestowed more responsibilities or the expansion of your business this year, there are more challenges ahead compared to the year of the Pig. You will be busier than usual but not necessary fruitful due to severe people problems. There will be more misunderstandings, betrayals, back-stabbings, and disputes this year. Hence, it is important to watch your back. Do not participate in any gossip corners and certainly avoid direct conflicts with others. There is also a high probability of being involved in legal situations. This year you might want to have more personal space. You will also be interested in religion, philosophy, metaphysics and other new age topics. This is a good year for those who are studying or doing research.
Career
The authority figures, management or your boss are likely to give you more opportunities to show of your strengths this year. There are more chances of promotions or being given more responsibilities. If you are in business, you may be considering expanding your business. You will be busy this year. However, severe office politics will prove to be very challenging for you. Avoid direct conflicts with others. This is the time to utilize your diplomatic skills. Do not trust anybody on the career front this year.
Wealth
Though your wealth luck is good this year, there is a concern of losing it through legal problems. If you are investing this year, you must do your own homework and go through the fine print. Even if it means that you need to take a longer time and greater effort to study into it before making a decision, it will be worth it.
Relationship
For those who are attached or married, you may want to have more personal space this year. For those who are single, the probability of meeting someone special is rather slim. Hang in there.
Health
You may suffer from lethargy, gastric and stomach problems, weak concentration and a short attention span. You may be more forgetful. Try to have adequate rest and be positive. Most of the health issues that will arise this year are due to people issues and being too stressed out. It may make you feel demoralized and even cause you to doubt yourself. Ensure that you surround yourself with a positive environment and positive people.
People
People problems are severe. Try to be humble, diplomatic and tactful. Avoid getting into any direct conflicts with others. Back-stabbings, betrayals and misunderstandings are very common this year. While others are trying to irritate you, especially on the career front, it is important to understand that you need to focus on your own goals and do not let others offend or affect your emotions so easily.
Action
Place a Hematite and Aragonite in your office or home.
General
Though you will have many opportunities in terms of promotions, bestowed more responsibilities or the expansion of your business this year, there are more challenges ahead compared to the year of the Pig. You will be busier than usual but not necessary fruitful due to severe people problems. There will be more misunderstandings, betrayals, back-stabbings, and disputes this year. Hence, it is important to watch your back. Do not participate in any gossip corners and certainly avoid direct conflicts with others. There is also a high probability of being involved in legal situations. This year you might want to have more personal space. You will also be interested in religion, philosophy, metaphysics and other new age topics. This is a good year for those who are studying or doing research.
Career
The authority figures, management or your boss are likely to give you more opportunities to show of your strengths this year. There are more chances of promotions or being given more responsibilities. If you are in business, you may be considering expanding your business. You will be busy this year. However, severe office politics will prove to be very challenging for you. Avoid direct conflicts with others. This is the time to utilize your diplomatic skills. Do not trust anybody on the career front this year.
Wealth
Though your wealth luck is good this year, there is a concern of losing it through legal problems. If you are investing this year, you must do your own homework and go through the fine print. Even if it means that you need to take a longer time and greater effort to study into it before making a decision, it will be worth it.
Relationship
For those who are attached or married, you may want to have more personal space this year. For those who are single, the probability of meeting someone special is rather slim. Hang in there.
Health
You may suffer from lethargy, gastric and stomach problems, weak concentration and a short attention span. You may be more forgetful. Try to have adequate rest and be positive. Most of the health issues that will arise this year are due to people issues and being too stressed out. It may make you feel demoralized and even cause you to doubt yourself. Ensure that you surround yourself with a positive environment and positive people.
People
People problems are severe. Try to be humble, diplomatic and tactful. Avoid getting into any direct conflicts with others. Back-stabbings, betrayals and misunderstandings are very common this year. While others are trying to irritate you, especially on the career front, it is important to understand that you need to focus on your own goals and do not let others offend or affect your emotions so easily.
Action
Place a Hematite and Aragonite in your office or home.
Merry Christmas!!
To all friends, family and loved ones... Merry Christmas!! And have a wonderful year ahead!
Blogging will resume after the festive season. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Blogging will resume after the festive season. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Consciously subconscious..
We were watching TV when again I looked at my other half and asked her "Where shall we have dinner". It seems like I've been asking that question a million times.. not to mention "Where shall we have breakfast" and "Where shall we have lunch". At times, this question gets so frustrating that we end up ordering from pizza hut or kfc. At one stage, we were practically trying out almost every delivery service we could find. Sometimes, we get adventurous and try out a new place, and if its good, it goes under our surveillance list and we check on it regularly. Other times, I guess we can't be bothered to think, and end up at the most convenient place we could find. I wonder if everyone has the same experience, or we are exceptionally bland. Perhaps being bland leads to excitement when something happens out of the blue.. like finding La Petit or the Keppel Bak Kut Teh shop. Haha. I really don't know.
My favourite Christmas Song..
The Christmas Song (mp3)
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,
Jack Frost nipping on your nose,
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir,
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.
Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe,
Help to make the season bright.
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow,
Will find it hard to sleep tonight.
They know that Santa's on his way;
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh.
And every mother's child is going to spy,
To see if reindeer really know how to fly.
And so I'm offering this simple phrase,
To kids from one to ninety-two,
Although its been said many times, many ways,
Merry Christmas to you..
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,
Jack Frost nipping on your nose,
Yuletide carols being sung by a choir,
And folks dressed up like Eskimos.
Everybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe,
Help to make the season bright.
Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow,
Will find it hard to sleep tonight.
They know that Santa's on his way;
He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh.
And every mother's child is going to spy,
To see if reindeer really know how to fly.
And so I'm offering this simple phrase,
To kids from one to ninety-two,
Although its been said many times, many ways,
Merry Christmas to you..
Hehehe...
Its typical at landed property areas that cars are parked at both sides of the road and it sometimes requires some judgement to be able to negotiate the roadway when you're driving.
One time, after I had parked my car at the roadside, I noticed a van who just came and parked at the roadside in front of me. His van was like 0.5m away from the road kerb. There and then, I lamented that someone with a bigger car might have difficulties negotiating the space between his van and the other car parked parallel to him. Like an answer to a prayer, a BM approached and sure thing, it couldn't get pass the space. The lady honked several minutes, before the owner of the van came out of the house, apologised and moved his van nearer to the kerbline.
We were at home in the afternoon, having a nap, when all of a sudden there was someone outside hitting the horn continuously. Instinctively, I thought something similar had happened. I got over to the window and this is what I saw...
There was this BM who stopped right in front of a car and a van. There was at least 250mm on each side of his car. Both the van and the car was parked abutting the road line... and this guy stopped his car, honked continuously, got out of his car, looked at the van and the space available, got back into his car and drove straight pass both cars. Imagine the next stretch of the road. I mean, pity the poor guy, he has to stop his car and horn at least 15 to 20 times before he can get out of this area!!
One time, after I had parked my car at the roadside, I noticed a van who just came and parked at the roadside in front of me. His van was like 0.5m away from the road kerb. There and then, I lamented that someone with a bigger car might have difficulties negotiating the space between his van and the other car parked parallel to him. Like an answer to a prayer, a BM approached and sure thing, it couldn't get pass the space. The lady honked several minutes, before the owner of the van came out of the house, apologised and moved his van nearer to the kerbline.
We were at home in the afternoon, having a nap, when all of a sudden there was someone outside hitting the horn continuously. Instinctively, I thought something similar had happened. I got over to the window and this is what I saw...
There was this BM who stopped right in front of a car and a van. There was at least 250mm on each side of his car. Both the van and the car was parked abutting the road line... and this guy stopped his car, honked continuously, got out of his car, looked at the van and the space available, got back into his car and drove straight pass both cars. Imagine the next stretch of the road. I mean, pity the poor guy, he has to stop his car and horn at least 15 to 20 times before he can get out of this area!!
I'm back!!
Dead tired and suffering the consequences of jet lag...
And why am I still updating my blog? Ya, I think I'm a little psycho.. hehehe
And why am I still updating my blog? Ya, I think I'm a little psycho.. hehehe
Apologies for those who encountered this..
Have been told that accessing this blog somehow linked to adult-oriented pop-ups. I'm not really sure of the cause, but all ads external links including cbox has been removed. If you do encounter any more pop-ups or links to other pages, other than the blog links of friends, do let me know.
Dolphin!! No wait, thats a Sail Fish..
Just back from the lucky dolphin excursion. We were supposed to travel by ferry to the middle of the ocean to see if we can catch any dolphins frolicking around. The waters were choppy, and our guide warned us prior to boarding ferry. It was an hour and a half excursion, which meant that we had half an hour to get there, half to watch dolphins and another half to get back.
The guide informed us that they will move fast..then as they approach the dolphins, they will slow down for us to take a closer look at the live tuna.
Half an hour later, we were still on that ferry waiting for them to stop. Then all of a sudden, they stopped. We looked at the waters, hoping to see some form of dolphin come out of it. To our dismay, not even a sandwich surfaced. So, they decided to abandon this place and go somewhere else. This time, the ferrymen decided to speed. No traffic police or erp here, so it was like a roller coaster ferry ride all the way until we reached the second location. This time, there were dolphins. Only problem was that we encountered 'shy' dolphins. How the heck does a dolphin get shy? We have to pay like USD60++ per person to see them. Didn't they rehearse the script before we reached? "When u see humans, pretend to like jumping out of the water and splashing all over the ocean"... What happened to these dolphins? I think I managed to see the fins of 2 dolphins. They look like sardines to me.
Out of nowhere, and exciting everyone on the ferry, something jumped out of the water. Twice! So I went "Dolphin! Dolphin!" and the guide went "No, sail fish, not dolphin". Damn, we paid USD60++ per person to watch dolphins, not some replacement actor sail fish.
Soon after, the ferrymen decided to call it quits. And we had no choice but to agree that we were lucky to see the dolphin, but not so lucky to only see part of their fins.
The guide informed us that they will move fast..then as they approach the dolphins, they will slow down for us to take a closer look at the live tuna.
Half an hour later, we were still on that ferry waiting for them to stop. Then all of a sudden, they stopped. We looked at the waters, hoping to see some form of dolphin come out of it. To our dismay, not even a sandwich surfaced. So, they decided to abandon this place and go somewhere else. This time, the ferrymen decided to speed. No traffic police or erp here, so it was like a roller coaster ferry ride all the way until we reached the second location. This time, there were dolphins. Only problem was that we encountered 'shy' dolphins. How the heck does a dolphin get shy? We have to pay like USD60++ per person to see them. Didn't they rehearse the script before we reached? "When u see humans, pretend to like jumping out of the water and splashing all over the ocean"... What happened to these dolphins? I think I managed to see the fins of 2 dolphins. They look like sardines to me.
Out of nowhere, and exciting everyone on the ferry, something jumped out of the water. Twice! So I went "Dolphin! Dolphin!" and the guide went "No, sail fish, not dolphin". Damn, we paid USD60++ per person to watch dolphins, not some replacement actor sail fish.
Soon after, the ferrymen decided to call it quits. And we had no choice but to agree that we were lucky to see the dolphin, but not so lucky to only see part of their fins.
Live from Maldives!!
Yep... still here... waiting for 6pm for the Lucky Dolphin trip...where we see if we are lucky enough to catch the view of dolphins in the middle of the sea.
Here's a sneak preview of what you guys are missing...hehe
Maldives here we come!!!!
Had a conversation with one of my superiors, just right b4 leaving the office...
It went:
Where u going...
Maldives...
Ooh, the one got tsunami one ah...
(^%$#%$#$#)
Ok... leaving for Maldives soon... see you guys when we get back!!
It went:
Where u going...
Maldives...
Ooh, the one got tsunami one ah...
(^%$#%$#$#)
Ok... leaving for Maldives soon... see you guys when we get back!!
Sleep / Dreams
We were discussing about dreams, and I remember once during schooldays, that I had this dream that I was preparing for school for the longest time… then just when I was done and ready to go, I wake up…… and have to start preparing for school all over again!!!
Seldom remember the dreams I have, but some that I can remember are pretty warped. Like taking a rollercoaster ride with my sister and a homicidal psycho-maniac and having a gathering with tons of people I don’t know. Haven’t had such dreams for a while.
Can't remember what that’s called, but there’s a disease that u can die of for not having enough sleep rite? Wonder if sleeping disorders have anything to do with old age. I guess age is catching up with me... Waking up in the middle of the night has become a common ritual. I suppose the problem can’t be that I am stressed or depressed…. I’m always happy-go-lucky and problem free… Or maybe there are things that I subconsciously think of, without realizing it.
Perhaps I should make a trip to the pharmacy and start on a Vit B complex regime. Haha.. Hypochondriac…
Seldom remember the dreams I have, but some that I can remember are pretty warped. Like taking a rollercoaster ride with my sister and a homicidal psycho-maniac and having a gathering with tons of people I don’t know. Haven’t had such dreams for a while.
Can't remember what that’s called, but there’s a disease that u can die of for not having enough sleep rite? Wonder if sleeping disorders have anything to do with old age. I guess age is catching up with me... Waking up in the middle of the night has become a common ritual. I suppose the problem can’t be that I am stressed or depressed…. I’m always happy-go-lucky and problem free… Or maybe there are things that I subconsciously think of, without realizing it.
Perhaps I should make a trip to the pharmacy and start on a Vit B complex regime. Haha.. Hypochondriac…
And The Mood Today is....
Man am I sleepy or what. Haven't been sleeping well for days!! Phew.. good thing that the self proclaimed holidays are round the corner.
I am going to sleep like a log in Maldives man... hahahha
I am going to sleep like a log in Maldives man... hahahha
Huh? me??
Was at the new Coffee Bean at Rail Mall on their opening day. Haha...ya you know I wont miss a good cup of coffee...
While ordering my usual fare of Cafe Latte the lady asked for my name... and I said Jon...short for Jonathan... half way waiting for the drinks, the lady said "Latte for Joel"... and there was no one else around, other than 2 school kids who didn't seem to react to that name..
The second drink was ready... and again the lady said "Ice Blended Caramel for Joel"... and then I knew it was for me...
Friday Nights
It's Friday, and as usual, we'd look at each other and ask the same question over and again.. "Where to have dinner ah?"
So, this Friday we went back to Central Square. Most of the Jap Restaurants had super long queues, so we decided on Ma Maison. I really wonder if they only hire Japanese at that restaurant. Most, if not all, of the waiters and chefs there look Japanese. We wanted to try their escargot, then when it came to ordering, somehow we forgot about the snails and ended up having clam chowder soup instead....heee
Ended the day popping over to McD for a drink. Nothing beats a cup of lemonade when you're beat.
So, this Friday we went back to Central Square. Most of the Jap Restaurants had super long queues, so we decided on Ma Maison. I really wonder if they only hire Japanese at that restaurant. Most, if not all, of the waiters and chefs there look Japanese. We wanted to try their escargot, then when it came to ordering, somehow we forgot about the snails and ended up having clam chowder soup instead....heee
(hmmm... this blog is beginning to become like some food blog).
We went out for a stroll along Clarke Quay and they had live bands, bungees and all sorts of theme restaurants not to mention couples sitting all along the riverbank..
This particular one caught our attention. It had a hospital kinda theme and was aptly named "Clinic". Not that we'd go in but seriously the theme is quite "bu ji li". I thought people would avoid it, but it was fully packed! And we saw a couple of people actually trying out the wheelchairs! And oh ya, drinks came in a drip stand with a tube which you could squeeze whatever you ordered out into your cup.. wonder which HIV or Hep B patient used that drip before it was shipped over to the restaurant... haha
Ended the day popping over to McD for a drink. Nothing beats a cup of lemonade when you're beat.
Lessons in Logic...
Hehe...
A bus station is where a bus stops.
A train station is where a train stops.
On my desk, I have a work station…
what more can I say
-------------------------------------
“Your future depends on your dreams”
So go to sleep
-------------------------------------
The more you learn, the more you know,
The more you know, the more you forget
The more you forget, the less you know
So.. why learn?
-------------------------------------
God made relatives;
Thank God we can choose our friends.
-------------------------------------
“Work fascinates me”
I can look at it for hours
-------------------------------------
“Hard work never killed anybody”
But why take the risk?
-------------------------------------
There should be a better way to start a day
Than waking up every morning
-------------------------------------
Success is a relative term.
It brings so many relatives.
-------------------------------------
One should love animals.
They are so tasty.
-------------------------------------
Money is not everything.
There’s Mastercard & Visa.
-------------------------------------
Since light travels faster than sound,
people appear bright until you hear them speak.
A bus station is where a bus stops.
A train station is where a train stops.
On my desk, I have a work station…
what more can I say
-------------------------------------
“Your future depends on your dreams”
So go to sleep
-------------------------------------
The more you learn, the more you know,
The more you know, the more you forget
The more you forget, the less you know
So.. why learn?
-------------------------------------
God made relatives;
Thank God we can choose our friends.
-------------------------------------
“Work fascinates me”
I can look at it for hours
-------------------------------------
“Hard work never killed anybody”
But why take the risk?
-------------------------------------
There should be a better way to start a day
Than waking up every morning
-------------------------------------
Success is a relative term.
It brings so many relatives.
-------------------------------------
One should love animals.
They are so tasty.
-------------------------------------
Money is not everything.
There’s Mastercard & Visa.
-------------------------------------
Since light travels faster than sound,
people appear bright until you hear them speak.
Twinkle twinkle..
This probably explains why everyone (including me) is soooo reluctant to sing at the next company event.
Selfish? Stupid? Or Utterly Insensitive?
Sometimes, I just feel apalled at the stupidity of certain people who choose to show how shallow they are to the public. Read this article in the NST forum after hearing about it from a friend.
"While stress levels and rewards between the public and private sectors remain hotly debatable, use of public funds should be subject to transparent benchmarking against performance. Certainly, I have yet to hear of the private sector paying bonuses in July, December and March."
What is your business in what other people get for their bonuses? I know of some companies that pay insane amounts of bonuses. Had a chat with a friend who works in a lawfirm as an IT support staff. He gets 3 years bonus this year. 3 years!! Here are the civil servants getting 3 months of bonus and you're not happy about it? Go ask around.... many companies are paying much more in bonus than what the civil service is getting. So, are you going to write to the papers to set a benchmark for all private institutions not to pay bonuses higher than 3 months as well? And if you were the one receiving a big bonus, you think you will complain? If you're so smart, go and create a database and strike against all those companies la.
"I do not begrudge deserving civil servants a bonus"...
By posting this article, if people do take u seriously, don't u think that you'd be doing exactly what u said you're not doing? If someone takes u seriously and deserving civil servants gets a marginalised bonus, who is going to compensate them? You? Perhaps you should put in some thought for others and be a little bit less selfish ....
"The private sector best rewards those with value-creation and problem-solving skills, while poor performers face warnings, pay cuts and dismissal"
I know tons of boot lickers in the private sector who get wonderful bonuses... so, is that what you're referring to as value-creation and problem solving?
"Does the public consider staff of, say, the Land Transport Authority and HDB to have earned their bonuses? Do they even deserve a bonus?"
This is perhaps evidence that you have a personal grudge against LTA or HDB. If you have a grudge against them, go deal with it like an adult. Don't condemn two organisations and the entire civil service just because you have personal problems.
Lazy Sundays..
Listening to Michael Buble's Home, watching Kekkasihi, drinking Yakult, playing FFXII...
Yawn ... I'm beat...
Good night!!
Yawn ... I'm beat...
Good night!!
Old failures, new life...
Used to get C's and D's for art in school. Failed real bad when it came to drawings and paintwork. I'm one of those who have an empty space in that part of the brain.
We saw a couple of canvas paintings in Amara Hotel, and they really looked quite exquisite. Too bad I forgot to catch a few snapshots of the paintings. Will do so the next time I go there.
Oh well, its been ages since I last done anything artistic, so I got a couple of tools (its pretty budget) ... $10 oil painting paper, $5 pastels and $15 guide. I guess $30 to have another shot at it is really not too expensive. Perhaps one day, I'd be able to make paintings for my own home. Though I'm really not too optimistic... hee
Wish me luck!!
We saw a couple of canvas paintings in Amara Hotel, and they really looked quite exquisite. Too bad I forgot to catch a few snapshots of the paintings. Will do so the next time I go there.
Oh well, its been ages since I last done anything artistic, so I got a couple of tools (its pretty budget) ... $10 oil painting paper, $5 pastels and $15 guide. I guess $30 to have another shot at it is really not too expensive. Perhaps one day, I'd be able to make paintings for my own home. Though I'm really not too optimistic... hee
Wish me luck!!
Pie anyone?
Yumm.. nothing beats a nice warm pie.....
except maybe for a nice warm cup of latte.... haha
except maybe for a nice warm cup of latte.... haha
Trip to Macau
Oh ok. By reading this, it means I'm back in Sg and I've completed the three day tour of the land of casinos or the land of slots or whatever u call it. For those who thought that this was a trip too good to be true, well, as usual, you're right! (damn.. how come you're right all the time?)
We started off day one travelling to the budget terminal to catch a Tiger to Macau. Considering that the flight was at 6, that meant that we had to be there an hour earlier, say 5? Grab a cab at say 4? and wake up at say 3? 3am in the morning, and a zombie started preparing for his visit to the land of the dead...I mean casinos. We called a cab and got to the terminal in time, perhaps a little too early. Getting there early actually meant that you'd get a seat at the back of the plane (the fill up from back to front) and us being one of the earliest, meant that we were the nearest to the rear end.
Not that I am afraid of getting off late, sitting at the back did have a certain perk that we learnt to avoid. You see, in the plane itself, there were only 2 restrooms...one at the front, and one at the back. And considering that some people might get stomach problems after boarding the plane, sitting at the rear end meant that we get what 'Famous Amos' provided.
One thing that really caught my attention though, was the proficiency of the airport staff... not that they were fast in checking us in, but one second she was there giving us our tickets, the next she was there collecting the tickets from us!! Either she has a twin sister working at the same terminal, or she has bionic limbs that could travel faster than we could walk to the gate.
Finally, we were on board and on the way to a well deserved holiday!! 3 days of Blackjack, Roulette and Poker!!! 3 days of Portugese Egg Tarts, Pork Chop Buns and Almond Biscuits!!!
Macau was always an excursion off of Hong Kong; a one day extension and you'd have covered most of the places you'd want to visit. Most people spend like half a day there, unless their motive is to gamble at the casinos. We had 3 days there, so it was a "eh, wat are we going to do next ah?" kinda trip. We booked the Venitian, the new hotel at Taipa that mimicked Venice in Italy. We reached the airport, caught a cab to the Venitian and checked in.
The architecture of the hotel was impressive. Everything seemed to be coated in gold.
One thing we noticed was, in order to get to the rooms, you had to pass the casino. In fact, in order to get anywhere at all, you had to pass the casino!! I guess this is one of their strategies to make people spend more time at the casino. But it sure is irritating when you just want to go to the conceirge and you half to walk pass the casino just to get to them.
Made our way through the casino with our luggage. Wow! At first sight, the rooms were really something. I could've just stayed at the hotel room for 3 days, and that'd make a great holiday!
We asked for twin queen beds... which would be a lot bigger than if we had a single king size. Each room had like 2 TVs! We each took one TV and were on different channels the whole time.
There was a fax, copier and printer with dedicated broadband set on one side of the room. Man, da boss will love this place.
A huge bathroom (well thats normal) with a room catered specifically for...err... its personal.
After lazing around long enough in the hotel room, we decided to have lunch and move out. We opted for a simple lunch at the Festivitia Foodcourt which was at the Grand Canal Shopping Centre connected to the Casino. I tried ordering duck rice, but the lady said they dun sell duck, they only sell goose. If you notice the sky in the picture below, you'll see the same sky at night, cause it's made of canvas.
Okok...enough of the hotel. We had lunch and decided to look around Macau. Macau consists of a few islands connected by man-made bridges. Taipa (where our hotel is) is connected to Macau Peninsula by Macau-Taipa Bridge, Friendship Bridge and Sai Van Bridge. The cable stayed bridges look really impressive.
Travelling in Macau is pretty much by cab or bus. I'm definitely biased in recommending that u take a cab instead of the local transport albeit the price being a lot steeper. We caught a cab to Largo do Senodo, without knowing that it was the Senate Square and walked over to the Ruins of St Paul. The ruins were protected since 2005 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is a steel staircase at the back of the facade that allows tourists to climb up to the top. Within the ruins, there is also a crypt and some artifacts.
From the ruins, we made our way to Mont Forte, which was directly opposite the ruins. After looking at some cannons, and some aunties climbing trees for a photograph, we walked back to find our way to Largo Do Senodo. On the way back, we visited 'Choi Heong Yuen' and 'Koi Kei', 2 places famous for their Almond Biscuits.
The shops are full packed with tourists, grabbing whatever biscuits they could get their hands on. It was a little suffocating, but I guess getting the biscuits should be worth it. On a different note, for those on a budget.. buying a softdrink outside costs MOP8 whereas within the shopping area, it can cost up to MOP25 per cup... that is about SGD5 per drink. We also had a portugese egg tart outside Koi Kei. Yumm..
Having done the central area, we decided to move on to the Guia Lighthouse. Nothing much there actually, except that our taxi driver dropped us off at the bottom of the hill and made us walk, whereas we keep watching other cabs drive up to the top. But, it does have a good view of Macau from a high vantage point.
We headed back to the hotel to rest. And then realised that the toilet was stuck and needed plumbing. Can't really blame the hotel though. These things do happen. (Thats what I thought at first).
The next morning, I was looking forward to a good breakfast. The hotel boasted the biggest restaurant in Asia or something. Ya, its kinda big, but the food really suck leh. If you go there, forget about getting breakfast included. You'd do better at McD or Starbucks.
After a half filled breakfast, we headed out to our next destination. We had 2 items on our itenary for the day: Macau Tower and A-Ma Temple.
We paid like MOP60+ per person for entry to Macau Tower. Though we were skeptical that we'd see much from the tower, but being on holiday, we went in anyway. Bought tickets to the observatory for Macau Tower. (Note: You can actually pay MOP460++ for an attempt at the Sky X Dive or something... I think its like bungeeing off the Tower. But seriously, I'm really not that adventurous).
The view from Macau Tower is much much better than that at the Guia lighthouse. Up at the tower, they have a touch screen that allows you to send postcards for free though. I think I sent myself 3 cards.... hehe
At the end of the visit, we went downstairs and had a tea break. I saw the 'chu pa pow' or pork chop bun on the menu. The bun costs only MOP10!! Or SGD2!! Considering that the next cheapest on the menu was like MOP25, this was like cheaper than mineral water! And when it came, it really came with fries and vege on a nice blue plate. Was one of the better things we ate there. Yummm...
We headed off to A-Ma Temple for our last sight seeing destination. A-Ma Temple is a tribute to Goddess A-Ma, who gives her blessings to the fishermen. In Macau, they pray to A-Ma and Guan Yin.
After completing our visit, we headed back to the hotel for some light window shopping. We went to a makeshift St Marks Square and watched some gondolas singing and bringing passengers through the shopping area.
We started off day one travelling to the budget terminal to catch a Tiger to Macau. Considering that the flight was at 6, that meant that we had to be there an hour earlier, say 5? Grab a cab at say 4? and wake up at say 3? 3am in the morning, and a zombie started preparing for his visit to the land of the dead...I mean casinos. We called a cab and got to the terminal in time, perhaps a little too early. Getting there early actually meant that you'd get a seat at the back of the plane (the fill up from back to front) and us being one of the earliest, meant that we were the nearest to the rear end.Not that I am afraid of getting off late, sitting at the back did have a certain perk that we learnt to avoid. You see, in the plane itself, there were only 2 restrooms...one at the front, and one at the back. And considering that some people might get stomach problems after boarding the plane, sitting at the rear end meant that we get what 'Famous Amos' provided.
One thing that really caught my attention though, was the proficiency of the airport staff... not that they were fast in checking us in, but one second she was there giving us our tickets, the next she was there collecting the tickets from us!! Either she has a twin sister working at the same terminal, or she has bionic limbs that could travel faster than we could walk to the gate.
Finally, we were on board and on the way to a well deserved holiday!! 3 days of Blackjack, Roulette and Poker!!! 3 days of Portugese Egg Tarts, Pork Chop Buns and Almond Biscuits!!!
Macau was always an excursion off of Hong Kong; a one day extension and you'd have covered most of the places you'd want to visit. Most people spend like half a day there, unless their motive is to gamble at the casinos. We had 3 days there, so it was a "eh, wat are we going to do next ah?" kinda trip. We booked the Venitian, the new hotel at Taipa that mimicked Venice in Italy. We reached the airport, caught a cab to the Venitian and checked in.
The architecture of the hotel was impressive. Everything seemed to be coated in gold.
One thing we noticed was, in order to get to the rooms, you had to pass the casino. In fact, in order to get anywhere at all, you had to pass the casino!! I guess this is one of their strategies to make people spend more time at the casino. But it sure is irritating when you just want to go to the conceirge and you half to walk pass the casino just to get to them.
Made our way through the casino with our luggage. Wow! At first sight, the rooms were really something. I could've just stayed at the hotel room for 3 days, and that'd make a great holiday!
We asked for twin queen beds... which would be a lot bigger than if we had a single king size. Each room had like 2 TVs! We each took one TV and were on different channels the whole time.
There was a fax, copier and printer with dedicated broadband set on one side of the room. Man, da boss will love this place.
A huge bathroom (well thats normal) with a room catered specifically for...err... its personal.
After lazing around long enough in the hotel room, we decided to have lunch and move out. We opted for a simple lunch at the Festivitia Foodcourt which was at the Grand Canal Shopping Centre connected to the Casino. I tried ordering duck rice, but the lady said they dun sell duck, they only sell goose. If you notice the sky in the picture below, you'll see the same sky at night, cause it's made of canvas.
Okok...enough of the hotel. We had lunch and decided to look around Macau. Macau consists of a few islands connected by man-made bridges. Taipa (where our hotel is) is connected to Macau Peninsula by Macau-Taipa Bridge, Friendship Bridge and Sai Van Bridge. The cable stayed bridges look really impressive.
Travelling in Macau is pretty much by cab or bus. I'm definitely biased in recommending that u take a cab instead of the local transport albeit the price being a lot steeper. We caught a cab to Largo do Senodo, without knowing that it was the Senate Square and walked over to the Ruins of St Paul. The ruins were protected since 2005 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is a steel staircase at the back of the facade that allows tourists to climb up to the top. Within the ruins, there is also a crypt and some artifacts.
From the ruins, we made our way to Mont Forte, which was directly opposite the ruins. After looking at some cannons, and some aunties climbing trees for a photograph, we walked back to find our way to Largo Do Senodo. On the way back, we visited 'Choi Heong Yuen' and 'Koi Kei', 2 places famous for their Almond Biscuits.
The shops are full packed with tourists, grabbing whatever biscuits they could get their hands on. It was a little suffocating, but I guess getting the biscuits should be worth it. On a different note, for those on a budget.. buying a softdrink outside costs MOP8 whereas within the shopping area, it can cost up to MOP25 per cup... that is about SGD5 per drink. We also had a portugese egg tart outside Koi Kei. Yumm..
Having done the central area, we decided to move on to the Guia Lighthouse. Nothing much there actually, except that our taxi driver dropped us off at the bottom of the hill and made us walk, whereas we keep watching other cabs drive up to the top. But, it does have a good view of Macau from a high vantage point.
We headed back to the hotel to rest. And then realised that the toilet was stuck and needed plumbing. Can't really blame the hotel though. These things do happen. (Thats what I thought at first).
The next morning, I was looking forward to a good breakfast. The hotel boasted the biggest restaurant in Asia or something. Ya, its kinda big, but the food really suck leh. If you go there, forget about getting breakfast included. You'd do better at McD or Starbucks.
After a half filled breakfast, we headed out to our next destination. We had 2 items on our itenary for the day: Macau Tower and A-Ma Temple.
We paid like MOP60+ per person for entry to Macau Tower. Though we were skeptical that we'd see much from the tower, but being on holiday, we went in anyway. Bought tickets to the observatory for Macau Tower. (Note: You can actually pay MOP460++ for an attempt at the Sky X Dive or something... I think its like bungeeing off the Tower. But seriously, I'm really not that adventurous).
The view from Macau Tower is much much better than that at the Guia lighthouse. Up at the tower, they have a touch screen that allows you to send postcards for free though. I think I sent myself 3 cards.... hehe
At the end of the visit, we went downstairs and had a tea break. I saw the 'chu pa pow' or pork chop bun on the menu. The bun costs only MOP10!! Or SGD2!! Considering that the next cheapest on the menu was like MOP25, this was like cheaper than mineral water! And when it came, it really came with fries and vege on a nice blue plate. Was one of the better things we ate there. Yummm...
We headed off to A-Ma Temple for our last sight seeing destination. A-Ma Temple is a tribute to Goddess A-Ma, who gives her blessings to the fishermen. In Macau, they pray to A-Ma and Guan Yin.
After completing our visit, we headed back to the hotel for some light window shopping. We went to a makeshift St Marks Square and watched some gondolas singing and bringing passengers through the shopping area.
Ended our day with a late in-suite dinner. We were planning to have dinner outside, but the door to our hotel room clouldn't be closed and it took ages for the maintenance guy to arrive. Ended up having Crab Meat with Yee Fu Noodles and Suckling Pig for dinner instead.
The next day, went to the casino to do some donations, then headed to the airport and back to Singapore.
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