I want to travel

The Monte Carlo Casino reflected in a sculpture entitled Sky Mirror, Monaco

2011-12-15T05:04:00.001-08:00

The Monte Carlo Casino reflected in a sculpture entitled Sky Mirror, Monaco

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 06:03 PM PST

The Monte Carlo Casino reflected in a sculpture entitled Sky Mirror, Monaco

Originally posted on the Everything Everywhere Travel Blog. Discover great travel photos.

nateniale

2011-12-14T19:24:00.001-08:00

nateniale

The elephants are parading on the streets!

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 06:10 AM PST

{ Singapore - December 2011 }

If you have been out in Singapore lately, you would have noticed brightly coloured elephants all around the city. They are part of the Elephant Parade's open-air exhibition dedicated to saving the Asian elephants from extinction. If you ask me, this is a brilliant concept to raise awareness, while raising funds! The elephants are uniquely painted by local and international artists, and will be auctioned off by Sotheby's in January 2012.

The first Elephant Parade was in Rotterdam in 2007, and has since been to Antwerp, Amsterdam, Emmen, London and Bergen. There were four exhibitions this year, starting from Heerlen, Copenhagen, Milan and finally, Singapore. Part of the proceeds are in aid of the Asian Elephant Foundation.

The Asian elephants are lovely animals. They are huge, and yet gentle. I learnt this first hand when I was in Chiang Mai, Thailand earlier this year. Will write about my amazing experience in the Elephant Nature Park next, but in the meantime, enjoy these brightly coloured elephants parading around the streets of Singapore.

{ Click here for other posts on Singapore and a list of my travelogues }

iamthewitch.com

2011-12-14T19:09:00.001-08:00

iamthewitch.com

Sang Har Mee at Pan Heong

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 06:15 PM PST

I’m a fan of seafood! There’s just something about the seafood sweetness that makes food taste so much better, without worrying about the fat content. With the exception of crabs (because it takes too much work to peel them off), I enjoy eating lobsters, prawns, clams, squids, fish, you name it. But the only problem with seafood, especially shellfish, is the amount of cholesterol it has. With such a health-conscious Saucer around, I almost never get to go to a restaurant just for seafood. Thankfully, someone came to my rescue last week!

Sang Har Mee / Freshwater Prawn Noodles

My mother came to visit with a couple of her friends from overseas who loved seafood. So I took the opportunity to suggest a place famous for their Sang Har Mee, none other than Pan Heong in Batu Caves. Without them around, I definitely wouldn’t have had the chance to try out this place. So before lunch, we dropped by Batu Caves for a while to let the visitors take some photos and sweat it out up the staircase. It’s the perfect way to work out an appetite, no?

Batu Caves

From Batu Caves, it took less than 5 minutes to reach the restaurant. It was already past 12pm when we reached, and there were no more tables available! We were put on the waiting list and after about 15 minutes, our turn was up. I’m telling you it was such a difficult thing to be standing there with an empty stomach while watching plates and plates of the Sang Har Mee being served to other tables!

Sang Har Mee with 2 prawns (RM40)

Fortunately, service was brisk and our orders came pretty quickly. The first to reach was the very fragrant Sang Har Mee served with hor fun (flat noodles), drenched with a gooey and rich gravy highlighted with prawn roe. It looked just like ‘wat tan hor’ but the gravy made the biggest difference! It must have been the sweetness of the prawns, or the rich and delicate taste of the golden roe, but the combination of it all was nothing less than addictive. I couldn’t stop myself from slurping the savoury and delicious gravy!

The golden prawn roe

Since our visitors are fans of seafood, we also ordered a plate of Steamed Freshwater Prawns to share. The prawns were all sizable with plenty of roe and thick meaty flesh. To be honest, I have had more succulent prawn meat before but this was not bad either – firm and juicy with its natural sweetness. If you’re on the watch out for cholesterol, I suggest you stay away from those roe. Very very sinful!

Steamed Freshwater Prawns (RM60 for 3 pcs)

Meaty prawn flesh

Apart from their signature dishes, we also ordered some non-seafood dishes especially for health-conscious people on the table (*cough*Saucer*cough). The Deep Fried Pork Belly was coated with nam yue (fermented red bean curd) that gave it a nice reddish and shiny finish that was also savoury and tasty with a hint of wine. Deep fried to perfection, the skin was crackly and crispy while the 3-layer pork was bursting with flavour. OK, perhaps this dish was not THAT healthy after all.

Deep Fried Pork Belly (RM12.50)

Apart from noodles, Pan Heong serves porridge too! We chose the Frog Porridge which came in a huge serving even though we asked for a 2-person portion. It had a very generous amount of frog meat, huge and meaty. I always enjoy eating frog meat due to its silky texture that is unlike any other meat. The porridge was also done very well, tasty and smooth – perfect as comfort food!

Frog Porridge (RM15.50)

Some other dishes we ordered were the Fried Fish and Stir-fried Potato Leaves. Perhaps it was due to the strong flavour of the deep fried pork or the tasty prawn noodles, I thought the fish paled in comparison to the rest. For the price, I’d much rather add another portion of Sang Har Mee! But that’s just me.

Fried fish (RM28)

Stir-fried Potato Leaves (RM9.50)

The packed restaurant

Overall, I enjoyed the Freshwater Prawn Noodles here very much! The gravy was exceptional, so was the silky smooth hor fun. If not for the location of this restaurant that’s slightly far from town, I would return more often! Now I make it a point to bring visitors to Batu Caves, but you know I have a hidden agenda. A word of advice, do come early to avoid the crowd. From the moment we entered until the moment we left the restaurant, it was fully-packed!

Restoran Pan Heong

To get there: From Batu Caves exit, drive straight and make a u-turn at the first traffic lights. Drive straight and keep right to go up a flyover. Continue driving until you see Jalan Medan Batu Caves 2 on your left, turn in and you’ll see the corner restaurant on your left.

Pan Heong Restaurant
No. 2, Jalan Medan Batu Caves 2,
Batu Caves,
68100 Selangor, Malaysia.
Tel No.: +603-6187 7430
Business Hours: 8am – 3.30pm
GPS Coordinates: 3.233434, 101.674165

Heather on her travels

2011-12-14T17:48:00.001-08:00

Heather on her travels

Santa Baby, please bring me a library in Zambia from Passports with Purpose

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 02:58 PM PST

If you are part of the travel blogging community, or even if you’re not, hopefully it won’t have escaped you that there’s a travel blogger’s charity initiative going on in the run-up to Christmas called Passports with Purpose. The initiative ends in a couple of days on Friday 16 December, so now is your last chance to support and win one of the great prizes on offer.

Passports with Purpose was started in 2008 and is a great way for travellers and travel bloggers and just anyone who wants to leave the world a little better than they found it, to give something back to communities that don’t have as much as we do in the UK. Things that we take for granted – like a school to go to, or a library where we can find books to read that give us a window on the world of possibilities.

Each year Passports with Purpose supports a different charity project in the developing world and this year we’re trying to raise money for two libraries in Zambia with Room to Read. The charity works with local communities to provide a library of books relevant to that school or community with resources for children who might struggle to even afford an exercise book can learn and develop their education through reading.

It’s a fantastic project to support, but even better, you can win any number of travel related prizes that have been donated by travel bloggers working with sponsors. I counted over 80 different prizes, from tech travel gear like a Kindle Fire or a digital camera, to luxury hotel stays, travel vouchers and tours. All you have to do is pledge $10 for the prize of your choice and you’re in the draw for that prize – the more pledges you make, the more chances you have to win one of these prizes. To check out all the prizes, go to the Passports with Purpose Donate page and follow the links to the individual blogs that have donated prizes, to find out more.

The Fund raiser ends in just a couple of days this Friday 16th December 2011 – so don’t delay – just hop over to the Passports with Purpose donate page and decide what you’d like Santa to bring your this Christmas. I wish you every luck in winning the prize of your dreams and every hope that we’ll raise enough for those two libraries in Zambia.

Here are some of the prizes that are tempting me;

A Kindle Fire – so much lighter than carrying travel guides and novels around, from Mother of all trips and a nunber of other bloggers too

A Nook tablet – from Foxnomad – an e-reader that is also wifi capable for a quick check of the e-mail or facebook page

A Sony Cyber Shot digital camera – from Amateur Traveler – A neat little camera to slip in your pocket

A stay at the Luxurious Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale Troon North – from My Itchy Travel Feet – the perfect place for a romantic gettaway

Four Seasons resort Scottsdale at Troon North

$500 stay in an apartment in a European city – from Ottsworld – Ideal for those who love to immerse themselves in local neighbourhoods when they travel

1 year’s worth of wifi with Boingo – from Everything Everywhere – Enabling you to login to any Boingo wifi point around the world

Hopefully I’ve encouraged you to head over now (before Passports with Purpose ends on 16 December 2011) and make your bid for a great travel prize and support the last push to fund those two libraries in Zambia. Go on – you deserve the chance to win, and those kids in Zambia deserve the room to read.

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

Don’t miss out – subscribe to Heather on her travels

almostfearless.com

2011-12-14T10:35:00.001-08:00

almostfearless.com

Hiding Out in Kep, Cambodia

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 09:29 AM PST

After Angkor Wat, we took a bus to Sihanoukville, the beach area of southern Cambodia. We spent a few days on Otres Beach, a quiet stretch of beach huts on white sand, deserted except for a few dozen tourists, the occasional tout and the tiny jellyfish that make their way to shore at dusk but don’t seem to sting.

I love the beach. Until I don’t. My husband and I have an on-going debate about happiness. I wonder, aloud and often, if I would just be happier living on the beach somewhere in Southeast Asia, spending about $500/mo to live like a surf bum and spending my days alternating between napping in a hammock, reading a book and eating.

That sounds perfect.

Until I get it, exactly that and about three days in that feeling returns. I have an inexplicable desire to do something. A project. A task. Something with a deadline and impossible objectives.

So the conversation goes like this:

Me: “Wouldn’t I just be happier being a beach bum?”

Drew: “Yes, except you would go insane.”

Me: “Right. What’s up with that?”

Drew: “No idea.”

My husband doesn’t have this problem with happiness. His happiness comes from within and it follows him wherever he goes. He makes a fantastic life partner and a terrible project manager. I’m the opposite. I’m happy accomplishing things, making something, having a goal. I guess after three years of travel and dabbling in the fine art of slackerdom, I have to admit it: I really like to work.

I was recently re-reading Gretchen Rubin’s famous book “The Happiness Project”. In some ways, I feel like I’ve done my own happiness project — I quit my job, I chose a new career, I redesigned my days (sleeping in, showering at noon, working in my pjs and wearing yoga pants on most days) and I carefully watch for what works (dinner with friends is an instant morale booster) and what doesn’t (trying to do things that I don’t enjoy in the name of meeting some other objective). There was one thing that stood out to me upon re-reading: Happiness is growth.

After Otres Beach in Sihanoukville we took a 90-minute taxi to a small town called Kep. It’s famous for it’s crab. In a hotel room, overlooking the Gulf of Thailand, we stuffed ourselves on the spiny crustaceans and laid out what became known to us as the “Happiness Project Phase II”. I had traveled. I had changed careers. I had a baby. If Gretchen Rubin’s advice was correct, then soon enough this would become so routine to me — jetting off to Cambodia with my husband and son — that I’d not only become bored but worse, it would no longer make me deliriously happy. The beach is just a beach if you stay long enough.

There is one thing I have been putting off for years now. I always wanted to learn a second language. When I envisioned myself traveling, while stuffed into a suit and doodling on my notepad in client meetings, I pictured a version of myself that would wake up early, head off to the market, greet the shopkeepers and produce stall workers in their language, make small talk about the weather without using English and jet off to begin my day completely in another tongue. Instead, I focused on writing and photography (I recently counted and found that I’ve taken 40,000 photos since June 2008) and after Cole was born whatever Spanish I had gained in my travels slipped away to that part of my brain that also knows where my keys are, the password to that account I never use, and the name of the book my friend recommended. It’s in there somewhere, but I have no idea how to access it.

So the one thing I have put off, out of a desire to travel more frequently (you need to sit still for a bit to learn a language) and competing priorities, is now a possiblity. I could go somewhere for six months, get an apartment, only speak that language, take some classes and voila, just like that, I’d be fluent.

In Kep, we hunkered down and finalized the plan. On January 1st, we leave Chiang Mai, Thailand. The question of where to next, I’ll answer in my next post.

Eyeflare - Travel Articles and Tips

2011-12-14T07:58:00.001-08:00

Eyeflare - Travel Articles and Tips

Narayanhiti Palace Museum, Kathmandu

Posted: 14 Dec 2011 01:00 AM PST

The Narayanhiti Palace Museum (formerly the Narayanhiti Royal Palace) opened as a museum in 2009 after Nepal was declared a republic. Situated in Kathmandu, Nepal, the museum allows visitors a detailed glimpse into Nepal’s rich history.

Even the building itself holds much historical significance for the Nepali history. The name “Narayanhiti” is a combination of “Narayan,” a form of the Hindu god Vishnu (whose temple lies just across from the Palace) and “hiti,” meaning water spout. Though the original Royal Palace was built during the Shah dynasty in the 18th century, it was destroyed during a 1934 earthquake rebuilt in the 1960s. The current building, designed by architect Benjamin Polk, is in the style of a modern pagoda.

In 2001, the Palace was the site of a national tragedy, as Crown Prince Dipendra opened fire on members of the royal family, killing both King Birenda and Queen Aiswarya. At the end of the rampage, a total of seven members of the royal family were dead, including the Crown Prince, who took his own life.

Be sure to visit the Narayanhiti Palace Museum while you’re in Nepal. Though you can’t yet see the Nepali throne or crown because they are too valuable to securely display, you will be sure to see many other treasures steeped in historical significance on your visit. The museum is open from 11:00-3:00 Thursday through Monday (closed Tuesday and Wednesday) and admission is currently NRs 500 for foreigners and NRs 100 for citizens of Nepal, though be sure to check with your hotel for the most up-to-date information.

Narayanhiti Palace Museum location and hours

Narayanhiti Palace Museum
Durbar Marg
Kathmandu
Nepal

Open from 11:00-3:00 Thursday through Monday (closed Tuesday and Wednesday).

Admission is currently NRs 500 for foreigners and NRs 100 for citizens of Nepal

Photos by 3dom (1) and kidtalentz (2) on flickr

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/narayanhiti-palace-museum-kathmandu/

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Clouds above the Grand Canyon in Arizona

2011-12-14T05:29:00.001-08:00

Clouds above the Grand Canyon in Arizona

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 06:16 PM PST

Clouds above the Grand Canyon in Arizona

Originally posted on the Everything Everywhere Travel Blog. Discover great travel photos.

iamthewitch.com

2011-12-13T20:28:00.001-08:00

iamthewitch.com

The Beauty of Pangkor Laut Resort
Grand Opening of Amber Chia Academy
Eat-All-You-Can at Shabuland
Christmas with Alvin and The Chipmunks!
Aunt Ann’s Roast Pork
Christmas Spirit at Prince Hotel
Fashion, Fine-Dining & Free Flow of Beer!
Early Christmas Eve Dinner
Birthday Celebration in Mezze
All About Bibimbap

The Beauty of Pangkor Laut Resort

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 08:15 PM PST

Finally, after much delay, I shall continue writing about our wedding anniversary at the absolutely breath-taking Pangkor Laut Resort. There are many places that we have visited domestically and around the world, but Pangkor Laut Resort (PLR) is easily one of the few that we wouldn’t mind returning. The experience was nothing short of spectacular, and a very memorable one at that! We were taken care of from the moment we stepped onto the jetty, right to the moment we left the boat. It was the first-class service that made us, the paying customers, felt satisfied and worth every penny spent.

The Sea Villas

Even in the boat from afar, we could spot these Sea Villas sitting amidst the calm emerald waters, a welcoming sight for every man on the sea. Unfortunately, we did not stay here since it was way above our budget. Around the island, the sight of fresh and colourful flowers floating on a big pot of water was a common to be found. In fact, these flowers were changed daily, so every day I would see different flowers decorating the pots. Such attention to detail!

Flowers changed daily

Once we were greeted by our friendly escort, Ben, he sat us down at the lobby and handed us a piece of paper printed with the map of PLR. He had already scribbled some notes on it, informing us on the different activities offered and their schedules.

Map of Pangkor Laut Resort

Since we were there early and our room was not ready yet, Ben offered to take us on a tour around the island.

Towards the villas

The gym and TV room

I particularly loved the stretch of path along the Sea Villas! There’s something about walking on wooden planks built on stilts on the sea that gave me a sense of serenity, so much so that I didn’t really mind the hot sun. The wooden path leads us to Uncle Lim’s Kitchen and eventually to the Spa Village, which is a private wing that is not open to children/non-spa customers.

The wooden path on the sea

Walking on emerald waters

The path to the Sea Villas

We took the 15 minutes walk to the Spa Village, and made our way back when it was time for lunch. Since we had numerous meals at the PLR, I thought it would be a better idea to compile all the food pictures into a separate post, and only focus on the room and the surroundings in this post. By the time we were done with lunch, our room was ready!

Some of the Garden Villas

Our package was supposed to be a Garden Villa, but apparently we were upgraded to a Hill Villa. Ben, who’s ever so enthusiastic, walked us to our villa situated up in the hills. From the lobby, we had to walk to the Jim Thompson boutique where the lift was. Yes, there was actually a lift that transported us up the hill! From the lift lobby, it was another 5-10 minutes walk to our villa. So I guess you could say that it’s about 15 minutes walk on average to get to the villa, which might not be so appealing to some. Well if you’re not used to the idea of walking, there’s plenty of shuttles around to fetch you up to the lift lobby.

Swimming pool

View from the pool

Our Hill Villa

Our villa was incidentally situated next to the Pavarotti suite! It was huge! There was a spacious balcony in front with a set of comfortable couches and sofa that we spent our mornings on, watching the sea from afar and listening to the birds chirp. On the side of the balcony, there was even a sun bed, perhaps for those who are keen to get a few shades darker.

The giant king sized bed

Couches at the balcony

Sun bed for tanning!

Inside, the giant king sized bed was extremely comfortable with four extra plush pillows. Oh the feather pillows were so nice to hug! On our first day, they even took the effort to make us a cute elephant to welcome us! Facing the bed was sofa set, an LCD TV and a working desk, which doubled as my make-up desk. Every evening, someone would come and turn down our bed, place a bottle of water on each side table, dim the lights and light up an aroma incense stick. It was incredible.

The king sized bed

The welcoming elephant

The superb pillows

LCD TV and couch in the room

Slippers from PLR

Welcome fruits

The villa was so huge that there was actually a sliding door that separated the bedroom from the rest of the villa. There was a separate room each for the bathroom and toilet, and two wash basins! I love places with 2 wash basins! It meant that I could brush my teeth any time that I want to, or spend hours in front of the mirror without being pushed away by Saucer.

The toilet

Shower room

Two wash basins

Toiletries

Wait, the best has yet to come – there was a huge outdoor bath tub as well! We were initially quite wary about the outdoor bath tub but it was actually quite safe. It opened up high above to the jungle and trees, out of the view of passers-by. Perhaps the only thing that one should worry about, is monkeys! During our 3 days there though, we were lucky not to have encountered any of them within the vicinity of our villa.

The outdoor bath tub that opens into the jungle

The outdoor bath tub

With natural light

Just to get the perspective of the size of the tub

The dressing table

What we loved about our villa was how quiet it was at any time of the day. It’s so secluded and surrounded by greenery that we felt healthier just by breathing the fresh air every day. Oh and don’t forget the gorgeous view of the sea from above too!

View from our villa

Some of the other amenities in the room included the mini bar filled with drinks, two large wardrobes, umbrellas for the rainy day (very useful!), coffee and tea-making facilities, and an electronic safety deposit box.

Mini bar

Large wardrobe with bath robes and umbrellas

Coffee and tea making facilities

Once we were done with unpacking our stuffs, we took a short nap and woke up at around 5pm to head towards the Emerald Beach. The Emerald Beach is the only beach in PLR that is suitable for swimming, since the other beaches could be filled with jelly fish and sea urchins. Located at the back of the island, one could hike towards the beach through the jungle (about 30 minutes) or take the shuttle there. No prizes for guessing which route we took!

Washrooms at Emerald Beach

We were there not to swim, but to admire the sun set. The sea was amazingly emerald in colour! While waiting for the sun set, we took the opportunity to snap pictures of the sea, the beach and of ourselves!

At the Emerald Beach

A stroll on the beach

Some of the corals

Posing with the sea #1

Posing with the sea #2

The calm waters in the evening

View of the beach

Sun beds by the beach

Perhaps a wade while waiting for the sun set?

The green waters

To view the sun set, there was a platform just next to the beach that gave a very nice view of the sun.

Admiring the sun set

View of Emerald Beach

Sun set at Pangkor Laut Resort #1

Sun set at Pangkor Laut Resort #2

The clear water

Another shade of emerald waters

The beautiful sunset at Pangkor Laut Resort

Ah, the beauty was indescribable. I was so glad to be able to catch this view on an evening in the midst of rainy season! More posts on PLR food coming up soon.

For a complete set of pictures, check out my FB Album.

*My previous post on Pangkor Laut Resort – Getting to Pangkor Laut Resort

Pangkor Laut Resort
Pangkor Laut Island
32200 Lumut,
Perak, Malaysia
Tel No: +603-2783 1000
E-mail: travelcentre@ytlhotels.com.my
Website: www.pangkorlautresort.com
GPS Coordinates: N 4° 11′ 58.76″, E 100° 32′ 46.92″

Grand Opening of Amber Chia Academy

Posted: 11 Dec 2011 05:40 PM PST

Amber Chia is easily one of the most hardworking and dedicated supermodel around. Started as a model from a young age, the lanky lady is now not only a gorgeous mother to little Ashton, but a very successful businesswoman. With the aim of discovering more local talents, she has started her first Amber Chia Academy early this year, with the aim of opening a total of 3 academies by end of the year. She has not only reached her target, but has surpassed it with the opening of her 4th academy last week at Berjaya Times Square (BTS).

Amber Chia Academy at Berjaya Times Square

I first knew Amber Chia personally during an opening ceremony of a restaurant. I was fortunate to share the same dinner table with her, and managed to have a short conversation with the friendly model, only to have her asking me to join her academy due to my height. I pondered the thought and eventually took the plunge. With her busy schedule and wide circle of friends, I wouldn’t expect her to remember all of her students. But during my first fashion show in MIFW, I saw her backstage and she told me that she’s proud of me to finally have my first walk. It may not mean much to anyone, but to me, it meant that she cared. And she really does care about all her students.

Some of the ACA graduates with Amber Chia and team

The radiant Amber Chia in red

The opening ceremony of the BTS branch could not be better in timing since it was also Amber’s celebration of her 30th birthday.

The runway

Strategically located in the middle of the metropolitan Kuala Lumpur, the academy in BTS covers an area of over 2,000 square feet on the 8th floor. It is also the first ACA with a noticeably more upscale and futuristic design, its luxurious exterior and interior inspired by world class modeling and makeup studios. Having attended my classes in the Jaya One branch before, stepping into the BTS studio definitely gave me a different feeling – so much more chic, modern and huge!

A token from the witch

The ACA signature heels

The good thing about a branch in a shopping centre is that the academy will be open every day of the week, hence offering weekend courses as well. That’s good news for working adults! In addition, there will also be new classes offered for kids and nail art courses for beauty students starting from next year.

Food served during the opening

The spacious studio

Esther Tan

Esther Tan, Amber and Nadia

Catwalk guru Benjamin Toong

ACA students Sheena & Wafa

The event was made even more excited with the presence of renowned fashion designer, none other than Dato’ Jimmy Choo, someone that Amber refers affectionately to as her ‘brother’. He was an extremely humble man who’s soft-spoken and always with a smile.

The ACA team with Dato’ Jimmy Choo

with Dato’ Jimmy Choo

After we’re all satiated with the buffet spread and the unlimited servings of Kronenbourg 1664 beer, the show finally started. We were treated to a fashion show and a makeup showcase by graduates and current students of ACA.

Benjamin getting excited to start the show

Makeup showcase #1

Makeup showcase #2

Amanda Cheng

Sheena Liam

Cheryll Ho

Josephine

Angelica Yap

Kurt Chin

Reina

Leon

Yu Ling

Gwen

Wafa

After the show, there was also an introduction of the team at ACA, including make-up guru Desmond, catwalk instructors Esther Tan and Kit Leu, as well as the catwalk guru Benjamin Toong. Oh, and don’t forget a special appearance by little Ashton! Yes, he’s already walking the runway at such a young age – impressive!

Kit Leu

Ashton

Before the event ended, we celebrated Amber’s 30th birthday with a huge cake and a birthday song. She was clearly happy and overjoyed with the successful launch of her studio and an amazing crowd singing her a birthday song. Here’s wishing her a very happy birthday and may there be more local talents discovered in the fashion world. Make us proud!

Happy Birthday Amber

Amber Chia Academy BTS

For more pictures, check out the Facebook album here.

Amber Chia Academy Berjaya Times Square
No. 08-58,08-59,08-60, 8th Floor,
Berjaya Times Square,
Jalan Imbi,
55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Contact No.: +603-2141 8998
Website: www.supermodel-academy.com

********

On another note, did you know that the iPhone 4S is coming to town? Pre-register at www.celcom.com.my/iphone to get an exclusive invite to Celcom's Official Launch happening on 16 Dec, at La Bodega, Bangsar Shopping Centre KL. Pre-registered customers will enjoy priority queue at the launch. Get the best iPhone yet!

Eat-All-You-Can at Shabuland

Posted: 10 Dec 2011 06:10 PM PST

Shabu-shabu, the Japanese version of steamboat or hot pot, is one of the meals that I look forward to during the recent rainy evenings. With so many of such restaurants mushrooming in the Klang valley, one is never short of choices! Shabuland is one of the latest player in town, occupying a spacious corner unit in the booming town of Bandar Manjalara. When it comes to hot pot, I very much prefer the shabu-shabu style due to the individual pot that we get to customize according to our own desire.

Raw ingredients on kaiten belt

To make the experience much better, the raw food at Shabuland is served on small plates on a moving kaiten belt that are easily reachable from every table. This meant no forcing yourself around in crowds to get food! Best of all, the kaiten belt was always refilled – there was never a gap noticed in between the plates.

Variety of sauces

Unlimited servings

The variety of seafood offered included scallops, prawns, bamboo clams, crab and my favourite fish meat noodles. Before we could start, we had to choose the soup of our choice – ABC soup, herbal chicken soup or tom yam. No prizes for guessing which one I went for! Add in the crabs and clams to give the soup a seafood sweetness before starting the shabu-shabu process.

Scallops and fish meat noodles

Crab makes the soup taste so good!

Of course, shabu-shabu wouldn’t be complete without the presence of sliced meat. There was a choice of either pork or beef slices that were only served upon request, to ensure freshness of the meat. I like to give the meat slice a quick swish in the bubbling hot soup, nothing more than 10 seconds, to get it to be tender and moist. It’s so addictive that we kept asking for refills!

Unlimited servings of pork slices

Beef slices

Besides the variety of seafood, there were the usual suspects of fish balls, meat balls, dumplings, noodles and so on. Of notable mention was the dumpling (sui kow) that was really sizable and generously packed with meat fillings.

‘

Bubbling pot of tom yam soup

Gigantic dumpling (sui kow)

After stuffing ourselves silly with the all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu, we were craving for something cold and sweet for dessert! Thankfully, we saw the ice-cream box nearby, serving a variety of ice-cream flavours including mango, durian, chocolate and vanilla among some. That’s not all, there was another counter that served YoYo ice (yao yao ping) as well! It’s actually the first shabu-shabu restaurant that I’ve seen serving this delectable shaved ice that comes in many flavours. Eat them after the steaming hot meal and get instantly refreshed.

Unlimited beverage of choice

YoYo Ice (yao yao ping)

Comfortable and air-conditioned environment

We ate and chatted and ate again to our heart’s content. The good thing about all-you-can-eat meals is that you can eat as much as you want to or as little as you want to, whenever you feel like it! We could be chatting away with a cup of YoYo ice in hand in one minute, and swishing the sliced meat in another, all the while catching up with good friends over funny stories.

Shabuland Restaurant

Shabuland Promotion

Adult – RM29.90nett
Child – RM14.90nett (height between 111cm-140cm, FREE for child’s height below 110cm)

Promotion: Buy 10 Free 1 head charge. Get the stamp card and collect 1 stamp for each person’s charge to get a free head charge after 10 stamps.

Shabuland Restaurant
60, Jalan 8/62A, Bandar Menjalara,
Kepong, 52200 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia
Tel No: +6012-360 0550
Opening Hours: Mon – Sun (5:30 pm – 11:00 pm)
Facebook Page

Christmas with Alvin and The Chipmunks!

Posted: 08 Dec 2011 05:30 PM PST

“Christmas, Christmas time is near
Time for toys and time for cheer
We’ve been good, but we can’t last
Hurry Christmas, hurry fast
Want a plane that loops the loop
Me, I want a hula hoop
We can hardly stand the wait
Please Christmas, don’t be late.”

Ah who can forget this festive and catchy tune by Alvin and the Chipmunks? I still remember watching the show a few years back and this song just simply could not leave my mind! I found myself humming to it day and night, even in my sleep. Loved it!

Colourful selection of cakes

Last week, we went to Cinnamon Coffee House in One World Hotel to be infused with a Christmas-sy atmosphere. The Chipmunks Christmas song was playing in the background, huge Christmas trees donned the lobby, boxes of Christmas presents were laid on the table and Alvin, Simon and Theodore were spotted having a blast with the kids. If I didn’t know better, I’d think that Christmas was here already.

Christmas spread

We were actually there to sample the Christmas buffet, and to spend some time with the adorable kids from House of Joy. Earlier, the children hung up their Christmas wishes on a 20-feet tall Christmas tree in conjunction with the hotel’s Grant-A-Wish programme. They were also given individual Christmas presents by the hotel staff, just before they sank their teeth into one of the most comprehensive buffet spread offered. Of course, the line at the ice-cream counter was especially long.

Whole roasted Turkey with vegetables

Meanwhile, let’s take a look at what the buffet spread is offering for this year’s Christmas. As usual Turkey was on the table, ready to be carved upon request. Since I am not a big fan of turkey, I opted for the carving of the day, which turned out to be Beef! And my gosh it was good! It was done medium rare, with the insides still pink but not bloody, and pleasantly tender. I have to say I’m pretty impressed to get such good quality beef in a buffet spread.

Beef

Beef done right!

The selection of seafood included prawns, mussels and fresh oysters. But what was more interesting was the sashimi. The salmon sashimi was pretty fresh and bouncy, just like those you can find from decent Japanese restaurants.

Fresh seafood

For appetizers, there were the usual cold salads, cheese platter and a variety of nuts for topping.

Cold Platter selection

Assorted nuts and Salad bowl

Imported cheese

Another of my favourite dish was from the Pasta station. It’s not secret that I adore pasta so when I saw the selection available, I had to refrain my over-ordering. I settled for the black Squid Ink pasta, and requested for it to be cooked Carbonara style. To be honest I was a little wary with how the pasta would turn out, because squid ink pasta could be quite tricky to cook. If it’s not done right, iIt could easily end up having a strong fishy smell.

Pasta station with assorted sauce

Thankfully, the I was not disappointed. The Carbonara Squid Ink spaghetti was actually pretty good. It was smooth and not overly creamy, with slices of ham and mushrooms mixed within.

Creamy squid ink carbonara pasta

Last but not least, desserts! The dessert spread here has got to be one of the most extensive one, ranging from the chocolate fountain with assorted skewers, to teppanyaki ice-cream, crepes, Malay kuih, tarts, pastries, pudding and lots and lots of cakes! It was impossible to taste all of them without getting sugar-high.

Mango pudding & Tiramisu

White Christmas cake

Spiced date cake – recommended!

Christmas Yule Log

Raisin bread

Mini Swiss roll

Assorted mini red velvet, chocolate cake and tarts

Apart from those listed here, Cinnamon Coffee House also prides itself with its famous Nasi Briyani. If you’re here, don’t miss out on the satay too, it was most flavourful and tender, you’d be surprised. Look at how happy the kids were, eagerly anticipating their dinner accompanied by balloons.

Children from House of Joy

Give a gift of smile

Alvin and the Chipmunks

While enjoying dinner, we were also entertained by the cute chipmunks who were busy taking pictures with kids and adults alike. They’re simply too cuddly and adorable to resist! Well done to One World Hotel for creating such a memorable Christmas dinner event for these special kids and for preparing a sumptuous meal for all of us!

Bubbles up in the air

Cinnamon Coffee House dining environment

Christmas Eve Festive Revelry
24 December 2011
6.30 pm – 10.30 pm
RM108++ per adult (includes one glass of wine)
RM55++ per child aged 4 – 12 years (includes one glass of mocktail)

Christmas Day Gala Buffet
25 December 2011
6.30 pm – 10.30 pm
RM108++ per adult (includes one glass of wine)
RM55++ per child aged 4 – 12 years (includes one glass of mocktail)

Christmas Day Hi-Tea Galore
25 December 2011
12 noon – 4.30 pm
RM65++ per adult
RM33++ per child aged 4 – 12 years

Cinnamon Coffee House, One World Hotel
First Avenue
Bandar Utama City Centre
47800 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor, Malaysia.
Tel no: +603 7681 1157
Website: www.oneworldhotel.com.my

Aunt Ann’s Roast Pork

Posted: 07 Dec 2011 05:31 PM PST

End of the year is usually when parties are held with lots of people, good food, booze and plenty of fun! Are you planning to host a party soon? Then I’ve got something amazing to share with you. Aunt Ann’s Roast Pork is the bomb! A knowledgeable lady who does business from her home, she invited us over one night to sample her signature Roast Pork Shoulder. Without any expectations, we entered her premises only to be welcomed by the glorious aroma of freshly roasted pork. It being dinner time, I couldn’t stop my stomach from growling and my mouth from salivating.

The sexy piece of Roast Pork shoulder

What makes it different?

Instead of the commonly used pork belly that is often too fatty for most, Aunt Ann uses Pork Shoulder instead. Don’t be fooled, pork shoulder is actually much harder to roast compared to pork belly, because of the thickness of the lean meat within. It certainly requires some skills to ensure that the pork shoulder is roasted evenly from outside right to the deepest core.

The glorious Roast Pork Shoulder

Without further ado, we watched Aunt Ann slice the piece of meat gradually but surely, while emitting the unmistakable crisp from the superb skin. Needless to say, at that point, all of us were on the verge of going on our knees, to worship the glorious slabs of meat that were screaming out to us. I was this close to grabbing a slice from the chopping board itself!

Chopping the roast pork

Look at the layers!

The trick to cutting it, according to Aunt Ann, is to only cut out the portion that you can finish at a time. This is so that the moist within the pork could be retained. You see, once the pork slices are cut, they tend to dry up when you leave them out for a period of time. So Aunt Ann only cut out a plate at a time, and replenished when it’s empty. Look at the amazing layers of the pork shoulder rolled up. Only a slight layer of fat, a golden layer of crispy skin and plenty of tender juicy meat! I swear, I thought the meat was going to be dry seeing that it’s all lean, but it’s surprisingly moist and tender. And the skin, oh the skin! I tried my best to refrain from eating too much of it but I couldn’t withstand the crunchiness and the burst of juices with each bite. I now declare that I’m hopeless when it comes to resisting Aunt Ann’s roast pork skin.

The best part is the skin!

Apart from Roast Pork, Aunt Ann also makes a mean Roast Lamb. Each piece at a minimum of 2kg, was nicely well-marinated with lots of herbs and spices, before being roasted to perfection.

Roast Lamb

Sliced Roast Lamb

The Roast lamb also came with a jug of brown sauce, which enhanced the flavour and helped make the lamb juicy and tasty.

Brown sauce on the roast lamb

To complete the meal, we had some baked tomatoes and tomatoes on the side. It was a wholesome meal of fiber, carbs and lots of protein! It was the first time that I actually had ‘siew yoke’ and only ‘siew yoke’ to my heart’s content, without having to remove the unsightly fatty layers that I usually do with pork belly. So good!

Baked tomatoes

Baked potatoes and capsicum

The complete meal (of course I had more than one serving of the roast pork )

It was one of the most memorable and enjoyable meal that I’ve had in the company of warm and friendly hosts. Of course, the Roast Pork did make things a lot better too! Weighing at a minimum of 2kg, this serving of roast pork is more than enough for 10 persons in a party. Get the roast pork and a carton of beer, and you’ll have one of the most talked about party of the year!

The standard size of Roast Pork

How to Order?

Roast Turkey (minimum 6kg) RM350

Roast Pork (minimum 2kg) RM160

Roast lamb (minimum 2kg) RM250

Payment method: Bank-in and fax the payment slip.
*Note: Alcohol is not used in the preparation of the food
Pick-up address: Vista Kiara @ Mont Kiara
Delivery: RM10 for orders of 2 pieces and above

Aunt Ann’s Roast Pork
Contact No.: +6016-331 3007 (order by phone call or SMS are both accepted, at any time and day, 3 days advance order recommended, short notice orders would depend on availability)
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aunt-Anns-Roast-Pork/178575998894121
(orders are also accepted through this page)

Christmas Spirit at Prince Hotel

Posted: 05 Dec 2011 10:43 PM PST

It’s barely 2 weeks to Christmas now! How time flies! End of the year is always my favourite because of the festive mood, the more laid-back environment at work and the continuous binging on food! But while we’re happily celebrating the season of joy, don’t forget the less fortunate. This year, Prince Hotel KL shares the Christmas spirit with 40 children from the Agathians Shelter Home in PJ, a center that cares for orphans, abandoned, neglected or abused children. I joined them in the Christmas celebration last year, I certainly wouldn’t miss it out this year.

Pretty cupcakes!

Before that, let’s take a look at some of the Christmas spread as offered by Eccucino. I enjoyed the Roasted lamb the most. It was quite tender and moist, and together with the tasty gravy, it was bursting with juices. Another dish I liked was the Steamed Seabass, which was fresh and had silky smooth flesh. It was also nicely paired with the ginger-sesame sauce, making it delectable without the fishy smell.

Salad bar

Tuna wrap

Kambing Kurma & Ayam Goreng Berempah

Roasted lamb

Steamed seabass with cabbage and sesame-ginger sauce

Chicken schnitzels

Of course, how can Christmas be complete without the Christmas desserts? The standard log cake was there to welcome us. So was the cute Gingerbread man! Not to forget was the ice-cream counter with plenty of flavours to choose from and a variety of toppings to be added. My favourite was the chocolate and vanilla ice-cream topped with chocolate sauce, Oreo cookies and lots of love letters.

Christmas log cake

Chocolate cakes

Gingerman says Hi!

The kids from Agathians were all nicely dressed in the festive red t-shirts and were extremely excited with their party packs. Each one of them couldn’t wait to break the party popper open with a resounding pop! Once they were seated, the General Manager of Prince Hotel Mr Tim started to hand out Christmas gifts to the children individually. It was quite a sight to behold, seeing the kids to be so well-mannered no matter how young they were, and to receive their Christmas gifts with a polite “Thank You”. Puts a smile on my face!

Kids from Agathians Shelter Home enjoying lunch

Party pack

Pulling the party popper

“Anything else inside?”

Trying out the masks

Magic clown shaping balloons

Gingerbread house ready to be decorated by the kids

Christmas gifts to the kids

Apart from the Christmas lunch, the hotel also prepared some fun activities for the kids such as gingerbread house decoration, magical clown show, face painting and sand painting. The kids were having so much fun that by the time we left at 4pm, they were all still busy with their gingerbread house.

The kids say Merry Christmas!

Eccucino’s Christmas Eve and Christmas Dinner buffet is priced at RM118++ per adult. Children under 12 dine for FREE.

On another note, the Mezzanine lounge will also be transformed into a Christmas Brunch area from 12noon until 3pm on Christmas day, priced at RM108++ per adult and FREE for children under 12 years old.

Prince Hotel and Residence Kuala Lumpur
Jalan Conlay,
50450 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.
Tel: +603-2170 8888
Email: restaurants@princehotelkl.com.my
Website: www.princehotelkl.com

Fashion, Fine-Dining & Free Flow of Beer!

Posted: 04 Dec 2011 07:55 AM PST

I need to go shopping! Find out why at the end of the post! Kronenbourg – by now, I’m sure this brand of premium French beer with 350 years of brewing heritage is no stranger to us. We have seen its strong presence in this year’s Malaysian International Gourmet Festival (MIGF) and more recently, the Malaysia International Fashion Week (MIFW), by being the proud sponsors of free-flow beer for both events. My first encounter with the beer though, was in the middle of the year when they launched the Kronenbourg Blanc. I thought the beer was fruity and refreshing, totally different from the other beers that I’ve tried before.

Get invited to the exclusive Fashion Event!

A little background on how Kronenbourg’s beer is produced:

Kronenbourg beer is brewed in exceptional conditions using only the finest ingredients – which include the Strisselspalt hop; other wise known as the "caviar of hops". The Strisselspalt hop, selected barley and pure water from the Vosges mountains is melded together with skilful blending to give Kronenbourg beer its' exquisite taste.

Kronenbourg 1664

Currently there are 2 range of Kronenbourg beer in Malaysia, the first being the the Kronenbourg 1664, a clear and bright golden-coloured liquor with a thick and creamy long-lasting froth. There is also a very lively carbonation, comprising tiny masses of bubbles lacing the glass. Its taste is slightly bittersweet with a distinct citrus hop taste further defined by a refreshing clean crisp and uncut flavour. The medium bodied Kronenbourg 1664 also has a sparking mouthfeel and is ever so slightly acidic with some good malt flavour upfront, a little sweetness and a tiny hint of cloves. The beer aroma has a dominant scent of flowery hops, citrus fruits and malt aroma. There is also a touch of yeast, fruits (banana and Mirablee plum) and pepper in the aromatic mix.

Kronenbourg Blanc 1664

On the other hand, I am a fan of the Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc, a refreshing white beer with underlying notes of coriander and cloves with an intriguingly distinctive balance of subtle citrus and fruity flavours. It brings out traces of fruits with hardly any hint of spiciness, which one would expect from a wheat beer. The taste follows along in much the same vein and finishes clean with a touch of dryness. More importantly, it’s not even bitter – very easy on the palate!

L'APERITIF Fashion by Kronenbourg

Now now, as for why I need to go shopping, it’s because I’m getting myself prepared to attend this exclusive and glamorous event known as the L'APERITIF Fashion! I know it might sound like a mouthful, but it is actually a version of the French Happy Hour, intrinsic to the French Culture of 'art de vivre' (art of living) – a celebration of good friends, good food, good spirits and good conversation. This year, the featured designer would be our very own Gallo by Thian, a local designer known for her distinctiveness and individualism style.

Fall/Winter 11/12 Collection from Gallo by Thian

What is this event about?

Attendees can expect to be whisked away into a glamorous French Affair in the middle of down town Kuala Lumpur. There will be fashionable people all around, fine dining, display designs from Gallo by Thian and a makeup station by L'ancome. All this coupled with the exquisite taste of Kronenbourg 1664. In other words, it’ll be a night of glitz, glamour, fine dining and free flow of beer in the company of beautiful people!

How to WIN passes?

That’s right! Kronenbourg is kind enough to sponsor a pair of tickets to this exclusive event to you lovely people. To win a pair of tickets to the L'APERITIF Fashion Event on the 15th of December 2011 at The View G Tower, simply complete the following slogan in no more than 10 words:

I want to win the passes to the L’aperitif fashion event by Kronenbourg because..

Closing date: 9th of December 2011

If you have the best slogan as determined by the representatives at Kronenbourg, can we go shopping together please?

For more information, follow their Twitter at @KronenbourgMY or Like their Facebook Fan Page at www.Facebook.com/KronenbourgMY. Good luck and hope to see you soon!

Early Christmas Eve Dinner

Posted: 01 Dec 2011 10:15 PM PST

Christmas came early! This year, I had the chance to savour turkey a month before Christmas, thanks to Sanook’s invitation to sample their Christmas eve dinner menu. I have been to Sanook several times now and I have always admired the calm and peaceful surrounding of the restaurant that faces a lake. It definitely gives me a break from the hustle and bustle of the chaotic city traffic – almost like a place out of town, when in fact, it’s located in the heart of PJ. Thankfully, on that night, it had just stopped raining, so the air was still cool and crisp with a light breeze. Just perfect.

Whole roasted turkey

The Christmas Eve Dinner consists of 5 courses – Appetizer, Soup, Mains, Dessert and an unlimited serving of Turkey carving on the side.

#1: Appetizer - Italiano pan-fried scallop with breaded honey tiger prawn

The sizable scallop was seared lightly resulting in slightly brown edges while still maintaining the juices within. Topped with alfalfa, I thought the combination was quite unique – the mixture of sweet and plump seafood with crunchy greens. You either love it or hate it. Fret not, if you don’t enjoy the greens, gently push them aside and savour the juicy scallop on its own. For me, I much preferred the breaded honey tiger prawn. It was deep fried to a crispy finish with succulent flesh and a very tasty sauce. A combination of honey and tomato, the sauce was simply to-die-for.

Italiano pan-fried scallop with breaded honey tiger prawn

#2: Soup - Fresh black mussel soup Mediterranean style

When the second course of soup arrived, it certainly raised a few eyebrows, for the sight of soup was almost non-existent. But after the first sip, I understood why – the soup was rather rich and thick. Each spoonful was bursting with a plethora of flavours from the generous amount of seafood used – shrimps, mussels, squids, fish and more. It was naturally sweet and savoury with a tangy hint from the tomatoes. Even though the portion was small, it was satisfying.

Fresh black mussel soup Mediterranean style

#3: Main Course - Pan-fried salmon with tempura baby crab OR

For the main course, we had the choice of either salmon or steak. Since I was in the mood for seafood, I chose the salmon. My first impression? The salmon fillet was huge! It may not seem much from the photo, but I actually had trouble finishing it towards the end because the flesh was thick, dense and compact. Taste wise, I would have preferred the salmon to be pan-fried just a tad longer to get the crispy skin and more of the golden-brown layer on the surface. On the other hand, I enjoyed the tempura baby soft-shelled crab that was served on the side. It was deep-fried with a light and savoury batter that was not cloying. The addition of greens on top also helped to balance out the flavour. Best of all, it was still crunchy even after 15 minutes being served. Well done!

Pan-fried salmon with tempura baby crab

The soft-shelled baby crab – nicely done!

#3: Main Course – Grilled rib-steak ala Americano

Another choice for the main course was the grilled rib-steak, which I had the chance to sample thanks to Caroline. The portion of the steak was sizable and had a nice charred surface on top. I was close to regretting my choice of salmon when I had a bite of her steak. She asked for medium and it was executed just right – pink and juicy insides without the sight of blood. Couple that with the mushroom sauce, it was pure steak joy. If you love steak, I’d suggest you to choose this for your main course.

Grilled rib-steak ala Americano

#4: Dessert – Sweet creamy honey pineapple studel in wantan skin

For dessert, we had something quite unconventional – pineapple strudel in wantan skin. It was different from the normal studel such that instead of pastry layers, crispy wantan skin was used. And to top it off was ice-cream that covered the pineapple fillings within. Served with some blueberries and kiwi, I thought the addition of sweet ice-cream was good to balance the tarty flavours from the fruits and the pineapple.

Sweet creamy honey pineapple studel in wantan skin

#5 Turkey – Unlimited servings on the side

Last but not least, unlimited turkey carvings on the side for patrons to enjoy. The roast turkey was stuffed with polenta, fresh pineapple and dates, served with mixed Italian herbs sauce. On the sides were the colourful combination of baby carrots, beetroot, grapes, brussel sprouts, roast potatoes, goose berries, snow peas and pineapple chutney. My, even this side dish could be a complete meal on its own! Towards the end of the dinner, I was already too full to sample much of the turkey. To be honest, I’m not much of a turkey person, since I found the meat to be usually quite dry and bland, just like chicken breast. So I usually eat it with lots of cranberry sauce or in this case, pineapple chutney.

Carving the turkey

Christmas Eve Dinner at Sanook

RM133+ per pax with a complimentary bottle of Bolzano Tempranillo red wine to be shared by 2 persons

Book before 15th December to enjoy 15% discount

Only available on 24th December 2011 (Saturday evening)

Dining environment at Sanook next to a calm lake

So if you would like to spend your Christmas eve away from the busy city and the horrendous traffic, why not give Sanook a try? Did I mention that it’s located just next to a calm lake, giving it the extra edge of being more romantic?

Sanook Bistro & Sports Bar

Sanook Bistro and Sports Bar (Free Wifi)
C-06 Plaza Kelana Jaya
SS7/13A,
47301 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor, Malaysia
Business Hours: Monday to Saturday (Lunch 11:30am – 2:30pm & Dinner 6:00pm – 11:00pm)
Contact no.: +603-7877 3636
Website: www.sanooking.com
GPS coordinates: 3° 5' 40.66" N, 101° 35' 52.61" E

Birthday Celebration in Mezze

Posted: 30 Nov 2011 05:40 PM PST

Today marks the beginning of December, a date which is all the more special for two of my dear friends Foong and Caroline, because it’s their birthday. To celebrate their special day in advance, we had painstakingly planned a ‘surprise’ birthday dinner for them at Mezze. If planning a surprise for one person is hard enough, try planning for two! Both Eric (Caroline’s other half) and I had to come up with different stories to get them out for dinner on the same day, while making sure both of them never got to talk about it. It was quite nerve-wrecking. And finally, the day came…

Pictures on Mezze

It was our maiden visit to Mezze and once we entered, our first impression was that the restaurant reeked of smoke, probably coming from the cigarettes and cigars at the bar area which was just next to the dining area. We asked for a table upstairs instead but were informed that the section upstairs was closed on that night (or perhaps there is no dining area upstairs? Can anyone confirm?). We had no choice but to switch to a table further in, in the hopes of alleviating the smokey smell.

Carbonara (RM26)

I have heard from a few friends that we had to try the Spaghetti Carbonara if we ever dined in Mezze. What makes it different was the raw egg yolk that it was served with, in a shell. The presentation itself scored some points, even before we started eating. We mixed the whole egg yolk onto the pasta before digging in. Perhaps we shouldn’t have put in the whole yolk because some of us found the pasta to be overly creamy afterwards, almost soggy. I didn’t mind that it was creamy but thought that it lacked flavour. Still I can’t be a good judge of this because I seldom order carbonara pasta. I’m more of a marinara or aglio olio type of person.

Add in the raw egg yolk for a creamier texture

Foong chose the Olio Bacon pasta, which I thought fared better than the Carbonara. The texture of the spaghetti here was firmer and more al dente, while the generous amount of bacon gave it a nice savoury flavour. This was actually pretty aromatic!

Olio Bacon (RM29)

My choice was the Funghi au Truffle pizza, topped with sauteed mushroom, tomato, mozzarella, oregano, rocket and a drizzle of truffle oil. From the looks of it, I’m guessing they have a wood-fired oven, which gave the pizza the occasional charred edges and crispy crust that I love. The crust was sufficiently thin and light, and had the right amount of cheese on top. The addition of mushrooms and a light drizzle of truffle oil gave a subtle earthy taste. I actually enjoyed this pizza and would have had more if we were not sharing.

Funghi au Truffle (RM28)

Majority of our dining group preferred the Salmon Pizza though, which looked quite similar except that it’s topped with slices of smoked salmon. Again, I loved their thin, light and crispy crust layered with cheese. I also thought the addition of rocket leaves not only made the pizza appear more attractive, it balanced out the savoury and cheesy flavour perfectly.

Salmon Pizza (RM31)

The best dish that we had that night had to go to the Chargrilled Spatchcock Chicken or spring chicken. Our first impression was that the chicken was small – but it was so good! It was skilfully marinated and meticulously grilled to a shiny golden finish that was bursting with flavour in every bite. The skin was crispy and thin with no apparent layer of fats, while the meat remained juicy and tenderly delicious. My only gripe was the small size of it so we only had a couple of bites each.

Chargrilled Spatchcock Chicken (RM34)

Last but not least, a birthday cake for both the birthday boy and girl. Since the success of the Durian Cheesecake that we bought from Caffe Cino last time, we decided to try the Cherry Cheesecake this round from the same bakery. Unfortunately, I thought that the cherry cheesecake came short of the Durian cheesecake. Somehow the flavour of the cheese was neither here nor there – I couldn’t decide whether it had more flavour of the cheese or the cherry. Anyway, that’s not important because this was not a cake review session.

Cherry Cheesecake

Here they are, the birthday boy and girl! A very Happy Birthday to both of them. Many happy returns and may all your wishes come true! I have said it before and I’ll say it again, that I’m truly thankful that our paths crossed. Here’s to more birthday celebrations and many more food outings!

The birthday boy and girl

Caroline & Eric

Saucer & witch

Although the food at Mezze was rather good, we were pretty turned off at the end of the dinner when the smoky environment became almost unbearable. There was no proper separation between the bar and bistro area, and since the whole place was enclosed and air-conditioned, it meant that the smoke was circulated internally. At one point, a few of us even had watery eyes such that we decided to leave earlier than expected. I really hope something would be done to improve the air ventilation here or at least give diners the option to dine upstairs. I’m sure diners would appreciate this gesture to protect them from second hand smoke.

The company that matters

Mezze Wine Bar & Bistro
132 Jalan Kasah,
Medan Damansara,
50490 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.
Tel No.: +603-2095 0122
Opening Hours: 12pm – 1am daily except Sunday
Website: www.mezze.my
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/mezzebarbistro

All About Bibimbap

Posted: 29 Nov 2011 06:20 PM PST

Bibimbap, the most common and lovable Korean meal is what I would refer to as the “Korean mixed rice”. Served with warm white rice topped with vegetables, seaweed, sliced meat, a raw egg and most importantly, the flavoursome gochujang (chilli paste), the combination is mixed thoroughly before being savoured. Oh what a hearty bowl of comfort! There are two variations of Bibimbap, you either take it cold or take it hot on a hot stone bowl, the latter known as Dol Sot Bibimbap. Having traveled to Seoul before, I have to say Bibimbap was the meal I had most of the time, because it’s delicious, reasonably priced and quick to serve! Fine, maybe it had something to do with the fact that I only know what Bibimbap meant from the Korean menu.

All you need in one bowl

Back to Malaysia, Ko Hyang Korean Country Delights is one of the many Korean restaurants making a prominent mark in our food scene. You’d be happy to know that this restaurant was started by a family (Ms Chung Hee Jung & parents) who originated from Incheon, Korea, with recipes that have been passed down for generations. Their first outlet in The Gardens Mid Valley has received tremendous response from the locals that they have currently branched out to an impressive 5 outlets. We were at the branch at 1 Mont Kiara last week for dinner and found the place to be very comfortable and clean. Their open kitchen was also well-maintained, with every step of their food preparation exposed to the public.

Clean open kitchen of Ko Hyang

Unlimited side dishes including kim chi

Our dinner started with some side dishes or banchan, including the famous kim chi that are all refillable. Our first dish was the Goon Man Du, or pan fried home made chicken dumplings which were fried to perfection! To me, perfection meant that the skin was fried to a golden brown without any sights of burnt carbon, has no trace of oil and produces a crispy sound with each bite. On top of that, the fillings of chicken and vegetables inside were juicy and bursting with flavour. This is definitely a must-order!

Goon Man Du (RM9.50)

Of course, when we’re at Ko Hyang, how could we miss out on their signature Bibimbap? Saucer ordered the cold version of rice mixed with vegetables, chili paste and chicken, topped with a sunny side up. Give it a good mix and we have a bowl of orangy-red rice that is savoury, slightly spicy and a little bit sweet. Don’t be hindered by the red mixture thinking that it’s very spicy, because it’s not, really.

Bi Bim Bap – Chicken (RM17.90)

Similar to the Bibimbap, I had the Dol Sot Bibimbap that was served in a hot stone bowl. The ingredients were pretty similar except that I had it with sliced beef instead of chicken. The stone bowl still sizzled when I mixed the combination, emitting an irresistible aroma in the process that had me salivating before I ate. It was definitely a good appetite-stirrer, the process of mixing that is. Between the cold Bibimbap and the one on hot stone, I preferred the latter because there’s always something about piping hot food that makes it taste so much better and comforting to the tummy, don’t you think so?

Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap – Beef (RM17.90)

Well-mixed Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap

Some of the side dishes we tried were the Pa Jeon and Kim Chi Jeon, both pancakes except that the former had seafood and the latter had kim chi. These were both pan-fried to a crispy edge and were surprisingly not oily. I preferred the Kim Chi Jeon, which I found to be more flavourful and tasty with the addition of savoury and spicy kim chi. Again, not overly spicy so don’t be put off by the redness of the pancake.

Pa Jeon (RM11.50)

Kim Chi Jeon (RM11.50)

Apart from the side dishes, Ko Hyang also offers something more substantial if you prefer more meat than vegetables. The Dak Bokem is a good choice that comes with a plate of stir-fried chicken and a bowl of rice. The chicken was well-marinated with a savoury and spicy flavour while retaining its tender texture. The addition of sesame seeds made the combination all the more aromatic. This was really quite good!

Dak Bokem (RM17.90)

Saucer enjoying his bowl of bibimbap

Ko Hyang dining environment

Ko Hyang is what I would call a fuss-free dining venue where the menu is straightforward, the food is served in a jiffy and the dining environment is clean and unpretentious. It goes without saying that the food must be good too, to keep people coming back frequently, because the country-inspired dishes here make you feel right at home.

Ko Hyang Korean Country Delights, 1 Mont Kiara

Ko Hyang Korean Country Delights
Unit L1-21, 1 Mont Kiara,
No 1, Jalan Kiara, Mont Kiara,
50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel No.: +603-62030013
Website: http://www.kohyang.com.my/

The Spinsterlicious Life

2011-12-13T16:18:00.001-08:00

The Spinsterlicious Life

Who Loves Ya, Baby? - In Praise of the Mature --and Fab-- Woman

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 04:48 AM PST

I celebrated a birthday last month and what a fun day it was. In commemoration of me adding another year, a friend sent me a piece attributed to Andy Rooney called In Praise of Women Over 40 (or something like that). I like it. Here it is: As I grow in age, I value women who are over 40 most of all. Here are just a few reasons why: A woman over 40 will never wake you in the middle of the

Eyeflare - Travel Articles and Tips

2011-12-13T08:44:00.001-08:00

Eyeflare - Travel Articles and Tips

Liberty Memorial, Kansas City, MO

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 01:00 AM PST

If you are visiting Kansas City, Missouri, the Liberty Memorial has to be on the top of your list to visit. Whether or not you had someone from your family who fought in World War I, it is a part of our American history that is well worth your time to learn more about. The museum was completed in November, 1926 and is dedicated to the fallen soldiers of World War I. World War I ended in November, 1918 and since so many from Kansas and Missouri had lost their lives, a decision was made to build a monument in their honor. In 2004, the United States Congress designated the Liberty Memorial as Americaâs official museum dedicated to World War I.

The building is made from limestone and designed in the style from the Egyptian Revival. It is a very impressive building, with the foundation constructed from sawed granite, the walls of the first floor lobby using Kasota stone and the first floor corridor and grand stairway made from Italian travertine. Visitors enter the museum via a glass bridge that crosses over a field of red poppies. The poppies represent a thousand combatant deaths, a total of nine million.

The museum gives its visitors the opportunity to learn all about World War I, including events leading up to the actual war. The museum is home to historical collections and exhibitions to help not only to educate its visitors, but to actually help you to re-live the experience of the war. It covers the entire war, from the first shot in 1914 to the attempts for peace in 1919.

Some of the collections you will see in the 55,000 plus items are: Common items carried by soldiers, a German navy uniform, a Princess Mary Christmas box, a steel helmet, and the service record book of 1st Lieutenant Maurice V. Griffin which is the limited edition of The Lost Battalion. Also included in the museum are authentic guns, a series of trenches that allows visitors ground level views soldiers actually experienced, animated battle maps, and Chronology Walls illustrating the daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly activities of the war through dated events and photographs. Visit the museum - it will help you to appreciate a little bit of history!

Liberty Memorial location and hours

Liberty Memorial
1 Memorial Drive
Kansas City, MO 64108

January 2 - May 29, 2011 - Open Tuesday - Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
May 30 - September 5, 2011 - Open Daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
September 6 - December 31, 2011 - Open Tuesday - Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Museum is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.Â

Photo by Marshall Astor - Food Fetishist on flickr

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/liberty-memorial-kansas-city-mo/

Mercer Museum, Doylestown
Doomed Merchant Mariners' Memorial, New York
Kansas Underground Salt Museum in Hutchinson
Carnival of Cities 5 February

Join Me On The First Everything Everywhere Travel Photography Tour: May 5-19, 2012!

2011-12-13T05:19:00.001-08:00

Join Me On The First Everything Everywhere Travel Photography Tour: May 5-19, 2012!

Posted: 13 Dec 2011 12:46 AM PST

This could be you!

Over the last several years I’ve had many readers comment on how they would like to be able to travel with me. Well, now you have your chance!

From May 5 – May 19, I’ll be leading a travel photography tour through the American Southwest with G Adventures. The 15-day trip will be visiting many of the most scenic and photogenic places in the American Southwest. Here is just a sampling of some of the places we’ll be visiting:

San Francisco
Yosemite Valley
Death Valley
Las Vegas
Zion National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
The Grand Canyon
Monument Valley
San Diego
Los Angeles

Monument Valley is one of the places we'll be visiting

In addition to visiting amazing places, I’ll be available for the entire 15 days to work with YOU on your travel photography. We’ll be doing photo activities almost every day of the trip with plenty of great things to photograph.

Here are some more details about the trip:

Small group of people. Outside of myself and the tour guide, there will only be a maximum of 13 people on the tour. With a small group we wont suffer from the tour bus experience and everyone will be able to get to know each other.
Hand on instruction. 15 day trip, 13 people. Do the math. Each person will average over a day of personalized photography instruction with me. We will not only be working on taking photos, but editing photos and displaying them online.
You will have a great portfolio. Given the places will be visiting, at the end of 2-weeks you will have a killer portfolio of travel photography images. Even if you just want to decorate the walls of your house with your own photos, this will be your big chance.
Share your images with the world. I’ll be creating a special website for the trip and I’ll be highlighting the best images every day during the trip on my blog. Images will be hosted on my favorite hosting site, Smugmug.
Great partners. We are currently talking to several companies who will be providing gear and services during the tour. Everyone on the trip will be getting a nice swag bag with stuff they can use. More details will be announced at they come in.
Wifi in the van. Did I mention that we’ll have wifi in the vehicle as we cruise down the highway??? Yeah, we’ll have that..

Space is limited. Spots on the trip will be sold on a first come, first serve basis and there are only 13 available.

A digital SLR, tripod and laptop computer are HIGHLY recommended! This is a photography themed trip. If all you have is your iPhone camera, you wont be getting your money’s worth.

Cost of the tour, not including flights is US$2299. Please see the tour page for details.

Before the tour I’ll start a Facebook group for everyone on the trip so we can get to know each other and do some pre-trip planning. We can find out who is using what camera and maybe share lenses.

I’m very excited about this and looking forward to what I hope will be the first of many trips I will take with readers around the world.

Originally posted on the Everything Everywhere Travel Blog. Discover great travel photos.

People on the Sky Lift at the Minnesota State Fair in St Paul, MN

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 05:21 PM PST

People on the Sky Lift at the Minnesota State Fair in St Paul, MN

Originally posted on the Everything Everywhere Travel Blog. Discover great travel photos.

nateniale

2011-12-12T19:55:00.001-08:00

nateniale

Imagining Pompeii as it was

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 07:59 AM PST

{ Pompeii, Italy - May 2011 }

Walking around the huge and well-preserved archeological site that was once Pompeii, it was easy to imagine the city that it once was...

Pompeii was an important port, and must have been a well-to-do city. The temples and the forum must have been a lively place where the Pompeiians met, traded and socialised with their family and friends. There were shops selling everyday items, such as wine and bread, with graffiti on the walls. There were brothels with erotic frescoes and public baths. The large amphitheatre must have provided entertainments to the residents.

The houses and villas were large, with many rooms and even gardens with water features. Some of the houses were right in the middle of the city, while others were further away, probably some holiday villas of rich Pompeiians. The rich pompeiian red that coloured the walls and the beautiful paintings showed that the houses must have been colourful. The bright gardens and water features, would have completed the homes. Some houses even have guard dogs, with mosaic signs to warn unwanted intruders!

Then came the eruption of Mount Vesuvius on 24 August 79 AD. The huge cloud of volcanic ash and the heat, caused many Pompeiians to run away from the city. Unfortunately, many did not manage to leave and perished when the thick layer of ashes buried them and their city. With the city covered and destroyed, the city was abandoned, and the names and locations forgotten.

::: Footnotes :::

{ Getting there from Naples } There are trains every half an hour for the 35 minutes journey from Circumvesuviana Napoli-Sorrento to Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri. The entrance at Porta Marina is only a few minutes walk away. To go back to Naples, take the Circumvesuviana train from the Pompei Scavi-Villa dei Misteri stop to Naples Garibaldi station (direction Napoli). Note that there are two stops marked Napoli – you want the first one if you're aiming for Garibaldi, the city's main train station.

{ Pompeii } Pompeii is open everyday from 8.30 am to 7.30 pm, with the last admission at 6 pm. A single ticket is valid for one day, and costs €11. You can also buy the ticket that gives you access to five sites (Herculaneum, Pompeii, Oplontis, Stabiae, Boscoreale) for €20, and is valid for 3 days. The ticket price includes a map and small pocket guide, A Brief Guide to Pompeii. The guide is good, and remember to pick them up at the information window. Audio guide is also available, but we read that it is a recording of the pocket guide, and so we did not get it. It costs €6.50 for one, or €10 for 2 people.

{ Click here for other travel tales from Italy and a list of my travelogues }

iamthewitch.com

2011-12-12T19:04:00.001-08:00

iamthewitch.com

Grand Opening of Amber Chia Academy
Eat-All-You-Can at Shabuland
Christmas with Alvin and The Chipmunks!
Aunt Ann’s Roast Pork
Christmas Spirit at Prince Hotel
Fashion, Fine-Dining & Free Flow of Beer!
Early Christmas Eve Dinner
Birthday Celebration in Mezze
All About Bibimbap
Malaysia International Fashion Week 2011: Backstage

Grand Opening of Amber Chia Academy

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Eat-All-You-Can at Shabuland

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Christmas with Alvin and The Chipmunks!

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Aunt Ann’s Roast Pork

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Christmas Spirit at Prince Hotel

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Fashion, Fine-Dining & Free Flow of Beer!

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Early Christmas Eve Dinner

Posted:

Birthday Celebration in Mezze

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All About Bibimbap

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Malaysia International Fashion Week 2011: Backstage

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Heather on her travels

2011-12-12T17:38:00.001-08:00

Heather on her travels

Exploring the Christmas markets of Gothenburg

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 01:03 PM PST

As winter sets in over Northern Europe, there’s something atmospheric about a Christmas market and in Gothenburg on the West coast of Sweden, you’ll find Christmas markets that make you feel cosy and full of seasonal spirit. On our winter weekend break in Gothenburg we set out to explore some of the many markets around the city, in between plenty of eating and drinking of course.

Kronhuset Christmas Market

On our way to visit the Maritiman Maritime Centre on the harbour (which we were disappointed to find was closed in winter), we passed by what I thought looked like an Almshouse that one might find in Bristol with old buildings set around four sides of a courtyard. The Kronhuset is the oldest building in Gothenburg, built in the 1650s as an artillery store and it looks a bit incongruous surrounded by more modern buildings, with a red brick façade and unusual green copper window shutters.

Christmas market at Kronhuset in Gothenburg

Inside the Kronhuset, we found a Christmas craft market was in full swing with the hall packed with small stalls selling anything from pottery to Christmas decorations as well as several stalls raising money for charity – there was definitely a touch of the Women's Institute in the atmosphere.

Outside there were a few more stalls, mainly selling cute fir tree decorations in the shape of dogs and other animals. I noticed that pine branches (as if you had cut up a Christmas tree) are widely used to decorate window surrounds and are spread on the ground at the foot of building walls, sometimes with fairy lights over the top. I'm not sure whether the purpose is purely decorative or if it helps to stop snow and ice damaging the buildings.

Christmas wreaths at Kronhuset in Gothenburg, Sweden

Christmas market at Kronhuset in Gothenburg

We looked around the interesting gift shops that were in the old buildings around the courtyard and ended with a coffee in the extremely cosy Café Kronhuset, where there was a fire burning on what looked like an original fireplace of a forge with a metal anvil. Many people were tucking into appetising salads and open sandwiches but we’d had the full hotel breakfast so we saved ourselves for later.

Spreading pine branches on the ground in Gothenburg

Christmas market at Kronhuset in Gothenburg

Röhsska Design museum

I was on the lookout for pretty and unusual Christmas gifts and so we stopped by at the Röhsska Design museum in the Vasastan neighbourhood, where there was the Julform craft market with stalls set up in a side room off the Museum lobby. On sale were gifts that looked as if they were largely the work of design students and this was just the place to buy interesting jewellery or even the odd bit of furniture although nothing was especially cheap.

Liseberg Christmas Market

If the Christmas markets at Kronhuset and Röhsska Museum were small and intimate, the Christmas market at Liseburg was quite the other end of the scale. Liseberg is the largest amusement park in Sweden, with restaurants, food stands, and rides for all ages from carousels to a traditional timber roller coaster and at Christmas the park is transformed with 5 million lights.

Liseburg in Gothenburg, Sweden

We’ll have to trust them on that as I can't say I counted every one, but as we came through the entrance I could believe it, as it seemed that every twig, on every branch, on every tree had lights twisted around it. I feel sorry for the people who have to put them up and then take them all down again after Christmas.

We surged through the gates and not really being sure where to go took the two sets of escalators up to an area where there were stalls of designer gifts from Scandinavian brands. On coming down the escalators again, we caught the end of the ice show as skaters performed to Christmas music and even some cute young skaters spun around impressively.

Liseburg in Gothenburg, Sweden

Once we'd done the circuit it was starting to rain quite heavily and the end of a long day we were starting to flag, with little enthusiasm for a damp and scary roller coaster ride. We retreated from the crowds to the nearest place we could find for a cup of tea and found ourself in fast food hall filled with families eating Scandinavian versions of burger & chips. Although the lights were magical, the Saturday night crowds were not and we decided to head back to the calm of Hotel Elite Plaza.

5 million lights at Liseberg, Gothenburg

Liseburg in Gothenburg, Sweden

Haga Christmas Market

On Sunday morning we found our perfect Christmas market that was being held just at the weekend in the old fashioned neighbourhood of Haga. The pedestrian streets of Haga are full of interesting shops and cafes and to this were added more stalls, some an offshoot of the shops, selling mainly foods such as interesting sausages, breads, cakes and a few gifts.

Christmas market at Haga in Gothenburg

The scene was full of Christmas atmosphere as a choir of students stood on the street corner singing us a Gud Jul looking hopefully for a few silver coins thrown into the tin in front of them. As their impromptu concert came to an end we heard band music and followed it down the street until we found the source; a junior marching band with teenagers dressed in bright blue uniforms, and cheer leaders at the front twirling their pom poms, led by a majorette with her cane. Here was the Christmas music and atmosphere that I’d been hoping to find.

Christmas marching band in Haga, Gothenburg

We followed the band as they marched down the main street of Haga Nygata, and then dived into Cafe Kringlan, one of those cosy traditional cafes where the cinnamon and saffron buns were piled high and you can have your fika break over a steaming mug of coffee or hot chocolate.

If you’re visiting Gothenburg in December, you can take your pick of Christmas markets from the full-on bright lights of Liseberg to the Swedish designer gifts at Röhsska Museum, to the traditional charms of Kronhuset and Haga. There are even more Christmas markets around Gothenburg and you will find opening times on the Göteborg.com website.

Visitor Information for Gothenburg or Göteborg

- The local tourism site Göteborg.com is full of information on the best things to see and do
- For information on West Sweden visit the West Sweden Tourism site or follow them on Twitter @WestSwedenTB and you will find their blog at ExploreWestSweden.com
- Another useful site for all things Gothenburg is I Love Göteborg
- During our long weekend in Gothenburg, we stayed at the lovely 5 star hotel, Elite Plaza Hotel which is right in the centre of town.
- For flights to Gothenburg from London Heathrow, we flew with Scandanavian airlines, who have 2 flights a day to Gothenburg from London.

Thanks to the West Sweden Tourism Board for sponsoring our long weekend in Gothenburg

www.flickr.com

heatheronhertravels’ Sweden – Gothenburg photoset

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

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Dubrovnik News

2011-12-12T09:12:00.001-08:00

Dubrovnik News

Dubrovnik Walls: Tower Museum to Open

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 04:53 AM PST

Walking Dubrovnik’s walls is easily one of the world’s most memorable experiences. In addition to admiring the Adriatic sea and the ripple of stone that encircles Dubrovnik, you will soon be able to visit a new museum in a recently excavated tower. While working on a nearby playground in 2003, workers discovered “something [...]

Eyeflare - Travel Articles and Tips

2011-12-12T08:25:00.001-08:00

Eyeflare - Travel Articles and Tips

St Jerome's Laneway Festival, Australia

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 01:00 AM PST

St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival began in Melbourne in 2004. It was the brainchild of Jerome Borazio and Danny Rogers to create a music festival that would find what was new and great in music and bring it to unique settings. The lineup is mostly indie rock and combines Australian bands with international acts. The unique atmosphere and sound environment was designed for small crowds with the first one only getting 1400 attendees.

It originally started at St. Jerome’s, which was shut down in 2009. Melbourne was the birthplace but the show soon began to grow. Sydney was added to the bill in 2006, followed by Brisbane in 2007, Adelaide in 2008, and Perth in 2009. The show was then became international with the announcement of an added stop in Singapore in 2011. Today, the St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival is considered Australia’s most insurgent and unique pop music event.

The 2012 festival is scheduled to begin in Brisbane on January 28th. It is scheduled for Auckland on January 30th, Melbourne on February 4th, Sydney on February 5th, Adelaide on February 10th, Perth on February 11th and will hit Singapore on February 12th. Just a few of the acts include Active Child, Chairlift, Austra, DZ Deathrays and Girls, just to name a few. If you’re in Australia, it’s definitely worth it to take a peek at these incredible acts.

Photo by Michael_Spencer on flickr

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/st-jeromes-laneway-festival-australia/

Big Day Out festival, Australia

The Nazca Lines, Peru

Posted: 12 Dec 2011 01:00 AM PST

The Nazca Desert in southern Peru is home to some of the most interesting discoveries of Ancient Central American cultures, the Nazca Lines. These “lines” are actually large areas of desert that have been dug out to carve giant artistic structures into the desert landscape, which cannot be seen from ground level. When flying over the Nazca Desert however, it becomes apparent what these lines are made to create; stunning carvings of monkeys, spiders, birds and other interesting animals.

These were created by the Nazca civilization around four hundred AD, and were thought to please the gods, who would look down and care for their civilization from the heavens. There is also speculation to the religious sacrifices that may have taken place around these carvings. Even so it is apparent that these areas were really special to the ancients, and were designed to please the gods.

There are now tours that will fly planes over these carving so that one can view them as the gods might have. These are a must see for a trip to Peru. Plane tours can be found in the town of Lima, which is about 200 miles north of the carvings. The best time to see these carvings is during the summer, when the land is at its driest.

Nazca Lines location

The Nazca Lines are located about 200 miles south of Lima, Peru. The best way to visit is with a tour company flying you over the Lines.

Photo by wanderingz on flickr

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/nazca-lines-peru/

Arches National Park near Moab, Utah
The endless opportunities of volunteer travel
Visit the ruins of Arycanda in Lycia, Turkey

A Train on the Mountainous White Pass Route near Skagway, Alaska

2011-12-12T05:02:00.001-08:00

A Train on the Mountainous White Pass Route near Skagway, Alaska

Posted: 11 Dec 2011 04:57 PM PST

A Train on the Mountainous White Pass Route near Skagway, Alaska

Originally posted on the Everything Everywhere Travel Blog. Discover great travel photos.

iamthewitch.com

2011-12-11T19:59:00.001-08:00

iamthewitch.com

Grand Opening of Amber Chia Academy

Posted: 11 Dec 2011 05:40 PM PST

Amber Chia Academy at Berjaya Times Square

Some of the ACA graduates with Amber Chia and team

The radiant Amber Chia in red

The opening ceremony of the BTS branch could not be better in timing since it was also Amber’s celebration of her 30th birthday.

The runway

A token from the witch

The ACA signature heels

Food served during the opening

The spacious studio

Esther Tan

Esther Tan, Amber and Nadia

Catwalk guru Benjamin Toong

ACA students Sheena & Wafa

The ACA team with Dato’ Jimmy Choo

with Dato’ Jimmy Choo

Benjamin getting excited to start the show

Makeup showcase #1

Makeup showcase #2

Amanda Cheng

Sheena Liam

Cheryll Ho

Josephine

Angelica Yap

Kurt Chin

Reina

Leon

Yu Ling

Gwen

Wafa

Kit Leu

Ashton

Happy Birthday Amber

Amber Chia Academy BTS

For more pictures, check out the Facebook album here.

nateniale

2011-12-11T19:07:00.001-08:00

nateniale

Sometimes you have to pick yourself up and carry on!

Posted: 11 Dec 2011 05:26 AM PST

Have a good week ahead, everyone!

Eyeflare - Travel Articles and Tips

2011-12-11T07:56:00.001-08:00

Eyeflare - Travel Articles and Tips

Big Day Out festival, Australia

Posted: 11 Dec 2011 01:00 AM PST

Founded almost twenty years ago by Ken West and Vivian Lees, the Big Day Out music festival in Australia has become one of the world’s most well- known and popular annual music events. It was initially held in late January in Sydney and soon after spread to Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, the Gold Coast and then Auckland, New Zealand. The genre of music played is heavy metal, rock, hip hop, electronic, and industrial. The event became so popular that there was a second show held in Sydney in 2004, 2010 and 2011.

The range of artists and acts that performed at the Big Day Out festivals has included, among many others, such powerhouses as Muse, Limp Bizkit, Tool, Rammstein, Metallica and Red Hot Chili Peppers. For the first ten years, the vert ramp skate show was invited to perform along with the music. In 2012 the vert ramp skate show will return to the Big Day Out event with world champion Tony Hawk bringing his skateboarding team back.

The Big Day Out festival will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2012 and have twenty acts performing, one of whom is the renowned hip hop artist Kanye West. The heavy rock band Soundgarden will also be onstage after a 15-year absence. The rest of the lineup is Kasabian, My Chemical Romance, The Living End, Hilltop Hoods, Battles, Odd Future, Mariachi el Bronx, Girl Talk, Parkway Drive, Royksopp, Foster the People, the Jezabels, Architecture in Helsinki, The Getaway Plan, Cage the Elephant, Frenzal Rhomb, Boy & Bear, and Best Coast.

Touted as a cutting edge event, the Big Day Out does indeed draw phenomenal crowds and artists from all around the world. The logistics are enormous, with at least 25 semi-trailers and thousands of truck deliveries, a huge amount of temporary equipment, not to mention the catering and sanitary facilities. Somehow each year they manage to turn the empty site into one of the world’s most exciting music venues.

Photo by Today is a good day on flickr

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/big-day-out-festival-australia/

The International Jazz Festival, Glasgow
The Glasgow and World Pipe Band Championships, Scotland
National Museum of Australia, Canberra
Top 5 greatest Australian holiday escapes
Destination Idea: A New Zealand driving holiday

Alloa Tower, Clackmannanshire, Scotland

Posted: 11 Dec 2011 01:00 AM PST

If you find yourself wandering the beautiful rolling hills of Scotland, and are looking for some of the countries great historical sites, make a stop in Clackmannanshire for the Alloa Tower. The Alloa tower is a very well kept Keep dating back to the early fourteenth century and the Erskines family. This is the oldest known Scottish Keep and is in surprisingly great condition.

The outside of the tower shows the classic and rustic style of buildings from the middle ages, while the interior is a bit more updated and gives off a feel of how the building has changed over the years of inhabitants. The building shows off a very powerful and sturdy feel outside, which is complimented by finely crafted furniture and art on the inside. Alloa Tower truly shows off the pride of Scotland and the heritage that makes it a popular travel destination for many months during the spring and summer.

Tours are available nearly every day throughout most of the year, and are run by the National Trust of Scotland (NTS). NTS also offers many other tours of Scotland’s finest national landmarks and castles, and Alloa Tower can make a great stop on a tour of many of these fantastic sites.

Alloa Tower location and hours

Alloa Tower
Alloa Park
Alloa
FK10 1PP

1 April - 30 April: Friday - Monday (1-5pm)
1 May - 31 August: Thursday - Monday (1-5pm)
2 September - 30 September: Friday - Monday (1-5pm)
Last entry on all above dates is 4-15pm

Photo by lost penguin on flickr

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/alloa-tower-clackmannanshire-scotland/

Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
Buda Castle, The Royal Palace in Budapest

The Wreck of the SS Maheno on Fraser Island along the coast of Queensland, Australia

2011-12-11T05:17:00.001-08:00

The Wreck of the SS Maheno on Fraser Island along the coast of Queensland, Australia

Posted: 10 Dec 2011 05:47 PM PST

The Wreck of the SS Maheno on Fraser Island along the coast of Queensland, Australia

Originally posted on the Everything Everywhere Travel Blog. Discover great travel photos.

Paris Syndrome and Setting Travel Expectations

Posted: 10 Dec 2011 05:57 AM PST

Recently on This Week In Travel, we came across a story about Japanese tourists who visit France and come down with something called “Paris Syndrome“. Paris Syndrome is a condition that strikes tourists who visit a place and find that it doesn’t live up to how they imagined it.

Some Japanese have a vision of Paris which comes from fashion magazines, television and movies. They assume everyone is thin and wears designer clothing all the time. When they arrive, they are shocked to see normal looking people wearing normal looking clothes. The added problems of cultural shocks, language differences and jet lag can result in some people becoming dizzy, depressed and having breakdowns.

This effects an average of one Japanese tourist to Paris each month.

I guess that none of you reading this have ever suffered something so severe from visiting a place. I’m also guessing that most of you, myself included, have been disappointed by some place you’ve visited.

When I began traveling in 2007 I started in the Pacific. I had vision in my head of what it would be like based on books I’ve read and photos I’ve seen online. When I arrived it wasn’t what I thought it would be. It wasn’t worse necessarily, but it was different. The fact that it didn’t match my expectations was in some respect a bit of letdown, but one which was soon overcome.

Whenever I hear people complain about a place they’ve visited, especially famous or popular places, it almost always seems to be a case of not having their expectations met, not so much about the place they visited actually being bad.

An unspoiled beach in the Solomon Islands

Later in 2007 I visited the island of Rennell in the Solomon Islands. Rennell is an island which gets very few visitors to begin with, and while I was there I asked if I could go down to the old beach where ships used to dock. The landing beach was replaced because the old one required a climb up 100m of steep, slippery stairs to get to the top of the cliff where everyone lived. I was told no one had been down to this beach in years. It was the closest thing to a pristine untouched beach that I’d probably ever find.

When we got down to the beach I was shocked at how messy the beach actually was. With no one to do any beach combing, the sand was littered with driftwood, shells and seaweed. That mess of ocean debris WAS the natural state of a beach. The vision I had in my head of a perfect white sand beach had nothing to do with reality. Those images I had in my head were taken by people trying to sell the concept of a beach, which is difficult to do if it is littered with seaweed and wood.

The best way to ensure you aren’t disappointed when you go on a trip is to keep your expectations in check. If you haven’t been somewhere before, it will be different from what you expect. The key is to know this before going and accepting the reality of what you experience.

Paris has people who are fat, manhole covers, cloudy days and graffiti. None of those things will be seen in the pages of a fashion or travel magazine, but they are just as much a part of Paris as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre.

What place that you have visited differed the most from what you expected?

Originally posted on the Everything Everywhere Travel Blog. Discover great travel photos.

iamthewitch.com

2011-12-10T19:57:00.001-08:00

iamthewitch.com

Eat-All-You-Can at Shabuland

Posted: 10 Dec 2011 06:10 PM PST

Raw ingredients on kaiten belt

Variety of sauces

Unlimited servings

Scallops and fish meat noodles

Crab makes the soup taste so good!

Unlimited servings of pork slices

Beef slices

‘

Bubbling pot of tom yam soup

Gigantic dumpling (sui kow)

Unlimited beverage of choice

YoYo Ice (yao yao ping)

Comfortable and air-conditioned environment

Shabuland Restaurant

Shabuland Promotion

Adult – RM29.90nett
Child – RM14.90nett (height between 111cm-140cm, FREE for child’s height below 110cm)

Promotion: Buy 10 Free 1 head charge. Get the stamp card and collect 1 stamp for each person’s charge to get a free head charge after 10 stamps.

Shabuland Restaurant
60, Jalan 8/62A, Bandar Menjalara,
Kepong, 52200 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia
Tel No: +6012-360 0550
Opening Hours: Mon – Sun (5:30 pm – 11:00 pm)
Facebook Page

nateniale

2011-12-10T19:21:00.001-08:00

nateniale

Unforgettable Pompeii

Posted: 10 Dec 2011 02:35 AM PST

{ Pompeii, Italy - May 2011 }

A Roman city destroyed and buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, Pompeii was buried for more than 1,600 years before the town was rediscovered. Thousands of Pompeiians must have died, and many more fled the town. However, the volcanic ash that buried the city allowed us to walk along the cobbled stone streets, among the walls that once made up the homes of the Pompeiians. Ever since I went to an exhibition on Pompeii, I told myself that I would go to Pompeii when I am lucky enough to be in Italy. And so, I did. We saw the treasures from Pompeii in the museum in Naples, before visiting the site. We took a train from Naples, and stopped in a station right next to the entrance.

I was filled with excitement. Sure, Rome, with the Colosseum, Pantheon, Roman Forum and all the amazing structures from ancient Rome, was spectacular. But Rome was like the political and administration centre - the capital of the Roman Empire, if you may. Pompeii, on the other hand was where the real people lived. Houses, markets, temples, and even, brothels. We knew it was huge, but nothing really prepared me for the size of it all.

We stood on the spacious Forum, looking towards Mount Vesuvius, which looked huge and imposing and pretty far away. I heard that if you draw a line from the two ends of the peaks, that would be the size of Mount Vesuvius before the catastrophic eruption in AD 79! The volcano is still active, and is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world because of the 3 million people that live nearby.

We explored the the remains of baths, houses, bakeries and theatre. The houses have big compound, with water features, gardens and rooms. Of course, it was not fully rebuilt to their former glory, but with the structures still in place, it was easy to imagine the way it once was. There were still paint of the famous pompeian red and paintings on the walls, like this famous Venus on the Half Shelf.

Of course, what would a Roman city be without a Roman theatre? The amphitheatre was extremely well constructred that I could easily imagined it being filled by the tens of thousands of people. We sat on the ground, resting our tired feet before continuing our exploration.

We kept walking and exploring the city, walking along the cobbled stone ground, trying to imagine the city that it once was. We went from streets to streets, houses to houses, admiring the structures and the colour, and before we know it, the sun was setting, and the area closing.

We left Pompeii with a heavy heart. Pompeii was an unforgettable and humbling experience. The buzzing lively city that it must have been thousands of years ago, only to be left forgotten and buried under a thick layer of volcanic ashes. Then, to be rediscovered and provided all of us a chance to experience the Roman city that it must have been.

::: Footnotes :::

{ Click here for other travel tales from Italy and a list of my travelogues }

The Spinsterlicious Life

2011-12-10T15:18:00.001-08:00

The Spinsterlicious Life

What If "Love" Hurts?

Posted: 09 Dec 2011 11:08 PM PST

On Thursday, I did something really important. As a member of BlogHer --the largest community of engaged, influential and info-savvy women who blog-- I participated in the 8th annual It's Time to Talk Day (#ITTTD), a national day of dialogue and awareness for domestic violence, sexual assault, and teen dating abuse sponsored by Liz Claiborne, Inc. Bloggers, members of the press, and

Eyeflare - Travel Articles and Tips

2011-12-10T08:08:00.001-08:00

Eyeflare - Travel Articles and Tips

The Louvre Museum, Paris

Posted: 10 Dec 2011 01:00 AM PST

The Louvre Museum in Paris is a must-see for any museum aficionado, but even novice art fans should spend at least a day there for three reasons: the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and the Venus de Milo. These are perhaps the three most famous pieces included in the Louvreâs ultra-vast collection, and will be standard sights in a pre-arranged tour. However, the Louvre displays over 35,000 works of art in a 60 square mile area. These staggering statistics should help you begin to understand the Louvreâs world-class status, and why it is worth more than just a tour of its âgreatest hits.â

The smart traveler will purchase the Paris Museum Pass before traveling. Passes can be pre-purchased online at en.parismuseumpass.com. The pass provides access to more than 60 Paris museums and monuments without standing in line for tickets. You can choose two, four, or six day passes. With each, you have unlimited visits to any of the 60 participating museums. At about $87 per six-day pass (compare at about $20 per day just for the Louvre), youâll appreciate the convenience of âskipping the queueâ and heading right in - the Louvre always has a ticket line, even in the dead of winter. As you enter, youâll receive a map and guide â" make sure to hang onto these; they are vital to navigating your way through the Louvreâs three wings.

The museum is open daily, except Tuesdays, and is open until 9:45 pm on Wednesday and Friday evenings. The audio guides come highly recommended, and are available at the entrance to each wing. The guides cost about $10. Armed with your audio guide, youâll share the passion of curators and art experts by listening to their comments as you tour the museum. Recently updated, in 2008, the audio tour helps you navigate the museum, and even offers a selection of themed tours available in six languages for adults, children, and are visually- or audio-impaired.

Youâll want to be prepared for your Louvre visit, since the museum has three vast wings to explore. Common lore states that if you were to take four seconds to look at each work of art in the Louvre, youâd be there for 3 months - so you can see how critical advance planning is.

Enter the museum through I.M. Peiâs controversial pyramid that premiered in 1988 to mixed Parisian reviews. Visit www.louvre.fr, click on âPlan your visit,â then select âFloor Plans.â Here, youâll find an interactive floor plan to give you an overview of the museumâs layout and three major wings: the Sully, the Denon, and the Richelieu. For each floor and wing you select, youâll receive a selection of important works along with the types of art to explore in that location. Alternatively, visit www.louvre.fr/en/parcours, where youâll find 29 âvisitor trailsâ that take you on a journey through art history. According to the site, âEach trail is based on a selection of works that typify a period, an artistic movement, or a theme. They can be viewed online or printed out prior to a museum visit.â In addition to the trails, the Louvre has links to âmini-sitesâ to help you learn about art.

With 15 restaurants inside the Louvre, donât worry about getting hungry. Other amenities include a coat and luggage check, wheelchair, walking stick and stroller lending, pay phones, restrooms, underground parking and post office. During warmer months, several childrenâs play areas are available in and near the Tuileries. Do your shopping outdoors at The Tuileries Gardens bookstore or inside at The Louvre Bookstore. Three souvenir stores offer a wide selection of mementos ranging from childrenâs games and toys to replicas and prints of selected works, and everything in between.

In all respects, prepare to be overwhelmed by the Louvre. Give yourself ample time to soak in its vastness, to appreciate what an absolute international treasure the Louvre truly is.

The Louvre address and hours

Monday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday: from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Friday: from 9 a.m. to 9:45 p.m.
Closed on Tuesday

Photos by Storm Crypt (1, 2), and wecand (3) on flickr

This is originally posted at http://www.eyeflare.com/article/louvre-museum-paris/

Paris tours for the unorganized visitor
Mercer Museum, Doylestown
The Sewer Museum, Paris
Visit the Accademia Museum in Venice
Buda Castle, The Royal Palace in Budapest
Musée dâArt Moderne et Contemporain, Strasbourg

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