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Tag: Travel

  • Meet My Brother At Raffles Place, Singapore

    Meet My Brother At Raffles Place, Singapore

    Meet My Brother At Raffles Place

    Meet My Brother At Raffles Place – Raffles Place, Singapore, it’s just like the Central in Hong Kong which is the CBD (Central Business District) of the city. Fill with high rise office towers and at Raffles Place, it situated Singapore’s tallest buildings the OUB Centre, Republic Plaza and UOB Plaza One.

    Meet My Brother At Raffles Place

    I alighted at Raffles Place MRT station to meet up with my brother who was working at that area on a Friday. It feels so “Hong Kong” when I got out of the MRT station where I was surrounded by high rise buildings. Looking around, it’s just white collars and office lady everywhere, walking fast to the MRT station to get home or to somewhere else. There’s nothing that looks like it in Malaysia. In Malaysia, after work, many has their own private vehicles and office buildings spread out all over the cities.

    It’s all office towers, nothing much, took some shots and went to Raffles City for dinner that day.

     

  • Short Walk At Clarke Quay, Singapore

    Short Walk At Clarke Quay, Singapore

    Short Walk At Clarke Quay, Singapore

    Short Walk At Clarke Quay, Singapore – I went to Singapore few months back to check out Saturday In Design event and in the trip, I went to the famous night life spot in the city, Clarke Quay at night for a short walk. It’s really a fast walk at there as brother and I didn’t want to go back that early after checking out Marina Bay Sands.

    I have been here before few years back, and I am here again. Though, it’s still walking around and didn’t spend time at any of the pubs or bistro.

    I see people playing the reverse bungee thingy which is pretty scary, yet expensive. I felt like want to try but I was at scared at the same time. HAHA. It looks fun and exciting from far. It’s a gigantic swing, swing you up and down. Have you tried it before?


    The bridge where people buy their own beer and hang out at there. It’s so much cheaper than drinking out at the pubs there.

    Clarke Quay is really a nice place for people who doesn’t want to go home at night, it’s a very happenings night life spot in Singapore with lots of pubs and bistros. I am very amaze with the crowds and everything is so well-organized. Unlike Kuala Lumpur where pubs are pretty spread out in the city. Given that Changkat Bukit Bintang has a similar function, yet it’s so much smaller when compare to Clarke Quay.


    Very cute and weird pub with a hospital/clinic theme (The Clicnic) which offers alcohol in syringes, drips and test-tubes. Don’t be surprise to see nurses serving you there.

    Just tour the place for a while, and finally tiredness attacked me then we went back home. =D

  • My Experience In Saturday In Design Singapore

    My Experience In Saturday In Design Singapore

    My Experience In Saturday In Design Singapore – In May this year of 2011, I and part of my class of Diploma In Interior Design friends, as well as my lecturer Mr CK Foo all together visited a design event in Singapore called the Saturday In Design, Singapore.

    Originally this event is a yearly event in the Australia where designer’s furniture shop, product designs and design studios open up their place to design lovers to visit, communicate, interact and enjoy the design, but it came to Singapore for the first time and we were pretty excited


    Chair at Morroso.

    What we have visited was mainly furniture shops. These furniture are not typical house furniture but they are premium, expensive, branded and are designed by well-known product and furniture designers all around the world.

    All the station (shops and studio) located at different zone, spread out in the city of Singapore. We have our Malaysia bus who ferry us around different station. There were also van to bring you around if you are in a group or if you are in a person or two, you get a luck to be drove around by Mercedez car which is actually their main sponsors for the shuttle service around the stations.


    Paper lamp shade.

    It’s really an eye opening trip which most of the brands were quite new to me and I was really inspired by some of the designs. I also saw that the price for those designer’s products is pretty expensive too.


    Wei Kean, me, Zhi Inn and Nita.


    Nice shop houses! Really very colourful and nice. I hope Penang’s can be like this.


    Connie, Wanyi, Nita and Mellysa.


    We got free Instax too!

    We actually started our tour and visits at about 11am and ended the whole thing at 5pm because we were rushing back to Malaysia that night. Despite being 6 hours in Singapore, we couldn’t cover all of the stations, we left about 2 which we did not able to visit.

    We were in fact rushing from station to station with time. We did not have a proper lunch but then our stomach was satisfied and filled with excitement and pleasantly delicious snacks and light food which were served by almost all of the stations. They were mainly Western cocktails style snacks and light meals which were pretty good in mouth and also did a good job for preventing my stomach from growling.


    Awesome office which I like!


    Nice big red chair!


    I signed my name there too!


    Innovative, a good way to place your chopstick.


    Food was just so awesome which makes us wanted more and more.


    Checking out a cool office design.


    Shanghai is written!


    Nice cut out of brown boxes cardboard art featuring the Statue of Liberty.


    I believe this is somewhere in Chinatown.


    Birdman Wesley.

    Well, would probably visit again in the next event, and if there’s an opportunity for me, I would like to visit the actual one in Australia. =D

  • A Visit To KL Tower (Menara KL)

    A Visit To KL Tower (Menara KL) – KL Tower is one of the building that beautify up the Kuala Lumpur skyline after the Petronas Twin Towers. It’s actually a telecommunications and broadcasting tower that looks taller than the Petronas Twin Towers from far because it’s located on a hill – Bukit Nanas.

    I am bet many of you have been to the Petronas Twin Towers, I mean the bottom of it, but did not go to the KL Tower before. I know it’s probably because it’s not easy to access by public transport. Last week, brother brought me and his girlfriend to the tower for a visit.

    The entrance is RM35 for Malaysian citizen and RM45 for non-local and included a walk in the observatory zone and a little fun time with either a ride on the pony, or a visit to the super mini animal house, or play the F1 simulation. I’ve got to say, it’s not really a worth visit because it’s just a view and the fun part is just stupid and lame. You will know later.


    Audio guide is available too.

    It’s a good visit on top because you can take a good view on the city, yet not worthwhile. Sigh. It’s really not international standard although the staffs were very friendly, greeting you from bottom to top. Hmm. It’s just a small round at the observatory zone which takes about half an hour.

    Telescope is free to use and there’s mini souvenirs stalls on top. It was going to rain that day, but still get a glimpse of the Klang Valley.

    From top, only then I know that the city planning is kinda, err, not organized. It’s like building here and there with only a few significant architecture. Lalalalalala.

    After taking photos, touring on top, we went down to get a drinks before proceeding to the F1 simulation that was included in our ticket. This is so bullshit that it’s just a steering wheel controller connected to a computer. Maybe the software is good, but I still didn’t get the feel of F1, the chair was not moving, the sound was not loud as if I am at the circuit, it just feels like playing a computer game. Hmmmmm. Lame.

    Untitled

    45 minutes and here goes our RM35.


    The lobby/entrance.

    Bye bye. You can check out the website for more information.

  • Singapore’s Esplanade, Marina Bay Sands And Olympic Walk

    Singapore’s Esplanade, Marina Bay Sands And Olympic Walk

    Singapore’s Esplanade, Marina Bay Sands And Olympic Walk – Today, I want to share with you the beauty of the Singapore’s city and the recent Marina Bay Sands Resorts. I went there a few months back when I was visiting my brother and brother took me for a stroll after dinner at the Esplanade and Marina Bay Sands Resorts to enjoy the night scene of Singapore City and to take photos.

    Singapore is a very standard country, what I mean standard is a very well-organized country with no messy construction. All building in the Singapore skyline are align in a proper manner which makes it a great city. Somehow, I still love my own hometown, Penang, which is also one of the Straits Settlement area.

    Back to Singapore, I walked from Esplanade to Marina Bay Sands Resorts. The walk took about 15 minutes, from Esplanade, passing the Youth Olympic Park and crossing the cool Helix Bridge. It’s my first time going there after so many visit to Singapore almost every year. I will be going there again soon.

    So sad that I didn’t bring a tripod with me, else the photo will be even nicer and cooler. I found some platform which I put my camera there, set on timer and take a shot. The Marina Bay Sands indeed look like a spaceship on top and a very futuristic architecture can be seen. The ArtScience Museum is shaped like a hand and it fired beam during the light show at at night. It’s nice that there’s light show like in the Hong Kong entertaining people.

    Checking out the inside, it’s a shopping mall, hotel plus the main thing, casino! I saw skating in there but I felt weird because there’s isn’t any reflective ice surface nor it looks like ice. While getting closer, it looks like some sort of plastic and after Googling, I found out it’s a kind of plastic laid with oil. Yeah, plastic! Cool, but weird.

    It’s like being in Macau or somewhere else with resort casino. Shopping, play, eat and gamble all under one roof. This is what Marina Bay Sands is, just without the theme park. Yet, the shopping experience is very cool, ranging from high end designers’ brand to mid-end local brand.

    I found out that it has a mini canal in the mall, just like the Venetian in Macau, providing gondola ride too, but then the canal looks just too modern with the lack of “real” canal look and feel.

    At the outside, I found a very very very cool thing which I think is the best part of my tour that night. There’s a big bowl outside Marina Bay Sands, which is actually a roof for the inner part. It’s semi-sphere bowl with a thick glass material. Now the cool part is when you talk to the center of the bowl, your voice can be heard on the other end. It’s just simply fun and marvelous. Brother and I actually found out this when we were standing by and we heard many voices coming around from the center of the bowl, as i someone was talking to us.

    Lastly, we passed Olympic Walk, to the city centre, back to the MRT station and to somewhere else. Weeee. Don’t like the lifestyle of Singaporean, but like visiting the place. =)

  • Hong Kong: Causeway Bay And Somewhere Around

    Hong Kong: Causeway Bay And Somewhere Around

    Hello my friends, I will be writing quite a few posts about Hong Kong this few days because I realized that I still have quite many photos to share with you guys about my Hong Kong trip during Chinese New Year this year. Although it’s late, it’s still nice to share and bring back my memory when I was in Hong Kong. This makes me miss Hong Kong so much.

    As you know, one of the famous place in Hong Kong is Causeway Bay 铜锣湾 which is a mid-high end shopping district and people like to go there to shopping and also number one hang out place for Hong Kees. =)

    Everytime go to Hong Kong must go to this place because of the crowds and it’s the most happening place on the Hong Kong island, whereas on Kowloon side will be the Tsim Sha Tsui and Mongkok area.

    The famous Times Square shopping mall also situated at there but I tell you it’s quite boring inside, looking old and dull even it features some international brand at there. I don’t really like walking inside.

    One cool thing about this place is that if you comes at night at 1am, there’s still people hanging around, it’s like a place that does not sleep at night. Very happenings.

    I don’t know why Hong Kong has so many happenings place. Unlike Malaysia, Penang or KL. KL has the Bukit Bintang area and that’s all, and Penang, I can’t think of any happenings place, perhaps Gurney Drive? But on the weekend only. I like to go out and join the fun.

    One thing that you must do at Causeway Bay, Times Square area is that go to the street food stall opposite of Times Square and grab some local street food like curry fish ball, mixed beef organs, sausages and more. They are real awesome and my dad love it very much.

    It’s a trend that people either stand by the roadside to eat, or grab and eat and shop at the same time. It’s really an Hong Kong culture, that you probably can’t find it here in Malaysia.

    Causeway Bay is a real shopping district, given you want to find cheap stuff at Jardine’s Crescent, or some young stuff and mid-end fashion at Sogo and Island Bevely Shopping Arcade, if you want high-end, go to Times Square. =D

    Brother and I were actually walking pointlessly, and almost lost the way of going back to Times Square. Haha, but we didn’t went back there, we went to somewhere else we didn’t know where it was. We keep walking and walking to explore the place around.

    And we found World Trade Centre. A office place revamped into a shopping mall too and I found Muji, my favourite Japanese minimalism item store. I wonder when Muji will come to Penang or Malaysia.

    There’s plenty street food corner in Hong Kong, you can find them at almost any corner, so no worry of being hungry in Hong Kong because you can get food easily.

    We also found the famous in TVB series, 打小人 hit small people, which literally means hitting the paper man with the name of the person you hate or want to curse. It’s kinda famous and lame, but still there’s people visiting these grandmas.

    =D D24 Durian at Hong Kong’s Hui Lao Shan.

  • Hong Kong: Sai Yeung Choi Street #3 And Mongkok

    Sai Yeung Choi Street really is love because I just love that street so much, all the neon signs, peoples, shops, LED display and huge TV, and also the night market on the next street parallel to it, it’s really a super duper happening place in Mongkok.

    I went to Sai Yeung Choi Street twice during my last visit to Hong Kong and spent a little while at Fa Yuen Street which features street market.

    The street market selling mostly ladies clothing is not really my type of place to go, we were just accompanying my lovely mommy to go shopping and what’s interest me more is the Sai Yeung Choi Street South. However, nothing much for us to buy already, it’s just that that day was Saturday and it’s a crowded day, we wanted to go there to take photos of crowded people on the street. Haha.

    I am a very weird person. I love Penang for being peaceful and relax and I also love Hong Kong for being fast, happenings and people-ful. Somehow, I don’t like Singapore. *finger cross*

    It was only me and brother Yikhung at Sai Yeung Choi Street as dad and mom went back to hotel early for a rest. You know, you need to have a good stamina if you want to travel to Hong Kong because it’s all about walking, walking, walking and walking, and walking.

    Tired, yet fun. Look at the people, it’s just everywhere on the street. Perhaps their house is small and there’s nothing much to do at home, so they come down for a walk and window shopping, whereas in Penang, home is beautifully designed and packed with entertainment, people felt lazy to go outside the hot weather and don’t want to be stuck in the traffic jam.

    Let’s get the photo shooting started.


    Slow shutter. =D

    One cool thing that will only appear in Hong Kong is that there’s so many mini booth on promoting their local cable and Internet service. It’s just everywhere on the street. They put up a bunting, a mini booth and there you go, a promotional booth for their Internet and cable service.

    Don’t you think the place is so nice?

     

  • Hong Kong’s Central-Mid Levels Escalators

    Don’t you feel awesome where you can take the escalator from the bottom to the middle of the hill. What a nice invention of technology and machinery. In Hong Kong, the Central-Mid Levels Escalators 中环至半山自动扶梯 is a very famous escalator in the world and Hong Kong which commute people up and down the hill.

    In Hong Kong, the hill is not green, it’s all concrete buildings and Central area where the CBD is, is on a slope of a hill. A visit to Hong Kong must check out the escalator, even though it’s just an escalator, it’s long and bring you up very far like 500m or more.

    We thought of  going up Mid-Levels 半山 from Central, then will reach the tram station which goes up to The Peak, but we failed. We couldn’t find any tram station on top. Though, it’s a nice walk through the escalator up Mid-Levels and we saw many thing.

    Mom was busy shopping so it was me, brother and daddy.

    Here we go. The escalator was only available for going up and people have to walk down the stairs if you want to go downwards. There’s so many people, working people, residents and tourists taking the escalator. At the lower level, it’s quite crowded but as you go further up, it become less and less people as there’s less commercial building and it’s all residential area up there.

    It’s a nice walk up the older side of Hong Kong and so cool that we were on a slope of the hill. All the buildings were built very nicely too! With old Hong Kong architecture blends with British architecture, real cool.

    At some point of the escalator way, there’s this mini station which encourages people to tap their Octopus card where you can get 10HK$ rebate. It’s a good way to stop people down and also encourages you to walk and use their service. Octopus Card is actually equivalent to our local’s Touch N’ Go card. You can see in the photo above where people queue up just go for a tap. I tapped my card too. =D

    It seems nice to live at there but then imaging commuting up and down everyday like this also will tired.

    Don’t be surprise to see flats, apartments up there as far as I know, this place is rather super expensive in Hong Kong as it’s so near to Central.

    We reached the highest point of the escalator which is Mid-Levels or just known as middle height of the hill, we thought we could take a tram up to the Peak but then we couldn’t find the station anywhere near us. We walked around, asked and no one seems to know where’s the tram station is. Guess the riches up there don’t know what’s tram and only know about cars and chauffeur.

    At the highest point of the Central-Mid-Levels Escalator is high end residential area. We were tired and thought of taking a cab down there but it seems ridiculous so, we just walked back down slowly.

    And we were back to the lowest point in about 10 minutes. =D

  • Chinese New Year Thematic Lantern Exhibtion At Victoria Harbour

    Chinese New Year Thematic Lantern Exhibtion At Victoria Harbour

    Haha, this is so freaking old post where Chinese New Year was but I still find it interesting to share it up with you guys, hope you guys like it. I actually went to travel to my favourite Asian city, Hong Kong during the last few days of the Chinese New Year.

    We thought of it would be very happenings in Hong Kong during Chinese New Year but unfortunately not during the last few days of Chinese New Year. Luckily, there’s still some mini Lantern Exhibition at Victoria Harbour for people to check it out and take photos.

    On our visit to Victoria Harbour, we spend a little time to check out the lanterns and also the famous light show.

    I got to tell you seriously that their lantern exhibition was real cool and neat. All were high quality and exhibited nicely and neatly which I think it’s not possible to happen in Malaysia. Hmm hmm.

    There’s also some Chinese opera going on at the performing stage and I think they were pretty cool. Enjoying opera and lantern show in a very cool 13 degree celcius weather were fun.


    Yikhung!


    Foggy Hong Kong.

    What a nice place and night at Victoria Harbour.

    There’s cute rabbit too!

    Photos taken with Canon 400D and Canon 50mm f1.8.

  • Hong Kong Night Scene From Victoria Harbour

    Hohoho. Very random right, suddenly I pop up a post about Hong Kong. Yes! I want to bring you to Hong Kong again because I still have plenty of photos that I have taken in Hong Kong few months back to share with you guys.

    One of the must visit place in Hong Kong is the Victoria Harbour, also where Avenue Of Stars is. It’s the best place for you to do some nice photo shoot on Hong Kong night scene and cityscape as it’s overlook the whole Hong Kong island with nice skyscrapers from Kowloon side.

    Brother brought a big tripod, we brought two DSLR, a Canon 400D and a Canon 500D. We was actually planned to spend about half an hour at there only but turn on to be a 1 hour photo shooting of the city, and ourselves. Haha.

    It got fun as we bought a wireless trigger for the camera from Sham Shui Po market that day and directly went to Victoria Harbour for some photo shoot.

    Something’s wrong with the White Balance, but I don’t bother to post process it already as they are already so nice. =D

    Ghost effect! =D Welcome to Hong Kong, I love Hong Kong, I love Victoria Harbour, I love the skyscrapers. Yummy. By the way, I actually went to the same place 3 years back. =D

    Photos taken with Canon 500D and Canon 17-40mm F4L by Yikhung.

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