I fell in love with South Africa

I am very lucky to have gotten a chance to go Cape Town for my commercial shoot for Pond's and it is one of the best experience I had since my last trip to America.
We managed to squeeze in a couple of holidays before my work started and I must say that it was just simply divine, divine and did I just say divine?

Our holiday started off being picked up at Jo'berg airport after a 13hrs flight and then headed straight for a four hours drive before we arrived at the Buffalo Ridge in Madikwe. This 5-stars safari lodge was particularly unique because it was the only lodge of its kind wholly owned by a local rural community, which means the profits goes back to the community that runs the lodge and not to some rich businessman who only just gets richer.
The lodge is amazing! It has a beautiful view of the bush land and I was instantly relaxed and felt at one with nature. We had no TV, no internet and mobile phone signals were pretty bad which is absolutely purrrfect for me as I needed this break to just relax and chill. The lodge took care of all our meals as well as the safari game rides. There was really never a moment that you need to think much.

All we did was to wake up, have a cuppa and head out for the game rides. Our main discussion over breakfast with fellow guests would be "We must see Lions today!". The other table will say "Yeah, have seen loads of zebras and wildebeest yesterday, would love to see some cats and wild dogs this evening".
It almost felt like i've gone back to good old school camping days, where we woke up at dawn in the wild to make some breakfast, only this is of course 5-star camping. It's pretty surreal to have a cub walking 3 meters ahead of you or 5 zebras just blocking the road and babboons and springboks running outside your lodge late in the evening.  And don't forget the stars you get here is just completely breath taking. The night sky was just sparkly and completely mesmerizing and accompanied by fine food and wine, what more can I say?

Next stop, Cape Town. 2 hrs flight from Jo'berg and Cape Town was just breath taking. The table mountain that sticks out in the middle of the city made every single angle that you would capture of CT so picturesque. I instantly fell in love with CT. The weather was awesome! Warm in the day and very cool at night which just makes everything seems so perfect. We hired a car and drove along the coastal line and stopped by many places such as hout bay (which btw serve the BEST FISH AND CHIPS EVER!), Camps Bay which reminded me of Miami where you have a row of cafes and restaurants just facing a beautiful beach and the drive was just so scenic which made me stop so very often not to miss a photo moment. Those beach houses perched on the cliffs and facing the roaring waves sent me dreaming of getting a holiday home here. It is a truly chilled and relaxing city even though at times you feel a little unsafe (especially I almost got myself mugged on a sunday afternoon while walking on the street alone trying to catch a cab!). Other than that, loads of fresh seafood and extremely great South African wine at ridiculously affordable prices! One day it was a costal drive and the next day was just a wine tasting affair. Driving to the wineries in Stellenborsch and Franschoek was just 40mins away from the city and all those excellent wine and cheese just made me fell harder for Cape Town.
The shoot went really well and the director Vadim was just amazingly sweet. All of us had a fantastic time in CT and it was time to say good bye after a good 14 days stay.

I will think of CT with fond memories and will love to go back soon, someday!!

Our next stop where my work takes place - Cape Town.

mom's first hike

Mom and brother came to HK on the 15th Jan 2010 to have a look at my apartment before I leave Hong Kong for Singapore in a couple of weeks. I can tell that they had a fantastic time because besides the normal things that you can do in Hong Kong such as shopping, eating and more shopping... I brought them to their first hike - the dragon's back hike in Shek'O.
At first I was a little worried because the moment we got there at the start of the hike, we were greeted by a very long, narrow and steep flight of stairs and my mom being 60 and has not done much exercise in her entire life, was panting and grasping for air. It was then I realised that it might not be such a great idea to bring her for a hike after all. We managed to rest a bit, while the rest of my mates carried on with the hike and we caught up with them afterwards. It was only after going through the bush trails, a couple of up slopes and more stairs that we came  to the peak of the climb and boy oh boy! What a spectacular view! We had such a fantastic view of the sea and Big Wave Bay and to top things up, the weather was excellent! It was chilly and windy, just perfect for hiking! It was as if we done a mini-great wall of China! Simply delightful! 
I felt like my mom was 40 again! She was tired but you can tell that she just wanted to enjoy the hike and somehow or rather I think she felt liberated too. Like she managed to achieve something after such a long time stuck in Singapore following a mundane routine. She felt accomplished and proud of herself. She didn't spell it out but it was certainly a feeling a daughter gets from her mom. 
I was bonding with her and my sweet brother who was just 24-7 sticking next to her making sure she is alright. Of course, the downside of things was that the next day she had both her calves suffering from muscle aches and I had to send her for a foot massage! Ha!
All in all they ate well, did quite a bit of shopping and wandered around HK and had a really good time. Bee was really happy too that he managed to spend some quality time with my family and get to know them a little better! 


The trip ended with the sweetest note my mom left me at my apartment and after reading it, I was bawling! 


This is what she said:
"Thank you Bee & Sweet Daughter. 
I left 2 pcs of tart for you both. Thank for this few days accompany us. Even my legs is pain, I feel good because I still can go hiking. My first hiking is my school day but now is senior day. Whenever I see high mountain I will got a memories there. See you take care, enough sleep and eat ok. 
Mamamiya"


*To keep the authenticity of this message, I refused to correct the grammar or structure of the sentence because my mom's english is not really good but she does make an effort and you do get what she is saying which is the most important point. 

Mommy in the MTR

mom and eric

I love these jumper shots! 

The scenic view from the top!! Worth the 2.5hrs walk!

Doesn't this looks like we are sky diving!?

New Year Resolution - 2010*

My New Year Resolutions. I have never kept new year resolutions growing up because I never seem to fulfill them, hence never appreciate the purpose of it, but in the recent years, new year resolutions have become a ritual, an annual must-do list, something that now seems close to my heart when it felt nothing a few years back. As I grow older, I have become a little more aware of the fact that I can make a list of things that I want for the year and make it happen. Meeting Bee has changed my perception of NYR and I discovered that everything in the world is actually possible because of him. So I thank him for that.

Before I start my list of NYR, I would like to quickly sneak in a few random things that I would like to share with ya'll. 

My first buy for 2010. Isn't it a beauty? Me heart this a million times!

Got these cool magic markers with a cup for Kris Kringle 2009. See what you can do with a cup and some ink? 

Love these colour magic pens that you can use on your tea cup. Throw it in the oven and viola!  You have a personalized tea cup and it's water-proof!

Home-made HUMBURGER & Korean Bul-gogi 

Some of my dinner recipes: Home-made burger with hand cut chips and Korean Bul-gogi with Onsen Tamgago Rice Bowl

Alright now back to serious business. NYR 2010. What do I want to do this year? Hmmm... 

Me and Bee normally break it down into categories. So let's follow the tradition and start off with:

NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS 2010

Health 2010

* I really want to do Pilates. I am currently into Power Plates in HK but once I move to Singapore I should look for a Pilates Studio. 

* Dance class. I might want to look into Bollywood dancing class. Hey don't laugh. I am in love with the Bollywood dance and classical indian dance. If I have the time, I will take up Bollywood dance class! 

Travel 2010

*Am going to South Africa next month so at least one of my "Places To Visit Before You Die" has been fulfilled this year. Can't WAIT! 

*Melbourne in March attending Bee's first IFF 2010. This is something I am so looking forward to. Cant wait to catch up with all my friends and re-live my lovely days in Melb.

*Move to Singapore in March. 

*Hopefully I can do Bali when I move to SG. 

*Italy. I know I'm pushing it but hey, there is nothing wrong with aiming far and high isn't it? 

Education 2010

*When I move to SG, I will go further pursue my guitar lessons. Hopefully by end of 2010, I can play more than a birthday tune. 

* Further on, I hope to join a band to jam and play some music during my free time. 

* Vocal Jazz. This is must. When I get back I will go re-unite with the team from Jazz at Southbridge to polish up my Jazz singing..Wooopppieeee. 

* If I still have time, love to re-take my bike license and be able to ride a bike by end 2010. 

Work 2010

* I will be still doing what I am best at doing, producing and will hopefully be producing more award-winning commercials and less boring and mundane work. 

Charity 2010

*Will probably continue my sponsorship program with WorldVision and hopefully I can organize with Bee on my birthday another Charity birthday event that I can collect some money to either help with building a school somewhere or save some lives. 

*If there is an opportunity, would love to go with Bee to help out in a children's home in Cape Town when we are visiting. 

Materials 2010

* I want a car when i go home. I miss driving and it will be excellent if I can get myself my first car. 

* Hopefully after buying a car, I can still buy a beautiful Alexa Chung Mulberry bag and perhaps my dream watch, the Cartier Santos X-Large Men's. 

Personal 2010

* Since I will be moving back to SG, I will try to spend more time with family.

* And always on the look out for business opportunities! 

That's all for now. Stay tuned. 

xoxo

2010 - Space Year

When 2009 left and came 2010, it felt like I had entered a sci-fi era, that I will step out of my house and I will see an exact scene of Star Wars or Fifth Element where traffic is suspended in mid-air and
tubes running through buildings, greeted by robots and me in my ultra chic Star War's outfit.
Oh well, unfortunately or rather fortunately everything is still the same except I had an absolutely crazy New Year's Eve Celebration.
The evening started with me getting ready and rushing out with B to meet a group of mates at a Teppanyaki place called "Tekan" in Wanchai. We decided that we had enough of over-priced buffets at such time of the year and we opted for Japanese Teppan.
The food was really yummy and of course Japanese food never goes without Sake. I love Sake. It taste like yummy water and makes you happy without a heavy price to pay the next day aka hangover.
After we had god knows how many bottles of Sake, we stumbled our way to Habitat to join Adrian and his mates for his birthday celebration as an annual ritual and NYE countdown. Thank goodness we made it 5 mins before the New Year!

Of course, the night went on with heaps of drinking and photos taking and it came to a point we were just having a great time groovin', acting spastic and more drinkin'. It was 3am morning when someone decided that we should move on to the next club and the bunch of us all headed down to Mint to meet our mates and viola! Mint decided that because it's 3am in the morning and it's NYD, entrance fee for each pax should be 400HKD!?! So we gave it a pass and headed back to my place bringing a lot more people over ( at one point I think we had like 15 people in the house?) and continued drinking and dancing! I made a video of our celebration and I will probably try to do a mood board instead of trying to load it up as it's pretty heavy and I don't intend to jam up my blog.
I think we all ended partayin' till 6am in the morning before I managed to roll into bed at 7.
What a fun and awesome night! Thanks to all the lovely people that I'd spent my NYE with in HK, it wouldn't be fun without you crazy bunch!
Now 2010 is the space year, the year of the TIGER, the year that I am relocating back to Singapore and the year that I will visit South Africa and Melbourne. In the next few months, my life is going to be crazy busy as well as extremely exciting. Starting off my mom and bro will be visiting me in HK next week and then I will travel to Bangkok for work for a couple of days.
After which, me and B will go to South Africa for a nice getaway for 5 - 6 days and followed by 12 days in Cape Town for a TV commercial filming ( i'm really excited about this as going to South Africa has ALWAYS been one of the things in my must-do list). Once i'm back in Hong Kong, I will rest for a week and then I am heading to Melbourne! Very excited about this as well because B's company is hosting an Indian Film Festival in Melbourne ( Go visit: "Bollywood and Beyond" http://www.iff2010.com ) in March and both of us will be there to attend the event as well as to catch up with families and some very good old friends...
After perhaps a week in Melbourne, I will fly straight to Singapore and that's that.
HELLO Singapore, GOODBYE Hong Kong. God, am I going to miss Hong Kong or what? It's truly one of my favorite city besides of course New York.
I am very excited about 2010 because there's so much happening. But hey perhaps my next blog should be a reflection of 2009 and the new list of achievements for 2010.

Peace to the middleeast ( b, it's not yours! Sorry inside joke)
Mx

Tekan - A really good Teppanyaki place in Wanchai

The crazy bunch in Habitat in Wanchai

Counting down!

Awww...such a romantic moment

Spontaneous NYD house party

Guys, the chicken dance is so 2009.

Last Christmas in Hong Kong

This Christmas is a very special one because it is the last one I will probably be celebrating in Hong Kong. A year from now, I really have no idea where and what I will be doing, which kinda excites me in some strange way as I love the surprises of life that brings you at every corner you take. I am scheduled to relocate to Singapore by next year March 2010 and hence it's personally a very special celebration for me coming to the end of this year. I have been in Hong Kong for 3 years now and it has been an awesome ride. I love Hong Kong and it is true to that she is certainly the oriental version of New York City. A city that never sleeps.

I'm excited to move to Singapore because of my friends and family but the idea of going back home is just simply brain numbing and an island that is so small and familiar just makes me cringe. I hope it's just a quick stop-over for me and that I will eventually move on to other places. Back to my Christmas party. Christmas eve dinner was alright. Nothing fantastic. It's so expensive to have a nice Christmas dinner in Hong Kong. Generally the standard of living in Hong Kong is on the high side and to have a nice sumptuous Christmas dinner in a 5 star hotel will probably cost you close to 200 USD. So we opt-ed for something a little more economical at the Grand Hyatt and of course, you pay for what you get. The food was mediocre and the mood was just old and rather depressing. Overall, it was still a nice dinner because I had it with a bunch of good friends. After that we headed to a semi roof-top bar in Wanchai  called Habitat and we opened a couple bottles of bubblies and called it a night. It was certainly very civilized. No hangovers the next day which was rather fantastic. 

On Christmas day, it felt like a Chinese New Year for me. Did "Spring Cleaning" right dead in the middle of winter in HK and basically got ready for my guests to rock up at my apartment. The theme of the night was "MAD HATTERS MEETS STEVIE WONDER!". Almost everyone came with their funky glasses and crazy hats! I applaud people who understand dress codes to a party.

So the partay was excellent, food was awesome, people at the party was lovely. What else can I ask for? It was an early night to end the party but we were all pretty smashed from drinking way too early to begin with and slowly one by one, guest started staggering out of my apartment desperately lookin' for their bed and the nearest bathroom! I'm gonna miss my beautiful party pad in HK. Me and Bee's creation…awww.. the result of esthetic and functionality. So from now till I leave HK, I will try to have as many house parties possible in the next 3 months so that I can capture our apartment in the most celebratory moments!

Till then, next up: NYE 2009 celebration. Stay tuned. 

Christmas Eve

Today is the eve of christmas and I am feeling so tired and exhausted probably from the anticipation of this evening's christmas dinner and tomorrow's christmas party that I'm holding at my apartment in Hong Kong.
Well at least I've bought all my gifts for most of my friends and dear ones.
My love of my life, B bought me a pair of Chanel Sunglasses for my X'mas present!! Woopppie!
And of course I bought him as well a nice and great looking pair of Japanese hand-made glasses. He looks so gorgeous in them!
Two and half hours to go before I rock up at the Grand Hyatt. Don't know what to wear. Am so tired. Need to steam the dress (hopefully I will be able to decide on one), do my hair, make-up....weeeeeee..so many things to do, so little time. Am very tempted to go get a power nap. Should I? Yeah, it's gonna be a crazy night, let's just take easy now, get some snooze and get ready to partay!
Can't Wait! Yawn..sign off*

The Virgin

This is my first blog. My first blog in my entire thirty years of my life. Why now? Why start? Well, I guess I had always wanted to do it but it's like one of those things that you keep thinking about it but you end up brushing it off because you always have something more important or urgent to attend to. I was mainly inspired by the film 'Julie and Julia', which I caught in the plane while traveling to Singapore two weeks ago from Hong Kong to attend two good friends' (Brell & Yoggi) wedding. It wasn't D'best film ever but it certainly influenced me. 

Then again, it's not exactly the best time to write a blog at the moment because it's end of the year and I've been doing some serious traveling and work is and will always be busy, like crazy busy. But you know what, I'm not letting work to be in the way for not able to start this blog. This will be my personal playground to introduce exciting discoveries, to reveal longings, to jot down memorable moments, to share my fashion, music and many more other forms of addictions, to blog about my two lovely cats (oh trust me, I ADORE dogs!!! I know I am a sell out for going with cats but oh well...the truth is cats are more suited for busy people like me and they grow on you! They do!) and of course my family and my gorgeous man in my life. It's the end of 2009 and it's the beginning of my very own playground which is all about me, myself and Maggie! Weee!