辛苦命 and itinerary :D

Now let's see...

After more than a week of vacation, I've finally settled down in a more relaxing routine! :D

Being sick since the day I got on the plane, and with the jetlag, I got tired so easily the last week. Although I am still sick now, my condition was greatly improved with the feast of giant oysters last night. :D

Let's recap what I did...

Day 1 (THU):  dim sum right after getting out of SFO, Korean store for Korean dinner
Day 2 (FRI):   Pho lunch, more shopping, then Cheesecake factory? :D
Day 3 (SAT):  Ranch 99 to buy crabs and clams for diner....
Day 4 (SUN): ... farmer's market, visit food truck and then Nordstorm and bought the Miu Miu and Tom Ford sun glasses
Day 5:(MON): LAS VEGAS!!!! Da Vinci exhibition @ Venetian, Titanic exhibition @ Luxor, lovely steak dinner at Luxor's
Day 6:(TUE): Grand Canyon trip!!! Shopping and dinner at Venetian
Day 7:(WED): brunch buffet at Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas. Then went to MGM grand for CSI experiece, fly back to OAK, Chinese food dinner with Cyn and Selena
Day 8:(THU): Costco and crab dinner!! :D Made 卥水 東西
Day 9:(FRI):  Oyster Farm!!! :D Oyster Feast!!! :D
Day 10: (SAT): Chillin'! :D

Old Delta Planes!!!

I praised Delta's plane too early! :D Although the flight from HKG to NRT was modern and lovely, with USB plug and touch screen entertainment units on every seats, the flight from NRT to SFO was a different story!! :D

The whole 9 hour flight was boring and the food was terrible! I don't know how the guy sitting next to me can sleep the whole flight except during meal time.  He didn't go to the bathroom at all, not even once.  Whenever I woke up and wanted to go, I find him sleeping like a baby, so I end up didn't wake him! :D Gosh.

So glad that Liza took me to dim sum right after I landed. :D We Chinese need warm food after a long flight. :D

Narita Leveled up!!

Ah-Ha! :D Just landed in Tokyo-Narita airport! :D Compare to the last time I was here, this airport's appearance didn't change much, but it actually did a major upgrade which I am happy with a lot! :D Which is free wifi!! :D

好吾好食返個拉麵先上機呢? 仲有成1.5hr 才 fly.  The food on the flight was the most awful I have ever encountered!! :D  Even the flight attendants complained the meal being cold. I only ate the cubed fruits since I had some breakfast at the airport lounge earlier anyway.  But now lunch time is approaching, I am feeling a bit hungry. :P

Oh! one thing I love about the HKG-NRT flight was it that has a usb outlet to let me charge my iPhone all the way!!! If I knew about this, I should have put some videos on my iphone!! :D hahha.

If they would just have a normal electronic outlet for plugging in my laptop too, then I would definitely fly Delta forever. :D <3

Fly!! :D

Finally after  2 years(?), I am flying to SFO again. :)  A bit nervous but excited! :D Location   It's one of my "memory lane" trips after all. :D

Since I am a CX elite card holder now, I of course wouldn't miss the chance to use its "Plaza Premium Lounge" benefit. :D

It's not really that exciting here. Maybe because it's too early, the breakfast is not ready yet and unlike the China Airline lounge i visited last year, the choice of food is not that well planned. :D

I don't know why my customers care so much about this lounge when my bank decided to cancel this benefit. I guess it's the "It's free, don't waste it" mindset Hong Kong people hold so dear. :D

Hmm.. I think I will have some congeegee and a sausage :D

香港海事博物館 之 Titanic Exhibition!

I was so excited when I saw this poster outside the museum, I understood the exhibits probably won't be big, but I didn't expect it just to be a few cardboard full of information which I had read many times on the internet already! :(

Frankly, I expected at least like a silver fork fish out from the shipwreck to be displayed, not just cardboard displays. :p

One of the displays caught my attention though, titled "The Hong Kong Connection".  I didn't know there were Hong Kong people on board!

There were actually 8 Chinese sailors on board the Titanic and 6 of them survived!

More Reading:

http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/chinese-sailors-titanic.html

http://topics.scmp.com/news/hk-news-watch/article/Hong-Kongs-Titanic-survivors

Well, the museum of course has other permanent exhibits which really tells you Maritime history. :) I only found out this "No picture taking" sign after I finished taking all the pictures I could inside the hall. :D

Here are the pictures:
http://ticklelabean.shutterfly.com/ 


The museum will be closed starting 4 June 2012 and be relocated to its new location at Central Piers in early 2013, so I dare say the pictures I took would be worth seeing because who knows what they would put in the new museum next year? :D

Ohh.. excuse to go to Stanley again!

I think I have things to do on my next day off!! :D

There is a Titanic exhibition at the Hong Kong Maritime Museum starting from 06/Apr - 03/June!  I will definitely go see!


http://www.hkmaritimemuseum.org/eng/whats-happening/events-and-exhibitions/upcoming/18/34/1/titanic-disaster-centenary-special-exhibition-at-hong-kong-maritime-museum.html

There is a Titanic exhibition at Luxor, Las Vegas as well, I will also go to that one for sure in June! :D

http://www.luxor.com/entertainment/titanic.aspx

You Jump! I Jump! :D

考察, 黃飛鴻舞獅! Chinese Dancing Lion.

As you know, the last China trip was mainly about eat eat eat.. :D hehe

But we did visit some local sightseeing places. One of these places was the Kung Fu legend Mr. Wong Fei Hung's museum.

They have lion dance performances daily.  Since we are a privileged tour group, the admission was free for us. :D

Here, please enjoy the lion dance I saw that day.

考察。 食。 食。 食。

Once again, a picture is worth a thousand words.

In my case, a picture could worth a thousand calories! :D hahahha

Here are series of meals I have encountered during my China Trip this time!

Day 1 - Lunch.

Every meal involves glasses of red wine. Then there are 2 celebrities from Hong Kong, (One politician 葉劉，　＆　one businessman 海天堂老闆，吳耀明）。　The foods are self explanatory! :D  Well, okay! I will explain. Top left: Steamed chicken, right, big head shrimps on noodles with cream. Bottom, left: steamed bok choy soup, right: bbq baby pig! Yum :D

top, clockwise: Greens! Cabbage in chinese red berry sauce, Pig feet with young giner :P, steamed buns, cherry tomatoes as fruits, steamed scallops with transparent noodles, broccoli and scallops stir fry.  Bottom Left: steamed fish, Right: abalone on lotus roots and Chinese lettuce.

 Day 1 - Dinner.

Left to Right. Top Row: Assorted Chinese BBQ meat; The long table for the commie officials; steamed 'worm flower 虫草花' soup;  Middle row: big head shrimps again, seafood and celery stir fry; steamed fish. Bottom: Menu in chinese. :D Chicken cooked in soy sauce.

Top row from left: Beef ribs stir fry; duck feet and mushroom on broccoli;  congeegee with shredded fish meat; Middle row from left: Greens; that pig feet and young ginger again;  fruits!; dumplings and buns! and fish meat ball and bamboo skin and melon soup

Day 2 - Breakfast.

It was just an ordinary hotel buffet breakfast, I was so unamused, I didn't take any pictures! :D

Day 2 - Lunch.

Clockwise from top left: Beef and shrimp stir fry; yellow spring onions and bbq pork stir fry; steamed pear and sugar cane and pork soup; lotus roots and duck stew with abalones! and there's the Menu.

Clockwise from top left: Steamed stacked cake :D ; marinated beef stomach and goose wings; congeegee with fish meat; veggie with fish ball

Day 2 - Dinner.

Clockwise from top left:  shrimp, eel, bbq pork and smoked duck combo; stir fry yellow green onion and pork again, abalone and sea cucumber stir fry; menu, fried seafood rolls and dry ribs.

Counter clockwise from top left: chow mein; steamed apple soup; greens in soup; roasted chicken; steamed fish; fruits!; Weird Chinese desserts.

 Day 3 - Breakfast.

Top Left: steamed rows with chicken stuffing and mixed mushroom stuffing; greens; steamed veggie dumplings; congeegee; steamed buns; shrimp dumplings; chicken feet and steamed pork ribs combo; Bottom Left: fish meat dumplings; Right: redbean pastries. 

 Day 3 - Lunch. Thank god, this is last meal!

Clockwise from top left:  scallops and celery stir fry; that yellow spring onion again, must be in season! ; chicken! steamed snake soup!!!!!!; abalones and mushrooms and broccoli; BBQ meat combo set in a picturesque style

Fruits; weird chinese desserts; greens; fried fish meat paste and seafood rolls; steamed fish; gift from the local government, a Chinese dancing lion. :D

Gosh!  Just typing the name of these foods makes me feel full again! :P

Las Vegas, here I come again! :D

Just booked my plane ticket and hotel room in Las Vegas! :D

The June trip is getting into shape nicely. :D

Now just need to buy the "Phantom of the Opera" tickets, then I am all set! :)

I will be there from 25 June to 27 June! :D  Feel free to join me. :D

Below is a funny COPS video from Vegas! :D Funny stuff. Enjoy.

佛山祖廟 - 古與今

昨日係China trip 嘅 last day, 適逢係農曆三月初三, 即係佛山祖廟-北帝誕, 所以我地成團人就浩浩蕩蕩咁去趁熱鬧喇.

但我一去到,便感到 overwhelmed with nostalgia. Mom confirmed I had been to this place when I was barely a little bean. :D

當我一回家便馬上"揪"童年舊照, 找到了那時三,四歲的我, 在祖廟前門前的相片. 可是,那隻給我騎過膊馬的石獅子已 retired, 呢個 younger version 高咗, 又瘦D, 沒有古老的那隻親切.

人實在是太多了,只可慨嘆走馬看花, 回家後在網上找到很多關於祖廟的網頁, 只可從那些網站再了解呢個北宋已經存在的 landmark.

 http://www.foshanmuseum.com/jd/jd07.htm

仲找到其他幾張 細路仔照片 呢!

This was me :D

Mom and I :D

My Uncle from my father's side 伯父 travelled with us from Hong Kong to visit my uncle from my mom's side who was living in China at the time. I was in my uncle's arm and the long hair lady next to me is my aunt. :D The 3 kids in the front are my cousins 堂兄,姊.

This is me showing how much I enjoy my Hong Kong cousin's company :D

This is me showing how much I didn't enjoy my China cousin's company :D

 Wow.. this post suppose to be just a few line, but now turned out to be a walk down the memory lane post. :D Better stop before it's too long. :D

:)

返來囉。。。。

有什麼是恐怖過沒有得上網？

就是沒有上網 + 忘了帶我的第三眼， my camera!

今次用我的「愛瘋」 只可以 sensibly 影下 200 多張相，算是不賴吧。

Geez! Forgot to bring my camera on trip

Shittttttttt!

Thank god for iPhone.

又北上!

今年我真是驛馬星動, 今年上了大陸己有四次了。　但這仲未夠，明天又出發了。　和上次二月時那次不同的是：　上次是＂食，玩＂團，　今次是去＂考察＂！

看看呢個 itinerary. 好像好多餐都係由什麼什麼 村呀／鎮呀／區呀　的政府招待的。　難怪團費只需　＄６ｘｘ！:D

HKG-SFO! :D

Flight booked. 1 baggage or not, USA, here I come. :D

This trip I am planning to have a dine and wine trip in the Napa valley with my favorite pal and sister from my last life, Liza.

I will also go to Las Vegas and possibly the Grand Canyon with or without any company. :D It's still at the planning stage. :D So excited again! :D

BTW, I have called the airline and confirmed that only flight starts from Japan and the Philippines allow 2 free check-ins!

Discrimination, I say!!

Somebody invent the teleporter already! :D "Scotty, 1 to beam up"

The future of flying is ...

.....  to fly nekkid! ಠ_ಠ

I indeed didn't care to fly to America anymore, so much so that I didn't even know the Free baggage allowance  was limited to 1 check-in and 1 carry-on even for international flights nowadays!!

I didn't know until I was having a conversation with my jet-setter colleague that the baggage allowance was reduced.

My mind was immediately rendered into chaos as I planned to take 2 freaking suitcases full of air to land in the U.S. of A. and then in turn bring 2 heftily filled suitcases back after my shopping spree!!

Now this might all turn into bubble!

Anyways, I have trouble understanding below table... what does it mean by "Excludes Japan and the Philippines for transit via the Pacific."?

Old Lee, please help!

China Trip day 2 - needed 4 freaking stomachs to survive the day (17 Feb)

Itinerary:

07:30 - Morning call
08:00 - Head out to have breakfast (last year, old Lau and I skipped this, so last year's trip felt more normal)
10:00 - Head out to 觀音 goddess temple to have a hot pot brunch sponsored by the townsmen
12:00 - Start the firecracker ceremony and or climb up the mountain to visit the goddess' temple (it's on the mountain top)
13:30 - Leave the temple and head out to lunch!
14:00 - Eat that lunch! :D
15:30 - visit a local dessert factory .... (freaking taste test their dessert of course)
16:00 - souvenir shopping which includes a famous steamed milk dessert eatery (of course we couldn't resist to eat again!)
18:00 - Visit a local fish farm which is famous for its 2-3 feet long fish for Dinner!!!!!!!!

I know this is very shocking but this is what I did that day.

 

This is the sneak peak of what the foods we had. :D I will go into more detail about the temple visit and the big fish meal later. :D

掛羊頭賣狗肉

Continue 講下今次北上逸事。

原來祖國 still allow dog eating legally. We of course wouldn't dare to order this!  How barbaric!!!!

In this meal, we had the toughest chicken and medium rare fish, which was the most terrible meal in this trip. :D

九江雙蒸博物馆 （Kiukiang Double steamed rice wine museum)

Next stop is the 九江雙蒸 museum.  It is not a museum you can just randomly walk into. I just found out from their website after this trip that you had to pre-book the time you would visit. :D So anyways, we went there as a group obviously. :D

I especially like this picture of my dad. :D He's truly enjoying himself.

I always thought 九江雙蒸 is merely a rice mom my mom use to cook with or sprinkle on the ground during the ghost festival. :D  I could not be more wrong!

There are many different kinds of wine, such as plum wine, rice wine, stinky rice rice wine, etc. I think they are recently brewing their own white and red too.

A museum is not a museum if there is no antique looking things. :D

The tour was about 1/2 hour long with a guide leading us to different locations which shows us how the rice was steamed and fermented into wine.

At the end of the visit, everybody was rushed to the shop, and of course, naturally, I could not control myself and did a bit of impulsive shopping.

I bought 2 sets of these for souvenirs for my colleagues. :) Aren't the decorations on the bottles adorable?? :)

Museum's official website: (Chinese language only)
http://www.kiukiang.com/chinese/pmg.asp

The hills are alive.....

After that satisfying meal, it's time to climb some mountains to burn off those calories.

Look how much my dad is enjoying the nature and fresh air!

 This mountain we climbed is called "大雁山", it's a province level park (省級森林公園)　in the 鹤山市. There are 2 ways to go up the mountain. One is from the very very long stone stairs extended from the bottom of the mountain to the top (no way we would enjoy that); the 2nd way is from the shallow mountain side paved rocky road. From the above picture, you can tell we opt for the shallow path. :D

 There are 7 attractions on this mountain, but due to time constraint of a guided tour, we only visited the temple,  "海會寺", on the mountaintop.

What did I do there? :D hehe I was helping them build it!  :D

With a donation of RMB$100 you get to buy a piece of roof for the temple and write well wishes on them. :)

It's a very tranquil place, we stayed there for a brief 45 minutes, said hi to the Buddhas and deities then left for our next designation.

Here are some more pictures of the place.

For more info (Chinese):
http://travel.heshan.gov.cn/html/2006/11/20061102164513-1.htm

Double chickens meal!

The first thing we did on this mini get away trip once we arrived China was to eat! :D ehehhe

It is the beginning of a series of satisfying meals on this trip.

Have you ever had 2 chickens served in a single meal? :D This restaurant, I forgot the name, was famous for its signature "game hens" (走地雞), so the guide ordered 2 chickens for each table! :D We initially thought the 2nd chicken was given to us by mistake. :D

My friends would tell you, I loathe non-frozen chickens. I hate its earthy smells and tough meat. :D But these chickens, although freshly slaughtered, were done just right!

The sesame oil covered the earthy smells.  The chicken was skinny and simply no fat in between the chilly crispy skin!

Ok, enough about chickens... let's show you other dishes I enjoyed.

Top Left: Famous Shunde fish balls 順德稷魚球 & pumpkin stew
Top Middle: fresh greens :D
Top Right: peanuts and green beans and pork stir fry
Bottom Left:  Watercress soup (Love it!)
Bottom Right: Steamed fish