Fly Air Asia...Now everyone can check-in manually...

Surely the doomsday prophets have prophecied about the millenium bug and the chaos it would bring when all the internet connections suffered a global meltdown when the clock struck 12am in year 2000...well, i supposed no one's too interested about such a happening 10 years down the road...and to think that it happened 2 days sooner than before the clock strikes 12am to celebrate the year 2010...

Today i took an Air Asia flight from KK to Singapore...i was rushing to the airport as i was afraid i would be late for check-in...much to my amazement, as i entered the check-in area, i was greeted with a crowdful of passengers waiting for their turn to be checked-in...apparently there was a system shutdown that prevented computerized check-in...therefore, passengers had to be manually checked-in...of course, manual labour is hard to come by these days, resulting in extremely long and haphazard queues...

There i was, hungry without lunch...and finally i was checked-in...the lady at the counter said that today the flights would be free-seating but since i've bought my seat in advance, if anyone was seating at my place, i can request for the person to move...i was like, ok...so my flight was supposed to depart at 255pm but by the time we were ready to board, it was already 315pm plus... and they announced for the hot seat passengers and elderly and those with children to board first.. apparently, although i bought my seats, mine wasn't a hot seat...

So i waited with the others and eventually got up the plane...and as expected, my seat was already taken by someone else since if you didn't buy your seat, then you can seat anywhere you wished...so i told the flight attendant, i bought my seat but someone's sitting at my seat...and she told me, oh, i'm sorry but the flight today is free-seating becoz of the system shutdown...so i told her, ok, but i paid for my seat you know? and stormed off...then another flight attendant must have noticed i was a bit pissed so she came and said, ma'am, if you really want to sit at the seat you've bought then we'll arrange it for you..i was thinking, of course you had better arranged it...

So i got my seat and i think the other ppl who bought their seats requested for their rightful seats as well, which resulted in more delay as the flight attendants had to rearrange the seatings...well, they should have thought about this before they let the passengers board the plane...it's not fair for the passengers who have paid for their seats in advance to have to settle for other seats...the flight attendants should have allowed the passengers with advance seat request to board the flight first..together with the so-called hot seats passengers...then there wouldn't have been the problem of having to rearrange seatings on the plane...

I feel like i should complain about this...like write it to the newspapers or something...how can Air Asia be awared Best Low Cost Air Carrier of the Year or whatever award it is that they give out when their service is so embarrassingly incompetent? Well, there you go...fly Air Asia...Now everyone can check-in manually...Happy New Year anyway...

Macau Day 2

So today was the last day of my HK-Macau solo trip...woke up at 11am...watched a bit of TV while packing...decided to order room service for lunch since i was lazy to go out for lunch...ordered Singapore fried noodles for HKD64...still cheaper than my Portuguese dinner lah...i managed to stuff all my new clothes and souvenirs into the luggage bag...put most of my laundry in the paper bag for hand carry...hehe...after i bathed, i checked out of the hotel and took the hotel shuttle bus to the ferry terminal...

Then i took the Venetian shuttle bus to the Venetian...the guy at the concierge told me yesterday that the only hotel with free shuttle bus to the airport is the Venetian...taking a cab from my hotel would cost HKD50-60...it was a bit of a hassle with the luggage but since i had yet to gamble in a casino, so doing that in the Venetian casino would be a good place...besides, if i did gamble all my money away, at least i still have transport to the airport for free..hehe..

When i reached the Venetian, found a stall selling casino souvenirs...so i bought some poker chips for my bro Simon...a variety of 10 pieces for HKD65....then i headed to the casino and quickly lost HKD50 on the 1st slot machine...had to break my HKD500 so i won't squander it away within minutes...so i tried my luck on the 2nd slot machine...put in HKD100 and what do you know? within 5 minutes, i've made another HKD100...so yea, it was time to run...told myself i musn't be greedy...so cashed the winnings...but then had itchy fingers so tried my luck on the 3rd slot machine...fastest way to lose HKD100...so there i was...nett loss HKD50...i decided that was enough...saw a man sitting 2 slot machines away...he had more than 30000 credits (1 credit = HKD0.20) and he just probably won another 1000 credits or so when i was leaving...why don't i have such luck? sigh...i guess you need to have that much money to lose in order to last long enough to win back from the slot machines...hehe...

So that was my gambling stint at Macau...didn't even dare to try the tables...stakes too high...so i hung out at the food court...less smoky anyway...drank 'Mango Magic' from Boost Juice Bar while reading my novel...wiling away time until it was time to go to the airport...unfortunately, although i tried drinking real slowly and read a few chapters, i still had plenty of time before it was time to go to the airport...sigh, so i went around the Grand Canal Shoppes and take pictures of Gondolas and stuffs...but my luggage was a bit too heavy to drag...so eventually i just went to wait for the shuttle bus to the airport...

When i reached the airport, it was still too early to check in...so just sat there and read while waiting...finally it was time to check in...then went into the departure hall...had dinner at the airport restaurant...cos i couldn't seem to find another place to eat...so sad...ate Unagi with rice...not bad... as usual, Airasia flight was delayed...now everyone can wait...

So that wrapped up my Hong Kong-Macau series...i'm glad that i did this solo trip...although there were a lot of shortcomings in terms of getting my photos taken, but i managed to take photos of myself anyhow...nice ones too i should say..hehe..and i had the whole bed to myself in the hotel rooms ...and i didn't have to put up with another person's antiques...and vice versa...and God knows how intolerable some of my antiques are...did some soul-searching and self-reflecting too...didn't manage to find my soul though..it's still lost somewhere out there...

Macau Day 1

I arrived at Macau the previous night so that would make today Day 1 in Macau i suppose...anyway, got up at 1030am...walked towards Guia Hill since it was nearby my hotel...bought hash brown and sausage for breakfast along the way...when i reached Guia Park it was 11am plus...there were many ppl jogging and walking...i kept wondering why these ppl were so free...shouldn't they be working? i mean, it was a weekday and they didn't look like tourists...

I found the Guia Lighthouse after walking for a while...nothing much there...so i took the Guia Park Cable car down to the main road near the town...after asking around, managed to take a bus to Senado Square...it was full of Christmas deco...visited the Cathedral at Senado Square..can't recall the name of it...then walked up to St Paul's Ruins...on the way, bought glutinous rice, green beans and 3 Portuguese egg tarts...along the road up to St Paul's Ruins, there were many shops selling preserved meats, cookies and foods that are supposedly famous in Macau...

There were hoardes of tourists at St Paul's Ruins...i took a few photos...checked out the crypt and a hall that showcased paintings of Jesus, St Paul and archangel Michael...then i had my lunch while sitting at a park nearby...enjoying the view and tourists' antiques...then i walked around Mount Fortress...after that, it was time to get back to the hotel to get ready...tried to find my way to the hotel but somehow the roads and the map don't match...ended up missing my turning and had to detour back...eventually found my hotel..

Got my booking confirmation from the front desk..paid for my ticket..it was HKD388 but after discount i only paid HKD330...since i had some time to spare, i went to check out the pool in the hotel...it's quite a huge lap pool...and it's heated...dang!!! should have brought my bathing suit...so i went up to my room and bathed...changed into my new black and white dress, splashed on some make-up, put on my new black jacket and i was good to go...i went down to the lobby to wait for the shuttle bus to the Venetian at 530pm...

The Venetian is at CotaiStrip over at Taipa Island...if i thought MGM Grand or Wynn were huge, the Venetian was probably twice their size...went to the box-office at ZAIA theatre to collect my ticket...then walked around since the show was at 8pm...i went to the Grand Canal Shoppes...the interior is designed to mimic Venice...it was beautiful...with man-made canals and bridges...and you have a sense of shopping under a perpetually blue sky as the ceiling is painted as such...

Saw a shop called The Outlet which apparently sold high-end brands at cheap price...i saw an intimate apparel brand called Passion Play (never heard of the brand though)...but they were selling bras/ teddy tops for HKD99 per piece and 4 panties for HKD100...they looked quite nice...so i bought a lilac teddy top and 4 panties...can hardly get lingerie that cheap in Malaysia...gosh, i can't seem to stop buying stuffs...

So i mustered up as much will-power to drag myself away from the shops and went for dinner at the food court...ate some Shanghai spicy soup noodles...cost HKD45 (plus drink)...then walked back to ZAIA theatre as it was almost show time...i was seated at the right corner...quite good view...while waiting for the show to start, there were a silly clown and a wacko vampire who went around entertaining the guests...the clown came up to me, waved and then blew a red heart-shaped balloon...he brought it to his heart and made the 'lub dub' sound and then he wanted to give me the balloon...but when i reached out to take it, he released the balloon and it flew off...hahaha...so cute...

Anyway, the show was amazing...it lasted about 1 1/2 hours...filled with acrobatic performance...ppl hanging from strings and gadgets and floating around the hall...there were contortionists...flying trapeze...fire-jugglers...trampoline jumping...Zaia is actually about a young girl who dreams of an imaginary world and the exciting adventure she embarks on in that world...along the way, she met a guy named Romeo and eventually they found love in each other...hehe..quite romantic lah...

The show finished about 945pm...decided to go back to the hotel coz i felt a bit tired...i thought i'd leave the gambling till the next day...since there's nothing else to do anyway...so i took the Venetian shuttle bus back to the ferry terminal...but there was no more shuttle bus back to my hotel coz the last bus was at 955pm...so i thought i'd try walking back coz it didn't look too far in the map...i should have known better though...that the map and the roads don't correlate....but eventually i found my way back...although it took me almost an hour...

Managed to get a late check-out for the next day...so i could sleep in and didn't have to hurry and pack...i love my hotel room...but i don't care much for Macau...

HK Day 7

Woke up a bit earlier today...1030am...ate the last 2 persimmons for breakfast...then packed everything into my luggage...had to enlarge the compartment...it was so full i almost couldn't zip my luggage...checked out and left my luggage at the lobby...today was my last day in HK and i was thinking about where else i could go...i thought i'd check out Hung Hom...so i walked over to East Tsim Sha Tsui station and took the metro to Hung Hom station...didn't know what was in store for me...

I exited at The Metropolis, which is a huge shopping complex...saw the Harbour Plaza Metropolis Hotel which is adjacent to it...i had initially planned to stay at that hotel but i couldn't get a cheap room at the last minute..served me right...the hotel looked nice...oh well, maybe next time..hehe..ate baked rice with pork and chicken at a shop in The Metroprolis...it was yucks!! i think the ones in Malaysia taste better...good thing the mango bubble tea was good...

So i walked towards Hung Hom...saw some signs showing 'Hung Hom Factory Outlets' and 'Wonderful Worlds of Whampoa'...i was curious about the factory outlets...coz i thought maybe can get some good bargains...hehe..so i tried looking for the factory outlets...but after going in circles following the signs, i can't seem to find any...so i abandoned my mission and went looking for the Wonderful Worlds of Whampoa instead...

When i reached there,i saw Home World, Treasure World and Fashion World..had some problem looking for Fashion World initially but found it eventually...and i was stuck there for quite some time...found a shop 'Veeko' and saw signs showing 1/2 price for all items...the bargain hunter in me couldn't resist that...so i went into the shop...initially i saw a purple 'biker-chick' jacket...tried it on and thought it looked nice on me...original price was HKD480...a bit expensive lah..but got 50% discount..so it's a little over RM100...not too bad lah...

Then one of the SA, Jenny started bringing me tops and pants to try on...and i tried on a few and i thought i looked good in them..and they were quite fashionable...so in the end i bought another 7 articles of clothings...2 jackets, 3 tops and 2 pants...total damage was HKD1364 (about RM607)...forgive me Lord, for my flesh was weak...i really had no space in my luggage already so i'd need to hand carry another paper bag full of clothes home...i quickly left the shop before Jenny could convince me to buy even more stuffs...walked back to East Tsim Sha Tsui and dropped by at Ben & Jerry's for ice-cream...then i went back to the hotel...

Grabbed my luggage and took a taxi to the Macau-China Terminal at Kowloon...took the 630pm First Ferry to Macau...ticket cost HKD168...reached Macau Terminal about 745pm...we docked at Macau Peninsula...got through immigration and asked the info counter how to get to Hotel Royal...thankfully there was a shuttle bus to Hotel Royal...hopped on to it just in time as it was leaving at 755pm...when i checked-in at the hotel, again i got a free upgrade to a Premier Room...my room was 1630..on the 16th floor...i totally loved this room....super king-sized bed with huge flat screen TV...bathrobes and bedroom slippers provided...and there was a huge mushroom shower head...not to mention the room was very spacious....

I took the hotel shuttle bus to hunt for dinner...i wanted to go to MGM Grand cos the girl at the front desk told me there were many Portuguese restaurants nearby...but the bus driver dropped me off at Sands instead...which was opposite the Macau's Fisherman Wharf...there was a fake Colosseum there...anyway, i walked towards MGM Grand and found a Portuguese restaurant...food was quite expensive..HKD65 for an omelette with codfish and Portuguese sausage...it tasted quite good...and it seems like it's quite easy to make Portuguese food...i can make omelettes :)

The bell boy at the hotel told me earlier to check out the cybernetic fountain at Wynn Hotel...but i couldn't find it coz these hotels are super huge...i gave up the idea of walking back to the hotel coz i couldn't seem to read the Macau map properly..and the road signs were horribly sparse...so took a cab back to the hotel for HKD13...not too bad lah...booked a ticket for Cirque du Soleil at the front dest for the next day show...then i went up to my room and enjoyed my rain shower...nice...

But i couldn't really sleep...must have been coz i left the red low lights on...they gave off an eerie atmosphere...

HK Day 6

I was getting lazy...got up at 11am again...today was Museum day...Wednesdays are free admission for museums...decided to try out my new shoes...walked down Nathan Road towards Salisbury Road...walked along the Avenue of Stars...where they have plates and plates of HK celebrity names (some even have their palm prints)...had a quick bite at the Pacific Coffee Company...ate a spinach mushroom quiche while sitting outside overlooking the causeway...saw some ships on the causeway and HK island on the opposite end...

First museum of the day was the Museum of Art...saw their Gold collection and Ceramic collection... they were having a special exhibition titled The Ultimate South China Travel Guide - Canton...it was a very entertaining exhibition...there were witty descriptions about the drawings...and there was an interesting phrase book on Chinese Pidgin English e.g. "Do you speak English?" in CPE is "You savvy Englishee?"..."I'm very sorry" is "My velly sorry"..."Go and call the doctor" is "Go callum doctor"...hahahaha...so cute...while i was walking around the exhibition, my shoes killum my feet...so i took of my shoes and walked bare-footed for a good part of the exhibition...didn't even care if ppl were staring at me strangely...

Managed to limp over to the Museum of Space...it was full of astronomy stuffs like stars, comets, constellations and galaxies...also had all the rocket science stuffs...there was an anti-gravity simulation room where you can experience how it feels like to be walking on the moon...unfortunately i was wearing a dress...and the simulation requires wearing a harness...dang!!! i kept wearing dress at the wrong times...but i tried out the manned manipulative unit...it's a simulation of the astronaut suit where they can control their own movement outside the spaceship...the control uses gas...so it was very difficult to gauge the distance and time lag...the simulator was like a mission...so no surprise that i failed my mission...my hand-eye co-ordination is like zero...

I decided to walk back to the hotel to change into comfy shoes...bought some preserved ginger and apricot for aunty Karen on the way back coz she asked for it...after changing to my comfy shoes, i walked towards Tsim Sha Tsui East where the Museum of Science is...there was a House of Mirrors where they had many amazing mirror tricks...like seeing double on the mirror..or see yourself upside down...or seeing your side and back profile while looking straight at the mirror... then i played the virtual 3D games...where you use your body and arms as joystick...quite a good way to work out i think...

There were so many interactive stations in the museum...i really had a fun time trying out the stations...if i were still a kid, i'd definitely love learning science in the museum...at 7pm, the mechanical ball rolling thingy in the museum started...the structure was huge and the mechanism lasted about 15 mins...

After that, i walked along Granville Road, looking for dinner...saw a branch of clothes shop in which i saw a black and white dress for HKD130...i saw it the day before but i was still contemplating on buying...but i thought, i still liked the dress after seeing it the second time, just buy lah...couldn't try but bought anyway...had my dinner at Kimberley Road...roast duck noodles with red bean ice...cost HKD51...then walked about looking for a tea shop...found one and bought some tea leaves...

Came back to the hotel and tried on the black and white dress...i bought a size M and it fit just nicely..though i looked a little broad in it...i guess size S is for stick thin ppl...ate another box of strawberries for dessert...then watched some TV...it was showing a series called 'The Mentalist'...quite interesting the way the guy solves his cases...

HK Day 5

I woke up real late...about 11am...just couldn't get up...i think the cold weather and pollution really weigh one down...finally dragged my butt out of bed and got ready...walked along Nathan Road heading towards Yau Ma Tei and Mongkok...saw a McDonald's along the way so popped in for brunch...wanted to eat pork burger but the lady told me the only burger with pork is the sausage mcmuffin...so i had that...and it tasted better than Malaysian sausage mcmuffin..hehe..i also had a chocolate pie...not that great...and drank hot chocolate...bill came up to HKD32.50...

Then i went to check out Kowloon Park...there was a swimming pool in there which was being used for the East Asia Games...didn't see any hunky swimmer though...next i went to the Jade Market...i always thought jade only existed in greenish shade but for the 1st time i saw purple jade there...and i thought they looked pretty neat...so i bought a pair of purple jade earrings and pendant for mom...both cost me HKD220...not sure if it's cheap or expensive...i just hope i didn't get rip off too much...

After that i continued walking along Nathan Road...coz there were plenty of shops to see...after a while i noticed that there was a middle-aged Chinese man who was following me closely...i first noticed him coz he was commenting on the things i did...like i scratched my head and he commented that i was scratching my head...initially i didn't think much of it...but then he went into every shop i went...and hovered around to see what i was doing...i tried not to be bothered but it was getting a bit too weird...although he wasn't trying to do anything funny to me but i was getting worried coz i can't seem to lose him...

Eventually i ducked into a departmental store and stayed in there for half hour or so...was looking back all the time to see if he was following me...i must have looked like a schizophrenic with paranoid delusions...after i was certain he wasn't following me anymore, i went out and started walking again...for about 10 mins i still kept looking behind me every few seconds in case he popped up again...but no sign of stalker guy...phew!!! i had half the mind of walking to the police station and had him follow me there...i thought i came to HK to 'stalk' Khalil...and i ended up being stalked...scary!!!

When i reached Mongkok i saw an Esprit outlet...i went in coz Elaine said the discounted stuffs are really cheap...and boy, was she right...i've never bought anything Esprit for the fact that even their T-shirts cost close to RM100...i ended up buying 3 t-shirts, 2 tunic tops, 1 cross-back sleeveless top and 1 pair of shorts for HKD803 (about RM360)...amazing or what? after my shopping spree there, i came out and continued walking...saw many shoe shops selling boots...but i'm not really a boots person...so i tried on a pair of black ballerina flats...cost HKD90...looked nice...wasn't sure it would be comfortable for long walks...but bought anyway...

Walked along Ladies Market...it's quite like Petaling Street...the vendors marked up their prices and i had to bargain...only bought 2 pairs of leggings for HKD55...went to look for Langham Place and the Langham Place Hotel...hmmm, quite the high end place...the rooms cost about rm600-700 per night...saw some fruit vendors along the way...bought 2 boxes of strawberries for HKD25 and 4 persimmons for HKD10...i guess some fruits are quite cheap in HK...stopped by at a shop and had pork chop noodles in chilli soup....

Then walked back down through Temple Street Night Market...similar stuffs with Ladies Market...walked back to the hotel in the rain...good thing for the shades along the shop corridors... i went online at the lobby laptop...was sitting next to a tall Caucasian man who was frantically looking for a place to stay...he told me that he and his business partner booked Butterfly on Prat...requested for double bed...but unfortunately the hotel only has Queen beds...he said his legs would be dangling off the edge of the bed if he had to share a bed with another person...ahh, the disadvantage of being tall...so i wished him luck in finding another hotel...

I went up and put down my stuffs...then went for a night walk...roamed around Tsim Sha Tsui...wanted to check out Chungking Mansion...it was a mistake to go there at night coz the ppl there kept asking me if i wanted a room...walked along Peking Road...saw this place called Heritage 1881..it's a cluster of colonial buildings turned high end shopping arcade...very quaint and classy...then i went to Harbour City...all the while walking in a drizzle...nothing much at Harbour City except for lotsa Christmas deco....eventually walked back to the hotel...and i didn't consult the map at all...so proud of myself..hehe...

HK Day 4

I set my alarm for 9am but was still tired so i lazed till about 10am before i got up and packed...today was check-out day..and Disney Day...left my luggage at the hotel and went to a shop nearby for breakfast...had some glutinous rice with 'yau tiu' and pork floss for breakfast...then took the hotel shuttle bus to HK station... bought the MTR ticket to Disneyland...one way cost HKD23.50...not cheap le...

The ride lasted about half hour...had to stop at Sunny Bay and change to the Disney line...the Disney line train was really cool...the windows and handles are 'mickey'-shaped...and each coach has different Disney cartoon figurines...i was so excited when we reached Disneyland...happily paid HKD350 for the entrance ticket and went in...but it was raining...so that kinda dampened the mood...but i still walked around...had to buy a raincoat coz i was getting a little too wet...

I walked along the Main Street where they had a hall full of pictures and figurines of the classic and not-so-classic Disney cartoons..from Cinderella to Aladdin to Toy Story...saw lotsa souvenir shops but thought i'd leave all the souvenir shopping to the end...I went to "Tomorrowland" first...had an encounter with Stitch...it was an interactive show where Stitch would appear on a big screen and interact with the audience...i went for the Cantonese version...darn funny...Stitch kept poking fun at the audience...and even tried to pick up a girl from the audience...hahaha...wanted to drive at Autopia but the queue was too long...lazy to wait...

Bought a box of popcorn and continued my exploration at "Adventureland"...took the raft to cross over to Tarzan's Treehouse...they even had a life-size Tarzan and Jane mannequins in the house...complete with a hanging bridge and baby elephants that look so real...there was a boatride along the man-made 'river' inside the park but as usual the queue was massive so i gave it a skip...

I walked through Sleeping Beauty's Castle to enter "Fantasyland"...there was quite a magical feel to the castle...it's quite awesome...I watched the Mickey's Philharmagic Orchestra, a 3D show which displayed many songs and music from Disney cartoons...made me realized how much i missed those classic Disney cartoons...next i took a slow boatride at It's A Small Small World...it's actually a kiddy ride but heck, i was having my kid's day out...

Then i walked back to the main entrance just to take the Disneyland Railroad train back to "Fantasyland"....i had time to buy before the 5pm "Golden Mickeys" show...so i went to buy some souvenirs at Merlin's Treasures....bought a pair of Mickey earrings for Jasmine and a charm bracelet for Pei...then it was time for the "Golden Mickeys"...it's actually a theatre musical show that lasts about half hour...the cast performed excerpts of songs from cartoons like Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan, Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Lilo & Stitch, Tarzan and many more...it was amazing..and their finale was When You Wish Upon A Star from Pinocchio...love that song...

By the time i got back out, it was getting dark...so i pulled out the hologram glass that was distributed at the entrance earlier...to check out the night lights...you can see plenty of heart shapes where the lights are....so cool...since it was getting late and i had to get over to Tsim Sha Tsui to check in at my other hotel, i quickly bought 2 surprise bags of Disney goodies for HKD200 as souvenirs...ran out of time to choose personal souvenirs...then i took the metro back to HK station... called the hotel to send my luggage to the station since it was more convenient...it was very nice of them to accomodate...

After getting my luggage, i took the metro to Tsim Sha Tsui station...walked about 10 mins to Prat Avenue and checked-in at Butterfly on Prat...it's a boutique hotel...they upgraded me to a Delxue Room...i was at room 1507 on the 15th floor...totally loved the concept and interior design...more modern and chic compared to normal hotels..and this room was definitely cheaper than Island Pacific...and it was bigger...even the TV was bigger...flat screen TV some more..and there was a built-in microwave in my room...plus they had 2 laptops at the lobby for guests to go online...for free...

Went for dinner few shops down the road...thanks to my Chinese illiteracy, i ordered instant noodles by mistake...also ordered vege and dessert and the bill came up to HKD53...food's definitely not cheap in HK...Prat Avenue is quite happening...lotsa restaurants, night clubs and karaoke...the Neway was next to my hotel...good thing my room was quite high up...but i could still hear the distant sound of occasional blaring horns...poor sound-proofing...but it was ok...i managed to fall asleep quickly anyhow...must have been the nice bath i had in the tub...felt good soaking in warm water after a whole day out in the cold...

Have yourself a merry reaper Christmas...

I know i'm supposed to be doing my HK-Macau series but i'm interrupting that with a Christmas post since it's Christmas...so like last year, i'm on call on Christmas eve...yes, again...i guess that's what happens when you don't go anywhere during Christmas...ppl expect you to work...well, it's not that bad really...at least i get to go to church for Christmas service on Christmas morning...although i'd be dead tired...

In Chinese, Christmas eve is called 'Ping An Ye'...literally translated as peaceful night...but i supposed if you're me, and are on call, it's never a peaceful night...any night...one unstable patient in ICU is enough to give you an un-peaceful night...last night, i had 3 unstable patients...one of whom i was giving everything i could just to keep him alive till his daughters come back to see him on Christmas day...

But i thank God for His mercy...coz the Grim Reaper did not make an appearance during my call last night...i guess he was at some Christmas party...the reapers' version...so that all 3 patients were still alive...in the sense that their hearts are still beating...but they'd die eventually...

Pang came to ICU last night...coz the son of one of my dying patients called him to come help his dad...i supposed i should feel insulted but i really felt grateful that Pang came to help..coz i really didn't know what else i could do to help that patient...and i'm really bad at dealing with families of dying patients...so Pang did all the talking for me...

Giri was on call yesterday too...so it was good to have company...he came to ICU looking for bed...i told him, you'll have to wait till one of my 3 unstable patients die...we chatted a while...it's been a long time since we actually got to sit down and chat...he mentioned something about us USM grads...he said that we're all a bit of a pushover..in other words...we're quite a bunch of losers...hahaha...i couldn't agree more...

Managed to sleep a little...i was just so tired...was recovering from AGE...it's a horrible thing to have...this morning came home, bathed and got ready for church...Flora came to pick me up and we went to church...they were showing a video clip about Pastor's daughter's miraculous resurrection from death...i couldn't help thinking about my dead and dying patients...

After church, Flora and i went to Little Italy for our Christmas lunch...had pizza bianca, ravioli riccota norcina and salmon bruschetta...yummy!!! though i'm being mean to my GI tract...overworking it when i'm just recovering from AGE...hehe...oh well...life's too short to be too careful...after lunch, came home and slept till dinner time...nice...soon, i will not have the luxury of post call day off...sigh...

Oh well, a merry and blessed Christmas to you all...

HK Day 3

Got up at 10am plus...the tiring Day 2 totally cured my strange bed-induced insomnia...which was good...decided to check out the Southern part of HK island...the guy at the front desk told me to take the 973 bus that goes all the way to Stanley...so that i did...the bus went through winding hilly roads...so it was quite a roller-coaster ride...there was a mentally-challenged boy who sat at the next row...he puked all over along the way...well, good thing for my anosmia...

I got down at Stanley Plaza...saw a stall that was selling some Chinese chewy candies...so bought half a roll and chewed on it while i walked around Blake Pier...saw some flyers that promoted some sailing and boat ride...apparently you can sail to the Southern Islands from Blake Pier...and you can go on a half-hour sailboat ride for HKD150..but didn't see anyone operating any boat...managed to take some photos of myself with self-timer...nice place for photo shoot...

Walked around Stanley Market...nothing much...and i wasn't really in the mood for bargaining coz i didn't see anything i really gawked at...stopped by at a restaurant for lunch...managed to order lunch by reading the chinese menu...cos i could read beef curry rice in Chinese..hehe...the curry tasted quite good...

Next i took the bus no. 6 to Repulse Bay...the beach was crowded with tourists since it was the weekend...saw some youngsters building a huge sand 'castle' (actually i had no idea what they were sculpting)...there were a couple of Filipino ladies being baptized by a Caucasian pastor in the sea...my first thought...they must be Baptists...the temperature was 21 degrees Celsius...it's quite warm under the sun...but chilly when there was breeze...the poor ladies...the water should be quite cold...even saw a Japanese guy sunbathing...i see this craze doesn't just affect Australians...

After i had enough of my beach encounter, i took bus no. 6X to Ocean Park...almost missed the stop...so i quickly hopped off the bus after being reprimanded by the bus driver...bought the entrance ticket for HKD250 and entered Ocean Park...a few minutes later, i realized that my Khalil Fong USB drive and picks were missing...they were hanging on my bag's zipper...DANG!!! i must have dropped them in the bus when i was rushing out...maybe snagged a pole or something...so sad!!! but nothing could be done to get them back...lucky is the person who picked them up...sob...

Well, wasn't about to let that hamper my good time at the Ocean Park...so i went to check out the giant pandas...they were just munching on bamboo shoots..while watching us humans watched them...they had bungee-trampoline but i was wearing a tunic dress... not properly dressed for such stunt...ish!! would have loved to try it out...took the Ocean Waterfront Express up to the upper part of the park...the upper part is where all the rides and the Ocean Theatre are...there was an escalator that goes down to another exit at Tai Shue Wan...out of curiousity and redundant-ness, i took it down..and up again...was passing time till the Sea Dreams show anyway...and the other rides were packed...

Then it was time to go for the Sea Dreams show at the Ocean Theatre...it was a dolphin and sea-lion show that lasted about half hour...i always love watching dolphins...and this time i managed to take nice pics of the dolphins...the show was quite amazing...i think this was even better than the one in SeaWorld at Gold Coast...and i noticed that dolphin trainers are usually cute..hehe...didn't do the rides coz too lazy to queue up and time was limited...so i took the cable car back to the main park...that was quite a ride...not for the faint-hearted...

It was already evening when i took the bus no. 6X back to Central...walked to the Peak Tram Station and was shocked to see how ridiculously long the queue was...a word of advice...never attempt to go up the Peak via tram on weekend nights...i had to queue about an hour before i managed to get into the tram...but the ride was pretty cool...the track was quite steep that i had to hold on real tight throughout the ride...i bought the SkyTerrace pass + single trip ticket which cost me HKD37...

So i went to the SkyTerrace at the Peak Tower...only to find out that it wasn't really necessary...you can get nice view everywhere else...don't have to pay extra for the SkyTerrace pass...and since it was night, it was bloody cold and windy up there..i could hardly stop my hands from trembling when taking pics...but it was worth going up the Peak...the night view of HK was amazing...well, except for the haze...but what was even more amazing were the apartments on the Peak...they looked so posh and must cost a few bombs...definitely dream house material...hehe...

Fed my hunger pangs at Bubba Gump Shrimp Restaurant and Co...Elaine said should go check it out so i did...the food's expensive...but i guess it would be the same for all the other restaurant at the Peak... had clam chowder with Caesar Salad and a bottle of water...quite yummy...cost me HKD132 for that...i like the way you hail the waiter...each table has 2 plates...one written "run, forrest run" and another "stop, forrest stop"...if you need the waiter, you put up the latter plate...after dinner, i checked out the souvenir shop and bought a Bubba Gump T-shirt...

Would have love to explore the Peak longer but it was too cold...so i took bus 15 down to Central...cost only HKD9.80...and the view on the way down was so beautiful, you'd forgive the winding, vomit-inducing road...this time, i got smart...i took a tram back to the hotel...at least i know it'll stop right behind the hotel...i didn't even mind the longer ride...

So, i actually like the southern part of HK...less crowded and agoraphobia-inducing...except with tourists...and quieter...and it's not inaccessible...definitely a good place to stay...especially if you like staying by the beach...if you prefer being on top of everyone else, there's always the apartments on the Peak...

HK Day 2

Got up from a fitful sleep about 830am...got ready and walked to the road behind the hotel...the girl at the front desk told me i could either take the bus or tram to get around...i dropped by at the Mannings opposite the hotel but i didn't see any beauty diary mask products...bought some 'siew mai'-like stuffs to eat and waited for the tram...hopped onto the tram and got off at Central...tram ride costs HKD2...cheap and convenient...and get nice view...though a bit slow lah...

Looked for the Central-Mid levels escalator...bumped into some people who were asking for donation for their flag day or something...asked them for direction...but apparently not all hongkies know where is where...so i walked until i saw some signboards that showed the direction of the Central-Mid levels escalator...found the escalator but had to wait till 10am before it starts to go upwards...so i went up through Soho area all the way to Mid-levels...saw all the cafes at the side of the escalator along the way...the Mid-levels have really amazing architecture...solidly cemented slope with plenty of high-rise apartments and condominiums on the slopes (i guess this is where the rich hongkies stay)...and there were roads on top of roads...they were like roller-coaster tracks...

The HK Zoological and Botanical Garden was nearby so i walked towards where the signboard showed...got a little lost along the way cos the signboard disappeared and there were too many paths to take...a Caucasian man came along with his huge white furry dog and asked me if i was lost...it felt refreshing to be able to speak English without worrying the other person won't understand what i was saying..phew!! so i told the man where i needed to go and he showed me the way...the man came from England but he lives in HK (i guess he's the resident of one of those nice apartments in Mid-levels)...he asked me where i came from and i told him i work in KK..he said, "oh, i have some relatives in KK...i'm planning to visit them next year.." so when we reached the Garden, we parted ways...

Walked around the Botanical Garden..saw lotsa primates...some racoons, turtles and birds...after i had my fill of animal kingdom, i walked back towards Soho...saw a Mannings and found the beauty diary masks that Che asked me to buy...so i bought like 3 boxes...shouldn't have bought so early cos then i was lugging it around in my backpack the whole day...walked along Hollywood Road which has many shops selling antiques and arts stuffs...walked till i reach Man Ho Temple...not really into temple so didn't go in...

So i walked back to Lan Kwai Fong...yes, the famous 'red-light' area in HK...but i was there during the day...so only saw lots and lots of closed bars and pubs...and lots of Japanese tourists taking photo under the signboard that reads "Lan Kwai Fong"...while i was walking back to where i got off the tram, i went into Coach shop to do price compare...they were having sale...even with 30% off, the wristlet still cost the same as what Cam paid for hers in Taipei Airport...

Next, i took the tram to Wan Chai...walked to HK Convention and Exhibition Centre which was at the water front...went in from Grand Hyatt Hotel through to HKCEC...very posh hotel...and HKCEC is huge...it's connected to 2 hotels, the Grand Hyatt and Renaissance...so i exited from Renaissance...just to check out the lobby...had beef noodles for lunch at a restaurant at Wan Chai.. then walked around Wan Chai...walked through Li Yuen Street Market...passed by Wan Chai Market...and walked till i reach the Happy Valley Race Course...it was still early..so no race yet...then i walked into Morrison HIll Road...to check out Butterfly on Morrison, South Pacific Hotel and Hotel Bonaparte by Rhombus...these were the few hotels i initially had in mind to book...but since i booked late, they didn't have rooms anymore...serve me right...

After that, i took the tram to Causeway Bay...gosh, i thought Wan Chai was packed with people...Causeway Bay made an agoraphobic out of me...i guess it was cos it's already nightfall and all the hongkies are out to play...Causeway Bay has plenty of big shopping malls with high-end boutiques...even the not branded clothes are expensive...tried to look for clothes but they were selling mostly winter clothings...too thick for the tropics...but saw a bright pink tunic top that wasn't too thick and thought Che would like it...so bought for her...

Had sweet and sour pork rice for dinner...i've given up trying to decipher Chinese writing and just pointed at pictures..hehe...after dinner, walked along the Jardine's Bazaar and Cresent...they're like our Petaling Street...tried to look for leggings but they were selling for HKD29-69 per pair...i didn't buy coz i thought they'd be cheaper in Kowloon area...anyway, tonight was the opening ceremony of the East Asia Games 2009...i wanted to go back to the hotel, but the policeman that i asked regarding where to take bus told me to stay and watch the fireworks and all before i go back...

So i walked to the World Trade Centre where they had a big screen showing the opening ceremony live...watched it for a while...but by 830pm, i was quite tired and my right knee was giving me problem after a whole day of walking...caught the no. 5 bus that supposedly stopped near my hotel...but the bloody driver told me to get down so far from my hotel that i walked about 1km back to my hotel...crap!!..and when i reached my hotel, my mobile had limited service again...i was like WTH???!!! i was just using it on the bus earlier and it was working fine...

Went to a 7-11 few roads down my hotel and bought a local SIM card...the guy told me i had to recharge my SIM card once i've used it...initially i was like huh? why do i need to recharge my SIM card? does it run on battery? he explained in Chinese...i lagi lah don't understand...so he was at a lost as to how to make me understand..eventually i realized he was talking about reload/ top up...chey!!! apalah...recharge...as it is, i'm not prepaid savvy since i use post-paid...i must have looked like an idiot to the guy..Chinese also don't understand, English also don't understand...oh well, thank God i won't have to see him again...hehe...

So that was my day of adventure in HK...was super tired by the time i got back to my room...had no problem falling asleep this time...