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Saturday, November 24, 2012

~ Celebrate Christmas with The Icing Room's DIY Yule Log ~

One more month to Christmas and everyone seems to be in a jolly mood, happily doing their Christmas shopping. Have you also notice the beautiful Christmas log cakes on display to celebrate this festive season?

Thanks to The Icing Room, our family had the opportunity to DIY our mini Yule Log and soak into the Christmas holiday in advance! Denver & Gladys had a big surprise when we brought them to the counter. This is the first time we are decorating our very own Yule Log!!


Every DIY Yule Log set includes a mini log cake (available in strawberry vanilla or chocolate flavours), festive icing decor and icing and cream piping.

 Our strawberry flavoured log cake and our chosen icing decor and cream piping! Yummy and Pretty!

I gave a headstart by piping a "Merry X'mas" greeting note on our log. It is definitely not as easy as it looks, especially for first timers. ^_^


Denver and Gladys also helped to decorate our log cake using the cream piping.
See how focus Gladys was.

Denver suffered from a fractured left arm but that did not stop him from having some fun doing our DIY Yule Log. With an injured arm, this delicate task makes it even harder for him but Denver exercised a lot of care and detail.


It's great to see our Mini DIY Yule Log taking shape. The kids can't wait to bring it back home!

Here's the final product! Although it was not very professionally done, we love it 100% as it has our family's Effort, Love and Well wishes in it.

Front View of the Cake (Christmas greetings, Christmas tree, Snowman, flowers and not forgetting lots of hearts from us)

Back View of the cake : Adding a special final touch ~ our family's initials "BPDG" on our Yule Log. ^_^

Apart from the fun we had D.I.Y-ing, having our personalised Yule Log this Christmas is special and unique.

If you are interested to do your personalised DIY Yule Log as a gift, The Icing Room is currently having a Facebook photo contest for the Best DIY Yule Log.

Simply follow the steps below:
1. Purchase The Icing Room's Mini DIY Yule Log set (SGD$18.80) and start D.I.Y.
2. Snap a photo of your Yule Log masterpiece.
3. Submit your photo on The Icing Room's Facebook contest page and garner votes!

Photo contest is valid from 15 Nov - 16 Dec 2012. Start D.I.Y now and you may win yourself attractive prizes this Christmas!

3 lucky voters of the top 3 winners will also get a chance to win SGD$20 worth of The Icing Room vouchers each!

If you like our DIY Yule Log "Loving Christmas" and would like to support us, please send us your votes at The Icing Room's Facebook Contest page. ^_^
 

For more information, please visit The Icing Room's facebook page.


BPDGTravels would like to Wish our Readers MERRY CHRISTMAS in advance and may you and your family have a very Blessed, Loving and Jolly CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY!

Disclosure: Sponsored Review - All comments and opinions are personal and no monetary compensation was received. Mini D.I.Y Yule Log set was provided by The Icing Room (Singapore). 

Monday, November 19, 2012

~ Hong Kong 2012 - Day 2 (Part 3) Habour City ~

Are you a great fan of Doraemon (多啦A夢)? I have grown up watching this cartoon and even my children know him and his friends. Our family was lucky to catch the exhibition celebrating 100 Years Before the Birth of Doraemon at Harbour City during our visit to Hong Kong.

Do you know that Doraemon (the popular Japanese cartoon character) was born on 3rd September, 2112? Hence, an early birthday party has been organised to celebrate his birthday 100 years ahead, 'before' his birth.


Despite standing under the hot, scorching sun, HUGE crowd gathered at Harbour City just to take pictures with the lovable futuristic robotic cat. I could barely squeeze through to take a nice photo.

100 life-size Doraemons were on display at the exhibition, each holding a special gadget.


There were displays of Doraemon and his friends within the mall as well and we were amazed with the long queues at each photo shoot station.That only shows how popular and successful this cartoon has been throughout the decades. Although the exhibition has already ended, it has been great to be there and being part of the celebration. ^_^


Denver & Gladys having their share of play time at the Jumping Gym (Harbour City).

Habour City is situated at the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui. It is a one-stop shopping haven comprising of fashion outlets, restaurants and two cinemas. Apart from shopping, you can also get a great view of the Victoria Harbour. As we were too engross with the Doraemon exhibition, we did not have time to explore Harbour City further. Nevertheless, it is a popular mall among the locals as well as tourists.

Being conveniently located adjacent to the Star Ferry, Bus Terminal and MTR Station makes it so convenient for us to get back to our apartment.


It's dinner time! We dropped off near Ladies Street and settled in for dinner at Eat Together (大家食). We saw this shop near Yau Ma Tei too. Apparently it has a few outlets and the variety and pricing of food is pretty reasonable.

Noodles for the kids and hubby and rice for me!

We bought additional supper as we walked along. Fermented toufu is a not to be miss for Hubby whenever he is in Hong Kong! I prefer having my sausages and Gladys adores her favourite egg tarts. :)

Here we are at the famous Ladies' Street (女人街), a well-known and MUST-visit tourist spot offering various products (T-shirts, bags, toys, shoes, paintings and many more) at cheaper price. We don't usually buy things from the street markets as we prefer to emerge ourselves into the atmosphere and take a peek at what's the in-thing in Hong Kong. For a start, we will walk through the market first to have a feel of the products of our interest and it's pricing. I will only try to bargain for a cheaper rate if I am sincerely interested in buying the items to avoid any arguments later on.  ^_^


We took a leisure walk back to Yau Ma Tei from Mong Kok which is one MTR station away. Our kiddos were already tired out with the whole day program. We popped by Tung Kee Dessert again to give ourself a nice cooling treat.

Another signature dessert from Tung Kee - Hungry Bird(HKD $38). It is a mixture of assorted fruits giving you a taste of sweet, sour and bitterness. Very unique and refreshing.


Denver & Gladys had Aloha(HKD$30) - a combination of ice-cream and fruits in the bowl. Definitely an attraction for children. :) 


It was a long but eventful day. We managed to cover quite a number of places which we have not venture before in our previous trips.

Check out our Day 2 photos at BPDGTravels' facebook page

Places of Interest

Ladies' Street (女人街)
Address: Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon
How to Get there: MTR, Mong Kok Station, Exit E2.

Shopping

HABOUR CITY
Address:  3 - 27 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
How to get there: MTR, Tsim Sha Tsui Station, Exit A1

Food
Eat Together (大家食)
Address: 5 Fu Yuen Street Mong Kok
How to Get there: MTR, Yau Ma Tei Station, Exit A2 or MTR, Mong Kok Station, Exit E2

Tung Kee Dessert (同記糖水。甜品專門店)
Address: Shop B, G/F, Wing Sing Building, 36-40 Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei
How to Get there: MTR, Yau Ma Tei Station, Exit C
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tungkeedessert.hk

Sunday, November 11, 2012

~ Hong Kong 2012 - Day 2 (Part 2) Sky100 ~

It was a sunny morning and a perfect time to admire Hong Kong's skyline from the top. We took a minibus (77M) to MTR Kowloon Station Bus Terminal. Upon reaching, we entered  ELEMENTS. It is a very spacious shopping mall covering over a million square metre, selling luxury and branded goods. Although it is located right above Kowloon Station, it is not as accessible to the other parts of Hong Kong compared to the other malls. However, the good thing is the crowd is not as massive and you can enjoy your shopping leisurely.



ELEMENTS is divided into 5 sections namely, METAL (Luxury brands), WOOD (Health, Beauty & Lifestyle), WATER (International cuisine), FIRE (Entertainment), EARTH (Fashion). Each area is decorated according to its theme. Apart from boutiques, restaurants, there are movie theatres and an ice-skating rink too. We started from the Wood zone and moved into the Metal zone.


The main purpose of our trip here is not shopping but to visit the Sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck. Similar to Taipei101, Sky100 offers a 360o panoramic view of Hong Kong from the 100th floor of the International Commerce Centre (ICC).


Admission fee is not exactly cheap ~ SGD$78 for our family to enter. (~$20 per pax) It will be slightly cheaper to do an advance booking via the Internet. Entry is subject to availability and weather conditions. We were just in time to get the 1pm slot as the rest of the timing were full!


Entering the Memory Lane reminds me of home when we visit the Journey of Dreams at the Singapore Flyer. :)

Sky100 is currently the 4th tallest commercial building in the world standing at 393m above sea level.

We marvelled at the magnificent view of Hong Kong skyline. It was a different feel viewing Victoria Habour from the top. The skyscrapers, deep blue sea and white puffy clouds makes the entire view so scenic, beautiful and lively. Just admiring it lifted my spirit and brightened my day.


 I can imagine how enchanting it will be when the sun sets and Hong Kong glitters in the night.


Denver and Gladys drew a picture on a postcard and the interesting thing is they can send it back to our home via their postbox!
 Close up view and understanding Hong Kong.
Children can pick up a Sky Explorer Passport, send a postcard and go through the activities at 8 stations spreading across the observatory deck.


YES WE CAN! Exhibition at Sky100. Creative designs of Sampan, double-deck bus and Tsing-Ma Bridge using cans.

It's only Day 2 but we are loving Hong Kong tremendously! More excitement awaits us!



Summary of Day 2 - Part 2

Places of Interest

Sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck
Opening Hours: 10am to 10pm
Address: 100/F, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon
How to get there: MTR, Kowloon Station, Exit B
('sky100 Hong Kong Observation Deck' Entrance is connected to Elements - Metal Zone 2/F)

Shopping

ELEMENTS
Address: 1 Austin Road West, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
How to get there: MTR, Kowloon Station, Exit B

Monday, November 5, 2012

~ Hong Kong 2012 - Day 2 (Part 1) Market Walk ~

02.09.2012 : Day 2

Good Morning Hong Kong! We had a good night rest and I must say our bed was really soft and comfortable (unlike the stiffer mattress that we experienced before).


Our morning began with us looking out for eateries around our apartment. After being 'warmly welcomed' (persuaded) by the boss/staff, we settled in for breakfast at 新盛飯店 which is located just across a street.


Our Pick - Fish Balls Noodles Soup and Shrimp Won Ton Noodles Soup (HKD $22)

A simple, traditional breakfast where the ingredients are filling and tasted alright. I can only recall Gladys rejecting her cup of Ovaltine due to its blendness despite adding sugar.

After a filling breakfast, it is time to explore the sights around Hong Kong. Thanks to the staff at Chi Residences, we were being advised to take bus 74 (near our apartment) to bring us to the Goldfish Market.

This is our first time hopping on a mini bus in Hong Kong. For a moment, I felt like a Hongkonger taking the local transport, only that I am not sure where to alight. But not to worry as the road name of the stops are clearly stated on the bus. Payment can be made via the Octopus card.


Here we are!

There are other markets worth visiting when you are in Mongkok area. Just follow the signs for directions.

We arrived early but a couple of shops at Goldfish Market (金魚街) were already opened. Located at the section of Tung Choi Street, there are many shops selling various species of tropical freshwater and marine fish. Just admiring the fishes pleased our kiddos so much that they dream we can bring the entire aquarium back home!

Then, Denver spotted some cute terrapins and he LOVED it so much that he wished to have one as his next birthday present!


Apart from fishes, we also spotted hermit crabs, corals, seashells and other aquatic plants. We looked with interest as the fiery red Watermelon crabs crawled in the blue buckets. Each of them cost HKD$20 (~SGD$3 plus).


Goldfish Market is a fascinating place for the children and definitely an eye opener for Denver and Gladys, since they do not get to catch this sight back home. Seeing how the owners tie the bags of fishes swiftly for sale, feeding and netting them and spotting some amphibians and reptiles along the way has been a great enjoyment. It is worth to spend 1-2 hours here just to be mesmerize by these colourful little creatures.

Before we proceed to the next market, its time for a bowl of soyabean curb.

Fa Yuen Street Market (花園街市集) also known as Sneakers Street is well known for selling sports gears and clothing. However, apart from the trendy fashion and casual wear, do you know that it is also buzzling with many fruit stalls? We are very much attracted by the variety of exotic fruits and vegetables available in the area.

Street view
Typical fruit stall @ Fa Yuen Street

Hubby and I were delighted to see the fruits on display. It is time to do some weekend marketing! After walking around and comparing the prices, we bought some cherries and small watermelons (size of our palm) from the market. The thought of having some cooling fruits at the apartment later surely brightens our day.


Meanwhile, we got ourselves some refreshing coconut juice.

It has been an exciting Sunday morning and we took the mini bus back to Chi Residences with our buys.  ^_^ If you have a little more time to spare, you may like to check out the Flower Market and Yuen Po Street Bird Garden.


Summary of Day 2 - Part 1

Places of Interest

Goldfish Market (金魚街)
Address: Tung Choi Street North, Mong Kok
How to Get there:
MTR Prince Edward Station, Exit B2. Walk east along Prince Edward Road West until you reach the market.
MTR Mong Kok East Station, Exit C. Walk to Sai Yee Street via the footbridge and follow the signs

Fa Yuen Street Market (花園街市集)
Address: Fa Yuen Street, Mong Kok
How to Get there: MTR Mong Kok Station, Exit D3. Walk along Argyle Street to Fa Yuen Street.

Food

新盛飯店
Address: Shop A, 41 Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei
How to Get there: MTR, Yau Ma Tei Station, Exit C