ALOHA Sunglasses, Sandels & Beaches

Hawaii is a place for you to relax and enjoy your holidays, walking along the sand bare footed with your light summer dresses or board shorts. You don't really need a lot of planning for what to do each day, for every morning you will be welcomed by the chirping of the birds and the warm sunshine; and all you want to do is to go down to the poolside or beach, order a fruit juice and feel the warm ocean breeze.

As many of you may know, Hawaii is divided into different small islands-- Maui, Kauai, Molokai, Honolulu etc. Last Christmas, I got the chance to enjoy a HOT winter on the Honolulu island.

The resort I stayed in has a lot of facilities and shops for guests to enjoy. It also has an artificial beach which allow non-swimmers to enjoy the feeling of being and swimming on the beach. The water is shallow so it is safe for everyone to dip their feet in. They can also lie down by the water for a tan, gazing at the clear blue sky.

On the other hand, the hotel also provide opportunities for guests to look at the marine life in Hawaii. You can go on the submarine, which goes down into the deep blue sea to spectacle the wide range of fish.

I found it very exciting to see all the colourful fish under water, and surprised by the existence of sunken ships that are still lying under water with furniture. This was the reason why we were able to see fish in that area because they tend to hide or gather around large objects.

If you want to have a closer look at these fish, a great suggestion is to go snorkeling! Put on your snorkels and flappers, and look under the clear water, you will see that you are SURROUNDED by fish, ALL types of fish:) It is not hard to use a snorkel as soon as you get used to the breathing.

As a souvenir, bring a Lei home would be the best gift:) Remember to make one for yourself too! They have Lei making lessons a few times a day, you can sign up anytime.

Lastly, don't forget to enjoy the sweet and fresh PINEAPPLE when you visit Hawaii! Pineapple rice, pineapple juice, pineapple

candy...EVERYTHING!

Cake or Purse???

I know Mother's Day has been a while ago
but I would like to share with you guys a picture that I've received from my father in Hong Kong.
He wasn't able to spend Mother's Day with us this year due to his busy work this month, but he ordered a cake for our family and shared it with my grandmother and aunts the night when they celebrated Mother's Day.

Here it is! Isn't it cute?:)

The purse and the lipstick look so real that it's hard to believe it is edible! Everything is edible in the picture. The handles, the lipstick, the purse...and inside it's a chocolate cake. The matching leopard patterns of the two items make it even nicer.

I wonder if that bakery has any other cool designed cakes available. I will try to find the link to the store so that you guys can order one for yourselves when you get a chance to visit Hong Kong;)

Creat your own Mickey

My sister just came back from Orlando and brought me a souvenir from Disneyland.
It is a space-themed decorated Mickey Mouse!

This is a new product/ highlight in Disney at the moment. These little Mickey Mouse Brick Models are actually decorated by customers and tourists! Disney store holds a booth with paper and pencils which allow customers to design their own Mickey. They will then be sent back to the company and be manufactured into real models and sold to customers.

To keep it mysterious, buyers do not get the choice to choose which design they want all products are wrapped in silver plastic bags contained in a box. Therefore, they do not know what they are getting until they purchase the item and open the package. I think that this is a good strategy to encourage people to buy more as a collection, and to have the thrill of excitement as they open the surprise gift.

Memories...

Sometimes I wonder if I can travel back in time...

Visitng my old school in Hong Kong
seeing all my friends in their senior year uniforms
gives me a stir of emotion...

The tuckshop they call it
which sells all sorts of food

fishballs, tofu, jelly, ice cream, noodles, hash browns etc.
I miss the mornings when I would walk down to eat breakfast with my friends
We would be at school 30 mins early,
just to eat and chat.

I walked up the stairs to the classroom I knew so well,
which I spent hours listening to my teachers
class by class
hour by hour
working & studying together with my fellow classmates
going through heavy work load
quiz after quiz
test of test
exams after exam
Class 1B was probably the class I loved the most
our group of 48 girls
all friendly, loving and caring

Our lovely four-stories high school building
painted in red and white
After school,
we rarely go home right away
we would stand by the ledge
and wave goodbye to our friends and teachers
I enjoy walking around the lawn
chatting with my friends
updating each other with the latest news in school

The Next Station is Tokyo!

Looking for the best shopping and eating experience? I will definitely recommend Tokyo!

In summer 2009, I went to Tokyo with my family for a 10 day trip. We knew almost nothing about this place except from reading travel magazines and books. Without a tour guide, we planned our way through the whole trip with our maps and pamphlets, and the little research we did before the trip. Surprisingly, that was not a problem at all for most Japanese were really friendly and helpful. Even though there were language barriers (they do not speak English really well), we managed to communicate through sign languages and pointing at pictures on our touring books.

Tokyo is a city that never dies. Shops don't close until 11p.m. at night, and a lot of fast food restaurants open for 24 hours or past midnight. You can always find something to eat, whether you just come back from a full day shopping or feel like late night snack. The choices are endless!

On my first night in Tokyo, we discovered an interesting place which was famous for their Teryaki Beef Don. It was a small restaurant with two levels. We did not sit at individual tables, instead, everyone sat around a bar style table, with the waitress in the middle delivering food to customers. We were placed on the second level, and what surprised me was our food was delivered by a mini elevator which connected the kitchen from the first floor to the second. All our orders were sent down to be cooked and ready.

We were so hungry that we finished our bowls of rice in 3 minutes! The beef was juicy and tender mixed with soya sauce and Japanese styled rice (my favourite). It was hard to describe how good it was. But from the picture on the right, you would know what I meant;) Of course, rice was not the only thing available on their menu. They did provide other types of food like udon, salads and soups. I realize I've been talking a lot about food lately, but yes it is always the favourite part for me when I travel.

Shopping. Tokyo has the most unique products you'll ever find. Apart from all the technology and fashion and beauty products, one thing that you can find almost EVERYWHERE, are socks.

It was interesting to see how much thoughts they would put on something that was wore under your shoes, which people, or even YOURSELF, rarely get to see on your feet. I sometimes wondered if they wore socks as slippers at home. As you could see from the picture, they had socks of almost every character, pattern and colour you could think of...Elmo, Stitch, Minnie, Spongebob, Care bears, Big bird, Mr. Happy etc. I couldn't resist but bought a few pairs home:P

Tokyo is connected by a series of railroads which allow individuals to travel around conveniently and efficiently. Due to the great amount of time people spend on underground transport, Tokyo is famous for their underground shopping. I am amazed by the variety of shops underground., clothing, jewelery, food, technology etc.

Looking at the complicated railroad map, you might be wonder if it's hard to get to the right destination. In my opinion, I think it's pretty easy for there are clear instructions on the ticket machines. It indicates each railroad in different colours and how they are connected. I usually trace my finger alone the lines on the map, check the colour and names of the area I'm heading to. As long as you pay attention to the stops and transfer according, you can get to your station no problem!

On the right was a picture of a shop I discovered while transferring between my stations. Yes, food again. This baked fish shaped dessert was stuffed with either red bean or custard. It was a really popular snack in Japan and you could find it at a lot of train stations.

There are so much more I would like to share with you all about this place:) I'll be updating again real soon!

Mmmmm....desserts!! 852.

Talking about Hong Kong,
How can you miss out the most popular HOT POT??
It is a time when you gather around with your family and friends,
Chopsticks, spoons and bowls all ready to go
We will sit around a table, and wait for the huge bowl of soup until it boils and bubbles
Then,

In we put all the raw meat, fish, mushrooms, shrimp, vegetables etc. into the boiling water

It doesn't take long for the food to be ready

and we can enjoy the hot cooked food right from the pot!

It is the BEST way to keep yourself warm in a cold winter...


Lamingtons from Pacific Coffee, Hong Kong
Best choice for a late night snack
Angel cake coated with chocolate and sprinkled with coconut
Small and sweet.

And if you want something a little more filling
I recommend the meat pie with mashed potato
The crispy pie crust blends with the potato perfectly, creating the perfect balance

Mmmm....can you guess what this is?
A MOUNTAIN of wriggly looking "stuff"!???
We usually see shaved ice at a lot of places, but this time, it's shaved ICECREAM!
You can feel the creamy texture of your own choice
ice cream, fruit, toppings and sauces
It melts right away in your mouth and soon you'll realize...
you're left with a clean empty plate.

Chocolate Banana Waffles with Whip Cream and Chocolate Sauce
Perfect match from heaven
With chocolate ice cream
and sprinkled sugar
I can never resist it every time I visit Hong Kong.
It is sold at a Japanese Fusion restaurant-- UCC, where Italian food are cooked in Japanese styles. Not only do they have a variety of delicious dessert, but also spaghetti, rice, noodles and sandwiches!

Hola!

We had a Costa Rica Night few days ago to promote our Humanitarian Trip to potential students who are interested in traveling and working with the Costa Rica Humanitarian Foundation in 2011. Each of us shared our experience during the trip, and I couldn’t believe it had been a month since we got back from this beautiful place!

I still remember the very first day when we arrived, refreshed by the warm breeze and the sunshine. As we went up to the mountains, heading to the small town of Turrialba (our project area), we got a chance to see the beautiful landscape of Costa Rica. The green grassy fields, colourful flowers and farm animals like cows, sheep, horses.

We stopped by a restuarant for our first Costa Rican lunch. As expected, they were mostly beans and rice, but the fish taste delicious! We also got to try a juice that we didn't even know the name of, but it's alright, it tasted good:) The first day was mostly travelling. We spent most of our time on the coach bus, catching up with some sleep.

We spent the next four days at the special needs school, working on our project and interacting with the students. It was incredibly hot under the blazing sun, we were exhausted as we worked through the day doing labour work like carrying rocks, cemet, planting and digging.

In the afternoon, we got a chance to go into classroom and play with the kids. They were all so friendly! And it was nice talking to the teacher while they explained how their school system works. We also gave out the school supplies that we collected back home and distributed to the teachers. They were all so grateful and were giving us hugs and kisses as we handed each of them the packages.

Talking about the food in Turrialba, I personally really enjoyed everything that the school provided for us, as well as the dinners we had in the small town. Of course, it was still beans and rice but in great variety! I somehow got used to the feeling of not caring what I was eating as long as it tasted good, and it always did. Water had become my best friend. I didn't even remember how many litres of water I drank per day at the work site.

The four day project day went by swiftly, and I couldn't believe the amount of work our group had done! We actually built a garden with plants and rocks and a concrete pathway:) We were really proud of ourselves.

We ended our visit with a festival with the teacher and students at the school. Everyone had a great time dancing along with the music. We received gifts from the kids showing their appreciation for our time helping and visiting them. Some of us cried at the closing ceremony;(



All I could say was....it was definitely an rewarding experience. Even though there were hard labour work, it was worth it when I saw the heart warming smiles on the childrens' faces.