Sunday, 12th May 2013 I took off to Batam View Resort just before the start of my new job with no itinerary, no plans and no friends. This mini-getaway was a perfect excuse for me to reward myself for working hard over the past year. So on the 12th of May, I switched off my phone and set off to Batam View from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. Since it was a Sunday when I checked-in, the resort was fast emptying out with weekend guests returning back to Singapore. I spent my day swimming and getting some spa treatments within the resort. My evening was spent hanging out along the beach front while admiring the glorious sunset of the beautiful skies. This was a perfect getaway for me without a care in this world. It was also ... read more

Saturday, 30th March 2013 to Sunday, 31st March 2013 Another round of dim sum affair greeted us at Jade Garden this morning. Located within Taikoo Hui Mall, the decor of Jade Garden followed a modern-fusion theme. It was weird that western teapots and cutlery could co-exist together with Chinese chopsticks and spoons. The attractive dim sum menu was colourful and the pictures were certainly useful for non-Chinese speakers. Food was ok at Jade even though our votes would certainly go to Guangzhou Restaurant anytime. After breakfast, it was time for some grocery shopping at Jusco Tianhe branch before heading back to our apartment. When it was time for us to say goodbye to Ascott at 1pm, we parked our luggages at the reception before continuing with the rest of our itinerary. Depsite the heavy rains in ... read more

Thursday, 28th March 2013 I was awakened by the sound of rain this morning as we welcomed the first rays of daylight over Guangzhou city. From the 22nd floor of our apartment, the views of Tianhe District were clearly represented. The morning started with our breakfast encounter in url=http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/ShowUserReviews-g298555-d1026981-r156144254-Ascott_Guangzhou-Guangzhou_Guangdong.htmlAscott. It was filling even though there were certainly better selections around. Armed with a metro map, we ventured straight to the city of Foshan to pay a tribute to Ip Man and Huang Fei-hung, two of the finest pugilists who lived in recent times. With the opening of the Guangfo Line, getting to our destination was a breeze. From the MRT station, the Zumiao Temple was another 5 minutes walk. For us, we were lucky in that the rain managed to pause... read more

Saturday, 2nd March 2013 Determined to start our day early, I linked up with SJ at 10am in the morning before heading into Johor Bahru. My visits to this southern gateway of Malaysia had became relatively frequent over the past year. During the lull periods when I'm not travelling, we would slot in some visits over the weekend for our usual haunts. For this weekend, we decided to head to Jalan Tan Hiok Nee where the Chinese Heritage Museum was situated. Located within the historical core, it took about fifteen minutes of footwork from where we started at JB City Square. The museum is housed within a restored four-storey shophouse. Admission to this place was recently revised to RM5. But the interesting exhibits that traced the origins of Chinese culture in Johor Bahru made our ringgits ... read more

Day 8: Saturday, 26th January 2013 HK Correctional Services Museum >> City Gallery >> Tram Ride (Central to Shau Kei Wan) >> Museum of Coastal Defence >> City Plaza (Tai Koo MTR Station) This was a day devoted to worshipping the museums within Hong Kong Island. After a forgettable breakfast encounter from Ibis, I took the MTR Train straight to Central where the Exchange Square Bus Terminal was located. I boarded the bus service bounded for Stanley Prison where I alighted some 40 minutes later. As the bus made its way through Repulse Bay, I noticed that the cool morning weather did not deter joggers and swimmers from making a beeline to the beautiful beach. 9.20am - I reached the doorsteps of the HK Correctional Services Museum but the doors would only open at 10 in ... read more