HMV CD Spree

Friday, August 10:
Typhoon #8.
My dinner appointment with Swong got canceled.
Stayed at home only and had a much needed rest and R&R with my hot tea while it was pouring outside. Perfect - if you ask me. :P

Saturday, August 11:
Had dimsum lunch with Swong at Man Ho...shopped around PP then was to head out to KC's place to maybe have an early start to playing "Big 2" though unexpectedly, Swong's car had a flat on her front left tire when we pulled out of the car park! This is already the 2nd incident in the span of three days.
Swong thus had to call the garage since she already used the spare to fix the most recent flat, back right tire. We waited for the "rescue team" to come at Citibank Tower, Garden Plaza.
When the service man came with the spare, he adviced Swong to change her whole tire set since she wouldn't be able to drive so far with the two spares. With Swong's important out-of-town appointment early tomorrow morning there was no way to ignore this heed. We then had to go Happy Valley, to the garage and have it changed. The garage only needed an hour to do the job. (Kindly note that during the flat, the first thing we did was to call for the Merc emergency hotline and do you know what they said? They can't bring a spare tire to us because they don't have but if we drive up there and leave it there, they can have one done in a few days. !!! How can we drive there when we already have a really bad flat...like the rims are already touching the street/ground?!? Plus, they don't have a spare to send to us?!? They are Merc - they have tons of cars...high priced ones for the matter and yet they can't give you any reasonable service. What do you call that?!?
While waiting for the tire change, Swong and I got a massage at Happy Foot (no, not the movie) around the area. She got a foot massage while I got a back massage, which was very much needed. The attendant that assisted me was quite good and helpful.
After we have been "relaxed" and picked up the car, we had dinner at Nanbantei-like resto near the area. It was very very good or maybe because I was so hungry - grilled Japanese food in a stick. Yum!
After dinner, we headed to KC's place to play Big 2 - a bit of a traffic jam when we reached Central since there were some protests along Wan Chai that was clogging the roads.
Ok - getting to KC's place...the games started after a few chit-chats. Note that KC and his wife are serious husslers...oooopppssss...players. I had to strategize well - I always learn to have a 5 card hand ready for release else I'd be stuck and never get to place my cards. stakes are high - fish ball noodle soup (late supper). It was all in good fun and it had been a long time since I played "Big 2" especially with these people...the last time was in 1999 with my brother still single and in HK. Oh, the snacks provided were nice- cheese & pate, crackers, fruit platter, wine...the good stuff! Man...been eating too much these days...really bad. :P
Man Ho is located at Level 3, JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, Pacific Place, 88 Queensway, Hong Kong. Tel: 852.2841.3853/3938
Happy Foot in Happy Valley is at 1/F, Elegance Court, 2-4 Tsoi Tak Street, Happy Valley. (They also have branches in Central and Lan Kwai Fong - the center of business in HK. :P)
Tel: 852.2573.3438

Sunday, August 12:
Brunch/lunch at Café Causette, MOH. I had a big craving for pizza so off I went...though not wanting to go off to far due to the rains. I had my Asam tea and read my papers/magazines till around 3pm or past that since I didn't want to walk around too long.
After lunch, I walked around Central - Prince Building, Alexandra House then Landmark. I met up with Swong at HMV while she told me her day watching the Olympic horse on parade at the club house. :)

HMV rocks...yet again though - I bought too much. I think it's a sign that I've been HMV deprived. The last purchase I remember was early this year only. :P
My purchases goes...
Murder She Wrote DVD, 6th season (TV Series): big must since I have the collection!
Feist's The Reminder (CD): after giving this CD another try...I came to find other songs that were worth listening like My Moon, My Man...very nice! I really love her so gotta give her the chance she deserves. :)
Rachel Yamagata's Happenstance (CD): lovin' the album title...can anyone small blog title? :P I love everything about Rachael - from the wispy voice to the deep lyrics. It's amazing! I asked my brother to search it in Manila...and would you believe that no one has heard of it or have it on their system? The weird part is that I got to know her through a local Manila station! Man...so sad indeed.
Amel Larrieux's Lovely Standards (CD): great way to chill with a great powerful yet mystic voice, singing the standards. Oh, did I tell you that she's a fellow Canadian? Viva Canadien!
Missy Higgins' On A Clear Night (CD) : love the first and third songs upon first listening to this - Where I Stood & Steer, respectively. I also got her first CD, Sound of White - love Unbroken & Scar on that cd. :)
Six Feet Under Sdtk (CD): a chillout recommendation from Radio Beat IO...free radio that I used to listen to because now it's been cut off the air most recently. :(
Early dinner at HK Yacht Club (or Yachty) c/o Swong...since she was very hungry, even if she's totally sleep deprived! We had crispy chicken and some steamed fish and two bowls of rice. For the first time, Swong finished her white rice faster earlier than me. :P It was a really good dinner with a great pal/friend of mine here.
The HMV I went to is at Central Building, Suite 101, 1/F Central Building, 1-3 Pedder Street, Central. Tel:852.2739.0268 Store Hours: Mon - Sun 09:00 - 22:00

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Visitors News Front this weekend:
1.) Good friend, Otie & her mom are in-town. I was able to talk to them on a short trip to try on my ring mold just earlier this week. Have lunch with them a LIAN @ IFC - will tell you all about it on the next entry.

2.) Cha, Sten & friend are coming. Cha and friend are today, Friday - August 17 while Sten's coming tomorrow. Cha is my schoolmate from back the day - SJCS days. Sten & her friend are friends with Cha since Cha moved schools after elementary. While Sten's dad and my dad are good friends - really close - and we got to know each other better through there. Small small world indeed! They are all staying till Monday. It will be tons of shopping and eating galore! :P
Definitely to dimsum this Sunday...a must. :)

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Kit Name: Morning Room Page Kit by Mikki Livanos
Program: PS7.0
Font: Brush Script MT
Journaling: "a labor of love...by my sweet loving mother" August 2007
Notes: A hair trial done by my mom for a family affair that I went to recently. It's somewhat a good preview to see if I look good in an up-do. My mom isn't a professional hairdresser so all this was done because she loves me (there's not doubt of that) and she wanted me to look good for my relatives here in HK. :) I wanted to highlight the hairdo and the accessories that my mom got. She was awesome! That day felt so much like a rehearsal to the big day. I even got a flower bouquet prop also to see what it could be! I felt so much a bride that day. :D
Review: love the kit - got my creative juices flowing as fast and I can crank this out...the QP helped a lot. Thanks, Mikki!

Kit Name: Secret Garden by Mikki Livanos
Tags, Heart, Journaling Note: Betty Jo's Scrappers Toolbox Contribution (Scrapbook-Elements.com)
Font: Monotype Corsiva and ITC Garamond
Program: PS7.0
Journaling at top - complete quote: You were born to be together, and together you shall be forevermore. You shall be together when the wings of death scatter your days. Ay, you shall be together even in your silent memory. But let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heaven dance between you. Love one another, but make not a bondage of love. Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other's cup, but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread, but eat not of the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each of you be alone,Even as the strings of a lute are alone, though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping, For only the hand of life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together, For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in shadow. - taken from Elegantvows.com