Home Shopping of a Homeless...

Saturday, July 21
CityGate Plaza Visit
~ checked out a far new place...all the way at Tung Chung. This is is somewhat end to end for me - cost was HKD23 (roughly USD3) or double that for both ways. Check the map on the right side - from right to left in direction.
~ A lot of the local flight stewardesses stay in the Tung Chung Area since it's just a stone throw away from the airport and the environment is quite nice. It's just a disadvantage for them to head to the city since travel time takes up a hour or so.
~ the plaza is marketing to be the outlet heaven in HK for top name brands with bargain basement prices like Nike, Reebox, Lanvin, Polo, Vivienne Tam, Beneton, Laura Ashley, etc
~ tons of things to see and look...lazy to try on the hundreds of nice pants at Esprit...rubber shoes at Nike...shirts from Sisley --> fairly cheap
~ I believe I went there with no expectations so it was okayf or me.
~ ended up getting a nice throw from Laura Ashley for the house. I love the pasley design of it and it's in beige. It's still in great condition and at half the price, a great steal! (FYI: a throw is a light coverlet/blanket, such as an afghan, that is thrown over something like sofas or some furnitures. I know ... I know...it's so girlie but hey - I want to have some civilized items at my "new home" when the time comes. This is coming from someone who is quite cultured in the art of "high tea". Hahahaha!) I'll post a photo of the throw later on...or I can scrap it sometime later.
~ Oh oh...have you met Bobo yet? I was able to pick up my free Bo keychain since I entered their contest to find how many Bo's are on the left photo...can't remember how many now since I had to submit it through their site. That's why I went to CityGate - to get my freebee and check out what's the fuss with the place. :)

Sunday, July 22
CWB shopping & Agnes b
~ woke up late and basically just had dimsum lunch around my area
~ walked around CWB later in the afternoon...plan to have tea at Agnes b...things changed due to time constraints
~ visited Vivienne Tam (to pick up my discount card and discount coupon), Giordano Ladies (everything was 50% off so tons of girls running around), Club8 (final sales going on)
~ got two Drifters shirts at Club8...crapper...not part of sale because it's a new arrival...darn!
~ got one shirt (office like shirt) from Agnes b and checked out its home store, Agnes b La Maison at Leighton Street. I got a few more things there - legitimately for the house. It's the home concept store of Agnes b and they have their ceramics and tablewares. The floral shop is also at the same location. It's pretty cool since there's an outdoor terrace that you can sit and be surrounded by these lovely flowers and plants with a fountain as you look out on the 2nd floor. So cool...wish I can just sit there with some tea. :P
~ visited and chatted up with Teddy of Le Pain Grille...he offered me his "allocation" to buy stuff from any Agnes b store since he hardly uses it...it's like 50% off of merchandizes and clothing (!) bonus!
~ got some desserts for some people in the office since I got the buy-one-get-one-free-desserts coupon the last time I went there for dinner.
~ tried one of the new desserts offered by the cafe now - Rasberry White Chocolate Cake...forgot to take a photo!

July Visitors Update:
5.) My Aunt and Godmother Clarita and her daughter, Richie
6.) Ed's Pit Crew - Marty, Yeki and their respective SOs (Significant Others)
~Both groups will be leaving by Friday so I get the weekend to myself again. :)

This July has really been an interesting month, I have to say - I do want July to end! I'm counting the days and can't wait for August to start then by mid-August, I want it all to end.
September is my last month with the company before I prepare to packup and go back to Manila. It's been a stressful week especially in dealing with a long distant relationship. Ed wants me back home ASAP while my mom would tell me to stay a bit longer so I wouldn't be doing nothing in Manila or be bored. Hay...I feel like I'm being pulled from all sides on this.

I stumbled to an interesting and popular blog recently. It's called EastSouthWestNorth by Ronald Soong. The site deals with translated Chinese news in English. You can know more about Ronald and this interesting yet sometimes controvercial site at Onmynews. Take note, a lot of important foreign journalists visit and read this guy's thoughts.

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Template: Doodleboog's 12x12 Template Fourteen - Polaroidization (ScrapOutsideOfTheBox.com)
Paper: Mikki Livanos' Let Freedom Ring Page Kit (available at Scrapbook-Elements.com)
Program: PS7.0
Font: Party Balloons
Journaling: Happy Bday Jeremy
Photos: my brother, Jay







Kit Name:
Tilly(available at DigizinesDigitalDen.com)
Kit Designer: Deanna Patterson (Shabby Scrap Designs)
Program: PS7.0
Font: Agency FB
Author: Tamika Roberson
Journaling:
Defining Soul...is the spiritual nature of woman
The initial process of I can
It’s created by your thoughts and emotion,
It’s symbolized with caring and the right potion.
Afton though of as immaterial entity
The fact that I exist should be my identity
The conscious of man is the very essence of purity.
The meaning of character and individuality
Defining Soul is what you are,
The heavens and the stars
This is easy for me,
It’s what I am, it’s what I see!
Notes: a layout about me

Kit Name: Tilly (available at DigizinesDigitalDen.com)
Kit Designer: Deanna Patterson
Program: PS7.0
Font: Maiandra GD
Journaling: Helen Steiner Rice, author
A wee bit of heaven
drifted down from above
A handful of happiness
a heart full of love.
The mystery of life
so sacred and sweet
The giver of joy, so deep and complete.
Precious and priceless, so lovable, too,
The world's sweetest miracle,
baby,
is you.
Notes: Congratulations to Jean and Tony for their new family addition, Gavin!

- These are times when I just love what I do...to scrap wonderful and endearing photos...oh and friends who share photos with me. Check out some of the most recent reviews on this particular layout...even got a comment from a Garden Girl, Joy. :)

Real Life (Live) Lotus Flowers/Buds!!!

Mandarin's Burger...

Verdict: SO-SO
Had a craving for good burgers around town and a quiet place for me to catch up on my newspapers and HK Magazines. Mandarin is always a good place for its service and I can stay there for as long as I want and still get quality food and tea. :)
The burger is quite pleasing to the sight but the taste was okay and the beef lack more marinade. I found the fries too salty for me...but then again, I can't take too much salt as it is.
I'm still testing around for some good burgers. I know Big O's is good...there's one called Mos Burger that I'm suppose to give it a go soon. :D

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New Installation at Cafe Causette

These are days that I'm so glad to have my camera with me...
It was a really cool installation indeed - a brass lotus display. Very Indian/Moroccan and yet still very Chinese with the Lotus, stand & bud. I have seen it in the past and always though of it as a fountain...how wrong I was. :P
About the actual installation that day - there was so much color and variety through the spices/ingredients laid out and around...interesting stuff!
Now, it's not only the cakes that I should check out but also this amazing arrangement. :D

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A Real Live LOTUS PLANT!!!!

What a lovely sight indeed! I thought these were fake when I first saw them...but then again, Mandarin wouldn't really bother with fake ones if it was to be in front of their restaurant. I knew it was a real when I saw the water drop on top of one of the buds...and of course, touched it! :P
It was just a lovely sight! I've never seen this in real life and so round and perfect! I normally catch a glimpse of something lotus-like during my golf rounds at Wack Wack but that was a long time ago.
Oh, plus this one had white lotus buds too!! Take a closer look!
I wonder if I can request my florist to have a lotus bouquet! :P Now let's see how much would all that cost me in the end?!? It's going to be one really heavy bouquet, if ever. Hahahahaha!

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High Tea @ Le Goutier Bernardaud

Ali and I had first wanted to try out Crabtree & Evelyn's Tea Room in Wan Chai but upon calling to verify the time and location on Saturday, I found out that they are not open on the weekends - only Monday to Friday 9 to 6pm only! There is totally no way that I can check this place out till I end working at ASM and till I get the free time to just leisurely go! It's so annoying! Oh well...good that I did call to ask since it would surely be a waste of time for us to go to find out that the place is closed. :P
2nd try was to check out China Tea Club but when I tried calling Sunday lunch time, no one seems to be picking up...when it's suppose to be open for lunch then later for high tea. Ali and I met up then checked out the venue...closed!
Hay...strike three's coming and I felt it. I went for the most sure deal - Le Gourtier Bernandaud at IFC, which was also indicated as one to check out for high tea in the last the LIST's Pamper Me issue. :)
<--This is the biggest scone I have ever seen & tasted! I was a bit sad that it was all in one big chunk - which normally comes in two types: plain & raisins, so sharing was a bit harder but managable. Amazingly enough, it wasn't undercooked in the middle or tough, but instead was fluffy and good! This particular scone is cool...can't say that enough. I was just pleasantly surprised that it turned out very well. Too bad that the jam was from a can and that the butter was not whipped. That would have totally "wowed" me. :) ***************** I was fortunate enough to catch Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5) last week and it was so cool! It's a freebee given to me at the office - for a sponsorship night. There are tons of freebees - cocktails started at 3:45pm and movie started around 4:30pm. There were tons of food and we got drinks and popcorn (two types - salty & sweet kinds) for the movie. Itwa s great! The house as not as packed as normal free movies that I've been to since they reserved two movie theaters. It was roomy and gotta love the IFC movie house chairs. :)
I enjoyed this 5th installment of the series a lot since I read the book and found it so sad with Harry losing his godfather, his only ties to family. The movie is not as sad as how it was depicted! (I can't wait to see how they do the 6th book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blooded Prince - I got emotionally drained after that long read.) After the movie, I got the urge to see if I can get the upcoming book this weekend. :)
On a Harry Potter note: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) is coming out!!! Too many poilers and leaks online....I hope it's as good as the series...since it's th last one. One last "horah" if you will! See below for book 7 details.

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2nd round of visitors:
3) Angela Lauchengco of MyScrapWorks
Angela found my blog through her fellow scrappers and mentioned that I posted a link to their site - My Scrapworks - to help promote Filipino scrapping and basically emailed each other from there on end. She is here in HK but I'm sure she knows her way around since she visits HK often and scrapbook shops - she knows a lot more about getting scrapbook materials around HK than me! :) Do hope I get to meet her in-person someday...maybe when I go back to Manila for good.

4) Joshua (my hs pal and groupie), her sister & nephews/nieces
Though they basically know how to get around town and have a very short trip, we did manage to talk on the phone and got a few recommendations out with regards to HK Island highlights.

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Other announcements around town...

club.8
19 YUN PING ROAD
CAUSEWAY BAY
t: 2972 2680
Summer sales in coming, club.8 is working on a final sale up to 60% off original prices. Come and check out your favorite jeans and tops before stocks are running out!!

Mandarin Landmark is having unlimited wine paired with the special Iberico Ham dishes at Amber. This promo runs until the end of July. It's worth trying out. :)
FYI: Iberico Ham (Jamon Iberico) is a specific kind of serrano ham produced in the mountains of Andalucia, southern Spain. It is considered one of the best types of serrano, as it is produced only from Iberico pigs, a breed of small brown animals native to the region. The pigs have black hooves, leading to an alternative name for the ham of pata negra. The pigs' diet consists almost exclusively of acorns, giving the resulting meat a fine, nutty taste, along with the long maturation period of two years or so. Iberico ham is considered by Andalucians to be of such high quality that it is always served raw, finely sliced with bread, and is never cooked - lesser, more fatty variants of serrano ham are used for this.
Information taken from Recipedia.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7), the last of the Harry Potter series is coming out this weekend! For those you have not reserved their copy, good luck to us all! I'm going to try to do a "walk-in" this weekend, in the hopes of getting a copy for myself. Been debating on whether I would want to pre-order the book over here but I see no point since I can wait and just try my luck on the day itself. I hope it works...since HK is own for their favorite past time - "lining up". :)

MTR HK proudly presents - HELLO KITTY, The MTR Hello Kitty Heroes Collection
From 16 July to 2 September 2007, if you ride the MTR 10 times (except the Airport Express) using the same Adult / Concessionary Octopus card any time from Monday to Friday within any of the campaign weeks, you can get a "Hello Kitty" Hero for just $18. A new MTR "Hello Kitty" Hero will be released every week during the promotion so there will be a total of six for you to collect! A Limited Edition "Hello Kitty" MTR Train plus Theme Song* CD will also be available for redemption for just $30 from 27 August to 2 September. The MTR "Hello Kitty" Heroes and Limited Edition "Hello Kitty" MTR Train plus Theme Song* CD are only available while stock lasts. *Music is re-arranged from Hello Kitty's Fantastical Adventure - "Feeling as I Do". You can listen to the theme song and download the ringtone to your phone (for free) at MTR HK. Instructions are indicated. Not a big Hello Kitty fan but just curious on what these are compared to the photos. :P Expect me to take more MTR rides. :D

Another Hello Kitty promo around town (Hello Kitty OWNS Hong Kong) is with McDonalds HK and they have "Hello Kitty & Friends" - which I'm more inclined to get since they have KeroKeroKeroppi! I have bookmarked July 26 (Thursday) as the day I rush to have McDo and get my Keroppi head. :P Check out below!


Digizines Digital Den: Hooplah auction starts this weekend!!!
There are a good few of interesting kits that even I would like to get. :) Of course, I would rather give other bidders a chance at these "special limited edition kits" so go go and get registered!
Please visit Holiday Hoopla Auctions for further details or my previous posting on this.

For those who want to know dimsum, you can check Dimsum Finds.

PS: Still not feeling fully well...hopefully getting well soon!

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Kit: July 2006 TwoPeas - Perfect Pet
Designer: Rhonna Farrer
Alpha: Mikki Livanos' Sunflower Alpha (July 2007 Gift, Scrapbook-Elements.com)
Program: PS7.0
Font: Gill Sans MT
Journaling: woof woof . stars . giggles . laughter . cute . funny
Notes: One of my SIL's requests for my nephew's bday party...I'm cranking out as much layouts as I can for this little guy! SIL recently gave me a photo shoot of little Jeremy with all his doggie giveaways. He was just in doggie heaven!!! Can't wait to start scrapping that one. :D
Template: SOTB's Doodleboog's 12x12 Template #Fourteen - Polaroidization Paper: SBE's Mikki Livanos' Color My Summer Paper Pack
Ribbon Elements: SBE's Jan Hosford Designs' Scrapper's Toolbox Creative Team Gift December 2006 (Scrapbook-Elements.com)
Program: PS7.0
Font: Forte MT
Journaling: Thank you for making my party so doggone fun! July 28, 2007 Jeremy Jason Y. Chan
Notes: As per SIL's request for the last slide for my nephew's upcoming birthday party's AVP presentation. :D
FYI:
1) this is my nephew's photo shoot with his puppy giveaways for his up coming bday;
2) the puppies are to be his giveaways though i wonder if he would be willing to give it away to people since he seems so darn attached to them already (!); and
3) my nephew's experimenting with a new look - chinos and khaki pants attire. :)
Photos: c/o of my brother, Jay

Under-The-Weather Ramblings

I'm a bit under-the-weather as I write this. I hate feeling/being sick. It slows me down and makes me crankier than normal...meaning I'm normally cranky especially in the morning. :P I also hate being all "drugged-up" with drugs that make me sleepy and slow. This the reason why I try to avoid taking medication unless I really really have to.
How did I get sick all of the sudden? It's not like I'm a sickly person...I'm stronger than I look.
I guess my body has to give in since one by one my coworkers around me (even the big boss himself, KC) was coughing and weezing as loud as they come. I was basically assaulted ... I'm the "assaultee" (inside joke) and I was losing a lost battle. All this a month or so ago! Hay...I hate being sicks!!!!

On my recent trip back home - I had a busy but fulfilling one. I got to attend a good friend's wedding, visit our wedding godparents (ninongs/ninangs) - all 4 of them in one day (!) and got to celebrate my birthday in Manila!
Birthday was good...did wedding stuff so it's more like a work day than my birthday.
~ opened a bridal registry for our wedding (wedding): got really nice freebees and a cool planner; woohoo!
~ went foodtasting with some close family (wedding): very confusing since you really see people's opinions; I'm just going to focus on what my brother said - "get comfort food, don't go too complex"
~ finalized the English invites (wedding): got to move on further with this supplier; have too many revisions...actually 18 for the English draft; Chinese draft is still being prepared; got free misalettes printing from the coupons that I got from the department store registry (one problem down!)
~ had a nice quiet dinner with Ed at one of my fav restos in Manila, Mandarin Oriental Manila (which is also the place where we had our food tasting a few hours ago) : got so many nice freebees and got all drunk with the free oyster shooters and sweet wine that was offered to us; service was just fab!

Wedding preps are going slow since it's still fairly far away. Ed and I are so wondering why we picked such a long engagement since the distance and our own respective work is really stressing and killing us already. We are both quite excited to be embarking a new life together as a family and not just by "boyfriend/girlfriend" status, which is not even part of the standard statistics requested in most official/legal forms.
There are a few hiccups with regards to suppliers but I thank Ed and my mom who are handling most of my worries and concerns while I focus on what I need to get done over here in HK. At the end of the day, glitches are bound to happen...it's just one day. :) I hope it doesn't go too badly though as what I've been hearing other brides with some of their big day problems.
FYI: one really cried on her wedding day and got scolded by both mothers.

Congratulations to my friends Er & Kim for the recent engagement! You did great on the proposal, Er. :) Both are eyeing on a September 2008 wedding and I'm sure that they are having fun with preparing for the big day as I type this up.

This July will be full month of visitors so I'm bracing myself. One or more groups in a week as it is. The first wave has just arrived:
1) Dix & Family (Ed's aunt and cousins)
2) Kuan & Tracy (the former is my high school buddy in YVR and his wife): We haven't seen each other for 7 years now! Both are doctors. :) See below.

I'll be adding more to this list in the succeeding weeks since I don't want to get too ahead. It's great to have visitors but definitely something that I take priority from my usual R&R weekends.

Some scrapping news...DigizinesDigitaDen has a treat to those who will be purchasing kits this month. See below for details:

ATTEND OUR HOLIDAY HOOPLA AUCTION, PURCHASE A RAFFLE TICKET, AND YOU COULD WIN 30 DIGITAL KITS OF YOUR CHOICE!
MORE INFORMATION

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Kit & Template: Bluemoon Page Set(Scrapbook-Elements)
Elements: Bluemoon Kit and Lacedrops (Scrapbook-Elements)
Designer: Mikki Livanos
Font: High Tower Text
Program: PS7.0
Notes: inspired by the new LV Love Bag
Template / Designer: 12x12 Template #13 - Irregularly Horizontal again by Doodleboogs
Kit / Designer: Sunflowers & Extra (SE's July Gift) by Mikki Livanos
Program: PS7.0
Font: Impact, Gill Sans MT, Jokerman, Harlow Solid Italic, Playbill, Parchment
Journaling: July 2007 / high school / Women...who inspire me / Cha, Josh, Hai, Tam, Uy / CoolGals
Notes: my last birthday with the "single status". These girls make me feel so loved and inspired each and every time I think about them. :) This is also one of my submissions to Doodleboog's July Challenge: Map of Me

Template/ Designer: 12x12 Template #13 - Irregularly Horizontal again by Doodleboogs (ScrapOutsideOfTheBox)
Kit & Elements & Alpha / Designer: Berry Much Page Set & Freedom Ring Page Set
& Crazy In Love Kit; all by Mikki Livanos (Scrapbook-Elements)
Program: PS7.0
Font: Gill Sans MT
Journaling: My Wish (for my nephew, Jeremy)...Comfort on difficult days, Smiles when sadness intrudes, Rainbows to follow the clouds, Laughter to kiss your lips, Sunsets to warm your heart, Gentle hugs when spirits sag, Friendships to brighten you being, Beauty for your eyes to see, Confidence for when you doubt, Faith so that you can believe, Courage to know yourself, Patience to accept the truth, And love to complete your life.
Notes: A constant inspiration to everything I do...my nephew, Jeremy Jason. He redefined how I see the world! :)

Gone...Gone Shopping/Dining with Mom...

I won't be updating so much since mom's here for a visit and then I'll be going home next weekend with her. Can't wait! For now...some shots of what we did and ate. :)

Some of the stuff we were able to do were:
Shop @ Rayure...pure bliss for mom!


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Dinner @ Le Pain Grille & Met Ming - special credit to Teddy who was able to get me a table on such short notice ... you rock!


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High Tea @ Four Seasons & Met Cora

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Late Dinner @ Crystal Jade...mom's fav - their fried rice!

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July 01 - 10th Anniversary of HK's Handover to China! Holidays are here again. :D