Ipa-Nima Bag

Hanoi - 14 Dec 2007

Birthday present from Hubby. The cult bag from Ipa-Nima.

It's definitely cheaper in Hanoi where this brand originates from. I saw the same bag selling in a US websites which cost 3 times of what my hubby paid for.







St. Joseph Cathedral






Behind me is a long row of food-stalls where the locals sits on very low stool to eat, practically squatting. The table is actually just a bigger and higher stool.


Opera House

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

Hanoi, 13 Dec 2007

Hoan Kiem Lake







Hey, restaurant of Bobby Chinn from Travel&Living.


Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre
Some guys behind the bamboo curtain using long sticks to manoeuvre the wooden puppets on the water. Well worth seeing. Tickets are cheap. Front row cost only S$4.00.



Actually I find the water-puppets rather eerie - reminds me of that show "Chucky" and also a supernatural movie involving puppets too.

Click to view video of water-puppets :

Hanoi, Vietnam - 12 - 19 Dec 2007

Our 1st day in Hanoi.

Checked into a suite in this hotel called "Lucky Hotel" in the Old Quarters.

Fantastic big balcony.




Winding staircase up to our room (there is an elevator).
Looks like the staircase at hubby's bro's house in France.


View from the balcony




A typical street.


I was thinking of booking Sofitel Hotel but then decided against it as I feel that it will be like any other big hotels you get.
I want a hotel which has got character - and this "Lucky Hotel" is certainly it. The room is big and the balcony is big too - a rather quaint hotel right smack in the "Old Quarters" where the locals stays. And most importantly, it is very clean.
Oh, the breakfast is fantastic.

Batam

8-9 Dec'2007

A weekend trip to Batam.

At Turi Beach Resort where my in-laws were staying. The room is on stilts. You can feel the room swaying when the wind blows strongly.


Room looked so romantic with the netting cascading.


The rest of us stayed with hubby's bro in his house at the Nongsa Point Marina.



A sea-food joint in Batam.


The food was very, very delicious especially the Black Pepper Crab - this version was cooked with plenty of garlic. Would love to show you the food, but we woof downed all the food as soon as it arrived. Here's us feeling very contented.

Forgot to mention that the meal was very reasonable. Got crab, bbq fish, sotong, veggies, gong-gong (some kind of snails), drinks etc - all for about S$60. If it had been in S'pore- would have cost more than a $100 easily.


Baby chair made out of plastic pipes! so clever hor.


Makan at Nagoya Mall.


Nasi Padang makan in Batam Center mall.


J.Co Dougnuts - their own local brand.


The doughnuts' light and fluffy - so delicious though I wish they were not so sweet.


I ate the strawberry ones.


In a hypermart. French fries not sold in packets like in S'pore.




On board the ferry with my sis-in-law.




Batam is good for a peaceful weekend but I don't think I can tahan staying there long term - am too much of a city gal.

SSO meets JAZZ

07 Dec 2007
Rhapsody in Jazz at the Jubilee Hall, Raffles Hotel





A Jazz concert of East Meets West fusion combo.
Very interesting how they infuse jazz with music from Andrew Lloyd Webber. Also some folk songs and some chinese songs too.
The trio are from New York.
Joining the jazz trio were some members of the SSO with their violins and cello.

Click to listen :

Clarks Sale at Tampines SAFRA

01 Dec 2007

Look at the queue! We were right at the back.

Can see hubby or not? Of cos not lah - our spot in the queue was way at the back :(

Bump into my ex-colleague and her hubby. Both of us then went to the front to see what's on sale in a couple of pamplets that were being passed around. My ex-colleague didn't see anything she wanted and decided to go home. So hubby and I took over her spot which was pretty up front the queue :)

Finally can see the entrance to the warehouse.


Aiyoh, the female section was so crowded. I was elbowed out a couple of times.

I didn't get anything in the end. Mainly becos my size were all sold out. Drags, there were a couple of designs which were nice.

Hubby managed to get a pair of leather sandals at $50.

MDA Rap Video

The Media Development Authority (MDA) doing a rap video.

The Singapore Civil Service is loosening up, what an eye-opener.

What can i say - way to go, ha ha hah ha ha ha ahaa..........................
damn funny lah............