Best French Toast At Stanley Market In Hong Kong

A group of friends and I went for a stroll at Stanley Market one cold Saturday. It was raining and was chilly but that didn't stop us from enjoying the view and taking more photos.

Stanley is a dry market in the southeastern part of Hong Kong that is frequented by many tourists. It's not only a good place to buy oriental-theme souvenirs before leaving Hong Kong but it's also a neat destination if you want to enjoy a bit of serenity away from the fast-pace life in the city

This photo  was taken  while standing outside Murray House, a Victorian-era building (1846) which was built in the now business district in Central but was relocated to Stanley and now serves as an interesting historical display.  

Aside from the view of the beach and other interesting sights to see, Stanley has many bars and restaurants along the beach line. But for me, I would prefer going local when I'm visiting a place.My friends also thought that spending our tea time at this local shop would be a great idea. I didn't know why they liked it there when it was packed with people and several were waiting to get a vacant table. It must be a special place for something.

When I got the taste my french toast, I then said that it's the best I had and I would be back for more! 

Taxi Porsche in Bangkok, Thailand

I have been thinking of hosting a new meme for this blog and finally I have a title for it: Sightseeing Sunday. It's gonna be fun because here we will be posting videos of places you want to share. It could be a video of your own travel or a video you found published somewhere else. Here's to start the fun; a video clip I found on Youtube. I just enjoyed watching people's faces as they react to what they see. So,as a Sunday treat, let me take you around Bangkok in a taxi Porsche.

See you next Sunday for the launching of Sightseeing Sunday! For now I would like to link this to one popular meme, Mellow Yellow.

Hot Air Balloon In Hong Kong

When My husband and I were in Hong Kong in February 2011, a friend gave us free tickets to the Ocean Park. We've been there a few times already but when we heard that they have new things to see there, so we excitedly went and spent a whole day of fun and excitement.

One highlight that I really enjoyed was the hot air balloon display. I was already thrilled by just the sighting of it, but much more when we decided to see what it is like to ride in it.

More balloons seen from the top!

It was breathtaking to be up there! The wind was strong and chilly so the ride was more thrilling.

Well, that's one unforgettable ride I had!

          

Colorful Festivals In The Philippines

The Philippines is a beautiful country with very colorful culture. Within the general Filipino culture, there are cultures and traditions that each province carry, maintain, and cultivate. It is easy to keep each tradition unique because of the geographic situation of the country which is comprised of 7,107 islands. Being isolated as an island, it is most likely that a province is able to keep its own originality, and this is evident in many festivities that are celebrated around the country. 


Here are some postcards that feature different festivals in the Philippines:

Masskara Festival is held in Bacolod City on the weekend nearest to October 19.
Masskara is coined from the word :mass" which means "crowd" and the
 Spanish word "cara" which means face.
 The two words combined have the local word for "mask".
This festival showcases colorful costumes of masks made of papier mache or molded clay. 

Sandugo Festival in Tagbilaran city, Bohol, is a month long festival held every July,
 in commemoration of the 16th century peace treaty occured on March 16, 1565
 through a blood compact or "sandugo" between Datu Sikatuna, a chieftain in Bohol,
and Spanish conquestidor Miguel lopez de :Legaspi.
The festival showcases Miss Bohol Sandugo Beauty Pageant and street dancing competition.

Kadayawan Festival is held every 3rd week of August in Davao City.
It showcases Muslim, Chinese, and tribal influences with parades, performances,
and fruit and flower displays. Davao is known for its Mt. Apo, the monkey-eating eagle,
and  famous king of fruit, Durian.

Tuna Festival is an annual week long festival held every 4th week of September,
 in General Santos City, highlighting the significant role of tuna industry.
It showcases Parada sa Dagat (Sea Parade) and street dancing and float parade.

Moriones Festival is held during Holy Week from Holy Monday to Easter Sunday
Marinduque. Morion means "mask" or "visor", a part of medieval Roman Centurion
which covers the face. This is a religious festival that re-enacts the story of Saint Longinus,
a Roman Centurion who was blind in one eye.

The are more festivities other that these that are held every year in the Philippines. Of the 5 featured here, I've been only to 1 which is the Kadayawan Festival in Davao City. Though I remember celebrating many fiestas in Bohol before, I was too young then to understand what they were all about.


I don't want to be a foreigner in my own country so it is my hope that the next time I visit the Philippines, I would like to travel some more within the country, get to know the local traditions of each province or city, and of course, observe more festivities.

Note: Captions under the postcards are from the texts at the back of each postcard, and is a copyright of National Book Store, Philippines.

Sunrise In Bangladesh

We drove fast at sunrise from Dinajpur to Khulna and it was then that I saw the most beautiful sunrise above the misty green fields. It looked like a fiery red ball that was within my reach. So the country's emblem made more sense to me after then.


My camera worked hard but it didn't do justice to what my naked eyes have seen.

More photos here.

  

The Best Lamb Meal On-board Thai Airways

"What do you want ma'am, chicken, shrimp or ram?"
The third meal sounded exotic but I had a suspicion that it was just a mispronounced word. So I said, "I'd like to have ram, please."  with a smile.

...and so I got my best lamb meal ever! Coated with spices and herbs, my piece of meat was tender, juicy, and cooked just the way I like it! As I suspected, it's lamb not ram.

It's a sumptuous meal and would be enough even without the shrimp salad and sweet balls on the side. Flying can be less stressful when you have delicious meal to enjoy.

Chocolate Trail 2011 in Hong Kong

Chocolate Trail 2011, Harbour City , Hong Kong

I was in Hong Kong in February tagging along my husband in an important meeting where we passed by a Chocolate Trail exhibiton at the Harbour City shopping complex  in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Chocolate Trail 2011, Harbour City, Hong Kong

They had delicious display of clothes made of chocolate, and also theme displays for Valentine's Day, Chinese New Year, and Easter Sunday.

I wished I had time to linger a bit more to enjoy and to take more photos but we were already running late for  the meeting. So that made me want to go back or go to any destination where there's a chocolate festival. I heard New Zealand has it every year! That would be a wish coming true :-)

             

Sweeter Than An Ice Cream Cake

We all had our big slice of this yummy ice cream cake. All nine of us around the table, two families celebrating life and friendship. Three more big slices waiting for those who finished their first slice.

Cake and ice cream are always present in most birthday celebrations. Today we had both in one. One big round ice cream cake; rich, creamy, and full of sweet goodness!

But the smile of the birthday girl is much sweeter than any ice cream cake.

Happy birthday, Ria! 

Linking this post to:

Mosaic Monday
Ruby Tuesday
Wednesday Whites

The Dream Park In Dinajpur

I didn't expect to reach as far as Dinajpur when I went to Bangladesh last week. I thought I would only be in Dhaka, the capital city. But on the same day I arrived in Dhaka, I was scheduled to fly to Khulna, and then take a 16-hour road trip to Dinajpur, north of Bangladesh. I was to speak at a women's conference there.

On the last day of the conference, we had a field-trip along with all the participants to a park which they called in English "Dream Park".

It's surreal to find myself in the place which never came to mind even in my wildest dream. God, indeed, has many surprises!

The lady in green took me there. She was my classmate in a graduate class ten years ago. She invited our teacher to speak at the conference she organized. My teacher shared  the speaking load with me. That's how it all happened. Just like in a dream....

Weekend Reflections

The Best Roti In Bangladesh

 Last week, while in Bangladesh, my friends and I went on a 16-hour road trip. It was quite a tiring trip on a dusty dirt road but the meal stops were great treats.

For breakfast, we stopped by this food shop where they make different kinds of roti.

We all had "tundol" and dal chicken. Ahh, the freshness of bread from the stone oven!
Roti is a South Asian bread made from stoneground wholemeal flour. In Central Asia it is called "nan" or "nang". This particular roti we had is locally called "tundol".

We couldn't leave the country without having another round of "tundol" so we went to this shop where we watched how it was done. See the roti  stuck against the wall of this special oven?

Let's Fly from Bangkok to Dhaka

 Welcome to Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok. It's one of the biggest airport in the world. what you see in the photo is just one part which I took on my way to the waiting area.

 Let's fly Thai Airways. It's the official carrier of the kingdom of Thailand. It's should be the best!

 The waiting lounge is clean and spacious. You wouldn't mind coming early for the flight and wait a little while because it has free wifi computers and tv to entertain you while you wait.

With spacious leg room and personal entertainment, time on the air flies fast!

I suggest you order lamb set meal! That would be the best part of the flight.

Thai Airways flight attendants do their job with a smile.

   Take your tea or coffee while filling up your arrival form. Before you finish the form, you're almost there!

 Ahh, love that window view of water, land, and structures! 

 This is Dhaka's new town, Uttara. Bangladesh is the 7th highest population in the world with 153 million people.

 Each person has his own dream. With 153 million people, no wonder why Bangladesh is a nation full of dreams.

Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at night.

I hope you enjoyed your flight!

Skywatch Friday