MTR to HK Disneyland

Originally uploaded by rubybabydoll

This is the train going to HK Disneyland from Sunny Bay.
Look at the detail of the windows -- they're mickey ears! Now, can you find the hidden mickeys? :)

More photos to come from my HK 2009 trip!

Hong Kong 2009 -- Day 1, July 8th 2009

Only had two hours of sleep this day since I had to wake up at 4AM to get to the airport before 6AM [ugh. traffic issues in Southern Metro Manila -- all this construction work in the so-called highways is enough to drive a person crazy in traffic, good thing for books and their handy-dandiness].

Arrived at the airport around 515AM [yes, that early] -- went to the Cebu Pacific check-in counter, then paid the P1620 travel tax, got my boarding pass & paid another P750 in airport taxes. So much taxes here in the PH! The taxes almost amount to the plane ticket I paid, which I booked during the Cebu Pacific promo.

Surprisingly, the 8AM flight from Manila to HK took off earlier than expected. We arrived in HKIA at 9:35AM. Lucky lucky =) We then hurried off to the bus that would take us to the Evergreen hotel.


*Central area. Shot from the TST Waterfront*

Arrived at the hotel around 11:30, but since check-in time is 2:00pm, we walked around the area to familiarize ourselves: we looked for the MTR and looked for a place to eat. We ended up at McDonalds. We were not in the mood to actually look for a Chinese food stall so we settled for one we know and are familiar with.

Headed on off to Mong Kok -- where I was looking for a camera to get. I finally settled in Wing Sing, and I now have my new baby =)

We then went to Tin Hau temple after for a bit of sight-seeing and photos =)

Then back to the hotel to check-in and rest.

In the afternoon, we walked to TST [oh yes, no MTRs since we wanted to explore the place] and headed off to the HK Science Museum -- the entrance is free on Wednesdays and who wouldn't say no to freebies, right?

After that, we took a long walk down Avenue of the Stars -- most of the stars there are virtually unknown to me except for Bruce Lee & Jackie Chan.

Dinner at Food Paradise in Sogo.

Went out at 715pm at the TST Waterfront to get a good area at the second floor viewing deck for the Symphony of Lights. It was a long wait but the Symphony of Lights was very good. I was amazed at how the lights on the buildings were choreographed with the music.

Then off to Harbour City in the evening for a bit of window shopping before calling it a night.



Some tips for your trip:
- Do come at least 30 minutes before the Symphony of Lights show so you could get a good seat. When we came down at 8:15, there were a number of people crowding around the lower decks.
- Do bring bottled water along with you at all times. If possible, buy your water at Wellcome or at a grocery because prices in the vendo machines or at 7-11 are exorbitant! But if there's no Wellcome stores near your area, then 7-11 would do just fine. You need to drink & rehydrate, especially if you're travelling in the summer time.
- Bring an umbrella with you at all times -- HK weather in July is weird -- sometimes it rains, sometimes it's scorching hot!
- Do research on the specifications of the electronics first before you get anything in HK. And as per PEX, don't buy anything from the stores in Nathan Road. I myself bought my camera from a trusted electronic store in HK, Wing Sing. Make sure you get a warranty & try to haggle for freebies or a discount =)

Have fun, enjoy! If you have further questions on itinerary or what I did for this day, feel free to comment :) Will post on the rest of my other days in HK in subsequent posts.



* Book/Telly Stats *
Books read on day 1st holiday: None. Only brought one book with me in the trip, "My Take" by Gary Barlow, which I only got to read a few pages of whilst in the airport. I was pretty much asleep nearly the whole flight to HK.

Beware Princess Elizabeth - Carolyn Meyer

Book#6 for the year is "Beware, Princess Elizabeth" by Carolyn Meyer. It is a historical fiction novel aimed for young adults that chronicles the life of Elizabeth Tudor from her father's death to her eventual crowning as Queen.

It was the 16th century, England, and surrounded by controversy and much religious inquisitions & beheadings, Elizabeth found herself in the midst of controversy ever since her father, Henry VIII's death. Her brother, Edward, was being run by his uncle, and only beckons to see her during Yuletide, her half-sister Mary, does not speak to her, and Elizabeth believes that Mary hates her. Her childhood friend, Robin Dudley, suddenly gets bethrothed to Amy, as a political and monetary move by both families.

Her only companion was Kat Ashley, her governess, and together, they weave through controversies, imprisonment, fearing for her death, whilst playing a very political game as she waits for her eventual turn to be the Queen of England.

Very interesting novel for me. I have always been intrigued by historical fiction, and totally adore the Kings and Queens and deep history of England. I have never been quite so entertained.
The novel was told in the first person point of view, which makes you believe that you are in the 16th century, imagining that you are one of the people in the court and what it must have looked like and felt like, living in that day & age.

I personally have been to some of the sites that were noted in the book -- The Tower of London & Westminster Abbey, and the size of those buildings are absolutely amazing. Besides, I got to see Elizabeth I and Mary's tomb in Westminster Abbey. Such a shame I only got to research more about these incredible people after I've been to their tombs, I appreciated them after I've seen them. Oh well.

Great book for those who love everything about England and historical fiction. Definitely a must-read.

Bought this copy from booksale for P70. Money well spent :)

Personal updates:

Currently reading:
For One More Day by Mitch Albom [page 33]
My Take - Gary Barlow [page 2]
The Cat in The Hat - Dr Seuss

Currently watching:
True blood season 2
The Tudors season 3
Dawson's Creek season 1

The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

Book # 5 for the year is "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. It's only around 180 pages long, which is a very light read if ever you're a voracious and fast reader [which is not like me]

It's a story about a boy named Santiago, a Spaniard who tends sheep for a living. He knew he wanted to see the world, and he chose to become a shepherd because he has the freedom to go wherever he wanted to go to whilst he was tending his sheep and selling the wool to other cities.

One day, he dreamt that he had to go over to the Pyramids in Egypt, and there, he will find his treasure. Puzzled, he came across an old man, who turned out to be a king, who helped to guide him in trying to realize his personal legend.

What follows was an adventure to the deserts of Africa, self-discovery, and understanding the language and soul of the world.

It is quite an inspirational tale with many quotable quotes.
"Making a decision is only the beginning of things. When you make a decision, it carries you to places you never dreamed of when you first made the decision"

"It's the possibility of making a dream come true that makes life interesting"

My favourite was "When you want something, all the universe conspires to help you get it"

It is a very good book, albeit short, but it definitely opened my eyes to something -- that we are here to enjoy our lives, try to live out our own personal legends, and well, live & appreciate other creatures: big or small, living or animate.

Hong Kong 2009.

I am overwhelmed at the number of things I could do in this place! It's less than 2 wks before I leave MNL for a relaxing [but quite an expensive] experience with my mum! I am trying to plan our itinerary [we're doing a DIY trip] and hopefully we'll get to go to all the places we want plus some shopping along the way, after all, we are going there during the sale season!

I'm gonna be broke but happy!

I'll try to post photos and my final itinerary during or after my trip :)

So far, here's our proposed itinerary, we'll be staying 6d 5n in HK! :D Trip next year would also cover HK but more on Macau & Shenzen. This is it! I will be a jetsetter! :D

July 8th
-- arrive at 11am in HKIA via Cebu Pacific [booked via their sale last May :) ]
-- grab bags & head on to shuttle service of hotel [will be staying at Evergreen Hotel in Jordan] OR go around the terminal for a while & grab some lunch.
-- Check-in at hotel
-- After check-in, go to Sha Tin District: 10,000 buddhas, Snoopy's World, New Town Plaza & other areas of interest in Sha Tin
-- Evening: TST/Mong Kok/Avenue of the Stars/Symphony of Lights [subject to the time we arrive back]/Jordan Night Market

July 9th:
Hong Kong Disneyland [10am-8pm]
9pm onwards -- more shopping. Where exactly is subjectie.

July 10th:
Ocean Park
TST/Avenue of the Stars [subjective

July 11th:
Noah's Ark, Park Island. [10am onwards]. Nan Lian Gardens.

July 12th:
Ngong Ping 360, Lantau Island, Giant Buddha, Tsing Yi Bridge, Citygate Outlet Shops, The Peak

July 13th:
More shopping/TST/HK Science Museum [subjective]
- 6pm - leave hotel for airport
- 9pm - leave HK for MNL


Happy Happy! :) Can't wait for more adventures!

My Fave Book? Angela's Ashes.

Narrowing down my favourite book of all time is extremely difficult. I may not have been the most well-read person around but I have read quite a number of books on my free or idle time. As part of the Bloggers Book Club Contest, my choice for my favourite book [this may eventually change over time] is "Angela's Ashes" by Frank McCourt.


It's his autobiography, and chronicles most of his early childhood -- from his slum days in Limerick, Ireland, to his family's eventual move for a better life to New York City, USA.

I first read this way back in 2001 and I keep reading and reading it again.

Why do I love it so much? It's written in such a way that would move you. He writes in such a way that would make you laugh out loud at some of his memoirs, which could be pretty embarassing specially if you're reading the book at a public place. It also has the capacity to move you to tears, and there are quite a lot of them in the book.

Overall, this is a good start if you plan to read an autobiography. Frank McCourt may not be a well-known celebrity but his life is definitely interesting and well worth the read.


Additional info -- this book was actually adapted into a movie! I was searching the internet and it also popped out in IMDB. Awesome. I'll try to watch the movie and see if it does any justice to the book.

Back to the '90s

I'm playing The Moffatts songs over and over again in my iPod.

Why can't it not be the '90s anymore? Back when boy bands are in, telly shows were still dubbed in English, and everything seems to be so much simpler?

The good old days.

I'm typing this on behalf of a rainy Wednesday afternoon, as I sit here in front of my computer, trying to look all busy. I have a mountain of work but my mind keeps wandering away.

I want to go to the bookstore. I want to pick up a book that I don't need just for the saking of getting it. I want to go to the shoe store. I want to pick up a new pair of shoes to uplift my spirits.
I NEED to get a USB LAN for my laptop as well.

3 weeks till my trip abroad. Woohoo. I can't wait.

Nearly 4 hours to go before I get a chance to listen to a chapter in an audio book I'm "reading" again. Or better yet, I could start listening again now. Multitasking has always been a god-send.

What excites you?

For me, it'll be the following:

• Travelling to another foreign place, be it locally or internationally.
• Finishing a new book
• The prospect of starting a new book and eventually getting to finish it within a few weeks/months
• Finishing a computer game
• Watching a concert.
• Watching a new episode of a telly show I got really hooked and/or addicted to
• Watching a movie I've anticipated
• Shopping for shoes, clothes, books, or any other item under the sun.

I'll be blogging in a few days with regards to my favourite books. This is a tough call for me to do. I don't have a specific favourite book!

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

Woohoo. Book # 4 for 2009! :)



It is a set of 12 stories by Arthur Conan Doyle which are all mysteries that were solved [or were looked into] by Sherlock Holmes.

Some of the tales have the same central theme [ie money-matters] whilst others are just plain predictable.

3/5 stars. I've read better books :) Can't wait for the movie though!

Lipstick Jungle [Telly Series]

So, it was supposed to be just a telly series that would alternate between Bones & Pushing Daisies. A little chick-type telly series which makes you feel all warm & fuzzy on some of their bonding sessions and jealous at the girls success in their careers, their indispensable incomes & having incredibly fabulous lifestyles & outfits to match!

This telly series was based on a book by Candace Bushnell [Think Sex & The City] and the story revolves around three central characters: Wendy Healy [not sure about the spelling of her surname], a successful movie executive at Parador Pictures, Victory Ford, a fashion designer struggling because of reviews for her past two collections & Nico Reilly, editor-in-chief of a successful magazine.

I was sooo hooked especially Joe/Victory's on again-off again relationship.
Such a shame the series was cancelled. Would've been nice to continue this.
Now off to watch some other new telly program to get hooked on! :)

Telly list.
Currently downloading: The Tudors Season 3 episodes 2-3. [episodes4-8 are queued]
Currently watching: Bones season 3.