Let's explore the flea market!

Let's explore the flea market! by kytetoomalatai featuring stretchy high waisted shorts

River Island lace camisole top
285 HKD - riverisland.com

LE3NO stretchy high waisted shorts
145 HKD - le3no.com

Steve Madden toe post sandals
465 HKD - nordstrom.com

Loeffler Randall suede fringe handbag
3,695 HKD - saksfifthavenue.com

Related posts:
1. D'TALIPAPA - a place in Boracay where seafoods are magic!

2. BORACAY '13 - Why we didn't actually like staying in Station 1.

3. AMELIA ON A PICNIC - perfect ensemble for a picnic.

ALCHEMY

For a year and a half, I have hibernated from going out for drinks with girlfriends.

As my baby had been weaning and is more into solid foods now,

I have indulged on a night at ALCHEMY

where Buddha tears mixed up with liquor

certainly gave me a different impact.

Remember this clip in Sex and the City 2 movie?

Yes, when you're a mom, "sips" may be needed

just to keep you sane and reconnected to yourself.

When you're a mom, you start to think not only of yourself. There's always something that needs your attention and you constantly are worried if you missed a thing in terms of nurturing, feeding, bonding time and future concerns. Needless to say, you somehow neglect yourself willingly that it may be too late for you to realise that you've lost yourself in the process. Having said this, I'd like to encourage you with a reminder, "You had a kid, yes. But you didn't die."

It's important that you have a handful of mommies as friends for you to be understood because the "single-no-kids" ones wouldn't get where you're coming from. At one point, you may be feeling a little aloof towards them because your priorities are different now. Let me tell you that to this account, you're not alone and so many mothers have been there. My good friend Jane, who had her daughter 2 years ago was asking me how I felt in going out, if I felt awkward since it doesn't feel the same way as before when didn't have kids yet. And I said, it's pretty much new to me again. I wasn't knowledgeable about the new trends in drinks, the place was new to me and I felt a stronger emotion than feeling awkward.... honestly, it was GUILT.

fresh Irish oysters with vinegar, tomato salsa
and extra virgin olive oil

But I'm a wide reader. I had a lot of questions so, I had to research. To counter my fear of intoxicating my baby thru the drinks, I read that I need to drink a barrel or 10 bottles of absinthe or any hard liquor before I would. That's good to know. So, I didn't hesitate on ordering the Buddha Tears where part liquor is mixed in with coconut juice, lemon drops and something else that it was like I was drinking the word "SPA" and everything about it.

There's a taste of lavender, lots of zen greens and kind of soil extract. You may think it's gross but, the after taste was rejuvenating. That was one of the highly recommended but I was trying to feel any hit, there was none. Until I ordered a mojito then a SAUVIGNON BLANC. On the side, my girlfriends and I ordered the fresh Irish oysters that were over-the-top good. We were just really supposed to be there for drinks but we got envious of the other table ordering the fabulously laid oysters so we got them. In addition, the home cooked spicy treats (popcorn, peanuts, raisins and almonds with pepper) were soooo delicious. I am not a fan of spicy food but I found myself digging for some and all 3 of us were popping them in because they were just irresistible.

It was an honour to know some people who were friends with the Chef (Chef Pascal) so we met him and had said our praises for how satisfying the oysters were. A little moment later, we were delivered these cranberry macaroons that were like no other. I never loved desserts. More so, if they are chocolatey. So I was eager to taste it right away and we had licked the syrup even because it was so tasty. In the end, our bill was around HK$1400+. 9 drinks all in all, the oysters, the dessert (free of charge) and loads and loads of treats (free of charge) to complete the bill. 

-the best Cranberry Macaroons I've ever tasted-
The macaroons were home made.

I wanted the night to be spent smoothly in a way that I would be able to go out again after this one. So I asked to tag team with my husband to whom I owed a good night from, by being selfless and just wishing me a good time. My girlfriends and I headed home unexpectedly sober because we thought there was not that much alcohol in our drinks. We aren't alcoholic but just for your information about how we would critic the drinks. Food was great, be ready with around HK$400 in your pocket. Service charge was billed and since it is secluded from the chaotic Lan Kwai Fong, you could be assured of seats. A reservation is recommended though Thursdays all the way 'til the weekend.

I love these gals

Trivia about the place since we have met some of the chef's friends and had given us a background of who owns the place, all the French lounges and fine restaurants are owned by the same person. I had the chance to experience Le Budoir with my closest friends and boyfriend then (husband now) I think a little over 5 years ago, which is located on the left side of the street going up to Lan Kwai Fong (where the Cotton On is beside 7-11 and so forth), and it didn't disappoint. Actually, I loved that place.

When we visited Alchemy, it was a cold night that I had to buy a sweater. So I was so relieved that it was very warm inside. The ambiance was relaxing, homey as a matter of fact and for those who would love to have a good chat with mellow music, try having a drink here or two. I highly recommend it since it leads a way too to a dark dining restaurant that my friends and I are aiming to experience before one leaves for Dubai for good.

Here's a movie that features one dark dining restaurant that may ignite the curious in you. 

Related posts:

1. D' TALIPAPA - a unique restaurant situated in Boracay that you should never miss

2. JOLLIBEE - Philippines own fast-food addiction

3. CHARLIE BROWN CAFE - a cute cafe located at Tsim Sha Tsui for all the Charlie Brown fans.

CHARLIE BROWN CAFE

the whole gang

Charlie Brown Café holds a great number of seats to welcome those who would like to have the "Peanuts" experience. It is a café that looks like a little museum of Peanuts protagonist Charlie Brown and his friends from the comic strip by Charles M. Schulz.

Charles M. Schulz star in the Hollywood Walk
of Fame which is next to Walt Disney's

I have seen this being visited by a lot of Hong Kong residents and I thought their pictures looked so inviting on Instagram and Facebook. I was not fond of Charlie Brown when I was growing up but I know how popular it had been that it was ranked the 8^th in TV Guide’s 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time along with Snoopy.

Out of curiosity, I invited the same crew that went with me at Mui Kee for a little get together as it had been 3 months from the last time we have seen our good friend, Sky. I was feeling a little energetic now than during my first trimester. My husband was also out of town so there's nothing much to do except to spend time with friends. So what the heck! The so-called “Wednesday group” invaded Ko Pah Mansion situated at 58-60 Cameron Road, Tsim Sha Tsui for a new and exciting experience!

mini fountain shot with Fern

On arrival, massive Charlie Brown decors are everywhere. The stairway was lighted up with the remarkable glass panel that amazed all of us. As you reach the first floor (Here in Hong Kong, the ground floor is considered the first floor and the first floor means being on the second...) you will be greeted by a mini fountain of Charlie Brown. There was also a section where an overhead projector shows reruns of the animated series of the loved cartoons. 

Looooved the interior, what can I say? Unique, different above all restaurants that I've been to here in Hong Kong and most of all, it was fun. The ambiance was light, the organisation was neat. The whole place seemed big enough to accommodate kiddie parties and they actually have party menus that you could check out when interested.

We went there to gather over dinner. But the menu would give this café a little bit of a disadvantage as the food is in a typical presentation. I believe it got a lot of potential since their coffee actually was good enough. We were almost going to ditch Charlie Brown Cafe for another visit at Mui Kee but again, for the sake of satisfying our curiosity, we all agreed to try whatever was in the menu since the website informed us that they serve meals. Here are what we opted to eat.

Fern's BBQ Sauce Chicken Salad in Pita Bread

Sky's Mini Burger Platter

Known for its cakes, pastries and Italian coffee, I needed a meal to nourish me and my baby, so I wasn’t able to try any of those. I had an order of bolognese and I didn't expect such huge serving. I was happy that their food is cooked without using MSG (or so it said in the menu) and that all their ingredients and condiments are organic (like what was told so in the menu yet again). So for those who are looking for a place that serves a healthy meal, you can try it here. Good for the kids too considering this fact. Get ready with a budget of HK$90-150. But I would go back for it a little much later. 

My Traditional Fusilli Bolognaise

Earl's Charlie Brown Hotcake

Chicken-a-la-king Rice
FERN's additional dish. Hahaha!

It's like their own version of the Hall of Fame

Cakes and pastries are all made up with organic condiments. 

The cafe is open daily from 8:30am to 11:30 pm but it extends up until 12:30am during Friday, Saturday and Holiday Eve. It doesn’t require any reservation since it follows a first come first serve policy but for kiddie parties and similar events, you can contact them thru 2366-6315/2366-6325. The café honors self service. Don’t worry because the place is actually quiet and because we were excited and my friends and I were taking a lot of crazy pictures, we were “ssshh!”-ed by a couple who, we think, were having a serious moment.

I mean it’s far from being crowded at least for now. If you are to visit Hong Kong for the first time, include this in your itinerary if you would be spending time around Tsim Sha Tsui area. This is the best place to unwind after a whole day of shopping spree to relax and have a moment to breathe.

Here are some lists of the beverages being served just so that you'd have an idea of how pricey it is than a usual Starbucks Coffee. It might be because it's all organic, ... or so they say.

 

came up with an awkward pose but happy for everybody's presence

All of what I write could both be an encouragement and discouragement
but it's always up to you on how you could rate it up.
Tsim Sha Tsui Station, Exit B. Check it!

RELATED POSTS:

1. MUI KEE - a true gem along the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui for those who love to eat.

2. D' TALIPAPA - an exciting eating adventure in Boracay

3. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN EATING? - some socially acceptable bad eating habits

BORACAY '13

According to Augustine of Hippo, "The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." I agree to this and I would like to add that if you claim to have traveled a lot, you should have seen BORACAY at least once.

BORACAY ISLAND is one of the 7,107 islands of the Philippines located approximately 315 km (196 mi) south of Manila and 2 km off the northwest tip of Panay Island in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. I grew up seeing Boracay from being one of the virgin islands until it had reached its commercial and most renowned upgrade today. My dad was born in Romblon, and it is approximately just 69 km away from Boracay. Since I was young, every summer, we head to Romblon because the FIESTA there starts Apr. 2-5. After that, we head to Boracay for a 3 day weekend getaway so I have visited this paradise a lot of times and I have known it as a rejuvenating place. This year, Hogan and I have gone with good friends and the experience had been once again, breathtaking, as always.

I have booked Microtel Hotel and Resorts located at Diniwid thru booking.com for accommodations. It was safe, quiet and homey. A lot of tourists prefer staying in Station 1 as it is the best location for the 2 great P's: PLAY and PARTY. Hogan liked the private beach Microtel has and Booking.com had the most reliable photos to show about how their rooms looked like. From flying in to Caticlan from Hong Kong (1am-4am: HK to Cebu then 6am-7am: Cebu to Caticlan c/o Cebu Pacific) an hour after midnight until such time that we reached the hotel, we were pretty exhausted  considering that we flew in after a day's work the previous day. As promised, we were picked up from the airport, aided passing thru the jetty ports, and were brought to the hotel smoothly. Besides the VAT (tax) and extra bed fees, I requested for transportation services, which had included terminal and insurance fees together with the fare itself, to be arranged and so, all that we had to do was just be there. We were welcomed with necklaces, refreshing towels and cold glasses of lemon iced tea. The staff were very welcome, accommodating and helpful.

Microtel, Boracay

 
Our room wasn't going to be available until 10am despite my request for earlier check in time. (Standard check-in time:2pm ) But they were actually nice already to consider us as early as 10am. So, I didn't try to complain but we all had just made good use of our time.) We were booked to stay 5 days and 4 nights. As the woman handed me the breakfast stubs, I counted just 4 for each of us and just to share a little bit of understanding, I asked why just 4. They explained that when you check in on your first day, it was supposed to be at 2pm. Naturally, that should not have breakfast. Point taken. So, as we waited for the room, we used our breakfast stubs for the 1st day. There were assigned breakfast set for each day. Continental for Mondays and Thursdays, Filipino for Tuesdays and Fridays, and English Breakfast for the rest. It took us just 30 minutes to eat our breakfast as we didn't realize how hungry we were not until we smelled the coffee and the syrup of our pancakes. Hogan had to eat 2 sets. Hahahaha!!! The remaining hour and a half were spent indulging on none other than Red Horse Beer. (No judgements please!!!!) With respect to the word V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N, we just went to the flow about everything else. It didn't go on for so long that we just had 2 but the kick of the horse was so great, I hailed the bed upon entering our room. I loved the fabulous view, I loved how accessible it was to the nearby swimming pool, I loved the shower, I loved how huge the room was for the 3 of us, I loved how they cleaned it and changed the towels everyday, I loved the free shuttle service to D'Mall, I loved how there was available coffee and microwave that later on, we were able to bring home food. The ref was pretty much handy too and the wifi is fast enough.

 
                              The flaws we've encountered were just about 3 things:
                                               1.    toilet clog
                                               2.    sliding doors damaged - because of the sand, 
                                                      it doesn't close smoothly
                                               3.    a little movement on the pull-out bed makes 
                                                      a LOT of noise
                                              

VIEW FROM OUTSIDE

AMENITIES

HOGAN WAS ALREADY CHECKING THE PULL-OUT

THE VIEW FROM THE INSIDE

Shanay and I were able to take some rest after taking a bath but Hogan kept on chatting and drinking. Mid-afternoon, he was DONE. LOL!!! Later that day, our friends had come and we went straight to Nigi Nigi (Station 1) for some cocktails. No need to explain this picture as we continued into having dinner that evening. Red horse = tsk tsk tsk!!!!

Activities that we've tried the days after:

1. ATV

I've already tried this before with Ria and Val but it's fun to do it again, most especially when the course that you'll pass thru had been enhanced. Longer, more challenging and full of adventure I must say. It was our foreign friends' first time to do this.

ATV Rentals cost Php300/person. This should include drive-your-own vehicle and an entrance ticket to where the highest peak of the island is. You'd be given quite some time to capture memories and have a grand view of the island.

Overlooking Boracay Island

2. MASSAGE 

If the hotel offers you massage service, naturally, it would cost you Php 800 up. This is because it is considered "home" service. But there's a cheaper way of availing this. As you take a walk along the beach strip starting from Station 1, there are little covered sheds where a lot of licensed and professional masseuse (women who practices massage). Their services usually range from as low as Php150 up depending on your preference if you wanted you whole body to be massaged or either just the upper or lower back.

3. HENNA TATTOOING

 Henna (Lawsonia inermis, also called henna tree^[1]) or Hina is a flowering plant, the sole species in the genus Lawsonia in the family Lythraceae. The English name "henna" comes from the Arabic حِنَّاء (ALA-LC: ḥinnāʾ / pronounced [ħɪnˈnæːʔ]) or colloquially حنا, loosely pronounced /ħinna/.
The name is also used for dye preparations derived from the plant, and for the art of temporary tattooing based on those dyes. Henna has been used since antiquity to dye skin, hair, and fingernails, as well as fabrics including Silk and wool as well as for leather. Additionally, the name is misused for other skin and hair dyes, such as black henna or neutral henna, which are not derived from the plant.

-WIKIPEDIA

 

My friends have had their henna tattoos done on our 2nd night as much precautions were needed to be considered. First, you have to let it dry up then you can wash it an hour after to avoid staining bed sheets upon sleeping. (Hotels are strict to warn you that you'll be charged in staining their sheets because of the henna ink used.) Prices of the henna tattooing service depends on the size you wanted and how complicated the design is. It starts from Php150 up.


 4.  HAIR BRAIDING

If you want to submerge to the "ISLAND" vibe, having your hair braided would be worth a try. I suggested to Hogan to try this service because he is always charged so expensively when he does it here in Hong Kong or in Shen Zhen. In Boracay, the cost depends if you want your entire do to be done or just a portion of it. Hogan had his done completely, Randy had from just the frontal part braided while Shanay did the side, enough to get her hair pimped.

 

 5. ISLAND HOPPING

It comes in handy when you have somebody in your group whose fluent in Bisaya, Ilonggo or Cebuano. In this trip, AJ was the most fluent to be able to bargain charges in doing the island hopping. Each of us paid Php300 to go around Boracay, seeing the nicest hotels and resorts, being able to really admire Station 1 with its finest white sand above the rest and knowing the controversy behind why Pacquiao's rest house/resort wasn't able to get finished up. Included in the Island Hopping was SNORKELING. And Hogan enjoyed this very much. (Snorkel appartaus rental fee = Php20/each for the entire snorkeling period.) Along with Hogan, Earl and Randy showed skills in swimming as they really went far away. For those who don't know how to swim, keep your life jackets on as the wave currents are pretty strong. To appreciate what sea world could offer you, the fishermen would take you to a nearly open sea part. Hence, the strong currents. It's good if you have little bread to feed the fish. They are more likely to go near you if you have some at hand.

 6. HELMET DIVING
This experience was incomparable to anything. Bobby and I really went for it as we claim the label, "ADVENTUROUS". The rest of our friends were hungry, became sea sick and had to do some errands that there were just the two of us who indulged on the luxury of riding the speed boat to be brought to where it's deep enough for the helmet diving stations to be as efficient. The pressurized helmet had kept us breathing even though we were submerged into the sea. I have reflected on it afterwards. And maybe the feeling is the same with the divers in the movie, "Men of Honor" because the helmet surely was so heavy. And that's just the helmet alone. Here are some shots underwater.

 This was my first and it was an amazing experience.

Quite scary at first but Bobby was with me, Thank God.

And he's more than on the go with outdoor activities.

More so, into underwater activities. Thanks Bob!!!

6. BEACH VOLLEYBALL

 
In between the never-ending food trip, we have played beach volleyball with a lot of locals and some foreigners and this heightened up the fun Boracay brings.

Make sure to be a good sport and that your bikini is tight enough as you dig, jump and spike.

This is a good way also to meet other people who are also on vacation, get nice photos and get that energetic rush flowing. 

7. BUNGEE JUMP

My friend here, Earl, tried a good 15-minute bungee jumping amounting to Php200. You would think that it's not worth it of the money as it is too fast. But you're the one who's going to give up because you'd get tired doing stunts. Good work out for the abs as the secret is the core strength you have.

There you have it folks! 

Now, for those who would be wanting a getaway, 3 days is all good to spend here. Once you're abreast with how it is in Boracay, feel free to add more days on that usual 3 because I'm sure, there were more daring experiences like ZORB, ZIP LINE, horse back riding, scuba diving and parasailing. Hogan did mention that he would want to come back to shop. The board shorts had fitted him right and he finds that amazing. Because in Hong Kong, he always find them small.

Some things that you need to be aware of in going to Boracay is the common delays with flights. Allow ample time if you are in a connecting flight. Change your money from where you're coming from. Exchange rate is lower as this is a very popular tourist spot. They tend to make business out of it just like every tourist spot does.

In addition to the activities, do have a taste of D'Talipapa, Jonah's Fruit Shakes' CHORI Burger, ARMY NAVY's pizza delights and Nigi Nigi's Weng Weng. Drink as much Fresh Mango Shakes and do bring home BORACAY RUM because it's all so good.

 Gear up, buy that water protector for your digital camera, bring shades that'll match every 2-piece swimsuit and make memories. Hope you enjoyed my weekend getaway post! Thanks for reading!