Sakura sakura - Yokoso Japan!

I love Spring (though not as much as my fav Autumn) but Spring is really lovely in Japan! Sweet and beautiful...

First stop - Kyoto (old Japan). Love the serenity and calmness of the city...

Next stop: Sannomiya (Kobe) for the acclaimed Kobe beef - and it did not disappoint!
Then headed onto Osaka...


Last but not least, Tokyo! I absolutely love Tokyo! The Tsukiji fish market for the best ever sashimi, Ginza for the amazing architectures and shops, and all the sights (e.g. Asakusa temple, Oeno Park and so on)...

But of course, Spring in Japan wouldn't be complete without Sakura!

I will be back...Love the culture, the food, everything way too much in the land of the rising sun!

Happy Easter!

the rainy season

I'm finally back from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It's been a busy two weeks away - work, work and more work. But of course, it wasn't without any fun...

I've been trying out amazing food places with my colleagues / boss (mostly fantastic recommendations by the hotel concierge) and managed to squeeze in one facial at Clarins. That's about it, oh and yea I managed to check out the huge malls in KL - Pavilion, KLCC and the lovely area of Bangsar.

So besides the horrible complaint I had to make about the Shangri-La hotel for terrible customer service, everything went well. And now I have to recuperate from my minor procedure done yesterday morning. I've also just gotten news that I'll be off to Bangkok by year end - not too sure about the dates for now - but I'm looking forward to it!

Let's move on to the pictures, shall we?

In Pavilion KL, one of my fav shops - MJ :)


A gorgeous cafe - by Carat Club @ Pavilion KL

Where I had my amazing chocolate "sweets" - seriously. One of the best.

And delicious lobster bisque - I miss it!

Thai Restaurant Celadon at Pavilion KL - took my breath away! Love their chairs, and their food tastes great!

High tea at the executive lounge, The Shangri-La

Room service dinner after a long day at work - roast chicken and lemon tart

Dinner at Bijan with boss - really good local food...

Clarins where else :)

Lovely shops at Bangsar area

Starbucks with Yappy - weekend chill...

Dragon-i Restaurant at Pavilion - nice! Will really give Crystal Jade a run for their money...

Starhill - next to the Marriott

Now, this is how I feel...I just wana rest this weekend, and if only I can stare out into the city skyline like this and float away.

my pick

Now that I'm finally back, it hits me as to which updates of details would delight me the most to relive...

Repeat trip reports?
The amazing sights that continue to fascinate me?
Wondrous cuisine we've had in the 3 weeks away?
Or how about sneakpeak into my fav shopping loot?

A teeny bit of every part listed above? Plus the realisation that I love New York above Paris and Rome. How very live-able, enjoyable and with a pace of life sufficiently fast yet with enough gaps to catch one's breath in between. Did I just say, I heart New York - and I'm pretty sure I'll be back someday...

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Upon the recommendation from a cute concierge lady at the Hilton, we made our way down to an interesting shop in SoHo ala GAP and with H&M prices - UniQlo. I almost picked up a black sheath by Alexander Wang but couldn't think exactly where it was gona fit in my wardrobe and gave it a miss. But interesting shop to check out still...I'm glad I did.

We did mainly the touristy stuff in NYC - the Empire State, the Statue of Liberty / Manhattan cruise, Times Square, Wall Street etc. I suppose having watched Sleepless in Seattle so many times, it was great being at the Empire State for me. Tho' if I had managed to see the night lights of the Empire State with the little hearts shining through, I'd probably have melted inside. What got me - the MOMA was excellent, I loved the roast chicken at Serendipity, the little Japanese ramen eatery we came across between Madison and Park Avenues, and walking through SoHo cross Broadway, I could definitely feel the creativity around me...

In Philadelphia, I loved the Philly cheese steaks we bought from a roadside store...And in Canada, the Niagara Falls were breathtaking! Not to mention, the beautiful tulips in such lovely hues by the pavements in Canada...

In Vegas, we had the best dinner buffet at Planet Hollywood and the cheapest lime margaritas ever at 99cents (from Bills Gamblin` Salon) - served in plastic cups but they tasted so great...the best shows - KA by Cirque du Soleil and Crazy Horses Paris...and the highlight - the Grand Canyon...I still miss having my lunch by the Grand Canyon with the slight breeze blowing through - total bliss!

In a nutshell, here are some of the most memorable pics we took...enjoy!






Finally, some of my shopping loot - there're too many this time around to capture in photos entirely...clothes, shoes, lingerie, ooh bath products and more...

And another Chanel surprise...a steal at pre-sale prices from Nordstrom...not to mention, I had the best sales assistant helping me across the US states...

Finally, my first Pucci dress - I love it!

Salut!