best buy at ho chi minh city

Tags

art, Ho Chi Minh City, painting, shopping, travel, vietnam

the first time i was there, my co-league and friend, Shana and i browsed through the side streets selling really cheap art works… so i amde it a point to go back and get one (or two)…

so along the street of le loi in ho chi minh city… with my friend & co-league mark, we browsed and browsed…

the seller offered us replicas and originals of known artists… then she told us we can get the work of art of the new & young artists at really low price…

this was my choice… they call it “harvest” :)

i was happy with my purchase and i hand carried it going back… so where did i hang it at home?

no where yet… i am still finding the right spot…

travel post : ho chi minh city

Tags

Asia, Ho Chi Minh City, motorbike, saigon, shopping, travel, vietnam

last visit : June 2011

of course it was duty during those times. but i was able to stay a weekend and explore the city with some co-leagues.

ho chi minh city used to be called saigon. it is a busy, busy city good for shopping…

… walking around and basking on the city’s presence… the city prides itself with a good collection of historic structures with modern additions as time evolves…

… and enjoying good food and good company…

 

we dined at temple club where a co-league told us brad pitt and angelina jolie once dined, too. though i am not a fan of the power couple at all, i was a little thrilled when we were inside and i truly enjoyed the good food…

and of course it is not ho chi minh city without the motorbikes… everyone seems to be on it! children, old people, the whole family even! it is a way of life and i can never get over being amazed with them! :)

even japanese cartoon character hello kitty is on one of them!

though we were confined in the core city only, one can say we had a good taste of it :)

Lani’s visit

Tags

friend, singapore, visit

the last time i saw Lani was 9 months ago in my brother’s wedding. the last time we spent our usual shopping and get together moments were more than a year ago. and the last time we travelled together was 7 years ago…

that is why it was such a thrill to have her and her mom as visitors here in singapore. she is like a sister to me as we have been really good and close friends ever since University days….

i did not have the chance to really tour her around due to the short visit and because i have work also… but we were able to see the staple tourist attractions and she was able to shop :)

they left the noon of Wednesday and i was not able to send them off as i left really early for office… it was a little sad to come back to my apartment with things neatly arranged and with a note in my kitchecn counter from Lani …

it was all fun times spent with her… though way back home we were not able to spend as much time as we used to with her being a wife and mom and a career woman all at the same time, our times together are mostly planned and scheduled. but, whenever we talked it is as if we were never apart and we are again drawn into the similar familiarity of talking and confiding with each other, picking our clothes that will fit the other and sleeping side by side in a huge bed.

i miss her already again…

thanks Lani for visiting!

now, i wait for my 2 other bestest girl friends :D

BIG!

Tags

child, children, photography

this post in twitter inspired me to share this series of photos with you…

children will always be my all-time favorite subject :)

goodbye borders

Tags

singapore, shopping, books, reading, Borders Group

being a book lover since young, reading this news over yesterday brought sadness.

parkway parade, where the closeout sale is quite far from where i stay. i have never been to this part of singapore unless i come and go via changi airport. so, adventurous me dressed up and hopped on a bus (and another) to be part of this.

as i arrive and entered borders, i am literally shocked. not with the many people, but with all the empty shelves and books just everywhere… it is indeed clearance sale! my first instinct was just to walk away… but i realized the effort i exerted on going (took me 1.05 hrs!) and decided to stay and browse. i grabbed a blue basket and went through shelf by shelf and book after book.

while i squeeze myself through the crowd, i realized there are still a lot of people who read books. children, old people and teenagers who i used to think are so drawn on gadgets they have forgotten about books. like me, they take time to pick up, read through some pages and really browse. after probably an hour or more, with some picks, i had to take a break and sit with the others by the side…

i went home feeling nostalgic. the scene today reminds me of my favorite movie you’ve got mail where the little shop had to face closeout, too. i thought over the many times i spent in borders at wheelock. every trip to singapore years ago, i always take home books from borders. so, yesterday was the last time i will be taking home a borders shopping bag…

so amidst the formula1 fever in singapore, i travelled all the way to the east coast to be part of a memorable moment for book lovers like me…

i was happy with my good finds at 70% but still sad over the closure… as more and more people opt to just download books and read them over kindle and nook hard copy book publishers are sadly losing a lot and with this, bookshops too.

taking solo coffee breaks…

Tags

breaks, coffee, kopi, singapore

… here in singapore is something that has quickly grown on me.

i appreciate the solitude in times when i need to clear my mind and just relax and think of nothing at all.

it gives me time to observe other people and wonder what they talk about…

note on those who are going solo like me….

and admire those who appreciate simply sitting side by side enjoying each other’s company….

i find sanctuary in singapore coffee shops. i love the quaint setting, tiny tables with stools, sizeable enough for people to sit, huddle and be together and share…

of course, i love taking coffee breaks with my friends from singapore who has introduced me to their wonderful kopi :)

smart phone nation…

Tags

Android, Mobile, singapore, Smartphone

one of the changes i had to cope with to when i moved to Singapore is taking public transportation… not that i have never done so back from home, i commute back there, too. the short journeys i take here daily gives me the opportunity to observe and enjoy the ride…

and one (quite sad) reality is see that people just ignore strangers and were all so glued up to their smart phones : playing games, checking their facebook , twitting, sending sms and who knows what else…

even little girls dressed fashionably has her own to tinker and play with!

so when was the last time, someone noticed me taking their photos??? :D guess…

———————————————–

photos are all by me and originally posted in my instagram account. to view them, click on the link to the left site MY INSTAGRAM PHOTOS.

it’s a mall world!

Tags

esplanade, Great World City, ikea, marina square, singapore, Suntec City, VivoCity

my family was here for 6 whole days… and in singapore, where else can i take them? :D

great world city - for our supplies, quick meals and just because i live near here…

ikea at alexandra for some home furnishings…

the link on our way to the esplanade

vivo city :) a favorite!

suntec city - this mall was so big! i think 5 towers interconnected, we went on a weekend… it was madness!

the marina square - which is connected to the suntec city (of whatever tower…)

wheelock - but i was so bummed out that borders was closed already :( … still can’t believe.

and several others more. we did not end up buying a lot as they were not in the mood to shop because they are here to explore ;-) and shopping in the philippines is still a lot cheaper, still.

but we enjoyed every moment of it :D

H&M at Orchard…

Tags

Clothing, H&M, Orchard, orchard road, shopping, singapore, Trending and Popularity, twitter

… so what is the buzz all about? the signs have been up since months ago, saying about the september 3 opening. magazines i have read bombard me with more H&M features. for weeks passing by at orchard would mean, you will be thinking about H&M as you passby and even after you have long left the area!

september 3, i went over to passby orchard from the upper deck of a double decker bus and the words that silently came out of my mouth was omg, omg… the queue was just unbelievably long, all that snaked all the way to @313somerset. so i dared not go… YET.

yesterday, i noticed the queue has started to calm down, so i did queue hoping it will not take me long to do so.

it was my first time to queu which makes it more exciting!

it only took me 5 to 7mins on queue and that was at around 6pm on a saturday.

inside the hype to shop is on… i was uploading immages in my twitter via instagram and i keep getting bumped into! so, i looked around and true enough, people there are in for some “serious” shopping. so off from rack to rack, floor to floor i go. when i have made my choices, and i want to fit them – another queue… sigh… one of the staff even gave me a cue card stating, i can pay for the stuff first to do away with the hassle of queueing and come back another day (w/n 30days) to exchange if it doesn’t fit. hmmm… sorry, he was not able to sell it to me. so i waited for my turn, as i was waiting, i see several people (mostly men) who are just there to follow around their girl companions which make me think, H&M should have a waiting area for men!

inside the fitting room, after i have put on one clothe after another, i had to sit down inside the fitting room and take a mini break. i’m exhausted! could be the adrenalin of shopping or could ne the crowd…

true enough, another queue at the cashier’s.

in the end, i think the hype is overrated. it is still mass production clothing that can be sold cheaper. maybe i just did not enjoy this month’s items for sale…

what did i bring home with me? :D

a classic beige shirt i can wear at the office…

another classic cardigan for the cooler weather as we get nearer Christmas :)

and my favorite — a beatles shirt :)

in the end, even though i am not very impressed i think i will go back ;-)

roberston quay…

Tags

boomarang bar and bistro, photography, robertson quay, singapore, travel

… is probably my favorite place in singapore. from the singapore guide books i have read, quay would mean by the side of the river and in singapore, there are 3 quays of the city which stretches to separate the colonial buss district (cbd) in the city — boat quay, clarke quay and roberston quay.

robertson quay has a collection of really nice restaurants which can be cozy in the morning for brunch to festive as it turns darker for get togethers.

i am lucky enough to live quite near this place. so it is here where i took my family for brunch, starting with a nice morning walk along muhamed sultan road…

to united st for robertson walk…

and to finally robertson quay… i think this is the only time, none complained of the long walks we had to take during their vacation here :D

we ate at one of my favorite restaurants boomerang bistro and bar. my good friend shana, who is australian took me here for brunch when i moved in december. and the next thing i know, i keep coming back :)

they love the food – we had some antipasto, boomarang meat lover’s pizzza, bbq plate and some pancakes for my nephew… i am glad that they love the place, too!

after brunch, we walked more across the river this time and off to home…

this bridge is a certified eye candy!

i think just like me, they fell in love with the riverside, too…

photos were taken by my family and myself