ED Unloaded

You are invited to a sneak peek at a upcoming blockbuster exhibition at the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) … The Treasury of the World is THE exhibition of the year at the museum…

Wow! When I saw the email invite, I was curious! A blockbuster exhibition? Treasury of the WORLD?

When I read on, I realised this is no ordinary collection! It has been shown in the British Museum in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Louvre in Paris… and now for the first time in Asia—in Singapore!

I’m no historian, but when I read about what would be shown at this collection, I really wanted to see the artefacts up close!

So along with Nicole, we went for this exclusive sneak peek! Ooohh it was a night of Indian Culture! We had a short introduction to the Mughal Empire – one of the wealthiest dynasties ever in the world.

Some interesting facts:

- the Mughal rulers lived lavishly. Everything they owned was jewelled with precious stones. Check out the dagger…

It’s adorned with rubies, diamonds, emeralds, ivory and agate! And that round ball-looking thing? That’s a mouthpiece for a smoking pipe. It’s just good ol’ rubies that they used!

- the Mughals loved life and lived it to the fullest! They smoked pipes, and collected art pieces.

- the Mughals were passionate people. The famous Taj Mahal was built by a Mughal emperor, out of his love for his beloved queen. One of the rulers who had a harem of 5,000!

After the presentation, we were treated to an Indian dance performance, and were even taught basic dance steps! (See how shy Nicole was!

Nicole had a blast as she bravely offered her leg to the Henna artist. We had to convince her one leg is enough! She wanted her hands and legs and face drawn!

Artist at work:

Near completion:

Check out Nathan—our little Mughal prince! (much thanks to ACM for the turban)

I can’t wait for the exhibition when it runs from 12 February-27 June! The whole family would be going down to see how the Mughals lived, try their clothes, taste their food, and have a hand at some jewellery designing. I know Mummy is definitely going to check out those precious stones!

FREE TICKETS TO THE MUSUEM

AND… I have 5 pairs of tickets to give away to my readers!

To qualify, simply leave a comment on this post by completing this sentence (less than 50 words):

“I have a bit of the Mughals in me because … …”

Please send in your entries by 5 Feb 2010, 2300hrs .

Winners will be announced on 7 Feb 2010.

Valentine’s Day Contest

Well, that’s not all! The museum is having a Valentine’s Day contest for visitors in February.

In celebration of the Mughals’ passion, ACM is giving one lucky visitor a chance to win a prize of a venue sponsorship of ACM’s River Terrace and River Room. The location is ideal for a wedding, anniversary party, or any special occasion! Look at the pictures!

To win, simply fill in a contest form stating your favourite artefact and why. You can drop in your form into a box at the end of the exhibition. More information is available at the museum. The contest closes on 28 Feb 2010.

So quickly send in your entries to win those tickets!

Below are additional details about the exhibition:

Date: 12 February to 27 June 2010

Venue: Asian Civilisations Museum, 1 Empress Place, Singapore 179555

Website: www.acm.org.sg

Admission charges: $8 (adults) / $4 (concession); Family packages at $20 for up to 5 pax. Free admission for children aged 6 and below and seniors aged 60 and above.

Opening hours: Mon 1 p.m. – 7 p.m., Tues to Sun 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. (to 9 p.m. on Fri)

Tips for Parents:

On the 27 & 28 March, ACM is organizing a weekend festival for the Treasury of the World.

It’s going to be carnival time as you get to try out the Mughals’ favourite past-time of archery, and get to watch live performances of song & dance!

Cool Yah!!! See you at the ACM!

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I hope that you guys can put up with me, as this will be my last post about Korea…Hopefully, this info will be useful to you guys, when you go over to Seoul.

Besides the Dongdaemun Markets, one of the places to visit in Seoul Korea, is Namdaemun Market.

The market is located next to Namdaemun, which means "Great South Gate," and was the main southern gate to the old city. The location of the market is within a 10 minute walk from Seoul metropolitan station and is even closer to the subway (Hoehyeon Station, Line 4).

Namdaemun market is the largest and the oldest in Korea, and therefore you can find particularly everything here. From Luggage bags to pots and pans, this is the place where Koreans buy their daily necessities.

Parents will also find this place interesting, as this is the place where you can buy cheap clothes for your children. Yes!!! Lots of children’s clothes and shoes as well!

Being a wholesale market, this is the place to be if you are looking for affordable prices. However, as it was winter, there were not many choices for us! (If you are looking for children’s toys in Korea, head down to Dongdaemun Market)

Besides the clothes and homeware that you can find, you can also find lots of street food there.

Street food seems even more tasty in winter, as it is so cold, and the food really warms you up.

Don’t know what the hot meat is called, but it looks like “Dog meat” to me! Jiahui loves beef, and therefore she really enjoyed the hamburger meat.

The locals seem to really love their waffles as well! We saw a lot of kids eating these waffles, as they were walking along the streets. We bought this waffle with chocolate topping at the nearby Metro (MRT) station.

One of the best food places that I visited, was this Korean Restaurant which sold Fried Chicken (Called Tongdak). I am a real lover of KFC, and therefore we really went out of way to find the restaurant. Besides Tongdak, the restaurant is also famous for Samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup).

The YeongYang Centre is situated in Myeong dong and it was established in 1960. As it is highly recommended by the locals, it was a “Must Try” restaurant for us!

We followed the directions from the website, but unfortunately we could not find the restaurant!

Yeong Yang Centre

-Open: 10:30 am ~ 10:00 pm daily
-Closed: Chinese New Year’s holidays, Chuseok holidays
-Telephone: 02-776-2015
-Menu: Tongdak 12,000, Samgyetang 12,000
-How to Get There: From Exit 5 of Myeongdong Station (Subway Line No. 4), walk about 50 meters along Myeongdong-daero to the first intersection (near Pascucci coffee shop). Turn left and walk about 50 meters. The restaurant is next to Kaist optician’s.

We left frustrated and we went to another restaurant instead. The next day, we came back to the Myeong Dong,  and this time round, though a divine stroke of luck, we found it!

It is only then that we realized that the restaurant had shifted and it was now situated about 100m away, in another alley. We were only able to find it, as they had employed guides to bring customers to the new location!

Was it worth the search?

Well, I love chicken and my wife loves soup, so it was definitely worth it!

If u are tired of eating the other local food like Kimchi and Bim Bim Bug, then give this restaurant a try!

They also serve a local favourite, where they have Ginseng Chicken Soup. The dish is a little different from the local ones found in Singapore, as rice is found within the chicken! Give this dish a try, especially during winter, as the soup really warms you up!

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One of the most interesting places that I visited on this trip to Seoul, Korea is the Noryangjin Fish Market. Accessible by the Metro, this wholesale market is definitely an eye-opener for this warm water Singaporean.

Despite the snow, we made our way to this market, and it was definitely a sight to behold.

This 66,000 square meter facility houses over 700 shops selling fresh and dried fish and squid from 15 fishing ports around Korea. It also includes numerous restaurants, an auction floor, and an adjacent agricultural section.

In fact, the moment I was near the market, I smelt the familiar “pong” of raw fish! This smell is rather “painful” for us city dwellers, and it takes a while to get used to.

But, as you venture towards the stalls, my eyes “popped” when I saw the size of the sea creatures!

Check out the Crabs! They were Cheap…A Singaporean’s dream come TRUE!

This Octopus is BIGGER than a dog found staying in a HDB flat. looks huge and YUMMY!

Check out the size of its tentacles.

Frankly, I thought that these fish creatures were fed with STEROIDS!

Anyone for Sting Ray? Imagine them serving you this creature at Newton Circus!

The best thing about the market, is that you can choose your fish, and the stall holders will cook the fish for you ON THE SPOT!

Check out the fish monger picking out a fish, that a customer selected:

Prices are quoted according to market forces! Check out the LED board, indicating the prices of the day!

That day, we looked for our favorite salmon, and we ordered some dinner.

It wasn’t that difficult to speak with the stall holders, as some of them even spoke mandarin.

It costs us S $25 dollars, for one of those chunks of salmon, and it tasted great with Wasabi.

The wholesale fish market is definitely worth a visit and it would be great to go in a big group. Our friends who went earlier managed to order a lot of seafood, as they had more stomachs to sample the food. The Alaskan Crabs looked too BIG, for the 2 of us, and hence we only had salmon that day.

Noryangjin market is open from 3:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., retailers work every day while wholesalers take off Sundays and holidays.

Hours:
01:00 ~ 18:00 (wholesale auction)
07:00 ~ 20:00 (dried fish)
24 hours (raw fish)
Open throughout the year
Directions: Subway line 1, Noryangjin Station

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Sorry guys but I have been very busy, and I have not had the time to update the blog very often.

My wife has also been “bugging” me to finish the posts about Hong Kong, and so here is my part 2 on Disneyland

A Part of the park that the kids enjoyed was Fantasyland. This is the place where you will find the famous “Castle” backdrop.

The rides in “Fantasyland” are really targeted at “Pre-schoolers”, and so the kids really enjoyed themselves here. They had fun at the “Winnie the Pooh” ride, “Dumbo” and of course the turning “Tea Cups”

4 year old Nicole enjoyed this part of the park the best, as she got to take pictures with her heroes!

Nic was so tickled that she got to rub noses with Minnie Mouse…she still talks about it today!

Nicole loved her photo with Cinderella the most!

Mummy told Cinderella that Nicole has something to tell her.

Cinderella kneeled down, and said “Hello Sweetie!”…

Nicole went, “I love you!” …

I think Cinderella was shocked by her sudden boldness, but she told Nicole, “I love you too!”

My little girl still tells me that Cinderella calls her “Sweetie!”

Do bear in mind, that photos with Mickey and the “Princesses” will involve long queues. Sometimes, u need to wait for 15-30mins, just to get a Kodak moment with these famous characters.

Meanwhile, the adults really enjoyed this 3D show in Fantasyland called “Philhar Magic”

We had to wear the Big “Ultra Cool” 3D glasses for this show, but it was well worth it. Besides having the normal 3D effects, where the character “jumps” out at you, the show tries to integrate all your senses in the show.

When the show is about “Food” – they blow the smell of food into the hall…

When the show involves “Water” – water is squirted at you, to make you feel like the puddles were really being splashed.

It made the show a real “sensory experience”, which got all of us smiling and laughing throughout the show.

Other shows included a “Disney at Hollywood” show.

The show featured all their musicals and their famous cartoons like “Toy Story”, “Mulan”, “Beauty and the Beast”.

It was entertaining, but the main script of the show was in Cantonese, and sometimes we had to read the subtitles to catch what they saying.

At nightfall, we headed for Main Street, and waited for the fireworks.

Unfortunately, we missed the Main Street Parade, as there wasn’t a parade in the winter, except during the Xmas Holidays.

By this time, the kids were getting tired, and it was time to go home!

We caught the fireworks on the way out of the park and they were beautiful! I can’t imagine how they can have fireworks every night at the park!

Hopefully, it truly created a magical ending and a memorable experience for the adults and the kids!

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How can you go to Hong Kong and not eat Dim Sum?

Dim Sum is the traditional food for weary travellers on the Silk road, and it has developed into one of the favourite foods of the Chinese people.

Dim Sum is widely available in Hong Kong, and you don’t have to search very hard for a Dim Sum restaurant.

We tried 2 restaurants during our stay in Hong Kong, and for our 1st stop, we headed for the oldest Dim Sum Restaurant in Hong Kong.

Tak Yu Restaurant

Tak Yu is probably one of Hong Kong’s oldest existing restaurants… It first opened its doors sometime in the 1920s. Well, we really wanted to try out what eating in an old-school Cantonese restaurant is like!

Here is a picture of the restaurant’s lobby. Looks like an old movie theatre, and something out of a old Hong Kong serial. It was iconic!

There is nothing fancy or impressive about the décor here, just the usual Cantonese restaurant style: large hall with round tables.

An ironic detail about this restaurant is that it is so old, that even the place is filled old people!

No…I kid you NOT! We were truly the youngest people in the place.

It is probably because the decor is really ancient, and all the younger people have moved on to a more “happening” restaurant.

How was the food?

Average! BUT it was better than many of the Dim Sum restaurants in Singapore, and it a good place for one to get familiar with the local food. (the patrons at Tak Yu are there daily for their breakfast fix! The only thing missing were their bird cages!)

Most importantly, the prices are not expensive, and items are moderately priced. It usually costs than HK$50 per person in most cases.

English Speaking Tourists please take note: You will need to be able to speak Cantonese to survive in this restaurant. As the waiters are older, don’t expect to have a long conversation with the waiters.

Address:

378 Shanghai Street (corner of Pitt), Yau Ma Tei (a few minutes walk from Yau Ma Tei MTR station)

Our 2nd Stop:

We had a friend who worked in Hong Kong for 2 years and we seeked her advice on the best Dim Sum restaurants on the island. Celeste did not disappoint, and her recommendations were spot on!

This restaurant is equivalent to a ‘Hai Tien Lo’ restaurant in Singapore, so don’t expect an inexpensive meal when you come here.

Che’s Cantonese Restaurant

Located in a office building, my wife thought she led us to the wrong place when we first arrived. But take the lift to the 4th floor, and you will find this lovely lobby awaiting you.

This excellent restaurant specializes in Cantonese cuisine and is well-known for its splendid Dim Sum offerings, and it is considered to be among the best in Hong Kong. It’s a boutique restaurant, so locals with discerning taste buds and want privacy from the hustle and bustle go there!

Seriously, we knew that this restaurant was going to be good, but we did not know how good!

We ordered the porridge first:

This plain looking “gruel” was delicious! The texture was fine and smooth, and the moment you tasted it – you knew that it was not cheap Teochew Porridge at Balestier Road.

The porridge was truly satisfying, and it is better than the ones found in the regular Singapore Cantonese restaurants!

We ordered some of the traditional Dim Sum favourites next. The Siew Mai and Ha Gao were delicious, and were always a crowd pleaser – even with the kids.

But the food that really got me “raving” on and on was the “polo char siew” bun!

I have never tried any of the Singapore versions and I always wondered what the big fuss was about …

However, my mental paradigms changed when I tried this bun!

When served hot, you will taste the sweetness of the sugar baked into the bun.

Sinking your teeth into the middle portion of the bun, you will find the most savoury char siew ever.

This bun is so delicious, that we even contemplated packing them home to Singapore!

Everyone gave the “thumbs up” for this dish!

  After trying the “polo char siew” bun… all the other food seemed to go “downhill”!

Not that they were of inferior quality, but it was because the bun surpassed all the rest – that we kept on talking about it.

However, according to my wife, who really loves “chicken feet” , the fong zhao there was also very good. I can’t imagine myself eating some animals feet, so did not really try…but surprisingly Nicole tried it and she loves it!

How was the food?

If you have the money, you have got to go to this restaurant. The food here is really good and I am not kidding! And most importantly, you have got to try the polo char siew bun!

But be careful of what you order:

After trying a few dishes, we became adventurous and did not really look at the prices when we ordered the food.

We ordered some glutinous rice. This is usually a relatively inexpensive dish in Singapore, but the moment we sank out teeth into the rice…we found very expensive ingredients.

First, we found scallops…then we found abalone!…:)

As a result, our bill came up to about Sing $32 dollars per person!

But if I get a chance to go back to Hong Kong – I will be saving all my money, and heading for this restaurant!

Address:

4^th Floor, The Broadway, 54-62 Lockhart Rd., Wan Chai         

Open daily for lunch (12 noon – 3 pm) and dinner (6 pm – 12 midnight).

Phone: 2528 1123 (good to call in advance to make reservations!)

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We’re back from a really good but tiring trip!! One of the highlights of this trip was the hotel we stayed in!

Presenting to you—Cityview Hotel!

It was SOOOO easy to get to the hotel. From the airport, we took the Airport Express to Kowloon Station. We heard that even the locals take this express train… makes you wonder how cab drivers earn their airport dollar!

At Kowloon, look for the Airport Express Shuttle Bus K5. This bus which comes every 15 min, is FREE and it sends you straight to Cityview Hotel!

Btw, we saw our first interesting signage on the bus:

It seems that you can’t talk to the bus driver – Not that we really wanted to as well! ….Our Cantonese is not that proficient

After we checked in, we rushed up to our rooms to see what the rooms were like… Look!

Not bad eh? It costs HK680 (S$125) per night excluding taxes. Considering we are close to peak season, this was very affordable.

ED thinks that it is very small (as compared to our room in Malacca, Malaysia)  He says that it is only slightly bigger than our hotel room in Paris.

However, the room was very clean. It had the regular Bar Fridge (empty inside), Room Safe, complimentary coffee & tea, electric kettle, and Wall-mounted LCD TV. The bathroom had only shower facilities (good water pressure, regular hot water!), and of course the usual toiletries.

We put the beds together, and our whole family slept on this makeshift Double Bed. There was enough space for our two large suitcases to be left open on the floor, and still enough for the kids to dance and prance around.

Now the most exciting bit was the LOCATION of this hotel! It is is Yau Ma Tei area, which is smacked in between two HOT shopping spots – Tsim Sha Tsui and Mongkok. AND AND AND, the hotel is ONE minute walk away from Yau Ma Tei MTR station.

In this ONE minute, you walk pass a 7-11 store (where you can buy food/drinks/top-up Train Ticket), and 2 other food stalls! It is also next to a school and hospital. So walking back late at night is safe as the street is brightly lit. There’s also a security check at the hotel’s main door after 11 p.m.!

So if you’re looking for a decent and safe place to stay in Kowloon, we strongly recommend Cityview!

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