Hong Kong- Day 3; Check Out

Still aching from the day before but I had to toughen up for the sake of not ruining our brief weekend away together.

It was our last day in HK. Our flight back to KL was scheduled at night and we were due to check out late in the evening. Plenty of time to do some last minute jalan-jalaning and shopping.

But first, BREAKIE! Most important meal of the day...YAY!

There were some pics in front of the Bistro but muka masing-masing penuh and up-close, so tak jadi nak include in my post.

Together at the main chandelier in front of the bistro.

Picture courtesy of dear Husbie. Husbie was being cheeky at breakfast and wouldn't stop teasing me. Hmpphhh... 

After breakfast, we made our way along Nathan Road for some last minute shopping. First stop, Sogo. We tried to buy something for our dads here but couldn't find anything suitable. So we went back to the Icon Mall near our hotel.

There, Husbie continued for some final purchases at HMV. By the way, if you shop at HMV on Mondays, you get to enjoy 10% off from your purchases. This applies to all the items. If we had bought Husbie's turntable and speakers that day, we would have gotten 10% off. It's OK though. We got good service from the HMV in Central and we didn't want to risk rushing about at the last minute.

We then found some nice items for our dear ol' dads. Also, managed to buy some items Husbie's friend asked for his little boy. Alang-alang, beli sekali for my good friends' children. Thank you Husbie.

Now, back to the hotel for a short nap and to finish packing for home.

Hihi...happy with my haul. Loooooooveee them. I've been eyeing Kotur for quite a while on Insta. To finally get my hands on them and on discount to boot was just icing to my cake.

All nicely wrapped and packed.

Bubye Hong Kong. Till' the next visit!

We decided to drop our bags then go in to have lunch. Rupanyer the counter lambat bukak. So we had to wait a few hours and only then we could go in. By this point, my back was so painful I couldn't breathe. Husbie had to hunt down for sum ketotop patches to put on my back and my sides. I was beyond caring and just lifted my blouse a bit higher without showing my bra so that Husbie could apply the patches. I had five on them on my back and sides in total. Husbie at this point was already starving and his fever had started to take its toll. Luckily nak balik KL dah.

The design reminds me of Issey Miyake's tote

Dah drop bag, terus get through the Gate and head to the Food Court. Lucky for us,we didn't have to wait long for seats. For those of you whom have not been in HK airport, be forewarned that it may be challenging to get dining seats as seatings are scarce and are always full. I chop'ed the seats, Husbie went straight to Popeye's. The only halal place there. Popeye's never tasted so good!

Here, I made the mistake of not making the extra effort to go through the long queue to purchase a bottle of mineral water. All we had with the lunch set was Pepsi and since Husbie was in dire need for panadol, I fed him anyway and he took it with Pepsi. Almost immediately he started shaking. Panic jugak! Aduuuh...

He went to the loo to put on his jacket. Baru ok sikit. 

Since we had a bit more time, singgah lar at the Disney HK outlet. 

There was a slight flight delay, so a bit more time to get some mags, miniature perfumes and chocs. 

Some travel tips

Pre-HK

1) Download the MTR app. Really useful for guidance on which line to take . It gives you notification as well if there are any delays on train travel.

2) No visa required to go in HK. However, if you plan to extend your trip to China, make sure you get your visa beforehand.

Upon Arrival

1) Buy the MTR card. Really handy and you can always top up the value.

Post-HK

1) Be reminded that our Customs will randomly flag passengers to check through luggage. 

Despite stating that the things you shopped for is for personal use, they will issue out penalties or tax as according to Customs, there is a quota for each passenger. So cut off your tags beforehand! Also, there's tax for electronics. When the Customs Officer told me they'd have to tax our electronical items, I was livid! I was calm mind you but livid and frustrated.

"Tax aper? GST?"

"No, 30% tax on electrical items."

-_____-"

Lucky for us, we got off with a warning only. Husbie was quiet all the while so I had to take over in dealing with Customs. Aduuuuh, it was almost 1 a.m. and I just wanted to take the Airport Limo asap to go home. So, my take is that if you can wrap it or put it in a nice hand luggage, do so to make it less obvious.

2) Be wary of your surroundings. 

After picking up our luggage at the baggage claim area, the Customs flagged us to go through the scanning machine. Be careful here especially if there are a lot of people going through the scan. 

There were many passengers whom already went through the scan and was waiting at the other end. Then there was this one Indian or Pakistani passenger, kept on picking my luggage at the other end of the scanning machine and putting it in his trolley. When I alerted him that he'd made a mistake and that the luggage was mine, he merely waived to apologise but while I was taking my pink bag out of his trolley, he went on to take the speaker I was carrying which just got through the scanning machine. 

I find it a bit odd that if you've put your own luggage, or even if your friend's luggage from the same group, through the scanning machine, for sure you would have noticed that your friend was not carrying a shocking pink luggage or a speaker in a clear plastic bag. Not your usual 'mistook your luggage for mine' or 'just helping out my friend here' sort of thing. Husbie noticed it and quickly took the bag with the speaker in it from his trolley. Again, I'm not sure if it was a syndicate of any sort or merely an innocent mistake, but it doesn't hurt to be wary at all stages of your travel itinerary, even if you're drop dead tired, suffering through severe back pains or horrible fever at this point.

Hong Kong - Day 2

Bright and sunny morning here in Hong Kong.

Refreshed from our first day out and about in HK, we started the day by having a leisurely breakfast together. So niceeeee...lovey dovey gitu.

Husbie posing sikit yer. It was still too early in the morning for heavy traffic to be seen in the background though.

Wifey pun happy. Sudah bersedia untuk berjalan-jalan sumore...

Kita makan dulu

Yummy breakie. I find I prefer HK food compared to Mainland food. When I was in China, I find their food a tad more oily. Luckily for me, the vegan option here was good and veges in their fried rice were still crisp and sweet.

Why the long queue? I kept wondering as well so my inner-kepochi went ahead and asked one of the waitresses. Supposedly, they were queuing up for these amazing butter cookies by Jenny's Bakery. Googled it and I saw that they come in cute tins and would make nice souvenirs for the peeps back home. Initially, was tempted to buy but after calling Lenny for some local insight, thought better of it. According to him, it's not too bad but only the Mainlanders prefer it more than the locals. They would come in drones to buy in bulk and sell it back home. Oh, forgot to mention, they limit the sale of those butter cookies per person.

Fresh juice everyday. Husbie and I sneaked a few to our room. We found out later there was no need to do so. On our way out, there was this family who just took ALL the ones on display, organised nicely in rattan baskets, at the front of the entrance...seriously, ALL! 

Whereas Husbie and I just took one of two. Itu pun malu-malu and nyorok-nyorok.

After breakfast, we made our way to Landmark. Most shops open at 10.30 am on Sundays. Since we were there a tad early, we jalan-jalan survey-survey ajer dulu. Once opened, first place we went to was Husbie's chosen boutique, which I shall not disclose here. All I can tell you is that Husbie loveeeed them.

Also, a point I'd like to make here is that the branded shoe boutiques here don't have them in stock on site. So what happens is that you try the shoe that you like, order the size you think would fit you e.g. a size or two size smaller/ bigger, wait an hour or two, and they will bring the size that you'd like to try and seriously purchase from their warehouse. A bit of an inconvenience if you're in a hurry. Whilst waiting for mine after trying it out, I forego the idea of buying it afterwards as I found another item where I can purchase immediately and already on site. I must say though that their service is impeccable. They do call and text to say that your item had arrived if you're interested to purchase. 

Jalan-jalan, saw this cute window display. Look at those little hangers!

This was one of the shops which captured Husbie's attention. Mine too, at first, but then I quickly lost interest. Husbie was still eyeing them in detail despite Wifey was already waiting outside the shop. It's nice to look at and all but unless you're a keen collector, with that price, money is better well spent elsewhere.

After more window shopping and me comparing the price of something I have already targeted for myself, we dropped by their grocery outlet before making our way back to the hotel. 

One of my fave things whenever I travel is to go to a grocery store. That's where I can get chocs, biscuits or other local tit bits to munch on or bring home. 

My back was killing me at this point and I thought of just buying a simple bowl of salad/pasta or sandwich to go and head straight back to the hotel without having to make any pitstops. Urghhh, mahal doooohhh! It looks good and all but I'd rather get something at the MTR station.

Lucky for me, on the way back, at the MTR station there was a M&S Food outlet. Ooooh, dah lama tak pekena prawn mayo sandwich and smoked salmon sandwich. Add some crisps and lunch was SETTLED! 

p.s. Truly, food and drinks in HK memang mahal. I've checked with my friends who'd been to HK and all gave the same view. Two bottles of big mineral water I kena around RM20-ish.

So, post afternoon nap and golek-golek/chillax in hotel, sambung jalan-jalan all along Nathan Road/Golden Mile until the end of Nathan Road. Near our hotel is this lovely mosque. I think this is the one which serves Halal Dim Sum in their canteen but you'd have to rush in the morning cos' I hear it's always packed. 

At the end of Nathan Road, we took the MTR to Mongkok cos' Husbie wanted to tour around Sneakers Street. Plenty of choices there but none caught my husband's eye. He did, however, encounter the holy grail among sneaker enthusiasts. Some basketball player's sneakers, sold out in minutes, can never be found ever again, selling at around RM3K a pair. 

"Nak?"

"Taknak ar"

"Wokey!" (My back had begun to hurt again. Kena jalan slow-slow)

That out of the way, we moved on to Ladies' Market. Those whom would like to hone their bargaining skills, you can try them out here. Pricing wise, ok lar. A bit on the expensive side. I was made to understand later that things are much better now in Ladies' Market. Back then, the merchants were rude or trying to cheat you in some way. Reviews in Trip Advisor too had some negative comments. Alhamdulillah, in my case, neither of us had any negative experience while we were there.

We then made our way to Central. I wanted to check out this local shoe boutique frequented by expats, Vickie's. Sizes are European/Mat Salleh sizes and pricing fits the quality. I say around RM200+ a pair. HK's very own version of Charles and Keith I guess. I didn't purchase any. Already got my eye on something I was sure I want to splurge on.

This was the day we purchased Husbie's turntable and speaker from HMV. The salesman was very attentive, gave us a demo and tips on what to get etc, so rather than wait for tomorrow and risk rushing around, we bought it that lovely Sunday evening. 

Since we were both already aching and the very thought of lugging it up the hill to Hard Rock was painful, they didn't mind putting it behind the counter for us and picking them up later.  Yay!

After a slow walk to Hard Rock Cafe, WAJIB the usual touristy pic in front of Hard Rock. Obviously, bought some shirts for ourselves and family members.

Then the painful walk back down to HMV to pick up our stuff. This time, we splurged on a cab to return to the hotel. Thank God! My back was aching so bad that the pain was getting too much and I felt like vomiting. 

Back at the hotel, I laid in a hot bath to soothe my back and still it didn't work. Husbie took pity on me and went out to nearby Chungking Mansion to tapau some biryani for dinner. Serious, I couldn't take one step further out our hotel room.

IT WAS ALL WORTH IT THOUGH! 

We covered more grounds, got what Husbie wanted and reduced the chances of rushing around at the last minute before check-out. 

Awesome Possum :).

A Closeted Romantic

I think men in general prefer to maintain this 'mucho macho'/'romance is dead' persona.

In my case, I must give thanks Husbie is, at most times, a romantic but there are times, a well deserved pinch is in order.

So, we paid a visit to the nearby clinic last night. One of the questions by the doctor was how long have we been married.

"One yeaaarrr...."(looks at Husbie)

"One year six months!" (Husbie)

"Eh, yer ker?"

"What do you mean 'eh, yer ker'?"

Muahahahaha. Sajer testing. Not bad, Husbie actually remembers all these special dates. However, to be honest, it should have been "One year SEVEN months" sayang...

Just sayin'... :p

A Good Start to Ramadhan

Ramadhan is here again. Alhamdulillah, our second Ramadhan together as husband and wife.

Pre-Ramadhan evening, I was already stressful figuring out how to best manage my time with work, cooking dinner on time for berbuka for both Husbie and I and making the best out of of my Ramadhan. 

Husbie surprised me at work with the intention to take me home early. Unfortunately, I was still tied up with work when he got to my workplace. He actually came to my work place with boxes of medjool dates.  One of them was for my clerk. So nice and thoughtful of him.

This dates give away continued at home. We went around to our neighbours to give away boxes of dates. I must admit, I tak terpikir pun nak buat macam tu to start off our Ramadhan. I'm so glad he did though and I must admit it is a nice way to start off our second Ramadhan together.

Selamat berpuasa everyone! Ramadhan Kareem.

Hong Kong - Still Day 1 (WARNING! LONG POST)

Below is a short narrative of how at the beginning of the trip, my itinerary more or less went out the window.

Moi': Hi Hong Kong! I'm so excited to be here and am looking forward to exploring your city during our short stay here.

Hong Kong: Hi Jannah. Good to hear that! What do you have planned?

Moi': Oh, nothing too tiring. Just mere introductory excursions here and there...To get to the feel of Hong Kong. We're skipping Disneyland and Ocean Park for now and saving it for the next trip to your lovely City. For this trip, I included visits to Kowloon, the Peak, Avenue of Stars, Mong Kok, Hollywood Road, Causeway Bay, Stanley Beach and some parks and gardens if we have the time. Not forgetting the Light Show too.

Hong Kong: Oh, that's love...(queue Husbie's entrance)...ly

Husbie: Wait a minute! That's nice and all but I have another agenda in mind. We're going shopping all the waaayyyy

Moi' : Say whaaaa.... (Already worried about budget)

Hong Kong: Eitherway works for me...Enjoy shopping!

Ok, so HE shopped most of the time. Of course I shopped a bit here and there but this time round, I prefer him lavishing on himself. It's nice to see Husbie enjoying the trip and getting those brands not available or updated in KL.

So, after freshening up, we took a stroll on Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. The mall in front of our hotel had an HMV, so you can imagine how happy we both were after ages of not having access to it post-UK. Husbie wanted a turn-table for a long while and the ones in Malaysia are either old, limited or not to his liking. If one catches his eye, too expensive pulak. However, for the first day, no shopping yet as we both agreed to survey first and decide on what we would like to get for ourselves. Nak shopping-shopping still kena within reason and budget.

Happy yeeeer?

Among the turntables we surveyed

At the Peninsula...Hong Kies must be super rich!

Survey-survey ajer dulu

Snaking our way in and out of the many shopping centres in Tsim Sha Tsui, we came upon Sogo. Before coming to HK, I did some research on local Hong Kong brands thinking maybe I'd get lucky and purchase something nice and original from HK without having to revert to the usual magnets, T-Shirts and other touristy souvenirs. Funny enough, Sogo in HK carries most of their international and local brands that are not to, my take, our Malaysian Sogo standards. 

"Maybe dekat-dekat ajer and not in Sogo itself kot?"

Kira-kira pricing pun very expensive. Cannot be...Nevermind, better to see it for myself since I'm here anyway. 

Lo and behold, Sogo HK manyak branded stuff woooor. They don't sell their branded watches in a special boutique. It's just open with an allocated section making it easy for people to browse without feeling pressured or hounded in any way.  I like it cos' it gives off that casual feeling of free and easy to browse from one brand to another. You like bags? Vivienne Westwood pun slumber dog just a section. Nice!

According to Husbie, the Hong Kies maintain their Sogo as per the original one in Japan. Ours is much Malaysianised and when you think Sogo, you can't help but think shopping galore and can borong cos' affordable and reasonably priced or cheap. Especially during Member's Sales. Not in HK's case! 

Nonetheless, we were lucky as they have started to have sales all over just it's not as grand as the Summer Sale usually held in late June. Husbie finally got a spectacle frame for himself which is exactly to his liking for a good price. It was at this point we discovered that there are no sales tax in HK. 

"No VAT? Nothing to claim at the airport?"

"None."

We then made our way to Harbour City to kill some time before meeting my old friends from Manchester. Lenny and Val were busy at Stanley Beach during the day. Lenny was occupied with his dragon boat competition and Val being his cheerleader. 

So, after exchanging whatsapps and getting directions on where to meet, we made our way to Central. By the time we were in Central, I was uncomfortable in my clothes. Lucky for me, M&S was having a sale so I went ahead and bought a whole new set of fresh clothes just for our special date with Lenny and Val... ;p

Once meeting Lenny and Val at the designated location, we went ahead for ice cream at PMQ. Sorry no pictures here. I was too busy enjoying my friends' company and chatting over ice-cream. PMQ is one of those hippy malls with street markets ala-ala the Curve. PMQ used to be an old police station but rather than tear it down, they converted it into a shopping mall allowing local designers to set up shop.

One of the shops I wanted to visit was HOMELESS which is basically a funky home-dec and furniture shop. It's not in PMQ but in Central area. That night we walked about the surrounding area and went to two HOMELESS outlets in Central before dinner. 

Lenny and Val took us to this nice place with a colonial ambiance serving authentic Hongkie food. Yummers and even more yummers with good company. During dinner, we saw many of the customers partaking this HUGE puff pastry. Like really...HUGE...blown out of proportion HUGE. We were tempted especially Val but we knew we wouldn't be able to finish it. 

By the time we made it back to the hotel, we were sore, tired and aching but damn puas hati wooor....a good start to our brief stay in HK. More grounds to cover in Day 2...wohoooo...

Me trying to look fresh but still sweaty by the time we reached the MId-Level Escalators. 

Husbie cannot cover his sweaty forehead. So shiny!

Manchester Law Grad Year 2005 UNITE! And one waaay SENIOR Manchester Law Student Year XXXX...hahah..he could still relate when we gossiped about some of our old lecturers though...

A Weekend Getaway - Hong Kong, Day 1

Husbie had been away for a week for a course in Shenzen, China. At the start of the week, the "Holiday" theme song repeated itself in my head. As the week progressed, the tune waned and I was beginning to hate sleeping with the lights on at night...rindu lar jugak tewwwww...

So, as planned, we decided to meet up in Hong Kong for a mini holiday for some quality time.

My plane in the background

Taking the early flight out so as to have more time to spend in HK, Husbie coincided his arrival in HK so that he can pick me up at the airport. Ain't that sweet? 

While waiting for my flight, took some videos and sent them via watsapp to Husbie.

"Penuhnyeeer muka!!! Husbie away makan best-best ker?"

- _____ -"

First sighting of HK

Hello Hong Kong!

Yay! Husbie Wifey UNITE!

So at the gate, Husbie was happily waiving about so that his wife would not miss him! I was super happy to see him happy to see me too...so all this rindu tahap gediks is not one sided...hihihi...

We made our way to our hotel via the MTR. Seriously damn convenient. That was how we got around in HK most of the time. We opted for Holiday Inn, Nathan Road. Usually as far as I am aware, Holiday Inn has a bit of a dodgy reputation in terms of service but with HK's there have been many good reviews. We too found out later that apart from the hotel being super convenient in terms of location, their service is superb.

Our free up-grade...YAY!

Sampai-sampai makan kat sini...makan kat mana?

SYED BISTRO...ubatkan rindu dan kempunan makanan Malaysia SOMEBODY! Memang triple the price of what we get in KL.

The Hotel was nice enough to welcome us two lovebirds with cheesecake, strawberries and cream and chocs. At first they included champagne but since we don't drink, they switched it with chocs.

See how thick the cheese is???!!! Nyumsss