13 days Spain & Portugal 12-24 October 2013

Joined a packaged tour by Ho Wah Travel which is the cheapest in the market. ($2688 plus $550 taxes)
For that price and using SIA, it was value for money.  Our group of 15 people were a mix of young and some middle aged people. After landing at Barcelona, we waited for nearly 2 hours for the coach bus
to turn up. Luckily, our tour leader was with us. For the mix up, we were given additional point of interest at Park Guel in Barcelona.  The hotels we stayed in were pretty good and clean although it was far from the
city. The best hotel was El Pantio Golf resort, an apartment with 2 rooms, living room and a kitchen.
Places visited include Barcelona,Valencia, Alicante, Granda, Cordoba, Sevilla, Lisbon, Fatima, Coimbra, Salamanca, Madrid, Avilla, Toledo and Zaragoza.
We were also given some Chinese meals. However, as Spain is a big country, there was a lot of travelling, about 4-5 hours per day. Most of the time, we were at the hotel at about 9 pm.  The coach bus was very comfortable as we could occupy 2 seats each.
Overall, I enjoyed this trip as we were given time to shop, dine and go our own way at certain stops.

7 days Taiwan (15-21 Apr 2013)

First time taking Tiger Air. Not to bad. Pretty punctual. However, leg space is a bit cramp. The whole package costs $880 including taxes (only about $50) Land tour for 7 days costs $425. However, the hotels given is of 3 or 4 star quality. There is even one hotel that is rumoured to be haunted. We were also lucky in terms of weather. It only started to rain on the last 2 days of our trip when we were in Taipei.
Enjoyed Cing Jing Farm which is cooling and peaceful.

Chinese swordfighting drama: Return of the Condor Heroes

This 1983 TVB adaptation of Jin Yong's swordplay novel is considered to be one of the best TV version. Andy Lau and Idy Chan play Yang Guo and Xiao Long Nu to perfection. Yang Guo is an orphan and is raised by Kwok Jing and Wong Yung. He is later sent to Wu Tang to learn martial art. However, he is always bullied by fellow disciples. One day, he accidentally enters the "forbidden back mountain" and is rescued by Xiao Long Nu. Xiao Long Nu teaches him martial skills and they slowly develops feelings for each other. This teacher-pupil love is forbidden at that time and they are forced to separate. Yang Guo leaves the "ancient grave" to investigate his father's death and also to look for Xiao Long Nu. Will this ill-fated couple reunite in the end? Watch this serial, to see what heroism and true love is all about.

Look out for the appearances of Stephen Chow, Francis Ng and Bobby Au Yeong as extras in this serial.

Korean drama: Full House

This series is basically for the fans of Song Hye Kyo and Rain (aka Bi). Unlike most Korean weepy show of cancer striken hero/heroine and sad ending, this series at least have a happy ending when the 2 main stars end up together. For a simple story of a couple getting into a contractual marriage and the various scenes involved when they stayed in the same house, 16 episodes are a bit long and some episodes tend to drag and repeat itself. However, the chemistry between the 2 main actors are good.

Korean drama : Dae Jang Geum or Jewel in the Palace

One of the best 2003/2004 korean historical drama, based loosely on a true life of the first female royal physician in the 16th century. A long series at 70 episodes, it depicts the life of Jang Geum (played by Lee Young Ae) , her preservance and determination to overcome all kinds of obstacles and tribulations to become an outstanding royal chef and first women royal doctor to the emperor. Her love story with Min Jeong-Ho adds favour to the plot.
The many scenes of royal cuisine and Korean culture make this series a worthwhile treat.

Korean drama: All in (2003)

A highly recommended 2003 Korean drama with a happy ending. Partly shot in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Cheju Island, the story revolves around 2 men from different family background. Kim In-Ha (Lee Byung Hun) learned how to gamble and cheat when was a little kid from his uncle who is a professional gambler/hustler. Choi Jung-Won (Ji Sung) is the son of a wealthy hotel owner. They became good friends while in High School. However, they got into trouble for killing a gang leader. In-Ha was sent to jail while Jung-Won got cleared because of his father's influence and was sent to a college in America.

Both fell in love with the same girl, Su-Yon (Song Hye Gyo). Who will win the heart of Su-Yon and who will succeed in the tough world of gambling ..... watch this exhilarating drama to find out.
Cast: Lee Byung Hun, Song Hye Gyo, Park Sol Moi, Ji Sung.

Korean drama: Super rookie (2005)

Eric Mun stars as Kang Ho, an average guy with a college degree in physical education from an obscure university. Due to a computer error, Kang Ho passes the recruitment test of a big company with flying colours. This drama centres around his work, love and passion in life . Though Kang Ho is a mediocre and does not have a rich family background, he has many friends who will stand up for him. Kang Ho's high spirits and positive outlook give hope and courage to today's younger generations as they ponder over their life in difficult times.