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.

Korean drama: Wonderful life (2005)

When holidaying in Singapore, two young college students (played by Kim Jae Won and Eugene) got drunk and had a one-night stand. As a result, Eugene became pregnant and in conservative Korea, had to get married although both do not love each other. This story revolves around how this young couple overcome their shortcomings and immaturity to raise their child together. Their little girl was later diagnosed with leukemia and both of them were devastated. Will their little girl recover and will they be together as a family? Watch this warm and family-oriented drama.

Korean drama: Successful story of a bright girl

This is a story of a young village girl Yang Soon (Jang Nara) who is raised by her grandmother as her parents are con artists. To help pay for her parents’ debts, She has to work as a maid in the home of Han Ki Tae (Jang Hyuk), the spoiled and bad tempered president of a cosmetics company. From a rich man, Ki Tae later becomes a bankrupt when his friend, Joon Tae, conspires and usurps his company. Yang Soon helps him during this period and Ki Tae plans to win back his company with the help of his friends. Will he succeed and will his romance with Yang Soon bear fruits? Watch this light-hearted and refreshing drama.

Korean drama: I am sorry I love you

Cha Moo Hyuk (So Ji Sup) is a man who faces death everyday with two bullets struck in his head after a mishap in his adopted country, Australia. He returns home to Korea to die and to search for his mother. He is shocked to find out that his biological mother is a rich former actress with a pop star son, Choi Yun. He plots revenge to destroy his mother and brother. In the process, he falls in love with his brother’s programme coordinator, Song Eun Chae (Im Soo Jung).
This is a sad and touching story of a son/mother, boy/girl relationship. Be prepared for the use of lots of tissues towards the end of the drama.

Cafe Georges at LeMeridien Hotel

 
A convenient location at Orchard Road for gathering and meeting with friends.
At S$22.00+++, it is value for money for high tea from 12 noon to 5.00 pm. The high tea buffet spread includes dim sum, nasi lemak, cakes, mee siam, Chinese Congee, curry chicken, etc. The mee siam is a bit salty and the dim sum quite bland. Overall, the food is not up to the hotel standard.
Service is excellent with the waitress clearing your plates promptly. However, if you want a cup of coffee or tea, you have to remind the staff to fill up.
If you have a Citibank credit card, you can get a 20% discount. Overall, the ambience of the cafe is good for chit chat and gathering.

Tiffany Coffee House at Furama Hotel

The high tea buffet is one of the longest in Singapore from 11.30 am to 5.30 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. The spread is also wide and features both local and Western food. For the net price of S$20.75, it is also very reasonable for a hotel environment and a good place to chit chat with a group of friends for 6 hours. However, the standard of food has dropped over the years and it is not so crowded as before.

Food junction at Century Square, Tampines

Went to Food Junction yesterday, 20 Sept 2007 for lunch at 2.30 pm. Ate at the stall selling Punggol Mee Goreng at $4.00. Quite a big plate with 2 prawns and some sotong. Tasted pretty good.

Checkers Brasserie, Hilton Hotel

High tea on Saturday from 12 - 4 pm. Price: $37++ (15% discount for UOB card holders)
Was recommended to this place by my colleague who liked the free flow of fruit juices and cakes. Went there with a group of 10 on 16 May 2009. Had to book in advance using my credit card number. In the event of no show, the hotel will charge you on your credit card! Was not happy with this arrangement as the security of your credit card number is at stake.
Food wise, for a pricey, exclusive place like HIlton, you would expect better and more refined food. Was disappointed to say that some of the food were not fresh and the coffee served was below average. Even had to ask for milk before it was given to you! The meehoon was very salty and some of the spread for example yong tau foo, noodle and chicken porridge, were like hawker food. As for fruit juice, you are limited to only two choice at one time. The only saving grace is the cake and dessert. Even then, some of the popular cake ran out and was not replenished.

7 days Korea tour (21-27 Sep 2012)

Joined a package tour organised by Hong Thai at S$1277 (including $378 taxes). This promotional price  is booked at the
Travel Fair and Korea Tourism Organisation gave us some souvenirs including a scarf, purse and some facial masks.

Our group only had 10 members and we were given a big bus to bring us around.  Overall, the weather was pretty cool
although it is a bit early for autumn leaves.

It was a rather relaxing tour with only 3-4 hours drive to Yong Pyong at Gangwon.  We stayed one night each at 5 star Yong
Pyong and Oak Valley Resort at Wonju. Most of our tour members were punctual and there was not much waiting or queuing
for toilets.  Because of the typhoon, our rail Bike at Jeongseon Auraji was replaced by Lotte World.  Our 2 night stay at Seoul
was at Three Seven Stay Hotel at Yeouido instead of Coop Residence at Dongdamun.  You need to take a taxi
to do shopping at night.

Overall, it is value for money package and best of all, there is no photographer to take pictures unlike most Korean tours.

Guilin trip (15 Oct-22 Oct 2005)

 
Went on a 8 day trip to Guangxi including Guilin and Detian Waterfalls. Paid about S$599 + S$230 (airport taxes).
On the whole, it was value for money as the normal tour price was S$788. Food was surprisingly good and the hotels though 3 star, were clean and conveniently located in the city area. Had to pay another $100 for optional tours. These include 2 shows:  Impression Liu SiaJie and Dreamlike LiJiang, night scene in Guilin,  Bamboo raft in Yangshuo and a free foot & body massage.
The worst thing about conducted tour was the visit to medicine factory, silk factory, crystal and jade factories, etc. There was no time limit for these visit and group members were obliged to buy some thing so that the tour guide/driver can get some commission out of our purchase.

East Hokkaido tour (20-26 July 2007)

 
The package tour by Chan Brothers costs S$1988+231 (taxes). There were about 28 in our group. Overall the food (mostly buffet style) and accommodation was good.  The most enjoyable is the outdoor Onsen overlooking the Okhotsk Sea and with the stars and moon to gaze. The highlight of the tour is of course Furano, with lavender and other flowers in bloom around  this period. Places covered include Sapporo, Furano, Sounkyo, Tokachigawa, Kushiro, Lake Akan, Abashiri, Utoro, Shiretoko National Park, Lake Mashu, Nakashibetu, Mt Lozan and Tokyo.
The Burberry blue label at Tokyo is worth a buy. It is only sold in Japan and the price is reasonable for a branded product (about $250-300).

Qinghai-Tibet tour (31 Aug-9 Sept 2007)

 
This 10 day tour organised by Jun-Air Travel cost $2166 + 240 (taxes).  About 25 people with an age range of 42-76 joined this group tour.  There was no local tour leader and we even had to collect our air tickets from the travel agency one week before departure. We arrived in  Chengdu via Air China around 12 noon on 31 Aug. After lunch, we began our tour of Jinli Street. Our next stop is the typical Chinese medical hall whereby we were given "free foot massage". The staff there tried to soft sell their medical products. As Chengdu was the only opportunity to shop, we expected to be driven back to our hotel after dinner. However, the local guide insisted that we all had to watch an optional night performance (either Changing Face or Jinsha musical) as they were not paid by their company to shuttle us around. They only got their commission from our shopping and night show attendance. As most of us were tired and had to be at the airport before 6 am and since this performance was not in our itinerary, many of us insisted that we be driven back to the hotel. As it was an optional tour, we had the right not to go. After arguing and reasoning with the guide and driver, all but 9 of us went for the show after dinner. After collecting money from 16 members and escorting them to the show, the guide came back to the bus and demanded that the 9 of us had to pay Y80 (S$16) to cover their operating cost. We refused to pay unless we were given official receipt from their tour company! For more than 2 hours, we were told to wander the streets until the performance ended. When we reached the hotel at nearly 10:30 pm, the driver refused to unload the luggage from the bus. Our trip started off in a sour note and I can only caution those joining tours to China to choose more reputable tour agency so as to minimise "optional tour" hassle and unnecessary shopping stops for Chinese medicine, jade/crystals, Chinese tea, etc.
Our next stop, Xining was pretty smooth sailing. The guide and driver were honest and not cunning and sly as those from Chengdu.  We visited Qinghai Lake and Qingzhen Temple. The guide even reimbursed Y60 (S$12) for our train meal. One member suggested that we gave this money as tips for the driver and guide.  The guide was so thankful that she even sent us to the train heading for Lhasa!
The scenery from Golmud to Lhasa was spectacular. Besides passing through Kunlun Mountain, Tangula Mountain, KoKo River, we also sighted herd of yaks and sheep on the grassland.  We even spotted snow fall along the way. The train climbed to the highest point of over 5,000 metres at Tangula Mountain.
The highlight of the tour was the Potala Palace. Had to climb 228 steps to reach the palace at an altitude of over 3,700 m. From next Apr. 2008, there is rumour that Potala Palace may be closed to the public.
The Yarlung River Gorge in Linzhi was a disappointment. After a roller coaster ride of 8 hours, we only reached the foot of the gorge. Maybe in 3-5 years' time, it will be more developed and you can see more of the Gorge.
In spite of some hiccups and hardship (smelly and primitive toilets, poor to average tour food, etc.),  the friendly and cooperative tour members plus the once in a lifetime experience of "roof of the world" and beautiful and unspoilt landscape, more than make up for the trip.

Zhangjiajie, China tour (19-26 April 2008)

 

First time I joined Commonwealth Travel for a package 8 day tour to Zhangjiajie. Although slightly more expensive than other tour agencies, their itinerary is more comprehensive. However, though the counter staff promises 4 star hotel, we only get 3 star hotels in some places. The food given throughout was also pretty cheap consisting of vegetables, toufu and eggs with freshwater fish throw in. The only good food is in Guangzhou.
It was just our luck that we flew the day after a typhoon visited Guangzhou. Our connecting flight to Zhangjiajie was delayed due to tropical storm in the area. In spite of receiving news that the airport was closed, the pilot of the China Southern Airlines insisted on flying there after more than one hour of delay. However, after midnight, we were told that due to bad weather in Zhangjiajie, the plane had to detour to Guilin. We were kept in the plane to await further information about the weather. At about 1 am, the announcement came through that the weather had cleared and it will take about half an hour to fly to Zhangjiajie.  The flight was quite bumpy throughout and water had to be rationed . After more than 2 hours flight time, we were told that we would be flying back to Guangzhou!!  This time, we were allowed to disembark from the plane and check in to a hotel to wait for further notice. By the time, we reached the hotel, it was about 5 am in the morning and before we had a proper sleep, we were interrupted by a morning call at 6:30 am, telling us to go back to the airport!  All this could have been avoided if the pilot and staff of China Southern made the decision not to fly and risk our life in the first place. If we were to fly Singapore Airlines, I think the scenario would be diferent. Hoped that the insurance company can compensate us for this 12 hour delay!
Apart from this frightening start, the rest of the tour were quite smooth sailing. Zhangjiajie has become quite a commercial destination with lots of local and foreign  tourists flocking there even if it is not a peak season. Had to queue to take photos of favourite spot and to take the cable car.  Because of the long queue in petrol stations for diesel, we were not able to make a toilet stop while enroute Yueyang. (4 hours journey). 

7 days Tohoku (Japan) trip from 18-24 April 2009

 
Lucky to be able to see Cherry blossom which came early this year in Japan. Tohoku is in the northern part of Honshu. At the promotional price of S$2,000 (including $142 airport taxes), this ANA package is quite a good deal. Compared to last year's (2008) airport tax of over $500 for the same package, I am glad that I did not go in 2008. 
Our group tour of 32, comprised mainly young couples on their honeymoon and older people who had been to Hokkaido and Tokyo.  In Tokyo, we visited Asakusa Kannon Temple, Nakamise Shopping street and 100 Yen shop. 
Some of the places visited include Lake Chuzenji and Nikko Toshogu, Tsuruga Castle and Aizu Samurai residence, Aizu Sake history museum and Mt Limori in Fukushima.
The strawberry pick at Gaburi Garden was a bit disappointing as there wasn't much strawberries left when we reached there late afternoon. We were told that 2 or 3 tour groups came before us and had picked the bigger strawberries. 
Other places in the itinerary include Matsushima Bay, Hanamiyama Park, Genbikei Gorge (Iwate), Lake Tazawa (Akita) and Kakunodate Samurai residence.
On the whole, accommodation and food  given for this tour were value for money and the Japanese tour guide, Hami, is very well versed and knowledgeable in Japanese history and culture.  The only setback is the strong Japanese yen which makes things expensive.

13 days Eastern Europe (16-28 September 2009)

 
Joined the package tour conducted by Five Stars at $2850 with a free Bangkok city tour by Thai Airways. Most of the hotels given were 4 stars with the exception of Crown Piast Hotel at Krakow. Be prepared to pay for the use of toilets in most part of Eastern Europe (about 0.50 Euros per entry). If you need to buy chocolates, do so in Germany as it gets more expensive as you travel through Eastern Europe. The bus journey from one place to another was also quite long especially from Krakow to Budapest (6 hours). Also need to walk at least 3 to 4 hours during city tour of Prague, Krakow or Budapest. On the whole, our group of 27 were all pretty punctual and cooperative. Most of the time, we ended up waiting for the driver.
If you like buildings, churches and culture, then Eastern Europe is for you. However, if you prefer natural scenery, then perhaps you have to look elsewhere.

7 Days Flora Alpine Scenic Route (21-28 April 2010)

 
Going to Japan for holiday is not cheap. This tour conducted by Chan Brothers cost $2488+262 (taxes).  If you book at the Travel Fair, it is only $2288. A good thing it uses SIA and we get to come back by A380 from Tokyo. There is also an additional free day at Tokyo, Shinjuku, where you can shop until you drop.  However, things are pretty expensive in Tokyo. For eg. an umbella costs nearly $30 (on sale)!
An interesting highlight of this tour is the making of food sample at Gujo Hachiman. We are taught how to make tempura and cabbage. Please see my photo.
The highlight of this tour is the Tateyama Alpine snow corridor. You can to walk along the snow corridor at -9 degree. Compared to Switzerland's Jungfraujoch,  Japan's Alpine is much smaller and not so scenic as the use of Tunnel bus prevents you from enjoying the scenery.
The hotels and food given by Chan Brothers are 4 star and mostly set meals. This time around we were not given any scallops as compared to the one in Tohoku organised by ANA.  I guessed the ANA package is more value packed and authentic. We also have to pay for the strawberry farm (1500 yen for 30 minutes of picking) although it is listed as bonus visit in Chan Brother's itinerary.
The best hotel given for this package is the Wakura Ginsuikaku Hotel. The room given is spacious and it overlooks the sea. Best of all, there is an outdoor onseen where you can view the stars and the moon while soaking in the 40 degree hot spring.
Overall, it is a relaxed and enjoyable tour and the tour group of 18 is very cooperative and punctual.

8 days tour to Nepal (29 September-6 Oct 2010)

 
Joined New Shan Travel for the 2 to go tour to Nepal. The promotional fare of $1487 including $300 airport tax is value for money. Only 4 people joined this tour and we had the van all to ourselves. There was a lot of travelling especially from Kathmandu to Pokhara (over 8 hours) with massive jam along the way. We managed to see a glimpse of a rhino at Chitwan National Park while jungle trekking in the afternoon. We only managed to see deer, monkey and wild board during the elephant safari in the morning. It was quite a hardship tour having to wake up early in the morning (4 or 5 am) to view sunrise in Pokhara and Nagarkot). The van was not very comfortable when travelling along bumpy road towards Chitwan and Pokhara. Had to catch up with sleep after returning back. Kathmandu was very dusty and hot this time.  However, Pokhara and Nagarkot had beautiful scenery of the Himalaya range and fresher air. Overall, this trip was surprisingly enjoyable and Nepal is still not so commercialised and developed.   

10 days Tunisia + 2 days Dubai tour (23 Dec 2010-3 Jan 2011)

 
Booked this tour by Five Stars at a promotional price of $2418 with 3 nights Dubai free by Emirates at the Travel Fair in October 2010. However, for this cheaper price (Universal Travel charged $3,000 for the package), there were some optional tours and visa application for Tunisia was charged at S$150 (Chan Bros only charged $80).
Counter and operation service at Five Stars Travel was also less than satisfactory. There was no confirmation and their stafff do not bother to call to ask for payment or to attend a briefing. You had to call them for updates. Worst of all, they held on to our passports for nearly a month to process the Tunisia visa which takes 3 to 4 weeks. In the end, when we got hold of our passports at the airport (had to call repeatedly to remind them to bring our passports to airport), no visa stamp appeared in our passports!
When we arrived at Tunis airport, we had to wait for 3 hours for our visa to be processed. After more than 20 hours of flight time including waiting time in Dubai and time difference, we were dead tired.
Fortunately for us, the local tour guide, Ali was efficient and knowledgeable. Our tour in Tunisia went on well and on time with his firm leadership. We managed to see most of the important highlights such as Great Colosseum, Sahara camel ride, Chebika  & Tamerza oasis and Salt lake Chott el Djerid. However, we missed the Red Lizard train at Metlaoui (optional tour) because we booked too late.
Overall, Tunisia is different from any other countries I visited. It has a little bit of Turkey, Egypt, Italy, Greece and Middle Eastern flavour.
The most unforgetable and outrageous scenario for this whole trip was spending the New Year 2011 at Dhow Palace Hotel lobby in Dubai waiting for our hotel rooms! Apparently, there was a miscommunication between Five Stars, the local agent and the hotel management. Our bookings were cancelled and the hotel was fully booked that night. We had to wait for over 3 hours at the lobby from 1 am - 4.30 am  for the hotel staff to find alternative accommodation. In the end, we were sent to a hotel at the suburb of Dubai. All this happened with our tour leader (freelance) not keeping us informed or given us any explanation of the situation. Some tour members had to approach her to find out why we were kept waiting at the hotel lobby. This tour leader failed to do her duty and was "hiding" at one corner of the hotel. She even had the cheek to collect tips for herself while doing so for the local Tunisia tour guide and driver.  I think she needs to improve  her skills and service before she can lead a tour group.  Sad to say, our travel agencies need to improve and upgrade their service otherwise there will not be any repeat customers. Many of our tour members have indicated that this is their first and perhaps the last time they will be joining Five Stars Tours!   As the Chinese saying goes 一分钱一分货, "yi fen qian, yi fen huo" , maybe this is what you get for cheap tour!

10 days Classical Greece with Greek Islands Cruise (18-26 March 2011)

This Familiarization tour organised by Dynasty Travel for travel trade staff is value for money at S$1988 + $451 (taxes) for companion with direct flight to Athens by SIA.  Not surprised it was fully booked and we managed to be the last on the list of 32 passengers. This offer comes with a catch as it was off season and the water was pretty choppy when we were on the cruise. Even our tour leader, Diana and a few other in our groups were hit by motion sickness. It was also raining and pretty cold in March about 8-16 degree.  Disappointed also to say that when we reached Meteora, it was raining and misty and we could not see the monastery suspended on the rocks. Because of the rough sea, we only reached Mykonos at 7.00 pm and we missed the sunset. It was also very windy and we could only get a glimpse of the famous windmills.  We also reached Santorini at 6.00 pm and had to rush to get to Oia village to view the sunset. Luckily, we managed to take some photos before the sky turned dark.
Overall, the hotel given was pretty good (4 star) and all meals were included with one Chinese dinner. Louis Cristal cruise was also quite luxurious except for the amateurish night shows. The cruise director, Elizabeth, was very bubbly and humourous and the cabin was kept clean all the time. One thing good about the off  season was there was no crowd as we were the only cruise on the Greek Islands.  Shopping wise, things are pretty expensive in Greece and the downside of all Europe tour is the tips we have to give (about 70 euros in all).
For those intending to cruise around the Greek Islands, my advice is not to take the shore excursion offered by the cruise.  It is easy to explore on your own and you can take taxi while on shore which is still much cheaper than the tour. The two shore excursions for Patmos and Santorini that I took cost me S$187.00.  The taxi to Patmos St John Monastery only costs 30 euros two way!

6 days Hainan tour (21-26 Oct 2011)

 
Went with 4 colleagues to Hainan tour organised by Chan Brothers. It costs about $844 as we only joined the land tour only. It could have cost us only $788 if we joined the whole package. This was thanks to one counter staff at Asia Global (a branch of Chan Bros) who said there was only 5 seats left. We had 6 people in our group at that time.

In the end, there was 45 people in the group! As with such big group, there was a lot of waiting especially queues for the ladies' toilets.  As with most packaged tour in China, the optional tour (2 shows at night) was compulsory and the stops at designated shopping stores of medical hall, knife shop, silk store and tea products were not limited by time.

Overall, the food and hotel provided by Chan Brothers were of good quality. We were also lucky that it was not raining for the 6 days we were there. 

Frankly speaking, there isn't much to expect from Hainan in terms of natural scenery as compared to other parts of China.