Monday, 24 February 2014
Monday, 2 December 2013
Sep 2012 : In-laws & relatives' visit
Our very first visitors - my parents-in-law and relatives!
Being a homemaker, naturally I had all the time in planning their itinerary...hehe...Hubby recommended a reputable & professional travel agency in Ho Chi Minh - Sinh Tourist which organised various local tours in Saigon and other cities in Vietnam.
Cuchi Tunnel & Mekong Delta are considered 2 of the must-go places of interest for first-time visitors. As we had already engaged a driver for the first day, hence I just bought the tour package which cost VND209,000 (S$12.60) per person for the Mekong day trip on the 2nd day. For a full day guided tour, this price is definitely very economical!
Cuchi Tunnel half day tour - just had to pay an entrance fee of VND90K (S$5.40) which is considered cheap since there were snacks (steamed tapioca & hot tea) provided after the whole tour. Basically, we were brought around the forest seeing how the Viet Cong soldiers made full use of the tunnels as their hiding grounds during the Vietnam War. That also included a 'walk' (or should I say, 'squat walk') inside the cramp and narrow tunnel. Those people with claustrophobia are strongly advised not to risk going in! I didn't try anyway, hehe..Oh yes, I just realised I did not take any photos while on the tour! Probably due to the fact that I was busy 'swapping' away the mosquitoes along the way! LOL
Mekong Delta full day tour - took a lot of photos on this trip as seen in below collages..visited the small factory making rice paper and coconut candy and the only stuff I bought was a bottle of honey (not sure why I bought that when the supermarket should be selling the same quality of honey, probably at the same price...haha)...Anyway, the highlight of this tour should be the provided lunch with the Vietnamese spring rolls and 'elephant fish' being the most popular dishes. But please don't expect too much on the taste as I heard the fish was caught from the muddy pond! Eeks! haha...
Being a homemaker, naturally I had all the time in planning their itinerary...hehe...Hubby recommended a reputable & professional travel agency in Ho Chi Minh - Sinh Tourist which organised various local tours in Saigon and other cities in Vietnam.
Cuchi Tunnel & Mekong Delta are considered 2 of the must-go places of interest for first-time visitors. As we had already engaged a driver for the first day, hence I just bought the tour package which cost VND209,000 (S$12.60) per person for the Mekong day trip on the 2nd day. For a full day guided tour, this price is definitely very economical!
Cuchi Tunnel half day tour - just had to pay an entrance fee of VND90K (S$5.40) which is considered cheap since there were snacks (steamed tapioca & hot tea) provided after the whole tour. Basically, we were brought around the forest seeing how the Viet Cong soldiers made full use of the tunnels as their hiding grounds during the Vietnam War. That also included a 'walk' (or should I say, 'squat walk') inside the cramp and narrow tunnel. Those people with claustrophobia are strongly advised not to risk going in! I didn't try anyway, hehe..Oh yes, I just realised I did not take any photos while on the tour! Probably due to the fact that I was busy 'swapping' away the mosquitoes along the way! LOL
Mekong Delta full day tour - took a lot of photos on this trip as seen in below collages..visited the small factory making rice paper and coconut candy and the only stuff I bought was a bottle of honey (not sure why I bought that when the supermarket should be selling the same quality of honey, probably at the same price...haha)...Anyway, the highlight of this tour should be the provided lunch with the Vietnamese spring rolls and 'elephant fish' being the most popular dishes. But please don't expect too much on the taste as I heard the fish was caught from the muddy pond! Eeks! haha...
My gym regime - Saigon River Club
Ok, I know this is a bit absurd...to continue my next post only after 11 months! keke...I am not going to find myself any excuse cuz' there aren't any for me since I am not working....I am just plain lazy and did not find any momentum to start where I left previously....Please pardon me! hee
Anyhow, I would like to bring all of you back to last year where I had finally settled down in my Saigon apartment and the next step, was to begin my exercise regime.
Actually way before I arrived Saigon, my hubby had already submitted my photo to the gym administrator in Saigon River Club located near Ruby Tower. Hence, I was able to kick off my gym session quite immediately.
This club can be considered one of the biggest in Saigon and it is an independent one, meaning it caters not only to the residents in Saigon Pearl (yeah, we will have to pay for the membership), outsiders can also make use of their facilities as long as they can afford their fees. In summary, Saigon River Club has all the various essential equipment and facilities (olympic-sized swimming pool with lifeguards, comparably-big female changing room with lockers & a small but well-maintained sauna).
Anyhow, I would like to bring all of you back to last year where I had finally settled down in my Saigon apartment and the next step, was to begin my exercise regime.
Actually way before I arrived Saigon, my hubby had already submitted my photo to the gym administrator in Saigon River Club located near Ruby Tower. Hence, I was able to kick off my gym session quite immediately.
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| My membership card |
Sunday, 13 January 2013
Relocation with Asian Tigers (KC Dat)
I know this post may be a bit late since our relocation was done last year July but it is January 2013 now...hehe....Frankly, it was really tiring packing our stuff (we had so much barang!) especially those in the store room. Well, we had 5 years' of belongings 'squeezed' in every corner of our love-nest so quite inevitable lah....haha....
Anyway, the reason for choosing Asian Tigers as our relocation expert is partly because of its quotation (my hubby's company policy requires 3 companies to provide their quotes and the lowest bidder shall win). Needless to say, Asian Tigers was able to provide quite 'competitive' price with professional service and advice. Of course, by reading all the positive testimonials from previous Asian Tigers' clients did not reassure us completely in the beginning. It was only after we had liaised with their relocation service manager and their packers, did we relax ourselves and almost left everything into their hands (some stuff like our jewellery, branded bags still had to be handled by ourselves though) :)
Below are some snapshots taken while the packers were on their job, diligently and tirelessly arranging all our stuff (including bulky items like our Serta mattress & a black cabinet) into cartons.....
Anyway, the reason for choosing Asian Tigers as our relocation expert is partly because of its quotation (my hubby's company policy requires 3 companies to provide their quotes and the lowest bidder shall win). Needless to say, Asian Tigers was able to provide quite 'competitive' price with professional service and advice. Of course, by reading all the positive testimonials from previous Asian Tigers' clients did not reassure us completely in the beginning. It was only after we had liaised with their relocation service manager and their packers, did we relax ourselves and almost left everything into their hands (some stuff like our jewellery, branded bags still had to be handled by ourselves though) :)
Below are some snapshots taken while the packers were on their job, diligently and tirelessly arranging all our stuff (including bulky items like our Serta mattress & a black cabinet) into cartons.....
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| Total of 33 cartons! |
Saturday, 2 June 2012
HCMC trip with STARS!
Our Stars' first ever trip was made possible with JETSTAR 1-for-1 promotion (err, I am not a spokesperson for this budget airline hor..hehe)! With 20kg & 40kg baggage included on departure flight to HCMC and Singapore respectively, each of us only need to pay a mere SGD$108!! Isn't this dirt-cheap?? haha...Well, this fare is considered very appealing as an usual fare will set you back by at least SGD$150 (with only 20kg on the flight back to Singapore). Hence, we were quite 'kiasu' to book our trip 4 months in advance but was glad that we did that in order to enjoy such deal :)
Unfortunately, one of the Stars was not able to join us for that 'inaugural' trip so the 4 of us packed our bags and 'armed' with a detailed tour itinerary (from me, the 'seasoned Saigon-er of course...ahem!), set off on 20 April this year for the French-colonial capital, SAIGON!
Throughout the whole trip, we had practically done what a 'tai-tai' would normally do during their leisure day, i.e. cafe-hopping, manicuring & pedicuring, hair washing & styling, leg-massaging, hi-tea-ing, eating at 'atas' restaurants, etc. No words to describe our happiness as that was the only time where we can relax our whole mind & body, escaping from the stressful environment in Singapore. Most importantly for those 2 mummies, to seek 'peacefulness' from their children...haha..
The top picture was taken when we were walking along District 1 and our destination was fixed at all the various places of interests (Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, HCMC Post Office) about 300m away.
This picture was taken inside the quite eerie-looking tunnel of the Reunification Palace and frankly I quite like the 'nostalgic-feeling' it depicted. As if we had 'travelled through time' and landed ourselves at then war-inflicted Vietnam :)
For the night activities, we were joined by my hubby, Khriz who brought us to some of the night spots like SIN LOUNGE & CHILL SKYBAR. In terms of the safety aspect, it was not so feasible for us ladies to venture out in a not-so-familiar environment overseas so my hubby's company was crucial.
We unanimously loved the mesmeric view at this Chill Skybar as it is such a modern building for us to take pictures, overlooking the whole of Saigon! No doubt its scale is not as big compared to Singapore MBS' SkyPark, it is afterall an iconic building in the eyes of the Vietnamese and well-known to the expatriates working and staying at Saigon. Therefore, drinks sold at that bar naturally will be much more expensive which is understandable.
Bitexco Financial Tower (very brightly lit) is just opposite this Chill Skybar as can be seen in the above pic. They have their own Skybar too so probably we can go try in our next visit! hehe...
Loved this picture effect! But it seemed I had 'spoiled' it by smiling when the rest of the Stars were trying to act cool....No choice lah, since I like to laugh....oops! hehe..
Cafe-hopping can be considered a 'culture' in Saigon due to its world-famous dripping coffee and travellers all over the world, like us, just love to spend a few hours in their cafes, drinking coffee while watching the 'horrendous' traffic passed by (for those cafes situated by the roadside)....Anyway, there's one cafe, AU PARC which I particularly like, for its mediterranean-influenced decoration (seen above). Nevertheless, I did not order any coffee (it was freaking hot that day! Almost 35 degrees, we reckoned!!), just my favourite Italian Sparkling water, Pelligrino. Can you imagine this 'atas' water actually cost almost 3 times cheaper in Saigon as compared to Singapore's price? Hmm, talk about the inflation in Singapore!
Ben Thanh Market is one of the must-visit markets in Saigon, similar to the fact that travellers like to explore Chatukchat in Bangkok too since both are the iconic markets in the respective countries. No doubt the prices of the items sold there are exorbitantly high but it's a known practice to bargain at least 50-70% off the quoted price. Most Singaporeans will do that anyway, as a habit :) Above video featuring the operations in Ben Thanh market on a typical day...Enjoy!
Frankly, I would not recommend this particular eatery at Ben Thanh market as the pho and fried noodles were not something to shout about. Nevertheless, at least we had tried to 'blend' ourselves to their local culture by squeezing our bums on a small metal chair and eating on a table-top which is far from wide enough to place our bowls :)
In summary, Saigon has gradually become a French-infused environment with lots of cafes lining along their roads and many fantastic restaurants (French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc) have also made 'a name' for themselves, judging from the good reviews posted by the netizens. In my next blog post, I shall continue with the food we had tried during our HCM trip and provide some recommendations of restaurants for anyone who would like to visit Saigon soon. Look out for it!
Unfortunately, one of the Stars was not able to join us for that 'inaugural' trip so the 4 of us packed our bags and 'armed' with a detailed tour itinerary (from me, the 'seasoned Saigon-er of course...ahem!), set off on 20 April this year for the French-colonial capital, SAIGON!
 |
| Posing in front of LV Boutique |
Throughout the whole trip, we had practically done what a 'tai-tai' would normally do during their leisure day, i.e. cafe-hopping, manicuring & pedicuring, hair washing & styling, leg-massaging, hi-tea-ing, eating at 'atas' restaurants, etc. No words to describe our happiness as that was the only time where we can relax our whole mind & body, escaping from the stressful environment in Singapore. Most importantly for those 2 mummies, to seek 'peacefulness' from their children...haha..
The top picture was taken when we were walking along District 1 and our destination was fixed at all the various places of interests (Reunification Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, HCMC Post Office) about 300m away.
 |
| Along the basement tunnel at Reunification Palace |
This picture was taken inside the quite eerie-looking tunnel of the Reunification Palace and frankly I quite like the 'nostalgic-feeling' it depicted. As if we had 'travelled through time' and landed ourselves at then war-inflicted Vietnam :)
 |
| Group pic at Chill Skybar |
For the night activities, we were joined by my hubby, Khriz who brought us to some of the night spots like SIN LOUNGE & CHILL SKYBAR. In terms of the safety aspect, it was not so feasible for us ladies to venture out in a not-so-familiar environment overseas so my hubby's company was crucial.
We unanimously loved the mesmeric view at this Chill Skybar as it is such a modern building for us to take pictures, overlooking the whole of Saigon! No doubt its scale is not as big compared to Singapore MBS' SkyPark, it is afterall an iconic building in the eyes of the Vietnamese and well-known to the expatriates working and staying at Saigon. Therefore, drinks sold at that bar naturally will be much more expensive which is understandable.
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| That's my hubby, Khriztopher Phay! |
Bitexco Financial Tower (very brightly lit) is just opposite this Chill Skybar as can be seen in the above pic. They have their own Skybar too so probably we can go try in our next visit! hehe...
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| Suitable expressions for Halloween night :) |
Loved this picture effect! But it seemed I had 'spoiled' it by smiling when the rest of the Stars were trying to act cool....No choice lah, since I like to laugh....oops! hehe..
 |
| Relaxing at a cafe near to Reunification Palace |
Cafe-hopping can be considered a 'culture' in Saigon due to its world-famous dripping coffee and travellers all over the world, like us, just love to spend a few hours in their cafes, drinking coffee while watching the 'horrendous' traffic passed by (for those cafes situated by the roadside)....Anyway, there's one cafe, AU PARC which I particularly like, for its mediterranean-influenced decoration (seen above). Nevertheless, I did not order any coffee (it was freaking hot that day! Almost 35 degrees, we reckoned!!), just my favourite Italian Sparkling water, Pelligrino. Can you imagine this 'atas' water actually cost almost 3 times cheaper in Saigon as compared to Singapore's price? Hmm, talk about the inflation in Singapore!
Ben Thanh Market is one of the must-visit markets in Saigon, similar to the fact that travellers like to explore Chatukchat in Bangkok too since both are the iconic markets in the respective countries. No doubt the prices of the items sold there are exorbitantly high but it's a known practice to bargain at least 50-70% off the quoted price. Most Singaporeans will do that anyway, as a habit :) Above video featuring the operations in Ben Thanh market on a typical day...Enjoy!
 |
| 4 of us trying some of their local food like pork pho at Ben Thanh Market |
Frankly, I would not recommend this particular eatery at Ben Thanh market as the pho and fried noodles were not something to shout about. Nevertheless, at least we had tried to 'blend' ourselves to their local culture by squeezing our bums on a small metal chair and eating on a table-top which is far from wide enough to place our bowls :)
In summary, Saigon has gradually become a French-infused environment with lots of cafes lining along their roads and many fantastic restaurants (French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, etc) have also made 'a name' for themselves, judging from the good reviews posted by the netizens. In my next blog post, I shall continue with the food we had tried during our HCM trip and provide some recommendations of restaurants for anyone who would like to visit Saigon soon. Look out for it!
Friendship of Umbro & Stars!
Friends are an invaluable source of happiness to me, besides my family (though I don't display my affections openly to my family members but in the bottom of my heart, I am really concerned about them... *blushing*).
To that, I am really fortunate to have 2 groups of BFF (coincidentally, both groups consist of 5 of us!) who have accompanied me through my ups and downs. With my relocation to HCMC, these 2 groups of human beings will definitely be missed but not forgotten!
I shall briefly describe each group as a tribute to them :)
UMBRO : The name of our group came about when we used to carry this particular brand of schoolbag 'Umbro' during our Outram days. Fate brought the 5 of us together 20 years ago and I must say those 4 years of secondary school day life will always trigger fond memories, even though all of us have our own family now...We would always gather during our recess time catching up and 'gossiping' despite the fact that we were in different classes...Those were the days when I being a 'model' wannabe, would 'catwalk' along the corridor outside our classroom and they will 'give credit' to my 'performance' by applauding and laughing ...hahah...Till today, we are still contacting one another with monthly or quarterly gatherings/dinners and maintaining our gifts presentation on one another's birthdays etc. Nevertheless, one regret is that we have not made good our 'date' to go on an overseas trip together (just 5 of us) during our 20 years' friendship anniversary. With them having small kids to take care now, it may or may not happened in the near future but there will be no doubt that our friendship will be everlasting as long as all of us shall live!!!
P/S : Due to the fact that some of my Umbro gang do not like their photos to be publicized, hence I shall respect their privacy by not doing so..hehe
STARS : Well, before I start describing this group, I should 'thank' the vast usefulness of internet like the forums (7 years ago, Facebook was probably still in the process of being 'hatched' by Mark Zuckerberg..hee) to connect us! Thinking back, the 5 of us were each resourcing for ideas to use during our wedding hence we were 'meeting' one another at the Female Brides Online forum (I was using my nickname 'Saigon' then) to exchange ideas and solicit contacts. From a group of 10 - 12 prospective brides-to-be, it was subsequently narrowed down to the 5 of us who will meet up more often as the rest seemed to lose contact with us. Anyway, one of them actually suggested this name, 'Stars' when we combined our 5 hands together to form a STAR (just like the picture displayed above). From then on, our gathering will always be named as such. April 2012 marked another milestone in our friendship as we actually materialized our Stars' trip (with the exception of 1 Star) to HCMC with Jetstar 1-for-1 promotion (will post pics and write-up of that trip in a later post)! We have planned to make another trip to some other country next year, this time hopefully it will be in full force!
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| 5 Stars' gathering during CNY'2012 |
With the current rapid advancement of technology, we are now communicating with one another via the user-friendly 'Whatsapp' as opposed to the conventional 'Email'. Sometimes, I just can't marvel enough of the cyberspace evolution :)
Saigon Pearl Apartment - HCMC
5 star home by river - SAIGON PEARL TOWER. Picture living right beside the enchanting Saigon River, surrounded by a tropical paradise of natural and landscaped gardens. The largest, most elaborate development ever created in Vietnam, Saigon Pearl literally towers above everything else. A collaboration of Vietnamese culture and overseas expertise, it introduces international management skills to enhance and sustain an unrivalled lifestyle. Perfectly positioned, this grand scale project incorporates 8 apartment buildings of 37 stories each, a lavish clubhouse, 2 office towers and large-scale shopping malls.
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| Layout of our unit at Topaz Tower 2 |
My hubby is currently staying at this quite modernize-decorated apartment at Topaz Tower 2 of Saigon Pearl and the layout is featured as above.
Sometimes I really take my hat off my dearest hubby's creative juices (typical of a Leo, I guess); not only was our Singapore home decorated by him, he has now displayed his 'atas-ness' and artistry in our Saigon love-nest too (Oops, probably he will tell me 'the pot calling the kettle black'..hehe). However, I must admit the unit in HCMC was indeed tastefully and cosily decorated by him! So kudos to him that I will most probably be staying comfortably at this District 2 apartment with facilities such as gym, nail and hair salons, supermarket, cafes for me to patronize :)
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