European travels

Very belated photos update from European travels in the last 2 months

Naughty weekend in Amsterdam with Bokwok - Easter

Let's just say we weren't there for Anne Frank Huis

Get it?

Is this a sign? The next stop on our Europe travels is Montmarte, gay Paris

Romantic Paris with Bokwok - end Apr

Our baroque hotel with a giant jacuzzi tub in colourful Pigalle/ Montmarte

Our endless feasting on French cuisine..

Dinner - Snails @ Restaurant Roger la Grenouille (Latin Quarter)

Yes, despite the name of the restaurant (Roger the Frog), we had snails which were yumms

Lunch - Very very very (can't stress this more) good food at L'Ambassade d'Auvergne (Marais)

Starter - Warm lentil salad (check out how much I was given as a starter)

Main - Lucious duck breast and aligo (stringy potato and cheese)

Dessert - The most heavenly banana sorbet ever

Along with the complimentary foie gras and sugared bread, we were STUFFED! Had to roll us out from the restaurant..

Bokwok says "pls don't fall on me Mr Gammon"

Wine - Lavina at Madeleine

(Recommended by Kimura Takuya himself, featured on SMAP X SMAP)

The real reason why we were in Paris - to visit Europe's largest wine store and to follow in SMAP's footsteps and buy a bottle of wine each from our birthyear.

Unfortunately '79 was not a very fruitful year for wine.. SMAP was not there but the salesman featured in SMAP X SMAP was, haha... ... We did get nice bottles of Vins de Pays instead!

"Can't believe I'm sitting on Kimutaku's seat!"

"yeah yeah whatever..."

Our poses with Statues

Bokwok doing the rhino

Suck it

Doubling up on the sunnies

The giraffes

Shopping weekend with Ned (Mid May)

2 new Spanish words learnt

1) Straw (pajita) - you know I can't drink my Diet Coke without a straw!

2) Beautiful (guapa) - had to learn it cos we were told it so often??

Museum of Ham

Any boobjobs on the menu?

Leeds (not Leeds)

Remember the band Was (not Was)? Well, it was Leeds Castle in Kent (not in Leeds) we visited last weekend.. countless tourists have been confused over how Londoners can fit in a day trip to Leeds Castle when Leeds is in North London.. FYI Kent is only an hour's drive from (the right side of) London..

Castle was well pretty as it's set on 2 man-made (I think!) islands but I think our pictures turned out pretty well too!

Wah, cool photo.. Looks like a cover shot of one of America's newest hot TV sitcom!

Not sure why we were all grinning ear to ear!

Me as new 'Mo-dell' for Pantene Ad (as the wind blows my hair..)

Bok's usual look of fright when I'm coming at him! how funny are our expressions??

Awww, how sweet...

Idea for new Flatmo in Singapore.. I also really dig her shoes!

After (more than) one coin-toss, we headed to Dover as our next stop to see the White Cliffs and to check out the seagulls (if any)..

Nothing too fantastic up front but we did catch a glimpse of them when the sun was shining down hard, and man were they white......!

After stopping to grab some pub grub and a pint of Guiness to celebrate Paddy's Day, our last stop was Canterbury Cathedral, one of the oldest and most famous largest cathedrals in the UK. Very very pretty indeed and also rather goth for the UK!

Greenwich

Even after 5+ years in London, I still think it's rather cool that we live near the GMT line. If you ever wanted to be AT the actual line, you can take a river boat eastwards from the Greenwich pier and the boat operator is highly likely to point it out to you.

Two Saturdays ago, we finally headed out early to have brekkie and read the newsie at Pistachios (our fav cafe in Greenwich).. an activity we chat about all the time but never quite making it out the door in time for! check out Grumpy-pants in piccie below..

Weird how chips were included in this english breakfast

Next up was also another untraditional stop for us - the National Maritime Museum (also in the village). One of the good things about London? Free entry to museums.. A suggested donation of £2 per visit allows Londoners the flexibility to pop in and out of museums at their own leisure without thinking OVERLOAD!

Check out how the daffodils look GIGANTIC next to me!

(Cue: Admire the flowers as you sing 'and the daffodils look massive today ay ay ay... and the daffodils look massive today ay ay ay... look massive today ay...' from the Cranberries)

Dinner Collage

Photos of meals 2 weeks ago:

Kimchi HotPot 1

Prawn Mee

More Kimchi HotPot (with wantons!)

ASH Started a Fire

New ASH single free for download is called I Started a Fire - click to DL the mp3!

J, is it my imagination or does Tim look like Sam in the Pic?

Separated at Birth?


Tim Wheeler (Ash) enjoying chicken


Sam hanging with homies whilst Jit is away

Am gutted I didn't get tix to their concert in London this week, their next concert tour is in Jul when we'll probably not be in London by then! Mega Boos..

Speaking of great concerts, I am currently revelling in my newly-arrived Pop Up SMAP concert DVD! Fantastic opening with the band flying down the stage on 'flying-fox'-like contraceptions.. What would I give to watch a live SMAP concert, sigh.. Do you know that only SMAP fan club members can apply for concert tix and that you can only be a SMAP fan club member if you lived in Japan! Damnz!

Ladybird (box) and Puma (Hat)

The rest of my days in New York were ruled by shopping and eating, no surprises there!

Quick highlights:

Tues -
Headed to Koreatown on 32nd Street for kimchi ramen at Woori Jip (def: our house, kor.) ahead of hitting the shops (no photo as was too hungry to pause)
First disappointing trip was to Victoria's Secret - very mediocre 'plasticky' bras with over-enthusiastic and 'cheong hei' (def: long-winded, canto.) sales assistants! Erm, leave me alone? Left instead with some cute undies and make-up and headed down the street to American Eagle and Old Navy
Wah - cheap, fast and furious purchasing pursued for the next couple of hours.. Stopped when arms literally could not carry any more bags!
Hmm, New York seems well prepared for St Patrick's Day - bought t-shirts, PJs, Flip-flops, boxers with an Irish theme - how fun and tacky!


G suggested that I should change the T-shirt wording to "I'm getting soME Irish 2Night" - bwah-haha

Wed -
Wandered about NoLita and bought For All Mankind jeans at Henry Lehr (good knowledgeable staff) and a cute ladybird box from Soho Baby (toy shop on Elizabeth St.)
Lazy day ended with dvd-shopping in Chinatown (where my skilled scouring located a very old Takuya samurai series), foot reflex and more pigging out at Joe's Shanghai with the girls.
Remembered to take a few shots this time round, but still not after we had already polished off a quick round of Xiao Long Baos. Had our second order of Winter Melon Soup - below average, more expensive than before and can only feed 2 peeps.. Boos!

Thurs -
Full day's dedication to Shopping! Left the flat at half 8 and returned 12 hours later after visting shop-till-you-drop Woodbury Common shopping outlet.

FYI - Top tips for survival:
bring a rolling bag to lug around purchases
get a map so you don't get lost
plan the shops and order in which you will proceed
get to bus station early as queues are long and station is BIG
top shops: Coach, Calvin Klein, Ferragamo, G-Star Raw (for men's jeans)

Best Buys - a pair of Nine West shoes at $20, a pair of G-Star jeans at $65, loads of Coach accessories at 30-50% off, a Puma Hat for $10

Ended exhausting day with tasty Katsu Don, sake and green tea ice-cream at Sapporro's just down the road (49th St.) from G's.

Fri -
Made an extra-special trip down to Princetown Ski to pick up a new snowboarding outfit for Bok (you owe me Big time!). What do you guys think? Bok is sporting the latest Jacket of the Gods and Pants of the Gods combi from Burton. Got a great deal as the Winter season is ending and all goodies are at 30% off.

BTW - Bok is holding the mirror to 'add light' and enhance his looks for the picture (little does he know I've captured his silliness on camera - haha!)

More shopping after a detour to drop off the super-heavy "God's clothing" at the flat - picked up more pressies at Coach, yet more jeans at Abercrombie & Fitch, a 3-pc work suit plus extra pencil skirt at Banana Republic and 3 more pairs of shoes from Nine West!

More shopping photos - shoes, jeans, 'birth-year'-themed tees, Ladybird (box) and Puma (Hat)

Also attached a photo below of the St Patrick's Cathedral to prove I did 'some' sight-seeing... Actually nah! the Cathedral was conveniently located across from the BR store!

Had Korean BBQ at 'NY 24 hours' for dins before heading on to drinks at Merc Bar (watch out, cowskin couches galore!) and clubbing at Element (special DJ sess in the Vault). Bedtime? 9am!