Weekend in HK - Hotel Benito

When we travel without our kids, we go for the most economical arrangements without sacrificing comfort and quality.  This time, Vic booked our stay at Hotel Benito. 

It has a nice black and white lobby, very much like any other boutique hotel's lobby.  But the similarities end there.  The rooms were pretty bare except for the basics.  The floor layout, particularly the placement of elevators, gives the impression that it wasn't well-planned.  It's as if the hotel just sprouted in the middle of the city.

As I said in my previous entry, the hotel is strategically located in Tsim Sha Tsui.  It is literally across the TST MTR entrance.  I love the location of this hotel because it is a stone's throw away from McD, KFC, Watsons, Bonjour, etc.  When you are tired from all the walking, you won't complain about the long walk back to the hotel.  That's how I felt with the Marco Polo hotels.  

It is a block away from Granville.  The Rosary Church is a good 10-minute walk from the hotel.  Silvercord, Canton Road and our favorite money changer aren't too far away either.  Sobra siyang benta sa kin, if only the room sizes were bigger.  Sorry, I didn't bother taking photos.  Agoda has a very good collection of this hotel's amenities.

Despite the size, the room had everything we needed:

• complimentary water
• electric kettle for free coffee and tea 
• blow dryer
• good water pressure
• toiletries
• complimentary wi-fi
• a small ref 
• TV and phone

Don't expect a mini-bar, though.

I have also noted a few areas that need to be improved on:

1.  Towels aren't absorbent.  I had already wrapped my hair in a turban for 10 minutes.  When I took it off, it's as if I hadn't dried it.
2.  I am not sure if they serve breakfast.  I am not sure if room service is available also.
3.  Our room was right beside the storage room.   So, when the cleaners aren't too careful about moving things, there are lots of unnecessary noise. 
4.  They sprayed the whole floor with insecticide.  It penetrated into the rooms.  Unfortunately, windows can't be opened.  Fortunately, the bathroom came with an exhaust fan.

All in all, it was a good stay for me.  If we are talking about bang for the buck, then this is the hotel for you.  We had quite a comfortable stay in the middle of the bustling city. 

Yes, we will definitely come back.

Weekend in HK

My husband and I just spent the weekend in Hong Kong for a much-needed break and quality time together.  It was one of those one-time big-time thingees:  a celebration of our anniversary, a belated Valentine celebration (according to him), and an advanced birthday blow-out for both of us.  We hit three months' worth of celebration with this trip.

Without our kids in tow, it was quite a relaxing trip.  3D/2N was quite enough to enjoy the city.  We didn't bother ourselves with the usual tourists traps.  We went around the city by bus and MTR.  We rarely took the taxi.  We stayed in Hotel Benito, situated strategically in TST.  We lounged in the hotel till it was time to go shopping. We ate countless dim sum and visited our favorite spots.

The weather was quite cool, averaging at 13deg.  Ideal for walking all day.

What can I say? It was my kind of trip!  What more can I ask for?  Maybe, more pocket money next time =D

Sa uulitin, dear.

Crossing My Fingers

I've recently decided to turn a skill into an income-generating activity.  I have talked to one prospective client and it was a very pleasant meeting.  He gave positive feedback and was very encouraging.  I am just waiting for the GO signal. 

God willing, Cathy's Kitchen will be in full swing by next month.  Aaarrrggghhh!  Wish me luck!

The Shoe Gal in Me

Since last quarter of 2011, I've been pining for this pair.  I only acquired this a few weeks ago, from my hard-earned baking money.

Somewhere between saving up and acceptance (of not getting it), I realized that I was compensating for the "loss" with several other pairs of shoes. 

Oxfords from H&M

 

Jelly shoes from Melissa

  

My replacement Fitflops

 

Sparkly shoes from Payless

What's the lesson in this?  I could've just bought that first pair with all the money I spent on the others. 

But, where's the fun in that?  I'm close to broke but I'll live. 

Happy New Year From Sofitel

I am not Chinese so I have no business celebrating the new year.  However, with offerings such as these, who could resist celebrating with our Chinese brothers and sisters?

C'est magnifique!

7th Anniversary

For this anniversary, we initially wanted to go on a trip to celebrate.  But because we had so many things planned for the weekend and because travel arrangements didn't fall through, we decided to  to stay in Manila instead.  On our anniversary, we landed in Lemuria.

It was tucked inside a residential area in Horseshoe.  Down the sloping drive way, this was the sight that greeted us

 

We had the usual bread, butter and vinaigrette  to start the meal.

Vic had the Onion Soup while I had one of the most wonderful salads I've had in ages.  Look up La Tomate et Citron in the menu.  With candied walnuts and dried figs, how can I not like it?  The white strips are grilled ricotta cheese strips.  Yes, it was definitely yummy.

Vic ordered the rib eye (served with peppercorn sauce and a side of veggies)

while I had the Kurobuta pork belly as shown below.  Again, it had my favorite dried figs.  Though the picture doesn't show much, this portion is filling enough.  Honestly, I couldn't taste the difference between the Kurobuta pork and the ordinary one I get from the grocery.  All I know was, I needed more meat than fat.  It is best eaten when you have the pork and fruit in one bite.

Dessert was the Olive Oil and Chocolate Marquis, a frozen concoction served with caramelized mangoes and spun sugar.  I was a bit disappointed.  I was expecting the Olive Oil drizzled on top of chocolate ice cream.  But I don't think I look disappointed in this photo.

The place was so quaint and intimate.  It looks like it can fit only around 15 couples. 

 

We didn't know what to expect, so I called earlier to make reservations.  It wasn't so busy when we got there so we had very attentive waiters to our beck and call.

I highly recommend this restaurant for special dinners.  Click on the link to know more about Lemuria.

Numbers

When I picked Johann up from school, I had a chance to talk to his teacher.  She mentioned that she is quite happy with his performance, specially in helping his classmates tell the time.   He is also quite a leader, according to the teacher. 

Johann is now in Junior Kinder.  By now, he has mastered numbers (1 to 10, at least) and has been using them ever since.  I never realized the practicality of knowing numbers until Johann recognized them.  Here are some of its practical uses:

• switching the fan or A/C to its correct setting
• changing TV channels
• telling time
• dividing or portioning food
• knowing the value of money
• determining which items are inexpensive or not

Slowly, I understand the value of putting our child in preschool.  I'm amazed at me how we've taken these simple things for granted and how we've forgotten the value of the basics we learn preschool.

Great Finds for the New Year

I'm always excited to try out new products.  I've tried these new products and found them to be very satisfactory.  I hope you get to try these out too.

1. Soap and Glory's Clarity - I was about to become Rudolf, the reindeer, before I found this.  It stopped my zit from becoming a full-blown center-of-attraction.  It has a very refreshing smell that is very much needed after a sweating it out the whole day.  Available at Sephora stores.

2.  Mocha Rose by Rosebud Perfume Co -  If you like the Rosebud Salve balms that come in small tin pods, you will love this product.  It comes in an easy-open tube for convenience and effortless application.  The application tip has a velvety texture unlike most balms in a tube.  More importantly, the balm is so effective, it took out the dryness on my lips in a couple of applications.  Also available at Sephora stores.

 3.  Ferrero's Kusschen - From the makers of Nutella and Ferrero Rocher comes a new decadent candy.  Imagine the Ferrero Rocher without the nutty, crusty layer.  Yum!  You may get this in Duty Free Shops.  A small package costs no more than $6.

                              

Till the next Great Finds update!

Travelling with My Kids

I thought that by now, Vic and I are experts on travelling with kids.  In the past five years, we've taken five or six vacations with them.   One of which is a long haul trip.  No major incidents took place in the past, so I guess we did things the way it should be done.

I knew what to expect.  I was set on not being able to do all things I want to do.  We made sure not to pack all days with strenuous activities.  I have made a mental note of where to take the kids so they'd be entertained.  We also have allowances for resting.  I was even prepared for tantrums.

On our recent trip to Singapore during the New Year Weekend, I was quite confident that we could pull it off.  Together with my husband's side of the family, we took the afternoon flight to Singapore last Thursday.  Vic and I reserved a row of Choice Seats so we will be comfortable with the kids.  We brought Johann (4 y/o), Javi (3 y/o), Bettina (1 y/o) and yaya.  In our carry-on, we have toys, several forms of entertainment, food, wipes, extra clothes.  We mad sure that convenience is within reach.

 

The first few days were a breeze.  Everyone was still excited about the new environment.  On the third day, the kids were starting to feel that they are away from home.  The younger two children were extra clingy.  Javi was content on having cereals, bread, iced chocolate drinks, an occasional piece of meat.  Bettina didn't want to be carried by her yaya.  Johann didn't want to nap in the afternoon.  In short, they were getting cranky.  On the fourth and final day, Johann and Javi wanted to go home and couldn't wait to ride the plane.  Ipads and toys were not much help. 

As we were waiting to board our delayed return flight (at nearly 11PM), almost all three kids were crying at the same time because of lack of sleep and comfort.   After consoling one child, another bout of tantrum begins.  Just imagine the looks I'm getting from the "perfect" parents of well-behaved children.  I'm sure they couldn't wait to give me a piece of advise. 

By this time, my thoughts were on checking myself in a hotel room and locking myself in there for a whole day.  I wanted some time for myself to recuperate from the stress and demands of parenting.   

The children began to settle down as soon as we boarded the plane.  It was peace and quiet until Bettina woke up.

At the end of all this hoopla, I realize that when you travel with kids, nothing is certain.  I doubt if we'll ever be experts.

Wussup 2012?

The mad holiday rush is over.  My husband has gone back to the office.  Johann and Javi will start school tomorrow.  We are all slowly going back to our routines. 

Since 2012 is the THE dreaded year in Mayan calendar, I don't really know what to expect this year.  Being a full-time mother, I am pretty much at my family's disposal. But here are some major events and milestones I'm looking forward to:

• Our 7th wedding anniversary next, next weekend
• An upcoming trip in February, which will serve as a belated anniversary trip for Vic and me
• Apart from the usual family birthdays, my father's 60th birthday party
• Planning the ACS Hokkaido trip on Jan 2013

To liven up my pretty boring life, I'm targeting a couple of weekend bazaars for Cathy's Kitchen to participate in.  I'm hoping to squeeze in a few more baking courses since the last one I had was years ago. 

What about you?  What will you year be like?