Andy Lau and Jacky Cheung

Look at this:



It is my ticket to Jacky Cheung (Truong Hoc Huu)'s 1/2 Century Tour concert in Singapore this August. And I can't wait until then.

My affair with Hong Kong TV series/movies started early. I first watched HK TV kungfu series when I was about 8 years old. Pretty young, right? Like reading books, I watch movies and TV series very fast. I could finish one series in 2 or 3 days, given that all the episodes had been released. As I'm Vietnamese, I had to wait for the distributors to have all these series voiced over. Therefore, I didn't really know what Cantonese sounded like until much later.

And it was no wonder that my idols at the time were Andy Lau, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Ekin Cheng, Dicky Cheung, Louis Koo, etc. As long as they were in the cast, I would rent the video tapes to bring home and watch. There are some certain series that I keep watching until now (more than 10 times, I lost count after 5 times). From TV series to movies was a logical sequence and before I knew, I was listening to Cantopop daily. And the Four Heavenly Kings were my favourite singers. Why? Cos Andy Lau is one of them.

Lucky for me, it was easy to get Cantopop in Vietnam at the time, not so hard as Western music. Since then, I got to know about Jacky Cheung, Aaron Kwok and Leon Lai. Surprisingly, I didn't and still don't like Aaron Kwok and Leon Lai. Don't ask me why? I just feel unconnected with those two. But two out of four was enough. Andy Lau and Jacky Cheung's music was and still is my most favourite. And I promised myself that I would go to Hong Kong to watch them sing live.

Well, I haven't visited Hong Kong yet. It may be a surprise for you but I just don't have the mood to visit Asian countries. Europe and the States still call to me. Maybe I might go this year, since I only have small budget for travel this year. Either Hong Kong or Taiwan. Or even China (if Tracy decides to go, I don't think I can travel to China alone). Anyway, back to Andy Lau and Jacky Cheung. I haven't been to Hong Kong but I have watched Andy singing live. And soon Jacky.

I watched Andy Lau's concert 3 years ago. That was his Wonderful World 2008 tour and I never regretted paying around 180 bucks for the show. The concert was magnificent and mesmerizing. Andy Lau is a great performer and his voice isn't that bad either. I had a very good time listening and watching him on stage. In fact, I'm waiting for him to come back to Singapore. I will definitely buy a 1st or 2nd class ticket this time. Until then, I have Jacky Cheung's live show to look forward to.

Here are some shots I managed to take in Andy's Wonderful World 2008 tour.

Brugge eats - Bistro den Huzaar

This restaurant always came up when I searched for some good meals in Brugge. So I made a point to come here for a dinner, when I was around Markt. And of course, I was always around Markt at the end of the day because Markt is the easiest place to start your navigation around Brugge and it was on the way to go back to my hotel.

Now thinking about restaurants, Brugge was the place I ate in restaurants the most. Almost every lunch and dinner, and it was worth the money. And like I said before, I don't think about money when travelling. It's my comfort and enjoyment that count.

Back to Bistro den Huzaar. Even though it's near to Markt, it isn't very touristy or overpriced like the rest of the restaurants located at and around the square. Sure, it was expensive (the price is in Euro after all), but the food was great and the service was impeccable. The waitress was professional and she served me with a hint of warmness which I feel it often lacking in Singapore. No wonder it's so popular with tourists and locals alike.

I didn't make a reservation in advance, but I went there a little early. After 6pm, when every shops and museums close for the day. Maybe that was why I managed to get a table. During this trip, I had a tendency to have dinner early, in Strasbourg and Brugge. The reason is both places are small towns/cities, and after 6pm, there seems to be nobody on the street. And for a petite girl, that is quite scary sometimes. Paris is a different story. It's big city and I can handle big cities anytime, with caution of course.

Again, I couldn't remember the exact names of the dishes I ordered for that dinner. But there were raw oyster, wild boar cooked with cherry in a pot and some local beer. I definitely enjoy my meal a whole lot for I finished almost everything. That really says something as I didn't have much appetite during the trip. Something about my upset stomach. Proof is I didn't eat a slice of cake when I was in Paris.

Last but not least, some pictures to whet your taste buds and motivate you to visit Brugge.

Interior of the restaurant, very European and warm decoration

Fresh oysters to start a good meal

Complimentary appetizers to settle the stomach after that fresh but dangerous oysters

Brugge local bear, Zot (I think)

Wild boar cooked in cherry sauce. Yum!!!

Brugge - Window displays of chocolate shops

One thing about Brugge that always amazes me is the number of chocolate shops. For such a small city, there are so many chocolate shops which sell decent chocolate at a reasonable price. Well, we are talking about Belgium after all.

Price and taste aside, window displays of these stores were what made me having so much fun walking around those touristy streets. Once again, I was reminded that I was in Europe due to the liberation of the decoration. Designs based on seasons and holidays were quite normal to me. What was unusual was the variety of males and females' private parts on display. I am from Asia, and this is definitely a taboo to show anything even remotely related to those. That was why I was having so much fun taking photos and eating them. I didn't bring back home any though, too bad!

Here are some interesting window displays when I was there in Oct.


It was around mid Oct and Halloween was coming


An Asian-themed window display




Boobs for sale, anyone?


A picture says a thousand words


A dragon made of pure chocolate which had been shown in World Expo (in Shanghai) previously

Brugge eats - Oud Handbogenhof

I arrived to Brugge with an relief, after a tiring day of travelling from Strasbourg to Brugge with the French railway strike affecting my train schedule. But it was late in the afternoon, around 6pm, and the sky was getting darker, which made me feel a little forlorn. Luckily I had called the hotel manager in advance for late check-in. If not, it would be quite dangerous for me.

After unpacking and changing my clothes to a more comfortable outfit, I went out for dinner. At the time, I didn't really care how much I had to spend on a meal in Brugge. After a whole day of just eating sandwiches and drinking bottled water, I just wanted to have a good meal to mark my first night in Belgium. The hotel manager had kindly shown me a good restaurant near there. Remember, I didn't have many choices because I didn't want to go too far and get lost. So I followed his recommendation to Oud Handbogenhof.

The restaurant is literally around the corner. But as I followed the map (it has street names and I'm quite good at reading maps), I took a longer route. I only realized that there was a shorter route, after I finished my meal and walked back to the hotel.

Oud Handbogenhof has no outer decoration. Outside, it looks like any other residence houses. There is just a small signboard, and I had to squint to be able to read it. If not for the address and the name, I had missed it completely. However, once I walked inside, the atmosphere has totally changed. Very European decoration with wooden table and chairs and warm lighting. The restaurant is small, with about 5 or 6 tables, catering to a maximum of 20 guests in a go. This is a perfect place to have your dinner in autumn.

Small but busy restaurant

Lovely interior

I remember ordering a set dinner as I knew next to nothing about Belgian cuisine. It was a very good deal with an appetizer, a main course and a dessert. I asked for a mineral water to go with my meal as I wasn't in the mood for beer. Well, I didn't know about Kriek at the time so yeah... water was my first choice.

After this dinner, I realized that I have fallen in love with Belgian food. I prefer it to French cuisine. Maybe because I'm not a cheese person and the French really loves putting cheese in their cooking. For most of Belgian meals I had in Brugge, there were always hints of fruits in their main course, and this made the food more delicious. But, French foie gras and pate are always the best.

Simple but elegant table decoration

Mineral water in a posh bottle (didn't I look like I was drinking white wine?)

Yummy appetizer

Delicious main course (sorry I couldn't remember what it was)

Dessert: Strawberry sorbet (a perfect end for a great meal)

Paris shopping - Chanel 2.55 classic flap bag

I have been so behind my travel blogging that I don't know where to start again. Then I realized that what better gives me the writing muse than my favorite past time, shopping. So yes, this post is dedicated to my first Chanel bag (and hopefully not the only).

There is no question on why I decided to buy this bag. It should be more of the question: Why should I NOT buy it when I was in France? From all the information I had gathered, it would be very unwise not to buy a Chanel bag (or any Chanel stuff for that matter) when I was in Europe. The tax refund alone could justify the reason. And given the weak Euro when I went there, I would definitely regret not buying anything. Now, think about it, I feel quite sad not buying a pair of Chanel shoes. But Lanvin won at the end.

Anyway, with this in mind, I gave myself no limit for my shopping budget. Just what I should buy. How could I give myself a limit when I was in the land of Chanel, Hermes and Lanvin? But I gave myself a goal. No looking at other bag designs from other brands. And it was really a challenge as I fell in love with Delvaux. Its bag structure is so beautiful that I was literally forced myself to walk away, after purchasing a wallet from the boutique in Brugge. I felt it was time to have the first Chanel in my collection.

Also, I had made a point getting my 2.55 at the 31 Rue Cambon boutique. A lot of people said the experience itself was worth of the effort getting there. And was it really? Yes, the novelty of stepping into the store overshadowed the not-so-great service I got there. I'm not saying the service was bad. After all, I helped to increase that SA's income so she had to be nice to me. But I didn't feel the genuine happiness of giving a good service to her customers from her. Again, better her than her colleague, who didn't even have the necessary product knowledge.

Even though I had wanted a Jumbo flap bag, there was no stock at the time. And I wanted to buy the bag THERE and AT THE TIME. Yep, that's me! Impulsive with my instinct. So I settled for a Medium 2.55. But now, looking at it, I feel it is the perfect first Chanel bag to get. Beautiful and just the right size to go with any outfit.

About the price, yes, it is expensive but in comparison with how much they are selling it here in Singapore, I saved quite a nice sum actually. More than SGD1k. With this amount, I could buy a LV Neverfull PM in Singapore. And the price always goes up, never goes down for Chanel, or any branded bags for the matter.

Nothing fills the blank better than a couple of pictures.

Chanel store @ 31 Rue Cambon, Paris

In front of 31 Rue Cambon boutique with my new purchase

Unwrapping my new love

A gorgeous Medium Chanel 2.55 classic caviar flap bag

Singapore shopping - First pair of shoes for 2011

It's Salvatore Ferragamo Spiffy flats in silver. This design is so great that this pair is, in fact, my second purchase. My previous pair was bought last year for the rain season. After 6 months which I had worn it almost every other day, it had given out and broken. Even if the price is a little high for jelly flats, my cost per wear is very low.

And believe me, investing on day shoes is a must. Your health is affected partially by your posture, either walking or standing. And shoes contribute a big part in it. Again, my reason is: it is better to buy one pair of good shoes, than buy ten pairs of cheap but badly made shoes.