Macau is a very familiar name to me but this time is different from what I saw before.




These two days were spent in Macau to work for the Shoppes at Four Season Hotel Opening and happened to be about to see the very first show of "cirque du soleil zaia" for free and try of first class ferry and especially its quite nice catering service.






The hotel is grand new. Everything in place and actually quite intense. The job is one thing. The other thing is let me to see the world of materialism. Everything ahead luxury, materialism, consumption and TOO MUCH... with all expensive brand like Celine, Versace. You can't imagine a pretty simple and not very stylish dress can cost more than 100 thousands dollar. Lady can pay 10 thousands for a crazy 5-6inches high heel shoes which actually hurting legs and not even comfortable.






This industry is actually kind of crazy business. Most of the people are doing freelance as normally the PR company just hires regular staff like a/c, admin... For operation thing, they usually ask for freelance to fit the seasonal demand.

I am not a person who fancy about high-end fashion but the job was pretty fun actually because everything was new for me and I definitely learned more about this industry like how the show runs and what would happen at the place.

For the first day, I organization and helped bringing fashion show models from Hong Kong to Macau. I thought I was wrong at the first place as those white girls were actually not very polite. They almost thought they are superstar or princess. Finally, I found Benson was feeling the same. Through their conversation, you know how rude they are and really disrespectful. You could find out different demand which was just for personal need but not for the group.

Besides, I learned a lot about what problem would happen all the time and what accident would happen anytime, anyplace. I didn't realize how difficult for 20 people check-in to a hotel at the same time without any agreement of deposit or room service.

However, the most important I saw is actually how the rich people spend their money and how much they waste for single event but actually unnecessary. In a event, or for the big one, you can't imagine how much you would waste just for every 5mins. Bottle water, lunch boxes, or catering thing, deco material and any one-time only item. You see how the empty shuttle to come back and fore to one place to another place. How people book a 39 seats shuttle bus for just less than 10 people.



All these things are not about money but how much material or resource actually wasted. I felt really bad about seeing all these waste.

For better-off people, they waste tone lot more than worse-off people. For a bottle water, they always just finish half or quarter and then leave here or throw it away. For sandwiches, over ordered and more than 10. You can imagine how expensive the food is nowadays and how many people has no choice for something more healthy or better.

Tomorrow... by this time... I will be working in Macau. The first time for real event industry... or marketing industry.

What I am worried is not the job itself but I will have nothing to talk with those agencies and models...

Finally got some more film from Japan trip... The photos were scanned by low quality scanner... so many dust and the contrast is weird.










This roll of film was my first try to do more different aperture in same time.

Last two day in Bangkok

train is like 6 hrs delay...




First time I did after got off from train was to run and checked-in our favourite hotel in Bangkok and it is just right next to Hulampong railway station and pretty closed to airport highway.

First thing we did was to eat in Siam area... and then checked out Night market for "1977" T-shirt. (Don't ask me why 1977 is so important.)



Then, we met Boom at night time and visited Kashan Road and once again saw a lot of Hippie Dippie people around that area. With stupid nightclub and dreadlocks "hairdressers". It always didn't look like a real hippie community but more likely part of "Southeast Asia Backpacker ultimate trend". You can tell easily with exactly same pant and t-shirt they wear. The road sign could tell you Bangkok is definitely crazy for prostitution.




At the same night, Nic tried his favourite snack for the first time.



Ok! Now I am ready to start working again!!!!


(the photo can't tell but was super sunny. )

Say bye to my super long holiday... :(

Penang to Butterworth to Bangkok

With the crazy two hours delay of train. We spent extra two hours in Butterworth KTM station to wait for the train. It was pretty much for me to repack my suitcase and do my nail by scratching them.



Finally, train arrived and we got a nice seat. I can say most of the passengers were tourists. It seemed like they were super proud of choosing the railway instead of taking bus to save at least 10 hrs.



On the train, we saw a really beautiful sunset. The sky turned gold and orange. I had never seen such a big sun in my life and it was so closed to me. I could see the magic of the nature and how much the sun gave us. At that moment, I felt so little again. The reflection from the gold rice field with the sun, they completed a wonderful picture.

Ipoh to Penang

After saying bye to Nic's family in Ipoh, we took tour bus to Butterworth and just one river/ Malacca Sea across... one of my favorite city in Asia - a peaceful beautiful seaside with British colonial building. We didn't have much time in Penang since the overstay in Ipoh but it was not a bad decision. I am really happy to come back to Penang again.

We arrived George Town and visited Nic's friend - Sam. His family is the own of some of most famous restaurant in Penang. He drove us to Cathay Hotel and with his wife and new born son.

The city didn't seem changed much but it does keep changing. The building along the seaside had new refurbishment to give George Town a new look. More or less because the city has entered and on the list of the world Heritage. It was good to go back to somewhere you can remember and feel familiar.

After spending a relaxing night in George Town with crazy bad quality massage that Nic introduced me, it was wonderful to sleep understand big spinning fan.

On the next day, we woke up in the early morning and tried to spend most of the time we left to visit the city again. The morning sun shine on my face and the smoke from restaurant in the morning in the lower sky. Nothing was better than that moment.

Kuala Lumper to Ipoh

I didn't really plan to do this trip until one week before and Nic found a cheap ticket from Airasia again (the airline we always book) like always.

After spending one night in Kuala Lumper, we caught the tour bus on the other day and headed to Ipod to spend a few days in Gopeng or Ipod to celebrate Nic's grandpa 60th birthday. It is like the first time for me to experience such hospitality. The people are really welcome. They always think about if you get hungry or not or what you can do during the day.







We visited the biggest cave in Malaysia and beautiful highland... tried most of the food I could eat in Malaysia and I felt that everything in Malaysia are tasty. My stomach was 100% full from morning to bedtime. I can't remember how many meal they like to take everyday.


One thing is I didn't expect it became such a good experience to me.





Since I was born in a too traditional Chinese family. My mum is much younger than my dad and also my grandma was much younger than my grandpa. So... I have never seen my grandpa in both of my mum and dad's side. I didn't see my grandma but when I was very young and since I was born in Hong Kong and they had lived in Mainland China. It was difficult for me to visit them and spent time with them. I wish I could spend more time with them.

For me, Nic's family is like more than complete to me. Grandpa and grandma are alive. It was really touching to see how many people travel all the way to celebrate his birthday together. How much they respect each other. Sometime, I really appreciate all these tradition which starts to disappear and fade away.



As I have never experienced these family thing. Even I am not really part of them, for them I am only a guest without any relationship but I also really enjoyed to see everything happened even only small thing like how they celebrated and how they followed some of the tradition.

Day one in Kuala Lumper

Spent one whole weeks in Southeast Asia again - Malaysia and Thailand. Most of them were really enjoyable and special to me.

On the first day, we stayed overnight in Pudu Road, Kuala Lumper. I think it is pretty much the most popular and cheapest hostel in that area. It changed a lot with reasonable depreciation. The tap was broken, ventilation didn't work quite well. The mattress with big hole and not elastic anymore.

One of the big thing is - finally I was able to meet Jana. We knew each other when I was still playing Five Disciplines and I has been four years. When we talked about it, we couldn't believe how time flies. He was busy last time with his crazy working schedule. He is such a nice guy and so so friendly. When you first see him, you feel like you have been friends for long time. His smile makes you feel comfortable. Of course, I have to mention he is like a big star in KL hardcore scene or you can say indie music scene. I can't remember how many time he bumped into his friends on the street. It is cute.

We visited the curve in K.L. and went to the laundry which is a quite nice place for gig. Jana said the sound was very bad but I was thinking like - " already much better than general Hong Kong bandshow". It was cute to see so many people wearing band tee and some of them must be pretty hard to get in Kuala Lumper... so they must order online. I haven't ordered anything for long time. The whole scene reminded me about how Hong Kong Hardcore scene used to be. Hehehe... It was so funny to see so many people are so into playing with their hoods. Jacket with hood are definitely one of their bigger fashion and "must have" item.

Now, I am waiting at Macao Airport as the delay of our flight to Kuala Lumper. I would be good to end the "holidays" with a relaxing trip but not so "hardcore" one. Tmr, we will take the local bus to Ipoh and join Nic's Grandpa 80th Birthday party. It will be the first time for me to see almost his whole family from his mum's side.

 

Heard a lot about his grandma, grandpa and Ipoh. Knowing Lust and Caution was shot there (a few shot and mainly the street at the night time with tram). I guess we will try to find them out if possible. Then, Nic's mum, Ben (brother) and Suki (sister-in-law) will be there soon.

 

Tonight, hopefully will be able to meet Jana - the "godfather" of KL hardcore. He organzied many huge festival and gig in KL, including Wall of Jericho. Know him for many years but it will be the first time to see him. Last time when I was in K.L., he was busy with his work.

 

I didn't expect too much experience from this trip but it is good to know Nic's family for a little bit more. 

 

Okay! Should find something to eat... update more words and photos later when I get real wi-fi access. 

 

 

Used to love cooking... but before I was vegetarian.
After I came back from Japan, I started to learn about how to make Japanese dessert.
Today I made a sesame pudding with cinnamon powder. Tonight I will make Coffee Jelly!

What you need are Whipping Cream, Milk, Sugar, Black Sesame Paste and Gelatine. Of course, cinnamon powder.