Moments in Time

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. Photos - no words - capturing a moment from my travels. A simple, special extraordinary moment.

A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Well since I write about travels, this moment relates to my travel experience...

This moment is a ritual I found on life inspired by the Wee Man adopted from SouleMama and shared by Sarah - Jane.



Check out their blogs.... They are very interesting and inspirational to read, and if you are moved too, please leave a link to your Moments in the comment box below.:)

Singapore Food Trip

Please allow me to take 6 minutes and 32 seconds of your time to view this video about Singapore's Favorite Hawker Food. Video courtesy of Annette from Singapore. I'm so proud of her for creating such beautiful and informative video. I personally like the video as it summarizes almost all the kinds of Singapore food that you can find in the hawker center.

For me food is ultimately my best friend. I love to eat and although I have always told myself to control my diet, the craving is just irresistible! I have been in Singapore for quite a while now and I have tasted almost every kind of Singapore fare there is, set right before me whenever I visit their local eating places.

Tau Foo soup 

Now why do I introduce you to the hawker center? It is because some of you may not be familiar with it or perhaps you are used to dine in an air-conditioned setting where the environment is more desirable to have your meal. Well, in a hawker center, you will be surprised that before you can even start to savor the food that you ordered from a stall, your forehead is already dripping with sweat. This is true.



So what is hawker food then?



Hawker food are food sold at a hawker center, otherwise known as food center, an open - air complex that houses many stalls selling a variety of food that are not just friendly to your stomach but also friendly to your pocket. Here in Singapore, they are typically found near Housing Development Board or HDB flats (apartments), transport hubs like train station and bus interchange and near shopping emporiums.



Hawker centers offer diverse Singapore cooking at its best. Whether it's a simple dish worth $3 or a three - course meal of barbecued fish, fried vegetables and chili prawns worth $20, the cost is reasonably more affordable than what you have to pay for the same meal when dining in a restaurant plus you are pampered with the same delectable taste.



So in case you are by chance having a trip here in Singapore and you are on a tight budget or  you just wish to sample Singapore's authentic cuisines, I wish to recommend some of the more notable hawker centers in Singapore I personally like to visit.

• Bukit Timah Food Center


• Chinatown Complex


• Changi Village Food Center 


• East Coast Park Food Center


• East Coast Park Seafood Center


• Lau Pa Sat                                               

But for a more comprehensive list you can try visiting this website www.myhawkers.sg which offers useful information on hawker centers and food stalls found in Singapore.                                                                  

Photo of the Day: Marina Bay Sands

This photo was taken during the 2010 New Year Countdown at Marina Bay Singapore. It is the Marina Bay Sands - the first integrated resort developed by Las Vegas Sands. It is presently advertised as the world's most expensive standalone casino property at S$8billion, which include the cost of prime land. It is one of the two winning proposals for Singapore's first Integrated Resorts, the other being the Resorts World Sentosa, where you can also find the Universal Studios Theme Park.



On top of the Marina Bay Sands Tower is the unique skypark which feature a swimming pool that provides a breathtaking view of the Singapore's skyline. The swimming pool is open for hotel guests only though. So if you book a room in this hotel, you will have free access to the skypark and the swimming pool and they promise an experience like no other.



I wish to add this information as a way of helping my blogger friend Debra and hopefully the rest of my readers to get details for booking the hotel. Please visit this site www.marinabaysands.com for more of its hotel deals and packages.

How?

Every now and then I check the Russian Data Bank of children available for adoption - just to make sure Viktoria is not back on there. She's not.

She turned 6 years old this past week. I just pray that she is in a happy family.

I decided to click on the children left from when Daria was there. It is unbelievable! There are still 2 pages of girls and 3 pages of boys who are Daria's age. They may have even been in Daria's room! These are beautiful boys and girls who need Mommies and Daddies and they are in a region where it will not happen! It just breaks my heart! If people from their own region do not adopt them, they will not be adopted.

It just breaks my heart.

The Blue Mosque

Situated on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south and the Strait of Malacca to the west is the state of Selangor, one of the 13 states of Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur was once Selangor's capital when the state united with Negeri Sembilan, Perak and Pahang to form the Federated Malay States in 1896. But the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Salahuddin, sadly has to sign away sovereignty over Kuala Lumpur and renouncing the then state capital to the federal government in 1974, making Kuala Lumpur the new Federal Territory and the national capital of Malaysia. Selangor's capital was then moved to Shah Alam.



Selangor is the first developed state in Malaysia, the richest state followed by Penang. It houses some of the most beautiful attractions in Malaysia including the Batu Caves. But today I'm going to introduce to you one of the most impressive architecture I discovered in this state. It is the largest mosque in the country.

On my road trip to Selangor last December of 2010, I was on a trail to find that magnificent mosque with a blue dome. My curiosity was piqued by this feature. So there and then with the helpful guide of the GPS, it was able to locate the mosque which was  prominently situated at Shah Alam with the perfect dome in blue and white hues - the most distinguishable feature in the capital of Selangor. The dome was about 170 feet in diameter and rose up to a height of 350 feet from the ground. There were also four minarets with a height of 142.3 meters, making them one of the world's tallest.

Close up photo of the blue dome. 

The mosque's is originally known as Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque, the longest name of an architecture I have ever heard. Today it is simply called as the Blue Mosque courtesy of its bluish dome feature with a little bit of a modern touch. It is the state mosque of Selangor, Malaysia and the second largest one in Southeast Asia after the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta Indonesia. It can hold up to 20,000 devotees at one time.

Taking picture of the dome was a great challenge as it was difficult to find the right spot to get the whole architecture. It only proved how massive this mosque was.



So if you are interested to see this Blue Mosque, stop by Shah Alam in Selangor Malaysia. Shah Alam, being the state's capital is a beautiful and pleasant place to visit. It is clean and neatly housed and it promises a wonderful journey with the view of lush surroundings and green scenery.

POEM

Inspired by a poem from a blogger friend, I hereby present to you....

TRAVELS

Western travel, Asian travel

happy travel and sad

travel that inspires and captivates

and not make my journey bad.

Gold Coast in Australia

Nami in Korea

 Petronas Towers in Malaysia.

Sentosa Island

Jeju Island

and the next thing I know, I'm in

Boracay Island having a tan.

Forbidden City

Great Wall

Summer Palace,

kick my ass off and

take me to China fast.

Although just a small island Singapore

There are many things to explore

Universal Studios

Singapore Flyer

Resorts World Sentosa 

and Marina Bay Sands 

List them down in your itinerary

for a worthwhile Singapore journey.

I'll be in hullabaloo

if I meet Mr. Doo

Little does he know

I'm coaxing him for a trip

to dine in Europe's alfresco.

US travel, European travel

Globetrotting, backpacking,

group and solo travelling

bring joy and excitement 

to my endless dreamland fling.

It ends here for now

On the stage I'll take a bow

A quick note to my beloved sponsor

"Thank you so much"

and I'm hoping for more. Ciao!

The Merlion in Singapore

Resting on a crest of waves with the head of a lion and the body of a fish is the famous icon of Singapore, the Merlion statue. It measures 8.6 metres high and weighs 70 tonnes which body is made of cement fondue and skin coated with porcelain plates. It is built by the late Singapore craftsman, Mr. Lim Nang Seng, who proudly erected this statue which he designed to rest on billowing waves and continuously sprouts water from the mouth to the river. It is situated at the Merlion Park near Marina Bay and takes its pride to welcome all visitors who come to Singapore. It has now become a popular tourist attraction in the heart of the city and the Merlion Statue takes its place among the famous landmark of great cities of the world. The Merlion statue is beautifully lit at night, a favorite time for photographers and tourists.



The lion head symbolises the legend of Singapore's founding by Sang Nila Utama, of the Sri Vijaya Empire in the 11th century A.D., on his first arrival on the island, spotted a mystical beast which later he learnt was a lion. Thereafter, he decided to name the island 'Singapura', 'Singa' means Lion and 'Pura' means City, or Lion City. The fish tail represents Singapore's connection to the ancient city of Temasek, a Javanese word for sea, and symbolises Singapore's humble beginnings as a fishing village.



The same magnificent Merlion statue can also be found at Sentosa in Singapore where you can have the chance to climb to the top of its head to have a breathtaking view of Sentosa's beautiful attractions. It does not sprout water though but it shoots laser lights at night to dazzle the place.

Photo of the Day: ArtScience Museum

Is it a flower? Or, is it a hand?

Tell me what do you see in this picture.

This photo was taken during the new year countdown party at the Marina Bay in Singapore.



This unique architecture is called the ArtScience Museum. It is one of the latest attractions in Marina Bay Sands Singapore.



Designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie, this museum will officially open its doors on 17th of February of this year. The design represents the forward looking spirit of Singapore. Its dramatically curved interior walls are illuminated by the featured skylights at each of its tips when seen at night.



The ArtScience Museum features 21 gallery spaces totaling 50,000 square feet and will display various exhibitions spanning from influences in arts and sciences, media and technology, to design and architecture. It is also the premier venue for international exhibitions from celebrated worldwide collections.



It is an interesting place to visit alongside Marina Bay Sands building. So if you are planning a trip to Singapore, don't miss out on this new attraction at the Marina Bay Sands. You can also have it beautifully captured from the Skypark located on top of that surfboard-shaped rooftop of the Marina Bay Sands tower.



So once again let me raise this question. What does this architecture in the picture resemble? Is it a flower? Or, is it a hand? I will be delighted to see your answers.

Food Trip and My Favorite Korean Barbecue

Food is one of mankind's greatest pleasures.

One of the best things about travelling is the chance to appreciate and savor authentic cuisines from different places visited. I am not much of an adventurer in food but I do have a big appetite for delectable cuisines that have a delightful blend of flavors and spices that sure to excite my taste buds and just hit the right notes to summon my stomach to rumble for a new found craving!

Having visited several places, I had tried varieties of food and every experience was always a challenge for me. Different countries have different specialties; some are hot and spicy, oily or less oily, sweet, sour, bitter, you name all descriptive words your taste buds will tell you and you are sure to be confronted with a whole lot of food adventure when you travel to various places in the world.

I do not spoil my travel by just getting into any fast food restaurant. I always embolden myself to try out diverse flavors, even if my taste bud says no, only to get myself challenge and the bragging rights, of course! Asian cuisines are always a challenge to me. China offers food that are greasy, less appetizing to some extent, but tea is really abundant in this country in which you can enjoy a free flow when dining in any of their restaurants. Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia on the other hand share almost the same blend of flavors, a mix of herbs and spices ranging from extra hot and spicy to moderately flavored ones, a variety which includes, steamed, stir-fried and deep-fried cuisines. Travelling to these countries is really a food adventure I will never forget!

Just recently, I visited Korea and my craving was up for a challenge once again and I could not help but be so thrilled about it! When we talk of Korea, what comes to our mind almost instantly? As for me, it is Kimchi. Indeed, it is and it seems that it has become Korea's trademark. And, honestly, I am not a fan of it. So this was where my character caved in. Kimchi just did not tickle my taste buds and I was really disappointed about it.

A picture of the side dishes 

Korean food stands out from other cuisines with many side dishes or 'banchan' in Korean term, that are served during meals. So when you eat at a Korean restaurant, your various banchan will be served in small bowls beforehand on the table and throughout your meal. Sad to say, my side dishes are always left uneaten. And, although the soups and stews are served hot during meals, the side dishes are served at a room temperature or cold on some occasions. Rice is the backbone of every meal, steam-cooked to really achieved a good-some experience of healthy dining.

Learning to make kimchi 

Kimchi is actually a fermented vegetable dish made with Nappa cabbage, daikon or sometimes cucumber, brine of ginger, garlic, scallions and chili pepper. It is a preserved cabbage in short. Koreans have perfected the art of preserving food for a thousand of years now, and kimchi along with other side dishes served during Korean meals are a range of pickled, salted, or fermented variety and many are spicy. Koreans traditionally make enough kimchi to last for winter season. I had the chance of learning how to make one during my visit to Korea. It seemed easy to make: Just spread the prepared seasoning onto each leaf and on both sides of Nappa cabbage, fold the entire bunch and tie it with one of the leaves, then it's good to go. 

Enjoying my Korean BBQ in Jeju

Koreans generally use less oil and more spices in their cooking. Korean barbecue is my favorite fare. It is called 'Bulgogi', a grilled Korean dish consists of marinated beef although chicken or pork may also be used. The thin slices of beef are marinated with a mixture of Korean soy sauce, sesami oil, garlic and other ingredients such as scallions or mushrooms.

Usually when dining out for a Korean barbecue buffet at any of Korea's restaurants, the rules of engagement are simple: Remove your shoes at the doorstep, take a place at one of the low communal tables, routinely poke the sizzling strips of marinated beef with the metal chopsticks and call to replenish your bowl with the marinated beef as much as you want and as many times as you desire. It's a really good-some affair you will certainly enjoy for the rest of your meal.

Bulgogi (beef) tried in one of Seoul's restaurant

Bulgogi (pork) along with the various side dishes tried from Jeju

At a traditional restaurant, meats are cooked at the center of the table over a charcoal grill surrounded by various banchan and individual rice bowls. The marinated meats are then grilled and wrapped with fresh lettuce leaves. You can add some rice, thinly sliced garlic and other seasonings found on the table and voila, your bulgogi is ready for a bite! Hmmm! Yum! 

There are really so many things that travel can offer you. Aside from wandering around the marvelous places in a particular country and learning about its culture and traditions, you will also get to explore interesting food discovery and a whole lot of food adventure.  

Snow in East Texas

D and her friend made a big snowball - mostly with snow from the pad on the trampoline.

They turned their big snowball into a snowbunny/snowman.

C needed to mow the snow. He's a mowing man!

Well, it wasn't quite the blizzard we'd hoped for, but we got out and played in it anyhow!

Gyeongbokgung Palace

Located in northern Seoul, South Korea, Gyeongbokgung is a rather picturesque palace more so compared than the Forbidden City in Beijing, in my opinion. It looks newer than the ones found in Forbidden City mainly because of the restoration done to bring it to its former glory. Gyeongbokgung means 'Palace of Shining Happiness' and the name speaks for itself. It is one of the main and largest palaces of the Five Grand Palaces built by the Joseon Dynasty. The palace is also a good representation of traditional Korean design and architecture. Having been destroyed and restored several times, the historical integrity of the palace may be disputable but it is an admirable oasis away from the hustle and bustle of modern Seoul. The architectural buildings you'll find in this palace are just magnificently gorgeous and the restored paintwork on the eaves are absolutely stunning.

The above picture is the Geunjeongjeon or the Throne Hall which is constructed mainly of wood and sits on the center of a large rectangular courtyard, on top of a two-tiered stone platform lined with intricate 'balustrades' and adorned with numerous sculptures depicting imaginary and real animals such as dragons and phoenixes. This main hall was where the king formally granted audiences to his officials, greeted foreign envoys and ambassadors and gave declaration of national significance during the Joseon Dynasty.

The Throne Hall with me at the fore ground..

Snow on the ground...

Reminiscing Forbidden City...

Gyeongbokgung Palace was completed in 1935, three years after the founding of the Joseon Dynasty by Yi Seong-gye which also paved the way to the movement of the capital of the new dynasty from Gaegyeong to Hanyang (now known as Seoul). During the Japanese occupation, the palace was actually destroyed by fire along with most of other palaces; only a few buildings including Gyeonghoeru Pavilion and Geunjeongjeon Hall were left standing. Gyeongbokgung was reconstructed in 1868 and since then continued effort had been ongoing to fully restore the glory of this palace. The colonial Government-General building was removed, making way for the full restoration of Henggryemun Gate to its original state as well as the royal quarters and the East residence for the crown prince.



Give Gyeongbukgong palace a visit when you are in Seoul. This is definitely the best and the grandest palace to explore when you are in the country's capital, more so now that some of its original structures have already been reestablished and bring back to its former state.

Batu Caves

Located at Gombak district, Selangor Malaysia, 13 km north of Kuala Lumpur, is a limestone hill with a series of caves and cave temples - the most popular Hindu shrine outside India. This is my ultimate Selangor discovery on my road trip to Malaysia on the Christmas day of 2010. This road trip is quite unrelated to the Christmas occasion but since it's a holiday, a stroll to any place is a reward! With the world's tallest statue of Murugan, standing at 42.7 meter high at the entrance to this attraction, Batu Caves is nowhere difficult to find in the state of Selangor. Spot that magnificent gold statue and you know you are at the right place!

To reach the cave, you have to climb 272 steeply steps towards the top. Climbing up the concrete stairs is nowhere near as bad as it seems. Sure you get a little tired but it's nothing that a normal person wouldn't do. Hold on to the side railings if you feel like falling backwards though. You will meet playful macaque monkeys along the stairwells. But, stay alert as they can be very territorial and they grab anything they find attractive that you are holding or dangling from your bag. They are actually adorable and fun to take photos with but quite disconcerting too when you are trying to navigate your way to the top and way down below.

We're friends.. surprising!

Adorable...

Once you reach the top you enter a massive cavern then through that you can get to this open cave which has about a hundred meter high ceiling and some Hindu ornaments smack at the sides or walls of the cave which I believe is the Cathedral Cave or Temple Cave, the biggest among the caves found in Batu Caves attraction. The place is supposedly for worship and a focal point of Hindu festival of Thaipusam in Malaysia but I'm surprised that it has now become a tourist attraction and somewhat tatty, lacking of regular maintenance and rubbish piles up everywhere. The people here should look into this problem and try to find a solution to maintain the entire appearance of this place. This is just the downside of this attraction. But overall, it is a nice discovery I have had during my road trip and an excellent way to introduce my readers to an attraction they can probably consider visiting other than the majestic view of the Malaysia's landmark, the Petronas Towers.

Inside the cave...

Hindu ornaments inside the cave...

Thank you for reading and I hope you'll give Batu Caves attraction a go when visiting the state of Selangor in Malaysia. :) Ciao, for now!

Photo of the Day - Petronas Towers

Designed by Cesar Pelli and Djay Cerico, architects from Argentina under the consultancy of Julius Gold and Filipino engineer Domingo Basa (something I should be proud of as a Filipino), the Petronas Towers were completed in 1998 and became the tallest twin buildings in the world. The two towers which consisted of 88 floors were constructed largely of reinforced concrete, with a steel and glass facade. Tower 1 was built by contractors from Japan named Hazama Corporation while Tower 2 was built by two South Korean builders namely, Samsung C&T and Kukdong Engineering & Construction. Tower 2 was eventually completed first and became one of the tallest buildings in the world. A skybridge was built between the two towers on the 41st and 42nd floors by the same South Korean contractor Kukdong Engineering & Construction. The skybridge is actually not attached to the main structure but instead it is designed to slide in and out of the towers to prevent it from breaking during high winds.

Suria KLCC

Nestled below the Petronas Towers (the tallest twin towers in the world), is the Suria KLCC - Malaysia's premier shopping complex. Here, we can find luxury and fashionable shops of any exclusive designer brands like Chanel, Gucci, Mango, Bvlgari,  Cartier and many more - you name it, you'll find it here! It is a very posh shopping mall and the only one of a kind in the heart of the city. Shopping here is the best thing you can ever experience aside from the endless admiration of the twin towers. It also houses a 12 screen cinema, concert hall, art gallery, Science Discovery Centre as well as cafes and restaurants. A day here is certainly not enough to satisfy your shopping crave and the buying impulse is just so tempting and sinful.

Outside the shopping complex, is a 50-acre tropical landscape designed by Roberto Burle Marx, a renowned landscape designer. It is known as the KLCC park. Here, we can find a man-made lake with water fountain named Lake Symphony and is programmed to provide dramatic water animations. The park serves as an integration of man's creation with nature such that it provides an urban sanctuary amidst the hustle and bustle of city life. It features various amenities including children's playground, wading pool, jogging track, shelters, benches, patterned foot-paths, sculptures, native trees, greenery and a symphony fountain. It's a good place for a stroll with the majestic and picturesque view of the Petronas Towers and other architectural buildings surrounding the park. 

Wading pool where families can soak up the sun while in the park...

The Kuala Lumpur Tower

Happy New Year everyone!!!

Here's my first blog post for this brand new year - a Christmas visit to the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.





I absolutely had the most memorable dining experience in one of the world's highest revolving restaurant situated in Kuala Lumpur Tower on the eve of Christmas 2010. Yes, indeed, Kuala Lumpur Tower which is originally known as Menara Kuala Lumpur ('menara' means tower in Malay) is my featured itinerary for today. 

Standing statuesque in all its architectural perfections, the Kuala Lumpur Tower is the most aspiring, gargantuan projects ever undertaken in Malaysia. It appears higher than the Petronas Tower for the reason that it is perched atop Bukit Nanas which by itself is 94 meters above sea level and, hence, the tower rises to a height of 421 meters; a highly visible and prestigious landmark the country ever made.





The KL-Tower acts as the country's main telecommunication and multimedia tower and proudly ranked as the fourth tallest in the world. 

It also claims to house the highest fastfood restaurant in the world - McDonalds. 





The structure comprises of five basic stations: the foundation base, the touristic level, the tower shaft, the tower head and the antenna mast. The base consists of three basement floors to serve as storage house and maintenance departments. At the touristic level, you will find a 146m pedestrian mall with cascading pools, souvenir shops, ticketing counter and the administration's office. The tower shaft on the other hand, comprises of a stairwell with 2,058 steps and four high-speed elevators that will zoom you up the KL-Tower to the observation platform in 60 seconds where a breathtaking 360-degree view of the city awaits. The tower head  houses a public observation platform on the first level and a revolving restaurant on the second level. It is clad in a double-glazed with gas in filled  glass, arranged in the traditional Islamic form of the 'Muqarnas' of the Shah Mosque in Isfahan, Iran as well as illustrates the layers of the sky with the rays of the sun in the middle. It also represents the journey to perfection in human life. Crowning the tower is the 86 meters long antenna mast which is used for telecommunications and broadcasting transmissions.





The KL-Tower is the first pit-stop in the mostly watched reality TV show in Asia - the Amazing Race Asia 1.





So much about the tower, now let me talk about my dining experience at its revolving restaurant.

Restoran Berputar Seri Angkasa, the restaurant's name, provides ambience where patrons can enjoy an exquisite selection of food complemented by an entertaining music from the piano lounge for a one of a kind dining experience. It provides an excellent panoramic views of the city with the opportunity to admire the ornate architecture of the Petronas Tower and the financial district most especially at night when the city is dazzled by shimmering lights. It specializes in buffet-styled dining and offers a variety of local and continental cuisines which are served on separate islands equally spaced around the restaurant. It also has a special dessert counter which is just phenomenal especially when you dine in on an important festive occasion where a delightful blend of flavors will surely excite your tastebuds - a sea of gastronomic delights that makes your olfactory go on a high alert the moment you gazed upon the various desserts on the counter. You will certainly be swamped with multitude of options for that sweet cravings! Oh-la-la!!! 





The restaurant opens daily from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. for dinner. Prices for lunch buffet starts from RM 60++ for adult and RM 35++ for child on weekdays and RM 70++ and RM 40++ for adult and child, respectively, on weekends and public holidays. Dinner buffet prices are RM135++ for adult and RM 75++ for child.





Below are panoramic views of the city during the day.

Give Kuala Lumpur Tower a stop when visiting the capital city of Malaysia. This unique architectural heritage has become a prime tourist attraction in the city that offers an experience you will never forget!