Back from a short 2-day trip to the Sheraton Huizhou Beach Resort with family over the past weekend.

Huizhou is the city where my dad works, so he somehow got to learn about this “new” resort and decided to try it out. Well, it’s really new. So “new” that half of the resort looks like a construction site!

There is no beach, no outdoor pool, no golf course, no tennis court … we couldn’t even go out to the garden because the trees all fell down after the typhoon.

Series of ridiculous things at the resort:

• A small pack of 4-finger Kit Kat in the mini bar in our room is priced at RMB 68!
• RMB 50 per hour for table tennis. Fine, but the table is placed right next to the indoor swimming pool. Imagine picking up the ball from the water after every rally. Additional exercises?
• RMB 400 per hour for mahjong. After negotiations, we got two hours for the same price. But still, this price is outrageous. For the same price, you get dinner included with the mahjong room in HK.
• Only one restaurant (InAzia) was open on Saturday, so we had to put up with the so-called “Fusion” dishes that were tasteless and overpriced (around RMB 150 per head). Luckily I picked a Hainan Chicken Rice.
• The air-conditioning throughout the whole resort was minimal, not sure if it was malfunctioning or they just want to save energy. Feel like a green house every where.
• RMB 680 for a 60-min so-so quality body massage in their Spa.
• RMB 100 per hour for tennis court, plus another RMB 100 for one can of balls (3). Of course I didn’t play, their courts were still filled with cracks and trashes.

Their “official opening” is scheduled for late September. I don’t really know how they could pull this off! At least their team of staff is well-mannered and helpful. Unless they offer me a free stay I wouldn’t consider going there again.

One thing I did enjoy: watching the Olympics on local CCTV channels. Professional commentary from top athletes - less all the nonsense crap we have with TVB/ATV in Hong Kong.

I’m now in Bangkok, Thailand with my friend Lorraine. It’s just the same things every day: eating, shopping, massage/spa, sleeping. Guess there’s not too much to blog about. I don’t miss Hong Kong (yet), but for sure I’ll return on Monday night as scheduled.

Hello World! I’m back from my 2-week USA trip! It was a typical Hongkong-style tour that I imposed on myself, so I can’t complain about the lack of sleep and lack of time to do anything (blogging or working) as planned.

Due to my absence and inattention to work during the trip, I have a lot to catch up when I come back. So for now, all I could put here is a selection of my photos. Enjoy and don’t be envious!

Earlier this evening I was shocked to learn from a blog that Oasis Hong Kong Airlines has gone into liquidation. It’s quite saddening news to me, I had a pretty good experience with them when I flew to Vancouver last summer. Upon my return to Hong Kong, I got an email from Oasis asking for feedback, so I wrote to their CEO Stephen Miller and he replied me personally. Besides, although they position themselves as a budget airline, their branding and website design are top-notched. As a consumer, I’m worried that after the failure of Oasis, would there be any more attempt by others?

Another reason I feel for Oasis because it is like a David vs Goliath battle, I’ve had a lot of respect for them for taking on the “big guns” and hope that they would not just succeed, but also open up the market space to attract other budget airlines to come to Hong Kong.

I hope their founder/chairman Rev Raymond C. Lee would stage a comeback one day. Quoted from his interview on Hong Kong Commercial Daily on May 3, 2006, “Starting a business requires the determination to try and the courage to correct continuously. Get back on your feet where you fall. Don’t blame the market or others for not appreciating what you do.”

Original Chinese version:「創業要有再試的決心及改過的勇氣，在那裡跌到，就要在那裡爬起，不應把責任歸咎於市場或世人不懂欣賞。」

Later this month I will be flying to San Francisco to attend the Web 2.0 Expo. Then I will drop by The Mothership at Infinite Loop, Cupertino to get as many official Apple merchandise as possible (don’t send me wish list if you don’t even know me!). If time permits, I hope to meet up with friends there and visit some companies of interest. In the second week, I shall visit The Big Apple for the first time, so I just got myself a Michelin Guide on New York City. Together with my red Pocket Pimlico Filofax from Swindon, and orange Piquadro wallet, that’s made my full gear to stroll around the City. For now, I’ve to get some work done or I wouldn’t afford to dine out every night!

Hello! This is my third day and the last day in this short Seoul trip. Right now I’m about to check out at the Ritz, and off for the last outing before boarding the return flight at 8PM. Check out my photos on Flickr.
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Three months into year 2008, I still keep getting questions like “Where did you go for X’mas / Chinese New Year?” …

OK, ladies and gentlemen, in order not to disappoint you I’m finally getting away from Hong Kong. In around 4 hours, I’ll be boarding a CX plane to Seoul, South Korea. This is my first visit to Korea, and I’m totally clueless. I have got only three days, and I don’t know what I could do with that. Shopping? Probably not. Eating? How can I order the food without knowing Korean? There is no tour guide, I’ll be by myself (most of the time) when my friend attends her business conferences.

Anyway, I guess it wouldn’t be too hard to stroll around on my own. Will be back before you notice … have a great weekend every one!

What a trip! Totally exhausted after an intensive 2-day trip. So much to do and so little time, but I still miss my home and work (yes!) and feel great to be back. Slept away the whole Sunday after returning late last night and still wanna sleep more. Check out my Flickr photos in this trip.

Recommendations:

Lacucina Italiana (我的意大利廚房）- Excellent food and service at an affordable price
Address: Rua do Pai Kok No. 6-12, Chun Fok Village, Wai Heng Kok, R/C, Loja AD-AF, Taipa, Macau. Just 10-min walk from Venetian Hotel. Next to a hospital (鏡湖醫院). Tel: 2882 7818

皇冠小館 - Yummy crab congee
Address: 澳門水坑尾街 310 號 A 地下. Tel: 28372248

Today is going to be a long day at work, as every one is trying out clear all tasks so we would be able to enjoy our trip in Macau on Friday. Yes, I am going to watch Roger Federer v Pete Sampras at the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel on Saturday!!! It’s so difficult to get ferry tickets for that day so I guess there will be a full house in the stadium. My parents and brother have already visited Venetian before and I only heard praises, so I am really looking forward to this weekend. Fingers crossed for my upcoming SkyWalk photos on the Macau Tower!

行程最後兩日可以用一個字概括：Shopping。星期天落去距離 Vancouver 只有兩小時車程的 Seattle Premium Outlets 掃貨。估唔到今次去加拿大會過境去埋美國，我 2005 年時拿了十年的美國簽證，但今次過關時佢都要另外再收錢。我地都唔係好明點解，所以問清楚Ｄ，關員解釋話呢個費用係 Homeland Security Department 收，同簽證費分開。唉，我當然唔志在呢六蚊美金啦，但係要我地塞左三個幾鐘頭車之後落車入去又搞一大餐就好乞人憎！見到那裡俾人檢查的十個有九個係「非白人」，點都覺得有Ｄ俾人歧視。我都知恐佈襲擊要防備，但唔該你人道Ｄ，整個洗手間係度，等Ｄ老人家唔駛忍得咁辛苦吖！

實在太多人落美國買野，搞到大塞車，我地唯有只去 Outlets 唔落 Seattle 觀光。Outlets 都幾多野睇，不過我一向都唔係購物狂，巡例咁買左少少咁啦，用左大約二百幾美金，大部份都係 Nike 同 Adidas。比起 2005 年時同家姐 Bernice 佢地買那次 真係濕濕碎！Shopping 真係要「傳染」架，成班人都癲，我都會癲埋一份。夜晚去左 Lynnwood 的 Old Country Buffet, 我 shopping 完後好累（仲累過行山！），都無乜胃口，尤其之前見識過 Las Vegas 的所謂 buffet 後我對美國 buffet 都無乜希望。

最後一日朝早先去左 Coquitlam Centre 超市買手信，跟住出 downtown 的一間酒店飲茶。尋日 lunch 食完 Jack In The Box 之後我塊面即刻出暗瘡，今日可以食番中餐舒服晒。我掃晒Ｄ點心，飲左好多茶，跟住就去機場 check-in。去到 Oasis 個 counter 見到條龍好長，班機肯定好滿。Stella 陪我等了一輪先走，我差唔多埋到去時霎眼見到 counter 貼左張紙：Special offer - Upgrade to Business Class for CAD 270。哇！乖乖不得了，我張來回機票連埋稅都只不過係五千幾港紙，即係話單程二千左右，家陣俾多二千就可以坐 Business Class, 好抵喎！諗起第日一早就要返工，決定 upgrade! 所以今次回程非常舒適，十二個鐘眨下眼就到，上機前又可以係 lounge 度任飲任食免費上網，真係物有所值。最後班機竟然重早到一個鐘 (9:15 pm)，upgrade 左後我可以優先落機同取行李，所以 10:30 pm 巳經番到屋企，爽！