I was petrified to find that food no longer tastes as I find myself chagrined and dispirited. So I decided that I needed a trip to Rome in search of stimulus. San Crispino’s green apple gelato, Il Gelatone’s pistachio and hazelnut gelato, San Eustachio’s macchiato, Santa Lucia’s pappardelle with white truffle… still I was lost.

I persevered, to Paris. Du pain et des idées’s baguette, Kayser’s mini financier, Gerald Mulot’s pineapple paired saffron macaron, Jean-Paul Hévin’s caracas… I almost give up.

Standing in the cold, autumn that arrived early, I thought of mom’s rice vermicelli in chicken broth with pork meatballs, dad’s steamed free-range chicken, grandma’s ikan kembung seasoned with garlic and turmeric… I knew it was time to head back home.

Ooi! and the Hokkaido crab ramen.

I was initially going to Perth to see them, but getting the tickets was such a pain in the arxx, they were sold out within minutes world wide, so I had to go on ebay. While I was studying the auctions and deciding at which price I would offer to trade, a friend in Tokyo found a couple of tickets. Voila, I was in Tokyo.

As I was traveling across the town to get to Saitama, I was praying that I won’t be demanded to be fastened to my seat. Unlike most of the venues around the world where they’re performing, the Saitama Super Arena Stadium does not offer standing tickets. Having heard the reputation of the Japanese audience being one of the tamest in the world, I was dead worried.

As luck would have it, everyone were on their feet as soon as the concert starts. The concert only really kick off with Thunderstruck. Haven’t been that much into their Black Ice album, but I thought I should see them live anyway, this might just be their last world tour.

I thought Brian Johnson has lost bit of his voice, they have after all been on tour for more than a year. All in all, it was Super!

The set list:

Rock N’ Roll Train
Hell Ain’t a Bad Place to Be
Back in Black
Big Jack
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
Shot Down in Flames
Thunderstruck
Black Ice
The Jack
Hells Bells
Shoot to Thrill
War Machine
High Voltage
You Shook Me All Night Long
T.N.T.
Whole Lotta Rosie
Let There Be Rock
Encore:
Highway to Hell
For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)

It turned out that it his son, James Elgin who’s the person who gave the order to destroy 圓明園. Growing up, I never really feel the same anger for the destruction of 圓明園 as my mom does. Today, I realised that it was very much due to ignorance and lack of reading.

But, is he the real crook, or just a scapegoat?
Try to explain this to my British fiance, eh?

But I haven’t got one. Despite having a clear idea on what sort of scarf is for me.
It has to be sweet but chic, and nothing less than a smooth, glide over your skin silk scarf… and I fell in love with, Hermes. But my pay cheque opposed the idea.

After weeks of contemplating and researching, I just had to convince myself that I could use one great scarf, and one is all it needs be.

The challenge to decide which one Hermes scarf to buy turn out to be a great challenge. I was initially all smitten with Ballade de Heian, simply because I felt I could relate to the Heian period in Japan, the fact that it was the Tang’s Chinese that poured the arts and literature into Japan. As I study the drawing on the scarf carefully, I find myself distressingly bothered with the drawing, where the figures featured are predominantly males. I find that unfitted to the theme.

Just as I was in dismay, I spotted La Femme aux Semelles de Vent in black. My heart pounds, my pupils dilate, there was no question that she is the one.

It tells a story of a woman of adventure, with a great thirst for philosophy, literature and linguistics, and who travelled a far to see, learn and live at the Far East before anyone of her time. Alexandra David-Néel is a legend, and I cannot be inspired more.

La Femme aux Semelles de Vent in on usa.hermes.com

In my wishlist…

August turn out to be an absolutely extraordinary month, I am now in Africa!

Better, I am at an exclusive 76 000 hectare game reserve, one of South Africa biggest wild life sanctuaries. Imagine this, beautiful suite with Jacuzzi and moonlight bathroom, private balcony overlooking a pond frequented by the Big Fives, does it get better than that?!!!

Madikwe is located in the North West Province of South Africa, Madikwe Collections are some of the finest lodges in the game reserve.

Arriving at Thalwil a day before our friend’s wedding, we decided to see a bit of Lucerne which takes 20 minutes on the Switzerland railways, SBB. It cost CHF33.80 per person for a return ticket. The train took us along the scenic Lake Zurich.

Lucerne is known tourist destinations in the canton of Zürich with attractions like Mt. Pilatus and the city Lion Monument, which we didn’t see. We did however entertained ourselves to walking along the river Reuss, the Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) which was constructed in 1333, and the Lucerne Old Town.

Still a little jetlag, we didn’t know that we’ll be so smitten with this country in the next few days.

Chez Tomo is the creation of Mr. Tomoji Ichikawa, also known as the ‘French Superchef’ in Japan. The restaurant is tucked in a quite affluent neighbourhood of Hiro-o, on a sunny day the terrace is a natural choice, that is if you have a booking.

The Maître d’ who speaks French was notably snobbish, not a norm in Tokyo. Oh well, once you see and taste one of his specialty, Sea Urchin Bisque served in it’s shell, all your troubles (any troubles) go away. Sea urchin, known as Uni in Japanese is a tricky ingredient that one shouldn’t approach unless you have access to the freshest and knows what to do with them. You definitely don’t want to mess up this luxurious gem of the sea. This is my take, if you’re in Japan where everyone is freaking serious about quality (freshness) of seafood, and you’re in the hand of capable chef like Mr. Ichikawa. Spend the bucks, it’s worth every penny!

The Organic Vegetable palette was quite charming. With more than 30 different types of bite size raw and cooked vegetables, I could have this for lunch everyday, and not get bored. The rest including the desserts were good but not as inspiring as I wish it to be, then again I’m spoiled in Tokyo. I know that when I am in England, I’ll beg for something just half as good at the same price.

4 courses lunch is at 2890Yen, additional charges on chef’s specialties.

2-23-3 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku
渋谷区恵比寿２－２３－３　１Ｆ
Tel: ０３－３４４０５８５８

I’ll always stick my nose in this little shop whenever I’m at the neighborhood. Kangol‘s Berets were at the height of fashion after the 2nd World War, under designers Mary Quant and Pierre Cardin in the 1960’s. Beatles and the late Princess Diana were some of their rich and famous fans.

Kangol Headwear Omotesando 6-3-10 Jingumae
東京都渋谷区神宮前6-3-10

MAP to Kangol Omotesando

元離宮二条城

I have to bring mom to the cultural Kyoto when she visited me in Tokyo. During my first visit, I was dragged along the ‘Day Tour in Kyoto’ and the schedule was packed, we saw many places but briefly. Glad that I get to come back, work out our own itinerary and really see Kyoto.

On our last day, we decided to get up by 6am, have a long breakfast and hop on the bus 100 to Nijo-jo castle by 8am, only to find that it only opens at 8.45am. ( Do read my earlier posts of the travel in Kyoto)

Nijo Castle 元離宮二条城 was built in 1603 as the residence of the first Tokugawa Shogun (将軍), a feudal regime of Japan established by a man called Tokugawa Ieyasu 徳川家康 and later ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family.

When the 15th Tokugawa shogun returned sovereignty to the Emperor in 1867, Nijo Castle naturally became the property of the Imperial family. In 1994, Nijo castle was listed as an UNESCO World Heritage site.

The walk in the main hall, the Ninomaru Palace 二の丸御殿 , which opens to limited visitors at specific hours is truly an educating experience for those who are interested with the Japanese culture in the early 17th century. It is built entirely with Hinoki Cypress woods, which awed mom who’s a bit of a botanical enthusiast.

Ninomaru Palace is also known for the Uguisu-Bari, a feature designed under the floor to squeaks when one walks on the corridor to detect trespasser. In those days, Ninja I reckoned.

The Ninomaru Garden is quite a jewel tucked behind the palace. Unfortunately, we have only 2 hours to wander around, and we used it up pretty quickly and have to miss the Honmaru Palace 本丸御殿.

From JR Kyoto Train/ Bus Station, take City Buses 9, 50 or 101, alight at Nijojo-mae Bus Stop. The bus 101 is a tourist designated bus, so stops are also announced in English. Otherwise, make sure you jot down these characters, 二条城前 Nijojo, and 前 is mae which means ‘front’, i.e. in front of Nijojo.

Nijo-jo

東京ミッドタウン

Completed in 2007, Midtown is one of the latest lifestyle development in Tokyo.

The USD 3billion project includes a shopping galleria, offices, the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Oakwood Service Residence, Suntory Museum of Art, Design Sight 21_21 – a design gallery by Issey Miyake and famous Japanese architect, Tadao Ando; and many more.

The 5-storey Galleria houses some of the top Restaurants and Patisserie in the world, Jean Paul-Hevin and Sadaharu Aoki Paris are two of my favorites.

These are some of the retailers l frequented:

Belberry
Galleria/B1F/7

Dean & Deluca
Galleria/B1F/2

Koots Green Tea
Plaza/B1F/P
Business Hour 7:00-23:00

Sadaharu Aoki Paris
Galleria/B1F/13

SAIKABO
Galleria/B1F/20

Precce
Galleria/B1F/1
Business Hour 0:00-24:00

I found a classic cut in Navy at Club Monaco in KL, and finally gets to wear it to a wedding reception on an anchored boat in Tokyo. I am loving it!

Club Monaco Stores Location in KL
Pavillion
Tel: +603- 2141 6640
The Gardens
Tel: +603- 2287 4461

Tokyo certainly is one of the capital of fashion along with Paris, London and New York. But when It comes to street fashion, there is no comparison to Harajuku in Tokyo. Located next to the pristine shopping street of Omotesando, walking to Harajuku is like entering a whole new city except that It takes no more than 10 minutes.

Takeshita Dori is the central point of Harajuku, where terms like Cosplay (Costume play), Gothic Lolita, Visual Kei were coined, and they’re well in the way of influencing the mainstream fashion and already is a big industry on its own. Brands like T. Kunitomo, Gekko by Yuji Hasegawa, Pas de Calais, Gwen Stefani have made a buzz worldwide. A Gekko jeans is fetching USD3k!

I am not into Cosplay, but I always have the love for anything quirky.

An afternoon at Harajuku is never an afternoon wasted.

List of international highstreet brands in Harajuku and Its Neighbourhood
Forever 21
H&M The Ice Cubes
Topshop at LaForet Harajuku
Quicksilver