By looking at the photo, one might think it’s a night market in China. But no, this photo is taken in Hoi An Night Market, Vietnam. As the hope for walking down the AirAsia/MAS/Emirates aisle this year becomes 50/50, I hope I could spark joy by sharing my wonderful experience with this post. If you’re a foodie, take note! 😉 Located in Nguyen Hoang Street, a trip to Hoi An isn’t complete without visiting the vibrant, exotic night market which opens from 5pm to 10pm. It’s very lively – thanks to the colourful lanterns, vibrant bridge and tourists (with great appetite). There are many nice hotels near the night market,…
-
-
Turning Thirty
I turned thirty last week. Finally, this petite girl is thirty! I should make sure that I keep petite and not gain a lot of weight during MCO 2.0 (Movement Control Order) hahaha… Originally, I planned to celebrate it with my family at the newly-opened Maria’s Signature at KLCC as they’re having a Buy-1-Free-1 Wagyu promotion. Alas, our prime minister announced MCO 2.0 a few days before my big day. However, I feel grateful and blessed that I and the ones I loved are healthy. Furthermore, it would be my first (and hopefully, the last) birthday during the pandemic. I have a story to tell to young people when I…
-
Thank You 2020, You’ve Been a Blessing
This year, nobody can escape the impact of the arrival of Covid-19. As you may have read in the news, some have it very tough, some not so, and the rest may be even richer than before (hint: Zoom, Amazon, the 1% society). I myself find the year 2020 a blessing. Compared to the lockdown and no travel this year, I feel that God opened the floodgate of blessings to me. I’m sorry if this isn’t the case for you… I treat my blog as a diary, hence I always write a yearly review as the last post of the year. Blessed 2020 — Career I landed a new job…
-
Houhai, Beijing: A Charming Travel Spot You Must Visit
These days I’ve been eating Chinese food because I found a new favourite restaurant. Hence, this week, my memory takes me back to Houhai, a charming lake and travel spot in Beijing. Houhai, a lake surrounded by willow trees and neighbourhood, has been there since the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). It is one of the famous spots to relax and hangout for the locals, especially the nightlife. But to me, the place is most charming during sunset. The willow trees surrounding the lake will steal your heart. It’s so picturesque, straight from a storybook! Besides the beautiful scenery, there are many shops, bars and of course street food!! Alright, I don’t…
-
Clara’s CMCO Essentials – Try It!
I thought I had my life back. I went to the gym regularly, started to adapt to the new office, planned my next revenge trips then BOOM! CMCO is back. If you’re living in Malaysia, I’m sure you feel the same. So, in this week’s blog post, I’m gonna share with you what calms me down and makes me happy. Here are my CMCO essentials: The CMCO Playlist to Destress – Putumayo My #1 playlist that I recommend to destress when drinking or taking a break is Putumayo. If you love travelling, this playlist will take you around the world with its world music, living up to the tagline “Celebrate…
-
Clubbing in Cuba: Disco Ayala, Trinidad
I love dancing but seldom go clubbing (can’t stand the smoke!) in Malaysia. However, whenever I travel, I always visit popular bars to experience the nightlife in different cities. So, of course, I was very excited when I found out about Disco Ayala aka La Cueva, a dance club built into a natural cave in Trinidad when I was doing my research for my 15-days Cuba trip. At that time, “Despacito” was played everywhere around the world. I got even more excited, imagining dancing to the song in the Latin-influenced country. However, clubbing in Cuba isn’t as great as listening to their live bands. Read on to find out why.…
-
Cuti-cuti Malaysia: Kuala Selangor and Sekinchan
Last weekend, I went for a day trip to Kuala Selangor and Sekinchan. That was my second visit but I never get bored with cuti-cuti Malaysia visiting those destinations! If you haven’t heard or been there, Kuala Selangor and Sekinchan are small towns on the west coast of Malaysia. They’re famous for fresh seafood, lush scenery, paddy field, mirror lake and fireflies boat rides. From KL to Kuala Selangor it takes around 1.5 hours by car, and from Kuala Selangor to Sekinchan is just around 30 minutes. They are far far away from the city but the highway is smooth and the scenery is lush – so you’re up for…
-
Misty Morning in Óbidos, Portugal
Happy Malaysia Day! I hope you’re enjoying your one-day off 😉 Last night the wind blew strongly and the weather was cold. So, this week I’ll take you to Óbidos, Portugal. In the previous week, we went to Porto. Actually, before I reached Porto, I stopped by Óbidos, a classic small town with narrow cobbled streets. There’s nothing much to see there, but it was a beautiful morning that I’ll remember. That day was cold and misty, I and my friends had the privilege to enjoy Ginja – a Portuguese liqueur made from ginja berries, alcohol and sugar. Imagine drinking cherry liqueur on a cold morning! Make no mistake, we…
