Home > February 2011

February 2011

Beijing Adventures - Shopping in Beijing

Monday, February 28, 2011 Category : , 0


  Astroboy at a mall in Wangfujing.

   It took me so long before I had the time to blog again.  I was hoping to wrap-up my Beijing Adventures before February but certain circumstances didn't allow me to do so.  I was so busy with work (I do have a day job which pays not only for my basic needs, but also for my wants and caprices, including my travels).  And I was sick the past two weeks (allergies; cough and cold).  Really.  I mean it.  Well, okay, let's just say that there's a little procrastination thrown in...little is relative, though.  Heehee.

     I think, this is going to be my last post about my travel adventures in Beijing, and it's about shopping in Beijing! 

     To tell the truth, there is not a day when my friends and I didn't go shopping in Bejiing; at least, window shopping.  Well, it's really inevitable. First, The Courtyard by the Marriott adjoins the New World Shopping Center, which is just one of the many shopping buildings in Chongwenmen.  So, every night, after our tour, we'd roam around Chongwenmen and shop for anything.  We scoured the aisles at the grocery in the basement of the New World Shopping Center, and it was glorious!  There were a lot of candies, like White Rabbit and Nougat which we used to eat when we were children back home.  We bought some, and I added some facial cleansers, Mentholatum, a brand I discovered in Taiwan (also available in HK) and which I actually adore.  Plus, it's cheap, too.  I was supposed to buy a set of Tsubaki by Shiseido shampoo and conditioner but it's way expensive in China.  The fun in shopping for food items in Chinese groceries?  Not knowing what they are made of.  Heehee.  So, caveat emptor.

     There are four malls at each corner of the intersection in Chongwenmen near our hotel.  One's the New World, one which I forgot the name, one with an H&M inside and Soshow.  We entered all the malls but I think we found our mecca in Soshow.   For one, it's just like a more organized 168 Shopping Mall.  I think, we went there thrice.  Also, you can haggle, and even if you walk away, the store keeper wouldn't call you back, unlike in the Pearl Market.  I wanted to buy a pair of Ugg-like boots which sells for just RMB 100, but it was one size smaller.  My friend bought a winter coat for like RMB 150.00; a bargain because it's of great quality, plus it's colorful and unique and it stands out in the sea of solid colored winter clothes.  I think the shop keeper would have given a lower price if my friend insisted because we were the first customer for the day (we bought the item immediately after opening hour).


Bread shop like Bread Talk.

     I think, there was more than 6 floors of shopping levels in Soshow; each level for a different department; ladies wear, accessories, men's wear, toys, etc.  As I said, it's like 168, but thinking about it, stock-wise, it's like Platinum Plaza in Bangkok.  The clothes are more fashionable, and younger.  First floor has a bread shop, like Bread Talk...well, it's almost a rip-off of Bread Talk, or if the said bread shop came first into existence, then Bread Talk ripped it off.  The breads are almost identical, but Soshow's breads are cheaper.  I forgot the name of the bread shop, but I have photos of it [see pics above].

     Considering that it was late autumn/early winter when we were in Beijing, a lot of shops were selling winter clothing of all colors imaginable!  The only colors I saw being sold in the Philippines were the basic black, blue, brown, red, gray.  In Soshow, there were coats in hues of pink, green, lavender...so glorious!  Plus, the designs were really girly and cute.  Some of the clothing at the other malls are like those, too.




      On the upper floors, we saw rows of stalls selling cute accessories and some stalls were selling anime figures and plushies and house slippers and winter booties for kids.  I even saw a Totoro plushie of some sort.  I was able to buy a set plushies of the famous Plants vs. Zombies characters, including the Zombie, of course!







     If you're wondering what treats or souvenirs to buy for your friends and family back home, why not try circling the local malls and supermarkets?  That is what we did.  We bought those vacuum-packed Peking duck, which, although cheaper, are not as great tasting as the duck from Quanjude.  A duck at the grocery costs around RMB 40 up if I remember correctly.  Then there are also assorted Chinese sweets, like sugared plums, etc., on sale by the package, or you could just pick whatever candy you may want.  We also bought some tea, loose-leaf and in teabags.  They're cheap, and teabags are dirt cheap.  You can try the flavor and scent of the teas in the different stalls inside the grocery or the mall.

     Then, if you're in the Pearl Market, do pick-up those "I Love Beijing" t-shirts, especially the ones which says, "I Love BJ," and believe me, if you give this to your Filipino guy friend or relative, his reaction upon seeing the shirt would be priceless.  There are also those Chairman Mao shirts and caps, too, as well as the "I Climbed the Great Wall" shirts.  Although you need to haggle really good with the shopkeeper at the Pearl Market.  It's for tourists, so expect the prices to be highly inflated.  I didn't buy a shirt because I was thinking I could find it anywhere in Beijing, but I was wrong.  I was not able to find those in other places.  Perhaps, I didn't try hard enough.

     Locals and tourists alike also buy souvenirs from those thrift stores, just like the 100 yen stores in Japan, only, it costs 10RMB.  Some items are cheaper than 10RMB per piece, some higher than 10RMB.  You could buy a dozen of decorative chopsticks, or pocket mirrors for the ladies.  Purses and figurines, too, can be bought from the store.


     Animal hats are also everywhere in Beijing, and selling like hotcakes is the panda hat, of course. But it's only good for use in the winter, so it's probably only sold during winter/autumn.  Funny thing, though.  I wasn't able to buy anything to remind me of a panda.   Sadness! 



     So, one thing I learned cool about Beijing, aside from all those culture stuff, is that there's an abundance of malls, and there are lots of shopping places.  You'll be the one to say you're tired because the choices are endless.  In Wangfujing alone, the malls are side by side and the mall strip stretches quite long.  Have a fun time shopping!

Air Asia's Seatsale - Bigger than Big [22 to 27 February 2011]

Sunday, February 20, 2011 Category : , 0



    

Air Asia will have a Bigger than Big Sale on 22 February 2011 [GMT +8].  Travel period is from 13 September 2011 to 29 February 2012.  So, people, when the clock strikes 00:00, get ready to grab seats for your chosen destinations.  Based on Air Asia's tweets, tickets for Laos is definitely going to be on sale, East Malaysia and India.*  I'm not sure with the other destinations but they might be on sale, too.  Otherwise, what's the need for a Big Sale with a countdown clock if it doesn't involve all destinations, right?

By the way, isn't the picture above hilarious?  Lol!

I am contemplating on going to Japan in the fall, so I'm hoping for a seat sale to Tokyo.  Plan well, people!  Happy travel planning!

*



    

Thoughts: Hello, Queen of Procrastination!

Saturday, February 19, 2011 Category : 0

     Lately, I haven't been able to post...Well, I did post some seat sale opportunities but  it's like just copying then pasting.  As for contents, like my travel adventures?  Nada.  I haven't  even finished blogging about my Beijing travel adventures.  Not yet. It's just that I have been so busy lately at work and I don't have the energy to write.  Well, that and the sudden reappearance of the Queen of Procrastination back into my life...Yup, the Queen is back.

     I don't have a split personality, even if my mother did not have me tested like  what Mrs. Cooper did to her son, Dr. Sheldon Cooper.  But I feel just so lazy sometimes...well, most of the times.  I promise, though, that I'll wrap-up blogging about Beijing before February ends.  *pinky swear*

     And oh! I almost forgot that I'll be going to Vietnam in a couple of weeks.  I have made no plans at all.  Tsk! 

    

Manila Chronicles - 18th PTAA Travel and Tour Expo [18 Feb to 20 Feb 2011]

Thursday, February 17, 2011 Category : , , 0

     The PTAA is currently holding its 18th Travel and Tour Expo at the SMX Convention Center at the SM Mall of Asia from 18 February 2011 to 20 February 2011.  Philippine Airlines is a sponsor (official carrier) for this event, and it is co-presented by the Department of Tourism.

     Here's a brief background of the event from the 18th Travel and Tour Expo website -

     The TravelTour Expo was conceptualized by PTAA in 1994 to showcase the products and services of its members. Since then, the show has evolved into a much awaited annual industry event covering practically all segments of the travel business, making it the biggest event for the travel and tourism industry. About 80,000 visitors were present in the 2010 edition which had 416 booths occupied by 230 firms.

     On its 18th year, TravelTour Expo is expanding to 4 halls, giving exhibitors more booths to choose from while offering visitors a wider variety of travel options. The 3-day event is scheduled on 18 to 20 February 2011 at Halls 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City.
     With the theme “Around the World in 3 Days”, the show aims to feature various hotspots in the Philippines and all over the world. Visitors can expect a glimpse of what awaits them in their chosen destinations while enjoying cultural presentations, souvenir items and discounted travel packages from the exhibitors.
Why join TravelTour Expo 2011?
  • TravelTour Expo is the biggest event for the travel and tourism industry
  • TravelTour Expo offers you an expanded customer base
  • TravelTour Expo is the ultimate destination for the best travel deals
  • TravelTour Expo is the prime marketplace for your destinations
  • TravelTour Expo is continuously doing its best to bring you a special show every year!
Date:
18 to 20 February 2011

Venue:

SMX Convention Center Halls 1, 2, 3 & 4,
Seashell Drive, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City
Opening Hours:
18 February - Friday
10 AM - 9 PM
19 February - Saturday
10 AM - 9 PM
20 February - Sunday
10 AM - 7 PM
Ticket booths close 30 minutes before end of show hours

Accompanying Events:
Daily Raffle Draws, Entertainment & Games and Exhibitors' Presentations & more surprises


     Exhibitors in the Expo include: Star Cruises; Dragon Air; Etihad; Hawaiian Airlines; South African Airways, Philippine Airlines, Continental and American Airlines, among others.  Big-name travel agencies, like Panda, Rakso, Rajah, and Sparkle, to name a few, are likewise participating.  The tourism arm of Taiwan, Macau, Sabah, Palau, Thailand, India, and many more, have booths at the Expo.

     According to the Philippine Airlines website, they are offering up to 70% off in their international flights at the Expo. So, see you at the Expo!

Cebu Pacific's Seat Sale - HALF 'till You Drop, 1.2 M Seats available

Category : , 0

     I received an email from Cebu Pacific today regarding their latest seat sale, HALF 'TILL YOU DROP -


HALF 'til you drop!

  • Domestic & International Seat Sale
  • Pick your favourite seat from as low as P200
  • Supersize your baggage! Pre-book and SAVE up to 50%
  • Get insured in travel insurance.
  • Choose from available domestic and international rooms with Hotels
  • Get exclusive deals! Sign up for SeatSaleAlert!.


Domestic Flights


All Domestic Destinations
50% OFF

International Flights


All International Destinations
50% OFF

Sale Period: Up to Feb. 20, 2011 or until seats last     Travel Period: Jun. 1 - Dec. 31, 2011


  • Quoted fares are one way
  • Limited availability.
  • Fare are exclusive of government fees and taxes.
  • Fares are non-refundable.
  • Flight changes must be made more than 24 hours before scheduled time of departure.
  • Go Lite Fares are available upon booking for guests traveling without check-in baggage.
  • Add P 100 to fare upon booking if traveling with check-in baggage.
  • CAB approved terms and conditions of carriage apply.

Cebu Pacific's Seat Sale - Have a Halfy Trip [Booking Starts 12 Feb 2011]

Wednesday, February 9, 2011 Category : , 0

Via Cebu Pacific's Twitter Update:


On Wednesday 9th February 2011, said:

Have a HALFy Trip! Our 50% off Seat Sale starts NOW!

ALL DOMESTIC DESTINATIONS
50% Off
Travel Period: Apr 1 – Jun 30, 2011

INTERNATIONAL
Manila or Cebu to Busan or Incheon
P999
Travel Period: Sep 1 – Nov 30, 2011

Manila to Ho Chi Minh or Brunei
P1,499
Travel Period: Apr 1 – Jun 30, 2011

Don't forget to check out our Fun Tours travel packages too! Log on to http://funtours.cebupacificair.com/ for more details.

Hurry, Sale is only until Feb 12 or until seats last! See you on-board!

     For booking, check out Cebu Pacific's website @ http://www.cebupacificair.com/index.html.  Personally, I am so damn tempted to book seats for Incheon but I've already set my mind that I'll be going to Japan this November.

     Happy travel planning!

Cebu Pacific's Seat Sale - I LOW YOU! (up to 09 Feb. 2011)

Sunday, February 6, 2011 Category : , 0

Seat Sale Promo



I LOW YOU!

  • International Seat Sale
  • Pick your favourite seat from as low as P200
  • Supersize your baggage! Pre-book and SAVE up to 50%
  • Get insured in travel insurance.
  • Choose from available domestic and international rooms with Hotels
  • Get exclusive deals! Sign up for SeatSaleAlert!.


International Flights


Manila or Clark to Singapore
P 999

Cebu to Singapore
P 1,499

Manila to Jakarta or Kuala Lumpur
P 1,999

Sale Period: Up to Feb. 9, 2011 or until seats last     Travel Period: May 1 - June 30, 2011


  • Quoted fares are one way
  • Limited availability.
  • Fare are exclusive of government fees and taxes.
  • Fares are non-refundable.
  • Flight changes must be made more than 24 hours before scheduled time of departure.
  • Go Lite Fares are available upon booking for guests traveling without check-in baggage.
  • Add P 100 to fare upon booking if traveling with check-in baggage.
  • CAB approved terms and conditions of carriage apply.

Beijing Adventures - Day 4: Yuanmingyuan

Saturday, February 5, 2011 Category : , 0

 


     Remember when I said that I wore everyday summer clothing underneath my trench coat and skirts plus non-thermal tights in Beijing?  It really worked for me.  I felt a little cold sometimes but it was tolerable.  So, on our 4th day, I decided to ditch the trench, just like what I did on the 3rd day, and I used a  heavy cardigan instead  Upon stepping a foot out of our hotel, my other foot quickly turned around, dragging me back inside.  It was freaking cold!  The winds were having quite a party...it was so windy and so damn cold!  So, we all went back to our room and added some more layers.  I had no thermals so I put on my trench instead, again.  Problem solved.

     Finding the Old Summer Palace was a cinch - we hailed a cab, that's why.  There's a subway stop at Yuanmingyuan but taking a cab is more comfortable.  Ha!  The cabbie was polite and he would point to us landmarks we passed by, probably because he knew we were tourists.  He pointed to us hutongs being demolished, the Peking University, yup, in English, and Tsinghua University, among others.  He gave us a printed receipt showing the date, time, duration and cost of travel, like all the other cabs we've ridden in Beijing. 

     So, we've reached a gate of the Old Summer Palace.  We bought the costliest tickets so we could see the ruins and everything else.  Most of the visitors bought the cheapest ones, though.  You can buy tickets per section, too.  Anyway, I don't know which gate we entered but it was near the subway exit and the Visitor's Center.

     We went inside and I started feeling giddy.  We were in a very historic site, and a shadow of regret came upon me.  How could the invaders destroy the Palace?  Ah, when you go there you'd see for yourself traces of its former splendor; its beauty, however, remains intact.  The gardens are vast and walking along the lake, on a very cold day  with trees swaying in the air and water gently lapping, you'd wish that you're with someone you love.  It is also a perfect place to meditate, weave dreams, or cry you heart out; the beauty of your surroundings would surely lift your spirit.  Yuanmingyuan is actually kinda romantic, I think.  If you can withstand the cold.


The sack of the Summer Palac
To Captain Butler
Hauteville House,
25 November, 1861
You ask my opinion, Sir, about the China expedition. You consider this expedition to be honourable and glorious, and you have the kindness to attach some consideration to my feelings; according to you, the China expedition, carried out jointly under the flags of Queen Victoria and the Emperor Napoleon, is a glory to be shared between France and England, and you wish to know how much approval I feel I can give to this English and French victory.
Since you wish to know my opinion, here it is:
There was, in a corner of the world, a wonder of the world; this wonder was called the Summer Palace. Art has two principles, the Idea, which produces European art, and the Chimera, which produces oriental art. The Summer Palace was to chimerical art what the Parthenon is to ideal art. All that can be begotten of the imagination of an almost extra-human people was there. It was not a single, unique work like the Parthenon. It was a kind of enormous model of the chimera, if the chimera can have a model. Imagine some inexpressible construction, something like a lunar building, and you will have the Summer Palace. Build a dream with marble, jade, bronze and porcelain, frame it with cedar wood, cover it with precious stones, drape it with silk, make it here a sanctuary, there a harem, elsewhere a citadel, put gods there, and monsters, varnish it, enamel it, gild it, paint it, have architects who are poets build the thousand and one dreams of the thousand and one nights, add gardens, basins, gushing water and foam, swans, ibis, peacocks, suppose in a word a sort of dazzling cavern of human fantasy with the face of a temple and palace, such was this building. The slow work of generations had been necessary to create it. This edifice, as enormous as a city, had been built by the centuries, for whom? For the peoples. For the work of time belongs to man. Artists, poets and philosophers knew the Summer Palace; Voltaire talks of it. People spoke of the Parthenon in Greece, the pyramids in Egypt, the Coliseum in Rome, Notre-Dame in Paris, the Summer Palace in the Orient. If people did not see it they imagined it. It was a kind of tremendous unknown masterpiece, glimpsed from the distance in a kind of twilight, like a silhouette of the civilization of Asia on the horizon of the civilization of Europe.
 This wonder has disappeared.
One day two bandits entered the Summer Palace. One plundered, the other burned. Victory can be a thieving woman, or so it seems. The devastation of the Summer Palace was accomplished by the two victors acting jointly. Mixed up in all this is the name of Elgin, which inevitably calls to mind the Parthenon. What was done to the Parthenon was done to the Summer Palace, more thoroughly and better, so that nothing of it should be left. All the treasures of all our cathedrals put together could not equal this formidable and splendid museum of the Orient. It contained not only masterpieces of art, but masses of jewelry. What a great exploit, what a windfall! One of the two victors filled his pockets; when the other saw this he filled his coffers. And back they came to Europe, arm in arm, laughing away. Such is the story of the two bandits.
We Europeans are the civilized ones, and for us the Chinese are the barbarians. This is what civilization has done to barbarism.
Before history, one of the two bandits will be called France; the other will be called England. But I protest, and I thank you for giving me the opportunity! the crimes of those who lead are not the fault of those who are led; Governments are sometimes bandits, peoples never. 
The French empire has pocketed half of this victory, and today with a kind of proprietorial naivety it displays the splendid bric-a-brac of the Summer Palace. I hope that a day will come when France, delivered and cleansed, will return this booty to despoiled China.
Meanwhile, there is a theft and two thieves.
I take note.
This, Sir, is how much approval I give to the China expedition.
COPYRIGHT 1985 UNESCO
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning

    
Yuanmingyuan Gate



 Yuanmingyuan Map



Pavilion


















The Ruins

  



Thoughts - Happy Chinese New Year and An Earth Sheep's Travel Prospects in the Metal Year of the Rabbit

Wednesday, February 2, 2011 Category : 0

     It's officially the year of the Metal Rabbit!  I'm excited because I'm a Sheep who's friends with the Rabbit and the Pig.  Though the Pig is said to be the luckiest this year, being friends with both the Rabbit and the Pig should probably bring me some good luck, right?  Yeah.

     So, what does this year holds for me as far as traveling is concerned?  According to this site, leisurely travel is good for this year; self-indulgence rules -

The Rabbit is also very much about good taste and refinement. That said, self-indulgence is another Rabbit theme. By all means go to the theater, spend time at the spa and patronize those great restaurants you love. On the other hand, be careful about not overdoing it. And you can bet the Rabbit will put lots of temptation in front of you.

This is especially true if you belong to the Rabbit’s group, that is, if your sign is Rabbit, Sheep or Pig. These, however, are the people most likely to have a great year. If you are one of these signs, make an extra effort to follow your dreams, seize opportunities, and enjoy the moment. Other signs with excellent prospects this year include the Ox, Tiger, Snake, and Dog. Those that might want to hold back a bit include the Rat, Horse, Monkey, and Rooster.
xxx
What to do in a peaceful year? Education, for one. Leisurely travel is encouraged. Pursuing your hobbies is a very Rabbit thing to do and will bring you many happy moments.

And this site, too, tells itt'a a good year to travel, and settle down -

Sheep persons share in their family’s good fortune and enjoy opportunities for travel.  Many celebrations and festivities keep the social Sheep person in high spirits and good health, providing the chance to meet influential people.  Watch your possessions in public arenas.  The Sheep’s career and wealth are stable and supported by noble people.  2011 is a good year for Sheep persons to get married.

      So, will I meet yet another future husband abroad?  Hmm...

     Well, I've read that I shouldn't squander money this year, but I've already booked 3 flights: to Vietnam, Taiwan and Singapore.  But travel is encouraged, so...Heehee.
 

Powered by Blogger.