Mummy's 60th bday celebration

We held a celebration for mummy on sunday for her 60th bday. Bday celebration in by our standards is just a meal gathering. Contrary to normal bday celebrations that comes with a cake, we totally skip that. Reason being, we had a very bad incident when the younger 1 celebrate his bday with a cake. WIth that, mum refuse to haf a cake for our bday celebrations then on..

Anyways, mummy had always mentioned she wanted a night at MBS for her 60th bday and thus, we booked her a room there with piggy bro's staff discount. Even with staff discount, the room is about 250buck, with mid-floor view and no breakie!

I was expecting high floor view and breakie lo..But the mid floor view is already making mum happie and so I diam. We checked in at 3pm, queued for an hr or rather, piggy queued for an hr while mummy, Mr Love and me sipped coffee nearby. Hehe.

Lobby

Piggy in the lobby

 We were assigned to the 27th floor which was a bit disappointing. I was banking on at least 40th floor. But oh well..And we went up excitedly. Taught mum how to get to our level with the access card. She needs to pick me up the next day as I am not staying over.

The bathtub

 1st impression of the room didnt impressed us as much as Venetian Macau's room did. And we checked out the bathroom next. Similar to Venetian, MBS had a huge bathroom. With a bathtub greeting us as we walked in and 2 sinks. There are 2 separate cubicles for toilet and shower.
And the similarity of the rooms ends here.

Sinks

Shower and toilet side by side

 While there is some sort like a living room corner in Venetian there is none here. Hubs keep asking me not to compare cuz of our limited land. But its difficult not to compare as the price to stay here is double!!

Sleeping are is normal lo, 2single beds and 1 couch by the window. Mummy keep insisting to slp on the couch and asked Mr Love and me to stay back and squeeze on the single bed. Dun wan. Want let her njoy she want slps on the couch. Faints.

The beds

Writing table.

And I tot its wardrobe. Turns out to be a decorative wall only

While waiting for the younger 1 and his gf to arrive, Mr Love and piggy bro went up to sky park to soak in the pool. As 1 room card admits 2 person to the sky park only with a wrist band, thus we werent able to take turns to go up.

Mummy was intially pretty insistent that piggy shd give the chance to me as he works here and have chances or had been there before. But then seeing piggy's stubborn look, I decided to forgo the chance. I didnt pack my swim wear too..

View from room -1

So while the 2 of them are in the sky park, soaking in the pool, watching bikini gals, I went and soak in the room's bathtub..Hehe Took a long hot soak and felt refreshed after that. Fell aslp inside and mummy had to wake me up..Hur hur.. Went bak to the bed to nuah while waiting for the 2 to come back.

View from room -2

The younger 1 called to announce his arrival just rite after Mr Love and piggy bro came bak and we all went down to meet them at the restaurant. We burst out luffing upon seeing the younger 1... He was overdressed for the occassion. Wearing a huge grey jacket over his white shirt..Haha And he look like a cina man, with the dorky specs completing the look..

Dinner was set at Imperial Treasure restaurant which is located at 2nd level just beside the casino. Piggy took us there from the room. As he works here, he knew the way well, it seems like a maze to walking in MBS.

Dinner venue

Menu

We were pretty early and thus restaurant is still empty..Took the chance to take some polaroid photos so that mummy can get to keep them in her wallet, especially the 1s with the younger 1..Hahah..

Polaroids time!!

Had wanted to let piggy to decide what to order since its his treat. Its mummy's bday, my bday and his increment treat all rolled into 1..And thus, he choose a more atas restaurant. Haha..The younger 1 suggested a bowl of shark fin for every 1 which is at SGD 178/Pax..

Piggy nearly fainted upon hearing what the younger 1 requested. Haha..Mummy den got me to do the ordering..Which is the usually practice as I knew every 1's likes and dislikes well and of cuz, I know the limits when it comes to ordering. In short, budgeting. Haha.

Chicken

I ordered a whole 椒盐鸡 and when it was served, we nearly fainted. Either the chicken was not growing well, or the restaurant cheated us, Which part of it looks like a whole chicken? Lucky I didnt ordered half onli.

Seafood claypot

Next up is seafood claypot tofu. Mummy suggested 铁板tofu but dun have, thus this is the next closest to it. Not that mummy love tofu, infact she dun take de..But her Liang liang loves it lo..hahah
This is the medium portion. I pretty like this dish..

Den I leave the pork selection to piggy as he loves pork. He chose the 肉饼. Its mixed with salted fish, pork and chestnut and its pan fried. Abit on the salty side I should say...Medium portion serves 10 of the 肉饼。。

Meat pancakes

Next up is mushroom and black fungus stir fry with cod fish..The sauce is too salty of our liking, cod fish is not that fresh in mummy's opinion...Medium portion for this too..

Slice cod fish with mushrooms

Fried french beans

As I am a fussy veggie eater, we ordered 2 kinds of veggie. French beans for me and the younger 1. The french beans are fried with minced meat, I would prefer them to be spicy though but this is the non spicy version. This is the small portion and is mostly eaten by the younger 1 and moi..

Kailan

Lastly up is Kailan fried in ginger and wine. Our eyes popped out when the dish was served. Looks like they just cut the kailan and throw into the water and boil. The stems were damn thick can. Not appetising at all..Cannot comment on the taste though as I totally did not touch this dish hehe.

The total came up to 250bucks, which we felt not well spent. The food here is not especially well and we could get nicer and bigger portion food where else. That said, this is a restaurant located within MBS, which means premium pricing. I reckon we will not be visiting here again..

We then walked ard MBS after dinner. Piggy treated us to Gong cha and then we came to LV flagship store..Had read bout the opening in magazines and mummy was excited to be going inside as she was carrying her LV bag..faints..

While walking ard, she commented that she wanna buy a wallet to match her bag and the 3 of us immediately scattered pretending not to hear her..whahah..Later I told her if she forgo her pressies for the next 10yrs, den we will get her a wallet on her 70th bday celebration. Whahah She was so livid that she say she is going back on the next day to buy 1 herself. heheh I noe she wun:)

LV flagship store

We retreated to the room soon after as the younger 1 wanted to see what he paid for..haha hotel room cost is shared by me and him..Piggy brought along cards hoping to play but the younger 1 dun wanna join in, thus we sat ard to take pics and then went home together at 9+ ..

Group shot

The younger 1 and his soon to be wife

I love taking unglam pictures of my piggy bro

Us in red for mummy's bday celebration

I took a day off on mon to go help mummy checked out the room and bring her out of MBS. She keep asking me not to waste my leave but when I asked her whether she knew how to check out and take the train home, she replied dunno. Haha..How to leave her alone there as piggy bro went to work early in the morning?

I intended to bring her to try the famous Tim Ho Wan, tinking that crowd would be lesser on a working monday. Man, how wrong I was. The queue is 吓死人lo..And mummy say she dun wanna queue up. Went for Swensens instead with her bday voucher and she went to work, leaving me to carry her bags home. Lucikly I was on leave, else who is gonna carry your heavy bag home for you??


Happie blessed 60th bday mummy. I love you. Here's to many more good years for you and healthy life.

Crazy queue at Tim Ho Wan

无奈

                                                   人生中往往有很多无奈
                                                      
                                                   不能控制的事情一再的发生
                                                      
                                                  人，总是要在失去后才后悔
                                                      
                                                  可是，人生又有几个重来的机会？
                                                      
                                                  一个下礼拜要嫁女儿的爸爸，
                                                      
                                                  突然的失足跌死，留下的，
                                                      
                                                  是女儿没能让老爸看到自己出嫁的遗憾，

                                                  和亲友们的错愕
             
                                                  一个是有着幸福家庭的好爸爸，

                                                  却在一夜之间离开人世，让人措手不及

                                                  留下的，是妻儿的对他的思念和一堆没说的话
 
                                                  有人说，巳者已去，活着的人要承受所有的痛

                                                  死不可怕，怕的是带给别人的伤痛

                                                  一路好走，大舅和有过几次面缘的文芳的姐夫

                                                  希望你们在另外的世界过的更好

                                                  也希望你们的家属能早日走出悲伤

台湾春天之旅 2013- 100th years before birth of Doraemon fair (小叮当诞生前100 周年)

From the Taiwanese travel blogger's entry, I found out that Taipei has a 100th year before birth of Doraemon fair. It got me excited and I told Mr Love I die die also want to go to this fair. Haha. They will be showcasing the different 小叮当's 法宝(Treasures).

And so, I planned a 3hrs trip here before going to Yeliu National park. Luckily for me, this fair is from 29/12/12- 17/4/13. Hehe.

And so we got up later abit today since the fair opens from 10am. I mistakenly tot this fair is held at Sun Yat Sen memorial hall and took the train there. But when I asked the 伯伯 at the Memorial hall, he told me it is held somewhere else. Faints. He did however pointed us to the general direction the venue and I asked randomly while walking.

Finally, we were directed to Songshan Cultural and creative park (松山文创圆区） by a kind watson's staff. It is located beside Taipei's CID building.Scary. Hehe

The Map

When I googled the location from SYS memorial hall Mrt, it shows a straigh line walking to the park but the actual distance is shows in red. Thank god for the cool weather again today, and Mr Love is quite cooperative with walking with me. I wouldnt want to miss this fair.

松山文创圆区

 Song Shan Cultural and creative park is actually a refurbished warehouse. The buildings itself look pretty old to me and had seen better days. There are a few exhibition halls here which are empty, a handicraft workshop and cafe near the entrance.

Directions to the fair

Apartments

 We navigate thru the long corridors and came to another building which the Doraemon fair is held. Its pretty early and ticketing booth had just opened. Brought the tickets and went in quickly.

Along the corridor

Finally reached

 Tickets were priced at NTD 220 bucks each and I brought a booklet that of the fair at NTD 100. There are chops available inside the exhibition for you to collect. Later, I realised many locals brought their own note book to collect the chops. Stupid me!

Tickets and a booklet

100 years before birth

 Doraemon is actually a future cat from year 2112 and thus it makes 2012 the 100th year before its birth. Funnie huh? I watched the cartoon from young and it seems to me like its the 100th birth year of this cat. Hurhur.

It is actually Yellow in colour initially

 The 1st part of the exhibition gives abit of background of this cat. It is actually manufactured to be yellow in colour. 1 day, a rat bits parts of its ear away and the engineer decide that they cannot be saved. And so, Doraemon's ear got amputated. Its so sad that he cried till the yellow painting dropped off and the based colour (blue) and was reveal. This is why we saw the blue Doraemon. This is a brief summary I read there. Hehe not exactly noe the history before this as I usually am more interested in the little stories of how he used this treasure to get Daxiong out or into trouble each time in the cartoon series.

100 Doraemons with his different treasures

 2nd part of the exhibition showcased the 100 Doraemons with its more famous equipments. I spent nearly an hr here, capturing all the Doraemons and the descriptions. Hubs was bored by all these. Hehe.

The original Doraemon

I didnt noe 大雄 and 静香 got married!!

100

 3rd of the exhibition showcase the houses of the characters and its here where the 4 different chops are up for collection. Mr Love decided to help me after I messed up the 1st chop. Bleah

Mr Love, helping me to chop my booklet

大雄 and his granny

Coming out to 大雄's room

喂喂？

We goofed around abit here and walked to the last part of the exhibition- gift shop. Of cuz, things here will be priced higher which is not attractive to us. I keep bugging Mr Love to buy me the Doraemon soft toy at NTD 880 and he simply ignored me. Comparing me to the little kids around, he told me to be good and move on.Damn. I did brought a cup and a fridge magnet here though, out of my own monies. Stingy old man stands like 500m away from the cashier.

Wishing cards

 We decided to walk out and find lunch before going to our next destination. Mr Love was distracted by these ducks by the pond side that we stood there to observe them for a while before moving off.

Ducks!