Seoul City Transit Tour (Part II)

After Gyeongbokgung Palace, we all piled into our little tour bus and headed to Insadong. Insadong is a dong (neighborhood) located in the Jongno-gu district of Seoul. Originally, it was made up of two towns whose names ended in the syllables "In" and "Sa" which was divided by a stream that ran along Insadong's current main street. It used to be a residential area for government officials about 500 years ago. During the Japanese occupation, the wealthy Korean residents were forced to move out, sell their belongings and Insadong became an area well known for trading of antiques. After the end of the Korean war, many flock to the area as it became South Korea's hub for an artistic and cafe lifestyle. Today, it is a tourist destination, known as the largest market for antiques and artworks in Korea.

Our tour bus dropped us off at Insadong-gil, the main street in Insadong. Known as a 'traditional street', it is connected to a multitude of alleys that lead deeper into the district. Our tour guide told us that we had about 45 minutes to walk around and that we are to stick to the main road (I guess if we venture into the small alleys, we would definitely take more than 45 minutes to get out!). So off we went!

Insadong-gil is pretty unique, I would say. It has a balance of old traditional shops as well as ultra modern ones. You can get pretty much anything here, from antiques to modern art. Our tour guide told us that we could find souvenirs here but we actually had a tough time trying to locate any. I guess our definition of souvenirs is different from hers. She must be referring to nice Korean handicrafts and artwork (which cost a bomb) and we were thinking more of fridge magnets! We did however manage to buy something for my sister. She is a hugeeee K-Pop fan, so when she heard that we will be transiting in Korea, she told us to pick up some Super Junior and 2PM (for those of you who don't know, they are Korean boy bands) socks. So errrr, we got her that. I think it's about US$3-4 a pair. It was a little embarrassing for two 30 something year olds to go ask the shop keeper if they had boy band socks, but hey, we would do anything for Ashley :P

There were not many people out in Insadong that day. I am guessing it's because it was a weekday (we were there late Monday morning) and also due to the weather (cold and rainy). We were told that if we were to visit on a Sunday, it would be so packed, we can't even walk. It has been reported that Insadong gets approximately 100,000 visitors on a typical Sunday. Wow! That sure is a lot of people. Even Queen Elizabeth II paid Insadong a visit while she was visiting Korea a while back :P

Apart from antiques, traditional handicrafts and art stores (Korea's oldest tea house as well as oldest bookstore are also located here), there were many modern cafes and restaurants in Insadong too. Check out the Korean Starbucks! Yup, you can find a Starbucks no matter where you are in the world. I bet there would be one in the middle of the thick Amazon rainforest too! :P We didn't go inside but I wonder if the menu is a little different than what we are used to. I know that they have Kimchi donuts in Dunkin Donuts, so who knows what they have in Starbucks. Kimchi frappuccinos?

The rain began to come down hard the moment we got on our tour bus. Originally, our next stop would be Cheonggye Plaza, to see the man made stream. However, due to the heavy rain, everybody agreed to give it a miss when our tour guide asked us if we still wanted to go down and walk around. We just took some pictures of it from our bus. With that, we are off to our next stop. The traditional Korean lunch!

"You Gotta See This" Video Contest Winners

*This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Incendia Health. All opinions are 100% mine.

I am not sure if you noticed, but most of our regular readers would know that we would always try to give you guys a heads up if there are any interesting and cool contest/promotions/freebies going on. Remember when we told you about the iLASIK Video Contest a while back? It's by Abbott Medical Optics Inc. (AMO), a global leader in laser vision correction. One of the reasons of having this contest is because they want to know how better vision can improve (or already has improved) people's lives.

Well, guess what guys? The results are out! Abbott Medical Optics Inc. (AMO) has announced the winners of the “You Gotta See This” Video Contest. I must say that this iLASIK Video Contest was really popular. Many people submitted their videos showing the impact of improved vision on their lives. Yes, all submitted videos stood a chance to win cash and prizes, including the $5,000 Grand Prize! You can view the winners as well as all the other entries at http://www.gottaseethisnow.com/.

Alritey folks, this is the moment of truth. Here is the list of winners for the "You Gotta See This" Video Contest. Check it out!

$5,000 Grand Prize

• “You Gotta See This Music Video” by Alex
  

Category 1: My Contacts Are Getting In The Way Of My Good Time

• First Prize: “You Gotta Be Kidding Me! A True Story” by Robbo (HDTV package worth $2,500)
• Second Prize: “Contacts Stink” by windysail (Flip UltraHD™ camcorder worth $199.99)

Category 2: My Favorite Sport Or Activity Would Be So Much Cooler With Better Vision

• First Prize: “iLASIK Would Make Surfing More Enjoyable” by jhbmw007 (HDTV package)
• Second Prize: “Foggy Riding” by Snowman (Flip UltraHD camcorder)

Category 3: You Should See Life After The iLASIK® Procedure

• First Prize: “Orbs Of Perfection” by Danny V (HDTV package)
• Second Prize: “Army LASIK” by ahowalton (Flip UltraHD camcorder)

For those of you who didn't win (or didn't submit your video in time), do not be upset. You can still get some freebies. Just head over to their website and register for Abbott's "Partnership For Better Vision" program to receive some valuable eye care products as well as special offers, latest news and trends in vision health. So what are you waiting for? Head over to their website and register today. Oh and before I forget, I would like to thank AMO for sponsoring this content today.

Seoul City Transit Tour (Part I)

Sorry for not updating for a couple of days. Our apartment building management is in the process of installing new cable wiring for the entire building, so our Internet connection hasn't been the best lately. Hopefully they will be done by the end of this week or next, if not, I'll just go crazy with the Internet connection being disrupted every half an hour or so.

Alritey, back to the Korean Transit Tour. I guess you guys remember me blogging about Kevin and myself going on a Seoul City Tour while we were in transit on the way back to Malaysia last month. Our first stop was the Gyeongbokgung Palace in northern Seoul. It usually takes about 45 minutes (depending on traffic) or so to get from Incheon Airport to Seoul. It took us about an hour and a half cos we were caught in rush hour traffic. We arrived just in time to watch the changing of the guards ceremony in front of the Heungnyemun (the 2nd Inner Gate) Gate. I managed to record a short clip of the ceremony. Check out the above vid!

Here is a photo of Kevin and I in front of the Heungnyemun Gate, with the guards in full uniform behind us. There is a total of 3 main gates, with the Heungnyemun Gate being the second. The main outer gate (Gwanghwamun) is currently under reconstruction. When the Japanese invaded and took over the palace in the early 20th century, the palace was heavily destroyed. They even moved the Gwanghwamun Gate to another location. Today, the Korean government is still in the process of restoring the palace to it's former glory and one of the big projects is to move the Gwanghwamun Gate back to it's original location. So, for now....the Heungnyemun Gate is used as the main entrance to the palace.

There are many buildings in the palace grounds, each built with a specific purpose. Here is Kevin in front of Geunjeongjeon Hall. This is the throne hall, where the king formally granted audiences to his officials, gave declarations of national importance and greeted foreign envoys as well as ambassadors during the Joseon Dynasty. In 1985, this building was recognised as one of Korea's National Treasure. You can also see our tour group behind Kevin, with our tour guide holding the Korean flag :P

This is another one of Korea's National Treasure. The Gyeonghoeru Pavilion is a hall used to hold important and special state banquets during the Joseon Dynasty. Originally constructed in 1412, it was burned down during the Japanese invasions of Korea in 1592. The present building was constructed in 1867 on an island of an artificial, rectangular lake that is 128 m wide and 113 m across. Everything looked so beautiful and serene, with the frozen lake and lovely architecture. Please excuse my super red face. I was actually freezing my toes off, with the temperature hitting the below freezing mark that day. Very very cold day. Oh another piece of trivia. You can actually find the picture of Gyeonghoeru on a 10,000 won banknote. Just thought I should throw in that interesting fact :P

From the pavilion, we crossed over one of the three bridges and headed out to the National Folk Museum of Korea (which was just next to the palace). We didn't have time to go in but we just looked at various sculptures and decorations that was on the museum grounds. Here is Kevin posing with the sculptures of the twelve Zodiac animals. Yes, he was born in the year of the rabbit!!

Here is the main building of the National Folk Museum of Korea. The museum has three exhibition halls which illustrate 'The History of the Korean People' from pre-historic times to the end of the Joseon Dynasty in 1910, 'The Lifestyle of the Korean People' and 'The Lifecycle of a Korean from Birth to Death'. It also houses a children's museum and an outdoor exhibition. The museum was originally sited on Mt Namsan and was moved to Gyeongbokgung in 1975.

We had some time to just walk around the palace and museum grounds, just to enjoy beautiful scenery, amidst the crisp and cool winter air. Many people have mentioned that Korea is a very beautiful country and I totally agree with that. Everything we saw around the palace grounds looks like it's been taken out from a painting, it was so beautiful.

As much as we would love to spend more time just enjoying the palace, it was soon time for us to leave and head to our next destination - Insadong! Time to put on our walking shoes and head out to for some souvenir shopping. Stay tuned, I will blog more about that in my next post!

Campino Mercado - Ironbound District

This is a really backdated restaurant review. We went to celebrate our anniversary there more than a month ago but since we were really busy trying to get things organized before we left for Malaysia then, I didn't have time to blog about it. I was deliberating if I should even blog about this (since it was so long ago) and came to the conclusion that I should. Why? Wellllll, cos it's a very nice restaurant and the food is just amazing! =D

Campino Mercado is a Portuguese restaurant located in Newark's Ironbound District. For those of you who don't know, the Ironbound District is also sometimes known as "Little Portugal" due to it's large Portuguese community. Naturally, you can find many amazing Portugese restaurants in this area. Campino Mercado is one of the more popular ones due to it's uber yummy food and ambiance. It doesn't look like much on the outside (looks somewhat like somebodys house) but you get transported to a whole new country the moment you step inside. One side of the restaurant reminds me of some marketplace in Europe while the other side looks like you have walked into a Portuguese house. With the low lighting and rustic decor, I would gave them a 10 for ambiance!

It was a pretty huge restaurant but there were only 3 tables (including us) that night. With the other two tables finishing when we were seated, it felt as though we booked the whole restaurant for ourselves! With all the servers old enough to be our grandfathers (seriously, I would say they were no less than 75!), it further adds to the charm of the restaurant. Don't let the age fool you, they were still great at their job and really friendly. After we placed our orders, they brought out some really good freshly baked buns, olives and some olive oil. I enjoyed the buns and olive oil so much, they were so gooood! Kevin on the other hand loved the olives, boy, he polished the whole dish of olives off by himself!!

To start off our meal, we shared the Stuffed Mushrooms with Cream Cheese & Crab ($9.50). I would definitely recommend this to everyone. The cream cheese and crab combo was out of this world! Not only that, but the broth that it came with was sooo thick and sweet (probably from all the crab). It was so good, we would have been happy just to dip the buns in it and make it our meal! :P

For our mains, Kevin ordered the Sirloin Steak with Collard Greens ($16). It came with a side of Potato Wedges. The steak was really well marinated and cooked to perfection. He didn't really like the Collard Greens though, but I like it. I like how they stir fried it with croutons. Overall, a yummy dish.

I ordered the Duck Breast with Oyster Mushrooms ($18). It came with a side of Mash Potatoes and some Grilled Vegetable Medley. What can I say about this dish? I took one bite and there was a taste explosion in my mouth! It was so flavorful, with a myriad of different taste, coming from all directions. Yes, it was THAT good! Everything on that plate was good, from the duck to the mash potatoes. Boy, I could eat that everyday for the rest of my life and still not get bored of it.

Overall, it was an awesome meal. With really good food, great ambiance and super friendly servers, it was definitely an anniversary celebration to remember. Oh and by the way, our drinks were on the house! I don't know why, maybe it was an anniversary gift or maybe they were just being nice. Either ways, thanks guys! :D

Campino Mercado - Ironbound District
70 Jebez Street,
Newark, NJ 07105
Tel: (973) 589 4004
Fax: (973) 589 8820

Cheap Eyeglasses from Zenni Optical

Making a new pair of eyeglasses for yourself or your family can be an expensive affair. Trust me, I know what I am talking about. Both Kevin and I need prescription eyeglasses, so we know exactly how expensive it can get. Firstly, you need to get a prescription. Then only can you go get your eyeglasses from the store. Even if you go get them at those so called discounted eyeglasses stores or when there are special sales going on, it can still be very expensive.

Not too long ago, I can across an article written by Eric Hammer on Examiner.com about how it's possible to get cheap eyeglasses from Zenni Optical. To begin with, the good folks at Zenni Optical believes that prescription eyeglasses are a health item necessity for most wearers, and to that end, they take considerable pride in being able to bring to all a very high quality product of great durability, safety and comfort at truly reasonable and affordable prices.

How do they sell eyeglasses at such a low cost, you might ask? Well, by using the latest modern materials, manufacturing and marketing systems, they bring their products direct from their factories to the customer. This means, there are no middlemen, no retail overheads and practically no advertising budget. By doing so, they are able to keep all sorts of unnecessary cost down and sell you your eyeglasses at minimal price. Also, they do not pay for or sell expensive brand names but only their own manufactured brand, ZENNI. Don't be fooled by the brand. Just because it's not branded doesn't mean that it is not stylish. The people at Zenni Optical strive to make each and every pair of Zenni eyeglass a fashionable and stylish product.

So, the next time I am in the market to buy a new pair of eyeglasses, I'll definitely give Zenni Optical a try. You should too!

KFC @ Incheon International Airport

Remember me blogging about our 12 hour layover in Korea and how we had to wait for almost 2 and a half hours before the transit tour desk was open for the day? Well, to kill time, we went to KFC for breakfast. It was actually a toss up between KFC and McDonalds but KFC won because McDs was serving their regular breakfast menu and we wanted to try something different (something that is not on the US or Malaysian KFC/McDs menu).

Ordering our food wasn't an easy task. About 95% of the menu was in Korean, with tiny English words here and there. It took us quite a while to figure out what we wanted and proceeded to order by pointing at the pictures on the menu (you would think that the menu would be in English and that the workers would have a better understanding of English, since this outlet was in an international airport after all).

Kevin ordered the Tower Burger & Chicken set. The set consist of one Tower Burger, one piece of chicken and a drink. The Tower Burger was pretty big and looked really yummy. Spicy white meat chicken fillet (something like the Zinger fillet), hash browns, lettuce, some sort of sauce and melted cheese in a sesame seed bun. I didn't try it but Kevin says it's really good.

For his chicken, he had a choice between original, spicy or garlic (some new promotion that they were having at that moment). Of course we tried the garlic. I took a bite of his chicken and mmmm mmm mmmm. Realllly good! They should consider putting that on their regular menu! Crispy on the outside and juicy in the inside. Really well marinated too...awesome! The fries in the photo is part of my set. Nothing to shout about I guess, just regular fries :D

I ordered the Shrimp Burger set. It came with one shrimp burger, a single serving of fries and a drink. The Shrimp Burger was really good. One crunchy shrimp patty (with pretty big chunks of shrimp), lettuce and some sort of tangy sauce in a lightly toasted sesame seed bun. Very yummy indeed!

We also ordered an eggtart each for our dessert. The pastry was nice and flaky and the filling wasn't too sweet (which is a good thing). However, it was way too oily/greasy. Overall, it wasn't too bad.

So, what's the damage? The bill came up to KRW 14,100. I can't remember what is the exact breakdown of each item but KRW 14,100 is approximately US$12.50. I am not sure if the pricing is the same for all KFC outlets or this particular one is more expensive because it's located in the airport. I guess $12.50 is not too bad, it's about the same (maybe even a little less) as what we pay for a two person meal back in the States. Stay tuned for more about our transit tour in my next post!

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Ah, it's here again! One of my top 10 favorite holidays! Bring out my green shirt, bring out the green beer and let's get this party started! What will you be doing today? Head out to the parade? Drink some Guinness? Eat some Corn Beef and Cabbage? Whatever your plans are, have fun and be safe! With that said...

We would like to wish all our readers

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Escape to Branson for an Ozark Mountain Spring!

* This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.

How time flies. It felt like only yesterday when we turned the clocks back an hour and now, we have already turned it forward again. Looks like spring is already here! However, up here in the northeast, it still looks and feels like winter. I think that it's time we all pack up and head over to Branson, Missouri to experience a true Ozark Mountain Spring! Weather you enjoy relaxing while taking in the scenery, the thrill of a great game, or endless shopping, dining and theaters, Branson is the place to go this spring. With so much to do and see in Branson, there’s no better place to stay than the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing and the Hilton Branson Convention Center. Situated within the electrifying entertainment capital of the Midwest, the Hiltons of Branson offer guests access to shops, boutiques, restaurants, a river walk and other attractions. Also, both hotels are within easy driving distance of Branson’s championship golf courses, lakes, museums, theme parks and 49 live entertainment theaters.

Both the Hiltons of Branson are currently having some every exciting packages that is too good to miss! You should check out the "Save With Your Visa Card" where you can enjoy 25% off their best available rate. There is also the Hilton Bed & Breakfast Package, Golf Package and even a Romance Package!
Branson also has ongoing events like the 14th annual Branson Tri-Lakes Building and Home Show, NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Tournament, Branson’s Best Boat and Recreation Show, Silver Dollar City’s Family Spring Break Day and the memorable Young Christian’s Weekend. Not only that, there is also a series of amazing concerts on the Branson Landing which includes shows from 65 South, Colgate Country Showdown with KHOZ 102.9, EXILE, The Nashvegas All Stars and David Letterman Stupid Human & Pet Trick Auditions! How cool is that? With so much to offer, this exciting vacation community is perfect for everyone! So leave the chilly winter behind and come out to play this spring in Branson to experience a true Ozark Mountain Spring!

12 Hour Layover in Korea

On our way to Malaysia, we had a 12 hour layover in Seoul, Korea. Since both Kevin and I have never been to Korea before, we figured it would be great if we joined one of those transit tours, just to see what Korea is like. The timing of the layover was also great. We flew into Incheon Airport from JFK really early in the morning (around 5am) and we fly out of Korea to Kuala Lumpur at around 5pm the same day. It was just perfect to join one of the day tours.

When we arrived, it was still way too early and the transit tour desk wasn't even opened yet. So, what do you do when you are bored? Cam whore! :P Yup, we just went all over the airport taking photos (Incheon Airport is really nice!) and stuff. We also went to KFC to eat some breakfast and of course, to waste more time while waiting for the transit desk to open. Will blog about that later on.

While roaming all over the airport, trying to kill time (2 hours to kill before we could register for the tour), we saw some pretty cool stuff. Check this out. You can find an "Etiquette Bell" in every stall in the restrooms. What does it do? Well, I am guessing that Koreans are pretty shy people and that they do not like the person in the next stall to hear all kinds of 'bodily sounds' when they relieve themselves :P So, all you need to do is choose what kind of sound you like (ranging from music, running water, flushing of toilet) and press the bell. This way, it will mask any other sound that might not be too pleasant to the ears! Hahaha! Since it was 5am in the morning, nobody was in the restroom except myself. So, I had a great timing testing out all the sounds and laughing to myself (yes, I know...LAME!). I am just thinking, wouldn't it be more embarrassing if you used the bell? Just imagine that the restroom is crowded with people and suddenly there is music coming from your stall. Everybody would then know that you are doing your #2 in there!!! LOL!

Here is another funny thing that we saw at the airport. We had to go through immigration before we could check in at the transit tour desk. When we went to fill up our arrival card, we noticed that not only were there pens provided, there were also reading glasses!! Of course it's normal to find pens at the counter but reading glasses???? Boy, those Koreans do go out of their way to make life easier for everybody :P

After waiting for like two and a half hours, the transit tour desk finally opened. We signed up for the 5 hour city tour. That particular tour originally cost US$80 per person but if more than 4 people signs up for it, it will be only $50 per person. By the time we signed up, there were about 6 other people on the list, so were pretty pleased to that it will only be $50 per person. The lady at the counter then told us that since 2010 is 'Visit Korea Year', there is a 50% discount on this particular tour! Yeah, so we only paid $25 per person! The tour includes a return trip from the airport to Seoul (takes about 45 minutes on way), an English speaking tour guide, a traditional Korean lunch and a free gift. There will be three main stops during the tour (excluding lunch). We will begin by visiting the Gyeongbokgung Palace (entry tickets to the palace is included in the tour), then some souvenir shopping in Insa-dong followed by Cheonggye Plaza to see the man made stream in Sejong-ro. The tour will end with a traditional Korean lunch. A whole lot of stuff for just $25 a pop! I will blog more about the transit tour in my next post :D

Kissimmee - The Heart Of Florida

* This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Kissimmee Tourism. All opinions are 100% mine.

Wow! I cannot believe that spring is almost here. Now that the weather is warming up and the snow is all gone, it's time to head outside for some fun in the sun! When you think of a vacation destination that offers non stop fun and sunshine, what comes to mind? Yes, Florida! Kissimmee, Florida to be exact! Located right in the heart of Florida, Kissimmee is close to everything. It's just right next to Orlando and only an hour's drive to the Atlantic Ocean! Staying in Kissimmee lets you enjoy all the things you want in a Florida vacation - theme parks, beaches, outdoors or just plain old fashion relaxation

So, what is there to do in Kissimmee? Lots!! With it's close proximity to Orlando (it's literally just next door), there are tons of theme parks to check out! There are three major theme parks that you can visit. There is of course the Walt Disney World Resort where you can relive your childhood in Walt Disney World Resorts' Magic Kingdom Park, learn about new innovations and world-culture in Epcot, enjoy animal encounters of Disney's Animal Kingdom, or be a star at Disney's Hollywood Studios! If you are not a fan of Disney (come on, who isn't?), you can also always check out Universal Studios Orlando or Seaworld Orlando! No matter which park you visit (or you can visit all three!), I can assure you that you will have a ball of a time!

If theme parks are not your cup of tea, there are also tons of other things to do. You can enjoy the outdoors with airboat rides, zip-lining, horseback riding, hiking, golfing, birding or biking. For those of you who enjoy shopping, Kissimmee is also a shopping haven! You have to check out all the bargains you can get at flea markets, factory outlets stores as well as speciality stores. Kissimmee is indeed a dream vacation destination for everyone. I know it is mine! Visit http://bit.ly/a7PkBE to learn more about Kissimmee and start planning your dream vacation to Kissimmee today!

I'm home at last!!

Yup, that's right. I'm home at last!! Boy, what a great vacation it has been. Firstly, before I say anything, I would like to really apologise to everybody for not updating this blog the entire time I was back home in Malaysia. Yessss, I know I said I would but I really didn't anticipate that I'll be so busy running around eating, meeting old friends/relatives, doing stuff...oh did I mention eating? :D Also, the Internet connection was pretty slow (yes yes, I know. I'm so spoilt here) and uploading photos took forever. I admit that it's not a good excuse for not updating the blog but hey, the important thing is, I'm now back and regular programming will resume!

Oh before I forget, want to hear a scary story? Well, I flew into JFK on Saturday morning from Korea and what perfect timing. It was smacked right in the middle of the big storm that we had during the weekend. Mind you, it wasn't any regular storm with some heavy rain. The winds were gusting at 75 mph (can be considered a level 1 hurricane) and the rain was coming down like crazy. I later found out that it was so bad, 7 people were killed and many buildings were damaged by the storm. Also, many areas in NJ/NY didn't have electric (due to damaged power lines) and clean drinkable water.

So, as we approached for landing, the pilot warned us that there would be some turbulence because of the big storm. Turbulence? How bad can it be. I'm not exactly new to flying, I've experienced some pretty bad turbulence before. Shouldn't be any problem. Boy, how wrong I was.

The moment the plane hit the storm clouds, it was just flung into all directions, like a rag doll. Usually, when I think of turbulence, it's usually just the up and down feeling (something like a rollercoaster) when it hits the air pockets. This was so different. Not only was it going up and down, the plane was being swung left and right too! I could hear things falling down in the kitchen and everybody on the plane looked terrified. Also, from the cam located at the bottom of the plane, I could see that we were fast approaching ground but the landing strip wasn't in sight yet. We were actually skimming on the water! At that point, I really thought that we would have a water landing and that we were going to crash. It was THAT scary! It did however make it to the landing strip but the moment it hit the tarmac, the plane was swerving to the left and right, at really high speed! I guess the wind was too strong and it was hard for the pilot to control the plane? It was so scary, I could hear things falling down everywhere. Thank God nothing happened and we managed to get off the plane in one piece. Everybody just cheered and clapped when the plane finally stopped...lol! I truly believe that it was the hand of God protecting me that day. If not, I shudder to even think of what might have happened. Boy, what an experience.

We're ready to leave!

We are all done with our packing and the taxi will be here in less than 2 hours time. At last, the day has arrived! For those of you who don't know, we will be going back to Malaysia to celebrate Chinese New Year this year! Woohoo!!

Our plane will leave JFK around midnight tonight and we'll have a 12 hour layover in Seoul. Since both Kevin and I have never been to Korea before, we plan to go on one of those transit tours. How exciting! We will arrive Kuala Lumpur late Monday night and leave for Langkawi Island for a family vacation on Wednesday. Can't wait for that! After Langkawi, we will fly to Penang (my hometown) to celebrate Chinese New Year as well as my Dad's 60th birthday with our extended family. The final leg of our trip will mostly be in Kuala Lumpur and we might take a short trip to Singapore for a day or two (maybe).

We'll try to update this blog as much as we can. So, the next time you hear from us...we'll be in sunny Malaysia, kicking back and enjoying the nice warm weather with our family and friends!!

Hope for Haiti - Save the Children

* This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Cryo-Cell International. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you remember what you were doing when you heard about the earthquake in Haiti last month? I do. I was surfing the Internet and went to my favorite news website to check out the daily news when saw the breaking news. I was shocked and saddened to hear of such devastation happen in such a small and poor country. My heart really went out to them. I am sure many of you felt the same. Just like me, I'm also sure many of you wondered how you could help, to ease their pain. Guess what? Well, now you can!

Throughout the month of February, Cryo-Cell will donate $25 from each enrollment to the “Save the Children: Haiti Relief Fund”. As people who safeguard the future for their newborns and families, you, together with Cryo-Cell can also lend your hand to help rebuild the future for the children of Haiti. Just so that you know, Cryo-Cell is the only cord blood bank contributing a portion of each sale to Save the Children: Haiti Relief Fund.

What is cord blood banking anyways? Cord blood or umbilical cord blood, is blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta at the time of birth. This blood has typically been discarded following delivery. But once scientists discovered it was a rich source of stem cells, umbilical cord blood became a viable substitute to bone marrow in thousands of successful transplants. Cells taken from your newborn are a perfect match for your baby for his or her lifetime. For example, in the event your child contracts a disease, which must be treated with chemotherapy or radiation, there is a probability of a negative impact on the immune system. While an autologous (self) transplant may not be appropriate for every disease, there could be a benefit in using the preserved U-Cord® stem cells to bolster and repopulate your child’s blood and immune system as a result of complications from other treatments.

So, what else can I say? You should enroll now! Not only will you be safeguarding the future of your newborn but you will be playing a part in helping the children of Haiti get a better future.

Throwback Pepsi & Mountain Dew

I don't know if you have been to the soda aisle at the grocery store lately. If you have, there is a high chance you might notice that Pepsi Co. has two new products out on the shelves. Throwback Pepsi and Throwback Mountain Dew! It's retro looking label caught our eye while we were walking by and since we are big Pepsi and Mountain Dew fans, we just had to try it! It says on the label that it's available for a limited time only and that it's made from REAL sugar. Interesting. Of course we also bought a bottle of regular Pepsi and regular Mountain Dew, so that we can do a taste test and compare it side by side.

First up, Pepsi. We noticed the difference the moment we opened the bottle. The throwback had way more fizz than the regular. Also, when we poured it out, the little bubbles lasted way longer than the regular Pepsi. Now, it really depends on what you like. Some people might think that it's good to have more fizz but I personally like to drink my sodas with less. That's one of the reasons why I prefer Pepsi to Coke. Less fizz. Alright, now the taste test. The regular Pepsi is a whole lot more sweeter compared to the throwback. In the taste test, the throwback wins hands down! It somewhat reminds me of a sweeter and less fizzy version of Coke. If you are one of those who can't really decide if you prefer Pepsi or Coke, the Throwback Pepsi is for you. It's somewhat of a mix between the two...iLike!

Next up, Mountain Dew. Firstly, I must say that Mountain Dew is our all time favorite soda. So, we were pretty excited to try out the throwback version. As opposed to the throwback Pepsi, the throwback Mountain Dew had way less fizz than the regular. In fact, it almost didn't have any fizz. Reminds me of the regular Mountain Dew, after you leave it out sitting in a glass for a while. The taste of the throwback also wasn't all that great. It had this weird after taste, and somewhat lack the refreshing taste that you always get from the regular Mountain Dew. I wouldn't go with the throwback if I were you. I've always loved the regular Mountain Dew taste and I guess, the New Dew wins!

Overall, I feel that Pepsi should just keep the Throwback Pepsi recipe and make it as their regular. It's really good and I'm pretty sure it will give Coke a run for their money. However, please do away with the Throwback Mountain Dew. We love the new Mountain Dew, oh yes we do!!

Hilarious Vacation Rental Commercial

* This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Vacation Rental Organization. All opinions are 100% mine.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have always been a big fan of commercials. If for whatever reason I wasn't in the living room when my favorite commercial comes on TV and I miss it, hell would break loose! I would cry, make a big fuss and mop around all day. My parents, in their wisdom, actually recorded that particular commercial on video tape for me. So, the next time I missed the commercial, they would just pull out that tape and play it for me. Problem solved! I related that little anecdote to show you how much I love a good commercial, especially funny ones. When was the last time you watched a good and hilarious commercial?

I was surfing around the Internet earlier today and stumbled upon this really funny vacation rental commercial. It starts off like a regular commercial, with a family checking into a hotel. Then suddenly, out of no where, this guy in a "unitard" jumps out from behind the counter. I just love how he is dressed like a superhero but is super clumsy. No doubt, what he does is like a super hero (he goes around helping families save money on vacation rentals) but the Unitard guy is really uncoordinated, goofy, yet so lovable and funny. I also love the conversation between the host and the Unitard guy, at the end on the commercial. Really hilarious indeed. I bet you want to watch that commercial now, don't you? Just head over to the Vacation Rental Organization website and check out the commercial for yourself!

Charlie Brown's Steakhouse - Clifton, NJ

This is a relatively backdated post. I'm still really busy, trying to settle things before our trip to Malaysia (yes, we leave tomorrow!) but as promised, I'm trying to update this blog as much as I can. A couple of weeks ago, we had dinner at Charlie Brown's Steakhouse. It's the largest steakhouse chain in NJ, with it's first branch opening it's doors in 1966. We've heard quite a lot of good things about it, so we decided to go check it out ourselves.

The moment we pulled into the parking lot, we knew that we had to wait for a table. The huge parking lot of filled with cars! We had to circle a few times and ended up parking way across the other end of the lot. I guess dinner time on a Saturday is peak hours for them :P True enough, when we walked into the restaurant, there were just people standing everywhere, waiting for their table. We had to wait for almost 25 minutes before we got a table.

For our appetizer, we ordered the Three Cheese Crab Dip ($8.99). Jumbo lump crab meat, seasoned with Old Bay seasoning and then baked with three different types of cheese was just amazing! It is served with crispy frybread chips. Just look at how much crab meat there is in the dip. So creamy and yummy!

We had a choice of the salad bar or soup with our mains. We both went with the soup. Kevin ordered the Lobster Bisque and again, it was gooood. I tasted a little of it and boy, it was thick, creamy and really good. There were also quite a few pieces of lobster in the soup.

I had the French Onion Soup. Now, this must be the best French Onion Soup I have had in a very long time. It was so flavourful and hearty. So, up til now...Charlie Brown's Steakhouse has been living up to it's name, really good food.

For our mains, I ordered the Chopped Steak ($13.99). It's about 16 oz. of chopped USDA Certified Angus Beef steak, served with a side of frizzled onions, rice pilaf and mushroom sauce. I ordered the steak medium well but when it arrived, it was way past well done. The outside was pretty charred and the inside was dry. The frizzled onions were also soggy and oily. Overall, it was quite a disappointment really.

Kevin ordered the Fish & Chips ($13.99). Four pieces of tempura battered cod fillet, served with fries and coleslaw. Yes, the portion was relatively huge but taste wise, it really didn't hit the spot. The fish was just alright, nothing much to shout about. We have definitely tasted better. Overall, it was just an alright dinner experience. The starters were totally amazing but the mains really didn't impress us at all. The service wasn't all that great too (we had to actually ask the server to refill our drinks, even though she walked by many times and saw our empty glasses). So, would we return? Well, having to wait 25 minute just for a table, coupled with mediocre service and a total bill of $47.24, I would say that the chances are pretty slim. However, I am so in love with the Three Cheese Crab Dip, so I don't know. It's a tough call on this one.

Charlie Brown's Steakhouse - Clifton, NJ
1296 Van Houten Avenue
Clifton, NJ 07013-1632
Tel: (973) 471-1400
Web: http://www.charliebrowns.com/

Stop Waiting & Start Doing!

* This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Charter. All opinions are 100% mine.

I don't know about you, but I really hate waiting. Call me impatient if you like, but I just cannot stand hanging around and waiting for something or someone. This is an instant-gratification society, maybe it's now becoming a norm. We have been preconditioned to want everything fast. We like fast cars, fast food, overnight delivery, fast-bake cookies and instant coffee (even Starbucks switched to instant). We don’t tolerate slow. We don’t like to wait.

Since I spend so much time online, there is really one thing that is a must for me. Fast and reliable DSL! We bank, e-mail, play games, shop, share photos and stream videos online almost everyday. Went don't want to watch the progress bar, we want to load the moment we click on it! How about watching that video without looking at the bar go "buffering buffering buffering"? If we waste precious minutes every time we want to pay a bill, or download from iTunes, how many hours of wasted time does that add up to over a year? The Internet we rely on so much in our everyday lives taunts us with blank screens and progress bars inching along noiselessly. We’re losing productivity at a time when we can least afford it. It's time we say “No More!”

Let’s stop waiting. Let’s start doing. That's right, stop waiting and get going! Let’s turn this nation of blank-faced lingering into a productive society again. Guess what? Charter is here to do their part! To kick that off, they are offering High-Speed Internet for 19.99! Get the speed you crave and the instant gratification you demand back in your life. It’s reliable, it’s secure, and once you’ve had it, you’ll see why DSL is the new dial up. Not only that, they will also install it for free to get you going! You can also keep up with all the latest from Charter at Charter’s Facebook page. Head over there to see all that they have to offer. So, what are you waiting for? Don't get left behind. Switch to Charter's High-Speed Internet and start enjoying your online time today!

Two years and counting...

Firstly, I would like to apologise to all our readers for neglecting this blog for the past week or so. We have been really busy running around, preparing for our trip back to Malaysia (yes, we leave in 4 days time!). Also, I have been spending most of my waking hours working on a video presentation for my Dad's 60th Birthday party. It's almost done now, I hope to get it all done by tomorrow or Thursday, latest. Remind me to post the video up here after the party!

With that said, let me return to the my intended post :P Two years and counting....yup, that's right! It's our 2nd Anniversary today!! Boy, time really flies. It seems like it was only yesterday when we said our vows in Pittsburgh. I guess time flies when you are having a good time. The past two years has been nothing but awesome! Life has been good and I'm thankful to God for such a wonderful, caring and supportive husband. So, here's to the two years and may there be many many many more to come!

P/S: I promise to return to my normal blogging once we got all this video and packing stuff organized. I'll try my best to blog at least once a day from Malaysia, so you can all stay updated with what's happening on that side of the world! :D