At 31, Hong Kong

Last year, i went to Hong Kong. Just like the slogan goes: LOVE IT! Loved the culture, food and architecture. I was there for 4 days and 3 nights, with a super hectic schedule.

We chose one of the Airasia Holiday Package on-line as well. With last year's "hotel horror" experience in Singapore, i called the hotel in Hong Kong 2 days in advance to confirm our booking. This time, the accomodation is confirmed.

It was winter in Hong Kong and i have never been to four seasons country. It was when i felt my face so DRY and was about to CRACK that i actually realized i need to apply moisturizer! Luckily i did applied lip balm. Otherwise, the condition would be worse!

I went to buy moisturizer at a Body Shop outlet which costs double the price in Malaysia. But look on the bright side, the moisturizer that i bought locally during that particular season might be more suitable than the one i bought in Malaysia... or maybe i'm just fooling myself...

Travel Pointers: Remember to bring along moisturizer when you go to places with four seasons. Never under-estimate the cold weather in those countries.

Weng Wah Lou Poh Beng and Lou Gong Beng. Just so-so.

Kee Wah Egg Roll. Very nice and soft. It literally melt-in-your-mouth.

Kee Wah Lou Poh Beng. Very nice. Soft and moist.

Kee Wah Assorted Biscuits. Loved all the biscuits except the Ginger Biscuits, but my mother loved it very much.

Kee Wah Lap Cheong. Err... it's a bit hard. Not to my liking.

A Hong Kong Post Office Box Coin Box. I've always fascinated by Post Office Box. I bought this at Temple Street night market in Yau Ma Tei. Oh ya! There is a terror story to be told about this visit.

Apparently two bottles of acid were dropped from buildings in a pedestrian zone at the Temple Street night market in Yau Ma Tei. Nine tourists and a child were among 30 people injured in the said acid attack.

We saw the news on television upon arriving our hotel room. We were shocked as the incident happened just half an hour after we left Temple Street. We just count ourselves lucky for not being one of the faces showed on the television.

Cute souvenirs. It was supposed to be souvenirs for my friends but at the end i decided to keep it for myself. Too cute to give them away!

Influencing People

These are five ways to win over others:-

1. Be empathetic. Having the perception to ascertain people's true feelings is at the heart of most successful relationships.

2. Listen. Listening is just as important - if not more - as talking in communication. To truly listen, you must derive meaning from what is said. Don't interrupt or finish other people's sentences - you may pull them in a direction that's detrimental to your cause.

3. Look approachable. Crossed arms and legs can make you appear closed.

4. Control your manner. The volume, tone and speed of your speech are all important. Use volume and inflection to your advantage - appear soft when appropriate but firm when establishing control.

5. Remember names. A name is the most important piece of information you can know about an individual. Make sure you attach a name to a face and engrain it into your mind.

Don't Work Too Hard

Gain Back Time

These are tenets we seldom follow (but really should) to liberate ourselves and gain back the gift of time:-

1. Get in early and go home on time.

2. Assumptions kill.

3. Trust your gut.

4. Know what's being asked of you.

5. You can't please everyone.

6. Every conversation should have a purpose.

7. Recognize when it's all been said.

8. Don't be afraid to hire people your're going to lose.

9. Don't confuse activity with accomplishment.

10. Take back the weekend.

Dressing At Work

As modern as we all are, the workplace still calls for some sense of conventional and conservative dressing. If you demand respect at the workplace, dress respectfully.

Although i truly believe in flaunting it if you've got it, in the office, we should do so in a more subtle way. I used to work with a sexy lady boss, Ms. L, who thinks that dressing super sexy is a fundamental requirement of her work. Tight shirt, short skirt, bare midriff or transparent dress is her code of dressing, which never fails to make us blush.

Maybe these more salacious girls are bad representation of the modern woman. There was once a client told me that Ms. L dressed like a GRO and on another occasion, a client told me that Ms. L looked like a Club Dancer. I felt truly embarrassed by such remarks. Would i pretend her sexuality doesn't affect the man she do business with? No, because it does.

It is said that a sexy woman in the office is as a symbol of power or an agent of seduction. I remember my ex-boss (who is a male) from another company once told me: "If you want to be successful in your career, wear short skirt." Initially, this sounded extremely sarcastic but after i worked with Ms. L, his remarks have unfortunately started to make sense.

Be it as it may, i always believe that there are definite dress expectations and a mandatory strict adherence to office clothing customs. More so if you are a professional, your clothing represents credibility. Unbuttoning your blouse to reveal bare skin will not only compromise your credibility, but also send a message that you are incapable and incompetent.

So when can you wear your new top with a plunging neckline? When you're not at work.

Old Post Office @ Kuala Lumpur

If one were to look for a building with the most distinguishing feature at Jalan Panggong (which joins the end of Jalan Petaling), it would have been this old post office. Sadly, it had been left idle for many years and seemed to be unable to withstand the devastate condition any longer.

The double storey building which combines Malay and Tudor style architecture was build in 1911. Squarish body with slanting door, the ground floor comprises of cement wall, whilst the first floor comprises of wooden enclosing rail. You can see the distinctive black and white wooden strip decor below the red tile roof at the front.

It is said that in the old days, when transportation is not convenient, each time when the steamship which carry mails arrives at Klang port, the authority will transmit telegrams to Kuala Lumpur. Thereafter, this old post office will raise a red flag signifying and informing the public that mails will be arriving soon.

It is also said that there were traders out there who proposed to the authorities to repair this old post office and transform it into a museum and antique store. However, nothing had been done on the site so far.

At 30, Singapore

At 30, the line of demarcation, i told myself that i must travel to oversea once a year. Be it for leisure holiday or enlightenment journey, i am willing to part with my money just to fly to another country.

My first destination was Singapore. I just thought that it was a wise choice as it is geographically nearer to Malaysia and culturally similar to Malaysia, albeit with a big difference in currency rate.

We chose one of the Airasia Holiday Package on-line, which is inclusive of air fare and accommodation. It's rather cheap for a 5 days and 4 night trip.

However, our nightmare began when we arrived at the hotel and ready for check-in.

We were told that the hotel do not have any record of our booking in their system even though we showed them our confirmation slip from Airasia on-line.

It was after the hotel manager (who came much much later) called someone at a company possibly related to Airasia for confirmation and we got our problem solved.

Travel Pointers: Always call the hotel in advance and confirm the booking before departure, especially if you place your booking on-line.

I bought this Samsui Woman Chopsticks & Spice Holder at Chinatown Heritage Centre, Singapore. It was not very expensive and not exquisitively made at all...

But the fact that my grandmother is also a Samsui Woman who hail from Kwang-Tung province of China gave me a "sense of belonging" reason to buy it as a souvenir.

Whenever i go outstation, i would normally buy local products (especially food) so that i can munch at home. But not for this Singapore trip. I found that a lot of their local food are very similar to Malaysia, but the price is double due to currency exchange.