A Couple of Tourists

Review: The St. Regis Sanya Yalong Bay Resort

May 9, 2017TieNo Comments

When I was looking for a place to stay in Sanya, I checked American Express Fine Hotel and Resorts (FHR) and decided on the St. Regis Sanya Yalong Bay Resort. I decided to use FHR for our booking due to the many benefits that were provided: fourth night free, complimentary room upgrade, daily breakfast for two, and the additional benefit this property provided was a free private one-way airport transfer. We decided to use the private airport transfer for when we arrived. It feels great not having to figure out transportation to your hotel after getting off from a long flight. When we landed, after going past immigration to the arrival area, our driver was waiting there holding a sign with my name on it.

Tips

Free Download: Japanese Particles Cheat Sheet

April 13, 2017MargaretNo Comments

I took a semester of Japanese back in college, but aside from watching anime and JDramas every now and then, I haven’t really been seriously studying. Until now! I recently downloaded HelloTalk, a popular language-learning app which I highly recommend. Now I text with native Japanese people on a regular basis (still not confident enough to engage in speech conversation yet). I’ve been observing the way sentences are strung together and became more determined to properly learn grammar/syntax. One of the most confusing and difficult parts about learning Japanese are all the particles! So I found a nifty list of all 188 of them from Nihongo Ichiban and decided to make a printable cheat sheet you can download here. Enjoy!

Amsterdam

Exploring Amsterdam (and Getting High AF)

April 3, 2017MargaretNo Comments

Amsterdam was a mix of romantic walks along the canal, well-curated museums, and some seedy things. We spent a total of five days living out of a tiny AirBNB by the canal and walked our way around the city. I had attempted to rent a bike before quickly realizing that there was no way I could avoid getting hit by a car or running someone over. So we got our cardio in instead.

NYC Local

Gaijin: A Foreigner’s Take on Japanese Omakase

April 2, 2017Margaret5 Comments

Last night we celebrated our friend Albert’s birthday at Gaijin in Astoria, Queens. Gaijin (written as 外人 in Japanese) means “foreigner,” and Chef Mark fully embraces his identity, putting a new spin on traditional Japanese omakase. The restaurant has only been open for five months but it was completely full when we went. A few weeks earlier, we reserved the seats by the bar (there are 8 available) for the $125 full omakase (chef’s choice). Table seating is for guests ordering a la carte. There were three people preparing the food behind the counter so service was a bit on the slower side, but the wait staff were all very courteous and refilled the genmaicha (brown rice green tea) we ordered without extra charge.

Tips

Part-Time Travelers: Where Do We Find the Time and Money?

March 31, 2017Margaret3 Comments

Many of our friends ask, “how do you guys travel so often?” The reality is, we do not come from wealthy families nor do we make boatloads of money, but we are very lucky in the flexibility our jobs offer. Moreover, we are the type to go the extra mile in trip planning, as opposed to simply purchasing a LivingSocial or Groupon deal. Not that I am criticizing people who do this. Everyone has a different travel style – some just want a getaway without stressing over the logistics. Let someone/something else – be it a travel agent, tour company, or deal package – handle that. We are just the type that enjoys taking the process into our own hands.

Tennessee

The Weekender: Sights and Activities in Nashville

March 24, 2017MargaretNo Comments

I told everyone we were going to Nashville mainly for the food and country music, but the truth is it was mostly for the food. My country music knowledge can be summed up by one Shania Twain album, a handful of Patsy Cline songs, and Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” (wait…are they even country?). Nonetheless, I was eager to listen to some live music. Tennessee isn’t known for its scenic views, but I was surprised it was a popular destination for bachelor and bachelorette parties. Here’s what you (or y’all?) can expect.

Flights, Singapore

Love is in the Air: Singapore Airlines Suites Class

March 22, 2017Tie2 Comments

It was time to embark on our journey aboard the Singapore Airlines A380 in Suites Class. Suites Class is Singapore Airline’s First Class tier aboard their Airbus A380 where all the seats in the cabin are suites. If you want to read about the planning process for this flight and how we managed to get seats in the Suites Class, you can read my previous post on it here.

Tennessee

The Weekender: What to Eat in Nashville, Tennessee

March 21, 2017Margaret1 Comment

This past weekend, I flew to Nashville with my girl friends Winnie, Alice, and Roxana. I wanted to get my hands on as much hot chicken as possible after having watched the Hot Ones video series on YouTube prior and salivating each time. So of course I took my food research quite seriously. My friends probably got sick of having so much meat every meal. I think I ate enough chicken to last me through the rest of this year. Anywhos, here’s a list of all the places we tried. Enjoy! (P.S. I only brought my phone with me this time, so no DSLR quality photos :T)

Bali

Chefs For a Day: Paon Cooking Class

March 15, 2017MargaretNo Comments

Not sure why we don’t do this more often, but taking cooking classes in a foreign country is a great way to learn about their culture and meet fellow tourists. We fell in love with Indonesian food during our stay in Bali, so I’m glad we got a chance to prepare some common dishes. Prior to the trip, we booked a morning class at Paon Cooking Class, which lasted from 8:30AM to around 1:30PM. I recommend the morning class because it includes a market tour (afternoon one doesn’t), so you see where the ingredients come from and taste some locally grown fruit.

California

The Weekender: The Museum of Broken Relationships

February 16, 2017MargaretNo Comments

In the middle of tourist central Hollywood lies a small respite – The Museum of Broken Relationships. At first I asked myself, do I really want to get emotionally drained during our trip? I have a tendency to put the burden of other people’s sorrow and misery onto myself. As such, I didn’t know if I was ready to challenge my own sensitivity, especially since I’ve finally found myself in a happy relationship. But as it turns out, being in a better place in my life allowed me to step back and empathize or sympathize with others better. The museum was more a haven of hope and positive outlook through introspection rather than a weep fest. Also, it covered a range of relationships – relationships with partners, friends, oneself, etc.