4 Days of Shenzhen, China Trip With Family (2011)

This post served as a compilation for all the post relating to my trip to Shenzhen with my dearest family, like what I always did for most of my previous trip. This is also because I don't blog consecutively, so here is to ease myself when I want refer back in future.

Day 1 (28th May 2011)
The Arrival, Sushi & Shopping

Day 2 (29th May 2011)
McD & Continue Shopping

Day 3 (30th May 2011)
City Day Tour Around Shenzhen

• Splendid China Part I: Shenzhen China Folk Culture Village
• Splendid China Part II: Miniature China

Day 4 (31st May 2011)
Last Day & Cheap McD Breakfast

Extra Features:
1. Sofitel Dongguan Human Oriental
2. My Shopping & Food Haul

Although it was a kinda short trip, but I really have a precious and wonderful moments with all my family members. You know its kinda hard to gather all my family together especially my sister who is currently working in Singapore and also my brother is studying in Kuching now. I'm not sure when will my family and I will travel together but I really hope we will have another trip to Singapore this year end where is not just a vacation, holiday for us but also to visit my sister who was being promoted recently.

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Snapshot Sunday: Disneyland Paris, France

"In a Magical Kingdom not so far away - somewhere between a place where you wish upon a star and dreams come true - classic Disney heroes and heroines live once upon a time in fairytales that are, happily, never ending."

My first visit to a Disneyland Park and it was in Paris, France. The one and only Disneyland Park situated in Europe that definitely make you feel young at heart and like a little happy kid.

Check out my old travel post: Disneyland Paris - Disneyland Park

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My Shopping & Food Haul From Shenzhen, China

Oops, I did it again!Let's check out my shopping haul from the so called little shopping paradise place. I did shared some of them before in few of my previous post but I prefer to compile all of them in here.

My Shopping Haul on Day 1

All mine except for the white collar T-shirt that I bought for my boyfie.
Total damage: Less than RM100

My Shopping Haul on Day 2

This time around grabbed more on accessories including bags, porch, belt and necklace

My Shopping Haul on Day 3

All are not mine except for the shoe and belt. The rest are for my besties and boyfie too.

If you happen to read of my previous post on my haul from Japan and Taiwan, you will notice I prefer to buy those foods and snack that can't find in Malaysia. And I was so lucky that I found China's local supermarket with the help of my two brothers and you know what, I almost grabbed everything which I think is cute and unique whether it is delicious or not back to KK.

A whole big bag just for me to fill in the foods and snacks I bought from Shenzhen, China.

The reason I love to buy foods when travelling was because it is easy to share among all my friends including my colleagues especially the guys. For me, it is easy to buy souvenirs for the gals but when comes to guy, it makes me headache. Therefore, I prefer to grab as much as I can and let them choose what they want to eat. Easy job!

Crackers and potato chips even featuring the famous Taiwan singer, Jay Chao

Even Lay's (the famous potato chip's brand) also featured Wang LeeHom and Angela Chang

NOTE: For those who went Taiwan before, can you find these two in Taiwan? I guess you can't.

Last but least, Glico!!!

Glico is kinda my favourite snack currently and I quite addicted to it after my trip to Japan. So wherever I saw 7-11 or other 24 hours convenient store anywhere on earth except for Malaysia, immediately I will search for Glico including my recent trip to Phuket. You can't imagine how crazy am I towards this Glico biscuit snack!

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Winner of Travel Haul Give-Away

First and foremost, thanks to my readers who participated in this give-away contest and I am really delightful and glad to receive different kind of feedback/opinions/thoughts towards my blog - "Travel & Living Journal of DT".

So, are you ready to know who is the winner that will receive these 3 special items from my travel haul?

• 2012 Calender from Phuket, Thailand
• Pencil case from Seoul, South Korea
• Keychain from Singapore
  
  Congratulation to Henry Tan from My Blog, My Way
  

You won yourself the above travel haul and kindly please don't forget, to leave your name, mailing address and handphone number to my email: dianateodt@gmail.com in order for to courier the gift to your doorstep by tomorrow.

Well for the rest; Sherrie Pui, Charmaine Pua, Jessy and Aikoakito, thanks so much for the taking part in joining this contest and don't feel upset. I might doing give-away contest in coming future and you could try your luck again! Hugs and kisses to you all.


UPDATED ON 21.02.2012:
Henry Tan received his gift 2 days after this announcement had made and he did a post regarding this too. Do check out his blog - My Blog, My Way: Gift from DT! =D

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Foodie Friday: Sakae Sushi, KL Festival City

My final gathering with my friends in KL end by having sushi for dinner. Initially my friend was about to send me back home but I suggested how about having dinner at the newly shopping mall located in Setapak, KL Festival City. Since it was newly opened, I guess there must be lots of promotion going on around KL Festival City.

There are many eateries such as Nando's, Little Taiwan, Kenny Rogers but all my mind can think of was Sakae Sushi. Saw few outlets including The Curve but never try even once. Hence, I told my friend I must like try at least once since KK doesn't has any Sakae Sushi outlet.

It was a long queue before we manage to get a comfort and pleasure seat.

Like I mentioned, tons of promotion going on.

Unlike most typical restaurant, Sakae Sushi doing it differently. Instead of the menu is printed on book, their menu is displayed on monitor and all we need to do is touch on the screen in order to order the foods. It was my first time seeing this kind of ordering system and frankly speaking, it really did amazed me.

So, here's our meal by just clicking the screen:

Teriyaki Chicken Don. The chicken was so juicy and tender.

Chawanmushi

Inari Potato Salad

This is my favourite and I have 2 plates by myself. Now I am craving for that but too bad, none of KK Japanese Restaurant served this.

Soft Shell Crab Crepe

Thanks to my friend, SooPor (the guy on the left-hand side) for the treat and Eunice too, for accompany me whole day! I kinda miss both of you now!

Sakae Sushi - KL Festival City
Location:
F12, First Floor, KL Festival City
No.67, Jalan Taman Ibu Kota
Taman Danau Kota
53300 Setapak, Kuala Lumpur

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Shenzhen, China - Day 4 Last Day & Cheap McD Breakfast

Note: So, how's is Valentine's Day celebration? I plan to blog yesterday but I worry that no one gonna read my blog because everyone is busy with lovey dovey. By the way, do you aware that I am doing give-away contest? If not, hurry up and join the fun before it ends this Friday (click here). Good luck guys!

Date of Visited: 31st May 2011

Ok! So this is the final travelogue of my Shenzhen trip with my family. Took me almost 2 months to finish it because I am damn so lazy sometimes. Prefer to blog other things instead.

Back to the story. So, it's the final day and it's time to check-out from the 2nd hotel we stayed in Shenzhen. But before checking out, I saw this notice which stick at the back of the door that kinda attracted me. You might think what special of this notice but please do read the below:

Can you see the "Alien" words? Who on earth does the alien refer to? Sounds weird but yet kinda funny too at same time.

But before check-out, once again my mommy was planning to do her last minute shopping. I mentioned before that the hotel that we're staying was so near to subway station and underneath there, there is even a shopping centre. Hence, my mom would like to venture around before seriously saying goodbye to Shenzhen.

So this is the subway that connecting us to everywhere we wanna go

That's our hotel and can you name the artist on the billboard?

However, it was too earlier for Shenzhen people to start operating their business at 9.00 am. Mommy kinda dissapointed and therefore, decided going back to the hotel. Somehow, I saw this 24 hours McD restaurant and I was told before that if wanna try their pork burger, it is only available for breakfast. Hence, I tried my luck to buy the pork burger. Bingo! Yes, the pork burger is only available in the morning and you won't believe it how much it cost. China's McD breakfast is so freaking cheap.

1 pork burger with the choice either coffee or tea (their tea is cold peach tea, taste much more better which Malaysia don't have) cost RM3 per set. Yes, it cost RM3 only and mommy bought 8 sets of them. I even "tapao" the burger back to KK for my boyfie.

Shenzhen International Airport - It's kinda small and not much things to buy.

Did I mentioned before that even you have free wireless connection but it is kinda sucks cause China totally banned facebook, twitter, youtube and blogspot. Damn! Damn! Damn! I tried to log in facebook, twitter and my own blog for half hour but keep fail to upload for almost thousand times. Not until I went and google search "China Banned Social Network", only then I realised I was so stupid for wasting my time to keep log in.

So, that's all of my Day 4 trip in Shenzhen. And if you're asking me whether will I going back for a second trip, might not at this moment. Better plan and heading to other place of China instead like Shanghai which is currently in my travel list. *cross fingers* I'm looking for a travelmate for trip to Shanghai at this moment.

Photo credit to Wikitravel

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Travel Haul Give-Away

Did give-away twice before for my blog readers:

• Mystery Gift

• Top 3 Commentators for the Year 2010-2011

And this time around I did it again. Thanks to those bloggers who share their thoughts and told me that it is not too late to give-away 2012 calender. So, here is the calender that I'm talking about:

2012 Calender from Phuket

Kid you not! That's the wonderful thing about travelling to oversea during new year and they will give you calender if there is a stock left. Not one but two. Before the new year, I was wondering why didn't I get any calender for the year 2012. Then, the first person who gave was my boyfie's dad. Thanks uncle! After that, I keep receiving calender for non-stop and I just put aside until recently where I was cleaning my room and I realised how these calender were so wasted by just put aside. Hence, I was thinking why not doing a give-away to those who want it? Don't you like it?

But wait! Not just one, but I am giving away 3 items and all of these were bought from overseas during my trip:

• 2012 Calender from Phuket, Thailand
• Pencil case from Seoul, South Korea
• Keychain from Singapore

So, do you want to win these but how?

2 Simple & Easy Steps as the following:

1. Describe your opinion/thoughts towards my blog - "Travel & Living Journal of DT" not less than 10 words. There is no maximum words limited and you can write either in English or Malay. (You can even include some recommendations in order for me to improve my blog in future.)

2. Last but not least, leave your name and e-mail in the comment box.

It's that simple as ABC, right?
Now, what are you waiting for?

Hurry up and join this contest!

This contest is OPEN TO EVERYONE eventhough you're not in Malaysia as long as you follow the above required steps.

Attention (Revised/Updated):

• This contest period run from 12th February 2012 at 8.00 pm and ends on 17th February 2012 at 11.59 pm.

• The winner will be announced on 19nd February 2012 at 8.00 pm.

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Shenzhen, China - Day 3 City Day Tour Around Shenzhen

Only on day 3 I realised that the place that I stayed for the last 2 days was not the real city center of Shenzhen. The name of the city that I stayed is called Dongguan, and it is 1 hour away from Shenzhen city. And because I had expressed my interest to visit Shenzhen on the day before we make a trip there, hence my dad had made an arrangement so all of us got the chance to visit Shenzhen city.

Two drivers arrived at the hotel that we stayed at 10 am and here we go our journey of 1 hour plus to the bustling city of Shenzhen. China's drivers are really damn scary and horrible. They drove like mad, keep "honging" their cars and our hearts are almost pumping out from our body. Thank goodness we reached safely and immediately bid goodbye to the mad and insane drivers. Maybe this is the real behaviour of the way they are driving, I guess!

We checked in to our second hotel and although this hotel is not that luxury and grand like the previous one we stayed before (click here), we are satisfied especially with the strategic location. It is just few steps away from the subway station, hence it is convenient for us to go wherever we want.

Guess what this?

I thought this "extra and special" service is only available in Thailand. Few years back when I went Hatyai, Thailand with family, I saw this inside the drawer of the hotel I stayed. Few years later, I met them again but this time around, it was displayed in the bathroom. But wait! It is not free, you must pay for what you use.

After done with everything, we decided to make a short visit to their shopping center by taking subway. Somehow we faced a lil difficulties when comes to reading their signboard. For your information, all of my family members are banana (This term means Chinese people but don't know how to read Chinese words). Only my mom is the one who know how to read Chinese and I really can't imagine how I could travel if my mom is not joining us. The second reason I said so was because China people are ain't that friendly at all and some are not willing to help. I guess most of you who visited China or ever encounter any China people, maybe you might facing the similar situation as mine too.

Anyhow, China's subway are much way better than Malaysia one and saw the token on the bottom right? Malaysia are sometimes a copycat (if you get what I means)! :P


By the time we were about to shopping, it was lunch time! So, we dine-in in somekind a Taiwanese shop which located under the subway and it is quite tiny which can accommodated up to 10 people at a time only. Their main dishes are so-so but their dessert are superb!

Mango and honeydew ice-cream with assorted kind of fruits

Most of my friends who went Shenzhen before telling me that Shenzhen is one shopping paradise, which I could partly agreed with them if the main purpose of visiting Shenzhen is solely for shopping. But since I had shopping non-stop for the past 2 days, I tends not to shop more on the third day because I start to feel a lil bit sick seeing of those surrounding garments.

After 2 hours plus of shopping, we went to one of Shenzhen's top attractions, Splendid China. I did blog about this previously in two separate post. So if you haven't read them, do check them out! Splendid China is a theme park divided into 2 distinctive park but with only a single ticket.

China Folk Culture Village

Miniature China

The time we spent in Shenzhen was so short and there are many places that we were unable to visit. But I do believe, maybe someday, I will be back again.

Ok! I lied. I did some shopping on the third day but it was last minute shopping. Trust me, really a last minute shopping before going back on the next day.

The handbags and purse on the left side are for my besties and cousin and the socks on the left are for boyfie. Only the shoe and the belt are belong to me.



I always dream to own this shoe but in Malaysia, it is quite pricey.
I managed to bought this for RM40++ in Shenzhen.

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The Most Happening CNY

Long time never post of my personal life story. So here's a quick one.

I guess it has been 2 years I had never celebrated Chinese New Year with lively and happening since ever my late grandfather left us. Even this year, I don't have the mood of celebrate this meaningful celebration. But somehow I would like to thanks to everyone especially my family, friends and boyfie for cheering up my life and making this year Chinese New Year celebration another remarkable and wonderful moment of my life.

So this post will be less in words because let the photo do the talking:

Starting with Chinese New Year eve dinner - 8 main dishes and 2 soups.*

Even including 3 homemade desserts - Pandan layer cake, Ice-cream cake and also...*

Tiramisu cake. My sister made extra one for my boyfie & his family. Thanks my dearest sister.*

1st day CNY with everything in pinkie and all are internationally except for the shoe part because I don't have pink colour shoe: Hair clip from Taiwan, Earring, necklace & ring from South Korea, Belt & bag from China and Dress frm Phuket.*

Second day went my high school's friend and first time met her "orang putih" boyfriend. Too bad no photo for that.

On 3rd day, my college hostelmate organised gathering at Upperstar, Suria Sabah.**

4th day, went island with family and even tagged along my besties



Start working on the fifth day of CNY but only half day.

Road trip to Kudat with mom, sis, sis's bf and also my boyfie on the 6th day of CNY



Chinese New Year is incomplete without gathering with my besties



Then, on the 7th day of CNY is the most "syok" one. We did it last year, we did it again this year!
Bai nien 5 houses of my college hostelmates including my house**

Starting with my house with lunch buffet



Second house



Third house



Fourth house - That's Mei Tzeu's place. Thanks for the Hainan tea!



The final house of the day. My friend was gambling until didn't want to go back home :S


We even did so call open house or food feast for 3 times this year. First it was my sister and mine. Then, it was my dad where he will did it every year for his staff and workers*



My dad and mom even cooked their famous Sarawak Laksa for their friends. Everyone on that night having at least 2 bowls.*



Met online blogger for the first time, Sherrie aka cutebun. Thanks for the keychain and my favourite Sarawak Kolon Mee*



Went another college hostelmate house again before CNY is over**



Found a pink shoe a day before Chap Goh Mei! That's complete my Pinkie CNY for this year*



And tonight this is what we're having for Chap Goh Mei*

Not much compare the CNY eve dinner because my bro went back Kuching, my sister and her boyfriend went back Singapore.

My friend told me as getting older, angpow is getting lesser. But for me, this year I received a lot. Received more than 30 angpows and guess what, I can buy ticket to Taiwan now. Wohaha*

Happy Chap Goh Mei to all my readers.
Wishing you have a happening and wonderful CNY like I do this year.

Note:
* Photo taken using HTC Desire HD from my twitter @dtdianateo
**Photo courtesy from my friend, Snowfish :D

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