Euro Travel & More

One of the best things I make plans for when traveling anywhere is to find and savor the authentic local cuisine.  The simplest food to a local can very well be a gem of a find to travelers like us.  We love good food and believe that good food need not be expensive.

Eating and traveling goes hand in hand in my opinion and if you want authentic and unique cuisine, my ex-boss had told me once that I needed to travel for it.  Well, I beg to differ because you now can get fresh crab meat flown to you from Louisiana seafood.  You will be really pleased to know that they deliver it fresh to your doorstep, what more can one ask for, right?

Of course they do have more than just crab meat; they have oysters, shrimp and Louisiana’s famous craw fish. Ordering online is so easy, even my mother knows how to do it.  As for pricing, one can expect really competitive pricing and good value for their money, plus excellent customer service.  Their assurance to you, the consumer, is nothing less than top quality, if you are not happy about the quality when it is delivered, be sure to call and let them know and they will take care of it for you (although I know they rarely get these kinds of calls).   Want fresh seafood?  You don’t have to travel around the world for it, order it online like I do (especially now that I don’t get to travel so much).

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My girlfriends asked me.. about what they should bring when they are only going away for the weekend with their boyfriends.  Well.. first thing one has to remember is never to bring 10 luggages .. on a romantic weekend away.. for the boyfriend is gonna think that you must be high maintenance.  Surely, that is not the impression you want to give him.. after all, he might be the potential husband right..??

A weekend getaway with the boyfriend means.. 1 duffel bag.. and that’s it.  But why a duffel bag instead of a suitcase..?? well.. it’s easy to carry around.. and you don’t have to check it in.. nor wait for it in the carousel of luggages.. and waste time.  Plus a duffel bag is easy to store away in the airplane.. unlike bulky suitcases despite only 1.

Bring only the necessities but never forget the sexy lingerie afterall, it’s the weekend.. you need to impress right..?? Sunscreen very important.. if you are anywhere that has got the sun.  As much as I loved the comfort of using my own shampoos and body conditional.. I leave them behind.. on short getaways .. those things wear a ton..!! and i’ve no room for them.  Using other shampoos for a day or two.. isn’t gonna damage  your hair.  So donch sweat the small stuff.. and think of the big picture.

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Yes.. we drove across the Golden Bridge in San Francisco in a convertible just because.  We rented a red convertible from Thrifty Rental but thought later that it need a new air conditioning compressor. But that’s another story for another day.  Having worked in United States, in different cities, we thought it would be a good idea to do it .. just this once.

But one should know that renting a car in San Frans is a lot more expensive than in other cities.. which we didn’t really think of at first.  But we had a few people with us.. so we just chipped in .. and it was alright.. plus don’t you forget to get that insurance paper and all.

The inside of our convertible that sat 4 of us comfortably .. but if you have a familywith kids, please don’t get a convertible, it can get really messy especially if you go visit San Franscico in September like we did.

A view of the Golden Bridge from our sports car.

On the golden bridge now.  As you can see a lot of ppl do walk on the side of the bridge.  Unlike our Mackay Bridge and Macdonald Bridge in Halifax, Nova Scotia.. i definitely haven’t seen  anyone walking on it.

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Marina Mandarin Hotel is not as old as her parent hotel - the Mandarin Hotel at Orchard Road but it is neither new too, I think it had to be up and running for a good 20 yrs now.  But a 5 star hotel it is .. that’s for sure.. but the Marina Mandarin is definitely a modern version of the Mandarin Hotel.  Owned by bankers if i am not wrong.. I think Alfred Lien is still at the helm.  And if you know Mr Lien .. not the older one.. but the younger Lien, you would come to like him a lot too.

Of course, not all the rooms looked like that.. this is the bridal suite.. but the Marina Mandarin had gone thru’ several renovations.. and had kept this property up to date, even the bathrooms are equipped with  Hansgrohe shower faucets, if i am not wrong.

Although claimed to be in the heart of the city, I beg to differ .. because if you are not driving .. it can be quite a walk.. and if you are it is quite a roundabout turn to get to the hotel.  But there are buses and the train to get you to Marina Mandarin.. but if you were a tourist .. you kinda have to depend on taxis.. and taxis although compared to other countries.. Singapore taxi or cab services are pretty reasonable.. but one cannot say it is cheap either.

Marina Mandarin Hotel Singapore is a 5 star luxury hotel and is the only member of The Leading Hotels of the World® in Singapore. It does have a breathtaking view of the Marina Bay and near to the financial district and if i am not wrong, they own the Marina Square shopping mall that one can access to directly from the hotel.  21 level with more than 500 rooms to house your whole company’s function or conference, I think they do tour groups as well.

Amazing architectural inside of the hotel which always leaves me in awe whenever i am visiting the lounge or staying for the weekend during business trips.  The atrium lounge always had someone playing the piano.. where one can sit and relax after a long day of business meeting and savor some wonderful pastries and mini sandwiches.   They also have a chinese restaurant called Peach Blossom that serves dim sum and cantonese fare.  I especially like the concierge service .. although i have to let you all know that locals are not served the same as the expats. Be prepared to pay as much as $200 for a standard size room.  Yes, they have business centers and the works.. and although i also enjoy the italian restaurant .. i have to say.. i’ve tasted better elsewhere and less expensive.

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Everyone asked me about traveling with my boss and how i cope with it, since we go everywhere together.  I have to let you in on a secret, actually i travel a lot with my bosses but i have a chief engineer who was our buffer.. and he is the greatest person on earth.  Not only is he kind, generous and totally in control, he is the kind of person, you can trust in any situation.  There you have it, if you have to travel with your boss, make sure you bring your chief engineer along and a pain pump.

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I’ve been asked many a times, if traveling insurance is a necessity.  Afterall, if you die, you die right..??  wrong..!!  because if you die, what about your family and the people you leave behind.  Like term life insurance quotes , traveling insurance need not be expensive at all.  Sure we don’t hope anything bad to happen, but when i does, you want those you leave behind to be able to carry on without any financial burden.  So yes, if you are traveling, be it on vacation or for work, make sure you get your traveling insurance.

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Have you traveled with someone who is sick..?? a girlfriend of mine had a kid who has cerebral palsy, and she was on her way to bring the family to visit her own family during Christmas.  So she asked me about any special procedures to bring the kid on board the plane.

As far as I know, any airline will not disriminate anyone who has any illnesses unless they are contagious and may cause death.  On the other hand, I know that if a kid or an adult is special, the airline would try and give them a seat or a flight that is not so crowded, that way other passengers will not be disturbed.  Another suggestion that i had for my friend was to try a private flight, because if the whole family is flying it might not be that expensive either.  With private flights, you can enter the plane in a private entrance and need not have the kinda hassle of checking in too early or worrying about checking in too late.  I know that there are special airplanes to cater to these special needs folks.

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The girlfriends had asked me .. which airline is the most generous, they said that I should know.. since I had literally flew all airlines.. and some more than the others.  It is true but to just choose one or two airlines.. as the most generous .. may not be that accurate.  But i can assure you . .that all airlines are generous . .but the trick question is .. what class are you flying on.

For example, I was taking a domestic flight one time .. with Malaysian Airlines.. and it was a very short flight.. less than 2 hours.  But i had taken a first class flight.. because it didn’t really cost very much. .and i was on company’s account.  As soon as I got onto the plane, the attendants were all over me (i mean it in a nice way) .. but having no appetite to eat .. because i was trying to lose weight.. and taking Leptovox, they kept wondering if i was feeling alright.  Very  nice indeed.. but really i wasn’t gonna tell them i was trying to lose weight right..??

So yes, I believed that all airlines are darn generous.. but if you are taking economy.. well, don’t expect too much, because flying from Hong Kong to Canada.. i only had a cup of Nissan noodles.. when i said i was hungry.  Go figure.

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Friends who come by the house are always amused and amaze at how many luggage i have at home.  But with so much traveling you know, you have got to have a few luggage for different places and how long your trip is going to be. Just like unlocked cell phones is a must for traveling on business, luggage in various sizes is important too.

Often people ask why i spend so much on them but as we all know the carry on is seen by everyone you are on the plane with and for the ones you check in, they need to be pretty sturdy too right.  If you had seen how those luggage are being thrown around, you will definitely understand why I need a good luggage. I have taken planes that seats only 10 passengers and there itself, the handler at the airport was awful to the luggage.  I don’t want broken bottles of moisturizers and toners upon arrival, so remember if you are not hand carrying your luggage (which the airlines do not encourage more than a certain weight), it is in your best interest to get good luggage.

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I was asked a very funny question by a girlfriend from home today.  I think it is because I had been in the hotel industry for 15 yrs, therefore I can understand why they would ask me these question.   They wanna know if they should bring their own towels.. for showering and you know what.. i get this question often.  Well, if you are not with kids.. of course .. go right ahead.. and get your own towels.. but you know when it comes to luggages.. you can only bring so much.   Although i myself do not use hotel towels.. because they are truly extremely dirty.. and goes just about everywhere.. from floor to toilet bowl to vomit.. well you get the idea right..?   So yes. .love hotels.. love their going green thingie .. with every hotel these days.. and their led light bulbs but never use their towels.. or their comforter.  Trust me .. i know ..!

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