https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/mkqytxuo
1 September 2025

Yesterday, Sunday on our end, was a lazy rainy day. I honestly wasn’t even excited to open the shop. Weather like this just makes me want to curl up in bed, hug my pillows, and stay under the blanket. After all, it was Sunday. Still, we managed to open the shop around noon.

Rainy days like this are also perfect for enjoying hot dishes. In the Philippines, we usually cook warm delicacies during the rainy season.

We were happy when Mom prepared something special for our siesta. She made totong, a rice porridge cooked in coconut milk with red beans.

While Mom was busy with the totong, I experimented with a snack using the 8-in-1 sandwich maker I recently bought. I don’t even know what to call it. I just used the cookie-shaped plate of the sandwich maker.

I mixed coconut flakes, pancake flour, water, and sugar. For the filling, I added chocolate and cheese. The result was amazing. It tasted like soft cookies with a taste of puto or rice cake. I even thought about adding it to our shop’s menu, maybe with different fillings.

When everything was ready, I made a cup of hot chocolate using unsweetened cocoa powder. The taste was so comforting, and it paired perfectly with the totong and my newly discovered snack.

I made a short video of the process. I hope you enjoy it!

Happy Hive Power Up day.
Don't forget to power up!

Thanks for your time.

•••

Jane is a Filipina wanderer in a foreign land who finds comfort in nature and freedom in writing. She loves watching raw picturesque landscapes, listening to the symphony of nature, breathing in drops of sunshine, walking through scenic trails and cityscapes, tasting new culinary flavors, capturing pretty little things, venturing into hidden gems, and dancing with the flow of life.

Her new experiences, adventures, challenges, lessons, small successes, and joys are colorful paints that fill up her canvas of life. She hopes to see it beautifully painted while she can.

Join her on her quest for self-discovery and wanderlust. If you like her content, don't hesitate to upvote, drop a comment, reblog, and follow for more wonderful adventures.

You can also reach me on my socials and let's be connected: *Facebook, YouTube, Twitter*All photos are mine. ©All Rights Reserved 2025
(Unless Otherwise Stated)

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/uabkfnyf
13 October 2024

It's been a few months since our #FamilyVacation in Hong Kong, but I have yet to finish sharing our complete journey here. I thought I needed to finish the Disneyland series now because I still have a batch of stories to share about our Macau trip.

After our magical ride at Arendelle, the World of Frozen, we proceeded in front of the Castle of Magical Dreams to watch the night event. I was aware that the show would start at eight in the evening but we positioned ourselves beforehand to get a better spot. It's better to be early than not to watch the show well behind the crowd. Our little Breiana fell asleep that time so we took the chance to take some souvenir shots in front of the pretty castle. Nothing has changed with the castle's color even after adding the Frozen Arendelle in the park. However, it now has a multi-sensory effect which is the main attraction during the night event.

The castle looks even more spectacular at night. People gradually poured in front of it, and we were lucky to get a better spot before the borderline. Meanwhile, those with special access occupied the space before us, so when the show started, the tall ones blocked our view, lol. We were supposed to lie on the ground while watching, but when the show started, some people stood up, and everyone followed. What a nice setting! I mean, the opposite, lol.

I set up my tripod and camera to capture the event. I was expecting a group of performers on the front stage (just like before) performing Frozen-themed performances, but to my surprise, it was a different one. Later I learned that it'll be all about Momentous, a spectacular night show filled with music, light effects, fireworks, and magical experiences.

Since I was using my camera to record a video, the following photos were taken from the video recording. Because of the loud music and cheers of the crowd, my little niece woke up. It was even better because I wanted her to watch the transformation of the castle's multi-sensory effects, and listen to different Disney music. It was truly spectacular and people couldn't help but sing along with the music and be amazed by the effects and fireworks.

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This 20-minute nighttime event is musical storytelling featuring several Disney moments along with hundreds of Disney and Pixar characters. We were amazed by its world-class multi-media effects, magical lighting, 3D projections, water fountains that synchronized with music, and spectacular fireworks that illuminated the sky. In some parts, we couldn't help but groove with the music and my little niece truly loved it, especially the transition of the 3D projections, dancing fountain, colourful light effects, and fireworks. This show makes one recall different childhood Disney movies and old special moments when watching them.

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Different original Disney soundtrack and Disney moments were played that brought the Castle of Magical Dreams to life with its main anthem, "Love The Memory". As if it encourages every viewer, especially the group of families watching the show, to live each day beautifully and cherish the wonderful moments with loved ones. And to everyone watching this video, I do hope that you would do the same in the outside world. Let's create and cherish meaningful memories with loved ones and love those memories forever. You should watch the video to know what I am talking about :)

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The nighttime event ended with spectacular fireworks that put everyone in awe and left wonderful memories in our minds. Our magical experience with Momentous was truly unforgettable and worth watching. It's a must-watch event in Disneyland Hong Kong. In case you want to visit Disneyland in the future, don't forget to wait for the night and watch this spectacular Momentous magical event.

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Everyone looked tired already, especially my mom because we only stood on the ground until the end of the show. It was tiring, especially since we were carrying a quite heavy kid, but was worth it and she enjoyed it so much.

We strolled along Main Street after. It was brought to life as well with the lights and effects that illuminated the street. As if people didn't want to leave the place, it was still crowded even after the final event. We took several souvenir shots because as I told my family, there might be no chance again in the future, so seize the opportunity.

This experience left us with mixed emotions, pure joy, awe, and fulfilment. Those memories linger in our minds, and I hope to the kid as well, so that someday when she grows up, she will recall that once in her childhood life, she's been to the happiest place on earth, the Disneyland.

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There was a sense of euphoria and fulfilment when I left the place. At the same time, a sense of sadness because I'll be leaving the country soon and still uncertain as to when will I be back again. Nonetheless, the feeling after this night was something that would stay long, and as if we carried a bit of magic back home with us.

Meanwhile, you can check my other blogs about our Disneyland trip.

Main Street USA Disney & Pixar Parade

Jungle River Cruise Fun

Arendelle at the World of Frozen

Magical Ride At The Snow-Capped Mountain

Our Macau Trip is next, so stay tuned!

Thanks for your time.

•••

Her new experiences, adventures, challenges, lessons, small successes, and joys are colorful paints that fill up her canvas of life. She hopes to see it beautifully painted while she can.

Join her on her quest for self-discovery and wanderlust. If you like her content, don't hesitate to upvote, drop a comment, reblog, and follow for more wonderful adventures.

You can also reach me on my socials and let's be connected: *Facebook, YouTube, Twitter*All photos are mine. ©All Rights Reserved 2024
(Unless Otherwise Stated)

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/wpsblumw
14 September 2024

Have you read about Arendelle at the World of Frozen? If not, navigate this link and immerse yourself in this fantastic Frozen wonderland. After exploring Arendelle and riding the sliding sleigh at Wandering Oakens, we visited the Arendelle Tower. I asked my mom to come with me to check out the place and see what exciting things we could do there.

It took us about thirty minutes to get through the long line. I got more excited as we stayed longer in line to see what was at the end of it. Additionally, it was already afternoon, and I still had other places I wanted to see.

I thought the group of Frozen characters would put on a show. But at the end of the line, there was a waterway with floating boats. That meant there was another fun ride.

The new adventure and storytelling began as we hopped into the boat!

Once upon a time, on a lovely afternoon, a mother and her daughter excitedly ventured into the winter wonderland on a gliding boat. Gently, they glided to the countryside, and on their way, they encountered an adorable snowman with his deer friend. A familiar music echoed in the place. While listening to the music and amused by the snow creature, they felt like they also wanna build a snowman.

They continued their journey and reached the end of the winter forest. It was the valley of the Living Rock where the leader was telling stories to the troll. The cute trolls were listening intently to the beautiful story about the lovely sisters.

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*Moving forward, they entered the gate of the icy castle. It looked magical and enchanting. They were greeted by the adorable snowman gliding cheerfully on the icy staircase while singing in an opera voice.

*'For the first time and forever' was stuck in their mind as the familiar song played continuously. A lovely couple was singing the song with their cute uke instrument. Meanwhile, they were amused by the funny look of the deer with his tongue stuck in the icy fence.

They continued their journey and encountered a beautiful princess standing on her balcony and casting magic all over the place. She let go of her magic, synchronized with the familiar song, and created more visual and magical effects in the hall.

As the princess hit the best part of the song, the mother and daughter's boat plunged backward all of a sudden, which surprised them in an amusing way. They thought it was the magical thrilling part of their adventure.

After a while, their boat was twisted, turned, and plunged forward into the dark part of the wilderness, which made them scream in excitement. A giant snowman appeared with its soldiers. They are rather cute, not scary. The experience added more thrill to their adventure.

They were expecting more fun in their adventure, but sadly, it came to an end. They returned to the kingdom safely, just in time before the grand celebration started. The sky turned magical when snowflakes and fireworks were lit.

Before they leave the kingdom, they are serenaded with a joyful song by a happy family to express their gratitude, which also shows that harmony is finally restored in the whole kingdom.

Fin.

It was an unforgettable musical ride with my mom. Our journey was filled with heartwarming storytelling, familiar magical music, and stunning visual effects.

Walking down the hall after our ride, we saw photos on digital frames. Those pictures were taken during the exciting part of the ride when Elsa let go of the chorus of "Let It Go" and we suddenly plunged backward. You can see my mom and me in the end-row seat. I was covered by the head before me, though.

It was a worthwhile ride, which lasted for about fifteen minutes and was way better than the sliding sleigh. I regretted not filming the whole journey because I wanted to take some photos, so the video wasn't continuous.

You can check it on 3Speak! I also added some scenes at the Arendelle and our sliding sleigh adventure ride. Although it was a short ride, it was still fun.

If you wish to see the whole magical boat ride, you can check this video I saw on YT. You can watch it here.

Meanwhile, you can read our other Disney adventures here:

Main Street USA Disney & Pixar Parade

Jungle River Cruise Fun

Arendelle at the World of Frozen

Thanks for your time.

•••

Her new experiences, adventures, challenges, lessons, small successes, and joys are colorful paints that fill up her canvas of life. She hopes to see it beautifully painted while she can.

Join her on her quest for self-discovery and wanderlust. If you like her content, don't hesitate to upvote, drop a comment, reblog, and follow for more wonderful adventures.

You can also reach me on my socials and let's be connected: *Facebook, YouTube, Twitter*All photos are mine. ©All Rights Reserved 2024
(Unless Otherwise Stated)

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/pbjcqnwz
29 August 2024

With wide eyes and a heart full of cheer, Breiana's first river cruise adventure happened!After my family's first river cruise adventure, a warm, lingering joy carries the memory of glistening waters, the rhythm of the river's flow, the fun encounter with the wild, and the thrilling adventure while cruising. It was a mix of wonder, curiosity, and excitement for my little niece. She sure had fun on her first river cruise adventure.

We ventured into the jungle after watching the Disney & Pixar Parade at the Main Street USA - Disneyland Hong Kong. Fun and joy left the street as we embarked on a new, exciting adventure. I planned to visit the jungle because my little niece would love the river cruise. It's one of my favorite spots at Disneyland.

She was pretty tired but still on the go. She loves seeing boats, but she loves riding on them more, especially on her first river cruise.

The view of Tarzan Tree House. It looks different from the first time I saw it. The body part of the tree is now covered with a seemingly jungle net, and the house looks bigger compared to before. After the renovation, it looks even better. I wonder if tourists can explore the tree house. Otherwise, it's just an under-rated display along the river.

Despite the long queue, they remained as excited as I was during my first experience. I couldn't wait to show my little niece and family the wild friends waiting along the riverside. She can't wait to ride on the boat.

While on the cruise, I loved catching her cute expressions as she wandered her curious eyes around with her eyes and mouth wide open, amused by what she was seeing along the river.

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The wild friends were waiting, surprising every guest on the boat, especially the little girl. Elephants, zebras, giraffes, rhinos, crocodiles, gorillas, monkeys, snakes, and other African Saffari wild animals in the jungle added a thrilling and exciting experience to the trip.

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I learned one thing from this trip, which I got from the lady Skipper. "The male zebra is white with black stripes, while the female zebra is black with white stripes." After thinking about what she said, I realized that whatever the color of the male and female, they both look the same; they both have black and white stripes, lol. I then Googled it, and the result stated that "the male zebra is bigger in size and has a wider black stripe than the female." At least I understand it better than what the lady Skipper said.

It was a wonderful river cruise trip worth queueing, which is common in different Disneyland adventure spots. The enthusiastic lady Skipper added fun to the experience. At the end of the journey, visitors can explore the whole jungle, buy souvenirs at Professor Porter's Trading Port, or watch the Lion Show at the theater, which we should have done, but we were pretty late when we arrived there. If we want to watch the Lion Show, we must wait until five in the afternoon. Thus, we opted to visit other attractions instead. Our goal was to visit attractions as many as we can.

If you haven't read the first part of our #DisneylandAdventure yet, head over to this link below:
Main Street USA Disney & Pixar Parade - Disneyland Hong Kong (#FamilyVacation Day 4.1)

Thanks for your time.

•••

Her new experiences, adventures, challenges, lessons, small successes, and joys are colorful paints that fill up her canvas of life. She hopes to see it beautifully painted while she can.

Join her on her quest for self-discovery and wanderlust. If you like her content, don't hesitate to upvote, drop a comment, reblog, and follow for more wonderful adventures.

You can also reach me on my socials and let's be connected: *Facebook, YouTube, Twitter*All photos are mine. ©All Rights Reserved 2024
(Unless Otherwise Stated)

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/aintqwsq
November 20, 2023

Back when you were a kid, have you also imagined clouds as fluffy cotton pillows floating through the sky? I remember watching a kid's show back in the day where the main young character hopped onto the clouds. I imagined the softness of it, and I wished I could touch the clouds too someday. When I watched a TV show where there were treasures at the end of the rainbow, I wished to climb the rainbow and slide down to the end to find the treasures too.

Admit it or not. That's how we think back in the day, making impossible things possible in our imaginations and believing those fantasy stories on television. Is there heaven above the sky? I guess you thought of that too when you were a kid.

When I was young, I wished to ride a plane to see the clouds and sky above. I wished to experience what it felt like to cross through a sea of clouds. I wanted to know why the sky was blue. Although it was explained in school, I was always curious.

Believe it or not, It was only in 2013 when I first rode a plane. I was twenty-four years old. Although it was only a domestic flight, I felt like my wish about seeing clouds above the sky had come true. I felt like I was in a state of euphoria the whole course of my flight, but nervous at the same time. However, since I wasn't in the window seat, I failed to take photos of the clouds during my very first flight.

My first flight was followed four years later, when I dreamed of traveling abroad. So each time I fly overseas, I always take the window seat to watch the clouds from above, hoping to spot a rainbow or catch the sunset. I was very happy on my recent flights to Manila, Tacloban, and back to Hong Kong as I witnessed the sunset and spotted a rainbow for the first time.

Can you imagine this beauty? It was a magical golden hour. It was as if there was a surge of awe and happiness that awakened my soul. I couldn't keep myself from taking photos of it. On my next flight, I spotted a rainbow. Childhood memories flashed through my mind. It was the very first time I saw a rainbow after many years.

In the middle of overwhelming emotions when crossing the sky, there is a sense of calmness and humility. That's another reason why I always take the window seat, and I don't really care if I pay an extra fee just to get one.

Seeing the beautiful scenery above somehow helps dissipate the stress and whatever sad emotions I'm dealing with inside me. I feel like the world is so small that I could easily cross from one end to another. I cross vast oceans and mountains in just one sitting. How amazing it is, right? How much more if I see the sunset and rainbow up close. It was a wonderful journey.

You can watch the short video with some thoughts to ponder.

Thanks for your time.

(All photos are mine)

| Join her on her quest for self-discovery and wanderlust. If you like her content, don't hesitate to upvote, drop a comment, reblog, and follow for more wonderful adventures. | | --- |

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/xwrmunve
November 11, 2023

Happy weekend hustlers! It was gloomy on my part of the world with intermittent rain showers. I'm starting to feel the real Autumn weather now since it was like summer in the past few weeks even though in the autumn period. The effect of Climate Change for sure.

Anyhow, today I'll share with you the recent animal show we watched at Manila Ocean Park. For an underwater experience at Oceanarium, you may watch the short video uploaded on 3Speak. Feel the scene of the aquatic world as if you were navigating in the water world. It's fascinating and magical under the deep ocean, and calming at the same time.

Meanwhile, at the animal show, the birds were pretty smart! I was amazed by how a bird solved a mathematical problem. Others showed their amazing stunts and talents. The last show features another set of intelligent animals, sea lions. It was shameful to think of the fact that these sea lions are pretty more talented than me, lol. They would showcase their talents along with some stunts. They would groove to the music with their trainers. They would make a salute, clap their hands, play the ball, backflip in the water, and do something else. Such talented creatures are truly entertaining to spend time with. The trainers, of course, are commendable for putting effort into training animals. Their skills were unleashed because of them.

Enjoy the ThreeShort and happy weekend!

(All photos are mine)

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/kgobmnuj
November 7, 2023

"Happiness is making your loved ones smile and laugh genuinely."I must admit that in my entire life, I can't remember the last time I spent quality time with my mom. As I stepped out of college, my life focused more on making a living, while my mother's focused more on taking care of our family. We barely had time for each other. Not even for intimate mother-daughter talk. We live in the same family, but we seem to be in different worlds.

During my vacation in the Philippines, we had more time to bond after my father's burial. Since we often go to the city, I took the chance to let her experience new things because most of her life had been isolated only in the four corners of our home, performing her duties as mother and wife.

We went to Ramen 99 one day when we were looking for a place to have our late lunch. The food shop serves Japanese ramen for as low as Php99 or less than $2. It was the most affordable ramen restaurant I ever encountered, so I didn't think twice about entering the place to let my mom taste Japanese food and hear her feedback on it.

This self-service restaurant has a minimalistic Japanese interior with comic walls. Reading the comic walls is somewhat entertaining, which is great while waiting for the orders to be served.

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Here is the ramen of different flavors they serve in this restaurant.

Since I don't like flavored soup bases, I opted to order the ordinary one, Kyu Kyu Ramen, with a plate of gyoza or dumplings. The same order was made for my mother.

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Before entering the restaurant with the thought of eating noodles, I knew it would be a struggle for my mom to eat using chopsticks. The funny thought of her doing so was already in my mind, and I intended to teach her. I looked for a fork in case she wouldn't get the proper way of using chopsticks, but to no avail. The way she held it was already wrong, lol.

My fat mama 🤣I saw her picking up the noodles using chopsticks, so I initially thought she knew it. Upon seeing her fingers, she wasn't holding them properly, loo.

She thought she was clever enough, but look at her hand 🤣. Chopsticks areclosed,d as she just grasped them both tightly. I never thought it would be harder to teach someone how to use chopsticks than my first time usingthem. Nobody taughtme;, I just learned through my initiative. Besides, I needed to learn badly since people in my workplace are using chopsticks.

Then the chopstick lesson began. Following my instructions, she picked up the chopsticks, and I started teaching her the proper way of holding chopsticks and picking up food.

She would follow at first but still end up grasping the chopsticks tightly, as if afraid that the food would fall. In the video, you'll see how I tried to teach her, but her fingers seemed stiff and she couldn't properly hold chopsticks.

Looking at her struggling to properly hold chopsticks and pick up the noodles, my tutorial ended up throwing laughter, especially seeing my mom's facial expressions. I couldn't keep myself from laughing at her, and we ended up laughing together.

She managed to pick up noodles using chopsticks in her own way. She even learned how to pick the dumplings without my help, even though it wasn't proper, lol.

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When everything seemed to end up in vain as she was hard to teach, I shared with her another way of eating noodles using a spoon along with chopsticks. Just scrape the noodles onto the spoon using chopsticks, and viola! It was easier. We both finished the big bowl of ramen, but I did it before her.

This chopstick tutorial became a source of laughter, as I kept laughing throughout the session. Hearing her laughter and seeing her funny face brought me happiness. We had never done such a thing before, so I felt genuinely happy.

(All photos are mine)

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/fnutnwrj
October 14, 2023

I couldn't agree more when they said that "it's a privilege to live most of our lives in a province." Even though provincial life is simple, you can still live a content and happy life. You'll get a chance to switch off from technology and pay attention to your surroundings. Additionally, it's a place to connect with nature while admiring its beauty.

The splendor of nature is around even when traveling to the city. It is a never-ending, completely free nature viewing. And just staring at them is relaxing.

View from inside the jeepneyThere are a few ways to travel from our town to the main city. We can travel either by land or water. It may be a hassle trip, but the experience is great. However, it depends on how you perceive it, bad or good. Everything has bad sides anyway. It's far way different from Hong Kong transportation. I've been used to riding trains: convenient, fast, and comfy. I just wish that our country will be as developed as others, and mode of transportation will be improved.

When we wish to avoid congested roads, we choose to travel by water. Despite the improvements to the main roads, traffic is something that has not changed. By water, however, we must travel from our village via habal-habal or motorbike taxi to the port where we would board a small ferry to the city. Another trip will be taken inside the city. In other words, it typically requires up to three different rides to get us to our goal. Kind of hassle, isn't it? Being close to nature is a benefit of living in the province, but road congestion is a problem.

But instead of feeling stressed about transportation hassles, I just wander my eyes around beautiful creatures of nature.

We call our beautiful town, Basey, which is pronounced as Basay, and the people are called Basaynon or Mabaysay which means beautiful. This is our humble town which is one of the survivors of the strongest typhoon Yolanda in Philippine history.

Meanwhile, this is the entrance to our Baranggay or village. That white building from the distance is our former store which is now closed, and below it is our house.

Look at that greenery and mountainous backdrop. There are a lot of mountains in our province, but I don't dare to hike them. Aside from the fact that it isn't safe to hike without a guide, the trails aren't good which could make one lost in the woods.

Hopefully, someday, I will be able to hike some mountains in our town.

(All photos are mine)

| Join her on her quest for self-discovery and wanderlust. If you like her content, don't hesitate to upvote, drop a comment, reblog, and follow for more wonderful adventures. | | --- |

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/gjlgghjl
September 11, 2023

You probably know that I am an occasional trying-hard chef who likes experimenting recipes using the ingredients on hand. Sometimes successful, sometimes not. But it is still me who eats my food anyway 🤣.

I recently cooked red beans for my viand and I thought of using the leftovers to make mochi since I saw a video online. We also have tapioca flour in the pantry, so why not do another experiment? Mochi is usually made from glutinous rice flour. But since I have none, I used the available tapioca flour. It is sticky as well, so I thought it'd be good for making mochi too.

So in this recipe, I tried making economical mochi using ingredients on hand. I used matcha powder, banana, and leftover red beans for fillings.

This was my first time making mochi, so I was uncertain of the outcome. If you want to know how I made mochi, you can watch my video on ThreeShorts ☺️.

Making mochi is just easy. There are many tutorials on YouTube. But sometimes, expectations versus reality are truly different. Easier to watch than do the process, as they said.

So first, I mixed the tapioca flour, sugar, and water. Next, I transferred the mixture into a small pot and then boiled it on a low fire until it formed a paste. I had to cool it down first before kneading and filling the mochi.

The mixture is sticky so coat it with flour before kneading. I didn't really knead it. I just coated it with flour, made small balls, then filled them with fillings. That's how easy it was!

Yep! Too easy to imagine. Unfortunately, as you can see in the final output, the mochi doesn't seem appealing, lol. After making a few balls, I got pissed off and decided to make long and bigger mochi, and put more fillings in it, lol.

Was it successful?

Nope, it wasn't. I realized that tapioca flour isn't suitable for making mochi with fillings. Just look at the photo above, the mochis aren't well-shaped and some fillings came out. I also realized that, I should have not crashed the banana. It's watery making it ooze out from the mochi balls.

Tapioca flour is only good for making warabi mochi. It has no fillings, but rather coated with soybean flour just like in the photo below. It is easier to make than those with fillings. I should have done this instead. It was too late to realize my mistake, lol.

Image source from this video.

After chilling for long hours, it surprisingly tasted better. I even saved some for the next day.

And in that afternoon, I savored my unsuccessful tapioca mochi recipe, as if it wasn't a failure, lol. But honestly, I felt like I was eating a slime 🤣. Tapioca is so chewy. At least, I learned from my mistakes and I better do it properly next time.

Well, this looks better, I guess? 😅So this is Chef Jane once again with my failed mochi experiment. See you in my next cooking time 🤪.

Thanks for stopping by.

(All photos are mine)

| Join her on her quest for self-discovery and wanderlust. If you like her content, don't hesitate to upvote, drop a comment, reblog, and follow for more wonderful adventures. | | --- |

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/ipwaykqs
August 29, 2023

I've been reading blogs uploaded on ThreeSpeak Shorts. I thought of making one just for a try. So this will be my very first video on ThreeShorts. I first made a landscape video, but when I checked the rules, it should be in portrait mode, lol. So I just edited the screen size.

I recently made a papaya jelly since I got bored. Then I opted to take videos of the process. I hope you'll like it.

Papaya is usually what I eat for breakfast and snacks because it is rich in antioxidants and digestive enzymes for my weak tummy. Moreover, it also reminded me of childhood memories. We had papaya trees in our backyard back in the day. We used to eat papaya with milk powder. We liked eating green papaya cooked in coconut milk too. That was our simple viand for dinner. The seeds would be scrapped off and saved so we could plant them again. It's my father who likes planting fruits and vegetables. And it's us who's taking care of his plants. So seeing papaya reminded me of the good old days.

For sure, you guys know how to make jelly too even without any tutorial. It's one of the easiest desserts that anyone could make. The process of making papaya jelly is just too easy and all you need are three ingredients: ripe papaya, gelatine powder, and sugar. Of course, you need water too.

I had two papayas left. One was scrapped off and set aside the skin. The papaya fruit meat was eaten after lunch 🤣. The other one was slices for the jelly toppings.

After preparing the papayas, I dissolved the gelatine powder in a small pot of water and then boiled it while stirring continuously. While cooling down, I put some papaya slices into the skin which served as the jelly bowl.

Afterward, I slowly poured the boiled gelatine into the papaya, let it cool down, and then refrigerated. After an hour, the sweet papaya jelly was ready to be eaten.

I added some toppings, because why not? I love eating papaya.

So that's it! The simple and sweet papaya jelly. After making this jelly, I discovered another way of making papaya jelly without scrapping off the fruit meat. I might gonna make it next time.

You can try this simple recipe if you want. A perfect snack for summer.

You can also check the short video I prepared in ThreeShorts. Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by.

(All photos are mine)

| Join her on her quest for self-discovery and wanderlust. If you like her content, don't hesitate to upvote, drop a comment, reblog, and follow for more wonderful adventures. | | --- |

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/lkxhsqgp
May 31, 2023

In almost six years of staying in Hong Kong, I have never been to the Bun Festival on Cheung Chau Island nor celebrated Buddha's Birthday freely. These two are declared public holidays for Hong Kong residents, but not for foreign workers. However, festival celebrations were called off when the pandemic happened at the start of 2020, so it didn't matter to me at all.

But the government announced last year that the 26th of May will be declared a permanent public holiday for everyone in celebration of Buddha's Birthday which coincide with the Bun Festival in Cheung Chau island. Foreign employees like myself were overjoyed to hear the good news because it meant an extra statutory holiday for us. Moreover, I was too happy to know that, I'll be able to witness Bun Festival that I've been yearning to attend since then. It was May last year when I planned to attend the Bun Festival but since the events were canceled, I opted to wait for another year and hoped that Covid restrictions will be lifted, which was granted before 2022 ended.

We are back to normal and so as festival celebrations! So last Friday, the 26th of May, I went to Cheung Chau Island to attend this celebration, rain or shine. The weather has been so unstable recently and even though I saw some possible rain indications on Friday, it didn't impede me to continue going to the island to witness this festival.

Come and join me to celebrate Buddha's Birthday and Bun Festival On Cheung Chau Island, Hong Kong.

Despite the cloudy weather, it didn't stop people from attending the festival. As expected, the queue in the ferry terminal was long and some reporters positioned themselves in the corner to cover the scene. Some police officers stood by the corners of the pier to mitigate further incidents.

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I opted to go for Deluxe Class on the upper floor of the ferry to get to the open deck and see the outdoor view which I always prefer when traveling either on land or water. The Deluxe Class has more available seats and I was lucky to find available seats on the open deck which offers a stunning view of the harbor.

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Later on, thick clouds paved the way to reveal the sun and blue sky which I loved. There's nothing to worry about possible rain anymore and the festival will be celebrated joyfully.

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After more than half an hour, we finally arrived.

Welcome to Cheung Chau Island!Cheung Chau Island is part of the Island District located in the southwest of Hong Kong and one of the fishing villages. The fact that fishing is the major source of income for many villagers, several fishing fleets can be seen along the harbor. Those floating boats have been part of the main attractions on the island in which some are used for tourist water tours. There are boat junks as well used by some fishermen.

Every 26th of the year is a celebration of Bun Festival alongside Buddha's Birthday. And this year was a special celebration since the covid restrictions were lifted and the day was declared a permanent public holiday where everyone can enjoy without limitations. As I got to the island, people were expectedly swarming around. Some parts of the road were closed in preparation for the afternoon parade.

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Given that it is also Buddha's Birthday, the island food was turned into vegetarian where most served food contains no animal meat. Fast foods are no exception, even Mcdonald's. This happens for the whole week prior and on the day of Buddha's Birthday. So vegans would like to go to this island to celebrate the two events on the same day.

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As part of the celebration, traditional buns were everywhere and people were lining up just to purchase and taste the special food of the festival. These buns are filled with sesame paste, some have red beans and other flavors. They are traditionally made and are one of Cheung Chau's best local food. The buns are marked with auspicious letters to give good luck to whoever will consume them.

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Not just real buns, but souvenirs as well. There were several cute souvenirs, including bun pillows and keychains.

While waiting for the special event which will take place in the afternoon, particularly at two, I spent the morning roaming around the island, visiting temples, and other places of attractions. The temple premise is set as the special place where the main event usually takes place.

Bun Towers

A huge tower with thousands of buns was set in the middle of the court for the Bun Scrambling Competition. Unfortunately, the competition will be held at ten in the evening, so I didn't have a chance to watch it. Participants would climb the tower and collect as many buns as possible, and the higher they reach, the higher points they'll get. The one who could collect the most buns and reach the peak will be proclaimed the winner.

In front of the temple were more bun towers made by different groups. Some offered food in front of them as part of Chinese tradition. I was uncertain though whether the bun towers were real or artificial buns. Nonetheless, they are attractive.

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Buns have red stamped with characters which means peace/safety.

Pak Kai Temple

The main temple on the island is Pak Kai Temple devoted to the god of the sea, Pak Tai, where villagers as well as Taoist and Buddhist visitors offer prayers for protection, longevity, and prosperity. I've been to this island several times and for some reason, I can't just leave the island without visiting the temple. I was probably influenced by my boss who is a resident of this island.

Incense Temple

On the side of the main temple is the incense temple purposely built for the festival. I am certain it wasn't permanently built because I've been to this place several times.

There were hung coil lanterns that resemble fish trapped which are common in incense temples.

Giant Lanterns of Deities

Meanwhile, on the side of the court below the temple are giant lanterns I assumed were the village's deities. Many people visit the island just to offer prayers to their deities to drive evil spirits and bad luck away. These deities are usually built outside the temple during festivals.

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Another temple is located on the opposite end of the island. In front of it were seats built for another competition, a blue girl drinking competition if I wasn't mistaken since barrels of this beer brand were in the area, and staff were setting up booths with bottles of Blue Girl beers.

Bun Festival ParadePart of the tradition is the festival parade which took place at two in the afternoon. The parade started from the main temple, strode around the village, and ended at the same point. People gathered on the roadside to witness the parade and capture the main attractions - the marching bands, lion dance performances, and floats of children in different costumes who seemed to be floating over each float.

I was kind of late to position myself along the road to watch the parade as I was at the beach beforehand. But I crammed my petite body into the crowd just to see the parade up close. The scorching sun didn't help the situation as I forgot to bring my umbrella. My cup only covered my head, but my arms were exposed and I felt like they will get sunburnt at any moment.

But watching the parade must continue because it was the main reason why I visited the island, and it was my very first time to witness the parade.

Marching Bands and Carriages

Different marching bands started to play their musical instruments - cymbals, drums, trumpets, trombones, and others and performed on the streets joyfully. Some were chanting to make the parade more lively. Some viewers along the road, including me, jived with the beat of the music.

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Different participants of the parade brought their colorful flags, lanterns, and banners representing their pilgrims or organizations.

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Alongside were carriages containing different statues of their respective deities, and other sacred stuff.

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Lion Dance Performances

The most anticipated part of the festival parade was the lion dance performances and float parade. Participants from different groups showcase their lion dance performances wearing lion mascot costumes of different colors.

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Some lion dance performers climbed the pole and showed some stunts. They seemed to be skillful in this stuff as they weren't afraid to climb up. People around cheering them making the crowd more lively and fun.

Apart from lion dance performances, there was a paper dance performed by an old Chinese man, and the monkey king suddenly appeared tumbling and doing some karate stunts on the parade ground.

Floating Children Float Parade

One thing I noticed while watching the parade was the participation of kids. The main highlight of the Bun Festival is the float parade where kids seem to be floating in the air in their cute costumes, props and poses from different groups. They were too adorable to look at.

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/wzbhwcvv
May 14, 2023

Tsim Sha Tsui, popularly known as TST, located in the southern part of Kowloon District, is undeniably the best place for city nightlife, luxury shopping, fancy dining, exploring historical places and museums, watching live performances and cultural shows, and has the most iconic view of Hong Kong's Harbour. That explains why this is a perfect spot for daytime and nighttime strolling.

Among all its tourist destinations, the most popular is the promenade along Victoria Harbour, which offers an iconic view of Hong Kong's skyscrapers and harbor front. There is plenty to see in this neighborhood, not just the beautiful harbor view. It's the busiest city, not just during the day but also at night. And before people bid goodbye to TST at night, an amazing light show is what they are waiting for.

For today's travel blog, I'll show you Tsim Sha Tsui's Symphony Of Lights, Streets Performances, and Aqualuna

As dusk falls, the promenade will be transformed into a beauty to behold. Whether it is day or night, there are a lot of sights to see, especially along the promenade. This is where people usually spend much of their time wandering and strolling, watching different street performances, and waiting for the Symphony of Lights at night.

This is the iconic Central skyline that can be seen from the promenade of TST.

Part of the attraction here is the variety of street performances. Wherever you go in Hong Kong, you will see performers making the street livelier and more cultural. Performers are not just local Chinese residents but even foreign residents. The government allowed such street activities because that's another way of promoting the city. Besides, they are truly attractions worth watching.

There are a lot of talented local and foreign artists here, and the streets are their way of showcasing their skills and promoting their original and unique ideas and talents. There are street dancers, local bands, soloists, painters, human statues, and others showing their artwork and talents that attract passersby.

Street Dance Performers

For instance, this foreign couple performed an acrobatic dance the last time I visited the TST promenade. The performance was held in front of the massive screen, showing different Hong Kong scenes, news, advertisements, movie scenes, and other attractions. Such served as their distinct backdrop. Alongside was the music of their choice, which made the audience more lively.

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Their performance attracted kids as well. You can see those adorable girls watching them up close, as if curious about what they were doing, or probably wishing to dance like them as well.

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This isn't just their way of showcasing their skills, but also of raising funds for their own expenses. So if you have a talent and visit Hong Kong, don't hesitate to perform on the street. And if you opened a box, you would definitely go home with a ton of pennies.

You can check the video to see their acrobatic dance performance.

Solo or Band Singers

Meanwhile, this young teen showcased his singing skills. Along with some covers of popular English songs, he also promoted his own original songs. On the ground inside his guitar cover are some signature items and CD tapes containing his original songs. His voice is beautiful and has the potential to become more known in the future if he keeps promoting his skills and songs in the streets. Who knows? A passerby might discover his talent.

Just last Sunday, I went back to TST and saw more performers along the underpass. Some came in a group, while some were solo. There were even some who danced to the beat of the song sung by a local singer.

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Human Statues

Have you ever seen human statues? You will definitely admire their effort in posing like real statues. It may look like an effortless pose, but it's not easy to freeze and not move while posing with the tourists. Can you even do it for a couple of minutes?

You can see a lot of human statues on different busy streets of Hong Kong. You can take photos with them and put some pennies in their boxes as a form of appreciation.

Mascots

I spotted one of the characters in Transformers while walking along the promenade. Kids are usually those who enjoy a lot when seeing such performers. There are different mascots you can see in different crowded parts of HK, usually at night. They are truly entertaining.

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The Finale: Symphony of Lights

As the TST clock tower chimes at 8 in the evening, people will position themselves by the waterfront to witness one-of-a-kind Symphony of Lights. There are different viewing points to enjoy this show, but the TST promenade is the best spot.

Skylines around the harbor will be illuminated for this multi-media show. This is the top highlight of the evening.

Not just the visitors and skyscrapers will groove with the beat of Symphony of Lights music, but as well as the boats, ferries, and cruise ships strolling in glistening waters in Central and Victoria harbors. They would stay afloat in the center of the water to participate in the show. Ferries would glow in different neon colors along with the skyscrapers glowing lights and lasers.

As lights from different skyscrapers start to glow synchronously, people will take their phones out to record the spectacular night skyline show.

Upbeat music would play, and different buildings would join in synchronously, transforming the waterfront into a light and sound festival scene. People by the harbor and other viewing spots, of course, will groove to the beat of the music and light.

This light and sound show will last for more or less ten minutes. I wasn't sure, actually, because I took a pause in the middle while recording the Symphony of Lights show. But my videos show less than ten minutes of duration.

You can watch it in the video above. You would definitely enjoy the grooving music, along with the amazing light show. A big round of applause will be thrown by the visitors after the spectacular show.

Aqualuna

I must include another attraction along Victoria Harbor, the Aqualuna junk boats. This Aqualuna II is the very last Chinese junk boat in Hong Kong, along with the Aqualuna I. This offers a 45-minute cruise in Hong Kong harbors. The night is definitely the best time, especially during the Symphony of Lights show.

This iconic boat is made of wood and bamboo and is part of the Aqua Restaurant Group. Customers on board could have a chance to indulge in its nostalgic old dynasty setting and enjoy the sip of wines and cocktails, and delicious cuisine while enjoying the stunning view of the Hong Kong skyline.

Prices for the Harbor Cruise on Aqualuna start at 160 HKD for kids and 230 HKD for adults. It is definitely worth paying. Someday, I will definitely board this iconic pirate-like junk boat.

Here is a panoramic view of Victoria Harbor.

To enjoy this blog more, you can read it while watching things to do at Tsim Sha Tsui uploaded on 3Speak. The first part of the video is about my walk along Avenue of Stars which was posted on Wednesday Walk.

(Avenue of Stars, Hong Kong's Walk of Fame along TST Promenade)

It's another beautiful attraction in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Thanks for stopping by and see you in my next travel blog.

| Join her on her quest for self-discovery and wanderlust. If you like her content, don't hesitate to upvote, drop a comment, reblog, and follow for more wonderful adventures. | | --- |

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/tyjitvqw
April 30, 2023

"The aim of art is not to represent the outward appearance of things, but the inward significance."- Aristotle

It was August 2022 when I discovered Tai Kwun after riding on the world's longest covered walk escalator at Mid-Level Central. I explored the place in September, and until then, it become my leisure spot when visiting the capital city, Central on weekends.

Come and join me explore Tai Kwun, Hong Kong's Center for Heritage and Art, and learn the history of this historical compound.

The revitalized Tai Kwun, Center for Heritage and Art was opened to the public in 2018. The former Headquarters and Prison Compound during the British colony has been revitalized into one of the most visited attractions in Hong Kong, particularly in the capital city, while retaining its authentic historical features. This isn't just a spot for heritage and art, but as well as a place for nightlife, fancy dining, and shopping, as well as several workshops, creative events, concerts, and art exhibitions.

On the entranceway, the back view of the former Police Headquarters Block facing the street in red bricks and white facades is part of the main attraction. People passing by would definitely notice this enormous historic site.

There are 16 Historic sites, including the three declared monuments conserved and revitalized in this compound as useful facilities. Meanwhile, two new buildings were added with architecture inspired by the historic site. To give you an insight into how huge this former police headquarters and prison compound is, here's a sketch map of the whole compound I found on its wall.

Tai Kwun's Historic SitesBARRACK BLOCK

Upon entering the place, you would be amazed by this enormous and stunning colonial four-story architecture, Barrack Block, with white facades. This is one of the oldest historic buildings on site completed in 1864 that served as police offices. It is now a popular backdrop for photoshoots and houses the main heritage gallery, story-telling spaces, shops, and restaurants.

Locals and tourists simply come to this place to take photos of its facades and open windows. The front yard now serves as the Parade Ground where events, shows, and concerts are usually held.

While walking in its hallways, you could imagine policemen relaxing in those barrack spaces back in the day during their free time.

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POLICE HEADQUARTERS BLOCK

Meanwhile, on the left side of the Parade Ground is the Police Headquarters Block with red brick walls and architecture that shows authority. This was completed in 1919 and was a former multi-purpose building with offices, dormitories, and a gymnasium. It now houses another story-telling space, shops, and fancy restaurants.

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THE ARMOURY

Next to the police headquarters is the Armoury. It's the former Stable Block during the Japanese occupation period and was used by Traffic Division in later years. This now houses Aaharn restaurant on both floors.

You might be tempted to dine in as the parade ground is surrounded by al fresco restaurants. However, be mindful that those are located in this center for heritage and art, so prices of food are definitely higher compared to those outside the center. Before planning to dine in, it's better to explore the compound and see what lies within this historic place.

Behind the barrack block are more impressive old architecture. And first things I noticed when I first wandered into this place were the narrow alleys and the series of stairs connecting one building and another and giving access to other spots of Tai Kwun.

The main buildings have elevators, but one would definitely take those Instagrammable stairs to explore other parts. These were surely the main access points within the compound back in the day since there weren't elevators yet. You can imagine officers patrolling around, some guarding the corners, and prisoners transporting from one hall to another on those stairs.

It's not me, just my model for that day. This backdrop is one of the popular spots to take Instagrammable photographs.

Some graduating students in academic dress taking photoshoots.

There are different halls in this place and whichever alley you take, you would reach another hall at the end with more attractions to capture and spots to explore.

CENTRAL MAGISTRACY

One of my favorite spots was this part with Greek style. This is the left-side view of the former Central Magistracy that was completed in 1914. From the name itself, this was where the magistrate or civil officer resides back in the day. There was a courtroom and prison cell on the ground floor.

During my last visit, I was able to enter the former Courtroom. It serves as one of the storytelling spaces. There was a large projector screen in front showing animated stories about how trials were held back in the day.

SUPERINTENDENT'S HOUSE

On the other side of the courthouse is the Superintendent's house.

My model for that day. I don't know her actually, lol

It was the former main entrance to the prison. In later years, part of the ground floor was converted into a Prison Chapel.

This now houses one of the fine dining restaurants in Tai Kwun, some shops, staff offices, and back-of-house facilities.

Have you been to a real prison in real life? This was the very first prison I ever visited!

FORMER VICTORIA PRISON COMPOUND: A, B, C, D, E, & F HALL

This prison compound is one of the main highlights of this site. When I first heard about Tai Kwun Prison, I was so curious to see it in real life as I had never been to any real prison before. When I see this alley where a lady was standing at the corner who seemed to be waiting for someone from the hall, I asked myself, "Does the prison still exist until now keeping real prisoners?" That excites me to look for it.

A HALL

By looking at these buildings, I thought the prison cells were on the left side hall surrounded by barbed wires which are typical in prison cells. However, this left side is the A Hall, which was built in 1928 as the functional hall. It served as office space back in the day, and in later years, a chapel was built on the ground floor and an immigration office was the last known use. It now serves as a hall for educational activities.

B HALL

The building next to it is the B Hall which houses prison cells that are still intact up until now. Prison Halls were revitalized and now serve as art exhibition centers. People were queueing to enter the prison hall.

The last time I visited this prison hall, the exhibition called Art Behind Bars was still ongoing. Each cell has projected animation displays showing life in prisons back in the day. You can click the link above to know more about it.

C HALL

Behind me is the C Hall connecting the Superintendent's House. This was the first building to use as the Prison Hospital which was later used as a kitchen and canteen. This now houses staff offices.

D HALL

As I walked towards the back part of the compound, I found the D Hall. This hall was the original radial-plan prison block which housed prison cells, stock cells for rice and water, and a Prison Hospital. It now houses a restaurant, some staff offices, and another storytelling space.

E HALL

Meanwhile, at the E Hall is the Behind Bars, a fancy bar behind bars. The prison cells were revamped and interlinked giving you an infinite feeling. At night, the sides will glow in the dark in different neon colors and the place will transform into a disco bar. Only those with an extra budget can go to this bar. It may look ordinary, but the prices of cocktails, wines, beers, and others are definitely high.

F HALL

Next to JC Contemporary is F Hall built in 1931 and used as a government printing shop and later used as a reception center where convicted prisoners were admitted. Both floors now serve as a storytelling space and exhibition center. There was an ongoing exhibition the last time I visited it, but it wasn't for free so I failed to enter the place.

JC CUBE & JC CONTEMPORARY (newly added buildings)

On both ends of the D Hall are the two newly added buildings - JC Cube and JC Contemporary. In partnership with the government, the Jockey Club sponsored the restoration of this historic site and added these two new buildings, from which they got their name JC. Both serve as exhibition spaces. The exterior of these new buildings was inspired by the original red brick patterns of historic sites.

The JC Contemporary has three floors that house contemporary art galleries, a book library of Asian artists, and a cafe. I had a chance to explore the art gallery and dine in at the cafe the last time I visited Tai Kwun. You shouldn't miss the art exhibitions here in case you visit Tai Kwun someday.

You can check my blogs about JC Contemporary Art Exhibition and Between Coffee Cafe here.

JC Contemporary Art Exhibition: Exploring LGBTQ+ and Body Politics
Unplanned Dine In At Between Coffee

The JC Cube serves as the multi-purpose auditorium. The popular attraction in this place is the Laundry Steps. It's the literal laundry space back in the day which was transformed into a more useful facility today. This is also where some events, conferences, seminars, and educational activities are held.

On available days, this covered outdoor space serves as a resting space for visitors. There are coffee tables on the right corner and kiosk machines for buying drinks and snacks. However, it was out of order when I visited the place. And sometimes, this place holds film shows on the weekend featuring curated films. The film shows here can usually be watched for free. I am uncertain though about the others.

And should I say this is also a place for dating? Couples are everywhere in this compound.

Just last Sunday, I visited the compound again for a reason. The ongoing exhibition was called The Spotlight. Some performers were performing in the prison yard and laundry steps but I didn't understand anything since they were speaking Cantonese, lol.

Some art galleries were closed as they are preparing for a new art exhibition. I would definitely visit this compound again next week when all are already set up.

AIR RAID SHELTER

This wasn't included in the map, I guess, but while exploring spots between narrow alleys one day, I found the Air Raid Shelter. From the name itself, you could tell the usage of this building back in the day. It serves as the shelter of protection against air attack. Since this site was built during the World War era, the shelter was definitely significant for Tai Kwun Police forces.

I traced a narrow corridor and found rooms parallel to each other. Some are even connected and some are closed probably used as staff offices nowadays.

This is one of the shelter rooms which is similar to a prison cell.

The shelter now serves as one of the storytelling spaces showing the history of Tai Kwun and different cases handled by Tai Kwun Police Headquarters, such as drug trafficking cases, opium and gambling, and other stories such as the evolution of Central Magistracy, British Law, Japanese Occupation, and others displayed on its walls.

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MARRIED SARGEANTS' QUARTERS

This block was built in 1896 as the dormitory for married sergeants which was also used as police laundry space after the war. It now houses Tai Kwun's artists-in-residence.

SINGLE INSPECTORS' QUARTERS

This block was built along with the married sergeant's quarters which was initially used as another dormitory. A medical post was built in this block after the war and it now serves as a quarter for artists-in-residence as well.

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/hcvekwov
April 16, 2023

"The best view comes after the hardest climb."

I must admit that my hike to the highest mountain in Hong Kong was the most excruciating, yet, was the most worthy hike. The summit has the most beautiful view as well, and this proved the adage above, the best view comes after the hardest climb.

Come and join me on my final journey to the highest peak in Hong Kong - Tai Mo Shan.

After passing through the series of waterfalls, the first tough part of my journey has been surpassed. Yet, another problem came up when I stumbled upon an intersecting trail with no signs of the right direction. I froze at the moment and worried about the situation as I didn't want to get lost in the trail again. No internet connection means no Google Maps and couldn't access the article guide.

For a while, I stayed and studied the trails well. The summit is, of course, at the peak of the mountain. Thus, the trail must be going up so I thought of choosing the left one. However, for the first time, I got scared of it so I halted. The right trail was flat, yet there could be an ascending trail ahead. I thought of checking it first but I only saw concrete broken parts of something built there in the past. What could this be? It added to my thoughts while looking for the right trail.

I stayed for a while in this spot as I truly sensed something different that day and I didn't like the feeling. I felt hopeless at the same time and thought of going back. However, at the back of my mind was the desire to reach the summit of the highest peak in this country. Besides, I hiked far enough which would be a waste of effort and time if I discontinue.

I jumped out of my skin when I heard the crushing sound of withered leaves on the ground and approaching footsteps. I readied myself for the circumstances but I felt relieved when I spotted an old man coming in my direction. I felt grateful when he understood English so I asked about the right direction. My gut was right after all when he told me that the right trail was on the left and the way to the Tai Mo Shan peak was just 10 minutes ahead.

This trail truly was the wildest among all trails I climbed. But I can't deny its enchanting and nostalgic beauty perfect for photography.

Ten minutes from the intersecting trails was this bamboo forest. There were a couple of foreigners who passed by while staying alone in this area. I thought, "Where were they when I was confused about the right trail earlier?" They came after me from the same direction. I let them pass by as I already felt confident that the trail ahead was pretty much easier to trace.

The man was right, after thirteen minutes (supposed to be ten but I spent some time in the bamboo forest), I finally spotted a direction post at the end of the bamboo forest. A group of old Chinese hikers was resting in the place. The group was from the summit's direction and going down to where I started.

I stumbled into yet another rocky stairway which I thought would take yet another excruciating climb. At this point, more hikers were coming from both directions. I almost screw them as I thought, "Where were you guys when I needed some company?" Yet, the direction post says that the summit is only 3/4 hours or just 1½ Km ahead so I felt excited.

I was excited yet exhausted. There was a point when I exclaimed loudly upon seeing seemingly endless rocky stairs. I even called it the, rocky stairway to heaven. My muscles were almost cramping so I rested on the stairs for a while before they get worst.

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Before taking another stretch, I admired the enchanting beauty of the forest and wayward trees. The vibe somehow relieved my tiredness and inspired me to see more beautiful spots ahead.

I traced yet another narrow paved path followed by another set of rocky steps. After tracing this trail, a pile of hope was formed upon seeing the clear sky and brighter path.

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Relief after getting out of the jungleIt was such a huge relief after getting out of the jungle where the sky was covered by trees' thick canopies. After passing by a long stretch of ascending stairs and narrow paths, I finally reached the clearer trail where, on the left side, city and mountain views can be seen.

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It was an indication that I was almost near the summit. Was I? Just keep reading to find it out. At three in the afternoon, I reached this area with a resting shade and intersections to other trails. On the left was a mountain that I initially thought was the Tai Mo Shan Peak.

However, upon checking the direction posts, a sign shows Route Twisk which is 1½ hours ahead, and the Tai Mo Shan Forest Track. That alone shows that the mountain on the right was the Tai Mo Shan. And it, therefore, shows that I was still quite far from the peak. Imagine the three hours journey in the jungle! And I was still far from the real peak.

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From the distance, I was seeing another mountain which could possibly be the summit, and the Weather Radar Station on top. I was certain about this radar station as I saw photos of it online. However, I was uncertain if the mountain was the real Tai Mo Shan peak. It looks near right? The hell not!

I was in the middle of two mountains and was uncertain which one is the real peak I desired to reach. I visually measured their heights to see which one was the highest. To prove my thoughts, I intentionally visited the left mountain before going to the right mountain. The left one lead me to Lead Mine Pass.

Reaching two peaks in one day(continue reading to find out how I reached two peaks in one day)

Surprisingly, the Lead Mine Pass is another mountain located in the middle of Tai Mo Shan and Grassy Hill, so it proved that the mountain on the right side was the Tai Mo Shan. Since I was already on this trail, I decided to continue.

I was looking at the distant mountain and asking myself, "What time will I reach that peak?" By the time I reached this spot, it was around 3:30 in the afternoon. The view of the winding trails and the highest peak is beautiful, isn't it?

The Lead Mine Pass is a rocky mountain and from the name itself, you could tell that there was a mining area in this place. If not existing in the current era, probably in the past. More hikers were coming from this mountain and probably going to the opposite mountain.

The pineapple dam in Shing Mun Reservoir and the Needle Hill I climbed before are visible atop the hill.

You can check my separate blog about the Lead Mine Pass here to see more photos atop the peak.

Still smiling here even though I was already exhausted due to the steep trails, lol. Who wouldn't be relieved by this stunning view, anyway?

The final stretchThe sun was slowly settling so I have to go down back to the resting shade and start another journey to the highest peak. I zoomed this view out to check the trails and I just felt exhausted upon seeing it.

It took another thirty minutes to go back to the starting point (direction post) and I saw this group of teen students going up the trail so I followed them. At least, I wouldn't be alone.

The long stretching trail is paved making it easier to climb. However, it became steeper and steeper as I climbed higher.

I was checking the views on the right side from time to time and my right leg muscles suddenly cramped. This time, I truly rested as I felt like I was pushing myself too much and I couldn't bare to walk well farther. Moreover, I felt hungry so I took my chocolate wafers out to have a bite. I stayed until my legs got better and continued my journey.

I felt hopeful upon seeing the radar station atop the peak getting nearer and nearer. Thus, I was also nearer the peak. Before taking the turning point to the radar station at around five in the afternoon, I stumbled upon this abandoned building nestling along the ridge.

There were hikers along the stairs and some were resting at the watch posts so I opted to go down. The cat mural on one of the watch posts was another attraction. After a while of contemplating whether to raid the abandoned building or not since I was solo, I gave it a try because I was a curious cat, lol.

You can read my blog about my exploration of this abandoned compound here. A short video was attached to give you a better view of the place. After exploring the derelict place, I left the area at past five in the afternoon and you can see the sun slowly settling below the horizon at my back.

The more I admire its beauty, the more I reminded myself to get myself faster as I might miss it on top of the highest peak. This spot below is a popular spot I saw in online photos. I wanted to get down to the rock formations but I had not enough time.

The photo below is the biggest Weather Radar Station in Hong Kong, and I felt excited as I got closer to it. Can you see the plane? Planes were passing by at scheduled hours and they looked too enormous in closer shots.

I came across cows resting atop the hill. That's when I realized that the scary sounds I heard when I was in the abandoned building that made me storm out came from them.

Did he just stick his tongue out at me? Naughty cow! The moon is already out. You can see it in the distance.

As I made my way farther, I came across an intersection below the radar station. The right way was leading to the inside part of the station. However, only authorized persons are allowed to go in.

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The view of the enormous radar from the opposite side.

I made my way to the left and I was more excited to see the other side of the peak.

This is where I came from, the Lead Mine Pass. The views got more stunning as I reached the higher part.

From the distance, I was seeing a group of people taking photos on a rock formation by the cliff. The spot seemed familiar to me (saw it in my article guide), and I ran to take photos by the cliff as well. With the help of some Chinese ladies, I got this beautiful shot.

I'm on top of the world! No, on top of Hong Kong!I took my phone from the Chinese lady and got back on top of the rock to take more shots. I spotted some bikers and hikers below. Some might ask, Why does it seem easy for me to stand by the cliff?" I don't mind the height, I mind the view and the experience! Adventurous people will understand.

The sunset was so damn beautiful! I was speechless upon seeing the beautiful sunset and cityscapes of Hong Kong on top.

And that's when I realized that there are actually concreted paved roads going up to the highest peak from the base. "Why the hell did I take the jungle?" That was the question that was formed in my mind. But I can't deny that the jungle experience was great and another thing that added to my memories that will remain forever. That is what matters to Jane The Hodophile!

Was I on the highest peak?

No, it's not yet! I continued my way up and followed the ascending concreted paved road. I spotted a family at the edge of the cliff taking photos of the sunset. They seemed had a day camping in the area.

They asked me a favor to take a family photograph with the sunset, and in return, the wife took this beautiful shot. I finally got a souvenir shot of the sunset taken on the highest mountain in Hong Kong!

Was I on the highest peak? No, not yet!

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/pvtvuyrr
April 1, 2023

I must say that Tai Kwun has been my favorite spot to visit in Central. Each time I would go to the capital city, I would always spend a small amount of time wandering around Tai Kwun. It isn't just an ordinary place. There are a lot of good spots to visit inside this center for heritage and art. Up until now, I still have long overdue photos and a complete blog about this place has not been written yet.

My favorite part of Tai Kwun is the different workshops and art exhibitions. Just this January, specifically during Chinese New Year, I visited the place before dawn and spend my time until night. I witnessed the projection art exhibition called Inner Glow.

The InnerGlow 2023 was the 2nd exhibition after the 1st successful Innerglow in the previous year, particularly in September. The success of this exhibition was mainly due to the great collaboration of some talented artists and a foreign-based technical group. What made it even more special was the main player of the exhibition was the architecture of Tai Kwun himself. The Electric Canvas, a technology company based in Australia which is known for large-scale projection was the main technical group of the event. Source

The projected art exhibition started at six thirty in the evening and was played every thirty minutes until nine, and each show lasted for about five minutes. There were two projector houses placed on both corners of the parade ground in front of the main Tai Kwun building. You can see that tiny house with glowing lights. It was where the projector was played.

The Innerglow started projecting blue hues onto the building facades as preparation. Originally, the color of the building is plain white. As the sci-fi-like energizing music was on, it was an indication that the show would start in a minute. People gathered on the parade ground to witness this incredible projection art exhibition with their phones' cameras on.

The colorful animation and images were projected onto the heritage building's facade. Hong Kong's traditional festivities, fireworks, images, and different geometric designs are just some of those shown in the exhibition.

I was uncertain though if the same animation was projected each dayk as I saw different images on Facebook which I haven't seen in the night I watched the InnerGlow.

Since it was Chinese New Year by that time, there was an image of a bunny hopping onto the tree's crown on some occasions. People probably didn't notice it as they were focused on the large-scale projection on the facades.

The art projection exhibition lasted for almost four minutes which happened every after thirty minutes. I stayed in the parade ground until seven thirty and got a chance to watch two parts. You can watch the video on 3Speak. It's composed of two different videos. However, on the second, I was probably wearing a headset so the audio wasn't able to record. I just opted to use the first audio for the whole video.

Apart from the InnerGlow, the light decorations stretching across the world's longest escalator going to Tai Kwun was another attraction.

One of these days, I'll write a complete blog about Tai Kwun.

You can also read other blogs taken at Tai Kwun Central

Behind Bars: Hong Kong Night Bar In Prison

Art Behind Bars Of Victoria Prison

Unplanned Dine In At Between Coffee

I Ate More Than A Hundred Dollar Worth Of Italian Pasta, Was It Worth It?

In addition to this blog, today is the first day of the month. Thus, it's Hive Power Up Day! An additional 100 HP has been added to my staked HP along with the 100 HBD.

Happy April Fool's Day everyone. But I don't wanna get fooled this month though, not especially with the market stats.

Thanks for stopping by and happy weekend.

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/ijomkcux
29 March 2023

"Spring will come and so will the happiness. Hold on. Life will get warmer."-Anita Krizzan

Yep! Life will get better now that spring is here because the temperature will be back to normal gradually. Some days are still gloomy, probably part of the transition of the season. When spring comes, we always anticipate the blooming of flowers and other plants. A symbol of new life. The world will be more colorful and lively again after the gloomy season.

Another thing we anticipate here in Hong Kong when spring comes is the Flower Show. This event is always glamorous showcasing different flower themes organized by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department to promote Horticulture. However, due to the circumstances that happened in the past 4 years, particularly about mass rallies that lasted for a year and followed by Covid that lasted for almost three years, this event was stopped. I've been to two different Flower Shows in 2017 and 2018 and it was truly saddening when it was stopped.

Now that Covid protocols are no longer mandatory and everything is slowly getting back to normal, life must go on, and so is the Flower Show! The most anticipated event in spring.

Finally, after four years, the Flower Show is back! This event happens annually every spring season and is held at Victoria Park, Causeway Bay.

So last 12th of month, I didn't miss the chance to attend the flower show again after four years which only lasted for ten days. And since it was Sunday, a heavy crowd was expected. It seems that everyone wants to see flowers in full bloom at the show after the Covid crisis. The Causeway Bay was the busiest that Sunday where show was held. There were lots of people everywhere— on the streets, among the pedestrians, at the entrance and at the ticket booths. Of course, officers were present to assist with the event and lessen traffic congestion and unforeseen events.

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Since today is Wednesday, let's start our #WedneswayWalk at Flower Show 2023. Best regards to the creator of the community @tattoodjay and the members.

This Victoria Park, by the way, where the flower show was held, is one of the biggest urban parks in HK that is 190,000 square meters in size which make it a suitable place to hold this huge event.

The theme of the Flower Show for this year was Bliss in Bloom and there were a lot of Hydrangeas all over the place which is the featured flower in the show. The first thing to see upon entering the place is the tunnel made from bamboo covered with hydrangea flowers in pink and purple colors.

To give you a closer shot of Hydrangea, here it is, with that beautiful huge blue morpho from Peru. I wasn't sure though if it was alive or just a display.

The tunnel was too crowded that I can barely make a few inches of step, lol. It seemed like the theme inside was Christmas as there were poinsettias potted on both sides with snowman figures and gift boxes.

As I made my way out of the tunnel, the Piverse Balloon installation came into sight. This probably is one of the sponsors of the show.

On the left side of it was the hydrangea garden with air balloons with lights hanging overhead and around the place. It is also good to visit this place at night when those lights are on. I heard those air balloon toys cost a few hundred each. Just wow. Those are authentic.

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Walking forward is another tunnel covered with green vines and violas as the featured flower in this zone. The park was truly crowded and I couldn't get a decent photo without any photo bombers. So getting selfies at every attraction was impossible to have alone, lol. So I rather take a photo of the attraction itself.

I was able to get a souvenir shot here though. It seemed that autumn was in this part. There were a few orange-colored trees which I wasn't aware of the name and lots of yellow viola and marigold flowers on the ground.

The next stop was a glass beehive full of hydrangea.

A big lotus surrounded by hydrangea. Indeed, this featured flower was everywhere.

Some of the attractions in the flower show were the beautiful landscapes arranged by locals from different districts. One of those was this pumpkin house and the landscape of crops at the back.

And more landscapes....

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Among all, here are my favorites...

This beautiful landscape is made from native materials. It is surrounded by different flowers that match its colors such as hydrangeas, sunflowers, foxgloves, and others.

There are several animal-shaped flower decorations too, and one of them was this beautiful bird. Is this peacock? People who worked to make this flower show event successful are truly commendable. The essence of art and creativity is all over the place! And people just so loved all the presentations.

There are also different gardens creatively designed with different flowers and decorations made by locals from different districts, and each garden has a different theme. For instance, this cherry blossom garden is a Japanese design with a bridge and bamboo fountain.

This was my favorite garden, the Sweet Garden. I like the color of the house, it complements the flowers in the garden. I also like the cute little turbine and the swing on the side with bunnies on it. If I will make a tiny house, I want it to be like this surrounded by different flowers😊. Simple yet beautiful and relaxing.

There were a plethora of kinds of flowers in this show, including some exotic plants, but what stands out, aside from hydrangeas, was this wide field of tulips which was my favorite flower arrangement in the show.

All colors of tulips were there and in other parts of the event space. This was just one of the tulips fields.

By looking at those photos above, you can tell how spacious this park is to be able to fill those flower arrangements, decorations, and gardens, and hold different activities and shows in just one place! This is quite lengthy now and I might just share other photos and activities in this flower show in a separate article.

That concludes my blog for today. I hope you liked this virtual tour to the Hong Kong Flower Show. You can watch the video on 3Speak for a better experience. It feels so good to be back here after some busy days.

Thanks for stopping by.

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/bqohsqfc
22 March 2023

"You don't need to go to the countryside to see nature, it can be found in the heart of the city."

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"You don't need to go to the countryside to see nature, it can be found in the heart of the city." Truth be told, I saw it in the green park in Tsim Sha Tsui - the Kowloon Park. I've been to Tsim Sha Tsui several times, but never explored Kowloon Park until I saw a post about flamingos that can be found in this park. The next Sunday, I was there looking for flamingos. You probably have read my post about it. If not, you can click on the link above, or simply look at the photo below. Beautiful flamingos, aren't they?

Kowloon Park may sound familiar to you, but oops, it's different from Kowloon Walled City Park. May I clarify that Kowloon Park is situated in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui city. Meanwhile, Kowloon Walled City Park is located in Kowloon City where I currently live (we'll be moving soon), and that's my favorite park at the moment.

Some folks call this the green park in Tsim Sha Tsui as it has plenty of bushy trees, birds, beautiful gardens, and even lakes. As you step into this park, it will give you the impression that you are in the heart of a forest as you will be greeted by giant trees, and beautiful flowers, and feel the relaxing ambiance of its natural environment.

This location is undoubtedly ideal for people seeking a place to unwind in the middle of TST. In addition to the tranquil surroundings, there are numerous resting places, gathering areas, and recreational facilities. You can even bring books or a cup of coffee to this park and choose the ideal space for you there. It is biggest park in TST, and both locals and domestic workers frequently visit the place, especially on the weekends.

Just a little fact about Kowloon Park...

(Behind the tree is the former Whitfield Barracks which now houses a discovery center)

This 13 acres park was a former site of Whitfield Barracks and was redeveloped into the park in 1970. In 1989, the park was completed and doubled in size after several disputes and renovations. More recreational facilities were built such as sports facilities, a playground, a discovery center, a museum, a kung fu corner, a fitness trail, gardens, lakes, a bird sanctuary, and others. Source

It's an ideal location for gathering with friends and family throughout the weekend, as well as for celebrations and special occasions. Since there are many gathering areas, many Filipinos and other domestic workers regularly hold Christmas parties and other events here.

This water fountain is just one of the attractions.

Should I say that it's also a perfect spot for dating? Just refer to the photos below. It's definitely a better option to date in the middle of nature than in fancy malls in the city, lol.

The gathering places around water fountains and in other parts of the park can be crowded, especially on weekends. But rest assured that there are still quiet spots for some quality time in the middle of this green park.

There are different flowers and plants, including some exotic and medicinal ones perfect for photography.

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Walking farther, I stumbled upon this area which they called Sculpture Walk as there are several sculptures made by local artists.

These artworks were made from granite, bronze, marble, and steel. The place is spacious too surrounded by benches where people could rest. I spotted some foreign workers practicing their dance when I arrived in this area. It can be a perfect spot for Zumba and yoga exercises too.

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I came across another water fountain where people could sit and relax around it.

On the side was a staircase heading up to another spot in the park. But what caught my sight was this old enormous undressed tree. Spring is here and soon its leaves will sprout as well.

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Going up the staircase, I spotted another steel sculpture. This area is another gathering place in the park as well.

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A Filipino kid was celebrating his birthday on the other side and some kids were playing. Just on the right side was the Maze Garden where kids from the photo above went in and chase each other.

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I turned left after leaving the maze garden and was astonished to see what I should describe as the park's wildest zone. Is it not? This area is home to wild ferns, trees, and other exotic vegetation. It is probably the Conservation Center in this park because natural wildlife appear to have been preserved in this forest-like area.

Who would have thought that there is a wild spot in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui which is one of the busiest cities in Hong Kong? It's a fancy city that locals and tourists love visiting. But they must know that they could also be with nature in this city.

What amazed me more were these enormous banyan trees. In my post about Kowloon Walled City Park, I also shared some photos of banyan trees in that park, but these are much bigger and are more in numbers.

I must say that this area can be creepy at night with those enormous banyan trees around. In our country, we tend to stay away from these kinds of trees as they truly look scary and seem like some spiritual creatures are living there.

However, I can't deny the fact that they are beautiful and great subjects for art, especially the one in the photo below. Such amazing to see a tree with more trunks, isn't it? Banyan trees truly grow outwardly and their roots are exposed. But I wondered how this tree grew naturally like that, or how long it has been living in this area. Hundred years?

This wild area becomes the sanctuary of different birds in this park. It's not advisable to stay in this area at night though, as there could be more mosquitoes, lol.

From the wild, I walked to the left and saw yet another hidden gem of the park. And from the photo below, you could tell what part is this. They called this, the Chinese Garden. There is a pavilion by the lake and a resting shed on the other side which I failed to capture. I didn't explore this garden as I was looking for another lake that day.

Look at those banyan trees, they are everywhere.

And this turtle couple in the water caught my sight. What do you think they are doing? 🙈

From the Chinese Garden, I went to the opposite side to look for the Bird Lake where the flamingos were located. I finally saw flamingos for the first time and they are truly beautiful.

Apart from flamingos, there are other bird species in this lake too.

Near the bird lake was this waterfall with a stairway on the side going up to the Aviary, another bird sanctuary in this park.

Below the running water were these beautiful sunflowers.

It was almost five in the afternoon and the lady guard was already closing the gate. However, as she saw some visitors willing to see the Aviary, she allowed us to enter but only for a few minutes.

It gave me the chance to see different species of birds and they all were beautiful.

(red-tailed cockatoo)

I forgot to take the name of these cute tiny birds.

(Yello-naped & yello-headed Amazons)

And other species inside the other net cage. Based on what I read here, the Aviary is notable in its successful breeding, which includes Nicobar Pigeon.

Since it was almost five, the lady guard was about to close the Aviary, I was unable to explore the other section. This park is so large that I didn't have time to explore all the areas and recreational facilities. I might go back there again at a later date.

My journey to this park came to an end at this McDonald's shop. Again disregarding my intolerances, I ordered the enticing matcha-oreo ice cream and sat by the edge of the bird lake to savor it.

Before heading home at night, I stopped over at Food Republic and ordered Taiwanese food for dinner. Food is always part of my trip. I can't just leave a place without trying a new taste of culinary.

That concludes my trip to the wild in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui. Happy humpday #WednesdayWalk community and to its founder @tattoodjay.

I hope you like it. Until next time 🙂. Thanks for stopping by.

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/qkadxwum
11 March 2023

On my way to the summit of the highest peak in Hong Kong last weekend, I stumbled upon an abandoned structure on the ridge located below the observatory radar. Each time I see abandoned buildings I always thought of the Urban Exploration Community by @slobberchops.

I was walking along the ridge to take in the breathtaking views when I noticed the stairs leading down to the location. I was considering whether or not to raid it since I was alone. Who wants to enter an abandoned area alone, anyway? Maybe slobberchops. Do you?

Although there were groups of hikers along the ridge, no one dare to enter the derelict compound. Probably concerned about what might be hidden beneath the place that seemed to have been forgotten. However, I was certain that it hadn't been forgotten at all because I could see graffiti on its walls. Some graffitiers once spent time and spread out their artwork to give colors to its rustic walls.

Although the compound is fenced and outsiders are not supposed to enter the premise, someone purposefully gaped a hole in this section of the barbed wire fence to allow intruders to pass. Yet in order to get through it, one must duck, and people with large frames would not fit. People are entering this abandoned location through this hole because the main gate was locked.

This Abandoned Operations and Office Block doesn't have much story that can be found online aside from the fact that it was part of the Project Cabbage Leaf built in the 1950s. From the date, you could tell that this has been part of the World War Era.

Along the ridge lines watch posts that as well deteriorated over time now serve as resting places for hikers which offer a stunning view of the New Territories District of Hong Kong on the left.

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As you zoom out of the photo, you could see the Shek Kong Military Airfield in the middle and this office block might have been used by the military back in the time. That distant city covered by fog is probably a part of China.

Going back to the abandoned building...

From the outside, the structure seemed to be structurally intact, despite the damaged doors and window panes. If you zoom out on the image below, you can see that some of the glass windows were fitted with metal bars while others are still intact but covered in grime. Why were bars installed? Could it be a prison, a den, an asylum? I have no idea either.

Its rustic walls tell how long it has been standing still on the mountain top which was left to rot. Only graffiti give colors to its walls but I can't deny the fact that it's a perfect setting for movies, either action or horror. I bet the latter is the best.

More graffiti on the other sides of the compound. Can you even decipher them? Honestly, I can't read those graffiti.

Below the building in the photo above is this open empty room, probably the lobby, and trust me, I had goosebumps as I entered this space, especially when I saw the dark room on the right. It may seem intact structurally from the outside but the inside is totally wrecked and seemed couldn't be restored anymore.

I was imagining those horror movies where a ghost suddenly appears from the dark. As much as I wanted to see what was inside, I rather not because it was too dark. There were a plethora of questions in my mind in case I entered the dark room. "What if the door suddenly shut and I got stuck inside?" D*mn! I couldn't get in touch with anyone in case I got stuck because the location doesn't have an internet connection.

I supposed this was the front area of the abandoned building since it was facing the main gate. It seemed all parts have marks of graffiti by whoever artist did the work.

Isn't this a perfect backdrop for some cool or street-themed photoshoots?

I bet anyone can read this graffiti this time. It is a clear "WAIS EDGE". Curios of its meaning, I searched WAIS online and it stands for Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. Now I became more curious about who infiltrated this place and spread colors to its walls.

It seemed that the graffitier enjoyed the coloring much as he made more on other walls. But whoever he is, not probably a local, but a foreign invader.

Slobberchops might say, this isn't a true 'UX', and this could be for the Street Art community 😂. Now let's look at the other parts of this derelict place.

But seriously, except for the shattered debris, broken wooden scaffoldings, broken metal bars, fire hoses, and other items that nobody cares to remove, there doesn't appear to be any remaining proof of the past as they have been cleared. There could be more relics inside, but I rather not enter as its walls and ceilings might collapse all of a sudden. I still care for my life though. "What the hell! Did you think about it before you entered this abandoned place alone?" My other side asked it, lol.

As much as I wanted to peek at the broken window glasses to see what was inside, it was freaking dark. To invade the place, one must bring a lamp to see the inside clearly.

The bottom part of the other building was fortunately open so I got a glimpse of what was inside. Could this be a generator room or whatever? I have no idea what it was. What about you @slobberchops?

But I wasn't sure if this is connected to the wrecked electrical room on the front side. I was tempted to enter this room, but I refrained after seeing the fallen floor and the rusted roll-up door that might fall at any moment. Just zoom out on the photo if you want to see those relics, if any, inside.

Here's the front view taken from the right side angle of this abandoned building. Now tell me if it's not a cool place to shoot for action-packed or horror movies.

The back view faces the New Territory.

Another empty building near the main gate and the only item I saw was that orange traffic cone on the left side. Why not take a souvenir shot? It's a perfect spot anyway.

Now here's a scary but funny story. I imagined something emerging from the dark room behind me as I waited for the 10 seconds countdown to click the camera. Then, out of nowhere, a terrifying sound rang in the air. Without looking back, I grabbed my tripod and stormed out 🤣.

I was terrified by the sound and I ran up the stairs where I came from. Only to find out that the group of friends was still on the ridge and they saw me storming out of the building, lol. That was embarrassing. Later when I reached the summit of this mountain, I realized that the cow atop the hill was the maker of the scary sound. D*mn. Due to the sound, which nearly gave me a heart attack, I failed to visit the building's rooftop. The stairs to the rooftop were just on the side, but after what happened, I no longer had the desire to climb it, lol.

What do you think happened to this compound? This won't be abandoned for no reason. Yet, some remains might offer some insight into what happened to this location. A fire maybe? Just checked the generator and electrical room and tell me if I am wrong. The history of what happened to this place isn't written in Tai Mo Shan history. But there was a 34-hour blaze on this mountain in 1986. Or probably another story. Who knows?

That was an amazing experience though and my first time to really enter an abandoned compound. If only I have company, I would definitely enter this place. This was unplanned and since it was just one reach away, why not visit it, right? And that's it! I did it!

While searching for more info about this abandoned building, I saw this article which has photos of the inside. But this was posted in 2014 and the place still has some remains. You can see the inside part of this abandoned building here. Just look for the Tai Mo Shan part.

That's all for now. See you in my next Urban Exploration. Thanks for dropping by.

Don't forget to watch the video until the end. You'll see what I saw. Don't freak out okay 😂.

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/aiqkcgbw
9 March 2023

"If you keep believing, the dream that you wish will come true."

I once dream to see snow or visit the Artic someday to see Santa Village and Polar bears, penguins, walruses, seals, and other Polar animals. I never thought that I won't be needing to travel to the North Pole to see those creatures because I can see them in Asia. There isn't a polar bear though.

Come and join me on my first Polar Adventure. You will surely love it.

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The Polar Adventure is located in the Summit of Ocean Park Hong Kong and I guess you already have read about my free birthday rides at this theme park. But if you haven't read it yet, then you are missing out on some fun.

During my first visit to Ocean Park, I missed visiting the Polar part since we focused more on the aquarium, marine world, and rainforest. Moreover, I wasn't aware that a polar part exist until I stumbled upon a post about it. Hence, when I returned to the park for a second time, I made it a point to enter after our rides. I saw this part after riding the Arctic Blast and I said to myself, "I finally found it!"

Aside from the Arctic Blast roller coaster, other main attractions include the North Pole Encounter and South Pole Spectacular. The Arctic Fox Den is also in the place but I wasn't able to find the entrance to it.

The Polar Adventure will give you the Arctic Region vibe with its frosty setting. I would suggest you wear your thick winter jacket as the temperature matches the place! You wouldn't want to freeze inside.

Now let's start the polar adventure at the North Pole.

North Pole EncounterAs I walked inside the room, the chilly environment made me even more excited. I was eager to see the real arctic animals because I had never seen them before. In the lobby, there were foxes and enormous polar bear figures. I began to wonder if a real polar bear exist in the place. However, it was simply a statue, and bringing a polar bear to Asia is quite impossible.

What if there is, though? I ascended the escalator farther and arrived at a vast Arctic area. Even though it wasn't real, the extremely low temperature, the glacier backdrop, and the aquatic Arctic animals swimming in it would give you the impression that you are somewhere at the North Pole.

Some species that lives in this section include spotted seals, sea lions, and walruses. I've seen sea lions on my first visit, but not the two species. There spotted seals were playfully swimming in the water trying to catch the attention of visitors. Kids in the place were enjoying watching them.

Spotted seals and sea lions pools

I wasn't sure if I spotted sea lions in the place, they're probably underwater, but I was surprised to see giant walruses. I heard some grunts and big water splashes so I followed the direction of the sounds. And on the opposite side, I spotted long-tusked walruses swimming in the cold water.

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They seem sociable as they go to the surface where visitors gathered. That gave us chance to take a closer shot of it as well as selfies. It is an enormous creature with a loud growl. However, the pungent smell of their feces and urine won't let you stay longer near them.

There is an interactive place down the rock formations with two openings on top covered with glasses. It allows visitors to interact closely with the walruses. However, it seems pretty useless as they don't go near it.

I exited the place and continued walking in a dark alley. I stumbled upon the fox den but I failed to track down the entrance to it. Thus, losing the chance to see it in person. I heard there are snow owls too, but I didn't find them either.

I walked farther and came across a seeming glass tunnel, exposing seals and sea lions that seem to be showcasing their swimming skills underwater.

The place looks spectacular and as if I am underwater with seals and sea lions swimming overhead.

Seals are truly cute creatures. And just like the walruses, they seem non-aggressive and playful. They would go near the glass wall as if they want to interact with the visitors.

Isn't this cute? It seemed to want to interact with me, isn't it? Just like the other one in the above photo. It went near the glass wall when the man bowed trying to call it. The underwater is too huge and spacious which allows them to move around freely.

I wondered though how they are fed as the water aquarium is too large to call them all during feeding time. Do they even eat enough? Do fish eat fish as food? 😅 Okay, this part is nonsense.

From the North Pole, let's travel to the South!

South Pole SpectacularWhen I was a kid, I wished to see this cute creature in real life, and I was grateful to visit Antarctica....Ocean Park South Pole Spectacular rather, lol. Can you guess what I am referring to? When I saw their statuses outside, I was like, "really? There are penguins inside?"

It was almost dark when I entered the place and I immediately run to see the entrance. Mind me, if the North Pole was cold, the South Pole was colder as if I was inside a freezer. The very cold temperature, glacier-looking walls, and rugged terrain settings make you feel like you are in Antarctica. There are glass-paneled floors too but I didn't really notice them much that day until I zoomed out on this photo below.

These cute aquatic flightless birds were actively playing in the water and frolicking on the glacier part of the rugged terrain. I was too happy and smiling ear to ear while watching them just like with other kids. You can't blame me. Back when I was a kid, I was too fond of watching penguins on television. I find them cute because they truly are.

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There are three kinds of penguins here. The King Penguins with golden orange feathers on their necks. Their sizes are just smaller than emperor penguins (the group of largest penguins). The Southern Rockhopper Penguin with a spiky crest of yellow and black feathers. Lastly, the Gentoo Penguins with orange-red beaks. They are agile and can finish a lap of a standard swimming pool in just five seconds.

Just refer to the photo below for reference.

Have you watched the movie, March of the penguins in 2005? I soo love this movie, especially since one of the narrators was Sharon Cuneta, a Filipino singer and actress, and one of my idols. This documentary movie is about the survival journey of penguins in Antarctica.

The Ocean Park Polar animals exhibition isn't just for attracting tourists, but to educate or give awareness to the public about the effect of global warming on the Arctic and Antarctic region and how it affects the habitats of these species. Meanwhile, since Polar Adventure consumes too much electricity, the carbon footprint is cut by a third with the help of environmental technology.

It's not just the Polar Adventure exhibits that raise awareness to the public, but as well as the other animal exhibition parts of Ocean Park. So my visit to this area was so worth it.

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/ehsnnjzg
6 March 2023

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"First times are always exciting."

Yes it is...

Ever since I worked in this foreign land, I had a lot of first times that I never thought I will, experience in my life. And those first times are always exciting.

I once told the young lady at home that I wanted to go ice skating one of the days in December while we were watching a video of someone doing it. She then extended an invitation to go ice skating because they had a weeklong break from school, fulfilling one of my wishes. Who would decline such a great offer? Of course, without further ado, I agreed to her plan and it happened on the second day of their school break.

The euphoria I felt can not be explained by the thought of skating on glaciers for the first time. That was always been in my plans but I was always hesitant to try as my friend doesn't want to come with me.

We received a free ride to the Festival Walk when the day arrived. To calm the excitement, we listened to music while were driving there. But the nearer we got to the place, the more excited I was.

There are only a few ice skating areas in Hong Kong and the Festival Walk has bigger space so we opted to go there. This is also one of the bustling shopping centers so people are always swarming around.

The ice skating area was located in the middle of the food court and other restaurants. From the food court, we were watching some students practicing on the glacier. They were the ones who signed up for the skating course. Since the place was still closed to the public and only for skating students, we waited until after lunch.

We chose to eat in the food court because it was almost time for lunch while waiting for the glacier to open for the general public. We decided to sit on the side that overlooked the ice skating rink because it was crowded as we had expected. I ordered a grilled chicken with some veggies from Yoshinoya.

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At exactly noon, the rink was closed and a Zamboni came in to do its work. It made the ice sheet cleaner and smoother for the next batch of skaters.

While waiting for the place to open for other skaters, we visited the Christmas installations for a while which I featured in my Hearty Christmas Liketu post.

At one in the afternoon, we opted to go back to the glacier to queue. There are three sessions each day at Festival Walk Glacier. Each session last for almost two hours and skaters need to leave the rink once the session ends unless otherwise, they want to extend the session and pay for additionals.

We observed the skaters learning the fundamentals of proper ice skating as we waited in line. Although it looked simple, I knew a beginner would find it challenging. Since my friend was a real pro and I knew she would teach me, I didn't worry about it. The unpleasant aspect, though, is that my instructor is a teenager, which makes the situation awkward.

When a group of children entered the rink, I started to feel uneasy. It would be embarrassing to see that my other skaters were young children and even skated better than me. When a few grownups afterward entered the rink who seemed determined to learn to ice skate, they inspired me to do the same.

After paying the session fee, we entered the locker room and our feet were measured for our skating shoe sizes.

We thought the locker fee was included in our payment but we still needed to buy a token to unlock a locker. It cost HK$10 per token which wasn't costly.

However, after putting our stuff inside the locker and locking it, we forgot to get something so we needed to open it again. Unfortunately, it will only be opened if we insert another token so we bought another one, lol.

I eagerly put on my shoes, which at first made me uneasy due to how firm they were. Even though I was warned to wear thick and long socks in advance, I was still concerned that I would trip while skating with the shoes and hurt my ankle.

At first, I was complaining since the shoes were so uncomfortable and quite tight. My buddy reassured me that it is typical for beginners and that wearing a loose one while skating is inappropriate. Yet when I was able to rise and walk by myself without any assistance, I felt happy. I thought at the time that I could also learn to skate properly.

I excitedly walked toward the rink that I almost forgot that the locker floor is different from the ice rink, lol. I nearly fell as I stepped on the surface. Gladly, my hand managed to hold the corner before becoming the center of embarrassment.

(This photo was my entry to Reflection Contest 95)

Mind me, it wasn't easy to even stand on the ice rink as it needs proper posture and balancing, which I was struggling with. I envied the kids gliding on the glacier easily while I, on the other hand, was just holding onto the sides of the rink, lol.

It took me a few circles before I was able to withdraw from the sides and walk without any support. My buddy was behind me in case I need assistance. But I must admit that I fell and my butt hit the floor hard. I felt a pang in my spine and I thought I'll be injured, lol. The impact was hard that it took a few minutes before I regained my posture. It was embarrassing, especially when the staff offered a hand to lift me. I persisted though, attempting to stand up on my own.

After that fall I tried not to embarrass myself again, lol. Even though it was extremely challenging to balance in skating shoes, I was determined to learn how to glide across the glacier without falling. My dominant leg felt good, but it seemed like my left leg was reluctant to glide, probably due to fear of falling.

In the end, I just learned how to walk but not to skate 😂. At least, I learned something and experience ice skating, I mean, walking with skating shoes on the glacier. There are restaurants around the glacier in case skaters would want to chill after skating.

Despite falling twice, I considered it a wonderful experience. On my next visit to this place, I would definitely try to skate properly and confidently without worrying about falling. Because that's the only way to learn. We try, we fall, and we learn. And if we are persistent, we will succeed.

Happy new week. Thanks for dropping by.

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/eagtaays
19 February 2023

"Don't just count your years, make your years count."-George Meredith

This is kind of a late birthday post since I had my natal day on the 2nd day of January. I feel Blessed and Happy At 34 despite the awful experiences and challenges I've been through in the past few years. I lost a lot (financially), and I've been through tough days (physically, emotionally, and mentally), but there is something that remains strong that keeps me motivated to go on in life, my faith.

Enough for it because this post doesn't really focus on that matter. For the second time, I experienced a free birthday treat at Ocean Park Hong Kong. You can check my very first birthday exploration at Ocean Park here. That day was different and not as exciting as this year. My buddy that day didn't want to go on any rides, so we ended up just roaming around and taking photos of the animals. It wasn't as thrilling as I thought it would be.

When it comes to Ocean Park Hong Kong, it isn't just underwater exploration that you should try, but the extreme rides! And that's what I want to experience in my life. Fortunately, my birthday this year fell on a holiday so I had a chance to go back to this theme park and experience some of the extreme rides.

Ocean Park Hong Kong Free Birthday Rides
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I went there alone since my friend was on duty. However, I met an Indonesian who was also a solo wanderer and birthday celebrant, and we both decided to go together. I remembered my Disneyland adventure, I also met an Indonesian who became my buddy that day. I guess Asians do flock together and easily get along. And believe me, this Indonesian wasn't afraid of extreme rides and she didn't seem to get dizzy, while I felt like I wanted to puke that day after a few rides, lol. Finally, I met a buddy who's not afraid of extreme rides and can go along with me!

This is what I love here in Hong Kong. There are several birthday perks for birthday celebrants and one would definitely enjoy those perks. For those who want to celebrate their birthday at Ocean Park, you just need to show your ID and you will be granted free entrance to all attractions and rides. My excitement can not be contained while queueing at the entrance because I truly wanted to experience extreme rides.

Ocean Park has eight attraction zones with 43 different attractions including underwater explorations, and animal engagement shows and 16 of them are different rides for different ages. One day isn't enough to ride them all so I just chose those in Thrill Mountain and the Summit.

These photos were taken from the top of the Ocean Park Tower.

There are two main areas in this park. The first floor is mainly for underwater attractions, the Asian animals zone, with not-so-extreme rides, while the top area at the Summit and Thrill Mountain comprises the carnival, extreme rides, marine, and arctic world. And there are three In-Park Transportation to travel to different areas: the tram, submarine express train, and cable car.

The tram just roams to certain parts of the lower area, so to get to the top, you need to ride either the cable car or the submarine express train. But the cable car lane always has a very long queue so we opted to ride the express train which brought us to the top in less than five minutes.

Now let's get our feet to the Summit and Thrill Mountain and enjoy the rides! Don't throw up though.Most of the rides are on Summit and Thrill Mountain. Some of them are extreme and aren't recommendable for those with health issues, while some are suitable for all ages. Before jumping onto the wild rides, we first went into the wild, the rainforest.

The RapidsThe Rapids is the only wet ride at Ocean Park, so you shouldn't miss it! Riding on it is like rafting in the rapid water. It was the most amazing water ride I ever tried. The queue wasn't amazing though as it took us more or less an hour. Seeing those on the boats rafting on the water as they passed by us made me more excited since it was my first time.

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When it was our turn, we excitedly hopped into the circular-shaped boat which can accommodate up to 9 people. It is advisable to go with a group, or else, the solo rafting would be so boring. Moreover, there were splashes of water along the waterway so it was expected to get wet. Some wore raincoats which were available at the counter. However, we didn't see it so we were a little bit soaked after that adventure.

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The boat was twirling as we rafted along the rough water and so we hadn't had any steady video. The most exciting part was when we crashed down the churning rapids before we enter a not-so-rough water. But the adventure didn't end yet as we surged roughly up a seeming water railway and crashed to the bottom before we got back to the base.

I must say that I enjoyed this ride a lot even though I got soaked.The Hair RaiserThis ride is undoubtedly the most popular in Ocean Park. It is also called a 360° roller coaster with 850m in length and is just one of the three roller coasters in this park. And from the name itself, you could tell what kind of roller coaster it is. And mind me, you wouldn't like it 😂. This is for risk-takers and is healthy. If you have a heart problem, don't ever dare to try it!

This roller coaster runs at 88km/h for more or less 2 minutes. My heart pumped even faster as we tucked our butts into the seats. Gadgets, caps, and bags were definitely not allowed, or else, they'll fly in the air. I held the handrails so tightly and readied myself for turns, rolls, twists, dives, and screams.

(The following photos were screenshots from my video so don't mind the bad resolutions)

The vertical loop was fine but I cursed myself and I felt like I wanted to retreat when it had zero-gravity roll and Immelmann turn, especially at the part where we turned upside down: our feet on top and heads down. Just imagine that scene!

We rolled up and down and I was screaming at the top of my lungs. I felt like my brain would explode and I swore I don't want to ride on it again 😂😂. My eyes were closed the whole time and so I missed the scenic view of the South China Sea. I felt like my feelings would get worse if I opened my eyes so I opted not to.

In the end, I was like crumpled and walked towards the bag shelf like a rotten veggie 😂. It took a while to regain my posture but my head was still dizzy. I looked like a mess while walking down the stairs, lol.

On my way to the next destination, I questioned myself,
"Can you still have another ride?"

Guess what was our next ride? Another roller coaster, wtf! Get yourself ready Jane! My mind shouted.

Arctic BlastLocated in the Polar Adventure is the Arctic Blast with an artic and icy blue theme. It is truly suited for those who aren't a fan of Hair Raiser. Kids and even oldies can ride on this speedy coaster.

As expected, the queue was very long and the waiting time lasted for almost an hour. However, it gave me ample time to recharge before we rolled again in the air. Moreover, the polar vibe didn't make us bored in the line. We took a selfie first before we get haggard again, and the staff saw it. We were then advised to take off our caps, leave our phones, and even our eyeglasses for safety purposes.

It may be blue but I didn't feel blue and I even felt more excited as we rolled on the coaster rail. This was just similar to the ordinary roller coaster you've been riding on in your place, but with a different vibe as it is in Ocean Park.

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We screamed hard as we rolled up and down the rail. And of course, it wouldn't be satisfying if we don't raise our hands in the air. It's the enjoyable part of riding a roller coaster.

As if we recharged on that ride because, after our Arctic Blast, we were ready again for another extreme ride!

The FlashThe Flash is a wing ride that would bring you upside down. Just refer to the photo above. It runs approximately 60 km/h and 22 meters up in the air. I felt the same vibe as the Hair Raiser when I saw this ride beforehand. Even though I was hesitant, I continued because it was one of the extreme rides I wanted to experience when I first visited Ocean Park. This was the last extreme ride I tried, and I would say that my experience was terrible.

As we buckled ourselves into the seats, I noticed that mine was a little loose or was it normal? I wasn't sure. Although the staff checked our seatbelts, I was so worried that I might fall when on top and kept telling my acquaintance and the staff, "hey this is loose" several times. But they didn't mind me. I held the handrails too tightly and I imagined myself falling as we swung higher and higher.

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The speed was slow at the beginning but gradually increased as it swung higher and higher. As we got to the top and turned upside down, I screamed at the top of my lungs and that time, I truly convinced myself to open my eyes to know how it feels. But I just felt dizzy, lol. We swung at maximum speed and as it speedily swung down, I felt like we would be smashed into the ground and I just kept screaming. It happened a few times and I felt like I'll have a sore throat after.

Although it was a horrible experience, I enjoyed it a lot and I want to try it again, lol. But I didn't feel well after this ride. I felt like throwing up and my stomach was churning. Probably because we rode to different rides consecutively and The Flash experience made it worse.

But guess what? The adventure didn't end yet. But the next one was the last.

The Indonesian walked out before me and I saw her heading to the opposite side. I stayed for a while as I wanted to take a video. The next moment I saw her lining up for the next ride. I went to her side and she asked me, "Are you okay?" I just jokingly answered, "I want to vomit." 😂

Rev BoosterEven though I don't feel well, I still queued for this ride as I thought it wouldn't make my stomach and head churn. But as the adage says, "don't judge the book by its cover."

The Rev Booster is a spinning ride with a carnival theme since it is located in the Carnival area of the park. Just like other rides, the speed is fine in the beginning but eventually speeds up faster and faster while spinning. We wavily spun around with the beat of the music. But we didn't mind it as the screams were louder than the music.

It wasn't as thrilling as other rides, but enough to make you feel dizzy. So it's better to ride on it on an empty stomach if you don't want to get puke. And this was the last ride I tried.

Although the Whirly Bird was just next to it, I put myself to rest as I felt like I would vomit in a second if I rode again.

I went to the lavatory and tried to puke to relieve the feeling but I couldn't. After a little rest, we headed to the marine world to see sea mammals but we came across Ocean Park Tower so we rode on it.

The tower will be closed soon and it was indeed a great decision to ride on it. It offers a 360° view of Ocean Park and the outlying islands. It rotates as it goes higher. It is also great to ride in it when the sun is settling down as the sunset looks stunning from above.

Aside from those aforementioned rides, some rides are suitable for all ages like the Ferris wheel and carousel, and a lot more kiddie rides at Whiskers Harbour. And there are other rides I missed visiting like the Crazy Galleon, it's a pirate ship, Wild Twister similar to the Flash, and I wasn't able to find the Bungee Trampoline. It must be fun jumping high in the air on the trampoline. Some rides have been closed since 2021, and I learned that some will be closing soon for some reason, so there'll be lesser excitement in Ocean Park sooner or later.

After riding the tower, the Indonesian and I parted as she wanted to ride more. It was such a birthday for both of us. And if given a chance to visit Ocean Park again next year, I will definitely ride on those I haven't tried yet.

Which ride do you want to try?
Thanks for stopping by.

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/hdpsqjur
16 February 2023

This is a not-so-late #WednesdayWalk for the community created by @tattoodjay. I hope you guys are doing fine out there as I'll bring you to another wonderland.

As I told myself, I will try to upload the blogs that were supposed to be posted last December. It's already February and I am yet done with this Christmas season blogs, lol. For many reasons, some posts were posted first so these old photos were forgotten. If you want to read some blogs about my Christmas experiences here in Hong Kong, don't hesitate to search #ChristmasInHK2022.

There is a place somewhere in New Territories Hong Kong that I've been visiting recently, the Shatin town. If you are my reader, you probably know it. Some of the blogs I shared here before that were taken in Shatin include:

HKCNYDAY4: The 10K Buddhas Monastery at Shatin Town

Tunnel Of Lights At Shatin Riverside

Not So Pink Cherry Blossoms Anymore

Young At Heart At Snoopy World

For today's travel blog, I'll share with you one of the Christmas installations that I visited in Shatin last December. They called it The Healing Christmas At Starlight Garden.

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The Starlight Garden at New Town Plaza Shatin was turned into Alpaca Wonderland with the theme The Healing Christmas inspired by the alpacas and Vinicunca Rainbow Mountain Peru where they reside. Given the theme, there were a lot of alpacas in a few areas of the New Town Plaza.

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Why healing Christmas? We all know the healing wonders of alpacas. There is a miracle in their antibodies that could help treat some diseases. A lot of researchers, scientists, and others in the profession are working on it and trying to develop something that could help improve human health. But I guess even without their antibodies, one will truly be relieved by their cuteness. They really are.

Going up to the outdoor Starlight Garden, I was stunned by the glittering lights and pretty installations. The garden looked truly magical and stunning.

Inspired by the Rainbow Mountain in Peru, the garden turned into a colorful pastel. The right side of the garden was surrounded by illuminating flowers and some giant ones at the corners. I felt something different while looking at them. Although fake, they truly looked magical as they glow in the dark.

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The place even looked even romantic for those couples taking photos. Truly a perfect backdrop for photoshoots.

On the left side are two connecting tunnels with glittering lights making the place just like a fairyland.

Inside the tunnels were some Christmas trees and alpacas. They were always occupied so one can't really get a solo photo. The tunnels were always photo bombers behind, lol.

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My favorite scene was this one. Aren't they adorable? The other baby was wearing an alpaca costume and their pretty moms were their photographers. The one riding on the alpaca with the alpaca costume was the cutest.

At the gap bridging the two tunnels were more cute alpacas. The giant one was the center of attraction and kids loved climbing on it. Overhead were glowing uniform square lanterns hanging across the bridge. I am uncertain though if they were paper or made from other materials, they look so pretty.

At the end of the second tunnel were trees with vibrant yellow fall leaves which were similar to autumn trees in Japan. Is it true that leaves are turning yellow when they are dehydrated? Or really just because of the season where there is lesser sunlight causing the green pigments of the leaves to break down.

After passing through the second tunnel was a field of crops probably the food of alpacas and they as well were glowing. It was indeed a great decision for me to visit the place at night as it was more stunning with those lights.

It was truly an enchanting and magical night at the alpaca wonderland. Before heading home that night, I dined in a Taiwanese dessert shop and I gave myself some sweets for my sweet tooth.

When traveling, I always look for new restaurants to taste their specialties. I ordered a bowl of taro balls with taro paste and different toppings which was one of the specialties of this dessert shop. Just imagine the taste by looking at the photo. For sure, you'll love this too. It wasn't too sweet which was ideal for me. Aside from the taro balls in different colors, I also like the red beans, and grass jelly, and the white one was barley I guess (I wasn't sure of the white toppings).

That concludes my trip to the alpaca wonderland that night. I wish I could see real alpacas too someday and visit the rainbow mountain in Peru where they live.

Thanks for stopping by.

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/rhurbteb
21st January 2023

Christmas and New Year ended but I am yet to share another Christmas installation in Hong Kong which I wasn't able to post last month. In fact, there are a lot more that are long been sitting in my gallery. If you will scroll down my feed, you will definitely see some other Christmas attractions I first posted on different communities.

After visiting the Santa Village one weekend in December, I saw a small room of Mrs. Claus Bakery and that I thought that was the only one. However, when I visited the Landmark that day to see what attractions were there, I was surprised to see a huge Mrs. Claus bakery house that occupied the whole atrium.

Landmark never fails to amuse me with its Christmas decorations each year. I have several collections of photographs of its decorations these past years. Last December, the atrium was turned into a Christmas Joy House full of pink cute toys, a giant Christmas tree, a hanging train, giant bears, and others. This year, Mrs. Claus and her bakers and friends owned the place.

I am not a kid anymore, but I'm turning back into being one every time I am seeing cute Christmas decorations. I am used to seeing them as early as September in my country, so being in this foreign land, the only season that I could feel it's Christmas is when seeing Christmas decorations and hearing Christmas carols.

Let's start the tour at Mrs. Claus Bakery. You can also watch the video above for a better experience 😊.

The first things I noticed were the giant Christmas tree made up of cookies, hanging airships, hot air balloons, a giant bear head, and a hanging reindeer. Those airships and hot air balloons were probably used to transport baking ingredients by Mrs. Claus's bakery elves. There are giant white bears too that serve as assistants in lifting sacks of flour and other necessary baking stuff.

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And have you noticed the cute penguins? These little assistants are everywhere along with some little gingerbread men.

Head up to Mrs. Claus's bakery to experience the very first Xmasverse. But one has to book with a corresponding payment and all proceeds will go to a charity. Get a chance to explore the whole Xmasverse and have digital interaction with Mrs. Claus, Gingerman, and all staff in a wondrous land.

There are different parts of the bakery that kids, as well as those young at heart, enjoyed exploring.

Baking ingredients and some cookies are available at Gingy's Gingerbread House. There are some cute collectibles too that are worth taking out, with payment, of course.

On the other side, you'll see Gingy's baked cookies of different flavors and shapes which were baked on the traditional baking stove with the help of her little helpers: an elf, a penguin, and a gingerbread man.

The next part on the right side of Gingy's Gingerbread House is Sugarplum Sweet Shoppe with an elf and penguin helpers. All kinds of sweets from Gingy's House are displayed on a big shelf packed in bottles along with different ribbons which could be used in designing DIY gifts.

The weather is too cold recently, want some hot choco? Head to Hohohot Cocoa Stand to get some. Go back to being a kid while spinning around inside a giant teacup. Don't forget to get some cocoa as a souvenir! Just kidding.

I suddenly crave the hot cocoa of my grandmother. She used to make cocoa tablets back then. She would collect the cacao seeds after we, her grandchildren done popping and sucking the sweetness off the flesh of cacao pulps. I might look for it this weekend.

Those who want to help in baking could collect the ingredients at Ingredients Library. Some helpers are available in the area too. Indeed, penguins were everywhere. I wonder how many they were in Mrs. Claus Bakery House.

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The best part was the real interaction with Mrs. Claus who appears to have selfies with the visitors on an occasional basis and limited time. I heard there was a real Gingerbread man too but he probably go out at certain hours.

I truly had fun exploring Mrs. Claus's Bakery House like a kid. Since Santa Claus Village exists, I wonder if this exists too in real life. Are you curious about Mrs. Claus like me? Click here to know some info about her.

This is my not-so-late entry for #MarketFriday. I thought @dswigle would like to see Mrs. Claus' Bakery House and her goodies and cute helpers. I would love to taste her real cookies someday if this bakery house really does exist.

Want to read more Christmas gala in Hong Kong? Head to the search tab and type #ChristmasInHK2022 😁.
Happy Market Friday everyone.

You can also reach me on my socials and let's be connected:

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/glgnkizr
17th January 2023

"Tranquility, serenity, and beauty of nature taught me how to find happiness in life and the silence of eternity." -Debasish Mridha

I'm a wanderer who's always finding comfort in nature. I just love the presence of solitude and calmness, the soothing sounds of the winds, water, trees, rustling leaves, and chirping birds. It's therapeutic. As if time slows down when I'm in nature. And for a while, I can forget the stressors and bustling city, enjoy the solace it gives me, and just admire its beauty.

Created in Canva

I hate summer as it always hinders me from going out to wherever I want due to the freaking hot weather. When autumn came, I made sure to get my feet back on the trails, with or without a companion. So my recent holidays were spent mostly in the mountains.

My Christmas was spent at Victoria Peak. It's like a small city on a mountain with a stunning view of Hong Kong cityscapes below. And a week after, it was followed by another mountain solo adventure. It wasn't actually in my plan as the initial one was just to sleep the whole day of January 1st. Yet, for some reason, I opted to get up as I don't want to be unproductive on the first day of the year.

I went back to Tai Lam Nature where Sweet Gum Woods is located. It's the same nature trail I visited a week before that day. Thus, I visited the same place twice. The second one has a purpose that I don't want to divulge.

When I got to the bus station, I didn't expect to see a lot of passengers in the queue. Later I understood that it was the first day of the year and people wanted to gather around and celebrate it. Many wanted to spend it on the mountain, just like me.

From the distance, I was already hearing the noise coming from the camping site, and the enticing aroma of barbecue lingers in the air that made me drool over the hot tempting food in a stick over the grills that I imagined.

As I reached the camping/barbecue site, there were indeed a lot of visitors cooking barbecues over grills. All barbecue pits, pavilions, and tables were occupied. I didn't expect to see an enormous number of visitors celebrating the first day of the year on the mountain, as I thought that Chinese people like spending it at home.

A plethora of groups of families gathered around, some set up their tents, while some brought their own camping chairs and mats. Kids were playing around and different kinds of music were played in all corners. A large number of foreign Filipino and Indonesian workers were also around having fun, food trips, alcohol sessions, and karaoke.

I stayed for a while at the barbecue site and enjoyed watching the visitors do their respective ways of enjoyment and relaxation, as well as kids playing around. Since it was lunchtime, I decided to eat the food I brought before heading to the woods. A piece of apple and the Filipino delicacy, Biko, I cooked beforehand were the foods for my lunch that day.

I traced back a familiar route after eating lunch and a lot of visitors were heading in the same direction. The last time I went to this wood, only a few were on the way compared to that day. At least, I didn't feel alone on my journey.

On my way to the woods, I saw this collection of photographs of different spots on the nature trail. Among all the spots, I truly wanted to visit the Tai Lam Chung Reservoir but the staff said I wouldn't have enough time if I go there since it was already two in the afternoon.

The Sweet Gum Woods was even more crowded than the camping site. Despite the sudden rise of Covid cases, people don't seem to care about it. I, myself, didn't mind following social distancing either. Besides, it can't be implemented in a crowded place, lol. Many weren't wearing masks, including me. Who likes wearing it while walking in the mountain anyway.

It was only one week ago when I first visited the woods, but leaves fall too fast. Many trees were already undressed and autumn foliage was turning brown. People seemed to want to catch the autumn foliage before it fades. Yet, undressed trees are also one of the arts of nature.

This didn't stop the visitors from getting souvenir shots with autumn trees. There were still some trees with autumn leaves that were perfect backdrops for photographs.

This is my favorite part of the woods. A long alley of trees shows a contrast between lush green trees and sweet gum trees. While walking in the middle of this paved path, you would feel like you are in two different seasons: summer and autumn.

In the middle of the woods, I spotted this artist teaching kids how to paint autumn trees inspired by the sweet gum woods. I was hooked by it and was amazed by how he easily painted autumn trees using his simple techniques in painting. I suddenly wanted to try one too someday once I have my art materials. But sometimes, it's better to watch than to try. It seems easy but as you do it, you would feel like you rather watch than try painting, lol. Expectations vs reality do exist in everything.

I walked farther as I planned to visit the Tai Lam Chung Reservoir, even just the viewing point. I came across this tree which was the prettiest among all. Leaves were still dense with autumn foliage so people wanted to take photos under its canopies.

I finally spotted the way to the reservoir as I walked even farther. It was past four in the afternoon but I was eager to see what was at the end of the paved path. Only a few were heading in the same direction, but I felt safe so I continued walking. Besides, I truly wanted to see the reservoir.

It's a pretty place to have a walk, isn't it? Especially if you are holding someone's hand, lol.

At the end of the trail, was yet another camping area. Since it was a little bit farther from the main area of the Sweet Gum Woods, only a few are visiting the place. This is most likely the resting place for hikers and bikers. There are some resting sheds, tables, and benches. It's also a perfect place for weekend family picnics.

I was expecting to see the same viewing point of the reservoir I saw on the board, unfortunately, the place was just the starting trail to the reservoir.

There are actually some trails that I could visit from this point, but I opted not to as it was getting late. The sun was slowly setting and the place would turn dark soon so it wasn't a perfect time to explore other trails. Besides, I was alone. Although I saw a few hikers and bikers going to different trails, I preferred to stay in the area to take some photos before heading back to the base.

To get to the trail I desired to visit, I have to trace this way. Maybe next time when I have more time. Yet, I was curious about the tunnel-like path I saw from afar, so I walked a little farther.

And I was right, the farther part has another beauty to behold. It was like a bamboo tunnel and for a moment, I owned the place. I took the opportunity to take a lot of selfies in it, lol.

When I reached the end of the first part of this bamboo tunnel, I saw the man heading to the reservoir. I thought of following him to see what more beautiful spots lie ahead, but then the other part of me said not to since it was late.

It isn't just a place for hikers, the other side of the paved path was intentionally made for bikers. The more I became curious about what else I could see in this trail. Next time, I would truly explore the other parts of this nature trail.

On the left side of the bamboo tunnel is a way to the bottom part of the bridge along the gushing water. I admired the beauty of the place for a while and the sound of the water was soothing to my ears.

I decided to leave the area since it was past five in the afternoon. Soon, dusk would cover the place and it isn't safe for a lady to walk alone in the woods, lol. A few were heading back to the base so I followed them.

I took these souvenir shots before I left the woods. Someone took a great effort to collect the fallen leaves and formed the number 2023.

As I reached the camping site, there were still many visitors who seemed to want to stay up late in the mountain. A night camping in the area is definitely great. There was a group of people dancing to the beat of ethnic-like music. I wish to stay longer, but I know the queue at the bus stop was long so I walked forward.

The Tai Lam Nature trail is definitely a place I would want to visit again and again, with or without autumn leaves. There's a wide barbecue and camping site, paved paths to walk in the woods, and different trails with beautiful spots to visit.

(All photos are mine)

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/cjeiflfp
October 21, 2022

Every town's market has something interesting to offer, and that's where I go when I'm in a new place. Furthermore, a bustling town is not the same as a bustling city. You will not feel the chaos, but rather amused by the idyllic rural lifestyle and distinctive products that set it apart from other markets.

Here's another #MarketFriday blog and I know @dswigle will like the place.

Created in Canva

On one Sunday, I went to Stanley for the first time. It's a well-known place in Hong Kong that attracts a large number of tourists and travelers, both local and foreign. The weather was perfect for a stroll, and there were many visitors in town, including those taking photos behind me.

(Screenshot from my video)

When I first arrived in town, the market was the first thing I noticed. This street appears to be peaceful, but as I entered the inner part, there were more people, tourists, buyers, and window shoppers.

These were just some of the stalls on the street I have taken photos. There were paintings, postcards, souvenir products, different garments, like summer dresses, and accessories, mostly for ladies. And given that there are beaches in this town, swimming garments are being sold here as well.

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I continued straight and was astounded by the sheer number of stores along the covered street. This outdoor market is more of a collection of shops and stalls. And, just like in traditional markets, some products can be bargained for at reasonable prices.

There's a wide variety of Chinese and Western souvenirs, accessories, housewares, garments, toys, and even different crafts and paintings.

The shop below is selling different lacquerware perfect as gift items, and home decorations. Products look elegant but reasonably priced.

Not only summer dresses for ladies are being sold here, but there are also shops selling casual to formal dresses for ladies, including accessories, bags, and other apparel.

Meanwhile, this shop is selling authentic and high-quality leather bags, wallets, and accessories for both men and women,

On the other side is this shop selling ladies' garments, and beautiful hand-crafted native bags and accessories.

There's also an outlet shop selling different clothes of good quality at affordable prices, for all genders, young and old.

Another shop selling fashioned bags and clothes, mostly for men.

The Giftu Concept shop, from the name itself, is selling gift items, toys, and others, specially made for kids. The items can be for adults too.

This shop is selling kitchenware, vases, and home decorations. There are porcelain mugs, plates, vases, wine glasses, vases, figurines, utensils, and others. Even masks are sold here.

This shop selling toys and gift items seems excited for Halloween. You can tell by looking at Halloween items displayed outside the shop. There are costumes too perfect for the anticipated event in November.

For those looking for Chinese-inspired souvenirs, home decor, and gift items, this shop is perfect for them. There are frames, vases, lamps, figurines, lanterns, boxes, and even Chinese lucky charms.

And different cards and paintings that can be displayed at home.

At the far end of the market are shops selling electrical items, like gadgets, speakers, microphones, and phone accessories, as well as toys, beach bags, and other gift items.

Above all the shops in this market, I am most fond of the art galleries. This market has many art shops, and some paintings are even painted right in the shops. Customers can also specify the style of customized paintings they desire. But, of course, the cost is different.

In fact, at the end of this market is an art-sharing school where anyone, including kids, can attend art workshops with corresponding fees. There's a workshop for paint jamming, oasis, epoxy resin, jesmonite art or home decor making, and journal binding.

After exploring the market, visitors can make their way to the waterfront to see more tourist attractions.

The market says to open from 10 in the morning until around 7 in the evening. Since this town is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Hong Kong, the market can be crowded, especially during public holidays. It was such a nice window shopping and sightseeing, and a new experience in a new town. Another place on my bucket list has been visited 😊.

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/pmcrwopt
October 11, 2022

Have you missed my virtual blog about the tallest building in Hong Kong and Sky100? If so, check it out here and see HK's skyscrapers on top of the tallest building in the country. #TravelHongKong: Conquering HK's Tallest Building and Sky100

I was surfing online one day when I came across a post about the world's longest escalator. My curiosity pushed me to tap the link and I even thought it could be found in Japan. In almost five years of living in Hong Kong, I never heard about the existence of the longest escalator here. I was surprised to know about it. The next weekend after that, I went out for a trip to find the longest escalator.

Then I thought, instead of riding a train, a tram, or a bus when roaming around Central, why not ride an escalator? And that's only free.

Image created in Canva

Using the information I got online, I looked at the starting point with the help of Google Maps since I am not familiar with the streets in Central. A day with fine weather is perfect to capture those skyscrapers in Central. Despite the scorching sun, the tall buildings would offer shade for passers.

The information says it starts at 100 Queens Road, which is a 5-minute walk from the Central Exit D2 MTR Station. The route was familiar to me, but I never thought of the existence of the longest escalator before. I turned off the map once I recognized the route.

I had a free ride and traveled to 18 streets and roads in Mid-Level Central Hong Kong, stopping at various tourist attractions along the way.

The escalator was opened in 1993 and stretched over eight hundred meters with over four hundred forty-three feet of elevation. It cost over $30 million to build the system. The escalators are covered which gives residents and tourists a convenient and faster mode of transportation while traveling through the mid-level part of Hong Kong Island.

The starting point But it isn't one long escalator that you expect; rather, it consists of eighteen series of escalators and three moving walkways on eighteen different bisecting streets.

The escalators have 17.5° to 30° inclines with a one-meter width that allows better space for commuters to walk through them conveniently, while the moving walkways have 18.1° to 11.7° inclines.

Escalators information from Wikipedia

As per etiquette, commuters should stay on the right side, so that those who opt to walk could pass on the left. For safety measures, better hold the handrails while traversing through these escalators.

The flows are only one way and travel uphill and downhill during scheduled hours, respectively. So anyone who wants to go the opposite way should use the staircases on the side. That also means 18 series of long staircases with more than seven hundred steps from the starting point to the end of it. And that would be the best exercise.

The end escalator was on Conduit Road and it took me an hour instead of more or less half an hour of complete journey on all escalators since I still took photos, and videos, and stopped at other places along the way.

The end point

These have been one of the tourist attractions in Central, Hong Kong. Apart from the free ride, I was able to capture different streets with buildings of different architecture along the streets, from old ones to modern ones.

On my way back to the bottom, was my chance to explore different streets that I had never visited before. There were a lot of supermarkets, malls, shops, restaurants, cafes, bars, and pubs. You can check my blog about these streets full of restaurants here.

The cafes and restaurants would be great places to stop after the long ride. There are a lot of choices serving different cuisines, Asian, Western, Italian, Indian, Mediterranean, and more.

Given that Central is the heart of Hong Kong, it is the most expensive, and there are a lot of tourists in the area. Thus, there are a lot of financial centers, government offices, fancy places, shopping malls with branded merchandise, and high-class hotels too.

And because of this free ride on the world's longest escalators, I discovered a heritage of arts that I never thought existed in Central. But due to limited time, I opted to visit the place the week after. And that will be my next travel blog one of these days.

It was such an exhausting, yet worthwhile experience to find and ride on the longest escalator from the bottom to the top of Mid-Level Central. And capturing more skyscrapers and discovering the hidden beauty of the heart of Hong Kong was the best part of it.

That's all for today's travel blog. See you next time and thank you for stopping by.

For a better experience, you can watch the video uploaded on ThreeSpeak. But since the buildings and escalators are tall, the videos are in portrait mode. Yet, you can still enjoy it!

(All photos are mine)

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/kibkfhlo
September 19, 2022

I've been working for almost five years here abroad and I seldom eat Filipino food, only when I visit Central HK where a lot of Filipino stores can be found. Most of the time, I am craving Pinoy food, especially the delicacies and snacks.

Last Sunday I visited Central and stopped over at Worldwide, a one-stop mall to shop for Filipino food and other products. There I saw puto cheese or Filipino-style rice cake with cheese on top. I bought one pack and took it home. Last Tuesday I craved again, then I thought, why not make one at home and save some for snacks?

That very day, I went to the market to buy ingredients. This recipe is just so easy and wouldn't need many ingredients and a long process of cooking, except with the fermentation process.

Filipino puto is a Filipino term for rice cake. It's a popular Pinoy delicacy made of rice flour and coconut milk and often topped with cheese and added other flavors. It's so fluffy and tasty and it's a favorite delicacy or snack of many Filipino.

In our country, we serve puto as our midday snacks usually paired with Filipino dishes like dinuguan (blood soup), or with pansit (Filipino-style fried vermicelli). It's also perfect to pair with coffee in the morning. This delicacy is also served on many occasions, like birthdays, fiestas, Christmas, New Year, and other special events.

Let's cook Pinoy Puto with a twist

Since it's my first time cooking puto, I got these ingredients and methods of cooking puto from my favorite Filipino food blog site, Kawaling Pinoy.

| Ingredients | | --- | | 4 cups rice flour | | 1 1/2 cups sugar | | 3 tablespoons baking powder | | 1/2 teaspoon salt | | 2 cups water | | 1 can (13.5 ounces) coconut milk | | non-stick cooking spray or melted butter |

The ordinary cooking of puto needs a fermentation process. It usually takes overnight or two days. Some would ferment it for four hours. But I was too excited to cook it. Aside from baking powder, I added instant yeast to the ingredients and fermented the rice flour for only an hour. This will help to get that lift you want while steaming the puto. This is just my own version. You can follow the usual cooking process if you want to make Pinoy puto.

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the dry ingredients of rice flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and mix until well combined.

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Gradually add water and coconut milk. Then whisk until the dry ingredients are diluted and well-combined. Cover the bowl and ferment the puto batter. (If you don't want to ferment it for a long time, just add baking powder or instant yeast, or both to the dry ingredients and ferment it for an hour)

Here are the twists

While mixing the ingredients, I thought it would be boring if I cook plain puto. I scanned my eyes in the kitchen to look for ingredients I could add to the puto batter. Something different and not the usual flavors of puto. At the corner, I spotted the rack with coffee and tea. Then my mind told me, why not add them to my puto?

I saw matcha green tea and coffee, so I divided the puto batter into three. One for the plain one, the other two for matcha and coffee flavors. You can try this if you want to. You would definitely love the new flavors of puto!

Dilute the matcha green tea powder and coffee in two separate sauce cups. Then mix them well into the puto batter.

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Get the molders and brush them with melted butter or use a cooking spray. Then slowly pour the puto batter into the molders.

Another flavor twist

Then I remembered we have cheese inside the fridge, so I decided to grate some and sprinkled it on the molders with plain puto batter. Then I saw chia seeds, so I opted to sprinkle them into the two molders with plain putto batter to make it healthier. So the other two cups are cheese-chia flavors.

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Let's cook them!

We have no steamer so I used a big wok and cooked in two batches.

Steam the puto batter for 15 minutes.

You can use a toothpick to check if the puto is already cooked. Insert it in the center and once it comes out clean, the puto is already cooked.

15 minutes wasn't enough since my puto sizes were quite bigger, so I extended it to 18 minutes, turned off the fire, then covered it for a minute or two.

Here's the first batch. The baking powder and instant yeast helped the puto get the lift I was aiming for.

The 2nd batch. The two cups with chia seeds got darker colors. I didn't actually expect it.

All in all, I was able to make 12 pieces in 4 flavors: matcha, coffee, cheese, and chia.

The original version of Pinoy puto is just made from rice flour and cooked in coconut milk. But in later times, people learned more flavors to add to it to make it tastier and more appealing. The most popular puto is the cheese flavor and kids love it.

Some are using food colorings of different colors like purple, orange, and yellow. I haven't seen other colors though. Some purple-colored puto has ube flavor which is one of my favorites too. Ube is also popular in our country and can be flavored in different kinds of delicacies.

So when I saw the tea and coffee, I opted to try it since I never tasted puto with matcha and coffee flavors yet. I guess you guys, the Filipinos here, who are making puto as a business out there can try these flavors. For sure, your buyers will like them.

There are a lot of ways to enjoy puto not just paired with diniguan or pansit which are the usual sets. This is also perfect for breakfast or midday snacks.

The coffee-flavored puto is of course, perfect with your favorite coffee. Cold season is coming, this will be great to cook more for my breakfast.

In the afternoon while having your tea, why don't you add a matcha green tea puto to your tea set? I like the outcome when matcha is not diluted well. Some matcha particles created greener colors in the puto. In that way, I could really taste the full flavors of matcha. The ones I made were perfect to pair with our chrysanthemum tea.

If you feel bored with plain puto, you can add more flavors to it, not just cheese. Do you have fruit jams like strawberry jam and orange marmalade? Then those are perfect toppings for you plain puto. I saw strawberry jam inside the fridge, so I opted to try it and the taste was so good. It can be a great flavor to puto too. I might try mixing the fruit jam to puto batter next time to see how it tastes. I guess it'll be yummy.

Given that fruit jam tastes good when topped on puto, you can try other flavors too like honey if you have it at home or chocolate chips. Kids would certainly love it! There are some puto flavors too that aren't sweet. I once tasted a puto with ham and hotdog and it was great. Carbohydrates and proteins are packed into one food. That's awesomely delicious. You can add some sesame seeds too when cooking puto and I will try this next time since we have it at home. The chia seeds just complement well with the puto flavor. Yummy and healthy.

I was able to save more for the next two days. Perfect for my breakfast and snacks. I can just reheat them in the oven or simply eat them while they're cold. Mind me, the cold one tasted so good too. It's like a cold dessert since the puto is sweet.

Pinoy puto rice is also nutritious with some carbohydrates, protein, calcium, potassium, and other nutrients. Since it is made from rice flour you'll feel heavy in your stomach after eating as it is equivalent to eating plain rice.

After making this puto with a twist, I opted to make it again the week after with more flavors to choose from and took a short video for it.

green tea and spinach
carrot and chia seeds
orange and chocolate
coffee and cinnamon
strawberry jam
ube (purple yam) ice cream flavor 😊

More flavors, more choices, from healthy to sweet and yummy.

It was a worthy effort in preparing and cooking. I got the taste that I wanted. Besides, I was able to save more from the day of cooking to the weekend.

And let's give it a try! My favorite flavor there is the ube ice cream flavor. The combination of my favorite pinoy delicacy and favorite ube flavor ice cream taste so good, especially putting ice cream on top. The perfect snack of the day!

If you want to try this but have no rice flour, if you have a blender at home, you can simply blend rice with coconut milk. That's too easy.

So what are you waiting for? Try these yummy Pinoy flavors. You can choose your own flavors too and create a version with a twist.

Happy cooking!

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https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/jjnbmiuy
August 26, 2022

Hello guys. Don't you know that there is an ongoing Annual Ecency Art Contest in its 2nd year? Click the given link to find out.

Image created by @seckorama

The theme of this Art Contest is to CELEBRATE, PROMOTE, THANK or INVITE others to use Ecency. It talks about why you like using Ecency and how you will describe it to encourage others to use Ecency.

The art can be in any form, videos, gifs, memes, banners, or a collage as long as it's original and should be creative.

There are three categories:

Video/gif/animation
Illustrations/collage/sculpture/digital art
Slogan

Participants can submit an entry to each category with a separate post for it. Prizes are awesome and if you are interested in them, just click the link above or read the post of @melinda010100.

The video above is my entry to this Art Contest which I created on Canva. The short video talks about Ecency, its usage, how to earn points, how to spend Ecency points, why use Ecency, and more.

In my recent stay on the Ecency front-end and its community, I can say that I so love it. It's a one-stop place for everyone. It's convenient to use the site and app, and I can manage my wallet well using Ecency. Trading HIVE and HBD tokens are also so easy at the Ecency market, as well as delegating, sending Hive or HBD to Savings account and other users, converting, and more.

The best part of using Ecency is you can get Ecency points in doing different transactions.

How to get more Ecency points?

Posting gives you 15 points.

Each comment you make helps you grow your audience ad make friendships, but also earns you 5 points.

-By voting, you give rewards to other creators and show your appreciation, but also earn "0.01 x vote weight" points.

-Share what posts you like with your friends and earn 1 point. * Checking in on Ecency gives you 0.25 points and helps you stay connected with your friends. * When you log in to Ecency, you are entitled to earn 10 points automatically. * Consistent use of the app gives you extra chances to earn 10 points! Be more active and earn more! * You can earn 100 points per day for each 100 HP delegation. * Register your community to get 20 points-per-post published with Ecency applications.

I got this information from @thekittygirl and shared this in one of my posts.

How to use Ecency points?

Gifting and tipping

You can use Ecency points in tipping content you like or send it as a gift or reward to others. * Boosting and Promoting

You can use Ecency points in boosting and promoting your content to get more audience. You can also boost or promote the content of other users using Ecency Points. In that way, you'll make the user happy and motivated.

Why Ecency? With no further explanations, Ecency Community is Essential and Naturally Care for You.

Engaging and friendly community

Convenient to use site

Endless fun and surprises

Network and user-friendly app

Comfortable like home

Your one-stop Hive front-end.

You can do all transactions on the Ecency site or app, from posting, and managing your wallet, to trading while earning Ecency Points and other rewards. But most importantly, you'll have fun while engaging with the community, taking on different challenges and contests sponsored by the community, and meeting different awesome people.

Because at Ecency, you're at the right home.

What are you waiting for? Come and join this challenge and showcase your art skills. Be part of this awesome community, earn, and have fun!

This video can be included in #assets. Just remove the last part of it 🤣.

Don't forget to check the video. Thanks for watching and reading 🥰.

🥰.**

View Details

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=jane1289/ungxyodr
August 22, 2022

Hong Kong undeniably has the largest number of high-rise buildings and skyscrapers in the world. That's the first thing that marks anyone's mind when they think about this rich and well-developed country. Due to its geographical location and a fast-growing country, it has become a center of trade, finance, and commerce that attracts more business personalities. No wonder why a lot of billionaires are found in Hong Kong.

Among the top commercial skyscrapers of Hong Kong is ICC or International Commerce Centre. It is the tallest building in the country and gained the 12th spot among the world's tallest buildings in terms of height, standing four hundred and eighty-four meters above Victoria Harbor. Anyone who'll visit Hong Kong would definitely want to reach the top of this iconic landmark.

The ICC was opened in 2011 in the West part of Kowloon after 12 years of construction. Initially, it was marketed with a hundred and eighteen floors, but due to some reasons (Chinese beliefs perhaps), some floors were omitted. Officially, it has a hundred and seven floors above sea level and four floors below the ground. A famous five-star hotel is located in this building with swimming on the very top floor. Source I wonder what the swimming pool looks like up there.

But among the offices and commercial establishments housed in this building, the most visited part is the Sky100 Observation Deck located on the 100th floor of the ICC building.

Are you looking for the best spot to capture a panoramic view of the city of Hong Kong? Sky100 is definitely the perfect place for it.

Let's get to the top of Sky100!

Getting in isn't as easy as you think it is. After booking online beforehand, I thought everything was fine and I just needed to show my itinerary to them. As I got there, that's when I saw a very long queue for claiming the tickets. After more than 2 hours of lining up from the very beginning of the queue, I finally claimed our tickets and entered Sky100. We opted to visit the place in the afternoon as our purpose was to stay there until night to see a more stunning and glimmering HK city. By the way, we got a discounted price of HK$66 for the ticket from its regular price of HK$99.

The amazing part here is that getting to the 100th floor would only take 60 seconds using the fastest high-speed double-deck elevator. Don't freak out if you see the buildings below your feet, it's not real and only images, lol. You might just experience tinnitus while speeding up to the 100th floor temporarily. That was pretty uncomfortable though.

As we stepped out of the elevator, we proceeded through a seemingly tunnel with spectacular animated lighting effects.

Before entering the observation deck, we were greeted by a world-class designed corridor with glass walls and floor and a Hong Kong miniature city stuffed underneath the glass floor that glitters, especially at night.

Safety precautions were applied while in the area. Wearing masks the whole time was strictly imposed. Those who'll violate might be penalized, especially since the place was too crowded as it was the weekend.

The observation deck offers spectacular panoramic views of the big cities on Hong Kong Island as well as other outermost islands, especially on a good day. Lucky we were that the weather was very fine that day.

However, some parts of the glass walls seemed to be painted with dirt that wasn't removed over time and kind of blurring the scenic view outside. Yet, we were able to capture some stunning photos of different HK cities.

The capital city, Central, can be captured well from atop along with more iconic skyscrapers of Hong Kong and Victoria Harbor. The tallest building in the photo below for instance is the second tallest building in HK adjacently facing the tallest ICC.

On the other side is the spectacular view of cargo ports and different vessels and boats kept coming and going of the glistening waters.

Hong Kong is just a very small country, so all residential buildings and other establishments are certainly high-rises. Cities are very dense with distinctive architectures that are shown in the photo below. I still love the mountain skylines backdrop though and the greenery in different parts of the city. At least it isn't all dull-colored buildings.

Below is the West Kowloon Cultural District of Hong Kong and its urban art park which I featured in one of my travel blogs. Just click here if you want to read about it. More iconic buildings and museums can be found in this district.

There is a lot more to do in the sky 100 apart from taking photos of breath-taking Hong Kong cities.

Dine-in at Café100 by the five-star hotel in the building while facing the stunning view of HK city and its harbor. That's even more romantic and nostalgic at dawn.

You can read books and shop for souvenir items and collect souvenir photos in its photo corner. There is a photo booth on the second floor before entering the Sky100 premise for those who want to get souvenir photos of the stunning HK city as a backdrop. Unfortunately, we didn't take it as it costs HK100. However, we realized in the end that we should have just taken the souvenir photos, lol. Moreover, there is an interactive wall exhibiting tales, anecdotes, and other stories that kids would love.

Enjoy the VR Fun experience at 5G Lab. However, due to a huge number of visitors that day, the time limit was shortened and we didn't really enjoy the VR Fun as it only took a minute. It's virtual fun exploring different parts of Hong Kong including gliding through oceans, the rails, HK life, traditions, and culture.

A Smart Health is also installed in 5G Lab for emergency purposes. For a better view of the city, Sky100 binoculars are available in some parts of the area.

We experienced more fun at 5G Lab when we connected to its wifi to install an application for AR Photos. Following the given procedures, we virtually parachuted throughout the harbor and had a chance to take photos with two of the tallest buildings in Hong Kong along with some AR effects in the background.

As planned, we stayed until the sun went below the horizon and we waited until the city glowed in different colors of light.

As expected, the city is truly spectacular at night, indeed a world-class attraction.

One more thing that people like waiting in this place until the night is to catch the light show effects and fireworks displays, especially at special events. With or without a real fireworks display, there is always a virtual fireworks display with sound effects that people would think it's real.

However, on special events like Chinese New Year, you can definitely catch fireworks at Sky100. It is also the best spot to catch the popular Symphony of Lights of Tsim Sha Tsui city.

Another wonderful travel experience was achieved by my travel buddy and me on our bucket list.

It was indeed a day full of fun and entertaining at Sky100 and our HK$66 was truly worth it. Someday, I'll visit the place again to take a souvenir photo at the photo booth virtually standing on the top of ICC with the glimmering city of HK at night as the backdrop.

That's all for today's travel blog. See you!

(This travel blog was posted on Pinmapple via ThreeSpeak. All photos are mine.)

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