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Saturday, July 30, 2016

The one and only time I took my sister's new fold-able bicycle out to buy eggs (of all things) was the day I came across a cat that would be named Toufu.

Legs tucked under its dirty body, those mesmerising eyes were hard to look away from and I wondered why wasn't it moving from its spot. When I knelt down to pat it, it scrambled towards me, using its front legs to drag its back legs and one thought crossed my mind.

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Otaru was known to be quite a picturesque seaside town, just an hour's train ride from Sapporo. It was also known for its reasonable generous portions of delicious fresh seafood.

And it was with this in mind that I scheduled in majority of the day for us to spend in Otaru, starting with brunch at the Sankaku seafood market located next to the Otaru JR station. It was unbelievable close to the station. Just exit the station, turn left and head up a flight of stairs and voila, we were at Sankaku market.

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

As soon as AirAsia X announced their flights to Sapporo, Hokkaido mid last year, I immediately locked down the cheapest tickets I have ever seen for myself and the family for a vacay in June 2016. Come 19 June 2016, I was comfortably seated in the Quiet Zone, looking forward to the flight for once. Mainly because I had the whole row to myself and I wasn't the only one. By some miracle, my entire family had a row to themselves in an otherwise full flight.

We landed in New Chitose Airport in Sapporo, feeling refreshed after a relatively decent sleep on-board. The weather forecast warned us of a rainy day but we had no idea how rainy as we took our sweet time exploring the Domestic Airport that was linked to the international terminal.

There was so much more things to see and eat in the domestic side and I only regretted not spending more time there.

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

With the mid-autumn festival just around the corner, it's time to load up on delicious mooncakes!

The Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur is presenting a showcase of exquisite and delectable mooncakes to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival on 15 September.

Twelve varieties of hand-crafted mooncakes, both traditional and five new flavours, are now available at the Mooncake Counter in the Main Lobby. There is time to savour, choose and purchase mooncakes at this counter till 15 September.

Saturday, July 9, 2016

Planning for a climb can be a headache. First you need to ensure that your check-in weight for your flight has enough space and weight allowance for you to bring along your stuff. I flew Malindo for my Mount Kinabalu climb and that came with a 30kg check-in.

But first things' first. What to bring and how to pack. Here is a rough checklist that I put together. I've sectioned everything to when I would need them during the hike and kept them in plastic bags for easy retrieval and to keep them dry should it rain.

Sunday, July 3, 2016

With vast lands of flower fields, mountainous landscapes with weaving roads cutting though and alongside the majestic green slopes and flanked by pristine waters rich with the abundance of the sea all year round. Hokkaido in many aspects is younger than mainland Japan and this allows its God-given attractions to bloom and blossom naturally, drawing visitors near and far.

In the winter, Hokkaido undergoes a complete transformation as everything becomes coated in a sheen of whiteness and even the types of attractions change from hiking to skiing for example.

When I visited Sapporo, Hokkaido for the first time this June 2016, it was summer and we encountered its sunniest days as well as its wettest. Here's a quick video of my recent family vacay.