Travel | El's Top 5 Favourite Areas to Shop in Hong Kong (Part Two)

Hello again!

Welcome to the continuation of my list of top 5 places to visit in Hong Kong! If you have not read the first part, click HERE.

Anyway, let's continue on with the shopping wonderland called Hong Kong!

Ramblings | Moving on

I confess.

I am really behind in blogging. Mid of 2015 has been a whirlwind ever since my last post (read here -- if y'all are still interested in what I bought in Korea and Italy (so last year), comment below and I'll post them hauls!:)

So here's a quick update of what happened during my blogging absence! Well, I say quick but knowing myself, it'll be a long ramble…

Travel | El's Top 5 Favourite Areas to Shop in Hong Kong (Part One)

Hello everyone!

Welcome to the first part of my top 5 areas to shop in Hong Kong. I thought I'd split this list into 2 posts since it might be too much text to digest at once.

Hong Kong is known for its food, rapid pace of life and of course, SHOPPING! I love shopping in Hong Kong since there are so many kinds of shops available for people with different budgets. From cheap deals to great steals, there is something to be found in HK for everyone.

Having stayed in Hong Kong for almost 3 months, I have discovered some new favourite places to shop beside my usual hangouts. Being an avid shopaholic who loves a good deal, I thought that listing my top 5 shopping areas would be useful for fellow shopaholics visiting Hong Kong. The places I am listing here are all easily accessible by MTR. If you're curious to know more, read on!

Be Prepared for All the Hong Kong Related Posts Coming Up!

Hello everyone!

Just writing to announce that I am back in Singapore (or rather, I've been back for slightly more than 2 weeks now). I was really busy during my internship and did not have time to sit down and write much. I did write some stuff while I was in Hong Kong but due to problems with my OneDrive, I could not download my photos to edit and insert into the posts O.O Now that I've resolved that problem, I'll be publishing a lot of posts about Hong Kong in the next few weeks so do stick around if you're interested to know what I was up to in Hong Kong! So far, I've published a post about my trip to Stanley Beach, which you can read all about it here. The next post is going to be about shopping in Hong Kong, which I hope you will find it informative. It's coming out this Wednesday so check back here soon!

Till next time,
Love,
El   xoxo

Travel | Stanley Dragonboat Rowing Races at Stanley Beach, Hong Kong

Hello everyone! One of the biggest events that took place in June was the Stanley International Dragon Boat Championships. It is held annually as part of the Dragon Boat/ Rice Dumpling Festival. The Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional Chinese festival where part of it involves feasting on rice dumplings with braised meat or seafood fillings. The Dragon Boat Festival in Hong Kong is a pretty big event as there are dragon boat races held and you can find rice dumplings being sold in almost every eatery, restaurant and bakery. In Singapore, there isn't much of a hooha over the festival sadly. Thus, it is a rare opportunity to be able to participate in the festivities in Hong Kong!

And so, on a super sunny morning, aka the kind where you will get a tan regardless of the amount of sunblock you slap on, my friends and I headed out to Causeway Bay to take bus no. 40 all the way to Stanley Beach. It costs HKD 10 per ride. The queue was ridiculously long as many people were also going for the event. It didn't help that each bus can only seat 16 people. Imagine waiting for an hour while getting roasted by the sunlight -- not fun.


However, the trip was worth it. Look at the amazing scenery!

Thoughts on My Internship in Hong Kong so Far...

Hello!

I'm finally halfway through my internship! Yay! I've been so busy that I usually just return home to sleep everyday. Work life is intense here. One thing I learned about working in HK is that no one goes back home on time. Everyday at least half of my office will be full for at least 1 hour after work. Sometimes I go back as late as 8-9pm, when the official time to leave is actually 6pm.

Travel | In Hong Kong. Again.

Hello everyone!

It has been a while since my last post. Sorry about that. The past few weeks went by in a flurry of exams and preparations, and whoosh! I'm in Hong Kong. Again. This is my second time to Hong Kong this year. I didn't blog about it but I welcomed 2015 in Hong Kong in Dec/Jan. It was a stressful trip for me as I had to rush to submit  my essays before deadlines so I actually spent 1/2 the trip staying in my hotel room (why do UK universities have essay deadlines still after the semester has ended? Poor peeps). I did not get to do much then so I did not blog about it.

Anyways, I am back in HK again! This time for another stressful trip, but hopefully the enjoyable kind. I'm in HK for an internship program and I feel like I'm drowning in the unknown here, even though I've been here at least 5 times... Staying with relatives I barely meet, starting a job I've never done, learning my way around again-- HK becomes an unfamiliar place again.

Nonetheless, part of the fun in exploring is getting lost (which happens even with Google maps). Hong Kong is an exciting place to be if you're a fashion and beauty lover like me. Good deals, cool designs, avant garde styling, and best of all, most things are cheaper than in Singapore!! I will blog more about my experiences in HK in the upcoming weeks when possible, so check back here for updates! Also, you can follow me at @el_notes where I'll be posting quick short posts as I chart my random everyday thoughts, including reviews and hauls of stuff. So be sure to check it out and follow me on instagram if you like to see more! (Also, do check out Christine's instagram @christinehzy. There'll be lots of interesting things to see since for this entire month she'll be travelling around Taiwan, Japan and popping to visit me in HK!)

Till next time!
Love,
El   xoxo

Review | Aritaum Mono Eyes Eyeshadow

Happy Sunday everyone!

El here with a review on Aritaum Mono Eyes eyeshadows! I got these recently after watching a Youtuber swatch #70 Evro and fell in love with it. Instead of 1, I got 3 as the seller on Qoo10 had a buy 2 get 1 free offer, so I might as well....
I was so excited to try them out when they arrived in my mail!(but I had to wait since I had a couple of deadlines coming up)

 Read on to check out whether I love them and also the colour swatches!

Travel | Seoul, Korea 2014 - GYEONGBOKGUNG + NATIONAL FOLK MUSEUM OF KOREA

Continuing from my morning at Bukchon Hanok Village, the next stop on my cultural day trail was Gyeongbokgung. For convenience's sake, I'm just gonna shorten it to GBG.

Funfact: What we see here at GBG today is actually the restoration works done under the rule of King Gojong (1852 - 1919). The palace, with its 7, 700 rooms, was once destroyed in a fire during the Japanese Invasion, known as the Imjinwaeran War, in the 1500s.

Built in the Joseon Dynasty, GBG was the main royal palace of that time, covering an estimated area of over 40 hectares. This makes it the largest of the Five Grand Palaces built in the Joseon Dynasty. GBG was where the King, his household, and the government of Joseon resided - you can probably imagine the vast space needed to house everyone.

GBG also houses the National Palace Museum of Korea and National Folk Museum of Korea. We headed to the latter first as it was conveniently on the trail from Bukchon Hanok Village to GBG.

FYI: You can buy the entrance tickets for GBG at the Palace Museum and Folk Museum. So, no worries about walking all the way to the main entrance to purchase entry tickets if you're heading to GBG from the museum! Yay~

For an overdose of culture-centric photos;

Haul | Paris

I got this many things, threw it in a bag and took the Eurostar back to London~ 

Here's the exciting part-- the haul!

I went to CityPharma at 26 Rue du Four (the place to go for all skincare junkies), went into a trance and got a bunch of things.

I actually did research on what I wanted to get and things my relatives requested before going, but I still ended up this many things because everything is SO MUCH CHEAPER THAN SINGAPORE!!!(Even with the exchange rate, which was around 1.65:1)

I spent a ton and freaked out when I got to the cashier:

"€420 ?! WTH did I buy?" was the first thought in my head (even though I was the one who picked the items..)

I got some soap, Bioderma, moisturisers etc. French skincare is well known in the world and if you look at the French women in real life, you'd want to buy whatever they're using too. The good thing is, you can enjoy tax free shopping when you spend around  €175 and above, which can be easily done. 

Things that are super worth it to buy:

Travel | Seoul, Korea 2014 - BUKCHON HANOK VILLAGE

In the midst of Seoul's concrete jungle, there nests some 900 traditional Korean wooden houses (known locally as hanoks) bringing us back to the Joseon dynasty. Needless to say, this is a must-go destination for tourists, and even locals, to get a glimpse of the historical and cultural side of Korea. Encircled by Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung and Jongmyo Shrine, this picturesque neighbourhood with its quaint little houses is definitely a sight for sore eyes :)

If you can't tell, that's me value-adding to the neighbourhood *wink*

Paris | Day 2

Bonjour!

Welcome to part 2 of my Paris adventure post. If you've not read part one, click here.

Day 2 in Paris was the last day I had to spend travelling around and what not before having to take the Eurostar the next morning. As I've said before, it's a super short trip. Another regret in my life.

Anyway, places to go on Day 2: Musée d'Orsay, Notre Dame Cathedral and a special trip to the famed CityPharma (plus a pop over to Pierre Hermé for their amazing macarons). It's a packed day-- read on!

First stop is Musée d'Orsay, which is accessible via the RER (another form of rail transport in Paris) or you can take the metro to Solférino or Assemblée Nationale and walk a short distance. I took the metro because my lodging was just a stone's throw from a metro station. It was raining when I reached and I walked around armed with my map in hand to the place. The museum is a revamped train station and you can see signs of its history in the way there is a beautiful big clock at the top. It's a beautiful place to house the great works of artists like Van Gogh, Cézanne and Monet, just to name a few. I had to choose between visiting this and the Louvre, and I chose this because I wanted to see the works here more. I shall save the Louvre for the next time I visit~

Outside the entrance-- I was there early!

Travel | Seoul, Korea 2014 - LOTTE WORLD (TRICK EYE MUSEUM, FOLK MUSEUM)

Annyeong yeorobun!* 

*'hello everyone' in Korean

Here's a question: what's one place that pops in mind when I say Korea?

I know, I totally primed you guys into thinking this.

cr://JY

Did I hear someone say 'Lotte World'?

That's right!

Located in the heart of Seoul, Lotte World Adventure is the one-stop entertainment place for travellers. It boasts of the world's largest indoor theme park; Indoor Adventure (Guinness World Record Holder!), an outdoor theme park; Magic Island, a Korean Folk Museum, a mini Trick Eye Museum, shopping malls, departmental stores, an ice-skating rink, a movie theatre and even a luxury hotel. Getting there is also super convenient as Lotte World is directly connected to Jamsil train station (Seoul Subway Line 2 & 8, exit 4)

And for my k-drama/shows fans, you guys know this is the place where the romantic magic happens. *winks*

When my friends and I were planning the trip, it was basically a toss up between Everland or Lotte World. As you all know, time is never enough when you're on vacation. We could only spare a day for theme park fun so, we had to choose. Lotte World won by virtue of having an indoor theme park (in case of rain) and being in Seoul itself (minimized travelling time) Our choice proved to be wise because it started to pour heavily in the afternoon.

Paris| Day 1

Hello everyone

I've been meaning to write this for a while now. So last year, I was on exchange in London. Towards the end of it, I finally found time to actually visit Paris and let's just say I'm in love~
It was such a short trip (2 days) that I'm left with many regrets that I couldn't have stayed longer. (Warning: Picture heavy post, so it might take a while for page to load)

So on day one, it was quite a crazy journey for me. My flight was super early in the morning that when I left to take the tube to the airport, the tube station was closed. Haha. Hence when I finally got to my lodgings, I was so tired that I dozed off... Thankfully, I managed to wake up with some daylight left over and walked to the Eiffel Tower, the #1 must see attraction of all time. It may be a tourist spot nowadays but seeing it still took my breath away. It was such surreal experience just walking there and seeing it with my own eyes that I teared up.

The Eiffel Tower. It was quite cloudy but I managed to get the sun at the golden hour and capture beautiful photos.

Beside the eiffel tower, the park surrounding it is a lovely place to stroll about too :)

Travel | Seoul, Korea 2014 - NAMI ISLAND

Annyeonghaseyo!* 

                                                  *(Hello in Korean)

That was, and still is, 1 of the few Korean phrases I know before I went to Korea last year in August.  Me heading to Korea would never have materialized then if not for a friend asking if we, my friends and I, would like to go as she can offer us free accommodation in Seoul. So, definitely a huge thank you to her! :)

Funfact: This is the first time in my 22 years of life that I travelled overseas with only friends. Seoul, it was a pretty huge milestone for me.

I spent a total of 13 days in Korea which means a lot of places were visited. 

(Check out #13daysinKorea on Instagram!)

Let's start with one of the most beautiful places I've had the privilege of visiting - Namiseom Island 

(or affectionately known as just Nami Island)

Did you know? Namiseom declared its cultural independence as a self-governing country, Naminara Republic, in 2006  and has its own national flag, anthem, passport, currency etc. 

Sunday Style Showdown | Lunar New Year Edition!

HEY!

Our unofficial (and unannounced *sorry peeps*) hiatus is finally over! We will be back to our regular schedule soon and what better way to kick-start it than a #SSS! :D

This week, we talk Lunar New Year - a.k.a EAT ALL THE PINEAPPLE TARTS. Okay... maybe not all since we still have to fit in our clothes after this festive period.

It's tradition to wear new clothes in auspicious colours (red mostly) for the new year on the first day. Usually, We go around visiting our relatives, eating all the goodies and most importantly, receive angbaos (money gifts). But first, let's see what we wore!

.

The Lunar New Year Showdown
El	Christine
This year I initially didn't plan on wearing red because I wasn't supposed to due to some events in my family...I was gunning for a really cool monochrome look but my grandma disapproved so I wore red :p Red is actually one of my favourite colours and that's why I love it when chinese new year comes around. This year is the year of the sheep/goat--aka MY YEAR YAY! To show my love, I'm channeling my free spirit and love for all things sheep in my outfit. I've always wanted to try a midi skirt look and finally I found one in the perfect cream colour and perfect length. Upside of wearing the skirt high-waisted is that it hides my bulging belly after finishing all those yummy goodies.	"I look like an angbao" - I told my mum as I got dressed that morning. It was pretty much OD-ed in red for me but it's CNY so what the heck. So with red the couleur du jour, I kept the other colours simple and neutral; black for the bag and brown for the shoes. Shoutout to the shoes: SUCH SOFT LEATHER, SO COMFORTABLE TO WEAR. LOVE LOVE LOVE!
I actually painted my nails to match my top because I am in love with the cute sheep print! This year I'm pretty basic and simple with what I'm wearing, to the extent that my bags and shoes are the same for the first and second day of new year. Barely any accessories beside my pandora bracelet and a pretty white beaded hairband for decoration. For shoes, I'm wearing an old pair which I also wore here.	Honestly, my Saint Laurent bag was the main attraction that day *laughs* I was saving it since I got back from Italy (posts coming up soon!) to use for CNY so it would be a 'new' bag. That aside, I did not wear any accessories, save for a ring, as the high-neck red blouse was elaborate enough. Love the V-cutouts in the front and back, and the pleather trimmings. I think I have a secret love for all things leather - faux or not.
Eleanor's Outfit Details Top: Cotton On Skirt: Lowrys Farm Shoes: Tracce Bag: Coach	Christine's Outfit Details Top: Warehouse Skirt: Mango Ring: Korea Shoes: Nine West Bag: Saint Laurent

That's it for our first showdown of the year!To everyone celebrating: Gong Xi Fa Cai! Huat ah!
What did you all think of the outfit? Did you have a great chinese new year too?

Tell us your thoughts via these channels and don't forget to use #SSS!

1. Comment in the box below!

2. Tweet us your response @ChapalangGirls

3. Find us on Facebook @The Chapalang Way

Till next time
Love,
El and Christine xoxo

5 Differences Between UK and Singapore Study Experience

Hi everyone!

It has been a while since I've posted as I've been so busy with work and all. I've got an essay due every week which barely leaves me any free time to explore London *cries*. Just for fun, I thought it would be nice to share my insights about the classes here in UK and the people here compared to back home.

#1 Pen Biting

This is one of the things that I've noticed about the students here. Quite a few peeps here seem to bite the ends of their pens (not the nib thankfully)! It is a rather strange habit from my perspective since I think it's unhygienic. Do they do it as it makes them appear to be in deep thought so that they can avoid questions? Or is it just stimulating for the mind?

#2 "Me! Me!"

One of the major differences in class experience here is that many of the students here are pretty enthusiastic about speaking up in class. Everyone has something to say and are eager to share, which is refreshing. Unlike back home, you won't hear anything much besides the Professor droning on. I'm usually pretty quiet in class (beside during discussions) so it's nerve wrecking as hell for me when I want to join in.

#3 The Ratio of Males to Females

There are more guys doing an English BA here than in my university back home, which shows the level of appreciation for humanities here. Usually, there would only be one or two guys in my literature classes and fifteen girls as English is not that popular with the guys (probably there's a stigma that guys doing English are not manly, which is not true by the way). Here, the girl to guy ratio is pretty equal, which is cool. There are even more guys than girls in some classes. The benefit is that there are more eye candy in class I guess? Besides the fact that guys have different perspectives about texts in contrast to girls, which make class discussions more interesting.

#4 Club Nights

I'm not sure if it's because the university I'm at has its own pub and all, but people are really hyped about club nights. On the student events calendar, there are at least 3 club nights every WEEK. The party culture boggles my mind. In Singapore, if you want to party or drink, you'd have to go out to Zouk or somewhere near town area (I think. I'm not really a clubber). If it's not the club in school, then they'll be going elsewhere to drink or drinking at friend's places on weeknights (and weekends of course). Understandably, they may not have classes the next day and have every right to relax. I'm not against it--it's just something I'm not used to seeing. Where do they find the time to even study? One thing I could learn from them for sure is to really take a step back and enjoy life more. Usually, I barely even go out for a movie during a semester period.

#5 Teaching Style

The professors in my classes really do encourage discussions among students. Almost 90% of the time is spent on discussions, although I do feel some of the profs/TAs are awkward at times in the way they direct the flow of the discussions. The flow of the discussion is very much dependent on their response to students' questions and it can end the discussion with an awkward silence. Whereas in Singapore, most of the seminars end up being lectures about theories and a small group discussion which usually lasts for 10-15 minutes. Imagine having a 3 hours seminar with 2.5 hours of lectures and some of the content of the lectures are not even relevant to the topic taught. I've had classes like that in the past and they were incredibly dull. Here, it's 2 hours of class and most of it is spent on discussions. I have to read up most of the theories discussed in class outside of class myself...which I'm used to doing anyway. I can see the benefit of each type of teaching but honestly I wish that classes are a balance of the two such that discussions are more enriching.

***

Well that's all for now. Sorry if this isn't a fashion-related post that you'd expect to find on the blog. I just thought it would be cool to share my experience overseas for those who plan on visiting UK someday. Plus, it's interesting to observe the differences in the cultures and people all over the world. It makes me aware of the idiosyncrasies and traits unique to my own culture/country, which reinforces my identity as a Singaporean (Maybe my country's government should start sending some locals overseas so they reinforce their identities as Singaporeans better instead of complaining all the time about Singapore.)

Till next time,
Love,
El   xoxo

I'm Off to London!

Hi everyone!

You must be wondering why there was no Sunday Style Showdown last week.

The sad news is....Christine and I have agreed to put our fortnightly Sunday Style Showdown segment on hiatus till end of December.

This is because I'm in London on an exchange program till December! My wardrobe's pretty limited during this period hence it would be difficult to coordinate outfits.

Anyway, going on exchange is a super exciting yet incredibly daunting experience for me (so far). I've been feeling lonely, homesick, lost, confused, scared...... but I definitely am hoping that this will turn out to be one heck of an amazing and unforgettable experience for me *fingers crossed*.

I'll be writing excerpts of my experience as an exchange student and travels here occasionally! Check back and see what I've been up to next time ^^


Till next time
Love,
El   xoxo

5 Beauty & Makeup Essentials to Look Fresh Faced for School!

Hi Everyone!

  Hope you're having a great week so far. It's said that it's the clothes that make the man, but don't neglect your face! All the cute clothes in the world will not make you look any better if you've got dull skin and dark circles. So here I am, sharing with you 5 makeup and beauty products in my arsenal that I find to work well and are budget friendly.

#1// Eye Roll On

  Frequently stay up late? You probably have to deal with puffy eyes and dark circles in the morning. Personally, I really hate it when my eyes get so puffy that I find it a pain to fully open my eyes.

  A solution to easing the puffiness is to massage and cool down the eye area, improving the circulation there. This will help to ease the fluid retention which causes puffy eyes a well as help lighten the dark circles. I recommend using a eye roll on which usually has a metal ball roller which helps to massage the serum into the eye area as well as cool the eye area.

  Personally, I use a small tube of Clinique's All About Eyes Serum which has a metal ball roller inside. I got this while I was overseas. There are cheaper alternatives from other brands like Garnier.

  No spare cash to buy an eye roll on? Fear not! There are many home remedies that can be found online (do research well though). Personally, I like the cold spoon trick and doing the eye massage myself. For the cold spoon trick, just place a metal spoon in your freezer before you go to bed so that in the morning, you can use the cold spoon to press against the eye area to help with puffiness.

Sunday Style Showdown | Black Boots

With the start of September, Summer is officially over *cue Just for Laughs ending theme*
This signals the start of the monsoon season in sunny Singapore. But fret not, these are what boots are made for: the rain. Get inspired with this week's Black Boots edit, our bid to welcome Autumn~

The BLACK BOOTS Showdown
El	Christine
Black boots are like the autumn/winter season version of sneakers-- easy to match and come in many different styles. This week's outfit I chose to wear a pair of chunky boots because this is the pair that I would wear frequently. I like the blend of feminine and masculine elements in the boots. The chunky heel and the sole of the shoes give them a strong masculine edge whereas the heels and cut of the boots make them look feminine and polished. To go with this idea of a feminine+masculine feel, I decided to go with a simple black cutout dress which has a feminine A-line low neck cut but in an edgy black colour. Going along with the style is the cropped jacket which shows off the feminine curves but has a boxy cut which contrasts against the curves of body.	I love my boots; in fact, I have several pairs of them. I'm a huge fan of black boots because they go with almost everything - but you still have to keep in mind your body shape to choose a cut that flatters you! For this week's theme, I chose these black ankle boots with a low stacked heel. This gives me a sorely-needed boost in height but yet, is comfortable enough for me to walk a whole day in them without breaking a sweat. And because they are plain black boots, I went for a graphic print dress to add character to the outfit. The end result? A chic city girl vibe.
Can you tell there's a triangle pattern going on in my outfit and accessories? Haha. I like geometric stuff so I've reflected it in my outfit too. My dress's cutout in front is actually a triangular shape. To continue with the trend, I wore my black geometric H&M earrings and my happy green socks with colourful triangle pattern. On my neck is a necklace with my name's initial (E) which I feel helps to make my neck feel less bare. **If you look very closely (>.<) at my eye makeup, you can see that I've added a turquoise wing tip on top of my usual black cat eyeliner to add a pop of colour for fun too.	This week, my chambray shirt holds a very important role in the making of this outfit - protecting my modesty. Hah. I love this dress, truly I do, however, it is a little on the short side (even for me). By tying the chambray shirt over it, I avoid any wardrobe mishaps and at the same time, add a little chic touch to the overall mood. Also, how unique are the sunglasses! Love the fact that it's in a matt green colour~
El's Outfit Details Boots: H&M Dress: H&M Jacket: H&M Triangle Earrings: H&M Socks: Hong Kong 'E' initial necklace: ASOS	Christine's outfit details Boots: H&M Dress: Cherish @ Far East Plaza Chambray: H&M Necklace: Forever 21 Giraffe Ring: Korea Sunglasses: Korea

What's your verdict on this week's Sunday Style Showdown? Whose look did you like best?

Do share your views with us :) Comment below, tweet us (@ChapalangGirls) or drop a line on our Facebook page!

We would love to see your take on black boots too! How would you style them? Instagram a photo of what you wore and use #SSS so we can find them (tagging us works too - Christine's and El's)

Autumn is by far our fave season but sadly, we only ever get rain or sun in Singapore. How is Autumn like in your country?

Till next time
Love,
El and Christine xoxo