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!

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*

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.

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 | Tropical Bonanza

Continuing the trend of summer themed Sunday Style Showdown, we're going TROPICAL this week! Scroll down to check out what we've come up with! If you're interested to see the previous summer themed #SSS looks, click on the links below!:
#SSS: Look Up
#SSS: Summer Loving

The TROPICAL BONANZA Showdown
El	Christine
When I think of tropical, I think of bright colours and flowers! There's also swaying palm trees, gentle breezes... Hence this dress fits the idea of tropical fever for me! I love the hi-lo cut which will capture any slight breeze that blows by. Plus, the cutting will make my legs still look long even though I'm wearing a long dress! I absolutely love this dress which looks like flowers were painted on. Despite the brightness of the dress, there's still a softness to the look thanks to the flowy skirt and the way the flowers are printed on the dress.	If you Google tropical images, you will get palm trees, beaches and more palm trees. Hence, cue my background! Hehe. The neoprene-like skirt is the foundation of my outfit - with the various flowers prints, it looks pretty tropical to me. The cutting of the skirt is also very flattering for people with a curvy figure - An A-line cut that is fitted on the top but has box pleats half way down. If you follow our #SSS, you know that I love my structured skirts. I wanted to let the skirt shine but at the same time, I didn't want to use a plain white tee for that purpose. So, I paired it with a plain bright pink shirt! It's summer so, let's all inject some colour into our lives :)
Shades are a definite must when the weather is so sunny! I picked a pair with blue tinted lens so it'll match the dress compared to the conventional black. For accessories, I kept it simple with a bracelet made up of seashells and a wooden beads bangle. Mostly things derived from nature to go along with the tropical feel.	Love love love the muted colour scheme of the skirt - looks as if it is a water colour painting! I really like the material used for the skirt as well - A thin neoprene-like material. I chose a white statement necklace to balance the prints on the skirt and to complement the colour of the skirt.
El's Outfit Details Dress: Forever 21 Shoes: Guangzhou Wooden beads bangle: South Africa Seashell Bracelet: A Gift Blue Tinted Lens: Isetan	Christine's Outfit Details Top: H&M Skirt: Pull & Bear Necklace: F21 Rings: Random shops Shoes: Rad Russel

How did you find our outfits? Which do you prefer?

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

Show us how you do tropical on Instagram and tag us or use #SSS! (Christine's and El's)

Till next time
Love,
El and Christine xoxo

Haul | Phuket, Thailand

I'm back from Phuket and I have a little haul post for you guys~! :)

Considering my past records, I have to say, I was a good girl this time -- no big holes in any wallets.

Plus, you guys know that Thailand is pretty cheap so all's good~

I was in Phuket, Kata area, with my mum for 5 days and boy, was the sun shining bright and hot!

Never thought I would be this tanned but here I am, at least 3 shades darker than before.

Gotta say, this is really troublesome because my foundations are all too light for me now :(

Not sure if I should go get one that matches my skin colour now or pray that I will return to my original colouring soon (probably a month or so). Meanwhile, I've resorted to using bronzer all over my face to ensure I don't make the bald face eagle foundation faux pas - light face but dark body.

Any thoughts on what I should do about this? :\

Dilemma aside, let's get on with the haul!

How To | Nautical Manicure

Beach season is here!

Fancy some pretty nails to go with that fabulous new (or old) bikini to show off at the beach?

Look no further, this nautical nail tutorial will definitely help you with that :)

Read on to find out how to recreate this nautical inspired nail art!