The Streets of Shanghai

I have been to China many times over but never really had enough time to walk around and soak in the cultural waters of one the greatest ancient civilizations in the world. I visited Shanghai, China during my packaging stint when the Global Customization team went to Asia.

Shanghai is a bustling metropolitan city in China, littered with skyscrapers that are headquarters to many regional and global corporate behemoths. But what caught my history loving eye is the blend of old world and new world charm.

I was able to pack in quite a heck of a Shanghai street tour in one morning on the day of my flight back. Here are the interesting places from the Streets of Shanghai...

The Oriental Pearl Tower was the tallest structure in China from 1999-2007 before it was surpassed by the Shanghai World Financial Center and the Jin Mao Tower, both in Shanghai. The ground floor serves as a Museum of the History of Shanghai. I definitely did not skip the opportunity to tour the museum.

The Shanghai Oriental Pearl Tower.
The ground floor serves as a Museum showcasing the History of Shanghai. 

Further down town is The Bund (or a Quay) which is a section of Shanghai facing the mile long stretch of the historic Huang Pu River. On one side you can view the Shanghai skyscrapers while the other side are historic buildings with breathtaking Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque and Neo-classical architecture. If it were not for my flight, I can just stroll there all day long.

View of the skyscrapers overlooking Huang Pu River.
It was mid morning yet very breezy on this side of the town.



This is The Bund. Makes you feel like you are in Paris or Rome (or UST Main Building) in this district.
The Customs House and the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank are in the background. This is breathtaking at night.



The Yuyuan Garden was built in 1559 during the reign of Emperor Ming Jiajing as a private garden of the Sichuan province administrator. This is an enclosed area of about two hectares and you can find various Pagodas and cultural relics. There area also Pearl shops within the area and I was able to buy one at a very good bargain!

One of the Pagodas at Yuyuan Garden

The Museum of History of Shanghai is a joy to explore (if you are a history buff). It showcases a wax museum for a lifelike rendition of life in Shanghai from early civilization and pre-colonial days, the British colony period when electric cars and horse drawn carriage ruled downtown, and finally the modern world.



3D exhibit of The Bund

Once a fishing and textile town in the east coast of China, Shanghai is now dubbed as one of Asia's Global City-- the center of finance, commerce, business and technology in Asia. A walk along the streets of Shanghai made me feel that despite the grandeur of being a modern world city pretty much like Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore, the ancient traces and spirit of this genteel city remains tenacious and alive!

The Oldest and Dearest from My Book Stash (or what's left of it)

Eventhough I love books, I have to trim down my book collection everysooften due to space limitations. In our Sta. Rosa home, we had a custom built wall mounted book shelf enough to hold a considerable volume of books to last a lifetime. Condo-living entailed we only have space for 1 bookshelf which is 75% full by now (and 75% are Kyla's own book collection). And I am not yet succumbing soon to the seduction of Kindle and tablet readers. Call me old fashioned in that area. I tried the e-books during the Palm Pilot era and it catapulted my eye grading to 500.

I have a handful of books from many years ago that are still part and parcel of my book stash wherever I go. From our Rizal hometown to our first home in Makati City to Laguna and til date. I have given away, donated and sold most of my books but these are simply the dearest of them all.

The Mythology by Edith Hamilton was a required reading in Literature during my junior high years. This  was my original book from high school. The book cover still had the date when I purchased the book (October 6, 1989) and still had the original plastic cover which is partly dilapidated by now. We took up the Olympian gods and goddessess, and the Trojan War. But I read the entire book anyway. I love this book because it gives you an insight on the great storytelling from early civilizations when life was still a mystery shrouded by superstitions, supernatural or even paganistic beliefs often confused with religion and simplistic rendition of why life was the way it was. The latest paperback no longer carries the same cover picture of Perseus holding Medusa's head.



A good substitute for the Gregorio Zaide history book



I love history books, especially that of the Spanish era. Perhaps in previous life I lived in the Spanish colonial-era Manila which explains my affinity for history. I also have books about America and Europe- not the school textbooks- but the kind that gives you an unapologetic glimpse of history and its glaring realities. The Old Manila is good read because it packs a punch despite the slim volume and is insightful and comprehensive. I also bought a coffee table book about the History of Manila and it's nearby cities and provinces. We cannot live in the past but we must not forget our past either - we must learn from the lessons of history and use it to influence a better future. Sadly, not al lot of our youth really likes history.


My book Europe 101 had an interesting closing anecdote about geopolitical history, economics and a daring prediction about modern age social justice and what it means for the First and the Third World.  It cited a quote from the 1979 best seller "The Future in Our Hands" and after that I'm hooked. Made me think hard and deep. I must find that book.

The book "Who Moved My Cheese?" was given to me by my manager Rohan Murkunde in 2000. There were about 5 of us in his team and we were about to face a huge change in our career- moving from R&D to Product Supply. The book is about adapting with change. I did not have a lot of drawbacks going through that episode of my life because a feeling somewhere in my gut circa 1998 tells me that moving to the Plant is my fate. But this book gave me the wisdom that we should not cease looking for the signs that foretells significant change that is about to happen.

Pride and Prejudice is a hand me down book from my friend Nats. Love story from the 19th century par excellence. What I loved most about it is that heroine is actually a feisty, speak-before-you-think, no non-sense young lady. It is inspiring that even though we are centuries apart, there were already liberal minded women who are ahead of their time! They are the true femme fatale!

The book by John Maxwell 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader was a gift by my then manager Carlos Morales, given to me during my early years as a young manager with subordinates for the first time. This book had a lasting impact on me and shaped by beliefs, thinking and convictions as a leader. In latter years, I used quotations from this book as part of the trainings I gave to my organization.

I was fortunate to receive the book "Now, Discover Your Strengths" as a gift twice. One was from my former manager in packaging days, Suhas Potnis and the second one was from my friend Ed Macias. This is one powerful book that changed the way I looked at strengths and the so-called weaknesses. It enabled me to discover strengths at its most fundamental level. Years later when I moved from one role to another in my career, I have used the wisdom I learned from this book to help guide me on which path to go based on my strengths. On moments of doubt, I read this book again to reaffirm on what I know I should be holding on to.

"The Best of Youngblood' is a compilation of stories from twenty-something Filipino writers and wannabe writers in the early 90s. I bought it when I was at that age bracket so you can say it is the literature of my generation (Gen-X). It is the many facets of the youth from Generation X. By now, some of them are working moms like me, some are still enjoying the freedom of being single, some are probably torn in between, and some are still searching for themselves true to Gen-X tienes tienes (coloqial for fluff). If you have read the book or if you are a true Gen X-er, you will understand what I mean.


The poignant opening story from the book Chicken Soup for Children with Special Needs

One of the most heartwarming book I have ever owned- Chicken Soup for Childen with Special Needs. This is the only Chicken Soup book left to me, obviously the closest to my heart. I read it one story at a time. Most stories are poignant, each story is inspiring and leaves you a feeling of connectedness to millions of others whom I have never met but we are linked together by a common special bond. The opening story "Welcome to Holland" sent me to tears for its truthful evocation of every mother and child's journey. I still cry whenever I read the opening story eventhough I've read it a hundred times.

Similarly the book "The Curious Incident of the Dog at Midnight" gives you an insight of how the mind of a person with autism perceives his world around him. How he thinks, how he processes what he sees, what he hears and how he will react accordingly. It enlightened me as to how my son apparently looks at the world from his eyes.

I encountered the book "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" while reading the Chicken Soup for Children with Special Needs. It is thought provoking to say the least and there are just so many unforgettable quotes and passages that makes you ponder. "Endings are also beginnings. You just don't know it at that time." And yes, it got me thinking who are the five people that will greet me when I die. Knowing my life, I can already surely tell at least one of the five.

A Taste of KU DE TA

Again, this is the result of watching Food Network Asia channel too much.

The making of KU DE TA (KDT) was featured in the Food Network channel and that sort of piqued my interest. It became a part of our To Do List while in the Red Dot. Hubby and I took the long weekend holiday as an opportunity to have a dinner date!

KU DE TA is located the Sky Park of the illustrious Marina Bay Sands Hotel. The KU DE TA circuit includes a Fine Dining Restaurant, a Club Lounge (I suppose, for the young, the young once and the feeling young) and the Sky Bar perched just on the Sky Park observation deck where you can enjoy the panoramic view of the Singapore cityscape.

The KU DE TA Restaurant boasts of Asian Fusion dishes set in modern Asian interiors. They also have an outdoor setting if you want to dine al-fresco. The restaurant by nightfall is predominantly candlelit for a relaxing and private dining experience.

We arrived at 7:30 pm and the dining hall is already quite busy by then. The staff were very friendly and attentive. Most of them are fellow kababayans. We decided to try their best seller appetizer which is the Crispy-Sticky Baby Squid, paired with Smoked Eggplant with Marinated Salmon Caviar. The baby squid is an elegant version of the hawker-favorite sans the tons of onions and pepper fill-ins. The KDT's version of baby squid has the same crispiness but with a tinge of what I thought was caramel. The smoked eggplant reminds me of my dad's invention from many years ago, on this time the Salmon caviar sits on top of the veggie for that gourmet effect.

For the mains we went for the Bamboo Roasted Pacific Black Cod with Whipped Red Miso and Berkshire Pork Belly Steamed with Shaoxing Wine. The fish was really divine! I can tell that the cod was steamed, the flesh was so soft but the skin and sides were seared. The red miso did I'd say the pork belly was just ok but not exactly unforgettable. I did fear for our cholesterol level so we decided to skip the lobster. We had a carafe of white Sangria to complete the dinner.

I was very full and satisfied by the end of dinner but I sure have some space for dessert: Green Tea and Pistachio Slice. Its a basic cake topped with green tea flavored cream frosting dotted with pistachio nuts, smothered with jam and caramel slivers.

Overall I'd say it was an enjoyable dinner. We would love to come back to KU DE TA to celebrate. I saw a family with kids and I thought that we could bring the kids next time. Though meant to be a fine dining experience, the ambience is relaxed, chatty and exuberant!

Chef for a Day

Children were in for a culinary surprise at the United Square Mall (the one that is a stone's throw from where we live). The United Square in Novena is dubbed as "The Kids' Mall" -- they house several outlets for famous brands of infants' and children's apparel and shoes - which I would say is more than what you will find in the bigger malls. There is also a branch of Toys R Us and Early Learning Center (ELC) in this mall. ELC boasts of unique line up of toys and books.

Everysooften, United Square sponsors learning events for kids. This month, they sponsored a Children's Cook Out at the Atrium where kids can learn great things about nutrition, good table manners and of course, experience being a chef!

There are four stations that you can choose from -- Japanese Bento, Oriental Mooncakes, Pizzeria and Kaya Jam. The food they will be preparing were all very creative renditions suitable for kids' consumption.

They also get to have a nutrition and health tour before going into culinary action!

Here are snippets of the Cookout...


Chef Kyla having a great time at the Pizzeria Station



It's a great idea to jump start kids on simple cooking

Preparing for the Cookfest

The first stop is the food pyramid

Height and weight measurement for the BMI charts



Kids also learned table setting, good manners and get to do hand-on for napkin folding



Getting started!

Kyla worked independently on her pizza

 

Kids received goodie bags from sponsors and a certificate

The best part-- Kyla shares her Pizza with Kuya Kevin

Kyla took home her pizza creation and gave the half for her brother, Pizza being his favorite food. It's a wonderful way to end the day!


Lego Mania

We were wondering what on earth was the long queue all about at the atrium of the nearby United Square Mall... apparently Toys R Us held a 3-day mega sale for Lego. The 1st day was exclusive for Members and it was indeed a box-office!  It was marked down from 30-40% off. Not bad.

We did our own share of lego hoarding.
I was disappointed that I was too late for the Lego City series.

We did our share of hoarding. They'll make great Christmas gifts for my godchildren and nephews.

Kyla and I enjoyed assembling her new toys and we bought Toy Story and giant Technic series Bulldozer for Kevin (he is into big cars). I was too late for the City and Kingdom series so we ended up with Prince of Persia set.

Its good to note that Lego is still a hit with the kids these days though I must say I did think that the adults probably enjoy them more!

Lego mad rush!

I was about 5 when Lego was introduced in Manila via Gift Gate. It was already 'relatively expensive' then. The only Lego we owned was a boxful of loose lego bricks when Manila C.O.D. (where Mom used to work) put some old stocks on sale. And probably a few more that were given to us as gifts.

It's amazing how lego managed to flourish and sustain its brand despite the passing of years.

I got Kyla to play lego- it is a great way to get them to be creative, it stirs a bit of spacial-visual intelligence skills. She said she wanted to be an engineer too, so a bit of visual-spatial skills ought to help.... and we have some mom-and-babe bonding time --  as opposed to just being glued to a PC.

Kyla started to work on the Toy Story Lotso Truck for her brother

Kyla finished assembling the easier stuff

This is from the Kingdom and Ninjago Series

So now, off I go --  she said she needs some help with the truck!

Birthdays... Birthdays...

Metamorphosis was not yet in existence when Kevin celebrated his 7th Birthday so this is really a reminiscence of his birthday celebration way back in 2007.

We decided to hold his party at the village clubhouse of our home in Sta. Rosa, Laguna on the exact date of his birthday which fell on a weekend. We never really tapped party planners for these ocassions so it was a joint family effort to plan and prepare for his birthday party. Hosting this at the clubhouse though meant having to coordinate caterers, decorations, sound system, host/entertainment and lootbags altogether. But I enjoy doing these things so we went for it. Much later,  for our daughter's 7th birthday, I had to go with all-in package when it became apparent to me that I will be leaving the country way earlier than her birthday event.

We chosed a Madagascar-Safari theme party although we decided not to have a costume party for the kids and kept it low-key for Kevin. So we made up for it through the decorations. I hired a 3rd party contractor to set up the decorations and balloons including the decorations for the cake station, the balloon tower and table centerpieces.

Picture from home, while preparing for Kevin's party. These were then his favorite things.

We opted for a Madagascar Theme Party.
I had to rely on a 3rd party to set up the balloon decorations.
Most pictures look dark though as we relied only on our dgcams.

 To keep the kids busy, we hired a Caricature artist. Kids (and Moms) can take home portraits of themselves in a superhero or fancy character of their choice. The artist drew a picture of Kevin as the Safari Ranger together with the Madagascar animals. Even my Mom was able to queue for it and she had it framed.

The party host was dressed as safari ranger and later changed into his magician costume. I got a deal where the party host doubled as magician, game master and we he also got to make animal balloon twisties and give a short puppet show. We also had lots of games, Kyla and I enjoyed buying tons of prizes at Market-Market.

Magic shows are always a hit with the kids. Even if they've seen it a hundred times.



Puppet show to keep the youngsters busy after lunch





We had a Pinata and a Pabitin for the kids

We also prepared the lootbags which contain Kevin's favorite goodies and toys. We also printed thank you tags and attached this to each loot bag. My kids love receiving loot bags from parties so we made sure that every kid will be delighted as well. We prepared for 40 lootbags and set of 12 more for the kids at 8+ of age (had to give them something more suitable for tweens).

We enjoyed preparing the lootbags with Kevin's favorite goodies and toys

Tons of games prizes are a must so that every kid gets a chance to win some.



We did not hire a professional photographer to cover the event and relied on our dgcams (and some titas) for the pictures (hence some photos lack lighting). We did miss taking a picture of the buffet station, the goings on at the caricature corner and sorbetero ice cream station.

The venue was a full house and it's a relief that the caterers have extra tables and chairs that were set at the pool area at the last minute so we can have everyone seated comfortably. We were most overwhelmed by friends, relatives, colleagues, teachers, neighbors and the sheer number of children who came by!  Kevin who was usually not at ease with large and noisy parties was at his best behavior throughout the event. We are grateful to have them share with us this important day in Kevin's childhood memories!

Happy Birthday Kevin!

Marina Bay Sands : Inside and Out

The Marina Bay Sands (MBS) is the newest iconic landmark at the Singapore Bayfront. Teamed up with the view of Merlion, the Singapore Museum of Arts, the Grand Fullerton Hotel, the Helix bridge, the hip Esplanade Hall (aka the Durian) and the Singapore Flyer, makes for a breathtaking skyline.

A clear skyline makes a wonderful backdrop, to think that in the same morning it was actually raining like crazy in the same area.

 I had an opportunity to stay overnight at the MBS for an annual company event. It was interesting to be able to see MBS from the inside after several photo ops from outside.

The interior of the MBS Hotel as you enter the lobby is nothing awesome or frivolous which is a stark contrast to the grandeur of its exterior. It's not that bad, but simply falls short of expectation. My benchmark in Manila being the Manila Peninsula and the Manila Hotel. Actually, the lobby feels like an extension of the Marina Bay Shoppes- and technically speaking, it is! It IS a very busy lobby as a matter of fact. Like the entire city was in there. You can access the Mall, the Casinos and the Exhibition Center via an underground channel. The posh-factor was likely invested on their Casinos.

 We were booked in a twin sharing room and got a bayfront view which is spectacular at night. The room and the bathroom were spacious and has a modern minimalist look. We only spent less than six hours of sleep and did not really get to stay a minute more in our room. We did however, hanged out at a colleague's room while chatting the night away.



Masette's room has a panoramic view of the Bayfront. With the Esplanadae and Singapore Art Museum (I call it Adidas) at the background.



Ready for the Dinner Event!

Before leaving, we definitely made sure we get to visit the famous view deck at the 57th Floor. The view deck is designed as a ship nestled atop the triple towers of Marina Bay Sands Hotel.
The long infinity type pool dotted with lounging chairs welcome you after you walk past by the security. You need to show your MBS door card to be able to enter the view deck, else be prepared to shell out for the bragging rights ("been there").

View of the Infinity Pool. Literally "swimming at the edge".

I thought that it must probably feel weird to be swimming at the infinity pool with swarms of locals and tourists flocking the pool side for photo op. Folks like us basically.

There are two gourmet restaurants situated at the prime spot atop MBS-- Sky 57 and Ku De Ta. You need a reservation (and a hefty amount of money) to dine there. The making of Ku De Ta was featured in Food Network Asia.

At the far end of the deck is a spacious boardwalk where people can hang out and enjoy the view of Singapore harbour. I realized that while the ship looks massive from below, it doesn't actually look as intimidating once you are on the deck. You could be walking along any random park, for that matter.



You have to insert $1SGD at the coin slot to use the telescope. I warned Dwight that the 1SGD isnt taking him any far....



At weekend nights, a firework display follows a Light and Sound show at the Marina Bay at around 8 pm or so. If you've nothing to do on weekend nights, it is worth hanging around to see the L&S show.

The light and sound show about to start. Taken last April 2011 after we watched Lion King.

The Marina Bay Shoppes is their shopping mall with all the global and luxe brands. When shopping in Singapore, dont expect to get a bargain. You wont. But if you are looking for a hard to find design or latest trend that you normally wont see in say. Manila, then yes, Singapore it is.

This is my weird side kicking in... I have many shots of the Marina Bay Sands but my favorite picture was taken from the Marina Barrage. We were doing an outdoor teambuilding activity and I snapped a picture of the MBS framed by what I noticed to be rainclouds looming nearby. True enough, you can see from afar the mist of rain enveloping the MBS skyline and making its way towards us. I snapped this photo before running for shelter which was like 500 meters away.

For some reason, I love this picture.

I also love walking along the riverfront with the view of Marina Bay Sands, taking in the new world charm of this cosmopolitan city. In this part of Singapore, the traces of its old world is barely physically discernible. But just by sitting along the benches of the riverfront, watching people and life as it happens, you can breathe the spirit of old Singapore with the cool wind gushing by.

Credits:
Thanks to Ed Macias for the pictures. And for patiently bearing with us during the Photo Op.