Teenfolk

travel journal - hong kong days 4-5

23:40

Day 4

My fourth and last complete day in Hong Kong was an ode to my childhood, for I returned to the happiest place on Earth - Disney Land. Located on Lantau island, it takes a 30-40 minute train ride coming from Mong Kok and a quick transfer onto the Disney Resort Line.

As proven several times, the inner child in me is still very much alive; here are some highlights from my Disneyland Experience!

1. Ride Space Mountain (three times, may I include), the source of all my childhood fear

2. Use the selfie stick in public (oops)

3. RC Racer!

4. Possibly shed a tear as we left the park

I'll try keep the post short and sweet today! Hope you enjoy the photos xx

I may have a slight obsession with the pink floor.
Shoes and pants, Zara // Puffer jacket, Uniqlo // Sweater, Forever 21

Slight shortage of Disneyland photos as my phone ran out of battery within an hour of entering the park. (note to self: bring portable charger)

Day 5

We have come to the conclusion of my short adventures in Hong Kong! It's been my third time traveling to this wonderful country, and it never disappoints! To begin this last morning, we had brunch at a cafe to fill up before heading for the airport. Long queues gave us the impression Urban Cafe Commune was worth stopping by, and I believe the following photos and multiple 'mmmm' moments can attest to that.

"Call __________ for a good time" ;-)

Burger with a Korean twist, herb crusted roast chicken, coffee, and iced peach tea - this is the life.

And that wraps up my trip in Hong Kong! Thank you for reading, and I hope 2015 brings new adventures for you all. Please feel free to comment! :-) As promised, my next post will be something a bit different, so hopefully you enjoy that as well.

- Justine

travel

travel journal - hong hong day 3

07:26

And so, the journey continues!

(Although, I admit, I faced a sure battle with the hotel bed this norming - I eventually won and resisted the urge to fall into another two hours of sleep *pats self on back*)

Today, we hopped aboard a double-decker en-route to Stanley, a quaint seaside town tucked away from the crowds of city life. Stanley's markets are, arguably, what transformed this small town into a popular tourist attraction, and I was ready to do some exploring. Armed with my leftover shopping money and a camera, I was prepared to bargain the day away whilst stopping occasionally to take photos of Hong Kong's southern coastline.

Sitting on the open deck of the bus, it was evident that Hong Kong was encountering some mild winter chill. Hats were put on children's heads, coats were zipped and hands were tucked into pockets, but the ride was very pleasant :-)

Slight cringe at the amount of selfie sticks that were present. The users can be (slightly) excused as we were, after all, a large group of tourists on top a bus traveling over bumpy roads.

When you get the chance to visit Hong Kong, I'd highly recommend taking a bus tour to Stanley! It is pricier than taking a cab, but much more worth it; if you get the chance to sit on the second story of the bus, the hillside views are absolutely stunning. Normally, my family and I tend to prefer exploring the streets ourselves without the aid of public transportation, but seeing as Stanley is a sizeable distance away from the main city, my recommended form of transport is this bus!

The photograph above was taken as we passed by Repulse Bay, another tourist attraction located on the southern coast of Hong Kong island. You can tell it was a foggy day when we went, but a trip to this hidden gem definitely seems worthwhile.

Finally arrived at Stanley! Weather conditions were optimal; sunny skies, windy weather, and enough clouds just to keep from squinting. We spent the first part of our excursion along the boardwalk, soaking in some fresh air.

The coast was lined with long rows of cafes, bars and restaurants, and the temptation was too much. #hangryjustine Despite spending an hour sitting down on the bus, we decided to spend the next hour sitting down again, this time eating at Pizza Express. First time trying out the food here, and it was great! We ordered Margarita and Parma pizzas, and two types of pastas - one with fresh mushrooms and truffle oil, and other other with a white wine and cream sauce, chunks of Italian sausage and a rosemary garnish. Price was great, service was great, but definitely time to hit the gym again.

Aaand finally, we headed for the market!

Quick flashback to the bus ride, selfie sticks, and cringing episode earlier this morning, and you'll find it ironic that the first thing my family bought was (you guessed it) a selfie stick. Is my dad converted? Yes. Am I converted? Eh. I hate to admit it, but the selfie stick is kind of growing on me.

Besides the selfie stick, we also purchased three scarves (for 100 HKD might I add!!! Amazed at how affordable they were), a new work backpack for my dad, souvenir shirts for my grandpa, bag tags, etc. I have been very skeptical of buying fake bags but the sight of a fake Burberry backpack had me reconsidering. In the end, I stayed strong and walked straight ahead.

Featured: Top and Jeans, Zara // Scarf, thrifted // Puffer jacket, Uniqlo // Shoes, Converse // Boo, HK market (see previous post!!) // Canvas bag, American Apparel

And that concludes the third day of my Hong Kong adventures! I was meaning to post days three to five together, but with the amount of photos I've collected and the content I'd like to include, the post would have dragged out too much. I hope you enjoy today's post though! (Also, this is the first post of 2015!! So excited to see how the rest of the year unfolds.)

Before recapping the last two days of my trip, I might to a quick blogpost on all the things I've loved throughout the year of 2014 whilst having a go at flatlays. Let me know what you think! I must give credit where it is due, and the inspiration for came from an amazing individual and her lovely blog. I've been reading Kim Jones' blog recently and I thoroughly enjoyed the post in which she experiments with flatlays.

Thank you so much for reading, for your lovely comments and support, and I'll see you in the next post xx

- Justine

travel

travel journal - hong kong day 1 + 2

04:51

Winter break - the season of candle-lighting, hot chocolate-drinking, and traveling. (With, of course, a lot of extra sleep to recover from the stresses of final exams.) This year, my family and I spent our vacation in Hong Kong, a quick four hour flight away from Singapore.

Day 1

A thick layer of clouds

The majority of the first day was your average traveler's routine - head for the airport, browse the products at Duty Free, board the plane, watch a couple of movies (like the amazing Mazerunner film) and take a couple of plane pics, before finally reaching your destination.

The real highlight of my first day in Hong Kong was the night market! The one we visited was located at Fa Yuen street, and the entire stretch was lined with a multitude of little stalls offering shoppers with a wide selection phone cases, backpacks, shoes, and the likes. In the end, I was able to purchase a new set of pajamas, a backpack for traveling and a cream-colored boo, all with some bargaining.

The overall vibe of the market was incredible; standing on the walkways, I could feel the pulse of the streets beneath me (and it was a great photo spot). Hong Kong definitely has its own identity; from the array of overhanging neon signs to the tall, boxy apartments, I very much enjoyed my travels to this country.

Another highlight of the day was trying peking duck for the first time! Despite living in Asia, I've never tried the dish, but it turns out it's super yummy :-)

Note: major lack of food pics; like any other starving traveler, plane food was not enough to sustain me after a long day's worth of journeying, so I ditched the camera for a pair of chopsticks.

Today's Outfit

Topshop Cozy Pullover

Striped Tee (from the Philippines)

Uniqlo Black Ankle Jeans

White Converse (All-Stars)

Photos taken using Canon EOS 600D

Day 2

This was our first full day in Hong Kong, and the morning was definitely laid-back; a local food blogger had reviewed a popular cafe named Simplylife, so we thought we'd try it out! Although it was located inside a mall, the furniture, hanging planters and wide space definitely made up for it's unconventional location.

I ordered a brunch set that came with mushroom soup, eggs benedict and iced tea :-) Portion sizes were very generous and for the amount of food that was offered, the meal was definitely worth it.

Featured: Blouse, Editor's Market // Cream Pullover, Muji // Coat, Jeans and Shoes, Zara // Shoulder Bag, Coach

Christmas-colored rush hour!

Photos taken on Canon EOS 600D

Today's Outfit - see caption!

We spent the rest of the day strolling around the harbors, soaking up the lovely chilly weather unknown to Singapore (I even got to wear a coat!!) One of the shopping centers nearby included a rooftop garden, so my family and I enjoyed sitting a few stories above street level, taking in the Hong Kong skyline. We ended the day by returning to one of our favorite restaurants and embracing the lovely local cuisine.

Not as much shopping was managed today, but we did find a See's Candy store and couldn't help but purchase a box of chocolates and an assortment of hard candy (which I happen to be eating right now in the comforts of some sweat pants). Definitely feeling some post-trip depression, Hong Kong is an amazing country and I'm so glad I got the opportunity to go back.

Days 3-5 coming soon! Hope you enjoyed this lengthy post, and as always, feel free to comment or just say hi! :)

AND HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE TO ALL! 2015 is just 3 hours away for me, and I'm wishing everyone the best year yet xx

(So...a brief update)

Apologies and a massive thank you for those who've been patient and continued keeping up with my blog despite the two-month no show! Part of my new year's resolution is to post at least once per month, so I'll do my best to keep up. I'll spare you the details, but school has been a blogger's nightmare - endless hours of homework, long line-ups of tests and the works, keeping me far, FAR away from most form of social media (excluding mini Instagram speed-scroll sessions).

Again, thank you all so much for reading, and have an amazing year (it'll be a great one!)

- Justine

food

fast forward

04:26

The blogger hiatus is officially over *claps for self*

Hi everyone! I apologize for the lack of posts but last month, I officially started school again and as always, it's been more than just a little hectic.

But thank you for sticking around and for all your support, it's always lovely getting messages from you!

This Thursday was the official start of a long-awaited four day weekend, and for the first time in a long time, I was able to sleep in, wake up at 6:00, look at my watch, and go back to sleep for another 3 hours.

Today's post features an amazing restaurant/cafe/coffee shop all-in-one. Surrounded by lush greenery, HOUSE at Dempsey Hill serves everyone's favorite comfort foods, from classic American sliders to roast chicken with mashed potatoes. I met up with three friends to celebrate getting through our first month of 10th grade, and just to eat and shop as always :-)

The iced latte is highly recommended! It was perfect for a typical day in Singapore, because as much as I love the sun, it can get extremely hot and humid.

Thank you for stopping by! Sorry for the short post, but I hope you enjoyed it; feel free to comment as well! The next post will either be another style focus or an overview of what I've been up to since July. Don't forget to check it out :-)

- Justine

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