Packaging: the pull-tab of a chocolate bar

I’m impressed yet again by packaging for something as simple as a chocolate bar! Of course, it would be a Korean company to think of something clever like this… But is it ‘over-designed’? Did opening a chocolate bar really need such ‘innovation’ and rethinking? In reality, does adding this ‘simplification’ actually complicate the action of […]

Slick alcohol wet wipes

I’ve never seen wet wipes packaged like this before! And also never spent time to think of the possibility for improving such packaging received in restaurants. I’m liking the simplicity of this one found at a Japanese yakitori restaurant in Causeway Bay.

Reflections on 10 days in India

I wrote a very short email to a good friend soon after my trip to India; I now find myself referencing it to jog my memory. I should have recapped on this 10-day experience sooner, as I find my impressions and reflectiveness on the experience slipping away. I’ll avoid any details of planning or site […]

Take 5

The subway car I normally ride.

Flickr uploads from Yunnan Province

Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season :) The recent few days of public holiday in Hong Kong have been rather nice for the Christmas season. As a result, I’ve finally had the chance to do some end-of-the-year cleaning of photos. And I’ve gotten around to editing photos from all the way back in […]

Beijing’s got Cheese!

Again, apologies for the lapse in time before this post! Allow me to continue… Guess what?! You have no idea how exciting this is: you can find freshly made, artisinal cheese in Beijing! That’s right…fresh. And homemade. Once I heard about the Cheese Maker of Beijing, “Le Formargerie de Peking” or 北京布乐奶酪坊 earlier this year, I […]

a few photos

NanLuoGuXiang Chess:南锣鼓巷象棋 It’s been a while since I posted! Apologies! And this one is going to be short… just a few photos that I’ve taken in the past couple months that I quite like :) 抱歉我最近没写。。这个post也很短,只让你看看我这几个月拍的几张照片儿。我相当喜欢! Tianjin Snacks:天津小吃 Hutong Bikes near Lama Temple:胡同自行车在雍和宫附近

Happy Magic Water Park

Design friend @ssshaona posted a link to information about the new “Happy Magic Water Park” in Beijing. The Water Cube of the Beijing Olympic park has undergone renovations to be transformed into an indoor water park. After reading the blurb, more than 1 friend here in Beijing has mentioned of hearing the same! Looks like it […]

local HK charms from G.O.D

I posted about Goods of Desire in the past and here’s another great little take away that they’ve launched. It’s a great way to take a bit of Hong Kong home with you. Part of what makes the travel experience is the “charm”, character, and uniqueness to a place. These small souvenirs from GOD address […]

flickr uploads: food

Just a short note and update, since I don’t have internet set up at the new apartment yet! I’ll be uploading all food photos posted on my blog into a flickr album: Enjoy the archive here! And some photos previously posted from this summer below: 我只写一个短post因为在我新家还不能上网。现在我开始关于食品的照片会在flickr。 让你们看看 :)

DaShan: 大山

大山, DaShan, (Big Mountain) aka Mark Rowswell is a Canadian who started studying Mandarin in the mid-1980s and has about 40 episodes of a CCTV series titled ‘Communicate in Chinese.’ DaShan is quite well known by all Chinese as a caucasian who speaks Mandarin like a local. I’ve just started to listen to the episodes in the […]

GreenFest Boston

Starting tomorrow is GreenFest at Boston City Hall Plaza, running from August 19-21. Some key take aways from the website are simple: Drink tap water and use reusable containers, recycle, compost, and bike. Boston GreenFest celebrates the many ways we can create a better world by greening our lives and our communities. Among speakers, performers, […]

I love dim sum

Inspired by Luxirare‘s Dim Sum series… I had to give it a shot. But my photo skills just aren’t quite there…. Having a look at my series afterwards, the images don’t even come close in comparison to my inspiration. They just aren’t as interesting as I’d hoped. Perhaps the composition of the photos could be […]

table setting: name cards

This week I’ve been helping a very good friend with some details for her wedding tomorrow. For the table seating, we put together these lovely name cards (idea from Martha Stewart)! Sorry they’re only 1/2 finished in the photos below, but you can imagine how adorable they would be once they’re finished off with the […]

pee splash guard

Another funny Japanese product: pee splash guard for the bathroom. To prevent splashed pee and easy cleaning! Easy attachement and easy peeling off! Who knew that pee splash guards are actually a needed necessity?! Or that such a product even existed?? Although, it could be of use in college apartments that are often disgusting and […]

tiles or coasters?

Wow. What a way to make a buck. I saw these glass tiles in a Japanese Wal-Mart-like shop in San Francisco. But aren’t these just the same tiles we can find in home improvement shops? What does this say about consumers? Are they not creative enough or resourceful enough to think about repurposing glass tiles? […]

coffee corner

Dueling Starbucks and Peet’s coffee shops are located directly across the street from each other in the town of Alameda, CA (Bay Area). I’m sure it’s not the only corner in the area with multiple coffee shops. When two huge coffee chains open shop so close together, it certainly shows the presence of coffee culture. Coffee […]

streetfood: Boston’s Dog ‘n Claw

Dog ‘n Claw food stand at the New England Aquarium must be new! I didn’t have a chance to try the dogs, but the claws were definitely a refreshing summer snack, or small lunch! The roll is packed with chunks of lobster meat that’s light and refreshing, and just lobster (with mayonaise). With winters in Boston, we […]

Art Friday’s market

Original and handmade artistry has been showing and for sale every Friday in Downtown Crossing. The Art Friday’s market is open Fridays from 11am-6pm until October 1 on Summer Street. There’s some great, local works there from photography to pottery, jewelry, and bags. There’s music playing, tourists, and street performers; a great initiative by the […]