bb and mm took a short break at Singapore at the weekend just passed. It was fun. Very hot, but quite breezy and of course, we were smart to stay in shopping malls most of the times to enjoy the air-conditioning. : )

I'm told that the weather was awful locally whilst we were away. We were lucky.

We went to nearly all shopping malls that we could possibly get something for ourselves, but ended up getting nothing. The "Great Sale" was on, but we noticed that the stuff there were pretty old-fashioned and we haven't qutie got to that stage/age yet :P Ah yes, we bought food eg the very nice Pandan cake and mult-layer cake at the airport, and I bought 2 elephants from Jim Thompson.

We had wonderful food, from chicken rice, satay etc from hawker centres, to chilli crab at East Coast - yum yum! I was tempted to buy the chilli sauce and make chilli crab when I get back, but I stopped myself knowing that I may not get to that before the sauce expires ... ! :P

Met some of bb's mates - nice bunch.

Deadline fell on 1st day of our holiday - 7 June 2007 - Sigh.

It's been a while since I leave any trace here. Things have happened, of course, but I could not remember them all since I last wrote here without checking my diary and try to remember what happened then. The easier way is to say what happened recently, which to me, has been quite a bit.

My dad had a mild stroke and has been in hospital since beginning of November, and is still there. He's however out of town when that happened and his doctor has advised that he is not to be moved yet. My dad feels dizzy when trying to sit up and doctor said it's dangerous for him to be moved if he cannot even sit up in bed. So he cannot be transferred back here yet.

The worse news mum and us (his children) discovered his affair and apparently, he has a 10 year old son with this other lady! Considering it's my parent's Ruby anniversary (40 years) this year and my nephew will be 3 years old soon, the news is simply too hard to swallow, especially for mum. My brothers have been really good and I've just spent a long weekend away with her. I think she's better now but still, what's going to happen next? No one can tell.

Anyway, bb has been very good. I remember some time ago when I suspected my dad was having an affair, and was upset and cried, bb was always there. As always, she is there for me recently too, for which I'm grateful. We've known each other for so long, and we know each other's family pretty well that it saved me a lot of explanation and makes her understand the situation well. She's great!

It was amber rainstorm warning signal on the Tuesday evening just passed. Notwithstanding that, she kept her promise and stayed with me. I think she didn't do so to keep her promise; I think she knew I needed her and she made herself available to me. It rained so heavily and she had no umbrella that she got herself soaking wet from top to bottom, and her rucksack etc. Raining cats and dogs was an understatement. I felt I was so selfish, but I am truly grateful she came as I really needed her. I missed her a lot. We haven't had much time to ourselves recently, as the time we are available does not seem to coincide with the other's. I've been cutting back on Church duties. Hope I'll see her more often.

We'll be going away for a long weekend - yeah! The purpose of the trip is to visit my dad in the hospital so we probably would have to stay in town during our stay. Unfortunately, it's not a holiday for us, but for me, I get to spend time with bb. That itself is a blessing!

We went to Seoul for 4 days, between 4 and 9 April 2006. That covers both our birthdays and yes, that's our birthday trip!

We left here by a midnight flight on 5 April 2006, and got there by around 5am. Took the airport bus and got to Seoul by around 7am. It stopped right in front of the hotel (Sejong Hotel). Great! We were lucky and was able to check in and go to our room straight away without needing to pay extra!

We both thought the location of our hotel was great. It's at the back of Myung Dong and we could take a stroll after dinner. And we did.

1st day

We slept a bit on the plane and a bit more after we got to our room, since we thought the shops wouldn't be opened so early anyway. We started at around 10/11am, had lunch (bb took me to a nice place where they serve only 3 things - ginseng chicken, roast chicken and roast chicken set, I think) and looked around the area and also covered Namdaemum market. We had the famous barbecue for dinner. It was a eat-all-you-can dinner and we had the famous beef rib, beef and pork belly. Yum!

2nd day

Went to the famous Catholic church. When we got there, a wedding ceremony was taking place. All lights were lit. It's beautiful!

Then we took the City Tour bus. We did some investigation on the 1st day. It offers 3 routes - the Palace route (obviously it goes round all palaces), Downtown route (this covers the major tourists shopping areas and palaces) and a Night tour. We were going to go for Downtown route followed by the Night City route, but in the end, we only did the Downtown route. Sight-seeing a bit on the tour bus and went to Insa-dong where we had a wonderful brunch at a family-style restaurant. It's in a traditional Korean house so we got to experience eating in an Ondol - great and so was the food! We went to Changdeokgung Palace and joined the 3pm tour (you have to join a tour as that's the only way you can go in). That was nice too and we took some photos.

Then we took the City Tour bus and went to Itaewon. We didn't like it that much; there wasn't much to see and we stayed for about 30 minutes and took the next City Tour bus and went back to Myong Dong. We ate at a local fast food shop and I had my favourite bean curd soup set, while bb had beef in clear soup - Yum!

Poor bb's feet were hurting and mm gave her a short back massage when we returned to the hotel at the end of the day.

3rd day

We started with Namsan Traditional Korean Villege. There's a park adjacent to it and we walked around there too. We both thought it was good and enjoyed it immensely. It's fascinating to see the traditional Korean house.

Then we went to Insa-dong again - we both like it there! Got a few more things. Also covered Dongdaemum market - That's ok too. We dropped the shoppings at our hotel first before heading for another nice dinner - raw beef and "magic hot pot." After dinner, we walked around and tried the famous Korean Sauna. We both thought it was rather nice. :)

4th day

As we were leaving at around 4/5pm, we stayed around the area - Myung Dong/Namdaemum market. We had afternoon tea at a lovely teahouse we came across on the first day but we were too full then. It's famous for its green tea and we had a different one to try. It's very nice!

By around mid-day, we were both a bit bored as we have seen everything we wanted to see by then. In fact, we must have walked around the area 3/4 times! We decided to go to the airport earlier as we were pushed for something to do to kill the time.

We had early dinner at the airport. I had ginseng chicken again while bb had beef soup. Yum! The quality was even better than those we had in the last few days, and the price we thought were very reasonable!

We took the afternoon flight back and by the time we got home, it's already close to midnight.

A.O.B.

We had lots of snacks offered on the street. Yum! I reckoned I have put on a few pounds after this trip!

We also travelled by the local tube. It's quite convenient and easy to use. I found the local people very friendly. We agreed that they are probably somewhere between the Japanese and the Chinese i.e. not too pretentious and rather polite. We both like it there and thought it's a good short break. We'll probably go back again in future.

While we were there, we considered going to Lotte World and as it would take up a whole day, we thought we'll do that next time.

You can ski in Korea in the winter too ...

Yes, it's my birthday today and I think it's worth recording what I did today, so many years after, I can read back to myself. :)

My first date - Made an effort to attend the morning service at 7:15am at the local church. well, I was a bit late and by the time I got there, Father was preaching on that day's Gospel. The service finished at around 7:45am. I felt good after that.

Then went to Park n' Shop to get a few groceries. Got home and had some of the remaining dishes in my fridge. You see I'm flying tonight (midnight, 5 April 2006) and have to kill all parishable food in my fridge before then. Surfed a while, listened to Father Lok's preaching from the net, watched a bit of TV, then left to attend my second date - meeting Sister Catherine at St. Clare's.

Got there at around 11:30am. Mum was there already. She showed us around the newly decorated school. Wow, it's fantastic! We went to have dim sum lunch at Mum's favourite restaurant then we parted. I went to Catholic Centre to get a birthday card for Father Lok - It's his birthday on 6 April, 2 days after mine! :)

Then went home and wrote the card. It took me a bit of time to think about what to say in it plus a bit of time to draft it. After that was done, I started packing. didn't take me long. Soon after that, bb called and went through her checklist with me - smack!

Finished the rest of the food in the fridge, took a shower, changed and I was on my way to the airport!

During the day, I got several calls and various sms from my friends. One of those sms was from a friend at Sunday church. Nothing from sf, notwithstanding we met briefly this afternoon so that I could return a DVD to him. I don't think he has forgotten about it, but he has remembered it wrongly!

Called my teacher early in the morning to report on yesterday's interview with Father. She was happy for me and has kindly agreed to get the "distance learning" materials for me. I'm spoilt. :)

Had dim sum lunch with my parents and elder brother. He and his family has just returned from holiday in Europe. I was thrilled to see them, and was eager to spread the good news to them. Dad said I looked very happy. Yes, I was, and still am. :D

Dropped an email to the conductor to share the good news. Why him? Because my teacher has told him about it. If my skin is thick enough, I would have posted this good news on the service team's website and share the joy with others. I bumped into another member of service team. I was so happy that I hugged her and told her the good news.

Called sis (my ex-teacher) and told her the good news. She was very happy for me.

I also called my ex-secretary and shared the good news with her. She has agreed to be my Godmother if I couldn't get someone else.

bb of course couldn't escape the fate of listening to all my babbles. hee hee.

This is a very special Valentine's Day to me - that I would have the love of God. Something I believe will change me.

bb and I went out for dinner. We had a Japanese restaurant in mind but when we got there, it was packed and there was a queue waiting outside it. We went to a local tea house that serves portugese food. Food was nice. I enjoyed it. It's not expensive, but it's not the cost that counts. It's the company that matters.

Because it's Valentine's Day, even sf called me. We wished each other a Happy Valentine's Day.

I feel very special and privileged today. Feel so much love around me. I'm a lucky girl. :)

Because my brain was stuffed with so much love, I couldn't concentrate and didn't do any work today. Oops. Will try to get in earlier tomorrow to deal with them. The idiot boss bought each of us a box of heart-shaped chocolate from Cova and a small card, wishing us a Happy Valentine's Day. What's wrong with him??!

We found a nice vineyard in Central Otago when we were in NZ last December 2005. It's called Olssens. We tried samples of their wines, b.s. a bit and bought 2 bottles of Jackson Barry 2002 or 2003 (I can't remember) (NZ 37.50 each), 2 bottles of Riesling (or was it Gurtzetraminer?) and 2 bottles of Verjuice (about NZ 10). The Jackson Barry were so nice that even a non-alcholic like me enjoyed it very much and would pour for myself ! The Verjuice is basically vinegar for salads or as marinades.

The lady who served us was very nice too. The lady told us they also export their wines including here. I just tried the number she gave me for the local wine seller but was told that they don't have it. They might have it before but not anymore. So I dropped the vineyard an email to ask about $$$ to buy from them directly e.g. shipping cost, tax, etc. Hope the price is tempting enough for me/us to go ahead. If so, I may get a few boxes. They are nice to drink ourselves and are good as gifts when visiting friends. :)

There were scrulptures in their garden and we spent some time there, taking pictures.

My friend Emily is going to NZ in Jan 2006 and asked for my advice on itinerary, motels, and so on. She only had a week, flying from Sydney. She wanted more to do with nature, rather than shopping. I recommended the south island and I gave her a summary of where we went and stayed in south island. Here is the email I sent her today. It's repeated here because it serves as a good summary.

*************************************************

The costal scenic route in south island I had in mind is this: http://www.newzealand.com/travel/destinations/themed-highways/southern-scenic-route/southern-scenic-route_home.cfm We really wanted to go, but we didn't have enough time. We said if we go back, we'll do that route.

We stayed at the following motels in the South island:

Dunedin - Portobello. We like this very much and ranked this as the best of all motels we stayed in NZ. We didn't think the photos on its website have done them justice.

Queenstown - Colonial Village. This is a definite *no* ! We didn't like it at all and were glad to get out.

Franz Josef - Alpine Glacier. This is pretty good. The units are recently renovated. The owners were very nice and friendly, the best we have met in NZ. They gave us good tips as to which heli-hike tour offered best guide that we should join.

Christchurch - Milano. This is very nice and the owners were friendly too. There wasn't much to do at Christchurch and we did a day trip to Kaikoura for whale watching, which was great !

The owners at Alpine Glacier told us that they also travelled within NZ. Their advice is not to stay with motels with the Bella Vista chain as the rooms/units are small. Our own observation is that you should try to avoid big chains including Scenic Circle, especially if you are going in January, which I think is high season for NZ. We saw many Asian tours/coaches and they all stay with the big chains, presumably because they would have enough units to accomodate the entire tour !

Similarly for Milford Sound. We went on a cruise with a smaller "boat" than the large ones and we were glad we did. The large one (e.g. The Red Cruise which is fairly well-known) was packed with tour groups!

As for the car, we got it from Ezi-rent.

Do you or your friend have an ipod? We got a Tune Cast Auto for iPod which worked great and gave us many hours of pleasurable music!

It fell on afternoon/evening of 17th Dec, the second day we were in Franz Josef after our heli-hike ...

It was disappointing and bb was saying "how inconvenient!" As it turned out, it was good as it's all cleared on the last evening we were in Rotorua and we shared a jacuzzi ...

Another example that humans are too foolish to understand God's plan!

Here's the link to weather in New Zealand- very good site. If you place your cursor above the name of the town, it gives you the weather in that town.

It's my second day of annual leave. I took yesterday and today off. but I was in office for both days. Not only that, the plan was to take advantage of the previous Sat off, so I would have 4 days of holidays - a long weekend. That was ruin by my boss, who made me go into the office on Sat afternoon, claiming that he wanted to discuss the case with me, and that discussion took less than 10 minutes!

Called my brother today. He confirmed that his video camcorder had been repaired. When I asked him if I could borrow it, he said yes on the basis that it would be the same. The way it came out was odd, and it took me a little while to understand he was trying to say that don't break it, or he'll break my neck. Stupid and slow of me ??!

Can't believe we are off next Saturday to our trip that has been planned a few months ago - yeah! I've been thinking of what needs to be done, bought and brought today ...

Did a bit of shopping this evening. Had a shop in mind that I wanted to visit but didn't find it in the shopping mall close to where I live. Could it be that it doesn't have a branch at that mall?? But me being me, I still managed a few new items. Nothing fanciful. Just a few cotton pullovers that could go with suit or with jackets for casual wear. They are cheap - like around 3 quid each. Can't beat that, right?

sf called this afternoon. blamed me for not doing research for him. what's new??! he always blames me, for whatever. my reply? "Whatever!" :D he said let's meet tomorrow afternoon. I told him I have a telecon early afternoon and have a seminar at 6:30pm. He said we'll meet at 5:30pm, he'll call me then. I said ok. Let's see how that turns out.

I saw an ad. It's recruiting for permanent magistrate. funny enough, the ad also said if hired, it'd be for 3 years. so it's not permanent?? then my smart brother told me the structure is that initially 3 years contract. upon satisfactory performance, it'll be extended for another 3 years. And upon satisfactory performance of the extended 3 years, then, you'll become permanent.

In any event, I'm very interested in that position. I'll put in an application soon. The problem is I need to come up with the reason why I want to join the judiciary. Why? It's always been my aspiration.

These days I feel more relaxed, and generally happy. feel like up in the clouds. feel unreal. Why? A side of me is looking forward to a new chapter in a new country when I'll tact along with bb. It's a mistery to me. I heard a lot about that country, that particular town. But I've never been, and the huge uncertainty is whether I'll like it there, if I'll be able to get a job, and if so, what to do?? My working skills are portable, but not so portable. The other side of me would like to join the judiciary, if I get hired. Well, both are not real yet. I'll cross the bridge when it comes, in the meantime, I'll dream on!

Dunedin - Portabello. All booked.

Queenstown - 1. Colonial; 2. Vacation villas; 3. Lakeside

Franz Josef - 1. Alpine Glacier; 2. Matheson; 3. Bella vista

Christchurch - 1. Milano; 2. Amross; 3. southern comfort

Rotorua - 1. Midway; 2. Coachman

Auckland -- Kingsgate

Found it! Or rather, them! Yes, I found two:

1. Maporama
This one is useful for going from one two to the other e.g. from Dunedin to Queenstown. It gives you the fastest time (assuming an average speed at 61km/hour) together with the suggested route with breakdown of details. Very handy.

2. Wises map

This one seems to give you the routes within a city or a town, although I'm yet to surf more on it.

We've been looking for something equivalent to Mapquest. How wonderful, now we've found it!

Golden View Motel

NZ 125

Note: One of Best Western Hotel

BreakFree The Lofts

NZ 144

BreakFree The Point

NZ 120

Note: Both BreakFree accomodation are resorts.

Colonial Village Motels

Reply: We have a studio available with a queen and single bed, bathroom, cooking facilities, heating, electric blankets, TV, balcony and great views of the lake and mountains for NZ$110 per night. We are situated on the main road into Queenstown, approximately 1-2 minutes drive or 10-15 minutes walk to the town.

Lakeside Motel
Reply: We would have available an upstairs studio unit for the dates requested.
The rate is NZ$129 per night. The unit has a full cooker and a microwave.

Turner Heights Townhouses
We have a 1 bedroom apartment available for your required
dates. It has a full kitchen, lounge area, ensuite shower and toilet and a
great view. We have off street parking if you have a vehicle.
The rate for our 1 bedroom apartments is $145 per night based on 2 persons.

Glen-Roydon Lodge

Autoline Motel
Currently we have availability for the date(s) you require as follows:
Studio unit with kitchen NZD105 per night including tax
1 Bedrrom unit with kitchen NZD135 per night

Autoline Motel is an older style motel consisting of 11 spacious studio, one bedroom and 2 bedroom units and rated 2 STARS. It is only 8 minutes walk to the town centre. All units have fully equipped kitchens [including oven and frig but no microwave] and ensuite with shower and toilet. Complex facilities include a coin operated guest laundry, off street parking and activities booking desk. Please note that Autoline Motel reception is now located at Hurleys of Queenstown which is next door to Autoline.

Vacation Villas Queenstown
NZ 115
Comments: looks pretty good and within budget; lake and mountain view; and a second TV in the bedroom ...

Shades of Arrowtown
NZ 130 with kitchen

Lomond Lodge
Enquiry made.

Melbourne Motor Lodge
Enquiry made.

bbmm went out for dinner tonight - fish head hotpot lah - and so expensive!! wonderful bb paid, and mm feels a little guilty ...

after din din, we returned to our respective homes (yeah, respective homes, sadly). mm went to a book store and looked up travel books for NZ. This hotel in Auckland sounded quite nice and appears to be within our budget:

Kingsgate Hotel Parnell
For the day we want - NZ 112.50
Apparently this is part of a group of hotels. mm will check out other destinations later :P

Ascot Parnell Hotel
This is nice too but too expensive lah :)

Best Western Midway Motel Rotorua
NZ 115 (1-bedroom)

Palm Court Motor Inn
Reply: We have a studio available at $125 per night or a 1 bedroom at $145 per night. Prices include GST Tax and both units have cooking facilities.

Coachman Motor Inn
Studio NZ 105 (or upstairs for NZ 125)

Ascot on Fenton
NZ 90 or $95 for 21 to 23 Dec 2005 (Labour weekend)

Ann's Volcanic Rotorua
Enquiry made.

Best Inn Rotorua
(Found this in a travel book. It says it's run by a Japanese. But can't find its website. Will look it up in agents :) )

Kingsgate Hotel Rotorua
NZ 118

755 Regal Court Motel
Enquiry made. Ref: JJIMXFNITR

Alhambra Oaks Motor Lodge
Reply: We have a studio @ $130.00 per night, this has 2 single beds, microwave, jug, toaster etc, Sky TV, bathroom has a shower seperate shower.

Harington Village Point Motel
Reply: we could offer you either a twin or a double self contained cottage. Everything is supplied including linen. The rate would be $96.00 per cottage per night. The weather will be nice in December and the Peninsula has a lot to offer. We are directly across the road from the beach and very close to all wildlife attractions. If you decide to stay with us, please confirm with creditcard details, this is not charged in advance but held to secure your booking.

Comment: a bit out of the way from central Dunedin, but it's on the Otago Penninsula, and the beach is within walking distance, you would be closer to nature and wildlife.

Portobello Motel
- can book you a studio unit with two single beds for those dates, cost $110 per night.
Need credit card details to confirm booking.

97 Motel Moray
- We have available standard studio units (Double - King or Queen bed or Twin beds) at $NZ97.50 per night. We also have executive / honeymoon studio units (Double - King bed) at $NZ120 and one bed-roomed suites ranging from $NZ130 to $NZ150 per night.

- Although we do not have full cooking facilities, all our units have the same style kitchenette facilities consisting of, fridge, toaster, jug, microwave, cutlery and utensils. Each unit has it's own ensuite bathroom, with standard units having either a walk in shower or a shower over the bath. The executive units are larger, having a larger bathroom with a separate shower and a two person bath and a 29" TV.

- We do have a Continental Breakfast available. The cost is $4.50 per person in our downstairs breakfast room or $6.50 per person delivered to your room the night before.

- Our Motel is situated right in the centre of Dunedin. Only 2 minutes walk from the Dunedin Information Centre, and a great selection of cafes, restaurants, bars and our shopping centre.

Alcala Motor Lodge
NZ 93 (+NZ 5 for 1-bedroom)

Garden Motel
We are pleased to say that we have availability for the nights that you require. We can accommodate you in either a large studio unit with 1 king and 1 single bed in the living area. The
unit has shower and toilet. The cooking facilities include bench top oven, hotplates, microwave, electric frying pan, toaster & electric kettle. The tariff for this unit is NZ$99 per night for up to 2 people staying plus $17 for each additional person *or* a spacious 1 Bedroom Suite with queen bed in the bedroom and 2 single beds in the lounge area. Toilet with wet area (easy access) shower en suite to main bedroom. Dining area and kitchen that includes oven, microwave, electric frying pan, toaster and electric kettle. The tariff for this unit is NZ$127 per night for up to 2 people staying plus $17 for each additional person.

- All of our units have telephone plus TV with 6 SKY Digital Satellite
channels and 5 terrestrial channels.

- We have ample off-street parking for all units.

Some useful links:

New Zealand Online Tourism

Discount Travel Card

Holiday Guide New Zealand

Accomodation in New Zealand

Travel and Tourism Resources

Trip Advisor

Supermarket Shopping Guide
This website have information about shopping, including which supermarket offers best value for money! It also offers other useful information about New Zealand, for example, living in NZ, NZ estate agent guide, finding a job, and even salaries ! It says according to The New Zealand Consumer's Association (which carries out regular surveys of supermarkets), for a typical family they currently report that the cheapest stores are Pak'N Save branches in Wellington.

For a typical basket of groceries, Woolworths is generally around 15 percent more expensive than Pak'N Save. The two main supermarket groups in New Zealand are:

The Countdown / Woolworths / Foodtown / 3 Guys chains / Big Fresh / Price Chopper chains.

Pak'N Save / New World / Four Square chains.

It also says:

- Woolworths is the winner for pleasurable shopping. The Woolworths shops are laid out more spaciously and tend to be quieter than the others, probably because their prices are higher.

- Countdown stores are slightly less spacious, a bit busier (and a bit cheaper).

- Pak'N Save is generally busy - it's known jokingly as "Push'N Shove" - and has a lower standard of décor, with bare concrete floors.

- In Woolworths and Countdown, shop assistants pack your bags for you. In Pak'N save, you pack your own.

Note: New Zealanders don't like it when foreigners tell them their accents are the same as Australians'! mm need to be careful lah - ha haa haaa!

New Zealand Reservations
Covers: Accomodation, Activities, Food & Wine, and so on.

Fox Glacier

Riverstone B&B Glacier
NZ 130 - 150

Rainforest Motel
Fully booked for our period.

Te Weheka Inn
NZ 310 for double/twin incl. breakfast.

Comment: Really nice, but way out of budget - saving this reference for later. :)

The Westhaven Motel

- Tariff : NZ$185.00 per night Inc GST

- Accommodation : Executive studio with queen bed, private bathroom with shower and bath, microwave kitchenette, underfloor heating and sky television (cable television).

- Units have internet access for your own computer outlet from your room, the price for this approx 10-15 cents per minute. Also, kitchenette's which entail a microwave for your cooking.

- Traveling time from Queenstown to Fox Glacier is 4.5hours drive

- Complex opened in October 2002 right in the heart of the Fox Glacier Village, so close to the cafe's, shops and tour operators. Our units are stylish, modern, clean and comfortable. Both the Fox Glacier and the world famous reflective Lake Matheson are just minutes away.

- Cancellation Policy : Your booking is not secure until credit card details
are provided . We require 48 hours notice of cancellation to incur no
charge.

- Attractions : We offer a free booking service for guided glacier walks and
scenic flights.

****************************************************************

Franz Josef

Punga Grove
Studio NZ 170

Glenfern Apartment
NZ 180

Alpine Glacier Motel
Queen studio NZ 110

Lake Matheson Motel
NZ 80 - 130

Glacier Gateway
Double Studio NZ 120

Bella Vista Motel

- Tariff per night is NZ$ 135.00. We have a three day cancellation policy. We
will forward you the full details of this on confirmation of booking.

- a Standard Studio available which has a queen. The ensuite bathroom has a heated towel rail, basin and a shower. The Studio has a microwave kitchenette with sink, fridge, kettle, toaster, coffee plunger, tea pot, cutlery and crockery. The rooms are heated by electric heating. Also in room ironing facilities, radio alarm clock, direct dial phone, dial up internet access and TV (sky). We have a coin operated guest laundry available for you your use on site.

- located in the heart of Franz Josef Village within two minutes walk of all restaurants and services.

Franz Josef Glacier Bed and Breakfast
NZ 100 - 150

Follow up with enquiry

Glacier View Motel
Studio NZ 135

Other links - NZ Tourism Online - Fox and Franz Glacier Accomodation

Milano Motor Lodge

A studio unit with queen size bed and kitchenette @$120.00 per night or a one bedroom unit with a queen and single bed, a double spabath, kitchenette and two tv's/dvds @ $139.00 per night.

The above tariffs do not include breakfast, however a continental breakfast is available for $9.50. The office shuts at 9.30pm, but if you are arriving late we may be able to make other arrangements and there is plenty of off road parking at the motel complex.

Country Glen Lodge

We have a studio unit available for the above days. The tariff (inc. GST) is $130.00 NZ.
A one bedroom unit has a bedroom and with a separate lounge all of our units have their own ensuite's. The tariff for a one bedroom unit is $140.00 NZ
If you would like to secure this unit could you please send a credit card number and expiry date of the card, as this will guarantee your booking.

We have a secure booking page on our web site at www.glenlodge.com. On receiving your card details, we will send conformation of your booking and a reservation number.

Yes we have plenty of car parks.

Sherborne Motor Lodge

Apollo Motel

Raceway

Southern Comfort Motel

A studio with queen bed costs $105/night.
A studio spa costs $120/night.
Breakfast is extra.
Off street car parking is available at no additional charge

Our prices include all taxes.

City Centre Motel

The price is $NZ112 per night for studio unit.
$140 for a larege 1 bedroom with queen bed in the bedroom and single bed in the living area

The motel is ideally located in the inner city, just a few minutes walk from Cathedral Square, the Town Hall, Convention Centre Arts Centre and Casino. We provide quiet clean,comfortable accommodation in spacious tastefully decorated rooms.

We have a bus stop at the door and provide free parking and free luggage storage.

Amross Court Motel

The tariff for a one bedroom unit with queen bed and single bed is $115.00 GST Incl. per night.
The tariff for a studio is $110.00 per night with a queen bed.
Breakfast is not included in the tariff but is available.
Our units have internet connection, charged on a dial up system.

This year, we shall be going to New Zealand for our big holiday - for two weeks - yeah! We have this plan some months ago. What's even better is that we'll be away for 2 weeks, and when we come back, we'll still have a few days of public holiday to relax. We were going to go a week earlier, but because of my stupid boss, we had to postpone it for a week, but ha haa - it fits even better!

There are so many places we want to go, and so many things we want to do, but there's so little time. Yes, we could have also gone for those public holidays, but our families are here, and for that few days extra, the flight ticket would be doubled. We, being Aries, so practical, went for the cheaper one. :P

Flight tickets have been booked. We are working on accomodations and car rental. The plan is Auckland - Dunedin - Queenstown - Fox Glacier - Christchurch - Rotorua/Waitomo cave - Auckland.

I made a few enquiries with accomodations in Queenstown and Christchurch. They will be posted separately.

I was saying to bb - I am very very excited about our trip and wish it comes sooner. On the other hand, we'll be going away for two weeks only and once it starts, it will end fairly quickly, so may be I'll wait a bit more, and dream longer ...

I found a website of a company that could tailor made holidays in New Zealand. That website also offers a few sample iterneries. One of them is called "Midlife Adventure" and (without admission!), could be a useful reference.

PS Did you notice that I managed to put a link to the words, but not the link to the website addresses??!!

I am in the office and haven't done much since I came back this morning - attended a short internal meeting and dealt with a few administrative matters. That's all.

But on a personal side of things, I managed to fit in a few bits - (i) spoke to my friend here re dinner tonight (ii) organised dinner with two other friends - purpose of which is to introduce them to each other. why? because one of them would start a new job similar to that of the other and want to get some tips. (iii) spoke to our financier re investment (iv) spoke to travel agent re bbmm next trip - yeah! (v) surfed on internet re route to take in New Zealand. This page talks about a food and wine in New Zealand: http://www.newzealand.com/travel/about-nz/culture/new-zealand-wine-and-food/new-zealand-food-and-wine.cfm

And yes, we need to plan to make sure we'll go pass those places - to the extent we can fit them in! I have also found a few driving routes that are of interest. Let me look closer at them and will report later, ok? Very excited even thinking about it.

On the work side, I'm already planning ahead and started doing things that would be due when I'm away - to make sure I don't have to re-schedule bbmm holiday again (yes, it has been postponed for one week because of work, and bb was (as always) very understanding.) And I think she deserves another *smack* !

It's going to be New Zealand - yeah! Neither of us has been and other than the hot weather we are slightly concerned, I think we both are looking forward to go there!

We have 2 weeks and we plan to visit both North and South islands. I think I found the website for New Zealand that's equivalent to the aussi one we used earlier this year, with suggested driving route which we took and enjoyed immensely !! Here it is (I'll try doing this as a link that if you click on it, it will bring you to the website, so you don't have to copy and paste. Let's see if it works.):

http://www.newzealand.com/travel/
(No! It's not working. I had it worked a moment ago, then I thought I'll do it again as practice, but I could not get it work again!!!)

PS I just got it to work now, and that makes me happy :) And I feel I have learnt something from bb. She taught me how to do it some time ago, but this is the first time I have put it to practice :)

bbmm went south today - still staying in sydney, but going south for the day. went to shell harbour first, nothing to see and we just stopped by the information centre and used the washroom before moving onto kiama, a place which both bbmm agreed it looked and felt very much like westgate in uk! shared a hot seafood platter for 2 - two fried fish (can't remember what they were, not even sure we know what they were actually - oops!), two fried scallops, two fried squid or something (can't remember again) and two fresh oysters. bbmm agreed the oysters they had in sydney fish market is better, but atmosphere in kiama was good. It's very relaxing - well, it felt like westgate in uk - what do you expect??! ha haa haaa!

came back to sydney for din din. went to king's cross, walked around but saw nothing of interests. thought about getting some take away and eat in hotel then bbmm can enjoy the Traminer from yesterday. then bb came up with a brilliant idea - Harry's de Wheel. they sell only pies and hot dogs. it comes with mashy potatoes and peas. what they did was they placed a generous portion of mashed potatoes on top of the pie first, followed by another generous portion of mashed garden peas. they depressed the centre of that a bit and filled it with gravy. bbmm had a meat and a veggie pie respectively (but of course, they shared their pies!) by the river that's next to the stall. the weather was mild and no rain that evening. And bbmm enjoyed that very much. the gravy was well made - the english usually make the gravy very thick - or may be it's been heated or re-heated for a long time - the one bbmm had was just right and not too salty. just right for bbmm, or perhaps mm is biased because anything with bb will be good and enjoyable!

after that, they returned to the hotel where they started packing as they are moving north tomorrow, and had a nice and peaceful evening.

PS this blog was started on the time recorded, but finished on April 1, 2005, at 8:14pm whilst mm is waiting for her colleague to return to the office so that she could speak to her about something that needs to go out that evening.

April 4 2005

It's mm's birthday! mm woke up and bb was next to her, saying happy birthday to her already. nothing is better than that.

after they had breakfast at hotel (and been to the washroom!), they set out for port stephens, headed for Nelson Bay. it's some distance from sydney. bb was driving fast, "occasionally" breaking the speed limit. they got there by about 12:30pm; not bad. booked ticket for 1:30pm trip that's going to last one and a half hour, then went to have fish and chips before they boarded the cruise. it's AUS 19 each. mm thought it's cheap, as she expected it'd be more expensive than that.

as to the fish and chips, mm had sword fish and bb had catch of the day. mm's was more expensive but bb's fish turned out to be more fresh and tasty. mm's fish didn't have the usual sword fish flavour. price was not cheap but modest. bbmm both thought their batter was good. neither of them liked fish and chips in uk. their batter was usually not crispy, oily and rather thick. the aussi did it well. it tasted light and crispy and bbmm enjoyed that.

it was windy and it rained a bit. the sea was rough at times. on the cruise there was a korean tour group plus a few others. the korean were great! they provided excellent entertainment. when there were waves and the boat was tossed up and down, they screamed and laughed, and you can tell they were really enjoying the cruise and were having a good time. it rained a bit when we were on board, although not heavy rain. two korean ladies brought a towel they probably borrowed from the hotel and were covering their heads with it! some of their actions were caught on video. just have to wait a bit to see that as bb would have to upload the photos and video clips onto here. probably for the full first half hour/45 mins bbmm were amused by the roller coaster and the korean tour, and just being together. it was not until the cruise turned back to Nelson Bay that they started to spot some dolphins. well, it's the staff who spotted them and pointed them out. Initially, we only saw them at some distance and there's no way of capturing them in photo or video. later, they saw dolphins at a closer distance but still not as close as you see them on tv and films - that in a warm sunny day they swim next to you or your boat. but we saw quite a few of them, so that's some consolation lah.

after cruise, bbmm walked around there and mm took some photos - here they are. Before they headed back to sydney, they booked hotel for their 4th evening in aussi. mm was particularly fussy and difficult with hotel and that day, but bb was nice and let her off. on their way back to sydney, they stopped by a winery. they thought it would had been closed as it was getting late - in aussi terms, as it was only around 5pm. bb said aussi closed early. when they got there, it's still open and they got lucky. the lady owner served them. she's really nice. she let them try the Reiseling, Chadonnay and Traminer. having tasted the Traminer, mm said it tasted and smelled very much like Gwutzertraminer in Alsace. the lady said yes, that's what it's meant to be, only that the aussi call it Traminer, taking only the latter half of the same word. bbmm were told that whereas the New Zealander call it Gwutzer ie taking the former part of the word. how funny! eventually, bbmm bought 2 bottles of Traminer, but the lady also gave them the Traminer they were having for their enjoyment! the shop was closing, the lady said she likes chadonney best, plus she also has Reisling. just can't finish all of them. how very nice of her. :)

so bb drove all the way back from port stephens to sydney. as said above, it's a long drive and other than the stop at the winery, bb didn't stop at all. mm got worried, but bb insisted on driving mm back to sydney. mm was so worried that at one stage, mm was mad about bb being so stubborn. then bb explained that she insisted because it's mm's birthday and she take mm "home." then mm realised how stupid she'd been and apologised. And bb has a big heart!

bb let mm chose for dinner. mm asked to have thai and left the choice of restaurant to bb. they went to this area in sydney called paddington. yes, paddington, just like in london. they walked around the area, looking for a nice thai but nothing seems appealing. whilst they were walking around, they noticed an Indian restaurant was offering lamb shank. both bbmm liked lamb, and that sounded good. initially they resisted that as they had set their heart to thai. but having looked around, they didn't see anything particularly appealing and eventually they settled for that Indian restaurant only to find that lamb shank was not available that evening - tough luck! they ordered 3 (or was it 4) dishes, 2 of them were vegetables, one of them was lamb, plus two naan. bb had a beer. they enjoyed the food, but not the service. to start with, it's more than apparent that the waiter's trousers had longed needed a wash; the table cloth was not entirely clean; after dinner when mm went to the washroom, on her way there, there was this huge rubbish bin that's unsighting and sick! couldn't remember exactly the issue about the ladies, but it wasn't exactly great experience either. when mm told bb about the rubbish bin, bb said she didn't see it when she went to the ladies after they arrived at the restaurant. yes, admittedly, they were the last table and seems that the restaurant was waiting for them to leave so that they could close for business for the day, but even so, they could not just left that bin there!

ah! there was an issue on that day that must be mentioned, as that sort of ruined bbmm's day. mm came up with the idea of taking a looking at the office of her firm's branch in sydney and similarly, ww firm's office in sydney. not that she's going to go *into* the office but rather, just to have a better picture of where the buildings were. she didnt' bring any of those addresses. so she sent sms to her secretary. it took that secretary a long time to get back to mm and before that, mm got a sms from ww questioning mm's intention of asking for his firm's address! And that's where it all started. mm was furious, very unhappy! she figured out what happened was that her secretary got her sms, then thought mm would be going into ww's office to meet with his boss (as mm's firm has been trying to get business from them) by passing ww, so she tipped off ww and didn't respond to mm's sms! mm was furious because of ww thought mm would be so indiscreet, and because her secretary had *betrayed* her like that! that girl can't be trusted! then, mm had to send sms to ww to explain the intention etc etc and then ww called to apologise etc. the whole thing was just so unnecessary. mm said she could understand from ww's point of view and in fact, he should never had been troubled. it's all her secretary's indiscretion. mm said she'll speak to her secretary when she's back. ww, who is a good friend of her secretary and obviously felt that he had to protect her as she did all that for him, asked mm not to blame her secretary etc. mm actually said to ww that she was disappointed that ww had seen mm in that light - that mm would be that indiscreet; mm had thought ww should know her well enough to know that she won't do something stupid. Anyway, that kind of spoilt mm's birthday.

but good bb won't let that happen lah. she made it up to mm later - they had nice dinner, even taking into account of the above; she took mm to a ride around the city, took her to see those buildings and took pictures with her. mm was happy again.

ah yes, during the day, mm had received sms from her friends wishing her happy birthday. But until around 8pm, mm still hasn't received good wishes from sf, so mm "reminded" him and eventually, she got her message. sf insisted that he didn't forget. mm was so thick skin lah! sf said "what thick skin? only cuteness!" ha haa haaa!

PS Another long entry started yesterday, finished at 11am, April 12, 2005 - yes, mm did it during office hour, as again she has nothing better to do!

first day back in office - did nothing! more accurately, there's nothing to do!! there's not much progress on the case for which mm's boss hinted that mm should cancel or postpone her holiday - yes, he did hinted. When he heard there was some hiccup with bbmm's holiday, he said "you may want to postpone it for a week" and left mm's office. It's all in the delivery! - anyway, that was ignored; mm played stupid and did not understand. mm's glad she did because she had a *great* time with bb in Australia - yeah!

bbmm went to sydney together in 1999. they did not think much about holiday-ing in australia. But the trip they just had had changed their minds. now, they want to go back for more holidays, and may even retire there! They went for a week: from 2 to 10 April 2005. bought a quantas package going to sydney including 3 nights hotel accomodation with breakfast at Four Seasons, returning from Brisbane. That costs around HK$7,400, inclusive of travel insuranace. Here's a summary of the fun they had.

Day 1 - HK to Sydney

Day 1 started on 2 April 2005. They took the evening flight, flied with quantas, arrived in sydney around 8am the following day, April 3. the package they bought included hotel transfer, so they waited for the transfer to arrive. got to hotel, checked in, took showers and by about 10:30/11 am, they were ready to explore the area. They took showers at the same time. well yes, there's different from having a shower together. the bathroom has a bath and a separate shower - see?! that was a good suggestion/arrangement: mm usually takes much longer to have her shower, then to put cream on ... etc. so that shortened the time or lengthened the time they have to explore the city.

First thing first: need to pick up their car from hertz. there's little story to tell about that. the booking was made on the internet. usually, that's bb's job so bb went ahead and made booking, guaranteed it with her credit card and gave her hertz discount no., assuming that she'll be given the best deal. then she reported all that to mm and gave her the confirmation no. mm being mm and a typical lawyer, went to the internet and checked. not that to see if anything is wrong with the booking, but to see what cars are available. when she's on that website, mm being mm again, put all information in but this time without the discount no. to see if bbmm had been given the best deal. usually, you would expect that to be given, but mm was surprised by the result she was given: she was quoted some AUS100 less than what bb was quoted and reserved. she called bb. they discussed it, then mm went to the web and reserved with the lower quote and cancelled bb's booking. but that's car companies - not to be trusted when you are told you have been given a discount. you never know - you may end up paying less than if you have a discount card!

back to the trip. they got to hertz, told that no cars are available for the category they reserved so they were offered a car in the next category up. the only difference is that what they reserved was a manual car, and they ended up having an automatic. same brand, same model, possible same colour - white. It was a Nissan Pulsar, 4 doors, white, automatic, no sunroof (not a standard or usual gadget, don't know why considering their good weather), CD player, and a car boot. bbmm is smart this time: they brought CDs. And many thanks to bb for choosing and going through the trouble of downloading those wonderful songs onto disks. smack!

The car is nice. it was able to accelerate pretty quickly and that's good when you were stopping at traffic light and know that after those lights, 3 lanes will become 2, because that would give you a headstart. it also has a "special feature" as bbmm found out later in their trip: the car tends to slow down and/or had difficulty when going up hill, even when it's already running on highways! that reminded bbmm of the white escort they rented back some years in uk. could it had been a car rented from hertz too?? there may be good and/or security reason for it, but that's just beyond bbmm.

the first place bbmm headed to was the famous sydney fish market. bbmm had separately been thinking about their lunch without telling the other. when bb suggested it to mm, mm said she thought of that too. great minds! bbmm had a go at the seafood. they really tried! between them, they had a dozen pacific oysters (they were the most expensive types available in the fish market - some AUS 13 for a dozen, which was about HK$78 ie cheap), a lobster and 1 kg large prawns. For drinks, bb went for a beer (it was hot that afternoon) and mm went for diet coke to recharge herself with a good caffein dose! she slept a bit on the plane, but not well. bb likewise. all those came to some AUS 50 (bb is that right?) and that's a real bargain.

they sat at one of the tables outside the covered market, next to the harbour. that was a very hot day, and was very sunny. for some odd reason, the table was made with metal with an umbrella, but bbmm were practically sitting under the sun with their backs facing the sun. their drinks got warmed up pretty quickly. the table was shared with 2 couples, they knew each other. after a while, they left and before bbmm were able to take their seats (because that would get them away from the sun and that was really hot), they were occupied by two guys. those guys knew each other, but they did not speak to each other for the first 15 minutes or so. in the meantime, bbmm continued enjoying their really fresh seafood and bb's much loved lobster and mm with her head down tackling her half of the lobster, when one of those guys said "nice day, isn't it?" mm didn't answer as she thought he was speaking to the other guy. a few seconds later, bb said "yes" and only then, mm realised that the question was directed to them! oops! that's a very memorable event too in that when people chat up bbmm, mm usually do the talking whilst bb keeps cool, but not that time!

later, bbmm reckoned that those 2 guys probably know each other through business, and the Amercian may be visiting sydney and the other guy who sounded local took him out. but you would have thought that for business lunch/meals, you would take the guess to a restaurant, and there's a good and not too expensive restaurant at the fish market. but the American guy was apparently taken to the ordinary fish market, may be the idea was to let him feel the vibrant in the area, and eat whilst you protect yourself and your food against the hungry and persistent seagulls ... ??!

April 3 was a Sunday, so after lunch, bbmm moved onto the 2 Sunday markets. there were debates as to whether they had enough time to cover both, but eventually they did. they went to the one next to China town first. that felt a bit like Camden Town in London, but a bit more decent stuff and not second-handed. just as in Camden Town, there was a stall for massage and bbmm were tempted as they just got off the plane that morning, and were tired. so they both fell for it. on the menu, it said "head and shoulder AUS 17" etc. bbmm asked for how long. the guy said about 10/15 mins. they also offer head, body, and other types of massage. it was not even a proper stall; just a space where they had put several foldable round stools and a massage bed. when it came to paying, the bill was just under AUS 50! bbmm were told that's because they had a head or some other area's massage and that all added up. bbmm paid, but felt they had been coned, but they needed that massage. and it's just one of those things that you must anticipate to happen in any holiday trip. the important thing is they felt better.

they didn't buy anything in that market. so moved onto the next one at The Rocks. mm bought a few gifts and bbmm had a nice afternoon tea at one of the tea house. bb had a tea with soda bread. the jam (mm thought it's raspberry) tasted good and smelled real fruit. mm had camomile with a scone which came with a pot of jam (strawberry) and cream. the jam tasted just as good as bb's. bb loved the cream and had quite a bit of it. And both soda bread and scone were good. they really enjoyed that.

they had planned to have dinner with their friend in sydney. well, that was bb's friend, and bb introduced her to mm some years ago, but it's bb who's close to this friend. mm never wrote independently to her - to avoid attracting unnecessary misunderstanding??! hahaahaaa!! they had some time before that, and decided to head back to hotel and get rested whilst waiting for their friend to turn up. they were to meet at 7pm. by then, both bbmm started to feel hungry. went to the lobby to meet the friend, when after a while, bb got a sms from her saying she would be late. so, they waiting, but their friend turned up much earlier than that. :) meanwhile, bbmm were planning the next day - which was mm's birthday! nice and thoughtful bb wanted to do something special for mm. they planned to go to port stephens to watch dolphins. bbmm were going to watch dolphins anyway. It was just a question of when - on April 4 or 5, as the weather forecast said it's going to rain. it was a tough call. eventually, bb decided that they should do something special on mm's birthday, and said they would go the next day, and mm was glad she made the call - and that was an excellent call!

in fact, bbmm went to ask the conciege for info re dolphins watching. there was only one guy there when they approached the desk and the first reply they had was he was new to the job - he had only been there for a few months and had no idea about our question! that was straight honesty, but not helpful. bbmm had to brief him - in a tactful way - that that's available in port stephens. then they asked if he had any brochure or leaflets etc. he went to their store room and re-emerged with one in his hand. that brochure was not particularly helpful but would do for the time being. mm has bb, so everything was ok and would only be second-best anyway!

had dinner with their friend at an italian restaurant at The Rocks. bbmm were hungry. mm was so hungry that she had the soup which came with 2 large pieces of bread, then a huge piece of garlic bread, before moving onto her main course - spagetti marina! the soup was tomato and was homemade. the texture and taste were great! they blended the tomatoes, as they all do, but left some in small chunks which added to its texture. bb had a rocket salad, one and a half of those huge garlic bread, and a vegetarian risotto, which was that night's special for main course. their friend had tomato and mozerella to start, one and a half garlic bread, and a pasta too. couldn't remember what she had though - mm's memory and/or age is failing her!

dinner was good. bbmm spoke about the very friendly aussis and the episode at the fish market! bbmm also shared with their friend how mm dozed off at a dinner then dropped dead as soon as they hit their seats on the plane to uk in winter 2001. that was funny!

after dinner, they strolled to the closest atm machine where the friend reimbursed bb for the ipod shuffle she bought for her in hk, and that's really cool! if mm had known that that's coming out, she might have waited for it, but then may be not because her sf wouldn't have bought it for her. that would be a tough call. it's probably better the way it is, and mm had the benefit of owning and enjoying having one a few months early. :) that sounded a little practical, but in fact, it was a nice walk around circular quay. mm enjoyed that.

the hotel was good. nice sheets, duvet, bath and shower, nice but not fancy luxurious decor. bbmm said they would go back next time, if they can afford it then.

And that's only Day 1 - so much babble already! how long would the whole diary be, plus all the photos and videos mm had taken??? mm had a 256 memory chip (although about half full already) and an extra 516 that was almost used up! may be it's better to publish each days separately, and that's how mm will proceed.

PS When bbmm got to their hotel room, they heard from the news that John Pope II had passed away on April 2, 2005. bb felt sad. mm felt sad too but that news only sank in a day or two after - slow mm.

bb and mm were born in the same week - although in different years. so every year, they can celebrate their b'days together, and this year is no exception. in fact, for this year, they have both taken that week off and plan to get away together. initial plan is to phuket, which mm said will go with bb some years ago - mm went there with her mum for the first time last year in September before the tsunami struck.

as it is with every other news, people's memory fades quickly and whilst at the time, that news make headlines on tv and newspapers, there's no mention of it at all now - and we are only less than 3 months since it happened. mm is not sure about the situation there, and so she did some research. here are some websites which talks about phuket's recovery after the event:

http://www.planetholidayhk.com/tsunami.htm
http://sg.biz.yahoo.com/050311/15/3r6mc.html
http://www.phuket.com/

all says it's fine to go there. mm will ask about hiring a car too.

mm also checked out skiing - it's still available in hokkaido for that period, if bb prefers - cos it's its big b'day! :D

bb has booked car rental for both Zurich and London. Hope the dates are fine with mm.

Zurich
At Hertz, using 750934 (note to self: remember to bring business card)
Dates: 29 Sept to 2 Oct
Price: CHF256.80
Car: Ford Focus
Confirmation no.: C6894156625

Using 755555 the best rate is 374.20, and if bb says residence is outside Switzerland it's over 500!

The cheapest at Avis is CHF290.96 for a Renault Megane.

London
At Hertz, using 708870
Dates: 6 Oct to 13 Oct
Price: GBP142.21
Car: Ford Focus
Confirmation no.: C6891175086

Using 755555 the best rate is 158. This goes to show that Swiss discount isn't as good as Virgin's. At Avis using any airline AWD the best rate is 170.36.

lastminute.com seems to have expanded into Brunch, Lunch, Tea, Dinner deals too. They look pretty attractive, and mm is tempted to try them out - at least some of them. prices are ok. here's the website addy:

http://www.lastminute.com/lmn/pso/catalog/Category.jhtml?CATID=95692

mm also thinks that may be that'll give bbmm some new ideas as to where to go for these meals.

very much looking forward to it. :D

bb was thinking if bbmm should go to Munich Oktoberfest. Even though mm doesn't drink and bb has decided not to, it may be less interesting. It's bound to be crowded, not sure if bbmm can find hotel.

bb is looking at swiss website, their web offers start booking on wednesdays, so nothing yet. But mm might want to take a look at the city trips.

mm has decided on the following travel plan and have spoken to travel agent this morning about it, subject to bb's consent.

mm has decided that bbmm should fly to zurich on 29 Sept after they arrive in London. This will avoid the hassle of travelling and staying in London for 2/3 days, then need to go to airport again for zurich. also this would give bbmm one week in london, and may be bbmm can rent a flat for that week, so no hotel for them. then bbmm can make their favourite food - delicious!

bbmm flight arrives at 0620, and the flight to zurich from LHR will depart at 0920. although the baggages could be checked through (because bbmm will be flying with BA LHR-ZUR-LHR), mm thinks it's probably safer to collect baggages and check in again. bbmm should arrive 1215 in zurich - in time for lunch :)

then bbmm will return to london after one week ie 6 oct. they will catch a late afternoon flight, arriving in london in early evening.

One good and one bad news - bad news is that bbmm would have to forego their tickets with swiss air which they got by redeeming their asiamiles. But bbmm would be able to use their ticket with BA (originally for the leg between London to Nice), and exchange for a return flight between London and Zurich. Administration charge is US$30 or 3000 asiamiles. mm is thinking of paying $$$. That would be around HK$240 - not bad for a return ticket, right?

mm hopes bb will ok this plan - and silence is acquiescence! :P

Just as bb says, car hire is cheaper with the magic numbers bb gave mm. new rates are as follows:

Hertz - 29 Sept to 2 Oct - GBP 109.60 - returning at different location - GBP 144.85. mm is thinking of flying to Zurich on Friday, 1 Oct so bb get a good chance to meet up with her darling friends. if so, the rate will be GBP 81.69. there may be a difficulty - bbmm will have to travel early to zurich or the car rental company may charge an extra day for the few hours of difference.

It'll be GBP 87.61 if using HSBC credit card. so bb's rate is still the best re Hertz.

Assuming the same with Avis and Europcar ie flying on Friday 1 Oct 2004:

Avis - 29 Sept to 1 Oct - same location - GBP 93.53.

Europcar - same location - GBP 72.20. For this rate, bbmm will get a VW Golf 1.4 but w/o air-conditioning. mm is inclined to go for this, nothwithstanding the bad experience bbmm had some years ago ...

mm will speak to travel agent to sort out tickets today. Watch this space. :)

mm has been checking our some quotes for car hire for one week - 29 Sept to 6 Oct 2004

Hertz (Ford Fiesta 1.2 5 doors) GBP 159. Returning to different location - same price.

Avis (Peugeot 1.4) GBP 162.36. Returning to a different location - same price.

Europcar (VW Polo - 1.2) GBP 161.84. Returning to different location - GBP 176.84. Alternatively, (VW Golf 1.4) GBP 179.35 or returning to different location GBP 194.35. mm thought bb might like that :)

For say 3 days:

Hertz - GBP 118.49. Returning to different location - GBP 153.74.

Avis - GBP 127.30. Returning to different location - same price.

Europcar - GBP 120.34. Returning to different locatin - GBP 156.35 (pre-paid) or GBP 165.33 (paid on arrival).

PS this post is already mm's second post - mm did the same post but the computer crashed before mm saved it, so mm had to do it all again - so stupid lah.

apology from mm for being lazy and not making any contribution here for a little while. that's because mm went to phuket and bangkok and had a spa trip with her mum, who has become a *real* competitor to bb in terms of going on holiday with mm! ha ha ha!

mm received an email from lastminute.com this morning and this package to barcelona looks attractive (although mm has also seen other similarly competitive deals) - for GBP 285 pp, it includes flight departing from heathrow to barcelona and 3 nights at a "modern & stylish 4* hotel". It's available for 1 Oct 2004. Here's the link.

Re hotel in london - mm mentioned ibis and mariott maida vale last night - whilst talking to bb on the phone :) Details as follows:

Ibis London Excel - 5 mins from London City Airport by car. DLR - 5 mins walk from Custom House (and where's that??)Weekdays - GBP59.95 Weekend - GBP 49.95

London Mariott Maida Vale - Parking GBP 19 - 7 days advance purchase rate in deluxe room for GBP110 prpn. there's something called Government/Military rate for GBP 80.85 - mm supposes that's only available for government or military people, right? mm also thinks that there's those rates are exclusive of VAT.

Best Western Lodge Hotel, Upper Richmond Road - GBP 87 prpn (incl of VAT) - not bad, but question of location. Free parking. Link.

London Holiday Inn Express - Hammersmith - GBP 109 - it mentioned parking, but does not say if it's free or at a cost.

So does bb want mm to cancel it altogether, or does bb want mm to confirm the one returning 13th Oct?

mm spoke to travel agent re latest offer from airlines to London. BA is offering between HK$4,900-5,900 *for two* to London. Travelling in Nov would be $4,900. For bbmm's dates - $5,900. But booking is closed already.

Travel agent was smart - she picked up an offer from CX - $2,990 each! bbmm can travel at 0045 on 29 Sept but there's some problem on return date - either 13th or 18th Oct, as dates in between are all gone, and no waitlist. if returning on 13th, bbmm would waste a few days cos they'll be back on Thursday afternoon. if returning on 18th, it will mean that bbmm will be away for 3 weeks - the thought is great but mm not sure if she could take leave that long.

Ticket needs to be confirmed and issued by tomorrow, 20 August 2004. what should mm do?? can bb help?

here's the links to the two bookings:

https://www.viewtrip.com/viewtrip.asp?rloc=S6PG1Q&lastname=CHENG

https://www.viewtrip.com/viewtrip.asp?rloc=S6P82U&lastname=CHENG

mm has a little reservation - mm's boss is away and mm won't be able to ask him if mm could take those days off. but mm's boss had previously (earlier in Aug re mm's bangkok trip) said he's relaxed re mm's holiday leave, as there's nothing urgent going on.

ps mm has created a category - bbmm holiday - London. mm will post things re London trip there :)