I promised myself not to return to Taipei this year, as I had made way too many trips there in the last decade or so. I wanted to explore Hong Kong further, as I had mentioned in January.

Contrary to what I had planned, I didn’t run amok in Mongkok grabbing sneakers, and neither did I sweep entire shelves of items in the various malls. Something was wrong somewhere. Was it the crowd at practically every store? Or was it the excruciatingly warm weather? I knew it was going to be hot, but I never thought it would be that bad.

My friends didn’t mind the weather and went crazy in a bid to boost Hong Kong’s economy. There was no stopping them, not even at a supermarket.

We popped by Macau for a day and had ambitious plans. Pork buns, Portuguese egg tarts, etc. But we ended up spending most of the day shopping at the Venetian. “I was back!”

A mere sixty minutes at the world’s largest casino, I discovered a multi-tasking machine where you could simultaneously place bets on baccarat, roulette and sic bo. Amazing.

Sala gate? Then where’s the correct one? Muahahahahha.

W Hotel is a luxury boutique chain targeted at the younger crowd. When they say ‘young’, I think they mean people in their late 20s to early 40s. It was edgy, hip, and informally classy. I like.

This is what I mean.

They have an iPhone application where you can access information about the hotel, listen to their customised playlists and even order in room dining or request for pillows and toiletries. It was all very cool, but the old fogey in me chose to use the telephone instead.

This is the harbour view from (some of) the rooms.

While I like their turndown service (which some hotels do not provide, unless given specific instructions), I don’t really fancy their light settings. There were only three choices- Day, Night and Dream. With the exception of the table lamp and night reading lights, manual adjustment of the other bulbs weren’t possible. Day was too dim for me when I was working on my laptop, while my friend who wanted to sleep in a pitch dark room, was annoyed with the Dream setting which had two night lights beside the bed.

I was frantically writing an essay forty eight hours before I left. Darn, I could sweet-talk my way through practically anything, but I had some trouble completing that 3000-word paper. I had to eventually lug my laptop with me and rush through the assignment with a plate of Caesar salad and a can of Coke.

The return flight was retimed twice. From 1830 hrs to 2200 hrs, and subsequently 2240 hrs. It was 2320 hrs by the time we took off from Hong Kong. I almost never go back on air the day following a vacation, but my friends had to work the next day. Imagine their anguish and fatigue by the time we touched down at nearly 0230hrs.

I was furious at the way they handled the entire communication process and I’ve just sent Singapore Airlines my third complaint letter this year. I swear I’ll publish the emails in full if the reply is as incoherent and grammatically challenged as the last one.

I adore Hong Kong for its excellent transport system with direct trains between the airport and the city, as well as the check in facilities in town. I’m not sure how many people on the same flight learnt of the delay only at the airport. We were told in Kowloon Station when we tried to check in shortly before 1600 hrs. As the grouchy group settled down in a cafe, I made up my mind not to sulk. I was going to the highest spa in the world, I announced.

Occupying the top floors of the International Commerce Centre, The Ritz Carlton, Hong Kong is the world’s highest hotel.

This is where I waited for my massage after taking a shower.

The view from Level 113 is enough to make anyone stop whining.

You would really have to be there in order to understand why Disneyland is “the happiest place on Earth”.

We arrived on a sweltering afternoon, but the exuberance peaked as we walked through the front gates. It is hard not to smile. And it is impossible not to point excitedly at everything and anything that comes along your way.

Stitch Encounter promises a hilarious and interactive experience that is “different every time”. I was laughing throughout the whole segment. I don’t want to provide any spoilers. Let’s just say that cameras are cleverly placed in the hall, so it’s not just Stitch alone in his spaceship.

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters isn’t a ride for bobo shooters. Armed with a blaster, you take aim and shoot at various interactive points throughout the ride. And Space Mountain is an electrifying roller coaster ride that transports you into outer space- there’s no knowing which direction you’re heading! It’s a Small World is perfect to hide from the heat. It’s a boat journey through the different continents with exquisite dolls and impeccably timed music. And I like how The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh was well done too- looks so simple, yet so slick and amusing.

The Golden Mickeys is a grand and elaborate musical styled after an awards show. As Mickey and Minnie give out trophies honouring their friends, we are taken on a journey back in time to relive some of Disney’s finest films and music.

The Flights of Fantasy Parade which takes place twice a day, is commissioned for Hong Kong Disneyland’s 5th anniversary. The line between adult and child vanishes as lifelike characters appear in front of you in a wholesome carnival atmosphere.

My favourite show has got to be Mickey’s PhilharMagic. Donald Duck loses Maestro Mickey Mouse’s magic hat and travels through several scenes and encounters various characters like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and the Little Mermaid to get it back. Pure 3D fun- and way better than how they make some of the 3D films nowadays.

And of course, no one leaves Disneyland without popping by Fantasy Gardens. Photo galore with the characters!

Sleeping Beauty’s Castle has been sprinkled with Tinker Bell’s fairy dust to transform into an enchanting backdrop for photo opportunities. Nice.

Footnote: Media people like us are given some privileges every now and then- thank you very much. My sincere appreciation to Hong Kong Disneyland for hosting us last week.

A friend of ours works there, and we called, expecting perhaps discounted tickets or something. Disney’s generosity, however, made my jaws drop. They provided FOC tickets for my group, and arranged for a guided tour. It was faster than the priority queue for the various rides and shows. Zero waiting time and front row seats every single time!

I was totally astonished and overwhelmed. Thank you.

That said, this isn’t a reciprocal blog entry. I truly enjoyed the Disney visit and will be back again.

I have this unexplained affinity with Lao Hsiao. I happened to be in Taipei when his Mr Rock tour began in Dec 2009, and I happened to be in Hong Kong where he launched his new concert last weekend. Tickets were sold out on both occasions, but I managed to *ahem* get a seat nonetheless.

The new show kicked off with the title track from his fourth album 狂想曲, which further consolidates his rocker status. Five songs into the concert, we realised that the format was similar to the previous one. From a multilingual opening, to a dance segment which drove everyone wild like the last time, to a wide repertoire of cover hits, Lao Hsiao was every bit the accomplished vocalist we all know.

He could do with a new production team, however. I didn’t like the arrangement for a number of songs, and how they ended anti-climatically. The stage was grand enough, but was sorely underutilised.

I hope this doesn’t come across as a negative comment. I guess it’s because the industry has extremely high expectations of Lao Hsiao. The show was fun and reasonably enjoyable, but it would be a shame for him to be stuck at this level when it is evident that he is capable of achieving so much more.

Jam Hsiao will perform in Singapore in 2012.

The eight of us arrived in Hong Kong via five different flights. The keyword was fun, and the major sub-keyword being food.

These are the items on high repetition mode thoughout the trip- pigeon and goose. My friend had indeed lost five kilos but had to forfeit the prize, because I stated in the fine print that she had to be there to redeem it personally. My taste buds are not trained enough to distinguish between duck and goose, but oh, that tantalising layer of fat beneath the skin was sinfully good.

My partner returned from Hong Kong a week ago and gushed about this place. The food was decent, and its main catch was that servings came in small, medium or large portions.

Known for its desserts- especially their beancurd, The Sweet Dynasty- which I’d visited in Taipei, served a satisfying bowl of steamed rice and beef. And they just had to up the indulgence factor slightly with some birds’ nest on their egg tarts.

I was very pleased with this delectable platter of suckling pig and char siew, and brocolli with scallops.

I was awed by the sheer size of the agnès b. LA LOGGIA- its first flagship store in the world. As I walked through HOMME and VOYAGE, they stopped at Délices to pick up a few hundred HKD worth of fine chocolates.

Business was brisk at this outlet. We happened to pass by twenty minutes before it opened for the day and managed to secure one of the last few available tables. The bowl of winter melon soup was topped with several pieces of abalone and crab meat and tasted as good as it promised to be. The tender roast meat came with a crispy layer on top, and the usual dim sum choices were great.

It was a ‘National Day Lunch’ of sorts. V. had just relocated to Hong Kong for work a week ago, and I was her first ‘guest’. She came in red and exclaimed that it was great to see a fellow Singaporean on 9 Aug. She brought me to this humble looking Western eatery which began operations a whopping 150 years ago. Macau mogul Stanley Ho had been spotted here, she said. Aside from typical Western and Asian fare, their huge ass soufflé was a winner.