Hong Kong.

Hong Kong, where to begin?

Located in the heart of Asia, at the crossroads between mega-economies China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia and India, lies a few tiny islands that makes up the special administrative region of Hong Kong. Tiny, but one of the most influential cities in the world.

Hong Kong, what's it like?

Think about any sci-fi movies you might've seen (that's the Star Wars trilogy for me) . In it, there will always be that one megapolis with soaring skyscrapers and flying cars (that's Coruscant for me). Now, hold that image in your mind and minus the flying cars, you can then get a glimpse of Hong Kong's cityscape. More or less.

Hong Kong has the most number of skyscrapers than any other city in the world. Enough said.

Hong Kong, who lives there?

A former British colony, Hong Kong is now a special administrative region of China. It has a very diverse population with many different cultures but the chinese are still the largest ethnic group.

Hong Kong, what's the buzz?

My first trip to Hong Kong was back in January 2011. It was spectacular, so much that I went back again in February 2012. A few travelers I met said that 4-5 days was just about enough to cover HK and I shouldn't spend too long there. That's odd because 2 weeks was nowhere enough for me!

When I think of HK, I think of all the amazing food and urban culture the city has to offer. Truly, HK is a photographer's paradise if you are a night-skyline enthusiastic. Here's some pictures I took, to summarize what I thought of HK;

Food

@Yung Kee Restaurant

Ngaw Lam Min (Beef Noodles)

Yu Dan (Fish Balls)

Wan Tan Mee

Stir-fried Scallops/Vege

Century Eggs

Goose Feet

Fried Hor Fun Noodles

Roast Pigeon

Da Bin Lo (Chinese Hotpot)

Da Bin Lo (Chinese Hotpot)

Da Bin Lo (Chinese Hotpot)

Roast Goose

Dim Sum

Dim Sum

Cityscape

Throngs of people @ Hong Kong Central

Hong Kong Race Day (Happy Valley)

Hong Kong Race Day (Happy Valley)

Chinese Opera (Culture)

Streets lined with neon lights and billboards

Streets lined with neon lights and billboards

Ladies' Market (Tung Choi Street)

Lan Kwai Fong (HK's clubbing scene)

The Peak of Hong Kong

And finally,

This is Hong Kong- Asia's World City

Rich

Uniquely, Singapore

Aaaah, Singapore. The place where you have to zip your wallets tight because this city is considered as one of the most expensive cities in the world. The cost of living in this financial city has indeed skyrocketed through the years due to expansive development. With a population of 5 million people on one little island, Singapore is one of the most densely populated urban areas in the world.

Singapore is a very small country situated in the middle of South-East Asia, amidst countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Compared to those countries, Singapore is a midget in size but with a GDP (PPP) per capita equalling $60,000, it is the economic powerhouse of the region.

The one thing that makes Singapore the envy of the world is its ability to urban plan a cityscape thats ultra-neat, compact and ever-changing. Buildings which are of no more use are constantly being strip apart to allow space for larger buildings. Thus, Singapore is a haven for modern, state-of-the-art architectural buildings.

 Singapore's CBD

The Downtown Core

Amongst the glistening skyscrapers, the one building that truly stands out in Singapore's skyline is the integrated resort known as the Marina Bay Sands.

 Marina Bay Sands

This behemoth of a building houses everything imaginable. Convention Center? Casino? 5-Star Hotel? Museum? Shopping Mall? Theatre? All checked.

 Singapore Arts and Science Museum @ Marina Bay Sands

 Even a skating rink?!

Though small, Singapore has been host to numerous international events. The first-ever Youth Olympic Games was held in Singapore!

The highlight about Singapore though, has to be Orchard Road. This road is lined with so many shopping malls that it'll take you days to visit every one of them. Orchard Road is universally known for its Christmas decorations but alas, my trip there was a few days after the decorations were taken off.

 Orchard Road

Orchard Road

 Although there was no Christmas lights, the thing about Orchard Road is that it is constantly festive.

 Year of the Dragon

No Christmas lights? No worries, have a dragon instead. That's right, I arrived a few days before Chinese New Year !

Paragon Mall

 Ion Mall

Orchard Road

If shopping isn't your thing, don't fret. Singapore caters for all levels of fun. Resorts World Sentosa is another gargantuan development. This second integrated resort includes 4 amazing hotels, a casino and Universal Studios!

 Universal Studios Singapore

The famed globe

Main Street

 Lion City

Battlestar Galactica 

One of the most anticipated roller coasters is this duel roller coaster exclusive to Universal Studios Singapore!

 Egypt

 Mummy tomb

 Sphinx

Anubis

 Lost World

Far Far Away

But wait, Singapore is not just about all those great stuff. Singaporean food is known the world over! Singapore's very own cocktail, the Singapore Sling is a must-try. I had one on my flight to Singapore but it was nowhere near as good as the one I had in Raffles Hotel. After all, Raffles Hotel was the birthplace of the Singapore Sling.

Raffles Hotel's  Singapore Sling

One of Singapore's most famous dish is the Hainanese Chicken Rice. Every other stall that serves Hainanese chicken rice serves it well, so you won't go wrong. Just follow the where the crowd goes! A plate costs normally around $6-$8.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

But if you're up for something more exclusive (and got heaps of money to spare), try the Hainanese chicken rice @ Chatterbox Meritus Mandarin. A plate of this would cost you more than $20 but it is indeed different than the norm. The soup that accompanies the chicken rice is boiled with ginseng!

Chatterbox Chicken Rice (I called for room service)

I became adventurous on my trip and asked my brother (he's a local in Singapore) to bring me out for a  typical Singapore supper. He brought me here;

Scissor Cut Rice

"Scissor cut rice" is a famous term in Singapore referring to this dish. Pieces of fish, chicken, eggs (you name it!) are placed over a bed of rice and then cut with a scissor. It's then smothered with gravy.

My take on it

Honestly, scissor-cut rice is an acquired taste in my opinion. My brother and his friends loved it but I thought the grease was overwhelming. I think I'll be sticking to the seafood the next time i'm in Singapore.

 Butter Crab

 Black-Pepper Crab

 Writing off,

Rich