A retreat at HOSHINOYA Kyoto

Beautiful HOSHINOYA Kyoto. It was such a lovely retreat. I felt so close to nature, surrounded by the turquoise blue Oigawa River and forest of Arashiyama.

It’s a unique one-of-a-kind experience, not to be missed, if you’re after a luxury ryokan experience in Japan. It’s by far, my favourite, as everything about HOSHINOYA Kyoto is beautifully designed.

The rooms are very minimal, with soft coloured walls matched with tatami and dark timber flooring. Oh, and I’m in love with the state-of-the-art toilet, the lid opens up automatically when it senses me entering the toilet room. Now, that’s impressive!

We have a Hotaru double with a king size bed, lounge room (which doubles up as a dining room in the morning) and a bathroom overlooking the river. It was very peaceful in the morning, with birds tweeting. Occasionally, the operating tourist train from the opposite side will come around for a quick stop to look over the resort.

There’s a short walk you can do around the resort. It’s very pretty at night as well. It feels like you’re in a 19th century village, as the lanterns are all lit up.

There’s a sake bar and a fine dining experience, which I truly enjoyed. My brother and I had a feast of the Autumn Degustation. It was an 8-course meal, and I can tell you that by the end of the meal, we were so full, we had to make room for dessert. The chef has prepared the dishes according to the availability of ingredients at the local market. As it’s autumn season, there’s a wide variety of mushrooms to be had (which I loved!).

I had a wonderful time staying at HOSHINOYA Kyoto. It’s not everyday I get to stay in a beautiful luxury retreat like this, and am truly grateful to have the opportunity to do so. Thank you HOSHINOYA Resorts for hosting me.

HOSHINOYA Kyoto

Japan, 〒616-0007 Kyoto Prefecture, 京都市西京区嵐山元録山町１１−２

Meeting Cristiano in Madrid with American Tourister

Selfie with the Cristiano.

How crazy the year 2018 has been for me. I was invited by American Tourister Australia to meet Cristiano Ronaldo in Madrid, Spain, along with 18 other bloggers and Youtubers from around the world.

This year, I was given a wonderful opportunity to meet Cristiano and to gift him something quintessentially Australian. As part of the #bringbackmore campaign by American Toursiter...

It was a challenge to choose something that is uniquely Aussie. I had an American Tourister competition on Instagram to ask my followers what they think is Aussie. I had hundreds of comments, from Tim Tams to Golden Gay Time. The standard boomerang, koala bear and kangaroo souvenir. And even something a little bit crazy, a koala onesie. However, the verdict is hands down Vegemite!

Happy days at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Photo by Leon Korobacz.

 I grew up watching football (or how Aussies would say it, "soccer") with my dad, and we used to stay up late just to catch the live matches on FIFA. I guess that would be our father and daughter bonding time.

To be able to walk and explore Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, where Cristiano's team, Real Madrid played and won many championships is an amazing experience. The stadium itself is massive, seats 81K people! There is a line of hardcore fans, queuing up to get into Santiago Bernabéu Museum. 

We were  all caught by surprise when we were taken to the locker room and given customised Real Madrid jerserys. We were all given this once in a lifetime chance to play on the football field! UNREAL!

Our group was given one chance to score a goal and the best price was a Real Madrid football. Well, my ball didn't make it to the goal post (about 1 meter away). At least, I gave my very best!

We stayed in this beautiful hotel in the city of Madrid. It was art deco inspired with funky furnishings. It was a perfect setup for American Tourister's colourful suitcases!

I had an amazing time connecting with like-minded people. So, thank you once again, American Tourister for bringing us together!

Group photo with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Movie Night at Luna Park's Rooftop Cinema

I’ve been wanting to experience a rooftop cinema for as long as I can remember. When I found out that Luna Park’s Rooftop Cinema is making a return this autumn, I had to make it a date night with my husband, Leon.

Movie is about to start, and we cannot wait to use our wireless noise-cancelling headphones.

The Rooftop Cinema is one of a kind in Sydney. Think of it as an alternative movie-viewing experience for cinema lovers. We had a view of the night sky, along with the dreamy Luna Park all lit up at night. It was an Instagrammer's dream come true, indeed. 

Jam-packed with the latest Oscar winning films right up to movie classics. There are many choices to choose from. We picked a Ridley Scott movie, “All The Money In The World", as it was on our watch list this year. It was the perfect setting up on the rooftop. Do check the weather if it's going to get chilly at night (bring a cardi for the night). For those up for snuggling, blankets are available for rent.

One of a kind experience at Rooftop Cinema.

Happiness at Luna Park.

It was a lovely evening spent on Sunday with Leon. We arrived a little bit early to score two good seats in the middle section. Upon entering the space, each movie goer was given a pair of noise-cancelling headphones to wear. It was quite an experience! We bought delicious caramel flavoured popcorns and ice cream to snack on. 

For those seeking something fun to do in the evening, I'd totally recommend a movie night at Luna Park's Rooftop Cinema. 

The Rooftop Cinema runs until 30th April. You may purchase the tickets online and pick them up at the ticketing counter opposite ‘Hair Raiser’. For more information, pop over Luna Park’s website.

Dark Matters at White Rabbit Gallery

The Dark Matters exhibition at White Rabbit Gallery. Photo Credit : May Leong

Now, we were just in Chippendale for a good cheese burger. Then, Leon (of @hungrysydneysiders) then just realized, we were just a stroll away from Sydney's well known art gallery, White Rabbit.

Founded by Kerr and Judith Neilson, White Rabbit is open to public and it is one of the world's largest collections of contemporary Chinese art.

With new collection every couple of months, this time around we have the new collection called "The Dark Matters".

It was indeed a less colourful version compared the previous installations. But, in saying that, I love the simplicity of "The Dark Matters".

Inspired from the traditional Chinese method of using the black ink. According to a Daoist philosopher named Lao Zi, he said, "Know the white, but hold to the black."

The artists in this collection use blacks from cans, plastics, steels and cartridges. Conveying messages of today's realities - world pollution and mass production.

We were greeted by a huge black cloud made of paper, painted in grey ink. New York based artist, Lin Yan, created the nebulous cloud titled 'Sky 2' to express her concern of Beijing's serious air pollution.

My favourite piece is definitely 'Crystal City' by Wu Chi-Tsung. From afar, you wouldn't realized he used cheap plastic boxes as a medium. It's a beautiful piece. Under the moving light, Chi-Tsung created a phantom cityscape that is ever changing.

White Rabbit Gallery is opened until July 30th. Check it out before it closes for the next installation :)

xm

White Rabbit Gallery

30 Balfour St, Chippendale NSW 2008