FAVORITE TRAVEL FREEBIES

I love travel freebies! When traveling, most likely, you’ll find yourself doing two things: staying at a hotel and shopping. Believe it or not, these are the best playgrounds for finding awesome travel freebies worth snatching and taking home with you. From my travels in China, I’ve managed to find the best travel freebies that are worth your while and incredibly useful. Here are my favorites:

Beauty Product Samples

Who doesn’t love getting free product samples? When shopping at cosmetic counters, don’t be shy to ask the sales person if you can get a few product samples, especially after you’ve bought something. Usually, they are happy to give product samples to keep customers like you coming back for more. Beauty product samples are great for short out-of-town trips and for times when you just don’t want to bring that huge makeup bag and all your heavy skin care products.

Beauty product samples
I managed to get from Sephoras around China

Honey from the complimentary breakfast buffet

If your hotel room includes complimentary breakfast, you are in for a real treat. At the breakfast buffet, I always get 2-3 sachets of honey to take with me, or better yet, if you find tiny complimentary honey and jam jars at your table, take the small honey jar home with you. Honey is one of nature’s best moisturizers and is extremely beneficial to the skin because of its healing properties. Spread a thin layer of honey over your face for 10-15 minutes then rinse with warm water. See your skin glow!

A tiny Bonne Maman Honey jar
from the InterContinental Nanjing's breakfast buffet

Tea Sachets

Most hotel rooms give free coffee and tea sachets. The tea sachets sometimes come in interesting flavors and blends and very good brands. If you’re a tea drinker like me, go ahead and grab a few sachets to take with you and add to your tea sachet collection at home.

A black tea sachet I snatched
from my hotel room in Shanghai

Tiny lotions

Hotel toiletries are some of the best amenities available. As much as I love the shampoo and conditioners, I always end up using them up since my hair is long and thick. So the tiny lotions are really the only ones worth taking. Small lotions are extremely handy because of three things: you can never have enough lotion, you can put them inside the tiniest bag, and you can take them with you wherever you go.

My collection of lotions
 from various hotels around China

Hotel postcards and pens

I love collecting postcards from my travels, so I automatically take the postcards if they are available in a hotel room. When it comes to ball pens, not all hotel pens are particularly nice or even write very well. I’ve had some where the ink lasted a day! But if you find a good quality pen, it can be a really good souvenir. 

A postcard from Crowne Plaza Nanjing and
an InterContinental Nanjing pen

They say the best things in life are free. Hugs and kisses, leisurely strolls through a park, giving and receiving a smile, and.…who knew? Really great travel essentials too! Bon voyage!

READING FRENZY

I’ve always been a bit of a bookworm, and I don’t discriminate at all when it comes to books. I love to read all the genres. I love the classics (Jane Eyre is one of the best). In high school and college, I went through legal thriller years with John Grisham novels, and a vampire/gothic obsession phase with Anne Rice novels (I still think Interview with the Vampire is one of the best novels of all time). Later on, I went on to read great love stories from Nicholas Sparks and laugh out loud at Sophie Kinsella’s Confessions of a Shopaholic. I also have a constant love for non-fiction and biographies of famous historical figures.

Since I’ve been in China, I now find myself gravitating towards memoirs or novels with a little piece of Chinese history in them. It just adds to the atmosphere of being in China and helps me learn certain intricate details from this enormous country’s 5,000 year history and culture. 

Here’s what’s been in my library lately:

LOST ON PLANET CHINA by J. Maarten Troost

This funny travelogue on globe trotter, J. Maarten Troost’s three-month expedition and hilarious adventures around China in 2007 captures the true meaning of “culture shock”, the feeling of extreme confusion and wonder that almost any Westerner entering China for the first time abruptly faces when encountering a culture so opposite theirs in every imaginable way. Troost travels through China’s famous cities and historical sites, including an expedition through the mountainous region of Western China. At times scathing and perhaps a wee bit exaggerated in his observations of modern China, his stories and experiences are still sprinkled with lots of laugh-out-loud moments. 

SHANGHAI GIRLS by Lisa See

From bestselling author Lisa See, this novel is a tale of two beautiful and modern sisters, Pearl and May, in 1937 pre-war Shanghai whose lives take a sudden twist of fate which eventually lead them to leave Shanghai for 1930s Los Angeles. There, they encounter life’s hardships, old rivalries, tough choices and many uncovered secrets which test their friendship and sisterly bond through an incredible journey for the next 20 years. 

Of course, being in China, I have to have continuous back up in learning the language. Here are some life savers!

CHINESE PHRASES FOR DUMMIES by Wendy Abraham

This handy guide to basic Mandarin phrases is so easy to read and understand. The phrases are extremely useful and can be used everyday. I love this book so much; I even bought the bigger one (with more detailed aspects of learning Mandarin).

My favorite phrase when trying to save people
from my awful voice at a karaoke (a constant pastime here):
"Wo buyao chang ge!" Never works though.
Karaoke in China is inescapable.

MANDARIN by Lonely Planet Phrasebooks

This tiny pocket book has helped me in so many countless situations. It has almost everything you need to know on learning basic Mandarin. 

The best part? The 3,500 word dictionary at the back

Happy reading!!

A HIP STREET & ONE CLASSIC DISH

Yongkang Lu (Yongkang Road) used to be a simple vegetable market, lightly tucked away into one of the many corners of Shanghai’s former French Concession. These days, it has become the city’s latest not-to-be-missed venue and most talked about hip street. Now bustling with restaurants, bakeries, cafés, art galleries, boutiques and tea stores, I just had to check it out. 

One of Yongkang Lu’s most popular restaurants is The Sailors Fish and Chips, proudly serving the most authentic fish n’ chips I’ve tasted in mainland China so far. Started by three Fudan University graduates, this tiny restaurant serves freshly battered fish with your choice of flounder, pollock, sea bass, or Pacific cod in classic tartar sauce or malt vinegar. Little appetizers of squid rings, shrimps and scallops are also available as well as side orders such as mushy peas and extra chips. Before we knew it, Marc and I were digging into all things fishy…

The Sailors Fish and Chips beckons to us! 

The Sailors' great menu ranges from fish, beer, wine and coffee.

Sea bass Fish n' Chips plus squid rings...delicious!

Zooming in now...tender and very tasty! 

The Sailors' has a great selection of beers

Marc about to enjoy his Boddingtons Ale

The honey rich color of Boddingtons Ale

Yongkang Lu's cafes are dotted with customers sitting outside
in the spring sunshine.

Me enjoying the sunny weather at Yongkang Lu

Le Cafe des Stagiaires is another popular cafe at Yongkang Lu.

The Sailors Fish and Chips

33 Yongkang Lu, near Jiashan Lu

Shanghai

请带我去永康路33号,  近嘉善路

Tel.: +86 150 0009 9490

10am – 10pm

Other food and beverage establishments also worth checking out at Yongkang Lu are Le Café des Stagiaires, Les Garcons Bouchers, La Boulangerie, Sushi’O, and Pizza Peppone.

PHOTO INSPIRATIONS

Guanyin Goddess Statue at Xuanwu Lake
NANJING 

I love looking at beautiful photographs. They inspire me with new ideas; encourage me to learn new cultures, to travel as much as I can, and to never let go of that zest for life. They are what have partly inspired me to start this blog. Here in China, there is an abundance of photographic opportunities at every corner, always something new, something old, something interesting, something fascinating, or even something completely mind-boggling. I try to never go anywhere without my camera.

I’ve decided to share some favorite photographs from my camera (taken recently and over the last few years) around the cities of Hefei, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Shanghai. Hope they make you smile, or perhaps even give you a little inspiration.

I hope to share more photos every month with you as my journey continues, but this is my first collection so far. I always say my favorite pictures are those that capture nature, energy and life.

The first snowfall of winter
Holiday Inn Aqua City, November 2009
NANJING

Spring begins at Ming Xiaoling Tombs entrance park
NANJING 

Ming Xiaoling Tomb Gate
NANJING

My sister Andrea
Ming Xiaoling Tomb Gate
NANJING

The first cherry blossoms bloom
NANJING

Autumn colors at Xiao Yao Jin Park
HEFEI

Lord Bao's Park
HEFEI

The French Concession
SHANGHAI

Changle Road, The French Concession
SHANGHAI

My beautiful friend Cathy at Yu Gardens
SHANGHAI

Interior of Australian Pavilion, Shanghai World Expo 2010
SHANGHAI

Interior of Moroccan Pavilion, Shanghai World Expo 2010
SHANGHAI 

West Nanjing Road Shopping Street
SHANGHAI  

 Shanghai Art History Museum
SHANGHAI 

IFC Mall Christmas lights, Pudong
SHANGHAI  

Wooden boat at West Lake
HANGZHOU   

Ancient Bridge and its reflection

HANGZHOU    

SEPHORA GOODIES

Sephora has gotten huge in China and is now located all over the country in 21 provinces and 30 cities, including Hefei. For the latest in beauty, skincare, make-up, bath and body, hair care and fragrance, few can compare to this popular French cosmetics store chain.

Definitely in China, it is the first and last stop if you are on the hunt for international cosmetic brands or would like to try out some of the best Chinese, Japanese and Korean brands in the beauty market today.

Shopping at Sephora always ends up with a bag of beauty goodies!

Like most women, I love shopping at Sephora or even just simply strolling inside to look at all the great products. Here are some of the best buys I’ve gathered from Sephora over a few shopping trips…at least the ones I think are worth it!

L’OCCITANE

Shea Butter Hand Cream for Dry Skin 

This rich hand cream is so great, it is sold somewhere around the world every five seconds! Imagine that! It is enriched with 20% Shea Butter and moisturizes the hands without any greasy residue at all. The unique formula is also made up of honey, almond extracts and coconut oil. After applying it, my hands felt soft and smooth instantly. Since I’m always running out of hand cream in China (with Marc sharing with me), I figured this is also a great buy because of its size. This hand cream tube weighs in at a huge 150ml. (5.2 oz.) so it is definitely worth your penny.

BIOTHERM EAU VITAMINÉE

Refreshing Body Mist

When it comes to fragrances, I like fresh, feminine scents. Light citrus and light florals are usually what I go for. This body mist doesn’t just smell great but it tones and revitalizes you as well. The fresh scent is a bursting blend of citrus fruits, sweet orange, pink grapefruit, citrus leaf, yuzu, mandarin and orange flower. It also contains Vitamin E and essential oils to soften and hydrate the skin. Whenever I spray this on, I feel energized!

SEPHORA FACE

Milky Makeup Remover

This is a cleanser for dry skin and makeup remover in one. This comes in real handy whenever you have to remove a lot of eye makeup. It contains pro-vitamin B5, cotton seed oil and sweet almond oil to moisturize dry skin while cleansing. Your skin feels soft after removing makeup. I love it!

SEPHORA PROFESSIONNEL

Slanted Tweezers

This is a really good stainless steel tweezer that quickly plucks out those stray eyebrow hairs really quickly and with great precision. I usually like getting my eyebrows threaded because I am the worst eyebrow plucker in the world! I also have more eyebrow hair than the average person. Some people think I use eyebrow pencil. Nope! My eyebrows are just thick and dark. So far, over here in Hefei, I haven’t seen any threading places yet…so I’ll have to stick it out by tweezing what I can!

SEPHORA LIP ATTITUDE GLAMOUR

in G10 Sentimental Rose

Me wearing Sephora Lip Attitude Glamour G10
It looks a bit darker on the lips in person than in the photo.

I love this lipstick! It is my new favorite. It is super hydrating and I love the rosy beige color. It’s great for wearing day and night. 

How about you? Any Sephora favorites worth sharing?

SEPHORA HEFEI

1F, Hefei Wanda Plaza

Maanshan Road, Baohe District

Hefei 230011

China Website: www.sephora.cn

UP, UP IN THE SKY

Did you know the eighth tallest building in the world is in Nanjing, China? Nope, I wouldn’t have thought either, but Zifeng Tower, also known as Greenland Center is a super tall 450 meter (1,480 feet) skyscraper that joins the ranks of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, Tapei 101 in Taiwan and the Petronas Towers in Malaysia as one of the Top Ten Tallest Buildings in the World.

Last weekend, I got to experience this awesome building firsthand upon staying at the InterContinental Nanjing, located on the 45^th floor upwards. The 89-story building also consists of offices and retail stores in the lower sections, a few restaurants and a public observatory at the very top.

Back in 2010, Marc at the Ming City Walls
with Zifeng Tower in the background (far right).

Another view of Zifeng Tower from the ground

At first staying in a hotel this high up did not really appeal to me. Heights are not something I am too crazy about. Let’s just say I prefer being as close to the ground as possible. But I had to try it at least once; as a lot of hotels these days are taking advantage of the great views that come with being in a super tall building.

Building entrance of InterContinental Nanjing

As promised, InterContinental Nanjing could not have chosen a better location. It is located in the middle of Nanjing’s Gulou Square. This is a highly commercial district with lots of good shopping (Hunan Road and Xin Jie Kou), restaurants and tourist spots such as the ancient Drum Tower. You also get unbelievable skyline views of nearby Zijin Shan (Purple Gold Mountain) and Xuanwu lake. 

InterContinental Nanjing's lobby

Marc beside a beautiful birdcage at the hotel lobby

At the hotel lobby

Our room was located in the 63^rd floor and as we rode the elevator up, I felt my ears pop reminding me that the ground was far, far away! The amazing views of the room made up for it though…and so did the food the next day!

Breakfast was definitely something to look forward to. The Horizon Café, the hotel’s international all day restaurant is located on the 45^th floor surrounded by floor to ceiling glass windows so you get breathtaking views while eating. The breakfast buffet features a live cooking station and a dish spread of mostly Indian, Italian, Chinese and Japanese cuisine. 

The live cooking station of Horizon Cafe at the 45th floor

The breakfast buffet layout at Horizon Cafe
with Italian, Indian, Chinese and Japanese cuisine

The Sky Lounge Bar was quite unique as it features a very futuristic, space-age and ultra-modern design. It is suspended in the air on the 45^th floor and gives the same amazing views of the city from its glass windows. My favorite was the floor's gel-like blue substance that moved and created shapes as you walked on it.

Sky Lounge Bar's outer shell is suspended in the air on the 45th floor.

Sky Lounge Bar's unique blue gel floor

All in all, staying at InterContinental Nanjing was an interesting experience, although I was incredibly happy to be back on ground level on the way back to Hefei.

One last view of Nanjing from the taxi to the train station.
The city is even greener now than when I remembered it.

Nanjing is one of my favorite cities in China (I may be a bit biased after having lived there for a whole year in 2010). But it is a city certainly worth visiting just to see its many historical sights and cultural landmarks.

In case you want to take a trip to Nanjing in the future, here’s a list of some of the best sights to see:

• Nanjing Ming City Walls
• Confucius Temple
• Presidential Palace
• Ming Xiaoling Dynasty Tombs
• Dr. Sun Yat Sen’s Mausoleum
• Xuanwu Lake
• Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall

InterContinental Nanjing

1 Zhong Yang Road, Gulou District

Nanjing 210008, China-P.R.C.

Front Desk: +86-25-83538888

Fax: +86-25-85518888

Website link: http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/intercontinental/en/gb/locations/nanjing