I've never been interested in automobiles - I've never even wanted to own one. So when it comes to vehicles repeatedly going around in circles, I really don't see the point. But my sister is a fan of Formula 1, thus I dutifully went with her last Friday to the night race here in Singapore.

Katrina originally wanted to go during the Saturday or Sunday walkabout, but since I was not interested in F1, Rihanna or the Killers, I said that we'll go on the cheapest day which is Friday, the practice run.

You can hear the race from miles away, but the experience of seeing the action up close with the roar of the cars blasting in our ears, sent shivers down my spine and I must say that even I got excited!

I still don't care who won, but we're planning to go again next year this time either on Saturday or Sunday depending on the musician performing after the race.

A Lesson from NATAS

My cousin and I were at NATAS yesterday hoping to book a cruise to Phuket. Turns out, we should have done it online. We asked Royal Caribbean agent Janning if there was an advantage to booking with them during the travel fair compared with booking via their website, and she said there wasn't any. Hmmm... what's the point in going there then? So for future reference, here are the differences:

Royal Caribbean Booth at NATAS
- SGD 4 entrance fee per person
- Randomly assigned rooms (you won't know where your room will be until after check-in)
- Eligible for the raffle draw - every S$500 spent (up to a maximum of 3 combined receipts) at NATAS Holidays 2013 entitles the customer to one entry form.

Royal Caribbean Website
- No entrance fee
- You can choose your room - all available room numbers are listed per deck so you'll be able to check the exact location of the room you're interested in.* Once you've settled on the room, you can then just click on your preferred room number and proceed to the payment options.

*This is easily done using the deck plans found online.

Therefore, if you want to join the raffle, go ahead and book the cruise at NATAS. But if you're like me, and has been reading up on which decks to avoid, then purchase through their website to ensure that you won't be up all night due to the noise in the surrounding areas.

The Phantom of the Opera

Forgive me, but this will be a rather sentimental post.

Last Saturday my husband and I went to watch The Phantom of the Opera and I must say that there were times during the show when I was overwhelmed with emotion. I had to try very hard to control my tears - and take note this isn't even my favourite musical! How to explain it?

I grew up listening to Fiddler on the Roof, South Pacific and memorizing just about every song in My Fair Lady, thanks to my parents who both love Broadway. They've passed this love on to me and while I've moved on to "newer" shows, I have never actually seen an international production live. I usually either just watch the movie versions or listen to the recordings of their songs. Oh, I've attended local stagings of Avenue Q and They're Playing Our Song, but nothing on a grand scale. Not the ones I've heard about with a lot of cast members and special effects.

When Miss Saigon and Les Misérables (which is my favorite) were in Manila, the tickets were rather expensive so going was out of the question. Here in Singapore though, the arts scene is very vibrant and theatre seems to be more accessible. Thus, it was only now that attending became a feasible option. And while the one who played the Phantom seemed to be having an "off" day (Earl said he sounded like Russell Crowe singing), the lady who played Christine was up to scratch and Raoul wasn't bad, so when they started singing "The Phantom of the Opera" and "All I Ask of You" I just lost it.

Really, when you finally see it performed live, it is such a different feeling.

Drum Tao

Earl had heard about this years ago so when we found out they were going to be in Singapore, we immediately bought tickets.

The seats we got were at the top most level (on the third floor), and having never been to the Esplanade Theatre before, I assumed we would be too far up to see much of anything. Fortunately, my fears were unfounded because while the place was not small, it wasn't vast so we were able to see everything quite clearly.

Another misconception was that I thought the entire production would just be about Japanese drums - I was already bracing myself for a migraine (clearly I did not read the synopsis provided online). Turns out it involved humour, acrobatics and a few other traditional Japanese instruments such as the three strings Japanese guitar, bamboo flute, and Japanese harp. The drums were still the focal point, but all of it put together made for a very pleasant afternoon.

Savour 2013

I'm not into bags, shoes or clothes, but what I do like is food. So when I heard about Savour last year, I was determined to attend this year. Was it worth it?

If you want to try dishes from some of the world's best restaurants at a cheaper price, then yes. You won't need a plane ticket, hotel reservations or have to pay a fortune at the actual restaurant for a three course meal. Just pay the entrance fee of SGD 48 (including the SGD 3 Sistic fee) and the cost of whatever you'll be ordering.

And because we booked our tickets during an early promotion, we not only saved money (tickets sold at the gate were SGD 20 more expensive), we also got a goody bag:

But let's get back to the main reason for going to the event - the food. Here's what we got in no particular order:

Alvin Leung | BO INNOVATION, Hong Kong

2 Michelin Stars

#15 Asia's 50 Best Restaurants

#52 World's 100 Best Restaurants

Our first taste of molecular gastronomy! We had the Molecular "Xiao Long Bao" (SGD 6 each) where the soup just bursts into your mouth upon the first bite and the Bo Chicken Rice (SGD 10) which reminded me of a soft boiled egg mixed in with rice - both were definitely interesting in good way.

Margot Janse | THE TASTING ROOM AT LE QUARTIER FRANÇAIS, South Africa

#57 World's 100 Best Restaurants

Seared Scallop, Aerated Scallop and Dill Vichyssoise, Barley and Squid Ink Crumble (SGD 10) - this was tasty but not spectacular. Maybe because it was such a tiny piece that we further divided into two?

The Biltong Cured 1824 Beef Fillet, Warm Corn and Maize Salad, Chakala Ketchup, Bone Marrow Dressing (SGD 16) was nice, but Earl was not too fond of the red sauce.

They serve the beef "medium" which I do not eat as I'm not into raw meat, so I asked if they could do it "well done". Not sure how the chef felt about that but they were nice enough to accommodate my request which in the end came out "medium well".

Anthony Demetre | WILD HONEY, UK & ARBUTUS, UK

1 Michelin Star (per restaurant)

What the Slow Cooked 1824 Beef 'Cottage Pie', Hot Smoked Potato (SGD 14) lacked in presentation, it made up for in taste! Both Earl and I liked this a lot. To me it was like rich tasting comfort food - something to tuck into on a rainy day at home with rice (I am Asian after all).

Emilio Maccias | ASTRID Y GASTÓN, Peru

#35 World's 100 Best Restaurants

Technically, all the dishes we ordered tasted good - it's just that when they're all good, some will stand out from the others. And for us, the best was the Hot and Cold Combination: Traditional Fryede Fish with Milk, Chocolate & Andean Grains Chupetes & Jalea de Pescado with Iced Dulce de Leche Lollypops (SGD 18). At first it looked like a weird duo, but when you eat the fish followed immediately by the dessert, it just made absolute sense.

Earl and I both had a lot of fun at Savour 2013 despite the fact that bottled water costs SGD 4 each and the weather was so very hot. On the bright side, at least it did not rain while we were there.

For those planning to go next year, I have two suggestions: One is to go with friends you can share food with so that you can try more dishes. The second is to choose the dinner session instead of lunch so you'll be able to go around more comfortably at this outdoor event.

Harry Potter: The Exhibition

This event has already closed here in Singapore, but I've decided to post it anyway in case someone might be interested in seeing it wherever it is headed to next.

I would recommend it only for those who liked the movie or read the books. We went with relatives who were not too familiar with the story and they found it a bit boring (though my nephew ended up reading the books after our visit).

Earl paid for the audio guide (SGD 6) which I thought wasn't needed, but I later changed my mind as it made the tour much more fun.

Logos Hope

The world's largest floating book fair docked into Manila recently so we decided to pay the MV Logos Hope a visit.

They carry over 5000 book titles with subjects ranging from cookbooks, home improvement, fiction, health, etc. But the minute you enter, you'll notice that it's geared more towards children.

What got me excited was that there were hardbound books for kids which cost Php 100 each! I rarely see prices that low in regular bookshops so I wanted to do our Christmas shopping already (gifts for various nieces and nephews), but Earl told me it was way too early...

Located at Pier 15 of the Manila South Harbor, the ship will be open to the public until March 13 and they will sail to Subic Bay the following day. For more details, please click here.

Opening Hours:
Monday - Closed
Tuesday to Saturday - 10 AM to 9:30 PM
Sunday - 1 PM to 9:30 PM

Ticket Prices:
Children under 12 - Free
Everyone else - Php 20

4th Thailand Trade Exhibition

We chanced upon this today while at the SM Mall of Asia. It was rather interesting as they had all sorts of things - food, clothes, cookware, jewelry, etc.

My main reason for going though was to see if there were any food and drink samples. I was not disappointed. I think almost all the food stalls were on sale.

The powdered flavor packets on the first two shelves are selling at three for Php 100. The flavor paste jars on the third shelf are priced at Php 90 each.

At the time we arrived, they were showcasing three sets of traditional dance and as we were leaving, there was an announcement for a scheduled cooking demonstration.

Entrance to the exhibition is free and will run until tomorrow.

Tales from the 2012 Travel Expo

This was my first visit to the Travel Tour Expo which started yesterday and will run until tomorrow. I was hoping to compare the cost of airline tickets at the event with those sold online.

We arrived at the SMX Convention Center slightly before 10 AM and the line to the entrance had already stretched all the way outside and was at least four people deep. So we decided to eat first and by the time we entered the venue 30 minutes later, the place was packed especially where the local airline carriers were located - Philippine Airlines (PAL), Cebu Pacific, Airphil Express, etc.

Our first stop was PAL and it's a good thing my mother-in-law was with me as the queue for senior citizens was much shorter. As to the prices, I will first have to mention a few things:

- PAL kept reminding people over the loudspeakers that their promo rates are also available with accredited travel agents at the expo so no need to line up just with PAL.

- Expo rates are only valid for two to three months so for those staying longer, no promo.

Though for my mother-in-law who's going to Los Angeles (LAX) from Apr 28 to Oct 25 (six-month valid ticket), there was a small USD 68 difference:

Price online - USD 1484 WITHOUT the Php 1620 travel tax.
Price at the expo - USD 1453 WITH the Php 1620 travel tax.

For those planning to take advantage of the discounted rates, here are the sample fares:

MNL-LAX-MNL - departing MNL Mar 1 to 28:
USD 1025 - 3 months valid
USD 925 - 2 months valid

MNL-LAX-MNL - departing MNL Apr 8 to Aug 31:
USD 1235 - 3 months valid
USD 1085 - 2 months valid

All rates inclusive of airline taxes EXCEPT the Php 1620 Philippine travel tax.

If you buy a ticket online right now, the lowest fare available is USD 1085.90 for March 7-31 without the Philippine travel tax. That's a difference of at least USD 161 - that is if your dates are flexible.

I also picked up a flyer from Cathay Pacific (CX):

I found this interesting because when we were shopping around for December tickets to LAX last year, the cheapest fare we could find was either on China Southern and EVA Airways for roughly USD 915 to USD 1200. I've just checked online and CX is USD 941.50 for Dec 15, 2012 to Jan 4, 2013 but one would need to buy the ticket immediately. Even then, I'm thinking that's not bad as I prefer CX to the other two aforementioned airlines.

Actually, our first priority is PAL because it's a direct flight but at USD 1179.90 online for the same dates, that's a difference of Php 10,250 per passenger. Considering there will be two of us travelling, that Php 20,500 can be used for shopping instead.

There were also booths from different countries such as Japan, India, Thailand, etc. I got brochures from the Hong Kong Tourism Board along with an updated city map. Based on my experience, it's so much easier to plan a trip with an actual map and it will prevent you from wasting a lot of time criss-crossing the place if your itinerary is planned accordingly.

So is it worth going to expo? Yes if you have a specific destination in mind and you've done your research beforehand.