3 Types Of Snack To Try During Colder Season In China

Coming from a country with only two types of season - sunny and rainy seasons - it never bores me to amaze the different kind of snacks that other countries have to offer during colder days. I'm pretty much a sucker for uniquely made food, especially those with insane fragrance. So, in this post, I'd like to share with you guys 3 snacks (which I could not find anywhere near my hometown) that I could never missed when traveling in China.

1. Icy Candy (Bing Tang Hu Lu 冰糖葫芦)

For candy lovers out there, never ever miss to try this thing! You can only find this candy when the temperature starts to drop. It is extremely easy to get, pretty much in all street/night market in the country. It's not even hard to make - simply stick some fruits or nuts with an arm-long wooden stick and coat it with mixture of sugar and honey. Place it outside and wait for it to freeze slowly. Easy.

There are few kinds of fruit and nut they use, those are strawberry, blueberry, grape, orange, kiwi, hawthorn, walnut, chestnut etc. Each of them priced differently, ranging from RMB 5 - 12. May vary for each location.

2. XXL Mutton Skewer (Yang Rou Chuan 羊肉串）

Some places in China, the locals consume tons of mutton and lamb to stay warm. Hence, you won't find it weird that the people here are selling theses skewers in the size XXL. Each skewer cost only RM 10. Having two of these would be enough for an average human-being. Well, you are nowhere near average. Then have it your way.

One of the reason that I can't forget these skewers, is the strong smell. You could literally smell it from a kilometer away. It's actually caused by the spice they used - cumin, chili flake and white pepper. Put these on grill fire and you will get an aromatherapy for food lovers.

3. Bipang (Shougong Jiang Tang 手工姜糖)

If you ever planned to travel to Xi'An, missing this out would be a huge mistake. Here, they're not only selling the snacks, but also present to you the way they produce openly, pretty much like a live show. The process involves mixing, pulling, baking and cutting in large scale. All of these are displayed publicly to attract visitors. This particular snack isn't only sold during colder time, but I would prefer to buy when the weather isn't so high, or else it would get a little sticky.

Each pack is sold differently depending on its flavor, ranging from RMB 20 - 30.

VIP Hotel @ Segamat, Johor

So, I'd managed to pull out some time during last weekend for a short vacation. Wasn't that far, though. Just in Segamat, Johor.

In case if any of you wondering where the heck is Segamat, it's actually located on the north side of Johor state. Three hours of driving from my hometown, Johor Bahru, and approximately 1.5 hour from Melaka Sentral. Being one of the rural district in Johor, Segamat offers its visitors with pretty relaxing atmosphere. It actually gets better if you were born in the city, or maybe just tied up with it.

I, for one, love spending some quality time in these type rural area. But having no company, or people with similar could be big problem too sometimes. Lucky for me, I received an invitation by one of my Blogger friend to try out this hotel in Segamat. It didn't take me long to say yes. I had been longing for this type of weekend getaway for quite some times now.

So, without further a due, allow me to walk you around this place.

Basically, VIP Hotel is a 3-star rated hotel, but completed with some facilities that you will not find in any 3-star hotel around KL or JB.

I'm pretty sure some of you might think it's a little irony naming it 'VIP' but having rated with only 3 stars. Well, for short, this hotel markets itself mostly to attract the government officials or international corporation. Of course they do serve all walk-in individuals. But good thing about this hotel is, they're giving out discounts and special packages for those officials and corporation. Hence, the name 'VIP' helps with their marketing strategy.

As for the facilities, what do they have to offer?

Pool

During weekdays, this pool is rented out for public use. With only RM20 per adult, and RM10 per kid, you may spend the next 24 hours drowning yourself in the pool. But of course I believe none of you would actually do that.

And if you were the type of people who would never swim in trunk in front of public (like myself), you could go down the pool area in between 8 to 9 pm. By that time most of the visitors would have gone back to their rooms. Pretty comforting and no one would stare at you while swimming.

Keep in mind, though. The pool closes at 9 pm. Although there won't be any sign saying it, the guards will be all around it.

Gymnasium

Do not get too excited, though. Like I said earlier, this is a 3-star rated hotel. Hence, you won't be seeing a complete set of gymnasium. As of this date, they gym comes with cardio equipment mostly, like exercise bikes and track mills.

If you were a morning exercise kind of person, this facility could be great for you. The gym was designed facing the pool and main road. So during morning, you may find sunrise just above the pool can be pretty indulging.

Coffee House 'The Chef'

This in-house cafe opens from as early as 7 am for breakfast, till 10 pm for supper. Except for breakfast, which they are serving buffet style, the rest of the meals are on ala-carte basis. It's good, though, because they only attend you with hot and freshly cooked dishes.

And there is another good news for those of you who refuse to come out from the room to eat. 'The Chef' also serves your hot dishes straight to your room, like a room service. The menu ranges from appetizer, main course to dessert. (There will be a different post for the food)

There are some other amenities too, which for some people, are pretty great to have.

- Liquor Bar (which I was not allowed to enter)

- Wifi

- Hot Shower

- Safety box and fridge in each room

- Snack and souvenir store

- Conference Rooms (that could fit up to 250 people)

~~ ~~ ~~

Here are the links for for full details. Booking is available through most hotel application, like Agoda, Tripadvisor and Bookings.com.

Website : VIP Hotel Segamat
Facebook : VIP Hotel Segamat
Contact : 07-931 2101
Address : Batu 1, Jalan Buluh Kasap, Segamat 85000, Johor

Caffe Bene @ City Square Johor Bahru

People around me understood so well my obsession toward dessert. Or maybe just my crave for food in general. I developed this 'lusty' habit since I was in primary school. At that time, I was attending Chinese school. As a Muslim student being in Chinese surrounding, I was pretty much left with very few option when it came to breakfast or lunch. The only menu in the canteen that I could choose, was either desserts or bakeries. It was much sadder than it sounds like. Every day when the recess bell rang, I would make my way to the dessert corner and forced myself to buy any bread or cake, which seemed to be less bland, and pushed it down my throat. To make it easier, I would train myself to like it.

Everything is in your head, they said. And just like that, I spent most of my days up until final year of high school, eating nothing much more than desserts or breads. But hey, at least I can tell people that I've been loving desserts for more than 10 years now.

Now let's talk about the main point, shall we? Caffe Bene, a korean-style dessert corner which specialized in serving icy Bingsu and hot coffees. 

I don't really go for the mainstream, but I believe the influence of Korean culture has been around for over half a decade now. So if you're really into this K-culture and stuff, you might actually fall for this place. Just any other Japanese restaurant, Cafe Bene greets its customer with a friendly line of  'annyeonghaseyo', and bid its 'kamsahamnida' when you leave.

Cafe Bene normally comes out with a theme of promotion of each season (perhaps something Malaysians aren't so familiar). A flavor or a new creation would be displayed and sold only for that particular quarter of the year. So for summer 2017, they came out if a combination flavor of mango and Nutella. They call it 'Mangotella'.

That huge cup I'm holding on the left photo is called 'Mangotella Bingsu'. While the one that my twin's holding is called 'Mango Yogurt Bingsu'. Both of them are served pretty similar, with chunky mango cubes in double-sized cup. The only difference is they are filled with Nutella gelato and yogurt gelato respectively. Each of them cost RM 29.90.

I know some of my reader know that I'm a sucker for cheap food, but trust me, with that size of a cup, it is enough to feed 3 people. You might even have some left-over.

Eating ice cup alone can't possibly be enough, right? So, me and my cousin had these in additional - Mangotella Waffle & Mangotella Smoothie.

Hot Belgium waffle, also served chunky mango cubes and Nutella drizzle, and finally topped with yogurt gelato. Plainly rich in sweetness. As for the smoothie, it's a simple drink with the combination of mango and nutella. Both of them cost RM 17.90 and RM 11.90 respectively.

Ow, before I forget, we also ordered this bread. I don't know why, but I was so in love with the taste of it. Honey bread, served with garlic cheese sauce. We had it for appetizer, but it was quite big too., enough for the two of us.

Next time when you're in City Square JB, or maybe on the way to go to Singapore, stop by and relax a little. The surrounding was pretty nice. Here are some link for you guys.

Name : Caffe Bene

Address : 3rd floor of City Square, Johor Bahru

Facebook : Caffe Bene City Square

What Do I Think of Tianjin, China

I've been to a handful of cities in China. Some of them I've managed to record down into either my blog or personal journal. While some, they've pretty much gone to waste. Shouldn't have done that.

Just few weeks ago, I had the chance to squeeze in a trip to Beijing and Tianjin. Wasn't that long, only for a week. I went with my mom. And if you had been following my old posts, probably around two years ago, you would notice I had taken her to Guangzhou. It was a fun trip, just being alone with her made everything memorable. But hey, let's save that story for some other time. This post is all about how I remember Tianjin.

Tianjin is the fourth largest city in China, after Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou. It shares the same border with Beijing at the southwest direction. This city is well-known for its European-style buildings and mansions. And if you searched the city in Google or Wikipedia, you would realize the articles mostly shared about the ancient war, and how Tianjin had become the gateway for foreign navies into the land. Hence, the culture remains till these days.

During my study in Beijing, about 5 years ago, I had plenty of friends who'd traveled to this city and came back on the next day. At that time I wasn't so keen in exploring other places, Beijing itself had made me overwhelmed. Also, financial issue was part of the reason. The feedback I got from them were either relaxing, or beautiful. Of course, I didn't understand what they meant by that. So, since I've established my own income now, I figured probably it was time to find out more about it.

If I were asked to describe Tianjin in few words, I would choose these - Calm, smooth, inexpensive, friendly, clean, vacant.

Calm

This city, was somehow, noiseless. Everywhere we went, there wasn't any car honking, people shouting, security audio playing aloud, sellers promoting. Walking down the street had literally felt like we were in another country. And it got even better near Hai River.

Smooth

I wasn't really sure if it was because of the season or weather, but the traffic was insanely smooth. We stayed near the outskirt, but getting there from city center by taxi took us less than 15 minutes.

Inexpensive

Part of common sense when traveling to large city - everything you see is expected to be pricey. But you now what, we got ourselves a satisfyingly large hotel room that cost only RMB 250 a night. And the meals, they cost us roughly RMB 30 for each person, even in the city center.

Friendly

Both of us first landed in Beijing before traveling to Tianjin by train. Hence, the difference we had seen on the warmth of locals between these cities was huge. Every taxi or restaurant we got into, was greeted by huge smiles and overly hearty chats.

Clean

The cleaners here had done their jobs right. No littering on the sidewalks and perfectly clean river. Which might be caused by my last point.

Vacant

Where are the people? Why did I constantly bump into elderly or older adults? Where were the kids? Or teenagers? Night life here was a complete turn off.

Don't get me wrong, though. I had a peaceful stay, but three days was too long. My suggestion for you guys out there, cut it to one day, or two utmost.

Enjoy your trip , kids!

Forbidden City @ Beijing

Being one of the most iconic tourism destination in Beijing, Forbidden City holds a huge impression among the tourists and receives thousands of them visiting every day. Well-preserved relics and fine architecture. These are the reasons why this ancient palace could become the first in everyone's checklist.

Due to its perfect location, which situated right in the center of Beijing City, the palace is accessible by any means of transportation. If you are planning to take the subway, simply stop at either Tiananmen East or Tiananmen West Station. Walk about 500 meters to the front o Tiananmen Sqare and that will be the entrance of Forbidden City.

Both of the square and palace are interconnected. Hence, you will have to walk past the square before you could reach the palace. Ticket counter will be provided at the end of Tiananmen Square. As of November 2016, the ticket price was RMB 40 per person. The pricing would be different if you had student pass.

This massive palace got its name from literal translation of "紫禁城" (Zi Jin Cheng). Zi, means 'purple', was referring to the North Star, which in ancient China was called Ziwei Star, and in traditional Chinese astrology was the heavenly abode of the celestial emperor. Jin, means 'forbidden', as the people inside the palace were forbidden to walk in or out of it without emperor's permission. As for Cheng, it simply means 'city'. Keep in mind, though, that the word "Zi Jin Cheng" is only used in formal context. If you are heading toward it by taxi, tell the driver that you want to go to "Gu Gong", which means 'Former Palace'. The locals use this name more often.

Tourist in Beijing, they tended to seek for one common trait from Beijing - the historical heritage. That is exactly the main tourist magnet of this city. These monuments and relics inside age more than a century, but you wouldn't even notice that once you entered it. This is the result of strict preservation done by the Chinese government in keeping every single piece of item in the palace seemingly untouched. I, personally, would have this same feeling every time I managed to step foot here - it felt as if I was stepping on the same ground that the emperors of China did centuries ago.

Visiting the modern and trendy spots in Beijing could be quite fun too. But you might wish to have a little insight on some of these magnificent inheritances passed by the great ancestors. As said by Philip Stanhope, "The world is a country which nobody ever yet to know by description; one must travel trhough it one's self to be acquainted with it."

The word 'China' or 'Beijing' do not fairly portray what they truly have to offer. Some were misled by the media and news. Fearing of the unknown, creating speculation based on unclear and incomprehensible description. The choice is yours, though. Just my tiny piece of advice, you wouldn't know it if you hadn't been there yourself. So, go and experience it firsthand.

Beijing & Xi'An Itinerary (2)

 If this is your first time visiting my blog, do check out my first part of this post - Beijing & Xi'An Itinerary Part 1.

Here's the summary of my suggested plan for 6-day stay in this two cities:

1st Day - Beijing : Familiarize with surrounding. Street market. Long relaxing time.

2nd Day - Beijing : Forbidden City during day. Nan Luo Gu Xiang during night.

3rd Day - Beijing : Mutianyu Great Wall. Wang Fu Jing during night.

4th Day - Beijing : Nearby park to relax. 14-hour train.

5th Day - Xi'An : Muslim Street. Great Mosque of Xi'An. Drum Tower. Bell Tower. Hot pot for dinner.

6th Day - Xi'An : Terracotta Army Museum. Airport.

4th Day - Beijing

We spent most of our 4th day in the train. The tickets cost us RMB 188 per person for a hard bed. That was inclusive of processing fee and Paypal charges, because I booked them a month before traveling. Take my advice and do not get too stingy with yourself when purchasing ticket for regular train in China. The difference between them was nearly RMB 100, but what made it worth it was the accommodation and space.

Getting a single seat would be fine if you were having 1-2 hours commuting. But if it was overnight, you wouldn't want to cramp up your entire body on that tiny/hard seat. The hard bed came with, of course, an adult size bed with pillow and blanket, two tables and two chairs for each section,  a clean shared toilet and water boiler for the whole cabin. There isn't a need to get too worried about crowd, as one hard bed cabin only accommodates up to 60 passengers. While single seat cabin accommodates twice the amount. And the ticket comes with only a hard seat and shared toilets.

5th Day - Xi'An

By the time we reached Xi'An Train Station, it was already dawn, around 6.00 am. My contact in China selected a hotel/dormitory just next to Bell Tower. It was accessible by metro or public buses.

Due to its good location, which was exactly in the city center, our plan of the day focused only on these few destination - Bell Tower, Drum Tower, Muslim Street and Great Mosque of Xi'An. All these four places were perfectly near to each other and only took us around 15 minutes to walk. Entrance fees for Bell Tower, or Zhonglou (钟楼) and Drum Tower, or Gulou (鼓楼) ranged from RMB 40-50 (I was meeting a friend and did not exactly join the day tour). As for the Great Mosque (西安大清真寺), you could enter for free if you were Muslim and wished to perform prayer in it. But if you weren't, RMB 40 per person would be charged to enter. The mosque was a nice place for photography, but they had to control the number of crowd due to limited space and privacy of pilgrims.

At night, we strolled through Muslim Street, or Huimin Jie (回民街), which was located just outside of the Great Mosque. There were around 10 streets combined and formed the tourist hot spot. An advice from my friend here, was to go deeper in the streets. You would find yourself better selections at cheaper rates. We got ourselves a double hotpot that cost around RMB 40 per person. It was quite cheap, considering the amount of food we ordered. Great meal we had.

6th Day - Xi'An

Our last day was simple and relaxing. We checked out from the hotel around 9.00 am and hired a driver to Terracotta Army Museum, or Bing Ma Yong (兵马俑). It cost RMB 300 for the entire day.

Only 1 hour was required from city center to the museum. Perhaps it was weekday, we faced no difficulty with traffic on our way out. Once arrived, we had to pay RMB 150 each to enter the museum. There were numbers of tour guide stood-by to offer their service. I assumed there were at least Mandarin, English, Russian and Spanish language provided. But our group figured that we'd all made our homework and knew part of this museum, so went in without a tour guide.

The entire visit lasted roughly 4 hours, but not solely in the museum, you will have to walk pass a huge garden on the way up, and rows of shops and restaurants on the way down. The walk alone took us around 45 minutes.

Our flight back to Kuala Lumpur that night was at 12 midnight. But by the time we got into our car, we still had around 3 hours to spare. So, the driver took us to the souvenirs stores nearby and another detour back to Muslim Street for one last shopping.

Once everyone was done, we tipped the driver another RMB 200 for one last trip to Xi'An International Airport. It could have been RMB 50 cheaper with another driver my friend recommended. But we were too exhausted for any transit, so this extra money worth the while.

We managed to arrive at the airport just in time for check in and relax. The driver was welcoming and we had good conversation with him. It was just something nice that all of us need before leaving this country. No delay and no trouble caused on our way home. We arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport around 6.00 am. And finally got ourselves some Nasi Lemak. Lovely time.

5 Interesting Facts About Beijing

1. Beijing subway is super efficient, but dangerous if not careful.

Subway system in Beijing is indeed incomparable with any city in China. Speed and efficiency, they're actually written in the motto. Chances of getting disrupted during your train ride is so little, that you barely hear any complaint made by the users. And even if you missed a train by few seconds, you don't have to worry getting late, because there is one coming just less than a kilometer away. Keep in mind, though, that good system is a result of constant adherence. Most of the levers, doors and trains are completely computerized. One foot wrong and the door will not hesitate to crush you like a bug, well, not literally, but you get my point. Nothing will stop it unless someone is quick enough to press the emergency button. My best advice are, halt your step when the signal light blinks or when the bell rings; and never cross the yellow line until the train stops, especially during peak hour.

2. The city is divided by 'rings'.

Beijing is one of the few cities that possess road rings. They are designed in strategic ways to ease heavy traffic in the city. There are seven rings in total and all of them size differently. It starts from the city center (Tiananmen Square) as the first ring. And moves toward the outskirt. The further the number goes the larger the ring expands. Hence, you will not find it odd hearing the locals use those rings to refer certain locations. For example, I stayed in a hotel that was located in Chaoyang (semi-outskirt). Sometimes when I hailed a taxi to go somewhere in city area, the drivers would ask me which ring the address was in. Not that they don't know the address, but Beijing is a big city, perhaps that's just how the local memorize locations.

3. Certain cars are restricted to enter 5th ring on weekdays.

This was once taught by my Chinese teacher. Every Monday to Friday, the city only allows certain cars to stay within 5th ring, and all cars are categorized by the last digit if their plat number. On Monday, cars that end with 0 and 5 are not allowed in. Tuesday, 1 and 6. Wednesday, 2 and 7. Thursday, 3 and 8. Friday, 4 and 9. As for weekends, all cars are free to go anywhere. Any car that disobey this rule will definitely receive a ticket. So, it's pretty important to understand this if you wish to travel through the city using a car. Or maybe if you wish to hire a driver. Make sure of the day and plat number.

4. Changes of air quality are extreme.

We heard multiple times in the news that Beijing is notorious for its poor air quality and thick haze. You may believe that, but but it's not entirely true. Because air quality in this city is very conditional. If you travel during arid and windy season, there's no way the haze would stay around. All you will see is a tremendous blue sky with very little cloud. A complete stunning view. In many of my trips, I had experienced two different air qualities within two short days. One day it was smokey, and the next it was bright and clear. Take this advise and dome some research before deciding your travel date. There are websites that provide air quality forecast for cities with constant haze condition.

5. Phone simcard is as important as ID or passport.

Getting a simcard is always on top of my safety list, especially when I'm traveling with a group of newcomers. But lately, the laws are getting even more silly when they require foreigners to register for simcard in mobile center. It used to be easier and it could be done only on the street, or any little mobile store. Although the requirement is simple, only to bring a passport, it's pretty hilarious to see that they perform the exact procedure as if you're registering for an ID. Here is the entire process - they scan the passport, photocopy, snap a photo of you, ask for fingerprint and a signature. Only then the officer will ask you what of simcard you want. The entire process of queuing and waiting took us around 30 to 60 minutes. I'm not trying to ridicule the law here, but as a short-term traveler, I did not have 60 minutes to waste.