Breakaway - Easter Weekend in Beijing's Opposite House

The easter holidays is just a weekend away. What to do? Go Beijing luxe with a long weekend at The Opposite House in Beijing, suitably ensconced in the hip-hopping Sanlitun Village. Get picked up in a Maserati and be treated to a chilled bottle of champagne, specially made chocolates, and breakfast for two at the Village Café. If you’re not shopping...

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Binge Hong Kong - Suzie, Sake and The Paddle

If you’re into the latest flavours, robatayaki is getting pretty popular over in jolly ole Hong Kong. So if you’re stopping by the city, pop in and see what the excitement is all about. One of the newest additions is busy suzie, and it promises to be an eyeful. Housed in Heritage 1881, a former lighthouse and marine police headquarters in Tsim Sha...

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Buys - Gym Wear Equals Casual Wear

These days, what you wear to the gym, you can also wear just about everywhere else with some clever mixing and matching. If you have signed up for a low sweat, low impact class and are in between appointments and don't fancy lugging around your work or play wear then you might just consider jumping into togs like the ones that Puma have just launched...

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By The Way and Buys - New Backpacks and Wheelies at Samsonite

Do you ever wonder how travellers in 1910 used to pack?  Travel back in time 100 years at the Samsonite - A Century of Going Places Exhibition held from 6 to 15 April at Tangs Orchard where heritage pieces have been flown in to show you what the first co-ordinated luggage looked like back then, along with history, brand development and craftsmanship. Where:...

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This Weekend - Screening Room - Coco Before Chanel with Dinner

If you have nothing planned this weekend, here's something perfect for a night out with the girls. Catch the movie ‘Coco Before Chanel’ at The Screening Room (today and tomorrow – 26 & 27 March), and get treated to a cosy evening at a dinner-theatre setting. Dinner is served in the restaurant at the first floor of the Screening Room. Expect serious...

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Binge - Dive Into Easter!

Don’t let its tired exterior or dark car park fool you – methinks there’s a new lease of life at Hilton Singapore. Spring has sprung over yonder. They’ve got a new pastry chef installed and as it turns out, Executive Pastry Chef Christophe Grilo has got quite a few tricks up his flour-covered sleeves! Look at these crazy, quirky concoctions he’s churned...

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Breakaway Shanghai - Imperial Dragon Massage Anyone?

Shanghai has found its swing again, and apart from shopping till you drop, there are spas to be savoured in this sizzlingly stylish city. One of the latest palaces of pampering is Qin The Spa at the Four Seasons Shanghai, bedecked in stunning chinois luxe. You won’t forget you’re in China with all the nine treatment rooms themed around elements of...

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By The Way - Events This April

April's around the corner .. Exhibitions, Theatre, Garage Sales .. we have them all - read on:  Early Bird-Discounts for Pixar Animation Exhibition Early bird tickets at attractive and highly discounted prices are now available for Pixar: 20 Years of Animation - the highly-anticipated international exhibition that transports you into an imaginative...

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Breaking News - Goodbye Google (in China)!

Google made the front page of most new papers today here in Hong Kong with its retreat or should I say eviction from Chinese cyberspace. Those who read Mandarin or Pu Tong Hua as they call it in Hong Kong will get this one on the front page of local AM730 Chinese Paper. Got to say that the Cantonese are just terrific at just saying it like it is!...

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Breakaway Hong Kong - Go East For Biz

If you’re heading to Hong Kong on business, settle in at East, a new “lifestyle business hotel” which opened earlier this year by Swire Hotels (same people behind the chic Upper House). It’s a little off centre if you don’t like to be in the thick of crowds, at Taikoo Shing, but see what an ab-fab view you open your peepers to in the morning? We...

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Buys - Designer Wannabe?

March seems to be contest month. Here's an interesting one from Havainas if you fancy yourself a would-be designer! Or maybe have an extremely creative teen that could collaborate with you on this one. Havaianas, the fashionable flip-flop brand (pronounced ah-vai-yah-nas) have collaborated with Threadless.com, a USAbased design community, which allows...

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Binge – Midnight Ice Cream Fix at Cluny Court

Why is it that all the foodie goodies are concentrated in Bukit Timah? See this wondrously droolsome bowl of sin? Marble Slab Creamery, which set up at Cluny Court in January this year, not only scoops out over 20 flavours at any one time, it does so way until midnight on weekends. So if kiddies or you need a late night sugar fix, live dangerously...

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Binge – The Ultimate Sunday Brunch!

The morning after the asceticism of Earth Hour, when we are all suitably self-flagellated and purged of all sense of environmental sinning, we all deserve brunch! Not just an ordinary wine-laden, red meat-overload brunch, but a superfabuliciously extraordinary spread of high gastronomy washed down with floods of vintage champers. By that I am referring...

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BTW – Quick, Whip Out Your Torchlights! It's Earth Hour!

Just in case you’re out next Saturday evening and the world seems to plunge into darkness, don’t ask who turned off the lights….and no, it’s not a total lunar eclipse nor is it 2012 come early either. It’s Earth Hour. Huh? And when is it not earth hour, we scratch our heads in wonder? An initiative by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature – not World Wrestling...

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Binge - Say OiO For Premium Yo!

Are we all flocking to Sentosa in such hoardes that we have forgotten that dinky little mall called Vivocity on the other side of the enchanted causeway? Even while all eyes at on Universal Studios, we discovered a cute little café that serves up inspired yoghurt. It’s not ice cream, but just as good; plus it’s healthy and good for you, so you don’t...

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Besotted - Ubud Hanging Gardens

If you're planning where to go for the next hols, work on your abs, cut out your carbs, pack your slinkiest swimmy and march with purpose to Ubud Hanging Gardens in Bali. This Orient Express resort oozes extreme gorgeousness with its infinity pools balanced on a hair's breath that plunge steeply into the rainforest below. SimplyFab ladies...

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Breaking News and Buys - Handbag Heist!

Now here is what I call a hasty handbag heist. Roger Vivier who had a launch party yesterday (16 March) in London to launch their latest bag, Ms Viv  had snatch thieves on motorbike make off with some extremely rare limited-edition alligator handbags valued up to £8,000 each. Needless to say, crime does not pay .. read on.. (article below...

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This Weekend - Sale Events and Contests in Singapore!

Two Sale Events this week in Singapore that you may want to catch: FLAMING QUEEN HOME at #02-32 at the Mandarin Gallery has some terrific NEW stuff coming in April hence a 4 day clean house sale from Thursday 18 to Sunday 21 March. Everything is on SALE including a special selection of samples and testers tagged at cost price from S$5 onwards (only...

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Bling - Yellow in a Blue Box

Unconvinced that yellow is IN, take a look at Tiffany on Kate Winslet. Seen wearing a spectacular $2.5 US million-dollar yellow diamond necklace and 10-carat fancy intense yellow diamond drop earrings and yellow diamond bracelets, on 7 March 2010 at the 82nd Academy Awards®, held in LA. The Art Deco-inspired necklace in platinum is based on jewels...

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Bling - Yellow Diamonds and Rose Gold this Summer!

Yellow is in! I used to think that when it came to diamonds the whiter the better but apparently these days, yellow also has its wiley charms. Take a look at Reverie, a yellow and white diamond collection of pendants, earrings and rings that conjure images of champagne, Summer’s dappled light, the sweet escape of sun-kissed days and carefree moments,...

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