Hotel rooms

I love going away on my own for a few days... away from home, hubby & kids!! I enjoy the peace... the bliss of reading a book and sipping my coffee... hearing the birds chirp... and listening to the far way waters and waves of the sea.. 

One such gorgeous hotel is the Ras Al Khaimah Hilton... This is my favourite getaway from Dubai... Its kid friendly as well... and the hotel room is simply gorgeous... 

This time around, Ididn't stay at the main hotel... I stayed at the chalets... and the rooms were simply gorgeous....

A little box for your jewellery...

The tiles as you enter....

The serene bathroom... I love those mirrors...

I love hotel rooms... for so many reasons... Always so neat, clean and clutter free... You can leave the room in a mess, but its all made up perfectly when you return back... *smiles*...

Specially when you travel on your own...

I have the TV to myself... I never switch it on... but its there to my disposal... *grins*... and its MINE...

The sofas are always empty... the tables are clear... ALWAYS...

Oh.. and in this room, the lights stole my heart... specially this one... that was hanging low in the middle of the two beds... What a lovely idea...

This is the ceiling lamp... gorgeous .... isn't it??

Don't you like the headboards.... ?? Can you see the low lamp?? Lovely.. isn't it??

*sigh*... now back to reality... I'm writing this post after clearing the entire home... my back, shoulder and neck hurts... but its the closest it can get to a hotel room... *sigh*... but it won't remain this way tomorrow... 

The joys of being a 'mom'... The total miracle called life.... *smiles*... But thats the fun.. isn't it ...

Hope you guys had a lovely May.. and are all gearing up for June... What would I do.. without you?? *smiles*... Thanks for popping by to say hello... *hugs*

Buddha, the Enlightened one...

 I have been lately so busy with work, entertaining guests, cooking and gardening, that I have had no time to paint or sew or make something arty...No regrets, as I am having fun doing other stuff. So for today’s post, sharing some pictures of one of my favorite spiritual teachers'...The Buddha. "Buddha" meaning "The Awakened one" or "the Enlightened one". Just as many others, I was introduced to the story of Buddha and some of his learnings, very early via the evergreen Amar Chitra comics.

And then I saw the Hindi movie Ashoka...the 1st scene, where Emperor Chandragupta Maurya abdicating his throne, becomes a Buddhist monk...and as he is leaving with the rest of the monks, throws his diamond encrusted sword into a deep valley and explains to young Ashoka, that the Sword can protect or kill. If it is used to protect, it will lead him towards Salvation, else the power of the sword would be such, that  it could destroy him with greed, want and all those material pleasures...but  young Ashoka is so fascinated with the sword that he reaches out and catches the sword, ....and later he conquers kingdom after kingdom, finally the Kalinga war makes him understand the futility of war, power and wealth...He too, renounces his throne and embraces Buddhism
I loved this movie!!
Some pictures of the enlightened one at my home and garden....

In the Patio...the Buddha amongst the ferns...

My gorgeous Buddha from the store"Dhoop" in Bombay. The shawl and the lower covering depicts the entire life of Buddha and the milestones that leads him to the path of Salvation...The diya holder is actually a metal shoe rom Jaisalmer

Another Buddha...this is more South Asian in profile...

A mixed media mural of Siddhartha ...reproduced from the Ajanta caves murals...

In the garden...

A Thangka from Nepal...

Hope you liked the post...Adios until next wednesday...

~Anpu

The Weekly Story ~ wk 80

Remember last week, I was talking about garden cleaning.... This week I've managed to clean and clear the rest of my home..... *sigh*.... Yes, it took two week of planning and two weeks of working in the evenings... till late.. at night to get this accomplished.... 

But now that its done, I can start planning and focussing on individual projects *smiles*  

And this is how the backyard looks... sweeping the floor, mopping the floor, cleaning the bench... *smiles*.. Makes me believe that this place needs a makeover... Saying that, the weather in Dubai going forward isn't going to allow us to use this space.... so I only need to revamp this in Sept...

Mr. Froggy is chipped... but I cant do without him... He is the cutest... I'm going to paint him into a happy pink colour I think... *grins*

Some images of my happy space... This is where I like... spending my 'me' time with a book... or cup of coffee.. and across this... is this cute little buddha...

So join in....  'The Weekly Story' linky party ~ open from Monday through Wednesday every week..

1. Do a post on your blog, about ANYTHING! and it can really be anything – example – a fun recipe you tried out, a craft project, a DIY, a table top, a few candles, coffee with friends or a good book or a movie review… The list is endless… just about ANYTHING… and anything about YOU !! *smiles* ... It can also be 'anything pretty' ...
2. Original photographs only... No images from other websites or magazines please!! This is about YOU.
3. Link back to my blog.... only as a courtesy, so we have more people joining the party.
4. Copy the 'permalink' from your post (not the link to the front page of your blog).
5. Add your 'permalink' to the 'inlinkz' at the bottom of this post.
6. Click the link before you. Don’t forget to comment and if you like the blog, please follow!!

Any questions, email me on coloursdekor@gmail.com


Please note, you DO NOT have to be a follower of my blog to join the party.. I'd love to see you here!!

Please grab the Colours Dekor 'The Weekly Story' button!!

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Hong Kong - the land of skyscapers

Hong Kong looked like a Chinese version of Dubai (to me!!). Its long endless roads and soaring skyscrapers didn’t have much to say. Driving from the airport…

To most people, Hong Kong doesn’t need much introduction at all. Its one of the greatest large cities in the world, with lots of things happening at any given time and lots to explore. But primarily it is a sanctuary for any skyscraper fan!!

Hong Kong consists of some 235 islands of which Hong Kong island & Lantua are the tallest. The peninsula’s of Kowloon, Sai Kung & the New Territories all together form Hong Kong which is now a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China.

It is very crowded place with nearly 7 million people living on a total space of almost 1100m2. Yet Hong Kong is busting with life & is a city that never sleeps.

A picture from the Victoria Harbour….

Saying that what impressed me most is the usage of space. Hong Kong is not a flat land, its got the sea on one side and mountains on the other. Its amazing to see how the buildings are built…

Our first day in Hong Kong was a tour on the ‘Shining Star’ ferry of the Victoria Harbour. The views are truly breath taking. The Double-decker ferry is a magnificent customs built, reproduction of the ferries used in the 1920s mainly as a means of transportation. They have coffee shop and deck for sunbathing. For the best views, the deck is by far the best place to be seated.

The Victoria Harbour tour is a must see when in Hong Kong. You can take the tour by day (which is what we did), or by night and be a part of the light & sound show. Don’t miss this unique tour, it is definitely memorable and the best tour in Hong Kong.

Most of these pictures were taken on the Harbour tour. However, I was split between enjoying the breeze…. Sipping my coffee… or clicking pictures. It’s the best I could do in the giving situation.

Hong Kong is a shopper paradise for sure… I’ll have to do a separate post on where to shop… Here is a shop keeper!!

Here is me trying to read a Chinese menu. When you are there, you have to taste the fresh fruit and the fruit juices. Its lovely. You can see these everywhere!!!

Don’t forget to see the light and sound show. It starts every day at 8pm near the harbor. More on that in my next post.

Garden Party ~ 2

And like I said.... I open up my  box of old decorations and place them all over the place... Here are some banners...

This one we used a few years ago for Sims pool party... but its my favourite...

some cup cakes...

and butterflies and curlies...

and finally we put together... the centre piece...

... and you know about the ladybirds.. that we used on the tables?

This is how the tables were setup for the little ones....

And finally... we got Yva an ice-cream cake this year.... What do you think?

And till next year.... no more pictures of birthday parties.. I promise... lol!!

The Weekly Story ~ wk 79

Finally... a weekend.. with nearly no guests... Yes.. that is a rarity in my home.. Anyway.. so I took this opportunity to clean and clear the garden... 

And when I say, clean... means... I wiped every single pot, I dusted all the lanterns, and washed the tea light holders and all other little thingies in the garden... Till they were sparkling...

See how clean the tealight is... *smiles*...

Oh... this makes me feel so happy... *smiles*..

And I re-arranged the pots, planters, little thingies... etc..

Then finally I kept the birdbath for the little birdies... and this is how it looks... *smiles*... More images of my back yard in the next post...

And now.. I am totally exhausted... *sigh*...

So tell me what you did.. Join 'The Weekly Story' linky party ~ open from Monday through Wednesday every week..

1. Do a post on your blog, about ANYTHING! and it can really be anything – example – a fun recipe you tried out, a craft project, a DIY, a table top, a few candles, coffee with friends or a good book or a movie review… The list is endless… just about ANYTHING… and anything about YOU !! *smiles* ... It can also be 'anything pretty' ...
2. Original photographs only... No images from other websites or magazines please!! This is about YOU.
3. Link back to my blog.... only as a courtesy, so we have more people joining the party.
4. Copy the 'permalink' from your post (not the link to the front page of your blog).
5. Add your 'permalink' to the 'inlinkz' at the bottom of this post.
6. Click the link before you. Don’t forget to comment and if you like the blog, please follow!!

Any questions, email me on coloursdekor@gmail.com


Please note, you DO NOT have to be a follower of my blog to join the party.. I'd love to see you here!!

Please grab the Colours Dekor 'The Weekly Story' button!!

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Shopping in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is truly a shoppers paradise, from glamour & glittering shopping malls to endless streets of market shopping. One thing for sure, the walking, street markets are not kid friendly and they are extremely crowded. Do bargain… you will get a good deal for sure!!


Here are a few places to go shopping when in Hong Kong.




Ladies' Market (Tung Choi Street)


Location - Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon (MTR Mongkok Station Exit E2). From afternoon – 11:30pm


This was my favourite place to shop. Ladies market is a place for bags, accessories, toys, shoes & inexpensive items of clothing for men, women & kids. There is also one street with electronic goods like mobile phones, i-pods and anything you can think of.


I purchased a few bags from here. Surely nice gifts for friends and family.




Temple Street Night Market


Location - Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon (MTR Jordan Station Exit A. Turn right into Jordan Road, then right into Temple Street). Open from 4pm till midnight.


The perfect place to pick a few bargains is this chaotic Temple Street night market. Here you will find endless rows of bright & twinkling lights. The stalls include a large variety of electronic gadgets, hardware, luggage, pens, watches, CDs, clothes. There are lots of busy stalls that offer a range of delicacies including fresh sea food & hotpot dishes. It will tempt your appetite for sure!! What amazed me most is the cluster of Fortune – tellers. No.. I didn’t try it out!! But if you do.. let me know!! This is simply a memorable experience.







Stanley Market


Stanley Market Road, Stanley, Hong Kong Island (MTR Hong Kong Station Exit D and take bus 6, 6A, 6X, 66 or 260 from Exchange Square Bus terminus, Central) Open from 10:30am – 6:30pm


Stanely Market is slightly more upmarket than Ladies market. It is definitely a perfect place to buy something special for family & friends. The lanes are jam pakced with vendors selling Chinese artwork, silk collectibles, curios & items of clothing. This is a nice place to buy Chinese outfits for your kids. You can surely spend a few hours here. Once you are done with shopping, don’t forget to dine at one of the fine resturants in the restored Murray House or along the streets on the waterfront.






Jardine's Crescent


Jardine's Crescent, Causway Bay, Hong Kong Island (MTR Causeway Bay Station Exit F). Open from 11am – 9:30pm


This is a long, endless, jam packed roadside market. You will find lots of Chinese goods, inexpensive clothing, accessories & hair related items, bags, cellphones & house hold items.


At the end of the market, are extremely pretty flower stalls with such low prices… that you cannot stop yourself from buying something.





Li Yuen Street East and West


Li Yuen Street East and West, Central, Hong Kong Island (MTR Central Station Exit C then walk along Des Voeux Road Central towards Sheung Wan) Open from 10am – 7pm


Here you will find ready made garments. But you can also have ‘made to order’ in a few hours. Look for great designs, fine silk & other fabrics, traditional styles, prints & patters & beautiful colours.





Harbour City


The only shopping mall I visited was ‘Harbour City’.


Location 3 - 27 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. Open from 10am to 9pm


This is by far the main tourist attraction in Tsim Sha Tsui. Under its roof are some 700 shops of all kinds, around 100 food outlets, a three star hotel & two cinemas. You are sure to find something you like here!!! It also has a Marks & Spencer & all other designer store. The Gallery by the Harbour is a must see!!


Transport: MTR Tsim Sha Tsui Station Exit A1, walk along Haiphong Road for five minutes, or take the Star Ferry from Central or Wan Chai to Tsim Sha Tsui.