Living It Up in Beverly Hills

Beverly Hills, or more fondly known merely by one of its prominent and primary post code made famous by the tv series, 90210, is another star in the City of Angels (Los Angeles).
Known for its highly publicized and affluent neighborhood which was said to be home to many of the celebrities, Beverly Hills is definitely more than just your usual district in the county of the California state.

History of Beverly Hills
The home to the rich and famous, as it is often referred to in a casual manner, Beverly Hills also had her own simple story to tell of its early days when it began as a land or rather, a Spanish plantation/ranch for growing the lima beans. The area was also originally thought to be a prosperous land, and a potential oil field by a group of investors interested in that area. However, oil was not found in their exploration of the land but it was water that they found, and since then, they decided to develop the land into a residential town instead.



Today, Beverly Hills is home to more than 30,000 population and rose to such prominent status due to its close location to Hollywood and cities of Los Angeles and thanks to the producers who came up with the highly acclaimed tv series watched by all around the world featuring this city.
The TV series was originally Beverly Hills 90210, which was first broadcasted in the 1980s and following its popularity of the series, there was another version of the remake, named 90210, produced in the last few years.



With the hefty tag of being an affluent township, it is no surprise that the town housed one of the most renowned retail district, Rodeo Drive. Celebrities and famous figures in the movie industry can often be spotted in this area, which is home to most of the world famous luxury designer brands.
Rodeo Drive is definitely an upscale shopping district, and there is nothing short of luxury when one walks down the high end streets of this area.









Besides the celebrities and high end retail reputation, Beverly Hills is also home to a large and still active oil field; the Beverly Hills Oil Field. Yes, there was oil after all in this piece of land and is definitely prospering well from this oil field which was discovered in the year 1900 and spans underneath the city of Beverly Hills to some parts of Los Angeles.
Read all about it here in Wikipedia

The city of Beverly Hills is indeed designed in an upper class manner and definitely a city that lives it up to its reputation with its chic urban lifestyle depicted here through the scenes seen in the city.

This is truly one stylish neighborhood; and one will definitely be living it up in style and sophistication (or even feel like it) in this prominent city.





All we need now is that familiar tune of the theme music from Beverly Hills (the TV series) to play in the background to complete the picture~

Taiwan Travelogue: Wufenpu Garment Wholesale Area

Wufenpu (五分埔), literally translates to the "Land of Five Divisions" is a name derived from the five families who migrated from Fujian, China and bought over the land from the aboriginal tribe here (Malixikou). The natives were said to have been the inhabiting the area since the era of the Qing Dynasty, and the land was mainly used to rear pigs; with the farms dotting most of the space here.
In addition to that, it was also said that there was a number of mental institutions in the same area and it was probably due to the above reasons whereby the land has been mostly neglected due to its poor conditions, and also the fact that the land was infertile as nothing could be grown here.
The other reason for the name was also probably due to the fact that the area, located in the Xinyi district of Taipei encompasses five neighborhoods; within the section 5 of Zhongxiao East Road to the Zhongpo North Road.

So, how did a barren land in such poor conditions, filled with only the pungent smell of the domestic farms and mental hospitals ended up to be the largest garment wholesale market in the whole of Taipei?


The story dates back to the beginnings where the place started had a turning point in its fate after the World War II, where a gush of flooding waters which almost had the whole of Taipei underwater (infamously known as the Flood of August 7), caused by a major typhoon left many of the elderly residents of Taipei homeless. The government stepped in, taking immediate measures by donating a piece of land; yes, this piece of barren land and the Ministry of National Defense chipped in to do their part following the donation where they built an approximate of 1,200 temporary homes for the poor homeless veterans.
Economy in Taiwan flourished thereafter; attracting many from the other states and districts to take an interest, and to try their luck at making the bucks in none other than the capital. A huge group from Fangyuan town; Central Taiwan migrated in flocks to Taipei and ended up renting these homes from the elders in the district, which they soon turned the homes into a garment business hub. The homes were turned into shophouses; where the making of the clothing would take place on the upper (second) floor along with their residence while the first floor would be converted into a business space or a pret-a-porter shop to sell their works. As the home owners; the earlier veterans retire, they sold their houses to these folks and the prey-a-porter business hub continues until this very day; filling the whole district with all these shops and eager clothing entrepreneurs ready to make a good living out of their businesses.


Most of the shops here are open for business on a daily basis, and the place can get pretty crowded on weekends; filled with avid local shoppers and tourists eager to walk away with a good bargain.
While the place is generally a wholesale garment area, there are shops which will sell clothing by piece as well.
It would help to have good negotiation skills around here when bargaining with the shop owners, and as the general shopping rules apply, do not be too keen to close a bargain.
Shop around, or take a browse around and go by your instincts. If you think the item is overpriced, it probably is. I can't tell you to tour the entire area before you make your mind, for the place is filled with crowded alleys and with the many intersections, you could probably lose your direction to get back to the original shop where you saw the item you liked.
Therefore, the gut feeling really applies here, and just be careful when bargaining.

They will typically ask the number of pieces you would want when you are interested in a particular style, as with most wholesale strategy. The reason is because prices would vary significantly; with the larger number of items you are purchasing, it is just common sense that there would be bulk discount applied. Do not get fooled by this if you are not interested to purchase more than the number of items you are interested in; unless of course, if you are also looking for wholesale items for your own business, then that would be a totally different story.
(However, I have noticed that they are rather cautious and wary of non-regulars who deal with them on the wholesale and the discounts seem to vary; whereby they would charge the regulars a fixed price (possibly much lower) and then give you a different price, which they will say is a standard.)
As mentioned, just be cautious and you might be surprised with some of the really good bargains you can get off the discount rack around here.





Besides clothing, there are also food stalls available, and there is a whole street where food and drinks stalls are located (haven't I emphasize enough that there is no end to the availability of food everywhere in Taipei?)





Walking around can take easily 3-4 hours; especially if you are a shopper or just trying to get your way through the crowd in the narrow alleys with two-way traffic and indecisive shoppers in front of you. Throw in the wholesalers pushing their goods on those barrows and you get the picture.
Navigating can be confusing, but not totally bad as the alleys always lead to the main street or the main intersection so it is not such an easy task to get yourself lost here. However, locating the shop that you spotted and decided to browse further, might be quite a challenge unless you make a mental note of the directions yourself.

If you are not a shopper, this is still an interesting area to drop by to check out the business and interaction between the locals. Besides, this is a lifestyle and where you can see the locals in action, so yeah, this is more of a people-watching (if you're not into clothing and shoes and bags) area.
Majority of the shops here are more appealing to women, but there are also shops for men, and children.

One thing though, you will need the stamina to keep up with the walking to explore the market (I hardly think that's a problem for the ladies), as there are no seats or comfy couches for one to sit on. In fact, there is not really a space or pavement when you can just sit and wait either and even the stalls or shops do not have seats for their customers. So, keep up with the walking if you are there to really knock yourself out with the shopping.

I found this stall, which was quite interesting...


They were selling egg cakes! It's amazing that I only managed to try these on my third day in Taipei, but still, these were freshly baked and hot, so they are good!
(I did seem a little carried away with these egg cakes instead of the shopping!)


Wufenpu in the evening



The food stalls on the outer perimeter of the wholesale garment area





Overall, Wufenpu may appeal as a large wholesale garment district with low to medium range of pricing and clothing quality and fashionable trends inspired by Korea, Japan and Taiwan.
Most of the clothes/fashion items here are locally manufactured with a small percentage being imported from the above fashion hubs as well.
Not a bad place to check out, if you are a shopper, or not....there's always the food, and the local culture that you can watch out for here, not to mention the fashion trends sported by the locals and the boutique owners themselves!~

Bangkok Travelogue: Local scenes at Chatuchak Market

Another interesting place worth to explore in Bangkok is none other than the famous weekend market; Chatuchak Market (also known as Jatujak and commonly referred to as J.J).
It is definitely the largest weekend market in Thailand and in the world as well.
There is just so much to see and do at Chatuchak; that your time will not be wasted at all here.



Operating only on weekends, the market boasts of more than 10,000 stalls (estimated to be around 15,000 and more) comprising of enthusiastic traders selling clothing, food, handicrafts, souvenirs, artwork, household items, and even pets. The list goes on, and it may seem like there is no end to the streets in the market which is not surprising as the market was designed in a circular-like shape to accommodate the thousands of stalls.


The market is made up of many 'sois' (streets) tucked inside the maze-like inner section (covered) and  these can be narrow alleys packed with the stalls and eager sellers waving their hands and beckoning to you in their sweet singsong Thai accents to woo potential buyers and tourists to their stalls.





The market starts from as early as 8.00am, and it is advisable to be there as early as possible as the crowds just build up to a massive population later in the day. It is estimated that there are as many as 20,000 tourists a day (or perhaps more?)
As this is a huge market with the some of the stalls in the open, and also with the narrow and stuffed alleys in the closed area, walking around the market can be a rather daunting task especially on hot and humid days, or even if it is raining. The best weather would be slightly cool with cloudy skies; which can be rare in Bangkok, which is famous for its all year-round sunny days.
I was fortunate enough to be able to experience that rare cool and cloudy weather, with only a tiny bit of the sun peeking out from behind the clouds sporadically, which made my experience in this world-famous market a rather relaxing and enjoyable one.

Many may have the perception that Chatuchak Market is streets and streets of shopping and is definitely the heaven for shopaholics and shopping lovers; and that the place can be skipped if one is not interested in buying anything at all.
That is a wrong perception to have; as the local market is where most of the local scenes are in action and where you can truly see the other side of Bangkok which you might not have experienced before.
True, Bangkok is already hailed as one of the shopping paradises in Asia; with its mega shopping malls and many little boutiques, offering prices to satisfy all ages and incomes, but the beauty of the metropolis is not only in the sprawling streets lined with stalls but also the unique and beautiful culture seen through the daily lifestyle of the local Thais themselves.
While Chatuchak may be a place packed with traders, it is also at the very heart of the art of trading where Bangkok started its humble beginnings.
Many of the locals are still into the practice of buying food and stuffs from the streets, and the varieties are just endless.



The most interesting part to me about Chatuchak, was not the great bargains they are offering (but yes, they are certainly rather attractive!), but the colorful scenes which are unfolding every minute, and at every corner of the market everywhere I went.
There were just endless lists of things to see and do; and even shop and eat, and I would recommend at least half of the day just checking out this famous market.

Just snapshots of the scenes at Chatuchak:

A man pushing his cart through the oncoming cars to sell fruits


A man selling fruits


Fascinating Ice lollies! (Iced popsicles)












Yes, even little puppies are on sale - poor little pups :(











There is also a section where they are selling 2nd hand books, this, is definitely my weakness!
I just love the scent of books; and nothing beats old and vintage books!


Besides products, there are also services such as massage available; perhaps for the avid shoppers who may need to nurse their poor tired soles? Or perhaps for their companions who are just dragging their feet into each stall despite their disinterest; while the shoppers are just getting more and more enthusiastic?

I spent about 4 hours plus at this market, and though I was fascinated with the scenes, I have to admit that they do have some pretty good stuffs on sale, and at great prices too.
One thing I like about Bangkok is the easy availability of the food and refreshing drinks everywhere we went, and that was indeed a great advantage for tourists who spend the entire day outside and probably relying on water bottles, and 7-11 stores to replenish our water supply.
The varieties are endless, and the prices are reasonable too, making me a happy camper, I mean traveler in this busy city.

Chatuchak market is also filled with food and drinks stalls; and as you can see in the above photo; there are always fruits stalls available everywhere.
I will be covering in my next post on the food and drinks in Chatuchak.....

To be continued....

Street-seeing and Terminal 21 Shopping Mall

This is probably my fourth time landing in Bangkok, and it is finally the one that I get to experience Bangkok a little more than the other times when I just stopover for a night, only taking in the night scenery of the bustling metropolis which stands as the capital of Thailand. Being the capital, it is no wonder that most of the flights to the many attractions in Thailand are to fly in to the Suvarnabhumi International Airport before heading to the other destinations in the country.
While Thailand is famous for the many beautiful beaches and vacation getaways, the capital city of Bangkok was not overshadowed; not in the least, as the city was famed for the sprawling streets and many shopping malls which made this city known to many as the shopping capital. Choices vary from affordable to luxurious, and quality for the affordable range will not fail your expectation.
Besides shopping, the city plays up to its name as the capital with the many temples and even the royal palace which wooed many tourists from all over the globe with its striking and stunning magnificence. (I will be sharing on this shortly in my upcoming post)

I was just excited to be able to finally tour the city although this was more of a relaxation trip rather than a itinerary-busted one. Still, it did not dampen my spirit as I was just keen to explore the streets on foot in my first few hours upon arrival; as we arrived in the late afternoon.



At the BTS station






Food stalls can be found everywhere on the streets; around the corner and even below a pedestrian bridge. The Thais do love their street food, and the food selection varies from every stall. While there may be two or more stalls selling the same thing, but in general, there are many options available and it is really interesting to check out what each stall has to offer.







Grilled food on skewers like these are quite popular; and they look amazing though we didn't stop to try.
Prices were quite affordable too, but I am never one who can take street food well. I blame it on my sensitive tummy.




We headed to one of the latest and most trendy shopping mall; Terminal 21 which was famed for its unique design and creativity.
Each level in the mall was modeled after the theme of a famous city, with the decorations emulating the atmosphere/landmarks of those major cities.
Furthermore, the escalators leading to the next level are also designed in a way where they resembled the departure gates in the airport; taking off to another country theme on the next level. I find this concept rather fresh and amusing; and cool too, after hearing and reading so much about this famous mall.





Hollywood level was logically, for the cinemas and entertainment, which just makes perfect sense!




The escalators span for four storeys high~


The iconic landmark of San Francisco; the Golden Gate Bridge!
(It's interesting how I always see things from my most recent travel; I was only in San Francisco a couple of months before this Bangkok trip)






The San Francisco trolley train


The Royal Palace Guards on the level themed after London










Japan






We walked around and enjoyed many unique sights on each level; while taking photos along the way and window shopped for a short while before our dinner.







Dinner was at one of the famous chain of restaurants; MK Restaurant . Well, typically I post about food in my food blog, but this time, I will just briefly share some of the photos from our dinner here.















Dessert at the food court



Wrapped up the day and the night with the famous Mango Sticky Rice which my friends were swooning about (not me as I am not a fan, yeah, sadly)