I have this habit of buying notebooks thinking that I will eventually write in them. And I do go through quite a lot being a former journo and one of those girls who still enjoy writing in journals. However, I didn’t realize how MANY notebooks I have until I just went through the hassle of packing up my belongings to move to a new apartment. I literally have about 30 to 40 quality notebooks just hanging around in my apartment waiting for me to write. Of course, the point of this entry is not to tell you how many notebooks I have but rather that I covet even more since I just discovered this series of limited edition Moleskine Pac-Man notebooks.

This series of Pac-Man Moleskine celebrates 30 years of the iconic 8-bit game with individual notebooks and a gift set. Choose from ones that features a classic screen image of Pac-Man on a black hard front cover with the text 'HIGH SCORE, 10.957 days' on the back, Pac-Man and Ghost on a hard black front cover with the yellow text 'Game Over' on the back, Pac-Man on a yellow hard front cover with UV lacquer silk screen print on the front and back or fun fruits on a hard yellow front cover with the text 'Insert Coin' on the back. The gift set features limited edition Volant notebooks presented in a black bespoke folder including 4 Volant notebooks in yellow, blue, fuchsia or red, each printed with a silver character from the game including 'Pac-Man', 'Ghosts' and 'Cherries'.

All are enclosed with a black band showing the vast array of characters and the official Pac-Man Logo with 30th Anniversary text in both English and French.

Get it at Amazon

The iPad craze is definitely here to stay and if you can't afford an iPad for whatever reason, how bout spicing your kitchen up with the iPad cutting board? Available from myBrett for 15 Euros.

Here's one for the publishing geek -- a Lorem Ipsum T-shirt. Although I, with my penchant for wordiness, would have liked to see a bit more of the dummy text that graphic designers use in first-round layouts. I'd spring for a full paragraph. Random extra link: Lorem ipsum generator. I know it's been three days since I got back from Europe, but I'm still so jet-lagged, I was on the verge of simply filling this post with dummy text just to be done with it.

Get the tee here.

I thought the most exciting collaboration news I'd get this month was going to be Lanvin x H&M, but clearly I was wrong. While that piece of news has stagnated as we await the release of the looks, I think in early November, this you can get right away. Star Wars x Winnie the Pooh! Chewy boy gets the plum role of Pooh himself, while Han Solo channels Christopher Robin. There's also Sesame Street x Picasso (something I know a thing or two about too... AHEM) and Sesame x Star Wars, plus lots of other hilarious, adorable goodness at Jances Hance's site. Prints are available as well as other merchandise. More images after the cut! Pat, these are for you, even though I don't think you read this blog. Some best friend!

Right before the final Harry Potter book was released, a few friends and I dorkily started a Harry Potter book club. We had a facebook group page and code names for each other. I was Hagrid. We were so cool. On the day the Deathly Hallows was released, we gathered in one living room to read and eat cupcakes that had Hogwarts logos on them. Cool, I tell you we were. That night, we took our books to Pi and ended up meeting this British guy, whom we used to amuse ourselves by making him say magic phrases with his British accent. Expelliarmus! Wengardium Leviosa! And the most dreaded.. Avada Kedavra... the second half of which, incidentally, sounds like cadeaver, which I guess is apt, given it's a killing spell. British guy was amused for about five seconds before he wished he could use the Avada Kedavra on himself.

Anyway, one dorky element that we missed out on, clearly, was the Magic Wand remote. This button-free remote syncs with your TV remote and "learns" to perform certain functions depending on how you swing the wand. There are 13 different ways to operate your control, even though I can't think of 13 ways to use a wand. But that's why I'm not a magician. Hagrid was kicked out of Hogwarts, remember? Anyway, cute idea. Dorky, yes, but still cute. JUST LIKE ME.

You can get it here. On a side note, I almost accidentally posted this is Geek Spy: Magic Wang Remote. Which totally sounds like a battery-operated pleasure device. Which is also maybe much cooler than a TV wand. But we're not going to go there.

Remember the clock that we showcased a while back that is for the alphabetically inclined? Well, here’s one for math nerds. (Sidenote, why is it that it sounds so much smoother in my head that mathematically inclined people should be nerds rather than geeks? Hmm, a conundrum to ponder over a rainy day methinks.) Anyway, makers of this clock want to ensure that those calculus lessons, math classes haven’t gone to waste. Of course, most of us past a certain age learned to read an analog clock by its angles, so numerals are kinda unnecessary but nice concept. How many do you know? Answers after the cut. Get it for US$25 here.

Answers
12 - a radical
1 - Legendre's constant is a mathematical constant occurring in a formula conjectured by Adrien-Marie Legendre to capture the asymptotic behavior of the prime-counting function. Its value is now known to be exactly 1.
2 - A joke in the math world: An infinite number of mathematicians walk into a bar. The first one orders a beer. The second orders half a beer. The third, a quarter of a beer. The bartender says, "You're all idiots," and pours two beers.
3 - A unicode character XML "numeric character reference."
4 - Modular arithmetic, also known as clock arithmetic, is a system of arithmetic for integers, where numbers "wrap around" after they reach a certain value. The modular multiplicative inverse of 2 (mod 7) is the integer /a/ such that 2*/a/ is congruent to 1 modulo 7.
5 - The Golden Mean...reworked a little.
6 - Three factorial (3*2*1=6)
7 - A repeating decimal that is proven to be exactly equal to 7 with Cauchy's Convergence Test.
8 - Graphical representation of binary code.
9 - An example of a base-4 number, which uses the digits 0, 1, 2 and 3 to represent any real number.
10 - A Binomial Coefficient, also known as the choose function. 5 choose 2 is equal to 5! divided by (2!*(5-2)!)
11 A hexadecimal, or base-16, number.

I've had home improvement on the brain for some time now. I love my new place, it only needs a little bit more personalization to achieve perfection, and I believe that the finishing touch could come in the form of this chair, a Nika Zupanc design for Moooi: the 5 o'clock chair. Come to think of it, while we're imagining ridiculous interior accoutrements that Loretta will never let me buy, I really like that "sui wong wong" eyeball wall installation. It has this whole cosmic thing going on that's very anime-meets-Armani.


Images: dezeen

It only takes a little bit o' long-distance travel to remind you that a little bit of preparation goes a long way. Before I boarded my recent 16-hour flight to JFK, I scoffed at the people wearing neck pillows like scarves, but once I'd boarded, it was a one-way trip to jealousy city. I hate you, rough pillow. Tiny blanket, you suck. If only I'd had a Ralph Lauren cashmere travel set...

With the plastic bag levy having been in effect for a year now, I’ve discovered there has been a significant increase in the number of recycle bags I own. What tends to happen is whenever I need a bag, I don’t have one and I decide to invest in a recycle bag thinking that I will surely bring it out next time. And so the bags pile up in my closet. Therefore it is surely insane of me to contemplate buying more recycle bags right? But check out Australia’s designer reusable bag brand Envirosax. They just launched their Fall/Winter 2010 Collection in Hong Kong and I’m sorely tempted to buy them as a series. Maybe they would be good gifts? (Sorry ShoeGeek. I guess you know what you’re getting for Christmas this year.) Tell me, are these as great as I think they are or am I having shopping withdrawal from the embargo I’ve put myself onto? The Fall/Winter Collection includes the Bloom Series; Nomad Series and Kids Series. All bags are made from Grade A polyester and retails for HK$90 each. Available at LCX (Tsim Sha Tsui store); Citysuper & Logon; PageOne and Dymocks (Citygate and Discovery Bay stores). See images after the cut.

Bloom Series


Nomad Series

Kids Series

The folks at Sleep Naked generously gave out sheets to some of the Hong Kong press, dovetailing nicely with my new move and new bed size. And new sense of extreme hygiene, given that their sheets come in only hotel-ready white. I tell you, these sheets are evil -- once you jump into bed with them, you'll never want to leave, but the irony is you can't really do anything ON the sheets without sullying their pristine whiteness. Including my favourite activity, (get your mind out of the gutter) eating. Oh, crumbs. Therefore, the implementation of these sheets will also coincide with my new diet, and by diet I mean not scarfing cookies and chips in bed anymore. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will continue as scheduled, in spite of me being so fat that my pants are no longer functional (pocket popped, zipper won't stay up on account of bulging fat pushing it down...)

But on a more serious note, these do live up to their name; you really will want to sleep naked in them, that's how soft and cuddly they are. Now if only they had sleeves...

You know how there are days when you are just soo cranky or sleepy at the office that you simply don’t want to talk to anyone because you are afraid you’ll unleash the inner vampire in you? (Sorry for the vampire reference, ShoeGeek has me hooked on True Blood and I just saw Twilight over the weekend... (which btw was hilariously cheesy)) Well this is when you need these mood mugs to convey your emotions. Choose from Happy as Larry, Monstrously Moody and Seriously Sleepy. How much do you want to bet there’s an overstock of Happy as Larry mugs? Get it here.

I love ThinkGeek. And not only because they have the word Geek to their names. I love them for all the fun items I can find which are perfect novelty gifts for other geeky friends. If shipping were cheaper, I suspect my credit card bill will have a lot more items from ThinkGeek charged to it. My latest discovery is this heat changing arcade mug. Do you remember having heat changing mugs back in the day? Well combine it with some old school arcade games and you’ve got a classic nostalgic piece for that 80s baby.


Choose from the Pac Boy mug which displays an empty maze until you get that cuppa coffee and instantly add 8-bit style ghosts and energizers to the mug or the Space Intruders mug which show retro invaders style battle in action.

Get them at ThinkGeek for US$7.99 a piece

Along the King’s Road in Quarry Bay, just opposite exit C of the MTR, there’s an unsuspecting building with an unwelcoming lift to a golfing paradise, the very aptly named Golf Hideaway. You can tee off at some of the world's best golf courses before settling into the club house for a cheeky drink and bite to eat, wind down with a workout on the treadmill or bench-press your body weight and relax with a massage to ease out the knots and tiredness you’ve built up throughout the day. To top it off, you can knock about on a pool table, and you don’t have to run the risk of getting sun burned or whether or not you’re properly kitted out for the golf course. Purists may scoff at the idea of playing on a golfing simulator, and indoor gamers will stick to the Wii, but there’s much more to it than that.


If, like me, you can’t really afford to golf in Hong Kong and lugging a set of clubs over to China doesn’t appeal, then Golf Hideaway does a great job of satisfying your golfing fix. Pick from dozens of PGA standard courses, such as St. Andrews, Augusta and Wentworth, and then you can start swinging away. The best part of the golf simulator is that you don’t have to worry about losing your ball! The chances are, it’ll be right in front of you every time after it hits the screen. OK, so the game play isn’t perfect, and putting is a bit of a non event (if you get within 6 feet of the hole, it’s a gimme). However, it at least gives your driving range practice a purpose. Unfortunately, you don’t get to drive a buggy around, but there are plenty of lazy boy style chairs about to lounge out on should you feel the need.


So, all in all, shelling out $190 per hour on a glorified driving range isn’t really that bad. You’re not just paying to go on a driving range, but the entire Golf Hideaway experience; the beautiful décor, relaxed setting, conversation with knowledgeable pros and excellent service. True, there’s a dodgy elevator with a guy who’s sat in the corner seemingly doing nothing, but that’s a small price to pay. You don’t only get to smash golf balls into a screen, but you can do it with a group of friends and then go for a few rounds of drinks and relaxation without moving too far at all. Getting to the clubhouse from the 18th green has never been so easy!

Contact details
Golf Hideaway Ltd
Unit C & D, 5/F, Tung Chong Building
657-659 King's Road
Quarry Bay
Hong Kong

Tel: 2561 2005
Website: www.golfhideaway.com
Email: enquiry@golfhideaway.com

Pricing $190 per hour for 1 person

Images: Golf Hideaway

An awful lot of my friends are moving into new apartments recently. So much so that the past couple meals I’ve had with friends have always been interrupted by contractors or delivery men or designers etc. And normally these calls tend to be rather lengthy so I’ve found myself daydreaming about what my own place would look like when I eventually make that grown up step and move out. First thing I decided was that I must have a decent shower. And on my daily prowl for things to entertain you, I come across the perfect thing.

I never thought I’d be one to lust after a shower fixture. After all, lusting after fashion and gadgets already fills my ‘to covet’ quota. But check out the products from Jaclo’s spa collection. Choose from the Aquavolo Duetto, a stainless steel showerhead fixture that doubles as a waterfall shower and a rain shower, the Circolare spa rain canopy or my favourite, the Dream Light Rain Canopy which features LED lights to illuminate the falling water in white, blue, amber, red, green or warm white hued lights. Why you need to have coloured water, I’m not quite sure. But doesn’t it look pretty? It’d be perfect for those days when you want to belt out that Glee tune, or perform an impromptu rain dance.

How many of you have moaned about not know what to get that significant other for their birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas etc? I find that the older you get, the harder it is to buy someone a gift that they will appreciate which is why I normally go through the boring route of asking people what they want for their birthdays. I’d much rather give them something they want/need than something that is just going to be regifted, or hidden in a closet for years and years. After all, we all know closet space is a premium here in Hong Kong and there’s only so many old gifts we can shove in there before our clothes scream for mercy.

So I was really excited when Spoilt contacted us to be their ambassadors. What’s Spoilt? It’s a brand new startup that was launched last month and brings the concept of experience gifts to town.

Here’s how it works. You go to the Spoilt website, www.spoilt.com.hk and choose from a selection of gifts in the following categories: water, flying, outdoor, gourmet, creative and pampered. You can also browse by occasion, recipient type or price range. After you make your selection, an experience voucher is couriered to the recipient and packaged in a personalized gift box. ShoeGeek and I have had a wonderful time browsing through the experiences and our favourites include:

Tall Ship Sailing with Pirates - Join a pirate crew and learn to sail this beautiful European tall-ship, The Bounty. Get an introduction to Escapology and help with hoisting the sails! Afterwards, relax and enjoy the harbour view!

Mini Coffee Cupping Experience - This one is perfect for coffee lovers. Coffee cupping is a coffee tasting experience where you will get the opportunity to compare the aroma and flavour profile of different coffees.

Scrapbooking Workshop- Commemorate your precious moments by decorating and narrating your photos in a scrapbook! More than just a photo album, scrapbooking is a way of preserving memories by arranging photos, journaling and other embellishments in a creative layout.

And these are just the beginning. According to founder Michelle Lam, there will be more experiences rolling out throughout the year. So keep an eye out for our new column, Spoilt Rotten as we embark on some of the experiences and bring you a review of our favourites.

Continuing our love for gummy bears, we present the Gummy Bear Chandelier. Unfortunately, dear readers, the gummy bears in question are made of acrylic and not edible but the chandelier is still pretty darn cool. And check out the store which carries them, Jellio. Combining interior design with childhood fun, they have created quite a few bits of yummy furniture. Sorry guys, I’m really hungry right now so I’ve got this fixation with the food furniture more than the other fun stuff but if you go on the site, you’ll see plenty of iconic pieces of childhood brought back to life in a funky way.


Jellio’s key focus is to create interior design that makes you smile and they have certainly done that with the amazing items they’ve created. I’m drooling over the Cupcake Seat and would love to pair it with the Ice Cream Bench. Also, be sure to check out their Custom Projects section. They’ve done some pretty cool stuff such as creating lava lamps for the folks at Google, and Rubik’s Cubes for a PS3 launch. Be prepared though. If you are a Geek like me, you’d covet everything they have on offer yet won’t be able to afford it as their items are pretty pricy.

As more and more brands hop into the luxury hotel bandwagon, the impact of staying at one of them lessens. But the trend is here to stay and the latest label to house a ‘pet project’ as referred to in the press release is Moschino. Joining the likes of Bvlgari, Armani and Versace to name but a few, Moschino recently opened a hotel property in Milan that boasts of being the “home and place of enchanted fairytales”. With 65 rooms to its name, a restaurant headed by acclaimed Chef Moreno Cedroni, a spa, and of course, a Moschino boutique, Maison Moschino is situated in a neoclassical building that was once Milan’s first railway station. Sixteen designs have been chosen for the rooms, and all are based on fairytale, such as” Alice’s Room” and “Red Riding Hood”. Check out more of the interiors after the cut.