Popo's raw menu =)

So, I thought it'll be fun to document and show you guys Popo's menu for a week. But do note, she has been on raw for almost a year already, and can take a larger variety of meat. If you're just starting out, best to start with just one protein and add on one by one. Organs come much later.

I don't follow the same menu every week. It wouldn't be easy to do so too, since I randomly pack the meat and randomly take them out. If you get what I mean. I put together her meal based on weight. Most people would tell you to feed 2-3% of the dog's weight, but that's just a guide. Once you know your dog, you can adjust it accordingly. Popo currently weighs 2.7kg, and takes about 95-100g of food daily to maintain her weight. That's about 3.7%. I have to exercise her regularly though; if not she'll starting putting on weight.

If you don't know, the standard ratio is 80-10-5-5. 80% of meat, 10% of bone, 5% of liver, and 5% of some other organ. Again, that's just a guide. Popo takes about 75% of meat, 15% of bone, 4% of liver, and 5% of kidney. The remaining 1% goes to the freeze-dried deer liver treats she gets. It's not difficult to monitor; I've done up an excel sheet and I just have to input her daily meal. Sounds tedious? Sorry I think it's fun. ^^

Every dog is different so don't just follow blindly. Here goes!

Day 1

Day 2 

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

There you go, all 7 days! :)

I think I'm a little in between PMR and BARF, cos I know most PMR people don't chop the meat so small. But Popo's a gulper and she'd try to swallow it whole. Rather than see her choke and bring it back up, I'd rather do the job for her. She gets her chewing exercise from the bones. Having said that, I realized that she has also learnt to eat slowly and chomp as compared to when she first came. I happy! Lol.

Recently I came to realize how controversial this food topic is; had a little debate with one of the old members of the dog industry. It didn't exactly end off very well, but I guess haters are always gonna hate. It's really up to the individual whether to believe in raw feeding or not. 

For me, 'fresh' raw meat for a carnivore makes more sense than overly-processed bits of i-don't-know-what. You? 

[sponsored review] Biore Uru Uru 2-in-1 Instant Foaming Wash

Received this the night before I left for Hong Kong, and immediately took my makeup remover and cleanser out of the luggage. Brought this there instead even though it was a new (and heavy) big bottle.

And why? Because it removes makeup and cleanses at the same time! How convenient!

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My take on it: since I only put on light BB cream, this foaming wash was able to remove it easily. Didn't get any breakouts this trip too! I likey! =)

 

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[sponsored review] 2B Alternative Into Arm & Body

A week ago, I received 2 tubes of 2B Alternative Into Arm & Body slimming lotion, supposed to help burn fat in tummy and arms. Exactly what I needed. Yay!

My take on it: I absolutely love the scent! It smells very herbal and natural, unlike some of the other I've used which smelt pretty chemical-ish. Texture was a bit sticky, which made it harder to spread. But I like that it gets absorbed very fast and leaves NO trace of stickiness. There was a slight heating sensation as well; not too uncomfortable though. However...I haven't seen much results yet. Although to be fair, it's only been a week and I haven't exactly been very religious in applying it. =X

Let's hope it gets better with time.

Hong Kong Day 4 - Tim Ho Wan, Avenue of Stars, & shopping!

Today is Tim Ho Wan day! Was soooo looking forward! We went to the one at IFC mall since it was nearer where we wanted to go today. Reached about 10+ in the morning, and there was a short queue already. Luckily we only had to wait for about 5-10 minutes. 

We ordered so much stuff! Didn't try the chicken feet so no comment, but the rest were nice! Especially the carrot cake and prawn siew mai and glutinous rice! As for the cheong fun, I still preferred the crispy one from 点点心.

Total bill came up to HKD 207, quite cheap for a Michelin star restaurant! ^^

Cancelled our plans for Lamma Island cos the winds were terrible outside. So we went shopping! Decided on Temple Street cos we read there were electronic stuff. It wasn't open yet unfortunately, so we walked (yes walked) to Langham Place. Took us about 20 minutes?

Langham Place is right beside Mongkok MTR, and is supposedly a 15-storey shopping mall with more than 200 shops. I didn't find it particularly interesting though.

Can't really remember which one came first, but I think we went to this shopping mall in the area that sold electronic stuff. Wasn't very interesting haha. Also managed to find some random pasar malam to shop. Then had late lunch - 车仔面, something like yong tou foo here. And SSD's curry fishballs and sharks' fin. HKD 67 just for these. T_T

I think we went to the Avenue of Stars next. It's within walking distance from Tsim Sha Tsui Station. It was absolutely a nightmare to be there. The winds were SO strong and SO cold. I did manage to get a long skirt to cover up but it wasn't of much use here. 

In the end I hid behind pillars while SSD braved the winds and took pictures. We didn't explore the whole area either. And no, definitely not staying for Symphony of Lights. =(

Last but not least - SSD's Temple Street. It's just like Ladies' Market, except that there were more electronic stuff there.

I think we walked up and down the street a couple of times, and SSD finally decided we could have dinner. Lol. I read that Temple Street is also supposedly famous for the many 大牌挡, but we didn't know which one to go to. Came across this lok kok but super crowded one. Authentic enough le gua? We also copied how the locals used the tea to wash the bowls. So TVB!

I think it was around HKD 160+? Prices weren't cheap but we both got a shock when the dishes arrived. Portion was huge! And very yummy too! Love love love the eggs. Lol. Dabao-ed some back for supper. =X

Loots for the day!

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day 1 | day 2 | day 3 | day 4 | day 5
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Celebrating 35 years with Swensons!

If you didn't know...

With every $70 spent of course. But it wasn't difficult. Just order all the expensive stuff. =P

Paid about $45 after the discount. Not too bad. I think. Ends 31 March 2014.

Hong Kong Day 3 - Macau

Rise and shine! This time, we had breakfast at a nearby cha chan teng. Their breakfast sets cost HKD 30 each and comes with a bowl of noodles, bread, and drink. Sounds a little expensive for just maggi mee. But I super enjoyed my macaroni (even though there's ham). I seriously wouldn't mind having this every day lol. 

Then we headed into Macau! Took to MTR to Tsim Sha Tsui Station and the China Ferry Terminal was about 10-15 mins away. We planned to take TurboJet but unfortunately tickets were sold out and the next one was quite a long wait. So we had to get them from another agency, which charged slightly higher. Lesson learnt - book earlier. =X

The 1-hour ferry ride was a little more bearable cos I managed to fall asleep. And woke up to Macau's slight drizzle and freezing winds. Sobs.

After passing through immigrations (Macau is another country so don't forget your passport), we took a free shuttle bus out. Most of the casinos offer free transport. Just cross the road (via underpass) and there you go, bus interchange!

On the way to Venetian.

I suppose it's a grandest hotel in Macau? To be honest I don't find it breathtaking, but I just brought SSD here to 见识见识. At least now he can say he has seen the fake skies at Venetian lol.

Our next destination was the Macau Tower. We planned to take the bus there, but couldn't find the damn bus stop. So we took a cab. Fare was quite reasonable I suppose; not exactly cheap but not exorbitantly high either.

Too tall to take in one shot so have to split into two. Main purpose of coming here was just because of Running Man. LMAO! It's supposedly the tallest bungee jump in the world. Song Ji Hyo is so brave! =|

The building next to it is actually a convention hall. Nothing much to see there. Oh yeah there's a Toys R Us there. Luckily for us, the bus stop is right outside. And fares are quite cheap; less than HKD 4! However, make sure you know the name of the bus stop you're supposed to alight at, and check the bus number from the bus stop. The drivers don't seem to know. =X 

Old streets of Macau! And a Portuguese egg tart from a random shop. Cos we were hungry and cold. HKD 10, not too bad. 

Next destination - A-Ma Temple.

We came just because it's a tourist attraction haha. Didn't explore much cos we didn't have much time. Near the entrance there was this tree with windchimes around it. If you can't see, it states 百年夫妻树, loosely translated as Hundred-Year-Old Husband & Wife tree. LOL. We hung one up too. =)

Took the bus again to our next destination - Senado Square. Along the way, we came across this tiny stall and had lunch there. Not too bad. Bill came up to around HKD 60. I really miss the cheap and good food in Taiwan!

We realized there were street signs for places of interest, so it wasn't very hard to navigate our way around. Was more interested in the shops around the square than the fountain.

Pork buns are supposedly famous in Macau as well. We got one from a random stall. Tasted quite normal. Sorry I don't know where is the famous one.

St. Dominic's Church. :)

Followed the street signs and we finally reached the place where I wanted to go - Ruins of St. Paul's. I think it's something like the icon of Macau; haven't been here = haven't been to Macau.

View from the top.

Then walked to the nearby Macau Museum! Mainly because I was frozen. Entrance fee is HKD 15 each I think. It was pretty empty inside, and just as cold as out. Sad.

On our way back to the ferry terminal, we spent some time at Koi Kei, probably Macau's most famous bakery. I had thought the stuff would be "fresher" if we bought them on the last day instead. I learnt my lesson. PLEASE BUY THEM AT MACAU!! It's much cheaper there. =X

Ferry back was extremely choppy due to the strong winds. Cancelled our plans for Symphony of Lights again. I think we just bought instant noodles and chips back for dinner. 

Oh and picked up the strawberry bed I ordered from Megapet. ^^ Only loot for the day.

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day 1 | day 2 | day 3 | day 4 | day 5
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[sponsored review] Hada Labo 3-in-1 Arbutin Whitening Perfect Gel

I have been using several Hada Labo products and the next one I'm gonna share is the new 3-in-1 Arbutin Whitening Perfect Gel. This gel boosts 3-in-1 skincare product benefits of Essence + Moisturizer + Paper Mask! And it's fast absorbing and non-greasy. Sounds cool?

It contains 3 trinity efficacious ingredients that penetrate within and work on the skin synergistically:

• Natural Arbutin: High concentration levels at 3% of Japanese pharmaceutical-level Arbutin to offer effective whitening results. Enhances skin fairness and targets dark spots.

• Efficacious Vitamin C Concentrate: Proven anti-oxidant enhances collagen production, inhibits the appearance of dark spots and reawakens the appearance of dull skin.

• Hyaluronic Acids (HA) and nano-Hyaluronic Acids: HA is a natural component found on skin. The duo-HA molecules instantly hydrate and lock-in moisture, keeping skin soft, smooth & bouncy.  

My take on it:  First things first - love-hate relationship with tubs like this. While it allows us to fully use up all the gel inside, it's really really unhygienic to dig in with my fingers. Anyway, I use it as a sleeping mask. It takes some time to get absorbed but I like that it doesn't become very greasy. The next morning I can feel my face nice and hydrated. Don't really see much whitening effect though. =X

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Hong Kong Day 2 - Ocean Park

The next day, we went to Ocean Park! My second time there. I preferred this over Disneyland, and it was cheaper too! But first, breakfast! Wandered around Mong Kok area before stumbling upon this random shop - something 魚蛋王. It's a chain store I think. The wanton mee looks simple but tasted quite nice, and very welcoming in the cold.

To get to Ocean Park, we took the MTR to Admiralty Station before transferring to Citybus 629, which took us directly to the entrance. Directions are fairly easy to find and follow.

Tickets are HKD 320 each, but we got 10% when we presented the Madame Tussauds ticket stubs from the day before. :) Ocean Park is located uphill, and near the sea. So IT WAS FREEZING COLD! Which resulted in us spending most of our time in the exhibitions. We also arrived close to noon, so we didn't have much time to explore every bit of it. In fact, we only played one ride. T_T

Spent close to an hour (I think) in the very first exhibition. Got a fwuffy hammerhead shark toy cos it was just too cute to resist. Wasn't very expensive either. =X

Then pandas! Too bad the red pandas weren't there. I actually prefer those over the normal B&W ones.

Sat in this short birdy performance.

Grabbed some hot finger food at the old streets. Those shophouses are actually game stalls. Which reminded me, we spent HKD 90 for one try of shooting hoops and got a chicken stuff toy. Expensive much.

Random exhibits.

We also went up the tower.

Probably the most famous performance in Ocean Park. We sat in the last one at 5pm.

Rushed to take the cable car back after that, as it closes at 6pm. It was only the 2 of us in the car, and the winds were so strong, the car started swaying. I wailed all the way. =|

We were supposed to go to Avenue of Stars and watch the Symphony of Lights, but we were frozen. Definitely cannot tahan the strong winds and low temperature. So we went for dinner. Lol. Chanced upon this dimsum store - 点点心. They have 3 outlets and we went to the Mong Kok one. Apparently they're one of the 101 best places to eat in the world in 2012. *shrugs*

But it was nice! Especially the crispy chee cheong fun and salted-egg 流沙包. So cute too! Bill came up to HKD 170. Quite reasonable no?

Then dropped by Megapet on the way back. So nice that we have one just a few streets away. It's a mega pet chain store recommended by a fellow Hong Kong papillon owner. They have outlets in Taiwan too, but since my MIL was around I didn't want to take the trouble to visit it back then.

AND THEY HAVE DEAR DEER TREATS! Lol. Okay sidetrack a bit. I first came to hear of Dear Deer from the pet expo. I bought a few trial packs of the treats. Came home, saw that people were asking about it on Facebook. Seems quite good, so I regretted not buying more at the expo. 

Now I'm regretting not buying more in Hong Kong! Both the dear jerky and heart are selling at PLC for SGD 18 each. I got mine for HKD 67, which is about SGD 11. ALMOST HALF PRICE OMG! I want to kill myself liao. =(

You see! I bought 2 packs only. *slaps self*

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day 1 | day 2 | day 3 | day 4 | day 5
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Hong Kong Day 1 - Mong Kok & The Peak

Hi! Back from my short 5D4N trip to Hong Kong/Macau! It's my second trip there but I actually enjoyed this one a lot more, since I got to plan the itinerary and visited a lot more places. Weather was a bitch though. We thought it would be like 18-20 degrees, but it ended up being 14-16 degrees. I brought shorts, minis and slippers, so we actually could have enjoyed it more if we were more appropriately dressed. =(

Anyway, here's day 1. ^^

We arrived shortly (on Tigerair) before noon and the first thing to do - get data! Lol. Done some research and thus we headed directly to the 1010 shop at level 7. We got the one2free power prepaid card for HKD 88, which comes with 7-day unlimited data plus HKD 10 stored value (for emergency calls and stuff). Connectivity was better and faster than Singtel. =X Here's how it looks like.

Then we took the airport express train (HKD 70 per pax) out to Kowloon Station, where we switched to the free airport shuttle which stopped directly outside our hotel, Metropark Kowloon. Thankfully our room was ready.

Nice and clean, and big enough for the two of us. We spent about SGD 667 for the 4 nights. Only complaint would be the lifts. One was down for upgrading, and the remaining three were slow max. And it was a 10-15 min walk from either Yau Ma Tei or Mong Kok Station. 

So after dumping our luggage and a brief rest, we headed out for food! Spent some time finding our way to Argyle Centre. Had lunch at the basement. And that's when we found out the food was actually more expensive in Hong Kong. I miss Taiwan!

Briefly browsed through the 4 levels of Argyle Centre. It's like our Bugis Street. Most of the shops sell the same items but the way I see it, the prices are also almost always the same. Was looking for some long pants or covered shoes (cos it was so freaking cold) but ended up with a top and a pair of skorts. -_-|||

Then we headed to the Goldfish Market. It's basically just a street lined with aquariums and pet shops on both sides. They have lots of bagged fish and they actually look clean and healthy, at way cheaper prices. Just for that I wish I was living in Hong Kong LOL.

We entered in almost every pet shop and finally got a non-slip bowl and a toy for the girl. Prices are slightly cheaper but dehydrated treats aren't exactly very common. There are still a lot of commercial food and treats on the shelves. Boo. 

And I found my 臭豆腐! It's very common in Taiwan but this is the first and only time I've seen it in Hong Kong. And SSD's shark fin. =X

Made a brief walk through the infamous Ladies' Market. Just 2 rows of stalls selling almost identical stuff, with a too-narrow walkway in between. I remember the prices used to be exorbitantly high to 'cheat' tourists, but it seems like they've toned down quite a bit. SSD got his jacket there cos he forgot to bring his HAHAHA! And unfortunately we suck at haggling.

All these were in the Mong Kok area so it was very convenient to walk from one to the other. 

Next stop - The Peak! Took the MTR to Central Station, then walked about 5-10 mins to the tram station. One way peak tram is HKD 28, and can be paid through the Octopus Card (albeit a little more expensive). We didn't get to visit the sky terrace cos it was super misty and I was freezing. This is how it looks like outside.

Got Genting feel? Haha. Had dinner at the cafe just outside the exhibition. I guess we ordered the wrong stuff cos others looked so much more appetizing than ours. Tried the hot coke with lemon for the first time as I was nursing a runny nose. I thought it would help. It didn't. Tasted quite nice though.

Bill came up to HKD 150. This is what I meant by expensive. X_X

We bought the Madame Tussauds couple package online for HKD 399 (plus free photo frame). Much cheaper than if we got it there at the counter. It was my second time there and to be honest, it wasn't interesting both times. SSD looked a bit bored too. But at least now he can say he has been to the wax museum. LOL!

My loots for the day! ^^

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day 1 | day 2 | day 3 | day 4 | day 5
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