RUSSIA - The State Tretyakov Gallery & The Russian National Dance Show

RUSSIA - The State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow possesses a unique collection of Russian art which includes masterpieces. The gallery was founded by a Russian merchant and maecenas Pavel Tretyakov. He donated his art collection to Moscow city in 1892 and since, the gallery has become world famous. The gallery has 62 rooms and more than 170,000 different art pieces for visitors' fine appreciation. Paintings from different time periods, religious paintings and Russian artists' masterpieces are displayed. Entry tickets cost 450 RUB which is approximately SGD18 for an adult. Official website at http://www.tretyakovgallery.ru/en/

The Russian National Dance Show "KOSTROMA" - This impressive dance performance is performed by the national ballet company 'Kostroma' and has won the hearts of many audience around the globe. It is Russian's traditional performance at its most refined form. The troupe consists of 50 atists and 300 unique costumes exquisitely decorated with pearls, silver and gold. The costumes are specially custom-made and hand embroidered. This spectacular dance show offers great insights into Russia's traditions, culture and history in a magical way. I was in awe during the performance as each dancer was so precise in their dance movements with such grace and ease. Each ticket costs 1600 RUB which is approximately SGD64.  Official website at http://www.nationalrussianshow.ru/en/rnds/

Bolshoi Theatre - A symbol of Russia, famously known for its great contribution to world class performances in Russia. It was closed for renovation during my time of visit. Official website at http://www.bolshoi.ru/en/

♥ Lora Christelle Lim ♥
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FINE FOOD: HY California by Hidemasa Yamamoto at Marina Bay Sands

HY California by Hidemasa Yamamoto at Marina Bay Sands

HY California is a Japanese style food mixed with an American twist. Enjoy their original sushi creations mixed with a California taste and infused with a Singaporean touch. Indulge in their Flamed Broiled Burger by the Marina Bay water front and enjoy the view of the Singapore Art & Science Museum, while you relax and sip your wine through your dinner in the beautiful colourful night skyline. 

ArtScience Museum 

The ArtScience Museum is the world's first ArtScience Museum and is located at Marina Bay Sands, an integrated resort in Singapore owned by the US Las Vegas Sands company. It was opened on 17 February 2011 by our Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. 

The architecture is made in a form of a Lotus Flower, designed by the architect Moshe Safdie. The ArtScience Museum is anchored by a round base in the middle, with 10 extensions which is referred to as "fingers". This museum has 21 gallery spaces with a total of 50,000 square feet. 

Fun Fact - Did you know?

Rain water is harvested and collect in the center and bottom of the building, flowing through its bowl-shaped roof into a reflecting pond at the lowest story of the Lotus. The rain water is then recycled in use for the building's washrooms. 

 HY California

After attending a Mediacorp TV Connect seminar, my trusted and amazing Arishia and I decided to go for some dinner and drinks. It was a super hot day, so we had some refreshing cocktail that was made of Redbull. They had a whole beverage menu filled with Redbull cocktails. We sat at their outdoors table, as the view of waters in front of us was beautiful  We enjoyed our dinner while we watched some people jogging around that area, while some couples stroll around that place. It was a romantic place with all the colourful lights shining from the different buildings infront of us. 

I had some Red Wine together with the meal. We had their Gourmet Sushi Rolls, ranging from SGD$26 to SGD$36 for each serving. Each serving could only feed a girl on a diet. Its advisable to go there with more friends, so you can order more and try their different variety of Sushi Rolls. 

Website: http://www.marinabaysands.com/Singapore-Restaurants/Casual-Dining/HY-California/

My favourite dish, was their Beef Sukiyaki, which was served in a hot stone pot, served with Tofu, and Mushrooms. Arishia's favourite was their Mango Pudding was a very delicious desert at end our dinner. Most people like to go there for drinks after dinner too, due to its very relaxing outdoor view.

HY California is just a teaser to Hidemasa Yamamoto's Fine Dining Restaurant, also located at Marina Bay Sands, called HIDE YAMAMOTO. It is located on the second floor of MBS. Hide Yamamoto is one of the 2010 Global Chef Award Recipient. Its multi-concept 128 seat restaurant has 4 completely different menus and experiences. That's one restuarant that I'll visit really soon!
Website: www.hideyamamoto.com
MBS Hide Yamamoto: http://www.marinabaysands.com/singapore-restaurants/fine-dining/hide-yamamoto/

XOXO
Little Sister - Sara Shantelle Lim
www.SaraShantelle.com
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Burnt Orange Cafe - Mosman, Sydney

Burnt Orange Cafe - I stumbled upon this lovely cafe while taking my car out for a drive around Mosman area. It is located in a quaint and rather secluded forest area with beautiful views of the Sydney Harbour. It is approximately 30 minutes drive from Sydney's CBD. There is ample ticket parking available and it is a lovely short 5 minutes walk through the bushes to walk from the carpark to the cafe.

It was interesting to spot an old bicycle which greeted us at the entrance of the sandstone mansion. The interiors were also interesting decorated with lovely wooden tables, pink and white wooden chairs and lovely flower vases on each table. We chose a table at the inner edge of the cafe to enjoy the lovely water views of Mosman Bay, Manley and the Sydney Harbour.

The cafe prides itself with using the highest quality and freshest ingredients to make their food. They make their own bread and scones daily as well as jams, marmalade and chutneys. We ordered the Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon as well as the Banana Cake to share. The food and coffee looked pretty simple but tasted amazingly delicious. It was a wonderful morning well spent in this cozy cafe tucked away from the city.

After indulging in our breakfast, we visited their retail store that sold eclectic items that included books, children's toys, jewelry, men and women's clothings, housewares and gifts etc. As the Easter holidays are coming up, they were selling many delicious handmade chocolates too!

Burnt Orange cafe is usually fully booked so do make a reservation at their website to avoid disappointment at http://www.burntorange.com.au/ or call 9969-1120. Their full address is 1108/1109 Middle Head Road, Mosman, Sydney, NSW 2088. Opening hours are 830am-530pm daily.

♥ Lora Christelle Lim ♥
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Social Entrepreneurship Talk at NTU Business School

Socio Entrepreneurship Ignition Talk at NTU Business School

Recently, I was invited down to Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to give a talk to their bright Business Students. It was a great experience as I enjoyed doing my part by contributing back to society and community. The invitation was an opportunity for me to promote creativity and innovation as well as to inspire youth to be social entrepreneurs like myself. 

A social entrepreneur is one who identifies and solve problems using innovative solutions. I believe I am considered one as I aim to provide high quality, affordable products and services to solve the problems of people with troubling skin problems. I hope to inspire the fact that there is no ugly woman in this world and to help people with low self esteem to regain their self confidence. I enjoy helping both men and women to improve their skin, overall looks and to make them look and feel beautiful. Self confidence is the key to success. 

Most importantly, I am proud to declare that my company SaraShantelle is an ethical company with good corporate social responsibility as 10 percent profits from online sales are donated to charities such as Singapore Children's Society. 

Iris and Arishia accompanied me to NTU. We woke up at 6am on that Saturday morning, to prepare ourselves and to arrive on time. NTU is located near the end of Singapore (Jurong), so travelling there took quite some time. We were amazed with NTU's large land space and it was easy to get lost. Luckily, we managed to find our way by asking students who were both polite and very helpful.

I spoke to NTU Business students, as well as JC students, who were planning to go into NTU after their A Levels. I shared with them my previous work experience of flying as an air stewardess, and how I became who I am today, a social entrepreneur. My company supplies beauty products to aesthetic doctors and spa owners in Singapore and other countries around the World. I also spoke about how I needed to work extremely hard when I first joined the business where I used to work from 10am to 3am without much rest and sleep.

There were 3 speakers that day and I was chosen to be the first to start the seminar. Initially, I was slightly nervous but after the first 2 minutes, I managed to be confident and deliver my speech smoothly. The audience was rather quiet at first but after some questions and answers games, they gradually warmed up to me. I was extremely pleased that I managed to capture their attention as they showed huge interest in what I was sharing. The whole talk was highly interactive and engaging. 

It was an enjoyable experience! I received great feedback from the students that they felt that my talk was the most interesting. I guess that being young at my age of 25 years old, I am able to relate closely to them and talk about things that they find interesting. I do understand that quite a number of University Graduates are considering jointing the airline industry as an air stewardess to travel the world so I did share some tips and experiences to capture their interest and clear their doubts. Most importantly, I inspired students to consider starting their own business and pursue their dreams instead of worrying about looking for a job after graduation. 

The last talk I gave was to students of Republic Polytechnic (RP). It was also an engaging one!

P.S: If you would like to invite me down to give a speech to your school, please email me at sara@sarashantelle.com 

XOXO
Little Sister - Sara Shantelle Lim
www.SaraShantelle.com
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ABU DHABI - World's Most Expensive Hotel - The Emirates Palace by Kempinski Hotels

ABU DHABI - THE EMIRATES PALACE

The World's Most Expensive Hotel

http://www.kempinski.com/en/abudhabi/emirates-palace/welcome/

Mercedes-Benz super luxury car - Maybach

ABU DHABI - Famouly bailed out its rivalry neighbor Dubai at USD $10 billion dollars during the 2009 debt crisis while selling itself as the region's cultural capital. While Dubai feature the World's Tallest Building - The Burj Khalifa, Abu Dhabi is proud to build the World's most expensive hotel as well as to be the first to create a gold dispensing ATM machine. Talk about Luxury Travel, Abu Dhabi and Dubai are the best countries to visit!

When I visited Dubai, I took a private limousine to visit Abu Dhabi which is about 1 hour 15 mins drive away. I booked a 1 night stay at the famous Emirates Palace which is a 7 star luxury hotel managed by Kempinski hotels. Emirates Place cost approximately USD $3 billion dollars to build and is one of the most expensive hotels in the World. It is an iconic landmark of Abu Dhabi which covers 850,000 square metres area. The hotel is owned and built by the Abu Dhabi government. The entire hotel is lavishly decorated with gold, fine marble and crystal chandeliers. In Dec 2010, the hotel featured the World's Most Expensive Christmas Tree costing USD $11 million dollars. The Christmas tree was decorated with 181 diamonds, pearls, sapphires, emeralds and other precious stones!

Note: Emirates Palace used to be No. 1 as the Most Expensive hotel built in the World but Marina Bay Sands hotel in Singapore has clinched that top spot now, costing USD $5.5 billion dollars to build.

THE EMIRATES PALACE - Designed by world renowned architect John Elliot, Emirates Palace features a 1.3 km of white pristine beach only for private hotel guests, 2 huge lagoon swimming pools with water slides, 4 tennis courts, 2 gyms, private spa, private jogging trails etc. The hotel consists of 394 rooms and suites, 40 meeting and conference rooms and personal butler to cater to your every need. I remember I paid about USD $1,500 for a 1 night stay in the year 2011. The good news is that the price of booking a hotel stay has dropped and it has become more affordable to stay in this hotel. Currently, the cost of booking a 1 night stay starts from USD$750 up to USD$15,000 a night. For more information, do visit their official website at http://www.kempinski.com/en/abudhabi/emirates-palace/welcome/

CHECKING IN - When I first arrived at the hotel, I was greeted with very friendly service staff with big smiles on their faces. They also told me to sit and offer me some Arabian tea. Afterwhich, I took a buggy ride to my hotel room. The entire hotel was too spacious and wide to walk so during my entire stay, I took buggy everywhere such as to the gym, swimming pool and restaurants. I could ring for a buggy easily. 

PERSONAL BUTLER - Upon entering my Coral hotel room, I was shocked to find a personal butler waiting inside for me. He was extremely polite and asked if I needed his help with anything. He helps unpack my luggage and hung my beautiful dresses in the closet. He even offered to fill my bathtub with hot water so I can enjoy a relaxing bath. I prefer to do things on my own so I dismissed him politely to take a shower in private. My personal butler stood outside my hotel room and said to call him if I need anything. Such excellent service! It was such a luxurious hotel stay and I enjoyed myself relaxing in the comfort of my hotel room.

LUXURY TRAVEL - Hotel guests are able to book the hotel's limousine service - Rolls Royce, Maybach, Helicopter or Private Jet easily just by informing their personal butler available 24 hours.

Lora enjoying herself in the West Wing Adventure Swimming Pool

http://awesomearchitecture.files.wordpress.com/

♥ Lora Christelle Lim ♥
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How to Make Money Online from Blogging?

Sara Shantelle Lim & Peng Joon

I learnt it from John Chow & Peng Joon - No. 1 Money Making Bloggers in the World.

Click here to find out HOW? 

Anyone can do it, if I can, so can you. I attended PENG JOON's Internet Marketing Program at Resorts World Sentosa, worth $2000+, I've learnt a lot! :) - Sara Shantelle.

Read More my blog post about my Internet Income Intensive Program with Peng Joon. Click Here.

This was my 1st online marketing pay cheque! I can't believe it! :)

I am very thankful to Peng Joon, for sharing his secrets of "How to make Money Online?". If you would also like to learn how to do it, just like what I am doing now. Feel free to drop me an email, enquiry@sarashantelle.com ~ I am more than happy to share THE SECRET.

CLICK HERE for Step by Step SYSTEM on HOW TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE by PENG JOON.

CLICK HERE for Step by Step SYSTEM on HOW TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE by JOHN CHOW.

ABU DHABI - Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

ABU DHABI - The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is Abu Dhabi's most precious gem. It is named "The Grand Mosque" due to its global unifying element as from its initial stages of planning to its completion, it has brought together designers and materials from around the globe that include Italy, Germany, Morocco, Iran, Turkey, India, China, Greece and UAE. The mosque can accommodate 41,000 worshipers from its prayers hall and the 17,000 square metres courtyard which is paved with coloured floral marble and beautiful mosaics. As a sign of respect, visitors had to put on long black clothings, provided by the Mosque to cover up as it is afterall, a place of worship. The opulent mosque is the size of 5 football fields.

This architectural work of art is one of the World's largest and grandest mosque which is intricately designed with the finest Italian white marble and other natural materials such as stone, gold, semi-precious stones and crystals. The mosque features 80 domes decorated with white marble. Its main prayer hall features the World's largest hand-woven Persian carpet measuring 7,119 square metres, costing around USD 8.2 million dollars.

The most interesting feature is that the mosque features seven 24-carat gold-plated chandeliers which were imported from Germany, each designed with thousands of Swarovski crystals. The main prayer hall features the World's largest chandeliers measuring 10 metres in diameter, 15 metres in height and weighing 8-9 tonnes in weight.

www.theage.com.au

www.travel.nationalgeographic.com

♥ Lora Christelle Lim ♥
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