LIFE'S SIMPLE PLEASURES

Whoever said money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to go shopping. ~Bo Derek

Dankey's most favored scent was from the Giorgio Armani's line of fragrances, Acqua di Gio because of its fresh citrus and fruity scents were teamed with strong, musky and woody elements.
Since it launched in 1996, Acqua Di Gio has been quite a controversial bestseller. Dankey was excited to visit one of Armani's shops in Macau.
Giorgio Armani is an international Italian fashion house that designs, manufactures, distributes, and retails haute couture,ready-to wear, leather goods, shoes, watches, jewelry, accessories, eyewear,cosmetics, and home interiors. The brand markets these products under several, highly specialized sub-labels including Giorgio Armani, Armani Collezioni, Emporio Armani, AJ | Armani Jeans, AX | Armani Exchange, Armani Junior, and Armani/Casa. The Armani name has become synonymous with high-fashion and couture worldwide and is considered one of the most prestigious names in the fashion industry. By the end of 2005, estimated sales of the company were around $1.69 billion.
Armani's haute couture clothing line made history being the first haute couture Paris fashion show to be streamed live online. The label is strictly made to wear and only by order.
Armani is planning in collaboration with Emaar Properties a chain of luxury hotels and resorts in several big cities including Milan, Paris, New York, London, Tokyo, Shanghai, Dubai and Bali. The company already operates a range of cafés worldwide, in addition to a bar, restaurant, and nightclub.

Another store that caught Dankey's attention was Salvatore Ferragamo, is an Italian luxury goods company, with headquarters in Florence, specializing in shoes, leather goods, and ready-to-wear for men and women. It is the parent company of the Ferragamo Group. The company also produces eyewear and watches through licensees.
With about 2.600 employees and a network of over 550 mono-brand stores, the Ferragamo Group runs operations in Italy and worldwide, which provide the brand with a broad footprint in Europe, America and Asia.
Salvatore Ferragamo emigrated from southern Italy to Boston and then California in 1914. He opened the Hollywood Boot Shop in 1923, and made shoes for movie stars such as Joan Crawford and Gloria Swanson, as well as for films such as Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments. He returned to Italy and set up a shoe shop in Florence in 1927. However the modern shoemaking company regards 1928 as the date of its foundation and so celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2008. Salvatore filed for bankruptcy in 1933, during the Great Depression, but by 1938 he was in a position to buy the Palazzo Spini Feroni, one of the great palaces of Florence, which now houses the company's flagship store and museum.

Do you know that The House of Gucci, better known simply as Gucci (Italian pronunciation: [ˈɡuttʃi]), is an Italian fashion and leather goods label, part of the Gucci Group, which is owned by French company PPR. Gucci was founded by Guccio Gucci in Florence in 1921.
Gucci generated circa € 4.2 billion in revenue worldwide in 2008 according to Business Week Magazine and climbed to 41st position in the magazine's annual 2009 "Top Global 100 Brands" chart created by Interbrand. Gucci is also the biggest-selling Italian brand. Gucci operates about 278 directly operated stores worldwide (as of September 2009) and it wholesales its products through franchisees and upscale department stores.

Of course the famous YSL shop was really a head turner because of its elegant and classy clothing lines. Yves Saint Laurent was founded by designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé in 1962, and the current logos were designed in 1963 by A. M. Cassandre. Today, its chief designer is Stefano Pilati. Yves Saint Laurent, founder of the brand, died in 2008.

If you want a lifestyle of a real rock star with all the excitement and glamour, Dankey would recommend The Hard Rock Hotel. Feel the revolutionary power of music as you stroll through our collection of memorabilia that chronicle the history of rock ‘n’ roll.

It was definitely a tiring day for Dankey.

source: Wikipedia

ANXIETY

"An anxious heart weighs a man down,
but a kind word cheers him up."
Proverbs 12:25

"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Matthew 6:34

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"
Matthew 6:25-27

"Cast your cares on the LORD
and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall."
Psalm 55:22

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me."
John 14:1

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Matthew 11:28-30

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take."
Proverbs 3:5-6

SOLACE

“Come let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with love .”
Proverbs 7:18

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:27

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:8

I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
John 14:18

STARBUCKS...STARBUCKS...

To make a journey complete, Dankey would always visit his most favored haven…STARBUCKS…

After the plane had landed to Macau and the hotel accommodation was settled the first place Dankey visited was of course…Starbucks!!!

It is located in one of the busiest tourist spots in Macau, Senado Square. The store has two floors, big enough to accommodate their regular customers and tourists.

The second floor is very spacious and relaxing with the very distinct homey ambience, perfect place to rest the aching feet of local and foreign tourists and backpackers. Dankey relaxed in the cozy couch while sipping his cold orange juice and eating the famous “egg tart” of Macau.

Why were egg tarts in Macau so famous? Where did it originate?

Portuguese egg tarts were evolved from "pastel de nata", a traditional Portuguese custard pastry that consists of custard in a crème brûlée-like consistency caramelized in a puff pastry case. It was created more than 200 years ago by Catholic Sisters at Jerónimos Monastery (Portuguese:Mosteiro dos Jerónimos) at Belém in Lisbon. Casa Pastéis de Belém was the first pastry shop outside of the convent to sell this pastry in 1837. It is now a popular pastry in every pastry shop around the world owned by Portuguese descendants.

Custard tarts were introduced in Hong Kong in the 1940s by cha chaan tengs. They were then introduced in western cafes and bakeries to compete with dim sum restaurants, particularly foryum cha. During the economic boom of the 1950s and 1960s, Lu Yu took the lead with the mini-egg tart. Ironically, mini egg tarts are now a common dim sum dish and are richer than those served in bakeries.

One theory suggests Hong Kong egg tarts are an adaptation of English tarts with custard filling. Guangdong had more frequent contact with the West, in particular Britain, than the rest of China. As a former British colony, Hong Kong adopted some British Cuisine. Another theory suggests that egg tarts evolved from the very similar Portuguese egg tart pastries, known as pastel de nata, traveling to Hong Kong via the Portuguese colony of Macau.

Dankey loved the taste of Macau's Portuguese tarts,hmmmm..yummy...how he wished to bring it all home. Here in the Philippines, Dankey's favorite local pastry is Ensaymada, a soft bread with margarine, cheeze and sugar on top...and of course, the barista must serve it warm...yummy! Does Starbucks also offer local pastries in your country?

And don't you dare forget to bring home a Starbucks Macau tumbler as souvenir...















source: Wikipedia

SPONGEBOB FANATIC

Do you want to GUESS what Lokey enjoys doing during his spare time????

Watch SpongeBob SquarePants!!!.....

Lokey loves the sea and underwater adventures, he always dreamed of being under water and play with sea animals. Maybe if he was given a chance not to be a bear he would choose to be a fish or any sea creature. Since he cannot be a fish to enjoy the vast beauty of marine life, he watch SpongeBob and the his cool gang at the Bikini Bottom everyday.

Do you know who created Lokey’s favorite animated tv series SpongeBob SquarePants?

SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom".

The basis for SpongeBob SquarePants was formed by Hillenburg in 1984 while teaching and studying marine biology at the Ocean Institute in Dana Point, California, where he wrote the comic strip The Intertidal Zone, which starred various anthropomorphic forms of sea life, many of which would evolve into SpongeBob SquarePants characters.
The pilot episode of SpongeBob SquarePants first aired episodes in the United States on Nickelodeon on May 1, 1999, following the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.

Like Lokey, SpongeBob SquarePants is an extremely energetic and optimistic sea sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea with his pet snail Gary, who meows like a cat. Although Gary only actually speaks in a few episodes, the characters have shown an ability to understand him. Living two houses down from SpongeBob is his best friend Patrick Star, a dim-witted yet friendly pink seastar who lives under a rock. Living between the two is Squidward Tentacles, an arrogant and egotistical octopus who lives in an Easter Island moai and dislikes his neighbors for their child-like behavior. He enjoys playing the clarinet and painting self-portraits. Another close friend of SpongeBob's is Sandy Cheeks, a squirrel from Texas. Sandy is an expert at karate and lives in an underwater tree dome.

How about you? What do you enjoy watching on television?










source: wikipedia

A VISIT TO COLOANE, MACAU

Coloane Island, Macau, China is the premier among the two Macau islands. The most famed among the Macau popular destinations Coloane Island is connected to the Taipa Island by a 2.2km long dual Causeway, built in 1969.

Dankey enjoyed the tranquil environment, the serene sea beaches, A Ma religious shrine and the cultural village, facilities for adventure tourism and many more have created a tourist paradise in Coloane attracting tourists to Macau tour. Coloane Island, Macau, China comprises two of the best beaches in the world. Cheoc Van Beach and Hác-Sá Beach are always crowded by a large number of swimmers and sunbathers.

Coloane Island, Macau, China is an islet full of pine trees, eucalyptus woods and farming land. Far from the hustle of the busy life, Coloane Island offers a relaxing and peaceful background to swim, have picnics, and purely enjoy the riches of nature. It houses many places of tourist interest in Macau. The Tam Chin Temple is known for a whalebone replica of a ship fitted with a wooden dragon's head. The A Ma temple and the churches are crowded by devotees throughout the year.

Dankey also visited the Chapel of St. Francis Xavier , of the São Francisco Xavier Parish. The chapel, built in 1928, is located on the southern coast of the island and stands near a monument commemorating a victory over pirates in 1910.

The chapel used to contain some of the most sacred Christian relics in Asia, including the remains of 26 foreign and Japanese Catholic priests who were crucified in Nagasaki in 1597, as well as those of some of the Japanese Christians who were killed during the Shimabara Rebellion in 1637.

Among them was a bone from the arm of St. Francis Xavier, who died in 1552 on Sanchuan Island, 50 miles (80 km) from Macau, before it was transferred to Saint Joseph's Seminary and the Sacred Art Museum.

Plan your Macau tour and take pleasure in the scenic spots in the isles of Macau, China, Asia.