Top 10 World's Largest Hotels

Caffeine is really messing up my sleep schedule. It's 3:20AM. I've only had 5.5 hours of sleep the night before. Guess who's wide awake?!
Anyway...
I was writing my Japanese presentation on my trip to Asia last summer and had to double check that Genting, one of the hotels we stayed at in Malaysia, was the largest in the world.
Forbes Traveler (which, btw, is a super fascinating site - I'll definitely take the time to fully browse around when I have the time) had a list of The World's Biggest Hotels and I was right, Genting did come in first. Not surprisingly, Las Vegas held the title for almost all the other largest hotels... and most of them are owned by MGM Mirage.

1. Genting: The City of Entertainment [6,118 rooms]
This place is a world of its own. It's known as the Las Vegas of Malaysia, but I think it surpasses Las Vegas in the tackiness factor. Very impressive mountain resort admist a 100 million year old forest. It has 2 huge amusement parks (1 indoor and 1 outdoor), Ripley's Believe It Or Not! museum, a wind-turbine sky diving simulator (Ooo I didn't know about that), 2 casinos, its own shopping mall, a cineplex, a show room where they hold concerts (for example, the Black Eyed Peas, Boyz II Men, Michael Learns To Rock, JJ Lin, and Olivia Newton-John have sung there. Kenny G is performing on April 26th), a world class golf course, and tons of restaurants and buffets (freshly cut durian anyone?). It's possible to drive up there, but a lot of people get there by (the world's fastest) cable car. Great experience - I'd totally go again.
2. MGM Grand [5,044 rooms]
Interesting - I stayed at this "Emerald City" when the theme was the Wizard of Oz and everything was decorated so. There was also a fun amusement park in the back. However they tore refurbished everything in 2000 to accommodate a more mature clientele. I remember Las Vegas as a very fun place for the old and young.
3. Luxor, Las Vegas [4,408 rooms]
Also was renovated. It had an Egyptian theme. Very distinguishable - it's still shaped as a pyramid.
4. Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas [4,332 rooms]
5. Ambassador City Jomtien Hotel, Pattaya, Thailand [4,239 rooms]
6. Venetian, Las Vegas [4,027 rooms]
Ooo pretty - I'd like to stay there. How romantic.
7. Excalibur, Las Vegas [4,008 rooms]
I haven't heard very good reviews of this place...
8. Bellagio, Las Vegas [3,933 rooms]
Yaaay!! You know it's on my list of 100+ things to do before I die.
9. Circus Circus, Las Vegas [3,773 rooms]
When I visited back when I was 8 or 9 and played games there, it was really fun and they had a ton of entertainment (I won a couple of my favourite stuffed animals there), but it looked really grungy, old and tired. They renovated it in 1997 and changed it from a American-style circus to a more upscale Cirque Du Soleil style.

LOL guess which well-known hotel chain gets in at 10th?
10. Flamingo, Las Vegas [3,565]
Not much to say about this place...

The next couple are Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas and the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa, Honolulu.

I highly recommend you check out Forbes Travel when you have time!! WOW
Wanna see where you can go for a $75,000 USD around-the-world 24 day trip around the world?
Did you know that there are geek cruises that offer computer classes on board? And Shakespeare/Elvis-themed cruises.
Hawaii's sexiest beaches? Most romantic beaches? The world's tallest and biggest. World's most expensive desserts? America's best pizzeria's?
How about outrageous hotel perks? New York’s Fitzpatrick Hotel offers a fairy-tale experience for children, capitalizing on the American Girls doll craze. Kids and their dolls are greeted by name at check-in. In the room there are slippers and a robe for the doll, as well as a special bed and turndown service to mimic every guest’s experience. At breakfast, dolly gets a place setting of her own. At Boston’s XV Beacon frequent guests experience holiday cheer with a Tiffany’s gift from the hotel. Oh how magical traveling can be when you have the money for it.

We live in such an amazing world. Go out and enjoy it!

A Full Plate

What's on my mind:

• get a job for the summer (perhaps try my hand at waitressing 'cause I love customer service and they have good tips)
  
• driving lessons (starting v. soon!) - get N before summer is over
• need to get some real outdoor running practice soon
  
• plan exchange program (competition is high!)
  
• book LA tix (within the next couple days)
• find a Korean summer course on the side
• find a geography course to take at UBC (nevermind.. I just looked it up and all geo courses are only 3 credits. I want 4-credit courses or else I'll have to take more courses! Right now, I'm taking a 4 credit 300-level course. (I need 12 credits in the 300 level and 12 credits in the 400 level. All 300 and 400 level courses are 4 credits @ SFU, but I can't take any SFU courses this summer b/c I'll miss the first couple weeks) HMM to take summer or not...
  
• apply to Business
  
• Japan for 1 week in August??
  
• Hair is getting super boring... digital perm (and waaay bigger curls than last time)?? Maybe wait 'til Korea? And dye to dark brown.

Spring/summer plans:
My last exam is on April 17th.
Sun Run: April 20th
Master Cleanse: April 23-May 2nd
LA trip: May 14-22nd
Work: rest of summer
Summer school @ UBC: June 16th to end of July
Take Korean on the weekends.
Do the Grouse Grind 4 times.
Yoga (or some other kind of exercise) drop-in.
August: 1 week trip w/ family (and maybe 1 week trip to Japan?)
I think I have a pretty busy summer ahead of me. Fun though!

I've been watching The Hills on MTV recently while exercising. It's pretty much your typical LA drama that I don't need to fill my brain with so I'm not too much into it... but I do like to see what they wear and what LA looks like from their point of view. Is it me or do a lot of these blondes look so similar? I can only tell a couple of them apart, but I mean Lauren (x2?), Whitney, Kristin, and Heidi look almost identical in my eyes.
Lauren Conrad's self-titled clothing line debuted yesterday. She's trying to go for the whole "LA chick" style. Click HERE to view her entire Spring Collection. Can't say I'm that that impressed. All her pieces look quite plain - perhaps versatile, but it's too much like the well-established C&C California. The prices are basically the same too. You can get a simple black empire-waist summer throw-on for $148; $88 for a tank. Who would buy it? The style isn't distinctive and I'm sure you can find the exact same thing for cheaper.

Haven't seen anything I've liked at UO for quite a while now, but this one caught my eye today:
WeSC Lizzie Dress [$105 Online Only]
Side note: I think these are so funny! They're trying to make boots wearable all year round (even in the hot hot summer) by putting holes in them so your feet don't get sweaty. Pretty creative. They're not ugly, but I wouldn't wear them.
Jeffrey Campbell Zola Boot [$195 Online Only]
Am thinking of making a YesStyle purchase on these items this weekend:
La Salon: Fitted Wool Jacket
La Salon: Narrow Lapel Vest
Shiseido Ultimate Protection Face Cream SPF 55
Let me know if you want anything - free shipping.

Facebook Status Update

Natasha is trying to be the best person she can be.

The First Two

After over 100 people watching the Soompi Hollywood Bowl thread and over 50 in the Khype forum, KHYPE finally announced the first 2 artists that will perform on May 17th, 2008.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 3/10/08

THE FIRST TWO ARTISTS FOR HB 2008 ARE:

FLY TO THE SKY & SGWANNABE

OOoo not bad! They're both one of the best R&B groups in Korea.
I love Fly To The Sky, but I have to get myself reacquainted with SG Wannabe. I've heard a few SGW songs in the past, but I was never really a fan of that low voice. Now that I've searched up a couple MVs, that voice sounds a lot like HwanHee's from FTTS.

Here's a song from their 1st album in 2004:
SG Wannabe - Timeless
**
Aw.. why do they always have to make it so dramatic and sad.
From wiki:
The group also raised awareness for being quite mysterious for not showing their faces as they did not star in any of their music videos. After being the top selling artist in South Korea for the past 3 years, SG Wannabe is currently on the verge of breaking up. The group's contract with their management agency expires at the end of May 2008, thus the group's leader Chae Dong Ha may leave the group.

Aw - this may be the first and last time I'll ever see them perform as a group.

A New Adoration

Blugh. My brain isn't liking this time change. I've done nothing today but wake up at 12:30, eat, attempt to watch a show on TV (remote battery died), play a bit of piano (someone mixed up all my pages), make muffins, and clean my room (will finish soon). Eyes are drooping as I'm typing this... and it's only 5:30PM. For the rest of the day, I only plan to read the geo article and write part of my Japanese presentation script. Hmm what should I present on?

D let me name her Teddy Bear Hamster - the one guarding the front door. She named the one in the garage Freddie...... we don't know if it's a boy/girl so we guessed by using stereotypes. It's meek so we think its a girl. I originally had a boys name, but I changed it to a girl's:
Generalette McFufflesassyskin. The 'Sassy' part was added in 'cause it bit D hahaha

FIFI Lapin
Haute Couture for Rabbits

I found this blog and have fallen head over heels over this fashionable bunny named Fifi!!
Here's her bio:
* Age: 20
* Gender: Female
* Astrological Sign: Virgo
* Zodiac Year: Rabbit
* Industry: Fashion
* Occupation: socialite
* Location: london : United Kingdom
Hi, I'm Fifi. Fifi Lapin. I was born one of 257 brothers and sisters but sadly there was an outbreak of myxamatosis when I was one year old and I was the only one that survived. My parents are therefore incredibly protective of me and spoil me rotten. I'm an haress (lol I used to think this was a spelling mistake but I get it now) to my fathers fortune which he made playing fast and loose with carrot and lettuce shares on the international stock market. There are a lot of rabbits out there so I guess he just struck gold (or orange you might say). Some people think I’m just a socialite but I think there is more to me than just an extremely stylish clotheshorse!

I love this little rabbit!! She's fabulous!!
Diane Von Furstenberg (I loooove DVF!! One of my fav. designers out there)Tommy Hilfiger

Christian Dior
Is it OK to be jealous of a bunny's clothes?
Chanel
When FIFI was tagged...

1. um, lets see, I have an obsession with designer clothes (which is obvious really) but I don't seem to have the ability to mix and match clothes. I prefer to trust the designers vision.


2. I stroke my ears when I'm nervous, they're really soft.


3. I am always yo yo dieting. I go from carrot sticks one minute to carrot cake the next.


4. I've had three kiss and tells in the papers about me and only one of them was true - but I'm not saying which!


5. I have 3 homes, my main town house in London, a pied-à-terre in Paris with a great view of the eiffel tower and a top floor apartment in New York overlooking central park. one day I'm going to get a place on the Via Montenapoleone in Milan, perhaps with a view straight into Gucci or Marni I havent decided yet (oh and i haven't persuaded Daddy thats its a great idea).


6. I once met the actor who played thumper in Bambi.


7. even though I am obsessed with clothes I struggle with trousers. I can put them on fine and everything but I just find them really constricting and they make my legs look weird.
These FIFI pics are sold on Etsy HERE, but they're closed until April. I'd absolutely ADORE a print of Fifi alone or with 4 other Fifis (as shown above). Prints are $30 and originals are $40. Apparently you can even request outfits too! This would be a great print to frame on my wall to give it the hint of quirk I love. Plus, it's one I can keep forever 'cause you can put in little girls' rooms too.
So yes - I've become a huge fan.