Last September 21-28, 2019, I was on a week-long vacation in Hong Kong and Macao with my boyfriend in celebration of our 1st Anniversary as bf/gf (his gift to me, how lucky me this time – YES!). I posted many of our photos on my personal Facebook profile, and some of my public social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. It’s the 3rd time that I have visited Hong Kong, and it’s actually the first-ever country I visited, so we can say that the place is no longer new to me. It even feels like my second home country.

During the time of our visit to Hong Kong, I received a lot of messages from friends and acquaintances. There would be 2 kinds of people who would send me a message about our vacation. The first would ask if it’s safe to travel to Hong Kong, and the second would ask some tips and guide on having a Hong Kong and Macao vacation.

Sure, why not, let’s answer both questions here on my blog (although of course I already answered my friends about the safety in Hong Kong).

Is it safe to travel to Hong Kong?

To anyone updated on news, they know what’s currently happening in Hong Kong. News about protests happening in different places in Hong Kong might definitely make you worry and doubt about even having a vacation in Hong Kong. We booked our flight and accommodation sometime around February 2019 and I think the protests weren’t there yet or probably not yet prominent in the news. As our advanced booking dates go near, we were having second thoughts if we should move or cancel our plan. Lucky us, we have a reliable source of information – my aunt lives in Hong Kong – she’s there as a worker for 25 years already, and she told us that there are only selected places where protests happen. The good thing about this is that there are efforts made to make announcements on when and where the protests will happen, so it’s up to the civilians if they want to go to the protest place or not. Below are some photos shared to me by my aunt.

I trust you can find these from the social media pages of your country’s Consulate General. One of the photos above came from the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong. Get updated by following their Facebook page. If you go to the MTR (Hong Kong’s train system), there will also be advanced announcements when and where the protests will happen that the MTR has to close down some stations (i.e., some stations will be skipped). During our week stay in Hong Kong, we only encountered such a situation once and didn’t interrupt our vacation at all.

So to answer the question in this section’s header, YES, it is safe to travel to Hong Kong.

Getting ourselves prepared

We all have our own ways of getting ourselves prepared for a vacation. As for us, these are all the lists we have on our checklist for our Hong Kong and Macao trip.

• Budget – I will tell you in the latter part of the blog how much estimated we have spent. I will also discuss along the way on each part.
• Passport – no VISA needed for both Hong Kong and Macao.
• MTR Mobile app* – definite a mobile app that will be very useful for you as a guide for traveling via train.
• Evernote app* – for our organized list of itinerary plans.
• Klook app* – for our bookings on activities, rentals, etc.
• Agoda app* – for our accommodation booking.
• Google Maps app – you’d really want directions.

*If you’re an iOS user, just search and download the iOs equivalent of these apps from the App Store.

1st Step. Booking the flight.

We found our deal from Cebu Pacific. Sadly, we weren’t able to get that 1 PHP flight promo deal many people would always look for. We spent PHP 24,821.02 on this for a roundtrip flight, 2 persons, having 20kg check-in luggage allowance each for both to and from, Philippine Travel Tax included. (I highly recommend paying the Philippine Travel Tax online already to save you some time from queueing long lines at the airport).

2nd Step. Booking accommodation.

Having selected the dates of our travel, we booked the place to stay. A simple hostel was our choice. It was my second time booking this place. I know it’s not a place that is very attractive. A really small room just enough for you to stand and open your luggage, then it’s just a bed to rest and a toilet. The rooms are airconditioned, with television. Staff can speak English and they’re actually very nice, accommodating, and easy to ask request.

The name of the hostel is Kowloon Hostel in Agoda, but once you arrive in their place, you’ll see Sincere House. It has 2 entrances. The first entrance is along Tung Choi Street (open between 7am-11pm), and the second entrance is along Fa Yuen Street (open 24/7). Once you arrive at Mong Kong MTR station, you’ll have to exit at Exit D2 as it is the nearest one from the hostel.

What’s good about the location of the hostel is that downstairs is where you can find easy access to the Night Market (they call it Ladies Market). You’ll also feel like you’re one of the locals since the vibes of the location seem to be pretty homey for the average local citizens of Hong Kong. We paid PHP 15,198.56 for our 8 days of stay here in the hostel. The staff was nice to allow us for early check-in with no additional cost. We could have chosen to do a late check-out as well, but we didn’t mind as we wanted to get to the airport early on our last day in Hong Kong. I have to let you know as well that their staff is also highly responsive in terms of communication via Agoda. Their Facebook page is pretty new and I believe they created this one to spread awareness that it is safe to travel in Hong Kong. You can follow them here – Dormhk.

PS: I recommend bringing your own extension cord because the hostel only has 1-2 plug sockets. No need to bring an adaptor, because they have one in the room and you can also borrow.

PPS: The hostel has a really fast Internet connection. I trust this is Fiber having almost the same download and upload speed of 200 Mbp/s+.

Day 1 – Departure from Manila, Arrival to Hong Kong

Pocket money.

At the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, we withdrew some pocket money for our foods and travel expenses in Hong Kong. We estimated it to be just PHP 22,000 (or HKD 3,200). But because we were so crazy about foods and we bought some souvenirs, we had to withdraw extra HKD 1,790 (around ~PHP 12,200 if you’ll directly withdraw from an ATM in Hong Kong or Macao, but will be around ~PHP 12,600 if you’ll go through from Foreign Exchange stalls).

Regardless, I highly recommend you have your pocket money prepared in HKD local currency already even before you fly outside your home country because you’ll never know if your ATM card will allow you to withdraw from ATMs in Hong Kong. My boyfriend’s ATM card, in particular, didn’t work out. Good thing I have mine as a back-up. You can call your bank’s customer support days before your travel so that you can have your card activated for out-of-the-country withdrawals.

So, yeah, in total, we can say we prepared pocket money of ~PHP 35,000 for both the food, commute (train, bus), souveniers. Of course, this will vary amongst us as it will depend on how much you want to eat food, and if you plan to buy any souvenirs at all.

Pocket WiFi device.

Upon arrival at the Hong Kong International Airport, the first thing we did was to get the pocket wifi we rented and the Octopus cards we ordered through Klook.

The pocket wifi we rented has a fast 15 Mbp/s download and 7 Mbp/s upload speed and can be used both in Hong Kong and Macao. We rented it for 8 days for the amount of PHP 2,176. The device has a battery that can last for one whole day, can connect up to 5 devices. It’s also easy to use.

Follow this link to rent your own pocket wifi for Hong Kong and Macao.

Octopus Cards.

Now, this is one nifty must-have card in Hong Kong. You can use this card to pay at the MTR (train station) and many of the shops in Hong Kong.

We rented 2 of these cards for PHP 1,200, so it’s PHP 600 each. Each card has a pre-loaded amount of HKD 50. After getting these cards, we went to a 7-11 store at the airport and we loaded each card with HKD 300 mainly for our MTR (train) usage (although I used some for buying foods in some shops, haha). And yes, take the HKD 300 from the pocket money you’ve brought.

Don’t get confused though. You will not see the pre-loaded HKD 50 when you scan your Octopus card at the train station. Say you used up all the other HKD 300 balance, other charges will be deducted from the pre-loaded HKD 50, so it will appear as negative. Any other amount remaining from the card can be rebated at the counter in the airport where you have rented the card.

Follow this link to rent an Octopus Card in Hong Kong.

In Mong Kok.

After checking in our luggage in our hostel in Mong Kok, we rested and relaxed first from our really early flight. After that, we randomly checked the vicinity and went inside Langham Place Mall, a high-rise mall that has a lot of stores.

(I’ll share you some places to eat at the latter part of the blog).

Day 2 – Disneyland

Get your cheaper and easy entrance to the happiest place on earth, Disneyland, by booking through Klook! We paid PHP 7,400 1-day entrance fee for 2 persons (i.e., PHP 3,700 for each). The booking is easy to redeem as you just have to show the PDF from your Klook app. The staff will scan the QR code from the PDF.

It’s also nifty to have the Hong Kong Disneyland app installed on your phone. It’s updated with the schedules of events and has a map.

After our visit to Disneyland, I read something from a Philippine online article site where it says something like “Hong Kong Disneyland is the saddest Disneyland on earth” on the headline, and I thought it was very judgmental to say that just because of the protests. I believe this is not 100% true. It’s actually fun to visit Hong Kong Disneyland now because there are shorter queues for the rides and attractions. Imagine finally having to spend more time on rides and attractions than in queueing. You can make the most out of your time finally in a dreamy place like this.

Day 3 – Ocean Park

Get your cheaper and easy entrance to Ocean Park Hong Kong by booking through Klook! We got 2 tickets for PHP 5,158 (or PHP 2,579 each). Just like our Disneyland booking, this is easy to redeem. At the entrance, just present the voucher from your Klook app and the staff will scan the QR code. Installing and downloading the Ocean Park Hong Kong app is also nifty to have as it has a map guide.

Ocean Park in Hong Kong has 2 parts. The Waterfront and The Summit. Things for kids can mostly be found at The Waterfront, while the wild rides can be found at The Summit. There are 2 ways to traverse between these 2 places. Either through the Cable Car (which closes by 6pm) or through the Ocean Express (train).

PS: Bring extra clothes, because some of the rides can get you wet! Also, wear appropriate walking sneakers so your feet don’t get tired too easily from a lot of walking.

Day 4 – Peak Tram + Sky Terrace + Madame Tussauds

3 activities in 1 day for our 4th day in Hong Kong! We bought a ticket from Klook for 2 for our Peak Tram + Sky Terrace + Madame Tussauds activity for the amount of PHP 3,918 (or PHP 1,959 each). Get yours from this link.

Redeeming this booking is different from the ones from Disneyland and Ocean Park, because you have to be on time on this one as you’ll have to meet a person to claim your ticket and for the person to guide you (and other people who booked) from Central MTR to the Peak Tram, so make sure you will be present on time, because the guide will leave the meeting place according to the schedule specified in your booking. It will be very easy to find the guide as she will be holding an orange Klook flag outside Central MTR station (Exit K).

Note: The meeting place might be different from the time of your booking so double check on your voucher. It might not be the same for all of us.

If you book the earliest time, you might finish all the activity by 3pm, so you have extra time in the afternoon for other activities that you want to do.

PS: If you got caught up wanting to make use of the toilet while waiting for the guide in Central MTR station, you can go to Landmark (Exit G) where you’ll find the nearest toilet for this station. (Oh, yes, had to share this, because I had trouble finding one. LOL).

Because we finished early from our activities on our 4th day in Hong Kong, we found some time to meet up with some family and friends in Hong Kong. If you’re a Filipino looking for some Filipino cuisine, Cinta-J Restaurant & Lounge in Wan Chai will be the best place. From going down from The Peak, you can actually walk to this – BUT – I do not recommend that if you’re tired already. Just take MTR from Admiral or Central station going to Wan Chai station (Exit C). At around 8pm+, the restaurant has a live band where you can also sing along.

Day 5 – Ngong Ping 360 + Tai O Fishing Village Cultural Tour

Our 5th day in Hong Kong was another early day for a Cable Car and a visit to one of the cultures in Hong Kong, fishing. We booked a Crystal Cabin cable car bundled with a cultural tour at the Tai O Fishing Village through Klook. We paid PHP 5,030.20 for 2 (or PHP 2,515.10 for each person). This can get a little bit cheaper if you’ll just get the Standard Cabin. The main difference between these 2 cabins is that the Crystal Cabin will basically have a transparent or glass floor, which will allow you to take a good view of what’s at the bottom of you.

Upon arriving at Tung Chung  MTR station, take an exit to Exit B and walk towards NP360 Cable Car. Operations of the cable cars start at 10:00am, but they allow early entry for the purchase of a ticket. If you already bought a ticket just like us through Klook, just queue up in the Klook section and redeem your ticket through the Klook voucher you bought. They’ll also ask a copy of your passport (just one person who will redeem), so make sure you bring it with you. (Actually, I recommend bringing your passport with you always, because some establishments or stores in a mall would ask for this, especially if you’re buying some expensive gadgets or clothing).

During this day of our activity, we encountered a delay on our ride for our NP360 cable car due to emergency maintenance the staff had to conduct. If I recall correctly, we got delayed for around 30-min where we were forced to reschedule our Tai O Fishing Village cultural tour from 11:30am to 12:30nn. At first, we got disappointed, because there was sort of an announcement that we might get transferred through a bus from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping. Even if a refund will happen, we’ll definitely get disappointed, because of course, we’re looking forward to a cable car experience and not a bus experience. Lucky enough, maintenance was finished fast and we were able to ride the Crystal Cabin cable car. The cable car ride will take around 30-min from Tung Chung to Ngong Ping.

Side note: Just in case you have to reschedule your Tai O Fishing Village tour just like what happened to us, you have to go back to the ticket buying area and request it to be rescheduled. They’ll reschedule it with no additional pay.

Once you arrived at the Ngong Ping Village, there you’ll meet your tour guide for the Tai O Fishing Village Cultural Tour according to your selected schedule. The meetup place is just one of the first few stores you’ll see, the Li Nong Tea House.

From there, they’ll demonstrate the preparation of some expensive tea and let you drink some. If you’re a tea lover, you can do some tea shopping here. They give huge discounts.

At the back of Li Nong Tea House, you’ll exit and get boarded on your tour bus. You’ll travel from Ngong Ping village to Tai O fishing village. Travel will take around 20-min. The tour will involve riding a boat for an excursion at the sea. The tour guide will tour you at the whole fishing village as well as in the Nong Ping village upon your return.

If you’ve purchased a crystal cabin cable car, why don’t you make the most out of and get the best photo or selfie you could ever have?

Upon our entrance at the Ngong Ping village, we were also given this wooden thing for us to place our wishes. Hear our wishes in this video below. We don’t understand the main character written, but it looks positive, so yeah. Haha. (To be honest, if you know, let me know what it means).

Night Market

After a long day, we went to have a little rest back to our hostel. After regaining some energy back, we went to the night market just downstairs our hostel in Mong Kok, the Ladies Market. In the night market, don’t be shy about asking the vendors to lower the price. You can also check the whole street of the Ladies Market first before deciding to buy anything, so at least you’d get the best price you can get.

Here are just some of the few things I hoarded from the Ladies Market. I bought some toys for my son, which he loved, and some souvenirs for my family, relatives, and for my mom to giveaway to her friends. LOL.

Day 6 – Travel to Macao + Macao Cultural Tour

Macao is the Las Vegas of Asia. A lot of casinos, with really great colorful lights during the night.

The cultural tour

We got our very informative Macao Cultural Tour from Klook for PHP 11,232.20 good for 2 (so PHP 5,616.10 each). Apart from this cultural bus tour from a good English-speaking Portuguese living in Macao for 30 years, this package also includes the ferry tickets to and from Macao and a great lunch buffet at the Metropark Hotel Macao. You can choose a cheaper package that doesn’t include the ferry tickets if you’re already in Macao.

First off, you’ll have to be on time at the Hong Kong – Macao Ferry Terminal (or whichever ferry terminal you chose when you booked the package on Klook). You must also make sure that you’ve bought your passport with you. Make sure you check your registered email on Klook because the local operator might communicate to you through email on the updates as to where he/she is already. The local operator won’t be holding any Klook flag, so if you don’t ask around, you might have a hard time determining which person you’ll get your ferry tickets.

Once you got your ferry tickets from the local operator person from Klook, board the ferry according to your schedule. If there are more vacant seats inside the ferry, the staff usually allows the boarding of any passengers who has a later schedule. They’ll place a sticker on your ticket for your seat assignment.

The ferry travel time will be around less than an hour. It’s recommended that you get some chewable with you, like a piece of gum or candy, to avoid getting dizzy while traveling through water.

Upon arrival at the Macao Ferry Terminal & Heliport, we had a little bit of trouble finding our guide. They won’t be holding any Klook flag, so be attentive at the assigned meeting area number that was given to you as someone might be holding a paper with your name on it. Apparently, we were picked up by a different person at the ferry terminal to send us to the other ferry terminal in Macao, which is the Taipa Ferry Terminal, and that’s only where we met our real tour guide. Inside the tour bus we used, there were a lot of Europeans, few Indians, and a few fellow Filipinos. Communication was quite easy with fellow guests as many of us makes use of English.

Our tour guide was a Portuguese, living and working in Hong Kong for 30 years. He speaks good English and can be understood very well. He shares a lot of good historical pieces of information about Macao and does even share information on politics. We had a whole day itinerary that includes a lunch buffet. We finished at almost 5pm. We were dropped off at the Taipa Ferry Terminal Macao, but we didn’t join the return to Hong Kong as we have other plans afterward. (Yes! We didn’t make use of ferry tickets back to Hong Kong, and yes, we know, there will be no refunds allowed as we actually just planned our overnight Macao in a short time).

Our itinerary includes the visit to the following: Venetian Macao, A-Ma Temple, Ruins of St. Paul Cathedral and Mount Fortress, Grand Emperor Hotel (Jacki Chan’s property having a lot of gold bars displayed), Macao Tower, Kun Iam statue, and a lunch buffet at Metropark Hotel Macao.

Money to use in Macao

In Macao, you can use your Hong Kong Dollar money. People and shops in Macao actually prefer to receive HKD than their own currency, MOP or Macanese Pataca, primarily because HKD has a higher value than MOP.

If you pay in HKD, they would sometimes give you exchange in MOP. We actually encountered one rude taxi driver who rejected MOP and asked for HKD instead. Hello? MOP is a valid currency in Macao. I think it shouldn’t be rejected in any way unless they’re taking advantage of the foreigners.

Language barrier

Many people in Macao cannot speak and understand English, even if you make use of really simple words like ‘yes’ or ‘no’, or even sign language! This is mostly true for taxi and bus drivers, so make sure you prepare a Chinese equivalent of the name of the place you plan to visit or the thing you want to say. You can show it from your phone just like what we did.

Overnight in Macao

If you’re not a casino fan or don’t have any relatives or friends to visit in Macao, having just an overnight stay in Macao would be enough just to check out the how the beautiful and colorful lights look like during night time.

At first, we thought it would be just very easy to walk from the Taipa Ferry Terminal to Macao International Airport. But apparently, we found no easy way for our tired feet to get us going any further, so we ended up taking a taxi whenever we have to go from one place to another in Macao.

We booked an overnight stay at the Golden Crown China Hotel, a hotel just right in front of the Macao International Airport. We booked the place for PHP 3,178.81 for an overnight stay. Our room was so big and we got a pretty good sea and airport view.

After getting some rest at the hotel, we went outside to check how Macao is doing during night time. We only checked 2 places, The Eiffel Tower at the Parisian Macao and Studio City.

Day 7 – Going back to Hong Kong from Macao

Golden Reel Ferris Wheel in Studio City

We tried riding a unique Ferris wheel in Macao, the Golden Reel Ferris wheel in Studio City. We were able to get an entrance ticket for only PHP 998 for 2 (or PHP 499 each person).

The longest bridge on earth

I think this what I liked the most during our travel between Macao and Hong Kong. The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge (HZM Bridge) is a 55km bridge-tunnel system consisting of an undersea tunnel and four artificial islands. It is the longest sea-crossing link on earth.

This bridge connects 3 countries – Hong Kong, Macao, and China, and was just opened last October 2018. Who wouldn’t be amazed by traveling through this bridge?

So yeah, instead of taking a ferry back to Hong Kong, we decided to take the HZM Bridge for the first time in our life! We went to the Parisian Macao to get our tickets. You can ask the information center for where in the Parisian Macao you can buy bus tickets. You can also check One Bus website for more information. A bus ticket costs HKD 160 for each person.

Day 8 – Going back to Manila from Hong Kong

Our afternoon and evening on Day 7 were just basically spent for rest. We checked out from the hostel at 12nn on Day 8. We could have requested for a late check-out, but we didn’t as we just wanted to be more prompt on being early at the airport.

Return the Octopus card and the pocket wifi device

Once at the airport, don’t forget to go back to where you’ve rented your Octopus Card. You can still return the Octopus Card if you still haven’t used all of the HKD 50 pre-loaded value. If the amount was all used, the staff will just ask you to keep your Octopus Card.

For the pocket wifi device, I suggest you don’t return it yet until you’re ready to check-in. The wifi at the airport is pretty slow and unreliable compared to the pocket wifi device you have borrowed.

Best xiao long bao

Upon our landing in Hong Kong from Manila, and before we leave Hong Kong going back to Manila, we made sure we’d have a taste of the best xiao long bao we’ve tasted in Hong Kong. Make sure you check out Crystal Jade‘s xiao long bao.

Where we ate in Mong Kok, Hong Kong?

Here’s a list of some of the places nearby Mong Kok where we ate or would grab food during our stay in Hong Kong.

7-11 convenience store

There are a lot of 7-11 stores in Hong Kong, so it will be pretty impossible that you won’t catch one on sight. Stock some big bottled water in the hostel for your use. You can also bring a bottled water during activities because you won’t be able to request free water that easily both in Hong Kong and Macao. Keep your empty bottle if you’re in Disneyland or Ocean Park, because nearby toilets, you’ll find some drinking water fountains or dispensers where you can refill your bottle for some refreshments. 7-11 stores are also a good source of quick bites food like my favorite onigiri.

海景粥店 (Sea View Congee Shop)

Nearby our hostel is this cheap-but-yummy-food haven for us. It doesn’t have an English signage outside the shop, but you’ll see Chinese characters 海景粥店 (or Sea View Congee Shop). Find them in the Google Maps here. The waitresses are not good in English, so you make use of sign language or pointing the Chinese equivalent of the food you want to buy from their menu.

PS: We would mostly eat in this place.

Dim Dim Sum

Just downstairs our hostel as well is Dim Dim Sum. Yummy dim sums, but quite expensive. Worth trying still though.

Kam Wha Cafe & Bakery

If you’re looking for good and fast-serving breakfast, you can try one of our recommendations, Kam Wha Cafe & Bakery. They serve foods very fast, plus it’s all yummy! You won’t find an English name of the store outside, but check out the photo below for reference. Find them on Google Maps here. This place is few minutes walk from the hostel. This place is actually much near in Prince Edward MTR station, but still walkable very easily from the hostel.

New Korean BBQ Restaurant

Indeed, yes, we craved for some Korean food during our Hong Kong vacation. Or probably it was just me, and Rojohn, my boyfriend, was basically forced to eat the same. Haha!

If you’re looking for some buffet style Korean BBQ foods, head to the New Korean BBQ Restaurant. It has a lot of branches in Hong Kong, but the branch nearer to the Kowloon Hostel in Mong Kok is the one in Prince Edward. It’s on the 2nd floor of the Sang Fat mansion building. Find them on Google Maps here.

Hee Wan Cafe

Best place to have your breakfast in Mong Kok. Very near Kowloon Hostel as well. It’s a new branch they have in Tung Choi street, so you can’t find the store’s name in Google Maps yet, but here’s the direction.

Tips on using the train in Hong Kong (MTR)

• Always have your MTR Mobile app ready when planning your trips.
• Be mindful of the numbers and color-coding of each platform line.
• Be mindful of where you have to exit. If you have to visit a place, check which Exit they are nearer, so you don’t end up exiting at a far location. One station can be huge!

Tips on using the Klook app

• Book in advance. It is recommended that you book at least 3 days ahead of time or you can run out of promotion or slots.
• Install the Klook app on your phone.
• Take advantage of Klook’s chat support if you need to reach the local operator (i.e., the one providing the service of what you have booked for). In cases you do not have a Hong Kong or Macao SIM card, you can ask help through Klook’s chat support to contact the local operator for you. They are very responsive. In our case, we didn’t need to buy a Hong Kong or Macao SIM card, because Klook’s chat support is already useful.

Total travel budget

Now, this is probably the one you’re waiting for if you’re a curious first-time traveler to Hong Kong and Macao. Our 8-day Hong Kong + Macao vacation for 2 persons had the following budget:

• Flight – PHP 24,821.02
• Accommodation (HK + Macao) – PHP 18,377.37
• Pocket money (HK + Macao) (food, commute in HK and Macao, souvenirs, random) – PHP 35,000
• Pocket wifi device – PHP 2,176
• Octopus cards – PHP 1,200
• Activities (HK + Macao) – PHP 33,736.40 (tickets and packaged tours)

Total: PHP 115,310.79

Pretty sure there are still more ways to lower down the expenses if you’re on a tight budget. How can you save more?

• Flight – wait for a Piso Fare promo from any airlines.
• Pocket money – this really depends on how much you eat, and where you spend
• Pocket wifi – you can opt to not have a pocket wifi device, and just utilize the free wifi from different establishments
• Activities – you can opt to not have any packaged tours if you’re already very familiar with the place.

That was it!

I hope this blog gave you a lot of information. If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments section. I’ll answer when I can, and try to be responsive.

Special thanks to Rojohn, my boyfriend, for giving me such a wonderful 1st Anniversary gift. I love you so much!