the good societea

The Good Societea Market was our first market of the year. One of my new year's resolution is to be a lil' more rajin when it came to *bisou* bonbon markets / bazaars. This was a quiet one but it was so good to catch up with Miss AidAid of Whenever Shop and Ah Bened of New Oral.

Once in awhile it's nice to see BonBonniere decked out simply.

Hiver (dry, eczema-prone skin) and Printemps (oily and congested skin) made their debut that day.

This is analogue and lomo love in a booth(!): Photocraft.

Freshly old stuff at Outdated.

Never thought you'd be able to find pop art in KL? This is where I get my Mark Ryden fix: New Oral.

In conjunction with the market and book-binding workshop is the tea-tasting session complimentary of Tea Republic.

Little Syam is the book-binding guru. She probably taught everyone who's teaching book-binding now. 

And she's such a beauty. Look at her happy eyes  :)

A city DIL’s CNY dilemma

Day 1

It’s Chinese New Year’s Eve and I’ve just survived a day at the kampung.

Phew.

I’m in Kedah in this little village (he calls it town but I call it village) called Padang Serai. As my colleague (who once served there before) animatedly describes it, it certainly is a road with a couple of traffic lights in between. It’s 22:30.. I can hear firecrackers and small-time fireworks thundering the air space just outside the house. The ruckus proves to be more frightening than reassuring. The afternoon heat was INSANE and the humidity does not make it any easier. My Cotton On jumpsuit clings to my sweat-sticky skin and even though it was only 5pm then but already I had wilted. I was agitated and snappy. Perhaps not the best way to start the new year. Guy had to put up with my groans and grumps behind closed doors. I could not help it. I was bored, lonely and most of all I was F*CKING HOT. All I could think of was that I wished I was home in my air-conditioned living room with my 3 best friends: the internet, E! and McD!  What was even more of a chore was having to smile throughout every social call all the while feeling icky all over. Someone get a dagger and pierce it through my guts already.

I'm an angpow dispenser. Password: Gong Xi Gong Xi.

All I could think of when I saw this was Gorillas in The Mist. We drove through the clouds. Literally.

And you’d think I could find solace in a good ole shower. I miss my treated water and dry toilet. I’m reminded of the water-quality in Jatinangor where the shower water reeks of rust (or issit pipe?). The only things missing are worms. 

Our trunk and passenger seats were filled with CNY goodies. I have no idea how people can fit their children AND stuff back there when I'm struggling with just stuff!

This year Guy decided we should sleep over at his parents’ place. For 3 whole nights *silent sigh*. The mattress measures less than my thumb in thickness.. a far cry from my  Westin 10-layer Heavenly Bed. Then there’s the kelambu. I feel like I’m being engulfed by a purple freakin’ mosquito net. Perhaps this is how little shrimps feel when they’re being ingested by jellyfish. 

We brought the kids princess tents as gifts.

Everyone had a blast with them. Note to self: the children are outgrowing all these juvenile gifts. Time to get stationery and books.

Of course there are afew highlights today. We went rubber seed picking at my FIL’s mini rubber plantation. They’re for *bisou* bonbon’s ‘someday’ use (Like you didn’t know I’m a hoarder..). He has mega green fingers. Sometimes I wish I could communicate better with him but he’s abit of a grouch I can’t help but get outta his way. The sisters and their children try to be welcoming.. just that I’m rubbish when it comes to Hokkien or Mandarin making communication a feat. Regrettably I hardly have things in common with them hence have nothing much to say on my part at least. Sigh. I'm hopeless at this.

Prepping my legs before invading mosquito paradise. N.B. Yup, didn't get bitten at all!

Workers from the neighbouring farm was amused with a foreign girl picking rubber seeds and taking pictures of trees and started wolf-whistling.

Whoah Guy's a real expert in rubber seed searching. He goes, "There. There. There. At your foot. On your right." I can't see sh*t!

Keep your eyes peeled.

Whoah it stretches like a rubber band! Yeah I'm such a dork.

We followed FIL home. The place is a maze. All in a day's work.

1 down, 3 more to go..

It was Guy's niece's birthday. We got her a cake from the local bakery and they brought it over to celebrate with us.

Point to the cicak.

Guy's family is traditional. This is the midnight prayer. We help lay ole-school sweets and candies.  

The mid joss-stick reveals a 4-d number (for those interested in buying the lottery) about an hour into burning.

Day 2

I sleep alot here. I’m not sure if it’s the heat or the boredom that’s making me hibernate like crazy. I struggled to wake up at 0900 this morning and then I struggled to keep my lids open at 1400 post lunch and I think due to the lack of plans, I’m gonna resume ZZZ at 2200! This place is turning me into a lemur!

We went to pray in the local temple on the first day of CNY.

Guy left me at his house. Our mission to find me some internet failed ‘cos the only wifi available was at the new mamak place in town and it was broken. F*ck. He was gonna go yum-cha with his mates. I asked him if I could tag along if his friend at wifi.. I mean I wasn’t gonna be a bother. All I needed was a plug point and some freakin’ internet. He thought that was inappropriate that I was gonna be working while he yabbered with his friends. I see nothing wrong with that scenario. Turn the tables around I wouldn’t mind at all if he were to tap on the laptop as I caught up with the girls. Maybe it’s a male ego thing. He mildly hinted that I should get independent. It’s not as if I do not want to get independent. Find me a freaking Pappa Rich or whatnot with freaking wifi then I’ll get inde-bloody-pendent!

“This is NOT my town!”

... Bill Rancic, The Bill and Giuliana  Show ...

There are no upscale kopitiams, no malls, no Starbucks, no taxis, no Guardian / Watsons and no bloody cable on the tele. I have no family, no friends, no one I can have a decent conversation with and most of all I don’t have anything to do but sit around and dispense red packets. Thank goodness it’s the holidays or I would’ve spontaneously combust already.

F*ck 2 more days to go.

Day 3

Guy's nieces and nephew (from sister no.4) put on their Bali souvenirs on the second day of CNY. They look awfully cute!

The kids just left the room. All their jumping around has pulled out the kelambu. The nail has unearthed from the cement wall and my FIL’s probably pissed that I allowed the kids to play in the room when he specifically instructed otherwise. Oh well. I just wanted the kids to have some fun. I mean this is indeed a freakin’ mundane home. Still, that’s nothing in comparison to comments passed on myself for being unable to cook. I overheard them while I was taking a shower. I believe we cannot please everybody so I’m just counting down the hours ‘till I can go home. I know now why I’m only back once a year. Yah yah I should be more accommodating and wife-like etc etc. Well then I could turn the tables around and say they could be more accommodating and stop expecting me to be like some village chu-chiak-poh ‘cos I’m NOT! That was not how I was raised nor how I would ever lead my life. So what if I can’t f*cking cook Chinese home cooking.. I studied 6 grueling years in med school, I’m a doctor, I’m an entrepreneur, blogger and most of all I believe I’m fab! I don’t need to be able to cook 5-spice chicken to prove I’m the son’s great wife. I will have children and just ‘cos I have none at the mo’ does not make me any less amazing! 

It's their family ritual to come over FIL's place on the second day of CNY and have steamboat.

I told Guy last night we are to leave early tomorrow morning. He’s accommodating, bless him. Perhaps he could see it in my eyes that I was on the verge of going mental. I don’t mean to be difficult. In fact I try HARD to NOT be difficult. I’m silent, I try to say yes to everything and I do offer my services in the chores department. Is it possible that they would want me to insist very harshly and snatch the sponge from them? Sorry-lah, to me a polite no is a polite no. I find it ridiculous to fight over house chores. I hate doing them anyways.

4d3n is my threshold.

Another of Guy's nieces turning a year older. Her mum bought the cake from the best cake shop in Kulim. This bakery supposedly made our wedding cake (local ceremony).

It’s close to 2200 and we just got home from Sungai Petani. Guy took me out for a spin in the late evening. The mission was to hunt for some internet but in the spur of the moment we figured we’d go to SP so I could get some buns for the journey home tomorrow. He realized I haven’t been out of the house the entire day. Finally I could catch a breather.

I went to some dodgy mall and bought myself truckloadsa Watson Invigorating Wet Tissues in Lavender, Rose, Pomegranate and Grapefruit ‘cos there was a special offer on them. I could feel the pressure slowly seeping out. I told Guy the solution to retain my sanity is to stay in that crappy motel (we used to stay in) the next time I come over. At least hotel breaks would give me the time to have some privacy as well as freedom to do my own thing without judging eyes on my every move and I wouldn’t have to behave like I’ve got a stick up my ass too.

Sometimes I wonder how did this die-hard KL girl marry this kampung boy? I basically subjected myself to rural living at least once a year. Perhaps it is, as Guy believes, divine intervention ‘cos I doubt he’d ever imagined subjecting himself to sophistication, glamour and bizarre city activities (like mall-crawling). Funny huh?

Look at FIL's mint plant! It's so freakin' subur. We brought a couple of sprigs home. 

When we arrived at the house, FIL took a hammer and nailed the kelambu back into shape. But I thought he said no knocking during CNY? Anyhooters, I ain’t gonna ask him why he fixed it when earlier on he made a hoo-ha about NO hammering in the new year. I’m just glad the freakin’ net is up. It could be he’s the Scrooge-like figure that is actually a nice man beneath all the layers of hostility. Fine then. Or maybe I’m just a sensitive b*tch. 

I mean look at the Sparrow Flower plant (or shall I say stalk because it literally was just a stalk) I bought him 2 years ago.  It's a freaking bush now! And cute as ever  :)

Still super glad we’re going home first thing tomorrow morning! Glee!

And that wraps up the chronicles of Chinese New Year this year.

Phew.

bali i'm in love

Finally *heaving sigh of heavy relief* we went on our long overdue Bali trip. The trip was booked in the first quarter of 2011 for November. I know now NEVER to book trips ahead ‘cos we’ll never know what lies ahead in our schedules. Out of nowhere Guy was assigned to go for jungle training so we had to postpone the trip. It was impossible to get a reservation in Christmas so we ended up bringing it forward up to the next year. And... what was supposed to be a peng-leng-cheng aka steal turned out to be a regular rate getaway much thanks to rebooking fees and whatnot. Anyhoots the time has come for us to relax and so we did!

I figured since I’ve done Seminyak 4 years back I’ll do Jimbaran-lah pulak. Besides I’ve always been curious about The Rock Bar. Bali airport has changed quite abit since the last trip. For Bali virgins, upon exit head towards the right (or follow the taxi sign) and it’ll lead you to a wee booth where a prepaid system will hook you up with a cab. We were staying in Ayana Resort in Jimbaran.

Ever since the bombing, malls and hotels perform compulsory security checks on all vehicles upon entrance into the building. Ayana’s security point is at their pintu gembalang which is located at the ‘foot’ of the hotel hill. At that point there will be someone from the concierge who goes through the checklist to ensure that you are an expected guest. As usual-lah my name is not on the list but I had a print-out of my hotel voucher and so we were allowed in. As we alighted the cab wit our luggages, an uber friendly ibu Tuti greets us: Mr and Mrs Shelby :D  I watched Guy raise his eyebrows before chuckling. I found it hilarious! She placed frangipani leis over our heads.

It was my first time getting lei-ed (pun not intended)!! 

Trust me it’s such an awesome welcome, already I’m feeling the Bali love and I haven’t even checked in!

At first we wondered how she could possible have known who we were and then we realized from her very active walkie-talkie that the guy below radios in the names of incoming guests. How cool is that?? It’s a very personalized check-in where we needn’t do much except sit and wait in the lounge as they swiftly settled the paperwork. Just as we approached the desk to submit our passports, Tuti announces to us that our humble room was upgraded to the Suite with a garden view! Say it with me: WOW! I was so darn ecstatic I actually shrieked and leaped there and then only to realize it was pretty unclassy of me to do that *sheepish*

The room was large of course with personal living area and a patio outside. They even prepared a rose petal bath for us! Awesome possum! First thing we did after the bellboy left is jump outta our clothes into the tub :) It was Guy’s first flower bath and he loved it! 

Guy: Man this is nice!

moi: Why do you think I wanted to get a tub?

Guy: I actually like the idea of it now *sips his tea in the bath*

moi: If you like the idea of this.. wait 'till you.. *showcases some Libby vs Nick soakin' action* 
(WHADYA mean you've NEVER read Jane Green's Mr Maybe?? Use them 1Malaysia cook coupons and get youself some tubducation! *snorts*)

The perfect marriage. Although Ayana did provide some wonderful Balinese bath salts that we did use later on.

I love the woman-sink man-sink! And they say this is the recipe to a sustaining marriage... I'm thinking there could be some truth to this.

I've always believed that a 4-poster canopy bed would leave me feeling like a French Dauphine but I was clearly tres wrong. It must have unearthed the silent claustrophobia in me 'cos I suddenly felt so trapped and constantly wondering if something is lurking behind the drapes. Needless to say they stayed tied up throughout the stay. Otherwise the bed was crazy comfy!

Breathtaking, non?

Our first stop, which proved to be pretty far off, was a mischievous little eatery known by many foodies including celebrity chef / traveller extraordinaire Anthony Bourdain who chugged Naughty Nuri's martinis (AND ribs) like it was an eating competition.

L-R: Teh Botol Sosro.. I knew not how much I miss you till that day. Jus Alpukat.. the ultimate vegeshake! Naughty Nuri's signature martini done the way James like it best: shaken not stirred.

Turns out, despite having the 'best martini in the world', I'm really not a martini person. I'm more of a cocktail wuss. Should've ordered a Mojito / Caipirinha / Cosmo instead.

One of the best places I've eaten in Bali. Seriously. So... it's a lil bulé and a lil touristy rated but worth the effort and price. Wonderful pondok-ranch ambience with friendly servers and the presence of holiday makers eating to their hearts' delight.

The best ribs I've ever tasted. Period.

Naughty Nuri's
Jalan Batubelig 41
Kerobokan Kelod
Kerobokan 80361
Bali
Tel: +62 0361 847 6722 

After the meal we decided to take a slow walk out of Kerobokan into Seminyak and perhaps drop by KuDeTa on the way but the stroll proved to be more of a country-cross so we took the way way out: hailed a cab!  

Lovely island day dresses (I specifically mentioned island 'cos they're made in Bali and don't they look like they belong on the beach!) by vendors in front of Seminyak Square.

Would've loved to try this place out but just didn't have the time or tummy space.

The Junction
The corner of Oberoi 
Jl. Kayu Aya Oberoi 
Seminyak 
Bali, Indonesia
Tel:  +62 361 735 610


As we strolled along Jalan Laksamana, I guided Guy to my FAVOURITE place in Bali:

Cafe Bali makes my heart smile.

Apparently it has the same effect on Guy too.

Cafe Bali is just as magical as I remembered it. Which really goes to show that good designs don't age, they're indeed timeless.

A fusion of French elegance and quaint Balinese architecture, this cafe sparked my love affair for Bali 4 years back when I was on my independent trip and I've never recovered since.  

I adore the colour and scent of Balinese roses. They're intoxicating.

Coming back to Cafe Bali is like coming back 'home'.. the Bali home I built in my heart. Sitting on the vintage wooden chair watching the Seminyak chic crowd pour in brought me flash backs (it's so Eat, Pray, Love I know.. please don't gag) of my life before I got married and how free-spirited my journey was back then. Those were the days, non? I still do read silently as I sip on my mojito except now there's a man that distracts ever so often by playing footsie below the table. I like now better.

Cafe Bali

Jl. Laksamana (Oberoi)
Seminyak
Bali, Indonesia

Guy's the kind of Malaysian dude who feels the day is incomplete if he doesn't have an Asian cuisine as a meal so we dropped by a local warung and I ordered a bowl of soto ayam for the gentleman and bakso for myself. 

I ♥ continental buffet breakfast! Especially if they serve pancakes  :)  Ayana's spread is commendable. The taste is not spectacular but the lil' perks are enough to keep the mood cheery. I'm talking fresh coconut juice (shelled on the spot!), Bitcher muesli, powdered sugar and fresh strawberries! Awesome!    

Unfortunately those are not salak pondoh and the markisa is quite bland but the mangosteen was worth returning for seconds (and thirds.. erk!)

All the while being serenaded by live rindik and the ripples of the surrounding pond. Seriously if people don't find this to be an awesome breakfast experience they can go kick themselves!

After the hearty breakfast we changed into our swimming gear and went to explore the resort. It's a massive space with an award-winning spa. There're multiple pools in the resort and each to suit one's liking but there's one pool in particular that I was dying to dip my toes in!

*sigh* it would be nice if Guy had some decent camera skills and take nice pictures like this for me!

At the brink of the cliff lies the oh-so-popular Rock Bar! 

Guests get to use the mini-tram that brings you from the hotel right to the doorstep of the bar. 

Oh and another thing I love is their 24-hr tour hotline. We didn't really decide to go on a tour. OK.. I.. didn't really decide to go on a tour but Guy, being a Bali virgin and all, was getting antsy 'bout not doing something 'productive' on the trip. Haiya military men-ah.. everything has got to be some kinda mission. So we whipped out all the brochures we gathered at the airport and looked for the cheapest Ocean / Sea Walker tour on the island. All we did was called the number up, state our hotel and room number, pick-up spot and time. How easy was that??

We chose to go on the Ocean Walker because we can't dive and I'd like for Guy to experience a world other than the one we know.

Underwater lovin'!

It's best that you take a motion-sickness pill before the tour 'cos the boat ride to the 'dive' spot is a real b*tch. I made the mistake of assuming the journey would be a short one and short it may be but hell was it a rocky one! Fortunately the anticipation overwhelmed my spinning head and soon we were suited up with weights before descending the ladder into the ocean. It's an odd feeling: suddenly you're heads up at the surface of the sea and the next moment a heavy 5kg helmet lightly taps onto your shoulder and you're water-borne!

This time you're a tourist. This is their paradise and you're only visiting. They go about their lives foraging, mating or just plain exploring. It's so peaceful it's surreal.

The 'walk' goes on for about 30 mins and you have a choice of them to either shoot a short video or take underwater pictures of you on a disposable cam. Guy succumbed to both and I let him since it's his first time to Bali and all. Many a time I almost drifted away 'cos I was just way too busy looking out for exotic fishes and forming peace signs at the camera. I had to be tugged back to the safety bar alot much to the aquaguide's dismay. I can't help it that I have such a wanderlust spirit!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

I'm an aquanaut!

I'm so glad that Guy urged us to go on this Ocean Walker tour. It's the total highlight of the trip and I won't admit it but it does bring a certain sense of satisfaction to have completed a 'mission' *smirk*

We got back to the hotel so Guy could take a nap and I could pop a motion-sickness pill. Serves me right for overestimating my ability to withstand the waves.

Salak. They call it the snakeskin fruit. I used to wonder what my parents ever saw in that bitter yet tangy apple-like fruit. I suppose it is of an acquired taste. that was until I had Salak Pondoh which is the creme de la creme of salak. This isn't Salak Pondoh but I thought it was a nice choice to offer guests fruits at the receptionist table rather than the same-ole same-ole mints or sweets.

I wonder how they manage to keep their orchids so well-maintained 'cos I attempted it and failed. Tres beautiful, non?

Every morning the gardeners would pick fallen flowers to be strung into leis. Insufficient? They have a frangipani farm at the back!

Later in the day it was shopping time! We had a dodgy cab guy that tried to con into diverting us to a 'better' ole ole place. I stood my ground and insisted on Khrisna.

Dancing nuts in grilled fish anyone?

There were truckloadsa local lulur and cold-processed soaps. Really got the wheel in my brain turning. A Bali line for *bisou* bonbon maybe?

We then went searching for umbul-umbul for Miss MeiMei and boy was it a feat. I figured there must be something at Poppies Lane II. It's a road with every paraphernalia imaginable on each side. Take your time to browse through the shops for the best price.

Remember this kite ship?

Showed Guy the Bali bombing Memorial site.

Nasi Padang for lunch. Love 'em cabe ijo!

Finally we found some umbul-umbul - rainbow in particular - for Miss MeiMei. It was a freakin' long walk too. 2 hours in total. Totally worth it to make a friend happy. They were so adorable I got myself a pair!

Wonderful tie-dye threads. 

We were about to leave to Jimbaran for dinner on the beach when it rained cats and dogs. I decided to revisit Seminyak. I cannot explain it. There's just something about Jalan Laksamana that continues to draw me in.

Not much has changed since the last I was here. Familiarity is comforting. I was chatting with this Russian lady and her daughter in the pool and the lady exclaimed that it has been 10 years since her last trip to Bali and everything's just pretty much the same way she left it. And it is so... 4 years and...

.. the tree still grows in that awesome little boutique.  

The mirror shop, though, has gone upmarket hence no butterfly mirror souvenir yet again  :( 

We did, though, leave with truckloadsa groceries like:

Designer Balinese coffee.

Wild Luwak coffee.

We returned to the hotel slightly disappointed that it was still raining. I made a last minute decision to head out to the spa. It was an hour and a half to closing time so my choice (and funds) was pretty limited. I would've so wanted to try out the Spa on the Rocks but I just didn't have the kachings and instead I opted for on of their Thalasso treatments: the Sea Breeze massage. It was amazeballs! It felt like a massage by the seashore what with the hydrojets spurting warm saltwater as the masseuse kneads through my muscle knots. I slept like a baby that night.

Such a charm to see black volcanic sand being used in the cigarette receptacle. 

This is my breakfast.

And this is Guy's. I guess I'm the mat salleh celup then heh.

One day.

We could not leave before taking one last dip in our favourite pool of the lot: the infinity saltwater pool! I could gush about it all day but I'll just let the pictures tell the story. 

Awesome, non?? Perched by the cement looking at the waves crash into the shore / lovers stroll by the pier as I sipped lychee martinis and soaked the sun in. C'est la vie!

I ♥ us here  :)

We've just explored the pier and have descended to the beach. The waves are quite scary.

Time's up for reality.

We've always wondered what these gargantuan structures were every time we descended the hill to get to town. It's enclosed with man-made barriers and appears seemingly important. Turns out they're limestone hills and the locals are prohibited from mining them.

Turns out we did manage to squeeze in a Jimbaran seaside meal just before leaving. We had over an hour to kill before check-in and the cab driver offered to drive us to a makan place (albeit overpriced 0_0). We sat in the shaded area 'cos it was roasting outside but we still enjoyed the view.

Yum!

We were serenaded by travelling musicians. They sang Dddy's favourite 'Country Road  :D

I've heard much about the local wine Hatten. It was, umm, no good. I had to get a Bintang beer to wash it down.

I'm no coffee connoiseur and neither am I even a fan of 'em but Kopi Luwak is seriously so damn good! The whole hype of it having astonishing flavour, lingering aftertaste and smoothness.. well guess what?? It's true! I'm a Kopi Luwak convert. Bought myself a miniscule pack for RM50.. omigosh I know but so worth it. Though I'd suggest that you get Wild Kopi Luwak so you can have your antioxidizing caffeine fix conscience free of unscrupulous businessmen who cage up civets and force feed them coffee beans to get them precious poo. I did.  

What they really meant was Massaman curry was voted by CNNGo as the most delicious food and not AirAsia's Massaman curry. Sigh. Needless to say I struggled to finish that.

I almost nodded off when the French lady (yeah call it law of attraction or whatever.. can't help it if there's always something French around me) beside Guy woke me up to witness a glorious wonder of nature. Took my breath away and still does. 

Goodbye Bali. I'll be back.