Messages At Midnight: 2011 : Eating, Praying & Loving

Messages At Midnight: 2011 : Eating, Praying & Loving

2011 : Eating, Praying & Loving

What d'ya know? 2010 is drawing to a close. The year had been a mixed bag for me. In fact, I think 10 out of the 12 months were rather down in the dumps, right from the first day itself (waking up with a hangover - not a good way to start the new year!).

The year was good, with me shaping up and getting back to my race-fit physique and I eventually went for my first tri after a 3-yr hiatus in Hoi An, Vietnam. I did not bad, considering. It wasn't my personal best time, but that only means I can keep improving (fingers crossed!). The year was good too with a really awesome trip to Bali - for Leticia & Tjun Hong's wedding as well as my own little honeymoon with MOH, venturing back into the realms of wedding bliss at Kayumanis Nusa Dua and retracing our entire wedding journey a year ago :)

Other than that, I've taken a huge beating this year - got screwed over by a partner, got sandwiched by yet other partners (and I don't mean in bed - which would've been welcomed), got screwed over too - by a friend because he sold his integrity to the devil, saddened because there are now some people's faces in my wedding album which I wish to delete, got robbed, got indoor waterfalls going on in the apartment here in PP, ....... the list could go on. Basically - nothing was going 'smooth' and mentally and emotionally, I was deflated. I was angry and frustrated. In the face of the adversities, I had to put up a strong front to face the world. I had to continue motivating others to carry on, to be 'zen-like' for others who needed my emotional support or mental support or whatever support. Most people who had to deal with me may not know I am on the verge of a mental & emotional collapse - except perhaps thinking (and bitching about :P) that I was perpetually having my PMS daily. This led to more anger, more frustration and it was such a continuous vicious cycle! Everything was a big "WTF?!" and going through this continually almost without a break for the year wasn't my idea of a "good year". With the state of mental and emotional health I had, I thought going for the Bali honeymoon and coming back to reality was going to be the end of me!

It got to a point where I was actually seeking divine intervention and I asked Ah Por to pray for me. I asked my Mom to pray for me. I even asked Aunty Debra to pray for me. Things were still bleak and it was just a matter of getting my work done for the day and calling it a day. It got to a point where my head did me in and I wanted to run away. Particularly after watching "Eat, Pray, Love" - the movie. One day, in my frustration, I asked my Mom to 'up the ante' with the prayers for me. She said this to me in return, "Why don't you start praying yourself? Asking people to pray for you - that is insincere." Hmmm.... I had lost faith in prayers the day my Kung Kung passed away. I do pray during festive occasions - but that is more to keep to rituals and traditions which my Ah Por pratices. I didn't particularly want to start praying because I thought it would confirm how despairing my situation was. But I did think long and hard about what my Mom said - especially the sincerity part.

And so, I started praying. I prayed the best way I knew how - I wrote. It was my own conversation with the 'powers that be'. When I did pray for the first time, I felt compelled to start off with an apology. You know, for not having done this in a long time. And I felt compelled to be 'polite' and thanked the 'powers that be' for my life. This was a shocker. Having a "conversation" with, you know, the 'powers that be' out there can be quite a humbling experience. Why? Because it made me realize that - as I complained and complained about things not going my way, I had forgotten about ALL the things that WERE going my way. Because I had felt compelled to be polite and give my thanks in my 1st prayers, I've come to realize - Oh my f***ing God. I have been a bloody lucky bitch after all! Suddenly, what I was complaining about didn't make much sense! I can't believe how calm I felt for the rest of the day actually. It's been exactly 30 days now and I haven't missed a single day :)

Around the same time when I started praying, I started reading this book Kris lent me - it's called "The Secret". Now, I got the book way back in October and brought it back with me to PP but just couldn't be bothered reading it, thinking I'll just return it unread to Kris in my next trip back. One night, I opened my bookshelf with the intention of choosing a book to read and guess what? That book, with its hard cover and all fell out just like that! Well, it fell on top of my toe and it was effin' painful! Instead of hurling the book out of the balcony (because it wasn't my book!), I just said "Fine. I'll read this then!"

I have to say, reading the book couldn't have come at more apt a timing (talk about the book looking for me yes? Falling onto my toe like that!). The realizations of the concepts of the "law of attraction" was greatly in tune with what I had been going through the last year. The vicious cycle of things just going bad to worse and worst, nothing going smoothly, etc..... was too much of a spot-on for me. I understand the basic underlying concept of the law of attraction - positive-thinking and a positive attitude! I've been so engrossed with the bad things going on in my life that everything was depressing and I couldn't see things any other way! I've lost some of myself in the whole year! I've always been a "glass-half-full" person. In the last 10 months or so, I had been "glass-f***ing-empty" instead. And you know what? All it took was to change my "frequency". Tune myself into the positive channel - as in for real. None of those "trying to be strong / trying to motivate others" type of "false positive". The prayers had calmed me and made me find some peace. Reading this book had slapped me into coming out of my blady empty glass.

And before I knew it - things ARE going smoothly. Just because TSO cannot make it to the February fair, does not mean "glass empty"! It meant that I had an opportunity to get in touch with other people. Like CO for example, who might be joining us instead. I cannot explain to you how amazing it had felt for me, in the last few weeks. I'm no longer looking at a door closing as someone slamming the door in my face. I'm looking at it as another door opening in its place. Even if not a door, a window. I can still climb through that  - I'm agile :)

"Eat, Pray, Love" found a new meaning in my life. It is not about running away. Sheesh.
 So for 2011, I will continue Eating, Praying and Loving.

I will continue "Eating" - fueling my body for the next race in Bali (which JFT is sponsoring!) with healthy food AND my favourite junk food on my 'bad eat days', feeding my brains with positive thoughts and ideas and execution plans as well as exit strategies, enriching my soul with kindness and compassion. I think I am still very much a work-in-progress and can definitely do better by being more patient, less anal (although, as Kris Wong says - these actually work for us, not against us in the line of duty - and emails should still be replied within 48hrs :P). Don't get me wrong - I'm not turning into an angel overnight :P I am still allowed to be a bitch when I want to and when I need to - don't screw with me, I'll bark and I'll bite but I'll take the high-road and walk away because you are obviously not on the same frequency as I am.... and I will still be cursing at the moron on the road who is endangering my life :P Not to mention, I AM still going to have my PMS-days :P

I will continue "Praying" - praying for my family and loved ones, praying for my friends and praying for world peace. I am hopeful one day, the world WILL be at peace with no war, hunger and poverty. Also giving thanks - I will never, ever again forget to give thanks for my life. Even just as simple as being alive with a near-perfect body (not perfect because nobody is) - I can see and read, listen and hear, think and feel. The one thing I am truly, truly grateful for is the love that I am enveloped in so deeply - from my family, my husband, my friends (to KM and MK, I'm so glad to know that if I ever, ever were to really run away, you have both offered me your abode as my refuge). Life's a bitch sometimes, but love keeps you going.

And finally, I will continue "Loving" - loving the life that I choose to live, loving myself, loving my family to bits, loving my husband till no end - and continue striving to be a good wife (however, the sofa will still be comfy for him if he annoys me) and doing so lovingly, from my heart and not as a chore - although I honestly dislike the household chores (if I be less anal, maybe someone else can do it!! :P) and will strive not to burn the ironing board or re-colour the laundry again :P (Some may say - hahaha! Finally, this day has dawned upon Eileen Lui - especially my Mom) I will continue loving the kids at the orphanage which I have come to adore so dearly - they are in my prayers too.

To this end, despite 2010 being a year I rate at the bottom-most rank of my 'had-this-been-a-good-year-chart', I am happy and thankful that I am ending the year with so much love surrounding me. Life is good. I will indulge ever so often in that.

And you betcha ass - 2011 will be an absolute blast. Believe me ;) So have a swell one and HAPPY NEW YEAR to all!

"All That We Are Is A Result Of What We Have Thought" - Buddha

In-Laws & 'Out-Laws' :)

My parents and us at Khmer Surin for dinner

 Over the last 3 weeks, we had been slightly thrown off our usual weekend routine here in the Penh with both our parents taking turns to visit. We were both excited and happy that they were coming in to stay simply because we lived away from home and it was nice to have them around for a bit.

My in-laws were here only for a few days. I was of course a little bit anxious as I was welcoming them into my home for the first time and there was a little bit of pressure on me to strive to be a 'star' daughter-in-law.

Now, I am actually very anal about the cleanliness of my living space. We got rid of the maid because I just couldn't be bothered paying her and then doing her job all over again. So, I might as well just do it myself. Of course, MOH helps - as per his wedding vows (although, I did think when he vowed to do the household chores, it meant that I wouldn't need to lift a finger!) - but then again, as I said, I am pretty anal. Anyway, in anticipation of both parents' arrival, I cleaned and cleaned some more. Not that it wasn't clean before, but just getting rid of the cobwebs and stuff like that.  

And finally, my in-laws arrived. I did really want them to enjoy their visit - their first in Cambodia. We had planned a big trip to Siem Reap for them to see Angkor Wat but unfortunately, a couple of weeks before the trip, my mother-in-law had a big fall and thus, climbing the Angkor Wat was out of the question. As such, I revised the itinerary and packed it with activities for Phnom Penh instead. And in Phnom Penh, there is generally nothing much to do except to eat :) My in-laws were not very adventurous folks and most of the time, they stayed in the apartment watching TV, unless we took them out. I think overall, they had quite an experience in Cambodia - with the food, with the sights and with the living conditions. They couldn't believe how people could live on the streets and of course, the dirt, dust and grime of the city got to them a bit too. But they did enjoy their meals :) Over and above that, it gave me a chance to bond with them as well. Eversince I got married, I haven't lived in MOH's home, I haven't been in KL for that matter and most trips back to KL were so short and packed with activities, there was hardly any time to bond.

After my in-laws left, I cleaned and cleaned again, awaiting the arrival of my parents. I think my "anal-ness" with the cleanliness of my living space is an "illness" i got from my Mom. I don't know how she does it, but she kept our home in KL spotless - on a daily basis (eversince I can remember as a kid, our feet remained clean walking throughout the house so much so that this has become very important to me!!) I try, but maybe Phnom Penh is just dusty!! No matter how much I sweep and mop the damn floor, my feet seems to get dirty if I don't wear the house-slippers! Now that I don't have a maid, I can't blame the maid if the apartment wasn't "up to cleanliness standard" :P My Mom can be very particular about, you know, clean stuff :) Well - I don't know if she was being nice or polite, but she didn't complain a single bit. So, I hope it was because I did keep a clean house :)

"Entertaining" my in-laws were generally very much different from "entertaining" my parents. Don't get me wrong. They were not difficult guests. It has more to do with the fact that I didn't know my in-laws that well. And vice-versa. Whereas with my parents, they are after all my parents and we know each other pretty well. As Mom would say in Chinese, directly translated : "When you lift up your tail, I would know whether you want to pee or you want to shit."

Well, with my in-laws, I couldn't really sit on the sofa and lift my legs on the coffee table! What would they think? This siao char bor so rude! But with my parents, I could. Mom would dagger-stare me but Dad does it too, so it was perfectly fine. If not, it would just be so much more fun for Dad and I to annoy Mom! Hahahahha! And then, one morning, I came back from my morning run and to my horror, I saw my mother-in-law mopping the floor. I was so horrified that I rushed into the room and woke MOH up. I certainly didn't want my mother-in-law cleaning my apartment! MOH merely grunted in his sleep and said to leave her be. OMG. Whereas, when my Mom was here, she swept and mopped almost all the time. And I did leave her be. She probably couldn't stand that the floor felt "dusty" and she wouldn't be able to sit still if she didn't clean something. She even ironed MOH's boxer shorts!! (Ok, admittedly, I do suck at the ironing bit - and I definitely do not iron undergarments!!) And as per my itinerary (yes, I even planned this) - Mom cooked up a storm in my tiny kitchen. And she made enough to last the whole week so that I could still taste home-cooked food when she left (as of right now, finishing the last of the Low Gee Yuk...). And talk about "princess treatment" - when I snacked, she would bring me a plate so that the crumbs do not fall everywhere and as soon as I finish, she would take the plate away for washing - I did not have to get out of my chair one bit. Hahahaha! It had been too, too long since I had this treatment. Dad, of course, always had his "King's treatment" from Mom all the time. Now, would I allow my mother-in-law to do that for me? Hell, no! Again - what would she think?? "Siao Char Bor thinks she is the Queen??" OMG. (*point to note : it's not that my mother-in-law calls me siao char bor. At least not to my face :P)

Whilst my in-laws needed a little more 'baby-sitting' in terms of to-do activities, my parents could be left to their own devices. Especially my Dad. Like me, he just cannot sit still and when my itinerary calls for "Rest & Relax In Apartment" - he would be in the apartment sighing "So boring! So boring!". My parents would venture out on their own and walked around (to my Dad's delight, there was a market down the block from where I lived - he loves markets and so do I), take photos, etc. During their 10-day stay in Cambodia, they even ventured over to Saigon and stayed an additional day in Saigon (mentioning something about there being "too many rules in the apartment" :P) and had a great time there - as per the photo evidences.

It's been great having them around and I definitely hope they had a ball of a time here (and my itineraries for both sets of parents were well-thought and well-planned). Of course, it did test my patience at some point. Like I said - I am very anal. I have a "Monk-ish" side to me. I don't like my things being re-arranged. If the tissue box is placed on the top right corner of the coffee table, it needs to be right there. If it was moved slightly away from its spot, it gives me a ticking :P Yes, yes, I am OCD. My refrigerator is organized meticulously too. Dairy drinks, soft drinks, juices, water, dairy products, sauces, etc... are all 'compartmentalized' and again - if sometimes a product is moved, I will KNOW and I will start 'ticking'. MOH has suffered through some of my 'ticking' :P (he's smarter now - after grocery shopping, he lets ME put the stuff away). With my guests - I just had to try very hard to close an eye. It doesn't help that my Dad threatened to re-arrange EVERYTHING before he leaves to help "cure my disease" :P I couldn't sleep thinking he wasn't joking! Can you just imagine how 'crazy' I would get if he did that?? Again, I believe this is something I inherited from my Mom. She may not admit it - but she doesn't like people re-organizing her stuff either! She definitely doesn't like people messing up her kitchen - and that is why I have never cooked at home (to the point that my family finds it so hard to believe that I Can Cook!).

Anyway, in-laws are back home safe and sound and my parents are back home safe and sound and you know what? The apartment seems to be bigger, emptier and lonelier now. I miss them very much. I wish they could visit every weekend!

And so, I now look forward to the Chinese New Year where I will see my family again. Counting down begins!



Mother & Father-In-Law with MOH at the park right in front of our apartment block



Chocolate Cream Mousse - by Chef Leigh Ann Seto

Ingredients :

200 ml Cream

180 ml Milk

40 gr Sugar

5 Egg yolks

200 gr 65% Chocolate

25 ml Brandy (optional)

Method :

1) Chop chocolate into 1 cm pieces and place into a blender or processor.

2) Combine milk and cream in a sauce pot and bring to a scald.

3) Mix yolks and sugar well. Pour some of the warm milk into the yolk mixture and blend well.

4) When cream mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and pour yolk mixture into the pot while whisking. Stir for an additional few seconds.

5) Remove pot from fire and strain mixture into the blender with the chocolate.

6) Let cream settle into chocolate for a minute.

7) Cover blender and blend until the chocolate is melted. Brandy may be added here.

8) Pour mousse into serving dishes. Cover with plastic wrap letting the wrap touch the surface of the mousse
    to prevent a 'skin'. Chill for at least 4 hours.

To serve: Garnish with soft whipped cream, fruit, and/or chocolate shavings.

** FOR a READ of Chef's "An Encounter With...Chocolate" Interview - click HERE!

 

** Photo of Chef and her Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse Cake! Simply heaven!!

Giving Thanks

I never grew up with Thanksgiving and Christmas. Since moving to Cambodia 3 years ago, a lot of the expats who are left in town to celebrate the occasion without their families and loved ones often seek solace in each other's company and host their own Thanksgiving / X'Mas parties.

Last night, I had a fabulous, fabulous, FABULOUS home-made-from-scratch Thanksgiving dinner courtesy of Chef Leigh Ann and Nicole - our upstairs neighbour :) It being their first celebration away from home, they invited us over for the scrumptious meal. For Chef & Nicole, entertaining guests was like second-nature to them and they have really nice dinner wares and themed table-settings (Chef can be rather particular about how her food is presented - even off work!!) - so you imagine how stressful it was when I invited them over for a home-cooked Bak Kut Teh dinner just last weekend. I had no matching plates nor cutleries. At least I was "civilized" enough to have place mats! (And Nicole actually brought STRAWS - just in case I didn't have straws to drink the Mojitos which they prepared and brought over as well!) Not to mention - I still do not know if Chef approved of the Bak Kut Teh meal :P At least Nicole said she did :)  

Anyway, whilst I've had my fair share of turkey and all the fixings, this was actually the first time I'm having an entire Thanksgiving meal that had been passionately prepared from scratch - from the bird being given a one hour 'spa bath' of sea salt, lemon & garlic to the freshly made croutons and turkey drippings for the stuffing and gravy right down to the pumpkin cheesecake!

Those who know me would know that my "healthy days" (when it comes to food) are Mondays to Fridays and yesterday being Thanksgiving Thursday and all, I had to break the rule. Chef did indeed "try" to go easy with the ingredients she used - freshly baked WHOLE WHEAT rolls as opposed to plain white rolls (take my word for it - the rolls were to-die-for) and light sour cream for the cheesecake as opposed to the full-fat version (and despite the "healthier version - pumpkin cheesecake was to-die-for too!). And a bowl of grilled brussel sprouts and carrots too! But then of course, she had roasted a leg of ham as well and I couldn't resist the crispy skin and then, she had to serve the pumpkin cheesecake with a scoop of ice-cream. To top it off - she told me after the meal that she rubbed butter underneath the bird's skin before putting it into the grill to make sure it was moist.

Weigh-in before dinner was 46kgs and weigh-in the morning after dinner was 46.6kgs. But you know what? It was 0.6kgs well worth putting on because truly, it was a remarkable meal. So - I ran an additional 5km this morning for my training (maybe all that food had given me extra energy after all :P). Big deal. I train so hard, surely I deserve an additional "bad food day" in the week if I wanted to, yes?

Well, as Nicole said - it IS Thanksgiving. And I for one, have lots to give thanks for. For great friends who can whip-up such a lovely meal (I can't get over this meal - it had been really too superb), for the great love of a dotting hubby, for the unconditional love of my family, and for being a lucky, lucky girl - in so many ways but mostly, for all the love I have around me. So life's a bitch sometimes - but I still have a lot of love in my life. Is that lucky or what?

I got the almost Yaba-daba-doo drumstick!! :) :) And

the to-die-for whole wheat roll and stuffings *smack lips*

 

Grilled Turkey and Roast Ham.... mmmmm

absolute divine pumpkin cheesecake and I also learnt what is
plated service "stacked 2 high / 4 high / 6 high / 8 high / 10 high" :P 

Charity Work - A Delusion?

When my partner-in-crime Leticia ran the idea of doing the Wedding Wishes Campaign as part of the AWP Malaysia's social responsibility programme, I was extemely keen. I'm always for supporting a worthy cause and so - with the support of our members who sponsored their bits as well as TV3 who joined us as media sponsors, we embarked on our plans.

The "Mahligai Impian" project aimed at helping single couples where one or both are terminally ill because getting married presents to be a challenge as money is put aside to finance treatments and as a result, couples forgo the idea of having a complete wedding with the whole works. Briefly, the "Mahligai Impian" campaign was aired on TV3 in July 2010 and invited participation from Malaysians aged 20 and above. The condition was one or both the couple needs to be terminally ill to qualify and they need to submit a piece of their story as to why they would like to get married in any languages. Finally, after much scrutiny of the results, TV3, as the judges together with invited NGOs selected the final winning couple. They had their grand wedding reception just last night - which coincided with it being Thanksgiving.

However, I am truly saddened and maybe disheartened at how the couple, as well as their parents treated the entire crew and team during the entire planning stages right down to the implementations yesterday. Mind you - the entire wedding was fully-sponsored by all AWP Members and it was well worth over RM100,000. Some members even sponsored their products / services / cash to the value of RM10,000 each without a bleep because we all held to one believe - that this was for a good cause.

Instead of the "thank you" - which societal P's & Q's would dictate as the norm, we had the family saying very unpleasant things to the wedding planning sponsors - rather rude and loudly in public. No, we do not expect to be thanked because we did this from the bottom of our hearts. But neither did we expect to be called "disgusting" or generally being insulted in public view that way. Being professionals, everyone kept their cool and the show went on without a glitch. But STILL - the families were not pleased. Right to the point that they actually walked past the Sponsor's table without SO MUCH AS AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, let alone a THANK YOU.

I saw some frustrated FB statuses today. We all have the right to be. As sponsors - we gave up our time, money, effort and most importantly - heart to make sure the project ran smoothly and the well-deserving couple happy. As professionals, we maintained our professionalism and poise by grinning and bearing through it all. When they say this is a thankless profession, INDEED it is. But as professionals too - whether on a pro-bono basis or a paid basis - we do not expect to be mistreated. We are not your slaves nor servants. Period.

What got me frustrated and disheartened is this : - There is a whole wide world out there for us to try to help in whatever ways we can. How many more will turn out to be like this? I know what your answers will be : "You try to save them all. You don't care about who they are or what they give you in return." That's not the point, you know. The point is our means as individuals and even as small groups / companies / associations are limited. We can't save them ALL. As such - I much prefer to save those who are well-deserving of it.

I mean, this is me writing in frustration but if you asked me now, after the incident yesterday - the RM10k cash & value sponsorship that some of the sponsors forked out - between an orphanage for HIV+ children and an ungrateful and rude family member of a deserving couple, I choose the orphanage! Need I say more?

** image courtesy of showersmile.wordpress.com

A Cambodian Tragedy

I'm one of those who hates reading tragic news. For some reason, it greatly disturbs me. In a lot of cases and at most times, there is very little if at all, that I can do. And yesterday's stampede, amidst the festive celebration of the Bon Om Teuk in Phnom Penh was a disastrous tragedy indeed.

Whatever the investigation outcome turns out to be - the people do not deserve to... be in this tragedy. When the island was opened, when the bridges were opened - already people were questioning the "crowd management" during the Water Fest. The bridge was - in essence, tiny. For those who has ever experienced the Cambodian Water Fest, you would know that we're not talking about crowds of just thousands. We're talking about millions. Phnom Penh alone has a population of 5 million. During the Water Festival, close to 1 million Cambodians travel from the provinces (they save up their meagre income and make the trip once a year) to catch the festivities and celebrations.

So - was there a proper 'crowd management' system in place? What about proper disaster management? Were these in place? Were the authorities given the right training, the right briefing to manage and control a disaster should it take place? Some 5-star hotels here do not even provide basic first aid training for their staff! You do the math. Who shoots water cannons at a crowd standing less than 0.1mm away from electrical wires and cables? (which were installed, not with safety in mind, I believe - I could be wrong, but you do the math again!)

I'm just a frustrated expat. Of course, I can always turn a blind eye and say - "Fuck, this ain't my country, this ain't my problem. I'm alive and thank you." But I come back to the point that these people do not deserve it. I call for better safety management, better disaster management and I call for them to be implemented in the best possible way, with the Cambodian people in mind. Always.

My prayers go out to all those affected by this tragedy. There is no way for me to even begin to comprehend nor understand what they are going through. My heart goes out to those who have suffered losses. Be strong.

"One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life. That word is love." - Sophocles

Exhibitionist

When MOH and I took our wedding nudes as part of our wedding portraitures last year, we ended up with a collection of photos that we utterly loved, loved, loved. Of course, the photography process was not as simple as it seemed. Firstly, one needed to get rid of the awkward-ness of being stark naked in front of ... the photographer and his team as well as any body hang-ups that you may have. And then, you needed to get a little creative with the poses. Lastly - the tricky part - you needed to HOLD the poses while the photographer tries different lighting and angles to achieve perfection. Believe me, after a 3-hour session, you will find muscles you never knew you had quivering.

So when Yeh, our photographer asked for permission to exhibit some of our photos (of course, most are still kept under lock & key) at his first solo exhibition - we said Yes. I mean, after all, the ones which were rated "U" were already on FB. Ahhh.... but we certainly did not expect Yeh to have chosen some of our butt-shots for his exhibition! And definitely did not expect there to be a price tag on the photo!

The exhibition which was opened just last Saturday on the 6th November 2010 at Small Talk With The Moon was jointly organized by my partners at Nupts & Such and endorsed by AWP Malaysia. Canon also came in with a show of support by sponsoring the event. Being all the way in Cambodia, I was skyped in - because I wanted to see WHAT was on display. MOH & I had a right good laugh when we found out our buttocks were on sale for RM2,500. Who would purchase a photo of somebody else's butt? Hmmm....

Nevertheless, the opening of Yeh's first solo exhibition went about successfully and he had talk sessions on wedding nudes, creativity in photography styles and it even evolved to the more technical topics like lightings, angles, equipments and technology.

For me, while only on Skype, it was still nice seeing our nudes showcased in a little exhibition (Yeh - next time, do a bigger show, ok?) and seeing them used as part of Yeh's learning / skill-sharing session - in other words - case study :P Talk about being an exhibitionist eh!

Believe me, we are all exhibitionist in one way or another. We all want the world to see us in our most delightful angles or profiles. We want the world to acknowledge that something or some part of us look good. But the world also expects us to be modest about it. "Oh, no... my legs are too skinny..." when in actual fact - all you want to do is jump up and down at the compliment. After all - we do care and love ourselves enough to present the best of ourselves for the world to see.

So go on and tell yourself right now - You're Fucking Beautiful.
I know I will. Just that - I don't think it's time to trade my current career with modeling at the mo'.

** Photography of Wedding Nudes by Yeh Poh Chung
** BELOW : Yeh's "Nude Case Study of us - Screen Captured from Skype :)

** Further reading on A Journey To Forever in Lyrical Poses and Tantric Artistry - click HERE

 

Dark Hours Part 1

I once exclaimed "The world is under my feet!" and a wise retort came back : "Just don't let it get on your shoulders."

Sometimes, I don't want to keep it so together.
I think it's great that the world is under my feet.
Shouldn't it be ok too when the world is on my shoulders?

Sometimes, I don't want to be responsible.
I think it's great that I can lead.
Shouldn't it be ok too when I just follow?

Sometimes, I don't want to wake up.
I think it's great that I'm even awake.
Shouldn't it be ok too if I want to hide under the covers?

Sometimes, I don't want to be diplomatic.
I think it's great that we agree.
Shouldn't it be ok too if I told you that you were a scumbag from the stenched-womb of the earth?

Sometimes, I don't want to think about money.
I think it's great if I have some.
Shouldn't it be ok too if I had only bread and water?

Sometimes, I don't want to be on your side.
I think it's great if I see your point.
Shouldn't it be ok too if I went against you?

Sometimes, I don't want to make the effort.
I think it's great when I work on it.
Shouldn't it be ok too if you worked on it instead?

Sometimes, I don't want to be bubbling.
I think it's great when I am energized.
Shouldn't it be ok too if I'm zapped?

Sometimes, I don't want to be the best.
I think it's great if I am somewhere there.
Shouldn't it be ok too if I were last?

Sometimes, I wish to hurl profanities at you.
Sometimes, I wish to tell you to screw yourself silly and have a post-coital cigarette.
Sometimes, I wish to just say "Sod It!"
Sometimes, I wish to shut down, mentally, physically and emotionally.

But instead, I curse at the ears of the walls.
But instead, I smile and tell you it's ok.
But instead, I say "It will all be better."
But instead, I make myself carry on because I have to keep it together.

The dolphin leaps into the air, and does a triple sommersault.
The show must go on, eh? She winks.

*copylefted photo by Stephan Uhlmann

How To Save A Life

What a terrible, terrible morning and I've never felt more useless in my life.

The weather in Phnom Penh had changed drastically, and "winter" is here. This has rendered the water in the swimming pool - icy cold and swimming in it, whilst sure to wake you up, feels like a thousand knives slicing through your skin. But being the masochistic freak that I am, swam in it, I did - yet again, this morning.

I saw this lady coming into the pool as well. I knew her - as in, knew her to be a member of the gym and also knew her to be somewhat, "not well" in the head. I heard she's not "stable" - but I've always admired her for being rather regular at the gym (even though she doesn't really know how to use any of the machines) - after all, it takes discipline.  The water was so bloody cold, I was fully concentrated on keeping my breathing even and my body moving so that I do not freeze over.

The next thing I knew - some guy was dragging her out of the pool and another guy was running towards the pool. I got out of the water and ran over to see that this lady had .... drowned. Very unfortunately, nobody knew first aid. Not even the gym staff (Welcome To Cambodia). One of the gym members tried to administer CPR on her. She had turned blue on her lips and finger nails.  

Amidst the hoo-ha and everything, I did manage to instruct the gym staff to call the ambulance - surprise, surprise, they never thought to do so and instead - they called the lady's son. We all tried to keep her warm and I could only stand by in shock and cursing myself for not having noticed her earlier. "Please don't die, please don't die," I silently prayed.

She did finally develop a slight pulse, but she hadn't woke up - even until she was bundled into her son's car. I pray for her. I hope she's ok. And I'm really sorry I couldn't do anything about it. My only first aid training had been in school - when I was with the Rangers and the PBSM. I had not felt so useless in my entire life, standing by, watching helplessly and not being able to do anything about it.

Life, as they say, is fragile.
And it certainly would help to learn at least - the basics of First Aid administration, don't you think?
This has gotta go onto one of my Top 10 Things To Do ASAP list.

Hard Rock Hotel Pinktober : Breast Cancer Awareness Celebration

Notice how my new blogsite design template is so matching for this post :)
 

About four months back, I was approached - via my company Nupts & Such by Hardrock Hotel Penang to help them think of suitable ideas for their month-long Pinktober campaign for raising breast cancer awareness. As always, I believe in supporting good causes - in particular those that I actually believe in - cancer / AIDS awareness, poverty, women & children support / sustainability, etc.

Anyway, I did put together a proposal and was mighty pleased with the ideas that I had for the Pinktober celebrations at HRH Penang. And I was even more pleased when HRH came back equally as enthusiastic about my ideas and very soon, it was on towards the implementation.

My partners-in-crime - Cindy & Carolyn implemented the ideas in my absence and they themselves, always supportive of non-profitable causes had a blast working on this project together with Elisa Saw - the MARCOMS Manager at HRH Penang and a host of other kind-soulled vendors who volunteered their time and services for this project as well.

I missed the opening - but I received many text messages updating me on the progress of the event on that day. One particular one was when Cindy told me "The Pink Duckies are selling like hot cakes!" - and I got off my seat and did a jiggy :) I love it when clients dare to dream the same dreams as I and I love it even more when the idea works way above expectations.

I will sadly also be missing the closing - this coming 14th November 2010 and I know we've got some pretty awesome line-up of activities planned for the closing. So for those of you who may have the time - do drop by and show your support to a good cause.

My sense of fulfilment from this project goes to show that sometimes, it really isn't all about the money when we work on something. It really is about just being happy that the project took off and you've helped in a tiny way to make some sort of difference in this world.

The video of the Pinktober opening - click here (voluntary service by Andy Wang Cinematography) will show you how everyone was on the same page with the laughter and the fun that they had. For this - I thank you all from the bottom of my heart, on behalf of HRH Penang and the breast cancer charities - for making it happen.

Here's a big thumbs up to all involved and looking forward to a blast at the closing of Pinktober!

** photos & videos by Andy Wang
Clockwise From Top Left :  Rocking it with band High Society, Models with the Pink Rubber Duckies and Mdm Mui Siew Koon from the National Cancer Society giving her speech

Bali Travels : Part 5 – Returning “Home” to Kayumanis Nusa Dua

13th October 2010

We skipped the breakfast at Tanaya today and went to the beach for our Bakso once again. Mmm… delicious!! Today, we checked-out of Tanaya and will go into the Nusa Dua area and continue our honeymoon at Kayumanis Nusa Dua – once again, thanks to Journeys For Two :)

The pick-up from Kayumanis arrived early and as such, we arrived Kayumanis before check-in time. It was good to be “home”. “Welcome home, Ibu. Welcome home, Bapak,” was the greeting from all the staff who remembered us having our wedding here last year. And imagine our thrill when we found out that they had upgraded us to the honeymoon suite! Whoopeeee!! But because we were still early, we went out to Bali Collection for lunch first and then went back to Kayumanis to our suite. Wow, the suite was really, really beautiful with a private lap pool! Not to mention, a Jacuzzi and a ROUND BED!! I cannot describe to you how fantastic the bed looks – somebody surely knew how to put couples on honeymoon in the mood indeed! We also got a little “honeymoon cake” along with our afternoon tea.

There was a private cabana by the pool and the whole villa was surrounded by water features. We had our afternoon tea right after check-in and then we headed straight for the beach – on the bicycle built for two – unbelievable – this tandem bike is still around! Once again, a few more “Welcome home” greetings by the familiar staff along the way. Despite the 100% occupancy, we barely bumped into another soul at the resort aside from the warm and friendly staff.

MOH & I decided to have a private dinner in the villa for today and after exploring more of the Nusa Dua area, we headed back. The villa was really nice. I wouldn’t have minded if they had given us the same villa as our wedding, but the upgrade was a really nice touch indeed.

Our butler came with our meals and set-up our dining area for our private dinner. Rather than get dressed for it, MOH and I had dinner in our bathrobes – that was truly us – as fuss-free as possible ;) Dinner was great – and I had no idea why, but I ordered the Ikan Java Curry – which turned out to be really quite good. The portions were quite massive too! Guess what? They even made us a miniature cake – which was the same as what we had for our wedding last year. The colour was not right though, but it was the same chocolate cake!

You see, it was very obvious why we chose Kayumanis as our wedding spot – it was because of their impeccably warm and friendly service as well as their attention to the little things which counted. They made sure you felt at home without you feeling that your boundaries have been intruded upon and despite the 100% occupancy, you seem to be their number one priority. This type of service is a rare gem indeed. Not only that – I was always remembered by the staff at Kayumanis as the Bride Who Didn’t Want Flowers (and for the record, still the only bride at Kayumanis who didn’t want flowers) and they knew during the wedding planning that if I were to have flowers, it would have to be calla lilies. As such, a big bouquet of calla lily was in the honeymoon suite. Where do you often find people who remember tiny, insignificant details such as these?

Anyway, …….. there is no reason to continue writing about what happened for the night before bed time – as you can just imagine, this was a honeymoon suite after all! ;)

14th October 2010

I woke up to do laps in the private pool before breakfast. We both went to Kayumanis' Tetaring for breakfast and again, all the “Welcome Home” greetings before breakfast was served. I had the Eggs Benedict and MOH had the Mee Goreng and we shared the Kayumanis Toast. The Mee Goreng – ok, this one tops the list so far as the best Mee Goreng I had for this trip. The noodles were the right consistency and the flavor was just right. Unfortunately, it wasn’t spicy because it was MOH’s order :P

After brekkie, we went to the beach once again and had a swim before venturing out to explore Nusa Dua - especially the Art Market. For lunch, we went back to Kendi Kuning – but I was greatly disappointed that the chef is now a different person and as such, the menu no longer carried the Sate Kambing. We had the Sate Kambing last year and it was so good, I had packed some back to the villa too! Anyway, it was Nasi Goreng and Mee Goreng again before we headed back to the villa. We had a quick dip in the main pool of Kayumanis before we went back to our villa - not to mention lots of "Bali's Next Top Model" photo shoot :P All the times we had stayed here, we had never ventured anywhere near the pool area but since our honeymoon suite was actually right next to the pool, we decided to at least try it once!

For dinner, we went over to Fortuin Café at Jimbaran Bay and we caught a beautiful, beautiful sunset whilst enjoying our grilled prawns, sotong, clams and all. It was strange because the weather in Nusa Dua & Jimbaran was not as breezy as Kuta. In fact, it was humid and stuffy. Where had the breeze gone?

15th October 2010

We got a wake up call at 5.30am (wondering if Kris Wong would agree to this :P) for our Sunrise Breakfast on the beach. Again, it was cloudy and we were not able to catch a perfect sunrise, unlike what we had last year. But we enjoyed our breakfast, the beach, the view and each other’s company before we went back to enjoy more of the villa.

Today, my spirits were a little low, because it was exactly the end of my Bali trip for 2010. I always leave Bali with a heavy heart.

After checking out of Kayumanis, we went to Bali Collection for lunch again. This time, we went back to The Paon – which was lunch venue prior to our wedding last year. I actually did not take the Mee Goreng, but went for the Mixed Rice Set instead – where I had Pork, Fish, Chicken, Eggplant and Lalapan. It was really quite delicious! MOH - Nasi Goreng as usual.

Then we made all the necessary transportation arrangements before we headed off to Discovery Mall Kuta – for me to get a tattoo. This time around, I wasn’t so much as getting a ‘new tattoo’ but merely adding on to an existing one.

My little dolphin tattoo on my right back shoulder was my first tattoo which I did in Australia. After a rather stormy emotional set-back, I had gone to get the tattoo – various reasons – 1) It was small enough so I thought the pain wouldn’t be so painful, 2) It was a dolphin which is my favourite animal and 3) It was a single dolphin because I thought that life for me from henceforth would be forever me, alone, enjoying being single and individual.

However, eversince I’ve been together with MOH (not counting the earlier 13 years as friends before we started dating), there was much enjoyment in being a couple. Our wedding marked the end of my “singlehood”, and whilst I had never planned to get married before, I am now happily married. Which was why I thought, it was time to add another dolphin to my lonely dolphin to mark yet another significant event in my life.

Of course, MOH had funny ideas that if we had a family, I’d be adding baby dolphins to the art and I told him “Anything more than two is a CROWD,” before pinching him :P

The tattoo was not done by Dekdi – which is our regular tattoo artist, as he hurt his back. However, Dekdi’s skilled and talented uncle completed the deed this time around. I like the outcome of it. It’s a pair of dolphins nuzzling up against each other with the ‘bigger’ dolphin seemingly saying “I’ll take care of you!” Nice one.

We hung around Kuta Beach (and discovered a shortcut from the mall to HardRock Hotel!) for awhile more and had more Bakso (I cannot get enough of this because it is so good!) and watched the sunset before our pick-up came to take us to the airport.

And with that, it was bye-bye Bali. Till we see you again!

Bali Travels : Part 4 – Our Honeymoon Begins... With Kris & Debs In Tow

11th October 2010

We woke up for breakfast after last night’s celebration feeling a little groggy and all. MOH & myself checked out of Villa Diana and checked-in to Tanaya on Legian – this being our 4th different hotel in a span of 5 days! Tanaya was a really chic boutique hotel but no frills and no fuss since we would be out all day exploring Bali.

We met up with the gang (Kris, Debs & Cindy) for lunch at Seminyak Square and had lunch at Braga – also one of our favourite F&B outlets that served Nasi Goreng Gila – this should explain why MOH wanted to come back here! After lunch, Kris & Debs headed off for their spa session at Sicilia Spa whereas, MOH & I headed over to Bodyworks in Seminyak – where we had our pre-wedding spa session last year. We requested for the same treatment (in MOH’s words when he booked – “the one with everything, the yoghurt and the bath and everything.”). Ok, for Bodyworks, maybe because I was being biased, I enjoyed the session here more so because there's fond memories for me. But the place looks great, smells great – and of course, you paid a lot for it too.

After our spa session, we were supposed to meet the newly-weds together with Kris & Aunty Debra for tea but they were late – by an HOUR!! Well, MOH & I went around exploring Seminyak and checking out all the villas there – in the plan for re-visiting next coming year. At 6pm, we met up at The Junction and ok, I was a little annoyed that the bride was still sulky – OMG! What happened to happily married?? But as Debs always say “Let her la”…… If all the “zen-ing” from the day before did not work, then, I’m lost as to what would. I was hoping the honeymoon – with all the “rabbit-action” would cheer her up!

After tea, the bride & groom bade their farewells and Kris, Debs and I walked over to Café Bali for dinner. Aunty Debs bought dinner for us and we had an excellent meal in an excellent environment with excellent company.

After dinner, we bade farewell to Kris & Debra as they will depart Bali the next day. MOH & I continued with our exploration of Kuta / Legian at night and I wondered if we were being a tad old when we steered clear of all the pubs / discos and outlets that were playing music that would surely tear your ear drums!

12th October 2010

We had our breakfast at Tanaya before heading out for the beach and hours and hours of shopping. When we got to the Memorial Monument – there was a bit of a crowd and police and media gathered there – and I realized that it was on this exact day in 2002 that the bombings happened. I have to write of this hilarious moment earlier in the trip when Kris, Debra, MOH and I got into the Murano Spa transport and Kris asked to be taken to the Memorial Monument. The driver replied “Oh, at the moment bomb” – and you should see Kris’ face – he turned green – but we were all shocked too for a couple of seconds and then we realized that it was an “England” problem :P

Anyway, we spent a whole day shopping and eating – at long last, I got to eat my bakso by the beach which was really yummy and we did a “walk-through” of the route we took when we had our wedding portraits done – we even found the graffiti wall and a stranger helped take a photo of us! He was amused that we had taken wedding portraits in front of the wall!

We also spent some time on the beach and I went into the waves again. A little boring this time around as only me alone, seeing that MOH had to safeguard our belongings :P We walked around some more and finally settled for lunch at Warung Made’s. After lunch, MOH wanted a massage – again! I accompanied him but I opted for the 45min session instead of the 90min session. Guess what? I got a male masseuse! OMG factor! I was naked except for my panties and the tiny sarong covering my body! Debra would surely pengsan if this happened to her!! Anyway, after I finished, I set MOH a rather difficult task. I told him I would be on the Kuta Beach watching the sunset and he would come and look for me. He said “How do I look for you? There’s so many people!” – and I told him “I have faith that you will find me.”

When I got to Kuta Beach, it was absolutely crowded – the locals and tourists alike parked themselves for a brilliant sunset view – as if they were all waiting for a concert to start. Unfortunately, it was cloudy and there was no sunset. I walked around and waited for MOH. Would he be able to find me? It was getting very dark and I was losing hope. His mobile phone was not working either. Perhaps, this was not such a good idea after all! And just then, we spotted each other, at the beach area in front of the HardRock Hotel surfboard. Serendipity :P

We walked back to Tanaya and showered before heading out to Seminyak for dinner. However, when we got to Seminyak, none of the outlets struck my fancy so we went to the Double Six Beach instead and ended up at this place called The Flying Fish. MOH had the Lobster Nasi Goreng while I had the Seafood Bouillabaisse (no mee goreng on the menu!). After a nice and quiet dinner by the sea, we walked along Jalan Double Six and did a final walk-through of Kuta / Legian. We both decided that for our next trip, we would avoid Kuta and Legian as it was just too congested these days. Maybe a day trip here for shopping but definitely nothing more than that!

Bali Travels : Part 3 – A Really Beautiful Wedding and An Extremely Emotional Bride-zilla

10th October 2010

Kris, Debra, MOH and myself had gotten our attires to match Leticia’s dream wedding theme. In fact, Debs and myself got our outfits made by … of course, who else but Kris / TSO :) Because it was a tie-back for me and heaps of buttons for Debs, we needed Kris’ help to get into our bajus. I was actually thinking to myself – we are such a nice bunch to have for a wedding because we totally immerse ourselves in the excitement of the whole process! From the getting dressed right up to the end! We helped each other get into our bajus and then we took photos before setting-off.

On the way to Sanur, we had our one and only rehearsal for our surprise presentation! We were doing a rendition of Teresa Teng’s “Yue Liang Dai Biao Wo De Sin” and another of Leticia’s guest was sharing the van with us. We had to bribe her to do two things for us – firstly – DO NOT TELL ANYONE ABOUT THE SURPRISE PERFORMANCE!!! And secondly – please stand up and applaud loudly while shouting "Bravo! Bravo!" after our performance. Hahahahahha. We were desperate since we had no idea where was the repeat, the bridge and not forgetting the fact that Cindy and Connie were not in the rehearsal with us! We will just have to wing it! And then of course, some smart person suggested I do a short intro beforehand which got me all hot & bothered because public-speaking just wasn’t my thing. I’m not going to be able to do an impromptu one so I wrote it down instead. Blimey.

The ride into the wedding venue was a little bumpy with only dirt road taking us there. But upon entering Villa Pushpapuri – the view was absolutely stunning! And we were – on time as usual, but because of the rain earlier, the set-up was delayed. We had fun taking photos and teasing the wedding planning crew! Ok, ok… me again :P

Leticia had really outdone herself and all the two years or so of planning her wedding was showing through all the attention-to-detail she had put into it. My favourite had to be the candy and snack station – and I believe the same went for all her other guests. She had about 30 guests which made it all the more intimate for a wedding celebration. For a small wedding like this, it was worth every effort to personalize it every way possible – and Leticia did just that. There were fun photo stations too as well as fun place cards, etc….

She was finishing her make-up when we all went in to see her and of course – the much talked-about layered wedding gown. She was looking the entire part of a beautiful, beautiful bride. Demure and all – except when she started cursing and swearing as usual :P We took some photos with her and Kris had to 'fix' her baju a little bit (well, it was a tiny piece of loose string!!). In fact, I told him I was offended when he said he didn’t bother bringing a sewing kit when I was getting married and his response was simple “What for? Because you would have happily traipsed in even if you had a big hole in your wedding dress!” It was true. So true. I hadn’t even wanted a wedding dress in the first place! I wanted a sarong and Kris had to tell my wedding planners to keep the sarong away from me until after the walk-in! Leticia and I were truly worlds apart and our friends would vouch for that!

Anyway, the weather was gorgeous after the rain and we were all getting more and more excited to the whole ceremony starting. MOH and myself together with Debs sped-up the set-up by helping to lay-out the favours and programme booklets. Ok, can’t say we sped it up all that much, but hey – we tried!

Finally, it all started. The entire wedding ceremony was really beautiful – which was the most important part. Well, at least to me. Their wedding ceremony was presided over by a priest – who, aside from reading utterly slowly, completely skipped the part about the Lighting Of The Unity Candle which I wrote – cheh! As guests, we showed our enthusiasm and happily sang along with the specially chosen hymns when we felt the choir wasn’t singing as greatly as we did :P Whatever it was, I was hoping and hoping for Leticia the bride-zilla - at the moment of the ceremony - to be freeing her mind from everything else and solely concentrated on remembering the entire ceremony and how she felt. As brides, this is likely to be your once-in-a-lifetime. How worth it would it be if you were cursing the bad sound system or worrying that your wedding cake isn’t displayed properly instead of focusing on the ceremony and remembering every minute of that special moment? How worth it would it be if you finished your wedding ceremony and after a day or two – when recalling the ceremony, it draws a blank in your head? Not worth it. And I believe Leticia knew this too. Just that, her bride-zilla streak was near frenzy levels on wedding day and one could lose sight of what’s important when that takes over! Therefore, I was hoping, for I wanted my friend, my partner-in-crime to remember her wedding day as something beautiful not because of anything else, but for the simple fact that she married the man of her dreams and the love of her life. And of course, we could now share wedding tales and married life, having gone through the whole motion!

But it being October in Bali and that meant the raining season – it poured after the ceremony ended. Most unfortunately, everything laid out for the dinner reception got wet. But for Kris, Debra, MOH and myself, we had already vowed to enjoy – even if we were under the rain so our spirits were still high. But for Leticia, she revealed to me – a different side. One of a cry baby! OMG.

Now, I hated the fact that it rained and all her well-planned details got drenched. And I can definitely understand how she felt – that the rain had ruined what was to be perfection on one of the most important days of her life. When I saw her crying, my heart went out to her. I never wish this upon any brides – not even clients of mine who were nasty. Like I said, you are likely only to get married once. If you want it perfect, it should be. However, sometimes things just don’t go according to plan especially when it comes to nature.

Despite all our efforts, her families’ efforts, in praying and praying for good weather, it still rained. Last I checked, we didn’t control the weather with a snap of our fingers! But you know what? Under these circumstances, it was crucial to focus again on what was important! And with that, I told Leticia that the little bit of rain shouldn’t ruin the day for her! I pointed out that the rest of us were having loads of fun (and I was enjoying my snack cup right in front of her when she started bawling!!) and she should too! And it ought to be a happy occasion because she had a beautiful, beautiful ceremony and she finally got her dream wedding to her childhood sweetheart! You tell me – was marrying the person you love more important on your wedding day or was it more important to have all the pretty wedding things remaining pretty? Simple case, yes?

The rain did eventually stop and Kris, MOH and myself pitched in to help salvage whatever was possible to start the programme for the reception. That’s one of the good things about having good friends in the wedding industry – aside from moral support, they were people who knew what to do to make it work again in situations like these. Not to mention, we surely knew how to keep spirits high! We went in to play the games (yes, those with the very complicated rules, according to Kris!), took polaroids after polaroids and of course, attacked more of the yummy snacks. I was a nut fanatic and was really delighted to see pistachios and macadamias all laid out at the snack station! Ok, basically - I'm a junkie - I love junk food :P

And as per planned, the reception went ahead and the wedding programme resumed. Her MC – which was also her ‘brides-man’ was hilariously funny and set the mood right for the day and whilst we ate our dinner, we were entertained wildly with the speeches by the bridesmaids, groomsmen as well as the father-of-the-bride who gave a really emotional speech. As always, I believe that weddings should always be one where laughter permeates the air – and this wedding was no different! Finally, our surprise presentation happened (in all honesty, I had planned for something wilder, but because I wasn’t in the country to co-ordinate with the gang, the karaoke would have to do :P) and we sang to our hearts’ content. Hmmm…. If only we could have smuggled the life-size moon and heart along without alarming the bride-zilla :P

Kris, MOH and myself leapt into the pool – and we are now worried that we would have some rather embarrassing photos of us partying too hard – when the pool party was declared started. We had champagne in the pool and the bride came in looking all sexy in her new bod ;) and pink bikini. All in all, it was a really, really fun celebration and what can I say – but hats off to the wedding planning team for pulling this through despite all the set-backs!

And to Leticia & Tjun Hong, congratulations once again. After the 18 years of ‘courtship’ – this DOES mark a new chapter in your lives and may you always live in love.

Bali Travels : Part 2 – Debs Joins In The Fun in Kuta and A Pre-Wedding Dinner at Jimbaran Bay

9th October 2010


After all the face-stuffing last night, I woke up early for a swim at the lap pool. Of course, Kris said he’ll join me and I woke him up half an hour earlier than the agreed time – 6.30am! I rang his doorbell “incessantly” as he puts it, and he grumpily shouted “Who’s that?!” and I cheerily replied “It’s me! Time for morning swim!!” to which he grunted a grumpy “I’ll join you later!!” Laughing at the mischief that I had caused, I skipped to the pool. I was surprised that the water wasn’t as cold as I thought it’d be. After my 50th lap, Kris finally came and joined me and I completed 2.5km before breakfast. I do not know how may laps he did :P After breakfast, I completed another 1.5km to make it a total of 4km for the day – and damn proud of it!

Before you knew it, it was time to check-out from Maya Ubud. Both of us did something really funny at our villas – seeing as we haven’t utilized our private plunge pool during our stay, we all undressed and skinny-dipped in the pool – even if for just a couple of minutes. Oh – Kris did that in his own villa and we did ours in our own villa in case anyone has any funny thoughts.

We skipped lunch and our transport took us straight to the airport to pick Aunty Debra. We arrived 30-minutes earlier and ok, we got bored with the waiting. We had even prepared a placard with welcome details for Aunty Debs. After half-an-hour, I was basically asking every Tom, Dick and Harry who came out of the arrival hall if they were Debra. “Are you Debra? Are you Debra?” – including a gwai lo. Out of boredom, the three of us had conjured up lots of theories as to why our dear Aunty Debs was taking soooo long! But finally, she arrived – grinning merrily as usual.

And it was away to check-in to Villa Diana at Legian which was pre-arranged for the wedding entourage. Most of the wedding entourage stayed here – including the couple themselves before they checked into the wedding venue. This was a really nice little resort hotel and MOH and I got upgraded to the Deluxe Villa!

As usual, we were starving by the time we settled in and our transport took us to the Double Six Beach for lunch. It was close to 4pm by the time we had lunch – but eat we did at Tekor Bali. And then, we took to the beach! Kris and I went into the water and really had damn a lot of fun with the rolling waves! MOH joined us later and Aunty Debra kindly looked after all our belongings. We resumed some of our “Bali’s Next Top Model” shoot here before heading back to get ready for the dinner at Jimbaran Bay.

We were a little bitchy with the timing and our rides – but we did get to the dinner venue – Teba Cafe right on time. However, being early doesn’t have much advantages if everyone else were hell-bent on keeping to Malaysian times :P We waited a good hour plus before dinner. Alas! Dinner was not great for me – the main was ….. fish! But the company was great (not sure about the other tables, but we had great people at our table!). Cindy and Connie finally joined us here and lots of catching up and sharing stories and tales – since Cindy & Connie both had been out with the bride & groom the whole day for their wedding portraits session.

After dinner, we all (all, meaning the younger crowd) went over to Ku De Ta for drinks. Jolly, jolly me – alcohol it will be since not training for the week! Kris, Debs, MOH and myself didn’t stay long at Ku De Ta. After lots of photos, we decided to call it a night.

10th October 2010

With Debra around to keep him company, Kris had automatically moved breakfast hour to 8.30am. Fine, MOH and myself adjusted to that too and after breakfast, we had a quick tanning session to get some glow for the night’s festivities before we headed out to Murano Spa.

Since the Boreh was highly recommended, MOH & I went with the Boreh as well. Now, I’m not a spa person because sitting still for a long period of time gets me restless and fidgety. Hardly relaxing at all for me. Well, the couple’s room at Murano wasn’t smelling fantastic – especially as soon as I placed my face into the hole. Oh dear. How am I going to endure 1.5 hours of this? That wasn’t the worse – the stuff they used for the Boreh was also not smelling fantastic – it was like minyak cap kapak to me – which I absolutely detest. OMG factor two. I tried to close my eyes and think good thoughts but the smell kept playing havoc with me. Needless to say, I was wishing for time to fly! Of course, whilst I was squirming in my hot wrap, MOH was snoring away and I also learnt later that Kris and Debs had enjoyed their session as well. They are all spa kakis!!

After the highly un-enjoyable spa session (for me), we hit the extremely ‘macet’ Kuta/Legian stretch for shopping and lunch. We bought Crumpler bags and stopped at Oey for lunch. After lunch, it was a rush back to Villa Diana to get ready for D-Day!!!

Bali Travels : Part 1 – A Much Anticipated Trip with New Travel Mates

After more than a year’s wait, we have finally arrived in the month of October, which marks our annual trip to Bali. This year’s trip, would be different in so many aspects – new travel mates, a destination wedding where I get to attend as a guest (FINALLY!) and a small anniversary celebration for MOH & I.


The first part of the trip would actually be Kris, MOH and myself – with Debra joining us later. While MOH planned the itinerary (with some approvals from me, of course), there were much worry about traveling with friends whom I had never traveled with before. The usual thoughts – would the itinerary be suitable? How easy-going are we all? Would there be awkward silences? Would there be too much PDA (on our part that is!)? Would some feel left out? Ohh… the list goes on. I'm sure all of us have had our fair share of Travel-Zillas!! :P

Well, the worrying all amounted to nothing. As Kris put it – to be good travel companions, when one says “follow your itinerary”, they follow through and have fun instead of following-through and bitching about it. I guess it is important that the group you travel with are in-sync somewhat – always prepared for adventures and always ready to explore something new. Most importantly, is keeping an open-mind and with that, keeping options opened and using the itinerary as a guide (so we do not miss all the good food places!!) and not something to abide by strictly!

Kris & Debra proved to be really great travel companions (and hoping they feel the same about MOH & I!). They were sporting and conversations never ran out. I think Kris and I had a bit more of a “crazy streak” – as in, we really did let ourselves go during the holidays – taking endless photos (much to Debra’s annoyance!), eating non-stop (more me than Kris), rolling around in the giant waves at Double Six Beach… basically, just making sure we had 100% fun. We’ve worked hard and this is time to de-stress, yes? Of course, Kris wasn’t so impressed with the 6.30am wake-up call for a morning swim nor the “power walks” – I will never hear the end of this! Anyway.....

7th October 2010

Kris, MOH and I touched down in Bali and was promptly greeted by Agung, our driver who would be ferrying us to Ubud. The ride was uneventful but of course, spirits were high since we had only just arrived and we had more than a week here! Hooray! Bali had always been a favourite spot for MOH and I, simply because aside from all her charms and the extremely warm and friendly locals, here was where we fell in love, had our first kiss and coming full cycle – held our wedding. We make it a point to get into Bali at least once a year.

We arrived Ubud Inn at around 2.30pm. The Ubud Reader’s & Writer’s Festival was on-going when we arrived and I was disappointed that I would be missing it even though I was right there in Ubud. Nevermind, there’s always a next time! This also explained the full-house situation for almost all the resorts in Ubud! After checking-in we were starving! We took a walk out to The Laughing Buddha for lunch and agreed that lunch was good – because we were so hungry. After lunch, we immediately got down to business – SHOPPING! We went to the Ubud Market and finished our souvenir shopping right there! Talk about efficiency! For some reason, time just flew by when we were shopping and by the time we took a long walk back to the hotel, it was almost time to get ready for our dinner. But of course – there’s ALWAYS time for a quick dip in the pool.

The pick-up service from Warung Murni came to pick us up for dinner. At Warung Murni, we ordered the Sate Lilit for sharing and I had the Mee Goreng while Kris and MOH both had the Nasi Goreng. Kris soon discovered that MOH was the Nasi Goreng King while I was the Mee Goreng Queen. Almost every meal – as long as it was on the menu, we’d order the same thing. Not for the lack of trying other stuff – but I love noodles and I especially love the Indonesian noodles so I am going to eat as much of those as I can whilst here!! So far, for this trip, Murni’s Mee Goreng turned out to be the 2nd best. You’ll have to read on to find out who served the best Mee Goreng for me this time around. By the way – I do not order my Mee Goreng as it is. It is always “tak mau sayur, tapi Cili banyak-banyak!!”

Our plans to get to the Gianyar Regency night market was scrapped due to rain. We ended up asking the driver to drop us off at Jalan Hanuman instead. We strolled the streets of Ubud under the light drizzle and found a place for desserts – Buntute, where we had cakes and drinks and listened to a Bob Marley lookalike doing his thing on stage. After that, it was back to Ubud Inn for much needed sleep!

8th October 2010

I woke up really rather early and I went out for a morning walk by myself while the two boys continued snoozing. The air was crisp and cooling and it was a really nice walk because the entire town was still asleep! I came back in time for our breakfast at 7.30am (again, a timing which to Kris & Debra was murderous!) at Ubud Inn. The spread was simple – which augurs well because it meant that we could eat more for our mid-morning tea! After brekkie, we walked to the Ubud Market again – this time to get garlands for Leticia and Tjun Hong – the soon-to-be-wed (of course, at the time of this article, happily married already!) as we were meeting them and their entire jing-bang at Ibu Oka’s for lunch. We customized two lovely, lovely garlands for them.

More window shopping and as we anticipated, a stop for mid-morning snacks at this place called Kafe. The ambiance was really quite nice and the cakes were not bad. I even had a scoop of the Sesame Ice-cream! Yums. Then, we walked back to Ubud Inn. Here’s where it got rather interesting – while passing Monkey Forest, I was robbed – by a bloody huge monkey. I was just only warning Kris and MOH to guard their belongings as the monkeys would likely snatch them when this huge-ass monkey came charging at me. Within seconds – he had snatched one of the garlands away and I was left there with a torn plastic bag! Oh – Kris and MOH just stood there laughing :P Well, what to do? The groom will have to go without the garland then :P I picked a bunga raya from Ubud Inn for the groom instead. That will have to do!

Leticia’s entourage arrived a lot earlier than the agreed plan so we hurriedly checked-out from Ubud Inn and joined her at Ibu Oka’s for lunch. It was really too packed and honestly, the babi guling here wasn’t that great – at least not for me or MOH. So far, the best babi guling we had in Bali was still the one served at our wedding in Kayumanis. Juicy, tender and flavourful! Anyway, after more photos, photos and photos, the bride & groom had coffee with us (this would be the 4th meal/drink break within half a day already!!) and after catching up some, Kris, MOH and myself left the lovebirds to do their thing while we left to check-in to Maya Ubud Resort & Spa.

The resort was ….. lovely! However, I can’t say the same about the service. It just lacked….. the personal touch. And it wasn’t nice to keep guests waiting for a room without notice – even after the room was ready! But I guess, running back-to-back 100% occupancy can do that to you so perhaps, it was just our luck. By the way – this stay of ours – where Kris and ourselves had one villa each for one night is courtesy of Journeys For Two – the Managing Editor and the Editor were clearly enjoying the fruits of their labour!

Without wasting much time, we walked over to enjoy the Jungle Luxe poolside. This was really rather breath-taking and the views were serene. For anyone wanting a wedding surrounded by lush nature, this should be the spot! Anyway, we all had a great time at the pool – which also marked the start of our “Bali’s Next Top Model” photo shoot session for the trip! *grin*. Let’s put it this way – we were all on a holiday and we were all not camera-shy – as long as the photos do not fall into the wrong hands! (FB here we come!!)

Afternoon tea was served at the Terrace and I went a little overboard with the cakes as after all that swimming and posing, I was starving!! We walked around the resort for a little bit before going back to our separate villas to enjoy the facilities there. The bath tub was huge – which was great. For some reason, MOH and I always enjoy our “deep meaningful” chats whilst in the tub.

Dinner for us was at Bebek Bengil’s – and we were not disappointed at all with our food. Cripsy Duck as well as Bebek Bertutu. After dinner, we took a 25 minute drive to Gianyar Regency to venture the local night market – Pasar Senggol. For all of us, this was our first time in Gianyar and this was pigging-out final round for the day. It was really gluttony when just right after dinner, we still had babi guling, sate lilit, sate kambing, fried chicken and bakso at Pasar Senggol. OMG indeed!! The babi guling – I have to say – was the best!!! So it had officially knocked the Kayumanis’ one off the top position now. Gianyar is said to be famous for its babi guling and for people who traveled into Gianyar and left without trying the babi guling, it is said that they hadn’t been to Gianyar! The bakso was good, the sate was good…. Mmmmm….. YUMMY.

MOH and I are really pasar malam junkies and wherever we travel to, we always love venturing into the local night markets. We know here is where the best local food can be found – as long as you have a strong stomach for it! Of course, I was delighted that Kris was as much a pasar malam foodie as I was!! This Gianyar trip was well worth it and glad the weather was favourable!!

After Gianyar, it was straight back to the villa for our second night in Bali – in a second hotel in two days.