Snippets of some videos I had in my laptop, which sort of summarises my year in 2009.

Music by Airtoe – New Year
Happy New Year Everyone!

After dinner at BREEZE, we headed over to Ku De Ta for some cocktails before heading back to the Villa to continue our party.

Ku De Ta is one of the more popular bars in Bali, attracting loads of tourists to this watering hole. Cocktail prices are a bit expensive for Bali standards, so it’s probably best to go there just for sunset drinks. They are well known for their yearly White Parties, but I’m not too sure what all the hype is about. Unless it’s some stellar line-up of DJs, it’s basically a beach party where everyone dresses in white?

The last picture is of us girls playing 5/10 thumbs.. READYYyyyyy!!

Ku De Ta
Address: Jalan Laksmana 9 Seminyak, Bali 80361 Indonesia
Tel: 62 361 736969
Fax: 62 361 73 6767

On our second night in Bali, we decided to eat out at a nice restaurant by the beach, and the first place that came to mind was BREEZE at The Samaya which overlooks Seminyak Beach. It’s not my first time there, but it was my first time there at night.

Here’s a little write-up from their website:

The menus that Chef Michael Shaheen showcases is an interpretation of Euro-American and blends the best of the environment with his own vision of contemporary American and global cuisine. Using the many indigenous ingredients Chef Michael’s menus are dictated by the local harvest and giving them as he defines a “Simple, Seasonal and Uncomplicated approach with a connotation of modern plated presentations, with very light full flavoured reduced sauces, and an air of freshness which appear in his dishes.

The food was good, prices reasonable, but what really did it for me was the venue and ambience. Eating with the sounds of waves continuously crashing on the beach was incredibly therapeutic for me. As someone said, the experience can be summed up as “comfortably casual in an elegant way”.

On my plate that evening was Local Wild Snapper with Truffle Scented Mushroom Risotto, Roasted Asparagus, Fennel, Oven Cured Tomato Reduction – 235 Rp

Breeze at The Samaya
Jl. Laksmana, Seminyak Beach,
Seminyak, Indonesia
Opening hours: 7am – 11pm
Telephone: (62 361) 731 149
Capacity 100 seats

What I love about the Villa is the amount of space we had. It’s unlike other holidays where you spend very little time in your hotel room. Here, there’s just no reason or need to leave the compound. If a ‘rest & relax’ holiday is what you’re after, there couldn’t be a better arrangement than this.

Afternoons were spent reading by the pool, swimming, sleeping, chatting and getting massages.

And you wonder why people stay here for months on end?

Waking up the next morning for surf school was a challenge. We dragged our sluggish selves out of bed and fed our bellies with some breakfast before packing ourselves into the van.

One of Amanda’s old friend Dedik has a surf school on Kuta beach called Double D surf school Bali. So Tony, Duncan, Chris, Marisa, Bella and I decided to give it a go!

It’s definitely not as easy as it looks, be prepared to fall off the board 100000 times before you finally ride a wave.

Look at us! We’re surfin I reckon we did pretty well for first-timers.

This is what they offer with their courses:
1. Free pick up & drop off
2. Quality surfboards & equipment
3. Sun protecting rashguards
4. Drinks
5. Showers, clean towels, & lockers
6. Insurance

For more info & bookings
website: www.surfschoolbali.com
e-mail: info@surfschoolbali.com
Phone: +62 81 7067 0046 or +62 361 780 6124

Gurney Drive aka Persiaran Gurney aka ‘The New Esplanade’, is one of the more touristy areas in Penang. The place is most well known for its local hawker food stalls. It’s not exactly by the sea as some websites describe it, you can’t really see much from where you’re seated.

Gurney Drive was named after Sir Henry Gurney, a Malayan High Commissioner who was assassinated by the guerrillas of the Malayan Communist Party during the Emergency period in the early 1950s.
Courtesy of wikipedia

The hawker centre only comes alive at night, with a massive selection of local delights for the discerning tourist. Prices are marginally more expensive than other places, but still very cheap!

From left to right
1. Oyster Omelette
2. Indian Rojak *must try*
3. Yong Tau Hu
4. Penang Laksa
5. Kueh pai ti
6. Cuttlefish Kang Kong
7. Popiah
8. Muah Chee *must try*

Address: Persiaran Gurney, next to Plaza Gurney, Penang Malaysia

In Bali, we all stayed at a Villa in Seminyak called Villa Azaya. It was ridick!?! Beautiful place. Amazing interiors. Gorgeous landscaping. Great service. There was just too much for us to take in all at once when we arrived. Best to explain in pictures!

Also managed to find a website describing the Villa below.

# of Bedrooms : 5
Total Living Area : 1000m2
Total Grounds : 2200m2

Villa Azaya is a contemporary-styled, five-bedroom, Bali rental villa, located just 50 metres from the beach in the Petitenget/Seminyak neighbourhood on Bali’s southwest coast. Covering 2000 square metres, the property comprises a large two-storey building complemented by a fully independent two-bedroom guesthouse, stand-alone gym, poolside gazebo and 20-metre swimming pool, well integrated within an expansive, flat-lawned garden.

The five air-conditioned bedrooms each feature ensuite bathrooms, there is also a living room, dining room, feature kitchen, and guest office/library, while the guest house incorporates its own living & dining room complete with small kitchen.

Ipods have been installed in every living area, and a Bose 321 home entertainment system provides sound in the living room, dining room and pool bar. WiFi internet access is available throughout the property.

Master bedrooms
The two, sizeable, master bedrooms are located on the upper floor of the main building. Each is air-conditioned and each features a teakwood floor, a dressing area and an ensuite bathroom; each is complemented by a rooftop terrace with a lovely view of the garden, the neighbouring fields and a glimpse of the ocean. Each spacious master bathroom is fitted with a bathtub with handheld shower, a double vanity unit with a large wall mirror and twin washbasins, and a toilet.

Guest House
The self-contained guest house offers independence and privacy; it is quite separate from the main building and accessed by a wooden bridge over an ornamental pond. This single-storey building incorporates two bedrooms, each with an ensuite bathroom, and a centrally positioned, open-sided, living & dining area complete with a small kitchen. The living space is furnished with segmented sofas and a glass-topped coffee table, and equipped with a satellite TV/DVD player, Nintendo Wii game system and an iPod dock.

Each bedroom is complemented by an ensuite bathroom with an open-air shower, a bathtub, a vanity unit with washbasin and mirror, and a toilet.

There is large open-sided ‘bale’ pavilion in the garden, with a raised wooden floor and a high roof, rattan sofas and a dining table for eight. It is cooled by natural breezes and two ceiling fans.

Gym
The air-conditioned Gym is a single-storey stand-alone building, located close to the swimming pool. It has a mirrored wall, sliding glass doors and is fully equipped with a treadmill, upright exercise bike, Concept2 Indoor Rower, multigym, free weights, adjustable bench, stretching and yoga mats, and an exercise ball. There is also an iPod dock.

Staff at the villa
The villa is staffed with one full-time Villa manager, Two cooks, Four maids, Four security guards, Two gardeners and One pool attendant.

Courtesy of Villa Azaya

More posts of Bali coming up where you can see pictures of the villa in the day.

Another meaning to Boxing Day at the Gray residences.

Mummy Vs Daddy

*updated – Didn’t realise it was on private…unlocked it now

I’m starting to enjoy these spur of the moment trips I make with friends. And I’m so glad I’m in a job now that allows me to travel more this year.

2 months ago, I get Kimmy msn-ing me in a frenzy about cheap flights to Bali on Air Asia.

www.airasia.com >> Select date & destination>> Personal particular>> Submit>> DONE!

In no time at all, about 10 of us were booked on a flight to Bali at the beginning of November. It was just a couple a months back I was in Bali with 2 other friends for some ‘me time’, but this time round it was the complete opposite. This was a time to socialise, have fun, party and emerge back into society with a more confident, happy and steady head on my shoulders.

We all met up at the airport in the arvo to catch our 7pm flight to Bali, and while buying duty free, someone brought up the idea of having a free shot at the Absolut bar. Oh well why not!

so Zileena, Kim, Marisa and me had a shot to kick start one of the best holidays I’ve had all year.

If you were wondering why we were pouting in the bottom few pictures, Kim swore by this lip gloss she got from Boots UK called ‘Mother Pucker’ which makes your lips tingle and plump up!

First evening there and we decided to head out to some beach club. Wasn’t that great so we ended up coming back to the villa to continue the party. More blog posts to follow on our Bali holiday.

My boardies, Kimmy’s pink toenails, Duncan’s boardies. I swear it wasn’t planned.

It’s that time of the year where we make our yearly pilgrimage up Penang Hill for the Kayuh Lasak Penang Jamboree. Last year, the organisers took a break. So we were all pretty psyched when we heard it’d be back this year.

Day 1 was spent doing the necessary such as race registration, breakfast shopping and preparing for the big ride on Sunday. It was Jo & Grace’s first time to Penang, so we made sure to cover the famous makan spots around town on Saturday too. That is a separate blog post all together.

Day 2 – Race Day!
5:45am: Wake up, shower, wiggle into cycling shorts, get water bag out of freezer, breakfast, pump tyres, check bike, spray lube, check I have all supplies in bag: spare tubes, tool kit, hand pump, energy gels, happy food.

And we’re all set to go!

We stayed quite close to race central, so it was a 15min warm up cycle to the start point. Met up with the rest of the crew and before you knew it, start horn begun our several hours of torture.

This is the first year I was doing the Penang Jamboree without Wayne, and I did feel anxious knowing there was no one but myself to rely on. For the past couple of Jamborees, it was always comforting to know that he was just a phone call away. This year, I spent most of the ride solo.

It was Me Vs Penang Hill.

As usual, if you don’t manage to get in the front pack, you quickly get bottle-necked at the climbs. What you will see are hundreds of people pushing their bike up 30 degree tarmac climbs with the hope that every hairpin turn would reveal a flatter gradient or downhill section.

Here’s an elevation map from Ming’s bike computer.

At every checkpoint, marshals will give you a little sticker on your race plate to indicate completion of that section. And only if you complete the whole route do you get to be entitled for the grand lucky draw.

A few picturesque highlights of the ride would be at the top of Tiger Hill. There was one point of the ride I just stopped and watched the fog roll in between the hill peaks, nature’s air-con at work.

I finished the race broken and humbled. Clearly my inactivity was showing at my poor performance especially on the climbs. As usual, the hill claimed many victims; riders with cramped legs were sprawled in pools of mud, scattered on the side of the trails like litter. And every now and then, you can hear screams of pain and agony in the distance. Ah, another cramper!

For me, I went home with chaffed inner thighs – friction from my cycling shorts. It’s not pretty and definitely not comfortable especially in the shower when water touches the raw skin.

Again, as I say every year, I’ll be back Penang!

I am in love with the idea of being in love. And I also have a ridiculous expectation on my marriage proposal. It’s not how much money you spend on a ring, or how elaborate the proposal. For me it has to be unique, creative, romantic and personal.

All together now…. Awwwwwwww…..

I actually found the above proposal romantic! My inner geek is showing!

I’ve still been taking my en route photos, and I think I’ve accumulated quite a lot on my Flickr group. Only 7 members, but that’s ok.

New video from Pomplamoose! I’m finally starting to feel it….

Loving his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles T-shirt!

I love both these guys! Too funny…

I’m about to post a Penang Jamboree 2009 entry, and realised….. I HAVEN’T POSTED THE ONE I WROTE IN 2007!!!!

Here it goes…please remember this was written in 2007
It’s been one year since the last Penang Jamboree, and I don’t know what possessed me to do it again!
Read more…

Clearing the back log… here we go!

1. My ex is: an ex for a reason

2. Maybe I should: move to the UK/NY/HK/Australia for awhile

3. I love: too easily

4. I don’t understand: Thermodynamics and statistical mechanics

5. I lose: focus easily

6. People say I: should drink more water!

7. Love is: not just passion and compatibility, but also respect and admiration.

8. Somewhere, someone is: dragging a Christmas tree along their snow covered lawn into the house, about to decorate it with tinsel, lights, baubles and ornaments.

9. I will always: turn the chair away from me before I sleep.

10. Forever is: never forever. I don’t believe in forevers anymore.

11. I never want to: settle for something less than what I deserve.

12. I think the current US President: is a refreshing change.

13. When I wake up in the morning: I wipe the drool away, turn off the aircon and jump straight into the shower, no dilly-dally! Get UP and Get Going!

14. My past was: messy with sparks of awesomeness!

15. I get annoyed when: SICC keeps sending me rubbish by post! Save the planet people, stop printing useless minutes and notices and stick them online instead. At least have an opt out function in place.

16. Parties are for: all

17. My dog is: across the rainbow bridge.

18. My cat is: non-existent.

19. Kisses are the best when: you least expect them. Like when you’re walking on the busy side walks of Hong Kong and he stops you in your steps and turns to give you smooch. Hot!

20. Tomorrow: I’m going to spend quality time with the family! Auntie Wendy is in town

21. I really want: to see snow again…

22. I have low tolerance for people who: don’t have a good head on their shoulders.

23. I am tagging: everyone

Earlier this year, I went on a spur-of-the moment trip to Redang Malaysia just to get away from it all. Find a willing travel partner, and was all set to go. It was a long weekend, and I was in need of some colour, pasty white was soooo last season *tsk*.

I have to say, it has to be one of the prettiest beaches in Malaysia.

Where to stay
Most people, especially those going with families, would usually opt for the Berjaya Hotel on the busier side of the island. But if you’re looking for something quieter and more rustic, stay at the Coral Redang Beach Resort on the other side. The rooms aren’t great, but honestly, you won’t spend much time in there anyway.

Things to do
As touristy as it may seem, it’s still worthwhile to go snorkelling at the marine park just 15mins boat ride away. Don’t forget to bring your underwater camera, because you can take some pretty amazing photos on a sunny day. If you don’t have one, don’t fret, the dive centre rents out underwater cameras too.

If you dive, I heard they make two trips out a day to wrecks.

If you just want to chill, do what I did, park yourself on a deck chair for the day, read my book, tan and swim. And if you’re a geek like me, there’s free wifi resort wide.

Getting there
Another tip if you’re planning to go to Redang… take a flight! The 10 hour journey there on bus and boat was truly painful!

You can actually find most of the information you need on wikitravel.