Thank u 2009

Okay so just one more quick entry before 2009 ENDS!!! The time really has zoomed away and even thou I'm not "as" busy as I mite be in say Singapore with more parties and stuff to attend, I have to say that December has come to an alarmingly FAST end.

To be honest, I'm more excited about my winter holiday than the looming New Year Eve tonight (but I'll get to that). Yes I feel that it's a significant time when it comes to farewelling a year gone by and embracing 2010...but it won't be a huge "hoo-ha" here in Brunei without the crowds, parties & fireworks. I've spent part of the arvo dropping emails to old friends in an effort to just remember them. Wishing them Happy New Year is a great time to touch base. I miss my friends!

But most of my energy has been channeled into planning our itinerary for Beijing. Can't believe we're flying off next week! yippeee! I just love jumping online to read about the new hip spots that make this city even more awesome than it already is. Found this website called localnoodles.com.cn that offers useful restaurant reviews & updates on the latest new places.

Not only can we be immersed in chinese history & culture (it'll be like the 3rd time in e Imperial Palace for me) but we can also indulge in some incredible restaurants and range of cuisines available....e'thing from hot pots, muslim lamb skewers & of course "kaoya" (peking duck). So stay tuned for my return and I can't wait to share my fave picks here.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Bring on 2010!

Birthday in Miri

Whew! The birthday has come & gone. Not that I was dreading turning a year older cos that just makes no difference to me whatsoever. A number is a number! I think I was just feeling a tad alone tis year initially. Birthdays are traditionally a time one would be celebrated, by her dearest friends and family around her. It's a silly romantic notion stuck in my head.

But my mum was way Down Under and dad was also on another island. And over the years, the extended family are too busy with their own lives...and reserve birthday celebrations for kids only. Close friends were scattered globally while new friends in Brunei.....well... it's still early :P

So I had to see jin as kinda my family, friend and boyfriend, all rolled into one. And that meant eating a whole birthday cake by ourselves too! As it turned out, we were driving to M'sia the next day and had to give 90% of the cake away to his brother and my housemate (whom were both unaware of e bday occasion!).

Anyway our roadtrip to Miri was a lovely little holiday & what better excuse for a holiday than a bday (that plus my tourist visa was expiring!!). I fully appreciated having my bf drop everything to take time off for me mid-week hehe! The Marriot was a bargain at only $100 p/n wif huge buffet breakfast spread included - my favourite part hehe! We sat by e pool & read all day (finished e Lost Symbol by Dan Brown & thot it was only average btw).

Not to forget - a dozen red roses & champagne waiting for us when we checked in.

A table was also booked for dinner which was a yummilious Rack of Lamb. And it wouldn't be a bday without e house "band" embarrassing me wif a rendition of Happy Birthday for all the restaurant to see! And when I thot it was over... they threw in an extra serenade (the song "You look Wonderful Tonight") & said it was requested by Jin. But it wasn't! HAHA! It was typical asian cheesy but we had a gd laugh.

And totally random - some shots of the abundant wildlife in Miri that kept us company. Plus a take-home souvenir of over 30 sandfly bites. ITCHY!!!!

Well I'm officially older now...and hopefully a touch wiser, as the intimate celebration gave me a new perspective on birthdays! I miss my friends & family but I wasn't really alone.

No power to do anything.

Waiting for the power to come back on....you can't help but realise how much electricity is taken for granted. There is seriously so so little you can do to kill time. We had a black out last night and this morning on two separate occasions. Night time is definitely the worst of the two... no internet, no tv, no air conditioning plus extra heat from candles cos there's no light.... no reading, nothing to do to pass the time but maybe go to bed really early....after 2 cold showers trying to cool down. hehe! The first couple of blackouts were rather a novelty for me. I thot it was fun lighting e candles & just sitting ard the living rm chatting with family - watching the kids have nothing to do :P

Now it's gotten to the stage where the novelty has definitely worn off, they're a lot more common than I thot was possible. It's just a way of life here....and no amount of "feedback" to the govt will change this. The infrastructure is perhaps not coping with the growing demands of power?!? Who knows. Normally e blackouts occur during a storm, but yesterday it was a perfectly clear night. Thank goodness dinner was already cooked....so we all had a romantic meal with candlelight.

This morning...it unexpectedly went out again just after we woke up. I was all prepared to sit by the window and read all day if need be. At least there was light to do that. But I thought about all the businesses that were at a standstill cos there were no computers to work with. And cafes with customers in them...but unable to finish cooking or collect the bill cos the cash register was out of action. eeks! So disruptive!

Kids at the Gym

Something that's been bothering me.....should kids be allowed in the gym? I can't help but think of all the things that could go really wrong. Yesterday I found myself running on the treadmill next to a kid also on his treadmill half bending over and leaning on the front handbar while running. He looked like he was so tired...he would trip and fall any minute! But kept going. I was more than worried. Those treadmills always warn ppl not to hold the "heart beat" rail thing (u noe the one with sensors that measure ur heart beat...watever its called) while running and yet this kid was grabbing on for dear life. Did he not know when to stop? ...when to call it a day cos your body is tired? Didn't look like it.

Okay I admit, maybe I'm just bias and slightly annoyed cos the gym was overrun by high school kids that took up all the machines and were also sitting around the stretching area - which is already small enough...leaving no space for those that actually needed e space to stretch. They were sitting there chatting - nothing to do with working out. A bit inconsiderate I thought.

But they're kids. They generally didn't seem to have the same levels of courtesy and etiquette needed in a gym. Lately I keep seeing really young kids jumping on and off treadmills like a new toy they're mucking around with. What if they really did slip and hurt themselves? Those machines can go pretty fast.

And weight machines are worse - if not used properly...obviously. You could do way worse than pull a muscle on those things. And yet the gym is taking the chance. Could they get sued if someone got injured? Hmmm I wonder. Is it really worth that small amount in membership fees? Kids don't even pay full price.

Anyway... I guess I just needed to vent. To my surprise, when I checked out some of the other well known gyms overseas, I found that they now have "youth" memberships as well. I never saw a kid in the gym over the 4 years in Spore. I kinda like it tat way.

Brunei Dinners

Life in Brunei - let me mention the challenges first! There is seriously a major lack of good restaurants here. I'm not even looking for excellent - I'm merely hoping for "some" good food. And basically we have exhausted our options. We only eat out on weekends (thank God) which works out to be maybe 2 or 3 restaurant dinners a week. So we rotate... between a little jap place in Kiarong called Kaizen, or a yummy steak at Deals, Sheraton Hotel (we even know the waiter now hehe!) and pastas & pizzas at Villa Mauri. Those are our top 3.

[For those living here.... any other suggestions????]

Soooo anyhow the lack of variety here leads us to cook our own yummy dinners once in awhile and did I mention how great a cook my bf happens to be?! hehe! On saturday nite, he was in charge of the menu and I was to create the desired ambience :P That's another thing u kinda don't find here. The local restaurants love to stick a plasma tv to the wall...as the entertainment for the night. If I wanted to watch tv, I would just get take away and eat in the comfort of my own home. If u don't get a tv, then you're likely to get soppy soppy ol 90's lovesongs playin in the background.

My personal choice of ambience music would be more a mix of Nat King Cole & Michael Buble....jazzy, classic tunes playing gently in the background. Then the candles... a very simple way to create some mood.... and soft lighting. That's it!

Another bonus about eating in.... it's totally private dining. hehe! Don't have to pay for that luxury. AND AND AND... we can have wine with our dinner. No corkage! yeah! That's better than all the restaurants in Melbourne & Spore (that I noe of... cos e'body charges corkage there!)

It was a simple, romantic night of some wine, double brie, steak & aiglio olio pasta for dinner. Only thing really missing was dessert - which we were a little too full for. Satisfied :)

Travel ideas

I honestly hope that this will be useful to people who happen to chance upon this blog. Recently I've had the exciting task of planning our next holiday in January. Tight budget of course but always fun to pick and choose from the world...a new destination. God certainly created it to be amazing and my mum passed on the travel bug to me at a young age. I love exploring new places, and experiencing other country cultures. Sometimes u read about cultures that are dying out...pretty sad.

Anyway I've already gone thru some ideas and thought if you're in the region and in need of some inspiration - then allow me to share these wif u :)

(i) LIJIANG - CHINA

It's main attraction that would lure me there....is the Banyan Tree. hehe! Honestly it's beautiful and going in the winter time would mean soaking in a nice hot tub with a view of the majestic snow capped Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. This is the stuff of fairytales. And at a price tag of approx SGD$250 a nite. That's not far off the cost of some hotels in Spore....with no view and definitely no hot

tub!!

Lijiang has a quaint Old Town to explore and is officially a UNESCO World Heritage site. Thank goodness China is protecting some of its history and traditions in these small towns for the rest of the world to see. The photos I came across really make me wanna check the place out. Oh and the other famous site near Lijiang is the Tiger Leaping Gorge - sounds like something out of that Chinese movie..."Crouching tiger, Hidden dragon".

Noted it's not the easiest place to get to. Silk Air flies to Kunming fr Spore and then u have to transfer to a domestic flight to Lijiang. So far, have not had much luck searching for the domestic airfares...cos some of the info is in chinese and I can't read it. And the other website I found quoted prices in USD that sounded way too much! But still reckon tis would be so worth the journey there.

(ii) BEIJING - CHINA

Yes this is a more common destination I noe and I've already been to this awesome city twice (one time I stayed for 6 months even :). It's just that Singapore Airlines is having a great deal on the flight from Brunei...$820 incl of tax. And after the Olympics, this city has changed heaps...some of the stuff I found on the web - I can't even recognise anymore. The number of boutique hotels that have popped up are incredible and so cool....but ummm not cheap :(

Am just gonna list a few that appealed to me:

(a) The Opposite House www.oppositehouse.com Modern & free mini bar in every room.

(b) 3 + 1 Bedrooms www.3plus1bedrooms.com Very sml - literally 3 rooms & 1 suite.

Old converted hutong - where u get to experience the real old Beijing.

(c) The Emperor www.theemperor.com.cn Real close to Forbidden City so great views they say.

And saving the best til last.... there's been some talk about this place. It's located in one of the very best places u could want in China....right next to the Great Wall. Cool huh! It's called COMMUNE BY THE GREAT WALL. It's not only accommodation but a huge architectural project in itself - created by 12 high profile Asian architects...with private access to The Great Wall as your playground. I was just blown away by the whole concept. The pricetag doesn't help either, rooms start at SGD$500 each. Ouch!

Oh well.... a girl can dream can't she! Just imagine a full Beijing itinerary of historical chinese sites which can tire anyone out and then unwinding at the end of the trip with a night at this place. What a great way to enjoy the Great Wall. hehe!

So still have some way to go in terms of research before making a decision on where to go for our next holiday. Sri Lanka was also on the list but unable to find any good flight deals. Plus my bf and I are keen for a winter holiday for a nice change. I will likely freeze my butt off in Beijing as it's coldest in January but at least I know where to go to pick up some appropriate winter attire. Tell me that's not the best excuse for some shopping. haha! Okay tat's it for today.

P.S For those who know me.... think u'll start to notice that all of the above is a result of the sweet influence of my darling architect boyfriend who's dream is to one day design and build his own boutique hotel. Meanwhile as part of the research, we have no choice but to stay in some of the best... in order to create something just as good. hehe! Some of our personal holiday pics have already been used in his presentations to his clients. How good is it to be working & doing something u love! yeah!

The wait...for the big question.

Okay so let me be completely honest here. One of the things I'm waiting on is.... a proposal. Yeah it's no major surprise. My bf and I have talked about it in rather great lengths - not the proposal itself but marriage. It will not come as a major major surprise when he decides to pop the question (althou he may be lucky and catch me off guard!!) and I guess it's different for every gal. Some are shocked beyond belief and never saw it coming while others have already shopped for their engagement ring and wearing it before he has even officially asked for her hand in marriage (hv read blogs abt this in the US). Better yet are some of the Singaporean proposals which culturally come in the form of "will u buy a HDB flat with me?" (hehe! this happened to my gf & at the time, I was still learning to embrace much of e Sporean culture so i wasn't too impressed and boy did I have words with the bf...haha! But in the end, he did follow up with a very romantic proposal in HK - sweet.)

Anyhow for those out there who may find themselves in similar shoes to moi.... it's just the most funny, wierd, limbo feeling...rite?!? Talking about something that's going to happen but not knowing quite when and having absolutely no control over it. This is what "waiting" is all about. hehe!

While life goes on and I'm multi-tasking other things in my life, there are also certain things like moving out into a house of our own, designing and renovating a nice big master bedroom...which we've talked so much about but I just can't get on with it yet! I'm a little of two minds - wanting it to happen so that I move into the next stage of life (& enjoy the renovated pad hehe!) and at the same time, kinda happy to wait and not rush into the many new responsibilities that married life will throw on me.

For now, I shall be content with my existing bedroom, where the books sit in piles on the floor instead of book shelves, minimal furnishings and DIY bathroom shelving..... And I wait... until it's time to move on. There is indeed a time for everything :)

Productive Sunday

Human beings are pretty adaptive if they need to be. In Brunei, you will find no Bunnings and no Ikea. So a girl has no choice but to resort to some home DIY. We had some pieces of wood chopped up for us (a plank to be precise) and brought it home to construct together. Jin drilled and I painted (aka stained the wood so it looked slightly better). What a team!

And then it was left on our balcony to dry (not before we nearly made our housemate high from the paint thou haha!) Voila...the finished product in my bathroom....more storage now :)

Well the boy has gone home tonight so it's a quiet Sunday night to myself. It's been awhile :P The candles are lit and I'm tossing up between starting a new novel or maybe a new season of ANTM? Decisions... decisions. Hope it's been a good weekend for all. Busy week ahead so am soaking up the last of the weekend now. Think a touch of port will help too....

Domestic Goddess wannabe

Man! Why do we have so many chores to do and why are they so not fun?!?! I get my good days and bad days - some days I just cannot get motivated to do anything. But once the motivation kicks in - I can be super efficient...thank God! During those times, it takes less than 5 mins to fold and put away my laundry and yet I can leave a pile sitting there (calling my name) for days and days and days. hehe! Just terrible! Not sure any household can function at the mercy of me...waiting til I feel like doing the chores. yikes! I best not think about it and will pray that I grow to like my chores more and grow supernatural powers to conquer them when I need to. hehe!

Living in Asia really does spoil me in not having to iron my own clothes or mop/vacuum the floor - these are my most dreaded chores EVA! Being able to afford some help is bliss and I know....that when I eventually move back to Oz, it will be self-torture cos by default, I'm choosing to go "without help". oh boy!

It's taken me sometime to get used to having maids around thou. I'm not entirely comfortable with the idea of them cleaning around me while I'm sitting on my butt reading and drinking my coffee. The guilt is just horrible! I just feel so bad, and it's hard to switch it off. Having to also manage a maid as part of your household and allowing them into your home is another huge challenge - I'm observing my friends move outta their parents place and hire their own maid and setting the ground rules, the huge trust issues and the humanity factor - how should they be treated??!?

Ultimately I'm not there yet. I would just get walked all ova...cos I'd end up being too nice to them (which for me is just about treating them like another human being - which u can't!!!). So until I get first hand experience in managing them and living with them - the verdict is out. That's why I just wanna be at peace with my chores for now. hehe! And hope hope hope that the um "cleaning" inspiration (they come is such fleeting short bursts) will come so much more frequently. It's really about being house-proud and that I know...I have. I love making my home look and feel nice and warm.

Reviewing Home Security.

Is it possible to actually feel a tad chilly? Gosh I've turned soft while living near the Equator! The dark clouds are rolling in fast this morning and even while sitting under the fan, I feel a chill. Don't know how I'm gonna survive when I move back to a country that has 4 seasons. The heater will be on 24/7. hehe!

Anyway we've officially had our first break-in. Our LPG tank got stolen over the weekend. It was nearly empty which made it easy to carry away. Plus we don't have neighbours on one side of our house, so it's doubly easy to get in thru the semi-jungle/empty plot of land next to us. Just as Jin's dad was nagging at us to put a chain on it before it gets nicked! Too late!

Overall Brunei is still pretty safe but I guess there's always that side you don't see as it turns dark. We are surrounded by foreign workers who don't get paid all that much, and live in pretty poor conditions and a LPG tank is worth $100 bucks - so that's easy money for sure! Now we gotta re-look our home security. I feel slightly violated! Not a good feeling knowing it was that easy to come into our backyard and take stuff. We don't leave "a lot" out there, but my clothes are always left hanging out there to dry - what if they went missing too?! I'd be in tears!

And if that wasn't enough, we have a new pest in the neighbourhood. A black cat literally jumped up through our kitchen window grills and into our house the other day! I freaked! We had nothing to keep the cat OUT. They are agile creatures! So a trip to the hardware store is in order...to get some mesh wire to drape across the window. Keep out mozzies and cats while keeping the kitchen well ventilated. hehe! Honestly - u just don't get these kinds of problems back in Spore :P

Un...inspired

Maybe it's cos I just got back from Spore & it usually takes a little while to adjust....but am feeling pretty SLUGGISH! The contrast is huge - from mad, hectic, divine meals with so many close friends to now simply creating my own schedule of gym, addictive dvds & lotsa online reading.

Every trip is different even thou it's the same place & same faces. I managed to catch up wif 35 of my closest frens in just 4 days. Not a bad effort. The best part - listening to different life issues - from havin to work their way thru skooL which is so rare in Spore & awesome, to honourin parents as they tried to maintain some control ova ur "adult" life...definitely tricky!

Anyway how's this for a summary of the trip.. "chicken 2-ways washed down with a couple of martinis." hehe!

And a face you just can't resist. He's just growing more and more adorable each time I see him. Right now he's just the purrrrfect 'bolster' to hug! hehe! My fave toy to play wif. And my dear friend has made a huge decision to quit her job to look after tis little one. Kudos! I guess kids really do change ur life huh. I just hope I can handle it one day. I call them "toys" for a reason - purely cos they can be passed around, & put away when u get bored hehe!

aHH tat's WHY!

I figured it out! I know why I go to the gym. So I can eat this....

Ever so thankful for globalisation. Without it, I would not be able to get my hands on the extremely reliable, consistent, sinfully yummy taste of KFC. One can't find a half decent cup of coffee here on this exotic but under-developed island of Borneo (aka Brunei - my home for the next few years) but at least there's Fast Food to address those rare unhealthy cravings!! The only difference..... the err "kampong" chickens are kinda small here. My 2 piece feed was not enuf! Gonna get hungry tonight.

Actually have been fighting off the midnight hunger pangs quite often lately. I have no idea WHY I'm hungry even after having a big dinner, but it's the worse habit to get into. And yet I can't fall asleep if I'm hungry. Awful dilemma - every health & fitness article will advise no eating after 8pm and yet I'm munching away. The experts do not address the problem of "not being able to sleep if hungry". If they cld address tat issue, I'd be a happier gal for it!

Did It

So the day has come and gone and I achieved one thing. I found THIS black & pink gerbera blog template. I love this flower. Thanks to the designer Lena...for her many awesome templates to choose from. As I spent the day surfing for these templates, I came across an incredible world of super creative people who do this for their own enjoyment. Am impressed.

Hoping to get to the gym later this evening before the weekend officially begins. I still can't figure out what my body likes in terms of exercise. No matter how much I try, my body doesn't seem to benefit from the so-called perks of exercising. I don't sleep better, I haven't managed to reduce the circumference of my tummy in the slightest, I don't have more stamina....it's all a SCAM!!! Does anyone else feel e same?

oh well...am still sucked in and going to the gym anyway.

Nothing in particular

Hmmm... I've not had any luck in changing this template and since this is a rather un-inspiring background for any blog, I've not had too much to say. Do I really have to meddle with HTML to get a nice funky blog template?!?!

Anyway today I have a new project to work on, so don't have the usual luxury of time to enjoy. Plus it's Friday which always makes it an uphill challenge to get any work done. hehe!

A one minute random brain dump:

• - the fridge needs a major clean out - left overs from last week
• - hoping to catch up wif a friend on Skype this arvo
• - researching the Oz kitchen industry online
• - checking out the local Travel Fair after lunch in hopes of grabbing some cheap flights for next year hehe!
• - still debating on where to go in Dec...either Malacca (if we can stay at the new boutique hotel) or Cameron Highlands as a backup or maybe Langkawi?!

Well I'm lookin forward to working on our 1st DIY project ova the weekend - Jin is making me some bathroom shelves. yeah! Will post pics....IF they turn out ok :P

Losing my thoughts to the abyss.

After much thought, I decided to enter into the world of BLOGGING. Hope there's a way out should I not enjoy it :P But mostly I hope to somehow inspire (myself even!)... and share with others what I see, what I discover & learn, what I'm journeying thru and so on. I choose to simply enjoy the ride while I'm even at tis rather transitionary stage of my life. No job. New country. It's been about 10 months since these big changes have invaded my life. Well I guess tat's not entirely true... I did CHOOSE to make these changes.

Anyway I just got back from BKK and am super excited to share some of my fin

dings. Did my research (in blogs actually) and discovered a wealth of hidden gems in this great city that tend to get left out in the tourism websites. Don't miss out...the next time u head out tat way.

i) AGALICO - the website is a bit slow to load up but basically it's an amazing, picturesque tearoom with lush, green gardens to enjoy admist BKK's pollution and filth :)

www.agalico.co.th

ii) Mini Bar Royale - located on SV soi 23. Okay despite the service being rather bitchy, the food was able to make up for it.

I was an early bird, being the first to arrive at this cafe only to be shuffled to the back seat facing e toilets, cos everything was apparently reserved. How uber disappointing. Best to book ahead for a yummy brunch.

iii) Its Happened to be a Closet - yeah bad english but very successful local business/brand in BKK. Not only do the sell clothes, but have launched a cafe now that is beautifully decked out in retro sofas and unique furniture pieces. Devoured a huge slice of the coconut sponge cake there wif my coffee. Yummo. Located @ Emporium.

Hope u get to check em out!