SIMPLY Waiting...

Pain wakes me up!

2010-05-19T12:17:00.005+08:00

Decided to try a 9am Pilates class this morning. OMG....talk about PAIN!!! My leg muscles are just so useless and weak! Maybe I can blame it on my recent episode of "shingles" that kept me in bed for a good week....hence minimal usage of my legs!

Anyway really really felt good to be up and about early! Makes a difference to my breakfast too. Let's just hope the energy levels continue throughout the rest of my day. Hope you're having a great one too, whatever u may be up to.

Oh found this on "a glamorous little side project" and I swear every woman should have a shoe rack like this. Makes me happy just lookin at it. Accessories RULE! Bet ya Jessica Alba does pilates tooooo!

Independent Weekend

2010-05-09T14:15:00.005+08:00

I realised it not...... until this weekend. I kinda missed my independence! One of the errr slight symptoms of being in a relationship. But let me clarify....I use the term "independence" loosely to mean not having to think or worry abt your other half for a bit. Just doing my own thing really.

As u can guess, jin's away this weekend and so I've had to entertain myself. Initially I only had negative thoughts abt him leaving me alone....in a country where I've yet to really feel totally at home in, or at least be secure because I'm surrounded by family and friends...not!!

But it's been good - driving off to the gym for my class without having to worry about who's using the car, opening a bottle of wine and settling in with some chick flicks cos its what I want to watch, sleeping in and not worrying abt what time I had to have breakfast, and basically enjoying the house all to myself! It's nice :) I'm indulging in a little selfishness I think and that's okay. Don't you think?!?

Oh...it also means more yummy home-cooked meals. Dinner was a pan-fried salmon fillet w/ roasted baby carrots & potatoes and salad, washed down with a glass of delicious Shiraz :)

Lunch today consisted of a tuna penne salad, tossed w/ sweet corn & argula plus a side of roasted pumpkin! Yum!

Enjoying the Thunder

2010-05-02T21:46:00.005+08:00

Peaceful sunday night....until the thunder started anyhow. Now my music is turned up a few notches to drown out the very very loud storm that's raging outside. I love thunderstorms - even thou they tend to frighten the crap out of me. It's just me....under the doonas wif lotsa dvds. Too comfortable! [loving Private Practice right now btw... good drama :P]

Has been a lovely day - jin's away in Spore, which means I got the car and managed to venture out on my own to one of the local coffeeshops to vege - read a mag and enjoy a coffee in the late afternoon.....amongst other older "uncles" who were also out enjoying their sunday (the local scene!). Besides the few funny stares (cos i kinda stuck out like a sore thumb)...it was fun!

It wasn't spruce coffee or anything...and I am well aware that it's not so acceptable for me to sit alone in an oldish, small, not so modern coffeeshop, reading my Pulses mag abt the stock market....but i dared to soak up the local conservative culture and when i closed my eyes, i cld nearly taste my favourite melbourne coffee. Well this was the local take of decent coffee anyhow!!

P.S took a photo of my cup of coffee - the last time i was in Spruce in Singapore...to help me remember.....hmmmm ....the flavor. Yum.

Bed Hopping!

2010-04-28T15:02:00.011+08:00

It's been WAY too quiet here on my blog....sorrreee y'all. Been in Singapore for most of the month with minimal internet access. A short trip turned into an unexpected 2 week stay which was super awesome cos that meant some quality time with daddy dearest. BLISS.

The flying in and out was centered around my bf doing Lasik. From wearing THE heaviest glasses in the world on his poor lil nose (we're talking 1000 degrees people! He is termed - legally BLIND!) to now being free of any kind of visual aid. yippeee! Check out his last photo wif his glasses EVA :P

The technology for Lasik has changed since I did my eyes, and this particular doctor was as good as they get - wif the latest equipment to increase accuracy of the procedure. But it certainly came at a cost. He prefers to operate one eye at a time, lots of tests and checks, very thorough but time consuming too. And of course, the more time u spend in his clinic, the more money he's able to charge ya! hehe! Not only is he a good doctor, but he's also a damn good businessman :P I am talking about the pretty famous.... Dr Jerry Tan at Camden Medical.

Would I recommend him? Yes if you're as blind as my bf was - cos most doctors aren't able to successfully do Lasik on such high degrees. But don't waste your money if you're only say 400 degrees and below.

Anyhoo the month of April saw me sleep in a total of 6 different beds in as little as 3 weeks. So I figured I could give ya a quick review on the few hotels we got to sample. It's just so pricey to stay in hotels in Spore these days - demand is up, and so are prices! But I did find a great deal for a brand spanking new hotel tat opened literally couple of days before we arrived. It's called Studio M - located at Robertson Quay - my absolute most fave area of Spore. Opening promo was $200 a nite wif free wireless.

A chic, modern lobby.

Designer furniture

Then in between hotel stays, I went to dad's for 2 weeks while Jin was back in Brunei working. It felt great to spend some quality time wif dad. I was also able to catch up with a few friends here and there without the usual mad rush.

When Jin came back again, we found that a night at the lovely Sentosa Resort & Spa (The Beaufort) was more affordable than any hotel in town due to the Gourmet World Summit and the volcanic ash crisis in Europe, which left hundreds of travellers stranded with no accomm. Hotel rooms doubled & tripled in price overnight - scary stuff! Felt really bad for them. And by affordable, it really wasn't.... we paid $300 a night and heard that some tourist were being charged $600 and up. eeks! Well that was bed #3 and the best room service we've had in ages! hehe!

I flew back to Brunei mid month only to be locked out of my house and had to seek refuge at Jin's place (which was bed #4) and then finally my own bed (bed #5) for only 3 nights before flying back again 4 days later for Jin's second eye Lasik surgery. Have I lost anyone yet?!?! hehe!

Bed #6 was at the Royal Plaza on Scotts - pretty old but decent and best of all, spack bang in Orchard Rd which made it extremely convenient. The room was the least exciting, with a view of a carpark next door. It was also noisy during the day - so beware. We paid $220 per night which is still considered one of the cheaper rates for Orchard Rd but not really that worth it. So that pretty much concludes my bed hopping adventures for the month.

To sign off - here's a pic... depicting an insect lying in his cocoon, waiting to spread his wings and SEE the world for the first time!

hehe! [aka jin wif his eye masks! Published wif his permission.]

Monday night Drama

2010-03-23T10:38:00.004+08:00

Let me tell you a little story about a girl who went out to buy a DVD and came face to face with a "non" customer service culture.

She popped out in the late afternoon to pick up something fun to watch that night but alas, the dvd seemed to have scratches on it and would not play. So after dinner, she went back to the store to try and exchange the disk. Unfortunately there weren't any copies of that particular movie left in the store but they did manage to locate a copy at their other store so she drove over to pick it up.

While testing the dvd at the store, they ran into the same problems where the disk got stuck in the same part, making it unwatchable. She kindly asked for an exchange for another movie only to be told that she had to go BACK to the original store for any such exchanges! Driving back and forth in one night wasn't her idea of fun and she decided to try and reason with the salesgirl to make an exception. Finally an hour later, after several calls to seek approval and advice from their manager, they relented much to the relief of the little girl.

Upon selecting her exchange item, the salesgirl charged an extra $3 for the new dvd. Now here's the math as far as she could see it. The original dvd cost $23.90 and she was given her usual membership discount and paid $21. The new dvd cost $24 which was a whole 0.10cents more than the original!! And yet the store wanted to charge her $3 and said no further discount applied. HUH?!?!?!

It just didn't make any sense! Much to her frustration, she tried to gently convince the store that it required only a simple exchange without any monetary complications and if anything she secretly thought she should be the one getting compensated on the faulty dvd in the first place and having to drive around town all night.

The happy ending to the story though was the success of her persuasive influencing skills :) She went home with a new dvd for no extra cost, and had a great relaxing night.

THE END ....hehe!

Code of Silence

2010-03-08T14:40:00.004+08:00

I've had quite a few things on my mind lately...stuff that I've been wanting to write about here......BUT I realised something cruciaL recently - my country of abode right now requires me to take a unique "code of silence" !! hehe! This is the kinda thing that you so easily take for granted in western countries - freedom of speech, democracy and all. But that's not the case everywhere and some places simply have their own rules. I'm learning!

I can be cryptic thou :) Well I'll try to be anyway cos some of the things that I want to share are what makes this place so damn interesting! Like last weekend, I was taken to a new place for dinner. That is indeed a big deal cos as I've mentioned before, we're really limited to a handful of cafes/restaurants here. Not set up in any normal err venue, the food had an amazing home-cooked feel & was super yummy and inexpensive. I can't exactly identify the place but I believe I only need to say one thing.....

SALTED EGG COATED DEEP FRIED CHICKEN!! hehe!

Trust me...it's to die for :) And it is what this place is known for. Way better than KFC. I honestly find gems in the most unusual of places - places that are not always fully legit, but who cares! We'll definitely be back...afterall it's only just around the corner. hehe!

p.s Inside my head, I've been working on a list of the Top 5 Must-Dos for Brunei. I believe this just made it to my Top 5 list. More to come so stay tuned. (of course I'm rather slow in my Brunei discoveries so if there are any suggestions out there - do leave a note!)

L.O.V.E

2010-02-18T13:38:00.006+08:00

A good friend reminded me from the beginning not to start a blog unless I had something meaningful to say :) So that got me inspired to chat a little on LOVE and plus Valentines Day just passed and being our first one in Brunei, we had to rethink how to celebrate it without the traditional commercialism of the occasion.

I personally felt it was no different to any other ordinary day when jin could surprise me with some flowers he picked from his backyard to brighten my room with. Flowers are flowers - they die within a week whether you pay good money for them or not. It's definitely the thought tat counts!

And romantic dinners....well there are really only 2-3 restaurants that we enjoy eating at (and allow you to bring wine) so once they become part of our weekly routines, it's hard to notice the difference b/w a normal dinner and a V-Day dinner :P

This really made me think! V Day was not necessarily abt how to celebrate with dinner / flowers / gifts etc, but a reminder to be thankful that love comes in other forms too....like making breakfast for me in bed, reminding me to take my vitamins, allowing me to choose which dvd to watch, praying for me when I'm tired or sick.... Jin's good at tat - looking to e cross, seeing the positives & believing in His abundant blessings in our lives!

Gong Xi Fa Cai

2010-02-12T14:23:00.008+08:00

This weekend is Chinese New Year. And as it turns out, CNY is a pretty big deal to jin's family. There's been a lot of activity leading up to it; the house gets a thorough spring clean, new cushions on the sofa, front door has a fresh coat of paint, cars are washed & even the driveway gets a special jet-spray treatment.

Me, I'm not that keen on the many traditions. I honestly don't understand why one has to wear new clothes for CNY? But then again.... I bet most of my generation are clueless to the significance of this and simply take it as a great excuse to go shopping! hehe! The other part I'm not fond of anymore is the receiving of "ang pows". Call me crazy for not liking the idea of receiving money but I really do feel such an awkwardness & embarrassment about it. Maybe it's got something to do with me being in a foreign country, with a family tat's not my own.

So for the most part, I hope to survive the errrr "duties" of greeting strangers as they visit the house by rewarding myself with some quality DVD time. I have quite a few great titles to get thru....(with or without my bf haha!).

The pineapple tarts are essential of course!

Oh and I nearly forgot.... Happy Valentines Day! I got some gorgeous lillies from jin last night and heading off to "Deals" at the Sheraton for dinner tonight (yes we're celebrating early!).

Burgers anyone?

2010-02-08T18:26:00.007+08:00

It's been nearly 12 months since I arrived on the island of Borneo and unfortunately I've not had much luck finding the food that I crave for. The lastest... I wanted to eat a really good burger! And unless you can be satisfied with McDonalds, there really ain't a lot of options here. So I resorted to learning from Jamie. The recipe was pretty straight forward and idiot proof. hehe! Not only am I picking up a couple of handy new skills in the kitchen....but I'm learning to do without some decent furniture tooooo. This is our new dining table featured below! Yes u observed correctly - no chairs.... just making do on our little cushy.

Being Health Conscious with REAL FOOD

2010-02-06T15:48:00.011+08:00

Well since I started down the path of err semi-regular exercise and trying to keep fit, I thought I'd take a moment to tell ya about a new little cafe that's all about being healthy. It's called "Real Food" and they've created a small niche of dishing up organic food to the local Singaporean and expats alike. In the chaotic process of globalisation, I do believe the food we eat today ain't as natural as it used to be and especially having to import food all around the world to satisfy international tastebuds, it's not surprising that one has to inject their produce with all kinds of preservatives and chemicals to keep it from dying along the way.

Organic food is just about going back to its roots and keeping it pure. I love the idea of not having excess or additional additives in my food. I also love how my friend has created such a funky yet cozy little cafe to hang out at. oops... did I fail to mention tat at the beginning?! :P

Well yeah this is a mini tribute to a somewhat dream come true for her and her hubby. Their passion & vision to create a space where people can enjoy delish food that's also very good for u.... well i just happen to think tat's awesome! Plus we all know how hard it is to actually be doing something that you love and believe in...RIGHT?!?! It's way easier to sit in a cooL cafe dreaming about it. hehe!

The cafe is known for their very affordable brown rice set at only $6.80 (who said organic food had to be expensive?!?) but more important for me...is an all-day breakfast menu yipeeee! They serve banana blueberry French toast which is also $6.80 and they do an interesting & super healthy spin on the usual big breakfast - it's called the "all in a pan big breakfast" for less than $8 bucks! Bargain!

And once you've had your fill, you can check out the retail side of things and perhaps bring home some organic goodies! You just have to feel good...knowing that whatever you've just eaten or purchased ....is working its magic & promoting a healthier you :)

In addition to their menu, I had a rare treat (featured to the left here) home-made dessert from the chef who was experimenting & I was a willing guinea-pig. Who noes...it mite appear on the menu someday :)

I just wish they had this kinda thing in Brunei!

WHERE TO FIND "REAL FOOD" ?

Located in the basement of The Central in Clarke Quay. Opened daily. Enjoy!

My celebrity fashion Muse

2010-02-03T16:02:00.010+08:00

So I gotta have something to work towards - to keep me motivated. And while doing my usual morning online surf, I decided that "something" wld be to adopt a celebrity fashion muse :P

Eva Longoria - petite yet great sense of style, pretty classic but sexy too. I like. Now to reorganise my wardrobe, clear out the unwanted clutter & bad choice purchases and make some effort to dress better with some Eva inspiration! Granted I'm not living in a glam city right now where fashion really matters but at the same time, it's just too easy to let myself go completely and wander around in items tat mite resemble a um... garbage bag?!? (ie comfy, big, oversized to hide my tummy wif no shape - eeks!)

So here's what I like so far....

Who says petite gals can't pull off a BIG gorgeous handbag?!? Also gotta remember e scarf is a great add-on to the otherwise simple jeans outfit.

Hmm...I just picked up a pair of new brown uggs in Beijing. Love them but don't think I can pull them off in such warm climates. I mean it doesn't exactly look very cold in this photo below...but surely my wearing ugg boots in 30+ degree temperatures wld make me look like a complete idiot...no?

And finally - the very trendy summer maxi dress. Obviously the fashion faux-pas to avoid long dresses for petite gals does NOT apply to Eva... nor me! I love maxi dresses...the easiest & most practical item in my wardrobe really.

My struggle with Fitness!

2010-02-02T17:06:00.021+08:00

So I spent some of the afternoon researching & reading about core strengthening exercises on the internet. Having paid for a personal trainer once upon a time, I'm not gonna repeat that mistake again. Did u noe that most trainers in Asia have barely any qualifications in the first place? sheesh!

Anyway I think my biggest weakness in terms of fitness is the lack of core strength and regular lower back pain (even when I'm doing the dishes for 5mins). Also doesn't help that I've put on quite a bit of tummy fat ever since I got to Brunei and officially can't fit into 2 of my fave pair of jeans. Bugger!

The last few months of going to the gym have not produced any visible results as yet which is rather demoralizing. So hv decided to follow some of these workout advice based on my online research.

- Do cardio at different intensity levels - interval training.

- Do lots of Core Strengthening exercises as often as poss. like The Plank, The Bridge & Bird-Dog Balance (who comes up with these names?!?!?!) Does she (right) resemble a bird or dog in any way in tis position?

- Build muscle in arms & legs on alternate days.

This is an on-going battle to get fit for me. No matter how hard I try to hit the gym regularly, I never seem to enjoy the so-called benefits of say...sleeping better at nites, or gaining more energy in the day, or actually shedding some of tat body fat! So far....nothing.

But I guess for now, I'll just focus on understanding my body, locating my um deep abs (muscle tat gets neglected but is crucial to my whole core apparently)... and re-learning to use & control these muscles to strength my core and reduce back pain.

[check out tis article for more info: http://www.better-exercise-fitness-for-life.com/core-exercises.html#deep-muscle]

The body fat loss issue is secondary - having no back pain, a healthy heart and being more fit is more of the priority I'd say. Wouldn't u?

My struggle with Breakfast.

2010-02-01T16:15:00.003+08:00

I have tried and tried...but I just can't seem to turn myself into a "Breakfast" person. Is there such a thing? You know... like a "Morning" person...which I'm not btw. I totally believe that some people are just naturally programmed to be morning people, waking up at an early hour and loving it. Me... I just jump at any opportunity to sleep in.

So yeah... not being a morning person probably doesn't help my breakfast cause either. Having not been very well trained as a kid to eat breakfast religiously, I am still struggling with it despite knowing how "important" this meal is (sucks tat it's e most important meal of the day really!).

And if that wasn't the hardest part, then it's finding healthy breakfast food that is an even bigger challenge. I tend to detest all the stuff that happens to be good for me.... oats, milk, soy, wholemeal anything, egg whites, cereal....etc.

Does anybody have any other suggestions for a healthy breakfast...EASY TO PREPARE meal?

A Wintery Beijing

2010-01-28T20:26:00.007+08:00

Best thing about Beijing in the winter? Nope - not the minus 17 degrees!! It's being able to escape the hundreds and thousands of ANNOYING tourists. No matter how many times I go, there's just something so magical and majestic about the two most absolute famous sights of China - The Forbidden City and The Great Wall of China. I've seen them all year round now...in spring, summer & winter and honestly, I gotta say the latter is by far THE BEST time to go (my humble opinion).

On any ordinary day, I can understand why some people lose sight of why they even bothered to visit. The swarms of people pushing and shoving to take photos can be enough to put you off. It's pretty hard to imagine how the imperial family ever lived there or picture soldiers and horses running along e wall in battle amongst the massive tour groups wearing same coloured caps & waving the stupid "don't get lost" flag.

But on this sunny day in January, jin and I pretty much had the Wall to ourselves. It was bliss. We were really blessed with perfect winter weather (if there is such a thing) where the snow covered e ground for e best pics, but the sun kept us warm without even the slightest hint of a chilly wind (considering we were mostly on mountain peaks, I'd say what a massive relief!!).

I'll admit the Forbidden City wasn't quite as deserted but seeing that the grounds were so huge, there was plenty of space for everyone to do their thing :)

These giant trees in the Imperial Garden (back of the palace) have been around for centuries.... just awesome!

Beijing really has the best of both worlds; the most fascinating history & rich culture moulded together with international standards of hotels, restaurants, bars & shopping malls. I wanna go back and live there one day (fingers crossed). I guess that's another thing on the "waiting" list.

What's so good about planning anyway!

2010-01-27T13:46:00.005+08:00

It's back to my usual procrastination. Got back to Brunei a few days ago and trying to settle into my routine and reality but holidays really throw me off and it takes awhile to get adjusted hehe! I don't even know where to begin as 2010 is off to a busy start, so I thot maybe a follow up from my last entry to let ya know how much lotsa planning....DOESN"T necessarily pay off peeps!! HA!

So what went wrong on the trip?

Firstly we arrived in Spore & waited patiently at the baggage belt only to be told that our bags were already on their way to Beijing kinda. I thot I told e lady at check-in that we were stopping in Spore for a night!!! sheesh! Not only were we rushing to get to late dinner reservations for jin's bday but now we had technically lost our bags. Thank goodness for e Lost & Found dept who promised to retrieve our suitcases & deliver them to my house. Great service. They arrived about the same time we had finished dinner & taken a cab home. whew!

Second mishap - while I was taking some clothes outta my bag for my return Spore stay, it suddenly hit me hard that I had left my one & only winter jacket in my closet in Brunei. shit! After all my careful packing, I still forgot the most important item of clothing for e entire trip. Boy was I mad wif myself.

Shortly after that, upon checking our bags in for the 1am flight to Beijing, we were informed that our names could not be found in the system. The guy nicely asked to see our itinerary and then told us our flight was actually the night before! We had missed our flight!!! So much for my careful coordination of flights and dates. Big whoops! All I can say was that we were truly blessed & looked after & SQ put us on the flight going out the same night free of charge (waiver of a $300 fee). double whew!

On the bright side, I had the best excuse in the world to buy a gorgeous new jacket from Zara and on sale too - BONUS! Couldn't stop there, Uniqlo had some great buys hence leading to a second down jacket purchase for like $50 bucks, some thermals, a new cashmere scarf & a couple of very comfy fleece hoodies to help brave temperatures ranging from -4 degrees to -17 degrees.

Will try to narrow down what were the major highlights of Beijing and post some pics soon!

Thank u 2009

2009-12-31T17:04:00.003+08:00

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

2009-12-19T10:48:00.007+08:00

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.

2009-12-11T12:02:00.004+08:00

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

2009-12-09T20:00:00.003+08:00

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

2009-12-07T11:45:00.004+08:00

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

2009-12-05T17:52:00.006+08:00

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.

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.

2009-11-23T15:12:00.004+08:00

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

2009-11-22T22:44:00.009+08:00

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

2009-11-21T17:09:00.003+08:00

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.

2009-11-19T11:25:00.005+08:00

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

2009-11-18T12:00:00.000+08:00

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!

2009-10-30T22:38:00.000+08:00

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

2009-10-30T16:59:00.000+08:00

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

2009-10-30T11:45:00.000+08:00

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.

2009-10-14T18:10:00.000+08:00

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!