That Brilliant Streak Across the Sky...

“For one reason or another, most folks on this tiny little planet seem to be mesmerized by fireworks. Maybe it's the sheer pyrotechnics of it all, the power we have to make beautiful explosions. Maybe it's the overwhelming brilliance that comes with that final pop of light. Or maybe yet, it's that child-like thrill imprinted into us that comes from the unexplained phenomenon of night fires - something that still hasn't dissipated even after our however many years of living. But, maybe we see something more in fireworks. Something that most others can't recognize. Maybe we love these glorious shows of light because we can relate. Like these fiery lights, we are strong, explosive, thundering in unspoken magnitude, yet so incredibly mesmerizing. Quietly we shoot to life, shattering into a million tiny pieces of broken glass, and then in an instant we sizzle away into the night, leaving the world wide-eyed and staring. We disappear, the explosion gone, but that hazy trail, our smoky sweet dust powdered across the night sky will forever be there for others to blaze. We are tiny explosions all over the world, popping with every brush of greatness, and collectively we form a gloriously blinding blanket of light and life. We are stunning, captivating ; explosive diamonds broken across the night sky, falling back down to earth and leaving our mark on the world. Sometimes we may not shimmer like we intended and instead only stun our audience with a quiet pop. other times we may not fire at all. Nevertheless, our potential is there. And when we become kinetic, nothing can stop us. We are beautiful and strong ; brilliant and graceful. We are the fireworks show of the world, running year-round. And nothing could ever come close to the beauty we leave behind.”

– Penelope Bat.

And we are- so full of infinite possibilities and potential. We should never forget that. Let this be a reminder to myself and everyone who reads this:

We are everything we say we can be, and so much more.

Currently listening to- Linkin Park's Meteora album

Uprising

Currently in love with- The Baseballs

Gosh, y'll must check them out! They're a German band doing covers of modern songs in 50s rock and roll music. It's so awesome.

Check this out.

One of the best covers of Rihanna's Umbrella ever.

I really like their cover of Katy Perry's Hot n Cold, Usher's Love in this Club (which is saying something considering that I don't even like the original version), Plain White T's Hey There Delilah and Leona Lewis' Bleeding Love (I'm not a big fan of the ori version either).

On a completely unrelated note, finals are overrrrr so it's PARTAYYYYY TIME!

Ignorance is Your Best Friend.

People really piss me off when they say that a Degree in Communication isn't "useful". And this is coming from people who are actually PURSUING a Degree in Communication. Seriously, why are you even studying it then?

I hate it that there's this perception that pursuing a degree in arts is seen as a lowly, stupid thing to do for people who cannot study and have no idea what to do with their life. It seriously sets me ablaze when people think that because excuse YOU, my grades are just fine and although I don't know EXACTLY what I want to do in life (the specifics I mean, like become a doctor), I have a general idea and I WORK towards that which ultimately is better than having NO idea at all. Besides, I CHOSE to study Communication and Arts as I had interest in it. Not because it seemed like the easiest option available. Because really, when it all boils down, is anything ever easy?

Granted, I can't control what people think but I'll offer a little insight as to what I think. Coming from someone who used to do a double degree- Bachelor of Business and Commerce and Bachelor of Communication, I got a full experience of both courses. And if you ask me, both are equally useful, though in different ways.

With the Bachelor of Business and Commerce, I suppose one could say that it was more applicable directly in life in that, you could apply whatever you learnt straight from the textbooks, in real life. But the thing with Business is that it's really generic (at least for me it was). It felt like an extension of high school- where you're spoon fed with information, you memorize and you regurgitate it for exams. Even for assignments, I felt like for the business subjects... they had a formula you know? Like if you just applied the formula, you'd definitely score. Your examples and the way you apply the formula can be different, but ultimately there IS a formula and you have to do it EXACTLY the way your lecturers/ tutors want to score. It's easier in that sense because everything is sort of laid out for you and all you have to do is follow it. Plus the lecturers were never as interesting as the Arts lectures.

With the Arts subjects, I personally feel that it requires a lot of thought. While what you learn is probably not directly applicable in life, I think it's indirectly applicable. Whenever I do my readings for the Arts, it always makes me think. It makes me think about things that are so mundane and normal in everyday life that we sometimes forget that they're there or we take forgranted their existance and how they came to be. Take for example language, what I'm writing in my blog right now and communicating to you guys- it's a social construct, it's not innate and it's learned. How many of us would have considered that normally? Basically, everything is constructed. There are no absolute truths in black and white, just different versions of what happened when different people recount them due to different intepretations. So, what is reality? Is anything real in that sense?

See what I mean? One thought can lead to so many others, it really gets your brain whirring. And I'll admit it, my brain was SO rusty before this, it's not even funny. Blame the Malaysian education system of supressing questions and curiousity. Plus the discussions in tutorials are always so much more engaging and thought provoking in Arts which really encourages participation. In the Business subjects, hardly anyone says anything at all. But this may just be a Malaysian occurance la, I don't know about what happens overseas. Maybe when I hop over to Aussieland, I'll take one more business elective (if I still have room for more electives that is), just to see if there's a difference.

Another thing I'd like to point out are the lecturers. Oh the lecturers are SO DIFFERENT in the Business and Arts. I feel that Arts lecturers are more easy-going and friendly and that the distance between us students and them is not so far away. Probably because they treat us all like friends and when we have free time, we can always go to their office just to talk to them about whatever and they'll entertain us. And I may be biased saying this, but they always seem to be much more interesting than Business lecturers. Business lecturers always seemed to be a bit more rigid and strict. And they give off this air, like unless it's something assignment related or exam related, don't go and bother them.

It may be just me, but I feel like I learn more out of the Arts subjects that stays with me compared to the Business ones. For example, if you ask me after a Business exam of all the theories I studied and stuff, I probably can't remember all that much. But if you asked me about the Arts ones, I could probably tell you more. (Like I said, I might be biased coz my interest leans more towards the Arts).

Recently for JRN assignments, a couple of people did the whole Arts vs. Science thing, about how Arts is always looked down upon and seen as inferior. They traced it back to high school, on how we are streamed based on results eg: better results go to science, poorer results go to arts (that's where the biasness starts).

In part, I think that accounts for the biasness but only PARTLY. I think they forget to take into account that Arts in highschool and the Arts we learn in university are completely different. I don't know about you guys, but Arts in my high school meant that you had to take Accounts and Perdagangan and stuff like that which isn't even REAL arts if you think about it. More like commerce. And then's there's Seni which is all about drawing and handicraft and stuff which is fun and all but I don't mean Arts as in art, literally.

And so that's why a lot of people choose to do Science (I did it partly because all the science subjects are in English but the kononnya Arts subjects are all in BM- bad reasoning I know) but also because I felt more of a pull towards the Sciences at the time even though I knew I probably wouldn't be going down the Science road later in life (though I must admit at one point, I did consider pharmacy but soon realized it wasn't for me. Chemistry for the rest of my life weiii. 0_o) Anyway, I think I was always more interested in the Arts anyway which is why I took an extra subject for SPM- English Lit. And I think, that really sealed the deal for my future in Arts. Upon taking those extra classes, I realized just how horrible my thought process was and that I was all rusty and couldn't think on the spot anymore. My critical thinking was like zero. And for that I am thankful. Thankful to Puan Bahiyah, my amazing Eng Lit teacher who restored my love for learning and thankful that I did decide to pursue an extra subject even though it meant spending more money, time and resources for extra classes.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that hey, whatever floats your boat. No course is EVER useless. It just depends on where your interests lie and what you make of your course. As for me, I may have switched to a single degree for now but I do plan to take up the Business degree for my Masters hopefully, because I DO want to know more about the business side of things as it IS useful. (Then again, that may be society's pressure to get a real degree talking. =/) But we'll see how that goes.

First of the Gang to Die.

For as long as I can remember, I've disliked cigarette smoke. Someone recently asked me why, which got me thinking.

When I was maybe 4 or 5 years old, I once thought that it looked cool to smoke. (Sorry, blame it on all the movies, bad baaaad influence) But gradually, smoking started becoming repulsive. I really can't pinpoint when it started. It may have been when my eyes started to water because they were sensitive to smoke. Or maybe I just have an overly sensitive sense of smell, which I recently just found out. Wee and I walked into a lift in uni the other day and I immediately knew that the previous occupant of the lift had been smoking. And Monash is a smoke free campus mind you, so the smell had have to come from the person's clothes and body. I scrunched up my nose and made a face but Wee said she couldn't smell anything. Maybe that's the reason why I dislike it so much. I can smell it so abundantly and others can't. Sometimes when I walk into Mr.Ben's office I can smell it too...the distinct smell of tobacco.

Maybe it's because I've been stubbed by a cigarette before and it wasn't a pretty sight. I was walking the streets of Mongkok in Hong Kong and well, in Hong Kong half the damned population are smokers so it's not uncommon to see the locals walking the streets while smoking. The thing is, they like holding their stupid cigarettes at hip level while walking so it sticks out. And of course, it's HK, the population is damn crazy for such a small place so it's supremely crowded, I was weaving through the streets when this idiot decided to take a drag of his cigarette and then put his hand down while I passed by him effectively burning my hand with his cigarette. It effing hurt and I had a nice, red, round burn mark for the next few days.

But I think my passionate dislike for smoking started a long time before that incident. That incident just served to increase my dislike of smoking. I think the real reason that I really hate cigarretes and the act of smoking so much is because it's so inconsiderate. I mean, hey you wanna destroy you teeth and lungs and release stress please be my guest! But don't destroy everyone else's in the process with your icky secondhand smoke.

I'm not saying I hate ALL smokers (I know lots of lovely people who happen to be smokers, but they are awesome nevertheless), just the inconsiderate ones. Like the ones that burn people with their cigarettes, no matter how accidental that was. And the ones that know you don't smoke, yet blow all their disgusting smoke into your face. Pregnant ladies smoking also pisses me off- do they not know they it harms the baby or do they not care? It's the same for parents who smoke in front of their young kids. Not because they're being a bad role model or whatever because all role models come with flaws. But do they not know that smoking in front of kids increases their chances of developing asthma? Or even the idiots that think they look so cool smoking. Urgh. The reasons that people start to smoke sometimes disgust me. I mean, if you started smoking because it helped you release stress or kept your weight down by supressing your appetite I can still understand.

But if you started smoking because of peer pressure or because it looked cool, THAT I cannot accept. I think it's stupid that you can be such a pushover. Just because other people smoke doesn't mean you have to. This applies especially for guys. Let me reiterate: it's NOT COOL to smoke. In fact, it's disgusting and repulsive. No matter how manly you think you look when you're smoking, you don't. You just look stupid holding a cancer stick. Besides, there are already so many things we're doing to ruin our health, you don't need to add smoking to that list.

Wee once asked me if I was ever curious about what smoking felt like. I'm not. Not for one second. I have no desire to be a chimney for even just once. Which is saying something because I'm usually pretty curious about everything. Maybe I'm biased. But really, morphing into a puffing chimney is not high on my to-do list but who knows? If ever I feel the compelling urge to understand why smokers smoke, I might try it one day.

Until then, you guys smell and taste like cancer.

Why Can't We Seem To Keep It Together?

I just took out the remnants of purple nail polish on my fingernails. Now they look so clean and... normal. I guess I've been used to seeing purple everytime I look down for the past few weeks. Manicures are such a little luxury for us girls to indulge in.

Our recent pedicure. Yin and Yang! My sister's toes and mine. =)

This is my birthday present to Wee! A mani/pedi! Now isn't that awesome?

3 guesses whose foot this is!

Anyway, the point of this post is not for mani/pedi-s. I've already talked about that some time back. The point of this post is to introduce one of the most orgasmic Oreo Cheesecakes EVER!

I used to think that Secret Recipe served the best Oreo Cheesecake. No where else could compare... and then I tried this one! It was cheesy yet moist. Flavourful with the crunchy Oreo bits infused in and the delectable biscuit base was heavenly! Confirm this will be my this year's birthday cake. ;)

Time to make you guys hungry again....

LO AND BEHOLD!

Anyway, aforementioned yummylicious Oreo cheese cake is from Marmalade. I usually go to the Bangsar Village 2 outlet but there's another one in KLCC if I'm not mistaken.

I promise you won't regret eating this one!

A must try!

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

Currently listening to: Muse- The Resistance album

(Thanks to Zaleha for giving me the cd! The album is mind blowingly awesome.)

I know I haven't updated in awhile. But like I said, I have my bouts. Sometimes I feel that I have totally lost my blogging mojo and other times, I feel so pumped to blog but when I actually sit down to do it, the feeling dissapears again. I can barely latch on to it.

I still haven't fully regained my blogging mojo. So you'll have to forgive me if this post seems terribly unstructured. But I was thinking how this year has been such a blur. I haven't been blogging much and I haven't written in my journal in the longest time ever (mostly because I was busy but these last month was because I can't find it! It's probably in some box somwhere. Sigh.). So I figured I'd better list some stuff down before the year whirls by me again and I have nothing tangible to hold on to except those fragile memories.

Besides, these past few months have been very awesome and I'm afraid I won't feel this way again ever. Even when I think back now... only wisps of it emerge only to flit away again. Ah, this is what you get for being lazy Swan!

Gonna do this in point form coz it's easier (in no particular order/importance):

1. I have settled in. Really and truly now. I went back the other day to the old sanctuary. Everything felt the same yet different. But in a weird way, that reassured me. The mini fountain was still sprouting water, the white picket fence still stands proudly and the alamanda tree is as beautiful as ever. Bobby was being his usual crazy self. It was a beautiful day, that one. Big fluffy clouds littered across the sea blue sky. As I stood there looking at it, I felt bittersweet. But I didn't feel empty anymore. It was empty, most of the furniture gone with only bits and pieces scattered around, remnants of the life we had here. And I didn't feel empty anymore. I guess that's a good sign. This is home now.

2. Some people really have no idea how to behave in social situations. I am not kidding. I feel sorry for them. How do these people make friends? I was standing at the library printer the other day, waiting for the printer to spew my papers out and this dude was who was next in line was standing SO close to me that if I turned around, I probably would have collided with him head on. Jeez. Have you not heard of PERSONAL SPACE? I hate, let me say this again, ABSOLUTELY hate it when people invade my personal bubble. No matter how close you stand to me, the printer is not going to print any faster so really, why bother? I could have "accidentally" stepped back onto his foot or "accidentally" boob nudged (in Zaleha's words) him with my elbow OR even turned around and be all bitchy and go:"Excuse YOU, could please not invade my personal bubble? It's rude." But I decided to play nice and ignore him that day and walked off after I got my stuff. Meh. I was freaky dude again on campus and he was staring at non-stop. Urgh.

3. Today was a wonderful day! We went back to Pink to have lunch and I finally had my Thai style fried chicken with fried rice again after what seems like an eternity! I miss Pink, I do. Made a stop at Sunway and met Iekaaaaa! Whom I haven't seen since... LAST YEAR GRADUATION NIGHT! Can you believe it? It was great seeing her again. Briefly met Wee Guan when walking out too. And Ms. Santhi couln't recognize me. >.< Only after I told her who I was did she remember me. Did I really change that much? 0_o And today was also wonderful because I got 3 sightings of my Dimitri when I usually never see him around. I really like that he says my name everytime he says hi to me. I can't explain the feeling, but the way he says it makes me feel very cherished.

4. 500 Days of Summer is THE must-watch movie of the year. I swear. Everyone I know who has watched it, loved it to bits. I loved it because it was real. It isn't your typical boy meets girl, BANG they get together kinda thing. Reality isn't like that and I'm glad that this movie showed it. And I loved how the movie portrayed the feeling of being in love (through that little musical number and the spring in Joseph Gordon Levitt's walk) and the feeling of being frustrated with love (how everything he loved about Zoey Deschannel turned into hate after that) and also how the way things play out in our heads never does in reality (the part where they split the screens into two, one being reality and the other fantasy). And I also like the fact that Joseph Gordon Levitt was stuck in a job he didn't really like and didn't plan for even though he studied architcture because really, that's how life is! I'm glad they didn't start off the movie with him already being an architect because that would have been so generic and typical for the protagonist to have some well-paying job but not a love life kinda thing. And the SOUNDTRACK! I so totally need to get my hands on it man.

5. I'm loving this semester in uni. It hit me one day as I walking to FTV lecture. I remember saying hi to a number of people and stopping to make small talk with a few of them. Jowee and E'a were with me and Wei Lin and Vicky were not far behind. The weather was perfect that day- breezy and not too sunny but not overtly cloudy that you'd feel depressed either. And it just hit me... that uni life here is so awesome. I love the lecturers, I love the friends I've made. And this was... home. I felt like I belonged. And I'm giving all this up to go to Aussie next year. And there was just this pang in my heart. I'm sure Aussie will be heaps of fun too, but things'll be different. I guess things are really good now and I don't it to change. But change... change is the only thing that is constant. I think I've finally learnt that by now.

6. Monash Ball 2009 was such a memorable, fun-filled night. Even though BEP was performing right below us and we couldn't be there, I didn't feel the slightest bit of regret. AND gotta thank Guiness for hosting Arthur's Day on that day coz right after prom ended, we were treated to a free fireworks display. It was beautiful indeed and a great way to end prom before we headed off to MOS to partayyy.

7. I can't believe semester is ending already. It is now Week 12. It seems like just yesterday semester started and I was so excited because Jowee saw the light and came to Monash too. ;P

And we could finally cross off Going To University Together from our childhood list of Things to Do Together/ Before We Die.

8. The problem with having a king sized bed with yummy silky sheets is that you never want to get out of bed. I would gladly hibernate for a week.

9. And here's the quote of the day:

At some point you have to make a decision. Boundaries don't keep other people out; they fence you in.Life is messy, that's how we're made. So you can waste your life drawing lines or you can live your life crossing them. But there are some lines that are way too dangerous to cross.Here's what I know. If you're willing to take the chance, the view from the other side is spectacular.

-Grey's Anatomy

Empty.

Today, as I was sitting here, I could hear wafts of the drums floating in from next door. And I thought, I will miss feeling this, seeing this. The white picket fence. The big, flourishing , yellow Alamanda tree beside the fish pond. The clusters of Ixora bushes beside the gate. The big, tall Christmas trees slowly being eaten away by parasites. The squeaky front door grills that have watched me grow up. The secret shoe bench. The old school steps up from the living room. The cracking walls of the kitchen. The rusty yellow backdoor. The alternate passageway to the washroom. The special, old, creaky, yellow connecting door. The peeling floral wallpaper that’s probably even older than I am. The wooden doors with multiple rusty, tarnished locks. The jagged hole in the mosquito netting. The beautiful tiles with pictures of geese and ducks in the bathroom. The creaky cupboard bursting with clothes that’s missing a handle and that opens by itself. The matching furniture. The teddy bear curtains and bedspread. The squeaky beds. The empty green field visible from the window. I will miss all of this and more.


I am leaving a piece of my heart behind here. No, make that many pieces. So many memories shattered to fragments, left behind in every nook and corner. The slip and fall by the front stairs, the sprained ankle in the early recesses of the morning, the countless days being awoken by the sound of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, the humid dinners, the run in with the cobra, Bob cowering under the bench during a thunderstorm, the walks back after taking the bus, the countless celebrations of birthdays, the slogging for exams and assignments on the aged wooden desk.

Will the hands of time freeze for a moment to just let me take this all in?


Change… it is the only thing that is constant indeed.

Caliente

Time to make you salivate boys and girls!


So today, I'm gonna introduce one of my all time favourite restaurants- Rakuzen. It's actually the parent company of Sushi Zanmai, Pasta Zanmai and Sushi Zen. And as you all know, I'm a big lover of Japanese food, especially sushi! So, Sushi Zanmai is one of most frequented places.


Rakuzen is a slightly pricier compared to Sushi Zanmai but for the quality and amount of food you get, it's well worth it. As far as I know, there are two Rakuzen branches. One in Plaza Damas, Sri Hartamas and another in Chulan Square, KL. And I tell you, Rakuzen is one of the best Japanese restaurants around, hands down!


Lets start by introducing my all time favourite dish in Rakuzen which you MUST try if you ever go...

Sushiya salad with Rakuzen dressing.

Orgasmic I swear. If you've had the Sashimi salad with Sushi Zanmai dressing, the Sushiya salad is something like that but just 10 times better. And that's saying something since the Sashimi salad already rocks socks!

The tantalizing pieces of thickly cut salmon coupled with the generous amount of crabmeat and slices of tuna is aboslutely yummylicious. And when paired with the Rakuzen sauce, it's like magic!

Okay, I'm making myself hungry now. =.=

I'm so sorry but I had a momentary lapse of sanity and FORGOT TO PUT MY MACRO MODE ON which explains the blurry picture. I think I was too hungry to care and wanted to dig in as soon as possible. >.<

Anyway, this was on their special menu for August. It's their Summer Roll and boyyyyy, I wish they'd make that a permanent thing on the menu! It was so awesomely good.

If I remember correctly, it had cheese, avocado and crabmeat.

The cheese really gave it that extra oomph!

We always order this when we go to Rakuzen too.

Coral Roll- Salmon and Avocado.

I think the combination of salmon and avocado is the best ever, I don't think I can ever tire of it.

When I hop over to Aussie, I'll probably stuff myself silly with so much sushi sticks you won't be able to recognize me when I get back. =/

This one's called Kanimayo Maki if I'm not mistaken.

It's just crabmeat rolls with a drizzle of Japanese mayo but oh, the simplest things are the nicest sometimes.

I totally do not remember what this dish was called but it's cream and corn patties which was superbly yummylicious!

All the that creamy goodness oozing out when you poke it apart.... Mmm.

And this is beef slices stuffed with enoki mushrooms. I don't remember what the official name of the dish was. >.< But it was scrumptious!

Anyway, I forgot to take pictures of our dessert after that because being the impatient, hungry eater I am, I just went straight at it.


But their macha ice-cream is really good and we had strawberries filled with cream which was insanely delectable.


Anyway, there's a picture of the 3 of us. Coincidentally, we were wearing the same colour scheme that day (green, yellow, white). Ah, great minds think alike!


I've just realized I'm really quite bad at introducing food to you guys because I keep forgetting to take pictures of the food! Gah, I guess I'm just too much of a glutton and attack the food once it arrives. Meh.


PS: Do make a reservation for Rakuzen if you ever plan on going coz it's usally jam packed with people. =)


By the way, know any other good Japanese restaurants? Do recommend them to me.

You Can't See The Forest For The Trees.

You know those moments when you lie idly soaking up the sun and you feel alive? Like you're really living. Not just existing. It's hard to describe really. The thing is, I haven't felt truly alive for months now. Everything seems so monotonous and dreary. It's college, home, sleep, assignments, tests, movies, trawling the mall and the cycle repeats. I think the only time I've come close to feeling alive these past few months was seeing the Taj Mahal in front of my very own eyes. But there were so many people there, jostling and taking pictures it was hard to just soak in the moment. To just be.

-An excerpt from my old Xanga blog (August 30, 2008)

Read that entry here.

This time a year ago, that was how I felt. A year later, I've finally gotten my wish. A blissful summer holiday spent at the beach. Listening to the waves crash upon the shore, feasting my eyes on the breathtaking scenery and sunsets. Being carefree, no assignments, no deadlines, nothing to worry about for that 4 days and 3 nights.

Bali heals the soul.

Let's start by introducing what my sister calls her beach bag- her hedgehog LeSportSac which is just so insanely cute!

It is known as her beach bag because she only uses it whenever she travels to islands. =.=

We took Air Asia there. This is the view from the plane.

The clouds were so fluffy that day. Like cotton candy. It felt like if I just reached out, I could have plucked them out of the sky.

Some part of Indonesia we were flying over.

Looks like something out of a Geography textbook, doesn't it?

Upon arrival at Ngurah Rai airport, we were immdediately greeted with fragipanis. Oh and we could bypass immigration cause Eu Shen arranged for us to go through the diplomat counter. Skipped the long queues, we did. ;)




The frangipanis were so frangrant! But I couldn't wear them for long because floral scents give me a headache after a while. =/




Anyway, our first stop was to fill our growling tummies with yummylicious food!

We went to this restaurant just 10 minutes away from the airport which was famous for their chicken.

True to their word, the chicken was really very good. I can't remember exactly what we ordered, but I remember everything was supremely crispy and delectable.



If you really want pictures of the food, I think Greg's facebook might have 'em.




This is the hotel we stayed in for the first two nights- Ramayana. Centrally situated in Kuta.

Shopping was really easy since it was within walking distance to the markets and Kuta beach was 5 mintues away by car.




Our room. The hotel is quite old but they've kept it quite nicely I must say.

In the hotel lobby, getting ready to go see the sun set at Uluwatu Temple and watch the Kecak dance.

First glimpse of the breathtaking sunsets in Bali.

The colours just seemed more vivid than usual. It was beautiful! Too bad we didn't have too much time to admire it since we wanted to go watch the Kecak dance. =(

My sister and I waiting for the dance to begin while taking in the picturesque view.
At least our seats were strategic, since we got an awesome view of the stunning scenery.

It was packed to the brim to watch the Kecak dance man. Everyone had to squeeze and squeeze just so that everybody could fit in and sit.

There certainly was no traces of the swine flu effects on tourism in Bali!

These flag like thingies are everywhere in Bali. I wonder what they are for?

To tell the direction of the wind? Or just for decorative purposes? I mean I know the checkered cloth is supposed to ward of evil... guess I should've asked our local guide huh?

Just look at it, doesn't it seem so surreal? My sister said the sunsets there don't feel real. They feel fabricated, like someone painted a backdrop and left it there.

But that's the amazing thing. They are so very real, and the beauty of it just takes your breath away.

Getting ready for the Kecak dance. These were the people who provided the sound effects. I admire the fact that they don't develop sore throats after each performance. They were constantly chanting, singing for close to an hour! Imagine doing that everyday! >.<

Watching that big golden ball slowly set.

The Kecak dance is actually the story of Rama, Sita and Laksamana. If you guys remember, we studied it for SPM BM before. How Rama went to catch the kijang for Sita and told her to stay in the protective circle and left her in the charge of Laksamana but in the end she got captured anyway. I found it easy to understand coz I knew the background of the story but I without that, I would have been feeling kind of lost.
Oh well, at least now we know SPM BM literature is good for something! =P

And look at the crowd! Isn't it crazy?

And yes, that is real fire. The heat was scorching when they did that. I really pitied the people sitting in the front row.

Next, we adjourned to Jimbaran Bay for some scrumptious seafood!
Jimbaran Bay is basically this stretch of beach littered with restaurants serving awesome seafood. So, you can enjoy the seafood whilst listening to the waves and looking out to the sea.

Tried their coconut but was sorely dissapointed coz it wasn't sweet. I think all of us momentarily forgot we were in Indonesia and not Thailand where the coconuts are forever sweet. XD

But seriously, Bali reminded me very much of Thailand for some reason. And it wasn't just me, Greg and my sister thought so too.
I think it might have been because of the traffic and the roads (jammed and narrow) as well as the abundant use of motorbikes. And the shopping! Coz everything was so cheap there!

We tried their famous grilled corn and it was insanely HUGE and filling but supremely yummylicious!

I think it was because they put a layer of syrup or caramel on the corn before grilling it, making it super sweet. (I have a sweet tooth so I enjoyed it. =D)

Oh, and the people at the back of Greg were a little singing troupe. Seranaded us with old songs (obviously in hopes of getting tips) but the lead singer's voice was very melodious.

I think, our one and only group picture. All the others are missing someone! =S

Second day in Bali! Taken right after brekkie in the hotel.

We went for a walk at the market right opposite our hotel.

Quite a number of things are sold there- from souvenirs, to wooden carvings, t-shirts and clothes.

Their paintings was what really captivated me though. So many CHEAP and beautiful paintings over there which would have cost like three times the price over here.

My sister bought a really cool silver and black painting, which I don't have a picture of yet because it hasn't been hung up.

Oh and travel tip! When shopping in Bali (Like China, Thailand, India and Vietnam), you have slash the price by at least half and haggle like your life depended on it. Because otherwise, you're just getting fleeced by these Balinese vendors. =.=

Oh and they have very interesting stuff like this helmet for sale too! I mean, do people actually wear that? 0_o

This was right outside our hotel's bar. We had to go back to our hotel to deposit all our shopping bags!

One of the many stone basins around the hotel. The hotel's staff meticulously arrange a different pattern using the flower petals everyday! Such a tedious job but it's the extra effort that makes the surroundings of the hotel so beautiful.

Our 2 local Balinese guides and our 2 organizers of the trip- hard at work planning the day's itinery.

Kuta Beach!

Weather was super hot and sweltering in Bali. You realy cannot survive without sunnies coz the glare of the sun is so strong.

We passed by loads of paddy fields in Bali too!

Clear blue skies and grenery that stretches for miles and miles...

En route to Tanah Lot to watch the sun set.

The entrance of Tanah Lot.

I love the waves in Bali. They are so much bigger than our own which makes it a sight to see whenever it crashes upon the rocks. And because the waves are larger, the sound the waves is amplified. I don't know about you, but I always feel a lot more peaceful after listening to the waves. They may be loud and angry, but somehow it sets my mind and soul at peace.

And I felt... alive.

I think it's the combination of the picturesque view and the feel of the holiday coupled with the sound of the waves lapping against the shore.
In that instance, warmth spread through my veins, lighting them ablaze.

And I was happy.

Content.

Us, spoiling the view. ^_^

By the way, I am super in love with my Canon camera! I should probably name it...

The setting of the sun cast a golden glow onto the paddy fields.

It was a breathtaking sight indeed.

There were two dogs running across, sprinting across rather, the paddy fields.

Watching them sprint across the field, chasing each other without a care in the world... I could taste freedom.

For those brief moments, freedom became a tangible thing.

I suppose we were all like that once. Running freely across gardens and playgrounds and field with a kind of blithe innocence.

I really like this shot. The silhouette of the trees and people and the pagoda....

Gradually dissappearing.

That night, we had Nasi Padang for dinner.

Greg calls Nasi Padang Indonesian dim sum/buffet. Coz everything came in small portions (like dim sum) and when you finished a dish, they'd replenish it for you (buffet).

My parents- Raja Sehari. LOL XD

After dinner, we headed to Bali Coffee House to just chill before going for a foot massage.

We decided to try the world reknown Kopi Luwak in which the coffee beans have been eaten and er... excreted by the Civet cat. >.<>

Watching the waitress preparing Kopi Luwak (USD$20 for 8g, don't play play).

There we go! The aroma of Kopi Luwak is absolutely yummylicious. But the aftertaste is... interesting. It tasted a bit like berries but yet, not quite. Quite indescribable really.

3rd day, took a walk around Kuta area. This is the beautiful beach.

Made a stop by Starbucks to get drinks since it was so insanely hot! And I dunno why everyone was bruised during the trip. That's my cousin and my sister who both have bruises on their legs. 0_0

For lunch we went to this really quaint place called Bebek Bengil.

I've heard so much about this restaurant and am glad it lived up to its expectations.

Nah, this is the history of how Bebek Bengil got its name.

Bebek Bengil is situated right beside the paddy fields. So lots of greenery while you feast on their yummylicious food.

Again, I felt at peace. Looking out at the paddy fields, feeling the cooling breeze on that hot, hot summer day and enjoying the awesome spread.

Told you Bali is good for the soul. =D

Their signature dish- crispy duck. You can choose to have it with rice or mash.

If you guys ever go, YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE THE MASH because it is TO DIE FOR.

I'm not kidding! Can rival Chilli's mash seriously.

All that buttery goodness that melts in the mouth. Mmmmm.

Aside from that, their BBQ pork ribs was really flavourful too! A must try.

After lunch, we visited Ubud Art Market which had a plethora of things to look, see and buy. Too bad we couldn't stay for long as we had to go and check into our villa- Bidadari Villa.

Aptly name I must say because it was heavenly!


That's their outdoor shower. So you get to shower under the moon, stars/sun, rain. =P

I must say, the view is actually quite nice when you shower at night.

And somehow it feels very... liberating.

Me: Jie, have you ever showered outdoors before? (after I finished showering)

Sis: No wo. This will be the first time.

Me: It feels very... liberating.

Sis: (laughs) Okay, I shall go and liberate myself now and be one with nature.


Lol convo between my sis and I.

Their HEAVENLY bed. Mmmm. I miss the bed!

Their big bathtub. And that's my other sis with a bruise on her leg too. =S

I forgot to resize a picture of our private swimming pool. Aiya, you guys can go check it out on Facebook la.

On our last night, I tried Bintang beer. I'm normally not a big fan of beers (except for the Passionfruit or Apple ones from Belgium Bar) but this one was really light and surprisingly easy to drink.

And so ends my Bali trip! This was us, flying off into the sea. The takeoff and landings are quite scary yet thrilling because if the pilot misjudges, you'll end up in the middle of the sea.


Airport security was a bitch though because of the Jakarta bombings while we were there. Bali was suspected as the next target. =(

Why is it always like this? We travel to some country and surely something happens one.

We go to Bali, Jakarta gets bombed.

We come back from India, and the chain of luxury hotels we were staying in gets bombed (although it was in a different part of India la)

We were in Bangkok when the tsunami hit.

Post September 11, we were holidaying in Europe. (And we didn't have to line up to go to Madam Tussauds or the Eiffel Tower because there were so little tourists! Lol XD)
And when the Y2K bug was supposedly gonna hit, we were in the US if I'm not mistaken.
0_o

Anyway, the last picture for the day. Reliving the feeling of becoming overnight millionaires!

Since everything is by the thousands and millions in rupiahs, instant millionaires we became! ;)

Sigh, I miss travelling. I need a holiday from my holiday.

Oh the irony. =.=

Breakeven

I've decided to include posts labelled under Gastronomic Adventures in which I will introduce good food for you guys to feast your eyes on (just to make you hungry) as well as recommend restaurants which I think are good so you all can go and try it out.

Feel free to recommend awesome restaurants to me too! Would love to go and try out more places to eat at.

George and The Dragon

George and The Dragon is actually a pub/restaurant located in Bangsar Shopping Centre on the ground floor.

My aunt and uncle strongly recommended going there to try their crispy pork knuckle which they said was even more yummylicious than El Cerdo's. (In my opinion, El Cerdo's serves the best pork!)

And so on one of the weekends, we ventured there to check it out.

Since it's more of a drinking place, their tables weren't very big and it was quite difficult to accomodate all 5 of us in the same table.

However, their food is pretty awesome! I totally forgot to take pictures of the food we ate but I remember we had bratwurst and pork ribs as well as German salad which were all delightful and very flavourful.

And then, their crispy pork knuckle...

Behold, pork rations for a whole month is here! 0_O

Anyway, their crispy pork knuckle is pretty good. Comparable to El Cerdo's I would say but not better.

It didn't have that jelak porky smell which was good. (That's the first thing I notice when I eat pork knuckle.) And the crispy bits were scrumptious!

Having said that, I didn't like their food presentation though. I mean, I know we're eating pork la but you don't have to stick the bone right in the middle like that. (I made it timber after that by taking out one of it's porky foundations. =P)

Other than that, everything else was pretty good. So if you ever crave pork, you know where to go!