Labor's day weekend, yo

Aaaahhhh...audit's over weekend's here hanging out at our neighborhood mamak kota ria chatting with sara the owner..topics include the share market, dvd syndicates to durian sellers that rip you off..

Ok off we go gonna head home and make like brocollies :-)

To Audit or Forgetabouit

Many may not know this but I'm a certified Lead Auditor for ISO 9001 QMS. Yes I sat for the exam and everything and studied a pile or documents and whatnot and now I'm accredited so to speak, and every once in a while I'll accept assignments to be an ISO consultant or represent a company for their ISO auditing purposes. Today I'm on such a task. I do enjoy it but I'll be lying if I told you its easy peasy .. actually on occassions such as this I'm sure my pressure would be up a few notches.

I've been toiling on this company's audit for the past one week ensuring that all the documentation is in order and etc. And this morning, as I was getting ready since today's the day, I had an episode of food poisoning and was visiting my Mr Johnson Suisse for more times than I care to remember!

But I made it, drove like a crazy person and reached in 15 mins from Kota Kemuning to Bkt Jelutong. Thank God there weren't any coppers or speedtraps or it'll definitely make my day.

It's close to noon now and about one more hour before lunch.. and hopefully I'll be done by 6! Today it's gonna be only hubby & me .. our offspring is off to her Amama's for the weekend with the girls :) Yay !! alone time :) :)

KL : Of jams, conjestion & the former DPM

Having lunch with my colleagues yesterday and one of them mentioned that our newly minted PM decided to see how regular Malaysians hack it in the city.

I was like omg, not another one of those PR stunts, sure enough it is ..

Doesn't it just make your blood boil ..

For example;

Apparently this time the one with his foot in his mouth and his brains in his @rs3 is the new Federal Territories Minister, Raja Nong Chik had this bright gem spewing from his mouth, "Through the walkabout and by boarding the LRT with the people, he (Najib) experienced first-hand what they have to go through daily, like jams and other difficulties, in conjested areas" .. What? perviously he didn't know that KL was the magical land of traffic jams and packed sardines (i mean office workers) in the LRT? .. and for crying out loud Najib did the whole walkabout thingy on a weekend! These people do live in a bubble don't they?

Mod a Paris Haute Couture Fall 2009

the genius that is Marc Jacobs

Another one by Marc Jacobs

Isaac Mizrahi

Custo Barcelona

Gay Pa'ree, the City of Lights is always the perfect host for Fashion Week for the simple reason that it is able to combine artistry, pageantry and wearability into one, thus a designer has to cast a wide net but be precise in his or her movements.

Wide net – in the sense that the inspiration can come from anywhere; be it a book, a place even a person. In short, the muse can be something or someone that titillated the designer’s imagination.

Minute precision – the cut, the tailoring and silhouette should be charming and alluring to the audience that it was created for.

Somehow, in a time when global problems beseech every sector of the society, Paris has to find that perfect balance in fashion wherein the quest for the new silhouette that would define the 21st century continues while still being sensitive to the socio-political and economic and environmental issues.

Here's some of the master pieces featured by some of my favourite designers RTW line from their Fall line during Paris Fashion Week *points up*:

Mini reunion

The yummy mommies with Chloe and Ruelle

Saturday brunch me and niki met up with two of my old friends from school Ann and her kids Aqira and Cashel and Leelee and her two kids Chloe and Ruelle (Leelee if i spelt it wrong let me know) at the very mom and kid friendly Fit for 2 at BVII. It was Ann's idea to meet there and I can't agree more :) free nappies :-p (note to self : Niki still fits "M" .. amazing!)
And we spent hours and hours catching up and it felt so comfortable that it's hard to believe that we last met 17 years ago as 17 year olds.

And I have to say that we are all quite the yummy mommies. See for yourselves..and yes we need more catch up sessions .. Convent girls never ever run out of topics to talk about ..it's an ingrained talent :-)

The pic does not feature Niki & Aqira though.. they were next door at Kizland .horsing around .. allowing us moms to chatter on & on & on :-)

Feeling Dinosaury anyone?

After my appointment in Subang Jaya I had lunch over at Burger King's; always loved the Whopper Jr :) and ok free flowing coke appeals to me also actually :) :)

Anyways was sitting at a window seat so that I can keep an eye on any coppers on a saman rampage; I paid for my parking but it expired about an hour before and I was too lazy to walk over to the parking meter to top up *reason: Malaysian sun*

And then as I settled down to chow down, I noticed that I ought to be the most "senior" person sitting there; the rest of them were college kids, lots of them... and they talk really loudly..seriously.

A table close to mine was occupied by a couple of kids, a boy and a girl, girl has the obligatory American accent and boy was tinkering with a very expensive looking phone while listening to some oldies (his words not mine) ie. Ronan Keating, Hootie & The Blowfish, Third Eye Blind. Enrique Iglesias .. y'know oldies .. it's not like I was eavesdropping but they were talking really loudly.. I really couldn't help myself, I tried in vain to tune out but the wifi there was super slow and so I gave up trying to surf ..

And then boy said; "you know what makes a guy jealous?"

Me .. "nearly gagged on a mouthful of my whopper!"

girl was saying; "errrmmm I really don't know .. maybe money, friends?

Boy said, "so what else .. it's primal .. really natural .. c'mon"

Girl sheepishly answered "you mean girls??"

Boy said, "yeah, of course it's always about a girl .. I got really jealous when you asked me about Roshan the other day.."

Girl said, "what do you mean jealous?" .. right about then I think it finally dawned on her that the boy likes her .. and I was truly relieved .. but then I smiled to myself that I was just like her 12 years or so ago .. and I seriously feel ancient .. ancient that I nearly gagged while listening to their earlier conversation .. I was once young too.. and though we may sometimes think of youngsters as lame .. but I think it's rather a matter of jealousy .. we wished our lives were that simple .. at the throes of a blooming relationship, at the beginning before we step into real life, the uncertainty that we feel about what lies ahead and yet the anticipation, the need for our affections to be reciprocated...yes, I finally understood though we may have evolved, and we tell ourselves we have grown up but I know most of us are still sentimental creatures, holding on our earlier years .. years that when we think about makes us smile .. well, hold on to those memories let it not be diminished by how "sophisticated" we've become .. remember we were once young too .. and once our train of thoughts were exactly the same and I'm sure we made some poor 30 something nearly choke on their food too :)

Of telepathy

I'm in my "of" moods and my blog posts today sounds just like that!

I'm never one to show off, ok maybe that's not entirely true, in instances such as, "I bought a new dress and I would happily show it off :)" but I have one subject to confess, I'm totally convinced that my husband is telepathic! Seriously, how many can boast that their other half is telepathic .. well mine is, I can't actually tell you the nature of his gift but I'll tell you this; he knows me ahead of time better than anyone else! It's actually very sweet to know that about him, it's always nice to know that behind the tough exterior there's a "snag" in him. I may not tell you often, hon, but I love the way you love me; it's special, unique and most importantly it's you ..

Of the dreaded C!

About two months back we went for a regular check-up with our family GP Dr D and I showed him my shoulder. The same shoulder that is home to two odd looking tiny lumps, Dr D said it was nothing and said that it's keloid, well for those who's not sure what keloid is let me explain a bit more about of this skin condition ; well keloids can be considered to be "scars that don't know when to stop." A keloid, sometimes referred to as a keloid scar, is a tough heaped-up scar that rises quite abruptly above the rest of the skin. It usually has a smooth top and a pink or purple color. Keloids are irregularly shaped and tend to enlarge progressively. Unlike scars, keloids do not subside over time.

And I have this skin condition which makes scar mutate rather drastically over time. My keloids become quite large and unsightly. Aside from causing potential cosmetic problems, these exuberant scars tend to be itchy, tender, painful to the touch and sometimes tingly sort of pain especially if I'm under stress.

And so whilst at Dr D I showed him two tiny lumps that's on my shoulder and another three on the back of my leg, he told me not to worry and attributed this to my existing skin condition but he recommended me to see a skin specialist for a second opinion and so today finally after weeks of anxiety; Vicky and I made our way to Sunway to see the skin expert. Though we paid a hefty consultation fee we finally knew what exactly was my problem; and no it's not any form of basal cell skin cancer but in fact a viral skin infection that's usually water-borne; and it's pretty common with kids or people who actively swims. And treatment is pretty much straightforward albeit I would need to be shot by laser beams!

I can't even describe the feeling of relief I have right now .. yes, cancer is a real threat; and the best prevention is really get to know yourself; as in every nook & cranny and every bit of your own body. Self-examination can be a life-saver, and early detection may just save one's life.

Daddy Met the TM

Daddy and the Tengku Mahkota Pahang

At the launch of Xterra Malaysia in Sri Pentas, SV is one of the main sponsors for this triathlon event and also the designed of their website; check it here; and so Daddy got to meet the Tengku Mahkota of Pahang Tengku Abdullah :) who sits as the Royal Patron of the event.

Also met alot of TV3 personalities; Ally Iskandar the new talkshow extraordinaire who was also the event MC and the still striking Zakiah Anas.

*Click!* here if you would like to read more.

Collages of Bali

around Ubud, the scneries there are spectacular

Us :)

At the Holy Springs temple

balinese stone architecture .. these ones here dates back a few hundred years

Rice paddies and Puncak Sari volcanic mountain, you can see the lava at its foothills .. most of the mountains in Bali even the highest one Mount Agung is still active

Us

Here's some photo collages of Bali...

We were so lucky to be surrounded by so much beauty during our short stay there..

Bali Day 3,4 & 5

the infamous Paddy's Club; we were there on our first night for their Wednesday Foam Party

Sukawati Market

Ibu Oka's Babi Guling goes down perfectly with a Bintang or Teh Botol

the modest entry into Ibu Oka, the smell of grilled pork hangs lightly in the air!

A quick rundown on Days 3, 4 & 5

Day 3 in Ubud

After checking out of All Seasons we were really impatiently waiting to get Tanah Lot over with and check into our villa, just the word "villa" sends down chills of relaxation through us. Hmmmm .. bliss!

Tanah Lot is actually another version of the Sukawati market albeit it's more expensive sibling, whereas in Sukawati the shop owners/assistants pretend you don't exist (see, they cater more to the locals) and doesn't hassle you into buying stuffs, so if you can "tahan" past the sweat and humidity of the market place you can really find great gems here especially if you're nuts about Balinese handicrafts.

It was about one when we finished meandering around Tanah Lot and headed over to Ubud, and Ubud is simply breathtaking, my first comment to Vicky was omg, it's so beautiful, I can cry! (yes, it's actually that pretty, it was so green, so fresh and the air was so light and clean, heaven on earth as I would liken it) .. the people here are more laidback and friendly but not overtly so, I think because they respect our privacy. Made took us straight to Ibu Oka (oka is balinese for children) for the famous babi guling (suckling pig but fried) which is served with rice, veggies and sambal.

It was drizzling slightly and made the air even fresher, the restaurant itself is breathtakingly beautiful (per balinese usual!), we are way past blown away .. their culture, their architecture, the balinese themselves, their language and their overall beauty, languid and flawless.

We sat "lotus" style for lunch which was a tad difficult for our guide Made because of his "pouch" but the food, was simply sumptous, the sinfully delicious deep fried "fat" capped of with a chilled Bintang is utter perfection (their local beer, which was about Rm5 a bottle) -- after lunch we called it a day and was ready to just do nothing and Made called ahead to our villa to inform our impending arrival, we were actually just 5 minutes away.

And so we arrived at our villa, and again we were simply blown away by the beauty of nature that surrounded us and the best thing was we had a whole villa to ourselves, the villa itself an epitome of the grandiose of the Balinese culture and their tribute to Hinduism. Made told us that at least 80% of the balinese people are Hindu. Fresh flowers on our front porch complete with a day bed, inside a king sized bed sits supremely; its frame adorned with unique handcarved floral motifs was the main feature of the bedroom, upon closer inspection, more fresh flowers, a basket of local fruits and even a book of folklore on the nightstand completed with a combination of wooden and bamboo furnishings as well as a reading chair on the corner, and lo & behold the bathroom which was nearly twice the size of our bedchamber made up our villa, again complete with fresh flowers; and a bamboo bowl of scented flower petals for our bathwater. Our pool was just a few steps away from our room, with a gazebo facing the sunrise, perfect for my sun salutations in the morning.

On the 4th morning, we had breakfast served to us on our own private terrace; after our simple and yet very fulfilling breakfast; the hotel's private shuttle sent us to Ubud centre; first stop was the gallery of the Dali of Bali maestro Don Antonio Blanco, which houses many of his Balinese-style works. The grounds of the museum are stunning are well worth a stroll.

We even caught a glimpse of his daughter Maha Dewi Blanco who resides on the grounds of the museum in her own private residence; who's a jewelry designer and most of her works are displayed in the gift shop. A nice cafe sits atop a small hill called Cafe Rondji named after Don Antonio's wife; who was a famous Balinese dance.

Don Antonio passed about 10 years ago but his 76 year old wife Ni Rondji and his son Marco carries on his legacy together with his three daughters Tjempaka, Orkid and Maha Dewi. As we immersed ourselves in his artwork; oddly I can feel Don Antonio's spirit through his paintings which is mostly about the rennaisance balinese women. Though it was a tad naughty at times, got a feeling that Don Antonio was pretty cheeky -- but in some of his works especially potraits of his family, the beauty of his artwork shone brightly through.

After the museum, we strolled around Ubud before heading to Warung Laba Laba for lunch and then for a couple hours of pampering :-) it was only Rp60,000 (about Rm20) for an hour of balinese traditional massage .. bliss!

The back to the villa for afternoon tea, I must say Balinese coffee is definitely one of the better coffee I've tasted, and it was pretty addictive even for a non coffee drinker like myself!

In the evening we visited the famous Dirty Duck Dinner for bebek bengil (balinese fried duck) -- and though it was nice we realized that the local warungs and restaurants served it better. But we had the pleasure of sharing the evening with some new friends from Perth, and chatted the night away.

Day five - we lounged around the villa and again had breakfast on our terrace and before we knew it, it was time for us to say our goodbyes to the nice folks at the villa, Made drove us to Ngurah Rai for our flight back home. Though sad to leave we were so looking forward to seeing Niki after 5 days .. and when we arrived home her happy peals of laughter met us at the door, which was the perfect ending to our holiday in Bali :-)

ps. though Niki wasn't there with us for this holiday, there were loads of pressies for her, and an extra 3 pairs of footwear, to her already burgeoning collection of footwear!

Selamat Sore :-)

Missing Niki

We're missing Niki sooo much

Love, hugs and kisses to you my baby girl

Can't wait to see you Sunday, you're getting us from the airport .. :-)

Bali Day 1 & 2

We're in Bali!

And it's not at all like we'd expected..

It's soooo much better..

And our guide Made is great as well.

Today we did a whole lot of ground tours and covered;

1) Barong Dance

2) Sukawati market

3) the steps Paddy fields; again a surprise, it was so beautiful .. amazing

4) The Volcano : it's still active and we had lunch there overlooking the foothills of the volcano omg was it an experience of a lifetime

5) The coffee farm where we bought Balinese coffee for everyone because it was one of the best coffee we've ever tasted

6) The art gallery

7) And candlelight dinner in Jimbaran Bay's Aroma restaurant; where we ate under the stars and were serenaded by strollers who sang to us while we dined, dinner was magical

9) Night cap at the Ocean Beach Club on Kuta beach

Phew .. we did all that today and it's a surprise I can still post this ..

Tomorrow we're checking out from All Seasons but before that we're gonna laze around the pool before heading to our villa in Ubud and we're gonna go visit Tanah Lot (more shopping!!) and have "Babi Guling" (suckling pig Bali style)

:-) Smiles from Bali