Next Step

Imagine life without a purpose. Don't you think it's a waste of time? Yet, we live everyday as if it's with a purpose, but is there? I begin to question my sense of purpose in this lifetime. I must say, it is clearer when life is less complicated and with only the simplicity of dealing with just oneself and perhaps, one's life work (or a career in modern term). Come to think of it, how sad it is. We have no longer have real control over our behavior, our actions as they somehow are being dictated by external forces. This forces is what I view as technology, life advancement, career advancement etc etc.. It's all the inevitable-s at this day and age. We just have to go with the flow.

I guess to deal with it is to break it down into pieces and trying to achieve what we set out to do. It is ok, if we are not answering to life's calling (which I presume is always a noble one) but having goals made all the difference. To be honest, I can only say, I want to be happy in this lifetime. But very small little thing makes me happy easily and is that it? Is that what life is all about?

As I mentioned, having goals are great. Now I'm aiming to complete my Diploma in Wine in the two years stipulation for the course. I can't wait for embark on this 2-year journey on advancing myself in a real challenging manner and finally able to rekindle the academic side of me. Yes, I may not have or yet to achieve a Master's Degree, but who knows, one day, I'll do that. As of now, I'm very excited on stepping my foot into the world of wines and spirits.

I foresee myself, being studious and being diligent in completing each task but I must forewarn the implication of that. I may not have a social life. But I guess, my love for gatherings and wine-tastings will be able to overcome the need to isolate myself. I guess, it is all about time-management and with a manageable career, I can't find a reason not to do this Diploma at this very instance.

I'm wishing myself all the very best and this entry serves to remind me what I have promised myself to achieve.. Adios!

My 2014

More than 1.5 years gone without a single entry to this blog of mine. What is my thought on this? I must say, it’s a mixed bag of feelings, torn between guilt and a sense of entitlement. Entitlement to feel that it is ok not to take action sometimes. Well, it’s certainly not a good habit of mine, yet, it’s a coping mechanism for me I suppose, to make sense of how much is actually going on in one’s life today at this day and age. Social medias, the constant bombardment of breaking news, 24-hour news feeds, never-ending Internet marketing emails… life can be exhausting! The mind is not resting properly, the body is not functioning optimally.

Hence it’s that how we should feel? I began to question the effects on the social “advancement” of our humankind.

Being me, I always let the issues that I learn and experience to affect me in one way or another. I begin to think of how I have progressed and I could not help but to break it down to my career, my wine journey, my love life, my family life and all this in no particular order. They all define me in one way or another. I can’t help but to be reflective when it comes this time of the year.

My wine journey so far has been a really kind one. I have had a plenty few of memorable bottles and flavours that I had savoured that open up a whole new experience. Chateau Simone and a bottle of Fronton. The scent of foxiness, the signature scent of Négrette, will forever ingrained in my memory. I must give thanks to the person who brought these bottles and shared them with me. Also, with two wine certifications, I can now add two sets of abbreviation after my name. And I vow to live up to that.  I also discovered that the effect of alcohol and fatigue is a deadly combination to one's health and one must always be mindful not to combine both.  Drink only when your body says I’m ready, not when I’m tired.

My career has also been a kind one for me. I am still enjoying the lifestyle perks of my job yet I begin to search for an answer to cope with fatigue.  I supposed no one is exempted from the wrath of aging and it is just a part of growing up and growing old. But the question remains in our popular culture on how to reverse aging, or to slow it down. My take on this is, keeping one fit physically and mentally and it’s always easier verbally than through action. Nonetheless, I must keep myself occupied in some ways or another by doing some sport. I think I should rekindle with badminton, which I grew up with. In my line of work, I have had some unfortunate incidents as well. I had one that affected me quite a bit. However, I have learnt to let go and it left me with a sweet note, a reminder to enjoy my life to the fullest, every moment, every heartbeat. I am just a mere mortal and there is so much that I can control, life and death is definitely not one of them.

I always ask myself, if I die today, will I die happy? My answer is always a yes.  My soulmate, my life partner, my best friend, my hubby has the greatest part to play on this. His reassurance is always the comfort to my soul and his love, my reason to live on. I have plenty to write about us, but there’s something in me that I felt, that it only belongs to us and not to be shared to the public. And I regard this as our very own sacred Steph & Dan. Something that is only felt and shared with your closest. I hope you have the chance to experience that in your own way.

I am also glad that I am always yearning to be with family members. And that includes friends who are family we have chosen for ourselves. I always thought that I can be an independent person, a loner but yet, I am most joyful when I am with the company of them. I guess, I am growing up and growing old.

I have still a long list of to-dos and must-reads and must-sees.. I am eager but in a more controlled manner, taking one thing at a time and breaking down stuffs into manageable pieces. Life is sometimes a mystery and most of the time, very real. We are what we feel and we are how we live our life.

Cheers to a brilliant 2015!

Life, thus Far..

It’s been awhile since I escape from writing but truly my escape is through writing.

Life has taken a wonderful, wonderful journey since my last entry.  If only I could bottle it up, to be savoured in the future, I can only be contented with those lovely memories built up on my mind.  Perhaps, by sitting down and recollecting, I can somehow make these memories stay more permanent. I have always been grateful on how my life has turned out to be. And Danny always reminds me that, it’s happened because of planning and thoughtful execution. Yes, always the rational-minded guy. 

Somehow, there’s this bliss that is felt, only through the blessings of the universe that everything would turn out the way you wanted it to be. Call it The Secrets, or call it God, there is certain mysteries in life to be discovered. Perhaps, it’s karma, that in this lifetime, I am blessed.

My profession has taken to another level. By learning to be leader, I can’t help but feel the need to inspire. In today’s world, we lead life without needing to really care for the next individual. We just operate as though division of labour is our ticket to work the work’s worth, without having to get emotional (something very human). Well, the benefits are obvious, however, the side effects are felt too.

Also, today’s youths are quite different in terms of motivation and the need to actually work for the wages. Hence, I am learning on how to penetrate their psyche to accurately stamp a piece of inspiration in them. I know it’s no easy work and I hope I will somehow figure it out through more experiences and learnings.

Family life is going great as people closest to me are moving up the ladder in life. I love to see progress and I love the fact that in life, one needs to work hard to achieve a good life. It is an old-fashioned value that I still hold on to.  I feel that, how can a person complain about his or her own life without actually knowing that he or she hadn't been giving his or her best? These people would just live life and pointing at others who succeed as being lucky. How oblivious and ignorant!

My question to myself right now is that, where do I want to see myself in the next 3-5 years time? Surely, I promise to strive to be a better person and wish people around me (if not, the whole world) to be equally blessed and happy.

My Wine Journey so far...

The essence of my journey in wine is to discover what wine means to me. To some, it represents a commodity as a means for profit, whether to teach it or to sell it. I have come across both. There are also some who write about it and their palate seem to be so trust-worthy. I have come across them too. The best known in the wine world, some believed. I have tasted hundreds of wine I believed, studied and got certified yet I am still unsure what to do with it. I supposed I admire some, who just enjoy drinking it, which I do too. And some who cellar it, hoping that the bottle will turn into a marvelous worth of time and effort. I aspire to do that too.

Another some, are people who work in the very production of wine. In the vineyard, they are the viticulturists, and the very skillful people who transform these precious fruits into joyful liquids, the winemakers. I have no exposure in this field of viticulture and vinification, and I always wonder how my life would differ should I live close enough to a wine region. In a vineyard, I imagine living the humble life as portrayed in some wine movies. Indeed, there is some magical goodness in wine that simply fills my heart with pure joy and pleasure. I have yet to find a wine that made me feel otherwise. Is there one?

I believe that if wine is a growing trend in this part of my world, I wonder what else is there to look forward to. I supposed teaching it, is one way or another I find, how I can associate with the retention of my wine knowledge as some said, through teaching you are retaining 95% of your knowledge. Is that true? Or just organize some wine dinners here and there as a means of escape to a pure fun-filled sharing of wine moments. I wonder, can a person live this life and maintaining it without a cost? I certainly find lots of potential in doing that.

Of course, there is also some who contribute and write freely about whatever they think of some wine they tasted. I find that rather personal and by a sheer power of the Internet capability, everyone can look or be made to look like a pro. I mean, isn’t it too easy to qualify to write about wine these days? Just like what I am doing now, disguising it in a form of blog?

If there is one more thing left for me to make my wine knowledge useful is to have more tasting sessions, simply discovering what the wine world has to offer today. Let’s not limit our imagination to the well-known labels or regions but do look elsewhere for new possibilities. When I visited Bhutan, a few years back, what stroke me was that, how come this place doesn’t produce its own wine? Well, it does now. And it's from grapes, not rice.

The endless possibilities is always a constant reminder that how much we do not know rather than how much we think we know. Salute!

Wine, Wine, Wine

My journey in wine was being initiated by sipping a light yellow liquid in a local restaurant in Brussels some years back. At least it was how I remember it. I remember loving it and with my cultural upbringing, wine is associated with luxury and the only encounter I would have had with wine, would be in a Chinese wedding dinner. Although wines were served along with beers and whiskies, I did not have the luxury to taste them as I was way too young. Somehow, alcohol was negatively associated by the way I was brought up.

The little restaurant in Brussels opened my eyes to the pleasurable side of alcohol. What great joy a wine can bring when enjoy with nice food and nice company! I was then, a fairly innocent young person with little engagement to the wider world, but thanks to my job, managed to bridge that for me. I was feeling so at home with the whole European setting and sipping the liquid I was told is wine. I did not get any dizziness from drinking it but a slight feeling of being lifted, a state I came to know as the "godliness" state, where life can just end with that sip and feeling fully content with just having that sip, as the last moment of my life. From there, I know I enjoy wine.

Every now and then, having wine with meal would be such a treat and has always been a highlight for me. When I resigned from my job, I brought this little learning with me that wine should be enjoyed in happy occasions which I gladly shared with my close friends even we weren't earning much for a living. How excessive it may sound, but that's how wine portray itself, a pleasurable indulgence. I remember how happy we felt to discover how nice Ernest and Julio red wine tasted, a bottle my hubby brought home. Most of the time, it was order by the glass whenever we club, pub, dine or simply chilling at hotel lounges for a good relaxing live music. I truly enjoy those times thanks to my ever-supportive hubby and the company of my dear friend. I was enjoying wine, but I didn't really know about wine.

Coming back from my stint in acquiring a bachelor's degree, I was earning again and I was glad to have more opportunity to learn about wine. I started by buying a bottle that I could afford, mostly German Rieslings in Penny Mart, Frankfurt and then gradually began to explore generic Bordeaux wines. I had no idea, the difference between a St Emilion or Medoc. I was a typical non-informed, under-educated wine drinker. Then, there was this gentleman who formalize my interest for wine when he said, palate can be trained and there is so much to learn about the world of wine. I began studying for WSET exams and miraculously, I passed each time I sat for the exam. I must have some really keen interest in wine then.

To date, I have yet to taste a lot of wines but hopefully, I am on the right track of training toward becoming a Sommelier, a credible one, I aspire to be. I still love browsing through wine shops and each time, I began to feel more at ease, instead of looking cluelessly like how I used to be. There is never-ending learning about wine, just like any other field. I just wish I could learn as much as I can and I will.

Good Night, Mr Jobs..

I am now in New York City again. As I was browsing through the windows of the shops on Fifth just now, I was actually making my way to the Apple Retail Store. Early in the morning, you will be glad to see the store as it is open 24hours a day. It never sleeps like the city itself.

As you already know, Steve Jobs had gone, at the moment so timely with the launch of iPhone 4S. I speculated that because of Steve's death, they held back the launch of iPhone 5 which was greatly anticipated and almost had become a reality to many. Well, I was saddened by the news of both, the passing of my favorite technology/business figure, and the fact that I have to wait longer to hold another evolutionary or revolutionary (I hope) device.

As I was watching the many tributes to Steve Jobs on the news channels, I could not help but reflect on his greatest gifts to the world. Was he a great technologist? Was he the greatest marketer?

I am a Mac user myself since early 2004, and I instantly fell in love with my iBook G3 then, when I first got it. It is not only nice to look at and touch with your fingers, it was absolutely reliable and almost idiot-proof. I did not feel intimidated at all but somehow pride myself to be somewhat different from the masses. In my mind, the illumination of the Apple logo whenever my iBook starts up, says it all. The best advertisement ever, I still opine.

Just outside of Apple Retail Store in NYC, the famous glass cube is all covered in white now. As I entered the store, I descended through the spiral stairways and around me, it was covered in white. I felt as if I was going to a funeral. I could not help but felt a little sombre. I have to see the iPhone 4S, I told myself.. but it was no where in sight or on display.

I took another look outside of the store again and tried to read the little messages that Steve Jobs' fans left him. A lot of apples and candles offered to him with his signature quotes on them. I felt that, Mr Jobs' legacy will always be with us, very often when we use his signature products. Steve Jobs is never really gone, it's just a good night and tomorrow, who knows will change the world again.

p/s : I credit Mr Jobs for caring the right-brainers and put a meaning to what the world has arrived into, the conceptual age..
Also, remember the moments unboxing your newly purchased Apple products? Only Steve would had thought, it was worth it!

Going Really Gaga

Bandung

Our recent trip to Bandung was timely in a sense that right after the trip, BBC began to show a travel series on Bandung. According to BBC, Bandung was once, Paris of the East. I did not watch the series but Bandung and Paris are fashionable cities, I regard.

Our brief flight was a smooth one with half of a full load. Budget airlines connect city to city and this privilege was not in existent until Air Asia came to life. Bandung may not be a travel destination to most but many will go there for a good shopping spree. Bandung, around 2 hours by car from Jakarta has been an escape to the city dwellers who would want to seek a cooler air, great food and not to mention, Bandung's famous factory outlets.

Thanks to a dear friend, we managed to go to the right factory outlets without wasting our precious 3-day-2-night stay, searching among the tens of outlets in Dago area namely, Jalan Riau and Jalan Setibudi. Rumah Mode, Summit, Uptown and Secret are a few that worth going.

We also went to the famous but isolated The Peak restaurant, reputed to be the gem ala fine dining owned by the Jacob's Creek group. The atmosphere was great, romantic with a dose of exclusivity but the food did not match the standard that we were looking for. But I was happy enough to be able to try the local red and white wines from Bali. The white wine was a balance wine with refreshing and crisp acidity, perfect to match the appertisers that we ordered but when it came to my red with my lamb shank, the red was a little clumsy and the nose was a bit gamey to my liking.

Upon her recommendation, we also stayed at Hilton and visited the spa which was unfortunately, fully booked on our first night there. Our wait for the spa on the next day, had indeed paid off when we finally got a great rub after a full day of outlet shopping, eating in Kartika Sari with doses of Soto, Brownie Kukus, Pisang Bolen and driving through the Beverly Hills of Bandung.

To us, Bandung is a great getaway to enjoy luxury hotel stay and spa with a price tag that many could afford. Our best dinner meal was indeed at Hilton's Fresco Italian restaurant overlooking the hotel's pool. We recommend, no where else but Hilton for a full pampering stay and it would be nice if this can be recurring...

Property KL

In my recent trip to KL, I was in awed and inspired by the property development scene and how well, the sector is gearing towards the rising standard and property value especially, in the high-end luxury niche.

It is very true that the increased connectivity of KL City and other suburban cities has made KL, the investors’ playground. The property prices in the city is relatively low when compared to the more developed markets such as Hong Kong and Singapore and some said, KL prices look more attractive than Bangkok and Jakarta. Truly, KL has a competitive advantage in terms of price versus value factor and taking into consideration of the government effort and commitment for wanting to improve the city’s infrastructures and transportations i.e. the MRT, KL seems to be the answer to where you should park your money.

To understand the property market in KL, which I am no expert, I believe that driving around the city in look out for buntings/banners or billboard advertisements helps tremendously. Relying on newspaper advertisements is still a little too late, as people on the ground may have booked the best bets by the time the news travels to you. Hence, as a layperson, with no special connection to insiders’ news, you can still have your best bet by doing your homework i.e. be on the ground and stay close to the ground. Of course, you also need some pre-requisites like knowing what exactly you are looking for and whether you have the means to acquire it.

I am no big-time property investor but I believe in building wealth by property investment, thanks to my better half. I have a really strong hunch that KL city properties have tremendous potential and have not reached the peak yet. Well, frankly, you don’t need me to tell you that. There is plenty more room for further increase in property prices and if the government continues to be focusing on the economic growth strategy, prices can only head upwards with interests from foreign investors.

With some encouraging and promising news from property developers like SP Setia, Mah Sing, EmKay and Empire, you can be sure that the KL property scene will be very exciting for the next few years. Do strive to be on the “list” of invitees where pre-launches are held. I still have a long way to go but I hope it’s going to be possible one day…

Turning 30

The big 3-0 really scares me initially. I’ve been avoiding, thinking that the day would not come, and when it did eventually, I had nothing else to say or to feel.

I supposed my non-confrontational nature or perhaps, only the close ones would realize how prepared or ill-prepared I was in turning 30.

I asked my friends on how they feel about themselves being in the 30s bracket. I am grateful that I have lots of support and each gave me a courageous view on how turning 30 is transformational from being self-doubt to bursting with self-confidence.

They also shared, how they felt about their physical state, where they all agree, they felt sexier. Wow, I didn’t expect that!

I always thought that turning 30 means slowing down in your metabolic rate, which translate to having to curb your appetite for much food as you can easily put on weight from that day onwards. Besides weight, your energy level will drastically drop to a point of no return. From then on, you will just give up and let yourself go as 30 supposed to mark the stage where vanity matters secondarily. Well, I didn’t realize that I was stuck with such thought of the previous generation!

Turning 30 in today’s context is really, literally, turning 20 again (like what my bestie said). The only difference is that, you’re more capable, financially and socially to achieve or to do what you want to do.

As a female, I suppose turning 30 marks the age where you feel more liberated and the old adage of “no more market value” should not apply anymore. It should be, I know what I want better now, than I knew 10 years ago, hence I will tread carefully in search for it. If the numerical indication still matters, it is only needed as a timeline, a motivation and a reminder. That’s it.

After being 30 for about two weeks now, I finally come in to terms with what I really feel about it. In the midst of all this entangled and contrasting musing, I come to conclusion that we live, in search to stop searching. My mantra now is to continue questioning about life, about my thoughts and my feelings until I have all the answers.


The purpose in life is to search to stop searching.

What A Great Year, Indeed!

The year 2010 had been a tremendous blessing to me. I sailed through the year with conviction that I did pretty okay in my career, my social life and my home and family life. I felt this way after a brief moment in self-reflection mode. I am very happy with my accomplishment in these areas, at least, by my own definition and, by no means, I meant arrogance.

I could have done more in terms of learning more new things, read a couple more books and write a few more entries to my blog. Nonetheless, I feel quite contented and blessed throughout the year. May the year 2011 be another great year to continue this great blessing, not only to me, but to everyone. Let's stay positive! Happy New Year!

Koh Lipe : The Real Island Paradise

Koh Lipe, dubbed as the Maldives of Thailand is indeed an island paradise. Far from being qualified as unspoiled, I would considered Lipe as quite commercialised already. By that definition, I mean, the standard of accommodations, the number of hotels and resorts, eateries, the standard of the tour operators, the massage services etc..

Well,to make Lipe sound more remote and exotic, I would say, it still hasn't had any ATM machines or banks in sight. The walking street still remain untarred for most of its pathways and you can still see plenty of long-tail boats used for fishing and for more economic reasons, as taxi boats. I personally think that the motor behind these boats kills off the very charm of the boats.

To start our journey, we took a flight from KL to Langkawi. Air Asia seemed to be the answer to our travel destinations these days. Starting off in the wee hours of the morning, our senses were woken by the deliciously hot and spicy nasi lemak, arguably, Malaysians' favourite for breakfast. In less than an hour flight time, we began descending into Langkawi International Airport. Instantly, we dashed to the duty-free shop to purchase some wines. We bought a bottle of Sancerre and a bottle of Coonowarra Merlot.

With about half and hour before our ferry to Lipe scheduled to depart, we quickly get hold of a taxi and we had to constantly remind him of our press on time. Like any island folks, people tend to take things a little too easy here. Telaga Harbour is fortunately, only about 15 minutes away from the airport. I must give credit to our driver.

We boarded the ferry with only nine of us onboard, six passengers and three crewmembers. From afar, we should see Koh Lipe and Koh Adang ahead of us and Koh Tarutao slightly on our right. We were very impressed by the ferry ride, mainly due to the easiness of not having to worry about our luggages. The entire ride was blessed with calm water.

In less than an hour ferry ride, we then transfered to a long-tail boat to go to the shore. We were greeted by a local who spoke to us in Malay. We were then directed to the immigration booth to collect our passports, which were required to be surrendered at Telaga Harbour. We thought, it's so cool to be the immigration officers here, as the beach is just right in front of the office. The officers were not clad in uniform to our amazement!

We quickly took notice of the map directory and began finding our way to Castaway, a boutique bungalow by the beach. Like any first-timers, we would most likely make the mistakes in finding the best route. Yes, we actually went through puddles of water from Pattaya Beach to Sunrise Beach. Along our way, we saw the ugly side of the island which seriously lacks proper waste management. We saw how locals living with stagnant water and rubbish around the courtyard. We began to doubt the beauty of Lipe, which is what it's known for.

Finally, we checked in to our wooden bungalow and were quite pleased with the amenities and ambience. It reminded us of kampung living, which I lack the experience due to where I come from. I regard myself very much of a city gal. Hence, I would not fail to bring with me, my extensive range of toileteries and comfort snacks, whenever I could. If I could get comfortable here, means, it has to have a sitting toilet and a comfortable bed. We had both in Castaway.

We strolled along Sunrise Beach and tried getting ourselves acquainted with the walking street. We particularly enjoyed the Thai Pancake and Blended Thai Iced Milk Tea. The free wi-fi service by Castaway was a real bonus and we sat at the verandah together with Castaway's signature prawn crackers and great tasting chili paste. We washed it all down with Singha and a perfectly chilled Sauvignon Blanc. To top it up, we had a fantastic view of the beach and the soothing sound of the waves. This is officially declared as paradise!

The next day, we ventured to Pattaya Beach and Sunset Beach. To start our day, we dined at what seemingly the most popular breakfast joint alond the walking street. We had all our breakfast at this joint throughout our 4-day stay here. The crowd was an interesting bunch, mostly Caucasians couples and families. We also did some shopping and snorkelling. It felt good to snorkel with our own gear where everything fits well.

We also did some trekking uphill to find a very secluded beach called Billa. We made it there but had to beware of the mosquitoes. Billa beach was indeed tiny and guarded by a friendly dog. We only spotted two persons here.

As food played a significant part of our travel this time, we stuffed ourselves with different varieties of Thai-style curries. Our staples were mostly phad thai and tom yum. I was more into the place to dine as most restaurants offered identical menu. We were very delighted with mango sticky rice for dessert.

Another notable discovery is the Mountain Resort. It offers the best beach around, in our opinion. As Lipe is a small island, I think we would have walked the entire walk-able parts of the island. We were still stunned by the lack of popularity among Asians to this island as the Caucasians made the majority of the visitors here.

We made a pledge to come back to Lipe whenever we could spare some time off at work. Well, we made that pledge with conviction while sitting at Mountain Resort's restaurant overlooking Koh Adang. Well, as there are still so many places to venture, we felt that Koh Lipe is the most relaxing beach holiday we have ever had...

Vintry

After a great dinner at Robertson Walk, we decided to take a stroll to Clarke Quay. Guess what we found? A cosy place with a wine library! It's been opened for more than three weeks now and it will be officially open on 25th Nov 2010 next to Royal Selangor showroom at Clarke Quay.

With more than 600 labels and a wine consultant from Malaysia, whom currently pursuing the prestigious Master of Wine qualification, Vintry looks, all in all, very promising. After its three outlets in KL and PJ, venturing into the Singapore market seems like taking a big step forward. Timely? I am not sure as I'm just an infant trying to understand all about wines and the wine industry.

After talking to the supervisor there, I'm glad that wine tasting can be done more easily now with those modern wine dispensers. With as low as S$ 2 per tasting, it will be my regular hangout soon!

I can't wait to visit Vintry and I am even more eager to see Vintry at Jaya 33 soon with my favourite people. Yes, a gathering before Christmas and New Year is almost too compulsory to miss...Let's experience wines and salut!

Palate Training

Recently, I was privileged enough to be extended an invitation by a Sommelier to a nice fusion dinner and to taste some really 'Super' New World wines. Not the Chilean or Australian wines that come to mind, but countries that you may never heard or think of producing wines. Yes, countries like Japan, Israel and India. I count my blessing to have received and accepted such a rare occasion where such wines are featured, courtesy of the Wine Sommeliers.

I arrived at the secluded venue with a thirsty palate. Curious, perhaps is the right word, as I was wondering what wines are we going to taste. We started off with a sparkling Malvasia secco, which reminds me of a confectionary shop. The aromas of clotted cream and melting butter was obvious and the taste equals the confectionary products. I was expecting something fruity like peaches, white currants or even apricots but, oh boy, instead my palate was enlightened!

A moment later, our appetiser arrived and we adjourned to our second wine. It was a Viognier made in collaboration with Michel Rolland, the famous winemaker. The colour was not too appealing to one of our Sommeliers. On the nose, it smells typically of Viognier, very floral and it went quite well with the deep fried tofu in century-egg sauce that we had. But I still prefer sipping on my Malvasia instead, which really brings out the creaminess of the dish.

After a while, we began opening another bottle, a red this time. The red wine comes from Yamanashi, Japan and the flavour intensity was quite subtle at first before a good swirl, but strong enough to have a good nose. The colour was an attractive lighter shade of red or pristine light ruby, I would say. The aroma was very pleasant on the nose, very floral, perfume with little fruit notes. It reminded me of a gourmet rose syrup if there is such a thing, I thought. I began sipping this unique wine and I find it to be quite complex too. A lot of flavours started to appear to my mind but I rather let it be, than putting a vocabulary into it (since I may lack of it) as I was busy pairing it with my heavenly salted fish pasta dish with Thai basil. For the first time, I had so many glasses of wines to pair with one dish.

As I begin to feel what luck I was having, to be seated with these people and having conversations purely on food and wines, I felt a little challenged too. It never occurred to my mind that this day would arrive as I began to slowly awakening my palate which was pretty much untrained before. As we were talking and trying to find the right vocabulary to describe the tastes, our next bottle of wine was opened. This time, we were going to have a Kosher Merlot made in Israel. Thank goodness I had chosen duck as my main. The full name of the dish is Duck Leg Confit with Plum Mustard Sauce and Yam Cake. It went really well with my Merlot and our discussion was on how Kosher wines are made. My loaned iPad came in handy, in Googling the answer to some of our questions.

Lastly, the dessert came. This time, I had my Japanese wine topped up as I thought, it would be brilliant to pair this wine with dessert. I was right, the wine went gorgeously well with my Pandan Infused Panna Cotta with Gula Melaka! My palate felt so alive for the very first time! I was really enjoying all the explosion of flavours and aromas that I began to feel that I could get used to all this.

The night ended with a bottle of Syrah from India. It was a really good expression of the varietal, spicy and peppery.

After that night, I began to continue furiously, on my journey towards more wine tastings. I was lucky to have my hubby who is constantly there for me. We tasted a really good Chateauneuf du Pape recently, a rather bland and deep-coloured Dornfelder, a Barbera and a few more. I hope, it does not end here...

Die a Natural Death?

Recently, Flamboyant Maestro visited the little island down south. We met on a fateful day, a night before the F1 proper begins. He isn't a fan, judging from his conversation topics, hence his presence has nothing to do with F1. Nonetheless, F1 certainly had created a worrying moveabout plan.

He uttered the words, "what happened to your blog? It has died a natural death!" Okay, it didn't quite hit me to my very core but I began to feel obligated to pen something down before September ends... I would like to thank him, nonetheless :)

I am way below my target quota. Yes, it is shameful. I feel responsible for this. At least, from now on, I will try to make an attempt whenever there is a writing bug itching me and Internet connection. Yes, both play very critical role. And also when there is nothing else I have to do, although there seem to be a lot lately. I feel the strain but I am slowly picking up.

I hope for the next few months, I will try to remember Flamboyant Maestro's warning when it gets too quiet sometimes... Let's this be my motivation, or should I say, threat but a nice one...

August Musings

It is already August and I wonder in amazement how fast time passes. I see a baby who has now started walking, I see holiday plans made months ago materialised, and I just came to know that the Hungry Ghost Festival this year is coming to end. I am now in Dubai, stranded in my hotel room for two days as it’s Ramadhan and over 40 degrees Celcius outside. Don’t get me wrong as it is my personal choice to stay indoor and not to disturb the peacefulness of observing the holy month with my worldly habits.

With the gift of Internet connection, it’s quite natural to immerse yourself into Facebook and MSN. It’s really a treat when people of your interest surf up and appear on your laptop screen. What’s more to ask for when meaningful and interesting conversations do take place. Life is so digitally driven these days and I wonder whether humanity able to reverse it.

I just realised that, our very existence has a lot of influence on other people whether we like it or not, whether we know it or not. Hence, it’s a moral obligation to try to think and cherish one another. I did such a gesture of treating my relatives to a lunch when I was back in KL. But that wasn’t enough. I may have neglected more people whom I was close with. Well, I hope to live to each day without anyone feeling that I have abandoned them. It’ll be my least of an intention and of course, I hope that I could feel braver each time in expressing those feelings.

I have another hope after witnessing a wonderful photo album on Facebook. May this world be blessed with enough wealth, trickle down to reach the very people who needs it.

Loss

This is way overdue. Yes, no excuse of everyday life's passing is good enough. I begin to wonder why these days, it is so difficult to trust kindness and honesty and yet so easy to feel or see the evil side of people. Is the reality distorting me?

I am always an idealist. I want to see the good side of people but I grew tired of it after awhile. Tired to be proven otherwise, when others are so disappointing. Yes, I have some encounters lately that betrayed my trust towards people. Well, it only concerns the materials and a little monetary loss, hence I can be forgiving.

I shall reflect upon myself again and keep reminding myself not to fall prey, as there are always people out there waiting to profit from our carelessness and kindness. It is stressful to live in today’s world, sometimes. People are always ready to laugh at others, to take from others without consent. It’s disappointing.

That brought me to ponder upon what I have read recently regarding the Japanese culture. There is always a conflict in understanding the way of life in the east and the west. The westerners are always rationally driven and in Japanese culture or cultures which have influences of Confucianism, people tend to be more dependent on other people’s kindness. We expect other to reciprocate kindness here. But of course, in some instances the universal trait of human, which is greed, still prevails after all.

An Admirable Person I Met...

To know something about a person’s life, always intrigues me. Not that I’m a busybody but somehow, I qualify myself as a listener. Somehow, somewhere, someone will pour his or her heart out to me… I often find it natural to listen, empathize and imagine how different or the same the person’s life is, compared to mine…

I knew that, it’s not easy to life live, especially when things aren’t going your way, most of the time. But to be able to carry on and living it positively, with contentment and with a smile, is more than a plausible act. It’s indeed a gigantic leap towards enlightenment, in my humble opinion.

I knew of someone who is just that. What you see may not be what you get. You see a really perfect and happy person in the exterior. Well, the person is really perfect and happy, by the way. But when you know deep down, what the person had gone through, I couldn’t help myself taking my hats off for the person and give the person a bow. How admirable it is to continue living life with hope, in faith that one day, something good will come true, even it seems like the faintest idea that the day will come.

I hope that, the person, will one day, deserve all the goodness that this world could offer her and her family and continue to be who she is, a beautiful person with a beautiful soul.

Election Britain

Written on 12th May 2010

I am now in London, witnessing the very moment, change of political guard. Mr Cameron is the new Prime Minister and Mr Brown is packing his bags to exit 10 Downing Street. Who would have thought, the smallest guy, the Liberal Democrat is the kingsmaker. Mr Clegg, once noted as th biggest joke by Mr Cameron is now his deputy.

Paradise for Me