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...