bayya's eats… and other stuff: February 2008

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

no gym today

no gym today

So I had a haircut just now, rite? After which I planned to head for the gym.

I lugged my gym bag with my training clothes and shoes all the way to the salon.

While waiting for my turn, I decide that I'd have a wash, too. Cos' I believe that it can help with this tangled mess, that is my hair. ~~Also I can sort of blame them for the entangling my hair while washing...~~

After the wash, then the trim and the absence of any entangling whatsover, my head felt so damn good.

My hair looked fine and, felt fine. So fine that I think that it'll be such a waste to sweat myself out and spoil it all.

So I went shopping instead!

Yes, lugging my gym bag with the training gear and all.

The funny thing is, I did head up for the gym.

Just to upgrade my membership. Heh.

I was **THIS** close to stepping into the changing room and work it out like the others but I convinced myself that it's not often my hair looked and felt THIS good so I should just forget about it.

So bimboitic, huh?

And the shopping, in my case, is just heading to buy fruits (esp. bananas) and stocking up on necessities like creams & lotions and my daily contact lenses. That's all.

Ok, so maybe some of you call that 'marketing', not 'shopping'.

Whatever.

What's important is that my hair FEELS and LOOKS GOOD!

**beams** =)

no mood la

no mood for updates

I thought of doing some little updates, seeing how other people diligently update their blog with the little things that happen in their lives.

Then I read THIS

I cried everytime I read a poem in there. Count the number of poems. That's how many times I cried. Over and over.

Now I have no mood to update.

Ok, gotta go for a haircut. This entangled mess is getting on my nerves.

And no, I'm not perming. Not yet. My hair's gotta rest.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

screwed up again

ok, i screwed up again...

the agenda this time: movie tickets booking.
---------------------------------------------

Early morning tomorrow, gotta fetch my uncle, go to Lavender/Golden Mile to book KL bus tix.

Then drive to J.B. Go for a foot reflexology session, then lunch, followed by some shopping and head back to S'pore before the jam starts on the Causeway.

So I'll be busy tomo, rite?

And where the heck am I going to find time to rush down to Orchard Cineleisure, right when the human traffic is at its highest, not to mention the vehicular traffic as well?

And goodness help me if the ERP rate, too.

Oh geez. What about the carpark???

That is the freaking reason, why I chose to watch a movie there late at night, where both human and vehicular traffic has pretty much ceased.

And also why I freaking BOOKED THE TIX ONLINE.

And I have to screw up.

FYI, I am one of those who, for the love of everything good, has a freaking problem with dates.

Dates as in calendar. Not the one that involves going out with another person.

I can go about the day without knowing what day/date it is. And I DON'T CARE.

Why? Because it think it's a waste of my brain juice to remember such menial things.

Much to my disadvantage, of course.

Especially in this instance.

Movie tile? check. Cinema? check. Time? check. Date? check.

Oh shoot. Why does the date look suspiciously funny (I guess my instinct is working on overtime)? Something's not right.

A quick check with the calendar says that it's Fri, 22nd. That means that I'm gonna watch the show on 23rd.. Sat....

So why the heck did it say that I booked for a show on the 24th?? SUN????!!!!

And when did I discover this??

On the page that said: BOOKING CONFIRMED. Please print this confirmation page.....

Aaaarrrgggghhh!!!!!

I'm hoping and hoping that by the time that I (finally) get there, there will still be ample good seats left. Knowing it's Saturday night and all.....

Most importantly, that they allow me to change the date!

My $21......!

..... I think I'd better check the street directory for the map of that place again.

Knowing the other crucial problem I have...I can actually go to a place many times over and still can't figure out the way there.

Yes. Direction problem, I have.

Especially with locations that involve one-way roads.

My pet peeve.

Oh geez!

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Fool's Gold review

Fool's Gold
review

Category:	Movies
Genre:	Romantic Comedy

This movie... it elevates stupidity to another level altogether. That's a direct reference to some of the characters.

Thank goodness for the cast of stellar leads. If it had been someone else, this easily becomes a B-Grade movie. Really!

Donald Sutherland is heavily underused (oxymoron!) in this movie. Thankfully, his expressive eyes makes up for his somewhat mumbled speech.

His irritating daughter is plain... irritating. Though she does make for a few laughs.

All in all, I can fully understand why this movie made it big despite being panned by critics all over.

It's very entertaining. Period.

You don't need much brain juice to understand the shallow plot & simple storyline.

Having watched this on a mundane Tuesday night, after a hard day's work, there's nothing that I appreciate more than a few good laughs.

And check out the scenic setting. Gorgeous view of the sun, sand & sea. And Matt's (hot!) bod.

Friday, February 15, 2008

bali day 3-8

Bali Day 3 - 8
Seraya/Tulamben + Kuta

Okay, after the arduous 4++hrs journey from Ubud via Kintamani, we finally arrived in Seraya.

We were sooo tired upon arrival that late afternoon. Besides, it kinda rained a bit so the mood wasn't that... ermm... good.

Well, until we saw our rooms, that is.

Oh wait. Correction.

Our Ocean View Villas, I mean. Side by side with our bosses.

Coolness!!!

Sri & I went bonkers and scrambled here and there to take pics, forgetting that we'll be there for 3 days. Delirious!

My boss had to go, "Girls, we need to hurry and have dinner before it gets too dark for Gusti (our driver) to drive back..."

All we can say was, "Thank You! OH wow! Cool! Thank you!"

I LOVE THE PLACE. Check it out. It's called Scuba Seraya Resort.

Problem is, the place might bore non-divers. Cos' there's nothing else there. You can't really explore Seraya/Tulamben cos' over there, it's mostly dive shops, other resorts and some random restaurants manned by Europeans and villagers.

When we drove back after dinner, the whole area was in darkness. No streetlights.

My 2 colleagues and I, we spent the night dipping our feet in the outdoor tub, have a good cuppa, listened to chill-out music and talk cock. We switched off all the lightings, lit the candles and looked up at the stars.

I LOVE that moment.

So time there was spent diving, relaxing in between dives and just chill. No tv, no radio no clocks even. Thank goodness the food is decent.

The diving is another thing altogether. We get around in a speedboat w/o a ladder so imagine when you are worn out after a dive and you have to climb back up the boat..?

Dive sites include the Liberty Ship Wreck, Tulamben River Mouth, Paradise Coral Garden, Tulamben Drop Off, Batu Kelebit, Alam Anda, Emerald Rocks, Batu Niti, Kubu, Mystery Rocks.

Highlights for me were the resident (huge!) barracuda at the Liberty Wreck, The Napoleon wrausse, the cod (or whatever it is) at the cleaning point, the white-tip reef shark and the 2 schools of jackfish, which moves around like a tornado underwater. And of course, the reef.

~~Wish you can see the pics but my colleague who took the underwater pics have yet to upload them, so till then!~~ Underwater photos HERE, courtesy of my colleague, Jim.

Then there's the guys.... ahakz! The Divemasters, Asst. DM and the boatmen. Cool ones, they are. Managed to click with them because I spoke Bahasa Indonesia. Loved the company.. heheheh

Hey, they're all married, okay? People there, they marry young. ~~Too bad...~~

Was sad to part from there.. But we had to move on.

My colleague Jimmy (the photog) went to another dive resort at Padangbai, my bosses head to Ritz Carlton at Nusa Dua and Sri & me head for Hard Rock Hotel in Kuta.

Day 3 - Arrive in Scuba Seraya Resort. Dinner and rest.
Day 4 - Morning dive. Rest. Lunch. Afternoon dive. Rest.
Day 5 - Morning dive. Rest. 2nd dive. Lunch. Afternoon dive.
Day 6 - Rest. Pack. Check out of Seraya.
Check into Hard Rock. Explore Kuta.
Day 7 - Explore Kuta again. Had Cream Bath at spa.
Jimmy came in from Padang Bai.
Took a cab ride to Tanah Lot. Then met my bosses at Jimbaran for a seafood dinner.
Day 8 Last minute shopping. Balinese massage. Pack and check out.
Visit my bosses at Ritz Carlton (heeyyuuuuge estate!)
Drove to Nusa Dua beach.
Went to Kuta Square shopping centre. Another Cream Bath.
Head for Ngurah Rai Int'l Airport.

Don't mind me saying this. after the peaceful and beautiful environment at Ubud & Seraya, Kuta come off as a nightmare! I dislike it there.

Next time I head for Bali, I'll prolly skip Kuta and head straight up to Ubud. Then Seraya/Tulamben. And Ubud again.

Click HERE to get to photo album. Thanks.

Scuba Seraya

Our villa.

Scuba Seraya

View out from our personal courtyard.

Scuba Seraya

The outdoor bath. Where we soaked our feet and talk about life in general, on the 1st night there. The next few days, my colleague use it to soak his underwater camera housing. :P

The outdoor day-bed was fabulous! I had a massage there one afternoon and it started drizzling. Shhiok!

Scuba Seraya

The pool where we splash into after every dive, to get rid of the sand & sea water. :P

Scuba Seraya

The beach at Seraya, with its black sand (reminded me of coffee powder) and pebble-y surface.

Hard Rock Hotel

The Beach pool at Hard Rock Hotel.

Tanah Lot

We came to Tanah Lot, where there's a sacred temple, on Hari Kuningan (supposedly a closure to their festive period?). The locals were all out in full-force, dressed in their best suits with offerings in tow.

We manage to witness them in vigil, praying right as the sun sets.

That, coupled with the already spectacular sun set…? Oh WOW.

Ritz Carlton

On the last day, we check-out early from Hard Rock Hotel and lugged our luggage to Ritz Carlton, at Nusa Dua.

While we stayed within the hustle & bustle of Kuta, my bosses chilled away at this fabulous resort. We take in the scenery and went trigger-happy upon seeing the many, many pools.

After that, it's off to the airport for home.

So there's my Bali trip.

Many, many thanks to my bosses for this opportunity.
Let's all be professional and forget the crazy things that go on during the trip, shall we..?? *winks*

What Happens in Bali, Stays in Bali.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Bali Day 1-3

Bali ~ Day 1 - 3
Ubud + Kintamani

Ok, Bali.

Like.. Finally...?

I wasn't really enthusiatic bout' this place, initially. I mean...

So am I keen on this place now...?

OH HELL YEAH!!!

Ahem.

That aside... Bali is really pretty, no? From the sea, to the lush greenery of the mountains, the paddy fields. Then there's the rivers....

This was actually a company trip. By 'company', it means all 5 of us. Uhuh, including our boss (it's a small company). Meant for us to Rest & Relax and dive together. Yes, all of us are scuba divers.

Upon arrival, we went straight up to Ubud cos' we can feel the extreme heat at the airport itself and were eager for much cooler temperature...

...Cooler temperature, my foot! Ubud wasn't even cool, but it sure isn't as hot as Kuta. Must be the global-warming....

Our arrival coincide with their 'Hari Raya', i.e. the Hari Galungan & Kuningan. The timing couldn't be better cos' you can just feel the excitement in the air. And the decorations of the 'Penjor Bambu' outside most houses.... Wow..!

Stayed at this uber-popular resort, Tegal Sari. So popular that we have to book more than 6 months in advance. It's always packed!

My bosses stayed at the new wing (more spacious & private) while my colleague, Sri & I stayed at the old wing (quaint & charming). And both our rooms (lower quarters of 2-storey semi-detached building) faced the vast paddy fields. Gorgeous!!!!

Things we did at Ubud:
Day 1 - White-water (cat. 2 & 3) rafting at Ayung River. Followed by evening spa session (a must!).

Day 2 - Visited the Pura Tirta Empul (Sacred Spring Temple) at Tampak Siring on Galungan Day. Then we checked out the terraced paddy plantations at Tegallalang. That evening, we watched the Legong Dance at the Lotus-Pond Temple.

Day 3 - Checked out of Tegal Sari and visited Kintamani en route to Seraya/Tulamben.
There, we took in the sight of the magnificent Lake/Mount Batur. Then there's also Mount Agung (also the highest mountain in Bali).
We also managed to visit the Tirtagangga Water Palace Gardens.

The journey to get to Seraya/Tulamben took more than 4 hours, okay? I admit that quite an amount of time was taken to snap pics of the gorgeous paddy fields (hello, we got a 'photog' in our midst...).

Click HERE to get to photo album. Thanks.

Gorgeous sight!

It rained on our way from the airport to Ubud. Stopped by a restaurant for a meal and we were greeted with this breath-taking sight.

I already fell in love with Ubud right then.