tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76199014885952723402024-02-10T16:56:11.842+08:00Hot in SwitzerlandAngie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-78068548160594266092009-05-23T17:37:00.001+08:002009-05-23T17:38:43.390+08:00Bikini Wax<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Today is one of those days I badly need a good laugh. Too much is going on in my life right now. I can't handle it anymore.<br /><br />One of my sisters in law sent me tons of funnies. This particular one about bikini wax is actually quite funny. It's a bit gross but it's quite funny. Check it out!<br /></span><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Tw3jjRRQoA8&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Tw3jjRRQoA8&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Did you laugh out loud? No? Oh dear you have no sense of humour!</span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span>Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com264tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-38653352800884061372009-05-06T17:59:00.002+08:002009-05-25T08:28:55.148+08:00My Top Droppers of April 2009!<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color:#ff6600;">THANK YOU ALL MY TOP 10 DROPPERS! </span><br /></span></strong><br />Hello my fellow droppers! Starting from this month I am going to publish all my Top 10 Droppers here as a way of saying thanks to all of you who have taken time to drop by my site. </span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">For the month of April, my special appreciation goes to </span></span><a href="http://bigdaddyrichard-swirlingthoughts.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Bigdaddyrichard</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> from Traders' Hub who is my Top Dropper of April. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Bigdaddyrichard has come up with the new idea of a drop list which is likely to increase every blogger's page rank. If you would like to be included in his drop list, do head over to his site to find out the details.<br /><br />Please drop by again and again and again. I know how hard it is to drop on a site each and everyday of the month! I am doing it myself!<br /><br />Cheers everyone!<br /><br /><strong>1. </strong></span><a href="http://bigdaddyrichard-swirlingthoughts.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>Traders' Hub</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br />Bigdaddyrichard's blog gives trading advice, makes critical reviews of related sites and teaches trading techniques.<br /><br /><strong>2. </strong></span><a href="http://beyondferon.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>Beyond Feron</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br />BeyondFeron.com talks about anything under the sun, everything that is relevant and things that can promote better friendship and better life.<br /><br /><strong>3. </strong></span><a href="http://the-13.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>The 13</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><br /></strong>Enter a world of intrigue and suspense as a group of elite killers work to change the tumultuous society based on blood and money.<br /><br /><strong>4. </strong></span><a href="http://agpahn.net/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>Anything Goes w/ Pahn</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><br /></strong>Anything Goes w/ Pahn is a personal website of Pahn to weblog his views, opinion and some stories to the world wide web.<br /><br /><strong>5. </strong></span><a href="http://www.blissfulally.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>I'm Walking On Sunshine</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br />Personal diary. The blog talks about fun and inspiring experiences.<br /><br /><strong>6. </strong></span><a href="http://turn-u-off.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>Turn-u-off</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><br /></strong>A bit of everything from Malaysia. Site run by the friendly Monica.<br /><br /><strong>7. </strong></span><a href="http://busylittleelf.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>busylittleelf</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><br /></strong>A day in the life of an artist, mother and business owner in Cleveland, Ohio.<br /><br /><strong>8. </strong></span><a href="http://newhappenin.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>New</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br />A bit of everything from India.<br /><br /><strong>9. </strong></span><a href="http://traveltide.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>Travel on the Tide</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br />Travel on the Tide is written by a retired newspaper publisher who spends several months each year travelling. He tells little known facts about places he has visited as well as travel tips that work.<br /><br /><strong>10. </strong></span><a href="http://rklivengood1128.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>Mom's Place</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><br /></strong>A mother blogger from the Philippines who blogs about her home and family. Her site also includes articles, shopping, product reviews, stories, current news and events locally.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span>Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-23892808676468686822009-04-20T12:57:00.005+08:002009-05-02T22:05:28.064+08:00Ode To Susan Boyle<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Susan Boyle you're an extremely courageous woman. At 47, you stand before an audience who is readily laughing at you and your dreams. And yet they all stop laughing the moment you sing your song. All they hear is an angelic voice coming out of the mouth of the most unangel-like, plain Jane, fat middle aged woman with bushy eyebrows.<br /><br />For those of you who haven't seen this video clip, you'd better view it now. And then we have to ask ourselves: why do we have tears in our eyes every time we view this clip?<br /><br />We have a lot of growing up to do and we owe an apology to all the Susan Boyles in the world! We shouldn't have judged a book by its cover! We are deeply sorry.<br /><br />We all have a bit of Susan Boyle in us. That's why we feel for you. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br />Susan Boyle you rock my world!<br /></span><br /><object height="339" width="420"><param name="movie" value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x8ymn0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x8ymn0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="420" height="339" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br /><b><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x8ymn0">Susan Boyle on Britain's Got Talent</a></b><br /><i>by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/dwarthy">dwarthy</a></i>Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-60412434010285117622009-03-24T11:20:00.008+08:002009-03-24T12:45:48.381+08:00Je T'aime... Moi Non Plus by Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin<div align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Are you in the mood for erotic love? Then this is for you - Je T'aime.....Moi Non Plus by Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin. You might have heard of this song before, banned in the 60's because of Jane's orgasmic moans. But to me, her suggestive panting and moaning is the best part of this song. It ties in so well with Gainsbourg's equally erotic lyrics.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">Petty introduced Gainsbourg to me back when we were courting. Back then, we were both poor students living in London. With his erotic lyrics, Petty considers Gainsbourg a genius who really understood women. I don't understand much French but I just blindly like this song.<br /><br /></span></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The lyrics are supposed to be dialogue between two lovers during a sexual rendezvous. Gainsbourg's throaty voice from too much drinking and smoking and Jane's almost innocent looking fresh face makes her heavy breathing even more erotic than it sounds, if you get what I mean. </span></div><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Gainsbourg has long gone. The last time I saw Jane was in 2002 at Paléo Festival in Nyon, Switzerland. Though English by birth, she sang only in French. She looked tamed and mature. Her face mellowed with age. I couldn't relate her to the fresh face in Je T'aime.....Moi Non Plus. Such is the cruel passing of time. But this video is timeless and ageless. Let's relive her good old days with Gainsbourg. </span></p><p><br /><object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sHiMDB19Dyc&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sHiMDB19Dyc&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Je T'aime.....Moi Non Plus</strong> </span></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><p><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Je t'aime, je t'aime</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">oh, oui je t'aime!</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">moi non plus</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">oh, mon amour...</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">comme la vague irrésolu </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">je vais, je vais et je viens</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">entre tes reins</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">je vais et je viens</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">entre tes reins</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">et je me retiens</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">je t'aime, je t'aime</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">oh, oui je t'aime!</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">moi non plus</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">oh mon amour...</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">tu es la vague, moi l'île nue </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">tu va, tu va et tu viens</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">entre mes reins</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">tu vas et tu viens</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">entre mes reins</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">et je te rejoins</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">je t'aime, je t'aime</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">oh, oui je t'aime!</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">moi non plus</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">oh, mon amour...</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">comme la vague irrésolu </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">je vais, je vais et je viens</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">entre tes reins</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">je vais et je viens</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">entre tes reins</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">et je me retiens</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">tu va, tu va et tu viens</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">entre mes reins</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">tu vas et tu viens</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">entre mes reins</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">et je te rejoins </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">je t'aime, je t'aime</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">oh, oui je t'aime!</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">moi non plus</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">oh mon amour...</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">l'amour physique est sans issue</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">je vais, je vais et je viens</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">entre tes reins</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">je vais et je viens</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">et je me retiens</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Non! Maintenant viens!</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></p><p><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>Nick Cave's English version of the song:</strong></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I love you, I love you, Oh yes I love you </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Nor do I </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Oh my love</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Like the wave, irresolute </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I go, I go and I come, Inside you my love </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I go and I come, Inside you my love </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">And then I hold on </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I love you, I love you, Oh Yes I love you </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Nor do I </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">You are the wave, And I the naked island </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">You go, you go and you come, inside me my love </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">you go and you come inside me my love</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">and then we are one </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I love you, I love you, Oh yes I love you </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Nor do I </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Oh my love </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Like the wave, irresolute </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I go, I go and I come, Inside you my love </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I go and I come, Inside you my love </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">And then I hold on </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I love, I love you my love, Inside me my love </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I love you my love, Deep inside me my love </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">And then we are one </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I love you, I love you, Oh yes I love </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Nor do I </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Oh my love </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Physical love is a dead end</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I go, I go and I come, Inside you my love </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I go and I come</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">And I hold on </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">No. Now...come<br /></span><br /></p><br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.glitter-graphics.com/"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img height="30" src="http://dl5.glitter-graphics.net/pub/150/150805mk2dtg1tvi.gif" width="451" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.angieeverywhere.blogspot.com/"><em><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Hot in Singapore</span></em></a><enter><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em> loves</em><br /></span><br /><br /><br /></span><center><a href="http://walkingnewspaper.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img height="125" src="http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd67/oranghutanfreak/1090161.jpg" width="125" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></center><br /></center></center></center><center><center><center><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></center></center></center>Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com387tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-41247969182107867182009-03-18T13:54:00.014+08:002009-03-18T14:23:31.215+08:00I've joined The First Commenter Club!<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I read about </span></span><a href="http://www.mymariuca.com/2009/02/join-first-commenter-club.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Mariuca</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">'s First Commenter Club (FCC) some time ago and found it a really wonderful idea. She is a generous lady who believes in giving away free linky love to her First Commenter (FC) for any star posts that you see at her site.<br /></span><br /></div></span></span><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">It bothers me a little for not showing my appreciation for all my commenters. That's why when Mariuca came up with the idea of forming a FCC, I couldn't wait to join! The benefits are mutual. What's better than giving linky love to commenters who make the effort to stop by and comment on our blogs? It is also a great way to increase blog traffic and comments, as bloggers are more inclined to drop by our blogs to see if we have a new star post out in hope of winning the free link back that we are giving away.<br /><br />As long as you see this FCC badge displayed on our sidebars, you know we are in the club and we are the generous bunch of nice people who give away linky love to our FC! If you want to join in the fun, you can drop by Mariuca's site to get the details. </span></p><div align="justify"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><center><a href="http://www.mymariuca.com/2009/02/join-first-commenter-club.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img alt="First Commenter Club" src="http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt113/FCommenter/FCBadge.jpg" border="0" /></span></a></center><div align="justify"><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>The example</em> is as below. I shall start giving linky love to my FC in my next post! So, hurry up and place your comments here. Thank you for your love! </span></span></div><span style="font-family:verdana;"><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span></div><br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.glitter-graphics.com/"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img height="30" src="http://dl5.glitter-graphics.net/pub/150/150805mk2dtg1tvi.gif" width="451" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span><center><br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.angieeverywhere.blogspot.com/"><em><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Hot in Singapore</span></em></a><enter><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em> loves</em><br /></span><br /><br /></span><center><a href="http://www.angieeverywhere.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size:85%;"><img height="125" src="http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd67/oranghutanfreak/rose_021-1.png" width="125" border="0" /></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> </span></center><br /></center></center></center><center><center><center><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></center></center></center><br /><br /></span>Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-92009958992707315892009-03-16T19:21:00.007+08:002009-03-16T19:38:54.471+08:00Meet my cheeky monkeys!<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Sometimes it takes very little to crack me up. Like now, looking at these photos of my cheeky monkeys. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4IunodqI0U-XG_ScOFkvzsYoBrqpYS0jwc2zDxA_HbxuWT0PXpV46MNdMnOsptKumsnFzRghCtNzuP6DEE0NHkHNVCzYmo0pHiBg5yhEHgI8V50_G4Y7a-55frSzlGU1X1R5frWU2nC2U/s800/IMG_0909.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#006600;">Piggy and Bearbear all smiling behind their funny looking masks</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">These masks were given when I bought nappies for Piggy. One mask per pack. Here they are, messing about in the bedroom.<br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYAoMMuwCBoRnubawmS-9UgeHfLLUa2GxxKB5iF8biYRXM1CBsoSL3Jx63gQcgQUZ7GINlYmKmbxNWV3geYzgu_c-9PT_3jOu-XtHU3Qy1mUNvV1X7TBin5TsVHPsTpXSf1r4G7gDzV-X/s800/IMG_0907.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#006600;">Bearbear: I am a bear and you should be very very scared!</span> </span></span><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHsQ85NWC2f_KcfotiS-jl-Jn0LTmvK4wA374NE7nc1zuQqcD31H0jY4pVZ5VleS0dV_-bXMoWaDN0BVqCgYizf1RD4hXuVYAO4TgAayhLH2uVQ5SDs5WX22BU7sP5mtfqPu2dN885w2Rh/s800/IMG_0908.JPG" /><br /><span style="color:#006600;">Bearbear: Now I am a bull and you should run for your life!</span><br /><br /></span></p></span>Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-82530842789121601872009-03-05T16:55:00.123+08:002009-03-27T18:10:46.011+08:00Is this your dream home?<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I took a walk with mémé one day near HarbourFront area and we came across the show flat of </span><a href="http://www.reflectionsatkeppelbay.com.sg/Home.asp"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Reflections at Keppel Bay</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">. It's one of the most luxurious waterfront living experiences offered in Singapore.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvkJp9ilBcKxd29F4KKvY7oBf2AX3ZNBL6At2qaq_gNaM4x37E9u9uEO5FX0UqxMpEB0ldyuAKqL8yLAWlphmzwlFKAvXij6srUVGRBwoK0uEZuLZ9rbWamDpP75n8gZCek86LxLHvqcmk/s800/IMG_0781.JPG" /><br /><span style="color:#336666;">Simple minimalist design in the bedroom</span><br /><br />The project was designed by Daniel Libeskind. He's the architect who created the World Trade Center Memorial.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuGxXE0g_otRMOeLnKDuIz9GgXR5uT1phY-TtMKqf1uE3Wn9l9OahBtPAZ4JApQxtFAaU3l4Ptm76xbZNyJv7vupu0lj0ZVNQ8Mp-2iUvbgp2sdXziEiDcFMZTFPJvb5Bn8a15L6CusdDL/s800/IMG_0777.JPG" /><br /><span style="color:#336666;">The project is overlooking Marina at Keppel Bay</span><br /><br />According to Reflections's website, the project is set in lush and expansive grounds. The waterfront development features six high rise towers, some linked by sky bridges, and spacious low rise villas. The Libeskind development will sit on a land size of approximately 84,000 square metres with an extensive shoreline of 750 metres.<br /><br />Every detail and aspect of design will optimise interaction with the sea and the commanding panoramic views of its scenic surrounds.<br /><br />***************************************************************<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5Re7KFPevnCow6LDLJijC22IaQdVaiBvdFts8NnCgB9V20dUSR_3eJwll2OwDwrTAdYGLyYrrbxvIUHfw_Mf9l4q5sCqXbjB9-o_EW6tf0-9KHweSdYGHbgLkDm9_e8rrDCanJkWqpLk/s800/IMG_0782.JPG" /><br /><span style="color:#336666;">See, mémé is so excited about the interior of Reflections</span><br /><br />Mémé has just arrived from Switzerland to stay with us for 6 weeks. She's curious about almost everything in this city state. She thinks Singapore is a paradise on earth. She even praises the hot weather. "Oh, you don't know Angie, it's so cold in Switzerland right now. You don't want to be there."<br /><br />At the entrance of the show flat, I asked her again, "So mémé, do you want to have a look at this show flat? Perhaps you can buy one here to retire."<br /><br />"And why not? Let's have a look."<br /><br />Yeah, that was before we looked at the price tag.<br /><br />***************************************************************<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic5uM6StXdzxi7VM-_c2Bqm6QDg-Ury1GwKl5iuO8qm1diNmYek1PSkV2UrSq4S2x2ms7Kyh-5YhyphenhyphenJO3EdtIJn9VhlyLH_JpOSfdAyZXVfjQBrflnoFi9HAFSdM5Tc5ysr0zcMVZARMlWg/s800/IMG_0784.JPG" /><br /><span style="color:#336666;">Very neat design in the toilet</span><br /><br />There are only 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom flats on show. The size, at 91 sq m (980 sq ft) for a 2 bedroom flat and 138 sq m (1485 sq ft) for a 3 bedroom, is relatively small by European standard.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8nAa9A_mG1pcTvIxCzyKcHiP84a8s7FDLd979CDnEWQjTlyExxjicoAPytHb5pxqrKr6E4c_RRQdYjD3qCya7p96fGEVygG4FAwnzWlDIfX3ANNgXmQA8RRCPQWjVVh_Jcr0cU3fyJuw/s800/IMG_0786.JPG" /><br /><span style="color:#336666;">Dry kitchen area where all the appliances are provided by Miele, a German brand</span><br /><br />The estate agent quoted us a price of SGD$1.92 mio (at SGD$2,207 psf) for a 2 bedroom flat located on the 10th floor. The size is ranging from 81 to 88 sq m (872-947 sq ft)! Extremely tiny!<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMr0UHQDUvrdjNJ0b9DL1YdGXzaCl1amakYRTyJOjj1irG9shlYvHV_xPwVsVExQP7eWjzo0M-p3b5NAT84SXJgHza-Lb_1HlUVhc63NEE18IWEtHKV5sJ1B2qHiPxeQiEb6wQlMPa1DJQ/s800/IMG_0789.JPG" /><br /><span style="color:#336666;">Wet kitchen for messy Chinese cooking</span><br /><br />The price tag for the 2 bedroom flat on the 11th floor is a cool SGD$2.03 mio (at SGD$2,217 psf). This one has a size ranging from 82 to 85 sq m (883-915 sq ft). And the price doesn't even include furnishings in the flat!<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Q9C0F-KsQTdPQQro0kov9aK-SQ3jo0vgJJuT_vpMB480x_tc9uCualSczG5wJV1WkWzy2Vk0stKPp2DIOSLhqH9QbiI-WWvQUpECtWF1ggTI45jVaSt6fCMsjxR0IeI3ZWkpuWY3YzXA/s800/IMG_0788.JPG" /><br /><span style="color:#336666;">Living area where all the furniture is from Giorgetti, a famous Italian brand<br /></span><br />At this price one can easily get a much bigger flat, say in Zurich. The property prices in Singapore have clearly shot through the roof in the past years though there's been a sign of slowing down recently.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbCpTP7fYySrXP4RrqqnxmYMxVFvvW3YfpSFR2_uVqBS7Fs3AqJc04ySwfbqgVCDF9VaNcw5OgQNAR75wNorZzia0-PhAZeVhh2f0DvgTBGOcaQtQPASYisvoJ8kYIoXk1QnA_JbSR82ua/s800/IMG_0787.JPG" /><br /><span style="color:#336666;">A second bedroom with Sentosa Island at the background<br /></span><br />Crazy prices as they are, but they come with the Daniel Libeskind fame. For some people, this is like buying scarf with Hermès brand attached to it. It's a matter of prestige. But of course, for some, a scarf made in China offers the same functionality.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhM2cGot2C9viItSVVmCj6AsDePfPLHFwJ44l7Vf3bvtF5lwnPjdTYpRkLIglFpXLVhmoCdgY7rZ3-C6UAXwwdSCmqhtZa-uEzchGprTKtMWUZT4tk4gJT7vurpXwJlvZihljL3cfLoKj/s800/IMG_0790.JPG" /><br /><span style="color:#336666;">The study. Again, it's like a fashion model clothed exclusively by Giorgetti</span><br /><br />My dream home is a big house with a lovely garden. If possible, I don't want to live in high rise building. Inside my house I want minimalist design which offers simple decor, clean lines and the least volume of furnishing.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO71HhP7ARdojM988Q6Z53ifEUlzVNr9TutV7wxmX1ZY5500nMbqBHAublzL2Jf_uxNIyd5w1XKqQ9e4PYbHsPi-_eWOxwPsaNP6sxoZVT9W7M5-Iq0i9vC9GF2azFsz8Wfz4_bumLWxQi/s800/IMG_0791.JPG" /><br /><span style="color:#336666;">Bedroom with very limited space<br /></span><br />On the way out, mémé said, shaking her head in disbelief, "This is a dream home. Far too expensive but I like it very much!"<br /><br />Yes indeed, with the ideal location and the condo facilities offered, not to forget a marina where buyers can dock their big boats and a golf course right next door.<br /><br />Is this your dream home?<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span></span>Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-31512413450623387582009-03-02T09:42:00.064+08:002009-03-18T10:47:53.232+08:00Photo Challenge Tag<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Hi </span><a href="http://turn-u-off.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Monica</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">! Thanks for tagging me for this photo challenge. Normally I don't do a lot of tags. Not because I don't want to, but because some of the tags that you guys (I mean </span><a href="http://mariuca.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Mariuca</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> and </span><a href="http://ladyjava.javaura.com/and"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Lady Java</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> and the lot) do are just far too technically challenging for me. Luckily this photo challenge tag is damned easy!<br /><br />The rule you've set for me is quite simple - just go to the 6th folder in the folder with all your photos and select the 6th photo and post it. Oh, that's piece of cake, even for me!<br /><br />Voilà! here's the 6th photo from my 6th folder.<br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyh9K3gCM_3AdscCZjec6_ZQg7oX8NbsGjtvgGl6lC8vCojOX70FML6EoK_pHwa14D2XO32XrBoxWaaQo-L9fX515DkvHpAgdap5UdNZZyQ59N_eEdbEYemXBTHaSSQoXwHb2HWCJDoizM/s800/PICT0438%20(2).JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#cc33cc;">Scherrer Park in Morcote, Switzerland</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The photo was taken during our weekend trip to Morcote while we were staying in Zurich. Morcote is a village on the lake of Lugano in the Italian part of Switzerland.<br /><br />Scherrer Park is located on top of a hill overlooking the lake. To go up, you have to take the steps. Imagine how many steps we had to walk before reaching the top!<br /><br />Not to forget - poor Petty was carrying Piggy all the way up as using baby stroller was out of the question. That's why you can tell from the photo Petty was simply exhausted after the walk! </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br />And of course, at 6 months old, Piggy was already the size of a small sumo wrestler! Just look at the size of his head. No wonder <em>basketball</em> was his nickname back then. Hugo at the time was only 4 years old. My boys are my world.<br /><br />I like this photo very much. It has all my favourite people in it. I have very fond memory of this trip. We drove all the way from Zurich. Then stayed at a charming small hotel located right by Lugano Lake. It was in October 2007. The weather was too cold for us to go into the pool. I remember looking at the pool from our hotel balcony, thinking: how I wish it were summer time!<br /><br />Scherrer Park is a very beautifully landscaped botanical garden. It's really worth a visit when you happen to be in Morcote. Readers in Switzerland, do check out this place! If you're curious about Scherrer Park, here's the information straight out of </span><a href="http://morcote.ch/eg/mo_eg/eg_morcote_cosa.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Morcote Tourism</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">:<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;">**Scherrer Park, rich with luxurious subtropical vegetation and many kinds of buildings and art, both original and copies from all over the world, were left by Mr. Scherrer's widow in 1965 to the village of Morcote with the desire to open them to the public. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;">This Eden, made of an impressive subtropical flora including palm trees, camellias, wisteria and oleanders, cedar and cypress trees, camphor and eucalyptus, magnolias and azaleas, orange and lemon trees, bamboo and many other kinds of fragrant plants, attracts and fascinates every visitor. The gardens are also suitable for cultural and artistic events which have always been successful.<br /><br />About sixty years ago, there was a small house with a stable on the shore of the lake here, with cultivated and partly wooded hills rising behind it. At that time Arthur Scherrer acquired the house and bought plot after plot of the land surrounding it. He altered and improved the house until it became a beautiful home. </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;">Scherrer was a romantic and a passionate gardener too. In time, he was able to create what is now called “Parco Scherrer”. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;">Arthur was born in St. Gall (Switzerland) on 2 November 1881. He was the eldest son of Mr. Gustav H. Scherrer, a merchant and town councillor, and he had five brothers and one sister. Scherrer went to school in St. Gall, was later educated together with other boys of respectable families from different countries at the then famous college “Institut Schmidt”. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;">Later he went to Lausanne to complete his study of French, and then he studied at the Textile and Weaving College in Aachen (Germany). Next he staged in Siena (Italy), where he studied Italian. He then went to North America to learn English and to receive a business education. </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;">On his return to Europe he took over his father’s cloth-trade in Munich (Germany), developing a modest “Loden”-Shop into one of the smartest fashion-houses for men. Arthur Scherrer died in 1956. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;">In 1965 Mrs. Scherrer donated the Park to the Commune of Morcote, on condition that it was made accessible to the public. This exclusive garden offers today a unique and marvellous background for cultural and artistic events, and with its new structural improvements it brings ever more visitors to share in Arthur Scherrer’s dreamworld.**<br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">***********</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://openthetoy.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Leon</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">, </span><a href="http://lifesnippets.net/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Maiylah</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">, </span><a href="http://www.mommawannabe.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Jade</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">, </span><a href="http://walkingnewspaper.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Gagay</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">, </span><a href="http://freedomgiver.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Bill</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">, </span><a href="http://missus-emm.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Emm</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">, </span><a href="http://missigorota.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Miss Igorota</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">, </span><a href="http://nurinkhairi.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Nurin</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">, </span><a href="http://www.lemback.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Marlene</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">, </span><a href="http://pinklady-bing.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">PinkLady</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">, </span><a href="http://chinkygirlmel.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">chinkygirlmel</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">, </span><a href="http://kikitavenue.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Kikit</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">, </span><a href="http://amalaysianabroad.today.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">*Lynne*</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">, </span><a href="http://vickydailylife.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Vicky</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">, </span><a href="http://azlan.anilezfa.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Azlan</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> and </span><a href="http://mom811.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Romy</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">! Let's play along with the photo meme tag! Have fun!<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span>Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-4427568689764704322009-03-01T23:08:00.010+08:002009-03-02T09:38:56.030+08:00Interview with Hot in Singapore's Angie<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3t7yy0IZhSzaxb-q3lxFaGtmBOHK-dXCQoZa4usAFVI_kgkr8R8QI3ev3SvuyEUil8GpEdHqlUtw8PyQcG-veYdxG64xIRBUY1vFBfBfG80Uyt7LYKbHo5N2Z6cqa_w1QBjCR_I4myhfn/s800/PICT0422.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#009900;">Morcote in the Italian part of Switzerland</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The lovely lady with a big smile from </span><a href="http://missus-emm.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Emm in London</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> is in the mood to interview fellow bloggers. I've volunteered and this is the end result.<br /><br />Emm, as she's confessed, is a South African living in London. Her blog is all about her adventures in the UK and the holidays she takes. She is curious and energetic - these are great assets frequently shown in her travel posts.<br /><br />If you're a TV addict, book worm, movie freak cum music lover, you should not miss Emm's </span><a href="http://emm-media.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Emm Media</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">. Here you'll be able, amongst all other things, to pick a movie to watch based on Emm's review.<br /><br />If you're into current affairs, Emm also runs a blog called </span><a href="http://passiontounderstand.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">A passion to understand</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">. It's a collection of current affairs and selected news which has caught Emm's attention. She then publishes the story in her blog with a twist of her own added flavour. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Emm is also a very special person as far as my blog is concerned - she is by far my first ever follower! Hooray!! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Now let's find out what Emm would like to know about me. Ahem, here we go........</span><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">1. What made you start blogging? Did you have other friends that had blogs or did you spend time reading other people's blogs and decide it was for you? </span></strong><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">In 2007, a colleague introduced me to a blog written by a Taiwanese woman living in Switzerland. Through reading her blog I found out that she could manage to earn a decent income by writing about her daily life and compiling the written posts into books. She then proceeds to sell her books on the net. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">And at that time I thought: Hmm, I can do that! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">But as you can see, currently I am still stuck at the stage where I'm writing about my daily life.....but then, bl</span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">ogging is fun. It combines my love affair with words and photography. That's why I'll keep doing it in the foreseeable future although it's far from rewarding financially. </span><br /><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">2. What did you think about moving to a foreign country the first time you did it? Had you done lots of travelling before that? How did you fit in?<br /></span></strong><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The first time I left Malaysia, it was for me to go for further studies in London. It was daunting as I had not done much travelling before that. I was foolhardy, totally <em>unstreetwise</em> and I was only 18. I remember the first time I went out with an English boy. He came to my flat with half a dozen of Foster's beer and a box of condom. I was expecting flowers and romance and turned out that he was only interested in sex! What a shock for an 18 years old looking for love! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">My second move was from Malaysia to Switzerland after getting married with Petty. With my smooth London experience, I thought it would be easy peasy to live in another European city. But as it turned out, Zurich is NOT London! It's not just another European city. To start with, I had to start learning a new language. i.e. German. In my first year in Zurich, I couldn't even get our local butcher to cut my sirloin steak at a certain thickness. The first time I cooked for Petty and his friends, I chose a piece of horse meat from the supermarket when all I wanted was a piece of beef fillet! Oh dear, those were the days. The unglamourous truth of living abroad. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRE_p-cQInnw4Fcmb6zBqaGHdUfTHb8NnHTYO11Qu1DsQ82ALLh3B7sjVR3evvAU02B4pjUFVd-xRO2_cZCPNuqEIm3_Q_cMZdZQ1eOdZy-kM44nPbLoXi0GBuh5I1s1M0gpyxLCs634Jo/s800/PICT0237.JPG" /><br /></strong><span style="color:#009900;">Singapore city centre</span><br /></span></span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>3. I have been to Singapore but never to Malaysia. Are the countries similar or completely different?<br /><br /></strong>Singapore and Malaysia are similar in many ways. Not to forget, not too long ago the two countries were part of the Federation of Malaysia. In 1965, Singapore, under the rule of the formidable Lee Kuan Yew, was expelled from the Federation to form the Republic of Singapore, after Mr. Lee's disagreement with the federal government in Kuala Lumpur. </span><br /><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Though similar in terms of geographical make up, the two countries are world apart when come to things like politics, population and cultural make up. To start with, At 707 sq. km, Singapore is the smallest country in South East Asia. Along with Monaco and Vatican City, it is also one of three remaining sovereign city states in the world. Malaysia, on the other hand, is a vast country with land area totalling 329,749 sq. km. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Politics-wise, Malaysia was established as a constitutional monarchy having the <em>Yang di-Pertuan</em> <em>Agong (The Sultan) </em>as the Head of State who assumes largely a ceremonial role. Singapore's political framework is based on a parliamentary republic whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government. Though largely seen as a democratic nation, Singapore has long been classified by the Economist's Intelligence Unit as being a hybrid model with democratic and authoritarian elements. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Both Singapore and Malaysia are multi racial nations. However, Singapore has a majority of Chinese in the make-up of its multi-racial population whereas Malaysia is a Muslim dominated society in which the Malays are the majority. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">On a lighter note, Singapore is well known for its high rise government sponsored HDB flats whereas most Malaysians live in terraced landed-properties. Singapore has <em>kiasuness</em> - it literally means <em>fear of losing</em>. This is a unique Singaporean mentality. The adjective, <em>kiasu</em>, is mainly used to describe a social attitude of being afraid to lose out in a highly competitive society. Malaysians, with the Malays majority, are generally regarded as being more laid back and easy going by nature. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I guess I am boring you to death with all these dry facts. Let's move on to the next question.<strong><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QS44twCZTvsxehF8IlGjK2Y48jbyiItlzEtr9q7sonGR1IaZ9Xlza5k9ZhuNvRFSd9PUJdLw2ZsPz5jCqYg52GVd8zFVrRIKwCHxz3BH-_cgqbkBSVmPZBr7PGhxhKERC915tSWHr7Jj/s800/Island_20%5B1%5D.JPG" /><br /></strong><span style="color:#009900;">Roach Reefs Resort in Tawau, Malaysia</span><br /></span></span></span></p><p><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>4. What do you miss most about home? Do you ever visit? Would you like to return home eventually? </strong></span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">When I am out of Malaysia, first and foremost I miss my family dearly. Next comes all the local food, especially Malay food such as <em>nasi lemak</em> and <em>sambal prawns</em>. Since I moved to Singapore in July 2008, I took the opportunity twice to go back home to visit. First visit was to Kuala Lumpur to show my newborn, Piggy, to my mom and other family members. Second visit was to celebrate Chinese New Year with my family in Tawau - a small seaside town on the island of Sabah, otherwise known as North Borneo. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I doubt if I will ever return to Malaysia eventually as I've tried and tested my life in Switzerland and I do like my lifestyle there. When I am out of Switzerland, I miss my friends dearly, and of course the natural beauty of Switzerland is always on my mind no matter where I go. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>5. Which country would you like to visit that you have never visited before? Which country would you never visit?</strong> </span></span></p></span><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I love travelling. Currently my favourite countries to visit are America, Argentina and South Africa. To me, there isn't a country that I would never visit. Each and every country in this world is worth at least one visit in my lifetime. </span></p></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</strong></span><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Now if you'd like to be interviewed: </span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me." </span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions). </span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></p><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">There you go. If you would like to be interviewed by me, please write to me at my email address </span><a href="mailto:angieeverywhere@gmail.com"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">angieeverywhere@gmail.com</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">. I shall then email you my questions. Have fun! </span></span>Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-7275476958577500862009-02-13T01:20:00.018+08:002009-02-28T14:33:45.733+08:00Valentine's Day for Nurse Sharks<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9SWLIe2wDqxWP_KqhjQls550grvqeY15Hk_65jGnwRusyfQJYwJj0DXVVO6v6Gq-yW5HaJe9Rk4CcyzRvnY9zuyTkJMl5jb0qxUDvLBPH0keT1ZRjLoZmRBlWUAjniZSU7qdXaBJpxtfh/s800/IMG_0884.JPG" /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#000000;">HAPPY ST. VALENTINE'S DAY TO ALL MY READERS! </span><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;">UPDATE: </span><br /><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;">Valentine's Day is over. This was what I got from Petty. It looked more like a wedding bouquet than flowers for Valentine's Day. Bearbear said it well," Auntie Cherry's boyfriend gave her red roses. How come papa gave you white tulips?" </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9K1GyNs3xZcquRhjRu8wHH55887GcJRaD3vcABdXqqhUOk6sz56-Nj9VdNn9F-tz_gF_knz6DOqliA1nPjOUsSJcl3-Ulel6IV1dtyLm5k2Dj6m8t0LfJ06Gu8Ugfb-SpCCtvp3tY1ppZ/s800/IMG_0898.JPG" /> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;"></span></p><br /><br /><br /><p><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#ff6600;">My presents for Petty were Belgian chocolate truffles and a pair of Italian shoes. He loves Italian shoes and Swiss chocolates but too bad I couldn't get hold of Swiss chocolates at the last hour. But Godiva is not bad, right? </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6XbCXR9R2qqnIFIvxbeBYvvaLdCPVe9K5QkxedM5nUqrhFy3E3zxhAAaNEF8hH-Q7iG44adufwPmbHpXD3eWP3Sm-3oAiuud_UPSQBwsiVnG5kBe_Trga0OHcuizOSpEKlJ0DWTRwOyx/s800/IMG_0903.JPG" /> </p><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#ff6600;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Thanks everyone for commenting here. And a big thank you to </span><a href="http://moonlightnightsstarryskies.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size:85%;">Uncle Lee</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> who was kind enough to shower me with lots and lots of expensive gifts on Valentine's Day. </span></span><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;"></span></p><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span>Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-43954725139692619282009-02-09T23:17:00.001+08:002009-02-10T04:04:15.305+08:00Good Bye, Chinese New Year!<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Today is the final day of Chinese new year celebration. Before it officially ends, I'd like to share with you some pics taken right before the new year in Singapore's China Town.</span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb24GFigHtatWs0qekNWh5A273hAJjSFM_d15bdVcvGJKTF9y2Vs9si-swkimZiioJ_5zxu5CIncKN3FhEzNvgohmJYeglnMB3dfwJ1ir52BVu1gk7w6d4U3xl0ph228KdbX0CqEOVKZn8/s800/PICT0113.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#cc6600;"><span style="color:#cc6600;">Dried meat - a must for Chinese new year dinner. But my Swiss mom in law finds the taste unpalatable. Well, my mom thinks the same about her cheeses.</span><br /></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">A nation with a penchant for celebration of all sorts, Singapore is unique in that it embraces celebrations of all races.<br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZVnXc_pbPppAp7HkTC0R4H36VzEFi8E5kk_ZTDqHyAcCz268C-kw_KpAPtrlYjUzPHZEoZFeShTHQ0cQrnzxjaAxQpRO_q6XmE9USpmmxl8jIqg0HJAd91cDv563YynaJO8u2v4Y6-2Bo/s800/PICT0109.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#cc6600;">Chinese shoppers hunting for pre-new year bargains.<br /></span><br />For those of you who miss out the Indian's Thaipusam Festival, do head over to </span><a href="http://eastcoastlife.blogspot.com/2009/02/thaipusam-festival-2009-ws.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Eastcoastlife</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">. ECL has brilliantly covered this colourful event at Little India here in Singapore.<br /><br />Let's now catch the last ray of Chinese new year before it fades away.</span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuoaDOeJdjumgKu1WSAH7Pqceo9kCrqH8M7kRCzBzEqmzmm5dsXx__NG8Fpx4VP08_PvAZC73hksX1xRrvTc4Uk2hOVN3FGUCnt49A0h8_SsR5-gWz74mLzGTXM0C95eDf3wqPgUiX9Xws/s800/PICT0085.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;color:#cc6600;">I wonder why they bother to buy plastic flowers for Chinese new year....?</span> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWuGgQZuXpJ7ySwUrtEm2D3_ic4QKxqK0lEayQGIQbRe0-qfG8s83kmmPJMVqyy09aNx_Z8hBAvhyphenhyphenMlmWyfOaWQKKIH1XSW7uOGgh1c25Imbyn8oA5CNZ6ko0GLkDrDc1kYyV4o-8Ry3XO/s800/PICT0108%20(2).JPG" /><br /><span style="color:#cc6600;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">New year decoration in front of a shop house.</span><br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhav94-RscXTgLQfM6vKzaE60KZdN1G06r8P-wqt8fwBYKWMHW8vMJqJhm7D0xw7tuOIWBlRbJq-1qx1pwpbLmfrvertJe2Sf0PrlXfq6tjqBTcKcqatktxezMBiHy0RRGfd_Wgp31-8JUR/s800/PICT0106.JPG" /><br /><span style="color:#cc6600;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">New year ornaments - The Chinese adores red which is seen as a colour of good fortune.</span><br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_79kuYN5yNKnWk3aILVW7-EEAr4D_ecpoNmmEecjogt2OdLekKPFSZrX8vWfkX7AiUhg_qcowJrKUV2-ViU78NrcNkJaoLc9pX2jVTAADTr4VpUkH66SwK5fR9wfhCE_WN0VVOCNXqPUd/s800/PICT0111.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#cc6600;">Greedy kids are sampling all kinds of seeds - a must for Chinese new year.<br />No, you're wrong. These are not for birds.</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg_T3Eg2b2IsGQPB_d4lxZcIXB2n0PPQm1Yu4V82CjCLm_qmUSc24WBzDm7J1JazB6l-skaTHNrki81yZjrrxsG0Md-q38zfjlz0KdMl1ZJMncrU1loWHkbMwPKe_wTb8obFWrLVmUoyhq/s800/PICT0088.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#cc6600;">Taiwanese goodies sold here. Mark my word, the taste is damned disgusting.</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNflKWYJxUMZm4bbj7sensPuwdZiBvNxRvQl0SVI2TVBWzDuTKkgHktj3Vwe-MrMtbAxK0RUsHBZKS_U30DrOwou-diLkVs3kDB7wTO48qKixbamvXAui3nN6IKNN5pp8AUXDmBApqlsj/s800/PICT0110.JPG" /><br /><span style="color:#cc6600;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Tea house and restaurant.</span><br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPQx_vgfdvfdWs5rA168QYQicsgSVEYPfzhXeUzrwSJCmRrPgrqp6AVpS6hMJUWVzVyUAcdfhyphenhyphenByypAp64J8xeyJPJOPDHegRhiLFz6AKEHmUkOA-NVloRNQGJh_WiFDTrlqPZ4JGsPWb/s800/PICT0090.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#cc6600;">Fruits, fruits and more fruits. But no durians. Bearbear was extremely disappointed.<br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmp2fc4ognvQeeIjBqaLpUCl3TDwwuPO2ANU8XFg2z6EXQdDOuZGWFOt5qujYf1JnNU4bMvNm4-KvAkaXOOVjhSRNJwCuZgNrg7w3VuKoEx_NhFgaCp6J2WuhsGYz1azrlHA9Z78Lbph5/s800/PICT0093.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#cc6600;">Dear money god, I'm praying hard to you to bring good fortune to the whole wide world!</span>Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-38335145254183356962009-02-07T00:10:00.050+08:002009-02-07T09:01:43.574+08:00Hotel Review: Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa Bali<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">If you want a romantic holiday, go to </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bali"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Bali</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">. There were good reasons why once upon a time Mike Jagger and Jerry Hall chose to tie the knot on this tropical paradise.<br /></span></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWzbSsQMAg7VP0SukiA_qjzSIL71TfyRDziikOwf088qOwnzluZWyCASo7uVijg29LwVdF17C-lY_vDDDCqEhAfy_bWZWIu9Fxmruvujp-EcIuX68e8NjNGt1JqjpaUSHw5j6m74tc-W6/s800/PICT0492.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#993300;">Romantic seafront dining on Nusa Dua Beach - example no 1<br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrwc8JwWi1j45xq9Y1ZkVt_lliZ_qCaHrq-Zp7qQul50DSpQsETDsfqRzOmkoArz4m8eDbq1bmR6Z6eJ3BMmCxZ77u5nPOOYJlXCrCB_ILgWgvjfrvASbvfpLC0dy5EmF8cre-rklB6gF/s800/PICT0489.JPG" /><br /><span style="color:#993300;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Romantic seafront dining on Nusa Dua Beach - example no 2</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Bali is one of Indonesia's 17,000 islands. It is located east of Java Island and west of Lombok. Though Indonesia is the most populous Muslim country in the world, interestingly the majority of the 3 million inhabitants in Bali are Hindu. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg98NI3UGO_UEdzYmAt92G-TeBEkEWEzb8chNDeET8qj7Ms9iTj5jBtWB7rae1iwqIKy9eXP27D4W4itMZKW51TYd-jh-2xqoQxj2OAnLHRdL_WwJIMMct9BZ3ePycNHgWaCQQP8nlpyDIy/s800/PICT0495.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#993300;">You don't have to do much here. Just lie down and relax.</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPURH7apL6hApMsfwHNgLVMuqf61PLsWV-B2wRzgxmKidQo8M6w2M0IWtt1FBM2SovisYQ-uLDFt8xQJvEjsVztvimA9kUFu5vO6MzieMBAvw8lpGEzlOB5VCjee6LpNRpdh6SWI35yBAe/s800/PICT0621.JPG" /><br /><span style="color:#993300;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Nusa Dua Beach 8 o'clock in the morning. Not a soul in sight.</span><br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupWoKgjhJjrVW5QWM3CNwjKpm5px00RJitKwp0TjsZtNCFXrIrOS5JgqAWyfHIyCqrh-dW7TO5Zd01nuGG6BEVFGD8IWWc7P1FLpCrFpgamx1XxO_G67bwh05K5T_C_XtgDQtwewA6Bkb/s800/PICT0529.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#993300;">The white sand and shallow water make Nusa Dua Beach an ideal place for children</span><br /><br />If you want to stay in a hotel with pure Balinese flavour, </span><a href="http://nusaduahotel.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Nusa Dua Beach Hotel and Spa</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> ("Nusa Dua Hotel") is the place to be. Let's take a tour of the hotel premises.</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuf9kdYhg8CSEkHejcs14vUo-T8Xb-vhyphenhyphenTCEpqvKzzEV31kAYiVcpQ8PYYkLBDyiDnSsliShSmQL7dF9qlPy7BGOzCKD61mTu5dQiEKtbXD7dMpeL0naZSummp5YGxZ8duKxUF5aJgo7e7/s800/PICT0551.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#993300;">This is the magnificent Candi Bentar entrance gate to the hotel. Can you guess what awaits you behind it?</span><br /><br />Located in the renowned Nusa Dua resort area, Nusa Dua Hotel is by far the most established hotel on the laguna strip sitting side by side with the Roll Royce of hotel industry - Melia Bali Sol, Bali Hilton International, Sheraton Laguna and The Grand Hyatt just to name a few.<br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYzNsexovps8nPpC5h0KJsV27jTIwCK5z9ltXEGGdMiNomj_W-VtFjcOlWwwh-JeWo75MpmIV1hOLAs9q6NNR1JxcZLOfeklAXXLAMN6CXgJef1TqQAK2_q130dqks6OobD51sy754sdgX/s800/PICT0553.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#993300;">Angry looking Balinese statue guarding the hotel main entrance</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOTJRcldIaRQ6CsNKwrKN0NyIuhlvMuh709hEZg7SBNNbnw-NlK_NJIhORKdSdpDI486co_uWWsrmbF2jKaBRYdksrc13nqPh-I2QhpMUifwoOvto5d6V4FaPJZNMOBw4hyphenhyphen02zbrSKES8R/s800/PICT0533.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#993300;">Jogging track that leads you to other hotels on Nusa Dua Beach</span><br /><br />There's no barrier between hotels. So you can just go 'hotel hopping' to try out different restaurants and clubs available at each hotel.<br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1__ae1jXYdNQgcQiID4hPSRJ9SQN6o5ONPUVSdG3bYl9mfVK54cPtMuL6ZhQ8jI8LwAN-V8HeVXbx3bi1OsnvYRWafDDDWGoun-L8ZRvt9nlVShzUtl_moYve50iB2fyLNhY2Dr61iPeg/s800/PICT0519.JPG" /><br /><span style="color:#993300;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Bearbear imitating the moody face of a stone statue</span><br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif2Wo7Z_CeQFyS1tPn_2-7vLIFWPZyKM6yDWlEOqh21qkga2a4Io5LEcxLxYELZF1PmLSNFvqFPfXbcVlCSwhu636hkIYrYs95GOKEWPuIH3fwLzRG6lc9OzHbSLjxSV9LAGFneo9XZZGc/s800/PICT0549.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#993300;">Hotel main lobby by night<br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTlflCFymzHtPDhNwQErZiiX9ScIIgEk6epQI8Eguay2ARmWld7x31OP-g033qQPQ-QEn14rkLfmzm22irFnh8BLitZKk79emh1cCME7vk1RZmkjmitoSzz-X3JEBsQA5eji-O2-Ycyz5G/s800/PICT0628.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#993300;">Hotel main lobby during the day</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMEL3SXnoJa2rt-58rEhcwZAoeUz4Xv2CbUaY4GNR4J7kbwf22BZS-2Ep6qpMtn2WN70swik4UN5H1GgGfsF-VffaK5uN2Q9FljnpIw2TcNg5xo3hWLOSwqMvb_KH1o1PMguTN9nq-Xddz/s800/PICT0527.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#993300;">Raja's Balinese Restaurant - a must try during you stay at Nusa Dua Hotel<br /></span><br />If you come here for dinner, you will be entertained by a group of musicians playing traditional Balinese instruments and serenading you with soothing Indonesian songs.<br /><br /></span><span style="color:#006600;"><em><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Bengawan Solo, riwayat mu ini<br />Sedari dulu, jadi perhatian dewi Sari<br />Music kemarau, tak berapa airmu<br />Di musim hujan air meluap sampai jauh</span></em><br /></span><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj97yKTCDJm9eDPy0xYGZXbFqnM4maaCJkYB-QuK5NdsoLpxSWevc4NJXMqP47gyu96pvpK0rvD038O7uyOYppCZmZLY1AnoU6IanE3YZSigD5gKdyMa6v7u35c_JvNO5QGep31fONScQhF/s800/PICT0524.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#993300;">Budaya Cultural Theatre on the hotel compound</span><br /><br />However, of all the hotels that lie on the same beach adjacent to Nusa Dua Hotel, Nusa Dua Hotel is the one that retains the ultimate Balinese charms in terms of culture and architecture. There's small wonder that it is a member of <em><span style="color:#006600;">The Leading Hotels of The World</span></em>. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-gH9g0UXnjw3FlOXOqLLaH0GHbbDb5n4MCUXvPExxtgvNklJDot6Tl0BXirX1Yk9kKcgwWpuPbnvzM8kk9Vn38B1DtwYYR4jBjen-T4Mt69-P_gsgDF6V_lc88KBfwVf8fGaPs7-IXKS/s800/PICT0624.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#993300;">Balinese artistic expression is evidenced through out the hotel premises. Here, an over sized frog! I wish I could bring it home!</span><br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRT0fKk8hiLrTH8rmUwMx7Wr42s-qML_XwZLC81I7iUHaBJJzfqIqpoJCfIjoDHfzkbYfsldeR1zRpA1JYavGAnuiujj8s9KxT6rQzzamYesjQgkgPIxH_o2S8XL7Hv2rNOFMQAJcqk2cL/s800/PICT0509.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#993300;">The lagoon pool is not your ordinary swimming pool. The shallow part of the pool is covered with sand.<br /></span><br />When Petty asked me to book a hotel room for us for the long weekend getaway, I had Hyatt in mind. Then I checked on the net and found that Nusa Dua Hotel offered a last minute deal on their Palace Club Room at a very competitive price of USD170 per room per night.<br /><br />Seeing this, I decided to push the boat out and book a Palace Club Room. This review, therefore, is based entirely on my Palace Club experience.</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCWnWCRiGbJgjSn-RUxjgP26fodUtin-vHhiN_GCMmod29MwQZRYN07Qgyizn9ebKm2VFxyzcca1_cHwtqdOH-H5cGE-WEmfeJC8VWDYoy-CxjFp3zsyGzF6fyxopt_CjQUlKeQ1fd_u5w/s800/PICT0574.JPG" /><br /><span style="color:#993300;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Entrance to the Palace Club Lounge which is available to members only. Palace Club guests get to enjoy the privileged Palace Club services.</span><br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghY_1xjWkS4uM7pILjaBETh45-4slmmc_xpTEUTNwZ0kY0Dul5L8yVNnuZa9BIH6aDqweIa6vyjMw4Lbkqf0VKm4F5nagN0OqIwIzcBE_XpR21LdTwmSfNnmPiU-9F1wZtjzeVJ3U2pHdw/s800/PICT0561.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#993300;">Daily buffet breakfast is served at the Palace Club Lounge, away from the crowd.<br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdX9ssjihGLWlJHh2YwGQ3vwdIRSuC144Z9S_84NgLL_l5YviIaOnaD-Vkzh8EMwkJ4sTa5Qy8bUZ5XohUTpNP5wOZMIaGWq3-EUHGrzpQvjHaSZKNKz2VLgcf6duTNjCDuncZkJPnQA35/s800/PICT0563.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="color:#993300;">One corner of the Lounge</span><br /></span><br />The hotel also throws in all day non-alcoholic beverages, served only at the Lounge. For 2 hours in the afternoon, free flow afternoon tea is served with cakes and pastries. For another 2 hours in the evening, pre-dinner cocktails are served with Balinese and Western finger food.<br /><br />Butler service is available 24 hours.</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5Ol4cWXr6IHQkFnr0b63UVQzejpkvsAV5hCL0OtBXWIUqH2P4b-j68IC-6sx72Uo3MpLHmFE7l9_xpnbGIC7Aban1g0IqrNVJXzGNNSO22BKnGseNcdWEB9usTor8qSyBklFMIz58__f/s800/PICT0571.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#993300;">Another corner of the Lounge</span><br /><br />If you like alcohol, the Palace Club deal is a deal made in heaven. But it makes me wonder - how can one consume so much food and drink within a day?</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGWhyphenhyphenMrfe8wV8QBF8w1uQRGf5SeLL9iVB4sMYPjdGWiEnoBFb-xioPV9-wFpbk034ujZMob07wks6az-b7oFmV-RKqqlL3iaPIG9HzSI8WB4Y8Cey9U7qnMi7bhshQAJ3C-4NSna9ug4af/s800/PICT0513.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="color:#993300;">Palace Club guests also get to enjoy the use of a lush and meticulously landscaped tropical garden.</span><br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3A3Ji6rxMBbhzSXO9qHsMwv69eHBQKqrbr7aVnRKQN56MO5gl10O62U1_cINTjlgFP1tcHH73Rg2lXRyK-LpxePLOKi8vuJ_abMeL4NDvrepCWm7mLbSUSDvbA50iBbAOJgwrNi6YEzjb/s800/PICT0510.JPG" /><br /><span style="color:#993300;">There are ducks and squirrels sharing your private garden with you.<br /></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Not to forget, there's even separate check-in/out at the Palace Lounge. It's a good service for men coming here with their mistresses or well-heeled <em>tai tai</em> coming here with their toyboys.<br /></span></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-EkK_IfF4DLqDf2ghVk6HIDzsmD7KRZkdqaHWWCORpbxW1xKg93rW4KillipV_s8G2MYjeLov2VCiR1nf5Okwu5kW122aALq1jjs7MEITvs810quQ9G_5GQrSS7vKRXch2niXzc_A83s/s800/PICT0599.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#993300;">With the hotel property spread over a land area of 8.5 hectares, Nusa Dua Hotel needs huge plant like this to fill up its lush tropical gardens.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Some hotel guests find the large size overwhelming. Some reviews even name this as a disadvantage of the hotel, as one has to walk quite a bit to get from one point to the other within the hotel premises.<br /><br />I personally like the size very much. It gives me a feeling of being in open space.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsOrC0QzBHgv6UbkOWRpOGUjYpVcK73t6-DAnaTCP8MSqaRDX7u5CX602yeZLA1vyuyRVO-sjLr-42OcBh7-7e95BKkaLYA3OWA2hlDwbynOiUP2dz_dFvinkuaILrHGSsbRrg3W_hYZWX/s800/PICT0598.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#993300;">The Royal Residence where kings and queens are entertained.</span><br /><br />Once available only to Royalty such as Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan, François Mitterrand and the like, today the Royal Residence is open to public.<br /><br />According to the hotel staff, The Sultan of Brunei is the current owner of the hotel. He stays at the Royal Residence whenever he's in town.<br /><br />With his petrol money, buying a property like Nusa Dua Hotel must be like us shopping for a modest-looking holiday home. At times I can't help thinking it's great to be rich. In fact <em><span style="color:#006600;">The Economist</span></em> has found out that there's a direct relation between one's level of happiness and the amount of money one has.<br /><br />Oops, getting out of track here. Let's move on to the hotel room.</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFwzPzYCfUH1UJ1N5f7gNlAa-TkCnCOfCEwY2nal4VOcPJKXWJqsiP9w2RkVkt_5c54j7M0xjc1oHUByiaVZZV4TN3qyk3J9wUEPkaPKJogZS75IeYetyLso1IKV2wzAdaD5GA-cRA3mQ/s800/PICT0460.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#993300;">Balinese interiors at the Palace Club room.</span><br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlUwumwCakUwajVK-W1Dy3vI0fFp5qZd8zW1ovYCWWTOeMzESFOGXqHCxfZAehw_Y8jgswu9uOdjFCiGKbAw6208vKKSCgC_kazN0hH74ywn_2dvwZmZigeg4dv6HIZDQMk9mVHxabtup/s800/PICT0457.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#993300;">Rich and delicately carved wooden furniture.</span><br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzvoksB7i2ysZrberFsgKGcZzmO7q3S-oqRk_oVuWpuiqZo-GG0gGnX4u2E9KI9SOIVUlwsF37msP0YOGav9FCvBdf4E9bk4hvmTCdfELC6zMZVD5saPo12Mkeu59Lvnohj1L6mWkAjwl/s800/PICT0454.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#993300;">The back door opens up to a private garden.</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9Dr9EaBTFgcyoNgLU3Q_G5sg9R8tYGzkIJ-hQVfGcCFC7NZzk4STfhe8GCtiS7UjEi6O4UdArsEvSr_QGjHZoEXfAu4-0BM8RAzfoVXFp48vNt-ptCaQ6VpViwfBDbfqVv2ZRLtb521i/s800/PICT0500.JPG" /><br /><span style="color:#993300;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Balinese artistic touch is evidenced everywhere in the hotel, even in the bathroom. Notice the small bowl of light blue bath salt? What a nice touch.</span><br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBCYJh-ZMMjm6zAr1zleY_qUinFidv0O-5789x4b4mIfecnePLSGBP9eCsLFalWyVlHgbLlafFdiivad5UVuc4Han8lFJasr3tBZe1qsGEmQja0S-JnCTxHVfsrwIhX7Gh8CmKrx9EIlQs/s800/PICT0612.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#993300;">Shower room where one can have a shower sitting down. </span><br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3sCqaC9JpdvUYM9XhUgGUA0u91TPUjBdcwJJqemAfxWicJ1bb-zdVpHqxb2C3wk8s3bbeu5u_d9__mwmIMofH9ii-KoTnyb5XOY6qALL1-RTwi9Q152BCa7ybaT0A4AaQE13YBe9CBj7T/s800/PICT0534.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#993300;">Very good water pressure here. You'll definitely enjoy your bath.</span><br /><br />The hotel's spa is spread over 5,000 square meters of lush tropical garden.<br /><br />Since the hotel is so large, some guests, I believe, do not explore the entire hotel properly during their stay here. That sums up why the spa lap pool was empty on the day I visited while the hotel's main pools were crowded.</span><br /></span></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij-Oo8wdl9REjlp1gYhCHaFAE01pxVk73K569IxBAVnpnYYPsi_iyUbIBzBNf8jIoOUea1HBKXIGcLoB6dBhgmeIkkIIvPwwEJltgTJNoyoXX6NGRH-KMlljUmH0ArqRodIcUYO541OcKk/s800/PICT0582.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#993300;">Beautiful lap pool at the spa</span><br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqIv8idB9ZqCg9ypmNRuiGGRc5ar5boL2kewRK9LVdTA0HRTpExtdIw3NIuhX7IhtVamavhzPCH2xkaEtShWmQ5afsoGs_nr4FI6zCR9ZEqRx2yDS7feP4e549jJjtxnqb-80aIazfaPG/s800/PICT0579.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#993300;">I swam here ALL ALONE</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdsyLYjo-XZzhLCoPaze9MXeQd5oOSQRFSVre3tbHQ0wyVSDObpZt3qLV-u3ZX4dugj11p827pGR9GoHcQT1A4c_r90xlF49LWZucGhgXTGbZ9aXe376DmOJZqWfExEAgp4Ry1qbNjTOhz/s800/PICT0585.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#993300;">Entrance to the spa. Bearbear wanted a photo with these lovely frangipani and rose petals.<br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3YglxYGWFdFW57MaPGAN0P87rNwicsVnMgNCFQ-L3XWprrcMHfRCZT9rRzy6k6MYsqcN9zt4sUar_7XJvsKvNe_lGjuHUxP085y2QgvMfT2v7SXQdaM37vJYRUI4M8X0momp7iNHIrlI-/s800/PICT0594.JPG" /><br /><span style="color:#993300;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">A corner of the spa lap pool decorated with Balinese stone-carved statues.</span><br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lLDJQj6bIHRcbzr2olMyW1ozPhowPtoJz7JGEGq7KjnEdAmzc2H9oAS-JdOYbw5hPuu78sJuzB8hR3OzLECI42TaZ_OgdlXrEwrfv9C4V2QToICZ-WhCbl4EjM48En9_Qv_5p1tNMOwf/s800/PICT0597.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#660000;">Spa villa where additive massages are given. Prices here are quite reasonable as compared to what you usually get in Thailand.</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKetEtZGNJQAiv7nUt7XK1RRrzpKfYa6v2sdSYxhOCeEYzZMdgLxBrAXOeRBR4AwfoBO94Pu8V5w0eSFyD11GDmu9NGfgSF3ZgQKiNRgLVcK8AdnGZ0pcPLNp-xX5D3E17YpHAdG4Jp37y/s800/PICT0587.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#660000;">Once inside the Lady Spa Room, you are greeted by a wooden lady.</span><br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCto2PrZqI6xnfx1ReF-1sjPRxjzRZ9xm27jAA00WZ-0VeROfo2y0twanNLwmgGmIXPl6uRbvLQUb8zrsdNhyphenhyphen7qWj9pgaCeOwVXbHTl5pxj3P6HdJdudNptcq041PPdu6JRE0EwXjkfY8o/s800/PICT0590.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#993300;">Hot pool to warm you up. I know what you're thinking - no, that pair of slippers doesn't belong to me.</span><br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlZO3GFOn2PYq_D8sZaMFBtDVe2i33ssLPkm9R-16w_AidSUz0avGmEkXYZTeRwILbsNPnEc5b6VCTvVTG9XgA8JoutX-UVT9AbJg2WxBBTFAcQdmt4nQ_92m2spa44_fW9clgPXHh3JF/s800/PICT0591.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#993300;">The cold pool is bloody cold.<br /></span><br />A Russian woman jumped inside and she apparently enjoyed it. Perhaps it's considered 'warm' in Russia.<br /><br />Oh, BTW, that's her pair of slippers in the pic above. She's a funny woman. Very talkative. But I couldn't understand a word! I tried English. She looked at me as if I were alien. Then I tried "Parlez-vous français?" She shook her head. "Sprechen Sie Deutsch?" She still looked blank. Then I thought, wait a minute, we are now in Bali, she's probably picked up some Indonesian language before she comes here.<br /><br />"Boleh kah awak cakap Bahasa Indonesia?" Oh dear, I gave up and we switched quickly to sign language instead. Perhaps I should start learning Russian.</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQp8ESj_M94IW8vy3AkN2tF3Wqe4y1Y1s_8u0GcFkkXCBIfORB0tE-CShHasmAvaBGvCeIDDyUpXS_vX91MERLDAMtgPnYOurueTzD63uuj_ewmGyhyphenhyphenuXGeLJlIiGwAxKOYrbbMe2imca5/s800/PICT0555.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#993300;">Bearbear wear flowers behind his ears. When in Bali, do as the Balinese do.</span><br /><br />While you're staying at Nusa Dua Hotel, do take a ride to Jimbaran Beach for seafood. The above pic was taken when we were dining on Jimbaran Beach.<br /><br />It's quite convenient to just get a taxi from the hotel. But some reviews recommend getting the restaurant to send a taxi to your hotel FOR FREE to transport you to and fro. But in return you MUST eat at the particular restaurant.</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrAyqzqqoNqSJGp0kale4mo2CUrJFJlKzfz46IHvImHtcspioVGHhhG69G2yAK1x6-1tEDxtUOieDblU2t_hervE80OnEXxYhyphenhyphenWTgtbov0cFGQFlcr6T514GzgGA5TFKeCzWjA4bLR1lG/s800/PICT0503.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#993300;">While in Bali, shopping for Ralph Lauren T-shirts is a must.<br /></span><br />There's a factory here in Bali but you have to compromise on the quality. You can't compare it to what you normally get in Europe but prices are much lower here in Bali.<br /><br />Overall, it's a very satisfying stay at Nusa Dua Hotel. The staff are friendly and courteous. It's a family orientated hotel where kids are entertained by trained staff at the Gecko Kid's Club.<br /><br />Hotel facilities are good and the room rates are quite reasonable as compared to hotels in the same league. </span><br /><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Any drawbacks? Yes of course. The water level at Nusa Dua Beach can get very low at low tide. If you like to swim in the sea, you have to stick to the low/high tides schedule provided by the hotel. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">For some, as I mentioned earlier, the sheer size of the hotel could be off-putting as it makes getting from one point to the other tiring. Other than that, I can't really find fault in this hotel no matter how hard I try. SO PACK YOUR BAG AND </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAY IN BALI!</span><br /></p></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span>Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-64306582020972476242009-01-23T10:36:00.019+08:002009-01-23T16:07:49.664+08:00We need a man.............<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkjby4AKX8Dq4BWiLRZfhLtvfaqLHdhorNrOwSAENCZ_CJZ5oc54hlVIXpaOlSIAzLmalAcwGyhzjl0SbeiHtvZWPX_EwOwIBahtPjuiW1k1f7L6Yh0upeX3_vHkFN0dvPYeCeVxxecWJh/s800/19063935-19063937-large%5B1%5D.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">who is young at heart. From his smile you can tell he's retained a childlike quality about him.</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFyW2WBCasaK2o5XoPeaJzJvyjJAcIPOS04sJtUeedBg3-D1lSxmodwrRg187M9YTGfSasrgbur4WOxoyGVE8gygfkQQak0Q9_v6af3gzBGCGIy9IvYNQT5X-hwgk1yNMpIi84z8X5tG7/s800/article-1125102-03204A3C000005DC-733_468x410_popup%5B1%5D.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">who still genuinely enjoys a good laugh with his loving wife after being together for more than 15 years.<br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrImUDiDNk5286_zyrUYcgqMGqKR1PqKLthZO_VbXPEGR9klkB_o3Snq9iqsWsdCZYS56nIq0E32ewYG5aDs_veI1FOoaF2qqjO9LBaSCY_9BwZrjWSskUyqAI1dBczxtK-ZGd1rb39REJ/s800/MaliaObamaNov22004ScottOlsonSenateWin%5B1%5D.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">who keeps his family intact no matter what happens outside his world.</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ZvhYkBs63Bikz2gTlnYqC05LrOHU245ctN0BF6wlWQXRoog0wqCoeYRYgu9L6CO7vNipxsozsOcN5BnQlS8PbVqo-nyFrt08IOr-jw-mxj78l5VITRgTjunuUbI7aU8I0KD8B_Alglvs/s800/barack-obama-shirtless_448x629%5B1%5D.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">whose good look is well matched by the size of his brain.</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1fInBwU-FZTBKBi418spz1qSi4dbHEBDAYhbVogoD3JmHVu6ztmyyUaI1YMAO-3XijkIyJHV3vD70KsmNywwl4hIrcpL7xyIqAIX94NlRRK_UYgEwbip7HG1Crm7tzJoPXi5_8LlM2dDp/s800/Barack-Obama--25335%5B1%5D.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">who is capable of laughing at himself just to keep us entertained.</span><br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-k6AOf9hais-S13dOO3yMcXYxBMDjum2j6STED-knSTIK1YhHJBftVjyzQcUetSoCOS3XNiQl753rL8c1Xre_ta_FSBVW91hK0z-z3I-6yhKt87BcMA83HPmMmNp2slRbwLmg84HC9XF_/s800/inaugural_roll_g_05%5B1%5D.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">who ultimately rules our world with his wit, intelligence, common sense and sensibility.</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWxoeMfSevZjpvq2pxU-Me1ORvADxtQkRbzD7yN0oUbLrYdZ9l5wylfkAdEdpmcWUAfNQyptKGLyttIXhVrR6j3Fi2GtEYLY3Uoed0kGSXb9uSHhohF9jQLBu6VAxsOmGf5bJ6P8tswo2/s800/article-1125102-03204AD4000005DC-289_468x614%5B1%5D.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">who can dance to whatever tunes at the click of a finger.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">What? You're not convinced that he can dance? Let me search on Youtube.<br />Here you go. Even Ellen is impressed.</span><br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RsWpvkLCvu4&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RsWpvkLCvu4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Don't we all love Mr. Obama, for now.</span></span>Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-31560131305033737702009-01-21T12:10:00.029+08:002009-01-21T13:44:50.466+08:00Postcards from Thailand<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I like Thailand. It's a place I like to go to for relaxation. I don't do much when I'm there. Just getting pampered. Spa, massage, pedicure, manicure....or just lie on the beach and listen to the sound of waves.<br /></span><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjtlHA9kLWSIgfpu0qfTgNlU-r3-cPE041_Kx7T33DnvCawRi3CIc-cBAV8sIESbeL0mF9lyBI1HgMu1VXXFNQlbHGQGthm9hz38_96uTWLrC69Mf5s8TQaWIQBUun2nMnPRwlse_GV-JB/s800/PICT0108.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Patong Beach, Phuket. Taken minutes before the rain.</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlOPq4UFo6Mx9NJa5eyx88tyV5x3os_LAaLggSaDeRnNHhnhHmxyN51rdSp_-R8lEQcedKtYugAaM__SYeR_2LulIBfp2QOn0fPljv7MhTHJZ1NZUbCu2eVo-WpRpdcvms6tDPujI7SNA/s800/PICT0115.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Still at Patong Beach.</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3d4m1mMldbb2y-AhwNL_VGNrIWhVqBBENgrMzAOC76Nw2OT188cPC7SUpU2sIz_gvl7iyuIUmqD4UtYnVFgazPW3zXsDXH2HB8cssB46KW00U2x2B8m8ZjcUXWVXQYhwW4TX_SH7AOA3F/s800/PICT0112.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">A small Thai village.</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgW_1Z0wZk79IulmpK_cr9TdeHmWk_FEMEYRIW8LLHxMLHBjG5lQUd6fcLdDMIiPmKgdSpHl5u3nUrvvNFq0iCNisDDl5W2PF5CBFUuCxUpMrKbCbnlQgANkGv6D4NACGaLbeS9qXBRvl/s800/PICT0118.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Duck liver <em>pâté</em> at La Gritta Italian restaurant, Amari Coral Beach Resort</span>.</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5C_dCV5Y6QR3a8vOhSYnX2e5bUrVlnwgqGJpQR2auDWu9EtgRdCOEIcPb0gHEfn15vHgwf67ZndEIN8PPTbiaJuqZ0Hpvjc9F3Z-gC6T4uHWnSlGyCkTu2WWetiGuERcQpY9coxYCK0U/s800/PICT0120.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">Still at La Gritta - mussels cooked in white wine sauce. </span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKhHnvMcuNhcarBpHAdbyORpZw8qVn87kikP_pCMDnN_WAJjoBG73cSguj2GGk3IVuOQkxFwaqwFO16tdr9dSuATTQxXLb48l8QBasZ4N1NSf-v1uokfNLzHbM12VZv6c0g0lYBPOq26ay/s800/PICT0069.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Die hard calamari fan. Bearbear can have deep-fried calamari for breakfast, lunch and dinner.</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCgpEInZUWl3jP3udEFXLImvfklyAQrQLE8TYrPx66eYrP7I-BKoCYWLCKyzbkGHhQk1BoKOVpQkNqNE1m4NFmqwaHaHYCrUOn8DNQ4y15tU_h7pPQb80wvWLBDUPSqd2nni10l4A1mQQ/s800/PICT0183.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">How can banana flowers be so beautiful</span>?<br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAOfhyphenhyphenzj6ns5U3K6mOk5HiMOYsF3xj3LmTVnfwfA6W2GiJ23IhBLwDFVFDyjRCmZia2mQSD-Dsz7akiztnG8z7EilXK5_60ileCh2tDMo0aaHBH_ShmVsuvkXLioqXzLxXxDTqk17qbtmp/s800/PICT0184.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Here's another one. No kidding right? It's really beautiful.</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjieHCiSQ0wjLosckPnRkIJI3memVHcpccY2_ZnhWtxWRNbfgZ8bxELg2jGyUlJYOQMmyGat3raTz0DSDcp6h7HfFA_GcPNI5Z7FTG0eDHmCH0BiZv-JvzE0V4iS_Zctd_Eg-sltvqjbLXS/s800/PICT0247.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I love Thai food although it makes me suffer the following day in the restroom. It's one of the hottest food in the world.</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigsI63rmZnibGihXyC_HohoYB6f-88X6wHsW84ts-jstjVPDjoYF8oFXKA0bMKPy_7UUHiaEWB37S17yUpia6v396wPvV2oU9DYgGQQqQns-edX0IFu3UG5VRDPmxAPJ3zGKa5kd0pmTHR/s800/PICT0249.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Barbecued lobster - a must-try for seafood lover.</span> </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDa4r9wNL3I09VgBTS-vktAnma6_qHyYKUeDnjZXePa48FcX3GqlRdki_DqSQ6N5BQFDGoSKgpK8wrS5TTmcEi0CaC1o0_cglA0Zqybe3mgnO5Ue7h5wSXlkLCzlcyEprbhLB4qie54vEm/s800/PICT0242%20-%20Copy.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Rim Talay Restaurant, Amari, by night. </span><br /><br />==========================================================Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-76043084722867018542009-01-16T16:45:00.010+08:002009-03-02T13:29:24.377+08:00Have you ever?<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I've been tagged by </span><a href="http://turn-u-off.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>Monica</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">, the attractive owner of Turn-U-off. </span><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Anyway, here is my first ever meme!<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">1. <strong>Have you ever been on TV</strong>?-- Yes many times. I was featured in Tampax ad, Nivea skin care ad and coca cola ad in which the woman was swept off her feet by a hunk....honestly, NEVER. *sigh sigh*<br /><br /><br />2. <strong>Have you ever sung in public</strong>?-- Yes, I was crazy about singing and secretly hoping that I would be discovered at an early age. I sang in my high school singing contest. To my disappointment, I got consolation prize only. From then on, I've never sung again, in public.<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">3. <strong>Have you ever dyed your hair blond</strong>?-- Yes, not completely blond but with blond highlight. Having dark hair is boring. No offence to dark haired readers.<br /><br /><br />4. <strong>Have you ever eaten frogs' legs</strong>?-- Yes, but not so keen on it. There's not much to eat anyway. I prefer chicken legs.<br /><br /><br />5. <strong>Have you ever received a present that you really hated</strong>?-- Oh yes! When I was working for a US investment bank, every X'mas we were given a small gift. It could be a classical music CD or a gift voucher of a local book store. During one particular X'mas, the firm wanted to please a client so badly that it bought lots of books published by the client. Didn't know what to do with the purchase, the firm gave us the books as X'mas presents. I then passed my copy to my mom in law - it's a hard back thick as hell business book written in German! I wonder if she's finished reading it.<br /><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">6. <strong>Have you ever walked into a lamp post</strong>?-- Oh no. This is because I've been trained to be very careful with lamp post. Once I was in Bangkok on a busy main road, I saw a middle aged man blowing his nose while waiting for the traffic to stop. He then caught the snot with his right hand and conveniently smeared all of it on the lamp post nearby. From then on, I've been very careful with lamp post. I never go near it. Never touch it. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br />7. <strong>Have you ever cooked a meal by yourself for more than 15 people</strong>?-- Never. The most is for 6 people. If I have to do so I'll call my sister. I heard she could easily cook for the whole village!<br /><br /><br />8. <strong>Have you ever fallen or stumbled in front of others</strong>?-- Yes, in Davos during my first skiing lesson. I was going downhill (a gentle slope) and I was screaming, "Get out of my way! I'm coming! I'm coming!" Another incident happened after I finished high school. I was a language teacher teaching Primary 6 kids <em>Bahasa Malaysia</em> and English. This school was quite peculiar. In each classroom it had raised platform for teacher to give lecture. With my formal office attire and high heels on, I was oblivious with my surrounding while teaching passionately about English grammar. Suddenly BOING I was out of the platform and landed on the floor. But funny enough, nobody dared to laugh. So I told the class, " That's strange. If it'd happened to my teacher, I'd have been the first one to laugh!". Only then the kids laughed out loud as if it was really funny to find me on the floor.<br /><br /><br />9. <strong>Have you ever done volunteer work</strong>?-- Let me see. Not that I know of. When I worked for a bank in Switzerland, every year before X'mas the bank would arrange for some old folks to come into the office on a weekend to make use of free phone calls. They were encouraged to dial to whatever countries that their hearts desired. I'd always agree to turn up to assist them but without fail, I'd fail to turn up! So the answer is NO. I've never done volunteer work.<br /><br />Now I'm going to tag </span><a href="http://moonlightnightsstarryskies.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>Uncle Lee</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>, </strong></span><a href="http://lifeandfamily-insingapore.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>ShuLing</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>, </strong></span><a href="http://pinayjade.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>Jade</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>, </strong></span><a href="http://amalaysianabroad.today.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>Lynne</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"> and </span><a href="http://duckandwheelwithstring.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>Lin</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">. I hope you guys would join in the fun....:-)<br /></span><br /></p></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span>Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-67750996677797995982009-01-15T17:42:00.019+08:002009-01-23T08:23:09.956+08:00Phuket seen through the eyes of a 5 years old<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh547w38ObAYjXKuRBzNBac816W_al_JckZIU2cIZ_tmqZ0nb6LaZM_KzQm104lzNV9NhcP_Z2V-TQTKp3Tf4_YO8vVmuGF8C0NwDEedlLwfxnx5p2gn5DJF_NcluDreAxqY90OQB4jRApr/s800/PICT0023%20-%20Copy.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;"><em><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Bearbear</span> on the plane from Singapore to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Phuket</span> - he likes to read the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">in flight</span> safety information such as where to find the emergency exit and etc. </em></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Bearbear</span> loves taking photos. Since I gave him my old Minolta digital camera, he has taken lots of photos. I have compiled below some photos he took during our recent trip to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Phuket</span>, Thailand. Sometimes his chosen objects are rather weird. Let's find out.<br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA8MVdYpCtuIwEBC3WBKZgRMRLD1sP9mhF1CitFxr2EQ6lh520iP4zeqVOwcfpbv2OlHD8AMBdTe26dyeoK2oKJlZ80TZIQLnV_DHSM3t8AaY0EQOWIKgFhGCOmd-qZpYA1C6ujebxKkaC/s800/PICT0047.JPG" /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em><span style="color:#ff6600;">1) Fierce looking fish displayed at the seafood restaurant. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Bearbear</span> cannot understand why people dare to eat something so fierce looking.</span></em> </span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1w1XxHfYvtkVFNhk2UB1w73WUVosmEGUA5WkVxbdAwazl0_YiEMlJN3my0rwrjMd0dW6D89-qsL9zaYXE7-CZDBbdvzHPTN2FTyyMUZlcwhgd85DSfNYCwQeUHSKHYm2Mx99wdepDixuN/s800/PICT0050.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em><span style="color:#ff6600;">2) Beautiful light in a Middle Eastern restaurant. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Bearbear</span> was fascinated by the dim red light here.</span></em> </span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PNlnn__H0lurL0WrFsGl-SAuS-2VS57v0fS4lIVhUVmntDdzjUtZ4fRrsDUinOpJHbOrtumBpDhxhIJd9WbyLHkNOKj1chjxS8sSHRtCOdb4XJOOoyogca1iBjcrbQBaqGM0UvhpseCu/s800/PICT0137.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#ff6600;">3) Another lovely light caught <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Bearbear's</span> eyes at the Italian restaurant in the hotel we stayed in.</span></em> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgejh-cQBb9PHBV2BRqdXmXUh_-xus3xESauyKwmba9UyP0mhKEWgnPGc33Db1-zi6Vogx_ixLx5Iook8JGRXAGUQg9UxAy5weFj2rLW2QPySuSv-c75UTVgtkEP80Auzk_EzJ_YwBefxwx/s800/PICT0148_9.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#ff6600;">4) <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Bearbear</span> took this photo for me while I was stirring my watermelon juice with a straw. I like the mood in this photo so much that I use this as my profile photo ever since.</span></em> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpWjl4B5iwJ8zK53m-H1GuKeSo6LoB7gC0_62mTySHUGC1plKFTLpUstzmwksaGk7Rgu3EbObkhu39Cl26vt2k5EM2cMbE-ASuNDj-QnsWxzJXqGr3pQvE3KOuD19tl-8V6SKV-IaoOPm/s800/PICT0230.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#ff6600;">5) This tiny crab appeared on the path from our hotel to the jetty. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Bearbear</span> was so excited to have spotted this creature. "He's like Mr. Crab in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Spongebob</span> - he has very big claws!" He said.</span></em> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyD4KtS9KYq0HAA7KG3cOyLaju5vFVTQ5t6rSEVnmUiU0T2DN8SE4sWOgsCVPssJ3IHi4G3D2X9KO2Bw91EnyWqejNLVrmAgmSHjFC2oxJ-2-3TutpbSqsNnpf0ypr5XIBZEU7M_IBPn24/s800/PICT0215.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#ff6600;">6) While we were on the jetty, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Bearbear</span> took a photo of our hotel.</span></em> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFngHlLr0VhEN_il9-REf7gGHTVUkygOVYtAC2L5Pk9-Ja4o7L-l4gIKiG1Ztn7dffxFTWRQr5ou_VSFl5tOSgQUpd0qwaLuhsq8Ivb1mMH55fX0q4UCdG7q7jiVQvdjGsc7w4djxvZU1P/s800/PICT0218.JPG" /><br /><em><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#ff6600;">7) The Jetty - quite abandoned in the low season.</span></em> </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGXuZqbKGKbfK1jFflzrW445uKGdjBVBvQ1u9s4m94VBXs82y-us-5HGuUvHXlGylFo1GVGsi93_q_6VkPmfh-7quDa0DcYBGoNbkgoa3xWTsnxzHbgnW5J4NeMJK_yJUzUohl_8lIiS3/s800/PICT0227.JPG" /><br /><em><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#ff6600;">8) View from the jetty - a private beach is begging to be explored.</span></em><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0f1i2N2_LEPlRoy7MFH5IiXtjiCzS9JLLUkkWzpmOUl3PWKT4cMWBztGznk2CDgzt9I23AonpshD6R1XvY0zszjfj9z1Joyw6k8bhm-t9kYUUH4sFlGXytkUr4ZbRNsK2chN2_2J-yAr/s800/PICT0207.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><em><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#ff6600;">9) Sea view from the jetty.</span></em><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-82863876404512673992009-01-13T14:43:00.050+08:002009-01-13T16:44:36.676+08:00Hotel Review: Amari Coral Beach Resort in Phuket<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLt93FtqMuZiPj55mUehjc1_YwvxozebB7-D3cHzCYNWu_eNMh1GDHodTitx9icGPQJfMHkzmm-FWSwcQ_75ICG_QiANTvrG6Q8e87gq8oXquiUkZW3E5tWWgg_Tpxvb5LF-N0EKPRjLkG/s800/PICT0100.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;"><em>Phuket's Patong Beach where one can easily find cheap massages, barbequed sweet corns, cheap necklaces and probably future wives. </em></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Back in October when Bearbear was having his autumn holiday, we took the opportunity to go island hopping. From Singapore, it only takes about 2 hours to fly to Phuket. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><a href="http://phuket-guide.net/">Phuket</a> is the largest island of Thailand, approximately the size of Singapore. It is situated off the west coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">This time we chose to stay at <a href="http://amari.com/coralbeach/">Amari Coral Beach Resort</a> which is located at the quiet end of Phuket’s most popular beach, Patong. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Amari simply blowed my mind away from the moment I set foot on the resort until I left. I was there for a short break (approx. 1 week) with Petty and Bearbear. We stayed in one of the suites overlooking the smaller pool. The room was clean. The staff were ever smiling and willing to assist you. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEmJg8H1k1m81t_GQ67xWAvbLuWYn7AAKHdGrTE5P7s_HIg-EvhwrbvEnrFIHeNG_vIMVyeVepEjBAGsAxBYAd4TFAYUh20PfdQHG3y2xP35GmoMuHTj-BHOq_cT45mnL99ri05SNIA_RV/s800/PICT0063.JPG" /><br /><em><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;">View from our suite overlooking the smaller pool. </span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;"></span></em><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">On the day we checked in, to my disappointment I noticed that the hand shower at the bathtub didn't work. A couple of light bulbs also needed changing. But all this was fixed as soon as I called housekeeping. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig7I9TYijZX2rOJqcocu5nFljpIZs4wXuc6Re5fI_D0pSOggeooQaTO7OLdq_R22ymTXCc3zBBNP3elPehzN751_tC_OI9E5ywRCtFm1GYXMdkyPtOYNG2zkePjdY7G6J0yzrvbV_lZf5F/s800/PICT0061.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;"><em>A room with a view. Shame for the f*cking weather. </em></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Ocean view is abundant in Amari. Every room here has ocean view! </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The hotel is tucked away, sitting on a hillside away from the busy Patong main beach. I personally think that staying in Amari is just perfect - you are away from the noise at Patong main beach but you are also near enough to get there. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Getting a taxi from the hotel will cost you Baht 200 one way (USD 5.70) which I think is a bit pricey for such a short journey. But then you can always walk to Patong Beach. It's only 5 mins away! </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">However, this hotel is not good for disabled people and guests with babies. As it sits on a hillside, there are lots and lots of steps to walk! It will be a problem to push baby stroller all the way to the breakfast table. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4JMpkDqlo50BB8aMPp6dAbuyhk1g_vMTKhZA1HngJqFAxw-hJN66WdMcLyVHtLqGmgFvop-v4fWnrDFyIXCoYcIeKDFB4lqQdq1n4O4qAXS4Lc1ucBfjJCAqDqbVAIbRbVkqizBbza2m/s800/PICT0057.JPG" /><br /><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;">Very calm and clean water. Good for a dip. But some people choose to fish instead. </span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;"></span></em><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">On the plus side, the hotel is beautifully landscaped, planted with lots of tropical flowers. At night, when the lights are on, the beauty of the hotel property comes out. This is, I must say, one of the most romantic hotels I've stayed in. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Amari also plays with your senses. Scented oil made from lemongrass, lavender, jasmine and eucalyptus are placed in all the public toilets and changing areas. I was so impressed by it all I even bought a few bottles of scented oil and a burner to bring home. You need a burner to burn the scented oil. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoInP91fN0ojlFC-PRC4b5WSK_xK-Uytgl6KXIm_a1hT1_QPA899fAnV6EKoFrz6y2vlwl8N8EcF7xQG39ovH7gHh1DOqqJQOpFlfk-1FHj_B8MPdrlHbJUGPkzJ94h00IzzsBDyM-AkK/s800/PICT0068.JPG" /><br /><em><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;">Hotel's poolside food is excellent but choices are quite limited. After staying here for a few days we were forced to repeat our orders. </span></em><br /><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;"></span></em><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The hotel food is excellent. You must try La Gritta Italian restaurant. It's pricey, even by European standard, but the setting by the sea is worth every penny of it. It's so romantic it makes you want to weep for the sheer beauty of it all. </span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdt_qdeCKI7TFWgJpqepVZiW03yEPNHlRlGt4tb7f3JZml7jgLp1gC-QgAZt90D7xrc_j3RigMO0i4mH2kWDFpxLVugS0YSdVL-wQg3O7WA44W7RbH1Va5URUUnVghkM6xYfWA3bWMjFbB/s800/PICT0056.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em><span style="color:#ff6600;">Looking at the jetty from a distance.</span> </em></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">To top it off, the hotel has a jetty which is within walking distance. Don't be put off by the walking distance - it's just a gentle walk. It's a must for hotel guest. There are deckchairs on the jetty and there is a bar too. From here you can jump into the sea or do a bit of snorkeling. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMl6saOXzgRY2t2xnBQolppKQ0HcFd0GoIKR3aq_eW6IT28cLv2sIKmnUoYbnIkdSZ-AavEZnzKD32kYFOhQpfuh1iyM5u4wx0MaeRwoJLHSY6K_y8MbmDF5XR5y0iLuGuslg-QZKW-n8-/s800/PICT0199.JPG" /><br /><em><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;">I'm quite impressed by this jetty. Not crowded here as most hotel guests are too lazy to walk the distance from the hotel. </span></em><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">One word of advice - do not rely on the hotel for entertainment. The lounge singers at the Lobby Bar were not so good during our stay there - giggling nervously while singing. One gets the impression that they're so amateurish. Oh, but then, if you need 'real' entertainment you can always go to Patong where there are lots and lots of go go bars with endless supply of hot girls. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUrsW83hj8TSJHAdWyiEykTUlpJJrKy4g_ayd3QGfzuylXCvJ3zoCKcPhIjJz8Bt_7RADbGIhyphenhyphenE4Taa5H4xQN7AqWjHE5PX64eQjl6pcO4x8LV0RbdyeqDaFZoGoDArq1ox_d_XcWZZAe3/s800/phuket041%5B2%5D.jpg" /><br /><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff6600;">Patong's night life (<strong>credit to Boon and Thing</strong>)</span></em><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">In my next post I'll show you more pics of Phuket seen through the eyes of a 5 years old. Stay tuned. </span>Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com59tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-54494433898145030122009-01-09T11:24:00.033+08:002009-01-10T01:11:21.919+08:00How can you tell you're living with little monkeys?<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">For those of you who have kids, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Just right after you've tidied up the whole place, tucking away all the toys at places where you think they can't be possibly found again, oops, just as you turn you back, all these toys mysteriously reappear at places where they don't belong even though you've probably told your kids HUNDRED TIMES not to leave their toys everywhere. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br />Today I suddenly come to my senses - Hey, instead of getting flipping mad over a storm in a teacup, I've decided to take it like a good gentlewoman would - I just have to learn to live with the fact that I'm living with MY KIDS under the same roof! So it doesn't really matter if they leave their stuff everywhere, right?<br /><br />Below are all the signs telling you that - hey, there's a monkey, or two, living here..... </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_fETsFqu69j2cDRNim88xa67pMRi1mFLahZ9e17H47FxwZFUB-V23IonRzQAhjX6gnTCfdMeORiAdt_LuYvXMaivmKnmlu6_Py4ePk9rjhAva_znJISMkDPApedVtTMT2z7jMBq3yElPN/s800/PICT0438.JPG" /><br /><strong><span style="color:#993399;">Sign No 1</span></strong>: Bearbear's elephant watering can is forever sitting next to my herbs and stuff in the kitchen.<br /><br />"Mama, I'm going to help you water your plants." He says.<br />"You mean, you want to splash water all over MY kitchen floor?" I say.<br /><br /><span style="color:#993399;">=======================================================================</span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG6FvPHtfANavxViHfv6I4pPIpkNTiX-JrRRmu5U8HtSGLozUNV57h2TwStLuLNXL6KZA3fSmbpE_ubCvqGrn0Gx9VU5BPCLXMdCyW10UkAD52bwG2oqIjJyoADUvKfeFbNYY7vHntm-f6/s800/PICT0439.JPG" /><br /><strong><span style="color:#993399;">Sign No 2</span></strong>: Fridge door - this is my area for putting up shopping list, bus schedule of our condo, fogging schedule etc but Bearbear finds space here to hang up two soft toys for himself and his little brother. This is also a place where Bearbear shows off his colouring talent. </span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">My goodness, he even puts up HIS OWN photo on the fridge door - an old photo taken when he was about one year old. I did try to remove the photo and hide it somewhere but Bearbear managed to locate it and put it back up.<br /><br />"Mama, I like to see my photo on the fridge. I think it looks nice here." </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">"????!!!" </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#993399;">=======================================================================</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALd8Qi5WVAwXnBQ2OuqU63gITHCmImOINozPVvXBdi38In1_LPt2ZsKF-vxgANtbzrw-f_VtlCROBIqNUQDz3vkL08PGSqmdxGXJ3b5jGxbqea2q0hDrjBK8NtkABDsJiMuftgw9F3g9O/s800/PICT0440.JPG" /><br /><strong><span style="color:#993399;">Sign No 3</span></strong>: Bearbear's pencil (the one with a red butterfly on top) is a fixture in my study. I wonder why he's still keeping this pencil - both wings of the butterfly have long been ripped off!<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><p><span style="color:#993399;">=======================================================================</span></p><p><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ2KaoCQ0Mhk4Ao-tsbOHd8jY4pHOmGDL-bzEXErffG5bY948H8-8Ovh8iZFwGwQeic-OfKXo3o6AWQ5quuqIDIrK7uvlrPSJF1TaNMzqBbpszTELlcCQp-3sr043N1oqj6gsgJEI49qsF/s800/PICT0441.JPG" /><br /><strong><span style="color:#993399;">Sign No 4</span></strong>: What's this robot doing on my bookshelf? I don't want it HERE! </p><p><span style="color:#993399;">=======================================================================</span></p><p><strong><span style="color:#993399;">Sign No 5</span></strong>: You'll find some creatures with tiny feet sharing your shoe rack. The pair of green crocs in the pic below belongs to baby Piggy. His shoes are slowly taking over the limited space on our shoe rack. </p><p><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOHTjdvAyfwA0z-63HnV82a-ZAbWaQOT-22SgebwoFravRgGGtpgfDIyMQR6Pds_DHjRnKL88eQ1P2_CWCoOMhj8fJXbxNS6jxS98C6zuo648eAr0AG7x1mqe4qehtlP24V2nAvncGiJqK/s800/PICT0437.JPG" /></p><span style="color:#993399;">=======================================================================</span><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#993399;">Sign No 6</span></strong>: Bearbear likes to keep his toys in the bathroom. Look, here's <em>Ben 10 Wildmutt</em> who constantly stares at me while I'm having a bath. Not a comfortable thought.<br /><br />Bearbear likes his toys but he doesn't realise that for people who don't appreciate <em>Ben 10 Wildmutt</em>, it's a damned fugly looking monster!<br /><br />OK. Enough of this ranting. Time to go and tidy up again.<br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT6UqaPIpQ8eGvmcMABIln024lTFHyNYabfNi6oVVuXI-h4ffWC4pFh3Ob2e3nPdoTolyNL_GRt7G0VfsGXm_Fy9EbYOCAD9D30be4UR9X0EXVIOgxo0gciX5xn8cZhzm_WW7i4w0PSoH0/s800/PICT0435.JPG" /><br /><br /><span style="color:#993399;"></span><br /><span style="color:#993399;">=======================================================================</span><br /><p></span></p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></p>Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-78919162239707089262009-01-07T14:42:00.016+08:002009-01-09T17:13:58.559+08:00Mr. Peacock Made My Day<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">On the weekend we wanted to take the boys to Underwater World, an oceanarium showcasing marine life from the region. It is situated on Sentosa Island of Singapore. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">However when we arrived, we were so put off by the long queue. We ended up having ice-cream just outside the entrance to Underwater World. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Bearbear made us promise him that we'd take him there again on a WEEKDAY. We presume it'd be less crowded on a weekday. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Anyway, as we were having our ice-cream, we felt incredibly bored. Petty, at this point, was boiling hot, both from the heat and the fact that he let the boys down. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">"Singapore is just too crowded. A small island with too many people living here." Petty was complaining and I quite agreed with him. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Just at this moment, we saw this gorgeous looking peacock roaming about on a field in front of us. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDFeNRQmmHp3utrTJ7YWTApMed5NMaW1vY-GT3E3wPD5nSJJhviD4ioYoJjPhnTGWiObs5DmGhFWTAHbr_Ir1Em1-GMt_yNWF2jrwHB_1f33hROYmHaiq4u15IYUW1TWVpSRl-4LGvAIu/s800/PICT0366.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Bearbear called out PEACOCK! MAMA LOOK PEACOCK! </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">And all of a sudden, this hauntingly beautiful creature, behaving much like a magician, shook and spread his feathers and turned himself into something like this! </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkEuOudrkliRSzM8WVUI-8tdc2nL6voMBQ305wO2VskgX0stPqllu8LoM4xqio_DQD2m5d931olLDgiWDd2BZH1w1bQEaeu5vive0ABWwe7iFmynpmooyGJr93j3sg7ghYC3WzS21i1DeE/s800/PICT0363.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">A small crowd by now was formed in front of the peacock. He wasn't shy at all. He kept parading his feathers, turning from one side to the other and back. Very good showmanship. I found it quite amusing. </span><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Then he turned towards me and stopped. Gotcha! You're now in my Picasa web album. </span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbRDVu9sxRCeJNavePZa1dTsR_RKys2qp8kHhChrPnO-5S3u5buYtUzCeCQlWcFUzdXVwx1ZYE0HTdZsvRxrCy-8Pl_bPOodfgQWbQw8eF4WxKJG6y7Hgk_e5eGs0CXDM6tyBG9Rzi3Na/s800/PICT0364.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Thanks for making my day Mr. Peacock! </span><br /></p>Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-23434319263815979212008-07-03T16:45:00.026+08:002009-01-09T18:50:33.771+08:00Cars for sale!<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">These offers are opened to everyone who can take delivery of the cars from our Swiss residence. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">Here we go - who wants to buy a car? Petty and I are selling our cars. Details are below. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>His</strong>. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">BMW 335 i Coupé. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">It's sold for CHF 62,800. Original price when he first bought it brand new was CHF 90'100. What a bargain, ain't it? </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZaGzH42Vv5IxJlgnoXnlEYGhh99RdTznX_ZoMkhkg1WdOZQIhJhnKk2U0sdMIab6Xka3Vi3K6BMETSFp0GLAXta59uWTN7dENL6VSG3Rju668v2OPT46ppzv7jLrN_F07MjW14RqH_qV/s800/NEW_0369.JPG" /><br /><span style="color:#ff9900;"><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff9900;">Front view of Petty's cool baby</span><br /></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">All the technical information of the car is as follows.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Sorry it's in German. It's beyond me to translate all these technical terms into English.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>Fahrzeugdaten<br /></strong>Inverkehrssetzung: 4 / 2007<br />Fahrzeugart: Occasion<br />Aussenfarbe: grau mét.<br />Kilometer: 19'800 km<br />Getriebeart: Handschaltung<br />Antrieb: Hinterradantrieb<br />Treibstoff: Benzin<br />Türen: 2<br />Sitzplätze: 4<br />Innenfarbe: braun<br />Hubraum in ccm: 2979 cm³<br />Zylinder: 6<br />Leistung in PS: 306<br />Leergewicht: 1600 kg<br />Verbrauch: 13.2/6.7/9.1 (St/Land/Tot)<br />CO2-Emission: 218 g/km<br />Energieeffizienz: E<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>Neupreis: CHF 90'100.-<br />Preis: CHF 62'800.-<br /></strong></span><br /><strong>Bemerkung<br /></strong>Spacegrau Metallic, Leder Dakota Sattelbraun. iPod Anschluss, Lordosenstütze für Fahrer und Beifahrer. Mit 4 kompletten BMW Winterräder. Unfallfrei. Aus 1. Hand. Nichtraucher Auto.</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /><strong>Optionale Ausstattung</strong><br />Garantie: 3 Jahre oder 100'000 km Gratis-Service: 10 Jahre oder 100'000 km (Ab 1.Inv.), Leichtmetallfelgen im Sternspeiche 230 19J, Metallic-Lackierung, Elektrisches Glasschiebe-/Hebedach, Fernlichtassistent, Scheibenwischer vorne mit Regensensor und automatischem Einschalten der Abblendlichter, Vordersitze heizbar, Leder-Ausstattung, BMW Individual Dachhimmel Anthrazit, Skisack, Innen- und Aussenspiegel automatisch abblendbar, Interieurleisten in schwarz, Tempomat, Diebstahlwarnanlage mit Fernbedienung, inkl. Innenraumschutz und Neigungsalarm, Park Distance Control vorne und hinten, HiFi Lautsprechersystem Professional, Navigationssystem Professional, Paket Comfort, Paket Dynamic, Paket Lederausstattung Dakota<br /><br /><strong>Serienmässige Ausstattung</strong><br />6-Gang-Getriebe, Antiblockiersystem (ABS), Bremsassistent, M Sportfahrwerk, Automatische Stabilitäts- und Traktions- kontrolle, Dynamische Stabilitätskontrolle (DSC), Servolenkung, Wegfahrsperre, Leichtmetallfelgen V-Speiche 188 17J mit Pneu, Bereifung mit Notlaufeigenschaft, Uni-Lackierung, Grün getönte Scheiben, Farbkeil in Frontscheibe, Aussenspiegel rechts und links beheiz- und elektrisch verstellbar, Fahrerseite asphärisch, Einstiegsschienen, Stosstangen in Wagenfarbe, Aussenspiegel und Türgriffe in Wagenfarbe, Nebelscheinwerfer, Drittes Bremslicht, Bi-Xenon Lichtanlage, Tagesfahrlichtschaltung, Leuchtweitenregulierung automatisch, Abblendlichtausschaltverzögerung 'Follow me home', Scheinwerfer-Waschanlage, Scheibenwaschdüsen beheizbar, Zentralverriegelung mit Fernbedienung, Kopfstützen hinten, Vordersitze elektrisch verstellbar, Fahrersitz mit Memoryschaltung, Vordersitze höhenverstellbar, Rücksitzlehne geteilt abklappbar, Kindersitzvorrichtung ISOFIX, Sportsitze vorne, Sport-Lederlenkrad, Multifunktionslenkrad, Lenkrad längs- und höhenverstellbar, Airbag Fahrer und Beifahrer, Seitenairbags, Window-Kopfairbags, Mittelarmlehne hinten, mit 2 Getränkehaltern, Armlehne vorne mit Ablagefach, Cupholder vorne, Gepäcknetze an beiden Vordersitzen, Beide Make up-Spiegel beleuchtet, Gurtstraffer vorne, Klimatisierungsautomatik, Pollenfilter (Staubfilter), Interieurleisten in Titan, Bordcomputer, Info-Display, Aussentemperaturanzeige, Drehzahlmesser, Wartungsintervall-Anzeige, Reifendruckverlust-Warnung, Elektrische Fensterheber vorne, (AUX) Auxiliary InlineSystem, Bavaria Business CD mit Antenne, Ent- störung und LS<br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUbbt-EEYKQHaZTxTwFqoIZsma4BzqTqJ6uGMqABGVlC7hDbdXJYEWdXs3Vcs-dqgm3GWQUbsR8DFuD5jmtAKWMOcBUlKBrexIV1n7X8X6Fe2KrbwPhxpMACHAsL8TpgpFMG8I3RsSdSQR/s800/NEW_0371.JPG" /><br /><em><span style="color:#ff9900;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Side view. As sleek as a panther. </span><br /></span></em><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPWa-pqTYnOYPxRXfBebNo1hkjgAm_SkDmNbv5Xx8AjpgyV0H6NSTqfCB1nJ6RjtYQ2ePN4e11EQ7p2R_5lcNnvAbHRre3sHslS4FGVf0jZOdPZFbBIfO5bDhexO14AlmqDkef5Z0xJM7/s800/NEW_0368.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#ff9900;"><em>Leather seats in light brown</em></span> </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">==================================================================<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /><strong>Hers</strong>.<br />Audi A3 SPORTBACK 2.0 FSI AMBITION.<br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">It's sold for CHF 30'700. Original price was CHF 46'800. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggPSql_r9w1y2DxjZVqehTHEXajvU8uAkA09SiJJ4xOzTpIGMJ-eQwEI3qPKAyc2H9rkSAKoz5bEPSiZQIRG8nG53KF7jWpQRO7FNaYwZj_RHrCHhLtKD9uHyIb3BLvRbQ5fXHXYoeGn4M/s800/IMG_0417.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#ff9900;"><em>Front view of my agressive looking baby</em></span><br /></span></span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong>Additional technical information</strong>. Sorry it's in French. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Marque: AUDI<br />Modèle: A3 SPORTBACK AMBITION </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Type: A3 2.0 FSI Ambition<br />Typ: Lim / 5<br />1ère immatriculation: 1.2006<br />Kilométrage: 26500<br /><br /><strong>Equipements de série:<br /></strong>Boîte manuelle à 6 vitesses, Différentiel à blocage électronique (EDS), Régulation du dérapage des roues (ASR), Système antiblocage des roues (ABS), Assistance de freinage, Châssis sportif abaissé, Programme électronique de la stabilité (ESP), Direction assistée dépendante de la vitesse, Système antidémarrage, Vitres teintées, Verre isolant, Rétroviseurs extérieurs droite et gauche à dégivrage et à réglage électrique, côté du conducteur asphérique, Couvertures pour les seuils de porte, Poignées extérieures en couleur de la carrosserie, Phares antibrouillard, 3ème feu de stop, Réglage de la portée de l'éclairage électrique, Essuie-glace AR intermittent avec lave-glace, Gicleurs du lave-glace chauffables, Verrouillage central avec télécommande, Appuis-têtes actifs, 3 appuis-têtes AR, Siège conducteur réglable en hauteur, Siège passager réglable en hauteur, Dossier AR rabattable en parties, Sièges AV de sport, Volant sportif à 3 rayons, Volant réglable en hauteur et profondeur, Airbag conducteur et passager, Airbags latéraux, Airbags rideaux pour la tête, Système de protection contre les chocs latéraux, Rouleau pare-soleil pour lunette AR, Porte-boissons AV, Cendriers et allume-cigares, Vide-poches sous le siège passager, Couverture de compartiment de charge, Prétensionneurs de ceintures AV, Ceintures de sécurité à 3 points à toutes les places, Applications brillantes, Système d'information pour conducteur, Indicateur da la température extérieure, Compte-tours, Indicateur des intervalles d'entretien, Lève-vitres électriques AV et AR<br /><br /><strong>Equipements spéciaux:<br /></strong>Pack Cuir Nappa + Sièges de sport, Boîte automatique à 6 rapports Tiptronic, Peinture métallisée, Barres de toit brillantes, Open Sky System, Sièges AV chauffants, Accoudoir central AV, Tous les deux miroirs de courtoisie éclairés, Climatisation à régulation automatique, Régulateur de vitesse, Système d'alarme antivol avec protection intérieure, Contrôle de distances pour stationnement arrière, Radio Concert </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /><strong>Fiche technique:</strong><br />Cylindres: 4<br />kW/ch: 110 / 150<br />CH fiscaux: 10<br />Boîte de vitesses: m6<br />Carburant: essence </span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2t2ijUlbmeZeFgm3_lu-59cGmq80j-p55hCMzhkRxPkXETL0wD6okQTBXOCEQI-45lDJWo7Q5EZn4sB_jxphEeXi1K9mdZLknniGbdT7MX5JnVROMmFoH4JoH4Ont0K_gifb63qZ9pmkH/s800/NEW_0433.JPG" /><br /><em><span style="color:#ff9900;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Please buy me. I'm far too sexy for my current owner.</span><br /></span></em><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8S_g0FZms194NRJIuwWFL8xQhuld-zdmZEy8IH3xoD4C7iMa1ZROL-9P6m20woH9gZofct275e6pphycGE9wXuMtzc4YKX07GJettb9o9KK6PPCcmtkW9hHZAXimwRy-m_5Sgd1c5f13/s800/NEW_0438.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em><span style="color:#ff9900;">Audi's special Open Sky System</span></em><br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhi_SjjhxImdRur4K9ciCyLyQUG4FKM76_i9qCUZ1mv7Y8lJO3_1HHkoel8Qpg9Z7XaYDwdk-zAG99XZuGyeiKHJd4aoHSS1n2RQfnsvYUcFZ_1rHBvjD6bJmQTIsySl4wKOfLPFG3goR7/s800/NEW_0427.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><em><span style="color:#ff9900;">Red leather seats. Sexy, ain't it?</span></em> </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">If you're interested, do drop me a line at my gmail address. </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Please act quickly as we've purposely priced the cars lower than market value so that we can get rid of them asap.</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Let's hear from you! </span>Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com177tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-29130596213412908112008-06-28T02:15:00.073+08:002009-01-09T18:12:35.152+08:00As free as a bird on Friday<span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Bearbear and Piggy go to nursery on every Thursday and Friday. On these two days I usually fill my diary with appointments to see the masseur, doctors, friends and do my weekly food shopping.<br /><br />But today, a Friday, I was absolutely free! I had no appointment at all!!<br /><br />What a luxury. You will treasure this kind of freedom when you have kids. Somehow you need a break from your kids, although you do miss them terribly when they're not around.<br /><br />With all the time in my hands, I could manage to take my sweet time to cook myself a very good lunch instead of having the usual spaghetti with Bolognese sauce from the jar.<br /><br /><em>Voilà</em>, here's the end result - Pan fried beef entrecote with tomato salad. Simply delicious.</span> </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-Rok6nmDhHUnyE6VI7NFRUr0XYYPGMhCMLoHoKVKCNVLB819JDXcbQ9-9kfKqUZp7zBW_E0_MRRlq_5cSdmrmIimYRRR5JAPJdtRY4RgaKggjSdoG5iTP7mpXreSDdQRl2kujzIM2Cje/s800/NEW_0466.JPG" /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;">↑ Pan fried beef entrecote with tomato salad</span> </span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">It was a hot day today. 26℃. So I decided to have my lunch on the terrace. While eating, mom called from Subang Jaya.<br /><br />For those of you who are unfamiliar with Malaysia, Subang Jaya is a township next to Kuala Lumpur. If you don't know where Kuala Lumpur is, then I don't think you want to know about Subang Jaya. Anyway, it was a wonderful surprise to hear from mom and I was so glad to know that she was safe and sound.<br /><br />Mom was here during the summer of 2005 but she found Switzerland a bit too cold, too quiet and too boring. I remember a conversation we had during her stay here.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;">Mom</span>: "It's as quiet as in the grave yard here. How can you live here for so long?" </span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#3333ff;">Me</span>: ..............</span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZyVrPiDNEBLsIv0x_aXLqygsl0XOpkUMNWa1gJx_A_sN_BPu17uru_4CMjbPLYgCNSNhUoDVThfkW1JObxqfVO7XvxHtHV0nVb9fUjXWCxJjD_nXPAMqQc5qd7rf4P1fqpAtf8ifbzkaY/s800/NEW_0463.JPG" /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:78%;">↑ Close-up of the beef entrecote with tomato salad</span> </span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br />In order to avoid having the boring bread/pasta/rice, I chose to have sweet corn as my side dish instead.</span> </span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi854Y9_bW1v5qPJvK2psiPliTC0i8qCrvE6u96qEWmYghE8-EBBhiMHaGteaUzVIu3ocfpkcQKRd3iawjy4n8x2MVymSkLW3_KowLaNyrsfzSDStchRExNXgi-d9oE3OwT4-9uZZtVcMl5/s800/NEW_0465.JPG" /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:78%;">↑ Boiled Spanish sweet corn. Very sweet indeed. </span></span></span><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><br /></span><br />Cherry is in season now. Why not have it as dessert?</span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSDA0z56oVmUNJbAjxQTvH1OgN1PuGgf7cW7szTsC__scO6Kf2APWgdW6rDzDppN8rCcZW8vWuZixCTel35B_zK22njkswQNzjFP6MGJ94IuNkYzuTS7_jB8wWZ5n5d7Eu7q2px9qeur7c/s800/NEW_0464.JPG" /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;">↑ Fresh cherries, handpicked from the local supermarket Migros</span> </span><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">After such a heavy meal, I couldn't be bothered to move anymore. Where's my deckchair? It's time to lie down, put my feet up, have a light lemon chilled drink with ice cube and enjoy my weekly dose of <em>The Economist</em>.</span> </span></span><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOlHX2n4p7hWLtXyFG7_5mceihS7D1wn0iG6Z_O1LbOURbZXAP5hCPgNzRxH8sxCOanqHNDZEQYAyzjh1Caun1_Oh52M__Td7bb8aEYD0W4cbT0o2GjCM5DJpfUirBxhwpg8DoUEhK1Nz7/s800/NEW_0471.JPG" /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;">↑ My favourite deckchair on the terrace</span><br /></span></span><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><em>The Economist</em> arrives in our letterbox on every Friday, as punctually as a devoted lover.</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy1tNku_RS5ZfKn4pUd6FnBzK4cNYczr8UiaRYG4lsSb07-aJOiQr7v-6i2iTBVXUbVyJLZ_bafnwelKsVVgKcd3ftFXljAy1P8MII0ObZgz7H32IB1IUt191Hls0oDYektXJslC43JB-8/s800/NEW_0472.JPG" /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:78%;">↑ How to get him out? Good question.<br /></span></span></span><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br />When I felt too sleepy from the heavy meal, I let myself doze off on the terrace. Gentle breeze from the lake was caressing my skin. Today was such a bright sunny day. Zurich Lake was extremely blue. The hill on the other side of the lake was greener than green could be. A few sail boats, aimlessly, floating on the lake. I was suddenly exceedingly moved by the beauty of it all.<br /><br />And I knew, mom would disagree with me.</span><br /></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3QQEpZHjds6oJIXTSZQhSq396JkEgJo2ebMXthyphenhyphenj-HdpwZFlXLvfpwo2xGRQ1N-k_xn7H5xeScwEn_I7pwFbmhgKnr38TvvorRMZ3TLW0Iphd8roCyTNFgnN5kQDmpC0zep8GeuySq6So/s800/NEW_0470.JPG" /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;">↑ Zurich Lake in summer </span></span></span></span><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">As I glanced towards Zurich city at the far end of Zurich Lake, an ordinary day didn't seem so ordinary anymore. One could easily be mesmerised by the blueness of the lake.<br /><br />Summer time in Switzerland is like poetry in motion. And life is sweet.</span> </span><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH5tIwT5jpRMFFuWExhOV7LBxMvBEzItIhcTg9Pw2M2-r0ZTXpxm7LHJWmpg5JFiIV3stvz2R_V6Ve2ed-9sGEy_F1X8BvHXFJ7lklOofL1tRSp1b5h5P5siseiVj1u9NvYZPfBHjBgQTI/s800/NEW_0469.JPG" /><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:78%;">↑ Zurich City lies at the northern tip of Zurich Lake</span> </span><br /></span><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"></span></span></span></span></span></span>Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-60327054304982474332008-06-20T05:27:00.008+08:002009-01-09T23:47:37.484+08:00Heaven on earth<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1r_6wSWnDzzRm5ami6yP4OAGY1lbUtJGC05HdJ7OyLuLeLmQjZPedDUckz-aqZKELnQ6mlocC6O5xaMWQg2Nambdv5slAJQQ1VFIPxtmZ_z_LKNg2u9nhnd27ZkpN2CuKEZ8AT8XjaIDz/s800/NEW_0449.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Woke up this morning at 5 a.m. Couldn't get back to sleep. Twisting and turning, twisting and turning but still, I just couldn't get back to sleep. </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Then I looked out of my bedroom window and THIS WAS WHAT I SAW - gorgeous red cloud covering the whole sky at dawn! </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The beauty of it touched me to the core of my heart. Thank goodness I woke up like this, and here I was, confronted by the divine beauty the world was offering. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtE0FpFXovKy6f-w6XQojLCsvoAI1APzVSdN18-P8qV7YB6J_vmvSY7IoliPOY7A1fljIBTa265JQB6lMmI7ohBGofrrQd55gdfLVle30tRpsEbonceEzJJxqqp7qdkCiJYlFvmusccsv6/s800/NEW_0448.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Out of my window, the street light was still on. The water in Zurich Lake was as calm as someone who had just swallowed tranquillizer. Like a mirror, the water was absorbing and reflecting the redness from the sky. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">I couldn't help wondering - who was THE PERSON behind all this? Who was THE PERSON who had gone to great length to create such beauty for us to enjoy? I am not a religious person but at this moment, I thought THE PERSON must have loved us to such an extent that HE/SHE was generous and kind enough to create scene after scene of great beauty, just for our viewing pleasure. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">We see beauty everywhere, everyday, and yet we choose to overlook most of it. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">Perhaps this place where I live in, is not far from heaven on earth. </span>Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-29378679065352332752008-05-16T23:20:00.029+08:002009-01-21T13:48:16.283+08:00A tropical paradise in Bali<span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">In April, Bearbear and I were supposed to join Petty on a trip to Bali and Singapore, leaving Piggy behind to be looked after by my mom-in-law. But thing didn't turn out as planned. My in-law fell ill and I ended up looking after Piggy. In the end all of us stayed behind and Petty went alone on this trip as he had some business to attend to at his Singapore office.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">While in Bali, Petty stayed at </span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.hotelpadma.com/">Hotel Padma</a>. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;">According to the brochure from Hotel Padma, </span><span style="font-size:85%;"><em><span style="color:#ff99ff;">the hotel property is situated on Legian's legendary sunset beach just outside Kuta. It is spaciously set within a romantic garden landscape providing guests with a village-style hideaway.<br /></span></em><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Petty found his stay totally satisfying as the hotel has a number of good restaurants and the hotel staff are all very friendly and efficient. Below are some pictures taken by him during his one week stay there. To me, it's a holiday that slipped away. <em><span style="color:#ff6666;">It could have been <strong>MY</strong> holiday too! </span></em></span></span></span><em><br /></em><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgXK1YbkOepMqIYq552_07PupjVsGvtSwJ-t04QXTURf3lLoJk5rVSAuspNSShKOQY3BgC_WRUK-9m7u0j1v0fI0yfHQsPJQxpUNMynQSq0sHq_bQLkvXZwb2SiQxUBiHUExA2wg0dJlln/s800/IMG_0348.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:78%;">↑ Hotel garden sprinkled with Balinese lanterns at Hotel Padma</span> </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjErYYRAwL_k8Tci1mvj3RAUjK5kAnsqZjSG4Qd8tWWUHz7oCN9r6AOCnNExHHiLWJUDrmtXe2c-7MLde537chKEiNYhrbOnFbYkz6jW67Jh12LC4kb-IZo8BTapUDZ17HNQgK-fkr7TrOq/s800/IMG_0342.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">↑ Poolside area - it's truly a tropical paradise </span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:78%;"></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9seSCxOVHPt3qWxQBHff-FVHFBnpeah4YAmGXgZqF0LRMVf4i-Mujg5n_2h-4TXd3Y2j7WuE4E5bsJ1vmeiz-oZ05A70Zdev-FHd51QHPuADNkXYv6koj5QcHx9485GlgOR7uEymDz5lX/s800/IMG_0344.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">↑ Walkway leading to the hotel lobby </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy4IhyphenhyphenYJSt_C9mc3wu9kpv_Smk5pO-zBhdwYnh6WNeTIX9zpgLRLXTdmYJosnV-h2lSkkk8ATDqunTcNAkrSbUqnZ-t_78wNjBeIygG-cqWTp8vzhSlWDdAEIIpUh8kJJDWR6Au67fhQRc/s800/IMG_0345.JPG" /><br />↑ The fierce and scary looking Balinese mask<br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlDB2Ofauep7gZ1_iBOk0gIcgu9t8DHcyuxdBTf0vSARVM9Dp8ZhVUDZofvT65NUnYa5s-qWAUUoHl7vucgzAftok5ZKQHQMaFhKhuzw56H5WafKhRQ_A89RwHvs1ARmSdUDXH3H1SMFE9/s800/IMG_0346.JPG" /><br />↑ Hotel lobby - what's that thingy hanging there?<br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjh3HLd4z1IrhURxpEzRy0dweH52H3oKQNHqdAt34v9MXVPWzEhZjq4c1LFf-aRrHjTybM7mkXQnAmsxOyox-EOKT64Aqcsw6qtccNPAO7t1MydSoWDLb0dYlA6FXZM2k-_OLkgu6Yv-l/s800/IMG_0350.JPG" /><br />↑ Hotel garden oozing with Balinese charm</span></span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgIjlbm1K_8KgGo9Bet7SitF-JqG-1VnOBfIJAHfzgCJbGInkhkuL_RAjHIWpM4pzlCjeA_mDqpXhfom5EQ3dpwjtosCuIwt4SLBOic84KB4I_b9x91GaVB_SqnAdQrQASJkq1G5Sc-E2s/s800/IMG_0351.JPG" /><br />↑ Fish fountain<br /><span style="font-size:100%;"></span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikrVlZWDoUeDxMMV4KabaCnkFOZfTyHk17KAopPL20R73PyTIPD69duKdq4d6wJHuvwuuqMM0Mg2_nnwiTOc-VsqXFwiM2sQfQh7eGus6RJmFPnLj25s4rWSso52M72ZRDxAxOXErxzIY1/s800/IMG_0354.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">↑Triple frogs fountain</span><br /></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEse1ZOg7oVeqWU3e6IcdV8wDJF5xkqs0NEGk3_UYVCMQaRLPqKOEZwjm37gv2ed5fEjjURGzUZBYJv8PB5kBC5pY7PKDbvB-fsBSu7RISjrOPI1aFLIavncc-8I3VdX_l_Llu-7jo8srJ/s800/IMG_0353.JPG" /><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">↑ Legian beach with its big wave </span></span></span><br /><p><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">It's a shame for the beach at Legian. According to Petty the water here is quite rough which makes it better to surf than to swim. Oh dear, perhaps it's a good thing I didn't make it to Bali after all (sour grapes...). </span></p>Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-14843550313378002172008-04-27T23:20:00.028+08:002009-01-09T17:49:44.800+08:00Of Porsche, Ferrari and Superwoman<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh56m74YZNQ6x7_Hm3l3xkke0CG_LujvBT6hm_rkjpAEtq62Ae-qQ0CGwzyPBTmoZepYRH0DVj_a-3hlk3VBrQ1AEj9y3BMuuYeCDLjR3ipGmf-9b-6gopEzlhoWoabPluXT01lF7km7cjD/s800/e722ab7b-68f6-4bb1-9b63-aeac164ecf97%5B1%5D.jpg" /><br />↑<span style="font-family:verdana;"> <span style="font-size:85%;">My mom is a superwoman</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Bearbear has just turned 5. Sometimes he totally amazes me with his words. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Overheard while Bearbear was playing Lego with his good friend Manuel. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Bearbear: </span></strong>Meine Mamma ist eine Superfrau. (My mom is a superwoman.) </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#993399;">Manuel:</span></strong> Wirklich? (Really?) </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Bearbear: </span></strong>Sie kann meine ganzen Spielzeuge reparieren. (She can repair all my toys.) </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#993399;">Manuel:</span></strong> Du bist sehr gluecklich! (You're very lucky!) </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#993399;">*****************************************************</span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKlNGfakxILS0Zx-_24tBOk3kNNKZiLyoF5HMjrRMO4_zY7KFvVsciCBm7iAg0TJO8_m8XQ0I6XoWFbscRecTx5gW2f2ku8bR5vDCMLKYaqjxUpjSTJm0Kva9_UK8oRwjKmZLGz-pHnCO/s800/05-carrera4-f3q-f2%5B1%5D.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">↑ Bearbear's dream car - just like Sally in the movie "Cars"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">One fine morning, while driving Bearbear to the day care centre, he spotted a white Porsche on the road. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Bearbear: </span></strong>Mama, when I'm big enough, when I've enough money, I want to buy a white Porsche. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#3366ff;">Me:</span></strong> Good idea. If you can afford a Porsche, that means you're doing quite well. Mama'll be very happy. Not everyone can afford a Porsche you know. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Bearbear: </span></strong>Yeah, after buying the Porsche, if I still have some money left, I'll buy you a red Ferrari. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#3366ff;">Me:</span></strong> Oh Bearbear you're so generous</span>. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="color:#993399;">******************************************************</span><strong><br /></strong></span><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmfoe6vNfZ1_4KSDK5GQ8oXBTMf6u7LZ5MvfUGfeTTq-T0dpqjgMK2BPrsiI-c_d_rlYKZlvjZYW1AzTlyZs3P3cPuWx-zViY5AbEW49pBOBVrtB69nAhqioI0Rh6a_to9-2OK7-pVXgp/s800/TwoLittleIndians%5B1%5D.jpg" /><br />↑ <span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">What do you like to watch tonight - Tom & Jerry or CNN? </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">While watching TV together, Bearbear started the following conversation with me.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Bearbear:</span></strong> Mama, do you like cartoon? </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#009900;">Me:</span></strong> Yeah. When I was a kid, I liked Micky Mouse, Donald Duck, Tom & Jerry and Woody Wodpecker. I still do actually. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Bearbear:</span></strong> I like all kinds of cartoon and CNN. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#009900;">Me:</span></strong> I can understand why you like cartoon. But why CNN? It's all about news. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Bearbear:</span></strong> Then I know what's going on in the world. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#009900;"><strong>Me:</strong></span> ......... </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#993399;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;color:#993399;">*****************************************************</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">While clearing Bearbear's school bag, I found a piece of paper written in broken German "Ich ha dich ser gern", accompanied by drawing of hearts and stars, signed by Melanie. Obviously it's a love letter from his little girlfriend who is 6 years old. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#009900;">Me:</span></strong> What're you going to do with this letter?</span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Bearbear:</span></strong> I think I've to take Melanie as my wife because she likes me very much. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#009900;">Me:</span></strong> What about Laura? I thought she liked you too.... </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Bearbear:</span></strong> Yeah, but I think Melanie likes me more than Laura does. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#009900;">Me:</span></strong> Bearbear, you know, you don't have to take someone as a wife just because she likes you. You have to like her too. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Bearbear:</span></strong> I do like Melanie! </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#009900;">Me:</span></strong> OK. but you're only 5. You'll have to wait until 18 before you can think about taking someone as a wife. </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Bearbear:</span></strong> What? 18? How many nights do I have to sleep before I become 18? </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><strong><span style="color:#009900;">Me:</span></strong> Many many many.....nights my dear.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#993399;">*****************************************************</span>Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7619901488595272340.post-11751580910302577252008-03-27T05:36:00.044+08:002009-03-26T02:02:26.663+08:00Celebrating Easter - Swiss style<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9OSvJodN7gh8GjxkzZfJhQFH0ZT8FQia9LSycmBDJl8oZyqQ2ckNTd7B974AOz2XvT2C20KKqrZwECA3qWSI-DrwoBtjxp8N9QzKm-g4O7GfW7LSLukXVNp-vhTiiXwyznGVDDdZiI5FK/s800/IMG_0191.JPG" /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">We spent every Easter in <a href="http://nyon.ch/en/index.htm">Nyon</a> with my mom-in-law. We call her Mémé. In the morning when we got up, having had a good look at Mémé's back garden, only then we realised that it snowed last night. Her garden was painted with layer of white powder. It was such a pretty sight. However, Mémé </span><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">was a bit worried that the snow might in some ways hinder our Easter celebration. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">In accordance to Swiss traditional way of celebrating Easter, chocolates were supposed to be hidden in the garden. And children would then go in search for them. It was a thrilling experience for kids. Even Petty admitted that as a young boy, he did enjoy this particular game. </span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtakcbndHeALo4jJmL1kegoCu52omLXDhwelsWqeOmrK2C0FNarIXQn5tCka0Ngbzl_OHLJRyih_HjAouqUNHCWrsN0mZYpi2myDzs_xpL2qXXT2DVXXV0eczvSvKuRQ7x6a2hK57Fp7n3/s800/IMG_0192.JPG" /><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">Fortunately when afternoon came, sunshine set in. The never ending snowing had finally come to a halt. The sky now looked as clear as mirror. No more snow, which meant we could go and hide all the chocolates wherever we wanted in the garden! </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">It took a bit of skill to hide the chocolates. We couldn't just leave them too exposed. On the other hand, we couldn't hide them too well as the kids might find it too hard looking for them. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAlhV6PiDUpA73r_suaNzpVZuNK0rRKV4G53eYDwZZH2JSQotUJm1RXoOt0NkCQPpCP1Ra6qfo-jaUUjgB9bjIXRpjRxTP8QCFI2RsHrA3K8cs6MY_t1l10FpgQhTxJ03lY1Lzkk80OtW5/s800/IMG_0193.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">I found two huge Smarties on top of a plant. I wondered who actually put them there. When Petty saw the chocolates, he couldn't help burst out laughing - "ISN'T THAT A BIT TOO EASY FOR THE KIDS TO LOCATE?!!" </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj01W6v5k76FBalaOytQEcWPL2C5r99YaEWMm9xC9pmWcBxaCEe7Y7qYilj4th-_hJLGczMYsBSRChaDOGeITWekvuPoEj2T4YNQXigyGdYspwSs_jByZbGfdnpVwuf2GgwDYA2ZZyZaQCO/s800/IMG_0194.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">A golden bunny from Lindt & Sprüngli was hidden in the bush. This type of chocolate is Swiss kids' favourite Easter gift. </span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Lt1ObOlnZ32wTOUjAjdnN-2gdPFCALY3QqUlPUb_rrKYg2YdflLJuo-qp6rX5Uj0W0sl26Q6i_auOoBDUKtBFacrovsBkjWcjMMyZkDSXZ6notM2EIucyqhCS_C8dZOnLhYZJzuldRS-/s800/IMG_0195.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Mémé was worried that the kids might end up finding nothing. So she left a small basket of colourful Easter candies next to a pile of stones. It was so EXPOSED. Even the blind could manage to find them. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">"Isn't it lovely to just leave the eggs like this on the stones?" Mémé said, pointing at the Easter eggs scattered randomly on the stones. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1yuUBStj6pRnyWyqkIp-lTRqKGTJeve6QsDseUwUrrw3KxGrBKKvzqYYleHYcRdQm6Jx9M5K6e2KNjOj_GkLqLtC0v2SLtOAQVzFimBXQNibp6wQ1HknOGFdDj6Y_SReNDQHNHa1O0m7b/s800/IMG_0197.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I sprinkled quite a lot of eggs amongst the plants. When the kids were searching high and low for the chocolates, I could hear Mémé speaking at the top of her voice, "Children! Children! beware of my plants! Do not step upon them!......" Oh dear, the warning came a bit too late. </span><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhimszhFuvmTHTBwi6V_MJ6RnfhsgZpjcigfdsvoCMgcBtoxnKIf5BMbLUe8bxeCnIXEB-TlsXPtU3_loHLerVb373TevR8hK7H88tfUgTAfDAiufAAybLESIp9Rh9nvgD7Ofzbdcq6jcCB/s800/IMG_0201.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">That day, we left Nyon in the late afternoon. As we set off, snow started to fall again. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"></span><br /><br /><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDM5uiX7IjhpLtiEGw7fqJbc6a0Q4UO6xekCdxVpTOPcUorZKu3lvTOilJHWkktgvUdOP0OgvJqCRirbAu5n2ObDggpVSBwyMr4z8hyav0bCW7vkX2eZPYakhIxjrNYBjMrgxzsXxQNC8-/s800/IMG_0203.JPG" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Out of our car, I could see snow everywhere - it looked just like a black and white postcard. Inside our car, our two kids were soundly asleep. They were not aware of the heavy snow outside. At this very moment, they were probably having a very sweet dream in which they savoured every mouthful of the endless supply of huge Easter eggs .........</span><br /><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">I wish you all a very happy Easter too. </span></p>Angie Rhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03594524137887565284noreply@blogger.com8