Paradise Found

My five days spent in Bali had been a very unique experience for me. Went to three very different places with three very different agenda. I went to the beautiful village of Ubud to meet a dear friend, Citra; Nusa Lembongan for a little bit of me time and finally, Kuta for some partaayyyeeee!

The Lembongan islands were magical! Tucked away about 45 minutes away from mainland Bali via slow(ish) boat, the two islands, Lembongan and Ceningan are surrounded by crystal clear blue waters Lembongan is the bigger island with more to see, while Ceningan has the best spots to cliff jump from. The two islands are separated by a dodgy looking yellow bridge, as seen below. 

There are no taxis and minimal cars on the island, and the primary mode of transport are motorbikes you can rent for cheap almost everywhere. It's best to rent a bike to explore the island (not recommended if you aren't a confident rider). Another alternative would be, if you were backpacking alone like me, make friends with the locals and you'll be treated to a day of going off the beaten track and discovering the beauty of the two islands.

Stayed at Dream Beach hotel, where they had an infinity pool facing the sea, so perfect.... and so, SO wishing that I hadn't come alone. It's a real beautiful place for a couple's getaway. OH WELL, maybe next time if we can co-ordinate our off days, or take some leaves....... I might actually come back here again. Otherwise, I had a great time alone half the day chilling by the pool, catching up on my reading and the next half exploring the islands.

The Dream Beach hut I stayed in had an interesting open air ensuite bathroom concept. Before you cringe, lemme assure you that it is very private, and an entirely different experience. Hated that it didn't have a hot shower, but I enjoyed my view while showering. STARS WERE APLENTY. 

The in room air conditioner is useless, but no fret, there is a ceiling fan right above your bed to cool the air while you sleep under a mosquito net. In all honesty, I was thankful for the net because I tend to attract mosquitos and.. I hate bugs, big or small. It gave me a sense of security... sorta.

Will definitely head to Nusa Lembongan again in the near future, probably with some friends or my other half. It's paradise compared to Bali's Kuta beach madness. Loved everything the island had to offer... but in all honesty, one full day there was enough for me.

Welcoming 2014!

The countdown to 2014 was special because unlike last year when we were having a ton of fun in Koh Phangan, this year I was 35,000 feet up in the air, working. We cheered in the new year 4 times, starting with Cairns, Japan, Singapore and finally, Thailand to honour the nationalities of the 11 crew on board! While it was a quiet night on the aircraft, we were having a little private party amongst ourselves... non-stop eating.

Upon landing, we packed our swim wear and decided to head to the Great Barrier Reef. Unfortunately, we couldn't go without a reservation during this peak season and paying full price was out of the question for us. Oh well. There's always next time. 

Like 1st January 2013, I spent the new year sleeping the day away. When I finally came out from my cave that evening, I was in for a surprise. Hanging out in another person's room were two people I never expected to see or spend time with during this trip. 

Feeling a little under the weather, I was contemplating backing out on dinner plans with the crew that evening. A text from Huda ordering me to head to another person's room sent me crawling further into my blanket. But when she said, "COME. NOW." I had to go. Knocked on the door and met two people, Asri and Emily who were Huda's batchmates. THEN, I got distracted by two idiots grinning, and waving at me from the balcony. My jaw literally fell to the floor.

Best new year ever.

This was an hour after I said, "Hi, I'm Intan." Awesome crew.

With the Queen B

Headed to Woolshed for our customary dinner and at 9 pm, we decided to make full use of the night and have some fun. Despite the fact that we were three groups of people flying off to three different destinations the next day (mine and Huda being the luckiest cos we were going home) we agreed.

To Gilligan's we went! It was a bar/club/hostel combo, and a very good combo it was! Great atmosphere, great music... and great party. Well worth the torture we'd have to endure the next day.

 New year with the batchies Haziq and Mazlan, what more could I ask for! 

 Him: "Even when we're not buddy flying, it feels like we are. Let's just make it official this year lah."

I cannot imagine how much fun we're going to have together.

There's neither anything artistic about this post, nor were the photo quality blog worthy. But it's the people in these pictures that made the first day of 2014 one I'd remember for the rest of my life. Here's to a great start, and the next 362 (because this post is so overdue) days to come!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

AKEMASHITE OMEDETOU GOZAIMASU!

XING NIAN KUAI LE!

SELAMAT TAHUN BARU!

SAWADEE PEE MAI!

Got home just in time for Christmas!

For most, Christmas is the time to spend with family and friends, cooking up a storm, having feasts and exchange presents. What better way to come home after a long trip to friends who decided to go across the causeway for a night of food, fun and loads and loads of karaoke!

We rented a nice chalet for a night in Kukup, Malaysia. It was a little fishing village about 1.5 hours drive away from Singapore. Peaceful and rustic, it was a perfect getaway from the cosmopolitan city we're so used to. 

We played with firecrackers, launched fireworks (almost on par with the National Day fireworks), and wrote our wishes and resolutions for next year on paper lanterns before releasing them. We had wishes written in English, Tamil, Hindi, Mandarin, Malay, Tagalog and French! It was one multi-cultural, international lantern sent up to the sky.

Retreated into the karaoke room for the rest of the night, belting out songs. We were surprised to find so many updated English songs in the database. No Malay songs though, much to the irony of us being in Malaysia. We also had a little gift exchange among ourselves, and it prove to be a challenge because we didn't know who our gifts were for till that very moment. It's the thought that counts, really. Plus, they were all lovely gifts.

Vada to Puneet: A notebook, keychain and a stamp. 

"Girly stuff," as Vada put it. 

Puneet to Miao: Face paint. 

We should have used it on her while she was passed out drunk that night. Sigh.

 Puneet to Manoj: A handset you can connect to your personal electronic devices... in pink no less.

"Call me maybe?"

Ming to Jess : An Eiffel Tower keychain

Ming is French, it's only fitting. 

Manoj to Ming: Froggie cup

Practical AND cute.

Me to Vada: A bag of treats

Rather than giving something impractical, sweets worked best.

Jessica to me: A universal travel adaptor

Perfect gift, I swear. 

The next day, Christmas day, we took a short boat ride to a kelong (floating fishing village) to see huge fish that had been bred from tiny little fishies. We were introduced to sea urchins, starfishes, huge oysters zilch pearls and crabs (nicknamed 'ketam bodoh' which literally means stupid crab because when it topples over, it can't get back up by itself).

Ended the trip with more food! We've been doing nothing on this trip except to eat good food NON STOP! We were treated to chilli crabs and freshly caught fish and a jug of chinese tea to wash them all down.

It was too short a trip, everyone complained as we hopped on the van that would take us home. I used to go on weekend Malaysian trips with 30 other people too, and this trip was waaaay different. Small, intimate and peaceful. Loved it. We will definitely have more of this in the future with more people being free to join us.

Glad to be home for Christmas.

Up and about Auckland city

Of the three friends I have staying in New Zealand right now, one was still living in Auckland city. The other two boys are living their lives buried knee-deep in farms or taking trips along the scenic route of Kiwiland. Nikki and Nicholas left Singapore for NZ at least a month and a half ago and I hadn't been able to make it for their farewell, so it was a perfect time to catch up!

We hopped on a train to a factory outlet store called Dress Smart in Onehunga for a little looksee. It had brands like Cotton On, Adidas and Timberland so one could keep themselves occupied for a few hours. Didn't buy anything but a new watch, as most of the clothing items were in large sizes. FINALLY got myself a new watch. My old one looks like it had been chewed on and ran over by a truck, twice. We caught up, exchanged stories and gossips, laughs... it was so good to be seeing a familiar face in a foreign land. 

Went back to Auckland City and decided to do something touristy since it was my first time there. Instead of trekking up Mount Eden, the highest natural peak for an epic view of the city, we went up the Auckland Sky Tower. Very, very touristy... but hey. It was worth it. From its peak at 60 storeys high, we could see the entire city, One Tree Hill and the neighbouring islands. When it's warmer, I'll definitely want to head out to the beaches.

Had $10 steak for dinner at Jax Munster Inn. It was HUGE and super delicious. Didn't take any decent photos of it because I was so hungry, but all in good time. The steak came with homemade mashed potatoes, and boy, the portion was so huge we had a hard time trying to finish our meal.

Thanks for bringing me around, Nikki! Had a wonderful time exploring the city, and meeting new people along the way. Will see you again the next time I swing by Auckland!

The next (and final) evening after work, a few of us headed down to Commerce Street for Auckland's famous White Lady! It's a long, white bus parked at a corner and sold burgers and fries. It is a must eat for anyone who's in Auckland. I am not usually a fan of burgers, but this was undeniably the best burger I've ever tasted. I ordered the recommended Steak Burger and it came HUGE. So, so good. It was the first burger I finished without having to force myself too! And that's a feat!

The perfect Auckland meetup would be when the three musketeers (Nicholas, Nikki and Ummar) are in the city, and Melvin and I get scheduled flights to Auckland at the same time. Highly improbable, bordering on impossible... but never say never. When that day comes, I'll be sure to document it.