Bali - Day 4

A very backdated post. Was running through my list of posts when I saw this unpublished one.

On Day 4, we woke up bright and early and got ready to go to Ubud. We left the hotel at 8am after a really quick and simple breakfast. The driver informed us that the journey to Ubud would take roughly 2 hours.

Bali traffic is quite bad, although not as bad as Jakarta. The journey seemed really long for me, mainly because I had to entertain my very cheeky son. Moreover, I was also having gastric at the same time =(. Really bad timing to fall sick.

The driver suggested that we stop by the batik factory and souvenir shop. As I was planning to look for a batik sundress, we agreed to take a look.

Balinese batik painting in the background.

Following that, we stopped by "Rumah Orang Bali" (a typical Balinese house) before heading to the temple. I can't really remember what was the name of this temple. We had to cover the lower part of our bodies before entering the temple. Also, women who are menstruating are not allowed to enter as they are deemed "unclean".

Stopped for lunch and the scenery of the paddy fields was breathtaking. Village life seems so serene as compared to the hustle and bustle of city life.

This was where we had lunch. I highly recommend this place. Bebek Bengil, which translates to Dirty Ducks.

We had two plates of their famous crispy duck. The meat was really tasty. Tender and crispy. Joshie loved it too.

After lunch, we headed to the Monkey Forest. Bought a comb of bananas to feed the monkeys. I was quite amused to see the monkey peeling the banana carefully before gobbling it up. There were monkeys everywhere. I got followed by a monkey because I was carrying the bananas in my hand. To save myself, I quickly threw the bananas to hubby.........=P Let him handle the monkeys. He's much braver than I am.

The driver also brought us to view the hilly paddy fields as pictured below.

After that, we left Ubud for Kuta. Went to Hard Rock to get myself a t-shirt =) Then walked along the beach. The weather was really hot and I felt that the sun was biting my skin!!!

That's all for Day 4.

Bali - Day 3

Won't blog in detail about day 3. Else will be too boring and might put my readers to sleep =)

Joshie and I stayed in the hotel practically the whole day. The highlight of the day was the spa! Hehe, yes even Joshie had his fair share of enjoyment and relaxation. The spa, Jiwa Spa at Conrad Hotel also caters to children. We signed up for the "Mum and Me" package. Mum gets a footbath and a 1 hour massage while the kiddo gets a footbath, 30 minute massage, chocolate bath and snacks which comprises chocolate milk & cookies.

Here are the pictures:

The cheeky modeling in his spa attire.

Footbath

Massage time. I had to ask the masseurs to place the beds right next to each other because my son refused to lie down on his own.

He also had his chocolate bath. And after that, they fed and entertained him while I relaxed. Even managed to take a catnap! =)

We walked around the hotel before heading to the restaurant for our lunch and then back to the room for our afternoon nap. Life is bliss eh?

Bali - Day 2

I had already planned to do some shopping so right after breakfast, I got the driver to bring us to Seminyak whilst the hubs attended his conference. It wouldn't be sensible to bring Joshie along to Kuta and Legian which is packed filled with people so I had to settle for Seminyak. Already did my own research before going to Bali.

I had two streets in mind - Jl Raya Seminyak and Jl Oberoi. The latter has more expensive shops so I only ended up buying 3 tops from the former. It was really hot and sunny. Both Joshie and I were already sweating like crazy and I was tired. It was not fun carrying a toddler on my hips while tackling the broken pavement along the road. It was only 11am when I told the driver I've had enough and would like to go back to the hotel to rest. He suggested that I visit Seminyak Square before heading home as it's just down the road. So we went there but I didn't buy any clothes, ended up buying ice-cream for the both of us.

Reached the hotel slightly after noon. Had our lunch and the cheeky took his nap without much fuss. After he had woken up, I brought him to the pool.

Crystal clear water with a breathtaking scenery.

His signature smile.

After playing for a while, we headed to the kids club. He had his face painted and it ain't free. Cost me IDR40,000 for face painting and tattoo. And the lady was really very slow. Kept referring to the book too. In the end, the enthusiastic boy got fed up and ran around. Didn't finish the face painting.

After taking a shower, we headed to Bumbu Bali with hubby. That's us in the restaurant, right in front of the kitchen.

The food was really superb. The seafood satay was succulent, juicy and tasty. Vegetables appetising. Beef curry was also flavourful and the meat was tender. Too bad Joshie didn't enjoy the food. He ended up eating biscuits!!!!

That's the end of Day 2.

Bali - Day 1

The hubs had to attend a conference in Bali last week. So the cheeky and I packed our bags and followed too =) Hehe, I've never been to Bali before so better grab this opportunity.

By the time we arrived at Conrad hotel in Tanjung Benoa (near Nusa Dua), it was already evening. After checking in, we quickly got into the car and headed over to Jimbaran. I know the best place to watch the sun setting is Tanah Lot but it's way too far for us. Moreover, there's nothing much to do there other than watching the sunset. Thought of heading over to Cafe Menega for our dinner as I've read good reviews from the internet. However, the driver recommended Jimbaran Bay Seafood (JBS), which according to him was nearer too. Without thinking much, I agreed as I was worried that we'd miss the sunset. It was already close to 6pm then.

The spectacular scenery. This cafe's not too crowded and the beach is clean too.

Joshie was so excited when he saw the sand and immediately took off his shoes =)

A family picture

Bought this grilled sweet corn from one of the beach vendors. I actually read about grilled sambal sweet corn in Bali before but since we were sharing it with Joshie, I told the hubs to buy a non-spicy one. It turned out to be sweet.........and it was really delicious too!

Our dinner - grilled prawns, fish and clams and deep fried calamari. It was a set dinner and it came with chicken soup and sambal kangkung too. So how was the food?????? Not nice! Disappointing in fact. I was regretting my decision to listen to the driver! Should have gone to Cafe Menega! And it wasn't cheap too. Costs us IDR800k +++++.

So did we patronize Cafe Menega? If yes, how was the food? Stay tuned.

The things he likes

At 2 years and 2 months old, I can easily name my toddler's likes.

1) He likes music! He sings and dances without fail everyday. He can sing quite a number of songs; Rain rain go away, ABC, Jesus Loves Me, Old Macdonald has a farm, Twinkle twinkle little star, Jingle bells, some Barney songs but I can't remember the titles, Hello & goodbye songs from Kindermusik & LeapSchoolHouse, and the Mickey Mouse theme song. As for dancing, his signature move is to bend his upper body forward a bit and shake/twist his bum-bum.

2) Loves to eat, especially ice-cream and biscuits. Sometimes I use "ice-cream" to bribe him when I want him to stay at the playroom at Amore Fitness.

3) Likes to help. He would extend a helping hand without being asked.........cleaning up his toys, pouring water from the bath tub after his bath, preparing his milk, sweeping the floor, pouring his urine/poo from his potty into the toilet bowl, putting the clothes into the washing machine etc etc.......Of course sometimes I end up taking much longer to finish my work but I shouldn't complain right? Hehe, good to cultivate this habit in him from young.

4) Likes the idiot box A LOT. I foresee that his liking for the television will continue into adulthood. After all, he's a chip of the old block!

5) Likes to imagine things. He creates his own imaginary scene; such as pretending to eat. He would also pretend to feed us and we must open our mouths to eat and then chew the imaginary food. Otherwise, he'd be really upset!

His dislikes? Well, I'd leave that for another post and another day =)

Our dinner at Cedele

The hubs is away again. Since I had to go out to settle some issues relating to the employment of our Filipino helper, I decided that we should just have dinner outside as well. Moreover, I didn't really have time to prepare dinner as well.

I always try to eat healthily since I do not pack food for Joshie anymore. He wouldn't eat my homecooked food when we are out!!!! Thus, no more fast food for us. Hehe, good for us in a way too =)

Since we were at Takashimaya, I decided to head over to Cedele. This restaurant embraces a "eat well and be well" lifestyle. Their menu comprises of all-day breakfast, soups, salads, pastas and western main course. You can go to their website to read more about them.

Here's what we had:

Red pepper & tomato soup with free-flow bread. They have an assortment of healthy bread to choose from. The long pieces of bread are garlic focacia and the smaller pieces are sunflower seed bread.

Seabass and shrimps tango salad. The seabass and shrimps were grilled and they tasted so succulent and juicy.

Both of us gobbled down almost everything. Didn't finish the bread though. Greedy me sliced too much bread =P This restaurant also has a bakery, with a wide variety of bread, muffins, cakes and cupcakes.

Neglected blog

Have been really busy of late. Actually, for the past one month. Since we came back from our Australia trip, time seemed to have flew really fast. So what have I been busy with?

1) Busy nursing a runny nose - I suspect I am allergic to something. This is because my nose is runny off and on. My cold doesn't get worse, it's actually quite mild but very irritating at times. Went to see the ENT, had the skin allergy test done but since I was taking antihistamines few days before I went to see him, the test didn't work! =( The ENT should have asked whether I've been taking any antihistamines before performing the test right? So I paid $400 plus and walked out of the clinic without solving my problem!!!!!!!

2) School registration for Joshua - I know, I know, he just turned 2! So why am I talking about school now? Few months ago, hubby and I found out that if we wanted to send Joshie to a local government school, we'd only be able to apply 2 months before the commencement of Primary 1. Singaporean parents would start applying for schools for their children the year they turn 5. However, since we are not citizens nor PRs, we have to wait till the local children are allocated to the schools and then only apply to schools which still have empty slots. Risky right? Thus, we decided on international school. Hubby's colleague recommended UWC but the waiting list was just too long so the final option for us was St Joseph International, after ruling out Chinese International School. So we went to the school and paid a registration fees of $1,070 for him to commence K1 in 2013.

3) Maid hunt - With the hubs travelling so often, we are hiring a maid. At least there'll be another adult in the house. Have been looking at Filipino maids from two agencies and finally chose one. Salary is $350 plus a foreign levy of nearly $200. She gets one day off every month. Had to do some online test as we are first time employers and tomorrow, I'll be meeting the agent to do some paperwork. Hopefully, this maid will be ok and not give us any problems.

4) Planning for our impromptu holiday - This one is really unplanned. The hubs will be in Bali for a conference so the little cheeky and I are tagging along. Hehe, I have never been to Bali so this is a good chance.

OK, gonna settle some maid-related stuff now. Will blog after our holiday =)

Farm tour

One of the highlights of our Sunshine Coast holiday was the farm tour. Joshie was really excited and quickly took his afternoon nap when we told him that he'd be feeding the animals after his nap.

We saw the chickens at the car park area right after stepping out of our studio.

The cheeky approaching the chickens. The farmer was carrying a big bowl of fruits for them and they quickly followed him down to the barn. It was amazing to see their little beaks pecking so quickly at the food.

Right opposite the chicken barn were the alpacas. Three of them, one beige, one brown and a black one. The brown one was pregnant and the farmer commented that she has been a bit moody recently. Not sure if it's because her labour's approaching. Alpacas carry their babies for 11-15 months and they have control over when they want to give birth. We were told to stay away from her, cause she has the habit of spitting at people or the other two alpacas after eating. True enough, we saw her spitting at the black alpacas.

The ponies. Joshie tried to feed them a green apple but he chickened out when their mouths approached his hand.

A ride on the tractor. The farmer gladly obliged when Joshie said he wanted a ride.

Finally, he was brave enough to feed the cows!!!! Bravo, little boy!

Jacaranda Creek Farmstay

A different but beautiful experience. When I was looking for accomodation in Sunshine Coast, Queensland, I decided to check out farmstay out of curiosity. However, one thing led to another and before I knew it, I was paying a deposit for Jacaranda Creek Farmstay. Ditched the idea of staying at Sheraton Hotel and bravely went through my decision, hoping that the photos on their website represent a true picture of what we will be experiencing.

Thankfully, it was within our expectations. Or should I say more. The scenery was breathtaking, as can be seen from the picture below. Blue skies, lush greenery, clean fresh air.

This is the view from the main building. Besides a tennis court, they also have a solar heated swimming pool for guests.

The main building. The owners stay on site. There are 3 homestead rooms and a studio.

The entrance to our studio. It's in a separate complex. There are 2 self-contained studios in this complex and a common dining & living area.

This is where the hubs and I slept =)

Joshie sleeps in the living room on the sofa bed.

We really enjoyed our farmstay experience. And the farmer was a really good cook! There was cereal, fruits, yoghurt and toast everyday. And she would cook a different hot breakfast everyday. We had a variety of home-baked muffins, bacon, sausages, scrambled eggs, hardboiled eggs, pancakes, baked tomatoes throughout our 3 day stay there.

Oh, and another good and memorable experience, especially for Joshie was the farm tour. Will blog about that in my next post. Stay tuned.

Carlton Garden in Melbourne

When we were in Melbourne for a short holiday last week, we did not go to any tourist spots. Reason being, the hubs and I have already been to the popular ones (Great Ocean Road, Mornington Peninsula etc etc) when we were studying there seven years ago. Moreover, Joshie is only 2. So we ate ate and ate. Did some shopping, walked around the city and also catch up with some friends. But the whole trip was mainly about eating!

However, we did spare some time to go back to Carlton Gardens. The hubs used to stay at the walk-up apartments opposite this park. This was also one of the places that the hubs (then boyfriend) and I went during our initial dates. =)

Here are some pictures taken at Carlton Gardens.

Clean, broad pathway. Lush greeneries on both sides.

Cheeky running after the birds.

Cheeky and I on the green grass.

Daddy and cheeky sharing a quiet moment together =)

He was so tired after running around in Carlton Gardens that he fell asleep in the car. Didn't even wake up when we carried him out of the seat, which he usually does!

Food, glorious food!

We came back from our holiday on Monday. Since then, I've been trying to go on a diet as we were on a eating spree in Australia. We just ate everyday, didn't even go to any tourist spots in Melbourne. The hubs and I studied in Melbourne for 3 years so we were back there to meet up with friends and also to eat whatever we have missed over the past 7 years.

Here are some pictures to make you drool.......

Marinara pizza from Papa Ginos at Lygon Street.

Sizzling beef from Shark Fin House, Chinatown.

Lobster noodles also from Shark Fin House.

A variety of desserts from Brunetti.

Of course our little cheeky also ate a lot. He put on quite a lot of weight till his jeans were tight........ We were having our dinner and he was so uncomfortable that he took of his jeans. =) After dinner, we had to coax him to wear his pants again. In this picture, he was giving us a cheeky smile while the hubs was trying to pull up his pants.

Going away

We will be flying off tomorrow.....going on a holiday for 10 long days =)

Feeling excited and can't wait to eat all the good food that I've missed.

It has been seven long years since my graduation and I haven't gone back to visit.

Hehehe......

Will blog about my trip when I am back.

Attending the wedding of daddy's best friend

Last weekend, we were back in KL to attend hubby's best friend's wedding. It was a very tiring affair, especially for hubby who had to travel to Ipoh twice! Nevertheless, it was also a very heartwarming moment, especially when we saw the two of them walking into the ballroom happily together as a married couple. Reminds me of my own wedding just three years ago! Anyway, here are some pictures that we took.

Joshie was so captivated with the fishes.

A picture with the bride in her beautiful red dress, bought by the groom.

Joshie slept at about 8:30pm, all the way till the dinner ended. I was surprised that he slept, but maybe he was tired coz he was coughing the night before and hence, did not have a good sleep.

Hubby and I with the newlyweds.