Back...! And rushed off my feet*.....

So yes, back in sunny, warm, humid Sri Lanka, which is very similar to sunny, warm, humid Malaysia, except here I do not have the luxury of having air conditioned surroundings practically 24/7!

As you can imagine, being out of sight does not really translate to being out of mind, and I have come home to a *huge* pile of written (i.e. official) correspondence that needs to be followed up on and loads of other commitments, family, work, friends on my pending list.

To add to this, hours after I land, I learn my cousin has been diagnosed with typhoid, and also that my Mum has dense cataracts in both eyes, needing quick surgery. So, cousin was started on antibiotics, Mum goes in for surgery, and the next day Darling gets severe food poisoning and needs to be hospitalised. Thankfully, all are out of the hospital now but Mum will get her other eye operated next week and Darling is back on a "normal" diet and eating goodness knows what, so I'm feeling very gloomy when I think of the next few weeks.

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*Needless to say, posts will probably be few and far between... and shoe post will be delayed until i have a pedicure... I cannot model ze pweety shooze while having ugly feets! :)

Status update...

Finally... free internets!

*falls dramatically onto a couch and pants in relief*

Yes, dear friends, 'tis me, live and kicking and mooching around beautiful Malaysia.

Actually, I'm doing anything but mooch, being here on training - and the intensive would be an understatement to describe the program so far! We leave the hotel at 7.30 in the morning and the last lecture finishes at 6.00pm, so I am usually exhausted but have to to group work and individual work as preparation for the next day.

They've put us up in a fairly swanky hotel with a lavish buffet breakfast... and if it were not for the academic commitments, it would feel like a wonderful holiday away from the hecticness that was my life for the past couple of months. The rest of the food is rather meh... Malaysians tend to favour very oily, meaty rice which I couldn't tolerate after the first 2 days and I've been surviving on soup and sandwiches for the last couple of weeks. My other grouch was having to pay an exorbitant amount for the internet at the hotel... and finally after days of begging, the course agreed to give us a free connection, so yay!

I think I've mentioned before that Malaysia is shoppers paradise... but only if you have the stamina for it! The malls are huge and numerous and varied, but finding good deals (yes I DO believe in value for money) takes time. I did spend a couple of days shopping with friends, but to be honest, most of the weekends were spent lounging around in a truly decadent way, just enjoying the time to myself.

The only downside is being away from Darling for so long... and even with frequent calls and skype, I miss him with every fibre of my being. I yearn very badly for the moment I can rush into his arms and hold him tight.

It looks like even after (in spite of?) 3 1/2 years of marriage the flame still burns, more intensely than before....

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P.s. : I have got loads of new shoes I am dying to show off... someone please remind me to do a shoe post when I get back!

Travel log - Singapore and the Bunny of Abundance

Happy New Year everyone!!

Bunny of abundance

Display, Changi airport

Chinese New Year, that is... the year of the rabbit, which incidentally fell on my birthday. I decided to leave the glomps aside... cheered by the fact that a very very large portion of the world population are making merry with me. Mind you, nothing very merry happened, but I did get 96 birthday wishes via Facebook. Mark Zuckerburg, you rock!

In addition, Darling and I just returned from what is now turning out to be my yearly pilgrimage to Singapore. For a small country, there certainly is a LOT of shopping to be done over there, and fiscal status being marginally healthier than before, I was able to indulge in shoes, clothes and handbags... woot!

What I admire is how much they capitalise on the tiny resources they have and make them into mega attractions. We finally managed to find time to go and watch the much lauded laser show at Sentosa island "Songs of the Sea"... it was lovely, and I've put up a few highlights below. Better, longer videos can be found on Youtube.

Highlights from the show

As expected, every street corner was decked out for the Chinese New Year, with larger than life bunnies and orange trees thickly covered with real oranges. Did I mention the word shopper's paradise?






The sweet-toothed glut in me succumbed to the luscious cream puffs that called out temptingly from every food court and sweet stall. They were lovely, creamy and very subtly sweetened, unlike ones I have tasted before that would give a person instant hyperglycaemia!

Triple chocolate and blueberry creamcheese puffs...

We also explored our wild side by getting one of D's "happening" friends to introduce us to the Singapore nightlife. So there we were, strolling along Clark Quay on a Friday night, gawking at the skyhigh skirts and thigh high boots adorning the ladies, and the elaborate tattoos on the guys. Suddenly this chap in a white coat, carrying a IV drip stand rushes by us. We both do a double take and then focus on one of the bars, aptly termed the "Clinic". The "chairs" are wheelchairs or hospital bed styled sofas. The lights are the sort you find in the OT... and the drinks well, they are served IN the IV infusion set, which is placed on a stand near the patron's chair, and he sips it through the bit which usually goes into a vein.

Real godayata magic stuff.

The Clinic

My trusty camera failed me just about then, so could get only one photo. Note the guy with the drip set in the left side. More pics and reviews can be found here, and here.

We spent the next few hours in an absolutely packed club, gyrating to some great music... none of that awful house stuff! There were two very spacious rooms on either side of the dance floor, great place to play pool or darts or just chillax when tired of dancing. The smokers were in a nice enclosed area by themselves... something that was much appreciated.

All in all, it was a hectic trip, mostly because it was work related for both of us, and also because we were scurrying to get the maximum stuff (and shopping) done in the limited time available. Thanks to the ready hospitality of my dear friends S and D, we once more had a place to crash in and a great saving as hotels are really very expensive.

Hope you enjoyed the post!

Travel log - Bali, ... sizzle on!

Well gentle readers, I regret leaving you in suspense for over 7 days... but here I am... and I warn you, there is a very long photo-blog like post ahead!

So Darling and I stayed in Jimbaran, at a handy distance from all the happening places. The sari Segara Hotel was a great deal for about US$60 per night, which included breakfast. The first thing you notice from the moment you step into the arrivals lounge of the Denpasar airport, till you check in is how wonderfully intricate and artistic Bali is. Everything that can be carved is carved... and that includes wood, metal, cement and stone. Bali is probably the only place in Indonesia with traces of the original Hindu and Buddhist cultures, unaffected by both the colonials as well as the Arab traders. This is reflected in their artwork, their dance and just about everything in the island. Most carvings are based on some part of the Ramayana chronicle, with the Garuda receiving high veneration as the vehicle of Vishnu.

Statuette at the airport

Our digs

Saraswathie like carving at hotel

Demon mask in lobby... notice the similarity to our own "yakas"

Fountain, conference hotel

Ramayana mural, conference hotel

Gatekeeper, conference hotel

Fire meets water, entrance of the conference hotel at night

Welcome dance, conference hotel

The two young ladies stand in front of the entrance all day, and as soon as a new guest arrives at the hotel, they dance in welcome. This is seen in almost all the classier hotels.

Somehow, one cannot speak about Bali without mentioning the beaches. I honestly do think that our golden sandy beaches with the crashing waves are much better... but the beach at Nusa Dua was just a calm, clear expanse of water extending a good half kilometer outwards, perfect for doggy paddlers like me who do not know how to swim... The surfer dudes head towards Kuta or Lombok which are supposed to have impressive waves.

Beach, Nusa Dua

The absolutely clear water

There is virtually no public transport and travel is either via taxi (slightly more expensive than a Sri Lankan tuk tuk), scooter or foot. Many tourists as well as locals opt for the scooter since petrol is highly subsidized at about SLR 60/- per liter. It's not uncommon to see women drive by with kids clasped between their legs, or tourists in abbreviated swim wear zoom off in search of more sun, sea and sand.

I spent a good half day exploring the by roads around the hotel, mostly because in search of drinking water, yoghurt and a top up for my simcard. The inner streets are quiet and tranquil... and reminded me strangely of Balapitiya... bare land full of coconut trees and scanty undergrowth, cement brick walls with women peering over them, a few stray dogs. The main difference is that walking around Bali is like walking around a huge art gallery. Every other shop or garden is like something out of a landscapers dream... I'd stop to admire some carved pillars and realize that they are part of the entrance to a scooter repair place or a shut down bakery. And on every major intersection, there would be these HUGE statues towering over the traffic, illustrating some scene or the other from the Ramayana.

Statue at intersection : Ravana challenging Rama while standing on the heads of terrified horses

Courtyard

Darling and I traveled inland to Ubud, which is like the craft capital of Bali. Throughout the 2 hour drive the roads were lined with miles and miles of wooden, stone and metal carving. We first visited Goa Gajah elephant caves, which are the remains of 9th century Hindu and Buddhist monastery. Affected by earthquakes, only the Hindu part of the temple and some of the stairways and pools remain intact, whilst the Buddhist temple is nothing more than ruins.

Entrance to Goa Gajah

Carving of Ganesh, inside the cave

The three lingams, inside the cave

Bathing pool for devotees, Goa Gajah

Ruins of the Buddhist temple

Remains of the rich carvings that adorned the Buddhist temple

On the way, we stopped by at a silver factory, and were amazed at the sheer beauty and the intricacy of the carvings. The gems set into the jewelry are imported mostly from Sri Lanka and were very expensive. However, Darling bought me an intricately carved pair of earrings for quite a reasonable price.

Silver factory, Ubud

Polishing the silver... note that in spite of the mask and the "chest guard" there is absolutely no protection for the fingers.

Silver jewelery

Silver ornament

One of my gorgeous orchid design earrings

Entrance decor, silver factory

Entrance decor, silver factory

Another highlight was the famous Uluwatu temple that sits at the highest point of a cliff. The blue waves break against the sheer cliff walls, throwing up swirls of white foam. I took the picture of the waves by lying flat on my tummy with my head over the cliff while Darling kept clutching at my ankles, horrified that I would fall over. Uluwatu is well known for its monkey menace which we witnessed first hand when a monkey grabbed a pair of glasses from a tourist, inspected it and then started showing off to the other monkeys.

Uluwatu temple from the bottom of the path

The foot of the cliff

Monkey business 1

Monkey business 2

Monkey business 3

Uluwatur is also famous for the Kecak (pronounced "Ke-chak") fire dance. Kecak involves the relating of the Ramayana, in a ballet form and is enacted around a fire. The principal actors are surrounded by about 70 bare bodied men, who sing with the peculiar clicking note that gives the dance its name. The clip below is the bit where Sita tells Rama and Lakshman of the golden deer, and they prepare for the hunt. remember to turn the sound on!

Kecak dance, Uluwatu

Another highlight was the visit to the Garuda-Vishnu gardens where we saw more of the amazing carvings and another Balinese dance performance in front of a giant statue of Vishnu.

Giant Garuda

This gives an idea of the sheer size of the carving

Balinese dancer, musing

A tiny part of the performance

The trip to Ubud also included a visit to a batik factory

Weaving

Colourful batiks I brought back to SL

I guess no travel diary would be complete without an account of the food! :) To be honest, Indonesian food did not impress me much as it contained a lot of oil and beef. The vege dishes usually included boiled vegetables floating in what looked like dishwater. Bali on the other hand was a sumptuous delight, with the food containing fish, chicken and plenty of vegetable, usually cooked in coconut milk and in short, very pleasing to the Sri Lankan palate. Balinese coffee is to DIE FOR and was among the best I've ever tasted.

Snake fruit... Darling placed the taste somewhere between jambu and pineapple. Notice the scaly skin

Fish broth

Seafood and sweet potato

Seafood noodles

Genuine Indonesian nasi goreng

Soto... a thick chicken broth served with rice or dumplings

Cendol... a drink made of coconut milk, treacle and some type of noodle

A final short word about the spas. Massage parlours and spas are dotted along every street and you can get a traditional Balinese relaxation massage for anything between SLR 600/- to SLR 6000/- depending on how posh the place is. There are many variations on offer including fruit scrubs and an astonishing "beer cocoon massage" where you first bathe in beer, then will be massaged with beer while sipping beer! Darling and I went for a special "couple aromatherapy massage", which left me so overwhelmed, I quite forgot to take pictures! ;)

Well... I think that's about it for this loooong post. if you have stayed with me for this long, gentle readers, I can only be grateful. I took over 1000 pictures in Bali, and this post is just a glimpse of that wonderful place...

Await more travel logs... soon!