Thursday, February 21, 2008

Hotel hopping...

I've just discovered a new ambition; Hotel Hopping.

Reading the book about Asian Style Hotels really gets your itchy feet itchy; and I've only got to the Indonesia part.

The thing about the hotels, they are beautifully designed, decorated, offers head-to-toe-body-and-soul-personalized-butler service. And they are expensive (offcourse).

But somehow, I can't imagine taking my parents to one of these hotels, as they are targetted to foreigners. I can just imagined the comment that will spring forth; "Its so expensive" "Its so dusun (old/backwater)" "there is nothing in here" (because most of the hotel's main commodities is privacy and tranquility)
haha...Not to say that they are not appreciative to the finer things in life, but they just have a different concept to it.

Nevertheless, I'd like to at least try each of the hotel once.....ooommmm.....

Monday, February 18, 2008

What a weekend....

Last weekend, we (me and the girls) had the most fun weekend...
We started off on friday night, with dinner at Vivo city, the four of us all dressed up and dolled up (I wore my new dress!); not so much for sel and me though. Sel because she doesn't do make up and me because I was in a hurry. I was late getting back from the office and in making up time, I didn't spend so much time in front of the mirror.

After dinner, we cross the road to St.James Power Station, where we fumble around a bit deciding which entrance to go to (since none of us ever been there)
We decided to go to "Broiler Room" and asked around. Apparently for $15, you gain free access to all of the clubs in the compound, but where you buy your ticket, that's where you can exhange it for the drink. Off course you can buy another drink in the other rooms should you wish to.
So, there we were, entrance fee at the Broiler Room, after we see the interior and get a feel for the songs played there, we moved to "Bellini" and then to "Movida" and on to "Power House". We avoided "Dragonfly" because all of us knew that that particular room is playing chinese songs and crowded with teenagers.

All the rooms are having live performance, with a slight difference in songs; "broiler room" is for pop songs; "Bellini" is more on the jazzy side; "Movida" is for world music (latin, samba,etc) and "Power House" is house music.
All in all, we decided "Movida" is more to our taste, and the crowd is the best of the lot, but as our drink stamp is from the "Broiler Room", we trotted back to the first club we enter to get our drinks. As we enjoyed the live performance and our drinks (its a really ticklish one, with a gay-blond-afro-haired performer on stage), we decided to move to "Movida" to check it out.
The live performance is going full swing and we quickly jumped to join the crowd on the over-packed dance floor to boogie-away.
Me and Sel were burning away our fat, with Astrid and Mery followed in a more sedate pace. We were having one h*** of a good time.

Feeling a bit parched, we moved to "Bellini" to search for some seats to rest our feet and get some drinks.

After the 15 mins break, we slipped back to "Movida", however we didn't stay long this time, coz Astrid, Mery and Sel had to go to the office on Saturday morning for some extra working time. Me? I slept till noon.

On Saturday noon, I was awaken by wake up call from Astrid. We decided to get a late light lunch, followed by dinner at Tony Roma's (got a discount voucher).
So, after shower etc, I met her and Sel at the library (I was picking up reserved book), off we go to Dempsey Hill . I suggested it, because it was such a nice day to be outside, and I was kinda tired of shopping malls.

When we arrive there, it was so good to be away from the hustle and bustle of Orchard Road ; although it only 10 mins taxi ride from Orchard. With lots of greenery and breeze, it doesn;t feel as though you are in Singapore. We agreed that it looks like Kemang area in Jakarta. Lots of expats and antique furniture shops, but also scattered here and there, cafes and wine bars.
The main thoroughfare (if you can call it that) is lined on both sides with cafes, grocery shop (definitely gonna be my favourite shop as they stocked almost all of my favourite food-stuff, they even have an air-conditioned-cheese-room with the most amazing variety of cheeses and wagyu beef on the meat section!), pubs, restaurants and activity centres for kids.
We chose to eat in one of the small cafes which serves sandwiches and next to Ben&Jerry's.
After that, we walked around the compound and found House the spa cum cafe cum yoga place. I wanted to find out about it, as I've received lots of funky and fun newsletter from the organizer. It was gonna be another one of my favourite spot, as the cafe and the spa sits at the edge of the cliff, and as far as you can see, its trees and peace and quiet.
We sit there a while to enjoy a cheese plater, some wine and juice and the view off course.

Around dinner time, we trudge back to this Korean restaurant that we've ear marked for dinner as Sel and Astrid had a craving for Korean. The three of us enjoyed a dinner of Korean bbq in an authentic setting of Korean restaurant. I have to say, the food is not as good as what I had in Jakarta, but all in all, it was allright.

With full belly, we decided to head back home. I suggested to continue on to "Hacienda", a watering hole that only open at night, to get some night cap, but Sel and Astrid had had enough.

Hhh,....what a weekend...

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Year of the Rat

To all who celebrate it; Wishing you a happy and prosperous Lunar New Year; hope it will bring you good luck, good fortune and love.