Saturday Roast

Chef Vittorio was inspired and we all got to enjoy a good hearty meal. 

Even Baby Lauren!

On the menu: 

Roast salmon and dory fillets

With loadsa healthy greens and sweet cherry tomatoes

Also on the menu, was some spaghetti with herbs

Fishies in the oven

I love how the colours from the vegetables  provide a contrast from the pale salmon and dory

Yumz!

Chef Vittorio can cook! :D 

I ate quite a bit, which is not helping in me wanting to lose weight! It is so hard to resist good food, especially home cooked ones! 

*burp!* 

The Joy of Surprise Gifts

I love surprises and today was a good day for 'em!

I went shopping during lunch with Dom and I saw this Barbie top in Jaspal, but I couldn't make up my mind whether I wanted to buy it or not... and so I decided to sleep on it. The top was on the expensive side for a baby tee, but it is a Barbie anniversary item! 

I also saw a Drama Queen keychain in Diva that I thought was so me and commented on it to Dom. And boy, was I surprised when at night, after my girls night out... Vic passed me these two items - a belated bdae pressie from the Moes. Awww... so touched! My friends are too sweet. :) 

Vic also gave me a cute, soft monkey! Loves! I have named him Mookie! And he will sleep beside me. 

Bandung in June

I know Bandung was like SOoooOoo long ago, but I have been busy (stuffing my face with food). Very busy. I have a life, okay... beyond blogging, twittering, fb-ing. And oh yeah, I work. Hard.

In June, we went to Bandung with the Moes. Bandung --- the answer to our dream for branded goods at affordable prices. Bandung is the land of factory outlets!

Although, I must admit that not everything you see there would be something you like, but there is A LOT of branded stuff going CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP. Example: Original Burberry polo tee for RM30. No kidding. The real thing. Guess jeans for RM50. Ralph Lauren polo tee for RM30. Juicy Couture sweatpants for RM40.

Mostly real stuff, provided you shop at reputable outlets. I.e: Heritage, Rumah Mode. We also saw the Secret, which looked real promising on our way back, no chance to pop in and spend money there.

Now, the reason why I say that you may not like all things that you see is because what's for sale there depends on whatever brand/season they are trying to clear off. Someone bought a Coach bag there, but we could not find any Coach bags. My dad got a shitload of Lacoste polo tees, but when I went... I could not spot even one.

The best itinerary for Bandung is one packed with shopping. If you must, you can take a half-day tour up to the volcanic peaks. But other than that... Bandung is for hardcore shopping. Spend a long full day on your feet, scurrying in and out of changing rooms.

The bigger outlets are incredibly comfortable. A lot of places to sit and rest your tired legs. Clean restrooms. Nice ambient. Chic cafes. Water features. Air conditioning. Rumah Mode even resembles a resort! Impressive.

Ok, enough rambling... now to the pictures:

Standard breakfast fare. McDees at LCCT

The Husein Sastranegara International Airport in Bandung , Indonesia

Thank you Air Asia, for dirt cheap flights!

Mr Cabman was amazed we could speak BM. :)

Ze hotel safety box, where we deposited our passports.

The Moes. They very camera shy. So no pictures.

To the rooms!

Note the stuff of the bed! How I wish!

Camwhoring alone because no one would join me :(

Funky nail colour and tights

Pop Mie looks tempting

Nasi Padang, the staple food

HOT HOT HOT chillies. Not for me though!

The group checking in and checking out the massage centre next door. The largest one in Bandung - Zen. It was very impressive and so darn cheap! RM45 or so for two hours of sheer bliss.

Hotel Sukajadi along the Sukajadi road.

Nice pool, but we were not there for a dip. The temperature in Bandung is slightly cold. Like Genting on a hot day! Nice.

At the cafe in Rumah Mode

A shopping centre near the hotel - PARIS VAN JAVA! What a name. I must repeat again... Paris Van Java. Hahaha. There was a Manchester United restaurant there. Vic wanted to go vandalise the walls or something. Typical.

Essential hand sanitizers!

Grub is so important to keep you energised when grabbing clothes. Grab first, later decide whether you want it or not. Damn kiasu! Hahaha.

Krabi August 2009 - Part III/III

I've always wanted to visit Phi Phi after hearing so much about its beauty and watching Leo Dicaprio's movie The Beach, which was filmed on Maya Bay in Phi Phi Leh. Was so looking forward to going there and discovering paradise that even the rainy weather could not deter me. It had been raining every day since we arrived, but amazingly on the day we booked our island trip... it looked bright and sunny! We paid 900THB for a trip to the Phi Phi islands and lunch.

But woe is me, on the anticipated day... I put on my contacts only to discover a tear on it. At first I ignored the irritation and stubbornly tried to proceed, but the discomfort was unbearable! So, I wore my specs, which meant no SNORKELING!!! I was and am still quite upset that I missed out, but oh well... Phi Phi... I will return! This time with a spare box of lenses!

I'll let the photos below speak for themselves...

Our guide dived into the waters below.... and got us NEMO!

@Phi Phi Don

Sigh. I wanted so badly to be in the sea, but I was feeling very disorientated from the crazy boat ride and wearing specs that I opted not to go down. :(

We were dropped off at Red Ginger Chic at about 4.30pm and headed for the pool!

It was happy hour. Cocktails - buy one, free one! This is life.

Dinner in Ao Nang town. We had been eyeing this restaurant called Aning. It is always packed and I guess when you are at lost of where to eat, it is safer to dine at a place where there is a crowd.

The food did not dissapoint.

After dinner, another massage session at our fave place Let's Sea : Let's Relax! And post-massage supper at McDees. Note the spelling error on the 'Doudle' Big Mac. Haha! Also, the McDees there sells batteries and torch lights. Hmm.. Odd.

The final day:

4D and 3N flew us by... and it is time to go home

What do you do when you have 1.5 hours to kill before it is time to hitch a ride to the airport?

Last-minute 'kiasu' sun tanning!

Back home to KL!

Boohoohoo...

It was an enjoyable Birthday getaway and it would not wish to turn 25 anywhere else (Thank you Vic). But one thing is for sure, I'm coming back to Phi Phi when it is not raining. To me, Phi Phi is the very image of paradise.