[[ a diffEreNt lOcaL ]]

i have always wanted a set of kebaya…
but i didn’t expect my first to be a set of balinese kebaya…

since my last visit to bali..
i told myself that the next time i go back there…
i will find myself a set..
so that i can be closer to everyone else when i want to visit the ceremonies & temples…

just before i left…jessica had an idea of wearing kebaya for her rom when we went past a shop selling peranakan clothes..
we didn’t really really find anything she likes…
so i told her i will look around & try to find a set back from bali..

i told her how beautiful all the balinese women look there…
i told her how classy their kebaya seemed to be…
i told her how the details are different from what we have seen from the off-the-shelves here..
i told her why i really like the style of the balinese kebaya…
i told her that i really want to get a set this time…
i told her i will find a set for her too..

& i managed to..
thanks to ervin!!..(love you!!)..
who brought me to this wonderful place where she made all her sets of kebaya…
who brought me to this amazing tailor who made all her sets of kebaya…

the first thing i wanted to do when i come back was to bring jessica her set of kebaya which everybody who saw it was excited about..
(ervin..umi…people at the kebaya shop…the tailor…ibu….me…)
the first thing i did after i collected the kebaya was to text jessica…
“jie..are you free this weekend to meet?…i want to bring you things!!…”

and so i met her today…over at her place…
& the first thing we did after cooling down from the heat out there…
was to try the kebaya…

love it!!..
i am so glad that it fits her so well!!…

!! mAke it hAppeN !!

i wish i can see 1 of these in the streets one day..
somewhere else in the world if not here…

lamp-post chandelier by thomas heatherwick – ‘the design maximises drama, creating spacial experiences that work for passers by on an intimate scale and produce a grand, impressive effect’.
- *wallpaper

it’s a nice piece of art installation if not anything else..
feels like a place where people will people as it will naturally turn that space into a conversation..

i w!LL be mOre tHan w!lliNg to do so..

why not?..
when you have such a cool trash bin?..

“new london rubbish bin by paul smith – when someone approaches the bin a sensor on the hoop reacts and the rabbit’s ears flash”
- *wallpaper

1 of those fancy things i will like to have when i finally have my own space..
i will gladly be finding things to throw in it just to see its ears flash..
maybe have a game or 2 of indoor basketball..but..with tennis balls..hehe..

project :: r!ch fArmers iii :: bbQ..

i can’t believe how fast they managed to start the fire..
it’s like 1 moment i was out buying nasi goreng…

(yes uncle!! i am back for your orange rice cooked with a lot of love)..

& when i came back…
there’s a beautiful amber flame ready to start cooking already..

i gave up trying to take any pixs since it isn’t going to quite work out..
so..i kept a short clip to remember all the laughter & fun voices…

project :: r!ch fArmers iii :: gOOd mOrN!ng!! i am hOme!!..

feels good to be back home..
i came here too many times not to make it my home..

i miss the crazy chickens clucking..
i miss the crazy dogs barking…
i miss the crazy traffic horning & peeping…

i miss the ‘good mornings’ from the people here when i do my cat stretch first thing i step out of my room…

i miss the many many other things..
small or big…

we surprisingly didn’t wake up too late on our first day..
i think it’s all the anticipation turned excitement!!…
we are now finally in bali!!..

and of course..
i miss the d.i.y feeling of doing all the home improvements in the simplest way…
erm..yeah..that’s gedai “trimming” the tree..

the sight of making offerings for prayers is just touching even in a very small way..

the one thing that i crave for almost everyday..
whether or not when i am in bali..

this bubur is really nice & tasty!!..
taste very home cooked & made with a lot of love..
i got so hooked on it since the first time rai brought me to try it at krisna cafe..

it’s time to get out there after filling our stomachs!!
it’s afterall kenn’s first day in bali!!..

we were going to have a bbq that night..
so the right thing to do will be to shop for food!!..
lots & lots of food!!..
(yupz…kenn can eat..no doubt about that..)

3 person on a bike + a lot of shopping later on is going to be tricky…
rai took kenn with him..
while evi (ibu’s daughter) took me with her…

looks like he’s having some local fun down the small & not so busy road of sanur…
(yupz..with no helmut…)

loving the sun…
(something i can give a miss back in singapore)..

kenn the tourist in the supermarket..
since he can’t do the cooking or the buying..
he can just do the pushing..carrying…& eventually the eating…

rai – “let’s go get the fish from the beach..”
us – “ok!!”..

& at the beach the fish stalls literally are…
you just can’t get any closer to the source already…

to be honest..
i have never seen fish so fresh before..
(not counting the times when i was still fishing of course…when fish just comes out from the sea..)

the colour of the scales is beautiful..
seemed like they still sparkle..

the chef picking his ingredient..

& the “winner” is…

i don’t really know what that is…
guessing it’s a grouper..

some deep sea one it seemed like..
from the state of its eyes..
as much as i want to say “poor thing”..
i actually think it’s beautiful..
beautiful in the “freshness” aspect..

leaving the cleaning to the expert..
since i first discovered i like to eat fish..
i also discover that fish cleaning is not for the faint hearted…

waiting for our “catch”…

the chef gets to work..
(in mona’s term – “nekkid”!!…)

nothing else more perfect for the weather..
i miss this very “private” pool..

entertaining the chef over a game of uno…
(thanks for preparing the food!!)..

the first winner..
of course he’s smiling it off…

and the battle continues..

i only have 2 cards left!!..

of course..winning or losing the game isn’t the point…
it’s afterall just uno..
doing something together & enjoying each other’s company is just priceless…
a nice ice breaker for kenn & rai who just met..
but then you know..kenn (the socialite) never has problem meeting people..

hmmmmmmmmm……fRuit tArt.. _**_

jessica brought me to see some very pretty fruit tarts today..

they sure don’t look real…
the vibrancy of the colours…
just feels plastic?

they look like some of the real fruit tarts i saw in japan…
all look good & taste good…
(even though they are really rich & creamy)
1 mouth of it & i am very happy already…

banana caramel…

a slice of that we will have…

and mango…

we both love the banana & caramel!!..