The sharp knife slipped,
and sliced something that was definitely not lemony.
I couldn’t even see which finger i’d cut before the blood started spilling merrily out.
So i held a cloth to it,
and took it off for a flash to catch the sight of two cut fingers.
Lipstick blood and canary lemon.
Metallic ketchup and spiky mustard.
I quicky sat down.
The beats of my pulse throbbed at my cut fingertips.
I held an almost clean dish towel to it.
I tried not to think of possible microscopic germs jumping into the cuts.
Thoughts in my head at the time: (1) Luckily you didn’t cut off a piece of your finger! Like what you did in college? Jeez.
(2) Damn, how am i going to eat my seafood with both my hands? Something i was looking forward to tonight! Really..? You’re bleeding and all you can think about it how it’ll affect your food intake? -_-
A laughed gurgled from me sitting alone on the sofa.
Clem handed me a tiny plaster.
Brown. Flat. Boring. Drab. “I want a cartoon plaster,” i whined. “Next time,” he said firmly.
“Poor baby… i don’t like it when you hurt yourself.” “Then we should get a maid. So she can do all the boring cutting and i won’t hurt myself.”
Our flight to Bali via AirAsia was delayed.
We were supposed to land at 3pm but we landed at 5pm.
By the time we got to our villa the sun had set and we lost our sunshine time to spend by the pool
I’m wearing red silk drawstring pants i got from Zara on sale.
They’re my new favourite bright pants!
If i shake my leg vigorously, the pattern on it looks like rows of dancing alien men with sunglasses on.
Clem said my undone drawstring hanging between my legs looks like a mousetail
We stayed at Kozy Villas, which i wouldn’t recommend you to stay.
It turned out to be slightly old so small details like the sink hole and cupboards are worn.
The next morning we lugged all our luggage to Kuta,
where i left Clem in a German restaurant
while i walked around to bargain for a jeep to rent for four days.
Always leave the white man out of sight when bargaining in Asia.
We got stuck in a TERRIBLE mancat (traffic jam) in Seminyak while trying to get out to the countryside.
Who would have thought that we’d leave mancat in KL to jump into another one in Bali?
The traffic there is soooo much worse than before!
Will try to return only during nonpeak season next time.
I didn’t mind the traffic as much as Clem cos i had nasi padang in the car with me.
BEST indonesian food always!!!
My faithful blue hat from Mimco. Striped top from Joseph.
We took a road less traveled… that even Lonely Planet failed to mention that every metre has 2 massive potholes as big as windows.
I felt like my organs were being harrassed and jiggled the whole 20km from Tabanan to Jatiluwih.
Clem felt like his watch was going to break.
So if you ever want to drive to pass the legendary rice fields in Jatiluwih, just DON’T take that route!!
Halted the jeep for a procession that went by.
So cheerful to see everyone’s bright traditional wear.
We managed to reach Lovina at nightfall,
checked ourselves into a random guesthouse with no hot water or air con,
shared a perfectly-grilled snapper for dinner,
had 2 big bottles of Bintang,
i took a picture of Clem’s ass in the shower,
doodled in my sketchbook,
and attempted to draw him reading.
We slept really early so we could wake up at 5:30am to watch wild dolphins at sea.
The sunrise was spectacular. I didn’t edit the picture in any way!
There were SCORES of boats loaded with tourists eager to view dolphins.
Clem said if he were a dolphin, he’d be so irritated!
They were still pretty to see, with a few show-offs doing multiple jumps even.
But the number of boats have increased by twentyfold since i first went to Lovina a few years ago,
and don’t feel kindly towards a barrage of small boats chasing after dolphins for us to see…
Went back to our guesthouse at 8am to have breakfast.
We were SO sleepy (ok *i* was so sleepy) and managed to convince Clem to nap with me till 11am
Woke up and began the 60km journey West to Pemuteran, a beach town.
On the way, we stopped at Sing Sing waterfalls.
But there was only a slight trickle.
We hiked up the hill (daymn, that was tough :p)
to a freaking gorgeous view of the sea and fields below.
I love how creative the Balinese are that simple sketching on wet cement can look so nice!
We reached Pemuteran just after lunch time
(i was REALLY GROUCHY cos i hadn’t eaten since our 8am breakfast.
Even Clem didn’t dare to talk to me :p)
HAD LUNCH.
Then found a really nice place to stay called Pondok Sari.
Nicely done bedroom, bathroom and verandah with big comfy sofa for RM200/night.
The room even had a techy mosquitoe-catching machine with blue light to draw them in to their deaths.
I must get myself one of those. Portable. With no socket needed.
We chose to go to Pemuteran cos it’s stated in Lonely Planet that
1. this is the place for a real beach getaway and
2. one of the nicest selections of beachside hotels in Bali,
many with a sense of style and all are low-key and relaxed
The hotel was certainly amazing and great for its price.
Big lush gardens, paved walkways,
big calm + clean swimming pool,
lots of deck chairs, great food at the restaurant,
bluegreen natural pond filled with fish, bathing birds and resting dragonflies,
and the beach just a step outside.
The beach has black volcanic sand, which Clem thought looked dirty,
but i think it’s nice! Just different and special!
My tea time consisted of tom yam soup which was so fabulously spicy i wiped the whole bowl.
Sleepy after eating
Clem saw these walkway lights that look like tiny showers
and FORCED me to crawl underneath it for a picture
I really love Pemuteran, it’s as peaceful and quiet as they say!
The next day we left for the mountains of Munduk…
We’ve all got our favourite movies,
but there’s a vast difference between a movie you love of all time
vs.
a movie you savour by yourself most of the time.
I say ‘most of the time’ because there have probably been many times i watch these movies,
yet they’re mostly by myself (sometimes with a partner cos i want to share the love)
yet, there’s nothing like trying to relive the liberating moments i feel during my favourite parts of these films.
There are other movies out there that compile the rest of my Me Timemovies –
Now and Then, Dirty Dancing, Clueless,
Sex & The City, Bridget Jones’ Diary, Grease,
anything with Hugh Grant.
But the 5 below are my all time favourite hug-myself-on-the-couch shows,
some of which my closest friends may have no remote idea i even like.
1. Empire Records
Oh God how i love this movie.
And the soundtrack is unbeatable.
It is how i envisioned my later teenage life.
I love how it’s filled with unbridled teenage lust, lies and money problems,
and most of all, how everything ends with love and music.
WIN.
Plus it’s got Liv Tyler and Renee Zellweger when they first started acting.
I wanted to have a top and skirt just like hers when i first saw it as a teen
Every time i finish watching it,
i always sigh, “That. Was awesome.”
2. Amadeus
Ok i stumbled upon this film in my dad’s VCD collection some time in the 90s
and was curious about the eight Academy Awards it won.
Eight? Seriously?
It MUST be good if it could get 8, i thought,
so i slipped it in the player and watched it.
It is one of my favourite ‘alone’ movies ever.
I not-so-secretly love long movies set in a period scene
and i was won over simply because it was about the life of Mozart
cos i had a deep interest for classical music.
(Well, i still love classical music now, i enjoy Mozart’s symphonies while working)
Years ago, i watched it again alone late at night when i was sick
and had the most beautiful dream of my life.
My ENTIRE dream was a classical song,
from beginning to end.
There were no images in my dream (strange for me, that)
and i felt like i was floating in comforting spongy darkness
as the dream skipped its way, from note to note.
Probably why this movie made my Top 5,
because it gave me the BEST SLEEP OF MY LIFE.
I tried doing it again (watching it and have a song dream) but it didn’t happen
3. Any movie based on book by Nicholas Sparks
I know this is cheating cos i’m not naming ONE particular movie,
but i love a good sobfest from time to time
and Nicholas Sparks never fails.
The story and acting is always good,
and i’m sure to cry till i soak the pillow i’m holding.
Which is the reason why i prefer watching it alone.
Clem teases me when i cry during movies which i find SO irritating cos i just want to be IN the moment and character and let me cry in peace goddammit!
(However, i must add that he watched one of the movies and it was SO sad even he kept quiet.)
The first one i ever watched was The Notebook,
and honest to god, i thought it was gonna be some shitty slow movie,
but it was GOOD! It’s so easy to fall in love with the characters and they always cast some good looking bugger or chick in there that you can’t help feeling you could fall in love with and therefore feel their pain too.
Last Nicholas Sparks movie i watched was The Last Song (when i was sick last week) and i was slightly pessimistic cos Miley Cyrus was in there (sorry Claudia) but it turned out to be a typical N.Sparks sobfest phew hee hee.
So if you feel like a good cry (don’t you ever feel like you just need one for no reason sometimes??) find yourself a Nicholas Sparks movie.
4. A Little Princess
I think it was Yishyene who lent me the VCD when we were 15
and it’s such a nice GIRLY movie to watch.
Innocent almost Disney-like storytelling.
Oh, and an emotional (but HAPPY!) ending too.
I tried forcing Clem to watch it,
he took one look at the cover
gave me a look of pain and said, “Really?”
I wanted to hit him.
5. Amelie
Most of you know this, i’m sure.
Even Clem loves this movie so i’ve just watched it again recently.
It’s such a cute, quirky story that’s shot so wonderfully and quick that there’s always a scene you don’t remember or love admiring again anyway.
I’d lend the DVD to friends cos i wanted them to watch it too,
and once i didn’t get it back for so long…
i think this friend thought i was obsessed with getting it back from her
Sorry! I just love it so much!
And i’ve already bought a few copies cos other friends who borrowed it never returned it and lucky for them, my blasted memory didn’t allow me the recollection of who they were!
A movie every happy person should own!
Along with the experience of watching movies alone comes my Me Time movie survival kit. Just little treats i keep next to me whilst i curl up in delight.
Dove chocs are the perfect thing to keep stuck to my mouth
as i nibble slowly on the smooth milky chocolate.
My Me Time moment survival kit also includes…
a big soft pillow to hug!
Not forgetting a box of tissues for sobfests (it’s inevitable!)
It’s nice to hear the chocolate wrapper crinkling
as i wait for the scenes and drama to unfurl.
Hugging a pillow to my chest,
hand ready to reach out for tissue,
and the other, slowly savouring the silky smooth sensation of Dove Chocolates.
Because if i go too fast i’d be done with the whole bar before the movie ends!
Once, i thought instead of going out to a bar
how about trying a movie night at home in my natty short and cotton t-shirt?
It was really, one of the BEST nights i had to myself!
Sigh. Love.
It’s that simple…
Dove chocs (i really like the Dove Crispy chocolate)
Box of tissues (or snotty blanket :p)
Big pillow
That simplly wraps up my Top 5 ‘Me Time’ Movies.
Do you have any of your own you’d like to share?
I like happy or sobby drama ones please
Sorry for the complete LACK of posts
but i really wanted to enjoy my holiday completely…
without having to worry about getting online in the middle of some rural area in Bali!
Clem and i rented a jimmy for 100,000 rupiah/RM35 a day
and drove up north and west of Bali.
He’s never been up north,
and i’ve never ventured west.
I think i’ve finally covered three quarters of Bali,
and this is after going there ten times!
Will cramp all my best pictures to blog this week, PROMISE!
Need to finish blogging about Sri Lanka, which i WANT to do
and last post on Laos.
Looks like i can’t catch up with my travel blogging,
but i won’t be going anywhere for awhile…
cos i start a new job next week!
Eekers!!
After almost two years of freelancing, blogging, and working on Leftblock,
an advertising+media agency offered me a part-time job
which i want to take up and can fit in without giving up blogging (and cooking and yoga).
I mean, really… i can’t just blog forever can i?
I’ve been working alone, and do miss working with a team sometimes.
Maybe now i’ll stop talking with the voices in my head
and randon inanimate objects in the apartment.
Winner:Jasmine Lin (Goh Lin Lin)
Description: A fable from the Jack ‘N Jill stable of nursery rhymes.
A favourite of all time beloved by every generation. Personality: Worthwhile to buy, great to the last bite.
As i blogged before, the Weekly Grand Prize Winner
doesn’t just win an iPad 2,
but has an animation video made
based on their winning character!
Check out the vid below, made just for Humpty Yumty!
