J'aime Paris !

Paris! ..........parte une

The Paris trip was totally a last minute decision... I was going back and forth with the decision to go until my mum told me it's a chance of a lifetime. That sealed the deal. It was particularly a difficult decision to make because it meant that I had to sacrifice something huge.. although it was also for something just as important to me... Well let that be my secret.

I only purchased the tickets the morning before I left for a midnite flight.. Right after work I rushed to get some warm apparel as it was autumn and got my stuff together.

Such excitement!

Everything was a blur from getting my luggage done, taking the cab and checking in.. As I finally took a breather and sat in the boarding lounge, it finally dawned on me that I would be travelling alone on a 12 hour flight to Paris.. and finding my way on my own with just a smattering of French (courtesy of a small print out of useful phrases in my jacket) and not at all generous amount of Euros to get by.

Well.. the flight itself wasn't too eventful ( for me at least). I bet the very good looking mat salleh sitting beside me doing his lecture notes ( i peeked!) must have either had a good laugh or kesian giler with me. I was so tired I fell asleep in the most embarassing manner. Like mother like daughter!

I slept mostly and managed to watch some inflight movies. I always checked the map indicating where we where flying.

After going thru the usual processes, then i asked around and got directions on the transport to get to the hotel. The moment I got out of the airport door, the chilly wind jolted me! oh oh.. i only had a sweater on. I pulled put out a jacket and proceeded to the platform. I was enjoying the ride watching the sunrise and saw that some trains there were double deckers! I changed train at Gare du Nord and proceeded towards Saint Lazare. I remember waiting at the Renault showroom for someone to get me and continue to the hotel. Since it was cold, the brisk walk was quite enjoyable.

Checked in and planned the rest of the trip. First destination was Louvre. Bought the hop on-off 3 day pass and sat in the open top. There were earphones for information on the places of interest.

As i stood at the corner on Champs-Elysees facing the Arc de Triomphe, I started smiling...

I AM IN PARIS! Yaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyy

Louvre itself is a sight to behold.. and the artwork.. amazing! I was appreciating the great masters and their divine works. Of course I had to see her.. Monalisa.

Sorry. I wasn't very moved as I viewed it. There are so many others that took my breath away. The paintings, sculptures, so much history and artistry in this vast monument. I asked the guide how much time would I need to have a general appreciation of everything there.

Answer : 2 weeks.

The best I could do was purchase the book on the museum as a souvenir... Well worth it.

Cupcakes

I notice that I somehow bake cupcakes once a month. Perhaps there's at least one event a month that would compel me (ok.. i admit I do enjoy it)to bake a batch for my guests or recipients to 'enjoy' it hehehhehehe....

Recently I spent an obscene amount of money on tools and ingredients for this baking bug of mine. And it took quiet an effort to stop myself from going beyond obscene with my purchases. But it's all for a good cause ya?

Like I always say... Sharing is caring.

My colleague and I decided to surprise someone on her birthday with a boxful of cupcakes.. somehow I managed to bake and decorate about 82 pieces of mini cuppies!

The challenge now is not to make it too rich or sweet which is one of the reasons why i like mini ones...



So glad she loved it!

Bali Best!

I love vacationing in Bali.. There's loads to do, see, easy to explore and affordable. It's pretty safe too (so long as you don't invite trouble la). Some of the locals explained that they practise hinduism and believe in reincarnation, therefor wrongful doings would cause them to be reincarnated as something well... not so great.

They are truly proud of their traditions and are devout hindus too. Each morning you would see all the temples ( there are lots and lots of temples) being surrounded by offerings which looks like a combination of flowers and rice placed in weaved coconut leaves.

Occasionally I would catch some religious events... the ladies would be dressed in their lovely lace kebaya tops, sash around their waist, hair in a bun and sarong. Even the men had to be in sarong. If you were to visit a holy site, you must cover your leg and most temples would have the sarong available for the tourists. It seems that the cremation ceremony is a big thing and tourists are allowed to view it.. I don't think I have the stomach for it though. There's also their new year or 'Nyepi' .. however, it's more religious and everyone (yup even the foreigners) have to observe this day of silence. No traffic, no loud music/tv, no entertainment, no sex (this one for locals i guess?).. basically no one works on this day but stay indoors or at the temple for prayers.

As I got to know more Balinese, I noticed many had similar names. The tour guide explained that their first names identify the order of their birth. The first child is Wayan or Putu, the second child is Made or Kadek, the third is Nyoman or Komang and the fourth is Ketut. The following would repeat the names in order again.

The beaches are lovely (but tioman and perhentian still tops for me) and the locals are friendly. It's possible to rent a bike or better a jeep for a drive around the island.. I have gone right up to Singaraja and back down through Nusa Dua. Along the way, I have made stops at Ubud to see the old palace, the monkey forest and dances.. the Bratan Lake.. viewed the volcanoes Batur and Agung, Gitgit waterfall, Uluwatu where pro surfers go to and it's also where the famous Kecak dance at the temple is and had seafood at Jimbaran.. Stopover also at Celuk (where most silversmiths are), visits to stonecarvers and painters ( I got 2 cool paintings .. cheap!) .. even when we got lost, we stumbled upon the temple at Goa Gajah and the Elephant sanctuary in Taro.

Of course there's loads to do in Kuta and Legian but it's really fun to go off from the usual itinerary. Actually I went to Singaraja to catch the dolphins but the drive was quite time consuming and it was almost dark.. Some actually go to Bali for a dive, as this is where the Mola-Mola or Sunfish can be found. Funky fish with no tail. Hehehehe. I have found these lovely photos by Mike Johnson on the fish..

The cultural shows are mesmerizing.. I was fortunate to have watched several through out several trips I have done to Bali such as the Barong & Rangda Dance/Drama, Legong Dance, Baris, Kecak and several others (quite a few are based on the Ramayana). The girls are trained for dance from a very young age and the boys are trained to play the Gamelan instruments.

I have so many fond memories of Bali... I certainly look forward to experience more of it!

Ultimate Journey.... HAJJ

Alhamdulillah.. My mom and relatives have safely arrived Madinah last week and are now in Mecca.

Managed to speak to her a few times since her arrival.. Yesterday she visited relatives in Mecca and I even spoke to Aunty Fawziyah there. I do hope to visit them one day and do my umrah with mom too.

Mum was very grateful that she managed to get a place this year. She was excited to go and I was there to send her off.. Here are some pics of her leaving for hajj..

Hope mum will be in the best of health to complete this pilgrimage... for a haji mabrur... Insya Allah

Travel Diaries

I thought it would be interesting to share my travel experiences. Since I have been quite fortunate to be able to travel often, it would give me something to blog about when I am stumped for fresh ideas.

However, this reminiscing maybe a little jagged in terms of chronology. I will try my best to recall details of past travel (way past) and hopefully the more current ones will not pose too much of a challenge.

Travel has always been a dream for me since I was a kid (wow that seems so long ago).. and now I am able to do this ( after some scrimping and saving of course) occasionally is truly a fantastic experience. I am lucky that I haven't really had any bad experience in my journeys so far. It hasn't been first class all the way either but I guess some adjustments and flexibility would be necessary.

I have journeyed with loved ones, friends and even on my own. As I look into the past to share these amazing journeys.. I am also looking forward to new experiences.

So, let me organize my thoughts and photos.. will get back to new postings on travel soon.

Cheers!