Back in Pee-Ay

Ay. Long time no blog.

It's been 2 months since we eased back into the Pittsburgh routine. I've got my yinzer speak down pat again. A few blog-worthy events have transpired since then, but every time I get around to writing about it, all of a sudden it feels like much ado about nothing. But what's a log for, anyway? Here are the past few weeks in brief:

* Been hanging out at cafes regularly in the evenings, particularly this one. I love it. It's got everything a cafe should have: free wi-fi, an impressive tea menu and unpretentious (good) coffee, alternative music, an appropriately indie crowd.
* Hubs finally built the media center; he fixed up my brother's old laptop and installed MythTV on it. It's like a TiVO but cooler (heh, I'm shameless). We have movies, music, photo galleries, and soon, video games, all on a portable 320GB external hard drive... little magic box. I'm surprised that my software guy did such a great job on this hardware project. Go honey!
* Got older. Celebrated my birthday at Soba Lounge (best martinis!) with an Asian-French prix fixe dinner - not quite the same as what I used to get in Boston, but still good.
* On the other end of the food spectrum, I went to Hooters for the first time with the IT guys from work. I finally saw real Hooters girls, in person! They were really stacked. I was the only female patron in the whole place, and I got the manliest salad ever - a giant plate of croutons and fried chicken pieces piled on a skimpy bed of lettuce. The most ironic thing about lunch was that the guys talked about strippers, football, and home improvement projects. (Could it get more cliche than this?) Very educational glimpse into the male psyche, though.
* At a friend's indoor BBQ, we took turns jamming on the guitar - Kevin played this. OMG! He did it! I didn't know if I was going to faint or ask him to marry me. :) (Check out more of Andy McKee's awesome music here: www.candyrat.com)

Took a road trip to Amish country over Labor Day weekend. We stayed at Cameron Estate Inn, and our room was on the third floor of the mansion. It was our third bed & breakfast experience, and I'm still skeptical of old and dingy inns, but this was definitely different. Gilchrist & Soames bath products, Ralph Lauren linens, complimentary sherry for a nightcap... It had lavish Victorian furniture and fine china, but also free wi-fi. Breakfast in the mornings were in the sun room, where we could glance out into the lush green estate and trout stream.

The inn is not only a B&B, but also a restaurant; we had dinner there our second night. I had a chocolate-themed dinner (when in Rome):

Foie gras au chocolat
Salad
Cabernet and basil sorbet
Cocoa rubbed lamb loin chops
Tiramisu

Hubs had the duckling with raspberry sauce, and homemade bread pudding for dessert. When we couldn't finish our desserts, we were invited to bring our plates up to our room, then come back down to nurse a hot cup of mint tea.

For the 3 days we were there, we did something different each day.

Day 1: Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire (Pirates and wenches and gypsies, oh my!)

Virgin faire-goers we were, it was overwhelming. So much to see and do! People really got into it - they dressed in period and talked like Shakespeare. The entrance to the fairground had a huge sign: "God Save the Queen". We drank wassail and ale, watched jousting matches, shopped for trinkets/corsets/swords, and took pictures.


16th century street in the 21st century


Glassblowing demo


Dancing around a Maypole!


The Queen and her entourage


A duel in the Human Chess match to determine the next chess move, and a knight raises his lance at the jousting tournament


Hubs dives into a turkey leg, viking style


With Cap'n Jack Sparrow, on our way to the pirate ship

The 16th century wonderland still had 21st century conveniences; for one thing, many vendors took credit cards. Mastercard and Lady Visa! (Bwahaha!) We brought home a few bottles of mead and blackberry wine from the Faire.

Day 2: Hershey (Death by chocolate in the Sweetest Place on Earth)



Hershey, PA is like one big ad for chocolate. The streetlights were in the shape of Hershey kisses; we drove down Cocoa Ave and turned on Chocolate Ave toward the chocolate factory. Along the way, we passed Hershey Park, a popular amusement park with incredible rides like this:


Taken from inside the car as we drove past

At Hershey's Chocolate World, we took the tour with hordes of other tourists. The ride took us past singing cows and through the manufacturing process, with a quick 101 on the different Hershey brands. (You can tell their Marketing department had fun with this.) To exit the tour, we had to walk through the gift shop, a massive warehouse of Hershey gifts and products. After the 20-minute brainwashing session, how could we resist? We grabbed cacao nibs, organic dark choc, spicy Aztec hot cocoa mix, cherry cordials, Reese's minis... Hubs, my little sweet tooth, was in heaven.

After stashing away our loot, we went to Hershey Gardens for a look. Beautiful place!


Taken in the Butterfly House with the telephoto lens

The roses were my favorite. Over 7,000 roses in 270+ varieties, says the website - it was surreal standing amongst the many rows of beautiful blooms.

Parched and hungry, we then made a beeline for the Fountain Cafe at Hotel Hershey. We had a slice of strawberries and polenta cake with a balsamic reduction and mascarpone, and a tall Grasshopper with vanilla ice-cream. After the afternoon snack, we drove around Hershey taking pictures of over-the-top chocolate-themed street signs before returning to the B&B.

Day 3: Amish country (Virginia may be for lovers, but in Pennsylvania we have Intercourse - Seen in a souvenir shop)

From Intercourse to Bird-In-Hand, the highway we drove on took us through a touristy stretch featuring all things Amish - farmer's markets, pretzels, crafts, pottery, and quilts. Over the years, sights like these have dulled my city girl sensibilities and diminished my agoraphobia.


Acres upon acres of corn fields. So much corn! It's a wonder that the locals eat anything other than corn.


Fresh beef on the sides of the highway


Stealth shot of an Amish farmer - the Amish don't like having their pictures taken

It took us a while to find out the difference between the Amish and Mennonites, and it still is a little confusing to me. Despite the austerity of their lifestyles, the quilts can fetch a pretty penny - up to thousands of dollars for larger fancier stitchwork. From quilts to furniture to pies, they're done the good ole'-fashioned way. Even root beer! E saw a sign for homemade cold root beer on the highway and decided to give it a try. We turned into a narrow path and drove into a little housing community; there was a small wooden shack at the front, almost like a lemonade stand, selling different-sized jugs of cold homemade sasparilla. It was actually very good!


Hubs quenching his curiosity (geddit? aha!)

While we couldn't afford a quilt, we bought plenty of jams, relish, honey, fresh apples and peaches. Hurray for farmer's markets!

Overall a great trip - it wasn't the typical vacation destination but it was a convenient and fun getaway. I've resisted this concept for years, but now I'm slowly willing to admit that Pennsylvania's pretty cool afterall. (Suck it, Ohio!)

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At this moment, on the other side of the world, my best friend of 13 years is getting hitched. Congratulations, and I'm really sorry I can't be there. Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness, and many cute chubby baby Lee's! Welcome to the married fogies club!

The Trip: Part 3

From Bali, we returned to Jakarta for my cousin's wedding. I haven't seen some of my cousins in years - it was great to be with family again. I felt like I was 14 again, when we spent every holiday with the clan. Many things have changed, but some things never do.

We stayed at the Four Seasons Hotel. We had a pretty nice view from our window, but coming from lush paradisaical Bali to a hotel catered for seasoned business travelers, it was a little sterile by comparison. The festivities began the night before; the kids in my generation went to Eka Ria, a family favorite, for dinner. Some of them met Hubs for the first time. Once upon a time, we sat at the kids' table, told dirty jokes, ran around the restaurant wild and ate pop rocks for dessert... now we're with our respective spousal units, talking about life in Brisbane, the Bay Area, Hong Kong, and Midtown Manhattan, the state of the Asian economy from a first-hand perspective, how their kids are doing in school. Seeing them again, it was almost shocking to see how much they've grown to resemble their parents - I'm sure I look more like my mother every day too.

Wedding morning: 7/7/07. We packed into the coach and headed to the church. Full Catholic mass with choir and string ensemble. Box lunch for guests, then back to the hotel where everyone flocked to the spa and salon to prime themselves for the black tie reception. Formal tea ceremony, group pictures, staring at the 5-foot tall glossy canvas poster of the newlyweds... I had always pictured the reception in a big grand ballroom, but it was actually in the garden. Hanging vines and lights decked the ceiling (a la Babylon), and heavy clear curtain enclosed the space so it could be a cool air-conditioned garden haven. Buffet stations with dishes from Peking Duck to salmon en croute lined the perimeter, and the fountain was surrounded by banquet tables of fresh fruit. Fancy!

Some pictures:




Hubby in Batik!




Army of photographers and videographers


The reception area

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By the time we returned to Singapore, we only had a few days left. No time to waste; time to hit the food!

* My Humble House, Esplanade - We got a table by the window, and the view of the river and skyline was spectacular. Cool concept, great food!
* Gyu Kaku, CHIJMES - Had our fill of Wagyu steak and tongue. Yakiniku = love! For comparison, we also ordered American Black Angus beef... it didn't even come close.


Sizzling meat!

* LOTS of sushi. Here's a priceless moment at Ichiban Boshi in Esplanade:



E built the E-Towers Plaza 1 and 2 with our sushi lids. (I apologized to the waitress for my 5 yr old husband.) Before we left, he even built a mini showroom version for the conveyor belt. :)

Dinner at Ichiban Boshi was actually with hubby and the Ex. Long story, but he was in Singapore too. We went to the Top of the M for drinks after dinner, where the waitress tried to serve us "mo-cheetoh" (I swear it's true!). The drinks were pricey, of course, but I practically got a whole pot of lychee martini. Feeling munchy by midnight, we went to the Swensen's across the street, then shared a cab home. Between E's childhood friend (see previous post) and the Ex, walking around Singapore alongside two ang mohs was interesting; I got the most reaction from cab drivers, ranging from plain cold and unfriendly to one that tried too hard to speak fancy English, even when I put on the friendliest girl-next-door Singlish I could muster. Funny, feeling like a stranger in my own home.

On one of our last days there, we paid the National Museum a visit. It's been ages since I went, and now that it's redone, I looked forward to seeing it again. The inside is amazing! We spent a whole afternoon in the History Gallery and didn't have time for anything else. I'm so proud of how much information hubby gleaned from the visit.

It didn't take long for me to warm up to the new apartment. I realized that too when we moved from the house I grew up in to the last apartment - I guess it really is true that home is where the heart is. I already miss being right across the street from Toast Box!

Plans are shaping up for us to go back again in February. No side trips this time... just lots of shopping, eating, and mucking around at home. W00t!

The Trip: Part 2

Nikko Bali Resort & Spa

On our last day in Bali, we decided to stay within the resort and enjoy its amenities. No more running around! The pool beckons.

Picking Nikko over the other hotels was an easy choice - it is owned and run by family - and we couldn't be more glad that we came here. The resort is gorgeous. From the location to the landscaping, the hotel always reminded us that we were on vacation in paradise. Balinese gamelan music wafted through the hallways, and you could catch the scent of frangipani even against the salty ocean air. Every elevator lobby had a stunning panoramic view of the pool below and the ocean, it's no wonder we kept missing our elevator. Our room was minimalist and modern; we were on the 10th floor and had a great view of the ocean. My mum and aunt shared a room on the 1st floor, which - get this - had a sliding glass door that led right to the pool. Yes! We had a basket of fresh tropical fruits in our room, which was much appreciated.

For breakfast each morning, we had a choice of American or Japanese. I was quickly addicted to the coffee and homemade yogurt at the Brasserie, and the silky smooth rice porridge at Benkay begged for seconds and thirds.

The gardens were beautifully laid out; anywhere you stand would practically make a great picture. (Placed on a cliff overlooking the ocean, it's hard to go wrong.) My one regret was not visiting their chapel, Wiwaha. One of the managers gave us a pair of Wiwaha champagne flutes anyway, but I wish I had visited the chapel to remember the glassware by.

A picture tells a thousand words; these are some photos we took:













E and I, being the solar-deprived Pittsburghers we were, decided to soak up some sun on the beach with our umbrella drinks. We might have been skimpy with the sunscreen lotion... it had been less than an hour, but later we realized we had been scorched. Hubby looked like a lobster and I had funny streaks on my legs (where I missed the sunscreen). Lesson learned: always use protection.

Before we learned about our need for aloe, we visited Mandara Spa for a spa sampler session. At the reception, we were treated to ginger tea and cool mint-scented towels - not a bad start. We were asked to pick among 4 aromatherapy oils for our massages, and then were escorted to a private villa. It was E's first spa experience and he was adorably shy about disrobing. First on the menu was a foot scrub - big bronze basins with rose petal water, lots of sea salt, and some essential oil. Then we moved to the massage table for a thorough (and authentic!) Balinese massage. Lastly, a warm bath was drawn in a huge stone bath in the garden, with lots of rose petals (we had fun with them); towels were laid out, and each of us got a tray with a pot of ginger tea and shortbread cookies. The whole thing lasted 2 hours.

(Being a photo freak, I had to take pictures of the spa too, of course:)






Hubby soaking in the bath

We really enjoyed our stay, even though we wished we had more time. Onward to Jakarta! (To be continued...)

The Trip: Part 1

We arrived in Singapore on Sunday. My parents looked mostly the same; my dad lost some weight.

It was our first time in the new place. Our old building has been marked for redevelopment and they're going to convert it into some ridiculously posh condo with lap pools in each apartment - honestly, I think the real estate industry in Singapore has gone mad. For the rest of the day, we toured the surroundings, ate (E wolfed down 4 bowls of chicken porridge), and chilled around the house.

With law-defying odds, E's childhood friend from home happened to be in town too that weekend. (Really, what are the odds?) Microsoft put him up at the Ritz-Carlton (poor kid) but work kept him from sightseeing, so we took him on a quick tour on Monday. He likes durians! He met my parents at our wedding, but there's still something surreal about seeing them in the same room.

Bali Hai

Tuesday: A hop and a skip to Jakarta, then Bali's Denpasar airport. The city was typical of many Indonesian cities, until we got closer to Nusa Dua. The mesmerizing ocean reminded us at once that we were on the Island of the Gods. We stopped at the gate, the security guards circled the SUV with mirrors, we drove in; we arrived at Nikko Bali Resort & Spa. We got a warm and personal welcome, and laid out our itinerary for the next few days.

First, a visit to Bulgari's new hotel in Uluwatu. The resort was located on a cliff; each private villa was its own little sanctuary and had not only an outdoor pavilion lounge with sofas and a bar, but also its own infinity pool. Inside, the rooms were lined with dark wood and crisp white linen. The luxurious bathroom was, of course, stocked with Bulgari products and fragrances. Guests can soak in this extravagance starting at USD1,200 a night. :)




Villas facing the ocean


Luxurious bathroom; the staff spoke fluent Japanese

After the tour, we rode a golf cart to the bar, which was by the pool. The poolside area looked really inviting... the bar wasn't shabby either. We spread out on a plush black divan on the deck, where we had a stunning view of the ocean, and sipped on the most expensive iced cappuccino ever.


Pool area


E and I lounging around

Man oh man... if we had all the money in the world. We savored our coffee down to the last drop, then it was off to the other side of the island for dinner.

Driving in Bali was definitely not for the faint of heart. Our driver, thankfully, was a pro; he managed to squeak past scooters and vans on narrow dirt roads while everyone's going all directions at all speeds. He made good time AND didn't put a single scratch on the car. (E: "Traffic rules? Bah... they're more like guidelines, anyway.") Sometimes it was better not to look outside; there were too many narrow misses to be good for your heart. The gasps and "omg!"s from the back of the car would probably be distracting, and we really didn't want to distract the driver.

Indonesia works in mysterious ways; how we found our driver was one example. Upon arriving in Bali, my aunt simply made a long distance call to her office in Jakarta. In a matter of minutes, a young guy (who?) pulled up in a car (whose?) and voila, he was our reliable escort for the day. During the trip, my aunt complained about the car being too dingy. The next day, he greeted us at the resort lobby with a handsome black jeep. It's definitely not like a limo service; he's a friend of the family of one of the chauffeurs in Jakarta. But where did he get the cars? I didn't ask.

That night, after a seafood dinner at a Chinese restaurant, we retreated to the resort to find this ethereal sight:


Moon rising over the Indian Ocean

Day 2 was another day packed with sightseeing, starting with the iconic Barong Dance.




The Barong

Then it was a long drive to Ubud, the art hub of Bali set among rice padi fields and breathtaking landscape.


Rice terrace along the way; Mt Kintamani, a volcano and its surrounding lake and valley


Lush green rice padi field

Our first stop was a plantation that had vanilla, coffee, and cocoa beans, among others. There were a fair number of tourists, despite its remote location; the staff spoke Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Dutch, English... We chatted (in Indonesian) about their incredible aptitude for picking up languages, and they laughed modestly. Samples of freshly brewed coffee, lemongrass tea, and hot chocolate were passed around; we picked up a lot of souvenirs.







Lunch was at a restaurant called Bebek Bengil, which translates to 'Dirty Duck'. The Dirty Duck Diner is popular among tourists for good reason; it is nestled among rice padi fields (great view), and diners sit in airy outdoor pavilions as they enjoy the duck specialty with sambal. Cool concept!






For E's benefit, we stopped at a Monkey Forest to watch mischievous Balinese monkeys at play.



Being in a place like Bali, we couldn't get away without getting souvenirs for everyone and their brother. We went into town, Kuta, to pick up knick-knacks for co-workers, neighbors, friends. The jeep passed the site of the 2002 bombing and the adjacent memorial; my mum emphatically warned E, "Don't tell your mum I brought you here!" We must've stopped in every store on the street. It was bustling with activity; locals were hawking their wares, traffic was heavy, shirtless Caucasian teens walking with their surfboards (it was a few blocks from the beach)... As the sun set, we gave up on finding the 'perfect' gift for our long list and called it a day.

After a long day of sightseeing and shopping, we were famished; we headed to Jimbaran beach to eat at Ubung Cafe. It was like nothing I've ever seen before. Rows upon rows of seafood vendors, with huge tanks of fish and other short-lived sea creatures ready for your picking; smoky grills fired up with hot charcoal, secret marinades and sambals in dishes. Stepping through the thick veil of grilling smoke, you see hundreds of tables illuminated by candlelight, right on Jimbaran beach, and while you hear the waves roll up to shore, you also hear guitars and serenading. Once you get over the smoke (which was really hard to ignore), it was a surreal beach experience... one of a kind.


Ubung Cafe on Jimbaran Beach

The next day was devoted to relaxing at the resort. Finally!

Reverse Culture Shock

Just when the occasional reader thinks I've been kidnapped and thrown to the bottom of the ocean... a post!

Yes, I'm back - from the trip, that is. It was the best 2 weeks of the year (apologies to other fortnights, no hard feelings). There truly is no place like home! Now I feel odd being back, a little displaced, even though I've lived in this country for almost the last one-third of my life. Wow. It seems like just yesterday; packing up the car, teary goodbyes at the airport, emergency credit card, holding out for that food craving until I got home during the school hols... I never thought I'd leave home for good. *sniff* (Okay, I'm well-adjusted, really. I'm just PMSing.)

More about the trip later. First, a few thoughts about coming back:

* Americans suddenly look really... unhealthy.
* There are not enough coffeehouses, bakeries, and hangout places here.
* Thank goodness for our car, or we'd be pretty screwed (and bored).

My co-workers threw a little "welcome back" party with bagels, juice, a nice card, and a lot of questions. They loved their batik art, and everyone raved about the Balinese coffee I got for the common pot. (Last year I got tea from China, this year it's coffee from Java... you can say I'm sort of a modern day trader. Haha!) Nothing catastrophic happened while I was gone, my desk was just the way I left it, and a few hundred e-mails waited patiently. Just as a score of random colleagues wished me happy trails, a different set of random people welcomed me back. I thought I would be moody from the jetlag and withdrawal, but everyone was awesome and it made coming back a lot easier than I expected.

The apartment was a giant fur patch when we came back. The kitties have obviously been having a good time, and due to ambiguous feeding instructions, the cat-sitters have been giving them twice as much food. Pepper has replaced her trot with a lazy amble and her belly jiggles more noticeably; Salty just got bigger. Other than the aloe plant that got tipped over and a few disheveled rugs (from the kitties skidding across them), everything was fine.

There were so many things we didn't get to do, people we didn't get to see, but overall I'd say it was a pretty good trip. Hopefully it won't be long before we go back again - Chinese New Year would be fun, then we can introduce E, a REAL-chinese-new-year virgin, to the visual assault of red and gold on the streets, the new year music on loop at the malls packed with shoppers, endless feasting, and all that good stuff.

Pictures in the next post(s)!