June 30, 2007
[rehomo pics] Sorry guys, I have been AWOL nursing a cold the past 3 days. Better now, I think.
Anyho, pics from last week's Rehoboth extravaganza:
[L] Our group at Poodle - perfect beach, perfect ocean, perfect weather... Bliss
[R] The three ho's - Brett, me and Bethany @ 59 Lake
[L] L'David doing what he was brought to the beach for *giggle*
[R] Chris and I - White pants for the beach!
[L] L'David... with his shirt off... as usual
[R] Ryan, Bethany, me and Tony @ Aqua Sunday
[L] The boys of Canal Corkran, incl our lovely hosts - Rob and Carlos!
[R] Me and Brett... loving her bangs long, long time!
[L] Adam making Tony bendover. Now, that's a first... for Adam!
[R] No, you can't have my number. You drunk-text too much, lol
[L] Sitting on the birthday boy's lap
[R] A str8 girl in a gay beach town!
I've been blowing my nose so much the skin on my nose is chapped, eww. I wanna go outside, waa! @ 13:42
[ten years later] Today, Hong Kong marks a successful decade as a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China.
Here are some pictures we took of the impossibly vertical and instantly recognizable Hong Kong skyline from our trips there in 2004 and 2005:
[L] [Nov '05] The view over Victoria Harbour from The Peninsula HK in Kowloon
[R] [Feb '04] The view of Hong Kong at night from The Peak
10 years ago at midnight, Hong Kong waved goodbye to its colonial rulers on board the HMS Britannia, passing from being the last jewel of an old empire to a special region within a new global power - from free-market capitalism to market socialism. Besides the angst surrounding the handover itself, in the past 10 years alone Hong Kong weathered a crippling regional financial crisis, bird flu, SARS, an incompetent Chief Executive for eight years, and in 2003, the march of half a million people galvanized by their opposition to a new anti-subversion security bill called Article 23 - an event some feared would finally provoke Beijing into asserting its authority over Hong Kong once and for all. With each event, doomsday soothsayers predicted its death.
They were also dead wrong. Today, Hong Kong is not just stronger - unemployment is low, GDP growth is steady and the stock market has risen from being the world's 8th largest in 1997 to being the world's 6th largest - Hong Kong is also more Chinese than ever. You wouldn't know it as a tourist though - Victoria Park, Queen's Pier, Stanley. While many symbols of British rule vanished overnight after the handover - teams of workmen removed the royal seal from post offices, police stations and institutions like the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club - Hong Kong's colonial place names endure.
Hong Kong is more Chinese than ever because it is increasingly linking its fortunes to the motherland - no, not Britian, but China. Hong Kong's spectacular growth since the handover has been powered by the epic industrial boom of the Pearl River Delta; a region encompassing only 0.4% of China's land area and only 3.2% of the population, yet it accounted for 8.7% of GDP, 35.8% of total trade, and 29.2% of foreign direct investment. With Hong Kong at its helm acting as the lone conduit between China and the world, funneling goods and investment in both directions, it is estimated that 5% of the world's goods are produced here. Shanghai is catching up though: its ports now handle more total cargo per year than Hong Kong which used to be the busiest shipping hubs on earth. But Hong Kong's track record of stability, transparency and emphasis on the rule of law is for now at least substantially better than that of the mainland, insuring it remains a primary broker to the world.
In Time Magazine's "Hong Kong 1997-2007" special:
"Hong Kong matters not only because it is a vital driveshaft of the global economy, transmitting the raw power of China's manufacturing capability into a worldwide system for distributing consumer goods. The city matters because it is a unique experiment that will probably succeed but could possibly fail: the creation of a free, international city within China. In the short period since a collection of fishing villages were turned into a modern metropolis, Hong Kong has survived war, waves of refugees, pestilence, drought, assorted mischief by local leftists and economic near-implosions, consistently defying the doomsayers, repeatedly rebounding."
"Hong Kong is a pulsating organism made up of the most enterprising conglomeration of humanity the world has ever known. That will never change. Identity crisis or no, Hong Kong understands that it's damned lucky to have become a part of China at so fortuitous a time, when the mainland is becoming ever freer and more open and in a position to give its hybrid, somewhat alien, child more opportunity than it could possibly have dreamed of. 'I can't see what reason people in Hong Kong have to be pessimistic,' says economist David O'Rear. 'We're part of China, but we're not subject to China's rules. What could be better than that?' What indeed, when you are 10 and have the world before you?"
Ten years on, "one country, two systems" is working remarkably well. Time for Taiwan to sign up :-D @ 11:30
June 28, 2007
[cities and wealth] Two interesting articles in the news today... No, not the Supreme Court's anti-affirmative action ruling (racial preferences are racist, IMO) nor the Senate voting down the immigration bill (I'm all for the bill). Politics make me sick these days.
Cities:: The Census Bureau reports today that 7 of the 10 most populous US cities are within 500 miles of Mexico. A century ago, all 10 of the biggest cities were within 500 miles of the Canadian border. Wow. Only three of the top 10 from the 1910 census remained on the list in 2006 - NYC, Chicago and Philly. Conversely, three of the current top 10 cities (Phoenix, San Jose and San Diego) were not even among the 100 most populous in 1910, while three more (Dallas, Houston and San Antonio) had populations of less than 100,000.
The big exception to the Sun Belt's rise and the Rust Belt's demise is the Big Apple. NYC ranks #1 in attracting new residents by absolute numbers since 2000, adding nearly 206,000 people to number 8.21mn - easily America's largest city and more than twice as populous as the 2nd largest city, LA. What's even more remarkable is the fact that of the 35 cities that added the most population snice 2000, NYC is the only one not located in the South or West.
Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Philly, San Antonio, San Diego and Dallas round up the Top 9, which are also the only cities to have more than a million people. Chicago and Philly are the only two cities in the Top 9 that lost people. Of course, we're talking just the cities here. Most of the metropolitan areas have been growing in population due to the rapid pace of suburbization and exurbanization of America. Case in point: In 1950, nearly a fifth of the population (of 150mn) lived in the nation's 20 largest cities. In 2006, it was about one in 10.
As expected, New Orleans lost more than half of its population after Hurricane Katrina, down 51% from 452,170 to 223,388.
Washington, DC comes in at #24 with 581,530 people - a gain of 1.7% since 2000 when it ranked at #21.
Wealth:: According to an annual World Wealth Report by Capgemini SA and ML, the wealth of the world's High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs) grew 11.4% to $37.2 TRILLION by the end of 2006. It's the first double-digit increase in seven years. They now number 9.5 million worldwide in US$ terms, up from 8.7mn in 2005 and 8.2mn the year before. HNWIs (or millionaires), in this survey, is defined by individuals with net investable assets of at least $1,000,000 *excluding* their main residence and consumer goods.
This means that 1 out of every 700 people in the world is a millionaire. Quite an exclusive club, n'est-ce pas?
The largest growth in the number of millionaires was in Singapore and India, advancing by 21.2% and 20.5% respectively. Singapore alone has 67,000 millionaires. Increase in the number of millionaires by continent: Africa 12.5%, Middle East 11.9%, Latin America 10.2%, North America 9.2%, Asia-Pacific 8.6% and Europe 6.4%.
Topping the list in both in the number of wealthy individuals and the sum of their accumulated assets was the United States with 2.92mn millionaries, up from 2.67mn in 2005. Japan ranked second, followed by Germany and the UK.
The number of ultra-high net worth individuals, or people with net assets of at least $30mn, rose by 11.3% to 94,970. Their wealth increased by 16.8% to $13.1 trillion. I think I'm kinda shocked that there are less than 100,000 people in the world with more than $30mn in assets.
Big cities and big money. Just the way I like it! @ 15:33
[a stormy summer in dc] Perched on the 7th floor of my office building and looking out my window towards Northern Virginia, the rain is coming down HARD in blustery spurts and by the buckets. Kinda reminds me of the monsoons in Malaysia, but not quite (seriously, bitches... you ain't seen rain till you've been to a city that has dedicated monsoon drains and tunnels to drain the water from the city to the nearest lake). It only rains this much here in DC in the summer months. It's pouring so hard you can barely see the parking lot across the street. Fierce.
It's quite peaceful to watch, really. I can't hear the storm except for the pitter-patter of the rain against the glass window. There is a severe thunderstorm watch in effect until 11pm tonight. Looking at the radar, this burst of rain will only last for a few minutes. Should cool things down from the scorching heat over the past few days.
The highs on Tues and Wed were 93° and 94° (around 34°C), and it hit 92° today during lunchtime, yelp! Actually it hasn't been that bad. My walk to and from work has been a little hot but not crack-sweatingly so. I do slow my pace down a bit during the hot summer months. I also think the 2 1/2 stint in SE-Asia helped me cope with the heat and the humidity. Plus the weekend is gonna be beautiful (80s/60s) so that's an added bonus and something to look forward to.
It's just summer in swampy ol' Washington, DC. Summer arrived exactly a week ago coinciding with the summer solstice which, going by astronomy, marks the beginning of summer. Fittingly enough, a whole bunch of us invaded Rehoboth for a beautiful first summer weekend at the beach. Pictures of that trip will be up shortly.
As predicted, it is now sunny outside again. And the temps have dropped to 79° within a matter of minutes. Another beautiful weekend is in store, yay! @ 14:45
June 27, 2007
[goodbye...] ... and good riddance. Goodbye Blair! Goodbye mon Cherie.
Don't get me wrong, I used to wish Blair was our President. I was in Bristol when I joyously witnessed Blair's Labour Party demolish the Tory Party's 18-year iron grip on the Britain's highest office. It was my final month in University and I was so happy for the Brits coz, let's face it, the Conservatives under John Major were a bunch of whiney, cranky, old-fashioned dinosaurs much like what the Republican Party is today. Tony Blair - then 43 - was the youngest Prime Minister of that century.
When Blair took office on May 2, 1997 and he and Cherie visited President Bill Clinton and Hillary that same month, it seemed like nothing could go wrong with the world. New Labour + New Democrats = A Better Future. And then 9/11 happened, which culminated in the crime of the century perpetrated by Bush and Blair - the Iraq War in 2003.
Blair, aka Bush's poodle, has never apologized for misleading Britain and the world into a despicable war of choice in Iraq. Even though he led Labour to an unprecedented three consecutive huge general election victories, his decade of numerous achievements in office will forever be tarnished by that one unforgivable and criminal act. If it weren't for Iraq, Blair would still be leading a resurgent Britain today - after 10 years of economic prosperity, the longest uninterrupted period of growth in 200 years - and would comfortably lead the Labour Party to a fourth general election victory.
From the BBC:
Tony Blair's success was that he managed to liberate the Labour Party from its traditional trenches and appeal directly to the nation at large. He stole policies and voters wherever he could find them. He managed to win three elections, a historic hat-trick for Labour.
He charmed the globe into believing that Britain mattered and then put the troops where his mouth is. He was inspired by Bill Clinton's charisma and partially groomed by his advisers.
Tony Blair was perhaps the most presidential prime minister we have ever had, ruling with a small coterie of advisers, growling at his troublesome party while smiling at the nation.
At first it worked a treat. We were Cool Britannia. Tony fixed Northern Ireland. What would be next? The Middle East perhaps. African poverty. Global warming.
And all the while Tony Blair spoke not about the minutiae of policies and quotas but reached for the stars with speeches about values and faith. He began to sound less and less like the man in Number 10 and more like the guy in the White House.
The combination of presidential charisma with a parliamentary majority was at its most successful when he persuaded his party against their better judgement to go along with the war of choice in Iraq.
The infatuation with America, emboldened by the belief that Britain must stand solidly behind its strongest ally, became Tony's fatal attraction. The hour of success began the countdown to failure.
Blair today becomes an ex-PM at a relatively young age of 54. The end of the Blair era marks the start of Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Britain. UK's Chancellor for the past 10 years, the 56yo Scot Gordon Brown, was confirmed as Prime Minister at Buckingham Palace shortly after Tony Blair submitted his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II. It is the first time in 17 years a UK Prime Minister has entered office without a general election.
Brown finally takes over after 10 years in Blair's shadow as political partner and rival. All that built-up tension and desire, he must be creaming his pants right about now :-D
Interesting: Though Brown - who was unopposed in a contest to select Blair's successor - is moving jobs, he won't be moving house. He, his wife, Sarah, and two young sons already live in the private quarters at No. 10 Downing Street - the prime minister's official residence - having switched homes with Blair's larger family, who needed the roomier apartment next door in No. 11, Brown's official residence. @ 10:57
June 25, 2007
[kiat @ queen] Wow. If ever there was such a thing as the "perfect beach weekend", this past weekend was it.
First off, we didn't run into any traffic at all going to and from the beach. The weather was so perfect the top was down the entire drive to the beach, at the beach, and the drive home. Temps were in the high 70s at the beach, never exceeding 80°, with little or no humidity. And not a single cloud in the sky. The sky was as blue as the (frigid) Atlantic Ocean. Add to that some of the longest days of the year - the sun set at 8:30pm, though the sun rising at 5:30am was kinda jarring - and you have the makings of *the* perfect weekend at the beach.
We spent countless hours on the beach, tanning, chatting, laughing, and just being our usual catty-bitchy selves :-D All in honor of Patrick's 32nd, of course.
So on Saturday while we were laying on the beach, we ordered some delivery sandwiches... Yup, they deliver to the beach! Like, how eff-ing awesome is that? Anyho, I placed a big order for 10 sandwiches and gave the guy my name and our location on the beach (right off of Queen St near the uber-gay Poodle Beach section).
The delivery guy shows up an hour later and... well, check out the label on the plastic bag containing all the sandwiches:
LOL!!! @ 21:01
June 23, 2007
[sex talk] So... what happens when you put 8 gay boys in one house?
L'David:: How old were you when you first gave it up?
Kiat:: [without missing a beat] 19
L'David:: Prude
Kiat:: I was saving myself *gaysha giggle*
Carlos:: 19... to a woman
Kiat & L'David:: To a boy, silly
Carlos:: Oh... 26 then
Rob:: 12
Kiat & L'David:: Twelve??!!
Rob:: Yup, to my best friend
Kiat:: Blowjobs don't count... we're twalking anal here
Rob:: Yup
Kiat & L'David:: [jaws on the floor] *silence*
Canada David:: 26
Kiat:: You and Carlos can form a club
What about you, you dirty lil' Mexican?
L'David:: I've never had sex
Kiat:: Lies
L'David:: I fooled around when I was 15... I was 17 with a girl for the first time... and I was 17 when I gave it up anally to a boy
Kiat:: Was the girl and the boy the same person?
We talk about sex *giggle* @ 10:03 Rehoboth
[we're here!!!] After a relatively traffic-free drive to the beach last night (only 2h 20m this time AND without a speeding ticket *GRIN*)...
The birthday boy!
We're here!!! @ 09:48 Rehoboth
June 22, 2007
[innovate or evaporate] I think this is pretty momentous.
Of course it took a Democratic Congress to finally enact an energy bill that will reduce America's enormous appetite for oil by raising the average fuel economy by 40% to 35mpg for cars, SUVs and pickup trucks by 2020; the first since Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) was established in 1975.
Shamefully, the two Democratic Michigan Senators - Levin and Stabenow - either don't get it, haven't seen the ominous signs of global warning or perhaps they just don't care about the environment, stuck in a 1970s mindset of protecting the auto industry (Michigan's lifeblood) at all costs. Thankfully enough, the Senate told them to go screw themselves.
The current standard is a pathetically low 27.5mpg for cars and 22.2mpg for trucks. Consider that in the EU, automakers have agreed to voluntary increases in fuel eceonomy standards that next year will lift the average to 44.2mpg. In Japan, average fuel economy tops 45mpg. Even in China, the level is in the mid-30s and projected to rise. I say the higher the better, hopefully high enough to deter automakers from selling monstrous SUVs and trucks to silly consumers who don't know any better.
Even with this legislation (which still needs to pass the House and then signed by Bush), the savings would amount to 2.5mn barrels of oil a day by 2025. That number is quite insignificant when you consider that America's oil consumption today is about 21mn barrels/day (25% of the world's total) and rising, effectively cancelling out the savings by 2025.
In any case, Yay to Congress and Boo to Detroit. Note to Detroit: Innovate or Evaporate.
Now, pardon me while I drive the 120 miles to the beach tonight in my 26/18 mpg vehicle :-D
What? Nobody buys a Bimmer for its fuel economy :-p @ 17:10
[one month later] Last night was my first night in JR's in over a month! You can pick your jaw up from the floor now, spankyouverymuch.
I had not had a sip of alcohol in 10 days. Until last night. And OMB, was I out of practice! How out of practice? I mean, I was shitfaced after four drinks. I know, shameful! Actually, I was already way drunk after two but it being Thursday night and all, it is a moral imperative to have at least three to make up for the $9 you paid for all you can drink!
I got so blitzed I forgot I had some work stuff to do with Tokyo and passed out on the couch instead at 10pm (according to Tony), LOL! I'm so silly.
I had been extremely busy over the past few days putting out a major fire in Tokyo - working a 14-hour day on Wednesday! - so when Rick sent out the bat signal for JR's yesterday, I was there faster than you can say "Holy Happy Hour, Batman!"
We were so desperate for alcohol we got trapped in the downpour getting there! Reinforcing Murphy's Law, it started raining just as I left the office and not a block later, it started coming down (more like sideways) like a mofo. I was soaked from knees down, and my umbrella... I mean, like, did the British invent this thing to protect against the London rain? Or London "drizzle", more like. This thing was totally not built to withstand fierce downpours or, better yet, monsoon rains. Like, maybe they didn't think about the rain coming down sideways?? What a useless piece of contraption. (Actually, the Chinese invented it)'
But whatev, my umbrella matches my murse and it's cute :-p
And true to Murphy's Law once again, it stopped raining as soon as I got close enough to JR's to see it. Whatever.
Anyho, ashy Jason shows up an hour later and it was just about to turn into a full-blown Fierce Fetch Trinity Reunion that would last well into the night (and into the next morning!), but at about 9pm I just couldn't stand up straight anymore and left. Shameful! I got home and miraculously shoved a ton of food into me (there goes my "prep for the beach" diet aka sushi all week) and fell asleep bloated and drunk. Like an alcoholic beached whale.
Drunk, Drunker and Drunkest
I did see a whole bunch of people at JR's that I hadn't seen for more than a month and it was all fun and nice... until I forgot their names! *shock and horror* I literally had to get Rick to introduce himself to them to get their names, LOL! I need to stop drinking *giggle*
But not this weekend. This weekend at Rehomo - Patrick's birthday! - promises to be an intensive alcohol boot camp of sorts to whip me back into shape. I can already feel the madness comin'. Best yet, the weather forecast for this weekend could not be more perfect for the beach. Yay! I can already feel sand in my crack.
The beach beckons... See y'all on Poodle! @ 14:38
[not so blonde] Socialite and jail-bird Paris Hilton, 26yo heiress to the Hilton fortune, might just be the smartest dumb blonde on the planet.
She just scored a cool $1 million paycheck from NBC for her first post-jail interview. Going to jail may have been the smartest dumb thing she has ever done! I wish I could go to jail for 23 days and get paid $44k/day!
As if she wasn't wealthy enough already...
And seriously, why do we even bother?? I only do coz she's trashy and I love it when a member of the high society collapses in a heap of scandal or disgrace or, better yet, jail-time! The bigger they are...
Fascinating. And you just *know* I'm gonna be watching the interview too, LOL! I'm such a trashy ho. @ 11:47
June 19, 2007
[three nuyawkers?] Ohmy, 65yo NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg is no longer a Republican. Big surprise, yawn. First he was a Democrat. Then he switched to the Republican party to become the mayoral nominee for NYC. And he won. Twice.
And now he's an Independent? Good grief, this guy changes his mind more than I do :-D
Oh well, he wasn't much of a Republican anyway so this would've been buried in Page A7 in any other year... except this one.
Why? Coz term-limited Mayor Bloomberg's switch to an Independent foretells a Presidential run by this multi-billionaire. He can't win either the Democratic or the Republican nomination, so third party candidate it is.
If ever there was such a thing as "money in politics" (if ever!), this guy would be the 600-pound gorilla. He has money. LOTS of it. He spent more than $150mn on his two bids for Mayor and he would have no problem financing his own presidential campaign, potentially spending a billion dollars without putting a catastrophic dent on his huge personal wealth (estimated at $5.5 billion!). All this and he doesn't have to raise money or pander to special interest groups.
Fellow NuYawker Hillary Clinton - who needs to raise $500-$750 million - is probably quaking in her boots right about now.
Imagine this, Clinton (D) v Giuliani (R) v Bloomberg (I) - THREE New Yorkers!
The billion-dollar Presidential race has just begun! @ 20:26
[lauriol soirée] Pictures from last Thursday's birthday soirée at Lauriol for Jason!
[L] JasonM, Rick, Me and Michelle @ Lauriol! They were drunk, we weren't... yet
[R] The Fetch Trinity + Tony... Gosh, we haven't taken a photo together in forever!
[L] Yellow, Black, White and Brown, This Is What America's About!
[R] The Fierce 6 - (from L to R) Tyler, Rick, Me, M2, Tony and Jason
[L] This was a 5 Q-Tip lickarama. I have no idea why Rick and Chad wanted to lick my ears. It was quite wet and slimy. And gross.
[R] The Fetch Trinity aka The Nappy Headed Homos! I was *so* drunk I actually put something over my hair! *gasp*
First of all, I wasn't gonna go coz I had woken up at 4:30 that morning (jet-lag) and I was as tired/sleepy/grumpy/bitchy as you can get by the evening hours. THEN, we had to wait NINETY minutes for a table to open up for the ten of us, Good Lord Almighty! Yes, Lauriol is insane on any night, much less a "Happy Hour Everywhere" night like Thursday night. Add to the tired/sleepy/grumpy/bitchy, I was - by 7:00pm - starving. And a hungry Kiat is an extremely bitchy Kiat.
But a drunken Kiat is also a far more palatable Kiat and, due to lack of practice, I was practically slurring after two frozen swirls (strawberry + lime margarita, der... get with the program). And since I can't bitch when I slur, I was quite the happy camper by the time we were seated at 8:30pm.
The food sucked (as usual) but the drinks are FA-BU-LOUS! I have no idea how many frozen swirls I had, or how many pitchers of frozen swirls and margarita on the rocks we had.
Not that I could count by the end of the evening :-D Did I mention the drinks were FAB?!
Fun! *giggle*
Oh, rollcall (haven't done these in awhile): Jason (der), Rick, me/Tony, M2, the 9th/O Street ho's (Michael/Tyler, Chad, Rob) and Michelle/JasonM crashed the party.
Aww, my cioccolato is all grown up and doesn't look a day over 30. I'd say you could flip her over and count the rings around her ass to find out what her real age is, but she's so black and blue down there (mostly black) you might as well take my word for it that she turned 31 ;-) *muahs to Jason* @ 13:49
[swampy dc] So I haven't really been walking to and back from work very much since I got back. "Tooooo-nyyy, I'm jet-lagged/tired/sick..." or "Tooooo-nyyy, it's too hot..." :-D He started his new job a week ago as expected and his drive to Tysons takes him past my office anyway (well, not quite, but it's convenient for me so there :-p), so it's not such a big deal.
But, OMB, when I walked out of the house this morning, the air smelt like ass! It was acrid and I couldn't really tell what it was from, except that it was disgustingly humid and you could pretty much see the air (and pick it up with chopsticks).
What was up with the humidity? It wasn't that hot on my way to work this morning - high 70s - but the humidity was just unbearable. I know, I bitch about the winters here, I bitch about the summers here, waa waa waa. Yes, the humidity in Malaysia is worse, but whatev.
So I finally figured out this whole dew point crap. Anything below 60° is pleasant. Dew points of 60° to 70° is uncomfortable. And 70° and above is hair-flatteningly oppressive.
The dew point was borderline 70° - 71° this morning. No wonder. The dew point in KL is usually in the high 70s, yuck.
And here I thought I left KL to escape the horrendously humid climate there. Only to move into swampy DC.
I can't wait to go to the beach this weekend (for Patrick's b'day), wheee! Lord knows I need another vacation already :-D @ 11:29
June 18, 2007
[NYC + 34.4%] After taking into account the cost of 200 items including housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment, Mercer has determined that Moscow is the world's most expensive city for the second year running with an index of 134.4 i.e. a staggering 34.4% more expensive than NYC.
Moscow is followed by London (index = 126.3, up from #5), Seoul (122.4), Tokyo (122.1), Hong Kong (119.4), Copenhagen (110.2), Geneva (109.8), Osaka (108.4), Zurich (107.6), and Oslo (105.8). None of those are of any surprise. Milan (104.4), St. Petersburg (103.0), Paris (101.4), Singapore (100.4) and New York City (base index = 100) round up the Top 15. I'm surprised to see Singapore as more expensive than NYC since I don't consider Singapore to be that expensive at all.
NYC (#15, down from #10) and LA (#42, down from #29) are the most expensive in North America, and they are the only two from the Americas in the top 50. SF is at #54, down from #20. All can be attributed to the falling dollar (or rather the rising currencies in Europe and Australia).
Toronto (#82) is the most expensive city in Canada, falling 35 places. Sao Paulo (#62) and Rio (#64) are the most expensive cities in Latin America. Sydney (94.9, #21) is the priciest in Australia/Oceania. In Africa, Accra (#76) in Ghana takes the cake.
Asuncion (50) in Paraguay is the least expensive city (#143) for the fifth year running. Kuala Lumpur ranked #114 last year with an index of 69.3. Err, I'm not sure where it is this year since Mercer only released the Top 50 so far. Either way, it's super cheap to be in KL! @ 15:39
[true love] I have found my true love in the form of a candybar-sized gadget that vibrates :-D
Last Friday, Sony Ericsson announced their fetchest Cyber-shot phone yet - the K850i! J'adore.
Check it out (in comparison to my current phone):
Sony Ericsson |
K850i |
K800i |
Camera |
5MP |
3MP |
Dimensions |
102 x 48 x 17 mm |
105 x 47 x 22 mm |
Roaming |
Quad-band |
Tri-band |
FIVE megapixels! *squeal* Lots slimmer! *double squeal*
I know, I know... This one can't possibly be my true love coz that's what I said about each new and improved phone that Sony Ericsson has churned out over the past few years.
But no, really... This time it's for real.
Well, until they release a 3G camera phone with wi-fi that is :-D
Actually, SE *did* release a 3G camera phone with wi-fi. They are calling it the iPhone killer - the W960i has EIGHT gigabytes of on-board memory + wi-fi + 3G + BlackBerry-like functionality *pees*. AND a 2.6" touchscreen! *puddle*. Best yet, it will include a stereo Bluetooth handset which allows you to listen to your music wirelessly! *cream*. It also has a 3.2MP camera which is more than adequate. Plus, the phone is super-cute to boot.
So why am I not getting the W960i instead of the K850i?
It doesn't come with Xenon Flash. And, bitches, that's a deal-killer for me. Hi, my name is Kiat and I love to take pictures. More than I love my music :-p
W960i + K850i = one phone to rule them all... iPhone wha?
Mmm, I can't wait for the K850i. I *must* have it. I need me a new phone, dammit!
Luminous Green or Velvet Blue (the blue, of course, der)? Decisions, decisions... @ 14:19
[*whimper*] I was hoping for a nice, long relaxing weekend, unpacking and tidying up around the house. Maybe go out for one night and take it easy. Y'know, the typical weekend after a long vacation.
Instead, I was bed-ridden from Friday night till Monday morning from a stomach flu. Ugh.
"I am just one stomach flu away from my ideal weight". Funny in the movie, not so funny in real life. My tummy hurt like a mofo all weekend *whimper*.
I felt awful all weekend. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, I could barely function. Worst was the fact that I couldn't leave the house for 3 whole days!
So no, nothing happened this weekend and I have nothing to write about. It was just tragically uneventful.
I did lose 3 pounds though :-D
I'm slightly better now, especially after a ginormous bowl of Pho at lunch just now with my 2 other Malaysian co-workers (plus a white boy). Yup, we drove to Pho 75 in this miserable heat for a bowl of hot noodle soup! The Malaysians are crazy :-)
I'm completely sated from lunch, and I want to just fall into a food coma right now, right here at my desk at work. Yawn. I feel bloated.
Trust me when I say I'd rather take bloated over having to run to the toilet every hour! @ 13:11
[tokyo express] Holy kwap! I just tried downloading a file in California from our Tokyo office and it was faster than downloading it from DC! Kwazy.
And it's no wonder coz our Tokyo office's pipe to the Internet is a brand new full 100Mbps fiber connection (!). As if that's not kwazy enough, they're only paying $275/month (!!) for that connection.
Yup, you read that right. JPY33,900/mth.
Insane! @ 10:32
June 14, 2007
[it's a boy!] One of the best text messages I've gotten in a looong time...
Its a boy! 6 pounds 11 born 14h june. 4.20 am. We have named him sachin. We will be in touch later as it has been a long night.
That was from my friend, Anu, in Perth (Australia). She just gave birth to a baby and the surprise was the baby's gender since she and Jayz didn't want to find out until the day of delivery. How old-fashioned! But fast-forward to the new millennium, I told Anu that she had better text me from the hospital or else...
And she did! 2 1/2 hours after Sachin was born :-D
Congrats Anu!!! @ 15:56
[new wedding rules] Fresh from a wedding in KL, I got these new guidelines for gay weddings - a twisted twist from the traditional rules. Enjoy!
1. On the day of a gay wedding, it's bad luck for the two grooms to see each other at the gym.
2. Superstition suggests that, for good luck, the couple should have: Something bold, something flirty, something trashy, something dirty.
3. It's customary, at gay and lesbian nuptials, for the parents to have an open bar during the entire ceremony.
4. Gay wedding tradition dictates that both grooms refrain from eating any of the wedding cake because it's all carbs and sugar.
5. It's considered bad luck for either of the grooms to have dated the priest.
6. During the first dance, it's considered unlucky to use glow sticks, flags, whistles or hand held lasers.
7. For good luck at the union of a drag queen, the bouquet is always thrown in the face of a hated rival.
8. The reception hall must have a disco ball and at least one go-go dancer.
9. The wedding singer is not allowed to play/sing Let's Hear It For the Boy, It's Raining Men, or I Will Survive.
And, by far, my favorite:
10. The father of the Bottom has to pay for everything!
ROTFL! @ 15:40
[here to stay] It is official - Gay marriage in Massachusetts has survived its final challenge.
Lawmakers in Massachusetts today voted to uphold the legalization of same-sex marriage in the state (which occurred in May 2004), and end a three-year campaign to roll back marriage equality for same-sex couples by anti-gay activists. Barring an effort to resurrect the discriminatory constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage in Massachusetts, the Commonwealth will remain the first and only state in the Union to permit same-sex marriage.
By a vote of 151-45 about an hour ago, the combined Constitutional Convention of the House and Senate quashed a bid to put the constitutional amendment to a statewide referendum in Nov 2008. The citizen-initiated referendum would've needed support from a quarter (or 50) of the 200 House/Senate members in two successive legislative sessions. In early January, the last Legislature moved the measure along with 62 votes; 12 more than necessary. A 17 vote swing in just five months meant that equal rights for all in Massachusetts will not be put to a vote.
The referendum was pushed by a citizen petition initiated by local and national groups trying to overturn the only victory to date for marriage equality in the US. The earliest social conservatives can raise the issue again is 2012.
"In Massachusetts today, the freedom to marry is secure," said a victorious Governor Deval Patrick. Equality triumphs again over discrimination! Thank you, Massachusetts! @ 15:14
[summer's here!] Ugh, jet lag's a bitch! I woke up at 4:45 this morning. So not fetch.
I am surprisingly chirpy this morning though. My belly is happy coz Tony fed me curry laksa this morning (with yummy rice noodles and shrimp). My teeth are also happy coz the dentist cleaned them this morning. I know, I must be the only person on the planet who loves going to the dentist.
See, I really detest cleaning my teeth. I spend very little time on them. I don't floss (well, unless Tony does them for me :-D) and sometimes I even skip brushing my teeth. And much to most of my friends' dismay, my teeth are perfect and excellent - or so says the dentist.
I did use to dread going to the dentist until my new dentist (on 19th/M) started using a water jet cleaning thingie that takes away all the unpleasant sensations and sounds from scraping metal on enamel. I love it. And this morning, he has installed a new LCD screen that shows you the X-ray of your gums/teeth immediately after they take the X-ray! Very fetch. Better still when the dentist says that your teeth are excellent. Yea, yea, I just love compliments *giggle*. In fact, I've been known to put out for them :-o
Before I forget, happy birthday mio cioccolato!! See, I love my cioccolato coz however old I am, he is always a year older than me! *evil laughter*
Wow, it's 60° right now. Kinda nice and cool after 17 days of blisteringly hot and suffocatingly humid weather in South-East Asia. I could do without the rain though (it poured like a mofo yesterday evening). I shouldn't get giddy about the weather since they are forecasting 93° (!) this Sunday.
I know this is a little late... um, like three weeks overdue or one week premature depending on whether your yardstick is Memorial Day or the summer solstice... but summer's here!!! Yay, me loves the warm weather long, long time. @ 10:09
June 13, 2007
[groggy] We're home!
Our flight from Tokyo yesterday arrived about 30+ minutes late (@ 4pm), but Rick was already at the airport waiting to pick our jet-lagged and stinky ol' asses up (hey, you'd be stinky too if you hadn't showered in 24 hours :-p).
I am *so* gonna regret passing out yesterday at 7:30pm for about 4 hours, staying up for the next 3, and then crashing again at 2:30am until 6:30am this morning. See, usually we get home closer to dinnertime and I can fight to stay up till about 9 or 10 or so before retiring for the night. Well, with the new non-stop from Tokyo, we got home at around 5:30 and I just couldn't stay up till bedtime.
I already foresee a whacked out workday today and a looooong recovery from jetlag.
*Yawn* @ 06:47
June 12, 2007
[UA804 NRT-IAD] It's been about 20 hours since we left Singapore's Changi Airport this morning, and yet it's still the same day (the 12th)! I love timezones, especially when they're in my favor :-)
We are in the last row of Business Class - yes, perilously close to Economy - on this "new" 777 route from Narita to Dulles (well, new since Oct). Previously, we would have had to transit in either ORD or the West Coast to get to DC. This new DC-Tokyo non-stop is a Godsend! We only have an hour or so left to our flight and then we're home! It was kinda awful before whereby after a 12-13 hour trans-Pacific flight, you still had another 2 hours to go from Chicago before getting to Dulles. This non-stop is sooo awesome. Thank you, United!
My only complaint is that this route is not being served by my favorite 747, so no exclusive upper deck for me *pout*. I have to mix it up with the heathens down here, and by heathens I mean the annoying coach passengers that do not get that they are *not* sposed to be walking through the shear curtains to the front cabins to use *our* restrooms! Grrr...
They had the Obento on this flight from Tokyo, and we were both asked for our meal choices first and got the Obento. I love being 1K! The Obento was surprisingly good considering my previous experiences with the Obento ex-NRT. For some reason, the Obento going *to* Japan is usually far superior but this time around, the Obento coming from Japan was pretty nice as well. The snack they just gave us prior to landing, however, was borderline inedible. Some ham and cheese thing with some creamy mushroom gross-tastrophe that made you go "eww". In between the two meals, we both crashed for 8 whole hours which is why I'm so chirpy now (I'm sure Rick would appreciate that since he'll be picking us up from Dulles in a few). I know, I'm becoming an expert on these long trans-Pacific flights - big meal + movie, then sleep, followed by light snack, and voila, you're there!
We both watched the same "one-word title" movies from SIN-NRT and NRT-IAD - Shooter and Breach. They were both interesting and suspenseful but the latter was far better acting-wise than the first. But shooter had lots of gratuitous shirtless shots of Marky Mark in it *drool*, even if the movie was pointless. Breach - based on America's worst traitor, Robert Hanssen - had Ryan Phillippe as one of the main characters *double drool* and the acting was really good.
Oh, funny thing on the SIN-NRT flight this morning (OK, yesterday evening... I need to start readjusting to Eastern Time). We got the same pair of flight attendants as we did on NRT-SIN seventeen days ago! Shocking huh? Apparently these lovely United ladies - Joyce and PeiPei - worked NRT-SIN on Sundays in May and SIN-NRT on Tuesdays in June. What a huge coincidence! And even after 17 days, as soon as we boarded they were like, "OMG! Mr. Tony and Mr. Kiat!", hahaha. What can I say, we're unforgettable :-D It also helped that we gave them compliment cards back in May.
Even without the deja-vu-instant-face-recognition thingie, the Singapore-based flight crew is outstanding in all aspects. Well, except for the food they serve but that's out of their control. I even dare say that the UA SIN-based flight crew is on par with Singapore Airlines (who are pretty damn fantastic themselves, btw) but with a whole lot more charm and personality. You should've *seen* the SQ flight attenants squirm when they tried to strike up a conversation with Tony (they only talk to foreigners) on our four flights with them this time around. It was as uncomfortable as a dry reptile crawling all over you.
Hmm, I think we're descending. Not sure, as our map thingie is broken on this flight. Yes, BOTH of ours. They are giving us some bonus miles for the inconvenience, yay! They love us.
Unfortunately, I think this is one of our last trans-Pac trips for awhile. The next confirmed trip is around Thanksgiving - FIVE very long months from now. Tony starts a new job tomorrow (yup, I told him he's crazy starting a new job the day after he lands from a 17-day timezone-fucked vacation in Asia!) so our vacation time is pretty much gonna drop to zero.
Oh, you didn't know he has been unemployed since March? Yup, he got laid off from Symantec just before they announced yet another miserable quarter absorbing costs related to the Veritas acquisition. I didn't throw a sympathy or pity party for him though - he got a fat 6-month severance! And since he's starting a new job mid-way through his severance period, he's gonna be double-dipping for the next THREE months!
I ain't feelin' sorry for him, that's fer shhhure :-) Besides, at the rate we were going the past few months - home renovations, 10th anniversary and 30th birthday celebrations, our "honeymoon", etc. - the severance has already all been spent *giggle*.
I think he's looking forward to joining Opsware tomorrow (out in Tysons, yuck). I'll be (half-)working tomorrow as well, fatigue notwithstanding. My boss has already been warned that I might be taking naps during the late afternoon hours when jetlag is at its worst *giggles again*.
I'm still a little sad about leaving Asia, and this feeling prevails anytime I spend more than a week in Asia, but I'm pretty excited about coming home to DC! It's getting easier and easier through the years to lead separate lives 10,000 miles apart - family and high school/colege BFFs in KL; job, current BFFs and Tony in DC. I am so emotionally attached to both that it sucks that I have to ping pong between the two all the time.
Soon, it will also be a monetary attachment in both. Yup, we're thinking about buying property in KL!
Would elaborate but we only have 30 minutes left... Lates! @ 15:36 EDT
[homeward bound] Y'missed me? Well, I'm comin' baaah-ack.
Haven't been writing much coz my time in KL was ultra-short and super-packed with family and wedding stuff. BTW, Ann and Stoney's garden wedding was A-MA-ZING, the tropical heat and humidity notwithstanding.
Anyho, it's 4:35am here in Singapore right now. I woke up about 50 minutes ago. Our flight to DC (with one very brief stop in Tokyo) leaves in just under 3 hours. Breakfast is arriving in 30 minutes (they're bringing a huge spread up to the room at 5:00am, amazing huh?) and we have to check out of here in about an hour. I have yet to shower (eww, stinky). Plus I'm dead tired. Not fetch.
This marks the end of yet another "gaysian in Asia" adventure - my fifth in the past 9 months, believe it or not. As usual, I'm sad to leave (mostly coz it's the end of a fantastic 2 1/2-week vacation plus I'm gonna miss my family and friends here) but I'm ready to come home and party!
Okie dokie, have to get ready to go to the airport. Hope y'all had a good Pride weekend! @ 04:47 Singapore
June 9, 2007
[uber-cheap] ... coz KL is super-fun, mega-happening and, most importantly for us invading with US dollars, uber-cheap!
@ Sky Bar, Traders Hotel
Love the city, totally cannot stand the humidity.
Last night, Wern, Tony/I hit three bars/club in three hours and dropped it like we were in our good ol' 20s when gravity was merciful (that seems like just last month...) - Sky Bar, 7eightnin9 and La Queen! They were all clustered within blocks of the Petronas Twin Towers pictured above.
And if you cannot guess what kind of club La Queen is, you shouldn't be reading my irreverent memoirs ;-)
I love the nightlife!
OMB, I am *so* gonna be late for the wedding (which starts in an hour's time!)... @ 08:53 KL
[girl power] Aaron just informed me that the Spice Girls are making a comeback *squeal*.
Friendship Never Ends... Spice to Come Back Into Your Life
Girl Power is back!
OK! magazine has confirmed that the Spice Girls reunion is well under way and the gals are getting ready to begin rehearsals in Los Angeles.
The rumor mill of a return has been running rampant for months now, but many put the slow-start down to Mel C..s lack of enthusiasm. However, it seems Sporty Spice is now stimulated to start singing again.
"If the other four girls want to do it, I don't want to be the one to hold things up,. she told the BBC.
I *love* the Spice Girls. I totally grew up in Univ on their music when I was in England. Even my str8 roomates were enthralled. I totally want to be Posh Spice; if for nothing else, I get to sleep with David Beckham. HOT.
Me:: yay!!! i wannabe five spice
Aaron:: Happy Pride... I miss you long time....
Jason:: They already have Ginger spice. Are you going to be MSG spice?
*giggle*
Aww, I miss my DC buddies... well, just a little bit.
Why just a little bit...? @ 08:45 KL
June 7, 2007
[kay-el] We are in KL now. It was quite a rude shock to have to leave Bali yesterday after 9 days of bliss but, oh well, life's a bitch, reality check and all that, right?
In case you're curious where all we went in the past few days...
DPS = Bali (Four Seasons Sayan and The Legian), JOG = Borobodur (AmanjiwO)
We have a shit ton of bags. One huge bag, three roller boards, one mahogany-framed painting (don't ask), one painting rolled in a tube, and two carry-ons. I have absolutely no idea how we're gonna cart all this stuff to Singapore next week, and then back to DC *giggle*.
We both slept through the night last night here, which is very unusual since the mosques are really noisy at dawn and the windows at my parents' house might as well be made of paper. Didn't hear the muazzin at all, thank God (or Allah, as it were). We were both dead tired as well.
Anyho, we're here for one of my bestie's (Ann) wedding. She is getting married, get this, outdoors. This is Malaysia we're talking about. It's not only hot all-day everyday, it's so humid you can pick it up with chopsticks. I have no idea why she's putting all of us through this swampy insanity. But she's the bride and, as much as I hate to admit it, it's all about her :-p
We're also here for Father's Day (well, one week early) and perhaps to celebrate my Dad's 60th which is in two months' from now but he already said we didn't have to come back for it. 60 is a big deal in the Chinese culture, or it used to be at least. There are 5 elements to the Chinese Zodiac and once your animal has completed all 5 elements, it's your 60th birthday (5 x 12 = 60... get it?) and it's a HUGE deal. Well, apparently not in contemporary Chinese culture. Then again, who am I to talk... I can barely communicate fluently in Mandarin, LOL!
Okie dokie... short trip here to see my family and friends. No time to write. Plus, something is up with my parents' high-speed connection coz it's d-r-e-a-d-f-u-l-l-y slow. Me thinks my brothers are up to some BitTorrent hijinks. I shall get to the bottom of that.
Toodles! @ 08:28 KL
June 5, 2007
[bali again] Selamat pagi! Good morning from Bali... again :-)
Coming from 6 consecutive nights whereby you had your own villa and your own private plunge pool, checking-in to the Legian last night was quite jarring indeed.
"What is this... a hotel *room*?"
"Where's my private pool??"
"WTF? No outdoor shower???"
OK, I'm being a royal high-maintenance bitch. The Legian is spectacular in its own right. The service, though not as spectacular, is perfectly gracious in its own right. Welcome drink, cold towels, friendly staff, fantastic turndown service with pillowside Valrhona chocolate brownies, etc. Wonderful spa, infinity pool, beachside setting (literally)... the resort is actually quite beautiful.
Nobody knows my name though :-(
The room... OK, the SUITE is HUGE. How huge? 1200 sq ft of huge! You walk in and there's a powder room (I know, GET OUT!) on the right and a kitchen on the left. Straight ahead is the dining room. To the left of the dining room is a "suite in a suite" with a four-poster bed and a gimongous bathroom with double-vanity, bathtub, shower closet, toilet closet, etc. To the right of the dining room is a huge living room leading out to a verandah with wraparound views of the Indian Ocean. Fetch.
BTW, did you know that both Bali and Java overlook the Indian Ocean with nothing between the islands and Antarctica? Fascinating.
Anyho, yes... BIG suite.
We have a very busy day planned today, and a driver who's at our service for $40/day. Seems paltry? Well, that's an enormous amount of money for the locals... I know, it's almost criminal. Last night, he picked us up at 4:30pm from the airport and stayed with us from the airport to the hotel to Ku De Ta (sensational beachfront restaurant/bar/club with fabulous sunset views) to Blossom at Sentosa (*the* best restaurant I've been to on this island so far) and then back to the hotel at 10pm. He just sits and waits at the parking lot of all these places. Amazing huh?
Ku De Ta was as I remembered it - super hip and fun and very, very cool for first time visitors. Tony was suitably impressed by the setting. Blossom restaurant was really hard to find, but *so* worth it. It's quite new, set in the lush gardens of the brand new Sentosa resort in Seminyak, Bali. The setting is poolside with a bar that's jaw-droppingly long and gorgeous. The lights are encased in birdcages and suspended from the ceilings. Very cool.
But above all, the fusion Thai food at Blossom was nothing short of mind-blowing. Little wrap thingies with salmon and yummy spices in them, oysters with spicy liquid in them topped with crispy fried shallots, a stunning sweet and sour pork dish that made us want to go back tonight, and braised beef cheeks in panang curry that is out of this world rich, complex and delicious till the last peanut sauce. One of the best Thai restaurants anywhere.
OK, I need breakfast now (yes, I've gained quite a few pounds on this trip :-p). Time to wake Tony up (he's a lazy bum) and start our day. Toodles! @ 07:28 Bali
June 4, 2007
[borobudur pics] We leave Amanjiwo in a couple of hours. Sigh. Here are some pictures from Borobudur:
On top of Candi Borobudur
Sunrise over Borobudur
One of 504 Buddhas watching over central Java
Candi Borobudur in all her serenity
It's so hard to leave such a beautiful place. Double sigh. @ 09:36 Amanjiwo
June 3, 2007
[extraordinary] I... want to live here. I don't want to leave. Ever. I am going to be so sad tomorrow when we have to go back to Bali and leave all this behind. I am going to latch myself onto one of the four posts of the bale in protest.
The past 24 hours has completely sealed the deal for me. I'm not sure what it is. Maybe it's the delicious food we've had for the past two days here in central Java. Maybe it's the fantastically gracious and unobtrusive service by the Javanese staff here. Maybe it's the transcending serenity and beauty of Borobodur and the surrounding countryside.
Or maybe it's because this is our first ever Aman experience and Amanjiwo is just extraordinary in every sense of the word. Extraordinary is just barely descriptive for this "home away from home".
Amanjiwo - "peaceful soul".
It sounds almost cliche but you can ask for anything here and you will get it. We've had two in-room lunches during out stay here, both outdoors and poolside - one under the bale and one on the ledge between the pool and the bedroom. You can eat anywhere, anytime and almost anything within the perfectly capable kitchen's ability. And the food - all of it - has been good to great. Nothing has been inedible. Compared to the static menu of the Four Seasons Sayan, Amanjiwo's kitchen churns out unique and mouth-watering local dishes that change every two days. From rijsttafel to makan malam, and a constantly changing lunch menu to "bapak, you can order anything and we will try and make it for you"... I just cannot say more about how good the food is here and the variety is mind-boggling for a resort that, at full occupancy, barely has 60 guests.
Last night after we got back from our cultural tour of Borobudur (which was fun, btw, but about as informative as a good reference book), we went to the gift shop and picked up some linen shirts. No one was manning the stores. We could've walked out of there with those shirts and no one would've cared. Or have known. We are far too honest for that, of course, so we found someone to ring us up. Not surprisingly, we didn't have to sign for the merchandise. But more surprisingly, the guy was gonna deliver our purchases to the room. He didn't even ask our room number. We had never met him before. He just knew. Just like at your own home, where everyone knows who the occupants are.
And just like at your own home, you just dump laundry in the basket whenever and the clothes magically come back washed, folded (or hung) in very little time. I'm sure they're keeping a tab on all our laundry but there's no form to fill out, no checklist, just trust them and they will deliver. And boy, do they deliver. Laundry comes back faster than you realize you're missing an item of clothing.
Housekeeping (if you can call it that) is amazing. We've never seen them. Not once. They just know to come clean your villa when you're not there. How do they know? I have no idea. They just do. We wake up in the morning, go to yoga, come back and the villa is in pristine condition like when you first arrived. This is at 8:30am! Better yet, we left the resort at 5 this morning and when we returned at 7, the villa had already been cleaned. They just clean it whenever you're not there. To perfection. By that, I mean orchids on every item in the room (soap bars, towels, etc.), fresh towels under the bale (for the pool) and everywhere else in the villa (trust me when I say we have enough towels here to soak up all the water in the pool), everything that was laying around would've been put back in order, and fresh fruits that are replenished constantly. Oh, let's not forget that the bed is also made. Shocking. Turn down happens... well, it just happens. When you leave for dinner at 7:30, they come by and by the time you return, the villa is refreshed for bedtime - towels (again), orchids (again), light barriers, mood lighting, a dessert snack before bed, the whole nine yards.
Did I mention the bouquet of flora that looks like it's been painstakingly put together by a team of florists? This thing looks like it would take me two days to make. A gift from housekeeping, the card on it says. It's heart-warmingly sweet and elevates the meaning of "service" to new heights.
Oh, speaking of yoga... Besides the practice being held in a gorgeous setting overlooking an infinity pool that "flows" into the rice fields which overlooks Borobodur (I know, the view sucks), at the end of each practice, magically ice cold water shows up for everyone. Plus ginger tea. Oh and did I mention the ice cold lemongrass-scented towels? Yup, each towel accompanied by an orchid. The same ice water/towel combo is offered to you everytime you get in any of the resort cars to go somewhere.
I mean, seriously folks... This place makes the Four Seasons look like the Holiday Inn. OK, that's an exaggeration - coz the Four Seasons is pretty damn amazing themselves - but you get my drift.
And finally (only because I can't remember all the amazing things that have taken place in this resort), we woke up this morning at 4:15 to witness sunrise at Borobudur... btw, Dawn at Borobudur is an experience you will *never* forget... By the time we got to the "lobby"... OK, I use the term "lobby" lightly. The "lobby" here is a majestic circular limestone pedestal under a rotunda that is shaped like a stupa on the outside to mirror Borobodur's form which you can see from the "lobby". Trust me when I say that this "lobby" is unlike anything you've ever experienced (flower petal shower by local village girls, anyone?) and you can never get jaded by the view.
Anyho, I digress. So here we are, 4:45am at the lobby... and there are fresh and hot croissants, pain du chocolat, coffee, orange juice, etc. laid out for guests who are being "inconvenienced" by the necessary early morning departure from the resort to experience the spiritual moment that is sunrise at Borobudur. Just imagine... someone in the kitchen woke up at, oh I dunno, 3am to bake those pastries for us - the guests at Amanjiwo.
Simply extraordinary.
Why, pray tell, would anyone want to leave?
I haven't even told you about our sensational morning at Borobudur. And I can't because the General Manager has arranged a "romantic dinner" for us tonight in recognition of our 10th anniversary. By our private pool.
Amanjiwo's magic pervades so effortlessly and sweepingly that I already know it's going to be a dinner to remember.
I am already achingly counting down the hours till our departure. I really, really want to stay longer. Barring that, I just cannot wait to return. Why can't I stay?? Pout. @ 19:29 Amanjiwo
June 2, 2007
[borobudur] Since I can't do it justice with my own words, I shall use the resort's to describe Candi Borobudur and its famed Buddha-enclosed stupas:
The glorious ninth-century Buddhist stupa of Borobudur - the largest Buddhist monument in the world - stands in the middle of the lush Kedu Plain of Central Java in Indonesia, where it is visited annually by over a million people.
Borobudur, 371-ft square, is a monument like no other. It consists of a series of concentric terraces of decreasing size that rise like steps to a central peak. It has no roof, no vault and no chamber; its masonry was laid without mortar. This basic simplicity of form is counterbalanced by extraordinarily rich and complex decoration.
Most striking of all, perhaps, are the beautiful bas-reliefs, in all some 1460 carved stone panels covering a total area of about 21,000 sq ft with another 6,500 sq ft of decorative carving surrounding them. These are arranged so as to take the visitor on a spiritual journey to enlightenment, and one ascends the monument past scenes depicting the world of desire, the life story of Buddha, and the heroic deeds of other enlightened beings - finally arriving at the great circular terraces at the top of the structure that symbolize the formless world of pure knowledge and perfection.
The four trace concentric square paths around the monument, each smaller than the one below it, so that when seen from above they form four concentric boxes. The first gallery is 289-ft long on each side, so that to walk all the way around the first level involves a journey of about 1,181-ft. The second gallery measures over 1,050-ft all around; the third is 945-ft and the fourth 840-ft. Thus a complete circuit of all four galleries covers a distance of about 1.2km or 3/4ths of a mile. There are also 432 life-sized Buddha statues - carved from solid volcanic rock - ringing the balustrades of the lower levels.
Ascending from the fourth gallery onto the round upper terraces, the visitor enters a very different realm. Placed upon the three circular terracces are 72 stupas - 32 on the lowest terrace, 24 on the middle, and 16 on the highest. The stupas are not solid, but consist of a stone lattice constructed in such a way that the entire surface is perforated with regular geometric openings which are diamon-shaped on the first two terraces, but square on the third. Visitors on the terraces who peer into these openings see a life-sized stone statue of Buddha within (72 + 432 = 504). From a distance these are invisible and one sees only the outer stupa.
The stupas are between 11 and 13 feet in diameter and height. The "anda" or body is bell-shaped. The stupas are topped by spires which stand on bases called "harmika". The harmikas are square on the lower two levels, octagonal on the highest level. At the highest point of the monument, in the very center of the structure, stands a huge stupa, measuring 52.5 feet in diameter.
It would be incorrect to call Borbudur a temple. It was not intended as a place to show devotion to the Buddhas, but rather as a place to achieve the practical end of becoming a bodhisattva (Enlightenment).
Um, I know quite a few of you that no matter how many times you walk the terraces of Borobudur, you'll never achieve Enlightenment :-D
I've already seen this awe-inspiring monument, but Tony hasn't. All that will change in less than two hours.
OK, wow... we just had room service (more like "room exquisite service") under the bale overlooking the pool on one side and Borobudur on the other. The best soto ayam I've ever tasted, and some fried spiced chicken thingie (ayam goreng bumbu) that was out of this world delicious. Even the excellent freshly-squeezed orange juice and the impossibly sweet but tiny little bananas are better than others. I guess quality does come at a high price.
Oh, let's not forget the unbeatable setting.
Best yet, we didn't have to sign for it! @ 14:35 Amanjiwo
[waisak day] Yea, yea, I'm feeling very chatty today relaxing under this bale thingie with nothing to do until 4pm. It's now almost noon and the heat and humidity is making me perspire even though I'm sitting in the shade.
Anyho, yesteday - the first day of June - was a bittersweet day as we had to leave the Four Seasons Sayan. After an elaborate Indonesian breakfast consisting of fried rice, fried noodles and porridge (yum, yum and yum) - an every morning ritual for me there - I took one last dip in our private plunge pool overlooking the Ayung River, one last outdoor shower and one last wistful wave at our perfect little villa before departing for the airport.
I was quite sad to leave until I got here.
Anyho, it took us an hour to get from FS Sayan to Ngurah Rai International Airport for our domestic flight to Yogayakarta (pronounced Jogja) on Garuda Indonesia. Tony remarked that he hoped it won't be cloudy on our flight in obvious reference to Garuda's most recent plane tragedy, one in a long string of unfortunate incidents involving Indonesian airlines. Well, I shall say no more on this subject since we still have to board one more Garuda flight back to Denpasar, Bali the day after tomorrow for a 2-night layover before going to KL.
The flight itself was short and uneventful. Upon landing at Jogja, we were met on arrival by Amanjiwo personnel and whisked away in an air-conditioned vehicle to the resort. As with the Four Seasons, there were refreshing ice cold towels and water in the vehicle waiting for us. OK, I know I sound like this is routine and how it should be for all airport arrivals but, no, I am not *that* spoilt. I was very impressed, though, by the size of Amanjiwo's towels relative to the Four Seasons Sayan and the range of beverages on offer (not just water). Plus, it was all free with Amanjiwo! The FS charged us $46 each way which is hideously expensive in a country where the round-trip cost would be equivalent to a month's wages for an average worker.
The ride to the resort took longer than usual (90 minutes!) due to road closures around Borobudur for Waisak. When we finally got here, though, it was all worth it.
After a fantastic "shower" of flower petals by little Indonesian girls at the entry to the resort (I thought it was my wedding!), we were quickly met by our "Personal Manager", Judin. Judin is our very own butler. He sees to everything. Tell him what you want and he'll deliver - except for the 90-minute elephant ride back from Borobudur tomorrow morning coz all four of the resort's elephants are already booked by other guests. Needless to say, I was not happy with Judin but I lost a bet to Tony so I'm not allowed to fume about it. That, and the elephant ride would've cost us $80/pp! Those better be some damn fabulous and non-smelly elephants. Actually, they are very cute, especially when we were feeding them in the lobby just now. And yes, I'm dead serious. Lemme tell you, this place is amazing.
But I digress... after a late lunch consisting of fried rice (nasi goreng) and noodles (mie goreng) - both of which were better than the Four Seasons - we were ushered to our jaw-dropping "suite" (I should really start calling it a villa) and massages were arranged for us... free! Part of the package. The massages were interesting for the both of us. I got a Javanese massage which was rather relaxing. Tony got the "pijat" which is this very, very deep tissue massage thingie whereby the masseur dives deep into the muscles between your joints and beats the crap out of them. Tony was in heaven, after going through a whole hell of pain. Both the massages were rather, um, touchy-feely. I have no idea why but recently, we've had a string of 'almost' happy-ending massages. Weird.
Ahh, I wish you could sit here with me under the bale right now and listen to the cacophony of calls to prayer from the numerous mosques that dot the Kedu plain which this resort overlooks. They don't all broadcast at the same time. Some are louder than others. Some are recorded, others are live. Some can even be considered musical while others are grating to the ears. Regardless, the reverberation of this multi-directional wailing from the multitude of muazzins off of the hills behind us is quite an awesome sound to experience. It's almost like Prayers in Dolby Digital. I heard it first yesterday at dusk hours after we had arrived and the sounds were mesmerizing. It is just as fascinating now, perched high above all these villages with their own mosques, encircling the largest and most important Buddhist monument in the world. Religious tolerance and harmony at its best.
Dinner was promptly served at 7:30pm, though I had very little desire to eat after a heavy lunch four hours before. The reason for the set time was because Tony wanted to participate in the Indonesian Rijsttafel Dinner which included classical Javanese Dances and a full troupe of Gamelan Music. The food last night beat the pants out of the Balinese Rijsttafel Dinner we had at the Four Seasons Sayan, so it was quite worth it though I didn't eat very much.
The menu:
SOTO AYAM JAWA TIMUR
Javanese style Chicken Soup with Glass noodles, Egg and Bean spourts***
RENDANG DAGING
Braised beef with Ginger and Coriander Sauce
TERI TEMPE KERING
Caramaleised Bean cake and Salty dry Shrimp with Tamarind and Chilli
KARE IKAN
Snapper cooked in Spicy Curry Sauce
AYAM PELALAH
Shredded Chicken with Chilli, Lemongrass and Lime 'Sambal'
UDANG BAKAR
Grilled River Prawn with Chilli Sambal
SATE KAMBING BAKAR
Grilled Lamb Satay with Spicy PEanut Sauce
URAP-URAP
Blanch Vegetables with Chilli and grated Coconut
GUDEG
Braised Young Jackfruit with Coconut Milk and Palm Sugar
SERUNDENG
Grated coconut with Palm Sugar
ACAR NANAS (Pineapple Salad)
KRUPUR UDANG (Prawn Crackers)
SAMBAL TOMAT, SAMBAL BAJAK, SAMBAL ULEK (Condiments)
NASI PUTIH, NASI KUNING (White and Yellow rice)***
BUBUR SAGU
Sago and Sticky Rice Dumpling in Coconut Ginger Syrup
Delicious.
It's almost lunchtime. Breakfast is still sitting heavy in my belly. What to do...
I love feeling this lazy and gluttonous! @ 12:04 Amanjiwo
[home] They try really hard here, at Amanjiwo, to make you feel at home. For starters, and by far the most notable aspect of our stay here so far, is the fact that you don't have to sign for anything. After you eat, you can just get up and leave. The same applies for after a massage or an excursion. You can do whatever you want and you won't see a bill. And you don't have to tip. Of course, in the background they are methodically adding up your bill for when you check-out but the magic of an Aman resort is being treated like you are at home.
The feeling is quite magical.
To emphasize the point that you are being welcome to their "home", this is how their Guest Directory starts:
Ngaturaken sugeng rawuh ing tanah Jawi ...
Welcome to Java.
Amanjiwo is a Family. We hope that during your stay with us you will consider our home to be your own.
We at Amanjiwo have only one desire, and that is to please you.
Please ask anything of us, we will do our best to fulfill your wishes. Our own wish is that you fall in love with Java, our culture and us, its people.
Have a wonderful stay.
Thank you,
Keluarga Amanjiwo (Amanjiwo Family)
Cool, huh?
Amanjiwo at Home
We would rather not bore our guests with the usual hotel service directory. Amanjiwo is intimate, and we would prefer to show you around the house personally. Suffice to say, we wish you to be pampered and cared for.
The Household Staff are at your disposal 24 hours a day. Simply as and we will do our utmost to oblige.
Amanjiwo is a Javanese home - refined, yet full of warmth. Our style is casual yet elegant, and our ultimate wish is to be "perfectly unpretentious and unpretentiously perfect."
And the rest of the guest directory is written in a similar casual format with pointers, tips and suggestions on how to spend your time, what to see/do, etc. or simply practise "The Art of Doing Nothing" as they call it here at Amanjiwo.
This resort is like none other I've been to.
Yesterday was Waisak (or Vesak/Wesak) Day, the holiest of Buddhist holidays. Fittingly enough, there was a huge event at Borobudur to commemorate the date which, unfortunately, meant that the temple was closed until this morning i.e. we couldn't do the famous "Dawn at Borobudur" tour that only Amanjiwo guests are allowed to participate in. Yes, you have to wake up at 4:15am so that you can get there before the sun rises at some God awful early time in the morning (5:45), but apparently the experience is so spiritual and moving you'll remember it for the rest of your life.
Mmm-hmm, you'll hear about my assessment tomorrow morning after I have finished bitching endlessly about having to wake up at FOUR o'clock in the morning. Stank.
Hmm, Tony is, as I type this, laying out on one of the chaise lounges. Naked. Don't worry, the "suite" compound - bale, pool and outdoor terrace included - is private (similar to our villa at the Four Seasons Sayan and no, don't ask me how many times we've had outdoor sex this trip). With the equatorial sun mercilessly beating down on his pasty white skin. Me thinks he's gonna regret this. Then again, who am I to talk... eschewing insect repellant for our entire stay in Bali and monumentally regretting that decision now as I survey my bug bite-covered body. I look like I have chicken pox!
Anyho, we are off to Borobudur this afternoon for a guided intellectual tour. Should be fun. My first and only visit here 6+ years ago (with Su Ann on a crazy whirlwind weekend trip from Jakarta... don't ask) was merely an uneducated teaser. We lingered in the tropical heat under the ridiculously intense sun just long enough to climb all over the temple and take a few pictures. I am ready to learn a lot more about Borobudur.
So... what on earth is all the big fuss about this damn monument? @ 11:28 Amanjiwo
[gift] I am laying out under the bale (outdoor pavilion) in front of our suite. In order, the outdoor tub, the huge four poster bed, the infinity plunge pool and the bale form an axis where the line of sight of Candi Borobudur - two miles away - is uninterrupted. Stunning and awe-inspiring.
Looking east, south and west, all I see are the jagged 3,000-foot peaks of the Menoreh Hills surrounding the resort like a horseshoe. Looking north, I see the magnificent temple of Borobudur, like an imposing structure on a pedestal, surrounded by the verdant rice fields and coconut groves of the Kedu Plain bounded by a majestic procession of 10,000-ft high volcanic cones in the distance.
It is God awful out in this rainforest like heat and humidity, but under the bale surrounded by nature's finest on display crowned by one of mankind's most significant achievements, it is not only tolerably cool it is just perfect. Ladies, life doesn't get any better than this!
Yoga this morning was fantastic. The practice was held at 7am (!!) under the rotunda of the Dalem Jiwo - a beautiful round pavilion built to mirror one of the stupas on top of Borobudur. It was a beautiful and inspirational practice led by some famous Nu Yawker named Lawrence. He started off this morning's practice with this:
"The past is history. The future is a mystery. Here and now is a gift. That's why they call it 'present'."
It may seem corny at that time but just laying here amidst this majestic beauty, I cannot help but think that being here is a gift.
Amanjiwo is a gift I will cherish for a long time. @ 10:41 Amanjiwo
[amanjiwo] Paradise has a name, and it is Amanjiwo.
Oh. My. Beyonce.
Words cannot describe how heart-stoppingly beautiful this resort is. Flanked on three sides by the Menoreh Hills, Amanjiwo looks out over Candi Borobudur - the world's largest and most elaborate Buddhist monument - in a series of cascading "suites" (they are more like villas) sprawling out in a semi-circle towards the Kedu Valley which is encircled by four volcanoes - Mt. Sumbing, Mt. Sundoro, Mt. Merbabu and the famous Mt. Merapi (which erupts on a regular basis).
You know you're in a special place when the resort itself, at 10 years old, rivals the serene beauty of a monument that's over a thousand years old. Built in 760, completed in 830 and lost since 928, Borobudur was rediscovered about 2 centuries ago after a millennial slumber, a full 47 years before Angkor Wat was found in the jungles of Cambodia. Amanjiwo itself is built out of limestone and its design mirrors that of Borobodur.
I won't bore you with the details. But we are here for three nights on the Cultural Trails package. We booked ourselves into the "lowest" category suite (at $730/nt, hence the quotes), but upon arrival and in recognition of our 10th anniversary, they upgraded us to their highest category suite (which would've cost $480/nt more). Our suite has a dead-on view of Borobudur, the surrounding farmland and the volcanoes. With a private plunge pool *squeal*.
[L] The private pool and the bale, viewed from the bedroom
[R] The private pool and the "suite", viewed from the bale
The view from the bale/kubuk
I can only describe the view as overwhelming. Pictures do not do it justice. The sense of tranquility pervades every square inch of this magnificently picturesque area in central Java. Whereas the Four Seasons Sayan was surround-sound jungle, Amanjiwo is a widescreen assault on the senses in the most pristine way.
This is it. I just got here and I already want to stay or, barring that, return. That, alone, tells you how perfect this place is. Amanjiwo means 'peaceful soul'. I can be totally be at peace with this place for sure.
The lack of high-speed internet in the room is definitely a problem though, LOL!
Yoga starts in 10 minutes. Lates! @ 06:50 Amanjiwo
30 :: rehomo pics
30 :: ten years later
28 :: cities and wealth
28 :: a stormy summer in dc
27 :: goodbye...
25 :: kiat @ queen
23 :: sex talk
23 :: we're here!!!
22 :: innovate or evaporate
22 :: one month later
22 :: not so blonde
19 :: three nuyawkers?
19 :: lauriol soirée
19 :: swampy dc
18 :: NYC + 34.4%
18 :: true love
18 :: *whimper*
18 :: tokyo express
14 :: it's a boy!
14 :: new wedding rules
14 :: here to stay
14 :: summer's here
13 :: groggy
12 :: UA804 NRT-IAD
12 :: homeward bound
09 :: uber-cheap
09 :: girl power
07 :: kay-el
05 :: bali again
04 :: borobudur pics
03 :: extraordinary
02 :: borobudur
02 :: waisak day
02 :: home
02 :: gift
02 :: amanjiwo