9/28/2009

BALI THE BEAUTIFUL

We finally took our first trip from Singapore and it was a doozy. Michelle and I were lucky enough to spend 72 hours on the Indonesian island of BALI.

We arrived late Thursday evening to the Ramayana Resort & Spa located in the southern town of Kuta. Our friend Greg described Kuta best as "The Ft. Lauderdale of Bali" which is quite the apt description, there is wall-to-wall traffic and people everywhere (tourists and locals who are selling to the tourists) but it was great... very different from Singapore. Once we got to the hotel, we noticed that the chaos outside was not noticeable inside, we were in the "eye of the hurricane", it was serene, it was relaxing and it was beautiful. We loved it instantly. After a fantastic dinner of Rendang Pedang (Hot Beef Curry) and Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice) we retired for the evening, excited for the coming adventures of the next two days.

We woke up late and took part in Ramayana's awesome breakfasts, then sat poolside for a few hours to get some sun. After that, we indulged in an amazing his & her massage that lasted for 2.5 hours (that included a foot bath, foot massage, full body massage and facial) for a measly $50 each... are you bloody well kidding me? Awesome way to kick off the vacation! After that, it was time to explore some of the island. We recruited the services of Wayan to tour us around the island for the next two days and he started by taking over to Nesa Dua, one of Bali's beaches which was a cool site since you could see Bali's two volcanoes across the water. Next we drove up to Uluwatu, an ancient temple on the southernmost tip of the island which is famous for it's views and it's thieving monkeys! The views are spectacular, the temple is on a 200 foot cliff that overlooks the Indian Ocean and since it was late in the day, we were getting to witness an amazing sunset. The monkeys were hilarious and they truly were thieves, lifting sunglasses, food and whatever else they could get their hands on and I'm not talking about a couple of monkeys here, I'm talking dozens & dozens of monkeys.

We also witnessed a traditional Kecek Fire Dance as the sun set at the temple, what made this unique was that the entire piece was sung by 40 Balinese men rather than having music for the performers, it was a uniquely cool show. We finished the evening with a delicious fresh seafood dinner on the beach and I'm not talking about a restaurant beside the beach, I'm talking about our table and chairs were in the sand next to the big waves of Jimbaran Bay. The beach was lined with tables and chairs, it was a touch touristy but still a cool experience and the food was fantastic (especially the chili butter grilled corn cobs).

Day 2 started even earlier as we took off before 9 for a full day of touring. We started in the town of Batubalan to watch a traditional Barong & Kris Dance. We then drove through Celuk & Mas to see some of the Painting and Wood Sculpture work that are done in those towns, we bought some pieces as well. We then drove up to Kintamani which is across the valley from Batur Mountain one of the island's volcanoes. Very cool scene to see all the lava devastation from past eruptions (yes, it's still active but "sleeping" as the locals say). Next, we drove down the road to a Plantation where we actually tried Kopi Luak, the infamous "Cat Poo Coffee", this plantation grows coffee beans, cocoa beans, vanilla, cinnamon, coconuts, chilis and bananas and they also house a few Palm Civet Cats, the creatures responsible for the poopy coffee. How does it taste? Strong, slightly bitter and there's a lot of sediment. I preferred the local "Ginseng Coffee" since a creature didn't crap it out for me to drink, but that's just me.

After a good cup of Joe, we visited Tampaksiring, home of the amazing Holy Spring Water Temple which is still in use today. Men and Women come from all over Bali to bathe in its blessed waters and pray throughout the day. Our guide told us that only the high priest is privileged enough to step foot in the actual "walled off natural cold spring" and that's only for religious ceremonies. We then drove through the rice terraces of Tegallalang as we made our way to Ubud (the somewhat "art" capital of Bali). There we toured the town, walked through the public market and checked out the palace, we will definitely be going back there for sure. A long drive back to Kuta, a drink at the bar and a dinner at the restaurant capped off our long day.

Day three was more relaxed, after breakfast and some pool time, we checked out of the room, left our bags at the hotel and explored the town of Kuta itself. It is a beach town and the beach itself is amazing, the sand, the surf, it was truly a sight to behold. We hung out there for a bit and came back a few hours later to watch the sun set. After that, a final meal before heading to the airport to catch our late flight home.

Our first weekend in Bali was amazing and I promise you, it won't be our last. We really fell in love with the place and I highly recommend you go and visit it when you get the chance but don't just take my word for it, check out our pictures from the weekend HERE!

9/22/2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIO!!!!!

Here we are in Singapore ready to celebrate Gio's thirty-ish birthday and I was remembering all the past birthdays we have shared. I have come to realize that he is one lucky guy with his globe trotting birthdays, which have also included Milan:

and Toronto...

and now Singapore!

AND tomorrow we are taking advantage of his first birthday in Asia to celebrate the right way, and heading off to Bali for the weekend!! We are really excited to begin the festivities tonight with our awesome S'Pore crew at Clarke Quay which will include food, bevies, live bands, a little whiskey and billiards.

Gio, I have had so many great years full of adventure, fun and love with you and am looking forward to many many more. You've come a long way Baby!!!





9/21/2009

9/19/2009

THE RAMLY

As we continue our adventure in Singapore, we also continue our Foody Adventure and thanks to my work buddy Stuart, he introduced me to the mysterious RAMLY BURGER! Now what is a Ramly Burger you ask? Well, here's a wiki description:

The Ramly Burger, also known as the Burger Ramly, is a Malaysian burger created by Ramly Mokninpopular in Malaysia and Singapore. While the amount and type of ingredients vary greatly depending on location, a typical Ramly Burger consists of a beef or chicken patty,margarine, onions, an egg, cabbage, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce and Maggi Seasoning. This list is subjective, however, as Ramly Burgers are famous for being highly customizable. Despite its popularity among Singaporeans, the import of Ramly Burger into Singapore is prohibited (a strange fact as frozen Ramly Burger patties are approved for sale there), along with all other Malaysian beef products. However, several stalls have smuggled the burger, albeit illegally, into the country. In particular, Ramly Burger stalls are rampant in pasar malams (Night Markets), which are harder to track due to their itinerant nature.

Another cool fact is that the Ramly is only available for Ramadan and at night, once Ramadan is complete, the burgers disappear. As it says, the Ramly Burger is "Highly Customizable" as was this particular Ramly Burger that Stuart to me to enjoy at the PayaLebar Night Market. Here's a breakdown of this burger:

1) Fry a burger patty (it wasn't beef, it wasn't chicken, probably goat) in butter
2) Split the patty into two thinner pieces, add more spice and butter and grill the insides
3) Grill the bun
4) Crack an egg and form a small, thin crepe with the egg on the grill
5) Place split burger patty in the egg and add more spices and a slice of cheese
6) Add Chili Sauce, BBQ Sauce and Mayo
7) Fold the ends of the crepe around the meat to seal in all the juice, spice and condiments
8) Place Saucy Eggy Burger into bun, serve & enjoy.

So there you have it, the Ramly Burger. Something you don't see everyday in Canada and one of the unique things you don't have to try everyday here in Singapore. But I did try it and liked it but I don't need to eat another one!

9/16/2009

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY CORSIWORLD!

Just a quick note that it is September 17th here in Singapore and that means it's our 4th wedding Anniversary, wow, 4 years of awesomeness has just flown by! I look forward to everyday with Michelle and look forward to 40 more anniversaries with her, I love you baby!

Here's a look at us (mainly selfies) here in Singapore! ENJOY!!!

9/13/2009

MOONCAKES

It's MOONCAKES time here in Singapore and the town is chock full of them. What is a mooncake you ask? Well, here's a little background on them...

Mooncakes are Chinese pastries traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The festival is for lunar worship and moon watching; moon cakes are regarded as an indispensable delicacy on this occasion. Mooncakes are offered between friends or on family gatherings while celebrating the festival, one of the three most important Chinese festivals. Typical mooncakes are round or rectangular pastries, measuring about 10 cm in diameter and 4-5 cm thick. A thick filling usually made from lotus seed paste is surrounded by a relatively thin (2-3 mm) crust and may contain yolks from salted duck eggs. Mooncakes are rich, heavy, and dense compared with most Western cakes and pastries. They are usually eaten in small wedges accompanied by Chinese tea.

Most mooncakes consist of a thin tender skin enveloping a sweet, dense filling. The mooncake may contain one or more whole salted egg yolks in its center to symbolize the full moon. Very rarely, mooncakes are also served steamed or fried. Traditional mooncakes have an imprint on top consisting of the Chinese characters for "longevity" or "harmony" as well as the name of the bakery and the filling in the moon cake. Imprints of the moon, the Chang'e woman on the moon, flowers, vines, or a rabbit (symbol of the moon) may surround the characters for additional decoration. Mooncakes are considered a delicacy; production is labor-intensive and few people make them at home. Most mooncakes are bought at Asian markets and bakeries. The price of mooncakes usually ranges from $10 to $50 (in US dollars) for a box of four although cheaper and more expensive mooncakes can also be found.

So most of the big hotels here carry Mooncakes and each of them offers a different variety of them. I went to the legendary Raffles Hotel to see their mooncakes and settled on a more modern "Champagne & Truffle Ganache Mooncake". I quite enjoyed it but Michelle was not a big fan. Anyways, it's cool to see the entire city getting into this Festival but I don't know how many of these things we will actually get, at least we tried them though.

Here's a look at 12 Moonkcakes you don't want to miss in 2009!

9/08/2009

BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINATOWN

This weekend we decided to take a walking tour of Singapore's CHINATOWN and one of it's popular areas CLUB STREET. After doing some business and the Bank and the Post Office (I can't remember the last time I stepped foot in an actual post office...), we grabbed some lunch at one of our favorite spots KPO Cafe Bar and enjoyed a delicious burger, we then took the MRT (yes Gamble, I took the train) to Chinatown.

Chinatown is cool, much like the San Fran or Vancouver Chinatowns, it's filled with different little shops selling trinkets, weird roots and every manner of salted/cured fish you could imagine. There are also some big ass malls (it wouldn't be Singapore without some big ass malls), restaurants, spas and a few cool temples and mosques. We toured around for a few hours and then headed to the kitschy shophouse-filled Club Street. Now at night, this place is hopping as it is lined with tons of restaurants and bars but during the day it's much quieter with only a few eclectic shops and bookstores open to the public. Michelle found some great perfumes while I ofcourse was enamored with all the toys.

We then walked through this cool little park at the end of Club Street called ANN SIANG HILL that took us back to another part of Chinatown where we found an awesome temple quietly celebrating the FESTIVAL OF THE HUNGRY GHOST. What the hell is the Festival of the Hungry Ghost? Well here's a quick explanation: The seventh month of the lunar year is devoted to the Festival of the Hungry Ghost, during which the gates of hell are thrown open and the spirits of the dead are released on 'parole' to roam the earth. Food, prayers, incense and 'hell money' are offered to appease the spirits. Celebratory dinners are held as well as performances of Chinese street operas or wayang. No marriages or dangerous journeys, such as sea voyages, embarked on.

Pretty cool eh? Anyway, Singapore is littered with burning barrels, incense and prayer tables for the ghosts so it's a pretty interesting time to be here. Anyways, we enjoyed our day tour through Chinatown and will be sure to return to Club Street one night when it's alive and kicking. For now though, you can see the pics from our day right HERE!!!

9/04/2009

THE LOCAL MONITOR LIZARD

So Michelle was on our deck watching the rain when she looked to her left cause she saw a log floating against the current in the canal. Upon closer inspection she realized it wasn't a log and then when it's legs started paddling, sure enough she realized it was a big MONITOR LIZARD. Supposedly they hang out in our area and like to swim up and down the canal to travel around, needless to say Michelle was shocked & excited and quickly grabbed the camera to snap a few pictures of the Lizard. We don't have a super zoom lens but Michelle did manage to grab the pic above which shows it quite well.

Welcome to Singapore, don't step on the lizards!

9/02/2009

GIO'S MOVIE ROUND-UP: AUGUST '09

HARRY POTTER & THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
  • Good, very good... but not great. Three is still my favorite. This one was entertaining but long and the mystery of "the Half-Blood Prince" was no mystery at all, it was reduced to a few lines of dialogue at the beginning, middle and end of the flick, no mystery at all. Still, entertaining and I must admit, I am glad that ALL the actors stuck with the series since the beginning. It will be cool to follow them until the end.
  • GIO'S OPINION: THUMBS UP
GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT (BLU-RAY DVD)
  • DC continues to impress with its animated line as FIRST FLIGHT chronicles the origin and inaugural adventure of my favorite DC character, Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern. A great story (a mix of the classic origin and recent events like "the Sinestro Corps" from modern comics), solid voice acting and decent animation with the right amount of space violence make this a memorable animated movie that I am sure to watch again!
  • GIO'S OPINION: THUMBS UP
G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA
  • It finally happened, my childhood has finally come to an end with the disaster that is G.I.JOE. If this movie was called anything other than G.I.JOE it would have been a light, cheesy, action romp with some over-the-top sequences. Instead we get this abortion that has nothing to do with all the cool comics and cartoons we grew up with. Snake Eyes has lips? Duke & Baroness used to date? Ripcord is a comedian? Brenden Fraser is Gung Ho? Cobra Commander wears a plastic halloween mask? Dear god, what happened to G.I.JOE??? The story was awful, the FX were subpar and the whole film should be avoided if you are a fan of the original source material. If I can pull anything out of it, at least Storm Shadow was cool.
  • GIO'S OPINION: THUMBS DOWN
THE PROPOSAL
  • Time to speak some truth, I like Sandra Bullock romcoms, they make me smile. Another truth, I think Ryan Reynolds is funny, don't believe me? Check out JUST FRIENDS, it still makes me laugh. Put these two together and it's romcom gold as far as I am concerned. I laughed a lot in this flick, she plays a Canadian bitch, he plays a spineless American and well, you can guess what happens. It may not be that original but it works
  • GIO'S OPINION: THUMBS UP
WATCHMEN: DIRECTOR'S CUT (BLU-RAY DVD)
  • So beautiful to look at, so boring to watch. What a disappointment, everything about it is fantastic except the overall movie, WATCHMEN truly is the unfilmable comic book and Alan Moore has the last laugh on us all.
  • GIO'S OPINION: THUMBS DOWN
THE HANGOVER
  • This is a funny, funny movie and lookee here Hollywood. No a-list stars, no crazy special effects, no huge marketing tie in, just a good funny story with some memorable characters. How did that happen? Bottom line, it's fun and it makes me miss Vegas.
  • GIO'S OPINION: THUMBS UP
BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (BLU-RAY DVD)
  • "When some wild-eyed, eight-foot-tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, and he looks you crooked in the eye and he asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what ol' Jack Burton always says at a time like that: "Have ya paid your dues, Jack?" "Yessir, the check is in the mail."
  • GIO'S OPINION: THUMBS WAY UP