Rawa Island Retreat

I was at a loss for words. I will never go to Krabi or Phuket ever again. Because this mutherofallbeach totally blew us away!
Here's my report.

Date: 18th October 2008. The pre-monsoon season.
How we got there: Drove to Mersing, by the 'Kota Tinggi' way. Some windy trunk roads. Some fog. Many plantations along the way. Overtaking skills are put into good use here.
We set out at 6.15am to catch the 9am boat. There are two trips to Rawa daily and they're at 9am and 12 noon. To make full use of the day, we opt for the 9am ride.


After stopping for a quick breakfast in Mersing town, we made the final stop at Rawa office, at the Mersing jetty. They have a private parking lot for you if you drive. There, you pay the remaining reservation fees. If you didn't get to book your dream chalet, here is the time to ask if there is any left. Chances are, someone may cancel their bookings. I actually got to choose if I wanted the beachfront unit, but I passed, because it had two single beds. Not good if you have a kid who sleeps WILD.


"I'm an emo model. Bite me"


Rawa jetty


Boat ride. The sea is smooth, the sky is clear!


P A R A D I S E




The FUN slide.


Postcard shot.


The restaurant.


Pathway to our Hillside Standard room.


I just love these pebbled wall chalets.


The room. No electricity from 9am to 12 noon, everyday. It's basic. A thick mattress, NO blanket, air con, wall fan, side table, a dresser, two rattan armchairs, a coffee table, bathroom with shower. The sink was leaking though but hey look at the beach, all your worries slip away...



The time to swim is 10am. Perfect tide. You'll know why later. Luckily we took the earliest boat ride or else we'd have missed this.

Shady part under the jetty.




After a hearty buffet lunch, delicious by beach resort standard, we lazed on the hammock and took a nap. I was eagerly waiting for the evening for another swim.


Then evening came. I woke up at 4.30pm sharp to get ready. We put on our swimwear and head out.

WHERE IS MY PARADISE?! This is awful! We can't swim! And nobody is! Oh no, this is bad! I was sorely disappointed.
These are actually beautiful corals and wonder awaits.




It wasn't that bad after all. We had fun catching crabs and admiring the corals. It was kind of a blessing in disguise because we could see all these beautiful corals upclose without having to dive/snorkel.






We found this secluded sandy spot at the end of the beach.



The jetty after sunset. It looked so hauntingly beautiful.


BBQ dinner. The prawns were fabulous. Now the tricky part. There aren't many entertainment on the island. We had no TV in our rooms, which I thought was a good thing. For after dinner recreation, there is an internet and TV room where you can bring your own DVD to play. ASTRO is shown at the restaurant area on projector screen ( usually sports channel ). There is also snooker tables ( quite expensive rental though), some board games, ping pong and loads of magazine to browse. Coincidently someone was playing Monster House DVD so Daniel 'tumpang tonton' while Paul and I had a whale of a time playing ping pong. Such simple fun.


The next morning, I set out on my own at 8.30am to take a stroll along the beach.

A school of fish below the jetty. There are plenty of other pretty fishes around the jetty so it's a good spot to snorkel.

My beautiful beach is back.



Some of my favourite shots. The light was just amazing.





Goofing around before departure.



We stayed for one night, and we're definitely going back there next year. It's just too beautiful not to!

Recession Proof Career

Top 5 Recession Proof Career

1. Prostitution (booming lately due to increased number of stressed men)
2. News anchor, radio DJ, singer, actor, model, the sexier the better.
3. Psychologists, therapists, counselors, the sexier the better.
4. Porn.
5. Tobacco.

Need a change?

Two Blue Lines

Three years ago around this time, I was reeling from shock. The shock that followed after my eyes set upon two blue lines that appeared almost instantly on the home pregnancy kit. The two blue lines that changed my life. The two blue lines that I wasn't ready to see. The two blue lines that were saying "Yes, it's true. Deny all you want".

I was almost 28.

The immediate thoughts were:
1. THIS CAN'T BE IT. But I knew kits were pretty accurate, no point peeing on 9 sticks.

2. This CAN'T be it.

3. NO WAY. I'm not fertile! OK, gimme some time for this one as it goes a long way back. All my life, I'm fed with the idea that I, will not be able to bear a child. Because as a young girl, I was scrawny skinny gangly and looked fragile ( I actually wasn't ). You know how when aunts and moms gather to chat and gossip and make up stories, in the end of it all, they always turn to me and shake their head. Once, in a fit of rage (I merely forgotten to drink the tonic she brewed that day), she laid a curse on me that felt so real I knew it's going to be real. In that 5 minute curse, sentences like these became a permanent mantra in my head ever since, even till now. "You will NEVER bear a son for Paul" "You will NEVER have babies"
Caught your skin didn't it. Then my vision came back to the two blue lines.

4. But we're NOT married yet. This is the thrilling part. It was a wee bit too soon. Or maybe it was an alarm clock. He proposed on Valentine's day that year. He cooked lamb chop and cut carrots into shape of hearts. I was home late after a long traffic jam. I was cranky, but he was patiently waiting. We ate our candlelit dinner. And he says the usual prelude men sometimes say when they are about to dig their own graves, like "We've been together for how long darling? 5 years? And in this 5 years, we...*this this this*. You *this this this*, I *this this this*" I didn't see it coming really. And then he kneeled down, with a ring in his hand. Instantly, I cried. This is the mysterious part. I had absolutely NO control why I cried. I would NEVER cry at proposals! It still makes me wonder. Maybe the heart says its for real. Another funny part is, we never planned our wedding after the engagement. Traditionally, after you get proposed, you announce it, then you set the date and start planning like any good girl would do right? We did not. It was la la la, just another day today and tomorrow, la la la.

Until the two blue lines.

The two blue lines that stopped the time, and changed almost everything I once believed in.

Now, for the first time, we WANT to see two blue lines. We want to smile and cry for joy. We humans are picky and demanding innit.

Beach Itch

Every year around this month, I get this urge to hit the beach. It HAS to be September/October when the monsoon is near and the resorts are all booked. I don't get this itch any other months. I have this affinity towards the unattainable and sometimes ridiculous stuff. So, I'll be spending the next couple of weeks resisting this itch coz i ain't go nowhere.

While the itchy fingers surfed some beach holiday sites, I recalled a new boutique resort in Pulau Tioman. Boutique resorts in Tioman or any other West Coast islands in Peninsula Malaysia are literally unheard of.

Lo and behold the Japamala Resorts took my breath away.

It's something you'll expect in Bali or Ko Samui. But it's at Pulau Tioman! Somewhere I can actually get to without flight! We can drive to Mersing and take the ferry. It's so doable!



This place seriously spells honeymoon. But I wanted to include the little noisy non-stop monkey. So I called them up.

Villas and chalets are built on the cliff. Sure, the view could be breathtaking but I don't want to lose my breath catching the little rascal hanging on the balcony. But then so far, he's a sensible kid who is afraid of height and danger so it's unlikely to catch him hanging onto anything . Then again he's 3 and anything is possible. Dilemma!

Oh lordy my entire being is itching with the beach bug!

Sunday Afternoon

The boy has been watching too much TV. Too much Tom and Jerry. So I had to do something more interesting to a 3 year old.

From the box of BUNCHO oil pastel PC gave me back in 1998, I made him these.


First from left. PikPokBuggyWok. A cute bug by day, evil slaying villain by night. Spots on his face becomes his poisonous weapon which he shoots at 380kmh and instantly immobilizes and digests his victims into a pulp of tonic goo which he sips while strategizing his world domination.
Then there's the chick. Got blonde hair OK.
And the Ultraman ( in case you can't recognize, the third one from the left, like duh) is a mistake I know. Where Ultraman got blue light at his forehead wan! Any Ultraman expert care to share your expertise? And oh, the Spidey is a masterpiece I know! I can, like sell it on ebay yeah!



Just goofing around.

My New Etsy Banner

With my very limited Illustrator skills, this is what I whipped up. My new banner for my aruricards@etsy shop.



I drew the birds! Free-hand! Using my MOUSE! CAN! Selamat Hari Raya!

Etsy oh etsy, what can I say about etsy. It changed my life. I'm hooked on it whether I want to or not. It's the greatest online shopping site I've ever found, and now my colleagues are hooked on it too. I spend more money than I make there. Sales have been slow for me these weeks but I still enjoy listing them everyday. It's just too fun.

By the way, hubbie is off golfing, and Daniel is home with TitaJosie! Everything I prayed for is answered, one by one. Next up, is re-introducing him to school. Please no more emotional trauma.

Housechores-Free

Quote of the day:There are two major experiences that change a woman's life; motherhood and getting a good maid.

For the past few mornings, I wake up feeling like I just had a wonderful dream. Then I pinch myself. Ouch. I get out of bed and climb down the stairs. The living room is neat. All his toys that were scattered the night before are now tucked away in his toy corner. The cushions smell fresh. The curtains are tied. The glass door is almost invisible. My dining table is CLEAR. My laundry basket is empty. The clothes are washed and hung. The clean ones are folded. The kitchen is spotless. Food is prepared.

OH MY GODdess of domestic housechores-that-kill-me-sometimes.

Should I go on? The front porch is swept. Today's paper is on the lazy chair. The yesterday's paper is in the recycling basket. Shoes and little bicycles are arranged in a row. Plants are watered. Weeds are pulled.

Some more? My toilets are eye-blindingly sparkling. Mirrors are polished. Sink is WHITE. Everything is arranged. Toilet roll replenished. Bin emptied. Toilet bowl smells like flowers. My fallen hair GONE from the floors. Bathmats dry.

It's surreal. I couldn't believe how much time I have now to actually live my life. I couldn't believe how the chores controlled my life before. They are endless!

The best part of all is coming home to a nice home-cooked dinner.

The only challenge now is getting DC to be willing to stay home with her alone. PC and I are on this mission to lure him hehheh. We are going to get more and more exciting stuff home as a pull factor, and get the maid to 'bodek' him. What to do, he has been the little emperor back at his nanny's place. This deserves a whole story-telling some other time.

PS2 in our living room now. Next, a koochie woochie little puppy!

Old Wood Old Friends

I'm back at work after one year of .... not one year? No? 4 days? Only? Jeesh, it feels like an eternity. That's how long weekends feels to me.

SO, we went back to Seremban. We reached, unpacked, and had to dress up for a wedding reception up in KL, at Banker's Club. Apparently, it is a sophisticated private club primarily for business execs, community leaders and their international associates to meet and entertain in an atmosphere of exclusivity.

If you're getting married and looking a place that spells and smells high-society-serious-business, this is the place. The pink rose petals on the tables didn't help. Nyaha.

It is an elegant traditional English-style setting. Lots of red wood, equestrian oil paintings, chandeliers and professional waiters who dressed better than some of the guests.







And there's my little man who attracted the cameraman throughout the reception, like flies to dirty diaper.
Next up, Josie my new Filipina helper!

Roots and Shoots

I came across this wonderful piece of philosophical analogy of life.

In the life of trees, one key to survival is having more roots than shoots. In his book Oak: The Frame of Civilization,, author William Bryant Logan says, “If a tree puts on a lot of top growth and few roots, it is liable to be weak-wooded and short-lived. . . . If a tree puts down a great deal of roots and adds shoots more slowly, however, it is liable to be long-lived and more resistant to stress and strain.”

People and organizations can be like trees. The rise to prominence is exhilarating, but anything that puts up shoots faster than it puts down roots is fragile and in danger of breaking, falling, or dying.

Start rooting mates.

Yam Sengs and Maam

These days, my mind gets cluttered like Wall-E's collection of garbage. By the way, Wall-E is a must-watch family movie. Any monstrous 3 year-old will sit quietly for the whole 2 hours and laugh. So do any monstrous 30 year-olds.

Pixar, as always, is genius.

This weekend, we'll be in Seremban and KL, and KLIA to pick up our new domestic helper! During the process of hiring her, I've learnt a lot, and faced many hiccups on the way too, up to one point when I almost say "Fuck this, I give up". The Philippines government are really making it difficult for their people to feed their families, aren't they. Everything tax. Everything fees. Even before they can earn their first paycheck, they have to fork out money to get work overseas and be in debt for the first 6 months or so. Poor thing or not.

And 3 weddings to attend this month and next. One same dress. Value for money.


Yaaaaaam Seeennnnggg!

browhaus

Hi, I'm 31 and I had my eyebrow waxed for the first time. Suddenly I feel as beautiful as Monica Belluci.

Here Car There Car Everywhere Car Car

My whole morning was like this. Everywhere I go. Pasir Gudang highway, Permas bridge, town, causeway, customs, BKE, PIE, AYE. I almost spent 3 hours in my car!! And I didn't bring my sewing project. Of all days!!

I was fidgeting, restless and PMS-ing. Everything irritated me. Everything but the thoughts of my little koochie brat*awwwwwyoupoochiekoochiekoo*

On days like these, I wished I was a stay-home mom.

Daniel is Stubborn as a Mule

Things you should know about me:

1. I am tall. I'm up to mummy's hipbones.
2. I connot pronounte S, F, L, X and Z. When I shout UTTER! UTTER! I mean FASTER! FASTER!
3. I am whiny.
4. I can count pretty well.
5. I don't really know colour yet. Mummy thinks I'm colour-blind. So far, I know purple, orange and black. And the colour of my poo.
6. I love to pretend I'm a crocodile, dinosaur or a puppy, who eats from the floor.
7. I absolutely LOVE bathtime.
8. I just learnt how to cycle. With training wheels. WithOUT my shoes... and clothes.
9. I can swing my own mini golf club.
10. I always say Thank You and Sorry, when I accidently whack mummy's leg/arm/face/nose/chest/belly/back.

Coffee or Tea?

Do you believe that certain clothes you wear affects your day and your luck/aura?

While driving this morning, TWO, not one, not none, but TWO gentlemen gave way to me!

I gotta wear this more often.

Inbox (Zero)

It's weird, but maybe it's not. It's just me. These few days, I am the person whom others don't reply to. Maybe this is a very normal thing. But ever since I joined the seller community at etsy, I have learnt a thing or two about people's behaviour, and to accept it.

I used to get excited when I receive a conversation from people who ask about customizing this and that, and about bulk order. They sound genuinely interested. And I usually oblige. Then. No reply.

Then this seller-to-be from KL chatted with me. All nice, hahaha, wow wow, yah yah. Just 3 conversation back and forth. Then. No reply.

S was supposed to meet me to pass me some goods. Few smses. Call you later. Then. No reply.

I sent some commissioned design work via email. No response.

Old friend. Smses. No reply.

Perhaps, I myself, have been guilty of not replying people sometimes. Eeek.

Queen of Laziness

I think therefore I am.

My day started with a SHITWHAT"SHAPPENINGHEREANDWHYISEVERYBODYSUCHANIDIOTTIUNIASENGYOUFRYINHELL!
I wore my black silk cheongsam top today, for the first time after it's been sitting in my wardrobe for ages. I think it attracts dark aura and bad luck.

First thing in the morning, I found my car blocked by PC's car in the driveway. So, to get out, I had to reverse his car out, park it a while at the side, reverse my car out, park it in front of a neighbour's gate, because all the spaces are taken up, drive his car back into the driveway, then, get my car.

Just when I was opening my car door, my neighbour's auto gate FLUNG OPEN!!! And it's no the soft open type of gate, it's the speedracer swiftster type.

Yes, kena my bumper.

I now add 2 more microscopic insignificant scratches onto my ol' faithful City.

Then my blouse stopped attracting the dark auras.

Another day at work...

Yeah Yeah

I'm exhausted, numb, dazed and care-less.

I realized I can't change the fact that after all these years in my life so far, no matter how I tried, I AM a private person. Crowds, noise, movements, going places, talking and laughing perpetually, AND keeping a watchful eye on DC all at the same time, results in today's mood and probably for the rest of the week. It's age, it's my character, whatever.

Bleh. That's the word.

I feel like I just came back from the Olympics in the sport of entertaining. Battered, bruised and lost.

The actual reasons are :
1. DC is a bag of bricks. These days, I can't carry him for long. But I had to, yesterday. In a mall. Up. Down. To see fish. To play at the modern mall playground. To yank him out of the playground. To sooth him. To bear with his crankiness due to skipping naptime. Cook. Clean. Laundry. Here. There. Everywhere.
2. The mental energy draining love-hate relationship with my mother. She's so kanchiong and gabra, she made my blood pressure up in 2 minutes! On the phone! No, no, I don't blame her. It's not her fault. She is the way she is and I accept that. But I also accept that she makes me feel like I want to kill myself sometimes. Everyone, at some point experience this love-hate thingy with their mothers/fathers... right?

I was in a good mood. That was why I didn't explode. I would've burst into tears, and made a scene in front of my relatives. I would've snapped. At my mom, at my husband, at my son. But I didn't. I couldn't care anymore. I just sat back, smiled and said,"Yeah yeah".

I should start looking for an island on sale.

I want eyelashes like that.


NO. I want to close my eyes like that and sleep until I feel like I can take on the world!

Your Fate and Prayers

What if you just found out that you were paving a career in the wrong direction all these years when you could've been a successful multimillionaire right now if you chose the right path back then.

What if you starting to find out bits and pieces of heaven's little secret about your life's fate and state of luck.

What if you could control your future.

I think people who seek astrological consultations are people who feels strongly that something is just not right about their life. They KNOW they could be bigger, but yet they're just not getting there... Or time after time, things after things, events after events keep happening that prevents them from getting there.

I'm a coward. I never dared to find out about my fate. Because I believe God already has a plan for me, and I shall accept it in true faith. Yes, I can say I'm happy now, I feel I have everything, and yes, my biggest fear is also losing what I have now. But when the days comes when I do lose something I treasure, I will pray for strength and acceptance.

There are things that friends and even my family don't know about me. That I pray often.
In my car during the jams, in the mornings when I reach my office, at night before I go to bed, or even while playing with my little boy.

Short prayers. Whenever I just feel like it. And I feel at peace after it. Relieved. God listened and that is all that matters.

There was one of the surveys in America, that the number one thing that people do when they have health problems is... believe it or not... PRAY!

The power of prayers is beyond comfort. It's as if you are confiding, and it feels good after that.

I believe it's the greatest skill in this fast-paced troubled world.

Say Thank You

Things Daniel say these days: "Say thank you Daniel" whenever he thinks he deserves it.

The maid thingy, is really starting to pinch me. Visa has been granted. The frustrating thing that is dingdong-ing back and forth is the agent. Malaysia agent, Philippine agent, how come no one seems to know ANY f***ing definite answers? Seriously, the websites are unreliable and useless, the agent here I am depending on to complete the process, is clueless himself. Everyone has to ask everyone, and no one is sure about anything! Why are they making this so hard? Stupid procedures!

This better be worth it.

More card projects coming. I'm doing a few commissioned digital pieces for a wedding videography company for their DVD cover, labels and menus ( quite lost on this one, because I'm a Photoshop retard! ), and 100 wedding invites for a colleague (mega project), 100 thank you tags for a childhood friend (rather mega, if you consider cutting 100 leaf shaped tags!) and a few potential etsy customers who had genuine interest in customizing a batch order, and who never replied. Maybe it's a blessing.

***
Update on the maid topic: FINALLY. What I need to do now, is send the contract forms to a Philippines agent, so that they can process it and collect the visa from the Malaysia embassy in Manila. I also need to fork out RM2900 for the agent fees. By right, this is deductible from the maid's pay. I may help her out on this a little.

***
I made some pouches out of natural calico, and the cute little birdie is doodle-stitched! I was never into embroidery and this is the furthest I can go. One-liners. These pouches are actually rather easy to make.




I sound like a stay-home-wife-mom-oh-what-a-sunshine-life here...hmm.