Ayana Resort - Bali

We were greeted by monsoon on our arrival in Bali, which continued for the first two days of our stay.  However that didn't deter us from trekking over to Jimboran Bay area of Bali on our second night for drinks and dinner at Ayana Resort (which is where we intended to stay, but since we made the decision to go to Bali 3 weeks before departing during one of the busiest travel periods, the resort was booked out bar the USD2,000 suites..hmmm).

Despite the Rock Bar being closed due to said rain the hours spent at Ayana were incredible.  The estate is so incredibly large (10 minute drive to hotel once you enter the main gate!!).  The setting and sunset is probably one of the most incredible ever witnessed.  One thing that's never lacking in Bali is service.  Everywhere you turn you're greeted with smiles and hellos, but not the type you get in order to give a tip.  These are genuine and warm.

We flew into Bali at about 10pm on the Monday night and by the time we passed customs and got to our villa just before midnight (down the main road of Seminyak, then a sharp left into a lane way), B was convinced that somebody was going to kill us.  The smell and traffic (please do not EVER complain about traffic in a cosmopolitan city if you've never been to Bali) and a family of 6 riding on a scooter barefoot with no helmets was enough to have B frantically searching for the next flight out of Bali on his iPhone.  I managed to convince him to stay (I think the lovely villa helped me sway him).  He did however vow to not leave the room for the entire week.

Within 24 hours however his opinion of Bali had changed.  He was in love.  I will blog about the reasons why we fell in love with Bali in subsequent posts, but for now please enjoy dusk and sunset from Ayana Resort.

A lonely, wet Rock Bar

sass & bide linen shorts, sass & bide military detail top, zara double sided scarf I obsessed about for 3 days until I ran to buy it

Wedding chapel on the right!

View from the dinner table

Please pray for Queensland

I was really looking forward to spend a week in Brisbane and never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd spend the week watching 20,000 home be destroyed by flood waters as well as everything I know and love in this city submerged in dirty water full of raw sewerage and debris.

Museums, libraries, our first family home, my old university, many buildings where I worked were flooded.  And all anyone could do was watch and wait to find out how high the river would rise.  It has been raining for months - water from dams had to be released as the dams were at almost 200% capacity and something literally had to give.  To make matters worse, the rain is expected to continue until April.

The clean up effort will be unimaginable and the cost and devastation huge, with many insurance companies not covering floods.  If you can spare anything at all, please donate to the flood appeal.  Even skipping your $4 morning coffee and making a donation will make a difference.

Random shots of Singapore & Sentosa Island...

Singapore's oldest Chinese temple

With a Coke vending machine! HA!

The stunning and tranquil botanic gardens

The amazing colours of Little India

ION Orchard

Cafe Del Mar

This year I want to...

• learn how to say no.  I take on too much, do too much for too many people.  I drive myself nuts a lot of the time and get frustrated when I realise that it's not possible to do it ALL.  I really need to streamline my life, clear out my email inbox and get organised.
• buy even less than in 2010.  I managed to get rid of 3 credit cards last year with ease.  I want to go to  Paris so so so so soooo much and last time I checked money didn't grow on trees.
• Use my gym membership more

No resolutions, just goals this year!  Someone make the rain in Byron Bay & Noosa stop this week, please!

Christmas in Singapore

One thing about Australia, made worse by the fact that it's an isolated island, is the lack of effort and spirit for Christmas.  There are almost no decorations in the cities or shopping centres and the political and cultural corrected-ness is really pushing the limits.  People do not wish each other a happy Christmas and schools have banned any mention of the celebration so not to offend those who do not celebrate Christmas.  That's all well and good but instead of sweeping religion and tradition under the carpet why not embrace the many traditions of the many people living in Australia?

From what I remember the guide saying, over 30% of people living in Singapore are not Christian and it was so humbling and emotional for me seeing people of all religions and nationalities enjoying the Christmas parade on Orchard Road, taking photos of Christmas trees and nativity scenes.  Even girls in hijabs wearing santa hats!  It really made me believe in man kind again and remember that we can all live together  and embrace the best of each others traditions.

The 3 countries I visited in Asia made me realise how much happier these people are than I am.  Singapore is a very affluent country.  Clean, polite and looked after.   And the shopping? WOW.

The Balinese people are the happiest people on the planet, I have no doubt!  They have very little, some of them live in cardboard boxes, yet the smallest things make their day and bring a smile to their face.  I bought 3 plastic bags full of hand made art for about USD20 and told the lady to "keep the change", the change would have been less than 50 cents, yet you couldn't wipe the smile off her face.  She wanted to kiss my hand.   All week I was thinking - why can't I be this happy all the time too?  Why don't the simple things in life always make me happy every single day?  Why did I see a scarf in Zara in Singapore and obsess over it for 3 days, feeling restless until I went back to purchase it.  It's a SCARF?????

Food for thought.

Hope you enjoy the Christmas themed photos as much as I enjoyed the 25th in Singapore!  It's Orthodox Christmas Eve tonight, so this post ties in well.  If you're Orthodox, I wish you and your loved ones a safe and blessed night and day.  Hristos se Rodi.  Christ is Born.

Macaron Christmas tree at the buffet

Orchard Road

Chanel windows

Takashimaya Department Store

Tree outside of ION shopping mall

Foam as snow!!

Raffles Hotel tree