Kuching Cats

I took 3 days off and flew by Tiger to Kuching, the city of cats in Sarawak, with my folks and sis. Why Kuching, many asked? I replied - 1) becos I've never been there, 2) the ticket is cheap and 3) I want to eat Sarawak laksa. My dear friend A who is a Kuching native was flabbergasted why I want to go there. She said 'but it is soooo boring there!' I didn't believe her, plus I want to see for myself.

AND you know what? The city itself was kinda lacking in action. Ok ok it's probably the last place to look for action but my neighbourhood Elias Mall has more action and people than the whole of Kuching city combined.

After we checked in, we tried to orientate ourselves by looking at the map and once we locate the distance between our apartments and Hilton, we realised how ridiculously small the scale is. At 4pm, everyone was taking a siesta. We couldn't get into the ornate Tua Pek Kong temple or find a decent cafe for tea.

The Main Bazaar souvenir shops didn't have any wares that could part us from our ringgit while the makeshift stallholders outside the shops desperately tried to sell us their tongkali, aprodisiac potions and toxic multi-hue kuehs and sponge rolls.

At 6pm, we were hungry and found Top Spot easily above a multi-storey carpark (just behind our apartments) - where locals and tourists go for a seafood feast. It is almost like East Coast seafood centre where there are many zhee char seafood stalls vying for your attention with their display of fishes, veggies and other ingredients. The fish expert, my dad decided on ABC seafood because their fishes looked the freshest. Boy, was it cheap! The garoupa was MYR56 (S$22), the two crabs cooked in Sarawak black pepper cost MYR24 (S$10!) while the steamed big pomfret went for just MYR36 (S$14). We ate and busted our cholesterol levels, and toasted to my mom's 59th birthday. We love you, mamma!

The next day, we left early in a private van to Batang Ai Hilton for a luxury longhouse experience. Sis and I decided we're not going to risk staying in a traditional longhouse where the headhunters used to kill their enemies and where we have to sleep on mattresses (bedbugs scare). Don't get me wrong, I'd be happy to camp in a caravan or sleep under the stars but that'd be for another trip. Plus it didn't cost much to stay in the Hilton longhouse, the only gripe was it was so damn far. We spent 4 hrs in the van which was skilfully manouvered by our driver through the drizzle all afternoon.

We stopped for a taste of kolo mee, another local delight of plain maggi noodles with char siew but I'd take my laksa anytime. Before long, we reached the lake and made our way to Hilton in a little motorised boat. I must say the scenery was lovely and untouched - no other houses in sight across the lush islets in this man-made dam. The sunset and sunrise were also gorgeous.

After check-in, we went for a traditional longhouse tour 40mins away by longboat. Our guide said this was the nearest longhouse; he has even brought people to a longhouse 4 hours away by boat and hike. I guess those are the types of longhouses where they still headhunt.

When we got there, boy were we glad we didn't opt for a homestay and we also counted our blessings as Singaporeans with our modern comforts. The longhouse comprised a row of 'homes' and the 300+ residents shared a communal corridor space and deck where they do their washing and cooking etc. The head chief has 2 wives and god-knows how many offsprings, and replied to our questions shyly via our guide.

There were a few handicrafts on display for sale to curious crowd like us - from carved wooden sculptures and handwoven baskets, hats and mats. We were more taken with the longhouse cats and kids, than the souvenirs. Soon it was time to go and we indulged in a well deserved lunch of Sarawak laksa (the no.1 reason why I came to Sarawak) and long lazy afternoon nap at The Hilton. At dinnertime, we were surprised to see so many people at the restaurant - it wasn't so remote after all.

The next day after brekkie, we decided on a guided hike in the forest, still moist from the rain. It was humid and soon, we were all dripping with sweat. It was adventurous at the same time as the guide took us through gentle slopes and a tightrope bridge for another scenic view of the surroundings. I'm glad that the world still has these natural spots for animals and plants and hope that we will all protect and treasure what we have on planet earth.

To concerto

I've always liked Andrea Bocelli and have some of his CDs so I can sing along to his songs to brush up my italian. So when I saw an ad that says "Watch Andrea Bocelli live in Singapore at the Botanic Gardens", I was quite excited that the maestro is coming to town. What's even more exciting is that the public stands a chance to win tickets to see him in a ballot - courtesy of YTL. I urged some of my italian classmates and colleagues to join the ballot, ma alas non ci sono biglietti per me.

Dejected, I emailed the rest and was prepared to beg anyone who'd have won tickets to the concerto when A replied to say her dad sits on the board of directors and we'd get the corporate passes! Yaaaay! Better still, she said we'd attend the cocktail reception in suitably cocktail dresses before Andrea comes on the stage. Che fortuna! Now if only she can arrange for some hunky italian escorts... :)

We had a smashing time, R was going at the canapes and camped at the food station while we gawked at the tai tais and black-tie men. We feel a bit under dressed but who cares! Andrea was excellent and his soulful voice echoed through the Botanic Gardens, charming the 12,000+ fans (includg President Nathan). I shouted 'bravo' and soon everyone was shouting it.

Things got even better when A told us that we're invited to the post concerto supper in the VIP tent - in the same breathing space with Andrea, Jimmy Choo and Michelle Yeoh! We bumped into Michelle earlier and almost hopped onto the same bungy with her, had we recovered from being star struck. The tent was gorgeous and we even get to enjoy the vino from Andrea's winery in Toscana. He didn't stay long after accepting a pot of orchids that are named after him but we did get some good shots of him. Arrivederci maestro!

The next day, it was Mom's Day and we celebrated it with nanny and family. Sis and I wanted to treat her to another holiday but she's not up for it so it'd be us and our parents at Kuching - a first time for us in the cat city to celebrate mommy's birthday in May. My new travel motto is to travel to new places. I'm still toying with where I should head to for my 3-week birthday retreat in July. Decisions, decisions.

Lite packin'

I've been under the weather this month; got fever twice in the month and still nursing a nagging dry cough but managed to crawl out of bed this morning (even after a late night of 'Spartacus' episodes which L and I are addicted to) to get some sun and fresh air at the secret garden. The usual kakis are there - although everyone was also recovering from flu. The bug's in the air and we'll ve to manifest our wellness!

What's keeping me chirpy are the new additions to my patch at homes - new pots of mint, basil and dill, as well as a crop of pomodorini from my taller-than-me tomato plants. Boy, do these homegrown little buggers taste good! I just make a simple pasta with them, some chilli, basil and Italian parmiggiano - super buono.

The capsicum plants which I moved to the garden have also blossomed and have sown baby peppers that are the size of an egg. Funnily the seeds came from the normal size capsicums found at supermarkets but I guess they needed more fertilisers and space to reach their full size. But I'm not complaining cos I'm eating the food I've grown. Not many people can claim this, ha (sorry lah, just showing off).

The weather's been crazy hot so I stayed in bed all day - like every other weekend - with a good book or movies. Today, I shared some time with George Clooney - the sexiest, funniest man alive (si, L sa che io amo Georgie). He's a hoot in 'Men Who Stare At Goats' and irresistably restrained in 'Up In The Air'. This guy doesn't just look good but he could direct and act in a range of roles (heard he's dating an Italian model now, at least we have the same passion for Italia).

Anyway I could totally emphasize with his character in 'Up In The Air' and I could well be that person - happily carrying a light bag pack without committments and travelling around the world. Sometimes I want the house, the wedding ring, the kids and designer stove. Then at times, I'd swing to the far end of the pendulum and rejected all these notions, drawn to a rebellious, carefree, free-spirited existence that would bend all rules. 

They say the older you get, the more you know yourself. But I find myself all the more confused becos there are so many options and possibilities. It's like stepping into a supermarket hungry and everything looks good. Decisions, decisions.

I'm not complaining becos it is a good thing to have options. Some people simply don't have the luxury or think they are stuck with only one choice. I guess my challenge is to figure out what I want to fit into my bag pack - the basic precious things I need in this lifetime without them weighing me down. And if it gets a lil heavy, L would be there to carry it for me :)

Travelling tales

My travel itch has been acting up and I'm thinking where next - literally begging L to take a weekend off so we can be whisked away to a faraway isle villa (ok no need very faraway lah). I'm hoping to get away for a short jaunt before July when I already chob 3 weeks leave so I can pack my bags and hit the road again - maybe even on my own, since L's career is uncertain. We are manifesting his dream job and good news are just around the corner! Yes and so be it!

Anyway I've completed a few travel articles including a 6-pager on NZ for F+T mag, and these 2 gorgous spreads for F.B. Mag which is yet to be published. Here are the sneak previews in low-res. You can't beat the joy and pride in seeing your own works in print; the extra pocket money is also welcome. I'm still wondering if I'd publish a book - maybe if I were to live abroad one day.

Reading others' travel tales also inspire me especially if it was as well written as "Head Over Heel - Seduced By A Southern Italian" by Chris Harrison. He's like L, except he gave up everything in Sydney to move to south Italy to be with his woman. I read somewhere - people migrate for 3 main reasons - career, war and love. Love is always the most inspiring reason, isn't it?

Manifestation magic

I've been practising the Law of Manifestation quite often recently; starting with taxis. You know how sometimes it is near impossible to get a cab in S'pore, but after learning about the power of manifesting, I no longer fret. Instead I turn to the skies, focus my energy on visualising a cab, and voila it appeared in less than 5 mins! It has been successful the last few times to the amusement of friends.

The trick is to be:
1) as SPECIFIC as possible in your visualisation
2) be POSITIVE and 200% confident of the results (to the point of being almost cocky and do not have any doubts/sniggering thoughts)
3) and be THANKFUL! :)
For instead of saying 'please give me a cab', I'd say 'the cab is here in 5mins, thank you for it and so be it!' at the same time I'd visualise a blue cab with a green lit 'TAXI' sign and imagining it pulling up in front of me.

You can apply it to anything in your life - be it a partner, career, apartment, dream holiday, etc. But remember to apply the above rules. Everyone has the power to create and manifest - so start practising your manifestation muscle today! L has seen it worked a couple of times and is slowly manifesting his dream job. I've also just shared it with my younger cousin ZJ who is recovering from a sudden rare VKH eye disease. He's much better now but his vision was still a tad blurry. But he's showered with golden light and love, and in no time he'll be fine. I told him - 'you have the power to self-heal, just have faith!'

Marching on

February came and went away in a flash - and for the first time I was truly exhausted as a tour guide. Maybe it's because L's folks didn't speak inglese (which is why my brain is always churning subtitles/ transcript for every conversation). Also I didn't want them to get lost altho technically it's very hard to get lost on our tiny isle and they ve been trained to say 'bedok north ave 4, police station'. I just want to wow them and show them that S'pore is the new Asia - that it is safer, cleaner and more efficient than Napoli/Italy, and that L is well taken care of here by an equally loving family and not living among the slums. When I was in Italia, they and the rest of the family would ask if Spore has this and that. It was hard to tell them yes we are actually a civilised, accomplished first-world society in Italian without trying to roll my eyes. 

So it's good that they experienced it first-hand and went away so impressed that they say it'd be a nice idea to visit every 6 months. As my uncle said, they would be like triumphant voyagers  and sail back with glowing descriptions of the wonderful faraway land in Asia. Funnily if L and I aren't together, they'd probably never step into this part of the world. All it takes is a relationship to build bridges for many individuals.

Now that the italians came, saw and were convinced, I think it's high time for my family to experience italian hospitality and culture. Granny would love to go but we doubt she'd make the 10+ hr flight. It'd be delightfully hilarious if my aunts, uncles, cousins and family are all walking down Pozzuoli's streets and stopping by Mel's for lunch! I do hope that day will come soon.

Anyway I think we're ready for the next stage of our life, and even starting our own family. I'll be 35 this July and all I can think about is the use-by-date of my eggs! I've always wanted kids before 30, now I'm lucky if I have 1 before 40! Hmm we'll see how the future unfolds... 

For now, I'm happy harvesting my tomatoes (yay!) and also the fruits of our labour. My company is 9 this year and we're finally taking the leap of faith by hiring a full-time staff who is likeminded and equally passionate! It's a great feeling to see that our agency has expanded to more than 4 of us and that our staff is happy and motivated - including. K, our recent intern, who is a happy bunny. We've all come a long way as colleagues, partners and friends. I think we'd make great bosses too :)

Year of the puss

We can't believe it's mid Feb already. 2010 is flying by. This weekend, we're expecting 2 VIPs in town - L's folks lol. It's Mel's and Raf's first time in Spore and Asia, so I'm sure we'll have a blast in the next 2 weeks. Already mamma mel is lugging a few kilos of food to feed a small Italian contingent. Ma questo e' l'amore di una mamma.

I'm a bit afraid to face all that yummy proscuito, mozzarella, dolce, ecc. Already my tummy is as bouncy as a burrata cheese, even after all that yoga. I think I need to exercise more to purge out all the toxins and rid the pimples. Arrgh.

Anyway how apt that it is the year of the tiger... a tribute to all our feline friends! Cats Of The World is just 4 and half months away (OMG) and I can't believe it's the 4th year running. I'm truly, truly grateful for all the warm response and hope to raise more funds for CWS. They're also organising a Tiger Show after CNY and we've donated 20 photos for exhibit/sale. Be sure to catch the show; visit http://www.catwelfare.org/ for more info.

Tea a tea

Since the new year started, I've been pretty busy at work and yoga and weekends are my only escape. Back at the secret garden, we replanted flowers and weeded the chilli patches. D is busy laying the grounds for new pipes that'd bring water to the other end of the garden, so we don't have to wheelbarrel buckets of water or waste time dragging the water hose over.

We're also pleased with 2 additions to the team - the cheerful W and her precocious 10 year-old daughter S - both in matching yellow boots. S guessed that I was 20 (good guess, babe ;) while W sighed in jest that she's turning 40. S nonchalantly replied: 'But mom, they say that women are in their prime at 40.' We giggled. Hallelueh.

Just over the weekend, W organised a birthday party for S at the garden and it was a delightful picnic attended by her friends and family. Donald gave a tour of the mangroves while the rest of the volunteers took up different assignments that please us. I busied myself with trimming the four mulberry trees, which will help them to flourish further.

Left with a big pile of leaves, I lugged them home and was inspired to turn them into tea. It's not entirely impossible, I imagined, as I had seen and tasted mulberry tea at an organic farm in Laos. So I looked up its website and true enough, there were basic descriptions on making tea out of the freshly-plucked leaves (except they left out how long one needs to boil the leaves, or how fine one should cut them). Anyway as a first-time recipe tester, I experimented with the steps and got it right the first time! Yipeee. Here goes:

Carla's Marvelous Mulberry Tea (organic)

Ingredients:
Fresh mulberry leaves

Method:
1. Wash the freshly picked leaves thoroughly.
2. After washing, cut them into thin slices (remove the stalky bits) and then simmer them in water over low heat for 6-7mins, just enough to soften the leaves.
3. Rinse the leaves in cold water and strain / remove any excess water gently without crushing leaves.
4. Dry or 'fire' the leaves in small batches by carefully stirring and separating them by hand over low heat to ensure even heating. **I found that using the hands, as opposed to using chopsticks, to handfire the leaves also allows me to feel the texture of the leaves as they slowly crisp and turn dark green.
5. Allow to cool before storing in airtight containers. To serve, pour hot water over a tablespoon heap of leaves and let it steep for at least 5mins. **I like my marvelous mulberry tea with raw sugar or honey, yums!

Mulberry tea is very healthy and contains lots of antioxidants to fight cancer, prevent diabetes and heart disease. Like green tea, it also has slimming effects. For your dose, you know where to find me :)

New Zeal Land

I can't think of a better way to kickstart the new year. The 12 days in New Zealand were incredible; it's much more beautiful than I could imagine. A kind of raw ancient natural beauty that touches the soul. The Golden Light Celebration was an apt way to explore the country on our spiritual journey together and open up our hearts to download light and love during meditations at different sacred sites. At times, it feels like the journey is a movie in the making - a mixed bag of characters with each unique gifts to bring to the mission.

There were our spiritual guides and tour organisers - the lovely inspiring Yvette (3 weeks from delivery!), her effervescent and loving husband Barney, his best friend 'man-of'the-land' Karlos (nicknamed Jesus cos of his resemblance), Mic, Yin, Sista, me (all from Spore), L. Yen (Malaysia), Def (Turkey), her husband Crist aka Christ (Germany/ USA), Chika, Izu, her son JY and her sis M (all from Japan).

We started from the wonderful Auckland - aka the City of Sails - and packed in a host of activities and sights touring the North Central Island, from Hamilton to the sulphur town of Rotorua, to the gorgeous Bay of Plenty.

We swam in lakes and bays, gawked at majestic volcanoes and gushing rivers, dipped in thermal mud baths, hot springs and waterfalls - and felt the magic of nature in all these places. NZ is simply too big; it'd take 1 to 2 months to explore it thoroughly. Even B who lives there hasn't explored the whole country. Many people said the South Island is more stunning and majestic with its mountainous range. But locals said the 2 islands' beauty just differs in mere degrees. In any case I know I will be back soon with L. He's extremely envious from looking at my foto but is equally spurred to plan a trip to NZ.

New Zealand calls

Ho deciso. It will be New Zealand for the year end trip. As much as I hate to leave Luigi in S'pore, I want to get away to recharge my battery and seek greater spirituality and positive energy in a faraway land. What better way than to join the Golden Light Celebration organised by the goddess circle and usher in the first light of 2010 in a very unspoilt country. I will also take time to reflect on the year and jot down my new resolutions. Till the next blog entry, I wish you all a glorious 2010... it's gonna be so zealously fabulous! With blessings and love.