Bali Honey

Okay it's official - now you can call me Signora Artiaco! Si, siamo sposati gia. L and I finally did the deed on 19 September 2012 at the ROM in Singapore - exactly 7 years since we first met at Napoli (when I first started this blog). Who'd have imagined right? :D

Our ROM day was quite stress-free and fun with family and friends. The ROM ceremony was super fast - over in 3mins. I couldn't recall what the JP said but I just remembered crying as it was an emotional moment as she announced us husband and wife. L's mom, sis, nonna and zie saw the video clip and also cried. Many people asked us how we feel; was life any different after? Actually I think we felt a closer bond and deeper connection, and are all the more ready to take the next step forward to forge a better life together.

And guess what - more good news - we bought our home on the morning of the ROM! It was quite funny come to think of it. We had viewed about 4 flats and the last one was a ground floor mansionette that I liked. Even my parents loved it. It was roomy (4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a big arse balcony plus a garden patch), near the PRis MRT, and has an unobscured view of the canal and park. L went to see it and felt right about it too. We made an offer and the buyer counter-offered at a reasonable price which we agreed. So it was quite a breeze! Now we just have to plan for our Bintan beach wedding in December and right after that, home renovations and moving in.

To celebrate our ROM, we packed our bags for a short honeymoon in Bali. This was L's first time and we splurged on a pool villa at b-villa in the Seminyak area which is close to all the action - that is if we ever want to venture out of our sanctuary. Lol. It was relaxing to say the least - and the best part is we are able to spend lots of time together. We rode our rented motorbike everywhere (def cheaper at only $5 / day and great way to see everything), yes even all the way to Ubud which is about an hour away (arse very pain lor!). Luckily my lovely husband (haha) is a very good driver and great with directions.

We passed by Celuk - a familiar sight with its neat rows of gold and silversmiths - and then I thought we had reached Ubud Arts Market but actually it was Sukawati Market which is similar and not so touristy at 11am+. There are many shops selling Balinese ceremonial umbrellas and religious decorative artefacts.

Sukawati Market

Inside the buildings were a sprawling labryinth of stalls selling heaps of souvenirs, linen shirts, sarongs, batik dresses, sandals, woven bags, jewellery, wood carvings, artwork, wind chimes etc. Here you really have to bargain hard as the vendors usually start with a much higher price for e.g I wanted to buy a batik shirt for my dad and the guy offered me $40. I sniggered saying it's so expensive (it is) and he said 'give me a good price'. I said $20. He said 'Miss, give me more'. I stuck to $20 with a sour puss face and he said ok without hesitation! (Later a local tailor said she could buy the same shirt for $10 - grrr!)...

Dirty Duck

Another vendor also offered a ridiculous price for the rattan table mats that L wanted to buy for his ristorante. I made a face and cut it by 60%. She said 'madam, please give me more. You first customer' (the guy also said this earlier). I told L to walk away. She asked us to wait and then readily agreed! So a tip is to bargain by 50% to 70% becos their mark-up is crazy. But of course if you feel the price is reasonable, then pay them with a smile.

At Ubud, we tried to look for Nuri's ribs but couldn't so we opted for crispy duck and fried chicken (so-so only) at Dirty Duck which had not changed much, except they are building an extra pavilion at the paddy fields. The ambience is really the best part here as we could lay down on the mat and shoot the breeze. Comatosed post lunch, we located the Ubud market and surrounding alleyways of shops. It was quite touristy and many shops and cafes have sprung up. Touts were also pressing us to buy tickets for a traditional dance performance tonight. On our way out of Ubud, we stopped for caffe at Spaccanapoli, a tiny pizzeria outpost where we spoke with the Italian owner about how Bali has changed.

 

And just as we rode along Gianyar at the fringe of Ubud, L stopped at Wisnu Rotan shop to inquire about the price of their rattan chairs and tables. We followed the lady boss to the back of the shop and saw their workshop where her husband and workers churned out all kinds of rattan products from gorgeous high back chairs to rocking chairs for the mainly overseas market (from $50 for a chair and about $100 for a table).

Back in time before it ws dark, we went for cocktails at the beautiful Ku De Ta instead of Potato Head, and then had quite an excellent dinner at the nearby SASA Italian restorante (again L couldn't resist chatting up the Italian owners). L also tailored 6 linen shirts at a random tailor shop which came out lovely and a steal at $30 each. We also saw a few furniture shops while entertaining the thought of returning to Bali to shop for our home in March! Alas, four days were over before we knew it. L loved Bali so much that he wanted to move there. Oh well , we'll see if it manifests. If it's meant to be, it'll happen :)