Tips on Flat-Hunting in Hong Kong

Week 5 in Hong Kong and we were no closer to finding a home. We hadn’t found what we were looking for and I was starting to fear that we never will and that we may just out of desperation pick something just for the sake of having a roof over our heads and regret it. Being a person who loves creating homes of any apartment we choose, I needed a place that I can sink my roots into and bloom. Living out of boxes and suitcases for the last 2 months (now entering the 3^rd) is really doing my head in. And the thought of having to repack and unpack again gives me a panic attacks (yes I am dramatic).

The good news is that we weren’t so pressed for time to find an apartment now, the bad?

Where do I begin?

I feel like apartment hunting in Hong Kong is like a real life version of the Hunger Games except that this time people are snapping up good apartments like there’s no tomorrow. We have been searching for a place to call home for the last 3 weeks and we are no closer to finding or choosing anything. We have had numerous near misses (apartments that we were supposed to view only to get a call 1 HOUR before the view saying it had been taken, WTF!), many epic fails (like what were the owners thinking), many nearly there but not quite (perfect apartment but the kitchen/toilet/something just didn’t feel right) and only 2 possibilities and that’s with exception.

Our agents have been very patient with us after we finally found some that understand exactly what we want. Most seem to think that we have given them the task of the century. Hence the reason why I have decided to write this post as these are the things that I wish someone had told me before I moved here.

1) Finding an agent

There are SO many agents here in Hong Kong and if your Company doesn’t provide you with an agent or you don’t have friends who can recommend you an agent, you’re pretty much left to figure things out for yourself. Most agents can speak English but for some, language can be a bit of an issue.

 

Also, because of the abundance of agents here, agents usually focus on their own areas of expertise. One way to ensure that the agent specializes in the area in which you would like to live in, you could chance walking into one of the travel agents in that particular area or contact a mainstream agency.

If you are looking in the Sai Ying Pun/ Sheung Wan area, I have left (at the end of this post) the contacts of 2 agents who really understood what we were looking for.

2) Have an idea of where you want to stay

This is where Google becomes your best friend. I truly wish I had done more research. A lot of times the places we choose depends on venue of workplace, social activities and convenience. While Hong Kong is broken down to 4 main areas- Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, New Territories and the outlying islands, there are so many suburbs in these different areas. This website does a great job of listing the different areas and what they have to offer. It can be really mind boggling and it is so important to decide what you and your spouse/family need. 

3) Budget, budget, budget!

Wow, this was a real pain in the butt. Everything that we saw and liked, was beyond our budget (we have high expectations and expensive taste apparently) and while it was a viable option, I wasn’t comfortable with spending so much on a place that didn’t even belong to us!

So we had to really sit down with a pen and paper and decide what we want. 

A few questions that could help you narrow down your choices are:

a) Are facilities important? Do you have kids that require the facilities? Are you both highly active individuals who need the facilities and will use them?

We decided to forego the facilities as we had ready gym memberships and would prefer to do our activities outside for the social aspect.

b) How many rooms do you NEED?

Based on Singapore, I really wanted to have a second room for guests/visitors and my junk is general. But when we did the math, it just wasn’t worth paying nearly 5K-10K HKD/month just to accommodate visitors who came twice a year.

c) Is a terrace/balcony/roof area important?

This was a huge factor in the difficulties in finding a place…most expats are also looking for a balcony so these apartments get snapped up really fast.

d) Will you be owning a car?

Because Hong Kong is so populated, not every apartment comes with car park facilities. If they do, you are looking to pay an extra 2-4K HKD/month just for the car park.

e) Will you be getting a helper?

We decided to get a helper that stayed outside because space constraints were a big issue.

f) Do you have pets and does your apartment allow pets?

Some apartments are not pet friendly so be very honest when telling your agent what you want as this will save a lot of time and effort.

So all these factors address, that leaves you with the rest of the criteria's you may want to fulfill: renovated, supermarket close by and close to the office. We wanted the ideal home but so did everybody else.

You can download the Squarefoot App or visit www.squarefoot.com.hk to check out whats on the market in the areas that you want.

Another things that helps is if you know exactly where your workplace will be and you intend to live nearby, open google maps and zoom in till you see the names of the apartments and check them on Squarefoot as well. It is extremely painstaking but I found that it helped me get a better idea of the areas I wanted to look into and more specifically the developments I wanted to consider. It also helped me to check off those that were beyond budget. 

4) Take note:

When you go for viewings, you will be the one paying for the transportation fee to/from the place even if you go with your agent. Most times, it is better to arrange viewings in one location and do a sort of walking tour.

5) If you like it, grab it! 

If you see a place you really like, don’t hesitate for even one second to tell your agent you’re interested. The agents will tell you to your face that good apartments get snapped up fast so if you “need time to consider” there is no guarantee that the apartments will be available when you want it. So it is cautious to ask how long the apartment has been on the market for, if it has been on the market for a while then you have nothing to be worried about if it has just come on the market and you are one of the first to view it and really like it. Jump on it!

Thankfully our search came to an end this mid-week, it has been tedious, tiring and frustrating and I am just so glad that this portion is over and done with so everyone can just get on with their lives. We found exactly what we were looking for in an apartment with the exception of the lack of second room and the fact that the distance from the bedroom to the toilet is about 10 meters AWAY! But with everything else being so perfect...we jumped!

I hope that this post is useful to others out there who may be facing the same predicament. If so, leave a comment below and your 2 cents worth! I'm sure there there are many others who will be facing the same issues down the line and would be thankful for some advice.

Property Agents in Hong Kong

Wendy Go – Land & Fortune Realty Ltd

Mobile: (852) 6939 9275

Henry Chui – Grand Pacific Property Limited

Mobile: (852) 94936574

Remembering Bali, Part 2

Week 4 in Hong Kong and the city is really starting to grow on me. It’s taken me awhile to get settle in and most times it does get a bit lonely, I miss my support network of girlfriends (and thank Heavens for modern technology!) but I should be getting out and making some new friends sooner rather than later! I am itching to learn Cantonese too because it sounds so lyrical and lively but have yet to haul ass to a book store.

I’m starting to love the intimate setting of a small home and I love not having to “search” for my husband when I’m at home- he’s either there or isn’t! Our dog Harley comes back last week and we are now one happy family with the 2 dogs. It’s been hard having him (Harley) away and every time I see him I can’t help but wish I could turn back time and done a few thing differently but moving forward, seems like Harley has already returned to his normal self (minus one eye).

One eye Harley,
He has a piece of skin covering his eye to help it recover but it looks super raw and disgusting and requires constant care.
Good training for the husband.

As promised, a little late but here is Remembering Bali continued…

Day 3 (Sunday)

And boy did we have plans for the evening!!! In the weeks leading up to the trip, the one thing that everyone agreed on was that we had to catch a sunset in Bali. After going back and forth with many suggestions including the lesser known spots, the surfers view point and a few others, the one place we agreed on was the Ayana Rock Bar!

I got so much flack for trying to take a selfie!

Located within an award winning 5-star hotel in Bali, the Rock Bar has long been THE place to be to catch a sunset. While one might say it’s somewhat over rated, there is just something about the ambiance, the cocktails and tapas that make you feel like you got the best seats in the house for one of natures’ most magnificent displays.

We got there at about 4pm as there is a first come first serve and no reservations allowed policy but the birthday girl was lucky and was personally escorted to the best seats in the house for her special day. Walking down, because the queue to the hillside lift was long and crazy, all I saw was umbrellas- tons of them.

When we were seated, I understood the concept of umbrellas. OMG we were like sitting duck just roasting and sweating! We had about 2hours to sunset…at least we had cocktails!!! And thank goodness they serve their cocktails with loads of crushed ice if they aren’t already frozen cocktails. The MUST TRY on my list is the: Mojito (made the good ol fashioned way), Strawberry Daiquiri (ladies drink), Long Island Ice Tea (packs a punch) and my go to sunny day drink…Frozen Lime Margarita.

Was nice that the crew came out and sang "Happy Birthday" for the birthday girl!

The finger food that we ordered was served promptly and hot, the plating and presentation was exactly what you’d expect of a 5 star location and they didn’t disappoint. Taste wise, my top pick is the: popcorn chicken, sounds so boring but it packs a punch. It is served with a dipping pepper powder and sauce which upon consumption you don’t really feel it but once you’ve swallowed, you start to feel a tingling sensation on your lips and tongue. The birthday girl also got the “Pearls of Passion” and a birthday song…followed by many passionate wishes thereafter. Haha!

My not so frozen anymore margarita and what my friends call my resting bitch face...!

Nicely buzzing from the potent and easy drinks, we turned to the horizon and whipped out our cameras for the moment we’d all been waiting for…I can honestly say that it was well worth the journey and the roasting and the wait- anything after the drinks was more than acceptable. Sunsets still take my breath away and the magic of watching the sun disappear beyond the horizon never gets old.

I love this picture!!! Thanks Tomek!

As the dark settled in, we decided to head back to Seminyak and started talking about dinner locations. As some of the group were tired from the sun and alcohol, only 4 of us ended up going for dinner. 

Clockwise from Top L: Beef Carpaccio with Pesto, Bruschetta and the cheese Ravioli

Ultimo was our venue of choice as one of the guys had been there before and was raving about the pasta. We got there late about 9pm and super hungry, thank god we didn’t have to queue and were seated almost immediately. We ordered our food and were served almost as soon as the food was ready. To start we had the Carpaccio Al Pesto, Ravioli Di Pasta Ripeni Di Formaggio and the bruschetta. I was a bit hesitant about having raw meat in Indonesia but the meat was really fresh and was as carpaccio should be. The cheese ravioli were like big dumplings but definitely a must try. 

Clockwise from Top L: Spaghetti Marinara, Duck Breast with Spinach,
Seafood Spaghetti w/White Wine Sauce and the Lobster Tagliatelle

For the mains we ordered the Spaghetti Alle Vongole, Gamberi E Capeante (yes its one dish and it’s just a fancy way of saying Seafood Spagetti!), Tagliatelle con Aragosta (Lobster Tagliatelle), Spaghetti Marinara and Petto D’Anatra Con Sugo E Corona Di Spinaci (Duck Breast with Spinach!). Fancy names aside, the food was good and we were raving about it. Some of us had food-gasms; especially the lucky fella having the Lobster Tagliatelle. Ordering lobster in Bali also leaves a person with some doubt as to whether one will be getting a “lobster” or the real thing- we got the real thing. No meal is complete without dessert and so indulge we did in the Tiramisu, White Chocolate Creme Brulee and the Mascarpone Cheesecake. The most outstanding of the 3 was the tiramisu. 

Dessert anyone?

So Ultimo is definitely a great place to go for authentic, comfort Italian cuisine, bring your Italian cuisine dictionary while you’re at it (Joking! Everything is nicely translated in the menu).

Day 4 (Monday)

The day that we dragged (because we had to wake up early…or maybe it was just me) and looked forward to all at once- we were going WHITE WATER RAFTING! Being the dry season, we didn’t expect too much as there hadn’t been rain in a while. We were told that we had a cliff to raft off but that would be about it.

Getting good at selfies! The quick photo op at the cliff.

We choose Bali Adventure as our service provider. Pick up came punctually and the journey to the drop off point took just over an hour. Our driver was very nice, chatty and patient with the numerous “Are we there yet?” even stopping at a cliff on the way up to allow us some photo opportunities. Upon reaching the drop off, we were led to a makeshift hut where coffee and tea were provided and this is your last toilet chance for the next 2 hours unless you wanted to rough it. Payment of Rp. 360000 per person was made and then it was time to gear up and head to the rafts. There are many rafts on the river but the guides were skilled enough to maneuver around the other rafts ensuring we were all nicely spaced out.

As ours was a rather long ride down the river, we have a stop 4km in at a waterfall and there was a nice old lady who would happily sell you a Bintang Beer if you were craving one or a bottle of water or juice of soda. Some photo opportunities at the waterfall and a makeshift toilet if you need (better off going in the river because apparently it was disgusting!). Some ways down the river, we were stopped and made to prep for a rafting off a cliff…as nerve wrecking as it was as we approached the “cliff”, it was over all too soon! I hadn’t even hit my loudest scream yet! A huge part of me wished there was more! So our journey continues and a little bit further down, we saw some people selling coconuts!!! Of course we had to stop! How cool is it sitting in the river and having coconuts! Of course, this is where you can also use the toilet but in nature- elaborations not needed, go figure it out.

At the end of the rafting, it was cute because we had a welcoming party of about 5-6 butt naked 11 year old boys who were jumping on our raft and trying to de-raft us. It was funny. A short walk to the shower, towels were provided and lunch after. Lunch was sufficient and who would have known that rafting could make a person so hungry! Most of us were secretly waiting for the Babi Guling that we ordered from Pak Malen!

** One of the girls had left her swimming gear at the shower dividers and Bali Adventures did not hesitate in returning the gear to us promptly the next day. Kudos to the team for going the extra mile.

A 90 minute (because of traffic) journey home later, most of us who had slept all the way back, were ready to eat again! Best thing ever to have “fresh” take away from Pak Malen! Honestly wish I had ordered more but everything in moderation I guess.

Pak Malen's Specialty!

After a nap for some and shopping for some, and it was dinner time. We decided to go to Poppies for dinner. An institution in Bali, the history of Poppies goes a long way! It still maintains its old school charm and the place had not changed a single bit since my last visit there nearly 16years ago. I decided to share my meal with another foodie like myself, I use term foodie loosely here since it was mostly us just wanting to try everything! And boy did we go all out! Between the 2 of us, we had the spring rolls, Thai beef salad, a lobster, the soto ayam and of course gado gado. I really liked the soto ayam and the gado gado, it brought back some childhood memories. The lobster was fresh and we really enjoyed ourselves tearing into it!

Clockwise from Top L: Thai Beef Salad, Lumpia, Gado-gado, Chicken Soto,
and of course- the Lobster!

After such a hefty meal, as there were a few first timers there, we had to do the walk along Kuta beach as some of us were flying back the next day. I was amazed to see how much had changed in the last few years! On my recent trips, I had always avoided Kuta as it was too busy and touristy for me. Walking along, I was amazed to see that they had paved their sidewalks and now had a beachfront mall!!! Whoa!

As some of the group decided to retire for the night, 4 of us with energy left to spare, decided to head over to the strip in Bali where all the gay clubs are. We fell out of a cab in front of one of the bars and immediately there was a guy who grabbed me (sucker!) and “invited” us into Bali Joe. We didn’t even get a chance to browse around. Let’s just say that the gay clubs scene in Bali is extremely hands on and no one is spared. A few performances and 2 beers later, we headed back to our Villa and called it a night.

Day 5 (Tuesday)

Sad day, the end of the trip for some of us. We packed up our bags and got ready to ship out of the villa. With heavy hearts and beautiful tans, we all had different activities planned for the morning and decided to meet for lunch at Ultimo. The girls went shopping and the guys- did what guys do! I really expected to find some nice dresses as I had before but the styles this time were not what I was looking for. I did however find a lovely bikini store where I bought enough bikinis to last me for the next 2 years!

Sadly, as lunch time approached, the guys messaged and told us that Ultimo was closed. Bummer. They found another spot to dine at some doors down called Khaima, the interior had a Middle Eastern flair to it yet the menu had something for everyone- Moroccan, Indonesian, Asian, and Western food! Which makes people like me very stressed out because I always want to try EVERYTHING!!! 

Loving the colors on the plate and the presentation!

So, with a bit of restraint, I ordered the Pho and the Crunchy Calamari- the Asian in me was screaming for soup and noodles. I was a bit disappointed though when those who had ordered the Indonesian cuisine had such beautiful dishes presented to them. Taste wise- everything was spot on. Hunger satisfied, it was time to try some dessert. If there is one thing you HAVE to try- Dadar Gulung, a bright green pancake filled with grated coconut in palm sugar served with lemongrass ice cream! Not a big fan of lemongrass but the combination of the 2 made it easier to swallow.

As we said goodbye, the 4 that were left behind went back to the Villa to pick up our stuff and head to the next destination for the night- Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Resort. 

Doing it jungle woman style. I am not usually so crass...
BUT REALLY...I had to ask the driver a million times if it was OK. He said it was.
Balinese culture has a lot of rules against feet and the fact that my feet were on his picture was really rude.

Despite getting in well past the check in time, our rooms were not ready (we were later told that it was because of a wedding the night before whose guests stayed till late check out). I was getting grumpy because it was the last chance for sun and with each passing minute, I was losing tan time. After about 30minutes of waiting, we were offered coffee and light bites at the bar facing the sea. Sometime later, after some pestering, we were shown to our rooms.

Woooooow!!! I have no words!!! We got a good deal on the Luxury King with the plunge pool and honestly I was tempted to never leave the room but the sun beckoned! Seriously I have no words that only pictures could describe how breath-taking everything was!

The beach@ Sofitel Nusa Dua

After the sunset, we headed to the plunge pool and cracked open a bottle of champagne for some girly fun time. 

The toughest thing to decide after that was whether to retired with room service or to go to the restaurant- we choose the restaurant for the ala carte meal as the buffet seemed like too much after an entire trip of all out indulgence!

Departure Day

For those who don’t know- like myself, you will be happy to know that the airport tax is now included in the cost of your tickets for most airlines. So you no longer need to put aside Rp. 200000 or scramble last minute for cash if you are the type to forget. There are many dining options and some last minute shopping spots for those who have forgotten souvenirs and need to pick up a little something.

Bye-bye Bali!

Well, Bali it's been fun as always and your charms will definitely bring me back again someday, hopefully sooner than later! To my lovely friend who embraced her coming of age in style, you set the standards for all the independent ladies out there! To the new friends I met, it’s been a pleasure and I hope that our journeys will allow us to cross paths once again!

Till next time!

Ayana Rock Bar Bali

On The Rocks

Ayana Resort and Spa Bali

Jl. Karang Mas Sejahtera,

Jimbaran, Bali

Tel: +62 361 702222 

Email: rockbar@ayanaresort.com

Website: http://ayanaresort.com/rockbarbali/

Ultimo

Jl. Kayu Aya 104X 

Oberoi, Seminyak

Bali

Tel: +62 361 738720

Website: http://balinesia.co.id

Bali Adventures

Website: http://www.baliadventuretours.com/index.php/en/

Poppies

Jl. Legian, Gang Poppies 1, 

Kuta, Bali

Tel: +62 361 751059

Website: www.poppiesbali.com

Khaima

Jalan Kayu Aya, 

Seminyak, Badung, 

Bali
Tel: +62 361 735171

Website: www.khaimabali.com

Remembering Bali

So its been a little over a week now that I have been here in Hong Kong and it has been an eventful week indeed. Filled with ups and downs and discoveries but the down is the worst.

Upon arriving to Hong Kong, the first thing that hit me is the fact that our apartment is smaller than it looked in the pictures! We had actually packed up a 550 square foot container but moved into a 500 square foot apartment- UH OH! I definitely have some figuring out/ organizing and puzzle playing to do! Googling and pinning hacks for small spaces is a full time obsession of mine now. To make matters a little more complicated, our container has yet to arrive so we will only know the full extent of damage tomorrow!

Work has been very kind to me. I am loving the new challenges that I face daily and the new things I get to try and do. Its a little different than what I am used to and definitely more hands on but I have really missed the rush of being busy and doing my own thing and watching things unfold thereafter so its a great change of pace for me.

On the downside, one of our dogs, Harley had a little accident with his eye and what could have been an eye with a recovering cornea turned into a very disastrous torn cornea. It is very painful indeed to watch your pet suffer knowing that they are so small and harmless and wishing you could help but knowing that you can't. The vet bills are sky rocketing for us but we really are trying to do what we can to try salvage the situation. Too little too late I guess.

That said, what better way to transport myself off to a little island called Bali and remember the good fun times that I had there not too long ago in June when we were there to reign in my fabulous friends' 31st birthday! This friend of mine is a really independent, ambitious and outgoing young lady and she has taken to planning and organizing her own birthday getaways and making them fabulous and memorable instead of sitting at home and moping about time gone by! This year, the destination was Bali and with her was a group of 6 of her friends.

The birthday girl and her posse!

While we were all working adults, we didn't want to spend too much on the villa as we knew we were going to be out for most of the trip. Even though we searched and considered many options, we still ended up using Semua Properties. I really love the concierge service that they offer and they pretty much do all the research for you and narrow down your choices. There after you only need to do a Telegraphic Transfer via your bank and you're all set! They even provide pick up from the airport so that's one less thing you have to worry about. Your contact person will then meet you at the villa upon arrival and introduce you to the staff as well as offer the welcome drinks and cold towels after which a quick tour of the premises! Two contacts that I have immensely enjoyed liaising with are: hany@semuapropertiesbali.com and peni@semuapropertiesbali.com

This time we checked into Villa Coco Bidadari, a 4 bedroom luxury villa. All of us really enjoyed our days there, lazing by the pool and enjoying the breakfasts cooked by the lovely staff. The one things that made our stay so enjoyable- the staff! Apart from maintaining the villa, they were really accommodating during breakfast and even when we started to make nonsensical requests (green juice, extra bacon, rice AND eggs) they were happy to provide as long as we bought the stuff they needed to make us whatever we wanted. This was made super convenient as the supermarket was just a 7 minute walk from the villa. When the staff found out that we were there to celebrate a birthday, they came back with a cake for the birthday girl! As we all looked at each other questioning who put the staff up to it, we realized that they did it 100% of their own initiative! Also, on the day that we came back from white water rafting, we asked the staff to help us buy Babi Guling from Warung Pak Malen which is also 7 minutes from the villa and her timing was perfection, she arrived just as we did and so we ate "fresh" food. 

Villa Coco Bidadari and the 3 crazies by the pool!

Breakfast time at the villa...check out how professional everything looks!

Another person that is super essential to ANY trip to Bali is a driver, especially those travelling in groups of 4-7 people, a driver is the most sensible and practical person to have around because they are super accommodating! On one of my trips over, my friends and I had checked out of the villa and wanted to go shopping, our driver was so trustworthy that we left our bags in the car and he did a shopping "pick-up" when required and when it was time, took us to the airport. One driver that I really should go out of the way to recommend is Pak Wayan Sukardia, he speaks English, is smiley and friendly AND you can tell him where you want to go and he will take you there promptly. His prices are also reasonable at Rp.500K (+/- SGD50) for 10hours. Should you ever need a driver his contacts are: 

Overseas- +62813 37217017

Local (Indonesia)- 0813 37217017 

Send him a text and quote: VanessaSG

Day 2 (Saturday)

Cocoon Beach Club

We spent our first day at Cocoon as the birthday girl wanted to spend her day luxuriating in the sun and just relaxing! She had booked out a cabana as well as 2 deck beds, a minimum spend applies but unlike the beach clubs that you get in Singapore, the minimum spend was realistic and affordable. Towels are provided but for a small fee of Rp.150K (SGD15). The sun that you get at Cocoon is exactly what you need to get a nice tan, but beware, too much and you may WILL get burnt! Sun protection is a must! Cocktails served were nice and potent and the finger food was really tasty. Must orders are the: salt and pepper calamari, nachos and the pizza (any pizza).

For her birthday dinner, we went to Chandi which serves up Indonesian style inspired food. They are famous for the Hot Lava Stone Sate Platters and the Duck Betutu. Whats great about their menu is that they have tasting platters for every course which is perfect for larger groups and social gatherings where everyone wants a try of everything but doesn't want to finish an entire main by his/herself. The cocktails are also uniquely flavored and has an east meets west concept to it- WORTH A TRY! One thing to note is that they only take reservations by phone and groups larger than 14 are recommended to email an inquiry. 

Dinner at Chandi

Appetizer tasting platter for 2

L-R: Duck Betutu for 2, Roasted Rolled Crispy Pork Belly, Hot Lava Stone Sate Platter

Posting these pictures really evoke memories of the tasty food. The duck betutu was cooked to perfection, retaining its moist meat while the spices used are a real reminder of the Balinese traditional cooking. I also thoroughly enjoyed the broth from the Crispy Pork Belly Dish among other things. The way a typically Chinese dish has evolved and come together in the many different textures- the soupy and the crispy, its like bursts of flavor and texture in your mouth. The Hot Lava Stone Sate Platter is somewhat a hit and miss, it is a dish that requires effort because you need to turn the sate and a moment of neglect could mean that your food may overcook on one side. Honestly, I would have much rather ordered specific sort of sates and tried them individually instead of being so over zealous with wanting to try everything!

Desserts @ Chandi

We ended the night by going down the street to a place called...La Favela. It was crowded and hot and just not my cup of tea. It was definitely aptly named for the interior and concept. We didn't stay too long as we were surrounded by rather young and rowdy party goers. 

Day 3 (Sunday)  

Thinking that we were going to have to sleep off a hangover from the night before, we had booked ourselves for a massage at Spa Bali. I highly recommend pre-booking as they tend to get really busy, they were even turning away potential customers because they were so over booked. Even though we were on time for our appointments at 11am, we had to wait and when our rooms were assigned to us, they tried to pair people up to put in twin rooms for the treatment. If you have an odd number of male/females in the group then someone better be prepared to share. I guess that is what you can expect from a cheap and GOOD place. The masseuse were all professional and made the effort to check if you were ok during the massage yet being discreet throughout. I should also make special mention that their manicure and pedicure services are worth trying because they use top grade products like OPI and branded shellacs. You definitely will get your money's worth here. Everyone was thoroughly happy and satisfied from their treatments but we had to rush off as we had plans for the evening!

...continued in Remembering Bali, Part 2

Cocoon Beach Club
Jl. Double Six, No.66 Blue Ocean Boulevard 
Seminyak, Bali 
Tel: +62 361 731266 
Fax: +62 361 731155

Chandi
Jl. Laksmana 72,
Seminyak, Bali
Tel: +62 361 731060
Email: info@chandibali.com

Spa Bali
Jl. Camplung Tanduk No.888,
Seminyak, Bali
Tel: +62 361 737933

Hong Kong here I come!

Well, this is it. Time for the next chapter in my life. I haven't been updating much but the past few weeks have been INSANE! As some of you may or may not know, my life path has decided to let me experience Hong Kong. All this was pretty much decided in 7 months and before I knew it, my entire home was being packed up and emptied out. Time taken from green light to go (Nov 2014) till flight time (July 2015) - too short.

L: All packed and ready to go, R: The empty house that was my home

It all started when the hubs started disappearing for longer periods and the business required him to be in Hong Kong more than it needed him to be in Singapore, newly married, it was the toughest thing that after our honeymoon month (Sept 2014) I started being able to count with my fingers and some toes, the number of days I would be able to see him in a month.

Well, he chose Hong Kong and I chose our marriage. It no longer made sense to stay in Singapore when my business partner and my partner in life was so far from me. I lost the motivation and enthusiasm for work because I always felt like I was alone. Once the hubs and I discovered that together we were a force to reckon with, a dynamic duo, the yin and yang solution to any problem, it was hard for either of us to go back to doing things solo. We could do it, this wasn't the problem- the problem was that it always felt that something was missing.

The months crept by slowly and before I knew it, everything was moving at warp speed. The packing, the goodbyes, EVERYTHING!

I leave with mixed feelings. I'm excited about this lucky chance I get to experience life somewhere else. I needed this push out of my comfort zone to allow me to grow more as an individual. I am also really sad about the things I leave behind- my friends mainly because they are my support network, a job which I love and felt like I was doing something amazing, my colleagues whom I value and have enjoy working with over the past years, all these amongst the other less important things. The funny thing about leaving is that in light of my departure, I got to see the side of people that I never got to see and it really wasn't pretty but it made me all the more thankful for the REAL friends I have.

Well my departure wasn't without mishap (of course!). But have been truly blessed at the way it turned out. After leaving some more stuff behind at friends houses for pick up at a later date, I still ended up at the airport trying to check in 62kgs of stuff! OMG...with only 20kgs of baggage allowance, I was looking at an overweight charge of at least $530! Deciding that it wasn't worth arguing about or even discussing, I decided to pay and not put up a fight. 

Fortunately the check in lady was looking for volunteers to get on the next flight (departing 2 hours later) in exchange for $15 meal voucher (yuck), $75USD cash voucher and an upgrade to a business class seat. Oh! This is something I could use. Unfortunately, baggage allowance remains the same (only 20kgs!). So I decided to try my luck and get some extra weight on. I ended up with business class seats AND baggage allowance (30kgs!) and $88 cash which I could use to offset the price of the overweight charges. Yay! I managed to get away with paying $270 in overweight of which $88 was offset so total for overweight costs were $180! As I sit here sipping my champagne on my lovely business class seats, I am thinking what a lucky biatch I am! Oh yes. My momma says I am blessed. 

Living the life...but not on my budget! Its the best.

Thanks to those friends (too many to name but you know who you are) who made the effort to meet up with me before my departure, those that didn't get the chance, I'll be back! Thanks so much to Maria who helped me sell most of my furniture 5days before I left! Thanks to Kelly for organizing my small company farewell and thanks to those that made it! Thanks to the steamboat dinner girls and especially Mary for hosting me in my last night in Singapore. I'm going to miss all of you! There are more people who have helped me so much in my last few days, one way or another and I really appreciate every single bit of it! 

Credits to Ina for the photos

I guess we never really say goodbye, just I'll see you again soon. I made the decision to go and I will be making the best of this! Matter of fact, I am planning to take Hong Kong by storm! Till we meet again! 

Reunited with the hubster!

Xoxo!

Friday Wisdom

Something has been weighing heavy on my heart lately and I felt that I needed to get it off my chest. I hope that whoever reads on will find this post more motivating than insulting. I'm not referring to anyone in general, just a general message to all those ambitious people out there.

A lot of people have dreams and ambitions, some people are lucky enough to know what they want from a young age and other are still soul searching for the one thing that they will find joy in doing. Whatever the situation I'm sure that no one wakes up in the morning and says, "I want to be a failure". Question is, how are you going to be the person you want to be?

As it is, there are so many lessons in life that books can't teach you. Respect needs to earned not demanded and trust needs to gained. Nothing is a given. We all need to pay our dues in life and staying ahead is a constant and demanding task. All of us want to be managers or leaders but how many of us actually has what it takes? And if you think you're lacking, what are you doing to change this? 

The above couldn't be more true. More often than not, we lose the plot somewhere between hard work and success. We forget what it was like to start at the beginning, we lose the human aspect of our person and in the end, its lonely at the top because we lost so many people along the way. 

For me, I try my utmost best to be the kind of manager that I would like to follow. This means that when I think about the leader I want to be, I imagine that this same person would be my leader or manager. I'd imagine that I would be more than happy to have a manager that inspires me, that has my back and encourages me to always grow and learn- and this is who I try to be in my work life. I think that every morning, each of us has a choice to make, to inspire someone, to guide them, to encourage them or to simply make them smile. You have a choice to be strangers in the workplace or a support network where the possibilities are endless. You don't need to be a manager to make a difference, make the difference and people will see that you are a leader anyway.

Now I'm by no means perfect and I am still learning everyday but I am not afraid to say I made a mistake and apologize if I have to. I also believe that I have yet to harness or unleash my full potential and perhaps it will happen soon and maybe it will happen later but it's OK! I'm merely trying to get by just like everyone. I haven't cracked the code nor have I got it all figured out but I hope that in each waking day, I have inspired someone, guided them, encouraged them or simply made them smile. No grand gestures but tiny little moments for us both to remember.

Thanks to those who have so far given me the opportunity to "share" my wisdom- it's been a pleasure and I hope you haven't been misguided thus far.

Happy and Zen Friday everyone! 

"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure"

- Colin Powell

My Fitness Progress 2

So it’s been awhile since my last fitness progress in December 2014 (read here) and while it may seem like I have fallen off the wagon (again!), I have actually been persevering and pushing hard and watching my body change as the weeks go by. All this is not without hard work and aches but as we enter Phase 3 of my pursuit of a better lifestyle, here are some of the things that are changing as we start this most intense yet strangely satisfying phase.

Before I start with the details, I just have to share this progress photo! My lovely sister even went as far as to exclaim in all honesty, “Wow Ness, I never realised how fat you were before!” Hmm, thanks I guess.  

Top row taken 24 May 2015
Bottom row taken 10 May 2015

1)  My Diet

After months and months of not touching my diet and allowing me to indulge, my trainer has finally put her foot down and said somethings got to give…and that is my diet! I have to say that she is been fairly lenient (but don’t tell her I said that!) in allocating my carbohydrate and fat intake as well as my daily calories. When I first heard about the allocations, I had to check if I heard right because it was a damn lot more than I needed.

My Fitness Pal (the app) has been key in helping me to monitor my intake and I am really enjoying the use of the updated version! It makes things so easy to use and I am able to monitor my progress on the go. One of the main things I realized is that in a normal day, I am sometimes able to come in under my caloric requirements but the calories I was consuming consisted of mainly fats and carbs! Being Asian, this is something that I am trying to deal with every day! When one is surrounded by awesome rice and noodle dishes, the protein portions of it just don’t measure up!

Need to change the totals to actually match the goals.

I also think the chicken rice guy at Lau Pa Sat thinks I am a little bit kooky when my order sounds something like “Uncle, less rice and white rice not chicken rice, can you also add one more portion of chicken and one egg please?” My packet of chicken rice which would normally cost $5 now costs $11! Wth…the price to pay for vanity! Plus, the chicken rice uncle thinks I am a greedy little pig when what I am trying to achieve is quite the opposite.

Anyways, daily challenges- how to get more natural proteins into my diet without the fat and carbs that come along. With each passing week, my daily calorie allocation gets lower and lower and the challenge is to try get all the requirements in without going overboard in calories.

2) The damn scales!!!

I truly have a love hate relationship with my scales. First, despite the physical changes, the scales seem to be stuck. I hate that it always looks like 7X.Xkgs…yes, I am over 70kgs. How I yearn to be Asian size petite sometimes but I shall console myself by remembering that despite being on the way to hosting Changi Terminal 4 runway in the front, I am all bootylicious in the back!

Gymming 25 May 2015

I am starting to fit better into most of my clothes and I feel more confident but the problems I have are now different…my long sleeved shirts are tighter and I can’t lean forward and slouch too much for risk of tearing my sleeves off the dress/shirt/etc. Well, I traded in my pouch for a bigger upper body.

Well, I guess if I am going to work so hard for my guns then I should just jolly well show them off. Also, thanks to Iban genetics, I have chunky warrior legs which my trainer says is a good thing but I would give anything to have chopstick legs and be able to buy off the rack just once. Grass is always greener on the other side. I’ll just work with what I have.

3) Tough love means tougher routines

No joke, when my trainer said this phase was going to be intense, I felt it in every aching bone and muscles in my body. Every Saturday I am happy enough to have to endure or do a series of exercises which within minutes makes me sweat like a cow. It targets 3 main parts of the body- core, arms and legs, is a series of 5 exercises, 15 reps each and done continuously with rest only between the 5x15reps. Now for those of you heroes out there who have been doing this- good for you! For people like me who lack coordination and energy- HELP! Having said this, I think I am a secret sadist because I like pushing my boundaries and feeling all those new muscles waking up to say hi the next morning.

I guess nothing good ever came out of sitting around and waiting for things to happen. While I have enjoyed being a sloth these past years, it’s time to move this booty and get that metabolism going!

PS: At the point of writing, I am seriously struggling to get enough protein in my diet, I used to love eggs and now if I have to see another egg I think I may barf. I also drag mealtimes because it always seems like my options are to go either caveman (all meat) of vege out…all of which requires a crazy amount of chewing and I reckon I am also building muscles in my mouth. I wish I could just drink my meals and be done with. Can someone please make a char kueh tiaw flavoured protein shake please?

Fitness freaks fans out there, please…any tips on how to increase my protein daily would be much appreciated! Comments below!