Happy Chinese New Year

Sunday, Kilanas

Its been raining for the entire month, and I was talking to Joyce, Thompson Furniture about the peculiar events that have been happening in Brunei just in time for Chinese New Year. With the electrical outage affecting major businesses in Brunei, and the floodings due to the heavy rain and then the solar eclipse that coincidentally falls on the same day as the New Chinese Year, The Year of the Ox.

She mentions about last year it was happening to China just in time for CNY, where the entire country was succumbed with frost and snow storms making thousands of Chinese stranded on the train, unable to reach home for CNY. Now this year, its happening in Brunei. What a peculiar coincidence. I don’t normally believe with the Chinese auspicious-ness with months and star animals, but this year is suppose to be my year. I’m born on the Year of the Ox. I suppose good things will come to my way this year. I do sure hope its true.  Well come to think of it, ever since the new year of the Ox, I have made achievements with this blog in particular and I won first place for a speech competition in my University – which I will be receiving a prize later this afternoon. It could be the year to do new things and take more risks.

Joyce and her husband of Thompson furniture was kind enough to invite my family to their open house Sunday afternoon – we were quite lucky that we arrived at 4pm just in time to watch the Lion Dance at their residence in Kilanas. The food was catered by Brunei Hotel, nasi lemak with battered chicken and typical daging rendang.

here the lion comes

This is actually my very first time seeing the lion dance up close. With the sounds from the drums and gongs, I have to say it was quite an experience.

The drums can be seen from the background

The lion dance is believe to ward away any bad omens from the house and bring prosperity and luck to the residents of the house.

here comes the golden lion!

The lion dance troupe hails all the way from Sungai Liang, Belait. I have to admit they’re really good.

Lion seeing the ang-pao - takes a whole lot of acrobatics

Ang Pao gone!

Thanks Joyce and family, Thompson furniture for the invite. May you and your family have a prosperous new year.

Father & son in the background

Joyce receiving a souvenir from the Sg Liang troupe

To my Chinese friends, Happy Chinese New Year

photography club

28 Jan, Campus

Its a fresh new semester for my LLB Law programme at University, and its time for me to embark on a new activity. Photography!

I joined the photography class conducted by the Chief of Photography and Media, Pelita Brunei. Packed with no fancy SLRs and having left my compact digital at home, all I have was my iPhone.

The first day of class: I discovered my photography passion.

Amateurish at this stage, here are the pictures I’ve taken :

I love the contrast between sharp edges of the roofs and the shadow casts with the uneven and rounded clouds

What do you guys think?

This is the first picture I captured. My favourite

Abstract, patterns and lines.

Lines and Angles

Okay – these are the pictures which I have submitted to the Chief, which he would then analyse and criticise. He will give me feedback next week. Hope all is good.

A fine Sunday

Sunday morning, The Arch, Gadong

After introducing my athletic and exercise addict cousin Rafie to Zunic Wellness Plaza Athirah, his motivations in getting his desired body image and my increasing liking for yoga with 2 hour yoga sessions, both of us has set off a part inside of ourselves: Determination. This feeling is strong and can lead to great rewards and results. We remain undeterred with challenges and muscle fatigueness. This does not stop us from refraining more exercise.

2 hours of yoga, at night I slept like a baby. It was such a good sleep, where your brain is just too tired or relax? that you do not dream.  Around 7am or so, I was awaken by a shrug on my shoulder, it was Rafie, get your butt off the bed. Remember Bukit Shahbandar?

The night before, we were getting excited with our morning jog/hike and rewarding ourselves with the fantastic views of the lush rainforests of Brunei and the fresh air – oxygen therapy. And getting fit at the same time. Excellent.

The hundreds of steps towards bliss: Oxygen Therapie

So off we went.

Expectations: Well after 2 weeks of Ashtanga Yoga training and pranayama techniques should make hiking hundreds of steps towards pure bliss easy.

Reality: Wrong! The whole climbing and hiking activities test on your cardio fitness instead!

Yes, I was huffing and puffing in no time. Tried using pranayama breathing techniques to optimise the oxygen intake of the lungs to 30 percent – still huffing and puffing. Gasping for air and the aching of my knee caps, makes the morning hike challenging!

Top of the world: Fresh winds

At last! Found the resting point. The fresh winds blowing off the awful heat from the body leaving a cool and blissful sensation. The air is so fresh especially in the morning, from the top I see the cool morning mists shrouding parts of the tropical rain forests.

After, a destress silent moment. Off we went back down the steps. Then off we hiked the same steps again. Yes. We went up twice.  My empty stomach growling and muscles trembling using up the stored sugars as energy source.

So where off next?

In a typical Bruneian fashion:

Good morning Taurean Cafe, The Arch

Just in time before 11am (by which the Good morning promotion ends) is one of the best “credit-crunch” friendly breakfast ever to be found in Brunei. Taurean Cafe at The Arch, Gadong.

For the price of $2.50, you get to pick 2 from the list below:

Kolo Mee and Hash Brown please

Or if you add another $1 you can choose 2 from the Heart Heart Set:

Yes for $3.50 you can choose 2 from the list

We went with sweaty tee shirts and trainers to Taurean Cafe, The Arch Gadong. Thinking I would look out of place with my worned-out and sporty attire, to my surprise, people wearing trainers and sweaty tees are here! I see. This is where people replenish their energies.

For a healthy and yoga friendly option: Mixed Fruits and Omelette although you probably could just get Nasi Lemak and Chicken Fried Noodles instead! If you don’t mind having love handles that is.

The Good Morning breakfast meal is available at Taurean Cafe, The Arch Gadong every morning until 11am.

Twelve: a review

20-ish January 09, Kiulap

I just noticed that most of the spas and cafes which I have reviewed were in the Kiulap area. I’ll tell you why I love Kiulap – compared to the Mall Gadong, its so hard to find free parking and in the end I’ll end up having to go for the basement. Kiulap on the hand, has a plethora of shops, cafes and spas available and free parking. Especially if you’re the one who’s driving the car, and cannot just drop off as you wish.

This time, during lunchtime Ariffin, my cousin picked Twelve cafe in Kiulap and to my delight, he’s driving this time and a pleasant rare opportunity for me to just enjoy sitting at the passenger seat. Drivers out there would share this ordeal and enjoy just lazing down, texting on your mobile phone, looking out the outside surroundings, enjoying while not having to constantly looking at the front and remain alert at all times. Anyway, Twelve cafe is one of the many themed cafes available in Brunei. I suppose the owners of Twelve are aiming for a vintage 20s hollywood with black and white pictures of 20s-30s hollywood celebrities hanging on the walls following the likes of Hard Rock Cafe with photos of rock artists and memorablia with signatures. I totally get the design direction of Twelve, however this is the part that Twelve fails with their interior. The inclusion of an Asian, Thailand made water pots and some other tacky, plasticky objects inhabiting the space of the cafe offsets the design entirely.

The music playing on the background was coming from the television playing Astro Jazz Radio channel with the blank television screen on. If they could invest in irrelevant materials to fill up the space, can I just say it would be nice to get a good surronding sound the cafe and buy some musical cds. Much much more authentic in my honest opinion.  The sofas looks comfy with the choice of bold colours, in the deep reds. Think maroons and dark purples. However no matter how much the sofas look, ultimately its all down to how comfortable you feel when you  dine. Again a mistake, how your body was brought lower and with the tables higher, your sitting position is somewhat off.

Twelve is a cafe which probably could done a little better at night rather than lunch time. Their biggest mistake. Using tinted glasses on the entrance of the cafe, with the sun facing the entrance during the day. Tinted glasses makes the appearance of exclusivity from the outside, however could they possibly do the same where this glasses blocks 80% of the light going inside. You kinda feel rather uncomfortably hot with the setting and having high intensity light from the entrance glasses upsets the jazzy, glamour 30s rat pack hollywood that the cafe is aiming for. By which, the ambience should feel relax and mysterious.

And then food.

A great quench in a hot day like this

I ordered the iced lemonade with sugar sprinkling. It looks appealing in a hot day like this, especially with the sunlight shining so brightly towards our direction. The icy drink was so cold, that the heat inside my throat just literally fade away. Although the drink is a too sweet for my liking. The sweetness that kind of just seeps straight to your brain feeling.

Salty sprinklings

I ordered their popular chicken dish, the Twelve roast chicken with mash & mixed vege.

Twelve Roast

The price of the dish: $9.80. I requested the chicken to extra spicy, generous Portugeuse chilli sprinklings can be seen. The mash was good – hints of chicken stock detected. The chicken was dissapointing, the flesh was overcooked, it has gotten too dry to enjoy the taste of the meat. It makes even more difficult to eat with the knife and fork. It could use to be more tender and less time roasting in the oven.

The chicken overcooked!

The dining experience was further ruined when two contractors with drills and hammers start making knocking noises to unlatch the front door of twelve. With the door now open, the loud sounds of drills – sunlight shining on us rendering the airconditioning useless. The waiting staff did not even apologise for the inconvenience to the 5 diners in the cafe. A couple about to order left the restaurant soon after.

So is Twelve really worthed? No. Possibly it could do much better during night time, I will go to Charcoal or Vintage Rose instead for better food and a top-notched dining ambience.

Asianel Reflexology Spa, Kuala Lumpur

Asianel Reflexology Spa: Stress & Tension Relief Reflexology treatment RM 95+ (60 min)

December 2008 – Star Hill Gallery, Jln Bukit Bintang

The Pamper floor in Starhill Gallery

“Only in Asianel do you truly enjoy a holistic approach towards reflexology where acupressure blends with aromatherapy & luxurious spa offerings like a foot soak in delicious milk bath or hot salts, a botanic scrub & cool yoghurt coat or warming mud mask for the feet.

At Asianel, your foot reflexologist is a trained practitioner in the Rwo Shur method of reflexology, combining thumb-sliding and firm pressure techniques in a relaxing, flowing motion. Based on Eastern-Western medical theories, the Rwo Shur therapy which originates from China 5,000 years ago also uses Yin-Yang principles and is part of Chinese traditional medicine.”

While on a shopping trip at the Star Hill Gallery, and also in search for at least a spa experience while in Kuala Lumpur – I came across Asianel spa which provides reflexology treatment in a holistic way. I have before researched on the Time Out website that this spa is one of the favourites and was highly recommended.

Indulge yourself while on vacation

I could not resist the chance to sample the holistic reflexology experience while on holiday, so off I went to Asianel spa in the Pamper floor of the Star Hill Gallery. The gallery was definitely beautiful with jazz music playing lightly while shoppers and spa goers stroll around shopping for designer pieces or indulge in one of the many spas found on the Pamper floor. Urban Retreat, Kanebo International Salon and the acclaimed Beaubelle Skin & Body Care day spa were just a few of the spas represented at the Star Hill Gallery.

On the entrance of Asianel spa, I was immediately greeted by the spa manager and explaining the various types of reflexology treatments provided by the spa. Each specific treatment are unique with different emphasis on pressure points relating to the different parts of the body. As described by the leaflet, the Rwo Sur therapy uses Yin-Yang principles which promotes the Chinese philosophy of chakra cleasing and balance. I noticed with an Australian accent, the spa manager listens my health concerns and recommended me the Stress and Tension relief which induces deep relaxation. I also explained that I have a slight indigestion, to my delight, this can be corrected by focusing on specific focus points. Although, I am slightly annoyed with the fact that she was adamant for me try the more pricey Rejuvenation treatment at first, which costs an extra RM 40!

The massage area however was more suited for group as there weren’t any private rooms present – the space was divided by long, airy and flowing translucent curtains. The ambience – it was dark, lights lightly dimmed at its lowest setting, my eyes had to adjust for a moment. First, my feet was soaked with infused Lavender milk foot bath, the feeling getting my sore feet soaked was just amazing. The lavender aroma and the music playing sets the mood to relax. This is followed by a head, neck, shoulder & hands acupressure – pressing fingers on stress and tension relief points. I was very relaxed and calm, it is definitely working, the therapists are definitely well trained. I vaguely remember the foot reflexology massage using Sandalwood, Chamomile and Lavender pure essential oils – by this time I was in the zone, a state of Nirvana, a form of very deep relaxation and calm that thoughts in the head cease to exist. With all the hours and hours of walking and carrying heavy shopping bags, back and forth to the hotel – this treatment is essential and was the perfect ending for my holiday in Kuala Lumpur. It was definitely one of the highlights during my December vacation. It was hands on the best foot reflexology I have tried so far.

Verdict: 10/10

I would definitely recommend you to try it when you’re in Bukit Bintang.

The foot reflexology treatment starts at RM 95+. Asianel Reflexology Spa can be found at the Pamper floor, Star Hill Gallery, Jln Bukit Bintang.