Sunday, July 29, 2012

Underwater Tech

I'm really excited about my new waterproof case I got for my iPhone. I'm looking forward to taking many underwater snorkeling pictures of Thailand next week :)

*and showering with music.



Monday, July 23, 2012

5 Things I Miss from Home:

1. Dog
2. Baby Jeep
3. Solid deodorant
4. Everything Bagel w/ bacon, egg, cheese, and hot sauce
5. Free refills on unsweetened ice tea



Friday, July 20, 2012

The Perfect Bali Itinerary: Sunday

My friend and I woke up early and got breakfast at the hotel. Our magical driver, Kadek, appeared out of nowhere so we could start our day. Kadek was our driver for half of the trip and he is a very sweet man. He has a spidey-sense that allows him to show up without a phone call when you are ready to leave. He would walk right up to us as we were gathering our things. If you want a reliable driver you can call him at +62 817 974 8128.

Kuta beach.
Our definite plans for the day included one thing only: THE BEACH. We were lucky the rain had finally stopped and Bali decided to show us the sun. Kadek took us to Kuta Beach because I was told it was the place to learn how to surf. There is no reef so I did not have to worry about being cut up.


I rented a foam board and had an Indonesian guy stand out in the water with me. I'm a little bitter about how much I paid him because his goal was to get me to stand... which I did the first time and over and over again after that. My balance is pretty good so what I wanted to do was learn something more than just riding a baby swell out. Nevertheless, Kuta Beach really is the perfect place to learn. The water is shallow and the swells were not scary. I was out there for two hours before we headed to a more scenic beach.


We stopped here on the way back to our resort, which is home to a pretty piece of coast called Dreamland.
ahhh.. Dreamland.
We spent the afternoon soaking in the beauty of Bali. We watched the sunset over the water before magical Kadek appeared to take us back to the hotel.

We took our time getting ready before heading back out for the night with Gede.

We stopped at this warung for some cheap and delicious Indonesian food and then went to Ku de Ta for a drink. We dropped by Potato Head Beach Club for some dancing and made a friend- really nice Balinese boy that knows some magic tricks :) We pushed ourselves to go to Legian Street (it was our last night!) and then headed home exhausted.
Warung - a restaurant that doesn't pay taxes according to Gede.
Basket full of Indonesian goodness.
Warming up by candle light at Ku De Ta. Drinking Indonesia's #1 beer: Bintang.
Dancing at Potato Head Beach Club.

I left early Monday morning to head back to Singapore and have spent the last few days reliving my magical time in Bali and catching up on sleep.



Thursday, July 19, 2012

The Perfect Bali Itinerary: Saturday

Rainy Saturday at the hotel.

I met our driver, Gede, in the hotel lobby at 11am. Gede is from the Uluwatu area and can be reached for sightseeing and chauffeur service at +62 087 860 044 733. He drove us two hours north, into the center of Bali, to the town of Ubud.
Entering Ubud.
Our first stop was Ibu Oka for suckling pig. The restaurant has a roof but is open on the sides. It was a nice atmosphere (for a hungover day) to eat at a picnic table with the sound of drizzle from above and the rain sliding off the roof to the side.


We left the restaurant and walked towards town. We passed a temple and walked through the markets. It rained off and on all day and we were caught in a downpour but the ladies waited out the rain by getting hour long pedicures.

Walking the streets of Ubud.
The Temple.




City markets.
Before leaving Ubud, we took a walk through the monkey forest. It was unbelievable. It was like walking through scenes of the Jungle Book. There were huge stone ruins covered in green moss, a pretty river running through the reservation, and the tall canopy covered with vines. But most importantly, there were packs of monkeys everywhere and they were not shy.




After I had given up all my bananas, a little rascal came up to me and started looking through my bag. I  snatched my bag away, but he started to tug at my skirt, I couldn't help but make a face at him and then he hissed at me! A lady from nowhere started yelling at the monkey and shook a broom at him. She told me I can't put my hand in my purse because the monkeys will come... you can see a clip of our monkey experience here.
Stumble upon this private rice paddie looking for a bathroom.
We left the rice paddies of Ubud and headed back down south. We stopped at a beachside seafood restaurant for dinner in Jimbaran. Before heading home, we grabbed a drink at a gorgeous cliff-side outdoor lounge called Rock Bar at the Ayana Hotel. After being hungover, rained on, and climbed on by monkeys, I was feeling like something the cat dragged in and this bar was nothing but posh and indulgent luxury.
Beachy dinner in Jimbaran.
I ended the night hanging out at the hotel pool. My friend and I shared a bottle of wine and talked life before getting kicked off the grounds at 2am.





The Perfect Bali Itinerary: Friday

I have to go back to Bali because I just did not get to see enough. But, considering I was only there for a few days, I was able to experience so much. If you ever find yourself in Asia, you must take at least a weekend trip to this beautiful island. Flights are cheap and the country is affordable.

Always get the window seat...
Friday
I flew in, paid my visa, went through immigration, and found my name being held up by a man in a silky, comfy-looking get up. The hotel we stayed at provided transportation from the airport to the resort. I've never had a personal driver waiting for me at the arrivals gate... it's a pretty swanky feeling.

The ride from Kuta to the southern part of Bali, where New Kuta Condotel is, is only 18km (that's about 11 miles) but the traffic makes the ride almost an hour long. There are only single lane roads that connect many of the towns, so the drive is slow, unless you are one of the many locals riding a scooter squeezing in and out of lanes. 

The Balinese have mastered the art of traveling. I saw whole families arranged on one scooter. Baby holding on to the handlebars, Papa driving, Baby #2 sandwiched between him and Mama keeping everything together in the back.

I got to the hotel, which is tucked away in a large expansive resort away from the congestion of town, and waited for my two friends from Hong Kong to join me. We exchanged really happy hellos, finished up our wine, and headed into Kuta for the night.

Delicious pot of seafood goodness.
Delicious jar of cocktail goodness...
The night is a bit of a blur... Legian Street was busy and energetic with mostly expats (primarily drunk Australians). We had dinner in an open air restaurant, ran into a German friend from Hong Kong in Sky Garden, got split up and bar-hopped up and down the street until closing hour. We were on cloud 9 riding on the back of scooters for the 40min drive back home.

Some break dancers performing at Sky Garden.

We were in bed by 5am and back up at 10:30am for our day trip to Ubud.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

My Session in Dreamland


I started walking along the coastline, further and further away from the other tourists. I couldn't see what was ahead because of the curve of the island, but as spectacular as the passing views were, I continued forward around the bend. I have never been afraid of being lost because I know I just might find something amazing around the corner.


I found myself being drawn to a spot where the sand was large enough to be called tiny pebbles and the water was gentle enough to just slip quietly around me. I sat cross-legged right on the edge where the ocean meets land. It didn't take long for the damp ground to envelope me in nature's most comfortable seat. To the right of me was a deserted stretch of beach where the sand turned to slick green and grey stone before becoming steep cliffs. To the left of me was the crowd of people I left behind and a gorgeous view of large aquamarine swells and bungalows perched on rocks.


The setting was otherworldly, but I turned my attention to what was directly in front of me.

I couldn't see a single body. I wasn't even aware of my own. The only presence I felt was the rhythmic power of the ocean constantly coming towards me, yet never pushing me away. The sun was low with only two more hours before it would set. It's beams slipped through the nooks and crannies of the clouds and reflected its light at me. And without meaning to, I slipped into a meditative trance.



I started to take deep breaths. There was nothing but the rush of breeze, waves crashing, and the gritty scratchy sound coming from the sand I could not stop rubbing with my hands.

And almost as fast as the sun was warming up my skin, the pointless noise that regularly fills up the constant chatter of my thoughts started to fade away. All the distracting thoughts about work, family and friends from home, self doubt, the past, the future, any unsettling feelings of anxiety, hope, completely disappeared and what was left was a solitary line of connected thoughts.

This is what you call a moment of clarity.

Some context first:
It is easy to get wrapped up in the details. I have a high tolerance for stress and deal with traumatic situations fairly well. But, like anyone else, I do have a constant jumbled flow of unproductive thoughts that are nothing but distracting.

It seems the thoughts that linger and clutter the mind are ones that are based on regret (your past), anxiety (the unknown future), and/or helplessness (loss and lack of control).

For me, a lot of my angst revolves around my "love and let go" ability. I have always felt a bit ashamed about how much I can love and how well I can move forward. I assure you, its no easy feat, and it is a talent that has developed through major love and loss since an early age.

But as I sat on this beach, adequately named Dreamland, with what seemed like the world at my feet inviting me to jump in, all of my insecurities dissipated. A solid concept was being unearthed as my mind shook loose the excess and revealed some truth.

I realize my innate sense of adaptation has given me the skills to deal with work and uncomfortable personal matters. But, most importantly, these survival skills have made traveling solo a wonderful experience. I have been able to build genuine friendships and have not let the pang of goodbyes deter me from forming new relationships wherever I may be. I can't control who I will meet, where I will be, or when I will reunite with familiar faces. But, there is no regret, there is no anxiety, there is just

living in the moment.

So my moment of clarity was a bit selfish, but it had more of an impact because it was a message that came from within. Self-discovery at its finest. It was a confirmation that I should be happy with who I am, where I am, and the road I am on because I am fully appreciating every moment and all it has to offer. The world is accepting me, and I am accepting it back, for everything that it is.

With every new experience, you will learn one more thing about yourself. The more you understand yourself, the closer you will become to figuring out how you want to live the rest of your life.

My moment may seem cliche and underwhelming, but being content knowing you belong where you are and being satisfied with all around you is a state of nirvana that is best when realized yourself... with maybe a little help from the touch of the water, the warmth of the sun, the inviting breeze, and the hug from soft sand.

I pulled myself out of my trance and turned around to see my friend staring at the same view wrapped in her own thoughts- "Why is there any other god than the sun?" - and my mind wandered into another beautiful tangent.

Bali truly is a magical place.
Almost two years ago, I wrote a small post about how I wanted to make more of an effort about being present in the here and now. I'm proud that I've made some progress... growth and development is always good.

Monday, July 16, 2012

I have to go back to Bali

I was only in Bali for the weekend, so we hit the ground running. We experienced the night life at beautiful cliffside lounges and raunchy bar strips. We soaked in the culture of Bali through the food, the locals (our wonderful drivers and friendly strangers), and road trips around the island (across rice paddies of Ubud and scooter rides through the south). We spent a meditative and therapeutic afternoon at the perfectly named beach called Dreamland. And that only skims the surface... the company of friends was amazing.




 
How about you meet me in Bali? from Raquel Chavez-Nguyen on Vimeo.
More pictures and a complete post of our weekend later...
I'm still reveling in the memories.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Packing That Duffle Bag

I leave for Bali tomorrow after work. I can't wait! I'll be traveling with a friend from Singapore and meeting up with two good friends from Hong Kong. I miss those two so much and can't wait to be reunited.

We're staying in a two three bedroom suite at the New Kuta Condotel. Dinner, drinks, and dancing is in store for us on Friday. We have plans for checking out the town of Ubud on Saturday and I'm going to learn to surf on Sunday. It's happening.

I'm getting my swimsuits, long swishy skirts and dresses, and sun glasses packed. I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm readyyyy for things to get a little weird.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

July 5th

July 5th is probably one of the worst days of the year... it's almost 9pm and I'm still nursing a hangover.

This was the first Independence Day I've spent outside of Washington, DC in 5 years. There's nothing like celebrating America's birthday in the nation's capital. It's the best place to be.

The last time I wasn't in DC for July 4th, I spent it in the emergency room back home in Texas. And instead of nursing a hangover on July 5th, I spent it being nursed back to health by friends, pain meds, and Harry Potter.

July 5th, 2007
Other than the road rash and banged up knee pictured above, I also had a big black eye caused by the blood draining down from a huge knot on my forehead from where it hit concrete. This single incident is what made me realize that, I am in fact, not invincible. I have yet to break any bones and if it happens it won't be because I'm making a stupid decision like bombing down a hill with a shitty board and elementary skills.

Anyway, one interesting outcome from this was the road rash. My scars turn pink every time I drink alcohol. They stay pink until its out of my system. Which means for the majority of my day I was a bit splotchy. Scars are sexy though, right??

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

JOY!

A diva is a female version of a HU$TLAAA. Made a big sale today. I've been waiting on this one for months. Will be celebrating tonight. Happy Independence Day, y'all!

Getting business ready for my 9am meeting on 4 hours of sleep.

MY HEAVY CONTRACT.
Signed a company from Hong Kong so I had to change into this :D I'll be changing into my red, white, and blue later.
I got home before my colleague did. I met him for lunch (wearing my I <3 HK shirt) and fibbed for a whole hour about how my sale got away.... He was pretty bummed by the time we got back home. Lo and behold there was a happy little contract waiting for him in front of his bedroom door.


High five, my friend.


iPad Sketch ::: Owl-Skull


Imagined this up the other night. 

My Weekend Food Chronicle

Isn't it nice when your iPod magically knows what you need to hear and the perfect song comes up on shuffle?


Moving on...

This past weekend I had some new foods that I'm a big fan of:


Steamboat! There's the stove, then the soup base (Chicken and Szechuan), and then the all-you-can-eat goodies you boil in your pot. I haven't encountered food too spicy for me to stop eating... until I had some of the Szechuan soup. Just one taste made your lips burn... instant botox. But the MSG must keep you coming back for more. After a few chili and red peppercorn-infused bites, I had to give up. Maybe it was the spice, the MSG, or the dehydration from sitting next to boiling pots of soup... but we were all a bit loopy after this meal.

This bamboo clam went into our steamboat. I've never seen a clam shaped like this.


We went to Malaysia to play some paintball. After working up an appetite, we tried one of Malaysia's staples known as the Ramly burger. It's a beef or chicken patty wrapped in egg on a buttered toasted bun with cabbage, onions, sweet chili sauce, and mayo. A delicious heart-attack in the making. 8 burgers cost us 26 Malaysian ringgit... that's equivalent to $8 US Dollars. We gave the burger stall chef 30 ringgit and had her keep the change. The smile on her face from the tip lasted until we walked away- for some duty-free beers.

"Plastic"
Water chestnut drink is delicious. I ordered it last night for takeaway. The cashier asked me "cup or plastic?" - not really knowing the difference, I said plastic. My beverage came in this nice little baggie. I was thoroughly amused.