Accomodation in Bali

*moninet taps fingers*

where should we stay, where should we stay?

I'm been mulling on this, toggling amongst the numerous choices that were thrown to us. The different areas are confusing enough to baffle me. Some say Ubud, but I say no. I'm no artisan and I'm not about to stay in the middle of a padi field. Some say Nusa Dua to enjoy private pristine beach time and Aaron swears by the pool and rooms at Conrad but I need my shops, Dw needs his fast food fixes. And don't people say, going to Bali means living the Bali experience, ie, staying in a villa with a private pool, our own personal butler and having someone cook your breakfast?

Damai Villa at Lovina was tempting. I have never seen dolphins swimming in the oceans, but this wasn't enough to overpower my fear of isolation. I convinced myself I would stay there when JD was big enough to appreciate the dolphins and go "wow" at each jump.

Seminyak seemed good enough and I was kinda set on Bvilla but their policy was weird. They wanted me to sign a release statement with my credit card details, they wanted a copy of the front & back of my credit card and they wanted a copy of my passport. All these didn't make me feel too secure. Too many stories of credit card scams going round. And I didn't want to be a difficult customer by asking for exceptional waiver of their requirements so reluctantly, I gave it a miss. On a side note, the staff managing the emails was really efficient and patient, giving quick replies to my queries.

Which, may be a blessing in disguise afterall! We finally decided on villa de daun, highly recommended by I-Lin. It's in Kuta, but yet off the happening stretch so we sort of get the best of both worlds. Convenience with serenity. Not very cheap but at least I'm getting peace of mind, which is what vacations are all about!

Merry Christmas

So I shall feast, drink and be merry this week and indulge in the many gifts that my wonderful friends have given JD & me.



M-E-R-R-Y C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S L-O-V-E-L-I-E-S!

One Painted Nail

I was at my usual nail place, preparing my nails for the party tonight. JD popped by just as I was about to finish drying them and because she gave the girls there such an endearing smile, they wanted to paint her nails. I wasn't too keen as I didn't want to instill vanity in her at such a young age and I also dread the chemicals which she may inhale, especially from the polish remover.

Eventually I agreed to ONE nail, JUST ONE nail. And boy, she was so excited about her little pink thumb. She literally walked around Parkway after that with her clenched fist and a little thumb sticking out, proudly showing off her freshly painted nail to people who walked past.

Megablocks

I'm an absolute nitwit at these but JD's daddy is nuts about them and I gotta admit he's darn good with them.

He can just about build anything one asks for with these little blocks and I've been impressed with what he can whip out almost immediately. So far there's been a giraffe, a robot, a snake, a tunnel, a car and many others and these were from his imagination. No references to manuals, no pictures to model against.

Tunnel


Robot

I admit I've much to gripe about his parenting skills. I mean.. when he's tasked to make JD sleep, he falls asleep before she does. Babysitting JD to him means having both veg in front of the tv. But he's afterall JD's dear daddy and he is good at what daddies are supposed to be good for, fun, games and... MORE FUN!

Just leave the TLC to me, the Mommy... :)

JD's 1st Class Photo

JD has finally brought back her class photo, her 1st class photo and I couldn't stop gushing over it. The kids (and of course especially my baby girl) are just so cute! There's something in those serious little faces that tickles me. I can just imagine the havoc that the teachers and the photographer had to handle before they managed to snap this.


I am beaming from ear to ear as I write this. I am so proud of my little girl. From a tiny baby to a pre-school toddler... how time flies and this is going to be her 3rd X'mas...