Bali Food: Warung Biku

Warung Biku.

It is one of the a-must-restaurant to bring our friends to because the ambience is very Balinese. This restaurant serves local Balinese food, as well as food from other Southeast Asian countries. Besides food, this place has one of the nicest cakes selection in Bali and they have a wide selection of tea from all over the world. They serve a "high tea for two" set everyday which is delicious and value for money.

This restaurant has a small bookstore, and carries a good range of cute little merchandises that are displayed around the restaurant. One of them I really like is the teapot "dress" which can be draped over the teapot to keep the pot warm and for identification.

Hosting our friends in Bali makes me happy. Many of them usually come with little expectation but end up discovering a lot more about Bali. We usually show them the hidden gems for food, activities and places of interest and they usually both surprised and delighted by our choices. So seeing our friends enjoying their vacation here makes me happy too! 

book review: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

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Part of the ending was quite unexpected for me, it was both shocking and touching. We have always perceived science and religion to be always opposing each other, so this book really provided another angle of thought. The story was very interesting. As usual, reading Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series tend to inspire notions of travel. I've never been to Washington DC and found myself researching on the various buildings involved in the story, so it was really fun for me too. I didn't think Washington DC could be such an interesting and mysterious place.

Now I am reading the fourth book in this series, Inferno (as seen on my blog). I am stuck at it for a while because I have been held back by blogging and traveling. I am very determined to finish by this week, because I have 2 other books on hand which I can't wait to start.

Mr. Lee Kuan Yew is the founding father and architect of modern Singapore. He is well known for his straightforwardness in his public speeches, and for his charisma and ability to move his audience.

Singapore would not have become what she is, if not for this man and his vision.

So his latest book is definitely in my to-read list.

Heard too many good reviews for this book. After I have finished the Hannibal series by Thomas Harris, I was looking for similar material because I really love reading psycho-criminology.

Was planning to read this after Inferno, but Mr. Lee's book came in from a friend so I guess this will have to wait.  (∩︵∩)

music: Carla Bruni

Ok I am sloooowwwwww to find out about this...
Which planet was I living on?

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This lady rocks! I am a fan of hers since her modeling days. When she married Nicolas Sarkosy, I was really happy for her. I thought that the path ahead of her won't be easy, and I am so glad she moved along with such grace and elegance (literally too).

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And I just found out today that she sings!? And pretty darn well! Am I the last to know about this? Probably! (#／。＼#)

So I asked, who says God is fair?

product review: ghd V Gold Classic Styler (flat iron straightener)

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I cannot stop raving about my ghd flat iron straightener (V Gold Classic Styler).

For the record, I am a fan of volume and a flat iron straightener isn't exactly the volume tool. But when I am in a rush for a quick fix of my messy thick wavy hair, flat iron is the tool I'll grab.

I used to have a Jose Eber Signature Series, which is one of their bestsellers that can flat iron dry and wet hair. I have never used it on my wet hair, no matter what the marketing promises because I am not risking my hair getting fried like a banana. It was a good flat iron, but I always find my hair looking very stiff straight after using it.

Then one day, one of my besties told me about the ghd flat iron. I was skeptical at first but I ordered one anyway. It ended up she gave it to me as a birthday present! And I am eternally grateful to her after that because the ghd flat iron is so amazing! へ(゜∇、°)へ

In the picture below, I have used the ghd flat iron to straighten my hair. You can see that my hair is smooth and looks naturally straight. The curl-in at the ends and the side-sweep-big-wave on my left fringe was done using the ghd flat iron.

my hair straightened with ghd flat iron

Compare above with hair straightened with Jose Eber flat iron (picture below). My hair looks "stiffy" straight and the curl-in on the ends is not that natural.

My hair straightened with Jose Eber flat iron

Pros (⌒▽⌒)☆:
~ The ghd flat iron smooths out my natural curls in just 2-3 times of going through my hair with it. The result is silky smooth hair that looks naturally healthy straight.
~ It heats up really fast! This is a major plus for me because when I am rushing (which is all the time), I need things fast *snap snap fingers*.
~ The switch on the flat iron has a nice light indicator and it beeps when it is heated up. I love the beep sound alert feature. It becomes very intuitive to use --> switch on, beeeeep, use! (Check out video below)
~ It is made of very good sturdy material, yet it is light and easy to use. Great for traveling!



Cons ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ:
~ There is a plastic cover which comes together, that is used for keeping the flat iron in closed position for storage or traveling purpose. It is well thought but the plastic cover fits loosely so it could come off easily. It is especially irritating when I am trying to hold it, or carry it around or pack it into my luggage. I have to take special care that the cover doesn't fly off or my flat iron doesn't fall out and lands on the floor.
~ It is more expensive than most flat irons in the market.

Overall, I would say "YES! Please get this flat iron because it is soooooo good!". ＼(*T▽T*)／
Even though it is pricey, it is worth every cent for the result that it delivers. And I realised that many professional hair stylists use the ghd flat iron on their clients. So without a doubt, go get one!

product review: Revlon PhotoReady 3D Mascara

I love mascara! It is my staple, the only make up item that I would not mess up. So naturally I am always happy to review a mascara.

I have a few strands of fairly long lashes. So I really need V.O.L.U.M.E! I also have sparse bottom lashes so a good comb that could cover my bottom lash would be a plus.

My preparation:
I have primed my top and bottom lashes with Mary Kay lash primer. I chose this primer because it is good enough to condition and protect my lashes yet it does not enhance the effect of the mascara, unlike some other primers.

Pros (⌒▽⌒)☆:
~ The fine bristle brush design allows me to coat every strand evenly. It also coats my sparse lower lashes without making a mess.
~ With just 1 coat, my lashes were lengthened. Woahla!
~ The second and third layers were added on easily, without having to manage clumping of product (too much mascara sometimes tend to lump together).

Cons ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ:
~ Generally, I find that the wand is not well designed ergonomically, especially when I try to coat lashes on my left eye (I am a right-hander). It was also awkward to reach my inner eyelashes. I smudged some mascara on my eye lid a couple of times.

Overall, I would say I love it because its gives me the full volume lashes that I need. I find that I don't need to go all the way to 3 coats actually. Just 1 or 2 coats is already "powerful" enough for me for daily wear. Anything more should be reserved for glamourous dinner parties. The result is really good for a drugstore brand. I guess I will need to try get use to the awkward angle issue to avoid cleaning up smudges.

book review: Mythology by Edith Hamiliton

I didn't think I could finish this book because I read in reviews that it was used as textbook in schools. But I also read that it was good material to start off for understanding Greek and Roman mythology so I took the leap of faith. Guess what? I finished it and I have good things to say about it!

This book is very very good for people who knows nothing about Greek & Roman Mythology (like me). It covers more of Greek Mythology and it was very well organized, making it very easy to follow. Highly recommended for those looking for 101 of Greek Mythology.

The author also explained the origins of the stories, which helps the reader to understand why and how the stories were created. This is quite a thick book but I do not think it is difficult to finish it.