Salt

Chin Lay and I hardly miss any of Angeline Jolie's movie. And this is one of it. Action-packed with superb acting by Angeline Jolie, this movie lived up to our expectation except for its ending. The ending of the movie was abrupt - leaving us wondering "Is that all?" That was the biggest letdown of this movie. I think that's why I could never convince Alfred to watch any of Angelina Jolie's movie; he said it is just too predictable with the same kind of plot. He is right to some extent. But I just love to watch her movie for her hot-action-star role :) Rating for this movie: 3/5.

Shanghai

Set in a gloomy setting, this is definitely not a must-watch movie in our list. We've been maximizing our movie-going time before the baby arrives. We randomly went for this movie since it seemed like the only one worth watching at that time. Alfred enjoyed the movie; but I had mixed reviews about it. I felt that the movie was a little too draggy and I came out of the cinema theatre not feeling so good - must be due to the gloomy setting of the movie.

The plot: An American man (John Cusack) returns to a corrupt, Japanese-occupied Shanghai four months before Pearl Harbor and discovers his friend (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) has been killed. While he unravels the mysteries of the death, he falls in love with a Chinese woman (Gong Li) and discovers a much larger secret that his own government is hiding. There is a twist at the end of the movie - that made up for its other weaknesses. With prominent actors on the line-up - John Cusack, Ken Watanabe, Chow Yun-Fat, and Gong Li, I would rate this movie 3/5. 

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

The plot - nothing to shout about. A purely entertainment-type-with-no-thinking-required type of movie. I enjoyed Jay Baruchel's (the apprentice) acting - he was more like a comedian in the movie rather than an apprentice - hilarious fellow! Rather than being impressed with the whole magic thingy, we sat there laughing at Jay Baruchel's antics. Nicholas Cage's acting was dull and expressionless. Overall rating: 3/5.

Inception

 

 

After hearing mostly good reviews about this movie, we decided to go and watch it. I realized that suddenly everyone was talking about Inception - sort of a hype. Usually, from my experience, when something is really hyped up, the expectation tends to be very high and most of the time I'll end up disappointed with the outcome. But, I must say that this movie lived up to my expectation. 

 

The plot is very intelligent; it leaves you thinking deeply. It took me two-days to recover from the movie, LOL. Many people said they watched it twice to understand and conclude the ending - the ending in the movie is the icing on the cake - it leaves you wondering about what is reality and what is not. We didn't watch it twice - the effect of watching the movie for the first time itself  had a lingering effect in me - I was in a dream-like state for a few days. Very intelligent plot - kudos to the director; and good casting;- however, there's nothing to shout about Leonardo's acting (I preferred his acting in Shutter Island - that was superb!). I would rate this movie 5/5. This type of intelligent-think-outside-the-box-type-of-movie is difficult to come by nowadays. Definitely worth the watch!

Mamil Mama Pregnancy Talk

We attended the pregnancy forum organized by Mamil Mama Gold Club at the Grand Dorsett Subang hotel on the 17th of July. The talk was from 12.30 - 6 pm and the registration fee was only RM 10. As it was our first time attending a talk on pregnancy, we didn't know what to expect. So, we agreed that we would leave earlier if it's boring. But the whole event turned to be so interesting and well organized.

We were served some light refreshments upon arrival and then we were escorted into the grand ballroom where there was a violin group performing all the classic pieces from Beethoven and Mozart - absolutely beautiful.

The first session was a general talk on optimal nourishment during pregnancy and pregnancy development and the origins of health. Both the speakers gave excellent talk on pregnancy-related topics. We definitely learned new things. 

The next session was divided into 3 topics of which you can choose to attend any one of the talks. We chose to attend the "Preparing mothers for breastfeeding" talk. I was told many horror stories of the difficulties of breastfeeding and attending the talk definitely prepared me mentally on what to expect and how to be prepared to effectively breastfeed. Before the talk, I couldn't understand why so many mothers give up on breastfeeding and switch to formula milk. This talk helped us to understand the potential problems and how to overcome some of the breastfeeding hurdles that most first-time-mothers face.

After the talk, we were served scrumptious lunch with the live violin performance in the background. We were so impressed by the whole organizing committee of this talk - it was certainly worth our time!

Anniversary Holiday @ Bali - 8th-11th July 2010

After hearing much raves about Bali being a fantastic destination for a romantic getaway, we were excited in planning this trip. As we traveled quite a bit last year, it wasn't possible for us to slot in a holiday to Bali. What better way to celebrate our 1st year wedding anniversary than to plan a holiday to relax and rejuvenate in Bali. I was into my 25 weeks pregnancy (6 months) that time; and of course my body feels different when traveling during pregnancy - fatigue, cranky and aches here and there; but I couldn't resist the temptation. When else if not now! Seize the moment :)

Upon arrival at the Denpasar airport

We arrived Bali at about 11 a.m. and bought the traditional Balinese nasi bungkus (packed rice with chicken or pork and some veggies). It was so tasty - authentic local Balinese food. We stayed in Bali Hyatt for the 4 days 3 nights we were there. It is a lovely resort with excellent service.  

At the resort

We went to a nice restaurant nearby our hotel on our first night in Bali. We were served scrumptious Balinese food - and our dining experience was enriched by the traditional Balinese dance.

The next morning, we rented a car to go around Bali.

Scenery along the way

We drove up north heading towards Kintamani - where the active volcano of Mount Batur and the Kitamani Batur Lake is situated. The scenic drive towards Kintamani is breathtaking - with green view and cool mountain air.

The active volcano - Mount Batur

We had lunch in one of the local restaurants with a beautiful view of the volcanic mountain and the lake. Although we didn't really enjoy the buffet spread, the panoramic view made up for it. It was just so refreshing sitting and enjoying the beautiful spread of nature and the mountain breeze. 

The next day we drove around Bali and tried most of the local delicacies. We enjoyed the gado-gado and the Balinese mixed rice. In the evening, we drove to Tanah Lot for its spectacular sunset view. The place was crowded with tourists. It was a memorable experience for us to stand at the edge of the land and witness the vastness of the ocean - it was a spiritual awakening moment - I am unable to describe it in words.

At Tanah Lot Sunset

The next morning, we just relaxed and chilled by the beach.

Beachside at Bali Hyatt

The lobby of Bali Hyatt

Since our flight was only at 6 p.m., we decided to drop by the infamous shopping area at Kuta to have lunch. Kuta is the happening place in Bali - full of hustle-bustle - and filled with tourists. We bought back some souvenirs at Kuta.

A memorable 1st year wedding anniversary at Bali. A toast to us for more travels to come!

1st Year Wedding Anniversary

7/7/10 - it has been a year since we tied the knot - legally. We went to Alexis at Bangsar Shopping Centre to celebrate our 1st year wedding anniversary. Last year it was the two us, now we have a baby on board - it was a double celebration for us. 

Some people say marriage is hard work. To a certain extent I think it's true. We had our fair shares of ups and downs for the past 1 year as husband and wife. I would call it the year of adjustment. Now when I look back, I realize that we understand each other better now and our love grew deeper with each passing day. To my beloved husband: Here's a toast to a wonderful journey together.

Nicoise salad - Alfred loved it!

Hubby

Us on our 1st year wedding anniversary

24 weeks

24 weeks preggie

Our New Home

After searching for a landed property to rent around Bangsar and Sri Hartamas areas, we finally found a house that felt like home the moment we entered inside to view it. The house is in Medan Damansara - a double-storey-linked terrace house. The family occupied this house for more than 20 years. They decided to rent it out after the kids moved out; the landlady was relating how bored she feels staying alone in the house when the husband goes for work trips - so they decided to move into a condo. The exact opposite of what we are doing ;) Moved out of our condo to stay in a landed property with some greneries.

Initially we were reluctant to rent the house since we felt that it's quite big for just the two of us. We asked the agent to give us some time to think over it. And finally, we decided to rent this house because:

• it truly felt like home;
• the house faces the forest - with beautiful view and the sounds of the birds and insects - a total contrast to the hustle-bustle-city-centre where we lived earlier; 
• the house comes in fully furnished, so moving in was not that big a hassle; and
• it's just a 10 minutes drive away from Alfred's office - so no more stuck-in-traffic-jam stress!

We are happy with the choice we made. This will be our love nest for the time to come and the home where our baby will grow :)