Early present for my wife (*)

Well, Vivi has been wanting to get her own dirty lil' laptop for a while, a device where she can "browse any perverted things that she likes and wrote all kinds of private** notes without other people reading it". So after quite a few trips to different computer buildings (two, but they are kind of far apart) in the HOT and HUMID weather in Hong Kong after spending 8 hrs of working!!!, going between multiple shops to haggle and to compare, we (yes, the royal we) present you:

TADAAAAAH!

The ASUS EEE Netbook PC 1001-Px, the latest mid-range model with all the connectivity you need and a (claimed) 6-hrs battery life, all for the cheap cheap price of US$ 299!! (our expertise fee not included). 

Congrats!

Yay me

Explanation:
(*) present mentioned involved only the labor part of the purchase, including but not limited to: time spent to read reviews of the said netbook, time spent to browse multiple locations to find the best deal for the netbook, time spent to haggle between the multiple shops to find the one with the best price for the netbook. At US$ 299 / hr this expertise fee can add up to quite a few! Actual material price of the netbook will still have to be borne by the person wanting the said notebook.
(**) usually dirty laundry notes

Day 5: Tea, anyone?

Yeah, I know ... the holiday plans are kind of getting less and less interesting, but at least I keep my promise NOT getting stuck at home all the time and doing things I want to do.

So today we're having an Afternoon Tea in Hotel Majapahit. For only Rp. 50,000 NETT (that's less than EUR5), we can get tea or coffee, together with a stack of snacks...to be exact, three tiers of snack.

I chose Semarang Delight, which consists of Cheese Brownies (I've had better), Ham and Cheese Quiche, and small vegetarian sandwiches. The only complain I had was that they should have installed more comfortable sofas at the lobby and should have prohibited or separated smokers. I don't particularly mind actually, but the Mink started to bitch and complain about the smokers and that really annoyed me.

Anyway, tomorrow Ming will be going to Hong Kong for week long Trade Show, so tonight we'll bring Felicia for some play time in Food Festival/Laguna...

The nanny will be going home tomorrow until the 18th, so I don't know if I can continue with my holiday plans, but nevermind, I don't have that much things to do anyway. So far I only have these couple of plans left that I haven't got the chance to do:

• Manicure/Pedicure
• Creambath & have a hair cut
• Movies

What else should I do?

Day 4: Guilty Pleasure

I admitted, I love chick-lit; not all (I can't bring myself to read Twilight series), but if I saw the collections in my bookshelf, I really think I'm almost blushing: I have books by Julia Quinn awesome, funny, and witty historical romance), Lisa Kleypas' e-books, a bunch of Harlequins, Marian Keyes, Sheila O' Flanagan, and of course, the first chick-lit ever: Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

I tried other genre such as Military books (One Bullet Away), travel books (Bill Bryson is my favorite), Stephen Colbert's book, and other thing, but I always find myself somehow stranded in the chick-lit/romance aisle every time I visited a book store.

So I wasn't so sure what to do on Day 4 when Ming suggested a trip to a book store here in Surabaya, Gramedia in Basuki Rahmat, I know exactly what to do on Day 4.

To be fair, I don't know if this includes in Chick-lit, but a friend of mine suggested it and it seems fun:

Wicked Lovely is the first novel in a series about a world where fairies and mortals intermingle. The story introduces Aislinn, a teen who can see the faeries around her, but who has been taught all her life to pretendnot to see them. She is struggling to cope with the faeries when Keenan, the faery Summer King, enters her life and takes away her mortality, asking her to become the Summer Queen and defeat his mother, the Winter Queen. If she refuses, Winter will take over and kill all the summer faeries and mortals alike. However, Aislinn has no desire to become part of the faerie world, and is already in love with her best friend, Seth. In the end, she cannot avoid becoming the Summer Queen, and reigns alongside Keenan over the creatures she once feared. Upon defeating the Winter Queen, Aislinn brings peace to the world of fey. She also sticks with her best friend and new lover, Seth.

(Wikipedia)

Day 3: Chicken, Dolphin, and Tears - FAIL

Today did not go so well.

This noon we went to Food Festival in Pakuwon City because of the advertised Dolphin Show. I thought with today still officially being Idul Fitri day and at noon, there wouldn't be too much crowd, as Felicia hated crowd.

We arrived at 1pm and was told that the next show would be at 2pm. I know it already and hoping that the restaurants in Food Festival would be open, but they are still closed so we went to nearby McDonalds for breakfast/lunch/brunch. Then next door is Kentucky Fried Chicken and I caved in [hung head in shame].

I got the Kombo Super Deal, 2 pcs of chicken, rice, and soft drink

After that sinfully satisfying yet calorie-packed, oily guilty pleasure meal, we went for the Dolphin show.

Now, I've always known Felicia doesn't like crowds, that's why I chose the day show. But once we arrived and paid a total of USD15 for the three of us (quite pricey for my taste), it became clear that I've undermined Felicia's dislike of crowds.

To be clear, there weren't that many people, more than half the seats were empty. But the MC was SO loud on the loudspeaker, urging non-existent ticket holders and visitors to come as the show was about to start. We're among the last to arrive and I can assure you that the parking lot was almost empty and that had there been other people who had the tickets, they wouldn't have any other choice than to go inside the makeshift venue as it was in the middle of closed restaurants; there's simply NO other place to go.

Felicia started to get anxious with all the rackets and loud music and voice. She got tensed and moved from my lap to Ming's. She's edgy and uncomfortable. Then it starts, and the MC was getting louder and then it happened: they clapped. The MC put on that special effect of clapping noise, the audience clapped, heck the seal clapped. Felicia hated the sounds of clapping. She is always upset if someone claps. If we want to compliment her on being a good girl, of solving something, of doing great on a task, the worst we could do is to clap.

She wanted to go home, and we're barely 5 minutes into the show.

I tried to distract her and it wasn't supposed to be that difficult, there were beavers pushing carts, playing basket ball, a clapping seal and two dolphins for crying out loud. and for a while she was interested with them, until they completed each task and people (and the seal) clapped in admiration. Then she really wanted to go home. No, she wanted to sleep. No, she just wanted out. No, she wanted me to stand up and moved to different place and go out and go home and sleep.

Oh, she was having runny nose as well that drove her crazy and wanted me to clean it for her and yet when I did that she said it hurt and she went crying and kicking. The dolphin hadn't even begun the attraction!

I managed to trick her until the dolphins started the attraction (after the beavers and the seal); I planned to go see the dolphin and by God she would see the dolphin. Finally they started, they made smooth, synchronized jumps circling the sad, small pool, they made smart moves here and there and for a minute, she was entranced, jaw dropped and watching them silently.

Until the audience clapped.

She's wailing in tears, and Ming gathered our belongings and we made our exit.

Just outside the venue, they have just installed the train cart, and whaddaya know, eyes still red and cheeks still wet with tears, she told us that she wanted to ride Thomas the train engine (she called all train look alike Thomas. By that time I was sweaty, tired from carrying her and couldn't help but feeling disappointed. Not at her, but just how the days turn out.

So I reminded her that she told me that she's sleepy and wanted to go home and that's what exactly what we're doing. She tried to convince us that she's not sleepy after all. too little too late. We're going home and that's that. She cried again, but we hold our ground. We're going home. No Dolphin, No Thomas.

She calmed down once we got into the car and Ming turned on the air-con. Ming asked her why she's crying and she said she didn't like the loud noise.

Oh well, at least I can say that today was quite an experience ...

Day 2: Bali Garden Bliss by Martha Tilaar

I had this:

Here:

Hotel Majapahit Surabaya (2006 - present)

formerly Mandarin Oriental Hotel Majapahit (1996 - 2006)

formerly Majapahit Hotel (1945 - 1996)

formerly LMS Hotel (1945 - 1969)

formerly Yamato Hotel (1942 - 1945)

formerly Oranje Hotel (1910 - 1942)

I have always loved the historical hotel that is also one of the most important landmarks not only for the city but also for the nation (it's mentioned in the History text books!). As a matter of fact, I love it so much that when I was growing up, I dreamed one day I would get married here.

Alas, I had never been consulted on the venue, decoration, menu, and the planning of my own wedding and the party was held somewhere else ( to be fair, I have to mention that since I did not spend a single dime for the wedding, I couldn't really complain).

So it is only natural that when I was making plan to make this year's Holiday-At-Home events, I include this hotel in one of the most anticipated itinerary : Spa Day!

The hotel's spa is run by Martha Tilaar, a household name for any traditional beauty-skin treatments/products. I called ahead and was told that a room would be available at 3 pm. The hotel is less than five minutes away from my home, which is even better.

I picked the Bali Garden Bliss package, a two and half hour of total relaxation I hadn't had in quite some time.

The room was spacious, with a bath tub, a shower, wardrobe, sink, and a massage table in the middle. The decoration is typical Indonesian, with wooden furniture and natural stone for the bathing area. It was dimly lit with lulling music in the background and soft scent from the lit aromatherapy; I went in and wanted to sleep already.

It started out...awkward, with the therapist washed my feet with scented water. After the aromatic body scrub, I took a short shower and had a ginger tea. Then proceed with sauna (in a sauna box...I know, it seemed unavoidable here), and my favorite part...the massage. Boy I hadn't had a massage in more than a month and this one couldn't come at better time. I drifted off to sleep only to wake up in the middle when the therapist asked me to turn.

The body mask was a bit too cold for my taste, but the steaming hot towel wipe afterward definitely made it all feel much, much better. Afterwards, she left me for the final treatment, the herbal bath. The water was just right, hot enough that you can feel it prickling through your aching joint, but not scalding. love it. exquisite.

I stayed in the tub until the water was lukewarm, took a shower, then called Ming to pick me up. Just as I finished paying and went to the lobby, Ming's already arrived.

The entire package cost me.... USD45 for TWO and A HALF HOURS! Have I told you that I love this country?

I promise myself I'd be back for my birthday next month for another spa package: CHOCOLATE & ROSE

hhhh... it almost makes me looking forward for my 29th birthday....

Holiday is here! Day 1: Retail Therapy

Today is the first day of the annual lebaran holiday, and this year we have more than 10 days off, which I should be grateful of and I am, but can't help feeling slightly disappointed that I don't have any overseas travelling, europe-exploring itinerary planned.

But, I refuse to drown in self pity and spent the holiday regretting things I couldn't do and places I didn't go. Instead, I would try to make the best out of it. Correction, I WILL make the best out of it.

Today had been a good start: RETAIL THERAPY

Ming, Felicia and I went to Tunjungan Plaza. I've warned him that I need some time to get some of the things I need, and he's totally okay with it and didn't even complain one bit about having to babysit Felicia while I did some shopping.

And I meant shopping, at least for my standard (have never been much of a shopper)

So I went to Sogo, since it's always the best place to start. I started out with the easiest thing to buy to warm up the shopping spirit: get some new underwear, and just for the fun of it, I chose some tacky color that I'd normally wouldn't look twice. Oh well, don't want to bore myself. Once that's done, I planned to get some new skirts and shoes, but then I saw some cute shirts that are not only available in the right size and fitted nicely, but also at discounted price!

So I went to the cashier and found the underwear was also discounted, so I thought, what the heck, I told the cashier that I'd take two of every color I chose.

After paying that, I went one floor up to find a skirt. It took a little longer, and I spent some time trying some different skirts, but wasn't convinced until I found it: a cute black skirt that again, available in my size. Just as I was about to pay, Ming called me and asked me to meet up with him and Felicia for lunch. So I postponed paying and we had nice meal in Duck King with hainam rice, ribs, tofu, and chicken dish.

Once that's done, I told him I wasn't finished and went back to Sogo. I stopped by to check some bedsheet, and was tempted to buy Bloomingdale's Jacquard sheet which was discounted from USD200 to... USD70!!! Honestly, I didn't plan to buy a bedsheet, but the lady at the counter was so eager to help that I feel bad. So I let her check if they have it in King size bed and whaddaya know, they don't! It's a divine intervention that I need, there's a few thing I hate more than spending money on things I didn't really want and regret them afterwards, let alone sleeping on them.

Then, since I was on ground floor, it's closer to get to the shoes department...I went in and headed straight to my favorite brand, Hush Puppies. The last pair of shoes I bought for work was in 2008 from the same brand (I can't believe it's been two years! well, shopaholic I am definitely not). It's comfortable, but it really worn out already. Few months ago I was about to buy new pair but instead pick a high heel slipper that wasn't really practical. Looks nice but not nice enough for party and too high for work.

So, I went in, saw it and must simply have it. It was just great. Comfortable, the heel's not too high, and they have it (yup) on my size and though it's a bit pricey I don't mind, hey, I bought shoes every two years, cut me some slack here!

it's cute and comfortable, I love the lining inside though it didn't have any point since it won't be visible once i put them on, but it's the thought that counts right?

Anyway, after paying, the cashier told me another nice surprise: with the combined purchase I made, I got a gift voucher AND a free gift. The free gift turned out to be a tacky, zebra pattern make up bag, which would make me shudder normally but hei, who cares, it's free!

After that satisfying purchase, i went upstairs to pay for my skirt, and with the discount and gift price, I only have to pay.... EUR 10 !!! mwahahahahaa...I just love this country sometimes.

So finally feeling guilty for leaving Ming to handle Felicia, I called him and we plan to meet up in Timezone, but once I got there, he told me that he's inside this timed-hourly playground and I still had few time to spare...so I headed up for this recently open furniture store.

I didn't find what I was looking for (coffee table and a nice one-seater sofa with ottoman). Well, actually, I found the sofa but it cost around USD500. It's insanely comfortable and I can so totally imagine curling up with good book on it. But I don't know if I'm ready to spend USD500 on it. Who knows, probably I'll change my mind by the time the holiday's coming to its end. Will keep you updated on it. Oh, and it's not really one seater sofa, it's more like LaZ Boy chair I found.

Anyway, I didn't buy anything there and went back to meet up with Ming and Felicia. It's 3 pm by the time we went home, and we were a bit surprised when we realized we just spent four hours in shopping malls. It never happened before, lol.

So we went home, Ming's taking care of his lovebirds, Felicia's taking a nap, and I found a reply from this online furniture shop!!!

So I need some opinion here.... I'm thinking of buying this coffee table.

I always like the traditional, wooden furniture, at least I always prefer them over the more modern one, and both Ming and I decided not to pick anything with glass since Felicia broke my side table last time. The thing is, I haven't even seen the actual goods. You know in here, craiglist and ebay is virtually unheard of and we don't normally make online purchases, especially on furniture.

BUT, here's why today is good day for shopping, this coffee table is brand new, made of mahogany and only cost....USD100 (though I'm still crossing my fingers waiting for news on shipping cost). So if I do go ahead and buy it and got disappointed...well, at least it's not that expensive anyway...

So what do you think? Should I buy it or not?