An unforgettable Balinese weekend

Having never been to Bali, I couldn't understand why those who have been there always come back enamoured and enthralled by the tropical island. Picturesque, immaculate, mystical, and magnificent - these are some of the praises friends have lavished freely when describing Bali to me. Naturally, I took their word for it and made a mental note to grab the next opportunity to head down to this island paradise.

Last weekend offered that very opportunity. My dearest and very good friend Shivani was going to marry the love of her life in beautiful Bali and she made me promise that I had to be there. It was a promise that wasn't hard to keep of course. I was only more than happy to able to be there to witness what would be one of the happiest moments of her life.

Shivani has been nothing short of a true friend all these years. It's been about 8 years and I'm still glad she's part of my life. I will, however, miss her dearly as she flies off to New York tonight. I do want to take this chance to wish her all the very best in her future NY endeavours and of course for her and her husband Aniel to be happy forever. I'm very excited for her as she makes this new transition and I know that there's lots more blessings in stored for this sweet handsome couple.

Their wedding might be over, but it was so memorable that I just had to talk about it here and share a bit of their joy and a piece of Bali with you.

Receiving the invite from Shivani was the beginning of all the excitement, squeals, countless "oh-my-gosh-i-can't-believe-you're-getting-married!", and plenty of wide smiles and misty eyes.





I am showing you the cover and the first page of the invite. Do read the quote by Beethoven. It is very endearing. I had read it elsewhere but reading it again in this context surely stirred a fuzzy feeling. I know that Shivani and Aniel are made for each other. I'm simply estatic that her search for the perfect companion is over.



Here's a candid shot I took of them. They were posing for photographers at Conrad Bali.

The wedding was not only splendid but culturally rich, particularly so because it was the first Indian/Hindu wedding ceremony that I was to attend. I thought the details put into the decoration were really lovely as well. The theme was red and white and you'll see that colour scheme appearing in some photos.



I liked the decorative umbrella.






This was on Sunday morning, at the Ritz Carlton Bali's Bale Kencana. They got a priest to complete the wedding rites. This included the 7 times of walking around the fire. It helped that he explained parts of it in English, for the benefit of the non-Hindus.

Here's the family all poised for a photo:



The entrance of the ballroom where lunch was served after the ceremony:




After lunch ended that Sunday, a horse carriage arrived:

The horses served a specific purpose. It was not there for novelty sake. There's a certain significance to this and usually in India, families would sometimes use elephants. This is for the sending off ceremony. This is the most tearful part because this is the part where the bride's family officially gives away their dearest daughter.

Like any typical Indian wedding, Shivani's one lasted for 3 days. Friday night was the Sagan, Misri, and Sangeet. Saturday was the Navaghari and Ghari ceremony of Aniel and the wedding rites were conducted on Sunday morning (as shown in the picture), followed by a dinner reception that Sunday evening.

In between those wedding festivities, I managed to take a shuttle bus to do a little shopping. On the way, I snapped a few random shots:

I was not surprised to find Starbucks:

I also know it's silly but I had to have my morning dose of caffeine so I got a doppio macchiato and a blueberry scone to go with it. I even got sucked into the whole touristy gimmick and bought myself a Starbucks Bali T-shirt. :)

That weekend in Bali, I must have visited every single 5-star hotel there was on the island. I was at InterContinental on Friday, Conrad on Saturday, Ritz Carlton on Sunday, and I also checked out the Four Seasons because some friends were staying in one of the private villas. I'll let the photos speak for themselves:

The pool at Conrad Bali

Four Seasons Resort Bali

A read-a-book-by-the-sea type of hut, which I loved.

I took some panaroma shots with my humble Sony Ericssion W910i

Note that it is obvious which resort I fancy the most and think is the best.

In my opinion, the other 5-star hotel resorts can't compare to Four Seasons Resort Bali. I think it's just the attention the landscape architects and interior designers of Four Seasons paid to ensure that none of the exotic charm and mystical aura of Bali was lost. Four Seasons Resort Bali manages to be spectacular and yet uniquely traditional.

The following photos of the villa will explain in greater detail:

The walkway from the door to the outdoor lounge area, bedroom, and private pool. Did I mention that they had an outdoor shower as well?

Utterly decadent, and dripping with distinct Balinese exoticism, the villas render one speechless (me included).

The Four Seasons Resort Bali is located at Jimbaran Bay, which happens to be the hot spot popular for its fresh seafood warungs. Having heard so much about the cheap and good sea-grub, I convinced some of people I was hanging out with to grab dinner there. A simple google search led us to Menega Cafe and we were not the least bit disappointed.

We ordered at 10pm and the food arrived half an hour later. We were starving by the time the dishes were served, but all was well. The gang was duly satisfied, and so was I. The total bill came up to about IDR 400,000, which was about SGD50. It was a steal, considering that there were 6 of us. Here's the spread:

We had lots of prawns, a red snapper, a garoupa, some vegetables and a noodle and a rice dish. The grilled seafood came with four bowls of condiments. The chilli sambal was really good and tasted best when mixed with a dash of kacup manis which they also served. The thick sweet black sauce brought out the smokey grilled flavour. There was also a 4 piece band going around belting out dedications. One of the guys asked the band if they knew James Blunt and surprisingly they did. They promptly sang 'Beautiful' and we were impressed.

Though the trip to Bali was a very short one, it was enough for me to see why the island is so well-loved. I will definitely be back soon and this time, I will be sure to visit all the restaurants that I've been dying to go to, especially those featured in The Miele Guide.

Given the short time I had there, I didn't manage to buy any traditional Balinese handicrafts or souvenirs, or sarongs. What I did manage to get was a few knick knacks that I thought were pretty cool. I actually bought a jar of ginger & pineapple jam but I was stupid enough to lug it in my hand luggage and it got confiscated (it was more than 100g!). That was disappointing because I was so looking forward to going back home to slather it on toast for breakfast the next morning. I only hope that someone else will get to enjoy it.

So here's just a sneak peek at my humble loot:

A modern wayang kulit. I bought Dot the male version. As expected, she loved it. We are going to record a wayang video. I will post it up when we do.

Being the curious person I am, I just had to buy these brown packets:

I couldn't describe them even if I wanted to because I have yet to try them. I honestly have no idea what they are. The only words I recognise are 'kopi', and 'rempah'. I asked the sales person but even he wasn't sure. He just said it is some sort of drink. How suspect huh.

Please, if any of you understand Bahasa Indonesia and can translate what the packet says, or knows what they contain, do let me know.

The paper insert that came with the entire bag. Again, it was in Bahasa Indonesia.

Now, guess what this is:

Yes it is a painting. It was apparently hand painted.

I could not stop myself from buying it.

How quaint and useful:

There's even a small one. I took a long time picking the design. There were a limited number and I was convinced that I must pick only the prettiest of the lot. I believe I did manage that. So I went to Bali and I got myself biscuit tins - how novel can that be?

These tins are begging to be filled with candy and biscuits. I cannot bear to put anything in there though. I think the tins will stay empty for now.

Okay, I'm feeling really heavy-hearted as I type this. There are two reasons - 1. I miss Bali and want to go back. 2. I'm sad that my dear friend is not going to be in Singapore anymore. I believe she is on the plane as I type this. My dear, if you're reading this, I just want to say that I will always keep you and Aniel in my prayers and that I will save up and definitely visit you in NY soon! Also, here's a shout-out to all the new friends I made while at the wedding. It's been swell and I hope to keep in touch with all of you!

And before I sign off, I just remembered that I have yet to wish you all a very Happy Lunar New Year. Gong Xi Fa Cai to you all. I hope that your red packet collection has been bountiful. Keep well and eat well.

Pretty cupcakes all in a tier

Last Friday had me slaving in the kitchen for more than 6 hours. But you know what? It was all worth it - every single second of it. The above photo says it all.

Every cupcake was made with love. All 162 of it. haha yes yes the number sounds odd but heh, it's just the number of cupcakes I could manage.

You know what? I'm really glad it went well - the entire wedding, Dom and Daph's wedding which took place on Saturday (May 19). Both of them are two people from ministry whom I love and cherish and I was really excited when Daph tasked me to this wedding cupcake project. Really wanted to do something special for her wedding and am happy to be able to contribute to her big day. Thank God for that and thank God for both of them. They're truly a match made in heaven. Those of you who know them would definitely know what I mean! Congratulations you two - have a blessed and blissful marriage!

Anyway, the cupcake tier was a simple one and I honestly didn't expect it to turn out so well. Here's how it looks like up close:



They're not meant to be big, just sweet and handy. Daph and I sourced for the decorations and check out the cute sprinkles. Lovely aren't they? Got them from Phoon Huat.

Vanilla cupcakes made with love - it can't get any better than that. I heard from Flo that they were well received. Am just relieved I didn't screw it up. Fr. William Goh came up to me in person to tell me he really liked my cupcakes! :)

I guess nothing much can go wrong if you have the right recipe and helpful hands - yes yes, Dot, I really want to thank you so much for your assistance. This babe helped me carry lots of heavy flour, eggs and sugar and she is a joy to work with. I couldn't have asked for a better assistant! :)



Me and Dot posing with the cupcake tier (which by the way, hasn't been replenished in this photo. haha). Love ya girl!

Oh, and thanks Joel, for making the tier - it looked really good.



Yes, that's Joel in pink, with me and Dot.

Phew, my first wedding cupcake tier and I dare say it was a challenge but a fulfilling one and I'm glad I took it up. Thank God! If you're wondering about the recipe, it's the one used by the famous Magnolia Bakery in the States. Have posted the recipe here as well.

Speaking of which, I have to give it to Daph. I've never met a bride as meticulous as her. She wanted a pink theme and made sure the decor matched the entire feel of the wedding right down to the minute details.

Maybe you'll understand when you see this:



Pink cones! Aren't they beautiful? I think they are uber sweet and irresistible. You can't get the pink paper anywhere mind you. It was designed especially for her wedding. Dot (she's also a talented freelance designer) did it, together with the wedding invitations and wedding mass booklet. Daph wanted the cones to be filled with those sugar coated peanuts:



I happen to think that it's a brilliant idea. It made the wedding really special. I mean, who can say they had a cupcake tier and a pink cone tier on their big day? Hats off to Daph and her keen sense of style. She's one amazing woman! Oh and did I mention, beautiful?

Here's a snapshot of the gorgeous bride with some of us Amplify girls...



Everyone looked so sweet in their elegant dresses, especially Daph!

Here's a toast to Dominic and Daphne, the star couple who never fail to put God in the centre always.

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Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cupcakes
Recipe from More From Magnolia by Allysa Torey

For cupcakes:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 and 1/2 cup self rising flour
1 and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

For icing:
1 cup unsalted butter, very soft
8 cups powdered sugar, divided
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

To make cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing. At the bakery we ice the cupcakes with either Vanilla Buttercream or Chocolate Buttercream.

To make icing:
Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.