Doing Nothing

When things get crazy and you’re constantly finding yourself fighting fire, here’s a bit of advice, take a couple days off, tell everyone to hang on for a bit and take off to Bali with a couple of friends who know exactly what you need 🙂

Yes, that’s what I did and with a little less than 24hours left in Bali, I’m so grateful for this trip. I do feel much much better and this post is going to be a constant reminder of how really good and rejuvenated I feel right now. So much so, I’m ready for work on Wednesday. Yes, it was that good a holiday 🙂

I spent it most of it chilling by the pool, reading and looking up into the sky. Now I just have to remember to do that more often and if you haven’t done it lately, there’s always this weekend 🙂

Italian in Bali

One of the best Italian places in Seminyak is Ultimo. It’s along the Laksmana area and usually packed with people. Why? It’s food that’s good at really really reasonable prices. So it’s no surprises that yesterday we found ourselves there again 🙂

So here’s the string of photos that I took with my iPhone and it’s cool photography apps.

It was a fun fun night.

2 Days Down, 2 More To Go

Couldn’t have ask for a more relaxing Sunday and with no Monday blues to battle, I am a happy camper. Even though it’s raining right now and everyone is down for a nap 🙂 I’m updating on my iPhone and catching up on Entourage.

Here’s a pic from yesterday, just before we started our hour and a half massages.

It was simply divine. So if you ever find yourself in Seminyak, Bali you have to check out Cool Spa 🙂

The Villa

Another update from my nifty iPhone. We’re at a villa in Seminyak, my favourite area in Bali, called Paya Paya. It’s a perfect spot to call home for four days 🙂 This is the view when Resh and I leave our room. I can so get used to this …

Reporting From Bali

So it rained last night, there’s a slight mozzie issue and right now a fly one but we are in Bali!!! After a good night sleep, the sun’s out and we have a whole day ahead of us. I’m sitting on a deck chair by the pool, flipping through magazines and posting from my iPhone 🙂

Pixar Exhibition

When something as history making as Pixar is in town, you check it out.  That’s what Daryl and I did when we were invited to the official opening of the exhibition here in Singapore.  Just like when I visited the Ghibli Museum in Japan, the exhibition reminded me why the craft of animation never fails to inspire me 🙂

The end product is always a delight to be a part of but it’s the process that helps one appreciate the end product even more.  So to see the different versions of Sulley or all the concept art from Cars, makes you wonder about all the work that goes to making the magic happen.  I really enjoyed it so much that I’m planning to go back.  Yep, all by myself and slowly walk the hall 🙂

That’s my plug for the exhibition 🙂  If for nothing else, go for the Toy Story Zoetrope.  It will enthralled even those who couldn’t care less for the craft.

It isn’t the best picture of me but the only one I got from my iPhone :p  When I get the other pics from Erv, I’ll post them up.  My only advice is to make sure the person who you ask to take your pictures know what he is doing.  If not you get pictures like the former i.e. you are not ready when they click or the next one …

Where they think Sulley and Mike aren’t worthy to be in the picture :p

P/S: Happy Earth Day!!!

April Birthdays

Come April, it’s an avalanche of birthdays for me.  I’ve blogged about it in 2008 and 2009.  I’ve always wondered what about the people born in the month of April that draws me to them but from people I’ve known forever to friends that I’ve only know for over a year, if they are born in April, it’s a given I’ll like them 🙂

It starts early in month on the 2nd with Erv and then there was the 15th, Daryl’s in France.  Yesterday was Yus.  Today we celebrated Daph’s who shares birthday with Cherry and Hse May.  Tomorrow it’ll be Michele’s.  On Earth Day, it’s Yol and Corrinne.  Next week on the 27th, it’ll be Claire’s and at the end of the month on the 30th, it’s Colin.

Happy happy birthday my dear dear friends!!  May all your dreams come true!!!

Home Sweet Home

I’m home and where did the weekend go, I’m not quite sure … I’m just glad I made it home.  Apparently, they closed the Nice airport after my plane took off.  I could actually be posting from France without a clue as to when I’ll be home … like I said, “it can always be worse.”  So I’m glad I’m home 🙂  It was an intense weekend but hey, better here than being stuck in Europe 😉

Just One More Sleep

I knew MIPTV was going to fly by but honestly, I’m not quite sure I understand what happened in the last 3 days.  That’s my way of saying, it completely F.L.E.W. by.  It’s one more night, a couple more meetings tomorrow and then it’s so long Cannes … for how long, I’m not quite sure.  I still remember the first time I came to Cannes for MIPCOM in 2001.  9 whole years ago.  At some level it feels like a really long time ago and on another level, I remember it like it was yesterday 🙂  The 26 year old ready to make her mark in the animation landscape gave way to a 35 year old who despite everything still loves the craft and when she’s walking through the halls of the exhibition, quietly prays that what’s happening around her doesn’t kill the very industry she hopes to return to some day.

With a major deal closed and a couple of announcements released, this MIPTV went as I much as I could hope for.  It can always be worse, right?  Now it’s the aftermath that I’m not so sure about … we’ll find out in 6months time … some how I really really hope I’m proven wrong.

Despite the back to back meetings and the intense rush of the past 3 days, I really can’t complain.  I had my fair share of Orangina :p  I hope my husband isn’t reading this and yes, I know we have it in Singapore too but there’s something about being in France that motivates me to drink this fizzy orange drink.  Why?  I’m not quite sure myself but every trip I make to Cannes, I have to drink it like it doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world :p

Strangely, once I’m home, I don’t touch the drink with a ten foot pole.  Go figure :p

Then there are my friends 🙂  It’s really great to have people who get you, support you and actually care about the same things as you do.  So for our last night in Cannes, we went to our favourite pasta place.  A place I’ve been to at least once every year since 2001.

It is a really good pasta place and we saved it for our last night, which was extra special because we celebrated Daryl’s 30th birthday!!  He’s the one next to me.  Happy Birthday, dear Daryl!!  If I had a little brother, he’d be you 🙂

I really couldn’t have ask for a better person to share the pain, the laughter, the tears and joy of developing the Singapore animation industry with.  That is a tad melodramatic but I’m feeling all emotional as I type this, sitting alone in my little French apartment, sipping tea and being all grateful for Daryl who truly gives all of us in the office more than one occasion to smile 🙂

Here’s to all your dreams coming true, D!!!  Have a wicked one 😉

P/S: With him and Li Ling, it is a laugh-a-minute type situation … that’s code for me having a really good last night in Cannes 🙂