Belinda’s Back!

I’m back!!! Well.. I have been back for almost a week now but I’ve been too occupied to update. hehehe…. Working on the Quickie at night and coming home to watch the 1st season of Gossip Girl till wee hours of the morning and sleeping in till 1pm almost everyday since I got back! Finally, I’m done with Season 1 of GG and I’ll be on to You Tube-ing America’s Next Top Model next.

I’ve given up uploading pictures on Xanga now coz it takes forever. My internet connection is fine and I managed to upload my pictures from the Bali trip on Flickr in a matter of minutes. It felt great being able to go on a holiday without sticking to a schedule, not having an early call time, not needing to put on makeup or worry about how my hair will look or what to wear. It’s very liberating to be able to be spontaneous and not plan anything in advance (except for accomodation) and that’s what Joe and I and 4 of our close friends did this time around.

First night’s dinner at Made’s Warung. Did you know that there is a naming system in Bali and Balinese are mostly if not all, named by their ranking in the family? If they’re the oldest in the family, they’re named Wayan, 2nd – Made (pronounced Ma-day), 3rd – Nyoman and 4th- Ketut. From L-R, Made(?) Jess, Wayan Dom, Ketut Jing, Ketut Joe, Made Bel and Made Claire.

Pak Wayan with the Babi Guling we had for lunch…everything you’d ever wanted from a roast pork is in this dish…. Fats and skin and all… Such a happy smile!

Dusk. Waiting for the Kecak and Fire Dance to begin….

I first saw this dance performance when I was shooting ‘Teman’ and I highly recommend it to anyone going to Bali. It’s very different from a lot of other traditional dances. Instead of being accompanied by music, this dance is performed to a choir of about 50-70 men chanting “Kecak” at various speeds.

At the end of this performance, a man in trance will walk through fire and start kicking fire balls at everyone! Pretty exciting! I’d recommend going to Uluwatu temple to catch this performance coz the backdrop there is so much better than the one we had here.

Dinner on the beach at Jimbaran. The seafood here is pretty pricey but I guess that’s the price to pay for a nice, candle-lit, sounds of waves crashing in, sea breeze and the feel of sand in between your toes kinda atmosphere.

I finally did it! I went White Water Rafting and it was fun! Although the rapids we experienced felt pretty mild but I guess there’s always a first to everything!!

Getting some sun on Kuta beach. As much as I love being in Bali, going to the beach is kind of a chore because you get harrassed by vendors asking you to buy their products or services every couple of minutes! It’s pretty annoying when you just want to relax. And it doesn’t help when you get creepy ‘fully-clothed’ men roaming around with their mobile phones out taking pictures of girls in bikinis!

We stayed at the Mecure Kuta Hotel and this is the breathtaking view from their 4th floor Infinity pool.

Wonderfully picturesque sunset..

I really feel totally rejuvenated after this trip. I feel like I have a renewed sense of living and I’m determined to do things that I’ve always wanted to do but never had the time or never dared. I want to be the best person that I can be. I want to feel incredible all the time!

This might be my final few posts on this website. It’s time to move on. I’ve had this web site since 2004, from when I was still in Uni. I’ve documented 4 years of my life here and I’d really like to thank all my readers who’ve been tirelessly supporting me throughout. Before I close this site down though, I want to hear from you guys, tell me about the time when YOU felt ‘Incredible’. It need not be a whole essay, just a simple sentence of the moment when you felt indestructible or when you’re most proud of yourself.

For me, I felt incredible after receiving an email some time back from a father of a 4 year old girl who looks up to me as a role model. He said that I set a good example for her and she wanted to be like me when she grows up. I was humbly honoured by that and it helped push me to be a better and stronger person for this little girl.

I want to hear your story! I want to be inspired by you! The person with the best story will be rewarded with a new set of Escada’s brand new range of perfume, Incredible Me, which includes the Shower Gel and Moisturizing Lotion and the 50ml Eau De Parfum.

Just submit a comment before next Friday, 24th October, and I’ll post up the winning story the following Monday. Looking forward to reading all your incredible stories! This is open to anyone who reads my blog from around the world. Oh, and one more thing please, only true stories ya? No fiction allowed here.