on the Go with Bo!

4G to hit SG next year

THE hottest technology term you need to know right now is 4G (next to 3-D, of course). 4G refers to the fourth generation of wireless mobile standards.

It is the successor to 3G networks, and is being branded as the revolutionary tool that will allow you to stream videos faster, play online games on mobile phones with little lag, and even stream high-definition movies on your mobile phone - all at the same time.

via www.straitstimes.com

Gosh ... life is one continuous upgrade!

Club Acoustica @ Nikoi Island

We're back to beautiful Nikoi Island to present Club Acoustica … under the stars.  An evening of acoustic music celebrating Woodstock, free-flowing champagne (and beer if you want) and a canopy of stars lighting up a path above us.  We do this show in addition to the Club Acoustica at Red Sea Gallery that we do quarterly.  The show went brilliantly although we did have to battle the elements.  It was impossible to do an acoustic show by the poolside for the sound from the wind and sea just carries the songs away … so we cheated and used an amplifier.  Next time we're going to try doing it in the dining bungalow which is a more contained space.

Next dates for Club Acoustica @ Nikoi will be announced soon.

Haven't been to Nikoi in some time … and what put a smile on my face this time around is that they had opened a new road across Bintan.  I never get car-sick, but the old road was guaranteed to get me queasy.  Consequently I dreaded the transfer to paradise.  Especially going back to Singapore, since you first had to traverse Bintan and then face a possibly rocky boat trip back to Singapore.  Not good for the stomach!  But with the new road … less curves, more smooth … and thus no problem!

Unlike on my previous trips to Nikoi … this time I shared a bungalow … me sleeping in the tiny room downstairs, in a bunk bed that was too small for my 190 (cm that is) body.  All night I was pretending I was camping … and smiling to myself.  The room is really intended for children … but was fine for a few nights.  Just a few nights though!

And I did have a special guest one morning … as I walked out of my room, there was a huge monitor lizard walking by, split tongue wagging in the air.  He was beautiful!  My little guardian angel :-)

Nikoi is as beautiful as ever:  peaceful, natural, tropical … and if you haven't been here … GO!

Discover Nikoi Island ...

Back to Bali ...

'Ru Ru has resigned' were the words we heard on the phone as we were driving to Ubud Wednesday evening.  We were talking to the tour operator that arranged our visit to Bali and planned the birthday celebration of a British friend … which is why we're here.  That started to make sense, for when we landed in Denpasar our transfer was not at the airport.  So we waited … and waited … then called the tour operator who managed to find us a car and driver.  And then on the way to Ubud the driver gets a call … which he then passes to us … which is when we're told that we don't have a hotel reservation.  Our duplex villa with private pool started to fade away.  The agent we were corresponding with in the previous weeks resigned and I guess never made any reservation for us!

Thank god both Robin and I were in a great mood!

Anyhow, as is customary in Bali, things have a way of working out.  All you have to do is practice patience!

BEWARE:  someone in the Indonesian government has had a brilliant idea of getting rid of the 7 day visa for US$10, so now the only option is the 30 day visa for US$25.  So getting into the country, even if just for a few days, is 2.5 times more expensive.  I wonder where all this surplus cash is going????

> Kupu Kupu Barong Hotel:  Sitting on our private terrace overlooking the beautiful lush valley of the Ayung river, with locals working on the rice paddies far below, the river rushing down its path and us having continental breakfast as the sun is rising … I'm totally sold on this hotel!  Never heard of it before, but the duplex villas with private pool are stupendous and surrounded by peaceful nature.  I recommend the villas that are higher up, for you have a better view of the valley below, and you don't have to walk up and down all the stairs from the reception to your bed!  The room is very spacious with a glass wall facing the valley.  So when you wake up in the morning and open all the curtains, you feel like you're perched on a branch overlooking a tropical valley.  Amazing feeling!  The only stupid design feature in the bedroom … the mosquito net!  The way it hangs over the bed and tucks into the sides, it means that every time you turn while sleeping, depending on which side you sleep on, you will have your face jammed into the net.  So we took it off!  And the best surprise … as we were coming home one evening, there we find two frogs fornicating in our path.  Of course they were disgruntled when they saw us, dismounted and hopped away.

 

> Tree Spa (@ Kupu Kupu Barong Villas):  first impression … gold finger (reminisce of the old James Bond theme!).  The tree spa is a tree house with two massage beds and bathroom/changing room that is completely decked out in gold.  I found it a bit odd … given that it was built out of bamboo, which was then gilded.  Seemed a bit un-natural.  The biggest surprise came when I went to the bathroom.  The shower basin, the toilet seat, toilet cover and event the toilet paper roll cover … were made out of 'gold'!  Once I got past the design features I thoroughly enjoyed the 3 hour program:  massage, body scrub and facial.  This always puts me in a good mood!  Plus all the products are from L'Occitane.

> Neka Art Museum:  if you would like to find out more about Balinese and Indonesian art, this is the place to go.  The curator, originally from Hawaii, has amassed an extensive collection of local paintings that portray the richness of the indigenous arts and has put them on display as a source of education, research, information and inspiration.  There is one painting that immediately piqued my interest - a Balinese horoscope.  Had never seen it before.  Using elements from daily life, the signs include a coconut tree and dog.  All in all there are 210 different signs.  Very intriguing!

> Linda Garland's House:  She is practically an institution in Bali.  Having lived on the island of god for more than 30 years, she has seen it all.  With a sharp sense of humor (she's got Irish blood) she states that she's become an offering in Ubud.  Living on her sprawling yet peaceful 4 hectare estate deep in a terraced valley close to Ubud, she is an interior designer who is also heavily involved with the local communities.  Her land showcases 5 different houses (4 that you can rent out) that are built in typical Indonesian style, using local materials such as bamboo, and decorated like something you would see in Architectural Digest.  The two features that I liked the most:  the open kitchen where we had lunch and the overhanging room crossing a creek.  Also found out that Julia Roberts recently finished a 10-day shoot in her house while filming Eat, Pray and Love.  Let's see if I recognize the home in the movie!

   

Read more on Bali ...

March 11 Club Acoustica @ Red Sea Gallery

I have to admit, the Club Acoustica evenings @ Red Sea Gallery are getting better and better!  Last Thursday we relived Woodstock ... well I didn't relive it for I wasn't even born for the first one ... but we got to hear Saul do a kick-ass rendition of Janis Joplin's 'Mercedes Benz'!  My friend Dana from Vancouver never thought I would appreciate that song :-)

It is amazing when the performers are also friends, for the chemistry that you witness on stage is mesmerizing.  Corinne, Saul Rayo and Elena Powell were so in sync all night that it was inspiring ... and impressive ... and totally rockin!

Next Club Acoustica?  June 03 ... The Carpenters return ...

 

Mosaic Music Festival 2010

Mosaic Music Festival opened yesterday … going on from March 12 - 21!  The lineup this year is remarkable:  Babyface, Pink Martini, Kool & the Gang … and I haven't even bought any tix yet!!!

Kuishin-Bo Japanese buffet

Hidden deep inside Great World City is this great Japanese buffet restaurant. Never noticed it before evn though I walked passed it a million times!!

For a $22.90 ++ lunch special you can graze for 60 minutes on delicious Japanese delicacies ... so definitely worth a visit.  And don't get anchored at the chocolate buffet by the entrance!

 

Club Acoustica March 11 ... Don't you wish you were at Woodstock!

Remember Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Joni Mitchell?

Join Corinne Gibbons and special guests from the USA - Saul Rayo and Elena Powell for a Club Acoustica @ Red Sea Gallery evening dedicated to Woodstock - don't you wish you were there?

WHEN:  Thursday, March 11 - show from 20:00 - 22:00, doors open at 19:30 (doors close at 20:00 sharp!) @ Red Sea Gallery at Dempsey Hill (Lot 9)

TIX:  $65 - tix include free-flow of Chandon bubbles and light refreshments ($75 at door!!)

BOOK TICKETS HERE!!!

You want to see what everyone else in Singapore is talking about?  Check out this video clip of Club Acoustica!

Come join us for this extraordinary evening of music and art!

Your Singapore

To sell the Republic to tourists, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has adopted a new catchphrase: Your Singapore.

via www.straitstimes.com

Out with the old and in with the new! After 6 years of using the tag line 'Uniquely Singapore' the city has rebranded itself into 'Your Singapore'.

I like! Make Singapore the city you want it to be ... your Singapore. Take ownership, claim your experience. And it differentiates it from other Asian countries that always seem to use an adjective as a prefix: Amazing Thailand, Incredible India, ...

This certainly gives Singapore a new edge by personalizing it. Now check out www.yoursingapore.com ... need to take some time to maneuver this website. It's got loads of info popping up at me!

This actually makes me think ... why not My Singapore?

Construction noise to be restricted

From Sept 1, all new projects will have to stop work from 10pm on Saturday to 10am on Sunday.

This ban applies to any building project within 150m of a residential area. It also applies to the eve of public holidays and public holidays.

via www.straitstimes.com

WOW ... this is definitely great news! Around our apartment building (and I mean literally around) they have been constructing 5 new highrises, 24/7. It's amazing ... the construction never stops. At this point I've just gotten used to the noise as you're tanning by the pool Sunday morning. But this new law is very much welcomed. We'll now have at least 24 hours of no construction noise per week.

Shit!!! I just realized it said 10 pm Saturday to 10 am Sunday ... and not 10 pm Sunday. I'm sleeping then and don't hear anything anyway!!!! Yikes ... I got excited too quickly ... so the noise continues ...

Still no gum in Singapore ... yeah!

The ban on the sale of chewing gum in Singapore stays as the government is concerned that lifting the ban could see a return of the problem of gum litter.

via www.channelnewsasia.com

When people find out that I live in Singapore one of the first things they recall is 'Oh, that's the place where you're not allowed to chew gum!' And thank god! For every time I step into a wad of gum in a foreign country and I'm swearing at the idiot who threw it onto the sidewalk while I'm trying to scrape it off ... I'm glad I live in Singapore. The ban has been in place since 1992 ... and it continues ... fantastic!