My dancing days!

Back in my Lindy Hop days. Biggest stage was in NDP 2002. Im the couple on the extreme right at:

4.07-4.11min

4.38-4.42min

5.04-5.14min

The camera man didn't do us justice. Keeps missing all the flips and stunts.

I miss dancing on the stage.

My latest buy

Finally! Got a Coach madison large claire style leather bag yesterday =) An all-day shoulder bag with a generous interior (i can fit in my 14" laptop comfortably and with lotsa space still, amazing!!), shiny cowhide leather and comes with inside zip pocket, cellphone, multifunction pockets and cross-body detachable strap. Size: 13 (L) x 13 (H) x 6 (W)

It's quite a nice-looking, spacious bag and since it's leather, minimal care is required from me. I'm sure it will survive chili sauce, drinks, whatnot, hahaha =P

Erh, don't think my photos are well taken... Check out the official website here

Why never to ask favours from the designers

Loveflower: Sharing with you a very hilarious mail that i got from sel =) Something to brighten up your dull and boring work week. Enjoy!

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Shannon (the secretary) has lost her cat and has asked David (the graphic designer) to help with a lost poster. This is their email correspondence...


From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.15am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Poster

Hi
I opened the screen door yesterday and my cat got out and has been missing since then so I was wondering if you are not too busy you could make a poster for me. It has to be A4 and I will photocopy it and put it around my suburb this afternoon.
This is the only photo of her I have she answers to the name Missy and is black and white and about 8 months old. missing on Harper street and my phone number.
Thanks Shan.


From:David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.26am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,
That is shocking news. Luckily I was sitting down when I read your email and not half way up a ladder or tree. How are you holding up? I am surprised you managed to attend work at all what with thinking about Missy out there cold, frightened and alone... possibly lying on the side of the road, her back legs squashed by a vehicle, calling out "Shannon, where are you?" Although I have two clients expecting completed work this afternoon, I will, of course, drop everything and do whatever it takes to facilitate the speedy return of Missy.
Regards, David.


From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.37am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Poster

yeah ok thanks. I know you dont like cats but I am really worried about mine. I have to leave at 1pm today.


From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.17am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,
I never said I don't like cats. Once, having been invited to a party, I went clothes shopping beforehand and bought a pair of expensive G-Star boots. They were two sizes too small but I wanted them so badly I figured I could just wear them without socks and cut my toenails very short. As the party was only a few blocks from my place, I decided to walk. After the first block, I lost all feeling in my feet. Arriving at the party, I stumbled into a guy named Steven, spilling Malibu & coke onto his t-shirt, and he punched me. An hour or so after the incident, Steven sat down in a chair already occupied by a cat. The surprised cat clawed and snarled causing Steven to leap out of the chair, slip on a rug and strike his forehead onto the corner of a speaker; resulting in a two inch open gash. In its shock, the cat also defecated, leaving Steven with a foul stain down the back of his beige cargo pants. I liked that cat.
Attached poster as requested.
Regards, David.
From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.24am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

yeah thats not what I was looking for at all. it looks like a movie and how come the photo of Missy is so small?


From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.28am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,
It's a design thing. The cat is lost in the negative space.
Regards, David.


From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.33am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

Thats just stupid. Can you do it properly please? I am extremely emotional over this and was up all night in tears. you seem to think it is funny. Can you make the photo bigger please and fix the text and do it in colour please. Thanks.


From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.46am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,
Having worked with designers for a few years now, I would have assumed you understood, despite our vague suggestions otherwise, we do not welcome constructive criticism. I don't come downstairs and tell you how to send text messages, log onto Facebook and look out of the window. I am willing to overlook this faux pas due to you no doubt being preoccupied with thoughts of Missy attempting to make her way home across busy intersections or being trapped in a drain as it slowly fills with water. I spent three days down a well once but that was just for fun.
I have amended and attached the poster as per your instructions.
Regards, David.
From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.59am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

This is worse than the other one. can you make it so it shows the whole photo of Missy and delete the stupid text that says missing missy off it? I just want it to say Lost.


From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.14am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster
From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.21am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

yeah can you do the poster or not? I just want a photo and the word lost and the telephone number and when and where she was lost and her name. Not like a movie poster or anything stupid. I have to leave early today. If it was your cat I would help you. Thanks.


From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.32am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Awww

Dear Shannon,
I don't have a cat. I once agreed to look after a friend's cat for a week but after he dropped it off at my apartment and explained the concept of kitty litter, I kept the cat in a closed cardboard box in the shed and forgot about it. If I wanted to feed something and clean faeces, I wouldn't have put my mother in that home after her stroke. A week later, when my friend came to collect his cat, I pretended that I was not home and mailed the box to him. Apparently I failed to put enough stamps on the package and he had to collect it from the post office and pay eighteen dollars. He still goes on about that sometimes, people need to learn to let go.
I have attached the amended version of your poster as per your detailed instructions.
Regards, David.
From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.47am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Awww

Thats not my cat. where did you get that picture from? That cat is orange. I gave you a photo of my cat.


From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.58am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Awww

I know, but that one is cute. As Missy has quite possibly met any one of several violent ends, it is possible you might get a better cat out of this. If anybody calls and says "I haven't seen your orange cat but I did find a black and white one with its hind legs run over by a car, do you want it?" you can politely decline and save yourself a costly veterinarian bill.
I knew someone who had a basset hound that had its hind legs removed after an accident and it had to walk around with one of those little buggies with wheels. If it had been my dog I would have asked for all its legs to be removed and replaced with wheels and had a remote control installed. I could charge neighbourhood kids for rides and enter it in races. If I did the same with a horse I could drive it to work. I would call it Steven.
Regards, David.


From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.07pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Awww

Please just use the photo I gave you.


From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.22pm
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww
From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.34pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

I didnt say there was a reward. I dont have $2000 dollars. Why did you even put that there for? Apart from that it is perfect can you please remove the reward bit. Thanks Shan.


From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.42pm
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww
From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.51pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

Can you just please take the reward bit off altogether? I have to leave in ten minutes and I still have to make photocopies of it.


From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.56pm
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww
From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 1.03pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

Fine. That will have to do.

Day 4 - Spa, Sanur beach, Home

No sightseeing for today cos the weather wasn't really ideal. We had a late breakfast, lazed around, watched tv, went for a 3 hrs Balinese massage plus body scrub plus traditional facial at the in-house spa (Cost: Rp 245k per pax) and strolled over to Sanur beach for dinner at Jimmy's Cafe.

We bought England flag Polo Ralph tees at Rp 499k for 2 pieces cos we wanted to spend the remaining Rp which we had.

Our return flight was really early (6.55am!!) and we got Made to pick us up at the hotel at 4pm (Cost: Rp 10k)... Yawn! Queue at Air Asia counter was freaking long and luckily, we saw the self check-in booth and managed to do the self check-in pretty smoothly. To our unpleasant surprise, we realised that we need to pay Rp 150k departure tax before we can proceed to the custom... Ooh!
Okay, this is the end of our fun, relaxing and great 4D4N trip to Bali =) Will definitely be back in the future to explore the remaining attractions...

Day 3 - Batur Volcano, Tirta Empul, Hard Rock

Photos in clockwise direction: Batik painting and hand weaving at Tohpati. Over here, you can bring a piece of white cloth or shirt for the batik artist to copy the design that you like onto the material ; Gold and silver smith at Celuk. Guy was gluing silver bits together to form the design for ear rings ; Wood carving at Mas ; Balinese painting at Batuan.

All in all, the visits to these traditional art and craft places were really disappointing as the people are more concerned with the sales of their products than educating tourists on the process of making them... So, don't waste your time here and get your driver to skip these places!

Rice terraces at Jatiluwih arranged in steps up hillsides, tumbling down steep-side river valleys and encircling villages. The fertile volcanic soil, plentiful sunshine and regular rains create ideal growing conditions that sustain at least three crops a year. Rice farming from the planting of seedlings to the harvesting is done painstakingly by hand.

We enjoyed a simple and average Indonesia style buffet lunch at a restaurant offering a panorama view of the active volcano Mount Batur and its giant blue crater lake. Cost: Rp 90k per pax. It's very peaceful, quiet and cool (as in weather) here; a great place for you to slip tea, read book and laze away the afternoon.

Stopped for a coffee/tea break at a traditional Bali coffee plantation. Here, you can pay to sample Luwak Coffee (aka the most expensive coffee in the world) which is made coffee from beans that have passed through the intestinal tract of a luwak or Asian palm civet civet (re: animal poo!). We bought a packet of coffee powder, ginger tea and chocolate bar for Rp 150k. Yesh, super expensive! We didn't calculate properly and only found out subsequently that we were 'chopped' by the locals... Argh, we consoled ourselves by believing that these are organic products =(

Tirta Empul Temple, aka Temple of Holy Water, is one of the many sacred sites in Bali. The holy water which is emerald in color due to the formation of the alga is fetched to form a bath place in the temple where people can dip in the pool to purify the mind and body.

Legend was that many centuries ago, a battle was fought for a long time between the celestial gods and Beelzebub Mayadenawa. Once, Beelzebub threw the poison in a river, which subsequently laid to the deaths of the gods who drank the water from the river. Among them, Lord Indra could survive and in order to revive the gods, he pierced the earth with a cane, which resulted in springing of the amrita “Amerta” (water for being immortal). On drinking this amrita, the gods came back to life and overpowered Beelzebub. As per the legend, it is believed that this amrita “Amerta” is the holy fountain in Pura Tirta Empul.

End of the day tour (Cost: Rp 350k). We alighted at Kuta beach, wondered around the shops, checked out the grocery store - Foodmart, explored Bali Hard Rock Hotel (which is very beautiful and posh!) and had dinner at Hard Rock Cafe.

Not much sightseeing photos for today cos it's been raining for the whole day! And driver mentioned that tmr would be another rainy day... Sigh! Where's the sun??