Ole Bali!!! (Part 2)
Dear Friends & Families,
I would like to continue where I left off from my previous post. At the previous post i mentioned that the tour guide that we book a few days ago before we left from Kuala Lumpur to Bali didn’t show up that he needs to.
After, we knew that the tour guide is not coming to pick us up we went to taxi booth to get ourselves a taxi to our hotel or villa that is provided by our bridal shop. When you walked out from the arrival hall turn left a walk a while then you will see a taxi booth on your right. Try google around the taxi fare to your hotel because they’re not using meter so check it out first before you say yes to any price. We waited a while for the taxi driver to help us with our luggage and send us to our villa. our villa is located at Jimbaran and from the airport you will see a big white statue. It seems like a god or people in the Bali fairytale. The taxi driver is quite friendly and he can speak English. While we on the way to the villa he will try to keep us company with some chats. We even ask him where can we have our sunset dinner.
He recommended us the one just 30 minutes walks from our villa. While we were on the way to the villa is all up the hill. No way I’m going to walk all the way down to have our sunsets dinner. When we reach the villa which is Pat Mase we are greeted with nice staff will help us with us with doors and get our luggage out for us. When we ask is our photographer and make-up artist arrived or not. Guess what they have no one with the name. Omyg! then we named a few of the bridal store staff until we hit the jackpot and allowed us to check-in. After we check-in the staff help us with our luggage and put into his buggy and send us to our villa. Our villa is a 3 bedroom villa. We check out the three room and we thought the rooms we can just choose one but I advised my wife to call back the bridal shop to check out which room is for us. Then they told us we can select any room which is smaller, one is at the ground floor and the other above our room.
There is a little disappointment when I check out the room of ours. The doors to our room is a glass door which is sliding and the door is out from the rail. I think the management need to do some upkeep of the villa. When we reach into the villa the private pool is still haven’t clean it properly. There is still leaves inside the pool. We only know the public pool is share by 4 villas. My wife changed into one her wedding dress and asked me to help her so snap some photos around the villa. After some photo shoot around the villa we went back to our room to change to comfy clothes and call the reception to send the buggy to pick us up. When we reach the reception we asked them how far from the villa to sunset dinner. The nice staff informed us we can walk for 30 minutes to the restaurant or call a taxi for us.
The taxi is blue in colour and it run on meter which I think is quite good because they can’t simply just put a price. There is a minimum charge of Rp 15,000. When we inside the taxi we asked the taxi driver where is best place to have our sunset dinner. Then he told us there is another place where mostly all tourists will go there. Is located at Jimbaran also and the first place we reach is the new area and he sending us over another side is the old area. The old place you will need pay some sort of admission fees which the taxi will pay for us upfront. I’m not sure which restaurant the best so the taxi just drive us into a restaurant. We are greeted by the staff and offered a welcome drink and a flower. You should go look and weight the seafood that you want to eat.
Most of the people came over Bali they sure ordered some lobster and king prawn to eat. We ordered a lobster, white squids, prawns, coconuts drinks, some veges. The environment is astonishing with the sea rush to shore and splashing over the shore. We didn’t knew that there is an earthquake and Indonesia raise a possible tsunami. Both of us was still having our dinner so nice till we knew the reach back our villa and check the Internet. I will recommended to get a taxi ready or tour guide with you if you want to have sunset dinner at my place here. When I come from my villa it only cost me Rp 20,000 but when I come out from the restaurant they offered us for Rp 30,000 what a cut throat. Then outside the restaurants there is taxi around which I think is touts. They charge us Rp 100,000 then try to reduce to 90,000 then 60,000. Even though I know Bali the sky turn very dark when it reaches 7pm but what the hell they open this kind of price..
Walk a further down we offered by another group of touts for Rp 60,000 to our villa but we turn them down then they ask us what price we would like to pay and we told them we came down here only Rp 20,000 and now you’re charging us Rp 60,000 then he say how about 50,000 then we say NO!. Do you know what they told us.. Rp 20,000 you go drive your own or walk all the way back with a harsh tone! Kanasai!!! WTF!!! this kind of people.. BAD IMPRESSION!!! WHICH I WOULD NOT BE BACK THERE!!! WISH THEM EVERYDAY ALSO NO BUSINESS.. then a staff at one restaurant saw us wandering for a taxi back then he told us walk down a bit there is a meter taxi. Then we say thank to him and I think I might come back to the shop to have our dinner next time. We down a dark area and there is a meter taxi and he agree to fetch us back to our villa for Rp 25,000 so nice of him.
We were very thankful to the restaurant staff who help us even though we didn’t dine at his restaurant and the taxi driver who accept our offers and send us back to our villa. When he sent us back to our villa and we pity him because he has to search his whole body and taxi just to give us back our change. Thanks!!! Then we reach the reception the staff at the front desk told us that our photographer and make-up artist has arrived at the airport and they are sending someone to pick them up. At last.. they arrive.. then they asked us about the food we had and told us we might get a free taxi ride back if we keep the coupon. I was dumb a moment.. I need to clarify with my colleague about this. Then we surf the Internet at the recpetion area which only has one PC. Then we only knew just know there is an earthquake and tsunami warning is hoisted. We were like…thanks god!
After finish browsing and reply some mails the staff send us back to our villa and we waited a while in room for our photographer and make up artist until my wife dozed off to sleep. I was watching AXN channel keep walking in and out from the room to see whether their has arrived. I also didn’t knew when I dozed off to sleep while lying beside my wife. After a couple of hours we got phone call and it was from the photographer and make up artist. They ask us to come out to the living hall to meet each other and inform where we are going to our photo shoot. We met Eugene & Shirley whom are photographer and make up artist for another couple who is living the room above us and Sam & Tong Tong who are my wife and my photographer and make up artist. We had some ice breaking and getting to know them and the another couple. Then we told them we saw them at the airport and they told us why they missed the flights and all the delays we had..
After the chat we back to our room to call the day off because the next morning we will need to get up early for make up and photo shoot…
Ole Bali!!! (Part 1)
Dear Friends & Families,
Is been quite some time again that I blog something. From my blog stat I can see not many people is coming back to check out what I’m writing. Well I hope this post can bring back some life into this blog of mine.
I think most of my friends and families knew that I went to Bali a few days ago for my Pre-wedding photo shoot and Pre-Honeymoon. It is quite an experience I had during my stay at Bali. Early the morning my god brother of mine pick me and wife up and sent us to LCCT to catch our AirAsia flight to Bali. Nice of him to wake up so early on Sunday to fetch us to LCCT. Thank you! When we reached at the airport we proceed to send our luggage to security check and check-in our luggage. We waited quite a long time and the queue was so long. We queued for almost an hour just to check-in our luggage. Too bad I needed to skip my breakfast thanks to the long queue.
After check-in our luggage we went to the restroom for one last time before we boarded our plane. Outside the restroom we saw our photographers with their big backpack. Wanted to say “Hi” to them but is awkward because we haven’t met them before. After doing our business in the restroom we proceed to the boarding place. What could I say is quite a long walk to the departure hall. Previously, I took domestic flight I didn’t walk so much. WTF! I need to carry my camera bag and hugging my wife wedding dress all the way to the departure hall. Is quite tired. At the departure hall we waited for a while then we heard our flight is ready to boarding. Queue up again to board into the plane. Another 5 minute walk to the plane.
After reaching inside the plane, we were greeted by a nice stewardess and offered us to keep my wife wedding dress and my coat at the captain cockpit. Nice of her. Thank you. Then we move into the plane and find our seats and the nice stewardess came over to our seats and informed us that my wife dress to big in a nice way that it might spoil my wife dress. Then we put in on top the compartment. During the flight we bought some food and drinks. I will recommend you all to order it early before you board your flight because they didn’t keep much stocks. The nasi lemak and the orange juice is nice. I heard that you will get discount if you order your food online before your flight.
Our flight was delayed because there is 12 people haven’t board into the plane. Waited a while the stewardess informed that they need to discharge some luggage from the plane. The flight took us almost 3 hours plus to reach Denpasar, Bali. The time at Bali and Malaysia is the same. There is no differences between this two place compare to Jakarta is one hour late than Malaysia. After touch down Bali we proceed to walk to the Bali customs. It took us almost another hour to wait for the queue to let the Bali customs to stamp our passport and let us in. I’m not sure that is all the Customs’ personnel are so bad mood face. Maybe then need to be like this because ward off bad apples. After we got our passport stamped we went to collect our luggage and walk out from the airport. We look around for someone with a card with our name but happen no one was on sight with our name card. Waited around 15 minutes and we called to the travel agent and only he informed us that he forgotten our flights even our whole booking. W T F!!! we cancelled our tour that day and informed them we call back them if we need them.
to be continue…
A touching story that you should read.. especially couple
To those who are married, .. Not married .. and
soon to be married, I hope you will be touched with t…his story…
MARRIAGE
When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I’ve got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly.
Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.
Suddenly I didn’t know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce.. I raised the topic calmly.
She didn’t seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly,
why?
I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the
chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn’t talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Dew. I didn’t love her anymore. I just pitied her!
With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated
that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.
She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Dew so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.
The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn’t have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Dew. When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.
In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn’t want
anything from me, but needed a month’s notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month’s time and she didn’t want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.
This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.
She requested that everyday for the month’s duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning.. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.
I told Dew about my wife’s divorce conditions.. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully..
My wife and I hadn’t had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we
both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don’t tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.
On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I
hadn’t looked at this woman carefully for a long time.. I realized she
was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair
was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.
On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy
returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.
On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was
growing again. I didn’t tell Dew about this. It became easier to carry
her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me
stronger.
She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few
dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my
dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so
thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.
Suddenly it hit me… she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her
heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head. Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it’s time to carry mum out.
To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an
essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer
and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I
might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms,
walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her
hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly;
it was just like our wedding day.
But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held
her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn’t noticed that our life lacked
intimacy.
I drove to office…. jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the
door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind…I walked
upstairs. Dew opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I do not
want the divorce anymore.
She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead.. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I won’t divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn’t value the details of our lives, not because we didn’t love each other any more. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart.
Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.
At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my
wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and
wrote, I’ll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.
That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I
run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed – dead.
The small details of your lives are what really matter in a
relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the
bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot
give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse’s friend
and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a
real happy marriage!
If you don’t share this, nothing will happen to you.
If you do, you just might save a marriage.
Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they
were to success when they gave up.
By:Mayie Natividad Garcia
