MONTIGO

MONTIGO

Hola people! It's tuesday and I bet many of you are feeling the blues though it's not a Monday. Well~ here's something to share that might perk you up and maybe make your coming weekend an exciting one! 2 months back, about a week before Valentines day, Nico and I received an early Vday gift from Montigo Resorts Nongsa. Some of you might have heard of this place and those of you that have not, you will not believe that this crazy huge and beautiful resort is just less than an hour away from our Sunny O'island, Singapore. 

Nico and I woke up real early and took a ferry from Tanah Merah ferry Terminal to Batam, we arrived just slightly after 9am. We arranged for an early check in and late check out to maximize the 2d1n stay. When we arrived at the ferry terminal at Batam, the manager came to pick us personally, he is such a cheerful person. :) 

The resort is just 10 minutes away from the ferry terminal, we got there really quickly. The staff were vert thoughtful, when they came to know that we haven't had breakfast as we set off from home pretty early and invited us to breakfast even though it has passed the breakfast time. 

We proceed to checking our room out after breakfast, the resort is so huge you won't really wanna go anywhere by foot. A buggy is always at your service.

I didn't quite have any visuals for the rooms because there were far better ones available on Montigo's website. And most of the time was spent on the roof terrace! I'm so in love with it, abundance natural light, decorated with all white cushions. It almost looks like heaven~~

I'm never one who stops working, what do you do at such a beautiful place? SHOOT! The shoot lasted about 4hrs and poor Nico have to do the job. I must say he have improved tremendously and built a report with my camera :D

We tried to wait for dinner time to come but couldn't resist the hunger and ordered some club sandwiches while soaking up in the private pool in out Villa.

We were so lucky to have a big space facing the sea with a splendid night view. We dined at PanTai restaurant which serves chinese food. It was  whooping 8 course meal which caused Nico and I a food coma right after dinner! We didn't even get to enjoy the wii in the Villa because we slept so well the moment we returned to the Villa. Apologies for the absence of the food we had because it was a really romantic ambience with low light and my camera didn't do a good job capturing the quality of the food.

The view we had which this picture does not do justice~

Despite having rest for more than 8 hours, Nico and I still had a hard time crawling out of bed which also means that the bed is comfy enough for us! We woke up and decided to have breakfast in our Villa instead of the restaurant. Food came really quickly, about 20 minutes after ordering.

Breakfast was served really neatly and they are not stingy with sauce and garnishes!

We gobbled down our Breakfast as we were slightly behind time for our upcoming activities. 

Manage to snap a pic at our front porch in the Villa before the buggy arrives to pick us to the lobby. 

The Montigo management arranged a trip for us around the village in a vintage volkswagen! It is such a pretty car!

We went for a ride for about 1 and a half hours, visited the Kampong, jetty and beach. 

We came back in the noon and decided to skip lunch and indulge in their massage services before we go.

The massage experience was so fresh in my mind, I couldn't help but want to be back again for their massage. We had a couple hut by the sea with a private toilet that allows you to shower after massage.

The ending part is the most exciting! We finished our massage and took our time relaxing in their lounge with a little library. Totally forgetting about the time and our ferry to catch. When we checked out, we were left with less than 10 minutes to reach the ferry terminal. The staff were very worried for us, did a super quick check out and they zoomed us to the terminal in less than 5 minutes!! It was crazy! But we were so grateful that the staffs was so willing to help us, I mean they could have just paced normally and we would have missed our ferry. And that would be entirely our fault because we didn't managed our time properly.

It was a short but sweet getaway for both Nico and I! 

BIG Thank you to the team in Montigo that made this happened. If you would like to have your very own little getaway, all information is provided in the links below. Hope you have an exciting week ahead! < 3

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March 31, 2015

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remember

remember

Today Singapore bids farewell to our founding father, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Like many people of my generation, I have never cared about politics or political figures. I can barely name 10 of the existing ministers. Over the past one week, I've watched documentaries, short clips and read articles about Singapore's progress under the leadership of Mr Lee and I must say it hit me hard that I've taken everything Singapore has provided me for granted. I have never found any reason to be unsatisfied being a Singaporean but neither do I feel that there is anything to boast about my country or my citizenship. 

"The grass is always greener on the other side, they say."

I would not deny that I have always imagined a life out of this country, how great it would be to live somewhere else bigger, prettier and less humid. The passing of Mr Lee had made me realised that there is no where else I wanna call home. I did not know that I would feel such intense sadness for my country. Neither do I know that there is a patriotic Singaporean in me. The more I read/see, the more sensitive I became and the easier I tear up over articles and the most recent Eulogy by friends and family of Mr Lee. I have just only came to understand what this man had done for my country and of course myself because I'm part of Singapore. I could not believe that one would do so much for the people of his country. For that THANK YOU and I would forever remember the man that given up his life for a successful Singapore.

On Saturday 28th March 2015, the Philharmonic Winds & Philharmonic Youth winds organised a band tribute to Mr Lee Kuan Yew who started the Band movement. Musicians from all walks of life, different age groups came together to play the National Anthem. I am proud to be part of it.

March 29, 2015

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new wave

new wave

There are questions I can't end~

Riding a new wave on my own. Being in the industry for quite some time, I love how I could experiment with things and how I was given opportunities. Meeting different people and learning things that I never thought I would. Joining a company two years back so I could spent more time with a friend was an experience. There are good times and there are not so good times. There are  beautiful memories carved over these two years that will forever hold a place in my heart. The decision to leave after two years was not because of disputes or unhappiness. But rather I was not being able to surrender to the terms and conditions. I was not willing to take directions. I direct myself.

A right choice? A wrong choice? Or rather, none.

March 25, 2015

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get there

get there

Everyday I wake up reminding myself that time is running out and I'm not using time to it's fullest. Though I do not want to admit but I'm really pretty exhausted. And so, I will not quit and I will get there.

As a man sow, shall he reap and I know talk is cheap. But the heat of the battle is as sweet as the victory. 

Bob Marley

March 21, 2015

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VAL GOES HONG KONG

VAL GOES HONG KONG

I'm thrilled to announced my first work trip of the year! Heading to Hong Kong this time, though HK have never been in my list for vacations because it felt like Singapore in many ways but this time round a friend is bringing me to other parts of HK to explore the not so touristy places and nearer closer to nature. If time permits, I'd like to visit Macau as well. That said, calling out to all advertisers, advertorial slots are now open! 

For enquires or booking of slots, mail me at contact@valerie-wang.com

** All advertorial items have to reach me by the 1st Apr 2015 (its not a joke) **

March 19, 2015

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sudio: klang

sudio: klang

Are you one of those that are very particular with the sounds that your ear piece/ ear phones could offer? Well, I'm definitely one! While some of you might not be that picky with the sounds but everyone would most likely have a preferred sound range. The bass, mid tones or high tones. To me, there is nothing as a perfect earpiece, all of them have their own pros and cons. It is up to one to determine which characteristics is more important.

Recently Sudio, a sweden lifestyle brand had sent me a very sleek and minimal ear piece. The Klang series that I have is made specially for apple products. I've tested it out with the other few earpieces that I already owned to differentiate its clarity and balance. I will not name the brands and these are solely base on my personal opinions. 

I usually listen to classical pieces to test the sound range of a earpiece as I feel a classical piece has a full range of sounds orchestrated by an entire orchestra and that would be a fairer judgement.

The sound produced by Sudio's KLANG earpiece has a very controlled sound, a nice mid tone. Not so much on the bass and higher tone but that would also mean no blaring high pitch sound. I would say the sound proof is pretty good and kudos to the very clean and sleek design. The earphones allows you to answer calls and adjust the volume with the three buttons sited in a nice sleek rectangle. It comes with a handy pouch as well for easy storage.

Now it comes down to the price where many of us are concerned, sudio makes these elegant earphones that provides pretty good sounds  for a third of what they would cost in retail.

The sudio KLANG earphones are really stylish and definitely could go with my outfits. It also looks extra pretty with it's gold elements with my gold iPhone which I have not taken a photo of it yet.

Sudio is providing all my readers a 15% discount with the code "valerie15". 

They provide FREE worldwide shipping as well! For more information on price, colour and design, do click on the links provided below.

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March 17, 2015

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bali: ize seminyak

bali: ize seminyak

Good Wednesday!Life's been good for me so far, how about yours? I'm currently preping for my upcoming Brand, didn't expect that there are so many things to consider and re-consider before being able to launch. I've got all products ready but kept telling myself it can be better, maybe that is why I'm still not able to launch. But patience won't hurt. Same goes for this post (excuse for procrastinating) :/

After almost 9 months, I finally got myself together to collate these visuals. Last year in june was my first time ever visiting Bali, I have heard about rumours saying non married couples should not visit Bali together or they might end up breaking up, I would like to think otherwise. In this trip I have experienced the worst and the best. It's a roller coastal trip but when I look back, although not everything is smooth sailing but it's definitely an experience I will always remember.

I took an evening flight and arrived in Bali at almost midnight, the worst thing that could ever happen on a holiday is running a fever! And bullseye, I got it! Nico and I stayed in a rather cheap hotel (The Loft) in Kuta area on the first night as we didn't want to waste the money just to sleep for a few hours. The hotel is clean and for 40 bucks a night, I would say it is worth the value. Downside is, it's quite small and there's not much space to move around and no facilities.

We woke up pretty early the next morning to move into another hotel (ize Seminyak) in Seminyak. When Nico and I travel, we don't usually stay in one spot for long, we like to be on the move~ I was very happy despite the fever when I got to Seminyak. This area is filled with cafes and boutique stores, much cleaner than Kuta in my opinion. We arrived at ize Seminyak a few hours before check in time but they quickly got the room (pool excess) ready and allowed me to check in early. This was such a relieve for someone who is running a high fever, else I would have no where to rest.

I'm quite particular about having a bath tub in my Hotel's toilet though I don't really use it. It just feels more HOLIDAY-ISH. This bathtub here has jacuzzi function!

Amenities are really sufficient and placed very neatly in the wardrobe.

The entire room was filed with natural light, simply love it! And I spent 3/4 of my time, later in the day sleeping on this comfy bed to rest my fever. I usually get better after popping panadols and sleeping definitely helps but this time round, my condition did not improve at all, my fever was still running at 38+ degrees! We went to the lobby and asked where is the nearest clinic, the staffs were very worried and asked if I would like them to call in a Doctor. I would have if the clinic was far away but it was just a few minutes from the Hotel and we have a motorbike as transport so we went there straight.

I requested for a jab instead of pills because I just want to recover as soon as possible! Up till this point I haven't even enjoyed or did anything much, except checking in and out. -__-

Well, I'm not sure if I made the right choice because I got jab in the ass!!! I thought I'm getting a jab on the arm. I've never gotten a jab in the ass except maybe when I was a baby, was totally freaking out!

Went for lunch at a nearby restaurant after that fateful jab~

I realise it is quite difficult to find food that is not "heaty", this is by far the best I could find. No porridge, no plain soup noodles. I could not find any herbal tea either, cooling water is my only saviour! I didn't do much the entire day except eat and sleep, i went back to that comfy bed in the Hotel right after lunch and dinner.

At times like this I really hate myself, I seldom fall sick on a holiday and having a fever just pisses me off!!!

Thank god I woke up the next morning feeling way better, still running a fever but well controlled by panadol. I was so happy when I went for the breakfast buffet provided by the hotel, not only that the food taste yummy but.... I found porridge, as though I found gold! Food in Bali generally taste good but healthy and plain stuff are hard to find.

Enjoying that bowl of "gold"!

Nico had the liberty to feast on whatever he liked, perks of not being sick.

portrait of a random cute boy in the restaurant that must have fallen pretty badly~

After Breakfast I went to the Hotel's rooftop to enjoy my last few hours in ize Seminyak. 

I didn't get to drink Mojito nor Bintang at the rooftop bar~

Neither did I get to soak in the rooftop pool~ All thanks to my fever.

But least I got to enjoy the beautiful view from the rooftop and my very awesome pool excess room.  I'm really thankful for the superb environment and comfy bed for me to rest in, I would say I have made full use of the room since 3/4 of my day was spent sleeping. Well so that was my first half of my Bali trip and once again, we checked out~ Nico and I moved on to the other parts of Bali for the next few days. Stay tune for part two and three that will be up next week! 

And a big fat THANK YOU TO IZE SEMINYAK for providing me with such a pleasant stay. < 3

Ize Seminyak

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March 11, 2015

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