Learning to Surf…with QuickSilver!

12 Aug 2011 1 Comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Bali, Beach, Cool Stuff, Fun Spots, Travel

Now that we’ve been living in Bali for 6 months, we’ve had time to get used to : the food (Spicy), the weather (nice and warm), the people (super friendly), the motorbikes (crazy in traffic), the mosquitoes (who love me) and the beaches (for the amazing sunsets)

It was now time to move onto the next step, we had to hit the waves and TRY to learn to surf…key word in that sentence was “TRY”!! It looks so easy when you watch the pros paddling away and popping onto their boards to catch the gorgeous waves on the beaches close to Uluwatu or at Echo Beach in Canggu…Nothing to it all!

We decided to register from some Surfing lessons with the QuickSilver Surf school at Double Six beach. The waves are not so killer and the boyz who give the lessons are cool and friendly, and do know what they’re talking about – and you have time while trying to get vertical onto your board…Oh, by the way, when I say ‘WE’, I mean mom, dad, their friend, took lessons while I chilled out playing in the sand at the beach…Don’t worry, my turn will come soon enough…If I could only get the paddle-paddle, kick-kick-kick thing that my swimming instructor keeps repeating to me…Once I get the swimming thing down, I’m definitely going to hit the waves – I already have the surfer dudette’s haircut (all natural, of course)

In 2.5 hours, the wannabe surfers learned the basic techniques on how to carry the board (in and out of the water), get onto the board, and then finally how to stand on the board. Easy 1-2-3 Steps, and Hop! You’re ‘Surfing’ by the end of the class 🙂 You may not look like the cool surfers doing barrels, but you are actually standing on the board and ‘catching’ a wave.

The class is safe and fun, and suitable for almost ‘all’ ages – there were entire families doing the class together (even kids about 6-7 years old taking the class!) They were actually the cooler ones cuz they didn’t have that ‘FEAR’ in their eyes…And trust me, if my mom took the class, anybody can – she just learned to swim! If you threw her into a pool 3 months ago, she would’ve drowned…

And they have a photographer on hand to take pictures of you, which you can purchase at the end of the class for a very reasonable price (they can even give you a CD with your pics!)…Check out these cool pics of my folks and their friend in action…

 

 

 

Note: The guy with the inverted Quicksilver jersey standing the surfer is actually the instructor giving the student a push… 🙂

For more information on the various surfing lesson packages, you can check out The Quicksilver Surf School site below. Or you can simply show up at their office at Double Six Beach the day before to register. They have classes at 9:30am and 2pm everyday…

http://www.quiksilversurfschoolbali.com/lesson.php

Trip to Perth – Best and Worst Lists

20 Jul 2011 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Bali, Cool Stuff, Fun Spots, Travel Tags:

If you’ve ever been awoken from a deep sleep, you know that it’s a terrible feeling, especially if you’re a bit grumpy like me. Luckily it was nice & cozy in mom’s arms…What was happening? I was having a great time in dream world, then I realize we’re in a taxi at 6am off to a huge place with counters, security checks and people in different coloured uniforms…

Then, we get into this ‘spaceship’…ooh, how exciting? Unfortunately, I was expecting this to be a comfy ride with lots of cool gadgets, but it turns out there are rows of 3 (small) seaters on either side of this very narrow aisle – how was I supposed to do my daily exercise with so little space? To make matters worse, there were these so-called ‘Sky-Beauties’ in uniform who were taking up all the space with their large carts of food and drinks…Unfortunately, they didn’t even share their goodies with me 😦 No gadgets or TV to keep me entertained either, so I had to play with mom and dad in our cramped seats…

After a 3.5 hour flight, we arrived in cool, chilly Perth, Australia. I was already missing the warmth and sunny weather of Bali, but not as much as mom and dad I think. We were staying for the week, so I had to get used to the climate change…

Here are my Best and Worst moments, in no particular order:

Best moments in Perth:
1- Watching surfers at Scarborough Beach.

Hot or cold, and despite all the Dangers…they’re always there, never wanting to miss the chance to ride The Perfect wave.

  

2- Finding my rolling-horsy…for free! It was large rubbish pick-up week while we were in Perth, so people were putting out large TVs, furniture, etc on their lawn.

Despite being parked on the lawn, no… this car is not ‘rubbish’. People just like to park their cars on their lawn, even if they have driveways and garages…

3- Running around in all the parks and playing in the sandbox – wow, it’s safe to run on the grass here. And people are always barefoot it seems, even when they go to do their groceries…

4- Eating meat pies and sausage rolls – Let’s just say, mom and dad loaded me up on meats during the week.
Note: Meat pies and sausage rolls are meant to be eaten without utensils, so right out of the bag (with their perfected tomato sauce squeezer) – but it is really messy to eat, especially in the car, and for beginners like us…

5- Mom & dad using the oven. In addition to keeping us warm, they got to do a little more cooking than usual and we got to eat lasagna, carrot cupcakes, oatmeal cookies…Although mom could’ve used the manual for the fancy oven, cuz her cookies didn’t turn out as well as usual…

6- Seeing Kangaroos and Koalas, and the different birds at Yanchep National Park

7- Hanging out in the play area of Little Creatures Brewery/Resto while the adults enjoyed a local beer, It also gave me chance to warm up from being outside all afternoon, strolling around in Free Mantle.

8- Going to Ikea for a cheap meal – hmmm, yummy meatballs – did I say that I ate alot of meat this week…

9- Watching the sunset at Scarborough beach

10- Being able to drink water from the Tap (using a Britta filter) – no water bottles – yeah!

11- Walking around in North Bridge area, pushing my stroller and seeing the cool bird chillin’ on a bike

12- Most of all, being able to spend time with Auntie-S & Uncle-C, and P’tit Wombat, of course! As the Mastercard ads say…Priceless!

Worst moments in Perth:
1- Freezing in the rain for the first two days. However, some people were still brave enough to go swimming without a wetsuit…I suspect this guy is in the water on a dare… otherwise he’s just crazy…

2- Not being able to eat fruits cuz the prices are ridiculous (bananas at 20 AUD/kg, grapes at 13 AUD/kg, …), so ended up eating kiwis and oranges. which were more reasonably priced…

3- Having to wear so many layers of clothing – I’m used to being in tank tops and shorts…

4- Missing out on a pair of Ugg Boots while shopping in Free Mantle…Mom & dad couldn’t justify the expense since I would be back to sandals in Bali…

5- Leaving the playgrounds while I was having so much fun…Mom & dad are cruel…

All in all, it was definitely not a bad week. As you can see, there were more positive moments than negative ones, so I would definitely recommend a visit to Perth…just not in the dead of Winter (July-Aug). Please go when it’s summer and catch the awesome waves with the rest of the surfer dudes!

New toys – woo hoo!

15 Jul 2011 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Bali, Cool Stuff

Lately, I’ve been getting a little bored with my old ‘baby toys’ so mom and dad have splurged to get me some new toys to help me develop my motor skills…A move they may regret soon enough?

Bowling pins – what were they thinking?

Mom wasn’t even able to hit the pins until her fifth try – I can’t really blame her since the ball was not exactly round (Made in Bali, that’s all I can say…)

Although, I haven’t quite perfected my bowling technique, I do enjoy throwing the ball and running after it. Actually, I prefer just throwing it and having someone else go fetch it. As for the pins, I like to knock them down with my hands, like a kung fu/karate move…Or better yet, I like trying to walk on them – not one of mom’s favourite moves

I think I’ll ask my great grandma and great grandpa for some bowling lessons since they’ve been playing in their leagues for a long time – nothing like some tips from a pro to get you started on the right foot 🙂

Rolling Elephant on wheels

 

This looks quite silly but is actually quite fun, especially when you get your parents to push it around for you. All I have to do is run around, pretending to be attacked by the Flying Elephant. Meanwhile, I can keep laughing at mom or dad who is actually chasing me around pushing a plastic Elephant and getting exhausted in a matter of a few minutes – Old folks, are so outta shape!  Oh, another nice feature – it makes this really annoying clicking sound as it is rolling – gotta love that!

Then I got my DSP 220 Truck

DSP stands for Dump – Super Power…I assume they are referring to the ‘dump’ truck, but for a second I thought they were referring to my ‘digestive track’ capacities, which can also be safely tagged as Dump – Super Power as well…Hmmmm…Subliminal message there?

What I love about this truck is that, with the string that was attached in front, I get to pull it around. But most of all, I can put my entire posse it in the back, so they look like a bunch of Balinese construction workers loaded into a pickup going off to the construction site. This is truly representative of how the real life construction workers get to work…

Check out how cozy my posse is in the back of the truck!

 

ooohhh, I feel I’ll have numerous hours of fun with these new toys…should keep me busy for another two weeks or so….

Shopping – Cool Clothes at Dandelion :)

07 Jul 2011 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Bali, Fashion, Fun Spots, Travel Tags:

So we’re heading to Perth soon, and it is the middle of winter there. The surfer girl in me has gotten so used to the sun and waves in Bali that I really don’t know how I will adapt to the ‘cool’ climate of West Australia…Brrrrr! Just the thought gives me shivers.

In preparation for the trip, mom brought me on a shopping spree to get equipped with some long sleeves and pants at Dandelion. It’s a cool kids clothing store with great designs and quaity fabrics. A girl’s still gotta look good while staying warm…

Unfortunately, in terms of footwear I’m quite limited so my look will not exactly be complete. Normally, I’m not the type who goes for the sock with sandals look (for me it’s a fashion faux-pas!). But, I’ve been told that it’s dipping down close to 0 degree celsius in Perth recently, so I’ll have no choice to sacrifice my style for function – gotta keep my tiny feet warm! Especially if I want to feel the sand between my toes when I get back to Bali…

Perhaps, mom will bring me shoe shopping before the trip!! If that happens, then I’m definitely going to try on a pair of high-heel booties so I can get more height. But also, it’ll probably be more comfortable than walking on my tippy-toes, as I have been doing for the last few weeks…

http://dandelionkid.com/

Jl. Raya Basangkasa no.28, Seminyak Bali
Tel: +62 361 730 375

Happy Father’s Day

18 Jun 2011 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Bali, Cool Stuff

To all the dad’s out there! Hope you have a great day! I know I’m having a blast with my dad in Bali. I hope to be just like him when I grow up….

Mosquitoes go into stealth mode?

14 Jun 2011 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Bali, Fun Facts, Travel

Did you know that mosquitoes go into stealth mode? How do they do that? One minute you see them, the next minute they’ve disappeared. A few seconds later, you see them lurking about again, or you hear them annoyingly buzzing in your ear, but your hands are just not fast enough to Smack them!

Unfortunately, you know you were not just imagining them cuz a few hours later, you see those little red itchy bumps on your skin that tag you as the Victim!! And trust me, since living in Bali, I’ve been a victim many, many times…

Resto Review: Rumours

13 Jun 2011 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Bali, Fun Spots, Restos & Food, Travel

June 12, 2011: Went for a simple friday night family dinner. We were originally going to another BBQ spot to have some ribs…mmmm, yummy! Even  for someone who doesn’t have all her teeth. Unfortunately, they did not have a high-chair for me, so we decided to try ‘Rumours’, a popular restaurant on the busy strip on Jalan Oberoi.

They have security guards directing traffic on both sides of the street, since the parking lot is across from the restaurant. It may seem like overkill to have people directing traffic for a restaurant, but when you see the traffic on Oberoi, you will understand why this is handy, and almost essential if you’re a resto owner on this strip.

While still riding on the motorbike, we were able to quickly confirm that they had a high-chair for me, before turning into the parking lot. Ah, this is one practical side of having open-concept restaurants in Bali – you can just shut out to the staff from the street! Maybe next time, I can order my drink and appetizers from the street before getting into the resto! Boy, I’m starting to get lazy now that we’ve been living in Bali.

As usual, it was already passed my dinner time, so dad quickly skimmed through the menu to order my meal first, while mom was putting me into the high-chair. I don’t know what they’re so afraid of, it’s not like I’m a two-year who’s going to throw a temper tantrum in public!! This has only happened a few times, and only at home (They may beg to differ though!). Luckily, they brought us some bread with garlic butter to keep me busy!

Apparently, the price for a beer here is so much cheaper compared to other places. So my parents felt they had no choice but to order 2 Heineken’s – it’s too bad I still can’t taste beer –  it looks quite refreshing. At least, I get to do a chin-chin with them with my glass of water!

My baked Eggplant Parmigiana arrived quite quickly and was very tasty. The portion was generous, but could’ve been a little warmer for mom & dad’s liking. However, for me it was just warm enough so I could eat quickly 🙂

Dad ordered the grilled chicken steak with veggies, which I had to taste of course. The chicken was tender, but unfortunately the veggies were not cooked enough for my 7-teeth chewing structure 😦 Boy, I can’t wait to have my molars out! Mom ordered the Special Rumours Sirloin steak, which is quite rare for her. Again, the meat was a little tough for me, but she seemed to enjoy it. But please bring on the creamy-buttery mashed potatoes from her plate 🙂

The mashed potatoes ended up being my dessert!! I liked them so much that the next morning, when I woke up, I was already salivating. Then, when I went down for breakfast, the first word that came out of my mouth was : PA-TA-TE! (French for Potato)

Food: ****
Deco/setting: ****
Service: ****
(out of 5 stars)

Rumours
Jl.Laksmana No. 100 Oberoi-Seminyak, Kuta, Bali 80361
Phone: 0361-738720-21 Fax: 0361-733269

Word of the day: Pa-pa-ya!

09 Jun 2011 1 Comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Bali, Restos & Food

Word of the day: PA-PA-YA!!!…Gotta scream it very loud to have the full effect. It’s my favourite fruit for now, but it also just means I WANT FRUIT – NOW!! Also, I just like saying it: PApeYA

Resto Review: Cafe Zucchini/Zuttion

05 May 2011 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Bali, Restos & Food, Travel

April 3rd, 2011: After spending a rainy day at the Galleria shopping mall, we decided to go for some ‘real’ shopping in Seminyak. It was nice to come back into ‘town’ now that we’ve moved to the quiet country side.

Since it was getting late, mom and dad decided to stop for dinner in town rather than eating at home. We went to Cafe Zucchini on Oberoi (or Jalan Laksamana)

Dad was worried that I was starving so he ordered me a half portion of potato salad – OMG the bowl was HUMONGOUS! I can’t believe it was a half portion. I know I have a big appetite, but really that’s quite impressive. The salad had carrots, green peas, onions or scallions and was lightly tossed in Mayonnaise. Unfortunately, there was aneth/dill in it and this is a new flavour for me – not my favourite thus far 😦 We took the rest home to accompany the steak sandwich that dad ordered. The sandwich ended up being take-away cuz dad noticed another special item on the menu after already having ordered the sandwich.

The staff was really friendly and even gave me a tour of the kitchen – I guess they thought that my parents needed a break from me … Also, they gave me a small banana to tie me over til the meal was ready 🙂

Mom ordered the veggie tacos, which I found quite yummy (the white beans were nice in texture and the sauce was not too spicy). It was accompanied by a green salad and sour cream, tomato salsa and corn chutney.

Dad finally ended up taking the Bolognese Spaghetti, which is one of his all-time favourite dishes. I think he could eat spaghetti everyday of his life and be VERY Happy. Especially if he had unlimited amounts of Kraft’s Parmesan Powdered cheese to ‘sprinkle’ or shall I say ‘Pile’ on top of it. As advertised in the menu, this spaghetti did indeed taste like a homemade sauce that your mom would make for you!

Mom was really happy with her Latte too!

Service was nice and friendly. For those who like shopping, they also have a little boutique inside, called Zuttion, which sells men’s and women’s clothes and accessories.

Since writing this post, we have gone back and have not been disappointed yet by the tasty food offered at Cafe Zucchini…

Food: ****1/2
Deco/setting: ****
Service: ****
(out of 5 stars)

Cafe Zucchini
Jl. Laksamana (Oberoi) No. 49, Seminyak

No Really! I’m not drunk!

04 May 2011 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Bali, Fun Spots, Travel Tags:

Learning to walk is one of the coolest things around. It’s amazing how a little practice everyday can bring fruitful results! In less than 2 weeks, I’ve made significant ‘strides’ on my two-feet 🙂

This past weekend we went to Bedugul to see the temple by the water. It was quite lovely, one of the prettiest sites that mom has seen in Bali so far…(Just a note between you and me though, she hasn’t done much site-seeing since coming to Bali, so there may actually be many more beautiful sites to be discovered…)

The two things that I really LOVED at Bedugul were:

1) The funny animal sculptures laid out all about the garden. It almost seems like you are in Disneyland, but you just don’t recognize the characters. There were lions, a fish, a pig, a zebra, a tiger, and even Bambi…

2) The gardens had lush green grass that you could actually walk on…Trust me, boy did I take advantage of this space! The land was quite flat and I was able to cover quite a bit of distance (and there were no snakes – that we could see anyway). Unfortunately, since I haven’t yet perfected my technique, I was not too steady. Head bopping every which way, falling on my bum every few steps (but luckily I have quite a bit of padding to absorb the shock, and besides the grass is much softer than the ceramic tiles at home). So with my arms flailing everywhere, my head and hips swaying, I really looked like I was drunk! Who knows maybe mom put some Tia Maria in my milk at lunch…

I think I still have to develop some of my core and stabilizer muscles to be able to hold my head, neck, hips and waist steady. Maybe I’ll ask mom to give me some basic Pilates lessons…

So although I look like I just drank a pack of 24 beers when I walk, I must admit that I’m quite proud of my progress in the last week alone – and to top it all off, Grandma was here to witness all this 🙂

– Was able to stand-up by pulling on a chair or bench for support

– Started walking while holding on to two adult hands

– Was able to take a few steps without holding on to any hands (although it was pretty much free-falling forwards until someone caught me in their arms) – this is quite fun!

– Was able to stand-up doing a wide squat (imagine a mini-Sumo in the first position before doing a Clean & Jerk – ref. Olympic weightlifting)

– Was able to walk holding on to only one adult’s hand

Finally now, walking on two feet, no hands… and looking like a very happy-drunk 🙂

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