Mummynista!

The joys of pregnancy does not just stop at morning sickness. 2nd trimester arrives and say hello to Mr Backache! Oh you didn't experience either morning sickness nor backaches? Go away! You shouldn't even be reading this post..Just kidding! On a more serious note, most pregnant women like myself will start to feel aches around the body once 2nd trimester hits. The increased weight from the belly adds more pressure to our backs as well as legs, hence the aches begin. And for me, the need to gag into the toilet bowl at least twice a day causes my neck and shoulders to ache too. Yes I know, I feel like I've aged fifty years being pregnant. However as much as we need the comforts of a massage, one can't just step into any massage place now. Firstly we can't lie face down anymore...duh! Hence we need massages that are tailored for us while we lie sideways which means options are kind of limited. I decided to check with my good friend once again, Mr Google and ta...

Are you like me who's attracted to things that have a history or looked like they have a history? Or maybe you are looking for some more interesting artefacts to add to your home decor? Well my buddy J and I definitely were and we decided to check out the famous antique street/market in Jakarta- Jalan Surabaya. This made me miss those times when I used to type essays with a typewriter. One has to have patience to go through the piles of collectibles.  Was tempted to get the gramophone for G. Just love these vintage binoculars/telescopes. J got one of these for her son. There's a couple of things to note over there:  1. You need to haggle. A lot. Most of the shopkeepers start with higher prices; although some must just be out of their mind or don't want your business, they quote you ridiculous figures. They quote us a vintage fan at 20 million rupiah..yes  20,000,000idr  (~2,000usd). We laughed and walked away. This is clearly a lost...

Have you ever wondered what a private make up lessons are like or perhaps you are thinking if you should take up one? Perhaps my experience below will help you to decide better.  It was almost another typical morning in Jakarta for Katie, an expat housewife with three lovely children; just that in between her usual schedule, she has squeezed some time out for a makeup lesson. The great thing was that she did not need to waste any time travelling as the lesson will be conducted right at the comfort of her home and the lesson fee costed her less than her usual grocery bill. Katie was kind enough to allow me to crash her make up lesson. I had been to beauty classes organised by some beauty brands like Dior which took place in classroom settings with at least ten other people, so I wonder the difference between those type of lessons as to private ones. Founder of Sahana Sky, and also a good friend of ours, Janet arrived at Katie's promptly at 9am. With Espressos, notebooks and m...

Our friends were telling us to visit Potato Head Garage when they learnt that we were visiting Bali; the food bloggers are also raving about this place in their blogs...so we decided to check it out. Arriving ten minutes prior to Potato Head's opening hour at 11am, we were refused by the security as well as the restaurant staff to enter the restaurant. I was trying to explain that we have a toddler who was very flushed from the heat and that we would just like to take a seat in the restaurant till they can take our orders at 11am...which is like 10 minutes away... No, we can't take a seat at the restaurant while we wait and the staff wanted us (G, a pregnant woman and a young toddler) to stand under the scorching hot sun for 10 minutes until the magical clock strikes 11am. The chairs, which were in the shade were just couple steps away, and NO..WE HAVE TO STAND UNDER THE SUN WHILE WE WAIT FOR THE MAGICAL OPENING HOUR.   I thought it was pretty ridiculous. I asked fo...

I don't know if I am being overly critical or just plain fussy but I find that manicure and pedicure services in Jakarta are not up to par as compared to the other Asian cities like Bangkok, HongKong, and even Singapore! And by all means, the services aren't cheap as compared to overall standard of living locally. To have manicure/pedicure at somewhat a decent place with clean tools usually starts at 220,000 idr (22usd)...and you are not guaranteed OPI or internationally known brands. Nail salons at shopping malls will set you back about 450,000idr (45usd/52sgd)- funny how manicure in Jakarta cost the same in Singapore. Whoever said Jakarta is cheap?! Once, I accompanied my friend to a salon at Kemang where she wanted to have a hairwash and blowdry and I decided to have a manicure/pedicure there while waiting for her. The girl/manicurist came with a large plastic container (like the ones you store miscellaneous stuff in the wardrobe/storeroom) and inside it, the tools and ...

Are you relocating to Jakarta? So you are looking for a place to stay in Jakarta? And perhaps feeling really perplexed on which area would be the best for you. Don't worry, you are not alone. When we were moving to Jakarta, one of the biggest decisions G and I got to make - was to mutually agree on which area to stay. The popular places where expats live in Jakarta are CBD/Sudirman area, Menteng, Kuningan, Senayan and South Jakarta- Kemang/Cilandak/Pondok Indah area. G has always love to live next to work(right in the city) so that he could just walk to work and not be affected by traffic or transportation issues; while I hate living next to the offices/bustling areas and prefer a quiet laid-back area. We are polar opposites when it comes to this so it is always a battle when we choose a place together. So I thought I'd try to list down some pros and cons which may help you to better weigh your choices :) PROS AND CONS OF EACH AREA South Jakarta- Kemang Area/Cila...

Thanks to Jakarta100bars ,  I managed to find a Chinese Restaurant that serves authentic Chinese cuisine here in Jakarta. I was really excited as I always loved Szechuan food and was not too sure if we could find it here in Jakarta. Since our friend Deena, who is heading back to New York soon, also loves Szechuan; it was a perfect excuse to drag G for Chinese food. After half an hour ride, we finally approached an area that has couple of dark alleys with tiny restaurants appearing occasionally along the way. Just when we were afraid that we could have just missed the place, a Ancient-Chinese inspired looking building emerged at the corner (just across brightly lit O-Town Coffee). We found our Chinese haven.  It looks just like this. ( Credits: Openrice.com) When we arrived, the restaurant was a bit empty( with a large troop of servers) so we weren't sure if it was really as good as it was reviewed. However we decided to take the risk. Stir-fried Chinese Spinach. (...

The last that I checked, I am not a hermit, at least I don't look like one so...I kept myself surprisingly busy by trying to find myself some new friends in this new city. I think meeting like-minded people is one of the most important thing for someone new in town especially if you are a stay-home-mom or temporarily not working. As much as I love Alex, it is a one way conversation; at least at this point of time. And talking too much to Alex's nanny or the apartment's concierge is also not the best thing either. I realised I needed friends (of the same frequency)..if you know what I mean..so that I can sustain my sanity in this lovely yet crazy place. And I also know that I don't possess some super magnetic powers that I could just sit at home and people will come knocking on my front door, "Hi C, I am your new friend." So I decided to take a proactive approach to this and here's couple of channels that I've used or reached out to: 1. Fri...

I was meeting someone there and he suggested Djournal. I went there for the first time and I fell in love with it. So I brought G there after Church yesterday. I love the rustic blend of contemporary and vintage. Mint Mojito Coffee. Very interesting flavour and the blend of coffee is fragrant.  I just love, love, love all the little details they put into the decor. G had a chicken wrap. I had the Aglio Olio. G is an avid Starbucks fan and he agreed that this cafe is indeed very nice in many ways. Coffee is quite fabulous and I like the Lychee Tea (I'm not a coffee drinker). What I like about the place is that it is kind of hidden; not too busy and have a wide selection of drinks as well as some cafe food.  It is a great place to have some alone me-time and also a lovely hang out place with friends. It is a self service place so you don't get interrupted by rude waitresses or feel any pressure to not linger too long. Overall 9/1...

I suggested to G that we should go clubbing...however backed out as I was feeling too tired after a long day. We decided that we should still do something on a Saturday night and stop behaving like an old married couple- like surf some net, make out and then sleep. As we didn't do any prior research of where to go, we headed down to concierge and asked them for some recommendations which are nearby. Couple minutes later... we are at E & O (Easter & Oriental), just across the street and also one of the hippest places downtown. How did we missed it? Staying just a block away?! Beats me sometimes. Anyway, I decided to skip beer this week and try a cocktail. I asked the bartender to make me something according to my preference- like not too sweet or sour. Modern chic interiors.   Friendly bartender mixing the drink. Final shake. TAH-DAH! Think it is called Pink Lady. G had Erdinger on draft and we both went on for one more round of whisk...

We were visiting the cute barber shop  around Blok M when we realised that the Japanese Grocery store, which another Japanese expat-Kaho blogged and recommended before, was just a minute walk away. Was so delighted to spot this. The frontal of the shop. A small mart but with all things Japanese you may wish for. I was really excited to see the various Sashimi available at reasonable prices. We didn't get much as it was our first time shopping here and we wanted to try out the freshness of the products.  Remember to ask them for Wasabi and also ice to keep the Sashimi fresh if you are going to travel a while in the car. We arrived home after an hour and half later (as we proceeded to shop at Indoguna Meat Shop); I quickly sliced up the salmon Sashimi and dug in with G. It was really not bad at all! In fact better than what we had in Ritz ( read more here ) the other day. We will definitely return again for all our Japanese supplies :) COSMO Jala...