Posts Tagged "travel"

being home

Posted by Sharon Pakir on Mar 20, 2012 in Cooking, Family, Travel | 0 comments

In January, I made a slapdash decision to go home for Chinese New Year, for a scant 6 days.

It was, as always, heartwarming to be home, especially at such an important time of year. It’s amazing how much you take for granted the feeling of being surrounded by your clan, partaking in simple rituals and traditions that unfold the same way year after year, and how easy it is to slip back into it even after you’ve been away for so long.

What I love about being home is that in a short period of time, I get a crash course in my zany, multi-cultural, super extended super close family all over again. Fully immersed in Pakir-Singh-Wee-Tan-Sim-Lee culture is just fantastic, a little nutty, and very yummy.

And then there’s the giggles, and cackles, the exuberant sharing of stories, the catchups, the goss, the loud shouts that characterizes my family, and ALL with your mouth full of amazing food. All. The. Time.

Home again in just 5 short weeks. CANNOT. WAIT.

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status quo, status changed

Posted by Sharon Pakir on Mar 11, 2012 in Happiness, Lifestyle, Love, Travel | 2 comments

HELLO! Yes yes yes, I’ve been a bad blogger. I KNOW. I HAVE NEGLECTED YOU.

But you can hardly blame me!

HONEST!

Well OK you can. Just a little bit.

But not too much.

Lots has happened in the last however long it has been (shh, don’t tell me, I don’t want to know!) and hopefully I’ll get a chance to document it all right here. 2012 has simply been magnificent so far, and has thrown me some amazing experiences and highs.

BUT for all the amazing happenings 2012 has brought, none has matched up to a little trip S took me on to the Barossa Valley in Adelaide, a scant 2 weeks ago.

Our Barossa plans for a weekend away had been a long time coming – we haven’t had a real holiday since our Egypt trip (here, here, here) and decided a 4 day getaway may just do the trick. I booked the flights and then S said he would handle the rest, rather mysteriously, and added on that he couldn’t wait to just SPOIL ME SILLY.

We woke up early one Thursday morning in February, and boarded our flight to Adelaide. We arrived in the wonderful heat that a glorious summer day brings, piled into our rental car, and started driving to the Barossa. S said the first item on our agenda was going to be exciting, so I was well, EXCITED!

We reached Barossa country, and then suddenly pulled down a dirt road that looked like we were in Hawaii. VERY STRANGE.

Little did I know, S had planned a helicopter ride to acquaint ourselves with the Barossa Valley from the SKY!

I was literally SO EXCITED when I saw the helicopter sign, I started shrieking and bouncing up and down and singing “HE-LI-COP-TER RIDE, MY BOUJEE!” to the tune of “Oye Como Va”, rather sadly.

It really was a truly magnificent experience, and DEFINITELY one of the highlights of our trip.

After such a wonderful start to our weekend, S just kept going from height to height with all the activities he had planned for us.

After a sumptuous tenderloin steak lunch, we checked into the rather amazing Barossa Pavilions, which came complete with picturesque views, a HUGE deck with a swing to watch them from, and a super duper well appointed array of luxuries (in house iPad, L’Occitane toiletries, in-room spa bath that overlooked the valley with floor to ceiling windows)… I was in HEAVEN!

We also visited the famous Whispering Wall - which is a HUGE dam wall at the Barossa Reservoir.

The dam is notable for its parabola effect, where a voice can be heard clearly from one side to the other — over 140 metres, end to end. This unusual acoustic phenomenon is a popular tourist attraction, and has earned the dam the title “Whispering Wall”.

You can actually walk ALONG the top of the dam wall – and it’s actually kind of freaky – on one side of you, there’s water that’s so close to you that it’s almost touchable. On the other side of the railing however, a sheer 40 metre drop of concrete wall descending to dirt shows you just how deceptively deep that bright blue water is, and how crazy steep a fall would be. I only got about 1/3 of the way across, then couldn’t go any further, frozen with weird vertigo fear.

S on the other hand, bravely walked all the way across. Can you spot him in the picture below?

We merrily went about testing the Whispering Wall’s capabilities, which was super fun – except that S’ voice could be heard VERY clearly (not like a whisper at all) and the other tourists who were around us were subjected to S saying things like “You have a cute BUM!” in the wall like the little deviant that he is. AI YAI YAI.

For dinner that first night, S requested that I don one of the first dresses he ever bought me when we first started going out. It was one of those summer nights that was perfection, sun glowing as it set, balmy breeze, handsome man wining and dining me…

Maybe a little over the top for the countryside, but AH WHO CARES, you only live once! For dinner, S took us to Vintners Winery, which was ABSOLUTELY phenomenal.

 

JUST a perfect DAY 1 to our trip.

 

DAY 2, however, to my incredulous surprise, was WAY better.

We started with some wineries in the morning – Penfolds, another winery I don’t remember the name of (YES, MAYBE I WAS SLIGHTLY TIPSY AFTER PENFOLDS, WHY DO YOU ASK), and snacks at Maggie Beer’s Farm Shop, which was simply delightful.

S was being particularly sweet, ordering a case of the Penfolds wines I loved to be delivered to us in Melbourne, enduring my cooing over each port (he doesn’t care for wineries that much), and pretending to care about the different kind of pate at Maggie Beers!

Then, after a long lunch (see the platter in the montage above? That entire loaf of bread was WARM, and OURS. OH YEAH BABY), he drove us to the Novotel Barossa’s ENDOTA SPA - where he had booked me in for 3 hours of SOLID PAMPERING! Sorry for all the yelling but CAN YOU BLAME ME?!!!!!

(I didn’t get any pictures of the spa of course, but after a foot bath, body scrub, steaming shower, full body massage, and facial, suffice to say I was quite literally, dizzy with joy, and stumbling back upstairs to the hotel lobby where my honey had patiently sat waiting in a fuzzy cloak of blabbering giggles). 

That night, S requested another dress he had bought me recently for our cryptic very special dinner that he refused to tell me the name of. In fact, ON THE DRIVE THERE, he insisted we were going on a picnic. A PICNIC. In my pale coloured dress. INAPPROPRIATE. I proceeded to be quietly pensive all the way there, thinking up plans to not get dirt and grass on my lovely frock.

Imagine my surprise, then, when we pulled up to The Apellation, one of Australia’s best restaurants, with great accolade, and a place I had mentioned I would love to get the chance to eat at!

The Apellation did NOT disappoint – not only was the food superb, but the service was quite literally one of the best I’ve ever experienced in a restaurant ever, and S and I had a ball. Between our courses, the staff had prepared several little surprise tastings of other items on the menu, and we proceeded to sup, sip, and dine our way through a fantastic meal with the best company each other could ask for!

As we walked out of the restaurant, we looked up into the starry sky, and S kissed me, and I wish I could capture that moment and bottle it – as fresh, giggly, chirpy and in love as we were right at the beginning of our relationship, with the open night sky and gentle breeze upon us, and AH it was just amazing.

We got home to the pavilion, and S suggested we change into pyjamas and sit out on our deck’s swing to look at the sky.

We sat on the swing, and cuddled, and S proceeded to go on a 30 minute speech, whilst, holding my face in his wonderful strong hands, all the reasons why he loved me. OH IT WAS JUST GLORIOUS.

And then he kneeled down in front of the swing, in front of me.

And then this is what went down:

S: I would love for you to be mine.

Me: Oh honey, I AM yours!

S: Ah, but I would love to make you mine.

Me: Oh honey bunch, i already told you I AM yours!

<silence>

S (audible sigh): Shan, I really really really want you to be mine.

Me: But baby, I really really really am YOURS.

<silence>

At this stage, S thinks that I’m a retard and perhaps he was thinking of re-negging on the WHOLE DEAL because let’s face it, HOW DUMB CAN HIS GIRLFRIEND BE?! I meanwhile, am just a happy girl. A swing, the stars, a man who loved me, who needed anything more?

Anyway.

He put ONE KNEE up.

And I gasped. And started hyperventilating. And the realisation of what was about to happen DAWNED on me.

And he smiled in the dark, star lined night. That glorious, handsome smile of his.

And pulled something out of his pocket. Whilst holding my hand tighter.

And uttered.

Those.

Magic.

Words.

As tears streamed down my cheeks.

“Sharon, will you marry me?”

OH MY GOD.

I don’t actually remember what happened for the next few minutes – but I know there was OVERWHELMING emotion. Crying, laughing, jumping around, hugging, screaming, and all that good stuff.

It. Was. Awesome.

AND, a few minutes later, I suddenly realised that in the midst of it all, I had entirely ignored THE RING!

I pulled away and asked “were you just holding a ring in your hands?!” and he laughed and said, “YES, do you WANT IT?!”

So he slipped it on. And ladies and gentleman, let’s just say the man IS A KEEPER – not only orchestrating the world’s most lavish, pampering and loving proposal, but also presenting me with a ring that I love, adore, and can’t stop looking at!!

YAY!

So yes.

WE ARE ENGAGED!

I’M GOING TO BE MRS S!

I’M GOING TO BE MRS BOUJEE!

and most importantly….

S is going to be my wonderful wonderful husband. And I am officially, the luckiest girl ALIVE.

See, wasn’t that story worth waiting for a blog post for?

Now of course, you’ll have to be INUNDATED with wedding planning posts. HA. I apologise in advance!!!

LOVE!

 

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single happy moment

Posted by Sharon Pakir on Jan 5, 2012 in Happiness, Lifestyle, Travel | 0 comments

Having come home from our dance trip in Asia after a gale of a time, and then a few days later being presented with this gorgeous card from the group that went.

It’s always nice when you travel with an AWESOME group of people who come together and bond particularly well, especially when touring foreign countries – but even better when the time you have is really quite amazing and leads to catchphrases, thousands of memories (that span the whole alphabet!) and lots of laughter upon sharing stories.

Nice. Very nice.

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5 happy things

Posted by Sharon Pakir on Jan 2, 2012 in Happiness | 0 comments

Hello everyone! Did you have a good Christmas/New Year season? I sure hope so!

To kick off 2012, I thought it would be fitting that I start with a 5 happy things since they’re the posts I love to look back on. (See others here, here, here, here, and here).

Here goes!

1. Antiquing day with baby girl

Spending an entire Saturday of glorious weather driving out to Mornington and antique shopping with Shamster. And picking up this beauty of a couch, amongst other things, to complete the loungeroom after a year of living here! We had a wonderful day, thrift shopping, having a lunch in the sun, yabbering non-stop in the long drive, and buying slurpees coz that’s how we roll.

 

2. Weekend away with S

Spending an amazing weekend away with S (also written about here and here and more to come!) – and 2 weeks later still glowing from it. We were long overdue for some alone time, and it helped that he spoilt me rotten.

I am still thinking about the long meals filled with amazing banter and hand holding, walking around sharing our thoughts and hearts as we vintage shopped, and silent happy moments as we relaxed all weekend. Sometimes a little break is all you need.

 

3. Sunny days

The weather in Melbourne has had some real bad moments over the last few weeks, but more often than not, I’ve been delighted by the days full of brilliant sunshine, and allowing my home office to be so utterly conducive to productivity.

And yes, that is a large hunk of gingerbread house from Christmas on my plate. WHAT? GIRL NEEDS HER SUGAR TO STAY PRODUCTIVE.

 

4. A meaningful New Years Eve

Having what I think has got to be one of my best new year’s eves’ ever with my best friend and soulmate. I haven’t had a very good holiday season due to lots of bad news, and I’m feeling especially homesick. S knew I didn’t feel like partying or socializing, so we ditched every invite we had and he constructed the best intimate celebration ever.

He went out and bought a crapload of candles, oysters (my favourite), prawns, salmon, and lots of antipasto and crackers… We cracked open a bottle of Veuve, lit everything up, and watched a rom-com whilst he gave me a backrub and we ate and drank for what seemed like hours… we even slow danced to some lovely music, and counted down the new year to a spectacular kiss! Just what I needed.

 

5. Tickets Booked

Like I’ve been saying, I’m pretty homesick and it’s a time where I need to be with my family. This morning, I kicked off 2012 by booking my tickets home, and in just a few weeks I’ll be right where I need to be. I’m taking a bit of a chance as this is our busiest period in dancing, but I feel like it’s the right decision for me, and family always comes first. I am so anticipating this trip like you wouldn’t believe.

 

Do you have 5 happy things to start off 2012 with? Share them!

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the mornington on tanti hotel

Posted by Sharon Pakir on Dec 29, 2011 in Travel | 0 comments

A couple of weeks ago, S and I booked in some R&R over a weekend in Mornington to take advantage of the great weather.

We stayed at the Mornington on Tanti, which we chose mostly because it was the only decent option available at our last minute travel booking. It turned out to be truly delightful despite its outward appearance of being a sportsbar/bottle shop – the hotel section was gorgeously renovated, very quiet and classy, and really quite the haven you want on a weekend away!

I also liked that it was incredibly central – Mornington town centre was a 3 minute drive away, which made for easy breakfast options and being close to convenience stores and supermarkets.

We got a spa suite – which had a lovely large bathtub (nothing worse than a tiny tub) and an impressively clean and spacious bathroom in general.

Overall, there are certainly more romantic wineries and places to stay in Mornington – but S and I were really happy with our accomodation choice because it gave us drives to wineries to chat over, and a quiet, gorgeous room with a lovely comfortable bed to chill out on in the evenings when we retired at 9pm each night.

Would we recommend it? Absolutely. You could do a lot worse for that price – and since Mornington can get pricey when you’re looking at 4star and above accomodation, we felt that it was great value whilst staying incredibly comfortably.

When we were in that neck of the woods, we squeezed in an amazing amount of activity in just 2 days, as S and I tend to do, whist finding it incredibly relaxing, and I’m looking forward to all the posts I’ve got lined up about it so I can reflect on some wonderful summer memories instead of dwelling on feeling homesick in this holiday season!

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