Places I Wish to Visit – Mr. Frapu version

“Dreamy” and “wish-upon-a-star” mode is on. Start something with a dream. Eventually the universe will conspire and make it happen (if it’s a good cause). That’s what I always believe...

Remember Grumpy Grandpa Carl Fredericksen (Up) that made an oath for a dream journey to Paradise Falls in South America ... with his then adventurous beau, Ellie. He never made it with Ellie but somehow along the way life intertwines him an encounter trip and finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure. Perhaps it’s not the destination but the journey itself that made it an uplifting tapestry of wonderful exploration. In this case I wanna be Russel an overly optimistic, go-getter, can-do-enliven persona that always see a silver lining in each occassion. Ahhh ... feel like packin my stuff now.


1. Spain, Italy, UK, France, Turkey.
- Marvel all Gaudi creation, eat tapas and sangria in its native origin.
- Fountain ... plaza ... Roma ... O la dolce vita!! (and tracking down the Eat Pray Love .. Italian chapter will be nice)
- Picadilly Circus and Harrods ... taste the authentic fish and chips :p and sip the real earl grey. I wish I meet Viviene Westwood and Sir Paul Smith there and trackin down the vista of all Harry Potter movies ... wicked!!!
- Rive Gauche, Louvre, Collette shops, Galleries Lafayette, Nice, Cannes, Grasse, Bordeaux, o la la...
- Blue Mosque is a must



2.Japan
Fragile and pretty Sakura. Ancient shrines. Kimono. Roppongi Hills. Harajuku. Shibuya. Bullet train. Hayao Miyazaki studios. Hello Kitty and Sanrio theme park. I wanna get lost in The land of the rising sun.


3.Morocco
Casablanca, Marrakech, Tangier. A close friend made a trip there and the story lingers forever in my mind...


4. Aman Resorts Spot
Especially the one in Bali, Jogjakarta, Moyo Island, Thailand, China, India, Bora-Bora .. (hope I am not asking too much).

Traveling on my mind – guided by Mis Mocca

A friend of mine make a list of the places she wishes to go. Couple years later she really visits the places on her list. Makes me thinking, is this what “The Secret” all about? Won’t hurt to try, though. Real life complicates us, why not escape from it for a while. Who knows maybe somehow, someway, the universe will work sometimes out, and bam! You’re rocking your new bikini on the “dugem” island of Ibiza.
Make your list, guys. Here's mine:

1. Yogyakarta
Shame! Shame! Shame! I’ve never been to Yogya for my whole friggin’ life! Believe it , guys. Somewhere between my year school I somehow slipped the study tour program. And yup! It means I’ve never been to Candi Borobudur either *gasp. I want to do it on a road trip, sightseeing, stopping at small cities. Kinda like the movie “3 hari untuk Selamanya” minus the canabis but surely won’t mind having Nicholas Saputra as travel companion.




2. New York! New York!
You’ve got Mail. That movie makes me wish to be born as New Yorker. I fell in love with Meg Ryan’s small but intimate bookstore whilst Tom Hank’s megastore transported me to The land of capuccino and Paulo Coelho. Have you heard Jay Z and Alicia Keys’ “Empire state of mind?” They’re like screaming my wish to take a bite of the big apple. The city lights at Times Square will definitely inspire me!

3. Marocco
One episode of “Rebel Billionaire” took place at exotic Marocco. I feell in love instantly. The colors of the city, the mint tea, the traditional market really drawn me. Mr. Frapu suggest me to marry a “sheikh” in order to experience a lavish life like on Marocco. Anybody know how to contact one? Please do not hesitate to share his number (oh please, if someone really have his number, why bother to give it someone else? *crap)


4. Hongkong
Who wouldn’t want to go there? Shopping spree, Disneyland, food, more food. Plus I really want to be able having this conversation for real:
Me: “mau oleh-oleh nggak?”
Friend: “oleh2? Oleh2 dari Hongkong!”
Me: “embyyeeerrr!”


5. Beaches of Indonesia.
Raja Ampat, Pulau Derawan, Banda Naira…all the undisclosed beautiful beaches in Indonesia. Cool breeze, sunshine, the pure shores, an ocean of breathtaking sights… Promise myself to master swimming lesson so I could fully drowned into the beaches experience.



6. London
God save the queen. With all her great palaces and castles. Having high tea like the real Lady. I become obsessed with the whole “The Tudors” history ; Henry VIII, his six wives and his “white queen” grandmother, Elizabeth Woodvile. I really need to go back at the beginning.



7. Venice
The city of love! And girl just want to be loved. It would be lovely to get on gondola ride, while your love one serenade you with roses and sweet kisses. Perfecto! We’re girls. We’re happy endings junkie.



8. Austria
Wiener schnitzel. Apfelstrudel. The Sound of Music. Beautiful sight wrapped up in green pasture. Those are few of my favorite reasons to visit Austria.




9. Harry Potter Theme Park, Orlando
Mind blowing totally wicked! A muggle like me going into magical wizardy world…! Riding on Hippogriff, wand shopping, entering Hogwarts, hanging out at Hogsmeade, sipping Butterbeer… I wish they built the Quidditch area. Gosh, I need a portkey!

Say we miss it dearly too...

After almost a perfect weekend escape in the tiny island called Singapore ... it’s really hard to stay in touch with reality. Holiday merry blues still haunt and rule each and every inch of our body, mind and soul. What we dearly miss there....

1. Friendly pavement for pedestrian
From Sommerset 313 to (long and straight) Orchard (aka Mandarin, Takashimaya, Wisma Atria, Wheelock Place and cross the Scott Rd and so forth)... the big, shady and lush pedestrian path that so friendly with turistas like us .... It’s so nice to watch people go by whilst gazing the flock of black, half-ugly doves fly away and play at the mini fountain in front Ngee Ann City. The sun almost sets .. the hour is lazy .. the air is breezy ... It’s de-lovely!





2. Sale Fiesta
There is only one Takashimaya, Tangs, Robinsons .... but there are a lot of sale. Offering a bargain we can hardly escape to miss ... An absolut total retail bliss for us. Who can’t resist a 300 ml Marc Jacobs Cucumber EDT (unisex) for only S$ 70 and a pair of we-can’t-find-it-in-Jkt-Sport-Station-Puma Mihara for a mere S$ 59? We are under the spell of ol mantra called buy buy buy!!!



3. Food Food Food!
The temptation of oyster omelette, balacan baked sting ray, mee siam, roti prata, naan set, ice kacang, tahu telor, curry puff are so intense. We lose the fight, surrender the diet and succumb to comforting bites and munch. It’s a culinary affair we always remember...




4. Decent Public Transport
Singapore has the best transportation system ever! Hop in from one MRT station to another and be part of the commuter. No afraid of soaking rain and the heat of 12.00 o clock sunrays. Just keep walking. Taxi is the last option, only for dropping us off to the airport.







5. The Path Less Traveled
Sorry ... Many trip there but we skip and forgetting Singapore Flyer, Ann Siang, Asylum, Little India, Y3, Holland Village, Clarke Quay and Cafe del Mar @ Siloso Beach, Sentosa. For us, the zoo and Jurong bird park is too kiddy.






6. Kopitiam Pinggir Jalan
Kaya toast never taste this good with the view of Singapore’s busy but less polluted traffic. Ice Milo and Ice Coffee would be the great companion. Try the soft bun too ... two thumbs up!! Perfect Sunday morning are made of these!






7. Old Chang Kee
Yes, we know Old Chang Kee already open their booth here in Jakarta. Pity ... they place it on the neat indoor mall like Senayan City, EX, Klp Gading and Taman Anggrek. It doesn’t give us the same feeling like the one on the Orchard road. Drop by and pause for a yummy munch and continue our hunting “eh kita kan belum ke sini yahhh ...” again ... (kan udah ada energi dari sepotong Old Chang Kee :p)




8. Foto Sana Sini
Inside the MRT. At the window shop display. Between meals and drinks. Everywhere... anywhere... We think it’s a nice place. Don’t know why... suddenly we become self-obsessed, strike a pose or two and unleash our “narcist” soul.