Dieng Plateau -- the Java road trip

Last April, I had my first long road trip in Indonesia. It took us 5 days and 4 nights, traversing a part of the island of Java. Told myself that time that I want to wake up on top of the mountain as I turned a year older. It was indeed a milestone since I've never done it before and it was very special. 

"Dieng Plateau is picturesque, it's like a jewel that greets you 2,100 feet above sea level. The place is not for everyone though. You have to look deeper to appreciate it especially since the road to go there is not for the faint of heart", this was what I wrote on my etsy site and the inspiration for this piece..

I clearly remembered the potato field. I haven't seen one before. It was amazing seeing those farmers carry kilos of potatoes in the slope when I can't barely catch my breath climbing up the hill. 

On the d-day, went to (almost) the peak of the mountain to watch the sun rise. I had to give it our trusty old Honda CRV for making this happen.  Just make sure that you are a very, very good driver as the slope is not for the faint of heart. I'm not a good driver though that's why we brought one :)

By 7 am, we were on our way to Sikidang Crater, one of the most active volcanic activity that I came across. A 'smoking pot' was belching smoke and sulphur. It was very surreal but I thoroughly enjoyed this natural occurence.

The oldest Hindu temple is also located in Dieng. The Arjuna complex though not as magnificent and spellbinding as Angkor Wat, it was nevertheless amazing because it was built on top of the mountain, when there were no machines to carry those heavy stones and cement to bind the stones together.

And one more thing, if you're not a backpacker or you have no sense of adventure, this trip is not for you.

Bruges, my Bruges!

This lovely, lovely necklace is inspired by Bruges.

 Bruges, as described on my etsy page.

"Medieval city, romantic canals, Venice of the north, Van Eyck paintings, world famous lace, cobblestone that talks history and so much more. This city is just bursting with creativity -- a vacation in Europe is not complete without stopping by here -- a must everytime I go to Belgium." 

I just love the vibe of this place!

And of course, the trip was not complete without coffee -- my must have.

Seoul's soul

My recent trip was in Seoul, Korea -- solely for business  though as I was there for a global workshop  cum meeting (with shopping and exploring the city on the side *wink*).

But three months before that, I have already crafted my Seoul necklace inspired by watching too many Korean telenovelas. 

Here's a short description of the inspiration.

"Korean fashion strikes me as feminine with a tint of quirkiness and usage of pastel in their color wheel. My observation must have come from a number of Korean friends plus countless of hours watching the Korean telenovela."

But of course, Seoul is more than the feminine frills. After the trip, these images  vividly stuck into my mind. All I can say, they're so hi-tech! Perhaps second to Japan?

Presenting, my most fave technology...the toilet bowl with tons of buttons!  First the toilet seat was  being kept warm by the electricity, then you can press the buttons for any sort of (ehem) toilet needs that you can imagine. 

I did the cafe rounds as well. Who can live without coffee nowadays anyway? The most amazing thing was this 'service buzzer/bell'. This is how it works. First you purchase your coffee from the counter. Then they give you your receipt and this service buzzer. You go to your table and once your coffee is ready, this thing will buzzzzzz and voila, you can now get your coffee from the station.  They have this as well in restaurants. When you want to call the waiter, you just need to press this and the waitstaff will be at your service.

 

Lastly, in the plane  enroute to my destination, they even have a USB port! So while I entertain myself by playing chess with the inflight entertainment, I was also happily charging my Blackberry!

And yet again...

Finally, after more than a year since I started selling my accessories on Etsy, I am yet again to embark on a new journey. This journey of documenting the two things that I love the most, travelling and doing this craft.  I'm a self-confessed avid globetrekker. My days revolve around planning my next destination (that is if I'm not caught up in my 'real' job as an advertising practitioner).

I don't know where this will lead me, as far as I'm concerned, I will just enjoy the ride.