DORA on the ROAD

We woke up super early in the morning, 6 a.m. to be precise to enjoy a morning dip in the pool and to get ourselves ready before heading to Penang Hill. Waking up to a view like this.....priceless! So sunny that my eyes nearly blinded by the sunlight @.@ Earlier that day, we departed at around seven thirty in the morning to catch the fonicular railway to the top of Penang Hill as there'll be an expected massive tourists on the site. Tips: Make sure you go early during public holiday and weekend to avoid long queues. Yay! Got the fast lane ticket =) A group shot before we hop on the train. Train ride up the steep slope was fun. Everyone were freaking out throughout the entire ride up the hill, so steep and scary since we were seated on the front row of the train. But we did survive somehow =p The journey took around 5 to 10 minutes which is way shorter than the time we spent waiting for the train. Penang Hill is also known as Bukit Bendera in Malay which is located in A...

Yay!!! So thankful that most of my tutorial students now were having their term break. I finally squeezed out some time to filter those photos which have been long abandoned on my Asus phone drive. We-fie before the flight to Penang =) Mood: Excited Here's the inside scoop of our last teacher's trip in Penang, Malaysia. We first stopped in St. Giles Wembley hotel, a 4 star hotel nestled in the heart of Georgetown. Waiting to check - in at the cozy lobby area. Spacious, clean and tidy. Really enjoyed our 3D2N stay here. =p Bathroom with transparent glass complete with bathroom essentials. After a quick refreshing shower, we headed down to their hawker centre, to hunt for food. First try is their famous Lok - Lok in town. It is a variety of food in sticks dipped into a pot of boiling water and then dip into different types of sauce (chili sauce, sweet sauce or peanut sauce). Tailor it to the taste of your liking. Lok-lok, which means dip-dip. Kinda like the taste. I wa...

I rarely get to spend quality one-on-one time with my mom because of my busy schedules and an ocean away from her since I'm working abroad, but we managed to take time off for a much needed mother-daughter bonding time recently at Manleluag Spring National Park, Mangatarem Pangasinan. Two swimming pools of this protected landscape are filled with warm, mountain water that was really soothing to the nerves and soul. So I think Mom would love it! Happy to see her smile that day with all the gorgeous snaps ;) Look Up style according to Mom. :D :D :D We were both really refreshed and rejuvenated after the short dip at the pool, and so glad for the precious time there together! Gonna make it a point to bring her back more often ;) Afterwhich, because we were really close by, we decided to drop by to my mother - in - law's place for a quick snacks and to witnessed the birthday celebration of my husband's niece. Party!!! Party!!! Party!!!

Happy Sunday, peeps! It feels so awesome to eventually get to write up a blog post in the most peaceful and relaxing evening. A few days ago our school stumbled out of the hustle and bustle of Jakarta and into a quiet, beautiful, greenery lush and refreshing morning in Bogor, West Java for another inspiration field trip. We always like incorporating a bit of history into our field trips, so this field trip starts off with a visit to the Bogor Presidential Palace, the largest of the six presidential palace in Indonesia. Bogor Presidential Palace, known as Istana Bogor Istana Bogor is more than just a palatial building. It also played the vital part in the heritage of Indonesia and holds many political and international meetings such as the APEC Summit last 1994. Sadly, for security reasons, we're not lucky to take a closer look inside since it was currently serves as the residence of the Indonesian President. No chance to get in, unfortunately. Keeping the historical theme goi...

Yet another crater lake visit! Kawah Putih or White Crater of Gunung Patuha located in Ciwidey southern part of Bandung was mesmerizing. It was the most beautiful that we encountered in Bandung thus far. Initially, there were more places such as Lembang Floating Market, De Ranch to visit on our schedule, but it just seemed like mission impossible considering the average time we spent to travel from one place to another. It took us six hours from Jakarta to Ciwidey (4am to 10am) on a Saturday morning. Not to mentioned the road and traffic conditions on the way. The climate was very cold and refreshing though a sharp and acidic smell of sulfur dioxide filled the whole area. The acidity of the lake had painted the sand and the rocks around the crater with a white wash, making the whole scene charmingly mysterious. Good click, Pak Dedi! We're so lucky to have Pak Dedi who happened to be our driver, tour guide, translator and a photographer. I hit the jackpot isn't it? ...