wanderfootime | by Mei Anne

Child-like. Sweet. These were words many have used to describe my voice, my aura. Mostly by people who don’t really know me. 

I’ve never really considered myself to be those traits. Yes, I may look like a child and maybe act like one but by no means do I think I’m actually innocent or sweet. Truth is, I’m short-tempered, selfish, rather foul and sometimes bitter.

But I believe God’s given me this voice. A voice that, yes, sounds like a kid; but has a purpose I suppose.

And with it, may I exude innocence, which shouldn’t be confused with naivety; elicit pure joy, not feigned laughter; encompass sweet, sweet surrender, and never defeat. I want to edify, encourage. I am finally open to be completely used by Him.

I’ve started a new gig. It isn’t a permanent one but I’m happy. The timing couldn’t be better too.

Though I now sit in a cubicle and face a PC all day, as opposed to going to a hip café somewhere-sometimes with my MacBook Air, this new workplace feels right – squeaky chair and all. People are amazing here. Food around the area is super cheap (and so delicious) too. Chicken rice balls, the best fried fish noodles I’ve ever had, and bakeries galore, cause you know, I love my luncheon meat buns. This is saying a lot, by the way, seeing as how I always complain about Singapore food.

I do miss my old office though. The original one. The one with a rad bar, greenly glowing as it reflects the goblin-coloured tiles on the kitchen wall. I miss the plush sofas, the unending supply of wine, the remarkably cozy meeting rooms where I crunched through many articles — and lunches. And papadums.

I miss my old desk, laden with a couple of crates and the occasional fresh flowers I’d receive from PR peeps. Obviously, I miss the peeps. Some peeps. Most peeps.

I’m thankful to be still in the industry. I still get to interview amazing peeps. From the very-young and very-ambitious Swee Lee owner Kuok Meng Ru; to the very-talented Jocelyn Teo, who creates super cute mini food replicas out of clay. She was responsible for making Chrissy Teigen’s 32nd birthday gift from John Legend!

Though I don’t get to go out as much or travel overseas at all, like I said, I’m happy. Happy to help. Happy to be given the opportunity to strategise on digital content and building the brand’s online presence.

And hey, I’ve already milked it while I was working at the previous place. Got to experience not one, not two, but THREE Aman properties. Also ventured to so many new places, from Monaco to Miami, Abu Dhabi to Queenstown. Also saw Paris like I’ve never seen before (well, cause the first time I visited the French capital, I was there for only one day and had only €10 on me!)

This song was written by my husband, Yi Wen, more than a month ago. We recorded it twice, once before the storm and once during — here’s the one in the midst of it all. I am hoping we’ll do a third recording, which of course, would be after all the dark clouds have passed. Hope this ministers to you.

Resigned To Being Refined.

I have resigned from a job that I really love. But I am content with my decision. Yet nervous.

I am afraid of what the future holds. I do not have the answers to the many questions racing through my head right now. It is also hard for me to comprehend what is happening. But I am not hopeless; not really lost.

I know God is doing a good work in me. And I’m learning to hear His voice, learning to take His hand, to soar with Him, gliding over the storm and if I were to fall again, choked by strong winds and debris, He’ll be there to scoop me up and we’ll be high above it all.

2016 MOBILE MEMORABILIA.

This is what happened in 2016, captured mostly via my mobile phone!

I can’t believe it’s been 5 full years since I moved across the causeway. Staying in Singaland has been both a blessing and quite frankly, a colloquial curse. While Malaysians and Singaporeans have much in common, there are minuscule disparities… in the way we conduct ourselves and the way we carry our conversations. And I was rather shocked that I experienced some form of culture shock.

I had to forgo my own KL habits. I’ve learnt not to substitute words in my beloved Bahasa when conversing with others because Singaporeans simply don’t understand “malas” or “panas”. Also, I get annoyed when they say “tombalek” instead of “terbalik” or “lompang” instead of “tumpang”. It’s not their fault though. They are not a Malay-speaking nation but it’d be nice if they stop switching to Mandarin phrases and words too when speaking. I guess that’s something we both have in common then: our love for the rojak language.

Speaking of which, don’t get me started on the contrasts between KL and Singapore when it comes to FOOD. Really, let’s not talk about the fact that most shops selling Bak Kuh Teh in Singapore offer the peppery kind instead of black and herbal; that Hokkien Mee is WHITE; that Char Kuey Teow is watery and SWEET; and EY! WHY YOU PUT KETCHUP SAUCE ON MY WAN TAN MEE?!

Yes, let’s not talk about that. Let’s look instead at some English idiosyncrasies of this tiny nation that an English-speaking Malaysian simply find funny. Of course, not all Singaporeans speak this way but I’ve heard it countless of times to know that a bulk of them do. So, here’s here:

“I ever” is a phrase many Singaporeans love to use at the start of their sentences. “I ever went to…” or “I ever experienced such a thing” or “I ever thought that…” It’s a real pet peeve of my husband (who is also Malaysian) and I. Come on guys, drop the “ever”, it’s just grammatically wrong! Here’s the right way to use it: “If I ever hear another Singaporean saying “I ever” incorrectly again, I will smack that fella!”

Why, oh why, do Singaporeans pronounce “owl” as “ah-wel” — with an emphasis on “wel” as in “towel”? Is there an invisible ‘E’ in between the ‘W’ and ‘L’ that I am missing here? Maybe a kindergarten teacher decided to prolong the short-sounding word, and it stuck, because she didn’t give a hoot.

No waiters. No fixed dishes on the menu. No written wine list.

We were seated on a high table. My butt struggled to reach the top of the bar chair for I am short but my 5-foot stature managed to securely take a seat – eventually. There’s an open-kitchen at the end of the room, where chef Stephan Zoisl and his creative partner, Lorenz Raich, are seen commanding their stainless-steel post and whipping up some scrumptious, no-holds-barred dishes for the dinner crowd.

A short and proper tour of the kitchen revealed fresh produce left in boxes alongside fermented experiments sealed in jars or special machines. Asian staples like rice and garlic become gastronomic guinea pigs. The fermented garlic, better known as black garlic, made its way to our table, next to cured and flamed mackerel, the start to our six-course culinary crisscrossing.

The food ‘menu’ at Chef’s Table is made up of unadulterated, almost random but always seasonal, ingredients outlined on a printed A4 art card. As seasonal goes, this list of 28 edible elements is changed on a daily basis. Chef Zoisl and his team will create dishes, on the spot, based on the produce you pick, or don’t pick.

To keep it simple, and avoid a headache in the scullery, we just cross out the stuff we rather not consume. I put a line across ‘Octopus’ cause I wasn’t feeling too fond of chewing on tentacles that particular night. But other than that, I was ready for anything. Gleefully, I awaited what the chefs would concoct from the 27 ingredients left on my menu.

Here’s what we devoured:

Cured and Flamed Mackerel With pickled cucumber, cucumber flower, black garlic, lemon yoghurt, and dill oil served with oyster leaves.

Seared Red Sicilian Prawns With artichoke poivrade, burrata cheese, and home grown rocket leaves

Scottish Crisp Seabass With cauliflower creme and fried, jamon bellota, lobster bisque and pea shoots

Medium Roast Pigeon With beetroot lentils, king oyster mushroom, truffle, and salad burnet

Beef Duo (Wagyu Sirloin & 48-Hour Cheek) With chanterelle mushroom, white asparagus from Austria, caramelised onion creme, and top of the hop

Vanilla Panna Cotta With milk ice cream and cherry textures

Review of Cheval Blanc Randheli at Noonu Atoll, MV.

7 hours, one stopover in Sri Lanka and a whole lot of excitement landed us at Malé International Airport. This was my third press trip AND I get to bring the husband along! How amazing!

We were picked up by the hotel’s staff immediately after clearing customs. They drove us to a super chic lounge next to the seaplane base, where we sipped on tea and snacked on tapioca cakes while waiting.

After about an hour of repose, the hotel’s dedicated taupe-and-yellow seaplane appeared. Its propellers spinning fast, the surrounding sound intensifying as people gathered to snap pictures. Yi Wen and I strutted into the plane, we were the only guests onboard! Since Cheval Blanc has its own custom-designed plane, it was definitely a beauty amongst the sea of other red-and-white amphibious aircrafts. PLUS, this plane’s interior is less cramped with a customised configuration of only nine seats that are incredibly comfy and resembles that of a private jet’s. There are about 18 seats on your typical seaplanes so yeah, we are totally blessed to have our first experience on a seaplane so special and spread out!

Maldives’ five-star Cheval Blanc Randheli, a hotel operated by LVMH (as in Louis Vuitton gasp Moët Hennessy), is a 40-minute unpressurised flight away from capital Malé. From a great height up the troposphere, we saw so many unique sea-bordered uninhibited atolls, antenna-like lines of stilted brown-top villas and Lego blocks of cities packed on tiny islands.

We reached Randheli Island just in time for a spectacular Maldivian sunset, where playful pastels dance across the horizon as soon as the fiery orb plummets into the Indian Ocean. We rode a buggy to our water villa, which features a ceiling so high, the room resembles a cathedral. I love the exposed bamboo-and-rattan beams as well as the dozen identical 7m-high doors that look like white sails, swivelling to the winds. The willowy dividers help to create an interchangeable open-plan living space, where leaping from the king-sized bed to the bean-shaped bathtub is possible — obviously, I did not do that.

I didn’t have to! I have my own gigantic infinity pool to jump into! That pool was superb, and I thoroughly enjoyed lying flat on the floating yellow bean bag at midnight, staring straight into the pockets of dark space and the squillion twinkling stars that sprinkled the sky.

I cannot decide which is better — the villa’s interior or the view outside! I think the view outside wins by an inch. There were so many different shades. Definitely more than 50! We faced where the sun sets so during that lingering spell, the sky and sea turns from a bright mandarin orange to light shimmering crayons. When morning comes, the sea is a subdued baby blue. Standing at the edge of the villa’s deck, I can clearly see the sand at the bottom. The water is crystal-clear. Noontime is when the scene becomes awash with azure. I think there’ll be TEN different hues of cerulean — it simply reigned supreme.

Yi Wen and I spent our four days, three nights either stuffing our face with an array of food (butter chicken masala, thosai, cod fish, barramundi risotto, super scrumptious scallops!... some salads, sushi, you name it: CBR had it!) or diving (I suck, I kept floating up. Worst. Manatee. Ever.) or sleeping or making sand-people or sunbathing or Seabob-ing or paddle-boarding or scaring away the fish or taking selfies or cycling. There was so much to do and so little time but I fully, completely enjoyed myself.

My full review can be found on page 144 of Singapore’s Billionaire magazine (June 2016: The TIME Issue), available at selected Kinokuniya stores.

Pass the obscure spa entrance at Mandarin Oriental Singapore, you’ll be greeted with dark woods and aromatic smells. If you’ve made an appointment, the receptionist will call you by name. Almost immediately too, she served me a special blend of TWG tea (made for MO) before I entered the treatment room for my 10am massage.

The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Singapore recently introduced six advanced spa treatments, supplementing its already long list of signature therapies. Known as Beauty by Mandarin Oriental, the new range was developed with luxury skincare line Kerstin Florian. 

An obvious pick to pamper myself with was the Mineral Indulgence body remedy. The two-hour repose involves warm mineral-infused compressed stones left on my back, neck and hands to relax muscles and restore mineral balance; followed by a body massage using Kerstin Florian products such as a magnesium-rich lotion and organic Shea butter. 

I almost fell asleep in that couple suite. It was dark and the music as soft. The last few minutes of my relaxing massage were dedicated to a foot therapy infused with menthol, rosemary, pine and lavender – seventh heaven for my high-heel strains. I left the spa on cloud nine.

Looney Lupin Tunes.

Lupins are actually considered pests. But aren’t they just the prettiest little pests you’ve ever seen? They add a pastel pop to the otherwise blue-infested New Zealand. Here, it looks as if I’m growing alongside them... Me, the tallest amongst those pests! Though my coat is in the wrong colour. I blend in more with the nearby military-green mountains. Ah well. Photo taken by the hubby during our honeymoon in November 2015.

Wandering Walrus · Presents · Sri Panwa Phuket, TH

Went on my second international press trip! 3 days, 2 nights, a little too short but no biggie. I could really get used to this life though. Was a short flight to Phuket, which is actually the city I first experienced being on holiday out of my own country. I was only 5 or 6 then and this marks the first time I’ve gone back to a place abroad (except Singapore) that I’ve already been to!

Of course, I don’t remember anything about Phuket. Honestly, I did not realise how big the whole area was. I holidayed at Krabi and Bangkok last year, and well, Phuket is pretty much a cross between the two cities. It has beaches, islets and water sport activities galore, just like in Krabi; and nightlife-so-dodgy-you’d-hold-tight-to-your-handbag-and-shower-immediately-after-returning-to-the-hotel, which is true to Bangkok.

I checked into my one-bedroom luxury pool villa facing the Andaman Sea and immediately felt like I should have brought my husband along. It was a huge space for just me. The almost US$1,000-per-night stay is made up of two separate glass-walled pavilions – one for the bedroom and another for a living room and kitchen. And the private infinity pool I have going on is a slide-of-a-door away from my bedroom! I totally jumped in naked since the villa is stealthily perched rather high up on a leafy outcrop, with only the ocean and surrounding trees peeking at my lovely lady lumps.

Food was so good too, but just like most press trips, they totally stuffed us. Japanese, Chinese, Western and Thai; raw fish, barbequed goodies, soups and desserts after every meal. I especially enjoyed this jackfruit cheese cake, which used black sticky rice as its base! Awesome combo but like I said, it was too much! Downright decadent. But it’s okay, I did manage to stretch out at dawn and perspire under the first light atop this beautiful rooftop bar area, converted to a massive sundeck in the morning, which is perfect for suns salutes.

Also got to learn some Muay Thai under the heavily padded in-house instructor. Punch, kick, sit-up, sweat, repeat. And I look good in boxing gloves, if I do say so myself. It was lots of fun!

We also chartered a notoriously loud boat, blasting dance music across the ocean, to a nearby island where I snorkelled and parasailed. Got to behold the wonders of Phuket and its own lovely lumps of isles from the sky.

But the real reason for the press trip was to get a glimpse of Sri Panwa’s new enclave called The Habita, where the total number of infinity pools spread across the property experienced an increase to now boast about 150 units. That’s a lot of water to clean!

You can read my full review on the new enclave by clicking here.

NO ENTRY? NO IDEA.

LIKING THE LAKESIDE.

CAVIAR IN MY MOUTH AND ON MY FACE.

Review of Seascape Villa at Annandale Coastal Farm, NZ.

We were left alone. Nobody but each other and a private bay with a curved coastline, shaped like a smile, continuously kissed by gentle waves. Swinging from a soft-cushioned bubble chair placed at the villa’s open corner, I spun myself around to take in the transitory views of beautiful farmland, a blue horizon and the buff interior of my hideaway home for the night. 

Seascape at Annandale Coastal Farm is a dream. A glassy dream. Brought to life by its seamless open-plan living space, floor-to-ceiling transparent panels that bring our eyes to the bay and beyond. To the side, high cliffs tumble down, making it the perfect landscape for venturesome sheep to roam and feed on the messy green patches.

My husband took countless of pictures. We were on our honeymoon and there really is no better place than Seascape for a romantic plus luxurious plus secluded farm stay. The best in New Zealand I must say, although it is the only one I’ve had the chance to experience in the land of many farms. I’m sure I’m right though.

We spent the first few hours relaxing on the spacious terrace, warmed by a modern fireplace, turned on with a simple click of a button. We saw bundles of wool and a few cattle in the distance, balancing on the brink of grassy headland, all for the sake of a succulent snack. We too decided to munch on a few things.

Because of Annandale’s exclusive privacy and great isolation, the chef came up with a programme called ‘we create, you serve’. Guests have the option of being left completely alone in their villas for days and that’s why our kitchen was stocked with everything, from the kitchen sink (duh) to all sorts of goodies such as the sweetest golden kiwis you’ll ever taste, different types of cheeses, various nuts, chili crackers (the bomb!), coffee capsules, tea bags, cookies, breakfast provisions for the next morning and a gourmet pre-prepared 3-course meal for dinner.

It was fun, assembling our own restaurant-quality dishes. We followed the instructions pasted on the food wrap to a t and had our entrée of prawns, Japanese guacamole, baby tomatoes, heirloom carrots, welsh onion shoots and popped muesli. Of course, Yi Wen gave me his portion of prawns. He likened them to sea cockroaches but I love these yummy ocean cleaners. Plus these particular prawns came fully peeled! How awesome is that?

For mains, Yi Wen had fun plating the farm-to-table fare of lamb shoulder and beef cheek cigars with some veges on the sides. And the finale of the night was self-scooped dollops of peach sorbet on coconut panna cotta, garnished with pineapple slices, lemongrass, palm sugar and young mint. Yum.

We slept fully satisfied that night but not before dipping ourselves in the outdoor hot tub. It was dark and freezing outside but we placed some candles around the border of the pool that flickered in the wind and soaked our bodies in the warm water under the stars. Too bad it was too cloudy for stars. But still, it was nice.

The next morning, we woke up at the crack of dawn and took our complimentary bikes for a ride up some really steep slopes. In the end, both of us had to push our bikes up like a bunch of losers. 

We ditched our two-wheeler after a while and went on a sheep challenge. The shy creatures mostly ran away as we approached. Ah well. I did get to catch a glimpse of the most gigantic rainbow I have ever laid eyes on! Perfectly arched, all the way, across the meadow. And what was the priceless thing that I found at the end of that rainbow? Find out and read my full review of Annandale by clicking here.

WANDERING WALRUS · PRESENTS · MUSEUM ART HOTEL, NZ

This is what happened in a hotel where art moves.

Our last night in New Zealand was spent in the capital, in a quirky hotel that is home to the nation’s most eclectic art collection. From sugar-coated creations, bionic bunnies and a panting of Mona Lisa with a paper-bag over her head, the art simply moves you.. in a wondrous way. 

WANDERING WALRUS · PRESENTS · OVER THE TOP HELICOPTER RIDE, NZ

This is what happened on our first heli of a ride!

Ducking our heads, we entered the big black chopper while its blades spin ferociously and swelling sounds surround the airfield. Headsets covered our ears, seatbelts were strapped in and off we went, the ground below looking a whole lot like Google Earth on high definition.

We couldn’t ask for a better place to experience our first horizontal lift off, being whisked over some of the world’s best natural landscapes. A Hollywood-worthy bird’s eye view I must say. Our pilot from Over The Top, the deluxe helicopter company, spoke through the radio about how he even helped out in the filming of some scenes for The Hobbit trilogy.

As we left the base in Queenstown, we caught sight of Glenorchy, an incredible region consisting of flat green lands that meet sudden swells of majestic mountains. Rivers zigged to the northern end of Lake Wakatipu, between a vast valley. The mountainous terrains, some green and some rocky, morphed into the body of blue that made up Milford Sound. Tiny cruise ships were seen sailing; waterfalls tumble from high cliffs. We crossed the sky and landed on a secluded beach overlooking the Tasman Sea.

Our feet landed on virgin sand. Looking back, the only footsteps were ours — the evidence of mere presence amongst the waves. Still, the hubby apparently saw a big black seal chilling on a rock before we landed but the silky creature decided to swim off, presumably startled by the sudden gust of wind. Oh well, not so private after all.

Rough shores were soon swapped with age-old glossy glaciers set high on a mountain. It’s definitely unusual, going from sand to snow. It was the first time Mr Kong got to touch some slush too. And what did he build? A snowman chicken. I could show you guys a picture but I think I’d rather not.

Hut and Heart Abandoned.