Asian Tiger

Finally, it has been 3 years since I have had a proper vacation. This year, I made a promise to treat myself to a well rested vacation. This time around, I will be taking a 5 days break, yes, pathetic huh, to call that 5 days of siesta - a vacation. My last vacation was a 21 days of well travelled around Scotland and Paris; an expensive vacation indeed.

In a few weeks time, I will be heading south to the mystical island of Bali; a Hindu majority population. This is going to be my second trip to Bali; the previous trip in 2003. Many of my friends have asked me why am I still keen on Bali especially when it has been bombed twice; they suggested holidays in Maldives instead. If you have been to Bali, you will understand why I’m going back there as opposed to any other beach destinations; mainly the people and the culture - it’s fascinating.

I’ve planned out my trip. Over the 5 days, I shall leisurely visit 3 places in Bali that has been nominated as Unesco’s World Heritage sites; the Pakerisan riverbanks near Gianyar, Jatiluwih’s terraced paddy fields and the Taman Ayun Temple of Mengwi’s. Apart from visiting these places, I will want to go diving for mola-mola, south of Bali.

Ever since the bombings, Bali has virtually quiet down. Traders and tour operators have slashed prices downwards to capture as many suckers tourists as possible. At the same time, quality of service keeps improving to maintain high tourist satisfaction; in a bid to encourage repeated business and word of mouth advertisements. I’m getting impatient; just can’t wait to get to the white sandy beaches once more.

Many of us today have stopped buying the cathode ray tube (CRT) televisions and opted for the more stylish, flattish and sexy LCD or plasma TV. Over the years, prices for the LCD and plasma TV have spiraled downwards with the current price tag within the reaches of many households. What comes along with the newest of TVs is the support for High Definition (HD) digital broadcast system; these TVs are known as High Definition Television or HDTV.

Owning a HDTV does not mean that you immediately get clearer and sharper pictures but rather depends on the channel broadcast and HDTV reception. You will need a HDTV Tuner box if your HDTV does not have one built-in; so, if you have yet to purchase your unit, make sure the unit has one inbuilt. By the way, check out the Terk antenna as it is one of the strongest brands of HDTV antennas in the market. Some of its antennas features an amplifier to boost signal strength.

In the future, television stations will broadcast all their shows in high definition. If you do not have a HDTV, fear not as you will still be able to watch your favourite shows in standard definition. If you aren’t sure what or how high definition broadcast is, I urge you to head down to your local store and take a peep. I’m sure you will appreciate television once more.

Nanny agencies can be a lifesaver when you are in dire need. Have you ever been invited to a big do and no one is available to care for your precious littles? Have you ever wanted to go on a holiday without the kids but no one is able to care for them for such a duration?

That was my predicament recently. Me wife and I would like to have a couple vacation away from the city to regain our sanity. It has been 3 years since we had a proper vacation; the last was in Scotland and France. We wanted to leave the kids behind for a few days so that the both of us can get a good rest.

Unfortunately, in Malaysia, we do not have nanny or babysitter agencies to contact and contract for a short duration. I guess no one thought of starting this service. However, there are many forums catered for mums and dads to post their queries with regards to babysitter services. This method is slow as it probably takes a few days for response to come by. Moreover, the credibility of the babysitter recommended is at question as no one except the recommender have experienced them beforehand.

With great reluctance, we turned to my kids’ grandparents for help. It’s really not nice to approach them and say “Hi Mum! Hi Dad! I am going to a vacation with my wife. Would you mind taking care of my kids for a few days?” It was with great reluctance that I really said that. It’s like the selfish me abandoning my child-caring responsibilities but what choice do I have?

To be frank, I wasn’t overjoyed even though my parents agreed (without hesitation) to play babysitter. I guess parents are the greatest treasure you can have on Earth.