Posts Tagged ‘Cirque Du Soleil’
Cherie’s Caper in Kuala Lumpur
Day 2
0800, 7 Dec 10, Port Kelang Jetty
Calvin greeted me with a toothy grin. Sporting a green NewUrbanMale tank top, a black haversack as well as a pair of stylish Havaianas, he looked well prepared for our caper in KL.
“Wow, stunning dress for a day trip out! I am happy to be your partner for the day!” He shot me another dashing smile.
“Come Calvin! Stop looking! It is time to get to the buses.” I turned on my heels and moved towards the jetty, with Calvin catching up swiftly and walking alongside. We headed for Bus 8 where we were warmly greeted by a plump and motherly lady who was to be our bus guide and a swarthy man with a grim face who I reckoned to be the driver of the day.
0900 – 1700, 7 Dec 10, Interesting Locales in Kuala Lumpur
We were discussing about places of interests in Malaysia when the bus rolled to the stop in front of a beautifully preserved heritage building. Calvin and I wandered about, taking photos of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building which was built according to Moorish architecture and style.
“Wow!” this is the tallest flagpole I have witnessed in my life. Standing at close to 100 metres tall, the massive flagpole at Independence Square, also known as Dataran Merdeka, made me felt miniscule. I found out that it was here that Malaysia first raised its flag in 31 August 1957.
♥
My thoughts of architecture broke off abruptly as I focused my attention towards my favorite dessert – chocolate. I stepped off the bus and was greeted by an odd piece of art – it was a statue depicting the implosion of a chocolate mixture as various fruits were dropped into it. At the base of the statue, a round proclaimed the following “Most Innovative Chocolate Award”. I had heard that this Cocoa Boutique was renowned for its chocolate products which came in an amazing variety of flavors and unique concoctions.
I noticed a beautifully adorned holly wreath before I stepped in through the dark-colored oaken door frame. Inside, I was impressed by the efforts the shop had made in connection with the Christmas season. A Christmas tree stood unobtrusively at the entrance, before the shop space opened up and I laid my eyes on a tantalizing array of chocolates displayed on the shelves and racks.
Well if it is so good, I got to give it a try!
“Mmmmm…” I moaned in joy as the chocolatey concoction exploded in my mouth. The feeling was exquisite. Silky soft durian paste rolled around in the recesses of my mouth, caressing my tongue, delivering tingly waves of pleasure down my spine even as the harder bits of milk chocolate created a sweet counter-taste and crunchiness which only served to accentuate the bittersweetness of the durian. If I had a brain at the moment, it must have been blown to bits by the quality of the Belgian Milk Chocolate filled with Rich Creamy Durian.
It was a struggle to bring myself to Earth from Chocolate Heaven. The Cocoa Boutique carried a mind-blowing array of chocolate treats and each was refreshing and unique in its own way. I licked my lips as I started on other new exciting pieces of chocolate. Whilst I breezed through piece after piece of Chilli Chocolate with aplomb to the amazement of the local staff, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing at Calvin who felt as if his tongue was set on fire and he went about fanning his injured tongue. I especially loved the Chilli Chocolate, Durian Milk Chocolate and Tiramisu flavours.
♥
Today I am not a Chinese.
Today, I am a sultry, fair-skinned, North Indian lady modeling the latest saree designs available in Little India. Indian ladies will look at me in jealousy before presuming that the same saree will do them the same justice and proceed to buy it off the shelves at Madras. Indian males will gawk and wish their day away, continually replaying the image they have just caught of me walking around in a saree around town.
I smiled to myself as I tested fabric of the saree. It was like silk, smooth to the touch. The light floral prints was agreeable to me but what truly caught my eye was the translucent centre. This was one sexy saree. As the lady proprietor of the shop assisted me into the traditional Indian garb, I found that it was a tad heavy, probably due to the pure mass and length of the fabric as there was definitely more cloth than my average dress. My first time in a saree was a pleasant surprise even to myself.
Calvin was smiling all the way as I tried on the garment. I guess he must have liked the saree.
A romp around Little India was decidedly incomplete if we did not order the requisite Indian Briyani. As the clock ticked towards 12pm, and our tummies started growling, Calvin found us a homely Indian restaurant, Insaf.
Our tummies found salvation when the food arrived. The fragrance of the spices such as turmeric, cumin and masala mixed into long-grain basmati rice lingered in the air together with the saliva-inducing aroma from the Lamb Shank, Masala Chickken, Papadum and accompanying curry on a platter. We tucked in with relish, thankful for the skills of the Indian chefs in the kitchen.
1800, 7 Dec 10, Anchors Aweigh Lounge
Tonight was the big night. Tonight was the Captain’s Night and everyone will have an opportunity to meet the Captain and his crew at the Anchors Aweigh Lounge followed by a formal dinner at the Romeo & Juliet Restaurant. It was essentially a gala dinner for everyone to dress up like princes and princesses. I had selected a sexy black dinner dress which hugged my curves at the right areas and also left a significant portion of my back uncovered. I grinned cheekily as I imagined myself to be the sexiest lady on board.
Captain Ryan cut a suave figure as he appeared at the front of the lounge. As I had rushed to the lounge earlier in order to grab the choice seats at the front, I was close enough to catch a close view of him. Moving with a sure gait towards the microphone, he exuded an aura of command and confidence. The heavily decorated shoulder epaulettes signaling his rank and mastery of sea craft which adorned his pristine white jacket only served to accentuate that aura. Even though I reckoned that Captain Ryan had to be older than 40 due to his seniority of rank, his broad shoulders, trim physique and ready smile made him seem as though he was not a day past 40.
I managed to catch Captain Ryan for a moment to chit chat and he gamely posed for a picture. I was over the moon to be able to get a photograph with him! Here I was with the man who was piloting my wonderful holiday with the Royal Caribbean!
2000, 7 Dec 10, Romeo & Juliet Restaurant
“I prepared this specially for you. Honey is for your throat.”
I was momentarily caught unawares when Dong Biao appeared at my side. With a flourish, he set down a glass of warm water and a few packets of honey.
A rosy flush came to my cheeks as the OMY group all glanced over at Dong Biao and myself in amazement. Apparently, Dong Biao had remembered when I told him the evening before that I had a sore throat and couldn’t take cold drinks. I was flattered to have him remember.
Here was one waiter who was delivering unparalleled service. This is the Gold Anchor Service promise which I had mentioned earlier on Legend of The Seas, Memories of a Lifetime. I was deeply touched to have experienced such superb service.
“Wow, Dong Biao is great! He remembers,” Catherine noted, and all others concurred.
As Dong Biao retreated to continue his normal duties, our group of 10 settled down to dinner. The food was marvelously prepared. I started with a rosy-coloured Lobster Bisque laced with whipped cream and Cognac, followed by Asian-style Duck glazed with Hoisin, medium-well masterfully flavored Fillet Mignon and Golden Seabass. The seabass was pan-seared to perfection, leaving the fish decidedly soft and tender despite a crisp exterior served on a mound of creamy black olive polenta and accompanied by fried capers and Spanish sofrito that lent the fish a tangy Mediterranean flavor.
2200, 7 Dec 10, That’s Entertainment Theatre
Our night continued with a captivating performance ala Broadway-style musicals by a team of 12 which wowed the crowd with their song and dance routine.
Alessandro stood out, mesmerizing the audience with his powerful vocals and vivacious moves. Yee Leong and myself enjoyed the performance so much that we started moving to the beat of the music for the entire hour.
2330, 7 Dec 10, Viking Crown Lounge
The night was turning out to be an even more enjoyable night than the first with “The Macho, Macho, Men” taking center stage. With a flamboyant move, he stripped off his shirt and started gyrating to the beat. His toned physique was pleasure to the feminine senses.
The ladies in the crowd were paying rapt attention to this sensual dancer. Muscles moved and rippled as he moved gracefully yet containing bursts of vibrant energy which displayed his undeniable masculine strength and endurance. He was hot.
♥
Sometime about 1230am, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself conversing with a charismatic man with dark tanned skin and short cropped hair smooth backwards. He was in fact Behram, Director of International Trade Support & Charters of Royal Caribbean! Bob, as he introduced himself to the OMY group, bought us drinks before settling down beside me. He was very well read and learned. We shared a long conversation across topics such as psychology, travelling experiences and even food. Here was a connoisseur of food who could have his pick of culinary arts onboard yet retained his appetite for more homely and common food in the areas he had travelled to as well as having a desire to try unique fare. Off the cuff, I recommended him to Valentino’s, a cozy rustic feel family run restaurant in rifle range where it’s head by Executive Chef Valentino, served up a variety of splendid Italian fare and also the Durian Milk Chocolate from the Cocoa Boutique.
The night carried on, there were drinks aplenty, and all of had a few glasses of champagne and wine to celebrate the night. In the end though, Darren got a wee bit tipsy and had us all laughing at his antics before we decided to return to our rooms for the night.
I’m so excited to experience the wonders of Thai Massage on Day 3!
♥
(^_^)v
Read all about my Royal Caribbean Experience
Legend of The Seas, Memories of a Lifetime
Cherie’s Adventure on High Seas
Day 1: Cherie Sailing Into The Sunset
Day 2: Cherie’s Caper in Kuala Lumpur
Day 3: Cherie’s Frolic in Phuket
Day 4: Cherie’s Castle on Blue Seas
Day 5: Cherie Disembarks with Grace
My Royal Caribbean Cruise Adventure
Click on the picture to Vote for Cherie Lee.
Read more on My Royal Caribbean Cruise Adventure on my Contest Blog HERE!
Voting ends 18th January 2011.
Voters get to win more than $3700 worth of prizes and Royal Caribbean Luggage Bags!
♥
(^_^)v
Read all about my Royal Caribbean Experience
Legend of The Seas, Memories of a Lifetime
Cherie’s Adventure on High Seas
Day 1: Cherie Sailing Into The Sunset
Day 2: Cherie’s Caper in Kuala Lumpur
Day 3: Cherie’s Frolic in Phuket
Day 4: Cherie’s Castle on Blue Seas
Day 5: Cherie Disembarks with Grace
Cherie Sailing Into The Sunset
Day 1
0900, 6 Dec 10, Bedok North
I jumped out of bed and scampered around the house in preparation for leaving. Today I am about to embark on the grandest adventure in my life (at least for year 2010, that is). Today I am joining 9 others on a 5 Days 4 Nights Isles of Southeast Asia Cruise to Kuala Lumpur and Phuket on the Royal Caribbean, Legend of The Seas, courtesy of Royal Caribbean International and OMY. Today I am about to be late.
I cursed under my breath as I ran around the house picking up items which I had left out packing over the weekend. “Dadddddy! Send me to HarbourFront! I will be ready in 20 minutes!”
1000, 6 Dec 10, HarbourFront
The silver-grey Kia cruised into the taxi stand. Dad stepped out and strode towards the boot. As soon as he put down my bright orange Royal Caribbean luggage on the road, I snatched it from him, gave him a hug, kissed him good bye and tore off towards the Cruise Centre as quickly as my orange burden would allow me.
“I will be back Friday morning!” My voice carried over my shoulder as I hurried away.
1400, 6 Dec 10, Room 6094
The first thing I noticed when the door swung open was the porthole on the far side. The sea view outside was just a preview of the beautiful panoramic marine scenes I will soon behold in the next few days.
“Yipeeeee!! Welcome to our home for 4 nights!” I giggled as I glanced back at Mui Yee.
“We are going to sleep together!” *chuckles* and gave Mui Yee a sly look as though I’m going to devour her right there and then.
The room was great. It was cosy and homely for two of us. The bed was plush and looked comfy and the bathroom was larger than I had expected. If we wanted to, we could gaze out of the porthole window at the side. The luggage was already in the room, courtesy of our friendly porters who had worked even as we lunched away at Windjammer Café earlier.
1600, 6 Dec 10, Deck 4 Station 10
“Ladies and gentlemen, please gather at your designated Muster Station. Prepare your life jackets.” There was a heavy patter of feet as people moved towards Station 10. I grabbed my life jacket and followed the crowd closely, breathing heavily. Just this morning I was safe and sound on dry land and now, my life is in jeopardy.
With a smile, I blinked the images of danger out of my mind. I wasn’t in danger; in fact I was safe aboard Legend of The Seas where even going for the mandatory emergency drill was an exciting escapade in my mind’s eye.
1700, 6 Dec 10, Various Locations onboard Legend of The Seas
The air on board was tingling with vibrant energy. Everyone seemed to exude a youthful and energetic aura, and this overlaid a certain feeling that was softer, which seemed to portray romance and contentment. This undercurrent of excitement, joy, and pleasure got to me as I wandered about on the deck, exploring to my heart’s content.
♥
Her face was a picture of bliss, tinged with the rosy flush of passion. He was a modern knight, not in shining armour, but a sculpture of strength, charm and love. As he encircled her waist from behind, nuzzling her hair and neck lovingly, she tilted her head back slightly, yearning for his soft lips upon hers. She let her hands touch his strong arms about her waist in a light and dainty fashion. So light, yet proclaiming beyond doubt, that she was his and his only. The sky slowly darkened as evening fell, but they didn’t move from their perch by the railings on the deck. The world passed by, but this moment was theirs.
I stood a distance out, taking in the view on the deck. It was not my nature to partake in other’s private moments, but I couldn’t help but notice them, and the lingering aura of sweet love about them. It was a touching sight to behold. I wished, for a moment, if only I could be like her, sailing away into the sunset with her beloved.
♥
I was moving along the inner hallways, when I caught the tune in the air. Someone was singing! Bemused and intrigued, I followed the pathways of music, and moved closer to the source. The song was up-tempo and carried an energetic beat that drove my heels to skip along to the music and my gait altered to become semi-dance-semi-walk. Before I knew it, I reached the Centrum. Well apparently I was not the only one surrendering to the music. I saw a middle aged man bogey-ing away in a corner, urging his wife (I am assuming she is his wife) to join him. And she did!
♥
As I venture out to the other side of the ship, a youthful giggle caught my attention. A splash of water reached my ears and even as I recognized the sound, I felt droplets of water pattering at my feet. An Asian couple looked up at me sheepishly from the pool even as they signaled their daughter to move further along the pool towards a region where there were less people. I nodded my head slightly and flashed a brilliant smile, or as brilliant as my braces would allow, to acknowledge that it was okay and that they shouldn’t stop having fun on my behalf.
The little girl was looking at me, and gave me an innocent sweet smile, a smile that kids were wont to give – a declaration that she was happy and also a semi-invite to play together. I grinned from ear to ear. She was so cute! I want to pinch her rosy, flushed chubby cheeks!
♥
Evening was here. I sat on the deck as the sun began its inexorable descent towards the horizon. The sky was striated in darkening shades, from deep purple to a soft glowing orange and each moment brought the sky darker. The clouds were rimmed an orange-grey momentarily before they themselves took on a rosy dark pink hue. The sky soon darkened into the indigo twilight sky. I sat there the whole time, mesmerized by the sight.
2000, 6 Dec 10, Romeo & Juliet Restaurant
Our hungry tummies led all 10 of us to congregate at the Romeo & Juliet Restaurant. Many of us came in on the back of a first round of dinner at Windjammer Café where we had attacked the buffet line with relish but left sufficient space for the pleasures promised by the Romeo & Juliet Restaurant.
I was in a world of my own, enjoying the treasure trove of food placed on my table.
2200, 6 Dec 10, That’s Entertainment Theater
A well-built guy stepped up to the stage. He had hair cropped closely to his head, and a beard of similar length adorning his masculine jaw structure.
David Dimuzio wasted no time in getting the crowd up on their feet. He was a juggler of unparalleled expertise. Starting the show with 3 balls, he frantically upped the ante by adding ball after ball, reaching a grand total of 7 even as the lights went off.
He switched through styles and changed the motion of his ludicrously luminous balls through various intricate cycles. I could only see swathes of color at this time, as he pitched ball after ball into the air, orchestrating them into a dance of light.
The lights came on. David retired his balls and retrieved his new apparatus with a flourish. This time, he declared that he was going to show us his art with knives. The glint of shiny metal sent shivers down my spine. Somehow, despite his prowess at juggling, I still felt uneasy that I was in the same room with a person flipping knives for entertainment’s sake.
David beckoned for a volunteer up on stage and he was soon joined by a middle-aged man. The volunteer moved around with as if on tenterhooks. He didn’t look too comfortable sharing the same stage as David. He looked decidedly worse when David almost got a piece of meat off him whilst trying to impress the audience that his knives had a sharp edge. I found it refreshingly comical from the safety of my seat, further at the back of the theater.
It was then David found himself a unicycle and promptly rode it with the poise of a circus performer. At his behest, the volunteer passed David his knives before scurrying away to safety. The crowd was holding its breath – a sense of expectation filled the atmosphere. The first knife went into the air. It was followed swiftly by 2 others. The crowd was excited and craving for more. David flipped his knives incessantly in myriad patterns, slicing the air without restraint, all the while smiling at us, his adoring fans.
The crowd went wild. I gulped, heart in mouth, as I witnessed the breathtaking show of dexterity with my bare eyeballs. My awe soon transformed to an unreserved show of support as I clapped and cheered loudly as any other.
He reminded me slightly of David Beckham, and also partly of Jason Statham. Obviously, his talents were a mix of both, being skilled at controlling both balls and knives (remember Jason Statham and his knife throwing feats in The Expendables alongside Sylvester Stallone and Stone Cold Steve Austin?)
David had more than just magical hand-eye coordination.
Right after setting down his knives, David whipped out a guitar and under the play of the colorful stage lights, started crooning in Mandarin. That really raised my eyebrows. I was in full admiration for this amazing guy. A lilting and slightly accented “月亮代表我的心” followed by his superb rendition of “童话”. *mesmerized* It was perfect in my heart nonetheless.
After his performance, I slinked away from my seat, leaving the other bloggers behind as I sought David out. I wanted a picture of this wonderfully talented guy.
“Hi David, can I take a picture with you?” My heart was fluttering as I smiled shyly at David. Without waiting for his reply, I moved beside him and the cameras went wild.
I was teleported to dreamland which explains the half asleep face. “You were really impressive on stage. I really loved the way you sang “童话“.
“Thank you. Anyway, that’s a cute dress you have on. Suits you. Nice.” David replied, a flirtatious hint in his voice.
0300, 7 Dec 10, Room 6094
The day winded down and both Mui Yee and I returned to our room. The first day on board Legend of The Seas was a blast. We prepared quickly for bed, wondering what tomorrow would bring. I fell asleep to the tune of “童话” incessantly replaying itself in my head.
Sweet Dreams Cherie.
♥
(^_^)v
Read all about my Royal Caribbean Experience
Legend of The Seas, Memories of a Lifetime
Cherie’s Adventure on High Seas
Day 1: Cherie Sailing Into The Sunset
Day 2: Cherie’s Caper in Kuala Lumpur
Day 3: Cherie’s Frolic in Phuket
Day 4: Cherie’s Castle on Blue Seas
Day 5: Cherie Disembarks with Grace
