Well I'm off to KL tomorrow with the Fadz and Mr US-educated Alan Yu, to visit our thoroughly Malaysian JC friend, Ben Chin.

As luck would have it, some accommodation plans didn't quite pan out. Seeing how I'm perpetually broke and cheap, all of us are bunking into Ben's bedroom.

That's right, 4 people in a room.

I can already imagine it! Slumber parties, and we'd stay up to talk, and paint our nails, and braid each other's hair...

Yeah right, it'd probably smell so...... male.

Just a completely random trip sparked by Alan, who wanted a getaway before returning to Alabama? Oklahoma? Mississippi? (some redneck state that I can't remember).

Becky (another JC friend) was supposed to join us, but last minute H1N1 came knocking on her door.

It never fails to amaze me how easier we fall back into a rhythm, reminiscent of the good ol' days.

Seeing how we technically don't keep in touch (no calls, no sms-es, no emails), the chemistry is still there when we meet up.

I speak purely from my own point of view. Alan never fails to meet me and Fadz when he comes back to Singapore for the holidays, and there's always so much to catch up on.

The easy bantering, teasing and just plain hanging out isn't contrite, isn't forced... which is really nice.

I'm not sure if I can say the same for some people whom I haven't seem for a long time.

Anyway, this excursion is just a sorry excuse to eat our brains out.

A purely food trip, from the likes of it. So far, the itinerary is looking like : eat, eat, eat, sleep, eat, eat, eat...

Gaaahhh, I so need to detox once I come back.

But my saliva glands are already salivating at the thought of Ramly burgers, chilli crabs, maggi goreng, teh tarik, Nandos and who knows what else!

Oh yeah, and it's also smack in the middle of the mega Malaysia sale! :)

Fab Fullerton

To celebrate their 32nd wedding anniversary, the crazy parents, bless their hearts, whisked the whole family off to Fullerton for a weekend getaway.

And to borrow a word from Kimora Lee Simmons, the stay was pure decadence and "fabulosity" from start to finish.

Nothing like a good pair of shades to get the party started!

Ahh, home sweet home for 2 days

Cheryl getting into the spirit of letting it all loose

$16 evian water! are you kidding me??

The crazy huge bathroom... love love love the marble finishing, giant ass tub rainforest showerhead

Awww, the parents. How sweet

Getting ready to chill out by the pool

The Fullerton infinity pool is directly across the Asian Civilisation Museum, and provides a fabulous view of the Raffles skyline

The Maybank building looks over the pool... so to those who had to work while I lapped in sheer decadence.... sucks to you!

We ate at Jade during the first night. Pity the food and service were such letdowns. For the price we paid, we certainly had higher expectations that fell severely short. Tsk tsk. The best part was the complimentary cake when I informed them that it was a special occasion.

Haha, but the parents were so sweet...

Strolled over the One Fullerton, walked pass Butter Factory (whose queue appeared shorter than usual. H1N1 breeding ground, anyone?), and headed for the docks.

Geraldine thought it'd be fun to do paparazzi (or more like crazy lunatic) shots. Cheryl of course, acts too cool.

Day 2 by the pool

I never want to leave....

Nothing spells decadence like a pina colada and fried chicken at 4 in the afternoon by the pool

Dinner at Palm Beach. Infinitely better than Jade.

My, my, who's gonna be dinner tonight? *slurp*

A little Discovery Channel-esque humping action before dinner

My "act cute" face to match the "act cute" hair. Very retro, right?

G can't wait for dinner

Enjoying every aspect, including a rose petal bubble bath

Smile people! Enjoy life any way you can :)

Time to hit the road again

The pull of travel is teasing me again. The siren of the unexplored, the lure of exotic lands, just the desire to get away from Singapore, from my responsibilities, to stop having to think logically and surrender myself to pleasure.

Ah yes, it's definitely time to hit the road again.

Plans for Europe with Kris, Syl and Shawn (yes! a boy! however will we walk around half naked??) this December has been shelved, thanks to the lack leave.

Have since made them sign a blood pact that said trip will be next March. I CANNOT WAIT. CAN EUROPE BE ANY MORE FANTASTIC??? Hot men, hot food, hot locations. The holy trinity. Bliss.

But in the meantime, to help get over my terrible disappointment, shall plan many tiny trips here and there.

Have resurrected the idea of going to Laos with the Fadz. First mooted it some many moons ago, but somehow, never came to fruition. At first, it was money constraint for Fadz.

But since his financials are starting to look a bit brighter, my dreams of the LAST FRONTIER IN SOUTHEAST ASIA may come true after all.

Hmmm, can I possibly squeeze in a little Batam and KL relaxation as well?

Plotting and scheming... please don't ask me how I can possibly afford everything. You might think I have a hidden trust fund or something.

The answer is NO. But I do value travelling, I do see the worth in seeing the world outside of Singapore. To experience life that is not highly sanitised, or perhaps, to even gain a deeper appreciation for what I do have. And of course, when you are travelling, you exist in this bubble that is not interrupted by work, or family, or real life.

Besides, travelling with your other half can be an interesting experience, especially budget travel, where your best and worst sides are revealed.

So anyway, I plan, I budget, I toss saving for a rainy day out the window.

Certainly, I do not advise this route for everyone, living capriciously in the moment and not planning for the future.

But I do recognise that I am in a privileged position, where my family is not waiting for me to put food on the table.

So in that spirit, I NEED to explore. I need to see, to feel, to smell, taste and touch things that I usually only read about, before I'm simply too old, or too tied down, to recklessly throw myself into a foreign land.

And to quiet that incessant restlessness that rears its head ever to often, if I'm being honest.

So yes, on the road again... I'm on the road again. :)