2010: it was a very good year

New Facebook Profile

So Facebook has a new interesting layout where your most recently tagged pics appear in a row beside your profile picture. They also allow you to use elongated rectangles as your profile pic which rocks. Here's something I came up with (photoshop experiment):



The idea was inspired by an article compiling some creative people's efforts.
FYI, in the picture, although it looks like Sherm is being tilted off balance by the slanted landscape, the fact is, Sherm lost her balance while walking on the beach. No she wasn't dancing. She almost fell walking on a flat beach. =_=

"Way Back Home" - Danny MacAskill rides in Scotland

Beautifully shot, wonderfully mad skills.

Angsana Bintan

We scored an overnight getaway to Angsana Resort & Spa on Bintan, just a 55-min ferry-ride away from Singapore (Thanks to cousin Jeremy!). All in all, it was a luxurious stay with excellent service thrown in.

We didn't know how expensive a night's stay there would be, since there was no research done for this last-minute trip. Though the room was not as lush as the price tag implies (probably due to the room not being carpeted - though it makes sense not to due to sand), the comfort, facilities and service received within the resort more than made up for that deficiency.

Simple touches like throwing a soft light to illuminate the incoming surf while you dine at the shore, or having a personal attendant wait on you and attend to your every need (we saw a waiter rush up with a toy to entertain a child who was about to bawl, just so the parents didn't have to do so, and the guests remain undisturbed). Or having the staff greet you with a warm smile whenever they pass by. Or even the check-in service where they escort you to have a seat at the lounge and attend to your check-in there instead of having to stand at a counter. Or walking barefoot on the private beach without worrying about sharp objects washed upon the shore (they have people carting a wheel-barrow on the beach just to pick up trash!). Heck, they even thought of providing an umbrella in your closet in case of inclement weather, not to mention turn down your bed and present the next morning's breakfast choices!

We loved the private beach and pool, as well as the shore-side Grill buffet (available only on Fri/Sat nights) under the stars. It was an excellent relaxing get-away, even if it was just one full day.