Sometimes, there really ain't sh*t to do while in Bali, sometimes you've done it all 10 times over so when it comes to that point... just head down to Paradiso Bowling for some beers and balls. As you can see above, Mary Jane beat Dr. Evil in a closely contested match. Next time revenge shall be mine.
Had heard a lot about Tugu Hotel Bali even before heading there, the reason for this is the numerous art pieces of all shapes and sizes that line the walls and interiors of the rooms and public areas, it really is like walking through a living breathing art gallery. The owner has been collecting antiques since the 1960s and subsequently has transformed Tugu Hotel into one of the largest original art collections in all of Southeast Asia. Located in Canggu, its a lot more quiet than Seminyak and Kuta and happens to sit only meters away from the beach. The rooms are VERY much a mixture of home comforts and stylish interior design, almost like a duplex the downstairs rooms have a private pool while the upstairs rooms have their own private spa area. The gem of this place though is the Puri Le Mayeur Villa which is a grand villa with its own private pool and sits in the middle of a huge lotus pond (i kid you not). A super nice place to even go have lunch or dinner, the Tugu Hotel is a nice change of pace from your minimal modernistic villas that overpopulate Bali right now. It's got style and grace, romance around the corner, and a huge freakin' snake that was sitting infront of my door at night. Tugu Hotel also has locations in Malang, a restaurant in Jakarta, and a huge newly opened resort villa complex in Lombok, all tricked out with antiques and art collections to view.
The Elysian is a cozy villa complex located along Seminyak Beach and directly (sorta) next door to all your favorite retail boutiques and of course, KuDeTa (so you can stagger home instead of taking a taxi). Billing themselves as a "honeymooners paradise" its certainly got that exclusivity and private aura to it, mos def not the place to take your whole family but if you want to get away with your boo, The Elysian offers all the comfort of a 5-star hotel in 26 minimal villas. Nice comfy living/dining/hanging-out room can blend into the personal pool once the bay windows are open, an extemely nice attraction if you ever get the feeling of doing a canonball out from the kitchen area. Huge bathroom and shower area as well for, you know, fun. This place is so filled with foilage i actually got lost at night because i couldn't see a damn thing through their maze-like paths, this isn't such a bad thing as most would think though....
Represent for Ben's Chili Bowl, a stalwart of DC culture and cuisine, if you've been to DC and NEVER ate at Ben's Chili Bowl then i guess you never really been to DC. Ask Obama, DC Mayor Adrian Fenty introduced him to Ben's over the weekend, you know he's coming back to U Street, NW for the late night munchies...can i get a half-smoked FedEx'd to Bali please?
WTF?! Oklahoma University sells out again, what a joke. "Big Game" Bob Stoops is still the greatest thing that happened to OU since Barry Switzer but seriously, this losing has got to stop. I don't know why i'm so upset as i didn't actually get to see the game, but after reading about it i'm pretty glad i missed it. All the hype and no delivery, QB Sam Bradford wins the Heisman but gets outshined by Florida's QB Tim Tebow in the National Championship, my tears run deep with everyone from Oklahoma. Fuck it, at least Texas wasn't there...
Damn, 2008 BLEW BY. Much fun was had, much heartbreak as well, but overall was memorable. My NYE was pretty tame by my standards, turned down a big djing gig to stay local, played at Home Cafe for about 45 minutes before bouncing by 1AM and in bed by 3AM. I must be getting old... anyways, here's to 2009 and Obama bringing America back to some sort of respectability. Hope you had a good one!
