This here are colors inspired by the vibe and energy of Bali, while the patterns are inspired by indigenous Philippine textiles.
This was my daily dose of CMYK from our window, even while on holiday in Bali. Staying at W Hotel in Seminyak was a welcome treat for the senses: from the comfortably modulated beats piped in all corners, to the hint of lemongrass that permeates the air.
Before flying in, I was dreading being cooped up in some stuffy, formal hotel with canned air-conditioning. So you can imagine my delight when I discovered that all communal areas — lobby, room corridors and lounges — open up to the sweeping view of the Indian Ocean thundering just a few steps away.
For someone who loves quirky design and colors, staying at the W was such a pleasurable experience. This is their lobby at sun-down, with perfectly timed mood lights changing at intervals.
The waters of Bali are not to be taken lightly. I grew up in a land of beaches so I should be used to falling asleep to the sound of the gentle lapping of the sea. But the sound of the Indian Ocean constantly roars, which explains why you don’t see anyone swimming in open waters and you stumble across signs like these:
While I like the sun, I never really appreciated the concept of sitting under the sun doing nothing. I get a tan because I swim or play tennis. So it was my first time to do actual sun-bathing and for the first two minutes I felt and looked every bit awkward because I didn’t know how to sit and do nothing under the sun.
So, I decided to do what comes naturally, which is to draw.
From where I sat, I could see our room. This is the glow we see from the balcony at night:
I have to admit the intensity of the wind whipping against the glass door of our veranda combined with the thundering waves of the ocean gave me a tinge of anxiety for a few seconds. Then I decide to let it go and allow myself to just be.
There’s a lot of natural sunlight and air that kept our room nice and airy. In the daytime, we are greeted by rays from the bathroom skylight. For those who think someone might come by to do some window washing, just click the button and a shade covers the ceiling for your peace of mind 🙂
The bathroom space at the W is not found wanting. In fact, it’s safe to assume that the bathroom occupies more than 1/3 of the room but with a lot of area to spare.
The bathroom walls have an option for full glass view with a wall you can pull out from the bedroom if you want more privacy.
Our view fully faces the ocean, which we can enjoy from the daybed and lounge chair in our spacious veranda. The W also does its share to take care of Mother Earth. It took me a while to figure out why the room kept getting hot. This sign explains why.
And there’s also this. I’m proud to say that we did cooperate accordingly.
The hotel was bursting with energy and colors everywhere. Which is probably why I loved the place so much, says the girl who doesn’t like staying in stuffy hotels.
At the W, none of the funky coffee mugs match. And it’s just the way I like it.
By the shore, we made some friends.
Though we chose to spend a lot of time soaking in the beauty of Bali from the W, we had a lot of time to explore the flavors around Seminyak.
The first meal: Babi Guling. Similar to the Philippines’ famed Cebu lechon (suckling pig) but a lot more fragrant. Every juicy bite is succulent and bursting with lemongrass goodness without that usual porky taste that stopped me from eating meat for years. Compared to lechon, it is served in slivers and not chunks. It’s probably THE dish that made me decide that, yes, Bali will be a regular trip from now on!
I also enjoyed this fall-off-the-bone beef dish from Bambu, hinting of citrus from lime, probably a sliver of coconut milk and a dash of sweet chili. But before that, I had this:
Softshell crab drizzled in more sweet chili. If you’re familiar with Thai flavors, the Balinese palate is very, very similar.
Bambu | Seminyak, Bali
What I appreciate most about Bali is how tradition is interspersed in every bit of modern flavor, design and sound.
Farm-to-table dining by rice paddies at Sardine.
At the lobby | W Hotel Bali
I must to explain that I typically don’t t like watching movie previews or read movie reviews. I like the element of surprise and will watch what I want to watch, regardless of what other people say. My approach to our last-minute holiday in Bali was somewhat like that. I only had enough info to know where we’re going, but other than that I wanted to just let one thing lead to another. I had no idea that Seminyak would be both rustic and stylish at the same time, and that there was so much diversity in the area.
You see them everywhere in Bali. Tiny baskets or trays of flowers on sidewalks, lower porch steps, main entrances or even counter tops of stores. It consists of colorful buds and petals, somtimes crackers, a cookie, candies and you can even spot a cigarette in there every so often. Our driver explained that all structures have two offerings, one on a higher level, and another on a lower part of a home or establishment. The ones in front is to ward off the bad.
Barbacoa | Bali
And finally, who would have thought that one of the best fish tacos is to be found in a place like this in Bali?
One other thing that caught me off guard about the island? The weather. We traveled on a whim last week where the air was PERFECT, ranging a comfortable 19C-29C (64F to 88F).
I am a very fussy traveler so I’m very grateful that my husband put everything together a week earlier to create this breathtaking holiday. From the moment I stepped out of the plane, my first bite of local food and the quiet moments just soaking in the island’s beat and nature, everything was just magical.
It is now officially a favorite. Bali, we look forward to greeting you each morning very soon. Ubud up next!
Care for a little art print giveaway on Instagram?
It’s my first for 2015 and my way of saying a heartfelt “thank you” for your incredible support and inspiring words that helped me start somewhere.
To enter & receive this A4 art print, simply:
1. FOLLOW @thejarofsalt on Instagram, and
2. TAG a friend in the comments section of this post on Instagram . That’s all!
There will be TWO winners: you AND the friend you tagged.
You can enter more than once!
Winners will be announced FRIDAY July 10 (9am EST). Framing and clips not included.
Have a fun weekend everyone!
In one of her talks, Lisa Congdon mentioned a “painting curve” which looks like the letter “U”, my process EVERY SINGLE TIME: start with giddy excitement as I begin with the first strokes and slather the first layers of color. Midway I just want to hurl it against a wall or rip it to shreds because it starts to look nothing like what I see in my head.
But only recently I learned to soldier on through that uncomfy, awkward and annoying phase instead of chucking it in the bin. In the end, there is that sense of accomplishment in concluding a piece, even if I’m not always 100% happy with it 🙁
And this is what a sketchbook looks like when you commit to that process: every single page covered with complete illustrations, no ripped pages and saw everything through with nothing disposed of.
I learned the full meaning of one word when I used to go wall-climbing: commit.
Whenever I would hit a snag and hesitate and shout “I can’t! Bring me down!” to the one belaying from below, he would shout back “You kidding? Just commit!”. Even other climbers nearby would chorus the same thing and shout “Commit! Just commit!”. I quickly learned that what they were telling me was simply this: Do not hesitate. Let go and release the grip of one hand so you can reach up with the other and move along, flailing and all.
So today, I apply the same principles in soldiering through my creative process. Simply commit and allow yourself to be pushed in the direction your work is taking you. Yes, there will be a lot of discomfort, but I believe it’s really is such a great way to simply surprise yourself.
It seems like forever since I updated the site with a blog post. Hello again everyone! Been busy with Instagram so if you want to see recent illustrations and what I’ve been up to, just pop over at my IG account The Jar Of Salt.
Been starting my days lately by listening to a lot of creative podcasts. It’s an invigorating way to start the day and hearing people’s stories gives me a fresh take on my own craft and goals. Just last Saturday, I finished conducting the sketchbook workshop “Who’s Afraid Of The Big Blank Page?”. I conceived this class specifically for people who say they “can’t draw”. Before we started, all ten of them said the same thing last weekend. Oddly, I used to be that person too.
When the class started gaining momentum, they surprised themselves with what they were able to do
These beautiful illustrations are made by the same people claiming they can’t draw 🙂
The struggle is real and yet all it took for me to turn my art around was when I completely embraced my own imperfections and my own uniqueness as an artist. I used to shy away from calling myself an artist thinking my wobbly illustrations were too childish to be validated as “real” art. Finding a community (and mine are even just online!) was most energizing for someone who is allergic to the term “networking”. If you find the right group for you, it can do wonders. I was lucky to meet a lot of like-minded souls who helped me along the way.
Sometimes all you need is one person to help you make that change.
A sketchbook workshop in Singapore for the shy and hesitant artist and artist-at-heart. Join our little creative gathering on Nov. 21, 2-5 pm. Click here for more details. See you there!
Four years in Singapore and I still feel a little lost, not knowing who to ask or where to go when I need to find stuff. Recently, I’ve started going back to painting and I love working with large scale canvases. In my search for quality supplies, it was recommended that I head over to Straits Art. And if one were truly serious about his or her craft, then this is the place for you.
To begin with, I belive they’re the only one who carries Golden in Singapore. It’s a premium brand of paint which comes in runny, high-flow variety. I instantly fell in love with their teal and magenta shades, not to mention the viscosity once it flows over the canvas.
One key and highly notable advantage Straits Art has over any art store I’ve come across is the incredible competence and knowledge of the staff. No query was left hanging or unanswered, and they are familiar with all their products.
They are well-versed, fun to talk to, and very generous with their time. They even have open samples lying around for testing consistencies.
Straits Art is tiny compared to its competitor BUT the shop is brimming and packed from top to bottom with only artist-quality supplies — none of the student-grade art materials and paints one would normally see in an ordinary bookstore or other art stores.
I managed to find what I was looking for: a 1 meter linen canvas panel. Here it is in my studio propped on the easel I purchased from Straits Art, one which can support a massive 2-meter panel which I plan to do later on:
Moreover, they also carry a good range of Prismacolor pencils (I’ve seen work using these pencils and the result were illustrations in bold, smooth colors!),
a dreamy shelf of buttery Sennelier oil pastels,
and Schminke! 🙂
They also have a good selection of top quality brand sketchbooks artist’s boxes and portable easels (?),
brushes (look at the detail on that weathered box!),
more brushes (LOVE),
and these disembodied heads looking toward the heavens.
Another thing I took home were two new nibs which I fished out from this box that calligraphers can only dream of:
You can go through every nib and test each one as you please. It was only when I got home that I realized the nib I chose was a gem. Look at the tiny, artful detail:
I enjoy coming to Straits Art because of the people — I can’t remember if they’ve been around since 1946 or 1948. Either way, they’ve been around for a pretty long time and their curation of brans is to trusted. They are truly passionate about what they do and what they sell. and I noticed that they do not impose anything on you. Best of all, you have their undivided attention as a customer and will have to wait your turn if they are attending to someone else before you.
For those looking for sincere conversation about art and care about the lifespan of their work, visit Straits Art, located at 420 North Bridge Road.
🙂
Let’s take a break from all the art and allow me take you on a food journey through this post. Not just an ordinary trip, but a supreme omakase adventure. The phrase “omakase” pretty much means “I’ll leave it to you”.
And in this case, “you” = the chef.
No menus whatsoever but your sushi chef will ask if you have dietary restrictions or concerns, say allergies, intolerance, etc. I love shellfish but I specify that I stay away from raw oysters and other uncooked shellfish as much as possible. Other than that, I got to eat everything that came my way.
Shortly before Christmas, Claire and Raymund asked me out for dinner. They just said, “Let’s eat in Hashida”. I had no idea that it was to be my first ever omakase experience. And it started with that dish above: delicate tofu in a small pool of dashi.
Just last week, though, I had the chance to come back for dinner and we were treated to a similar starter but this time using winter yuba (beancurd during this season is a delicacy!) in dashi jelly with freshly grated wasabi and salmon roe.
On this artfully arranged clay plate are sweet-grilled octopus, tamago (egg), fresh roe and other magical things I can’t remember anymore. At this point, the meal was so good I wasn’t paying attention to anything else beyond that.
Meet Kimura. He was our chef twice and both times were extremely enjoyable, watching him work with such passion right in front of us. He takes his craft very seriously but his energy is uplifting, both as he goes around his tasks, and as he interacts with us.
This was my first time ever to see a piece of tuna in this original state. He was showing us the different parts of this slab, where to get the chu toro and otoro.
I was spying on the next table as Kimura presented the day’s catch to them 😀
Our timing last week was rather fortuitous as Hashida took home the top-prize fish during the auction at Tsukiji market at that time. I remember reading about it from their Facebook page but I totally forgot about it, until our chef handed us this pretty o-toro above.
This succulent orange thing is an ark shell. The first time I sat in Hashida, I only said “no oysters, no scallops”. I forgot to say “no raw shellfish” so I got this on my plate. Because I was curious, I ate it anyway. And I’m still fine. Best of all, it tasted of the sea!
Absolutely mouthwatering.
We swiftly popped into our mouths one dish after the other as we moved onto a grilled kinki (rockfish?),
grilled abalone (yum!), and
silky slivers of Hokkaido king crab.
In our recent meal, we got grilled saba (mackerel) in a broth made with miso and sake. All three of my favorite ingredients in one dish!
See that shiny layer over our aburi sushi? That’s the special sauce using a secret recipe handed down through generations of sushi chefs in the Hashida family (yes, Hashida is a real person!). Hashida Sushi has been around in Tokyo for four decades, I believe. His son, Hatch, runs the Singapore branch in Mandarin Gallery.
Jewels from the sea. And this pretty strand of salmon roe? It’s been swimming in a tub of sake for quite a while. Once these explode in your mouth, these tiny things pack such sweet flavors you didn’t know exist in fish.
And then you put it in a bowl with uni (sea urchin). Good golly, it was just heavenly!
And what is this thing above? Well that’s some rather creative dessert: dried persimmon with vanilla ice cream.
If there is one thing I know about fish, it is this: VERY GOOD quality fish should
1. not smell “fishy”,
2. be juicy with a melt-in-your mouth texture, and
3. its natural flavors should smell and taste of the sea that you can eat the fish on its own.
And that is exactly what I love about the Hashida experience, its flavors so bare, naturally simple yet exceeds any jazzed up sushi dish I’ve ever had.
If you’re looking for the swiftest and most delicious way to Japan, Hashida is the best route in this corner of the world.
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