In 1959, my parents stepped off the boat and landed in Singapore to start a new life. That same year, Lee Kuan Yew become the island state?s first prime minister. I grew up with visits to the snake temple, country-club pool, street markets and home of ouramah (housekeeper) to celebrate the autumn lantern festival, along with mandatory trips to Fraser?s Hill, in Malaya, to escape the sweltering heat of the urban sprawl. It had all the trappings of a colonial life in the tropics.
Was that Bali?
Cruises have fascinated me for years ? decades, actually, ever since I first watched Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, in which Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell play a pair of showgirls from Little Rock, Arkansas, crossing the Atlantic aboard a magnificently glamorous cruise liner. Monroe?s character, the brilliantly named Lorelei Lee ? in mythology, the Lorelei is a siren that lures sailors to their death ? is a class-A gold-digger with one beady eye on elderly millionaire Sir Francis ?Piggy? Beekman, a fellow passenger who owns a diamond mine. While Monroe tries to wangle a tiara off Piggy, Russell prowls the decks like a tiger, inspecting the finely honed physiques of the Olympics athletics team that, happily, is also on the voyage. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, which ends with a double wedding, sets the bar pretty high, cruise-wise.
Incredible reasons to visit Bali ? Why you would fall in love with this place
There are many reasons behind people falling in love with Bali like the down-to-earth lifestyle, exotic weather, spicy food, laidback atmosphere and rich heritage. Once you visit Bali, you will simply love the ample sunlight and the lovely blue skies even when there are densely populated areas due to the absence of skyscrapers and high-rise buildings. Nevertheless, there are certain things which give Bali its magical appeal and which attracts some of the best travelers. So, what are the different reasons behind choosing Bali as their favorite destination? Let?s have a look at some of the worthy good reasons. [Read more…]