Siam Wellness Centre (Malta)

One of the things we usually do on our holidays is find a good place to have a full body massage and this time when went to Malta at first we thought we'd just go downstairs to the spa section at our hotel. First I asked the receptionist if I had to book through them, but she told me to go downstairs and book straight from the masseuse/masseur. So I went down and there was only one person waiting there and he said that we had to book from the receptionist. How confusing! But anyway, since there was only one masseur, it wasn't ideal for us since we wanted to have the massage at the same time. There are plenty of small massage parlors around the hotel, so we thought we'd check out some of them. The first one we went to was actually closed when we tried to book (I like the fact that they often put a sign in front to let us know how many types of massages they offer and how much they cost), so we went to another one called Siam Wellness Centre.

The place was very very clean (I can't help adding this because the tiles were white and I couldn't even see any dirt anywhere) and they could take us all together for a massage and they even had one couple's room. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYY!!! So we booked in advance, paid €5 booking fee and they gave us a piece of paper with their phone number in case we wanted to change the time or cancel. If we cancel or change the time by phoning or sending them SMS, we won't lose the €5 booking fee. Loving this system! :-D

We had two massage sessions there. The first time around I tried the relaxing massage. Very relaxing indeed, but it wasn't that satisfying because I was actually craving for something harder. Yep, my own mistake for not choosing the harder type LOL!!! I had actually wanted to try their new herbal massage, but the owner said that preparing the herbal balls took 20 minutes, so it wasn't possible. If I had known about this, I would have told her when we booked, but she said at that time that we didn't need to choose yet. So if you want to have a herbal massage, better tell them in advance that it's the kind of treatment that you want. Fortunately we did go back there, so I had a chance to try the herbal massage (this time I mentioned this right away when I booked). 

My first time having the herbal massage. I really liked it. The only thing that I had a little trouble with was my soles couldn't stand the heat of the herbal balls, so she had to wait for a little while before pressing the herbal balls on my soles he he he...I smelled like herbs when I got out. Lovely! R2 had the relaxing massage and the harder one and he loved them both. All in all, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this place! One of the best experiences we've had and if we ever go back to Malta, we won't hesitate going back there. 

Movie Recommendation: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Years ago I wrote about wanting to watch this movie. I bought the DVD months ago, but I only watched it the other day. I knew I had to prepare myself mentally to watch the movie because of the heavy subject, but it was worth watching. The visuals are stunning and cinematography was sublime! I was so amazed at how well it was made because they really made me feel I was him. 

Here's the imdb page: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly 

Synopsis: "The true story of Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby who suffers a stroke and has to live with an almost totally paralyzed body; only his left eye isn't paralyzed." 

The beginning of the movie made me feel trapped. It was hard to breathe. I couldn't help thinking that if someone else were in that condition and he/she didn't have access to such a brilliant group of people to help out, then it would be devastating.

Still I admired his tenacity and the patience and brilliance of the people who helped him. I'm not going to say too much about the movie for fear of ruining it, but I have to warn you that if you're planning to watch it, better do it when you're in a good mood and you're prepared mentally to watch a heavy movie.


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P.S. I was browsing through the images of the movie to put here, but found this article instead. Warning: read this only after you watch the movie: The Real Love Story Behind The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

Poco Loco Mexican Restaurant

R2 found a Mexican restaurant near our hotel after we arrived in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife. It's called Poco Loco (which means "a little crazy"). According to the article we found, the restaurant is supposed to be an excellent one. After all, hubby loves Mexican food. So one day we set up to go there in the evening because it's only open during certain times of the day. Here's their card:

We got there at 19.00 sharp and the place was still empty ha ha...The place is in a rather secluded area, rather close to the Orchid Garden in Sitio Litre. You have to walk along an alley in order to reach it. Here's R2 posing near the restaurant (to the left there was a slope going down towards the restaurant's parking lot). 

Anyway, because it was rather windy and the wind was cool, we decided to sit inside. When we entered the room, I saw many tables there reserved already, so we entered the other room and sat down to choose what to eat. The prices of the food are MUCH MUCH cheaper than that in Finland (2-3 times cheaper).

R2 ordered some fajitas, I ordered Aztec beef steak, whereas MIL ordered some chicken tinga. Not long after that, our food arrived. Unfortunately for MIL, her chicken turned out to be VERY spicy (she's not used to hot food), so she couldn't finish it. Fortunately R2 couldn't finish his, so MIL ate the rest of the fajitas (without the spicy sauce). My Aztec beef steak was HUGE (thick) and very tender, but it wasn't spicy at all, so I asked for some tabasco ha ha...

Here are some photos of our food...

Here are some photos of us going out of the restaurant...

If I remember correctly the fajitas cost around €11 and my food was about the same. MIL's chicken tinga was cheaper, about €8,50. So I'd highly recommend the place, even though you'd better ask first how hot/spicy the food is if you're not used to burning hot food ha ha ha...I think in general each time we went out to eat together, the total amount we spent for the food and drinks were around €25-40. Not bad at all! :-D

Aroma Thai Massage Spa

Before going on our trip to Tenerife, I was browsing online to find massage places. There is a massage place above our hotel gym, but it's impossible to have all three of us to have a massage there at the same time. At first I found a spa place in a four or five star hotel, but when I asked about their massage offers, they said that they only accepted hotel guests, so if we want to have a massage there, we have to pay the price for a hotel room (price includes breakfast and dinner), but then it'd cost way too much, so I kept on searching and found Aroma Thai Massage Spa.

I couldn't find any prices on their website, so I went to their Facebook page (the one that you can click above) and asked them about their list of massage and their prices via Facebook PM. They replied very quickly and any question asked were answered promptly. So I made the bookings for three of us for a 1,5 hour aromatherapy massage (€60/person). We had had traditional Thai massage before, but I didn't think my MIL could handle such a massage, so I chose aromatherapy instead he he...

Here's the front view of the massage place. It's very easy to find. 

We actually found it already the first day we went downtown. It didn't look big, but turned out it was very cozy inside. Plus they had two adjacent rooms that could be combined for me and my husband (they just needed to open the rolling door). Very convenient! I didn't expect that at all.

We arrived at the spa about 20 minutes earlier, then we were guided to the second floor to wait before our massage sessions started. They served us some fruits and tea right away and then they gave us forms to fill in. Here are some photos of the waiting room upstairs. 

After my MIL filled in the forms (actually we helped her because it was all in English), they took time to discuss it because she has had plenty of surgeries. 

Then we had our massage in dark and quiet rooms. It was very relaxing - a blend of strong and soft strokes. I actually assumed it'd be a bit more noisy because the place was in downtown, but it wasn't. I also liked the fact that they had a nice shower in each massage room (so my husband and I used different ones). Here's the photo of our adjoining rooms:

Here is a cozy corner outside the massage rooms:

After the massage, we were served more tea. :-) 

I'd rate the whole spa experience as 3.9/5 - the best massage experience is (unfortunately) still the one in Singapore years ago (even if the place was nothing as good as this one), followed closely by the one in Bali when we had our honeymoon. 

For those of you who'll ever visit Puerto de la Cruz, I recommend Aroma Thai Massage Spa for their massage, spa ambience, price range, hospitality, and the responsive marketing manager in Facebook. Thanks for helping us have this spa experience, Paola! :-)

Temple Grandin: Movie Recommendation

Last night I finally got the chance to watch "Temple Grandin". Had been dying to watch it ever since I accidentally saw it in imdb a while back he he...

I HIGHLY recommend the movie. It's now officially one of my fave movies of all time. Claire Danes did a BRILLIANT job on becoming Temple Grandin. I hardly recognized her at all. Even Temple Grandin herself had stated that she was very pleased with Claire Danes' portrayal of herself. 

The movie is brilliant in many ways, especially in taking me to view the world through a highly functional autistic woman's eyes. Here's a quote from the movie:

I know I was different, but NOT less!

Anyway, here's the trailer:




And if you're interested in watching this long video clip of the real Temple Grandin (the speech starts at 6:20 if you want to skip the introduction), here goes:

Two More Highlights in Budapest

Before I continue showing you more pics, I forgot to add these two highlights in Budapest:

1. ISIS Day Spa.

We're both VERY satisfied with the spa experience. We chose a couple's package for two people (1.5 hours - Cleopatra bath plus 60 minute massage). After walking around EVERYWHERE for a few days, our feet were in need for some relaxation he he...

From the front, the place looked small, but it was very cosy inside (and VERY clean too!!!). In the beginning we had to fill in a form first (allergies, etc.) 'coz it was our first visit there. And we also had to choose which one of us wanted a masseur - I chose a masseuse, whereas R2 chose the masseur. The Cleopatra hot bath was very relaxing and we got to choose our own drinks (R2 chose wine) ha ha...

The massage was similar to our spa experience in Bali, though (unfortunately) the BEST massage experience (not spa experience 'coz the massage wasn't done in a real spa) we ever had was in Singapore. Remember the "triple price" lady??? (click on the link to read it if you haven't read it yet)

Anyway, we felt so relaxed and our bodies felt (plus our feet) MUCH lighter after the bath and massage. It was just SPLENDID. The only thing I thought the place could do better is cover up the window of our massage room to make it darker. We were there at around 1 pm, so the sun was shining so brightly inside and I felt that I'd feel more relaxed if the place was "darker" (like the spa in Bali or in Bandung where they closed the blinds and turn on some candles).

But all in all I'd recommend this spa. Definitely. :-D

Our probably worst massage experience was in Rhodes 'coz their massage wasn't that good, though the spa was the loveliest ever and the price included rain shower and steam bath and sauna, but I prefer getting better massages than being in fancy spas that don't provide too satisfying massages.

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2. Treehugger Dan's Bookstore and Cafe.

In the hotel we stayed in, they had this magazine filled with different lists of restaurants, bookstores, etc. and I noticed this used English bookstore (click on the link above). We went to the one in Csengery Street. There were SO many books there and I would have bought more than two, but we still wanted to look around other places and I didn't want to burden R2's back with more weight (he was the one who carried a backpack) 'coz he also bought one book. And as you know, books aren't exactly that light to carry, esp. if they're thick ones.

I bought two English novels. Each one cost 900 HUF (around €3.3). Many of the used books are still in very good shape, so I really enjoy browsing there. If I ever go back to Budapest (I think we may just go back there again someday), I'll make sure I go back to that store, as well ha ha ha ha ha ha...

OK that's all for now. I'm pretty tired now so I'm gonna rest and relax. Take care, people!!!

Trip to Rovaniemi + My Personal Project

Went to Rovaniemi on a whim yesterday since we both had a day off. It wasn't really planned, though, so that means I'm becoming more and more spontaneous HA HA HA HA HA...Anyway, we didn't plan on buying anything EXCEPT I TRULY WANTED to buy Chinese food. *BIG GRIN* After all, the closest Chinese resto from here is one hour away from this village (Rovaniemi is about 1,5 hours away by car from here), but we've never tried eating there yet.

We went to a downtown mall and I found a Wii game that seemed nice (Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party), so I bought it. I looked around in the women's section, too, but didn't find anything too interesting or cheap ha ha...so we were just browsing around and relaxing. Then we moved to a different mall and browsed around some more, but didn't find anything. Soon we were hungry, so we went to a recommended Chinese resto called "Hai Long" in downtown Rovaniemi.

We ordered buffet lunch since it included everything. It was €8.90 per person (plus tax) and we could eat as much as we could and drink anything we wanted to (there were two types of rice, at least 8 types of dishes, CHILI SAUCE!!!, one type of soup, bread, milk, soft drinks, tea, water, and coffee). The resto were full all the time - people kept on coming and going. VERY good business!!! (side note: Well, the food is pretty good, though it's nothing compared to the food in a Chinese resto in Indo, but still it made me HAPPY!!!)

After that we went to a small hypermarket where R2 bought miniskis (because the old ones broke) and found a big lasagna dish. After that we went to a big hypermarket to buy our weekly needs (and R2 bought a cheap Wii game there). Then we got back home and played Wii for HOURS HA HA HA HA HA...We tried the new games right away and couldn't stop. FUN FUN FUN!!! :-D

So that was yesterday. Anyway, remember that I once wrote about my "project"? I decided to submit an article to a local newspaper just because I wanted to practise writing in Finnish and because I wanted to share my thoughts. At first I wanted to write about Indonesia, but the boss said that since it was only a local newspaper, I could only submit an article if it had something to do with my moving to Finland and how I "survive" here and things like that. So I did it and then their photographer came to the library to take my picture. On Thursday my MIL sent me an email, saying that she enjoyed reading my article he he he...I've only seen it today at her place since we don't subscribe to that newspaper he he he he...

Even though you probably don't understand what I'm writing, I'm sure you want to know what it's like, eh? So here goes...you can click on it to see a bigger version of it.



P.S. I don't know why I look SO white in the picture...uuhhhh he he he...And no, I'm not paid to write this, but the experience of writing it is PRICELESS, don't you think? There were SO many things I wanted to say, but I knew I couldn't write too long, so I had to edit it a few times until I felt pretty satisfied with it ha ha ha...

P.P.S. I'm curious what the ladies in the library would say about this article. I hope it's interesting enough to read my POV and my experience as an Asian moving to Sodankylä. :-D

Movie Review: Miss Potter

The other day I watched Miss Potter and it took me back to the old days. The days where chaperones were an important part of life. The days where it was deemed unsuitable for an unmarried woman to find work.

I kinda liked the movie. It made me realize how different things are, especially for women these days. I liked the fact that it was based on a true life story. I liked the fact that Beatrix Potter beat the odds and managed to be an independent woman. I liked the fact that eventually she found love, too, even though she had lost a loved one earlier in life.

In the DVD the ending didn't show her marriage, but I read in Wikipedia about this fact. I don't know if men would be interested in watching this type of movie, but I'd recommend it for any woman. ;-D

Above all, I liked the fact that the movie managed to make me experience different type of emotions strongly. I find that it's one of the most wonderful experiences when you're reading a story or watching a movie, don't you think so?

Movie Review: Saw IV

Last night we finally watched "Saw IV". We fell in love on the trilogy and then we found out there'd be a fourth one. As usual, the first one was THE BEST of all since we didn't know a thing about anything and the secret was only revealed at the end of the movie. I didn't really expect this fourth one to be good, to be honest, since after all we knew already what it was all about.

However, surprise surprise, turned out we thought it was at least as good as the others, so I'd recommend it to anyone who's loved the first three sequels he he he...After all, in this one we got to learn more about Jigsaw's background: why he became crazy like that and stuff. COOL!!! ;-D

As usual, prepare to see bloody/gory scenes throughout the movie, though. ;-D

Movie Review: Stardust

Last night hubby and I saw "Stardust". At first I didn't know about the movie, but one close friend of mine kept on being hysterical about wanting to see the movie and after watching it, she said it was such a good movie. So we finally watched it!

It was a good movie. It was funny in places and it wasn't fickle.

There are some good quotes in the movie, as well, such as:

1. The little I know about love is that it's unconditional. It's not something you can buy.

2. You know when I said I knew little about love? That wasn't true. I know a lot about love. I've seen it, centuries and centuries of it, and it was the only thing that made watching your world bearable. All those wars. Pain, lies, hate... It made me want to turn away and never look down again. But when I see the way that mankind loves... You could search to the furthest reaches of the universe and never find anything more beautiful.

Ugh...I couldn't find another quote I was looking for, but it's something about...Why do people try so hard to fit in or to be liked by someone who doesn't like him/her back? It really represents the fact that everybody wants to be accepted the way we are. :-))))

So as far as I'm concerned, this movie is HIGHLY recommended. Even my husband was a bit skeptical about it since it looked like a "drama/fantasy", but he enjoyed it nevertheless he he he...And we could laugh a lot together while watching it, as well. Here's the poster of the movie.



I must say that I'm impressed with Claire Danes' acting skills in the movie. There was this one scene that I thought she REALLY excelled in being an actress he he he he he...

Boy, I'm SO hungry now, so let me just go grab something to eat. Tomorrow's Finland's Independence Day, so hubby's off from work HE HE HE HE...YAAAAAAAYYYY!!!! ;-D