Candi Prambanan, also known as Loro Jonggrang/Rara Jonggrang, is a 9th century Hindu temple complex dedicated to the Trimurti near Yogyakarta, the cultural capital of Java, Indonesia. Trimurti, a Sanskrit word meaning three forms, conveys the concept of creation, maintenance and destruction personified by the Hindu trinity of Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver and Shiva the destroyer.
Is a frame just a frame?
I personally think, to a certain extent, art is in the framing. A great frame isn’t just a supporting act; I have frames that possibly cost more than the contents they holds, thereby becoming art in their own right.
I find bare walls unfriendly and often I try to fill the spaces with whatever I can find. Of course in harmony with the surroundings, plastering every square inch will look busier than an Indian market place.
Quirky, thought provoking and colourful street art between Shoreditch High Street and Brick Lane.
With June in London and the sun playing fair, I had a wonderful summer + I got to eat to my heart’s content. Interestingly, Islington, where we rented an apartment for 2 weeks (through Airbnb), has become quite the food hub. With Exmouth Market, Farringdon Road (Eagle, London’s first gastro pub) and St John’s Square, we were, to say the least, spoilt for choice. My favourites were:
I remember looking out of the window of my sister’s bedroom in Grenoble, wondering if the scene outside had gone through a vintage wash before presenting itself to me. I saw snow lined mountains, faded yellow homes and an old banged up Volkswagen mini-van. Ordinarily beautiful, but for someone flying in from a tropical busy city like Singapore, it felt cold and desolate.
Banteay Srei or Banteay Srey is a temple dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva at the foot of the Phnom Dei hill in Siem Reap. Consecrated in 967 AD, it is popularly known as the Citadel of the Women or Citadel of Beauty today, presumably due to the temple’s tiny dimensions and elaborate wall carvings.
After our first day in Provence, driving to the idyllic village of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie through the Gorges du Verdon from Aix [read here]; we decided to go west on the second day to the City of Popes, Avignon
In 2011 my sister and I spent the summer in France that included 5 glorious days in the South. We split out time between the Côte d’Azur and Provence with 3 nights in Nice with 2 in Aix en Provence (Read: Indulge in the quiet side of the Côte d”Azur).
We rented a car in Nice from Budget, which turned out to be the most harrowing car rental procedure ever thanks to the lady they had manning the desk that day. Rude and a tad scary with her pencil outlined eyebrows, she was by far the most unprofessional person we had encountered on our trip. She asked us to see her at noon, then made us wait for 2 hours while she had lunch only to ask us to return the next day to pick the car up! Needless to say, our day was wasted waiting and we had to swap itineraries around.
Anyway, we woke up bright and early the next morning and drove to Aix en Provence, which we used as a base for the next 2 days to drive to the Gorges du Verdon and Avignon.
February, 2014.
Road-trip with a friend to Carmel-by-the-Sea for sea salt caramel, oysters and a spectacular sunset.
why is a raven like a writing desk? 