May 19, 2014

4 Unique Décor Restaurants in Seminyak, Bali + Outfits

Nowadays the factors that are taken into consideration in choosing a restaurant are not only whether it is a treat to our taste-buds and ears, but also to our eyes.

 Here are 4 restaurants with great interiors in Seminyak, Bali that will make you want to punch yourself if you forget to bring your camera.
 1. Motel Mexicola
If you love colorful places with fun and quirky decor, then you have to visit Motel Mexicola. You will immediately feel happy just by being here! Aaand the place is full of beautiful spots to take pictures! Ahem.
Duo Taurus!
The atmosphere was great too, but it's SO hot in the afternoon! No wonder most people prefer to come here at night for some fun drinks with their friends.


Love this casual, yet sweet dress from GOWIGASA next arrival! And the material is just perfect for hot humid weather! ♥
What I Wore: GOWIGASA Dress | Amble Footwear Shoes | Gowimawa Bracelets

We only ordered a plate of nachos with guacamole and two juices. Not a great selection, but okay for snacks. I will definitely be coming back here again to try their other dishes!

My other outfit! Because life is too short to wear one outfit a day. B)



What I Wore: ZARA Top | GOWIGASA Polkadot Midi Skirt
Told you they have many interesting spots to take pictures. Even the toilet sign is cute!
MOTEL MEXICOLA
Jl. Kayujati no. 9 X, Petitenget Beach,
Seminyak, Bali
Phone: +62 361 736688
Open Hours: 11:00am - 1:00am
Price Range: IDR 23,000 - IDR 230,000
Cuisines: Mexican
Website: http://www.motelmexicolabali.com/

2. La Favela
La Favela, a hidden treasure for all vintage lovers out there!
I felt like I was in a jungle or something when I walked through the pathway to the main door.
Once you get inside the restaurant, it's quite dark so I didn't take any photos of the indoor area. But I've got to tell you that the decor was AMAZING! Definitely one of the best I've ever been to—visually. They really put so much effort into little details! Lots and lots of unique knick knacks! :D
This is one of the seating areas which is located outdoor, near the restrooms.
Talk about the restrooms, I posted a short video on my Instagram:
It literally gave me chills when I went inside! I don't know, maybe because I was alone and the fact that there is A LOT of creepy photos on the wall, fml. But while I was creeped out, I couldn't help but thinking how awesome it would be to have a photoshoot here!!
The other part of the outdoor space. Image credit: Milly&Alex
We didn't get the chance to order anything because apparently they open at 6pm while we got there at 3pm! *sigh
But huge thanks to the nice people there who allowed me to wander around so I could take some pictures and share it with you guys! :)
What I Wore: GOWIGASA Floral Long Sleeve Shirt (Yellow) and Must Have HW Shorts (Olive Green)
On the second floor, there is a roof decorated with vintage toy cars and bikes! It only means one thing: Must. Take. Photos.
The space on the far right was still under renovation when we visited.
What I Wore: GOWIGASA Floral Long Sleeve Shirt (Blue) and Must Have HW Shorts (Brown)

Besides the cool interior design, you also don't want to miss their theme parties!!
Make sure to check out their Facebook for the upcoming events! ;)

LA FAVELA
Jl. Laksamana Oberoi 177X Seminyak, Bali
Phone: +62 361 730603
Open Hours: 6:00pm - 2:00am
Cuisines: South American

3. Sea Circus
One word to describe this place: COLORFUL!

 Quoted from their website:
"Sea Circus is not an actual circus. It’s also not on the sea. It’s kinda near the beach… and probably as entertaining as a circus. OK, Sea Circus is an odd name. But it’s a really good restaurant, bar & coffee den thingy. So there."
So eye-catching, isn't it? I really love the painting!! One of my Instagram followers told me that it was his uncle's work. Well done, sir! :)
When you step in the restaurant, you will be welcomed by this ice cream freezer on your right...
...and a colorful set of bar stools on your left.
Candy colored Buddha statues! x)
This is the main area of the restaurant. Wait... was that random guy staring at my camera?
"I SEE YOUUUUU!" :|
Ok back to the cheerful photos!
Wah! The waitresses were also dressed in colorful uniforms!! And correct me if I'm wrong, they even sell the dress if you want! :D
Our F&B! My drink was Verry Berry (Strawberry, Raspberry, and Blueberry)- love it, very refreshing on a hot day! And Yansen's was a nothing-special Latte.
 Didn't get to taste his food, but he said it was delicious!
I think mine was sauteed mushrooms on toast with feta. Perfect portion if you are not so hungry but want to nibble.
Satisfying our sweet tooth with churros before we left!

What I Wore: Topshop White Turtleneck Top and Necklace | GOWIGASA Red Pinafore
SEA CIRCUS
Jalan Kayu Aya, Oberoi Rd no. 22 (opposite Samaya Villas), Seminyak, Bali.
Phone: +62 361 738 667
Price range: IDR 20,000 - IDR 145,000
Cuisines: European, Australian, Central American
Website: http://seacircus-bali.com/

4. Revolver Espresso
On the way to the next place! :D

I must tell you that it was quite challenging to find this cafe as the signage is very easy to miss. My taxi driver even got lost before he finally asked some guys on the street who told him that Revolver Espresso is located in the lane opposite Bali Clinic. So you can walk down lane way and find the front door (above picture) OR otherwise, you can enter from "This is a Love Song" store.

Many reviews say it's a must-go place if you love coffee. Unfortunately, I don't drink coffee, but as you can see, there is another reason to visit this place: Interesting decor! :D

↑ The first floor. ↑
I absolutely love the atmosphere and the cozy vibe here! The staff were very friendly too! ♥

↑ The second floor. Lol, it seems like Yansen was staring creepily at the man on the far left, but nah, they were just chit-chatting. ↑
↑ With my BFF, Vincent! He was the one who suggested ALL these cool places! Great taste or what! :D ↑

↑ My juice: a mix of banana and peanut butter (yum!!) :D ↑

↑ They also have unique names for their menus. This one is AK-47 which is basically poached eggs and bread, filled with spinach and supposed-to-be-spicy-but-it-was-not sauce. ↑
Image credit: Revolver Espresso's Facebook page.
♥ My Outfit ♥
Thank goodness I've taken outfit shots before I went to Revolver! Because let's face it, the place is cool but it's too dark to have decent #ootd pictures. :/
DONALD!!! One of my all time favorite Disney characters! Jess and I used to subscribe to "Majalah Donal Bebek" when we were kids! :D
What I Wore: GOWIGASA Donald Duck Plaid Shirt, Black Sleeveless Turtleneck Top, HW Acid Washed Denim Shorts, and Mirrored Sunglasses | Forever21 Gold Chain Necklace | Charles & Keith Mustard Bag | Jeffrey Campbell Black Boots

REVOLVER ESPRESSO
Jl. Kayu Aya/Gang 51,
Seminyak, Bali (Opposite Bali Clinic.)
Phone: +623617884968
Price range: IDR 34,000 - IDR 57,000
Cuisines: Cafe, Australian
Dining options: Breakfast/Brunch

If you have any restaurant recommendations in Bali please share in the comments below! I'd greatly appreciate it! :)
Elissa Yamada
By ELLE JESS at 1:12 PM 19 comments
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May 17, 2014

Work Made Easy | 'Microsoft Office 365 Personal' Review

L-R: Ines, Arif, Dila, me, and a very nice MC whose name I clumsily forget -_-

What software do you have in mind when you have to do a paperwork, say like... a school essay, a presentation, a budget report, a contract / agreement letter, etc.? I myself have to say Microsoft Office because I've been using it since 2001!! Yes, it's been 13 freaking years, ladies and gentlemen, our relationship goes WAY back. ^^v

The thing I'm gonna share to you today is that Microsoft recently launched a new, cloud-based product:

Yes, designed especially for us, high mobility individuals who travel a lot or like to work outside the office and NEED to get the paperwork done without the fuss; Office 365 Personal is now available in store with very affordable price. The IDR 71,999* package includes ALL seven Microsoft Office daily heroes: Word, Excel, OneNote, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access and Publisher.
*monthly auto-renewal package price
**the 1-year auto-renewal package price is IDR 719,999 /year

Complete top features you'll get out of this deal:
• 1 year subscription includes the latest full Microsoft Office applications
• Office on 1 PC or Mac plus one iPad or Windows tablet
• Easily access your docs with Office Mobile apps for iPhones, Android, and Windows phones
• Free 20 GB OneDrive online storage
• Free 60 minutes Skype calls per month for over 60 countries

Pretty neat, huh?

So anyway, few weeks ago I was invited to Office 365 Personal launching event at Crematology Coffee Roasters, Jakarta. I was also being asked to be one of their key opinion leader (KOL), together with Arif Rahman, a very famous yet friendly Indonesian travel blogger; sharing our opinions about the product on public. Being a loyal user of Ms Office (as I mentioned before ^^), I eagerly joined the opportunity and became one of the first few lucky peeps to own and try out this awesome product!

From my experience using Office 365 Personal, I gotta say that the feature I like the most is the synchronized data that allows me to use across devices.
Yup, as the presentation sheet says up there: "Go mobile. Stay productive."

I travel quite a lot and this synchronization feature would really help with my blogging activities; not to mention managing my online store from a distance! XD See, I had this problem when I was in Hongkong a couple months ago. I needed to send my assistant GOWIGASA's daily finance report so she can proceed with the shipping. But it was an unexpectedly hectic morning so I had no time to do it until I reached the MRT. So, among the crowd inside the train (I was lucky I got a seat!), I pulled my laptop out of my luggage (needed to skip to another town that morning), found that it only had 13% power left (O_O;;;), dimmed the monitor light to the last bar, did everything in a flash and......... luckily managed to send it right after the power reached 2%! *whew*

Well anyway, imagine if I had this Office 365 Personal already then, I wouldn't have to go through all those troubles! I'd just do it all on my phone and send it in a jiffy. Wait, I wouldn't even HAVE to send it because it automatically syncs with my PC back home (okay, my assistant doesn't have the access to my computer but I can always ask my brother to copy the file and give it to her ^^)! Saves a lot more time and energy, huh?
P.S. The free Skype calls would also help a lot with the business, while the large *also free* 20 GB online storage PLUS additional 7 GB SkyDrive personal cloud storage allows me to roam around without my USB. It also lets me compile large sized photos and files securely before finally printing them on paper or publishing them to the blog. ┌( ˆヮˆ )┘

GOWIGASA Fuzzy Sweater, Floral Perforated Leather Skirt

Took a quick OOTD shot and then...

A cute barista (the one on my left) came over and asked me to take a group picture before I finally took off. ^^v

Okay then, thank you so much for reading and see you guys on my next post~ ;D ♡

XOXO
Jessica Yamada
By ELLE JESS at 1:03 PM 8 comments
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Rail Truck (トロッコ / 軌道) | WAKUWAKU JAPAN Movie Review

Elle and I recently watched this Japanese movie at WAKUWAKU JAPAN TV Channel (#168). It is a family drama called Rail Truck (トロッコ / 軌道).

Synopsis
Yumiko Yano, with sons Atsushi and Toki, travels from her home in Tokyo with the ashes of her late husband to his parents' home, a mountain village in the south of Taiwan. Having been raised in the big city, the boys are wide-eyed at the verdant rural scenery...and waiting for them is a Taiwanese grandfather who speaks Japanese.
Yumiko, who married against her parents' wishes, has struggled on in stubborn determination since his death. Her son Atsushi, strongly conscious that in ethnocentric Japan he is ‘different', is in a state of rebellion against both the society in which he has grown up and his mother. In the verdant rural home of his grandparents, who have lived through vast changes in the political landscape and the values that prevail in society, the family rediscovers the bonds that unite it.
Setting out on a journey aboard an old-fashioned hand-powered ‘rail truck', Atsushi discovers a world outside of his family and his school, and is forced to confront the question of what it means to be both an ‘elder brother' and a ‘son'.

Review
Heartwarming as a family drama should be, this movie remind us to our late grandfather. (TᴗT) The grandfather figure in this movie is a disciplined yet loving man, and so our grandfather was. Nostalgia aside, Rail Truck displays the contrast between an urban city life and a modest village life, similarities and differences between Japanese and Taiwanese cultures, a bridge that connects them all, and the bravery to embrace yourself and choose your own path after knowing and making peace with life's bittersweet facts.
The lush green mountain forest and the village that lives in it were beautifully captured, but unfortunately, the emotions in the film weren't. There are several scenes that could have squeeze our tears out, but none were shed that night because…… something was just….. off. It might be Machiko Ono (Yumiko)'s rather emotionless face, the bond between the people that doesn't feel quite right or something else but that's that. It's such a waste, though, because the plot is a rather good one and it could've been a more heartfelt and memorable movie.

We dig the scenes with the boys, though, because they remind us of our childhood. Atsushi (Kento Harada) resembles Jess as a curious, rebellious, protective and choleric (leading) elder brother. The little brother Toki (Kyoichi Omae) resembles Elle's childhood persona, which is an easygoing, happy-go-lucky naive crybaby lol. (≧▽≦)づ♡
Directed by Hirofumi Kawaguchi and based on Ryunosuke Akutagawa's 1922 short story, Rail Truck is a rather fine movie which teaches us to respect the elders, protect and love our family, and above all, embrace ourselves despite being 'different' and be grateful for the choices we have made.

Thank you, WAKUWAKU JAPAN TV for bringing this movie up. We can't wait to watch another ones! :D

XOXO
Jessica Yamada
By ELLE JESS at 9:38 AM 1 comments
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May 16, 2014

What to Wear: Casual Business Meetings + 5 Tips!

You know those days when you are meeting someone for a business discussion in a cafe or restaurant? You start thinking to yourself, "Is this a meeting or a lunch? Are we going to talk about business or do they want to get to know me first? But most importantly, WHAT SHOULD I WEAR?"

There are various types of business meetings and you got yourself the "Casual Type" meeting. It can be quite tricky because you don't want to look too serious, but you also have to maintain a level of professionalism.

Today I'm going to share with you the outfits that I would wear for casual business meetings! :)
I Beige Your Pardon
Tips #1: Do not over dress. Don't wear a business suit or anything too fancy unless you want to look like a pompous arse.
Tips #2: You can let your hair down but make sure it doesn't look like you just got out of bed. I'm a firm believer that your hair is part of your outfit! ;)
Tips #3: Keep it simple on the accessories for a clean, professional look.
What I Wore: GOWIGASA Cream Fuzzy Knit Sweater and Plaid Pencil Skirt | C&K Bag | Topshop Necklace | Comfit Heels

Not Everything is Black and White
Tips #4: If you want to play with patterns, keep them to your bottom half. Keep the top half plain and simple. And vice versa.
Tips #5: Do not dress down too, of course. A casual-type of business meeting is still a business meeting. No t-shirt with inappropriate messages, no sweatpants, no ripped clothing, and no sandals!
Remember: A meeting is truly casual when you are with your good friends. :D
What I Wore: ALL GOWIGASA (new items!)

 I hope my tips work for you! And if you have more tips on what to wear for casual business meetings, please share them in the comments below! xoxo

Elissa Yamada
By ELLE JESS at 2:22 PM 11 comments
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May 07, 2014

Orange! Feat. Etude House Play Nail Polish Review

 Howdy!

Today's outfit post features colorful outfit from GOWIGASA and (also) colorful nail polishes from Etude House. ♡

Sorry for lack of decent pictures of my manicure. Being unable to paint my right hands right, I ran to a cheap nail parlour nearby and ended up with THIS ugly manicure, which I couldn't possibly remove because it was already 9 PM by the time it was finished and I had a morning flight the next day and I needed to take pictures of this post right there right then. Come to think about it, it was all my stinginess' fault for not going to a better nail parlour, not to mention my bad time management for leaving everything to the last minute. Ah………. T_T

Anyway!
I'm making up for that with my pretty decent pedicure here. Not bad, huh? ;D
Loving my candy colored pastel nails!

Overall, Etude House Play Nail Polish has nice consistency, colors pop out nicely and I just needed to swipe twice to get the stronger coat, whereas the colors have appeared at the first swipe. I added a coat of glossy finish top coat with quick-dry effect and my nails went dry very fast and lasted that way for two whole weeks. It also happens to have 130 friggin shades to choose from!! XD
Yea that's a lot of nail polishes! XD


#OOTD
To complement my colorful nails, I put on neon colored tied-up button down shirt and a pastel colored flare skirt; both of lightweight materials to tackle the humid, hot weather in sunny Bali. I combined them with my navy striped bikini (forgot where I got it from) which nicely matched my striped sunnies ^^.

GOWIGASA Neon Chiffon Top, Silky Flare Skirt, Mono Aqua Shades | ALDO Sandals

Okay then, thank you so much for reading and see you guys on my next post~ (ˆヮˆ)づ♡

XOXO
Jessica Yamada
By ELLE JESS at 4:37 PM 10 comments
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May 05, 2014

3CE Review | Glossing Waterful Foundation + Highlight Beam

Hello! I'm back with new product review~
Today's stars come from 3CE (3 Concept Eyes), one of the hottest Korean brands right now. Introducing...

3CE Glossing Waterful Foundation
Mine is in #NUDE BEIGE. The frosted glass bottle comes with a pipette, very cute and economical! I think Imma use it for something else when it's empty. XD
As you can see, the 3CE Glossing Waterful Foundation made my pale skin look more vibrant and glowing. Texture was very light and coverage was not so good but as written here (or see image below), it is purposely made that way because it is more likely intended for everyday use, so our skin can still breathe easily while having that healthy, glowing look. More plus point, it is enriched with SPF 15 to protect your skin from harmful sunlight. Personally, I think it delivers what it promises, but I like my skin a bit matte because it is already very oily by nature, so this wouldn't be my first choice for skin base. But I think it would be great for those with dry or super dry skin!
Click here for complete information about this product.


3CE Highlight Beam
The stylish matte bottle comes with a cap and a pump. Very hygienic and the pump works great (pushes just the right amount as intended).
Just a small amount of the 3CE Highlight Beam has made my skin glossier and a better light reflector. Notice that it also gives glittery effect. This one was purposely made for face and body use, so you can also use it on your collarbones, shoulder, shin, etc to highlight those features. ^^v It was easy to blend, soft, very lightweight and non sticky. Click here for complete information about this product.

Both products on my face, taken indoor in the afternoon with flashlight:
I also patted on loose powder above the foundation to make it less glossy on my already-oily face, but it didn't stop the glowing effect, especially with the highlight beam on top.


What I Wore:
GOWIGASA Fuzzy Knit Sweater

I used the Glossing Waterful Foundation on my whole face and the Highlight Beam on my cheekbones and my nose.
Okay then, thank you so much for reading and see you guys on my next post~ (ˆヮˆ)づ♡

XOXO
Jessica Yamada
By ELLE JESS at 1:06 AM 13 comments
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May 03, 2014

The Yellow Handkerchief (幸福の黄色いハンカチ) | WAKUWAKU JAPAN Movie Review

Elle and I just watched this classic Japanese movie last night at WAKUWAKU JAPAN TV Channel (#168). It is called The Yellow Handkerchief / "Shiawase no kiiroi hankachi" (幸福の黄色いハンカチ). Anyway, this is the 1977 one, not the remake version with Kristen Stewart in it. :)

Synopsis
Directed by Yoji Yamada, this award(s) winning movie tells a story of a spontaneous road trip made by three strangers who meet on the road. Kinya (Tetsuya Takeda), a tacky guy who just bought a new red car meets Akemi (Kaori Momoi), a cute, young woman along the way. Some time later, they meet Yusaku (Ken Takakura), an introvert middle aged guy and he joins in, too. The story moves along and after a while, they find out that Yusaku has just got out of prison and that he was jailed for murder. He then begins to open up to Kinya and Akemi about his past, particularly about his ex wife Mitsue (Chieko Baisho) and their bittersweet relationship. The two then helped Yusaku to get closure by escorting him to his old house, to which he has sent a hopeful letter which instructed Mitsue to hang a yellow handkerchief outside her house if she still wants him back.

Review
We LOVE this movie! Funny and heartwarming, The Yellow Handkerchief (1977) might not be a heavy movie filled with mind-blowing twists or complex stories. But this humble movie simply won our hearts because it is a contrary to all that. It doesn't try too hard and everything flows naturally from the beginning to the end. During the road trip, the retro Japanese suburban city life mixed with Japan's natural landscape scenes were all beautifully captured, too. Watching The Yellow Handkerchief (1977) feels like watching the real version of Ghibli animation movies. Everybody's acting was great, unpretentious and very natural. There are even some really good moral messages in this movie; told in very simple and subtle ways. It teaches loyalty, respect, happiness in simple things and above all, love between a man and a woman.

You know you just watched a good movie when you don't realize that time went by and when you do, you realize that it was time well spent.

Thank you so much WAKUWAKU JAPAN TV for bringing this movie into our lives!

XOXO
Jessica Yamada
By ELLE JESS at 7:25 PM 0 comments
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