La Pari-Pari Langkawi

In Her Own Words: Poet Alina Rastam at La Pari-Pari

2011-11-16T17:28:00.000+08:00

Earlier we sent out a request for Malaysian-based artists to showcase their creations at La Pari-Pari's retail space. The first to answer our call is Alina Rastam, a Malaysian poet who has published two volumes of her poetry - Diver and All The Beloveds. Her books will be available at our shop when we open in January.

Diver, by Alina Rastam, which incidentally
features a cover shot taken at Tanjung Rhu, Langkawi

We're still looking for more work to populate our shelves, so if you have something you think may be suitable, do let us know.

Here Alina talks about her work, her journey with her own poetry and from where she draws her inspiration.

What made you take the self-publishing route for your collections?

I did contact some publishers when I was working on Diver, but found that no one is really interested in publishing poetry. So I realised that if I wanted to get my work out, I would have to self-publish. And yes, I would definitely be open to going the more traditional route in future – self-publishing is costly and involves a lot of hard work! - but I don’t see the situation changing soon.

Still, there are benefits to self-publishing: I was able to be involved with the production of my books at every level and was present when the books were ‘born’ at the printers’ etc. I learnt a lot from the process and am really grateful to have had these experiences.

2. There's this popular notion that poets tend to be people who daydream a lot and sit by lakes and seashores thinking of their work. How far or close to the truth is this for you?

I don’t have a routine – the poetry comes when it comes. I’ve done many different kinds of writing in my career – newspaper reporting, book reviews, opinion pieces, lectures and talks – and I’ve found that whereas with my articles and analytical pieces, I can determine when I want to write, with poetry I have to pretty much be led by the poetry. Sometimes I don’t write any poetry for months. Sometimes I write two poems in a week.

The process of writing poetry, for me, involves working with processes that go on in the subconscious or unconscious self. With the analytical pieces, I can marshall together my facts and arguments and write them when I want to as the process is mostly an intellectual one. Poetry involves going much deeper, into realms of feeling, desire, dreams, realms that exist beyond the mind.

Which is not to say that writing poetry is just about throwing all your feelings on paper. Anyone can throw lines on a page, but good poetry works on many levels, so that you get intellectual integrity as well as emotional resonance. Good poetry also requires a high level of control of language and mastery of technique. You need to make sure the sound and visual elements of the poem add to and support your overall vision of the poem as a whole, rather than clashing with it. Some people like to use unconventional punctuation or startling imagery but without a real reason for doing so, but then the work is just sensational and without depth.

So for me, poetry requires a lot of technical and intellectual work but because my poetry draws on subconscious processes, I must be led by it in terms of when and what I write. Often, I write nothing for months and am just busy living life – but then a poem needs to be written, and once I’ve written it, I see that even though I’ve been running around attending to the demands of life, some part of me has been integrating the experiences I’ve had and making meaning out of them.

3. As a poet, what do you think is the role poetry plays in the spectrum of creative fiction, in terms of what readers get out of it versus reading a short story or a novel, for example.

As a genre, poetry works with brevity and concentration and as such facilitates the attainment of a high pitch of emotional intensity. Fiction – novels, short stories – have the space and length that poetry doesn’t as most poems are short (of course there are exceptions eg epic poems like the Iliad or the Aeneid). With a novel, the writer can be discursive, and can describe people, ideas and things at great length. You can have an entire chapter dedicated to the description of a person; or even to a part of a person or an animal (Moby Dick, for instance, has a whole chapter describing a whale’s penis!)

Poetry, however, works with brevity, with concision and precision. In a novel, you can have ten or twenty extra words without them making a huge difference to the text – in a poem, because it is so short, every word counts. In fact, sometimes every syllable counts – think, for instance, of the haiku which is traditionally written in three lines of seventeen syllables.

What this does is to enable the poet to create a very high level of emotional intensity in the reader. It’s hard for a novelist to do this, as having lot of words often diffuses emotions – you may feel a feeling - joy or melancholy or nostalgia, for example - for a longer time via a novel, but you will feel it less intensely. I’m not saying poetry is better than fiction, though: each genre works differently, and we have to choose whatever suits us best. It’s a matter of personal preference.

5. How do you feel Diver differs from All The Beloveds as collections?

I think Beloveds was the continuation of a process that started with Diver. I realised after writing Diver that the psychological and emotional process I had embarked on at that stage of my life, which found expression in and was the animating principle of Diver, had not ended: there were still things I needed to say and explore. So I started writing Beloveds. In a sense, therefore, Beloveds was the continuation of a process, but it also went in new directions, especially in terms of technique. I was teaching a course on experimental writing at Monash University while I was writing Beloveds and some of what I covered in that course found its way into Beloveds – see ‘The Glass Sea’ for example, which is clearly experimental.

6. There is a strong, almost visceral thread of emotion in your poetry, and a lot of it seems very personal, almost memoir-like in a way. What was it like writing your pieces?

Poetry for me is a journey inward. I think many of us are distanced or completely cut off from the deep sources of life in us: from our own feelings, our yearnings, the deep hurts and pain that is part of being human and that all of us have. What we often don’t realise is that when numb ourselves to all those ‘bad’ feelings, and focus on our external achievements so that we don’t have to face them, we also lose the capacity to feel the ‘good’ feelings: the joy, the love, the passion of life. So we end up in a wasteland: physically alive, but dead inside. T.S. Eliot’s poem of that name dealt with this issue at one level: how can you bring life back to those for whom the springs of life have gone dry? There is also the story of The Fisher King in the Arthurian legends – a King who has an un-healable wound and whose land was a wasteland, where the rivers have dried up and the ground is barren and the people starving. Eliot was referring to this story in his poem; and both Eliot’s poem and this story talk about a condition of psychological and spiritual deadness that can befall countries and individuals.

Going inward, for me, was a way to finally face and come to terms with a lot that I had repressed and not wanted to deal in my life. I know that the process, though it involved a lot of pain and more courage than I knew I had, is life enhancing: for one thing, it started me writing poetry again after years of not doing so.

Having said that, I am very mindful that poetry is an art and a discipline, not just a vehicle for exploring your feelings and emotions. It’s not a journal, where you can write anything and not worry about technique and skill; or your therapist at whom you can vent. Poetry can be a way for you to connect with your deeper self, but the material must still be shaped and worked with to the best of your ability. If you are doing it right you will find that every poem puts new demands on your technical skill, and so you are constantly being pushed to grow as an artist and as a human being.

7. As a poet, what is your intent in writing your poetry and putting the pieces that you do out there for people to read?

‘Only connect’ says E.M. Forster in A Passage to India which is one of my favourite novels. I publish my books in the hope that somewhere out there, there will be people who will be able to connect with what I’ve written. Also because I believe in the poetry and it must have its own life which it cannot do if I were to keep it under wraps.

I’d like to end this by saying thank you, Karina, for coming up with these insightful and stimulating questions. I’ve enjoyed this opportunity to think about poetry and what it means to me. And I wish you all the very best for La Pari Pari!

Alina has a First Class Honours in English Literature from Durham University, UK and a M.A. with Distinction in English Literature and Women's Studies from lancaster University, UK. She is a freelance writer/editor and conducts workshops on literature and creative writing. She has written on literature and the arts, as well as on social issues for various publications including NST, The Sun and Off The Edge.

Diver & Other Poems was published in 2009 and All The Beloveds in 2011. Her work has also appeared in Tautan (2011), an anthology of Malaysian and German contemporary poetry produced by the Goethe Institute KL in collaboration with the National Translation Institute and in Readings from Readings: New Malaysian Writing (2011) edited by Sharon Bakar and Bernice Chauly.

For enquiries about Alina's writing and her workshops, write to her at binfy15@yahoo.com.

Showcase Your Creativity!

2011-11-04T19:21:00.001+08:00

Nessa The Angel by our Chairman - Kaeden, age 4

We are currently allocating a small retail space in our reception lobby and would like to showcase creations by Malaysian-based artists/creators. Since our resort is going to have visitors from all over the world, we thought why not use it as an outlet for promoting Malaysian-based talent? After all, we are a pretty creative bunch.

Criteria:

1. Must be SMALL - books, CDs, small jewelry items, clothing and knick-knacks are OK. Unfortunately, we don't have room for large objects.

2. Items must be created or designed by a Malaysian or Malaysian resident.

3. Sales will be purely on consignment basis and designer/creator must bear shipment cost of stock to La Pari-Pari. For things like books and CDs, please provide us with a non-returnable browsing copy.

4. No perishable items please.

Think of items that would make great souvenirs for travellers visiting our resort and restaurant. Ideally, we are looking for items that would give visitors a nice alternative to the usual, kitschy tourist souvenirs that are often sold. If it gives them a taste of our culture (contemporary or traditional), even better. And no, you don't have to be famous. You just have to produce something unique and wonderful :-) One-off items are also welcome.

Those interested, kindly e-mail karina@laparipari.com with details of the item/s you would like to sell as well as suggested retail price. Stock will need to be delivered to us before January 31st. We are only looking to stock small numbers of each item.

The Magic of Mia!

2011-10-28T13:27:00.000+08:00

Like I've said time and again, there is undoubtedly more than a little magic that has helped us get this far. Every time we've been stuck for ideas or resources, someone has come to the rescue.

This time it has come in the guise of a friend who is practically family, whose courage I hugely admire. Mia took a break from her advertising career three or so years ago to pursue her passion in art and today is one of Malaysia's up and coming artists. As someone who is only a fledgling writer, I know full well how challenging this must have been for her. But she has come a long way in such a short time. If you don't know her, it's time you do :-) Visit her website please to get acquainted :-) I think she does a far better job of telling her own story than I ever can.

One of my favourite pieces by Mia - Biru, photographed on exhibit at the National Art Gallery. It now resides in a private collection in Singapore.

And, she's currently working on a NEW piece, specially for La Pari-Pari's reception lounge! Stay tuned for the big reveal.

Here Comes The Sun!

2011-10-27T17:54:00.000+08:00

Finally, the rain seems to have let up a wee bit and we are commencing construction on the public spaces.

We even managed to salvage debris from a landslide elsewhere on the island and re-use it for our foundation!

Here's a view of our restaurant, reception and office-to-be - being prepped for the concrete foundation :-)

Meanwhile, the rooms have been plastered with the gorgeous sand from our very own soil, ready for me to pick the paint colours end of this week.

Don't our gables look great in white?

Our website too is on its way, with first-cut design drafts looking very nice :-) Hopefully it will be up and running in January, in time for our opening.

Now come the fun bits.... the choosing of paint, cushion fabrics and all the nice, pretty things that will make La Pari-Pari complete. Although these are things that typically made me excited in the past, especially when it came to my soon-to-be ex-home in KL, I have found that making interior decorating decisions for 12 rooms is a lot more nerve-wracking - because one little mistake will be repeated a dozen times!

Even a case of shortening curtains by a few inches is a major exercise when you are dealing with over 60 pieces! Thank God Mommy has come to the rescue, and with her resourcefulness, unearthed someone deep in the heart of Shah Alam who is willing to do it for a decent price. Over and over again, I am blessed, with people around me giving their time and expertise so generously to help us pull all of this off.

So fingers crossed, we WILL open in January :-) It's not long to go, folks, and don't I know it! :-)

Life As A Chief Everything Officer...

2011-09-20T10:35:00.001+08:00

Some of you have expressed your friendly envy of my new lifestyle-to-be. While life as a would-be entrepreneur and dare I say it hotelier is certainly exciting, it's not without its hairy moments!

For someone who is used to the corporate environment, and an army of staff to depend on, this whole going-it-on-my-own thing has been an experiment in exercising my long-forgotten micro-management skills. Not to mention having to accept the fact that weekends are workdays as well!

This is how things have changed for me since leaving the 9 to 5.....

The closest La Pari-Pari will ever get to a Board Meeting!

Although I have to admit, those bygone GLC habits have been hard to kick. In fact, I think we've one-upped it - going further on the culinary menu than the mandatory kuih-muih! Maybe if breakfast meetings were like this when I was gainfully employed, I would have stayed in the corporate sector :-)

My house has also turned into a right gudang, with boxes stacked up in the living room, safes in the TV room and tables in the driveway. Even my front gate looked like an old-fashioned laundry for a few weeks, with curtains being hung out to dry over it.

Beyonce has been the unhappiest about it all, given that her favourite spot in the house is now occupied by cardboard monstrosities filled with curtains and lights!

Beyonce, pretending to be on guard duty....

Turns out, all she wanted was to sleep in her favourite corner!

Shopping, even when on vacation, has become a hazardous sport. My iPhoto album is now filled with pictures of bathroom fixtures, lights and all manner of interior fittings. Recently, on a trip to Bangkok, the team from the soon-to-be-announced restaurant for La Pari-Pari and I were elated to find of all things, bathroom mats that were very reasonably priced. Our enthusiastic selves went on to purchase the whole lot - only to find that it was pouring rain outside and no cabs would stop for us.

Soaked to the bone but happy as larks!

If any of you want to know what buying plates in Chattuchak market is like, let me tell you, bring sunscreen :-)

Oh, and that old saying about "blood, sweat and tears"? I now understand too well the very meaning of it :-)

Breathing New Life Into Old Things

2011-08-25T23:06:00.000+08:00

As we race along with building construction, I've been like a mad hatter here in KL, trying to source for the various other bits and pieces that will be needed to bring La Pari-Pari to life.

From the outset, the approach to creating La Pari-Pari has always been founded on the premise of building cleverly, utilising simple solutions where possible, and reducing the potential waste that can be generated from a construction project like ours.

Two days ago, some of the fruits of our labour arrived in my home - a result of pounding the pavement and discovering this gem of a shop that sells used hotel furniture. If you haven't already been there, do go the next time you are looking for something new for your home or property.

Kin Peun is tucked away in a shoplot area somewhere along Jalan Ipoh. As with any second-hand store, of course, what you find there can depend to a certain degree on your luck and timing. And as it stood, our timing was pretty perfect, yielding safes, tables for our poolside area and outdoor courtyards as well as our most major find - curtains for our rooms! All may I add, at unbeatable prices.

So, in addition to saving money, we've also managed to save quite a few things from going into landfills.

Needless to say, my home is looking more and more like a warehouse :-) And the sight of yellow curtains hanging out to dry over my front gate is going to be a common one for weeks to come, owing to the quantity of curtains we purchased.

So, to those wondering if I am throwing a farewell party before I exit KL, don't bet on it! By the time I am ready to go, I doubt there will be much room left in my current home for entertaining :-)

Fairies At The Bottom Of Our Garden

2011-07-26T23:11:00.000+08:00

I was complaining to my sister the other day how it has been ages since I've had a weekend to lie in bed, and that I was averaging 5 hours of sleep max per day. She said, "Welcome to my life!" Owing to the fact that she has a four year old and an eight-month old, she has barely slept since the first child came into the world.

It's been a pretty strenuous last few weeks. As construction progressed, we saw an opportunity to re-look some of the spaces. And as any architect will tell you, a client who starts thinking is a dangerous thing :-) But, thanks to the persevering souls involved in the process and Ijam, we have emerged from two weekends of almost all-nighters with a much improved property. Everything really looks like it all fits together now. Really.

To say that I am happy is an understatement. Tired yes, but very satisfied. And also realising day by day that I would still much rather be doing this than the jobs I had in my previous life. Somehow, poking around second-hand hotel stores and dusty junkyards, or traipsing about the property gives me a sense of fundamental satisfaction every time we overcome an obstacle or reach a small milestone.

Speaking of which, the magical Din has now managed to put up our roofs!!!!

When I last left the site on Sunday, we were still waiting for delivery of the roof material. Somehow, somewhere between yesterday morning and the end of day, Din has miraculously put it all up. Like Ijam says, we think Din uses elves. In fact, he rather looks like a very friendly albeit slightly shy one himself.

The bridges going across our grey water pond are also almost complete. They will enable folk to cross over into the brushland that lies at the very back of our property. I personally have an affinity for the way the wild brush looks at the moment. Almost makes you want to believe there are fairies living there, at the bottom of our garden, doesn't it?

Of Kerbaus and Progress

2011-07-20T19:17:00.000+08:00

Last weekend, I made another trip to the site, and as you can see, things are progressing!

Peering out of one of the rooms in the first block!

Progress on the second block of rooms

While work has been somewhat hampered by rain, it is looking like we will be ready by year-end. We've had to make some adjustments as we've gone along, but it has all worked out so far. We abandoned our intent to use cement board as our primary building material due to cost constraints and have fallen back on the conventional brick-and-mortar method. The good news is, the sand on our grounds is of such lovely quality, it will be re-used to plaster our walls. We've excavated piles of it, thanks to our digging of the pool and the grey water pond.

Ijam has also been hard at work, trying to reduce our construction wastage. Wood used for one structure's formwork is recycled for the next and most of it will eventually be incorporated on site into structures or as reinforcement for our grey water pond.

I won't go into the details of the various challenges we've faced in trying to conserve as much as possible and be green, but suffice to say, there have been times when cost has been a real constraint in allowing us to opt for the greenest alternative. So decisions have had to be made. But I recognise too that trying to be as environmentally conservative as possible is an ongoing process. It will be part of our guiding principles when commencing operations and doesn't stop at just our construction period alone.

No matter how stressful things get, comic relief somehow, never seems far. On our last visit, we were inspecting the grey water pond at the back of our property. By coincidence, our neighbours, the kerbau Mommy, wandered by, with her brood, which now includes a studly male companion. She now has four calves, two more than the original pair.

As they took their typical stroll from their property through ours and over to the other side, one of the babies emerged from the brush and decided to take a dip in the pond. He was very nonchalant about it, swishing his tail and at all times maintaining eye contact with us as if to say, "Hey, this is MY pool, so I better not catch you swimming in it!" Since the pond isn't very deep, he took a small stroll around one end of it, his body practically submerged, while we laughed on the sidelines.

My little kerbau friend, well camouflaged :-) I think I should name him!

I almost wish I don't eventually have to cordon off our property. It will deprive him of his swimming hole. But I don't think some guests will appreciate being confronted by a family of kerbau while they are sunning on the lawn!

Meanwhile, all manner of folk have been trooping through my home in Petaling Jaya, which has finally been put on sale. I will miss it, as it has been good to me and I have many memories of my life there. But as they say, it's time to move on. And move on we will.

Of walls and a treehouse

2011-06-30T13:57:00.000+08:00

Look folks, we have walls!

And in other news, our friends Aida and David have kickstarted a recycled treehouse project that hopefully will be situated on La Pari-Pari. Go check out their Facebook page and volunteer! They are looking for people to contribute ideas in relation to the construction of the treehouse and also volunteer time and materials. It's an exciting and rare opportunity for anyone interested to participate in an eco-awareness raising project that will be displayed on our site, for all to see and experience.

Becoming Reality

2011-06-15T12:04:00.001+08:00

I have always, in the short four-year span of his life, had a rather challenging relationship with my middle nephew, mainly perhaps owing to both our recalcitrant natures. But of late, as he has grown into a walking and talking back little person, I've found I enjoy his maddening company a little more, for its banter and entertainment, and the insights into that incredibly warped mind of his that is light years beyond his physical age.

In fact, when I got back from a recent five-day family holiday, I found myself missing his thorny presence. Waking up without the threat of his diminutive spectre clutching toy bunnies, one in each hand, was although calming, a little unsettling. There are no unexpected extras attempting to crawl into my bed for a last minute snuggle. Or the possibility of an odiferous toy shoved up my nose to wake me.

Last night, after a phone call with Ijam to discuss a last minute roofing matter (I am amazed sometimes how I now sound like a contractor!) I realised that La Pari-Pari's journey will always be dated by this nephew, and how Langkawi and our little resort will always be intertwined with some of the firsts in his life. He was only six months old when my sister and I took that first flight out to seek a bed and breakfast for purchase in Langkawi. It was his first time to an island.

And now he, and the project turn four this year. Some people are aghast that it's taken us this long to get to where we are. I, at times, am surprised it hasn't taken me longer. But perhaps that is because where my other passion is concerned, it's taken me near thirty years to get to a state where I feel things are finally moving. So four years, is a relatively short gestation period in my books.

I realised yesterday too, that only a mere twenty-odd weeks remain until my life changes in a most profound way. We began laying the concrete foundation yesterday for the first block of rooms, and already, I can see the physical structure begin to emerge. Looking at the photographs from Ijam were like looking at a ghost - my eyes disbelieving that this thing I had long dreamed about is finally becoming real, and is no longer a figment of my imagination.

Din, our head contractor, after completing the concrete foundation of our first block. His initial attempt was thwarted by three straight days of rain, so he has much to be happy about here!

I can't wait till my next visit, when I get to run my bare feet on the concrete, dangle my legs on the edge of the empty swimming pool and take silly Bollywood photos against the bare columns of the building.

I promise you will all bear witness through this blog, to the first time I walk through our rooms :-)

Love and light,
Karina!

Working Across Borders

2011-05-29T17:44:00.000+08:00

It's been over a month since my last post. Am happy to report that things are moving at a relatively smooth clip.

But first, a rant. We had some delays in April and early May due to inclement weather, which prevented the backhoe from doing its work many a day. Once the sun decided to cooperate the banks didn't. Thanks to Malaysia's ultra-efficient Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia (Malaysian Companies Commission), our company records were not updated, which caused some two weeks of to-ing and fro-ing with the banks and the Company Secretary and the like. Believe me, having money but no way to access your bank account due to a technicality is really annoying!

Hopefully, it's now all sorted out! We begin work on our foundation this coming week. Even the pool has been concreted and is sitting still until it is time to tile it once we are nearing completion of the whole project.

Meanwhile, I have been busy wading through suppliers of various kinds - linen, toiletries, web, software, you name it..... While it's all been rather fun in a way, there have been moments when I wished things moved faster and people were just that much more efficient. But hey, all in a day's work!

We've also been busy doing the groundwork for the interior design. While it is all still preliminary, I think things are shaping up quite nicely. One thing's for sure, this resort is turning out to be a cross-border project of epic proportions LOL! Architecturally, it was designed predominantly remotely - with me in KL and the architect in Langkawi. The logos are being done here in KL as is the interior design. Restaurant menu being put together between Perth and KL, staff uniforms designed in Melbourne and a cocktail menu also being put together in Melbourne itself. The good thing is, with technology, most of it is being done via phone/e-mail/Skype, without the need for folks to fly to and fro too much :-)

By the way, all the folks mentioned in all these places are Malaysian or Malaysian-born. So if you like what you will eventually see at La Pari-Pari, it's all homegrown talent that put it together :-)

I'll introduce you all to the characters involved in due course. We're a motley crew but an enthusiastic one :-)

Cross your fingers, and I hope to meet some of you come 2012.

Ground Is Broken!

2011-04-05T13:16:00.000+08:00

It's done folks! We are finally really on our way!

On Sunday, April 3rd, we began construction of our little swimming pool. I never thought I'd be so thrilled to see a hole in the ground! It was both exciting and still a little scary at the same time. After so long, I almost can't believe we have finally come to this stage.

I have always said I am a lucky girl with a charmed life. And this weekend was no different. My loved ones were there with me, some having flown in just for the occasion, including Kaeden, my sister's son who was with my sister Karen and I when we made our first trip out to Langkawi in search of a bed and breakfast.

Back then, he was a wee five-month old baby.

In May this year, he turns a precocious four.

Even Mother Nature was generous with her gifts. Prior to us going to Langkawi this past weekend, it had been raining cats and dogs. But I arrived on Saturday to the smiling sun and bright blue skies. The morning of the groundbreaking, we were also gifted with the presence of a Large-Tailed Nightjar (thank you Wendy for identifying the bird) who was sitting quietly on a bed of dry leaves.

According to Wendy, it is rare that these birds stay still enough for anyone to get a good close-up photograph. We later found out why....

Can you spot her two babies? (Hint, they are in the lower right-hand corner)

We were all a little worried that the construction work might injure her and her babies. Thankfully, she moved them away shortly after to, I presume, a much safer spot.

For more photos, visit our Facebook page.

.... And, we're off!!!

2011-03-25T13:41:00.000+08:00

Finally, after three-and-a-half years since we began our journey, we will begin construction on April 3rd, which also, coincidentally, will mark my 42nd birthday.

I can't think of a better birthday present from the universe than this.

While this is something we have looked forward to for quite a while now, it has also been something that seemed on some days unattainable. And I am glad that my tiny slivers of self-doubt have finally been conquered.

Now that the day draws near, I vacillate between being excited, hopeful and a little scared.

But I know it will all be more than okay in the end :-)

To those of you who have joined us on this journey so far, a big thank you. While many of you may not think your contributions have been much, your presence alone on this blog and our Facebook page, plus the comments you've left have all served to feed our belief in this project's ability to come alive.

Cross your fingers, folks. Hopefully, we will open our doors before the end of this year.

Picking Up Speed

2011-03-10T17:52:00.000+08:00

It looks like the sun has finally shone through.

Two nights ago I received confirmation that the bulk of the funding we need to commence with construction have become available. So it is likely we will begin construction in July, which puts us on the track to open in February 2012. It's a little delayed from our original timeline, but in the larger scheme of things, I think a few months late is a small matter.

We signed off on our design about a week and a half ago. Now, we enter the construction drawing phase, where materials are detailed out and contractors evaluated. Sometimes, when I think about it, I wonder that there aren't many more of my family members and friends who think I am slightly insane for taking this project on. This for a girl who has never laid a brick or fixed a clogged pipe. OK, so I can drill a few holes, but that's the extent of my construction knowledge.

But then again, everyone has to start somewhere. In fact, on good days, I am surprised we have even got this far.

And we will now go further.

I know where I will be spending my New Year's Eve this year :-) Stay tuned as we pick up speed.

In Full Bloom

2011-02-14T23:23:00.000+08:00

A missive from our architect Ijam recently reminded me beautifully of how La Pari-Pari, even in it's current state is already a living, breathing entity.

This was the latest photo he sent me of the site in early February. Then, we both sighed at the carpet of dry leaves that blanketed the ground, realising the work that lies ahead of us in keeping things in check.

But just last week, he went back and lo and behold - the trees were in full bloom!

If anything, the photos he sent me reinforced our resolve not to cut trees down unnecessarily. And to think, we've owned the land for a couple of years now, yet this is the first time we've noticed this seasonal occurrence. According to the neighbour, the trees were traditionally used to make hand-hewn wooden perahus (canoes) back in the day.

I can't wait till we can share this with our guests when we are up and running :-)

Paya Paya: River Cottage Langkawi-style!

2010-10-26T16:08:00.000+08:00

The greenhouse at Paya Paya

For those of you who missed my posts on them on our Facebook page, here are some snippets on Paya Paya - a mission of love for two individuals who truly believe in what they are doing. I've met several people now who, inspired by the River Cottage series on television, have aspired to live the country lifestyle and cultivate their own farm.

Well folks, there are people here in Malaysia already beginning to live the dream :-)

Elain and I were first acquainted in high school. Since then, we've kept in touch over the years and even worked together on several projects in our professional capacities.

Over time, I've discovered that we are actually fairly like-minded, in our frustrations with KL corporate life and its shenannigans, the politics and wheeling and dealing. So much that she, like I, decided to pursue a personal passion that coincidentally takes root in Langkawi.

Chances are, you've never heard about Paya Paya. The project, a labour of love for Elain and her husband Kyri is just off a quiet road in Langkawi. Spread over a couple of acres of ex-paddy fields, Paya Paya in its current initial phase is an experiment in sustainable farming.

I had the privilege of visiting them recently and Kyri very graciously showed us around. The extent of progress they have made is testament to how much individuals can achieve on their own volition - without the help of Government or big businesses.

Walking around the property, Kyri pointed out how they have incorporated several ecologically-oriented elements into their cultivation process. Compost made from waste materials that are collected from various sources around the island (including a famous coffee chain!), harvested rain water for irrigating their vegetable beds, and solar panels for some of their power needs.

Although their current yield is small, what I saw was attractive! At the moment, according to Kyri, most of the produce is sold locally on the island, with proceeds going to charity. So if you ever stop by there, do buy their vegetables.

Just look at the size of them chillies!

And if you DO visit, here's a small piece of trivia for those of us who harbour Coyote Ugly-esque ambitions - the lovely, long wooden benches scattered around the property used to be bar tops! So if like me, you've always wondered what it felt to dance on one....

Photo courtesy of Mia Farriza (www.miafarrizza.com)

To learn more about Paya Paya, visit their Facebook page.

Your help needed: Building Lobong-Lobong's First Library

2010-10-20T14:14:00.000+08:00

The Lobong-Lobong community center where the library will be housed

Remember Aida Rahman? She was one of the people instrumental in helping us secure our plot of fairy magic where La Pari-Pari will eventually be situated.

A KL-ite who transplanted her self to Langkawi, Aida is now well on her way of pursuing her own dream of setting up operations in Sabah. At the core of her vision is a village called Lobong-Lobong, en route to the Mount Kinabalu headquarters.

She posted a plea recently for books to help set up Lobong-Lobong's community library. For those who can help, please do. On top of the fact that it's for a good cause, Aida is someone I have complete faith in to ensure your contributions are used in the best possible way.

Here's the message from Aida.

PLEASE SEND US BOOKS!!

Dear friends,

The time has come for me to make a plea on behalf of the children and
villagers of Kampung Lobong-Lobong. Remember my first ever note on FB?
I have a wish to empower these able people and I found that many
friends and acquaintances also share my wish. So the first step we are
taking is to create the village’s own resource centre and library!
Hence today, I would like to ask you to send us books to help us
furnish it. The centre will be housed in an existing building within
the village.

On the weekend of the 18th-19th December a few friends and I are going
to fix shelves in the building shown below & convert it into a
resource centre cum library for the villagers to use freely.. so
please feel free to send books, magazines (if possible nature
related), dictionaries, pictionaries etc. that you think can benefit
this community. For those who are able to join us that very weekend,
you are also welcomed :)

A bit on demographics of the village...

There are roughly about 90 households in the Lobong-Lobong village.
Each household has an average of 3 to 5 children whose ages spans
between 3 to 25 years… there is a primary school in Kuang village
which is about 25mins walk away, whilst in order to attend secondary
school these youngsters will either attend boarding schools near
Ranau i.e. SMK Lohan or SMK Narinang but they will usually come home
to the village in the weekends to help tend the farms and fields.

We have good feedbacks from the locals wanting to learn and pick up
languages, mainly English, so we hope in the near future we can also
organize short English classes for all age groups. I have plans to
invite friends and contacts to contribute their time in training these
villagers in skills that would help them improve their livelihood… if
you have skills and knowledge to share please also get in touch :)

A dear friend had agreed to be the collection centre for this project
so please send your donated books to:

“Lobong-Lobong Community Drive: Resource Centre & Library”

c/o : DR. Izety Shezlinda Noran

Room no. 40, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Clinic,

Hospital Queen Elizabeth I,

Karung Berkunci No 2029

88586 Kota Kinabalu

Sabah

p/s: it would also be nice for you to write a note stating your
name(s) & where/who the book donation is from etc. Perhaps also some
encouraging words to the readers :)

Soldiering On

2010-10-14T17:07:00.000+08:00

I realise that for some time now, you have all not heard a lot about La Pari-Pari. Many are wondering if we are still pursuing the project.

The answer is YES!

Since we completed our design work last year, we've been down proverbial back alleys and up winding staircases to nowhere with regards to obtaining approvals for our development from the authorities. The truth is, in Langkawi at least, most don't bother. Most, build first, pay fines and legalise later.

We tried doing things the right way, but have found that it doesn't result in any real progress.

So, we've had to re-strategise. Re-think our options. The upshot of which is that we are still pursuing our target of opening next year. But it also involves re-thinking the way we are going to run the business and staff it, finance it and prep it for operations.

With some luck, and some money, we should be able to reach our goal.

It's a big IF, but I remain optimistic. And part of the reason why is all of you - the silent and not-so-silent supporters who continue to keep one eye out for us and our cause. The friends and acquaintances who never, never fail to ask me how La Pari-Pari is going whenever you see me. Even if I don't have much to report on in terms of progress at the moment, your curiosity and interest continue to spur me on.

Sometimes, there are things you embark on in life that just seem right. Despite the delays, when progress is made, it happens almost serendipitously. People come in and out of your life and their purposes are all too clear.

There have been too many of such moments in my life since La Pari-Pari was first conceived as an idea. So many that I know I will get there soon.

Earlier this year, I experienced perhaps one of the biggest setbacks one can on a project like this - the loss of a business partner. While it was regrettable, looking back, I now think it was inevitable. Since her departure, the spaces she has vacated have been filled ten-thousand fold.

On my last trip to Langkawi, three of the dearest people in my life today accompanied me. To keep me company. To help me re-build my memories and associations with the island I so love so that I may once more see its beauty. Not that I had forgotten, but perhaps due to several incidents, my perspective of the island had changed a little in the last year.

You will be introduced to them over the course of the next couple of weeks. They are the ones who have helped me create new, happier and more hopeful memories that I can fall back on when the going gets tough.

The one thing I can say with absolute certainty is this - in all my conversations with people close and not-so-close to me, those who have prodded or offered advice out of mere interest in either my well-being or the project's, I have not uncovered any new insights. Every spanner thrown at me by devil's advocates are those I am already familiar with and have examined in my own time and thoughts.

What it means to me is that I have really thought about this. And internalised the life changes that this project will require of me.

It won't be easy, I know. But beyond just repeating that as a mantra, I know it won't be easy down to the minutest detail. The things I may have to sacrifice or let go, the sweat, frustration and impatience I will have to temper. And the joy I know I will find in facing these challenges. Because they will ultimately lead to me leading the life I want to lead, and enable me to make the changes I believe I can make as an individual.

This will be my imprint on the world. No matter how small it is, it will be there.

Thank you for staying the course with us.

Beneath The Sheen

2010-05-27T10:15:00.000+08:00

It has been a challenging first five months of the year, during which most of our efforts have been focused on stabilising things and getting them back on an even keel.

La Pari-Pari experienced a change in management at the beginning of this year. While it was a trying experience for me, I am glad to say that I believe things have worked out for the better. I am now the sole driver of the business, backed by a new partner, my brother who is assisting me in the background with financial and administrative advisory matters.

The last few months have been mainly spent getting administrative matters in order. Trademarking of our logo is now almost complete and our financial house is now in order.

Some of you may recall that we began the process of submitting our papers to the Langkawi town council some eight months ago, for the purpose of obtaining a development order that will enable us to construct the resort. In March, the town council came back to us requesting instead that we submit papers seeking permission to convert our piece of land from its current agricultural status to a commercial one. While this was something we had on the cards for a later stage, the town council has apparently changed the rules and is asking all developers to submit conversion requests before they release any development orders.

Now, technically, this sort of control mechanism is a good thing. Many developers in Langkawi are well-known not to adhere to the conversion requirement and develop land arbitrarily. So, we did the necessary and complied.

A week ago, we received a letter saying that our conversion request had been temporarily rejected as we had not obtained our development order!

Upon further investigation we have now been told the letter was a 'clerical error'.

The level of incompetence we have encountered in acquiring basic services in Langkawi and in relation to both private and public sector providers there has been appalling. Of course, this presents opportunities for enterprising folk - so if any of you out there are reading this and want to move there - they need all sorts of efficient people - accountants, lawyers, contractors, etc.

What concerns me is how the inefficiencies we have witnessed will impact the further development of the island's tourism sector and indeed its economy as a whole. Without reliable service providers and a more efficient government, the island cannot prosper.

In other news, one of loyal supporters, Aida has now left Langkawi in pursuit of a new career in Sabah. While we will miss her presence on the island, I am truly happy for her. So if any of you are thinking of a spot to go to in East Malaysia, drop by Mantanani Island, off the coast of Kota Belud.

Thank you for continuing to support us. Remotely or not, your presence among us and positive thoughts have been very helpful on days when we just want to throw in the towel.

We will get there eventually. It make take some time, but we will get there :-)

The Awesome Elephants of Kuala Gandah

2009-11-19T02:42:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday we did one of those things that has been on my To Do list for a while - a day trip to the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary. Run by the Forestry Department, the sanctuary is part of a national elephant rehabilitation and translocation effort that rescues elephants from areas where they are threatened or a threat to humans and relocates them to forest reserves.

Of course, the main reason this place even exists is because we keep cutting down the forests and turning them into palm oil plantations. With their severely shrunken habitats, wild elephants often end up ravaging the palm oil estates for food.

I have to say, I came away impressed. As Malaysians, I think most of us will admit that we generally have low expectations when it comes to locally-run establishments, especially when they are government-owned and operated. But in the past few years, there have been a few gems that have left me pleasantly surprised and this was one of them.

Apart from having pretty well-kept grounds, which is a challenge in itself given the rather large sizes of its inhabitants, the place is also staffed with people who genuinely seemed to love their charges. The info center, for those who care to take time and read their exhibits, tell you a fair bit about these amazing creatures.

For instance, did you know that elephants are a matriarchal breed? And that they mourn their dead, often stopping while on a trek at places where their loved ones have passed away? These are creatures with long lives and long memories, which I suppose is why the saying "Elephants never forget."

The thing you won't find out while at the center, is the wonderful work really done there. I wish they had a bit more information about the work they actually do, which, thanks to our source on the trip, Rakesh, turns out to be an awful lot. The elephants in Kuala Gandah are either being rehabilitated or trained as working elephants. By the latter, it means they are taught to aid in the capture of wild elephants, especially when the latter cannot be tranquilised due to their health conditions or other extraneous circumstances. In such cases, trained elephants together with their mahouts ride through the jungle until they are alongside the wild elephant target, hemming it in on both sides and leading it to safety. The mahout's job is a dangerous one - imagine riding atop an elephant crashing through the jungle at full speed. Injury, needless to say, is a sure thing.

Yet, these brave men and their elephants persevere, saving more than 300 elephants to date.

If you haven't visited, do go. It's one of the few things we do right. And it's absolutely free of charge, which I personally think is outrageous - the experience alone deserves an admission fee. So, do give a donation instead, as the center can always use the funds.

From A Distance

2009-11-05T18:40:00.000+08:00

Managed to capture some shots of the island and its surroundings one a flight once. Thought I'd share it with all of you - especially those who have never been to Langkawi.

And if you're living in Malaysia - what the heck are you waiting for lah?

This is Pulau Dayang Bunting (Island of the Pregnant Maiden) where the famous lake with the same name is located.

Because Blogger is such a pain when it comes to uploading photos, do oin our Facebook Page - La Pari-Pari to see the rest and our other albums.

Tiga Langkawi Turns One

2009-10-31T16:22:00.000+08:00

This is a long overdue post (almost a month to be exact!) and my apologies to Jeff and Nas for not doing this sooner!

If you ever make your way on the windy road to The Datai, you will pass by the Temurun Waterfalls. If you're in luck, you'll glimpse a rather over-sized, glowing number 3 across the road from the falls.

Congratulations, you have found Tiga Langkawi - a lunchtime treat for those journeying far off the touristy Cenang beach strip. Started by Jeff and Nas, Tiga Langkawi offers yummy fare that is in limited supply - on

ce they run out for the day, that's it! And I am told they run out pretty quickly, thanks to Nas' magic in the kitchen.

The hensem Nas! (We didn't have Jeff's pic!)

We first met Jeff and Nas on an evening out in Langkawi and were immediately intrigued by their description of the restaurant wedged between a waterfall and the ocean. The next afternoon, we ventured out in search of them and we weren't disappointed.

Although the restaurant was closed for renovations at the time, we spent a lovely evening hanging out with the guys and their lovely dogs, watching the evening grow darker as

the waves lapped at our feet on a deserted pebble beach.

In early October, Tiga Langkawi celebrated its first birthday and we were invited! Woo hoo! The food was amazing and the company even better. We met Langkawi residents and those like us who would someday like to call the island home, including Dawn who is a regular on our Facebook fan page.

Aida fashions some Oakleys out of her dinner spoons

More and more, we realise that Langkawi is actually a haven for transplants from everywhere, especially KL. Nas for example, shuttles between the island and KL where he has another business. Other folks we've met just decided to do what we aspire - pack up and leave the city hustle for the island life. I guess that makes us not so unusual after all :-)

So the next time you're on the island and in search of a tasty lunch, try going off the beaten path a little, and discover the magic of Tiga Langkawi. The food's great and the company's even better :-) Unfortunately, my camera didn't end up capturing very nice photos. So if you'd like to see more, just look up Tiga Langkawi on Facebook :-)

Aida, Eric and I attempt a Charlie's Angels pose :-)

Of Beyonce, a Kerbau and some other updates

2009-10-20T22:55:00.006+08:00

My apologies for being so delinquent with the blog posts of late. Combination of work and sheer laziness on some days. That and the added distraction of Beyonce, our English Bulldog who joined our household a couple of months back.

Work on La Pari-Pari has been chugging along, albeit at a slightly slower pace due to the recent Ramadhan and Hari Raya festivities. Thankfully things have picked back up. Sometimes I look back and I can't believe we've reached the point we're at already. Seems like only yesterday we were still hunting for a suitable piece of land.

Yet there are days when things can't seem to happen fast enough :-)

In early October, we finally began the process of submitting our plans to the town planning authority for approval. We thought it would take a while, as things have a way of doing, before they would even get to our case. Surprisingly, they've already come back with some initial feedback which may require us to make some changes. In a way, it's good news. It means someone's looking at our file! (I know, ain't it sad that in Malaysia the benchmark is whether someone even knows you exist in their mountain of paperwork....)

The other big development is that we are exploring a change in construction strategy. From the start, our resort was meant to be a brick-and-mortar deal. But there has always been a lingering concern as to whether we could get the quality of finish and durability we wanted with our limited budget. Plus, the skill level of local labour has always been questionable, judging from the quality of many buildings on Langkawi.

Of course, if we had a trillion dollars, it wouldn't be a problem! :-)

But of late, we've been exploring a new possibility. Ijam, through Mr Chan (of Bu House fame) is now looking at constructing La Pari-Pari out of timber and cement boards, in much the same way houses in the West are built. I guess for those of you who are familiar with Langkawi, it would be akin to how the Burau Bay cabanas were built. Although with today's materials, the results should be a lot better.

The main appeal to us where this method is concerned is the reusability of the materials. If for some reason, we decided to tear down the structures one day, the wooden beams are recyclable. Which is a lot more than can be said with brick and mortar. Plus, this way there would be little need for a concrete foundation, which translates into structures that sit lighter within their environments.

So all's well that ends well, I hope. There are some of you who have asked why we have not pursued the route of using wood completely, a la Malay kampung houses. The answer is - it's too expensive ;-) Plus, we do feel that kampung-style resorts are so over-done, especially in Langkawi. The island doesn't need yet another one, n'est-ce pas?

In other news (and this is just to give you a feel for the little vagaries we deal with in our quest): After our walkthrough of the site once it was pegged, a kerbau has since traipsed in and made compost of our wooden pegs and strings LOL! Ah well. I guess he had a few ideas of his own how La Pari-Pari should look :-)

Next: our recent trip to celebrate Tiga Langkawi's birthday.

Meanwhile, here's a snippet of our Beyonce, whose concert will NOT be cancelled :-) Click here.

Bu House

2009-09-09T17:03:00.000+08:00

Aida wins hands down when it comes to uncovering gems off the beaten path in Langkawi.

The latest one she's shared with us is Bu House - the home of a man whose passion for bamboo has led to his creation of the Langkawi Carbon Exchange project. Tucked away in a hidden pocket of villages, Bu House is a sprawling homestead whose simplicity veils the important work that is being done there.

The founder, a Mr Chan, is a rotund fellow who didn't hesitate to welcome us onto his grounds and generously spent an afternoon telling us about his various projects. The one that caught our attention was his carbon exchange project which involves both Langkawi villagers and big businesses from around the world.

The idea is a simple one. Sell carbon credits to big businesses who need to pay penance for their pollutant ways by planting bamboo on local village land. The big businesses win and so do the Langkawi kampung folk. Apparently business is so good, Mr Chan can't keep up with the demand!

And the local folk who participate in the programme? Mr Chan tells the tale of how years ago, when the programme began, he only managed to persuade the local menfolk to permit the planting of a handful of bamboo thickets on their respective pieces of land. Now, several years later, some of these old folk have passed on, and their wives upon finding out how lucrative the bamboo have become, berate their late husbands for not allowing Mr Chan to plant more on their plots!

Judging from the figures Mr Chan shared with us, I can certainly understand why. A bamboo thicket nets the land owner about RM1,000 from the programme a year. All for doing nothing except allowing the bamboo to exist on one's plot of land, as all maintenance and culling is done by Mr Chan's team free-of-charge. An acre of land can host up to 270 bamboo thickets.

Anim did the math and almost decided against building La Pari-Pari! :-)

The money aside, we were very heartened to meet Mr Chan. Here's someone who has pursued a passion of his and not only made it pay off, but also figured a way to spread the wealth around. Now that's sustainable business practice.

Oh and the best part of visiting Mr Chan? We also got free reign to wander around his grounds which houses ducks, chickens, guinea fowl, a very playful dog and a clutch of goats from various parts of the world. One of them was even in the midst of giving birth when we were there and another was busy tending to her two-day old kid. It doesn't get more special than that.

To view photos, visit La Pari-Pari's Facebook page.

The Company Secretary

2009-08-24T23:02:00.001+08:00

So few acknowledge the backroom folks of their businesses. We thought we'd take some time to give some snaps to our favourite founding member.

This is our Company Secretary. Her name is Athena. Ijam has also proclaimed her his KL girlfriend whenever he comes to visit. We suspect it's because when he stays over at our house (yes we believe in keeping a close eye on him LOL!) he sleeps on the futon in our den - also christened by him as Athena's bed.

Whether or not we have meetings with Ijam face-to-face or on the phone, Athena attends all of them faithfully (unless of course we're in Langkawi -then, she's boarded at Camp David with the rest of the doggies and busy sulking...)

5 minutes before meetings begin.... (note the anticipation on face)

Rapt attention mid-way through an architectural debate...

In deep thought.

She will claim she is overworked.

Hopefully you will all get to meet her when La Pari-Pari opens.

At any rate, we have listened to her complaints and got her an assistant.

But I have my suspicions at 5 months Beyonce has already been quickly influenced by her superior!

Walking Through La Pari-Pari

2009-08-19T01:55:00.000+08:00

A few weekends back we went to Langkawi once more for a milestone visit. Finally, after months of waiting, we picked up our land title from the lawyer! It's officially ours now!! We also visited the site once again where Ijam had the footprints of the various buildings pegged - marked with wooden pegs and raffia string.

La Pari-Pari's entrance and office

So we literally "walked" through La Pari-Pari for the first time :-) We checked out rooms, the distance between various structures, and unanimously declared the swimming pool too small! LOL!

Since then we've discovered that our original target for funding, the SME Bank, has run out of funds for the particular loan we were targetting. Apparently, due to the high number of loan defaulters, the bank no longer has money to disburse for tourism. Of course this can change if defaulters pay up or the Government provides additional funding following the next National Budget in October.

Meanwhile, we're busy exploring other avenues for funding, limited as they may seem at the moment. The fact is, there is little by way of financial support given in this country to start-up SMEs like us who may have good ideas but no company track records. And we are in no way alone.

But, as usual, there are people out there with ears to the ground for us, trying to help us in their own ways. So fingers crossed, if we find other avenues, we will still be seeking funding by the end of this year.

All the same, work continues. The design of La Pari-Pari is close to final, with us already in the third round of interior concepts for the rooms. We're even in the midst of finalising our logo! By end of August, we will have submitted our drawings to the planning authorities, with an ultimate view to converting the site's status from agricultural to commercial.

So, things are moving, albeit at a gradual pace. Although, as I've often said to Anim, I believe every apparent setback has its reason, often times if not for anything but to force us to pause and consider our next step. And many a time this has resulted in a better, more improved version of La Pari-Pari emerging from our respite.

Meet Imah!

2009-08-08T02:05:00.002+08:00

Say hello to Imah Salleh!

Imah is someone we've known for a number of years now. We first met her when she worked at our friend's restaurant.

I am constantly amazed at the confluence of coincidences that seem to surround La Pari Pari.

Imah comes with years of experience in the hospitality industry, predominantly in the food & beverage sector. So naturally, when we thought about people we knew on whom we could turn to for advice, especially on the operational aspects of running a resort, we thought of Imah.

The funny thing is, two years or so ago, Imah took a hiatus from Kuala Lumpur. Her "sabbatical" was in Bali, working with a company that provides internet booking services and website development for several resorts in Bali.

So now, she's become a resource on whom we depend for insights for the sales aspect of the business too!

Who knows - with any luck, maybe we can entice her to join us once La Pari Pari opens. I seem to think she's look smashing in a bikini and a pair of wings on Cenang Beach, no?

Green Fairy alert: The Real Magic Behind Frangipani

2009-07-22T01:28:00.000+08:00

On Aida's suggestion during our last trip to Langkawi, we went to Frangipani Resort for a special little tour. I think this one's a bit of a well-kept secret, but if you're interested in sustainable living, be sure to put this on your list of To Do's the next time you are on the island.

Although Frangipani is already famous on the island for its eco-friendly practices, few know the real extent of their efforts on this front. But for a mere RM5, you can get a tour of their back-of-house along with a guide who will tell you all about the resort's already impressive progress in running their business along sustainable principles.

Here's the tip of the iceberg:

Old bottles and plastic containers are re-purposed as lampshades.

They've even got their own wetlands, where the grey water (water from the sewers) is channelled to fertilise a corn patch with the most GIANT corn plants I have ever seen, then into a pond where it is filtered again via water plants until it emerges clean on the other side of the pond.

The filtration pond where grey water emerges clean!

Their backyard houses free range ducks and chickens who were busy either lolling about under shrubs, taking a dip in the cooling pond or just clucking and quacking their way round the garden when we visited. The hens really have a sweet deal though - their henhouse for laying eggs is a repurposed spa hut! These ladies sure live in style.

There's more - organic rice grown in old bathtubs, a salt water swimming pool, rain-water collection, sponsor-a-tree programmes for guests, and the list goes on.

But don't let me tell you all the secrets - go see them for your self. Hopefully it will inspire you to also think about how you can incorporate some of those practices at home :-)

La Pari-Pari : Where We Are

2009-07-11T23:29:00.000+08:00

Some of you have been asking about progress on La Pari-Pari. Some of you even think that it is already under construction.

The truth is we're only in the early stages of La Pari-Pari's lifecycle folks. It takes (as we have found out) a lot longer to build a resort from scratch than it does to set up a shop in a mall. After all, we have to build our "shop" from scratch.

So here's where we are now, exactly:

Scene from one of our face-to-face

meetings in Ijam's apartment.

The last six months and change have been spent deep in design. La Pari-Pari was drawn and brought to paper life mainly across phone and Internet lines, with Ijam and us periodically meeting face-to-face in between. And even then, meetings have been far less than formal :-) Perhaps it's an indication of our life to come on the island?

My sister Karen, the other initial partner-in-crime who started

this whole thing. And yes, this IS a meeting!

It's been interesting for me - seeing how a business is built from scratch - as I've never been a true-blue entrepreneur before. I've always worked for people. So now, when I read about other entrepreneurs talking about how their business empires began at kitchen tables and in dining rooms, I completely get it. They literally mean what they say. I know we do, when we say that ours was given birth on tables in two different locations 45-mins flight apart.

Now that design of the resort's structure is done, it's on to interiors. Here's where I get to take out my proverbial box of crayons and have some fun!

Also on the cards are dealing with the quantity surveyor, contractors, engineers, etc, etc, etc - all just to get the documents ready for submission to the land office!

And this is BEFORE we even go to the banks for money :-)

With some luck and a lot of pushing, in about a month we should know what La Pari-Pari not only looks like from the outside but the inside too. And, we will have a logo!

Then, some time in September, we will go knocking on bank doors for the funding. If any of you can point us in the right direction, do holler!

A Few Good Fairies

2009-07-10T02:00:00.006+08:00

It may be months away from Christmas still, but we thought it might be nice to acknowledge a few good fairies who have been extremely helpful in providing us with some useful information and pointers.

Oprah has a famous saying, "You already have everything you need." With friends like ours, it is certainly proving to be true :-)

Sheliza Shahadan very kindly introduced us to the owners of Tanamera - a 100% Malaysian-born and owned brand of beautiful personal care and spa products made from natural ingredients. I spent a very pleasant afternoon chatting with one of the brand's founders, (who incidentally are a brother-sister team) at their office deep in Kampung Subang. It's the kind of place you just wouldn't call work, since it is set in a village and the aroma of gorgeous herbs being milled on the grounds hits you the minute you step out of your car.

Apart from containing natural ingredients, Tanamera products also don't contain some of the environmentally-damaging ingredients present in most commercial shampoos and cleansers. Plus, their plastic packaging is recyclable, and they were more than happy to explore the possibility of supplying us products in larger batches for dispensers.

If you haven't checked out their products already, do so. They also have spas around the Klang Valley.

The folks at my office (yes, we still have to find a way to pay the bills until La Pari-Pari is built) discovered a new retail outlet called Body Bar in Tropicana Mall. The owner, Michelle is a lovely lady who used to work in the technology industry. Now she's pursuing her passion for all things natural with her retail brand whose tagline is "If it's not good enough to eat, it's not good enough for your skin!"

Her products are sourced from around the world and she certainly is passionate about her quest to encourage more people to use ecofriendly, natural goods. In fact, this young lady even has an edible garden growing on her home balcony!

I couldn't resist playing with all the lovely products at the shop's bar - and yes, they really do have one. So much so I ended up going home with one of their products - an amazing facial cleanser that is made using a recipe African women have apparently used for years to bathe newborn babies. I swear by it now.

Both these companies are shining examples of how Malaysian businesses are waking up to the profitable benefits of doing business the green way. And, the more I dig into the subject, the more it becomes apparent to me that skin and personal care products in particular should be green. After all, as Michelle said to me, the skin is the largest organ on our bodies. Yet, we do little to ensure that the stuff we put on it isn't poisonous.

Makes a whole lot of sense to me. Now to get Anim to crunch the numbers and ensure we can get green products on La Pari-Pari's bathroom shelves.

Putting A Face To The Name

2009-06-06T02:12:00.002+08:00

Gosh I just realised it's been ages since we've put up a proper blog post!

Sorry folks, it wasn't for lack of work.

The last few weeks have been pretty hectic. After some two or so months, we have finalised the design of La Pari-Pari's architectural structure. Translated it means we now know what it really looks like :-)

Getting there was a slightly windy road, guided of course by Ijam, whose patience is greatly appreciated - especially when attempting to explain the orientation of drawings via phone to directionally-challenged moi! And yes, most of our meetings have been via teleconference due to the fact that Ijam resides in Langkawi. I don't know if anyone else builds resorts this way, but we certainly designed most of it remotely!

I am happy to report that if everything goes to plan, every room will have its own private courtyard and a shower that opens out into the garden. We have even included one guest room that is purpose-built for wheelchair-bound guests - complete with wider doors and lower sinks, etc.

Last week we had a three-day face-to-face with Ijam to nail down the final details of our building structures and also take him on a mini-whirlwind tour of eateries we like in KL, just to give him some ideas for interior design.

Next week he will be back in town for a few days, hopefully so we can get started on the interior and landscaping. Then, fingers crossed, we will be ready to seek funding in August once all the documentation is complete!

So things are moving along at a steady clip. The architecture is just one part of the puzzle. There's other things we've also been doing, like trying to meet potential suppliers of eco-friendly cleaning and personal care products (and believe me, they ARE hard to find), persuading someone to run our restaurant for us, and even exploring the possibility of building our resort using a prefabricated method!

The list is endless. But we're happy with progress and are excited as we count the weeks till submission to the banks.

Thanks for staying the course with us. We'll get there - and with your support, with huge smiles on our faces :-) All your comments and encouragement have certainly helped us already. So if you have any thoughts, keep them coming!

Giving Back To Nature

2009-05-11T18:24:00.000+08:00

L-R: Aida, Karen and Anim

It's always nice to give back.

On our last visit to Langkawi, Aida and her friend Wendy (also a nature guide) roped us in on a mangrove replanting excursion they had organised.

The coast along Kuala Muda had been cleared some years back for some reason we're all not quite sure of - whether it was for a development that didn't take off, or the construction of a breakwater. Suffice to say, the flats at low tide had become quite devoid of vegetation which is never a good thing.

So Wendy and Aida, being the good citizens of the island that they truly are, recently started replanting the mangroves in the area independently. Wendy, who often leads groups on tours through the mangrove, started collecting the rhizomes that are often found floating on the water's surface at a certain time of year. Those were the seedling we then replanted on to the Kuala Muda coast.

It turned out to be an all-girl affair, with Wendy and Aida leading the way and the rest of us straggling along in tow. Even Ijam's eight-year-old daughter Nena (of the 99 Luftballoons fame) joined in, along with Fazilah, the very enthusiastic new transplant to Langkawi who wo-mans the Malaysian Nature Society office which has just opened on the island.

The planting proved very easy, with us just having to stick the little rhizomes into the very soft muddy seabed at low tide.

Naturally, I got into trouble, sinking up to my knees in mud and getting stuck for a good few alarming seconds. All very hilarious, especially with some of us trying to reassure ourselves the mud was very good for our skin!

Nature being what it is, we were rewarded with a huge rainbow after a short drizzle of rain at the very end of our planting.

Hopefully, those little fellas will survive the wind and tides to grow big and strong for our children's children to enjoy.

Next time you're on vacation to Langkawi, perhaps you too can think about doing something to give back?

This Land Is Our Land...

2009-05-05T00:03:00.007+08:00

The future site of La Pari-Pari

FINALLY, it's ours!

Two weekends ago, we went once again to Langkawi to make the final payment for the land on which La Pari-Pari will sit.

The deed itself was without incident, thanks to the man who sold us the land and the lawyer who very kindly accompanied us to the land office for the actual signing of documents. Otherwise, I am told, the whole thing would have taken much longer, with me being passed from one counter to another while the land office folks take turns to go on tea breaks. OK I made that last bit up, but that certainly was the impression I got when I was there. The man who had to witness my thumbprinting of the land grant had just come from his tea break when I got there. And as soon as we turned the car out of the parking lot there he was, waltzing across the tarmac back to the canteen...

We also had a great meeting with Ijam who has been going full steam these last few weeks on the design. All I can say is that it's coming along nicely and at a healthy clip. Designs for the chalet and our house are certainly in good order. Now there's only the reception and bar to get cracking on!

The Number Cruncher

2009-04-21T12:31:00.000+08:00

Meet Anim - the other half of La Pari Pari's management team.

She's the one who crunches the numbers and has been instrumental in helping me understand and believe that we are capable of building La Pari Pari.

I don't have a head for figures. I also have a terrible sense of direction. So much so that for my fortieth birthday, I bought myself a GPS device for my car.

But I digress.

The whole point of this post was to talk about opposites.

Anim and I could not be more different in our viewpoints, backgrounds, perspectives and training. I am a marketing and communications person. I know how to sell things. She, on the other hand, comes from a finance background and has worked with several small businesses over the years. She's seen the realities of having to balance the books and ensuring that you always have more than enough in your kitty to pay the staff and vendors.

I write stories. She reads stories voraciously.

I like nice things. She tends to sway towards the simpler aspects of life in most ways.

I think long-term. She's into the details.

I'm chatty. She's quiet.

And together, I actually think we make a pretty good pair when it comes to work. Of course, there's tension, especially when someone like me who is more verbally-oriented tries to talk to someone whose brain immediately translates everything into figures. You should hear us arguing. It's like a chicken and duck talking!

But we've learned to laugh about it. Really. I think that's super important.

Besides, I'm scared of her big, orange calculator....

Bridges To Cross

2009-04-17T13:46:00.004+08:00

There's little to really show, in tangible terms, when you're in the initial stages of a project like La Pari Pari. But, as I am beginning to realise, the beginning is a critical juncture, where the thinking is consolidated and foundational elements need to be captured to ensure that the end result comes as close as possible to what we have in mind.

Here's a quick peek at some of the bridges we are and will have to cross in the coming weeks:

One of the things we've had to grapple with in the last couple of weeks has been budgets. From what we are seeing, there will be a need to scale back a little on our ideal, and make some decisions as to what is commercially viable versus what isn't. The good news is, we can still realise the dream. We just may have to change bits and pieces to fit the accounts.

We've also started a La Pari Pari Facebook fan page, for those of you who are users of the site. Todate, in barely a month, it's already garnered close to 200 fans! We are currently using that site to help our friends and supporters stay connected and also to test ideas for La Pari Pari.

Today, we got an inquiry from Peter Tan about disability access, prompting us to ensure that the resort will have facilities that enable people of all shapes, sizes, forms and challenges to enjoy it. Thank you Peter for your thoughts. We're really grateful for feedback like this that helps us think of ways in which we can ultimately better serve our customers once we open.

Our development plans are proceeding very nicely. Last night we met with our architect to view the first round of drawings that roughly estimated the positions of various building elements within the property. Now that's done, Ijam is proceeding with designing the guest rooms! Even at this early stage, the conversation has been very encouraging, with good ideas surfacing from everyone that I think will result in a property that is both functionally practical and pleasing to the eye.

So hopefully, in two months' time, we will have some initial sketches to share with you!

We've also discovered, after mapping the trees on the property, that we have a really fascinating mix of vegetation already thriving on La Pari Pari. There's a good number of trees that are over 40 feet in height. According to Aida's estimation, some of these are actually rainforest trees that have perhaps been re-planted on our property by previous owners. Owing to the fact that they do not have the advantage of shade on our property (unlike in the rainforest), they are a little smaller than they would typically be in their natural habitat. But they are pretty all the same. There's also a cashew tree and a variety of tea tree bushes plus loads of other plants we are still trying to identify.

The interesting conundrum all this presents is: with all the shade, do we have enough sunlight to power our outdoors using solar energy?

Have a fantastic weekend y'all!

Silver Linings

2009-04-14T18:32:00.000+08:00

View from La Pari Pari's backyard - those are paddy fields behind the white tree

Several people have remarked at the boldness of our attempt to break away from our established lives and start a completely new one in a different place and different industry than the ones in which we both currently work.

Sure, there have been times we've wondered whether this apparently mammoth task is too huge for us to handle. Things have appeared daunting in moments.

Take for example, the issue of (again), money. I think by now everyone knows the turmoil our financial markets have been in for a good oh, six or nine months, depending on how far back you feel it all started tumbling down. For a start-up company, this can sometimes mean certain death.

As a first-time entrepreneur with no track record, the one thing you rely on for your initial cache of cash for capital is your own. A year ago, according to our calculations, we had more than enough to fund the necessary things that needed to be put in place before we go to the financial institutions to get a loan for the construction of La Pari Pari. Money for the purchase of a piece of land, money to hire an architect to help us design the resort, money for a land surveyor, etc, etc, etc.

But as of six months ago, half of it disappeared along with the dizzy descent of our financial markets.

It left us with an interesting conundrum, at the very least. Where were we going to get the additional resources to bankroll our project? After all, we couldn't go to the bank with merely a business plan and no visual depiction of the dream we wanted to build. Unlike other things, a resort is sold largely on its visual appeal and of course, over time, its service.

In retrospect, I think that was when we faced our first real big hurdle as business owners. And I am sure, it won't be the last time.

Thankfully, after months of thinking laterally and being just darned tenacious, along with some interim help from Dad (yes, even he's been roped in), we managed to more than scrape through.

In less than two weeks, we will be off to Langkawi to make our final payment for the land on which La Pari Pari will sit. This is a big deal in terms of our project's progression. Once we initiate the transfer of the land title to our name, we begin the process of converting the land's status from agricultural to commercial, allowing us to then build on it.

Without all that, we can't go to the banks and ask them for money to build La Pari Pari!

So, the lessons for us have been:

1. If you look hard enough, you'll find a way out of a jam.

2. In fact, if you persevere enough, it'll probably serve as your best tool for getting your self out of the crack you've fallen into

3. Prayer, and a supportive Daddy go a long way :-)

La Pari Pari's First Gift!

2009-04-10T01:59:00.006+08:00

This month, I turned the BIG 4-0, which, as my friend who have crossed that hurdle before me say, is the new 20.

At the rate my life is going, I am inclined to believe it. After all, aren't I the one who purposely decided to turn her life upside down by pursuing a dream?

Along with the well wishes and the lovely deluge of messages that I received via e-mail, on the phone and Facebook, I also had the opportunity to indulge in my favourite past time over my birthday weekend - spending time with people I really love.

And, La Pari Pari got its first gift!

For my birthday present, my long-time friend and extended family member Anne Foenander decided to gift me her services for creating La Pari Pari's webmercials. Since we anticipate that most of our bookings will come via the web, knowing the target segment we are pursuing for the resort, webmercials will be crucial to our marketing efforts.

Although there won't be a webmercial for La Pari Pari until much closer to our opening day, this still means a burden has been lifted off our shoulders :-)

Thank you Anne, for your wonderful gift.

Here's a taste of the magic Anne can do!

Dreaming La Pari Pari

2009-04-04T01:39:00.024+08:00

Some of you have asked us, naturally, what La Pari Pari will be like. Rustic? Tropical? Modern?

Today we came one step closer to determining the answer. After many months of discussions and visioning, talking things over and bouncing ideas off walls and ceilings and floors, the design brief for La Pari Pari has finally been completed.

So we do have an idea of what we're after. But what eventually emerges is something that we are leaving open to our architect to explore, and we hope, pleasantly surprise us.

In the meantime, just to get a taste of the visions we hve in our head, here are two resorts we love.

La Banane is a stylish little resort (it only has nine rooms) on the island of St Bart's.

A long distance away from Langkawi but close to our hearts as a source of inspiration for the intimate and very accessible feel we want to achieve with La Pari Pari.

La Banane is modern yet not ultra hip in the way some design-oriented properties are - you know the kind, all metal and glass and concrete and cold. It's somewhere you can feel comfortable lounging around in your shorts or in your swimmies by the pool, yet it still feels more luxurious than home because let's face it, who wants to go on a vacation only to feel like they're still in their own backyard.

Plus, seeing that La Banane is a well patronised location even though it isn't beachfront, we think it is a great benchmark for La Pari Pari which will also be a short walk away from sea and surf.

The only thing we would add for consideration in designing La Pari Pari is our inclination to ensure some element of local context is added to the design. But not in that "kampung house knock-off" kind of way. Something a lot more subtle - a swash of colour or texture, an ornament, even images on walls perhaps.

Hotel Azucar

As contrast, there's also Hotel Azucar on the coast of Veracruz, Mexico. This twenty-room resort is all about quirky charm - something that ensures it will sustain its uniqueness for years to come.

It sits within its environment comfortably, a reflection and tribute to the sugar trade that has framed the history of its locale. It's the heart behind its design intent that we admire - how its soul is expressed in the place and use of local materials, even driftwood!

So there you have it - a sneak peek into the images that have been floating around in our heads for over a year now.

With a visit from the creative muses and some small ingenuity, hopefully La Pari Pari will measure up to these two places we love, but of course in its own individually unique Malaysian way.

Isn't this all so exciting?

Swimming, Naturally

2009-04-01T23:31:00.005+08:00

One of the things highest on my list of "What I'll Miss" once I move to Langkawi is fresh water.

Being on an island means that access to fresh water swimming locations is slim. In fact, unless you count the various waterfalls and watering holes on the tourist map, the options are close to

zero.

For someone who is used to flowing rivers and isolated spots along a river bend for a picnic or a quiet sunlit snooze, this is a big one not to have.

So I've begun searching for the next best thing - the possibility of constructing a natural swimming pool on La Pari Pari's grounds. It fits with our conservationist goals and has the potential to look amazing. Not to mention it doesn't wreck a girl's hair or make her sensitive eyes turn blood red.

Having done a bit of webtrawling on the subject, I don't see how we can't have one. We have to have one. What's there not to want??

I think the only place I have heard of in Malaysia that has this sort of pool is a luxury condominium in Kuala Lumpur.

So what do you think? Fancy taking a dip in a less than conventional pool?

Unwanted guests

2009-03-31T13:42:00.002+08:00

Here's a new one for us urbanites buying land in Langkawi.

We received a report from the land surveyor over the weekend and discovered that our neighbour has actually eaten up a sizable portion of our property!

When we first saw the land, we were aware that the next door neighbour had taken the liberty to fence up a portion of our land as part of his garden. No matter, at the most perhaps it was a few feet.

But judging from the sketch done by the surveyor, it's a lot more than that!

This is a long-standing issue in places like Langkawi, where land often times has been handed down through the generations and split up between siblings and relatives. Sometimes, a person builds on a piece of land without the proper survey markings done, resulting in said person actually trespassing on other people's land.

From the looks of it, our neighbour will not only have to move his fence back, but also demolish part of his house.

The good news is, the person who built the structure is apparently a squatter. And the real owner of the adjoining property (whose land the house is mostly built on) is also trying to evict him.

I can't imagine having to do that in KL - it would be tantamount to asking someone to leave my garden!

Oh well. Lessons learned.

Bollywood Veggies!

2009-03-30T14:33:00.005+08:00

A friend of mine pointed me to this site today. I didn't even know they had space for farms in Singapore!

Bollywood Veggies is such a charming idea I am amazed there aren't more like it here in Malaysia where we really do have the space, and you don't have to be a millionaire to get 10 acres of land.

They use organic fertilizers and I believe also have an "eco-toilet".

I was talking to my sister a few weeks back about possible businesses she could look into if she were to move to Langkawi. The idea of a farm, IMHO, is still not a bad one. If purpose built well enough, it can double as a tourist attraction and a source for food supply - reducing the carbon footprint of foodstuff that now typically travels from the mainland.

Building To Last

2009-03-29T13:43:00.000+08:00

Last night, for Earth Hour, we turned off all the lights and fans in my parents' house. Dinner was by candlelight - a feast prepared by the loving hands of Mom and her enthusiasm for a new grilled, butterflied leg of lamb.

The nephews and nieces played in the semi-darkness, the TV off for a change. Noise was from ambient chatter and the sound of children laughing as they raced toy trains on a double track.

From the start, our intention with our little resort in Langkawi was to create something sustainable. Something that would leave the lightest possible imprint, or at least endeavour to do so, on Langkawi island.

La Pari-Pari, named after the Malay word for "fairy", will, when it opens, be a magical place. Built from the ground up with heart, and a goal to incorporate as many ecological conservationist measures as we can.

Already, in our discussions with the architect and between the two of us, ideas have surfaced.

Solar lighting for the outdoors at night, to save electricity.

Rain water catchment pipes, to help irrigate the landscape.

An organically-fertilised outdoors, with edible plants and hopefully fruit that will adron our breakfast table.

A linen reusage policy, perhaps with rewards to incentivise our guests to join in and help us in our efforts to save water.

And if we can, a small contribution from our profits each year to a local cause nominated by our staff and chosen by our guests.

In looking for ways to green La Pari-Pari, we've uncovered some information. Yet some others still remain unsolved. How do we find a commercially viable solution for cleaning materials? Often, ecological cleaning solutions are expensive, mostly imported. And how do we ensure guests turn off their air-conditioners when they leave their rooms?

More importantly, how do we create a space that makes sense to the community and environment in which it sits? Building a building is easy. But building one that makes commercial sense and acts as a catalyst for something greater, something longer lasting, takes time, thought and deliberation.

But, as I've always said, if we don't do it, who will?

Money, Money, Money

2009-03-16T22:11:00.000+08:00

Money is such a complex thing, especially when you're trying to figure out how to get more than you have.

Last night, over dinner, we were talking to a couple of friends about our Langkawi project and the conversation turned inevitably to the question of money. Anim, Pari-Pari's Ms. Moneypenny has, over the last few months become quite the expert, having spent hours braving traffic jams and patiently waiting for bank officers to come back from their tea breaks and prayer breaks, medical leave and goodness knows what else can cause absence from their posts.

And what we have discovered, in our naivete, is this: if you need money, chances are, there is a way to get it.

Malaysians are a funny lot. Many of us are disgruntled citizens, always moaning about the wastage of our taxpayers' money, the bloat of Government coffers and those of the corrupt. Yet, many of us have actually done little to try and get hold of some of that funding ourselves, including Anim and me.

Until now.

We've decided that since our tax dollars are already going to unscrupulous hands, we might as well get our hands on some - so we can use it the right way.

This is, as I was telling my Mom this afternoon, how we fight back at the system.

On one of her recent visits, Anim met with a Government officer who generously dispensed advice on how we could apply for matching grants to help us get up and running. And he said, "You know, 89 per cent of those applying for these grants are Chinese. The Malays, they're just too lazy!"

Apparently, even the exercise of obtaining three quotes from one's supplier is considered too much of a hassle for some of our Melayupreneurs to bother!

How la, to do business like that???

This reminds me of an incident that happened about a week and a half ago. At 7:45 am on a mid-week morning, 15 minutes before my alarm was set to go off, I got an SMS.

"Ms Karina, this is Pakcik Mokhtar, the man who showed you the piece of land you bought. Congratulations on your purchase, but I also know you're actually a land broker your self and have since sold the land to someone else."

Five minutes later, another SMS came from him: "You should give me some commission, since I was the one who originally showed you that plot."

It amazes me how people seem to think money is something that should be given in return for zero effort. I've always had to work for every cent, so I don't understand this mentality. Even if I was a land broker in this instance, I hardly owed the man anything, since the land already belonged to me.

In the end, we contacted our lawyer who advised us to just sit tight. But not before I had got out the wrong side of bed a little too early for my liking and spewed out curses for the next three hours.

It's a wonder Athena, our live-in Boxer hasn't tried running away from her Evil Mommy yet.

Off The Beaten Path

2009-03-05T23:07:00.000+08:00

Contrary to popular belief, there is a lot to do in Langkawi. You just have to be a bit adventurous.

Unlike its more commercialised neighbours - Bali, Phukat, Koh Samui - Langkawi is almost like a half-kept secret that people only talk about quietly or escape to when they don't want a high-fidelity vacation. Even during peak season, you can still find a decent spot of sand on Chenang. The streets never get as crowded as Patong or Kuta. The tour touts are not aggressive nor do they hound you in numbers. While there are no masseurs or manicurists at your beck and call on the beach, there also is an absence of other vendors. OK, once in a while you get one or two strolling by, pareos spread out for sale. But nowhere near the swarm you are confronted with on the main beaches of Thailand and Indonesia.

Neither is Langkawi small. I believe it's actually bigger than Singapore!

The best thing to do when there is to rent some form of transport - motorised or not - and take some time to explore the island, even if it means driving along its coast. From the airport and Chenang you can take the windy, scenic road that passes the Naval base and leads to Kuah town. On a clear day, the bay almost looks like San Francisco - dotted with white sails and embraced by the hills of smaller islands.

On the other side, there is Tanjung Rhu and the upscale end of the island, where hotels like the Datai and Four Seasons lay claim to the sand.

But the point is to just enjoy the journey. Notice how the terrain changes as you go from one part of the island to another. Laugh at the monkeys you will inevitably encounter. And when you tire of going round, go inwards, towards the rubber plantations and paddy fields, along the windy little kampung paths. That's where the locals really live. That, to me, is the heart of the island, the part that I hope never gets overtaken by modernity and keeps the island anchored at a leisurely pace.

If you really must know....

2009-03-04T18:06:00.000+08:00

This is WHY.

Since telling friends and family about Pari-Pari, we've often encountered these questions.

Here, once and for all, are our answers.

Why Langkawi?

Because it's an island. Because it's not as touristy as Phuket or Bali, plus it's Malaysian and we're Malaysian. And it's not as rustic as our other resort islands.

And more importantly, Karina can live there. There's Starbucks when I need it and a Body Shop for my girly fixes. You don't get that on Tioman.

But are you sure?

YES! YES YES YES!

In fact, we can't think of a reason NOT to go. What's there not to love? 24-seven access to sun, sea and surf, no traffic jams, lovely paddy fields for evening bike rides right at our door step, and all without having to forego the comfort of broadband!

But aren't you two going to miss Kuala Lumpur?

OK, we admit, we're not exactly kampung girls. But neither are we uber-urban types who NEED to go clubbing every weekend or visit a mall.

Infact, I don't like malls. My favourite mall is the one a stone's throw away from my house, and it ain't exactly Pavilion.

We know we will miss our friends and family. But we figure that Langkawi is a nice enough place for them to consider visiting once in a while. Plus, KL really is only a 45-minute flight away.

You know running a resort is hard work....

Yes we know. We are fully aware that we will have to make beds, mop floors, bartend, play receptionist, bellboy, housekeeping, etc despite our plans to hire staff. There will be days when we will want to throw up our hands in despair.

But there will also be days - and we hope these far outnumber the mad ones - where we will be able to sit quietly on our back porch and listen to the island settle down for the evening. The changeover from day to nocturnal animals and insects. The turn of sky from bright blue to gold and then black. Without having to deal with smog and the constant buzz of traffic.

But it will be HARD work!

Personally speaking, I think it's worth it. After all, we get to be our own bosses. We get to build something from scratch and know that when, not if, it succeeds, it will all be entirely our own doing.

Plus, it means we will hopefully never, never have to sit in long meetings with 25 people discussing something that doesn't really matter in the larger scheme of life anymore.

So there you have it :-) Now, you know!

Drawing Up Plans

2009-02-26T00:52:00.000+08:00

For a couple of urbanites who only have the experience of renovating one home between them, the prospect of building a whole resort is, to say the very least, a daunting one. Neither of us knew any architects (or at least not personally) who were within reach.

But like everything else to do with this project, we cast our nets hopefully. And as the universe would have it, several architects emerged.

The first, Azrina, was someone we had met by chance and is coincidentally the daughter of a family friend. We were lucky to have met her then. She was patient in her explanations, and tolerant of our Architecture 101 questions. She helped us get our first glimpse of what was in store. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of her.

Then, we met David through who else but Aida. We loved David at first sight. He's now a friend and will be attempting to conquer Mount Kinabalu with us in June. But that's another story altogether.

Meantime, I decided to take a stab at letting the winds of fortune do some work for me and left a few postings on Facebook. Wherever there was a Langkawi group, I posted a note indicating my interest to set up business on the island. Soon, someone contacted me. And a few months plus a couple meetings later, he is now our architect and project manager.

Meet Ijam - although this isn't a very good photograph of him (He's the one in the center). Architect, sailor, informer extraordinaire, Daddy of Nena, our favourite Langkawi resident under 10, and all-round trove of interesting information about the island. By a stroke of luck or maybe fate, Ijam, who resided in Perlis when we first got to know him, has moved to Langkawi and is setting up his architecture practice on the island. He was a natural choice for us, as it means having someone there on site once construction begins.

We are now commencing our monthly project meetings with him. The first took place on January 2, 2009 at his home in Langkawi. The second was at our home over a whole Sunday in February. Our discussions stretched long into the night, even pulling in my sister, Karen into the fray. We visioned and dreamed, and talked about our individual ideas for what Pari-Pari will be.

And I must say, I love what I've already heard.

A Piece Of Magic

2009-02-24T12:51:00.000+08:00

Our search for a plot of fairy magic ended quite by chance.

One evening in October, after months of searching, I sat in our Klang Valley home, surfing the net on the slim chance I would uncover a glimmer of hope that would lead to the fabled acre or so of earth we were looking for.

At that point, both Anim and I knew we needed a place that was not too far away from the madding crowds yet just enough to build a quiet sanctuary for people who wanted to rest their spirits. As large as Langkawi is, the tourist trade is largely concentrated around the Pantai Cenang and Pantai Tengah vicinities, where most of the accommodation and facilities were centered.

Just then, I saw an ad for a land broker and proceeded, over the next few weeks, to contact him and make arrangements to view the plots he had for sale.

November finally rolled around, almost a year to the day my sister and I first set out to the island, baby in tow. This time we were accompanied by Graham, the husband of a friend of mine.

On the first day, we were taken to see a beautiful little piece of land situated in a paddy field across the road from the famed Bon Ton resort. The view there was spectacular, a 360-degree panorama that afforded different things to catch the eye at every angle. One side looked out to the sea and distant sunset. Another was braced by the ragged peaks of the MatChinchang range, crested with the white structures of the Langkawi cable car. Behind and beyond stretched green fields of paddy ringed with more hills.

But, it was too small.

Over the next 36 hours or so, we drove around the island, Graham patiently in tow, to continue our search. In between, Langkawi-style, we detoured to get acquainted with a charming Pakcik who proceeded to invite us to his home for a mug of buffalo milk. And that was AFTER he gave us a tour of the buffalo farm where we found this fella!

Then, on the second afternoon, the Pakcik who had shown us the paddy field plot rang. He found a plot we "just had to see" and he sounded excited. A little while later, we found ourselvesstanding on the little kampung slip road that bordered the first plot we had ever been shown months ago - the odd, triangular slip of land that we had written off on account of the unusable space. Our hearts sank.

Turning to him, we told him we had seen this plot before.

Then he said, "No, the one I want to show you is here!" And he pointed across the road to a piece of land we hadn't actually noticed before. Immediately, I knew our search was over. It was perfectly located, relatively flat and as a bonus, had full-grown trees!

It didn't take us long to ring our requisite "Island Consultants" - Aida and our architect Ijam - to tell them. Sooner rather than later, everyone who needed to see it did and gave us the thumbs up.

The only problem was the asking price was too high. So we attempted to negotiate with Pakcik Number One - the man who had shown us the land. Boy, we had no idea the kind of ride we were in for.

In urban Klang Valley, purchasing property is a relatively straight-forward affair. You like something, most probably found it through an agent, agree on a price and off you go. Not in Langkawi. Over the next month after finding our desired plot, we were nudged along from one Pakcik to another, all claiming to be the relative of the land owner and authorised to negotiate the land price on his behalf. Each pakcik we spoke to offered a lower price. The brokerage tier ran about five or six deep.

In the end, tired, we went back to the land broker who had introduced us to Pakcik Number One. Not surprisingly, he had no idea about the plot. But, kind soul that he is, he did us a favour. That's one thing you realise quickly on the island. For every person that's out to get you, at least two or three are willing to watch your back, even if you're nothing more than a stranger who just happens to be nice and gives them the time of day. True story.

Bahad the broker, feeling bad for us two silly city girls, contacted his Grand Vizier of all Earthly matters who turned out to be none other than Pak Man. Of course the old man knew who owned the land. It belonged to a Chinese towkay who had bought it at an auction.

With Pak Man's help, we got in touch with the actual land owner and by New Year's Eve, were on our way to see him and close the deal. Fairies in Langkawi don't always come in the shape of tiny winged creatures, but they're definitely there alright.

Island Faces

2009-02-19T15:45:00.000+08:00

Now, one year and some months down the road since we started our attempt to move to Langkawi, it almost seems as if we partially live there already. So much so that we come back to KL with anecdotes of the people we've met, befriended and woven into our life memories.

Our first contact point on the island was our friend Aida. Someone we had only briefly known in KL through a mutual pal. She moved to Langkawi a few months before my sister and I first went out there to investigate the inn for sale from the Classifieds. Today she is a Langkawi resident and a naturalist by profession.

A passionate environmentalist, I also suspect she's caught the bug and will someday look for her own plot of land on the island. The more the merrier, I say. Plus, it's always nice to begin life in a new place where you already have a friend.

This is Pak Man, who someone once referred to as the Jinn Tanah, on account of his ability to broker land deals. He was the first land broker we met in Langkawi. A fiesty old fella, who doesn't hesitate to climb a hill just to check out the view from its best vantage point. Thanks to him, several of our visits gave us decent workouts! And be warned - often times I had to resort to makeshift hiking poles of deadwood while he skipped along ahead of us in his flip-flops. He also introduced us to the famous Langkawi Ikan Bakar shop where the locals mostly go for their fix of Malay rice and fish grilled a la minute.

We first met Pak Man during the historical March 8, 2008 elections and he had plenty to say on the subject of politics. If our leaders in their ivory towers think they can get away with hoodwinking the grassroots, I'd suggest they talk to him. Maybe then they would realise that we Malaysians don't suffer fools gladly.

Although in later months we broadened our search to other land brokers, Pak Man unwittingly became a crucial factor in us securing our eventual plot of land - even though he didn't broker the deal. Maybe it's the way things work in small communities like an island - everything revolves in concentric circles so that you often find that your new starting point is almost exactly where you began in the first place.

This lady is who I want to be when I grow up! I believe she is already well into her seventies, but she is such a delight.

We had arranged to meet her at the plot of land she wanted to sell - a good three-acres set among a vast expanse of paddy fields. It's hard not to fall in love with the sight of paddy fields at harvest time. Patch after endless patch of lively green stalks, heads bowed from the weight of rice ready for reaping, swaying like uncertain toddlers every time the breeze tousled their leaves.

The minute we met Makcik, I knew Anim would buy her plot of land if she had cash to spare. The lady alighted from her ride - a noisy, little motorbike driven by her seemingly underaged grandson or grand nephew (one never knows the specifics) - with the agility of a teenager and the certainty of someone who intended to continue living for a long while yet - despite what the universe may have in store for her, thank you very much.

Later, we found out she was a well-recognised figure around Langkawi. It turned out she actually had her own motorbike, and would have rode it to our meeting had it not been out of petrol. Her only concession to modernity was to wear a helmet while riding. But she didn't bother with a driving licence. By her calculations, she was too old for the policemen to be stopping her for no reason.

Meeting Makcik made me a little melancholy. Here was a local resident who had a valuable asset to sell and limited means to do so. The reality is that a fair number of land deals on the island are being increasingly transacted with foreigners - most looking to retire on Langkawi or make it their holiday home. But without the ability to converse with them in English, locals like Makcik are at the mercy of multiple land brokers whose layers sometimes can run up to five or six deep, leaving the land owner with a lot less once commissions had been paid.

I have heard that the situation in other more developed islands like Bali is very bad. To the point where locals are harrassed by land brokers to give up their land for not-so-pretty pennies. As a result, local Balinese are moving further and further inland, pushing them farther off from the economically lucrative tourist trade.

I hope this doesn't happen in our own Langkawi. The more I frequent the island, the more I see how we can stop what is happening in Bali and Phuket to Langkawi. But it will take Malaysians with a conscience to exercise some self-discipline in ensuring that while we improve the commercial viability of the island, we also do it responsibly, with least negative impact on its residents - be they human or flora and fauna.

It's not someone else's job to preserve the gifts we have. It's ours.

Land Ahoy!

2009-02-19T00:28:00.000+08:00

Looking for land in Langkawi can be a really confounding experience.

First, there's figuring out who knows what is up for sale. Our search for land took over a year, during which we made trips to the island every two to three months, following leads of land for sale. Some came via friends who knew we were on the lookout, some came from sources as random as the Internet. After several visits, we even had leads coming from people who knew people who knew we were looking. You get the picture.

We traipsed across paddy fields. We climbed big hills and small ones, through rubber plantations and orchards, peered through trees to uncover hidden vistas and pretty much saw most of the island.

I have always known, deep in my soul, that I can have anything I set my heart on. Call me a brat, but that's the way my life has always worked out. I decide what I want and I just go and get it. At times, confidence wavering, I wondered whether we would ever find something we liked. After almost a year, we were both a little ragged from all the looking and looking over of plots previously seen.

But on good days, I just knew. Having Anim in the whole equation was also a huge help. She's the more patient of the two of us, and whenever Speedy Gonzales me got irritated at the lack of progress, she was always the one who reminded us to take the deep breaths and let things just flow.

I distinctly remember a certain rainy evening in Langkawi when I was almost at the end of my rational tether. We were due to return to KL in a couple of hours after yet another weekend of fruitless searching. It wasn't that there was no land for sale. It was just that nothing felt right. Either a plot was too hilly and would cost too much to develop, or too far, or too small or too big, too rocky or too inaccessible.

Tired, I resorted to less pragmatic ends and decided to try a bit of wishful thinking. I asked Anim to drive down a small village road in the pouring rain just to take a look at what was there. During the entire journey, I recall telling her, "This is where we need to be. We need our plot to be in this area."

And believe it or not, that was exactly what happened the next time we went to Langkawi.

The first plot of land we were ever shown on the island was a strange little triangular piece that looked like a martini glass. Its svelte figure aside, the piece of land was in a great location. Subsequently, that plot was perhaps always our mental benchmark for location, location, location.

I don't know if it's serendipity or just the universe working its magic, but the plot we finally decided to purchase was directly across the road from the martini glass. Weird, isn't it?

Taking The Plunge

2009-02-13T22:42:00.000+08:00

My sister and I didn't start out as bosom buddies. Born four years apart, I was the eldest and she the youngest with a brother in between us. In our childhoods we shared a bedroom for some time but led pretty separate lives and little confidences.

As we both grew older and became the selves we are now, we discovered each other somewhere along the way, shared secrets and worries, rants and silly girly excitements about love and all sorts of growing up things. She taught me some things I should have probably taught her, me being the older one. I, in turn, was probably just there for her in any way I could be when I felt she needed some propping up.

Over the last ten years we have shared a particular bond from some weird and wild adventures that we may not have fallen into without one another. Impromptu drives to Singapore and back, unscheduled flights home from a foreign country, long-distance phone calls to chase imaginary ghosts from a hotel room and a random trip to Spain.

Given our inclination towards stepping out into the unknown together, it was perhaps fitting that she was the one who accompanied me on the maiden trip to Langkawi to check out the little resort advertised in the papers. Only this time we had an extra companion - her then baby son.

The trip, like any that mark a turning point in one's life, was unremarkable in its minutiae. We saw the little inn, marvelled at the creeper trellis that was probably it's only charm, sunk our toes in the sand behind the rooms and contemplated uprooting our lives and moving to the island.

Prior to this visit, I had not been to Langkawi for some four or five years. In my numerous previous visits, it had always been somewhere to get away to and nothing more. But this time round, things felt different. There was an inexplicable pull that goaded me to keep walking on a a stretch of beach each time I felt like turning back. It felt, for lack of better words, familiar and new at the same time. Not like a home you've known your entire life, but a safe place where your soul could be happy and perhaps start a fresh chapter of your life.

We came away from it determined to try and give things a shot. Anim did the numbers and we talked about the possibility of moving. We were excited at the prospect of things. But in the end, as fate would have it, the inn was bought by someone else.

In retrospect, it was perhaps for the best. Once the inn slipped from our grasp, I turned my thoughts to the idea of building something from ground up, the way we want it. And the more I thought about it, the more frightening and exciting it seemed.

I suppose I cannot deny that I have the attention span of a goldfish. Things that are new and unfamiliar captivate me. But once I figure them out, they cease to keep me fixated. So the idea of crafting an entire little resort all by ourselves appealed because it was so different from what we've both done in our professional lives. Plus, it was a dream we both somehow had tucked away in between the loose leaf pages of our lives and what ifs.

Once Upon A Time....

2009-02-11T19:44:00.001+08:00

While flipping through the newspapers during lunch hour one seemingly unfateful day, I paused to peruse the Classifieds section. I don't know why I did it. It's an old habit I picked up some years ago out of boredom. And there, nestled in between ads for once-loved furniture of an expat couple moving out of KL and puppies for sale was THE ONE. It was a modest entry, considering the possibilities it offered.

It advertised a small resort for sale on the island of Langkawi. I blinked and re-read it a couple times. It seemed too good to be true.

Finally, I gave the advertiser a call. The resort was a small place, just over ten rooms, already operating and apparently turning a decent profit. The owner was leaving the country and needed to sell it quickly. Even the price sounded right.

A few hours and excited phone calls between my sister Karen and I later, we made the decision to go and check the little resort out. Little did I know then, how much it would change my life.

I suppose my reason for wanting to explore the possibility of completely trading in my life for a new one was at once impulsive and at the same time paradoxically calculated. I had spent over 15 years building a career for myself in the Malaysian corporate world. In that span of time, I guess I felt I had exhausted all attractive possibilities. By my mid-thirties I had already become Bosswoman to some twenty-over staff in an international communications agency. Then I went on to what some would say is a plum job in quasi-Government-linked company land. A job that some would say was a cradle to grave one - the only way you would lose it was to leave.

There was little else I saw worth pursuing upwards of my rung on the corporate ladder. Most of the people I knew in senior management were unhappy, pressured largely by the need to not fail than the passion for their work, worried about keeping up with the payments on their Mercedes-Benzes and BMWs rather than wondering what new horizons lay within their lines of sight. Internal politiciking that resulted in too many inconclusive, drawn out meetings that ultimately were of little consequence didn't help either.

In short, I was bored. And there was a part of me that increasingly wanted to pursue a personal passion of mine - to write and be published. I felt creatively strangled by my nine-to-five job. I hated going to work in the morning and when I got there, there was little to keep me interested or inspired.

Over the years, I had always played this cat-and-mouse game with my mental self. Changing jobs and moving on to newer and better things - all of which only served to keep me enamoured for a little while until routine and boredom set in again. The truth is, I did a decent job and got on well with most of my colleagues in almost every place I have ever worked. But the prospect of chasing sales targets and Key Personal Indicators that kept moving farther and farther away each year didn't appeal to me anymore.

So when I stumbled across the ad, I had to stop and breathe. It was as if all of a sudden I literally found myself at the crossroads where I had been for a while, except this time the fog had cleared and a new path had revealed itself.