The Magic of Mia!

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!

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...

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 :-)