 |
| This is Annie Ahman. Pronounced "O"man. My PC keyboard does not have that alphabet with the tiny "o" above the "A". It's Swedish. But she's Vietnamese by birth. Confused? Don't be. Annie felt shy to have her lovely self featured. Strange. Since she's quite stunning. Tall. Good posture. Her words are assured, confident & endearing.  I'm not easily impressed but one day in Bali, as we left the "W"...  ...hotel, we ran into this charming concept store. "bathe". As it happens, this is Annie Ahman baby. It's about 6 months old. Bringing forth a new attitude towards the ritual of cleansing. A return to an age where we took time, indulging in the entire process, literally bathing in "JOY". 
From the moment
we stepped in,
I immediately knew this was
special
&
different.
As I scanned the store
with a well-trained
retailers "eye",
I saw key points that made
this business stood out.
More importantly,
it's a
Labor of Love!!!
The evidence is everywhere.
Annies brings along,
amongst many things,
a
chic elegance
to her concept store.
A little
touch here,
&
a few touches there,
makes a
whole lot of difference!
As usual, here are my
20 questions
which provide
a glimpse into
Annie!
What is your favourite color?
White.
What keeps you awake at night?
Thoughts.
Your hobby?
Food!!!
 Rudeness.  "I crave Paris". 
One word to describe yourself?
Loyal.
 Bikini !!!  Little Bee.  Japanese. 
Salt or Pepper?
Salt.
 Massage!!!  Stockholm.  My business.  Gym.  Three.  Pool. 
Leather or canvas?
Leather.
Shower or bath?
Shower.
How many staff in your employment?
Ten.
Luxury
can mean many things
to different people.
Sometimes,
to enjoy a couple of hours,
pampering ourselves
in private,
is akin to
5 Star living.
Annie's says her business...
"...is about getting cleaned
&
having fun at it."
Her inspiration to start this venture came
from a friend who
makes soap
in
Bali.
She intends to ...
"...get people excited about the old fashion
way of bathing."
And that idea
brought forth her range of
soap bars.
 
I asked her about her direction...
"...I think we will have a good run &
have stores everywhere!!!"
Her first outlet is
located in this neighborhood in
Bali.
A return to a
gentler time
may not be a bad idea in this
nano-second age,
where everything seems to be
moving faster .
In person,
Annie came across to
have what it takes to get this
off the ground
&
flying!
It takes a special type of character
to be able to
go into business.
And another type of individual
who may
make it a success.
Crossing the line between
mediocrity
&
the fantastic
is no easy feat.
As far as I can see,
that line has been crossed.
Once in a while, comes along something
truly unique.
In this case, the fact that almost all the entire
line
is manufactured in
Bali,
is an accomplishment
that cannot be denied.
"bathe"
has all the ingredients of a
world class product.
Annie Ahman
has found her
raison d'etre.
Upfront
&
out there,
"bathe"
will grow.
There's no doubt about that.
Welcome back to the romance of bathing!
Annie,
go get them!
bathe
jalan petitenget 100x
seminyak,
Bali 80361
tel: +62 361 473 7580
bathestore.com
|
Saturday, 30 June 2012
It's Bath Time With Annie!!!
Thursday, 28 June 2012
Banana Bread...a tropical adventure!
Alright.
This recipe
is just a few steps away from
being in
paradise!
I'm a huge fan of anything
freshly baked.
And this one comes out of the oven
hot & appetising.
There are a few things in life
I know for sure.
One of them is
to have anything done right,
you must do it yourself.
Agree?
Donna Summer
has left us.
So let's dedicate this bread to her.
And not let it be your
"Last Dance!".
Julia's Banana Bread
(oh...by the way,she's my sister)
Line your baking forms.
Prepare the ingredients.
Mix well.
Don't
over do it.
Remember, always
with
a light hand.
Ready...
do not to over mix.
The Golden Mantra!
When you start thinking if
you've
over mixed...
it's already
too late.
Yummylicious!!!
Can you smell it too?
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 beaten eggs
5 medium bananas - mashed
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
a pinch of nutmeg powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil
Combine all the dry ingredients.
Gently mix the rest.
Pour into the middle of the dry stuff.
With a light hand,
stir to incorporate.
Toss in walnuts.
Bake for 55 mins
at
170 degrees.
You know...
a little
goes a long way!
 |
| Wow! Now... |
...go make yourself a
good cup
of
tea!
This is not a dessert.
It's simply a
mouth watering
bread
that's great anytime of the day.
Food should be
readily available
to
anyone & everyone.
Not
posh
&
definitely not
pretentious.
More importantly,
it's should be a joy to make!
Have fun!!!
Friday, 15 June 2012
Kathy Rowland...Going Beyond Quirky.
Meet
Kathy Rowland.
Wife.
Mother.
Friend.
Art Writer
&
Editor.
Kathy & I have known each other
since the
early nineties.
Over the years,
our lives took
us
to different directions,
yet
we often make time to catch up
wherever
&
whenever possible.
"That's What Friends Are For!"
On a recent work trip to the
magical island of
Bali,
I decided to have a long stopover in
Singapore.
Long enough for us to
have
lunch,
chat
&
laugh.
Kathy & her family just moved
to the
garden city/state.
They live in a spacious bungalow
off
Bukit Timah Road.
She greeted me with a
warm & friendly hug
right from the get-go!
I was very eager to see their new home,
feel the space
&
above all,
spend time catching up.
What is it about
stylish people?
They always look complete
&
&
put together.
As long as I've known her, she's
had her own
"look".
Style
extends beyond
dresses, blouses
&
trinkets.
Kathy was dressed as if she
was going to lunch in the
Hamptons.
A printed cotton
"J Crew"
styled shirt
&
fitted khaki shorts,
the color
of
soft chewy caramel.
On her feet,
plain leather sandals
without embroidery or bead work,
as that would be too gaudy!
Rose cut sapphire
earrings, set in gold
of her own design,
hung carelessly on her lobes.
Far from the
urban congestion
of
Singapore,
we sat comfortably
under the gentle rotation
of a
ceiling fan,
in the back garden
sipping ice tea.
Very civilised.
Very relaxed.
High bliss.
Though diminutive in size,
Kathy is extremely
competent, eloquent,
quick-minded
&
above all,
well informed.
In the
cool & shaded patio,
amidst
tropical foliage,
I spontaneously proposed
20 questions
&
here is her reply.
What tickles your fancy now?
Mad Men.
Where is home?
Where my daughter, husband & dog are.
What were your first thought this morning?
Peter !!!
Silk or Denim?
Silk.
Gin or Vodka?
Gin
Last movie seen?
A Separation.
Is Art a good investment?
Yes.
Favorite author?
Orhan Pamuk.
Rice or bread?
Rice.
City or forest?
City.
One choice ...lipstick or rouge?
Lipstick.
One word to describe the world...?
Contentious.
 |
| Favorite holiday destination? Awan Mulan in Seremban, Malaysia. |
What are you reading now?
History of Singapore Theatre.
 |
| Tulips or Jasmine? Jasmine. |
 |
| Your signature food to prepare? Roast Pork with Cardamom. |
Most memorable moment?
Adopting my daughter, Akhila.
 |
| If you had to choose to live in 17th century France or 14th century China, which would it be? 17th century France. |
What challenges you on a daily basis?
Being a good mother.
One thing that is important to you now?
What to serve for dessert.
As the world prepares itself for
global economic uncertainty,
Kathy assembled a
mouthwatering lunch of,
Guacamole
Stir fry beans
Prawns, Bacon & Tofu
&
her signature ( Oh how lucky was I! )
Roast Pork with Cardamom.
Time was tick-tocking away.
I had a flight to catch,
but the
"now"
was
so much fun.
 |
| Irresistibly charming & witty, Kathy continued her discourse on life across various interesting topics. I asked her about the importance of Legacy in Leadership, and her reply was... " It's very important as it acts as a check & balance to greed & to people who are power crazy. It also acts as an incentive for a leader to govern in a way that he can be proud of". |
Her proudest achievement to date, amongst many,
was starting
Kaki Seni,
with a good friend
Jenny Daneels.
It ran for a fabulous 9 years.
Kaki Seni
(literally translated..."Art Addict")
was a
pioneer in it's field.
Started in 2001.
It's
Mission Statement
was:
To promote the arts to a wider
audience.
To engage in critical discourse about the arts.
And to encourage funding & sponsorship of the arts.
 |
| She's driven by a sense of fairness & her hospitality skills are equally strong. With Kathy, it's not about the cup being half empty or full. For her it's getting it filled! And preferably with all the good stuff. |
If one's state of mind is reflected in our
environment,
Kathy's must
be on a serene plateau somewhere
in
Shangri-La.
Her home is her home.
Not some showy castle.
Evidence of this is clearly strung out everywhere.
Her decorative style could be best described
as
easy, relaxed & casual,
with a bent towards the
unconventional.
At a glance,
Art is everywhere,
high & low,
exacting in their positioning.
Great expectations
are derived from
visionary anticipation.
Authentic is alien to many.
As I write,
this formidable woman is
editing a new book,
planning the family's
Summer Holidays
&
arranging a year end trip to
Paris.
Destiny is almost like a cupcake...
you know you're going to have it!
 |
| The double story 3 bedroom house has a serene & peaceful vibe. The fantastical can also be easy on the eyes. |
 |
| Her hobbies are "Reading & Designing Jewelry". |
 |
| She has lived in Italy, United States of America & China. |
As this photo illustrates,
Kathy
is not uptight about
trivia.
Sweating the small stuff does not
extend
beyond the frying pan.
The proportion of her life,
as far as I can see,
is
universally aligned
to her
bond with family.
 |
| Having "Fun" is a big part of her daily ritual. |
As we feasted on lunch,
Kathy & I talked veraciously about
life and all it's pleasures.
The phrase
"Out Of The Ordinary"
comes to mind.
 |
| If motherhood is the defining moment when a girl becomes a woman becoming a mother, then Kathy is The Big Picture. |
Kathy is no doubt
multicultural.
Her views are of one who has
travelled extensively,
read well,
connected with many
&
gifted with an
open mind.
Wit & humour is an additional bonus!
 |
| "To Know What We Know & Know What We Do Not Know Is Wisdom". Confucius |
You can be sure that
when life throws her some lemons,
she'll make
a lemon pie,
some cocktail
with lemons,
a
lemon face mask
&
an
Eurasian curry
with
lemons in it!!!
Over achievers are almost always like that.
Trust me.
I know.
Her
fresh take on everything
is evident
in her conversation.
Our hours together brought forth
a closer bond through
topics as far reaching as
politics and well...the price of lemons!
The friendly
verbal crossfire
could be heard miles away.
 |
| " I have no single role model. I admire different qualities from different people". Kathy Rowland. |
 |
| Her approach to life comes from a sense of responsibility deep rooted from an Asian Heritage. |
 |
| Their space is one that's lived-in. From the moment you enter this home, you feel the mellow energy that flows like a quiet brook through the valleys of Bhutan... undisturbed by man. |
Life's newest simple pleasure?
Departure from complications.
On the flight to Bali later that evening,
I reflected on my afternoon with Kathy.
Yes.
I should have had
another slice of roast pork.
Yes.
Another Gin & Tonic.
Yes.
Stayed one night.
But hey,
life's lemons doesn't necessarily come by the
kilos!
We had a splendid time together,
talking, photographing and
simply
exchanging ideas a mile a second.
As the plane cruised across
Java
&
over romantic volcanoes,
I was excited by the prospect of viewing these
photographs.
Kathy Rowland
is
poised and gracious.
Yet,
she has the
hurricane behind her back.
Her life force that guarantees
she puts
"Style"
into
"Lifestyle".
Small is after all the new
Big.
Keep smiling my dear,
more lemons are yet to come!
Kathy's Go-To
recipe for
"Silken Tofu with Prawns & Bacon".
Lets' not make the monk jump over the wall!
That would be too much work.
1 packet silken tofu
500 g prawns - cleaned etc
as much bacon as you desire
2 teaspoon minced garlic
scallions
white pepper
sugar
soy sauce
water
Marinade prawns in 1/4 teaspoon of sugar
Add a dash of white pepper
Place tofu in a deep micro-proof dish
Fry bacon
Add garlic
Add prawns
Toss about in wok till prawns turn just pink
Ladle the whole lot over the tofu
Splash some soy sauce &
5 tablespoons of water
Cling wrap
Leave a couple of gaps for steam to escape
In 3 minutes,
you can savour this
East meets West
preparation.
Garnish with scallions.
Enjoy!
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