J.Gargiulo, Sonata for Violin and Piano N. 4 "From the Window", María Du...

Happy birthday to my brother Julian!! 

Composer extraordinaire of this gorgeous piece played here by the lovely Maria Duenas!!

Sailing for a Day in South East Asia

Sailing on a yacht to celebrate a special birthday is a dream that in Singapore can become a reality. With fingers crossed (it was rainy season after all), we took the plunge and booked a once in a lifetime experience for our daughter Eliot's 18th birthday (YachtBookings.sg*)

We arrived at the meeting place in Sentosa Cove with homemade chocolate cake, champagne, and pizza (via a delivery sent to the departure point). The girls, on a break from their exams, exchanged hugs and then followed the skipper to the yacht along the pier. Passing the docked mega-yachts, balancing cake, presents, and bags with towels and sunscreen we made our way to our "yacht for the day" called Maserati. After the skipper gave detailed instructions, I waved goodbye to the girls who would be sailing on their own with the two skippers to Lazarus Island off Singapore Straits.

Once there, they would anchor and go swimming in the pristine green waters and do stand up paddling as well. From where the boat was anchored, it was an easy swim to the sandy white beach of Lazarus Island. Originally called Pulau Sekijang Pelepah (pelepah in Malay means palm fronds), Lazarus Island used to actually be a penal colony. It's hard to believe now that in the late 1800's this uninhabited paradise once housed political detainees and opium addicts. 

Tired and suntanned from what may have been the sunniest day in a two-week streak of pouring monsoon rain, the girls returned home full of cake and laughter and covered in sunscreen. No encounters with pirates but hopefully an unforgettable adventure in the South China Seas to remember on a cold winter day.

* Yacht Bookings is a one stop shop event company specialising in yachting events be it weddings, corporate D&D's, team building and product launches.