STEP INTO OUR LIVES!

A Long Weekend in Hong Kong

Mon, 8 Dec 2008 15:46:57 +0800

Again, we took the opportunity to jam in some quick trips before the arrival of “Puglet.” With a public holiday in the cards in December it was the perfect opportunity to take a long weekend trip to Hong Kong, a city Heidi had never been to before and Sean had only been to a few times but always for work.

We landed and got checked into the hotel JIA, in Causeway Bay. We got upgraded to a suite, thank you very much Tablet Plus (check it out at www.tablethotels.com). Pretty cool and funky vibe this place:

A SHORT WEEKEND IN KUALA LUMPUR

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 08:49:06 +0800

With the arrival of “Puglet” due in April, we have been jamming in the trips right up until Heidi’s no fly date in an effort to cross as many places as possible off “the list”. Kuala Lumpur wasn’t on the list, but on one random Wednesday in November we decided it should be and two days later we were on our way on the long and arduous journey to the capital of Malaysia (it’s a 45 minute flight from Singapore)...

We arrived in the evening, checked in, quickly got freshened up and then went to dinner in the Starhill area. On the way, our first sight of KL out of the taxi window was this:

Steve and Beth's Wedding in Key West

Fri, 3 Oct 2008 10:24:06 +0800

Steve and Beth tied the knot in impeccable style down in Key West, naturally (where else?). Most of the ASL crew was in attendance as to be expected!

The festivities kicked off with a schooner sail around the island.

Thailand with Kaki and Ry Ry

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 20:07:20 +0800

A visit we had been looking forward to for ages! Karah and Ryan kindly made the long journey from NYC to come and spend a few days with us in Singapore, and we decided to take a little break in Thailand. We stayed on Ko Yao, an island in the heart of the Phang Nga archipelago with dramatic limestone cliffs jutting out from the sea all over the place. The view from our resort, the Ko Yao Island Resort, was simply insane.

As is tradition in these types of trips, the daily activities consisted of sleeping in, lounging on the beach/by the pool, massage, drinking, and eating. We did manage to get in one bike ride and a quick boat tour of some deserted beaches, so don’t call us lazy. Mission accomplished!

Sophia's Big Day!

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 17:20:46 +0800

Little miss Sophia Jasmine Sutton Kahlon celebrated her first birthday on 20 July 2008. Perhaps more importantly, she celebrated her “naming day,” a day for close family and her five (yes, five) godparents to come together and celebrate her being. Proud grandparents Colin and Gay Kaye kindly hosted us at their beautiful home in Bosham on the south coast of England, and what a day it was... gorgeous weather, gorgeous food, and gorgeous smiles from the famously smiley Sophia.

Nese and Angus's Wedding in Istanbul -- PART 1: FRIDAY NIGHT BOAT CRUISE

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 19:58:14 +0800

The day had finally come after many “inshallahs,” and Nese and Angus would be married in one of the most spectacular ceremonies ever, on the banks of the Bosphorus. Heidi had never been to Istanbul so this was a perfect opportunity to check out this gorgeous city. We did a little sightseeing, a lot of partying, and just generally had a blast with Nese and Angus and tons of old friends.

First up, some pics from the Friday night activities, a cruise up and down the beautiful Bosphorus:

Nese and Angus's Wedding in Istanbul -- PART 2: A LITTLE SIGHTSEEING

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 17:59:30 +0800

Since Heidi had never been to Istanbul, we managed to squeeze in a little sightseeing before the big Saturday night festivities. Of course I convinced her that the best vantage point was atop a rooftop restaurant, sandwiched between Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, drinking Efe’s Pilsner with the boys.

Nese and Angus's Wedding in Istanbul -- PART 3: THE WEDDING!

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 17:57:13 +0800

The big day. It was simply spectacular. There was a lot of love going around. The pictures speak for themselves.

Back to the Motherland -- Part 1: Seeing old friends, L.A.

Sat, 5 Apr 2008 17:35:58 +0800

To break up the mammoth journey from Singapore to Miami we decided to stop in LA and New York to catch up with old friends and for Sean to do some work. First stop was LA to see the LA chapter of the ASL crew which we hadn’t seen since Ahsan and Rachel’s wedding in ’06 -- Zach and Lindsey Schiff-Abrams, Erin and Mike Mand, and Zach’s mom Liz (who is the most incredible host ever) -- and Heidi’s friend from college, Sara Wilkins (and of course her super cute pug, Lola Grace).

Liz kindly hosted us at her beautiful home in Beverly Hills, and Zach played tour guide when he wasn’t on the phone with movie stars and household name directors.

Back to the Motherland -- Part 2: A little work, a little play, NYC

Sat, 5 Apr 2008 16:58:55 +0800

In between L.A. and Miami we made a quick pit stop in NYC so Sean could work with the Brothers Lehman and Heidi could get some twin time to chill out with Karah. It was a super brief pitstop in NYC so unfortunately we didn’t get to see all of our friends from the Big Apple, but fear not we will return.

After a shitty red-eye from L.A. on American... dinner with the closest of friends, Ryan and Steph Frick and their gorgeous kids Tyler and Scarlett.

Back to the Motherland -- Part 3: Scott and Alex's Wedding, Miami

Sat, 5 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0800

The main reason for our trip back to the motherland was to attend the wedding of Scott and Alex. It was a very special event, not to mention a total blast with great company, yummy food, a killer venue and the dopest band ever. On the side we got to spend some R&R with the Poths, chilling on South Beach. We were glad we made the trip!

Bali with the Breckers

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:24:39 +0800

In March, Mama and Papa Brecker came to visit us in Singapore. Since they’d never been to Bali, and given it’s a hop, skip and a jump away, we decided to organize a trip. We were in charge of the planning and we decided to surprise them. We had booked rooms at the Como Shambhala Estate at Begawan Giri, in Ubud. We had always wanted to visit this health and wellness oriented getaway since we first started investigating options for our honeymoon, so this sounded like the perfect opportunity.

Bali, and in particular Ubud, were beyond words... the landscapes are so friggin exotic that it’s impossible not to just stand there and gasp in disbelief. The icing on the cake was “The Estate”, as they call it. To say that this is the best hotel we’ve ever stayed at is an understatement. It’s comprised of five “residences” on nine hectares, perched on a cliff overlooking the Ayung River. There are palm trees, densely packed across the valley, as far as the eye can see. Volcanoes in the background. A raging river below. Rice paddies cut into the steep cliffs. And then there’s the residences, which can only be described as dream homes. The level of attention to detail in the way they’ve designed these residences is amazing. Each has a different vibe (the perfect excuse to return for another visit...) -- but all are simply amazing. The absolute best part though, was the infinity pool... perched high among the treetops, overlooking the rapids of the river below, is a pool that seems to extend onwards toward the volcanoes on the horizon. World’s greatest pool, at the world’s greatest hotel. No doubt about it... This place ain’t messing around.

WORK IN PROGRESS... TO BE COMPLETED!

Chinese New Year in thailand

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 17:13:05 +0800

Pretty simple concept this one. We wanted beach and exotica for the four day Chinese New Year weekend. Heidi hadn’t been to Thailand yet and we decided it pretty much fit the brief so we picked one of Sean’s favorite spots, Ko Phi Phi in the Andaman Sea, and booked four nights at Zeavola, a smallish boutique hotel accessible only by boat or seaplane. Our routine was again pretty simple -- sun, sea, food, cocktails, massage. Repeat as necessary.

We flew to Phuket and then hopped the 12 minute seaplane direct to Zeavola. As we came in to land we caught some nice views of Koh Phi Phi Leh, the uninhabited sister island to Koh Phi Phi Don (where we were staying), which we would later explore by boat.

A Trip to Burma (known as "Myanmar" these days) -- Part 1: Yangon

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 16:31:12 +0800

Soon after moving to Singapore we decided that we’d celebrate Christmas in Burma (or “Myanmar” as it’s known these days). After a short flight, we landed in Yangon (formerly “Rangoon”) and instantly felt like we’d stepped back in time around fifty years. Over the next couple of days we spent time exploring Yangon, the country’s main city and home of the famous Shwedagon Pagoda. After Yangon we headed to Bagan, the ancient capital, where we marveled at the sight of literally thousands of temples and pagodas dotted across the plains. From Bagan we ventured to Inle Lake to admire the natural beauty of its landscapes and its people.

Wherever we went we were greeted by some of the warmest, kindest people we have ever met anywhere in the world. To say the Burmese people are friendly is a gross understatement. We feel truly indebted to them for their kindness and hospitality, and for making our trip so special.

The warmth of the people, combined with the beauty of the landscape, mean this place must be seen to be believed. As a traveler it is beyond unique; as a photographer, it is simply paradise.

A Trip to Burma (known as "Myanmar" these days) -- Part 2: Bagan

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 16:16:17 +0800

After a couple of amazing days in Yangon it was time to head to Bagan, the ancient capital of Burma. We had seen photos of Bagan in various travel books and magazines but nothing could prepare us for the impossible beauty of this place.

Bagan dates back as far as the 11th century, and was then the capital of the Bamar Kingdom. The remains of the temples stretch across 15 square miles on the east banks of the Ayeyarwaddy River (until recently known as the Irrawaddy River) in central Burma, and today just over 2,000 of these structures remain standing (it is estimated that between the 11th and 13th centuries, some 13,000 temples were built on these plains). It’s obviously impossible to visit all of the remaining temples, but over three days we managed to get a feel for the place, exploring the area by car, bicycle, horse, and hot air balloon!

Again, everywhere we went we were met by amazing people who took great pride in showing us the beauty that is Bagan.

A Trip to Burma (known as "Myanmar" these days) -- Part 3: Inle Lake

Sun, 30 Dec 2007 13:17:31 +0800

We were pretty exhausted after Bagan to be honest. The trip thus far had been a serious case of sensory overload, but in a good way. Our plan for Inle Lake was just to chill out, admire the beauty of the lake, and soak up the unique culture of the northern Shan state and its Intha people.

We were successful! We managed to spend a few hours each day exploring the lake but when we weren’t exploring we were getting a massage or enjoying the great food and wine at the boutique Inle Lake View Resort (side note: it felt great to wrap up the trip with a perfectly medium rare Beef Tenderloin and a bottle of 1996 Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou!). Being up in northern Burma and in the mountains, there was quite a change of climate which we weren’t expecting, but the cool crisp breezes felt awesome, and immediately we fell in love with Inle.