I wish I could encapsulate scents into data packets and upload it to my website. Shopping with Penny took on new heights this weekend and of all my purchases, this is up there on the 'wow' scale. I found an AsianSpa body butter - under its Javanese Lulur range at the Life shop in Paragon. It's a combination of jasmine & frangipani fragrance, shea and cocoa butter. At SGD25.90 for a 180ml jar, it's a worthwhile investment - I get to surround myself with my favourite scent - jasmine...
Other wonderful purchases that may make an appearance on this site is a Salon Oriental CD from That CD Shop (I love the music they stock - and it's nice to be able to sit on a sofa, have drinks and have a personal DJ test a stack of CDs for you!). Salon Oriental is a compilation of what I call 'wailing Arab music', although not as wailing and desperate as the Buddha Bar series. Most of the tracks have an obvious Middle Eastern influence, with deep and resounding beats and light, non-overpowering French-Arab vocals.
A music with a subtle dancing urge, with dub inspired base lines on a lazy journey, a music soon corssing the path of a light and sleepwalking jazz, swiftly caught up with by a meaningful funk, borrowing influences from everywhere.
Ok, so my fascination for all things Middle Eastern is starting to show. What didn't help was that Baklava post a couple of days back. I went straight to Saray for my fix and was sorely disappointed to find that the kitchen was closed for renovations till next week. Sigh... Miss the sweet taste of it with Turkish coffee -"Coffee: black as hell, bitter as death, sweet as love" as the saying goes (thanks Kaz for the correction.).
Posted by Najah Nasseri at 2003年11月09日 21:48 | TrackBackI happen to like frangipani too - the scent, the flower, even the tree with its gnarled trunks and all, look beautiful to me. I think it's a highly under-rated plant, especially here in Malaysia where it's associated with some fear.
Talking about scents, I found my precious bottle of organic lavandula angustifolia (only the finest french lavender oil in the whole world) while cleaning my room yesterday. I put a few drops on my pillow that night, and slept like a babe - eleven hours of deep slumber. Lavender does that to me...it's the ultimate insomnia solution! Of course, that shows what a lazy sunday I had!
Posted by: Anis at 2003年11月09日 22:52I thought the saying was "Coffee: black as hell, bitter as death, sweet as love" ?
Posted by: KaZ at 2003年11月09日 23:20I like the Oriental CD too. Music on the Buddha Bar compilations are pretty thin though.
Posted by: tall tree at 2003年11月10日 05:20Doesn't frangipani remind you of hauntingly beautiful women that roam the Earth when they're not supposed to?
Pontianaks and the lot.
Smells are so tied to memory....
Posted by: meesh at 2003年11月10日 07:26Thanks Kaz! Made the corrections already...
Meesh: Well, maybe if I wear enuff of the cream, no one will dare come near me... muahahahaha!!!
Posted by: Najah at 2003年11月10日 07:45ah...retail therapy.
one day i seriously need to cut up my credit card. sigh.
Posted by: Wena at 2003年11月10日 09:32hey I really like baklava too! and the best one i ever had (actually the first one i ever had) was at Saray. The milkbar in my area here sells baklava as well, but it doesnt have the crunchy sweet base as the one in Saray.And it doesn't have the colourful lamps and ambience of Saray.
Posted by: akie at 2003年11月10日 09:48Middle eastern music is rather meditative. Amr Diab and Wael Keffori are worth listening to. Btw, hope you'll get your craving satiated.
Posted by: yaz at 2003年11月10日 15:24frangipani is cool.
re: mid-east songs.. try omar faruk and hamza el din. the former a ney / flute player and the latter a great oud player and singer.
to hear an amr diab song check out my blog. (plug unintended)