BKK Hols: Day 4 - Bangkok, the Happening City!

Last day. Woke up real late. Buried my head under the pillows and wished that I don't have to get out of bed.

I could do this all day - sleep late, watch TV in bed, eat a leisurely breakfast, swim and swim like there's no tomorrow... and shop!

One last shopping attack at Isetan Mall. A so-so KFC meal at the airport. Yunru's gleaming new fibreglass suitcase plus our assorted bags did not bust the group check-in baggage limit...

Bangkok - What Do I Love About You?
Suan Lom Night Bazaar - for the funkiest buys in the coolest (literally & figuratively) of all bazaars. In my opinion, better than Chatuchak.
Grand Palace for its entrancing architecture.
Tom Yum Gung, green curry, watercress salad, fritters hot off the wok.
Honey Oranges - I bought a bag home.
Fresh coconut & honey orange juice - enuf said.
Chao Phraya river - a chance to see how ordinary Thais live along banks.
Tuk-tuk drivers - for their daredevil driving skills that would make Michael Schumacher real proud.
Siam Square - funky, large, and boasts of 3 storey hair salons and Boots pharmacies.
Lay's Tom Yam Gung and Chicken & Garlic flavoured chips - chips with an ethnic kick.
Glico Pocky Banana Choco Sticks - an acquired taste, but nonetheless interesting.
A good bargain - self-explanatory.
Grand Diamond - for a taste of luxury, only if it's just for a few days!

What I Wished Could Change
The slums and poverty - you can see beggars often at street corners, bridges etc. I saw one man lying prostrate on the ground with his dog.
Bugs for dinner - saw them deep fried in soya sauce outside IT Mall. Bleah!
Smog & humidity - waiting to inhale fresh air. Waiting.... still waiting...

And...The bizarre
Ang mos who mistook us for Thais - 2 crazy ang mos who were overly exuberant in waving at us, thinking we were Thais. That was followed up by flying kisses from them. Arrgh!

BKK Hols: Day 3 - I'm a Babi Girl, in a Not So Babi World

Woke up with a start. What a nightmare.

I dreamt that this guy friend of mine (who loved to eat as much as I do) has turned into a vegetarian! Panic gripped my (still-empty) stomach, and as soon as Yunru woke up, I stammered my dream to her... hysteria threatens to overcome me at this point...I need to confess my deepest fears...

Her reply? A crisp "no more pork for you, girl!"

Now, that is what I call a national catastrophe. A calamity. A disaster unparalleled. Imagine, what is this world going to be like without char siew, bak chor mee and wan tan mee?!

A lazy, hazy saturday breakfast at the coffee house. Again, another conquest of the famed Chatuchak Bazaar, the size of 7 football fields and boasting a humidity level of Bangkok, Singapore and KL combined on their hottest days. It's like walking through a sweltering oven, packed with fellow shoppers eager to lay their hands on the best bargains.

Bought some souvenirs for family and self. We didn't manage to cover the whole market - we missed out on the more interesting sights such as the live animals market (plenty of puppies, kittens and other 2/4 legged creatures on sale here).

The shopping expedition ended on a sad note. Mary lost her mobile (she thinks the phone slipped out of her pocket, but it could be that a pickpocket had targetted her). Zach went off tracing the route of whereabouts they have visited and spoke to the police there. No news if they got it back. Oh dear.

Dinner at a nearby restaurant (some oddly named cafe called A & P at the IT Mall) which served great Thai and Western food at very reasonable prices. Everyone was pleased with what they ordered. Andrew was seen crunching merrily on pork lard (which was served as a side dish to his pork noodles and looked like a yellowing piece of keropok). My eyes began to glitter at the sight of pork... but decided to opt for something simple like seafood hor fun. The roast chicken with garlic and fried watercress salad won hands down as the best on the menu.

Back to Suan Lum and another round of shopping. The male/female/"indeterminate gender" performer was not on stage tonight. Was at a stall where this male proprietor was what one of the girls called a "comrade". He is clean-shaven and well-built, and his lover's photo (whom he had his arm draped possesively over his shoulder) was tacked on the shop's wall.

PS: Upon reflecting I now know why I dreamt that my friend turned into a vegetarian. The week of 14-17 Oct coincided with a "Eat Vegetarian" week, whereby Bangkok citizens were urged to give up their favorite meat (pork, beef, prawn bugs or croc) and go vege. Roadside stalls that supported this move planted a little yellow flag next to their carts - indicating that they have vegetarian dishes to choose from too.

Give me pork, or death, anytime.

BKK Hols Day 2 - Devoutness & Decadence

Slipped into my red Addidas swimsuit, wrapped myself in the bathrobe and padded off for a swim in the pool. Utterly refreshing, even if it's 9 am in the morning. The only thing I didn't like was to cut across the coffee house in my bathrobe, and swimming in front of diners (the pool is right next to the coffee house). Felt very much like a goldfish, although this goldfish is not so sleek at certain parts!

Everyone looked half-dazed at the breakfast table. The pork porridge was the best, and Yunru discovered that I have an obsession, no, an ADDICTION, to ... pork! I was heard proclaiming that I can't live without pork and that I suffered terribly, oh so terribly, when Singapore had the Nipah virus scare 4 years ago and I was deprived of my favorite meat...

We joined Zach, Mary & Eleanor on a tour of the Chao Phraya River. Mary was in her element, bargaining with the tour agent who ultimately gave in and gave us a discount per head. Enroute to the Grand Palace (which Ellen said you shouldn't miss) we stopped by the Flower Market, where blooms of all varieties, shapes and sizes could be had for a song. A few songs in fact. Imagine, 24 stalks of roses for less than S$4?! Lilies (a bunch) for that sum?! Impossible back home! There were also all kinds of plants and food stuff in that area too.

For the uninitiated, the long-tailed boat is powered by an outboard motor. The trick is in getting on board gracefully - you need to step on the edge of the boat before you could get in, while the boat seems to sink periliously to the side... And once in, all must spread out to prevent it from capsizing. Moange our tour guide, a wiry and tanned Thai, spoke fairly good English and is humorous to boot.

As the boat sped its way towards the Grand Palace, we saw how ordinary Thais lived along the canals of the Chao Phraya. Almost all homes have a little jetty (be it wood or concrete) at the backyard where they could hop onto a river taxi to go to work. Some houses are rather dilapidated, not more than a few planks of wood nailed together, while others boast of concrete walls and a porch leading into the river.

The Grand Palace -one must be appropriately attired (no bare arms and ankles must be covered) to enter the premises. I cannot begin to tell you about the murals (apparently no two bodhisattvas were drawn alike), the manicured lawns and Chinese and Hindu influences on the temple structures.

The temple of the Emerald Buddha is a must-see. Imagine a very retro looking temple exterior covered with tiles in red, green, yellow, blue and gold and set with little mirror discs! With such a striking exterior you can say that it shimmers in the distance. High ceilings, multi-tiered chandeliers and a dim interior made it a cool respite for many of us (poor Eleanor was quite ready to faint from the heat, especially since they gave her a heavy sarong skirt to cover up). The Throne Room, though grand, seemed to pale in comparison.

It was too late for us to make it to the Temple of the Dawn, so our boat just sailed past it.

Leaving Moange, it was off for dinner at Robinson Shopping Centre's Food Fusion - somewhat similar to Marche in its concept. Had one of the best Tom Yam Gung and Minced Pork salad (60 Baht each dish) and sadly for Ellen, I beat her to the last cup of coconut juice... muahhaha! Food Fusion is one up than Marche - there was a live jazz band playing music that no one could make out.

Took a tuk-tuk to Suan Lom Night Bazaar. It was quite a scream for 4 Chinese to pile up in this tiny three-wheeler, with the driver expertly cutting corners . While we were no suave Mr Brosnans, we certainly arrived in 1 piece! Ellen swore that she saw 7 ang mohs piling into the back of a tuk-tuk - the vehicle looked as if it was about to sink on its back wheels!

Unleashing our shopping prowess is what women are good at & Ellen, Yunru and myself went on a shopping spree. It was nice and cool at Suan Lom and many things were quite funky, and interesting. Thais do drive a hard bargain in making us part with our cash, but experience tells us that if you are polite and not unreasonable, it might be possible to compromise at a price that both buyer and seller agree.

There was also a live show (pretty much like those getai). The music was good, the band was better, and the performers (was that a woman or a man?!) were the best. Dressed in a hot pink dress that could get one arrested if it's any skimpier, the performer sang, danced and pranced in front of a bunch of ogling ang mohs. I can't help by gawk - he/she is really good (never mind about the dress!)

Flopped onto my bed after a hard night of shopping. A most unusual evening. On one hand devoutness by almost an entire nation to Buddhism, on the other, an enterprising mindset in pursuing the best (and perhaps the kitschy) things that life can offer - re Siam Square, funky shops, imitation clothes and bags, go go/lady boy shows - the ultimate in decadence.

A strange, wonderful, if not bewildering kaleidoscope that is Thailand.

PS: the joke of the day was by Moange: Zach was asking if there are any crocodiles in the Chao Phraya. Moange replied that crocs are afraid of the Thais, cos they eat anything that moves! Now that's even better than the Chinese!

BKK Hols: Day 1 - The Teochew-Speaking Chiku

Was away for a 4D3N trip to the Land of Smiles via Tiger Airways - new plane, cramped seats but who cares since it's cheep cheep!

The first thing that caught my ear was the melodious Thai language. It's spoken in a sing-song manner, clearly enunciated and sounds very teah to one who's more accustomed to dialects that are spoken more rapidly (Cantonese) or "roughly" (Hokkien). In fact, if you are a Teochew, you stand a good chance of bargaining down prices, since most of the Chinese in Thailand speak that dialect. From airport to shops, street vendors to tour guides, the lovely accent is heard and is truly music to my ears.

Ellen, Andrew, Yunru & I marveled at the spaciousness of the Grand Diamond Pratunam serviced flat. With 2 rooms and a view to die for at the sunken bath tub, we were all planning to get some bath salts and soak away till our skin peels off. The apartment also boasts of 3 TVs, a kitchenette, microwave oven and a mini fridge that's anything but mini. I'm already making plans for an early morning dip in the swimming pool.

Off to explore the vicinity of the service apartment. Yunru nearly flipped when she thought she saw shades at 10Baht (about S$0.40) a pair. She said she'll tell the stallholder to close shop for the day, for she's getting all of them for presents. Will be back to check it out again...

Met up with Andrew's friends Zach & Mary whom I'm very convinced know every nook and cranny of Bangkok. They are avid shoppers and seasoned travelers to this city - they knew exactly how much to bargain for tuk-tuk, handicrafts, clothes and even jewelry.

Off to dinner at a Thai restaurant in Siam Square - Bangkok's hottest place to see and be seen. For S$10/pax, we got to eat crab & tanghoon, fish cakes, green curry (yummy!), fried fish and some dessert which was really lemak. I was most impressed with the 3-storey hair salon opposite the restaurant... rows and rows of people seated in front of a plate glass window, doing their hair... amazing! The way they do Siam Square reminds me of Ginza...

Siam Square seems to proliferate with cinemas at every corner. There are many funky shops, with lovely shoes, clothes and accessories to check out. With prices that you can bargain down, it truly is a shoppaholic's nirvana. Om...!

Snacked on a kind of fruit called Honey Orange. I can't get enuf of it! They are so sweet and juicy... Ducked into a Boots pharmacy and drooled over all the yummilicious bath salts, bath gels (one looked like strawberry jam - good enuf to eat, I say), conditioners and skincare range. I don't recall seeing anything half as grand in UK's Boots - needless to say I bought nothing at UK 'cos things were 3x the price.

Walked back from Siam Square all the way to hotel. Dead beat, zonked out and basically am plodding behind Andrew who was still pretty much alive after a humid day. Tore open the complimentary fruit basket which featured 4 super sweet mangosteens (one each), bananas, a green apple (which remained ignored and uneaten), a honey orange (yeah!) and chikus.

The last thing I remembered before drifting off to sleep was Andrew telling us that the chiku told him that it was nice & sweet and to eat him (the chiku I mean). We asked him (Andrew) how he knew, and he replied with a straight face, "Because it told me so."

Since Andrew is the only Teochew amongst us, no prizes for guessing what language the chiku spoke to him in. Kaki nang!

Speed

Now I know I can be a speed demon if I wanted to.

Off for my 1st go-karting session at JB on Saturday. Good thing J told us all to wear sunglasses. The noise from these machines were terrible!

For only S$15, you can be Michel Schumacher for 10 min (minus his snazzy outfit, gloves and of course, his moolah). It's pretty much like F1 racing, in a less high-end car which is not so powerful of course. To display your so-called driving prowess, you can race around the circuit, comprising of a series of slopes, hair pin bends round and round.

The guys were good. I was pretty hesitant as the instructor told us to step left for brakes, and right, for speeding up. I can still remember my driving instructor years ago shouting at me to "step on the brake/clutch/accelerator NOW!". I think I stepped on all 3 at 1 go... and flunked the test outright.

But I digress.

With sunglasses perched on my nose and a heavy helmet on my head, I looked like a cut price version of some 3rd grade F1 driver. Some guy just yanked the string to start off the engine and I was off!

The guys were really good - they sped all the way! For me... well, at first I was hesitant and a bit nervous - bad memories of lousy driving lessons all came back to me. But when I saw how much fun everyone had, I just stepped on it.

I was still comparatively slow, but with the engine roaring and sand flying into my face, the thrill that I get is adrenaline-pumping, to say the least. Taking the bends was the most fun, it was marvelous maneuvering the kart in a sharp and tight turn and feeling my body sway with the movement.

Poor J had an accident. According to eye witness accounts, she basically crashed into the barrier and flipped out of her kart. Thank God indeed that she suffered bruises only.

I really saw how sweet-hearted G is. She displayed sufficient sense to get the 1st aid kit and applied some antiseptic on J. When we all headed to City Square for a coffee, the 1st thing she did was to run off to the pharmacy and got something for J too.

I hope things will really work well for G. To all who have eyes, she has a good and loving heart. I'm rather sentimental about happy endings...

The Princess Diaries - Chapter 1

Here I am
Initiated into the world of blog
Had great fun reading other folks' blogs
I thought, "Why not me, too?"

Why not indeed.

So here I am. Introduced into the world of bloggers by Ellen. I was just telling her what a wonderful Modern Dance concert I caught on Saturday at the UCC.

You can read more about it at www.gatgat.com

What struck me most was Gat's single-mindedness in pursuing his dreams. (Of course, it does help that he's bald (by preference!), and has great chiselled features to boot - that for sure caught my eye FIRST.)

He was actually training as a conductor before he took up a 3 month dance course. He was hooked, and decided to be a modern dancer instead. And all this at the relatively late age of 23.

The rest, as the saying goes, is history.

How he never looked back and had the passion to go for what he wanted. Just think about it.

A conductor's lifespan in the music arena is infinitely longer than that of a dancer (unless you take up a teaching role, that is). Yet he chose to tread a path which he believed help him to express art in a totally comfortable and natural manner, which he felt conductorship doesn't allow him to. Presuming that you don't earn as much as a conductor, that means to say it's truly a matter of passion that kept him going.

I wonder what my passion is and where shall it lead me to. I somehow feel, like him and many others, my path and passion lie elsewhere...

A side story. The Centre for the Arts, NUS brought the show in. It was an exhilarating performance whereby Gat and 2 other compatriots, leapt, rolled, twisted and danced on a bare stage, leaving me and my friend Ai open-mouthed in wonderment. When the Director asked his VIPs post-concert if they'd like to see them backstage, they said no.

Who in their right minds would want to give up a chance to visit such dancers backstage? Me and Ai wanted badly to, but of course, we're not really VIPs, and can't see them backstage.

Even princesses get stumped by obstacles!