Bangkok Week 68

October 15, 2009

A great Birthday Week. Thank to everyone!

My birthday was full of fun, thanks to many. First...

... Nicole treated me to a classy lunch at Pizza Hut!

(Enjoying the leftovers later that night.)

Then dinner with James, fellow MIT ME alum.

A new veggie restaurant one block from our apartment.

And posh coffee at Wawee after that!

Then two parcels from overseas that have been aging nicely in the closet.

Card from Chris-- is she trying to tell me something?

Modeling the scarf from Chris and skirt from M&D.

And a Thai massage package from the hubby! Ooh, aah!

And a fried egg!

Wait, NO! It's a lamp!

Egads, it's not over yet! A huge ice cream cake from Swensens!

Mmm, the most delicious day of my life in Thailand.

Woo hoo! Cheering on the Sox as they efficiently eliminate themselves from the Playoffs!

Hmm! Shall we bake something? How about Cinnamon Buns?

ATTACK OF THE KILLER YEAST FROM OUTER SPACE!

Let's roll! (Note the raisins in the background that are not inside the roll. Whoops.)

Pre-pre-bake rise.

Post rise, post bake, post frosting! (And post improvised sprinkling of raisins.)

In the hospital? Or at a Thai massage?

The bottom line: cinnamon rolls for breakfast!

Mmm, rolled cinnamon.

Modeling the shirt from Chris.

BAM! Think Halloween is coming?

Have a relaxing sit in the park?

A flute ensemble performs at the mall. Guess what they played? That Nutcracker piece!

More over-the-top Halloween displays.

Lunch at MBK. It's been a while.

Hey there, boxy buddy.

Hey there.

Not totally sure what this outdoor exhibit was about.

Exploring the maze of... stuff.

Jack in a box?

A funky art exhibit / improv cafe at the BACC.

Giving our feet a little R&R.

This giant paper was asking "What does a Livable Bangkok mean to you?"

I was suckered into putting down my thoughts.

My response: Winter All Year!

The new look of our fridge: dinner for a week crammed inside.

From Lydia in Baltimore, in less than a week! Let the celebrations continue!

Finally, some more visible progress!

Bangkok Week 67

October 8, 2009

Many thumbs up this week: a night on the town, a trip outside the city, and a look at the absurd number of condos going up throughout the city.

If you order fries, they will be served on an elegant reusable plate!

Satisfying a long-time craving!

The plaza that hosted the opening ceremonies for the activities surrounding the Climate Change negotiations.

An overcast evening.

Ironic that Green festivities are happening at a monolithic shopping mall?

Diplomatically correct display.

Various important Asian people give the event their mark of approval.

At the reception: free drinks and desserts.

Who's mimicking whom?

FINALLY. After 1.5 years. A fan!

My new BFF.

Brushing up on my English skillz. Been here too long. (BTW, that's a she-man on the cover.)

This slice of pomelo has chompers of its own.

The boys get in a quick game of squash on Saturday morning.

"Would you hurry up and serve already?"

Vee's family's new house! They haven't moved in yet.

Thai people are short, so door handles have to be extra low.

A view of the brand-spankin'-new subdivision.

The balcony earns two thumbs up.

A view from the park in front of their 5-bedroom house. And their Jazz! (Fit, for you Westerners).

Praising the ground he walks on. Or, trying to figure out why the grass is so springy.

Another HUGE housing fair with every developer and bank ever to operate in Thailand.

Oh my! How overwhelmingly large!

At another fair in the same convention centre, colorful cotton t-shirts.

Oooh, finally satisfying a 3+ week craving for western donuts.

Believe it or not, Dunkin is an expensive delicacy in this neck of the woods.

Satisfaction guaranteed!

Bangkok Week 66

October 1, 2009

Another weekend in Trad, this time featuring a new car! And a one-year-old pup. Aww, our boy is all grown up!

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Bangkok Week 65

September 24, 2009

A weekend of walking. Notably, a festival celebrating an old community that was, well, closed for Sunday. Great planning on the part of the festival organizers!

We hiked for an hour to pick up a little Christmas tree and decorations that an Australian couple was selling.

Took a "caramel sundae" break to rest our feet.

The (in)famous Soi Cowboy, or the reason why most men come to Bangkok. Considerably more hopping at night.

The lyrical bird-on-a-wire.

We also got their Christmas lights (they're moving back to Australia after a few years in Bangkok).

The mini-tree. Expect to see him again in December!

A Sunday morning splurge: real pastries.

This one was called "red bean". I didn't expect whole red beans!

In the old part of the city, lottery ticket central: blocks and blocks of lotto tickets for sale.

Rows of old buildings, as we head to the festival celebrating this area.

Termites!

A small canal, with reflections of both the trees above and the algae oil within.

Every house had its laundry on display.

Which way d'we go?

Western influence in this gate, which used to be the entrance to the mansion of a former prince.

The lady in the gate. I think she has a more official name. The gate is called "Phraeng Sappasart Gate".

An ad for the "walking street" that is supposedly the hub of the festival.

These shops were actually open, but with nothing of interest inside.

Would you like to buy an emerald Buddha?

The grand gate to the festival ... and lots of closed doors behind it.

This is a famous sticky rice-and-other-desserts shop -- closed on Sundays!

Everyone takes this picture. Not sure why!

A famous old garage, that's been around since King Rama 5 (that's 4 eras ago).

It has a collection of old cars ... presumably he's still working on them?

A really mini Mini.

Some blooming floaters on the side of the road.

One of many fancy umbrellas brought in for the "festival".

What did I say about the laundry? Anywhere else in Bangkok, and it'd be gone before it's dry!

A famous, very old half-wood, half-cement building that's now a school. It needs big-time restoration.

Some of the school's ornate supports.

Photos from various community parties. You see how tight-knit the residents of this area are.

A banana tree in the middle of the city!

See, there are the bananas.

People show up in taxis from all over -- only to be disappointed by the lack of festival.

The one open store: a famous seller of ancient-style ice cream. Most people buy it by the 1kg-bucket.

We opted for a more manageable size.

Cooling off under the tent, for the fair that has yet to start.

A 15-year-old girl rehearses the songs she'll perform later in the afternoon.

"Hey buddy. You know you're not supposed to eat all the desserts."

Giant leaf from a Giant Leaf Tree on the side of the road.

Mum's Giant Swing (from the other side).

Lunch at a veggie restaurant upon which we stumbled.

A really hyper seller of traditional desserts had us sold.

She smokes the desserts with candles so they pick up a strong fragrance.

From L to R: sweet, sticky coconut balls; giant popcorn balls; Thai "mochi".

Excited about his cubic Thai mochi.

Doesn't this house look like it could be in urban New England?

Our food court! Our poor, poor food court!

My pomelo-peeling skillz be improving, yo.

Finally! 2 weeks after the frame goes up, they finally get the tiles on. Note how the scaffolding got chopped off just above the roof.

Bangkok Week 64

September 17, 2009

64 -- another square milestone. See you again in 17 weeks!

Baked "Ziti"? (That's it for the cheddar from Mexico!)

Welcomed back to Thailand with western food.

The apple crumble we'd been talking about for months! Before...

... and all-crispy-after.

Apple Crumble is good for you, right?

Up close and personal.

Another welcome-back western dish.

And later -- no crumble is complete without vanilla ice cream!

I bet we could afford this one!

Condo # 1 for the day: really tall and about 13 yrs old.

Condo # 2 for the day: much newer, but felt like a housing project. And nestled among adult entertainment venues.

Pensive about his lunch.

Forget pensing. Let's eat!

At a design show, a lamp made of birdies (the badminton kind).

And a bench made of freebie CDs.

And a designer chair. Looks comfy! But sitting is forbidden.

These kids were showing off their fancy kangaroo leg extensions.

Check out da trix!

Whadda ya know. It was car-free Sunday, during which moss overgrows all cars.

Those really old-fashioned bikes that you only see in cartoons! (Or photos from the 1800s.)

Fun with pomelos!

Too much fun with pomelos?

Okay, now this is getting embarrassing. (At least I know a career change is possible.)

Dissecting one of the bad boys.

The finished product. (This is how they sell them on the street. My poor implants.)

The only potato chips that qualify as "vegetarian" are plain! Yikes.

Finally, progress on that roof.

All framed up.

And the remaining bricks get their face mask.

Bangkok Week 63

September 10, 2009

A really-very-food-centric week!

A dinner with Wang (left) before he flew back to DC. (His sister got married in last week's album.)

Sup eats all his noodles in one bite.

Fu, Petch's arms, Vee and Joy ... at where else but a food court!

And the former roommates, reunited (for an hour).

"Fried Macaroni" from our food court. I think the sauce is ketchup.

And the dish in the foreground is made with apples! Hmm! (Apples = cha-ching!)

Standing idiotically like this waiting for the train to drive into the shot.

Testing out the chair that supposedly optimizes breathing. Does he look optimized?

Posing with the good ol' Beetle, another display at the TCDC's permanent exhibit on design.

A jazz concert at the TCDC's cafe.

Too cheap to buy anything, we stood at the window for a while listening to the jazz, then left.

A neat night sky over Ari.

After having broken all our glass or ceramic mugs, I suggested a more plastic investment! (NB: Thailand's tiled floors are a real liability!)

The Inari Adventure begins!

Compare: Jasmine is to Japanese rice as a Thai boxer is to a Sumo wrestler.

Some of the makin's : nori, rice wine, and bags in a bag.

Preparing the feast: laying the bags out to cool after micro-boiling.

Who is this man, and who invited him over for lunch?

After being surgically opened, the bags are ready for stuffin'.

The stuffer doin' his stuffin'.

All stuffed now!

And with the leftover rice: "vegetable maki".

A carrot-stuffed log. No other veggies on hand.

The feast! Lots of sushi and a pot of miso soup each. (Plus a tiny wasabi and the shoyu left over from February.)

Super-excited for Japanese food.

The artistic shot of fancy carrots.

Attack of the Killer Inari!

Stuffed, with plenty leftover for dinner.

The blue sky and apartment beckon: come back to Bangkok and visit!

Watch your language!

While stuck in traffic, this motorcyclist stops to buy flowers from the seller.

A seller of snacks and yum, whom I watched for a LONG time while the bus wasn't goin' nowhere.

Can you call this progress?

Bangkok Week 62

September 3, 2009

A packed weekend that was artsy, merry and Japanese.

Even funky old cars have to sit in Bangkok traffic.

It's Bangkok Arte' Weekend! A weekend festival of artsy vendors, art exhibits and concerts.

(They offered a shuttle from the BTS for the lazybones... including us.)

Attention to detail: including these benches!

Heading "inside". Everything was under a covered soccer field.

The event! Many vendors selling artsy clothes, jewelry, second-hand shoes, etc.

A big Color-Me wall stood in the middle of the field.

Checking out the prices of shirts-I-wouldn't-buy-anyway.

A purchase! A stylish new laptop bag!

A maker of colorful shirts and skirts blends right in with her wares.

Caricatures, sponsored by a bank.

Caricatures, not sponsored by anyone really.

The field was littered with bean bags, so people could just "chill".

Group shot with a background audience.

A boy contributes to the community project while avoiding the flu.

Yes! I made it to the goal!

Can't leave without vandalizing the wall himself.

Finally, dining at the vegetarian Japanese restaurant we stumbled upon last month.

Grilled Chicken!

Mixed tempura... with shrimp and dashi!!!

Look! It's shrimp tempura!

He he he. Japanese food.

Chicken? (Unfortunately, they didn't serve Japanese rice.)

And sushi, of course. This one had ham (along with the standard fixin's).

Ooh. Full now.

The new bag we won at the art fair, full of Japanese groceries.

The next morning, the penguins get ready for another wedding!

Recognize the dress? The necklace from prom?

The bride and groom are linked at the head by a string, and relatives come pour water on them. Romantic, no?

Some of the German relatives sit with a band of teenagers playing traditional music.

The red carpet shot? Featuring everything from mum. Help, my dress-up box is emptying quickly!

The Boston Boys (Wang, on the right, is the one whose sister's getting married.)

Everyone takes pictures in front of the backdrop while waiting for the bride + groom to change for lunch.

Group shot + shadow-of-photographer blocking face. How professional!

This kid couldn't wait till lunch started.

The new family. Quick, one of these is not like the others!

The wedding crashers?

One of many ice sculptures in the dining room!

This table is reserved for Wang's friends. All two of them.

Wang, Fu, Vee posing with drink supplements imported from the US.

The super-grande buffet.

And the vegetarian option. Irony here: these are fresh vegetables made to look like western frozen vegetables.

The couple are projected as they slice the cake with a sword.

And the requisite bouquet-tossing.

No visible progress this week, except for the disappearance of the workers' huts!

Bangkok Week 61

August 27, 2009

A pup, a permit!

Marouy welcomes you from the bottom of his heart.

A belated mothers' day gift.

Marouy can tell there's something great inside the bag!

He's had enough of his new chew already.

Breakfast: rice porridge with an assortment of salty things.

Marouy smiles and watches from the doorway as we enjoy breakfast without him.

An ad for the new car! Driven by its not-so-snazzy older cousin.

At the Toyota dealership, a big Buy-a-Pickup party was hap'nin.

Skillfully trying out the new car.

Lacklusterly leaning on its bed.

The dealership was even giving out juices, desserts and dumplings. (Of course.)

Top's new workplace! "Pichit Air And Sound." (That's what it says in red.)

Top, distracted at work.

Another windmill flower.

Enjoying lunch -- the first of many meals we'd be seeing those dishes!

Olives on an olive tree!

Olives off the olive tree!

Marouy proudly shows off his glistening new ball.

The house glows at dusk!

The acrobatic show-off is at it again.

He has yet to pose nicely for a photo.

Look at me play. Aren't I cute?

The next morning, at the temple preparing lunch for the monks.

The incense, flowers (and money) to donate.

Waiting while the monks dine.

Said dining monks.

The brothers look through a Soup-Up-Your-Car catalog.

Releasing the fish. Too bad the fish were eels this year. Ick.

Just some of the MANY leftovers brought home from the temple.

Sipping a tiny yogurt drink to remove the mouth-on-fire feeling.

A giant lily pad looms over the fish.

Having given up on the soccer ball, moving on to coconuts.

Do I look doofy?

Snails bury inside holes in a coconut palm.

(At least) 3 snails to this hole!

Chomp chomp chomp. Determined to peel the whole coconut.

Suddenly, the process became a whole lot more painful.

Preparing traditional, bright-orange Thai Iced Tea. In goes the condensed milk!

The finished product -- cool, sweet, refreshing.

Mmm. Orange.

A lazy Sunday afternoon at the store.

Recently organized chips and ramen. 22 different kinds of ramen on offer!

The two youngins size each other up.

A sleepy Sunday afternoon inside the cool house.

"Mowing" the "lawn."

Hmm! Mom's dishes... again!

What I thought was going to be an awning... turns out to be a whole addition.

Ever seen a mobile toilet? Pretty big bus for a toilet.

What's that you see? A work permit!?

This calls for celebratory cake!

And celebratory beer, of course! (And a celebratory face.)

Bangkok Week 60

August 20, 2009

A grand ol' potpourri of a week. Some marriage, some sight-seeing, some cold treats, some new feetz.

A mango too sour for words.

More tastes of the new food court: the noodles in the rear claim to be "pho".

Preparing for another wedding -- this one during flu season.

Petch and Fu -- both fellow Boston alums.

Luckily, the chopsticks they used at the wedding were sanitary!

A stare-down with your dinner.

More wedding attendees.

The bride chats with a friend back in Boston.

Three colorful doctors from MIT.

The wedding venue. Not big at all.

Hugging dolphin salt + pepper shakers: the door prize.

The men pose with the couple.

A first-timer to the good ol' Golden Mount.

Taking a good-luck swing at the gong.

Ringing the smaller bells is also good luck. But you gotta do 'em all.

Which pair shall I wear home?

Gazing dreamily down on Old Bangkok.

The mount, decorated for Mother's Day?

Get me down from here! It's a big gold mount!

Another Good Luck Gong.

This sign points to the "Belly Button" of Bangkok. The button itself is under all those coins.

(Requisite) group shot over the old city. Sunny day = squinty eyes.

A series of old wooden doors.

More colorful wooden windows!

"Democracy Monument"... or another big traffic circle.

Said traffic. How did we end up in the middle of it?

Festive flags hanging over a soi in the old city.

"Khao San" street -- Bangkok's backpacker haven.

It was filled with signs, souvenirs, western food and farang!

A European-style sidewalk restaurant that you wouldn't see anywhere else in the city.

Lunch at a more down-to-earth mom and pop shop behind the main street. (But they still see tourists!)

The restaurant's bug-eyed pup.

Could've been Pattaya!

An old European-style building. Now... Starbucks.

Browsing used books. (The red signboard in the background advertises IDs, US drivers' licenses and University Diplomas.)

The street had lots of Pad Thai carts, like this red one. Also, typical tourist clothing shops abound!

We followed these instructions to a tee.

A surprise evening treat! Ice cream-in-a-bun! How spoiled I am.

Sent on the 14th, arrived on the 18th. Ain't too shabby.

My snazzy new gear. Aren't I spoiled?

The Day the Dryer Died!

A swanky Japanese ice cube tray...

... made specifically for small-necked water bottles!

Before and after... took no more than 4 hours.

Casting pillars ... presumably for an awning?

Bangkok Week 59

August 13, 2009

A royal food bonanza! (Apparently the Olympics started a year ago this week.)

Dinner with some blurry old friends from Brown.

Do these balls look "walnut-sized" to you?

Post EZ-Bake.

A fresh batch of cookies in our new bowl (which was quality-tested at MTEC!)

Death by Oatmeal-Raisin.

An impulse lunch at a proper restaurant -- middle eastern to be exact.

Falafel! It's been so long! Oh how I've missed you! (Why are you so expensive in this city?)

Another new hi-rise going up downtown.

The soon-to-be-innards of a quiche!

Using what we could find to roll out the dough.

Ta-daa! Cheddar-tomato-leafy green vegetable quiche!

The Tillamook cheddar from Mexico still hasn't run out!

Mmm, home-made food. How novel.

Lazy holiday-morning-skype with the folks in NJ.

One vendor at the new food court. They sell Japanese curry and... pizza.

The ambiance of the new food court. It has about 10 different vendors!

The vegetarian Japanese curry on rice.

A view from above of some vendors and farang.

The woman from whom I now buy dinner.

Look at all these grilled "meats"! Yum yum!

A Mother's Day Bonanaza at a mall downtown. Here, a promotion on gourmet ice cream on a gourmet roll.

We thought we'd be the only ones coming to this fair... clearly we were right.

It was selling products made under the "Royal Project", including fresh vegetables.

But they were also selling Royal curry pastes, chips, juices, clothing, cloth, souvenirs, etc.

The crowd was compounded by everyone's bringing their mothers.

Here, lots of people take pictures of the same thing. Hi Moms.

Two kinds of mangoes: a sweet, juicy variety and one that remains crisp and tart.

The workers were out working hard all week, but I'm not sure I see much progress. You?

Bangkok Week 58

August 6, 2009

Exploring Bangkok -- believe it or not, there's still more to be seen!

A Sunday stroll down Soi Thonglor, a really hip place for foreigners to live.

We spotted a "Vegetarian Japanese" restaurant. Must return.

The area had so many up-scale malls. This could be any western country!

Check out the cars in this lot!

Visiting a photo exhibit in the lobby of a new high-end condo-slash-premium shopping center.

Lunch at a more down-to-earth place!

The chef makes our lunch.

Said lunch.

A famous Japanese bakery just opened up a second branch -- this one.

The area is quite Japanese!

Walking along the sidewalk-less streets. Like Tokyo?

I bought a new squash racket: 100% guarantee to hit the ball.

More condos going up-up-up. Recession? What recession.

Back at home, one of the 2 pastries we bought from the Japanese bakery.

And poor pastry #2: a chocolate-filled bear.

Not for long.

Have I mentioned how idiotic the skytrain is at rush hour?

Progress: some random bricks on the balcony and trim around the new roof.

Two! Count 'em. That's two months early for a birthday parcel!

Bangkok Week 57

July 30, 2009

Mask Fever (or flu-induced fever?) is sweeping the streets! Grab a mask and jump on in!

Mask Fever has hit Bangkok!

We happened to be walking by Auntie Anne's during their 4-hour free pretzel giveaway.

But how to eat a pretzel with a mask on?

Then we stumbled upon a second Auntie Anne's in a new mall. Guess what? Same promotion!

Free pretzels numbers 3 + 4.

Yum yum. This was "snow" flavor.

The entrance to the new "Coke Bottle" mall.

If these masks are good for anything, it's dieting!

Blending in with the crowd. (You must believe me. Everyone's wearing them!)

Special Sunday breakfast treat.

Too rainy to go picnic in the park? Apartment's the next best option!

Finally, can't resist trying it on.

Typical morning commute! What is this, Asia or something?

Bangkok Week 56

July 23, 2009

It's pup photo time again!

Puppy-face stretches on Saturday morning.

Wishing he could come inside!

A well-stocked store!

Sipping a huge yogurt drink.

The most tropical Mac-on-the-net.

A snack -- unflavored sticky rice and brown sugar.

A dreary Saturday.

The store cashier's desk. Lose something?

Scratch my belly so I can bite you!

Flavoring my lunch with an invisible lime.

A pink wide-noodle dish with veggies and pink tofu.

Dance with me so I can bite you!

Photogenic as ever!

Hm?

An umbrella hangs parallel with a fruit-picker.

Coconuts, man!

The fish look quite bright tonight.

A drop of rain water plops into the top of a basin.

Smiling for the photo, or eying the dessert on the table?

A chili plant. Don't rub your eyes!

Mr Smiley parades around with a bucket.

Look at my bucket! I'm happy!

Enjoying a coffee drink.

Pooped, after too much caffeine.

Seated nicely in the back of the car.

Delivery! Did you order a monk?

Waiting patiently while dad does his shopping.

Lounging around at the store.

The men sit around the table.

Marouy hasn't figured out personal space.

His motto: be pressed up against a human at all times.

Exhibit (2).

Eating his breakfast the next morning.

Looking through photos from the past month.

Only part of the stuff stored in the living room cabinet!

The cabinet's lowest shelves were getting a renovation, so the contents came out to party.

Top works to replace the cabinet's floor.

Lunch at the store: pad thai and old Milo thermoses.

Will making an innocent puppy face get me untied?

Egads, another roof!

Bangkok Week 55

July 16, 2009

Bikes and Bakes!

Vegetarian lunch at a *newly discovered* food court.

Had a great view of some construction downtown.

Two abandoned buildings (cranes and all!).

Peace out yo... a VW Bus managed to find its way to a Bangkok mall.

Finally! A shoe that fits!

At the TCDC's shoe exhibit. Here, shoes by an internationally-known Thai designer.

Ooh, another baking endeavor!

While this guy pecks away at his Thai keyboard.

Inspired by Chris's 4-layer chocolate cake!

Mine was only 2 layers, though. A cop-out!

The finished product... could use some work on my icing skillz.

Back at the Train Park for another afternoon of biking.

This time, mountain bikes with awfully uncomfortable seats!

Twin girls, twin bikes.

Enjoying my tour around the Not-So-Giant Swing.

The Golden Mount, with giant grey clouds looming in the rear.

A whole family bikes by the Golden Mount and Rama 8 Bridge.

Distracting him as he bikes along.

A game of 2-on-2 looks back-bending!

The park even has a public pool for kids.

This visitor came ready to bike, picnic and swim!

A mobile library comes to the park every weekend.

Kids take a drawing course at the water-side.

This little boy was perfectly capturing the park's nature in exquisite detail.

More late-afternoon traffic.

A main thoroughfare past some decent bathrooms.

We took a long biking break to toss around a frisbee.

But it's altogether too hot and humid to sustain!

A dog queues up for some wieners.

A family picnic celebrating a recent graduate.

This little boy wonders how the heck he ended up with this bike!?

An evening public aerobics class. (I got in trouble for taking this photo.)

Aha! We found the other end of the skytrain!

People are living in the house at night!

Finally, trying the afternoon's work.

Mmm, too much chocolate.

The All-Star game was shown live on Wednesday morning! (Obama's pitch was all I was home to see.)

Progress this week: windows and new trim detailing.

It's starting to come together!

Bangkok Week 54

July 9, 2009

A five-day weekend means... a park past its prime, crunchy cookies, sore squash and more!

Next baking attempt: sugar cookies.

Fast-action hands!

Pretty successful.

Pretty excited!

Taking a super-modern fancy bus to Siam Park City, Thailand's oldest amusement park.

The bus drop-off point... pretty official-looking!

The park's main entrance: a massive, tacky and aging castle.

Did I mention that the park is showing its age?

Having our photos taken for our new year-long passes.

Proud of his new ID card.

Boomerang... look familiar?

One day, I'll learn...

A really old, creaking animatronic mouse... the park's mascot!?

Not all rides were open. In fact, most were closed. Here's why!

A random collection of rides of varying (old) ages.

Okay, seriously. No more roller coasters.

Barf break!

Well, here's a nice shot of the ride that shot my stomach.

Smile and pretend to feel well!

An in-house shuttle coaster from 1981 with Bangkok as a backdrop.

The devil's coaster (from the air).

The park's claim-to-fame: its water park. (The largest in SE Asia.)

Taking in the scenery from the park's observation tower.

A pool-side lunch.

Kids play in the (really quite elaborate) lazy river.

Looking awfully pale!

A goofball poses for the picture?

Lounging at the river-side. Did I mention that the park was almost empty?

A truly strange set of water slides.

Studying the slide's maestros.

People either go super-fast... or not at all!

I got stuck half-way down.

A group of guys clearly spend their days practicing getting airtime on the bumps.

A clothed kid sits at the base of the slide, watching others have fun! (He got soaked.)

The world's largest artificial wave pool!

Look, they call themselves a beach!

This photo captures everyone at the park that day.

Posing on the very realistic-looking stepping stones.

Enjoying the showers in the kiddie lagoon.

Modeling with the water fall. (Modeling is clearly my calling.)

Requisite group shot with scenic backdrop.

Beach-side lounge chairs (that you have to pay for, just like in Pattaya).

A giant mushroom houses a beach-side bar.

Let's go surfing!

This sign explains the pool's official Guinness certification as World's Largest.

This little girl wonders why the heck this camera man is invading her personal space.

Mmm. Thai dessert that's quickly becoming my favorite.

Pink delight!

What is going on here?

Boarding a boat... for an adventurous trip through Animatronic Africa!

Realistic, drum-beating African people?

A cheery rubber tiger attacks a rubber zebra.

Boating through the jungle and taking photos all the way.

The closest anyone's gotten to crocodiles!

Aah! Scary animatronics!

King Kong plays with a red girl! What IS going on?

A huge Greek complex houses...

... a dinosaur museum!

Taking on my fellow Japanese.

The park's Main Street... a country-western setting from 30 years ago?

Back at home... reading the final page of Harry Potter 4!

Another water park -- this one on top of a mall in Bangkok. (We were just passing by.)

We (well, I) came to see a no-longer-operating roller coaster... that's now been partially boarded up.

Disappointment abounds!

Top floor of the 7-storey mall. Would've provided a nice view!

Now, like everything else in Thailand, they've turned it into a foodcourt.

Ooh! DQ! What a treat!

The swanky squash court at Vee's parents' new house's development.

Bangkok Week 53

July 2, 2009

Noodles, fried rice, soufflé and more!

At the Noodles Exhibit, demonstrating how to slurp noodles... Thai style?

All sorts of Japanese ramen, on display!

These illustrations shown how Japanese soba is made.

Standing proud in front of another display of Japanese dishes.

The only cheap food joint along the Japanese strip of town.

Sitting patiently in front of the menu.

Our staple! Veggie fried rice!

Before: crossing our fingers that the soufflés turn out.

After: they worked surprisingly well!

Can't wait for his chocolate snack (which has deflated already).

The next morning, amusing attempts to help mum and Bonnie burn a DVD.

Outside the BACC, a busted bench?

Lots of bustle in front of the BACC.

How indecent!

Beatin' away on a tall drum.

A really neat shadow-art exhibit lined the walls.

Lunch at -- you guessed it -- the MBK food court!

Progress report: squaring off the remaining sides of the house.

Bangkok Week 52

June 25, 2009

A fun night on the town, and a fun afternoon on our hot new wheelz!

A night out on the town! First stop...

... a swanky vegetarian restaurant in Siam Square! Shh, no photos allowed!

Paragon's plaza, all lit up at night.

Friday Night Life goes on (Sim Tower-style) inside an adjacent mall.

Palms, stairs and Versace lit up too.

UP to our primary destination! Doesn't he look thrilled?

Posing with Mr. Fredrickson.

Definitely stylish.

The next day, we stumbled upon some royally-made Mint Choc Chip ice cream!

Lunch at a mom-and-pop shop.

The next day, (western) lunch at our own shop.

Mmm... gorilla cheese. Makes my heart melt.

At the "Train" park... formerly a 9-hole golf course!

Some people come to picnic... some to sleep.

Walking to...

... the bike rental! Cheezy bike overload!

My hot new ride! 20B (70 cents) for the day!

Pimpin' out on the Granny bikes. (We chose these because they were the biggest.)

Riding through the park... which has been re-paved 'specially for biking.

Recognize it? The Golden Mount!

And mum's Giant Swing!

This area (for kids? bah!) had proper lane markers and traffic signs.

Touring around the famous sights.

And here's Victory Monument!

Hey! My pal the traffic cop!

Bike parking outside...

...the butterfly garden!

This butterfly mosaic on the floor was 1 of 2 butterflies we saw, though.

Here's the other!

Surprisingly, it was a pretty big enclosed area.

You could even rent sailboats and kayaks!

Some kids play basketball. (You have to think Thai players have a bit of a handicap.)

Posing with his flexible friends.

Finally, the park's namesake!

Wait for me, you stationary passenger car!

Sitting inside an old... segment of a car.

Coke break!

Okay, general heat break.

Lotus plants have taken over this pond.

A former golf course has its advantages! Lots of space to lounge.

Requisite group shot. (Note: I got dressed first that day!)

PLENTY of room to play frisbee... a relatively unknown sport here.

You can guess what whacked me in the stomach half a second later.

Dorothy, happily peddling along.

Funny is the chubby kid riding a small, pink bicycle.

Peace, yo.

Riding more paths. (Note the white lines painted on the LH side of the road.)

Typically Thai: a tree in the middle of the road.

Rush hour traffic toward the end of the afternoon!

An ugly-bugly lime! (More commonly called a Kaffir Lime, coording to Wikipedia... but not considered a lime at all here!)

After months of nothing, signs of life return to the house next door!

One face has now been smoothed over with a layer of cement. Progress?

Chatting with some pixelated blobs in Mexico! Hi!

Bangkok Week 51

June 18, 2009

More doggie daze.

Doomsday 2009 rolls in (over the new house).

Marouy gets a Saturday morning bath... unwillingly.

At least he can relax!

And time for the shower.

Yay! Mom's food!

This is vegetarian! "Beef."

Gathering beer boxes, to test out a "cardboard chair" design.

This is for work, really!

Green break.

Meanwhile, Top works away making a speaker box for the car.

Assembling the "chair".

The finished "product"!!

See? It holds LOTS of weight!

The innards.

Freshly made noodles for lunch.

Help help! Let me out! Or actually, here is fine thank you.

A comparison of the 2 types of rambutan: (top) "school", (bottom) "pink".

Chillaxin' "downtown" near the Trad market.

Gettin' ready to practice my fruit pluckin' skillz.

They're quite high up there!

The fruits of our labor! 6 "Santol" Fruit. (กระท้อน)

Hiding under the car, the morning of the BIG DAY.

Playing with the last of his tennis balls.

It just wouldn't leave his mouth!

Worried... because there seems to be a ball stuck in his mouth.

"Look at this ball! It's in my mouth!"

Butterfly break!

The ball! It's still there!

Can I chew this ball on your feet, please?

Look, I can use my hands to tear at it!

WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BALL???

Help! Let me out of here!

(No such luck for the pup.)

Post-trauma.

Reading and enjoying watermelon while monitoring the patient.

Direct from Mexico, in 6 days!

Bangkok Week 50

June 11, 2009

Activities overflow downtown... and bread overflows at home.

A mini skate park downtown, where tight black clothes are required.

A gang o' skaters.

UP UP and AWAY! Our advanced-purchase tickets came with a free UP folder.

Mmm, lunch!

Guards and passers-by both stop to watch...

... a 2-man band playin' away on the ground.

A huge orchid exhibit at Paragon.

Some colorful orchids.

Requisite pose-with-the-orchids shot.

It was hard to just look at them, since everyone was crowding to take photos.

Thai Airways advertised their "orchid globe".

Lots of variety! These ones hang.

These ones... stand tall.

These ones are scary!

These ones are shocking (apparently).

This hallway contained all the prize-winning orchids.

Okay, not these though. These orchids are just nicely arranged. No prizes.

This one looked much more impressive in person. It won a grand prize.

Pretty in purple.

Requisite group shot, with paparazzi backdrop.

This was purple in person... color distortion courtesy of the camera's color balance.

Grandma wonders how to turn this darn thing on!

A huge display combining many varieties...

...greeted shoppers when they enter the mall.

And on the way home, we won free Baskin Robbins scoops in the BTS!

Mmm, real ice cream!

And royally-made honey for our tea.

Look, the batter fit into the pan!

I guess it didn't like the heat so much!

Whoops. Smart move, Mika.

Mmm, Botched Banana Bread!

Bangkok Week 49

June 4, 2009

All things food : from donuts to an art exhibit!

An exhibit on Bangkok's street food culture, as seen in the NY Times (http://tinyurl.com/q4pa5u).

The title of the exhibit...

... spelled in paper plates!

Accordion cardboard props up the exhibit!

A display of (plasticized) foods that utilize leaves for wrappers.

And a squid-flattening machine.

Grilled bananas are popular snacks.... but these ones are plastic impostors.

An exploded view of a standard street vendor cart.

In a display of "ancient" food containers... Chris's Tupperware!

One of Tupperware's early models from the 60s. So valuable it's enclosed in a display!

Lunch at a small foodcourt (with a veggie vendor).

Not so content with the change-of-scene?

Apparently, she's a star! So, better take a photo!

Finally trying Mister Donut. Incentive? Their 10 B/donut promotion.

Of course.

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