Bangkok Week 102

June 10, 2010

A low-key week, as Bangkok continues to shop its way back to normalcy.

Refreshing drinks and dessert after a morning's gym.

You're #1! The best dessert in Thailand.

Some fancy breakfast breads from a Japanese bakery.

Lunch at MBK. Haven't dined here in a while. I brought some friends along.

Patriotic, morale-building messages have been taken out on billboards now, too.

Another huge shopping fest, this time at Paragon.

No shortage of shoppers looking for a good bargoon. The chance to see stars probably helped, too.

I don't even know what was being sold, it was so crowded under that tent.

Another great Thai dessert -- but not #1. Grandma's Hair!

This set is special -- the pancakes are made with black sesame.

A delectable Grandma's Hair cigar. Smoke's up!

Bangkok Week 101

June 3, 2010

As Bangkok returns to "normal", a very busy Week 101!

Another view of the (former) Siam Theater.

Some real fake meat for lunch.

Refreshing and reenergizing after the gym.

Lots of independent shophouses in Siam Square suffered at the hands of the protesters, too.

I think these were the desks of a tutoring / enrichment school.

All the shops along this street were so trendy and posh.

These were probably valuable handbags at one time.

Closed -- for much longer than they'd originally anticipated.

A mural in memoriam has gone up on the wall that now surrounds the former movie theater.

The long weekend saw the country's grand recovery scheme: Shop Thailand out of Turmoil 2010!

Half of Bangkok came out to shop along the walking street market that had been set up.

Unfortunately, there were so many people that it was too difficult to browse!

At least we had the advantage of being able to look over the heads of most other shoppers.

I found an Abercrombie bag -- list price $49 -- for $6. Splurge.

Even the BTS was too crowded to use.

The official signs indicating the link to the new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system have gone up!

We did manage to buy pastries at a discount from that overwhelming street fair the day before.

Asian eyes! Or just bug eyes?

I've been searching for the perfect bangle for my Chinese Phone. I found it!

A bento box! Now my Chinese Phone is complete.

The Revive Thailand shopping fest continued back at La Villa next to our apartment.

This one was considerably more upscale, and out of our price range. Sorry, Thailand.

A new sticker has been slapped over Chong Nonsi station, denoting the (recently completed) transfer to the BRT!

The recently completed transfer to the BRT station! I can use this to walk to work, and shave a good 80 seconds off my commute!

Ta daa! I thought it would never be completed. (It stood, abandoned, for over a year.)

A dense batch of buildings in the business district. The lovely cream-coloured one on the right is mine.

The BRT "bug" busses wait patiently to depart the downtown terminal station.

The official opening ceremony for the system had been the day before.

Inside, the busses look ... quite unremarkable.

The stations along the route are all in the middle of the road. Passengers need to cross over onto the median to board.

Excited by the billboards at one of the station stops.

The busses have their own traffic lights. Unfortunately, they have to share the road with normal traffic at many points along the route, subjecting the service to the normal ills of Bangkok driving.

Enjoying the ride early Sunday morning, before the crowds catch onto the fun.

One neat feature: a map at the front of the bus that updates the bus's position in real time.

Still quite empty. We wouldn't be so lucky on the return trip.

The famous Rama 9 Bridge. (Famous for what?)

At the other terminal station, passengers impatiently crowd the door, waiting to pour into the bus. At least the termini are AC'd.

The busses are manufactured in China -- and the shoddy quality shows. It's a shame. They'll probably need to be replaced in 6 months.

When the BRT has its own dedicated lane, it works well. Too bad that's not the case along the whole route.

Uh oh! The waffle maker's eating our lunch!

Perfect Panini Stripes!

Excited by the finished product.

Mmm. Haven't had bread this good in over half a year! Wait, haven't had bread in over half a year.

Our 53-kg fire proof safe! It didn't budge. Apparently, the gym hasn't been as helpful as I'd thought.

The combination for the lock came inside a red Chinese New Years' envelope.

Our expensive new printer stand. No moving from this apartment now!

Bangkok Week 100

May 27, 2010

Bangkok 100 didn't turn out to be the joyous celebration I was anticipating 99 weeks ago... but the weeks in between weren't all so grim. Here's to a more optimistic next 100, for Bangkok and the rest of the country!

On Thursday, May 20th, the fire that ruined a classic book store and small mall was still smoking over Victory Monument.

The first daylight after the fires were lit, everyone came out to survey the damage.

Dok Yaa was an old, classic book store, where we bought our trusty Bangkok street atlas.

This ATM saw a sad demise.

Passers-by can't believe their eyes.

You can see straight through the store now.

Not sure what all these bottles were for / from. Reserves for molotov cocktails?

The city has ordered the bookstore, and the neighbouring Center One mall to be demolished.

This woman tries to peel off one of the red shirts' propaganda stickers.

Onlookers stood around as firefighters tried to quell the smoke. Further down this street was the site of lots of bloody violence.

The protesters smashed up an information booth. Maybe they needed a map home.

People drove in and just sat on their motorbikes, watching in disbelief.

Even from afar, the scene is shocking and disturbing.

These phone booths have seen better days. At least everyone has mobile phones now, even the up-country red shirts.

Sorry, cards no longer accepted. No coins, either.

At least this booth survived with just some shattered glass.

A run on food 7-11 ... but this one still had more stock than the ones that were looted and trashed!

No shopping at this grocery store today.

I guess the protesters didn't like Kohler designs.

This 7-11, not too far from us, didn't fare as well as its neighbour down the street.

A small diversion: a fractal plant.

Finally, after 8 days cooped up in our apartment, we make a break for it -- to DQ!

A colourful train of taxis blocks traffic from merging onto the highway!

Deciding to escape Bangkok, we flee to the quiet outskirts of Metropolitan Trad. No shortage of goods for sale here.

A colourful tray of cavity-tugging desserts pleases the eye.

"Mouse poop chilis" for sale.

An extremely cute, motley family of dogs that live nearby: the parents and 2 kids.

This puppy was simply too cute for words -- and too fast for the camera.

We were checking out some of the family's property, located across a small street behind the house. It's huge!

Some fresh ngoh (rambutans) growing in the back yard. Time to be picked!

Crazy farmer lady and her fresh ngoh. That were crawling with ants.

Couldn't be fresher -- you can taste the difference between these and the ones that travel to Bangkok first.

How much carbon in this big footprint?

Sleepy dog, lazy afternoon. Or was it still morning?

Can't even hold his own head high.

Someone come here! I found a DB!

Browsing through photos at the store.

Alert and clean after his Sunday morning bath.

The land next door was recently purchased and is being bulldozed and landscaped.

Apparently it will be turned into a garden, for a wedding planner to use as her photo studio.

The sad eyes are back.

Psyched to be riding the BTS for the first time in 11 days!

A dramatic sky sets over Bangkok -- and predicts the thunderous storm that's about to start.

On Monday, the first day that mail service returns, a secret package arrives from Jersey City.

The giant screen that normally plays ads for waiting commuters has been rather melted. I wonder if her SPF 24 helped protect against the flames?

What a sight! Siam Paragon is open to the public for the first time in two months! Expensive shops, here we come!

Lights on inside the mall. Haven't seen that in over 8 weeks.

Unfortunately, the rest of Siam Square didn't fare so well. Like this alleyway next to the (former) Siam Theatre.

Iron Man 2 -- the last show screened at Siam Theatre.

Needless to say, the city has ordered the demolition of this theatre, too.

Apparently, this theater was home to the first escalators in Thailand.

Another alleyway that didn't fare too well.

As we approached Central World, so did a handful of other photographers who wanted to document the devastation.

Zen, the main department store at Central World, has been completely gutted. It will be torn down -- and I imagine the tower on top will have to be, too.

Inside what used to be a neat glass facade and display window for the BTS trains that zoom by.

From the other side. Zen has definitely seen better days.

This used to be a shopping mall. You can imagine how many millions in merchandise were lost.

A memorial has been created outside the only break in the fence that surrounds the entire property.

Fire trucks are still parked on the premises. All our fellow passers-by had the same instinctive jaw-dropping reaction to the sight.

This makes the mall seem so structurally minimal. It's amazing it stood for as long as it did.

No one will be forgetting this scene anytime soon, even after its torn down.

Guards at the equally posh Gaysorn mall across the street can only hope that their shopping plaza reopens soon.

This mall seemed to escape relatively unscathed -- only some bullet holes in Gucci and Celine, and a few broken windows.

So Long, ZEN. At ZEN.

The posh bar and restaurant atop ZEN Tower -- at least we had the opportunity to visit once.

Where will Christmas and New Years festivities be held this year? RIP, ZEN.

Bangkok Week 99

May 20, 2010

Will Bangkok still be around in Week 100?

Restricted hours at the gym due to "The Political Crisis".

No BTS service, due to "an emergency".

Still no BTS service, this time due to "the unavailable services"... whatever that means.

An eerily quiet Siam Square at noon on Saturday. Should be packed with hi-so teens and their posh cars.

A distinct lack of pedestrians, cars and trains at this key downtown intersection.

The roads that access the gym had all been blocked off by the time we left early Saturday afternoon.

Motor transport.

Special lunch treat: vegeroni with cream sauce and cheezy cheese.

First non-Thai meal in months!

This BTS guard sits idly, watching the closed gate.

I MISS MY BTS!

Dark storm cloud doesn't deter the protesters.

This used to be a movie theater!

Is this really our shopping list? (Suggested emergency kit for surviving a riot.)

A sexy alternative to the sky train.

Trying out our new LED flashlight. Has a frightening effect.

Our new emergency survival kit, including garbage bags, candles and lighter, high-energy foods, water and more.

Not related to the State of Emergency, but a funny sign that we pass frequently but that I only just noticed.

By Sunday afternoon, visible smoke from the burning tires was commonplace.

Anyone for some marshmallow roasting?

Some science for these stressful times: what's the difference between two double-chocolate sandwich cookies made by the same company?

Tesco is all boarded up ... although I don't think a layer of plywood will stop the bullets, if they come flying.

Reports of food hoarding were true. No eggs left at Tesco!

Tuesday, the 5th consecutive day of house-lockup: why not make 4 dozen cookies?

More black smoke from tire fires on Wednesday morning.

The smoke blows north-east as fires continue downtown.

Fires continue to burn, and will burn into Wednesday night (as Bangkok goes up in smoke).

As Central World goes up in smoke, its ashes spread over Bangkok.

Bangkok Week 98

May 13, 2010

Another low-key week spent avoiding the protesters.

Supposedly icing the cake. It was more like trying to contain the spill.

The final product: carrot cake with creamy "topping". Calling it frosting would be too generous.

Celebrating his 2-year-versary at MTEC in style.

A very genuine "fish" dish for dinner.

Finally the fruit season has returned.

Another weekend lunch at MBK.

Mr. Snazzy's new specs.

Bangkok Week 97

May 6, 2010

A low-key week, but the last prime before 100.

A demolished lot, now bordered by what looks like fresh graffiti. Quite fun for the eye.

English? Or gibberish? Colourful, nonetheless.

My new Chinese phone, complete with cartoon-like packaging.

Sweet mango and sticky rice, right in the comfort of our own home.

Inspecting? Or excited.

A good view of the entrance to the 1.5-km stretch that the Red Shirts occupy under the skytrain.

Traffic can pass by, but no turning left. Unless you're a tuk-tuk or a motorcycle taxi, that is.

Offering the last bite of my cone to my tiger friend.

Hot Sunday lunch at a made-to-order place in need of some cosmetic improvements.

This baby is all ready for Tuesday.

Using the suribachi from Mexico to smash up potent Thai flavours.

Colourful chili and garlic make a tasteful dipping sauce.

Very bizarre lighting: sunny overhead, with a dark, wet backdrop.

Bangkok Week 96

April 29, 2010

Let the music heal your protest-wounded soul.

A train of police vans line the street on the way to work.

But it's still too early for the police themselves to be on patrol.

At evening rush hour, they've finally got their act together.

During my forced to walk to work on Friday morning. "Think we overdid the barbed wire?"

I doubt this seller is getting much business this morning! Except perhaps from the army.

The blocked entrance to Silom road, site of Thursday night's grenade attacks.

Bangkok or Baghdad?

The skytrain's closure caused horrible traffic jams that morning, too.

Much worse than normal! Suckaz.

Downtown Saturday, the Red Shirts' now-ubiquitous tire blockades and sharpened bamboo spears mark their territory.

A posh scene outside Au Bon Pain!

The sharpened bamboo must be to prevent people from hurling themselves in the direction of the Red Shirts.

Out of red shirts, this kid resorts to red shorts for the day.

She'll be making lots of sales, now that the Red Shirts have started mimicking the Multi-coloured Shirts.

Sunday afternoon at Vee's ukulele competition -- held at the posh home of a police chief (whose family owns a ukulele shop).

I got this under control. 100%.

The prizes. No shame in leaving empty-handed, either!

They look like minis. But no, they're real ukes!

Sporting his official competitors' name badge.

Neat engravings in this designer line of ukuleles.

Part of the crowd starts to form. We got there 2 hrs early. Eventually, it was packed!

Sponsored by Phuket Beer. Generous of them, but it left something to be desired.

They brought in real Hawaiian dancers to open the afternoon's events.

Waiting to perform, and the sun is setting. He played 16th of 17.

Finally on stage!

What a crowd! Over 200 people attended.

Part of the support group!

The whole crowd -- including friends and colleagues from work.

The woman on the right is a famous singer, and was one of the celebrity judges on the panel.

Bangkok Week 95

April 22, 2010

Looking for red action? You've found it.Saturday morning saw the first downpour in months.

Saturday morning saw the first downpour in months.

Participating in my new favourite ad campaign. Oh Africa!

At the "start" of the red strip -- just outside Paragon.

Into the red zone we go: this vendor is selling flip flops with the PM's face on them. "This pair has four faces!" she tells us.

Near Paragon, the Reds have taken over the street, but their tent city doesn't reach this far.

Looking in the direction of their main occupation. This is really the start of it.

A sticker posted on the walkway that would normally access Central World. Both the mall and the walkway have been closed for weeks.

Looking down one side of the main street they occupy, under the skytrain.

If they're not sitting around, they're sleeping around. What more can you do when you're camping out?

Families relax and eat lunch under the shade of the skytrain.

Someone's selling the bare essentials -- toothpaste, baby powder and cup noodles.

Free lunch for all protesters is provided daily at noon.

A Red dog. I wonder if he knows it?

One of many signs mixed in with the red laundry hanging out to dry.

The protesters occupy the area outside the police headquarters. Here, they barricade themselves in.

The densest area is right outside Central World (Zen department store).

A Redshirt from Trad! Many wear their provincial affiliations on their shirts. And most provinces had a tent of their own.

I wonder if the skytrain can continue to shelter them during the rains?

Too exhausted to stay awake on the warm afternoon.

Run out of undies? You can always buy fresh ones.

Foot massage stalls were set up throughout. I read in the paper that one woman makes about 15,000/day (that's about $470 -- not bad).

Another lunch line in the middle of the hot street. This street has since been covered by a huge tarp.

Free meals - look good, but barely substantial.

The notorious foot clappers -- still a huge hit.

Camped outside Zen department store.

Every square inch of shelter in the area was occupied. Even the underbelly of this fat elephant.

Gathered near the stage, where there's always someone shouting brainwashing messages that are projected over speakers throughout the area.

Hot, hot, hot.

"Dissolve the parliament. Return power to the citizens." (Note all the people on the street crowded directly under the footbridge.)

The main stage. Welcome to Thailand!

The perfect backdrop.

More foot clappers, and other red paraphernalia.

They train 'em young.

Ironic? Ironic.

More foot massages. Even their fan has red blades!

"Hmm. Do you think this colour would look okay on me?"

Tapering off on the far end of the occupied strip, one skytrain stop down from where we began.

But the tents don't stop there. They continue beyond the station. Exactly how far, I'm not sure.

Another posh mall that has been closed for business for almost 2 weeks now.

A stretch of walkway that has been left ungated is home to many nappers.

We found an open food court near the action! Dining, with a great red view.

All you see from above are tents and tarps.

The neighbors haven't even moved into their new house yet, and they're already building something else!

A 3-car garage, perhaps?

Bangkok Week 94

April 15, 2010

It's that time of the year again -- New Year in Thailand. A busy week, both in Bangkok and Trad. Happy Songkran 2010!

Can you guess what huge meal is coming?

Saturday sushi rolls!

What you can't see in these photos is that they're about 1.5" thick.

Still served with the soy sauce mum & dad bought last February.

On Sunday morning, riding solo on the BTS, because service disruptions and red shirts scared off most riders.

Have never seen the train this empty at 10am on a weekend.

Lunch in the depths of Chatuchak Market with Jur and Marlous (a friend from MIT).

Definitely a touristy joint -- but at least it was covered, with plenty of fans and A/C.

Some French kids got into the Songkran spirit a few days early. Shooting adults must be a treat to them.

On a whim, bought some flowers for our cup-turned-vase from Hua Hin.

A nice, politically-charged shade of yellow to add colour to the apartment.

Hey! I can finally tie it back again!

A fresh batch of cookies to take to work / Trad for the New Year.

Gotta keep some at home, too.

In Trad for the mid-week New Years celebration. Gotta polish our guns first though.

Finally after lying dormant for a year, time for a refill.

Hiding in the bushes, waiting for his victims to drive by on their motorbikes.

Standing at ease, despite my upcoming truckload of victims.

Someone wakes up from his heat-induced naps when he hears lunch is on the table.

Another beautiful orchid. A different one in bloom every time we go back. (And why hasn't ours bloomed in 16 months?)

Someone ignorantly has no idea he's in the crosshairs.

Relaxing in the heat of the afternoon. What more can you do?

So bored by the conversation that it makes him gag!

Being forced to take a refreshing bath. Not sure if he appreciates it though.

Overcome by the heat.

A partying truck stops at the store to refuel their stomachs. Good thing they kept their water on their truck!

In town, no driving with the windows down!

It's tradition to wear bright, "Hawaiian-style" shirts during Songkran. Gotta get me one for next year.

It's mango-and-sticky-rice season again! Yay!

On the main street, no one is safe.

Just waiting for market-goers to walk / bike / motor / drive by.

Even the police are getting in on the action!

Back at the store, Mr. Happy waits for evening customers.

Another Suki Dinner! This time, all 5 diners are pictured.

The next morning, at the local temple to make merit for the New Year. The sand hill before...

... and after the mad rush!

Another noodle lunch at the store.

His new, very summer 'do!

Dead to the world. Can't blame him.

Back in Bangkok, while some had to go into work, the madness continued.

At least some people can forget the protests 3 blocks away, for a little while.

Normally at this time, the train would be packed with commuters. Not today! Armed, dripping teens and their puddles are their stand-ins.

Bangkok Week 93

April 8, 2010

Redeeming the 2-night stay that we won at a posh resort in Hua Hin, a beach town 2 hours south of Bangkok. Also, perhaps, the honeymoon we were too cheap for 2 years ago?

And we're off! (To the car rental, with our new suitcase courtesy of Citibank.)

First stop: Wat Huay Monkon, home to a famous four-storey monk.

The monk attracts visitors from all over. He's supposed to bring safe travels.

Up close and personal. Our camera never failed to locate and focus on his face.

Applying gold foil, and being foiled by random gusts of wind that blow it away.

The monk looms over his visitors.

A three-headed elephant into whose mouth you're supposed to throw coins. Also, you're supposed to walk under its body 3 times. It's very graphic under there. No details omitted.

Next stop: veggie fried rice #1, at the side of the road.

As we approached our hotel, we were greeted by these guys (and hundreds of their comrades) guarding the Asean leaders here for a summit.

Final destination: our hotel! We arrived before they were ready for us, so we took a quick walking tour of the resort's property.

A view from the resort's beachfront property. The temple on the hill is the one covered in monkeys that we visited last November.

You can indeed see the sea from the decks of Let's Sea resort.

A nice green garden between the rooms and the seaside restaurant.

Finally time to check into our room! It was on the second floor.

Very modern, designed, minimalist decor.

The study area has windows that open onto the canal-style pool.

And there's a spiral staircase leading to our personal "moon deck". There's a reason it's called a "Moon Deck Suite".

The view from our moon deck. You can see how the rooms line the 120m pool like traditional riverside houses.

The roof deck had a lovely view, but it was far too hot to spend any time up there during the day. See the sea in the background?

What a bed! Their signature mattresses are available for purchase, too.

Posing with the bathtub. Don't worry, not using it for real. All just visual trickery.

The window seat was quite comfortable. Just not in this particular pose.

This captures the resort's overall atmosphere -- open, airy, nicely designed.

A view of the pool from its beginning -- at the hotel lobby. The resort has only 50 rooms.

The hotel lobby. A very open design, where we were welcome to come get free refreshments whenever.

Lounging around, waiting for some of said free refreshments.

Freshly made iced tea and coffee, on demand. Great perk, great service.

Enjoying the refreshing iced coffee and comfortable lobby cross-breeze.

Showing the lobby's proximity to the pool.

A throwback to my years at Marshall School. Apparently I left my monkey bar skills there when I graduated.

This tree was covered in these fruit. We have no idea what they were!

Everyone comes out of their rooms for an afternoon dip in the pool.

Us included! These loungers are actually sitting in shallow water.

Posing with one of the deck-side docks... just not ours, since our room was on the second floor!

So refreshing on a 38-degree day.

The pool was exceptionally clear.

Enjoying our free treat!

The resort attracted lots of Chinese tourists. This group was just lounging around in the pool -- literally.

We preferred to lie on the recliners rather than the pool floor.

Another "playground" apparatus. A slide made of rollers. Was just dangerous enough to entice me!

They said to watch your fingers. They didn't warn that your eyes might pop out of your head!

From 5-7 every night, there's a happy hour in the lobby -- free snacks and booze for the privileged.

One sip of this sparkling wine, and I was matching that lovely shade of red on the walls.

Our classy dinner at Tesco. Had to flee the resort for an affordable meal!

A night market and art gallery. Some neat stuff both on display and for sale.

Old rickshaws. Where's my driver?

Palm sugar juice served in a bamboo glass. Refreshing!

Cicada Market, as it's called, happens every weekend. Here, a crowd gathered around a group of young break-dancers.

Back at the hotel. Beautiful in the nighttime, too.

Finally getting to use the moon deck for its intended purpose -- stargazing!

Breakfast the next morning. The tide was high -- couldn't be any closer to the ocean waters.

Peaceful now -- but too hot to sit here during the rest of the day.

The resort's restaurant attracts many outside customers for Sunday brunch and dinner.

Waiting for our breakfast to come.The most valuable meals we've had in ages!

Enjoying his sea view... but not fully awake yet?

Our breakfast -- eggs, yogurt, breads and pastries. An assortment of syrups for the coffee and jams for the breads.

Another view of the little green park.

Some of the many tropical flowers scattered throughout.

More alert now that he's had his breakfast.

A funky see-saw. We couldn't quite get it to work properly.

These are gonna be bananas one day!

The local bees are enjoying their breakfast, too.

An artsy purple wall.

The spa area (on the lobby's roof)...

... at which we were treated to an "expert application of sun screen".

Another view of the beautiful pool. The ground-floor rooms would have been nicer, in retrospect. We missed having direct pool access.

Same view as at breakfast, but now the tide's gone out. Time for a dip!

Reassured by the sign at the entrance to the beach.

A view of the resort's beachfront property... from the beach!

Enjoying the sand before the peak of the day.

After the tide went out, tiny crabs got to work digging holes all over and spitting out these round balls of sand. By evening, the beach was 100% covered by them.

Look! A busy little crab!

Photo in front of the resort. Still haven't touched the sea water!

Okay, finally getting ready to take the plunge.

Aha, warm ocean water! Nothing like the shores of NJ. A huge upgrade from our visit last November.

Going under, on the count of 3!

Posing with the resort's beachfront sign, now that I've actually swum in the ocean.

Cold water and a great view. How relaxing.

Lounging around, and (slowly) reading about Greece (in Thai).

The restaurant balcony that overhangs the beach. Too sunny for anyone to sit there now!

A western family, who spent the whole time in the sun. The father is determined Mr. Red.

Our affordable lunch -- pastries we bought at Tesco the night before, and fresh fruit courtesy of the hotel.

Ghetto, but relaxing!

Another trip back to the lobby for refreshing drinks. I ordered a "black iced coffee" and instead got a black hot coffee. When they realized the mistake, they then brought an iced coffee, too.

To quote Jim Carrey at his finest moment, "Smokin'!"

Talk about an hourglass figure!

The pool was much shadier for afternoon swimming than was the ocean.

The far end of the pool features a bar, where you can sit and drink with your bum still in the water. I guess you don't have to get up when you need to pee!

My sun exposure led to a rather funny tan line.

Late in the afternoon, swimmers returned to the beach.

The wind showed no signs of slowing, either.

Too windy to play frisbee!

See what I said about those crab balls? They were totally covering the beach by day's end. Kind of creepy to walk on.

Enjoying a swing. First time in years!

This picture made possible by the timer function on the camera.

That shot required several takes. Turns out, jumping on a moving swing without ruining its momentum is difficult.

At happy hour, the wine selection is displayed on an old bicycle.

Not my gin and tonic!

Heading into town for a second night means leaving my difficult parking spot -- yet again.

Dinner at a recommended "roti" shop. In Thailand, "roti" is fried dough, filled and/or topped with sweet things.

We ordered four kinds -- the roti in the background has a fried egg; the one in the foreground is stuffed with egg and corn.

This one is a paper roti -- extremely thin and crunchy. The 4th is a "traditional" roti -- thicker dough, with sugar and condensed milk. A real sugar buzz after this meal!

After our econo-dinner, back at the beachfront lounge to enjoy the wind and waves -- without the sun beating down.

The booze selection at the poolside (bum) bar. Everyone's turned in for the night.

Monday morning, the Sox season opener game is live on TV! (Only because they're playing the Yankees, though.)

Another gourmet seaside breakfast.

Awake yet? Not until the coffee arrives.

Mmm. Sunny-side-up delight.

On our last morning there, we decided to camp out on one of the beach side "beds" that is nicely shaded from the sun.

But not before going in for one last dip. What's a Horse Bar?

I've never seen an occupied shell like this!

His best "surfing" pose.

Just sitting around, enjoying the time at the sea.

And relaxing on the bed. It was too windy to turn the pages of a newspaper!

Too nice to go back to Bangkok.

Bye-bye, Let's Sea. You've been great!

Stopping for Fried Rice #3 on the way back to Bangkok.

Driving safely, and hoping there won't be too much red-induced traffic when we return.

Back in Bangkok, we finally meet some real ocean life. At the mall.

And the Chulalongkorn food court has a vegetarian seller, whom we've been overlooking for 2 years!

Bangkok Week 92

April 1, 2010

A last-minute trip to the Bahamas!

Another attempt at pizza. Recall: ain't no pizza sauce in this country.

This is a whole-wheat crust. Not cardboard!

Holds up like a nice, sturdy corrugated piece though.

Almost identical. Just the ears need a bit of reshaping.

Spot the intruder?

A group of protesters objecting to all the red-shirted nonsense.

Not really a literal translation, but you get the point.

Unfortunately for their bottom line, they all seem to be well-to-do ladies with overly-successful husbands.

The sign on the red shirt says "bored"... just like this man!

Not sure what the swine flu masks had to do with the campaign.

Sushi! Donuts, that is.

My first-ever roe sushi.

A skirt made for me by one of my co-workers. She's an aspiring tailor and practicing on all the ladies in the office.

A shot of the detailing.

Special Easter delivery! From a country that celebrates the day!

Ooh, how did you know the After Eights ran out today? Enough to last until we restock at Christmas.

Bangkok Week 91

March 25, 2010

No shortage of food around here.

Thai-style curry ramen for lunch: the extent of our home cooking.

Romantic anniversary dinner at a sketchy Lebanese place recommended for its authenticity.

The ambiance: lots of men plucked from their home countries and smoking hookahs, with Al Jazeera on TV in the background.

What a delicious vegetarian feast.

The spread: sambosa, pita-veg salad, pickle assortment, naan, hummus and falafel.

The best falafel I've ever had! No sauce needed.

Naan big enough for you? Did you expect to see a pita?

The innards of a Lebanese-style samosa.

Home-made molten chocolate cake. I'd been meaning to make this for ages.

No calories in this baby.

Only happens once a year.

Bangkok Week 90

March 18, 2010

No drama in this city.

A special Saturday lunch at a "bread and milk" shop. You get steamed bread and custard-based dipping sauces.

This was a buttered, sugared toast with classic custard spread on top.

Before and after! Good-bye heavyhead!

The styling. Doesn't look anything like this now, since I don't blow dry it.

A Nikon fair at Paragon... lots of guys with long lenses shooting this model.

This just looks wrong.

Trying out an über-lens for ourselves.

What the hair looks like more typically.

The Red Shirts are coming! The Red Shirts are coming!

They're here, they're here!

They're plowing through the True cafe!

The march drew lots of attention -- including from us. That's just what they wanted: an audience.

A large redmobile, and one of its smaller cousins.

Their underlying message. (Thai writing doesn't use spaces.)

And off they go, continuing down the road to their ultimate destination.

Unbaked blondies. Do you like my 9x9 square pan?

They're blondies, I swear -- not cake.

Bangkok Week 89

March 11, 2010

The last week of civility in Thailand. At least it was spent with family.

Another weekend with Mr Goofyface.

Using the hairbrush for what it's intended.

These rose apples (chompoo) are from a tree next to the house!

Pretty rose apple ear enhancements.

Everyone enjoys the home-grown fruit!

Checking out a photo of us that was published in our favourite Friday magazine.

Saturday afternoon: extraordinarily hot. Too hot to move.

These flowers are usually a key ingredient in orange curry. I'd never seen them "fresh" like this.

Some of the not-fully-pigmented chompoo, almost ready to be picked.

Matching some of the riper ones.

The banana trees behind the house have gotten so huge! Look at the progress since Week 72.

Their leaves can be used as bed sheets.

This is how the big, biting ants make their nests in the trees. Creepy.

The most effective way to transport a bamboo forest and its farmers.

Marouy's new neighbor -- a teacup chihuahua -- comes over to play!

Creepily small with budgy eyeballs, but somehow adorable nonetheless.

Marouy turned instantly into the protective big brother.

He really wanted to play with the puppy, but didn't know how!

Finally, they can see eye-to-eye.

Just hanging out around the table.

Marouy thinks he's a chihuahua, too.

A stunned bird sits on a plant near the front door.

A delicious home-made dinner.

It's not suki, for once.

Sunday morning: equally lazy as the day before.

Beautiful orchids hang from a tamarind tree.

My apprenticeship: how to make a chili dipping sauce.

Cutting up the fake veggie cutlets for dinner.

Holy smokes! Our old clunker of a bus has been replaced with a beautiful new double-decker.

A stairwell! (Now we travel in class.)

Bangkok Week 88

March 4, 2010

A 3-day weekend and parks galore!

A (really small) carnival came to town, sponsored by our famous friend Singha.

The fair was operated by a Dubai-based company... they required actual tokens to ride the rides!

They attract the attention of BTS riders with this huge, flashy ferris wheel.

A pink setting sky paints the backdrop for this portable log flume.

Recognize this familiar head?

Why, it's another of Mr. Wacky Worm's cousins!

Lots of picturesque photo ops to test out the new camera's nighttime capabilities.

All smiles, even though it was super-humid and past dinnertime.

Just barely tall enough to ride.

And this coaster makes 300! Time to quit?

Another shot of the downtown festivities. 15 minutes were enough to see the entire event and ride the important rides.

A hip stationary store celebrates its expansion with a giant gorilla.

Sunny sunflowers outside Paragon celebrate... summer?

Recognize this ancient castle? That's right! Back to Siam Park City -- celebrating its 30th anniversary. And boy, does it look its age!

Just tall enough to enter.

To celebrate their 30th birthday, they're installing a log flume -- it actually looks quite impressive! I hope it's done before our passes expire.

Everything's ready to go -- except this tiger head crowned in scaffolding.

Even the balloons spin too fast for my aging intestines.

What we really came for: a relaxing afternoon at the beach.

The world's largest wave pool was re-certified by Guinness for another year, just last month.

Beach reading and everything!

The shades and the waves.

Just lounging around on a warm, warm Sunday afternoon.

Finally had time to read the December year-in-review economist dad gave us!

Nothing like a relaxing beach where the oceans flow off into the horizon.

Quite an expansive pool. Not too expensive.

Back in the aging park, a dinosaur safari from another era. Still, this guy surprised me.

A choo-choo train that supposedly takes you through Africa. Instead, we saw the slums that lie on the other side of the park's barbed wire fence.

The first thing you see in Africa!

Someone's very first merry-go-round ride!

Always wanted to hang off the horse like this, breeze in hair... too bad it was stationary.

Holiday Monday lunch... this time with cheddar. Much more tasteful than mozz!

Bangkok Week 87

February 25, 2010

Why, what an artsy weekend!

Another Friday night pizza! This time, white tomato basil (to use up the molding mozzarella!)

Our kitchen table, specially positioned to watch the Olympics recap over dinner.

Too pooped to eat lunch after the gym.

At a mall, a 5-man percussion ensemble rock the house with some sticks and bar stools.

They drew quite the crowd of shoppers. They also drowned out all other sounds in the mall. Talk about echo.

At TCDC, a fascinating exhibit of Japanese bamboo handicrafts. Unfortunately, no photos allowed inside.

A Japanese bakery's take on traditional Thai raisin bread.

Colourful images line the walls of the BACC. It's quite lively inside these days.

It's an arts center -- so why not come to sit and practice your watercolour skills?

This portrait artist has seen busier days.

A fun exhibit of wall paintings by an international group of artists.

Making the most of the installation environment.

Finally! My long-lost twin!

Dali-esque heads and one weirdo lost in the crowd.

I can't seem to find my apple. Anyone seen it?

This boy's hat drew almost as much attention as the paintings.

A floral headpiece.

Somehow the artist made the eyes in these faces glow from across the room.

No shortage of larger-than-life paintings. Also, a video reel of the artists putting the exhibit together.

And on a different note, a model of the winning design for the new Parliament building.

My last two Wheetabix (and all the crumbs) from Sainsbury's Sittingbourne! Sob!

Bangkok Week 86

February 18, 2010

All sorts of weekend events: Chinese New Year, V-Day, Spa Day, Pizza Night.

Friday night treat: home-made pizza margherita explosion.

It kind of resembles a slice.

Pizza and a side salad! Just like in New York.

Saturday morning entertainment: the Vancouver opening ceremonies. It was still playing when we got to the gym. (This is the legendary Jamaican winter team.)

The day before Chinese New Year, people offer food and go around bowing to the ancestors and relatives (and food).

These boys had a very sociable lunch together at MBK.

Apparently these are chocolate pandas!

Our lucky spa was located within a row of ornate town houses.

A sneaky shot of the room after getting dressed.

Special Sunday Pastry breakfast.

The 2 tall things in wrappers are the Thai take on muffins. Is the knife a bit excessive?

Lots of red sellers with special food out for the big day!

There was no shortage of red CNY decorations. At least the colour could double as VDay decor, too.

In the lobby of our gym's hotel: PR shots with the dragon and its keepers.

The hotel's lobby, which was having a special dessert & tea "buffet".

Our healthy lunch on Sunday: warm drinks and "unlimited" pastries from the buffet.

Sipping the cap and enjoying the afternoon. The one day of the year when a red shirt is not dangerous.

Some of the many mini-treats.

Ooh! Even more desserts!

Finally giving into temptation and breaking out the Peanut M&Ms from Erika.

A colourful dinner of traffic light proportions.

Bangkok Week 85

February 11, 2010

Another weekend spent frolicking around downtown. And having some waffles.

Mimicking the birthday card from Granny.

A very yellow lunch at MBK, after another sore Saturday morning at the gym.

Lost in a sea of coneheads.

Just hanging out with a tiger downtown.

More excessively neon decorations for Chinese New Years.

Paragon has quite an elaborate set of decorations. Here, a very silver, very long dragon.

Finally after one month of searching, we bring home the only paper towel holder for sale in Thailand.

Busting out the new machine for Round 2: Wonder Waffles.

The final product: not too shabby.

Caution. This waffle is HOT. Or, it was 15 minutes ago.

Digging in (cautiously) with his Qantas knife.

Still more posing before verifying that it tastes as good as it looks.

Mmm. The full-mouth smile of approval.

Too bad we have no maple syrup! Honey (both Royal Thai and Natural New Zealand) will have to fill in.

MBK has taken a more sensory-overload approach to its decorations for Chinese New Years.

A balloon dragon is clever, but not quite as classy as Paragon's.

Who invited the birds?

At least the decorations are not off-limits, unlike Paragon's.

A crowd gathers on a footbridge to watch a gaggle of teens try out for a dance show.

More fun with the tiger head sculptures in Siam.

These guys are sleepy.

Bangkok Week 84

February 4, 2010

A hopping week of events becomes quite the 30-bday-bash.

The big 3-0! But no time to bake a cake this year :( So gourmet donuts will have to fill in.

Cutting his "cake". At least he still has something to slice.

You can imagine how long it took me to choose just 6!

Waiting at the pier to board a boat to the big birthday bash!

There's one dock dedicated to hotel and special-venue boats that offer free shuttle services to their buildings.

Our boat finally arrived. Enjoy the float!

Many of the posh riverside hotels that offer quite a picturesque view... for a price.

At the fancy, open-bar riverside (birthday) party.

A view from the bar. A constant stream of brightly lit boats floated by throughout the night.

There was a decent assortment of cocktail-style food, but unfortunately only the french fries were vegetarian.

The open bar that kept the party going. When I asked for plain soda water, they were totally confused.

Strolling straight into the spotlight. Now what?

A fine riverside view to help wash down your drink.

Requisite group shot. Spot the 30-year-old curmudgeon!

Posing with the issue in which his award-winning letter was published. Surprise!

Heading home after our big night on the town. Can't stay out too late -- it's a school night, after all.

But wait, there's more! A 3-in-1 sandwich maker! (And someone claims it wasn't a surprise.)

It makes waffles. It makes sandwiches. It makes pannini. It even perms your hair!

Our big New Years / early-mid-life-crisis initiative: join a gym!

They have 2 squash courts, 2 grassy tennis courts, a badminton court and a 25m pool, in addition to every piece of gym equipment you can imagine.

The view from outside the squash courts. Can you figure out where it's located?

Asia's most neon Chinese New Years decorations.

Trying out the new contraption! (Turns out the tomatoes are not a good idea.)

Perfect! (Disclaimer: this was the second round.)

How cheesy.

Finally figured out how to wear the skirt from Chris.

On Sunday we attended a "new house ceremony" for an aunt, who bought this 4-storey townhouse (that side wing is part of her unit).

All the paternal relatives were there, plus a whole family's worth of people related to the aunt's husband.

Their house is huge (obviously) and the interior is quite tastefully decorated. The woman in the background is Aunt Omm.

A bunch of monks come into the house and chant for 45 minutes. Then they have to chow down their lunch before noon.

This grandma owns the fruit farm in Chantaburi. Everyone's waiting around for the monks to finish lunch.

They have some fat cats and (at least) 3 little dogs. This furball is wondering what all the commotion is about.

A view out their third-floor window. It's a fairly new development just outside the airport.

One of the little dogs. This guy was the only non-poodle.

A view of their yard (and their fountain). Normally, the catering tent is not outside their front door.

After the monks eat, all the guests sit down for a big "Chinese Table" lunch. But they ordered vegetarian pizza for us! (The couple on the RH side is the one whose wedding we attended last Feb.)

One of the many "lucky" desserts that are brought in specially for this event.

Bangkok Week 83

January 28, 2010

The first visit to Trad of 2010. Here's to many more fun ones this year!

Stuffed squid bodies left over from another meal. Not our breakfast!

Mr. Content-with-Life enjoys the cool concrete floor of the store.

New, fancy snacks at the store! Someone's had his face squashed in, though.

A full-page spread about Mexico's soccer team! (The big green letters say "Mexico".)

Baby rose apples begin to grow on a tree next to the house.

Ants enjoy playing on the bright red maze of a bloom.

Quite pleased with the basket from Mexico, via Toronto and Hong Kong.

Mexican orange segments are much more uniform in shape than Thai ones!

Woah ho! A huge tray of Lindt chocolate desserts.

The serious professor concentrates so hard on grading his HW that his eyebrows drop off his face.

Mr. Smiley settles in for the night at the table.

A little anti-social, don't you think?

Another Suki feast! Always a treat.

Enjoying our first of many helpings of freshly boiled Suki.

Many freshly-cooked dishes the next morning for breakfast. Bottom centre: black pepper-garlic (veggie) pork!

WHY HELLO THERE! What's going on at the couch???

Someone finds it amusing that it took 2 people to dry my hair!

A new pier was just built, offering direct boat service to Koh Kood (# 6 on the NY Times' "The 31 Places to Go in 2010" list).

He's precariously standing on the ledge! Apparently, the stairs weren't supposed to be in the picture!

Attention!

Brothers and their matchingly stylish shorts.

An island in the background (one just south of Koh Chang), but not Koh Kood either.

Requisite group shot. It was sunny!

Testing out the timer mode!

We had lunch at the restaurant in the resort at which Mum & Dad spent one night.

Recognize the restaurant? It looks much different in daylight.

Mr. Fat Face stares down the main obstacle between him and the bowl of food on the table.

Please, oh please Brother. Can I have a piece of that fake fish?

A slow Sunday afternoon at the store?

Woah! Our credit card sent us a free rollie! What a surprise!

It's quite a nice one! I hope it's not a scam.