Bangkok Week 203

May 17, 2012

This is not a prime week, because 7 x 29 = 203.

Beautiful weekend sky over west Bangkok.

The pigeons' view.

The best cartoon I've read in a while.

Seeing bills lining the inside of a Bangkok taxi is common enough...

...but I've never seen coins. What a unique addition.

At 8am, the workers constructing the new mall in Siam have their daily briefing.

Bangkok Week 202

May 10, 2012

Apparently, I didn't see many people this week.

An army of cumulus clouds march overhead, under an otherwise bright blue backdrop.

Home-made lunch of fried rice, with lots of extras thrown in.

Can't beat a home-made lunch (on a hot Sunday afternoon).

And a fresh home-made dinner to end a weekend of dining.

Tuesday night in Jakarta was not a good night to be out in your car.

And it's window-washing day in the CBD!

Bangkok Week 201

May 3, 2012

More home-cooked goodness.

More home-made meals. This time, pad mama (stir-fried instant noodles).

Yum yum yum, three delish dishes for dinner: bitter melon with egg, a cabbage curry and the best of them all...

...greens with salted fish! ("Salted fish.")

The wedding of two MTEC colleagues.

Bangkok Week 200

April 26, 2012

In some ways, the last 100 weeks have been just as turbulent for Thailand as the first 100. But like I said last time, here's to a more optimistic next 100, for Bangkok and the rest of the country!

Lunch at one of our favorite veggie food court vendors.

My old pals Barack and Michelle happened to be in town!

Now, the BTS permits gorillas on its trains.

Whoo! Trying out our stove!

Our first home-cooked dinner! Stir-fried greens and spicy green beans with tofu. Yum yum!

Dig in!

Voila: another night of goodies. More greens, green curry, and pickled daikon with egg.

Our new veggie peeler! (Which has only been tested on fruit.) It's very hard to find the "in-line" kind of peeler here, only this silly unergonomic kind.

Bangkok Week 199

April 19, 2012

Fare thee well, Bangkok!

On the train heading home from the airport. Excited to be back in hot hot Bangkok?

Mum's new favorite fruit - the mangosteen!

Having a jolly good time eating kilo after kilo of the purple fruit.

Eye-poppingly good (or spicy?) Indian food.

The next morning, we went off to the old part of the city to find Ban Bat, the only surviving community that makes monks' alms bowls by hand.

Some of the works in progress. The bowls are made out of 8 pieces of steel that are welded together, and then the weld seams are hammered flat.

Through one of the shophouses, you could see hundreds of works-in-progress stacked up.

One woman shows us how the seams are hammered.

Mum and dad pose with a big bowl, after purchasing a smaller one.

Next stop: Wat Traimit, home of the Golden Buddha.

The Golden Buddha itself sits on the 4th floor of the building.

The buddha is the world's largest solid gold statue. It is 3m tall and weights 5.5 tonnes.

Reflection of one of the temple complex's roofs, off one of the temple's mirror tiles.

Lunch break at a Japanese restaurant in the Tokyu department store.

Who looks more weird. The person trying on the glasses, or the guy reacting to what he sees?

Can't pass by the colorful gelato store without stopping for a scoop.

Trying out the pool in our condo. Nice water, even nicer breeze.

Someone finally arrives home from work.

Arriba! Dinner at La Monita, one of the best Mexican joints in town.

Good home-made chips and salsa.

Yikes! A deep-fried burrito!

After 3 weeks of patiently waiting, we find a tiny window of opportunity to go try the much-hyped Shibuya Honey Toast at After You.

Shocked by what it looks like! Now, how to eat it?

With a solid team effort, the entire plate is clean within 60 seconds.

Waking up the next morning, unsure of what just happened. Oh wait, it was a Thai Massage!

Mum blends in with the locals and their parasols.

Grr! Angry that we had to fight for a table at the peak of the lunch hour.

I knew he'd like this store.

Too many choices! Which pastries to pick?

Wow! What a good selection of pastries!

As mum demonstrates, our condo's pool is pretty deep!

Quite nice to be able to swim right in the middle of the city like this.

One final dinner -- at our favorite Vietnamese hideout.

Hmm. Is this leaf *really* a vegetable?

Mum was so intensely digging into the food that she left a lasting impression on her poor spoon.

Real tiramisu! Making up for the sad excuse of a dessert that they had in Bali.

Looking through some of the photos from the Bali trip.

The next morning at the airport, we couldn't help but notice a warning to all passengers, put out by the Airports of Thailand.

A sad lot: one imitates the statue, one smiles excitedly, and one weeps. What's going on here?

4 days in Bali

April 16, 2012

A 4-day visit to the Indonesian island of Bali, anchored in Ubud.

Dinner on the first night -- apologies to the others, I was the last to arrive in Bali. (Do I make up for it with my native gear?)

Dinner at a local mom-and-pop shop that features lots of vegetarian dishes.

Jackfruit curry!

Lots of little geckos came out at night. We felt right at home.

The next morning, this little guy was crawling his way over to mum and dad's room.

We stayed at the same home stay as last year.

We had a local king with us for the duration of the trip.

Breakfast on the porch of mum and dad's ornate room.

One singing local resident knew how to say "hello".

Checking out the hotel's little pool and yoga deck, in the bright morning sun.

Something about these beds could be made a bit more ergonomic.

Which of these two vehicles would be more practical to rent?

At the local temple, many women come to give offerings throughout the day.

They sprinkle water from flowers that they hold in their right hands.

A familiar reflection in one of the many, many motorbikes about town.

Two women stop and chat, despite the heavy load.

Walking along a shaded street to...

...the Neka Art Museum, home to Balinese, other Indonesian, and foreign art.

A statue of a Garuda (the mythical bird, not the airline) welcomes visitors.

Her knees?

Someone was working on a drawing.

This owl looks shocked to be in the painting.

Family portrait: three people and a moss-covered statue.

A neat local painting.

Hello, from afar!

The inner ceiling of one of the buildings at the museum -- made of woven bamboo strips.

One of the many dried-grass roofs you see throughout Bali.

As mum said, a modern Balinese musician.

Tourist! Tourist!

This little green guy was waiting to greet us for lunch.

The view from the restaurant: of the adjacent valley, and ridge on the other side. (We walked along the ridge last year.)

Can't have lunch without a quality cold beer to go with it.

Mum and her pineapple smoothie.

A delicious vegetarian lunch: pumpkin curry, greens, and nice red rice.

Enough said.

Caution: low-dangling trees.

This mass of bamboo has become too heavy for itself, and is perched precariously across this road.

A river that flows far beneath the main road.

Many shades of hand-dyed cotton at Threads of Life.

Two ladies stroll down the street in their templewear.

After a warm day, a late afternoon dip in the pool can help cool things down.

Strong as bull.

Two refreshed travelers, ready for a night on the town!

This village seemed to specialize in wood carving -- specifically, frames.

We went up to the village of Petulu to see the area where the herons of Bali come to sleep at night.

Look closely, and you'll see a tree filled with white birds.

We waited in a nearby rice field, with the few other tourists who were curious to check out this phenomenon.

Who let this group of loonies out of the birdcage?

Lots of white blobs up in that tree. (Unfortunately, they also release a more deadly white blob, too. So watch where you stand.)

As the sun was setting, hundreds more herons were still flying in. I guess these guys were coming from farther away.

Dinner at the slowest restaurant in Ubud. At least it was tasty!

Another breakfast on mum and dad's posh porch.

Our cycling tour starts off with a beautiful view -- of Lake Batur and the surrounding mountains.

Mount Batur, seen here, is an active volcano. The dark in the foreground is volcanic rock.

Couldn't have asked for a more picturesque breakfast (number two of the day).

Continuing up the mountain; obviously, we haven't yet gotten our bikes.

Our guide points out to our group various local plants and vegetables.

This yawning civet cat is angry that he was woken up from his sleep. "WE'RE NOCTURNAL, FOLKS!"

Tasting 3 different types of coffees, two teas, and a cocoa -- all local to Bali.

Too much warm liquid right before a bike ride.

Mum sips her very expensive cup of Civet Coffee -- you know, the kind where the beans have been swallowed and pooped by our friend the night cat.

Finally, ready to ride! Some helpers help equip the two kids in our group with their safety helmets.

Ready? Steady?

Blue skies, rice fields, downward slope. What more could you ask for?

We stopped at a family compound, where the families make a living weaving bamboo mats.

Reflection of a rambutan?

This woman separates two layers of the bamboo -- each layer has a different use.

The kids get up close and personal with the family cow. And a cleaver.

On Bali, cows are sacred and people don't eat beef. Unlike poor pigs, however.

We continue along. I think we might've even had to pedal this stretch.

A little girl waits in her family's compound doorway, to watch the strange foreigners go by.

I can't think of many worse things to carry on my head.

A stop for a stroll in the rice fields.

Green group shot.

The family carefully navigated their way through the rice.

More beautiful sky and beautiful downhill driving.

Lots of local kids were out to play football...

...at the base of a 500-year-old Banyan Tree.

We also stopped at a wood carver's workshop. He specialized in doors and door frames.

Too bad it isn't easier to take a door like this back to Toronto!

Tools of the trade.

I want that one!

Almost time to say goodbye to my two new friends.

This guy, on the other hand, is not my friend.

A monkey and a hare... sounds like there should be a fable about the pair.

Standing at the bridge down to an old temple in the ravine of the monkey forest.

Obviously this stone carver had taken a lesson or two from Madonna.

Yes, I'd trust these two to guard my temple, too.

Peek-a-boo?

How come it's the ladies who are stuck carrying a stack of a dozen bricks each on their heads?

I see you up there, you little rascal.

A beautiful floating flower arrangement outside a restaurant.

Yes! This will be my future ride.

Time to cool off -- again!

Remind me again -- why the ladies?

A guy and his dog sit together to watch the soccer game.

Tonight, we're out to watch a performance of Kecak Dance.

In this Balinese dance form, there are no accompanying instruments.

Instead, the men make all the musical noises themselves.

The cast of characters was very similar to the more traditional dance that we saw last year.

This dance performance ends with a man who can walk on (and kick) fire.

Dinner that night was at, of course, a Cuban restaurant.

Dad's going to drink that sangria all by himself.

No evening is complete without a scoop on a cone.

The next morning, a car trip outside Ubud to other interesting areas of Bali.

At the Elephant Cave, or Goa Gajah, there's a bathing temple with carp swimming around.

These two were satisfied looking at the bathing temple from above.

The entrance to the cave is "a relief of various menacing creatures and demons carved right into the rock at the cave entrance." [Source: Wikipedia]

Offerings inside the cave.

A really tall tree.

The grounds of the Elephant Cave extend into a valley, with lots of moss growing all over everything.

[Cue ray of light music.]

Creepy tree roots.

More meandering through the valley area.

Stone carvings at the side of the path that you'd likely not notice if you weren't looking.

Pretty lotuses in a fairly reflective pond.

I think this guy needs to make an appointment with an orthodontist.

A very picturesque stepped rice paddy.

We had a comfy car and a driver for the day. Now, we're stuck in traffic on our way to Bali's second most important temple.

A boy helps get his little brother in order.

We're going to see an annual festival at Pura Ulun Danu Batur, and we have to dress for the part!

He looks convincingly local, no?

The two men, in their best temple gear. They'll blend right in!

This father and son had already paid their respects, and were heading home.

People come from all over Bali to attend this ceremony, which spans about 4 weeks. We went on a Sunday -- the busiest day of the week to go!

Can you spot the foreigner?

Can you spot the statues?

You had to be aggressive to get in through the main entrance.

People arrive throughout the day; the women bring offerings on their heads.

Group shot. I'd say we fit right in.

This was the crowd waiting to enter the praying area. They let people in in batches.

A gamelan, the members of which looked like they'd rather be some place else.

This little boy looks like he's also wondering what he's doing here and when he can leave.

The crowds wait patiently to enter the prayer area.

Did I mention that people come from all over Bali to pay their respects during this time?

Here's part of the crowd, within the prayer area. Everyone is seated.

This boy has on his best camera face.

Praying together, toward the end of the ceremony.

Here, people walk up to the front to give their offerings.

This guy's gotten a monetary donation.

I suspect that, from the right vantage point, there should be a good view of the lake and the volcano.

This guy guards one of the doorways within the temple grounds.

A group was performing with spears. Better not stand too close.

Another group of dancers waited outside, to perform after the other group.

Lunch at a warung, a basic mom-and-pop shop.

Our final stop of the day was at Pura Puncak Penulisan, the highest temple on Bali and one of the most ancient.

At the top (1745m) we were above the clouds.

And we only had to climb up 333 steps to be afforded the view.

It was nice and cool up there!

One's camera-happy, and the other camera shy.

The white specks all over the hillsides are clusters of houses.

A stray flower on the wall of Pura Panarajon, the temple at the top.

This temple, too, had succumbed to the force of the Balinese moss.

These ladies dutifully guard the temple and overlook the rest of the island of Bali.

Another view of the lake in the crater.

Back in Ubud, the daughter of the owners of a batik store was very smiley and friendly. But she looks shy for the camera.

Now she's smiling. And confused why there's a stranger on the floor with her.

Girlie drink!

A Balinese feast to celebrate the end of a fun visit.

Bangkok Week 198

April 12, 2012

A fun weekend with the whole cast of characters, in Trad.

On our way to Trad, stopping at our favorite green lunch spot.

Mum and Dad's riverside hotel in Trad, with artistically-folded towels.

The view from their balcony.

All dressed and ready for an afternoon on the town.

Namwan is curious to meet the new foreigner in her home.

Lots of attention being paid to the new person. Or is it the food.

Hybrid family portrait.

Marouy ignores his new best friend.

Dad inspects Top's fancy creation.

They're speechless.

Some local ants have made giant nests in one of the trees.

Going for a late afternoon walk around the older parts of downtown Trad.

One of Trad's original houses?

Almost a perfect reflection in the canal that cuts through town.

Can they pass as locals?

There were lots of beds and breakfast in this area.

This building is leftover from when the French were in town.

Time for a late-afternoom romp in the shady house.

Dinner at Seafood Restaurant #1 of many.

The next morning, the kids take shelter under the table from the morning sun.

Namwan still blends in well with her bed.

Some beautiful orchids at the house.

Marouy doesn't yet know what's in store for him today... but he can already tell that something is amiss!

Holding on, as I go for my inaugural ride in the back of a pickup.

Namwan feels safe in mom's arms.

"Uh oh. Where are we going?"

Minor issue: dead battery in the rental car. Good thing the stars aligned and we were able to replace it.

Luckily for him, the Hot Dog had a travel bowl at his disposal.

At the fruit farm, mum wonders again about the appeal of the durian.

She's convinced that the underside of a mangosteen would make a good stamp.

Posing with the mangosteen trees.

Yum yum, fresh off the farm!

Dad's enthusiastic, but you'd never know it.

Namwan is also not sure where she is, or why.

Sitting around chillaxin', while Top fixes some wiring in the background.

Another seafood meal -- this time, right on the ocean.

Som tum, served up fresh.

She's very focused on the calamari in front of her.

All smiles after the delicious meal.

Ladies' turn.

Did you know that there are dolphins off the coast of Chantaburi?

Next stop was a look-out point not far from the restaurant.

We did make it to a beach on this visit.

Looking back across the bay, toward the mainland.

Standing in the shade, the sane people they are.

Clearly the sensible thing to do is take a family portrait in the sun.

Marouy's had enough of this nonsense. He's ready to jump.

The Red Block Building in Chanthaburi was initially constructed in 1893 A.D. when the colonial French army invaded Chanthaburi and set up military headquarters here.

I guess this is an original French cannon.

The French used this aptly-dubbed "Chicken Poop Prison" to torture prisoners. The chickens lived on top, and pooped onto the poor people trapped below.

The smell remains today. In our heads, anyway.

Now onto the shrimp farm. He didn't have any shrimp in the ponds, at the time.

The Hot Dogs take another drink break. Too lazy to even get up.

The dogs are the center of attention.

Last stop: the home and shop of the same family.

This girl played with her cat as if it were a stuffed animal.

Dinner at yet another seafood place. We got there just in time for the beautiful sunset.

Nice clouds. Little did we know that a storm was rolling in.

Nice group shot, by a surprisingly skillful waiter.

Two sleepy boys, after an exhausting day on the road.

The next morning, Namwan is still tired from exhausting day before.

Mr. Lazy makes it very clear that he doesn't want another road trip today.

At Wat Pai Lom, the chickens are free-range.

There's a moat that runs around the premises.

Picturesque greens.

In the middle of the Wat is a giant, modern stupa covered in sparkly glass tiles.

The doors were suitably ornate.

Everyone admiring the glass tiles.

Too hot to stand around for too long!

Another group shot, this time in the shade.

Next local experience: Wat Buppharam, the first temple in Trad.

There was an odd-looking wooden buddha image...

Which was motorized, and would chant for you, upon inserting a 10-baht coin!

The Wat was built in 1648.

Inside one of the buildings was a very old reclining buddha.

My new doo. A true bowl cut.

The giant wheels of a giant ox cart.

Lazy, sleepy Marouy has to sleep on the toes of a person.

Final lunch in Trad: back at the same seafood place as the first night. Much nicer view this time, though.

The restaurant raises its own crabs in the natural canal that runs from the ocean into the province.

All smiles, but sad to be leaving.

Everyone digs in!

Dad, what are you up to?

One final family portrait.

Bangkok Week 197

April 5, 2012

A busy weekend with mum and dad in Bangkok. Theme? Floating markets.

Friday night dinner at one of our favorite Bangkok joints, Seven Spoons.

The next morning, heading off on an adventure: to Taling Chan floating market!

Do they scream "tourist" or what?

Waiting for our boat tour to start.

You could buy tiny baby turtles to release into the water for merit.

And we're off! It's a 2.5 hour boat tour of Bangkok's surviving canal network, on the other side of the river.

The area was really interesting. The buildings were built like a normal community -- but instead of roads, there were canals!

One of the many beautiful houses we saw along the tour.

Mum is scared of...

... the thousands of catfish flopping around outside our boat, waiting for food!

Dad decides to partake in the madness by buying a loaf of bread to throw in.

In it goes -- all in one piece.

A longtail boat parks... outside its owner's house?

We stopped at a local Wat. Here, applying the gold foil as part of the merit-making.

It takes a lot of focus to get it to stick properly.

Honing her skills.

And the tour continues.

This undulating sidewalk was taller in parts, so that boats could enter the side-canals and driveways.

We also stopped at an orchid farm, most of which was ruined during the floods.

None of the orchids was mature enough to buy yet.

But some of them were already beautiful.

I bet mum took over a hundred photos at that nursery.

She's gone cross-eyed from taking so many flower photos.

Back in the boat, heading back to our starting point.

It really was a long boat!

Now back on dry land, we stop to try some classic snacks.

This woman sold squashed, grilled bananas in a sweet syrup. Yum!

"Hey, these aren't bad!"

A late lunch at Dalad, our favorite local Vietnamese place.

Reaching over to her personal garden for some greens.

Chit chat, chit chat.

Another classy meal at Greyhound.

The next morning, we're off to Bangkok Tree House, in the green part across the river.

The ferry ride itself was only about 5 minutes, but we had to wait a while for everyone to board.

Something on the boat was awfully funny.

You can see the hotel from the boat. It's behind the old houses in the foreground.

Walking from the ferry to the hotel, through all the green.

And now we're off to another floating market.

What are they so intently looking at?

It's a two-toned lizard, who's obviously had some problems changing back to his natural color.

The market was very busy, but it's still fairly authentic (and not touristy).

Stopping for some icy drinks.

They put laughing gas in mum's smoothie.

Stopping to try some jackfruit. Much tastier than its outside would suggest.

And buying some of our favorite Thai-style Rice Krispies.

This woman skillfully makes pancakes for my favorite Granny's Hair dessert (โรตีสายไหม).

Mum was intrigued.

Mum puzzles over a peculiar palm fruit.

Here's a fruit that's new to me.

Mum has her first drink in a bag!

Now back at Bangkok Tree House, getting the official tour.

Mum likes the stairs!

Trying Sunday Brunch at their restaurant, Reflect.

The table we sat at didn't have any chairs!

The amuse-bouche was a tasty paste on a slice of juicy pineapple.

Ready for his eggs benedict, after waking himself from a nap.

The bill comes on a leaf. Cute.

Reflect is true to its name!

We decided to head back to the other side of the river on a river taxi.

A view from the hotel's little dock.

Our boat driver was shocked when he saw the 4 people we intended to fit in his boat.

Mum's having second thoughts.

That pretty much sums up the ride.

Holding on tight. Also, we're pretty squeezed in there.

We celebrated someone's 60th birthday at Rang Mahal, the poshest Indian joint in town.

Everything was delish. And super filling.

Went out to take some skyline photos afterward. It has a great rooftop view of the Sukhumvit-Asoke area.

A huge ice cream cake back at our place. It had (the right number of candles)/10.

It was so frozen that it took three sets of hands to cut and serve.

A picturesque sunset over Balikpapan, Indonesia.

Finally! Our tickets arrived!

Looking through mum and dad's photos from Singapore, over some gins and tonic.

Patiently waiting.

Dinner at our default middle eastern joint in Nana.

Another delicious meal.

Bangkok Week 196

March 29, 2012

What a week! We move, we furnish, and we have two VIPs arrive!

After almost 4 years in our tiny room in Nomsap, it's time to say good-bye.

With all our crap out of there, it looks almost as good as when we arrived... except a little more worn.

Our life, in the back of a single (crowded) pick-up!

Let's hope we can organize this crap a bit.

First dinner in the new place -- with celebratory beer to commemorate the successful move.

The next morning, a crack-of-dawn trip to IKEA! Also, my first.

Never before have these two flags flown side-by-side.

This could be taken at Anystore, Anytown.

Lugging all our stuff -- including glasses and a full set of plates and bowls -- back on the BTS.

The finished product. Not too shabby. Plenty of storage!

The dogs now have a full couch on which to comfortably sit together.

Small dining area, and library area on the side.

Yay, mum and dad arrived safely! Prepare yourself for 3 weeks of exciting photos coming up.

Thursday night dinner in a papaya field. I mean, at a spicy somtam place.

Hot hot hot!

We'd better cool off with some ice cream.

Bangkok Week 195

March 22, 2012

Let's get a move on!

Celebrating Friday night with some quality Indian food.

In Paragon, there are 3 stores lined up in a row: Mother's Crepe, Daddy Dough and Beard Papa's. I guess this is the family department.

Self-portrait at Ratchatewi BTS.

Condos in a hotel.

Decided to go to the eco-materials exhibit matching the display.

This is super-neat eco-material jewelry.

So sad. Finally parting with my lifelong bed buddy of 27 years. No, really.

Friday morning rush hour in Jakarta, and the street is empty. This can only mean one thing: public holiday!

These poor people seem to be doing this everyday!

Bangkok Week 194

March 15, 2012

It's hot and steamy in Bangkok!

The hottest vegetarian lunch in Bangkok, at the Chula food court.

Our kitchen-to-be!

Our living room-to-be.

Wow! It's a garage sale in Thailand. How strange is that.

A hazy, rainy day over Jakarta.

Our new-fangled IKEA clothes hanger -- in preparation for no more clothes dryer.

Getting ready to go!

Bangkok Week 193

March 8, 2012

A true work week!

All the ladies of BCG Bangkok crowd out our newly-wedded colleague and his wife.

And aren't our gentlemen just so handsome?

This time, the ladies without the couple.

The door prizes were cute little animals made by charity.

Our very local team, at home in Jakarta!

Bangkok Week 192

March 1, 2012

"Bangkok Week 192" seems to be a misnomer. Should be Jakarta.

My week got off to a slightly-better-than-usual start with a flight in one of Thai's two Star Alliance Paint Scheme aircraft. (The interior was just as old as their other A330s.)

Headlights into the night in Jakarta.

It's the first time I notice the National Monument and Masjid Istiqlal (the largest mosque in SE Asia) out my hotel window.

Found a sneaky way to beat Jakarta traffic. Drive a fire truck!

Bangkok Week 191

February 23, 2012

A weekend with the doggies!

Rode the "express" train to the airport for the first time. The interior is more cozy than the local (which is done like a subway).

Someone drove all the way into the bus terminal on Friday night!

Namwaan is uncharacteristically camera-shy.

Further modifications have been made since we last saw the car. Now there's a giant growth coming out of the rear windshield.

Not quite the pretties that you'd normally see hanging off the side of cars.

Marouy is very interested in all the souvenirs that we brought back from Canada and Japan.

And both of them are interested in the dog cookies from Chris!

Namwaan ran off with the entire large biscuit -- paper sill on!

Marouy also expresses an interest in the page-a-day Dog calendar.

"Huh?"

And this is how he stays nice and plump.

These orchids bloom once a year. (That's 4 times as often as our orchid!)

And the propeller tree was also in full bloom.

Cooking up magic at Top Sound.

Two cuties, looking straight into the camera.

Pretending she's tall.

And she's stuck!

Sharing photos from Canada and Tokyo.

Perky ears!

An even bigger audience for the photos now.

What's so interesting down here?

Kind of big for a lap dog, but he can still pull it off.

Look! Namwaan is the same size as Marouy!

The Top-mobile at night. Trad's party center.

We're privileged to have another home-made feast!

Morning kisses.

What engaging company while having breakfast at the store.

Lazy Sunday morning, just lying in my PJs with my dolls on the cool floor.

Who's tallest?

Hot sun or cool shade? Hmm... tough decision.

Dog in a bag!

And SPLAT. She lands with her neck in a most uncomfortable position.

Bangkok Week 190

February 16, 2012

A quick dinner and wedding.

Friday night dinner at our favorite 3-table restaurant: Seven Spoons.

Finally cleaning my 12-year-old watch, link-by-link.

At a friend's wedding, they had the closest equivalent to Bridesmaids that we've seen in Thailand -- but they were asked to dance down the aisle.

The bride and groom were excused from the dancing. But we had front-row seats!

Bangkok Week 189

February 9, 2012

A busy weekend of dining and more dining.

Friday night dinner at one of them most popular Mexican joints in town.

This salsa truly lived up to its name, "John's super hot salsa."

These manequins are "dressed up" for Valentines Day?

My new little rollie! So light, you can hoist it up one-handed.

Celebrating Sittha's 32nd on top of Bangkok, courtesy of Mum and Dad.

It's the nicest Indian place in town -- but it is a little weird that they serve your food for you.

Ahhh! 32 years old already??

Back in Jakarta, I finally get a roundabout view!

And have now been privileged enough to have all three key roundabout views.

Bangkok Week 188

February 2, 2012

A busy, busy week! Friday was spent with Habitat for Humanity in Lopburi province. Saturday night, we stayed and the much-hyped Bangkok Treehouse hotel across the river. And then, off to Jakarta for the week!

We're off to Lopburi province for our Habitat for Humanity build! Our planned departure time was 7am. Some people arrived late. Then a downpour hit. So a 7:30 start wasn't that bad, considering.

Is Tak dressed like a ninja, or a true laborer?

At the site, after a 3-hour drive -- the extended family whose houses we were rebuilding had lots of cute dogs.

Robert is puzzled... as to why Thomas came dressed for a day at the office!

Got our work gloves! Now we're set.

Getting a briefing from the Habitat for Humanity staff. Look at the house in the background. See the water line at the height of the top of the front door?

The head of the sub-district greets our group.

And Pam (our head Partner) gives an intro, too.

Having the shade of that tent was a lifesaver!

Our donations will go to the building of a new house on this plot, too. But we didn't have time to start the construction ourselves.

Plenty of hardhats for those working under overhead work.

Our safety briefing.

And some warm-up exercises. Of questionable utility.

Also part of the warm-up: massage the back of the person in front of you!

The elevated row houses that our donations paid for. It will be three individual units for an extended family.

This is what I did all day: shovel gravel into buckets, for spreading evenly throughout the underside of the house.

This little boy was very hard-working. He helped us all day, by returning the empty buckets to the shovelers.

We were sweating buckets after only 30 minutes. Good thing we had so much water on hand.

My fellow dedicated shovelers, Keaw and Robert (also an MIT alum).

There was another group who had it worse-off than us: digging holes for septic tanks.

Working or chatting?

Time for a well-deserved lunch break.

The young men relax as they bathe in their sweat.

Pooped and hot -- but the ice on the head was quite refreshing.

The men in black relax.

Pui and I can still stand! Barely.

A scrumptious lunch, prepared by local villagers.

And lots of fresh local fruit, too.

Our support staff came in matching stylish grey.

The interior walls of the houses are made with these pre-fabricated fiber cement boards. The local laborers who were also on site were able to carry these sheets single-handedly...

...but we needed four people per sheet.

Giant trucks carrying sugar cane kept whizzing by.

A local ice cream vendor made a killing when he stopped by our site.

Matt (also an MIT alum) was really intrigued by the ice cream truck. He'd never seen one before! The kids were probably really confused.

Ice cream break for all!

This dog is wondering who all these people are at his home!

While we were taking our break, our little helper decided he'd resume where we left off.

Both are pooped.

Upstairs, some more intellectually-stimulating work was going on.

Ali (our chief organizer) was attaching walls to the steel frame.

Elsewhere, there was a much larger screwing crew.

The septic tank diggers are still going... but now, I think it's only the laborers left.

Ble, our IT guy, gets to put more than just his fingertips to use.

What a beautiful view they'll have from their new home!

Luckily, none of these hats were actually needed.

The family had recently had puppies! They were only 10 days old.

The mum was white, and the dad was black. Seems like it was a litter of 4.

This cutie got a mix of his parents' coloring.

These two don't look related!

Can I bring one back as a souvenir?

Before we left, the Habitat staff wanted a picture taken with my colleague -- who's a former soap opera actor.

More beautiful rice fields.

Could live up here! Reminds me of Bali.

The life of the consultant: always with a suitcase.

Still with energy to smile!

We were some of the only few who stayed awake on the drive back.

The rest of the bus was fast asleep.

The birthday boy gets a new aluminum Swatch for his 32nd.

On Saturday, we were invited to stay the night at a new hotel on the other side of the river. The ferries depart from a river-side temple.

The ferry is the easiest way for motorcyclists to cross the river.

Lots of students use it, too.

Here's one of the mighty Chao Phraya tug boats -- he's resting up before his next long haul.

Standing room only on this popular boat.

On the other side of the river, cyclists queue up for the next ferry's arrival. See the refinery in the background?

The ferry dock on the other side of the river is also at a temple. This one has a jolly buddha.

Here we are: Bangkok Tree House. It opens officially sometime in February.

Since it hasn't officially opened yet, we're the only guests this Saturday night. Still, they have freshly-made local juice for us.

We stayed in a "Tree Top Nest" -- a 2-story unit with lounge chairs on the roof.

The rooms have one of 4 natural themes. We got... an ant room!

It's a very cute idea, if you're not creeped out.

The ants are hand-made in Chiang Mai.

The hotel makes good use of mirrors throughout its property. This mirror is also the doorway at the top of the 2nd floor.

The landing at the top of the stairs is solid glass -- and the river is right below your feet (at high tide, anyway).

This may just be the most natural environment you've ever peed in. Don't look down!

The shower (on the ground floor) can open to the outside. They told us -- open or shut, whichever you prefer!

Here's a view of the 4-person family next -- with deluxe bathroom for all the world to see! (He'll put up curtains soon.)

This was going to be a tree house, until the tree fell down in a storm! So for now, it's a yoga area.

Here's the main lobby and restaurant (above). The bamboo hanging from the ceiling is leftover scaffolding.

The walkways throughout the property are lined with these mini-gardens -- which grow the restaurant's herbs.

Here you can get a sense for the maze-like feel of the property. It'll look nice once it's grown in a bit more.

Each unit has a rooftop bed for stargazing at night.

Here you can see his wind turbine. He also has solar panels, that heat all the warm water.

See all the herbs growing at the edge of the walkways?

This is the staircase leading up to the entrance of the Family Nest.

Vines will soon be grown on the bamboo siding.

Here's the famous swimming pond -- still a work in progress.

Hmm. Not sure if it's ready to swim in yet. (He's testing if the plans really keep the bacteria in the water at safe levels. Ultimately, the plants will only be grown in half the pool.)

They have bikes for their guests to borrow. We're off to the floating market!

These elevated walkways are a bit precarious. Don't loose your balance, or you'll end up in the mangroves!

Unfortunately, the floating market was wrapping up for the day. Here, a seller is paddling home.

This noodle vendor is still open for business. The market's not at all catered toward tourists, which is refreshing.

Um, excuse me.

You can also walk or bike alongside the river. (This is not the Chao Praya, by the way, but a smaller canal that winds through the area.)

We found a more major rode, and went for a peddle.

Here we go, through the jungle and back to the hotel. You can see how they've recently elevated all the walkways by an additional couple feet.

Lots of fruit trees (of many varieties) lined the paths.

A mesmerizing palm.

At night, we tried out the constellation app on the iPad. Success! It tells us that we see the moon!

The next morning, a family who lives in the house next door comes out to pick fresh coconuts for breakfast.

A giant lizard is out bathing in the morning sun.

We go for a stroll along the river. Quite scenic!

And wait -- is that a giant cruise ship looming on the horizon? Why yes!

A romantic breakfast table for two, overlooking the Chao Phraya.

Lots of fresh local fruit and juice!

That's a veggie sausage next to the omelette and toast.

Joey, the owner of the hotel, shows us the solar cooker they just bought, which will be used for BBQing at lunch time.

Mid-week in Jakarta, we had a team dinner. This is the biggest lobster I've never eaten!

Thursday is Batik Shirt Day at our client... so we're joining in. It's definitely a new look for me!

Bangkok Week 187

January 26, 2012

Happy Lunar New Year! (And BTW, when did that become the PC term for Chinese New Year, anyway?)

Hard to believe this night sky was for real!

Friday night out at our local pizza joint.

Care for a salad on your pizza?

The stylish apparel of the Information Desk girls at Paragon.

Did they convert this from a giant red Christmas ornament?

Happy Lunar New Year!

No missing the holiday inside Terminal 21.

Three shades of green?

Bangkok Week 186

January 19, 2012

Getting back into the swing of things in Bangkok... with a trip to Singapore?

Christmas is really over now. The Grinch is taking down the tree.

You have to feel bad for these dancers in pink, promoting a new restaurant in Siam Square.

A quick mid-week trip down to Singapore. Stayed for the first time at St. Regis -- too luxurious for my tastes!

One relatively unique perk of this hotel.

Imagine the value of this central Singapore property!

A view looking away from downtown. New condos going up in every direction!

Bangkok Week 185

January 12, 2012

Whoops!

Didn't take any photos this week. Whoops.

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