Bangkok Week 217

August 23, 2012

A weekend in Trad, and then a long-awaited week off in Bangkok. Nothing like just chillaxin' at home, reading a good book, getting some good visas... You know. The usual.

Only at Krispy Kreme Indonesia: a mosque doughnut! A true Ramadan delite!

In Trad for the weekend, at the temple to prepare for the annual remembrance ceremony for the grandparents. There were 14 trays of food to prepare for the monks.

Two of the trays of food, being offered to the many Buddha images in the temple.

And the ones for the monks. The food sits there in front of them while they chant. If I were them, my stomach would be grumbling the whole time.

The temple has carpets now.

Waiting for the monks to arrive.

A colorful way to solicit monetary donations.

Starting to gather for the ceremony... But still waiting for the monks to arrive.

Lots of friends and neighbors came to join.

After the ceremony, it's the traditional releasing of the fish.

This year, they could only find snake-like creepy fish...

...so they very thoughtfully got me a turtle instead. This guy was not at all anxious to get back to the water.

After the monks finished their lunch, it was our turn to eat.

And the event culminates by tossing coins at all the friends and family for them to collect. Apparently, I threw too far...

Marouy was very excited to see some of the guests when they came back to the house afterward.

A monumental backlog of customers at Top Sound!

A delicious vegetarian dinner: Tom yum goong (with shrimp), basil fried squid, salted egg, salted fish and my all-time favorite curry with bitter flower buds.

On Tuesday when I went to the US Embassy, I was greeted by an entourage of protesters.

They were demanding that the US Ambassador to Thailand resign, because they were mad about Thaksin's recent visit to the US.

Return of the baked goods! I wasn't sure if the poor oven would remember how to bake cookies, it had been so long.

But it seemed to remember just fine.

Hopefully the stash will last long enough to sustain us until my next vacation... Ha ha ha.

Check out all the designer glasses that they make these days for 3D movies! Cha-ching!

We bought the young son of Long John and Rose, to send to Steve and Teresa for their new baby daughter. Hope he makes it safely to California!

Penang

August 16, 2012

A whirlwind tour of George Town, Penang. Thanks to Roz and Debbie, whose wedding (congratulations!) coaxed us down there!

Waiting in the rush hour queue to depart from Jakarta offered good views into the Garuda hangar.

Gaining altitude over a Jakarta whose residents have all just broken their fast.

Our digs for the next 3 days: the Eastern & Oriental hotel in George Town, Penang, Malaysia.

George town was founded in 1786 and named after King George III; this hotel was established by the Sarkies brothers in 1885.

Needless to say, the hotel has strived to maintain its colonial feel.

One of the main corridors on the ground floor.

And a spiral staircase leading up to the 3rd -- and top -- floor. The hotel itself is one of the "Top 10" tourist attractions in George Town.

A view along the northern coast of Penang island, from the hotel's oceanside property.

Most of the rooms open onto the sea.

There are several seaside eateries -- I guess that's the attraction if you're not staying here.

The living area of our suite. Lucky that Debbie and Roz got a good discount for their wedding guests!

The monster bed in the bedroom. You can tell, from the bed frames relative to the photos on the wall, that it's normally a double room.

The room's view. (The wedding was directly below.)

Ornate glass doors enter into the bathroom.

Friday at noon was Debbie and Roz's wedding ceremony. Roz's mom (who's Japanese) made hundreds and hundreds of cranes to decorate. There was also a crane attached to each invitation.

It was a very small affair -- compared to most Chinese-style weddings in this part of the world!

The flower girl was Gigi, Debbie's niece. She got cold feet half-way down the aisle and darted back to the bridesmaids behind her.

The magical moment. (We were encouraged not to take our own photos, since they had 4 professional photographers snapping the whole event.)

This just in! (From Bangkok.) Now I have a partner-in-crime!

The evening cocktail started at 6pm, with drinks by the seaside.

The sun sets much later in Penang than in Jakarta -- which means, out of deference to the (fasting) Muslim guests -- that we had to wait until fairly late to sit down to dinner.

At the sit-down dinner, around 7:30pm. The stars of the day arrive!

It was a cozy, not-too-formal gathering of close family and friends. Roz's parents are the two on the right.

And the centerpiece on our table...

...fish!

There were some speeches from everyone -- even the reluctant.

And of course, the cake-cutting. Debbie's mom made this herself, and brought it all the way from Perth!

After the dinner was over, it was dancing into the night.

Fun as it was, I had to uphold my party-pooping reputation and couldn't stay past 11:30.

The next morning, breaking fast by the sea.

The best view in the house... was taken by other diners.

One of George Town's signature drooping fire hydrants.

The hotel displays photos of some of its more distinguished guests. Here's one of the more distinctive.

We went out for a Saturday morning stroll. This building is cordoned off, and destined for demolition -- to be the future site of new condos.

The Supreme Court Buildings -- home to the Penang High Court -- was built in 1809 and apparently very well maintained.

Windows on the side of a well-kept townhouse.

This is Town Hall, which was declared open in 1880 by Governor Sir Fedderick Weld, a Victorian architect.

Right next door is City Hall, of neo-Palladian architecture. It was completed in 1903, and is currently home to the Municipal Council of Penang Island.

This is a tree in the park across the street. They fence in their trees to protect them from the Penang hooligans.

Another view of the sea (and all the industry on the horizon).

This is Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower. It's 60 feet tall, and was built in 1897...

...to commemorate Queen Victoria's 60-year reign.

Don't know what this building is (or was) because it's not on my tourist map, but it fit right in with the rest of the architecture in the neighborhood.

This sign clearly forbids the selling of desserts on the back of giant tricycles. Ironically, there was one such vendor right across the street from this sign.

There were often trendy little shops on the bottom of otherwise colonial-looking shop houses.

Let's not forget that there's still lots of Chinese influence throughout the town: the Penang population is 46% Chinese, after all.

It's cleaning time at one of the more modern buildings in George Town.

One of the streets in Little India: the only part of the town that never looked like a ghost town over the 3 days we were there.

Dunno what this cute guy was, but he sure looks like an efficient way to transport a lot of people.

The Cathedral of the Assumption, which was established "not long after the landing of Francis Light." It's considered "as old as Penang itself."

A follower paying respects at the Cathedral of the Assumption.

This is St. George's Anglican Church: another congregation "as old as Penang itself." It was completed in 1818.

This is the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, an estate that was built by one of Malaysia's wealthiest tycoons at the start of the 20th century.

Some of the abundant street art throughout George Town. This is made entirely of steel wire.

Another form of street art.

More fairly well-kept shop houses.

Naturally faded, but pretty nonetheless.

A man sets out on (what seems like it will be) a long, meticulous journey.

Outside this Chinese temple were...

... giant incense.

And I mean, GIANT INCENSE!

Some shop houses have been maintained better than others.

Like this one, for example.

Look closely: both of these homes are lucky enough to have giant trees bursting right through their cores.

This was in a warehouse district.

Here's the Church Street Pier, which was built in 1897 and was an important spot along the channel in the first half of the 20th century.

The Church Street Pier is now part of the Tanjung City Marina.

And it's a great vantage point to see the giant cruise ships that come to dock on a daily basis.

Fishing boats in the foreground, and giant ferries that connect Penang Island to the mainland. The ferries used to be the only way to get between the two. (In 1985, the Penang Bridge was opened.)

The cutest little miniature palm with a full head of hair.

The Malayan Railway Building was built in the early 20th century, and is believed to be the only railway station in the world without tracks passing through it!

Georgetown Chambers -- apparently now vacant.

Another street in Little India; it has its Ramadan decorations up, too.

These rickshaws are still a popular way (for tourists) to get around.

Pigeons observing the pedestrian traffic below.

And here's where you can get your visa renewed.

A tastefully colorful old shop house.

These shop houses are on "Love Lane," which is home to many B's&B and home stays.

Another little "soi" -- like Jakarta, Penang has open sewers on the sides of the road.

Not sure what this building used to be. Now, it's a slightly run down hotel.

Another piece of street art, stating an obvious fact.

The shop houses extend over the sidewalks, so if you walk along the sidewalks, you often have to step up or down as you switch properties.

A Thai temple!

Debbie and Roz had one last lunch at the "Lone Pine Resort," a beach resort about 40 minutes from the city center. Seems like it's not just one lone pine, though.

Got to wear the sun dress (for a second time in as many years).

In the trunk of a giant tree -- which was probably there when the E&O hotel opened its doors in 1885.

Group shot!

Roz should be glad that his wedding didn't look like this!

Back on the road for some more sight-seeing, here's Fort Cornwallis.

The fort was built immediately after Francis Light landed on Penang island (in 1786) and was completed in 1810.

Apparently the fort used to be surrounded by a 9-meter-wide moat, but after a malaria outbreak in the 1920s, they filled it in.

A view from inside the star-shaped fort.

It has a chapel, that was built in 1799.

Even though the fort was originally built for the Royal artillery troops and the military, its function, historically, was more administrative than defensive. (Wikipedia.)

In its entire history, the fort had never engaged in any battle.

Now, the fort has a great view of the parking lot on the other side.

These bright red palm fruits were growing on the trees inside the fort.

Old cannons decorate the fort. (This one's pointed at the marine's local base.)

This is the Marines' light house. The giant thing that looks like a ship's mast is really just... an antenna?

This is the magazine that was used to store gun powder. Look how thick the walls are!

This sign introduces the Seri Rambai Cannon, the largest of the cannons, which was cast in 1603, and was a gift from the Dutch to the Sultan of Johore in 1606.

And what do the Japanese do?

Shooting a cannon, or a laser gun?

More old shop houses. Mr. Patel lives next to Mr Yeap Chor Ee.

A cute little sign indicating parking for cute little vehicles.

The vendors on this street are here as part of the Ramadan celebrations; toward the end of the day, people will come here to stock up on food to break the fast.

This is a new kind of roti that I'd never seen before! (Definitely not watertight!)

These giant creations seemed to be a popular snack. It's an omelette with some sort of meat (being cooked in the back), 2 of which get put into a giant roti and fried (in the front).

These are slightly more familiar snacks: meat samosas in the foreground, various vegetarian samosas behind them.

We decided to try a legume fritter. Looks like a falafel -- but was very crunchy!

The entrance to a Hindu temple, which was in the middle of a noisy ceremony.

Worshipers lined up to take part in the ceremony.

Colorful offerings.

A rather heavy pair of garlands.

The Kapitan Keling Mosque, which was built at the start of the 19th century in what was the Indian Muslim community of George Town.

A cute, well-kept standalone home.

If Penang weren't such a long drive from Bangkok, I think we'd be new car owners after stumbling on this guy.

This Volvo Amazon has obviously stood the test of time slightly better; unfortunately, he wasn't for sale.

Pretty in Pink?

One of the many Chinese shrines and temples throughout George Town.

Yap yap yap. The temple for chatty people.

A cute little soi (named Armenian Street) with lots of well-kept shop houses and artsy shops -- all of which were closed by the time we got there on Sunday afternoon.

How ornate.

The two-toned paint jobs of neighboring properties could be executed in a slightly neater way.

Then we stumbled upon a positively bizarre market: everyone was selling heaps of random old stuff-- as if they'd raided the lost-and-found at schools over the past 30 years.

A uniform row of houses.

Don't seek shelter under here during the rain!

The artsy entrance to some old shop that was closed for the night.

The entrance to Cheah Kongsi temple, which was completed in the 1870s.

Its clan is one of the oldest in Penang.

Keeping an eye out over the streets of George Town.

Another piece of street art: this is by Ernest Zacharevic, a young artist from Lithuania who's been in Penang for the past year.

At a local street-side restaurant, everyone waits (impatiently) until the sun goes down and they can break their fasts for the day!

Our dinner was at an Indian vegetarian restaurant: we tried one Thali set and some other recommended dishes.

No man left behind!

Some neat building-side paintings in the evening.

The well-kept buildings -- like St. George's Church -- are lit up quite tastefully at night.

At Cathedral of the Assumption, the neon cross of God radiates throughout the night.

Even our hotel looks fairly tasteful in the evening.

The next morning, we're off on an adventure: at a bus terminal, to find a public bus to the base of Penang Hill.

This bus conductor was shocking: he spoke fluent Thai (along with 7 other languages, apparently -- including several Scandinavian ones).

After a 40 minute ride, we arrive at the base of Penang Hill (aka Bukit Bendera). The funicular opened in 1923.

The track is 2.2 km long, and originally it operated in two segments, where riders had to switch trains in the middle.

However, it got new rolling stock in 2011, and it's now one single ride.

Well, at least one of us was excited.

Back-of-the-envelope calculation says it moves at an average of 27 km/h, given that it took fewer than 5 mins to get to the top.

A view from the top; yes, it passes through the mountain at some points. I read somewhere that the average angle is 50 degrees.

The foliage is different on top of the hill -- which has an elevation of 833 meters.

A giant wall -- and requisite restaurant -- welcoming visitors to the top.

You can imagine the view of Penang would've been stunning -- if the "stupid people" from Indonesia hadn't been burning stuff. (Purportedly.)

Pretty flowers on the tops of the trees.

We misguidedly followed a sign to a "viewing point" somewhere along this road.

Unbeknownst to us, we quickly reached the viewing area (which looked remarkably identical to the faded sign).

But then, we continued walking for another 2km before realizing we'd likely overshot!

Group shot, at one of the many views we'd passed while "on the way" to the real viewpoint.

Natural ornaments that had been left to hang on one of the trees at an overlook.

You can try to imagine what it might look like an a clear day...

At the top of the hill, there was also a Hindu temple and a mosque.

These mythical guys stand guard over the Hindu temple.

There was also a man selling famous nuts, chick peas, and other tasty snacks.

We just copied the guy in front of us and tried this one, which is made-to-order. It was really delicious!

Back on the low-lying earth, we took an early evening stroll through the wholesale district -- which was all shut for the night.

The colorful buildings were still there, though.

Would you like some Economy Rice? It won't break the bank, promise.

An ornate column.

Dinner at a different Indian vegetarian restaurant: "fish" curry and tandoori "chicken" in the background.

Believe it or not, George Town has a movie theater! (Like other landmarks, I suspect this one is "as old as Penang itself".)

The world-renowned International Hotel!

This guy's gotten some attention and respect over time.

On the flip side of the coin, this poor shop house has gotten some neglect.

Sun setting over Penang as the weekend draws to a close.

The durian, I understand. But mangosteen?

On Monday morning, an innocent-looking Chinese vegetarian restaurant...

... has a real feast to offer once you step inside its walls!

A dog! In Malaysia! (He seems a bit confused, too.)

Bug-eyed door?

At the Clan Jetties, which were unique Chinese settlements along Weld Quay. The homes are built on stilts along the wooden piers.

The Clan Jetties jut out into the Penang Channel. They've existed since the 19th century.

There were originally 8 Clan Jetties (Chew Jetty, Koay Jettty, Lee Jetty, Lim Jetty, Peng Aun Jetty, Tan Jetty, Yeoh Jetty, and Mixed Clans Jetty).

Except this family, which appears to be Thai.

Another piece of street art in the Chew Jetty, by the Lithuanian artist.

Some less official street art on the side of one of the homes.

Would you like to use this fitting room on the side of the street?

A much more subtle piece of street art, looks wisely over George Town.

Bangkok Week 215

August 9, 2012

Apparently, all we do is eat!

Found a good, relatively inexpensive pizzeria in town -- with (what I think is) the best pizza I've had in Bangkok so far.

Here's how they serve their beer.

Looks cheesy and authentic... at least by New York pizza standards.

The "vegetariana".

Back at home, some slightly less Italian food to round off the weekend.

Bangkok Week 214

August 2, 2012

A crazy adventure mangrove planting -- thanks to my colleagues, Huang and Ali, for the use of their photos to supplement my own!

On Friday, a contingent from the office went mangrove planting in Samut Sakhon province, to the west of Bangkok.

The office is much larger than this, so I guess a lot of people were too intimidated by the prospect of planting in the mud.

Before the drama: still dry and clean.

One of the two long tail boats that we would take out to sea.

These little twiggy things are the saplings that drop from the bigger mangrove trees on a daily basis.

The two boats, ready to set out.

We raced out to sea. Little did we know what we were racing toward.

Out at sea, with the mountainous shoreline behind us. This must belong to Ratchaburi province.

It's go-time! Into the quick sand-like mud we go.

It was pretty shocking, at first!

It was really difficult to "walk" because you sink into the mud well past your knees. Turns out, "walking" on your knees was the fastest way to get around.

We would have to plant the saplings about wrist deep, and then tie them to the stakes.

While trying to advance, I lost balance on my knees and took a face plant into the water. Yes, that black post right behind me is actually my leg.

All hope on staying clean has been long abandoned.

Once we realized there was no hope of staying clean, it was actually quite fun to play in the mud.

400 saplings planted. Whoo!

Yum yum. (The guy on the right is from our Tokyo office. He must've really been shocked.)

Yeah, this shirt was white about an hour earlier.

This would've been a true mud fight.

It's a challenging task, getting back into the boat without slipping and falling right back into the water.

Not exactly a clean task!

The after shot... although Tomtor (on the right) looks suspiciously dry.

This is the area we planted. Hopefully at least some of them grow!

More victims of the mud.

Now, it's time to "rinse off" in the slightly deeper water...

...and try our luck at "mud skiing."

It was easier than I'd thought to stay up.

Although some people made it look much cooler than others.

Here I go, giving it a try.

Did I succeed in making it look cool?

You can be honest, don't worry.

Tomtor and I are laughing at something. (Or someone.)

It's time to try doing it in tandem!

Ahhh! Talk about hard to hold on!

We made it full-circle. Phew!

Anyone up next?

Here goes the courageous duo: French and Chinese-American.

Well. This is one way to do it.

Poor Thomas probably got more than he'd bargained for.

On the way back, we slowed down near the home of many, many monkeys. They know what the boats bring!

They were brazen enough to come grab the bananas straight out of our hands.

They're definitely not afraid of people!

Stuffing their faces.

Back in the civilization of Bangkok, some even more exotic wildlife.

Weekend cuisine: pad krapow (stir fried basil) on the left, and tofu sate with peanut sauce on the right.

Bangkok Week 213

July 26, 2012

A weekend of culinary adventure.

A Sunday morning breakfast novelty: french toast!

Now that's what they call a tall stack!

A slightly overkill lunch: curly pasta with Thai pasta sauce. Aka, really sweet pasta sauce.

The stamp I got on Sunday night when leaving Thailand. The Immigration officer managed to ruin the page for any additional future stamps.

Bangkok Week 212

July 19, 2012

The week of the NYC area code!

Attempting to make a western-style omelette.

We also tried, pretty darn unsuccessfully, to make oven fries. Better luck next time.

The homefries turned out much better.

Next time, we'll try using parchment paper.

School boys pose with a giant spotted dog outside the BACC.

The 17 loaves of bread that a team in Jakarta asked me to bring down from Bangkok. Mission: successful!

[Organ chord] Aaaaahhhhhh.

It's a window wash-off in Jakarta!

A nice lebanese restaurant on Sukhumvit 24.

The swankiest middle eastern restaurant we've found -- with creative presentation (and a bald man).

Bangkok Week 211

July 12, 2012

A quick week!

A colorful dinner, on an equally exciting new tablecloth.

My less-exciting concoction of meds, to battle the vengeful Montezuma who's been by my side for a few weeks.

You know it's a public holiday in Jakarta when the round-about's empty at 8am!

Bangkok Week 210

July 5, 2012

Work, and weddings, and work. Oh my!

It's a tradition in our office that all new joiners have to "introduce" themselves in a creative way. This Partner, who recently transferred from Helsinki, brought his kids to do a performance.

He and his son played a few traditional Finnish songs, while his daughter danced. His wife is Thai, the kids are beautiful.

On Saturday night, we took Eric (my Jakarta teammate) out to dinner at Pad Thai Ari.

Then on Sunday night... another wedding!

My prom necklace is 10 years old now!

The groom works with Sittha, and the bride is an ANA flight attendant. All her bridesmaids are also flight attendants!

The hardest part of the whole ordeal: lighting the candles in unison.

Lots of single ladies trying to catch the bouquet.

And back in Jak, the huge monitor is still drawing awe.

Bangkok Week 209

June 28, 2012

Ice cream for lunch? Why not!

A healthy Saturday lunch: Swensen! (Okay, we had a coupon.)

A slightly more healthy Saturday dinner.

Back in Jakarta, we have a giant new addition to our team room.

It gets its own seat and everything!

Cheers to being back in Bangkok on a Thursday night!

Bangkok Week 208

June 21, 2012

A short weekend in Bangkok after a long week in Jakarta.

My room at the MO this week had a HUGE missile of an iPod dock.

When I finally got back to Bangkok at noon on Saturday, immigration was disastrous.

The damage done in one week.

Finally, a home cooked meal!

The sun rises over a steamy Jakarta.

Bangkok Week 207

June 14, 2012

Amazing race: Bangkok Edition!

The members of BCG Bangkok's social committee put on an epic activity for us last Friday: Amazing Race Bangkok Edition. Here, we're getting our pre-race briefing.

Go Red(dish orange) team! (I think the other teams were stacked. Somehow, we had 3 foreigners.)

We get our pack of clues on the elevator down to the lobby.

Our first task was to take a photo with 2 of our team members and a monitor lizard.

We also had to sing happy birthday with 2 strangers. Here, the blue team has at it.

Confused about where to go next.

We also had to cook street food and serve it to 4 customers.

We realized later that skewered meat didn't count, though, since it wasn't a "dish". So we tried again with fried eggs.

Two shocked tourists weren't sure why they were getting free lunch boxes.

Trying to figure out what our next task was. The guy in the middle is a Vietnamese intern who's never been to Bangkok before.

All 5 of us jumped in a tuk tuk and headed off to Paragon.

The other 2.

When we hit traffic, we jumped out...

... and climbed up to the skytrain instead.

A refreshing 2-minute respite in the AC'd train.

We had to take a picture at a temple, with something "local to the area." This motorcycle driver was local to the area!

Then we used him to get to our next destination.

Nothing like an added challenge from a little Bangkok traffic.

Safety first!

This team (comprised of 4 Bangkok locals, I should add) was the first to finish -- but they scored fewer points than other teams.

The blue team -- whom we met in the park while singing -- ultimately won the challenge.

In the end, we finished 2nd out of 5 teams. Not too bad, considering the foreign nature of our team.

This team -- which included all of our office's leadership team -- finished 4th of 5.

Relaxing, with 2 of the organizers, at the dinner venue.

The transformation of Digital Gateway into a giant bottle of coke is complete! It's only taken them 3.5 years to figure out!

Stuck at Balikpapan airport for 6 hours. What better to do than enjoy rich chocolate desserts and french fries.

Bangkok Week 206

June 7, 2012

It was a very lazy weekend in Trad.

Namwan just came back from the groomer and she looks pretty as ever.

The little dog in the background belongs to a neighbor. He's a true rascal.

All she wants is some attention. She's the perfect size for Namwan.

Cheese! Now

What? Can I have some too, please?

Marouy couldn't care less what the little dogs are doing.

Sleepy late afternoon.

Another delicious home-made dinner feast.

Marouy's just had his Sunday morning bath, and now he's getting a brushing. Looking big as ever!

Okay, now that we're clean... back to bed!

What follows a sleepy morning? Why, it's a sleepy afternoon!

What's all this commotion about?

Sitting in the new store. On van seats.

Hello? Anyone home?

The little dog comes in to see what all the fuss is about, about this wall.

4 lazybones, all in a row.

Bangkok Week 205

May 30, 2012

The moment Bangkok's been waiting for since January: Lady Gaga!

Really long lines to catch the shuttle bus to Lady Gaga.

So we tried the slightly shorter motorcycle line.

It's taken 2 hours to get to Rajamangala Stadium -- but we made it while it's still light out.

The stadium's capacity is 65,000. Event organizers say 50,000 people attended.

Luckily, a colleague lent us her binoculars for the show. Otherwise, it could've been anyone down there!

The view from the nosebleed section.

I think there's a stage down there.

Before the concert, everyone has to stand up for the tribute to HM the King. Just like at the movies.

The standing room section (tickets 7,000 THB each) filled up quickly. Some fans waited 3 days in line to get good spots by the stage.

After the lights went down, the glow sticks came up.

Lady Gaga is down there somewhere, I swear.

And the sea of people spills out after the concert -- only to find that there's a single exit. Whoops.

And on a different note: this is chili ice cream!

Two more dinner dishes: peppers with tofu and more greens.

Finally! Someone realized that Digital Gateway looks like a coke bottle.

Bangkok Week 204

May 24, 2012

Exploring the latest hot spot in Bangkok.

Friday night al fresco at a local Mexican joint.

After 3 years of aging in the cupboard, we finally busted open the Yamazaki. Does that make it a 15-year-old now?

Asiatique: Bangkok's hottest new hangout. It's a former pier warehouse, the "East Asiatic Company Pier."

As the name suggests, it is in fact on the water. It's a 10-min boat ride downriver from the BTS.

Some of the original houses have been preserved. The pier was originally built by a Danish national who exported teak from Thailand.

These guys are permanently excited.

It's basically another night market, with both your standard tourist shops and also lots of unique local designs.

A brass band from one of the local universities was raising money for a trip to Austria.

Yo yo. Wazzup, my home penguins?

Heading home. Well, back to the BTS any way.

Saturday night home-made delight.

Sunday's dinner looks considerably more... bland?

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.