Bangkok Week 226

October 25, 2012

BCG SEA's annual outing -- this year to Ho Chi Minh City. Plus, some special visitors to Bangkok, and a new 'do.

Off to Ho Chi Minh City, by way of Don Meuang International Airport! This immigration queue took 20 minutes to clear.

In Ho Chi Minh, one of our first tasks was an all-day "amazing race." Here, my team of 10 had to take a photo with 10 locals.

At this stop, we had to peel 3 durians in 1 minute. We failed.

So we had to try to learn how to make these traditional clay sculptures instead.

We all tried our hand at a beautiful tulip ... with mediocre results.

Next stop was learning how to use Vietnamese water puppets... the professionals can really make the fish life-like as they swim around.

Then, we had to try our hands at hand-pressed tapioca cookies. I definitely wouldn't eat those.

Group shot with the cookies and the carved fruit.

If that wasn't enough, we then had to learn a traditional Vietnamese dance. Luckily, we weren't judged on grace.

Well that was an experience.

Final stop was Vietnamese calligraphy: learn a (Vietnamese) phrase in calligraphy and reproduce it from memory!

No pressure!

After a hot day of running (and driving) around the city, finally back at the hotel with all the evidence of our "achievements".

That night... the (in)famous BCG Idol! First up: Jakarta, with a full rock band doing its music.

KL had something a little funkier in mind.

Singapore brought its own PSY to the party with an energetic (but long predicted) rendition of Gangnam Style.

The only photographic evidence I've unearthed so far of our MJ dance.

These lovely Bangkok ladies were much braver than I!

A very blurry photo of our full team.

We brought the electricity to the party!

Bangkok office!

Jazz hands?

The next day, we had several hours to explore the city on our own. It's a city still dominated by bicycles and motorbikes.

This is the Saigon Opera House, built in 1897 by French architect Ferret Eugene.

A patch of green next to the opera house.

More European architecture and city planning.

All these buildings are either designer stores or posh cafes, by the way.

A very stiff passenger.

Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, which was constructed between 1863 and 1880.

The two bell towers reach a height of 58m. All the original building materials were imported from France.

It's an extremely popular place for newlyweds to come take their wedding photos.

Another 3 couples, all in one (blurry) shot.

The rear of the cathedral ... and all the traffic busily zipping around behind it.

This is the inside of the Saigon Central Post Office, which was constructed in the early 20th century in Gothic style. It was designed and constructed by Gustave Eiffel!

There were actually still working phones inside the ornate phone booths.

We stop for a break at the writing desks -- which some people were actually using to compose mail!

A very detailed map of the city is painted inside one of the arches.

Don't know what it's saying, but it looks like propaganda to me.

The city has lots of green space and tall, old trees; it's fairly pedestrian-friendly.

What flowers?

The Reunification Palace was the home and workplace of the President of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

A juxtaposition of old, slightly newer, and new.

Did I mention that this is still a city of motorbikes?

This seller was making a quesedilla-like snack; she scrambled quail eggs and minced vegetables directly in the bread, over the bbq.

Cotton candy to-go!

The proper way to organize the traffic flow.

I gather that something overhead is dangerous.

More colonial houses.

A truly portable coffee shop.

Lunch at a very, very local noodle shop. We're still not sure what they ate. (It wasn't Pho.)

Deadly Vietnamese iced coffee. So good. So good.

One of the restaurant employees tries to explain something to us. Pui politely listens and tries to decipher.

The street stalls have plastic stools just like in Thailand... but for midgets.

A true nest of wires and cables overhead. Scary?

A roundabout in the middle of universities and residential areas.

Our last stop was the War Remnants Museum. It used to be called the "Exhibition House for Crimes of War and Aggression" so you can guess that it's slightly biased.

Outside, there are lots of American aircraft that were either captured or left behind.

And tanks.

That's a pretty intimidating helicopter.

Hope they've disarmed these planes.

"We would like to thank the communist parties and working class countries in the world... for their support and strong encouragement to our people's patriotic resistance against the US..."

Although blatantly one-sided, it did contain a lot of interesting photos and artifacts.

Capturing the torture imposed by the Americans on the innocent locals...

...and destruction caused by the Americans.

Recovered from throughout the country.

Meanwhile, back in Bangkok, we had some special guests!

Lunch time, from the food court across the street.

And heading out for a late-night dinner at...

... an Indian restaurant!

All smiles, despite being unsure about the meal they just ate.

Taking a tuk-tuk back from the BTS to our condo.

Breakfast the next morning, after a solid night's sleep.

And heading back to Trad. Hey wait, aren't we supposed to be on that bus?

Someone let loose with the 'vegetarian' sticker gun in the olive oil aisle!

And in the pasta aisle! In case you were wondering if pasta is vegetarian.

The weight and heat of the hair finally got to me. This hair dresser was shocked when I said, "cut it off!"

Before and after: 2012. Not so different from in 2010!

Still able to be tied! A key design requirement.

Look what they're selling at H&M Bangkok!

Bangkok Week 225

October 18, 2012

Great birthday gifts (thanks everyone) and a seat on one of the inaugural trips of THAI's first A380.

All signs indicate that vegetarian week is coming!

Would you like a pot-stewed duck bun?

A few days late, finally opening the exotic birthday presents from far away lands.

A very nice gym shirt from Chris.

Trying to guess what's inside the green from mum and dad.

It's a no-BS souvenir from the Boeing factory.

And a 3D puzzle with a twisted theme.

A very extravagant birthday cake!

A "fresh milk" chocolate mousse cake. Almost perfect, as far as cakes go.

Home-designed, hand-made replacement pins for the one I had gotten in Tokyo.

The tiniest 8GB thumb drive you've ever seen!

And Apple's swanky new EarPods. Hope they stay in!

We stumbled upon an onigiri vending machine at a shopping mall (yes, in Bangkok -- not in Tokyo).

A whole fridge of ready-to-eat frozen veggie meals at 7-11!

We were able to buy fake ground chicken from the local veggie store, since J week is so close.

A beer that was hand-carried back from Belgium.

Another tasty Saturday night dinner.

This is how one of my colleagues organizes his expenses. Note the stray cash shuffled into the receipt heaps.

Oh oh oh! What's this? My blurry ride back from Singapore to Bangkok!

The (spacious) galley areas have laminate wood floors.

The entire first floor is economy class: 3-4-3.

Each seat has its own wide-screen entertainment, which is available at all times -- including boarding, take-off and landing.

There's a disco staircase at the rear of the aircraft to access the upstairs econ class.

They're not claustrophobic -- actually fairly spacious.

This is the mini-econ section on the upper deck. It's about 8 rows of 2-4-2.

Mid-way through the section there's a bulk head row so that the upper emergency exits are accessible to both sides of the aircraft.

The hi-tech faucet allows you to very finely adjust the water temperature.

There's a camera on the tail of the plane which passengers can view at all times. Here's Changi terminal D.

THAI has made a whole new, very swanky, very hi-tech safety video to go with its new aircraft. It's entirely CG.

And we've landed (with quite a thud) back in Bangkok with its familiar airport architecture.

Bangkok Week 224

October 11, 2012

Singapore toilets and Bangkok eats. A perfect combo?

One observation: Changi Airport loves its bathroom signs.

At least they addressed my first instinctive concern about this sign just past the sinks: that the screen is sanitized hourly.

In case you're cutting it dangerously close.

Bo.Lan has a monthly organic market on the first Saturday of every month.

Farmers, food and organic product makers from around Thailand come to set up stalls. There were even sellers of organic olives, rice, beer and wine.

Breakfast for lunch: Home-made scrambled eggs, veggie sausage and toast. Yum yum.

On a busy Sunday night, we tried takeaway from the new vegetarian restaurant across the street. Heaps of food and a forest! Yikes!

Bangkok Week 223

October 4, 2012

Exciting happenings all over Bangkok!

There's a secret area at the airport where the public can plane spot.

You can see planes take off...

...and land. (That's my plane!)

How international!

It's another episode of the Krispy Kreme Effect!

At least they have the queue management down pat in this city!

The new H&M store is huge -- two stories -- and cuts a sizable chunk out of the Paragon department store.

A scrumptious lunch at Bangkok Bagel...

...just like in New York! (Kind of.)

Ahh, the BTS. Simplifying and obfuscating its new card system at the same time.

A small casualty of our top-secret dance rehearsals.

The new vegetarian restaurant across the street needs a bit of assistance from an English speaker slightly more skilled than Google.

"Pour infront the emperor." Well, they got the literal translation bang-on.

After 18 months, I got a BB upgrade!

It's significantly thinner than the old one! (Thinner than the iPhone 4s actually.)

Bangkok Week 222

September 27, 2012

Two hundred and twenty two weeks. Mwa ha ha ha!

"Car free day" seems to mean "bikes ride free on the BTS day" in Bangkok.

Just a little bit of rain on a Sunday afternoon.

My personalized power strip in Singapore!

Bangkok Week 221

September 20, 2012

A wet week in Bangkok.

A rather giant head laps up the rain in front of CentralWorld.

The new comfy Uniqlo getup.

A very heavy Thursday afternoon downpour on the roof of our district office.

The "white fog" is really a heavy downpour!

The aftermath: our soi was flooded...

And a solid line of traffic backed up all the way to the start of the street. It didn't move an inch during the time it took us to walk to the top.

This house is doing its part to flood the street!

Bangkok Week 220

September 13, 2012

A week of culinary delites.

There was a perfectly timed train delay on Friday night at rush hour.

As a result, the platform was so full that they had to stop letting people into the station.

We had dinner at a very lovely -- but relatively inexpensive -- vegetarian / seafood only restaurant

The house that the restaurant is in was designed by the "Father of Moden Thai Engineering" -- who was educated in the UK in the 1920s. He also designed Don Meuang airport in 1949.

The house was designed at the period in Thai architectural history where traditional wooden and modern cement met in house design.

These delicious Thai dumplings are usually made with shrimp -- so it's the first time I got to try them.

Have you ever seen such blue rice? (It's dyed with the color from this flower: http://bit.ly/vvUgI)

10 bonus points on your SAT if you can tell me the definition of "stanchion" without looking it up!

Thanks to a clearance sale on almost-expired Kraft Mac & Cheese, we had a solid dinner of good ol' American comfort food.

Midweek dinner at our favorite Mexican joint.

It's the hard-shell taco he's been craving for 5 years!

More words of wisdom from our building management -- trying to explain why we were awoken in the middle of the night by the fire alarm... during a black out.

Bangkok Week 219

September 6, 2012

Another short week!

Trying to figure out how to use Skype on the iPad.

Colorful sorbet.

Some words of wisdom from our condo management.

Bangkok Week 218

August 30, 2012

A short week!

My latest visa renewal... so I can stay in Thailand with my Thai wife.

Isaan food for dinner... with a fever.

A storm is a'comin'.

Happy hour at Greyhound.

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.

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