Bangkok Week 455

March 16, 2017

Running around Bangkok to get ideas for the new house!

Serves you right for parking in the middle of Ari!

Had a guardian angel watching over my shoulder all ride.

On Saturday, we went to the much-hyped Thailand International Furniture Fair... just to get ideas.

Nice all-teak table - seats 10!

Another nice minimalist table design.

More nice tables!

And some clever couch designs, too.

This company exports to Japan.

On Sunday, drove over to Ekamai to make sure the car fits!

It does, but it's a close brush with the ground on the way in and out!

Clever fence and gate concept at a neighbor's house.

But wait, what's this?

A hi-tech new parking tower that's gone up a bit down the road!

The Ari Egg glows in the setting sun.

Home-cooked Sunday feast.

Look how hopping National Stadium is at night!

Bangkok Week 454

March 9, 2017

The week in which we converted our hard-earned cash into a small slice of Bangkok.

Finished last week in KL, where blue skies and condos dot the horizon.

The CN Tower - I mean, KL Tower - in the background.

Pizza in the pool! (If you look closely.)

Farewell, KL. Is that a geometric housing development down below?

Saturday afternoon, we're at The Commons, a funky new "community mall" that's a 10-min walk from the house in Ekkamai.

They were hosting an artsy-fartsy market.

Nice space - nicer when not so crowded!

And a classic way to fix wires in Bangkok - by leaning on them. At least in this case, the guys were cancelling out each other's force vectors...

A new veggie stall in MBK! And it's our favorite restaurant from Ekkamai, Khun Churn.

Trying their tasty "Khao Soi" noodles.

Dinner with surprise guests to Bangkok, Adil & Martha.

There was also a Hua Hin-themed market (and beach party?) outside MBK.

Quite hopping!

Bidding farewell to our cash!

And this land deed is what we get in return!

Celebrating the big purchase with some Japanese ramen.

Bangkok Week 453

March 2, 2017

What a busy week! Town-house-browsing, and a short trip to India.

The completed mural on BACC in honor of HM the King.

A very cute use of rebar and paper!

Celebrating Friday night at the new restaurant in Siam Discovery.

Sipping my evening tea.

It wasn't clear what this market was about.

Enjoying lunch at our favorite Khun Churn veggie restaurant in Ekamai.

Visiting this recently renovated shop house in Ekamai 22.

Very new, but bare-bones inside.

Nice loft-style stair case.

Really nice balcony space on the second floor.

The master bedroom on the second floor.

View from the third-floor balcony.

Next stop: the unique house in Soi 12!

There's a place to park your car.

The interior has been recently renovated... for business tenants.

There's a bar!

And a bit of a spooky kitchen.

Stairs heading up.

Master bedroom.

Still more master bedroom.

The best bathroom in town!

Second bedroom - with bathroom in back corner.

Alternate view of the second bedroom.

Balcony overlooking the street.

The neighbors.

The street.

Not far behind is a nursery school for one of the Singaporean international schools.

Here's a nice modern house!

The main street anchoring the neighborhood.

A cafe and bakery around the corner.

Another popular cafe.

This man has more guts than I do!

Coming back in the evening to check out the neighborhood. It's quiet!!

Is it haunted?

The shops along Ekamai are still alive at night.

Another meal at our favorite Veggie friends.

Pomelo salad! Haven't had it in a while!

The editor of Thai's Sawasdee Magazine was in an awfully punny mood this past month!

Arrived safely in Kolkata! Although they have one honker of a visa stamp!

Making my way into the city from the airport. These Hindustan Ambassador taxis are still everywhere!

What classy taxis!

Some new experiences at breakfast. For example, 6 types of flaky cereal. (One looked decidedly spiced!)

And six types of yoghurt and "curd".

Some cutesy butter?

It is great - every food item is labeled veg or non-veg! (Although to them, egg counts as non-veg.)

Selling snacks out of the back of a truck.

Literal bumper-to-bumper parking.

Three colorful vehicles in a row.

A blurry shot of the Victoria Memorial as we zoomed by...

... opposite the road to which were several gilded horse-drawn carriages.

A fountain in the road.

Everyone hangs their laundry out to dry!

More laundry.

The buses are very colorful indeed! They compete with Bangkok's on age.

Gupta Sweets -- *all* sweet and snack items! All of them!

Ornate balconies!

Women shielding themselves from the sun... and some stray dogs. There were *LOTS* of stray dogs!

That's a serious bunch of coconuts!

Covering the motorcycles to shield from the dust? Does it work?

Men standing around ... rickshaws ... street stalls ... could be SEA!

Just waiting for the bus.

Another rickshaw zipping by.

The road is torn up because of construction of an elevated train.

The tuk-tuks are painted exactly like Bangkok's private taxis!

Nice old trees.

Perhaps really waiting for a bus.

And this lovely immigration queue was waiting to bid me a fond farewell. Good-bye for now, India!

Bangkok Week 452

February 23, 2017

A litte more Saigon, and a lot of evening exposure in Bangkok.

And Friday starts with a dramatic sunrise over Saigon.

They're still dry-docking ships right in the middle of the city!

View from the new office - in the heart of District 1.

The Notre Dame Cathedral.

And heading back to the airport that evening. The Tet lights are still up, sustaining the festive atmosphere.

Saturday night trip to a night market sponsored by one of Thailand's largest developers.

Lots of independent sellers, of both food and wares.

It wasn't *too* crowded; thankfully they only put stalls on one side of the street.

But it was quite crowded.

Those look good!

This guy brought an entire pizza oven.

Really cute cotton candy concoction!

A very creepy bear - made of bears!

Nice concert on the lawn.

Next day in MBK: fruit bags!

Trying one of the new Isaan places at the top of the soi.

Now this is real street food!

An unfortunate alignment of tail light and advertisement.

Someone got caught red-handed at the Korean restaurant in Ari.

Spot the chicken!

Bangkok Week 451

February 16, 2017

Monkey see, monkey do!

We found a new Japanese restaurant at a shophouse near La Monita.

Enjoying his Friday night Asahi beer.

My vegetarian ramen, with onsen egg.

Our future home? A townhouse we went to check out in Punnawithi.

The neighborhood.

Very quiet for just-off-Sukhumvit.

A source of inspiration on the right.

On a more fruity note, Durian cake and Mangosteen cake for sale in Em Quartier.

Meeting someone at K-Village, to pick up samples of a product-in-process.

Picking up some fresh French bread to take with us to a dinner that night.

Stopping for a fruity snack before heading back to the train.

A sign outside an empty lot. I wonder if the dogs observe it.

Sunday day trip to Lopburi, a town ~2 hours north of Bangkok...

... which is ruled by monkeys!

As this unlucky car owner found out.

Lopburi was also the second capital after Ayutthaya, and there are many remains from its former glory days.

First stop: Phra Prang Sam Yot, a Khmer-style temple with 3 linked towers.

These guys were waiting on the fence to welcome visitors.

The 3 yot.

Group photo!

Monkey sighting.

Spying on a Buddha.

Inside the temple - surprisingly light.

Actually, there was a nice breeze that day, too - so it was relatively cool.

The monkeys know where to find shade.

This little guy struggled to drink his sugar water without needing a bath afterward.

He should learn from his older brother.

Playing with the water spout.

Enjoying an orange.

Sporting a mohawk.

That's no way to behave in public.

Time for a family snooze.

The extended family hangs out together.

Just watching the traffic go by.

Playing up along the edge of an abandoned hotel.

A little one hones his balancing skills on this bucket.

Who's down there?

Playing on a broom.

The Great Patriarch.

This guy was itemizing everything inside the cabin of this pickup. Good thing the windows were closed!

Waiting for the owner of this motorcycle to come back.

Lopburi's market looks uncannily like the one in Trat.

Another ruin in the center of town.

Buying a small snack. Not those balls though - those were filled with hotdogs!

Next stop: Pa Sak Jolasid Dam, the largest reservoir in central Thailand.

These monkeys also welcome you.

It's a popular picnic spot - and very breezy.

The very large dam.

This group of picnickers was joined by a local dog who wanted some company.

The spillway.

A view north. That observation tower is no longer open to the public, unfortunately.

Spillway, closer this time.

The artist taking his panorama.

The road that goes out along the dam (and into the neighboring province).

Spillway up close and personal.

The spillway is 4.8 km long.

Looks like it would be fun in an inner tube!

Squinty eyes!

White water rafting time!

On Monday, we went to visit a beautiful unit in this condo.

It's at the very end of Soi Nana...

... up against the canal.

A romantic Valentine's Day dinner at Greyhound - snuck in just before they closed the cooking.

Aww. Happy V-day to you, too!

And ending the busy week in Saigon!

Bangkok Week 450

February 9, 2017

A bit of a run, and an exploration of Ari!

The new walkway over the Siam intersection is taking shape.

All ready for tomorrow morning's early start.

Heading out at 3am. Really.

Third time doing this event, second time the full distance.

Sponsored by the world-famous flying chicken.

Do they not have anything better to do at 4am. Like, say, sleep?

Mentally preparing.

The 10k group warms up.

And he's back in one piece.

Read for breakfast?

Pad thai to go.

And finally, I'm back. Just in time for some daylight.

Well, that could have gone better!

Letting my bum do some of the work now.

Maybe this will be the last time!

Circles of friends enjoy the post-run feast together.

Back in Ari, the Egg looms large!

Some bright bougainvillea just down the road.

We found a green wall!

There's a hip new hostel, which is also home to a small burger joint...

... and vegan cafe.

Local beers are all the rage in Thailand now.

Resting with my new friend at a new cafe named "Flat White". It's setting some lofty expectations.

Trying the eponymous drink. It wasn't bad!

And the man with his hot cocoa.

Ran into this elegant lady at the St. Regis on Tuesday night.

Dinner with our neighbour-to-be, visiting from Singapore!

Bangkok Week 449

February 2, 2017

An animal-filled week!

A view of Lumpini Park, which was hosting a really large travel fair. See the tents?

Someone brought a giant bunny to the office!

Look at her little cotton tail!

Driving to Trat. There's a cool new traffic app by the Highways department. We spotted ourselves going by!

Maruay was excited to see us! So he brought us a duster.

Namtan just wanted to see where we came from.

Interesting fashion at the local Tesco Lotus.

Nine years old, but still sitting like a puppy.

Seems like that rose apple tree is always in season!

Cat on the car.

Oh yeah, it was someone's birthday! He'll have to wait a little longer for the other half of his present.

Helping with dinner. Barely.

Another feast!

Cheese!

A birthday cake from Top!

This cake had a little bit of everything!

Namwan wasn't going to be missing out!

Then she spots her next target.

Ahhhh. Doesn't that feel nice?

What a life, Namtan.

Maruay's wagging tail caught Namtan's attention.

And chaos began.

Just giving a hug.

No mercy from Maruay. But look at Namtan's teeth!

Namtan bites back.

Sharing secrets?

"Aww. Are we really done for the night, Maruay?"

A nice cool morning in Trat!

Maruay, why so blue?

Doing a great job blocking the entrance.

That's a cow going on a road trip.

Long ride back! Lots of people on the road for CNY.

Mid-week, trying out a cute, TINY new Korean restaurant in Ari.

Veggie bibimpap!

Still cool in the mornings here, too.

Nice Thursday sunset.

The Ari skyline is defined by the Egg now!

Bangkok Week 448

January 29, 2017

Lots of firsts this week!

Scary Halloween masks on the side of the highway north of Bangkok. Frightening!

Fast and delicious dinner at the trusty Baan Peung Chom.

The balloon man makes his nightly rounds.

There's Colby and Chris, over Skype!

Someone gave me this gym shirt many, many years ago. Finally taking it out for a spin.

The newly renovated shop house of a friend's brother. Really nicely done!

And finally trying the crepe place outside Noble Re:d after 2+ years.

Never noticed this uber-old house on Ari before!

My new lunch staple: veggie pad thai.

Celebrating Thursday night with dinner at Fat Bird - another first after many years.

This IPA claims to be from Chiang Mai... but it's made in Lao PDR!

Veggie burger = portobello mushroom + onion rings. Yum!

Bangkok Week 447

January 19, 2017

Lots to see in Bangkok this week!

A tipsy load for this motorcycle parked at our building.

The egg's exterior -- i.e. the eggsterior -- is done!

A tasteful shop name in Ari.

Did I mention that mint has finally come to Thailand!?

Can't complain!

Vintage night market on the roof of Fortune Town.

Records are all the rage here, too.

Vintage vehicles! (Can you spot the man?)

Vintage thingamajigs.

Vintage motorbikes.

And of course, your vintage clothing sellers.

A reasonably manageable crowd, thanks to the 120 baht cover charge!

I don't think these were real vintage hats!

Pretty good live music, in the company of an elephant.

Gotta get me one of these trucks!

Here's what's happening at the Siam intersection! (Note: new MBK exterior in the background.)

A giant mural is going up on the exterior of BACC, paying respect to King Rama 9.

We went to one of the oldest parts of town, to find a Japanese vegetarian restaurant that recently moved.

It's tucked away in a hidden corner of Bangkok on the river.

Pretty good lunch boxes!

Can't complain about the pork cutlet!

It seemed to share a property with a Vespa restoration shop.

View from the parking lot.

A very large mural has snuck onto the side of this old townhouse.

And another one opposite the lot.

This dog is bored. No parked cars to guard today.

Good ol' Bangkok overhead wires.

More colourful murals!

And colourful street lamps.

And colourful shop houses!

Like this one!

Wonder if this car still runs.

Get your spare parts here!

Not quite a round-about. You pick your direction (around the circle) depending on which way you want to go. Somehow that works.

Need an axle?

I worry about the stability of this house...

Trying out our new sandwich maker.

Works pretty well!

All the Thai restaurants opposite our client's office have veggie menus!

Another restaurant, another set of options! Lucky me!

Bangkok Week 446

January 12, 2017

First week of the year in Bangkok. Can we stay awake?

Our first dinner back in Bangkok: eat at 5pm, and go promptly to sleep!

Secret Santa lottery at a bbq dinner the next night.

Great view of a night market from the rooftop of this shophouse.

An enterprising bird made his next in the middle of this giant lamp.

Chilli fish from the veggie seller in Chula food court! Yum!

Get your ducks here!

Belated birthday dinner from mum and dad. Thanks!

Great message on their placemats...

The birthday feast continues at lunch the next day.

Time for my annual hair cut!

The result: a nice trim.

Home-made hummus for dinner!

The colourful result; and the cutting board makes its debut.

The view from my office for the next 6 months.

DAIRY QUEEN THAILAND FINALLY HAS MIIIIIINT BLIZZARDS!

Ladies' Parking at Central Westgate!

Christmas 2016 - Week 3

January 5, 2017

Happy 2017!

Up close and personal with the Tesla Model X at Yorkdale Mall.

Then it's on to the caves of Turkey for lunch.

Delicious Turkish "pizza".

Having a laugh over our new favourite Russian driver.

Another round of cards with Grandma.

The final few seconds of light at Honest Ed's, on New Years Eve.

Delicious home-made French onion soup to ring in the new year.

We had beautiful weather on New Year's Day to guide our ride to Bracebridge.

Blue skies and powdered snow. Real winter!

The skies were blue over Bracebridge, too!

Colby looks thrilled to be held like that.

We're off to see Granny!

Granny was happy to have visitors that day.

So many visitors!

Something was funny!

Stylish Granny!

Looking closely at her new quilt.

Colby was very eager to see Granny, too.

Attentive and alert.

Annual hat photo!

Then she tried on *all* the hats!

Safeguarding the quilt from all the thieves in the Pines.

Taking another peak at the quilt.

Saying good-bye to Colby.

A thatched sky over the Pines as we left.

Sun is setting as we head back to Toronto.

Having a laugh at some photos - perhaps of Granny?

The award-winning central staircase at the YMCA.

Good-bye, Y. 7 visits during our 2-week free trial is not bad.

Classy tree outside the Gardner Museum.

An ice frame outside the ROM.

Naomi & Mike are still listed as donors at the Conservatory.

Nice renovations at the conservatory.

Trying a new Korean restaurant for lunch. Not bad, but the rice wasn't as crispy as Tofu Village.

Can't complain for an $8 lunch special!

Who knew this sofa seats 3!?

The Last Supper, with the Toronto Tomczaks.

Mum and daughters.

The serious wine drinkers.

Look at all the cookies and tarts that Jasmine made!

Looks just like the earlier picture, with one swap!

Our final lunch in T.O. was a big one!

Swanky new check-in area for VIP flyers. Might be our last time using it!

Mum's thrilled to see us go.

And dad has something in his eye.

One last hurrah - celery sticks! Something you don't find in SEA!

They've redone the interior of the 777s! Bonus!

Beautiful view of the Zagros mountains in Iran, on our approach to Dubai.

More mountains.

Our flight path. We did go decently far North - straight over Iceland.

A quick stop in Dubai...

... and we're finally on our last leg to Bangkok.

It's the Burj Khalifa in the distance!!

Getting my zzz's.

Looks like they brought in all the cranes overnight, to begin construction on the Suvarnabhumi expansion.

Had to tend to our poor plant as soon as we got home.

Here's our breakfast loot! This should last us until February ;)

Christmas 2016 - Week 2

December 29, 2016

Merry Christmas 2016, everyone!

It's Colby! And we're off to see Granny.

Granny seems happy to see us. Or at least my hat.

We brought her some shortbread cookies. Too bad she had no teeth.

At least one of us was looking at the camera.

Colby knows who she can trust.

Granny's all ready for Christmas.

Buckled in for the long ride down to Toronto.

The next morning, Colby enjoys checking out the croissant crumbs.

Oh no! Shh, don't tell anyone!

A leg-less Colby waits patiently for Chris at the bottom of the stairs.

Who's coming?

Hard to believe, but it's Honest Ed's final week!

Looking quite picked over inside.

They're selling everything - including the signs.

Soon, this view will be gone.

Colby wonders what she's doing.

A meta-moment!

Who's over there?

Best Christmas sweater ever, hand-knit (and bedazzled) by Erika.

Looking closely at Chris's new soaps.

Colby has recently taken up an interest in logo design.

The shared mystery gift from Thailand.

It's a mat! Now, where to put it?

Colby's not really into gift exchanges.

Mum's favourite Thai snack: chicken legs!

The next morning... it's stocking time!

And then dad made happy waffles for breakfast, as a throwback to the good ol' days.

Colby's also taken an interest in twitter.

Out for a nice long Christmas day walk.

Modeling the sweater in day light.

Don't miss the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree on the back!

The table's set...

... and the feast is made!

Mother and son, in matching Christmas Crowns.

Two of our Christmas guests.

Colby is in a state of shock from all the guests and food.

Time for everyone's favourite part of Christmas - the gift exchange!

Grandma is thrilled to have received a HUGE box of Godiva chocolates from Henry & Robert.

Robert hangs out with his new BFF.

Enjoying the gag gift.

Checking out Grandma's new quilt.

Grandma's polite son poses for the picture as nicely as she is.

Colby wonders what all this fuss is about!

The peanut gallery off to the side.

A boxing day bus trip up to Bracebridge.

To visit Granny, who wants nothing to do with Christmas.

Granny wants nothing to do with these flannel PJs.

Back at Chris's condo, Colby is suddenly friendly to me - is it because I have a clementine?

Colby came, made the bed, and left.

Still deciding whether or not she wants to spend the night.

Who's the rascal?

A grey day over Bracebridge - but still a great view from Chris's balcony.

Time for the annual cottage trek.

Colby is trying not to break through the icy snow.

Too cold to walk by herself!

It's an ugly lake this year!

Three generations!

Concerned about the drive back.

Tasty -- but huge -- lunch at Bracebridge's latest burger joint.

Trying our luck with Granny once more.

Delicious Bibimbap, with more crispy rice than I could've imagined. Delish!

These two look like happy campers as well.

Finally getting to see Jasmine & Julia!

It's very hard to decide...

... which of the many delicious Purdy's chocolates to try!

Taking his time.

And finally, we get to try our tastebuds at Hogtown Vegan!

The buffalo chicken wings get two thumbs up!

Philly cheese steak!

A grey day ends with some surprising blue sky.

Blue sky *and* sun over Bloor!

Christmas 2016 - Week 1

December 22, 2016

A packed first week in Toronto!

We land in Toronto just in time to celebrate Dad's birthday.

Happy Birthday! It's a chocolate curling stone!

Decadent 4-layer chocolate cake by Erika.

Wide-angle shot; a.k.a. playing with the Gimbal!

Christmas came early for someone!

Looks cozy!

A Saturday morning visit to Wychwoord Barns.

Lots of home-made goodies that you can't find in SEA!

What's up there?

New Isaan restaurant coming soon, to the Junction near you!

But for now, we'll lunch at the Purple Onion diner instead.

And then enjoy a home-made Mac'n'Cheese feast for dinner!

Now our holidays are complete!

Working on some photos in the fridge.

Down on Queen Street, winter is happening in full-force.

Watching his Sunday afternoon football... in the fridge.

Setting out to work on the largest crossword puzzle that the NYT has ever published.

Looks like a cold day!

Indeed! A cold day on Euclid!

Why are we heading out on such a cold day?

Robert and Henry's living room is like a Christmas Oasis!

Very festive!

The delicious buffet that Robert put together for us.

Matching crowns - although one is obscured.

Square-dancing with Santa.

Mum in her Christmas Bling.

Two kinds of purple eggplant!

A pre-Christmas visit with Grandma.

Looks pretty cold outside Grandma's window!

Playing cards...

... still got the skillz!

At Costco, if your birthday is around Christmas, expect a Christmas cake!

A great Christmas Present from Henry and Robert - tickets to "Come from Away".

Aren't we lucky to have gotten seats to the sold-out show.

By comparison, Lola isn't having such a great night.

"Leave me in peace!"

Braving the cold to go to the YMCA!

The Eaton Centre deer moved places this year.

It was a bad, bad idea to go during lunch time on the 22nd!

Bathurst Station all dolled up in a tribute to Honest Ed's.

Uh oh. The Candy Crush itch is back.

Chinese food!

And now for Act Two - Matilda!

Laughing at Toronto Zoo's resident pandas enjoying the snow.

A delicious middle-eastern lunch.

Someone is psyched.

And a scrumptious Korean dinner. What more could I ask for?

Food-and-cold coma!

Barely a day in Seoul

December 16, 2016

Somehow, a 9-hour layover shrank into a 3-hour pop into Seoul.

Redeeming a credit card promotion - free ice cream!

The snazzy EVA lounge in Bangkok.

The snazzy lounge even serves whole coconuts.

Retro business class on Asiana. Can't complain, I suppose.

No idea how to control this seat. Stellar design.

One flight delay, immigration queues, and a 1-hr train ride later, we made it to Seoul!

An awesome graphic. Two grey ladies on the left: one cheering them her on, one afraid; and a man preparing to do gangnam style.

We made it to the Dongdaemun Design Plaza, the building designed by Zaha Hadid.

It's a giant blob of a building, completed in 2014 (after we were last in Seoul).

When they were excavating, they found remains of the former Seoul City Wall, constructed in the 1390s to defend Seoul against invaders.

Giant and curvaceous.

Lots of outdoor space - perfect for another season!

At least the underbelly is sheltered.

You can peek up to the outside city from below.

There was a sculpture exhibit going on as well.

The spiral staircase inside.

Top floor gallery and open space.

Giant grassy ramp, all the way back down to street level.

Tiny people below.

More exhibits as part of the sculpture exhibit.

Malls and department stores peeking out from behind.

Mr. Big Ears.

Mimicking Mr. Big Ears.

Very cool zig-zaggy stairs as part of the spiral staircase.

Very graphic (and yet confusing) sign on the door -- not part of an exhibit.

Half the complex is design shops. These had some neat products, like these festive lamps.

And this table.

And this very cool tanker truck.

Big open space for sellers of both local and famous international design brands.

Few windows in the giant blob though.

Forgot my pants!

Patriotism outside the DDP.

A Christmas Tree decorated with shampoo bottles.

The region is actually a bit hilly!

Bending over backward.

This is a shop on the platform of a subway station. You need it? He has it!

Prince Hotel: where we stayed for a night when we passed through Seoul in 2013.

The famous Myeong-Dong shopping district.

A massive green wall.

The talking clam is all dressed up for Christmas!

Stopping for our favorite street food snacks - chewy, warm, sweet pancakes.

Interesting building. Can't complain about the weather we had!

A bit suspicious of these recommendations for foreigners?

Smash these cookies with a hammer! Go on, smash 'em!

Cutesy cute cupcakes.

Very good!

And a one-hour train ride later, we're back at the airport and ready to move on.

Can't complain about our seats!

Au revoir, Incheon International Airport!

And a great view of Incheondaegyo, the 21.3km cable stay bridge.

My appetizer - can't complain.

And someone else's Asian feast!

Slept like a log for the remaining 10 hours of the flight.

We must be approaching Toronto!

I see the lake! Hello, Toronto!

Bangkok Week 442

December 15, 2016

A weekend with the doggies.

Trying my hand at the power washer.

And time for the rinse.

Namtan has found a new favorite vantage point - the car hood.

New landscaping in the back yard!

Look at all the cute little jack fruit.

Delicious dinner time!

That looks like a comfortable sleeping position.

Namtan's new favorite form of entertainment is Maruay.

See where Namtan's head is?

That's right. His entire head is inside Maruay's mouth.

Nibble nibble nibble!

Namtan fends off the enemy.

"Help!"

Pausing before round 2.

The three amigos.

Let's go again!

Namtan's balance is noteworthy.

It's a cat with a dog's head!

Maruay ponders picking up the entire cat.

Slap-slap-slap.

Maruay's not sure how Namtan's entire bowl got into his mouth.

The next morning, Namwan has slept well...

... but Maruay is feeling tired for some reason.

Gee, that's a long way down from up here.

Squashed by a lab.

Don't do it, Maruay!

We're ready to go shopping now.

Another night, another feast!

What's that?

And that?

And who are you?

Annndddd... here we go again!

Ouch. That's an ear.

Pinned to the floor.

'Tis the season in the store!

Bye bye! See you next year!

The blankets are looking great! Can't wait to bring these.

His newest toy!

Bangkok Week 441

December 8, 2016

It's Baby It!

Baby It came over to help decorate the tree.

He made himself at home in no time.

Making faces for the camera.

Intriegued by the color-changing ball.

Group shot!

Reading us a book.

The finished product (before we added the lights).

A meter of cookies!!!

Oh yeah? Bite me.

Someone's eyes were bigger than his stomach when he made this ramen.

Taking my birthday gift for a quick overnight spin to Singapore.

Okay, this gingerbread-house-in-hotel-lobby is a little more my speed.

Bangkok Week 440

December 1, 2016

A bit of a change this week - old friends, old cities.

Tuesday night dinner with Noi and Kin, who are visiting from Melbourne.

An uninvited guest snuck into our taxi on the way back.

The "delicious" meal I was served on the flight to Ho Chi Minh City.

After so long, what a Saigon welcome!

It's a ball bearing Christmas tree in the hotel lobby.

Is this a thing? Life-sized gingerbread houses in hotel lobbies!?

This one had some unique detailing...

Peek-a-boo. Rudolph is trying not to get eaten.

Great view of a ship dry-docking in the Saigon River.

Umm... slightly overloaded?

Bangkok Week 439

November 24, 2016

Slowly getting into the holiday spirit elsewhere in SEA, too.

Spotted these unique flip-flops at Manila airport security.

Trying a new Italian restaurant and wine bar in Ari.

They make it look like they have a decent wine selection, anyway.

Cheers!

My new shoes! (My large shoes!)

Back at the airport: not sure if this group was checking enough surf boards!

Flying the A350, this time in daylight. A little brighter.

Ouch. My teeth hurt just looking at this sign.

Our Singapore office has gotten into the Christmas spirit.

All I need to feel comfortably at home: Coffee, cookies, chocolate, and enough water for a small army.

Not long ago, this was an unobstructed view!

Bangkok Week 438

November 17, 2016

Singapore, Bangkok, Singapore, Manila. Just pushing the limits of Southeast Asian travel.

Who's that plane in the zorro mask? Why it's Thai's A350!

Economy interior very similar to its 787.

Large sink and usable counter space in the bathroom.

Visible rays of light burst out over west Bangkok.

It's holiday cookie time!

Tagoto, the Japanese restaurant at MBK, has opened a new Bekery.

Good morning, Singapore. What a port!

Sweeping view.

Look what SQ has started serving on its flights to Manila!

Christmas is in full swing in Manila!

Complete with a life-sized REAL gingerbread house!

See? Real gingerbread.

The hotel, however, is from another era. When they had facsimiles.

Wait, they still have a facsimile in every room.

There it is!

Bangkok Week 437

November 10, 2016

A hodgepodge of a week... that culminated in tragedy.

Trying my arms at a new free weight exercise. That'll require some work!

Delicious veggie noodle soup from MBK.

Umm... this is one powerful magnifying glass. It's able to move sub-continents!

Singapore: where you overshoot the entire country when coming in for the approach.

An amusingly graphic warning sign in Singapore.

Beautiful sunset over the island country.

Tragedy in the early stages of formation.

We need some comfort donuts.

How cute! The office in Singapore provides our colleagues personal thermos lunches on Friday.

Meanwhile, back in Ari, we have rock climbers practicing at our condo.

Maruay's twin is taking a break from policing the BTS!

Latest Posts

Summary Block

This block is invalid. Please check the block settings and try again.

Featured

October 11, 2026

Aenean eu leo Quam

October 11, 2026

Quisque iaculis facilisis lacinia. Mauris euismod pellentesque tellus sit amet mollis.

October 11, 2026

October 4, 2026

Cursus Amet

October 4, 2026

Sed purus sem, scelerisque ac rhoncus eget, porttitor nec odio. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.

October 4, 2026

September 27, 2026

Pellentesque Risus Ridiculus

September 27, 2026

Vivamus pellentesque vitae neque at vestibulum. Donec efficitur mollis dui vel pharetra.

September 27, 2026

September 20, 2026

Porta

September 20, 2026

Praesent id libero id metus varius consectetur ac eget diam. Nulla felis nunc, consequat laoreet lacus id.

September 20, 2026

September 13, 2026

Etiam Ultricies

September 13, 2026

Donec id justo non metus auctor commodo ut quis enim. Mauris fringilla dolor vel condimentum imperdiet.

September 13, 2026

September 6, 2026

Vulputate Commodo Ligula

September 6, 2026

Commodo cursus magna, vel scelerisque nisl consectetur et. Donec id elit non mi porta gravida at eget metus.

September 6, 2026

August 30, 2026

Elit Condimentum

August 30, 2026

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum id ligula porta felis euismod semper.

August 30, 2026

August 23, 2026

Aenean eu leo Quam

August 23, 2026

Quisque iaculis facilisis lacinia. Mauris euismod pellentesque tellus sit amet mollis.

August 23, 2026

August 16, 2026

Cursus Amet

August 16, 2026

Sed purus sem, scelerisque ac rhoncus eget, porttitor nec odio. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.

August 16, 2026

August 9, 2026

Pellentesque Risus Ridiculus

August 9, 2026

Vivamus pellentesque vitae neque at vestibulum. Donec efficitur mollis dui vel pharetra.

August 9, 2026