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Life in random …

Introducing the traveling chick .

Inspired by blogger Peggy’s traveling Tommy- The Tomato ( which was originally inspired by the traveling gnome in the French film, Amelia ),  I thus decided to have my very own version of a traveling trinket. A random chick which I picked up, or rather found somewhere in my home. With a house as cluttered as mine, it’s no surprise that we tend to find a “treasure trove” of stuff that were either pre-loved or never been used. The chick is nameless so far, but it’s without a doubt that “nameless” will be bound for more traveling adventures in the near future !

First ep: Nameless goes to Thailand !

Breaking the self-imposed quarantine

With the H1N1 flu in the news everyday, you will probably know that Thailand is one of the affected countries and so, being erm, responsible citizens, Shermin and I hence decided to impose a 1-week home quarantine session. My life has honestly been nothing short of boring upon my return. In fact, “sleep” has soon become my middle name! With each passing day, I just seemed to sink further into a world of slacking and bumming around at home. My daily routine went like this: Waking up late, play and accompany Archie, surf the internet, being a couch potato, stayed up till late into the night so that I can chat with MK once he was done with work. And the whole routine repeated again for the following day and the next, and the next …

For sanity sake, I had to break my self-imposed quarantine on the 6th day ( should be safe then, right? ) and headed out to Vivo to meet both CC & Sok for a short while. =)  Such simple joy that friends provide.

My New Best Friend

My days of being quarantined at home had been made so much easier and enjoyable, all thanks to Archie, my ever faithful companion. It’s been 2 months since we first adopted him ( though it feels so much longer ), and boy has our baby boy grown since then ( doubled in size, tripled in weight!) ! There’s so much that I want to write about Archie but I think that warrants an entire, solo post. In short, we both need each other! In fact, I like to think that I suffered from “Archie Withdrawal” symptoms when i was away in Bangkok. Images of Archie subconsciously kept appearing in my mind … & there wasn’t a single day when I didn’t ask my mum or MK about how Archie was doing. It’s a mutual relationship la, for Archie was spotted to have combed every corner and inch of the house, in his attempt to search for me lol.

A superbly affectionate and manja boy, Archie makes it a point to be “superglue” to me all the time … I doubt that there was ever a day where he let me out of his sight. He sleeps by my side whenever I take an afternoon nap. Waits patiently outside of the bathroom door when Im inside doing my own business lol. Barks and tries to protect me whenever he senses something suspicious. Runs and jumps out of the window ( ground level!)  to greet MK & me when we return home, as he’s too impatient to wait for us to open the door. Slobbers my face with his kisses & licks. Once, I even woke up only to find Archie licking my mouth! Just like what happens in comics and cartoons. It happened to me too! The unconditional love that melts my heart immediately. In return, I’ve also become very attached to him … to the extent that I even turned the living room into my temporary room, just so that I can be with him 24/7. MK , watch out! You have a love rival now! So yes, my lappie’s permanently in the living room and I sleep on the hard sofa every night. But it ain’t too bad too; it’s the largest room in my house, plus there’s air-con and TV with SCV !

I ♥ ♥ ♥         vintage prints !

Treasure Cove. A series of vintage affair and pop culture images. As quoted from imkikix, ” Pop Culture: For the rebels at heart who love the bright lights of new york city and punk rock … Vintage: A symbol of romance, for the girl who loves old world charm and french wonders“. Irresistable images like these that made me purchased these rings & printed match-boxes, in a heart beat, during my recent trip to Bangkok.

Life is Beautiful, La Vita E Bella

to take the plunge soon !

The pictures are pretty much self-explanatory. So far, ear piercings have been my only weakness ( somehow, other body piercings have yet to interest me). 8 ear piercings, 5 on the earlobes, 1 tragus, 1 rook, 1 snug. What’s next? The thought of it excites me. No more waiting, No more procrastinating, it’s finally The Time.

. Bangkok Part 3. We got pranked!

Bangkok Day 4

also known as the day where we visited 4 temples …

” Reminder: Beware of the Grand Palace ‘Buddha Day’  SCAM !!!  “

The Grand Palace has been said to be one of the most visited place in Bangkok and despite us not being huge fans of visiting temples or palaces, we decided that this is one attraction that’s not to be missed. Unfortunately, we were not aware of the scam/touts outside of Grand Palace and thus fell victim to “Buddha Day” scam. It was only till I returned home and researched on it that I realised that babe & i have been foolishly pranked! Basically, a well-spoken Thai man approached us and informed us that it was “Buddha Day” so the palace premises wouldn’t be open till 1pm that day. As such, he started recommending to us a list of nearby temples where we could visit in the meantime. Initially, we were kinda suspicious and guarded about it as we thought that he could be 1 of the many irritating tuk tuk drivers who just kept trying to get you to ride their tuk tuk, but he proved his “sincerity” by flagging for a tuk tuk and helping us to bargain for 2hrs+ tour at a super cheap price ( less than S$2 for a 2hrs+ tour and we thought to ourselves, “what a bargain!” … If only we had known! ). Anyway, the first thought that came to mind was how nice the Thai man was and that we were so glad to have met him along the way to the palace. How wrong could we get man, fuck.

Following that, we left for the so-called “Lucky Buddha” temple where once again, another Thai man ( who has an excellent command of English ) approached us and told us how fortunate we are that today’s Buddha Day. Basically, everything he said was a repeat of what the previous tout mentioned and that just served to make us believe it was really “Buddha Day” and that these thai people are really hospitable. Moving on, he started telling us about how that day was also the last day of the “Thai Export Sales” and so, we should head over there to the sales to check out gems/jewelery that we could get at a cheap price ( tax-free) and then resell for a profit when we are back home. In an attempt to convince us, he tried to tell us how he always manages to resell the gems for a profit whenever he visits KL and that he even had “receipts” to prove his sales. He suggested that we try to resell those gems at CK TANG! CK TANG?!?? What in the world would make him think that a huge departmental store like CK TANG would remotely even be interested in people claiming that they have cheap gems to sell !!! Of course, babe & i didn’t bother much with the whole gem thing for we were not even interested in jewelries. Nonetheless, we assumed that the man was just being informative and so, we thanked him profusely for his “hospitality” and left.

Along the way, we actually allowed our tuk tuk driver to bring us to 1 gem production company and 2 tailor shops. As we have zero interest in those stuff, we usually zoomed around the stores in record time and get the hell out of there asap. According to him, he would receive free gas coupons/some form of sponsorship in return for every guest that he bring to the shop. Seeing that he only charged us so little for the tuk tuk tour, we felt so guilty that we decided that the least we could do for him was to assist him in getting free petrol. To think that we even wanted to tip him extra $ to thank him for his friendliness! Oh well, but fate has it that we didn’t have enuff’ small change and so we just paid him the amount that we settled for at the start.

At the end of the day, there were perks to it too as we got to sight-see quite a fair bit of the streets of BKK. To add to that, zooming around the city on a tuk tuk ( despite of heavy air pollution) was a different experience. The thing is, neither of us were pissed at either having to pay $ for a tuk tuk ride that we didn’t plan for or having to make detours to those Thai-merchandise shops. Instead, we felt extremely disappointed and disgusted at having to believe that those Thai people were sincere and geunine. Total Bullshit. ! Guess that’s the way of life that some people are forced to lead when living in a developing country that thrives on tourism. A lesson learnt : Don’t ever let sympathy get the better of you; always be vigilant to avoid scams/cheats.

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Back to the 2.5hrs  Tuk Tuk Tour

Some of the places that our tuk tuk driver brought us to: Reclining Buddha at the “Lucky Buddha” temple. 32m Standing Buddha at Wat Intharawihan, where we caught a glimpse of 2 ang moh guys releasing a cage of birds into the sky for blessing ( another scam! ). Admired an aerial view of Bangkok from the top of Wat Saket, The Temple of the Golden Mountain.

* Just read about another scam where cheaters would try to cheat tourists out of paying an exorbitant price for the river boat ride to Grand Palace. Take the Chao Phraya Express Boat from the Central Pier ( nearest BTS: Thaksin), return trip cost us only a mere 26 thb! Not only is it alot cheaper than all those touristy boats, but you will also get to experience taking a public river transportation.

Words can’t even begin to describe how a terrific place the Grand Palace is. Majestic looking, I was captivated by the stunning beauty that the Palace and its premises have to offer. Gold and glitters aside, the Grand Palace and its many halls and buildings offer some of the most beautiful and finest Thai architecture ( with Western influence)  in the country, and of course, a treasure trove of Thai artworks and paintings. Expect to be mesmerized by the impressive and intricate architectural features on all the buildings. With so much attention placed on the elaborate details, I can’t help but to marvel at the grandeur of the place and be amazed at the amount of time and effort that the construction people had to invest in order to complete this whole place. Shall let the pictures do the talking!

Only complain is that it was difficult to fully enjoy ourselves under the intense heat. There were many occasions where all we wanted to do was to get to somewhere with an air-con so that we can escape from the scorching sun.

What a coincidence! Was strolling around the palace compound when I came across a couple of familiar faces. Turned out that they are my Japanese friends whom I met during my semester in UB – Ryo & Shintaro! They were in Singapore for an exchange semester but who would have thought that we would end up meeting in Thailand, a foreign country for both nationalities?  As such, we headed over to the nearby Wat Pho to view the gigantic reclining Buddha together, catch up for a bit before going on our separate ways. Guess what? In the end, we even took the same flight back to Singapore too. Coincidences amaze me all the time !!!

Made famous by the film “The Beach”, Khao San road is increasingly becoming THE hot spot for tourists from all over the world to party the night away. Given that, we wanted to head over there to check out the whole “backpackers’ ghetto” scene. However, girls being girls … we were soon distracted by a flea market outside of Central World and so shopping got the better of us. Ended up buying tons of super cheap retro/mod/vintage rings for only 15thb each! Those were probably my fav. purchases of the entire trip!

Most people ( or rather almost everyone I know) will probably find the thought of eating fried insects extremely disgusting and nauseating .. But that was exactly what babe and i wanted to try! * Bizarre Food* Putting all revolting thoughts aside, we jumped at the chance of becoming “dare-devils” as we searched for a hawker stall that offers fried insects for snacks. To our delight, we finally managed to find one that was selling all sorts of fried creatures – crickets, maggots, grasshoppers, cockroaches and even * gasp * lizards! In the end, we settled for a bag of crickets ( 20 thb ) and munched on them as we strolled along the streets. Honestly, they don’t taste queer or weird at all, simply just like any fried snacks. Score one for the “Dare-devils” lol. Deep fried insects, anyone?

Ended the night by pampering ourselves with an hr long foot massage, which was so soothing that we soon fell blissfully asleep. For those who are considering Samran Place hotel , do note that there is a massage parlor next door that offers cheap massage. 200 thb for 1 hr of foot reflexology or traditional thai massage. 150 thb for mani or pedi.

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.Bangkok Day 5

A shopping trip to BKK wouldn’t be complete if you haven’t visit the undisputed Chatuchak Weekend Market! One of the best shopping places for cheap bargains, CTC has everything and anything for sale, from 2nd hand books to furniture to fashion clothes to home decors to souvenirs … It’s so freakin huge that a day wouldn’t be enough to cover the entire market! * Be thick-skinned and bargain as hard as possible! It’s easy to lose your way around the market too, so expect to get loss. If you were to see sth that you really like, just bargain for a good price and get it on the spot. Chances are that you wldn’t have the time to return.

A walk through the live animals section was an eye-opener! Inevitably, everyone gasped at how adorable the cute animals were. Undeniably, the puppies and rabbits were dressed in dresses and pretty outfits, with ribbons tied at the top of their heads, to make them look like cute stuff toys in order to attract people to buy them!  Animals such as the common pet dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters to the exotic ones like the hedgehogs, squirrels, sugar-gliders & snakes were all displayed for sale. Unfortunately, the living conditions are horrendous! Tiny cages for the puppies/cats/rabbits to live in … A cage fully cramped with chicks, with ABSOLUTELY NO breathing space in-between … puppies that were barely a wk old that were already on sale … dogs that had their fur super-glued to give an appearance that they are of a special dog breed, and you prob. get the drift.

Surprise, surprise! The first few stuff that I actually purchased from CTC were toys for both Archie and the hamsters! Got Archie a doggy bed for only 200 thb ($8+) !! Imagine that I had to carry the huge bed around for the rest of the day … and all the stares that I had to endure cz I was kinda contributing to the human traffic. All for you, Archie!

Search hard and who knows you might find yourself a real vintage knick-knack or trinket … but bear in mind that majority of the so-called vintage items are just replicas/remakes. So dont be con by them if they insist that you’ll have to pay more cz you are getting sth one-of-a-kind; that’s just BS. For those who are fascinated by Thai handicrafts, you wouldn’t be disappointed for there is an extensive range of thai handicrafts and antiques for sale! Was telling MK that we will have to return to the market someday to get Thai decors/antiques for our future home lol as it would be a dream of mine to have a home furnished with Balinese and Thai decors.

Headed back to the hotel for a short break before rushing to Platinum Mall. A mall known for selling wholesale and cheap fashion clothes, Platinum Mall is a must-go for vain ladies like us. Unfortunately for us, 90% of the shops were already closed by the time we got there so we didn’t get to explore the place. Bought 2 pairs of cuff links for MK though =)   Had dinner at A & W, where we satisfied our cravings for A&W’s famous curly fries and rootbeer! yum!

Our final stop for the trip. Calypso Cabaret at Asia Hotel. Honestly, we just assumed it would be the usual cabaret musical, with lotsa glittering outfits, high kicks, provocative dance moves and jazzy songs. Alas, there was more to it. It’s Thailand afterall, the land known for its ladyboys! You’re right … it is a cabaret starring a cast of mainly ladyboys/trannies! A spectacular performance, the show was so full of energy and life that it got the audience wild, laughing and wanting for more! With dazzling costumes, risque dance moves and comical actors, the highly entertaining show never fail to keep us enthralled for the entire hour. Interested parties, just go google “Calypso Cabaret” to read what others have to say about the spectacle!

It’s really hard to believe that some of the ladyboys were originally male for they look soooo hot and sexy, with their booblicious figure (albeit with much enhancements), never-ending legs and silky hair ( jealous!!) . There are also others who look so sweet and petite that u wldn’t have known the truth had they not spoken in a deep, masculine voice. Unbelievable!

Anyway, the whole show ended with a photo session with the ladyboys … and like everyone else, we actually jumped at the chance to take pics with a few of them. Looking back, it seems so weird that we were that crazy over erm, ladyboys! Too bizarre to comprehend eh. Beats us too. What a smashing way to celebrate our last night in Bangkok, it was splendid. Recommended for all, pls catch the show if you can!

All these wouldn’t have been possible without you, babe! All the visiting of the different places of attractions, mad rush to wake up freakin early in the morning, late nights watching thrillers, shopping & waiting & more waiting, perspiring under the scorching heat and being drenched in sweat every single day & more, falling for a fucking scam …  together, we experienced BKK !!!
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.Bangkok Part 2.

Bangkok Day 3

A trip down memory lane, this time to the famous though very touristy Damnern Saduak Floating Market. Took a 10mins ride on the long-tailed boat from the pier to the floating market … a route that passed by many traditional stilt houses that are located along the river banks. Once at the market, it was a kaleidoscope of colours. Umbrellas of different rainbow shades and local canoes laden with an assortment of food, fruits, vegetables, handicrafts and souvenirs. Paid 150 thb for a local sampan to bring us through the maze of the hundreds of canoes. A unique experience, we got to cruise right next to the many vendors, experience how the vendors would maneuver their sampans between the small gaps just to sell stuff to us, and how some would use hooks to draw our boat to their stalls so that they can try persuade us into buying anything. However, seeing how this floating market has turned out to become a tourist trap, it is no surprise to us that most of the stuff sold here are souvenirs. Bargaining here is easier as compared to markets in BKK. You know, Singaporeans just seem to be in love with Bangkok … heck, we even spotted mediacorp star, Elvin Ng in the midst of the crowd!

Despite being a touristy place, the “daily riot of colours and noise” it creates is the main attraction that never fails to draw tourists from all around the world. Better still, visit another authentic floating market that has yet been tainted by tourism and im sure it’s a chaotic experience that you wouldn’t want to miss out on!

Next stop was a detour between chilling at the elephant village or watching a snake performance. Having absolutely no interest in snakes and reptiles, babe and i thus decided to hang around with the elephants.  It costs 600thb for a 30mins elephant ride, which frankly to me is quite an exorbitant price. Moreover, I previously rode on an elephant in Phuket so giving this a miss is nothing to lose. However, thanks to some of the tourists who were kind enough to share with us their basket of bananas, we actually managed to hand-feed the elephants! Such a heart-warming sight to see the female elephant using her trunks to pass a bunch of bananas to her male counterpart. The spirit of sharing! Either that, or the power of love.

The next stop has attracted a lot of controversy and debates over the way the animals are being treated – Tiger Temple. The experience of being so near to a wild cat fascinated us and so, we placed all thoughts of hesitation aside as curiosity got the better of us. Having read some positive reviews of the place, we went there fully expecting to see the tigers being active and lively. Alas, that assumption was far ( far!!) from the truth. In reality, what that greeted us were tigers that look dazed and asleep most of the time. Barely moving and tied to a chain to the ground, it seemed as if these tigers were treated as commodities or basically, a means to gain more money from unknowing tourists. It was highly suspected that the tigers could either be drugged or heavily sedated for there is no way that they would allow themselves to be subjected to being under the scorching sun for long hrs each day. We didn’t get to witness any forms of obvious animal abuse ( ie. mauling or punching of tigers) but the pitiful sight of those tigers being treated as commodities was an indication that there could be other harsh discipline methods done being closed doors.

To give you a better idea, each tourist will be escorted by a personal staff to at least 6 to 8 tigers to have a photo taken. The basic procedure is that you’ll stay with a tiger for 3 secs to have a pic taken and before u can even absorb what’s going on, you’ll be yanked away to the next. We smiled for the pics but in truth, we barely even have the time to comprehend whatever that was going on. There seems to be a total lack of compassion that the staff/volunteers have towards the tigers. Granted, we had the chance to touch a tiger but we felt so embarrassed and ashamed of ourselves in participating in this form of animal abuse. It’s certainly a place that we vow never ever to visit again, and while we know how curiosity often gets us intrigued, both shermin and i agreed that sometimes, it takes one to be there before being able to make a judgement.

On a ‘painful’ note, a tiger cub bit me just above my chest! Luckily, the bite resulted only in a slight scar. Imagine if it was an adult tiger, I think my entire boob might just have been bitten off !!

The final pitstop on our excursion - Bridge on the River Kwai and the Death Railway. Located at Kanchanaburi ( 2hrs away from BKK), the death railway is infamous for the many POWs who died tragically during the construction. It was said that “every railway sleeping car cost the life of one prisoner.” For a better understanding of the history behind the death railway, do visit the JEATH War Museum ( J – Japan, E – England, A – Australia, T – Thailand, H – Holland ). Due to time constraints, we were only able to scan through the many graphic exhibitions and stories of real-life accounts written by ex-POWs. For those who are wondering, the railway is still very much in use today though it only runs till Nam Tok station. Worth a train ride, the scenary for the last leg of the journey has been said to be beautifully scenic and breath-taking. Be in awe of the views of the river kwai and hills. The hellfire pass memorial beyond Nam Tok station warrants another day visit as well.

You haven’t been to Bangkok, if you dare miss out on their nightlife. Did some research prior to leaving and found that the Saxophone Bar is one of the most raved-about “MUST VISIT” bar in BKK and so, we left our anxieties (2 gals) behind and groove away. A hit amongst both expats and locals, Saxophone bar offers an array of reasonably-priced food & alcoholic drinks and of course, a cozy ambiance where you can lay back and enjoy the jazzy live music. A must for those who love oldies and jazz music. Similar to Blu Jazz in Sg. Spent a total of 640 thb for a dish of fried seabass, curry fried rice in coconut and 2 drinks. For those who might be interested, Saxophone Bar is located opposite the open market, near the Victory Monument BTS.

On this note, we would also like to express our gratitude to the young Thai man who approached to help us when he realised that we looked lost. Without whom, we would probably be lost souls walking around in circles, in a never-ending search. lol.

Next Up! Part 3: Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Chatukchak Market & Tranny Cabaret !

Majolica Majorca Competition

MJ is now extending an invitation for YOU to join us!
Just follow the simple steps below…

1) Write an entry of at least 300 words on “Why you like Majolica Majorca?” and “Why you should join the MJ ambassadors at our next meeting!”

2) Post up your entry on your blog, then email the entry & blog address to majolica@shiseido.com.sg OR post your entry up on the Majolica Majorca facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1565956596#/group.php?gid=33925028194

3) You must quote whose blog you saw this competition from, & note that only ONE reader from each ambassador will be chosen.

4) incomplete entries will be disqualified! Not only will you get to join us at the next meeting, you will also get to preview products from the upcoming launch and take home special goodies like us! Act fast! closing date is 5th July Sunday and winners will be notified by 26th July!


My Entry

There are many reasons why Majolica Majorca wows me. First and foremost, being in my early twenties, the two most important criteria that I look out for in cosmetics would be both quality as well as one that is pocket-friendly. Majolica Majorca has established its name for itself for being trendy and feminine. As such, I love the shimmery and seductive colour palates of the eye shadow range. To me, eye makeup is one of the most important and so, with the wide range of glitter eye makeup colours, it thus proves to be a great assert when i want to doll up for a girl nights’ out at a fancy place! Another of my favorite is the 2-way powder foundation that provides good coverage and control oil shine ( very important to me as i have oily complexion). Majolica Majorca is catered mainly to people in my age group, and so I have to say that the colour palates that it has makes me feel sexy and more confident of myself. At least, I would know that Im not wearing makeup that is too “mature” for my age; instead, it is suitable and trendy enough for me! As superficial as it might sounds, the packaging that MJ has is another big plus point. Im a sucker for pretty, princessy packaging and MJ feminine packaging never fails to catch my eye. It’s seemingly antique packaging also makes me feel as if I’m buying something “vintage” too, so I guess it adds to the overall good feeling that I feel from purchasing MJ products.

Being an avid fan of Majolica Majorca, as well as a loyal blog reader to some of the MJ blog ambassadors, there is no denying that it would be an honor to be invited to the event.  The main attraction would be to be given the chance to preview the highly-anticipated products and also, hopefully gain advice from MJ ambassadors on the application of makeup.  An amateur in makeup, I believe that the ambassadors would provide me with a better understanding of how I can use the makeup correctly, in order to enhance my features and not to just add colours ( which is what I feel like im doing. I need a makeover!). In addition, I also had the privilege to attend a couple of the beauty seminars/workshops organised jointly by cozycot forum and other skincare/cosmetics brands which allowed me to preview and even, try out the various products. Capitalizing on internet resources such as the forum and my own blog, I thus made use of the  opportunity to write reviews of the products and recommend them to fellow cotters, friends and readers. Got to know about this MJ invitation via Cordelia, http://anticipatingdiva.blogspot.com/

.Bangkok Part 1.

Days in the Land of Smiles … in 3 parts. For now, let’s begin with PART I.

Bangkok Day 1

Bangkok,  synonymous with cheap food and shopping ! Let’s however also not forget to take a moment to bask in the vibrant city atmosphere; roads filled with colourful vehicles ( coming in all sorts of colours such as pink, green, yellow, red, etc !) & people of all types ( foreigners, locals dressed in chic and stylish outfits, gorgeous thai ladies, school boys who had their nails painted, cross-dressers, trannies ) crowding the streets and corners of the city. What a splashy sight !!!  Known for their great hospitality, both Shermin babe & I certainly have to thank the Thais for their great service which made our trip even more so memorable.

” TIP: Always go by meter for taxi. The cab driver at the airport wanted to cheat us of our money by claiming that he can get us to our hotel at a rate cheaper than the one quoted by the meter. Thankfully for info that we read from the net, we followed those advice and our gut feeling and saved about 80 thb. So rmr, go by the TAXI METER!  For those who don’t mind budget accommodation, you can try Samran Place Hotel. We paid only $125/5 nights/pax and frankly, for the price we paid, it’s pretty value-for-money! Warning: The place seems to be flooded with Singaporeans and so, do not be in for a shock if you were to see/hear Singaporeans every single day! “

First day was spent enjoying the sights and sounds of the hustling city. Where’s a better place to do that than to visit the stretch of countless shopping malls at Siam and Chit Lom right? Did lots of window-shopping at the usual suspects – Siam Paragon, Siam Center, Siam Discovery, MBK Center before ending the night at the enormous and revamped Central World ! Honestly, I would recommend those who are looking for bargains or unique shopping experience to give the malls a miss ( Try Platinum Fashion Mall for cheap, wholesale clothes though!).  Similar to the items found in sg malls, those in BKK do not come cheap either. For a mall that’s raved by many, babe & I were left sorely disappointed with what MBK has to offer, would probably not visit it again. However, for those who are into gadgets, this mall does offer a wide range of  reasonably-priced gadgets ( tip: check warranty).

As for dinner, do give Nobu Shabu ( at Central World) a try. Jap buffet at 390 thb ++/pax  … comes with free flow of california sushi, assortment of vegetable and raw beef, lamb, chicken, pork, salmon & squid for you to boil in the broth. Here’s us with our friendly “personal” waiter who never fails to fill our empty plates almost immediately! 

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Bangkok Day 2

A 1-day excursion to the Ancient City, Ayutthaya. The former Thai capital ( for over 400 yrs) is now a UNESCO site. Gone are the days where it was at its glory peak … gone are the beauty of the royal palaces and temples. Now, all that greet you are merely ruins and remains of the structures/buildings. Despite knowing that more than 90% of the Thai population are Buddhist, we were however still stunned to know that there’s a temple every 2-mins drive apart from one another. Yes, that’s how MANY temples there are in the historical city of Ayutthaya. For all those who have days to spare, a day trip to Ayutthaya is definitely well-recommended!

1st place of attraction: Bang Pa-In Summer Palace. A beautiful palace complex that is decorated and influenced by traditional Thai, Chinese and European architecture. A complex that include vast gardens, manicured landscapings, memorials and even, individual houses for the various Queens/Princes/Princess. Given the short amount of time that we had, babe & I even rented a golf cart so that we can drive around the estate and still be able to soak in the richness of the place. Props to Sherms for driving us around … time to get the driving license into good use in a foreign land, babe!

2nd: Wat Maha That. The main highlight of the excursion. Despite being in ruins, the complex with its barely there structures continued to fascinate us as we were in awe of the breath-taking sight that greeted us.  Back in its heydays ( 600 yrs ago), it used to be “the heart and soul of the Ayutthaya people”. Unfortunately, much of its glory vanished when the Burmese destroyed the temple complex during the war. Now all that remained are brick structures, and many headless/armless Buddha statues. First thought that came to our minds was that it kinda reminded us of wondrous Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

3rd & 4th: Wat Na Phra Mane & Wat Lokayasutharam. A site of historical importance, the former Wat was used as the Burmese HQ during the war and is remarkably, still in splendid condition.  As for the latter, it is known for having the largest reclining Buddha image during the Ayutthaya era.

Enjoy the scenic view along the mighty Chao Phraya River. See how the scenary changes from the laid-back/rustic Ayuthaya to the modern Bangkok along the way. Juxtapose of new and old, interesting!

Suan Lum Night Bazaar ! Think of CTC market but on a smaller scale. Stuff here are slightly more expensive as compared to the wkend market but it’s still worth a visit. Bargains are a must, as usual. On average, we managed to get around 20-35% discount. Range of stuff sold here include anything from handicrafts to clothes ( every gal’s fav) to home decors, come to think of it … Think Bugis Village. A must is to have dinner at the large hawker place, where you will also be entertained by Thai performers who will belt out pop songs in either Thai or English. Be entertained by Thai pop performances like never before, for the performers are very hilarious and energetic! Warning: Being cheapskates, babe & i walked from Lumpini BTS to the night market but be warned that it’s quite a walk. We were shagged by the end of a very long day lol.

MORE to come tmr.
BKK Part 2 : Floating Market, Elephant Village, Tiger Temple, River Kwai

Back from Bangkok !!!
many more pics to come 

.less than 12hrs.

* updated!

A night at the Flyer/F1 Track
shall we dance under the dazzling stars ?

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Less than 12 hours
Panic Fever !

Leaving on a budget jet plane in less than 24 hours’ time. Destination this time round? Bangkok, Thailand.  All the plans made during nights of MSN discussion with Shermin love are finally materializing and together, we’ll both be looking forward to a fantastic vacation together!  Encountered a couple of hiccups along the way due to bounced emails, lack of efficiency, etc. Being a procrastinator that Im known to be, it doesn’t come as a surprise that I have yet to pack my luggage. In fact, the thought of having to go through my closet and picking appropriate outfits at such an ultra last-minute is making me panic and breaking out into cold sweat. Better get my arse off the floor and start packing right now! Till im back again on Sunday, peeps!

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Speaking of which, my mum just came back from a week long of vacation in M’sia and we all had the shock of our lives! Look at the amount of goodies and stuff that she brought back!!! If we didn’t know better, we would have thought she’s moving house or sth … Went with 1 small luggage and came back with countless of bags! Told my mum that I’d NEVER come back with as much stuff as she does, even though im heading to the shopping paradise land of BKK in a few hrs’ time. Now now, who’s the hardcore shopaholic?

Archie is gonna be so delighted with his new gifts. Bones/Rawhides Galore. !    Enough toys to last him for the next few mths man, boy did my mum went insane with her shopping lol.


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Passport Stamp
The countries that I’ve been to so far

Everyone has their own addictions. Some can’t stop smoking, some love to shop their money away, some are obsessed with hygiene and cleanliness. For me, it’s being bitten by the travel bug. Damm, it’s an expensive addiction … probably more so than the amt of $ that some shopaholics spend. An interest that probably stem from having the privilege to travel with my family since i was a young kid. Once hooked, it’s difficult to chase the travel addiction away … No amount of persuasion from anyone can make me let go of it. Come to think of it, im probably not so hardcore enuff’ to make it an addiction just Yet.

Create your very own virtual passport at  http://www.passportstamp.com/
Just created mine, have a look 

.updates!.

World of Korean Food with Chantelle
Su Korean Cuisine

A celebration for Chantelle as she just scored a job! Whats a better place to hold the mini-celebration other than her favorite korean restaurant? Su Korean, at Far East Plaza. Reasonably-priced, this cozy diner is fast becoming a fav of mine as it offers not only offers many appetizer dishes for starters but also, a wide variety of mouth-watering dishes. Must try include: the self-BBQ chicken/beef, traditional korean fried rice flour cake & Bibimbap! http://www.sukorean.com/ , for more information!

Darlings, let’s go crazy !
Orchard

Potluck session with the girls !
CC home

Awesome of CC to organize a potluck + xbox session over at her place. My dear CC & Rach won themselves each a set of XBOX console lol, how lucky can they get man. Had I known earlier, I would have participated in the lucky draw as well; free stuff! As usual, we had a fabulous time laughing and joking around … life’s never a bore with these gals around. However, the highlight of the night was us being obsessed with playing DOA !!! Okay, we’re all newbies at it so basically, we didnt even know what we were doing most of the time but it was just extremely fun kicking our opponents’ arse and seeing their characters KO first. The adrenaline rush of the reel-world and thrill of winning … No wonder there are so many people out there who are addicted to gaming and such. Might just give it a shot too!

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Days of My Life …

Alright, as usual … same old, same old stuff. Let’s see. MK just started bartending at a new bar and that simply means less time spent together as he works 6 nights/week! Not surprisingly, I find myself staying up till 2am+ or later just so that we can chat after he ends work. Can you believe that I have yet to see him work behind the bar counter despite being together for close to 18mths already?  Am definitely gonna make a trip down to the bar to support you! Such a freaking small world lol – Turns out that an ex-colleague of mine is currently working PT at the bar and an acquaintance who enquired about Tioman visited the plc and recognised MK! HAHA – Spies to keep a lookout :p

Other stuff: Keeping in touch with a few of my USA friends via email ( i just wrote a 1400 word-long email to my bestie. Yes, I did a word count!). Signed up as a member of HRSS. Assisting an acquaintance with a business project; freelance gig. Spending alot of time planning the itinerary for Bangkok and I simply CANNOT WAIT for the trip. Been to BKK once but that was only for 2 days; besides, it was more of a hectic shopping trip. Come this time round, Shermin & I plan to take the time out to sight-see and explore more of what BKK has to offer. A time for cheap shopping bargains, a time for cultural immersion. =)

Bangkok, here we come !!!

Was just talking to Juliet on MSN and what she said made things very clear to me. During the conversation, she mentioned that i have actually chosen the path that I wanted. To simply put it, had I really wanted to find the perfect job, I “would have channelled all my resources” during my job-search and fully concentrate on that. Yet, the fact that Im constantly deliberating and being swayed by my urge to travel meant that what I probably want now is not a job. Very often, we find ourselves looking back and pondering on “what ifs” … ie. Would my life be better off, had I done this or that? Like what J said, “it’s tough – owning up that the possibility that one’s decision may be wrong”. Looking back, that could very well be part of the reason regarding my dilemma but at the end of the day, I guess no matter what we choose … it’s still a learning experience. What’s life when it’s a bed of roses right? Nevertheless, that chat made me see the situation from a clearer perspective and I think, I know what I want, at least for now.

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Our Pets !!!

1 dog, 6 hamsters. My house =  a mini-zoo. Making the decision to adopt Archie wasn’t easy, not at all. Honestly, having Archie brought about alot more arguments and debates between both MK and me.  i dun even think we fought as much before. Never having care for a puppy before, I have to admit that it added alot of strain and pressure for the both of us during the first mth or so … to have to handle with his constantly chewing and biting ( it darn hurts whenever he bites ), his rebellious antics, and the fact that he barks back thrice the times whenever we scold him. To add to that, Archie’s quite dominant so we have to learn to be authoritative and extra firm with him. Sacrifice is necessary too and I find myself spending more time at home just so that I can keep him accompanied.

At times, I wonder if Im ready to give up abit of my social life for Archie’s sake. It was times like that, that made me reconsider if we’re ready for a pet dog. On the other hand, as much as it can be difficult to keep up with him, one can’t deny the joy that he brought into not just MK’s or my life, but also of my family. His “human-like” expressions ( puppy eyed look), behaviours and affectionate/manja nature ( there’s nth else that he loves as much as snuggling onto your lap. Other than FOOD, for he’s a glutton) always crack us up and somehow, whenever I try to picture life wo Archie … it just seems a tad more empty than it used to be. And so, that’s how Archie came into our lives … for good.

Archie on a rocking pig, yes … rocking pig, not horse. !

.stuck in a recurring cycle.

Days of being unemployed on a self-imposed break

It’s already been 7 weeks since my last paper … Days that went by faster than I thought it will. It’s funny how life
always turns out the way you least expect it. As mentioned before, I had well-thought of plans as to how I want to fully enjoy the holidays or to take this time to learn new stuff, before embarking on the constant grill of working world. YET life with its many changes just brought me on an unexpected journey so far. Now that I have lots of time at hand, it’s good to self-reflect and ponder on the weeks that flew by just like that. First week was great- Last week of a great internship. Archie came into our lives. Second Week- Getting adjusted to having care for a rambunctious puppy. Audi Fashion Festival, new friends. From third week onwards, it was just the usual meet-ups with many friends, going for interviews and being a full-time companion to Archie Boy ( more on that later). And, that was it.

At times, I feel like Im just wasting precious moments, doing nothing meaningful nor productive. The constant routine of watching after Archie and heading out with loved ones & friends was actually boring me out. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy those moments. I do, of course, but what I need is something refreshing ; to do something for a change! Come to think of it, Im much to be blamed for all that happened … all thanks to my indecisiveness. Like what baby mentioned, on one hand – My initial plan was to take the chance to travel, volunteer and perhaps pick up a new hobby or two, or improve on my ever pathetic command of Chinese. A break till convocation. On another hand, the oh-too-frequent question of “Have you found a job yet?” made me felt like a bummer and so I couldn’t help but to send in a couple of resumes now & then. Granted, Im really fortunate to have been shortlisted for quite a few interviews and then selected again for 2nd/3rd interviews for all. But there was so much waiting time in-between each round. Waiting time that made me idle around and not able to firm up travel plans.  It frustrated me to no end that thanks to my lack of decisiveness that i ended up nowhere near my initial goals.

The last couple of weeks hit me the most; to simply put it, i felt demoralized. It hit upon me that what baby said is true  – That I am unsure of what I want to gain out of this break. It so happened that each time I made up my mind about traveling to somewhere, a job interview presents itself and being fickle, I find myself stuck in the dilemma, not once or twice but 4 times! Like an internal struggle within myself to make the “so-called correct” decision. On top of that, having too much free time has ironically become a burden … I feel as if Im losing my sense of identity with each passing day. While most would gladly welcome this relaxing change of pace to their lifestyles, I however felt as if each day was yet another day of “fruitless toil, full of despair” for nothing seems to be accomplished. Whatever happened to my “to-do-list” ? :/  Yes, I allowed the downfalls to get to me and bring my spirits down.    Just need some direction in life to get me moving forward. This halt in life will just be temporary, for I’m determined to finally make things work out and go my way regardless of things have been playing out thus far.

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GOOD NEWS !!! Archie has been adopted

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By MK and Yours Truly !

for the unconditional love that you provide us

. Midnight Cravings!!! .

Our late-night cravings.
Being a glutton in the middle of the night.