Week 2 Trip To Asia

Bugis Singapore. Devotees Praying For Good Luck, Touching Fat Buddha Statute Hoping To Rub Off His Luck To Them!

Monday Feb 9 Wai Ping took SM and I for breakfast at Ang Mo Kio hawker center. We then caught an MRT train from AMK to City Hall where we alighted and walked to Bugis Junction. SM used to buy imported dried sea food from the market there when we lived in Singapore. SM found the costs of items sold have gone up substantially so much so that she would not consider buying stuff from the market. It was Chap Goh Meh 初十五　that day and we walked around the Buddhist temple there watching people praying and dedicating themselves to their gods. I bought a pair of Hitec walking shoes from Bugis Junction at a very reasonable cost of S$60 compared to maybe a hundred bucks in Melbourne. I then felt like Japanese and had a set lunch of Tokyo Ramen, Japanese fried rice, and green tea ice cream with red bean paste at Azabu Sabo. Yum!

Azabu Sabo, City Hall MRT Station Singapore

We then went on back to Wai Ping's house and got ready to go to Changi. Wai Ping sent us to the airport and on checking in I realized that we only had 45 minutes before the scheduled take off time! I actually misread the itinerary and thought the arrival time was the take off time. Lucky we made it and I was grateful that SM did not become too upset with my stuff up. There went our intention to get to the airport early to do some shopping!

We got to Alice and Quek's home for their Chap Goh Meh celebration at about 9pm after arriving back at the condo. It was very nice of them to have invited us again, to their beautiful home in Shah Alam. They were really hospitable. There was not much nasi lemak left for us because we came late but we did have plenty of food to eat: curry fish head, 2 types of fish cooked in chili, ikan bilis with pea nuts, boiled eggs and some other dishes. Fireworks were performed and conversations were going on and soon we bid our hosts farewell and it was another wonderful, busy day.....

Tuesday Feb 10 SM and I decided to take things a little easy as it has been lots of activities and goings on the whole of last week. We decided to have lunch at The Curve and settled on Japanese at Sakae. Food was ordinary, nothing too exciting. Browsing the shop windows we chanced upon an Ogawa massager and decided to buy it. Hopefully this machine will help ease some back pain that SM usually experiences during cold nights.

Sakae @ The Curve (Not Good)

SM Was Impressed By The Array And Variety Of Cakes And Pastry Available In KL Shops Nowadays

One Of Our Favourite Cake Shops - Secret Recipes. Love Their Cheese Cakes!

Wednesday Feb 11 we went out to KL to meet SM's parents for lunch at The New World Hotel along Jalan Sultan Ismail. It was a Japanese buffet affair and SM's dad shouted us to some fantastic choices at the buffet: oysters, deep fried scallops, prawns, vegetables, sashimi (raw fish) of tuna and salmon, Japanese fried rice, soba, salad, chawan mushi (steamed eggs), a main course of either teppanyaki sirloin, lobster, or unagi (eel), and an assortment of fruits (papaya, water melon, pineapple) and desserts (Japanese miniature cheese cakes, green tea ice cream, chocolates coated with green tea). This week we had been going Japanese and so far nothing spectacular.

Good Value Japanese Buffet

Green Tea Ice Cream And Delicately Made Japanese Desserts/Sweets

Thursday Feb 12 was a down time day. Not much things happened.

Friday Feb 13 I was down and out. It must have been the curry fish head I ate for dinner last night that made me ill. Overnight I had huge acid reflux from early morning like 3am, and indigestion. I struggled through the early morning, had some Chinese medicine for diarrhea, drank liters of water but I still had the acid. Finally I was able to get some Zantac at mid day at a local pharmacy and the reflux subsided and the knots in the stomach began to ease. I did have some fever and so I took some penadol as well. Wow! This was huge for me!

Saturday Feb 14 I felt a lot better. Thanks God because today we are traveling to Bangkok for our holidays. All was well and we got to Citadines Sukhumvit 11 by 4pm. The MAS flight was good and we also had lunch on board for a change because we usually can only afford Air Asia!

At KLIA

He's Not Shy

She's Shy 1

She's Shy 2

She's Shy 3

In Bangkok we are staying at the Citadines Apartment at Sukhumvit Soi 11. It's a serviced apartment owned by the Singapore Ascot International Group. It's clean, functional and tourist-friendly. Khun Kamol K and his dear wife Tuk picked us up for dinner at their restaurant "Classic Bell". I always love having a meal at this restaurant. Every time I came for business in my previous life I always had at least one meal there. Kamol got us the usual good stuff, Tom Yum Koong, pork wrapped in bacon, mixed vege, mussels baked with garlic served with soft but crunchy garlic bread. I was holding back on eating too much due to my stomach upset and I didn't even have the Tom Yum or anything spicy. I also skipped the wine.

Classic Bell Restaurant Sukhumvit Owned BY Kamol & Dear Wife Tuk

Good Friend Khun Kamol Treated Us a Fantastic Thai Meal At His Restaurant "Classic Bell"

The Meal At Classic Bell Was a Knock Out

Good Friends Tuk & Mol

Classic Bell: Classic Lady

Belting Out Oldies - My Confident Self

Enjoying The Karaoke Session

Thai Duet 1

Thai Duet 2

Highlight Of The Night Oldie Duet - Two Fat Cats

Thai KOK King

Sunday Feb 15 We wanted to be on our own and so we went to Chatuchak Weekend Market (locally known as JJ Market) but we did ring ahead and teed up with Kee Mun who happened to be in Bangkok on business. Kee Mun took us around the market as he is an old hand there. We shopped and shopped, bought lots of local stuff like many pairs of Monobo thongs, T shirts, silk scuffs, Thai Traditional Man Short Sleeves and we had lunch at a nice, airy restaurant at the Market (Toh-Plue Restaurant). It was like an oasia to us especially me because I was already dying of heat and humidity. Phat Thai, Thai fried rice were the fare. We couldn't believe there were so many locals and tourists at JJ we had to leave early because it was getting stuffy, hot and crowded.... I was happy to be able to get out of JJ and get back to some R & R at our hotel.

Alighting BTS At The Nana Station Near To Sukhumvit Soi 11 To JJ Market - Cost Baht 45 Only

A Lovely Dog Owned By One Of The Market Store Owners

He he he

Ha ha ha

Kee Mun Concentrated On Shopping For His Two Ladies At Home

Shoppers Walking Towards The Market Entrance

Deciding What To Eat

I Am Hot And Tired

Classic Restaurant

Classic Decor

We then went on to Siam Paragon for shopping again after a brief stopover at our hotel for a quick shower and rest. Siam Paragon was amazing. Lots of shops with goodies for shopping and the biggest food hall we had ever seen! Again lots of local and tourist shoppers in these huge malls doing their stuff. We found Bangkok incredible this trip because of the huge crowds every where we went; in the malls, in the food courts, in the BTS Sky Trains, on the Sukhumvit streets, in the pubs, in the restaurants. It would appear on the surface that people were still spending money and not holding back. We also found that things have become more expensive, just like we found that to be the case in KL. It is very common to pay Baht 50-60 for a bowl of noodles in a food court, Baht 80 for a latte, Baht 120-180 for a beer. It was not like this before but costs have gone up quite a bit. But we were always impressed with Bangkok, its night life, its food and shopping, its friendly people; and we felt safe enough to travel on public transport on our own. I could not say the same for KL or Jakarta.....

Shopping Centers And Malls Aplenty

Shopping For Food Is Never A Problem

Sampling Dried Tropical Fruits

Rich Bangkokians Prefer BMW's And Mercs. This One Has Car Rego No 1

Oh yes in the evening we managed to find some time for a Traditional Thai Massage at a reasonable rate of Baht 500 each person for 2 hours. After the massage we felt so refreshed, our body felt so "loose" and not stiff as before. I just love the massage in Bangkok! I love Bangkok!!!

Taking Off From KLIA To Bangkok On MAS B737



Landing In Bangkok Airport



Classic Bell Thai Restaurant Sukhumvit Bangkok