18 nov
The day started rather leisurely as our dear Prof Neo was so confident of catchin our flight on time. It was until we boarded the train at 330pm that we realise that the plane was probably not going to wait for us.Fortunately our fears were unfounded as we reached the check in counter at 45 mins before takeoff, but still we were met with disgruntled Tiger Airways staff who complained that we were a tad too late. However that was not going to spoil our buoyant mood, we are going for a holiday and we are going to enjoy it. The flight lasted a painful 2 1/2 hours. But that was only the start of a nightmare. Waiting for the immigration to clear us was as slow as watching grass grow. And that was just the start of an ordeal which we dubbed the "Big Bangkok Wait". The first sight that greeted us was a snaking queue (for taxis) in which we could see no end. We waited, and waited and WAITED. Had we had the money, we would hav hired a personal chauffeur. Alas, our wishes did not materialise and the only option was, yes, to wait. As the saying goes, good times start with bad times, the pressure and unhappiness was off once we hopped onto the cab. From there, everyone had a smile one their faces and to our surprise, our hotel room was better than we thought. Even the filthy streets did not dampen our spirits as we enjoyed a glamourous dinner at the Baiyoke Sky Hotel restaurant and capped off the evening with a nice intimate hug. Tomorrow Will Be Better.. coz its Shopping Day!!!=)
note: my darling is super pissed off with the luggage handlers coz they stole her badge!!! Such a beauty, its no wonder those lustful old men are tempted. Curse those idiots!
19 Nov
Today is the second day of the great Bangkok Bash. Yeah if only. We almost woke up late when i instinctly turned off the alarm. But fortunately, we still made it for the Big Breakfast though it was soon apparent that the Thais know nuts about preparing American Breakfast. And so it was, we followed our plan for Day 2. That is, to raid Chatuchuk Market. Our first experience on the skytrain was rather pleasant though not really a memorable one. The fare costs 35 baht per person: that is daylight robbery. But heck, we were our for an experience and we got it. It was nice to see the rest of Bangkok from a bird's eye view. Bangkok is not any different from Singapore except for its traffic congestion and filth, the lifestyle is rather similar to s'pore. Tha train halted to a stop at Mo Chit and thereby commences our shopping escapade. The first few hrs yielded no returns as we familiarize with the surroundings. But dear dear soon got into action. snapping up a couple of t-shirts and accessories. I became her porter but I was not to be left behind as i made some decent bargains myself. Both of us got the big break only after 4 hrs of relentless haggling and walking. I swopped on 3 shirts in one go which was the best buy of the whole afternoon, while my darling adopted a 'buy on sight' policy and both of us left Chatuchuk a poorer couple. Dinner was a tame and frugal affair. We dine in at some fast food restaurant, which serves chicken with some weird spicy sauce, nestled in a shopping district reminisce to the one we have at Far East Plaza. To our surprise, we even heard Jay Chou and Vic Zhou's song over the public radios! A sense of familiarity in a foreign land. Our last stop was to a shoppin centre which houses brands like Levi's and Nike. That was all for Day 2. But our pockets are becoming lighter by the day. Our resolution is to end our Bangkok trip without having to exchange for more baht but that resolve to be seen. Tmr: the market near Baiyoke. Watch out: here we come! =)
20 Nov
The day began with a long trek in search of the Pratunam Market. However we soon learn that one dun have to be in a shopping centre to shop, the mini stores that lined the pavement pack more than enough shops for you to keep your hands full. Along the way, my dear picked up a few accessories and we evn had time to pray to the "si mian fo". After that, we managed to kickstart our 2nd day of mad shopping at the Pratunam market. Purchases were few and sporadic as nothing really catches the eye. But we gathered momentum after a while and things got a tad out of hand as my beloved was left with only 150 baht after a mad rush. However it would be considered money well spent as she managed to get most of what she wanted and as for me,the shoppin should end soon as I also bought things that i planned to get.(sounds like he's complaining!) But the best bargain has to be the plain tops that dear got for 50 baht per piece and my pair of faded jeans which set me back by only 250 baht. HAHA! The lesson learnt today: never believe the Tuk Tuk driver. The lure of a 10baht ride to a supposedly decent eating place led us to be taken on a wild goose chase. The restaurant turned out to be a rip off and we didn't even give a second look before walkin out. Initially we were daunted by the prospect of navigating through the forest of concrete surrounding us but the carefree attitude of ours eventually led us out of the "darkness" and into a vibrant shopping district. We seeked in vain for a decent and affordable meal of thai fare and eventually settled for Jap cuisine which cost us only 100baht! it was sumptous though the portion served could have been bigger. Feelin full and satisfied, we set out to a bit of window shopping and our evening was almost marred by a rude and insolent street vendor. He became incensed when we tried to bargain down the prices and even shoved us away. It was a pity that we have to endure such demeaning treatment in the Land of Smiles and more depressing was the fact that I took a liking th one of the bracelets. Sigh. The episode ended a few moments later and we were back at Sian Center. Pacing up and down these familiar streets, we soon exhausted ourselves and decided to take a breather at Orange Julius. The treat was ice-cream and both of us had to try very hard to finish our share. And my dear couldnt help lamenting at the svelte figures of the Thai gals. HA, dun worry dear, you are the prettiest. Nobody can hold a candle to you.(oh man.. cant believe im typing this) Eventually, we capped off the evening with a long stroll back to the hotel, passing by the upmarket district of Bangkok.It was interesting to walk down the streets of Bangkok and experience the different facets of life in this vibrant city. One sore point remains the fact that I dare not try any of the roadside delicacies. Ha, whatever. My legs are tired and its time to rest those tired limbs and gear up for the final day of shopping.. Goodnight..
**i broke my beloved shades today and im damn sad**
21 Nov
The itinery for today is a trip back to the Mah Boon Krong(MBK) shopping centre. With renewed enthusiasm, we went to MBK with the aim of concluding our shopping escapade. MBK is one of the best shopping centres we've been to so far with a variety of wares on sale as well as having a decent toilet in this dipilated city. We bagged a couple of bargains, pardon the pun, and rendered ourselves broke! esp me. We bought everything that we needed to, bags, shirts and what not and i guess we are almost done save a few other purchases for family and friends. Satisfaction was the buzzword as we head on back to the hotel with our bags full. After shedding our baggage back at the hotel, we headed on for dinner. It took us a couple of "to and fro" walks before we ended up at a tiny Thai restaurant beside Asia Hotel. The food was decent and the service was excellent. We finally had some authentic Tom Yam. Feeling full and energized, we were on the way back to MBK when we passed by a massage parlour. And the rest is history as we took advantage of the low price and gave ourselves a good rub of the body. It was indeed a painful experience but we solicited it. By then, the excitment of watching Harry Potter has reached boiling point and we hurried back to MBK. Along the way we were rather amused to see a dozen of young men prancing around in hip hop fashion. Mind you, they do pack a punch with their twists and turns. It was to be the final scene that we saw before we proceed to watch our first movie in Thailand! Movie watching in Thailand can be described as a partial cultural shock. When it says the starting time is at 10:05pm, it actually means to start getting seated at 10:05pm. And we have to wait for 30 painful minutes before the screen actually started flicking. But the most amusing part was when the ciema was called to attention to pay respect to the King!! How weird is that?To pay respect to your King before a movie. OMG! This is surely something unheard of anywhere else except maybe those pork shunning countires. haha!(a bit racist huh?)
After the movie, my dear got uptight upon the prospect of walkin through a deserted Bangkok street. Hence we proceeded at furious pace in search of a cabbie. Thankfully we got onto a cab in no time and were soon resting tired bodies back at dear old Eastin. It has been fun for the past few days and we would really regret having to leave Bangkok. But Phuket beckons and we're ready to go!
22 Nov
Today is the day we finally depart from Bangkok to Phuket. It was a relative short trip from Bangkok to Phuket, however the trip was to be a bit more complicated. We paid 150 baht each for the minibus ride and apart from having to endure some speed defying driving, we also had to put up with some cajoling by the travel agents before we were driven to our destination. The beautiful facade of the Deevana Resort gave us optimism that it wasn't somthing that would feel like a $45 per nite stay. But we were utterly disappointed. Everything about the resort was nice except our rooms. It was Downtown East chalet but a few times worse. Having been in the comfort zone at Eastin for 4 days, we had to get used to our new shabby surroundings. The facilities were so bad we didn't even have drinking glasses. (seriously i dun tink its tt bad.. he's being fussy) That aside, we tried to forget about the whole fiasco and moved on to the nightlife in Patong. Patong is dramatically different from Bangkok as it is a relatively sleepy town devoid of the skyscrapes that hog Bangkok's skyline. However there's still some Thai flavour as seen by the numerous roadside stalls hawking jewellery and food. And one thing found in abundance in Phuket has to be: transversites. They are everywhere. They are your barmaids, your bartop dancers as well as prostitutes. They are a way of life and they are definitely not shy to exert their pressence. The nightlife as expected was vibrant and we spent a good 1 hr watching the transversite cabaret. It was amusing to see scores of transversites dancing on the platform with some dancing flirtatiously and even showing their frontal assets. It was indeed an eye opener albeit one that darling do not like. Too sleazy, she claims. However, we did manage to take a quiet stroll down Patong Beach. It was a short but romantic walk. One that i wished could last forever. Next, we went clubbing at Banana Disco. It wasn't a real clubbing experience but the people there were fun to hang out with and we managed to endure through a medly of trance, techno and R&B before calling it quits. In truth, had e DJ been more skillful, we would hav stayed longer but too bad. A long walk back to the resort and we were finally in bed. Goodnite Patong.. See you tmr..
**i like e friendly korean gal at banana disco**
**im allergic to beer!! my face got so swollen.. not pretty anymore!!**
23 Nov
Last day in Phuket. The morning alarm came at 930am and after a quick breakfast, we were on our way to Patong Beach. Running on a shoestring budget, we were determined to remain frugal till we reach s'pore. However we were dealt a couple of financial blows upon arrival of Patong Beach. Poor tourists, we are meant to be money spinnes for the locals and 2 benches actually cost us 50 baht each. Immediately we were rendered 100 baht poorer. The beach was sparkling in the afternoon sun, and the sea was a shade of pale and dark blue beyond the horizon. It was a pretty sight. The place was a buzz with para sailors and sun basking caucasians and we looked upon these people in envy as we had a deep desire to experience some of the water sports, but we were restricted by our budget. However, all was not lost even though we couldn't try these things this time, heck, there's always next time. And dear taught me the art of sleeping under the shade and that was what we did for the rest of the afternoon. Actually both of us really do not need to engage in such activities to enjoy ourselves, we still have each other. Lazing around in the warm afternoon sun was suffice for the enjoyment of the soul. Nothing fanciful or dramatic, just pure togetherness. Life is good. As the warm breeze subsides, and the sun beginning to simmer down, we packed our bag for the journey back. Dinner was at Thai Thai Restaurant, pardon the pun, a place befitting for someone like my tai tai girlfriend. She even ordered the Thai Thai Fried Rice. Max!! Haha!! It was a couple of pictures and a few cups of ice-cream later that we adjourned for home. Ping Pong was the last act of the day and i was pretty amazed that darling could actually hold me to a game. I say she has potential for greater things if she continues playing ping pong, maybe she'll do well with some coaching. Last but not least, its time to sit back, have a beer, and prepare for home. Welcome back..
**there's this ang moh lying beside me at e beach.. n she was topless!! oh man her figure so gd can.. i felt damn inferior.. n i tink my darlin looked at her..**
