Weekend Guide to Bangkok, Thailand

It feels like ages since my trip but technically it's only been a month. What I would give for another vacation right now!

As my trip was a short weekend one, I wouldn't be able to give information on many locations so this guide shall be more like a review of what I experienced, and perhaps some recommendations on alternatives if I can think of any.

Airfare/Airlines
Departing Singapore: Tigerair approx. S$115 per pax
Departing Bangkok: FlyScoot approx. S$108 per pax

Review: We had a very pleasant journey on Tigerair. I know they recently revamped their brand and I'm loving it. There's a noticeable difference in service attitude and a level of professionalism this time round. Definitely would fly Tigerair again.

FlyScoot wasn't that great for me as the crew seemed to be in a hurry most of the time and were frowning at passengers while giving instructions?! #whythelongface It was also a very noisy journey as there was a group of tourists across the aisle who talked non-stop throughout the flight, and they were really loud. Needless to say, that pissed me off big time.

Accomodation
Citin Pratunam: S$122 for 2 nights

Review: Never stay here, or at Ten Stars Inn which I stayed at previously. When it comes to hotels, cleanliness and maintenance of room amenities are important to me. If the hotel can't even fulfill these most basic requirements, they shouldn't be called hotels. Every morning, I woke up to the sound of construction/banging woks/Singaporeans talking really loudly in the hallway (ha-ha). The shower area was pretty gross too.

If you're on a budget, you can check out LemonTea which we saw while exploring the area. It looked like heaven compared to Citin Pratunam and I was this close to moving over. If you can afford to spend a little more, check out Baiyoke Sky or Glow as I believe these are the higher-rated places to stay.

Platinum Mall/ Main Shopping Area

This lady sells the best coconut ice cream omg

Review: I remember the food court at Platinum Mall had good food so I was disappointed at the drop in standard. The beef noodles used to be really savory but now, it tastes like salt soup with black sauce.

We asked the hotel for restaurant recommendations and after much confusion in terms of the language barrier, we were directed to Once Upon A Time. It took us a good hour to finally locate where the place was and it was literally a hole in the wall restaurant. I was overwhelmed by the decor but everything was so interesting to look at. Please use Google Maps if you want to find this place, unless you've time to waste.

Review: The food tasted alright. I've a feeling this restaurant is more catered to expats/tourists as the prices are comparable to tze char places in Singapore, except a smaller portion. The highlight of the night was when I found a huge housefly in my soup. The line from a joke, "Waiter, I found a fly in my soup" was finally put to good use. Most of the customers were drinking bottled alcohol instead of eating so that's a safer way to enjoy the ambience of the place if you'd like to go.

Review: I was expecting this to be as good as the beef noodles I had at a roadside stall in Phuket, but one should never have any expectations while traveling so you wouldn't be too disappointed.

Thong Lo BTS Station

Made a trip to Thong Lo because Darren recommended this Thai restaurant to us called "999" if I'm not wrong. Please ask the station service staff for directions because I did not find out the exact address of this place. It's located just underneath the stairs right beside the control station. Save the photo below to show the station staff if you're interested in going!

We found out it is only opened at night so we settled for this phad thai place in an alleyway. I'm not sure what's the exact address but there's a signboard saying it's the 5th World's Best Phad Thai ranked by CNN. Give it a try if you find it!

As the 999 restaurant wouldn't be opened till night, we decided to head to Siam Center first, followed by Terminal 21.

Review: Let me first proclaim my love for these two malls. No doubt prices are similar to when shopping in Singapore but quality there is so much better (referring to their local brands). We spent a lot of time in Forever 21 at Siam Center. I appreciate how everything was so neat as compared to the F21 stores in Singapore. Siam Center has more of their local brands and how I wish I brought more money to spend there. There were so many unique and well-made pieces of clothing ranging from dresses to pants.

Terminal 21 was where I did more shopping at. The top level has little stores that offer a huge variety of apparels for ladies. I would very much prefer to shop at these two places compared to Platinum Mall. More on Platinum Mall below.

A ukelele festival swarming with Jason Mraz(s)

We decided to give Mr. Jones Orphanage a try since it's highly recommended by locals and tourists. I stumbled upon the cafe, joined the longgg queue, but was immediately given a seat because there were only two of us. Benefit of traveling in twos!

Review: Am I the only person who thinks this is a morbid name for a cute cafe? I get very creeped out in places like that. We had the chocolate banana cake which was good. My mocha drink could've been better. I think prices were equivalent to Starbucks in Singapore.

It was back to Thong Lo for dinner after shopping at Terminal 21. I am so thankful that Darren recommended this to us as it was probably the saving grace of our meals in Bangkok so far. No overcharging, no noisy diners, and most importantly, no dead floating houseflies. When we took a taxi back to Pratunam, we saw many other restaurants/bars along the way. I'd definitely go back to this area for more food.

Coconut Curry Chicken, Kang Kong, Tom Yum, Steamed Fish in Lemongrass (amazing)

After that satisfying meal, we headed back to the Pratunam area for massages. The signature Thai massage is still the best. Two hours of massage for around S$20 only! There's this stretch of massage places along the main street leading into the smaller streets of Pratunam. I remember the name of one of them which is "Number One" which we went, as well as the one next to it. I prefer the one next to it.

Review: On the last day, I decided to shop at Platinum Mall and spend whatever money I had left. It was so tiring because of the couple of unpleasant experiences I had while shopping. The store owners were quite rude and hostile towards me for no apparent reason. For example, if I'm asking the price of something, they would quote a price with a scowl. I must state that I am very polite when shopping because I know how it feels to be on the other side of the counter serving rude customers. Their hostility baffled me... Until I bumped in other Singaporeans.

Those Singaporeans are the epitome of ugly travelers. They were raising their voices at the retail assistants demanding a cheaper price, and threatening to leave if the prices weren't lowered, I kid you not. I'm sorry but whoever said you could behave like a b*tch just because you're a tourist?! They seemed to have this idea that as long as you stay fierce and stand your ground towards the locals there, you'd get your way. How obnoxious is that?!

I was so appalled at the disgusting behavior of those Singaporeans, whom I hope are the minority. Respect is a two-way street. When you're on a foreign land, it goes without saying that you respect the way of life there including the locals. This is a major pet peeve of mine because this is a phenomenon happening in Singapore as well.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

On a happier note, do watch my latest videos where I show you my buys from Bangkok. Hopefully it'll give you an idea of what you can expect when shopping at the malls mentioned above.

Hope I haven't left anything out because my brain is pretty much dead from the day spent in school, and my eyes are threatening to close anytime soon.

Do email me/comment below if you'd like to know anything else in more detail. Thank you so much for reading this essay and have a lovely weekend ahead woohoo!

Ted

This is exactly how I look fresh out of a bath and sprawled on my bed reading when I have some time at night. Add a mug of iced green tea at my bedside table for the hot summer nights we've had and ta-dah, instant relief of all stress I've felt in the day.

I'm always happy to experience new input of information/words which come(s) in the form of a thick book.

If you're following me on Instagram, which I tend to update more often, there's a photo of a new batch of books I recently got together with my BFF. I am so grateful that she asked if I wanted to purchase books because they're my only source of entertainment when I don't want to be on my Mac/iPad/iPhone browsing through social media sites or watching dramas after dramas.

I've started on three books and am done with one; Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close. The one I'm actively reading is The Stranger Beside Me authored by Ann Rule. Love it! At first, it seems like this odd mix between fiction and non-fiction but the sad fact is that it's real. It helps that at the same time I'm reading this, I'm using Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of Psychopaths Among Us as a reference book. Certainly gives me more insight into the minds of people we wish did not exist.

Oh and earlier on as I was walking alone to the bus stop after class, I couldn't help but think about Ted Bundy and the number of victims who weren't yet aware of such evil in this world.

Rabbit Hole

Winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize, RABBIT HOLE is a moving, honest and surprisingly humorous portrait of a family searching for what remains possible in the most impossible of situations.

Becca (Janice Koh) and Howie (Adrian Pang) are returning to their everyday existence in the wake of a shocking accident. Caught in a maze of memory, longing, guilt, recrimination, sarcasm and tightly controlled rage, Howie lashes out and desperately attempts to find solace in a counseling group; while Becca opens up to her opinionated mother (Lok Meng Chue) and brash sister (Seong Hui Xuan). She also secretly reaches out to the teenager (Eden Ang) responsible for the accident that changed everything.

Yet, as lost as they are, the couple keeps trying to find their way back to a life that still holds the potential for hope, laughter and happiness. Their journey is an intimate exploration of the search for comfort in the darkest of places, and for a path that will lead them back into the light of day. Directed by Tracie Pang, Pangdemonium’s RABBIT HOLE is a beautiful and bittersweet story of loss, survival and the life-affirming power of family.

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Disclaimer: As an amateur theatre-goer, my review will be put across in the simplest form of words and of course, with all honesty.

My best friend and I just caught this production by Pangdemonium, and I was pleasantly surprised by how good and non-preachy it was. We've been trying to be more supportive of the local Arts scene so we each chose a play to watch this month. I chose The Importance of Being Earnest while she chose Rabbit Hole. Honestly, I was skeptical about her choice because after reading the synopsis, it seemed like it was going to be something dark and depressing which I most certainly do not need anymore of because of the daily existence of it in my life already. Thankfully, I was proven wrong.

I should've added in the disclaimer my bias towards certain actors i.e. Janice Koh and Adrian Pang. Watched and loved The Pupil (Channel 5 series) solely because of them. The amount of chemistry they have is so apparent and that definitely played a part in how well they portrayed their characters onstage. I most certainly did not expect the intense emotions that would be expressed in a way that touched my heart. (Do note that I'm pretty much a hardass when it comes to stuff like that. It takes a hell lot for me to feel that much for anyone or anything in any situation.)

After raving about the immensely good acting, I shall move on to the plot. I believe everyone will find something to relate to, especially since the story is based on the power of family. The ongoing theme of loss and grief aside, expect witty and humorous moments that you will most definitely identify with from your personal life. It is precisely because I could identify with certain aspects of this play, that made the whole production feel closer to my heart. Also, I hate it when shows try to preach the importance of insert any form of life people preach to you about so a thunderous applause to Rabbit Hole that had a way of putting the message out there but not choking people with it.

Movies or plays rarely affect the way I feel or basically the way I am but there was a take-home lesson for me after watching this. I'm not going to say precisely what it is as I wouldn't want to affect your opinion and after all, everyone's feelings would be subject to our own experiences. For me, it was pretty personal so I hope it would be the same for you too.

Overall, it was a great night spent with the cast of Rabbit Hole. Would not hesitate if asked to watch it again.

Get your tickets here quick before they sell out!

P.S.- It is not okay to clap between every single act. There was this one person who kept initiating applause between acts which is disruptive to the play and so rude! And others just followed suit... There were phones going off too. Please educate yourselves on basic theatre etiquette before going for one and inconveniencing others with your lack of knowledge. Show some basic respect please.

The week ends

Love waking up to this

Previously it was my dad who would buy this for me on some weekend mornings, but now I ask Darren to get it if he doesn't need to go to work super early. I love this beehoon for breakfast even though it's super oily and all, a once in a while treat.

Been craving so much food these few days because I've two huge mouth/tongue ulcers that have been around for almost a week and it's extremely painful to chew or eat anything because of their locations. It's been impossible to enjoy food and it's so frustrating.

Both dressed up for different events. Look at Sun's round butt!

At Speakeasy; dressed for the Prohibition theme (Mel's photo)

Ulcers so bad I ordered bread $6

A surprise party was planned for Ed but the huge surprise was that I was too late for the surprise part which's no surprise actually. It was held at Speakeasy located in Tanjong Pagar, and honestly I don't think I'll ever go back again. The food took ages, and the service was not that fantastic as there was this lady manager who liked insisting on whatever she said to be right. So okay then.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ED! (Mel's photo)

While I was at the party, Darren went to the Manhunt finals. Was still hungry so I met him and his friends at Lao Pa Sat. Didn't eat anything because almost all the food stalls were closed. The BBQ area was pretty stinky so I didn't want to stay there for food. Decided to go all the way to Geylang for frogs' legs!

Best part, I saw an entire line-up of prostitutes along one of the small lanes. In the dark I thought they were flags hung on this fence but turns out they're human beings. There were so many of them and they were all swarming around that particular lane. There were many Indians/Bangladeshis swarming around them too. The way these prostitutes work is they'll just pull on the shirt of any man who walks by and probably start discussing their 'price' right there. Quite interesting to witness this first-hand. Not to mention, the taxi I was in was a mini bus haha!

3 frogs for $22

Let sleeping dogs lie

 Mousing it up trying an iPhone app

My eyebags have been so huge lately (pic on left) so I tried this app that helps beautify my skin and whatnot (pic on right). Is there even any difference besides the obvious piece of cheese?

BFF's advice

The weather has been pretty bad which's the reason why I've been sick for almost a week now. Hopefully I'll recover soon so I can go back to the gym, go out without feeling like I'm dying, and have good food. Plus my exams are round the corner, sigh.

On a brighter note, I'll be traveling on my birthday all thanks to my boyfriend! Iinitially I was so upset we wouldn't be able to go anywhere. He told me he couldn't get away from work especially since he already went on his Texas trip earlier this year, and that it would be better if we just stay in Singapore. Gah he's so annoying for making me so exasperated but now, I feel guilty (for being mad) and happy!

Have a great week ahead, everyone!

Life on Instagram #3

Continuing to upload Instagram photos instead of normal camera ones is just taking it for granted. But I've been so out of touch with my previous life (of idling time away) that a quick snap on Instagram is all I can afford :'(

Been so busy with school stuff, especially the most ridiculous 'group mates' for project work. I don't want to go into too much detail as I might rage on, but let's just say these people truly do not belong in a university. They ought to go back to kindergarten where their mentality and level of responsibility is. Don't worry I don't talk behind their backs, I say it to their faces because there's no reason why I've to hold it all in while they get away with everything. #mature

Anyway, through this trying period (lol), it feels really good to be able to constantly complain to my parents on Whatsapp. Even if daddy is busy at work, he'll bother to reply and try to help resolve problems. When dad's home, mommy takes over that job of entertaining my sister and me whenever we rant. We reward our responsible parents with photos of Sundae haha! They miss her soooo much, more than they miss us... Anyway, I'm talking about this because mommy made this cute reversible dress for dear Sunsun.

That's a massage dolly being used as a model

Yes, mom has taken up sewing so it's normal to receive calls/Whatsapp messages from her at random times of the day asking for measurement of Sundae's waist and if she has put on any weight. If I'm home, I'll whip out my measuring tape and Sundae would automatically lie down. It's too cute a scene.

Love his crew cuts

Honey badger don't give a shit

Honey badger beheads herself

This honey badger thing came about because dad sent my sister a link to this YouTube video showing this honey badger who does not care about anything at all and just does whatever he likes, like eating a snake. He said it's like Sundae hahahaha!

I'd embed the video here but for some reason, YouTube isn't loading well for me. Do try searching for something like 'honey badger does not give a shit' and be entertained! I've tons to learn from the animal :)

Amazed at her symmetrical face

Recently used up the aromatherapy essential oils mom bought so I went on a hunt for new fragrances. She got them when she went to a spa in Phuket so sadly, I wouldn't be able to purchase the exact same ones. They smelled really divine. Ordered stuff off Bath and Body Works but that takes awhile to arrive and me being me (read: impatient), needed to buy it asap.

Tried looking at L'occitane and Crabtree and Evelyn but they don't carry essential oils at all which's pretty strange considering how they specialize in fragrances... Ended up with these Body Shop ones which I was iffy about, but turns out they're not bad. The quality doesn't seem to be as good as the ones mom bought from the spa but at $10.90 each, I shouldn't ask for much.

The store assistant recommended Fire Lily and Amber because I asked for a resort-like scent. It's a woody kind of scent which kinda goes with my woody home. Relaxing and not overpowering. I chose Jasmine and White Frangipani for my room, which I couldn't stop smelling because it reminded me of a perfume and is quite calming a scent. I hate sweet/overpowering scents because my nose would itch and I'd have a headache so I'm happy this was neither!

So I got rid of my 'horny skin cells'

Pampering pedis ♥

Ikea for a very late dinner + curtains

A ball of furry fun!

Need to sleep earlier

My BFF4LYF is back from the desert after half a year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So happy about this. We can actually discuss life face-to-face. No more broken Skype calls because she's walking home from school and Skyping at the same time. No more trying to summarize stuff on Whatsapp to get the message across. And yes to good food because she thinks of herself as a food connoisseur. Okay maybe only when it comes to home-cooked food which she's an expert in i.e. knowing which grocery store to buy snatch basil leaves at, guiding me through the process of cooking a dish though she's halfway across the world.

Loving sisters

Brunch with cousin + uncle: childhood BCM

Mocha in the morning = tummyache

From restaurants to takeout for a monthsary dinner :')

Sun and her new haircut

Mommy's going to question and nag at why on earth did I make her look like a boy. I like her clean and tiny-looking what can I say!

What BFFs are for

Her name is saved as that because it's my mom's iPhone I'm using so I didn't wanna mess her contacts up. Friends who have me on Whatsapp do ask why their last name is Sheena and that's why!

Have a non-moody Monday all you lovely people ☀