LOTD: Parrot Bangkok

Just so you know, I am back from Bangkok and the best part of going to Bangkok is shopping. :) I know a lot of people love the great steals at the cheap Platinum Malls and Chatuchak Market, but I newly learn of this place - Zen, that sells Thai Designer stuff.

Obviously, the stuff isn't going to be cheap...duh. But you progress up in life, and sometimes you need a series of more presentable clothes. So usually, I buy such clothes online and when the sizes are wrong, it can be such a huge headache. Plus, there is no VAT refund T.T

One of my favourite brands is Parrot Bangkok. They are not the cheapest in town given that their stocks are limited, but I have been stalking their designs since last year cos it is very different from the pieces we see in Singapore. So I got 2 sets of apparels last year, but both didn't fit for different reasons.

But Parrot Bangkok was very kind cos they allowed me to make my exchange a year later when I stepped back again into Thai soil. And I changed the misfit into this gorgeous blue-gold dress. If you observe carefully, it is pleated at the sides. So much details. <3

My friends were there with me as I picked the replacement piece. And they were like joking, "is this piece made for you?" Not trying to be a brag, but this piece does accentuate my figure, making me look more slim than I really am. But one thing to note, the collection at Zen is definitely much lesser than what is available online.

However, I still have issues grasping my Thai sizing so you may want to go to Zen to try on before buying. But having nice clothes does create a separate set of problem. After I sent my selfie to my Mum, she told me she wanted this piece to wear to my wedding :'( Sigh, but it is made for me, not you MUM!!!

This is the second piece which I got from Parrot Bangkok. I will probably need to do some tailoring on the pants so that it fit me. This piece is influenced from the Thai Traditional costume. There is supposed to be an inner top but I prefer wearing it like this to show of my sexy shoulders.

By now, you would have observed that the Thai Designers love subtle details even for their simple, classic pieces. Check out the jagged edge at the chest area, a flap at the front of the pants and high-slits at the side of the arms (not visible in the photo)! In fact, after touring Zen a bit, I am hooked and I am looking forward to shopping more Thai Designer goods <3

I (or maybe my Mum -_-) will be wearing these pieces pretty often for the upcoming 'special event" in my life. So stay tune if you want more photos. :)

Food Tour Part 11: Best Western Food in West of Singapore

Food post again, cos despite the fact that I am supposed to be dieting, I am kinda of eating quite a lot, which also mean I have a lot of food photos. And what better way to use them then to share with you all :P

So this time, I compiled quite a few of ang-moh jiak aka Western food. Some of them are really yum and affordable!

1. Jack's Place

When I was a kid, I always remembered the western food served there to be extremely delicious and palatable, but pricey. And I think my impression of them stuck with me as I aged. So, I always think the they are kinda of expensive. And so, I always have their executive or student's meal (depending on the stage of life I am at).

To be fair, I think what you pay is what you get. The subsidised meal isn't as good but it is no doubt value for money. I guess now Jack's Place is now kinda of retro, given the pop up of more eateries in Singapore. But for nolstagic purposes, shall we bring it back in style? Go try it if you haven :D

2. Colbar

Speaking of retro, if you love retro stuff, you needa drop by Colbar. Colbar is located at the Wessex Estate and reminds me of a 70s school canteen. The food though looks unassuming is amazingly delicious. (The price is more of a cheap restaurant price with no air-con.) But it is totally worth coming if you live in the West.

The Wessex Estate houses a lot of pretty interesting eateries and is frigging gorgeous. And so, the BF and I were thinking maybe, just maybe we needa do a photoshoot there. Cos I am such a sucker of Colonial houses. :P

3. Yomenya Goemon

This was a surprise good find which I am extremely proud of. We were catching the Korean Culture Show at The Star and was desperately trying to find a meal fast. Didn't really wanted to be late. To be honest, I have been to Star Vista a few times and walked past the restaurant, thinking it was pretty meh.

Guess the loss is mine, cos serves amazing Jap-fusion Western food. And guess what the price is darn reasonable. However, the shop seems a little bit short-handed so please don't expect service to be perfect. Apart from that, I highly recommend this place.

Oh yea, and on that day, I tried out one of the fresh orange juice machines cos my Bro said the juice was really good and a good deal at S$2. The stupid me didn't know there were a few vendors and thought that it was a case of "inflation" and I got this at S$3. Tio scammed and it was not as nice. So guys, get the S$2 one! Haha~~

With that, go get your tummies filled and gain some worthy calories as I continue on with my worthless, meaningless "diet"! Argh!

Food Tour Part 10: Japanese Food at Town Area

I am going to do more food posts because I have so many photos in my phone that it is in a stage of "ridiculousness" (if there is even such a word) Hehe. This is a whole series on Jap food/ ramen. Guess I got a craving for it ... Hehe.

1. Ramen Gallery Takumen

We came here specially for the Special Fromage (Cheese) Ramen because I was telling the BF about the instant cheese ramen and offered to cook for him. Guess he doesn't like my cooking cos he whizzed me off for this cheese ramen which is interestingly good. But, I don't think it is something I will always have a craving for.

Actually it is hard to go wrong with ramen but my all time favourite is still Orchid Hotel and its branch at 100AM.

2. Hachi Tei

I love my raw salmons so I think I have quite a discerning tongue. And this is great with generous portion of salmon. Yum. I heard their other raw fish are great and very fresh. But, hehe, I picked salmon over them all.

They all feel like the fatty, belly part. Would highly recommend this place if you love sashimi bowls. The price is considerably affordable as it is a set meal. But the portion makes it feel like an ala-carte *drools as typing*

3. 100 AM Level 3

I decided to remain consistent and name it the same thing haha. Honestly, I dono whether they change, but their ramen taste exceptionally good the day I went. The BF felt the queue at my favourite Orchid Hotel's ramen store was too long so we settled for this. But it didn't feel like settling for second best.

Broth wise, it is fantastic but still doesn't beat the ramen at Orchid Hotel. But ingredient wise, I love the drumstick. I think I just prefer chicken over pork. Was wondering if I should do some research and give you the full name of the shop. Neh, for self-interest in keeping the queue short, you shall need to do some work yourself. :)

More food post coming up~~~in case you are not into Jap food.

Travel Log: 5 Must Eat at Yogyakarta

Yea, and now we will share the good food in Yogyakarta. If there is one thing I miss traveling with the BF, it is how he gets all his food well-planned. Yup, so for this trip since he didn't join, all the food were recommended by Bagus, our friendly driver.

Honestly, I don't even know whether is that even his name. Haha, cos he signs off as Bagus. But, is that his name or something like "Best regards". Bagus means best by the way in Malay. If you need the driver's contact, please don't hesitate to drop me an email :)

1. Mie Ongklok

I think if you have a savory tongue like mine, you would love this dish. The gravy of the noodles were thick, a little sweet and extremely yummy. It is nothing I have ever tasted before in Singapore. It was so good I wanted a second bowl. The beef satay were delicious as well, but nothing can outshine the noodles.

When we at the store, I see the locals enjoying this dish as well. The store front looks a bit run-down (the type you think you will laosai eating the food) But ya, it is worth the risk. I can't wait to go back and have it again.

2. Serba Sambal

The ambience was really good so I expected the food to be more pricey. But it isn't, because the portion is smaller. Most of the food we ordered were spicy and I thought I could take the spice. But guess I was wrong.

The sambal was seriously shiok. I literally cried as I ate and refuse to stop eating and crying because it was so good. After the meal, I thought I was even going to have fever. My whole was burning. Highly recommended for those who loves getting a kick!

3. Jejamuran

This is a mushroom restaurant, everyy frigging dish even their drinks are made of mushroom. I loved it so much I even wanted to franchise it. Too bad I don't have money haha. This place is 101% touristy. But the food is good, ambience is great and the price is extremely reasonable.

Plus you can even buy home some interesting looking mushroom snacks. My mum scolded me for not buying more. And if you are vegetarian, this is where you can graze in joy and not be sad that you are missing out on the fried chicken. By the way, these photos are ripped off the web cos I couldn't find mine.

4. Satria Restro

This is our very first meal that introduced us to Yogyakarta's land of saltiness. Haha. All the food we ordered were decent. My friends who were extremely crazy for the fried chicken ordered a second set. Basically, he ordered extra fried chicken at every meal stop (-_-)'''

This is en route to town. It is a bit touristy and the prices were abit steeper in comparison. But hey, you just got off a flight and you just want a nice good meal. This one actually fits that checklist. Plus it has a rural vibe to it. I took a lot of photos there. But the photographer sux so I look shit. :P

5. Street Food

In the town, you will see a street filled with food. A few days at Yogyakarta, you will realise the food is pretty much the same. We tried their Chap Chai, Fu Rong Egg (which I insisted could be different just named the same, but was proved very wrong), and realised that fried food suited our palette more than salty food.

So we ate a lot of friend chicken and fried fish. But I don't really like fish because of the bones so I always picked the chicken and sometimes sotong. You can go to any store at the street and experience a meal there. It even comes with good buskers. (Those 4 guys were literally the F4 of the streets haha.) By the way, you don't have to tip them if you don't want to.

Others

So our driver's wife made and treated us to this Braised Duck. It was so frigging good, one of the best I have tasted. The meat was tender and fresh. I really love it, maybe because it was made with love, that's why it tasted so good?

Another reason why you should get the number of our driver, he even treats you to yummy food. T.T

This is not exclusive to Yogyakarta and it can even be found in Singapore now. But yea, it just taste better when you are slurping it down in Indonesia. It is my brother's favourite and he insisted that this post won't be complete without a shout-out to it. So yea, take Teh Botoh!

Out of spite, I will also show you the worse meal I had on my trip. Yup, it was my in-flight "free" meal. The sandwich was so flaky and tasteless, you really needed that water to swallow it down. It was as bad as the Es Tape I had.

In fact, on my return flight. I refused to touch their food. My friends thought I refused flight food cos I was broke. But I made myself broke spurging last-min on massage and manicures because the "free" flight food made me think that even the paid in-flight food would be as bad.

And just in case you missed it, you can check out the must-go places in my previous post here. I can't wait to go for my next trip already!!

Wedding Talks: The perfect dolls

Lately, I think I have been stressed about the wedding. Haha. A lot of people say, I sound fine. But my face doesn't say so. Guess, procrastinating has taken its toll on me. Oopsy, poopsy.

But I am not stress about planning. I think I am a hell-fast of a planner. :D That's my key skill ya know - planning and scheduling. I just have this nagging doubt that you have got the best crew but things still mess up. But guess that's not anyone's fault isn't it?

On a lighter note, I wanted to share with you my wedding rabbits from Handmade with Love. This photo was from our last photoshoot which I edited myself (cos I think my skills is as good as his :P). This was the best photo from our "rabbit" photos. My only dis-satisfaction was my somewhat crooked pose.

Personally, I think he didn't get my "artistic direction" but he also had the concern of not dirtying the rabbits before the AD. But it is ok, I took a lot of photos of them indoors that I am dying to post. Hehe.

When I received the wedding rabbits, I was so surprised at how adorable they were. I expected them to be cute, but the kawaii level was beyond the photos by the sellers. And you know what, the level of details are insane.

My favourites are the blushes on the rabbits. And for the bride rabbit, the veil just makes everything perfect. <3 Although the wedding dolls are not a compulsory item on the list of wedding items, I feel silly saying and feeling this, but these rabbits make me feel that nothing can go wrong. #RabbitPower?!?

Just so you know, Handmade with Love do not just crochet wedding dolls, they also have designs that you may commission them for. I highly recommend them because apart from being affordable, their quality is top-notch. And from the details, you can really sense the effort the seller puts into her craft.

*Thumbs up* And the seller was also very kind to share with me some of her behind the scene photos so that you guys can also have a glimpse of her workstation! The donut piece looks super adorable! *Gush*

To end off, here's a bo-liao picture I made of my ideal reality. But of cos, sadly this is not the truth. BF holds the power in the relationship (I too 小鸟依人). The only power he gives me is a powerbank (>.<)

Tribal Textile Prints with gnibshopp

Sawadee Ka~~~Here's another post from the land of smiles. Quite honestly, I have been a bit dull in my fashion. But I really do enjoy a good challenge so I tried out some prints and in my own terms, I would say "more traditional Thai-textiles and design"!

I was surfing through gnibshopp and I really like how they incorporate the tribal prints into a more modern cutting. Generally, their clothes are mostly shapeless, and that was a problem cos I tend to look fat in them. But on a bright side, you can wear them even when you grow a bit rounder. hehe.

I love this top, the colourful dangling tuffs and contrasting design, I am always a sucker for the bohemian look.  But, usually I don't look that good in them despite my bias for them. When I first receive it, my feelings were a bit mixed. Honestly, I was a bit worried on how I am going to pull it off.

Generally, I like high-waisted stuff, cos it always force a shape and I think it work for the top as well. The checkered shorts (from Thailand too by the way) was a bit of a risk cos when you pair complicated +complicated, it becomes too messy on the eyes. But for this it works out fine.

And the earrings just completed the look. Without the earrings, there was just something not too right with the outfit. I would recommend you to get their earrings too if you are getting their apparels. Just so you know, the designs are not something you can get in Singapore.

For my second look, my accessories were plainer cos I wanted to go for a casual polished look. Okay la, the hairtie was not very fitting of the look :P Personally, I don't see myself wearing the hairtie again, not because of the quality or anything but cos it is not my style. But I will be saving it for my little girl in future. My Pearl Stars earrings are from Thailand too! (Read more about Rouge Jewelry here!)

My second look was the shapeless dress. I was quite in my zone cos I have a lot of similar pieces. Usually, a belt is the key to all shapeless dress. I super love this piece cos it is very simple (though it makes me have a mum-feel, think it is cos of my hairstyle) and the bells on it.

Yes, you heard me, they have bells!!! But they are not annoyingly loud and at crowded places you can barely hear them. It has a nice jingle and it is very addictive for me to shake and announce my presence (to my BF). He is not that much of a fan, but I am hooked! It is like free music!

I know it has been a while since I gone to my "Thai roots" but you know what I am so happy to be doing it again. I hope you are too because such posts are here to stay :)

Travel Log: Things to do at Yogyakarta

I went Yogyakarta last year, but I was really too busy to write them. But this trip was really memorable because I went with my uni friends. And it is really different from a grad trip, cos a grad trip always felt to me more like a mandatory social protocol. For all you know, half the people were only there cos they wanted to look like they "had friends".

So I guess a part of me was extremely heartened that I have friends that were willing to squeeze time for each other. At least I guessed we mattered and the relationship was not superficial. :P We had a longer stay than more tourists so we had the opportunity to go to more places of interest. And I can fairly say, I can now round up some Must-Go places.

1. Timang Beach 

This is definitely made famous by Running Man. And fortunately, we went there before Running Man step foot on this "secret haunt" I guess we got it cheap. A ride on the gondola only cost around SGD20. Basically, there is nothing much to do on the island. You are literally there to watch and be in awe of the waves.

Now, there is also another option - hanging bridge for you to reach the island. I think it only cost SGD 10 max. But my friends were too scared to walk across with me and I was to scared to do it myself. And so, I have added it to my to-do list when I come back.

Just so you know, Timang Beach is a little far out from Yogyakarta and you would also need to take a motorbike up, which is an equally thrilling ride. This is also where I was burnt by the motorbike exhaust and now have a scar (looks like my BF's symbol though) on my thigh. And, I didn't buy insurance. Guess, I am a true dare-devil.

2. Jomblang Cave

This is a place of enlightenment. I have no better way to describe this, when you see the light shining through the crack in the cave at noon, it really does make you believe in God. The moment is fleeting but very breathe-taking. Many people were doing the instagram-shots moments. But I dono why we chose to dress in our worse.

We only had a Go-Pro which I still have no idea how to use...Oops and some handphones. For any adrenaline junkie, this is a must-go because you get to descend down a cave and trek through some mud...to see a magnificent sight. Plus, it is not too far away from town. :)

3. Dieng

We weren't there for the sun-rise but apparently the sunrise here may beat the sight at Borobudur. To travel here, it is pretty far. I think we woke up at 3am. To catch sun-rise, we probably have to wake up, sorry I mean forget waking up just continue traveling at midnight. HAHA.

Personally, I like the village-tour with greens and all. But that is because I am a city girl and the closest I see to unripe vegetables and fruits are at supermarket. But if you are more worldly than me, you will enjoy the plateau and the sulphur springs. Do get a guide if you do not want to miss the bouncing grass patch and other interesting fun-facts.

I don't remember our rather good-looking guide being expensive. Plus, he speaks good English and is a great photographer for our group shots. And he is very energetic, so he brings our spirits up in spite of the little rest we had.

4. Borobudur

I didn't rank this too highly not because it is not as gorgeous as the world promises it to be, but simply because it is very touristy. And honestly, who will miss this? For me, I don't like too many random people in my shots and this was annoying because there was just too many people setting up tripod stand and blocking our good view.

There was barely any benefit in being the first to go up. Still, it is a place you have to visit at least once because the pictures didn't really capture its beauty. Plus, there were quite a few hunks that formed part of the great view. *winks* I guess I just wished I had a better phone up there. Iphone totally couldn't own any night.

5. Prambanan Temple

Another temple, but it is a Hindu temple so the architect is slightly different. In fact, I really like Prambanan Temple because there were more tiny spaces for you to explore. It does get a bit repetitive for the smaller monuments. But there is quite a few nice instagrammable places and the night view is awesome.

6. Merapi Jeep

Many travel blogs ranked this pretty high. But I thought it was a bit over-price and wasn't as cool as I expected it to be. Visiting the volcano ruins was one of the highlight in fact. The jeep ride was quite thrilling but after a while, the novelty sorts of die off.

It seems that every guide in Yogyakarta is eager to take photos for you. The jeep driver literally taught you how to pose and took many, many photos of us in every angle. I guess with that many photos, a few had to turn out well. But he also took his artistic direction a little bit too seriously. There were some shots which he insisted we had to take of...like some random field.(._.)"'

7. Tubing

This could have been more fun if the guide spoke English. Half the time, I am just slipping down on the rocks because of my lousy, cheapass slipper. Even when my friend helped me with my float and all I had to do was to keep my balance, I just kept tumbling down. In fact, I think I am lucky I didn't break my head or lose a tooth.

There was also the opportunity to jump from a waterfall. Part of me really wanted to do it. But because no one did it, I didn't too. Because...I guess I am no spring chicken and...I didn't buy insurance.

8. Snorkelling at Sadranan Beach

The tide was just too high when we were there so we didn't have a chance to snorkel. We saw some locals lying on the beach to be hit by the waves so followed suit...and we got washed away...nearly into the sea.

I think I was grabbing hold to another friend's leg, wondering if I will lost my gopro,my specs or maybe my life. One of my friends who couldn't swim got washed into the rocks. You know in movies and novels, they talked about the look of desperation. That was the look she gave when that happened. And after that, I think she lost half of her guts and her will for any adventures during the trip.

9. Flying Fox

It is not very expensive, but the view is average. I guess won't be too bummed even if I sat out on this one. It is apparently the longest zipline in SEA. But, considering they can't give you instructions in English, you may just lose a arm or 2. For me, I had a bad halt in the air. ;(

*10. Sky Swing

We didn't go for this. Our guide only introduced this to us on the last day. So, this is going to my to-do list and possibly when I re-visit Yogyakarta, I will revise this list :D

**Note: I think I lost my GoPro videoes. Shit, I thought I was scared when I was nearly washed away at Sadranan Beach. But I am scared now too. Sigh, definitely going to get scolded by my friends for losing videos. (T_T). 

Couple Shots at Bedok

We are now traveling further and wider. Hope you guys haven't been wondering why there is a "lack" of quick content. That is because we are now doing more shoots. And I guess shoots take a little more time, especially if we want to show you guys something good.

For people who live in the East, you will be happy to know, this was taken in Bedok. Honestly, I am not familiar with the area. I wanted to go for a school theme. So we actually took some shots in a school, but some didn't turn out that well. Oh wells...Maybe, I should have just taken those shots in my own school...goodness.

By now, we have learnt that photography comes with hit and misses. The more the number of people, the harder it is to take a good shot. Sometimes the BF look crap, other times I look shit. But with practice, we have gotten pretty good hit rates. :P

By far, this is one of our grassiest shots (aka we laid down on quite a lot of grass spots) and my shortest skirt shot to date. Heng I wore shorts underneath. Hehe. One of the more interesting photo we managed to snap was this at Bedok Reservoir. I really like the grass-beside-water feel shots. But FYI, I got a bit of grass rash after. #SacrificeForArt

And check out some of my favourite shots this weekend. We played with a bit of shadow, symmetry and I love the head-grass shots. Our photographer is not much a traveller. So if you live in the East and is looking for some fast shots, do contact him here.

Kitten Cropped Sweatshirt is from Style Orphic <Quote "ForFunk" and you will get an additional 10% off their items> and makeup using Girl Power from SukkixLASplash (Read my review on their lippies here!) Hope you enjoy the post, there are more varied posts coming out soon!