Lessons learnt in Bangkok

Like I mentioned in my last post, we made really bad decisions when it came to food (guess cos BF is not here, I just screwed up this haha!) So here's a compiled list of what we did right and not-so-right and perhaps you can learn a trick or 2 reading this.

Mistake 1: We went for dinner instead of brunch at Roast.

Everyone was raving about this place, saying they needa go there twice, trice. And I was like geez, the food is average. The price is definitely more exp than normal Thai food. And it is kinda out of the way. What on earth is this hype?!? And then I realise everyone was raving about the BRUNCH. Oh wells, next time.

Mistake 2: Shopping at Union Mall first instead of Platinum Mall

We went only to Platinum Mall only on the last day cos I was told Union Mall sells "better stuff". (Thanks N, I believed you for 2 trips T.T) Oh yea, ended up finding the better stuff at Platinum mall, SGD8 cheaper. Was told to just pretend I ate something for SGD8. But I can't, I can't...I just can't let go.

Was told off by my friends that you bought S$100++ designer stuff, what is SGD8?!? I just care about the small, micro things/ savings in life. Hmph! And by the way, Platinum Mall serves the best fries. Yum!

Mistake 3: Having Breakfast at Kuang Heng

We saw the long queue and decided to have this for breakfast and this possibly could be the worse decision/ food choice ever. It is just yucky. Never knew chicken rice could go so wrong. The soup tasted like dishwasher, the meat was tasteless, the rice was not as fragrant as what we had in Singapore. The toast and milk tea was overly sweet. Absolutely zero redeeming factor, good thing we had one to share.

Was told by my friends to do the world a favour and broadcast how shitty this is. Yucks! And now for the good stuff *winks* to end off on a good note.

Good Job 1: Going for massage twice

This made us a lot poorer. But yea we went for massage twice in our 4D3N, even upping our budget for the second one. It was so so shiok and it made us kinda of addicted to massage for a while HAHAHA. But it was the best decision cos my feet were so damn tired with all the walking and shopping. And we highly recommend Healthland - Asoke.

It is a little more exp than what you find on the streets. But you get to be pampered, for the price of a neighbourhood massage in Singapore. Thumbs up, well done!

Good Job 2: Eating Mango Sticky Rice everyday

Don't think this place has a stall name, but the mangoes here are absolutely divine. We had mango sticky rice - warm, cold and even the smoothie. Everything was naturally sweet and affordable too. I love it so much I even thought of franchising it in Singapore. Had so much good mangoes, I am off it for a while. Yums! Do try them while you are there.

 Good Job 3: Dining at Asiatique

Personally, I thought Asiatique was quite a boring place. Yes, it is beautiful and all. But nobody really shops there, and even if you see anything you like, you know you are going to get slaughtered if you walk in. Sigh. But it is really a nice place to chill. And we had one of our best meals here.

Following Google's recommendation, we had Ko Dang Talay and this time Google got it right. Cos it is one of the most satisfying, belly-bursting meals we had in Bangkok. The price is around S$30 per pax. I can't wait to go back next time with the BF so that we can get to enjoy this together and maybe catch a Muay Thai match since he is crazy about their matches lately.

 Neutral 1: Staying at Pratunam Hotel

This one is a little more contentious cos this hotel is amazing. The thing is do you need such excessive luxury. The first 2 nights we stayed in the suite, it had so much space and even a vanity table. This hotel even came with a pool which I never used. We downgraded ourselves on the last day to a normal room.

But because we were "skilled negotiators", we managed to get it upgrade to some more premium but less luxurious. We had the great showers without the excessive space. :P And it came with free breakfast - full international spread. Maybe I will stay here again? I dono. At least the place is convenient and located in a safe, populated streets for an all-ladies gang. :P

A night to remember at Calypso

Okay, I guess this is what everyone has been really waiting for. Haha, the pets are cute and all but everyone only wants to know the nasty and queer...which I would have to disappoint you guys. The ladyboys are in fact nice and rather normal.

This time round, I managed to catch Calypso. It has been on my bucketlist for the longest time and the only reason why it did not come to fruition on my last trip was because le BF forbids and thought it is just to weird.

But guess my friends are more open and progressive so we gamely cross the sea (yea right) to make time for the "ladies". For those who are expecting some R21 bridal hen party sort of shit, this is pretty PG and is nothing more than a cabaret show.

For around S$70, you get a free drink and a great show (of course don't expect it to be of LA standard, more star cruise performance standard). There was quite a lot of singing and dancing in different languages. And guess what, it was full-house attendance that day. Extremely glad we managed to get great seats because of my highly polite and "fluent" Thai.

Most of the time throughout the show, I was mainly confused. I just couldn't decide at the end of it who was a lady, guy (are the guys straight?) or a ladyboy? At the end of it all, I figured out I don't have to be confused if I don't put a gender label on anyone. This sounds so silly, but I felt I grew up after watching this performance.

I am happy for them that they have a decent job that earns them a good income. What they are doing to themselves is probably unnatural but who am I to comment considering I have never been an oppressed minority in any form of thought? So I came out being a better and more open-minded young lady :)

Also, I came to the realisation my figure sucks and I should really put more effort into maintaining myself. #Whenguysdoesitmatter. I bet those ladies are jeering at me at my wobbly fats and messy hair. Oops

Just a teaser of what you will expect during the show. I do think it is an interesting experience to catch them. There's really nothing much on Asiatique apart from the good food we had. (Maybe cos we made bad food choices during our trip. Sigh!)

Bangkok Cafe Hopping: Little Zoo Cafe

Sorry about it guys, I had been very busy with "adulting problems". I will just share with you guys something more cheerful...aka my Thailand travels during this tiring period okay, just too brain-drain to come out with something creative.

The last time I went to Bangkok, I went to the Cat Cafe (read my post here) and it was a ball of fun. So this time, I brought my gals to Little Zoo Cafe, which many of you may have heard of already. And it did not disappoint. Just so you know, most of our photos from the trip came from there. Hahaha.

For a small fee, less than S$15 for sure, you get a pair of free socks, a drink and dessert (or toy) and unlimited amount of free time with the animals. For such novelty places in Singapore, the food sold would normally be bleh. But the cafe food in Bangkok always surpass all expectations whether in presentation, taste or price. :P

I actually had a hard time picking the desserts and the toy (wooden spoon or plates) cos they were pretty adorable in their own way. But...room cleaning is driving me crazy back at home and I told myself I can't deal with any more of such shit. haha. So I picked food! Yum!

Apart from the usual cats and dogs (mainly corgis and chiawawas), you get hedgehogs (which is so gentle and cute), giant rabbits (impossible to carry), foxes and other wildlife which names slipped out of my brain...oops. Haha.

We arrived around evening time so most of the animals were lethargic by then. I definitely did not catch as many number of animals as they promised online. But the cats and dogs were enough to keep me busy. The chiwawas in particular, I never knew they had so much energy!

My favourite animal was the brown chiwawa I had on my lap. If you ever go to Little Zoo Cafe, it has boundless energy (like me) chasing and barking at everything it sees. It took me a while to tame it and it fell asleep on my lap. awww <3 Less photos with everything I guess.

The hedgehog was really cute as well but I am a little bit scared that it may fall and die or prick and injure me. But among the wild, prohibited pets, this prickly one was definitely my favourite, and when it sneezed (yes it sneezes), it was just so adorb watching its needles do a fan dance. <3

Highly recommended cafe. To Mum who is reading this, I did not bring home lice!!! Now it is just time for a real pet!!!

Chug Subscription is back!

Wedding planning is one hell of a stress, even for a simple, fuss-free one. :( So last week, I was badly in need of a drink. And guess what, Chug, the lifestyle drinking pass is back!

And boy am I glad, for just a monthly subscription of SGD9.90, you can get 5 free drinks per month while a SGD19.90 subscription will get members one free drink each day of the month. Super value for money if you are a hell of a drinker.

The good news is Chug is rather easy to use and if you and your friends enjoy checking out new nightspots in town, this is a pretty good app to have in your phone. The sober me did some quick calculation and I quickly concluded that this app is not just for yourself.

Cos it is just too boring to drink alone. Bleh. So I am sharing this promo code with you. Quote "WANDA5556" and you can get S$5 off your first month. So that's like S$4.90 for 5 drinks. Less than a dollar for a drink, that's a steal. :)

And more good news, a good many of the listed vendors are in town area. Yea to working execs. However, the list is not exactly that long in the moment but I expect it to grow longer. For those who are looking for pre-party rave drinks,Chug doesn't quite fit the bill cos you can at max have one free drink a day. 

You can't do pub-hops as well. But I hope that will change one day because pub hops are fun! And with that, enjoy your drinks and cheap thrills!

What have I been up to?

Hey guys, so the lucky me received an invitation to Pu Tien's Sketching Workshop by James Ek. Pu Tien's food was as good as I remembered. No photos here on the food here this time round, cos there were so many people and I didn't want to be a weirdo, snapping photos of food and drawing attention to myself. Gasp. Haha. But you can read the food review here.

It has been a very stressful week for me this week so this sketching lesson really came at the right time. I am not a very good drawer, but I think I did pretty well in pencil sketching (you can compare it to my Dad's photo hehe), but less so in colouring (partially cos I gotten a bit bored). Now that I am older, I think I understand myself better.

I just can't do things that make me sit there too long, drags too long or is somewhat repetitive. But thank God, Teacher James was pretty patient. He was okay when I chose to draw it "my way" and "my style" but guess I have to live with it when it turns out badly. :P

Best of all, I got my own handy-dandy set of drawing tools so that I can continue pursuing this interest. This is great because I did somewhat enjoy drawing, but I know myself, I would be too lazy to drag myself to buy a set of exact same tools to replicate the skills I have learnt.

So I am pretty glad they generously provided us the whole set. And, maybe I will one day become a renowned sketcher. Hehe. Please support ok when the day comes!

Custom Gifts with Printicious

Lately, I have been surfing the line a lot on customised stuff, partially because the wedding is coming. And I came across this pretty dope website - Printicious. If you stay in Singapore or Malaysia, you are in luck because Printicious ships to both countries. Hurray!

So what's special about the Printicious is the plethora of items they are selling. I was at their website looking for potential wedding deco and found a myriad of other items which could be customised - baby products, household deco etc. Wow.

Initially, I thought the Ceramic Tiles and Photo Rocks would make great wedding deco. But the "quote" version made them so good for the house. So, now I am wondering if I should get wedding button badges and magnets or even coasters for some of our guests?!?

My bro was quick to tell me having my face on the fridge or coffee table is just weird. Making people pin my face on your jackets or dresses was just pure narcissistic. But, words would be fine...

And because some of my friends are having/ had kids, I ventured to the baby's corners as my Bro was dishing advice as the "rather unwanted" wedding planner and I came across the cutest clothes ever. Just so you know, Printicious also carry customisable Baby Rompers and Mini Tees all under one website.

Maybe it is just me, but kids wearing clothes of their inner monologues are like so darn cute. And I love the amount of colours they have :P But my Bro stepped in again and to told me I can get them next time...when I am pregnant. Now, I should just focus on the wedding.

But Printicious just had too much choices and the cap caught my eyes too. There is just something for anyone at any stage of your life. It is just so easy to get distracted. Plus everyone needs a cap right? Plus their products are pretty reasonably priced, making everything look so attractive for purchase. Sigh.

While I am here pouting and making up my mind, I thought I should just share this with you first in the meanwhile. If you are looking for button batch for college,colour mug or button badges,don’t forget to contact them. Or if you have any upcoming birthday party and would like to impress your guest, photo booth rental is your best entertainment...(Yes, they also do photobooth!)

Casually Chic with Pim Predee

Since my post on Parrot Bangkok, it seems to have garnered some interest on Thai Designers and some of you have asked for more affordable or casual looks. Some of you with a keen eye would be aware of this series - Made in Thailand where I introduced some of the Thai designer products (may not be clothes I have written on).

This series stemmed from my love for anything Thai. Don't be shocked but I do listen to Thai shows and watch Thai movies. My Thai kinda of sux so I am still relying on translations and I can't read the Thai words at all. Nit Noy Puut Thai.

If you like something more casual, let me introduce you a brand I recently came across (and has fallen in love with) - Pim Predee. Generally, this brand is very my style. Cos, there is something quirky about it. My "apron dress" came from the Spring Series. I call it the apron dress cos the cutting and pockets really remind me of an apron haha.

If you know me personally, I have a lot of dresses of this cutting. What I love about this piece is that, it is still rather down-to-earth because of the colour combination but still screams "notice me". (Note: They also have a more colourful and cheerful colours mix.) This is making me wanna get the whole series. OMFG!

Because I was kinda of lazy, I worked out a set completely based on Pim Predee's pieces. The Violet Bow Sleeve Top is a little too big for me. (I think I slimmed down already, Whee) But, it still looks good as over-sized fashion. And you know what, I love the sheer details on the sleeves and the V-neck details. The top is really comfy and fits me to a Tee.

The Drape Pants honestly is a little more confusing. By right, the flap should be worn in front. But, I like it better when it is worn the other way round. And because I have a thicker bottom, it does make me look a little tubby haha. My Mum suggested putting on a belt.

Maybe it is just me who doesn't know how to pull off the drape pants. But these pants are pretty in, in the land of Thai. (Maybe everyone should have a piece!) On a separate note, the Drape pants were made of a tweed-like material so it may be a bit coarse. Do check out Pim Predee for other styles, I am sure what you will love what they have to offer. Meanwhile, I will just continue being a Pim Predee model <3

Planning a surprise: Success

This time round for the BF's bday, I tried to plan a surprise for the BF. Even though I was overseas and very busy, I still made the effort to plan. For that I give myself a 10 out of 10. And this was also when I realise how tough it was to be a guy. The time you needed to spend to coordinate between the different vendors. OMG

I planned so much until I was thinking, will BF think that this is a proposal?!? HAHAHAHA!

First, we went to Keong Saik Bakery to collect BF's bday cake. I swear this is now my favourite cake shop. It has so much special flavours. And best of all, you can pick a size suitable for your party guest. As you can see, the cake is a bit smaller than usual, but also, it is cheaper than the normal cakes!

The baker is also best sia. I wanted to give BF a surprise and he took the cake out to show me what he wrote on it >.< So much for a surprise. Haha, but at least he rushed the cake out for me. Also had a breakfast set there while waiting for the cake. In my opinion, just buy ala-carte, the buns and coffee are yummy. The eggs are too over-cooked for my liking :P

By a stroke of pure good luck, I came across La Bussola, which serve awesome affordable vegetarian food. The ambience was so perfect as well and I think because I booked early, we had the best seat, overlooking the Wessex scenery outside. <3

All the food we ordered that day was yum (and it was just slightly above S$100?!?)

1. Sformato Di Bieta (Tuscan Pie with chard and leeks) - S$16
2. Soup of the day - S$15
3. Lagsana ai Fungji (handmade lasagna with mix mushroom and tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese) - S$18
4. Funghi Alla Cacciatora - S$22
5. Dessert - Oops I forgot to take a photo of the menu >.<

For the price-point, the chef even came out to introduce his restaurant and his dishes. (Wow, super luxe feel) And for BF's bday, the waitress and chef even did something special for him. Nice :D

Psss, their snack, the potato skin is totally delicious. I am going to try making my own too! (which probably won't taste as nice!) And if you are coming as a couple, you can get the waitress to pre-split the serving into 2. I am not sure if this can be done in a bigger group.

But yea, I love La Bussola. This place is so special I don't want to share it. But BF insisted I had to do a shout-out for them cos they deserve it! So here goes, Bday Boy reign supreme on his special day :P