Bye Bangkok!

No one's gonna hurl stones at me for airport privileges. After all I'm no Minister, politician or anyone significant whose private expenditure is a matter of public interest and scrutiny. :P However, it is very nice to be able to queue at stations with shorter lines at many airports.

Trips to Bangkok are always fun. I know the city well, yet I'm still a stranger. There's always something new to discover about it. I can either hang out downtown and avoid the big malls or stay in the suburbs to check out the food, or get out to its surrounding towns and markets for a slower urban pace.

There're hundreds of reasons to be in the city at any one time. Most of all, it's to catch up with friends near and dear who live in the city or who happen to be flying through or simply in town on business for a few days. This trip, I even had time to pop into the pilates studio thrice.

Byeeeeee Bangkok. I never know when I'm coming over, but it's never a hassle to hop in at short notice. That's the best part of being a 2.5-hr flight away. See ya in a few months or next year. Don't let the streets break out into violence in August.

Gaggan :: Bangkok

Small bites to eat with hands, and a forest scape of 'Magic Mushroom'.

Was wondering for the longest time whether to head out for one fancy non-Thai meal downtown. I'm reluctant to eat anything non-Thai when simply visiting for a short time. However, it got us at 'progressive Indian cuisine'. Caved and sat down for a long dinner at much-hyped Gaggan.

The restaurant is on Soi Langsuan. It is a monumental pain getting there though, unless you take the 9pm seating when traffic eases up. The most convenient way to get there is via BTS Chidlom station. Get off, walk through and out of Mercury Ville mall and 10 minutes down to Hotel Muse, cross the road and walk another 10 minutes to turn right into the alley to restaurant. In the not-to-be-underestimated Bangkok dust, heat and fierce humidity, that means- no fancy clothes or heels.

Sited in a charming old house, diners are tucked away in little corners over two levels, and people could have conversations in some sort of privacy. This meal takes three hours. So you might not want to go to bed at midnight with a full stomach. We took the 6pm seating. The man chose the usual degustation menu of meats. I requested for a vegetarian menu.

The wine list didn't interest us, the gin did. It's Bangkok's locally distilled small-batch Iron Balls. There's a distinct scent of lemongrass, ginger and Indian cinnamon. The man asked for cucumbers and lime in one glass, and lime and lemongrass in his second. Took mine as plain ole gin and tonic with lime. A perfect foil to the food, methinks.

The kitchen must be staffed by a small army! They definitely have many chefs de partie. Food was served quickly at well-timed intervals. In a nutshell, we think that Gaggan does stunning small bites (using hands to eat them). Its mains are less impressive, although the layers of spices and flavors are just as flawlessly executed.

Meat and vegetarian menus are largely the same. In this iteration, in its dizzying array of small bites, the pork vindaloo is swopped out for banana flowers vindaloo; khakra eel sandwich and uni sundae became khakra garlic pumpkin and mango sweet potato sundae. LOVED the yoghurt explosion and edible plastic spiced nuts. Absolutely winning and they're too cute.

'Charcoal' in its mysterious form of a lump.

The presentation of the dishes was as expected of a restaurant of this reputation. Beautifully done. Although I rolled eyes at the 'smoke in the bell jar' (so clichéd!) when they presented their first dish after the small bites. They named it 'Charcoal', literally presented as a black lump. It was meant to be a surprise meat. Diners were supposed to guess the mystery ingredients.

Mine isn't meat and instead held potatoes and mashed peas with spices. Easy to guess. We were certain that the meat was a fish of sorts. Rolled my eyes even more when we said "fish" to our server and I repeated it in Thai, and he said "no, not fish", and three minutes later, he said it was seabass. -_- DOHHH. *put on the Singlish accent* SEABASS NOT FISH THEN WHAT?

The next dish 'Magic Mushroom' was great. Forest mushrooms beautifully plated within a 'log' resting on edible soil. Very hard for me to fault mushrooms.

'Red Matcha'.

The course named 'Red Matcha' was dramatic. Hahaha. Chefs de partie came out to perform a 'Japanese tea ceremony'. We were invited to eat the wagashi of tomatoes and fruits while they whisked up the 'tea'. Except the 'matcha' was red because it was hot tomato shorba which was really delicious. (Shorba is North Indian; rasam is South Indian.)

Our first set of mains was rather average. They came as tandoori lamb chops, and tandoori morels; both plates were decorated with an elaborate rangoli made of sweet potato. The man has had way better tandoori lamb chops. The second set of mains came in cute tiffin carriers. Loved the extra long basmati rice. The man didn't think much of his chicken kofta curry and minced lamb masala. I thoroughly enjoyed the vegetarian mains of paneer malai kofta curry and ghar ki dal. Both were were superb. I was totally stuffed at this point, but I found space to slurp up the carbs.

I was completely uninterested in the desserts. I was too full, and I mostly don't care about sugar. Heh. Poked at the plated dessert-scapes and left them alone. Frankly, they were rather mediocre. The man merrily took his share and more.

Imho, the vegetarian menu made more of an impression. The man was stealing big spoonfuls of my curries! We don't have an Indian restaurant in Singapore offering such an experience. (The Song of India and Rang Mahal don't count) Gaggan does it well. I liked it. What a lovely meal.

ข้าวแช่

After being reminded of khao chae (ข้าวแช่) in cavalock's post, I marked it out to have it for lunch somewhere. It's a dish of iced porridge- rice grains soaked in water and ice cubes. I didn't manage to get to the restaurant he went (Klang Soi at Sukhumvit 49, ห้องอาหารกลางซอย), but hopped into another one 500m down the road- Lai Rod Restaurant (หลายรส).

We had khao chae, but the table was greedy and ordered other items too. Including khao phad (fried rice) and phad thai (fried kway tiao)! Dunno why everybody wanted carbs. Hahaha. Probably because we had an awesome workout in the morning and required some solid replenishments. Luckily the portions weren't big. Very manageable. Couldn't resist ordering the 'black egg with ginger'. Century eggs lor. This restaurant's ox-tongue stew was delicious. Its yum tua pluu wasn't too bad either. :P

Khao chae appears on some traditional restaurant menus during summer months April to June. But it's so sizzling hot in Bangkok that Lai Rod Restaurant does it whole year round.

It's the preparation of the rice that takes some effort. Scents and essential oils need to be infused into the water, then the kitchen has to cook several pots of the accompanying condiments and side dishes. Upon eating, please don't throw everything into the bowl of rice and water. Eat them separately. The condiments and dishes are not to be mixed into the iced bowl.

Unfortunately I'm not fond of the flower-scented water and rice. I dislike floral scents, especially rose and jasmine. Ugh. I bear with it because the accompanying dishes are usually delicous. These side dishes and condiments typically comprise stuffed shallots, stir-fried pickled Chinese turnips (chye poh!!!), raw mango, spring onions, deep-fried shredded sweetened beef or pork, and kapi balls of shrimp paste, et cetera. Quite the standard happy Asian porridge condiments. 

Lai Rod Restaurant

120/4-5, Sukhumvit Soi 49, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 

T: +66 2 391 3193

Hours: 11am to 10pm

หลายรส

120/4 ซอยสุขุมวิท49 ถ.สุขุมวิท 49 แขวงคลองตันเหนือ Bangkok 10110, Thailand

Coffee Issues

The familiar old-style coffeeshop churning out dependable thick local Thai coffee.

After having that lousy Americano (or long black) instead of the expected super thick kopi-o-kosong at a Ya Kun, I felt so cheated. It was a good Americano, but I wanted that gao-gao local kopi like how Ya Kun Singapore does it. :( Toast Box in Bangkok seems more dependable for this local kopi fix. Hmmmmpf.

There're fewer issues with iced black coffee though. It's just normal-sweet or less sweet. Order an oo-liang (โอเลี้ยง) and it's pretty much thick and satisfying. Oo-liang generally means iced black coffee; it can come with or without milk, but it's usually with milk. But I'm not an iced-coffee person. I like it hot. It's the hot coffee that's the problem. People have all sorts of different definitions for it. Realized that I need to order it as "oo-liang, black, hot, no sugar (โอเลี้ยง, สีดำ, ร้อนไม่มีน้ำตาล)", and hope I don't get smacked.

Glad to have been able to get many other cups of decent local coffee, done in the same style as my dependable and familiar kopi-o-kosong and kopi-o-siu-dai.

However, some of the local old-school coffeeshops add butter to their kopi-o! You could see those oil globules float! ARRRGHHH. NO NO NO. I've sadly kena a few cups of that. Couldn't even drink beyond two sips.

However, I don't quite want a thick local coffee first thing in the morning. Don't mind those hip cafes, but I tend to avoid all Instagram-popular stops. I linger at this little Hobbyist Cafe at Charoenkrung early in the mornings for my first coffee of the day... an Americano. :P Somehow I really like their brew.

Never tried the food, so dunno if it's decent. There're fewer hip cafes and many local eateries around this area to occupy casual diners. Also, I didn't ask if they have wifi. I assume they do though. Most cafes offer complimentary wifi. I'm not here long enough to have to work on the macbook in the mornings, and I have a SIM card with generous data allocated. It's a nice quiet place to chill out for a bit before going about the business of the day.

Dessert at Sam Chuk Market

The friends are dessert fiends and we had to round over to the many dessert stalls at Sam Chuk Market (ตลาดสามชุก). I wasn't going to eat them all. Most stalls offered tasting portions, and samples. Since the friends were buying, those were sufficient for me to take a bite just to see how the different desserts tasted.

Spotted intriguing flower crackers/cookies at Baan Mae Noi (บ้านแม่น้อย). Most crackers are made of flour, coconut milk, egg yolk, butter, salt and sugar made into different shapes. This one was intriguing- khanom dok jok (ขนมดอกจอก, lotus flower cookie). Freshly deep fried in a pot of oil, each piece was draped over tiny tea cups to dry and form its shape of a bouncy flower.

Khanom Dok Jok (ขนมดอกจอก).

One cannot do without water in this heat. My water bottle is of no help as it's not chilled. Ice cubes are awesome. Bought drinks instead. Easily downed a bottle of cold water. That certainly felt good. There're also chilled sugar cane drinks. You could choose to have them in a plastic cup, or pay a little for the 'novelty' of drinking it from a cup made from sugarcane. Oof. But all their drinks are wayy too sweet. What's up with this crazily sweet tooth Thais have??!! Had to dilute the sugarcane juice with water.

Stopped by Khun Aor Khanom Khay Plaa (ขนมไทยไข่ปลาคุณอ้อ). The stall sells a rarely seen Thai dessert- khanom khay plaa (ขนมไก่ปลา, fish egg sweets). It looks like golden fish eggs, but it's blobs of sugar palm fruit or taro with shredded coconut. Khun Aor herself only tends to the stall on weekends. It's surprisingly not too sweet! I suppose it's closer to a savory snack. I liked it! We bought quite a few boxes to-go and ate two boxes on-the-spot.

Khun Aor Khanom Khay Plaa (ขนมไทยไข่ปลาคุณอ้อ)

ตลาดสามชุก :: Sam Chuk Old Market

ตลาดสามชุก | Sam Chuk Market | 三烹百年老噠叻.
The signboard is a mix of Thai and Mandarin, especially the last two words ‘噠叻’,
which sounds out to 'talaat', i.e 'market' in Thai. 

Drove two hours out northwest to Suphan Buri's Sam Chuk Market (ตลาดสามชุก) that sits on the banks of Tha Chin River (แม่น้ำท่าจีน). It was a trading post for the Central Region back in 1800s. Today, it's a UNESCO acknowledged day market that closes by 5pm. It's a century-old Chinese riverside community that has been preserved for both local and foreign tourists.

The market is made up of four main streets and slightly fewer than 200 two-storey wooden shophouses. There're private houses turned museums that one could wander in for a look. What's most interesting is that most of the stalls' owners live right there. It's their houses and shopfront all at the same time.

Despite the blistering heat and crazy perspiration, it was a very pleasant stroll because there weren't heavy crowds! The small market is known for its meatballs, fishballs, roasted and braised duck, as well as roasted and barbecued pork. There're many stalls selling dried fish too.  LOTS OF FLIES BUZZING AROUND. It's also known for its many traditional Thai desserts that other provinces don't have. Those desserts will have to be talked about in a separate post.

There're a few shops selling fishballs and porkballs, and of course with noodles and prawns or pork or both. But they also have those in a packet or on a stick as snacks. Sizes of balls come in small, big and gigantic! The gigantic ones are bigger than my face!!! Ask the stallholders which ones contain pork and which ones are fish. The fishballs were quite amazing! Lightly grilled and drizzled with chilli, I inhaled three sticks at a go. I have a weakness for nicely kneaded balls. Ate another three sticks five minutes later. No regrets.

We meandered through the tiny streets looking at the old school shops and old-style wooden houses. Because of the Chinese heritage, these houses, decor and random stuff are really familiar, and honestly, identical to those in Vietnam's Huế and Hội An. Looked at the old maps of the area, and the layout of the godowns and such are pretty similar to what Singapore's Boat Quay and Clarke Quay used to be.

Avoided all the stalls selling stupid t-shirts and clothes, stuffed toys and silly accessories. These things totally kill the vibes. Those selling colorful tiffin carriers and kitchenware aren't too bad. There were glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in lotus leaves. Heh. Passed on those too.

Then we spied steamed bamboo shoots. One of my favorite snacks! I like savory snacks leh. Happily bought a packet to munch. Dip them in the various choices of chilli paste available. Perfect. The store sold plenty of that. I bought a few bottles of those chilli paste. I want to taste them, then re-create them at home.

We even managed to find stomach space for like a sit-down lunch from the street stalls in front of an old-fashioned kopitiam Raan Café Tarue Song (ร้านกาแฟท่าเรือส่ง, literally translated into 'the coffeeshop by the pier'). It was stifling hot but I couldn't resist having a hot Thai coffee. Not into iced coffees or cold brews at all. This is properly kopi-o kosong. Mmmm.

At the duck stall Ped Yang Ja Cherd (เป็ดย่างจ่าเฉิด), the grandmother chopping up ducks was fantastic. She did it for hours and probably day after day after day. Wow. That arm strength needed to do so... o.O Two types of duck- roasted and braised, and from the other stall that sells pork and roast meats, two types of pork- barbecued and roasted. Washed them down with shared plates of rice and soda water. Happiness.

The Layers of Humans

I really like Rebecca Lee's 'Bobcat and Other Stories'. The seven short stories pack a punch, and she fills so many emotions in such a limited space. Nuanced and layered, the author also managed to weave history and politics into these stories that revolve around college, and references to Saskatchewan and Canada. (Reviews here, here and here.)

The very first story is titled 'Bobcat'. Full of strange malice within a Manhattan dinner party. In it, the bobcat is both metaphorical and physical for the pregnant protagonist of the story who as host, is privy to the undercurrents of the relationships at her dinner party of seven included herself and her husband John, and at the end, her own marriage crumbles.

Then there's the oddly riveting story 'Min'. It tells of American girl Sarah Johnson whose best friend is a Hong Kong guy, Min Leung. She goes with him to Hong Kong in the summer of 1989. Min's father Albert Leung, has tasked her to sift through profiles and arrange for interviews in order to find a wife for Min. Said potential wife and Min would marry the following summer. Somehow, the Vietnamese refugee crisis is mentioned along Albert Leung's job and political appointment to manage this crisis. Then there's the present day South China Sea crisis.

A few women I could write off immediately. Some seemed too passive, others had a hostile edge, and a fair number actually asked me not to choose them, because they were doing this only to please their mothers and fathers. Most of the women I genuinely liked. One woman was so lovely that my heart skipped the moment she entered the room. One woman was unbearably funny; I met her twice, and both times I was reduced to tears of laughter. A few were such extreme overachievers at such a young age that I interviewed them very carefully, with my own motives, looking for clues, secrets of personality. But usually my personality sketches, compared with the grandmother's, were vague and dull—"Seems nice, dignified, beautiful, articulate." 

The only time I was able even to approach the grandmother's divination and intuition was when I described my new friend Rapti to myself. Not Chinese, I thought, but Filipino. Possesses strong heart. Loves a just God, and children. Industrious. Lives in apricot light.

The other story I really enjoyed is 'World Party'. In this story, a World Party is a "Quaker alternative to Halloween; all the children dressed up as characters from history or books or their own imagination, while the parents laid out food before them in a great banquet, the theme being that everyone, every last person, is invited to the banquet." The protagonist Justine's seven-year-old son Teddy is part of the World Party. In the adult's parallel universe, it means such a different thing. Justine is a professor of Roman Antiquity at the university and sits on a Faculty Hearings Committee this fall of 1981 where protests run rampant, and she and her colleagues need to decide (through a vote) whether to let the economics professor Stewart Applebaum continue as the advisor of protest group Harvest especially when they are starting a hunger strike.

The one sermon I'd never heard and needed now, needed every day of Teddy's life, was regarding Abraham and Isaac. But who can bear it? Who could bear to speak of it —Abraham, one of the kindest, most soulful characters in the Bible, being asked to carry his beloved only child, Isaac, up Moriah, where the child would be sacrificed. The story is made doubly terrifying because of Isaac's innocence and trust in his father. But the Bible is clear; children will have a destiny, and they will have a mountain, and all you can do is accompany them with the terrible knowledge of all the difficulties they will encounter. They skip beside you, or in Teddy's was, they walk carefully through the wildflowers, dreaming of infinity.  

So at the end of the day, with Teddy beside me, I slipped a little yes vote into the mailbox. Everybody would just have to live with that.

Two Thai Patriotic Ballads

So we know that Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha wrote two songs to kinda uhh stir unity within the country. Apparently there's an unspoken rule to play these songs on television and on air once every top of the hour.

Being in a car going in and out of Bangkok means sometimes we switch to radio for the news, traffic updates and stuff. That means, we all heard the two songs for like five times a day. -_- The first song written in 2014 'Returning Happiness to the People' is so similar to this super popular Thai love ballad back in the day.

Unwittingly, even I can sing them now, especially the recently released second patriotic ballad titled "เพราะเธอคือประเทศไทย". (The song title translates into 'Because You Are Thailand'; link to youtube.) The Thai PM penned this too. The fact that it's written into a pop melody and being 'forced' to listen to it so many times mean that the tune and lyrics are stuck in my head now.

I was gonna embed the videos in this post. But you know what, I'll just leave this here. :P

ส้มตำเด้อ

I rarely bother with recommendations of restaurants unless they're made by friends who know my tastebuds. There're enough food blogs and reviews around to make a judgment call on which restaurant to try and which to pass. Hopped out to Somtum Der (ส้มตำเด้อ) at L's recommendation. A few other friends sang its praises too. Loved it! I'd return again and again to this branch at Silom. It's only a 10-minute walk from Saladaeng BTS station, making it a great lunch venue when I want to eat at somewhere slightly off crazy Sukhumvit Road.

The menu is wide enough with lots of yummy things. Grilled pork collar, cockles topped with chilli and lime, and the sorts Well, som tam is basically a spicy salad of anything. The base doesn't have to be papaya or mango. It can be string beans or coconut shoots; go nuts with the toppings. And Somtum Der has many delicious choices. They also have those with seeds of phak krathin (ผักกระถิน, from the pods of white lead trees). One should definitely eat som tam with sticky rice. Mmm. It's what I'd define as a 'light lunch'. Heh.

I managed to come by twice to slurp up awesome som tam. On the first visit, the servers asked if we wanted Thai-spicy. The man said no in English. Grrr. The second visit, I put in the orders in Thai and specifically requested it to be Thai-spicy. The servers were very tickled.

The man finally caved and ordered a dessert- ลอดช่อง, lod chong naam kati. Somtum Der does a good one! It's pandan flavored rice noodles in coconut milk. I suppose it's a chendol of sorts. Same rationale as good pandan chiffon cakes. The good ones are always made with pandan leaves, not flavoring or coloring. Avoid the neon green ones.

นี่คือสถานแห่งภาพข้างหลัง

The friends gleefully went, "Let's watch this! No English surtitles!" Win lor. I'd only understand about three-quarters of it; that's fine. The friends would help me out with the rest. Directed by Parnrut Kritchanchai (ปานรัตน กริชชาญชัย), 'The Place of the Hidden Painting' (นี่คือสถานแห่งภาพข้างหลัง) is every bit as entertaining all through its two hours.

The play is inspired by Thai author and human rights activist Sri Burapha's (ศรีบูรพา, real name Kulap Saipradit, March 1905 to June 1974) 1937 novel 'Behind the Painting' ('Khang Lang Phap', ข้างหลังภาพ). Of course I read the novel, both in Thai and its English translation. Had to do it for Thai literature classes. The original in Thai is a little painful to plough through. Heeeee. Although it's set in the 1930s in pre-war Japan, it's a classic Thai romance. Love, love lost, time, angst, honor, duty, family, obligations.

Luckily this play is happier than the book it drew inspiration from. Revolving around three siblings (an eldest brother and two sisters) who struggle with the younger generation's different perspectives and perceptions. The elder brother and one depressed sister basically do nothing and stay at home in the crumbling family mansion with the family maidservant, stuck in the past. They don't understand cellphones. Their house and lifestyle are supported by their superstar (model and actress) 41y.o sister. This sister comes back for a visit with her 25y.o boyfriend. The script even wrote in the most popular Thai magazine that people buy to read its horoscope and predictions. That set the pace of the play for the superstar sister to beware of the letter 'M', and all the comical juxtaposition of old and new ensued.

I didn't fully understand the characters' names that are intentional references to protagonists in Thai classical literature, but the friends patiently explained it to me. The acting was campy, fun, over-the-top and excellent. Very enjoyable! Glad I understood most of the dialogue, although some snark and jokes flew over my head. :P The play is a quiet critique of Thai society, its overt emphasis on traditions, etiquette and politeness, reflecting the conundrums within.

Yes, the play allowed no-flash photography during the performance.
But the audience (we) were polite and tried to be unobtrusive. :D

ยำถั่วพู :: อยุธยา

Luckily the friends indulged me. We went in search of my favorite style of winged bean salad (ยำถั่วพู, yum tua plu) all the way three hours out in Ayutthaya at Baan Watcharachai (บ้านวัชราชัย). It's the Buddhist Lent after all, so once we're in Ayuthaya, a temple stop was made before dinner for the friends to light candles.

Spotted ma haw (ม้าห้อ) on the menu and ordered that too. I like the appetizer very much. It's not exactly sweet. It's sour, spicy and delightful altogether. The name literally means 'galloping horse'. Dunno why. It's an appetizer made of a thick sautéed paste of ground pork and shrimp (with toasted peanuts, red pepper, cilantro roots, garlic, shallots, white peppercorn, palm sugar and fish sauce) on a base of pineapple. This restaurant did it nicely piquant.

P wanted steamed prawns, and none of us had any objections. Figured one prawn for each should do since river prawns are rather big here. I had the idea that it would be the usual river prawns. When the plate arrived, we gasped. The critters were huge! Bigger than the usual! I've clearly forgotten how big river prawns get up north. The flesh was sweet, firm and crunchy.

Baan Watcharachai serves up good food, but somehow, its winged bean salad is stuck in my head. I haven't quite found a more convenient rendition that can replace it. So tonight, I'm so pleased that I got my winged bean salad cravings out of the way for the year. :P

บ้านวัชราชัย
เลขที่ 9 หมู่ 7 ถนน เสนา-สุพรรณบุรี ต. บ้านป้อม อ.พระนครศรีอยุธยา 13000

Baan Watcharachai
9 Moo 7, Baan Pom, Phra Nakon, Ayutthaya 13000, Thailand
T: 035-801333
Hours: 10am till 9pm.

โรตีสายไหม :: Roti Sai Mai

Since we were in Ayutthaya, we might as well hit up a roti sai mai (โรตีสายไหม) stall. Stopped by this row of stalls that lined the road (U Thong Road and Si Sanphet Road junction) across from Ayutthaya Hospital. All of them sell roti sai mai. Heh. I honestly can't tell which is good. It's only a matter of which stall adds more or less sugar to their product.

There's this one just in front of the Tesco Lotus Express that the friends go to. Uhhh, the name kinda translates into Bang Ari Roti Sai Mai (บังอารีย์ โรตีสายไหม). Apparently the stall has been around for 47 years. It used to be a shop/eatery, but now it's a roadside stall. Okay, whatever. But the friends swear that taste hasn't changed since their parents took them there decades ago as children.

I'm not a super big fan. I won't bother hunting it down in Bangkok. But we're in Ayutthaya, so I don't mind eating a few rolls. It's effectively candy floss. Spun sugar. LIKE PURE SUGAR. EMPTY CALORIES. The roti is just thin pieces of wheat flour. Crêpes. Luckily those aren't sweet. It balances out the sugar, somewhat. Once you place a bunch of 'floss' or silk threads onto the roti, roll it up. Either roll it up randomly or fold the sides into a popiah so that the ends don't stick out. Chomp. Eat. Repeat till candy floss runs out.

We still like the usual white/beige/brown silk threads in its natural colors, or the green ones properly infused with pandan leaves. Not fond of the rest of the rainbow colors for the candy floss or crêpe.

Ballet Flats

I'm always on the lookout for comfortable ballet flats that are below a certain price point. I walk lots and need them with rugged soles and tough-enough leather. They can't be expensive because I habitually thrash my shoes in a matter of months, and I tend to suddenly dump them for whatever frivolous and many reasons.

Wasn't even planning to step into a mall except that I was on the way to lunch at Silom and I needed to pee. Pit-stop for clean restrooms in a mall. And much welcomed air-conditioning. Heh. On my way out, I stumbled upon Ballet Shoes. Did a double take. What luck. I was randomly interested in the brand, but I've never worn their shoes.

Stepped in for a look. Ballet Shoes mainly makes...ballet flats in leather and sturdy soles, and some erm...ugly shoes and booties which are very comfortable. The shoes are a little heavy because of its practical soles. Those can withstand a bit of rain and mud. Tried on a few pairs and they fit fine. I can live with the prices. A pair goes for between S$85 - S$95. Bought......a few pairs. Oof.

I like my shoes the same way I like my clothes- boring and monochrome. They have to be as plain as possible, free of glittery embellishments. Thailand has got so many good bespoke shoemakers. I'm spoilt for choice. I've got fierce bunions. While I can find fairly comfortable shoes off the rack, if I have the time, I prefer to have ballet flats custom-made than to pay designer brands for rather useless dainty flats that can't do mud, a bit of rain or distance. Like O & B, Ballet Shoes isn't exactly bespoke. But they will do.

I've been living in Nikes. Don't like traipsing around Bangkok in open-toe shoes. The pavements are too uneven lah. The toes always get stubbed. Bravely wore one pair out for a full day. Even prepped a pack of plasters in case of blisters forming. But they stood up to my wearing fine. Just the usual red patches from pressure and friction. Not too tender, no blisters. Hurrah.

Thonkrueng Restaurant

We were taken out to dinner at Thonkrueng Restaurant (ต้นเครื่อง ทองหล่อ) in Thong Lo. It was disconcerting because somehow, that evening's tables were 90% full of Japanese expatriates and their visitors. More like half-drunk males who are work associates and colleagues. LOL. Cue all Japanese salarymen stereotypes. I didn't even have to eavesdrop. They talked really loudly, and I understand both Japanese and Thai. SCORE.

Sure, Thong Lo and Ekkamai are filled with Japanese businesses and many Japanese expatriates choose to live here. But tonight, with the entire indoor seating area over two floors filled with chatter in Japanese, this is what I would imagine a good Thai restaurant in Tokyo to be like. Then I got a bit worried. Does that mean the food is tourist-level?! The restaurant has gotten crap reviews before their big shift to this new location a street away. I was relieved when the first three dishes arrived. The kitchen seems to have gotten back in order. Our hosts are Thai, so we also got Thai-level spiciness. :) The tom yum kung (in clear soup) with its mushrooms was excellent. Green curry pork and basil minced chicken were solid. There was wild boar curry too!

For our steamed fish, the kitchen ran out of seabass, and offered a small garoupa. Although it was a less than 800g black garoupa and not a red, it was nicely steamed in lemongrass and chillies. So I was still stunned when the bill asked for only 460bht for it. That fish cost an unbelievable S$18! Wah.

Thonkrueng is celebrating its 35th anniversary over these two weeks in July, and for table bills above 1000bht, each diner gets to go home with a small jar of shrimp chilli dip in a woven basket (ชะลอมน้ำพริกลงเรือ). Yay! I can make the dip, but it's nice to have this jar and taste how the restaurant does it.

Who Is Mr. Splitfoot?

I was bit divided about starting on Samantha Hunt's 'Mr Splitfoot'. Some reviewers liked it, some don't, mainly because of what they expect to be in a contemporary gothic novel. I don't really care. (Reviews here, here, here and here.)

Set in a almost fanatical 'Love of Christ! Foster Home, Farm and Mission' in upstate New York, the home is headed by a creepy man they called Father Arthur. Two 17-year-olds Nat and Ruth, along with a strange older Mr. Bell who lives in the basement, host séances, charge the other residents to contact lost relations. The children said they enlist the help of spirit guide Mr. Splitfoot to do this. It's a total scam. They do this all the way even after Ruth marries Mr. Bell in order to avoid being married off to a complete stranger named Zeke (arranged by the Father), then they and Nat left the Home.

"I'm glad you asked." Mr. Bell waits for the man to pass out of earshot. "First of all, just listen." Mr. Bell cups his ear. "They'll tell you what they want you to say. Listen, then feed it back to them. You've heard of psychoanalysis? Maybe you haven't, but it's like that. And if you have nothing to go on, keep it general. Keep it far in the past. No one's going to recognize their great-great-grandfather." Mr. Bell shakes a small pile of salt onto his fingertip and rubs it on his gums. "When all else fails, memorize a few old movies. Those'll do in a pinch." 

"Someone's going to think we're criminals and lock us up." 

Mr. Bell hunkers in close, protecting a featherless newborn bird. He looks Ruth up and down. "But you already are locked up. Aren't you, dear?"

The narrative chugged along fine in third person. Then we come to present-day adult Ruth and the narrative shifts to 'I'. Ruth's pregnant niece Cora tells the story, and her own story, and how she's re-connected with Aunt Ruth a good fourteen years later when the latter appears on her doorstep. The single mother-to-be was lost and felt torn about her unborn child, life and men in general. Ruth now doesn't talk, and doesn't seem to utter a single word. Yet Cora follows Aunt Ruth on a strange sort of walk that lasts three whole months or so, to a derelict little cottage. Cora meets Nat, who's now 31 years old.

We learn what happened to Ruth and Mr. Bell and Nat in those intervening years. At some point, apparently spurned suitor Zeke was mad enough to return to shoot Mr. Bell and Ruth, and they sank into the lake, forever missing. Nat doesn't know that. He thought Ruth to be dead. And she is.

It goes back and forth like that. Past and present stories hit the readers altogether. Rather jerky. I felt a little whacked at the end of the ermm journey. I understand the reviews now. The narrative is a tad annoying in its jumbled unclarity, and it isn't as creepy as I had hoped.

All the years, he thought Ruth was dead. Now he knows she is because she lifts one hand to us, a wave hello, goodbye, gentle, like a windows thrown open onto everything kind and good that Ruth always was.  

Her other hand holds a box, the same box Nat is holding, weathered old cardboard. Her box is a twin, a sister, only hers is empty now. She smiles, so pleased to see Nat and me together at the end. She lifts the sun off the water, all of it. She gives Nat the things they once had to share, breath, life. She doesn't need those things anymore.

ห้องทานข้าวสุพรรณิการ์

Upon landing, there were plenty of emails to clear and calls to make. Glad the hotel gave us the room early and we could settle in quickly to attend to administrative details and logistics. This trip into Bangkok, given our schedules, staying in Thong Lo made more sense.

Cackled like crazy when I realized Supanniga Eating Room (ห้องทานข้าวสุพรรณิการ์) is just 100m from the hotel. They even do delivery to the hotel, i.e. room service with a limited menu. Hahaha. No excuses not to check it out since L suggested that it's a fairly decent and casual eatery on this stretch of ThongLo/Sukhumvit Soi 55. A quick fuss-free lunch was needed!

Supanniga's supposedly good beef shank salad (yum neua lai, ยำเนื้อลาย) was disappointing. It also strangely didn't offer any type of som tam. Yeah, I asked, twice. Rather odd for what is touted as a Khon Kaen (Trat) restaurant. But its other cooked dishes were great. No complaints about the fried rice. I think its stews and curries are definitely the stars. The spicy fish stew (gaeng pa or jungle curry, แกงป่า) and crab meat curry were amazing.

The man gave in to a dessert of durian and sticky rice. Hahaha. The durian wasn't the best since whatever considered 'best' is subjective; everyone has a preferred type of durian and an ideal of 'best'. But that rice and coconut milk were spot on beautiful. Although this bowl wasn't aromatically pungent, I still wrinkled my nose at it.

蘿蔔燜牛腩

It was a debate of sorts that started off because I spotted beef tripe and tendon at the supermarket which looked really good. I bought them for the man to cook his dependable beef stew. He wilfully and imperiously insisted that I cook said pot of beef stew. Excuse me, I've never cooked beef stew in my life. What made him think I would want do it?!

Then the man came back with a jar of chu hou paste (柱侯醬). "Could you cook it the Hong Kong style? The stewed tripe sort of idea? Oh, then can you make sambal matah to go along with it too?" WHUUT. That was too much!!! OKAY. FINE. Whatever. No issues with sambal matah. I could make that with my eyes closed. It was the Cantonese-style beef stew (蘿蔔燜牛腩) that was a hassle. It wasn't that difficult but dohhhhh. The man has learnt to make demands that I cook food. THIS IS NO GOOD.  有冇攪錯啊！

Smelt and tasted the chu hou paste (柱侯醬). Never used it and not familiar with this brand. Hmmm. I mostly use Amoy (淘大) but the larder is out of it. I don't really like this one from Lee Kum Kee. It lacks that specific taste I'm looking for. 瓶子裡沒含有那種‘醬香’。It's as though they didn't put enough fermented soy beans in it. No choice. It's the only one stocked at the local supermarkets. Never mind. I'll get a jar from Hong Kong at some point.

Cantonese-style beef stew doesn't require carrots or onions. It only needs daikon. But I always include carrots anyway. I don't fancy fermented red beancurd (紅南乳) or five-spice powder (五香粉) in mine. The key ingredient I didn't have is dried orange peel. ARRRRGGGH. Replaced that with uhhh orange zest and thin slices of oranges. Kinda worked lah. The final pot didn't taste too bad. Every ingredient was tender. Even the tripe. SCORE. I like my stew to have a mixture of tripe, tendon, brisket, shin and oxtail. #impieCooks2016

Enjoy it, dearest husband. *drips with sarcasm* It'll be a loooong while before I agree to food demands again.

A Scallop Swirls Top

Y made me a super duper special Scallop Swirls top. I was so so stoked to receive it. It was a perfect fit. Y and A make clothes for children in small quantities, carefully curating fabric and infusing lovely designs. They don't do any clothes in adult sizes. She doesn't even take orders and I've never dared to ask her about it. I know how complicated it is make clothes in adult sizes, what more for adult females who require different fits, and nips and tucks.

This is a one-off project. Very touched that Y, along with her mother-in-law, took the effort to sew it in my size and fit. Deeply grateful for the warm thoughts. Felt bad because it's a lot of effort, and also, I'm eating into their stock of fabric and whatever tiny margin of profit they gain from their usual children's dresses and shirts!

Thank YOU sooooo much from the bottom of my heart. #MissyMessySG

What a precious gift! I wore the brand new top to a tea reception. I was so tickled to see Missy in the identical print, but in a dress. We didn't discuss about that prior. Hehehe. She was rather pleased to see me wear it too. Of course we grabbed a few photos together. :)

Full of Luck Club

Grinned when I saw the entrance to new-ish mod dim sum and Cantonese bites restaurant- Full of Luck Club. The doorway's slanted with a pineapple in the frame at the side. Well done, feng shui. The food's overall decent lah. It's the super-hip cousin of Li Bai after all. I eat at Li Bai often enough and don't mind a new hangout that's convenient too at its Holland Village location.

While there's the traditional steamed BBQ pork buns (char siew pau), the other buns or bao on the menu were more like sliders or mini burgers in terms of flavors and two pieces of bread. The steamed rice rolls (cheong fun) was good, as expected. It comes with a filling of either shrimp or char view. You could have the cheong fun plain, just ask the kitchen to do it, but pay the same price like how it would be with filling. Thankfully it isn't all pork. The siew mai came with chicken filling. Yay.

Claypot rice purists, don't order any. It isn't what you would expect. It isn't even similar to the pots served up at 大排檔 or zi char stalls. This is a way healthier version. Ours was the 'Mixed Preserved Meats' which held the usual preserved sausage as well as liver sausage and waxed meat. I quite enjoyed it because it wasn't as oily as some, and it kinda tasted like the type I'd cook at home. Heh. They also offer claypot rice in 'Yuzu Char Siew Cod' and 'Black Bean Smoked Duck'.

We were seated on its second floor. A giant prosperity cat (that maneki-neko) scared the hell out of me at the top of the stairs. That is the one cat I truly dislike. Eeeps. I also rolled eyes at the S$0.50 diners must pay for refillable iced or warm water. Grrr. Ordered beer instead. The selection of beers is surprisingly okay. Had a Gamblers' Gold (golden ale) and a Dragon's Back (pale ale); both are from Hong Kong Beer Co.  

Practicing Photography

This is a strange July and August. Oddly, I've been asked to be a guest photographer for a few events. A casual simple cosy wedding with less than 30 guests, a wedding vow renewal ceremony, a newborn's baptism, theatre rehearsals and facilitated group discussions. Well, it isn't my job, and when these friends ask, they know exactly why they're asking, and they also know I'd say 'yes' if I have the time. Heheh.

Sure, I don't charge because I can't. I'm not a professional. But I'm happy to take out my babies and glass to use them according to the needs of the occasion. No, these requests are not made with the idea of 'saving money'. Doesn't work that way. The friends also know that if I'm the only photographer on-site, then I can't be everywhere for those candid gorgeous moments. I'd have to focus, pick and choose, and adapt accordingly.

In another life, I used to shoot and charge for photographs. Mainly nature, which is a kind and loving subject. It can be temperamental, but more often than not, it's extremely satisfying. I was doing copy for those projects and wanted to save the hassle of looking for an additional photographer, and I could produce the necessary shots if clients aren't too fussy about brand-name shutterbugs. That's the whole point of having gone through structured photography classes and following mentors around right? To produce good-enough shots of my own.

Many people have a pretty good eye for capturing scenes. Look at Instagram. A good camera will help loads. Technology has leapt fast enough that a good set of lens and a large sensor will compensate for many things. Anyone can easily produce fairly lovely shots. Hence, I'm a little stressed. Whether I get that 'money shot', totally depends on luck, vibes, framing the shot in the mind and being in the right place at the right time.

Lunch Boxes for the Partner

Grilled chicken breast (marinated with yoghurt and harissa) topped with carrots;
a side of grilled zucchini, grapes and quail eggs.

The man takes a lunch box to work about three times a week. The helper sorts that out for him mostly. She has a list of items to roster around to be placed in the lunchbox. Unless he decides he wants something different, then he'll cook it. Looked at my schedule and I decided to be very nice, and took over lunch box duty for a few days this month. Aside from the random dinners at home, thought I'd return the favor at lunch too. The last time I 'cooked for him' at length was uhhh....in 2014. When he heard that, he merrily told me that he wants a lunch box five a days a week. >.< Troll sial!

The man isn't a child. He doesn't need a cute bento box or cartoon-shaped foods to tempt him to eat. But he has got discerning tastebuds. That meant I've got to put some effort into filling up his lunch box. But I'm not willing to slave all day in the kitchen either. Here we go again, quick easy recipes that take under 50 minutes to complete, and a sturdy lunchbox that is spill-proof because it will be thrown all around upside-down. #impieCooks2016

Of course I have help. The helper is a gem. I'm not interested in all that washing, dicing and slicing on my own. Can't avoid dealing with meat since the menu requires variety and proteins. Luckily for someone who really likes good food, the man is an unfussy omnivore. Pots of easy Asian soups, hearty beef stew, and also grilled damn-good in-season lamb chops, etc. Wrinkled my nose at handling chicken and other meats. But at least I don't have to touch it more than necessary.

Now those lunch boxes. Chicken breasts can be done in a variety of styles with different sides. It's a challenge keeping them moist and tender while factoring mild cooking time in the lunchbox. I like a citrus accompaniment to meat. For example, grilled chicken breasts with mango salsa and black turtle beans on a bed of tri-colored quinoa and roasted cauliflower. The marinade for the chicken breasts could be switched around. Marinades are usually pretty quick. Lemon, olive oil, pepper and salt and all the usual stuff. The internet is a treasure trove of recipes and secret ingredients and whatnots.

Besides chicken, fish is good too as an after-gym protein. I only need to consider a side with enough texture and crunch to complement soft fish. Pan-seared fillets of super-fresh sea bream and yasai itame (stir-fried vegetables) are always easy and tasty. Japanese black cod is beautiful in bentō too. One lunch held grilled scallops finished with pink salt flakes, cubes of pumpkin topped with cayenne pepper, and stir-fried shiitake mushrooms with onions, and mixed-grains-rice.

Sambal matah, peppers, chillies and pesto always add an excellent dimension to the lunchboxes. Except I make sambal-anything, harissa, pesto and the sort from scratch. Not keen on bottled sauces or dressing. As annoying as beans and lentils are, I refuse to use the canned ones. I dislike the mushy texture and synthetic taste. I'd rather go through all the effort of boiling them. Well, the man will enjoy this while the cooking streak lasts! Ha!

Seared sea bream topped with spring onions and sambal matah;
a side of grilled eggplant, kidney beans and pomegranate. 

WicDiv

Kieron Gillen drew on influences of contemporary pop music, various mythological deities and his father's diagnosis of terminal cancer, created teenager Laura Wilson and the Pantheon who are 12 reincarnated deities (humans before their Transformation), and wrote 'The Wicked + The Divine'.

The ongoing series now stands at 18 issues and three Volumes. WicDiv is slated to run for any number between 30 to 60. ARRRRGGGH. You know what this means. Digital copies it will have to be. Even if I buy WicDiv in Volumes, it might hit 20 physical books. I don't have any more space to acquire new collections of comics. This is the one big reason why I'm reluctant to start on any new fantasy series. :(

No matter how powerful the re-born gods are, they are slated to die within two years, as part of the great ninety-year cycle known as the Recurrence. The members of the Pantheon are then worshipped in the world as...pop idols, holding regular signings, meet-and-greet sessions. Kieron Gillen was born in 1975 and is our generation, and we would totally understand his references...and snark. Pop star archetypes abound. Lucifer is obviously David Bowie. The Morrígan is one and is also three beings. It holds so many women, but apparently she is both PJ Harvey and Patti Smith. See if you can recognize who's who. :P Know your mythology and pop culture. You could google, but it's less painful if you don't need to type stuff every few pages.

We begin with Volume 1 'The Faust Act'. Besides Lara, we're introduced to transgender reporter Cassandra (who later becomes Urðr) who's convinced that The Pantheon is a giant fat lie; the spirits of deities now infused with humans- Lucifer, Sakhmet, Amaterasu, Ananke, Baphomet, Baal, Minerva, The Morrígan (or sometimes appearing as Badb), Dionysus, Inanna, The Valkyries who are all tall and gorgeous Asian women and who are always in the entourage of Wōden (or more commonly known as Odin). Hahah. Stereotypes much? Naturally, the Pantheon's retreat is named Valhalla. I howled with laughter. Laura is eventually revealed to be the possible thirteenth member, Persephone, a new occurrence in all of Pantheon history.

Then the politics, intrigues, conspiracies and murders follow- Volume 2 'Fandemonium', Volume 3 'Commercial Suicide'. Read them all once, and read them a second time. I'm definitely in with the world of WicDiv. There're many illustrators and artists working on the series. I'm really fond of the artwork by Jamie McKelvie who mainly drew for the first Volumes, along with Matthew Wilson. But the current third Volume holds too many guest artists. The artwork's messy and inconsistent. Apparently the next Volume 4 will be back to feature mainly Jamie McKelvie and Matthew Wilson. Yay. Waiting for you this October, Volume 4 'Rising Action'!

SIFA 2016 :: Margot

Watched edgy German theater collective Markus&Markus' experimental interpretation of Henrik Ibsen's 1881 commentary 'Ghosts' under the bill of the O.P.E.N, sifa. We know the story of syphillis-stricken Oswald Alvene asking his mother Helene to help him commit suicide. The idea of euthanasia was so shocking in the 19th century. It's equally controversial now. Assisted suicides, or usually associated with 'physician-assisted suicides' are still hotly debated, now legal in many European countries and accepted in USA states of Oregon and Washington, California, Vermont and Montana.

Markus&Markus (namely Markus Schäfer and Markus Wenzer) didn't stage a play with a lead actor in the conventional sense. They found the 81-year-old Margot living in Germany. They spent April 2014 with her, understanding her desire to end her life on her terms, filming her, her thoughts and her daily chores. On May 1, they accompanied her to an euthanasia clinic in Switzerland, and attended her funeral on May 22. Margot is the lead actor, and the recorded film is the stage. This mixed media show that draws on Ibsen's themes is pretty much a requiem to Margot.

It was kinda creepy watching deceased protagonist Margot animated through the play's videos, photos and letters. We see Margot going about her day-to-day errands, getting her affairs organized and bidding loved ones farewell. We heard her voice, laughter, and opinions; we got to know Margot intimately. And that's unsettling. What a stark reminder for the audiences. My goosebumps were sufficiently rattled. The play provides a...how should I put it...an idealistic viewpoint of one perception of assisted suicides. But that's just one viewpoint. There're other forms of euthanasia that it doesn't acknowledge and I assume it's a matter of artistic interpretation since it is also about Margot.

The play does raise questions as to how death will come to all of us. In good time, I know. In His time. But there's this debate of quality of life versus continuance of life. I can't shake off that internal debate. I'm the sort who already have my affairs in order and continuously updated; I'm very vocal about possible palliative care situations in the event of accidents or illnesses. I work with old folks and the terminally ill, and I've begun wishing for a firmer Do-Not-Resucitate policy and people being more forthcoming or at least engaging about (not yet legally-binding) advance care planning in Singapore. It's inevitable that I'm insistent on being neat about it when death comes, suddenly or otherwise. 

Chunky Fish Chowder

The weather's been crazy hot. But at least the haze is kept at bay. Certainly not feeling like steamboat or hotpot in this weather. But oddly, I felt like having fish chowder for dinner. The type with a wee bit of cream and milk. The type that goes perfectly with bread and that would suffice for a light meal. Could be really filling too when taken with bread.

Not about to satisfy fish chowder cravings at a restaurant. I'd cook it; it isn't difficult. Once my meetings were done for the day, I stopped by the supermarket for fish bones and two thick fillets, and five large prawns and eight scallops. Didn't buy much. I wasn't expecting guests, except a girlfriend who was dropping off stuff and would have had dinner, and she would simply want to taste the soup, not ingest all of it. The ingredients only needed to produce soup sufficient for four persons, preferably no leftovers. This type of soup doesn't keep well overnight. #impieCooks2016

Soaked the fish bones thoroughly in salt then boiled into stock to simmer and strain. Lots of fennel, leek and celery goodness. Added the potatoes, milk and cream, stirred them all in, then poached the fillets of cod and snapper, and the shellfish in the almost-ready chowder. No pork or bacon used of course. Ta-dahhh, four satisfying bowls of fish chowder.

Bow to Strings :: 弦中玄

Six performers from the Singapore Chinese Orchestra's (SCO, 新加坡华乐团) zhonghu section (中胡区) section took to the stage at the Esplanade Recital Studio for a performance titled 'Bow to Strings' (弦中玄). It's another erm interesting concert. You know this isn't my comfortable genre of music. But I'm open to checking out what sounds the little ensemble produced.

The six performers- Lin Gao 林杲, Wu Ke Fei 吴可菲, Li Yuan 李媛, Wilson Neo 梁永顺, Sim Boon Yew 沈文友 and Goh Cher Yen 吴泽源, took turns to play a mix of traditional, classical and contemporary huqin (胡琴) pieces to showcase the lower pitch range of the huqin. The solo and duo pieces were accompanied by a piano, and others with a double bass. Clearly, I'm not familiar with Chinese orchestral music and wouldn't have known any of the pieces. Except three because they're ridiculously popular among contemporary musicians in all disciplines.

The program informed me that these seven pieces performed were- (1) Shao Tie Hong's 'Fleeting Clouds and Running Brooks', 1947年粤语片《郎归晚》里邵铁鸿的《流水行云》, which was really familiar since I do check in with Cantonese songs, opera and whatnots; (2) 'Sounds of Xiang Opera' composed by SCO's own Sim Boon Yew, 沈文友的《芗韵》; (3) Hua Yan Jun's 'Ebbing Tides', 华彦钧的《大浪淘沙》which talks about the beauty of China's Jiangnan province; (4) Liu Changfu's 'Amorous Thoughts Beyond the Border', 刘长福的《塞外情思》which really brought to mind the vastness of northern China and trotting horses across the plains; (5) Liu Wenjin's 'Fire- Maiden in the Dreamboat ', 刘文金的《火－彩衣姑娘》which supposedly includes elements and structure of Indian classical carnatic melodies and Buddhist music which sounded more like chants and Zen honkyoku to me; (6) and (7) finally, with the accompanying double bass, xylophone and percussion, they played Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla's tango evergreens 'Oblivion' and 'La Muerte del Ángel'.

The 80-minute performance had no encore. The emcee was impressively bilingual, fluid in switching between English and Mandarin when introducing each piece, and giving the crew enough time to shift the instruments around. The huqin is definitely less shrill than the erhu, making for (what seems to me) more pleasant listening. I was entertained enough not to fall asleep.