年夜饭 :: 猴随腊去欣除旧，鸡唤春来喜布新

Said horrifying dress.

I don't understand this thing about colors or auspicious-ness. I honestly don't care about it. Once a year, I really don't mind wearing colors for the Lunar New Year. However, I'm quite resistant to the idea of wearing a cheongsam, because, damn bright colors. Not much urge to procure new ones. It's highly likely that cheongsams would only be worn once a year, unless I finally get around to having them tailored in sombre colors and subtle patterns. Otherwise, it just feels like I'm wearing an expensive costume.

After lunch one afternoon on the way back to the office, the BFF and I stopped at a convenient boutique. Gamely tried on a fusion cheongsam. It didn't look very well-cut, to be honest. Almost died when I looked into the mirror. The frumpy-ness. The cap sleeves ended at the exact unflattering portion of the upper arms. Even if I have super well-defined muscles, this dress flattens everything into a lump. Bits and pieces of fabric stuck out everywhere and I especially hated the belt.

Picked out another dress for reunion dinner. Bright red, yeah, like a walking ang pow. 😒🙄 This dress from KLARRA cuts a clean silhouette without any bright bling accessories, no flowers and nonsense, and the heavy fabric falls well enough. It has pockets!!! Although it's a little shocking to know that I wear their dresses in XS. This red dress doesn't have the best stitching especially at the ends of the batwing sleeves and hem, but at least it fits all right and I don't feel like a clown in it. Importantly, I didn't have to get out to shop for it. It was sent over as a gift.

The dress from KLARRA in a much more acceptable design.

The Snow Child

Kept coming across Eowyn Ivey's 'The Snow Child' (2011), and kept putting it off. It just doesn't sound like a genre I fancy. I was certain that it isn't going to be anything supernatural. Finally decided to take a shot at it. You know what? Yes, it's not a genre I take to, but I like this book and how the story panned out. Most of all, the author's respect for the land and love of the environment comes through so strongly. (Reviews here, here and here.)

Set in 1920s Alaska, life on the farms in the harsh landscape is as tough as they say. Living off the land is the only way of survival. In those years, the small town's barter economy isn't flourishing; coal mines are the alternative source of dangerous work, and the nearest medical doctor is in Anchorage which is a train ride away. Protagonists husband and wife Jack and Mabel have fled there in a bid to forget their stillborn child and state of childless-ness. They eke out a living on the farmstead and try to make it through their first three winters. They build a snow child, a girl, and stumble upon a seemingly real girl who appears only during winter and vanishes in summer. She has a name- Faina. The girl does disappearing-and-appearing act for eight years.

Then there're neighbors George and Esther Benson and their three sons become fast friends with Jack and Mabel. Incidents and stories ensued. Youngest son Garrett Benson helps out Jack and Mabel loads, lending a much-needed extra pair of hands to the heavy labor required to get the farm and planting going. Garrett comes to feature heavily in their lives. The author narrates each scene very well. Is there really a 'snow child'? Or is it just a girl versed in living off the harsh land and nature, but coming down to the humans in winter since they'd have more food than she could forage in that season? I'll leave that to your imagination.

Garrett stood near the barn with a lantern in his hand, and nearby the boy was leaping and throwing his arms up to the sky. Even from inside the log cabin, Jack could hear the boy's whoops and cheers. The dog bowed playfully beside the boy, barks, then jumped and ran in circles, too. 

As Jack's eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, he saw the ground covered in white and, in the light of Garrett's lantern, snowflakes spinning and falling. 

He took hold of Mabel's hand, and when she turned to him, he saw in her eyes the joy and sorrow of a lifetime. 

"It's snowing," she said.

Two Beautiful Pots

One day, N tossed up two pots from her car boot and asked if I wanted them. She said that her mom made too many pots and couldn't keep them all, and if I would want them. Took a look and decided to adopt them. Love the neutral colors. It's not easy to find pots in color hues I like.

N's mom is quite a practiced potter. She makes very beautiful items! These two pots are in soothing beige/off-white with streaks of grey and brown. Okay, I don't know pottery language or phrases; unable to describe the whirl of colors after being fired in the kiln. :P Anyway, I thought these pots would look nice holding up indoor plants in the MIL's home.

The MIL loves the pots. She thinks it's tough to find nice pots at the nurseries too and she can't be bothered checking out galleries to buy them just to put plants in. She found the perfect use for these two pots- hold phalaenopsis orchids. She generally has pots of phalaenopsis orchids big and small dotting the shelves and tables all year round. The weight of these pots are exactly right to offset the weight of these big petals. The pots are of the right height too, apparently, to balance whatever length of stems with the aesthetic ratio thingy. Okaaaay. I'm just happy that the beautiful pots are put to good use. N's mom is very pleased too. Oof.

Festive Sugar and Drinks

This time of the year, sugar and sweets abound. But I tend to ignore them, except for home-bakes. I'll make some space for those. I've happily eaten M's irresistible crunchy dark chocolate cookies done with so little sugar the way I love, and J's tasty snack of walnut-filled dried figs wrapped up so prettily. And not forgetting D's addictive canelés whose sugar levels are indiscernible because they held so much rum within. I unconsciously ate too many little rum blobs and wondered aloud why they tasted so good. D went, "Do you know how much rum I put in them?" OH.

It was very nice to meet a separate bunch of good friends for after-dinner-drinks and a chat. Well, to put it bluntly, we simply raided their alcohol cabinet. Single malts as we know it have changed too, in the sense of empty barrels and new expressions. What we're used to drinking way back when are all done and dusted. We have to find new loves.

Someone brought sparkling wine. Nobody drove, and we could simply crash on the friends' couches like teenagers if we got sloshed. Hurhurhur. We toasted to another year in, and a shift in the power balances of the world. Bit pensive. Can we define this century without going falling into the trap of multiple wars and all-out annihilation of world peace? How will the twenty-second century look upon us? We live in exciting times for sure. But which generation doesn't?

Back in the Studio

Getting back into the exercise routine isn't hard. Exercising to keep the muscles warm and stretched is part of the lifestyle that is even more crucial as we get older. It isn't as if I was a complete sloth over the holidays. I kept active, didn't go on an alcohol binge, and I've got no issues with rejecting excessive sugar or junk food.

Didn't bother to run often. It isn't my favorite activity. But cooler weather is an incentive to zip up, get out and do a short run. 24°C in Singapore for two nights in a row with little or no rain? Too good not to be outdoors. Swimming always keeps the muscles well-oiled. Daily stretches done on the floor or the mat are not forgotten. I think the shoulders and quads have been kept on an even keel from all the climbing and diving. What I forgot about- the abs. LOL. Those are always the easiest to lose.

The first session at pilates was ridiculously relaxing. I had earlier sent a text to the instructor, "Go easy on me!" She took me at my words. I felt fine enough to go for a long swim after class. I miss the machines. Oof. At the subsequent sessions, she merrily killed me with plenty of side bends, obliques work and ab curls.

Laneway Singapore 2017

It mostly rains at St Jerome's Laneway Festival Singapore. No different this year. We've been calling it 'RainWay' for a long time now. I was totally decked out in rain gear and waterproof pouches. Time to go dancing in the rain.

There were free packs of ponchos and small bottles of water handed out to festival-goers at the entrance. The rain came chucking down heavy right on cue at 3pm and didn't let up till 8pm. The five-minute light drizzle at 5pm was simply not enough for all of us to dry out or straighten out the wrinkled fingertips. Tsk tsk.

The festival definitely tries to improve year on year. Many more portaloos. There were three stages this year- two bigger ones side-by-side Garden and Bay, and one smaller Cloud Stage, and an air-conditioned indoor White Room for DJ or rap sets. It'd be ideal if they do this 'no re-entry' shit. Not as if I make it a point to come annually though. It all depends on the bands. Never quite into Laneway's 'headliners'.

The food stalls have increased with pretty decent choices this year, including dim sum and roast meats from Full of Luck Club, hot noodles from Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King, and Iskina Cebu's damn good lechon (not the week day lunch nonsense that's at Timbre+). There were really good sausages from Sidecar, healthy bowls from Ninja Bowl, and fried chicken from Kko Kko Nara, coconut water and acai bowls, and many others. The organizers has done away with the coupon system and the food stalls now accept cash and credit cards. Shorter queues all around with plenty of choices. We definitely didn't starve. In fact, my stomach was very happy.

Astreal took the Garden Stage at 3.10pm.

I always seem to prefer Laneway bands that come on before sunset. Not quite into after-dark DJ sets or the electronic stuff typical of Laneway. Highlights of this year's festival for me are unapologetically the rock bands. Went early to catch Astreal. Pleased to hear their new songs. It's been a while, guys and Ginette. Good to watch you prance around on stage again!

Aurora (Norway) was okay. Bit too zen. The rain did help with the mood though. I'd have been less patient had it been a blazing hot afternoon. Didn't know where they are from initially because I was too lazy to whip out phone or paper guide to bands. But they sounded Scandinavian. Heh. The surprises were Gang of Youths (Sydney, Australia) and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard (Melbourne, Australia). First time hearing them. Both bands were fantastic! Gang of Youths are a classic indie rock band, charming, very fun on stage and played so well last Saturday. Their first album was released only in May 2015. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard had two drummers, i.e two drum sets. WOW! Given the complexity of their time signatures, riffs and all, they're really tight live. Garage and psychedelic rock. Love it. Their ninth album is to be released next month and it's called... 'Flying Microtonal Banana'. Hurhurhur.

Couldn't believe that I happily stood and bobbed along in the rain for a good six hours before calling it a day. Woooot. I didn't pay for my ticket this year. :P It was with compliments from the friends and I decided to take it at the very last minute because I really wanted to watch Astreal. Heh.

A short five-minute respite from the heavy rain when Gang of Youths took the stage.

Grumpy Christmas Stories

Took me long enough to get down to reading David Sedaris' collection of 12 uhhh grouchy Christmas short essays 'Holidays on Ice' (2009), the revamped e-version with the six new stories, one that's never been published. You might have read some that have been published in journals here and there.

These aren't happy festive stories. They're sarcastic, grouchy and rude. That's exactly why I love them. I like David Sedaris' writing anyway. And I enjoy the gritty painful reality, as well as the stark-in-your-face snark in these stories. Nothing is viewed through rose-tinted glasses. The first story (which is provided as a sample) already packs a punch. 'SantaLand Diaries' traces the journey of a thirty-something grown man getting a job at Macy's December carnival as a full-time Elf.

During the brief interview I was asked why I wanted to work for UPS and I answered that I wanted to work for UPS because I like the brown uniforms. What did they expect me to say? 

"I'd like to work for UPS because, in my opinion, it's an opportunity to showcase my substantial leadership skills in one of the finest private delivery companies this country has seen since the Pony Express!" 

I said I liked the uniforms and the UPS interviewer turned my application facedown on his desk and said, "Give me a break."

'Season's Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!!' is written in the way of a festive/holiday family newsletter from The Dunbars. I ignored the tragedy within and frowned at the stereotype of Vietnamese refugees, and also rolled eyes at a dysfunctional family and its weird dynamics. Another good one is the final story in the book 'The Cow and the Turkey'. Of the animals on a farm doing a gift exchange at Christmas-time. What a parable. Hahaha. Secret Santa dos and don'ts, and don't be greedy. Or you could take it another way, how nice people don't get good endings, ever.

Oh, how his cheerfulness grated on her. Waiting for Christmas Eve was murder, but wait the cow did, and when the time was right — just shortly after breakfast — she siddled up beside him. "You do know they'll be cutting your head off, don't you?" she whispered. 

The turkey offered his strange half-smile, the one that said both "You're kidding" and "Please tell me you're kidding." 

"If it's not the farmer it'll be one of his children," the cow explained. "The middle one, probably, the boy with the earring. There were some jokes about doing it with a chain saw, but if I know them they'll stick to the ax. It's more traditional." 

The turkey laughed, deciding it was a joke, but then he saw the pleasure in the cow's face and knew that she was telling the truth.

Too Real

Yup.

I have no more words.

I'll be marching in spirit with the Seattle friends (in about 20 hours, Womxn's March on Seattle) from Judkins Park on Norman Street to Seattle Center. I refuse to concede that it's none of my business because I'm not American. This is for inclusion, diversity and respect, and standing up for the rights of women in my own country as well. 

The Month When Money Flies Out

Pleased to come home to a beautiful pile of handwritten cards sent via snail mail; there's a second stack of boring white envelopes full of bills and all notices. Ah yes, my birthday is coming. This is when my notices for insurance (policies) renewal come in. Ugh. To remind me of my mortality and how much higher is the percentage of needing to use these benefits which will lead towards an inevitable death eventually. Well, I don't like to pay for anything via GIRO or set recurring automated payments. I very much prefer to take a look at my accounts and manually sort out them bills.

January is also the month I review the donations to registered charities in order to gain all tax reliefs possible before IRAS hits me with the demand for income tax in April. Each year, I swop out these charities, although I gravitate towards funds and campaigns looking after the elderly and the ill. This isn't really 'giving from the heart'. I'm giving to these charities so that IRAS doesn't take my hard-earned moolah, and hoping the amounts contribute towards a well-managed pool required for daily operations by the respective registered organizations.

When I'm done hitting minimum requirements for maximum tax benefits, I look at portioning the budget for donations to Singapore charities or social organizations whose causes I believe in, but aren't IPCs (Institutions of a Public Character). That means these donations are highly personal, and I'm not likely to suggest that the friends donate to them too. Unless I'm very aware of how the closer friends feel about certain movements and similar causes. I don't discount charities based overseas, say shark conservation, Planned Parenthood and all that. Now this tier of giving, is slightly more altruistic. Chances are, they make me feel better about how I don't contribute to advancing social and environmental causes as much as I should be.

Piblokto's 'Imperfection'

Across The Plateau from PIBLOKTO on Vimeo.

Attended Alexius Cai's gig in support of his new album 'Imperfection' under the moniker Piblokto. The last album 'Colourless Fields' (2013) is soothing, and I was curious to hear how 'Imperfection' will be. Alexius said that the compositions in this album became more focused after the birth of his son and diagnosis with brachydactyly, and credited co-producer Victor Low for giving the album much-needed structure, writing and arranging the strings.

It was a full stage at the show. There was Alexius on the acoustic guitar. Then Sean Lam (of 'Hanging Up the Moon'), Leslie Low, co-producer Victor Low (on the double bass), Evan Low, Andy Chia (on Chinese flute) and a string ensemble that included Natalie Soh (on violins) filled the Esplanade Recital Studio with ambient sounds.

The frequent movement of musicians going on and off the stage between each song was a tad distracting. But I supposed it was the nature of the songs that required some instruments to be present and some didn't have to be. Still. It was a short 75-minute show, so I guess it didn't matter that much. It was a very chill evening. For the very last song, they gave it vocals- they covered Beatles' 'Because'.

D's Birthday Luncheon

Went to Regent Hotel's Italian restaurant Basilico for a birthday luncheon in honor of D. Forgot how awesome its brunch buffet is. Food's still great. Breads are good. There're plenty of meats, lamb shanks (on bone), mushroom risotto, and sufficient variety of food for different diets. Love those fruit juices. I overdosed on sugar from like five glasses of guava and pink guava juice. :P Made all the noise we wanted in the little room, had time to chat with everyone, and rolled out of there at 4pm.

The best part of the buffet- the cheese room. You so need to get in there. Yup, THE CHEESE ROOM. Italian cheeses mainly- cow, goat and sheep. It's a long table filled with all types of cheeses including a 75% Dark Chocolate Gorgonzola from Lombardia. Barolo wine infused gorgonzola, caprino with pepper and oregano from Pietmonte, sfogliato al balsamico, et cetera. Gorgeous choices of buffalo mozzarella from a few towns in Napoli. I portioned out quite a chunk of stomach space for cheese, and those beautiful beautiful beautiful tomatoes. Mmmmmm.

I had forgotten to take the camera and only remembered it when we drove out of the estate. Had to turn back to get it. I didn't want to just settle for photos taken on the phone. The birthday girl gave strict instructions for 'no gifts'. Fine. So I wanted to capture the memories and laughter at luncheon, to make a gift of something warm and happy for her this first month of the year; for the birthday girl to have keepsakes of friendships that have endured through the years. And I can only do that with a proper camera. Ordered D and everyone to pose. They obediently did so. I got my shots. ✌🏻

Much love and with all our wishes to your happiness, D. ✨

PJ Harvey at Esplanade Theatre

I'm a huge fan of Polly Jean Harvey, ever since the first time I heard her when I was an angsty teen. Her style has evolved and changed through the decades, and I still like her music so much. Her recent ninth studio album 'The Hope Six Demolition Project' (2016) totally blew me away.

As much as I enjoy PJ Harvey's lyrics and Seamus Murphy's photography, I've not read or flipped through 'The Hollow of the Hand', yet. I'll get there before the year's out. Also didn't zoom to Kinokuniya at her signing session to get her autograph on a copy of the book. :P For now, I'm happy to have watched a great first gig of 2017 at Esplanade Theatre.

Accompanied by nine musicians on this tour, PJ Harvey didn't pick up the guitar tonight. She didn't need to. Spot the legends! There's her long-time collaborator and respected musician and record producer John Parish, and there's guitarist and drummer Alain Johannes Moschulski. The band focused on 'The Hope Six Demolition Project', which explained the odd set-up for the drums. They did some fun old songs. So stoked to hear 'Down By The Water' (1995) and '50 Ft Queenie' (1993) live. Woah.

All That Is Evil

Many would be familiar Ian McEwan's 'Atonement' (2001) which was made into a film in 2007 directed by Joe Wright, starring Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, and Saoirse Ronan. I finally got around to reading Ian McEwan's 1975 collection of fairly morbid short stories 'First Love, Last Rites'.

Incest, children roasting cats on a spit, murder, pedophiles, the author brought out all the dark and twisted realms of the human mind. To that, I'm not sure if I should even call any story within 'a favorite'. But it made for a very good read on vacation. The title story 'First Love, Last Rites' is confusing. It's not creepy. It's like...plain. A summer romance between two young adults that developed into something more steady, and a rat in the walls of their room. I didn't quite understand why. Is it the mundane life that the author is fascinated with or how his characters seem to be so soul-less, but not committing any heinous act or go under torture?

'Conversation with a Cupboard Man' is so sad. Of a grown man who hasn't been allowed to grow up normally because his obviously disturbed mother tried to keep him infantile when he was already eighteen years old, keeping him out of school and literally spoon-feeding him. Till he appears to be mentally sub-normal to the average world outside of his home and comfort zone. When he tries to be independent, society fails him, humans fail him, his demented boss locked him in a huge kitchen oven and turned on the heat. Ouch. He even enjoyed jail-time because he was taken care of and stuck to a schedule. He didn't have to fend for himself.

Ever since the oven, I want to be contained. I want to be small. I don't want this noise and these people all around me. I want to be out of all that, in the dark. Do you see that wardrobe there, takes up most of this room? If you look inside you won't find any clothes hanging up. It's full of cushions and blankets. I go in there, I lock the door behind me and sit in the darkness for hours. That must sound pretty stupid to you. I feel all right in there. I don't get bored or anything, I just sit. Sometimes I wish the wardrobe would get up and walk around and forget that I was in there. At first I went in there only very occasionally but then it got more and more frequent till I started spending whole nights in there. I did not want to come out in the mornings either so I was late for work. Then I stopped going to work altogether. It's three months since I've been. I hate going outside. I prefer it in my cupboard.

The last story 'Disguises' irritated me to no end because of its ambiguous ending. ARRRRGH. Henry's mother passed away and he's taken in by his probably talented and eccentric actress Aunt Mina who makes a big deal of dressing up in stage costumes for dinner. Henry went along with it till one night the Aunt forced him to cross-dress as a pretty lass and she was a male soldier. Henry didn't like it. He was eventually taken with Linda, a new transfer student. That kickstarted the 'rebellion' against Aunt Mina and taking a stand to say no to her emotional blackmail.

She took her hand off his shoulder, she sat on the bottom step, and then, 'And what am I meant to do on Sunday when you're off with all your friends?' This sudden change, he was the giver when before he was the asker, he was standing and she was sitting by his feet, there was nothing to say, he was numb. After a while she said, 'Well?' stretching her hand towards him, he moved a little closer till he was where she could take both his hands in hers, and she looked at him over her glasses, she took them off, and he saw then the moisture collecting in her eyes' rims. That was wrong, that was a terrible thing, a terrible weight on him now he felt, can people be so important? She squeezed his hands tighter, 'All right,' he said, 'I'll stay.'

ดูคุณเร็ว ๆ นี้ประเทศไทย :: ขอบคุณสำหรับทุกสิ่ง

It was invigorating to feel the breeze in my face, sticking my head right here in the sand, and not think about the world or home. It's also time for solitude. That's probably why I love the sea and diving so much. You're effectively alone in the deep blue. That silence is so awesome.

This particular period really induces an aversion to reading headlines, op-eds, comments and even friends' opinions. I didn't swear off social media, but I'm just not on it the way I usually am. Well, having no cellular signal at sea and sleeping by 10.30pm every night contribute loads to diminished screen-time. This break has given me the headspace necessary to deal with all the nonsense this year.

The MacBook sat quietly for most of the time in Rayong. I can get on it when I'm back in Bangkok. Uploading photos from the camera to the MacBook is easy, but I didn't make a conscious effort to edit photos for the blog because I used the time to either read or take long walks by the beach at sunrise and sunset. I only bothered to scribble notes and drafts to save them to be published later. Hurhurhurhur.

Our lovely huge corner suite provided beautiful private time and plenty of space to sit, read and do my stretches in the mornings. In spite of our stern and repeated warnings, the dear friends took care of our entire bill at the Rayong Marriott. ARRRGGGGGGH. Although we took care of gas, food and spa treatments, it's still not enough to cover the cost of a week's gorgeous accommodation in Rayong. The friends knew it, and insisted, delighting in how it chalked up points for their hotel rewards program. Whatever. I give up. Gaaah. Needless to say, the man is flabbergasted, again.

By now the man has settled into an easy rhythm with these friends. Or rather he's a lot more easy-going than I am. So it's probably tougher for me to take to his friends than for him to take to mine. :P Unless I define a group as 'our friends', then that's cool. Otherwise it's virtually impossible for me to even want to go on vacation with people who can't understand how much admin details, space and privacy I require, because you know me, OCD-maximus, fussy and all that.

I'm so glad to have the chance for an extended vacation with these friends who're absolute sweethearts, and effectively family. Time with them is always precious. ขอบคุณสำหรับทุกสิ่ง ฉันรู้สึกปลื้มใจมาก มันน่าประทับใจมาก ขอบคุณสำหรับความเอื้อเฟื้อของคุณค่ะ 💖💫😘

Sneaked a shot. My soul-sister.

กลับมาอยู่ในกรุงเทพฯ

At the hotel's quiet-enough lounge on the 33rd floor.

All the Bangkok traffic and crowds were a little jarring from the peaceful week in Rayong. 😐 At least I have a comfortable and quiet hotel room to retreat to at The Okura Prestige. I'm not in the city to do mad shopping or anything beyond the usual stocking up of medicines at Boots. Don't have to traipse all over town searching for restaurants or whatever since all Thai food cravings have been satisfied.

Importantly, I get to have a clean meal at the hotel's very decent Yamazato Restaurant. Well, as in light in flavors, and kind to the digestive system. My tummy is already a little upset, so cooked food is preferable. It isn't food poisoning; tummy is churning due to indigestion and uhh over-eating, so it can still take spices and chillies. Heh. Anyway, there're no chillies to be found in this restaurant's menu. Frankly, Yamazato isn't a place for sushi and sashimi omakase. It does cooked food well, and is fine with kaiseki. (There're other better sushi restaurants in town.)

I was greedy and went for the kaiseki. Absolutely unnecessary. I'd have been happier with an udon and three other small items. Anyway, my option of kaiseki held eight courses. Couldn't finish them! Ignored my main of a wagyu-whatever three slices of beef and the rice dish which was a chirashi-don, and dessert of chestnut pudding. Ate the fruits. Tummy was fine.

Bael :: มะตูม

This trip, 'bael' (มะตูม, pronounced 'matoom' in Thai) keeps jumping out at me; in the form of fruit infusions at the spa or as cakes at the cafes, and jam at breakfast and tea wherever. I was wondering what the heck it is till I realized it's familiar to me as 'Asian quince'. Or specifically, 'Bengal quince'.

Ate them all. Well, a bite and a sip. The spas and massage parlors we went to this round provided pandan and bael infusions before or after treatments. Not too bad, except it's always too sweet for me. End up having a glass of water instead.

A generous slice of bael cake at the friends' Bangkok restaurant 'ShouldBe' nicely concluded the 'quince experience' this trip. Yes, their restaurant is really named as such. 'Food as it should be', they proclaimed. Okaaaaay. I have to mention that ShouldBe does a pretty good spaghetti carbonara with no cream. Spot the egg yolk! A little odd in terms of interpretation, but I could live with it. Ate it all up, leaving behind the pieces of bacon.

Pizza Massilia Bangkok

Back in Bangkok and the first thing the man wanted is pizza. Pizza is like the man's all-time favorite food, and my all-time dislike. UGH. Okay. I know where that came from. We've been catching up with Amazon's 'Eat the World with Emeril Lagasse', and there's one episode on Franco Pepe's Italian pizza. Emeril Lagasse partnered up Nancy Silverton (of LA's Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza); she drove him around Campania in Italy to check out burrata, olive oil, and finally ended up at Franco Pepe's renowned pizza eatery in Caiazzo, near Naples.

Didn't need Thai food anymore. Hahahaha. The whole bunch us went to Pizza Massilia. Shared everything. Lamb chops, beef, pasta and of course, pizza. The man can't stop raving about how good those pizzas were. The decor threw me off, but yes, this place does a very good pizza indeed. Their vegan and vegetarian selections are awesome. Very good flavors going on. Still, I only wanted one slice. I've never met a pizza that I wanted to eat more than two slices of.

Luckily for me, there were other humans present to share the food. Whewwww. I could simply have a bite or so here and there. Needed to manage potential indigestion, so I mainly stuck to a very simple aglio e olio. Good olive oil used, but if only they didn't douse the pasta so liberally. Fairly satisfying.

Happiness At Sea

Considered going to the Khao Chamao-Khao Wong waterfall at the Khao Chamao National Park. Ultimately ditched the idea because the scenery and layout are pretty similar to Pa-La-U Waterfall! Right down to the fish pools. Heh. I might as well hang out every day at sea. Did so! 🖤

I've got fairly bad sun-spots on my face that will only darken; no lightening products will help. The BFF clucks in despair at my seeming nonchalance. The sun-spots have worsened and I should do something about it. But honestly, even in this age of fashion, social media and whatever, I can't be bothered. 😬 I spend so little on skincare, facials and make-up. Not my priorities at all. I've got allergies to calm. Sunscreen and hats and not spending silly amounts of time in direct sunshine will suffice. I love the sea and being out in the sun. Not about to stop that.

I've given up on running or hitting the gym on this trip. Snorkeling is a form of exercise. Did a little spot of light diving too. We can easily find secluded beaches to swim to and fro little rocky outcrops. Swimming in the sea utilizes more calories than in a calm pool. Lived in dri-fit pants and tops all day. They dry so fast anyway. I can swim in them unencumbered. I refuse to wear a bikini at sea. How to properly swim long distances in it??!

Went fishing only for the amount required for lunch. Plenty of snappers. Woooohoooo. Yes, the boat driver packed along knives and steel brushes. We can still deftly scale and gut a fish in a makeshift outdoor kitchen. Hey, I can use a camping knife and not stab anybody hor. Skewering prawns is the easiest. Didn't need the boat driver to do all the work. He chuckled at us. These not-so-green tourists can cook. Hahahaha. In the late afternoons before sunset, when we headed back to the hotel, we gathered mussels from sticks left stuck in the seabed since a day ago. Mussels make great snacks lightly boiled in olive oil, white wine, garlic, Thai basil, chillies, pepper and salt.

Surrounded by the glorious blue and green for hours, I was at peace, and joyful. 💙

Got My Chilli Dip!

Stopped at Bang Saen on the way back to Bangkok. Strolled around the main beachfront in town. It was completely cluttered with beach chairs and umbrellas. Full of garbage gathered in piles dotting the sides. Rather unsightly. Glad we went further for a better beach experience.

Went into Dee Prom Restaurant (ดีพร้อม) for a bite. We had a heavy breakfast, and simply wanted light bites. Hahahah. It was light enough but when you order an additional pot of steamed white rice to go with these food, they aren't that 'light'. Easy bites of my favorite stir-fried lotus stems, marinated mackerel which are like giant sardines, and Taipei-style oyster omelette with lots of potato starch. But yes, one lunch that was truly 'light'. Like, finally.

There was a specific item I wanted to eat but I hadn't come across it all week after the first two meals at the friends' homes in Bangkok- นำ้พริกกะปิ (naam prik kapi). It's a dip of fermented shrimp paste, fish sauce and roasted chillies. It always comes with raw or blanched vegetables. Love it! At Dee Prom, we ordered นำ้พริกกุ้งสด (naam prik kung sot), the version with chunks of shrimp either dried or fresh. Spicy! Hurrah!

There, นำ้พริกกุ้งสด (naam prik kung sot).

ดีพร้อม
240 หมู่ 13 เลียบชายหาดบางแสน ต. แสนสุข , อ. เมือง, จ.ชลบุรี

Dee Prom Restaurant
240 Moo 13, Tambon Saen Suk, Amphoe Mueang Chon Buri, Chon Buri, 20130
(off Bang Saen beach)
T: 038381362, 038381622
Hours: 10am to 10pm daily

แหลมเจริญ ซีฟู้ด‏ :: ระยอง

With so many branches of Laem Charoen Seafood (แหลมเจริญ ซีฟู้ด‏) sprouting up all over Bangkok, we had to go to its original restaurant in Rayong for dinner on our last night in the province. I don't wanna go home!!! 😖😩 Importantly, we wanted to buy a few bottles of their fish sauce, bubble-wrap the heck out of them, and lug them back to Singapore to slowly savor.

Ordered conservatively. Whewwww. We're about to keel over from 'too-much-food' syndrome. Very familiar Asian-style seafood dishes. Fried garouper, fried anchovies with chillies and onions, scallops on shells, stir-fried kangkong, and token carbs of a medium plate of egg fried rice. It's a huge restaurant. Non air-conditioned, of course. Yay! Holidaying a week later than the Bangkok New Year merrymakers has its advantages- we get less hassled because the crowds have whooshed in and left.

The friends needed dessert. Regardless of how stuffed they claimed to be, four types of desserts appeared on the table- thub tim rob (ทับทิมกรอบ, red ruby), salak fruit (similar pronunciation in Thai too), chendol and squares of taro in coconut milk. 😐 The desserts came warm, and there were bowls of shaved ice provided to cool them if so preferred. The restaurant is by the sea, but there's a pavement separating that, the carpark and the sand. We had to take a stroll up and down the little stretch.

แหลมเจริญ ซีฟู้ด‏ ระยอง
ต.ปากน้ำ อ.เมือง จ.ระยอง

Laem Charoen Seafood
Tambong Pak Nam, Amphoe Muang Rayong, Chang Wat Rayong 21000
T: 038940094, 038940082, 0937783838
Hours: 10am to 10pm daily

ก๋วยเตี๋ยวที่บ้านมะละกอ

We were out at sea in the morning and went for lunch only at 3pm. Hopping around in the waters does awesome things to the body. I sleep with these comfortable mild aches every night, from the simple action of balancing in the boat, swimming in the open sea against currents, and randomly jumping around. Try playing volleyball in waist-deep water. Hahahaha. In order to keep that feeling of being trim, we wanted A LIGHT LUNCH.

Thought that noodles would be light enough. Nope. Not at all. Our 'light' meals of noodles and kway tiao are NEVER LIGHT lor. At Baan Malagor (or Baan Malakor, บ้านมะละกอ), we clearly had no discipline to stick to one-dish meals or simply one bowl for each person.

Of course there was som tam. It's a must! I asked for sliced fish beehoon soup. At those prices, the kitchen probably used snakeheads. Ahhh, those chillies in fish sauce. Mmmm. We were supposed to have a bowl of noodles each, and rice for the man who seemed to be on a khaaw-phad-anything binge on this trip. Of course he was curious about other foods. So he and the friends went big and ordered tom yam soup and fried fishcakes. Win lor. So tasty though.

The good thing about Thai food, I highly doubt any restaurant bothers with sprinkling MSG. Thai food uses so many ingredients to lend depth and flavor to even a simple plate of fried rice. They already use so much fish sauce which provides all the MSG and umami necessary. The meal was quite delicious.

บ้านมะละกอ
33 หมู่6 ตำบลแกลง อำเภอเมือง จังหวัดระยอง เมืองระยอง ระยอง 85000

Baan Malakor (or Baan Malagor)
33 Moo 6 Tambon Klang Muang Rayong, Rayong 85000, Thailand
T: 038648617
Hours: 9am to 4pm daily

สุนทรภู่ :: พระอภัยมณี

Said statue of carrying a durian.

Am coaxed into agreeing to read Sunthorn Phu's (1786-1855) epic long-form poem 'Phra Aphai Mani' (พระอภัยมณี). It has 94 books and 30,000 verse lines. My gawwwwd. 😮🤔😶 Reading the wiki page in Thai is already torturous. Reading this fully in Thai will probably take me at least 12 months to even begin to understand it. Ugh.

It all started when I noticed all these statues around town and even on the beaches on Ko Samet depicting a mermaid, a female demon of sorts, and a boy on a mythical creature of a dragon-head-and-horse-body. There was even one statue of the boy carrying A DURIAN placed in front of a row of shops selling dried jackfruit and durian chips that Rayong is famous for.

I thought it might be related to a story about that famous Thai national poet that I've read about, but never actually going deep into his works. So I asked the friends about it. To their great delight. They piled it on heavy. Ugh!!! They gave me a one-hour lecture about the background of the classic literary poem 'Phra Aphai Mani' and all its characters within, its author Royal Poet Sunthorn Phu (1786-1855) who lived and died a life no less dramatic than his poems and stories. While his talent is undoubted, I'm not sure if Thai people hail him as an example of morality, what with the indiscretions, many loves (but one true love named Jun), insults to Kings and all, exile, jail time and all that. :P He started writing the epic in 1821, but didn't finish it till two decades later.

'Phra Aphai Mani' is a literary classic, and like many notable literary classics in the world, that of course has to be all about tales of a romantic saga that encompasses princes, princesses, kingdoms, and wars.  Duhhhh. 🙄 The main characters are Prince Aphai Mani, his misplaced love of a female ogre who disguised herself in human form, and a mermaid who later rescued him from the ogre and they hid on Ko Samet, and later on, two human (princesses) wives. All in all, I think the women bore him a total of two sons and four daughters. (Ahhh, please ownself wiki Sunthorn Phu and the plot details in the epic 'Phra Aphai Mani'.)

And because my scintillating friends are also brilliant professors, the lecture concluded with a stop at the author's Memorial Park built in his honor. I suppose it's because the poet's father was born in Rayong, and resided in the town, and naturally the poet returned to Rayong a few times to visit him. So Rayong claimed the poet as their own.

Sunthorn Phu Memorial Park that was completed in 1970 has a dedicated shrine and a small room filled with information about the poet's life, as well as big statues of the main characters- the flute-playing Prince Aphai Mani, his abductor- a female ogre in her true form, and his rescuer- a mermaid in her true form. So that boy riding a mythical creature with the head of a dragon and body of a horse—that's Sutsakhon, the child of the Prince and the mermaid. It was a hot day. Luckily we all wore caps and hats. It wasn't too blistering to walk about staring at the statues, and for the friends to offer flowers and incense.

นายเคี้ยมเกี๊ยวปลา

It's always a great idea to have noodles at lunch. Went to Klaeng district's very local 60-year-old นายเคี้ยมเกี๊ยวปลา (it sort of translates into 'Mr Kiew's Fish Soup') for 'mixed soup' of sliced fish (เกี๊ยวปลาต้มยำ, เกี๊ยวปลารวมมิตร), fish wonton, and also pork and shrimp. They have crab beehoon soup (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวปู) too. There's a competitor plonked directly across the street. All the better I suppose. Hopefully it keeps up the quality at both restaurants.

Non air-conditioned restaurant. 👍🏼 It was already 2.30pm, but it was bustling and the tables were still packed. The menu is displayed on one side of the wall. Take your pick from there. If you don't read or speak Thai, the wall menu's accompanying photos are very helpful. Point to whichever one that catches your fancy. The photos accurately reflect what would eventually appear on your table.

Hahaha, we had spoken of having a 'light lunch'. Riiiiiiiiight. There's no way this is a light lunch lor. I only ordered one bowl of egg noodles and a bowl of mixed soup- with wonton, fishballs and fish slices. In the end, about ten bowls and plates appeared at our table. All types of fish wonton, green and pork dumplings and noodles in all forms! Pork bone broth, sliced fish noodles, mixed soup, and all sorts of noodles. 

My portions were fairly big, but I ate them all up. The fish wonton was delicious. Some of the bigger wontons held minced pork, and while they weren't stinky, I didn't fancy them as much. There was even a small tray of pork satay (similar pronunciation in Thai, สะเต๊ะ) which came with peanut sauce,  and yummy pickles/achar for a bit of crunch.

Made it to dessert. Hahahaha. All were whining "So full! So full!" but immediately said yes to dessert when the server came to ask about it. The special of the day was durian ice-cream. Oddly nobody wanted it. We took coconut ice-cream instead. I quite like coconut ice-cream if it isn't too sweet or full of milk and cream. Preferably sorbet. That works great for me.

I opted for the traditional style (โบราณ ไอศครีมกะทิสด) which is made fresh with no additional milk.  Wary of a sneak sugar attack, I took a small spoonful and was pleasantly surprised. It turned out to have a texture similar to a sorbet, but surprisingly low on the sugar. Perfect. It came topped with green bits and peanuts. It was pretty refreshing.

“เกี๊ยวปลานายเคี้ยม” (เกี๊ยวปลาสามย่าน)  

16 เทศบาลตำบลเมืองแกลง ถนนเทศบาล 2 ตลาดสามย่าน อำเภอแกลง จังหวัดระยอง เป 

โทร. 0-3867-1653, 0-3867-1411, 0-3867-1792 

Mr Fish

16 Municipal Road, Klaeng, 2 Sam Yan Market, Rayong, Thailand

Tel: 0-3867-1653, 0-3867-1411, 0-3867-1792

Hours: Daily 8.30am to 3.30pm

เกาะมันใน :: การอนุรักษ์เต่าทะเล

If you dive or spend enough time on secluded islands around the world, turtles are everywhere. Yet they die so easily, caught in fishing nets, used for food, have their eggs stolen and for whatever ends humans want them for. 😡 I wanted to see turtles at Ko Mun Nai's sea turtle sanctuary. (เกาะมันในเที่ยว เกาะมันใน ชมการอนุรักษ์เต่าทะเลในไทย, อีกทั้งยังเป็นสถานที่เพาะขยายพันธุ์เต่าทะเล) Haven't seen it and since the hotel concierge also promised me that I would "a zillion percent" be able to see adult and baby turtles, I was sold. 'Sea turtles' are pronounced in Thai as 'dao talaay' (เต่าทะเล). 🐢🐢🐢

Ko Mun Nai is a short 5-km ride away via speed-boat from our hotel. Visitors don't spoil it too much since we can't stay overnight (no fresh running on the island or electricity; except a generator to power work tools and for staff to use) or trample around the beaches where turtles come ashore to lay eggs. We aren't allowed into the hatchery lagoon either. Or Ko Kham (เกาะขามใหญ่, เกาะขามน้อย) where it's a protected military zone. CANNOT SEE CUTE HATCHLINGS. I was so pleased to note that there aren't any souvenirs or shops catering to tourists. Just the bare turtle preservation center with its tanks of adults and babies, and a spartan museum the size of a seminar room with outdated information. That's it.

Our hotel has an aquarium tank filled with fish, and two small sharks. They look like baby blacktip reef sharks... Some months there's a baby ray too. Apparently the resort releases them back into the ocean when they're bigger. Still!!! NOT IMPRESSED. I'm not hot about commercial aquariums or zoos, although I do see the argument on the premises of education, nurturing budding marine biologists and activists, and its ultimate aim of conservation. Well. Anyway, the point is to highlight that the sea turtles at Ko Mun Nai (เกาะมันใน) seem well taken care of and the whole thing doesn't feel like one big scam. Many years ago, friends (who are marine biologists in training back then) volunteered as caretakers at this particular sanctuary for up to a month, doing menial and crucial tasks of cleaning the tanks, feeding food and medicine. The turtles breed; some are injured or ill, so the island takes them in for a period. Most will be released back into the wild, and those that are too old/weak/injured get to stay.

Easily identifiable by their saw-like jagged shell margins, the endangered omnivorous Hawksbill turtles are most sought after for what else? Making tortoiseshell combs, plates and boxes. The endangered herbivorous Green turtles are so pretty! Their shells can be so light in an olive color or almost black. But their eyes are so emotive, or so I like to think. Hahaha. The sanctuary saves the carnivorous leatherbacks (or lute turtles) too. BUT, for a no-shell turtle (its carapace is covered by skin and oily flesh), leatherbacks are generally hardier and are released back into the sea asap. Do not touch the turtles. Also, they can easily chomp off your fingers. Turtles aren't that slow. Turtles in the water out-swim me any day.

My honest opinion- this is a sanctuary initiated by the now-84-yr-old Queen-Mother Sirikit in 1979; the current management (the Royal Navy does that since 2002) doesn't seem to bother that much about visitorship (which is a good thing I suppose). It does make me wonder where the funding comes from, and if the staff are sufficiently equipped to do what they do for the sea turtles. The museum needs to re-organize its displays, update them and put up better copy and perhaps offer more details on the turtles habitats in this region, what the center actually does or what it intends to achieve. The information is there, in the heads of the staff. A museum curator just needs to write them down into a coherent flow.

I dunno if there're trained guides who take people on this 'tour'. Those from the tour companies aren't ideal. The 'English-speaking guide' stated in the tour brochures cannot make it lah!!! WTF. At least our 'guide' was disappointing. My Thai is better than their English lor. At most they can re-tell some stories gleaned from the staff. The rest of these 'guides' only look after logistics and ferrying guests here and there. We were lucky to be able to chat with the staff who were more than happy to explain to us (in Thai) what the center does on a daily basis. Mainly- keep them hawksbills, greens and leatherbacks alive and healthy, what they eat and what the center does for them daily. They could even tell us which long-staying turtle has what traits, which are males or females. Now, that is the type of information I want to know.

A curious Green Turtle.

Word Fun at Dinner

This was a random jaunt to the kitschy Tamnanpar Resort which surprisingly has decent Thai food at its restaurant, considering it caters to foreign tourists. Well, its water park and slides and all got panned on forums, along with the resort's rooms, but it has apparently been around for 20 years. Wahhhh.

Mainly here to taste a Chanthaburi-style spicy-sour pork stew unique to the province. (แกงคั่วหมูใบชะมวง; phonetically it's kinda like, 'gaeng moo kap bai cha-muang'.) Learnt of a new-to-me vegetable called 'cha-muang' (ชะมวง, leaves of the garcinia) that the locals in and around Rayong use almost exclusively in pork stew. We were a bit skeptical because the meat in this stew is generally supposed to be fatty, and we weren't inclined to eat all fatty bits. But we were surprised when the pot arrived because this kitchen gave more lean meat in the form of ribs! Yay! Apparently, Tamnanpar Resort does this particular spicy-sour-sweet pork stew beautifully.

Said pot of pork stew. แกงคั่วหมูใบชะมวง. 

At dessert, a chat with the friends reminded me how fun language could be. They asked what 'wo-paeng' sounded like to me as a non-native Thai speaker, and if it meant anything. I was like, not really. It sounded vaguely like a Teochew word. But hey, I'm not good with dialects. Then when the dessert arrived, I did some furious Googling. The friends ordered a Thai dessert of 'wo-paeng' (วอแป๋ง). IT LOOKED SO FAMILIAR. Its pronunciation is taken from either Cantonese or Teochew pronunciation, and/or plain Chinese script. It's what we know in Singapore and Hong Kong as 'red bean pancake' or '红豆窝饼'. You'd have seen this dessert at many Chinese restaurants. In Thailand, it's also filled with jujube (Chinese red dates) or taro. For Thai language, while its script is derived from Sanskrit, many common words are taken from Teochew, Cantonese and Mandarin.

The other day, someone had asked me what's the advantage of knowing so many languages. I think the fun in understanding regional languages is because of a pre-understanding of historical and cultural links. It makes it easier. I'm completely lost when I learn, say, Norwegian (be it Nynnorsk or Bokmål), my only other help (from friends) and point of reference is Swedish. I suppose it's always about getting the basics right, thoroughly understanding each language's grammar and syntax.

I'm extremely competitive; I never learn a language at a superficial level. If I want to start on it, I go the whole hog. I don't just want to be average in it. At the very least, it's gotta be conversant. There must be a certain level of proficiency that goes beyond commenting on the weather and asking for directions, reading the menu and ordering food. With a strong command of the languages, I can find similarities across the board, which will also link to diaspora and culture.

Said dessert of wo-paeng (วอแป๋ง) with taro done Teochew orh-nee style.
It wasn't great because the filling was VERY SWEET, and the dough wasn't light and crisp enough. 

รับประทานอาหารค่ำ ร้านอาหาร น้องนุช ซีฟู้ด

Went to Nongnuch Seafood (น้องนุช ซีฟู้ด) at Laem Mae Phim. Situated right on the beach, it's literally an open-air hut. Perfect. This is a bustling stretch in the nights. Lots of bars and the sorts, but thank goodness it isn't that seedy, yet. Whewwww. The restaurant was crowded tonight, but they had a table for us.

We're pretty careful with the shellfish. All of us have allergies of some sort so each meal should sensibly accommodate one type of shellfish. If there're crabs, then we don't need clams or mussels. Or prawns. We saw clams earlier at lunch elsewhere and were tempted to order a portion too, but had no more stomach space then, and we already had a full pot of mussels which turned out decent. Ordered them spicy clams tonight at Nongnuch. Heh.

Also, I haven't had som tam thus far. *wail* Gotta satisfy a craving for som tam. Didn't want it with crabs or anything. Just plain ole tangy spicy som tam would do. The eatery's version totally hit a spot. Claypot glass noodles with prawns, ginger and pork belly (กุ้งอบวุ้นเส้น) and a deep-fried garouper completed the meal. Happiness.

Nongnuch Seafood (น้องนุช ซีฟู้ด)

ซุ้มชายหาดแหลมแม่พิมพ์ ถ.เพ-แกลง-กร่ำ อ.แกลง Rayong 21190

T: +66 38 638 807

Hours: 10am to 11pm

สวัสดีค่ะระยอง

The south of Thailand usually rains and floods during this time of the year, but this year is particularly bad as the monsoon storms fell way heavier. Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, and Ko Samui are completely overwhelmed as its airports canceled flights, leaving hundreds of travelers stranded, and their residents washed out of homes and businesses. Even Phuket, Ko Phi Phi, Ko Phang Nga and Krabi aren't spared.

I'm relieved that we took this trip in this direction. Thankful for OCD-ness and homework done on plausible weather patterns, and grateful for weather mercies. We drove three hours out of Bangkok southeast to Rayong where it remains sunny. The occasional drizzle in the nights is unusual but with such heavy rains sweeping in across the Gulf of Thailand, it's expected. Popped by Rayong's city center to stock up on some items and headed out towards Klaeng to the beachfront. This is where we'll stay put for the week.

Unlike Hua Hin, Rayong is not as bustling, and certainly less of a tourist trap. The city center is fairly residential and isn't exactly temming with tourists. Its beaches are not as charming as Pranburi, but local crowds still come here in droves. There're only the two short 200m-strips at Laem Mae Phim and Ban Phe (ferry terminal for ferries across to Ko Samet) that's more brightly lit and bustling, catering to local and foreign tourists. We went to a quieter area where local crowds have dissipated after the New Year holidays.

First thing we did was to confirm a small speedboat for our private use for the next five days. We've got no interest in doing group tours. Neither do we want to be squeezed onto a boat with too many tourists. Everytime I hear "don't worry, eight people only", I get 12 people on a boat that is meant for 8-10 passengers. There're too many horror stories of speedboats colliding or capsizing because maximum load has been exceeded.

Extra thrilled that the speedboat could come right up to the beach at Rayong Marriott to pick us up and drop us off. Each trip out, the hotel makes us lunch bentos and provides a cooler box full of water, soda and fruits. This tiny baby is exactly what I want— fits four passengers and the driver comfortably. It's small and familiar enough so that in case of an emergency, there're two other people in this party who could drive the boat. We could all communicate fine with the driver in mainly Thai and a smattering of English. Perfect.