bangkok trip: part II # a summary by me

I just realized maybe there are not going to have that many people having a joyous CNY this year, what with the demise of a few blogger's relatives. Denise's grandpa, Mel's grandpa, and even my Grand Uncle passed away end of last year. Many thoughts go out to them...
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I have been to Hat Yai and Songkhla when I was 15, but never to Bangkok. So when LiLing approached me to go to Bangkok on a shopping trip, I was ecstatic! It was a combination of two things I love: shopping and travelling!

But it was not without many disruptions. For one, we kept postponing the trip due to the chaos happening in the Thai capital. But finally, we managed to booked tickets for a flight on 27th November. Just one day before, however, we found out that protesters had stormed the airport and all flights were cancelled.

Also, it was very hard persuading my Mom to let me go. I guess, she figured that four girls in a foreign country which is having protests every other day is just not very good odds.

But finally, on Christmas day, 25th December 2008, we landed in Bangkok safe and sound.

We spend 4 days and 3 nights there shopping, trying local foods and really just absorbing the Thai environment. I was so used to listening to broken English and everyone speaking alien language that even when I came back to Malaysia, I was still expecting to hear more Thai.

One thing I can say about Bangkok is that it is so over-populated. There are always so many people, cars and tuk-tuks wherever we go. Also, I noticed there are a lot of very fashionable ladies there. Even the schoolgirls were dressed to the nines in their uniforms! And I have never seen so many fake LVs around like I have seen in Bangkok.

Suvarnabumi airport, the very scene of the place that made Bangkok lose millions because of protesters and the place that they HAVE to target causing our flight to be cancelled

Waiyin, LiLing and Pearl, my travelling companions

We are here! Finally!

The blogger on day one arriving

We took an expensive cab from airport to hotel...the first thing I saw that made me realized we are in Bangkok!

Bangkok Day vs Night...still traffic jam all the way

Our first night was at First Hotel (wahhh...so many "firsts")

Cam-whoring in our hotel room in Baiyoke Boutique

Departing for home with triple the luggages we arrive in

The sunset aboard the airplane

bangkok trip: part I # eccentric things and baiyoke boutique

I am going to die when school reopens...just no mood to study and do assignments right now...haih...

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This is going to be my first part of my Bangkok trip last Christmas. Did not take that many pics this time around because too busy shopping.

ONLY IN BANGKOK...

1) ...will you find fried maggots, grasshoppers, worms and cockroaches.

...and two crazy travellers willing to try them!

A little salty but the taste is quite alright:)

2) ...a very Thai Ronald McDonalds...Sa-wa-dee-kap!

3) ...a huge elephant in front of a shopping mall!

4) ...a PORK burger in McD's!

...and not forgetting the simply orgasmic cheesy french fries!

5) ...absurd gimmicks in clothing shops! (seriously, what a waste of cloth)

BAIYOKE BOUTIQUE HOTEL, BANGKOK

This is the name of the hotel we stayed in for our 2nd and 3rd night in Bangkok. The hotel is situated behind Baiyoke Sky, a quite secluded place but the interior of the hotel is so interesting, I could not resist taking snapshots of it;)

Blogger in front of entrance to hotel

Blogger in lobby waiting to check-in

Me like all the sparkling white interior in lobby

The clock above the reception area...I like it a lot!

One thing this hotel is never in shortage of: paintings...be it classical, abstract, modern, etc. (but some questionable, as shown by the photo top left)

Each floor has a different set of wallpaper...this one is my favourite, lots of roses lining the hallway

Even the exterior of the lift on every floor is different

But the funniest and wackiest thing about this hotel is definitely...THE TOILET DOORS!

(took me a while just to figure which one is which one)

Did you get it right?

pre-cny week:_pap '09_pharm cny dinner_carolyn's bday

Haih...what fun is CNY with pending assignments and a mid-sem examination three weeks' away? No wonder feelin' a little blue this festive season...

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Date: 18th January 2009
Venue: Kolej Tun Syed Nasir
Event: UKM Pesta Angpow

On Sunday, AiLi, Wei2, JiaYing, Beng2 and myself went to KTSN to watch the annual UKM Pesta Angpow. As first-years, we participated in this event last year so this year, it was our turn to be spectators.

Carolyn Teo, Clara, Carolyn Lee, the blogger and BB

The decor of this year's PAP

When I arrived, my little buddy, Chye Teck send me a sms telling me to look up. That was when I discovered the magnificent and looming dragon decor on the ceiling. They have really outdone themselves this year. The dragon was definitely breathtaking and meticulously-detailed. I later found out that my little buddy was in the decor dept, which could explain why he was so very proud of the dragon.

Us with the gargantuan dragon above us

The amazing lion dance and fan dance

A summary of all the wonderful performances that night

This year's PAP, in short, was really fun and awesome. Some of the performances that night were:

• Lion dance (the lion was so so so cute!)
• Traditional fan dance (wei2's little buddy ooi tche was in it)
• Singing (suz m's little buddy, lelia was in it)
• Hip-hop dance (very cool, my junior wang ting was in it)
• Drama (a little mediocre and predictable, I am afraid. My junior, chor meng plays one of the lead roles)
• Classical singing (very funny and nice)
• "Balas pantun"
• Chinese classical orchestra
• Chinese classical yo-yos (first time I seen anyone play that)
• Dances of all races (surprise to see my Malay coursemates, Jebarius and Hamidi in it

Date: 19th January 2009
Venue: Hou Mei Fish Head Curry Restaurant, Setapak
Event: Pharmacy 2nd-year "tuan yuan fan"

On Monday was the first time my batch, the second-years, organized a reunion dinner. I think almost everyone came except for one guy. The restaurant was in Setapak, near where us Chinese students are staying currently.

The restaurant where we booked four tables for 40 of us

The table I sat in was the only all-girls table. We did a good job finishing almost all the food despite not having any male stomachs around

We had a total of 10 dishes, excluding a plate of fruits

The food was really yummy. I ate so much that night I was afraid of indigestion. There were some hits, but also some misses. Of course, the best dish, IMHO, is the curry fish head, which is also the restaurant's specialty. I only wished there were bigger portions of it.

Some of the cute antics caught on the camera by moi

Some of us decided to go all-black that night

Those who sat on the same table as me: suetfang, waikuan, yanxia, jiaying, meichieng, weiwei, aili, janice & tzeim

Time for some group-camwhoring, with lots of CNY spirit in the air

Pic on right: The Segamat Girls decided to go all-white whilst the seven of us went all-black, hence the monochromatic dressing in the pic. The other coloured clothings were left out. LOL.

Date: 21st January 2009
Venue: House Cafe, Setapak
Event: Jia Ying's 22nd birthday celebration

As the eldest girl in our group, it was Jia Ying's turn to become 22 years old! Getting bored of planning surprises, we initially did not tell her the reason we decided to have dinner together but I guess she kinda knew we were going to celebrate her bday already. Wisdom does come with age, I supposed.

The yam-flavoured ice-cream cake

The pretty, curly and recently turned 22-years old Carolyn Lee

Group pics with the birthday girl!

The blogger with the cute present we got for Jia Ying

The collection of snapshots from that night...too many to be posted...

Lastly, a very cute pic of all seven of us wishing y'all:

*HaPPy cHiNEsE nEw YeAR 2009 evERyBoDY!!!*