Bangkok Trip Day 2

On this day, Saturday, we went to Bangkok’s famous weekend market, Chatuchak (or Jatujak, as the Thai say it). A and I went in the morning, around 9 am, took the BTS from Asok to Mo Chit. From there, we walked across the Chatuchak park and began our adventure. I got myself a character tee, among other Disney and Sesame Street characters (Mickey, Minnie, Tinkerbell, Elmo, Big Bird, you name it...they got it)  – A confirmed that the exact same tees can also be found in Disneyland with, of course, a different price. I’m guessing that Bangkok is the tee supplier for Disneyland. I chose the Goofy character because it resembles my goofiness :p while A got a Marie tee (the white female-cat with pink ribbon)...two for 300 baht!

I also got some vintage shirts (denim for me and 2 for my nieces) for 100 baht each. Along the way, we got ourselves some snacks: quail egg sunny side up with salty soya sauce, (halal) beef sausage and some orange juice to drink. I couldn’t believe how big the market was...and how clean the inside of the market – people were responsible enough to carry their rubbish until they found a rubbish bin or somekind.

We had lunch at a decent restaurant in one of the alleys of Chatuchak. I had Pad Thai – served with an orchid on the plate, how pretty is that? J A had rice with fried chicken wings. Yummo..both of them...especially with ice cold P*psi cola to gulp. Grateful.

Vegetarian Pad Thai with Omelette

Rice with Fried Chicken Wing

Following the wonderful Chatuchak experience, we headed to Platinum, an ‘ITC Jakarta-look-alike’ if you ask me. We bought striped cotton dresses. Green for me, red for A. We were only able to walk around the clothing section due to limited time. After Platinum, we went to Central World mall (if I’m not mistaken) and had early dinner at ThaiSiam. We ordered Som Tum (papaya salad – with chili sauce and cashew nuts on top). Apparently, the Thai enjoy their papaya salad HOT and SPICY. It really woke us up, the surprising taste of hotness. Hahahaa... Make sure if you want to order Som Tum, ask the chef to make it ‘mild’ or ‘ with no chili’. But it’s delicious anyway...if you like spicy food.

After the ‘revelation’, we visited Siam Paragon (similar to Plaza Indonesia in Jakarta), Siam Square (similar to FX Mall) and Siam Center (the cheaper version of the previous malls – all three located in the same area. Then, we went to the hotel. Again, in the spirit of YOLO (You Only Live Once), I went to Terminal 21, just across the hotel, while A went back to the hotel. Later at night, we grabbed KFC for take away. I was surprised that the waiter was deaf, and she got a special menu with sign language; if we want ‘wing’ or ‘thigh’ chicken, just point at the picture. Aww...so admirable...even the disable are also given the opportunity to work and earn money. We ended the night by snacking in a 24-hour hawker food stall across the hotel. Seafood salad and ice milk tea were on the table while we discussed the wonders of Bangkok as it has become a structured and sophisticated metropolis way ahead of Jakarta. To think that both cities are similar in so many ways, yet Jakarta is so behind in mass transportation L If only Jakarta has such kind of BTS...JTS...if only my wish can come true in the next decade at least, I would be so grateful. For my future kids, for the elderly, for a better Jakarta :’)

Siam Center

Terminal 21 - just across the hotel

Bangkok Trip Day 1

The Bandung girl and I made a pact to meet up on Friday morning. Unfortunately, she decided to do another agenda...so yeah, I went on executing plan A (visit temples across Chao Praya river) by myself.

I dressed up in long trousers and long-sleeves at first, , but considering the intolerably hot-humid weather, I changed to T-shirt + shorts (A told me that it’s okay to wear  knee-length shorts to temples – convinced I didn’t have to change to longer top and bottom, I decided not to take extra ‘decent’ clothes).

I took the BTS from Asok station to Siam, and interchanged to Saphan Taksin – where I took the boat across the Chao Praya river to see the Grand Palace and Wat Pho (where the famous 45 metres ‘Reclining Buddha’ lies). I made it...by myself! Am so proud of myself :’)

When I entered the Grand Palace gate, a lady shouted in Thai while looking at my direction. She pointed at my ‘knee-length shorts’. Well, apparently, it’s too short. As it is a sacred place, I had no other choice but to deposit 200 baht and borrow a Thai Sarong. Met an Indonesian teenager boy who wore shorts that are a tad too short as well :p

Me with the borrowed sarong...looking Thai enough? :)

In front of the grandiose Buddha

To enter the Grand Palace, tourists must pay 500 baht – while Thai can enter freely because it is, in fact, their praying shrine. Dear readers, please beware of ‘no photography’ and ‘no video’ in some of the temples – or else, the temple officer would grab your camera and/or video and delete your pictures, especially in the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew). I didn’t pay much attention on the signs, so an officer actually grabbed my camera and forcefully deleted the pics. I get the gesture, but I also got a bit upset that I said “I didn’t know, okay..you don’t just take other people’s property like that!” – not that he understood a word I said. But yeah, point taken..it’s not a tourist attraction, it’s a holy worship place. Should be more careful and empathetic next time. Anyway, when I returned the sarong, the officer-lady said, “If you don’t speak, you look like Thai, you know...” I giggled, and an ‘a-ha moment’ just hit me.

My next destination was Wat Pho, the temple of ‘Reclining Buddha’. This time, I decided to take the entrance for the ‘Thai’ instead of ‘Foreign Visitors’....and I got in effortlessly. Yeayness! When I entered the temple where the ‘sleeping Buddha’ situated, I made a ‘wai’ gesture – you put your hands together and bow your head slightly as an appreciation to the Buddha. I immediately got goosebumps..the energy in that room was intense. I believe that places where people pray and give gratitude (like Ka’bah for the moslems) are the ones with the most amazing energies...I almost cried. I took some pictures there and stepped out.

The Magnificent Reclining Buddha

Its Smaller Version

People giving donation along the bowls from one end to the other

Afterwards, I decided to end my temple-journey due to the excruciating hunger after a long walk under the sun. Wat Arun had to wait for next trip, I guess J I headed back to Saphan Taksin with an orange-flagged boat (20 baht) and rushed to the National Stadium station (MBK Center). I skipped Jim Thompson House and BACC because it was already 2 pm. I tried vegetarian food at the food court on 6th floor: brown rice, steamed broccoli and some kind of tofu with green beans. I also had mango sticky rice for dessert (with a portion for 2 *oops). Then, I browsed the mall and got my nieces super cute owl sling bags for 100 bahts each and fridge magnets for my sister.

Things they sell at MBK Center

My vegetarian lunch..quite tasty though

Mango Sticky Rice - just gotta try it

At around 3.45, A arrived. She got 2 iphone cases for 200 baht each. Good bargain, indeed J After that, we took the BTS to Saphan Taksin (again) and crossed the Chao Praya River for Asiatique by boat (for free). We met A’s friends there, Selly and Maya. Asiatique is a place where we can find small shops and boutiques with a giant-wheel ride that costs 250 baht. We can also watch lady boys performance, the Calypso Cabaret for 1.200 baht – I wanted to watch it, but it was full booked. Instead, I shopped for some Birkenstock sandals (replica) for the nephews, Thai printed bags for the in-laws, elephant-printed pouches for my girls in Jkt and a pair of Havaianas flip-flops (also replica). I spent quite a lot for souvenirs...should be smarter and wiser next time. Optional souvenirs: dry food! One more thing, self-note: Do Not Bargain unless you are 100% sure that you want to buy the product, or else, the seller will so furious and can be so mean. Think of B*tak or P*dang sellers at Melawai, Blok M or other street sellers. Yes, you’ve got the point.

Asiatique Riverfront - charming place

Fun with new friends atAsiatique

To end the night, we had late supper at a seafood place called Fish something, I forgot. Had spaghetti olio aglio with salted fish and lemon juice, perfect combination, yumm! And that’s a wrap. We went back to the hotel by taxi...ready for a restful sleep after a packed (yet exciting) day.

Prologue to Bangkok Trip

I’ve wanted to visit Bangkok since forever but never seemed to get the right momentum – either I haven't got the ‘right’ price or the ‘right’ company. So, when one of my best friends, A, told me she’s going to extend her stay in Bangkok after a week-long job training and asked if I’d like to join her, I said ‘yes’ – to honor the principle of YOLO (You Only Live Once). Thanks to my freelance job and my present single status, I was able to arrange my trip at ease without the hassle of asking for an on-leave permission months earlier.   

I booked online for the ticket on September 13 (the same date I congratulated A for her birthday). The ticket I purchased wasn’t a promo one, but I figured, hey...opportunity doesn't knock twice. Work hard, play harder :D 

I’ve never gone abroad by myself. My recent solo-flight was to Yogyakarta a couple of months ago...but that’s local, and everyone could speak Bahasa Indonesia – while Thailand is not exactly an English-speaking country. According to my itinerary, I’d have to spend 3/4 of my Friday on my own since A would still have her training on that day. Rather than waiting for her to finish-up 'til 3-ish in the hotel room, I decided to visit the major temples in Bangkok on Friday morning, then to Jim Thompson house (fyi, Jim Thompson was the man who revived Thai silk ‘til it becomes internationally renowned. He's announced an MIA person after a trip he took in Africa. More here), then to Bangkok Art & Cultural Center (BACC - here), and finally meet up with A at MBK Center (the iconic mall of Bangkok) around 3 pm.

God, did I prepare for that single day of solo-trip :)) I tried to get as much information as I could on the transportations, food, places to visit and shop from other people’s blogs and youtube videos. These links are gems: go here or here to learn how to use the BTS. This also comes in handy if you want to match your interest to places in Bangkok. 

A told me to take a taxi from the airport to her hotel in Sukhumvit (Sheraton Grande) which connects to Asok BTS (Bangkok Sky Train) Station, but my sister said that I could save quite a lot of cash by using the Airport Rail Link (ARL) and take the BTS. I copy pasted each information and printed them. Turned out that reality was simpler than the manual guidelines, really J Maybe that’s why Bangkok is noted as the world’s simplest-mass transportation line-to get around.  

Even when standing up, the zero-traffic works everything out

Near the door - don't forget to let others step out first before you step in

20 years of friendship

Morning, BTS Station!

So clean, so organized...

Okay, a bit of #ThursdayThrowback. My flight was scheduled on Thursday (10 October) at 3.40 pm. After I checked-in at Tiger Airways counter at Terminal 3 Soekarno-Hatta Airport, I went to second floor, had my immigration check, and waited on the Z-4 boarding gate – was a bit puzzled at first, because I thought Z was the name of the gate :p thank God for the lovely toilet-lady who told me that Z, in fact stands for ‘Zone’; that explains the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4. Hahahaa.. 

Anyways, the flight was delayed 40 minutes due to the ‘airplane traffic’ on the landing ground. I decided to work on my daily reports while waiting. Out of the blue, a woman about my age sat down and said, “Mmm, now all we gotta do is wait to be called...right?” The moment she finished her sentence, I knew that she was as clueless as I was. Hahaaa... We talked for some time and exchanged numbers before it was time to get on board. She lives in Bandung, and went to Jakarta by travel-bus. She has a friend that lives in Bangkok, and that she’s just met ‘him’ online all these times, she wasn’t sure he’d come and get her at the airport.

Long story short, we hopped on the plane. After 3.5 hours of flight, we arrived at Suvarnabhumi Airport at approximately 7.45 pm. The signs were easy to understand, and she did get picked up by her friend – who kindly paid for my ARL ticket to Phaya Thai (the BTS station that links from ARL to all other BTS stations). 

Bhutan Guy, Bandung Girl and Brave Girl :p

Nothing is coincidence...ask, and you shall receive (in my case, I've received the gift of good company)

What a blessing at the beginning of the journey. BTS to me was love at first sight. Ranging 15 to 45 baht, it’s so conveniently air conditioned and clean. I had a feeling that this trip is gonna be a blast! I made it to Asok station and crashed at A’s room. My previous ambition was to head for Khaosan Road (a backpacker street where we can eat extreme culinary such as grasshopper, scorpion and such) at night, but A was beat...and I was a bit drowsy. So, I guess, more adventure the day after (was a bit too excited to explore Bangkok that I only slept for 4 hours!). 

Finally arrived at the hotel

Our room - 1214

Don't forget to love yourself

Sometimes we're too consumed of the thought "what would people think if I'm not nice enough, neat enough, funny enough, etc. etc." and we turn into a people-pleaser. On the other hand, we tend to forget the most important person in our life, ourselves. Instead of saying nice things, we berate ourselves for 'issues' that are sometimes only exist in our minds. We get tense and weary from self-judgment, and our loved ones often get affected by our excess emotional baggage.

Let's make time to appreciate and love ourselves. Smile to that person on the mirror - look at how gorgeous she looks, with all those hardships...she's able to get through 'em all, such a brave and strong person - grab a good book, walk in nature, make a scrapbook, paint an old chair...whatever pleases you, whatever reminds you that you're present in this world...not to work like crazy and make loads of money - which you prolly might not be able to enjoy 'cause you're too occupied collecting - but to understand that life's too short to say 'yes' all the time (when we don't feel like saying it...we're putting ourselves no.2 instead of no.1 in our lives); saying 'no' when we mean to say 'no' means we stand for our integrity..and thus, gain respect from others. And bear in mind that the next time your friend/partner/family member asks "So, where you wanna eat?", don't just say "Wherever...you choose," say what you really want.

Life's to cherish for, to be grateful for. The moment you start making excuses for not loving yourself is the moment you'll regret when you're on your deathbed :(

Don't think too much...seize your opportunity & love infinitely!

New-found Addiction(s)

I just love it when I found new things on the web, either by accident or by a friend's suggestion. Here are 3 of my latest addictions:

1. hellogiggles.com a site that literally made me giggle for its fun contents - which are just, oh, so real..a place for real girls to share their thoughts and give a pat on each other's backs. I think it's also a project pioneered by Zooey Deschanel - since her photo is on their Twitter cover, together with 3 other girls whom I'm not familiar with. A big fan in an instant :)

2. http://lissarankin.com/ by Lissa Rankin, a frequent TEDx speaker, who shares a lot about the essence of healing from the mind - instead of from outer factors, such as medicine, pain killers, etc. even though she used to be a doctor herself. She speaks about soulful spirituality without at all being preachy. I subscribe to Your Inner Pilot  daily newsletter or The Daily Flame that goes straight to my email, and it's very encouraging. No wordy lines, just one that soothes the soul after a long day. Just take a look at this one I got yesterday:

Mira, my dear, 

You are infinitely adored.
You are enough.
You are on the right path, event if you don't know where you're going.
You are worthy. 
You are loving and lovable. 

Just in case you forgot, 
Your Inner Pilot Light 

Thank you, Inner Pilot Light! I love you!

3. http://diyforthesoul.tumblr.com simply a collection of wonderful DIY bits and pieces in a single link. Always adored DIY crafts, yet too lazy to browse through Pinterest or other links. I found this Tumblr account very helpful, and the creations are also doable. Love..love..love..

   

Under Pressure

I believe that stress is a result of our mindset; thinking that we have no option or way out from a problem. Nowadays, stress is associated with a lot of things, especially in the cosmopolitan city, Jakarta.  Every day, there are always people who mention how stressed out they are due to traffic jams, heavy work load, or an irritating client/  colleague. For women who are still single, the pressure is doubled by “When are you going to get married?” questions raised (by family and friends).

It’s understandable that city people then search for places where they can soothe their ‘pain’. From hip cafés to prestigious vacation destinations, their motto is ‘work hard, play hard’. A dear friend of mine would be restless if she doesn’t have any plans at weekends. Part of it is because weekends are ‘the catch’ of the week, something to look forward to every day at work…an escapism. Another part of it is because it is almost “challenging” to stay put and enjoy the stillness.

Going to fancy places can be relaxing indeed for recreation is necessary. However, if we can’t make peace and accept the daily traffic jams, heavy work load, irritating client/  colleague and/or marriage-related questions, we would remain stressful. Remember, nobody (and nothing) can hurt us without our consent.

We always have options; whether to live with it or leave from it. In any other way, life’s challenges will always be present. What matters is the choices we make on how we live our lives. It’s all right to be upset when something doesn’t come out as we expected, but don’t get too carried away. As happiness that will always come to an end, so does sadness. It’s what the cycle of life is all about.   

Perfect World vs Reality

In the perfect world, I would teach only the ‘good’ students

In the perfect world, I would get married to Prince Charming

In the perfect world, I would eat as much as I’d like without getting fat

In the perfect world, I would travel around the world with first class service and wear the prettiest dresses like Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the City

In the perfect world, I would live be an adored Queen in a magical palace

The perfect world does exist…in movies

In reality, I have students with all kinds of behavior (which aren’t always pleasant)

In reality, I’m still looking for a decent person whom I can spend the rest of my life with (with no guarantee of a ‘happily ever after’)

In reality, I love to eat, and exercise isn’t exactly my favorite thing to do

In reality, yes, I do occassionally travel (nothing posh…but I do try to make the best of it); as for pretty dresses, I do enjoy watching fashionable people, but my personal style is clean and classic with a touch of ‘today’ accessories

In reality, I’m nothing near a Queen…but I’m spoiled enough by having a household assistant who does my laundry, clean my space and serve delish food :9

In reality, life is like a book. On every turning of a page, each question asked in the past will naturally be unfolded along the journey. I realize that every experience gives a better understanding to who I am and why I’m here. Sometimes I’m too focused in the thing I ‘want’ that the bigger picture is outlooked …which is, in fact, the thing I ‘need’ (to grow). Thus, regrets are useless. Just like in a book; on each ending of a chapter, there’s always a new beginning. And I’ve walked long enough to learn that there’s no such thing as a ‘happy’ or ‘sad’ ending. My stories (and yours), both happy and sad, will be written unpausingly, until we finally exhale our last breath.