Bangkok Trip Day 1! (Part 1)

I took aupaid leave for 2 days and left for a 4 days 3 night Bangkok getaway recent, I was really looking forward for the trip but was so caught up with work that I realised the impending trip only when I was less than 2 weeks away from the departure date. Great, I don't like waiting...

I rushed home after work on the Friday (the day before I'm suppose to set off) and packed for the trip. The keyword is: MINIMAL. I was expecting my haul to be huge so I had to start planning for my return baggage.

Pack light and cotton-material clothes, shorts and sleeveless are perfect for the hot, humid weather. Do not forget your sunglasses, hat and sunscreen. If you are planning to visit the temples, do bring along something long that covers your legs and a shawl for shoulders and arms. If you are planning to visit any fashion wholesale malls, note that most of the shops do not have any changing room. You may like to consider wearing leggings/ tights so you can easily slip on the apparel over your clothes.

Prepare some cash in Thai Baht as well, you can change for the rest at the numerous money-changers after in Thailand subsequently.

Even my toiletries and skincare were brought in sample packages (use and discard). Most importantly, a pair of good shoes. For me I trudged along the streets of Bangkok with my trustworthy black Teva flip-flops. Just a little tip, if your package is slightly exceeding the weight limit, wear the clothes that weigh the most to board your home-ward flight (e.g jeans, thick cotton jersey dress, leather jackets). Another option is to load your handheld luggage with the heavier but non-liquid items, but you will have to carry the load around before you board your plane. If you are lucky, your travel companion may have a few kilograms of baggage weight to spare you. However, I will not encourage anyone to count on that. Last but no lest, pay for your excess baggage with cold hard cash.

Lastly, remember to drink lots of water and eat lots of fruit (which is so ripe and sweet, yet inexpensive in Bangkok). Stay healthy and enjoy the experience there in the Country of Smiles. 

This trip will covered in a 8-parter, 2 entries for each day. They are incredibly photo-intensive, including pictures of my haul of the day at the end of each day's entries and all photos can be "clicked" to enlarge. I feel happy (as if I'm transported back to Bangkok) even when I am going through the photos, hope I can share my love and joy with you. Here we go!



Woke up at 4 am to get ready, hopped into my pre-arranged cab 



Smooth ride to Singapore Changi Airport, Terminal 1.

What unearthly hour...

Walking to my designated gate

Grabbed Starbucks breakfast on the way



Starbucks Spinach and Mushroom Quiche



Travelator: Love this great mode of mobility. Actually I'm just plain lazy.

Bangkok, Bangkok here I come!

Can you see the padi fields glistening in the morning sun, so breath-taking...

Suvarnabhumi Airport

It's Spot-My-Luggage time

Cab that was arranged by the airport counter, they go my meter.

Thailand's Taxi Meter Rate (not too sure if it's across the board for all taxis)



The city view taken while we sped along the expressway



We reached our hotel at close to 11 am (Thailand time)
The friendly bell boy came swiftly to help with our luggage



Glitz Bangkok Hotel
135/18-19 Surawong Rd., Bangrak, Bangkok 10500
Tel: +66 2634 0001-4, Fax: +66 2634 0005



The beautiful hotel lobby

Me, freshly flown in from Singapore.

The above photo shows the mini lift purely for luggage only.

After checking in, we had to proceed to our room on the third floor by stairs. There's no passenger lift but don't worry. They only have 14 rooms in total, there ain't too many stairs to climb. However, I can't deny I'll look longingly at the mini lift when I came back after the ambitious shopping marathon every single day, legs aching like a toothache. Nah, I don't want to get thrown out... 

Third floor common lobby, with a cheery yellow coach and Internet station.



Internet station



The Glitz Suite for my accommodation of this trip

Impressed Number 1: It's so spacious and I love how the red furniture pieces brightened the different tones of rich browns in the room. I also love the fact that it is super clean, not a single thing out of place, it feels like a home away from home. They have everything I needed, for example, a hairdryer that I don't need to return to the chambermaid after each use. Yes, I know I'm demanding...

The suite from another angle

Washroom and toilet is in the same cubical,
squeaky clean as well!

Bathtub + Jacuzzi = Heaven
 Just for your information, the door and that specific wall is made of glass.
Yes, glass. Click to get the visual.
Strategically frosted in the middle, you can still see the ankles and the 
occupant's silhouette. That, you either are dying to see or not want to see to live... 

The toiletries provided, I brought my own though.



The view from the window, it's just along the road so light sleepers
beware...

We settled, unpacked and rested a moment in the room. So dreamy... and we headed out!

Soft lighting along the stairway

Top view of the hotel lobby taken from the second floor,
where they serve their breakfast daily.

Impressed Number 2: It was definitely way over breakfast time, however the kitchen-service staff (a super hospitable auntie) invited us to sit down while she quickly whipped up a simple meal for us. So nice of her!

My scrumptious lunch!

It's Pad Thai with came with tea and a plate of fresh fruits

After filling our tummies, we set off and walked down to our tailor which is just a few steps from the hotel. We will visit this tailor every time we land in Bangkok. It's slightly more expensive than some other tailors you find in the city, however I'll always make a beeline straight to their shop front once I touch down for 4 reasons. They provide such sincere service, sound recommendations, reasonable pricing (keeping in mind), the brilliant workmanship and I can trust that they can complete my order with a short notice of 3 days (not inclusive of Sundays as that is their rest day).

Day one is the day you tell them what you want and customize it to your preference, select the fabric, take your measurements and pay a deposit. Day two, you will drop by to do a fitting of the "draft" they made, sometimes you can even collect your purchase if it already fits you like a glove. If not, they will make the final adjustments and you will be able to go for your final fitting, make your remaining payment and leave with your tailored pieces on Day three. There was once one of my pants did not fit even after the finally fitting, and they shipped it over to me in Singapore after they did a beautiful job (free of charge).

I love the satin blouses, pants, blazers and a pencil skirt they tailored for me over the past visits and we got quite chatty (with quite some language barrier) that they often recommended eagerly, some must-visit spots in Bangkok. I will always go back to them for the reliability and friendly service.
 

Staying still while my measurements were taken

Some of the gigantic collection of quality fabrics for you to choose from



Hilton Tailor's name card

I decided to take a photo of the view outside the tailor, so busy yet serene somehow.

Another photo of the Bangkok street along the
 tailor as we sent off to find lunch

There's numerous roadside peddlers
everywhere you go in Bangkok

You can find really cheap and good food from some roadside peddlers. This is a great way to sample the food culture and experience the local way of life. However, I will suggest that you always scrutinise the cleanliness of the stall and hygiene of the food preparation, also if there are many other locals eating from that specific stall before you take the risk of spending the rest of your holiday in a toilet (if worse, in a hospital).

We side tracked and walked into one of Thailand's famous local brand:
Naraya

The branch in Patpong seem to be one of the bigger ones, in
fact the second floor is where you can find the already
 affordable but durable merchandises on clearance prices.



Do drop by to shop in the day because I noticed that the place will
get real crowded at night, stuffed full of Japanese ladies. Apparently,
Naraya is really popular but at extremely inflated prices in Japan.



Naraya have such a wide range of fabric bags, pouches, carriers, backpacks and so many others of all shapes and sizes that it's an ideal place to buy souvenirs for ladies. I got quite a number of pieces for my mum and sisters. I also grabbed a few to much for myself because they were so simple and classic, the satin material is so pleasing to the eye and lovely to touch, the quality is good and they are all so cheap. Please drop by and you will understand why I'm so please of my haul from Naraya.

Just next to Naraya in Patpong is my all-time favorite shop in Thailand:
I LOVE BOOTS! In fact, my friends tell me I'm obsessed...

Yes, I confess I am obsess with Boots so much so that there seem to be this huge magnet in every Boots store I pass by and I can't help but get sucked in immediately. If my friends can't find me after shopping, all they have to do is to check the nearest Boots and there they"ll find me safe and sound, looking really fascinated at something but never intending to leave. Some times, it get way too much that once my dear friend had to lock his arm around my neck and drag me out. It was a hilarious sight!

Hence, we implemented the 5 min rule. I have 5 minutes when I step into Boots, sometimes more if my friend's busy somewhere else. I will come prepared with a Boots shopping list that I researched online before reaching Bangkok. I used to stock up on their hair shampoos and conditioners but I find that they are too heavy to lug around. Thus I've reduced greatly on such purchases and keep Boots to the last stop before I return back to the hotel. You will see what I grabbed for this trip in my haul photos.

My precioussss...

Still searching for lunch when we passed by this peddler grilling
whole fishes and chicken parts. I realised the locals eat really simple
food for their 3 meals, but chilli seem to be a must for every meal.

Walked pass the roadside stall where we normally eat

 our dinner. It's located right outside Pink Panther, one of

the popular "adult entertainment clubs" along Patpong.



Kentucky Fried Chicken!
I was so happy to find one, quickly snapped a picture and
hopped in to hide from the scorching heat.

The meal we ordered which was much cheaper than what we will
have to pay in Singapore. They still serve with hardy plates and metal
utensils, that was phased out more than 20 years ago in Singapore.



This is what made me want to eat KFC in Thailand. It's salad is
different from the Singapore version, it has tuna and pineapple bits with
corn and carrot mixed in some salad sauce.  Really refreshing and yummy!



Watch out for <Bangkok Trip Day 1! (Part 2)> if you are interested to follow me on my holiday and haul!

A Special Farwell At Paulaner!

I am stuck at home over the weekend down with a terrible cold (runny nose and sore throat), taking some super-duper drowsy medication. It's not that bad since I got to be at the airport later tonight, forcing me to really stay at home, get some rest and blog a little. To think about it, I've not been sick for the pass 3 months (except for a minor food poisoning saga). Great, I am definitely getting happier by the day! Oh, I will really like to mention that I started feeling unwell since Friday and my colleagues were very nice and showed much concern. I thank them for being so sweet.

Anyway, I was down at  Paulaner Bräuhaus and Restaurant recently to send a colleague off as he found a "greener pasture" out there. I sincerely wish him all the best, and as our Head said, we'll definitely see each other in this specialised industry. Once again, all the best, work hard and play harder!

Back to the food that I'm suppose to blog on, this is a German restaurant that serves an authentic Bavarian menu (available on their website, link provided above). I must also say, the service provided by the crew was fantastic. I totally enjoyed the food and the ambiance of the place, merry but not rowdy, I'm referring to the second floor where the restaurant is as the ground floor area is purely for the drinkers and a live band, no restaurant food is served there.  

The stairway leading to the second floor

A photo taken from outside the restaurant

The centrepiece decor of the restaurant, looks really cheery to me.



The interior of the restaurant.
 It's not a very well lit place for you information,
but rest assured you can still see your company and the food.

Where "liquid gold" flows fresh from the tap

A little bread starter for the hungry, served with liver pate and butter

The liver pate's smooth and pleasant to the taste buds, I'll love
to spread it on my hot toast every morning for breakfast. Yum yum...

Bavarian creamy mushroom soup with fresh herbs (Bayerische Schwammerlsuppe
 mit frischen Kräutern) for SGD 9 a bowl.  

The mushroom soup's quite expensive but it is worth it. It's superbly creamy, buttery smooth and ohhh-so-mushroomie. It screams "Comfort Food!!!". Love! 

We also ordered the Smoked Norwegian salmon on crispy salad, apple horseradish, capers and onions (Norwegischer Räucherlachs auf grünem Salat, Apfelmeerettich, Kapern und Zwiebeln) for SGD 18.50 which is enough to serve 2 to 4 people. I did not manage to take the picture of the salad because it was place too far away from me when served, by the time it got close enough, it was already in a delicious mess. The greens are so fresh and crisp, love the burst of saltiness every time I bite into a tiny caper berry. The smoked salmon and all the rest of the ingredients complimented each other so well that I'll mentally noted that I'll come back one day and have the whole salad to myself, muahahaha.  

Paulaner Brew House special platter (Paulaner Bräuhausplatte) 
for SGD 29.50 per person 

Their sumptuous platter is heaped full of Kassler, Nürnberger, cheese Krainer and grilled pork sausages, grilled and boiled knuckle, meatloaf, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes (Kassler, Surhaxe, Wurstschnecke, Leberkäse, Käsekrainer, Nürnberger und Grillshaxe mit Sauerkraut und Kartoffelpüree). I was really pleased when it was served and thought "It's like food porn, oh... don't think, just eat." Everything on the plate was flavourful, grilled-juicy and really so lovely tender. Yes, just eat.

Extreme top of the photo:
Bavarian sausage platter (Bayrischer Würstelmix)
SGD 25.50 per person 

The sausage platter was placed at the other end of the table, so apologies that the actually-really-big-serving of sausage platter looked really small in the photo. The platter's piled with Cheese Krainer, sausage Snail, Kolbazi sausage and Nürnberger grilled sausage served with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes (Käsekrainer, Wurstschnecken, Pepperoniwurst und Nürnberger mit Sauerkraut und Kartoffelpüree). It a good dish to order if you want to try all different gourmet sausages they have.

Close up photo of Paulaner Brew House special platter

By now I guess even my readers are getting the point I got during that meal. Too meaty, even for a meat-lover like me. Other than the salad I had at the start, I might not have enjoyed the meal as much if not for the mustard condiment and sauerkraut that came along with the orders. I've always loved sauerkraut and it was that I was really looking forward to when I knew we were heading to Paulaners, however I realised that not many knew what it was, it's purposed for it to be served with a meat dish and how to appreciate this pickled dish. Hence, I happily dug in to the whole portion of sauerkraut that was virtually untouched.

The star of the meal, Munich Lager. (Alc. 5.0%)

I must agree that this place serves one of the best beer you can get in Singapore. It's fresh malt beer that they self-brew with Hallertauer Perle hops, hence it's refreshingly fizzy and leaves a slightest bitter-sweetness to the taste buds. I really love how smooth it went down the throat. It's one of the best thing to have after a hard day at work, SGD 13 per pint is worth it, but the consequence of having a beer belly stopped me toying around with the idea.

My colleagues

Overall, we all enjoyed the meal thoroughly, got pleasantly high after a few rounds of beer and when home with a blissful smile stuck on our faces. Great place, wonderful food. You must go and experience to know what I'm talking about. Until then, happy feasting!

I Just Stopped...

doing whatever I was doing when this track played,

 first time I heard it...

I felt something in my heart and realised

I still have one.

Wonderful song, the kind that grows as you listen over & over again.

Gravity- Sara Bareilles

I do enjoy Sara's "Bottle It Up",



but I love "King of Anything" to death...

My May JewelMint Picks

Today is the 1st of May and I was looking forward to check if JewelMint had fine-tuned their recommendation for my personal style. I will say they are not bad, not bad at all. They hit bull's eye for 2 out of 3 of their recommendations.

Monte Carlo Bracelet for the sleek and sophisticated

Pearl Fleur Earrings, a statement piece with a tinge of sweetness.

 
The only one that I did not fancy from their recommendation is the below. It's not that it's out of my style, but it's just not me to go "XO" style.

The XO Rings, pretty cool triplet.

Under show me more, I found one more that I really like and quickly added it to my favourite list.

I like the "solid and chunky" feel of the Sienna Bracelet

The below two pieces are the ones that looked interesting but not enough to make me go ga-ga over.

Sierra Bracelet with semiprecious stones

Renegade Necklace, a extreme unique piece that I personal can't carry off.

I'm looking forward to see some great Youtube reviews with ladies looking great and extremely happy with their upcoming JewelMint purchases, even for those pieces that I was not special attracted to. I believe there always someone who will love and care for every single piece of jewellery. Until the next time, have a lovely time!

Make A Eye Catching Splash!

I heard alot about LA Splash which is a brand manufactured in the USA, mostly about raves of their liquid eyeliners and loose pigments. I don't own any of their liners because I think I have enough in my collection at this point of time. Hence today, I will be swatching for you the loose pigment eye shadows I have. They are purchased (both locally and overseas) over a period of time, not in a single haul just in case you are curious.

I de-potted them into stackable jars previously as the pigments seeped into the screw-track of the cap. It was messy business, however it seem to be rectified for the newer jars I bought. From the picture below, you can see that there are some jars still in their original package. These are the ones that I bought just yesterday at Northpoint, where they were have a Sasa sale. They were going for SGD 10 for 2 jars so I happily grabbed 4.

Top to bottom:
LA Splash Splash Proof Sealer (Eyeshadow Sealer/ Base)
Previous purchase of LA Splash Eye Sparkle
Latest purchase of LA Splash Eye Sparkle in their old packaging
LA Splash Diamond Dust Mineral Eyeshadow in their new packaging

A: LA Splash Splash Proof Sealer (Eyeshadow Sealer/ Base)
1,2,5 and 6: Previous purchase of LA Splash Eye Sparkle
3,4, 7 and 8: Latest purchase of LA Splash Eye Sparkle
9 and 10: LA Splash Diamond Dust Mineral Eyeshadow

Close-up picture 1

Close-up picture 2



Close-up picture 3

I strongly recommend using these with a eyeshadow primer unless you like just a light wash of color or subtle shimmer for your eye looks. You will be able to see the difference in the swatches below on why I emphasis on this, and yes, they do fade as the day pass if used without a primer. Overall, they are fine and soft, gives great pigmentation (if used with primer), very shimmery to metallic and if you can get it on sale, it's quite affordable. One thing great about buying pigments is that you can share it with a friend or two as I personally have not (until this point) hit pan on any full size pigments I have. You can't split and share a compressed eyeshadow if you get what I mean.

However, if you want general comparison between these and the MAC pigments... these are blendable powders on skin when applied, MAC ones feel more like blendable creme. It all depends on personal preferences and the primer you use. So, here are the swatches (Click on photos to enlarge).

Photo taken under sunlight without flash
#1: Starfish Peach
#2: Sunburn Bronze
#5: Seashell Pink
#6: Sandy Beaches

Tilted at an angle



Photo taken under sunlight without flash
#3: Neptune's Mine
#4: Purple Heart
#7: Submarine
#8: Hurricane



Tilted at an angle

 

Photo taken under sunlight without flash
#9: Dragon Dust ( I love this to bits)
#10: Hidden



Tilted at an angle

Under direct sunlight, the true beauty of the sparkle is more than twice that I
managed to capture on this picture.

I find the Diamond Dust series quite chalky and not suited for application with no primer. The primer I'll recommend for these pigments is the one that appeared in a few of the above photos, which is the brand's own LA Splash Eyeshadow Sealer/ Base. It's a translucent white liquid, dries clear and leaves a slightly tacky film.

I love my LA Splash pigments but do take note the method of application. A little tip beforehand, I will always flip any loose powder product container upside down, turn right side up again and give a gentle tap before opening. This is to deposit enough pigment on the cap itself where I will actually take my product from with a brush. Firstly, you will not get to contaminate the whole jar of product and secondly, you have minimal tendency to pick up too much product, making a mess while you go "tap tap tap" off the excess.

For subtle looks, use a dry fluffy brush to apply in with little "wind-swipper" motions and blend. That's all, simple. For pigment intense looks, you may either use a base (one that leaves a slight tackiness works best with these) or wet your brush (however fading will still occur through the day with this method) before applying the pigments. Use a firm flat brush to pick up the shadow and "pat" it onto the eyelid, do not swipe if you want to achieve the intensity as shown in the swatches of my photos. Blending can be done at the edges where you applied the pigments with another clean blending brush at the end.

I hope this is helpful, have a great time experimenting something new everyday! Until then, stay Radiant and Happy!