Thursday, September 27, 2012

Phuket Trip 13-16 Sep 12 [Day 2]

Rise and shine!! Time for breakfast at the Watercourt!
Room rate is inclusive of daily breakfast so... Itadakimasu!

served coffee as soon as we're seated #likeaboss

the spread! and this is only the start of the line... :D 
 
delighted xdd cos got a lot of food. 

first plate; a lil of everything!

I've no idea y my hair is center-parted. think I just got out of bed and head out of food. hahaha

chef making my yummy scrambled eggs every morning! 

After breakfast, we decided to take a stroll on the beach again to see how scary the waves was! 
(we braved thru strong wind and scary waves before we had dinner on the beach the previous night)

look at the waves! Wind was damn big, noisy n scary!!

I command the sea!!

da man. :D
 
After the stroll, we went back to the villa to find our bed made and room tidied.
incense and aroma of the day stocked.
Not surprised y we will b reluctant to go out everyday. HAHA
 
when we are finally out, we decided to take a buggy to the lobby (of cos buggy, we wouldnt walk man) where we catch a shuttle bus that comes round every 5-10 mins to the Canal Village, the only shops in Laguna Phuket.

on the shuttle bus!
 

Since the weather is good, the shuttle pulled up the blinds n it was a good ride

Nothing much to buy there, but we came back with 6 bottles of beer since it's only 35 baht per bottle (S$1.40ish?!?!)
 
After we head back to the villa to unload our barang, we decide that it a good weathered day after all and we should go out.
 
So, we arranged for a local taxi to Patong at the lobby at 700 Baht (S$28ish).
Transportation is a waste of money in Phuket because it's expensive; think about it, it's $50ish to just travel to and fro Patong from Bangtao Beach.
 
So if you stay Banyan Tree enjoy what's there. But... it's the first time for both of us; travelling to Phuket, so we thought we had to go Patong at least a few hours to see see look look.
We decided that the next time we come, we can stay Patong and drink every night, go island hopping etc. but this time, just ssrr.
 
And here we are! Jungceylon is the landmark shopping place in Patong.

I had to take a picture of Burger King to commemorate my fallen friend who paid $25ish for 2 BK meals. I MEAN WHO EATS BK IN THAILAND??? srsly *roll eyes*
 
 
Walking around makes us thristy, so we head out to the nearest 7-eleven and....
 
 
LOOK WHAT I FOUND.
 

ONE PIECE PACKET FLAVORED TEA!!!
10 BAHT EACH!!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GUESS WHICH DID I GET???
.
 
..
 
...
 
.....
 
 
Roronoa Zoro n Nico Robin of cos~!!! Gwah~~!!

did u get it right?
 
ok soli first shot too excited covered them.
 
Try again!

I had Zoro of cos, it's some wheaty greentea.
not bad!!!
 
Nico was lemon black tea. nicer den Zoro. :x
I would totally drink this daily if it's available in Singapore.



we walked out to Patong beach to ssrr since we're already here.
Waves are more calm here now.

And of cos, we did what our must-dos in Thailand. Massage!
There's a parade going on outside, with all the hotels wearing jerseys.
later on, we found out that there was an inter-hotel beach soccer tournament happening that afternoon.

This is my xdd's first time doing foot massage and manicure. yup, THAT'S RIGHT!
Manicure! The Thai auntie keep teasing him and asking him if he wanna choose color. Damn cute. 
 
Short Thai Class!
Before the first time I went to Bangkok, I picked up a few phrases from friends to get around.
That was before I went for Thai class.
 
As enthuiastic as I was, the first phrase I learnt was "hong nam yuu thi nai?", which means "where is the toilet?" However, I've NEVER used it in Bangkok at all. all the toilet signs are so clear that there is no chance to even think about using this at all.
 
My first 2 Thai words that came out from my mouth to a Thai, was used the minute I learnt it.
 
1. Pain: Jep
2. Ticklish: Jak Ga Jee
 
Which is really important bcos some masseurs cant read facial expressions to save their own lives.
 
Of course, I totally forgot to teach him that till it's hurt and I saw them gibbering something.
HEHEHE.
 
Oh, but in Phuket, hong nam yuu thii nai is useful.
On the last day, xdd suddenly wanna go toilet while we are walking on a random street
----------------
Oh and:
Foot Massage 300 Baht (S$12ish)
Manicure 200 Baht (S$8ish)
there are cheaper massages, but the masseurs are all young girls, heavy make up n in pink.
dun know if they really know massage or anyhow or got extra service one -.-
 
My silly xdd even suggested that we do another foot massage before we leave Patong.
Hahaha~~
 
It was a good thing I learnt Thai before this trip, because half way thru my manicure, I wanna....
pai hong nam. -.- (go toilet)
 
If you think this is embarassing, it's just the start.
I was half way through my manicure right?
So my nails were painted and I was so urgent, I had to go.
 
I was wearing this shorts that has to be unbuttoned and unzip before I can pee, so I was trying to manage that for a few minutes before I get to relieve myself.
 
But thereafter, I cant button it back without my pants making contact with my nails!
So I went out with my pants unbuttoned and asked a Thai masseur for help.
Heng can manage Thai; cos otherwise it'd be super embarassing (although it is still embarassing) as there are Singaporean customers in that place too.
 
After massage, we walked back to the mall again, and had MK Gold for late lunch!
(that's like 4pm wtf)
 
Think MK gold is more expensive cos of the interior nia. Menu same eh..
I think...

Looking starved

Waiting patiently~~

and here it comes!!!
MK duck is a must try in Thailand if u r a duck lover
 
Total Bill: 1358 Baht (S$54ish)
They got our order wrong and gave us the big portion of MK Duck @700baht.
Freaking full after the meal and we had to eat again at 7pm. Buffet. FML.

cheeky smile; dunno why.

and our pot of veggies! Heng I found a veggie lover too. :D

Ok, he is hungry. LOL


After lunch, we set off home and he's fast asleep on the way back.
it's a good 20min drive there, but it took about 35min on our way back due to traffic.


Once back in the villa, we quickly washed up so we can head off for our night plans.

While waiting for the buggy (never took more than 5mins to come),
we camwhore!

what's holiday without a bit of camwhoring?


Look! my tongue's longer den yours!! :P
 
We’ve arranged for a transfer to pick us up from the lobby for a popular night show; FantaSea at Kamala beach. When our buggy arrived, the mini bus is already waiting for us.
 
It's a cultural theme park + show kinda thing and initially I wanted to catch the Simon Cabaret, but my Thai friend asked me to catch this instead.

Tickets to the show plus buffet dinner is 1750 baht.
And here we are!

Koi pond with lots of koi and a lady selling feed at the side.
So fat already so many ppl still feed.
Not very good for the fishes..

and we're heading in!

:D
 
It's like a carnival with lot of shops, game booths and things to see.

Welcome to the jungle adventure kaa~

Welcome to the jungle adventure krap~

Sawatdee kaa~~~

and here's the well trained tigers which will walk round and round,

stay at u so u can take a shot.

waiting for the short performance to start~

Pop dance n song~

cultural dance

and they spawn~
 
and spawn~~~~
 
AND SPAWN SOMEMORE!!!

we walked somemore and saw free elepant rides around too~~ so cool.

Here's the restaurant for dinner!
BUT SRSLY, we were way too full to really enjoy the buffet.
it was still good, think the difference for the dinner is only like 400 baht (S$16ish).
Yes, you can get the tickets only with no meals when you pay at the counter.
And this is like 8pm... few hours after our heavy MK meal...

Palace of the Eleplants where the main show is held.
 
Show starts at 9pm; photos are strictly prohibited but overall, I think it's a good show!
Xdd was totally amused by the chickens and how they trained them but I really like the elephants and acrobats~~ :D
 
 we end the night chilling by our pool with my favourite snack from 7-eleven in Thailand.
Bento 20 baht (80cents)
 
(Approach w caution! Spicy!)
Super shiok w beer. :D

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Monday, September 24, 2012

PMS?

Is this PMS?
Been feeling out of sort these couple of days since the move.

Or maybe it's yaz? Or lack of sleep? Or new environment?
I dunno. Probably just need sometime to get used to all the changes around me...

Everything is happening a tad too fast I guess.

Anw, here's a funny episode for all.
Yesterday, xdd and I were at home and we were talking about smth and I said he was kinky.
After saying that twice, I asked him, "Are you kinki kids?"
AND HE DID NOT SHOW ANY REACTION AT ALL.

so I backside itchy and asked him, "you... dunno kinki kids ar?"

and he said no with a puzzled face.

oh boy, it's such crude times serves a cruel reminder that, yes there is an age gap.
but hey, it's fun to be with a xdd although there are times where opinion differs and some random insecurities. It's my first time being with someone younger so pardon me for being amuse at these lil things.

For the benefits of ginna pis, THIS is Kinki Kids; jin popular during J-pop era eh. tsk tsk.


Sunday, September 23, 2012

Phuket Trip 13-16 Sep 12 [Day 1]

Finally got the time to sit down and blog about my trip. :D
So, a little background, I work in Banyan Tree and I've just crossed my 1 year of service last month and I decide to go experience the Banyan Tree experience first hand!
I did a lot of research before the trip as not only is this my first time to Phuket, Banyan Tree is not where the crowd and night life is; Patong. Banyan Tree is situated at Bangtao beach, somewhere in between the airport and Patong. It's about 20mins away from Patong on a light traffic. 
Cost of living in Phuket are known to be higher compared to elsewhere in Thailand; and the transportation cost alone can kill us. Cabbing to Patong from Bangtao is 700baht; that's S$28ish one way k. Let alone to say we are living in a 5star luxuryn resort.

I've been looking up online on a trip in Bangtao, but I cant find reviews and clues. So here are some insights (besides the camwhoring pictures we indulge in. :D)
At budget terminal in the morning, first and the last time we will b here since it will be torn down in a few days.

waitingfor check in with my pretty pink <3 luggage. 
say I'm a bitch for wearing this, but Taiwan n Thailand are the top 2 countries I like for a holiday for now. 
(no, I've been to more places than that)

We were on Tiger Airways (our first time too!), and much to my surprise since I've heard from my friends that the landing of Tiger is bad, it is actually an ok flight! no complains for this budget airline!

Welcome to Phuket! 
Airport transfer is 700baht per way to Bangtao beach, you can get yellow metered taxis once you are out of the airport, and turn right all the way, they are cheaper but if you stay in a hotel like mine, coming back to the airport will be a problem because hotel limo is 1900baht (S$76ish!!) per way and there are no local cabs. 

Outside the airport waiting for the airport transfer to pick us up. 
Beware of taxis mafias too! It's common in Phuket where unlike Bangkok, metered taxis are rare finds. 


Reached Banyan Tree! Was greeted with flowers the moment we stepped out of the car by the resort host. 
I look fat in this photo cos i'm kinda slouchy but I DUN CARE! :D

he has flowers too! 



and we just have to sit there and wait for the resort host to check us in!
No queues, with welcome drink and towels, like a boss!



Oh, and the best thing is, we reached before 10am and was given early check in even though check-in is at 3pm! On the buggy to our villa looking excited. :D

Villa Pictures (might be boring)

mini bar area, coffee tea are complimentary, what's really amazing is the brown... tub? in the middle. 
it's an ice tub filled with ice and it can last till the next time the housekeeping comes back in. 
how nice!

the pool area; oh yes, we are staying in a pool villa. 

view from inside. where we spent many nights facing the pool chillax-ing 

the bed is so soft it's difficult to try and climb out of it. 

we have INDIVIDUAL WARDROBE for ourselves, no fighting. 

and individual sinks too, mine comes with a smaller mirror at the side, his with shaver plug and disposable shaver in his kit.

the outdoor jacuzzi that we failed to use because it rained alot while we were there, and hey! we have the pool.



view from the couch. 

the outdoor sala with fan and all facingt the pool. the area behind, facing the lagoon, is also ours, but we didnt have the time to laze on the sundeck there. (partly also too lazy; so many place to laze around at. lol) oh and that expression is from the stuffy nose. the weather is bad the whole day on the first day. RAINING! Thank god for the powerful wifi everywhere the villa to the common area thou.

#likeaboss

n it comes in pairs too!

It drizzled and pause, drizzled and pause the whole freaking day, so no outdoor plans!
boo hoo!

went to the Banyan cafe by the golf course for lunch since it's raining and buggy gets us anywhere.
Look! Coke is more expensive than beer! WTH! 

I had (beef/pork) ball rice noodles soup; fav thai local one dish meal!
it's really good n u add sugar n chilli flakes to it~~ nice on a rainy day!!
450baht (S$18ish)

and he had red beef curry that looks really good~~~
450baht (S$18ish)

bz haolianing on twitter and fb and all social media of his holiday.
because the wifi is damn good, WE CAN. :D

after the meal, he had cappuccino while waiting for the rain to stop for a while.
170baht (S$6ish)

while i had fresh coconut! it's a must to eat coconut in Thailand.
the young soft juicy thirst quenching yummy stuff!
260baht (S$10ish)

hehe! ^^
in case u think that i'm tio tok inside cos this is Thailand, no.
I'm staying in a 5star luxury resort chain my dears.
Besides, I've staff rates and all, so it is really manageable. :D
After lunch, we decided that since it's probably going to rain more the whole day, we should go for spa first!


served welcome drink while he snaps away at the surroundings.

welcome drinks~

following my spa therapist to the couple spa villa in the drizzle

here's our villa!

soaking our feet while the 2 spa therapists gets busy.
both of us picked a 90mins Balinese massage treatment.

4,700baht (S$189ish)

The massage was good for me, I did a medium massage while he did a medium hard.
the last time I did the same massage at Banyan Tree Spa @ MBS, I did soft-medium, so comparitively, this is slightly painful for me but of cos, I feel like I can fly after the massage.

My poor boy however, didn't enjoyed it as much as I did because
1. He got bitten by mozzies and was itchy half the time to enjoy,
2. the buibui spa therapist was too enthusiatic on his right shoulder it was sore after the massage
3. picture coming soon.

After the massage and dressing up, there was a 30min relaxation time with nice tea, fruits and yoghurt while we fill out the feedback forms and relax.

But poor boy didnt enjoy the sour apple and just look at the face!! HAHAHA

After spa, we went back to the villa since the weather is so unpredictable.
When the drizzle paused for a bit, I decide to strike this off my bucket list!

Skinny dipping! 

I’ve always wanted to do this and now I can!
Soli I humji dun dare to do this in public. LOL


bucket list item needs GPGT, but nope! No neh neh, no ass, non-provocative!


PPS: If you think Im damn devastated cos ppl say I fat and all, u must be kidding me. 
Im confident of my body n it's a once in a lifetime thing. Next time haolian to my grandchildren when I old n saggy. hehe!

Lazing a bit more in the pool before it's almost time for dinner.
After shower, my head hurts though. 

Our original plan was to head to Angsana Phuket for dinner n drinks, but my head was throbbing so badly that it was impossible to even speak coherently.

So instead, I popped 2 panadols and rested a while before the painkillers kick in.

Thereafter, we decided to walk to the beach side restaurant for dinner.

(small buggy episode: we were on the buggy in the afternoon and we asked the bellman who drives the buggy where's the beach, and if it is far; the bellman chuckled and said it's only 1MINUTE walk from our villa and we were puzzled at why we did not see the beach at all)

That evening when we walked out to the beach, we totally knew why he was laughing at us. 
-.-


The tide was fierce and the waters were choppy.

It was lucky we didn’t plan any water activities at all; the waves and wind were kinda scary in the dark.

And it's time for dinner! I was looking for Lotus restarant with all my might because there is a lot of raves about it but tough luck finding in the dark really. So we settled at Tony's instead.


 Had a huge dinner and the silly boy insisted that he want to order steam rice.
end up we cant finish the glass noodles which is damn sad. A good Thai dinner despite that too much for 2! (Just dont order the steam rice the next time)
from top left clockwise:
Broccoli with Shrimps 230 baht
BBQ Squid 280 baht
Claypot Glass Noodles with King Prawn 400 baht (good for 2)
Coke 50 baht
steam rice 20 baht
 Total: 1030 baht (S$41ish)

yep! there he is with his STEAMED RICE.
and my empty plate. :D

the difference between shrimps and King Prawn.
in Singapore, I think we call those shrimps fat prawns, because I think of shrimps as heh bee.
LOL.
After the huge dinner, we could use some drinks or walk, so we walked back to the villa, called for a buggy, and hopped on a shuttle bus to Angsana Laguna Phuket to check it out (since my headache is gone now)

while on the shuttle bus out of boredom, we decide compete who makes the ugliest face while trying to take a clear non-shaky shot.

totally different feel from Banyan Tree.

But pretty stairway!
It was really quiet at Angsana. The beach club, XANA, was closed due to the weather, and everywhere else is just cold and quiet.

We walked to the lobby bar, thinking to get a bottle of rose wine to chillax. The only staff was poor and slow in attending to us, and much later, told us that they don’t have this bottle here and she needs to travel somewhere else for 10mins if we wants to get this.

My initial thought was that we have all night, what is 10 min? So we said ok.
But after 2 more minutes, I really don’t like it. 

Because we discovered (to our horror) that unlike Banyan Tree, ANGSANA LOCKS THEIR WIFI CONNECTION.

This is a huge turn off because 10mins with nothing is like 20mins, so we decide to be gangster and just went to the counter girl (another girl) to tell her (nicely!) that we would like to cancel the order.

And so, we scoot off on the next shuttle back to Banyan Tree. Hee!


And look at the difference in treatment back in homeground!

the moment we sat down, we were given menu, served nuts (local flavored yummy)
Will u wanna run away now??? NO!!
And of cos there is Wifi without saying. ;)
He tried posing and it turned out a lil gayish, so he gave this "man" look for the second shot. (but he's really drinking pussy drink lol)
Not recommended IMO. lol
Tequila Sunrise 380 baht (S$15ish)

my Pine Mango Mojito! 380 baht and taste non-pussy.
Worth drinking IMO.

The comfy lobby bar~~
He needed something to wash the cocktail taste away; honestly it tasted like sweetened medicine syrup. So he stuck to beer!

Holiday for me always means local beer regardless of where I am, and I'm not a fan of Heineken anyway. :D
Both bottles @ 190 baht each ($7ish)

He had another bottle I think, before we end the night. I was having a headache earlier, so no more for me. After drinks we hop on to the buggy and went back to zzz.

(Buggy episode: it's damn awesome that the buggy services are 24/7 and super fast in picking us up! It usually takes less than 5mins when we call from our villa for them to come pick us to the lobby. King and Queen treatment! We hardly walked!!! LOL)
Finally, end of Day 1.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

today's horoscope: Pisces

Pisces Sep 20 2012

After a long bout of trouble, you finally thought you were closing in on some peace of mind. Things appeared to be falling into place. You've maintained a positive attitude through even the worst of a recent challenge, and it seemed to pay off. But now it's all looking a bit shaky, and one key element of your recovery from that problem seems to be missing. Or is it? It may not look like things are working out, but they are. Don't linger on thoughts of "what will happen if..." because it won't get to that point. Just proceed forward with joy, and your faith will be rewarded.
--
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Wednesday, September 19, 2012

One more day

Im suddenly very depressed today.
I was feeling alright last night and this morning, I wonder what happened.
Checked daily horoscope after so long. 

It’s right again; I need something. Lately though, I may have begun to feel like I can never make it real. I need to believe!!!

Phuket photos up later; there’s a much urgent issue on hand.
I’m moving house!

Although after moving, I’m only 10 mins away from Yishun, I’ve been in Yishun for a large part of my life since I was 7. Where my primary school, secondary school, school friends, family, doctor, food, memories and familiarity are.

It suddenly dawn on me that this is such a big change in my life and I wonder if I’m ready for this.
It’s not just a new landlady this time, it’s a new mrt station, a new area, a new town and all.

I wonder if I will fit in.

But of cos, it will be a new beginning, a new life for me.

guess horoscope is right.





I just need to believe.