Jexon's Journals

Photos of Li River

2008-02-01T18:20:00.000+08:00

L: River cruise boats. R: Tourists and never-ending boats

L: Shallow water, mountains and boats. R: Karst peaks

L: Can u see a figure of a woman carrying a child? R: Classic peaks

L: The 9-Horses Painting. How many can u see? I can only see 1. That means I'm not scholar material. R: The guide pointing out the 9 horses.

L: Buffaloes feeding on the river grass. R: My simple lunch. The tray reminds me of my army days!

Li River (Li Jiang) - One of the Top Sights in China

2008-02-01T17:22:00.000+08:00

As recommended by Rough Guides and also Askmen.com.

Think about traditional Chinese paintings of mountains and rivers, and this is what you'll see here on the Li River. Karst peaks of all shapes and sizes. The waters of the river is very clear and shallow. At this time of year (late Oct), the waters were already very low. And at many points during the cruise, the boats had to manoeuvre gingerly around the winding rivers. And the problem is compounded by the sheer number of tourist boats. It's like an armada of Chinese tourists. I thought the golden week was just over 2 weeks ago!

So, I paid 240Y for this cruise and carried my backpack with me as I intended to stay in Yangshuo and not return to Guilin. My boat had 2 storeys: lower level for sitting and eating, upper level for sight see. There are 3-level boats too, but are generally about the same size. 240Y included lunch. But once the cruise starts, the guide will give a talk on the special fish and produce that's only found in this river, and recommends everyone to order their special lunch now in order to have this once in a lifetime taste. It turned out that the lunch that came with the ticket price was very simple: just rice, eggs, bean sprouts, some chicken. It's worse than army food back in my BMT.

Throughout the cruise, I carried my backpack with me. Reason? Another lone Chinese backpacker was doing the same. I suppose he knows better. I wouldn't want to end up losing my clothes or backpack. I didn't even buy travel insurance!

The mountains were really of all shapes. And many had a special name, like 9-Horses Painting Mountain and Waiting For Husband Mountain. Basically, the Chinese had really wonderful imaginations (and lots of time to stare at mountains). The mountains were named after the objects or people they resembled. The 9-Horses Painting Mountain even had a story: only the brightest minds can see all 9 horses. It's a bit like those optical illusion graphics. You really had to bend your mind to see the horses. This cruise is famous because even Bill Clinton took this cruise when he visited while he was still president.

The cruise started about 9am, and it was 4pm by the time we reached Yangshuo because of all the "traffic jams". I'll say the cruise was the highlight of the China trip so far. Though full of boats and tourists, it was still a nice, relaxing cruise in the China countryside, with unique landscape. Too bad the weather was terrible. Hazy and glaring. So my photos all turn out pretty poor.

Next Stop: Guilin

2008-01-17T17:24:00.000+08:00

While at GZ airport, an ELong (or YiLong) promoter chatted with me to intro their hotel booking services. I was already an ELong member anyway. On hearing that, he offered to arrange for someone to pick me up at GL airport, free of charge. That's nice, or so I thought.

After a short 1 hour flight on China Southern Airlines, landed at GL airport and there was someone waiting for me. But, ended up not taking the ride, as the lady told me that she's a tour agent, and can only give me the ride if I take up their travel package. No thanks! No biggie, as I had planned on making my own way by taxi to the hotel anyway.

Glad that I read all those stories on the internet about how GL is full of people waiting to rip you off. Other than the tour agent, the taxi driver is another one trying to sell tour packages at inflated prices. Now, this guy is persistent. Throughout the journey, he just kept on offering to bring me to a tour agent office and book a river cruise. I would find out later that the price he offered was 100Y more than the normal cruise, and his was actually another kind that starts off at another town. The route was reduced by about half.

Managed to make it to my hotel Grand 0773 without having to take any tours. From the outside, it's just a simple 6-storey building. But the rooms were a surprise. Looks very modern. Even comes with something that could be a sun bed.

Booked my river cruise with the agent at the hotel lobby. 245Y. Note that I got ripped off anyway. Found out later that normal price from agent is 235Y. Sick.

Lunch was at a nice looking restaurant near the hotel that sells local specialties. Look at the hygenic packaging of the bowls and plates. Tried their famous mifen (beehoon or rice vermicelli) that looks and tastes more like noodles. This version is too oily though, like many of their food.

Walked to Elephant Trunk Hill (Xiangbishan). The shape of the hill looks like an elephant dipping its trunk into the water to drink. Can u see? Yeah, it's pretty boring, so didn't go to the other sights. Anyway, they're just more mountains. There'll be many more mountains to see in the next few days.

Guilin is a nice looking city, as u can see from these pics. At night, the multi-coloured lights come on and give the city a different look. U can take a night cruise around the city too.

Anyway, as my new backpacker friend from China and also what had been said about Guilin on the internet, forget about Guilin. Just go straight to Yangshuo. Much more things to see and everything's cheaper there. Much more holiday feel to it too.

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport

2008-01-14T12:08:00.000+08:00

This airport deserves a post on its own. It's impressive. It's BIG, new, beautiful, and expensive. From the outside, it looks a bit like BKK's Suvarnabhumi Airport. Inside, it's much more spacious.

I already knew this place is expensive during my 1st trip here about half a year ago. A glass of fruit juice at their cafe cost more than at SG's airport. What I found out this time is there are more ways that the airport earns money:
1. If you check-in your luggage, you need to get it tied up and secured at this counter in the pic below. Cost: 10Y
2. At the airline counter, pay another 10Y for insurance for your check-in luggage.
3. Take the electronic buggy to bring you around the HUGE airport for a price. 2 of those buggies are in the pic below.

Very impressive.

Photos from Guangzhou

2008-01-10T16:55:00.001+08:00

L: Tao Tao Ju. R: Welcome to Guangzhou! Smog!

L: At the subway station. R: Di Shi Pu Rd.

L: Beijing Rd. R: Old relics.

L: Story of the relics. R: The enormous GZ airport.

L: What? 10Y to tie my luggage! R: What? Pay these buggies to bring u around the humongous airport!

1st Stop: Guangzhou (GZ) or Canton (CAN)

2008-01-10T15:02:00.000+08:00

Took the 6+am Tiger Airways flight and landed in GZ at 10+. This is not the 1st time I've been to GZ airport, but there are still things I didn't notice the 1st time. More on that later.

Had a bit of trouble finding the airport cabs. Just felt like a angmoh or farang in China. So blur. Well, the signs are pretty confusing:
"On the taxi the guest stands forward"

What? Huh? Luckily I could read the Chinese words too: "Taxi boarding point"

It was a long way from the airport to the city center: 45min. Price: 92 Yuan + 15Y toll. Ouch. Guess travelling in China is not that cheap.

Checked into Hotel Canton. Rooms are not bad, good location too. It's near Beijing Rd, one of the shopping streets. Really wanted to try the Cantonese timsum, so went to "Tao Tao Ju" that was recommended by the hotel staff as the best in GZ. It's near Shang Xia Jiu Rd, another shopping street. Well, this is a huge restaurant. At least 3 floors. Managed to get a seat at a shared table. Then blur again. How to order? Found out that after 2.30pm, all dishes are at 4.80Y. Note: the 1st round of tea is used to wash the bowls and spoons, then the water is poured away into another bowl. I didn't know that. At least I didn't get a stomachache from not washing my bowl. I tried 5 dishes. Couldn't finish the last 1 and had to tabao (packet) it back. Seems like a common practice among the aunties there. Pay bill, blur again. The waitress didn't give me a receipt! Was worried that I'll have to pay again. Had to explain to another staff as I couldn't find that waitress again. Anyway, no problems in the end.

Outside the restaurant is the start of the walking street already, all the way till Shang Xia Jiu Rd. Not that interesting to me, since it's mostly fashion. But it is a nice shopping atmosphere.
Same with Beijing Rd, mostly fashion. Beijing Rd has some relics from the old dynasties displayed right under the street. Took a photo of the story of these relics. My dinner that day was just a simple street snack: deep fried squid stick. :P Too oily and chewy for my taste.

Next morning, took a cab to the airport for my flight to Guilin. Only stayed 1 night in GZ because my trip clashed with the Canton Fair and all hotels just double or triple their rates during the fair.

My 45-Day Journey - Prelude

2007-12-12T16:18:00.000+08:00

Right, so I've not been blogging much lately. Actually, not blogging at all. I shall not explain why. Anyway, I've something new to post.

I've just returned from a 45-day journey last Thu. Why journey and not holiday? Well, it's a kind of solo walk of self-discovery for me. How did I manage to take time off to embark on this? Easy, my former company decided to "restructure". So, it was a good and rare chance for me to get out of my normal life, and try to decide what's next for me.

I've got to admit, one of the places I chose to visit is what's "in fashion" now for Singaporeans: Macau. I saw the new The Venetian Macao on TV, and wow, I was impressed. The other place I wanted to go was Chiangmai, now my favourite destination. I knew I'll be able to stay there long term cheaply and still enjoy myself. I would prove myself right later on as the Chinese cities I went to were more expensive.

So, I planned my trip around these 2 places, and this is the route I ended up with:

Singapore (SG) -> Guangzhou(GZ) -> Guilin(GL) -> Yangshuo(YS) -> Shenzhen(SZ) -> Macau -> Bangkok(BKK) -> Ayuthaya -> Sukhothai -> Chiangmai

Looks like alot of places to cover, even for 45 days! Actually, I covered most of them in 2 weeks as I spent 1 month in Chiangmai. Heheh.

Just a little appetizer first to whet your appetite. Coming up next: the main course.

Earthquake tremors! 6 Mar 2007

2007-04-24T00:05:00.000+08:00

In SG! We were on the 6th floor but could still feel the tremors strongly. The 1st tremors were felt at about 11+am and the 2nd at close to 2pm. Both times, we evacuated the building:

And that was after calling and confirming that we have to evacuate. Guess we're all not used to running. :P

Foshan pics

2007-04-23T23:57:00.000+08:00

Landing approach. Inside the airport.

Some Szechuan dishes. A BIG restaurant. The server in the center is on roller-blades!

Wong Feihong museum. Shopping street.

Foshan, China. Mar 2007

2007-04-23T23:39:00.000+08:00

My 1st trip to mainland China! Was there for some supplier audits. The only time I've heard of Foshan is from those Wong Feihong movies starring Jet Li. Well, they do have 2 (at least) Wong Feihong museums there.

So, where is Foshan? It's a city in Guangdong. We landed in Guangzhou airport (spanking new and huge!) and it was about 1hr drive to Foshan. Well, got to say I was really impressed by how modern the city was. The roads were new, wide and nicely decorated with greenery. Some stretches even look better than SG's roads. There were many crazy and loud drivers though. Lots of condos being built, and boy do they look grand!

There was a nice stretch of road with lots of restaurants. And a "Disneyland" like shopping street. Loved the S$10 foot bath cum massage. For that price, u get a private room with TV, a 45min footbath, back, arms, hands, head, face and foot massage. And fruits and drinks.

Photos to follow...

Some Announcements

2007-03-13T22:42:00.000+08:00

I'm back, after a long CNY break. Well, expect a bumper of updates these few days as I start posting again.

First, helping my friend to advertise the massage services:

AmGMedical and Therapy College (Asia) Pte Ltd

Service Menu
FOOT REFLEXOLOGY
脚底反射区按摩
40min - $20/-
60min - $30/-

WELLNESS
保健按摩
Quick Picks
Head & Neck 头与颈部 20min - $20
Shoulder & Upper Back 肩与背部 20min - $20
Lower Back & Butt 腰与股部 20min - $20
Legs and feet 腿与脚部 20min - $20

Whole body massages 60min 90min
Relaxing oil massage 全身油压 $48 $60
Acupressure 经络指压 $48 $60
Thai Energy Balancing 泰式按摩 $48 $60
Myofascial Release 筋肌解松按摩 $60 $80
Aromatherapy Massage 香精油按摩 $80 $100

THERAPY 筋伤理疗
$45- $100 / 每疗程 per treatment
扭伤,局部痛疼肿胀，血肿及瘀斑、功能障碍等
Joint pains, strained neck, lumbar ache, weak knees, stiff shoulder,
sore ankle etc.

By Appointment Only
Call : 96350383

As its a training institute, all appointments must be by advance booking only.

We are located at -

AmG Medical College & Therapy Asia Pte Ltd
Blk 336 Smith Street
#08-300 New Bridge Centre
(heart of Chinatown)

ANA Flight Belly Landing

2007-03-13T22:21:00.000+08:00

It's funny. News on similar items seem to come together. The past week or so had a few about aircraft incidents. Garuda jet bursts into flames on landing... Dubai airport closed because of an aircraft problem... And today, an ANA plane makes a belly landing after its front landing gear failed to deploy!

Great landing! Kudos to the pilot. Enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T00:00:00.000+08:00

Enjoy your roses, chocolates, wines and fine company.
Cheers!

What's next?

2007-02-11T22:09:00.000+08:00

New Year coming, Doomsday coming, Valentine's Day coming, so what's coming next?

Well, personally, S$100 000! There, I've said it, I've announced it to the world. I will make S$100 000 for this year 2007! I've no idea how I'm going to make all that money yet, but I'm sure I'll have the directions to get there.

Sounds crazy? Yeah... Go watch "The Secret" and get crazy with me! U can choose to believe it, or not. But it is a law. The Law of Attraction. How to see it? Here's a clue: Google video.

Valentine's Day is coming!

2007-02-10T20:43:00.000+08:00

Just saw this piece of news.
WOW! I can't imagine getting 50 roses for less than S$10! And... "Rose vendors who raise prices of their flowers could face imprisonment and a fine, said a senior official - seven years in prison and a fines of up to 170,000 baht. " Wish we could have that in SG. :P

Bangkok Post Breaking News: "Rose sellers under Valentine's watch

(BangkokPost.com)

The Department of Internal Trade has no love for flower vendors on Valentine's Day. Rose vendors who raise prices of their flowers could face imprisonment and a fine, said a senior official - seven years in prison and a fines of up to 170,000 baht.

Siripol Yodmuangcharoen, director general of the DIT toured the flower market at Pak Khlong Talat on Saturday morning.

'Although flowers are not goods under government control, selling them at a price too high is legally wrong,' said Mr Siripol. 'We don't want sellers to set the prices of the rose too high as that would cause problems to buyers.'

A bundle of 50 red or white roses costs about 200 baht while the pink ones are priced at 170. For bigger roses locally planted, a bundle of 50 roses costs about 350 baht.

The average prices of rose this year are slightly higher than those of last year due to lower supply because of a cooler than usual winter in the North, where most flowers are grown."

Doomsday Cometh?

2007-02-10T15:12:00.000+08:00

Have you been reading the news lately? I have, and I'm certainly alarmed at the number of reports about ticking time bombs in the world today. Any of these time bombs can kill millions. Here's the list:

1. Global Warming.
"predicted temperature rise of up to 6.4 C by the end of this century"
Earlier than normal spring in US & China.
Rising sea levels.
Freak weather: record breaking floods in SG, MY & ID.

2. Bird flu
"Cats can become infected with the highly lethal H5N1 bird flu virus, the United Nations warned Friday but advised against killing them as control option, saying there was no scientific evidence at present to suggest that there has been sustained transmission in cats or from cats to humans, said PTI Friday"

3. Superbugs!
"Smoking-gun proof that misuse of antibiotics breeds superbugs.
Medical experts have long assumed that misuse of antibiotics breeds drug-resistant superbugs, but a newly released study has finally provided smoking-gun proof as to how this occurs."

Are you scary?

Xin De Yi Nian You Lai Le!

2007-02-09T22:38:00.000+08:00

Translated: A new year is coming again!
Yep. Chinese New Year is just round the corner. Here's a pic of Chinatown with the roads all decorated. Not only is the Chinatown area full of shops selling new year goods, so are the neighbourhood shops near my place. In the last week, the shops have more than doubled in size by putting up tents in front of their original shop space. Talk about property boom!

Back to Chinatown. I've not really walked around the old shophouses. But the roads are already closed off and the roadside stalls are already setup. I only passed through to get to the other side. Had a difficult time walking through though. Because of the recent rainy weather, the stalls have put up covers in between opposite stalls. But the covers are too low and I've to stoop down most of the time. Hope they've removed the covers now.

Fleshpacker?

2007-01-30T22:30:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I learned a new word: flashpacker. Well, I didn't find it in the dictionary, but it's found quite a lot on the web. A Google search turned up 50,400 results in fact.

So, what's a flashpacker? A business class backpacker, someone who has a bigger budget than normal backpackers but less time. Basically, a backpacker who takes internal flights instead of overnight buses, who can afford a little luxury when he wants it. I would consider myself a flashpacker.

Today, I created a new word "fleshpacker" for this piece of news:

News from AFP via Yahoo:
Brothel owners accuse backpackers of selling sex in Australia

Foreign backpackers funding their Australian travels through illegal sex work are robbing the legitimate industry of profits and threatening clients' health, a brothel lobbyist has warned.

Many young tourists to sun-soaked northeastern Queensland state were making a quick buck as black market prostitutes, undermining registered operators' attempts to uphold health and safety standards, the Queensland Adult Business Association's Nick Inskip claimed.

"Especially when you go up to northern Queensland, it's not unusual for them to be working in the illegal escort industry," Inskip said.

Having fewer overheads, they could often undercut the legal sex industry on price, making it harder for the state's 23 legal brothels to make a profit, he said.

"They can charge less because they are not paying GST (goods and services tax), staff costs for managers and receptionists," Inskip said.

The tax office, which recently began a drive to collect tax from the industry, was also hard pressed to keep tabs on their undercover activities, he said.

"No one asks to see their passports. If you go to a licensed brothel the first thing they do is ask for your passport and whether you are here legally."

Although prostitution at registered brothels is legal in many parts of Australia, recent research suggests the taxman's attempts to target the industry has sparked an exodus towards riskier illegal sex work.

Academics have also noted that the crippling cost of higher education in Australia has forced some foreign students to seek work as illegal prostitutes to make ends meet.

Elephant Gang Ambush & Rob Truck Convoy!

2007-01-14T15:42:00.000+08:00

Excerpts from Bangkok Post news on 12 Jan 2007:

Elephants stop, loot trucks on dark road

Chachoengsao _ The chief of Khao Ang Rue Nai wants the road through the wildlife sanctuary closed at night after a herd of elephants held up and looted a string of cargo trucks. About midnight last Saturday a herd of 20 elephants blocked route No.3259 (the Ban Nong Kog-Ban Wang Nam Phon road) holding up 10 trucks, Yoo Senatham said.

They tipped some vehicles on their side, spilling the cargoes on the road so their young could eat, and gorged on sugarcane and tapioca.

...

Photos from Bangkok

2007-01-07T23:17:00.000+08:00

Here're some of my better photos from my Canon Ixus 50, not in any particular order:

L: Handheld sewing machine in JJ market. R: Lunch at JJ. Chicken drumstick noodles.

L: Countdown clock outside Siam Paragon. R: X'mas tree

L: Open air chillout area outside Siam Paragon. Looks really cosy. R: 1 of the 3 witches

L: Nah, I got no idea what they are. R: Outside Central World

L: Some model outside Central World. R: X'mas tree.

L: The lucky 5 outside McDonald's Erawan. R: The road where the Countdown concert was to be held about 2 hours later.

L: The police getting briefed. R: Heineken beer garden ticket stall.

L: The Countdown concert. R: The crowd

L: More crowd. R: The group of policemen whom we saw before the crowd started fleeing.

L: Outside a club @RCA. Shld add #11: Possession of explosives. R: X'mas is over but I'm not complaining.

L: Laser show at the club. R: Local superstar?

Bangkok Post's Report

2007-01-04T23:17:00.000+08:00

ROUNDUP: TWIN WAVE OF BOMBINGS KILLS THREE, PUTS BANGKOK ON EDGE

By BangkokPost.com

An unprecedented twin wave of bombings shattered New Year's Eve celebrations in Bangkok, killing three people and wounding more than 30, including at least six foreigners.

Authorities held an overnight series of emergency meetings that continued into New Year's Day to try to find out who was behind at least nine explosions of bombs or grenades.

Without any clues of claim of responsibility, most suspicion fell on two possible groups: Hard-core supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, or other, leftist opponents of both the Thaksin government and the military regime currently running the country.

The military junta which is effectively in control of all of Thailand remained largely uncommunicative. But the explosions underlined the refusal last month by the Council for National Security to lift martial law in half the provinces of Bangkok. Spokesmen have warned that so-called "undercurrents" were planning violence in the name of the ousted Thaksin regime.

Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin cancelled city-sponsored parties at Sanam Luang and at Central World Plaza, formerly called the World Trade Centre. He advised all Bangkok residents to stay at home on New Year's Day unless travel is essential. He met with Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont on New Year's morning to discuss the bombings and what to do next. Both Monday and Tuesday are official holidays in Thailand.

Authorities in Chiang Mai also cancelled their city-sponsored New Year's Eve party, but no violence was reported. Throughout the country, many celebrated New Year's Eve as usual, but the mood was noticably subdued, and TV broadcasts featured more grim news than happy parties welcoming 2007 - or 2550 of the Buddhist Era.

The government issued statements that the situation was under control, but it was unclear what that meant. Mr Apirak cancelled the annual New Year's morning ceremony at the Sanam Luang central park to give alms to monks.

Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Britain all issued urgent new travel advisories, telling citizens to stay off the Bangkok streets and, in two cases, recommending cancellation of non-urgent travel to Thailand.

The explosions took place in two waves, over a wide area of the city - from the northern suburbs of Nonthaburi province to the southeastern Praves region.

They aimed mostly at high-profile targets. These included the city's busiest bus terminus at Victory Monument, the Seacon Centre which is Asia's biggest mall, the central Bangkok market areas at Klong Toey and Suphan Kwai, and a busy expressway interchange area at Sukhumvit Soi 62.

One Thai man was killed in the bloody Victory Monument bombing, the most gruesome of a wave of six explosions set off at 6 p.m. on New Year's Eve. Another was killed in the Kong Toey bombing, outside a Chinese shrine.A third victim died in hospital on Monday.

The most audacious attacks came at midnight, around the Central World Plaza where authorities had hours earlier cancelled one of the world's biggest outdoor New Year's Eve parties, called Bangkok Countdown 2007.

Two midnight explosions wounded at least six foreigners and several Thais at the popular Best Seafood restaurant and at the steps of a pedestrian overpass from the World Plaza to Siam Square.

Two British citizens were among the wounded, and were being treated at a Bangkok hospital, said the Foreign Office in London. Witnesses said the explosion ripped off the leg of one foreigner eating at the seafood restaurant.

Two other midnight bombs targetted Khao San Road, Thailand's most popular and best known gathering place for budget travellers, and the popular, usually packed Lumpini Night Bazaar. Those bombs were found and removed before they exploded.

There have never been terrorist bombings in Bangkok, although southern Islamist extremists have threatened on several occasions to attack the capital. But Sunday night's twin waves of bombings were different in almost all details from terrorist attacks in the South, and few believed the southern insurgents were involved in the Bangkok attacks.

An intelligence source told the AFP news agency that the attacks were likely politically motivated.

"The bombs are not involved with southern unrest," the source said, but did not elaborate. "It is a political issue, it is undercurrents" - the military regime's code word for pro-Thaksin elements.

The Voice of America reporter found a similar reaction. The US-sponsored radio network quoted "Thai officials" as saying Muslim insurgents were probably not behind the New Year's Eve bombings. "Security sources said Sunday the bombings might have been politically motivated," said the radio network.

The current leadership of the Thai Rak Thai party, established by Mr Thaksin, strongly denied anyone from the party was behind the bombs. Spokesman Chatuphon Promphan warned military authorities to be careful in pointing the finger of suspicion.

Although martial law was lifted in Bangkok and surrounding provinces just a month ago, the military is authorised to act when necessary. The coup passed its 100-day anniversary on Dec 28.

The junta leader and army commander, Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, is currently out of Thailand, on the Haj in Saudi Arabia, and will not return until Thursday. Officials said he was passing orders to Bangkok from the pilgrimage.

An Unforgettable Countdown

2007-01-03T22:58:00.000+08:00

... that didn't happen.

Well, I decided to spend this year's New Year's eve at a foreign country. And which city is happening, cheap and nearby? Bangkok!

I had a very fortunate New Year's Eve. I made some new friends and survived a bomb scare. So where did the good luck start? It probably started the moment I stepped off the hotel's tuk tuk on my 1st day there. 2 humongous droppings fell from the sky onto my right shoulder. I couldn't believe my good luck. I looked up and... you guessed it... saw the ass of a pigeon perched on the power cables above. Damn! It must have eaten too much Tom Yum. I looked at the damage on my T-shirt and had to hop back onto the tuk tuk to go back and change. At least I just had to change my shirt and not wash my hair.

Now, fast forward to NYE. I had a good but painful Thai Herbal Compress massage at Healthland for 750 baht. Then had a rest back at the hotel. All in preparation for the night's party. Left for the Central World and reached there at about 5.30pm. The roads were already closed and the crowds were forming. I had wanted to go to one of the beer gardens to have dinner, beer and live music. But the Heineken 2-seaters were all sold out. And the Singha's had a very long queue, even with the 2-person tables at a whopping 2000baht. We can spend the 2000 on drinks and food, but it's still too expensive. Ok, better change plans.

While waiting for my friend to come back from the DTAC shop, I met 3 friendly Thai nurses. Had a nice chat with them while waiting for my friend. And we got invited to join them to go see the Countdown concert.

The concert was starting soon and we made our way onto the road where the concert was held, squeezing through lots of people and narrow walkways. The show started with a speech, then a kind of Star Search contest. But only for males. All these handsome or pretty boys (they were just 18 to 24 years old) strutted their stuff on stage. All were at least 1.78m tall. And the audience were so eager to get a closer look at them. I can see there's a future idol in there.

After some more performances, our new friends told us some news that absolutely chilled my heart. They've received calls from family and friends that some bombs exploded at 6+pm at Victory Monument and killed 2 people. That was some distance away, but the implications struck through. My 1st reaction was disbelief, but soon realise that it was a big possibility. We discussed if we should stay or go. We decided to stay. After all, this area was fenced off and there were police checking on everyone who entered the concert area. But soon, we decided it was better to leave early for dinner and left the place.

As we were still making our way through the crowds, we saw many policemen in the concert area itself, seemingly looking for something or someone. Then, a few seconds later, the people behind us started screaming and running away! I was stunned. I was trying to see what was going on but my friends have already started running and were beckoning me to follow! We just kept running till we left the road and reached Erawan. We did not hear any more music and smelled some gunpowder. But there wasn't any loud bangs. So what caused the panic? Probably the crowd was already highly wound up and any alarm would cause them to take flight.

We took shelter inside McDonald's. Although we didn't have Happy Meals, we were noticeably happier after our dinner. 2 of the girls went back home to rest as they've to work the next day. 1 continued with her original plan to go another place for a party. And we 2 guys left for RCA for countdown. It was still early as it was just 9+.

At the entrance to RCA, the police had a road block and were inspecting every car that went in. That gave us some assurance. And at the entrance to the club, Route 66, they had 2 bouncers to check all the ladies' bags and the guys' pockets. Well, that, and a little alcohol, and the party mood soon got us to forget about the bombs, at least for the time being.

We were expecting a countdown, but midnight passed and the DJ did not do anything. The dancing and drinking carried on as per normal. 2006 just "quietly" ended.

As our flight was at 7.05am, 1 Jan 2007, we were planning to stay up all night. Too bad the party ended at 2am as usual and not 6am as rumoured. We hanged around by the roadside with a long line of roadside food stalls and had our supper there. How convenient. And many of the party goers congregate there.

We left the place at about 3am. Cabs were unusually hard to find. We even paid 400baht to our next driver who took us to the airport. Oh well, it was 5am in the morning, and New Year's day, and bombs were in the city.

Other than the panic running incident, everything seemed normal and calm. Even at the airport. It was only when I returned to SG and checked the news onlne that I realised that more bombs went off at midnight. One was at Central World, where we were watching the concert! I'm glad we left the place early.

I consider myself fortunate on a few counts:
1. missed out on the beer garden tables but got something more valuable: friendship
2. lucky to be alive and in 1 piece!

On hindsight, it was probably foolhardy to continue hanging out at crowded places after news of the bomb. But we should not let terror control our lives and let the perpetrators win. And I'm glad many people were still out celebrating the New Year. I will return to Bangkok.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Peace~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Happy New Year 2007!

2007-01-01T23:47:00.000+08:00

Hope you all had a great party. I spent today having a good rest after an eventful New Year's Eve. Will write more on it next time. Peace on Earth!

Big Boys Toy

2006-12-24T19:08:00.000+08:00

Yes! My own Picoo-Z! With 20 AA batteries! Just need 6, but Carrefour had an offer for 20, so... :) I first saw it on Mr Brown, then saw the real thing on demo at Compass Point. Bought it on the same day at Carrefour while shopping for wine. I've been having lots of fun with it since. It was a bit tricky to fly initially. But after a few tries and a few re-charges, I think I'm starting to get the hang of it.

New Emo toy for Christmas!

2006-12-21T00:05:00.000+08:00

Emo... for emotions?

Water water everywhere...

2006-12-19T23:50:00.000+08:00

Look at my wet shoes. No, they weren't wet. They were thoroughly filled to the brim of every single pore with water. Like a cat, I hate getting my feet wet, especially when I still have to work. It's not only the shoes. I was wringing water from the legs of my jeans.

Gosh! It's midnight and it's still raining! It has been raining on and off (mostly on) since Sunday morning. This morning was the heaviest. I saw the floods in Thomson area on TV just now. Wow! Knee deep, to waist deep!

And boy, it didn't rain today. It was like a waterfall across the whole of Singapore! Just when you thought the clouds are drying up... the downpour starts again. History could be in the making if this continues. This will be the heaviest rainfall in 75 years!

Where's the Singapore Garden?

2006-12-17T23:51:00.000+08:00

In my recent travel to Chiangmai and visit to the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek, I was looking for the Singapore Garden in the International Garden zone. But... we did not participate in this expo. How come? I thought we're the Garden City? Hmm... Maybe we're more interested to be known as the 1st world city state now. It's funny... I was speaking with a nice Englishman while I was having a massage near my guesthouse in Chiangmai and he asked me this question: do u know Singapore is a 1st world country now? Yes, of course I know. We've been repeatedly told of this fact by our government.

Oops. Back to the garden. Well, I did miss that Singapore didn't participate in the expo. But guess what? This weekend (or strictly speaking it's last weekend), the Singapore Garden Festival just opened at Suntec! Wow! So very Singapore ah! Can go see the gardens in indoor air-con comfort!

Well, I haven't been to the Suntec show. Will probably be very different from the Chiangmai one. More on gardening I guess.

Singapore nightlife - Dull or happening?

2006-12-15T23:29:00.000+08:00

Today, 6 new clubs/bars open in Singapore.
This was Reuters' headline:
New clubs set to fire up dull Singapore scene

Hmm... Wait a minute... Didn't Singapore recently get ranked 2nd in the world for nightlife and dining, in the annual Country Brand Index 2006? How could #2 in the world be dull? To be honest, I was surprised to see the #2 ranking. Of course, I attribute my ignorance to being out of the clubbing scene for a long time. Maybe with the Crazy Horse and Ministry of Sound, we're suddenly propelled to #2?

Even with the biggest names in clubs right here in Singapore, the local scene is still dull. Must be the party crowd's fault then. Yeah... that must be it. Singaporeans must learn to party more. Hey, even our new young leaders are leading the way and partying!

So party on dudes!

What?

2006-12-14T23:07:00.000+08:00

I saw something this morning that can only be described as strange. Well, I heard it 1st. There was this metallic clanging sound that came from the road while I waited for my bus. At 1st I thought it was from the engine of the lorry. Nope. Then I saw a MPV, on 3 wheels! Actually, 3 wheels with tyres and 1 without. The front left wheel was completely stripped of any rubber and was grinding along the road. That was where the metallic clang came from. It was amazing, because if it had been a flat tyre, there should still be some tyre left on the wheel. But no. Either all the rubber had been left on the road after god knows how far the car had travelled, or the tyre was removed intentionally.

I was too intrigued by this sight that I forgot to take a photo. Had a look at the driver: a man in his 30s. The car just continued its laboured and noisy journey. Wonder where he was going. Can't imagine what kind of damage he was doing to the car and the road.

While searching for blown tyre pics on the internet that looks similar to what I saw (didn't find any!), I came across some amazing photos here. This was another case of blown tyre, but on a F18 Superhornet (Fighter jet)! U got to see it!

Clueless@SG

2006-12-12T23:18:00.000+08:00

U know, I was really excited about Wireless@SG (the islandwide free WiFi). I signed up for an account with QMax (twice) and ICell. Got my funny looking free webcam from QMax too. But I've to say, I've been rather disappointed with Wireless@SG so far.

My friend and I were at Raffles City last weekend, trying out the free WiFi. 1st stop: BK at the basement. Very poor network, could hardly detect it. 2nd stop: Starbucks at the ground floor. Same story. We tried many times to login but keep ending up in Singtel's signup page. Finally, we decided to try the CitiLink and stopped by O'Briens. "Free Wireless!", beamed the signboard outside the cafe. Took out my huge & heavy Dell Inspiron 6000. Connecting to Wireless@SG... Nothing. Sianz. Then tried our luck with ICellNetwork... and it worked! Hey! I didn't even need my Wireless@SG account. I guess it wasn't totally useless. At least I got my free webcam. :P

The Xbox Car!

2006-12-08T22:56:00.000+08:00

Here's THE car for all u Xbox fans!
Saw this on the roads recently and the 1st thought that came to mind was: is Microsoft Xbox now making cars too? Hmm... maybe it's a promotional gimmick for some new driving game. But wait! As the car passed me, I saw its rear: Toyota Mark X. Looks pretty cool huh?

Hotel, Guesthouse & Travel Tips for Chiang Mai

2006-12-06T23:43:00.000+08:00

Like to share my favourite accommodations in Chiang Mai:
1. Night Bazaar Inn
Tel: 053-818096
Class: Business hotel
Cost: 700-800Baht
Review: Good location (near the Night Bazaar). Comfortable clean rooms with decent toilet & shower room. Satellite TV, fridge. Friendly staff.

2. Nice Apartment
Tel: 053-210552, 053-218290
Class: Guesthouse/apartment
Cost: 200-350Baht for air-con. The longer u stay, the cheaper it gets.
Review: My fav for budget stays. With this price, you get a clean air-con room with toilet & hot shower, fridge and satellite TV! Value for money. Good location too! Near Thapae gate. Only 1 complaint: the toilet/shower is a bit small and rundown.

Tips for transport:
1. Airport transfers
If like me, you're a budget traveller, then cheapest way is to take the public bus # 13. Goes to the city and it's 15 baht. Do ask 1st before u board, as the routes may change.
U can also take the red songthaews. Need to bargain though. On average, a trip to the city is 50baht.

2. Trips within the city
I usually take the red songthaews. Used to be 10baht minimum for tourists and even Bangkokians (Chiangmai locals pay less than 10!). While I was there last month, I had to pay 15baht minimum! Kill man set fire! (Chinese proverb) That's a 50% inflation! Red songthaews are like a bus and taxi combo. U can get on one at anywhere if the driver is going your way. He usually has other passengers though. And sometimes, a 10min trip may turn into 30min!

Flowers & Orchids of Royal Flora

2006-12-05T00:31:00.000+08:00

This is my most flowery post. All u bees out there come and get all these nectar! :)

Ok, this last photo is not a flower. This expo was not just about horticulture. It was also about agriculture technology and even biofuels! Lots to see and learn here. At times, I felt like I was back in school on a field trip to the Science Centre or Botanic Gardens.

Royal Flora Photos

2006-12-04T23:41:00.000+08:00

L: Bus that I took. U can see Black Canyon Cafe in the background. U can either board the bus here, or outside Central Airport Plaza. R: The giant umbrella at the entrance to Royal Flora.

L: Tram. R: Paddy field

L: Chang! R: Tea?

L: Not cabbages and condoms. Cabbages and chilli! R: Runway to the pavilion

L:Christmas log! Nope. Belgium garden. R:Lovely Bhutan.

L:Holland, duh. R:Royal Pavilion

L: Royal Pavilion, inside. R: The Super Sandwich technology of cloud seeding, invented by the King. (See if u can spot the typo)

Blogger bug? Not! It was my fault!

2006-12-04T23:20:00.000+08:00

Just managed to fix the problem I mentioned yesterday.
Here's how: by clearing my browser's cache.
I can post pics now! I must have surfed onto some website that messed up my blogger. My fault! :P

Royal Flora Ratchaphreuk 2006

2006-12-03T23:38:00.001+08:00

Day 4
Time to see the Royal Flora expo. Woke up in the morning to see the overcast sky. Bummer. I've already bought the ticket in advance (it's double the price if u buy at the expo site) so didn't want to change my plans. The guesthouse staff told me these words that immediately brightened my day: "Maybe it's good luck!". That was so Thai and brought back memories 2 years ago when I 1st heard those words. And it was so true. It was good luck because I got to walk around the gardens comfortably without getting cooked by the sun. Well, at least for 2 hrs, then the sun came out and it was hot! Lucky me.

There were many ways to go to the expo, other than taxi:
1. By red songthaew (20B). Can get 1 from the Central Airport Plaza, I think.
2. By calling a private transport. Saw a number at some hotel with the flyer.
3. Public Bus #13 & 11. Both will pass by the Black Canyon Cafe at Thapae Gate.

I chose the 3rd as I wanted to try out the public bus system. It was quite new, probably only a few months old. The most popular transport in CM is still the songthaew. But I enjoyed the bus. It had air-con, and u can have a good view of the street. It's hard to see anything when inside a songthaew. Though you'll spend a longer time on the bus as it goes on its long and winding route around CM.

Finally reached the expo site and boy was I impressed. Very grand and you're welcomed along the road leading up to the site by big banners on the lamp posts. Feels like you're going into a big theme park like Disneyland.

The place is HUGE. Toured the entire grounds on foot, starting at 11am and finished at about 5pm. It was really tiring, and I skipped quite a number of areas. U can take a tram ride, but I didn't have time for that. Anyway, you'll have to get off the tram anyway if u want to see the gardens.

Here's a quick review of the zones:
1. Corporate Garden.
My 1st stop. Lots of greenery, ponds, waterfalls, flowers in these gardens. All beautifully done up.

2. Orchid Pavilion
Lots of them! Small ones, big ones, even smelly ones! Orchid landscaping too!

3. International Garden
Honestly, I was a little disappointed. Lots of concrete in most of these gardens. Belgium was unique. Japan was my fav.

4. Royal Pavilion
The pavilion was beautiful. Loved the architecture. And u can see nearly the entire expo site from here. Give a miss to the food hall next to the pavilion though. Operated by THAI (Airways). I felt like I was eating airline food at restaurant prices. It IS a good idea to bring your own food and picnic. Lots of nice scenic spots for u to picnic.

5. Thai Tropical Garden (final stop)
My favs were the air-con greenhouses. Cooling, and lots of flowers too!

My back was killing me by this time. Hopped onto a red songthaew going to the Central Airport Plaza as I didn't want to look for the public bus. Good thing they've excellent massage in CM.

PS: Hmmm... some problems with Blogger this weekend. Can't post my photos! I'll upload them once the problem is fixed.

More Loy Krathong Babes

2006-12-02T00:02:00.000+08:00

Day 3
Giant Krathong parade. Just enjoy the photos. ;)

Chiang Mai (continued)

2006-12-01T22:30:00.000+08:00

Sunday is Loy Krathong day(1st full moon of Nov). So every year a mini Krathong parade is held on this night. This is a preview to the Giant Krathong parade that will be held on the next day. So, you'll see a smaller scale of the brightly decorated trucks, floats and participants in costumes. Even so, they still draw a big crowd, especially near Thapae Gate. And as promised, here're the babes on the "krathongs".

This guy here is a chronic fire breather. He'll walk/dance a few steps, then spit his mouthful of oil, gasoline, whatever into the flame he's holding. (That's why I could catch this big fire!) And he had to do this for the whole length of the parade.

Other than launching krathongs on the river, u can also launch kom fy (hot air balloons). This is alot of fun, especially when u launch one with your friends. Holding the kom fy up together, waiting for the balloon to fill up with hot air, and then release and see the kom fy rise up into the sky. Every loy krathong, the night sky is lit up full of these kom fy and it's really a wonderful sight.

Accidents do occur, and quite frequently too. I was watching the Miss Yee Peng beauty contest. This kom fy came flying in at a very low altitude and landed right in front of the audience, and caught fire! Lucky the security personnel was well prepared and put it out quickly.

Oh, talking about beauties, here're some of my favs:

By the way, u can click on the photos for a bigger view.

Free wireless access islandwide starts tomorrow!

2006-11-30T23:38:00.000+08:00

If u haven't heard, the Singapore free wireless internet access islandwide starts on 1 Dec 06! Not only does this come a month ahead of schedule, the offer has also been extended for three years, one year longer than announced previously.

Click on the title above to go to IDA's site for the official news and to get your account.

Note: Islandwide does not mean 100% coverage. Come on, you're not expecting places like Choa Chu Kang cemetery to have wireless, right? Though, this may change in future. But for sure you're not going to get wireless in your HDB flat for free. Here're the limited coverage areas available: Coverage(IDA)

Back to the Land of Smiles Part 2

2006-11-29T23:44:00.000+08:00

Day 2

Woke up late, and went to Thapae again as there was a Krathong (lantern) making competition. These boys and girls were making giant krathongs! Not the ones u can hold with just one hand. These are double, triple deckers! With wine glasses and other decorative stuff! Definitely a team effort and takes an entire day to complete. Here are some pics of the finished products.

This is Ping River in the evening. This particular spot is beside the Riverside Restaurant/Bar. During Loy Krathong, the locals will set up stalls by the river selling krathongs, food and drinks. There're many people launching their krathongs into the river at the banks of the river. Good place to sit down, relax and enjoy the festive feeling, with occasional shooting of mini fireworks from the bridge and the river banks! The frequency of shooting will increase as the night falls, until it becomes so chaotic that if u closed your eyes, u might think u were in a war zone!

To be continued...

Coming up: Mini & Giant Krathong Parade babes!

Back to the Land of Smiles

2006-11-29T22:38:00.000+08:00

It's coming to a month since my vacation in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I was there for the Loy Krathong Festival and it was my 3rd time in as many years. I know I'm not the only one who keep returning to this wonderful festival. Even the locals say that Chiangmai is the best place to see Loy Krathong. Why? Maybe this little travel diary will show you.

Day 1
Flew by Tiger Airways. 0605 flight. Gosh! Gotta wake up at 4am and then rush to the Budget Terminal by taxi. Not that budget here after all, because taxis are expensive in SG, especially after midnight. Touched down at Chiangmai airport and passed through their new extension. It must have been built just in time for the huge legions of tourists that are expected to flood the Royal Flora expo. Took the Songthaew to my hotel. 50 baht, after some bargaining. And slept for much of the day.

Evening came and it was time to check out the Loy Krathong festivities around Thapae Gate.

It was Sat, but the Sunday Walking Street was open! The street was closed off to traffic and the street vendors will come and set up their stalls on the roadsides by evening. Lots of goods here, mostly home decor, fashion accessories, art and food (of course!). Many more varieties and handmade trinkets here than at the Night Bazaar.

At Thapae Gate, a stage was set up for performances to entertain both the locals and tourists. I saw this traditional dance and look at the GIGANTIC crown this dancer had to wear! She was supporting and balancing the heavy thing with one hand all the time and still manage to keep on the megawatt smile. Amazing!

It was getting late, and time to check out the local clubbing scene. After all, it's a Sat night! Went to a club just 5 min walk away from Thapae. Boy did I regret my choice. Spent about 1 hr in there watching soccer on the TVs inside as there wasn't a big crowd yet. They do have a cute lady DJ though. The Thai singers and dancers then came on but the entertainment value has dropped since the last time I visited this place. Not to mention, the ratio of guys to girls is about 7 to 3. Saw many gays and lady boys too. Definitely feeling out of place and called it a night before the clock hit midnight.

To be continued...

PMS for guys

2006-11-29T01:33:00.000+08:00

Watch this, guys. This can save your life!

Train wreck!

2006-11-27T23:39:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I wrote that I "announce to the world". In fact, I've only informed 1 friend. Oh well, the world will know about my blog soon enough, I hope.

Today's diary: Train wreck
Saw the news today about the train crash in Thailand. A train crashed into another on the route from BKK to CNX. 130 injured. I just took the train from CNX to BKK 17 days ago. Same route, opposite direction. Mental note: got to buy travel insurance next time!

Hope that the 130 did not get injured too badly and will recover soon.

My virgin blog

2006-11-26T21:55:00.000+08:00

26 Nov 2006 2155hrs
This is the time I announce to the world I have arrived in the blog world. This is my very first blog and very 1st post. And I'd like to thank a key person who has helped me make this step: Johnny Wimbrey.

Look here. Here's a photo of me & Johnny!