Trees

Christmas 2008: our tiny pink tree.
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aToday: tiny pink tree is lonely no more :)
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I wish we had more space at home. Aly would definitely love to have a bigger Christmas tree -- oooh, how I'd love to have a big, bright orange tree at home as well! Ngayon pa na alam ko na magpunta sa Sampeng Lane in Chinatown, where everything is crazy cheap. More space = more decorations. But space is limited, so I just have to make do with table top trees for now.
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I added the masks that we used during last week's party as well, para naman hindi masyadong masayang ang effort ko to make them. Heehee!
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Paskong-pasko na talaga!! 23 days to go na lang! :)

Maps

I'm ashamed to admit that I only really learned how to use and actually appreciate a map during my pasyal with Ria and Kerwin. Yeah, in spite of having two maps on hand, we still got lost -- twice! But that was because the map that we had seemed outdated. Heehee!
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When they left Bangkok, I decided to buy my own map. So one Friday, when Aly and I were hanging out with my friend Jenn and her daughter Jianna at Asia Books in Siam Paragon, I browsed through the travel section and found this:
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Nancy Chandler's Map of Bangkok. "Alias the Market Map and much more". San ka pa?
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What makes this map so special (aside from the attractive graphics and colors)? It's a SHOPPING map!! I mean, how else can it catch my attention, right?

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aIt tells you where you can buy stuff! I used this when I bought Aly's party giveaways. It was really helpful! It also comes with a small booklet/directory for hotel and restaurant listings, places to see, more places to shop, etc.
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Kerwin said you should have at least two maps for cross-referencing. So I bought another one.

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aMy companions whenever I explore the city solo: my Nancy Chandler map + my Groovy map. Kulang na lang backpack at ako na si Dora! Haha!
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Ri and Kerwin, I already told you that I learned a lot from your trip, but you'll be happy to know that I actually practice what I learned! :) Sometimes, I would ride the boat to the Memorial Bridge (the green bridge) and walk to the Flower Market. Exercise and pasyal na rin at the same time. I would buy flowers for the house. Hehe! I rode the boat too going to Chinatown! Sometimes, I also take to train going to Siam. It feels kinda liberating to be able to go around the city on your own! No driver, no husband, no daughter; just me :) You guys were great teachers! It was a great experience. Thank you!

Chinatown

We decided to have lunch at Chinatown. It's a short drive away from Wat Pho, but no thanks to Bangkok traffic, a 20-minute drive may seem like forever especially when you're hungry. Our driver, Sangkhom, is not really familiar with the district so what he does is, he would drop us off at a certain area and pick us up at that same spot.

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We didn't really have a definite plan like where to go, what to do exactly... because we were not too familiar with Chinatown either! We decided to just walk, enjoy the sights, and go wherever our feet and stomachs will lead us.

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Welcome to Chinatown!

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Intsik at intsik town? No, Ri is not Chinese. She only looks like one.

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What's Chinatown without the good luck charms?

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We eventually got tired of walking so we just ducked into the first decent restaurant that we saw. Shangarila Restaurant (no, that's not typo error. The restaurant's name is ShangArila!)

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Ria, Kerwin and my trusty Thai-English dictionary.

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My Chinese restaurant drink of choice: Chrysanthemum tea. It tastes like our very own gulaman with pandan. Did you know that this tea has cooling properties? It's good for those with fever, sore-throat or other heat-related illnesses. In my case, it was perfect after walking under the sun!

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Our chow: stir-fried kailan with oyster sauce.

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Yang chow fried rice.

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Salt and pepper spareribs -- super yummy! The relish on top with coriander was excellent!

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Tofu dish.

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The food was superb and reasonably priced, service was good too. It was a great lunch :)

The Grand Palace

Yesterday was a holiday here in BKK (Buddha day) so Richard did not have work. Our itinerary: the Grand Palace. They say that if you only have time to visit one place here in Bangkok, it should be the Grand Palace. If I were to describe this place in two words, it would be: majestic and spectacular. Let the pictures do the talking.

On way to the entrance.

Admission fee to the Grand Palace is THB250 per person. Kids can get in for free. They also follow a strict dress code -- no shorts, skirts, sleeveless and tights. It would be better if you can get someone to explain to you the things that you see around. I think they have tour guides at the main gate, but I don't know how much they charge. We didn't get a tour guide, but we enjoyed looking around on our own. The Grand Palace is really nice. There's gold everywhere! Bling all around! Oh, don't forget to bring a cap or an umbrella too because it was very hot when we visited.

After the Grand Palace, we headed to Chinatown for lunch. Then, we went to the Emporium for another round of shopping. We had ice cream at Swensen's and dad got my mom a mother's day gift.

Mom cooked dinner at home -- pork sinigang. Super sarap! My mom's cooking is the best talaga! Dinner with family and mom's cooking was the perfect ending to a perfect day.

P.S Tita Lori, if you're reading this, thank you for the Coach bag that you sent me! Ginamit ko na agad (you can see it in the pictures). Love you! Mwah!