Thursday, May 29, 2008
The week that was

As soon as I stepped out of the bus interchange, the first of many tiny droplets started falling from the greying sky above. The path home had carefree feeling to it, thanks to the breeze and the tiny droplets that continue to fall. I'd always enjoy walking in such weather. It brings about a kind of feeling that I'm freed, freed from worries and anything that's on my complicated mind. The breeze seem to take away with it all that's on my mind and the moment I found myself back in my room I started typing this entry. I have a habit of forgetting what I want to write or talk about in a short time.

It's been a lonesome and slow week. At times it seems like time was like a broken clock, a stop starting every now and then. I had spent the entire week reading a new literature novel titled 'Marrying Buddha' which I had bought last Saturday in office just to kill time. It helped that the novel was well written to my liking - full of emotions, sentiments and surreal. I even bought a packet of cigarettes on Monday to smoke at irregular intervals when I the craving comes along. It was the first packet of cigarettes I bought locally in about 2 months and it lasted me 4 days.

Stepping beyond the glass door to the enterance of my office building everyday this week, it is like stepping out of jail. The air outside the glass door has a refreshing and different feel to it. Instantly, I could feel my sluggish face brightening up, my mood changing as well. I can finally leave this lonesome place, although I will be back for another 8 hours the next day.

It seem like the rainy season has just begun although the ever eccentric weather meant there will still be humidity in spite of the rain. I prefer the rain to the heat, no questions here. The rain instantly meant I couldn't go jogging as I had planned to. But it doesn't matter anyway, I felt so sluggish and tired every evening when I got home. It wasn't the result of a heavy workload. I don't think it was due to the lack of sleep either. Can a person feel ulterly tired and sleepy after a boring yet long day? Can the lack of any meangingful activities or things to look forward to causes sluggishness?

From the time I had dinner with Sze Wei at a Japanese restaurant at Paragon on Saturday to now, it seem that the week had passed without a trace when it's actually not. Thursdays often had a special aura to it, the aura of Friday in the air.

I can't help feeling chuffed that Friday has arrived.

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posted by mango at 5:54 PM 2 Bitchings
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
One huge rat race

Bhutan has one of the worst economy in the world and yet the happiest, and most contended people in the world are found there. In Singapore, it's the exact opposite - great economy but financially unsatisfied population.

We always find something to blame for an insufficient pile of dollars. We blame the government for explicity linking everything to economy and money. We blame our bosses for not increasing our pay when everything else that has a price tag is increasing. We blame the bloody hawkers for charging an extra for the damn container that they use to pack our food. We blame everything but ourselves and the lack of financial planning.

The downfall for any financial planning is being unable to prioritise our wants and needs and not wanting to see beyond our next pay cheque. If we think about it, it's all to do with the society with we live in (yes blame the bloody government) but also the mindset of the typical Singaporean. In Singapore, we are just too insanely competitive to the point that it is too suffocating for many people. Notice how materialistic we are? Everything has to be better - your friend bought a Lancer and you want a WRX, your friend got an EVO and you want a BMW convertible. And it doesn't ends with material possessions, even education is included. And so with all these unlimited wants, money plays a key role. In other words, we aren't excatly money minded, we are instead money controlled - slave to material wealth!

To others, money is not everything but to us, we would definitely say something
like "without money you cannot do anything!"


Someone said...."In Singapore, you tell me where no need to spend money. Drink 1 kopi also need money, have sex also need to use condom, even worse sometimes need pregenacy kit to test...everything also money!"

I would ask, in the first place, who gave this damn piece of paper its value? It's us humans. From young, we were taught the importancy of this piece of paper known as money. We then learnt that money is not the cause of evil but having no money is.

In between black and white, there are different shades of grey. It is just that most things fall in the grey zones, hence nothing is 100% right or wrong. No one owes Singapore a living, if you are really pissed you could migrate elsewhere where you are financially better off alot. However I believe should Singapore continue it's over competitive trend, it would hit a stagnent point like Japan did sooner or later.

We are advancing too fast in terms of education, technology and economy. Take education for example. In the near future, a degree qualification will be a norm because everyone is able to attain it. But will everyone get the same job as what we're having now? Maybe 10 years down the road our children, with a degree qualification can only get a job as a manager at some fast food outlet or supermarket. With such advancement, when excatly is enough, enough? You may think the changes within 10 years i not great but I remind you that 10 years ago we were using pagers and big Ericsson handphones 768/688 models. You may laugh at the stupidity of the models or the sheer comical ways some people decorated those phones but it's not funny when you think of the changes 10 years later could bring. What will happen to our future generation?

To everyone of us, it is basically "Good to have enough but great to have more than enough" and with almost everyone going for the 2nd option, Singapore has long become one huge rat race for the cheese.

posted by mango at 8:37 PM 1 Bitchings
Monday, May 19, 2008
Thai-ish Diaries 3

A summary of my first solo trip to Amazing Thailand...

1. Questions which Thais never fail to ask :
-Where are you from?
-How long you stay?
-Your first time here?
-How old are you?
-What is your name?
-Why you come to Thailand?
-What you work?

2. The university girls' uniform is hot and will always be hot!

3. May is rainy season, it rains every single day I was there. Light to moderate rain.

4. No cover charge + cheap drinks + great crowd and music makes a club looks more like a club.

5. Taking BTS instead of taxi saves u a hell lot of money and time. I spent less than $50 on travelling expenses overall for 7 days.

6. Saw a young ang moh kid cleaning vehicle windows during the usual long jams/stops. Seem to be a slave as he's being watched and order around by a Thai. Probably got kidnapped and sold.

7. Gay clubs can be scary. People asked for my number and someone tried to kiss me...unsuccessfully though.

8. Hanging out with a big group of Thais makes me the star instantly, difficult to understand what they say but fun to observe nevertheless.

9. The best clubs in Bangkok are probably Route66 and Nunglen. Lots of young and beautifully fashioned people there.

10. The MacDonalds there doesn't seem to have any solo items except set meals.

11. Travelling alone instantly increases the amount of spare time. I found myself struggling to decide where to go or what to do sometimes.

12. Durian lovers have to try the cheap, big and fleshy Thai durians. It puts those in Singapore to shame.

13. Power cut doesn't affects just 1 building there, it usually involves the entire street or area. Was bathing halfway and everything just went black. Went downstairs and all the shops are dark too.

14. Never wear slippers when it rains, bad experience learnt. The back of my bermudas had nice 'polka dots' afterwards.

15. Patpong market and silom areas have the worst prices. The fake designer goods there are so nicely sealed and displayed but yet an eyesore because it looks damn fake. Don't mention the irritating touts that follow me everywhere like a dog as well.

16. Thais say "yes" in a funny way, almost all of them sound the same when saying it.

17. The fair skinned Bangkok youths dresses alot better than we thought. Chic....

18. Eating sticky rice with slices of mango on a rainy day gives me tummy aches.

19. It is not really easy to bargain for stuffs anymore. Makes me wonder if some dumbos have been paying skyhigh prices because they are rich?

20. I must look like a Thai in some way, strangers often talk to me in their local language.

21. Got caught at S'pore customs for bringing in pirated CDs (games + softwares) and duty free cigarettes. Made to get my luggage searched in front of people and of course pay the taxes and fines. I hate Singapore!


Here's a video clip of my 2nd hotel. This is actually a serviced apartment somewhat like a condo but no different to a hotel in terms of facilities and everything. (http://www.legacybangkok.com/)




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I spent at least 2 hours in this lovely bathtub everyday!

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High tech! No need to hang those stupid signboards outside your door!

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Seperate shower area from bathtub. Great!

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Mini kitchen

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Bath robes!

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Iron & ironing board!

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I miss this bed......fucking shiok bed I tell u! Haha!

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A nice restaurant for crepes lovers

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Orange chicken crepes

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See how big the durians are?? I ate like nobody's business..

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Mango sticky rice

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Pad Thai

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Kway Tiao

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Raining at Khao San

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And now some of the stuffs that I bought.....I bought quite alot till my luggage was overweight during check in and had to remove 4kg of baggage from my luggage in front of everyone. =(

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Finally got myself a Thai keyboard for only like $9! Cheap bargain!

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My prized possession...the latest Nike Mercurial Vapour boots..got it for a bargain $104!

Will be back again, but for now it's time to concentrate on other more important things.


posted by mango at 10:13 AM 0 Bitchings
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Thai-ish Diaries 2

Well well well, I'm back.....on blogger that is. Have been partying hard and core for the past 2 nights and it really took alot out of me. My new hotel is fantastic, I've got all the pictures and videos but I just don't have time to post it. Too tired and too lazy.

And now I'm stucked in a humble internet shop taking shelter from an unusual thunderstorm at Khao San Road. My stomach feels wierd as well after eating sticky rice...shrugs. So far so good, travelling alone is really a challenge as I found out. You have only yourself to depend on, and it's exciting yet scary at times.

Alright the rain seem like it's gonna stop and I'm really tired after walking and shopping all day long. Gonna hit some bar for a drink before returning back to downtown Bangkok. Updates to come soon....adios!
posted by mango at 7:36 PM 0 Bitchings
Friday, May 09, 2008
Thai-ish Diaries 1

As I board the plane, I saw a group of kids which doesn't look any older than 20 to me, getting all excited and snapping pictures. It reminds me of my first time going to the land of smiles. And going through customs, seeing all these familiar surroundings after a 2-3 months absence makes me smile. I'm back...to the real world!

So nice of Wippy to fetch me at the airport along with her little sister. Walking with a Thai beside you automatically means the irritating taxi touts will only look at u in amazement instead of harassing you to take one of their horribly overpriced rides. A few tried their luck though but I didnt have to say anything, Wippy did all the talking for me!

The first of the 2 hotels I stayed was quite a disaster as the aircon had problems working and the first guy didnt seem to know how to fix it. It was so hot in the room like some oven and although the room was good, this small serenity hotel doesnt have any lifts and I had to climb 4 floors to my room! Thankfully I'm only staying 2 days. Really looking forward to Legacy suites...it's what the Thais call hi-so (hi class & expensive) place.

As I arrived at about 5pm (thai time) and wasted 2 hours in my room fixing the air con, I didnt do much but I had a nice dinner treat from Wippy and then it's on to Route66. What a blast, this club is amazing, it's like some penthouse mansion, dozen times more posh, cheap and better than our Mos and Zouk or even St James. Singapore clubs should start adopting the Thai method of waiving all cover charges, reduce the bottle prices significantly. A bottle of Black Label + Mixer costs only $66 SGD and every table has a bottle, now this is what I call a real club and everyone was rocking as well. Eye candies were plentiful, Thais are such sociable people it's so easy to chat up anyone and I got a number or 2 as well.

I'm really tired today, didn't sleep much yesterday and I'm gonna spend the afternoon snoring away before going shopping at night and then its party party and party again! BKK rocks my ass off!!

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Everytime I saw this sight from the plane window, i get excited because it means I've reached Thailand!

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My bed, cute! haha

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Bathroom

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With seperate shower area, generous space and cool!

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MK Trendi steamboat restaurant. Popular with the Thais.

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I'm tired after a long day..

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Me & Wippy

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Every restaurant in thailand has such tissue box, even the clubs and its free! Damn S'pore!

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One of their speciality dish..roasted duck!

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Green maggee mee?

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The way they serve their steamboat dishes....

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Wow they serve Tang Yuan as desert!?!?

Ok thats really few pictures, because I didnt brought my camera to Route66 damn but I will be back for more!
posted by mango at 9:18 AM 2 Bitchings


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