1st time in a long time!

7-11 July 2013

Hua Hin, Thailand

Its been a long time since I've been to a new place for the first time. I hate to admit it, but it does say something that I've increasingly realised about myself-- with age, I just get more comfortable going back to the same places over and over again. Its much easier to plan, I know what to expect, its comfortable! (But then again, haven't been travelling much for leisure, its been all work trips-- so no choice-- although to be honest with myself, I have been getting cozy with going back to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Bangkok etc rather than taking the plunge with Cuba, Africa or other places.)

Anyway, so Hua Hin for work!

I never really understand the lure of beach resorts. Lying on a deck chair under the blazing sun to roast is nowhere near my bucket list, and I could never abide by cheap massages that everyone always hankers after. Pedicures done abroad never fail to disappoint, so just about the only think about beach holidays have been swimming and eating. Nonetheless, I always enjoy Thailand so yay!

Now I wish I could work ON a beach resort. Even though Singapore is sunny 365 days a week, I would never be in a mood to rock up to work in fancy sandals and a sundress, which I could conceivably do during this 1 week business meeting. Work felt so breezy-- to look out of the canteen and see a gorgeous pool, or the horizon....beautiful!

Resortwear!

First thing I did-- have  water melon juice right next to the beach! Weather was a little gloomy but it was still nice and hot (not humid). All the stress of a 3 hour car ride to the resort disintegrated right there. Now, if only I could appreciate massages....

Natural high from my non-alcoholic water-melon freeze!

Another great part of the trip was reliving the memories of all the time I spent in Thailand 2 years ago. From the Kao Soi Gai to the Amazon cafe yen at the rest stops along the highway to the choc-and-banana prata-crepes at the nightmarket...SO MANY GOOD MEMORIES! Even some of my Thai was coming back to me.
OK I lie. I never had any Thai in the first place.

The first time I had this was in a tiny coffeeshop off central Chiangmai. I  had never even see the Northern Thai Curry Chicken Noodle Dish before but had been enticed when I saw some customers wolfing it down. Now my favorite Thai dish (well, one of my favorites anyway!) or perhaps it is just the memories of Chiangmai that I love.

Definitely enjoyed the travel-and-leisure element of this trip very much. I swam most days before breakfast! (When I had breakfast) Even though I was too shy to be seen in my bikini knowing that colleagues would be all around, and had to wear top and shorts to the pool-- so no tan!, that couldn't detract from the peacefulness of the swim.

Infinity Pool

I think as I get older, I learn to appreciate everything more.
Being able to take a dip in a beautiful pool in the morning.
Enjoying a cold drink by a not-so-photogenic beach (even though hell would be starting soon).
Having a bubble bath while watching BBC (No HBO!)
Life is really good!

I couldn't resist another watermelon juice to go with my soak!

Long journeys

Travelling brings out the impatience in me. Airports are the worst. I thought one is supposed to mellow with age but I think my impatience is now compounded by neuroticism now.

Usually I limit the effect airports have on me by timing travel time so that I spend minimum time waiting. I try to reach the airport one hour before flight time.

Couldnt do that this time because I had to share transport from Huahin to BKK. Its been 6 hours of sitting and waiting and not yet time to board.

This is a test!

Eating my words

Singapore

Never thought that I would say this but I actually miss those business trips to Jakarta!

My colleagues were all in CGK this last week and gallivanting around having bakso and seafood and lapis.

To be fair, I never had any of those those things whenever I was there but that's not the point!

Miss Mulia and watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians on cable whilst doing last minute decks.

Miss the oxtail fried rice at the airport waiting for the forever-delayed-flights, and real thick avocado drink (not the milked down version we get here).

I guess I really just miss travelling for work (although I do believe I will never miss the daily trips to KL!!)

So be careful what you wish for cos it might just come true!

A (boring ) tale of two cities

Shanghai and Guangzhou, China

28-30th March 2012

I'm just back Shanghai again, so this is perfect timing to reflect on this trip!( or rather, no excuse to put off blogging again!)

Think I was really excited to go back to shanghai again since my first time there in 2006, when a lack of strategic planning coupled with a similar deficiency in non- hungover hours meant i barely got to know the city.

Alas this trip was to be no different, since i was only there for less than one full day. So much for being excited!

Work aside, the only memorable thing about the trip was visiting a North Korean restaurant. The food was probably not very different from the usual korean varieties I have come to associate with Korean cuisine, with the notable exception being the inclusion of dog meat on the menu. Obviously I didn't try it. Come to think of it, not sure if it was included because dogs are eaten in North Korea or China!

Another interesting thing about the restaurant was that all the waitresses were from the North. Apparently they are all reasonably wealthy or from more influential families since its considered a privilege to be able to leave the country for work. Not sure how legit this is.

In any case, the work is a constant toil, as the hardworking girls have to multi task serving food and performing at the same time. They were literally jumping off the stage after their number to bring the next dish to you, only with time in between to change their costumes.

I also heard they do not get to go out, and are only permitted to go from hostel to work.

Not sure how true this is but it makes for good dinner conversation.

No pictures since I was dining with client and had to act professional!

Next in the whirlwind trip was a night flight to guangzhou. Never eating food on chinese plan ever again.

Only impressions of guangzhou was how clean and big every thing was.

Sorry not much else to say about the city since I only caught glimpse of the city from taxi window or room view.

The end.

My perpetual love affair with....Hong Kong

30 March- 2 April 2012

Hong Kong

Is it loserish that despite everything that has happened, reliving this trip makes me happy?

Hong Kong is a place I've always had an affinity for-- friends, places-- or maybe its having grown up on a diet of TVB dramas and movies--it just always seemed to be the place I was destined to have a relationship with.

I have very clear memories of the trip (which is rare for memory-challenged me). Only good memories-- despite the fact that cognitively, I do remember certain parts of the trip where I was sad or angry, but somehow my mind (heart) has blocked off all negative moments. Perhaps it is a little like how the love for a new baby makes mothers forget the pain of childbirth? Or maybe it was simply because the trip had taken place amidst a consistent low that it became such a highlight of that time.

I arrived at Hong Kong via train. It wasn't at all difficult or chaotic at all at the train station, unlike what I read online-- which goes to show that I really should improve on my Mandarin so that I can read Chinese reviews of Asian places, rather than having to rely on gweilo commentary all the time.

From the Hong Kong train station, I realised I had no idea how to get to the hotel. (great planning again, Rach!) I figured that Hong Kong taxis aren't that expensive, so just hopped on to a cab and was done with it. Of course the taxi had to be unfamiliar with the area (CAUSEWAY BAY!) so in the end I still had to lug my bags over some cobblestones to the hotel which had a very inconspicuous sign.

Not as inconspicuous as an old lady selling sex toys! 

Butterfly on  Morrison is a pretty good choice next to Causeway Bay. Its not expensive by the territory's standards but was also nothing too memorable. The only thing I can remember is the three-storey CK underwear ad that the window opened to. Neon green briefs. Nice.

Holly and Leon came up to the room after their work and we waited for JL for dinner. His flight was like five hours late wtf. Dinner was a hole in the wall seafood place that Leon knew well. Delicious! The owner PRed super well with everyone except me with my rubbish Cantonese couldn't understand.

After dinner was drinks at LKF then we headed home on the tram. JL grew up spending summers here so he was very familiar with directions, and I followed him like a spaniel. I've been here probably more than 10 times in as many years but I can never navigate anything apart from Mong Kok Centre.

You know how Hong Kong movies/TV always have scenes where people take the tram late at night and there is no one in the upper deck so its uber romantic and atmospheric (or sometimes, with a lone sleeping dude for contrast)? That night was like that for me (I don't mean the sleeping dude!).

Sometimes when I am on holiday, I don't really live in the moment fully, or enjoy it for the experience. After the holiday has ended, I might have a general sense of having enjoyed myself, but at each and every point, something might have been going on (usually in my head) that did not allow me to entirely immerse in the present, that made that point a little unpleasant in some way-- always something small like a minor tiff, half-thinking about work, feeling too hot, too full etc. I personally find it difficult to live in the moment generally I guess because I'm always thinking and analysing. So I guess I need to be thankful that just for these few moments, I let myself go and really embraced them.

Looking back, I feel that night pretty much sums up our whole relationship--beautiful, transient, not very real (all shadows and neon lights playing tricks on my mind). All that was lacking is a soulful cantopop tune.

Over the next few days, we did a day trip to one of the outlying islands, visited salsa clubs, wandered in the back alleys around the hotel, ate at Meixin's and McDonalds, walked some more.

Now my memories of Hong Kong will always include him.

Where do you get a lobotomy when you need one?

A must-eat for me every time I come,
ever since I first had it as a kid

One of the best egg tarts

In-And-Out Jakarta

2-3 April 2012

Jakarta, Indonesia

Terrible trip which involved flying into Jakarta at 1am, sleeping about 3 hours before having to get ready for a workshop (I even had breakfast at Mulia, first time ever). In the evening, frantically trying to get a taxi in rain-soaked city in time for flight. #worstdayever

Marhaba Makati

11-19 April 2012

Manila, Philippines

A week and a bit in Makati for work.

Stayed at the Mandarin Oriental, which was a little run-down. But the hotel really made up for it with the excellent service--- imagine the natural sunny disposition of Filipinos plus top-class training and multiply it by pride in their work-- priceless!

Unfortunately, being based in the hotel also meant that I ate at the same restaurant about 10 times (more if I woke up in time for breakfast, but that's not usually my thing so...). Don't all hotel buffet joints taste samey after a while, the world over? A mix of pseudo-local dishes,  a daily roast, western meals and a generic dessert counter. Reheat and repeat. Or perhaps am I just too pampered to appreciate the good things in life any more? (I'm writing this post in bed after a bad case of projectile vomiting brought on in part due to festive excesses, so excuse the moroseness!)

 

Halo Halo! A very traditional Filipino dessert--- very very sweet! It tastes like a Singapore dessert, Ice Kachang, but with ice-cream, coconut and other candied fruit. So pretty! But I could only have it the first day-- it was muy too sweet!

On the days i did manage to wander out of the hotel for my meals, didn't find anything particularly delicious-- although I did discover a love for Jollibee-- a local brand of cheap fast food which is neither nutritious or particularly tasty.

But I guess I was just nostalgic to relieve the memories of a previous trip to the 7107 islands when I walked in to pick up a late dinner of spaghetti and fried chicken. The spaghetti sauce was incredibly sweet, like candy even, but strangely it hit the spot.


I've realised that I do have a thing for eating junk food in hotel rooms...maybe its cos I was never allowed to eat in my bedroom as a child. Go figure.

Haven't (yet again) not done any research prior to this trip (too busy mugging for the work part of it, no doubt), I hadn't planned any side trip to Boracay or some such thing. In fact, was perfectly happy to laze by the pool, something I had never really found appealing (must be getting old)


'Nuff said

Then I felt guilty about not making full use of the weekend so arranged for a half day tour around the old city.  I really wanted to go for the Imelda Marcos tour-- the lady is such an intriguing 'personality' but it doesn't run on weekends WTH. The tour did cover a little bit of her reign--such a mark she had stamped on the city-- but it just wasn't the same as what the satiric walkabout would have done.


I have to say, the woman was really beautiful, no wonder Ferdinand snapped her up after just 11 days


Obligatory tour in Manila-- Street Procession, American Cemetery, Green Belt, Old Town, Jollibee in the very same colour scheme as Ronald McDonald, funnily enough.