Travelodge - 3D2N Bangkok

After knowing Joyce for 20 years, this is the first time we are going holiday.. Gave her a couple of places to choose - Vietnam (to shop), Penang (to eat), Batam (to massage) - but she requested to go Bangkok where we can shop, eat and massage. Yes, Bangkok again… This is my 5th to 6th trip to bangkok, but of cos each trip with different partner and different experience.

And here's we go:

~ DAY 1 ~

We started our trip with KrisFlyer Gold Lounge for our bunch. 

We reached BKK at about 2.30pm BKK time which is one hour before us. We bumped into one of my colleague and her friend on flight, they planned to take airport express to the hotel which she shared is cheaper and faster. Not sure about that but since our hotel are not very near to any MRT station, so as planned. We took a taxi to hotel at Level One (a level down from departure hall), there is a taxi desk at the Kerbside but i didn't expect such a long queue. It costed us less than 360Baht included airport charges and tolls.

We stayed in The Berkeley Hotel Pratunam, booked thru Agoda. That was the first on the list from agoda search, after i read thru the reviews and price and location, I choose this hotel over Novotel Platinum. Its about SGD$50 per person per night which is about half the price of novotel.

There are 2 buildings in this hotel, we paid a little bit more (about SGD$15) to stay in the main building. The different is that in main building will have direct access of the lift  to your floors from the lobby and there is bath tub in the room. The north tower, you will need to take the lift to level 11 and walk a short distance and up via another set of lifts to the rooms. So thinking after a long day walking, i would rather pay that SGD$15 which is $7.50 each to have a direct access.. of cos not so much on the bathtub, didn't even have the time for bathtub.

I am generally satisfied with this hotel, spacious room, good location - walking distance to Platinum Mall, Central World and Big C - comfortable bed and best of all daily night market just outside the hotel from 7pm to 11pm.. We saw some stores setting up at about 5.30pm and some stores ended at 12pm.  

After we checked in, reported home and there we go… SHOPPING..

Started off with Central World - Jim Thomson, NaRaYa, Melissa (aka Jelly Dream in bkk) and Isenta for undergarment which i never missed when i'm in bangkok. Not super cheap but as compared to sg, it is cheaper lo. Walcoal is about 50% and Triump is about 20 to 30% cheaper than SG but with limited designs.

Once we stepped out of the hotel lobby, she started to spend money.. Not even out of the building.

We settled down at MK Gold Restaurant in bangkok. It overrated by bloggers, i find it expensive and not very nice as compare to cocoa in bangkok. We ordered bbq roasted duck and meat and some pork, prawns and fish ball for steamboat and these costed nearly SGD$50 for 2. Only the bbq roast meat i think is nice, worth to try that's it. And if you really really want to try MK Steamboat, go to the one at Big C, cheaper with the same food.

And after dinner, we went over to Big C for groceries shopping.. and Ms J is super kaisu that she cleared the rack for 

haaaa… of cos, how can we missed out massage… ending our Day 1 with one set of Thai Massage and one set of foot massage.

~ DAY 2 ~

We bought an Goupon deal at SGD$55 to visit the train and floating market for two (up to 3 pax). This is my very first time in BKK for such activities. It was a great experience, but one time will do. :)

Local Breakfast at the train station @ 20Baht a bowl.

Fried Oyster from Roadside stall @ 30Baht. It has more of the beansprout then the egg mix and oyster

This is also the first time trying the colorful mung bean desert that come with all colors and sizes. we kana chopped, 40Baht a piece.

After witnessed how the stall owners moved their items in when the train came at Train market, we headed down to the floating market. This is an unique screen and only happened in Thailand, and that's why it attracted so many tourists visiting the little town.

Bangkok is well known for it's traffic jam, and that not only happened on the road but also in the floating market river. The boats are just knocking on each other to get a way out. A couple of time we felt that we were going to lost balance on the boat. Best of all, we got into an thai ah bing sailor who made a 3-point turn of the boat in the middle of the river where left right all having boat approaching us. *gosh*.. He even stopped in the center of the river for us to make purchase. 

Tried the coconut ice-cream at 50Baht.

We ended the half day tour and returned to bangkok city at about 12pm. We requested the driver to drop us at siam square as we wanted to visit the Hello Kitty Cafe. Yes, Hello Kitty Cafe, i'm not a fan of it but how can i missed that out when i'm out with the super fan club member of HK. Even since i know her, she already the Hello Kitty Fan. While waiting to get into the cafe, we settled our lunch with "long time no see" A&W. 

It's about 45min to 1hr waiting time (20+ queue in front of us) for newly the opened hello kitty cafe. Very Kawaii-ne… Ever the sponge cake are Hello Kitty. We ordered a set of DIY Tiramisu Set to share, ice strawberry tea for her and a pot of hot fruit tea for myself.

As per request by Joyce, I booked the river cruise dinner from Loy Nava even i'm in fear of having sea sick. It's about USD50 per person for the dinner, included transport to the jetty. On the website it stated as "A luxury rice barge journey into Thai culture and the Thai heart. Five star dining, traditional culture and touring, on the only original antique teakwood rice barge on the river in Bangkok. Experience first-class Thai hospitality and delicious food from around Thailand in the comfort and tranquility of this luxury, open-air cruise." This is the worst meal i ever had in bangkok. All the food are deep fried and i don't taste any of the thai tradition in it. Ok, it's an experience and i will never never be back. Poor Joyce was having bad seasick and she didn't even eat, whatever goes in just come out within seconds.



Actually Joyce quite power, she rested a while during the cruise and bus journey and we started shopping at the night market once we touched down at our hotel.

of cos, need to feed her food for the night so we popped over to the stalls just opp our hotel. It's less than 50baht and we had a nicer and more local food.

Joyce's favorite stall.. She had mango sticky rice for the straight 3 days and even taboo back home.

Ended our Day 2 with foot massage. * shiok* 

~ Day 3 ~

No photos on day 3 as we are in Platinum Mall shopping from morning till about 4pm and had our last massage session before we check out and depart to airport. :)

Bye Bangkok for now.. See you in feb :)

Janelle first IEP with MINDS

After Janelle started school for two weeks, the school holds an IEP meeting with the parents.

Janelle teachers are very helpful and together we set goals and try to understand Janelle more. We setup a a small goal for Janelle and will review in 4 months to see her progress. And the goal we set for Janelle is "Encourage Janelle to be more pro-active."

We discussed about Janelle toilet training, and we feel that Janelle might be having some fear (at home she will cry when we put her on the toilet bowl, in school she will shiver) on the toilet bowl which causes not able to release in the toilet bowl. We decided to change another method, and hope that would works for her.

Teachers reminded us that we as a special needs child parent also needs to have a life to ourselves. She also encourage us to have sometime off with our friends and partner alone... and dont be over stress with what Janelle cant do. They need some time so do us. - Really sometime that speak into my heart and that's what we are trying to do for this year.

Janelle toothchart

First tooth was lost just before xmas day, and during xmas day (within 3 days), new tooth is out.. That's very nice.. not too long as ms bo gay..

But guessed what… second tooth came off too… and new tooth is out the next day..

Hope that by CNY, her 2 teeth will be neatly grow.. :)

Yoga for christianality?

Couple months ago, when i shared about attending yoga class on facebook.. hus cousin bro private massage me, telling me that as a christian i should not practice yoga as each of the pose are to worship hindu god..

How true it is, im not sure.. but thats what i found on google

www.cbn.com/health/fitness/bagby_yoga-alternative.aspx

www.relevantmagazine.com/life/whole-life/features/23243-is-it-okay-for-christians-to-do-yoga

Whats your take?

Grandma 77th Birthday

Popped over grandma place this  morning with my mum, aunt and sis to celebrate her 77th birthday..

See how her eyes' can't take off baby zyan

Great.. she enjoyed our accompany :)

Travel-Lodge: Palau Sibu - Sibu Island Resort

Booked a family trip to Sibu Island during dec 2014. It's seems to be a very wrong choice due to the monsoon season, the rain and strong wind had created another stress to us - how to kill the boringness as due to strong wind and rain, all sea sports were cancelled, all we can do is eat and sleep in the room. It can a lovely place to visit when it is not in monsoon season.

Friends and colleagues were asking me where am i going for my family trip, when i told them "Sibu Island" almost all of them thought is "Cebu Island" which is in Phillipines, until i told them that its actually "Palau Sibu" in Malaysia....hahaha…

I booked through http://sibuislandresort.com.my for a 3D2N includes meals package. It about 3 hrs drive from SG to the ferry jetty and a 30 minutes journey by boat from Tanjung Leman jetty.

We booked the afternoon ferry 4pm as we don't want to rush and after will have jam at the custom. Hus suggested that we leave at about 9.30am after breakfast, have lunch and do some grocery shopping in malaysia for the 3D2N on an island.

Janelle can't wait to go

We crossed the custom without Jam and we have plenty of time, so hus decided to pop over to desaru 

Here's the Tanjung Leman jetty and was where we parked our car there for 2 nights. The jetty is a private area there are security guard at the entry. of course, need to pay RM8 per night.

Checked in counter over the jetty for the ferry tickets. We paid RM70 for per adult and RM40 for Janelle

Then more payment need to be done for the park

Boarding on the ferry to Sibu Island

The wind was so strong and it was raining, daddy took janelle blanket and wrapped her up  

She is so excited together with her daddy and both was there singing "row row row the boat" while mummy and kaka was there feeling nausea 

Finally after 30min, we reached

This was our home for 3days..

and there are deers just at our door steps

And their mini zoo, janelle was so happy chasing after the peacock, chickens (smaller animals)

But scare of deers and insist me to carry her and refused to come down or feed the deers

They do have very nice beach but too bad the wind is too strong that we didn't managed to have a chance to pop in

There was an Royal Suite

We wanted to go for a swim, but seriously.. it's too cold, we popped in and out, that's it.

This is how strong the wind was (look at the coconut trees)

All these days, we survived with a snow flakes 18inch TV with Singapore ch8 and ch5. I feel that the hotel and rooms are old and poorly maintained, it's kind of dirty. The cleaning aunty only came and pack the bed and throw rubbish.. We did our own cleaning in our room. 

At the end of 3 days,

Hus: Sweetie, thank you for bringing the family to "eat wind" (in hokkien, which means holiday) and he opened his mouth for the wind...