Skip to main content

Posts

Grab a stone

"Bangkok on the cheap," says one site about a series of free concerts in Lumpini Park. The Bangkok Symphony Orchestra performs Sunday afternoons in January. Most concert-goers are picnicking at the same time: families and couples twittering and applauding in between bite-size pizzas, sausages in bamboo sticks and oishi tea. Like always the Thai government provides mats for people to sit on. For 'soloists' who come late, well they just have to grab a stone. I did. The guy in blue probably got tired of squatting on the grass with guy in red so he sat on my stone when I stood up to take a photo - Since it was my first time to watch this concert I had to find it by asking people along the way. This was by the sky train route -     Inside the park; sweet hues by the wayside - Lumpini Park lake - Silom side, Bangkok's financial district, in the distance - A park guard told me to 'trong pai' (go straight) and pointed me to a gazebo from which speakers with

My first Replay

I want to write a book about shoes that's full of footnotes. ~ Jarod Kintz My only recollection of noticing Replay merchandise was around 13 years ago when an ex-boyfriend mentioned that he liked the brand. Recently I was browsing in the shoe department of Central Plaza and noticed an attractive sign. Now what made me decide to check this pair out? Nah... it's not nostalgia for a past love. The new resolve to treat myself now and then is one. It fits and does not send me waggling on the glazed floor of my playground, a.k.a. lecture rooms, so that's another one. But the number one motivation for this purchase is the 90 percent off factor! I paid just US$13.35 instead of US$135.45. Quite a steal, isn't it? Sold to shoe lover me. This post is shared with Momspective * The Creative Homeacre * Mellow Yellows *  Make the Scene * Color Connection * Thrifty Things * Favorite Things

Pelican brief dessert

Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first. ~Ernestine Ulmer Butter pan cake with warm chocolate, green tea ice cream and red bean jam T his dessert plate arrived on my table and I had my nose glued to The Pelican Brief . When I remembered to take a photo, the green tea ice cream had began melting. But who cares? This is one of those feel-good moments when you're doing two things you love simultaneously! Food Friday * Share the Joy * Food Trip Friday

Unknown reasons

What spirit is so empty and blind that it cannot recognize the fact that the foot is more noble than the shoe, and skin more beautiful than the garment with which it is clothed? - Michelangelo  Why is the Mom in this family picture smiling? Oh, I know. The Dad is wearing shoes. Old Photo Album But my mother was also smiling in our family photo. All three of us look about the same age as this family. Mama said she explicitly told Papa that day long ago that we would sit for a family portrait so we were to don something formal. But lo and behold Papa came in flip flops! Mama wasn't very happy about it. She still placed our picture neatly in the family album though. Family is family, slippers or stilettos. What is unknown to me, besides the identity of this family, is how Father (rest in peace, Pap) ended up in the photo studio wearing slippers when he wore shoes virtually all the time. In fact we only saw him wearing slippers during his retirement. Ah well, so much for shoes. I have

Les Miserables brunch

Les Miserables hit big screens in Bangkok on January 31st, weeks behind Europe. At least that's what I remember a friend in Sweden said to me last week of December 2012- that they're all crazy about the musical. I love buying little treats to celebrate films I enjoy watching. This time I tried the warm chocolate cupcake from Coffee Beans by Dao . I also browsed a sprinkling of quotes by LM genius Victor Hugo:  "To love another person is to see the face of God."   “A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is visible labor and there is invisible labor.” "He never went out without a book under his arm, and he often came back with two.” “It is nothing to die. It is frightful not to live.”   Food Friday * Share the Joy * Time Travel * Rednesday * Blues * Mellow Yellows

Dasa book cafe

When Dasa Book Cafe claims that they are the 'best secondhand bookshop in Bangkok,' I believe them. Not only am I a frequent customer here; I have also visited other secondhand bookshops in the city but I like Dasa best of all. Their site has a page that explains the name Dasa, and I quote: "d ā sa" came from the name of the late venerable Thai Buddhist Monk called "Buddhad ā sa Bhikkhu". The word "d ā sa" itself means "slave" or "servant". It's the word from an ancient language called "Pali" which is the language that Buddhist monks use in chanting and in their regular rituals or ceremonies. We chose this name because it conveys the meaning that all book lovers are "slave" in the sense that they can't live without books or reading. The name also has a nice Asian touch to it and is also quite catchy. Even though the place may not look attractive on the outside, I'd still say it's one of

Cherry chocolate cake

  Check out the spoon: beside the color which is my fave, it's obviously disposable. But this is something sweet with a double meaning. Latdawan, a Management major gave this little treat to me. When I smiled at her, "what's this for?" she shrugged, "nothing" then browsed her book. I'm a bit chary about accepting gifts from students; don't want to be compromised come evaluation time. Fortunately, I didn't have to with Latdawan. She's one brainy student. When it comes to cakes, I always love it moist. Here's a recipe from Linda Larsen that you may want to try. Ingredients: 1 (18- oz) package chocolate cake mix                        1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract                            1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup sugar                                                               1 (21-oz) can cherry pie filling 6 tablespoons butter                                                     1/3 cup whole milk 1 (12-o

Bicycle Race

People will forget what you said People will forget  what you did But people will never forget how you made them feel. - Maya Angelou We were talking modern and post modern stuff in communication technology. Somewhere in the discussion was a mention of old bicycles. Professor R drew an example of what bicycles were like around the early years of its invention. I thought her drawing was enough to make me recall the same figure I saw on encyclopedias as a kid. Classmates chuckled their amused curiosity. My own association with this ancient bike model has since been psychological bashing around a paper I presented at a national research conference. It turned out Professor R was chair of the steering committee that decided the fate of my thesis, one of many under Humanities. She launched an eloquent critique looking like she was going to eat me alive in front of those co-presenters. Academically vicious. She is beauty and brains personified. Mentally comatose from the scholarly beating, my

Cabbages and condoms

Cabbages and Condoms is a restaurant "conceptualized in part to promote better understanding and acceptance of family planning and to generate income to support various development activities of the Population and Community Development Association (PDA)" in Thailand. ( C&C Restaurant Bangkok ) Mechai Vira v aidya , the restaurant founder who is nicknamed Mr Condom, is a former politician and activist who pop ularised con dom use, encouraged family planning and raised AIDS awareness in Thailand.  He believes that “birth control should be as accessible and as easy to buy as vegetables in the market.” Set in a beautiful garden courtyard aglow with fairy lights at night, the restaurant is conveniently located on 10 Sukhumvit Soi 12 and is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m . Everywhere almost everything you see has something to do with birth control. Its unique theme has attracted international attention. A sign around Tiger Woods' condom golf club says, "did you

My Snow White brunch

What could be more delightful than a day off work with Snow White and her merry Seven the witch's apple now nut-laden  secrets on the pages waltzing with chocolate kisses? Rednesday * Blues * Mellow Yellows

Pineapples through a moving window

Dole Food Company, the largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world, is headquartered in Westlake Village, California. The company has operations in 90 countries, my home country, the Philippines included. A drive from General Santos City to Tupi, a town known as the fruit basket of Mindanao, (international word association: Osama bin Ladin's al Qaeda) would give you pineapples as your major sight during the travel. Dole Philippines, with offices in Polomolok, is the 3rd largest producer of pineapples globally. These are private fruit growers putting up shop along the highway. They are also selling some Dole pineapples. Right behind these shops is Dole's vast pineapple plantation. This was one of those yearly trips home when we made a stop (from the GSC airport) at these shops to buy supersweet MG3 pineapples, bananas, jackfruit, guyabano, lanzones, mangoes, avocados, and other tropical fruits. Find more stories on Sepia Saturday This post is also linked with Time

Scallops and mango strips

A meal that involves something deep fried and a salad is usually an automatic win for me. This was one of those spur-of-the-moment decisions to explore the menu of a restaurant that does not require a reservation. I then naturally chose my favorite combination of tastes in these fried scallops with mango strips in sweet and sour sauce. I fancy those fresh sea scallops that are 'seared in thyme-infused butter and drenched in white wine.' But while the link for that fancy is broken, here's an alternative recipe from Southern Food , which I think is just as yummy.  Ingredients: 1 cup flour                                                                         1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon paprika                                                             2 eggs 2 tablespoons water                                                           fine dry bread crumbs 2 cups scallops, cut to about 3/4-inch cubes if large Preparation: If scallops are large, cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Dry

Little blue church

  "No spot is so dear to my childhood as the little brown church in the vale." My first grade class used to sing that song and it kept playing in my head as I approached this church. It's blue though and not in the vale, but along a highway in the South Cotabato countryside. The family who owns the plot of land where it stands built it. It is surrounded by coconuts and fruit trees. Inside a few of us gathered for dear Miss Arcon's funeral. She was the head of a group of schools run by the SDA church. A good Christian, well-loved by her students, friendly yet professional to us teachers under her leadership, I was grateful for the coincidence of being in the country when she passed away, and for the opportunity to pay my last respects.  Our World - Blue Monday

Escape bickering in a Ford Escape

Early 2000s. They (the then in-laws) were talking about selling their commercial building. The man renting it was having payment issues. They took me along to the place when they sorted paperwork and lawyer stuff. Next thing I remember the BIL had this brand new silver Ford Escape SUV in his parking space at Bangkok's State Tower. As we have language barrier, I would not say the vehicle purchase was related with the building sale. I fancy this old photo though as it shows origin of the vehicle and sends me googling its history. Ford Model A "was the second huge success for the Ford Motor Company.... First produced on October 20, 1927, but not sold until December 2, it replaced the venerable Model T."  It was well-represented in film and media since it "was one of the most common cars." I find this historical bit interesting: "between October 1992 to December 1994, Hector Quevedo, with his son Hugo, drove a 1928 Model A 22,000 miles from his home in Punta

Ambling along Asiatique

Perhaps the easiest, fastest and most cost-effective way to reach Asiatique is to take the BTS (sky train) to Saphan Taksin and then the free shuttle boat. This was my first visit and as I observed the surrounding sights I took this shot smiling to myself, 'Bangkok has a London Eye.' When I was little I always wanted a ferris wheel ride, but the overprotective parents insisted a merry-go-round should be enough fun. Yesterday I thought, 'hmn... this time no parents watching like a hawk. What if I'd try? I kept moving toward it but changed my mind upon seeing too many kids queuing at the base. Ah well... finding a fountain while ambling along isn't so bad and the shop mascots are cute. The temperature went down with the sun so I was happy watching business going on. It is what I love about night markets.   Asiatique is part attraction, part shopping. It has many restaurants, several alfresco dining, lots of international cuisine, and the Thai Calypso cabaret show Good

Zen

Zen is a Japanese restaurant with several branches scattered in Bangkok. This one is in Central Mall, Bangna. While I was waiting for my food they started putting these on my table I love Japanese cuisine but I rarely go to Zen and I'm not planning to come back soon. I brunched here last week for only one thing - their crispy fried karaage. And if I ever visit again it would only be to satisfy the curiosity of dining in their mezzanine. I liked the ceiling of autumn red leaves though. Zen has several positive reviews. But some complain that their steak arrived cold, and took too long to be served. I found what they were talking about when I came last week but didn't mind because I wasn't hungry and John Grisham is such a riveting storyteller. I did mind the fly that fluttered on the teacup. Bummer. Zen Central Bangna is on the ground floor toward the end of the mall on your left if you get in from the main entrance. Prices are average. I paid around US$15 for a set meal and