Monsieur Lagerfeld's Library

via The Selby
I'd rather wish he's my Uncle Karl.

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Bangkok State of Mind Part One

The Thais calls it Krung Thep or City of Angels. The foreigners christened it Bangkok, or referring to it as a small village within the larger beast. Both names ring true until now when I experienced it on my visit last October. There are angels in all kind of disguises: cheeky lady boys, scooter riding teenagers, chatty taxi drivers, Khao San Road’s infamous frog lady and, of course, monks. The fact that I’m writing the word ‘monk’ and ‘lady boys’ in one sentence speaks more about Bangkok than any guide book could tell you.

All my friends are gushing about how great Bangkok is. Make sure to bring nothing there, you’ll shop until your credit card maxed out and you would have with you more things than you can carry; my girlfriends testified. Party hard until you can’t tell the difference between real women and lady boys; said my snickering boyfriends (like I want to know the details). You would eat the best food in your life there; my die-hard foodie friend declared. What happens in Bangkok, stays in Bangkok; is another general agreement.

I took my mother along for another series of Mother-Daughter adventure (practicing, just in case we decided to join The Amazing Race Asia). We stayed for two nights in Niras Bankoc, a lovely hostel on Rattanakosin area (the coffee house down stair is another plus). It was carefully renovated, neatly kept and surrounded by lively neighborhood. Across the road is the best phad thai noodle I’ve ever eaten in my life, no exaggeration. Khao San Road is only ten minutes walk and boy, am I glad not to stay there! A whole street selling souvenirs, T-shirts, cheap Singhas and populated by walking clichés: young backpackers or perverted older guys gawking at them. I might as well go to Kuta for that.

We did the Grand Palace and avoiding smooth talking scammers who insisted that the entrance is not those huge wooden doors in front of us but the other one. The most amazing thing about visiting the Grand Palace is the fact that the ticket also allows you to visit another five attractions: The Emerald Buddha Temple, Vimanmek Teak Mansion, Museum Abisek Dusit Throne Hall, Sanam Chandra Temple and the magnificent Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall (visits must be done within 7 days after purchase). We managed to visit two of them based on kind advice by a taxi driver.


Vimanmek Teak Mansion is my absolute favorite, as well as King Rama V’s. It is said to be the largest teak building in the world and who am I to argue. From what I saw on the beautifully crafted wooden panels, superb porcelain collections, beheaded deer and stuffed crocodiles; it is clear the King was a passionate anglophile. It was very easy to lose in time and imagined the King having tea while His Majesty’s servants ran up and down the dark spiral staircase.

While Vimanmek Mansion was nostalgic, the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall will take your breath away. Picture the most unlikely place you’d ever find a grand Italian Renaissance palace you could think of and there you’ll find it in front of you complete with details like imported marble, Italian architects, magnificent frescoes depicting the long history of current ruling dynasty. Strict dress code applied for women: must wear skirt. Otherwise you’d be forced to buy (not borrow, buy) one on the reception.

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Amazing Bangkok

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J'Adore Don Draper Part II

For more of these glorious b&w pictures of Mad Men Behind the Scene, click here.

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Recent Treasure Acquisition

I bought books like a librarian on steroid. I found a very kind older Kiwi couple who had to sell their books after moving out to Bali. There, I found some of the best used books I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Their lovely traditional house was flooded by rows of books and two georgeous cats. It brought me back to my visit to Shakespeare & Co., back then in Paris.



Here are the treasure list:



Eva Luna (Isabel Allende)

Under the Tuscan Sun (Frances Mayes)

Picasso: Creator & Destroyer (Arianna Huffington)

Switch Bitch & Over to You (Roald Dahl) – beautiful vintage Penguin edition I may add

The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)

The News from Paraguay (Lily Tuck)

The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency ( Alexander McCall Smith)

One Hot Summer in St. Petersburg (Duncan Fallowell)

Shogun (James Clavell)

84, Charring Cross Road (Helene Hanff)

Sea of Poppies (Amitav Ghosh)



...and to think that my to-read list in goodreads shows 123 books. Tsk.

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Awesome Idea for Movie Night

(via poppytalk)

Such a perfect way to spend a breezy, summer nights. Anyone care to lend me a overhead projector please leave message.

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My Life Post BlackBerry

First thing I do after cursing the morning (yeah yeah yeah I know you should have a better attitude and embrace the day whatever) is to reach out for the black small communication gadget on my bedside table. A quick look at the work e-mails with one eye and grunts. A more thorough look at the twitter whose tweeting are all about ‘good morning’ (is it only me who hates morning?). And last but not least, listening to the ‘ping ping’of incoming messenger alerts. Does it get tiring after a while? You tell me. I was hoping it would be but I’m three weeks gone and all those pings, tweets and e-mail are my reason to wake up in the morning. Let’s face it and say it out loud: I’ve become a BlackBerry zombie.

I have had two years fasting on this most popular device made in Canada (other than maple syrup). I kept telling myself I don’t need it. It ruins conversation between friends. I can’t tell you how annoyed I was when I went out with my friends and they chose to tweet instead of listening to my love life complaints. Not that I blame them in that case. You get my point, internet helps social interaction but also can ruins it.

Why I finally gave up to the lure of BlackBerry is something that I still pondering about. There is that obvious mobile working factor and for sure, also the social media factor. How easy it is to tag yourself with your cool hipster friends on the coolest rave summer party. How unconditionally your BlackBerry connects you to Twitter and let you tweet whatever crosses your mind, from your lunch (egg sandwich) to criticizing the bizarre government decision. I tweet; therefore I am as the Times wrote.



However the single most important reason is to get closer to my friends and loved ones. Now I can just message them anywhere, anytime, wherever they are, 24/7, 365 days a year. I can send voice notes (I didn’t know BlackBerry could do that!) to my dearest cousin who is studying in States. Just when I think this device is all good and really makes communicating with my nearest and dearest easier, I received a complaint from, well my most dearest and nearest, a.k.a my Mum. She has been complaining ‘that thing-y is no good, you become so self-absorbed and ignorant to your surrounding (read: her)’, which is all shamefully true.



For a typewriter-quill writing-sort of person that I used to be, this BlackBerry really does throw me back to an uncharted territory of becoming self-absorbed. Apart from reading, this is the one activity I spent most of my free times. Tell me it’s unhealthy, I know. For the time being, I’m still a zombie (at least until my trackball get broken) but a well-manered one. I promise myself no matter how many pings or 10 messages in my inbox, I will put the BlackBerry aside and sipping my coffee while listening to my friend’s woes. But of course if she does the same.

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