Hello hello!!

After compiling all the photos from everyone's cameras, here's the very belated post on THE VACATION OF THE YEAR: Bangkok 2008!

Why is it the vacation of the year, you ask? I ask you, why not? Picture this, put 5 girls together and ship them off to 96 hours of shopping, eating and sleeping.. plus plus plus...loads and loads of cam-whoring! Now you tell me that's not the vacation of the year.

Anyways, here goes!

Departure


Just look at the size of the other 4 luggages and you'd know that they've came prepared to filled them up with gazillions of clothes, shoes, bags, what have you.. I however, travel light and was just tagging along to sight see. Ha!! Of course not..I'm prepared with another bag inside my very compact golf-trolley one. Besides one can always get another luggage over there!

So many DFS shops, so little time.. But there's always time to pose!















The stars have landed!!

Amidst all the hussle and hordes of paparazzo, we managed to snapped a few quick shots..





Entertainment news reports, "While Krys Bling and Zen Hautstave seem happy enough to see such warm welcome from the land of smiles, Debbie Slowman was coy and refused to face the paps.."

The first sight that greeted us was the multi-coloured taxi-s, lined ever so neatly outside the arrival hall.


Sort of look like little toy cars don't they?

Our chauffer and his son were highly amused with our incessant urges to whip out our cameras and snap away.





At the lobby of Baiyoke Suite! Super chic and classy... But we got cheated! I mean, we had to get one more bed, because all 5 of us when to the reception desk to check in.. -.- I know, how smart right? Then we had to get an extra bed because one room is only allowed 2 people. We learnt our lesson then and there..

Still, I guess it's a blessing in disguise because the extra bed comes with breakfast vouchers for the extra person! So we won't have to spend ka-chings on 3 additional breakfast vouchers..

Couldn't check in yet, so we decided to explore the area and lunch!

Ended up at Indra Mall or something..and the place was rather rundown. I was getting apprehensive..was the rest of the trip going to be like this?? Dated fashion and food courts with ginormous houseflies which roam oh so freely? Krystal, as if sensing my disappointed immediately reassured me..no la, Platunum is a thousand times better than this!


Food was a'ight, krystal is happy cause she gets to taste her tomyum..


Zen manages a smile despite the flu, nausea and stomachaches..


Michelle is just happy..either that or she's just patronising whoever the photog was.


Our first meal..Okay food, not very okay surroundings..

After which it was back to Baiyoke to check out our rooms..or rather, check into.


Welcome! (Notice that they were all wearing completely different outfits..that's cause this was taken on the last day because we had forgotten to take on first)

And to our pleasant surprise, the rooms were huge!! Really spacious and breezy.


Despite the relatively small toilet.. ( I say relative in comparison to the rest of the room..), which is well-equipped with all the basic functions of a toilet, shower with hot water, working toilet, sink with large mirror to preen..

The rest of it was super sized.


King-sized bed plus extra bed.. (oh, there was a samsung plasma tv on the wall of the bed room as well)


Really huge living room with couch and all..prettily adorned with a tad of zen touch


A breakfast table with sufficient supplies of teabags, milk and sugar.. As michelle puts it.."Spot of tea?"


Nice parquet flooring..Simply put, our rooms were delightful

After unpacking and waiting for clarissa and michelle's room to be ready..





We're so 'hiao', I'm beginning to not stand us! Okay, that was a complete joke..who am I kidding?! Sick of taking pics??


They heart bed



Geddit geddit?? I'm lemon, krystal is orange and clarissa's apple! Rather strange looking fruits..espec krystal..what you doing girl?


..and they were PAP..looking fiiiierrrccce



Yes yes..more pictures..rehearsing for shoots of our bargains later on.

We headed out to platunum, a 10 min walk (because of the unbelievably conjested alley separating our hotel from the mall) was all it took. Really grateful for krystal sourcing for the perfect place weeks before we set out for bangkok.



MId-day, we got so exhausted from all that jazz (bargaining and keeping a look out of each other), and took a break at the food court.




I wonder, why is it that krsytal never fail to look so elated in pictures around people who appear to be beyond irrate?


Heh, she was taking picture of me, taking picture of her..

The food courts there all use coupons. You know, like the funfair/carnival type? Except that it is refundable after your meal. Why? Are they afraid the stall vendors will 'kop' the money? But it's their profit wad..unless they are all controlled by gangs who demands 'protection' money. Quite a high-tech way to collect 'protection' money then.


"I look like Santa Claus hor??" Yes, we oblige to Krystal's every request..Especially when she wants to look at how she looks like, when there's no mirror around, the only way is to take her picture!


Too tired to hunt for a place to settle for dinner, we da-bao-ed pies and other pastries alike back.

Whilst watching tv..



I so had to be in that picture..


They bought similar outfits!! And only realised it when we compare our buys..



My buys for Day 1. Spent way above planned budget and only realised it when was doing accounts. Yes, we all gather before sleeping to check our spendings and see if it balances with our cash at hand. Debrief, I called it. Really, we're true singaporeans..Money matters. Well, it sets us in a right direction, so that we can control our spendings. However, zen and myself found it incredibly difficult to tame our insatiable appetite for material goods and had to draw more money.. What can I say, we're girls. Shopping and girls put together aren't supposed to make sense.

Day 2- Chatuchak

Before heading out for yet more shopping..time for breakfast buffet!





O.o look at the demographics of the city centre and beyond that!! Can see how it changes from inner city and then the surburbs.. Geography's in my blood..i think of it every living second! Nay..I wish. Just that in countries like these, one can really observe what is taught in textbooks and apply. Maybe that's what Geography trips are for, yup definitely..

..and while the other 3 were in the loo trying to get our bowels moving, these 2 just indulged in..themselves..


..believe me, the whole trip, they took a whole lot more pictures of themselves.






There, all nice and tidy..

Out to see the four-faced buddha first..and on our way, we passed by coka-cola factory!



models getting ready for photoshoot..





If our moms were present, they would say, "play la, play somemore la..later drop inside see you still can laugh not.."


"kays..we're be nice and take a group photo.."









Michelle, this is what you've been drinking!




Zen has a mall to call her own and she adores it!


Clasberg Champs!

Then some mindless pictures while zen and krystal went to pray to the buddha.



The digits were especial big..


Peace out!
Then we carried on walking..
After while, I asked Krystal, "So where is the four-face Buddha? We're going there now right?" She turned to me and replied in a tone that suggested disbelief.." that was the four-face Buddha!" Heh..Seriously, I thought we had to trek up some hill to get to the destination because in my mind, the four-face Buddha would be 40 feet tall, overlooking the rice terraces in countryside Bangkok. Not in front of a Burberry sign displaying their latest collection and gorgeous Agyness Deyn.

"I'm a B and an I and a....oh nevermind.."

Afterwhich, zen spots Watsons and surprise surprise!! They were promoting Siwon's latest deodrant/perfume..no..cologne..


One for you..


..And one for me/us!


Walked to Chit Lom station..and that's where we met the man of our dreams.

ANANDA!!


I badly wanted to be seen kissing him, not the bottle, krystal..


And zen's just kissing the wrong guy! But nevermind all that, because we spotted more hunks!

One for each!






On board, Cameras out!




And then we arrived at Mo Chit..


But Zen prefers Mochi..


Nope, we won't let the dark clouds and murky lake dampen our mood to shop! Honestly, the scenery was a lot nicer than the photo suggests.



Cooling, quenching popsticles on a humid day. Da Bestest! And going for 3 baht each too!


Got meself a BACKPACK!!! one step closer in preparation of backpacking round new zealand, hopefully in the near near future!

Lookee, who we bumped into!




It's just destined, you know, my dear johnny..we even share the same birthday!


Now that's why we decided to try taking the railway instead of cabs.. The roads were so jammed and blah..it's better to be high up and unconstricted.


Our legs could no longer carry us further..righto, a well deserved rest after scouring through the lanes in Chatuchak. Aplenty of fabulous bargains and nice people (ie the belt person who gave us such great discounts and zen a new leather belt for her personalised diamante 'ZEN' one when he saw that it was falling apart, now how sweet is that.)


She wanted to she how she looked like with a backpack..
"Eh..I look quite okay with a backpack leh! Okay, I can go backpacking with you!" Mind you, Krystal is not one who can thrive in mediocore conditions..before this photo she was all..har, but have to shower in communal toilets and sleeping bags and carry your house on your bag. So all it takes is a photo in which she looks good in to change her mind..haha..nay, I could never begin to imagine krystal in boots and trackpants hiking up treacherous mountains with a backpack weighing her down..oh wells, we love her and all her high-maintainence-ness.


Our train tickets..reminds us of the tickets singapore used to have before EZ-Link. I must say, the system was fine and all, really smooth and fast. The price was the main thing, I think, that's holding its citizens back from utilising the system and easing the really bad transportation difficulties. It's almost the same amount we've to pay to get to town (now that we're considered adults..damn..), so yes..really expensive for them then.

MBK was next for us to pamper ourselves with authentic thai crusine..


She couldn't wait..hurry, pass her the tom-yum filled waterbowl!


And we were just plain exhausted. How bout a hot bath and bed to tuck into..each!


uh ummmm...delectable green curry and some strange and raw looking pork/chicken dish. Was good though it had a real poultry taste to it..like it was caught right off the farm that morning, butchered old school way, feathers plucked, cooked and served to us. Did not at all taste like the frozen-packed NTUC chicken breast fillet we have in singapore. Takes a lot getting used to.


PAD THAI! It was so good!! Really spicy though..still good. And their thai ice-tea was sensational as well!


Plates licked clean? Checked.


A photo then, to commerate our good time there..and at a really good price too!


This is really a charcoal drawn picture, not a black and white photograph! Amazing, the skills they have.


..for Zi Hui..


Welps, MBK wasn't much fun because it reminds us of singapore's shopping mall, where we can't really bargain for anything. Got my pretty pumps/wedge, the gunners and red devils jersey there though.


The traffic is just mad..


"Where has everybody gone to?! Why is it so dark here!?!" Our way back to Baiyoke..and the usually lively and packed alley was like a ghost town..at just about 8 o' clock..


The combine efforts from the 3 of us from Day 2.

While I was bathing, I heard bouts of uncontrolled giggles..


So that's what happened..


Okay, I join in too!


Tsk tsk..Krystal was trying to show taz that she looks good in a tudong..


After a while, it was no fun and really cold..well, only for me.


This Krystal ar..refuse to move and let me take a shoot of my bargains of the day until I take one of her..Okay, since she wants to be in my bargain-of-the-day pile.. let's start bidding for her.. 50 baht anyone??



yay..happy happy!!


Now isn't that a rare sight? Red Bull and Heineken girls promoting Thailand's very own Singha Beer!



She just won't rest her case..that's that for day 2

Day 3- grand palace/dress day

Yes, that day was 'mei mei' day..
Pictures to show 'mei mei' us..




And just on the day we decide to dress up and do a bit of sight-seeing..bangkok decide to be all sunny and cloudless. Mind you, we had to be covered in order to enter grand palace due to propriety issues..and gah..just a freaking hot day.


Right after a flock of pigeons flew pass..clarissa was still clutching hard to my wrist. Now, so far, she's terrified of cats and birds and..


At the entrance of the temple..couldn't enter grand palace though, due to the arrival of the royalties and several more VIPs, they had to close it to public. The temples were amazing as well though..and it was free for all to enter.

Speaking of which, that bugger who tried to con us into letting him give us a tour around the vacinity before, quote, "..it only opens at 1pm..now too early. I bring you take boat, there at the river..tuk tuk..okay?" When we replied that we were alright just walking around ourselves, he threw our map (which he demanded we show him so that he can tell us by drawing on it, where was good, and where he assumes he's going to bring us to) back to us and stomped off.

What nerve..he knew that the grand palace would not be open and we could just very well visit the temples, which was probably already welcoming it's 11th batch of visitors and still he had the nerve to deceive us..right in front of their holy ground! TSK!

Luckily, we told him we were from KL and a whole load of other false information. So if he wanted to track us, he won't be able to! HA! Yes, we're naive like that.





That was just outside the temples..And already it was so grand. Beautiful blue skies and luscious green bushes..couldn't wait for the magnificance inside.





GOLD!


GOLD!


GOLD!! If these were the doors to my pad, I'd truly be living a fairy tale life..






More gold!


Pigeon looking all ready to poop or lay some eggs..poor pigg, couldn't even have a lil bit of privacy..




Really really hot..and we still had to be covered.




Group photo!!



We decided to join her..looking all types of snazzy, anything but the intricate and archaic carvings behind..giving new meaning to fusion.


We were parched!


But clar had her handy dandy bottle! (bottle and neck piece, matched)

Twas, a series of magazine-spread-inspired pics.. We were trying our hardest to act artsy kay.










Out of there and out for more shopping!
Not before taking parting pictures..





O.o I almost forgot..Before we set off, the traffic police abruptly whistled us to not walk on the outer side of the path way and can only walk way beyond the barricades..then everyone stood at a standstill..the police were saluting to an empty street, as if awaiting the King, pedestrains stopped strolling and faced the streets..even the pigeons stopped flocking around!

After what seemed like eternity, siren from the police's patrols sounded and from the horizon, lines of police motorcycles flashed by. Then in a singular file, Red Mercedez-benz began rolling by..After which, Gold mercedez and Rolls Royce streamed in and they just went on and on..Followed closely by another load of security vehicles behind, the VIPs' arrival ended..and life went back to normal. It was like, what, 5 minutes of watching cars roll by? But everyone just stood in awe and respect for the officials and royalties. Cool.. Wasn't allowed to take pictures of it..but we risked a few. Pretty bad shots but still memory of the awesomeness..

Headed to..I-forgot-where-but-it's-that-place-where-we-couldn't-bargain-successfully-and-it-was-frustrating-because-the-things-there-were-pretty-and-of-really-good-quality.. Since we couldn't get much out of there..a high tea to rest our tired toes.




...Then to Siam Mall, The Paragon of bangkok, for a lil walk and a lil piss.




Evil Krystal..happy that she can take a piss, leaving me urgent and miserable


Clar really like this photo a lot..says she looks like a model sashaying down a runway..haha..yeah, it does look like it, but it was really the toilet.




To my dad..who always says i'm A-B-normal..


Since we couldn't do much shopping, taking pictures was the alternative.



Then to Night market, again, forgot what it's called. Were told that it only opens around 4 or fiveish..so we settled for coffeebean..was it?? A major Gossip/bitching session took place .That's all I'm allowed to disclose.


..right, cafe DoiTung. All we bought was this ice-mocha. Let the goss begin!








Well, you know, bitching could be a real draining activity..and we had to stop and rest for some pictures, as shown above.

Nothing much at the night market..and we were almost stranded with nothing to eat! Partially cause we were too tired to walk any further..we just wanted to curl up somewhere to sleep.

While we were stoning, we spotted a few ickle ones..



Cute Spidey outfit and brotherly love, eh?

Thankfully, Krystal whined us out of that really disgraceful mode and we headed back to Baiyoke. Only this time, it's Baiyoke SKY instead of Baiyoke SUITE, for our last supper. So since it's our last meal there...we had to splurge a little. Initially wanted to try the world class buffet at Sky, but the price for each pax was too out of our budget. So we settled for a really classy coffeeshop.

After we ordered and relaxed, it was time to pee. And look what we discovered..


..A driving range! It's sort of cool because you're aiming into the skies, save for the net that would prevent any actual balls from raining down at the population down below. My dad would have been psyched if he was with us.




Why the sully faces you ask..


..Cause our food arrived first and we were all ready to tuck in..While they still had to wait for another 7 minutes..which seemed like an eternity..


Zen's Siwon deodrant saved the day.. Because, a few tables behind us, this guy had his shoes removed and he was eating cross legged, polluting the entire room with a salted-fish, really unpleasant smell that lingered! Our table smelt like Siwon..and we were able to sit through dinner with minimum interuption.


Yup, zen and meself just had to try it.. Surprising light and really good. I thought it would be heineken..more like corona though..Which I like!


After a fulfilling dinner and good drink, it was time to go back and pack up..yup, we were cliches..couldn't believe that we were bound for Singapore the next day and blah blah..time flew past so fast..blah blah.. but it really felt that way!


Bargains-of-the-day


Michelle and Clarissa's pad..


..Zen, Krystal and my domain...'nuff said.

last day!


Getting ready for the big photo shoot! (she look like baby spice with that signature twin pony tails..)


The Wonder Girls.. (A really popular girl band from korea, supposed to be visiting bangkok soon..)


Superstars in the making..The Dimsum Girls!





enough Rubbish, back to last minute packing..I put this up cause my highlights look nice like that..didn't know my ponytail looked like that too.


Ta~


Chao~


Bye~

Bye~

Bye Already!

She needed a whole film for her to select the best looking one from..


Went back to Platunum for some last minute shopping to spend our last pennies when we came across this. A shop in tribute to Boons.




Packing in our final buys at the basement floor..


The old and new stand side by side. See the Multi-coloured, rainbow building..Baiyoke Suite, it's the one we were staying in. A decade ago, it was the best hotel in the heart of Bangkok..now it stands in the shadow of its predecessor, Baiyoke Sky..Imagine what Sky is saying to Suite.


Slum settlements on our way to the airport. A long time to go, before these regions gain from the mass profits of the country, I reckon.



Very much wanted to stay on for more shopping. But since our wallets didn't allow that, we had to head back home..

Checked in our baggages and went in for dinner. Settled at a decent looking cafe with disgustingly overpriced and so-so food, with awful service.



Incredibly high tables and chairs, which didn't allow us to move up and down with ease..


..see, Clarissa couldn't retrieve her shoe, which she was happily dangling, by her toes, without blasting her chin on the table edge as she descend her seat. So she had to wait til after the meal to save all that hassle.





After a while, they got really annoyed with me, cause we were supposed to be boarding the plane already, and thus the look. "Oi..hurry up!! The plane's flying off without us!"

Turns out, the seats weren't ready as yet, so a moment of highness first.



Right, here, Krystal and myself were waging war, taking our stand. And Clarissa just happened to be in that photo, showing off her goodies. She wasn't even supposed to be there, and we only realised that when we were browsing through the pics. Just looked at her facial expression!!


And then she attacked me! Because I disagree with her..Rigth then, she was about to tear my sweater off..


I grew tired of it by this time..okay la, whatever you say..


And all this while, these two sat opposite us, enjoying the show.


Looks like Krystal is on to Fight no. 2, with clarissa, thank goodness, who was gamed to put UP with her. Along with her right leg.


At the end of it all, it appears they've achieved a peaceful balanced and settled on common ground.


Goodbye Bangkok, Hello Singapore!