From Clark International Airport To Manila

It was my first time traveling to the Philippines! Needless to say, I was excited.

I had targeted Manila City and its surroundings for my 6D/5N visit. I was looking forward to see many things in Manila and to meet up with two Filipino bloggers there!

So on one fine early morning in January 2011, I found myself at the LCCT airport checking in my luggage. It was a breeze doing so as there wasn't a big crowd. Probably doing my own self check-in on the AirAsia website at home the night before helped me escape the normal crowd.

The AirAsia plane departed at about 7.20am and reached Manila at 11am. I did not have proper sleep the night before so I tried to sleep in the plane, but found it impossible to do so. I don't know if it's just me, but I always have difficulty falling asleep the night before I travel to a foreign country! And AirAsia seats were just not conducive for sleeping!

Upon landing at Clark International Airport, I was asked by the custom officer how much Philippine pesos I brought with me. Well, I actually brought 11,000 pesos but it was against the law to bring more than 10,000 so I said 10,000. LOL!

I forgot to take picture of the Clark Airport (also known as Diosdado Macapagal International Airport) so here's a picture taken from this site HERE.



It was a small airport serving only budget airlines like AirAsia and I knew before I went to Manila that I had chosen the wrong airline and the wrong airport!

Why wrong airline and wrong airport? Well, because AirAsia only lands at this airport and not Manila International Airport (also known as Ninoy Aquino International Airport) which charges higher landing fee and which is just within 25 minutes to Manila.

The Clark Airport on the other hand was located far away from Manila in Angeles City, Pampanga. To get to Manila, I had to take a bus from the Clark Airport to Pasay Bus Station in Manila. I bought the bus ticket which was priced at 350 pesos (RM25) at the counter near the airport exit.

The air-conditioned bus, operated by Partas was however quite comfortable. I did not manage to sleep in the bus though I wanted to. It took me about 1 hour and 45 minutes to reach Manila.

So for those of you who want to go Manila, do not fly AirAsia unless you don't mind the long journey from Clark Airport to Manila City!

When I reached Pasay Bus Station in Manila, it was already almost 2pm. A few people approached me asking me which hotel I would be going to, but I did not trust them. One said he would charge 300 pesos (RM22) to take me to my hotel. I slashed it to 150 pesos (RM11) and he shook his head. Oh well, I was not going to be cheated!

I walked out of the bus station and down the road with my luggage in tow, trying to flag down a taxi. But it was quite impossible to get a taxi at that time, so when I finally got one, and the driver agreed on the 150 pesos (which I knew was still too expensive but what the heck!) I quickly jumped into the taxi feeling totally relieved!

It took about 20 minutes to reach Lotus Garden Hotel where I would be staying. Located at the corner junction of A. Mabini and Padre Faura streets in Ermita, the Lotus Garden Hotel is a budget hotel and quite a comfortable one at that!

More about Lotus Garden Hotel in my next post, so stay tuned : )

FIRST COMMENTER

Black Swan Evening

I've been hearing good things about this film for song long now (even before Ms. Portman started collecting awards for her performance), and I finally got to see it last night.  I admit, I was kind of "off the bandwagon" for a bit after Portman's acceptance speech upon receiving the Golden Globe for Best Actress.  She is such a talented actor -- I've always been a fan of her work and have always appreciated that she tends to fly under the radar unlike most Hollywood starlets.  Unfortunately, her "Golden moment," or prenatal, hormonal, turrets-like outburst exclaiming, "He TOTALLY wants to sleep with me," kind of swayed me.  I cringed.  Let's take a look at that again, shall we??

Portman's speech -- okay, so it's obviously been embellished, but it's still fun!

Anyway, after a bit of time passed, I have forgiven Natalie (rumor has it, she's relieved!).  She was incredible in the role and it was clear how much she prepared, trained and disciplined herself.  Impressive.  I wish a little bit of that would rub off on me!  Perhaps it has -- It didn't hit me until later that evening that I had worn my old Moschino T-shirt that reads "VOULEZ VOUS COUCHER AVEC MOI?"  Ironic?  Subliminal?  Perhaps!  But, I can guarantee that I won't be going on National television to announce who does!

close up from 2009

wearing the shirt last night... hitting on a giant rabbit

hey... a lady doesn't kiss and tell!

Goodbye Bangkok!

This is my last post on my 2010 Bangkok Trip.

This trip was not very adventurous as I did not visit a lot of Bangkok's famous tourist places. But that's OK as I had visited most of the tourist attractions last time.

It was however, a very happening trip as I got to shake hands with Enrique Iglesias, attended a live concert by K-pop artists like Super Junior and CN Blue and stayed in one of the most expensive hotels in Bangkok, which is Dusit Thani Hotel.

And so on my last day in Bangkok, it was with heavy hearts that my friend and I checked out of Dusit Thani and headed to the airport.

The first thing we did when we reached Suvarnabhumi Airport was to have our lunch. I forgot the name of the restaurant but I ate tom yam goong.



Well, I had to. I knew that once I leave Bangkok, I would never get to eat this favourite dish of mine.

My friend ate fried rice.



And we both had Pokka Japanese Green Tea for drinks.



I enjoyed my tom yam goong. Look! I almost finished the soup! Yummy!!



After checking in our luggage, we walked towards the Departure Area and passed by this structure with Buddha figurines. There were two people cleaning it.



Actually, I was not sure if they were cleaning, dusting or painting it!



I like Suvarnabhumi Airport. It was very grand, modern and nice.



I watched the TV while waiting for our plane to arrive.



And then I looked at the seats and could not help laughing. Priority is given to (please look at pictures from right to left below) .....



Women with babies, Pregnant women, Disabled people, Senior citizens, and ........
what is that? Mummified people? Mummies? Mumm-ra? Hahaha!!

I wished they had included a picture of a panda in there too! Then I will surely be assured of a seat! LOL!

Soon, our plane arrived and we left for home. Goodbye Bangkok! I hope to see you again soon! Well, here's my latest update - I just bought AirAsia ticket for my next trip to Bangkok for RM150 return flight. Is that cheap or what?

For those of you who have missed some of my Bangkok posts, here is the complete list.

1.I Discovered CN Blue In Bangkok
2.I Finally Own AirAsia
3.My Very First Ride On The KLIA Ekspres
4.Walking Through KLIA Jungle Boardwalk
5.Flying Thai Airways
6.My Stay At Dusit Thani Hotel
7.Exploring Dusit Thani Hotel
8.The Best Sticky Rice With Durian!
9.I Discovered The Juciest And Most Affordable Steak At Jeffer!
10.Food I Ate During My Bangkok Trip
11.Massage And Welcome Drink At Dusit Thani
12.The Four Faced Buddha Of Erawan Shrine
13.My Favourite Crispy Durian From Bangkok
14.Walking The Streets Of Bangkok

Coming Up Next : My Very First Trip To Manila!

FIRST COMMENTER

Walking The Streets Of Bangkok

I enjoyed walking around in Bangkok.

During my Bangkok trip late last year, my friend and I spent most of our time walking around and shopping.

There was this statue located opposite Dusit Thani Hotel where we stayed. It was actually the statue of King Rama VI, who reigned as King of Siam from 1910 to 1925.



The statue stood at the southwestern entrance to Bangkok's famous Lumpini Park at the junction of Rajdamri Road and Rama IV Road. It was a pity we did not have the time to visit the park as it has a man-made lake where visitors can rent boats. It is also a good place to jog and cycle and it contains a public library, an indoor stadium and even a dance hall!

Well, I will make sure I visit Lumpini Park the next time I go Bangkok! Oh! I even found a map of Lumpini Park HERE.

By the way, I saw these below the King Rama VI statue.



Although walking is good, I actually enjoy traveling around in tuk tuks! Here I took a photo while traveling in one!



Tuk tuk is one of the fastest ways to travel in congested Bangkok roads. The drivers simply know how to weave in and out of the traffic at breakneck speed! Sit in a tuk tuk if you want to get somewhere fast!

There are lots of temples to visit in Bangkok, but this time I chose just one, if you don't count The Erawan Shrine. But I forgot the name of this temple!



I was told that it was not good to take pictures of humans with these holy statues together inside a temple. However, taking pictures of people with Buddha statues outside the temple is OK.

This is the front view of the temple. It is not a very grand looking temple, I must say.



Although I stayed at Dusit Thani Hotel, that did not stop me from visiting other hotels along the Rajdamri Road.

This is the Grand Hyatt Erawan. Yes, it's the one just next to the famous Four Faced Buddha or the Erawan Shrine which I blogged about previously.



The lobby looks rather grand, doesn't it?

I took this photo of the Rajdamri road when I exited from the Grand Hyatt Erawan. Notice the Skytrain line that runs parellel with the road.



The next hotel my friend and I stopped by was the Four Seasons Hotel.



I like the elephant!

The hotel had a nice pond outside the main entrance.



Inside, I was awed by the pictures on the wall!



I think it was beautiful but it would be quite dangerous if you lose yourself looking at the picture while climbing up the stairs!



Love this tall tree at the courtyard. (not sure if I can call it a courtyard)



From the first floor, looking down at the lobby below.



Thai people seems to like elephants a lot! I saw an elephant while walking along Silom Road. Of course, it was not a real elephant.



But then again, I heard that they were so crazy about the pandas at Chiang Mai Zoo that an elephant was painted black and white just like a panda to get some attention! See the picture of that "panda" elephant HERE!

Ooh! I love it that Ronald McDonald is doing the wai (ไหว้) here!



Did you know that there is a Madame Tussauds wax museum in Bangkok? Yes, there is and it is located on the 6th floor of Siam Discovery. It was in fact, the 10th Madame Tussauds to open worldwide on December 4th 2010.

Unfortunately, my friend and I were in Bangkok in November and the wax museum was not ready yet! So we were just contented to read about the launch from a counter selling the tickets.



Looks like there will be wax figures of Michael Jackson and Brad Pitt from the brochures.

If you plan to go Bangkok, don't miss Madame Tussauds Bangkok! More info HERE.

I came across Mr. Bean Coffee & Internet shop at MBK Mall and took a photo of it. It was a shop selling coffee, sandwiches and cakes but I did not eat there. Well, don't worry. I will visit Mr Bean the next time I go Bangkok!



Another shop or restaurant I must visit next time I go Bangkok is Yum Saap! I saw the advertisement while boarding the SkyTrain. This restaurant franchise is famous for serving traditional Thai food at cheap prices!



One night after shopping at MBK Mall, my friend and I were walking to the SkyTrain station when we saw a busy night market right next to the station! We did not buy anything though.



After shopping the whole day, we just wanted to go back to our hotel to rest. It was fun walking around in Bangkok.



I am falling in love with Bangkok all over again!

FIRST COMMENTER

Gaga for March Vogue... Sort Of, But Not So Much!

Ah, March magazine time is here!  I can remember when I first discovered Vogue.  I could not wait to dive into those pages and get lost in the world inside.  I had a ritual.  I am not patient, so I had to do a quick flip-through to get a peek at some of the content so that I knew what I was in store for the next hour.  Then, I settled into a comfy position on my bed and turned the magazine over and started with the back cover.  All of the fashion spreads are at the back of the magazines anyway.  And years ago, fashion magazines chose fashion models, not actresses to grace their covers -- imagine that!

*Alexa Singer

 looks pretty and she's not polluted with captions

I particularly love the grocery sticker on the upper corner... $2.84! 

But, perhaps the best part is the back cover -- a cigarette ad!

Choosing to feature Lady Gaga on the cover of the March issue of Vogue is a nice break from an actress.  I'm sick to death of the same faces month after month on my favorite fashion magazines.  I swear, if they had put Kate Hudson on the cover, I think I may have boycotted American Vogue forever.  And by forever, I mean a few months because after all, it's VOGUE and I am loyal to the end.  Anyway, I buy the March and September issues without fail, but this time I was especially drawn in by the cover.  Gaga's soft and drapey ivory dress, ivory skin and powdery pink, sharply bobbed wig sits so beautifully atop the minty green-grey textured ground -- kind of Tamara de Lempicka meets Marie Antoinette.  Sublime.

March Vogue's beautiful cover shot by Mario Testino

Okay, so far so good, right?  Well, unfortunately for me, that's pretty much where the goodness ended.  First of all, the huge caption on the cover, "574 Pages of Showstopping Spring Fashion" is a lie (or a clever ploy to sell a magazine).  The entire issue is 574 pages -- the "showstopping fashion" starts on page 469!  So, we have to get through 468 pages of advertisements, fragrance inserts, a few articles nobody takes the time to read, more advertisements, a few pages of celebrity pix, more advertisements... Perhaps the worst offender is Tommy Hilfiger who purchases huge real estate in every magazine in the world.  This issue contains six full pages of Tommy's preppy country clubbers on a tennis court, by a pool, on the golf course.  And he paid for the extra thick, crispy pages so that the magazine keeps automatically popping open to that spot.  Annoying!  I usually rip them out and throw them away along with the subscription cards that fall out like confetti.

Christy Turlington looking divine in Louis Dell'Olio for Anne Klein - Vogue, March 1986

I managed to flip through the first 468 pages at lightening speed anxious to get to the "showstopping fashion."  Let's just say, March Vogue did not blow me away.  Have I just become too jaded after years and years of reading countless magazines?  Am I expecting too much?  I don't know, but I was truly disappointed to see a spread with Amber Valletta dressed like a glam Italian housewife with big hair posing like a statue... if I've seen it once, I've seen it a hundred times.  I didn't really notice the clothes, although, the photography and colors were quite pretty.  On to the "Punk'd" section.  Not bad.  It is what it is.  Freja Behar in Givenchy... perfection.  Next up, Karen Elson in the woods.  Again, I feel like I've seen this type of shoot over and over again.  Some of the clothes were nice.  Lovely photography.  The baby goats were cute.  The last section, "Rebel Rebel" was, at least, a nice selection of pieces photographed simply to showcase the garments. 

Left: Freja Behar in Givenchy as featured in March 2011 Vogue

Right: Gorgeous Christy Turlington on the pages of March Vogue, 1986

Finally, that brings us to page 513 which marks the end of the showstopping fashion.  Gaga's article starts on page 514, followed by Burberry's, Christopher Bailey and a few more articles.  Oh, then there is a tiny section at the end featuring some printed spring dresses.  I almost didn't notice it.  I suppose if I would have started at the back of the book, like I used to, I would have been much better off!!

*5.19.10 -- correction the cover model is Alexa Singer, not Isabella Rossellini as I previously thought.  Thank you Marc for bringing it to my attention!

My Favourite Crispy Durian From Bangkok

I love durians! And I love Malaysian durians! I think our durians have more aroma and flavour than Thai durians! Do you agree?

But Malaysia does not have this durian snack that I found in Thailand!



It's called Siam Crispy Durian. I had tasted this durian snack many years ago and fell in love with it! So during my Bangkok trip late last year, I made sure that I buy some of these snacks back home!

I had forgotten where I bought the snacks years earlier, but I remember it was from a shop somewhere inside MahBoonKrong (MBK) Mall. It's the same mall where I ate the delicious sticky rice with durian!



I did not know the name of the shop so I walked round and round the mall but could not find the shop! Don't tell me it's no longer there!



And then I found it! It was located just outside the food court on the 6th floor where I ate the som tum, sharksfin soup and my favourite sticky rice with durians!

It's unbelievable how I could have missed it! The shop is called Champ.



Champ sells all kinds of tidbits and snacks. If you love "junk food", then this shop is a MUST VISIT when you go Bangkok! You will surely find something you want!



OK you can't find the above. I just quickly took a picture of these cute piggy bolsters while searching for Champ.

Of course, during my trip to this shop, I was not interested in any of those tidbits and snacks, except for Crispy Durian!

There were a few brands selling this Crispy Durian snack. But Siam Crispy Durian is the best! The Crispy Durian snacks came in two packaging styles. One was in packets like the first photo above and the other was in boxes like this one.



Inside the box contains 4 tins of Crispy Durians. The tin looks like this.



The Siam Crispy Durian box package retails at 240 baht (RM24) whereas the packet retails at 120 baht (RM12). The packet contains about the same amount as 2 tins of Durian Crispy. I don't know about you but I think the prices were pretty expensive!

This is how the Crispy Durian looks like.



I took a bite and could not stop eating the rest of them! It was delicious and full of durian flavour!

By the way, this snack contains about 94% durian, 4% sugar and 2% palm oil. It's a high quality product (matched by its premium price) and I doubt you can find it anywhere else except in Thailand!

Guess what? After returning from my Bangkok trip, all my Crispy Durian snacks were gone within a day! Boo hoo! Now I am craving for Crispy Durian! Anyone going to Bangkok soon?

FIRST COMMENTER