Wednesday

You know, Wednesdays are those days I so look forward to. It's the one day of the week that I actually make time to go to the gym. It's a beautiful day with not a cloud in sight. I had to skip my haircut appointment today because I had a sudden work appointment. So my haircut is postponed until tomorrow.

After working for about an hour, I headed down to the gym and took an aerobics class, a weight workout and some chest exercises. That's all I had time for but it felt good to work out. Then I came home and did a bit more work and went to have some dinner with a friend and then to see a movie. Today we saw a movie called ZODIAC. It was too serious for me and I felt drained after watching it. It wasn't bad, just tiring. Too much details to follow and a very unsatisfactory ending in my opinion.

I rode my bike back home and the moon and stars were out...a rare thing in Tokyo. On a balmy night like tonight, there's really nothing better than leisurely riding my bike listening to music on my iPod.

Busy week

Well, it's been 5 days since I've been back from my trip to Bangkok...my third trip this year. I'm back working and juggling various projects once again. I have to say things are going well for me this year and I really can't complain. I'm making more money than ever but finding myself wanting more. Would I ever be satisfied with the amount I'm earning? Well, it's good to reach for the stars right? Nothing wrong with that I suppose. I do have to find a good balance though.

It's getting warmer as the days go by and we are supposed to be into the rainy season starting today, my least favorite season of the year here in Japan. I have to go and buy some rain-proof shoes tomorrow. I always say I will and end up not buying any. I find myself settling with sandals or flip flops and avoiding going anywhere fancy during this time.

I'm on a low-carb diet again since I've gained about 2 kilos during my trip. Is there a way to keep my weight down during a holiday? It's pretty difficult sticking to a low-carb way of life especially in an Asian country when every meal is accompanied by rice or noodles. Oh, and mangos...I always overeat them! Binge on them actually!

Okay, have to work. So many things to do today.

DAY 4 Bangkok

Today my boyfriend is arriving in Bangkok. Also I have a hangover so I'm taking it easy this morning. I have some mangoes in my room again and leave for the mall for some food. Today I choose the Emporium and their brand new food court. Again, it's not that cheap but it's comfortable and pleasant to be there.

I choose the spanakopita from the Greek food restaurant for appetizers which were actually pretty good. Only thing is I wish they warmed them up. Taste good but cold.

The Chinese noodles were just okay and I only ate half again. I wasn't that hungry anyway and my hangover was refusing to budge. After eating, I rushed back to my hotel to get ready to welcome my boyfriend's arrival. He arrived sometime around 4pm. We didn't do much as he just got in. We went to Carrefour and Tesco. In the evening we had dinner with my friend Bas and Kenji from Japan at Greyhound Cafe at the Emporium. It was my first time there and although the menu was heavy on carbs, there was one dish I particularly enjoyed, which was a typical appetizer eaten on hot days.

Day 2 & Day 3 Bangkok

Day 2

Got up early this morning and decided to try the breakfast so I quickly washed my face and went down to the dining room to see what they had. The variety was small but adequate. Breakfast selections consisted of ham(weird tasting), sausage(tasted like fish), fried eggs, fried rice and noodles, soup, pancakes, toast and fruits. The pineapples were sweet and refreshing. Coffee was okay but I never did like Thai coffee too much. I really didn't have much this morning. Everything sort of tasted strange to me except for the fruits preserves, eggs and fruits. After breakfast, went to pick up some tickets for the drag show for next week. Afterwards, went to Siam Paragon to get some lunch. While eating my Pad Thai, I was struck with utter loneliness eating by myself so decided to call my friend in Japan. I swear my phone bill is going to be outrageous. I felt better after hearing a familiar voice and after hanging up, went to use the internet since there was a net cafe right upstairs of the food court.

The rest of my day consisted of buying a book at Kinokuniya Bookstore, watched a Spanish movie, bought some mangoes at the supermarket and noodles at Carrefour for dinner.

By the way, I had no idea the movie was Spanish and as soon as the movie started, I panicked. However there were Thai and English subtitles and it really was a great movie. The movie was Pan's Labyrinth and although gruesome, it was entertaining.

Most importantly, there was this amazingly handsome guy modeling at Central World department store. I stayed and watched for about 5 minutes before forcing myself away because if I stayed any longer, I would've started to get horny and would have to go to Babylon or somewhere to release my horniness.

DAY 3

Decided to skip breakfast today and just had some leftover mango pieces. Had lunch at Emporium today. There are two food courts here, an expensive one and a cheap one. I chose the expensive one because I wanted to relax and there's always less people there compared to the cheaper food court. It took me a while to decide what to eat and finally decided on Vietnamese noodles. I only ate half though because I didn't really care for them.

For dessert, I had this white chocolate cake. Again it was just ok and a bit too heavy for me. My friend Kenji called today and so we're meeting later on. I know he'll want to have coffee and cake so I decide to eat only half.

Kenji and I go window shopping today. After two hours of walking around, it's time for coffee and cake. We decide on Secret Recipe which is supposed to be a famous cake shop in Malaysia. We had the caramel cheesecake and kiwi cake. They were both good and surprisingly I loved the kiwi cake! I have to come back here and try the others as there were a few more I wanted to try.

Kenji and the kiwi cake!

After a 30 minute rest back at the hotel, Kenji and I meet for dinner at Telephone Bar. Then it's straight to DJ Station for a night of reckless abandon. It's funny how many people I met tonight. I lost Kenji halfway and he told me later on that he went home because he was sleepy. I thought he took someone home but he said that he didn't because his dick was sore and at the moment, under construction. This guy gave me a ride back to my hotel. Isn't he just sweet?

I was totally plastered and can't remember how many drinks I had. Oh well, had a blast!

Bangkok arrival

My cab driver was funky hat. Doesn't speak a word of English but somehow we managed to communicate via gestures and making strange faces.

My hotel room at The Bedrooms. Nicer than I expected. Very reasonable price.

The elevator hall with comfortable seat but no air conditioner so too hot to sit.
It must be just for decoration.

The trains in Thailand. Took a snapshot to show my boyfriend later.

Okay Chinatown, here I come. I'm ready to explore your nooks and crannies in this hot and humid weather. With all this crazy traffic, Bangkok really needs some crosswalks.

Delicious spring rolls for lunch.

Green curry fried rice which was just amazing! Didn't know rice could taste so divine!

The Banatoffee cake. It was a little too rich for me. The top is butter cream and that's just way too much butter.

I had enough of the Banatoffee at this point. Why can't they use fresh whipped cream instead?

Bug and Bee, which is always open...like 24 hours a day!

My flight to Taipei

This was my second trip to Bangkok this year. In fact, I'm going again next week. No, I'm not crazy...just crazy about Bangkok and mangoes! Due to it being Golden Week in Japan, it was tough to get tickets. So for the first time in my life, I took a China Airlines flight to Bangkok. This time my boyfriend and I splurged and went business class. The tickets were actually a bargain. The flight left very early in the morning so I had to get up at 5am so that I could take the 6am limousine bus to Narita. I arrived quite early as there was very little traffic to the airport so I got to use the small lounge they had. It was clean and comfortable with some breakfast items. However it just seemed really dead and quiet. In fact it was so quiet the person at the other end of the room could probably hear you fart! Not that I farted or anything, but it really was that quiet.

The flight was via Taipei. The first sector, I was seated in an old aircraft with old-style business class seats. They were comfortable though and my flight was not full. The flight attendants were very nice and couteous and the service was good. After getting a glass of water, we took off.

We had salmon, shrimp and squid for appetizers. They tasted extremely fresh and even the squid was tender. This appetizer was the perfect way to start a meal and boy was I hungry.

I chose the seafood dish for my main course. I swear, this was one of the most delicious entrees I've had on an airplane. Yummy!

For dessert, I chose the sherbet and fresh fruits. I actually wanted to try the cake, but we will be served lunch again on the next sector. Although I wanted to eat the entire thing, I only had a couple of bites and asked the flight attendant to take my tray away. I'm not sure if I'd be able to eat my next meal!

Flight to Bangkok, Thailand

My boyfriend and I debated on whether we should go to Hokkaido or to Bangkok for his birthday and decided on Bangkok because it was mango season and due to the fact that its not that expensive. My present to him would be his hotel accomodations at deluxe hotels and meals during the trip. Its probably the most expensive present Ive ever bought for anoyone in my entire life but hey, I can afford it and I love him and he certainly deserves it.

Today I fly to Bangkok on China Airlines business class and Im looking forward to the flight.
I get up real early for the flight as I have to be at the airport at 7:30am so I leave home at 5:30am to take the train to Shinjuku for my limousing bus at 6:15. I felt so sleep and barely alive as I started nearing the bus station, a good friend of mine was waiting there for me. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised and shocked at the same time. He said that he got up really early and hardly slept because he wanted to see me off. That was so nice of him and I think I fell in love with him that instant.

My bus ride was uneventful. I got to the airport and checked in. Got some last minute stuff at the airport and went to rest in the lounge. It was a very nice and quaint lounge and I had a piece of bread with coffee. I really wish they had some decaf at Japanese airports.

Boarded my flight to find the business class cabin seats really wide and nice looking, but seat pitch very small. However no one was sitting next to me so it was comfortable. Welcome drinks were served(just had water), and then meal service began. The meal was actually quite nice and the main entree was surprisingly high quality and tasty. I had the seafood with XO sauce and the sherbet for dessert, which was a refreshing end to a tasty meal.

Transit in Taipei. One of the ugliest transit areas ever. Absolutely no atmosphere and felt like I was detained in a sort of eerie dungeon.

Boarded our new plane which was really nice. New seats. An overweight woman sat next to me, but was a pleasant person. The meal was again, fabulous especially the salad appetizer. I loved it. Arrived in Bangkok on time and after a quick immigration check, took a taxi to my hotel. I swear my driver did not speak a word of English and we had a really difficult time finding our hotel. Ended up having to call the hotel for directions.

Finally got to the hotel, gave the driver a big tip, and checked in. Lobby was nice and fresh, the room was quite clean and modern in design, but on the small side. But it was more than I expected and I love it here. Carrefour is next door and open until 24:00. A 7 minute walk to the closest BTS station, but I love the local flavor around here and the food stalls that line the sidewalks are a profusion of colors and smells thats exciting and interesting. This is actually what I was hoping to experience on this trip. To experience some local flavor and to feel what its like to not be in the center of things as if I live here. I do not regret this experience.

Took a shower and went to the Emporium to buy some necessities and food. Had a light dinner in my room and went to bed.

A kernel of popcorn

The other night I went to see a movie at the theater. Before heading in to get a seat, I had to go to the restroom. As I was peeing, I noticed a kernel of popcorn in front of me just laying there on top of the urinal. Funny thing is that it was the most perfect specimen of popcorn I've seen in ages. Perhaps it's because of the fact that I'm forever on a diet and I don't eat much popcorn even though I love it. That kernel of corn was the perfect size and looked absolutely delicious I might've eaten it if there was no one else around...but maybe not.

Well, as I kept staring at that delicious looking morsel, memories of my past rushed through my head like a hurricane. I remembered the time when my friends and I used to get a huge bucket of popcorn and watch a double feature because we really had nothing better to do. Or the time when I was once happy with my ex and he used to take me to the movies all the time. He never forgot to buy a huge bucket for the both of us even though we never managed to finish it. And there was a time where I used to take my mother to the movies with me. She would tease me for liking popcorn so much but then she would end up eating most of it. Oh, and the movies with my two nephews, me sitting in between them with our bucket of popcorn as Andrew, the older one, would continue to tell me what the movie is all about because he's seen it like a hundred times.

Who would have thought that a single kernel of popcorn would bring back so many memories of my past.

I only cry when I'm alone

I'm usually smiling because I'm basically a happy person. I'm lucky in many ways and I count my blessings and give thanks to everything I have. So why is it that I feel a heavy sadness now and then? This only happens once every two or three years at the most. I can't really explain it. But I have the need to cry my eyes out until I can no longer cry anymore. I felt this way this afternoon while I was lying alone in bed after getting over a cold. I just started crying until I could cry no more. Don't even ask me why.

I feel better afterwards. I always do.

My Bangkok trip:pictures

I stayed for two nights at the Conrad Hotel. It was a beautiful hotel and was upgraded to a corner room because of my elite status with the Hilton. They had a really nice deli. The Conrad Deli has muffins, breads and assorted pastries.

The Conrad is a beautiful hotel.

The last night, I had to spend a night at my favorite hotel, The Dusit Thani. The bathroom has a glass wall that makes it feel larger than it actually is.
Here is a flower garland that I got as a welcome gift.Welcome fruits and a box of chocolates from the staff of Dusit Thani, my favorite hotel! Extras like this make it all worthwhile. Oh, they also had three pieces of tarts waiting for me when I got back in the evening.

The seafood restaurant I tend to always go to when I travel with a first-timer.
The meal at the seafood restaurant ended with some fresh tropical fruits. I don't know what the orange fruit is called, but I just love it!
This is the strawberry cake I had the day arrived in Bangkok. I was tired from my flight and I really really really needed sugar.
After a long day walking outside in the blistering sun and humidity, a sugary treat such as this chocolate cake hits the spot. So remember people, if you ever see me falling asleep, just give me sugar!

Bangkok

Bangkok is definitely one of my favorite places to visit. In fact, I've been there at least 20 times in the past. I was in Bangkok from May 1-5 just this past weekend and as always, had a great time. Why do I keep going to the same places? I mean after a few times you get to become familiar with the place, why go again? That's the exact reason why I keep going back especially if I like the place. I make new friends all the time and I start to accumulate a list of favorites in a city. My favorite bread shop, a good tea room, the best supermarket and the best fried rice joint. The list is endless and everytime I go, I find something new that I add to that list.

The food in Bangkok is delicious and I have yet to find a place where I had bad local food. As for international cuisine, it's hit or miss. I had really bad pasta where it's overcooked and the pasta sauce was overly sweet for some strange reason. I had terrible Japanese food a couple of times and I have yet to find a good slice of cake in Thailand. However that gives me more reason to keep on visiting.

This time I stayed at the Conrad Hotel for two nights and just one night at the Dusit Thani. The Conrad was nice and modern. However I still preferred the Dusit Thani especially after their renovation. The Dusit Thani has great service, wonderful restaurants and convenience that can't be beat. I cannot say enough about the Dusit Thani Hotel and I will definitely stay there again.

Hmm....maybe I ought to go again next month.

Another cafe in Hokkaido

On our second day in Hokkaido, we went to look for this cafe.

This cafe is in the middle of nowhere and that's what's good about it.

The interior of the cafe is very country-like.

Relaxing in the warm and cozy cafe.

A cup of chai latte to keep the blues away.

I ordered the pound cake platter which was very good.

The chocolate cake was better though.

This was one of my favorite cafes. I will definitely be back!

Walking around Hokkaido: Part two