Bangkok Safari

Another thing that we did on our recent trip to Bangkok that we have not done before was to go to on a Safari. Yes you read right a Safari! You see now that the little one is older and more demanding LOL we need to find stuff that is more entertaining for her. So instead of the usual shopping and stuff we have to find new and improved things to do.

Now when I first heard about the Safari I too was skeptical but boy was I in for a pleasant surprise.

There were birds and macaws of wonderful colours at Birdland. This picture was take by my little girl.

There was a Sea World that had several dolphins and beluga whales in the show which was very impressive.
Above you can see one of the whales taking a bow and below are the dolphins lined up for treats.

This is at the beautiful entrance. As you can see we take the part of looking like tourists very seriously LOL

There was a neat place to have lunch with food cooked fresh from little boats.
This little black swan took a liking to us and we gave him some goodies for his troubles. Pic by daughter.

This was the Orangutan show that was pretty amazing. At firstI thought it was going to be totally exploitative but it wasn't so bad. There was a fake boxing match, with cheering fans, nurses, drives, stretcher bearers and boxers and all Orangutans.

There was even a few polar bears. This big guy looked so cool and relaxed in his enclosure.

There were a lot of crocodiles and this one looked nasty...probably wondering who's going to be his next meal.

This was also at the entrance. These girraffes look like they are having so much fun...but they are fake...hehe...the real ones are at the safari side of the park.

This is the entrance to the dangerous animals enclosures at the safari park. It's all drive through.

Here are the bears. They were huge.

This fellow was having a nice cool dip in the pool. Reminded me of Yogi bear LOL... Wassamatta Boo Boo?

This was after we realized that the windows should be wound up. DOH The bear looks like he is at a Japanese restaurant where the food is on a conveyor....and we are the food. LOL

The tigers looked lazy...I guess they were waiting for dinner...and we were invited...as the main course LOL. The real feeding time was a little later.

Here is a picture of a lion looking real majestic. There were quite a few big lions around and I caught one snacking in the distance with the videocam. Just wondered which tourist who left the car was the snack...hehe

We then left the predators enclosure..these are either wilderbeest or Kudu...nice pair of horns dude...hehe

This strange creature was found in the car...LOL

There was a nice little "flintstones type house" for the deer to mingle and have a "beer" LOL

Stork island...there were loads of stork and flamingos all around the lake...one part was practically covered with them

More birds of a feather flocking together...

A little lost mousedeer...okay he was not lost but he does have that deer in the headlights look LOL pic by daughter...

This is not a close up of a rhino...this was us real close to a real big rhino....

The big fella was trundling along as we drove past...I couldn't help thinking that we'd be toast if he decided to give the car a little nudge

One of the camels...this guy is probably wondering why he has to have those horrible humps to carry water when there was a lake nearby LOL

Another strange creature...hehe

Zebra... Bubt, butt, butt!!!

More rhinos and some giraffe in the distance...you can feed the giraffe over there...nice shades dude LOL

Actually this is the first picture we took...of some ostrich...we were excited cause we could actually drive in the park Then we knew why they put the ostritch at the begining...this nasty fellow came right up to the car...reminded us that it was still wild animals and we should stay in the car :)

We'll that was only some of the pictures...there were loads more to do like the Cowboy show, the Spy Show and the sealion/walrus show, not to mention a jungle cruise and loads of other things to see. I only wished that we had more time but it was our last day in Bangkok and we departed that night so we couldn't stay until later. If fact I really must thank my friend Ning who took us there. It was a fourty five minute drive each way from our hotel.

Cheers!

Bangkok by Night

Okay okay buddy...before you start getting any of those filty little ideas that only your perverted mind could have I want to state it loud and clear that it was a family night out in Bangkok! LOL

Me messing with my new toy while the little one looks on as we wait for the cruise.

On by recent working trip to Bangkok wifey and the little one tagged along. We were only there for a few days but we wanted to make the most of it since the last time we came the little one was only just starting to walk.

That the ship in the background slowly coming to dock. Check out the beautiful background sky.

We had heard a lot about the night river cruise decided to try it on the first night. It was a great experience and we enjoyed it once we got there. Getting there was a whole different story though. It started at the concierge who recommended that we take the skytrain (BTS) since it was rush-hour. Believe be in the past I'd never take a cab in Bangkok at rush-hour...it was so much easier to walk or take the train. Hmmmm...now we weren't prepared for that because the station is a little hard to get to but rather than risk missing our cruise that we hed booked earlier we took the advise.

Close up of the ship/boat all lighted up...again check out the beautiful shades of blue in the sky.

The minute we got into the hotel shuttle the little one dozed off. By the time we got to the shuttle stop she was fast asleep. So we had to carry her up the stairs to the sky train station which as the name goes is "Pretty darned high up". Fortunately we had a easy time on the train as the kind people of Bangkok actually got up and gave my wife their seats. That happened at the hotel shuttle, the first train and the connecting train. Believe me we were drained but could see that traffic was indeed at a standstill as always.

Don't ask me what building it was but that was the hull of another cruise boat gliding past..

Once we reached the last station we were beat and then had to find the hotel. That too was a small challenge as we could see the dock but not the hotel. Finally after some queries we found the hotel but it was on the wrong side so we got a tour of the Shangrila...well we had to walk through the hotel and it was a really nice hotel. We finally reached the boarding area...where we sat and took pictures as we waited.

Another place with no name...I could bluff you and you wouldn't even know right? LOL

The boat was really very nice...it had better be for the price we paid. The food was excellent and there was dining on the deck as well as in the air conditioned cabin. We opted for the cabin because it looked like it might rain. Fortunately it didn't and we were able to move outside freely to enjoy the sights. There were many things to see and I was busy with my handycam (okay I haven't downloaded the clips yet). It was a really marvellous experience.

And this is the view of the...urmmm...whatever. I must say that the river was really clean and odourless plus theere were dozens of boats all over. There were even barges that were running silent and dark so as not to be obtrusive to the tourist. Very well done.

Some folks actually dressed up really spiffy (not you Spiff) and we did wonder if we should have worn our Sunday best...errr NOT...it was a cruise on the Chao Phraya and jeans was okay if you ask me...but we did think that if we did it again we dress up too LOL Just for the fun of it!!

The temple by the river...might have been the palace...DOH!

All in all we had a nice experience and the food was simply excellent. I guess I should have taken some pictures of the food but wifey was holding this camera so I'll just blame her...besides she's fast asleep now and can't defend herself LOL

Okay this is my in my favourite pose...drinking my coffee while gazing out...I kinda like the little hand on the side too!

Well that's it for the cruise. It was an delightful event and I recommend it. There are several different boats and we saw one huge one speed by while blaring Hindi music....I guess it was for the tourists on board. However, our little Shangrila boat was kinda cozy and romantic and I guess that says it all.

Cheers!

Whacky Wednesday - "Life" with a Computer

This post is dedicated to the millions and millions of computer users worldwide. The source/s is unknown but it's still funny nevertheless. Cheers folks and hope this brings a smile to you today!

A fun day at the beach!

It was a beautiful day...

spent making sandcastles on the beach

and taking walks along the shore...

even venturing into the waters edge for a taste of the sea...

and a taste of the best Curry Laksa in PD...

capped off with a gorgeous sunset upon the gentle waves!

It was fun in the sun for the family over the weekend as we took a quick trip to a nearby beach. It was a really good break and we had a fun time. Going with my best buddy ensured that I had the best possible time with family and friends. Also after a long time, I didn’t have to worry about assignments that were due and could just relax and enjoy the retreat.

I think that my little girl had the best time of all. Although she one doesn’t know how to swim yet and we couldn’t really venture to the sea she really enjoyed walking into the waves, making sandcastles on the beach and frolicking in the pool. The smiles and laughter are precious and I’m glad I brought the camera.

The best thing about it was that although it was an overnight affair, but because we went early and checked in early we had so much more time on our hands. We were on the beach and then the pool and then the beach again and the pool again…I lost count. We were so tired that night but my good buddy and I wanted to stay up late like old times.

Unfortunately we are like “old timers” now and couldn’t stay up past 12. We did try to talk a walk on the beach after the kids went to bed but the place was pretty deserted. I recalled the time I went to Siloso Beach in Singapore and how crowded the place was and couldn’t help wondering why our old beach which is the closest to the capital can’t have even the slightest semblance of what is at Siloso.

My buddy and I could see the potential for so many things and wished that we could be given a half mile of beachfront and we would turn the place around with the right planning. Maybe it was just wishful thinking but I think there is potential for more. After all it’s not that far from town and great for a quick rendezvous, all it needs is a touch of class to attract the crowds back.

Anyway the next day as we drove into town for lunch we did see that there were certain stretches of the beach that had started to do what we were thinking about so there is still hope yet. Speaking of town, we also discovered what I think is the best curry laksa and the best ABC – Air Batu Campur (literal translation “solid water mix” or as the stall owner so aptly put to a foreign customer “it’s like Malaysian ice cream”) in Port Dickson!

The curry laksa was think and creamy and the ingredients were plentiful, even the sambal chili was laden with dried shrimp and really spicy. The ABC on the other hand was not too sweet and full of red beans that were cooked to perfection. It was lip smackingly good food for a very decent price. I strongly recommend the place if you happen to stray over to PD town someday.

Anyway that was it. A quick getaway that ended all too soon. Wish we had more time to stay but maybe next time. We're planning to do this more often...considering that it's only an hour or so away...it does't get any closer that that! Sometimes you get stuck in the parking lot of a mall for longer than that hehehe

Cheers and have a nice week!

I’m Back!!

I’ve finally handed in my last assignment and I’m unofficially done with my Master's degree. Of course I need to get my results for my last two papers this semester but after that I’ll be graduating. Woo hoo!!!

This has dragged on for more than a year and a half and I’ve totally neglected my blogging pretty much throughout the whole period. Worse I’ve neglected all my blogging buddies during that time too! SORRY FOLKS - I'll make it up to you!!

Wow so much has happened since then! The worst news was the recent passing of Michael Jackson! I have grown up to his music and been a fan of his for a long long time and it was unbelievable when I heard the news that morning that there were unofficial reports of his passing. I quietly wished that it was just a rumor but within minutes, the news was confirmed.

We spent the whole weekend catching up on the news and tributes to the King of Pop. As I watched past performances it reminded me of just how remarkable he was. One funny thing was as we listened to the car radio on Saturday morning while on the way to breakfast, my little girl who is only four and listening to MJ’s music for the first time remarked that she liked the music. She doesn’t usually say things like that about any songs whenever we listen to music. Unfortunately I can’t remember which song it was because I was thinking that even in death MJ’s music is timeless and can still reaching out to win over a new little fan!! Amazing!!!

I remember when MJ performed in Malaysia for the first time, I without hesitation went for his concert (I am not the concert going type and this was my first and only paid music concert that I have ever attended). While I remember the show very well, what left a lasting impression was after the show as we were walking back to the car. There was only a few of us on the road as the majority of the fans were still at the stadium trying to catch a glimpse of MJ. As we crossed the road and were standing on the divider I look up and see Michael’s vehicle drive slowly by right in front of us and he is happily standing up and waving through the sun roof. I personally call the place Michael Jackson Road whenever I drive past. Just goes to show that although his performances were out of this world, he was really a down to earth person. Rest in Peace Mike!

Okay that’s it for now.

Peace!


PS I’m long overdue for a Blog makeover so stay tuned!!

Oh to be young again...

No no I'm not feeling down or anything. It's my little girl's 4th birthday today and I'm as happy as can be! I've been so busy lately that I feel that I've been neglecting her a little and wifey and me almost did not have a party because we have exams both this week and next. But try explaining that to a little girl. Besides it's something I've wanted to do since last year and I didn't want pust it another year. Moreover she asked for a party this time. She is growing up I tell ya! My little girl is growing up!
Anyway we somehow managed to get things done between classes. It wasn't ahrd getting a caterer. In fact I had my mind set on this new Eurasian Restaurant that serves the lovliest food. It's my new hang-out on weekends. The food is tasty and reasonably priced too. So of course we had them cater. Simple. I'll post pictures of the food tomorrow if I can spare the time. Remember I have a party to plan and an exam to study for too.
Now when decided to have a party it was not just going to be any party it had to have a theme. Of course I ain't no fan of Barbie or Disney Princess etc. And we already had a Winne the Pooh theme for her first birthday...not that she remembered anything. Anyway, when the little one wants to watch cartoons it's usually something we both agree on. I like the action toons...yes always have and always will. Superman, Batman, the Justice League or the Legion of Superheroes...okay so I'm a DC fan. She on the other hand loves the Pink Panther, Tom and Jerry and Ben 10 so of course dear old dad has to keep her company....I must say I am still a pink panther fan and although I never liked Tom and Jerry after watching their antics...they kinda grow on you. Now BEn 10 you say...what is a little girl doing watching Ben 10...don't look at me...I started watching becaue of her. The cartoon is pretty nifty and the dialogue is quite funny too. So like I said when it came time for her party the Ben 10 theme just screamed at me. I had an idea for the tables...gonna make them look like Omnitrix's...Ben 10 special aliean changing watch thingymajig. I elicited the help of my best buddy to come up with the back drop and he didn't disappoint me...he never does. I'll bet you'll see pictures on his party blog tomorrow night...well before mine being the avid blogger he is!
Now it's just time to wait for morning to come to give her her present...of course the latest Omnitrix...boy do those guys sure know how to squeeze a parent dry. I don't think it's worth the price...but you can't have a Ben 10 party without a Ben 10 toy I guess. To my delight Secret Recipe also has a Ben 10 cake promotion. No not a price reduction type promotion, more like a higher priced specialized Ben 10 type cake. believe me I went to the branch next to the restaurant I was catering from last Sunday to place the order after ordering the food and would you believe that y it was their last day in business and they were of course not takign any orders. DOH!! Godo thing I knew of another nearby outlet. Talk about luck! Anyway, February was a pretty bad month for me luck wise and I hope all that bad mojo is gone.
Today after the exam we rushed to get some party packs for the kids. We didn't invite many folks just some close family and friends. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. Can;t wait to see the look on her face when see sees what we got her!! :) She's really looking forward t the party and I hope the weather holds. We ned to put up the balloons and the banner and decorate the tables and pick up the cake too! Oh this is gonna be so much fun and such distraction from studies!!
Cheers or in the words of Benjamin Tennyson...It's Hero Time!!

Lost

Okay Okay...so I've been lost for a while. Can't help it....busy at work and busy at school and of course busy with the little one. Yes, it's a juggling act of enourmous proportions. This term is deemed to be a short term, which essentially means that we ahve to cram three months work into two months. In addition to that at work we're down two staff at the office so basically it's just time time time or the lack of it.

Actually I've been meaning to post about my little one's first day at school....which was of course last month. Man were we proud parents just beaming at the sight of our little one in her new school (pre -school that is) uniform. The camera was snapping away like crazy because we wanted to record the momentous occasion. Alas as fait would have it the day I wanted to post about it, I tried to download the photos and lost the whole lot. Boy was I disappointed and so was wifey when I told her. Fortunately everyday is still an adventure for us.

Her first week was fine. We took the whole week off to try to get her used to the routine. It was us who actually needed to get used to it. She took to school like a duck to water. Never turned back. We felt kinda sad but also a little happy too to see her love to go to school. Of course getting up in the morning is another issue.

One thing abut school is that that there are a load of germs around...cause she got sick after the first week and then in the second week too. It seems like this is normal for all kids and helps them strengthen their defences. Don't know how true that is though.

For the first month, whenever we asked her what she learnt in school the answer was an outright "nothing". Doh...I wasn't sending her to school to learn nothing LOL However, this month she seems to have opened up more and is busily telling us about what she did and which teacher did what and about her friends and what snacks she had. So we breathed a small sigh of relief....hehehe

In fact on Monday, because wifey and me were both on leave, we popped in to school to talk to her teacher and we were pleasantly surprised to hear that she is attentive and active in class. Our first Parent Teachers Meeting LOL It sorta reinforced that we've been doing okay with her at home.

Her birthday is coming up next month and I'm also trying to squeeze in being a party planner. She is a Ben 10 fan for you cartoonaholics and we want to have a Ben 10 theme. Yes just having a party is not enough....some people are just suckers for punishment. I've got a few ideas and have aske dfor help from my good buddy. He's graciously volunteered to do the backdrop and the table centerpieces. I'm planning to make each table look like the fact of the Omnitrix....again for not cartoon type people....google it please. I also got the help of a Ben 10 subject matter expert...my 9 year old nephew...and he suggested pin the tentacle on Vilgax...as opposed to my pin the tail on the alien. That should be fun....in fact planning hte party is half the fun....the last time we had a party for her was her first birthday...and last year because of exams we ahd to forego it....this year is the same....I mean exams...but I can't postpone this party any longer. The show must go on hehehe

Now all I need is a caterer that will serve alien gunk LOL

Cheers!