Day trip to Siam Center! Bangkok's mall of Fashion, Art and Design

Please note this is NOT a paid ad and I am not in anyway affiliated with Siam Center. Image heavy post. Enjoy! :)

Last week I ventured by myself into the city to my favorite shopping mall in the entire world, Siam Center! To get there from the BTS, get off at the Siam interchange station. It's next to Paragon you cannot miss it. It's so beautiful inside, I can't even... Anyway, here is a image dump of all the photos I took of this great design, art and fashion mall.

Sum 41 Live in Bangkok

In early March we got a call from one of my bf's friends here that Sum 41 was playing in the city. Just finishing up the end of their Asia tour, Bangkok was the last stop. 

First real Thailand Entry; Getting settled in and Interesting Tasties

Hey again, or Sawasdee ka, I should say.

The first couple of weeks here in Thailand have consisted mostly of getting settled and trying to figure out exactly what it is I'm going to do while I'm here. Pat has wasted no time in meeting with people and booking interviews. I'm still wondering around a bit. I've been here 3 weeks and just started applying last week or so. I had one interview but nothing has turned anything up so far. I've applied to several places trying to avoid assigning myself to only teaching ESL. I'm just trying to avoid getting myself locked into a contract for the next year. Its my understanding that an international school will not accept you without a 12 month contract tenuring you to them. So I'm trying for language and tutoring schools. I do have another interview next Monday so wish me luck.

After getting my cell phone connected with access to Facebook and Twitter again, I've had a bit of fun showing off different tastes of snacks and desserts here. Thai people like their food flavors to be strong, sour, sweet or spicy. Some flavors I love, like tom yum soup and curries. Others make me cringe a little, but I have an adventurous spirit and like to try most anything. And if I don't really like it, Pat will finish the rest. （￣ー￣）

I take pics and share online because I love to see the responses some of my friends have to stuff here compared to what were used to back in Canada. Like these Lays chips bags I snapped from 7/11.

These grab bag size chips are 25 baht, about .80 cents CAD. In Canada I've seen the same size bag run from $1.25 up to $2.00 in some places.

I think it's safe to say that Nori Seaweed and Hot Chili Squid are not typical Lays chips flavors in Canada.

Also caught this gem on the cover of a menu, although I couldn't bring myself to try it.

Cream corn on icecream... yum? X_x;

Strange, strange desserts. Cream corn topping on ice cream.. Whats wrong with a little hot fudge. I don't know, maybe it's delicious? lol Although I have tried a couple of desserts purchased at a stall on our street that are pretty tasty. This orange stringy dried cookie/thing is called Som-o.

Som-o Orange cookie(?)

The word "Som" is Thai for orange. I don't know what the 'o' stands for. It has the consistency of a macaroon, but no coconut taste really. I also picked up these, which happen to be one of Pat's favorites.

Kanom-Ping

They're not unlike sugar cookies in texture, but taste like campfire marshmallows. The word Kanom means dessert.

One kanom ping cookie.

Although I found them to be too rich after I had a few of them, we somehow still ate the whole container. I've eaten so much new food I can't even begin to describe. I did take some pictures of my supper this evening though to share. 

Patri's Coconut milk drink on soft crushed ice 

My Pineapple juice drink/soft crushed ice 

Dim Sum to start, I love the cream filled buns!

look at the tasty insides

My rice noodle soup with assorted fish balls

Pat had roasted duck soup

I have also found a favorite lunch spot. I really like Black Canyon coffee shops here. They have a coffee house atmosphere with good prices (cheaper than Tim Horton's back home). I love the coffee but I also really like eating there. 

Pat's iced cappuccino and my Thai Iced Tea Frappe

I was missing N.American type food so I got a club sandwich. They have a good mix of Thai and American style foods.

Club sandwich

We shared some green curry as well.

I think I invented a new thing while there because I dipped a sandwich quarter in green curry on my spoon and it was delicious. I ate it all this way. New Thai green curry-club sandwich fusion recipe coming soon? lol I don't know if it would sell but I really liked it.

If you can't tell I'm one of those types of girls who likes to take pictures of everything before I eat it so be prepared for future foodie appreciation posts. 

Until next time!

(づ￣ ³￣)づ

Bless you Ebay Seller!

So I managed to somehow misplace the A/C Adapter to my camcorder a few months ago and finally decided to get my act together this morning and give the company that made it a call about getting another one. Unsurprisingly my camcorder, barely two years old, is a discontinued product, so the customer service (C/S) rep. gave me a number of another company that I could probably get the products from. He couldn't tell me what Adapter might fit or give me any kind of serial number to find it on my own.

I called and after waiting about ten minutes that rep. told me that they will have the product I'm looking for in about 8 days because they have to order it. It will cost me $49.99 for the Adapter, an additional $15.00 for the plug and approx. $15.00 for a shipping fee. I was surprised that they would be separate charges for both plug and adapter? I mean, can't use one without the other, but like $80.00 and not even considering taxes on that? Uuughh. 

So I asked the C/S representative what type of Adapter is it? Like, whats the model number? She wouldn't tell me unless I purchased. I told her I would have to think about it. She gave me a ref. number to call back.

I thought about it. Went to ebay and searched my the model number of my camcorder. Found a top-rated seller who could send the A/C adapter, plug and another plug adapter for intl. use to me for $20.00 altogether and free shipping (About a savings of $60). Which do you think I decided to go with? Why do large companies do this? Not impressed.

Customer service my butt.

(*≧▽≦)ﾉｼ))

"Line-Up Wars" or what to do next time someone tries to cut in front

(¬､¬)

I usually try to keep it positive and happy here, but for what happened to me yesterday, I just have to complain about it. The tl;dr version for those who don't care to read the whole story: some woman cut in line in the grocery store and I was not having it. lol

Well yesterday, my mom, Patri and I wanted to go out for a quick bite to eat. She was on her lunch hour, he was just off work and I didn't have to work until that night. So off we go to the deli to find some grub. It was fairly busy and unfortunately only one girl was left working there as it was after lunchtime hours (about 1:30 -2 o'clock). Mom and I went off to get some soup and salad trays while Pat was ordering hot food. Then we lined up at the checkout to wait for the girl to finish dishing out to customers. She then began to make up another tray while no-one was around  which we thought was strange but oh well.

At this time, there was my mom, myself and another couple waiting for her to finish and come over to ring our orders into the cash register. Patri decided to head somewhere else at the front checkout because there was four of us (my mom and myself included) waiting for her to finish. 

That's when this woman comes out of the liquor store (which is adjacent to the deli department) and sets a bag behind the counter and asks the girl (who is now finishing up the meal she was getting together) to watch her bag while she runs over to the floral department. Which is fine I guess, whatever.

So the deli employee finally comes over and my mom purchases her stuff. And this woman comes back and stands out of line beside me. I assumed she was going to get her bag from behind the counter until she started talking about her food getting cold. 

As soon as my mom stepped aside she pushes ahead and tries to pass her plant to the girl and said "Scan this in too". I was flabbergasted but I guess I had seen it coming. I couldn't help but blurt out at the time "Are you SERIOUS?!" We had  just waited in line for almost 10 minutes by this point and the couple behind us too and she was cutting. Wth? 

The woman bluntly put "I've already ordered and my food will get cold". It was her food that the girl was getting together while no one was around the whole time. I had seen the woman earlier approach the counter but she left and went to the liquor store and came back as I said while we were in line. 

I replied "You were in there (the store) while the rest of us here were standing in line." and I gestured to the couple behind me in line. My mom must have heard me because she turned back around.

The woman then took this aggressive stance and said something... of which I was not having. I protested that she should go to the back of the line or somewhere else with her food but she didn't have the right to cut. 

Then she angry and puffed up and snapped at the girl "Fine scan her in then, I don't want to hear it!" She started bitching but I cut her off and said "I don't want to hear it either thanks." I was so agitated, I still have no idea where she got off thinking she had the right to overstep 3 other people because she had ordered her food ahead and left. 

Anyway, after I said this I had set her off. Ugly thing. She puffed all up beside me and told me "You better watch what you say to me little girl.." and was trying to be intimidating. I really was inside but I was determined not to show it and said "I'm not scared."

Anyway I half saw the couple behind me shaking their heads. I wasn't sure if it was at me or her but honestly didn't care. This woman was clearly no lady and I wasn't backing off.  So the woman turned around as I was paying and started bitching about me to the couple and my mother lol. My mom was like "Well, shes my daughter." I think this threw her off because she changed her tone suddenly after this and whined that her food (which the deli cashier put in the hot case, duh.) was going to get cold. My mom said to her "I can understand that, but our food might be getting cold too and we've been waiting." Lol gotta love my mom, so diplomatic and fair when arguing. 

The woman then complained that I only had a salad plate, where my mom pointed out that I also have soup (like it matters, it was our turn). I was finished by this point when she asked the couple who had been patiently standing behind me if they had hot food too, which the girl pointed out that they did. And she "graciously" let them go ahead of her (despite the fact that it was their turn in the first place). 

So in the end we go to the seating area and can still hear the hag off in the distance. But whatever. Patri was already there and we explained to him what happened. And to our surprise, when he was ordering his food, that woman had come up and blatantly ordered over him, confusing the employee and cutting him off before she went over to the liquor store! He just ignored it but was annoyed at her then too, and that's why the deli girl was doing that order up last anyway because she had butted then as well.

The couple who were behind us came in at this point and the girl patted my back! I guess I didn't have to worry that they were shaking their heads in disapproval at me. I apologized for my behavior in the argument and said "I don't normally act like that.." But the girl told me not to worry about it saying "I do!" lol Even when I apologized to the Deli employee later she said she was going to ask her to go back if I didn't say anything and pointed out that she had done the same to Patri when he ordered.

I honestly felt guilty afterwards because I felt I behaved poorly. But not as poorly as this woman had. I just don't understand where people think they get the entitlement? I guess maybe too many times others have allowed her to cut? Really strange. Anyway, the moral of the story is DON'T GET IN BETWEEN ME AND MY FOOD! lol or otherwise don't let others walk all over you. I'm not normally the type to pipe up in such situations but yesterday was a bad day all around and I just couldn't abide this behavior. I'm beginning to learn that in life you can't ignore every time someone steps over you to get ahead. Sometimes you have to speak up and out and defend your own self. Even if it is in small ways, in grocery store lineups. 

Until next time, bye for now!

 (/・0・)

Halloween 2012 - The Geeky Scientist BEAST

Hello everyone, I know its November now but I just wanted to brag a little of my Halloween costume, which won 3rd place at work I might add. Got a $10 gift card WOOOP!

I was going for a geeky scientist sort of theme, a little less Big Bang Theory nerdy and a little more "Steve Urkel" from Family Matters. If you grew up in the nineties then you know who I mean.

Everyone guessed from the lab coat/scrubs that I was something-somewhere between nerd and scientist so I guess I was successful. Except one sarcastic fool who asked me if I was supposed to be a store clerk. Yes clearly I dress like this everyday for work. I should have given him this confused expression lol.

Did I mention I got a $10 gift card for my prize. FREE LUNCH WIN.

Would you believe I owned all items except the blue top ($3.25 Thrifted) and the bow tie ($1.00 Dollarama Halloween item) So my costume was under $5.00 total. I had the scrubs from a previous Halloween and the lab coat I had used for painting one time. All the accessories I had already accumulated and picked from my accessory hoard. Sometimes hoarding things can be useful in last minute costume preparations.



Both pairs of glasses Ardene, Rubik cube (originally a keychain) Ardene, POW! Hairbow and suspenders thrifted ages ago. Funky ghost and funny pen (not shown) seen in the pocket of first picture were borrowed.

Wish I completed the rubik's cube prior...

I figured this costume out the night before, one hour before stores close. So the moral of the story is when in a last minute rush and work has a contest put on something ridiculous by throwing funky stuff together and you can't go wrong. I love home-made D.I.Y. costumes, they always turn out the best!

After work I went home to hand out candy. I had some time to kill between trick-or-treaters so Buddy became my dress up toy.



Nerdy big nose, smelling the camera



Double sworded Ninja Assasin

Honestly he loves the camera and attention, so don't worry I didn't bother him too much. I think the glasses image is my favourite and is currently my bbm display image. The nose makes it.

Unfortunately we only had 4 Halloweeners this year because of the poor weather (remnants of hurricane Sandy), which was unusual since we usually get much more. Oh well, more candy for us.

Hope you all had a Happy Halloween! Until next time...

ヾ(＾∇＾)

UPDATE

My apologies for my recent lack of submissions lately. Due to some medical issues I have had with my wrists/hands I have been unable to update as I would have liked to in the last month.

Unfortunately, I have probably developed the beginning stages of carpal tunnel syndrome and have been seeing medical professionals/changing my habits up to lesson the strain on my hands. I have been working for about 9 years now a strenuous job with constant computer use, repetitive movements and lifting of up to 30 lbs, which has likely added to my current condition. It was pretty rough at first. My hands were constantly aching and I was waking up with fingers falling asleep. At one point I was involuntarily dropping things! I started wearing a brace to work/bed and I was put on light duties for 2 weeks. Since then they have been feeling much better and I have sought other employment. So now I am a two job beastie, working two shifts a week at my old job and about 30 hrs at my new one which has lighter duties. (︶ω︶) I'm pretty happy about it. Change can be so good!

While I have added additional hours now to my weekly schedule I still plan to update regularly and have been working on a few posts here and there. I plan to finish the Shorts Series and have plans for a post on my first ever decoden-project coming up so please check back in the weeks ahead! ヾ(＾∇＾)

Rainy Sunday Afternoon date

After working inside all week I was dissapointed to see the rain because I had wanted to go to the beach. Every time I have a day off it rains. ヽ(　￣д￣;)ノ Of course it had been raining and cloudy almost all weekend so we hadn't got out much. So instead, Patri and I went for a little adventure to the next town over to get out of the house for a bit. I decided to wear just a new cute summer dress and knit cardigan with white sandals.

The first thing we did when we got to town was check out a local comics, gaming and movie rentals shop. We were hoping to find some new manga to read or something but the japanese comics collection was small and I'm not really into any american comics too much. There was lots of books I hadn't heard of before with excellent prices but alas we left empty handed. Next we went to have chinese buffet.

Chicken balls with cherry sauce, beef and broccoli, noodles, Chicken fried rice, Garlic spare ribs, Eggrolls with plum sauce, Shrimp battered and fried, and Chicken wings in Garlic sauce.

We didn't realize that the restaurant had just opened at 4pm and they were just bringing out the buffet dishes, but this worked out for the best because everything was so new hot and fresh. I recommend doing this if your going for buffet, anywhere. I've had buffet when it was dried out from the heat trays and old as heck and it is just so dissapointing. This was my first time dining at this restaurant though and it was very good. I'm not embarassed to say I had a serving of everything with a cup of oolong tea.

Tea is always perfect on a rainy day.

Also, I had wonton soup.

And finished oolong tea with fortune cookies."It is quality rather than quantity that matters. Do a good job." I'll try to keep this in mind.

Our fortunes shown.

Finally we went to check out the swans downtown. There were ducks sleeping all across the lawn. And the swans were swimming in the pond.

 

 

They swam over to us really close. I think they were hoping that we were going to have a treat for them.

So was this little ducky (below image). The swans chased her out of the pond and after she followed us all the way back to our car. I was sad to leave her ｡･ﾟﾟ･(>д<)･ﾟﾟ･｡ way too cute. Anything that follows me I will automatically fall in love and want to take it home. Honestly though, who has a pet duck in their apt. Maybe Joey and Chandler but I've never heard of anyone else lol (...that was a Friends reference in case you didn't quite catch it).

take me home with you and feed me good things?

Anyway, it was starting to rain again so after I shoo'ed her away from the road we were off for home again to get ready for another work week. So until next time, have a good week!

ヾ(＾∇＾)

An Unexpected Weekend Guest

So, last weekend I had a special guest visiting in my apartment. This little kitty!



Itchy?

 Isn’t it adorable?. I guess she was first spotted along a fairly busy downtown street, likely not too far from her first home. Someone was walking to work out to the mall and they must have patted the kitty or called to it or something because it took a liking to them and began to follow them. Perhaps they took a liking to it too, I mean who could ignore or chase away that pretty  little face? Anyway, the trek it took from this downtown street is no easy walk in the park. My apartment is in the same area and it’s got to be a 20 minute hike. Whether this person called it along or it came on its own accord, the streets in the mall area are very busy! I sincerely hope that the person decided to carry it out at some point for safeties sake. So when they made it to the shopping centre, this person could not take the kitty to work with her. They couldn’t very well leave it in the parking lot, and obviously most places in the mall wouldn’t take a kitten in, the only plausible place had to be the pet shop. From here I assume from stories I’ve later heard the kitty was fawned over and fed to her fill and kept up in the back of the shop. Somehow or another, word spread of the poor thing through the mall and my lovely sister and her coworkers heard of it. I don’t know who had it first or what, but someone went to get it and by the end of the day it was in my sister’s care for the weekend. When I came to pick her up from work, we had the family dog with us and of course he was very interested so we had to wedge a box between us as a barrier to get them back home. I forgot to mention that this kitty went through several names in this short period of its young life. At this point it was named Chester. I didn’t particularly like this name, but wasn’t mine  to name so not my choice really.

Now... It’s a well known fact that my sister LOVES cats. She already has a crazy cat lady starter kit of her own with two cats. Well, she loves all animals really but she just loves her babies and I’m sure if she was able or got stuck with Chester she would have kept and loved this kitty all to pieces. But of course her cats weren’t so accommodating to this uninvited guest in their house when she brought it home. And seeing as I had no pets currently myself, kitty came to stay with me for the night. My bf Patri was gone away for that weekend and had no idea there was a kitty taking over his space.

Taking over Patri's side of the bed

I had been offered the kitty a couple of times but refused because I felt like my own situation is too unsure to reasonably take on the responsibility of a pet right now. I’m not sure where I will be or what I want to do at this stage in my life. Currently I’m figuring the next move out and so taking on a pet and moving it wherever with me would be complicated. In spite of of this though, I love kitties myself and this one was very, very cute and tempting. I was afraid of getting attached to it so I left it for an hour or two and went to my mother’s house. When I came back we found it sleeping on the window sill. It was good as gold until I went to bed that night and it still wanted to play at 3 am. So the first night I put it out and shut my door. I woke up the next morning to it snoozing on my vanity chair. It followed me around all morning. It was so sweet and even kissed my toes when I got out of the shower! Too funny.  I was pretty much melted then. I decided a sweet pretty kitty should have a prettier name than Chester, so I started calling it ‘Bijou’, which I believe can be translated to “kiss” in French. Of course the next night when Patri came home it nearly had him won over too I think. It followed him around all night and played sneak attacks on him from underneath the bed skirt as he walked by.

We both talked it over many times but considering our current plans and after a bit of research we agreed we shouldn’t take it. I mean SERIOUS research went on. Pet passports and Airline policies were looked up, not to mention considerations of costs for vaccinations and paperwork. People who travel with their pets, I feel sorry for all the hoops you have to go through to bring your babies! Really I do! It’s a small fortune and a headache, but I’m sure it must be worth it and your pets must thank you for being so dedicated and wonderful to take them on holiday or to live with you. Even so I would be scared the travel would stress out my pet, and then I would be stressed, and Patri would be stressed. And if something went wrong on the way, everyone including the airline people would be stressed!

Relaxing with bed all to myself... not stressed at all!

Regardless of all the “what ifs”, we don’t really have the money or the time that would be needed to get all this done for a pet right now and so it would be unfair and unreasonable to have taken it on. Although I know we’ll make wonderful pet parents someday when life is a bit more certain and grounded in one spot for us.
(┳ _ ┳) fml.

#someonesingmeSoftKitty

Meanwhile, my sister’s friends and coworkers were busy helping her find an adoptive parent for it. I went to Moncton that day for an appointment and a bit of shopping with my mom and my aunt and so I left her with Patri. By the next evening someone was found who would be its Mama and she was gone before I had returned home. I was debating it all day because I’m sure I would have kept it had I been certain of what I was doing with my life. I ended up having a fit when it was gone and cried (I get attatched really easily lol), until my sister came home and told me the particulars of who had adopted it. The girl who took it in though is apparently a cat lover and will spoil it so I’m glad in the end kitty still went to a good home. It turns out she was a girl all along! I’ve heard that her new name is Maya (much more appropriate than “Chester” I might add). Also I’ve heard that her original name was “Sky”, probably from her pretty cloudy hue, although when her old owners were found they said they didn’t want her!  (¬▂¬) WTH! ...she was gorgeous and so nice how could they?! I don’t know, I guess it’s not like they abandoned her since she followed someone out to the mall but I really wish I didn’t learn that piece of information. I know that there are many cats that end up abandoned and unwanted in this world because people have too many already. Just another reason to get your pet spayed or neutered! Anyway I hope she is very happy now in her new home even though I’ve been lamenting the fact that I didn’t keep her myself all week. I’ll get my own little ‘Bijou’ someday... when I am more settled and the timing is right. Until next time, bye-bye for meow! (^._.^)ﾉ