As Loy Krathong ends

Mdm needs rest badly and is glad that the weekend is finally arriving!!!

The big Loy Krathong Festival is finally over. The town is now back to its somewhat peaceful state (at least the fireworks have stopped) and the night sky is completely clear of Kom Fai. We didn't walk around town this year (the excitement in me probably subsided). For 2 consecutive days, we were enjoying the food and drinks in our garden. Our place is right next to the river, which was swarmed by crowds and where most of the activities took place. We didn't take photos but I manage to grab 2 pics from Wikipedia. These pictures were apparently taken in Mae Jo, Chiangmai about a short 15-20 minutes drive from the city.




Mdm just got hold of 林宥嘉's 《感官世界》. There are a few nice notes from his new album. 《解High人》 just sounds so weekend, just forget the lyrics.



Happy Friday!

@ Baan Lae Suan Fair, BKK

We were at the mega big Baan Lae Suan Fair in BKK before we came back to Chiangmai. We were there from 11 till 6 (7 hours of walk!!!) and got quite a bit of good grabs for our new (and barren) place.

1.
Panton chair at 2 (one with armrest and one without) for 3000 Baht. Not the original Herman Miller Fehlbaum /Vitra but, who cares!


2.
The Oriental Hotel bedsheet set for 2700 Baht (not sure of the thread count, but it's a super deal!)

3.
Dining set that somewhat look like this: (just that, the colour for ours is, and we are having a long bench and 2 chairs instead of 4)



4.
Lamp from my favourite lamp shop in Thailand (discounted from 4900 to 2900 Baht!)


The quotation for our kitchen is out and we are going to the company very soon. Madam hopes it's not going to be too expensive (some crazy quoted us 300,000 Baht, which is like SGD 12,000!). If not, we might very well be kichen-less. And... our sofa is ready for collection!!!

Looks like the only thing that is missing now is THE house.

Guilin and Yangshuo, Guangxi, China

We were getting up at 6am and only return back to the hotel at no earlier than 11pm. Doing this for the past 5 days was definitely no joke. Here are some shots from the most tiring trip ever (also one with the most number of mountains climbed, caves explored, rivers/lakes cruised):







Zhang Yimous's 印象·刘三姐 - the world largest natural theater. The waters of Li jiang is used as its stage, and the twelve mist shrouded hills as its backdrop. The setting was magnificent, and with 600 performers it cannot be any less impressive than you can imagine. I was equally impressed (and more entertained) by the ballet circus drama, Dreamlike Lijiang. The acrobatics were jaw dropping. I thought I saw a show at this theater 10 years ago. It's superb performance (sadly, pictures not allowed).












P said, his impression of China changed after this trip. If you ask me, in comparison with the Guilin I visited 10 years ago, the streetscape and urban development is a clear indication how fast the city has developed. Plus, the overall toilet cleanliness is much better than before (all that I have visited this time round came with flush system and full length door).

Next stop: Mdm would like to visit Xi'an!

The hierarchical and corrupted Thailand

I miss transparency. If you think that Singapore is hierarchical, think out of the island. Things here are always in my most hated shade of grey.

and

i

hate

it.

On a separate note, Mdm started wearing pants to work few days ago (flats and pants, ultimate pairing for an injured foot). And guess what, I actually received complains for WEARING PANTS TO WORK. I mean... HELLO? I never understand this ridiculous rule. Female workers should ALWAYS be in skirts. Just take a look at my foot, will you. So, I should pair skirts with sandals, or I should risk wearing heels just to look pleasing.

Why don't you just look at what the students are wearing first before nitpicking on unimportant matters? What is the objective in getting students to wear uniform when skirts go so short up their tighs. And come on, most are on motorbikes. How nonsensical things can be.

Yes, Acupuncture in Chiangmai.

See that pillar there?




It's ours!


And this is me doing what I should have months ago.




This is my first time doing acupuncture, and yes, I am doing it in Chiangmai. P couldn't believe that acpuncture is available here. All thanks to google, I found a TCM doctor (who's a Chinese!) and I am so glad I did. All the walking at the zoo aggravated the condition of my ankle and I was actually worried that it will develop into a chronic injury (which my dad's did, I think).

Do what you believe is great work

So, it's FRIDAY!



via Design Crush

and we are going to the zoo tomorrow!

Spotting cheaters

Mdm just invigilated my first class yesterday morning. I was suprised to realise how easy it was to spot cheaters/ potential cheaters from the front. For those who have ever cheated and managed to get away, perhaps it's time for you to know that you probably weren't lucky, the invigilator was just being lenient.