Archive | December, 2014

Hello Barney!

15 Dec

It was a Saturday morning and I was in the midst of a feel-good dream when hubby abruptly woke me up.

“Quick, wake up! Come see the owl in front of the house,” he said excitedly, urging me to wake up from my slumber.

Although I am quite an owl-lover (I collect the figurines), I was not pleased at being interrupted in my beauty sleep, what more, my feel-good dream. Eventually, I did wake up and went to check out the feathered visitor.

My, my! It was indeed a beautiful one. It looked like a domesticated but an escaped pet, its feathers very well groomed. And we were not sure how or why it ended up perched under the roof in the corner of our home but nonetheless, we thought it was a good omen. I mean, how often does one get a barn owl a-calling? I even took out the binoculars to have a close up look.

The little girl next door saw it too and aptly called it Barney (as in barn owl, get it?). So Barney hung with us the whole of Saturday. Every now and then, one of us would come out to check on it; it would lazily peek at us, sometimes turning only the head and other times, facing us frontal view and with a piercing stare. I was afraid it would fly off and took the pictures from afar, zooming in with the iPhone5S.

By evening, it was still perched there. M2 then wanted to know if we could keep it as a pet. As much as I would like to, I didn’t think it was possible and just considered it a good omen that it chose our home over the other houses.

However by nightfall, Barney was gone, in search of food and most likely a new place after the hunt. As Sunday came around, Barney never returned. I hope he has found a new place otherwise, our home is always open to him!
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The Good Old Days

12 Dec

Not too long ago, M2 was querying me about vinyl albums and gramophones. She had been surfing and found these classics fascinating, even up to the point to suggest that we should buy a gramophone for the house. When we were in Bangkok recently, she saw these things in the mall and gave me a knowing look with a wiggle of her eyebrows. It’s quite amazing that such classics appeal to her.

The younger generation of today is so deprived of such classics with the advancement of technology. All they ever have to music are their iPods, the computer and the internet. Purchasing physical CDs are also being phased out slowly with the easy availability of music purchases online, iTunes or otherwise.

I had flashbacks about my childhood after her query. When I was young, I had access to my Dad’s vast collection of LP albums. When his good friend moved away, Dad inherited his (the friend’s) lot, making the collection even bigger! During the afternoons after school, I remember I used to open the cupboard and sieve through each and every album, admiring the cover design or photo. Somehow I ended up being the only one taking care of the collection – cleaning, playing and cataloging. It kept me occupied indoors when I didn’t feel like going outside to play. I even had one album of my very own: Donny Osmond – My Best to You!

Cringe or laugh you may but it was my mine. There was even a Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album! Eat that.

Sadly, after I moved out from the family home, the collection was neglected. And today, with Dad gone, I don’t remember what happened to them for they are definitely not at home anymore nor with me. A loss and a pity.

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A Confession

11 Dec

I must confess I actually brought the MacBook Air along to Bangkok. Not so much for work but to play my games, played in Facebook and requires the Flash Player and the iPad does not have this capability.

So every night, back in our Junior suite after our outing, I would log on, first to collect the beans in Farm Heroes then to spin the Jackpot in Facebook. After this, I would attempt the other two, Candy Crush and Candy Crush Soda, to try my luck to move on. It was a good thing because these games on the laptop are easier and in Candy Crush, I managed to move on to the next chapter, Marmalade Meadow. I am now at level 750.

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Homeward Bound

9 Dec

Our taxi ride from the hotel took 40 minutes without any real traffic woes and we got to the airport quite early. Suvarnabhumi Airport is just like an oversized beehive of activities! So many people and so crowded.

Queue to check in was okay but going through immigrations took a while. And like a tourist, we had to buy those last minute purchases. The girls each selected something and before we know it, we are boarding.

This time the B737-800 is new and we have personal screens! Yay. Until our next travel, I am glad we are homeward bound.

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Our Last Day

9 Dec

Can’t believe four days has gone by so fast! Today is our fifth and final day in Bangkok; it will be a long day ahead traveling home. A leisurely paced breakfast (everyone woke up late), a final packing and we will soon be on our way to the airport.

All in all, the family had a great time! Goodbye Bangkok and thanks for the lovely memories.

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There’s Not Enough Time

8 Dec

We have been in Bangkok only four days and it feels like forever yet not enough time. There’s still so much to see, to do and to eat. Tomorrow we leave with memories, bagful of goodies and sore legs!

This holiday with the girls is definitely one to cherish for we may not have this quality family time again once M1 goes to college. Family time aside, both hubby and I will definitely be back to this wonderful city again, for the food, some shopping and golf.

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I am Tired

8 Dec

We walked to the Erawan Shrine and then made our way to Central World. As always prioritizing the stationery and bookstore, we spent quite some time in B2S to our hearts’ content. The girls bought stuff and soon after, decided we needed to fuel up.

Taling Pling was our choice stop for lunch today. Then we decided to take photos with the Snoopy exhibition that is out on display outside Central World. Hubby decided after this, we should walk over to MBK for more shopping since we seem to be done with Central World.

By five, everyone was calling for mercy, the legs were giving in again. M1 wanted to know if we were going for another foot massage later. I think we are done shopping.

Yes, a foot massage, a hot shower and a nice cold beer will be perfect to end the day!

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What Should We Do?

8 Dec

Today is our fourth day in Bangkok and we don’t know what to do! After breakfast, we could not decide and ended up being anti-social in the room, all four silently engrossed in their devices. Eeesh.

Well, I think we will pay a visit to the Erawan Shrine and most probably spend half the day in Central World. It will be indoors most likely.

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My Legs Died

8 Dec

It’s funny how shopping walking and golfing walking differs. It’s only five and a half hours at Chatuchak, slightly an hour more than a round of golf. And yet, it feels like I walked forever and my legs died. How can it be different when both are the same activity? The only difference is the surrounding.

Many a time, M2 groaned that her legs were gone and we were not even done with the day! This reminded me of my time in Paris last year when I walked more than 23,000 thousand steps visiting the Lourve. So maybe today, we could have done the same amount of steps.

After we got back to the hotel, a quick shower to rid ourselves of the sweat, we headed for a foot massage. Ahh… Bliss is the word for this therapy. Then off to dinner. The timing was neither here nor there, so we ended up in Siam Paragon again in their Food Hall.

I think a good night’s rest will do us wonders. Tomorrow, we have no set plans but more shopping as the girls insist. Well, this trip is to indulge them, so shopping is what we will do. And eat. And walk. There goes the legs again…

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Chatuchak

7 Dec

We spent a good five and half hours at Chatuchak. The place is hot, crowded and packed. Wandering mindlessly along the aisles, M2 said she felt like we were going around in circles. At times, I do admit we were lost!

But we got some buying done, getting some good deals here and there. A good day nonetheless. Now all we need is a good rub down to soothe the tired legs before we decide what to eat for dinner.

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