24 so far

Film 21: Closer (7.6)
Film 22: Spanglish (7.3)
Film 23: In Good Company (7.4)
Film 24: Arahan (6.5)

Just in case I forget :P

Bangkok Bangkok (Day 3)

A mini Bangkok travelogue:

Day 3 (20 Mar 05)

Open eyes. Think sucky hotel breakfast. Think not enough snooze. Skip it? Affirmative. Back to dreamland.

My father (the hotel BB fan) will so want to murder us if he found out we skipped the buffet breakfast, ha! We figured that we might as well take our own sweet time since we were so damn tired. And not to mention, back to work the next day. The last thing we wanted was insufficient sleep.

So off we went to MBK (again!) to hunt for food, after hotel check out. This time we were determined to try out a restaurant. So we settled for a Japanese charcoal grill place, which looked the most appetizing of the lot. Turned out to be an excellent decision. The food came in a platter, which didn't look too much at first. It was a good mixture of raw meat and seafood, which we had to grill on the charcoal stove. The food was delicious, which we gobbled with glee. The drinks were also fantastic. We had a coconut shake and a green tea shake (with lots of red beaned sugar?), and they were absolutely fantastic. Why the hell don't they just solely set up a drinks place? If they brought it over to our shores, we were sure they'll make big bucks. Meal only costed 20 odd SGD... definitely value for money! Before we know it, we had to head back to the hotel for pickup to the airport. Not before the GF grabbed another pair of jeans (couldn't resist the good price and quality).

The assigned driver from our tour agency came rather punctually. If the transfer was good 2 days ago, we ain't seen nothing yet. As we walked out of the hotel, i caught a glimpse of a Mercedes, and happily joked that we were gonna travel back in style. Imagine our pleasant surprise when we were actually led to that Mercs! Unbelivable! Although it was a little dusty, it was still a freaking Mercs. Haven't seen any on the road since we arrived! As I plonked myself into the back seat, I suddenly realised it was the 1st time I had sat in one. Not even a Mercs cab. The GF drifted to sleep midway through the 40 min long journey. A nice feeling seeing her slumped so comfortably in deep sleep :)

Arrived at Bangkok International Airport without a hitch, and checked in after a slight wait. Had our last meal in Thailand (for now) at Black Canyon Coffee, their number one coffee joint in the country, or so it claimed. We even ordered Tom Yum soup to go with the rum and mocha coffees. Again, my stomach didn't churn, although the Tom Yum (downed with coffee) was expectedly spicy. Guess I've sort of 'strenghtened' my stomach by contantly loading it with various combinations of crap.

A few hours and a delay in takeoff later, we arrived in Singapore. A memorable trip overall, even though it was my umpteenth time in Bangkok. Definitely because of the new travel partner and hopefully, a lifelong one too.

Bangkok 3 Days 2 Nights, 18 - 20 Mar 05

Bangkok Bangkok (Day 2)

A mini Bangkok travelogue:

Day 2 (19 Mar 05)

Morning came a little too fast. The effects of overwalking the previous day were still there as we woke up for the hotel buffet breakfast. Well, Chatuchak beckoned and we had to drag our battered bodies to the hotel cafe. I had around 4 eggs: 2 sunny side ups and probably another 2 I had in the omelette. Egg quota of the week: filled. The GF had the misfortune of tasting bad (spoilt, not just bad) orange juice and yucky papaya. Well, at least the eggs and the watermelons were good enough to fill the stomachs.

Decided to get a daily BTS pass for the day at 100 Baht each, cos we figured it would probably cost us that much for the trips we would make the whole day anyway. And of course, the convenience of not having to buy a ticket everytime. Took the BTS to Mo Chit, and the GF was duly shocked by the gigantic area of the market, especially seen from top-view while still in the train. This time, I told myself, I'll not be fazed by the fatigue and the heat. I will cover as many stores as possible. Yeah right. As it turned out, we were just too overwhelmed after a few hours, and had to return to the comfort of the hotel. Didn't make many purchases, just a few tops by the GF. Spent more on drinks and miscellaneous snacks. And yes, I managed to get a skewer of my favourite Bangkok snack, grilled sotong, from a stall by the dusty road. The chilli burnt at least 5 holes in my tongue, all the way down digestive system. Luckily, no side-effects. The GF still can't understand why the sotong in Bangkok is so much more yellowish. I simply choose to ignore the colour difference.

Thou shalt not nap and waste precious hours during holidays. Well, we committed the sin anyway. Really couldn't help it, we were just too consumed by fatigue. Woke up at 7 plus, and went to MBK for our dinner fix. The GF was really hungry. We settled for the food court once again, after being generally uninterested in what the uninspiring stuff the restaurants had to offer. Had Phad Thai (again), hotplate mussels (not bad), and the 'deluxe' pork knuckle platter (heavenly!). Decided to walk around a bit after such a 'fulfilling' meal... only to be greeted by rows and rows of closing shops. Man, only 8 plus pm... the Thais sure close shop early.

Back at the hotel, we were all prepared to watch an EPL match on TV. Ah... a Man United match was shown... an added bonus! Watching soccer in Thailand really made me miss simple little things we take for granted... such as English commentary! It's bad enough that we don't understand. It's doubly worse when the Thai commentator sounded as enthusiastic as a dead fish. Zero changes in tone. "Blah blah blah.... Roooo (hanyu pinyin 3rd sound) neeey (hanyu 4th sound)" Is that weird or what? We self-entertained by mimicking the strange pronunciations by the commentator cum undertaker.

Shucks... time really flies when you're having a great time abroad. All too soon, the 3rd and final day beckons.

Bangkok Bangkok (Day 1)

Sawadikaaaaap!

A mini Bangkok travelogue:

Day 1 (18 Mar 05)

Happiness. 1st trip together for the both of us, the GF and I. She's been to Bangkok only once, like 15 years ago maybe, me been there quite a few times, most recently Aug last year. Hope to make this a real treat for her, which in return, provides me with an added incentive to revisit the bustling city.

Arrived at Bangkok international airport, instantly greeted by the tour agent holding up our names in bold. I have to say, this is the most impressive and efficient agency I got in Bangkok. Fast, minimal hassle, super comfty (as we'll find out on the last day).

Survived minor jams and reached Asia hotel around 3 plus in the afternoon. Have never stayed in other hotels, cos this one's just so darn convenient, being connected (literally) to the Ratchathewee BTS station. The BTS... simple yet efficient. The frequencies between trains are at least twice as fast as out local SMRT.

Decided to head towards Siam Square, a shopping area which I have not been to before. Sadly, the shopping complexes were rather uninteresting. Not the best start, but no problem, since not much time spent. Went straight to MBK (Ma Boon Krong), arguably the most popular shopping centre in Bangkok. The GF and I bought a pair of jeans each - cheap, comfortable and pretty decent in quality. Got hungry and had dinner at the giant food court; the GF was slightly amused at the way food courts work in Thailand. Coupons had to be purchased before you could 'buy' food and any extra coupons refunded at a separate counter after meals. Still haven't really figured out the reason for this system yet... watch this space. Phad Thai was delicious, and so was the pork knuckle meat (my all-time fav Bangkok food). Topped off with sweet, sour and slightly salty honey lemon juice... yum!

After a short rest back at the hotel, we went to Suan Lum, my favorite Bangkok night market (in case you're wondering, no, it's not where pole-dancers are). Hired a Tuk Tuk for 100 Baht; the ride was a new experience for the GF. Pity he didn't speed fast enough to give her the 'real' Tuk Tuk experience, but it was still quite an interesting ride. Turns out that the driver's an Everton fan, so we had a good time laughing at Liverpool's misery this season. Hope it's not a case of speaking too soon...

Suan Lum had an interesting variety of goods on display, but we didn't buy much. Guess we were too picky. But it was still an enjoyable walk... although it almost killed our legs! There was an interesting shop with a young lady vendor whose sweetness easily persuaded us to buy two packets of cripsy seaweed. According to the GF, she not only offered us samples to try, she also did it with a request: "Bite Me Please!". Apparently, that was the shop's name as well. Man, how on earth did I miss hearing that!? After an hour plus we were still stuck in the first tent (out of about 4 full tents), and eventually we didn't have enough time (and energy) to cover every shop in detail as they all started closing. In the end, the GF got a pair of cool pants and I got a nice sling bag as reward for our 'efforts'.

We were totally whacked out when we reached the hotel. And we have not even started our main event tomorrow yet... the Chatuchak weekend market. Nevertheless, we could still muster just enough energy to grab some 'experimental' street food near the hotel. The 1st we tried were two sticks of very yummy looking 'meatballs'. I emphasise "looking"... because they tasted absoultely horrendous. We had no idea what we were chewing, if we did manage to chew at all. Luckily it was a cheap investment, just 20 Baht. The next thing we bought was a piece of beef fillet... which was tediously grilled over a charcoal stove. It tasted quite bad and very raw... yet another failed experiment. The final thing we bought were beefball kway teow from another stall. Was expecting the worst, but this time we finally struck gold. The beefballs were juicy and chewy, with the soup and noodles tasting surprisingly good as well. The feeling of success was almost marred by the hotel wanting to charge us 30 baht for borrowing their bowl and utensils. That's as much as what the beefball meal costs! So we proceeded to have a great time eating straight from the plastic bag, with a pair of chopsticks and spoon the hawker had kindly 'loaned' us, which we didn't return eventually!

So much for the 1st day... pretty eventful I must say. Next up, Day 2! Stay tuned!

More Movies Watched!!!

Movies watched over the last 2 weeks:

Film 16: Team America
Film 17: Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
Film 18: Shark Tale
Film 19: Saved!
Film 20: A Very Long Engagement

Latest Ratings:

The Cat Returns: 7.3
Sideways: 7.8
Coyote Ugly: 6.3
Team America: 9.0
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason: 5.9
Shark Tale: 6.4
Saved!: 6.5
A Very Long Engagement: 8.2

Latest Reviews:

None!

Losing Track...

Been watching lots of shows lately... some old, some new... I better constantly keep a record before I completely lose count of how many I watched.

Let's see... Film 12 was Million Dollar Baby, that leaves Film 13: The Cat Returns, Film 14: Sideways and Film 15: Coyote Ugly... right.

Not bad not bad... managed to cover 15 movies in a little more than 2 months, despite the crazy schedules. Struggling to keep up with the reviews though... currently writing one for Film 9: Constantine.

Watch this space. I hope a decent review appears soon :P

Film 12 Review: Million Dollar Baby

Million Dollar Baby... a good film? Yes. Good enough to be the year's best picture? I have my doubts. Don't think it deserves the best picture oscar, although the best director, actress and supporting actor awards were richly deserved.

Clint Eastwood has always been an intense character, whether in his acting or in his film-making. He displays his vast directing experience and channels it out well through his own, as well as his co-stars' acting performances. Hilary Swank once again shows that she is in complete control and command of the tough characters she takes on, snagging another oscar after Boys Don't Cry. The danger though is that she runs the risk of being typecast for such masculine roles and limits her versatility, thus restricting her from taking on other roles. To me, Morgan Freeman is the one who truly deserves his accolade. It's tough to find such a humble and well-respected actor in plastic Hollywood, and even tougher for him to put in such understated but highly influential and impressionable presence in every show he has been in. His superb touches in gems such as the Shawshank Redemption and Driving Miss Daisy alone more than makes up for the many crap films he has taken a part in.

So why is it that the film, with masterful directing and convincing performances from the actors, fail to stir up my emotions? I hope I have the answer, but even I'm stumped. It's just one of those movies that has almost everything, yet a vital 'something' is lacking and leaves you feeling not completely satisfied with it. Perhaps it's the way the show gradually ended... it could have taken a tad too long, which could have taken away much of the emotional impact it had intended to make.

Who should watch: Fans of superb acting and audiences with the patience to sit through lenghty and intense dialogue

Who shouldn't watch: Boxing fans, because there isn't really that much punching going on

Rating: 7.9