It was quite far to get there… the Weekend Market in Bangkok.
Nearby station was called "Mo Chit."
Took me about 25-30 minutes from my usual station. Not bad, huh.



Jatuchak Plaza… huge place!







Varieties of things for sale...



Lots of travelers walking by, too.



Since I was alone, I didn't try this local food… but I should have…
Maybe next time.





Nice interior… very nice.





Lots of forwarding companies had offices within.
This is DHL… showing the freight to different destinations per kilogram.

To US, 188 Baht per kilo. Hmmm… is this expensive? Sure it is…

It was hot… really Thai summer here. I almost got faint.
No purchase made for myself today… but this is really cool place for buying some souvenirs.

Study hard and play hard… right?
Good phrase. Perfect for me at least today!





Mos Burger was the place for me to have lunch and study before "roong-rian" or school.



Taste like real Japan's Mos Burger - Teriyaki Chicken.
129 Baht for the set.

Surely attended a class for 1 hour and a half. Learned a lot.
Lots of Thai words studied for this week. I need to review all those… for memorizing!



Sirocco Restaurant… with great view!
This is one of the restaurants that I want to check out.
It will be a great night view… don't you think?



Checked another restaurant downstairs.



Another great view is here.



See?



So the question is… who in the world would I bring with me??? (BANG!)



No word… just have a look!



Also checked out Shangri-La Hotel.
Great facility and service! Super high price as well.



River-side… must be nice!



Lots of Europeans there.



Still thinking who to be the best company of mine… Hahaha.



Foot massage!



Good service provided. I may go back soon.



Very expensive dish in Japan… much much reasonable in Bangkok...



It was shirk fin!!!
Ate a lot!

Finally, came to a bar.



Actually, pub.



Very modern interior. Not bad, huh!



Took a seat at riverside. Pretty cool and nice breeze!
Man, I really have to get a good company to enjoy myself at such place like this! Hahaha.

Bangkok…. such a wonderful place it is!
I'd better lean this language quickly! (rew rew = fast / quickly)

As the end of 19th, the accounts are all closed.
Now I come to analyze the spending...



Left column number is of percentage.
If 100% on particular month, I made the spending even to the budget.
If larger, the deficit. If less, saving.

I did a bit better than previous year. Can you see that way?
What about those:

Average
92.1% in 2010
87.5% in 2011

See? I made it better by about 5 percent!

Let's shoot another 5 for 2012!!!

Had long and interesting meeting with client today.
Got stop by an even more interesting place after work.

"Ramen Champions" is the name of the place.
Wow, totally Japanese!



This is the place where you can try 6 different ramen noodle… which are famous in Japan!













So we have selected this place… KEISUKE.



Ramen with salt soup.



Very yum… just like one in Japan! I cannot tell even the difference.

After work, I had some appointment.
Went to bar "Marshmallow" on the 11th street (soi 11) in Sukhumvit area.

You know, I had a ride with taxi… No more fears!



Very cool interior… unlike Thai. Hahaha.



Started with beer while waiting for friend to arrive.



Do not fall to a sleep! Hehehe.





I cannot resist… too much!



even oyster...







with T-bird … it is Vichan (in the rear).
It was all his coordination! Thank you so much!!!

Always wonderful to have friends everywhere!!!

It was a nice little party with friends…. Siro-san and Vichan-san and me.
Lots of talk… they are priceless and endless.

I should look for more T-birds in town!!! Nice to have such reunion.

It was WINE Night tonight!!!
Went to K-Village…
Took us a while to get a taxi… because I (probably) didn't ask the drivers precisely what I wanted.
We had to let at least three taxis.



K-Village.



Our destination - Wine Connection Deli & Bistro



Very modern interior.



Tonight's host… Shiro-chan.



Also me in the picture. Too drunk?

















The 3rd and last bottle for the night was South African!
Never ever tasted ever…

Absolutely 1st time…

Tasted different for sure. Not bad though. Interesting!

Man, I am more than content about how things were for me tonight.
Perfect bottle and food… I cannot wait for another time.
Once MoonFlower made a trip over Bangkok, I had no doubt whatsoever to take her there immediately!
Hehehe.

Had a lunch at nearby cafe and on the way back to the office… came to this scene.



It was a bit late for me to take the camera out to shoot… They seemed to be some models because there were more than several professional-like photographers taking pictures of those gals.

See it was LATE… they finished the posing, already!

Though, the background of this photo is nothing really interesting… why that place? Hmmm.
I wish I could speak Thai language.

Come to think of it… I am (more than seriously) considering to take some Thai language lessons.
Not cheap… but I think it is worth doing so. Don't you think? Will see.

Shopping day for me in Bangkok today! 1st free day for me to do anything I like.
In the apartment, I had to make it done to clean the bathroom and to take care of laundry.
So my free day officially started early afternoon.

Took train.. and got off at Silom Station.



Walked into Gaysorn - luxury shaping mall complex…
Too expensive to afford for many people… this mall was not crowded at all contrary to other malls that I went today!



Gaysorn on left - brown building.

I went other malls after that… to Central World… this was HUGE place.
You can even iceskating inside.



I found lots of interesting things in there. I surely come back for more (window) shopping!



Japanese comics are surely popular in Thailand… "Draemon."



Seems to be other version of Draemon available in Thailand… like Draemon playing baseball, which never been published or even exists in Japan.

"Draemon" + baseball -> "Drabase" - Hahaha.

Walked pretty much all afternoon except the time I had coffee at MaCafe.

After Central World, I even checked out two more places… Amarin Plaza and Erawan. They are all located in the small area. Very convenient.

I will surely come back sometime very soon…
It was fun day!

Woke up around 4:30am… to get ready myself for golfing today!
Left the apartment at 5:30am… same like in Japan!

Only the difference… I didn't have to drive since driver comes to pick me up by company car.
Hahaha, good stuff, huh!
I could sleep another 1 hour or so in the car on the way to the course.



Breakfast. Instead of lunch in the middle of play… ate this breakfast. Typical manner in Thai golf.



This was GREAT stuff!!! Yummy!



Nice weather… but the heat was KILLING! (That's why not wasting time eating lunch!)



Donated some balsa in that water! Not a choice!

Out 53
In 58
Total 111

Hmm, no change whatsoever… regardless to the course, country, whatever!
it's always the same score. Hahaha.



Supper was at Japanese restaurant with friend / coworkers.



Some sightseeing afterward… in Nana area.



Some sightseeing for sure...



Lots of bars including some erotic show. WOW!
Famous Thai entertainment. Big industry for sure!!!

Come and see it to believe it!

Keep enjoying Thai life as much! Hehehe.
After work (yes, seriously worked!), we took a ride with "Tuk Tuk" for supper.





Arrived at a restaurant called "The View."
http://www.view-goodview.com/bangkok/



Great interior. Typical southeastern Asian style.



Good fried rice with crab! One of the best ever tasted!








Thai food… so good! Cannot complain this business travel… too much.

Not much activities going on for the day… except simple work that had to be done.
Somehow, the meeting was not boring… but surely tiring.

Two coffee… had a Thai coffee twice one day.
Tiring meeting made me want to be caffeinated so much!
It must have been so for sure.



Some orange juice I picked up at Robinson last night...



I found a great deal out of this… which is sort small bottle. Contains only 350 ml.



Why great deal about this? Well, it was not mere orange juice… with Nata de Coco!
Good mix!!!

That is why it is called "j Mix?" Hahaha. Don't know.

I regret that I had picked up only 2 of them… should've been more. Hahaha.
I cannot find any at local convenience store as far as I looked today.
Well, I am sure that I will pick up more when going in that place next time.

Spent about 10 dollars today… for all including lunch and supper.
Well, I still cannot tell if I am over spending or not.
I will get used to Thai standard more and more as spending more time here.

Ideally, it would make me a happy to spend somewhere around 7 dollars for meals for daily basis.
Of course, I do not count any of entertainment in Bangkok life! Hehehe.

Finally at work in Thailand… my Bangkok life has begun!
Will see how much I can enjoy myself…

My eyes got easily tired because I didn't stare at the PC screen for the longest period of time in this year.

Made me hungry fast for supper tonight as well.



Japanese restaurant chain located within the same building that my office exists.



It is ALMOST Japanese food… taste was pretty much it.
Costed me much less… though, I bet that this is somewhat expensive to local people.



Not King… but Queen of Fruits is here… "purple mangosteen."

Never had eaten it before, I guess. Very interesting… Have more than several and I keep eating!
Hahaha.

Be careful when you eat them… Peeling is somewhat hard and you see lots of red all over your hands.
You can wash it off your hand easily…. NOT (NEVER?) on any cloth. Be careful.

That is why called "Queen" like "King" - Dorian. Very dangerous stuff. Hahaha.
No strong smell out of mangosteen, though. Just color issue.

7-hour-flight made me really tired.
When arriving at the corporate apartment near Krun Thon Buri Station, I had no energy left except for food.
I was hungry!

No restaurant near the apartment… no choice and took train to the very next station, Saphan Taksin.





Wrap-up train is very interesting… Lots of ads for sure.



Started with Thai Singha Beer.
Actually, I had two.



"Thai suki" dinner.



Lots of foods...



Kept eating...



Never forgot about the sugar… the dessert.



Had better walked home??? Still had a ride…

Tomorrow is actually Day One in Bangkok!

Today and tomorrow, am taking the mandatory training session for Fire Prevention Management.
Since I am selected by the Mansion Management of the residence I belong to.
I have to take an easy exam after 2-day training session to be certified.

It was like military training. Very punctual per time schedule.
No cellphone. No chat. Not allowed to do anything else.
One supervisor sitting in the back observed 200+ trainees in a large class room.

Was both of case study and physical exercise like how to use fire extinguisher or fire hose.
I really came to new knowledge for sure. Hahaha.
It was boring yet, though. You know… Of course cannot doze off…

Everyone else really took (serious) notes from the class, except myself. Oh boy!
I am SO behind. Am I going to be okay after tomorrow? Can I pass the exam? Really?
Will see how that happens tomorrow.

I am more concerned about how cold it would get tomorrow… since forecast really tells that it would be severe cold tomorrow morning…

MoonFlower and I met for dinner in town.
Our choice was that we ought to go to new place where we have never been to.

It was Indian / Nepali Restaurant called "Sansar."



Indian beer - Kingfisher.



Both we selected were lager...



MoonFlower's pick - Nepali Mustang.



Great stuff… made me really full wit that large dish.



Of course, important part of the meal… naan. It was AWESOME!
When came to our table… was extremely hot and it was so perfect…

MoonFlower and I didn't know that good restaurant can be really found nearby. Hahaha.

Wish me luck for tomorrow session!

Something required for tomorrow's session-

Tomorrow, it is supposed to be the 1st working day of the year… though, I will not go in to the office for work at all. Instead, I have to take 2-day session from tomorrow.

This means that I won't resume working until next Tuesday! (next Monday is national holiday)



This is what I bought at 100 yen shop (like one dollar store). It's triangle bandage.
Wanted to buy that without any design… wanted simple plain one… but out of stock.

"Gachapin x Mukku" - Japanese fancy characters are on. This makes me a young adult? Hahaha.



Wanted to buy this book and I found it in the Book-Off store. This used one costed me half of the price for new one. Good deal.
I will take this book, along with other books, to Bangkok for my spare time there.

A Happy New Year 2012!!!

Say goodbye to 2011 and welcome 2012! Finally.

2011… it was quite "painful" year for me… I do not mean that it was bad time. I learned a lot. New environment for me as well (still working for the same consulting firm, though).

2012 seems to be not much promising… lots of uncertainty for sure.
Though, I should place my theme of the year as "do as I want and do as I believe."
Simple, right?

Last year, I didn't have good grip of control over things concerned myself.
This year, I want to maintain the control of things. I should influence… not being influenced.
This does never mean that I try to be selfish or arrogant.

I merely emphasize that I should not regret of things out of any occurrence. I'd better see things to happen to myself.

Tomorrow, will come up with my "resolutions 2012."

Oh at least I should share this with you… that I will (most likely) spend 1st half of year in Bangkok on business. Meaning… I can be expert of another major city… BKK.