Hello Bangkok: Take Two

On the BTS

At Cabbages & Condoms- I never thought I'd be at a condom themed restaurant

At The Nest until we got sleepy

Love the look Joshua's giving

About 5% of Joshua's dinosaur collection

Lady Gaga inspired video art

At IceDEA, possibly the coolest ice-cream place on earth. A must visit!

Berin

Calypso Cabaret- super dramatic & over the top & awesome

Caption contest!

Yes, really, YOU'D be fooled.

Proof we were young and carefree

This is an Australian sugar glider. Apparently not endangered but still pretty confronting.

A frozen banana dipped in chocolate & coated nuts was always going to be awesome

I've said it before, and I'll say it again- I Love Bangkok. In sentence capitals no less. The BTS is amazing as always, processes for things are clear and stress free (you need to live in Vietnam to appreciate that) and everywhere I look there's girls looking so damn cool.

This time was a little different to the other times we've been, though the same in that it never feels like long enough.

We flew over for a couple of days to meet Ben and Erin, or who I like to call Berin (I often try to think of my & Johnny's celebrity name but it just never works), as well as hang out with the Terricani's and make sure the kids still knew who we were.  Baby Maddie was sick the whole time poor thing and the boys were crazy as always.  We cooked them pancakes and have decided here on it would be "our thing" so they have fond memories of us in case we're old and need them to carry things up stairs.

We did lots of cool things on this trip I'm putting down on the list of essential "to dos" if you're ever in Bangkok- Calypso Cabaret (SO good, over the top and doesn't take itself too seriously), the fish section of Chatuchak Markets (like an aquarium you'd pay to see, the pet section is a bit scary though) and a visit to the Bangkok Art and Culture Center (how did this ever escape my list before?).

So- on to how it was different. I realise that every time we're there, we're very very lucky in that we get to stay with Aimee and co in a very cool apartment right in Sukhumvit where it's all happening, are right on the BTS line, and have truckloads of helpful advice and recommendations. It's awesome and easy and means we've never had to battle the things other tourists have to go through.

With Ben and Erin in staying Chinatown it meant going off in uncharted non-BTS territory. Nothing bad happened really, except getting into a taxi and the driver not taking us to the club we wanted to go to (basically just ignored just) but took us to another one instead where he would get kick-backs. Wait, that does sound bad. Well it was bad, but in the moment with other people who aren't cynical and don't live in South-East Asia it wasn't. He told us that the club we wanted to go to would be closed at the 2am curfew time and this one wouldn't. We go in, pay lots of money for entry fee, it's really shit and loud and than TA DAA it gets shuts down at 2am. Not a surprise at all really.

So it just makes me appreciate that fact we're spoilt in Bangkok and never have to go through situations like that regularly. I still love the city but know it probably shares a lot of the things we hate about Vietnam. But I'm okay with rose coloured glasses for now. And if the opportunity comes up to move there I'm all in. As long as we're on the BTS.

What Makes A Good Day?

1. Going to the gym

2. Wearing a supercute outfit (including a vintage wool skirt bought years ago and never worn before)

3. Going grocery shopping and the taxi driver takes you DIRECTLY there without ripping you off

4. Discovering where to buy supercute cupcake cups and almond meal from

5. Ticking off your shopping list efficently

6. Your friends recommendations being spot on for the best fruit & veges and getting amazing service

7. Not ever having to walk ages away down a dirt road for fruit & veges ever again

8. Getting a cab hailed for you and the taxi driver takes you DIRECTLY home without ripping you off

To celebrate, I think I shall bake.

Two Things Happened Today

Yes, yes they did.

NUMBER #1
I was riding my bike to the supermarket when this guy on his motorbike started following me. Like I'm sure any other person would I didn't properly realise this at the start, and when it became blatantly clear I ended up saying "WHAT DO YOU WANT", to well, try and figure out what the hell he was doing. That and western culture means you kinds give someone the benefit of the doubt and time of day.

Then he didn't go away, then he kept talking to me and saying 'dep' which means beautiful and THEN doing this weird tongue thing and saying "hotel".

DO I LOOK LIKE A PROSTITUTE? The pink bike with flowers and a polka dot dress say no.

I considered stopping near a policeman to try and get them to shoo him away, but realised this is a flawed plan as they wouldn't actually care and may also be on his side.

I stopped and called Tabitha who I was hoping would tell me it had happened to her and it was normal. It's not.

He went away and when I breathed a sigh of relief he was back. And kept following me. My asian-ness kicked in and I ignored him like I've never ignored anyone before. About 4 blocks later, once I had recalculated going to the supermarket and decided to go straight to my crowded, western, lunch venue instead, he went away.

So. Awkward. Weird. Creepy.

NUMBER #2
After I thought he'd gone the first time, I looked over to the side of the street and saw a mother holding her 2 year daughters legs up to pee. This, I've seen a thousand times and can possibly be deemed 'bearable'. But she didn't pee. She shit. She shit directly on the street. I saw it come out. On the side of the road. Do you think they put it in a nice little plastic bag disposed thoughfully of it? No. There is human shit on the streets of Vietnam folks.

On the upside, I bought cake tins today. Johnny is away in Cambodia for four days so I thought I'd also treat myself with this bag and dress too.

Next weekend we're in Bangkok for three days! What has everyone else been up to?

Travelling Adventures & Hurrah! For Friends

Ray peer pressured into cutting a pig with a plate

Eating the most famous Hanoi pho on Bat Dan. Meat questionable and delicious

Fancy pants ice-cream at Fannys

Halong Bay

Cooking in Sapa

Sapa trekking

Ending Hanoi on a high at La Badiane. My head is on a weird angle because it's about the 10th photo Johnny took and I was wondering WHAT he was doing.

Giants in giant bonsai

It feels like a crazy couple of weeks and yet it's all gone way to fast.

It started with my trip to Malaysia. Woop! As I was landing I suddenly felt terribly nostalgic and "homesick" in a way. I realised it had been about 2 years since I was there (Johnny and I went just before I came home from HCMC), and it seemed like way too long. Funny because it is and it isn't, and the first time I ever went was when I was 17. All I know is that I love my family dearly over there and probably do because I don't have to see them all the time! That and it's undeniable that I'm very spoilt there.

So what did I do? What everyone does in Malaysia: eat and shop. I spent one full day at Mid Valley and was in actual physical pain by the end of it. I can't compete with Aunty Jennys shopping style of managing to find something in every single store we go into, I'm more of a give me 5 seconds to scan this shop type of person. We did have some very good fried oysters and fried oyster noodles at the end of it.

I met with Ray & friends which was exciting although with didn't get to dance OR get a photo together. A bit of fail on both accounts, after all WHO KNOWS, we could be 80 when we see each other again*. We did however get to sit outside Zouk and feel very old looking at "the kids" in awful outfits. Is that what the youth are wearing these days? If so, we're all going to hell.

I also met up with Constantine and Daniel who used to work in HCMC and who bought me Assam Laska. I LOVE Assam Laska, especially when it's free.

When I got back to Hanoi, it was very exciting because Laura was getting in on the same day. Amazingly we did a whole heap of things on the first arvo/ night she was here which mostly included eating. For the following couple of days we were adventuring off in Sapa and Halong Bay. When I say "adventuring" I really mean "being wussy and playing phone games". It was fabulous. It ended with a very amazing dinner at my favourite french restaurant and feeling swish at the Metropole. What more could you want (besides more time).

Once Laura left Jimmy and his brother Pete were here. They had less then a week and in Hanoi and also went to Halong Bay so their time was short lived. I did of course make them get up at 5:30am to go to the exercise park to see booty dancing. You can't not.

Since then we've been trying to get back into a "routine". This past week I've been sick, and after days of feeling crap food poisoning (the worst I've had since I've been here) Johnny made me go to the doctor who pronounced "YOU HAVE BACTERIA". He didn't elaborate. Did I mention I had to get a blood test? You can guess what happened when I got the needle.

In exciting news we're going to Thailand in two weeks to visit the Terricanis and Ben and Erin! Then Malaysia in October, and thinking of Sydney in November?

* Dramatisation: I fully expect to leech of Ray when he moves to New York

Cause We're Awesome

It's been a tad quiet here cause I've been in Malaysia and Laura has been here making my life more exciting. More on that later.

In the meantime, check out these super cute aprons Laura bought us!

Note: no actual cooking is being done.

VIB Best Smile

Is that a cameo I see?

Window Washers, Packages & Torrential Rain

So sexy

Temple of Literature: an okay place

Craft street

The glamour of Vincom

All you can eat yum cha

The toilet at Canopee Bar (that's a tv IN the urinal)

Brownie cupcakes for Bastille Day featuring english words thanks to the french

Window washers

Not a photo of me on the bike, but a photo of my bike

This is where my bike lives

Johnny coming home after being caught in the rain

A bit of an update about some of the random things that have been going on as of late:

* We found out how our building gets washed. Surprisingly and NOT surprisingly it's by hand. Yes, the entire 25 story building gets washed by a guys with two buckets and a single rope. You can imagine how freaked out I was having a guy appear right next to our window. Funnily enough, AFTER the washing was completed, reception showed Johnny a notice advising when the window washing would take place and made him sign it to say he received it. They have since then had window washing again but this time no notice.

* We FINALLY got an oven. It's very exciting. I have not yet baked though, I need to go and buy cake pans.

* Thanks our lovely friends and family we've received packages. Containing chocolate no less. As much as I say don't bother sending anything, it is still very exciting =)

* Being here makes me realise in Sydney we don't get very extreme weather. This week there's apparently a typhoon going by (but not hitting Hanoi)and as a result we're going sheets of torrential rain coming down. It's quite fascinating really.

* We found a yum cha! A buffet no less. They even had suckling pig. I almost burst with excitement.

* Our friends got engaged in possibly the most dramatic and exciting way ever. Read about it here.

* I have a fringe again! Woop. I haven't yet cut it short so this is a bridging haircut that will hopefully encourage me to keep it long a bit longer.

* I'm going to Malaysia this Wednesday. Woooop!

That's all the "semi" interesting news I have. Do you have any better?

Our First Visitors!

I haven't updated for a while. I've been awfully busy you see. Lots of busy housewife duties. Riding my bike. Falling off. Doing a cooking class. Making cupcakes in the microwave. That kind of stuff.

One of the other things that has kept me away was preparing for our very first visitors, Aimee and Miss Maddie. You might be thinking, "preparing, really ?", and if you are you are indeed forgetting that this is very important work when you aren't actually,err, working. It included such things as buying new sets of crockery (well it was a good excuse to), buying a new bedset because the current one "didn't look comfy enough", hanging an oversized fabric frame, lunch menu planning and buying bathroom products that are all in the same hue. Cause it's about the details.

If only I had made three types of cake too. Oh well, next time.

Having Aimee and Maddie here was very exciting and crazy to hear how different Hanoi was not so very long ago. To think that no-one wore shorts, there were hardly any taxis and there were no tall buildings a few-ish years ago makes me feel very lucky that we can pretty much get everything we need now. Plus of course it was awesome having an adorable, happy baby in the house! Everyone loves babies.

Next up is my trip to Malaysia for a couple of days to visit the clan and meet up with Ray. Then Laura comes in less then 3 weeks (her, Johnny and I are all flying into Hanoi in the same day- crazy). I'm super excited. We're going to do a crazy trip of Halong Bay and Sapa in less then a week. And I'm going to make her ride a bike. And walk. And eat dodgy food. And show her my non-existent awkward Vietnamese skills. Can't wait!

What Did You Do For Your Birthday?

I was totally going to do a little 'day in the life of my birthday' photo series but it all got a bit too much. Trust me you didn't want to see a picture of me getting a massage- that's a bit creepy.

I started off the usual birthday un-inspiration but the day turned out to be AWESOME.

How it rolled:
1. Went and got a body scrub and massage. Non-creepy ones too.
2. Got home and RODE MY NEW BIKE to the Sofitel Metropole to meet Tabitha for the high tea/ chocolate buffet. It's exactly what you think. Gluttony. And gorgeous. We were there for a solid 3 hours.
3. Rode my bike home, had a very quick shower, put one of my Hoi An dresses on then went straight out to dinner with Johnny.

Yes. I went from a buffet to dinner. And ate an entree and main (of steak). I didn't eat dessert though, that would have been too much.

We got home and fell asleep on the couch. Food coma: 1, me: 0.

Reading this you may have paused on some very exciting news. Yes, kids, I have a BIKE. A pink one too. I spent much of yesterday psyching myself up to ride it. And guess what? It was fine. I just have to do it more now. And take a supercute photo.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes everyone. I'm 27 but I'm okay with that now. Hope you like the cheesy photo of Johnny and I.

Johnnys Lunchtime