Merdeka countdown celebration in Bangkok-30.08.08

Although we are far away up north, we still had the chance to be together with other Malaysians living here for the countdown to Merdeka...31.08.08. It was a brilliant idea for the Malaysian Embassy and the Kelab Malaysia of Thailand to hold this kind of get together of Malaysians of all races living in Thailand, particularly in Bangkok. We reached the embassy at about 8pm and the hall was already almost filled up. There were 12 tables of ten and judging from crowd the number of guests was about 150 as there were a number of people standing without seats.

8.05pm...still early but the seats are almost filled up.

Nasi kerabu corner

From left: Keiron, Col. Dzahir(Defense Attache) & Col. Zamrude

Arun(Bernama) with his wife, Lathi and little boy.

Me and Bobby, President of Kelab Malaysia, Thailand

Me and Razianna

Singing patriotic songs while waiting for countdown to begin.

Malaysian children in Bangkok pose for Bernama.

10...9...8...7...6...5...

4...3...2...1...Merdeka!Merdeka!Merdeka!

Me and Mdm Juliana (Col. Dzahir's wife)

Me and Razianna pose before leaving the embassy multi-purpose hall.

Bowling champ!

Keiron's friend, Kimi and his wife are in Bangkok, celebrating their wedding anniversary. We met up with them for dinner at Fahana Italian Restaurant, serving halal Italian, Viatnamese and Thai food. This is where we get our pizzas, lasagne etc when we crave for Italian delicacies. Not so great but we can enjoy the food without questioning the halal status of the food served. It's located on the Rama IX road, on the left side going towards Suvarnabhumi Airport, before the junction to Sri Nakharin Road. Check out the menu here.

After dinner, we decided to bowl at Blue 'O', at the Siam Paragon. Since there's a promotion of 250baht per person for unlimited number of games played between 9.01pm and 1200am, we decided to go for it. The normal evening fee is 120baht per game and 40baht for rental of shoes. So, we were allotted two lanes; 2 pax per lane, and played till our hands felt like dropping off. In about three hours we managed to play 8 games each and guess who the winner was?.... The best bowler, with the most number of pinn falls is.....ME!!!!!! yeay!!!! with 980 pin falls: followed by Kimi-940, Zura and Keiron

Zura and I at Farana Italian Restaurant

The champ winning throw....STRIKE!!!

Keiron has style... but needs a lil' bit more coaching from me...he,he,he...


Fahana Italian Restaurant

No. 939, New Rama IX Road, Bangkok 10250, Thailand

Tel: 02-369-2366, 02-369-2367, 02-718 3557

A damaging accident in the wee hours of 30.08.08

It was 2.30am and I was posting the earlier entry when out of a sudden, I heard 2 loud bangs; 1 after another within a few seconds. I went to the window and looked down from the 6th floor of our apartment. Ouch!!! I saw a pick-up truck with its bonnet stuck on wall of the apartment guard house and another dented pick up truck on the pavement about 5 metres away. I picked up my purse and the key to my unit, took the lift and walked to the entrance. The guards were there with some other residents who happened to be there while the accident took place. Not wanting to be seen as a 'kaypo chi' I walked past the guard house and went to the 7eleven which is about 50 metres away. I got a bottle of mineral water and a bottle of milk and walked back to the apartment. Oh yes, I brought my phone with me and took the following pictures, as though I was a reporter...he,he,he Since I was very curious to know what actually happened, I asked one of the guys at the scene and was told that the dented pick-up truck on the pavement was stationary, illegally parked at the corner of the entrance to the apartment. The other truck, in the picture below thought the former was moving and ramped into it which made it moved on to the pavement while the latter lost control and swerved into the entrance of the apartment and hit the guard house. Luckily the stationary truck did not hit a lamp post , just a few inches away on the left. After interviewing the witness, I went up happily as I was no longer in doubt!!! Not long after that the police came and followed by a tow truck and towed it to the police station, I guess. Anyway the police station is just about 1 km away. The stationary truck is still in tact as I guess the owner couldnt be located. I'm sure the owner will be very surprised tomorrow seeing that his truck is no longer at the place he parked it but on the pavement about 5 metres away from its original location.

An expensive breakfast on a Friday morning

We had an expensive breakfast at Thong Lo this morning. A bowl of neua soup, a plate of Khor mok khai and a glass of cha dtum yen cost us 270 baht(song roy jet sip baht); 70 baht for the food we ate and another 200baht for unlocking the clamp at our car tyre!!! Well, we parked our car about 5 metres, across the street where we had our breakfast, and when we came back to the car...wallawe...the right, front tyre was clamped!!!

Serves us right for parking at a corner of the road!!! Then, we saw a ticket on the windscreen, in Thai and 500baht (ha roy baht)written on which means that we had to pay 500baht in order to unlock the clamp. So, I took a motor taxi to my office which is about three hundred metres away and bumped into one of my office drivers, Khun Koy, who was going out to run an errand. Instead of running the errand, he had to take me to the police box at Thong Lo junction and talked to the police on duty explaining my situation. The police went on his walkie talkie and told us to wait at the car as someone will 'entertain' us shortly. We walked to the car and waited for about half an hour before a policeman came.

This is Khun Koy, our life saver. He managed to negotiate with the policeman at the police station and paid 200baht instead of 500baht.

Another victim of the day!

Recipe: Som Tum (papaya salad)

Shredded young papaya


Palm sugar

Cherry tomatoes

Kra thiem (garlic), fresh and roasted prik Thai

Steamed shrimps

All ingredients are mixed in the mortar.

A plate of delicious, healthy som tum

Som tum is one of my favourite Thai dishes. It's delicious and takes a few minutes only to prepare.

Ingredients:
1 medium dark green papaya, peeled and shredded
4 garlic cloves
4 fresh or roasted Thai chilies (cili padi);add more if you like it spicy and vice versa
2 cherry tomatoes, diced or halved
1/2 cup chopped long beans, in 1inch pieces

Shrimps, steamed
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon dried shrimps, roasted
1/2 teaspoon palm sugar
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanut

1. In a mortar, crush the garlic cloves, dried shrimps and chilies into chunks.
2. Add in papaya and the remaining ingredients and gently combine them with pestle and spoon.
3. Place the dish on a plate and sprinkle the chopped peanut on it.

Serve immediately.

Sarika Waterfall, Nakhon Nayok, Thailand

Nam Tok Sarika or Sarika Waterfall, is one of the famous waterfalls in Nakhon Nayok province, in Thailand. It is located at Tambon Sarika, Muang District of Nakhon Nayok Province, which is about 15 kilometers east of the township, along Suwannason Road, not far from Khao Yai National Park. Its water stem from Sarika brook flowing from Sarika Mountain. The water falls from a high cliff which makes the current scatter and it has nice, lushes greenery that makes it a great picnic site.

To get there, take Highway No.305 (along Rangsit canal) passing Ongkharak district. It is about 110 kilometers from Bangkok. We left our place at 11am and reached our destination at 1.15pm as we stopped at a mosque on the way for prayers.

Passing Nakhon Nayok little town.

Road going uphill towards Sarika Waterfall

At the main entrance

Entrance fee: Local visitor: Adult-40baht, children-20baht
Foreigner: Adult-200baht, children-100baht
Opening hours: 8.00am-6.00pm

We managed to get the local fee as I spoke in Thai, asking for directions going to the site. If not, it would have cost us a bomb just to be there for three hours.

Walking trail: we had to walk 500m, climbing up and down the trail to get to the site.


Swinging on a branch of a tree


Finally reached the site.

Toilet cum changing room

Just look at how beautiful it is. Keiron couldn't wait to get into the water.

Presenting.... the Sarika Waterfall

Me, reading with my legs dipped in the refreshing cool water of Sarika waterfall.

A plate of nasi lemak, which I cooked, by the Sarika waterfall.

On the way back we stopped by at this stall to get some nam ma prao yen (cool coconut water). They are really fresh and cheap; 10baht each. I had one while Keiron had two.

We also stopped at a Muslim food stall along the way to the waterfall site, selling kai yang bbq chicken, pla duk grilled catfish, som tum (papaya salad) etc.

Che' Daeng, preparing the som tum for us.

Keiron really enjoyed himself playing with water like a lil' boy experiencing his first encounter with a real waterfall...though it was not his first time. I had to coax him to leave and we finally did at 4.30pm. He kept on repeating that he would want to go back again, and have nasi lemak there soon...

Halal food in Cha Am, Thailand

Muslim restaurant in the middle of the little town of Cha Am, heading towards the sea.

Mussels and cockles being sold at a night market in Cha Am. You can get the vendor toboil the seafood for you at no charge at all.

There are many Muslim vendors selling all sorts of food stuffs at the night market. This auntie sells khao tom khai, chicken porridge. which costs 15baht per bowl.

Haneefa and her son, Muhammad buying chicken balls and nuggets.