28 Oct 2008 - Back home

Thai-style fried springrolls

"Jasmine" Rice (not to be confused to the Jasmine resort we stayed in. This was just the name of the rice on the menu)

Duck Tamarind

Tom Yum Seafood with glass noodles. The new Ko Samui airport was quite nice. There was this outdoor shopping street called "Samui Park Avenue", littered with modern brands and fancy-smancy restaurants. We had lunch at this place called "Blue Elephant".

Flight home

Home sweet home. Compared to the other trips I've taken recently Hong Kong, Hanoi, Siem Reap, Jakarta, I didn't take as many photos on this trip. Mostly because I didn't always carry my camera around withh the unpredictable showers. There were a few sights I wished I could have documented. Dinner on the 3nd night was at this quaint little thai seafood restaurant. We had a wonderful fried fish covered with chilli sauce. There were only bones on the plate after that one. I had picked it dry. Lunch on the 4th day was missing as well. We chanced upon this Swedish restaurant run by a nice Swede retiree. The swedish meatballs were really delicious (like Ikea but way way better) and the baked macaroni with melted cheese and brown sauce was excellent too.

I can't say enough good things about the hotel. If you ever go to Samui, definitely go stay at the Jasmine. It's pricer than most places, but IMO well worth it. Lamai is certainly a nicer location than Chaweng. My only regret is that I didn't get to spend more time in Nathon. Nathon town is the kind of place I would really enjoy visiting.

Jakarta 2008

26-28 July 2008 - Weekend to Jakarta for Freddy's wedding

26 July 2008 - Freddy gets married

Many thanks to Andrew for picking us up at the airport and showing us around while Freddy was busy (getting married... heh). He was a wonderfully gracious host (and he would've let us get our right leg massaged as well).

I love Fanta Red. Drank oodles of it at the wedding (no booze... read on)

Can't go wrong with Satay. Unless of course it's questionable parts of sheep. :)

Can't remember the name of this mall, but I loved the decor.

SALE!!!!! FOOD!!!!

Possibly one of the most gorgeous hotel lobbies I've ever stepped into. The rooms must be even more spectacular. Oh dang... I forgot to take photos of the room. ;)

The front of the hotel was lined with wreaths, but not the kind you see at a funeral (then again, Freddy's singlehood has just be buried :D ). I've never seen anything like this before. Gaudy colours and well-wishes. It was very cool.

NOT Freddy and Mei :D

Photo Courtesy of Andrew

That's an ICE tray chilling the fruits. soooo cooool.

Voted "Favourite dish of the night" - Beef Wellington

Peking Duck? Kinda... Those of you accustomed to Chinese Wedding dinners in SIN would be in for a culture shock in JKT. 1. Dinner is not sit-down. 2. It's a buffet. 3. There were more than 1500 guests (and that was a "small" wedding). 4. Just because someone is rich, dressed to the nines with lots of diamonds doesn't mean that someone wouldn't behave like an uncouth hooligan (and that's just some of the women). 5. It started on TIME, and ended by 9pm. 6. The Bride and Groom would've had their hands shaken raw by the end of the night. 7. No booze. 8. No Pork.

"There... Your friends sitting at the corner at the VIP table..."

Mr and Mrs Gan??? ;)

They came, they saw, they didn't get any massages.

27 July 2008 - Sunday in Jakarta

Can you see the joke in this picture?

The place is called Mangga Dua. It's kinda like Sim Lim, Far East and MBK rolled into one huge multi-building structure that's linked by walkways and spanning a mainroad.

Sop Betawi

Rice with patato, beancurd and beef ligament

Laksa