Bangkok - Day No. 2

Yesterday was a day out into the outskirts of Bangkok. Skyscrapers, mega shopping malls and the sleazy "service industry" aside, Bangkok's outskirts was charming and fresh, as with city outskirts in other parts of the world, namely Beijing.

We signed ourselves up for a half day cycling tour to "see fish farms, shrimp farms, rice fields, talk to the local farmers", with the highlight being a delectable home style lunch prepared by the village chief's Mrs. Indeed, the highlight was delicious! Simple but really really delicious. Perhaps we were hungry from cycling a few hours in the sun. But still, the hoi sin kangkong, tom yam chicken, seafood vemicelli, and a very very simple egg omelette totally whetted our appetites. With our bicyles safely parked under a tree (without having to chain it like a prisoner in Guantanamo, as Olof said it), we headed into the village chief's shed (yes, it was a shed, with no walls or any concrete) and sat at a table already laid out with cutlery. The chief tends a rice field, shrimp farm and a fish farm, just like any other farmers in the same village.

Although we never met him, his humble abode was not flambyoyant and his gentle-mannered wife was certainly nothing other than friendly and amicable, although she, like many fashion conscious Thai woman, had colored hair and Chanel-red lipstick on. The TV was rumbling on in the background all the time when we were there. The ladies looked at it only every now and then. Most of the time they were staring into space, into the rice fields or at us. Their way of life was indeed quiet and tranquil, and we appreciated that. But perhaps only for an afternoon, said Olof. Too much of that will bore us to death, I reckoned.

We, urbanites, complained all the time that city life is very hectic, stressful and unfulfilling. Yet, our longing for a more simple way of life lasts no more than an afternoon. After a few hours into the real rural, we can't wait to go back to the exciting, happening, and comfortable urban living again. What wretches are we!

Honorary mention of Olof here that he was quite sun-burned from a day out beside the pool at our hotel on Saturday. We were excited (perhaps abit too over) and went crazy over finally being able to bask ourselves in our newly-bought swimwear (of course with the intention to show off to the Bangkok-nites) under the sun (to be precise, it was cloudy actually) THAT we totally omitted the sun block. That was really reckless. My mom eventually pushed the blame to me on Olof's sunburn. "A seasoned sun-baker like you should know better!" she screamed. She was quite right. I was slightly burnt too, but Olof looked like a cooked lobster, oh man. Very delectable, except you have to remove quite some hair before digging in, perhaps.

We ended up having to do damage control by smearing ourselves with layers and layers of moisturisers. Our last check this morning: Olof's red is slowing fading away. My nose is beginning to peel.

Waiting at the airport now to embark on our next journey to Koh Samui, we can't wait to dive into the clear sea waters and play with the fishes and be awed by the rainbow-colored coral reefs. Hopefully no more sun burn... but more sun kisses....

Start of our vacation... not quite smooth...

It has been rather rainy in Beijing the whole week, up till the very moment when our plane was supposed to take off from Beijing Capital International Airport. We had already expected that there could be delays due to the bad weather. But to our surprise, there was no calls for delays.

So we boarded the plane on time, fastened our seat belts as gently reminded by the air crew a million times, and waited quietly (abeit patiently) for the plane to take off in a what we felt was a sauna cabin. After what seemed like a very long wait, I checked my clock. Oh, it was already 25 minutes passed the departure time. We got no announcements from the crew until an overweight passenger raised the question (most likely because he couldn't handle the heat anymore). THEN, an announcement came over the broadcasting system that the air-conditioning on the plane was faulty and they were scrambling to repair it.

Not a good start, I thought. After another 10 or so minutes of waiting, I saw the ground crew unloading our bags onto carriages.

"Where are our bags going?!" I exclaimed at Olof.

Then THE announcement came.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, due to a technical fault, we need to change to another plane. We are sorry for the inconvenience caused."

After an hour's wait, so there was a technical fault and this piece of old scrap metal couldn't take off.

Without telling us where we'll be taken next, the crew rounded all of us up onto the airport ground bus and whizzed us to one of the waiting areas in this huge maze of airport gates. Without asking, the crew were not obliged to tell you how long you have to wait and information as such. It IRRITATED me to the core. IRRITATE... IRRITATING... IRRITATION... Simply IRRITATING... Ok, I am rumbling on now... You can see despite more than 10 hours later, I am still irritated. Back to the story...

After another hour's waiting, finally we were asked to go onboard again. I began to wonder if we will be boarding the SAME plane. It was almost impossible to tell, given all planes of the same kind are like birds of the same family - they all look alike. All we can do was to hope that they have the slightest moral to not risk our, as well as their, lives. Another half hour after going onboard, the plane finally lifted itself into the dark skies.

I can't help but to salute this Olympics 2008 Official Airline partner for its IMPECCABLE and UNBEATABLE service attitute. I don't consider myself as someone who travels often and yet I met with last night's circumstances. I pity those who are their frequent flyers. Perhaps it was only necessary to offer ACCEPTABLE service during those few months, thereafter die hard old habits can't wait to kick in again.

A first class international airport deserves a first class airline. Right now, without a doubt, it is a TOTAL mismatch.

It is saddening to see people belonging to the same country bear hatred deep as such for their fellow countrymen that they will pick up knives to kill. For the Uighurs, their act was one of retaliation towards oppression by the Chinese govenment, a demonstration catalysed by a deadly brawl between a couple of Han people and Uighurs in a factory in southern China.

On one hand, it is commendable that people stand up for their own men, that they want to see justice done. But for those who lost their lives, including the perpetuators, what is the point?

None. Blind hatred has no point. I simply hate you. I hate you for being a Chinese. I hate you for responding to the leaders' call to move into my home soil. I hate you for fighting survival with us, even though you may not be better well off than me.

Ultimately, these two peoples perhaps don't see themselves as belonging to the same country. They were forcibly brought together due to the doings of some. Some who own power and authority; who have the prowess to imagine that with a swing of the wand, they can dispel deep-rooted differences.

Ran like we have never ran before

We had a police car that steered away other traffic and led the way for us. What an honor!

Running across the finishing line of Lidingöloppet Changchun was a fulfilling moment for myself, and not the least for Olof, although he has done this umpteen times before.

I clocked 41min25secs for 7.5km, while Olof clocked at an estimate of 33min (he did not check his results immediately at the finish line station).

*results are out! I am 20th place and Olof's 21st! If you are interested, check out the results listing here: http://www.nordicways.com/english/index.php/viewnews-582.html *


We have been training for this race since February. Initially, I underestimated the difficulty of this race because I thought, "Cheh, it's only 7.5km. Should be quite managable." But Olof told me otherwise. Why? The terrain. And indeed he was right.


Running 7.5km on flat surfaces is easily managable, but not on hilly terrains where the upslope can be as steep as 45 degrees. I seriously almost passed out climbing them. Yes, there was not one, but many such steep upslopes.


We were satisfied with our performances. But more significantly, the race brought Olof and I even closer (we were already quite inseparable to start with *grin*). It was akin to working as a team and achieving something together. The feeling was amazingly great. That's what building a family together is all about, isn't it?


Although the day was less than perfect with a bumpy flight back to Beijing, it ended with a quiet and tranquil dinner at a Thai retaurant. My beloved husband, as usual, mapped out our future plans on the back of his torn and tattered e-boarding pass during the flight and showed it to me over dinner. Big plans are usually hatched at the most unusual of times and inscribed on the most unusual of scripts.


Our big plans will slowly unravel themselves as we begin our year no.2 in Beijing and we believe it is going to be another exciting year ahead.

a farn day out at a farm

We affluent metropolitan dwellers are always on the prowl for fun things to do in the maze of a mega city. Amongst the expat community in Beijing, the latest "activity" fashion is to go out to the suburbal farms/orchards and pick fruits and vegetables.

*grin* So Olof and I happily drove 1 hour out to Beyond Organic Orchard in Shunyi to pick apricots! Embarassingly, I did not know what fresh apricots looked like before this. Hhhmm, do you?

Rumours have it that this orchard used to be a play ground for the Chinese riches but has since been abandoned. It is not officially certified as organic but no chemical fertilisers have been used on the soil before, hence it can be "counted" as organic. Of course, there is more than just using chemical fertilisers in organic certification. Anyhow, we were two happy "fake" farmers ready to harvest fruits of the hardwork of the real farmers.

We arrived, in fact, a little late and missed the rest of the group, who diligently woke up super early in the morning to pick the freshest of the cohort. Under the early afternoon sun, we took with us two pails and walked briskly on the soft soils to the endless rows of apricot trees. But we were a little disappointed when we began hunting for ripe fruits to pick. It seemed that the morning "fake" farmers have picked most of the ripe fruits, leaving us with infantal ones to ravage. A little disheartened, we wandered deeper into the orchard, hoping to spot some orange fruits hanging from the trees while we fended off bugs of all sizes and kinds and grass of all cuts and heights.

"Darling!" I shouted. "Look at this tree!"

There it was - branches full of round and orange apricots beckoning us. The two buckets were filled to the brim in no time - almost 5 kg in total.

We were two happy farmers now.

I have had many embarassing moments in my 30 years of life thus far, and last night's saga has just added itself into the honorary category of the list..

It was a beautiful evening, fulfilled with good Italian food and wines. I have just had a 2-hour cooking class with the chief chef of a Italian restaurant at a 5-star hotel in the lovely company of 4 classmates.Everything was perfect until I heard a clanging sound coming from my mouth.My tongue rushed to feel the two newly fitted crowns on my two front teeth.To my (expected) horror, the left one had come off! I bore in mind every single piece of not-to-do advice my dentist so laboriously gave me and I was certain I adhered to everything she said. Guess what I was eating when the crown came off? It was the dessert! A lump of harmless, soft and jiggly pudding!

My best friend in Shanghai said I was lucky that the crown did not come flying out of my mouth and hit the glamorous lady sitting opposite me. But my departure was less than glamorous.
I jumped up from my chair like I just got a bee sting on my butt and dash to the bathroom at rocket speed. My dinner mates must have been quite shocked, but I couldn't care less. I just had to check. With a front tooth missing, I looked totally horrible! Well, I guess nobody can possibly look enchanting with a gap in your gap, unless I am an endearing granny or in my best friend's terms - Bo Gei Auntie (toothless middle age woman in Singlish). How apt! Without my two crowns, I certainly fit the call of Bo Gei Auntie!

Reckoned that I could not simply disappear by the bathroom's back door (there wasn't any anyway), I walked back towards the cheery dinner group, my brain spinning like the Russian Roulette comtemplating an exit plan. A less than embarassing exit plan. My evil angel laughed, "Stupid woman! What kinda glamorous excuse can you come up with?!" The less than one minute walk back to the dinner table was torturous. Truth. Just tell the truth, I decided. And tell it fast.

So I announced to everyone that I had a dental emergency, that the food was great, that the chef was lovely, that I had wonderful evening, that I did not blame them my crown came off. Perfect! Then I dashed off to the taxi stand in space-shuttle speed. The driver, seemingly knew that I was in the most hurry, never wasted a second on the road. Whizzing past vehicles and taking advantage of every possible gap, I thought he was Men In Black. I arrived at the clinic in less than 30 minutes.

My "life-saving" dentist (she was last night, but after she executed "CPR" on me, I felt like strangling her) said the composite filling, together with the supporting dental post and some parts of my original tooth had broken off. Without a second word, she got down to work to set the crown back again. The procedure took one tormenting hour. The whole time in the dental chair I thought to myself, "If this can happen once, it can very well happen again!" When I could finally speak again, I asked her why it can break so easily. The explanation sounded simple: I have now very little of my left tooth left and so composite filling need to be used to artificially lengthen it in order for the crown to fit. So of course, the glue line can break easily.

EASILY was the word that kept ringing in my ears. She continued to add fears to my already weak heart that if it breaks again, then I will have to set a crown on the tooth's neighbour as well, so that the small brother can shoulder some of the weight of the big one. I wanted to pass out.

I walked out of her clinic feeling as down as the rat in the drain. Perhaps the rat is happier because at least it has strong front teeth to nibble its favorite cheese. I don't, not anymore. To a certain extent, I regretted consenting to this dental procedure. Not that I was forced into it or got it done for free (I paid some freaking few thousands RMB!!), I was lured by its cosmetic effect and seemingly minor interuptions to my normal life. I have had composite filling on my root canals for more than 10 years and I was able to crunch apples and break peanuts without effort. But not now anymore. Dentist said I should from now on AVOID using my two front teeth, sorry crowns to be exact, for ANY ingestion of food. No more biting a burger off its whole. No more nipping the edges of an ice cream cone. Perhaps even no more french kisses!

The lesson learnt? Be aware of the dangers lurking at home. My beautiful front teeth were destroyed because of a slip outside the bathroom. This led to a root canal dental procedure that went wrong. And now a crowning procedure that did not make things better.

Picnic Renaissance

We are very into picnicking recently to the extent.... I researched a little about the origins of picnic!! According to wikipedia, the word picnic originated from the french word pique-nique, where its first usage is traced back to 1692. It was used to describe a group of people dining in a restaurant who brought their own wine. In the early 19th century, there existed even a Picnic Society! The Londoners started it. Now, I am itching to revive it! *wink*

The good summer days in Beijing are indisputably charming and enjoyable. Although this mega city pales pathetically in comparison to European cities, especially the Scandinavian ones, in terms of nature and air quality, on days when the weather and air quality are both good, there is every reason for us to rejoice. Finding a green santuary in Beijing that is away from traffic and PEOPLE takes some effort. But thank goodness there are a number of mega parks (yes, nothing in Beijing is never mini) where sun-suckers like us can busk ourselves under the UV rays for a negligible RMB5 admission fee. However, one always run into the risk of fighting for a small green space in the mass of parks with 16 million people. But when luck is with you, when everyone else is distracted by something that is going on at the other end of town, you find no other souls than yourself spreading out over a football-field-sized grass patch. Nifty!

BUT! Before heading out straight to the park, you've gotta equip yourself with the essentials of making your picnic a success. Sun-block and sunglasses are a must. Then gastronomy. We had tried coffee, and recently beer!

The latter was thirst quenching and cooling under the big hot sun. But coffee and tea are equally charming and desirable. Fruits and sandwiches make also good companions to a lovely picnic. I realised recently that strawberries can taste good with coffee! Now entertainment. Kites and frisbies are common sights at the parks. Jinxed enough, we bought a kite (in Sweden!) that was probably a NASA engineering feat. We couldn't fly it, SIMPLY couldn't. We sought help from a picnic compatriot who seemed to be a kite expert. He managed to get the kite into the skies, but never more than a minute. Us? Not more than 10 seconds. BUT! We have at least proved this kite can fly! How pathetic we are! Ha!

Oh! And we realised that Beijingers go to parks not only to enjoy the sun and "fresher" air, some kinki young couples went with an intimate agenda. They brought all they need to ensure they have privacy even in the most public of places. Tents!

Over a large green field, we occupied a shady patch under the tree, laid ourselves over the soft beach towel and gaze into the clear blue skies. Then came along a young Chinese couple, who are, in my accordance, not dressed appropriately for such a big hot day, who pitched a tent behind us under ANOTHER shady tree. It all started out like any other picnic - sipping a soft drink, flying a kite. After less than half an hour, we realised they had retreated into their little blue tent. Oh man, the rest is up to your imagination. At first, the door flap was up but the next time we turn around, the flap was already down and I swear to whatever-the-what that the tent was shaking! This would have been unimaginable just 10 years ago, I believe. And the next time we turn around again, they have already packed up and left.

This incident probably wouldn't have left an impression and warrant a mention in this post had it not given my husband some great ideas for our next picnic outing. I have just got you hooked onto our next picnic outing blogpost, haven't I? *grin*