This year, we celebrated my birthday in a slightly different way. We didn't celebrate it on the exact date because it was a Friday and I had to work. But nevertheless, I still got loads of birthday wishes from everyone in different form of media like sms, facebook, email, phone and by mouth. B had a spectacular idea. She prepared food for a nice and sweet picnic at the park to celebrate my birthday the next day.


It was a simple picnic but I loved it so much. We headed to the park early in the morning to skip the traffic. We brought Apple Sparkling Juice, Grapes, Potato Salad and my favourite egg sandwich.


As usual, I brought along my camera and was sort of scolded for that. Whenever I had my camera around, I had the tendency to start shooting away as if it's a photo shoot. B told me to sit down and enjoy the picnic and stop fooling around with the camera. Which I did but reluctantly at first. To my astonishment, I did enjoy myself entirely that day after putting down my camera. The food prepared were delicious and spectacular.


Thanks B so much for preparing this lovely picnic for me and I'm never going to forget about it. Happy Birthday to Me! :D

Yes, this truck happened to be over at Sunway Pyramid. The Coke Semangat Truck coincidentally appeared in my plans for New Year Eve. As most of you know, from my little collection, I'm a Coke fan. The Semangat truck came to Pyramid in the morning bringing lots of joy.

New Year Eve is the ultimate milestone for every person on Earth to rethink what they've done for the past 365 days. Some would brag about their 2011 achievements, some would list out their top ten events of the year, some would stay at home and don't give a damn, but for me, it's always going to be the same old tradition, to bring Fann out on a simple but delicious dinner and document her smiles with my camera.

This year, Coke's surprise for the Semangat Truck gave our New Year Eve plans a little bit more spice and flavour. It was fun despite the hot weather. Coke really made every one of us a happy soul. They really know how to bring joy to everybody. That's why I love Coke, no it's not because they are red.

As we walked to the entrance, we heard the Coca-cola jingle and there came the Semangat truck, just like in the youtube video. Fann & I ran towards the truck and were very excited. Fann was the first one to bump the 'Tekan' button.
We got lots and lots of Coke but Fann danced around the coke truck and guess what she got? A beautiful red Coke Tumbler! hehehe...

Surprisingly, not many people queued up for the truck. I guess it was too early in the morning. However, we met a couple of hardcore fans who were chasing the truck from one end to the other. They told us they would follow the truck to it's final destination up to KLCC. Well, I had a movie to catch that day, so I didn't bothered. Fann gave me the tumbler as a New Year gift and I'm very very happy. Thanks B!

Well, New Year Eve didn't end at the truck. After the movie, we went for dinner at our favourite restaurant - Bubba Gump Shrimp. It wasn't much, but it's more than enough to give my lovely girlfriend a good treat and show her how much she means to me.

We had the delicious Scampi and my old time favourite, the Shrimps' Heaven. DELICIOUS to it's every bite. After dinner, we headed back to my apartment to skip the traffic and to wait for the New Year fireworks. We had a private view of the city with a bottle of sparkling juice.
Although the fireworks aren't as magnificent as the other fireworks I've seen overseas. It's still considered a great occasion and something to celebrate about.
It's not always about fireworks or how much money you spend. It's about how much love you give and get. You cherish every moment of your time with that special someone. You get to spend every start and ending with the person you loved most in your life. I am blessed to have a very loving family and also a wonderful and loving girlfriend, whose always there for me. You know you're lucky when everyday you wake up, you have someone to talk to and share your happiness with. That someone deserves a kiss every day. I love you, B.

Here's a video from Coke about the Sunway Pyramid Semangat Truck.

Our trip to Bangkok is coming to an end really soon. There was one more important thing to do and it's Fann's favourite; Shopping! We started our shopping trip early in the morning after breakfast. We took the free tuk-tuk from the hotel to the nearest BTS station (Saphan Khwai BTS Station).
Knowing that the Bangkok skytrains moves around the major city commercial areas, it's the best and cheapest way to travel to the malls. Also, it helps you skip the annoying city traffic too. Our first destination was the famous Mah Boon Krong (MBK). To get there, you need to travel to the station called National Stadium and it directly connects to the mall entrance.
This legendary mall is famous amongst locals and foreigners. It has eight floors packed with about 2,000 shops that sell everything from clothing, fashion accessories, handbags, leather products and luggage to furniture, mobile phones, cameras, films and DVDs.The shops in this mall are organised according to floors. You'll find entire floors dedicated to shoes and handbags, fashion and clothing, mobile phones and furniture. Also, like most of Bangkok's malls, you'll find a large food court there.

As we strolled along the mall, we saw some locals gathering around a small TV of a shop. Being very busybodies, we took a peek and noticed that they were watching the King's live telecast of His birthday celebration on TV. Only to remember that on the 5th of December was their King's birthday. It was a huge holiday for the Thai people and I'm guessing that the crowd in the malls is going to be massive.

MBK was somewhat like a beter version of Sungai Wang back in Kuala Lumpur. If you're not worried about authencity of brands, then MBK is your choice for malls. Fann bought some clothes there and I myself bought some cool things for my Coke collection.
We went to Siam Paragon mall next. This mall was closest to the BTS station called Siam. It's also just right next to the station. This mall is more of a higher class mall. Lots of rather branded shops in it. It's more of a Starhill Plaza for KL people. Here at the Paragon, we didn't get to purchase anything because most of the things there, we couldn't afford. We strolled around a little and then left the place in half an hour.
Our next stop was to the Platinum Fashion Mall. The name of the mall says it all. It's Fann's fashion heaven. I gotta warn you, this mall is filled with CLOTHES! We walked an awful distance just to get to this mall, because it's Fann's MUST GO on her shopping list.

Getting to this mall requires some stamina. The closest BTS station to Platinum is Ratchathewi Station. The walk from the station to this mall takes roughly 10-15mins by foot. So, if you're a princess who doesn't walk outside of malls, just take a cab. It's also the first time I've seen Fann so hardcorely walk this distance - just for shopping duh~
Well, Platinum is one hell of a place in terms of the amount of clothes they have and the crazy crowd. It's really crazy in there. In just 15 mins, you can see in Fann's arms how many clothes she's holding. The shops there are really tiny but there's like thousands of these tiny shops in every floor. Each of these tiny shops are tons of female shoppers. I can't believe my eyes. This clearly proves how powerful women can be when it comes to grabbing clothes.
We had our dinner at Platinum and after that, we just decided to leave the place because my feet were killing me and we have just enough bahts to take us back to the hotel and a good massage. On the way back, we saw the most extraordinary thing ever.

We saw people gathering outside by groups. We thought that there was a show. We tried to get pass the crowd in order to get to the station but we more and more people gathered. They were holding a lit yellow candle and some with flowers. They were all looking towards the direction of another small TV. It looked awkward until I noticed that they were chanting songs and the TV screen was showing the King. They were singing to the King, each and every one of them.
It was a very touching scene and we were there to experience it. All the people, young and old gathered together with candles and sang. It was a lovely moment. We tried to walk to the station but we met another gather in another mall on the way. Everywhere we looked, they were in groups with candles and they all stood together and sang. Some left the shops opened while some still dressed in their working outfits.
This really made me feel how much they respected and loved their King. You could feel the strong sense of unity they had. Makes you wonder for being a Malaysian, doesn't it? Well, no wonder everyone was in love with the Thais. Their sense of respect and patriotism is worth a say and worth a learning too. According to the staff at Mystic Place, this celebration was really huge. Why? It's because in Thai culture, they set the milestones by a cycle of 12 years. This year at 2011 was the King's 7th cycle, meaning the King was 84 years old. That's why it was a hugely celebrated birthday for the King.
I've also broken myself a record while in Bangkok. I managed to buy 20+ T-shirts in just a mere 3 hours. That is one hell of a record for a person who doesn't normally shop for clothes unless forced by Fann. After getting our well deserved massage, we headed out for supper at the street stalls near the hotel again. Just one last time for our mouth to savour those delicious street food until we're back to KL to eat those nasty black noodles.
As my trip ended, we were very glad that it all went well despite the stupid Air Asia delay. We saw beautiful places that Bangkok had and we also felt the beautiful hearts that the Thai people had too. After this trip, Bangkok has been listed as one of my most favourite destination of all.

After so many posts about our trip to Bangkok, let's take a break from the trip and let me introduce you all to the cool place that has been taking good care of Fann & I while we're in Bangkok. The hotel (or Bed & Breakfast) is called Mystic Place Curious Rooms, Bangkok. It's not something you would rate a 5 star hotel for, but it's worth a mention and a good brag. Mystic Place is one of the best places to stay. It's unique in it's own way and just for the girls, it's so freaking near the Chatuchak Weekend Market.
It's what modern people call, an artsy fartsy boutique hotel. It has 36 rooms specially designed with beautiful and exotic themes that you can choose from. It's best for couples who loves nice designs and are fed up with conventional hotel luxury. Well, because the hotel is a recycle of old apartments, each and every room is carefully designed based on the structure of the old apartment. For example, one of the rooms we stayed, had the old stairs sealed up and what's remained has been converted into a shower. It's quite crazy but I love the idea.
It was great that they had their facebook constantly updated about the flood situtation in Bangkok. The flood had struck Chatuchak Market before we went there and we were quite worried that it would affect our trip. Fortunately, the flood resided and Chatuchak was back to business. Mystic Place was very lucky as it was not affected by the flood although the water was getting near. We were happy to hear that everything was fine and nothing affected our trip at all, except for the flight delay.
And what makes them the BEST, is that they have one of the friendliest and most helpful staff I have ever met in the world. Every morning when we wake up, they would warmly greet us and serve us with very homey breakfast. When we ask them for directions and if they aren't familiar, they'd be so lovely as to help us check online and made sure we got the precise information. They'd also help us confirm our table with the cruise company we had booked earlier on. Also, if you needed a chat, they'd always be there to talk to you. They really know how to make you feel like home.

For every night you stay here, you get free breakfast the next day. It's nothing fancy but it's something good to fill your tummy and gets you ready to continue your big adventure in the mysterious city of Bangkok. BTW, I love the french toast that they made. So, don't forget to try them. Also, remember to wake up earlier as breakfast starts at 7am. Don't worry about your sleepy eyes, because the breakfast cafe is decorated in vibrant and beautiful colours that will keep you awake and feel energetic.
The entire hotel is filled with many colours, and it really amazes me. Especially the corridor outside our room. I'm sure this hotel has spent a reasonable amount of effort to have designers design the entire hotel from wall colours to decorations and from building restructure to finding the best staff.

For the rooms, they are indeed the unique selling point of all. 36 rooms with individual themes and the best part is, if you stay more than 3 days with them, you get to change to one more room for free. So, that's what we did. We just couldn't get enough of the rooms. I'm sorry I only shot one of the rooms because I was too occupied with my schedule there and never intended to write about it in my blog until I realized how special this hotel meant to me and my trip. We stayed in Rooms #211 and #409. Both these rooms were special but I prefered the #409 more because of my fond of colours. What's special about this room, is that there's this wall full of post it notes. This is where you can leave a message when you stay here.
409 is a rather quite unique room of it's own. Besides having so many colours and a feature wall to play with, it has this little mystery inside too. If you wanna know what I mean, don't hesitate and try this room out. For those techno saavy kids out there, don't worry. There's free Wi-Fi within their hotel compound.
Furthermore, many of us love to come toThailand to experience one thing they are famous for, their massage service. Getting your massage is one of the must do things when you come to Bangkok. Fortunately for Mystic Place, they have their own massage parlour, just right in their compound. Their massage services includes Traditional Thai Full Body Massage, Leg Massage, Shoulder Massage and many many more. For the 5 days I stayed in Bangkok, I had gotten my massage for 3 days. The final one was just right before I left for the airport. I just couldn't get enough of it. Getting an hour massage here is only about THB200-300. The price is very reasonable and they really do a great job. If you have the time, try everything on the menu. It's rather addictive.


Food is not a worry when you stay here. There's plenty of food eveywhere you turn. Once out of the Mystic Place gate, street food is scattered everywhere in this area. There's pork chops, wantan noodles, pork satay, coffee & toast, kuey tiaw soup, and more just to name a few. It's literally just a few steps away. Also, 7-11s are just walking distance away. The Thai people tend to love having supper at late hours, just like us Malaysians. So, this means that you don't have to worry if you're getting hungry at odd hours.
I'm definitely gonna tell you this was my favourite. After staying in K.L for 6 years, I had never eaten a decent bowl of wantan noodles (please suggest me one that is nice). Never have I thought that I have finally found the one true BEST wantan noodle which is in Bangkok. I am truly in love with this particular wantan noodles. Call it the baa mee giao nam moo daeng or Egg Noodle Soup with Wantans. You can order either dry or soup. Fann & I loved the dried noodles and it comes with the best pork bone soup. It tastes simply heavenly. Makes me drool when I think about it.
Now, traveling to your destinations are pretty easy when you're staying at Mystic Place. You have three options to travel from here. 1 is the Hotel's free tuk tuk service, 2 is the old school taxi  and 3 is the BTS (Bangkok Skytrain). So, as you all know, getting to your favourite Chatuchak Weekend Market is the easiest, just hop on the hotel's free tuk tuk service and they'll get you there in approximately 5 mins.

Important Tip: Don't forget to bring along your hotel card, so that you can easily find your way home by either taxi or tuk tuk, because the hotel's tuk tuk only sends you there but doesn't send you back.
 

The BTS can travel to most of Bangkok's commercial areas especially the shopping malls but unable to get to the Grand Palace and some temples. So, you know when to use this. Traveling back from the BTS is also very simple. Just remember your station, called Saphan Kwai Station and walk down towards the opposite direction of wherethe tuk-tuk left you and take a metered cab and you'll get to Mystic Place in just about 3 mins.

Last but not least, how to get to and fro the airport. Well, for me we had booked the shuttle service that was provided by Mystic Place themselves. The fee was THB900 and they would have someone pick you up from the airport. Although considered expensive, I rather have this service when I'm there because I don't like the hassle of telling the taxi driver where my hotel was especially in a country that I'm lost in translation. Another good thing about getting the shuttle service is that, you know you are paying for the best service and their transport is very very comfortable. We got the chance to ride in their big sized taxi fitted for 6. Their driver was very friendly as well, this made us worried less about transportation and we could relax on our way to the hotel.
Now, getting to the airport is very easy as well. Before leaving, you can ask the hotel staff what time you should leave from the hotel. After checking out, the staff will help you to grab a taxi and you will be on your way to the airport. The cost for the taxi varies but the meter is estimated to be around THB225 if you take the highway (please note that you have to pay for the highway tol yourself, which is about THB80), so just prepare yourself with roughly about THB500.

We were very glad that we stayed at this hotel. Despite it's further distance to the city centre, we got what we paid for, which was the great service and the comfortable stay. As said, we really felt like home and nothing else beats that. I would come back to this hotel the next time I visit Bangkok. Lastly, I would like to thank all the wonderful staff at Mystic Place for taking good care of us and letting us know that this curious place is where I can call my second home.

I have recommended a few of my friends who is visiting Bangkok to Mystic Place, and I'm doing it again right here in my blog. So, check out their website by clicking here. You can also email them (info@mysticplacebkk.com) if you have any queries, they will reply you promptly and you just sit back and relax. I would rate this hotel a 4.7 out of 5.0.