U.S.A: The Way There

I am not free. I have tons of work waiting for me but I'm..as usual..not in the mood. It's 9pm now and it's not time to sleep yet and I'm a bit restless coz no new episodes of my 烈火雄心III.

So let me blog about my US trip.

The trip was planned to attend my sister's graduation. She just recently gotten her MBA from Micheal G Foster, School of Business at University of Washington. Many asked me why would I still want to spend so much money to go to places I've been already. Places like Seattle, San Francisco and Vegas.

I thought about it for a very very long time. Almost 3 months. First, I don't have that kind of money. Obviously. Secondly, I've been to all those places! Third, it probably is not the wisest choice to take 3 weeks leave.

I surveyed all the airlines trying to get the cheapest deal of them all. Needless to say Singapore Airlines is the most expensive. Cathay Pacific is equally pricey. Other budget airlines like United and stuff are just a bit cheaper than SIA. Air China is the cheapest but also the most unsafe as claimed by many. In the end, I grabbed my tickets from Malaysia Airlines because they have this promotion where I could get to and fro Kuala Lumpur<->Los Angeles for RM3500 total. SIA is like RM5800. So it's really a good deal!

Why again, you ask?

It's because my parents would be going. That's why.

Maybe you think I'm dumb to be spending so much for a trip where I could easily get a company business trip to the same places with all expenses paid. But I think what's important is I would be able to spend 3 full weeks accompanying my parents to the States. I rarely get the chance to accompany them anywhere for holiday after I started working. And I rarely go back to my hometown too except for maybe National Day or Chinese New Year like maybe once every 5 months? My parents are old already lah I don't know how long I'd get to accompany them anywhere. I'm afriaid I don't have the chance to do that and I didn't want to regret in the future, looking back and thinking why I didn't want to spend that kind of money to be with my parents.

So there you go. That's why.

The plan is also to visit some of the universities. And possibly the places that I might stay there plus probably just stay there and not come back.

That plan was back in..what? January?

I'm scheduled to travel on June 6th APAC time and reach LA then SF on the same date June 6th Pacific Time. June 6 is my mum's birthday and we purposely planned it so that we can celebrate her birthday there.


#1 My flight


#2 I found out my B1/B2 visa is done on June 6 too!


#3 My security declaration form. Also June 06! okok enough of June 6th wtf.


#4 My flight was from KL in the morning. I stayed over a night in KL so that I don't have to rush down on the same day.


#5 I rarely fly from KLIA. Mostly straight from PG down to Singapore so I'm not quite familiar with KLIA. I didn't know I have to take the tram to my gate! Luckily I go earlier.


#6 My gate. C35.


#7 MAS. My MAS virgin experience to the States.


#8 My first impression is why the seats like so dirty wan. Then I realize it's the color that makes them look dirty. Other than that, everything else looks older than SIA too.


#9 The seat next to me is empty. So I get to put my laptop bag there then I have more leg spaces.


#10 Mine is a non direct flight. It transits in Taipei. 3 hours and 27 minutes of travelling time.


#11 My first in flight meal. Fried rice with chicken. I missed the bun and butter so much! That's what I enjoyed most heh.


#12 In Taipei Airport! Queuing for transit.


#13 I have 1 hour in Taipei. Was hungry and saw bubble tea + popcorn chicken. Damn yummy and I damn hungry lor! But I only have USD with me and I lazy to exchange to RM so..haih. I just went to toilet and brush teeth and freshen up.


#14 The waiting area.


#15 I chose to sit beside the window so that I can see them refuelling the plane.


#16 The boy gave me the mask. I didn't wear it at all so I simply wear a while in Taipei airport coz too free plus simply wear to take photo only. Nobody travel with me have to self entertain lah.


#17 Got back on the plane!


#18 11 more hours! Unlike the previous few times, I really did not look forward to spending SO MUCH time on board. It's mentally and physically tiring. I don't enjoy it at all. Quite torturing seriously esp when I have no one to talk to. But my parents took Singapore Airlines and I can't afford SIA so what to do ler.


#19 My 2nd meal. Rice with Chicken.


#20 My 3rd meal. Fried rice with chicken. ABIT BORING RIGHT ME. I kept choosing chicken ler. And chicken is always with rice not noodle why ah. I don't feel like eating spagetti or anything else though.

Then I didn't take any more photo of my food coz boring already lor. Plus sleepy and a bit pening plus not fully awake most of the time. I kept asking for water water and water. I felt like I'm dehydrated.


#21 AFTER WHAT SEEMS LIKE 1345830 HOURS I FINALLY SAMPAI DI LOS ANGELES! THANK GOD YAY!


#22 I changed from pyjamas into shorts coz..it's supposed to be summer. It's supposed to be very heaty. Coz I asked Candy and she say it's so damn hot almost like Malaysia she dying.


#23 OBVIOUSLY SHE'S LYING LAH Right after I got out of the plane I felt cold wind almost like Genting. I had to walk from Tom Bradley International Airport to Terminal 1 for SouthWest to San Francisco.


#24 Since I have many more hours so I decided to WALK instead of taking the shuttle bus. All the domestic airlines in US will be charging a fee for check in luggage EXCEPT Southwest. Lucky me. No. Should thank my sister coz she sponsored my Southwest flight.


#25 The first thing I bought in LA Airport. Mint with the boy's name.


#26 Sat there at the gate looking at Starbucks thinking whether I should spend the money and buy a hot chocolate coz it's DAMN COLD LAH. Candy lied to me say the weather like Malaysia haih. She forgot what Malaysia is like.


#27 I wore the new Nike. The boy's gift

#28 Finally! The view from my seat. At this time I think I already left like 5% of energy. Need to recharge battery plus really smelly already no shower for so many hours.


#29 I got window seat. The domestic flights all have free drinks + snack. But right after I stored my luggage then I fell asleep. SO NICE TO SLEEP UNTIL I DIDN'T EVEN WAKE UP FOR DRINKS AND SNACK.

I woke up when the pilot announced that they're going to land already wtf. Which is a whole 1.5 hours or so. I woke up then stretched then I heard the guy next to me told the guy next to him "Look! She finally woke up!" WTF. So I told them I've travlled for like 20 hours from Asia and they seem so amazed wtf.

Candy and my parents are already in San Francisco. She got her rental car and picked me up from airport then went back to our hotel. We got the rental car from Budget and stayed at the Travelodge near the airport. I am so glad to see them! The last time I saw Candy was back in December for her winter break. And my parents..what a differnt feeling to see them in US! Their last trip was 20 YEARS AGO!

Checked in and slept for a while. Then get changed to me and Candy's FAVORITE CHINESE RESTAURANT SAN TUNG. Yummy yum! Mei introduced us to this place like 4 years ago and everytime I go to San Francisco I would go at least once.

SUPER NICE WAN I TELL YOU NO REGRET YO.


#30 Candy dropped us to put our name first because San Tung is always full! And worse is we're there on a Sunday. Worse.


#31 San Tung Chinese Restaurant


#32 SEE I TOLD U. ALWAYS FULL. We waited for 1 hour plus that day. Dad kept persuading us to eat at the other restaurant opposite of San Tung coz it's empty haha BUT DAD AIYAH U SEE PEOPLE RATHER QUEUE FOR SAN TUNG FOR HOURS ALSO DOWAN TO GO OPPOSITE THEN U KNOW LAH!


#33 San Tung's famous diced chicken. Super nice yoh. Very crispy plus the sauce omg so good. They have a few famous dishes like this chicken, and almost every table ordered dumplings and their mushu pork and their black bean sauce noodle.

Other dishes are probably just mediocre. Our only purpose to San Tung is for the diced chicken only lah! And no regrets ! I missed it SO SO SO SO SO SO MUCH!!! Haih seriously even now I'm drooling. The chicken really damn good.

We then went to the hypermart and bought water and bread and stuff like that for breakfast the next day.

Travelodge is pretty decent. It's not like the usual Residence Inn that I stay in but I have no complaints considering the price and the condition. I don't remember taking any photos of the place but I'll try to search for it.

More of US trip up next! 2nd day around San Francisco Town.

San Tung Chinese Restaurant

1031 Irving Street,

(between 11th Ave & 12th Ave)

San Francisco,

California 94122.

(+415) 242-0828

No Plastic Bag day

My exbf used to criticize me for "not doing anything meaningful with my life" i.e. recycle stuff. He said he did his part by separating his rubbish from recyclable stuff at home.

*rolls eyes.

Ya I know. Quite wtf right like that also can say me not doing anything meaningful.




And isn't it ironic enough that my boy now owns a recycling company haha. I *ehem* don't do anything meaningful with my life but I found someone who's in it full force wtf.

When I was in the States, I see all the Go Green posters everywhere. My sister's friend invited us over for dinner at her house in Seattle and she told us that they have to separate all their rubbish into different bags. Different kind of recyclable garbage in different bags. All normal garbage would be collected on certain day like Monday and recyclable ones on a different day i.e. Wednesday. If the garbage collectors found everything dumped into 1 bag and if they find certain quantity of recyclable goods in a non recyclable garbage bag then they will fine you.

I think that's a brilliant idea. That will force everyone to do their part. And to think that they actually allocate 1 day to collect your recyclable goods.

Then there's Malaysia.

Going green isn't too big a deal here. But recently all the malls and hypermarts started to practise this "No Plastic Bag" day. They either have 1 counter that is always No-Plastic-Bag counter or they have certain day that they don't provide non environmental friendly plastics.

The Penang government has declared every Monday as "No Plastic Day" beginning July 1.

I didn't know. Obviously.

Coz last Monday in Giant Hypermart I have a whole trolley of groceries, paid and then discovered it's No-Plastic-Bag day. They gave me the option of either purchasing the Giant bag OR RM0.20 for each plastic bag.

Being the cheapo that I am, I refused to buy either. I was thinking it's fine I'll just push the trolley to my car and throw everything into my car. What's the big deal?

The big deal is, I forgot I have to carry everything from my car to my apartment, which is maybe 1000 steps + 12 floors.

Haih. So I end up walking back to my apartment, grab 5 plastic bags and go down again to put everything in to carry back.

I consider that my exercise of the day. And to think that I skipped gym earlier that day coz lazy. wtf.

So all, please remember, don't shop on Mondays. Or bring your own bags!

A Bit Bored.

Today...I worked.

No I lied. I am so god damn lazy now you won't even believe I did nothing the whole day. I just came to work and then did some bullshit of UNIX copying here and there. Pretending to be busy. I hope nobody notices.

Anyone watched Harry Potter? I'm quite a fan but this latest one is a bit disappointing, isn't it? It's lame love stories here and there with everyone. Where's the MAGIC fighting. Sigh a bit wasted my 10 bucks.

I wanted to watch Land of The Lost coz got dinosaurs okay but nobody want to watch with me! I'll just have to force Step to go then. I believe it's quite nice I saw the trailer and..got dinosaurs lor.

I also checked AirAsia website if there's any good deal in December coz Dec 18th is a public holiday (Friday) and 19th is my birthday ehem wtf so if can take 2 days leave then I can go..somewhere already. Taiwan is like RM700 to and fro and Hong Kong worse RM800 to and fro and if go Macau got a bit hope only RM600 to and fro but a bit troublesome coz have to take the ferry over to Hong Kong island. AirAsia can you hear me please have some discounts soon.

cis what am I talking about. Its as if I haven't had holiday for a long long time but I'm on holidays whole year.

Actually that's not true. Poeple kept saying I kept going on vacation. No but if you look closely, I only went to US for 3 weeks and Krabi for 2 working days THE WHOLE YEAR.

THAT'S ALL. A LOT MEH.

Cis. The other trips are all on weekends not on working days okay.

Defensive wtf.

Can you tell Im quite bored right now.

That Last Night In Krabi

During our usual Kayu session, we discussed about our last night in Krabi.

Our last night in Thailand, we decided to go to the Aonang beach pubs. It was a whole stretch of pubs together with loud music blaring and Thai girls shaking their booties on the bars. These girls are bartenders cum prostitutes. You can bring them home with a price. There're also a whole bunch of foreigners having a wild night there dancing, drinking and flirting with no strings attached.



All of us went except the married couples. Needless to say, I honestly think that night is the best night of all 5 days in Krabi. We really partied and had a great night. However, my married friend insisted that he made the right decision by going back to the hotel that night instead of joining us, because couples tend to get into trouble in clubs/pubs if one of them danced with..some other people of opposite gender.

I totally agree with him.

I wouldn't want to go clubbing with Step in KL. I don't think I'd like it if he dances or drinks with other girls in the club. If it's some other cafe, I would be totally fine with it. It's just the pubs and clubs that I didn't like because everyone tends to be more....open. However, I'm fine with him going with his friends without me. In fact, he did still go clubbing nowadays. Even when I'm in KL, I told him it's fine to go ahead and I'll stay home and watch PP stream or something.

However that only applies to KL. The situation is totally different in Krabi.

I didn't just say it. I DID stay for the drinking. When they said they wanted to go pubbing, I didn't give it a second thought and really wanted to go along and danced our last night away. I even kept asking Step to dance and really wanted to see him dancing with those Thai girls haha don't know why! I enjoyed seeing all my friends going crazy haha. It's totally different okay KL girls and Thai girls! haha we're on vacation what!

But then maybe I'm saying that because we're just dating. Maybe if I'm married, I would think differently. Maybe at that time, I would be the one insisting to go back hotel and sleep haha.

You? What do you think? Would you be okay if your bf/gf goes clubbing and dance with other girls? Girls hotter than you are?

Bangkok Part IV

Part I, II and III.

Like I said, we have nothing planned for the day. It was intended to be a very relaxing trip. After the Erawan Shrine visit, we basically just roam around that area and shopped around the malls before we went back to MBK, for food.

After MBK, we walked over to Siam Paragon for Red Mango, which is highly recommended by the boy of which later I found out that it's the usual hangout place for him and his exgf haha so as expected I'm quite reluctant to go also lah. But how can! I'm a grown up woman okay what is there to be jealous about wtf.

Red Mango is a Frozen Yoghurt Cafe. A very expensive one too.


#1 Red Mango. It's a branch from the Los Angeles based company.


#2 You can top your frozen yogurt with fresh fruit toppings. I can't remember how much is it per cup but it's somewhere around 90BHT (I think).


#3 I cannot remember which building it's in. I thought it's in Siam Paragon but obviously I'm wrong because you can see Siam Paragon from Red Mango wtf. So it's opposite of Siam Paragon and you can see the double storey BTS on the right.


#4 We chose Kiwi, Lychee and Peach. More like I chose it because Step always let me decide what I want. Even after he choose it, I'd normally overrule his decision haha.


#5 Hmm. I wanted to say it's not nice because of the whole exgf hangout place thing but then hmph! let me remind you again that I'm a grown up lady okay I don't throw tantrums over small things like this. Tsk as if. Anyway, it's nice lah! I kinda like it. No actually I really liked it haha.


#6 We went to the Suan Lum Night Bazaar for shopping and dinner. My photos are mostly blur because Step's hands always terketar-ketar. He can never take good photos.

After dinner, we shopped in Suan Lum for...........jeng jeng jeng...........half an hour..ONLY! Do you have any idea how big Suan Lum is? And we only took half an hour to walk around? I don't think I have anything to buy except..maybe some food. And Step, he never liked shopping. So we just left after an hour=( Oh but I did buy something. I bought the cushion cover for my mum. It's everywhere in the market.


#7 We took the BTS and cab to the hawkers outside of King Park Avenue Hotel. It was a whole street of hawkers and 7-11 is everywhere there.


#8 We bought this bebola thing.


#9 And the combination of the chilli sauce and the bebola is heavenly.


#10 Then we went to the boy's favorite barbequed Chicken Wing stall. This stall's business is really damn good. Needless to say, we went back almost every night and the boy bought like more than 5 chicken wings each time. Erm...diet? What diet?

We woke up the next day around 10 something and were only out the hotel around noon. We..erm...went back to MBK food court. HAHA I know right! We're so boring we keep going back to same place. No actually the boy wanted to try a lot of hawker stalls out there but I refused because..hello? Do you have any idea how hot it is out there in Bangkok in May! Like crazy hot okay MBK is air-conditioned and the food...nice what. *defensive wtf.


#11 Pad Thai. haha. Again.


#12 I like this chilli powder. Almost every stall you eat in Thailand has this powder. I eat everything with it. Can I find it anywhere in Penang?


#13 FRIED CHICKEN WITH RICE OMG SO GOOD CAN ORGASM WAN.


#14 Beef Noodle. The boy said this is really really nice but I didn't try because I didn't eat beef. No if you're wondering it's not because of Guan Yin Ma or anything. I just don't like beef. I can't eat it because all I can think of is the whole cow in front of me. Ew.


#15 Yah both of us finished all 3 plates. Erm..diet? What diet?


#16 That's not the end! We ordered desserts. Mango with Sticky Rice plus coconut sauce. THIS IS REALLY GOOD I REALLY REALLY LIKED IT. Sigh I'm actually really drooling right now subconciously.


#17 Fried Banana with coconut cream. This is...just okay.


#18 Wah see the greedy face again. I look like I haven't really fully awake but kept eating already.

We decided to do some sightseeing since it's our last day and how can we waste all 5 days just in MBK eating at the food court! So we checked out all the booklets and found this Chao Phraya River tour with Express Boat.



This boat will have many stops. It'll stop you at those tourism spots like temples and stuff such as the famous Wat Pho and Wat Arun then when you're done sightseeing, you can jump back on the boat and it'll bring you to the next station.

Keep in mind though, the boat will not wait for you. It'll drop you and you'll have to wait for the next one to leave. This boat is not just for tourism purposes, it actually is a real transportation mode for the locals to avoid the traffic jam.

So we figured we should for go for this! Can do some sight seeing and then we'll cruise back in the evening through the river and can see sunset. Wah how romantic right.

The only problem is, we only have like less than 100 BHT (RM10) with us. We figured this kind of river tour should cost a lot more than that. So the boy insisted to take the BTS back to hotel (50BHT), get some money then take the BTS to the River tour stop again. We took like maybe 500 BHT out?

AND THE STUPID THING IS THE TICKET FOR THE BOAT IS LIKE 20BHT PER PERSON. To think we went through all the trouble to go back hotel and take money wtf So i laughed at the boy wtf kena con. We summore double checked with the guy and asked him again if it's really only 20 BHT (RM2) per person haha. Cannot believe it's so cheap.

We onyl stopped at 2 Wats. Cannot remember which Wat already but one of it is the Great Sleeping Buddha claimed to be one of the largest in the world or something. We had to pay around RM5 per person to go in I think. SIgh But it's really really boring lor. I really don't enjoy all this temple visiting. They all looked the same to me. So we decided not to kena con again, and just skip all the temples and jsut enjoy the romantic cruise.

Well, it turns out to be not so romantic lah. Just sit for fun and enjoy the wind lah. But we figrued it's better than staying in MBK haha.



#19 Had maggi mee supper outside the hotel. NOT NICE. Really. If you happen to stay in Imm Fusion Sukhmvit, don't waste your money or time at the hawker outside the lobby. They all really sucks to the max.


#20 Best thing to do after whole day of sweating and walking is a hot shower and comfortable bed. I really have nothing to complain about Imm Fusion. The room is nice and clean plus the hotel staff are VERY HELPFUL.


#21 The hotel looks quite new to us.


#22 Shower place.


My flight was at 7 in the morning the next day. And the boy's was in the evening. My plan is to wake up at 4.30am. Brush up and take a cab from our hotel at 5am. Then reach airport at 6am. So I happily set my alarm.

Woke up the next day, brush up and everything according to plan. I wanted to leave the hotel room when the boy asked me to relax and go lie down for a while. I was like HOW CAN? WE'RE LATE ALREADY WE NEED TO GET A CAB. Then I found out I set the alarm 1 hour earlier which is 3.30am and it's only 4am when he told me that.

Why am I like that.

So we drank Meiji Chocolate and ate some bread on the bed for 1 hour then only left for airport. really wtf.


#23 Our only photo in Bangkok! Sigh there's no one to help us take photo the past 4 days so had to ask someone in airport to at least take one.

SO THERE YOU GO.

I finally concluded my Bangkok trip. Phew!

I would definitely go back again. Maybe end of the year? I miss the food and the cheap clothes. And AirAsia flight tickets to Bangkok is getting cheaper and cheaper! But I reckon if I go again I wouldn't stay in Imm Fusion because even though BTS station is few steps away and Tesco Lotus is right across the street, it's too far from MBK! THe hotel's at the end of the Sukhumvit Line so I'll probably search for one that i around MBK. hohohoho So that I can eat there everyday.

That's all folks. U.S. trip photos up next!

Red Mango

4th Floor,

Siam Center.

Suan Lum Night Bazaar

62, LangSuan Road, Lumpini,

Patumwan,

10330 Bangkok, Thailand.