The Amazing Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology

July 26, 2015, 10:30 am

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After weeks of not blogging about my Hanoi trip (which was a trip I made about 2 years ago - wow! how time flies!),  I am now back with a new post!

Continuing from where I left off, which was my temple hopping activity at West Lake, I spent the remaining part of the afternoon at Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology.



Since the museum was located quite far from West Lake, I took a taxi there. The entrance ticket was priced at 40,000 Dong (US$1.80)



I paid an additional 50,000 Dong (US$2.30) for the license to take photos with my camera. If you are using your handphone to take pictures, you probably do not need to tell them. I don't think anyone checks!



The museum is divided into indoor and outdoor areas. Because of lack of time, I did not cover the outdoor area, which is a pity as the outdoor exhibits are supposed to be more interesting.



The good news is, I actually managed to return to Hanoi early this year and visited the outdoor area of the museum. So expect a blog post on that in the future. LOL.

At the ground floor lobby of the museum was a tall Ritual Pole used during Thanksgiving Festival.



This ritual pole is for the ritual buffalo to be tied to and a "universal tree" that connects the spirit world with human beings.



The museum covers all the main minority ethnic groups in Vietnam and signs and displays are in English. There are also a lot of audiovisual displays too.



A big signboard welcoming visitors in different languages.



A water puppet.



Betel nut box and an oboe played during festivals.



Interesting displays of money counter.



And a ruler to measure pigs. Yes, you read that right. Pigs.



This is an amazing sight! A bicycle loaded with more than 800 wooden and bamboo fish traps!




Conical hat making in Chuong village.



A display of water puppets used in water puppet shows - a performing art created during the 10th century.



Closer shot of the water puppets.






Ancient musical instruments.



Religion of the Four Worlds, which is popular in northern Vietnam, where the system of spirits is imagined like an imperial court ruling the four worlds - Sky, Earth, Water and Forests.



Closer shots of the displayed items









Below are photos depicting a spiritual possession ceremony, where spirits are invited to possess the female performer to reveal the activities of the sacred world.



These photos show the age-old tradition of chewing betel in Vietnam.



OK, I don't quite remember what this is about, but I believe it's about children traditional games. I suppose the lion head shows they have lion dance during their festivals.



Not sure what these animal masks are all about! LOL!



And this - anyone knows?



Boys like to play spinning tops.



Paper toys gifts.



The photos below depict some of the games children play. During summer and autumn, they like to fly kites. In spring, they play on swings and grasshopper and cricket competitions are organized.



Not really sure what this is, but ....



...these are objects to protect children, although I am not sure how.



Ritual dolls for hat boi singers. Hat boi, by the way is a dramatic art form (popular during 14th century Tran Dynasty) combining singing, dancing and instrumental music around a play. Don't know about you, but I find them creepy.



Dong Ho woodblock pictures. These are hand-made woodblock prints used especially for Tet, or the Vietnamese New Year.



Wood carving and engraving are traditional handicraft in Vietnam. Some of the tools used in wood carving.



A carving of two mice found on the bridge of Vo village in the Bac Ninh province.



Ceramics



Just like the Chinese people, each Vietnamese family has an altar for their ancestors usually placed in the most beautiful part of their home.



This is a bamboo lunar calendar. Wonder how does one read it?



A knife with lizard carving.



A fish basket.



A crossbow.



Guess what this is? It looks like a trap doesn't it? Yes, it's a porcupine trap!



A Muong funeral. Muong is one of the ethnic minority tribes in Vietnam. I suppose the one dressed in blue is the ritual master whose job is to console the dead and guide them to their ancestors. The coffin, dug in a tree trunk, is covered in traditional fabric.



The children of the deceased are dressed in white for mourning. However, daughters-in-law wear red dresses, which is in direct contrast to the Chinese people who will never allow that! Red, to the Chinese, are more for auspicious events.

The weaving machine used by Muong women who traditionally plant cotton, raise silkworms and weave textiles for clothing, blankets, and decorative waistbands for skirts. A weaver's skill was evaluated based mainly on those decorative waistbands!



The Dong Van market in Ha Giang province.



The mythical bird Garuda.



A buffalo cart normally pulled by two buffaloes. This cart is suited to sloping and muddy terrains. It can carry as much as two tonnes of rice, maize, wood and other goods.



Marriage baskets.



Ritual tray and glasses (left) and ritual vase (right).



Vinegar cooking pot (left) and teapot (right).



A zither.



A fish basket.



Funerary statues.



A tomb with funerary statues all around it. The statues of men and women showing their private parts probably symbolises fertility and birth as birth and death are related.



Woman's costume



Man's costume



Water containers (two at the top), tobacco calabash (bottom left) and soup bowls (bottom middle and right).



Alcohol calabash



A two-stringed zither



A monkey-shaped scarecrow



A mask



Gong protected by a case.



A fish trap



I walked out to the balcony overlooking the outdoor gardens. Then I went back in for more, but time was running out. I need to leave the museum soon, or risk being late for dinner and possibly miss my flight home.



A few more photos I took. A Hmong minority doing the weaving.



Not sure what this is about but the costume looks nice!



Initiation marking the rank of ritual master, one of the most respected careers in traditional society.



The initiate must learn Chinese and Yao characters to read ritual books, learn the various rites and observe certain taboos to avoid being 'polluted'.



I could have taken more pictures but time was not on my side. However, if you like what you have seen so far in this post, I highly recommend a visit to this interesting Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology and spend a few hours here!



Coming Up Next : Visiting St Joseph's Cathedral In Hanoi 

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St Joseph's Cathedral In Hanoi

July 30, 2015, 11:00 am

≫ Next: Good Bye Hanoi!

≪ Previous: The Amazing Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology

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I am going to back-track a little in my Hanoi travel escapades. On my second day in Hanoi, my friend and I passed by a church while we were exploring the Hoan Kiem area.

Known as St Joseph's Cathedral, this catholic church blew us away as its Neo-Gothic architectural design makes it looked almost like the Notre Dame of Paris!



Although I have already heard about this church prior to my trip, visiting it was not really in my planned itinerary. So imagine my pleasant surprise when we somehow stumbled upon it!



Centrally located at the end of Nha Tho Street and the corner of Nha Chung Street, the church was one of the first structures built by the French colonial government in Hanoi. Completed in 1887 by Monseigneur Pigneau de Behaine, it is considered the oldest church in Hanoi.



My friend and I wanted to go inside the church but unfortunately, it was not open during our visit.



When I traveled to Hanoi for a second time early this year, I revisited the church and managed to go inside and take some photos. I will be posting those photos in a future post, so stay tuned!



There is a courtyard in front of the church building. I suppose the courtyard is a good place for worshippers to gather.



From up close, St Joseph's Cathedral looked somewhat imposing with its two large square towers. But it is these two square towers that make it look similar to Notre Dame of Paris, don't you think?



Surrounding the cathedral were many boutique shops (selling silk and souvenir items) and cafes.

I would highly recommend a visit to St Joseph's Cathedral and the surrounding area if you are into some serious shopping! Or if you are a non-shopper, just drop by one of the cafes (my favourite being Cong Caphe) and sip Vietnamese coffee while watching the world pass by!

Good Bye Hanoi!

August 3, 2015, 10:30 am

≫ Next: The Floating Baby At Gardens By The Bay Singapore

≪ Previous: St Joseph's Cathedral In Hanoi

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This is my last post on my Hanoi trip back in 2013. I love Hanoi so much I visited this charming city again early this year. Hopefully I will be able to blog about my 2015 Hanoi trip soon!

For this final post, I shall just show some photos I missed out earlier. This is a road very near to Hoan Kiem Lake. Roads are not easy to cross in Hanoi unless you know the trick, but surprisingly this road was pretty easy to get across.



This photo is a little blur but I just want to bring your attention to the word "Pho" on the road sign. This word "Pho" has nothing to do with the famous Vietnamese noodle soup although it is spelt the same. This "Pho" means street and it is pronounced as 'foh' with an uptrailing accent, whereas the noodle soup "Pho" is pronounced differently as 'fur' without the r.



This is a huge bookshop located along Trang Tien Street. I went inside and browsed for half an hour. Yes, only half an hour as most of the books were not in English. LOL.



Kem Trang Tien is an ice cream shop - an extraordinary one, because I felt it was more like a car workshop than an ice cream shop! This is where the locals go for their ice cream. I did not get to taste the ice cream during this trip, but managed to do so during my 2015 trip, so expect a blog post on Kem Trang Tien in the future.



By the way, can you see a panda image on the Kem Trang Tien signboard? Now you know why I must return to this shop on my second trip to Hanoi? LOL!

The Hotel Metropole Hanoi, one of the high class hotels located at the French Quarter. Perhaps one day I will stay inside this hotel, maybe for just one night. It will definitely burn a hole in my pocket, but it might just be worth it!



Initially, I wanted to blog about this nice little cafe called Joma Bakery Cafe but all the photos I took did not quite make the cut due to the dim lighting inside. Oh well, I visited lots of cafes during my 2015 Hanoi trip (although I did not revisit Joma Bakery Cafe) so I shall blog about Hanoi cafes in future - stay tuned!



The Hanoi Central Post Office known as Buu Dien Ha Noi. I did not go inside. Maybe I should have.  Looks like there are still many places to explore in Hanoi. Perhaps I will make another trip to Hanoi again next year. Who knows?



With this, I shall bid good bye to Hanoi. If you miss any of my Hanoi posts, here is the complete list in chronological order.

1. My First Day In Hanoi With Hanoikids (Part 1)
2. My First Day In Hanoi With Hanoikids (Part 2)
3. My First Day In Hanoi With Hanoikids (Part 3)
4. My Lunch @ New Day Restaurant In Hanoi 
5. My Visit To Heritage House @ Ma May Street
6. My Visit To Kim Ngan Temple In Hanoi
7. A Rainy Afternoon At Hanoi Soul Cafe
8. A Morning Stroll Around Hoan Kiem Lake In Hanoi
9. My Visit To Ngoc Son Temple @ Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi
10. Ba Dinh Square And Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum In Hanoi
11. Ho Chi Minh Museum And The One Pillar Pagoda In Hanoi
12. My Vietnamese Lunch At KOTO Restaurant
13. My Visit To The Temple Of Literature In Hanoi
14. My Tour Of The Creepy Hoa Lo Prison (Hanoi Hilton)
15. St Joseph's Cathedral In Hanoi
16. Watching The Water Puppets At Thang Long Theatre
17. My Very First Halong Bay Cruise (Part 1)
18. My Very First Halong Bay Cruise (Part 2)
19. My Stay At The Rising Dragon Palace Hotel In Hanoi
20. My Trip To Perfume Pagoda In Vietnam (Part 1)
21. My Trip To Perfume Pagoda In Vietnam (Part 2)
22. Spending My Morning At Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum
23. My Visit To Phu Tay Ho In Hanoi
24. My Visit To Kim Lien Pagoda At West Lake, Hanoi
25. My Visit To Tran Quoc Pagoda At West Lake, Hanoi
26. The B-52 Bomber At Huu Tiep Lake In Hanoi
27. The Amazing Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology
28. A Disappointing Dinner At Cha Ca La Vong In Hanoi

The Floating Baby At Gardens By The Bay Singapore

August 7, 2015, 12:00 am

≫ Next: An Evening At Gardens By The Bay Singapore

≪ Previous: Good Bye Hanoi!

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I first visited Gardens By The Bay in Singapore during Christmas Day back in December, 2012.  Read about it HERE.

A year later on Christmas Eve 2013, I revisited this famous tourist attraction in the island republic. One reason I went to Gardens By The Bay again was because I did not get to see the Floating Baby during my first visit. Of course, there were other reasons but the floating baby was the main reason.



I did not research where this baby was located before my trip, so I had to be adventurous and walked the whole of the gardens to find it. (By the way, in case you do not know, the garden is HUGE - the whole park spanning about 101 hectares!)

When I did find it, it was a little shocking, because the baby was just so .... gigantic! And it seemed to be floating on air, right there in front of my eyes! Almost unbelievable!



At 9 metres long and 3 metres tall and weighing about 7 tons, this huge piece of art seems to defy the laws of gravity.  However, I'm afraid my photos cannot do justice to the real thing, and besides it was late evening and the lighting was not very conducive for taking pictures with my camera.

Anyway, this floating baby sculpture is called 'Planet'. Located at The Meadow, this white painted bronze sculpture is the works of British artist Marc Quinn. You can read about it below.



If you look carefully, the baby is not really floating. One hand is resting on the ground although at first sight, you won't notice it. I guess the artist must have masterfully balanced the heavy sculpture on just that one hand alone. Amazing!



I took a different angle shot of the baby.



The giant floating baby with Marina Bay Sands in the background.



There are many more art sculptures in The Gardens, but this floating baby is the most impressive to me. More about Gardens By The Bay in my next post so stay tuned!

An Evening At Gardens By The Bay Singapore

August 14, 2015, 12:30 am

≫ Next: Spiritual Feng Shui By Lillian Too (Part 3)

≪ Previous: The Floating Baby At Gardens By The Bay Singapore

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It was my second visit to Gardens By The Bay in Singapore.

The year was 2013. It was Christmas eve. My friend and I boarded the Aeroline bus (in front of Corus Hotel in Kuala Lumpur) which departed at 8.35am and reached Johor Bahru about 4 hours and 15 minutes later at 12.50pm.

In case you are wondering how I could possibly remember the time so accurately, that's because I noted them down. You see, I carry a travel notebook (good old-fashioned paper notebook, not a laptop!) with me during my travels.

I also try to take photos of everything. Of course not every photo will end up in my blog posts. Look! I even took a photo of the complimentary mineral water bottle from Aeroline after we checked into our hotel room in Johor Bahru. Haha!



Yes, we decided to stay at a hotel in Johor Bahru instead of Singapore to save costs. I chose AmanSari Hotel City Centre again because of its reasonable price and its close proximity to the CIQ (Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex).

Read my review about this hotel during my first stay back in 2012HERE.

I absolutely love their Unifi-high speed wireless broadband! We were given a code to access the Internet.



My hotel room was on the 18th floor. Somehow, this time, I was not too pleased with the room. I think it's not as clean as my first time staying here. It was really impressive to me the first time I was here, so I was a little disappointed. Oh well...



After checking in, my friend and I went for lunch at Breeks Cafe in City Square Mall which is just a stone's throw away from our hotel. So very convenient!

I think we wasted too much time enjoying our lunch and walking around the mall that we did not realise time had passed by so fast. It was already almost 3pm! We quickly searched for a money exchange shop to buy some Singapore Dollars. Then off we went to Singapore!

If you would like to know how to cross over from the Johor Bahru CIQ to Singapore via buses, readTHIS.

Since half the day was already gone, our itinerary in Singapore had to be limited to just Gardens By The Bay. In fact, it was already 4.30pm when we reached Gardens By The Bay.



I wasted no time in taking photos. We walked along the wooden boardwalk facing Dragonfly Lake.

That's the Dragonfly Bridge which connects the Gardens to Marina Bay Sands, where the casino is.



The tall Supertrees could be seen clearly here. I remember how excited I was seeing these Supertrees the first time. This round, I was not so excited anymore, but they were still fascinating.

Read about the SupertreesHERE.



Oh, what is this?



A large rock, artfully designed and complimenting the surroundings. Love it!



In the distance are the two cooled conservatories - Flower Dome and Cloud Forest. These are indoor attractions and they require ticket admissions. The outdoor gardens which I was walking on is free.



This round, I did not enter the two cooled conservatories. But I highly recommend first time visitors to visit them as they are pretty cool.

Read about my visit to the amazing Cloud Forest with the world's tallest indoor waterfallHERE.

Or if you are more into plants and flowers, read about my visit to the Flower DomeHERE.



There were information boards around the lake. I did not spot a water lily though.



There were not many tourists or local visitors during my visit. Perhaps it was Christmas eve? Now you know the perfect time to visit Gardens By The Bay if you don't like crowds. Haha!



Took a snap of the Marina Bay Sands. Notice the top part of this unique building? That's the Skypark where the longest infinity swimming pool in the world is located. I did not visit it this round as time was limited.

Read about my visit to Marina Bay Sands and the amazing Rain Oculus HERE.



As we walked along this path, we could see the Singapore Flyer from here.



Did you know the Singapore Flyer is the tallest Ferris Wheel in the world?



OK, another shot of Marina Bay Sands. Can you see the giant dragonfly?



We stumbled upon an art sculpture in the middle of nowhere. Nice. This is one of the many sculptures located all around the Gardens, although if you have read my previous post, I was really searching for the Floating Baby.



Please excuse me, but I just got to take more pictures of the Marina Bay Sands. LOL! Love the sense of calmness and tranquility these pictures evoked.






The Supertrees and their images reflected by the lake.



We were walking in this direction and I was again busy taking pictures of the famous building when we saw some weird looking structures on our left.



A row of weird structures all the way up.



Near the top looking downwards. The structures were all in the middle of the water stream flowing down towards the lake.



They actually looked kind of futuristic especially when you combine with the Marina Bay Sands in the background, although I have to admit that my pictures simply cannot do any justice to them.



I think my video shows these structures clearer.  Check out my Instagram video of these structures and the flowing water HERE.


The steps led us up to the Chinese Garden.



A hole in the wall surrounding the Chinese Garden.



This is the Chinese Garden but I did not take many photos.



After exploring the Chinese Garden, we walked back down towards the lake.



Then we crossed over to The Meadow.



It was here that I got quite a shock seeing the huge Floating Baby. I finally found what I was looking for! This must be one of the most amazing art sculptures at Gardens By The Bay! I have already blogged about this Floating Baby - you can read it HERE.



After that, we walked and came across this place where plants were trimmed to shape like animals.



There were more of them but I did not take pictures of them all.





It was Christmas eve and the tall Supertrees at the Golden Garden were decked with Christmas decorations.






The sun was already setting and so the lights came on.





My friend and I walked over to the Supertree Grove to catch the Spectacular Light And Sound Show. There are two shows nightly, at 7.45pm and 8.45pm.



At night the Supertree Grove is transformed into a fairytale land!



We caught the 7.45pm show. It lasted about 20 minutes I think. Pretty good with the lights blinking and dancing to the music, but not really amazing though.



Still, I was glad I caught the show. In fact, the Floating Baby and this Spectacular Light And Sound Show were my main purpose for revisiting Gardens By The Bay since I missed them the last time.



Will I visit Gardens By The Bay again in future? Yes, why not? I had enjoyed it the first time, and it was still enjoyable the second time.

Spiritual Feng Shui By Lillian Too (Part 3)

August 25, 2015, 11:30 pm

≫ Next: Sunset By The Sea

≪ Previous: An Evening At Gardens By The Bay Singapore

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I am sorry to say I have forgotten all about the Spiritual Feng Shui seminar by Lillian Too which I blogged about back in 2013! I was supposed to do 3 posts on it, but I had only done 2.

The Hungry Ghost month that is upon us now somehow reminded me about this seminar so I was thinking what better time than now to continue sharing what I had learnt!

Anyway, to refresh your memory, please click the links below for Part 1 and Part 2.
Spiritual Feng Shui By Lillian Too (Part 1)
Spiritual Feng Shui By Lillian Too (Part 2)

Now, let's move on to Part 3.

This is the month where the Hungry Ghosts from Hell are let loose to walk the earth. Lillian Too said we must be careful and be protected from these ghosts. One way is to display this Vairochana Mantra Plaque.



She told us a short story how she learnt about this Vairochana Mantra. She was on the phone with her guru, Lama Zopa Rinpoche who was in California. At that time, there was a wildfire about 40 miles away from where Lama Zopa was staying. Lillian was concerned and asked why he had not evacuated from the area. Rinpoche told her not to worry, he had the Vairochana Mantra with him and he believed the wind direction would change and blow the fire away from his place. And indeed, that was what happened later. From that incident, Lillian made sure she get hold of the Vairochana Mantra.



Besides that, Lillian also recommends the Kalachakra Mandala and the Samantabhadra House Amulet to keep bad spirits away.

Now besides the Hungry Ghosts that only come out for a month every year, there is another type of ghosts which we called spirits. Every space has its own local spirits, even your own home. These spirits are neither good nor bad. They can either cause problems or protect you from problems.

These are some things that local spirits can create.



Talking about black magic, do you know that all black magic are caused by low level spirits? If you do not understand what are low level spirits, read Part 2 for more information. Since black magic is not caused by higher ranking and more powerful spirits, you do not need to be afraid. However, you really do not want to be a victim of black magic!

The most powerful black magic, according to Lillian Too, does not come from Indonesia or Thailand. Guess where does it come from? India! Yes, Indian black magic is the most powerful and India has the oldest tradition in black magic, so be very careful!

Looking at the list of things that local spirits can cause, now you may wonder if sometimes you really feel lazy, or the local spirits trying to make you lazy. When you feel jealous of your neighbour, is it really you or the local spirits whispering bad things in your ear to make you feel jealous? So, be aware.

However, the good news is local spirits can also protect you! Here are the list of things they can protect you from.



Lillian Too said that they can delay you to avoidaccidents. For example, you were about to be involved in a car crash but because you could not find your car key, the timing was delayed and you avoided the accident.

As for stopping the rain, Lillian Too said all bomohs in Malaysia can stop the rain - it's no big deal. Lillian said she teaches how to stop the rain in her Magic Class. And also how to bring the rain too.

Oh, Lillian also mentioned about the haze that blows in from Indonesia every year. She said the haze was caused by spirits, not the weather! The spirits could change the direction of the wind and that's how Malaysia ended up with the haze. But of course, you can get the spirits' help to create rain to clear away the haze!

Local spirits can also keep burglars away! Interestingly, Lillian said that try as they might, the burglars simply could not find your house.  It's as if your house is invisible to them!

So how you get the local spirits on your side so that they help protect you instead of creating problems for you? Appease the spirits by burning incense and also offer food and other offerings to them on a regular basis.



Lillian also mentioned about the wildfire which is always happening in the United States. Why are there so many fires over there? In the olden days, the Red Indians used to give smoke offerings to the spirits. But as more and more Red Indians moved to the city, these tradition is no longer practised. So the spirits decide to create their own smoke offerings - by burning the pine leaf forests. We can say that the smoke from the fire is like incense to them.

Spirits have many different ranks. High ranking devas (eg. Yaksha, Rak-Sha-Sha) control the sky and fire elements. Middle ranking beings (eg. Naga, Gyalpos) control Water and Earth elements. Most obstacles like accidents, illness, difficult people are usually caused by Gyalpos.

Lower ranking spirits like Mamos are actually female spirits who like to disturb men and even women. During the seminar, Lillian said not to make fun of them because they were in the room! That actually gave me the creeps! Mamos are very beautiful but do not be afraid of them -  Lillian said they are subservient to higher ranking spirits.



Lillian Too also shared a joke with us. She said if you are in construction line, you have no choice but to appease the spirits (if you do not want accidents to happen) because they are very active in construction. However, if you are in finance, then not so bad as the spirits do not understand finance so well. LOL. (I'm not sure if she's really joking!)

Lillian Too said we all need Cosmic Protectors. These are powerful spirits that have sworn to protect us. They control the lower class spirits (mentioned above). To request for their protection, you need to offer food, tea, incense, and sometimes alcohol.



Lillian suggests planting a tree with pine leaves so that you can cut the branches and leaves and burn them to produce aromatic incense for the cosmic protectors. As for food, you can offer white sugar, butter, honey, and biscuits. In fact, Lillian said they love Lexus biscuits and Quaker oats biscuits!

Who are these powerful protectors? They are the Buddhas, Yidams and Deities. Think of them as enlightened beings, not Gods. They are most compassionate and wise. They are always on your side. They help everyone who request for their protection. In fact, you do not even need to be a Buddhist for them to help you. They help you irrespective of your race, color and religion.



Lillian also introduced to us the White Goddess Umbrella also known as Guan Yin to the Chinese. The White Goddess Umbrella protects us from all forms of obstacles and black magic. If you suspect someone being harmed by black magic, just bring this White Goddess Umbrella plaque and hang it in his or her house.




Alternatively, you can get him or her to wear this seed syllable "OM".



Goddess Guan Yin (also spelt Kuan Yin) also brings us wealth and success.



There are different types of incense for different cosmic protectors. In the case of Green Tara, you have incense powder (available from Lillian Too's feng shui shop and online) specifically for Green Tara. Also, chanting Green Tara's mantra helps a lot too.



Medicine Buddha helps with health related problems. Chanting the mantra also helps!



The White Dzambhala solves your money problem. Bathing the Dzambhala and the four Dakinis daily while reciting the mantra will help attract big money luck.





To sum it up at the end of the seminar, Lillian said that we need the enlightened beings and the cosmic protectors to protect us and we need to appease the lower ranking spirits.



Otherwise, there would be lots of obstacles thrown our way.



Finally, invite Guru Rinpoche into your home - most powerful for overcoming all obstacles.



I hope you have found this post most interesting and perhaps benefitted from it in some way. I am just sharing what I learnt at the seminar. Of course, everything is simplified for us to understand easily. If you wish to learn more, or go deeper into Spiritual Feng Shui, do get in touch with Lillian Too or visit her World Of Feng Shui shops for advice.

Sunset By The Sea

September 30, 2015, 11:30 am

≫ Next: My Visit To Singapore Zoo And River Safari (Part 1)

≪ Previous: Spiritual Feng Shui By Lillian Too (Part 3)

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The other day I was lazily playing on my piano when out of the blue, this tune came into my mind. Very quickly, I took out my iPhone and recorded my impromptu composition.



I was glad I managed to play the whole song without making too many mistakes. The first attempt is always the best for me. Usually, when I try to play and record a second time, it would somehow not sound as good.

This song makes me feel I am by the seaside watching the waves lapping on the shore while the sun is setting over the horizon. I am not sure if it gives you the same feeling. Perhaps it will evoke a different ambience and mood for you.

Do have a listen and let me know what images you have in your mind while listening to it. Enjoy! :)


Note: This work and recording is copyrighted. All Rights Reserved.

If you enjoy this song and would like to listen to my other piano compositions, you are welcome to follow me on Soundcloud.

My Visit To Singapore Zoo And River Safari (Part 1)

October 8, 2015, 12:00 am

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My second day in Singapore was spent visiting the Singapore Zoo and the River Safari. Did you know that the Singapore Zoo is considered the world's best rainforest zoo?

>My First Day In Singapore : Gardens By The Bay

I visited the Singapore Zoo once back in  December 2004. So long ago! I remember that year because it was two days before the shocking 2004 tsunami on Boxing Day. Really glad that I was in Singapore instead of holidaying by some beach resort in Sri Lanka or Maldives!



This would be my second time visiting the Singapore Zoo. OK, the above picture is not a shot of me and my family or friends. I just had to take a picture of the main entrance to the Singapore Zoo whether they are in it or not! There will always be people posing in front of this signboard so if I were to wait, I would have to wait till the sun comes down. LOL.

There are actually 4 parks or zoos operated by Wildlife Reserves Singapore. They are Singapore Zoo, River Safari, Jurong Bird Park and Night Safari. I have been to all of them back in 2004 with the exception of River Safari which was a fairly new addition and did not exist back then.

This time, my friend and I decided to visit the Singapore Zoo and River Safari only. I must confess however that the main reason I visited River Safari was because I wanted to see the giant pandas! Although I have seen the Giant Pandas at Ocean Park in Hong Kong before, I still wanted to visit these pandas in Singapore!



We had bought the tickets to the Singapore Zoo and River Safari a few months earlier via the Singapore Zoo website. We went for the 2-in-1 Park Hopper as it was cheaper compared to buying the tickets to the two parks separately.

If you want to visit all the 4 attractions, you can opt for the 4-in-1 Park Hopper which can save you quite a lot! Park Hopper entitles you to one visit per park within 7 days from the date of your first visit so that you can visit each park on a different day.

We arrived by bus in the morning and decided to visit River Safari first.



The Singapore River Safari - Asia's first and only river-themed wildlife park - is located between Singapore Zoo and Night Safari. All three parks are within walking distance from each other.

From the Entrance Plaza, we could see a river which is actually part of the Upper Seletar Resevoir.



The park features many different ecosystems of the world. It is divided into two zones - the Rivers Of The World and the Wild Amazonia.

We entered the Rivers Of The World zone first. The River is calling ....



First, we passed through the Mississippi River where American beavers live. Unfortunately I did take any photos of the beavers.



The signboard above explains about how the beavers build their homes known as Beaver Dams.



Beavers were once slaughtered for hats!



The information below explains that beaver dams are good for the environment as they create wetlands that support wildlife. Wetlands 'sponge up' excess rainwater and are Nature's best defence against floods.



See this fish with crocodile-like snout? This is known as the Alligator Gar, the largest of all gars. It can grow up to 3 metres long and weigh over 100 kg! And its snout is lined with razor sharp teeth just like a crocodile! Its flesh is edible but the eggs are toxic to humans.



Can you see a turtle in the photo below? It's the Alligator Snapping Turtle - one of the largest freshwater turtles in the world. Their jaws are so powerful they can easily snap off one's finger!



This looks like a shark but it's not - it's the Mississippi Paddlefish. The long flat snout detects electrical impulse to navigate and locate food. Its eggs are mostly sold as caviar.



The second ecosystem featured in River Safari is the Congo River. This is the world's deepest river, and it is the second longest river in Africa.



My photo of the African Dwarf Crocodile did not turn out well so I shall leave you with this informative signboard instead. This crocodile is really quite small!



Next is the Nile River - the longest river in the world. In this river you can find these two fishes - the Tigerfish (top) and Giraffe Catfish (bottom).



I did not get to capture the razor sharp teeth of the Tigerfish but the name of this fish sound quite vicious, right? As for the Giraffe Catfish, it's so called because of the giraffe-like spots on its body supposedly to provide some kind of camouflage. Did you also notice the pointed snout? They are meant to help the catfish suck food from the river floor.

Moving on to Ganges River, India's holiest river. Hindus worship this river, which supports half a billion people in India.



The most sacred place to be cremated for the Hindus in India is on the banks of the Ganges River.



Careless dumping had turned The Ganges into a very polluted river and an environmental disaster.



Fortunately, India had signed an agreement with the World Bank for a US$1 billion loan to clean up the river and stop the flow of untreated waste into the river.



I saw the Indian Gharial but sorry, no pictures. Too many people tried to take photos of it and I did not want to compete with them!



Murray Cod - Australia's largest and most iconic freshwater fish. Not sure why this fish was featured as I thought we were still in the Ganges River section. Perhaps I missed something somewhere?



We reached the Mekong River - the seventh longest river in Asia. At the delta in South Vietnam, the Mekong branches into many channels. Locals called it Cuu Long or Nine Dragons. The fertile delta makes Vietnam one of the world's leading exporters of rice.



There was a huge fish hanging above our heads here!



Lots of people snapping photos of the Mekong Giant Catfish.



Unlike other catfish, the Mekong Giant Catfish are toothless and are actually vegetarians, feeding mainly on plants and algae.



I also managed to snap a picture of this Giant Freshwater Stingray. It's really huge! You can probably sit on top of it. Haha!



The shallow waters of rice fields are homes to a variety of wildlife, like this stork.



Some images displayed about rice and its uses in different parts of the world.



Next, we reached the Yangtze River of China.



This is the Yangtze Alligator, also known as the Chinese Alligator. It is a very secretive animal as it likes to dig a burrow and hibernates in winter up to 7 months.



Another shot of the Yangtze Alligator.



Finally, we reached what I had came all the way for - the Giant Panda Forest!



But before we get to see the two Giant Pandas famously known as Kai Kai and Jia Jia, we were entertained by a few playful red pandas.



These red pandas looked more like raccoons that pandas. Why are they even called red pandas?



Some shots of the playful red pandas...















There was a huge crowd visiting the Giant Pandas enclosure. These two Giant Pandas which arrived in Singapore in September 2012, were on a ten-year loan from China as a sign of friendly China-Singapore relations.

I checked out the Giant Pandas' meal. This one teaches you how to make panda cake which are yummy snacks for the pandas.



Menu of the day for the Kai Kai, the male panda. It consists of bamboo, high fibre biscuits, carrots and apples.



Menu of the day for Jia Jia, the female panda. Well, basically she's eating exactly the same thing as her partner. LOL.



It was difficult to take pictures of the two giant pandas due to the crowd. From this angle, I could see Kai Kai eating bamboo. I got to move over to a better position to snap pictures!



The two pandas lived in a specially constructed climate-controlled enclosure, which changes according to the four seasons emulating their original environment. Took a shot of the double pane glass ceiling which allows sunlight into the exhibit.



Finally, after much difficulty, I managed to secure a place to take better shots of Kai Kai.



But all he did was eat, eat and eat! I wanted to see him climb trees and hanging from the branch like what I saw in some videos. LOL!



Well, what else does a panda do? It's just eat, sleep and play all day long! No stress and no worries. Aren't their lives better than humans? Haha!



Unfortunately for us, we did not get to see Jia Jia as she was hiding in her den. Maybe she was not used to all the attention haha! According to the information board, Jia Jia is actually quite shy.



Oh, and here's a little Tibetan folklore on how the pandas ended up being black and white.



The story goes like this ...

"A long time ago, all giant pandas were white. One day, a hungry leopard attacked a cub. A shepherdess tried to save the cub but was killed by the leopard. The pandas were very sad. As a custom, they wore black armbands at the funeral. They hugged one another, wept and wiped their eyes with their armbands. They covered their ears to block the sound of crying. The armbands blackened their fur and they became black and white."

Is that funny or what? Haha!

We wanted to go and eat at the Mama Panda Kitchen but it was way too crowded so we decided to skip it. What a pity, as I was so eager to try their panda buns and snap a picture of them! Maybe next time, then.



The Giant Panda Forest is the last attractions of the Rivers Of The World zone. Before we crossed over to the Wild Amazonia zone, I took some random pictures.



This is the bridge that we had to walk across to the Wild Amazonia zone.



Walking along the rather scenic bridge...



We were supposed to get a complimentary Amazon River Quest Boat Ride but unfortunately, we were told that the boat ride was cancelled for the day. What a letdown! Oh well, I will return for the boat ride next time, although it's no longer complimentary now.



We soon reached the Squirrel Monkey Forest.



Some of the rules.



Had some close encounter with the monkeys.



They were so active, jumping from one part of the fence to the other effortlessly!



Walking along, we reached the Green Anaconda section.



Also known as water boas, the Green Anacondas wait in shallow waters for prey, which they kill by drowning or constriction.



Next, we arrived at the Amazon Flooded Forest. Did you know that for six months every year, the Amazon forest is flooded with rain? During these months, the Amazon rainforest is filled with aquatic animals in its submerged underwater ecosystem.



I saw some piranha and arapaima fishes in the large water-filled exhibit but did not take any pictures. A giant otter swam above us.



We reached an area where there we could see the underwater creatures behind the glass tank.



I was taken in by this Manatee. It was such a delight to watch as it responded to our hand gestures.



The Freshwater Stingrays section.



Look at the stingrays!



One last photo of the Otters before we exited the River Safari.



Overall, I enjoyed my visit to the River Safari. It took us around 3 hours to complete the whole park.

Next, we visited the Singapore Zoo next door, but that will be in Part 2, so stay tuned :)

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My Visit To Singapore Zoo and River Safari (Part 2)

December 6, 2015, 6:00 am

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Continued from Part 1

After spending about 3 hours at River Safari, my friend and I walked over to Singapore Zoo next door.



We saw a couple of mousedeers while crossing the bridge.






Then we saw a crocodile.



Or to be more exact, a false gharial.



False gharial is believed to have been in existence for the last 65 million years. Found in freshwater rivers and swamps of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, they have long slender snouts adapted for catching fish. Their diet include small mammals, birds and frogs. Unfortunately, false gharial is now classified as endangered as a result of dam construction, land clearance and water pollution.



As we walked further in, we saw this interesting and cute direction sign post.



I really like this direction post! There's an animal head on each so there is no problem finding your direction even if you do not know how to read! LOL.



Somehow I did not get to see proboscis monkeys this time, so I guess these fake ones will do. Haha!



A flock of flamingos.



We reached the Frozen Tundra to see the Polar Bear.



The Polar Bear was resting.



And then it went dipping in the pool so I took a photo of it underwater.



We then reached the free roaming Orang Utan Boardwalk.



We could see orangutans climbing the trees and ropes above us.



We were in luck as it was feeding time for the orangutans.



Took a few photos of them feeding.






I passed by this very picturesque area and just had to snap a photo!



Then we hurried over to the Elephants Of Asia to catch the live show. There are live shows at specific times of the day.



Unfortunately, we were a bit late.



And there were no more room for us to get a good view. Oh well, we just had to make do by watching from afar.



I had watched the show before during my last trip to Singapore Zoo so I was not too disappointed at not being able to watch it properly this time.



A good view of the river as we left the Elephant show so I took a snap of it.



Next, we ended up at the Hamadryas Baboons at The Great Rift Valley Of Ethopia.



Nice waterfall with the baboons on the opposite side of the stream.



The baboons



It seems that the male baboon completely dominate the females. Where he leads, they must follow.



We also got to see a few Nubian Ibex at the top of the cliff. Nubian Ibex are desert-dwelling goat species normally found in Saudi Arabia and Egypt.



Walking around the Great Rift Valley Of Ethopia, we found some cool structures.



I like this one! Although it does look a like a gate to the Valley of the Dead. LOL.



These totem poles also lent an air of mystery and mysticism to the area.






Why did I take this photo? No idea! I just love the view of this very tall tree from below.



Once we were out of the Great Rift Valley Of Ethopia, we walked towards the Australian Outback.



Saw some kangaroos, but it was difficult to take pictures of them as they were constantly moving around.



Then we reached a stream and saw two white tigers chasing after a red ball!



Did you know that only 1 in 10,000 tigers is white? A white tiger is actually a Bengal tiger with a very unusual set of genes. White tigers have white fur, brown stripes, and blue or green eyes. They also have pink noses and pink paw pads. All of today's white tigers are descended from a tiger named Mohan. However, they are not albinos because they do have color pigmentation.



Not sure why there is a sculpture of an elephant here but I took a picture of it as it's very artistic and colorful!



Next, we stopped to look at the babirusa.



Babirusa (or pig-deer) has upper tusks that pierce the flesh and grow through the top of its snout. The tusks look like antlers of a deer, thus the name pig-deer. No other wild pig has this unique feature.



I saw this babirusa scratching its itchy torso against the tree. LOL!



I like the fact that all the animals in Singapore Zoo are never kept inside cages. The zoo is very well designed and managed and I believe the animals are happy.



Nearby the babirusa, is home to the Malayan tapirs.






The upper lip and nose of a tapir are fused to form the trunk. It is a powerful organ for smell and tapirs use them to forage for food. The trunk serves as fingers to grasp leaves and guide them into their mouth. It is also used to probe unfamiliar objects.



Here's an orang asli folklore about how the tapir got its black and white color.



Next, we saw a gibbon monkey. Or is it an ape? I am not too sure.



It was a good thing that the gibbon sat there for some time so I could take a photo of it.



Soon, we reached the Antelopes area.



An antelope grabbing at some wooden twigs and branches hanging from a tree.






We came across a cheetah behind glass. It kept walking past the glass window a few times as if observing us!



Next, the zebras!



Did you know that you can tell the different zebra species by their stripe patterns? Within a herd, stripe patterns help in the recognition of individual members. It is believed zebra stripes also serve to confuse predators as the herd speeds off.



Cute meerkats coming out from inside the tree trunk.



Did you know that male meerkats take turn to perform sentry duty? With keen eyesight, they can spot a bird of prey even if the enemies are just specks in the sky. Pack members dart into the burrows when the sentry give out loud warning cries. Sentry duty lasts for about an hour for each animal.



Male and female adults act as babysitters when nursing meerkat leaves the den to forage. Meerkats feed on insects, small mammals, lizards, and fruits. By the way, their diet also include venomous snakes and scorpions!



Long-neck giraffes towering above us!



More photos of the giraffes.









We passed by the lions' home. But we only saw one lion and it was resting.



Further ahead, we reached the tropical crops garden.



No animals here, just plants and crops. This is pumpkin plant.



A view of the crops by the river.



Soybean plants.



Lots of orchids here!



Beautiful orchids!



There were many more plants but I did not take pictures of them.  Next, we reached the chimpanzee area.



The chimpanzees were quite active and I took a few photos of them.












Next, we reached the Sungai Buaya area. The crocodiles here were really huge!



Not sure how to differentiate between crocodiles, alligators and false gharial? This information below may help!



Look at the giant tail! It's enough to send shivers down my spine.









My favourite place in Singapore Zoo is this - Garden With A View!



It appears that the Garden With A View was specially created to provide a contrast to the rest of the Zoo grounds. Influenced by the French Renaissance style, the garden offers a panoramic view of the Seletar Reservoir.



I love this place! So beautiful, so refreshing and so relaxing!



There's also a water fountain here.



Although I noticed something has changed since my last visit back in 2004. Maybe they included a few rides or playthings for kids, I'm not too sure.



Here you can also find a 1.5 tonne bronze sculpture of Ah Meng, the famous orang utan who passed away in February 2008. It was erected close to her grave to commemorate her efforts and contribution on the plights of the orang utans.




As durian was her favourite food, a D24 durian tree was also planted alongside her grave.

After the Garden With A View, we visited the African Penguins.



And that's about it. After spending more than 3 hours at Singapore Zoo, it's time to leave. There are many more animals I did not cover in this blog post, but I shall leave that to you to discover for yourself!



It was already almost 7pm when we reached the bus stop opposite Kranji MRT station. We had to take a bus back to Johor Bahru. We finally reached CIQ in Johor Bahru around 8pm, just in time for dinner.



Directions To Singapore Zoo : At Woodlands MRT Station, follow the Bus Interchange sign. Go down escalator to Bus Interchange Station and search for Berth 7. Queue up at the Bus 926 lane and take bus 926 directly to Singapore Zoo.

I Am Back!

January 8, 2016, 12:00 am

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Hi everyone! I am back!!

Firstly, Happy New Year 2016 to all my readers! Thank you for visiting my blog again after the unfortunate incident that started in November last year.

In case you did not know what happened to my blog and why I did not blog for more than a month, well, here's the story. Back in November 2015, I noticed that whenever I visited my own blog, a window would open and an ad about keeping my laptop safe appeared. As soon as I click the window close, it would automatically opened a new tab on my laptop and the ad would appear again on the separate tab.

At first, I did not think too much of it and simply just closed that tab. But when it kept happening every single time I visited my blog, I knew something was wrong. But I was simply too busy to care at that time.

Then in early December, right after I posted a new blog post, readers told me that they could no longer access my blog because all they saw on the screen was this!



Strangely, I could not see this red warning sign using my Safari browser on my Macbook. Neither did I see it via my mobile phone. So I could still read my own blog. But when I tried visiting my blog via Google Chrome browser, the red alert appeared. I was shocked.

I was advised to remove all widgets and ads, which I did. I took out Bidvertiser (which I suspected was the main source of my problem), and most of the widgets I deemed unsafe. But roughly three weeks after I did that, I checked and the red warning sign remained. I was frustrated! What else should I do?

I thought of getting help from experts out there although I knew it would not be cheap. I found Sucuri  but the amount I got to pay them (US$199.92 per year) was too expensive considering that my blog is not really a money-making type of blog. It would not be worth paying that much, unless the income I derive from my blog is in the thousands!



I almost gave up and was even thinking of starting a second blog when the day after the New Year (i.e. Jan 2nd, 2016) I visited my blog one more time via Google Chrome browser and got a huge surprise! There was no more red alert warning! I could not believe my eyes!

I quickly texted a few friends and asked other bloggers to check if my blog was indeed cleared from virus and malware. The responses were in the affirmative. I was ecstatic. What great news! What an awesome New Year gift for me!

Thank you Google, even though it took you a month to remove me from the "Blacklisted" list.



A few days after that, traffic returned to my blog and there was in fact, a spike in traffic from Google.com. But of course, I did not read too much into that since the spike was from zero traffic. LOL! So yeah, I am back, everyone!! Happy New Year 2016! :)

Feng Shui 2016 According To Joey Yap (Part 1)

January 12, 2016, 7:30 am

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Last Sunday, I attended Joey Yap's 2016 Feng Shui & Astrology Seminar at KL Convention Centre. It was the first time I took the LRT to attend a seminar in KL. I usually drive, but I decided to do something different this time.



As expected, it was full house. Look at this photo of the Plenary Hall! (Photo taken from Joey Yap's Facebook page).



I went there with two other friends that day. We had to queue up to register for the seminar - and the queue was long! Luckily, the queue moved pretty fast and it did not take too long.

I have to say this is one of the better yearly seminars of Joey Yap. I think this time, he did a fantastic job of explaining the basics especially to feng shui newbies without taking too much time. And of course, he was still as sarcastic as ever, which I thought was what made his seminar fun.

Just like last year, we were required to print out our Personal Bazi Charts so that what he said would be relevant to each individual. I am going to share with you what he said during the seminar so if you do not have your Bazi Chart ready, do get it HERE before continue reading.

Below is the Bazi Chart for the Year 2016. Sorry if it's not very clear. The image, which is copyrighted, is taken from Joey Yap's Seminar booklet. So I am not sure how long this image will remain here. In the event that I am asked to take it down, I may have no choice but to do so (hopefully not!)



According to Joey Yap, the most dominant element in 2016 is Fire. This is followed by Wood, Water, Metal and lastly, Earth which is the least dominant. However, this applies to Malaysia only.

Fire industries will do well in 2016. This includes petrol, food, aviation, technology, electronics, entertainment and pharmaceutical.

Now check your Personal Bazi Chart. If you have Fire in any of the four pillars, then that's good news for you. However, too much fire means you will be emotional, so just 2 or 3 fires in your chart is good enough.

If you do not have Fire in your chart, check if you have Wood instead. Since Wood produces Fire, even if you do not have a single Fire in your chart, having Wood means you are still safe :)

Joey Yap also mentioned that if you have both Fire and Wood, then it's pretty safe to travel in 2016. Otherwise, try not to travel so much.

There is also Fire conquering Metal (Fire sitting on top of Metal) in this year's Chart. The last time a similar chart appeared was during 9/11. So there may be major conflicts and explosion this year.

Metal also represents job security so this will likely affect those in the metal industries like financial, banking, military, and automobiles. Metal is regarded as a negative element this year.

However, one element missing from the chart is Water (only have hidden Water in the Chart). So anyone with Water in his or her Personal Bazi Chart will be the luckiest in 2016.

Water industries will do well since water is sorely needed. This includes tourism, aquatic, fishery, shipping, transport, and the service industry.

Earth, which is the least dominant element this year will confirm the fears of many that the property market will not be booming in 2016. However, Joey Yap said it may perhaps be a good time to buy property. Others in the Earth industry includes insurance, mining, and construction.

In conclusion, if you have all the three elements - Water, Wood and Fire in your Personal Bazi Chart, 2016 will be a great year for you! If you do not have all three, then it may mean 2016 will be a rather challenging year.

Also, the more Earth elements you have in your Bazi Chart, the worse it will be. 2016 may then turn out to be a really slow year for you. However, do not be upset. After all, it is only for one year. Nothing is permanent. And things will change in 2017. Also, if your Bazi Chart does not favour your luck and fortune this year, you can improve your situation by using Feng Shui! Now you know why we need to learn about Feng Shui, don't you? :)

Referring to the 2016 Bazi Chart, Joey Yap explained some of the calamities that might occur in 2016. Since there is a Fire - Metal clash, this indicates transport accidents. Monkey and Tiger clash also indicates major accidents.

If you have Monkey and Tiger in your Personal Bazi Chart, then your chances of being involved in traffic accident is higher.

The Fire - Metal clash also indicates war related conflicts, possibly more terrorist attacks.

With Water hidden underneath the Chart, this may possibly indicate tsunami. Fire on top of the Chart also indicates hurricane.

As for Health issues, Metal in the Bazi Chart indicates illness dealing with lungs, breathing and also prostate problems.

For 2016, Metal represents Cash, Water represents Profits, Fire represents Sales and Wood represents Assets. If you have Metal in your Personal Bazi Chart, then you will have cash. If it appears on the top (heavenly stem), then everyone knows you are rich. But if it appears at the bottom (Earthly branch), then no one knows you are rich.

If you have Water in your Chart, then it is a profitable year for you. Even though it is profitable, it does not mean you receive the cash. So for a person running a business, it is best to have both Water and Metal in his or her chart. Otherwise, your business may be making profit, but the cash does not reach you.

If you have Fire in your Chart, this means you have sales. For sales to take place also indicates you are influential and have the ability to easily convince people.

If you have Wood in your Chart, this means you have better luck than others in getting property or assets this year.

Joey Yap also briefly mentioned about Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, having Water and Metal in his Bazi Chart, so Joey believes Tim will be having some great opportunities this year.

Without going into full details, I am going to briefly mention about the animal signs and what they each represents in your Bazi Chart. The Wealth Stars are Ox, Pig, Snake and Rabbit. If you have an Ox in the Month Pillar, your career will improve this year.

The Relationship Stars are Ox, Goat and Rooster. Ox represents happy events, Goat true love and Rooster uncontrollable desire.

Rabbit, Rat and Monkey represents Status, Power and Recognition. Of these three, Rabbit is the greatest as it is the most auspicious star where you will have the power to command other people. If you have Monkey in your Chart, then a lot of people will take notice of you this year - definitely a good animal sign to have if you into branding or marketing.

Rooster, Snake and Rabbit represent Helpful People. Rooster is the most powerful nobleman star. If Rooster is in your Year Pillar, then you are the noble person - make sure you are more helpful to others. If you have Snake in your Chart, then it's a year of good food and entertainment - which of course translates to getting fat! LOL. Rabbit is a Dragon Virtue star meaning if you have Rabbit in your month or day pillar, you will see all your obstacles easily dissolved.

Tiger and Boar both represents Dissolving Problems. If you have Tiger in your chart, then no matter how big is your problem, it will most certainly be resolved. If you have a Boar, then it is a good year to move house.

Academic are represented by Dragon and Monkey. A Monkey in your chart indicates you are somehow more intelligent this year - you can decipher things easily.

Tiger and Snake indicates connections and networking. If you have Tiger in your chart, you will be good at networking this year. And if you have a Snake, then you will get to know the right people at the right places!

People with Boar and Rooster in their Chart may suffer from memory lapse and forgetfulness this year. While people with Dog, Goat, Tiger and Rat may be emotional.

Those with Dragon and Horse should watch out for accidents. Dragon indicates bleeding and small injuries - you can take pre-emptive measures by donating blood. Doing so will help you avoid unlucky accidents that might befall you.

For health related issues, those with Goat, Monkey and Tiger in their charts take note. Goat indicates stomach problem and digestive issues. Monkey indicates injuries by sharp objects, possible minor surgeries and accidents at work. Tiger indicates internal bleeding, inflammation and cyst or growth.
If you have all three - Goat, Monkey, Tiger - in your Bazi Chart, then you may be very sick in 2016 so do make extra effort to take good care of your health!

Joey Yap then showed us how to resolve problems using animal signs. For example, if you have a Goat in your Bazi Chart and it is a problem for you, then you need to look for people with Dog, Rat or Horse to assist you. Unfortunately, I am not able to reproduce the chart here. Anyone knows where to get this chart?

In Part 2, I will cover the Flying Star Charts of 2016, which directions and sectors in your home are auspicious and inauspicious, and what you can do about them. Stay tuned :)

Feng Shui 2016 According To Joey Yap (Part 2)

January 23, 2016, 11:00 am

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Continued from Part 1

Now that we know what the year 2016 holds for us, let's move on to discover which sectors in your home are auspicious and which are inauspicious in this Year of the Fire Monkey.

To do that, you need to have a proper compass so that you can plot the sectors of your home. An iPhone compass is fine. In fact, most mobile phones come with a compass nowadays so you don't really need to go out and buy a physical compass.

Now what you need to do is to stand in the middle of your house with the compass at waist height and let the compass needle stops spinning. You will be able to see where exactly the North direction is. Then using your house plan, mark out all the 8 main sectors of the compass like the example shown below.


Image Source 

If you do not have a house plan, then try to draw your own but make it as accurate as possible.

Once you have a your 8 main sectors all marked out, refer to the Flying Star Chart for 2016.


Image taken from seminar booklet

The flying stars refer to the numbers in the grid which 'fly' around in a certain pattern every year. Each number represents different things. So the Flying Star Chart differs from year to year and that is why you need to update your feng shui every year. The sector that is auspicious this year may become inauspicious next year. You do not want to be activating inauspicious energy!

Let's start with the auspicious sectors first shall we?

In 2016, the number 8 which represents direct wealth flies to the South West sector. Direct wealth means hard work that creates wealth for you.  If your main door or bedroom is located here, then you will enjoy great wealth this year. If not, then try to use this sector more often. Frequent usage of the South West sector this year will manifest success and prosperity for the occupants.

Alternatively, Joey Yap recommends activating the Wealth Star 8 with placement of water in this sector. The water feature should be at least 2 feet deep and about 1,000 square feet large to be effective. It should not be covered and is best placed outside the house. If you already have a swimming pool in the South West, that's perfect and there is no need to do anything more.

But what happens if your toilet is in the South West? Joey Yap said in such a case, simply use your toilet more often! OK, I am not sure if he's joking, or he's trying to be sarcastic. LOL.

The next auspicious sector this year is in the East sector where the number 9 resides. 9 represents indirect wealth which is wealth created after leveraging on one-time work, or wealth from investments. This sector is most important to business owners and investors. Regular usage of this sector will manifest positive outcomes for one's investments, status and recognition.

If you don't use much of the East sector, then activating it with water will also do the trick. The same rules regarding water activation as mentioned above applies. Again, if you happen to have a swimming pool in the East, then you have it made!

Note that water placed outside the house is always more effective than water placed inside the house. According to Joey Yap, external water means you are using other people's money for your investment or business, thus there is no risk on your side. Internal water means you are actually using your own money, so it is more risky.

The number 1 Star flies to the South East this year. Number 1 represents reputation, recognition and advancement. It is important to note that the number 1 Star when combined with the South East sector is considered one of the most favourite combinations in Flying Star feng shui. This combination represents the highest ranking nobleman star, so if you wish to attract helpful people and nobleman in your life, you must activate the South East this year.

Again, activate it simply by using the South East sector more often, or use water placement.

Another auspicious sector for 2016 is the South sector where the number 6 Star resides. This star represents authority, career, power and reputation. Activating this sector will enhance chances of promotion and salary increment. This sector is also the execution palace, meaning this is the sector that get things done. So if you are running a business, putting key people like project managers in the South sector of your office will ensure that things get done.

In summary, if your house front door or bedroom is located in these four auspicious sectors i.e. South West, East, South East and South, you will most likely enjoy good feng shui in 2016.

Now let's move on to the inauspicious sectors for 2016.

The deadliest sector this year is North East, where the Five Yellow (Star number 5) flies in. This dreaded star which is an Earth element flies into the North East, which is also an Earth element sector, making it twice as deadly. But that's not all. It so happens that the Year Breaker (or Sui Po) is also located in the North East (specifically North East 3) this year, thus making this sector a triple whammy!

Refrain from doing any type of renovation, and groundbreaking activities at the North East sector or you will suffer from misfortunes, loss of wealth, illness and accidents.

The best and safest way to avoid the Five Yellow and Year Breaker afflictions is to simply avoid using the North East this year. If you have a bedroom here, move out! If you have the front door here, try using another door. But if that is not possible, then Joey Yap recommends activating all the good sectors to the maximum. This will make the positives far outweigh the negatives, thus balancing out the bad energy or vibes created by the afflictions.

The West sector has the Romance and Scholastic Star number 4 this year. This is supposed to be a pretty good sector for those who are pursuing academic success and also in romantic relationships, so it's not really an inauspicious sector. However, the wood element of Star number 4 clashes with the metal element of the West sector, indicating betrayal and a setback in trust. An alternative for academic excellence is to use South East.

The number 7 star flies into the North this year. This star when activated, will bring about robbery and loss of wealth. If your main door is located here, you have a higher risk of being robbed.

The number 3 star, which brings arguments and disputes flies into the North West this year. Avoid using this sector as it causes conflicts and arguments which may escalate to lawsuits and legal issues. However, if you are stuck in your career, this sector may be useful to create a change, though you will need to go through some pain.


Image taken from seminar booklet

Now, besides the inauspicious sectors mentioned above, do also take note of two other major afflictions. One is the Three Killings which is located at the South sector this year. Keep the South sector quiet and do not have any renovation or groundbreaking activities here to avoid the risk of illness, accidents and loss of wealth.

Note that this actually contradict with the earlier advice about activating the South sector because it has the auspicious number 6 star. Well, I really do not know if you should activate the South or not, but personally I will not. Better to play safe than to risk it! If you are a feng shui expert reading this, what do you advise?

The second affliction is the Grand Duke Jupiter (or Tai Sui) which is located at South West 3 this year. Just like the Three Killings, starting a renovation or doing ground breaking here will result in illness, accidents and loss of wealth. Try not to spend too much time in this sector and most importantly, DO NOT sit facing the Grand Duke, ie. DO NOT face South West. However, sitting with your back against the South West will actually enhance your authority as it is said that you have the backing of the Grand Duke.

Again, should I activate South West since it's the Wealth sector this year? Contradictions again! Perhaps make sure you activate just South West 1 and 2, but be careful not to touch South West 3? 

In conclusion, do not renovate or aggravate the following sectors in 2016...
North East - Five Yellow
North East 3 - Year Breaker
South - Three Killings
South West 3 - Grand Duke Jupiter

However, what happens if you accidentally trigger these negative sectors? What happens if it's not you who trigger it, but someone else? You see, some things are beyond your control. What if your neighbour decide to do a renovation at the part of their home which is in your North East sector this year? They will inadvertently trigger the Five Yellow for you!

Most feng shui masters would recommend placing a cure at the afflicted area. However, Joey Yap said that placing cures like feng shui items and objects are not really effective. His advice is to activate the good sectors instead so that the negative effects from triggering the bad stars would be minimised.

Personally, I prefer to do both ie. placing the cures as well as activating the good sectors. You don't need to buy expensive feng shui paraphernalia, you just need to place objects based on the five elements theory. But well, different people will have different opinion regarding this matter so while we can debate about this to no end, I would have to end this post here.

In Part 3, I will be sharing what the four major sectors Joey Yap said you must activate in order to build a back-up immunity just in case you or your neighbour accidentally trigger the bad sectors. Also, I will be sharing the activation dates and times that Joey Yap provided during the seminar. These are activation for wealth, health, relationships, academic, and more, so stay tuned. Thanks for reading!

Feng Shui 2016 According To Joey Yap (Part 3)

January 26, 2016, 7:00 am

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Continued from Part 2

So now that we know the auspicious and inauspicious sectors for 2016, it's time to do something first about the inauspicious sectors.

For most feng shui masters, the advice is to place cures in the afflicted sectors. However, Joey Yap does it a bit differently. He does not encourage placement of objects except water. Instead, he suggested that we activate four auspicious stars as a back-up immunity in the event we accidentally trigger the bad stars in the afflicted sectors.

The four auspicious stars are the Dragon Virtue, the Moon, the Sun and the Fortune Virtue.


Image taken from seminar booklet

Out of these four stars, the Dragon Virtue is the most important as it is a very effective immunity even if you trigger the Grand Duke and the Three Killings. Below is the location of each star and the date and time you should activate them.

Dragon Virtue
Location : East 2
Date and Time : 18 March 2016, 6.30am  or  26 April 2016, 7.30am

Sun
Location : West 2
Date and Time : 1 March 2016, 7.30pm  or  25 June 2016, 11.30am

Moon
Location : North West 3
Date and Time : 21 April 2016, 7.30pm  or  9 May 2016, 3.30pm

Fortune Virtue
Location : South East 3
Date and Time : 6 February 2016, 6.30am  or  1 March 2016, 1.30pm

Note that the date and time stated above are the local time in whichever country you are staying.

How do we activate these auspicious sectors? There are many ways, amongst them, you can rearrange your furniture, hang a painting on the wall or do some minor refurbishment. Or you can simply place a water feature.

Towards the end of the seminar, Joey Yap revealed a list of date and time to activate for wealth, health, relationship and more. Here is the complete list. He added that you will actually see results within 2 weeks to a month after activation.

WEALTH ACTIVATION
3 dates to choose from...

1. 27 January 2016, 6.30am - South West 3 (Clash : Tiger)

2. 24 February 2016, 6.30am - South East 3 (Clash : Horse)

3. 26 April 2016, 6.30am - East 2 (Clash : Monkey)

*Note : Clash means if you have that animal sign in your Bazi Chart, then that particular date is not beneficial for you. For example, if you have a Tiger in your Bazi Chart, then the first date (27 January 2016) is not suitable for you. Choose another date instead. You can choose just one date to activate or you can activate on all three dates as long as none of the animal sign clashes with you.


HEALTH ACTIVATION / HEALING
2 dates to choose from ...

1. 1 March 2016, 11.30am - South (Clash : Rat)

2. 5 April 2016, 11.30am - South (Clash : Pig)


MAKING DEALS
3 dates to choose from ...

1. 29 January 2016, 3.30pm - North 2 (Clash : Dragon)

2. 26 April 2016, 9.30am - West 2 (Clash : Monkey)

3. 18 February 2016, 7.30am - South (Clash : Rat)

*Note : During the negotiation, sit with your back facing the direction given. For example, if you are making a deal on 29 January 2016, sit with your back facing North 2, and let the other person sit opposite.

**Note : The third date 18 February 2016 is most suitable for land and property related deal.


WINNING ARGUMENTS / DISPUTES & PROBLEM SOLVING
2 dates to choose from ...

1. 27 March 2016, 6.30am - South East 3 (Clash : Tiger)

2. 5 April 2016, 7.30pm - West 2 (Clash : Pig)

*Note : Sit with your back facing the direction given. For example, to win an argument on 27 March 2016, sit with your back facing South East 3, and let the person you are arguing with sit opposite, i.e. in the North West. Alternatively, you can also activate the South East 3 sector in your home with water, then only meet the person later in the day.


RELATIONSHIPS ACTIVATION
2 dates to choose from ...

1. 24 February 2016, 5.30pm - South (Clash : Horse)

2. 23 April 2016, 9.30pm - West (Clash : Snake)

*Note : The clash here refers to the animal sign in the other person's Bazi Chart, not yours! So make sure you check his or her Bazi Chart beforehand. To activate, you need to face the direction given, and the other person face the opposite. For example, to activate on 24 February 2016, you need to face South and your intended target faces you ie. North. And he or she must not have a Horse in his/her Bazi Chart for it to work.


HUNTING / PROSPECTING
3 dates to choose from ...

1. 6 February 2016, 9.30am - West  (Clash : Rat)

2. 1 March 2016, 9.30am - South  (Clash : Rat)

3. 5 April 2016, 9.30am - South (Clash : Pig)



ACADEMIC ACTIVATION
2 dates to choose from ...

1. 15 March 2016, 5.30pm - West 2  (Clash : Tiger)

2. 30 April 2016, 7.30am - South East 3 (Clash : Rat)


PRAYERS / WISHES

12 April 2016, 9.30am - South (Clash : Horse)

*Note : Sit facing North and with back to the South. You can make a wish for yourself or your immediate family members.


BAD DAYS IN 2016
Besides the good dates and times for activation, Joey Yap also warned about 2 bad days to avoid doing anything important like moving house, starting a business, getting married or undergoing surgery. The two bad dates are as follows ...

1. 5 September 2016, 3.30pm - South West (Clash : Moneky)
This is a 'double funeral' day which must never be used for burial. The negative effect of using this day for burial is that 'if one is buried, another will soon follow'.

2. 9 March 2016, 9.30am (Clash : Monkey)
This is the date and time of a Solar Eclipse, which is deemed very inauspicious in both Chinese and Western astrology. Joey Yap warned that being exposed to the eclipse for 1 minute is equivalent to 1 year of bad luck, 2 minutes equals to 2 years of bad luck and so on. Best to stay indoors till the eclipse is over!


ACTIVATING GOD OF WEALTH
Chinese New Year is coming soon and most Chinese people will invite the God Of Wealth to their homes. In actual fact, what they are really doing is activating the Wealth Star. You can do the same without the firecrackers and the prayer rituals associated with it. All you need to do is to activate these three sectors - East, South West and North West on 8 February 2016 at 1.30am or 3am.

You can choose to activate just one sector or all three - it's all up to you.


BEST DAYS TO START WORK
This is for those who plan to start work on an auspicious day after the Chinese New Year holidays. Mainly for business owners, not so important for those working for others.

1. 12 February 2016, 6.30am (Clash : Horse)

2. 15 February 2016, 11.30am (Clash : Rooster)

3. 16 February 2016, 9.30am (Clash : Dog)

4. 19 February 2016, 6.30am (Clash : Ox)


In Part 4 (final part), I shall be sharing about Qi Men Dun Jia and how you can use it to increase your chances of success in getting what you want. Stay tuned :)

Feng Shui 2016 According To Joey Yap (Part 4) : Qi Men Dun Jia

February 1, 2016, 9:00 am

≫ Next: Once Upon A Time

≪ Previous: Feng Shui 2016 According To Joey Yap (Part 3)

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Continued from Part 3

In this final part, I am going to share with you about a powerful feng shui system called Qi Men Dun Jia. Loosely translated as 'Mystical Doors Escaping Technique', it is about placing yourself in the right place at the right time to get what you want. 

I have blogged about Qi Men Dun Jia (QMDJ) back in 2014 so if you are new to this subject, you may want to read THIS POST first to understand the basics. 

Anyway, during the seminar, Joey Yap taught us something which is quite similar to what he taught in the 2015 and 2014 seminars, but with a slight difference. Now I did not fully get everything that he said, so I would need readers who had attended this year's seminar to correct and help me out. Thanks! 

If you have not downloaded your Personal Bazi Chart from Joey Yap's site, please do so now HERE.  Yes you need the chart from his site to follow what I am about to share with you. If you acquired your Bazi Chart elsewhere, that won't help because the information I am about to share can only be cross referenced with the chart you downloaded from Joey Yap's site. 

With the chart in your hands, now look at the direction of your Destiny Palace. 

In the example below, Mr ABC's Destiny Palace is in the South East (circled in red)



Now look at the 2016 QMDJ Chart below

Image taken from seminar booklet

Can you see that in 2016, the deity residing in the South East is the Chief Deity? (circled in red). This is the deity that Mr ABC must ask for help to get what he wants. Please take note the name deity here does not mean God - it's just a name and this is nothing religious. 

All those circled in purple are the other deities in each of the nine grids or palaces (except the centre grid which contains no deity). 

So you just need to look at which deity you are requesting help from. If your Destiny Palace is say, North East, then referring to the 2016 QMDJ Chart above, your deity this year is the Moon Deity. Get it?

But if you still do not understand, don't worry.  There is a short cut way to find out who is your Deity this year. All you need to do is look somewhere near the bottom left of your Personal Bazi Chart printout. Can you see the words '2016 Qi Men Life Palace' and the word 'Deity' in one of the columns? 

Using the example of Mr ABC, you can see that his Deity for this year is Chief just by looking at the area circled in red.




Now look at your own printout. Who is your deity for this year? 

All the deities have their own special and unique characteristics. Out of the eight deities, the Chief is the most powerful and you can basically ask for anything you want from him. Here are the brief description of the other seven deities...

The Snake has the ability to increase your sixth sense and intuition. 

The Moon governs all knowledge and secrets, thereby helps you search for information.

The Six Harmony helps in relationships and communication.

The Nine Heaven helps you to warp reality by visualising what you want.

The Nine Earth governs money and wealth, so if what you want is more money, then this deity is the one you need. 

The White Tiger gives you infinite energy and stamina.

The Black Tortoise has the ability to tap into the minds of others, therefore helps you to mesmerise, brainwash and influence others (somewhat like Kylo Ren or Darth Vader in Star Wars!) 

OK, so once you find out who your deity is for this year, then you can request for what you want. Now from my understanding (for those who know, please correct me if I am wrong), you can only ask for the things that each deity can provide. Meaning, if your deity is the Snake, you cannot ask for more money. (That's Nine Earth's job). Similarly, if your deity is White Tiger, you can't ask for a good relationship with someone. (That's the Six Harmony's specialty). 

Now that we are clear about that, let's move on to how to ask for what you want. 

Step 1 : Go to Alpha state. You can meditate, or use any techniques to get to a calm, Alpha state.

Step 2 : Tap into the direction of your Life Palace. This means if your Life Palace is say, North, then you must sit with your back towards North (ie. sit facing South). 

Step 3 : Ask for what you want. Just ask as if you are talking to your Higher Self. This is not religious so you do not have to imagine you are praying to some kind of Deity. 

That's it. Simple?

Now I am sure there are many of you who want more money but your Deity this year is not Nine Earth, so how? I am not exactly sure, but perhaps you can still get Nine Earth's help simply by sitting with your back towards Nine Earth's location which is South West (refer to the 2016 QMDJ Chart above) and asking for more money. 

However, since South West is not your Destiny Palace, you may find it harder to achieve what you want. It is easier when you ask from the Deity located in your Destiny Palace. OK, I may be wrong about this, so any experts can help me out here?

OK, what happens if you are one of those people who can't meditate? What if you cannot bring yourself down to Alpha? Then the above method of asking for what you want is rendered useless.

Luckily, Joey Yap offered two other QMDJ techniques. The second method is to choose your allies when you arrive at your 'battleground'. Now I am not very sure about this method so anyone who knows please correct me here. 

Let's say you want to close a deal that will make you lots of money. If you use the meditation method, you can ask Nine Earth deity to get you the deal and the money before you go to the 'battleground' (where you negotiate to seal the deal). 

But using the second method, you just go to the battleground and choose your allies. Your allies are the Green Dragon, Great Moon,  Celestial Adviser and Heavenly Noble. If you look at the your own personal printout, you can see the four allies under the heading 2016 Qi Men Mobility Directions.



In Mr ABC's example above, he does not have the Celestial Adviser.

OK at this point, I am a bit blur on what to do. So anyone who knows, please help me out. From my understanding, you try and close the deal facing one of the directions of your allies. So in Mr ABC's case, he needs to face either North (Green Dragon), East (Great Moon) or South East (Heavenly Noble) while closing the deal.

Either that, or he needs to move (taking the hint from the words 'Mobility Directions') in the direction of North, East of South East towards the meeting place where he's supposed to close the deal. 

The third method is to travel to your direction of assistance. For example, if you are going to hospital for an operation and you want your operation to be successful, you look for the one of the good allies and choose a hospital that is in that direction in relation to your home. 

Let's say the Green Dragon is North, then you just need to travel North from your home to the hospital located at the North. What happens if there is no hospital at the North? Or your surgeon is from a hospital at the South of your home? Well, what you can do is like this.... (refer to diagram below)

You can travel from your home towards a place (a friend's house or a hotel) that is located South of the hospital. Stay in your friend's home or in a hotel overnight. The next morning, you travel North towards the hospital for your surgery. In this way, you are still going North. Is that brilliant or what? :)


There is more to QMDJ than what is explained in this post. Did you know that you can use QMDJ to do the following...

1. increase your money luck and wealth
2. increase your chances of getting a loan
3. creates a good impression on your first date
4. improve relationships (both romantic and non romantic)
5. increase your chances of getting a job
6. increase your chances of success in an interview
7. increase your chances of doing well in your exams
8. increase your chances of winning in negotiations
9. improve your health
10. hide from people (eg people who are harassing you)
11. easily find helpful people
12. improve your overall luck
and many more!!

If you are interested to know more about QMDJ, feel free to shoot me an email. My email address is mvfblog@gmail.com. Or leave your email address in the comments below (if you don't care about privacy and spammers) and I will get back to you! Thanks for reading! :)

Once Upon A Time

February 20, 2016, 12:28 pm

≫ Next: Pork Satay Rice @ Cafe Boran Hat Yai, Bangkok

≪ Previous: Feng Shui 2016 According To Joey Yap (Part 4) : Qi Men Dun Jia

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So I could not sleep. Must be the piccolo latte I had earlier in the evening. It's 2am in the morning and I decided to play the piano. Luckily my neighbours did not ring my doorbell or called the police. LOL!

Anyway, while playing randomly, a tune suddenly came into my mind. I quickly took out my old iPhone and did a quick recording before I forgot the tune. Here's the recording with all the slips and errors.

I am calling this new song "ONCE UPON A TIME". Not sure why, but this is the title that resonates with me, or rather with the song. Hope you like it! And do follow me on SoundCloud.com if you want to listen to my other songs. Enjoy :)


Note: This work and recording is copyrighted. All Rights Reserved.

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Pork Satay Rice @ Cafe Boran Hat Yai, Bangkok

April 5, 2016, 10:30 am

≫ Next: Mont Nom Sod @ MBK Centre, Bangkok

≪ Previous: Once Upon A Time

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I am not sure if I should call this pork satay rice but the real name for this dish in Thai is Phra Ram long song, or Rama Takes A Bath. More popularly known as Swimming Rama, I figured it's the Rama King (pork) swimming in peanut gravy! LOL!



And that's also why I am sure it can also be called pork satay rice.

Maybe it's not very clear from the photo above (since it looks like a huge big mess!) but the dish is actually made up of thin slices of grilled pork, with steamed morning glory and white rice drowned in a sea of satay peanut sauce. Plus, a tablespoon of chili-garlic sauce (see that red oval shape thingy?) plopped on top! Oh my, are you salivating yet?

Where can you find this simple yet unique dish? At Cafe Boran Hat Yai opposite the famous Or Tor Kor Market in Bangkok.



Yes, there is no English name on the signboard. You just have to memorise how the signboard looks like if you plan to go looking for it.

So, after a long hiatus, I am back blogging and this time, I am going to blog about my Bangkok trip back in February 2014. Yes, that's how backdated I am in my blog posts. LOL!

This was a short 3-day Bangkok trip, but instead of starting from Day 1, I have decided to do it randomly this time, and start with Day 2. And in between, maybe I shall throw in some posts about my more recent trip to Taiping. Hopefully, you will not be confused between Bangkok and Taiping haha! (I really hope not, because they are so different)

Anyway, back to my story. It's Day 2 of my Bangkok trip and both my friend and I took an early morning MRT ride from our hotel to Or Tor Kor Market. It was my first time visiting this fresh market.



There's a Black Canyon Coffee restaurant opposite the market.



Although this post will not be about Or Tor Kor market, I thought I just share a little bit about it before we go back to that Swimming Rama dish.



My first impression of the market was wow! How clean! And bright! Looks more like a supermarket than a fresh market, don't you think?



The market is actually not very big but they sell fresh produce like fruits, vegetables and seafood. There is also a food court where you can eat to your heart's content. However, I did notice that the prices here are slightly more expensive than other markets in Bangkok. But then, the quality of the products sold here are better, so I guess it depends on what you want.



I almost wanted to buy the durians but my friend stopped me. Luckily he did, because honestly, I think Malaysian durians are nicer, although the durians at this market were very fleshy!

OK, that's about as brief as I can get regarding Or Tor Kor market. Do check it out if you have never visited it before. By the way, did you know that Or Tor Kor market is listed in CNN's Top 10 of the world's best fresh market? Read it HERE.

Back to Cafe Boran Hat Yai. To locate this cafe, just exit from the back of Or Tor Kor market and you will easily find this cafe along the road.



It was not lunch time yet, so there was no crowd. Only two or three customers when we were there. The cafe looks slightly more upscale than the average street restaurants in Bangkok but the prices were reasonable.



Some condiments on our table. I did not touch them as the pork satay rice we ordered were tasty enough on its own.  The cafe also sells noodles and buns but mostly had to do with pork as the main ingredient. We skipped all that, because all we really wanted to try was the pork satay rice or Swimming Rama as it is popularly known.



I enjoyed this dish as the pork was tender and the peanut gravy which also contains coconut milk was more savoury than sweet. Yummy! Price was reasonable at only 40 baht.



Cafe Boran Hat Yai (opposite Or Tor Kor market, Chatuchak)
Opens : Daily 8am - 5pm
Direction to Cafe Boran Hat Yai : Take MRT to Kampheng Phet Station, exit #3 (look for signboard that says Marketing Organization For Farmers), walk up the stairs and turn right to Or Tor Kor market. Walk inside market till the back and exit, walk across the road. Cafe Boran Hat Yai is one of the shops along the road facing the market.

Mont Nom Sod @ MBK Centre, Bangkok

April 11, 2016, 9:30 am

≫ Next: After You Dessert Cafe @ Silom Complex, Bangkok

≪ Previous: Pork Satay Rice @ Cafe Boran Hat Yai, Bangkok

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There is a hidden gem in Bangkok and it's this cafe called Mont Nom Sod located on the 2nd floor of MBK(Mah Boonkrong) Centre.

If you like toasts or bread and milk, then this is the place to go to! This is my toasts with condensed milk and butter (left) and toasts with original coconut custard (right). Both were delicious, and each was priced at only 23 baht!



And my cup of slightly sweet hot milk to go with the toasts! 32 baht.



My friend ordered toasts with coconut custard and chocolate spreads, but I forgot to take photos of them! The toast with chocolate spread was a little bit more expensive at 25 baht.

We went to MBK Centre right after our morning trip to Or Tor Kor Market and our early lunch of pork satay rice at Cafe Boran Hat Yai. As soon as we stepped into the cafe, we scanned the menu displayed behind the counter and were delighted to find so many different types of spreads.



You can order toasts with sugar (only 18 baht), condensed milk, original coconut custard (orange color), coconut custard (green color), marmalade jam, corn soup (all at 23 baht each), strawberry jam, chocolate and taro custard. (the last three were priced at 25 baht each).

They have two types of bread - the toasted bread topped with your choice of spreads, and the soft steamed bread that comes with dips. However the dips were limited to just original coconut custard, coconut custard (both priced at 65 baht) and chocolate (70 baht) only.

And they have many of these packaged for takeaways.



The place is famous for their milk, so make sure you order their milk if you come here. You can choose either hot or cold milk. But they are slightly sweetened, although I would have preferred non sweetened as the toasts were already sweet.



Loaves and loaves of bread on the rack.



Yummy spreads!! The orange and green coconut custards are similar to our Malaysian kaya but I found that the original coconut custard (orange color) has a much stronger coconut taste.



They even sell cakes with coconut custard dips. Hmmm, I think I would prefer to just eat those cakes on its own without the dips.



I really, really like their toasts! They were crispy on the outside but soft and fluffy on the inside.



The condensed milk with butter was sinfully delicious! Definitely not healthy, but it was like comfort food to me.



It's good to know that all of Mont's products are preservative-free as they are made fresh daily.



Actually, I would have preferred a cup of coffee instead of just milk.  But no complaints about the milk though.



First started in 1964 selling toasts from the street, Mont Nom Sod had grown and become a successful chain in Thailand.



Not many people when we went there that day. Probably it was lunch time, and the locals do not normally eat bread for lunch.



I liked it enough to buy a pack of steamed bread and coconut custard dip for takeaway.



Mont Nom Sod
2nd floor, MBK Centre
Opening Hours : 11am - 9pm daily

After You Dessert Cafe @ Silom Complex, Bangkok

April 19, 2016, 10:00 am

≫ Next: Mango Tango @ Siam Square, Bangkok

≪ Previous: Mont Nom Sod @ MBK Centre, Bangkok

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Looking for desserts in Bangkok to satisfy your sweet tooth? Why not try After You Dessert Cafe located at Silom Complex?



It was my second day in Bangkok and my friend and I decided to part ways after enjoying the yummy toasted bread at Mont Nom Sod in MBK Centre. Yes, we sometimes like to explore Bangkok on our very own - solo style - and I would suggest you do the same whenever you travel with friends.

If you have never traveled alone before, you will experience that awesome feeling of freedom, doing what you like, with no worries about pleasing or accommodating your travel partners!

Anyway, I left MBK Centre and somehow ended up at Silom Complex. What I did in between these two places would perhaps be best left for another post in future.

I had heard about After You Dessert Cafe before I came to Bangkok, so when I saw this cafe on the second floor of Silom Complex, I immediately went in.



Everything on the menu sounds so sweet! And I mean it literally. Well, it's to be expected, since it's a dessert cafe. I chose the Shibuya Honey Toast, which I was told is the bestseller.



As for the drinks, I went for iced apple cider (95 baht). Not sure why I chose apple cider but it was nice! So refreshing.



Notice that jug of honey? That's for the Shibuya Honey Toast. By the way, Shibuya toast is originally from Japan, so I was curious how this toast in Bangkok matches up. Although, I would not be able to compare since I have never tried the one in Japan! Lol.



The cup was pretty interesting. While I waited for the toast to arrive, I decided to read what's written on the cup.



By the way, you would need to order at the counter and they will then deliver to you.



After You Dessert Cafe is a chain in Thailand and you can find them elsewhere in Bangkok. The original outlet is at J Avenue, at Thonglor Soi 13.



Finally, my Shibuya Honey Toast arrived. Priced at 175 baht, the toast was huge enough for sharing with another person, but of course since I was there on my own, I ate it all myself!



The thick chunk of toast was crispy on the outside but soft and fluffy inside as there were melted butter inside. It was accompanied with two scoops of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.



I don't fancy whipped cream, so I did not eat much of it. But I gobbled up the rest! Haha. If you don't find it sweet enough, don't forget to add honey from the jug of honey available.



Their tagline - There's always room for desserts - definitely gets my wholehearted support! :)



Maybe I will come here again to try their other desserts next time I go Bangkok!

Mango Tango @ Siam Square, Bangkok

April 28, 2016, 11:00 am

≫ Next: My Dinner @ Inter Restaurant, Bangkok

≪ Previous: After You Dessert Cafe @ Silom Complex, Bangkok

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During my first night in Bangkok, I visited Mango Tango to try their famous mango desserts. Located at Siam Square Soi 3, this shop is very conveniently located near the Siam BTS Station.



I came here alone before meeting up with my friend for dinner at Inter Restaurant later. It's just desserts - surely I would not be too full for dinner after this right? LOL!

The restaurant was actually quite small with just a few tables. Luckily there was no crowd. I heard that in the day time, there would be long queues to get a table.



Cute mangoes decoration!



My photos did not turn out well as it was rather dim.

The menu was basically a variety of desserts based on the one and only fruit - mango!



As there was no one to share the desserts with, I decided to go for their Signature Mango Tango with Sticky Rice (145 baht). I believe it's a wise choice as I get to sample everything - the fresh mango, mango pudding, mango ice cream and sticky rice.



My verdict? It was OK - the mango was sweet and juicy. The ice cream was pretty good, but I was not impressed with the pudding and the sticky rice.



I will definitely not queue for this, so if you see a long queue outside this restaurant, I will suggest that you go elsewhere for your dessert! Otherwise, it's worth a try at least once. I have no complaints about their fresh mangoes though.

As for mango desserts, it's probably much better to fly to Hong Kong to try the Hui Lau Shan mango desserts!

My Dinner @ Inter Restaurant, Bangkok

May 3, 2016, 11:00 am

≫ Next: My Stay @ Marvin Suites, Bangkok

≪ Previous: Mango Tango @ Siam Square, Bangkok

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Looking for some authentic Thai food in Bangkok at reasonable prices? Try Inter Restaurant!

After finishing my yummy mango dessert at Mango Tango, I walked to Inter Restaurant to meet up with my friend for dinner.  Located at Siam Square Soi 9, it was within a short walking distance from Mango Tango.

My first impression of the restaurant - nothing much to shout about, no lavish interior, nothing impressive. But it was clean. Service was just average. But wait...when the food arrived, I was sold!

I ordered the stir fried pork with basil and beef on rice (95 baht).



It was so delicious! Yummy!

Both my friend and I ordered their Thai ice tea with milk (40 baht). Love it!



My friend ordered the green curry with pork with rice and rice noodles (85 baht). I thought he would just order either the rice or the rice noodles but he went for both. He must be really hungry! LOL!



I tried a little of the green curry and it was oh my, so tasty!

I did not take any photos of the restaurant except for this one. I like the opaque glass partition between our table and the neighbouring table as it ensured adequate privacy for us. Haha!



It was already 9pm and it's the last call. So we decided to order something for takeaway to be eaten in our hotel for supper. What did we order?

Pad Thai with prawns! That cost us 90 baht.



Yummy Pad Thai with delicious prawns! Sinful supper all right, but we shared so it's OK right? LOL!



Will I return to Inter Restaurant next time I go Bangkok? You bet! There are so many more items in their menu that I look forward to try. The best part is, they are all priced cheaply compared to all those tourist traps in Bangkok. If all you want is good food, then Inter Restaurant is the place to go!