Landing At Don Mueang International Airport In Bangkok

May 16, 2013, 9:30 am

≫ Next: Bangkok Loft Inn : My Favorite Hotel In Bangkok!

≪ Previous: Yummy Durian Pancakes At Mid Valley!

$

0

0

Last January I flew to Bangkok for a short holiday with a friend. I can almost hear some of you loyal readers shouting out loud "Again?!!"

Yes, again.

In fact, this must be my 5th time holidaying in Bangkok. I am not sure why, but I just don't seem to get tired of this city. There are always new things to discover and I have enjoyed every single one of my trips there.

Read More >Things I Did In Bangkok

Only this time, instead of landing at my favorite Suvarnabhumi International Airport, my AirAsia flight had diverted to the older and much smaller Don Mueang International Airport. In case you didn't know, AirAsia had moved all flight operations from Suvarnabhumi to Don Mueang since October 1st, 2012.



However, I was quite pleased that there were less crowd at Don Mueang, although I must say it was quite annoying to find our luggage coming out from another conveyor belt instead of the one where we were supposed to wait! Not very efficient eh?

But wait! I have jumped the line. There's something I wanted to tell you regarding my flight with AirAsia.



While boarding the plane to Bangkok at LCCT in Malaysia, the male flight attendant asked me to place my backpack in the luggage compartment above the seats. I was surprised as I have flown with AirAsia so many times, and this is the first time I was asked to do such a thing.

I told him that I have always placed my backpack on the floor under my seat. He told me that was against the rules. No bags allowed on the floor. Really? Since when?

Besides, my backpack was not large and long like a backpacker's backpack if you know what I mean. It's just like a children's school bag! Can you see my backpack on the chair in the picture below?



Oh by the way, that's the picture of my hotel room in Bangkok. The hotel is a boutique hotel by the name of Bangkok Loft Inn and it's one of the best hotels in that price range that I have ever stayed in Bangkok. More about this hotel in my next post.

Read More >My Experience Flying Thai Airways

Back to my story. I was adamant in NOT placing my backpack in the luggage compartment. The flight steward insisted that I do as he asked. I refused. Deadlock. He was a bit irritated. I was furious. But I kept smiling and so did he. Although I was sure he could see the fakeness in my smile as clearly as I saw the fakeness in his. In the end, the customer won. Hah!

Now tell me, dear readers, did I do anything wrong? If I did, why was I allowed to place my backpack on the floor under the seats every time I flew in an AirAsia plane? Or did they just change the rules?

Anyway, upon landing at Don Mueang International Airport, my friend and I took a taxi to our hotel. The only problem was, the taxi driver did not seem quite sure where exactly our hotel was located.

Coming Up Next : My Stay At Bangkok Loft Inn 

---

Bangkok Loft Inn : My Favorite Hotel In Bangkok!

May 20, 2013, 11:30 am

≫ Next: The 2am Hauntings

≪ Previous: Landing At Don Mueang International Airport In Bangkok

$

0

0

Last January, I visited Bangkok with a friend for a short holiday. It's my 5th time in this lovely city. We stayed at a boutique hotel called Bangkok Loft Inn in the Thonburi section of Bangkok.

My friend and I took a taxi from Don Mueang International airport to our hotel. It costs us 350 baht (USD11.75 / RM35) and took a little more than an hour to reach. The taxi driver did not know the exact location of the hotel so when he told us we had reached the correct street yet could not find the hotel, I thought we were really lost!

Read More >Landing At Don Mueang International Airport

Fortunately, a lady who was walking past our taxi saw our predicament and asked where we were heading. When the driver told her the name of the hotel, she smiled and pointed to a building ahead of us. It was less than 100 metres away!

And guess what? That lady was one of the staff working in that hotel! LOL!



Checking into the Bangkok Loft Inn was a breeze. The hotel staff were helpful and friendly. I really like them! We were each given a welcome drink, which was nice.

But what surprised me was that they also gave us a map of Bangkok, and pointed out to us the location of the hotel and the nearest BTS Skytrain station. On top of that, they also gave each of us the hotel's name card so that we could show any taxi driver the address and get back safely to the hotel. How thoughtful!



My hotel room (known as Superior Room) was on the third floor of this 4-storey luxurious boutique hotel. The teak flooring made the room appeared airy and spacious. I was glad to see that flat screen TV! Yay! If you must know, I love watching Thai dramas (despite not understanding a word!) and Thai music videos, so a good flat screen TV is very important! LOL!

Read More >I Love Thai TV And Thai MTV!

No smoking and no durians allowed inside the room or you will be fined 2,000 baht! (USD67.30 / RM202.70)



That's pretty strict! Looks like I could not bring back my favorite durian with sticky rice desserts for supper! Oh well, not a huge problem. I can live with that : )

I was satisfied with the amenities in the room. There were extra pillows, a laundry basket, clothes hangers and an in-room safe.



There's a working table and a leather sofa too.



The view of the room from the working table.



The view of the room while sitting at the leather sofa.



And the view of the 32-inch flat screen cable TV while lying on the comfortable Double Bed. I got to tell you that I enjoyed watching TV - all the Thai dramas and Thai music videos - every night in my hotel room till the wee hours of the morning! Haha!



I also like that they provide a hair dryer outside the bathroom.



The switches and sockets. Thailand uses a different kind of sockets (compared to Malaysia) so make sure you bring a Universal Travel Adaptor when you visit Bangkok!



Water boiler and coffee maker.



Small bedside table where the telephone and notepad were placed.



I found some interesting decorative items inside that small glass cabinet on the wall above the leather sofa.



These were the items inside the glass cabinet. I wish I could take them home with me!







I like the design of the lamp stand and the three pictures hanging on the wall above the bed.



Opening the curtain behind the leather sofa, I could get a nice view of the streets outside.



Although it would be nicer if the hotel was taller and not limited to just 4 storeys high. Would be nice staying at a higher floor and have a bird's eye view of Bangkok city.



During this trip, I had actually spent some time sitting on this sofa by the window and enjoyed myself reading a good book with a cup of hot coffee. Simply love it!



One of the most important aspect of a hotel room is its bathroom and toilet. For me, it must be clean and everything should be in good working condition. I am pleased to say the bathroom in Bangkok Loft Inn  was excellent!



It was clean and tidy. The bath towels were clean. And I like that there's a separate cubicle for shower.



Too bad they did not provide rainforest shower head - that would have made it perfect!



An illustration on the wall to educate hotel guests. I hope no guests would squat with their two feet on top of the toilet bowl - a big NO NO to me!!



By the way, all the rooms in Bangkok Loft Inn are wi-fi enabled. I found the hi-speed Internet access to be very reliable. It did not fail me during my 4 nights stay - surely another plus point for this hotel!

Bangkok Loft Inn also serves surprisingly delicious breakfasts at its Terrace Restaurant on the first floor.



My stay includes complimentary breakfasts which I enjoyed very much! This is the area outside the Terrace Restaurant.



Going down the stairs, I saw a notice board and decided to check it out.



Three cute monks in orange robes beside the wall.



On the notice board, a warning message stood out. This is a very good warning to all guests and tourists especially if you are a first timer to Bangkok.



The practice of tuk tuk drivers offering cheap rides to discounted jewelry stores are pretty common in Bangkok. If you are offered one, please decline or risk being taken for a ride!

Other than the warning message, the board was completely inundated with thank you letters and postcards from guests who have enjoyed their stay in this hotel. Take a look at some of them!













I booked this hotel room via Agoda at the price of RM520 (USD172.50) for a 5D/4N stay (inclusive of breakfast) which works out to RM130 (USD43.10) per night. With its friendly customer service, lovely room and clean bathroom, reliable hi-speed Internet access, PLUS its delicious breakfast, the price I paid was totally worth it!



The only problem could be its location which is a bit far from tourist hotspots like Silom and Sukhumvit. However, it's just 5 minutes walk to Wongwian Yai BTS Skytrain Station so getting around in Bangkok is not really a problem.

Besides, it's just 2 stations away from Saphan Taksin Pier where you can take a boat to all the tourist spots like Wat Arun, Grand Palace and Chinatown.



Overall, I highly recommend Bangkok Loft Inn - currently my favorite hotel in Bangkok!

Bangkok Loft Inn
55 Somdet Phra Chao Taksin Rd
Bangyeerua, Thonburi, Bangkok
10600 Thailand
Website

Coming Up Next : My Breakfasts At Bangkok Loft Inn

The 2am Hauntings

May 24, 2013, 12:00 am

≫ Next: My Breakfasts At Bangkok Loft Inn

≪ Previous: Bangkok Loft Inn : My Favorite Hotel In Bangkok!

$

0

0

This is a true story.

My friend told me this story a few months back. I was thinking of waiting till the Hungry Ghost Festival to tell this story but somehow, I am in the mood to write about it now. So here it is ... 

I met up with my friend Aileen (not her real name) during the Chinese New Year holidays. We had not been meeting for over a year so I thought it would be nice to catch up with her during the festive break.  We had lunch together and that's when Aileen told me her story. 

Aileen's husband died a few years ago due to an incurable disease, leaving her with her 2 young children and 2 properties. One of the properties is the house she is living in now, and the other is a condominium unit in Kuala Lumpur which she rented out to a single man in his late 20's named Gavin. 

Lately, Aileen had been having trouble collecting the rental from Gavin. He had always been punctual in his payments, Aileen told me. But he started to be late in his payments and when he did not pay for three months straight, Aileen decided enough is enough. 

She gave him an ultimatum - either pay up or get kicked out. When Gavin did not answer her call, she was furious and got her agent to get him to pay up or move out. He finally agreed to move out, much to Aileen's relief. 

A few days after Gavin had moved out, Aileen received a call from Mrs Yap, a condo resident who was staying right below her unit. Aileen knew Mrs Yap well because Mrs Yap had been complaining about the water leaking from Aileen's unit above. But this time, Mrs Yap did not call about any water leakage. Instead, she asked Aileen if anyone is still staying in her condominium unit. 

Surprised, Aileen asked why. 

"I can hear someone flushing the toilet in the middle of the night." Mrs Yap told her. 

Aileen laughed and said "You must be mistaken. There's no one staying in there now. I have not rented out to anyone yet."

But Mrs Yap called her again the next day. She was sure she heard the flushing of the toilet again last night. But this time, she also heard someone banging on the wall. 

"What time did you hear this banging sound?" Aileen asked.

"About 2 am in the morning" Mrs Yap replied. 

"That's impossible" Aileen said. "Unless ...."

Aileen could only think of one possibility. Maybe Gavin had returned during the night and stayed in her condo! She was angry. She called him but the number no longer existed.  

She had no idea how Gavin could get in since he had already passed her the key. Oh, maybe he duplicated the key, she thought.  That scumbag!! 

After contemplating for some time, Aileen decided to change the padlock. When she went to the condo one evening to have it done, she bumped into Mrs Yap who told her that the man had just left. 

"You saw him?" Aileen asked.

"No, but I heard him moving around upstairs just now and then it was quiet minutes before you came." 

"But you did not see him right?" 

"No I did not." 

"Oh well, I have changed the lock now. He won't be able to get in." 

Feeling reassured, Aileen went home. She was sure she would get a good night sleep that night. 

But the next day, Aileen got a call from Mrs Yap again. 

She sounded scared over the phone. "I heard it again last night!" 

"Hear what?" Aileen asked.

"The banging on the wall!" Mrs Yap exclaimed. "It was quite loud and I could not sleep! I thought you changed the lock!" 

"I did!" Aileen could feel a chill going down her spine. 

"Then why is there still someone making all the noise? And he did it at 2am every time!"  

Aileen did not know what to say. She had changed the lock! How did he get in? Through the windows? But that would mean he had to climb up 7 storeys high from the outside. It's quite impossible! Besides, she had locked all the windows and they could not be opened from the outside!

"Mrs Yap, are you sure what you heard is from my condo unit?" Aileen tried to reassure herself.

"I am very sure. It's coming right above my unit." Mrs Yap explained. "I would not hear so clearly if your unit is not directly above ours." 

Aileen then decided to meet up with Mrs Yap and her husband Mr Yap to talk about this unexplained mystery. But before she went, she called her agent and asked her if she knew anything about the man who rented her condominium unit. 

The agent reluctantly told her that Gavin had been suffering from depression and he was unemployed for many months. Perhaps that explained why he could not pay her the rental! As for his whereabouts, the agent said she had no idea. 

Probably he's a psycho? Aileen could not shake off that eerie thought. That could explain why he banged on the wall at 2 am in the morning! Yet when she met him on several occasions, he appeared to be normal and in fact, quite polite. 

When Aileen met up with Mr and Mrs Yap that evening, she invited them up to her unit. Aileen looked around for any signs of wall being damaged but found none. Then they went into the bedroom where Gavin slept. 

There, Mr Yap pointed up to the ceiling. Aileen gasped. The ceiling was damaged badly as if someone had used a stick or something to hit it. So he had been banging on the ceiling at 2am every night! Clearly, it was the work of someone with mental problems! 

"What happened next?" I asked Aileen excitedly. 

"Mr and Mrs Yap went back hometown for Chinese New Year, so I did not hear from them." Aileen said. "And I got a plumber to fix the water leakage issue in my unit." 

"Did the plumber hear or see anything unusual?" I asked.

"No, but then he had not finished fixing it yet. He also went back hometown for the Chinese New Year holidays." Aileen explained.

"So no one knows if the banging sound still continues?" 

"No. And I don't think I want to know." She laughed nervously. 

And just like that, her story ended. We did not meet again. I wonder what is the conclusion to her story. Should I call her up to ask? I don't know. Deep down, I don't really want to know as well. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss, don't you think? 

For more true ghosts stories, click on the links below ....

The Haunted Penang Hotel
My Paranormal Experience At Lake Kenyir
Terrorized By Toyol!

My Breakfasts At Bangkok Loft Inn

May 26, 2013, 7:30 am

≫ Next: The Erawan Museum In Bangkok (Part 1)

≪ Previous: The 2am Hauntings

$

0

0

If you have read my write-ups on my current favorite hotel in Bangkok which is none other than Bangkok Loft Inn, you would know that I had enjoyed the breakfast there.

When my friend and I checked into the hotel on the first day, the staff had asked us what we would like for breakfast the next day. We were provided with a menu list and from there I chose the chicken rice with Thai chili sauce!

So this was my first breakfast at the Terrace Restaurant in Bangkok Loft Inn!

Although the chicken rice does not look very delicious in the photo above, I can assure you it was really yummy! The Thai chili sauce made all the difference actually - I practically dunked the chicken meat into that bowl of sauce. Yum!

My friend chose the shrimp salad (photo below). He said it was delicious!

Of course, there were a variety of other food you could eat as well - buffet style. There were toasts, salads, fruits, pastries, milk and cornflakes. For drinks, you could choose from coffee, tea and fruit juices. (Sorry no photos - didn't think it was necessary!)

After breakfast, my friend and I went out the whole day and did not return to the hotel till the late evening. When we went to get our room key at the counter, the staff asked us what we would like to have for breakfast the next day. My friend chose the chicken rice and I decided to choose the shrimp salad! Haha!



The shrimp salad was delicious! Could not get enough of it! Well, luckily it was a salad and was not too filling as I was supposed to meet up with Filipino blogger Ishmael Ahab for .... breakfast! LOL!

I have to say I enjoyed the fruits at this hotel especially the passion fruits which were in abundance. I ate a lot of the passion fruits as they were quite expensive back in Malaysia.

I was not feeling very well on my third morning in Bangkok so I skipped the breakfast that day which was a real pity! Oh well, my fourth morning was a breakfast of porridge and you tiao (chinese cruller).



I really didn't imagine myself to be eating porridge but that's what I ordered! And surprisingly, it was really good! I practically licked the bowl dry! Haha!

My friend ate fried rice, I think. I forgot to take a photo of that.

Overall, I enjoyed all the breakfast meals a lot at Bangkok Loft Inn. Certainly no regrets staying in this hotel and I highly recommend this place to anyone visiting Bangkok.

Coming Up Next : My Visit To The Erawan Museum

The Erawan Museum In Bangkok (Part 1)

June 2, 2013, 8:00 am

≫ Next: The Erawan Museum In Bangkok (Part 2)

≪ Previous: My Breakfasts At Bangkok Loft Inn

$

0

0

I have been to Bangkok many times but surprisingly, I have never heard of the Erawan Museum until my last visit in January this year.

When my friend and I got out of the taxi, we were certainly not prepared to see a huge, gigantic three-headed elephant in front of us!



The sight of the elephant which reaches 44 metres in height was so amazing my jaw almost dropped!

The spot where we alighted from the taxi was however not the entrance into the museum. It was a shrine for people to pray in front of the Elephant without entering the museum. We had to walk a little bit further round the corner to reach the front gate.



The Erawan Museum, located in the Samut Prakan district, does not seem to be in the mainstream list of tourist attractions in Bangkok. I wonder why, as it was to me, one of the most fascinating museums I have ever visited!



I said fascinating because this is not just any normal museum, but rather a combination of an elaborately created museum and temple. After exploring the whole place, I realized the museum is an all-in-one showcase of history, culture, religion, spirituality, architecture and art!



The word Erawan is a Thai name for the three-headed elephant, which is actually a depiction of Airavata, the white elephant that carries the Hindu God Indra according to Indian mythology.

The museum was the brainchild of the late, eccentric Thai business tycoon Lek Viriyabhun, who originally built it to show his vast collection of Asian antiquities, but soon ended up as something much bigger.

As we walked along the pathway from the front gate, I could not take my eyes off the giant elephant statue. I could not wait to see it up close!



We first proceeded to the ticket booth. The entrance ticket costs 300 baht (USD9.90 / RM30.60) per adult. A little pricey perhaps, but I think it's still worth it.



The museum building was divided into 3 levels - the Basement or Suvarnabhumi (which represents the Underworld), the Hall (which represents Earth or the human realm) and inside the Elephant's belly (which represents Heaven).

Yes, you read that right. You can enter the Elephant's belly! And I thought it was just a giant statue on top of the museum!



Surrounding the museum is a beautiful tropical flower garden complete with mythical Thai sculptures and running water. More about this garden later.



This is how the colossal three-headed copper elephant looks like against the cloudy blue sky.



It was such an incredible sight I do not think my poor quality photo can do it justice. You just need to be there to see it for yourself!

Weighing about 250 tons, this gigantic elephant took almost 10 years to construct!



There's a stream surrounding the circumference of the base of the museum. I was immediately distracted by a couple kneeling at one end of the stream.



What were the couple doing?



I soon learnt that they were floating lotus flowers on the stream. There were in fact, many lotus flowers traveling on the stream. Can you see them?



Now here's something interesting. The price of admission actually gets you a lotus bud, which you can then send it floating into the stream after you have made a wish. According to the locals, if the lotus flower floats all the way to the end of the stream surrounding the museum, your wish will come true!



But if your lotus flower gets snagged and stops before making it around the museum, then your wish will not materialize. Perhaps you will need to buy more lotus flowers and try to make a more realistic wish! LOL!



Besides floating lotus flowers, you can also throw coins like what these two ladies were doing.



Can you see where all those coins landed? They should not land inside the water or your wish will not be granted, or so it seems.



Another lady seen here releasing her lotus bud on the water.



I did not really believe in the wish-granting lotus flower theory but that did not stop me and my friend from trying it out! LOL!



After making our wishes, both my friend and I released the lotus flowers into the stream. We followed the flowers as they moved along the stream, hoping they would not stop halfway.



Midway, I was distracted by one of the elephant's head and tusks hovering above us. It sure looked incredible from here!



We reached the end of the stream, but where were our lotus flowers? No where to be seen. Our wishes had just gone down the drain! Oh well, at least it was fun. LOL!



It was time to enter the museum proper. But first let's take a look at the rules and regulations.



We entered the Basement first. It represents the Underworld, according to the Buddhist conception of the Universe. Photography was not allowed here so sorry, no photos. It mainly houses a collection of antique ceramics and art, probably most of them belonging to the founder Lek Viriyabhun. The Basement felt like a real museum to me.

After that, we moved on to the Hall or the large central area above the Basement.



The intricate design on the exterior part of the building was interesting.



A close-up shot of the carvings.



The view from outside the Hall with part of the Elephant's tusks in the photo.



More detailed carvings.



Magnified.



As I entered the Hall which was said to represent both the human realm of the Buddhist universe and Mount Meru, the centre of the Hindu universe, I was stunned by what I saw.

What? Stained glass windows? Christianity?!



To be continued ....

FIRST COMMENTER

The Erawan Museum In Bangkok (Part 2)

June 5, 2013, 11:00 am

≫ Next: The Erawan Museum In Bangkok (Part 3)

≪ Previous: The Erawan Museum In Bangkok (Part 1)

$

0

0

Continued from Part 1

As I entered the Hall of the Erawan Museum, I was stunned to see the stained glass ceiling which reminded me more of Christianity than Buddhism or Hinduism.



This is the second level of the Museum actually - the first being the Underworld in the Buddhist cosmos located at the basement which my friend and I visited earlier. This second level represents the human realm in the Buddhist universe, or Mount Meru, which is the centre of the Hindu universe.

There were four pillars surrounding the centrepiece where a small statue of Guan Yin or Avalokiteshvara, the Buddhist bodhisattva of compassion stood. The four pillars were embellished with detailed carvings depicting scenes from Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity.



There were fairies-like statues sitting by the staircase railings.



This is one of the statues.



Below the statue is this carving which to me, looks like a great piece of art!



The Guan Yin image in the centre flanked by more fairies-like statues.



One of the statues playing a musical instrument.



Colorful lotus flowers below the Guan Yin statue.



Sculpture of the naga human which is half serpent.



My friend and I walked up the staircase while admiring the carvings and detailed ornamentations along the way.



A magnificent carving on one of the four pillars.



The staircase itself was beautifully decorated. The stained glass ceiling appeared bigger and clearer as we ascended the stairs.



Reaching the upper floor, I stopped for a while to admire the ceiling. It's not everyday you see stained glasses in a predominantly Buddhist Bangkok.



This dazzling stained glass ceiling, designed by the late German artist Jakob Schwarzkoph, depicts the world map and various zodiac imageries.



Not sure what is this exactly but it was definitely an attention grabber.



So people throw coins into the bowl inside the creature's mouth?



Beautiful carvings on the pillar depicting the Buddha.



Took a snapshot from up here looking down. Pretty awesome, don't you think?



Can you see the snake crawling up from behind?



The founder of this museum, the late Lek Viriyabhun must have been an amazingly creative visionary for coming up with such psychedelic and surreal works or art that transcends any one religion or culture.  I was truly impressed!

It was time to visit the third level of the Museum - representing Tavatimsa Heaven - which was located inside the three-headed Elephant's belly! You can choose to take the lift or the stairs. Even the lift looks beautiful, no?



Anyway, my friend and I both decided to take the stairs. It was a narrow spiral staircase that, I was told,  passes right through the right hind leg of the Elephant.



These were images on the wall on our way up.



Beautiful lights at the ceiling above us.



But before we reached the third level, we entered an area with a somewhat Chinese-looking painting flanked by two lovely Chinese vases.



On the opposite side was a small window.



From this small window, you can get a nice view of the surrounding highways outside. Can you see the shadow of one of the three-headed Elephant's trunks?



From this area, there's a staircase leading up to the third level of the Museum - the Tavatimsa Heaven - right inside the Elephant's belly.



The ambience was cool and dark with a standing gold Buddha glowing in dim blue light. The curved wall and ceiling, which I thought was really beautiful, were like abstract paintings probably depicting the sun, moons, constellations and the eternal cosmos.



Portions of relics of the Lord Buddha were also found here along with many encased display of ancient Buddha images from different periods and places throughout Asia.



I wanted to take photos of the encased Buddha statues but was stopped by a person in charge. It appears that photography is not allowed for all the Buddha images and relics.



There were quite a number of people praying in front of the Buddha shrine but I waited for many of them to leave before taking this shot.



The place was almost dream-like. Surreal, like in a fantasy world. It was honestly, quite breathtaking to me.



After spending some time in the Elephant's belly, my friend and I walked back down the spiral staircase.



On the way down, there were more still more things to see. Love this beautiful carvings on the wall near the ceiling!



There were so many images on the four pillars that it would be impossible for me to take photos of them all!



Images of elephants' heads lined the stair railings.



Here's a magnified image.



Interesting close-up images on the glass stained ceiling.



More exquisite carvings...



Nagas or serpents



Having descended back to the ground floor, we walked towards the back behind the Guan Yin shrine.



The architecture and design of this Museum were a feast to the eyes.



Right below the winding staircase, I saw some really beautiful structures that were simply stunning.



And then I saw that creature. Was it a dragon?



A close-up shot of this seemingly mythical creature.



More intricate carvings could be seen here.



Impressive!



5-headed Nagas carvings.



This looks pretty interesting.



Then I saw something awesome. Take a look!



Ceramic spoons used as part of the artistic decoration. Wow!



And these were awesome too!



They were actually ceramic bowls!



Another pretty carvings I came across.



After spending about 45 minutes inside the Erawan Museum, it was time to leave. This is the view from outside one of the exit doors.



But it was not time to leave just yet! There's still the tropical flower garden surrounding the Museum awaiting us!



To be continued ....

The Erawan Museum In Bangkok (Part 3)

June 9, 2013, 9:30 am

≫ Next: My Lunch At Soi Polo Fried Chicken

≪ Previous: The Erawan Museum In Bangkok (Part 2)

$

0

0

Continued from Part 2

After spending almost an hour inside the amazing Erawan Museum, my friend and I stepped outside to have some fresh air.

From here, I could see the Elephant's trunk and tusks above the building. Moments ago, we were actually inside the Elephant's belly. If you missed that part, click HERE to read all about it.



There's a large tropical flower garden surrounding the Museum building. We planned to take a stroll in the garden.



The stream circling the building was designed for visitors to float the lotus flowers. Read about the purpose for floating the lotus flowers in Part 1.



We were now outside the building and walking along the stream circling the building.



Can you see the lotus flowers? A lot of them got trapped here and did not continue to float along with the water flow. I think that's what happened to my lotus flower!



The sight of the gigantic three-headed Elephant on top of the pink building still amazed me despite having stepped inside its belly!



Anyway, I would just like to share with you some amazing statistics regarding this giant Elephant.

Total height of the building and the Elephant  43.6 metres
Height of the Elephant  29 metres
Width of the Elephant  12 metres
Length of the Elephant  39 metres
Weight of the Elephant's body  150 tons
Weight of the Elephant's head  100 tons



Did you know pure copper was chosen for the surface of the Elephant due to its high durability and heat emissive capacity? The copper's malleability also makes it easy to temper into shape.



The structure of the torso and the head of the Elephant were made from H- and I-shaped steel rods joined together. The legs were made of reinforced concrete to support the weight of the Elephant.



The construction of the Erawan Museum including the Elephant took about 10 years in the making starting from the year 1994 when the foundations of the Erawan Museum was laid. By the year 2003, the Museum was finally completed.



I took this photo from the tropical garden surrounding the Museum building. I did not manage to find a spot where I could view all the three heads of the Elephant properly.



I like this photo below because it seems as if the three-headed 'beast' had just appeared out of nowhere in the middle of a jungle!



Please excuse my indulgence in these Elephant photos. I think I got carried away snapping shots of it. LOL!



OK, enough with the Elephant. Let's tour the garden a bit.



Besides flowers and plants, there were many detailed Thai sculptures.



Two elephants playing in the water.





An amazingly beautiful peacock!



Can you see those ceramic bowls adorning the peacock's body and wings?



A close-up shot of its head.



Ceramic bowls were used just like the decorations I had seen inside the Museum!



Not sure what animals these were. More like mythical creatures than real animals.



More sculptures which I did not know the names to.





There were many more sculptures but I did not take photos of them all.



Garden table and chairs to rest your weary legs after strolling the garden.



By the time we were done with nice garden, I was already feeling a little hungry. We stepped into the souvenir shop and bought a few souvenirs. After that, it was time to leave for lunch!

Overall, I had a great time at the Erawan Museum. If you happen to visit Bangkok, do not miss what I consider a rather under-rated tourist attraction!

Address : 99/9, Moo 1, Bangmuangmai, Samut Prakan, Thailand 10270
Website : http://www.erawan-museum.com
Opens : 8am - 5pm daily
Admission Fee : 300 baht (adult), 150 baht (children)

Direction : Take the BTS Skytrain Sukhumvit line and alight at the last station i.e. Bearing BTS Station. Take a taxi to the Museum which is just 5 km south from the station.

Coming Up Next : My Lunch At Polo Fried Chicken

FIRST COMMENTER

My Lunch At Soi Polo Fried Chicken

June 12, 2013, 7:30 am

≫ Next: Random Notes 33

≪ Previous: The Erawan Museum In Bangkok (Part 3)

$

0

0

One food I just had to eat, no matter how unhealthy, during my trip in Bangkok last January was fried chicken. Not KFC, mind you - or any fried chicken - but Thai fried chicken.

So where to go for the best fried chicken in Bangkok? Well, I was recommended the Soi Polo Fried Chicken!



Located at Soi Polo (hence the name), off Wireless Road (I found the name of these two roads rather interesting!), Soi Polo Fried Chicken had been serving Isaan food for more than four decades!

Read More >Melt Me And Isaan Street Food In Bangkok

I had wanted to visit this restaurant during my Bangkok 2012 trip but somehow, I did not manage to. Ironically at that time, I was staying at the Pinnacle Lumpinee Hotel which was much nearer to this restaurant than the Bangkok Loft Inn where I stayed during this trip.

Anyway, after our amazing tour of the Erawan Museum in the morning, my friend and I took the BTS Skytrain and alighted at Asok Interchange Station where we switched over to the MRT and alighted at the Lumphini MRT Station.

From the station, we walked northbound along Wireless Road (aka Thanon Witthayu) passing the Lumpini Park on our left.

Read More >A Morning Jog At Lumpini Park

It was quite a long walk - took us about 10 minutes (actually quite a walk in the park for me except for the hot scorching sun!) - before we saw this Lumpini Police Station on our right.



The Lumpini Police Station signboard.



Right after the Police Station is a side street to the right called Soi Polo (aka Soi Sanam Khli).



I was wondering why the road is called Soi Polo. Look! There's even a Polo Shop here!



There's a Royal Bangkok Sports Club and a Polo Club at the end of this street. From what I heard, Soi Polo Fried Chicken had been servicing patrons of these clubs when it first started and its business had expanded from there.



It's hard to miss the restaurant as there's a huge red signboard with the words 'Polo Fried Chicken' emblazoned on it.



However, I was surprised when a lady (which later I learnt was the owner) told me the restaurant was a few doors away. This one was just the kitchen or maybe doubled up as a restaurant when the proper restaurant is full.

As it was a hot day, I was really glad to find the restaurant we were diverted to has air-conditioning. Sorry no pictures of the restaurant interior as it was pretty simple and not stylish or trendy.

We started off with Larb Moo or spicy minced pork salad priced at 60 baht (USD1.90 / RM6).



Bits and pieces of minced pork in a mildly spicy mix of lime and fish sauce amongst other ingredients made this dish quite appetizing. If you do not like pork, you can also opt for beef or fish.

We also ordered a bowl of white rice each at 10 baht (USD0.30 / RM1) per bowl.

Of course no Thai food can be complete without ordering the Som Tum or spicy papaya salad.



Priced at an affordable 40 baht (USD1.30 / RM4), Soi Polo's Som Tum is honestly the best som tum I have eaten in Bangkok so far. The good thing was, we were asked how spicy we wanted our som tum to be. My friend and I wanted it to be 'moderately spicy' although I was not sure what that would mean exactly to the Thais.

To my delight, the som tum turned out to be not overly spicy and not too mild. And guess what? It had the right balance of sweetness, sourness and spiciness. In one word - Perfect! : )

Now going to Soi Polo Fried Chicken and not ordering their famous fried chicken is like going to McDonald's and not ordering their burger (although I prefer to just order the McD's ice cream cone LOL!)

So we ordered their signature Gai Tod or fried chicken which came with ....gasp! .... lots and lots of fried garlic!



Reasonably priced at 100 baht (USD3.20 / RM10) for half a chicken, this is definitely the best fried chicken I have eaten in Bangkok (although I must admit I have not eaten an awful lot of fried chickens in Bangkok before).

The chicken meat was moist and juicy and not too oily although pretty tasteless I must say. But what really stood out was the crispy fried garlic! That to me, really made all the difference! In fact, I could just finish up all the fried garlic without the chicken if I wanted to! LOL!

They also provided 2 types of chili sauce to dip the chicken meat in. There's the spicy chili sauce (left) and the sweeter and less spicy sauce (right). These sauces made the tasteless chicken meat such a joy to eat! Yum!!



For drinks, we just ordered a bottle of water each. (10 baht / USD0.30 / RM1)



My friend did not eat any desserts, but for me, I chose this strawberry sorbet. (40 baht / USD1.30 / RM4)



It was pretty delicious and a relief with the hot weather outside.



There are many more items in the menu that you can order, but as there were just the two of us, we could not possibly eat so many! But you can be sure I will return to this restaurant to try their other items if I ever visit Bangkok in the future.

Guess what did we do before we leave? Well, we bought some fried chicken as takeaway for our supper that night! Haha!!



Coming Up Soon : My Visit To Asiatique The Riverfront 

---

Random Notes 33

June 16, 2013, 8:00 am

≫ Next: My Father's Day Dinner At Secret Recipe Beyond Veggie

≪ Previous: My Lunch At Soi Polo Fried Chicken

$

0

0

1. The haze is back!! HELP!!! I am suffocating right now with the stuffy and smoky air. Where is the rain when we need it? 

2. I find it harder and harder to blog hop nowadays. There are simply too many distractions. After reading one blog post, I started to check out my Twitter, Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram, and even what's showing on Astro before hopping to another blog. Total failure!

3. What's the big deal about iOS7? Not really a big deal to me. Cos I am only having iPhone 3GS. Time for an upgrade perhaps?

4. Finally, Superman no longer wears underwear! Hahaha!!

5. Congratulations to Malaysian author Tan Twan Eng for winning the Walter Scott Prize for his historical novel The Garden Of Evening Mists. Have you read this book?

6. Talking about books, have you read Amy Chua's Battle Hymn Of The Tiger Mother? That's such a good enjoyable read of a book and I highly recommend it if you want to know how a modern Chinese American mother brought up her two daughters.

7. I noticed a lot of new burger outlets springing up in Klang Valley and elsewhere in Malaysia. Do we really need so many burger joints?

8. How much on average do you spend on food everyday? Is food your biggest expenses every month?


9. OK, here's some shameless self-promotion. Do take note yeah?
Join me on Twitter : https://twitter.com/foongpc
Join me on Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/foong.pc.3
Join me on Pinterest : http://pinterest.com/foongpc
Join me on Instagram : search for my username foongpc

10. That's it for today. My 33rd Random Notes. Wonder when will I reach my 100th Random Notes! I hope you enjoyed reading all these randomness! Have a great day!

My Father's Day Dinner At Secret Recipe Beyond Veggie

June 24, 2013, 12:33 am

≫ Next: My Visit To Asiatique The Riverfront In Bangkok

≪ Previous: Random Notes 33

$

0

0

Yesterday, my family and I celebrated Father's Day at Secret Recipe Beyond Veggie at Tropicana City Mall PJ. It was our first time to this restaurant.

Yes, I know we were celebrating it a little bit late, but we purposely did that to avoid the crowds. It's no fun when you have to compete with so many people for a table, and besides, the food would not be as nicely prepared and cooked.



Anyway, there will be no pictures of my father or my family members - this will just be all about the food!

Now we all know that Secret Recipe is well known for their cakes so for them to start a vegetarian restaurant was a bit odd to me. Still, no harm in trying it out.

We started off with the appetizers in the form of Veggie Roll (RM9.90 / US$3.08)



Guess what? I didn't get to try this Veggie Roll as I was too busy taking pictures!! That's the sacrifice one has to make as a blogger sometimes. LOL! But no worries, I will be back to try this.

Anyway, according to my mom, it was pretty average. She much prefers the popiah rolls she buys from the market and they are much cheaper too. Haha!

My father likes rojak a lot so for our second appetizer, we ordered the Fruits Rojak (RM9.90 / US$3.08)



This was quite delicious. Perfect as an appetizer. I like : )

The third appetizer was the Mushroom Satay (RM9.90 / US$3.08)



We should have known better than to order this satay! I normally dislike eating vegetables that 'pretend' to be meat. And although it was clearly written 'mushroom' satay in the menu, we still ordered it thinking it was chicken or beef! LOL!

But it was clearly a bad choice. The satay was not delicious at all! The peanut sauce was just OK, nothing to shout about. Definitely will not order this again.

Next, we had the Fried Mushroom Salad (RM9.90 / US$3.08).  This comes under Chef's Recommendation so it should be good.



My opinion? It was definitely good. The fried mushrooms were so crispy and yummy!! Love it! : )

My brother always love tofu so we ordered a plate of Spicy Thai Style Tofu (RM17.90 / US$5.56)



This one was super delicious! Yummy!! Highly recommended!

Some of my family members cannot survive without rice so we had to order some fried rice. LOL! We chose the Chef's Recommendation - Beyond Veggie Fried Rice (RM15.90 / US$4.94)



Unfortunately, the fried rice was just average. I felt it was not even worth the price we paid for.

We also ordered another plate of fried rice - the Special Sambal Petai Fried Rice (RM15.90 / US$4.94)



Can you see any petai in the picture? I sure as hell can't! LOL! In fact, this Petai Fried Rice looks almost the same as the Beyond Veggie Fried Rice, no?

At that kind of price, can't they give more petai and not chopped them up into tiny bits that we could not even see with our naked eyes? A real disappointment to me!

Next, we ordered the Bak Kut Teh or officially known in the menu as Revitalising Herbal Soup (RM17.90 / US$5.56) - another Chef's Recommendation.



This dish also came with white rice. I found it a tad too sweet! Not the kind of Bak Kut Teh that I am used to. And of course, it's clearly a wrong choice since this is a vegetarian restaurant. No real pork here!!

Next, my personal favorite dish - Ginger Mee Sua Soup (RM15.90 / US$4.94)



Not everyone likes the taste of ginger soup, but I love it! With the varieties of vegetables and the mee sua in the soup, this was just perfect for me! Yum!! I do not mind coming back here just for this Ginger Mee Sua Soup!

We also ordered a bowl of Asam Laksa (RM15.90 / US$4.94)



Of course, there's no real fish inside this Asam Laksa! I did not taste this but my brother said it was OK. Just OK, not awesome.

The restaurant also offers Western fare in the form of pastas and pizzas. Our stomachs were too full for pastas. Maybe next time. We however decided to try their large-size Hawaiian Tropicale pizza (RM25.90 /  US$8.05)



This pizza was also a Chef's Recommended item. Was it good? Hmm, with no real chicken meat, it was just average to me.

OK, this Tom Yam Soup Noodle was wrongly brought to our table so I just snapped a picture of it. Didn't taste it, but I should have, shouldn't I? Too late now! LOL!



For drinks, we ordered a pot of hot Lemongrass Fruit Tea (RM16.90 / US$5.25)



I love this lemongrass fruit tea! Delicious. And it can be refilled....with water. So on our third round refill, the taste of fruit tea was hardly there anymore. More like a very diluted version.



By the way, there's an ongoing Father's Day promotion at Secret Recipe Beyond Veggie : Dine-in above RM50 and get a whole cake at only RM38! (Normal price RM75)

But hurry! Offer lasts till 30th June 2013.

It was a no brainer. Since our bill came to about RM250, we immediately went to choose our cake. We ended up with a Blueberry Cheese Cake.



The Blueberry Cheese Cake was super delicious! Yummy!



But I could only eat one small slice. Eat more and the high cheese content will make me feel sick in the stomach. Haha!!

Secret Recipe Beyond Veggie,
G-37 Gd floor,
Tropicana City Mall,
No 3, Jalan SS20/27,
47400 Petaling Jaya.
Tel : 03 7722 1680

My Visit To Asiatique The Riverfront In Bangkok

June 27, 2013, 10:30 am

≫ Next: A Relaxing Morning At Putrajaya Floria 2013 (Part 1)

≪ Previous: My Father's Day Dinner At Secret Recipe Beyond Veggie

$

0

0

Most people go to Bangkok to do just one thing - shop, shop and shop. Although I am not an avid shopper, I do enjoy the experience of shopping in this charming city.

During our second evening in Bangkok, my friend and I visited Asiatique The Riverfront, an upscale night market and trendy shopping area along the Chao Phraya River waterfront. Opened in May 2012, this night bazaar had been getting quite popular, probably filling in the void left by the closure of the famous Suan Lum Night Market in 2011.

To get there, we took the cheapest and easiest route - by boat.



It's a good thing we stayed at Bangkok Loft Inn as it was very convenient to reach Asiatique from there. We took the BTS to Saphan Taksin Station and walked towards the Chao Phraya River (via Exit 1 or 2). It took just 2 minutes to reach the Sathorn Pier. From there, we walked to the furthest pier and took the free boat shuttle to Asiatique.

Yes, you read that right. The boat to Asiatique is FREE. It leaves every 15 minutes starting from 4.30pm till 11pm. The last boat leaving Asiatique Pier back to Sathorn Pier is at 11.15pm, so do take note of the time if you plan to go there!



It was a short boat ride - probably about 10 -15 minutes. The good thing is you get to enjoy the river view at night. Definitely better than sitting in a taxi and getting trapped in the notorious Bangkok jam!



Asiatique is actually a homage to Bangkok's past as a riverside trading post in the early 1900's where the original pier was used as an export centre for Thai teak wood to Denmark. Many of the original buildings here have been retained and refurbished.

Information on the Shuttle Boat service hours at the Asiatique Pier.



There are 4 sections or districts in Asiatique. The Waterfront District (blue section) closest to the waterfront promenade is mainly filled with international restaurants and wine bars offering a breathtaking panoramic view of river while you dine away.

The Factory District (orange section) contains over 500 fashion boutiques and more F&B outlets in old, refurbished warehouses. You can find souvenirs here like those at Chatuchak Market, but the prices are definitely higher.



The Town Square District (green section) houses a food court, many retail outlets and outdoor activity and events area.

The Charoenkrung District (yellow section) is the main area for shopping and entertainment as there are over 1,000 retail shops here! Also within this district is the famous Joe Louis Puppet Theatre and the ever popular Calypso Theatre featuring ladyboys cabaret shows.

Below is Baan Khanitha, a Thai restaurant facing the river. It's quite pricey and I think, mainly aimed at tourists.



There was a giant Ferris Wheel at Asiatique. It was quite an eye catching attraction at night!



I did not ride this Ferris Wheel because there was quite a long queue for it.



But I think it would be nice to take the ride as you would get a bird's eye view of Bangkok city from up there!



The Ferris Wheel is just opposite the Retail Warehouse 5.



Part of the Ferris Wheel could be seen from inside the warehouse area.



Entrance into the shopping area.



Saw some really cute and funny drawings along the wall in an alley.









Interesting illustration on the ground.



So many retail shops and boutiques selling everything under the sun! It's like a shopper's paradise.



Clothes, accessories, souvenirs, toys - all can be found here.



Even musical instruments!



Dogs too! LOL!



Oh, did I mention there's an Apple Store here too? Forgot to take a picture of that!

Anyway, I felt Asiatique is like Chatuchak Market except that it was much more organized, spacious, comfortable and trendy looking. And the prices were of course more expensive. However, without air conditioning here, some may prefer to shop in malls like MBK instead as the prices were quite similar.



Dining shops and eateries were everywhere! It's impossible to go hungry here!



A kiosk selling mochi and ice cream.



A Japanese restaurant



A pub and restaurant - great place to chill out!



Clock tower at the Town Square District.



Retail warehouse 6 and the Calypso Bangkok Theatre featuring ladyboys cabaret shows.



If you are into shopping and eating, Asiatique is the right place for you. However, bear in mind that the prices here are not exactly friendly to your wallet. MBK and Platinum Mall may be better shopping options for you. Nevertheless, I think it's great for a good night out with friends.



Nice water fountain!



One of the things that I really, really enjoy at Asiatique was surprisingly .... the ice cream!



Billed as Thailand's best fruity ice-cream, it is something like Malaysia's aiskrim potong. There were so many flavors to choose from! I tried the Durian Rice Stick and Yam & Black Sticky Rice flavors. Each costs 20 baht. (RM2 / US$0.65)



The Durian Rice Stick was amazing! I went back for two more rounds of this ice cream. Yum!!



My friend and I spent about 2 hours at Asiatique. We could have spent more time if we had gone for the puppet show or the ladyboy cabaret show. Oh well, maybe next time then.



But one thing's for sure. I will return just for that Durian Rice Stick ice cream! LOL!

Coming Up Next : The 2am Hauntings - The Sequel 

A Relaxing Morning At Putrajaya Floria 2013 (Part 1)

July 3, 2013, 9:30 am

≫ Next: My Penang Trip : A Preview

≪ Previous: My Visit To Asiatique The Riverfront In Bangkok

$

0

0

On a weekday morning last week, I headed to Putrajaya to visit the Putrajaya Floria 2013.

I almost had to cancel my trip due to the haze from Indonesia. Fortunately, the haze cleared just in time to reveal clear blue skies. Really grateful for that!

Held annually at Putrajaya's Precinct 2 Waterfront since 2007, Putrajaya Floria is a Flower and Garden Festival cum Exhibition that showcases lots of different types of flowers and plants. This year, orchid is the star attraction as this year's theme is Orchid - Tropical Treasure.



As I got sunburn last year visiting Putrajaya Floria 2012 in the afternoon, I thought it would be smarter to go earlier in the morning this time and put on sunblock too just in case.



This main entrance would probably look much nicer at night when it's lighted up. It's just too bad I was not free during the evenings to come here to watch the Floral Parade and fireworks over the Putrajaya Lake.



Walking along the wide walkway, I could see the walls on both sides beautifully landscaped with all types of plants and flowers. In fact, it has now entered the Malaysian Book Of Records for having the 'Longest Landscaped Vertical Wall' at about 300 metres!



The landscaped vertical wall



First stop - The Grower's Gardens



There's a 1Malaysia logo here. I prefer last year's 1Malaysia logo made from flowers! See it HERE.



Passed by something called 'Deep Water Treasures Fantasy' but did not really check it out.



There were lots of orchids on display at this Grower's Gardens. Which one do you like best?



















Spotted some bonzai plants too.



Leaving the Grower's Garden, I walked towards some Showcase Gardens by a few ministries and related agencies. Here's one by Kementerian Wilayah Persekutuan (KWP) called Taman Komuniti K-Baru. 



I saw two giant winged insects in the garden.



A creatively-made butterfly.



Closer shot of the butterfly. Interesting materials used.



I think this is a bee?



Can you see what materials were used to create this bee?



Bottle cans used for the wings!



An egg-shaped structure.



Lots of colorful handprints on the wall inside the egg-shaped building.



Nearby, there's a giant beetle.



On closer inspection, the giant beetle was made from bottles!



Next to the KWP garden is another Showcase Garden - this one by Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL).



Love the entrance into the garden.





So many colorful orchids and flowers!



Nice view overlooking the lake from here!





Another part of the garden area.



What do you call these plants?



Nice purple orchids by the lake side. In the distance is the iconic Seri Wawasan Bridge.



Leaving DBKL's Showcase Garden, I walked over to Perbadanan Labuan next.



The only thing I like is the colorful flowery entrance!



Orchids galore!!



Directly opposite Perbadanan Labuan's garden is the Showcase Garden by Majlis Perbandaran Hang Tuah Jaya.



There's a giant keris here.



Cute frog and ducks by the pond.



Saw these stones with messages displayed.



Next, I walked over to the Showcase Garden by Majlis Perbandaran Klang.



Cute looking cannon!



An arch made with tin cans!



This is the Showcase Garden by Majlis Perbandaran Port Dickson (MPPD).



There's a Battalion Gun in this garden.



More photos of Putrajaya Floria 2013 in Part 2, so stay tuned ....

My Penang Trip : A Preview

July 6, 2013, 11:00 am

≫ Next: A Relaxing Morning At Putrajaya Floria 2013 (Part 2)

≪ Previous: A Relaxing Morning At Putrajaya Floria 2013 (Part 1)

$

0

0

About two weeks ago, I went to Penang for a short holiday. It was timely as the haze from Indonesia was starting to descend upon Petaling Jaya where I stay. Singapore was badly affected by the haze at that time. So escaping to the northern states was just the right thing to do. LOL!

As it would just be a short 4 days in Penang, I did not bother to pack a lot of stuffs. The problem was I did not have a small hand carry travel bag! My usual travel luggage was simply too big.

Fortunately, I found a nice Palio travel bag online at Zalora Malaysia and it came with free delivery too! Awesome! I was tempted to shop for some nice T-shirts and sneakers as well at the Zalora site, but I guess that would all have to wait. So armed with just a backpack and the Palio travel bag, I was all ready to go!

So what did I do in Penang? Well, if you are one of my loyal readers, you would know by now that it's virtually impossible for me to describe my entire Penang trip in one post. In fact, I will need to dedicate one post just to blog about my 4 hour bus trip from PJ to Penang. Hahaha!


The Aeroline bus which was my mode of transport to Penang and back

Since I have yet to finish blogging about my Bangkok trip, my Penang posts will have to wait. Meantime, here are some photos and snippets which I would like to share with you in greater detail in future. Some sort like a preview, if you like : )

One of the things I promised myself to do in Penang was to capture as many of the famous murals by Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic as possible. Here's one of them.



Yes, you can expect me to come out with one post entirely on these murals. LOL!

Besides murals, I was surprised to see a different type of street art in the form of steel rod sculptures in Georgetown. There were so many of them and here's one at Love Lane.



My last trip to Penang was some 6 - 7 years ago. As such, revisiting some famous tourist spots and famous landmarks was certainly on my agenda. Here's a picture of a cannon at Fort Cornwallis.



Went up to Kek Lok Si Temple to admire the giant Guan Yin statue.



Visited the Dhammikarama Burmese Buddhist Temple at Burmah Lane in Pulau Tikus.



The Wat Chayamangkalaram Thai Buddhist Temple right opposite the Burmese Temple.



Khoo Kongsi, the grandest clan temple in Penang and possibly the whole of Malaysia with its elaborate and highly ornamented architecture.



Kapitan Keling Mosque built by Indian Muslim traders in the 19th century.



The Church Street Pier



Komtar Tower - the tallest building in Penang.



Enjoyed some pleasantly nice views during my travel in Penang. Here are some of them....

The view from Kek Lok Si Temple's inclined lift upper station.



The sunrise from my hotel room at Gurney Drive.



A boat at sea



But of course, the most important thing that I looked forward to in Penang was the food! Thanks to two friendly bloggers who brought me around for a food hunt, I had the opportunity to taste a wide variety of Penang food.

Some of which were the famous Penang cendol ...



Penang Char koay teow....



Ais tingkap (or Window sherbet) ... 



Just to name a few.

I hope you have enjoyed this short preview of my Penang trip : )

A Relaxing Morning At Putrajaya Floria 2013 (Part 2)

July 10, 2013, 10:30 am

≫ Next: A Relaxing Morning At Putrajaya Floria 2013 (Part 3)

≪ Previous: My Penang Trip : A Preview

$

0

0

Continued from Part 1

The Showcase Garden from Jabatan Pertanian Malaysia.

Flower pots piled up high!



A water fountain

A sea of orchids!



More photos ....







Next, Showcase Garden from FRIM



It was like walking in the jungle instead of a garden. Along the way, I saw some lovely orchids!



Do you know what plant is this?



Saw pitcher plants too!



A close-up shot of the pitcher plants.





Opposite FRIM is the Showcase Garden from Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang.



Can you see the dragon?



A closer shot of the colorful dragon. So it's a dragon boat with oars?



More photos ....











Another shot of the dragon boat : )



So which Showcase Garden you like best? Go back to Part 1 to compare all of them!

After visiting all the Showcase Gardens, I walked back to the main entrance where all the lanterns and the 'Longest Landscaped Vertical Wall' were (refer to Part 1) and turned right towards the Indoor Floral Pavilion.

But first, there were more things to see ...



Plants shaped into a bird with a beak.



Orchids galore!



A sea of flowers!



Then I came across Taman Innovasi (or Innovative Garden) which showcases innovative and creative designs by Perbadanan Putrajaya.



However, I must have missed some of the innovations because I did not take many pictures of them. Probably got side-tracked by the flowers! LOL!











OK, this is quite creative I guess?



What's the elephant doing there?



And a butterfly too. It actually flapped its wings!



Now I must say this one is creative - A waterfall using used PET bottles!



A 2-layer steel structure were used to hold the bottles. Nice.



The day was hot and I was sweating after walking outdoors for almost 2 hours. So I was really looking forward to enter the Indoor air-conditioned Floral Pavilion, which I shall blog about next.

Stay tuned! : )

A Relaxing Morning At Putrajaya Floria 2013 (Part 3)

July 15, 2013, 1:00 am

≫ Next: 10 Places To Visit In London For First Timers

≪ Previous: A Relaxing Morning At Putrajaya Floria 2013 (Part 2)

$

0

0

Continued from Part 2

After almost two hours walking in the hot sun, it was a big relief to enter the indoor Floral Pavilion for some air-conditioning comfort!



But first, I took some photos of the garden outside the Floral Pavilion.



Very colorful, no?



The floral 'tunnel' entrance into the Floral Pavilion.



The Floral Pavilion showcased a wide assortment of exquisite flower species featured in softscape and hardscape designs by both local and foreign participants.

The first attraction I looked at was the Wall Decoration.



Below is a wall decoration from Indonesia which won the Silver award.



This won the Bronze award. If not mistaken, I think it's the work of a Malaysian.



This one was from Korea which won the Gold award.



This entry from Malaysia won the Special Jury Pavilion Award.



Next, I walked over to the Water Feature Garden attraction. Below are pictures from those who won awards. I did not record down the winners' names and from which country they came from, unfortunately.









Another attraction was Event Decoration - Dining Setting.  

This one from Malaysia won the Gold Award.



Another Malaysian entry but did not win any awards.



This entry from the Philippines won the Silver Award.



An entry from Shangri-la Putrajaya won the Bronze award.



Another category is Event Decoration - Pelamin. The one below from Malaysia won the Bronze award.



This entry also from Malaysia won the Merit Award.



Do you like it?



Another attraction was Potted Dish Garden.



I was not particularly impressed except for this one.  Thought it was very creative to use those spoons!



Next to the Potted Dish Garden was the Body Flower category whereby mannequins were dressed up in flowers.



This one won the Silver award.



Whereas this one below won the Gold. Forgot to note down which countries the participants were from.



In the centre of the Floral Pavilion hall, I saw something interesting. There was a 'bridge' structure filled with orchids on the sides leading towards 3 mascots on a 'flying carpet'!



The 3 mascots on a flying carpet.



Walking past the flying carpet was the Dolphin Sea World.



I like it! Besides the dolphins, there were lots of underwater fishes and other sea creatures together with underwater plants.



More photos below ....





Cute octopus!



Plants and fishes





Next to Dolphin Sea World was my favorite - Panda World!



There were two giant pandas here! This is one of them.



The panda could move! As you can see, it had turned its head. I should have taken a video of this moving panda!



This is the other panda on the other side with the giant globe on top.



Didn't quite like that red lights shining onto the panda's face. Spoilt my photo! LOL!



This panda could also move. As you can see it had turned its head : )



Next, I continued with another attraction - Floral Art.



Here are some of the more beautiful ones. Which one you like best?





Beautiful.





This one looks pretty interesting.



Close shot.



Nice.



Since the theme for this year's Putrajaya Floria is 'Orchid - Tropical Treasure', there was a showcase of orchid displays by orchid societies from around the world.

Philippines



Indonesia



Myanmar



Australia



Could not resist taking a closer shot of this cute koala bear with the baby koala!



China



South Africa



Taiwan



Thailand



I think I missed out on Singapore and Italy since there were quite a number of people posing for photos there. No patience to wait for them!

Next, I walked over to the floral displays by associations and schools.

I really like this one by the Malaysian Council For Rehabilitation & Abilympics. Very creative!!



Look at these pretty flowers in egg shells!



Flowery socks and creative use of twigs and branches for the wheel!



More photos ...



Love this socks!



Creative use of the brush to symbolise a person holding a placard.





Top marks to the Malaysian Council For Rehabilitation & Abilympics!

This is a giant bird image built from flowers by the International Heliconia Society.



Not sure what to make up of this design by the World Flower Design Center.



Finally, there's a section on International Floral Design. I did not take pictures of them all, just two that impressed me.

This is floral design from Korea.



And this one by Kenya.



All in all, the exhibition on flowers and floral designs at this indoor Floral Pavilion was pretty interesting. I have no regrets visiting Putrajaya Floria 2013 - the trip was worth it.

So anyone going Putrajaya Floria 2014 next year? : )

---

10 Places To Visit In London For First Timers

July 17, 2013, 10:00 am

≫ Next: Walking The KLCC - Bukit Bintang Pedestrian Walkway

≪ Previous: A Relaxing Morning At Putrajaya Floria 2013 (Part 3)

$

0

0

I have never been to London. But maybe that's about to change.

You see, I have always been fascinated by photos of the Buckingham Palace, the Big Ben, the Piccadilly Circus, the Marble Arch and iconic red double decker bus and telephone booth. Besides, I have always been following closely the latest news and events in London so it's quite safe to say I am a pretty huge fan of this lovely city!

There's only one problem going to London. Flying. It's not that I am afraid of flying but I can't stand being inside an enclosed area like a plane for more than 5 hours. And the flight from Malaysia to London takes 13 hours, no less!

I guess if I am serious in wanting to visit London, I will have to find a way to get around that. Perhaps there is a way to make me sleep throughout the flight? LOL!

Anyway, my friends who had been to London have recommended me many places to visit there. So I have compiled the top 10 places which every first timer to London must visit. (well, according to my friends anyway). Here they are, in no particular order ...

1. The British Museum


Image courtesy of The Sunday Times

The British Museum, which is the largest museum in Britain, is dedicated to human history and culture. Founded in 1753, it's remarkably comprehensive collection spans over 2 million years of human history! You can find world famous objects like the Rosetta Stone, Parthenon Sulptures and even Egyptian mummies here. Entrance is free.

2. Tate Modern


Image courtesy of About.com

As one of the most visited art gallery in the world, Tate Modern features modern and contemporary art from around the world. You can see amazing works by Cezanne, Picasso, Dali, Pollock, Warhol amongst others here. Admission is free.

3. National Gallery 


Image courtesy of New York Habitat

The crowning glory of Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery displays over 2000 Western European paintings from Middle Ages to the 20th century. You can find inspiring works by Van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Renoir, Rembrandt and Gainsborough amongst others. Admission is again, free.

4. Big Ben


Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

One of the most iconic London landmarks, the Big Ben is the nickname given to the huge bell housed inside the clock tower now known as the Elizabeth Tower. Unfortunately, the interior of this tower is not opened to foreign visitors but taking a photo of the Big Ben is a must for any first timer to London.

5. St Paul's Cathedral


Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

This is the famous church where Prince Charles and Princess Diana were married. Located just directly across the Thames River from Tate Modern, this is a must-visit for a first time visitor to London.

6. Hyde Park


Image courtesy of Fanpop.com

Too many museums may get a bit tiring, so a trip to Hyde Park is highly recommended. One of the greatest city parks in the world, Hyde Park has something for everyone. You can enjoy swimming, boating, cycling, skating, horse riding besides visiting many interesting structures and monuments here.

7. Tower Of London


Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The Tower Of London is a historic castle that has an amazing 900-year old history serving as a royal palace, prison, a place of execution, arsenal, jewel house and even a zoo! One of the most popular tourist attraction in London, it is now a World heritage Site. The only downside - it's not free. Ticket costs GBP19.50 (USD29.70) per person, but my friends said the price is worth it!

8. Les Miserables London


Image courtesy of Access London

Technically not a place you must go to, but rather something you must do while in London and that is, to watch the longest running musical of all time - Les Miserables. Some say that the Les Miserables in London is still the best compared to other places around the world.

9. Buckingham Palace


Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

As the official office and the London residence of Her Majesty The Queen, Buckingham Palace is usually closed to visitors except during the summer. Visitors can tour the 19 State Rooms, the Royal Mews and the Queen's Gallery. And if you are lucky, you can get to see the changing of guards ceremony. Ticket prices start from GBP19.00 (USD28.90) for adult.

10. The London Eye


Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The London Eye is a giant 443-feet high Ferris Wheel mainly for tourists, so not many people will agree this to be included in the Top 10 list.  But my friends said riding this Ferris Wheel will give me the chance to have unimpeded views of London city. There's a price to pay for this privilege however, and it's GBP19.20 (USD29.25) which is inclusive of an entry to the 4D cinema.

There are of course, many other places and attractions worth visiting in London but the above 10 are a MUST for first timers. Do you agree or do you think there are better places to visit?

Walking The KLCC - Bukit Bintang Pedestrian Walkway

July 22, 2013, 12:00 pm

≫ Next: Night Views Of Hong Kong From The Sky Terrace

≪ Previous: 10 Places To Visit In London For First Timers

$

0

0

Note : This post is long overdue. Supposed to blog this sometime in January this year but forgot all about it until I stumbled upon these photos in my laptop. Anyway, better late than never : )

Early last year (2012), a fully air-conditioned pedestrian walkway linking KLCC and Bukit Bintang was opened to the public. I wanted to try this walkway for the longest time but only had the chance to do so in January this year.



Starting from the KL Convention Centre which is linked to Suria KLCC shopping mall via an underground pedestrian tunnel, I went up the elevator.

The elevated walkway as seen from the top of the elevator.



There were not many people using this walkway. Probably because it was still early in the morning? But it was very safe as there were security guards stationed at strategic places to keep a look out and also to help with directions.



The walkway was clean and well maintained, which I think is quite impressive considering that it was launched one year ago. With ample lightings and working air-condition, I felt quite comfortable walking here.



Built at the cost of RM100 million (financed by Petronas as part of its social contribution program), this 562m long and 5m wide elevated walkway provides a direct link between two popular shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur, namely Suria KLCC and Pavilion KL.

That's right! Now you can walk from Suria KLCC to Pavilion KL and back safely, shielded from the sun and rain in air-conditioned comfort! How awesome is that!



The walkway passes through Jalan Pinang, Jalan Perak and Jalan Raja Chulan with entry and exit points at a few convenient locations. Also accessible via this walkway is the Impiana KLCC Hotel, the Raja Chulan Monorail Station and the KLCC LRT Station.

As I walked, I noticed that I was passing by the famous Saizaki Japanese Buffet Restaurant opposite.



I also passed by The Butter Factory KL located at Jalan Kia Peng.



Earlier, I passed by the KL CityWalk, a lifestyle concept between KLCC and Jalan P Ramlee, but I forgot to take a picture of that!



I would say that this pedestrian walkway provides a good opportunity to view some of the famous buildings and landmarks in KL.



Passing by Novotel Hotel.



Soon, I reached the Hakka Restaurant at the corner junction of Jalan Kia Peng and Jalan Raja Chulan.



The view of Jalan Raja Chulan. Can you see the long elevated walkway I just walked through earlier?



I was out of the air-conditioned walkway, having reached Pavilion KL.



The whole pleasant walk took me about 15 minutes. It could have been faster if I did not stop to take photos.



This bridge leads directly to the Pavilion Connection area where the al-fresco dining, street bistros and entertainment strip were located.



Although I felt the distance from KLCC to Pavilion was slightly longer using this pedestrian walkway compared to walking on the road side bypassing Novotel Hotel, it is definitely safer and more comfortable, and is especially useful when it rains!



With this pedestrian walkway, getting around BBKLCC is no longer a big hassle.

Night Views Of Hong Kong From The Sky Terrace

July 25, 2013, 12:00 am

≫ Next: Dinner At Ming Yuen Noodles Restaurant

≪ Previous: Walking The KLCC - Bukit Bintang Pedestrian Walkway

$

0

0

OK, dear readers. It's back to my Hong Kong travel posts again!

This is the trip I made with my friend back in March 2011. I know, I know - that's like 2 years ago. But there were so many other things to blog about and I had to keep putting it off.

Anyway, to refresh your memory, here are all the Hong Kong posts I have blogged about thus far, in chronological order.

Day 1
1. My First Day In Hong Kong
2. I Bought Something Naughty At The Ladies Market In Mongkok
3. Yummy Mango Desserts At Hui Lau Shan

Day 2
4. My Breakfast At Australia Dairy Company
5. Pandas Galore At Ocean Park Hong Kong! (Part 1)
6. Pandas Galore At Ocean Park Hong Kong! (Part 2)
7. The Waterfront At Ocean Park Hong Kong
8. The Cable Car Ride At Ocean Park Hong Kong
9. The Summit At Ocean Park Hong Kong
10. The Symbio Water Screen Show At Ocean Park Hong Kong
11. Searching For Roast Goose Rice At Lan Kwai Fong
12. A Steamboat Dinner At Dao Xiang

Day 3
13. My Dim Sum Breakfast At Dao Xiang
14. My Visit To Wong Tai Sin Temple In Hong Kong (Part 1)
15. My Visit To Wong Tai Sin Temple In Hong Kong (Part 2)
16. Riding The Peak Tram In Hong Kong
17. My Visit To The Peak
18. A Tribute To Hong Kong
19. My Visit To Madame Tussauds Hong Kong (Part 1)
20. My Visit To Madame Tussauds Hong Kong (Part 2)

Phew!! 20 posts and I have only covered 3 days out of the 6 days I was there. Brace for more, folks! : )

Continuing from where I left off, as soon as my friend and I came out of Madame Tussauds at The Peak, we headed up the escalator to the Sky Terrace.

Since the Sky Terrace pass could only be used once, we decided to go up at night to get a panoramic night view of Hong Kong city. This was what greeted us at the top!



It was breathtaking, although my not-so-good photo may not be doing it full justice. By the way, those white specks or grainy spots are not haze or polluted air, but digital noise due to lack of light, and of course the not-big-enough sensor in my humble Lumix LX3 camera.



There were quite a lot of people at the Sky Terrace but thankfully, not overly crowded. I could remember how strong the wind was blowing at that time. I felt a little chilled, but thoroughly enjoyed the pleasant weather.



By the way, did you know that at 428 metres above sea level, the Sky Terrace boasts the highest 360-degree viewing platform in Hong Kong?

View the Sky Terrace from below during the day time HERE.



More photos below ....







We spent about half an hour up here to soak in the night air and the wonderful atmosphere. Looking back, I truly miss this place.

Soon, it was time to descend The Peak. There was quite a long queue at the Peak Tram Station. Luckily, we did not have to wait too long. While waiting for the tram to arrive, I took a picture of this.



For photos of the Peak Tram, click HERE.

When we reached the Peak Tram Terminus at the bottom, we made our way to the Central Station to take the MTR back to Mongkok where we stayed. Along the way to the Station, we enjoyed looking at  some of the Hong Kong buildings and landmarks.



These are two iconic buildings in Hong Kong. On the left is Cheung Kong Center, which was designed by Cesar Pelli, the same person who designed Malaysia's famous Petronas Twin Towers. On the right is the Bank Of China Tower which resembles a bamboo shoot.



A bit further from Cheung Kong Center is the famous HSBC Tower, which is one of the most expensive buildings in the world built at the cost of US$668 million.





To view some of these buildings in the daytime, click HERE.

Another photo of the two iconic buildings - this time, the Cheung Kong Center on the right and the Bank Of China Tower of the left.



I was glad I managed to capture Hong Kong's second tallest building - the International Finance Center (the second building from the right in the photo below).



I had a great time walking the Hong Kong streets at night to admire all these buildings. But my tummy was already growling. It was time for dinner and I could not wait to get back to Mongkok for some yummy Hong Kong food!

Dinner At Ming Yuen Noodles Restaurant

July 28, 2013, 11:00 pm

≫ Next: My Take On The Conjuring And Exorcism

≪ Previous: Night Views Of Hong Kong From The Sky Terrace

$

0

0

Besides sightseeing, the other thing that made me really enjoyed my holidays in Hong Kong was the food! In fact, I do not mind flying all the way to Hong Kong just for the food alone.

After my friends and I descended from The Peak, we walked to the the Central MTR Station and took the MTR back to Mongkok. It was already 9pm at that time, so there were not many people in the MTR train.



After we alighted at Mongkok, we walked around the streets before deciding to eat at this restaurant called Ming Yuen Noodles Restaurant. Located at Soy Street, this restaurants serves mainly noodles.



I ordered this braised noodles with wontons. The noodles were springy and came with oyster sauce and  if not mistaken, glass lettuce. I can't imagine our very own Malaysian wonton noodles with glass lettuce, can you?



The wontons came separately in a bowl of soup. They were super huge, fresh, juicy and simply delicious!!



My friends ordered this braised noodles with stewed ox-tripe. It came with servings of offal, liver and the the innards which I'm sorry to say, really puts me off. LOL.



My friends loved it a lot though. I guess not everyone will like eating all these inner organs, but if you do, then chances are you will love it too.



One thing I love about the food in Hong Kong is that the portion is huge and the taste ranges from satisfying to excellent. Rarely did I come across any food that taste horrible or unpalatable.

The only problem is you almost always need to share tables with others, and the service is normally not very good either. When we needed to pay the bill, the male waiter rudely directed us to the cash counter. My friend said the waiter acted more like a gangster than a waiter haha!



The saving grace is of course the yummy food. I think that is so important because with delicious food, I am willing to forgive the restaurant for poor service.

But I have to say, having experienced dining in Hong Kong, I kind of appreciate Malaysian restaurants more, not because our Malaysian food is tastier, but because I always get a whole table to myself even if I am dining all alone. Haha!!



After our dinner at Ming Yuen, we strolled around and ended up at Hui Lau Shan. I simply love the mango desserts at Hui Lau Shan and we had it almost every night. I have already blogged about Hui Lau Shan - you can read it HERE.

This is the end of Day 3 in Hong Kong. The next day would be exciting as it would be my very first trip to Disneyland Hong Kong! Stay tuned : )

My Take On The Conjuring And Exorcism

August 2, 2013, 12:00 pm

≫ Next: My Visit To Hong Kong Disneyland (Part 1)

≪ Previous: Dinner At Ming Yuen Noodles Restaurant

$

0

0

Yesterday afternoon, I had some free time and decided to go watch a movie. It had been some time since I watched a really good horror movie, so I thought why not watch the newly released The Conjuring?

Now being a horror movie fan, I have watched many horror movies, and I must say most are really lousy. So what makes The Conjuring any different? 

Well, for one, it was directed by James Wan (who's a Malaysian by the way), who also directed Saw and Insidious. Read my review on the movie Insidious HERE. 

Secondly, the movie was based on a true story. True ghost stories are always more scary compared to fiction, agree? 

Thirdly, The Conjuring received overwhelming praise from the critics, a rarity for the horror genre. It also opened at the No. 1 spot on the US Box Office with an incredible US$41.5 million in its opening weekend. Not bad at all for a horror movie! 

But what really made me want to watch this movie? It's none other than actress Vera Farmiga, whom I think is one of the best actresses around. I first saw her in the movie Source Code (read my review HERE) and had wanted to catch her playing different roles ever since.

Actress Vera Farmiga with director James Wan

So what's the big deal about The Conjuring? Did it live up to my expectations? Well, Yes and No. 

But first, let's see what The Conjuring is all about. Briefly, it's based on the true story of real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren (played respectively by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga) who came to the rescue of the Perron family (comprising a couple with 5 daughters) who were terrorized by an evil presence in their remote farmhouse in Harrisville, Rhode Island.

Based on the synopsis above, you would think it sounds like your average horror movie which is full of cliches. How many times do they want to make a movie about a haunted house? Didn't we see all that in Paranormal Activity? Or Poltergeist? Or even Amityville Horror?

Watch the trailer below.



Incidentally, Amityville Horror, a 1979 movie, is based on another true story also investigated by the same couple - demonologist Ed Warren and clairvoyant Lorraine Warren. But it was later found out to be a hoax. The couple were accused of making up stories which were baseless. If they were in fact faking the story, then why would anyone believe The Conjuring is real?



Lorraine Warren, now 86, and who was a consultant for The Conjuring, insisted that the story is true. Together with her husband, Ed Warren (who passed away in 2006), they were a well known couple,  having studied, documented and combated supernatural occurrences for decades.

They even own a museum near their house which contains objects and artifacts from their most celebrated cases, including the scary Annabelle doll. And what's even more creepy is that a priest continues to bless the items and pray over the household every night till this very day!



By the way, this museum was also shown in the movie. But it was in the form of a room inside the house and their young daughter was forbidden to enter the room. And as for that Annabelle doll, you will have to watch the movie to know what it's all about!

Interestingly, prior to filming, actors Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga met up with Lorraine Warren to get first hand insights into her story. Vera opted not to visit the museum but Patrick was brave enough to even pose with the Annabelle doll! LOL!


Ed Warren and Annabelle in the artifacts room

As for the authenticity of the story, they even interviewed Andrea Perron, the oldest of the 5 daughters of Roger and Carolyn Perron (played respectively by Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor). Andrea now 54, said that the film is a 'beautiful tapestry' with many elements of truth and some fiction.

Watch this trailer which also features members of the real Perron family.



So how much was fiction and how much was the truth is entirely up to the audience to judge. Now back to the movie.

Note : SPOILER ALERT beyond this point!! 

The movie started off by introducing us to the paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren who were involved in a possessed doll case. Then there were text on the screen explaining these were real people and this movie is based on a true story. Somehow, this made the story appeared real and credible which added to the experience watching the movie.



Next we get to see the Perron family moving into their new home. Their dog refused to enter the house and ended up dead the next day. I have to admit I saw this one coming so it was somewhat cliched to me.

What followed next had all the elements of a horror movie. Things like creaking doors, whispering voices, banging walls, sudden drop in temperature, tinkling wind chimes, dark basement and lurking shadows. They were however not really scary to me - perhaps I watched too many horror movies and I had seen them all. Even the unexplained bruises suffered by Carolyn Perron did not seem that disturbing to me.



However, that does not mean I did not enjoy the movie. It was pretty entertaining and even anxiety-inducing. Director James Wan really knew how to build up the tension and honestly, there was not a boring moment. I was glued to the screen the whole time, and occasionally at the edge of my seat!

The musical score by Joseph Bishara was also pretty effective in setting the mood of the entire film. By the way, did you know that Joseph also acted as Bathsheba, the evil witch who was the source of the hauntings?

So if this movie looks similar to all those other haunted house movies - you know the drill - family moves into house, strange stuffs happen, experts called in to investigate, exorcise the ghosts - what set it apart from the rest?

I think it were the actors who made all the difference. The whole cast did an amazing job with really believable performances. Lily Taylor was superb as the mother who loves her family so when she pleaded with the Warrens to help her, it was really heartfelt. It made me want the whole family to be safe!



As for the Warrens, they were not depicted simply as ghost hunters, but as a loving couple with a daughter. Vera Farmiga was excellent in her portrayal of the vulnerable but firm Lorraine, whose work as a clairvoyant had taken a toll on her. It was learnt that her last case prior to this was pretty traumatic as she had seen something so frightening that she had locked herself in her room for 8 days! This really made me root for her and her husband when they had to fend off the demonic forces which even threatened their daughter's life.



Although the movie did not really scare me, I did however feel quite uneasy when the Perron girls mentioned they could smell rotten or decaying flesh in the house whenever the evil presence was there. This is because I knew a few friends in real life who actually have this 'gift' of smelling dead people and spirits. They told me the smell was horrible and bad, like rotten flesh. You know who you are if you are reading this.

A scene which I found to be quite chilling was that corpse hanging from the tree in front of the house. That actually prompted gasps and nervous laughter from the audience. The scene where the ghost jumped from above the wardrobe was also quite scary and somewhat reminded me of the Hong Kong horror movie The Eye.



Another scary and rather disturbing scene was the part where one of the sisters sleepwalked and banged her head against the wardrobe door. I don't know why but I have to say the image of the girl standing in front of the wardrobe in the middle of the night and banging her head is more scary than any ghosts!



The part where all the clocks in the house seem to stop at exactly 3.07am every morning gave me a deja vu feeling. It probably reminded me of a similar clock stopping scenario in a far more scarier movie - The Exorcism Of Emily Rose.



The Conjuring also revisited the old scare tactic of peeping under the bed. It was not really scary, but the tension of waiting for whatever that would suddenly jump out from underneath the bed would surely increase your anxiety level up a few notches. And of course, that pulling-of-the-leg-while-one-is-lying-in-bed scene would definitely give nightmares to anyone who are not used to watching horror movies!



The Perron girls seem to enjoy playing hide and seek, whereby one person is blindfolded and she has to count until 10 while the others quickly go and hide. After that she moves around the house, still blindfolded, in search for those who hide, occasionally asking them to clap their hands. Doing this in a normal house is perfectly fine, but when you do this in a haunted house, it can become nerve wrecking!



And so when Carolyn was trapped in the basement and all of a sudden she heard clapping sounds and two hands appeared from behind - that sure as hell made me jump! Watch that scary scene in this trailer below.



One scene I found most memorable was the part when Lorraine was taking down the laundry outside the house. All of a sudden, the skies turned dark as if a storm is coming, and then without warning, a gust of strong wind blew and lifted up a laundry cloth, made it flew dramatically to the window on the top floor of the house to reveal a ghostly image of a female ghost!



It was interesting to watch how The Conjurer effectively explored the theme on demonic possession and exorcism. Since both Ed and Lorraine Warrens also gave lectures on the paranormal, we were given a short explanation of the the 3 stages of possession. Read more about the 3 stages HERE.


Ed and Lorraine explaining the 3 stages of demonic possession

To rid the house of the evil presence, the Warrens said that the house need to be exorcised. To do that would require a qualified exorcist approved by the Catholic Church. But in order to convince the Church to do so, enough evidence of the hauntings must be produced, and that's where the Warrens come in.



However, as Ed warned Roger Perron, exorcism often goes horribly wrong. And to add to the complication, the Perrons were not deeply religious and their 5 daughters were not baptized yet. This is quite surprising information to me as I did not know you need to be deeply religious for the exorcism to work!



The latter part of the movie which sees Carolyn being possessed and an exorcism unwittingly being carried out by Ed Warren was quite exciting but still, it wasn't the scariest exorcism scene I've seen in a movie. I still think no movies have yet surpassed The Exorcist in this regard.



The good thing I like about this movie was the minimal use of CGI and other fancy digital effects. It was more of an old-school classic horror movie employing techniques used in horror movies of the 70's and 80's like The Exorcist and The Omen. Unfortunately, it fell short of achieving the same high standards as The Exorcist in terms of depth and story telling.



I still remember how the scary effects linger on long after I finished watching The Exorcist and The Eye (original Hong Kong version). But for The Conjuring, the scariness seems to stay behind in the cinema hall. Still, I would highly recommend this movie.

And by the way, since the Warrens have investigated so many supernatural cases, a sequel is already confirmed!

Storyline : 6/10
Scariness : 6/10
Sound Effects : 8/10
Suspense : 9/10
Acting : 10/10

Read more about the true story behind The Conjuring HERE