Outlook for the year of the Rat

General
Good News! You have a premium ticket throughout this year. This is especially so for males. For females, you would gain more benefits if you could get assistance and support from males. In general, you will do very well in terms of career and wealth. If you have any plans, personally or professionally, this year is the time to put them into action. Despite your success in career and making more money this year, you will still feel a strong sense of insecurity and emptiness within. You will tend to be moody and depressed. Your moodiness will affect your emotions, relationships, wealth and health this year. This may lead you to indulge in activities in order to escape from the truth. The deeper you try to bury the issues, they will come back to haunt you. Why not take the opportunity of being in such a good year to work on these issues?

Career
This is a good year in terms of career. There are chances of promotions. Your bosses and authority figures will give you ample opportunities to shine. You are going to exceed their expectations. You will be given more trust and responsibilities. There are also signs of salary increases. If you are in business, this is also the year to consider expanding your business, increase your market share and grow your revenue.

Wealth
It is very good for both your main sources and side sources of wealth. However, you might overspend this year. Whether your money will be able to grow exponentially depends heavily on whether can you save this year.

Relationship
For those who are married or attached, it will be a rocky year. This is mainly due to the insecurities and moodiness. The relationship tends to grow weak and brittle when one party is always not in a good m ood. Gossip or devious third parties could easily worsen the situation. Communicate clearly as to how you feel to your partner. If you are unhappy and it has nothing to do with your partner, let your part ner know. For those who are single, the chance of getting attached is slim due to your emotional instability. Before you can attract the love of your life, you need to stabilize your emotions first.

Health
Your health is average in general. Do not indulge in activities that might harm your health such as drinking and eating excessively.

People
Average. You do not need to worry about back-stabbings and betrayals.

Action
Place a Citrine or an Agate in your room or office to stabilize your emotions. Place a Vanadinite to curb overspending.

Krung Thep Day 2 - Of Khao San

Friday, 4th of January

So the rough translation for the proper name of Bangkok is 'The city of angles, the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city of the God Indra, the grand capitol of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated God, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn.'

We did intend to wake up early, setting our clocks at an impressive 8 or was it 8.30am. We didn't wake up till about 9.15am. I do recall Nadia at my bedside waking me up.. The angel had come from the adjoining room to switch off my alarm clock, which was beside me and of course I had no idea it was ringing.

I wanted to go to two places today, the Khao San area and the Jim Thompson house.

We decided to go to Khao San first as it was the one which was further away. Khao San is a back-packers' haven. Cheap lodging, bars and cafes tailored to the Caucasian market and right next to the Chao Phraya.

It was this morning we met our favourite driver, Om. Everyone, take down his number: +66-085-1293141. If you're ever in BKK, or in Changmai during the water festival (which is in April) Give him a ring! He's a great guy.

If you've read Nadia's blog you'd know all about our lack of self restraint when we saw all those sparkling gems. Om was willing to take us to Khao San for a mere 100 baht. That's dirt cheap. The only condition that we go to a jewellery store. Store ain't the word though, it's more like a factory! So, for bringing us to the gem store, he gets 5 complimentary litres of petrol.

I loved the jewellery store! Will look for the name of it and post it here. I got this pendant for my mum which resembles a beetle and thought it was unique. She loved it. For the two sisters, I got a similar pair of black star sapphires like Nadia, and a garnet one.

If I had the means, I'd have gotten myself this citrine ring. It was beautiful. Honest.

Looking back, I enjoyed Khao San more that I did Chatuchak. Chatuchak was just too big, and the endless sois were really more trouble to navigate through - unless like Dan and Rui, you had planned out where and what they wanted to see.

Khao San was relatively small, just one road. We walked down one stretch and back up on the other side. There were alot of "cool" stuff here. Tee-shirts with funky designs and cool logos. Bags which were made with graphic designs of the iconic Andy Worhol Campbell soup advertisements, and various graphics of canned food you found in the 60's.

We left Khao San a little late, after 3pm , and headed straight to the Jim Thompson house. If you are under 25 years of age, remember to bring ID - it's half price for the entry ticket which is 100 baht at full cost.

I wanted to see his place, since he was the bloke who popularised Thai silk and brought it to international acclaim. His place was undoubtedly beautiful and coupled with the guide, was very interesting and some parts downright eerie. Like the part where a Buddhist fortune teller foretold that a particular date in 1967 would be an unlucky date for him. It was on that day he disappeared.

After the Jim Thompson house we headed to MBK for more retail therapy and then headed to meet Dan and Rui for dinner at another recommended place - Crepes and Co.

Crepes and Co. was run by this French (?) man and, as the name suggests, had a array of crepes, from the traditional, ham and blue cheese which Nick and I shared, to the local variety, the curried one Dan had.

There were Moroccan specials which we chose in the end and were just exquisite. The lamb, sweet and tender, was just delectable while in contrast the chicken with olives was just alright.

Of course no visit to a creperie is complete without desert and for that we customised our own. Mostly bananas for what else goes with crepes no? Coupled with either chestnut cream, Chantilly and caramel. We could name our own crepes, as pictured on the right.

The night ended at... What's the name of the place? I dunno, some seedy go-go girl area. But we weren't ready to get ripped off a second time.

Krung Thep Day 1 - Of ping-pong balls

Thursday, 3rd of January

She looked at us and pointed a finger at us. Like she was trying to get us to step up to her challenge. A slight thrust, and the ping-pong ball was propelled out of her nether regions towards us. Screaming and scuttling ensued as we tried to get away from the incoming.

Oh my gosh, Amir was right.. That does sound like a primary school composition.

We were at this club and I was not exactly having a good time. Except when I took up the bat and hit back the balls to the talented lady. *shudder

Before that we went to see the go-go boys. All I can say is that some of the boys were pretty well endowed! And yes, as Nadia says not good for the boys' egos.

Waking up was a bitch - Amir and I only slept about two plus and when darling Nadia called us when she was nearing the airport, we were still in bed! We touched down in Bangkok at about 9.30 in the morning. The temperature a surprising 21 degrees Celsius. The temperature, coupled with the hot sun and the breeze was a tropical delight.

D'Ma Pavilion Hotel was better than I had anticipated, but perhaps just a tad far away from the stations. But with the many tuk-tuks and cabbies around, it was no problem... And if you come to think about it, 200 baht is really just about nine bucks.

I decided to dedicate the first day to the more cultural activities so we could get down to the real holiday - the shopping! The first on the list was the Wat Phra Kaew & Grand Palace and then the Amulet Market which was just next to it. It was only that afternoon that we found out the Grand Palace was closed due to the passing of the Thai Princess and would remain closed till the 7th - a day after we left. So the next best alternative was the Wat Pho - the temple with the reclining Buddha.

I do have two regrets for not planning better though - 1) We didn't go for a massage at the Wat Pho which was the real thing as that is where they train in traditional Thai massage and 2) We didn't go to the Amulet Market and hop onto the Chao Phraya River.

We were pretty hungry by then, the only other meal that day being the Burger King breakfast at about 6am, having slept through most of the flight over.

We hailed a cab down to to Th Sukhumvit Soi 12, to much publicised Cabbages & Condoms, a restaurant which makes it their business to promote safe sex in the Sin City. The meal was better than average with the delightful Tom Yum Goong, which was perfect for me since I don't like mine overpoweringly spicy. Another superbly cooked dish was the steamed sea-bass. Perhaps it was the Canto boy in me.

And the coconuts! To die for, so refreshing, after that long trek through the temple in the Sun.

We met Dan and Rui that night since they touched down at about sevenish. They came over to our hotel to pick us up since they had a chauffeur. Though we got rammed from behind by a taxi just as we were leaving the hotel area onto Patpong, the heart of Sin City.

Bangkok's official name in Thai is a torturous mouthful - Krungthepmahanakhon Amornrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharat Ratchatthaniburirom Udomratchaniwetmahasathan Amonphiman Awatansathit Sakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit. Hence "Krung Thep" the shortened name.

My gosh. I think I pulled a muscle in my finger.

The Best

The best athletes don't care about whether or not they're the best. What they care about is the game.
The best actors, musicians, doctors, scientists, teachers and businesspeople are not consumed with being the best. They're consumed with a passion for what they're doing.
If your desire is to be the best merely for its own sake, you will strive and struggle against a world that absolutely does not care. If, on the other hand, your most abiding desire is to make a positive difference, you will surely end up being the best at some particular thing or another.
The real substance of accomplishment is never in the trophies or the praise or the recognition it brings. The substance of accomplishment is in the value it delivers.
The best performers in any field are not the ones who hope to be the best or even the ones who already think they are. The best performers are those who never have to even think about where they stand in the rankings.
Commit yourself to delivering value, and you won't be burdened with the need to keep score. Indeed, you will always be on top of the game.
-- Ralph Marston