1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #77 - Tuk-tuks, Bangkok

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #77

-  Tuk-tuks, Streets of Bangkok

(Riding through the streets of Bangkok in the iconic tuk-tuk can be breath-taking, especially when the driver zips in and out of its rightful lane to get to the destination in the shortest time possible..time is really big baht for him. The sights and sounds of Bangkok streets are a delightful combination, including these monks striding over a zebra-crossing a la Paul, John and George on Abbey Road )

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #76 - Wat Pho, Bangkok

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #76

-  Wat Pho, Temple of the Reclining Buddha, Bangkok

 

(This massive reclining Buddha is 43meters long and 15metres high, nearly half a football field in length. Seeing it reminds one of the serenity and tranquillity of the temple. The 108 bronze bowls make it unique, with visitors dropping coins into all 108 bowls for good fortune, with the donations helping the monks to upkeep the temple grounds. Good to know too that the US President, Barack Obama was just there just 6 months ago. A little known fact -  the temple is regarded as the birthplace of the traditional Thai massage!)

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #75 - Grand Palace, Bangkok

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #75

-  Royal Grand Palace, Bangkok

(Over 200 years old, this must be one of Asia's most attractive Palace grounds, perhaps rivalling the Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Inside it, rest the Emerald Buddha, which over 3 different occasions every year, is dressed for the summer, winter and rainy seasons. One gets the feeling of walking in Asia's equivalent of the Versailles in Paris or the Vatican grounds in Rome. Awe-inspiring indeed)

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #74 - Top Spot Seafood, Kuching

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #74

-  Top Spot Seafood, Kuching, Malaysia

 

(Pancake oysters the size of a wok, butter garlic grilled prawns and steamed fish...all for RM70, or around $28. What a steal! The seafood in Kuching is a delight, including their signature kolo mee and laksa. But this spot called the Top Spot is an excellent hangout to showcase Sarawak's seafood variety)

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #73 - Sarawak Cultural Village

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #73

-  Sarawak Cultural Village, Kuching, Malaysia

(Authentic houses of the indigenous people of Sarawak such as the Melanua, Bidayuh and Ibans are on display here at this quality cultural village. The various kueh that you can buy from inside these houses made the atmosphere even more authentic, with the cultural stage-show at the end of the walkabout a nice ending, with lots of laughs from the blowpipe duo)

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #72 - HSBC Women's Champions Golf

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #72

-  HSBC Women's Champions Golf, Spore

(The world's best women golfers converged in Sentosa for the first time, and they made the Serapong course look so easy. With 2 autographs on my cap from hot golfers Korean Hee Young Park, and Paula Creamer, this morning walk-aroung turned out to be a really pleasant one. Aside from playing the new "Neurogolf" where I used only my mind to play a hole, getting to watch the game from a hospitality box was kinda cool. Well done, Stacy Lewis..even though you knocked out my favourites Paula and Na Yeon Choi!)

 

 

 

 

First to Dr Ang, Then to Work..

First to Dr Ang, then to work..

This sentence reminds me of the old Bata shoe advertisement of "First to Bata, Then to School.."

This month's visit to Dr Ang Peng Tiam's office became a marathon session of sorts..my 4.30pm appointment became an 8.30pm test-of-patience. Dinner had to be the last sandwich from Delifrance from the corner outlet. As long as this wait was for me, I had to remind myself that it is just as long for Dr Ang, and even longer for his staff, who had to still administer my Zoometa booster after his consultation. It was only at 9.15pm that I was able to head to the bus station to hop on the ride home.

 

But it was a ride of comfort, relief and satisfaction, with the words from Dr Ang still ringing in my ears.."Your CT Scan, mamogram and blood test results look great, Nellie!"

I will be more than happy to sit through another 4-hour session to hear those words over and over again, every 6-months. Strong in body, strong in mind..

1001 Places/Expriences to See or Savour #71 - Journey Concert

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #71

-  Journey "Don't Stop Believin' " Concert, Spore

 

 
(This is a concert that means so much to me..an anthem against cancer is right here : "Don't Stop Believin' by the band Journey. Here in Spore for the first time, it may not have the peerless frontman Steve Perry, but the newbie, Arnel, comes close to the real thing. Listen to him here. Yes, we as cancer warriors, "cannot stop believing" that cancer can be conquered!)

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #70 - Hock Lam Beef Noodles

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #70

- Hock Lam Beef Noodles, Spore
(This original still packs a punch..the beef broth is still the best around. For a time, we didn't know where they disappeared into, but it popped up in China Street. But this is not your grandfather's hock lam noodles anymore..we gave the counter person $10 for 2 packets of standard servings but the next $10 came back only with a $2 note. Haha, yes, times they are a-changing..)

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #69 - Santana concert

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #69

- Santana concert, Spore
(Couldn't catch Santana on 2 previous occasions here but this time, I was determined to get to see this Latin legend. And it was worth the wait, with him belting out his "Smooth", "Maria" and all his oldie biggies. To think that he is 65, and counting..what a symbol of successful aging..those fingers still move like lightning)

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #68 - Amsterdam canals, Holland

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #68

- Canals of Amsterdam, Holland
(The serene canals of Amsterdam make for a refreshing boat-ride. It may not rival the beauty of Venice but it brings its own uniqueness, including hopping off to one of Amsterdam's  many famed diamond jewelry shops along the boat cruise. No new carats for me but the scenery was brilliantly different all the same)

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #67 - Zaanse Schans, Holland

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #67

- Zaanse Schans, Holland
(All that one would know about Holland is right here in one place in this town on the North, with well-preserved historic windmills and houses, clogs-making, cheese of all shapes and sizes, and tulips. The setting is perfectly Dutch, with a crisp cold winter morning to add to the atmosphere)

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #66 - Manneken Pis, Brussels

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #66

- Manneken Pis, Brussels, Belgium
(This little boy has been pissing into the fountain here in Brussels for the last 500 years and is today the most famous landmark in Belgium. Legend has it that he saved the city from explosives in the 14th century by peeing into the fuse, thus stopping the explosion. Frankly, the Godiva chocolate outlet in front of it and the Grand Palace Square a few hundred metres further is more interesting than this little man. Get your fill of Godiva chocs here which is a good 30% cheaper)

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #65 - Angelina, Paris

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #65

- Angelina's Chocolate, Paris, France
(A sweet reward after a 4-hour shopping spree is this chocolate drink at Angelina, regarded as the best chocolate in the country. And it was right there at the Galeries Lafayette, tucked in a corner of the building. So this is what the rich & famous in Paris do..a leisurely shopping therapy followed by a cuppa rich molten chocolate, direct from the hills of Africa. Nice! And oh, don't forget to round off with the smooth-as-silk French macarons just around the corner. At 1.90euro each, you know they will melt in your mouth like pure Godiva chocs..)