Having "Me" Time

The vegetarian festival is coming up soon in Bangkok and so if you are looking for somewhere that serves delicious vegetarian food, I recommend this little restaurant called "Thamna".  This literally translates to "farming" in Thai.   It's a lovely little eatery that opened up roughly two years ago and is very close to my office, so close that I had not written about it.  It is, however, one of my all time favorites and somewhere where you can go have a healthy meal. It's a tiny little shop with a cosy ambiance and soft music playing in the background.  Paintings line the walls and it has a somewhat artistic feel to it.  It has roughly 6 tables so I recommend making a reservation if you plan to go there during the peak hours of noon.  Office workers from nearby go to this shop during the lunch break. What kind of food do they serve?  It's a vegetarian restaurant so no meat is served here, only vegetables and lots and lots of mush...

I've been up since 5.30am this morning.  I'm up this early not because I'm ill, nor do I have somewhere to go this early in the morning, but I'm up because I was so exhausted yesterday I came home and fell flat on my bed at 9.30pm and a good eight hours later, I am up.  I have to say that I feel totally refreshed and alive once again.  Since it's the weekend (and because I'm getting hungry) I thought I'd take you on a little trip to have duck noodles at an old Bangkok market. If you've been following me since last year, you'd probably know how I love having noodles for lunch. I still do (though now I can also have them for dinner) and when I discover a noodle place that's delicious, I just get all happy and giddy.  Today's duck noodles is the one at Nang Lerng Market which is near to the Nang Lerng stadium where horse races are held.  It's on the border between old Bangkok and modern Bangkok and not too far by taxi.  It's ar...

There is a hidden secret that was discovered by a colleage a few years back right and one that I truly enjoy visiting. Thank you na ka.  It's a little coffee shop called "Vivi The Coffee Place" located right next to the river of Kings and it is somewhere that is perfect if you want to stop by and have a little rest after a visit to the Grand Palace or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha.  It gets hot and humid and having somewhere to just chill and relax by the river is ideal.  Or if you just need a little hideaway, this place too is the perfect place.  It's quiet, it has a gorgeous view of the Temple of Dawn, an ancient fortress and you can spend a good number of hours just reading away.  Away from all the crowds of people you usually find on streets and shopping malls.  Here you are at peace. The Coffee shop is part of a boutique hotel called "Aurum" which in itself is a beautiful building that makes you wonder if you are...

I like libraries.  Ever since I was young, it would be somewhere we went to each weekend, and thus started my love of books.  At home we have so many books, we could start our own library.  However, nowadays I seem to read a lot fewer books compared to my younger days.  My reading is usually done on the internet or on my iPhone.  I should really go back to books... Anyways, if you read a lot of books and don't want to have to buy them all, in Bangkok we have the Neilson Hays Library which has been around since 1869. Wow. 142 years. 142 years is a long time to have a building still standing in Bangkok.  As most of our houses were built of wood, many buildings have been lost to fire and flooding.  Neilson Hays Library , built of brick, still remains. I've driven past this library on Surawong road more times than I can remember, and every time I tell myself I have to go in and check it out.  I finally did.  Now I can cross it off my ...

Sunday is our day.  On Sundays (when we have time) we like to go explore Bangkok, there is so much to see, so much that is yet to be discovered in this City of Angels.  Today, we started our journey on Bangkok's oldest road: Charoen Krung Road.  Built in 1861, this road runs through the major sites of Old Bangkok and still retains the charm of old Bangkok.  Our main destination though was the Muslim Restaurant near to Charoen Krung Soi 42 and by the intersection of Silom Road and Charoen Krung Road. Now I've been on this road many times before, but usually it was on a car passing by on my way to the hotels that sit along the Chaophraya River.  Walking, however, gives you a whole different perspective on things.  You get to see and explore what previously you would have missed.  Going carless, you get the freedom of walking wherever you so desire and ending up in unexpected places.   A little Bangkok adventure.  We love it. And s...