Having "Me" Time

There's a road in the old part of Bangkok (now often called Rattanakosin Island), that I enjoy visiting not only for the food but also for the ambiance.  This row of old shop houses has stood the test of time and now caters to a young and funkier crowd that I guess would never have crossed the original owners' mind.  Located next to Thailand's second oldest universities, and adjacent to the backpacker haven of "KhaoSan Road,"  students, artists, and those seeking an alternative atmosphere come here to dine, listen to Jazz and walk in the park. Although it has changed much over the years, some of it still remains the same.  The old shop houses most date back roughly a hundred years and the old fortress of Pra Sumen date back to time of King Rama I.   It is one of only two remaining from the original fourteen built.  It's ancient yet it stands there towering above the park and Pra Athit Road for all to see and to admire. ...

Happy Weekend!  It's been one week since I went to KL, gosh time goes fly by fast.   If you are in KL, a fun street to go walk around is "Jalan Petaling."  It's the main walking street in KL's Chinatown.  It reminds me somewhat of Khaosan road with all the roadside stalls selling everything you could possible want from brand name bags to sunglasses.  It's a fun walk. Just outside the entrance to Jalan Petaling though is a local "Beef noodle" soup pllace called "Shin kee."  Housed in a pale yellow shop house it's a tiny space crammed with chairs and tables and you have to move for others to get out, but the food is worth it.  As in Thai noodle shops, you have a choice of having the noodle with soup, or without, with just beef balls or with also sliced beef. At first I had the noodles with soup and it was just aromatic and delicious.  The egg noodles are slightly fatter and have a different texture to that...