eleothegreat

Wow, Thailand is sure Gay/Lesbian friendly. I guess it will still take a long, long time for the rest of the world to follow suit.

they have this "lose thirty pounds in thirty days" gimmick with acai berries. smoker, did you, by any chance, lose any weight when you ate a lot of acai berries?

ehm. street vendor?

my mother deleted my IE browser. she said im much better off without it. use firefox.

I'm justine. 21. will be visiting bangkok really soon. to visit. to shop. actually, just to visit. i deserve a vacation. i love online shopping - yeah, superficial i know. i live by the beach so i have this yearlong tan. my curly hair has sand in it, and i don't intend to wash it off just yet. i think i am a poet. i love long conversations with cigarettes and beer under the stars and the coconut trees (hey, i'm 200 meters away from the beach!). i love reading. about anything, basically. reading tabloids inside the bathroom is fun. i have a one year old daughter, and i'm an advocate of organic products and food. i drink virgin coconut oil and tea. oh. and i love thai food - influenced by my dad. i'm a little left behind on the music department, my music IQ has degraded ever since my baby came out. i like nursery rhymes and classical music now. but im not complaining

I like you less. LOL. Seriously, you do?

I wouldn't want to believe that they're marrying Thai women just because they're submissive and subservient. That would be too superficial for a reason.

I've researched a couple of things to do once I visit Bangkok (I have an obsession for learning everything I can about something before actually experiencing it). And here's some fun things that people can do on a budget when in Bangkok. I just thought that I should share it for other soon - to - be tourists and residents who might visit this site. There are plenty of ways to enjoy Bangkok. You can shop, sight see, enjoy the night life and relax in spas. The number of things that you can do during your stay basically depends on how much you have to spend. But if you don't have enough moolah, it doesn't mean you can't enjoy Bangkok as well. Here are just a few things that you can do to enjoy Bangkok on a budget - or even for free! Try to visit the Lumpini Park. It's located right smack in the middle of Bangkok, in between the hustle and bustle of the city population. Nestled in the middle of metropolis of sky scrapers, Lumpini Park is considered as an oasis. Here, you can sit by the pond and relax, experience nature, look at the views and take your old trusty camera. If you're game for some exercise, you may even want to join Tai Chi exercises that are done by the locals. The Butterfly Gardenis a spectacular habitat that is found in Bangkok's Chatuchak District. It is a huge building that has more than 20 species and 500 kinds of butterflies. If you're Lepidopterophobic (afraid of butterflies) like Nicole Kidman, then the Butterfly garden may not be for you. But don't worry - there's more to do! Thais are predominantly Buddhist, and their temples (wats) are open to everyone. You can view and visit these temples. These are the most peaceful places that you can visit throughout Bangkok, and their design, architecture and decoration are simply breathtaking. Just make sure that you follow proper guidelines and conduct when visiting these temples since they are places of worship. Old Bangkok is the city's original section, and is perhaps has the most history about the city. It was founded more than two centuries ago and has some of Bangkok's most popular attractions, which aren't for free. There are plenty of 18th century buildings that have been restored, as well as original stone walls of the city. So if you're in Bangkok on a budget, you necessarily don't have to be left out on the fun. You can still see the sights and enjoy Bangkok on a budget - or even for free!

I suppose high end specialty food stores have frozen or fresh galangal, but we don't have Thai specialty shops from where I live (or maybe I just haven't found one - yet). Thus, I find myself saying hello to ginger - for Filipino food and Thai food as well. Haha!

I used to use an HP Ipaq fone - it's the first HP smart fone WITHOUT the touch screen and the qwerty keys. Pretty easy for me since I'm not used to qwerty at all. It is wifi capable and has loud speakers. Has a mini windows media player as well. Unfortunately, I lost it. So I have my motorazr now.

The Thai and Their Galangal (And Because I Can't Buy Any Here) My father brought the love for Thai cuisine with him the moment he stepped landed back here after a two week stay in Bangkok in 1998. This means that for the last ten years, we have been exposed to various home cooked Thai meals that were carefully prepared by following the recipe books that he brought along with him as well. We were able to easily find plenty of the common ingredients for Thai food, because those ingredients were also common to Filipino cooking as well. Bamboo shoots, check. Banana flower, check. Chili pepper - we love them with our soy sauce and vinegar. The herbs and spices we could easily buy in bottles from the supermarket. But among the abundance of all these products, there's one ingredient that we were never able to use, and that's galangal. We don't have it here, and I certainly haven't found it in all the supermarkets in the vicinity. So, as a second option, we made use (and still continue to do so) of ginger. But Isn't Galangal and Ginger the Same, Anyway? Galangal, or blue ginger, isn't actually ginger at all. Or, at least, not a subtype of ginger. Because they both grow underground and have similar cooking and preparation methods, they are often mistaken as each other. However, Galangal is a completely different thing. Called khaa in Thai, and has a lighter color and can even have pinkish tones. And unlike ginger, galangal is somewhat rather spicy or peppery and aromatic. If you're a regular ginger user, one taste is enough to let you know that it really isn't ginger. But you shouldn't be worried if you aren't using ginger for your Thai food, though. While the galangal does taste quite different from ginger, it isn't different enough to completely alter the taste of your food and drive your eaters away. And of course, since I still can't get my hands on any galangal here, I guess I'll be sticking to ginger for the meantime.

I watched the first five episodes of True Blood when it first aired here, but I lost track. I loved the American backwater setting, the characters and Sookie's accent. Twilight - neh. When I first read the book it reminded me of Sweet Valley High, only with vampires in it. I didn't bother watching the movie. Moonlight is another Vampire series. I don't know if you've heard of it, but it was cancelled last year. I was only able to watch the seasons from a DVD copy. It's a paranormal romance story set in bustling Los Angeles. The setting is basically the opposite of True Blood. Anyway, it's about the life of vampire Mick St. John, who is also a vampire, his attraction to a mortal woman and his friendship and dealings with other vampires from LA as well. It's a bit nice to watch vampire movies/TV shows or read vampire books and compare how vampires are portrayed there. There are similarities (blood drinking, aversion to sunlight), but each author has created differences among their vampires (Twilight vampires turn gold under the sun, Moonlight vampires dehydrate), and comparing these differences never ceases to amaze me.

Aren't those used in weight loss supplements?

Hahaha. LOL. I suppose, especially if they're huge!

Oh, and another question: What do you usually use your phone for - for calling or texting?

The safest thing to do, I suppose, is ask the bar/establishment. When they say okay, then there's no problem. When they say no, then you would have to risk losing your seat for a cig. Or give up the urge to smoke for the meantime for the sake of your seat.

I have 21 posts now. That's 479 more to go before I can qualify! Hahaha.

My dad visited Thailand a couple of years ago. And I could tell, from his stories, that he loved it there - especially the food. He purchased a couple of Thai Cook Books and tried cooking some recipes, which were actually good. We still continue to enjoy homemade Thai cooking until now. He also brought back three boxes of Nam Pla, which is just actually like our local Patis - I wonder why he had to bring three boxes when we could get the same thing here in the supermarket. But still, I think it's the cultural experience that prompted him to purchase Nam Pla. So, What's Exactly in Your Typical Fish Sauce? It's a condiment made from fish that has gone through the process of fermentation. It is usually an essential ingredient in many recipes and sauces. It is a staple food ingredient in Filipino, Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian and Lao cuisine, as well as neighboring South East Asian counties as well. In southern China, it is also used as ingredients for soups and casseroles as well. Aside from being added to the dishes during the preparation and cooking process, it is also used on the dining table, and is used for dipping condiments. What's It Made Of? Fish sauce, especially Southeast Asian ones are made from salt, water and anchovies. They are all arranged in wooden boxes and left to ferment slowly. As they ferment, they are slowly pressed in order to yield that familiar salty and fishy liquid (which taste and smell we so love and the rest of the world abhor ). They call the liquid Phu Quoc and Phan Thiet in Vietnam. In Thailand, it is called Nam Pla, while people in Cambodia call it Teuk Trei. In the Philippines, it is called Patis. The Indonesians have a fish pasted called Trasi, the Malay have their Budu or Belacan, and the Cambodians have their Prahok. These are all common and popular variations of the fish sauce. Fish Sauce and The Western World While a lot of people, especially those who are not from Asia, or those who have not grown up with Fish sauce as a kitchen staple, cannot stand the smell of fish sauce. But did you know that there is also a Western version of the fish sauce? And the western version of fish sauce even dates back to Classical Rome. The latins had their liquamen or garum. These also have plenty of other varieties such as oxygarum (fish sauce with vinegar) or meligarum (fish sauce with honey). The garum was made from various fishes like tuna, moray eel, anchovies and mackerel. The Worcestershire sauce is also another related product since it is fermented and it contains anchovies as well. While some (or perhaps even plenty) find it foul or horrible smelling, it is an essential of various cuisines, especially across Asia. And since a country's cuisine makes up part of its culture, then we can definitely say that Nam Pla plays a huge role in Thailand's culture. Just as Patis plays a role in our culture and life as well. So, what do you think of fish sauce?

Unless you do have a degree and you want to each ESL, right?

The Greeks have been to Phuket? Wow. I thought ancient greek history was confined to, well, Greece and its neighboring countries (and the Middle east, as well). Haha. What's the price range for a week at Phuket? Are there accomodations and activities for people of varying financial statuses? Of course, I can't afford 5 star hotels but I don't want to stay in a dingy hut, so can I enjoy Phuket as well?

Well, a lot of people here in the Philippines place high regard on cellular phones, as if it connotes a certain status. If you have a blackberry or an iphone, or higher end samsungs, HPs or nokias - then you're top of the line as well. More so if you have more than one phone. This is why some people blow their credit card limits for cellular phones worth more than their monthly salaries. Or they usually avail lay-away plans where they pay for the phone in installments/staggering payments until it is fully paid. Or worse, they buy from the black market. But then again, there's nothing really wrong with having a top of the line, expensive luxury cellular phone if you can afford to buy it. I want a super nice looking phone, but I can't afford to buy a new one as of the moment. So, I'm sticking with something that's serviceable, and that's my trusty old Motorola Razor. So what's your cellular phone?

Wow, that's stringent. So you what can you do without a work permit?

I just read the announcement about the Free trip to Thailand. This is amazing. Is this only open to locals or people from other countries as well? Is this legit? Uhm, I've read that every 500 posts is equal to 1 entry. How is the draw made? Electronically or manually? This is amazing.

By the way, I've also been having some problems with page loading. I'm not sure if it's my connection that's erratic, but I can open other websites easily.

Is the above photo the real condo picture?