The week following Aidl Adha had been a hectic week for us. All the children were home and hence the grand children too. As its Aidl Adha, we planned to return to the hometown and spend some time with the bigger family, especially with my mother. At the same time there was the constraints of time, leave from work of the children and each of their priorities to consider.
Son Shaffik and family arrived from Bintulu late Wednesday 19th January. Their flight from Bintulu was delayed 2 hours. Shaffik had flown back to Bintulu early Wednesday morning after his official trip to KL the previous two days, and flew back with the family to KLIA in the evening. Hifzhan or Babang and Haziq or dedek, were overly excited on arrival and had many questions for their Tok Bah and Tok Mi, majority of them were on their toys. Hifzhan sings the songs he learnt in playschool while Haziq kept saying ‘no problem’ to almost anything, a new term he learnt from one of the cartoon TV programmes without doubt. Haziq also insisted that he is the baby of the family (mum is in the family way and due in mid February, hence Haziq must have felt threatened!!) and preferred to be called baby instead of dedek!! However this stand Haziq took changed not too soon afterwards.
Tessa came home late evening, Thursday.
Sita and baby Najla arrived from Kerteh, Terengganu on Thursday night, after midnight though and 2.30 am to be exact, hence it was Friday morning, Friday being Aidl Adha day.
Hifzhan and Haziq, have not seen baby Najla and were looking forward to meet their cousin. They woke up early in the morning as usual and the first thing they asked was whether baby Najla has arrived. Baby Najla was still asleep, and the two of them stood by the bed in awe and kept staring at Najla. I asked Haziq which one is the baby and he pointed to Najla. What about you I asked. He said he is dedek. Not baby? I continue to tease, he ran and said noooo, dedekkkkkk…. No more Haziq the baby after that!!
Friday morning, after Aidl Adha prayers, Ram's nephew came to visit. Later we went to Klang where Ram's nephews and nieces gathered and waited for us. Spent some time with them and returned home later in the afternoon.
We went to Johore Bahru late Friday evening, in three cars and together with Ram’s sisters, Siti and Rashidah. Siti have not been home since her left hip and leg operation due to a fall in the hotel bathroom when she went for the ‘umrah’ last Ramadhan. She has been quite immobile, moving around with the aid of the 'walker' or walking stick. We arrived at Rashidah’s house just before midnight.
Saturday and Sunday was spent visiting my mother and my brothers and sisters. Tessa returned to KL on Sunday afternoon. She was caught in a traffic jam in the last quarter of her journey, a usual phenomenon during extended weekends and holidays. We originally planned to return to Petaling Jaya in the late evening of Sunday but Sita suggested that we delay the trip to early Monday morning, obviously picturing in her mind the traffic jam Tessa went through earlier.
On our way to Petaling Jaya on Monday morning we detoured to KLIA to fetch Fahrul who arrived from Kuantan at about 11.30am. Fahrul’s parents had also arrived in KL earlier and were scheduled to return to Kangar, Perlis late the same evening. They dropped by our house in the evening. The next day, Tuesday, Fahrul and family went back to Kuantan where Sita has some work to do through the next two days, and arriving just in time for it (JIT)and Fahrul was to baby sit Najla in the hotel when Sita was at work.
The rest of the week until Friday 28th. was spent keeping tab on the grandchildren with their playful antics. Babang singing his favourite song in his customary style and Dedek saying ‘no problem’ while waving his right arm in a circle, whenever challenged. Rearranging their toys seems a continuous effort, some of the times the toys were strewn all over the floor. Babang will be choosy of food preferring not to touch foodstuff that has any blackish part, like over burnt fried stuff even just slightly, while dedek has ‘no problem’ with food. One has to be coaxed to eat while the other has to be coaxed to stop eating!! They were quite certain of the places they want to go, the playground, the train ride (LRT), The Berjaya Mall, Pizza Hut etc. They did not get all their demands from their parents and they naturally turned to Tok Bah and Tok Mi,and of course all sorts of excuses were given to avoid their demands!!
Shaffik and family left for Bintulu on Friday 28th. Babang insisted that he does not want to go by the red airplane (that’s Air Asia). Why? We asked. The red plane shaking when landing he said. Actually aunty from the plane does not give chocolates!! Babang wants to go with the red, white and blue airplane (that’s MAS). Apparently he later protested just before boarding the plane but of course, he was overruled.
The house was suddenly very quiet Friday evening onwards. We decided to go to Port Dickson and spend the weekend there.
MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya
Monday, January 31, 2005
Monday, January 24, 2005
Hifzhan’s 1st week at Playschool
My four years old grandson started playschool when school reopens on January 3rd 2005. On the fourth day of school I received a call early in the morning asking me to persuade him to go to school. The dialog went like this:
Tok Bah: Helloooo, who is this?
Hifzhan: Tok Bahhh, this is Babang
Tok Bah: Babang, are you not going to school today?
Hifzhan: No !
Tok Bah: Why not?
Hifzhan: Babang don’t want…….
Tok Bah: Yesterday babang went to school?
Hifzhan: Yesssss. Today Babang don’t want
Tok Bah: Babang have started school, Babang must go to school everyday
Hifzhan: Babang don’t want…..
Tok Bah: Babang go to school Babang can learn to read, learn to write
Babang: Today Babang don’t want…
Tok Bah: Why today Babang don’t want?
Hifzhan: Babang don’t want…
Tok Bah: Ok, ok, if Babang don’t want to go to school then Babang will not learn to read, to write, draw pictures and play with friends…
Hifzhan: Babang don’t want … passed the phone to his mum…
Apparently he had said to his mother that today is Saturday, Babang tired, Babang want to rest… (Wow, he must have heard this too often from his dad and mum on Saturday mornings!!!!)
Finally coaxed to go to school as it was only Thursday and he went reluctantly. .
See, how fast children learn the unintentional lessons from the parents, “what you say can be used as evidence against you!!!”
MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya
Tok Bah: Helloooo, who is this?
Hifzhan: Tok Bahhh, this is Babang
Tok Bah: Babang, are you not going to school today?
Hifzhan: No !
Tok Bah: Why not?
Hifzhan: Babang don’t want…….
Tok Bah: Yesterday babang went to school?
Hifzhan: Yesssss. Today Babang don’t want
Tok Bah: Babang have started school, Babang must go to school everyday
Hifzhan: Babang don’t want…..
Tok Bah: Babang go to school Babang can learn to read, learn to write
Babang: Today Babang don’t want…
Tok Bah: Why today Babang don’t want?
Hifzhan: Babang don’t want…
Tok Bah: Ok, ok, if Babang don’t want to go to school then Babang will not learn to read, to write, draw pictures and play with friends…
Hifzhan: Babang don’t want … passed the phone to his mum…
Apparently he had said to his mother that today is Saturday, Babang tired, Babang want to rest… (Wow, he must have heard this too often from his dad and mum on Saturday mornings!!!!)
Finally coaxed to go to school as it was only Thursday and he went reluctantly. .
See, how fast children learn the unintentional lessons from the parents, “what you say can be used as evidence against you!!!”
MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya
Sunday, January 23, 2005
RAM’s Cornea Graft – An Oversight that could have made Ram blind
On our return from Bangkok and in the flight to KLIA, Ram had complained of pain in her right eye, the one with the cornea graft. We reached home at about 2.00am early Friday morning 24th. December 2004. At 8.00 am we went straight to THONEH as Ram had complained of throbbing pains in her eye since getting up from sleep.
At the Hospital, although there was no scheduled clinic that day, Dr. Veera Ramani was available to see her. One look at her eyes she decided to detain her in hospital and do an intensive and intrusive treatment to the eye. What happened? She exclaimed. You have been doing very well and now it is really bad. There is an ulcer on the cornea and its spreading, she said. The whole cornea can be damaged in a day or two and you will be blind!!.
Apparently dust had gone into the eye and had caused an infection of the new cornea which had turned into an ulcer that’s spreading fast. The doctor gave her two injections directly at the eye and prescribed eye drops to be administered every 15 minutes. That’s the reason she detained and confined Ram to the hospital ward for treatment and to avoid further infection. We decided to take a single room in the ward and I stayed with her throughout. I called Tessa. She came later in the afternoon after going home to fetch some essential stuff, change of clothing, reading materials and my laptop.
Ram’s eye was red all over. The treatment to it continued every 15 minutes with three different types of eye drops until Saturday, Christmas day, when the doctor evaluated the eye and said that the spread of ulcer had been arrested and it was beginning to reduce in size. Treatment, however, need to be continued and on Sunday the frequency was reduced to hourly.
On Monday, 27th December, 2004 (the day after the tsunami incident) the doctor said that the ulcer on the eye had reduced considerably but treatment continued 2 hourly for the next few days. Ram was allowed to go home on Wednesday 29th but has to come in on Thursday for follow up checks. Two types of eye drops were prescribed to be administered every four hours and we religiously followed the instructions. She was to observe all the precautions set after she had the operation previously. So I had to perform most of the household chores as previously done while Ram took care not to exert herself too much. We went back to the hospital on Thursday as appointed. The doctor reduced the frequency to every six hourly and asked her to come back on Monday 3rd. On that day her eye has recovered almost fully but to be sure, the doctor continued with the two types of eye drops to be administered six hourly and set for another appointment the next Monday, 10th January 2005.
Monday 10th January came. We went to the hospital early. The doctor said that the eye had recovered fully and that Ram should continue to take extra care and not expose herself unnecessarily. She should take all precautions possible and avoid infections. Her next appointment was set at one month interval. Shaffik bought for her one of that fancy safety glass that cover the eyes almost completely and yet look fashionable.
Now that the eye is recovering well we tried to get answers to the many questions we had on why this could have happened. Apparently, the new cornea, not being directly connected to the other parts of the eye (there are no blood vessels connection as in other body part transplants or grafts), obtains its nourishment from the film of liquid around it. With foreign body(es) lodged into the cornea like dusts and other impurities, and other living organisms coming along with the foreign bodies eg. dust mites and the likes,infection will take place, and the cornea being weaker, with minimal nourishments, will succumb to the attacks by these foreign organisms. This was what we believed happened to Ram's eye. So, we have to also remember that it will not only be protecting the eye from airbone infections but also from waterborne infections. She has to also be very careful when she uses water to wash her face and eyes. We are aware that this recent incident could have been due to our carelessness in protecting the eye when we were in Bangkok. We thought the most likely occassion that she caught the infection and had dust in her eyes was either when we took the tuk-tuk ride or when we walked along the busy streets of Bangkok at night, when there was an occassion Ram took off her eye-glasses as the street was rather dark and she could not see where she was going using the glasses that had colour shades on it. This was an expensive lesson to us. We will have to be more careful in the future.
We thank Almighty Allah for answering our prayers and for the protection and guidance throughout this ordeal. We are thankful that Ram recovered and did not lose her eyesight, vision being one of our most important senses. We hope we can soon proceed with further treatment of the eye as advised by the specialists from ‘Orbis’ the Flying Eye Hospital, mentioned in my previous write up
MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya
At the Hospital, although there was no scheduled clinic that day, Dr. Veera Ramani was available to see her. One look at her eyes she decided to detain her in hospital and do an intensive and intrusive treatment to the eye. What happened? She exclaimed. You have been doing very well and now it is really bad. There is an ulcer on the cornea and its spreading, she said. The whole cornea can be damaged in a day or two and you will be blind!!.
Apparently dust had gone into the eye and had caused an infection of the new cornea which had turned into an ulcer that’s spreading fast. The doctor gave her two injections directly at the eye and prescribed eye drops to be administered every 15 minutes. That’s the reason she detained and confined Ram to the hospital ward for treatment and to avoid further infection. We decided to take a single room in the ward and I stayed with her throughout. I called Tessa. She came later in the afternoon after going home to fetch some essential stuff, change of clothing, reading materials and my laptop.
Ram’s eye was red all over. The treatment to it continued every 15 minutes with three different types of eye drops until Saturday, Christmas day, when the doctor evaluated the eye and said that the spread of ulcer had been arrested and it was beginning to reduce in size. Treatment, however, need to be continued and on Sunday the frequency was reduced to hourly.
On Monday, 27th December, 2004 (the day after the tsunami incident) the doctor said that the ulcer on the eye had reduced considerably but treatment continued 2 hourly for the next few days. Ram was allowed to go home on Wednesday 29th but has to come in on Thursday for follow up checks. Two types of eye drops were prescribed to be administered every four hours and we religiously followed the instructions. She was to observe all the precautions set after she had the operation previously. So I had to perform most of the household chores as previously done while Ram took care not to exert herself too much. We went back to the hospital on Thursday as appointed. The doctor reduced the frequency to every six hourly and asked her to come back on Monday 3rd. On that day her eye has recovered almost fully but to be sure, the doctor continued with the two types of eye drops to be administered six hourly and set for another appointment the next Monday, 10th January 2005.
Monday 10th January came. We went to the hospital early. The doctor said that the eye had recovered fully and that Ram should continue to take extra care and not expose herself unnecessarily. She should take all precautions possible and avoid infections. Her next appointment was set at one month interval. Shaffik bought for her one of that fancy safety glass that cover the eyes almost completely and yet look fashionable.
Now that the eye is recovering well we tried to get answers to the many questions we had on why this could have happened. Apparently, the new cornea, not being directly connected to the other parts of the eye (there are no blood vessels connection as in other body part transplants or grafts), obtains its nourishment from the film of liquid around it. With foreign body(es) lodged into the cornea like dusts and other impurities, and other living organisms coming along with the foreign bodies eg. dust mites and the likes,infection will take place, and the cornea being weaker, with minimal nourishments, will succumb to the attacks by these foreign organisms. This was what we believed happened to Ram's eye. So, we have to also remember that it will not only be protecting the eye from airbone infections but also from waterborne infections. She has to also be very careful when she uses water to wash her face and eyes. We are aware that this recent incident could have been due to our carelessness in protecting the eye when we were in Bangkok. We thought the most likely occassion that she caught the infection and had dust in her eyes was either when we took the tuk-tuk ride or when we walked along the busy streets of Bangkok at night, when there was an occassion Ram took off her eye-glasses as the street was rather dark and she could not see where she was going using the glasses that had colour shades on it. This was an expensive lesson to us. We will have to be more careful in the future.
We thank Almighty Allah for answering our prayers and for the protection and guidance throughout this ordeal. We are thankful that Ram recovered and did not lose her eyesight, vision being one of our most important senses. We hope we can soon proceed with further treatment of the eye as advised by the specialists from ‘Orbis’ the Flying Eye Hospital, mentioned in my previous write up
MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Bangkok - Holiday Break
BANGKOK 19 - 23 Dec 2004
DAY 1 – Sunday, 19th December, 2004
Bangkok, City Of Angels they say. I imagine angels as those dressed in flowing dresses, with beautiful tresses and a lighted wand in one hand. Four days and nights in Bangkok, neither did I meet nor did I see any angel but I did see angels of a different kind. There were those elegantly dressed, for the office or some function or other, those dressed casually, many of them looking like foreigners in Bangkok like me, carrying tote-bags, cameras, various models mostly of the digital kind, a map and a bottle of mineral water in one hand. Another kind of angel is those young, and also those trying to look as young, girls, skimpily or is it scantily dressed, flaunting flesh and assets, obviously hoping for a foreign catch. Are they the reason why Bangkok is called "City of Angels"? Perhaps "City of Angels in the Night” is more appropriate…… I wonder.
Sometime in the month of November 2004, while surfing the net, I came across Air Asia's "Go Holiday" site, touting "free and easy" holiday packages. I picked the one for Bangkok simply because I have not been to Bangkok except in transit at the airport a couple of times previously. I thought this would be a good opportunity for Ram and I to explore the city, at leisure, and see the sites and heritage of the capital of Thailand. I obtained as much information of the hotels from the internet, read the reviews by recent visitors, saw the map on-line to get an idea of the location of hotels and simplicity to move around the city on my own, and also information on places to visit or tour at our leisure. A four night stay in a 3-star hotel “the Menam Riverside Hotel” by the Chao Phraya River (River of Kings) inclusive of breakfast for two and the Air Asia ticket to and from Kuala Lumpur cost only RM980.00, which I thought was a good deal indeed. I picked this hotel based on the reviews written by recent guests to the hotel.
We left KL on the evening of 19th. December 2004. Tessa sent us to the airport. The flight to Bangkok was delayed by about an hour. Arriving at Don Muang Airport, Bangkok, going through immigration, custom clearance, and currency exchange was a breeze. On exiting the arrival lounge of the airport, we came across a few taxi-touts soliciting our patronage of their services and I remember the advice given on the net by previous foreign visitors to Bangkok that we should avoid them. One said he could take us to the hotel at a special price of Baht 800.00 and we of course turn him down. We got into the taxi queue, got one ‘metered taxi’ through the taxi counter and got to the hotel in about 45 minutes by way of the toll expressway. The airport taxi surcharge was Baht 50, toll was Baht 70, and the taxi meter charge came to Baht 240, a total of Baht 360, less than half of what the ‘great’ guy’s special offer of Baht 800!!
Checking into the Menam Riverside Hotel was also without a hitch and the room allocated to us was reasonably comfortable. We went down to the coffee house to have dinner and we were pleasantly surprised that they have quite a wide selection on the menu, with many vegetarian and seafood dishes thus, at once removing our apprehension on obtaining suitable food. We were earlier told by friends and relatives that it would be quite difficult for us to get suitable food in Bangkok. On the contrary, we later found that there are many “halal” restaurants available in Bangkok. The hotel is situated on the south side of Bangkok by the Chao Phraya River. Services available are adequate and the staff are helpful and friendly although English conversation can be quite exasperating at times!! A complimentary boat shuttle service is provided hourly from the hotel’s jetty to the terminal of Bangkok Sky-Train. This service, we hope, would make our movement around Bangkok easier whilst we do not have to depend on the public road transport. The roads in Bangkok are almost always jammed with traffic.
Day 2 – Monday, 20th December 2004
Woke up early and had breakfast. The breakfast spread was very good with a wide variety and choice of food. As the different foods were clearly labeled and marked, we had no problem in selecting our choice. We took the boat shuttle to the terminal for the sky-train and took the train to an area called Salom. Our intention was to get used to the transport system while at the same time familiarize ourselves with the major tourist areas in Bangkok. However we found that we were too early for Salom as it was then 9.00am or so and things only begin to pick up at 10 or 11 am onwards. As we were browsing around the main street and side streets we met an elderly local who spoke very good English and advised us of what to do and see. He recommended and guided us to a factory outlet close by which was already open and offered sale discounts of up to 40% on their products for the festive and end of year holiday season. Later we continued to browse around Salom area and the various other outlets and complexes. They are a little up market but no different then those in KL or Singapore or for that matter any big city anywhere!! Although most offered discounts but the prices are not that much cheaper than those available at home.
We were back in the hotel by late afternoon. Ram was rather exhausted by the long walk around Salom. After a little rest, I went out alone and walked around the vicinity of the hotel within a one or two kilometer radius hoping to find some food outlet that I can buy take-away dinner. I found a mosque, within walking distance from the hotel, but it was closed then as it was already passed ‘Asar’ prayer time. There were many stalls and one or two little restaurants within the area selling halal stuff but I was not at all impressed by them. It appeared as though hygiene was not a priority, food left exposed in the open and the surroundings unkempt, quite pathetic really. Certainly not inviting at all and will not do justice to my palate. Dinner that night was taken in the hotel coffee house.
Day 3 – Tuesday, 21st December 2004
Jim Thomson House
After breakfast we took the shuttle boat and a day-ticket for the sky-train and headed for a visit to the legendary Jim Thomson House. Jim Thomson, an American architect turned Thai Silk King who disappeared in 1967 in the jungles of Cameron Highlands, Malaysia and whose body was never discovered, built this house in the traditional and ancient Thai architectural design using mostly local timber and other local materials, a rich artistic and cultural heritage.
The house, which combines six teak buildings, representing traditional Thai architecture stands on a piece of about one acre of land within the city. The houses, at least two centuries old, were dismantled and brought to the present site, some from as far away as the old capital of Ayudhya. In his quest for authenticity, Jim Thomson adhered to the customs of the early builders in most respects and personally supervised their reconstruction. The houses were elevated a full story above the ground, a practical Thai precaution to avoid flooding during the rainy season, and the roof tiles were fired in Ayudhya employing a design common centuries ago but rarely used today. The red paint on the outside walls is a preservative often found on many old Thai buildings. The chandeliers, modified and a concession to modern convenience, belong to a past era having come from 18th and 19th century period.
Jim Thomson had also a wide collection of traditional Thai arts, carvings, statues especially of Buddha, antique plates and vases, and paintings mostly on silk although there are others on various materials. These are on display in various parts of the six houses. Statues of Buddha, being the object of worship of the Thais are placed at strategic locations in the house based on the varied local beliefs in the protection of the house and households. Furniture displayed in the rooms depicts their functionality of purpose. As example, the bidets in the bedrooms are designed according to the sizes of the user of the rooms, girl’s room or boy’s room or adult’s room. The dining furniture is a combination of two mahjong tables placed together and the chairs appear to be of rosewood materials. There are carvings on these furniture mostly of local folklore motifs.
The main entrance to the house is off a canal and there is an imposing entrance archway by the side of the canal although this entrance is now no longer in use. In the olden days people commute by boat via the many canals within the city, but most canals apparently have now been covered over and redeveloped. However the canal in front of this house still exists and I hear motorized boats plying by several times while there. The main door to the house, which opens to a wide entertaining area is itself wide, windows many and the design of walls and roofing unique in that there is an easy funnel-type flow of air providing very good ventilation for the house. The walls are constructed slightly tilting inwards at the top and the roof and ceiling overlapped to allow for natural ventilation.
The Suan Pakkad Palace Museum
From the Jim Thomson House, we proceeded to visit the Suan Pakkad Palace Museum, four stations away by sky-train. This palace used to be the private residence of their Royal Highness Prince and Princess Chumbhot. They decided to convert the palace into a museum and added on more buildings and facilities to accommodate the various exhibits which has been passed down through successive generations. It is a fine combination of fine arts and ancient artifacts from the era of Prince Paribatra Sukhumbahandhu the son of King Rama V, King Chulalongkorn (Note: The present king is King Rama IX).
The museum consists of eight Thai houses connected by a raised walkway within a compound of about 6 acres. A new building stands at one side of the compound which houses the office of the Chumbhot – Pantip foundation and some permanent exhibit rooms. In one of the rooms are displayed artifacts dated back into the prehistoric period, in the Ban – Chiang Period. Red painted pottery, glass beads, bronze bracelets and clay design stamps are displayed. The discovery of these artifacts was quite unexpected. A student of archaeology, visiting the area tripped on the roots of a tree and fell face down on the ground and while on the ground he found small pieces of pottery chips that he suspected to be old. He referred this finding to the professor in-charge of archaeology in Chulalongkorn University and a team was assembled to excavate the area. That was where most of the exhibits of the Ban – Chiang Period were found.
In another building, sort of a boathouse, the Royal Barge used by the Prince was displayed. The barge did really look very old and had been properly preserved for display. Another building, the lacquer pavilion, dating back to the 17th–18th century AD stood in another part of the compound. The outer walls of wood are beautifully sculptured and the inner walls are painted in gold on black lacquer. The paintings depict various events from the Buddha period along with others from the Hindu epic, Ramayana and also the daily scenes of Thai life. It is the only painting of its kind in Thailand.
There is a music room in one of the other buildings where ancient drums, big and small, xylophones of various sizes, fiddles, gongs and other musical instruments are displayed. Also in this building are images of Buddha in various styles, Chinese porcelains of the Ming and Ching Dynasty period, and various royal decorations, weapons and shields, and other war paraphernalia.
The displays in this museum are varied and they tell a story allowing visitors a wide knowledge of the way of life, culture and olden day practices of the Thai Royalty and the people alike. It provides historical evolvement of lifestyles and living needs of the people.
That night we met up with an old friend who was working in Bangkok on a gas transmission project. Had dinner with him at Nana area where there were many restaurants serving food from various parts of the world. There is one street that resembles a street in Saudi Arabia!!
Day 4 – Wednesday 22nd December 2004
Today we decided to use the Tourist River Boat. Just like the sky-train, one can buy a day pass and travel on the river boat any number of times in the day. The boat makes many stops along the Chao Phraya river, most stops having their own attractions, shopping, temples, museums and palaces etc. We decided to visit the Grand Palace today.
We arrived at the palace at about 11.30am and was advised by an official that the place will close between noon and 2.30pm, today being an auspices day for Buddhists and the closure is to allow the Monks in the temples within the palace grounds to have their special prayers and also lunch. The official suggested we visit another site close by which we can reach by using a ‘tuk-tuk’, the motorized trishaw. We did so and the site is called Golden Mount, a 200 meter hill with a temple of Buddha on the peak. From the peak of Golden Mount one can view the city and the surroundings. It is worthwhile noting that most of the tourist sites around the city and the surroundings beyond will include one or several temples or “Wat” with either a standing Buddha, a sitting Buddha, or a reclining Buddha within each of them. There appear to be a Wat at every turn!! I also noticed that there are Government Officials available at major tourist spots, mingling with the crowd and approach tourists with advice and guidance. At the grand palace, we crossed the busy street using the zebra-crossing. The official approached us and advised us to be extra careful crossing busy streets in Bangkok even at the zebra-crossings. Drivers do not heed nor give way to pedestrians at zebra-crossings.
To while away the time the tuk-tuk driver took us to a few souvenir outlets including a tax-free shop to browse around. In one of them he requested that we stay browsing for at least 15 minutes. We found out later that the tuk-tuk driver is given free gasoline if the tourist he brings to the outlet stays longer than 15 minutes.
We returned to the Grand Palace Complex at about 2.30 pm and proceeded to purchase entry tickets. The number of visitors was overwhelming. It was as though there was a major football league, or a major concert going on within the compound. There were just people and more people everywhere we go. Within the compound are several Wats, the Royal residences (there are several of them) for the king and his princes and princesses, Throne Rooms, Official Halls and Administrative Buildings. The various Wats contained statues of Buddhas in stone, emerald, gold and others. The Royal Residence is ceremonially guarded and the guard on duty appears to be the most photographed person then. It took us more than two hours to walk around the complex and that too without looking at the exhibits in detail.
The Grand Palace Complex was established in 1782, built on the order of King Rama I. Prior to this the royal palace and centre of administration had been located in Thomburi across the river Chao Phraya. The various other palaces and Wats were subsequently built to accommodate the expanding royal family and the needs current. This includes the renowned Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
The Emerald Buddha, carved from a block of green jade and discovered in 1434 by an abbot who initially thought that the stone was emerald (thus the legend of the Emerald Buddha began), is enshrined on a golden traditional Thai-style throne made of gilded-carved wood placed in the ordination hall of the royal monastery within the temple. The statue is clad with one of the three seasonal costumes, summer, rainy season and winter and the costumes are changed three times a year in a ceremony presided over by the King. There is a colourful history behind the Emerald Buddha. It had been moved from the original place of discovery in Chiang Rai, to Chiang mai, then to Laos and later brought back to Thailand when the Thai army under the command of Officer Chao Phraya Chakri and who later became King Rama I invaded Vientiane, the Laotian capital. When this king built the current city of Bangkok, the Emerald Buddha was housed within the Royal Monastery with due pomp and ceremony. We noticed that this exhibit attracts the most number of visitors.
The walls of the buildings around the complex are painted with colourful murals depicting selected events in the life of Buddha and scenes of folklores and Thai stories, traditions or the Buddhist Cosmology. The buildings’ design is of the traditional high walled, sharp inclined roofs and mostly brightly painted in gold or gilded in a myriad of tiny reflective stones, glass and other shining materials giving them a very rich, shining appearance.
We returned to the hotel at about 5.30pm using the river boat and the Hotel’s shuttle boat. After resting our tired legs, with all the walking we did earlier in the day, we went out again for dinner at one of the restaurants in Nana area.
Day 5 – Thursday 23rd December 2004
Our last day in Bangkok. We had a leisurely breakfast, walked around the area near the hotel and packed our bags. Our flight back to KL was scheduled for 2020hrs. We checked out of the hotel at noon and left our bags with the concierge and took the sky-train to the city. We had lunch, walked around a little in the shopping area and returned to the hotel at about 4.30pm.
The journey to the airport took about an hour and a half using the toll highway, as traffic was rather heavy being after office peak period then. Checking-in for the flight at the airport, immigrations and customs checks went without a hitch. The flight was however delayed by about one hour. Finally arrived home at about 2.00 am Friday 24th.
NOTE: Ram had begun to complaint of uncomfortable feelings in her right eye today. At the airport she felt the uncomfort a lot more than earlier in the day and on landing in KLIA she said that there was some pain……… (I was determined to take her to the THONEH as soon as they open in the morning)
MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya
DAY 1 – Sunday, 19th December, 2004
Bangkok, City Of Angels they say. I imagine angels as those dressed in flowing dresses, with beautiful tresses and a lighted wand in one hand. Four days and nights in Bangkok, neither did I meet nor did I see any angel but I did see angels of a different kind. There were those elegantly dressed, for the office or some function or other, those dressed casually, many of them looking like foreigners in Bangkok like me, carrying tote-bags, cameras, various models mostly of the digital kind, a map and a bottle of mineral water in one hand. Another kind of angel is those young, and also those trying to look as young, girls, skimpily or is it scantily dressed, flaunting flesh and assets, obviously hoping for a foreign catch. Are they the reason why Bangkok is called "City of Angels"? Perhaps "City of Angels in the Night” is more appropriate…… I wonder.
Sometime in the month of November 2004, while surfing the net, I came across Air Asia's "Go Holiday" site, touting "free and easy" holiday packages. I picked the one for Bangkok simply because I have not been to Bangkok except in transit at the airport a couple of times previously. I thought this would be a good opportunity for Ram and I to explore the city, at leisure, and see the sites and heritage of the capital of Thailand. I obtained as much information of the hotels from the internet, read the reviews by recent visitors, saw the map on-line to get an idea of the location of hotels and simplicity to move around the city on my own, and also information on places to visit or tour at our leisure. A four night stay in a 3-star hotel “the Menam Riverside Hotel” by the Chao Phraya River (River of Kings) inclusive of breakfast for two and the Air Asia ticket to and from Kuala Lumpur cost only RM980.00, which I thought was a good deal indeed. I picked this hotel based on the reviews written by recent guests to the hotel.
We left KL on the evening of 19th. December 2004. Tessa sent us to the airport. The flight to Bangkok was delayed by about an hour. Arriving at Don Muang Airport, Bangkok, going through immigration, custom clearance, and currency exchange was a breeze. On exiting the arrival lounge of the airport, we came across a few taxi-touts soliciting our patronage of their services and I remember the advice given on the net by previous foreign visitors to Bangkok that we should avoid them. One said he could take us to the hotel at a special price of Baht 800.00 and we of course turn him down. We got into the taxi queue, got one ‘metered taxi’ through the taxi counter and got to the hotel in about 45 minutes by way of the toll expressway. The airport taxi surcharge was Baht 50, toll was Baht 70, and the taxi meter charge came to Baht 240, a total of Baht 360, less than half of what the ‘great’ guy’s special offer of Baht 800!!
Checking into the Menam Riverside Hotel was also without a hitch and the room allocated to us was reasonably comfortable. We went down to the coffee house to have dinner and we were pleasantly surprised that they have quite a wide selection on the menu, with many vegetarian and seafood dishes thus, at once removing our apprehension on obtaining suitable food. We were earlier told by friends and relatives that it would be quite difficult for us to get suitable food in Bangkok. On the contrary, we later found that there are many “halal” restaurants available in Bangkok. The hotel is situated on the south side of Bangkok by the Chao Phraya River. Services available are adequate and the staff are helpful and friendly although English conversation can be quite exasperating at times!! A complimentary boat shuttle service is provided hourly from the hotel’s jetty to the terminal of Bangkok Sky-Train. This service, we hope, would make our movement around Bangkok easier whilst we do not have to depend on the public road transport. The roads in Bangkok are almost always jammed with traffic.
Day 2 – Monday, 20th December 2004
Woke up early and had breakfast. The breakfast spread was very good with a wide variety and choice of food. As the different foods were clearly labeled and marked, we had no problem in selecting our choice. We took the boat shuttle to the terminal for the sky-train and took the train to an area called Salom. Our intention was to get used to the transport system while at the same time familiarize ourselves with the major tourist areas in Bangkok. However we found that we were too early for Salom as it was then 9.00am or so and things only begin to pick up at 10 or 11 am onwards. As we were browsing around the main street and side streets we met an elderly local who spoke very good English and advised us of what to do and see. He recommended and guided us to a factory outlet close by which was already open and offered sale discounts of up to 40% on their products for the festive and end of year holiday season. Later we continued to browse around Salom area and the various other outlets and complexes. They are a little up market but no different then those in KL or Singapore or for that matter any big city anywhere!! Although most offered discounts but the prices are not that much cheaper than those available at home.
We were back in the hotel by late afternoon. Ram was rather exhausted by the long walk around Salom. After a little rest, I went out alone and walked around the vicinity of the hotel within a one or two kilometer radius hoping to find some food outlet that I can buy take-away dinner. I found a mosque, within walking distance from the hotel, but it was closed then as it was already passed ‘Asar’ prayer time. There were many stalls and one or two little restaurants within the area selling halal stuff but I was not at all impressed by them. It appeared as though hygiene was not a priority, food left exposed in the open and the surroundings unkempt, quite pathetic really. Certainly not inviting at all and will not do justice to my palate. Dinner that night was taken in the hotel coffee house.
Day 3 – Tuesday, 21st December 2004
Jim Thomson House
After breakfast we took the shuttle boat and a day-ticket for the sky-train and headed for a visit to the legendary Jim Thomson House. Jim Thomson, an American architect turned Thai Silk King who disappeared in 1967 in the jungles of Cameron Highlands, Malaysia and whose body was never discovered, built this house in the traditional and ancient Thai architectural design using mostly local timber and other local materials, a rich artistic and cultural heritage.
The house, which combines six teak buildings, representing traditional Thai architecture stands on a piece of about one acre of land within the city. The houses, at least two centuries old, were dismantled and brought to the present site, some from as far away as the old capital of Ayudhya. In his quest for authenticity, Jim Thomson adhered to the customs of the early builders in most respects and personally supervised their reconstruction. The houses were elevated a full story above the ground, a practical Thai precaution to avoid flooding during the rainy season, and the roof tiles were fired in Ayudhya employing a design common centuries ago but rarely used today. The red paint on the outside walls is a preservative often found on many old Thai buildings. The chandeliers, modified and a concession to modern convenience, belong to a past era having come from 18th and 19th century period.
Jim Thomson had also a wide collection of traditional Thai arts, carvings, statues especially of Buddha, antique plates and vases, and paintings mostly on silk although there are others on various materials. These are on display in various parts of the six houses. Statues of Buddha, being the object of worship of the Thais are placed at strategic locations in the house based on the varied local beliefs in the protection of the house and households. Furniture displayed in the rooms depicts their functionality of purpose. As example, the bidets in the bedrooms are designed according to the sizes of the user of the rooms, girl’s room or boy’s room or adult’s room. The dining furniture is a combination of two mahjong tables placed together and the chairs appear to be of rosewood materials. There are carvings on these furniture mostly of local folklore motifs.
The main entrance to the house is off a canal and there is an imposing entrance archway by the side of the canal although this entrance is now no longer in use. In the olden days people commute by boat via the many canals within the city, but most canals apparently have now been covered over and redeveloped. However the canal in front of this house still exists and I hear motorized boats plying by several times while there. The main door to the house, which opens to a wide entertaining area is itself wide, windows many and the design of walls and roofing unique in that there is an easy funnel-type flow of air providing very good ventilation for the house. The walls are constructed slightly tilting inwards at the top and the roof and ceiling overlapped to allow for natural ventilation.
The Suan Pakkad Palace Museum
From the Jim Thomson House, we proceeded to visit the Suan Pakkad Palace Museum, four stations away by sky-train. This palace used to be the private residence of their Royal Highness Prince and Princess Chumbhot. They decided to convert the palace into a museum and added on more buildings and facilities to accommodate the various exhibits which has been passed down through successive generations. It is a fine combination of fine arts and ancient artifacts from the era of Prince Paribatra Sukhumbahandhu the son of King Rama V, King Chulalongkorn (Note: The present king is King Rama IX).
The museum consists of eight Thai houses connected by a raised walkway within a compound of about 6 acres. A new building stands at one side of the compound which houses the office of the Chumbhot – Pantip foundation and some permanent exhibit rooms. In one of the rooms are displayed artifacts dated back into the prehistoric period, in the Ban – Chiang Period. Red painted pottery, glass beads, bronze bracelets and clay design stamps are displayed. The discovery of these artifacts was quite unexpected. A student of archaeology, visiting the area tripped on the roots of a tree and fell face down on the ground and while on the ground he found small pieces of pottery chips that he suspected to be old. He referred this finding to the professor in-charge of archaeology in Chulalongkorn University and a team was assembled to excavate the area. That was where most of the exhibits of the Ban – Chiang Period were found.
In another building, sort of a boathouse, the Royal Barge used by the Prince was displayed. The barge did really look very old and had been properly preserved for display. Another building, the lacquer pavilion, dating back to the 17th–18th century AD stood in another part of the compound. The outer walls of wood are beautifully sculptured and the inner walls are painted in gold on black lacquer. The paintings depict various events from the Buddha period along with others from the Hindu epic, Ramayana and also the daily scenes of Thai life. It is the only painting of its kind in Thailand.
There is a music room in one of the other buildings where ancient drums, big and small, xylophones of various sizes, fiddles, gongs and other musical instruments are displayed. Also in this building are images of Buddha in various styles, Chinese porcelains of the Ming and Ching Dynasty period, and various royal decorations, weapons and shields, and other war paraphernalia.
The displays in this museum are varied and they tell a story allowing visitors a wide knowledge of the way of life, culture and olden day practices of the Thai Royalty and the people alike. It provides historical evolvement of lifestyles and living needs of the people.
That night we met up with an old friend who was working in Bangkok on a gas transmission project. Had dinner with him at Nana area where there were many restaurants serving food from various parts of the world. There is one street that resembles a street in Saudi Arabia!!
Day 4 – Wednesday 22nd December 2004
Today we decided to use the Tourist River Boat. Just like the sky-train, one can buy a day pass and travel on the river boat any number of times in the day. The boat makes many stops along the Chao Phraya river, most stops having their own attractions, shopping, temples, museums and palaces etc. We decided to visit the Grand Palace today.
We arrived at the palace at about 11.30am and was advised by an official that the place will close between noon and 2.30pm, today being an auspices day for Buddhists and the closure is to allow the Monks in the temples within the palace grounds to have their special prayers and also lunch. The official suggested we visit another site close by which we can reach by using a ‘tuk-tuk’, the motorized trishaw. We did so and the site is called Golden Mount, a 200 meter hill with a temple of Buddha on the peak. From the peak of Golden Mount one can view the city and the surroundings. It is worthwhile noting that most of the tourist sites around the city and the surroundings beyond will include one or several temples or “Wat” with either a standing Buddha, a sitting Buddha, or a reclining Buddha within each of them. There appear to be a Wat at every turn!! I also noticed that there are Government Officials available at major tourist spots, mingling with the crowd and approach tourists with advice and guidance. At the grand palace, we crossed the busy street using the zebra-crossing. The official approached us and advised us to be extra careful crossing busy streets in Bangkok even at the zebra-crossings. Drivers do not heed nor give way to pedestrians at zebra-crossings.
To while away the time the tuk-tuk driver took us to a few souvenir outlets including a tax-free shop to browse around. In one of them he requested that we stay browsing for at least 15 minutes. We found out later that the tuk-tuk driver is given free gasoline if the tourist he brings to the outlet stays longer than 15 minutes.
We returned to the Grand Palace Complex at about 2.30 pm and proceeded to purchase entry tickets. The number of visitors was overwhelming. It was as though there was a major football league, or a major concert going on within the compound. There were just people and more people everywhere we go. Within the compound are several Wats, the Royal residences (there are several of them) for the king and his princes and princesses, Throne Rooms, Official Halls and Administrative Buildings. The various Wats contained statues of Buddhas in stone, emerald, gold and others. The Royal Residence is ceremonially guarded and the guard on duty appears to be the most photographed person then. It took us more than two hours to walk around the complex and that too without looking at the exhibits in detail.
The Grand Palace Complex was established in 1782, built on the order of King Rama I. Prior to this the royal palace and centre of administration had been located in Thomburi across the river Chao Phraya. The various other palaces and Wats were subsequently built to accommodate the expanding royal family and the needs current. This includes the renowned Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
The Emerald Buddha, carved from a block of green jade and discovered in 1434 by an abbot who initially thought that the stone was emerald (thus the legend of the Emerald Buddha began), is enshrined on a golden traditional Thai-style throne made of gilded-carved wood placed in the ordination hall of the royal monastery within the temple. The statue is clad with one of the three seasonal costumes, summer, rainy season and winter and the costumes are changed three times a year in a ceremony presided over by the King. There is a colourful history behind the Emerald Buddha. It had been moved from the original place of discovery in Chiang Rai, to Chiang mai, then to Laos and later brought back to Thailand when the Thai army under the command of Officer Chao Phraya Chakri and who later became King Rama I invaded Vientiane, the Laotian capital. When this king built the current city of Bangkok, the Emerald Buddha was housed within the Royal Monastery with due pomp and ceremony. We noticed that this exhibit attracts the most number of visitors.
The walls of the buildings around the complex are painted with colourful murals depicting selected events in the life of Buddha and scenes of folklores and Thai stories, traditions or the Buddhist Cosmology. The buildings’ design is of the traditional high walled, sharp inclined roofs and mostly brightly painted in gold or gilded in a myriad of tiny reflective stones, glass and other shining materials giving them a very rich, shining appearance.
We returned to the hotel at about 5.30pm using the river boat and the Hotel’s shuttle boat. After resting our tired legs, with all the walking we did earlier in the day, we went out again for dinner at one of the restaurants in Nana area.
Day 5 – Thursday 23rd December 2004
Our last day in Bangkok. We had a leisurely breakfast, walked around the area near the hotel and packed our bags. Our flight back to KL was scheduled for 2020hrs. We checked out of the hotel at noon and left our bags with the concierge and took the sky-train to the city. We had lunch, walked around a little in the shopping area and returned to the hotel at about 4.30pm.
The journey to the airport took about an hour and a half using the toll highway, as traffic was rather heavy being after office peak period then. Checking-in for the flight at the airport, immigrations and customs checks went without a hitch. The flight was however delayed by about one hour. Finally arrived home at about 2.00 am Friday 24th.
NOTE: Ram had begun to complaint of uncomfortable feelings in her right eye today. At the airport she felt the uncomfort a lot more than earlier in the day and on landing in KLIA she said that there was some pain……… (I was determined to take her to the THONEH as soon as they open in the morning)
MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya
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