did somebody say elephants!?!

my second tour day with my sweet N was with his relatives, including his little perv of a nephew (but more on him on the next post). destination was Ayutthaya, the Thai capital for 417 years (1350-1767), a 1 1/2-hour drive from Bangkok.

after a quick tour at Bang Pa-In Summer Palace and a huge lunch at Chatnam restaurant where N did not let any of those yummy jumbo river prawns go to waste (uhm, how many did you eat again, babe?), we proceeded to the Grand Elephant Palace to meet and greet the elephants. yippee!!!

boy, was i a bundle of squeals, grins, waves, claps and yes, joy - all 5 feet and 4.5 inches (okay, maybe just 5'4"). this was one of my longtime wishes! a personal encounter with these amazing animals!

from the scenic 20 minute-ride (ha! ours was taller than the others!), to watching the free show up close from the front row, to having my picture taken with the young frisky star, to passing through a standing elephant 3x times for good luck, i was a kid all over again! i was soooo giddy, i think i may have cried a little. and those times that i was hugging N, i may have been dabbing my eyes on his shirt. (hehe, kidding babe!)


i had such a great time, baby!!!
thank you, thank you, thank you! *chang kisses*

posted by vina @ 11:31 AM            |


the jatujak experience-bangkok 2007

jatujak (or chatuchak) weekend outdoor market boasts to be the world's largest.

now, whether this is true or not is immaterial. man, i just know it's huuuuuuge! and i'm just talking about the fashion/clothing and crafts sections!

walk, walk. stop. walk. stop. ask. bargain. will think about it. walk, walk, walk. stop. ask. bargain. will think about it. walk. stop. stop. (okay, lots of picture-taking in between) now, where was that shop where i saw those bling-bling rings? and that bag i saw? could it beeeee this row? no, this isn't it. maybeeee this row...

yeah, yeah. i sucked. big time. i ended up buying just a few tank tops - and they're not even for me!

i shoulda and i coulda, since i got (enough) moolah, but heck, i didn't go to bangkok with shopping in mind! *cough cough*

i went to bangkok to see my N, and to spend quality time with him!

N, who patiently held my hand and never complained as i led the way across the sea of clothes and accessories...

N, who snapped pictures of me here and there while i only took, like, two of his...and one is a back shot.

N, who was just forced to go to jatujak in the first place. like he had a choice, actually.



thank you baby.
can we do it again?
please? :P

posted by vina @ 3:49 PM            |


almost-bangkok post

i arrived in bangkok with everything light - and left with all things heavy. heavy luggage, heavy heart, and well, just plain heavy.

then again, i was there for 9 days. 9 full days of amazing food, beer, sights, food, great company, getting lost in conversations, and food. 9 full days of fun and laughter (and some tears towards the end - but that's just me). 9 wonderful, beautiful, unforgettable days and nights - of holding hands, taco hugs and kisseeeees, southpark episodes, tv shows in thai that i try to interpret on my own, silly talks and antics, hairpins, and roll-around-cuddle time...

what i enjoyed most in bangkok in those 9 whole days? well, i guess it's pretty clear.

food.

hehe. of course not, coconut!

YOU, babe.
bangkok was simply about you, and being with you.

and i miss you, my N...


and the food.

posted by vina @ 11:18 AM            |


pssst...

is the coast clear?

no more fever and frenzy from that commercialized and over-abused day known as valentine's day? or, is the hullaballoo dying down at least?

because now, i would like to reclaim what's rightfully mine...

a definitely happy, hearty V day! anytime. everyday.

Vina day. get it? got it?
good.

posted by vina @ 2:57 PM            |


goodbye...hello.

just a few days ago, i made one of the most important decisions in my life. it was something that will change the rest of my future - a future i have thought i believed in for years.

some things just aren't meant to be, no matter how long you've invested your heart and soul into it. life is full of gambles, and it is a journey. there are rewards, but only if you make choices...only if you make decisions on how you want to live your life. should i stay even if there have been too many signs i have willfully ignored? should i hold on even if i have doubts?

and so, i chose to let go. i chose, and i choose to gamble. because this is how i want to live my life. this is how i can live my life. i may have caused pain and hurt, but whichever way i look at it, i will still cause pain and hurt, because i can never be happy.

i can say sorry...say it is my fault, because i have been weak. and i mean it, because it is my fault. in moments of solitude, i might wonder about what could have been and shed some tears. yet i do not have regrets.

i have loved and been loved unconditionally. i have been happy.

some things just could never be.

posted by vina @ 6:29 PM           


sooo...

yes, i just came back last week from a 9-day vacation in bangkok. and as it usually is when vacation-hungry people come back from, ehem, vacations, i'm still in a bit of a lazy mood. and definitely, my mind is somewhere else (farther than bangkok, thousands of miles away from here, across mountains and oceans).

and soooo....i thought...how about i'll whet your appetites first, ladies and gentlemen?

with this,

up close and personal with a frisky elephant

and this,

tripping down the steps of a temple ruin in Ayutthaya

and okay, this one, too.

want my (floating market) coconut?


the photographer was reeeeeally good, i tell you. he's not for hire, though.

he's my photographer, if you catch my thai drift. :P

posted by vina @ 8:11 PM            |


i'm back! kinda...


sawatdee kaa,

my sweet, sweet taco.

i'll miss you a lot.

posted by vina @ 6:55 PM            |