Bangkok, November 2006
Part III
After Part II
November 15-22, 2006
THOCBDC is looking at one of the upper floors here at River Garden, but the effort of moving might not be worth it seeing that the Athenee Residence will be ready in about a year. However, the view is nicer from higher up.
More duck? You got it! (*)
(*) This time the cooked meat is sauteed and served with iceberg lettuce.
Another buffet at the Royal Orchid Sheraton...this time with our friend Oh, her son Chopper and her husband Jom.
I can see our place from the lobby of the Shangri-La hotel. The lobby also has a nice view of the river.
No fancy food tonight (*) as I had to buy and install a new printer. My old one died. It is amazing; the new one is smaller but does even more than the old big one. Actually, that is not amazing at all; everything seems to be getting smaller and smarter.
(*) Take-out from the Galleria ... the Thai restaurant near the Portuguese Embassy.
I took a side trip through Bangkok's Chinatown on the way to see the 'topping' (*) of the Athenee Residence. The builders have already started the window work on the lower floors. And it appears that the attached garage/swimming pool complex is reaching its height.
(*) The 40th floor.
The rainy season was supposed to be over three weeks ago. This late November rain is almost as unusual as sighting an iceberg off the coast of New Zealand.
Though we live right across the river from The Peninsula we have not dined there in almost a year. We used to go there quite often and last night I asked Watcharee: "Hey, why have we stopped going to The Pen?" She said: "Let's go now". And, we did.
The buffet, compared with that at the Shangri-La or the Oriental, is not as deep. But, the dessert display is a remarkable sight (not having a sweet tooth I didn't taste any of them). The starters are better than those at the Hyatt Erawan but not on a par with the other river hotels. The main courses: just OK.
Now I know why we haven't eaten there in almost a year.
PS: Bush's 'base' in Indonesia turned out for a big 'welcome'.
PPS: A friend who lives in Jakarta writes:
"ALL but about 5 to 10% of the demonstrators are bought and paid for. In Indonesia we have appx. 40 million unemployed out of a total population of 240 million. As well we have organizers here that can round up the unemployed, transport them and pay them for the day about 30,000 IDR (about 3 USD) (for the small ones up front in the pic) to their parents who get between 50,000 to 100,000 IDR (about 5 to 10 USD). So when someone like Bush, Rumsfeld, Rice or some other foreign dignitary comes to town and someone with enough money want to make appoint or put some pressure then out come the organizers to arrange a demonstration."
Last night we went to Prime at the Hilton Millennium with Tang-Ta and her Norwegian husband, Gel.
PS: What is this?
You don't care! OK, how about this?
Next: Part IV
