Black Canyon Coffee

Black Canyon shops are everywhere in the city; they are as popular as Starbucks. Before catching a movie, my friend and I decided to warm ourselves up by enjoying a hot drink here. This Black Canyon cafe was located in MBK, 6F, across from the cinema ticket booth.

I ordered a favorite -- Vienna coffee. When it came, I was really excited about the huge mountain of cream and cinnamon stick:

Excitement building.....

After drinking though, complete disappointment. It was so bitter. My friend laughed and said: "Good to know I shouldn't order that next time then." We did both enjoy that cream though. Hm. Next time, I should just order a "Vienna, no coffee". (laugh)

Black Canyon Coffee was discussed in an earlier post. Click HERE and HERE to read and see more photos.

Siam Square | Baan Khun Mae

A friend and I had made plans to go and see Harry Potter Part 2 on a Friday night. We decided to catch the movie first, then eat after. For some reason, it was really difficult to find a place that was open at 22.00. Strange.

We eventually wandered around the Siam Square area, and my friend spotted this little Thai place, opposite the Novotel.

The inside:

It was very crowded, but we waited for a table for only 5 minutes. My friend ordered Tom Yang Goon (Spicy and Sour soup) and I asked for Chicken Satay. The food came quickly and the wait staff were very friendly and kind.

Friend's order:

Mine:

The total cost was 300 baht or so, with water.

Baan Khun Mae is located in Siam Square, BTS Siam. Shop website is HERE. Prices from 80 Baht. Service and food are both very good. I think the name in English can be translated as: "Your Mother's House".

Ootoya | 大戸屋

Ootoya is a Japanese restaurant chain, which is quite popular among Thais. We ate at this one, in Siam Paragon department store, for lunch. My friend said: "It's often so busy here at night...there is a huge line of people waiting!" I always eat lunch quite early, so we could enter without waiting. ^_^

We started with Japanese tea and water... (the tea was free!)


My friend ordered eggplant with chicken. This set included miso soup, rice and a side dish....(Sorry, I forgot the name of this dish in Japanese (black things). Can my Japanese readers help? My friend wanted to know what she was eating...)


I decided to order something that most Japanese enjoy in the summer -- cold soba! My set came with a マグロ丼 (Tuna rice bowl). Yum!


Both sets, with water, came to about 300 baht (=¥900 / $9 per set). It's a little pricey, but the taste was pretty good. My friend really enjoyed the service here, as the waitress was very polite and spoke only in Thai to us. ^_^ Hurray!

There are many Ootoya restaurants around Bangkok. 日本人の方：大戸屋バンコク Prices range from 100 Baht +.

EU Film Festival

I subscribe to several meetup groups in Bangkok and one caught my eye. The BACC (Bangkok Art & Cultural Center) was hosting a festival featuring films from countries in the European Union. The best part? This event was FREE! ^_^

Over 3 days, I viewed movies from Spain, Luxembourg and Sweden. The films were:

1) Cell 211 (Spain, 2009, director: Daniel Monzn) -- Excellent thriller set during a prison riot. Unexpected ending. What I learned while watching: "Kiwi" in Spanish is....."Kiwi". (laugh) Highly recommended! Trailer HERE.

2) Dust (Luxembourg, 2009, director: Max Jacoby) -- Disturbing theme of incest. Some audience members walked out. o_O I personally loved the music from this film...very minimalist a la John Cage. Trailer HERE.

3) The Wedding Photographer (Sweden, 2009, director: Ulf Malmros) -- Started off quite comical and dove into a silly love story. Not my favorite, sorry. Trailer HERE.

The EU Film Festival was held from 7 ~ 17 July at the Bangkok Art & Culture Center (BTS - National Stadium). It is now in Chiang Mai from July 22 ~ 31, at Vista Kadsuankaew.

Manga in Thai

I stopped by a cafe to get some lunch, but my real reason for visiting was to check out the selection of Japanese manga inside.

I've often seen Thais reading Japanese manga on the trains here. Since I've been learning how to read Thai and can read quite a bit now, I thought: "Why not try to read a manga myself?"

I enjoyed curry and rice with a coffee...


....and picked out two books:


I can't read the stylized Thai writing yet, so the titles of these books are mystery. But the black cover caught my eye and I started reading.
The inside art was such:


A week after this cafe visit, I dropped by a manga store in the mall. I was the *only* foreigner (and girl!) in the shop. Many Thai guys stared at me; they probably thought I was lost. (laugh)
I snapped several photos of manga which are/were popular in Japan.
Detective Conan:


Death Note:


I picked up this one:

This manga cost: 45 baht = ¥135 / $1.35

I think this will be a more enjoyable way to read and learn Thai writing & vocabulary.
I'll keep you posted on my progress. ^_^

Curry lunch at "Something Sweet". UL floor. Interchange 21 building. BTS Asoke.
Mangas at OhAnime! 6F Central World. BTS Chitlom or Siam.

Train Man | 電車男

This is one of my favorite books, which I would like to introduce to those outside of Asia. It's from Japan, and was such a smash hit, it was made into a movie. The story itself is supposed to be true, taking place in the internet world of message boards.

The cover:


It's not written as a typical novel; instead, the messages have been merely copied and pasted, to create a book.

Inside:


What is the story?
-- It's quite simple and pure: a young guy helps a lady while riding home on the train. She thanks him. They form a friendship and later, begin dating.

What makes this story so special?
-- Several things:
1. The message board format, which reflects how shy, young people in our society are communicating with one another in a unique way.

2. The main character's pure heart. He's never had a girlfriend before, and thus, counts on his friends for advice from what clothes to wear, his hairstyle, how to communicate with the girl, to what to do on a date, etc. He puts so much effort into the relationship, as a girl, how can you not be impressed???

3. Everyone can relate to being shy or feeling awkward. This book shows how we can, with research and resilience from friends, overcome our shyness.

4. It's completely anonymous. If the story IS true, the reader is left wondering, who is Train Man? Who is Lady Hermes? Are they still together? I like the feeling that I might have met these characters IRL (in real life), be it at the bus stop, in the 7-11, etc.

I hope you can find a copy at the bookstore and give it a try. I think you will enjoy it. ^_^

Train Man, by Hitori Nakano, is available through Amazon. Click HERE if you'd like to order it.

**Bonus**
Some readers might be wondering, "What other books do you like?" One is a huge secret, I can't tell you. It's very embarrassing. But I've read that book 7 times already. *sigh*

One I can share with you is: The Neverending Story by Michael Ende. It's from Germany. ^_^ I love this book (and the movie too!) because I've always wanted to be sucked into a story and meet the characters. Wouldn't you? When I was 8 years old, I had a big crush on "Atrayu" from the movie. (laugh) I have read this book both in English and the original German.

Another I like is: Anne of Green Gables. It's from Canada, and was given to me by my 4th grade teacher, Ms. Dosaji. She is the reason I became a teacher today. The red-haired main character, Anne, grows up to become a teacher herself. It's known as 赤毛のアン in Japan. Green Gables is real, and I've visited there several times. It's only 1 hour by car from my parent's home. I hope you will try to visit the setting of the book, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Beirut Cafe

Above the Beirut restaurant in the Ploen Chit Center, there is a cafe, run by the same owners as the eatery below. After enjoying the meal, we headed upstairs for a coffee and some sweets.

The inside is quite nice with a great patio:


My friend ordered a coffee latte:


I choose a Vienna coffee (my favorite! Yum! ^_^):


Beirut Cafe is located on the first floor of Ploen Chit Center. BTS Stations Nana or Ploen Chit. Prices from 80 baht + (=¥240 / $2.40). If you don't mind the heat, the outside patio tables look really great. ^_^

Beirut Restaurant

Beirut is a famous restaurant (branches in Sala Daeng & Ploen Chit) which serves Lebanese food. What is Lebanese food? Well, I think it's the perfect blend between Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food. I really ♡ it. ^_^

The shop:

Two friends and I decided to order many dishes and try as much as possible. We ordered...

Some kind of sesame, deep-fried dish which had green peas inside:


Kartoffel!! (potatoes for you non-Germans..^_^):


Garlic Naan:


Greek Salad (and yes, I did eat one tomato...@_@):


Hummus...Spinach and Garlic:


We also ate spring rolls, spicy pickles, pita bread, mint-mango drinks and water. Whew! I was so full, I didn't bother eating any dinner that night.

This Beirut Restaurant is located inside Ploenchit Center, B1. Between BTS Nana and Ploen Chit stations. See map HERE. Prices per dish average 100 baht. The Lebanese staff are very nice, but the Thai staff are not. You have been warned.

Penis Shrine

In Asia, when women are eager to have children or become pregnant, they will often visit a "penis shrine". At least, this is what we foreigners call these places. The name comes from the large, wooden phallic symbols which are worshipped and placed here.

This penis shrine was located on the grounds of the Swisshotel on Wireless Road.

I snapped this picture, which explains the shrine (click the photo for details):


To the right, a small shrine:


Next to that small shrine, three large phallic symbols:


Further down, a large tree with numerous penises propped next to it.


So, does it really work? Well, my friend, Ms. V, laid an offering of flowers here and within 2 days, she became pregnant! I am not interested in having children at all, so I made sure to not touch ANYTHING while visiting. (laugh)

This shrine made me wonder though...what do Canadian women do when they wish to become pregnant? Do they pray at church? I have been away from my home country for so long, I have no idea. Perhaps my readers can enlighten me... ^_^

Greyhound Cafe @ Central Chitlom 2

I know, I know. Readers are thinking:

"You always go out for lunch! And always to the same places! How boring!"

Yes, yes, but let me explain. We went back to Greyhound Cafe inside the Central Chitlom department store for one reason: we only had an hour before Thai class would begin. This shop is located right next door to our school.

Enough of that...onto the food you say? Well, alright then!

My friend ordered her favorite, Phad Thai:

THAT tasted just as good as it looked, by the way.

As for me? I love sandwiches, so I ordered tuna with egg....
but, it was inside PITA BREAD!!! Yum!


I didn't let the 33 C degree temperature outside, stop me from ordering this hot cocoa:


I ♡ hot chocolate. Interesting story: When I was a university student, there was a hot chocolate machine in the cafeteria, which I used daily. I think at that time, I drank about 5 - 7 cups of hot cocoa per day! A friend and I (Ms.Anna-Lise) gave serious thought to stealing the hot chocolate machine from the cafeteria and taking it back to our dorm room. (laugh) Why didn't we do that??!?! Would have been fun... ^_^

Bar Italia @ Gaysorn

A friend and I met up for some lunch together. She really wanted to go back to this small restaurant, located on the 4th Floor of Gaysorn Plaza.

The waiter actually remembered us and gave us the same table as our last visit! (laugh)


This time, our appetizer included a mushroom cream sause. It was so unusual; my friend really liked it, and I watched the sauce disappear quickly. ^_^


I ordered pork in a tomato/cheese sause. It was good, but there was too much food! I had to ask the waiter to pack up some and I took the remainder home. Waste not, ne?


Bar Italia is located inside Gaysorn Plaza. 4th Floor, near Mont Blanc. Average price for lunch: 250 ~ 350 baht. (=¥600 ~ 1,000/ $6 ~ 10) BTS Chitlom and walk to Gaysorn via the Skywalk.

Cinnabon!

My dad loved this shop in Canada, but it's become harder and harder to find. My friend, Ms. D mentioned that there was one in the Emporium department store. We headed over to try.

Looking through the glass display....


The smell was amazing. You know, I read in a Psychology magazine that men LOVE the smell of cinnamon. It's supposed to be a big turn on for them. Is this really true? Hm. If so, I should buy more cinnamon buns then. (laughing)

The taste was very sweet and be warned: it's impossible to finish one on your own. We would recommend buying one and share with your (hopefully) guy friend. ^_^

Cinnabon is located inside the Emporium Department Store, 5th floor. A classic bun is 65 baht. (=¥170 / $1.70)

*** Bonus! ***
After studying dance here in Thailand for over a month, I received my membership card! And it's a sparkling GOLD CARD. Nice! ^_^

Cafe lunch @ Emporium

My friend, Ms. D and I headed over to a cafe we've been dying to try in the Emporium department store. It's located on the top floor, across from the Thailand Creative & Design Center. We have often seen this shop filled with Hi-So (=high society) Thais, likely due to the location and decor.

The inside is very lovely....


My sofa seat with super comfy pillows!



My friend ordered her favorites--spring rolls...


...and Phad Thai:


I tried to order "Paella", which is a Spanish rice dish, filled with seafood. For some reason, the waiter just could not understand me. After a few minutes of frustration, my friend said: "Spanish Rice?" and the waiter beamed and rushed off. (laugh) If you want to order "Paella" in Thailand, please say "Spanish Rice" instead. You'll be understood. ^_^

This cafe (sorry, I forgot the name), is located on the top floor of the Emporium Department store. Take the escalators to the cinemas, turn right. The cafe is on your right, in front of the library. Prices from 100 baht. Our lunch, with coffee, water, and 3 dishes cost 600 baht for two (=¥1,800/$18). Warning: the atmosphere is very nice, but the food is not. .>_< Sorry.

Asia Herb Association

A friend requested to visit this spa located in the Phrom Phong area. I had been several times before, with Japanese friends, as it's quite famous among tourists from Japan.

The spa is famous for its "Thai herbal ball", a cloth wrapped ball filled with scented herbs. It looks like this.

The shop at Soi 24:


I booked an 80-minute facial for us, which included a mini herbal ball treatment. The cost was 1,000 baht (¥3,000/$30).

This facial was quite reasonable. Other spas usually charge over 2,000 baht for a facial treatment, using Japanese cosmetics (which Thai women love!).

Asia Herb Association has a number of shops in Bangkok. We visited their 2nd shop, on Sukhumvit Soi 24. View their website HERE. 日本語のサイトはここです！
Treatments start at 350 baht +. Open 9.00 ~ 2.00am.

Cooking Japanese

I've been trying to cook some of my favorite dishes from my time in Japan...I guess I miss the taste of my second home.^_^

A friend recommended I try "Omurice" which means: omelet/rice. It's very easy...

1. Make rice. ^_^ // Fry up chicken (in my case, I used sausages), green pepper, onion and whatever else you like to put in an omelet.



2. After the rice is cooked, add ketchup and mix. Add the ketchup/rice to the chicken/veggie mix and stir-fry. [My German friend was really funny when I told her this recipe: "Ketchup?? With rice?!?! Ew!"] (laugh)

3. Make an omelet. Add the rice/stir-fry mix to the middle. Fold around the edges.



**Hard part!**

4. Flip the entire thing over onto a plate.

It took all my concentration, and I gave myself a little pep talk before the actual "flip". But, success! I did it! Yay! ^_^/



**Bonus**

Today is Tanabata in Japan. This translates to "Star Festival". You can read/ see pictures about this special day HERE. In Japan, children usually write their wish on a piece of paper, and tie it to a bamboo tree. Trees filled with these paper wishes blowing in the summer air are quite beautiful. My wish? Hm...I'll write one in Japanese:
私の友達と、毎日に、幸せになりますように。
(For my friends and I, to experience(?) happiness every day.)

and another in English:
To make laughter, my favorite music.

Icedea

This is the name of an ice cream shop inside the BACC building. After viewing the art exhibits, I dropped by to cool down.

The flavors here are very unusual....


So... I chose something unusual too - Global Warming. (laugh):


My single scoop:



Being located inside an art museum, the shop itself is quite artistic. The back wall....


While munching, I noticed something on display in a glass case, near the counter. I took a picture...

Grass Brownies??? Hm. Are they imported from Amsterdam?? (laughing)

This shop also sold "Tonkatsu Ice Cream". Tonkatsu is a deep fried pork cutlet in Japan. At this shop, it's deep fried ice cream, covered with chocolate sauce. I must go and try that next time. ^_^

Icedea is located inside the BACC building, 3F. BTS National Stadium. One scoop: 65 Baht. Weird flavors! Website HERE.