Bangkok UniQlo | バンコクのユニクロ

I love UniQlo. It's a famous clothing shop from Japan. Last year, in Thai class, a Korean guy and I were whining about the lack of UniQlo in Bangkok. A year later, we have one! Yay!! ^_^ I finally visited the shop with a friend.

UniQlo entrance:

This shop is HUGE! We spent about 40 minutes walking through it. I found something unusual on the rack -- a sheep!

^_^

I was surprised to see a lot of winter clothes. (whispers) We don't have cold weather in Bangkokだよ！ I think UniQlo was trying to attract the many tourists who visit Bangkok; they might want to buy winter clothes to take back to their home countries...I guess?

My friend bought something and I went to the cashier with her. Check out the line of cash registers!

Endless..../エンドレース...(laugh)

One interesting point: whoever trained the staff here did an excellent job. The Japanese cry of いらしゃいませ！(Welcome!) could be heard every minute or so but, in Thai. Thais say:

sawadii uniqlo ka!

^_^

After my friend's purchase, the staff said "thank you" to us numerous times. This is common customer service in Japan, which I love very much. I feel happy giving my money to such friendly staff... (laugh)

UniQlo is the best. Go now. Central World, 3F Central Atrium area. Prices from 300 baht ($9/ ¥900).

Tonson Market

Recently, I like eating more cheaply, so I asked my friend if we could go to the outdoor food market on Soi Tonson.

Here, we ate some yummy pork in sauce, with rice, egg and vegetable. With the Coke, the whole thing was only 55 baht! (¥160/ $1.60).

Before....

After!

After finishing up, I wanted to get some tea. I dragged my friend out to the street, to visit a coffee vendor.

Coffee stand:

After scanning the menu, my friend chose green tea and I selected lemon tea. Both were excellent! Cost? 20 baht each. (¥60/ 60 cents)

Tonson Market is located on Soi Tonson, at the very end of the road. Access: BTS Chitlom or Ploen Chit. Food & drink from 40 baht (¥120/ $1.20).

Tummy Yummy

When I returned from Tokyo, my cute Japanese friend, M, really wanted to talk with me. I asked her to take me to her recommended shop. This restaurant, built inside a house, is called "Tummy Yummy". Cute!

The inside has a very 1920's feel to it...

Windows:

Interior:

A classic phone on the bar:

We both ordered the same thing-- Massaman Curry:

And a watermelon shake:

We also ordered Thai coffee, and tea. The tea selection was so amazing, I took a photo:

Tea chest:

I took a sneaky photo of my friend while we took a break from chatting...

Mさん：

Tummy Yummy is located on 41/1 Soi Tonson. Access: BTS Chitlom or Ploen Chit. Our lunch was about 300 Baht (¥900/$9). Atmosphere & staff are excellent. Website HERE.

Interior Design

Before I left for Tokyo, I had a nice tea & chat with a friend, Tat, who as a hobby, enjoys interior design. I casually mentioned that I would be moving into a new place at the end of the month and to my surprise, she said: "If you'd like, I could decorate it for you." o_O That one little comment made me think....

....and just like that, after gaving her my budget & themes, she quizzed with me tons of "Do you like this or this?" and the project started. ^_^ I wanted to be surprised and so, gave her creative freedom. The results were better than I had imagined. I feel like my little apartment has become a comfortable place which reflects my life & travels. I hope you will enjoy the before and after photos....

Bedroom, before:

Bedroom, after:

(Theme) Canadian colors, red & white. Lots of texture, as I love textures.

Kitchen, before:

Kitchen, after:

(Theme) Ocean. I grew up near the Atlantic Ocean in Canada and going to the beach was where I spent the majority of childhood in summer. I love the smell of the ocean...^_^

Bath, before:

Bath, after:

(Theme) Spa. When I travel, I love to stay in nice hotels. The baths are usually big, warm and inviting, with a beautiful aroma. I wanted my bath space to remind me of these points.

Living room, before:

Living room, after:

(Theme) Asian/Klimt. Simplicity is key in Asian homes, and I like that. But why Klimt? His art reflects love & relationships; both are important to me as a person. I love pink, but requested more warm colors here. I think the balance is perfect.

I am essentially a very simple person, just saving money; I don't keep many things. So, I am surprised at myself for spending money on decorations. But the result is a place I can easily call "home". I am very happy -- my money was well invested.

For those interested, my friend, Tat, would LOVE to design your home, apartment or office. She's currently renovating a 180 year old farmhouse in Austria. ^_^ My apartment was completed in only 2 weeks! If you are interested in talking with her, just leave a comment. I can pass on her email address.

I'm still waiting for several order made lampshades and one floor lamp. When these arrive, I will update this post. ^_^

Tokyo! | 東京 Day 9 (Part 2)

Tokyo travels conclude on this day....

I did some more last minute shopping for myself at Tokyo station. After that, it was time to head out to the airport. I had taken the subway in, but going back, my suitcase was a lot heavier. (laugh) I asked for a taxi to the TCAT center, where I would catch a bus.

When my mom visited me in Japan many years ago, her favorite memory was the taxi drivers. She loved their professionalism and how clean they kept their cabs. While riding, I took a photo, just for her. ^_^

Arriving at the TCAT center, it was easy to buy a ticket using a vending machine.

The machine:

My ticket:

The bus:

Before boarding the bus, the staff will ask you which terminal and wing (South or North). If you aren't sure, just tell the staff which airline you will fly on. They will mark and tag your bag with the appropriate information. ^_^ Very easy.

At the airport, I walked a lot to kill time. I found two things that my friends might enjoy...

Hello Kitty!

...and Gundam!

This Gundam was quite big, about 160~165cm. I learned a good rule when in Japan: if you want to make friends, watch Gundam. Every Japanese person I have met loves Gundam, so it's easy to make conversation. Just ask: "Do you like Gundam?" and voila! Instant friends. ^_^ (laugh)

It was finally time to board my flight. We actually left early! o_O United Airlines = highly organized? The sun was slowing going down...

I had to take a photo of my meal, because it was really yummy for an economy seat: pasta with broccoli.

I told the flight attendent this meal was so good, she replied: "Well, I'll get you another one if you want." ^_^ Nice!

The funniest thing was: upon returning to Bangkok, the weather was .... much cooler! The temperature was lower than in Tokyo and raining. o_O Oh well. This trip was so much fun. I really enjoyed myself. Thanks to all my friends and blog readers for great suggestions on where to go and what to see.

TCAT (Tokyo City Air Terminal) offers buses to Haneda and Narita airports. On the Honzomon line (Tokyo Metro); pick up also available from some hotels. Cost to Narita: ¥2,900, one way (960 baht/ $29). Gundam & Hello Kitty goods at the Toy Box toy shop in Narita airport, South Wing, Terminal 2.

Tokyo! | 東京 Day 9 (Part 1)

Wrapping up my visit to Tokyo....

I'm sad just writing about this day. It was my last day in the city. My flight was not until the late evening, so I had the whole day to...do stuff! ^_^

First up, I visited a toy train cafe in Yurakacho. Recently, I have become a fan of trains. I think there is something romantic about traveling via train...

This cafe's main feature was a huge train set on display in the middle of the shop. As I arrived quite early, the shop staff suggested a take a seat next to the trains. ^_^ Yay!

The train set:

Close up of Tokyo Tower, a pagoda and cherry blossoms...

(A reader asked: "Do the shop staff wear train uniforms?"

As you can see in this pic, no they don't. They just wear aprons...)

A typical Japanese apartment building...

A cute wedding celebration:

On this day, 3 trains were running: a blue (overnight) train, the Narita Express and a train which looked like either the Takayama/Hida express or the Shinano (which travels from Nagoya to Nagano). I took a video! ^_^

The details were pretty impressive....

A typical street in Japan:

A department store, complete with lights and people!

As this was a cafe, I ordered a coffee...

...and a veggie sandwich. ^_^

I spent about an hour here just enjoying the trains. There was also a souvenir area, so I bought a cell phone strap!

Tokyo station (JR Yamanote line):

After this, I did a bit more shopping and then headed off to the airport. There, I found a few interesting things. Stop by tomorrow to see. ^_^

The Steam Locomotive Cafe + Bar is located in the Shin Yurakucho Building, in Yurakucho. Direct access from the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho station. Open 08.00 ~ 22.00. Sandwich set (with coffee) cost ¥600 (200 baht/$6). Website HERE. (日本語)

Tokyo! | 東京 Day 8 (Part 2)

Travels in Tokyo continue....

After visiting my cute friend/Twitter follower, nina5jp in Chiba, I headed to Ginza to do some shopping for friends. My blog assistant, Ms D, has an affection for Hello Kitty, so nina5jp advised me to visit Sanrio World, in Ginza. So, off I went.....but once in Ginza, I got distracted by this:

Sweeeeeets! ^o^

This is Berry Cafe in Ginza. The inside was pretty dark. I thought it resembled a club (laugh).

Inside:

I splurged and ordered the dinner set -- appetizers, bread, main dish, dessert and tea. Here they are....

The appetizers (squid/ pickles/ meat pie):

Raisin bread:

Main dish (cream sauce pasta):

Fruits tart and strawberry/raspberry tea:

After finishing, I had another nice conversation with the cashier here. She said she was surprised about my Japanese. I told her I studied about 5 years, but now study Thai. She thought was pretty impressive. Her comments made me so happy. ^_^

Sorry, no photos from the Hello Kitty shop in Ginza, but I did pick up my friend some nice gifts. I will take a photo of her with the souvenirs and post them at a later time. Sound good? ^_^

Berry Cafe is located in Ginza Gurase Building 6F. Access: Tokyo Metro to Ginza station. See shop information & locations in Tokyo/Chiba HERE. (日本語) Special dinner set: about ¥2,300 (950 baht/$23).

Sanrio World is located in Nishi Ginza Department store 2F. Direct access from Tokyo Metro, Ginza Station. Hello Kitty, Snoopy and other character goods available. The most popular collectables are cell phone straps and pens/pencils. Prices from ¥500 (170 baht/$5). Sanrio World site info HERE. (English)

Tokyo! | 東京 Day 8 (Part 1)

Travels in Tokyo continue...

I had this day completely free and really wanted to go to FujiQ Highland (big amusement park near Mt.Fuji). My twitter friend, nina5jp, advised me not to go by myself, as it's very far and I would feel lonely standing in the line-ups alone. Good point. Instead, she said: "Come to my house!" So, after thinking, I decided to go.

She lives in Chiba, and I had no idea how to get there. She tweeted the directions to me--take the Tokyo Metro (Chiyoda line) to the end. Switch to JR. Voila! You're there. ^_^ And it WAS that easy. Traveling in Tokyo wasn't as complex as I had anticipated....

Tokyo Metro train...the JR one came about 10 minutes later....

I went to meet her youngest son, K:

...eat a bento (traditional Japanese lunch box):

...and play with toys! I took photos her son's unique cars...

Ramen truck:

Pavement roller:

Jomo gas truck:

Crane with load:

After playing, we enjoyed Hawaiian coffee and roll cake. Yum! ^_^

During this time, I spied something grey hanging over her kitchen chair. I said: "Is that what I think it is?" And she said: "Yes!" A Totoro apron!!! So cute!!!

My friend, modeling the apron...

We also went to the park to pick up her daughter, L. Her daughter really wanted to meet me, since she had seen me over Skype a few times. At the park, I spoke to L's friends-- in Japanese. That was neat. ^_^ I like being around children sometimes, as they are always looking at the world in a simple, fun way. Adults have so many responsibilities; we often lose our sense of just "having fun" and "going with the flow".

Please return again tomorrow. I went to Ginza after this...you'll see some yummy pics then!