Swing Dance Bangkok

I got an invite from my friend, M, to join her and two others for Swing Dancing. I've never tried -- and when I haven't tried something, my answer is always: "Why not?" It's important to try new things, meet new people and be out of your comfort zone.

We stopped at a noodles shop in Asoke first, before heading over to the bar...

My friend introduced me to her friends: one was really cute and the other was really funny! I liked them both right away. ^_^

New friends GG & A:

We found the hidden bar where the Swing Dance club meets up. Inside, we took the beginner's lesson and rotated around, meeting all the members.
Dance floor:

I noticed GG's rockin' heels, so I asked her about them. She surprised me by saying: "Try them on!" They were a perfect fit. M made me pose in my new (borrowed) black heels:

I know it's blurry -- but my pose is cute, no? ^_^

As we enjoyed watching the dancers, the topic of zombies came up. After that, Ms. A created a new dance for us -- the zombie girls dance. We took a photo of our new moves:

By the end of the night, I had been asked to organize a flash mob of zombie dancers for Bangkok. I've still got to plan the ice skating party....!!! (laugh).

Swing Dance Bangkok meets every Thursday night. 19:30 ~ ?? 1 hour free beginner's lesson; no cover charge at the bar. Location: Bar 23, Suk Soi 16 -- a 10 minute's walk down the soi. Nice people!
The noodles shop is called "Boran". Location: Exchange Tower 2F -- direct access from BTS Asoke station. Prices from 40 Baht + (¥120 / $120).

An Old Friend

On a Wednesday, I met up with a German friend who I hadn't seen in months. She's expecting, so I was happy to see her and hear her talk about her baby.

I took her to a cafe near my condo. I ordered a pot of Apple tea and a raw salmon sandwich. Canadians + salmon = pure happiness. Yummy! ^_^

Apple Tea:


Food for Canadian girls:


We caught up with all our news. She filled me in on all my other German friends too -- Ms. D, my designer Tat, and V. They have all returned to Germany, but are missing the fine weather in Bangkok.

After lunch, my friend asked if I'd like to see her apartment. We're practically neighbors -- she lives across the road from me. I asked: Can I take photos and put them on my blog? She said: "Of course!" Yay!

Her building's gym:


The pool:


An outdoor garden :


Inside, her apartment had a lot of nice furniture -- all imported from Germany.

A shelf...


a cute corner...


...but the most amazing piece in her apartment was the sofa! It was incredible. I asked her only one thing: "Can I jump on it?" ^_^ She said: "Sure!" So I jumped on and enjoyed all the pillows. I really want to get a sofa just like hers. It's amazing!!!

cutenekko -- in love with the giant sofa:

Seriously, I want one.

In the lobby of her building, I noticed something unusual -- a Japanese Geisha doll. It was really beautiful, so I snapped a photo:

Looking closely at the doll's kimono, all I could think was: "Gee, it looks really heavy..." (There were 3 layers under the main kimono...o_O)

***Special Bonus***
Check out the car I found in the parking lot!
I think it's a Mazda Rx7 (3rd gen.) Car fans, can you help?
I really like this car...ほしい！(want!)

This car is really sexy. Me-OW!

M's Apartment & Proper Tea

My usual two girlfriends and I got together on a Saturday afternoon to say goodbye to She Ra, Princess of Power, who would be traveling for almost 2 months. I created a new nickname for us! Since we are three girls, I thought we looked like this walking down the street: Charlie's Angels! Except that we live in Bangkok, so maybe we'd be better off as Khun Somchai's Angels!!! (laugh)

Divine M (Bionic Woman) invited us out to see her apartment. I'll show the photos first, and readers, try to guess her monthly rent. Ready to play? Let's go!

Her kitchen:

Her living room (those shelves -- I'm in love!!):

Her bedroom (where the magic never happens, so I've been told! Hahaha!!!):

Her walk in closet:

Her bathroom:

This apartment also has a pool and a gym. It's located 10 minutes from the BTS station, Ari. What do you think she pays each month in rent? Answer below (scroll your mouse over to highlight the answer):

¥40,000 or $400 a month.

After seeing her apartment, M took us to a cute cafe across the street, called "The Mad Hatter". Inside, were big comfy chairs, knick-knacks of all kinds, and tons of tea. We enjoyed what She Ra called: "proper tea service".

The tea pots with cozies on...

...and off!

I will not repeat all the crazy things my girlfriends talked about. But I did learn one thing: I am pretty innocent compared to the topics they were discussing! o_O

***Attention Takao-san:
友達たちがアイスクリームについて話しましたよ！笑。ガャ〜

The Mad Hatter is located on Soi 16, near BTS Ari Station. Huge variety of teas and a really nice owner. Prices from 75 Baht + (¥180 / $1.80).

BLT Themes

Sorry to have kept you waiting...I've finally pushed myself to write a new post.

A few weeks ago, a friend asked to meet me on the weekend. Usually, I keep the weekends as "me" time,  spending time alone to refresh myself, but I made an exception for her. She surprised me in the lobby of my condo by bringing a friend -- whom I had met at the ex-pat Xmas party. ^_^

I took my two friends to a local cafe where we ordered BLT themed food:

BLT sandwich...

..and a BLT pizza!?!?

One friend had some big news to share..she's in love! ^_^ We talked endlessly about her new boyfriend, relationships in general and why people always seem to know about me before they even meet me. My friends = always talking / telling other people about me. Whoo! I'm famous in Thailand, I guess. (laugh)

My friend had a really cute hairstyle on this day....so of course, I asked her for a photo:

It's cute, no? ^_^

My friends also teased me about my blog, saying: "It's so easy to see your personality through your blog. Your blog is cute, and you're cute...your blog is exactly who you are in real life." Really? ^_^

日本人の友達 | Japanese Friends

I had a "Japanese Day" in my apartment. Last week, while out for lunch with two Japanese friends, one later called and said:

"Don't you want to get your hair straightened again? I'll do it for you this Saturday if you like." 

Hm..nice idea! ^_^ We ate lunch at my house first, then worked on the hair...we also enjoyed chatting in Japanese, and watching Gundam. ^_^

My friend made roll sushi and potato salad!! Super yummy!!! ^_^/


I made a veggie platter and ozoni soup again, which her husband said was: "Really good!" Yay.


My friend loves hair design and got ready quickly. Her black gloves were kinda cute/sexy!


My friends and I chatted about lots of fun things during the hair process...anime, travels, ...I think it's so cool that I can enjoy Japanese food and culture while living in Thailand. ^_^

Girl's Night Out #3

I was crazy busy last Friday. I had 4 appointments in one day -- all with different friends...

First, lunch with a new Canadian friend. No photos because I was really hungry and just wanted to eat. (laugh)

Second, shopping. o_O If you've read "About Cutenekko" you'll know my aversion to shopping. But I had a mission -- to buy a uniform.
Did you know, in Thailand, all university students must wear a uniform while attending classes? It's true. What's even better? Anyone can buy these uniforms; you don't need a student ID to do so. Cool! When I heard this news from my Thai language teacher, I thought: "It's my next project!" A friend took me to the shop to get the uniform. I chose the top ranked school in Thailand: Chulalongkorn.

cutenekko: Ready for class!

Next, my super special superhero friend, Bionic Woman asked to meet me. Her request: "Take me to the ghost house!!" So, I took her. I was scared to bits and wanted to quit, but my friend pushed me though both levels...

I like scary things...really. o_O

After, we ate at a really cool, classic hamburger shop. Check out the interior...it was like something from "Happy Days" or "Back to the Future":

Cashier

Hey McFly!!

Our booth

While eating, I noticed Bionic Woman had some serious bling on her fingers. I asked if I could get a photo with her huge ring. Here it is!

We took the MRT (subway) home and I snapped a photo of a funny sign. These are all the things you cannot do in the subway station. Thailand -- always fun!  

Can you figure out the meaning of each?

The ghost house is located inside Mansion 7. Information HERE. There are now 2 levels--1st floor and the 2nd floor. Total cost: 330 Baht (¥900 / $9).

Casper Hamburger shop is also inside Mansion 7. Not bad. Prices from 80 Baht (¥240 / $2.50).

New Year's Eve

My girlfriend requested to go out on New Year's eve to see the fireworks. Although I was working on this day, I could finish up around 22.00, so we met at Chitlom station and walked to Rajaprasong, where a huge block party was being held.

The first thing I noticed while walking -- there were a TON of scooters parked all over the sidewalk. It was like a live version of Tetris!

Bikes:

I headed up to the BTS station to get a better overall view...The end of my street was full of cops and people walking to the party...

We ran into a group of people dressed up in a variety of costumes. I asked in Thai for a photo, but the lady didn't seem to speak any Thai...I think she was Chinese?

Cleopatra and Cutenekko:

This one is for my mom, who is a big Elvis fan! Thai-Elvis!!

He's much shorter in real life, eh? 

Once we got to the square, we settled in to wait for the fireworks. I got a photo of the sign over the Skywalk:

I love the blue lights! ^_^

While watching the fireworks, my friend and I noticed a super love-love gay couple in front of us. They were really cute, hugging and kissing each other. I thought it was sweet, so I took a photo. After all, this is something you NEVER see in Japan!

Boy's love...awww.....^_^

A Japanese friend said: "You have gay friends???" I have lots of friends--and their sexual orientation means nothing to me. A friend is a friend. ^_^
(For those who may not know: Thailand is a great destination for same-sex couples. Thais are extremely open regarding one's sexuality.)

Last year wasn't very good for me...as I mentioned before, I had a really bad breakup. But from June on, it was pretty good; December was the best! Now, I feel super happy. For those reasons, I think 2012 is going to be the best year ever. ^_^ I am really looking forward to it.

Adventures, fun and laughter will be my personal themes for this year. Woo!! (^_^)/

Readers, what's your theme for 2012?

Girl's Night Out #2

My superhero friends invited me out to try Shisha...which is a water pipe from the Middle East. I had never tried, so I was excited to try something new.

We headed to the Middle Eastern section of Bangkok, which is in Nana, around Soi 3-4. I like this area as you don't feel you're in Bangkok...
Street view:

I suggested an Egyptian restaurant that I had eaten at before.

The menu (as thick as a book..there were over 30 pages!!)


We ordered...

Pickles (free of charge)

Naan, Hummus, curry, lamb (the triangle things)...

...and chicken because my friends love meat. (laugh)

Why are my friends superheros? Well, there is a story. They met a guy here who introduced himself as "Aladdin". My friend said: "As in the Disney character??" She couldn't believe his real name was Aladdin, so she decided to give herself a crazy name. My friend's name is: Bionic Woman (she's strong) and my other friend is: She-Ra (Princess of Power) ^_^ 

Super Friends! 

The fabulous Ms. M/ Bella/ Bionic Woman:

Other crazy friends (She-Ra and her friend, the 6 Million Dollar Man):

I felt left out, so I asked for a nickname too. Their suggestion? Catwoman. (laugh) I could only picture an old lady with 50 cats, rather than the sexy Michelle Pfiffer character from Batman. A Japanese friend suggested "Bunny Girl" because of my love of eating raw carrots. Hm...not bad... 

I have the costume already...(made by Twitter friend Nina5jp! ^_^)

New superhero: cute bunny?
Weapon of choice? Sharply peeled carrots.
Special ability: cute & fluffy on the outside, deadly sharp teeth on the inside!! Maahhh!

After eating, and listening to the "call to prayer" over the speakers, we headed over to quieter café to smoke and drink some mint tea. 

The tea was really strong! I had been warned by my friend that it was potent, but I love tea and drank the whole pot. As a result, that night I did not sleep at all.. o_O Too much caffeine.. 

For those who have never tried Hookah (shisha) -- it's like smoking an English pipe. You can select a variety of flavors -- mint, cherry, grape, ...one friend tried bubble gum once! It's fairly strong and goes to your head quite quickly. I want to say: it's not a drug..but it is tabacco, so it's not very healthy for your body. 

Middle Eastern area of Bangkok is located in Nana, soi 3-5. BTS Nana or Pleonchit. Neferititi restaurant information and pictures are HERE.

Girl's Night Out

A friend of mine, who has been crazy busy working, sent me a text message saying:

"I didn't get a chance to talk to you at the party...let's go out!" 

So, I cleared my Thursday schedule and the two of us hit the town for a wild (actually, pretty tame) and crazy (that would be me) time.

First, we ate. While eating and chatting, I noticed my friend had a gorgeous piece of jewelry on her finger. I asked if I could take a photo...

It's beautiful no? She got it in Dubai, at the gold market. I love pearls, as they remind me of the ocean. I made a mental note: visit Dubai, get pearl ring, give to my mother. ^_^

After finishing, I asked my friend if she wanted to hang out more as it was still early. She said: "Sure, but let me go pray first." Did you know, in many BKK department stores, there are prayer rooms for Muslims? Bangkok is so cool, no?
I had never been before, so I asked my friend if it would be okay to take some photos. Here are some from the waiting area...

Lobby & Art:


Entrance/locker area looking towards the male prayer room:


I really admired my friend's devotion. ^_^

I took her to a café where we sat outside to enjoy the nice 'December-in-Bangkok' weather. I needed a drink. I was so thirsty, I ordered two! The waiter thought I was nuts. (laugh) My friend said: "I have to get a photo of you and your huge drinks!!!" Here is the photo:

Giant Cutenekko!!

Note to readers: The drinks were non-alcoholic. One was a strawberry soda, and the other was an apple ice tea. See? I'm a good girl! ^_^

It was so much fun chatting and laughing with my friend. We both agreed: Bangkok is a pretty fun place to live. ^_^