Speaking of partying, here are some differences I noticed between the BKK and SG party scenes:
1. Girls are much more forward if they like you in BKK. In SG if they are interested at all, at best they will treat you with pleasant indifference, and at worst they will talk condescending trash!
2. Groups of friends are much more fragmented here in Singapore and tend to branch out or meet up at random times of the night and different locations. In Bangkok they generally stick with the same people and venue.
3. The Singapore "scene" is small but bigger than Bangkok's. Bangkok's scene is more difficult to penetrate if you are a farang, compared to SG.
4. Singaporeans can hold better conversations, on average...and this is CONSIDERING the language barrier already.
*With my boss Mightor and boss's boss Lee at a team work dinner, Prive @ Keppel Bay, Singapore. I guess we don't ALWAYS slave away in the office. Strange that this high-end restaurant had such drinks-menu choices such as "Angry Dragon" and "Dirty Sanchez". Only Lee and I knew what the hell they meant, LOL...
Recap on Euro 08: Spain won, one of the teams I was semi-rooting for (still bitter England didn't qualify...let's just forget about it now though). I haven't been playing much soccer but the tournament definitely made me feel guiltier/nostalgic about it. I have gotten into the Buck's Rugby Club with David here, and have had a good time at training a few times. Still super hard to commit to 2x weekly sessions consistently given my traveling and varying work schedule. Screw it, I just gotta go when I can. It does make me miss my college playing days though...
*Chillin at the Playeur "Sporty" theme party @ St. James - stolen off Dawn's superior blog of course (www.xanga.com/clapbangkiss). The rugby inspired me to rep Hong Kong's National Team uniform...and actually won me best costume that night.
Harry's good friend Belinda had her birthday in one of the few Thai discos in Singapore - Discovery. I ended up getting trashed and singing "Ji-Ja" on stage with the band. You know what, I always wanted to be a rockstar! Too bad my talent is shit, and enthusiasm really doesn't make up for it. Super fun regardless :)
I have decided: Asian girls from Australia get bonus points from me.
So I couldn't resist an end-June trip to Bangkok again. I just miss the place too much and can't get enough. My first night started off crazy at the Pent with Tommy B...then ended even crazier at Scratch Dog. I don't even have to say anything else - those who know, will know. hahahha
The next night I got to meet up with a lot of friends at Muse, a new top club between Thong Lor and Ekkamai. Did I mention Paul and George even came on this trip from Singapore? I KNOW they had a damn good time.
*Getting silly at new Bangkok club MUSE, with Paul from Singapore and good ole' Pond gekmaster
*Who else would I run into at MUSE for 1 night only but Eugene and Mary, UC Davis friends visiting the Big Mango at the same time as me
Saturday was spent on a shopping spree at MBK and Paragon, mostly in a hungover state. Diana had her massive birthday party coming up at 808 in the evening and I couldn't disappoint without a classic Khun Charlie appearance: over the top costume and almost too much energy! I sucked it up and rolled in my best Mad Hatter outfit, ready to rock. Even more friends came to this one, and it was probably one of the best party experiences of the last year, for many many reasons.
*An array of crazy costumes turned out for Diana's birthday at 808's Alice in Wonderland themed bash
*A Wonderland-like capture - is that a ballroom dance?
*The Wonderland party continued at Daniel's...probably longer than it should have! Dancing til 6am...
I really felt at home again in Bangkok, even if I did end up sharing a bedroom at Daniel's lux apartment near Ekkamai.
And what is a weekend in Bangkok without karaoke? And in the SAME EXACT room in J Avenue as the last 4 times? haha
*Karaoke reunion in our classic J Avenue venue
*With some of my favourite wonderful Bangkok ladies at Karaoke
I ended up playing some poker on my last night after drinking at Curve. It was good to get back into Hold'Em, the game I had won and lost so much money on over my college years. This round wasn't so lucky on me and I lost a thousand....BAHT! Who gives a shit?! I love Thailand!
But...back to Singapore it was, tho good thing I brought Ally and Troy with me the following weekend. Well, they decided to visit, those dear souls. We hit up this Fairy Tales party in Ministry of Sound after quite a bit of costume searching on Aliwal Street. Swear to god I almost went as a horse, just to be the most outrageous person there. Instead I went as a twisted Cupid that sort of came out as me in a white dress...I might have been better off with the Horse outfit.
*Messing around at the costume shop...that horse costume was a SWEATER
*Lyndy, David, and Ally playing Kings Cup before the Fairy Tales party at MOS in Singapore
*My impersonation of a twisted cupid
*Shooting love at two of my best friends...almost exactly what happened in real life
*Modeling a potential Trolley Bag design for a Duty Free promotion - wow I'm actually at WORK in a photo
Harry and I decided to escape our jobs in Singapore and run off for a dudes weekend in Phuket. We got a MASSIVE deal from my Mom at a nice hotel near the action in Patong, and proceeded to tear up the island with body boarding, food stuffing, foot massages, and of course - copious amounts of alcohol imbibing. I also got to catch up with Wut and Mike, who had moved to Phuket from Bangkok in previous months, as well as Timo and Pat, who were visiting the island at the same time, conveniently. Actually, Timo has also since permanently moved there as well for a new job, the crazy German bastard. Naw j/k, love the guy.
*Bodyboarding at Naihan beach, Phuket, waiting for the big ones
*Chillin' at the Mercure hotel in Phuket
*Hanging with our new friends from Phuket at Naihan viewpoint
Harry and I happened to meet an AWESOME thai family from Phuket that were some of the most genuinely nice and friendly, selfless folks I have ever met in my life. They fed us, drove us around, took us to sweet spots, and never once asked for anything in return. I felt bad for questioning their sincerity inside my head at first, but I guess it is only natural for Westerners to not quite trust such surprising kindness in full right away. No, they never tried to get me to marry the daughter or have us donate a kidney, they just wanted to hang out with cool dudes and have fun!
*Taking on a couple of Jenga experts over a beer at the infamous Bangla road - this was NOT as shady as it looks
*Another thai paradise
We spent one day just getting massages and drinking Singha beers the whole time. Ridiculous.
On one of the evenings as well, Timo got trashed and drove Harry on his motorbike to the after party in a race to get there ahead of me and my sober motorbike-taxi. During the winding, mountainside ride, apparently Timo said in his German accent "Harry....I have to tell you something...I feel like throwing up." If that doesn't make your life flash before your eyes, what does?
*A reunion with friends in Phuket, at Patong (Tiger club)
What a damn good weekend. In the end, always too short. A lot of visitors came to Singapore in the week I returned from Phuket - Marc and Dar temp. visiting from Hong Kong, Aimee on exchange from Sydney (yaaay!), Adam interning from London with Johnnie Walker sponsorships, and Kristina interning with me (finally, some help!!!) from INSEAD. Good to have friends and family in town and just in time for me to be able to show them a bit more about Singapore than ppl were able to show me my first week. I like to make folks feel at home!
*Aimee and Kristina messing around outside Butter Factory in Robertson Quay, Singapore. These two girls are fun cats to have around. Aimee and I have been reunited after meeting up in Bangkok, and Kristina made a fine addition to my work team as an MBA intern from China/Chicago/LA.
*Brothers reunited in Asia once again - Butter Factory. Really hope he doesn't have to move back to San Francisco soon.
I saw the Dark Knight and Hellboy 2 recently...pretty rare that I ever go out and catch a flick anymore. Hellboy 2 was blue ball disappointing. Dark Knight was probably the best movie I've seen in 2 years. Fantastic acting, story, action, and appropriate application of fuzzy comic book writing into big screen believability without too much cheese.
*KM8 beach-party Sunday with Adam, Francis, and Aimee
The Km8 beach party scene is pretty wicked - they turn a beach bar/restaurant into a raving club at 5pm on a Sunday evening. SO much for SUnday night football, I'm going boozing 5 mins away in my swimsuit! TOo bad most of the crowd is older foreign dudes and younger local chicks of the SPG variety. Oh well, tryin' not to judge...but also tryin' not to become one, ever.
*Desmond rockin' out at the Vanshe concert at SMU
I've been going to Muay Thai quite a lot and consistently - unlike the rugby club. This martial art is REALLY intense and I'm feeling like both my endurance and flexibility are noticeably improving at a faster pace than if I do my regular workout routine. I feel like I'm kicking my own ass though. Still, nothing beats whacking the shit out of a punching bag with a massive right leg. That thing could break a little girl in half...not that I would be testing it out. My left leg though, is not stronger than a little girl's. I need to work on that left leg coordination - it just feels so unnatural!
*Guinness 9 Ball tournament quarterfinals in Singapore - on Star Sports
Had mee goreng and roti street food at Spice tonight...that shit was gooooooood, but I'm so stuffed and it's 2am already. Will I ever learn that eating at midnight or after drinking is NOT healthy!?!?! Bloody Asia, one of many further bad influences.
Can't wait for the following highlights in the next few months: 4 trips to Bangkok, Uma and Korn's wedding, Ally's birthday, the Full Moon Party in August with 8+ friends, Mom's visit, the Singapore F1 GP (grandstand tix baby - thanks Johnnie Walker and McClaren), and perhaps Phuket or Bali again.
Off to Laos tomorrow for work, how random is that? I'll be gallivanting around Vientiane all day and night - wish me good luck and avoidance of dangerous jungle diseases!
