Hot & Spicy Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai...Part 3

The bridegroom's cousins took us back to the hotel however, we wanted to go get eye-more, couldn't find any in local pharmacy then I suggested to go to d BIG C...yes, u can find a lot of things there. It is Thailand's hypermarket.I always love to go there whenever I am anywhere in Thailand. I usually get some of my toilettery supply here..It is cheap like tooth paste, lingerie detergent & Loreal range of product. I even get Thai chilli paste here for fried rice, Tom Yam paste & Tom Yam instant noodle. ...crazy huh!


After Big C, we went back to hotel and we got out again (without the cousins as they went back to the village). This time we went to walking street bazaar which open only every saturday.Just don't want to miss it. It is very near the hotel however we need to take a tuk tuk there.Got the receptionist to call for us . Cost abt 80THB. (fyi ,the return trip was only 60THB).Heard that tis walking street bazaar is better than the daily night bazaar and this is where the locals would go & prices are rather reasonable.

And the moment we enter the bazaar is about abt food food food..and yeah we couldn't resist them. As we walk we bought food. And it was cheap. The price was abt 20 -25 THB. And lot's of clothing and souvenirs (you name it) ...better than our pasar malam. And not so many repetitive of each stalls.I love it. Weather that nite was a bit chilly but pleasant to walk around with fresh air. U just wanna grasp the air as much as possible.Just feel good abt it. And u don't sweat either. And the bazaar is never end and it was hive of activities. FYI, it was 2 days before Loy-Krathong.And on the street vendors were selling "Gong Ming Deng"- the white huge latern and also bouquets of flowers for offerings and to be released into the river.

We didn't buy any that cos we wanted to wait ...hoping prices would go down and fresher flowers....LOL! Clothings were cheaper than BKK. As u don't need to get wholesale price of 3 pcs like Platinum mall (prices were between THB100 -190) depending on what you want. Sellers here don't go down the prices that much).I tried and they will just ignore you. You can do it at the night market.A lot of ppl sell winter clothes like from China which I don't think that they will be that cold compare to China which is freezing cold during winter. Chiang Rai was quite mild for me that you only need a shawl with a long sleeve top. (may be it was too early in Nov that the winter has yet to set in).But I saw the locals were wearing winter jacket & I was only on T shirts & jeans. even Cameron Highlands or Genting are colder. Guess coming from my previous experience in Shanghai, this is so mild.

Half way thru the bazaar, we saw a huge field....OMG...FOOD AGAIN! this is big area for food only.Lot's of food that U probably never seen before.I bought 2 drumstick with soya sauce ("si yau gai')...Guess how much ?U will never get the price in our pasar malam..It was only 50THB for 2 pcs (FYI, it was the drumstick including the thigh).Ayam percik in our pasar malam would cost RM4.00 - RM4.50 for one pcs.And it was so tasty....so yummy!Only one stall that sells that. They have got wings as well as chicken feet if u love them. We were looking for a place to sit down n to enjoy the food however we could find any. The locals were like just picnicking on the grown with just a mat or newspaper and they truely enjoyed the food and chatting & drinking...nice weather.So syiok!

Well, since we couldn't find a place to sit, we continue to walk and we saw huge latern nearby (for loy -kratong) and ppl were doing line dancing there...so happening. And there was also a Top competition (Gasing) .Wah..it has been donkey years I see ppl spinning top with such a great skill.Then we walked further down I saw flower hair clip which I wanted to buy so long however, KL is expensive and it cost more than RM10 @ the Curve flea market. Guess how much I got it there....120bath for 3 pcs (different style) and the girl gave me one free clip (not the flower type). And the seller was a beautiful lady, she demostrated on her beautiful hair and passers by just couldn't help themselves but snapping pictures of her non stop. She look so beautiful to be at the bazaar. A lot of ppl buy from her too. The bazaar seems so long that we were so tired and called it a day. So we made a u turn, the bazaar was long way to go & never end. And we continue to shop on d way back...bought a few more T shirts...LOL!Very tired indeed....To be continued

Back to d Pearl of Orient

Pearl of the Orient...where?...Well..it is the other name for Penang. M Penagites myself.Will travel back a few times in a year.Only have time to go there during the long weekend. Jamming together with holiday makers...ummm..luckily I departed on Friday afternoon...JAM Free.

Was in Penang Island itself on Saturday afternoon...first thing came to our mind was to eat chee cheong fun..and where to? To Genting Kopitiam (not in Genting but Island Glades).Unfortunately, chee cheong fun "bo liao". The reason the "chee cheong fun" is good cos the chili sauce make a difference from the rest.It has got dried shrimp inside.

Genting was packed of people but then I saw patrons were in a shop that soya drink ordering food from Genting..and that is a good idea cos Genting was quite humid & hot. The other shop has less people but one got to order the soya drink or "tau hu hua". The drink is very tasty compare to the one I had in KL which is watery & diluted.This is good.

soya drink (either brown sugar or plain sugar syrup) @ RM1.10 per glass




We have ordered the following food.

Assam Laksa @ RM2.50

Char Hor fun@ RM3.50

Kuih Talam -3pcs @ RM1.40 (d above picture consider 2 pcs)

After makan we went downtown to buy some famous biscuits. Guess none of you will know this shop Ban Heang Biscuits shop at Melaka St . Recommended by my aunty and a friend that their Heong Phneah is so good. The inside filling is soft unlike some others which is hard when u bite. And so true.I have already finished a packet before coming back to KL. It costs abt RM3.00 a packet. Then I also bought "pua kiam tee tau sar phneah"@ RM1.80 per packet









Then drove into Burma Rd...alamak so jam.Just wanna check out Him Heang Biscuits.Didn't expect this road to be so bad.And a few metres before the famous Him Heang biscuits shop we turned right to park our car. Walk to Him Heang..wau lau eh! So long que..right to the kitchem waiting to buy tar sar pneah....!well forget it.I just turn back.Not going to wait.Just before I leave the shop I checked out the Heong Pneah price -Guess how much....???RM6.20. Fuuyohhh!

The que is right to the kitchen

After Him Heang ,I wanted to look for some Kongsi however I missed a turn. I end up at the Sleeping Buddha and Burmese Temple.

Then I bump into my cousin who is deaf. He has been earning his own living for many years outside the Burmese temple by selling souvernirs. Well, if u are unable to communicate with him via sign language, you may write down your messages & show it to him (either English or BM).

Cousin Brother

Later that night, met up with my brother & uncle.We went to Bukit Dumbar to have seafood dinner - Hai Boey Seafood Restaurant. Packed of diners from 8pm onwards.Must go early.Service bad- hard to get them to take orders.I guess if you get up & walk away, they don't even bother or felt the loss of business..Yup...to that extend!I guess.How good it is.....umm..not really up to my expectation. Total damage was Rm138.00 plus drink. Here's the menu.There's one more dish that I dun have a picture - Steamed pomfret in Claypot (cost RM30 - very small only - damn expensive).

Honey Chicken


Tofu with seaweed & Enorki mushroom



Sizzling Plate sotong & prawn @ RM30




Stir fried Kai Lan with Salted Fish

Calamari - not so good as u can see the batter is not sticking well to the squid.I guess they forgot to dip in the egg before the flour or only use egg....dunno lar

Hot & Spicy Chiang Mai /Chiang Rai ..Part 2 (the wedding day)

Later in d evening,the wedding organiser came the decorate the house for the big day and was rather reasonable fees that they charge. Came with lot's of fresh flowers,backdrop,props,roman pillar, wedding ceremony stuff and they even decorate the bed with rose petals

Backdrop


Event organiser for the wedding who is a he/she

Oct 31,2009 - The wedding day. Woke up at 8am and really dunno what to wear. I guess i don't need to dress to kill in a vilage.After having b'fast at the hotel,we depart from d hotel to bride's house which took us 45min.

And WOW the house had some transformation for the wedding.Just loved the flower decor.
The wedding ceremony started abt after 1 hr we arrived. Before that I was snapping pictures all the way before the ceremony start. And so many relatives came also wanna take pictures. I heard that villagers came as early as 4am to the house to start cooking for the day.

Then the bride appeared before my eyes....so beautiful so THAI...LOL!what m I taking about. Couldn't recognise her. With her body hugging wedding dress, she look like hour glass...Actually the wedding dress material don't feel like the western wedding gown which is normally...feel like satin. This is thick, sort of non breathable material...very hot. Same goes for the man...very hot material. But it looks smart & neat like the navy man.And the bridegroom actually had some lite makeup on the face...KEKEKE

And finally all are called to the front of the house and all parents are seated beside the couple. Invited guests seated right infront of them. First, parents put on jewelleries for the bride.Then a man came to bless the couple ....was rather a long chanting, then they have this long white thread going round the couple's hand with cash or "ang pow" to bless the couple. And it could go up to 100packets on their hands...very loaded....LOL!

After the ceremony,the bride got to wash the husband's hand before entering the house and then to the room...and here's come the funniest part, relatives & friends would join the couple in the room as well. And what they do is to put the couple on bed and ask the couple hug each other, kiss & also lie down on the bed with body hugging each other....isn't it interesting. Well for our chinese custom, when the couple enter the bedroom, all of us must get out (it is the "tong fong), we must leave them alone. So different for Thai. And I noticed that Thai had very little pantang larang...and I don't notice any! Or may be I don't understand any..LOL!

At noon we were served lunch...the bride's mom came to me and said "khao"..I obviously have no idea. They only speak Thai and we speak "head" , hands & shoulder language back to them....whatever sign we could produce in order to communicate...LOL! Then later she showed her hands to the mouth then only I understand she asked whether we wanna eat. And I just shook my head....And voila...we got our delicious food.. It was very local home cook food unlike 5 star course by course. It tasted very very good and you don't need shark's fin or prawn or suckling pig...their food were simple and simply delicious. Northern Thai ppl ususally eat steam glutinuous rice however being Malaysian, they cooked for us steam rice. And the rice itself tasted so good. It is actually homegrown rice. The surroundings of the village are paddy fields.The dishes consist of laap (pork salad-similar to Laotion salad), kerabu tang hoon with black fungus, vege,etc.

And the wedding reception actually started in the morning and till late eveving and the ladies in the kitchen will continue to cook and bring out the food as long as you sit there whole day and alcoholic drinks all time. The ladies be it old or you and the man as well will drink non stop together.They have Karaoke till 5pm and the old ladies were drunk & dancing...just funny to see them drunk and dancing the whole day. Very entertaining indeed.







Well at 3pm, we left the place together with the bride's relative's who drop us at Chang Mai city and the party continue till late evening.

To be continued...