Solid Gold Statue @ Wat Traimit, Bangkok

Just when you thought i am done with my Bangkok trip, i am going to surprise you with another entry! Frankly, i may even touch on memorable Yunnan despite the three years lapse.

Coming back to this solid gold statue, i am inclined to talk about this because i did not manage to win the top prize in the S$10 million TOTO draw. To put it more bluntly, i spent S$100 but did not win a single cent. Mathematically, i made a book loss of S$100!

Blogging on this "world's biggest solid gold statue" will hopefully bring me some financial luck in the coming year. Though i know of its existence for a long time, my virgin visit to see this 5,500 kilograms effigy was only on my fourth trip to Bangkok last October.

Located on the top floor of this pagoda with a long spire, the statue has a very interesting history, especially its miraculous discovery. You may read more via the wikipedia page here.

The praying room is actually quite small and it can get crowded with devotees and tourists jostling to pray and take pictures respectively. Maybe because of this, my mind was not able to get into the Zen peacefulness normally associated with Buddhists abodes like Buddha Tooth Temple.

The true face of the three-meter tall golden Buddha! Just for information, the current gold price will put this at a delicious US$249.975 million dollars! Gosh, i sounded so blasphemic!

Whatever! We have not even included the historical value, which may push this to the priceless range - just like MasterCard! *rubbing hands with glee*

Please accept my sincere apology. I have erred badly as a Buddhist. From this moment, I will not crave for anything that this statue is made of. However, i shall not deny any money luck it can possibly give me, even if it's a golden fart from the back!

I digress. Mom was praying to the metallic statue and i could imagine her wishes; "more toto and 4D winnings, fantastic health for the family, happy working environment, young daughter can get married as soon as possible so that the house will no longer be a pigsty and so on and so forth...."

Entry is not free (not surprisingly in Thailand) but if you cannot even afford 40 baht (equivalent of roughly S$2); you can try to sneak in. I have seen a few visitors bypassing the ticket officers when busloads of tourists arrived at this famous attraction in Thailand.

Alternatively, treat the 40 baht as payment for complimentary bottles of mineral water placed freely in the temple. Unscrupulous business-minded individuals can even sell these for a quick profit outside the temple by labelling them as holy water!

Shameless to the max (if you ask me).

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Location

Very near to Chinatown! The famous Odeon Gate of Yaowarat Road (Chinatown) is noticeable in this picture taken from the pagoda in Wat Traimit Wittayaram (พระพุทธมหาสุวรรณปฏิมากร).

Get the city map from Suvarnabhumi Airport and you should be able to spot this Temple of the Golden Buddha somewhere in between Chinatown and Hualampong Railway Station.

Additional Information

Do pay a visit to the Yaowarat Heritage Centre at the lower level of the same building! My mom and i were so obsessed with shopping in Bangkok; we decided to forgo this for retail therapy instead in MBK!!

TBB - The Box Bistro @ Courts Tampines

It's really fate that pulled me to The Box Bistro (TBB) at Courts Tampines.

Thanks to a crowded, queue-laden IKEA restaurant, a hungry stomach craving for lunch at 3pm and an insistent Alex who wanted to buy a laptop in Courts.

TBB sounded like a western bistro and it does have spaghetti, steaks, pizzas etc on the menu. However, a portion of the menu is reserved for Malay/Indonesian food like Mee Soto, Ayam Penyet and Ayam Bakar!

Absolutely not keen to pay S$9.90 for a bowl of mee rebus, i decided (after much procrastination and comparison) on a plate of spaghetti and two pieces of TBB special chicken wings (my original intention was to have the IKEA chicken wings....)!

Alio Olio & Prawns

I am not exactly a pasta expert and could not tell the difference between Penne, Fettuccine and Linguine - if i even know the pronunciation for these pastas!

In general, the alio olio (shouldn't it be aglio olio?) was not as spicy as i thought it should be with the little flakes of chilli. It was a tad too dry but i still consider this better from the many i tried before.

Each strand of pasta, in particular, had speckles of chopped up parsley stuck to it. Contrary to popular belief, i have never considered parsley to be a mere decorative garnish; it does have a special taste that elicits extreme response from different person.

TBB Special Wings

The buffalo-wing outlook gave me the assumption that this could be spicy hot with an Asian twist.

I was so wrong! It was an unmatched combination of a surprisingly sweet sauce with some Asian spices that didn't create even a slight explosion on my tongue (or lips for that matter)!

Definitely the reason for patronising TBB again!

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Location

50, Tampines North Drive 2,

Level 2, Located in Courts Tampines

(The popular enclave that has the biggest IKEA, Courts and Giant within walking distance)

Price

Alio Olio & Prawns - S$12.90

TBB Special Wings - S$3.80 (2 pcs)

Subject to GST but No Service Charge!

Plain water available upon request

Additional Information

For parents, there is a relatively big play area for your children! Dump them inside and enjoy the food at The Box Bistro, while you can.

And best of all for my Muslim friends, TBB is Halal certified!

Big Red Strawberry Farm @ Cameron Highlands

(Part 5 of Leisure Tour)

The last itinerary for the leisure tour; my stomach was growling by then (despite the food i had in Market Square) and having had only a few hours of sleep on the coach, my mind was no longer as focused!

Open to the public for free, this farm was in fact within a comfortable walking distance from our hotel. And i will strongly recommend visitors of Cameron Highlands to this place as it offers more than just strawberries!

Basically, you can exercise your right to do your marketing right here; fresh from this farm! I can guess from mom's eyes how badly she wanted to drag the whole lot of them back to Singapore. NOOOoooooo way!

The vegetables presented an appealing picture that looked almost unreal! I was almost on the verge to bite a leaf just to confirm the juicy crunchiness they portray.

A large variety of cacti for selection. This picture shows only a small portion of what Big Red has.

Unique cactus species that are likely to change your perception of this supposedly thorny plant. For one, it has a hairy version. Must be the result of a freak purberty hormonal accident!

And there is even a rose cactus! A practical gift for your girlfriend that should last longer than real roses.

Looking like normal vines that made up a natural canopy, many people might not have noticed that there are more than meet the eyes.

Yes, bunches of grapes!!! With such nice climate, i wonder why vineyards and wineries have not gained any foothold in Cameron Highlands.

The strawberry portion takes up more than half the farm! You don't see any strawberry at this elevated helicopter view.

Only when you walk down the walkway covered by the natural canopy would you see thousands of strawberry pots placed a meter off the ground with the luscious fruits hanging by the sides of each pot.

To make full use of space, Coriander-look-a-like thingies are grown like unkempt weeds.

Strawberry picking is allowed for a fee and though i would love to do the same touristy stuff, i was by then too lazy to get myself sunned. I badly needed some hot soup and a bowl of char siew noodles!!

Things will be different if i am a father. Teaching my kids the source of food and the way to harvest them will be so educational!

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Big Red Strawberry Farm is right next to Cactus Valley, a well known attraction in Brinchang.

The low peak season in the middle of January means that a lot of strawberries are available to be seen, touched, picked and eaten! 

First Part of the Leisure Tour can be found HERE.

Second Part of the Leisure Tour can be found HERE.

Third Part of the Leisure Tour can be found HERE.

Fourth Part of the Leisure Tour can be found HERE.

As part of the tour, there should be a visit to the Sam Poh temple but we decided to can it for a longer stop at the Rose Centre. Having been to the temple a year ago, it is seriously...

no big deal.

Breakfast at Prive - Marina at Keppel Bay

Breakfast @ Prive

(Marina at Keppel Bay)

I was dying to try the breakfast offerings at Prive bakery cafe after my last visit to Marina @ Keppel Bay and the chance eventually came one weekend morning!

It was not as crowded as i expected and though tables are available indoor, most customers choose the alfresco area with the vitamin D enriched sunshine as a complementary companion.

Here's what my mom, my piggy sister and i had; a once-in-a-blue-moon western indulgence (for my mom that is).

Prive Ultimate Breakfast

Supposedly mine in the beginning, mommy took ownership shortly after realising eggs royale is not her cup of tea.

Nothing extraordinary except for maybe the pan-fried mushrooms (i can never resist that earthy taste) hidden underneath the arugula leaves and the slice of roasted tomato that was peppered with spices.

Eggs Royale

Like mummy, i do not particularly like this despite the unusual presentation on a long plate usually reserved for desserts. Taste still matters, no matter what!

The culprit is the smoked salmon that seems to stand apart from the rest of the ingredients in terms of flavour. This dish may fare better if bacon is used.

Fish and runny eggs are not exactly the perfect combination for breakfast. With the exception of a hot bowl of fish porridge that is!

Fluffy Pancakes

Fluffiness is indeed the right sensation when i took a bite. Strangely, i prefer the cheaper fast-food version from Macdonalds! Awwwww, that explains why cheapo me will never find it worthwhile to patronise classy restaurants. (unless it's inexpensive or a treat from a friend)

The strawberries and bananas were nice additions to have; shall remember to buy some the next time i dig Macdonald's hotcakes!

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Overall, i wasn't impressed but due to its relaxed surrounding, i might pay Prive another visit for its desserts. Alternatively, who is interested to give me a treat? :)

Location

No 2, Keppel Bay Vista,

Marina at Keppel Bay, Singapore 098382

Tel: 6776-0777

Opening Hours

9am to 12 midnight

(last order at 9.30am)

Price

Prive Ultimate Breakfast - S$17.00

Eggs Royale - S$14.50

Fluffy Pancakes - S$11.00

Subject to Service Charge and GST.

Plain water available at no additional charge.

Additional Information

Prive consists of three different dining concepts; waterfront bar, restaurant and bakery cafe. Located side by side to one another, it can be quite confusing for first timers.

Another place for breakfast consideration is Urban Spoon along Jalan Kayu!