Before the Kingdom of Thailand, there were actually 3 different kingdoms. See graphic above.
White Market at One Nimman
I just finished a visit to the former northen capital of Thailand ChaingMai. Roughly 3.5 hours by plane from Singapore, it is a very nice getaway for Singaporeans who may be tired and slightly overwhelmed by Bangkok's commercialism and Pattaya's sleaziness.
Chiangmai is a very restful place, and it emits a lovely small town vibe and with the right mix of locals and tourists I would recommend it to anyone who needs a short getaway for 4 to 6 days.
There are lots of tours to participate, like the many temple tours for example. In addition, there are numerous walking trails (with guides of course), white water rafting for certain times of the year and the elephant conservation park for the city folk like me.
Crane showing off its plumes
My personal favourite is the Chiangmai zoo, it is at the end of Nimman road, and accessible by the many transport options like Grabcar, tuk tuks or even just take a long walk (half an hour) and you reach the place. I have visited it 3 times these last 2 years, and I enjoy just mosing around the enclosures, watching the animals basking in the enclosures and also during feeding times when they do come to life.
With a friend from Singapore, Fang
One Nimman is a walking street just like our Bugis Junction and it is airconditioned and provides tourists and locals alike with all the many trinkets and souvenirs to take back home for the memories. Food choices there are plenty, with Thai favourites like the Paad Thai noodles, Boat Noodles (I tried some yesterday and it was delicious), crab meat fried rice and the fried crispy pork fried rice. Desserts are plentiful, from Thai durian sticky rice, ice creams of all flavours , Red Ruby and the all too famous Mango Sticky Rice.
The one standout Chiangmai dish I tried and was fully satisfied was the Khao Soi (see previous posts), just whip out your Google Review and choose. My favourite was the Muay Khao Soy and Soi 12 off Nimman street.
Price wise, things are a lot more expensive than they were a year ago. The cost of living issue is a global one, with supply chains and cost of harvesting and manufacturing going up quite a bit. Food especially good food is around 75% of Singapore's prices. So come prepared.
We had a steak dinner for 2 just the other night at a supposed 4.5 star place on Nimman Road, 2 x Wagyu striploins, some mashed potatoes, a caesar salad and 2 non alcoholic drinks. The bill came to around THB 1,900 or $75. The quality of the steaks was not as good as even our NUSS Guild House which is above average
Wooloomooloo, Origins Steakhouse or even Bistecca in Singapore all of which are in my opinion, world standard are on a different league.
Do visit Chiangmai for a nice chill holiday, find decent even top notch hotels for a fraction of what you pay for a 4.5 star or 5 star one in Singapore. Dine like a top executive in some very nice places, with warm welcoming smiles all year round. Visit the zoo like I did. Try the Thai massages if you are so inclined (I am not) and walk and shop to your heart's content without the harriedness and hustle and bustle of the large metropolis like Bangkok.
Situated off Nimman Road, at Soi 12, is Chiang Mai's most reputable coffee shop, Muay Khao Soi. Serving Khao Soi, it is reminiscent of Singapore's Laksa. A brief description goes like this. There is a curry soup base, with yellow noodles, some boiled and some deep fried. Throw in a couple of chicken legs and the dish is complete.
My associate and I had the larger version of it, with 2 chicken drumsticks. The price per dish was THB 85 or S$ 3.50. The chicken drumsticks were very tender and flavourful, and the soup base was just the right viscosity - not too watery, neither was it too thick - The noodles were just the right crispiness. This is the second time I am eating Khao Soi (the first being last year) and I am never disappointed each time I eat it.
To top things off, I ordered the fried pork skin or pork lard. It was best eaten with some Thai pickle. A really satisfying meal, at a very decent price too.
Situated along the Lampang Chiangmai Superhighway, is a gem of a small eatery. Called Lapin Cafe, it serves top notch Italian food at pretty decent prices. I have an extra night for my business trip which I am currently on, and I checked out this little restaurant on the outskirts of Chiangmai.
The restaurant serves perhaps 20 people inside and 10 folk outside. I ordered 2 of their house specials and I was not disappointed. The calamari (babu octopus) was superbly fresh and tender and the flour batter was crispy. The dichotomy of crisp exterior and tender and flavourful interior really made my day.
I also tried a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon and it was the perfect foil to the fried calamari.
Lapin Cafe - Outskirts of Chiangmai
By the time I arrived at almost 2pm, the place was empty but it filled up with late coming lunch diners after me. The next course was seafood risotto (see below). The presentation was really pretty. The risotto rice was very flavourful and full of ingredients. There was a strong truffle flavour and aroma. There was 4 very fresh and tasty scallops, some calamari bits, cherry tomatoes and shavings of parmesan cheese. To top off the pretty dish, there was some herbs and a slice of lemon.
Seafood Risotto Pretty as a Picture
Happy Diner
The price for the meal, a breakdown of the prices are shown below :
THB S$
1. Calamari 210 8
2. Truffle Risotto 380 15
3. Cabernet Sauvig 220 9
4. Water 25 1
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THB 835 Total S$ 32
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My verdict ? Fantastic food and in a quiet setting. Price is expensive for Thailand, but I have noticed that costs of food has been escalating upwards for the last 2 - 3 years.
Oral hygiene is so very important for us all. I have discovered this only in the last 3 years or so. I have had issues with my gums, and I realised that regular brushing of my teeth is not good enough. I have to floss, or use interdental wires to get in between my teeth. This is to prevent plaque buildup and ultimately gum disease, which if not checked, can result in me losing a lot of my teeth.
My regimen is brush and use floss (interdental easier for me) twice daily and seeing my dentist as many as four times a year.
Yes, growing old is not cheap. That is the brutal truth of the matter.
Its a hard struggle with sugar, to be very honest. I take my morning coffee with half a teaspoon of sugar, and try to minimise sugar intake with every meal.
Scientific studies have shown that sugar, in particular refined sugar, if not checked when we get past a certain age, will cause age related metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and increased inflammation. Diabetes is a very real possibility and I know easily a dozen friends who have to cut their sugar intake seriously as they have diabetes.
I have seen friends first hand, have serious wounds, as a result of something as innocuous as an insect bite !
Back to Oral Hygiene. I brush at least twice a day and floss or use interdental wires to clean between my teeth. The saying "prevention is always better than cure" so I intend to keep my teeth (or as many as I possibly can) for as long as I live.
The goal is to age well, age slowly, and hopefully have a dignified and fast passing when that time comes.
This is the Vision set out by me in 2020 ; in the midst of the COVID 19 crisis. We are well on track to achieving the goals set out. Business is very good this year so far.
Even in this year of very uncertain economic outlook made worse by the US tariffs, I am very confident that QRA will ride out the ups and downs in a very positive way. QRA is very well positioned in its industry to capitalise on the opportunities which are coming our way. In the last few months we have secured orders from many unexpected and non traditional markets. I firmly believe that utilising AI to generate leads, enhance industry awareness and create opportunities for our little business is the way forward.
Good news is expected for this second half of this year.
Glasses, Contact Lenses Case and Disinfecting Solution
Since my cataracts operation approximately 1 month ago, I can say that the followings have changed. Firstly I am very grateful for being given the opportunity to see perfectly clearly again. After a span of 55 years of poor eyesight (myopia degree 800 plus, with aestigmatism and some floaters), I can see clearly now. I wake up each day with a sense of gratitude and hope.
My attitude to eye management and care has improved tremendously
As mentioned in the past posts, I do eye exercises, take breaks to rest my eyes, use eye drops diligently and clean my eyes with 0.9% sodium chloride solution daily. I will continue this regimen for more than 1 month, even though my ophthalmologist has recommended to use the drops for 1 month.
There is another set of eye drop regimen which I am doing almost religiously, that is to drop 1 drop twice a day of Timolol Pol for reduction of eye pressure. This is very crucial for my eye health as the eye pressure is directly related to long term macular degeneration and glaucoma which can cause blindness, so I cannot take things lightly.
Since I worked closely with my optometrist and ophthalmologist surgeon, I am VERY FORTUNATE to be able to adjust for reading and doing screen work using my right eye and driving and looking far with my left eye.
I do not need to wear glasses, and contact lenses for a long time now (hopefully)
Prescription glasses, contact lenses, disinfecting solutions and saline solution bottles are a thing of the past now, so that is a big plus for me.
Its not all a bed of roses - I need to still practice near field focussing
I can fee very far now, as far as 500 m or further unaided. I tested my new sight and can see runners and cyclists as far as 500 m or even further, the shapes and clarity of the image is superb.
Occasionally, I get into some near field focussing whereby I need both my eyes to adjust so that the image is singular. I do not have the flexibility or plasticity of my eye lens as a young person, so that is the downside of this surgery.
It is highly recommended to go for this elective surgery as early as possible, as I firmly believe that my quality of life is enhanced greatly with clearer and brighter vision.
The current worldwide geopolitical situation is a mess. I won't parrot the news and the many podcasters who spread doom and gloom every other day. Today I want to remind my readers to take time to smell the roses.
While I am very focussed on achieving my business goals and personal life objectives, I need to be reminded that health is wealth. I must take care of the mind, body and spirit and I must not neglect the fact that life is finite, so while I am pushing the financial goals to hit the right numbers, life first and foremost is about people.
Take time to spend with the people that matter to me, my family, my relatives, my good and trusted friends and the community at large.
No one really cares about you - in the world of social media. People come visit my Youtube account to be entertained, and for this blog, I guess, its the same goal.
