Cafe-Surfing V.03 : Bake a Wish

The place where I am located "Bangyai" is far North part of Bangkok. Before I could get to the nearest skytrain, I need to travel for 45 minutes at Mo Chit BTS station near Chatuchak. I can consider it as one of Bangkok's province! But recently, Central Westgate Mall opened last August 28. Now evnethough our place is quite far from civilization, we have Central, Finally. The mall have a lot of stores, restaurants, and cafes too, mostly were Japanese. One of which is Bake A Wish cafe. It is located at Floor 1 and just at the center part of the mall. Their cream puffs caught my attention (also the long line of people). We ordered Green Matcha Cake, New York Cheesecake, and Chocolate Tiramisu. To add some good-vibe-drink, I had one hot Caramel Machiatto. It was creamy and just right to balance the sweetness of the cake. Cake's prices ranges from 85 baht to 150 baht the most. Coffee and other hot beverages starts at 80 baht. Next time I come back there, I will definitely try their famous cream puffs with different flavors.

Overall, I can say that with their affordable price, people will always find themselves craving and lining up for their favorite slice of cake.

With every slice, is a wish come true!

 Cafe-Surfer,

Kara`mel_macchiato

Cafe-Surfing V.02 : Lair of Laziness Cafe

Last time was an adventure to a Cat's den. This time around was into a Dog's den. With the help of Mrs. Instagram and Mr. Google map, I found another interesting cafe around Bangkok, LOL Cafe or "Lair of Laziness" Cafe.  This cafe houses dogs with breeds of Siberian husky, Golden retriever, Poodle, Alaskan Malamute, and Labrador. Similar to any Pet cafes, protocol is to take off your shoes and wash your hands upon entering the cafe. There is also a waiting game involved. Since this place is just near Silom BTS station, people, may it be local Thai or even foreigners, find this secluded dog paradise at Soi 4 very accommodating. 

The cafe is located in a narrow alley at Soi 4 and surrounded with  different thai body spas and streetfood carts. At first glance of its location, you wouldn't expect that there lies a Dog cafe. They only offer drinks in their menu. You can choose either hot or cold coffee, or fruit shakes in an affordable price. Some of you might wonder why do they only offer drinks for their customers, that's because if there setup would be similar to Caturday, it would probably be a riot inside the cafe. Dogs at LOL Cafe are huge! They're not your ordinary dogs, they aren't teacup puppies or chiwawa doggies.

One interesting thing about visiting LOL Cafe, is the overwhelming feeling that you'll have when you are surrounded by different kind of dogs in one place without seeing them fight with each other. I guess if you are working there as a waiter/waitress, it is an advantage that you know how to handle them. Making sure that they are tamed but not getting their adorable-factor out of the window. As long as you are gentle and caring, they won't hurt you.

Cafe-Surfer,

Kara`mel_macchiato

Cafe-Surfing V.01 : Caturday Cafe

I am a cat lover. I've been one eversince I was a little kid. I like how their cute little paws look like, how they sleep in and purr, how sofisticated they look and move as if they live in time of Cleopatra. 

It was sort of a dream for me to visit a Cat cafe and thanks to Mr. Google and Mrs. Instagram, I finally found one. The first cafe I visited in Bangkok, Caturday Cafe. It is located  just right after you go down in Saladaeng BTS. From the station, it's just a two-minutes walk and then you'll see their signboard hanging. Arriving at the cafe, you could see a queue of people, mostly couples, tourists or group of friends waiting for their turn to go inside. At the door, a guy whose wearing an apron will take your name, list it on a piece of paper and will tell you to wait in line. The cafe was jam packed when we came and we waited for almost 10 minutes until it was our turn. Protocol was to take our shoes off, wash our hands and we're safe to go in. I was all giddy and excited upon entering the cafe. I could see the cats just roaming around, sleeping on the corners and just there waiting to be petted. We were located near their sleeping hub. There was a good number of kitty-cats, around 15 of them. The setup of the cafe is to let  the customers sit on the floor with small tables and cute cushions. Encouraging us to interact with the cats who happens to be just roaming around. 

There were a variety of cats, from kittens to mid-adult and adult cats, but I noticed one thing about them. Whenever someone attempts to pet them or even just gently touch them, they tend to avoid. I guess they are just stressed out from the fact that a lot of people goes in and out of the cafe. Too much exposure to people tends to keep them aloof and most of them sleep rather than interacting with humans. Its like they had enough of people rushing into them, trying to pet them, get a hold of them or take a picture with them. I can clearly see that they don't like it. So as a concerned human, I respect how they snob us and just go sleep in their kitty-cat caves. 

Here are some of the food we ordered on their menu. Price was reasonable because of the opportunity given to the customers is not ordinary. You get to sip coffee and eat a cake while some cute-cuddly-cats amaze you by their presence. You can't just resist to pet them and take a photo of them. 

Cafe-Surfer,

Kara`mel_macchiato

Cafe-Surfing in Bangkok

The french word "Cafe" means, coffee or coffeehouse, originated way back from early 19th century. Now that it is a global trend around the world, there has been a lot of cafés right in the heart of every city. May it be a laidback cafe, themed cafe, artsy one, or anything that you could imagine, cafés do exist to please each kind of coffee lover. 

Coffee, cakes, smoothies, french macaroons, cheesecakes...name it and for sure it will complete the ambiance you seek whenever you set foot inside a cafe.

As for me, everytime I get to see a coffee shop, It feels like something's pulling me to go and try what's in store. I can't resist myself from my own curiousity to get a taste of what they offer. Since I'm a coffee-cake-pastry-lover, I told myself to go out the city and go Cafe-surfing. This blog will keep a list of all the "I've-been-to", "soon-to-visit" or "my-next-stop" cafés around the corners of Bangkok. I know for sure that in every street or corner of this city will unveil a secret place to cove in. 

Let the Cafe-Surfing begin!

Shadows

I wrote this short poem for a friend. I know she'll always have that missing piece of her heart, but in time I know everything will be okay. 

"Shadows"

Shadows creep up your bedroom wall. Figuring why things needed to fall.

Thoughts of what-might-have-beens,

are blown away with the wind. 

Like a shadow disappearing, 

your heart is tearing. 

Maybe not yet today nor tomorrow, but in time..everything's gonna be fine. 

08/09/15

-Tatzle-

A Taste of Malaysia

This is the first country I'm setting my foot on. This is Kuala Lumpur. Just a little taste of how I spent my two weeks at Malaysia. 

Almost 8:00pm we are driving from KL Airport to Neo Damansara. Its 8pm but the sun is on its way settling down the cosmic clouds and sky high buildings. 

Roads were busy with rushing cars on the highway and crossing skyways. 

For two weeks we stayed at Neo Damansara. Just a 20-30 minute LRT ride from the heart of the city. 

This makes the LRT station scenic, black and white effect makes any photo dramatic. 

You can go to any city in Malaysia with Rapid KL LRT. Takes just a couple of minutes and viola! You're on your destination. 

First stop. The most infamous tower. Kuala Lumpur's Twin Towers. Located at KL Central. 

Nevermind me blocking the view. Its hard to take a photo of it. Trying to fit these two tall towers in one single frame. Distance and good angle is the key. After we took some photo-op, honestly we havent known where to go next. So we just went inside the mall and killed time until our tired feet decided to go take the LRT and snooze off to Neo Damansara. 

Second, Batu Caves. 

Before you enter the cave, you need to take the 200-step stairs. Along the stairs you can interact with some monkeys. Some of them are friendly, some are just snatching food from you. I suggest you bring somethig to give to the monkeys along the stairs. You can't escape from them. 

Upon entering the cave, you'll see some people praying at small altars, mostly tourists taking photos and wandering around the cave. 

Third, Petaling Street or Chinatown. Here you can see a lot of souvenir shops having a lot of things to choose from. Keychains, bags, authentic Malaysian textiles, Oldtown coffee, and a whole lot more. You can also see different kinds of food, mostly Chinese or Indian food, or ty also have Mcdonalds and KFC if you crave for fastfood. 

Well I havent mentioned anything about food. As you know, Malaysia is inter-racial. Malays, Chinese, and Indians. So, expect to have a feast. Let's start off with my top food on the list. 

First Malaysian food I ate. Kiampong rice (thought it was spelled as Kamphong rice), anyways this is my fave. According to google, its recipe originated from Chinese cuisine and some says its from Filipino too. 

Second on the list is Fried breaded Cuttlefish. I could still remember its sweet after taste. Perfect combination with Kiampong rice and a bottle of Pepsi. 

Third, The Steam boat. Street food buffet. A variety of streetfood to choose from. From seafood to meat balls, to classic i-don't-know-which-part-is-this-from, choose what you like...Mr. Steamboat got it. 

Your malaysia trip will never be complete without trying their own version of milk tea. Its an Indian drink named Tea Tarek. You can choose if you want it hot or cold. 

Breakfast is served. This is Roti. Indian food which is mostly served as breakfast. It is made of flour and butter similar to crepe but with curry sauce and some spice. When ordering roti, you can choose if you want something inside your roti, a banana, egg, or just plain roti. Perfect drink will be a tea Tarek for roti.

If you are craving for rice or a full meal, try eating Nasi Lemak. Rice and spicy chicken with sauce and peanuts. 

The most famous soup in malaysia, Tom Yam. Sounds like a name of a person right? Noodles with spice and thick sauce similar to Nasi lemak sauce. You can choose if you want the spice to be moderate or too spicy. They also use thick noodles. 

After experiencing malaysia, I will always be a fan of Tea Tarek, Roti Bam, Kiampong rice, and fried cuttlefish. This trip seems short but everything is worth it. 

Life at the Beach!

A 3-day break from the city lights and city rush.

                                       Headed to the south part of Negros, lies Guimaras Island.

White sand, and crystal clear waters.

Our co-teachers at SCB planned for this getaway and we just hitched on.

Backpack, money, camera, monopoly, vodka.

                                                 Essential things to carry for a short getaway.

                                 We rode a pump boat, which traveled almost 2 and a half hour.

Soaked with beach breeze and finally arrived at Guimaras.

Rode a tricycle going to Guisi and looked for a place to stay.

Our room has 2 big beds and is good for 7-8 persons.

Price was good and affordable.

While we were on the ocean.

Guisi, Guimaras.

Sissy Pose.

Can't stop smiling.

Nearly sunset and played with shadows.

First day sunset.

Breakfast for everyone. Native style.

Dropped by at their Lighthouse.

Window pane pose.

Guisi Lighthouse. Spiral stairs.

Peek-a-boo.

Upon entering.

Island hopping at Day 2.

Waves keep on crashing.

Paparazzi shot.

Lean your back and relax.

Flat bellies. 

Monopoly card game by the beach. Waiting for the sunset.

Sunset. Finally.

Strategy game. Monopoly. Would you dare?

Last Day. Last stroll b the beach.

Fresh Buko for sale.

Dropped by at Trappist. Souvenir shop.

Le Beach Life.