I'm the sort of person who has grown to embrace whatever surprises there are that come my way.
Whilst most surprises, thank God, are pleasant, the Embrace, I have to say, doesn't happen naturally always, and neither does it mean that I'll happily take it without reserve every single time.
But life has her turns and in one way or another I've learnt to have as open a mind as I can.
If this sounds philosophical, well, it's not meant to be.
I don't intend it to be.
It's simply a thought that's popped up at this moment as I look through these pictures from this day in Bangkok.
You know, I wasn't really sure what to expect when told we'd be staying at Movenpick Hotel behind the BDMS Wellness Center near Chidlom. Google Maps told me that there was a mall- the Central Embassy- a short walk away from the hotel, but that, it seemed, was generally it.
It didn't take me long to realize that this was a quieter neighborhood.
But morning came and it became very apparent that there's a marked difference between a quiet neighborhood, and a neighborhood with a park that once used to belong to a private Residence but has now become open to the public.
We took a walk through Nai Lert Park this morning to the TOPS Supermarket at Central Chidlom.
Now, if anyone had told me that there would be such a beautifully manicured spot of green right in the heart of this bustling, noisy, near-concrete city, I would never have believed it.
But there Nai Lert Park stood, and in her gardens, even someone as blur as me could tell that there was a lot of heart.
Someone had taken much effort to keep everything in tip top shape, whether it were ensuring the plants and trees remained lush and green, whether it were keeping the grass trimmed, or whether everything were carefully manicured to a degree of near perfection.
i liked seeing the traditional Thai houses.
i also liked seeing the neat wooden benches, the pond full of lotus flowers, and the perfectly maintained heritage trees.
If this park had belonged once to a private home owner, I could imagine just how a Resident- maybe a man, or a lady of the house- might walk out of the home to seat themselves on these benches in the cool of the morning, or evening, just to absorb the green.
There was unfortunately no chance for me to sit down on the bench this morning.
We were heading to breakfast at the food court of TOPS, and a good one it turned out to be.
It's not every day that I get to have a (Southern style) biscuit with scrambled egg for breakfast. In fact, if you ask me, I think it was my first, so I'm glad that the biscuit had that comfortable blend of buttery salt, and soft, fluffy scrambled egg stuffed in between.
If it isn't every day that I get to have a biscuit for breakfast, neither is it every day that I get to have an egg and ham thick toast sandwich plus an omelet with salad and tater tots, and a bowl of creamy pumpkin soup which even at breakfast time tasted so good.
Back it was on the quiet road along the canal for the walk back.
I had thought that this road was just what it was.
Now I saw that it was well maintained with some sort of horticulture landscaping along it.
Afternoon we went out for what was supposed to be (I think) another heritage meal but the place was closed- on account of it being the Songkran weekend- and so we agreed to have a meal of Padthai from Thipsamai instead.
If there's one dish I know I won't ever be complaining about- never mind where I am- it would be this.
Don't ask me why I love it so much.
i just do.
There're many methods of preparing this, there're varying standards, and I like them all, but this here at Thipsamai- what I call the OG of PadThai- has to be one of the best, if not the best.
It's not merely the slightly sweet, slightly salty, faint river shrimp taste of PadThai, it's the perfect texture between oil and dry, and the cheery, whet-your-appetite color that draws me.
Besides the PadThai with Shrimp Oil, Fresh Deep Sea Prawns, and Egg, we had also another order of spring rolls, which we'd fallen in love the previous time we came, and so decided to have back again their variety platter this time.
One thing I noticed this time coming to Thipsamai was their open kitchen.
From where I sat this afternoon I could look through the large clear window and watch both senior, and junior, chefs working their spatulas over the wok. There was a fluidity, a harmony in the way they worked their spatulas, in the way they lifted the wok, in the steady yet nonchalant way they stirred the noodles inside.
It made them look like they were one with their tools.
I admired it.
Our very late lunch being over this afternoon, we headed over to the rooftop bar of Park Hyatt Bangkok for drinks and dinner.
I had been a little surprised when told we'd be going- drinks are not often on the itinerary when it comes to travel- but thirty minutes into our meal at Penthouse Bar & Grill and I realized just why.
Park Hyatt Bangkok lies on the hotel side of Central Embassy on 88 Witthayu Road. On the top floor of this very tall hotel property is the Penthouse bar & Grill.
As such, it is a full, unadulterated 360-degree view of Bangkok's cityscape that greets you just as soon as you climb up the short flight of stairs and open the door.
I'd like to say that I knew just what I was looking at, but I don't know enough of Bangkok's skyscrapers to recognize just where, and what I'm looking at.
I might have been looking at Pathum Wan.
I might have been looking at Khlong Toei or Sathorn or Phaya Thai.
There's a possibility that I might have been looking as far as Samut Prakan, or the Dusit District or Chatuchak.
But I don't know how far the horizon goes, and I don't know which building is at where.
Perhaps one day I might have a better understanding.
But this evening I was just glad to appreciate the view of Bangkok from this height.
I was glad to enjoy the beef nachos and the truffle fries.
And best of all, I'm glad to have enjoyed my drink.
Those who can handle their whisky on the rocks might not find this cup of green thing a very big deal, but for someone who tends to limit her alcohol to only either wine or makkgeoli, sipping a cocktail called Yok Lor can be quite a thrill.
Here's the funny thing though.
I don't know what the alcohol in it is.
I'm assuming it's the Malai or the Kosapan Jasmin.
Because it seems unlikely that coconut, green tea, pandan, boi yanang and lime would be alcoholic...
Then again, it might be the boi yanang.
I really wouldn't know. :D