2012 Bangkok Trip

For our 2012 year-end family trip, we headed to Bangkok, Thailand. The city is special for me and Joseph because this is where we got married 6 years ago. Back then, no one in our respective families attended our civil wedding ceremony (though we had obtained their blessings before we travelled). Visiting the city again this time brings back memories. Now, it was not just the 2 of us, but we have also brought our family with us (Lola, Hendrik and baby#2 due in April 2013) for our annual holiday trip overseas. 

As mentioned in my previous post, our family overseas holiday is our culminating activity of the year. This is our post-Christmas, my birthday, and New Year celebrations rolled into one.

We left Singapore late afternoon of 30 December 2012 and arrived in Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International airport past 8pm. Bangkok is 1 hour behind Singapore’s time.

~ Hendrik looking for our check-in counter ~

~ @ Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 2 ~

 

 ~ Mommy, Hendrik and Daddy aboard the plane bound for Bangkok ~

 ~ keeping Hendrik busy on the plane ~

Since we did not arrange for airport pick-up, we hired the airport taxi at Suvarnabhumi International Airport going to our hotel (Legacy Suites) for THB1,500.00 (SGD61.00).

~ Hendrik just loves his travel trolley bag ~

~ "Welcome to Bangkok!" ~

~ tired but happy ~

~ quite spacious toilet and bath area ~

~ mini living room ~

~ @ the hotel's new tower lobby ~

~ Chillz Restaurant buffet breakfast area ~

~ we love buffet breakfasts at the hotel ~

~ Chillz Restaurant early in the morning ~

Since it was already late when we have settled in our hotel room, we have decided that we buy Mommy’s birthday cake the next day and have our usual family pictures taken.
  

 ~ Mommy's birthday cake from Madame Marco ~

 ~ Hendrik with Mommy's black forest cake ~

 ~ Mommy's birthday kiss from the sweet boy ~

 ~ "i love you lola and mommy! ~

 ~ kisses from Mommy's boys ~

 ~ happy! ~

 ~ wacky ~

 ~ future photographer shooting the birthday celebrant ~

We spent 31^st December, the last day of 2012, exploring the nearby places from our hotel. Terminal 21, the newest mall in Bangkok is just a 10-minute walk from where we stayed. The mall’s concept places several famous cities of the world under one roof. Every floor / level has its own theme – Caribbean at the basement level for take-away food outlets, banks and some book stores; Rome and Paris’ Champs-Élysées are at the ground floor and M floor respectively for international and local fashion labels; Tokyo, London and Istanbul are on the on the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd floor respectively for smaller shops by local independent labels; San Francisco is on the 4^th and 5^th floors which is the haven for food lovers; and last but not the least, Hollywood is on the 6^th floor for one’s viewing pleasure at the cinemas. Terminal 21 aims to resemble a 21^st-century airport where floor signs depict the arrival and / or departure in particular cities and where information desk receptionists are clad in airline uniforms.

~ "m gonna tour 'round the world here" ~

~ L-R: Rome, London, Istanbul, Paris, Rome, Carribbean, Rome, London, Rome, departure for Istanbul, London, Hollywood ~

We also visited Benjasiri Park late in the afternoon where Hendrik spent some time in the slides before heading for dinner at Emporium Mall which is just right next to the park.

~ walking along Sukhumvit Road ~

~ the Imperial Queen @ Benjasiri Park ~

~ outside Emporium ~

~ Hendrik and Daddy with the fe[male]? entertainer outside the Emporium ~

~ a lot of snowmen ~

On the first day of 2013 (01 Jan), we were up early because we had a scheduled trip to Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. Since it’s a 45-minute drive from our hotel, we had arranged for a private tour guide and van. It was about 8:30am when we arrived there. Since we were there early, we were able to grasp and enjoy the cool breeze which later on turned into the usual hot and humid Bangkok air. It was Hendrik and Lola’s first time and we were all very excited to ride on the paddle boat.

~ "Happy 2013 from Thailand with love" ~

~ Mommy enjoying mango with sticky rice ~

~ cruising the floating village ~

~ the end of our 1-hour paddle boat ride ~

~ "eeeeeeee..." ~

~ Hendrik said he wanted to do the boat ride again ~

We arrived at the hotel at about 1pm. After having our lunch, Daddy and Hendrik tried the hotel swimming pool. It was cold and they only spent about 30 minutes in the water. 

After that, Hendrik enjoyed and lathered in a warm foam bath back in our hotel room. He enjoyed it so much that he did it again before we checked-out from the hotel on our last day.

~ "this is life!" ~

On the second day of 2013 (02 Jan), we planned to get inside the Grand Palace grounds for some Thai architecture appreciation. We had planned to do it in the morning so we could avoid the scorching heat of Mr Sun. The cab driver we hired to take us to the Grand Palace requested that we pass by a jewelry shop first so that he can earn points and eventually get free fuel if he has collected enough by referring tourists to the said jewelry shop. Kind-hearted as we are, we agreed to it, and thought that maybe we would only be spending at most 10-15mins without any obligation to purchase. Surprisingly, we spent a great deal of time there. Lola did jewelry shopping. She bought a ring and a bracelet. Aside from the time spent looking and trying on the jewelries, we also waited for her ring to be resized to fit her finger. We also bought fashion rings for our female friends back in Singapore as pasalubongs / tokens. So, when we reached the Grand Palace it was already 11am and Mr Sun was surely showing his powers. It was so hot and very crowded too! We have decided that we don’t enter the palace grounds anymore as the heat was draining our energy. Joseph and I had been inside when we visited Bangkok in 2006, and it was also fine with Lola not to enter anymore. We were just left with photo taking from outside the palace grounds and then head to MBK for our lunch and some more shopping.

We had fun in Bangkok. According to Daddy, it was the most relaxing trip as our days were not filled with jam-packed sight-seeing schedules. This was due to the fact that Daddy was with special-needs people =) --  pregnant Mommy Feona, elderly Lola and toddler Hendrik.

~ bye-bye Bangkok ~

We left Bangkok on 03 January 2013 at around 8pm and landed in Singapore around 11:30pm. 

~ departure area @ Suvarnabhumi International Airport ~

~ going back to Singapore ~

~ till next time ~

We had a great time. And we are looking forward to another year-end family trip.  =)


Related posts: 3 Decembers, Penang 

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"I love you Mommy, so much!"

I had an unpleasant dream last night that Hendrik was away with us. He stayed in the Philippines with Joseph’s relatives while we were working in Singapore. When we came over to visit, he has changed. He has matured and I felt that I missed a whole lot in his upbringing. I felt sad. I also woke up with a heavy heart.

When I came home this afternoon from work, Hendrik was still having his afternoon nap. I woke him up at around 6:30pm and then I informed him that I had dreamed about him last night. He was curious and asked what the dream was about. Then I told him about him being away with us for so long that I terribly missed him so much. I was actually tearing up when I was telling him. I also hugged him and told him over and over that I love him very much.

Suddenly, he remembered something and said, “I’ll get…”

He got up and got the ipad which was placed on the other side of the bed. He sure wanted to surprise me, therefore asked me not to look. Then, he showed me this one that he made before he had his nap:

Awwww…. {Sob… sob… sob…}

I hope and pray that the [bad] dream would just remain a [bad] dream.

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Christmas 2012

Same with what we did for 2011, our family and friends had a photo shoot on the eve of 24 December at home before the clock struck 12:00 midnight for our noche buena:

Kuya Liam, baby Aleeza and Hendrik

Kuya Liam and baby sister Aleeza

Kuya Liam and Hendrik

Tita Charme and Tito Cyril

Tita Anne, Tito Cyril and Tita Charme

Tangalin-Sobreguil family

Lola and Nanay

Mommy, Hendrik and Lola

Daddy, Hendrik and Mommy

Mommy and her love

Daddy and Hendrik

group photo - serious mode

group photo - wacky mode

Hendrik happy with his Christmas present

Thanks Tita Ann (and Tito Allen and Tita Joyee) for this guitar

Although we would have loved to spend Christmas with our respective families back in the Philippines, this is the closest to home (as Tito Cyril puts it). We are blessed to have a wonderful family here in Singapore. And this family is growing. As you can see, Tita Leomie has an additional cute baby girl Aleeza, and Mommy Feona is on the family way with another baby boy due in April 2013.


Related post: Happy Christmas (2011)

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