My Favourite List (Thai Dramas / Lakorns) Part IV

Here is the final part of my favourite Thai drama list.

Piang Chai Khon Nee Mai Chai Poo Wised (When a man loves a woman)

After Wanida, I forgot about Thai dramas for a couple of years till I came across 

Sand Princess subbed videos on YouTube.  As I searched for more shows on YouTube, 

I chanced upon this gem, starring James Ma and Kimmy. 

Dr Wat and Nut encountered each other purely by chance which left our doctor 

enchanted. Of course, there were a couple of misunderstandings when they met again 

and Nut didn't know quite know what to make of the charming doctor. Should she give in 

to her growing feelings or should she be on guard and protect her heart from opportunists 

who approach her for her family's money?  Despite Nut's father liking Dr Wat, her distrust caused

their arranged marriage not to be as smooth-sailing as we would like. Witnessing how Dr Wat's

sincere heart has finally managed to break down all the walls Nut has built around her heart

will have you squealing with delight. Both of them have helped each other grow and learn to

love while embracing each others' faults. Forget butterflies, you will get the whole zoo 

in your stomach while enjoying those delightful scenes  between the two leads. 

Trust me, I have watched it 3 times so far. 

My Favourite List (Thai Dramas / Lakorns) Part III

Welcome back! 

Have you been binge-watching lakorns and are back for more recommendations? Part III will be about period dramas, with the first two set around the 1960s and the third set in Ayutthaya Kingdom during the reign of King Narai (1656-1688).  

Neung Nai Suang (Only You in My Heart)

Yaya's character was raised by her aunt family as she lost both parents at a young age. Due to her chubbiness, she was bullied by James Ji during play dates between the two families. When they met again as adults upon James' return from Europe after completing his studies, Yaya remembered him and wanted nothing to do with him. James, on the other hand, couldn't recognise the beauty before him as a young girl who used to be bullied by him. So he was shocked when she refused to dance with him at a party and angry that she publicly embarrassed him - a popular dream guy for all the girls in town. The story follows them as he kept picking fights with Yaya.

My Favourite List (Thai Dramas / Lakorns) Part II

So how many dramas from my Part I review have you watched?

Shall we continue? This Part II is dedicated to one of my shipped couple Nadech-Yaya.

Rising Sun 2

As I didn't watch Rising Sun 1 with Mario and Taew, I was a bit confused in the first few episodes. Set in Japan, Nadech's character became the new Souryo of their Onitsuka family clan upon the death of his cousin.  To protect his betrothed Yaya (whom he also loves) during these uncertain times of leadership changes, Nadech distanced himself from Yaya for a few years. But of course, she didn't know the reason for his disappearance and thought he was just toying with her feelings.  

My Favourite List (Thai Dramas / Lakorns) Part I

Although diversity could be strength to explore creativity, I personally need romance, comedy, cute moments and happy endings in my dramas. If our tastes are the same, read on for my favourite list, which could be a gentle introduction for lakorn newbies.

Wanida 

Back in 2010, my Cambodian friend introduced me to my very first Thai drama called Wanida for their stunning outfits from 1940s/1950s. Aff's father is a loan shark who worries that his daughter won't be able to marry well due to his unfavourable reputation in society. Tik's noble family only has good name but no wealth to accompany it. When Tik's brother was unable to repay a large amount of money he owed to Aff's father, the latter demanded marriage to his daughter as a repayment. The drama followed Tik & Aff as they were forced into a contract marriage and slowly fell in love despite obstacles thrown at them by conniving ex-girlfriend and interfering mother-in-law.  Overreacting servants either provided comedic relief or cringe-inducing moments, depending on how you look at it. However, we witness how both Tik and Aff grew and matured through the the narrative. How a son's filial duty, a man's integrity as well as a woman's strong will and perseverance intertwined to create a story which  was cliche but nonetheless beautiful.

Due to lack of subbed Thai videos back then as well as the colossal success of Korean shows reignited by the popularity of Boys Over Flowers, I went back to the K-drama land. Fast forward to 2019, Korean shows available didn't quite capture my interest and I decided to watch highly acclaimed Thai movie Friend Zone. While the movie is by no means a standout with its own shortcomings in terms of story & character development, Baifern shines brightly with her charm. 

Food for Thought 5 [Hallyu Wave - from a Fan's perspective]

[Disclaimer: all images used in this post are obtained from Google image search.  None of these are my own.  For my personal encounter with stars and respective filming location visits, I will upload my own photos in another post.]

Once we mention the word "Hallyu Wave", many of us already knows its meaning - Korean Wave - the increase in global popularity of South Korean culture through performing arts such as drama, movie and music. There has been many researches and articles already written on this phenomenon since its such an unexpected development with the potential to challenge the monopoly dominance that Hollywood was enjoying in the entertainment industry, at least in Asia. 

BUT I wouldn't bore you with all these academic arguments. Instead, I will be reminiscing about my love affair with the Korean entertainment. I am actually surprised and glad to have witnessed the beginning of Hallyu Wave myself.

Food for Thought 4 [Greatest Pop Music from My Pre-Teen Years]

The other day, I was browsing through our old stash of CDs as my car only had built-in 30-pin Apple cable and CD player.  It totally made me feel like I had traveled back in time. 

(Credit: Britney Spears Official Vevo)

Way before the popularity of iPod and iPhone, we didn't enjoy the convenience that iTunes offers - an avenue to download your favorite songs for 99 cents each.  Instead, we had to physically bring our lazy asses to the music store  in those days!  

My Favorite List (food in Singapore) - Part II

Part II as promised :D

This is slightly different from Part I in terms of organization. This one is arranged based on the type of meal, depending on ambiance and signature items that these places are known for.  

Late breakfast / Brunch

Prive Cafe @ Keppel Island

Address: 2 Keppel Bay Vista, Singapore 098382

Nearest MRT: Harborfront (on the purple line & yellow line)

Price: SGD 20 ++

Remark: The cafe opens at 9am, just nice for a late breakfast :D

Why I love it: This place is so close to town area yet it makes you feel like you are on holiday at a tropical paradise.  Look around you.  Clear blue sky, turquoise water and white yachts soothe your tired soul. The pace of life slows down and it allows you to recharge your batteries. Just 5 min cab ride away from Vivo City / Harbourfront MRT. Not a bad deal huh?  The food is just so-so though, nothing spectacular.

http://theprivegroup.com.sg/images/prive/menu/prive%20a%20la%20carte%20menu.pdf

My Favorite List (food in Singapore) - Part I

Food is definitely an important feature of Singapore. We are all very spoiled with endless choices ranging from cheap hawker fares to expensive fine dining restaurants and from local cuisine all the way to exotic food like Mexican and Spanish.  Throw in the stressful & hectic lifestyle (hustle & bustle of city living, you know?).  Of course, eating out is so common here (I admit I'm generalizing and talking about majority). We love food. But we all have our favorites right? So here is mine:

Buffet

1) Jing Restaurant

Address: #01-02/03, 1 Fullerton Road, Singapore 049213

Nearest MRT: Raffles Place (on the red line & green line)

Price: SGD 48 ++ per adult

Remark: Only available on weekend & public holidays, from 12:00 to 14:30

Why I love it: Whenever we go for buffet, we always always end up eating more than we should, just to make our money worthwhile.  But in the long run, its just bad for us, our waistline will hate us!  I have learnt it the hard way that we should value quality over quantity and this is the place to be if you love Asian food AND buffet. It's slightly on the pricey side BUT Peking Duck, Chilli Crab & Fragrance Rice with Shark Fin will make it worth your money.

http://jing.sg/downloads/JING_WeekendAlaCarteBrunchBuffet.pdf

My music taste at the moment

Recently, I think I have become a couch potato! haha :D According to our new cable subscription, we now have MTV Asia and Channel V! Plus, I get to watch The Voice (American Singing Competition where Adam from Maroon 5, Blake Shelton, Celo & Christina are judges) from Monday to Friday too!!! haha I gotta start doing some stretching exercises while I watch TV. Oh well!

The good thing about listening to a lot of music is that I just get lost in these upbeat songs and forget my troubles for awhile! It just makes me feel cheerful! I am starting to love "Wings" by Little Mix.  I don't know about you but sometimes, its just hard not to let people's opinions get to me.  I have to give myself some pep talk and songs are a great way to go, you know? Let's not let people get us down! At the end of the day, the only opinions which matter are our loved ones' and they are not gonna make you feel bad about yourself.