...make a trip to the Land of Smiles?

HY, LK and I am making our long-awaited trip to BKK! Finally!

While discussing online last night, we were getting ourselves really excited with the prospect of yummy food, good (and affordable?) shopping and lavish treats of massages....and most of all, catching up on all the girly stuff...

So yes, Land of Smiles...here we come! :)

... still think of Bangkok as the Land of Smiles

The recent Red Shirts situation and a series of other personal events have kept me from posting for a while. Since then, I have made an amazing trip to India (which I will post about as soon as I tidy up my archive of photos) and have been forced to move out of my apartment in Bangkok (as it is right in the middle of the conflict zone) .

It seems like I cannot let a day pass without numerous bbm and messages from my very worried dad. Or warm messages from friends who care. It is easy to watch CNN and have only images of violence and the clashes in Bangkok. But amidst all that chaos and heartache, there is a glimmer of hope and beauty in the Land of Smiles.

These photos were taken one recent weekend when I went to a nearby village at the fringe of Bangkok. It was a lovely Saturday and this is a makeshift school where these children were still playing and learning, despite the red shirts and soldiers just several kilometres from the village.

... get an EVIL camera?

I have been very eager to write about my new toy and H has just beat me to it! However, I can't help but still blog about my 1 month old EVIL camera.

So we know what a DSLR is and what a Point-and-Shoot is. Mine is one of those new litte cameras with the removable lenses - Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens (EVIL).

EVILS are for people who want is all and my new Olympus EP1 is all that:

• Drool-worthy picture quality to rival a digital SLR
  
• Small and light enough to fit into the Birkin or Longchamp (while still packing in the sunnies, lip gloss, blackberry, kindle, keys and such)
  
• Blend in or be 'invisible' without the obtrusive big black camera body and lens to take more intimate and candid pictures since the camera doesn't 'arrive' before you do
  
• Vintage-chic appearance to match military-inspired combat pants (when being slightly rough and rugged is de rigeur) or the retro sundress

I am told that the first 10,000 pictures one takes are a write-off. They're not good enough and you should never show them to anyone. But we're amongst friends and this is about my journey learning photography. Here are some pictures (within my first 1000) from a lively market in Bangkok - Pak Khlong Talat. It was an incredible day. The friendly Thai people at the market fed me food, packed my bag with free vegetables and were always camera-ready...

...check out David Collin's work at Ritz Carlton Residences, Bangkok

Last week marks the launch of the Ritz Carlton Residences in Bangkok. The architect is Ole Scheeren of the Office of Metropolitan Architecture (OMA). Ole was for a very brief period of time one of my tutors at architecture school but more interestingly, he is Maggie Cheung's equally gorgeous half.

For the launch of the Bangkok Ritz-Carlton Residences, the developer decided to showcase 2 designs - one by OMA and the other by David Collins. I wonder if it's because I've grown out of the avant garde, cool and aloof, slick and architectural interiors... But I unexpectedly fell in love with the David Collins interiors and found myself slightly disappointed with the OMA design. It is a collaboration with Alex Lamont, who is based in Bangkok and well-versed in quality furniture with a deep understanding the materiality of resources from the region. The brilliant collaboration was expressed in an array of dramatic marble, intriately designed floors, exotic wall coverings and leather furniture. Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures of the show units (although I am certain it would not be long before they would appear on the internet).

For now, I'll just like to introduce his works to you. David Collins is the interior designer behind some of London and New York's highly acclaimed interiors. David's interiors combine British luxe style with Hollywood glamour and are simultaneously simple and luxurious. He has designed many of London’s key bars and restaurants including the Blue Bar at the Berkley Hotel, The Artesian Bar at The Langham Hotel and The Wolsey on Picadilly as well as Nobu, Locanda Locatelli and the eateries at the National Gallery. Collins has increasingly been designing stateside in New York and counts Madonna as a residential client. Word is that he;s working on something in Shanghai and possibly getting a project in Singapore. Breath abated. But for now, here's some visual lust to share:

At Home with David

Private residence, London

The London NYC Hotel, Manhatten

Private residence, Kensington, London


Private residence, London

Penthouse, Tribeca, Manhatten

Dining with David

The Blue Bar, Berkeley Hotel, London

Nobu Berkeley Street, Mayfair, London

In Bed with David

David's private residence, London