Jazzy June

June has been a jam packed month filled with many activities and events.  The month started with Vesak celebration.  I went vegetarian for a full week prior to the day and finally went to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple on the day itself.  The temple was packed with worshippers as expected.  I went with Lincoln and finished in about 30 minutes before finally going back home. 

Happy Vesak Day From Buddha Tooth Relic Temple - Galaxy Note 9

In the late afternoon we went to the Botanic Gardens for a short walk to end the 1st day of the much welcome long weekend.  

Hello There Swan - Galaxy Note 9

I also decided to go for TCM treatment for my lower back, at my wife's recommendation.  She found a good TCM clinic called Acu Point, which although is very good, also very expensive.  I also realised that the shorter the interval between treatments, the more effective the course is and the faster the ailment would go away - unfortunately the clinic is very packed and I could only get appointments in 2 week intervals.  In fact this Saturday I should be going for my last session.

View From Roya Square Novena - Galaxy Note 9

The missus also got lucky and won a 55 inch TV in a lucky draw at Harvey Norman Millenia Walk.  It was The Muttons who presented her with the new TV. 

The Missus About to Take Her Pick - Galaxy Note 9

As for myself, I decided to upgrade my phone from Galaxy Note 9 to Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.  While I love the camera and the generally faster overall performance, I still don't feel like I love this phone yet.  It still feels foreign in my hand.  And I really hate the on screen finger print scanner which is just terrible as compared to the dedicated one on Note 9.  

Finally Got a Wide Angle in My Phone - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

However, it is the last Samsung flagship to still have a micro SD card slot, so I can't see myself using any newer phones.  I have given up the 3.5mm jack as I now have a reasonably good Creative Outlier Pro, which by the way still can't compare with my 6 years old wired Audio Technica CKR90iS that doesn't even require charging..  But well...  I guess I'll have to live with that...

Trying Out The Wide Angle Again - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

At the same time I also changed my Indonesian phone to the Galaxy S21 FE which does not have both 3.5mm jack and micro SD card slot. I can really feel the inconvenience of not having both necessary features, but that phone will mostly be the wifi hotspot anyway, so not much of a problem.

Harbourbay Night in Batam - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

The missus and I also went to Batam to renew our Indonesian driving licenses.  It was a troublesome process, we had to undergo some psychiatric and health tests that were totally unnecessary.  Fortunately we cleared everything within 4 hours and still had time for ourselves in the afternoon. 

Waiting For Photo Taking - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

As the kids didn't want to come along, we decided to go to one of Harbourbay's nightspots for a fancy dinner.  While the food can't compare to even Ma Maison in Singapore, the change of atmosphere was not bad, although the place was definitely more for raving and partying adults than for families.

Loud Music + Cigarette Smoke - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

My Dinner - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

On The Way Back to Singapore - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

Shortly after that trip, at work my team had to host a gathering of regional trainers in Singapore.  It was a good face to face meeting that allowed me to interact with people I had only communicated with through emails and chats.  

View From Level 38 of The Regional Office - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

The Other Side - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

And That's The Meeting - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

A Can of Beer From The Boss - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

My BIL and his family came for a holiday in Singapore too, but I was too busy to attend to them really.  Although their visit did coincide with the missus' birthday, we went to Spruce after such a long time for the missus' birthday dinner.  We also went for dinner at Sin Hoi Sai and brunch at Canopy Hort Park.  Man... this month has certainly been tough on my wallet....

One of Those Lunches at Canopy Hortpark - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

After the missus' birthday, it was time for us to go to Bangkok.  I was asked by the boss to go to Bangkok to attend a workshop for the South Asia countries.  I really looked forward to that trip as I would be meeting old friends from "K" Line.  

Waiting to Board Our Flight at Changi - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

We went on the 20th afternoon, arrived at night and went to Silom Complex for dinner.  We walked past Patpong Night Market, which was kind of inappropriate for the kids.  So on the way back home we took the long route from Rama IV road.  

Late Dinner at Ros Niyom Restaurant Silom Complex - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

Settling in Our Comfy Room at Le Meridien - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

The following morning started early as we gathered at the lobby at 7:15 a.m. before we boarded a mini van to ONE Thailand's office.  

GHQ & RHQ Participants - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

At the office, the workshop started promptly at 8:30 a.m. and ended at 5:30 p.m. on both days.  We had so many to discuss and talk about and so little time.  

Coffee Before Start of Workshop - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

Workshop Participants Shadowing The Thai Agents - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

A Nice Lunch - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

"Speed Dating" - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

Of Course I'm The Winner of The Quiz - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

Nice View From 28th Floor of ONE TH Office - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

For me it was a great experience to meet staff from other countries, learning some best experiences and caught up with old friends. 

At the end of the 1st day, I had to rendezvous with the missus and the kids at Siam Paragon, which is like 1.8 km away from the office by foot.  So I walked the full 1.8 Km from Chamchuri Square to Siam Paragon in 25 minutes with a laptop + charger in my backpack.

Night 2: Walked 1.8 KM From Chamchuri Square to Siam Paragon - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

The 2nd night was no different.  I had to rendezvous with the missus and the kids at CentralWorld.  So it was another walk from Chamchuri Square to Sala Daeng BTS, which was a lot more manageable at about 600 metres.  From Sala Daeng I took a BTS ride to Siam, from where I walked along the sky bridge to Central World.  As I was not in the mood for dinner in packed malls, I decided to just go for room service in Pullman while the missus made a pit stop at Urban Retreat for a nice Thai massage.

Night 3: BTS Ride to Siam - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

Night 3: The Ever Famous Erawan Shrine - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

On the 3rd day, I took a one day leave to enjoy Bangkok with the kids and the missus.  We went to ICONSiam which is like the best place to be in Bangkok now.  

"Night Market" in ICONSiam - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

Today we've just celebrated Lincoln's birthday.  That boy has turned 13 today.  We had a simple celebration at home, I got him a new Nintendo Switch game and we just sang the birthday song and ate a nice Chef Yamashita Lychee cake.  

And that's how June comes to a close.  

Here's a closing shot for this month's entry:

Lovely Sunset in River Valley - Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

~ Photos Taken with Samsung Galaxy Note 9 & Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra ~