This was my first time in Thailand. I spent 48 hours there but managed to pack it all in! Shortly after I arrived, I went to a welcome dinner at a restaurant called Bo.Lan, where I was introduced to the chef Dylan Jones. He took us back to the kitchen and explained how they prepare their local meals. He told us how they prepare everything in-house and fresh. For example, they serve pork from pigs that have been fed fermented coconut, which provides a very unique flavour. What a strange yet genius idea!
The restaurant makes everything from scratch – from their spices to their coconut milk, which is my favourite, so I enjoyed eating a lot of Thai desserts and dishes containing coconut milk. My favourite dish from that evening at Bo.Lan was coconut cream served in a beautiful bowl with rice balls. It was super-tasty, light and had a lot of coconut flavour, while the rice balls gave it that slightly chewy texture. It was really nice. I also enjoyed watching the traditional Ramakien puppet show in the same restaurant, where the male Hanuman puppet approached us and started kissing, joking and flirting with us. That was really cute.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PLANET
My second day was dedicated to IWC and the new IWC Da Vinci collection. I gave interviews following a media lunch and Q & A session, in which we discussed life, family, IWC and travelling. It was nice to get to know some local journalists and learn about their points of view and their focus on storytelling. In the evening, I attended the IWC Da Vinci exhibition opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Siam Paragon Mall where I got to meet even more locals, celebrities and personalities. We exchanged lots of life- and work-related experiences. I always notice how similar people’s dreams, aspirations and problems are on opposite sides of the planet.
I got to wear a stunning white dress that evening, which was designed by Polpat Asavaprapha of the label Asaya from Bangkok. I had met him earlier that day during a fitting session. He is great! What a character! I really love his designs and his fashion. I feel like it’s very much my style, so I liked everything I saw and I was lucky enough to even take some pieces back home with me that I can wear and enjoy.
I always notice how similar people’s dreams, aspirations and problems are on opposite sides of the planet.
SUITCASE OF MEMORIES
Last but not least, I went to see an exhibition of the private wardrobe of Queen Sirikit at the Museum of Textiles. The beautifully designed dresses from her first trip to Europe were exhibited as well as her wardrobe from the 1950s to the present day. Our visit to that exhibition was organized together with one of the Philippines’ most influential bloggers, Kim Jones (@kimcamjones), so I didn’t have to be alone and I had a friend to go with. We had a really great time together and Kim was a great companion, a good pal to have to explore this city together. That same evening – after spending almost exactly 48 hours in this bustling city – I flew back home with a suitcase filled with vivid memories of unforgettably colourful impressions, feelings, experiences and aromas.
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