Catch Up In Bangkok

My late father was employed at the same company all his life. Starting out as an office boy after Form 5, he left as the CEO of Bangkok Bank Kuala Lumpur after 41 years of service. That I believe is the epitome of loyalty and commitment. Through-out the years, we met many of his Thai colleagues who were posted to Kuala Lumpur. Of the many, we've only kept in touch with Khun Chatjai who was here during the last few years of dad's tenure at the bank. Now retired and back in Bangkok, we try to catch up whenever we are on holiday there.

 

I last had lunch with Khun Chatjai 2 years ago, with my sister to be exact, when we were in Bangkok celebrating my cousin Siew Yoong's birthday. This time round, a couple of weeks back actually, Mum and I met up with Khun Chatjai and his wife, Auntie Polly, over afternoon tea. Mum hadn't seen them in many years and it was a somewhat emotional yet happy meeting.

 

Keeping in contact with my dad's friends is a way of remembering him. We reminisce about our time spent together but most importantly catch up on the latest and what the future may hold. Such meetings, though short, remind us of the value of friendship and the necessary effort to nurture and maintain such bonds.

 

 

With Khun Chatjai, Auntie Polly, Mum and my dad's sisters, Aunties Anne and Mary at Dean & Deluca in Bangkok, Thailand.

Good Food In Hatyai

You know the food is good when every dish is wiped clean at every meal. That was the case during our company trip to Hatyai recently. Good food always makes a trip more enjoyable. Good food with good company I might add.

I have been going to Hatyai since I was about 7. My late father worked for Bangkok Bank all his life and we often visited Thailand, be it Hatyai, Bangkok or Chiangmai. I've in the past year or two added Phuket and Koh Samui to the list. Going back to Hatyai, since we are almost always creatures of habit, I like to go back to the same restaurants that I have so enjoyed dining at over the years. I rely on my mum who keeps a stack of business cards which come in handy when giving directions to tuk-tuk drivers. And we are never disappointed when we get to these restaurants.

This time round, we averaged 8 to 10 dishes during every lunch and dinner. Add that to breakfast, afternoon tea and supper, plus snacks from roadside vendors in between, well, you do the math in terms of calories! But that's what holidays are about ain't it? Makan!

Photo shot at Kaneng Restaurant in Hatyai, Thailand.

Childhood Saturdays

I very recently went back to Bangkok Bank after not having visited for more than a decade. I went with my mum to sort out some of her personal matters following my dad's passing.

I remember it being a stopover as we went about our Saturdays when I was a kid. My father's one and only job throughout his life was with Bangkok Bank. He started out as an office boy and rose through the ranks to become the CEO of the Kuala Lumpur branch during 4 decades of service.

My mum, sister and I would often go down town on Saturdays - have brunch at one of the coffeeshops, hit Petaling Street for some shopping and later meet up with my dad. One of the coffeeshops was Lai Foong. When I visited last week, some of the hawker stalls that I loved had closed but the Milo was just as good as I recalled. These old haunts bring back good memories and though some may have undergone changes, they still bring a smile to my face when the opportunity to re-visit arises.

Photo of a cup of Milo at Lai Foong in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.