In the land of the Thai and the Chinese

Well, analyzing the lifestyle and culture of places is a highly learning and enjoyable experience. When I recently toured Bangkok and China, I was constantly comparing the two on various grounds and obviously not drawing conclusions as to which one is better than the other simply because culture of both the places are quite diverse and rich.

As far as the food aspect is concerned, both places have sizeable options to offer on their streets. However, more popular are the scrumptious Pad Thai and Seafood, available at almost every nook and corner of Bangkok. Also, one can fetch some refreshing juices and piping hot waffles in the city. China, on the other hand doesn’t really have lots to offer on its streets and especially if you aren’t the adventurous types as far as food is concerned.

Talking about the therapy that rejoices almost every girl i.e. the retail therapy, both these places are a paradise for shopaholics. Bangkok surely quenches the shopaholics thirst for affordable and trendy clothes and accessories. There are several open markets here like Chatuchak or Suan Lum and lots of swanky malls selling high-end brands which make shopping in the city a memorable experience. China too is a great place to shop but the ones on the heavier side won’t be overwhelmed especially when shopping for clothes in here. The outfits on sale in China are definitely more exclusive and classier than what one gets in Thailand. But yes, shopping in China might just prove to be a little heavy on your pockets.

When in Bangkok, one might not necessarily get the feeling of being abroad particularly if you have been living in India because the infrastructure is quite similar to India and isn’t very developed. Though the sky train in Bangkok on the same lines as Delhi’s metro, making travelling very comforting and speedy. Bangkok also houses few of the best hotels in the world which provide an overdose of luxury to their guests. China, on the other hand is appreciated across the world for having the finest infrastructure with impressive buildings and wide roads. Overall, China is far more developed than many other countries of the world.

Lastly, I must say that people of both the places are extremely hardworking and hospitable. In Thailand, one enjoys the pleasure of communicating with the locals. But in China the interaction with the locals is mostly restricted to non-verbal communication.However, both these destinations should surely be on every avid traveller’s list of must visit places.

Lunching with Ladies!!!

One usually thinks of distant places for their merry-making occasions. But then few intelligent ones like us  thought of trying out a new joint- Capri Italy at our very own Defence Colony Market.

The occasion being – my best friend's birthday, giving my girl gang the perfect opportunity to chill out and spend some jolly good time with each other. Though one would expect some waiting on a Sunday afternoon at a newly opened joint but to our advantage, the place wasn’t full in fact it was quite empty. This also meant that excellent service and food were in store for us!!!

All three of us with keen interest in food took a good look at the menu card to order our drinks and food. As we were already quite high on the ‘girly gossip’, we thought of going in for mocktails instead of their non-virgin versions.

When in doubt go for a Virgin Mojito like I did!!!

For starters, we ordered mouth-watering Crostini Alla Ragusana and Involtini. The former though a vegetarian dish but wasn’t a mundane one from any angle. It had an array of toppings on bread such as artichokes, olives, capers, Italian mayonnaise, pesto and freshly chopped tomatoes. This dish is surely not worth a miss especially for people who like variety!!!

        Where should I start???They all look yummy!!!

The other dish we ordered in snacks was Involtini- a tasty delicacy. The dish had chicken finely cooked in chesse, butter, garlic and white wine. Ahhh!!! Italian food is so not complete without the wine...

That's my piece: Involtini

But it was actually the main course that took the credit for making our outing extremely special. The luscious wheat pasta and Lassagne Bolognese were heavenly… With oodles of cheese, the food simply melted in our mouth!!!

Overall, I would say that the place is worth a visit. The pleasant ambience, soothing music and friendly staff surely wouldn’t leave you disappointed!!! This is one place which I hit almost once a week with my gang :P