Talad Rot Fai – the Railway Market (Bangkok)

I love how markets have become such a lifestyle in Thailand, promoting enterprise and creativity among the Thais. Each market has its own unique branding and one that has opened quite recently is Talad Rot Fai, a market famous for its trendy, vintage shopping. 

Known also as the Railway Market, it opens from 2pm to midnight every Saturday and Sunday. Once home to railway warehouses , it has now turned into a antique wonderland where vendors come selling in their retro VW vans and army utility trucks. From antique chandeliers to rotating world globes, from old fashioned phones, tiffin carriers to Coke collectibles and plastic dolls. Even if you are not into these, it is fun to see all these old pieces from a bygone era. I was really having a good time and my friends have found a new way to describe my vintage collecting ways-"There she goes, looking for trash...sures again !" 

We had some supper at a bar filled with trendy young Thais and though the menu was limited - chicken wings, french fries, squid salad, the ambience made up for the lack of it. On stage were 2 young Thai guys performing jazzy Thai tunes and it gave the place a good, chill out vibe.  The atmosphere and the dim lights made me feel and look young again. 

The letters look like they came from Norman Bates' motel 

Chandeliers, an old Japanese style bath tub & world globe-how quaint! 

I love the old display cabinets of some vendors 

I was nuts for attempting to buy Mr Peanut in brown, red and green. 

Crab noodles from a street vendor

Shaved ice desserts are always popular in Asia

Bongo playing at a really cool and funky cafe 

Antique chairs at a cafe to go with the vintage theme of the market

a keropok toasted over a hot charcoal fire

Asiatique (Bangkok)

Unlike many of my friends, I am not a frequent visitor to Bangkok. So when I am told that the new nightmarket Asiatique provides a good alternative to the now defunct Suan Lum night bazaar, I have no such recollection.

Situated between Charoen Krung Road and the Chao Phraya River, this place was once a bustling trade port for the Danish East Asiatic Company Limited back in the days of King Rama V. Asiatique opens nightly from 5pm to midnight and if you can, avoid taking a taxi to get there. What was supposed to be a short taxi ride took us over an hour due to the jam. The easiest and fastest way to get there is via boat. Take the BTS to Saphan Taksin and jump on the free ferry shuttle at the end of the pier, a ride that takes only ten minutes. Asiatique combines the shopping experiences of a mall and a night bazaar with many boutiques and bistros. Some original Thai brands such as Qualy and Grey Hound are found here as well as numerous options for dinner and supper. Asiatique provides a comfortable shopping experience though I personally prefer the grittier one which comes with the hustle and bustle of Chatuchak.

A 10 minute ferry ride from a pier at Saphan Thaksin takes you right up to Asiatique

Our first coffee stop at a quaint little cafe filled with nostalgic knick-knacks

A cluster of pretty vintage lights 

Little squirrels, rabbits and birds adorn the designs of Qualy products 

A shop with a catty concept 

Lifestyle concept shops abound in Asiatique

Food in Bangkok - Huapla Chongnongsi

When visiting a country, it is always good to try the food popular with the locals as nothing beats the taste of authenticity. Huapla Chongnongsi is a place local Thais are very familiar with and their speciality - Teochew Thai dishes. It looks like a huge canteen with 2 sitting sections - air-con and non-air con and a very gentle "lady" took our orders of fish head sour plum soup, deep fried catfish, crab meat with curry and big prawns with lime and basil. I love fish head in all kinds of dishes but I have not tried fish head soup with sour plum. Its sour taste actually whet up my appetite for more food and warmed up my tummy and soul after an earlier downpour. The deep fried catfish was crispy and fried to perfection while the fresh taste of the prawns were well complemented by the lime and basil. The food more than made up for the lack of ambience.

Address : 127/45 Rama III Chong Nonsi, Bangkok

Sour plum fish head soup - a specialty of Huapla Chongnongsi

Deep fried catfish

Crab meat with curry 

Big Prawns with lime and basil

The non air-con section of Huapla Chongnongsi

Lin Dai - Asia's screen goddess

I love going to Cathay Restaurant for dim sum and amidst the pictures of Cathay's movie stars of yesteryears on the walls is that of Lin Dai, the screen goddess of Asian cinema in the 60's. My mum was a big fan of hers and she used to mention to me that Lin Dai was a true beauty with the tiniest waist ever . Seeing this picture made me realise that she wasn't exaggerating at all. Love her hair cut and her dress with the musical notes. It certainly wouldn't look out of place today with the popularity of vintage designs.

If the table just next to the picture wasn't occupied, I would usually insist on sitting there for lunch, close enough to admire the picture.

Singapore advertising in the 50's and 60's

Took a picture from a friend's magazine of the 50s just the other day. It was an old jewellery ad from one of  the many Chinatown goldsmiths in Singapore. I remember some of the jewellery styles from my mum's old collection especially that of the insignia ring. Singapore 's advertising scene at that time was probably very influenced by that of the British with just drawings and words. The era of models and artiste endorsements came much later. I would love to look out for more of these vintage Singapore advertisements as it shows the trends of fashion and style of the different eras.

Vintage typewriters - Monarch Pioneer

I remember my dad's typewriter back in those days, the familiar sounds of its keys and the carbon paper  placed below to get the extra copy. I also remember learning how to type on it after my Secondary Four. It was very soon after that the computer or what was called the word processor took over.

Saw some beautiful vintage typewriters on ebay and it brought back memories of the typewriter, especially the mistakes and the correction fluid I had to use. I especially love the ones with the golden alphabet keys which are more from the 1930s and 40s. So when an old collector offered to sell me a Monarch Pioneer just the other day, I thought why not. Though it was meant to be one of the earliest version of the portable typewriter, it sure was heavy. Made in USA during the Depression Years of late 1930s,  it was a no frills typewriter aimed at being affordable to the masses but as it was made from solid cast iron, it was strong and sturdy.

I always bring home strange, vintage things much to the curiosity of my children and I had to explain to them what a typewriter was.

A four sided moon cake mould

Flea marketing does unearth some unique treasures such as this four sided moon cake mould . The one sided ones are common but I've never seen one with four sides and there's something about wood moulds that are traditional and charming compared to plastic ones. I love the side that shows the mould of a little pig and they are traditionally sold in little baskets for the Mid Autumn festival. One day, when the moon and the stars align, I will attempt to make my own moon cakes.  

A mould for "pig in a basket" commonly sold during the Moon cake festival 

One side of the mould for mini moon cakes

A four sided moon cake mould