Yamato

Finally this unplanned long holiday in Phuket had come to an end

Kan Eang Restaurant at Chalong Pier

The food at Kan Eang. Crab meat curry Bi liang pad khai Deep fried prawn Black pepper prawn Hormok Steamed crabs Grilled emperor fish Dessert

Kan Eang II seafood restaurant by the Chalong Pier This is the Chalong Pier The very big restaurant Twilight Night dining

One night I decided to visit a pizza restaurant just next to my hotel Live band Pizza kitchen Meat lover pizza, even i ordered extra pepperoni I still find theres little meat in there. Also I found the bread too hard and a little thick and not tasty. I would not recommend this restaurant.

Yesterday at about 6pm

This restaurant food is only so so and I wouldn't recommend - https://goo.gl/maps/nysvV7pYyWm3G9wr6 https://goo.gl/maps/nysvV7pYyWm3G9wr6 Grilled tiger prawns Steamed seabream Scallops (rather hard and overcooked) Steamed live crabs (this dish was ok as crab was very fresh)

Simple dinner at the Pullman Dining by the pool Pad thai Tom kha gai Club sandwich Wine

Pullman Phuket Arcadia Karon Beach Resort is a new face in the Phuket scene opened just last month on April Fools Day after they tool over from Hilton. Originally opened in 1983 (40 years ago) it is still the largest hotel in the island today. Morning view from my room Sunset

Oh the way to the new hotel came across this outdoor restaurant which was pretty good and very authentic Thai https://goo.gl/maps/WGqGkrLyESLfhSEi6 Fried tofu, the sauce was very special Tomyam fish Omelette very fluffy Tom kha gai

As for my covid this time around it was pretty serious compare to my first more than a year ago where I only had runny nose and itchy throat nevertheless it lasted 11 days. This time round I had very bad cough, very bad runny nose, slight fever and aches all over my body for 3 days where I sleep a lot. On Wednesday when I discovered my Covid I went to visit the Bangkok Hospital in Phuket to consult doctor, get medication and did x-ray. Just in case. Given medicine and told to rest for next few days and when cleared can fly. Also x-ray showed lungs clear so this is a relief. Got into new hotel for the rest of the duration here

Night came and it was time for dinner and as this is the first time staying in Patong beach and also the last night for this trip, the decision was to have dinner at Patong Beach and then walk around Patong. We took a walk along the beach stretch of restaurants looking for a good seafood restaurant but unfortunately found out that almost all the restaurants are owned by Indians, I mean we were not looking for Indian food. So we asked a taxi driver and he took us to one this is originally Thai On the way to the restaurant The restaurant The drink for the evening Very good clams Garlic prawns Steamed fish Pineapple fried rice After dinner went to Bangla Road, the Phuket Walking Street

Day 2 in Phuket had breakfast in the hotel Pork porridge Dosa After breakfast visited the Phuket Old Town Had lunch at a street side hawker centre Making popiah Our popiah Hokkien noodle After lunch went to Cape Phrom Thep to watch sunset

So I did my 3 days holiday in Phuket on May Day. Phuket or southern Thailand is a place that I rarely visit in my 17 years here. Day 1 - at the Don Mueang Airport in the morning I was surprised it wasn't crowded My ride On the way The Amari Phuket Very big room At the bar Very scenic bar Did not leave the hotel on the first day in Phuket, had sunset dinner there Satay Groupa with sweet and sour sauce Seafood Thai salad Tomyam Yam pork Over looking Patong Beach https://i.imgur.com/JlQi7EF.jpg[/img] Sunset Getting dark

Past one month had been like hell month for me. First was the China trip Mar/4 to 24, Following week Korat visiting customers, Following week Khon Kaen visiting customers Following week Singapore for mom's 95th birthday and do some work Following week (last week) Ubon, Sisaket, Yasothon visiting customers This week get to be in Bangkok bit not for long Today had a great lunch along at my favourite Thai beef noodle shop Another bloody hot day was 39 degC when I arrived here Kitchen Even it was hot place was still pretty full of people My first beer Arrival of my hotpot Yummy My second beer Last and third beer, a very happy man after this

Chanced upon this nice video about Khlong Toei.

Struggled to upload photos and post during these 21 days due to the blocks in the internet. VPN rarely work or it was very slow and kept getting attacked. Will continue to post when back in Bangkok. Finally it’s been a very tiring 21 days time to head home, missed my 2 dogs very much will meet them later.

The next day still in Danyang, after my second meeting we went out for dinner at a local hotel There were already 8 dishes on the table when we arrived Was told these were starters OMG Dinner starts with braised chicken Chili prawns Soup with tofu Braised fish head Mushrooms Frogs Chinese ham Pork loin Fish Pork bao Deep fried sweet yam balls This is really too much for only 4 people

There is one memorable visit to a factory I had last week. They had told me to have dinner together which I agreed. Now this is a super big factory, super as in super-duper super factory. When meeting was over they drove me to a building in the center of the factory area this building looks luxurious even from the outside resembling a very big villa. This is how it look upon entering Inside are dining rooms, at at the back a very nice Chinese garden and places for drinking tea, water features, large luxurious meeting rooms etc. Basically its like a club or recreational building for the factory. Before dinner was served we first had this Chinese wine Was first served in your personal jar The you pour it into your own glass Finally dinner was served Egg fried with some sort of tea leaves really exquisite Braised pork Prawn and celery This is a delicacy found in this province only known as knife fish a rare and expensive fish one fish per person. Pigeon Stir fry vegetables with garlic The spread Then come the river puffer fish, like its Japanese cousin has to be prepared by professionals as a part of the body has poison. The skin of the puffer fish is rough like sand paper so you have to position the skin such that the smoother inside is facing out while the rough side is inside so it will not rub against inside of mouth This comes in a pair looks like tofu is actually found only in the male puffer fish containing the sperm of puffer fish basically its like the testicles of a mammal aiso known as milt. This is also seasonal extra big like this during mating season. Supposed to be very expensive and rare. Abalone with broccoli I asked why you have a "restaurant" in your factory with professional chefs that answer was sometime its not convenient for "some customer" to be seen dining outside restaurants. I assume he meant officials. It was a great meal I must say

Finally arrived in Danyang hotel at 8.30pm, was late and tired Nothing to eat in the hotel anymore luckily I brought my own Mama Tomyam instant noodle Next morning breakfast in the hotel Nice noodles and porridge

Upon arrival in Hongqiao Airport I had to rush to the Hongqiao Train Station which is a 15 minutes walk to the station. Hongqiao Station Arrival of train Business class train Snacks To Danyang

So after that lucnch on the 6th day it was rushing to Danyang. First transport was a flight from Ji'an airport to Shanghai's Hongqiao airport My flight to Shanghai Seats Was only a short flight

Today is Sunday and I have been here for 16 days, traveled through 14 cities and completed visits and meetings to 25 establishments. Got another 3 days of work and 7 visits to go. Today I rest in the city of Shijiazhuang. I stopped on my 5th day at Ji'an so on the 6th day I needed to leave Ji'an for Danyang flying to Shanghai's Hongqiao airport then transfer by train to Danyang. Before leaving for the Ji'an Airport had lunch Pick your carp Pick your chicken Pick your duck Pick your vegetables After all these pickings enter the kitchen Tell the chef how you want them done They will cook for you Pea soup Hakka tofu Boiled chicken Stir fry pork, tofu and chili Beef Fish Braised duck Lunch spread

When I arrived at Ji'an, Taihe district it was already 6pm, so my contacts brought me to hotel for check in and put my stuff then immediately went out to a nearby restaurant for dinner The dinner spread Vegetables Hakka tofu Beef Local vegetables Prawns Steamed fish Dumplings Duck

https://www.straitstimes.com/business/masatoshi-ito-who-took-7-eleven-stores-global-dies-at-98 Masatoshi Ito, who took 7-Eleven stores global, dies at 98 Mr Masatoshi Ito died on March 10 due to old age, the company said in a statement on Monday. PHOTO: BLOOMBERG 13 Mar 2023, 5:05 pm SGT TOKYO - Mr Masatoshi Ito, the billionaire who expanded a small family-owned shop into one of Japan’s largest retailers and took 7-Eleven convenience stores global, has died. He was 98. Mr Ito died on March 10 due to old age, 7-Eleven operator Seven & i Holdings said in a statement on Monday, confirming earlier reports by local media. Although his Ito-Yokado stores, which offered one-stop shopping for things from groceries to everyday clothes, lost their lustre long ago, Mr Ito’s legacy continued in the 7-Eleven franchise. The company he founded, Ito-Yokado, was the predecessor of Seven & i Holdings. There are more than 83,000 7-Elevens dotting the globe, with about a fourth of them in Japan. Mr Ito was the company’s largest shareholder, amassing a net worth of US$5 billion (S$6.7 billion), according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Sometimes called the Sam Walton of Japan, Mr Ito was known for a decentralised business style that was influenced by his long friendship with famed management consultant Peter Drucker, who once described Mr Ito as “one of the world’s outstanding entrepreneurs and business builders”. Ito-Yokado traces its origin to the Yokado Clothing Store that Mr Ito’s uncle Toshio Yoshikawa opened in Asakusa, Tokyo, in 1920. Mr Ito’s half-brother Yuzuru took the lead in expanding the business but died in 1956, and Mr Ito took over. He later renamed it Ito-Yokado and took it public in 1972. The retailer continued to expand, including establishing Denny’s Japan, which brought the US-based casual restaurant chain to the country. A younger executive at Ito-Yokado, Mr Toshifumi Suzuki, discovered 7-Eleven during a visit to the United States to negotiate that deal. After forging a deal with US-based Southland Corp, then owner of the 7-Eleven chain, Mr Suzuki opened the first outlet in Japan in 1974. That business would eventually outgrow Ito-Yokado’s general merchandising segment; in 1991 the company acquired Southland’s equity. In 1992, Mr Ito resigned from his post at Ito-Yokado to take responsibility for alleged payments by company officials to three “yakuza” gangsters, to keep order at a shareholders’ meeting. Mr Suzuki succeeded Mr Ito as president, later becoming chairman and chief executive officer. He renamed the business Seven & i Holdings in 2005, and 7-Eleven Inc was made a wholly owned subsidiary. Mr Ito remained as honorary chairman of the parent company, with the “i” in the name referring to Ito-Yokado and his last name. On the urging of an activist shareholder, Seven & i is streamlining its business. In November, the retailer announced the sale of its Sogo & Seibu department stores for an enterprise value of about 250 billion yen (S$2.5 billion) to Fortress Investment Group. Last week, Seven & i said it will close roughly one out of every four of its Ito-Yokado stores in Japan.