Almost all of our Saturdays get consumed by errands.  Along the way, there are always interesting things to see.  At least, things to see that are interesting to me.  So I’ll share them with you and assume you’ll be interested, too.

A sign of the times

Part of a series of advertisements for the Noble property development company, announcing their new “Noble Reveal” condo that will soon begin selling.  The advertisements use the same pitch: “Help reduce global warming; use cars less.  Noble Reveal, new condo located close to Ekkamai BTS station.”

Each of the advertisements features a similar photo: sea lions huddled on an ice floe, penguins huddled on an ice floe, polar bears huddled on an ice floe.

The environmental claim is, of course, a bit questionable.  While the condo will be located very close to the Skytrain, it will also be at one of the most congested intersections in the city and will feature an ample car park.  Additionally, there is no reason to believe that anything Noble will do during the construction will be environmentally friendly, from the materials from which the condos are constructed to the disposal of paints and other chemicals that are used.

Worst of all is the other message sent by the pictures: you’ll be huddled together in a small space that is getting ever smaller.  What a terrible way to sell a condominium.  The rooms are small!  You’ll be cramped together!  You’ll be competing for an ever-diminishing pool of resources!

Yeah, sign me up.

Le Tour Eiffel in Central

Central Department Stores is having a “Europe” promotion.  Their flagship location, Central Chidlom, has models of various famous European sights: Big Ben in the east parking lot, Arc de Triomphe (two of them!) at the main entrances, and in the escalator atrium, a 30-meter tall model of Le Tour Eiffel. 

This must have taken a good bit of time to build.  The structure is metal and the sections are bolted together.  As you ride up the escalator you can get a pretty good look at the construction and you have to give them credit for a job well done.

On the various levels there are mannequins displaying famous European designer wear.  On the ground floor underneath the tower, there is a l’Occitaine display where the employees are wearing very pink outfits reminiscent of provincial French farmers, complete with straw hats.

Thankfully, there are no mimes.

Need a Nikon?

Down the street at Siam Paragon there was a large event promoting Nikon cameras.  They had dozens of models on display, especially the SLR cameras and some really big lenses.  There was something going on onstage, there were beautiful girls dressed in short shirts and tight tops, there were giveaways and music.  And lots of nerdy men who seemed more interested in the big lenses than the scantily clad women.

You need this machine!

We met Tawn’s colleague Meiji at Starbucks Siam Center and visited for a half-hour.  Afterwards, on our way out, we stopped to look at the espresso machine that they have for sale.  The “Barista” model has received pretty good reviews from different sources and we’re in the market to replace our rather crappy drip coffee maker that we’ve had for two years.  Not sure that we need an espresso machine in particular, but we like the idea of controlled portions and greater consistency in the quality of our morning coffee.

The root of the problem might actually lies in our coffee grinder.  We have a Krups model, which is supposed to be a good one.  But I find a lot of variation in the resulting grind which of course leads to variations in the strength of the coffee. 

We try French press and run into the same problem, plus the added one of the coffee cooling off quickly in the glass container.  Our drip coffee maker is really inconsistent and one of the plastic parts is irreparably broken.  We have a stovetop Italian espresso maker but the base isn’t steel so it doesn’t work on our induction stovetop.  Back in the US in my sister’s guest room closet I have a really nice drip coffee maker, but I don’t know if it is worth the effort to bring it over here.  Plus, I’d have to use a converter like I do with my Kitchen Aid mixer.

So we’ve been exploring options.  When we showed interest in the model at Starbucks, one of the employees rushed over and offered to demo the machine for us.  What followed was a very thorough 20-minute demonstration in which he made a latte for us using the machine, then allowed us to practice using it, too.  End result, two free lattes – after the ones we had already purchased and consumed.  Jittery.

The machine is very easy to use and the construction looks solid.  Only a few parts and the design does not have any of the “awkward” elements that machines sometimes have.  The only problem is the price.  That’s a lot of money to spend for a coffee maker.  Cheaper than some of the others we’ve looked at but more expensive than some, too.

How much for our morning cup of coffee?

Skateboarding at Siam

Despite the popularity of Siam Paragon, Siam Square and Siam Center remain much more the focal point of the Khrungthep youth scene.  Between the two Siam Center properties (Siam Center and Siam Discovery Center) there is a plaza that is often set up with concerts and other events. 

On Saturday is was home to a skateboarding demo.  A hundred or so youth were hanging out, watching.  A dozen skateboarders went back and forth, none of them doing any particularly impressive tricks.  A DJ played music and the breeze kept spectators comfortable.

Viva Siam.

Saturday evening we met up with Otto, who is in town from Singapore, for dinner.  It was very nice to catch up with him as on his last visit here timing was rushed and we never did really get a chance to visit.  Dinner was at the food court at MBK, which tries to mimic the choices available at the Central Food Loft, but to poor effect.

But it really is about the company, not the food, right?

Right?