As the egg sits there...

Yesterday was cause for celebration. It was my first day off after a 13-day stretch of work (more on that next time) and the beginning of a two-week vacation. A group of us kicked off the evening at an art walk, which occupied several spaces of a theatre building. Once again, Bangkok didn't disappoint and proved how wonderfully weird it can be. One exhibit featured two women and three men dressed in white, drinking coke and munching on popcorn while striking various poses of relaxation. Instead of watching a movie, though, they were all staring at a lone brown egg. They occasionally changed positions, but never shifted their eyes from the object of focus. We tossed around interpretations of this living display and considered that we, the audience, were actually the art. How long will people stand around watching people watching an egg? Are we being filmed? But alas, we bored of this and moved on to the next live—and much livelier—performance. A man only in the legal sense sporting a slinky hour-glass-hugging dress and curious war paint entertained a packed cafe with spastic dance movements. This treat was followed by another treat when we moved on to a bar Sarah had heard about and wanted to try. The downstairs was packed tight so we followed flashlights up four dark flights of stairs that surely would have been condemned in the States (one flight had no rail on the side and should one imbibe a little too much and step off, he'd have quite a long fall). The effort was worth it, though, when we emerged from the building on top of the roof to find a quaint little scene: a thatch bar, strings of lights illuminating our table, and a smiling bartender. It was so peaceful up there, just the seven of us above all the commotion below. I'm cherishing all these last nights with Sarah, who's moving back to the States in just a couple of short weeks. No doubt you'll hear more from me on that subject, but I'm trying not to get depressed and sentimental until I can't avoid it any longer. She's just one of those lovable people who leave behind a void when they move on. Though I'm sure no one's feeling this more than her sweet boyfriend who must stay here in Thailand.