Ginger Uprooted

Return to roots

2010-11-30T10:17:00.019+07:00

Yikes. I didn’t leave you on the most positive of notes, did I? Last you heard from me I was holed up in a friend’s apartment, unable to get to mine because bullets were flying blind in my darling little neighborhood. My, a lot has happened since then.

Let’s pick up where we left off, shall we? I did return to my apartment several days after writing that dismal last post. I got word that everything was a-okay, nothing to worry about, so I packed my bag, hailed a cab and was dropped off on the outskirts of my neighborhood, which was still blocked off to vehicles. Military officers patrolling the area pointed me in the best direction. I was awkwardly lifting my bag over a low chain barricade when I heard my name. Oh hi Mike, my fellow teacher, in this city of 10 million. What’s up? Well, says Mike, I was walking down the street, finally returning to my apartment, when I see a bunch of officers run for cover. I duck behind a trash bin and hear a loud boom. Now I’m just running in to grab a few more things and getting the hell outta here. Great. Precisely what I wanted to hear. But being stubborn, I continued on for a tense, surreal and luckily uneventful 15-minute walk. The main street, usually bustling and cacophonous, was nearly silent. The wheels of my bag clattered over the craggy sidewalk as I hustled down the street past closed storefronts. I saw seven people during the entire walk, five being security guards. Finally, I rounded the corner of my small lane and was soon inside the apartment gate, welcomed by the security guard’s wide grin. For some reason, we both started laughing – a natural response I suppose to such an unbelievable situation.

The next day saw more normalcy, with people spilling on the streets happy to be outside again. Boojie and I met up in the central shopping district to see for ourselves the charred remains of some of the buildings. Zen Department Store at Central World:

Siam Theatre (and apparently the oldest escalators in Thailand):

The numbers from that period of protests and riots go something like this: 40 buildings burned, 80 people killed and 2,000 injured. After two months as hostage, the city was a mess. Thousands of volunteers turned up to clean the streets, bodies and brooms working in tandem:

One of the most interesting things about living in Bangkok during that time was comparing my first-hand experience with the media’s portrayal of the events. The more widely known sources showed a definite bias toward one side, reporting things that just weren’t true. I don’t think there was a full understanding of the situation, though the coverage seemed to improve over time – and criticism.

I remained in Bangkok another month before leaving. My move back to the States had been planned for a while and had nothing to do with the riots. After three years of living 12 time zones away, missing weddings, births and birthdays, it was just time. As much as I love Thailand, and I do, I knew I couldn’t stay forever.

That last month was hectic, meeting up with friends, eating here or there for the last time, doing this or that for the last time. It was tough knowing I was leaving behind a way of life – not to mention sticky rice and rambutans. Tougher still was not knowing if and when I would see my friends again. Email and skype make keeping up easier, but of course it’s not the same. Moving was the epitome of bittersweet – I was as sad to leave one place as I was excited to return to another.

Readjusting to life in the States hasn’t been completely smooth. Even the trivial differences can lead to uncomfortable situations. At my parents’ house one rainy afternoon, I hopped on the treadmill for a little exercise. There’s me, watching the speed gauge, my finger hard and fast on the up arrow. The problem was two-fold: 1) I was still thinking in kilometers and 2) you’re able to get that number really high before the treadmill catches up to it – but that happens quickly. There’s me again, flying off the back and wedged beneath a china cabinet, legs scraped and bruised. Still don’t know how I fit under there.

Other aspects of everyday life that take some getting used to:
-Eating fork to mouth. It seems harsh now, unlike the gentle spoon.
-Putting TP in the toilet. Our pipes can handle it.
-Wearing shoes in the house. I think about the dirt I’m tracking in. But it’s funny – if I’m in a house of shoe-wearers and I don’t have shoes on, I feel somehow lazy or not as together.

Those are the small things. I think the biggest difference is that once you’ve lived abroad, you can’t look at your home country the same way again. It's as if you’re walking around viewing everything with a new pair of eyes. Some things appear negative, others positive, but mostly they’re just different, from the way we’re protected from ourselves, to all the choices we have, to what we’re willing to throw out. We’re all such products of our culture, it’s hard to imagine doing something a different way - and that the other way might be better. I won’t bore you with a new worldview – we all take what we can from our various experiences.

All in all, moving back to the States has been a really positive experience - partly because I’ve kept myself so busy. I’m particularly excited about a new business I’m starting with my friend Jen. You may remember our rain-drenched afternoon when she visited Bangkok. It wasn’t long after I moved back that we got to talking about our entrepreneurial aspirations. We share an interest in a lot of the same things: traveling, different cultures, good design, beautiful colors and fabrics. All these things have come together in our new little baby, SOMA Goods. Check out our website if you get a chance. I’d love to hear what you think.

Now that I’m back - rooted for a while at least - this little blog should make its final curtsy and run along to live out retirement alongside all the other archived travel journals. I have a few other things I’d like to get around to posting, though, so I won’t release her just yet. She is, after all, a tie between me and Thailand, and I’d like to hold on to as many of those as I can.

Bangkok unrecognizable

2010-05-17T15:08:00.005+07:00

It's the fifth day of a pretty full-on urban war in Bangkok. Even more shocking to me and my neighbors is that our sweet little street is one of the hottest zones. I got out Saturday and have been staying at Nabeel's. The picture above, taken from his rooftop, is of the smoke rising from my neighborhood. I'd love to go back to my apartment and pack more of my things (I'm afraid it will be ransacked) but it's too dangerous. Bullets are flying about and people are being shot on the streets and even on their high-rise balconies. I kept waking Friday night to sounds of gunfire, blasts and sirens. We can still hear the blasts over here and dogs howling through the night due to the noise. I've been so glued to various websites and twitter pages that it never occurred to me to update this blog. It was Sarah who suggested it and I laughed: I had completely forgotten I even have a blog. When all this blows over, and I hope it does soon, I'll post about my recent trip to visit her in Indonesia. It was incredible and seems ages away now.

Anyway, just wanted to let anyone checking this know that I'm safe. To be honest, I don't feel like writing much about it. It's about all I talk about and read about and at this point analysis has become mental paralysis. Maybe I'll write more when there's an update. Just please keep the Thai people in your thoughts or prayers. For most of them, watching their city turn into a virtual battlefield is devastating. And some people are still stuck in their homes with no electricity. This at the hottest time of year. No fans, no way to refrigerate or cook food, no way to boil the acrid water. I did read, though, that both the reds and the military are now bringing them food. I also saw that while people are losing their lives for him, Thaksin has more important things on his mind: http://tweetphoto.com/22802583. Shame, shame.

Back to Vietnam ... Central that is

2009-12-16T21:03:00.003+07:00

Vietnam's torso is, appropriately enough, where I ate the best food. If I could only return to one region, I think it'd have to be Central for this very reason. (This said, why no food shots? Perhaps I was enjoying the meals too intensely to consider documenting them. You may also find it curious that my first food story is completely unappetizing. Good thing the meals got better.)

Heading south from Hanoi, I got off the train in Ninh Binh (not quite Central Vietnam yet, but nevermind, I haven't talked about it yet). I arrived in the evening and the next morning joined up with two German women to tour the area in a private car. Our driver spoke very little English so we were at his mercy, getting out of the car when he stopped and walking in the direction of his index finger. First up, a boat ride down the river:

We stopped off at a big Catholic church, which sported a kitschy little market out front with a wide assortment of plastic Mary and Jesus paraphernalia:

The folks here row their boats with their feet. Looks like it takes incredible control:

After the boat tour, our driver took us to a local restaurant for lunch. No one there spoke English so we managed enough Vietnamese and hand gestures to order any two dishes of their choosing. One was a mysterious meat, darkish in color and a little tough. The waitress demonstrated how to put the meat on a lettuce leaf, top it with some other herbs, roll it up and dunk it in a sauce. It didn't taste like any meat I'd eaten before, but as skeptical as I was, I was that much hungrier.

Back in the car, the three of us began pondering aloud the possibilities of the mystery meat. At the mention of dog, our driver hooted and managed through laughter: "Dog, dog, yes, dog. So sorry. So sorry." So, there you have it. I ate dog. Sorry Lucy. But it really is just point of view, right? Pigs make great pets as well.

An afternoon trip to Tam Coc for the paddle boat ride through caves and by stony outcrops was worthwhile even though the drizzle never let up. The next morning was just as soggy so I moved on to Hue. An overly talkative guy who had been pestering me at the guesthouse in Ninh Binh did me a favor in the end by introducing me to the two Kiwi gals below at the train station. We became fast friends and booked a place together in Hue.

Hue is renowned for its cuisine. There's a story about a picky emperor who demanded that 50 new dishes be created for the royal menu, leaving a legacy of rich creations. Or something to that effect. I can only vouch for the present-day culinary situation and I say it's worth going to this city if only to dine. As I don't have any food shots, I'll insert Vietnamese coffee here. This stuff is addictive and found up and down the country:

Hue is painted in bold, vivid colors. Bicycles are a popular mode of transport in the mid-sized town:

After Hue, it was on to Hoi An, where you can't spit without hitting a tailor shop. This is the town in Vietnam for having clothes tailor-made. If you allot two days for this town, better make it five. You'll get sucked in by the savvy seamstresses, river-side restaurants and photographic street scenes.

Lantern shops like this one give the town a romantic feel:

The Japanese covered bridge is a beauty:

Only 3 kilometers outside town lies the Thanh Ha Pottery Village. These women were so warm and welcoming and let me take photos of them in action. Talk about fancy footwork.

Bowls drying in the sun:

One day, Andrea, Cat, Pam and I took a bus to My Son, once a holy city for the Cham people. It was fun to wonder through the ruins but I've heard there's much better Cham architecture elsewhere. Considering the time and cost and what's to see while there, I wouldn't do it a second time. But okay, it was a decent enough experience to have once. A horrifying experience actually happened on the way there. The bus in front of us struck and killed a motorcyclist. Andrea is a doctor so she got off the bus to assist but it was too late. After some time, several shaken tourists from that bus joined us and we moved on, though in somber moods.

After another day or so in Hoi An, the other girls headed south - where I would meet up with them again - and I moved to nearby China Beach (yes, the China Beach). I only stayed a few days, but could have easily stretched it to a week or longer. I stayed at Hua's Place, which must be the chillest place on earth. There's Hua with his wife in the picture below along with me and a couple of English travelers. You get to know the others staying there pretty well - if you want it that way - because dinner is served family-style. Dishes vary from night to night and you eat what is served, which is generally very good. Everything is on the honor system so when you grab a beer from the fridge or order up a banana pancake, you write it on your page in the guest book.

And then there's this little treasure:

I had the long stretch of beach nearly to myself during morning and early evening walks. One evening as I sat down there reading, three giggling women dropped their belongings on the sand and ran for the water fully clothed. They dunked themselves once and then splashed back to the shore, picked up their things and left the beach still giggling. I guess joy doesn't have to last long to be real.

I reluctantly bade farewell to China Beach and headed for a beach further south. More later...as in after my trip to Trang...less than three days til I'm on the train!

Wardrobe malfunction

2009-12-16T17:41:00.002+07:00

When teaching conversation strategies, I often give students hypothetical situations in which to use the new language. For example, after learning "That's too bad" and "I'm sorry to hear that," they may pretend they've broken up with their sweetheart or dropped their cellphone in the toilet. But sometimes life provides real situations to truly demonstrate the usefulness of the language. The other day I was teaching phrases used to express disbelief or surprise, such as "You're not going to believe this...", "Oh my god", "You're joking!", "Are you serious?" and so on. At that point the wrap dress I was wearing - usually very secure - came undone to a roomful of bulging eyes and open mouths. After a few seconds of recovery time, they responded with impeccable English and I could only applaud their proficiency with a beet-red face.

Bangkok's in the Christmas spirit

2009-12-13T22:47:00.001+07:00

Thailand may be 95% Buddhist, but that doesn't stop Bangkok from giving an excessively illuminated nod to Christmas every year, starting as early as October. Especially puzzling this year are the other familiar characters and symbols joining Santa in the Yuletide spotlight. Snow White and her dwarfs, Cinderella's carriage and shoe, and certain Disney stars commingle with St. Nick and his reindeer outside some of the larger shopping malls. (The reindeer are actually pulling the slipper in the picture below.)

While walking around in today's 90-degree temp to the tunes of Jingle Bells, Hark the Herald Angels Sing and Frosty the Snowman, I had the out-of-the-blue and irritating realization that winter is here and I still haven't finished writing about my trip to Vietnam in April (which probably bothers no one but me as I doubt anyone's still reading this blog, but I'd like to record the entire trip so I have some reference for future reminiscing). Then I found comfort in other thoughts: although I've been a slacker at blogging, I've had some other meaningful accomplishments lately. For one, I discovered pistachio macaroons, these little mounds of heaven I could eat by the bucketful. I met some friends for lunch today at French cafe Lenotre, scene of the initial discovery. For dessert, we split the icecream sandwiches. Five macaroons - pistachio, raspberry, vanilla, butterscotch and chocolate - are halved and stuffed with same-flavored icecream. I think I must go back tomorrow for another one - only because I didn't photograph it and that's not fair to you. Okay, accomplishment #2. I've been reading even more than usual lately and finally started Fountainhead, which has been on my list for years. I have two close friends in my building and the three of us rotate books like there's no reading in 2010. I've also made a career decision for what's next after Thailand, but I can't share it because these decisions tend to change and I need to make sure this one sits prominently for a while longer. And I just planned my winter-break vacation, which starts this Saturday. Nabeel and I are going to some islands down south that look incredible. We'll be there for two weeks and then I'll spend the third week of vaca in Bangkok with a surprise visitor. I'm afraid if I disclose the name of the visitor, I'll jinx it and she won't be able to come. Of course you'll get more on that later...like next March perhaps.

Will try to finish up Vietnam bit before Saturday...But must also work and do washing and paint toenails and shop for a new camera lens (I may treat myself with end-of-year bonus!), and meet some fellow ladies out for free margaritas Thursday night...

I made the Thai news

2009-11-07T21:48:00.008+07:00

Not for protesting in red or yellow or anything else the least bit provocative ... just simply for attending the opera. No, wait, it was the flamenco performance. Both recent shows at the Thai Cultural Center attracted royalty. I didn't see anyone newsworthy at the opera; we just knew someone significant was there because of the 30-minute delay on both sides of the performance as the audience waited for the entourage to enter and exit. For the flamenco dancing, though, our foursome sat directly behind everyone's favorite princess. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn is known for her photography (I once went to an exhibition of the photos she's taken during her many travels), community involvement and love of the arts (the annual music and dance festival is under her direction in some fashion). Witnessing the Princess and the stir surrounding her at such an intimate proximity was almost as entertaining as the flamenco itself. She enters through a side door, followed by others carrying various comforts for her, including a cart with tea. She walks casually to a plush seat that's isolated from others and, after a brief, curious look over her shoulder at her reverent onlookers, sits without ceremony. Members of her consort bring their offerings and, as protocol dictates, walk backwards on departure. Others kneel by her chair during the entire show as she follows the movement through opera glasses. All of this was recorded by a resolute cluster of video journalists, at least one of which capturing us in the process. Alas, though, I found no clip on youtube.

Travel highlights: Northern Vietnam

2009-08-21T06:29:00.002+07:00

It's been almost four months since Vietnam and I still salivate when I think of the food. Vietnamese knocks the socks off Thai, but you didn't hear me say that. A woman I met there and traveled with some came through Bangkok recently and we couldn't resist going to a Vietnamese restaurant...thought it would help with the reminiscing. Speaking of reminiscing...

The flight from Luang Prabang to Hanoi was certainly interesting. I flew Laos Airways, which is often the target of chuckles when travelers toss tales of sketchy flights. A rattling noise commenced during takeoff and persisted for the first half of the flight (strike one). When the flight attendant came around with drinks, I lowered my tray table and it fell off in my lap (strike two). At that point, the man across the aisle said, "Uh oh, what's strike three?" and those of us in the row held our collective breaths until we landed. That was one big sigh of relief. By the time I checked into the hotel - family-run Tung Trang, by the way, if you're looking for good location and hospitality at a reasonable price - it was nightfall. Sweet-tempered Snow, the receptionist, steered me toward the closest streetside pho restaurant, where I sat down for my first big bowl of the quintessential Hanoi dish - noodles, sliced meat, herbs and broth.

Pho restaurant during daylight hours:

Properly fueled, I set off on my first stroll around the Old Quarter:

If you only do one thing in Hanoi, meander the streets of this vibrant, chaotic area with its myriad shops, cafes and art galleries. I could have spent my entire time in Hanoi getting lost in the maze that's the Old Quarter - and nearly did. It was completely overwhelming at first - seemingly impenetrable motorbike traffic that makes crossing the street an extreme sport, a constant stream of solicitations by cyclo drivers and street vendors, obstructed sidewalks that force you out into the street - but you gradually get used to it. In fact, when I got back to Bangkok, I was bewildered by what I perceived to be an eerie quietness. Where's all the noise I once thought defined this city? For about a week, I would question friends: does it seem especially quiet here? Now, I'm happy to say, I've adjusted and live life appropriately annoyed by my surroundings.

In the Old Quarter, shops selling the same type of goods are generally grouped together on the same street. The street names reflect what's sold there now or what was historically sold there, as far back as the 13th century, when artisan guilds began sprouting all over the area. Street names begin with "Hang", which means shop, and end with the specific merchandise, so you can get your silver on Hang Bac, baskets on Hang Bo and silk on Hang Dao.

The numbers you see in the picture below are spray-painted all over the facades of Hanoi and were a mystery to me for a while. I asked the woman below and was given the hand gesture for opening a lock with a key. Several other inquiries didn't lead to further enlightenment, but I finally got my answer. They're phone numbers for people in the repair/service industry. Seems if you need any kind of maintenance work, you just pick a number off the wall and dial.

One day I wondered over to Ba Dinh Square for the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and One Pillar Pagoda. The mausoleum's forbidding form and a daunting line under the hot sun initially quelled my excitement for visiting dear Uncle Ho, but the succession of ants moved steadily and soon enough we were inside the cool, dimly lit building. There, the adored former leader looks as if he's just down for a nap, save the glass case enclosing him - a pretty cool sight. Okay, don't leave Hanoi without seeing the Old Quarter and Ho Chi Minh.

The streets of Hanoi teem with motorbikes, many carrying three or four people plus a huge box, or maybe even a TV. Trying to cross the street is like being in your own Frogger video game, but walk confidently, steadily, with no sudden stops, and the system works.

I discovered that Britney Spears' meltdown saga hasn't affected her popularity in one country. She's huge in Vietnam and these tables covered in her mug aren't that uncommon:

My first mini-excursion outside Hanoi was the famously stunning and ethereal Halong Bay:

I booked a two-day tour with a travel agent and ended up on a boat with this fine crew:

While there, I went kayaking for the first time. It's either harder than it looks or my arms are wimpier than I thought, but it made for an incredible experience. Eight of us went, our destination this lake surrounded by limestone karsts like the ones shown two pics above. For a while, we were the only ones there, treated to an amazing stillness. I didn't take my camera for fear of drowning it, but hope the image of that lake is sufficiently burned into memory. I remember lying back in the kayak for a breathtaking view of only karsts and sky.

The next day, the entire group went on a walk through the "Surprise" Cave, named so because of its surprise ending. Spoiler alert! Spoiler alert!

I also ventured up north to mountainous Sapa from my base in Hanoi. The overnight train spit me out at the northern most stop and from there I took an hour-long van ride to the former French resort town. In the van, I conversed with an older gentleman who's originally from Vietnam, now living in Canada. Born in South Vietnam, he was touring the north for the first time like me. He noticed the thin jacket I was wearing and asked if I had brought something warmer. I had not. As it's quite cold in Sapa, he insisted that I take one of his sweaters. I tried to decline the kind gesture, luckily unsuccessfully because I would have frozen without it. As he suggested, I returned the sweater to the front desk of his hotel before leaving town. Some people are just so nice, they really make up for the jerks.

Picturesque Sapa is hot on the tourist trail. It's undeniably beautiful, but seems a little contrived with all the Westerners and people selling goods to the Westerners and not many beyond that. I'd recommend just a night or two here and then more exploration of the Lao Cai province. While in Sapa, I did go on one of the easier treks for this incredible late afternoon view:

Sapa is home to many ethnic minority groups such as H'mong and Dao. They pour in every day, dressed in their colorful traditional garb, to peddle goods such as textiles and silver. This woman from the Black H'mong group took a liking to me, which translates to saw me as an easy target. She's intuitive because I did way overpay for a pillowcase. Nevermind, though. It was a good price for interesting conversation.

From Sapa, I ventured to Bac Ha, much quieter than the former except on Sundays when tourists and hill-tribes living in outlying areas swarm the town for the hugely popular market. Most of the market vendors are Flower H'mong and don the most vibrantly hued clothing.

The action starts around six or seven in the morning when locals arrive with livestock, textiles, silver, food, you name it, to sell. They're there to work but you also get the feeling it's the big social event of the week as groups gather to chat and possibly make fun of the poorly dressed tourists. I don't know, I'm just guessing.

I tasted some of the rice wine this woman is selling. Holy stomach burn, this stuff is strong.

The next day, it was back to Hanoi for one more night and some cha ca, another dish that's full-on Hanoi. White fish and greens are cooked in a hot pot and then mixed with cold rice noodles and shrimp paste. Delicious and a nice farewell to a city I missed the minute I left. So many big cities these days are generic enough to place them in just about any country. But, Hanoi - absolutely oozing with personality - is unmistakably Vietnamese.

That's my love letter to Hanoi and surrounds...next time we'll see how many memories I can recall from Central Vietnam...

Koh Phi Phi chilled

2009-08-06T17:25:00.014+07:00

Aaaaahhhh...choooo... Whew, hello there. Things look about the same around here. But the least you could've done is dust a bit while I was gone. Well, that's okay, can't say I blame you. Let me just sweep a little here and, yes, I'll just brush these cobwebs out of the corner. Aaah...much better...

Now where were we? Ah yes, Vietnam. But before I get to that, please allow me to interject my latest trip. Because I write so infrequently, I suppose it seems all I do is vacation, but there really were some toilsome weeks of work in between. The term ended on the 24th and Nabeel and I hopped on an overnight train to Surat Thani. From there, we took a bus to Krabi, then a ferry to Ko Phi Phi, and voila - well, almost 24 hours later - we were lounging on one of the most spectacular islands in the world. Because of its beauty, much of this island has been grossly overdeveloped and gets a bad rap as a tourist trap. But here's the secret to paradise found: go during off-season and flee the main beach for the tranquil east coast.

We went straight from the pier to Pak Nam Beach and its only resort, Phi Phi Relax Beach Resort, which offers clean, modern bungalows with little daybeds on the porches from which to gaze at the ocean. The beach there is nice as well - a long enough strip of sand for a decent walk. The water all along the east coast is calm and ideal for swimming.

If I'm on an east coast, I love getting up for sunrise walks on the beach. At least for the first couple of mornings until the novelty wears off and sleeping in takes precedence.

After a couple of days on Pak Nam, we moved a couple of bays down to Rantee Beach, probably my favorite. The sloppily built bungalows are about as basic as they come but comfortable - if you don't mind the occasional critter stopping by. In a bit of irony (and bizarre design choice), these tiny shacks boasted the best toilets around - gleaming white porcelain with an automatic flush. The best part about Rantee was that with only a few other bungalows occupied, we felt like we owned the beach. I could have stayed a lot longer than the three days we did if not for tiring of the limited food options.

In the end, culinary boredom is what drove us further south and around the bend to west-coast Long Beach. More crowded than the previous two, but not nearly the party of Ton Sai, this beach offers a nice compromise. There are a few good Thai restaurants to satisfy the palate and the beach is quite peaceful in the mornings and late afternoons (of course, this is off-season - not sure what it's like during tourist time).

The views from Long Beach are truly stunning.

Long Beach's greatest perk, though, is that it's easy to leave. It's located toward the end of the peninsula so you can cut over by land to to its parallel neighbor on the east coast. And this beach happens to be the best of all. There's no accommodation whatsoever, only a little snack shack and a long stretch of beautiful sand. By hiking over there in the late afternoon and early morning, we had hours of being the only people there. I had a hard time believing this was the Koh Phi Phi that's constantly accused of being too overcrowded.

After a good eight days of reading by the ocean, swimming in the calmest and clearest of emerald waters, and sipping mango lassis and spiked lemon shakes, I was as relaxed as I've ever been. That was a true vacation and one I didn't want to see end. But inevitably it did and now I'm back at work, already brainstorming about the next holiday. Hmm...

Travel highlights: Laos

2009-05-26T20:21:00.028+07:00

What excuse have I got this time for my shameful neglect of this blog? I could tell you that I've been distracted by matters of the heart - a pleasantly unexpected development as soon as I returned from my trip - so that you could sigh and empathize, "Ah yes, understandable." But as I don't make habit of revealing such intimate details on this forum - and to be fair, that's only part of the story - I'll just carry on as if no time has passed since I promised you this summary of my stay in Laos.

The two weeks there now seem like a hazy dream. Oh wait, it was hazy there. I timed my trip just perfectly with the annual burning of the forests. That was unfortunate in terms of pictures and just general breathing comfort, but thankfully Luang Prabang is capable of seducing even through a pervasive curtain of smog.

To be honest, my immediate reaction to this quaint, walkable town was not overwhelmingly positive. I was thrown off by all the tourists who seemed to outnumber the locals. But I gave in to the experience and met a lot of interesting travelers from all over. The hedonist in me was also won over by all the gastronomical offerings. There are restaurants from all over the globe, though the Laos and French ones are (understandably) most notable. Mornings usually began with a warm, fresh baguette and cup of Laos-style coffee with its sweet condensed milk. A wine bar with cushy seating on the front porch turned out to be my favorite post-dinner hangout, and a night was rarely complete without a visit to one of the crepe stands that pop up along the streets. French colonization was fortunate in some regards. Cuba also gets a mini spotlight here as one of the most popular and amusing hangouts is the outdoor bar Mojito, where gregarious Laos guys in cowboy hats twirl bottles ala Tom Cruise in Cocktail and pronounce the j in the signature drink as you would for jug.

Architecture is another aspect of Laos that benefited from French occupation. Just walking the streets and looking at buildings makes for an interesting afternoon.

The morning alms procession (Tak Bat) is a daily Buddhist tradition and with so many monasteries in Luang Prabang, it's a particularly colorful sight here. Just after daybreak, monks file out of the monasteries and line up with their alms bowls to accept homemade sticky rice from the townspeople. Unfortunately this very spiritual practice has become a bit of a tourist spectacle. I can't feign higher ground here because I obviously took this picture, though I did so hastily and from a considerable distance, trying to pacify my conscious by separating myself from the mass in the streets with their flashing digital cams. It's one of those situations that you can recognize as invasive but take part in anyway with a slightly red face. Another issue besides the indiscreet photography is the well-meaning tourists who want to contribute to the alms-giving but end up offending by using the wrong hand or wearing the wrong clothes or sitting the wrong way or giving the wrong thing. Peddlers with an eye for business opportunity sell rice to the enthusiastic tourists, and that rice is unsuitable and sometimes even unclean.

If LP had a soundtrack, the first track would be the constant drone of tuk-tuk drivers directed to tourists: waterfall cave waterfall cave waterfall cave. This is repeated day in and day out lest you forget that tuk-tuks can transport you to the two most popular nearby attractions. I imagine the wives of these drivers waking to their husbands reciting this mantra in their sleep.

Stephanie and I did make it to both the Kouang Xi waterfall and the Pak Ou cave. The waterfall is a beauty, though with so many tourists, serenity is elusive.

The cave contains a pretty cool collection of ancient Buddhist statues but overall isn't that spectacular. As Stephanie keenly observed, you'd be pretty pissed off if you spent three hours round trip on a bus to get there, but being that you go by boat, it's a fairly enjoyable morning.

One of our favorite attractions was the Ock Pop Tok weaving center. You can take intensive weaving courses here, but we only had time for the tour of the silk production process. It was interesting to see what resources are used for the natural dyes, such as turmeric for yellow, indigo leaves for blue, and bark from tamarind tree for dark red. I was struck by the tediousness of the weaving. The weavers at this center don't work grueling hours, but I imagine they still ache at nights from the static position and repetitive movements.

The night market in Luang Prabang offers your standard array of local handicrafts, but a more interesting experience is the morning market that runs parallel to the Mekong. You never know what you'll find there as vendors seem to bring whatever they've managed to kill or capture that morning. Birds of all sorts, hamsters, even the hind legs of a dog.

One day I crossed the Mekong and spent the better part of the day in Ban Xieng Maen. A stroll down a dirt path leads from one historic temple to another, most of them abandoned. The picture directly below is of peaceful Wat Chom Phet, at the top of a hill. I was there for an hour looking down and across the river at Luang Prabang, not interupted by a single person.

I mosied on to another temple, where I met two young monks with flashlights who led me to a cave and the old abandoned temple pictured below:

If you live in America and visit your doctor before traveling to certain parts of Southeast Asia, you'll no doubt leave with a prescription for Malarone, a malaria preventative. It's the most effective defense against malaria, and to keep it that way, the manufacturers won't sell it in this area (or possibly outside of North America, I'm not sure). The mosquitoes would just become immune, as they are to the malarial drugs that are available here. That's why my doctor said don't bother, just wear repellent and get to a hospital within 48 hours of malaria-like symptoms. And this is how Steph and I got an unplanned and amusing tour of the hospital system in LP. I had been feverish for a day and then had to abruptly abandon a bewildered masseuse to go puke in her bathroom, so we figured a malaria test was indeed in order. We followed the map to a street with beautiful and colorful old French buildings, none of which were clearly marked as a hospital. We were pointed in different directions and had tuk-tuk drivers offer to take us there for a fee - there being some location we could have thrown a stone at. At last, though, we located the hospital and were then directed to a building serving only malaria patients. I didn't sign in, didn't pay a thing - the nurse just came out to the lobby, pricked my finger and told me to wait 15 minutes. That gave us time to find humor in the wall hangings, like this malaria warning:

And this poster demonstrating the importance of proper hand-washing:

Ironically, there was no soap in the hospital restroom.

Of no surprise to you, I tested negative for malaria, so Stephanie and I were able to carry on, the hospital saga evolving into just another funny travel anecdote.

More pictures of Laos are here.

Up next: highlights of Vietnam, coming to you, er, sometime soon.

Travel highlights: Cambodia

2009-04-24T13:56:00.036+07:00

After eight weeks of travel, I'm back in Bangkok and a week into work. The trip went by in a flash, yet it seems ages ago that Stephanie landed and we boarded a plane for Siem Reap a couple of days later. It was actually late February. Though I was only in Cambodia for three days (just touching the surface of the surface), it seduced me so that I got the most emotional when looking back at those pictures. All of the countries I've visited in Southeast Asia have an abundance of elements that lure and delight, but there seem to be a couple such aspects that jump vividly from the moving picture story in my brain of each particular place. When I recall my time in Vietnam, I'll think first of the food and landscape; of Laos, the architecture and romance; but of Cambodia, it will be the people. We met many who lived in near unimaginable situations and yet the smiles on their faces were the widest and their demeanor the warmest. The children had no toys to play with so they were forced to use creativity and nature's gifts such as sticks and rocks - their cleverness continuously impressed me.

Stephanie and I spent our days with our tour guide, Fila, and his father and tuk-tuk driver. This is the only time during my trip that I hired a tour guide, and I definitely recommend it for Siem Reap and Angkor Wat. There's so much to see in that area, it really saves time. Plus, Fila was able to give us some true local experiences we would have missed otherwise.

Fila and his dad picked us up around five our first morning so we could see the sun rise behind stunning Angkor Wat, the largest religious structure in the world. The experience was well worth the early start. Don't come here without doing that. (Check out my right hand. You know you've been in Thailand too long when...)

We visited many other marvelous temples in the Angkor complex, but I won't go through all of them - only a couple of highlights. The picture below is of romantic and otherworldly Ta Prohm, "the Tomb Raider temple". The ruins have been left for the jungle to mercilessly devour, and its numerous towers, courtyards and corridors make for the best hind-and-go-seek setting ever.

The Banteay Srei temple, below, was probably my favorite. It's about an hour's drive from Siem Reap (and a white-knuckled one at that thanks to the narrow winding road scarcely big enough for a barreling oversized truck and vulnerable tuk-tuk). Because of approaching rain and the late hour, we had the place almost to ourselves, which made it seem more serene and special.

On the way back, we passed some street-side stands selling candy made from palm juice. We sampled some that was still warm and turns out completely addictive. Below is the palm juice being heated before it eventually thickens and is stored inside the palm leaf.

Two of the children born into the palm candy business in front of the finished product:

After visiting one of the temples, we passed this monk-run school. Fila himself was taught by monks and learned most of his English at a school like this. Here, a girl practices the Khmer classical dance while the boys study.

One day, Stephanie, Fila and I were eating lunch when we heard music from the end of the alley outside. He walked us over to what turned out to be a wedding celebration and asked if we could hang out for a bit and take pictures. Everyone there welcomed us crashers and pushed us toward the room where the bride and groom sat accepting offerings. They were dressed in traditional Khmer garb and guests would approach them one by one with their envelopes of money. This was just part of the larger three-day celebration.

Another highlight was meeting this family that lives on a lotus farm. They sell the lotus pods, whose seeds make a great snack. The children were so open and playful with us, as were all the other children we met. They really seem to trust and enjoy foreigners.

On our last day, we visited a school that teaches wood- and stone-carving techniques to disadvantaged children and young adults. I gained a new respect for the time and tediousness it takes to create the goods that become the focus of bargaining and wind up in Western homes as "a great buy". I should know; I have a bag full of them.

More pictures of Cambodia are here.

Up next: Laos

Goodbye (lmost) Vietnm

2009-04-19T08:40:00.005+07:00

No, I hven't forgotten how to spell since I've been wy, but I'm using computer with broken key. It should be pprent by now tht the culprit is the letter tht comes before 'b'. I'm in the Mekong Delt now - the town of Chu Doc - nd just returned from the most spectculr sunrise bot trip. The sweetest ldy mneuvered me on her smll wooden bot through floting mrket nd floting villge, both bursting with color nd gorgeous in the golden erly morning sunlight. I'll tke bus bck to Ho Chi Minh City this fternoon nd fly bck to Bngkok tomorrow. Hrd to believe this trip hs lmost reched its end. I won't even try to word how incredible it hs been, especilly becuse reding this must be getting nnoying by now, but I will post pictures just s soon s I cn - I promiselllllllllll.............. (the exclmtion key is broken s well so if you could kindly, mentlly, plce the dots under the lines, I'd be ever so grteful).

Yes, I'm still alive

2009-03-29T17:59:00.002+07:00

This will be a quick one because I have to catch a train shortly, but I at least wanted to stop by and reassure anyone who may be following this blog that I have not moved in with a hill tribe or floated down the Mekong. I am alive and well. I haven't posted any stories yet, partly because I don't have a lot of time for the internet (or extra cash for internet cafes) and mostly because I don't have the capability to upload photos and they really make it, don't they? But regardless, here's a brief update:

- I'm five - whoa - weeks into my travels. Stephanie and I had a great time in Cambodia, Thailand and Laos. She left two weeks ago and I did a little more in Laos and then moved on to Vietnam, which is where I am now (in Lao Cai waiting on a train back to Hanoi, specifically). I've seen a lot of northern Vietnam and will start to make my way down south.

- A few of the highlights: watching the sun rise behind Angkor Wat, meeting some of the most wonderful people in Cambodia who were all genuine smiles and laughs despite having what many would consider next to nothing, hanging out and soaking up the charm of Luang Prabang (I don't want to count how many desserts I ate there), kayaking in Halong Bay, playing Frogger with all the motorbikes in Hanoi...I could go on but I'll just wait for the pictures.

- And as for those pictures, here's a piece of traveling advice: bring about three times as much memory as you think you'll need. I already spent time searching Hanoi for a flash card that I deemed legitimate (not a fake) and tomorrow I'll hit the streets again for more memory. I've had to be conservative with my snapping lately, but this time I'll stock up properly.

- That's all for now. Going to hop on another overnight train, which all together constitute another highlight of the trip. Can't beat paying for hotel and transport together!

Calling home ... future out of focus

2009-02-22T16:27:00.001+07:00

Oh my gosh, I have a blog. It seems I forgot that little fact for a while. As is probably obvious, the novelty of writing about my experiences here has worn off some. I'm always happy when I do sit down and record some aspect of my existence in Bangkok, but because everything is so familiar to me now, I'm just not that often inspired. I do, however, plan to be very inspired over the next couple of months because starting today ... please don't hate me ... I will be a lady of leisure, a nomad, a world (well, Southeast Asia) traveler for nine weeks. The best part is that I will pick up my dear friend and traveling buddy, the dazzling and debonair Ms. Stephanie, at the airport tonight. She will be here for the first three weeks of my sabbatical. Her trip is really what inspired me to take an entire term off. I want to travel with her for her entire stay here. I want to do a lot of traveling before I return home. I will probably be returning home shortly.* It's only getting hotter here so this is a great time to do it. (We're at the tail-end of the prime tourist season so the weather's not unbearable but the crowds should have thinned some.) Together, Stephanie and I will visit northern Thailand; Siem Reap, Cambodia (home of the revered Angkor Wat); and Luang Prabang, Laos. Then I will continue on in Laos, head to Vietnam, and that's where the planning ends. I have many ideas but no definite agenda, leaving myself open to any opportunity that presents itself.

*Yes, so as for that little bit that requires elaboration, my return date is as up in the air as my travel plans. I seem to be having trouble with commitment lately. It's like this. I love it here, making it hard to bite the bullet and leave. However, I really miss home and family and friends. However, the economy stinks back there so finding a job may prove to be as challenging as uncovering the mystery of the Plain of Jars. However, however, however... You see my predicament. Perhaps a little traveling will give me a fresh perspective and the fog will lift, unveiling the best path forward as clear as day. Perhaps.

Nong Khai highlights

2009-02-06T22:13:00.002+07:00

People often ask if one's a beach person or a mountain person. I've always had a hard time choosing between the two, but since spending time in Nong Khai, my answer would be: I'm a river person. Those five days in this small town on the Mekong taught me that it's absolutely impossible to feel any tenseness while watching water lazily pass on by. Ange and I had plans to visit other places in the Isaan area, but went here first and couldn't bear to leave until absolutely necessary.

We stayed in the Mut Mee Guest House and you wouldn't want to stay anywhere else in Nong Khai. Tables and hammocks overlook the river, there's a masseusse, yoga studio and used bookstore on the premises, and the food is the best in town. Walk down some stairs to a houseboat on the river for another fantastic restaurant and live music lounge. A minute's walk spits you out on this promenade that runs along the river and is great for early morning and late afternoon walks:

We hung out some with a French family and the kid was entirely way too precious. I almost truly mean that because he'd grab one of our fairly expensive cameras and start spinning around snapping photos, and we wouldn't have the heart to take it away.

Here's a taste of the future artist's work. I think he's quite good:

When I could pull myself away from reading in a hammock or staring at the river over homemade dessert and green tea, I enjoyed just walking up and down the streets of this little town. Not much going on, yet so much to see. Monks were everywhere. I had to take this one of the boys eating ice cream. Monks of all ages are just so photogenic with their brightly hued robes and shaved heads.

Speaking of monks, my favorite Nong Khai attraction was Wat Noen Phra Nao, a temple nestled in a forest, a perfect pairing for a peaceful setting.

Our one excursion out of town was an hour-long bus ride to Tha Bo, known for its large open-air market:
Ange on the market street:

And some kids all decked out for Children's Day, an important holiday in Thailand:

I've posted a few more pics of Nong Khai here.

Northern Thailand highlights

2009-01-19T01:26:00.008+07:00

Where to start...where to start...Do you know when you have a friend you want to email, but you have so much to say that you keep waiting for that opportune time to sit down and spend quality time writing, but, alas, that time never comes? So you finally just write something in haste without all of the details you had intended? Well, here we are. This is me writing in haste, probably forgetting many of the details of the very full and fun month I've just had, starting with Andrea and Jason's visit. One detail I certainly remember - and please don't laugh at me - is that it's been cold here. And not just Thailand's version of cold. Or even my version of cold. I mean, honest-to-goodness cold. In Nong Khai, it got down to around five degrees Celsius while I was there. I rarely took off my fleece - brought mainly to be used as a pillow on the train - and even slept in it one night. Because the temperature rarely drops this low here (hasn't in the past ten years to be precise), it makes sense that there would be no indoor heating. And cool showers are not usually a discomfort, but they kept me going without as long as I could get away with it. Even Bangkok, which felt like Atlanta's September at its coldest last year, has been chilly. The most common greeting I hear these days is now mai (are you cold?), a legitimate question. A monk actually froze to death earlier this month in Ayutthaya, only an hour north of the city. Things are warming up, though. The weather this past week - my first week back at work after our month-long holiday - has been close to perfect. I'd prefer the mercury stop right now because it won't be long before the sauna returns.

But back to December. My cousin Andrea, her husband Jason and I took an overnight train to Chiang Mai on the 22nd, an amusing experience in itself. We boarded and began making our way to our seats in the second-class sleeper car, counting down numbers on the way: 24, 22, 2-, wait, a group of highly intoxicated backpackers are having a party on our freshly made beds. One scary-looking guy who paid for the upper bunk is lounging on our lower bunk, muddy boots not the least bit concerned with the mess they're making on white sheets. It's an awkward few minutes as we try not to look bothered - yeah, we're cool - and they move their stuff around, spilling beer on our other lower bunk in the process. Then one couple with first-class tickets offers to trade beds with us so they can stay with their friends. No brainer - sure, we'll swap. We thought there'd be an extra bed to accommodate the three of us, but the blessed train kept stopping and letting others on. Poor Jason was bounced back to second class - to the bunk above scary guy because asking him to move was not a welcome option. In an unexpectd turn of events, Andrea went to check on Jason, who soon crashed, so she stayed up until three or four talking to scary guy. Turns out his name is James and he's an ex-convict carrying around a picture from a magazine of his "girlfriend". Somewhere in the conversation Andrea told him of his frightening appearance and in more or less words advised that life might get easier if he'd adopt a more pleasant demeaner. Not sure if he took her advice or not, but James, I hope you are doing well and enjoying your travels.

Ah, moving on. Chiang Mai once again delivered a great time. Highlights included meeting up with a friend at Zoe in Yellow, a great little place in the rasta bar area; bargaining with Andrea at the night bazaar, with a patient Jason in tow; celebrating Christmas and Hannukah there with help from the tall building across from our hotel whose lights formed a humongous Christmas tree topped with the Star of David (classic); and a lovely morning visit to revered mountain-top temple Doi Suthep.

To get to the temple, we took a songthaew up the mountain, about 45 minutes from Chiang Mai center.

Then we climbed these stairs to the top.

It's hard to capture it all in one picture, but you can go here for more... [um, after posting this, I realized I only have one more image from Doi Suthep up...I'll add more tomorrow]

We took a bus from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai, a much smaller town with lots of temples, a great night bazaar and delightfully slow pace. If you ever end up there, I highly recommend Morning Dew Lodge. The owner was incredibly hospitible. She hooked us up with the best restaurants and arranged our day trip to Chiang Saen and the Golden Triangle.

Chiang Saen is an enchanting sleepy town with ancient ruins and temples dating back to the 1200s. The serene Wat Pa Sak was my favorite. I could have spent all day swallowed up in its Lanna-style architecture and teak trees.

We initially thought of skipping the Golden Triangle because of its tourist-trap label, but were happy we didn't. The two best reasons for going: the fascinating opium museum and the boat ride along the Mekong.

Taken in Thailand, looking out at Myanmar and Laos.

Just about fifteen minutes outside of Chiang Rai is the most unusual temple I've been to. Known as “The White Temple,” Wat Rong Khun was designed by famous Thai artist Chaloemchai Khositphiphat. Some people call it beautiful. Others think tacky coated in marshmellow puff is a more apt description. Either way, it's worth a visit because you won't see anything else like it.

A bridge over what appears to be some sort of hell leads to the temple. Inside, a beautiful but bizarre mural is painted on the walls. It includes all kinds of demons and characters from science fiction movies such as Star Wars and Superman. Unfortunately, you're not allowed to take pictures inside because I'd love to share.

That does it for now. Next up: my trip to Nong Khai, a little slice of heaven...

New year's resolution

2009-01-01T21:46:00.000+07:00

[Amongst others] Take at least one photo each and every day throughout 2009. Sounds easy enough, but I'm very intimidated by this challenge. I know there will be busy days that find me rummaging around my apartment in the near dark, struggling to shoot something interesting right before crawling into bed. But I'm going to try my darndest in the hopes of improving my photography. Plus, I think it'll be nice to have a visual representation of my year at the end of 2009. So here goes...

Hello 2009!

2009-01-01T14:30:00.010+07:00

I'm in Bangkok now, wishing you all plenty of peace and joy in the coming year and beyond. Some of you may have seen the news about the devastating nightclub fire in Bangkok. I was celebrating in another area of town that was completely oblivious to what was happening just a short distance away. We were out until three or so but didn't hear about the fire until this morning. What makes it even more sad is how easily it could have been prevented. Nightclub owners, listen up: say no to pyrotechnics! Good grief.

Here are some happier images taken on the infamous Khao San Road. It's Bangkok's backpacker strip and perpetual party. I would have thought New Year's Eve there to be too over-the-top, but we said 'What the heck?' when Andrea and Jason quoted a travel magazine article claiming it as the best place in all of Asia to ring in 2009. It wasn't the mob scene expected but a steady stream of just really happy (okay, moderately inebriated) people. We did see one girl, making a valiant effort to keep Khao San deserving of its reputation, walking and puking at the same time. Here's a shot of some revelers and grilled skewers. The lit devil horns were pretty popular.

Balloons for sale. Ms. Kitty still reigns supreme.

Here's Andrea and Jason with a nice group of guys we met who wanted us to pose in pictures with them - a frequent request of foreigners.

And here's one little guy who must be a huge fan of New Year's Eve. But he deserves it - after all, it is his year.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T15:07:00.003+07:00

Happy Hanukkah! And joyful anything else you may be celebrating! Hope you're all having a wonderful time just being with friends and family. I wish I could post some pictures of Christmas in Thailand now, but I'm traveling and can't download until I get back to Bangkok. Ah well... Suffice it to say Andrea and Jason have probably seen more tacky decorations and heard more Christmas tunes over here than if they had stayed in the States. We are up north now and having a great time. It's actually chilly here at night so it does feel more like the holidays. We went to a gorgeous temple on top of a mountain this morning, but more on that later...

Wish you could all be here. Wouldn't that be a grand party? But I'll be thinking of you, especially you Mom and Dad. Miss you so much. Your ears must be burning, we've been talking so much about how wonderful you are. That goes for all the relatives! Lots and lots of love... Okay, I'll go before I get too sappy ... Now, where's the nearest Starbucks? I think I need a gingerbread latte or something else terribly cozy and Christmasy. Cheers!

Come take a walk with me

2008-12-13T22:19:00.013+07:00

I'm having a bittersweet moment, or few days I should say. On one hand, I can't wait until the teaching day is done tomorrow because that will mark the beginning of four weeks off. I'm so excited about all my travel plans, which include Thailand with Andrea and Jason and Laos with Ange. But I'm also a little reluctant to leave this quiet life in Bangsaen. The six weeks has flown and I must say I'm not ready for it to be over. I only need to take you through my afternoon walk for you to understand.

These bikes were the first to beg me to take their photograph. When I finished, the very sweet shop owner pointed across the street toward the sea and this is what awaited me there.

After walking a little ways more, I sat down on these rocks to watch the sunset. I've seen more sunsets in the past six weeks than in all my other days combined, and I can't see ever growing tired of it.

While sitting there, this adventurer passed by, followed by several friends.

After savoring the cool breeze for a while longer, I walked over to my favorite Bangsaen restaurant, Seahorse. Dave, Ange and I have dined here enough lately, the server runs through our favorite dishes and we just nod. The food is delicious, the atmosphere appropriately chill, and the sea view from upper level seating not too shabby.

These guys are always there, sprinkling their Thai love songs and English covers with low-key jokes (some we're pretty positive are about us, based a little on the words we pick up but mostly on the other diners' smiles and side-glances at the only foreigners there).

I love that the stage is decorated for Christmas, as is the rest of Thailand. Actually, many places in Thailand have Christmas-like decorations up year-round, but they get more specific this time of year. I walked past someone the other day who saw me and started singing Jingle Bells just loud enough so I could hear. Classic.

Are you on cloud nine, too? and other sure-fire pick-up lines

2008-12-12T21:39:00.006+07:00

I went to Bangkok for the day today to a) take back most of the things I had with me here in Bangsaen so I'll have a lighter load on Tuesday and b) earn some extra money at a random two-hour gig that Demelza hooked me up with. The job was for a company that makes software - mostly computer games - for Playstation, Nintendo, etc. I was there to read basic English phrases that will be used on a travel gadget akin to a talking dictionary. In a small studio that held only a chair, microphone and sheet stand, I read through a page at a time, getting a ten-second break after each one to drink water and wait for the cue on the other side of the glass. Easy as pie until the last page - the section on romance. I burst into laughter during "Have you ever thought about hugging all night?", and once one inappropriate laugh escapes, it's unbearably hard to contain the others. Anyone who's ever been to church knows about that. It took major self-control and visualization to get through the rest of the lines, especially "Whatever may happen, whatever distances may lie between us, our love will keep growing as long as we stay in touch." These are campy enough, though, I bet a baht they work like a charm.

Scenes of the afterlife

2008-12-11T13:08:00.011+07:00

I ventured to Wat Wang Saen Suk, near Bangsaen Beach, the other day to satisfy my curiosity about this "temple of hell". The peaceful scene above is one of several lining the walkway from the temple entrance to the gates of hell. Enjoy it now because things get gruesome on the other side.

These giant starving creatures demand initial attention, but the dozens of scenes that follow are more grotesque, all depicting what is supposed to be a Buddhist hell.

Torture shows itself in many different ways here. And then some statues are just plain weird. I wonder what the children who visit think of it all - especially when viewing the scene of what happens if you don't obey your parents. I wanted to steer one boy away from a particularly disturbing scene of a woman being mutilated, but instead took a picture of it that I can't bring myself to post here.

Statues like these form a huge circle and signs at the foot of each warn of the sin that if committed would lead to an afterlife in the respective form.

Gambling is quite popular in Thailand, which makes me wonder if that's why this was the only statue to have little Buddhas at the foot. Visitors hoping for extra protection, perhaps? (I think gambling is especially popular in Bangsaen, which has a significant mafia presence. I saw a guy with half his ear chopped off and was told the missing piece was probably payback for an unpaid gambling debt.)

I paid to free the two birds above, which means I encouraged the practice so they will only be captured again so some other dope can free them.

And a message to leave you with....

Happy Father's Day, Dad

2008-12-06T20:03:00.015+07:00

Yesterday was the King's 81st birthday and as his birthday, December 5th is also Father's Day. It's a national holiday and most people get the day off so Bangsaen was packed with beach-loving revelers from Bangkok. This man took advantage of the festivities to peddle his floral garlands, which are commonly sold on the streets of Bangkok.

The one shot I took of the beach crowd doesn't do justice but at least shows that Thais really do swim in their clothes. Funny enough, modesty seems to prevail more on the beach than on the street, where some skirts are so short, the wearer will place her notebook or bag behind her as she ascends the stairs. This departure from guidebook descriptions was a relief for me because it meant I could wear my sleeveless shirts without feeling like a farang tramp.

Groups of three and four merrily cruised along, sharing the effort. I liked this camera pass-off.

This man was having a great Father's Day teaching his little girl how to ride a bike.

The proud papa took one picture after another.

But at least one person had had enough fun for the day.

Kid in a candy store

2008-11-29T22:04:00.010+07:00

That was me on my day off when I met up with Ange, a fellow teacher at the branch here, and she took me to a boatyard just a half hour's walk from where I live. The kaleidoscopic setting is a photographer's playground, and we played til the sun went down. I owe her many thanks for showing it to me. Check out more photos from that day on my flickr site.

Here's Ange with a fisherman who wanted to be in the picture. That kind of playfulness and openness to strangers is one of the things I love about Thai people.

The sunlight was gorgeous. The weather now couldn't get any better: warm, sunny and slightly breezy during the day and cool enough in the early mornings and evenings to trigger tiny goosebumps.

We saw this cutie patootie playing his little heart out in the ocean.

They stood and watched who I assume is their father leaving for work until he was out of sight and then resumed the fun.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T09:13:00.015+07:00

Life in Bangsaen rolls on at a lackadaisical pace and I have no complaints. It's really the best of both worlds here because Bangkok and all her magnificent excesses are just an hour down the road. I went there on Tuesday to take care of some things and see Min and Jason, friends from the States bound for her sister's wedding in Phuket. Luckily, I had the day off thanks to university graduation and didn't need to teach again until Wednesday night. It was great to catch up with them over shopping at Suan Lum Night Bazaar and riverside cocktails at their hotel, Navalai. (As an aside, I'd recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Bangkok. It's on one of my favorite streets, Phra Athit, known for its galleries and arty boutiques and restaurants. It's convenient to Khao San Road and the Grand Palace area, but not a skytrain stop, the only downside.) Our group of seven split into two vehicles on the way to the night bazaar so I snapped a fuzzy picture of Min and Jason (on either side of their future relative) on their first tuk-tuk ride.

Before meeting up with all of them, I stopped by Sanam Luang, the royal grounds in front of the Grand Palace and funeral site of Princess Galyani Vadhana. She died in January but they just held the funeral earlier this month, following Thai royal tradition to wait for an auspicious date. The gilded crematorium pyre and other temporary funeral buildings will remain in place through November. Masses flock here every day and night to pay their respects and perhaps forget about all the political conflicts for a while.

Here, people take photos of a painting of the late princess.

Lines are long for an inside view.

The crematorium pyre, modeled on Mount Meru, a mythical Buddhist site.

More details of the lavish structures.

But alas, the political conflicts continue and Min called me first thing the next morning with the news that protestors had taken over the airport. So instead of a flight to Phuket, the group piled into a minivan for an overnight ride to Phuket. I hope they made it okay and I'm praying this whole mess is settled before my cousin Andrea and her husband Jason get here in just three short weeks. I know we'll have a wonderful time drama or not, but I'm still hoping like mad for not.

Beach living

2008-11-14T22:50:00.008+07:00

Today was my day off (as in Bangkok, I work six short days), and I took full advantage of living a stone's throw from the beach by starting my morning and ending my day there.

The weather has been perfect the past week. I think rainy season is officially over and "winter" is about here. Bangsaen is cooler than Bangkok anyway with its ocean breeze.

Banana boats are very popular here. They dot the shoreline in the mornings, anchored and waiting for the afternoon action.

Once the sun loses its strength, the umbrellas come down and give loungers a better view.

I plopped in a deck chair myself and ordered one of my favorite dishes, yaam pla dook phu, a salad of minced fried catfish, shredded mango, peanuts, herbs and spices. It goes perfectly with sticky rice - you break off a chunk, ball it up and dip it into the juice. It also goes perfectly with watching a cotton candy sunset.

Vaca flashback

2008-11-07T13:01:00.011+07:00

During my time off the week before moving to Bangsaen, I essentially had two very different mini-vacations. First, Koh Samet with Demelza and Isabella. It rained for much of the 48 hours we were there, but we still had a grand time eating and talking, eating and talking. It cleared up at night so we could hang out by the ocean at the beach bars with their mats and low tables and fire shows and hookah pipes. If you visit Bangkok and don't have time to get down south to the top-ranked beaches and islands - Krabi, Phuket, Samui, Phi Phi, etc, etc - Koh Samet is a great alternative. It's not as breath-taking as the others (based on a little personal experience and a little hearsay) and has been over-developed despite its national park status, but still sports white sand and clear water. Because of its proximity to Bangkok - three to four hours on a bus, plus a 30-minute ferry ride - it can get crowded, especially on weekends. There's a lively nightlife scene with barbecues, bars and dance clubs, and a good mix of Thais, expats and travelers.

When Isabella and Demelza left to get back for Saturday classes, I stayed on for a couple of days in Ban Phe, the jumping off port town for Koh Samet. More specifically, I went about ten or so kilometers down the beach road to Laem Mae Phim, which feels like a hidden paradise. I don't think many foreigners have seen this part of Thailand as I saw three in the two days I spent there. If it's peaceful getaway you want, stop here rather than taking the ferry over to Samet. I met the woman in the picture above almost immediately. She was so good to me, even inviting me to stay in her home, though I declined, and her son (not the one pictured) drove me all the way to the bus station in Rayong. Very kind family.

A serene Buddhist temple sits atop a hill at the very end of Laem Mae Phim Beach.

The view from the temple.

A woman praying at the temple.

Children running out of the ocean at the end of the day. The beach was mostly deserted during the day, but in the late afternoon, large groups of Thais gathered to play sports on the sand or ride banana boats in the water. I happened upon one group of maybe 50 people, most of them wearing face paint and about half in orange shirts. I think they had just played some sort of game and I caught them picking up the course - five long, narrow lines created with dozens of scrunched up shirts, umbrellas, and other skinny objects. I sort of regret not lifting my camera because it was fascinating, but in the moment, I felt intrusive and was just too shy to start snapping away. Maybe next time.

Proud to be an American in Bangsaen

2008-11-07T10:39:00.009+07:00

So far so good in Bangsaen. Since my arrival on Sunday, I've gradually slipped into easygoing beach living mode. Even work seems more relaxed when you can gaze out at the ocean from the 6th floor window during breaks. Today, Friday, is my day off and I just returned from what's become my routine morning walk down the palm-shaded path you see in the picture above, only minutes from my apartment. It's so peaceful there in the mornings with a smattering of people lounging in the deck chairs and vendors just opening up their shops and restaurants on the other side of the path (seen in the picture below). The rows of chairs and umbrellas continue farther than I've yet walked and apparently fill up on weekends when Thai tourists arrive by the bus and carloads. Truth be told, the narrow strip of beach isn't much and the people I've talked to are wary of the water, revising my previous mental images of sunset dips and strolls sans shoes. But I'll just take a page from the Thais. They mostly come to the beach to recline under the umbrellas, order food and chill out with friends. Not a bad plan at all. And I'm already relishing the cooler and fresher air. It's so nice to eat seafood outside and not feel tightness in the chest from exhaust (Sorry for the cheap shot, Bangkok. You know I still love you. We just need some time apart.)

The town itself is small, almost entirely Thai (I've seen just a few foreigners walking around) and centered around the university. The language school I teach for is actually in the engineering building on campus so most of my students are college students. I'm down here with another teacher from Bangkok, Dave, who's coincidentally also North Carolina born and bred. Both of us got the feeling we had stepped into the Thai version of Myrtle Beach, at least the Strand area (is it even called that anymore? I'm having great memories from high school now). More hi-so Thais weekend at Hua Hin, while this place attracts pickup trucks and souped-up cars. I've seen a couple of such cars sneaking (by this, I mean right in front of the police officers) in a practice round before the annual speed race, which takes place this weekend along the main street that runs parallel to the beach.

Of course Wednesday around noon my time, I was nowhere near the beach, but glued to the TV watching Obama make history. I will never forget sitting on the bed and sobbing over his words and the reactions of people in the crowd, particularly the older generation who must have thought they'd never see such progress in their lifetime. I managed to get it together and apply sunscreen to meet Dave for lunch. We were both in a state of elation and could hardly stop talking about the significance of it all. Even during unrelated topics of conversation, one of us would say "Obama" and we'd break into smiles. Then we each received texts from non-American friends who were just as excited and it really hit home how much this election meant to everyone and how most people from other countries really do want America to succeed. It's been a while since I've felt this proud to be an American, and it's not only because of the way in which Obama won, but also the way in which McCain lost - with grace and even the promise of support. I like to hold classroom debates, particularly in the advanced classes with students who will soon study abroad. Some have asked me with real wonder if it's true that Americans get into heated debates and then laugh about it or shake hands afterward. I laughed the first time I heard the question because I hadn't thought of it that way before, but answered yes, that sounds about right. Most of my students really enjoy debating once they get into it, but I have to choose the subject matter carefully. Thailand's current political strife is off-limits for sure. It's a great thing to be able to air differences and still stand in the same room when the dust settles. There's obviously a lot wrong in America today, but this far-away perspective has given me a new appreciation for what's right.

Go Obama!!

Dinner parties rule

2008-10-21T22:13:00.011+07:00

I know I'm always going on about the Thai food here—and it's definitely gush-worthy, don't get me wrong—but sometimes I have an overpowering craving for pizza or pasta. Usually pizza. But this time pasta. Isabella and Toby invited people to their apartment for dinner a few weeks ago and served a pasta dish so savory, I requested a repeat a couple of nights ago. Underneath that gorgeous bed of pasta is a heap of superfoods: steamed broccoli and cauliflower, grape tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, green, red and yellow bell peppers, mushrooms, black beans, pecans, green onion, basil and cilantro. She stirred it all up with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, then served it with bread, cheese, salami and wine. Mamma mia, I was spoon-(and glass)-to-mouth all evening.

And now for the news segment of the program...ta da da da...oh it's not that big, but I'm very excited. I'm going to teach next term (six weeks) at another branch, and this one's on the...wait for it...beach!! Okay, so it's not Krabi or Koh Samui—apparently not even close—but it's still a beach. It's actually only an hour from Bangkok in Bangsaen so I can visit the city if I need a fix. The school I teach for has branches all over Thailand and one of its great perks is that teachers have the opportunity to fill in when other branches need help. They'll pay for my apartment here and travel expenses (obviously a bigger perk if you venture farther away than an hour). So I have next week off between terms and start there the following Monday. People who have been to Bangsaen rave about the fresh seafood so expect to get an earful (er, eyeful?) about that pretty soon.

Midnight marathon and cheap tricks

2008-10-12T08:43:00.005+07:00

Had an interesting taxi ride home last night. It was a little after midnight and we were waiting at a light when probably about a thousand runners (the cab driver said two thousand) came tearing out of the dark and up the other side of the street. There was something really funny about this unexpected sight. Our driver, almost certainly hopped up on something, thought it was exceptionally amusing and couldn't stop laughing and pointing. A marathon at that hour makes perfect sense, though, with no sun or heavy traffic to contend with.

The taxi fare for that ride home was 67 baht. Isabella handed the driver a 100 and asked for a 20 back. Then the conversation went like this:
Driver: Sorry, no change.
Isabella: (laughing) Yes you do, I know you do.
Me: Oh wait, here's 70.
Driver: What did you say? 70? (digging in his pocket) I have change.

Isabella took the picture above. I didn't want to reach over the cab driver so I handed the camera to her. I like the strange blending of some of the runners with the couple on a motorbike.

Bug over, bring on the pizza, but hold the ketchup

2008-09-28T17:46:00.005+07:00

There are many experiences to be had in Thailand—noshing on roadside food, bargaining down to the last baht in the weekend market, getting an hour-long foot massage for about five bucks, to name a few. But you’re not fully initiated until you get some good bacterial food poisoning that makes it nearly impossible to leave the apartment. I hosted some kind of parasite about a month after moving here, but haven’t had any problems since then until last week. This time around I hastened recovery by spending 24 hours in the hospital hooked to a constant drip of fluids and antibiotics. The hospital I go to is unbelievably nice, even a little surreal. Bright, shiny and distinctly modern down to the white Barcelona-style chairs grouped in mass in all the waiting rooms, it’s more akin to a spa than any hospital I’ve been to in the US. All of the nurses wear skirt suits, heels, nurse’s caps, and a wide smile (come to think of it, I have yet to see a male nurse, I suppose due to the more defined gender roles here). Anyway, it was actually kind of nice to give in and let food and drinks come to me. I left my apartment in a hurry, intending on a quick appointment to rule out dengue or anything wild like that, not even grabbing a book. A book was exactly what I first longed for when I agreed to stay, but all literary inclinations were forgotten once I found the remote control. I grew determined to make up for a year of almost no TV, devouring National Geographic, CNN, BBC, Oprah, CSI, and my new favorite sitcom. Was I just that light-headed or is The Nanny really one of the funniest shows ever created? I pledged to buy the whole set on DVD and was disappointed to learn later that only the first two seasons are available. Ah well, maybe I can catch reruns when I’m back in the States.

Oh, and by the way, I’m 100% better now. I even ordered a pizza the other night for the first time since moving here. My medium pepperoni pie arrived with six packets of ketchup, a Thai fascination I don’t really understand. Most Thais will completely smother non-Thai food—pizza, pasta, sandwiches—with ketchup or chili sauce to give it more flavor. I love how humorous cultural differences can be. Like this one: It’s perfectly acceptable to pick your nose here (I’m talking half a finger outta sight) and then examine the, uh, fruits of your labor. Then on the other hand (forgive me), it’s seen as completely repulsive to bite your nails or put your fingers in your mouth, actions that are fairly innocuous to Westerners. You funny, funny world.

[Writing this blog sometimes gives me ideas of pictures I need to take. I'll add one to this post later. It's either going to be a ketchup-covered pizza or someone digging. Got a preference?]

More on Chiang Mai

2008-09-14T20:36:00.003+07:00

I spent most of my time in Chiang Mai catching up with people I got to know last year and seeing some temples that I never got around to during that time.

A girl friend and I were out one night when we realized the tendency men have for comparing women’s features to animals. A guy approached our table and told her she has eyes like a panda during the day and like a cat at night. That reminded me of P’Tom who tells me he likes my chicken egg face and rabbit teeth. (Apparently, it’s a plus here if your two front teeth are longer than the rest, and there was even a time when hi-so women were shelling out for the dental work to accomplish this).

Another observation: As much as I love Chiang Mai, Bangkok has it beat for sure in one area—public transportation. In Bangkok, almost every place you’d need to go is convenient to a skytrain stop. And if it’s not, you just flag down a taxi anywhere, anytime—for cheap. Chiang Mai has overpriced tuk-tuks and songthaews that can be hard to find at times. Most people who live there depend on motorbikes, so if you won’t ride one, you’d better be prepared to stand your ground against a lot of peer pressure. I’m one of the rare few who won’t but for what I consider pretty good reasons. It was just about five years ago I was learning how to walk again, and once in a lifetime is enough for that. During rehab, I also met enough people there because of motorcycle accidents to dissuade me from ever riding one. Despite this, I really did almost give in for a short ride with a guy who swore on his safety. Last second, though, I couldn’t do it and shared a pricy tuk-tuk with someone else. When we all reached our next destination, the girl who did ride on the back of his bike was very shaken and scratched up. They had had an accident on the way over and she fell off, but luckily walked away with only scratches down one leg and arm. Because they were both foreigners and collided with Thais, they had to give all their money or deal with the police. No matter whose fault it is, the foreigner will always pay, and the police will make especially sure of this (they would get a cut of course).

This obviously affirmed my mistrust of motorbikes. It also reminded me of a Thai guy I know in Bangkok who wrecked his bike once, smashing all of the bones on the left side of his face. After many surgeries, he wrecked his bike again and smashed all the bones on the right side of his face. Sounds tragic, but he claims it’s okay. After the first wreck, he was ugly on one side and handsome on the other, but after the second, he was ugly on both so at least it’s even now. Gotta know how to look at the bright side I guess!

Back in Chiang Mai

2008-09-10T12:47:00.009+07:00

I remember now why I loved this small city so much when I lived here during the first six weeks of my time in Thailand. The (relatively) fresh air, mountainous backdrop, and denizens so laid-back they make Bangkokians look uptight (wow, how will I ever adjust to the American pace again?). I'm here now on term break and feel so re-energized. Don't get me wrong - Bangkok has its own special place in my heart. I'm content with loving each place for very different reasons.

I arrived by overnight train, which left Bangkok at 10pm and reached Chiang Mai about 15 hours later. Sounds unpleasant, which is why my expectations were low, but I actually loved the experience. Reading at length, staring out of the window at gorgeous scenes passing by like a picture show, chatting with people from all over...these are things you just can't get on an hour flight (not to mention train travel is much more economical). Rumors of a frigid first class convinced me to go for second. With a fan and cool air blowing through open windows, its temperature was perfect. A look at my mattress in the morning light, though, revealed all that accompanied that nice breeze. Dead mosquitoes and even a huge moth peppered an area too close to my pillow. Note for the return trip: sleep with head toward the front of the train for minimal critter contact. Despite having a semi-conscious sense that this was happening (I had a very vivid dream involving mosquitoes), the constant, rather loud "clickety clack" of the wheels underneath and the frequent and sudden jolts, I managed some sound stints of sleep. The trick? Earplugs and an eye mask. Never travel without them. I woke rested to a splendid morning in the countryside.

So now I have about 24 more hours before hopping on the train again. I'll post pictures and more words when I get back to Bangkok!

Corn, anyone?

2008-08-22T17:44:00.004+07:00

As you can see, I’ve been toying with my masthead again. (I pick at my scabs, too, if anyone's wondering.) And I'll probably change it again when the whim strikes. I also added a link to my flickr page. I’ve been playing catch-up with my photos the past few weeks because I haven’t been good about putting them up as I take them. I still have a backlog, though, and hope to add the rest soon. Unfortunately, all this additional work caused my external hard drive—the one holding all of my photos—to go on strike. She’s flat out refusing to do any work. I’m keeping fingers tightly crossed that it’s a temporary tantrum and peace will be restored shortly (that’s all up to the manufacturer now). Luckily, I copied everything onto DVDs at the end of May, but that still leaves two months worth of photos hanging in the balance.

Last week I also became preoccupied with another online site. To quote Daniel (high school friend Daniel who visited Thailand, not Thailand friend Daniel) “the unstoppable machine that is Facebook.” The fears that kept me at bay were warranted: I’m totally addicted. It’s been so much fun reconnecting with friends I haven’t talked to in years. If you’re on there, please look me up, maybe even leave a note on my wall!

Bangkok, there's no other place like you

2008-08-20T22:04:00.006+07:00

Oh, my poor neglected blog. I haven’t laid eyes on you in almost a month. Since the last post, I’ve celebrated my year anniversary of moving to Thailand. That's right, hard to believe a year has passed since I was giddy in Sarah’s apartment, filled with all the excitement that comes with moving to a new place. And, of course, much more motivated to record my experiences. I suppose now that my surroundings have become so familiar, it all seems less blog-worthy. I got a laugh the other night at how accustomed I’ve grown to the way of life here when I caught myself washing my spoon—yes I only own one spoon—rather than using my fork—yes, only one fork as well—to eat the veggies and rice I brought home. I was alone in my apartment but still didn’t like the idea of a fork in my mouth. A spoon just seems much kinder now. Last night I was eating dinner with Toby and Isabella when the evening downpour came (a regular event this time of year). The restaurant we call Ms. Jazz (the owner’s nickname because she loves jazz music) sits at a slant off the little street. Water poured in, flooding the cement floor and pushing us down the table to escape its reach. Finally, the three of us were crowded at the end with somewhat submerged feet (hard to see the water in the picture above, but it’s there). Waitresses were sloshing through the water in flip-flops and Ms. Jazz was laughing, “every year, every year”. This all didn’t seem out of the ordinary to me until Isabella asked me to hand her my camera.

All that said, what I love most about Bangkok is that no matter how long you (a farang) live here, you’ll never fully acclimate and understand everything around you. Even friends of mine who’ve lived here for years have daily cause to shake their heads and think “only in Thailand”. A small, inexplicable fire in the middle of the sidewalk that the Thais just walk around without batting an eye. A group of high school students gathered around a bright pink jam box, engaged in a dance-off. A student who wants to change her attendance card because her first and last names are now completely different (probably because the family had some back luck and attributed it to the name), and our admissions personnel who see this often enough to consider it routine. Just a few examples of the random and comical or baffling encounters that endlessly entertain here. It's too bad I can't do them justice with words, but I'll keep trying.

Mangroves

2008-07-30T21:31:00.009+07:00

I forgot to show you the mangroves. Cool, huh? How do they do that? The colorful structure in the background is the seafood restaurant where we ate lunch.

Details of a traditional Thai home at the park we visited:

Gold coins outside of a temple. Placing coins in the bowl that sits in front of the Buddha that corresponds to the day of the week you were born will afford you extra protection:

Sabai sabai

2008-07-27T15:16:00.023+07:00

Hi friends, I hope you’re all enjoying your summer. I think the tables have turned now and your weather is actually hotter than mine. At least those of you in the Southeastern states. And though it's a little cooler here, it's still pretty darn hot. I've learned from the Thai women here and use an umbrella to block the sun. It's so much more pleasant, I don't see breaking that habit when I return so be warned: You may be embarrassed to be seen with me. Since I haven’t posted in a while, I have some catching up to do. I'll post some pictures below but I've taken many more recently. I'll try to put more up later this week.

A couple of weeks ago, I went with Natalia and Koi (above) to Dusit Zoo and the Vimanmek Teak Mansion, the world’s largest golden teakwood mansion. Natalia, from Colombia, was thrilled to see her first giraffe. It struck her that the pattern on the giraffe's skin looks like autumn leaves. She also saw her first zebra, this beautiful creature below.

The teak mansion was a real treat. A blend of Thai and European styles, it was built soon after King Rama V returned from Europe in 1897. It's apparently constructed without the use of nails and with interlocking pieces of wood. There's a glimpse of part of the complex behind Koi and me.

Also on the grounds are two exhibitions of the current king's own photography—I thoroughly enjoyed this look through his eyes—and a display of Thai transportation over the years.

Natalia and Koi were students in an advanced English class I taught. Five of the nine from that class are moving to the States next month to attend various post-graduate schools. Here, we asked a stranger to take a picture of the three of us. Turns out he's colleagues with another person in the class. Strange coincidence.

Eight of us from the class split into two cars last week and spent a full, adventurous day in the Samut Songkhram province, about an hour and a half southwest of Bangkok. Our first stop was the Mae Nam Mae Klong, where we boarded boats for a tour of riverside life.

The boats anchored and we slopped through the warm mud (I believe people pay a lot of money for this treatment at spas) on a search for worms with a tubular shell. Given that we had just studied endangered species, we felt a bit cruel putting the white powder given to us by our guides into the ground. This chemical causes the worm shells to spurt to the surface where our greedy, curious hands await.

Back on dry land, we steered ourselves and our huge appetites toward this easy riverside restaurant with incredible seafood. The wormy things were on the menu but we resisted after some great effort.

Next stop: the King Buddhalertla Naphalai Memorial Park with traditional Thai houses, lush gardens and lots of antiques.

We also visited the sweetest temple, completely covered in roots and vines.

As dusk neared, we rented a boat and boarded with our dinner: sticky rice, grilled pork on sticks and desserts that are like little pancake tacos with custard in the middle. The boat stopped at this coffee shop below where we bought traditional Thai lemon tea for the ride.

We were let out at this gilded temple that houses the intact skeletal remains of a famous monk in a glass casket. These remains are on a shelf above an eerie wax version of the monk. A downpour actually kept us here for about an hour, but when it stopped we continued on and had the river completely to ourselves for the trip finale. Trees and bushes all along the river were lit up like Christmas trees with fireflies. It was a spectacular sight, particularly against the quietness of the night. Our boat driver said that on weekend nights, a couple hundred boats are all competing for this same view. Most of the tourists who come to this area are Thai so I felt like I had a truly local experience. Definitely a day I won't soon forget.

I also went to Koh Samet for a few days and planned on posting those pictures as well, but I'll save them for next time. Until then, sabai sabai (a commonly used Thai phrase meaning relax or take it easy). I think I'm more directing this to myself as I'm a little nervous about the start of the new term tomorrow. I'll be teaching my first corporate course. Because the school where I teach is such an institution here, companies frequently call requesting teachers. Should be fun though!

More elephants

2008-07-09T20:10:00.004+07:00

Yes, yes, another post about elephants. I can’t help myself; I love these creatures. What I don’t love, though, is seeing them plodding down the city streets, often right in the middle of traffic. The practice of bringing elephants into Bangkok is technically illegal, but so is prostitution. It's a sad sight, especially knowing they get scraped and bumped along the way, so I generally try to ignore the handlers and their request for money to feed the elephant. Still, it's hard not to get a little thrill at seeing such an anomaly. One rainy night when my friend Jen was in town, we saw an elephant legs-up in a puddle having the most fun. It was such a joyous sight. I took these pictures yesterday in my neighborhood. The boy below was beyond precious in his timidness.

Joop-joop (kiss-kiss) from Sumo to you

2008-06-30T20:15:00.011+07:00

Word around the water cooler is all about Thailand's current government and whether or not its alleged corruption will lead to another military coup (and whether or not such a coup would be sufficient grounds for a day off work). In more personal news, my friend Allan told me he’s moving back to Canada, putting me in a gloomy mood last week. It seems lately as soon as I get to know someone, he or she is moving away. I’ll miss having him around, just as I miss the others I’ve befriended and waved off in the short time I’ve been here. I suppose that comes with the territory of living in a foreign country. You’re more likely to meet transient people—and at some point in the next year, I'll be the one leaving. The good news is you’ve got great places to visit (Philippines, Australia, China. I’m dreaming now.) Also on the upside, as often as someone leaves, you meet someone new with another set of interesting experiences and viewpoints. I went out Thursday night with a new friend from Colombia and got a kick out of her stories from the six months she lived in the States, her shopping nirvana. She loved all the designer clothes you can get for relatively cheap (“You know Ross, dress for less.”) The sound she associates with America is the clack-clack-clack of shoppers methodically working their way through racks of clothes, moving hangers quickly to one side until something appeals. We laughed at the Bath and Body Works mentality. You go in for one bottle of soap but leave with five because of the get-one-free promotion. You'll never use all five, but you buy them anyway because it’s a “deal”. (I’ve never seen a shopping culture like this one, though. When I ask my students what they did over the weekend, I’m guaranteed shop, sleep, watch TV, in that order with rare exceptions. Thailand has its own version of the B&BW promotion: go to the popular Pratunam wholesale district, and the more you buy, the cheaper the items.)

I spend more time with other “farang” than with native Thais, say around 60-40, partly because we’re in the same situation and most Thais are already settled into their own lives with family and friends. I feel really lucky, though, to have somewhat of a surrogate Thai family. P'Tom, as you may recall, owns the coffee stand I frequent and says the things my mom would want someone over here saying to me: Be careful walking home; Don’t stay out too late; Go exercise (all advice I heed, of course…Mom). I stop by there many afternoons on my way home from work to order a fruit shake and hang out with him and his wife and any other regulars who may be there. It’s on the sidewalk in front of a restaurant that serves heaping plates of Thai food for $1. The restaurant’s owner has three kids and there's usually a couple more hanging around. Unlike most other Thai children I’ve seen, these are all over the place—climbing on top of the table, playing with things on the ground, trying to push each other down. It can be a circus, but always hugely entertaining. The youngest one, Sumo, is a lovable chunk; he has the cutest cheeks and Michelin Man legs. If you say "joop joop", he'll kiss your cheek. So there I was last night sitting at P'Tom’s little wooden table, eating my dollar dinner, watching all the people go by, and contemplating how lucky I am that this all came together so nicely. Lucky to have parents who supported my move, great friends back home to skype with, Sarah who introduced me to P'Tom, among other great people and places in Bangkok. The only downside is missing you all, and of course my new nephew Ben, who isn't included in "you all" because he can't read yet. But look, he's working on it. There he is below with his best friend Lucy. Laura says he starts laughing every time Lucy comes in the room. So, yeah, pretty big downside indeed.

And here's Sumo:

This one's blurry, but too cute not to share:

New look in progress

2008-06-15T08:50:00.004+07:00

Well, I just had to get rid of that boring ol' header. This isn't perfect I realize, but it's gotta be better, right? It's actually my first photoshop graphic attempt and the last picture's probably too busy, and the colors look much better before I post it to the web, and there's this weird grainy effect around the text, and yada yada yada. But hey, it'll do for now. I gotta get outside and play.

To make up for my photoshop laziness, I'll give you a good laugh. I have a student named F (yes, English letters also make for popular Thai nicknames here.) The class was up and getting into groups and I hear one student yell across the room: "F you too!"

He has asked me if he should change his nickname before going to the States for university. I told him it'd probably be a good idea.

What a beautiful wreck you are

2008-06-09T18:27:00.023+07:00

Ayutthaya, a river-encircled city about an hour outside of Bangkok, was the majestic capital of Thailand for four centuries until 1767 when the Burmese conquered and left it in ruins. People like to say there's nothing there now but elephants and temples, and that's about right. But the elephants and temples make it well worth a trip. I went there last week to visit a couple I got to know in Chiang Mai and had a wonderful time with them as my tour guides. On my first night there, Yada demonstrated the awesome potential of a rice cooker and hot plate—I'd go back just for more of her almond fried chicken. We also managed to break from our South Park/Chris Rock-era Saturday Night Live marathon enough to do some nice sight-seeing, including a sunset boat ride with views like the one I took above.

Reade and Yada at one of the temple grounds.

The Burmese destroyed what they could of the city, going so far as to decapitate sacred Buddha figures. The ruins are so beautiful, though, and brought to mind the Shawn Mullins song from which I ripped off my title.

Only one temple was not destroyed by the Burmese. The king of Burma used Wat Na Phrameru Rachikaram as a military base and fired canons from it. Injured from firing a canon himself, he died on his way back to Burma for treatment.

We stopped by the Elephant Kraal, where elephants live and are trained for ceremonies and battle reenactments. The handsome fellow below is just ten days old. He was trying to run before he could walk—so cute to watch. I was sitting on a bench taking pictures when a six-month-old elephant named Santa came over and hugged me—or so I thought—with his trunk. Turns out it's his bench and he wanted it back. Good thing I wasn't in the mother's seat.

An enormous fence of red teak posts (seen below behind Yada and the elephants) enclosed the area. One of the kraal owners told us the posts were handcarved by twelve women in their 70s. I couldn't find more information on that, but will look into it next time I'm there.

PS: Can't you just hear the smaller elephant saying "Me, me, don't forget me!"?

When it's been too long

2008-05-25T13:17:00.006+07:00

A recent column in the Bangkok Post compiled a list of signs that one has been in Bangkok for too long. Though I’ve only been here eight months, I read to see where I fall on the scale. (I think I'm okay to stay a little while longer.) Here are some of my faves:

"You tell someone it’s about 11 when it’s quarter to 12."

I wasn’t all that punctual before moving to Bangkok so living here just gives me an excuse. “What? I’m on Thai time.”

"You stand in the shadow of a telephone pole while waiting for a bus."

Yep, done that. (Well, while waiting for the light to change.)

"You stop thinking a girl riding pillion on a motorbike, side-saddle, wearing a mini-skirt, with one toe pointing towards the ground, while putting on makeup, is anything out of the ordinary."

This one's the funniest to me and so true—the motorbike acrobatics here are quite amusing. It’s not uncommon to see an entire family on one motorbike. And I’m baffled by the helmet logic. Many times the adults are wearing helmets but not the children. Or you’ll see someone riding with the helmet in his or her hand. Explain that one to me. I think it was Sarah (oh, I miss you Sarah!) with the theory that Thais have such good balance as adults because of all the time they spent on motorbikes as toddlers.

"You make the peace sign whenever you have your photo taken."

Ha! I haven’t done this. Not yet, anyway. But I see my students do it all the time. It also seems very Thai to take lots of group pictures. On the last day of every term, cameras are out in full force. You'll have a class that you didn't think you got particularly close to, but all of a sudden every student wants an individual picture with you. Puzzling.

[Addition: A few hours after posting this blog, I was taking pictures of Thai women dressed in their traditional costumes preparing to dance for an audience. One flashed me the peace sign, but I had my camera down and missed the blasted shot. Bummer! It would have been perfect.]

"When a visitor asks how can you stand the noise in Thailand, you answer 'What noise?'”

Oh, how I wish I were there. I read somewhere that Thailand should have a mute button and I’m in complete agreement. You’ve got all the traveling vendors with their unique sound—be it a horn or a song or a chant (mystery solved, the chanting comes from a feather duster vendor)—to alert potential customers. Then there are the taxi drivers with empty backseats who beep at pedestrians. And most piercing of all, the excessive whistle-blowing. The parking lot attendants and crossing guards all have them and all use them with gusto. (Actually, I think that was another sign mentioned in the column. You start parking your car with a whistle, or something like that.)

"You find that everything you own is counterfeit."

Well...maybe a few things. P'Tom, the coffee stand owner, wore his "Izod" shirt today and told me he sells them on the side for about $6. There's a true obsession with brand names here. Anyone who wants a Louis Vuitton, just let me know.

Here comes Peter Cassidy...

2008-05-21T19:33:00.005+07:00

Melissa and Mike welcomed their firstborn, Peter Bradley Cassidy, into this world four weeks early on Monday. Congratulations you two! He's a doll and looking super cool already. He's going to love that adorable vintage cowboy theme you have waiting for him! I can't wait to meet him in person.

Happy Birthday Thai style

2008-05-20T21:05:00.004+07:00

Today's my friend Stephanie's birthday so I emailed her this youtube video. But then I figured it's too good not to share with all of you. Listening to a group of Thais singing "Happy Birthday" makes me incredibly happy over here. The sound is just so joyous. As always, the Thais know how to put their own spin on something to make it that much more fun and quirky. This clip looks like what you see at all the karaoke bars here. I hope it brightens your day. Happy birthday Steph!

The things you find in the paper

2008-05-11T10:18:00.003+07:00

Diesel dining

2008-05-04T20:35:00.005+07:00

Went with some friends last night to a restaurant that probably has no real name, but we call it the "gas station restaurant" because it's in the parking lot of the Esso. It's as bare bones as it gets—a grill and Thailand's ubiquitous silver sidewalk tables—and there's the inevitable whiffs of gasoline, but get past that and you're rewarded with an outstanding meal for any price, let alone $3. People actually travel across town for the grilled fish here. We had one of those plus grilled chicken, grilled beef, lemongrass pork soup, papaya salad, and my beloved sticky rice to soak up all the dips. Alloy maak maak (really delicious ... I figure my use of Thai phrases is either getting on your nerves or you're storing them up to use on your trip over!)

Monsoon season

2008-04-25T08:51:00.003+07:00

They say Thailand has three seasons: hot, hotter, and hot and rainy. The third seems to have arrived early this year, just in time for my friend Jen's visit from Atlanta. I met up with her after classes for an afternoon neither of us will soon forget. It began with a visit to a beautiful old Hindu temple and then across the street to one of my favorite art galleries, Kathmandu. Here's Jen checking out some art in the gorgeous upstairs section:

Jen's guidebook led us on a wild goose chase for an Indian restaurant. Before we could find it, the sky opened up for a downpour that renders an umbrella useless. We ducked for cover on one of the scary green buses (known for barely slowing to a full stop). Rode that for a while, missed a good stop, and finally got off and went inside an ice cream shop. The owners were in a state about something and upon closer inspection, we quickly exited - water was leaking on their karaoke machine, causing it to smoke. We walked on and finally made it to a skytrain station. The night ended with our soggy selves over plates of mango and sticky rice. Read more on Jen’s always-interesting, often hunger-inducing blog featuring tales of her many travel and culinary adventures. This girl loves food like I do!

Blasted Songkran

2008-04-20T10:31:00.002+07:00

Daniel watching the colors of Thailand flash by on the way to Kanchanaburi

If I hadn’t written off Songkran by the time it ended in Bangkok (which I had), I'm certainly over it now. The holiday ended on a Tuesday in Bangkok, but who knew that the folks in Kanchanaburi were celebrating it Wednesday (the day we arrived) and Thursday? Well, lots of people. But not me. And not the friend I traveled with. When our sawngthaew, which was to take us from bus stop to guesthouse, stopped at the edge of the madness because it couldn’t go any further, Daniel's eyes widened in disbelief. “Can’t it just be over?” he wailed. “It’s like being stuck in a movie and they keep making horrible sequels.” We booked a room at the only guesthouse we could get to, but by the next day the mayhem had spread so that we were in the middle of it. There was no way out but through it, so we arrived at the River Kwai Bridge wet, plastered (not the drunk kind, but the literal kind) and tired of being touched by strangers. The streets finally quieted around eight that night (with the help of police) and we could really begin to enjoy this scenic river town.

A citrus and mint salad with a delectable dessert made of black beans and coconut.

Stairs that lead to a bat cave that leads to a floating nun.

Happy Thai New Year

2008-04-15T23:43:00.005+07:00

Or Sawatdee Bee Mai Thai. A friend and I joined droves of others on Khao San road Saturday night, the eve of Sangkran. We had just stepped out of a taxi when a passerby initiated me by cupping my face with her plaster-covered hands. “Happy new year!” Minutes later we were lost in the throng, at the mercy of better-armed revelers with their buckets of water, spray guns and bowls of plaster. After a while of strangers smearing our faces with the white concoction, we escaped down a side street and bought a banana crepe and mango with sticky rice and coconut milk, a popular Thai dessert that will make you fall in love with this country. Oh, how I love all the street food. An article in the Bangkok Post today reported that sidewalk vendors on Khao San road could be losing millions of baht because their food is too soaked to sell. Songkran was not always such a chaotic spectacle. Even just a decade ago, so I hear, it was still limited to the gentle sprinkling of water on others to symbolically wash away the bad. Now it’s almost impossible to not participate unless you hermit yourself away for a few days. Plaster has been added to the hysteria because monks use it to mark blessings.

So my opinion of Songkran now that I’ve experienced it? One day is a blast, but half a week is overkill. I met a friend for a movie yesterday. I arrived dry only because I paid for a cab door-to-door and hid behind a wall when I saw people with arsenal. He chanced the skytrain and sat in wet(tish) clothes picking at dried plaster. This morning I thought it was safe to go out for breakfast because the neighborhood was eerily quiet, but from behind a tree appeared a sweet-looking girl smiling broadly as she poured a bucketful of ice water down my shirt. My favorite coffee stand owner, Pii Tom, has poured some fine cups of java only to have them instantly diluted. But in the typical easy Thai way, he just laughs and picks up his own gun. Which is really about all you can do. Which is why in this afternoon's sweltering heat, I borrowed his gun and got some good laughs at my unsuspecting victims--and was thankful when a group of kids returned the favor.

~~~

After thought: Sorry for not giving you more pictures. I brought my pocket camera in a plastic bag, but was too afraid to take it out around all the action. You can view more on Google images if you're curious.

Hurry up and wait

2008-04-11T22:18:00.005+07:00

So I'm smack in the middle of my vacation and enjoying all this free time. I've been bopping around Bangkok, scouting out places I haven't been before, like Little Arabia (for Middle Eastern food and culture) and Pantip Plaza (for pirated software and super cheap techie stuff). I'll probably take a couple of overnight trips to places near Bangkok. It's too hot to do much pleasurable traveling around Southeast Asia, but that's okay. There are plenty of sights to see around here, and for the three days of Songkran (Thai New Year, also celebrated in Laos and Cambodia), most people hole up in their dry, air-conditioned apartments with a stockpile of DVDs and food anyway. You see, Songkran is like cilantro. People either love it or hate it. For three whole days (a week in some parts of the country) it's one big water fest outside. People rebel against the hottest time of the year with hoses and buckets of water. You can't go outside without getting completely drenched. As I said, people either love it or hate it (You could say most Thais love it and most foreigners hate it, but I've talked to passionate exceptions on both sides). I have a feeling I'll be more in the "hate" camp, but to see for myself, I'll venture to Khao San Road, the prime spot for acquiring swimmers ear in Bangkok, one day during the festival.

Now, though, let me hop back to last weekend and my three days on the set of Streetfighter. I was there Friday as an extra and Saturday and Sunday as "American dialogue instructor." I had a great time, met some really interesting people, and came away with a true understanding of the phrase "hurry up and wait." Friday morning, I showed up at 5:30 to wait for breakfast at six. Then it was on to costumes and makeup. About sixty of us were there to play the crowd at a martial arts show. We were all dressed to the nines by ten, and then we waited. Waited in our evening attire, caked-on makeup, and lacquered hair. I believe it was two before we were ever filmed. When not sitting on the set with my "husband and child" (both Russian), I mostly hung out with a woman in her fifties who has traveled all over the world. Her name is Lela and she knew Eric Clapton way back when. The song is not about her, but he did borrow her name and change the spelling. Just think, so many girls today are named Layla because this woman's parents once lived in the African village. Sometime soon I'll go rent a room in her guest home on the beach, about two hours from Bangkok.

Saturday and Sunday were more relaxed. Although I had to beat the sun there, my job was simply to be available in case my student wanted to practice her lines and to stand by during her scenes to make sure she said them correctly. Due to an argument among powers that be over set furniture, they never got to her scenes on Saturday so we spent a lot of time napping and reading in the trailer. She had a short scene Sunday morning and the next one wasn't until about nine that evening. That was her biggest scene, her death bed scene. It was so interesting to witness the process and all the reasons for another take (someone's phone, pesky Bangkok traffic, bad timing, etc). I got the biggest thrill when I suggested two changes to the director (unrelated to accent) and he agreed and implemented them. At the last minute, my student received some new lines, which were really hard for her to say. She eventually got it, but I'm holding my breath until the movie releases because they filmed so many takes, I'm worried they'll use one of her faulty lines (so to speak). I was extremely proud of her, though, and we were both on a squealing high during the van ride back to our apartments around midnight. Definitely not something you get to do every day.

As the egg sits there...

2008-04-06T22:09:00.008+07:00

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.

Smile

2008-03-24T10:34:00.001+07:00

This ad makes me chuckle every time I pass it in the skytrain station. Quite a few adults here are embracing the metal-mouth trend, and neon-colored track seems to be most popular. Having straight teeth is considered hi-so (high society), a phrase that's thrown around a lot here. And being more Western is to be more hi-so. Other items seen on the street right now: t-shirts with English words (and some rather obscene, which is a humorous contrast to sweet, smiling faces—but surely they translated with their digital Thai-English dictionaries, another hot item); Playboy bunnies (while some may be aware of this cheery pink bunny's background, others just simply find it cute); Harrods of London bags used as handbags (I suppose to make the carrier appear as if she just returned from a shopping spree at the upscale department store; you can't turn five degrees at Siam station without spotting one).

Speaking of trends, I'm guiltily aware that updates to this blog have been less frequent. Things have been pretty hectic, what with trying to maintain a social life and teach summer school classes in addition to regular night classes. The latter is exhausting, but the good news: more money in the bank for the two-week break that starts April 5. I've also had an interesting private gig as of late. I've been training a Brazilian model to speak with an American accent in her first movie, Streetfighter, which is being filmed here in Bangkok. In addition to teacher, they also have me down as possible stand-in for Kristin Kreuk, who's playing Chun-Li. Not as glamorous as it may sound, stand-ins just, well, stand there as the crew adjusts lighting, etc. so the real actor can take a break. I think there's a slim chance that will work out because they need someone for the entire filming and I'm only available during the two-week break. But hey, if it does, it could be a neat experience. The accent work in itself has been fascinating and the setting amusing. She shares an apartment with eight other models, male and female, and they come and go between casting calls in body-baring outfits. My student is incredibly sweet and giddy over the movie. It's fun to hear her reenact script readings with the magnificent Michael Clarke Duncan, by whom she has the "honor of being slapped."

One more thing before I head off to work. Several emails I've sent recently never made it to their destination—probably the long flight from Thailand. And I think some emails from Thailand end up in the junk folder. I've also missed some incoming emails because gmail never alerted me to a new message in the conversation stack. So if you send me an email and get no reply, please don't think me rude. Chances are one of our poor correspondences got lost along the way.

Katoey caberet

2008-03-10T09:12:00.008+07:00

As tends to be the case anywhere you live, you don't see the major tourist attractions until visitors come to town. With the rush of finding an apartment and starting a job, I slipped right into life in Bangkok with no time to play tourist. Since then, I've seen a lot of the city's hidden gems, but only a few of its "biggies". Last week, though, friends of my aunt Debbie rolled through town on a Thailand/Cambodia tour and took me to a show that's uniquely and fabulously Bangkok. The famous Calypso Cabaret stages the creme de la creme of Bangkok's ladyboys, or katoeys. As the gender-bending performers pay tribute to Carmen Miranda and Josephine Baker and put their own twist on Chicago's "All That Jazz" and Thai classical dance (just to name a few), showgoers jiggle with laughter and marvel at the transformation, squinting for signs of manhood.

Barbara and Sandy with whom I believe is Eartha Kitt:

Katoeys are a much larger part of Thai culture than cabaret shows, though. Sometimes referred to as the third sex, they're very visible here, and most Thais don't give a second thought to the often exaggerated female form (lots of makeup, sexy clothes, ultra feminine gestures and walk) passing by, or serving som tom at a sidewalk stand, or returning change at the 7-11. For the most part, they're very embraced, admired for their looks, and even believed by some to bring their families good luck. Life for ladyboys can be rough, though. They tend to travel in packs and can be vicious and moody. A former student of mine was absent for a while and then came back with bloody eyes. A group of fellow ladyboys had attacked her and thrown paint in her face. The other classmates presumed that they were jealous of her looks.

I usually have a katoey or two in my classes each term, a welcome sight on the first day because they're usually among the best speakers in the class and forthcoming with answers (probably from so much interaction with farang). Some of the more subtle beauties are so pretty and feminine, the only way I know they're male is the class roster which lists them as a Mr. (Even if katoeys go for the final snip, they legally remain males). After hormone replacement, plastic surgery and other procedures, some can be quite convincing, much to the chagrin of Western men in romantic pursuit. There are countless stories of farang who flirted all night with a presumed female and wound up with a surprise ending.

~~~

Barbara and Sandy, thanks so much for a delightful evening of entertainment, sushi and conversation. It was great seeing you and I can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip!

And paradise it was...

2008-02-24T16:00:00.044+07:00

Though it didn't start out that way. Sometimes the means to a utopian end is a three-hour ride in a cramped, stifling, sticky van with a girl up front puking into a plastic bag.

We arrived in Krabi and arranged air-conditioned transport to Ko Lanta. What we weren't told is that the mini-van's sluggish AC only reaches the first, maybe second, row. That's why the back row was empty, waiting for us. Us being the only tourists, who probably paid for the rides of all the locals heading home or to work. But if they have to endure that ride every day, I'll gladly pitch in for their fares one time. Well, except for the girl in front of me who reclined so far into my personal space, I could easily give her a lice check (lice being on my mind because a friend of mine who lives two hours outside of Bangkok has been suffering from the little buggers). Meanwhile, the afternoon heat was producing pools of sweat between leg and leather. And the poor thing up front was still heaving, while a comforting boyfriend stroked her head. As if just to prolong our discomfort, the driver would stop every so often at a resort to drop off some suitcase or package. This being Thailand, it was never a simple process and the twelve of us would peer through the curtains at three or four men huddled around paper trying to determine I'm not sure what.

Eventually we made it to the last stop where a four-wheel-drive pick-up waited to carry us down the final, extra bumpy stretch to a near-secluded beach. How quickly that hairy van ride changed from uncomfortable reality to a source of laughter throughout the week!

There are only three modest bungalow-style resorts on this beach and you can see where sand meets rocks on both ends. Walking the length of the beach and back just takes an hour. And it's so peaceful—I don't believe I ever saw more than ten people out there at one time. Something about this place mellows a person instantly.

Let me show you around some...

My travel companions, Jill and Daniel, chilling out at the "house of the mountain and sea". See the plastic bags behind them filled with red and green liquid? We asked a server about them and he answered by singing "Jingle Bells".

Baan Phu Lae at dusk. It definitely has that laid-back beach thing going on. The restaurant here serves excellent Thai food and breakfast and we deprived ourselves of nothing. Jill commented one day that when your potassium intake is a banana daiquiri and banana and chocolate waffle, you know you're living right.

A row of mats like these face the ocean and make one completely content to stay put for hours.

Especially when you're treated to a fire show every other night.

I took this at nine in the morning, when the dog and I were the only souls on the beach.

Apparently the walk was too much exertion.

Beach lanterns.

Daniel on a motorbike he rented and rode all day long. Or at least that's what I'm supposed to tell everyone. Daniel, don't worry, I won't mention your actual kilometers logged. Or would that be kilometer?

This is more like it.

More ocean.

To our backs as we face the ocean.

A sign at Same Same But Different, a restaurant at a neighboring beach that attracts more backpackers.

Black and white beach.

We spent the last night in Krabi town because of an early morning flight the next day. Here, men fish and boys wait for the catch on the river behind our hotel.

And now I'm back in Bangkok, still finding sand in my shoes and reminiscing. I just talked to Daniel on skype and he's having a great time in Chiang Mai. Jill's back safe and sound in the US. Jill, I hope you make it through the week and your students love their new Thai goods.

By the way, why do my pictures look more vibrant before I post them to blogger? The colors seem to flatten out. Anyone know?

Tropical paradise, here I come

2008-02-15T11:18:00.007+07:00

Today is the last day of the term so I have next week off. My good friend Daniel from high school flies in around midnight. His friend Jill arrives tomorrow. And then Sunday morning, we're off. White sandy beaches, tranquil turquoise waters, and several days of lazing around like it's my job. "Let's see, shall I lie in the hammock and read, or go lounge on the shore and stare at one of the world's prettiest scenes?" It's going to be rough. Hard to believe I've been here nearly six months and haven't laid eyes nor body on a beach, but all that will change in about 48 hours when we land in Krabi and take a ferry over to the island of Ko Lanta. Take a look at our bungalows ... sorry Bangkok, you may not look the same in a while.

PICTURE COURTESY OF BAAN PHU LAE WEBSITE

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T23:52:00.008+07:00

As I've mentioned before, Thais love holidays. They also love love. (Hearts and sentimental messages are popular on all kinds of things, from notebooks to t-shirts to bedspreads.) So naturally, Valentine's Day is a huge hit here—Hallmark must be beaming. My classes tonight were positively giddy. I left with a sweater covered in heart stickers and a bag full of candy and cards (and a croissant and a tuk-tuk keychain) from my most enthusiastic students. Adults, I remind you. And those aforementioned bedspreads covered in hearts. They're for adults, too. Oh, I could digress here, but I'm reeling myself back in and will save it for another post, probably entitled "For sanuk-loving Thais, the child inside never dies" or "That's not the kids' section".

But not everyone is enamored with the holiday. Thai police take on Cupid in the annual V-day campaign to turn down the heat of those mischievous Thai teens.

Speaking of Thai police, this creative crackdown on naughty officers went into effect right after I moved here, and I meant to share.

Do you see why I'm so smitten with this country? Thailand, a big Valentine's Day smooch back atcha.

Happy Chinese New Year, and other stuff

2008-02-10T22:46:00.001+07:00

Bangkok's all decked out for Chinese New Year, eye-catching red parading her sensational self all over town. A student brought me oranges, keeping with the custom of giving tangerines and oranges during this time because their Chinese names sound like "luck" and "wealth".

After taking the picture above, I looked down to see this scene, but had no time to adjust my camera. I just snapped and the moment was over. Unfortunately, she is out of focus. But I have to post it anyway for one reason. Check out the red line around her head. It's the outline of one of the rat's ears (I assume that's a rat since 2008 is the year of the rat) perfectly lining her head. Wild, huh?

Last night I celebrated the gastronomical treasures of a much smaller country, one shaped like a boot. Some other teachers and I gorged on glorious pies from Lemoncello (Sukhumvit Soi 11 for anyone looking for good pizza in Bangkok). Afterwards on the skytrain, headed for an early night in, I got a text from another group making its way over to a jazz and blues club near my apartment. My play-doh arm was successfully twisted. The place is called Saxophone and it's one of my favorites here. We scored a good dark booth in the corner and laughed and exchanged stories over loud music and through thick smoke. I have two funnies related to Thai nicknames, and since that seems to be my theme lately, there's no way I can keep them from you.

Story 1

Teacher reads this sentence to a low-level class: "My keys are gone." Then she asks "What does that mean, 'My keys are gone'?" No response from the class. Again: "'My keys are gone.' What does that mean?" Gone, thinking she has just called on him, begins to read from the book. You can imagine the laughter that erupts from the class.

Story 2

Teacher is demonstrating the responses "Yes, I am" and "No, I'm not". Without recognizing the connection, she chooses a student named Not as the model.

Teacher: "Are you Not?"
Not: "Yes, I am."

The teacher then moves on to another student.

Teacher: "Are you Not?"
The student looks a bit perplexed and then answers: "No ... I'm not."

For a few seconds there, the teacher is confused, realizing that something is off, but not quite sure what. And then she gets it. Of course, the class is doubled in laughter by that time. Oh, they get the biggest kick out of these moments. It really is wonderful teaching a society with such a love of fun and humorous situations.

One more thing before I sign off and crawl into bed. Here's a picture I took in my neighborhood today. It was a beautiful, sunny, not too sweltering, afternoon. The kind of Sunday you don't want to end.

What's in a (nick)name

2008-02-04T09:19:00.000+07:00

So sweet Sarah just read my post on nicknames and told me a few things I didn’t know, which led to an enlightening google search. But geez, there are so many facets to this subject, I'm not sure I'll be able to condense my findings into a blog post that won't bore you to tears. But here's my attempt in a large nutshell: All Thais are given nicknames at birth because their real names are so humorously long and hard to pronounce, even for fellow Thais—and also to confuse ghosts (but more on that in a bit). Some nicknames are one syllable of the full name, but the great majority are just words for things such as animals or fruit. I've personally taught a Poo (crab), Tai (rabbit), Jeab (baby chicken), Pla (fish), Muu (pig), Maow (Cat), Som (orange), Kluay (banana) and Ple (Apple). (Of course, Gwenyth Paltrow wouldn't find the last one at all unusual.) I've also taught students named after their size or birth order: Lek (small), Noi (little), Yai (big), Pui (fat), Nueng (one), Song (two). Some of these names may seem offensive, but there's a completely logical reason behind them. From what I gather, there's a cohort of evil spirits conspiring to swipe newborns. But their rolodexes are organized by birth names, so nicknames thwart their baby-snatching schemes. Some families, though, opt for extra defense against the slyer spooks in the form of an uncomplimentary nickname. You see, this is a superficial supernatural bunch, especially keen on cute babies; they will snootily pass over those called pig, for instance, who must be unattractive. This is, I read, also the reason Thais tend to say babies are ugly.

Later in life, nicknames are associated with luck. Thais experiencing a string of bad luck may change their nickname just like that. And without so much as flinching, friends and family will start calling them by the new name.

It is now uber trendy, and controversial, for Thai parents to give their children English nicknames. I mentioned some of these in a previous post, but here are more of my students to add to the list: Bank and Mink (referring to wealth), Joke and X. A recent article in the New York Times covered the movement to quell this trend in an effort to preserve Thai culture.

Hello? You still there? Oh, my loyal friends. I have more! (I know, I know. You have things to do! But isn't this fascinating?) Turns out last names are just as quirky. Surnames, which only became legally required here in 1920 (!), must be unique to a family. So there's like a jillion last names and rarely will two people have the same first and last name. To make things even more interesting, it is common for families here to change their surnames (I'm not sure why—maybe again with the luck thing—and frankly, I'm tired of researching). But can you imagine that family meeting? "Okay, our family name currently means those who will be rewarded for good deeds. Let's change it to those who cook the best tom yum for many friends. "

A little nip-tuck and Thai hospitality

2008-02-03T23:45:00.000+07:00

Last night Allen and I went to Silom Soi 4, the place to be in Bangkok if you're a guy and you're gay. For someone who's neither, it was still a mighty fine place to kick back. Bars and restaurants line the street, most of the seating outside. Lanterns and strings of lights hang over head. Pretty boys parade. First-rate scenery all around. A guy Allen just started going out with, Bomb, joined us and couldn't have been any sweeter. (Allen dates the nicest guys and I get attached. It's a pattern.) We talked about plastic surgery—he's had his nose done—and how cheap it is here. This really is the place to come have "work done". It's especially popular for sex reassignment surgeries. Only $1,500 for the whole shebang. And it must be quality work—some of the Thai "katoeys" put other women, including myself, to shame. But I digress ... Back to Bomb, who's only altered his nose. He taught me some new Thai (I love you is chun ruk koon, sounds like raccoon) and invited me to call him anytime I wanted to learn more. I assumed he meant the every-now-and-then call. Then he said he's available to talk on the phone in the evenings and could talk about two hours a night. Two hours a night! I found this so amusing because it's a perfect, slightly extreme, example of Thai hospitality. Many Thais are so excited to show foreigners their country and language, they'll go above and beyond what a Westerner could imagine doing. It's very endearing, and inspiring. Or maybe it just means this guy needs more hobbies—but I'll go with inspiring. At the moment, Allen probably wanted to slap me, but all I could say was ... yes, I said it ... I know, I'm a dork ... "you're the Bomb."

Bangkok nights

2008-01-27T19:08:00.002+07:00

Last night began with dinner at a Japanese restaurant and then found me on the 36th floor of a swank apartment building amidst a swarm of salsa-dancing duos. The party's host was a Brazilian man who’s moving to South Korea in a few weeks. Since Korean law forbids him to enter the country with wine and liquor, Marcelo commissioned his guests to finish off his stash. As bottles were drained, he raised them with a cheer: "Five bottles gone!" "Six bottles gone!" Most of his furniture had already been moved out, leaving behind a wide open dance floor. Marcelo is part of Bangkok's salsa circle, and some of the city's best dancers were there. I'm not sure which view was better, the one of fancy footwork on white tiles or the one from the balcony looking down on an illuminated city. A city of ten million that seems like a small town at times. Here we are at a random party, invited by a friend of Toby's we just met hours earlier, and Sarah runs into her salsa teacher. Six degrees may be a conservative figure. Our group said our good-byes around 3am and decided to take a walk down the infamous Soi Cowboy (I mean, how often are we right around the corner?) before splitting into different taxis. And that's when I ran into a long-lost childhood friend (Just kidding, but wouldn't that have added to the whole small world bit?) My first encounter with the street known for raucous behavior was actually disappointingly uneventful. I guess we had outlasted many of the revelers. Or maybe we were just too exhausted to be shocked.

Maid in Thailand

2008-01-23T21:30:00.000+07:00

I just discovered something that makes me love Bangkok even more. You can have your apartment cleaned—floors swept and mopped, furniture dusted, windows washed, bathroom scrubbed, even the dirty porch brushed off—for six American dollars plus tip. Those of you who know me well know cleaning’s not exactly my thing. There are just too many better ways of spending time, including going to the dentist and filing taxes. I’ve never understood those who say it’s therapeutic. I’ll buy into meditation, exercise, yoga, gardening … but not scrubbing bathroom tile grout in a futile effort to remove mildew. I recently read about Bangkok that once you move into an apartment, you will be asked about employing a maid, and that many foreigners will at first think it’s lazy or exploitive and insist on doing the work themselves, and then they will come to realize that it’s expected and that they’ve disappointed the would-be maid whose salary could have been higher. My thoughts turned immediately to the woman who’s here all day cleaning up the premises and who cleaned my apartment before I moved in (I know that because when I signed the lease, I asked if I could move in in, oh, about two hours, so she was just finishing up when I arrived with my overstuffed suitcases still reeling from allergies to the previous apartment). I thought, my god, I hope I haven’t been disappointing her this entire time. I was never asked and given the chance to decline for moralistic reasons and then reconsider my position. So I approached my building manager, and after a careful dance of communication between the two of us, she said something to the effect of, “Oh, you need your room cleaned? Yes, you just tell me when you want it cleaned and she’ll come up on the same day,” like I was never supposed to be cleaning it myself in the first place. “How much?” “200 baht.” Deal. So I just walked into my spic-and-span pad and feel like I could eat off the floor (although my food hygiene standards are a tad lower these days).

Dating I

2008-01-21T23:02:00.000+07:00

A word about Thai boys. It seems that, compared to American guys, a much larger percentage of them are gay. Well, I’m not sure if that’s actually the case, or if there’s just not as many in the closet because homosexuality is more socially accepted here. But because totally straight Thai guys can be effeminate (in the most endearing and attractive way), dating comes with an extra layer of puzzlement here. Case in point. A group of us were out Saturday night at this bar in my neighborhood that’s mountain-cabin-comes-to-Thailand: wood furnishings, buffalo horns along the walls, and a disco ball rotating above the sliver of dance floor. There’s live music and a livelier crowd once the whiskey settles in. The house band plays Thai folk songs, with the exception last night of two songs in English: Happy Birthday (much better with a Thai accent!) and Country Roads (okay, the last time I heard this song, I was in Piazza San Marco in Venice and there was a crowd gathered around a big screen singing karaoke to it…Who knew it was such an international fave?!?) Anyway, Sarah swears this guy is checking me out. I start to question her position, though, when I see him feel the beat a little too much in his shoulders. “Sarah, I think he might be gay.” She’s laughing, but insisting, “No, he’s not gay. Thai guys just dance like that. Wait, you’ll see them all get up and do it soon.” A few minutes later: “Sarah, look now. Tell me he’s gay.” The music had pulled him out of his seat for a little jig. But after about thirty seconds, he covers his mouth with a giggle and sits down. “I swear he’s not gay. Thai guys do that. They want to dance, but then they get embarrassed. Plus, this is a country bar. Gay guys wouldn’t come here.” (I figure the fact that one of the guys with us is gay is a useless argument.) This goes on a few more times until finally, “Okay, Sarah, look now!” He was up dancing with a woman’s pink scarf around his shoulders and lip-syncing to another guy. “Oh god. Okay, he’s gay.” But just to be 100 percent sure: “Hey, Scott, is that guy gay?” And with the look of absolute certainty, “Oh yeah.”

Dating II to come later. Yes, it takes two entries. It’s complicated ching-ching (really) here.

What's your name? Name. Yeah, what is it? Name. Right, but what is it?

2008-01-12T17:42:00.000+07:00

Ah…It’s Saturday and I just rewarded myself for completing the first week of the new term with brunch at my favorite neighborhood café, which serves top-notch Thai and a killer American breakfast. This cozy little joint attracts a mix of expats and artsy Thai boys. Its French-inspired shabby chic décor makes me feel like I'm in Paris rather than Bangkok, minus the view of the cheap massage place across the street. The two women who are always there—one waitressing, one behind the bar—are sweet and beautiful and always greet me with the warmest Sawatdeekahs. Typical for Thailand, the vibe is laid-back and there’s no hurry to leave. It can take a while for an American—used to the getcha-in-getcha-out dining experience—to adjust to service in Bangkok. Your server will usually bring menus and stand there waiting while you decide what to order (this can be somewhat anxiety-inducing, but I’m told it’s considered good service and they’re in no hurry for you to choose.) After your food arrives, you will not be approached by the server again. Not a “How’s the food?” or “May I get you anything else?” It’s up to you, the patron, to flag a server—any server, not necessarily the one who took your order—down for any other needs, including the bill. (Requesting the bill is a simple check bin kah—or khrap if you’re male—while moving your pointer and middle fingers in a circle.) I’ve grown fond of this undisturbed style of eating, particularly when I’m in a leisurely mood and have a good book, but sometimes when nary a server is to be found, the impatient American in me starts fidgeting and drumming her fingers on my nerves. But not today. Today, I'm on Thai time.

My classes this term are going really well so far, but they’re larger so I’m having a harder time remembering all the names. Almost all Thais adopt nicknames, for which I’m grateful, but still... Many of the nicknames are just common American words: Bird, Ball, Game, Golf, Bowling, Beer, Ice, Pie, and my personal favorite, Name. And others are Thai nicknames, which can be difficult because certain sounds don’t exist in English and the rise and fall of syllables is so important. A class during my first term cheered when I finally (at the advice of another teacher) pronounced Ple just like bun, despite their insistence that it sounds like the second syllable in apple. So this term, Ople seemed impressed when I addressed her as obun right off the bat. I’m getting there. But when to tell the innocently named Porn (short for Jiraporn) what her name means in English?

Back in Bangkok, Missing Ben

2008-01-08T10:18:00.000+07:00

Happy new year everyone! I hope 2008 is off to a great start for you. I had a fantastic trip back home, although I felt like it was over before it even got started. Maybe that was the jet lag effect. I wish I could have seen more people, and people more. I did spend a lot of time with Ben (only four days old when I arrived!), who is too precious for words so I'll just add lots of pictures. Needless to say, it was very hard to say goodbye to the little fellow.

I left Atlanta's 23 degrees to return to Bangkok's 84. But the weather was not the most noticeable difference to me. For one, Atlanta now seems so quiet compared to the clamor of all the vendors and motorists on the streets of Bangkok. Also, Atlanta is predictable, while this desultory city is full of the unexpected. My first day back, I couldn't stop smiling at the random things I had gotten used to: my security guard sitting at his post, listening to the radio and belting out Thai tunes; a waiter at one of my favorite restaurants sitting in the corner powdering his nose (the day before he was makeup-less and picking his nose); being asked "Where you go?" instead of "How are you?", maybe because it produces a more honest and practical answer. On the cab ride home from a bar Saturday night, I commented to friends on the Christmas decorations still up all over town. I wasn't surprised to hear, "Oh, they'll be up for another few months at least."

He was very alert to voices.

With Gram, who's looking like she couldn't be any happier

Carolina boy
Christmas bundle

Baby's first Christmas picture. He looks thrilled.

And he's so over pictures

Happy Holidays!

2007-12-17T07:19:00.000+07:00

I'm leaving for the States today and probably won't be updating this blog for a few weeks. So I'll leave you with a view from a skytrain station, plus best wishes for a cheerful holiday season and happy and healthy new year!

The Office Christmas Party

2007-12-16T22:23:00.000+07:00

My school held its Christmas party last night on a dinner boat cruise along the river. People seemed to be looking forward to it until they realized it fell during a 48-hour ban on alcohol due to local elections. I think the fear is that people will get drunk and vote for the wrong person. So that was the big talk in the teacher's lounge this week as names began dropping from the attendance list. There was still a sizable crowd—plus several flasks floating around for those willing to risk a $10,000-baht fine. People sure needed a drink after the director gave a demoralizing speech that was straight from The Office series and met with a room full of expressionless faces and an awkward silence (except for the sarcastic “Merry Christmas” muttered at our table.) What's funnier is that he wouldn't even begin the speech until every single seat at the front was filled, so there was an excruciating five, going on 30, minutes when no one wanted to leave their groups to fill in the seats. People slowly, begrudgingly, moved up until there were only two empty ones left and no one was budging. Finally, a couple of guys from our table gave in just to put an end to the pain and then moved back immediately after the speech, but in grumpy moods for the rest of the night. The whole evening was amusingly Office-esque. Other jokes from the stage fell completely flat. An older male teacher showed up stoned out of his gourd. The entertainment was karaoke with hired karaoke "fillers". There really is endless fodder for a comedy series about English teachers in Bangkok. I love it!

The day before was the last day of the term so one of my classes took me out to dinner, which is not unusual. Thais tend to be very generous gift-givers and will often give presents to their teachers on the last day. We went to an outdoor sidewalk-type restaurant that's common here. Because the alcohol ban was already in effect, our Heineken was served in a bucket. We ordered food the typical Thai way—many different dishes for everyone to share. Four of those dishes were innards. I was brave enough to try two but couldn't stomach any more (bad joke).

It's a Boy!

2007-12-15T10:42:00.000+07:00

Benjamin Massey Owen, nicknamed Ben, made his grand entrance into this world December 14 around 1pm (that would be Atlanta time—he was born on the 15th for me). He was 6 lbs. 14 oz. and 19.8 inches long. And look at all that black hair! Mama and baby are both doing fine. Congratulations Laura and Robert! He's a lucky boy to have you two as parents. Now I really can't wait to get home for Christmas!

So Bazaar

2007-12-11T22:55:00.001+07:00

Went to the Suan-Lum Night Bazaar last night. It's one of the best markets in Bangkok—probably second only to Chatuchak. There are thousands of stalls selling handmade crafts, artwork and random oddities. It's a good place to go with a group because there's a huge food court/beer garden planked by a stage with live entertainment. This time it was a flamboyantly costumed dance troupe of one male surrounded by his entourage of women. I think Atlanta needs a night bazaar like this to revitalize downtown. If you run into Shirley Franklin, pass the word along.

By the way, one of the reasons I don't update this blog as much as I'd like is the spotty internet service in my apartment. I'm writing now from an internet cafe in the middle of about 30 teens-to-20-somethings—mostly guys—playing computer games. That's huge over here and most of the internet cafes are used for that purpose. Imagine the noise of all those machine guns and whatever else they're playing with, plus the guys yelling in Thai at the computers. It would be more comical if my head weren't pounding!

By the way, teaching “by the way” to beginner English speakers is not that easy.

King-Sized Birthday

2007-12-07T22:50:00.000+07:00

The slogan "Long Live the King" is splashed on signs and buildings all over Thailand. It was my first impression of the country as my plane rolled past the enormous billboard at the airport. The message must be getting through because King Bhumibol, the world's longest-reigning monarch, just celebrated his 80th birthday.

Bangkok was a sea of yellow Wednesday as everyone donned the color to express their devotion. (Thais have a color for each day of the week, and since the King was born on a Monday—the yellow day—many Thais wear yellow every Monday and on his birthday.) The monarchy no longer holds political power but still plays a huge role in Thai culture. The royal anthem is played before every movie and three times a day on the radio and over loud speakers and everyone stands at attention. The Thai people have so much passion and pride for "my King" as many call him, they sometimes get teary-eyed talking about him. Anyone who has more cynical ideas about the royal family can only express them in hushed tones.

That night, restaurants in my neighborhood turned their TVs to the birthday celebration at the Grand Palace and patrons raised candles and sang songs.

Yellow candles flickered up and down the street.

The next night as I was teaching, loud explosions disrupted the school. Students ran out of their classes to follow the sound. Turns out it was a fireworks display and more birthday festivities. Coincidentally, I was teaching "I've never + present perfect" so I got to say "I've never heard fireworks that loud." Then we let out early and saw a really spectacular show!

It's Beginning to Look Somewhat Like Christmas

2007-12-04T07:07:00.000+07:00

For a country that's 95% Buddhist, Thailand sure is getting into the Christmas spirit. Major malls and tourist attractions are erecting enormous trees with thousands of lights, such as this one at King Power. Many business establishments have decorated with strings of garland and lights. Color varies, but purple seems to be quite popular. I find this particularly amusing since Thais don't get a single day off for the holiday. (Lucky for me, my school is American/British-owned and closes for three weeks. I'm going back to the States to meet my new niece or nephew that's due in five days!)

'Tis the season for Oktoberfest as well. Open-air beer gardens with live music are springing up all over town. The "winter" nights--slightly cool and breezy--are perfect for knocking back pints outside, which is probably why they postpone the celebration for a couple of months. A group of us went to one the other night on top of a building and at eye-level to the sky train.

I think Thais must adopt every holiday they can for an excuse to celebrate and indulge their love of fun. And who can fault them for that? They celebrate three New Years: the one on December 31, Chinese New Year in February, and Thai New Year (Songkran) April 13-15. For their own, the country basically shuts down for a week and people run around the streets drenching each other with water. I've been advised by other ex-pats to get on the first train out of town, but my students love this festival.

Sure Beats the Hell Out of Logging

2007-12-03T09:19:00.000+07:00

One of Sarah's friends hosted a party last night at his posh 29^th-floor apartment with an incredible view of the city (drat, forgot my camera). The party was for a New York-based artist in town to show some of his work. I'm not sure if he sold that many at the party, but we all had a good time noshing on homemade Mexican food and swilling wine (I miss wine! It's really expensive here, plus it just doesn't go with spicy Thai food like a cold beer.) Beik (I'm guessing on the spelling) is one of the artists who first taught elephants how to paint in Thailand. Elephant art has become very popular amongst the collector set, some paintings even being auctioned at Christie's in New York for a couple of grand, raising a lot of money for elephant conservation. The piece to the left was painted by an elephant, not the guest of honor at the party last night. Beik joked that he's now jealous of the elephants because they make more money than he does. I would love to link to some of his work also, but it's not online yet.

Money Talks

2007-12-02T13:26:00.000+07:00

So I was in a taxi yesterday when the driver rolled to a stop and was approached by a police officer. The two immediately starting laughing and conversing in a such a manner that I thought they were friends just catching up. The officer walked away and the cab driver drove on, still chuckling. He said to me, “I ran stop light, gave him 100 baht.”

Whatever Floats Your Kratong

2007-11-25T12:15:00.000+07:00

Last night was full of new experiences. First, Sarah and I went to celebrate Loy Kratong. Held on the full moon night of the twelfth lunar month, it's one of the Thais' (my students' anyway) favorite festivals. People gather along the river and lakes to float baskets (kratongs) made of banana leaves, flowers, candles and incense in appreciation of the Goddess of Water for providing life. The act also symbolizes letting go of the negative and starting anew, or sending misfortune away, or really anything you want as the Thais are pretty ambiguous about the exact meaning. They're also hopeless romantics, so it's turned into a pseudo-Valentine's Day as well. It's believed that if a couple releases one together, they will remain blissfully in love for the next year.

Sarah and I bought the environmentally friendly kratongs made out of bread rather than banana leaves, so instead of our troubles drifting away, they were annihilated by fish. It was a funny sight, the two kratongs bobbing furiously in the water at first and then within seconds reduced to a sad sight of two candles and some flowers floating like junk in the water. I'm not sure what it means for the year ahead but am hoping the end result is the same.

I'm willing to bet the river thinks being polluted is not an appropriate thanks. Pictures taken the day after would probably show a very different image. But doesn't it look sweet now?

Our new and improved selves then headed to a karaoke club, where friends had rented a room and were passionately belting out Sinatra's “My Way” when we arrived. I had never been to an Asian-style karaoke room. You order dinner and sit around a table serenading each other. It's a fun alternative to a regular night out on the town ... although I'm sure others wouldn't mind if that was my first and last time. My rendition of Bonnie Tyler's “Total Eclipse of the Heart” met with polite smiles ... “and okay, who's next?”

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T23:21:00.000+07:00

I hope you're stuffing yourselves silly and enjoying some time off. I, myself, had to work today. What? Thanksgiving isn't a recognized holiday in Thailand? I did, however, feast on turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie at Bobby's, my school's cafeteria. They break out red-and-white tablecloths and bouquets of roses to make the American teachers feel a little closer to home (or romantic, I'm not sure which). Anyway, the meal was actually quite tasty. Not home, mind you, but I will be inquiring about their cornbread recipe. I detected a dash of cinnamon. Mmm...

Pom Pui (Fat Belly)

2007-11-17T13:02:00.000+07:00

Given that food has played such a huge role in my cultural experience so far, I haven't given it its rightful attention on this blog. Where to start, though. People have asked me how the Thai food here compares to that in Atlanta's Thai restaurants, and that's a tough question to answer. I'm not sure if the dishes I'm eating here aren't on the menus there or if I just didn't know to order them, but they seem very different than what I remember. Basics like Pad Thai seem pretty comparable, a notch above here, but I rarely order that. One thing I can't get enough of now is som tom (spicy papaya salad), which makes an appearance on almost every table here. Fried catfish topped with mango salad is another spicy fave (I no longer have to say “mai pet”!). And then there's fried rice with pineapple, seafood and shredded pork that's served inside a carved pineapple for an exotic presentation. There's such a variety here, I could try something new every night and not eat the same meal for weeks. The other night I ordered something with one of the best combination of flavors I've tasted: a plate of dark leaves, peanuts, something crunchy, and diced lime, ginger and onions. You pile the toppings onto a leaf and top it with a sweet sauce. Next time you're in a Thai restaurant, ask if they have “me om come”--you won't be disappointed. I also often make meals or snacks out of the vendor-peddled treats along my street: tamarinds covered with chili powder, grilled corn, noodles, sticky rice, fried chicken, roasted peanuts, freshly squeezed OJ, papaya, guava, and sundry other edibles. Of course, not everything I eat does it for my taste buds. I bought a cookie from a vendor on the way home from work the other night. It looked so good, all fluffy and soft and covered with sugar. Well, it tasted like fish. No kidding.

One of my favorite "30 baht" stands. I usually get the "lop muu", a combination of pork, mint and onions.

Picturesque Penang

2007-11-01T02:40:00.000+07:00

Just got back from Penang and I'm still daydreaming of all the good food I devoured. There's a large Indian population there and Indian food happens to be one of my faves so I feasted the entire trip. I had never tried Indian sweets before and discovered they are quite addictive. Allan and I stayed in Georgetown, the capital of the island and old part of town with colonial-style buildings and tattered tile sidewalks. It seems like it has seen better, more lively days (not too much of a nightlife that we could find). I'd like to get a glimpse of what it was like during the '60s/'70s when the GIs were there and it was the place to be. Here are some of the highlights of the trip:

Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
Dubbed "Le Maison Bleu", this Hakka merchant's mansion is a flamboyant sight. It's also a study in feng shui and sits on a "dragon's throne" with Penang Hill behind and the water in front.

Kik Lok Si Temple
Another colorful piece of Penang, this is the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia.

Penang Hill
Unfortunately, Allan and I didn't reach the top until after dark so we missed the sunset. It still offered a magnificent view of the island all lit up below. My camera couldn't capture that so well, so here are the rather amusing boys who rode in the railcar with us.

Malaysia Bound

2007-10-28T14:20:00.000+07:00

My first six-week term is behind me and now I have a week off. I had to leave the country for visa reasons so I'm on my way to Penang, Malaysia with Allan, my friend from the course who's in the same boat (well, plane actually, but he needs to leave the country, too). It makes for a great excuse to travel, and I'm looking forward to another landscape. It's funny that most people come to Thailand to vacation, but I'm actually leaving the Land of Smiles for my R&R. I finally picked up Culture Shock, a book that Sarah lent me with the message that it'll be like my Bible here. One quote in particular hit home: "One of the paradoxes of the modern world is that a man, or woman, can be uprooted, flown halfway around the globe, dropped down in another time, climate, culture, and expect to get up the following day and function as usual." This has been my story for the past three months, starting school almost immediately, and then straight to a new job, career even. There was no easing into the new culture, but I'd bet jumping into the deep end has its advantages. Nevertheless, now it's time to kick back and be a tourist for a bit.

Here's a picture one of my students took on the last day of class. I almost fit right in, huh?

And she captured me doing I don't know what on another day, but this gives you an idea of the classroom. They have a lot of character, and the wall I'm facing is all windows, which is nice.

Rainy Day Ramblings

2007-10-14T15:28:00.000+07:00

It's rainy season now and it seems like once a day the sky opens up and on comes the assault. I'm staring out of my window now and see people throwing up umbrellas and scampering to dry land, the security guard at my building chasing after some big board on wheels that just rolled into the street, the women at the wash-n-dry place hastily bringing in laundry that they'll have to dry all over again, and the Thai women in the massage shop still enjoying their foot rubs and likely glad to be where they are. I hear all the soi dogs howling. There are a lot of stray dogs that live on the quiet streets because Thais will not put a dog to sleep. Almost every evening around the same time, I hear someone chanting and all of the dogs howling. There is not a temple near me so it's not the monks. Some of my classmates who lived near temples in Chiang Mai awoke every morning at 5:30 to monks chanting and dogs howling. I will have to follow the sound next time and see who it is.

Thailand: The Secret to Thicker Skin

2007-10-14T15:16:00.000+07:00

Critiquing someone's appearance in Thailand is not necessarily considered rude. In fact, it's seen as being helpful. One of the first comments a friend might make to another is about her weight gain or loss. I got my own critique during class when I told my students I had a bad habit of slouching. I was trying to elicit solutions from them, but they misunderstood and thought I was asking for more bad habits. I was matter-of-factly told to wear more make-up and dress up more. (Thais are particular about appearance and it's common to see girls powdering themselves in public. They also have a high regard for teachers and like to see them dressed pretty formally.) I was laughing about this in the teacher's lounge, and one teacher had just returned from the cafeteria where as she reached for a Coke, one of her sweetest students tapped her on the arm and with the biggest, most sincere smile, said “No, don't get Coke. Coke makes you more fat. Get Coke One or Diet Pepsi.” Another teacher had been told by a student “You look great from the side, but like this [gesturing face-to-face], not so good.” Students will laugh at the fat girl in class (“She's fat. Haha.”) or the lady boy (“She used to be a he. Heehee.”) and the subject of the riddling just laughs right along. This may seem insensitive, but I get the feeling it's more to the contrary. Thais place a lot of importance on “saving face”, and by being so open about things that may cause insecurity, it seems they're actually helping the person become less self-conscious. It's a nice idea, but somehow I think only Thais can get away with it.

Figure This One Out

2007-10-09T15:10:00.000+07:00

A group of girls went out for Sarah's birthday Saturday night. We dined at Crepes & Co., a popular restaurant off Sukhumvit, next to the famous Cabbages & Condoms. The obligatory dinner crepes served their purpose, but were quickly forgotten once the dessert versions arrived. Death by Nutella would not be such a bad thing. It reminded me of Paris, when Stephanie and I first discovered the mother of all desserts and started each day in line at a crepes stand. But back in Thailand, we then headed to a nearby bar (one of the few in this area sans bar girls). Poor Eiw, the only Thai in the group, had to endure our warped questions that could only come out after enough sangria. Example: Do Thais really not poot as much as Westerners because they don't eat dairy? We never got a conclusive answer about the quantity, but we did find out that one Thai woman actually killed herself because she pooted in front of her boyfriend. If they are more ashamed of this bodily function, then I'm all the more baffled by their openness with another. It's totally normal for friends, even acquaintances, here to ask each other “Did you poop today?” with a genuine concern for their digestive status. One of Sarah's students recently excused his tardiness to the whole class with “Sorry I'm late. Poop.” I'm finding this to be a culture of many contradictions, which makes it all the more interesting to sit back and observe.

The Job

2007-10-03T08:13:00.000+07:00

Thanks to everyone who has taken an interest in this little adventure of mine. Your emails have made me feel much closer to home. I'm having such a great time here, but miss you all lots! Some of you have asked me about teaching and what my students are like. I've taught two and a half weeks now and so far so good. Since I've never taught before, I feel like I still have my training wheels on. For the most part, my students are delightful. Thais are generally very respectful of teachers. The only real behavior issues to deal with are students chatting while other students are talking and answering cell phones in class (for some reason neither are considered rude). But flash a knowing look and smile, and they'll instantly return a giggle and their attention to the class. My students this term range in age from 16 to 50-something, but the large majority are in their early to mid-twenties. Terms are six weeks with a week off between each one. Each term I'll teach different courses and possibly have different hours so the variety is nice. Right now I'm teaching several classes from high-beginner to intermediate during the afternoons. The beginner levels are fun, but actually more difficult because you have to be extra conscientious of word use and talking pace, and gestures and facial expressions are even more important. And I'm really enjoying the afternoons, but I think I'll try evenings next term to see what it's like to have days free.

Book Recommendation

2007-09-24T10:14:00.000+07:00

I'm reading Bangkok Tattoo by John Burdett now. It's a fun read and provides some interesting insight into Thai culture, even though it's written by a Westerner. Bangkok 8 by the same author is supposed to be just as intriguing.

Update: I finished reading this book and didn't have the best aftertaste. It was entertaining and I'd still recommend to anyone interested in Bangkok. But the more I read, the more bothered I became that a Western man was writing as though he had Bangkok totally figured out. Seemed a little smug. But let me know what you think if you end up reading it.

Officially a Resident

2007-09-16T12:32:00.000+07:00

I have an address in Bangkok now. My studio apartment is right off Soi Rangnam, a sweet street known for its unassuming restaurants that serve some of the best Isan (Northeastern Thai) food in the city. Almost all of the residents are Thai so it's not as expensive as more touristy areas. (Apparently, though, more farangs have moved here recently as they've caught wind of the perks. Seems gentrification is alive and well all over the world.) I have just about everything I need right outside my door: dry cleaning, laundromat, video rental, 7-11, grocery store, tailor, internet cafe, coffee shops, bakery, movie theatre, karaoke bar, a gorgeous gym/pool/sauna in a nearby hotel. But my favorite neighborhood attraction—my respite from all the hustle and bustle of the city—is the lush park with ½-mile walking path. Masses gather there every evening for Tai Chi and aerobics. The latter is a sight to behold as music blasts from the speakers and instructors spur their pupils on with great animation. There are always several badminton matches in progress. A small “gym” in one corner contains structures for stretching, pull-ups and sit-ups. There's also a pond, which produces an impressive lights and water show set to classical music every night at seven. One thing that threw me the first time I experienced it: At the same time every morning and evening, park officials blow their whistles and everyone stops still in their tracks to listen to the national anthem. It's just a sight you don't see everyday. Well, I suppose I do now. Anyway, I feel so lucky that I'm in the perfect neighborhood for me and it's convenient (four Skytrain stops) to work, thanks to having Sarah know where I'd be happiest. I'm sure without her recommendations, I could be having a much different experience.

Backtrack: My transition. It wasn't exactly a walk in the park. The relentless pace of Bangkok was an abrupt slap of reality after the lackadaisical vibe in Chiang Mai. Sarah and I crossed paths in the air as she went to vacation in Northern Thailand, so I was left to my own devices, which was a good thing in retrospect (character building and all that). I negotiated the city looking the wide-eyed awkward tourist part I'm sure. A Thai native from my school took me apartment hunting, which was heaven-sent because I have no idea how I would have done it without speaking Thai. Luckily she was also available a few days later when I needed to move out because of an adverse reaction (understatement) to the mold-ridden walls. But all's well that ends well because I love my new mold-free apartment on the corner with lots of light. And I'm starting to feel quite at home in my neighborhood and excited about all the adventures this city can offer.

Aerobics in the park: The old man in the yellow tank top is there all the time and could probably outfight any 20-something

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Aaahhh...

2007-09-08T14:06:00.000+07:00

I'm staying in Chiang Mai for a few days to unwind before moving to Bangkok. In that spirit, some friends and I took a sawngthaew to the hot springs about 30 minutes outside of town. Groups of people spread their blankets and picnics along the stream, the proximity to the springs dependent on their tolerance of heat. The pool for swimming is the perfect bath-water temp and a forceful waterfall provides a make-shift back massage. Some people boil eggs over the side of the springs for a snack. A relaxing afternoon followed by a breezy ride back at sunset was just what I needed.

Mmm...Mmm...Good...

2007-09-05T11:02:00.000+07:00

Well, I’ve done graduated as Jethro would say. I got a job where I wanted in Bangkok and start teaching in about a week and a half. Yesterday was bittersweet as we were all happy to bid farewell to homework and long hours but sad to see the group dissolve. We spent so much time together and really bonded. The instructors took us to a nice dinner last night to celebrate and then we carried the party to the lobby outside my guesthouse. Allan’s beau brought some Thai delicacies, including fried grasshoppers, from the market. Good thing there was also plenty of whiskey on hand.

Here She Comes...

2007-09-01T09:59:00.000+07:00

Ahn is the tour guide who operates out of the lobby of my guesthouse. His passion is collecting photographs of Miss Thailand and he'll proudly walk anyone who's interested through several large albums of pictures that date back to the '60s. He says he's 90% finished with the project. Some friends and I went on one of his day trips bamboo rafting down a river and swimming under some waterfalls. We rafted to a “restaurant”, more like a gas stove under a hut in the woods, and dined on whole fish, roasted chicken, and a variety of potato chips. It was really nice to get out of town for a bit and breathe some country air.

Allan, Vee, Ahn

The group stepping very cautiously on slippery rocks

So an Elephant Walks Into a Bar...

2007-08-26T13:13:00.000+07:00

Okay, so this isn't Thailand. It's the Atlanta Zoo. But it still serves its purpose.

Now that I’ve been here for a few weeks, the surroundings seem so normal, like I’ve always lived here. I’ll even stop and remind myself every now and then that I’m halfway around the world. And then there are times I cross something so blatantly different, there’s no mistaking I’m far from home. It’s like there’s an elephant in the room. And then there are times there’s actually an elephant in the room. That’s right, I was playing pool with some friends, caught something out of place in the ol’ peripheral vision, and turned around to see an elephant in the doorway. She looked to be performing a little jig for the tourists who paid money to feed her (I think it was a her because I’ve seen a male elephant before and there’s no mistaking that either). Maybe it was my imagination, but as her enormous hind leg moved back and forth, her eyes seemed really sad, like she knew everyone was staring and no one else looked quite the same. I thought if she’s bar hopping to entertain us, the least we could do was give her beer and quite gawking, maybe even let her in on the next game. But I guess her owner had other plans.

Bootlegs Aplenty

2007-08-22T23:44:00.000+07:00

Went to a bar tonight to watch the new Simpson's movie. The owner has a bootleg copy of every Simpson's and South Park episode and each movie. He says he'll play them for us in the upstairs TV room anytime we want. Good to know I won't be missing out on the important stuff while I'm here.

Deep Thoughts ... by a Pumpkin

2007-08-18T23:43:00.000+07:00

Like I mentioned, Thais tend to incorporate fun (sanuk) into almost everything, so nothing is ever boring here. A would-be routine trip to an office supply store today was an entertaining lesson in local humor. I went with a classmate to pick up some nametags and we stayed for an hour laughing—and scratching our heads—at all the quirky goods. My notebook reads “Life... There was a sad thing. But you are in a side all the time.” And the thought bubble protruding from a pumpkin reads “If you love what you are doing.” I couldn't swear on it, but I don't remember any profound pumpkins at Office Depot. Seems to me they need to step it up.

My Lovely Students

2007-08-15T14:23:00.000+07:00

The course is going really well. The instructors are brilliant at what they do and extremely dedicated. We turn in a three-page essay and they give us back a six-page response. We actually started teaching on the fourth day. Our Thai students are volunteers so we get practice teaching and they get free practice speaking English. They are such a pleasure to teach, they’re so respectful and eager to learn. And their big smiles while I'm teaching make me feel so much more comfortable than I thought I would in front of a class. Thais also have such a great (slightly goofy) sense of humor and are always looking for the joke in something. It’s fun to create these funny moments in class like teaching them to say “it sucks” during my lesson on giving opinions. They got the biggest kick out of it.

New Digs

2007-08-12T21:08:00.000+07:00

I moved into a guesthouse on a really cute street with lots of quaint bars and restaurants. Here's the view from my window.

Back to School

2007-08-11T23:35:00.000+07:00

I started the course on Wednesday and it’s already pretty intensive. We go from about 8am to 5pm and then have a hefty load of homework. But we’re getting a lot of individual attention with three instructors to eight participants. The eight of us are a North American crowd with six from the U.S. and two from Canada. Six men and two women range in age from 27 to 56. There’s a married couple from Vermont taking a year off for something different, a man who wants to pursue screenwriting and use teaching as his bread-n-butter until he sinks a movie deal, and a guy from Oklahoma who met a girl in Thailand two years ago and finally made it over to be with her. We all gelled from the beginning, which is a good thing since we'll be spending almost all of our waking hours together.

Magical Chiang Mai

2007-08-07T15:24:00.000+07:00

View of the Sunday Night Market from my hotel room

I arrived in Chiang Mai a couple of days ago. Surrounded by a moat, the charming city is a maze of winding cobblestone lanes lined with mom-n-pop Thai restaurants, cooking schools, Buddhist temples, massage schools (which give incredible massages), and intimate bars. Since I arrived on a Sunday, I was able to get an immediate dose of local culture at the weekly Sunday Night Market. I tasted my way through the dense streets, noshing on Pad Thai, barbecued kabobs, waffles (those are big here now but without syrup and as dessert rather than breakfast), fresh pineapple and watermelon, and what seems to be the Thai version of rice crispy treats—addictive crispy rice patties drizzled with honey.

The next day I took a sawngthaew (song-tow)—think pick-up truck with a top and benches on either side—to the nearest mall to buy a cell phone. That was an interesting experience as cell phones work differently here and no one in the store could speak much English to explain it to me. I perused the counters next to a few monks in their honey-hued robes. Somehow, through gestures and broken words, and maybe some good vibes from the monks, I got out of the store with everything I needed.

I Took a Tuk-Tuk

2007-08-05T14:48:00.000+07:00

Saturday night Sarah and I went for beers at a bohemian-style rooftop jazz bar with great views of the city. Then, we skytrained it over to her old street, Soi Rangnam, known for its great selection of Thai restaurants. I'm looking to find an apartment in this area when I return from the month-long training in Chiang Mai because of its proximity to two parks and an incredible, serene gym. We ate at Sarah's favorite restaurant and it didn't disappoint. It's custom in Thailand to share dishes so servers automatically bring extra bowls and utensils. By the way, Thais usually use a fork to scoop food onto a spoon and then put the spoon—never a fork—in their mouths. We followed dinner with my first ride in one of the ubiquitous tuk-tuks, a rickshaw-like taxi. Sarah swore to me not all drivers were as wild as this one; she supposes he was trying to show off for Westerners with his James Bond-like moves. Tuk-tuks are actually a little more expensive than a regular cab ride because they can weave through traffic and get places faster. Even faster are the motorcycles taxis; just get on the back and hold on. That's where I draw the line, though—at least for now.

Rock-a-Bye Tourist

2007-08-04T11:48:00.001+07:00

One of Sarah's students gave her two passes for a boat cruise last night. The view from the river at night is spectacular: tattered, multi-hued houses on stilts, lively disco clubs, and the brilliantly lit Grand Palace. Ours was a quiet boat with only nine passengers and a few crew, a contrast to the party boats we passed. It must have been the combination of the gentle rocking motion, the slight breeze against my face, and the soft sound of waves lapping against the boat that caused the effects of jet lag to set in big time. As my head kept violently losing its fight with gravity, I longed to curl up on the floor and give in to sleep. And that's when the idea hit me: a nap cruise complete with cots and Tempur-Pedic pillows. At least if teaching doesn't work out, I have a back-up plan.

Mai Pet

2007-08-03T14:17:00.000+07:00

Sweet Jesus, my luggage arrived. The guy delivering the bags spoke almost no English so Sarah and I hurried across the street with the cell phone to enlist the services of Jed, a Thai native who runs the coffee and waffles stand. He let us know the guy was minutes away. Jed also gave us a restaurant recommendation for the evening. We walked about ten minutes, ending up on a quiet street where shops transform into their owners' homes at night and you can see them eating dinner and watching TV through the big glass windows. Then out of nowhere a swanky lounge appeared. Inside a jazz trio played to a lively crowd of Thais. We were the only farangs (foreigners) so we knew we hit a good place. No seat left inside so we sat on couches around a table outside. None of the servers spoke any English so again we called on a local friend and Sarah's boyfriend ordered for us over the phone. Lemon chicken with lightly fried seaweed was delicious. I'm sure the Tom Yum soup was also, but my unaccustomed taste buds were reeling from the heat. I forgot to use the phrase I'd been so diligently practicing: "mai pet", which means "not so hot." Sarah, who's been in Bangkok for a year, is so used to the spicy food she was drinking the soup like milk. Maybe I'll get there in time, but until then, mai pet, mai pet, mai pet.

First Night in Bangkok

2007-08-02T10:40:00.000+07:00

Sawatdeekah everyone! I'm writing my (very!) first blog post from my friend Sarah's apartment in the bustling Ari area. The streets are lined with vendors selling grilled corn, fruit, freshly squeezed orange juice (as seen in my hand) hard-boiled eggs on a stick and countless curiosities that will take a while to identify. Sensory overload is the best way to describe my first morning walking along these streets. I've traveled through Europe a couple of times, but these sights, smells and sounds are unlike any I've seen before. During rush hour, a sea of pedestrians dodge broken areas of the sidewalk and compete with motorbikes and cars (driving on the left side no less) for the right of way. The traffic is loud, but you don't hear anyone laying on the horn; instead it's the constant sound of short beeps, mostly from cabbies signaling their availability. The weather today doesn't seem as stifling as I had expected, although I immediately stuck my head in Sarah's freezer after returning from the walk--and that was 9am.

My arrival in Bangkok last night was all the sweeter given a beastly flying experience. Short story: thunderstorms in Phoenix led to a missed flight, unplanned stay in San Fran hotel (sorry Steph, I would have called had it not been 3am), and about 45 hours door to door. My luggage has yet to be located (please let the flying gods look down on me; I've always been a pleasant passenger who's never complained about the food or two-gulp drink sizes). Needless to say, I was happy to lay eyes on Sarah, a complete doll for picking me up at the airport at midnight. She had her camera ready to capture my first reaction to my new surroundings (video to come). We stayed up a while chatting over Singhas. Then it was sweet relief to rest my wayworn head on a pillow and fall asleep singing "first night in Bangkok..." to the tune of "One Night in Bangkok". I wonder how long that song's gonna stay in my head.