I have frequented my local Starbucks a handful of times, trying desperately to reclaim the feeling of being at the Coffeehound. But it was more or less the same as going to a Starbucks at home.
- There were the same young hipster looking kids sitting over laptops looking thoughtfully out the window. Every once in a while someone would type something, but I think it was only to search friends on the Thai equivalent of Facebook.
- There was the occasional white person. After all Starbucks is a kind of international hub; a consulate or embassy of sorts. These tourists are nice to see actually, considering I don't see very many Westerners in my neighborhood. With shopping bags in hand and tears in their eyes, they nearly fall into the entrance of Starbucks, kissing the terracotta colored floor tiles. "Alas, Civilization!" All of them treat themselves to Frappucinos.
There are differences, however, that are quaint and reveal a Thai culture that strains against American commerce and decorum.
-At Starbucks, patrons are usually quiet and thoughtful of other patrons. They keep to themselves and their laptops. There might be engaged in conversation in the corner of the room, about voting rights in Malaysia or something, but that's about it. Today, I found a group of teens playing the card game UNO, quite enthusiastically. None of them spoke English, but every once in awhile, I'd hear someone cry: "UNO!!!" These kids were obviously having more fun than usually allowed in a Starbucks.
- While I ordered my Americano, the girl behind the counter challenged me to try their samples.
"They are delicious!"
When the Thais try to describe food in English, everything is delicious. I looked down at the counter to find hotdogs wrapped in croissants. Really? What is with this city and hotdogs? I tried the Starbucks pig in a blanket and gave a thumbs up, which satisfied the cashier. And here I was trying to avoid the hotdogs of this city, only to get caught at America's snootiest coffeehouse.
I can't say that I won't be back. It's my one piece of familiarty in my neighborhood that I can visit on a regular basis. I can set aside my disdain for hotdogs, I guess. They do make these incredible almond cream croissants. Plus the workers are so damn nice and know English so well. Or they know their menu pretty well. I haven't had a loose conversation with any of them to know.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
You've never climbed the stairs?
That's what I asked Tip, my guide and co-worker as we stood at the foot of Bangkok's Wat Arun. As we looked up at the steep stairs, I could feel a swell of excitement growing inside my chest. That could have easily been the high altitude as well. Tip took her customary photos with an iron fist. "Stand here, Move there." After I was manhandled I was ready to climb.
"All right, let's get going."
Tip was being uncharacteristically quiet. Shielding her eyes from the sun, she looked up at the top of the temple and frowned. "Okay," she finally said.
I knew from the get-go that we would have issues. Tip was not dressed for temple climbing. In a charming black and gold empire waisted dress that came two inches above the knee and a lovely pair of gold wedge sandals, I could tell this was going to be hellish for one of us.
"Are you going to be okay?" I asked.
"Sure sure, I'm fine."
She was fine for the first set of stairs. That's when she admitted to me that she'd never done this before. Never? But she said she went to Wat Arun all the time. Apparently just to pray and not to get vertigo.
"Are you okay?" I asked again.
"I'm a little scared."
Oh jeez. Behind us, a couple of teenage monks were scaling great heights. They were both goofing off and laughing it up which bothered Tip. She muttered under her breath that people should be more careful. The next set of stairs was set at an absurdly steep slope. Even I was a little nervous about plummeting to my death. One false move. . .
But we held on to the rail and we made it up there. We then circled the top, in intense meditation, three times and then we made a wish to Buddha. I bumped into some German women who were taking some serious photos and quickly resumed meditation. At the end of the third lap, I wished for health and prosperity for all of my loved ones.
But mostly for my safe trip down.
Because going down is the real problem, yeah? Tip knew this all too well.
"Oh it's soo high up. . ."
Yes it was.
"I'm lucky I wear shorts under dress, not panties, yeah?"
I frowned. Shouldn't she be more concerned about those wedge heels? She took those off and hooked them on one finger.
"Oh, it's high."
Yes, I know.
"It's very high. . ."
Yes, dammit, I know!
I talked Tip down the stairs like she was a suicide case. "Don't jump, it's not worth it. Give us the baby!"
We made it down safely and even Tip was proud of herself for doing something new.
"Thank you for supporting me," she said when we reached the bottom. "It was very beautiful up there, I can't believe I see that view for the first time!"
I learned that there's always time to be awed by this city, even if you're not a farang.
Tip and I go to Wat Arun
Quite a hike for these young monks as well.
"All right, let's get going."
Tip was being uncharacteristically quiet. Shielding her eyes from the sun, she looked up at the top of the temple and frowned. "Okay," she finally said.
I knew from the get-go that we would have issues. Tip was not dressed for temple climbing. In a charming black and gold empire waisted dress that came two inches above the knee and a lovely pair of gold wedge sandals, I could tell this was going to be hellish for one of us.
"Are you going to be okay?" I asked.
"Sure sure, I'm fine."
She was fine for the first set of stairs. That's when she admitted to me that she'd never done this before. Never? But she said she went to Wat Arun all the time. Apparently just to pray and not to get vertigo.
"Are you okay?" I asked again.
"I'm a little scared."
Oh jeez. Behind us, a couple of teenage monks were scaling great heights. They were both goofing off and laughing it up which bothered Tip. She muttered under her breath that people should be more careful. The next set of stairs was set at an absurdly steep slope. Even I was a little nervous about plummeting to my death. One false move. . .
But we held on to the rail and we made it up there. We then circled the top, in intense meditation, three times and then we made a wish to Buddha. I bumped into some German women who were taking some serious photos and quickly resumed meditation. At the end of the third lap, I wished for health and prosperity for all of my loved ones.
But mostly for my safe trip down.
Because going down is the real problem, yeah? Tip knew this all too well.
"Oh it's soo high up. . ."
Yes it was.
"I'm lucky I wear shorts under dress, not panties, yeah?"
I frowned. Shouldn't she be more concerned about those wedge heels? She took those off and hooked them on one finger.
"Oh, it's high."
Yes, I know.
"It's very high. . ."
Yes, dammit, I know!
I talked Tip down the stairs like she was a suicide case. "Don't jump, it's not worth it. Give us the baby!"
We made it down safely and even Tip was proud of herself for doing something new.
"Thank you for supporting me," she said when we reached the bottom. "It was very beautiful up there, I can't believe I see that view for the first time!"
I learned that there's always time to be awed by this city, even if you're not a farang.
Tip and I go to Wat Arun
Quite a hike for these young monks as well.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Past few days in pictures. . .
The local restaurant I frequent. It's 5 star to me.
I'm not taking pictures of just anything. I think that this is amazing. Teen girls in the states would have to steal these from CVS and here, they're just selling them like tampons. I'm going to say it's because we were in a high prostitute population. It's just little things like this. . .
60 B= 1.75$
Made it Nana to meet the English students! We went here to eat and drink. I had a club sandwich that was dreadfully bland. I missed the spiciness of food already.
Larissa and Lauren were lovely girls. It was nice to talk to Brits who said things like: "I know this dodgy place we could shoot pool at." Or "We can't believe the bleeding idiots would vote for Bush again." Or "I have to hop the border straightaway tomorrow." Or "Oh ballocks!"
This was the pork omelet and rice that I worked so hard for. It was worth the misunderstanding.
This is all the fun fruit I've been eating. A bag of this amount only cost me 20 baht (that's 60 cents!)
Monday, May 25, 2009
Feeding Myself
The closest restaurants to my house are outdoor street side places that make you forget you live in a big city. The horseflies, mosquitoes, and wild dogs are plentiful and of course, no one speaks English. I asked for this kind of adventure when I was younger. I took an introduction to Anthropology my freshmen year of college and knew I was going to be a Margaret Mead somewhere in the world.
Today, I was just hungry. I was hungry and I wanted some variety. I only know how to say three dishes. Pad Thai, Pad Se-ew, and Kama moo sai kai dow. I don't even like Pad Thai that much and I'm getting a little tired of the other two. Plus, I didn't want to the be that regular farang that ordered the same thing. I could imagine, before I even open my mouth, the cook has already started on the order.
So I looked something else up in my Lonely Planet Phrasebook. Today, I wanted a pork omelet with rice. According to the book, the phrase went something like this: "Kai jee-o sai moo." I said it over and over aloud, carefully enunciating every syllable. Then I would say it fast, to make it sound legit. Like I knew what I was talking about.
When I got to the restaurant, I spotted the owners of the establishment, two kindly old ladies who appeared to be sisters. One took the orders and the money and the other cooked the food.
"Sa wa dee ka" I said with a smile. It never hurts to smile.
"Sa wa dee ka," they said in unison.
"Kai jee-o sai moo," I announced confidently. There it was, I put it out there. Take that! I want a pork omelet and I'd like you to make it with haste, my good lady.
I was met with confusion. Of course.
I repeated myself. Careful not to speak louder. You know it's in my American genes to speak louder when misunderstood by foreigners.
Again, the kindly old ladies smiled, but were oblivious to what I said.
Did I say it wrong? I looked at the phrasebook.
Kai jee-o sai moo.
I said it right, what's wrong with these people!?
I said it slower
I said it faster
I broke it up into two parts.
I soon gave up.
Finally, I got the idea to simply show them the phrasebook and let them read it for themselves. But the poor old ladies couldn't see the small print. There was a lot of squinting between the two of them, a lot of pointing and a lot argument, but the order taker was the one to figure it out.
"Ahhh," she said. As if the great mysteries of life were unfolding right from that Lonely Planet Phrasebook. Me, I wanted to throw the thing in the nearest canal.
"Kai Tee-o!" She corrected Lonely Planet and me.
Really, I thought. Was that it? Tee-o? Not Jee-o? Apparently I had not taken into account that Lonely Planet is full of it or that there are some major dialect changes throughout Thailand.
The old ladies really found the whole things humorous. They giggled and patted me on the back, telling me to sit down in Thai. Eventually, I had a fabulous omelet and was on my way to making friends with some patient and forgiving locals.
Today, I was just hungry. I was hungry and I wanted some variety. I only know how to say three dishes. Pad Thai, Pad Se-ew, and Kama moo sai kai dow. I don't even like Pad Thai that much and I'm getting a little tired of the other two. Plus, I didn't want to the be that regular farang that ordered the same thing. I could imagine, before I even open my mouth, the cook has already started on the order.
So I looked something else up in my Lonely Planet Phrasebook. Today, I wanted a pork omelet with rice. According to the book, the phrase went something like this: "Kai jee-o sai moo." I said it over and over aloud, carefully enunciating every syllable. Then I would say it fast, to make it sound legit. Like I knew what I was talking about.
When I got to the restaurant, I spotted the owners of the establishment, two kindly old ladies who appeared to be sisters. One took the orders and the money and the other cooked the food.
"Sa wa dee ka" I said with a smile. It never hurts to smile.
"Sa wa dee ka," they said in unison.
"Kai jee-o sai moo," I announced confidently. There it was, I put it out there. Take that! I want a pork omelet and I'd like you to make it with haste, my good lady.
I was met with confusion. Of course.
I repeated myself. Careful not to speak louder. You know it's in my American genes to speak louder when misunderstood by foreigners.
Again, the kindly old ladies smiled, but were oblivious to what I said.
Did I say it wrong? I looked at the phrasebook.
Kai jee-o sai moo.
I said it right, what's wrong with these people!?
I said it slower
I said it faster
I broke it up into two parts.
I soon gave up.
Finally, I got the idea to simply show them the phrasebook and let them read it for themselves. But the poor old ladies couldn't see the small print. There was a lot of squinting between the two of them, a lot of pointing and a lot argument, but the order taker was the one to figure it out.
"Ahhh," she said. As if the great mysteries of life were unfolding right from that Lonely Planet Phrasebook. Me, I wanted to throw the thing in the nearest canal.
"Kai Tee-o!" She corrected Lonely Planet and me.
Really, I thought. Was that it? Tee-o? Not Jee-o? Apparently I had not taken into account that Lonely Planet is full of it or that there are some major dialect changes throughout Thailand.
The old ladies really found the whole things humorous. They giggled and patted me on the back, telling me to sit down in Thai. Eventually, I had a fabulous omelet and was on my way to making friends with some patient and forgiving locals.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Forcing myself
So I haven't been out on the buses or the boats by myself just yet. All of that is about to change tonight when I meet up with a few Aussies for drinks. According to Larissa, the woman I met in the local department store, it's not that hard. You just take the 57 bus to Pinklao Pier, take the boat down the river to Sathorn pier. There, I'm suppose to get on the BTS Skytrain to the National Stadium, take another line to Nana . . . and that's where they'll be.
It's either this or I stay home tonight and watch out for geckos. I think I'm too young to be agoraphobic. I've got to get out of this house and get into trouble. What's the worst that can happen? I get lost? I'll take a cab back home. Get kidnapped? It's very unlikely. Statistics show that tall women rarely get kidnapped. That's it, I'm doing this. I'm smart and capable, dammit! I'm going to read Noah's letter of encouragement before I leave. I told to read it whenever I was lonely or anxious. The latter applies.
It's either this or I stay home tonight and watch out for geckos. I think I'm too young to be agoraphobic. I've got to get out of this house and get into trouble. What's the worst that can happen? I get lost? I'll take a cab back home. Get kidnapped? It's very unlikely. Statistics show that tall women rarely get kidnapped. That's it, I'm doing this. I'm smart and capable, dammit! I'm going to read Noah's letter of encouragement before I leave. I told to read it whenever I was lonely or anxious. The latter applies.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Monsoon
When the air begins to itch
the bird are silenced
and the dogs sit
The rain comes fast.
Some geckos and I
stand in the doorway and look
for friends, geckos and people
alike.
Wouldn't it be something to see you
come around the bend
through the sheets of water
the flashing light
and the thick blanket of clouds?
We stand there, waiting
breathing in the thickness
watching for you and the dogs to stand
the bird are silenced
and the dogs sit
The rain comes fast.
Some geckos and I
stand in the doorway and look
for friends, geckos and people
alike.
Wouldn't it be something to see you
come around the bend
through the sheets of water
the flashing light
and the thick blanket of clouds?
We stand there, waiting
breathing in the thickness
watching for you and the dogs to stand
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Stranger in a strange land
Loneliness is a difficult bedfellow to deal with. In this entire house, the only company I have is the cockroach family downstairs. My housemate has run off with her boyfriend to Chang Mai and won't be back until Friday. Sometimes it's hard to come home in the evening, it's hard to turn off the lights, lock the doors and retire to a bedroom that's not mine. This will be the hardest thing to get past while I stay in Thailand.
Luckily, I made a new friend today. Her name is Tip and she's also a teacher at the school. She's a bossy young woman who tells you straight up what she's all about and she's not afraid to tell you that you look a chunky after taking your picture. She told me this while photographing me on her roof. "We take photo again, you look a little fat." I wasn't offended, the Thai's standards are vastly different from my own.
We went to a temple today, where the Emerald Buddha and the Grand Palace were. We had a great time walking around and taking pictures. Tip took some wonderful pictures. We met a couple from England who were really nice and friendly. Tom and Susannah were on their way back to London from Australia. We all had dinner together and talked about being westerners in Asia, Tip corrected our Thai. "Kaaaaiii, not Kai."
I'm glad I got out of the house and went out with Tip. She was an excellent guide today. She showed me some interesting insights from a Thai and Buddhist perspective, while looked at the temple buildings and she prayed before the Emerald Buddha.
As I sit home and reflect on my day, I'm less inclined to believe that living here will be so lonely. Perhaps I'll be more busy than anything. I'll have too much time to devote to my students that I won't even think about missing my family and friends so much. I've already cut down my phone calls to Noah to once a day! This was a decision also based on economics. But I think there will come a time when I will finally settle in this place. By place, I mean my house and Bangkok.
This is a shot of me and Tip in from of the temple.
At night, these statues come alive.
But seriously, in all of these dog statues, there are stone balls in their mouths. According to Thai legend, if you can take this ball from the statues mouth, (I tried and it's impossible) the statue will come alive.
Luckily, I made a new friend today. Her name is Tip and she's also a teacher at the school. She's a bossy young woman who tells you straight up what she's all about and she's not afraid to tell you that you look a chunky after taking your picture. She told me this while photographing me on her roof. "We take photo again, you look a little fat." I wasn't offended, the Thai's standards are vastly different from my own.
We went to a temple today, where the Emerald Buddha and the Grand Palace were. We had a great time walking around and taking pictures. Tip took some wonderful pictures. We met a couple from England who were really nice and friendly. Tom and Susannah were on their way back to London from Australia. We all had dinner together and talked about being westerners in Asia, Tip corrected our Thai. "Kaaaaiii, not Kai."
I'm glad I got out of the house and went out with Tip. She was an excellent guide today. She showed me some interesting insights from a Thai and Buddhist perspective, while looked at the temple buildings and she prayed before the Emerald Buddha.As I sit home and reflect on my day, I'm less inclined to believe that living here will be so lonely. Perhaps I'll be more busy than anything. I'll have too much time to devote to my students that I won't even think about missing my family and friends so much. I've already cut down my phone calls to Noah to once a day! This was a decision also based on economics. But I think there will come a time when I will finally settle in this place. By place, I mean my house and Bangkok.
This is a shot of me and Tip in from of the temple.
At night, these statues come alive.
But seriously, in all of these dog statues, there are stone balls in their mouths. According to Thai legend, if you can take this ball from the statues mouth, (I tried and it's impossible) the statue will come alive.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Third Day:
Disclaimer:
Those of you who have emailed updates of the blog, need to check the actual website, welcometomythaipad.blogspot.com, to see all of the pictures, videos, and old posts. If you're just reading straight from your email, you might be missin' out.
In my adjustment to living in Bangkok, I went ahead and bought a bike at a local thai department store. It's red and shiny and has an awesome basket in the front. I have not named it yet, but I'm definitely up for suggestions. I rode to the 7-11 last night to get some more water and and some floss. Unfortunately, when I bought the bike, I forgot to ask them to raise the seat for me. It was clearly made for a shorter person. Lucky for me, my neighbor across the street, a really old man who can't speak a word of English helped me out. With a lot of pantomiming, we fixed the bike. Dammit, these people are so nice!
Today I did two loads of laundry in a fairly archaic machine. It was about two steps above a washing board and a ringer. Actually, the washing machine wasn't that bad, but I did have to ring the clothes by hand. Fingers are a little sore. I hung everything out to dry and luckily, it's so damn hot here, it only took an hour or so for things to get parched.
So my third day school was pretty good! This is the kind of stuff I wear to work, sans the bandana. After six years of college, I'd say that this is the most professional I've ever looked.
For the last couple of classes, I've walked in and shouted: "Hello!"
They laugh and shout back: "Helloooo!" We do this for about three minutes. Then we jump into vocabulary for greeting. Hellos, how are yous, I'm fines, and goodbyes. We then moved on to family and friends, that's when I showed them pictures of my family and friends. They were impressed with all of you Americans. Noah was a big hit. The girls and some of the lady-boys thought he was dreamy.
I let them out for a thirty twenty minute break and didn't see most of them until forty minutes later. They were getting iced coffees. *sigh.* And then we finished the class with a music game. The real school semester actually starts on Monday. I think I've got my feet a little wet and now I'm ready to sculpt minds
Here are some pictures of the kids:
Those of you who have emailed updates of the blog, need to check the actual website, welcometomythaipad.blogspot.com, to see all of the pictures, videos, and old posts. If you're just reading straight from your email, you might be missin' out.
In my adjustment to living in Bangkok, I went ahead and bought a bike at a local thai department store. It's red and shiny and has an awesome basket in the front. I have not named it yet, but I'm definitely up for suggestions. I rode to the 7-11 last night to get some more water and and some floss. Unfortunately, when I bought the bike, I forgot to ask them to raise the seat for me. It was clearly made for a shorter person. Lucky for me, my neighbor across the street, a really old man who can't speak a word of English helped me out. With a lot of pantomiming, we fixed the bike. Dammit, these people are so nice!
Today I did two loads of laundry in a fairly archaic machine. It was about two steps above a washing board and a ringer. Actually, the washing machine wasn't that bad, but I did have to ring the clothes by hand. Fingers are a little sore. I hung everything out to dry and luckily, it's so damn hot here, it only took an hour or so for things to get parched.
So my third day school was pretty good! This is the kind of stuff I wear to work, sans the bandana. After six years of college, I'd say that this is the most professional I've ever looked.
For the last couple of classes, I've walked in and shouted: "Hello!"
They laugh and shout back: "Helloooo!" We do this for about three minutes. Then we jump into vocabulary for greeting. Hellos, how are yous, I'm fines, and goodbyes. We then moved on to family and friends, that's when I showed them pictures of my family and friends. They were impressed with all of you Americans. Noah was a big hit. The girls and some of the lady-boys thought he was dreamy.
I let them out for a thirty twenty minute break and didn't see most of them until forty minutes later. They were getting iced coffees. *sigh.* And then we finished the class with a music game. The real school semester actually starts on Monday. I think I've got my feet a little wet and now I'm ready to sculpt minds
Here are some pictures of the kids:
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
First Day:
I only had one student show up to class today.
Her name was Ponpom and she's super smart, very polite and sweet. But she was the only one. So I took her and joined another class of students. Next door, was Roger, the teacher from England who was handling ten rowdy girls. As soon as I walked through the door, I hear: "Do you have a boyfriend?" and the girls squealed, most of them shook their heads. Way to start a lesson.
Ponpom took a seat and I joined Roger at the front of the room. He whispered to me: "These girls were going to eat me alive, thank you for showing up when you did." I think he was overreacting though. The girls love him and were very engaged. Between the two of us, however, I think I was his straight guy. I kept the kids on track and made sure they finished their worksheets, while he made jokes and kept the kids entertained. Secretly, I wish I could have had my own class with more than one child, but maybe tomorrow will be a better day.
The students are great. There was only one boy and one lady-boy, the rest were girls of various looks and high pitched squeals. They are sooo loud. Especially one girl, who's the queen be of the room, she's got bangin' hair, red pumps, a coach bag, and lots of attitude. For fifteen, she's a quite a little lady.
My only student, Ponpom, is so studious that she doesn't like to take the thirty minute break like the rest of the students. Get this. . . she'd rather finish her worksheet. Can you believe that?! I asked her to my "little helper," but she refused, giggling behind her hands. She claimed that she was "too shy." That's okay, she's still pretty lovely.
I'm going to Lotus today. I'm going to buy a bike for about 50 US dollars, 1700 baht. I think I'm going to get some work shirts as well. I'm going to sign off now. Peace.
Her name was Ponpom and she's super smart, very polite and sweet. But she was the only one. So I took her and joined another class of students. Next door, was Roger, the teacher from England who was handling ten rowdy girls. As soon as I walked through the door, I hear: "Do you have a boyfriend?" and the girls squealed, most of them shook their heads. Way to start a lesson.
Ponpom took a seat and I joined Roger at the front of the room. He whispered to me: "These girls were going to eat me alive, thank you for showing up when you did." I think he was overreacting though. The girls love him and were very engaged. Between the two of us, however, I think I was his straight guy. I kept the kids on track and made sure they finished their worksheets, while he made jokes and kept the kids entertained. Secretly, I wish I could have had my own class with more than one child, but maybe tomorrow will be a better day.
The students are great. There was only one boy and one lady-boy, the rest were girls of various looks and high pitched squeals. They are sooo loud. Especially one girl, who's the queen be of the room, she's got bangin' hair, red pumps, a coach bag, and lots of attitude. For fifteen, she's a quite a little lady.
My only student, Ponpom, is so studious that she doesn't like to take the thirty minute break like the rest of the students. Get this. . . she'd rather finish her worksheet. Can you believe that?! I asked her to my "little helper," but she refused, giggling behind her hands. She claimed that she was "too shy." That's okay, she's still pretty lovely.
I'm going to Lotus today. I'm going to buy a bike for about 50 US dollars, 1700 baht. I think I'm going to get some work shirts as well. I'm going to sign off now. Peace.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Went to a Massage Parlor Today
But not that kind! Ploy took me to get a Thai massage, which is the best, most intense massage in the world. Your masseuse pounds you tender like a steak, pulls and stretches you like taffy and all of this takes an hour and costs you only 140 baht. It is amazing!
My masseuse was a pint-size lady who laughed at my attempts to speak Thai to her. I soon shut up and let her do her thing. Some of her touching tickled and some of it was painful, but I felt wonderful by the end of the hour. Ploy says I'm not going to say the same thing in the morning, that I might be sore. Hmm.
Here's a video clip of what my massage was like:
My masseuse was a pint-size lady who laughed at my attempts to speak Thai to her. I soon shut up and let her do her thing. Some of her touching tickled and some of it was painful, but I felt wonderful by the end of the hour. Ploy says I'm not going to say the same thing in the morning, that I might be sore. Hmm.
Here's a video clip of what my massage was like:
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Forgive me Lonely Planet Travel Guide, for I have sinned. It has been weeks since my last confession:
Instead of wandering off of the beaten track like you told me to do, I hailed a motorbike to the nearest mall and bought a smoothie. I spoke English the entire time.
That's not all.
I spoke loudly* and made wild gesticulations in order to purchase food items. I asked for a fork, when clearly I was suppose to eat my rice and pork with the large toothpick given to me by the cook.
I'm still not done.
I then went to Starbucks, bought a pound of Ethiopia Sidamo coffee, (I ask forgiveness of the Coffeehound as well) a box of chai tea, one almond cream croissant, and one mug of hot tea. I sat amongst Thai hipsters.
I ask that you have mercy on my traveling soul.
Amen.
*I only spoke loudly because I was in the middle of a noisy food court. I'm not that American
Instead of wandering off of the beaten track like you told me to do, I hailed a motorbike to the nearest mall and bought a smoothie. I spoke English the entire time.
That's not all.
I spoke loudly* and made wild gesticulations in order to purchase food items. I asked for a fork, when clearly I was suppose to eat my rice and pork with the large toothpick given to me by the cook.
I'm still not done.
I then went to Starbucks, bought a pound of Ethiopia Sidamo coffee, (I ask forgiveness of the Coffeehound as well) a box of chai tea, one almond cream croissant, and one mug of hot tea. I sat amongst Thai hipsters.
I ask that you have mercy on my traveling soul.
Amen.
*I only spoke loudly because I was in the middle of a noisy food court. I'm not that American
Most westerners flock to this place, Khao San, to eat drink and be typical tourist.
This a bag of Thai Lays. I think they were sour cream and onion or cool ranch. They taste better than American chips for some reason. They are all shaped in the same almost perfect circle. Something about that weirds me out.Trust
There’s a certain level of trust that a foreigner must have with their guide, a certain blindness to be had. When I was being taken to Khao San by my housemate Nam, I felt completely blind. She asked me what I wanted for dinner and I wasn’t sure. When she suggested, Khao San, I recognized the place and I agreed to go with her. Just so you’re aware, Khao San is a densely populated street full of farangs, (foreigners/westerners) who come to Bangkok for cheap food, booze and entertainment. You’re likely to see hippies and frat boys milling about with to-go cups of cheap Bacardi. It’s a place with very little rules and the only reason they have police patrol is for westerners safety.
Getting there wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. There are set bus routes and with numbers, so I know that bus 56 and 68 will take me to Khao San. Bus 40 will take me to the Tesco Lotus and Central, the Thai Wal-Mart and the super mall. So I can get to these places by myself, in theory, but getting back might be another story.
Anyway, Nam and I took Bus 40 to Central so she could get her cell phone looked at. The Thai are all about their cell phones. Then we took a bus to our final destination. When we got there, it was a carnival of street vendors, beggars, and westerners. I walked fast to keep up with Nam, who is smaller and more knowledgeable of the area. She ducked and weaved through the crowd, asking as she went along: “You like Thai food?” I nodded and said, “Yeah, I do.” She was taking me deeper in to the crowds until we made it out the other side, where there were more Thais than farangs. “I know good place for Thai food.”
While I was walking behind Nam, I thought for a second, just a split second that she was leading me somewhere unknown to westerners where someone would step out of the shadows and knock me over the head with a lead pipe. Then they would drag my unconscious body down a black alleyway where a old rickety Japanese manufactured pickup truck sat, full of drugged or knocked out farang women. We’d all end up in the sex slave market, some of us worth more than others on account of hair and eye color. Hopefully they would find me too tall and dark featured to put up with me and then return me to Khao San. But like I said, I only thought about that for a second.
Finally we came to a small, very small, restaurant with two long tables and a dozen small plastic stools. I let Nam order food for me which could have been a mistake. “You like spicy food, chai?” I nodded. “Chai ka,” I said in agreement. And it’s true, I love spicy food, can’t get enough of it back in the states. The spicier the better.
In Thailand, however, there is a level of spiciness that we westerners have never experienced and probably should avoid for health reasons. The cook of the restaurant lived to that creed and set before me a strange soupy dish that could only have been shrimp chunks. Yes, that’s right, the only meat that could be identified was pieces of strangely blended or pureed shrimp. I knew from the looks of it that I would not like it, but I took a small spoonful and sipped it just the same. As soon as the spoon hit my lips, my entire mouth was on fire. Once I got over the sting and bite, the actual soup proved to be disgusting. I didn’t know which part to complain about first, so I did the polite thing and said to the cook, “Too spicy.” He nodded and I apologized for being so farang and weak. He told he would make me a new dish. I told him that it was not necessary and that I would eat the vegetables he set out for us. The cook refused my pleas and said he would make a new dish, garlic shrimp. Mmmm.
Poor Nam ate the soup by herself and I watched in amazement and in concern as she shoveled it down without pausing for water. This pint-sized girl was my new hero. When the cook brought out the new dish, I knew from the look of it, that I would like it. It was dark brown and saucy with recognizable garlic pieces and huge shrimps. Huge. The difference however, is that the shrimps in the US come to us all cleaned up. These shrimps still have their legs and their tiny face staring up at you. I did not care one bit, I cut them in half, ate the back end and was very satisfied.
Nam refused to let me pay for the meal, even the gross soup she ended up eating by herself. All in all, the meal which consisted of my gross soup, my garlic shrimp and the vegetables and rice between us, was just under 20 baht, which is a little less than 5 US dollars. That still amazes me.
As we took the bus back home, I started to get a little sleepy and allowed myself to be a little blind once again, I closed my eyes and let Nam tell me when we were to get off. It turned out to be a great evening. I made a grave food error, I learned my way to a new area in the city, and I got a little closer to my housemate. I think I went to bed that night feeling a little better about being a farang in a big city.
Getting there wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. There are set bus routes and with numbers, so I know that bus 56 and 68 will take me to Khao San. Bus 40 will take me to the Tesco Lotus and Central, the Thai Wal-Mart and the super mall. So I can get to these places by myself, in theory, but getting back might be another story.
Anyway, Nam and I took Bus 40 to Central so she could get her cell phone looked at. The Thai are all about their cell phones. Then we took a bus to our final destination. When we got there, it was a carnival of street vendors, beggars, and westerners. I walked fast to keep up with Nam, who is smaller and more knowledgeable of the area. She ducked and weaved through the crowd, asking as she went along: “You like Thai food?” I nodded and said, “Yeah, I do.” She was taking me deeper in to the crowds until we made it out the other side, where there were more Thais than farangs. “I know good place for Thai food.”
While I was walking behind Nam, I thought for a second, just a split second that she was leading me somewhere unknown to westerners where someone would step out of the shadows and knock me over the head with a lead pipe. Then they would drag my unconscious body down a black alleyway where a old rickety Japanese manufactured pickup truck sat, full of drugged or knocked out farang women. We’d all end up in the sex slave market, some of us worth more than others on account of hair and eye color. Hopefully they would find me too tall and dark featured to put up with me and then return me to Khao San. But like I said, I only thought about that for a second.
Finally we came to a small, very small, restaurant with two long tables and a dozen small plastic stools. I let Nam order food for me which could have been a mistake. “You like spicy food, chai?” I nodded. “Chai ka,” I said in agreement. And it’s true, I love spicy food, can’t get enough of it back in the states. The spicier the better.
In Thailand, however, there is a level of spiciness that we westerners have never experienced and probably should avoid for health reasons. The cook of the restaurant lived to that creed and set before me a strange soupy dish that could only have been shrimp chunks. Yes, that’s right, the only meat that could be identified was pieces of strangely blended or pureed shrimp. I knew from the looks of it that I would not like it, but I took a small spoonful and sipped it just the same. As soon as the spoon hit my lips, my entire mouth was on fire. Once I got over the sting and bite, the actual soup proved to be disgusting. I didn’t know which part to complain about first, so I did the polite thing and said to the cook, “Too spicy.” He nodded and I apologized for being so farang and weak. He told he would make me a new dish. I told him that it was not necessary and that I would eat the vegetables he set out for us. The cook refused my pleas and said he would make a new dish, garlic shrimp. Mmmm.
Poor Nam ate the soup by herself and I watched in amazement and in concern as she shoveled it down without pausing for water. This pint-sized girl was my new hero. When the cook brought out the new dish, I knew from the look of it, that I would like it. It was dark brown and saucy with recognizable garlic pieces and huge shrimps. Huge. The difference however, is that the shrimps in the US come to us all cleaned up. These shrimps still have their legs and their tiny face staring up at you. I did not care one bit, I cut them in half, ate the back end and was very satisfied.
Nam refused to let me pay for the meal, even the gross soup she ended up eating by herself. All in all, the meal which consisted of my gross soup, my garlic shrimp and the vegetables and rice between us, was just under 20 baht, which is a little less than 5 US dollars. That still amazes me.
As we took the bus back home, I started to get a little sleepy and allowed myself to be a little blind once again, I closed my eyes and let Nam tell me when we were to get off. It turned out to be a great evening. I made a grave food error, I learned my way to a new area in the city, and I got a little closer to my housemate. I think I went to bed that night feeling a little better about being a farang in a big city.
Friday, May 15, 2009
My Neigborhood and House
this is my kitchen and diningroom area. I found a large roach just through the entrance. Not cool.
This is the livingroom area, that is not my scooter. It belongs to the American who lived there before me. He's coming by to pick it up later. His name is Andy and he's from Belleville, Il. I used to live there!
This is my bedroom, I have a desk, vanity, wardrobe and bed.
This is the view from my room's balcony, it's pretty nice.
Swine flu safety precautions in Japan. I was one of twenty people to get off of the plane last because we were quarantine.
Apparently one woman had a high temperature and everyone surrounding her was at risk. Of what, you might ask? I don't really know, but it took her fifteen minutes to get tested. She came back negative for the flu and we got to leave.
Yay!
Third full day in Bangkok
I apologize for some of these posts being so disjointed. There are a lot of things to remember and write down and it doesn’t really come to me in order.
I got my first mega mosquito bite and started my period on the third day of my stay here and Thailand. I would like to point out what a relief it is to already have tampons and pads on hand. It’s far too early for me to negotiate the purchase of these kind of items. The reason I have such a large mosquito bite is because I didn’t spray before leaving the house. I didn’t spray before leaving the house because I got my spray taken away from me at the airport on the way here. Damn the FAA and their stupid fluid ounce regulations! I am prepared today, however. I went to a Thai pharmacy and bought repellent lotion. I also bought bug spray for the roaches who live in my house. Why are the geckos eating them!! Probably because the roaches are bigger than the geckos. Far too intimidating.
My first impressions of Bangkok? Noah was absolutely right, the city does smell like cooked hot dogs. I noticed this the moment I stepped off the plane. The people are extremely friendly. Even when I was getting through immigration. I didn’t know my address so the officer and I went back over the fact that I could be entering illegally. I did a lot of shrugging and slow talking--- I didn’t raise my voice; and he continued to point at the missing information on my immigration form. Finally I put down the name of the school I’d be teaching at, misspelled of course and after careful deliberation, he sent me through to get my baggage. I know for a fact that we wouldn’t do that in America.
I live in a fairly nice neighbor just a few blocks away from the school. I’ve gotten lost on the way there. Ploy, one of the Thai teachers that was assigned to be my babysitter, had to write me a map to be back to my home. Ploy is very helpful. She’s a lovely girl, 25 years old, who is the Thai equivalent to my library co-worker Holly Pantle, she’s extremely efficient, works on a tight schedule and excels with large amounts of responsibility.
My house is a rather spacious townhouse or a condo. I share it with a Thai teacher named Nam (water). She’s nice, doesn’t speak much English and I rarely see her. The only air-conditioned areas of the house are our bedrooms so the rest of place is unbearable to walk around. Getting the television on was really difficult, the school has paid for a digital satellite and I didn’t know how to operate it. Nam showed me with plenty of gestures. Now I can watch CNN and the Lifetime Network. That’s all I really need. I’m still trying to get the internet, that even harder. For the moment, I’m using the school’s LAN.
I’ve done a lot of shopping, mostly for home essentials. I went to the Thai equivalent of Wal-Mart, called the Tesco Lotus. It’s very large with escalators made for shopping carts and a food court. I saw KFC and Dunkin’ Donuts. I did some clothes shopping in the local markets, but it proved to be difficult as well. Although clothing is very cheap, it can also be very small. The women here are 1-2 feet shorter than I am and much skinnier. Everything I buy must be L or XL. I haven’t even bothered buying shoes because I’m taller that most men. I can’t imagine finding a size 11 with either sex.
Today, I start my first teaching assignment. It’s a substitute gig with about 10 students. It will last about twenty minutes and it should be fun, said Ploy. Okay. I think I will start off with some “Hi, how are you, my name is” exercises.
I got my first mega mosquito bite and started my period on the third day of my stay here and Thailand. I would like to point out what a relief it is to already have tampons and pads on hand. It’s far too early for me to negotiate the purchase of these kind of items. The reason I have such a large mosquito bite is because I didn’t spray before leaving the house. I didn’t spray before leaving the house because I got my spray taken away from me at the airport on the way here. Damn the FAA and their stupid fluid ounce regulations! I am prepared today, however. I went to a Thai pharmacy and bought repellent lotion. I also bought bug spray for the roaches who live in my house. Why are the geckos eating them!! Probably because the roaches are bigger than the geckos. Far too intimidating.
My first impressions of Bangkok? Noah was absolutely right, the city does smell like cooked hot dogs. I noticed this the moment I stepped off the plane. The people are extremely friendly. Even when I was getting through immigration. I didn’t know my address so the officer and I went back over the fact that I could be entering illegally. I did a lot of shrugging and slow talking--- I didn’t raise my voice; and he continued to point at the missing information on my immigration form. Finally I put down the name of the school I’d be teaching at, misspelled of course and after careful deliberation, he sent me through to get my baggage. I know for a fact that we wouldn’t do that in America.
I live in a fairly nice neighbor just a few blocks away from the school. I’ve gotten lost on the way there. Ploy, one of the Thai teachers that was assigned to be my babysitter, had to write me a map to be back to my home. Ploy is very helpful. She’s a lovely girl, 25 years old, who is the Thai equivalent to my library co-worker Holly Pantle, she’s extremely efficient, works on a tight schedule and excels with large amounts of responsibility.
My house is a rather spacious townhouse or a condo. I share it with a Thai teacher named Nam (water). She’s nice, doesn’t speak much English and I rarely see her. The only air-conditioned areas of the house are our bedrooms so the rest of place is unbearable to walk around. Getting the television on was really difficult, the school has paid for a digital satellite and I didn’t know how to operate it. Nam showed me with plenty of gestures. Now I can watch CNN and the Lifetime Network. That’s all I really need. I’m still trying to get the internet, that even harder. For the moment, I’m using the school’s LAN.
I’ve done a lot of shopping, mostly for home essentials. I went to the Thai equivalent of Wal-Mart, called the Tesco Lotus. It’s very large with escalators made for shopping carts and a food court. I saw KFC and Dunkin’ Donuts. I did some clothes shopping in the local markets, but it proved to be difficult as well. Although clothing is very cheap, it can also be very small. The women here are 1-2 feet shorter than I am and much skinnier. Everything I buy must be L or XL. I haven’t even bothered buying shoes because I’m taller that most men. I can’t imagine finding a size 11 with either sex.
Today, I start my first teaching assignment. It’s a substitute gig with about 10 students. It will last about twenty minutes and it should be fun, said Ploy. Okay. I think I will start off with some “Hi, how are you, my name is” exercises.
There is a monsoon right outside my window. Only I would know if I were struck by lightening. I turned off all of the lights except the kitchen. I don’t go there at night for fear I’ll run into the roaches. I unplugged everything except the air conditioner. It’s too hot to lie in bed safe and sound. The sounds outside are sonic, even under my blanket.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Packing
There are almost eight days left now.
Things are looking a little more real. I've got a passport and visa, a plane ticket, I quit my two jobs, and my suitcases are out of storage. Out of storage! Now I've got to get serious and think about what to pack them with
Noah believes that I should wait until I get to Thailand before I get certain things like bug spray, sunblock, and tampons. In response to my concern of taking extra tampons along, he said: "Believe it or not, the Thai women do menstruate." Maybe they do, Noah. But I don't want to be caught unprepared! I've gone to Wal-Mart today and picked these items up anyway. My issue is comfort. The only way I know I'll be comfortable, while traveling, is to drag around a bag full of feminine products with me.
I did search some packing videos on youtube to help me. I found this no-nonsense lady named Stephanie Phillips, an expert on international travel, if you will. There's something about her that I really like, so there might be more of these videos from her.
Things are looking a little more real. I've got a passport and visa, a plane ticket, I quit my two jobs, and my suitcases are out of storage. Out of storage! Now I've got to get serious and think about what to pack them with
Noah believes that I should wait until I get to Thailand before I get certain things like bug spray, sunblock, and tampons. In response to my concern of taking extra tampons along, he said: "Believe it or not, the Thai women do menstruate." Maybe they do, Noah. But I don't want to be caught unprepared! I've gone to Wal-Mart today and picked these items up anyway. My issue is comfort. The only way I know I'll be comfortable, while traveling, is to drag around a bag full of feminine products with me.
I did search some packing videos on youtube to help me. I found this no-nonsense lady named Stephanie Phillips, an expert on international travel, if you will. There's something about her that I really like, so there might be more of these videos from her.
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