Im not sure where this random journal entry came from. I think I was delirious from too much flying.
And so the transport continues. Today is the last leg of the insane flight to Bangladesh. I arrived in Bangkok last night at 1215am their time (wide awake because thats noon my time) and am leaving now at 2pm their time for malaysia, where a connector flight in Kuala Lumpur will end our trip. Phew. Not that this hasn't been insanely adventurous or anything, but flying certainly takes its tolls. I am so worried about my internship and my host family and THE FOOD and missing friends and family. AaH! So much emotion righ tnow...and two more hours of this god foresaken plane ride to talk about it I suppose lol.
Last night and today have been crazy. In June of 2006 I left Thailand never to return, or at least not in the near future. I found myself surprised and nostalgic ...to walk the streets of Bangkok today...the stretch from the Asia hotel (where Alex Plum, Kristin Sulewski, and I became the closest of study abroad pals) to the Siam Square/ Center/ Paragon shopping area where I drowned my food snobbery issues with au Bon Pan...the uneven sidewalks...stray dogs everywhere...mauled children begging while all the while you know they are going to be forced to give their money to their parents... the peculiar/awful smell of market areas... just highlights of my walk down memory lane.
When I was here in '06, we first went to a bar called "The Rock" and another one called something I don't remember, but this year was different. (damnit. I REALLY wanted to go there. The Rock played Thai covers of RHCP and Sublime--it was amazing. ) This year, our super nice late-night receptionist in the creepy hotel (who turned out to also be a waitress for breakfast, a busgirl, the manager, and the early-morning/ early afternoon receptionist) reminded us that the king's sister died last week and everything was closed early for 14 days after her death out of a sort of ceremonial respect kind of thing. I didn't really mind. I was hungover on a plane for 20 hours already that day. We knew we couldn't drink or use the internet, but we had seen people outside in the streets so we ventured out anyways. At 235am.
Down the street we found a packed outdoor bar with a huge HD Panasonic playing soccer onESPN. We sat and drank bottled water after being denied alcohol and Nick, Evan, and Debrah all ordered fried rice. I had forgotten how nice the weather felt for Thai evenings. Also that fried rice is served with an incredibly spicy hot-pepper liquid that makes it DELICIOUS. Kind of wish I would have ordered some now. A crazy drunk Belgian man joined us at our table and spoke of Thailand's superiority in relation to Malaysia. He was nuts. And he was secretly being served beer. Dickhead. Wanting a bottle of Singha at that point, I was kind of pissed.
Anyway, we went home and passed out to Sports Center for 2 hours before I woke up at 6 or 7am to get going. We woke up, took showers (little secret about the housing plans in Asia: no showers. shower heads on the wall of a fully tiled bathroom that drains to a central location, but no actual defined area for showering that will hold the water in, nor shower curtain), and headed down to a continental American breakfast of sick eggs, fatty bacon, white toast, and a chicken sausage that reminded me of a mini hot dog. (From the stories my sisters tell me, a much younger, fatter, cuter allison would have loved these Vienna-delights. Not today). MMMMM. There WAS hot tea. And a beautiful sunrise.
I don't really care that much about Buddhist temples after seeing about a thousand during my trip here freshman year, but the people I am with hadnt seen them and I definitely remembered a few key sites in Bangkok I wanted to show them. We managed to lose Nick, who was apparently not dressed well enough due to the adornment of hole-y jeans and got stopped at the entrance of the temples.
In my search for him, I came across a little lady with a number of tricks up her sleeves. Now, beggars: listen up. This is a well thought plan. You stand in the middle of a park where people frequent (where people go, they bring food. where food goes, scraps fall. where scraps fall, pigeons kick it) and hand out everyone's favorite: raw corn in a plastic bag. As you're gracing the unknowing population of tourists with your "Welcome to Thailand" gifts, rip the bag open and toss their hands in the air. When the corn goes up, they'll get confused and you can make them feel like they owe you (for swarming your pigeon friends on them, of course). Good trick, entrepreneur. You're well on your way. Next step: When sweet Debrah gets confused and upset, just reach in her wallet and grab what you'd like. She appreciates you. You gave her CORN. and FRIENDS. and, who could forget the gift that keeps on giving, AVIAN FLU. Bless your heart. [For being so nnice, I gave her 20 THB. Fucked up on that one. ]
Anyway, we regroup finally and catch a Thai-only-speaking cab driver back to our hotel with just enough time to make it to the hotel for our belongings and then to the airport. (Too bad we don't even remember the name of the hotel. Forgot to mention we also got lunch at au Bon Pan and walked to the internet cafe I used to go to when in Bangkok to look up the name). The driver was a bit lost but we got through it. AND he offered us candies. WHO could resist oraangge candies?!
It's been crazy crazy crazy and we aren't even there yer. Wonder what Dhaka will be like!!
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