A cheap lesson...[Entry #11 June 29, 2011]

[Above: A classic Thai police motorbike, looks like WWII Germany]

Entry #11: June 29, 2011

        Not all days are good, not every experience is fun and entertaining. Unfortunately today I had just such an experience. I decided to go to Khaosan road, 'the gateway to southeast Asia'. Several of my friends talked about the place like it was some sort of mecca, and online reviews all tout this location as a great place to go. First of all, it is not the easiest place to get to when you choose to travel to it. Second, it seemed to me like a worse version of the rest of Thailand. Although the food might be cheap, and their are hostiles in abundance, it is lacking any real sense of flavor. I expected to see groups of people sitting around plotting out their next journey and comparing notes about their travel experiences, instead I just found another touristy area filled with alot more 'farang' (foreigners) with the same wares that can be found in any night market. I have to say the place left me feeling a little more then disappointed, but what was worse was the experience I had while traveling through Khaosan road. Upon trekking up and down the street looking for something of interest I was greeted by a man claiming to be a Yogi. Long story short, a con man just trying to hustle every foreigner possible. He offered to tell me my future and in truth I was willing to listen, but he used a common slight of hand trick via an assistant to gleam information and make it look as though he were clairvoyant. My experience went something like this, being greeted on the street; asked to let him demonstrate how skillful he is; then a long walk down a shady looking alley. If your not already suspicious let me tell you the man is approximately my size with a 'friend' equally so. He puts on a good show and has pleasant mannerisms but the truth is its all a hoax to take you for as much money as you are willing to give. I decided to pay the man a small amount $20 (which in local is no paltry sum) because I really did not want to get into a back alley fight with 2 men equal my size, in best case scenario I win the fight, in worst case I am not here to write about it on my blog tonight or any other. I pointed out the flaw in the mans practice and how his game worked, and told him he ought to be ashamed of himself. But this is a rather cheap lesson for the price of $20, do not do what other people tell you to do, or ask you to do, if I had only been following my own ambition rather then playing into his game from the beginning I would not have had to pay any money.

        The second part of the day went much better, and its interesting how helpful normal people can be. I decided when I went down by Khaosan road to take my straight razor I had purchased back in the U.S. with me as the handle had broken and I wanted to get it repaired. I walked up and down the artisan street I mentioned a couple posts ago, talking to all the craftsman and metal workers I could find. Unfortunately I think communication was a bit lacking as I think everybody thought I wanted repair work instead of a new handle, but my persistence prevailed and I eventually found someone who agreed to do the work after about one and a half hours of searching, and talking to people. It was actually via talking to the various artisans which each pointed to another shop that led me full circle back to a shop I had visited earlier and said no initially. What is funny is if a tourist were to look at the dirty dingy street of the artisans they would probably think twice about going down the road and talking to the locals, but the people I met were more then accomidating and even gave me a free ride to the other artisans shops. I think showing respect, speaking a bit of the language and patience go a long way in Thailand. Eventually I found a man willing to create a new handle out of wood, but once I receive the pieces back I will have to find a silversmith to put the pins in place to hold the blade to the handle. This whole straight razor shaving adventure is turning into a journey in and of itself, but it is entertaining. 

        After my excursions towards the 'center' of Bangkok I decided to retire back to the hotel. Yesterday I had  made an appointment at a local dentists office to get my teeth cleaned, and I was in desperate need of some food. Chicken fried rice fit the bill nicely and what is significantly different from fried rice in the U.S. is that is served with a small dish of 'Prik nom pra' , a type of hot seasoning, which you can add to give a little kick to the food. It's incredibly good, without being too spicy, which is still an eminent danger as I haven't fully adjusted to the extreme spiciness Thai food can have. I opted to get a Thai massage which was incredibly deep tissue. There were a couple times I had to tell the Masseuse to be easier on my legs as they have been getting a lot of use in walking lately.  400 baht = $13 for an hour long massage, was well worth the price! Then off to my dentists appointment for a cleaning. I got a cleaning in a little under 40 minutes which was much needed but they then suggested I ought to get a couple fillings. I have made an appointment but am unsure if I really want the fillings right now, typically in the U.S. I would not second guess a dentists opinion at all. But I think I was a little soured today by my experience earlier at Khaosan road and have this nagging feeling of this being an up-sell. The dentist I saw was incredibly nice and professional, service of the highest caliber, just like in the U.S. (total cost 1,300 baht for x-rays and cleaning = $43 with no insurance). However he seemed somewhat unclear and unsure about actually needing the fillings, he was referring me to another dentist, at the same location, but it seemed to me that I really don't need them that badly otherwise he would have insisted. I will take a day or so to mull over the decision to get the couple of fillings, but I certainly would not hesitate to visit the dentists office again. 

[Side Note: For those of you who have been keeping up and reading many of the posts, the place I ate the pasta carbonara that was surprisingly tasty was called Black Mountain Coffee, its kinda like an upscale caribou coffee with a full menu. Good food/decor, excellent service and reasonable prices, Highly recommended!]

Living underwater...[Entry #10 June 28, 2011]

[Above: A shark approximately 3 feet above my head.]

Entry #10: June 28, 2011

        Well congratulations to everyone following the blog, this is the first double digit post! Today as I had anticipated, I got a much later start and spent the early part of the day resting rather then exploring. I slept in as late as I could before getting breakfast at the hotel, returned to my room for some emailing, more rest and relax and kicked off the day with swimming rather then adventuring. Normally I try to leave the hotel by about 11 AM for my activities for the day, return for a short dip in the pool by about 4 o'clock and recover for more night time adventures to new restaurants or whatever I might find. After catching a little sun and a dip in the pool, I meandered over to the BTS (skytrain) station and made my way over to Siam shopping mall. In the baesment of this luxurious shopping mall "Ocean World". It boasts the title of largest indoor aquarium in Southeast Asia. I must say, it was fun and relaxing but a bit more touristy then I have been recently accustomed to. The aquarium is much smaller then that of the shed aquarium in Chicago, but I think few can actually compare. It was interesting walking around and seeing fish I do not believe I have ever seen before. To me the most interesting fish to watch were the Sturgeon and the sharks. I hope this is not some sort of behavioral statement but both look a bit dangerous and have very menacing appearances yet move through the water so smoothly and incredibly agile. I opted for the second level of pass which costs 1,000 baht = $33 US, which was only 100 baht more then the standard package for an adult. The additional 100 baht gave me access to a tour behind the normal walk through, a glass bottom boat ride, a soda, popcorn and a free DVD.  All in all, the extra 100 baht is worthwhile, but the glass bottom boat ride was not really worth the wait. You really don't get to see anything unless fish happen to swim directly underneath the boat and the line is fairly long. I did not opt to take their diving experience, I believe it is only 2,000 baht more = $66 US. And what this gives you is a tank walk in the main tank where they keep the sharks as well as many other types of fish. They put a diving helmet on you with a pressurized air hose and a guide that escorts you through the tank, plus it looked like a wet suit. Although some people may think I am crazy, that sounds like a fantastic experience, and I would have done it, but I was just so tired from the day before and also didn't go in my swimming trunks. I am still considering whether or not to go back for the 'complete' experience. The sharks they have there only get up to about 6 feet, which is still pretty big, but nothing unimaginable in size. They had a separate tank for some young hammerheads that were absolutely stunning, Their skin was almost like onyx colored and had a silver sheen to it. I have to admit though, the experience seems structured around kids tours as everything is set a bit lower to the ground, brightly colored with guides toting around groups of school children everywhere. All in all a worthwhile experience, and definitely worth taking kids to go see, or maybe to go on a date, but probably not the best place to explore for a really unique adventure.

       After my excursion to Ocean World, I chose to wander the attached mall a bit, extremely high fashion and westernized in style it was a big departure from walking the streets of Bangkok. Everything was incredibly clean and spacious, even MBK shopping center has a Thai feel to it, where as this conglomeration of businesses are for the trendy and wealthy individuals and certainly for tourists. All the major name brands could be found here, from Porsche to Armani and some upper end Thai boutiques. The day ended with meeting with my new friend Ying again for dinner and a movie. This time rather then going to see an american movie, I saw a Thai movie with English subtitles. It was called Small-'Roo' (which means hole) and was about a band that works together to make it as a musical group as well as construct and run a bakery. Although it was clearly aimed at a younger (teenager) audience it was well styled and the antics were certainly amusing. I think the Thai humor is much more slapstick then US humor currently is, circa 1980 style kinda...but I am not trying to label just give a description for those interested. The movie was cute, and worth the watch. This time at a theater more for locals but again extremely nice. I believe any movie theater in a mall complex in Thailand is at the very least a full level above the US equivalent with being around 1/3 the cost. As I love to watch movies anyways, I see no reason why I won't check out all the new movies I want to see, where as in the US I really have to question whether or not it is worth the price. 

        Another interesting thing is that whenever you see a movie in Thailand, just before the main feature there is a tribute to the King. Everyone stands in respect, and  a series of images of the Kings previous good deeds and what he has done for the country is shown. The only time I have ever seen anything like this is on military bases, the theaters would play the national anthem and everyone would rise for that occasion too. I must say though, that there seems to be a genuine love for the king in Thailand, and the message seems very heartfelt. I think this is a good way of demonstrating as well as instilling national pride. I was glad to see the movie, but at the same time can understand why American movies dominate the theaters within Thailand. With the incredible budget and star studded performances, the blockbusters we see back home really shine vs. the lower budget productions of native movies. After consulting with my friend, she explained that she, like most Thai, enjoy watching American movies because it is the same price and the quality is much better. I expressed that this is a totally reasonable response and cannot blame them for doing so, but at the same time supporting locally made movies will help to keep a sense of individual creation unique to their own culture. It has occurred to me on more then one occasion that Culture has become our main export, via movies, music and fashion in clothes as well as home decor. We (Americans) tend not to produce any physical goods but rather intellectual properties and the global consumer market eats up whatever we produce in these fields and then mimics it. I think its an interesting cycle though as most of these creative ideas aren't originally home grown in the first place but are influenced by other cultures, in a sort of feed back loop. Well before I go on any further with this tangent I will stop for the night. Thanks for reading!

Down the Chao Phraya...[Entry #9 June 27 2011]

[Above: A view of the Chao Phraya river going south.]

Entry #9 June 27, 2011:

        So today was a rather interesting day, I woke up late, it was raining and very overcast. Honestly for the first part of the day I should have stayed home. I realized earlier today I have been neglecting some of my food experiences for those of you who are interested. One thing that recently I tried and I wasn't sure if I wanted to was a very small piece of Durian fruit. I have to say this fruit has a nefarious legend surrounding it, but actually it was not as bad as the reviews I have heard about it go. Yesterday when walking around in the weekend market I ate a small piece inside a mall, I do not know if it was because the fruit was very fresh, or cool but it hardly had any smell and the taste was not all that strong. I can certainly see why some people say it is an acquired taste, as I would describe it similar to eating a piece of Bree or blue cheese alone. It has a very similar consistency and actually has a stronger after taste then when you first eat it. I really do not plan on eating much more as it isn't really my taste in food, but I am going on record and saying this fruit isn't all that bad. It's worth trying at least once to see if you like it not, I suppose just like all things in life.
        Back to today's adventure though! Today I decided to go to the 'Chinatown' district, honestly I had no real conception of what to expect, except the trip seemed a bit more arduous to get there, and that the online references all cite this area as a place to shop for gold. Although I would love to have a budget to go buy gold whenever I like, I was really hoping perhaps to find some traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and perhaps try an acupuncture session. Unfortunately I didn't really do any research into looking for where I could find these and of course though my random traveling through streets and back alleys I did not find any of these businesses. Initially the trip started the same, my 5-10 minute walk to the BTS station, then the new and exciting part of the journey was taking a river boat up the Chao Phraya river to the pier that opens up into China town. I have to admit, the cost seems negligible, about 25 baht = $.80 cents for a one way ticket a couple kilometers up river. The directions and stops are a bit more confusing then the MBS (skytrain) and MRT (subway) but there are information desks who are more then willing to help. Additionally you have to be careful which boat you get on, because I took a ferry which just crossed to the other side of the river, rather then go to other stops and ended up having to walk back across the river along the highway. However this provided the beautiful shot of the extremely overcast day. I have to take a moment and explain that I was drenched in sweat by the time I made it to China town, the humidity today, because of the rain and the clouds was absolutely aweful, it really didn't feel that hot, but I was sweating horribly.
        Once I got to China town, I was a bit disappointed, I don't know what I expected, but honestly this was the worst travel experience I have yet had in Bangkok. The streets are very narrow, so there is very little room to walk, extremely crowded and because there is SO MUCH merchandise you can barely see anything other then what is rubbing up against your face as you walk. I walked through a market which felt half the size of the most the markets I had gone through which were already teaming with customers and sellers, and it felt a bit overwhelming. I have to admit it may have been the heat getting to me though, because by this time I was already starting to feel dehydrated and showing signs of it. The markets all seemed to sell goods, slightly overpriced, or really useless junk or gold. Seeing as I was in the mood for none of these things I opted not to buy anything and save my money for better food and entertainment. I do have to say the Chinese area did seem to be more segregated in that each street you walked down had a particular purpose, such as the street with all gold vendors, or the street with all fruit vendors. Probably the best part of this experience was trying a new drink, typically you can get bottled orange juice (concentrate, not the real thing I think) anywhere in Bangkok. Here however they were selling some sort of lime juice, it tasted very much like lemonade, and might have been but had a zesty kick to it. Very invigorating when you are extremely thirsty. I wandered through what looked more like business district, where no real shops operated, only import/exporters and got some rather strange looks, but I did manage to find several shrines tucked away in back alleys that were interesting to see. By this time I absolutely berated by the heat and tried to get back as quickly as I could, waiting for the boat on the Chao Phraya river comes with the cheap cost I think. What I did notice however, which I would never have seen if I didn't wait so long, is right by the dock there was a man with a bunch of fish pellets, you could pay to feed the fish along the rivers edge, and right by the dock there were so many fish swimming in this small area, they were actually swimming across one another. For about a 30 foot square it looked like the river was made of only fish.
        After my tumultuous experience at the China town district, I retired to my room for a shower, water and a bit of rest before having dinner with a new friend Ying. She graciously was willing to meet with me and help me practice my Thai. I am embarrassed to say her English was excellent, and my Thai was very lacking. I think I may start spending more time in individual study, because I really do want to speak the language fluently, and it takes practice on my part. What is funny, is that I probably had one of the best meals thus far in Thailand at a restaurant that she suggested. It was very chic and served western and Thai food, but it was not very expensive. Ironically though I did not eat Thai food, I ate pasta carbonara, which is a dish for some reason or another have tried in every country I have ever been too. I will attempt to find the name of the restaurant tomorrow because I would not mind going back again. I did however try a Thai desert, Bua Loi and Tub Tim Grop. One was served warm, the other on ice, and I have to say Bua Loi was a little bitter sweeter but not too sweet. It was just the right mild flavor, and I hope to have it again as it seems beautifully flavored, very delicate which is something of a rarity I feel as Thai food tends to be extremely complex and layers of taste stacked on top of one another. To give you an example of what I mean, I ordered a salad last night after a long day and it consisted of: Iceberg lettuce, onions, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, then topped with american cheese, sliced hard boiled eggs, slices of ham and chicken, all of these flavors and then thousand island dressing on top of that. I think in Thai food there is a tremendous amount of complexity, now this isn't a bad thing, just different from some of my previous experiences and I hope to adjust. Bua Loi, the desert I had tonight was just the opposite, a smooth blending of a few flavors delivered perfectly. I was very fortunate to end this hot and humid day with some lovely company and a nourishing meal. Tomorrow I think I will spend more time recovering in my hotel room then previous days.
       

The weekend market...[Entry #8: June 26, 2011]

[Above: Hand made silk flower decorations that double as ambient lighting!]

Entry #8 June 26, 2011

        So today started off a bit earlier then other days, I was up and out of bed fairly early considering most days I am not really out of the hotel much before 11am or so. I began the day with a buffet lunch at the hotel, good 'ol eggs, hash browns, toast, etc. to power me through. I headed out the Mo Chit BTS station to check out the sights at the weekend market. I must say online there are several reviews about the size and types of wares available at this market which some might call a flea market back in the midwest. Honestly though most flea markets do not compare in size, capacity or variation in goods. This place really is huge, I am a bit suspicious about it being the biggest but it certainly is impressive. What caught my eye most were not the traditional knock off clothing brand products or stacks of DVD's or really even the food. The most impressive things to me were the artisan crafts that you could see individual workmanship in. For instance the picture above shows one of a couple of shops of hand made silk flower lighting decorations. Although you probably could not or would not want to use this type of lighting for an entire room, it would be very cool as an ambient piece of lighting, something that gets overlooked. The quality and detail is surprisingly high. Among the other highlights of my travel to the market was seeing a craftsman carve beautiful flowers out of soap, some really nice leather working and hanging art galleries. Although some of the artwork is shall we say less then breathe taking, there were a few pieces of art and artists work that stood out among the crowd. I know that many people love to go to market places and get cheap imitation goods, but for me seeing the products that have authentic production within Thailand are far more interesting, even the simple items such as soap that is home made is far more desirable to buy to me. I have seen many markets in the world selling 'name-brand' goods, and really this has no appeal to me, only the quality and delivery of style make a difference. My one regret is the item I sought after in my travels to this market I could not find. I have been looking for a quality straight razor and accouterments (such as sharpening stone and strop), but no matter how hard I looked I could not find any such thing. I suppose that these things are a rarity even in the US where at one point they were common household items, but I am not yet discouraged.

        The other significant thing that I did today, was after my journey to the market and meeting with some friends for a couple hours I decided to have my fortune told. This is something I wanted to do before I came to Thailand, as I had thought this was a very common practice throughout southeast Asia. I managed to get a Tuk-Tuk driver to take me to a fortune teller, but it was not exactly what I was expecting. The fortune teller, used a combination of astrology (my birth day/month/year), hand reading and tarot cards to tell me my future. What I was told, is that I may have a very long life 90+ years and mostly good things will come of it. If I chose to get married it may happen by the time I am 31 which is coming up rather quickly, and I will have 2 children 1 son and 1 daughter. I am a little skeptical because almost everything he told me was entirely good, or fairly ambiguous with the exception that when I am 45 I will be on vacation and have a small accident, such as cutting my foot on my glass or something small like this. Although I am hardly a sadist, I think of myself as fairly pragmatic and believe life is filled with both good and bad moments, so I wonder if I need another opinion. Overall I enjoyed the experience and for 300 baht = $10 US what is the harm of someone telling me about how good my life will be. One thing that I did ask is where I ought to work in Thailand, he asked me to name several cities I was considering and after some analysis he suggested either Chiang Mai or Bangkok. He explained that in both cities I would find good work and be very happy, but that in Bangkok I would make more money. I think I will try getting my fortune read again but not by a street side practitioner, next time perhaps at a temple or somewhere highly recommended. The interesting thing about this whole trip though, is that my driver had to take me a fair distance to find the fortune tellers, I was surprised that there weren't any practitioners in the near vicinity, but again perhaps this is a sign of the rapid commercialization of the city, where traditional practices are moving out to the fringes, this hasn't yet happened to all traditional practices, as I see spirit houses are still very common in the city and I have witnessed several people paying homage to spirit houses throughout the city, including one right outside the market today.  

        [The last little side note I want to make is that I am feeling a bit stronger about this blog, now that I have reached 8 posts, it seems as though it is helping me digest my experiences and take better consideration of what I am experiencing. I hope you all are enjoying the journey with me, and thank you for reading!]

Seeing the Sights...[Entry #7 June 25, 2011]

[Above: An alleyway view of the side of one of the temples just west of the golden mount]

Entry #7 June 25, 2011:

        Today I decided to travel more into the heart of the sightseeing districts of Bangkok. Surprisingly however my primary source of transportation (MBS) or the skytrain which is not too dissimilar from the L back in Chicago does not yet have a transit route into this area. I opted instead to take the 'Saen Saep' express boat which travels a canal right next to my hotel west into the historic center of Bangkok. I have to admit, although it is not as luxurious as some other modes of transportation I enjoyed using it. Also it seems that the fare is extremely cheap around 13 baht which is less then $0.50 for a couple kilometers of travel. The boat gets full quickly and finding a comfortable way to stand when you are over 6 foot tall is nearly impossible but if my destination lay close to this canal way I will certainly take this mode of transport again. I do believe though, that this line is more often frequented by locals going to work and back then visitors or tourists. My trip into the center of Bangkok as I am calling it afforded me the opportunity to see several smaller temples around the area of the Golden Mount. It is interesting to see so many temples but what is even more interesting is the layout of this area. Residences as well as small shops have over the years sprung up in every available space around the sides of the temples and getting from one temple to another you have to navigate through side streets. I haven't yet opted to take any officiated tours, that is to have any sort of guide or service to drive me from one place to another. So such as today I have been taking public transportation as near to my destination and then wandering from place to place. It is likely that I am missing some historical background and very interesting information, however by discovering each place for myself I feel like I am experiencing a more unique adventure rather then the cookie cutter experience. One of the very surprising things I noticed besides the bustling streets crammed in between the temples is that many if not all the temples seemed to be under construction. In some cases it looked like restorative work, in others possibly new additions, but I believe this to be a coincidence of my timing. As far as I understand I am visiting during one of the low tourist seasons, fewer tourists frequent Thailand during this part of the year and this could help to explain why work is being preformed on the temples at this time. Tomorrow I intend on going to see the weekend market and hope to get a fairly early start, sometime next week I will return back to continue the historic sightseeing to include seeing the palace, plus several major temples. One other interesting side note in my trip today, as I walked down the side streets I found many carpentry shops as well as other skilled artisans, I spent some time watching a craftsman make traditional alms bowls that monks use for receiving offerings and was delighted at the experience. Never have I seen so many carpentry shops located in one consolidated area, and it is a curiosity to me how they all maintain work in such close proximity. Perhaps when I go back this direction next week I will inquire about getting some small trinket or souvenir commissioned as it seems the craftsman made everything from doors and trim pieces to custom engraving of door placards and smaller items.

Making friends...[Entry #6 June 24, 2011]

[Above: The swimming pool at Unico Express, small but relaxing]

Entry #6 June 24, 2011

        So perhaps my previous post about the new hotel I am staying in was a bit presumptuous in that yesterday I opted to pay a bit more and received a room at least twice as nice and the size for only a bit more expense. There may be a lesson in this, that if you pay only for the cheapest service you will be sorely disappointed. Also I have realized that perhaps the best place to meet people and spark some friendships lay at the side of the pool. Twice I have meet other travelers whom I have had lengthy conversations with and then traveled around the city with over the last couple days. Today I meet a bright young Korean girl who is vacationing in Bangkok for a short period of time, and previously I meet a man from Spain who was very interested in practicing his English. Both have been excellent company and have been entertaining to travel with. I believe that perhaps the reason a pool is such a good place to start conversations is that it is a community area where people are going to relax and do not mind engaging in conversations while lounging around the pool. Much of the time in Bangkok there is a quickness in everyone's step, it seems they are often in a rush to get somewhere. Thus far I have been limited in being able to practice my Thai however I have received numerous compliments for what few phrases I have been able to remember. The time studying the language has been well spent, but it feels like I have so much to learn still. I have been looking to find some local Thai with which to do a language exchange to practice, but so far have been somewhat unable to do so.
       It has been a good experience thus far staying at the hotel, although there is some difficulty in traveling by taxi, in the end it saves me money and gives me some exercise walking back and forth to the train stations. I have yet however gone to see several of the sites I want to see in Bangkok including several temples and the palace. It seems to me that these areas are slightly less accessible by train either BTS or subway, but I intend to get over to them within the next week. It is my hope to find more travelers to share my experience with and  travel around Bangkok with. Thus far it has been very enjoyable to have some company, in truth having someone to travel with is as sweet of respite as lounging in the pool.

Highlander... [Entry #5 June 21, 2011]

[Above: My beautiful room at Monaco, was a really nice hotel except no pool.]

Entry #5 June 21, 2011:

        I moved to a new hotel room yesterday, the difference between a 40 dollar a night room and an 18 dollar a night room is palpable. My first impression of the economy rooms here at the Unico Express was that this is the type of room someone might have died in. Not to say that this room holds any vestigial presence or anything like that, and I also don’t mean this seems like the type of place someone would be murdered in, rather more like an overdose or perhaps a heart attack. Although the room is not exactly exciting, it is cheap, and that is kind of what I expected, the nearest approximation is something akin to an expressway motel. The worst part of this hotel however is that it is located on a one way street, at the furthest end going the wrong direction, there is a major thoroughfare heading south right outside the hotel. This may not seem like a problem, however due to immense amounts of traffic, I cant easily get a ride down to the nearest train station nor can I easily get a ride back to my hotel. The walk really isn't bad though only about 5 minutes, and I feel as though I am actually acclimating already to the heat. I have been weaning myself off of air-conditioning and it seems to be working, I am sweating less now with longer walks, and the heat doesn’t bother me too much. I have however considered that this hotel room being a bit depressing will force me to want to get out and do more things within the city itself, which is great except everything costs money, and unfortunately I did not come with a small fortune to spend, I am pacing myself well thus far, but it is far too easy to spend money here within Bangkok. It is a city just like every other where nearly every person on the street is trying to make money. 

        An interesting thought peaked my interest the other day, that I am a highlander. No I do not mean that I am immortal or am walking around with a black trench coat, ponytail and sweet katana hidden on my person, rather that every time I see another foreigner it is readily apparent. We all kind to stand out in the crowd, and every time I think to myself this is the type of feeling Duncan would have when walking around in a sea of people and being acutely aware of someone like himself. The other thing I noticed about foreigners at least within Bangkok is that NONE of them smile. It has become a bit of a personal joke to me as I pay close attention to the people I see filling the streets daily, I think the only time I have seen a foreigner smile is when they were playing grab ass with their girlfriend or their escort. The Thai people I have encountered tend not to smile a lot either, for the land of smiles I seem to be missing out on quite a few, there are some genuine moments of happiness where I see a Thai couple walking hand in hand and are satisfied, but everybody seems so caught up in shopping/commercialization storm that is occurring it is interesting and a bit discouraging too. Why exactly I am staying in Bangkok for 2 more weeks is a curiosity. I suppose it is to test myself as I am not yet sure if I can maintain spending small amounts of money, also the fact I booked a room for that long before knowing what I was getting perhaps was a mistake.    

A surprising find... [Entry #4 June 20, 2011]

[Above: Green curry with steamed Jasmine Rice and Mixed Melon Juice 230 Baht!]

Entry #4 June 20, 2011:

        Well today I did some research, I had heard that massages are very cheap here within Thailand, and in fact it seems this is the case. But when I was doing research online it seems that almost all if not all of the massage parlors/shops are all basically fronts for prostitution. This is easily referenced by the fact that they will have 'special' rates for men as well as different types of massages. Honestly though I am not looking for that kind of companionship, I just want a real massage! I still hope to find a respectable place, but for now I am putting it on the end of the list of things to do. It's interesting to walk around the mall and see massage centers, but the thing is I really want is a back massage and all the massage centers that look respectable are like community rooms where there are a bunch of tables all set up in the same room surrounded by glass walls. Its probably my western experiences which are keeping me from trying these massage centers as every massage I have had before has always been in a private room yet there is no questionable feelings about the establishment. After wandering the mall a bit, I decided to go check out a movie, I ended up seeing X-Men First Class, which was actually a decent movie, but what I was most impressed by was the theater itself. The theaters (at MBK) are really huge, excellent accommodations and extremely comfortable seating. In fact they have assigned seats, numbered and by row because there are different levels of accommodations in your seating. In fact if you are on a date you can get a love seat style couch that reclines too! The movie theater at least in this shopping center is well worth the trip and the tickets are exceptionally affordable too. 140 baht = $4.50 with drinks/snacks being around 50 baht = $1.80 each. The experience was exceptional, and will certainly return again, hopefully for a Thai movie next time.
        The other part of my excursion worth mentioning is the visit to the fifth floor international food court also in MBK. Although it looks a bit sterile, (which is actually a little refreshing in Bangkok) the food is excellent! The picture at the beginning of this post shows the kind of work done for beautiful plating and preparation. This meal was absolutely delicious especially since it was per my order, earlier in the day I had made the mistake of ordering the same dish without explaining that I did not want a very spicy dish, the spice was so hot I almost couldn't eat it. So future note to self and others planning on traveling in Thailand, make sure to explain if you want a dish spicy or not. I had been long since used to 'American' style of Thai food which is much sweeter and tamer, buyer beware. However at the food court, I explained I wanted sweeter and not so spicy Green curry and they delivered, the cost of the dishes is a bit above average from local restaurants in Bangkok but it was certainly the best mall food I have ever eaten, didn't know it could be this good! On a little side note, the day before I ate at the local food court down on level 4 by all the electronics, much cheaper (around 50 baht for dish plus 15 baht for drink) but the quality was markedly lower too.

Expenses... [Entry #3 June 18, 2011]

[Above: A Muay Thai Fight at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium]

Entry #3 June 18, 2011:

        Today was a rather busy day, it took me the better part of the entire afternoon to find the shop I was looking for so that I could have my I-phone 'unlocked'. Doing so would mean I could use it within Thailand however in the end all that was accomplished was that I ended up purchasing a new phone to use instead. This whole process left me a little annoyed but more so just feeling regret I spent so much on a phone in the US that I can not really use here to its full effect. After this I had a very pleasant conversation with a survey taker just outside MBS and then rather then taking the skytrain back got convinced to take a Tuk Tuk back to the hotel, on the condition I stop at a shop at which I purchased a custom fitted shirt. This is the first real custom clothing I have ever purchased and hopefully it will be worth while. I figured it was worth the risk because it cost me 1,200 baht, which is approximate to $40. 

        After returning home, and then shortly left for the fights at Lumpinee boxing stadium. To say the least I was a little disappointed by the expense as well as the somewhat lacking accommodations but I was glad to see the fights anyways although they seemed to be a bit overpriced. There are two major Boxing Stadiums in Bangkok, I may attempt to visit both, although I am expecting large expenses at each. After that point I decided it was time to get some food seeing as the heat has been doing a great job of sapping my appetite. Unfortunately not knowing where to get food I ended up getting directions from a stranger whom I then returned the favor by buying food for her, she seemed intent on spending more time with me, but really I was not interested in the least. After which I needed to get a drink, which seems to come attached to female company. Unfortunately the women at the bar were very interested in me and all I could do was bear with their flirtatious behavior while trying to enjoy the live band. One of my first impressions at least within Bangkok is that every person I meet seems to be looking out for their own interests and in some small way attempting to gaining access to my limited funds. I can already tell this quickly I am not suited for Bangkok life, hopefully I will find a city or place better suited. I also started taking some photos today but realize that I need to take more photos.

In the Air... [Entry 2: June 16 2011]

[Above: A sample picture of traffic on the roads of Bangkok]

Entry 2: June 16 2011

  More then likely the hardest part of my journey is already over, I just completed my 15 hour flight from LA to Gangzhou China via South China airways. I have to admit the service was reminiscent of air travel many years ago in that several actually cooked meals were served instead of offering the customers a tray of bagged and dry goods to purchase. I was a little disappointed with the seating size as I am rather tall and could not even put my feet under the chair in front of me because of some technical equipment right in the way. However the travel was rather pleasant considering the number of hours spent in the air I did manage to get some rest. I have one more flight with south China airways to see if their service or room in flight improves at all, but I would rate the airline equivalent to any American airline in that the amenities may counterbalance the small amount of room. What was rather surprising is how uncomfortable the arrangements were yet being able to sleep, typically I have severe difficulty in sleeping on any flight, however I was able to manage several hours but it seems a pillow or some other accessory might be necessary if I will attempt another long flight such as this. Had I given it some further forethought I would have taken a cruise perhaps instead of a flight, the cost difference would have probably been negligible and the amenities and ability to slowly acclimate would have been better.

It was with a shock that the first toilet I attempted to use here in China happened to be a squatting style, however my cooler head prevailed and I searched the rest of the bathroom to find the other stalls were all equipped with western style toilets, although I know this is something I will more then likely have to deal with and grow accustomed too, after a 15 hour flight I did not want to be testing my new WC skills with another flight still to follow. The weather here in China is simply hot and humid, it is raining outside the terminal and the terminals feel as though they are not air conditioned, thus I have already began to sweat and hopefully will have enough water on the trip, the last thing I want is to begin my trip being dehydrated which seems all the more likely as since I left the army my diet has consisted of nearly all soda (pop for you from the west/south). Internet connections are tantalizingly available, however the prompted pages are all in Chinese and my Chinese is far worse then my Thai. But the coffee shop had some interesting combinations for food, I ended up with a kiwi bubble drink, and a ham and cheese sandwich with pickles perhaps? Actually none of it was bad, but I ordered off the menu not knowing the price I am paying because I am not familiar with the currency difference between the dollar and really anything other then the Baht. (Note to self, in the future research currency variation before traveling through foreign lands. I do not believe it was terribly expensive but I will find out soon enough.) There is one more note that I would like to add about this airport which I find significant, at least within the international terminal there are areas set aside for smoking rooms or lounges. This is important for the reason that at least within O'hare airport someone who wants to have a smoke is required to go outside, which means going back through the security lines as well, which is stressful enough. Although I do not smoke, I fervantly believe that if you chose to, the oppurtunity should be afforded to you.

The beginning...[Entry #1: June 15, 2011]

[Above: Probably the most iconic and stylish sneaker ever produced, these are mine.]

Entry #1: Wednesday June 15, 2011:

        This is the beginning of the trip which I hope will help me define exactly who I am to become and shed some clarity on my life's purpose. I am flying out of LAX (Los Angeles International airport) in route to Thailand with a short delay of a layover within China. I am not exactly sure what I will find in my journey, more of the same things I have seen everyday within my own life with just different names and places attached or perhaps find some more significant and worthy goal. It is not that the journey I will set out upon is goal, rather that I have the unique opportunity to travel and work abroad before perhaps settling down and having a family of my own. The following are my hopes and expectations for my journey to come:

• To leave each country, town or home that I visit in some small way better to show a great respect for all of these places.
• To experience new ways of life, new cultures and open my own perspectives to the world that I come into contact with.
• It is my hope that within my own travels to be able to be diligent and take photos at each step as well as continue this log or some additional form of writing.
• I also hope to be able at least within Thailand to better refine my use of the language both written and spoken and not to leave without some greater mastery of the language.
• Wherever I travel to make new friends along the way whom I can learn to rely upon and learn from. Although in anthropology we would call the subjects of our study informants or something of the like, it is my intention to build lasting and hopefully meaningful relationships as yet I have not decided on a path for writing an ethnography but rather to simply travel and document my own experiences.
• Additionally to forward the pictures, and travel logs onto my friends and family or perhaps make my experiences publicly accessible so others can share in the experiences that I am fortunate enough to have.
• Be generous to others and share meaningful and positive experiences.
• Seek to view monuments and important historical grounds as much as naturally beautiful sites.
• Keep record of the hotels, restaurants as well as food and drink that I experience within my travels.
• Perhaps collecting coins for smaller denominations is a possibility (also sending these back home to share in the experience would be a worthy goal as they are easily shipped and stored at home). It is not my goal to become burdened by worldly possessions.
• Work hard in every endeavor, as not only am I a representative for myself but my family and country as well.

        It is my hope that this list will be improved and refined in clear succinct goals as that later I can look back upon the weeks and months to be able to reference my own progress in my travels as well as how my own personality has changed and grown. Not only for my own reflection, but hopefully these logs will be of some interest to the next generation or other travelers and not merely an ego trip.