YOUTUBE IS BACK!!!

OH! MY! GOD! Youtube is back in Thailand! It was banned here for so many months because of some video that did not please ANYBODY here... (and I'm not supposed to talk about it AT ALL).

Anyway, to welcome back Youtube to the Land of the Free, I'm posting a video by hottie Jay Brannan, who appeared in the uber risky movie, Shortbus. He has just an amazing, amazing voice. I want him to be the father of my kids actually and we can sing the soundtrack of The Sound of Music with our seven children for infinity.

The Charm of Vientiane

After two days in Nong Khai, the participants of the conference crossed to Vientiane, the capital of the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic – the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia and home to only 6 million people.

It is one of the bastions of French colonization in Southeast Asia until it was granted freedom in 1945. The country was also involved in the Vietnam war, destroying vital infrastructure in the process. In 1975, the communist Pathet Lao, backed by the Soviet Union and the North Vietnamese Army, took control of the country from the royalist government.

Until now, Lao still has a socialist regime although it has begun opening up to trade since the 1980s, paving the way for the country's recovery, although a slow one at that.

The capital Vientiane (population 200,000) rests near the bank of the Mekong, an easy crossing from Nong Khai through the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, which opened in the 1990s. When the bus was on the bridge I noticed how the Thai side was lined with Thai flags and in the middle of the bridge the line of flags stop, replaced by flags of Lao PDR.

(Click on the images for a larger version.)


Upon entering Lao, I soon realized that cars stay on the right side of the road, much like in the Philippines.

Our first stop was the Lao National Library, or Bibliotheque Nationale, which occupies an old colonial building in the middle of the town.

I swear, the building, although very charming indeed, was going to collapse anytime. We were taken to some of the rooms where they were restoring frayed books, in French, but the tour guide spoke only Thai so I wandered around the rooms of the library instead.



We also stopped over at the National Film Archives, a section of the trip that was rather uneventful.

After lunch we went to the National Museum, also housed in a massive colonial building with wood floors on the second level. The mounting of the artefacts were very rudimentary, which does not give justice at all to the historical value of the things on display.

I was horrified to see some of the participants of the trip taking pictures of the artefacts. This speaks a lot about the lax security of the facility.

We rushed next to the Wat Phra Koe, an amazing example of traditional Lao architecture. In contrast to Thai wats (temples), the roof of Lao wats are closer to the ground, thus giving the temple roofs an elegant swoop.

Thai wats are also laden with intricate details made of glass and gold leaf, but the Lao temple had the designs carved on the stone walls, giving it a more aged look. [I have to thank my officemate R for imparting to me all these details.]

Surrounding the temple are numerous Buddha statues in various poses.


Vientiane had more interesting landmarks but we only got to drive around them rather than actually make a stop coz we did not have much time. It was fascinating how the signs in the city are translated from Lao to both French and English. The street signs even read as Rue So-and-So.

I noticed also that Vientiane is populated with numerous and valuable colonial buildings, which sadly are being neglected and pretty much allowed to crumble to the ground.

The government however is bent on preserving the look of the city as buildings taller than seven floors are not allowed. Definitely, at least in this respect, they are going to the right direction.

In the afternoon it was time to cross back to Thailand. The bus I took for Bangkok was a so-called VIP bus, their seats can even give you a massage.

More pictures here.

Biking Around Nong Khai

I was in Nong Khai for a couple of nights to attend this conference on visual heritage. The sad part of attending the meeting though is that it was conducted in Thai, which makes my participation there practically useless. So I had every excuse to leave the meeting and wander around the city.

Nong Khai is located on the upper tip of Northeast Thailand (or the Isan Region as most Thais call it). Last Saturday evening, I had to take a 10-hour bus ride from Bangkok alone coz three of my colleagues have left earlier in the morning. The ride was pretty comfortable, the bus even provided cookies, water, and a tiny blanket (na wala sa Cebu Pacific!). Traveling in the evening though was not a good chance to see the scenery. Instead I only had glimpses of sleeping towns along the wide highway.

Upon arrival early the next day, I immediately explored the town with my Thailand Lonely Planet in my hand. I rented a bicycle, which proved to be scary coz I’ve never been on one for years. Worse, driving in Thailand means that I have to stay on the left side of the road, a thing that I’m not used to. A number of times I found my self going to right side, nearly colliding with rushing cars and motorbikes.

Swerving constantly on my rented blue bike, I followed the Lonely Planet suggestions about the must-sees in Nong Khai. First, I visited a couple of temples. The first one had a magnificent mural of the life of the Buddha. Other than that, the temple was an overwhelming and blinding display of gold stuff, I nearly wore my sunglasses inside had it not been considered disrespectful. From there, I proceeded to the highway under the blazing heat of the sun. With just me and the bicycle, my hands were shaking at the thought of being flattened by a huge bus or truck. After asking directions from several people who could hardly speak English, I found my next temple. The place was covered from the highway by huge trees so it was eerily silent in the compound. I wandered a bit and found a temple (influenced by Lao architectural style) and a stupa.

(Click on the pictures for the larger version.)


A couple of kilometres down the highway (and with the sun burning my skin) I found the Wat Sala Kaew Goo. The park is an amalgamation of towering sculptures of Hindu and Buddhist gods and whatnot. Actually I was crushed by the kitsch of the place I had to leave immediately.



I went back to the town centre where I found my self at the river side... and I was looking at the historical Mekong. The river is shared by Cambodia, Myanmar, Lao, Thailand, and Vietnam and has played a colossal role in shaping the history of these countries. Just across the river is Lao People’s Democratic Republic (where we crossed a couple of days later). The river was muddy and the water was high as it is the rainy season. On the dry season I was told that the river banks would become a “beach” for the locals. But that day I only saw a few people having lunch at the river walk and some monks staring at the river.


Nong Khai was pretty manageable to go around in. I was finished visiting the interesting places in four hours. The next day I stayed in the hotel, watching BBC and Fashion TV.

That evening the conference was treated to local performances by schoolchildren.


The fellowship night ended rather early so we went to river side again and found a tall stupa where we took pictures. It is actually just a replica of a stupa submerged in the middle of the Mekong, which is found nearby. Driving back to the hotel we stopped by this roadside cafe that had low tables surrounded by mats. It was very local way of a roadside eatery, I was told, as opposed to the eateries in most Thai cities that provide chairs.


More pictures here.

Fashion Forward

After my charitable work at the NAIA when I left Manila, I was downgraded to a just a few clothes that would last me only a couple of weeks. So after three weeks, I found the urgent need to shop for some cheap clothes. I visited the famous Chatuchak market, the largest weekend market in the world, and was full of delight to see my beloved ukay-ukay sold near one of the market’s gates. Aba, sinundan ako ng ukay-ukay even in Bangkok! I swear I never felt more at home than in the presence of those musty second-hand clothes.

But then, it was not ukay-ukay that I was there for, right? I wanted to check the Thailand-made goods, or at least the ones I can afford. I eventually ended up with two flimsy draw-string Bermuda-shorts (which are the most comfortable things ever) and two shirts. The shorts cost me 100 baht each (around 140 pesos each) and the shirts were 80 baht (113 pesos). Within the next three hours, I allowed my self to get lost in the maze-like stalls of Chatuchak. Suffice to say, the place is one enormous shopping paradise.

... which can be said about the rest of Bangkok too.

I previously touched on the amazing posh malls in the more opulent areas of the city where the tourists shop. Those are famous international brands that would require me to sell my body just so I can buy a piece of scarf or a pair of socks.

But of course I don’t need to do that because Bangkok has endless choices for the thrifty shopper like me. Let me begin by saying that, second to food, clothes are sold on virtually every pavement of the city, which makes the items dirt cheap. So far though, I have avoided the street shops coz they don’t sell men’s clothes anyway. Or even if they do, they mostly sell the more touristy clothes (so hippy).

Popular among the regular Bangkok folks, from what I gathered, is the Prathunam area (one bus ride from the office), although quite a large number of tourists are also present there (like they’re all over Bangkok anyway). MBK is also popular, but from what I’ve seen the place is also tremendously touristy.

Let me talk about haggling. Because of the preponderance of haggling in Bangkok (at least maybe before), shopkeepers here are mostly obstinate about their price, making haggling a totally excruciating experience so I don’t bother with that at all. But you can always bring down the price lower if you buy wholesale, which to the terms of the shopkeepers is at least three items. Of course that can be a bit of a dilemma coz a particular shop usually has a homogeneous style, therefore you’d mostly end up with one style of different colours. While I’m not really into that thing, I was forced to buy three long sleeve shirts (for the office) of varying colours at the cost of 180 baht per piece or that’s about 250 pesos. Not bad na noh?

By the way, for thin people (ehem, like moi), shopping in Bangkok is a dream. This is most true for slim men who would rather wear tapered clothes, which is exactly my preference. Thais being mostly skinny (nah, make that rail thin), small sizes are all over the bloody markets.

Which should bring me to style now. Whoever those backyard clothes producers are, they obviously do a lot of research about the latest style, which gives me the impression that Bangkok fashion is very diverse and quite up to date. You might as well be walking inside Mango or Zara, I swear. I hardly saw counterfeit clothes anymore (but fake bags are overflowing). The clothes sold on the street have their own obscure labels.

The current style of clothing among women here is the loose kind. Oversized shirts and blouses in cobalt blue and black and white stripes are all the rage. Under the shirts are super skinny jeans or absolutely short denim shorts. I also see lots of oversize dresses accessorized with big bows on the chest or thick belts cinching their already tiny waists. Bell sleeves and enormous collars are also all over the place. Ballet slippers are very common, as well as thick-soled high heels (are they called platform shoes?).

All in all, I find the style here as pretty fashion forward. On my first week here, I stopped looking at men altogether. Oh that was my lesbian phase. I was focused on the mostly tall, skinny girls strutting in the malls or just about anywhere. Even the shopkeepers here are excellent mannequins for the clothes they sell.

I’m very impressed. The fashion and shopping scenes are very risky although homogeneous at times, which makes this facet of the city very exciting and worth closely observing.

Photo Credit: Tour by Me

The Neon Lights of Pattaya

Pattaya is world renowned as a prime destination for its legendary go-go bars and cabaret shows performed by kathoeys (as they call transsexuals in Thailand). Pattaya is trying hard to change its image as a sex paradise to a resort town, which might explain why our board meeting was held there last weekend.

A bit of history I caught in some brochure: the city’s white sand beaches, facing the mesmerizing emerald waters of the Gulf of Thailand, attracted American G.I.s during the Vietnam War who spent their precious R&R in the area. As in the case of Angeles City in the Philippines, prostitution tends to thrive in these types of places, which is no different from the case of Pattaya. Because of its proximity to Bangkok, Pattaya eventually gained a good reputation less for being a resort town and more of a place where one’s sexual fantasies can run wild.

On our first night, after the board meeting, we watched the Alcazar drag show. Hordes of tourists – mostly Koreans, Chinese, and Westerners – were waiting outside the venue, which looks like a large theatre. On that Friday evening, Alcazar had three shows (one hour each show), and judging by the overflowing crowd, it would be an understatement to call the show popular. We soon found ourselves inside the large theatre packed with tourists ready to watch the world-renowned show.

For the next hour we were treated to a dizzying parade of transsexuals donning feathers, overflowing cleavages, and towering legs. They were endlessly lip-synching to a good mix of of Korean, Thai, English, Indian, and Chinese songs, which speaks of the variety of their repertoire. I did not expect that though coz I thought it would be Western musicals galore and some Madonna and Mariah in drag. I was quite disappointed. Hehehehe. I think performing three times a night can take a toll on these “girls”. Some backup dancers looked bored under their feather headdresses.

The lavish sets were astounding though. As in haler, seryoso ang mga lola ko. Theatre kung theatre (how British ang spelling) ang drama! There were even moving ramps, dancers popping out from the floor, Chinese fighters flying in the air (a la Crouching Tiger), video walls, and huge copies of Italian sculptures.

My absolute favourite was the Dreamgirls part. I had an actual orgasm in the freaking theatre. Divine!!!

The next evening we were taken to one of the more popular streets in Pattaya where seafood restaurants sit side by side with go-go bars. It was a dizzying place full of girls standing outside the neon-lit bars advertising their shows inside. Until now I’m not sure how to make sense of the place really. The girls are sold like merchandise. It was sleaze central, a Disneyland for sex. I’m not sure how a city can cope with such a not so ideal image. Besides, Pattaya is a nightmare for its unregulated tourism. Like hotels are practically scrambling over every decent space in the area. Think Puerto Galera and multiply that a thousand times. Horrendous!

Space and Dance

So many things to write about and pictures to post, so let’s start, shall we?

Thursday evening was the opening of our office’s performance festival that presented dancers from Hong Kong, Cambodia, Japan, Myanmar, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Thailand. As the program says, the event gathered some of the best regional performing artists in heritage houses in Bangkok.

I was only able to catch the opening night though coz we left for Pattaya the next day. Last Thursday’s venue was an old complex of teak houses in the middle the Bangkok urban jungle, it was practically under the shadow of skyscrapers.

The houses were composed of bits and parts of old houses that the owner collected from central Thailand and transplanted them right in the middle of city. The compound was owned by a former member of the Thai parliament and was a prolific artist and writer.

Opening the performances was one of my Burmese colleagues who showed his adept puppetry skills. He did this in a small pavilion on the edge of the large lawn.

Afterwards, the audience moved to the centre of the lawn, damp after a heavy downpour, to watch the “monkey dance” of a Cambodian performer.

And then the audience had to transfer to a small performance space done in traditional Thai architecture, with large khon (traditional Thai theatre) masks in the backdrop. Here, one can see a dynamic interplay of heritage space and contemporary dance.

The performances were very experimental and personal, almost verging on the theatrical.

For instance, the Thai dancer dropped pieces of paper from his hand and he watched how the paper fell slowly to the floor. When it landed, he gracefully followed the trajectory of the paper with his hand as he rattled about the flow of energy in his body. It was almost trance-like and meditative.

The Indonesian duo on the other hand, danced to odd sounds ingeniously recorded from things we hear everyday – horns honking, pans crashing, water flowing from the faucet, gunfire, people having sex, a train running along the tracks, etc. The energetic piece is both fascinating and bewildering, which can also be said about the other performances.

A Filipina dancer was in the line up for the next day but I did not see her dance anymore.

And the pictures of course...

Live Show

My bedroom, located on the sixth floor, has a considerable good view of the neighborhood. In particular, it looks over a number of tourist inns or guesthouses. The exciting opportunities from my vantage point was proved yesterday when I saw an actual couple having sex on the rooftop of the guesthouse beside my building. It was 8 a.m., I was preparing for work, when from my peripheral vision I saw bodies intertwined in pleasure. The man was a foreigner (white) and the girl was a local. They provided themselves a mat to lie on and a rather flimsy and small blanket as cover. But the blanket keeps on slipping coz they were pretty much going through the entire Kama Sutra under the morning sun.

I couldn't help but watch of course. Like how many times does one see a live sex show for free? I had to close my curtains though, save for a small gap. But the fun of being voyeur wore off in no time. Besides, I want to leave them whatever privacy was left from their very public exhibition (they're lucky because our building is the only tall structure in the vicinity).

Sex shows aside, I got a bit lonely yesterday. I realized I miss the company of really close friends, especially my sister and girl friends. Since coming, I mostly go out with officemates who have been the nicest persons around. It does not help however that it's an effort for them to speak English. More importantly, there's obviously a huge difference between them and close friends. I just miss the intimacy that takes place when having long talks with the latter. And I'm quite surprised of this loneliness coz I'm fundamentally a loner.

Anyhoot, these feelings go with the gamble. I want to give my self more time na lang.

Going off to Pattaya tomorrow morning for a meeting. First time out of Bangkok. Will post pictures of course.

Bangkok Holiday

I took another ride along the Chao Phraya River late Sunday afternoon, surprised that the boat was extra crowded because of the mothers’ day celebrations. I alighted at the pier closest to the Grand Palace and Sanam Luang. The latter is a huge field, almost like the Luneta in Manila sans monuments, where most rallies are held. Throngs of families and tourists alike crowded the surrounding area, but at the centre of it was a ceremony commemorating the Queen’s birthday. So it was a mix of government officials, military men (oh so gorgeous!), and civil servants wearing the requisite yellow shirt to honour the royal family. I caught a parade of students and government workers just outside the palace walls. After which, I took a long walk around the walls of the Grand Palace, realizing that they were making repairs on the roof of some of the structures, so it was not really a good time to visit the place after all.

Darkness quickly set in and I found the surrounding wide avenues (packed with cars, motorbikes, and the ubiquitous tuktuks) blazing in yellow lights, which reminded me of Christmas in the Philippines. I followed the lights towards the monument that commemorates Thailand’s transition from monarchy to democracy in 1937 (I hope I got this right).

Allowing my self to get lost in the crowd, I eventually ended up in front of the Bangkok City Hall, where, to my delight, I found the Giant Swing, used for some traditional ceremonies decades ago. This was supposedly last used at the onset of the Second World War but what remains of it is the red, towering frame.

Between the Giant Swing and the City Hall was a Khon performance, a traditional theatre presentation, composed mostly of dancing and miming, that recounts Thailand’s version of the Ramayana. Most actors wear masks (especially the giants and the monkeys) and the story is narrated off-stage, complemented by melodious live traditional music. I found the actors at the back of the stage (also open to the public) where I snapped photographs of their lavish costumes and intricately-made masks. I was totally drawn by the costumes. They were embroidered with gold-coloured threads, folded and layered in such a way that they remind me of Dior couture gowns. Add to this the ornate masks, glittering bracelets and necklaces, and headdresses inlaid with small glass discs. OMG, calling John Galliano!!!

In the centre of the picture below is the character who plays Hannuman, the monkey king. Isn’t he fierce? I was enormously in love with him. Unfortunately such lovely face would be covered behind a mask when he steps onstage.

I lingered a bit around the backstage area and took pictures of the actresses who were also doing last-minute rehearsals of their elegant dance routine. A little bit later Rama, the protagonist of the story, came down from the stage, hence our picture together. Guess who needs some foundation?

P.S. My PC is set at the required UK English right now, thus explaining the British spelling. No, I’m not just being snobbish (said in a British accent and a stiff upper lip).

A Temple by the Chao Phraya and the Dusit Palace Grounds

I again took a long walk around our vicinity, mainly the Dusit Palace grounds. But before going to the palace grounds, I passed by a temple complex about a couple of blocks from my building. It sits along the bank of the Chao Phraya River and is obviously quite old compared to the other temples I've visited lately. There I found these lion-looking things that surround a stupa - a dome-shaped monument used to house Buddhist relics or to commemorate significant facts of Buddhism. Venturing farther to the riverside, I saw these long boats (the purpose of which I have yet to find out) bobbing in the water.



A block away is the Dusit Palace complex, which is composed of the Vimanmek Mansion and the Royal Residential Halls. The Vimanmek Masion, built in 1900, is touted as the world's largest golden teakwood mansion, with an elaborate architectural style of Western influence. I stayed outside the mansion coz going in means paying a hefty 100 baht (150 pesos). I'd go back there when I have more money though. However, wandering around the complex, I found my self going inside the mansion grounds where I took photos of these houses on stilts (photo below). Apparently this was off limits to visitors; I had to be escorted out by a guard, much to my embarrassment. I believe I did not see the sign saying it was off limits, especially if it was written in Thai.


Walking farther, I passed by the Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall (photo below), which was completed in 1903. The building features floral designs, colored glass, and stucco motifs. It had been restored as an exhibition hall, displaying arts and crafts, which I did not see coz I could not buy the bleeding ticket.


The highlight of my excursion was entering the Ananda Samakhon Throne Hall, which I posted about previously (and as I stated in that post, it was indeed used as the house of parliament but not at present anymore). I only got a picture of its exterior (the rear side this time) coz doing so is not allowed after one enters the gate. King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) commissioned the construction of the building, using Italian Renaissance and Neo Classical styles. The exterior is decorated with marble from Carrara, Italy. It was completed in 1915.

Visitors who enter the building (ticket is only 50 baht) are required to remove their shoes. I also had to leave my camera and cellphone, and take off my cap. Since I was wearing my tattered jeans with holes in the knees, I was asked to wear a sarong, which is only required from women. Anyway, the sarong was purple so I did not mind.

The building totally struck me with its marble walls and wall reliefs gilded with gold. The high ceilings direct one's eyes to several domes that depict the legacies of the kings of the Chakri Dynasty (the current dynasty). The interior pretty much transported me to some Italian castle or something because the Thai touches are kept to the ceilings, but the general style is mainly Western. The building's enthralling details can actually cause neck pains.

Top of Bangkok: Baiyoke Sky Hotel

I just came back from spending a night with two wonderful Thai friends, T and B, who I met in my previous job in Manila. They were attending a training for Southeast Asian teachers in the said office and I had the chance to chat with them. Upon informing them that I was coming to Bangkok, they said that I should contact when them I arrive so they can show me around the city. So just a few hours ago, they treated me to a view of the tallest building in Bangkok (about 84 floors or thereabout), and the 28th in the world. First we had dinner in one of the many restaurants in the building and then we climbed to the top where we had a majestic view of the Bangkok skyline (and beyond) on a revolving viewing deck.

It was a refreshing sight to behold. I was particularly awed at the numerous tall buildings dotting the Silom and Sukhumvit areas, supposedly the Wall Street of Bangkok. Snaking around the city were the SkyTrain lines as well as the wide skyways packed with cars. It was nice to find however that despite the urban sprawl, Bangkok has countless parks and tree-lined avenues.

I was also surprised that I can already find my way around the more familiar landmarks of the city.

To T and B, korp kun krap for the amazing, amazing evening.

Of course, here are the customary pictures:

I Wander

After work, I again took a long walk around my building's area. I simply allowed my feet to lead me wherever it fancies, going through the old district primarily. I walked for about three hours, but I could not rest until I post these pictures tonight.

I hope you like them.

The tall Buddha statue a few blocks from my house. The spire at the top of its head can actually be seen from my room, especially in the evening when it lights up ala Las Vegas. Notice the detail of its enormous feet, laden with gold leaf.

Details of the temple surrounding the tall Buddha. The bowls and the coins supposedly go together. I saw this done during one of the seasons of The Amazing Race, wherein contestants place the coins in the bowls so their wishes could be granted.

Pra Sumen Fort, one of the few remaining forts that used to protect the area where the Grand Palace is (pretty much a stone's throw away from Khao San Road too). Situated along the banks of the Chao Phraya River, surrounding the fort is a nice park where people do aerobics, play sepak takraw, or just wait for the sun to set.

This is one of the arcs that lead towards the House of the Parliament (I hope I'm not wrong about naming that building). Notice the intricate details. Also note the beautiful lights lining the avenue, reminds me of Christmas in Manila. Those are in preparation for the birthday of the queen, which is also Thailand's Mother's Day. This falls on this coming Monday so it is an official holiday as well.

The Anantasamakhom Throne Hall (the same building that I called as the House of Parliament above). In front of this building is the Rama VI statue, where I found people chanting and lighting incense at its foot. This building (if I remember it right) was commissioned by the King through an Italian architect, hence the more Western appearance of the building. No wonder the face of Medussa (is it?) is found on its gate. So Versace, don't you think? The building is closed to the public. However, I heard that it might be open on certain holidays, so I hope it would be open this Monday.

Talk to Me, Krap

Before I left Manila I was dead sure that the biggest hurdle for me in Bangkok would be the language. True enough, a fusion of body language, miming, and pseudo sign language has been more useful than attempting to engage anyone in any basic conversation. It does not help as well that the Thais have their own script. Most street signs and the Skytrain have small English translations at least. But the rest of the time, well, it’s as good as reading hieroglyphics for me. I was in a Seven-Eleven once and I had to ask the cashier if it was shampoo or body wash I picked up from the shelves.

I don’t want to make a joke of the English skills of Thais, who I can see are trying their best to communicate with me, but apparently there are just English sounds that do not exist in their language, which result to unusual sounds coming out from their mouths instead. “Fish” would sound like “fitch”, or “east” would come out as “eats”’ or “ice” would be reduced to “i”. You can also totally forget about sentence construction. A vendor from across my office when I ask her if she is selling soy milk would reply “no have” (soy milk is not available); and if I ask for additional sugar for my coffee I would be replied with “can” (meaning “you CAN add some sugar of course, you bastard”).

I was in a bus at the height of rush hour last week. To make sure that I got on the right bus, I asked the conductor if I was on bus sixteen. “Sikteen?” she asked. I nodded my head several times, which she returned with more nods and a sweet smile. Not taking my chances, I asked the lady across the aisle if I was on bus sixteen, even drawing the figures one and six in the air between us. “Ah, sikteen?” she confirmed. I replied “chai” (yes). I received several nods again and of course the perfunctory smile. So I settled in my seat until I realized several minutes later that I was in fact on bus 163.

My officemates advised me that I should try talking to students instead coz most of the time they can speak better English. My experience however says that while students can comprehend English with ease, they still don’t have the confidence to speak English. They are still limited to one-word replies or a fragment at best. I was also surprised when even people behind the McDonald’s counter in Khao San Road – probably where there is highest concentration of tourists in Bangkok – can hardly speak English.

When my officemates prattle in rapid Thai during lunch break, I’m left staring at the contents of the condiments rack or swirling my bowl of noodles with chopsticks. It’s like being alone in the midst all the noise. I feel excluded from this secret language.

Thai, for the foreigner, is a very difficult language to learn. It’s extremely tonal. I know “mai” can mean a host of things based on whether the tone is rising, falling, or neutral. The term “kai” can either mean chicken or egg, depending on how you pronounce the “k”. It couldn’t be more tricky than that. Their word for “I” and “you” comes in different forms. You use the appropriate one when talking to a superior, an acquaintance, or a friend.

An officemate had been kind enough to give me Thai lessons 30 minutes after work every day. So far we have covered how to order food, shop, and take the cab. Yesterday I was introduced to numbers.

I know two Singaporean colleagues who can have a decent conversation with the locals. I am totally green with envy. But that can only mean that learning Thai is definitely possible. But I would not attempt to decipher the script yet; it’s just too complicated at this point.

So far I’ve managed to learn a few key phrases such as “hello” (sawadee krap), thank you (korp khun krap), “not spicy” (mai peht krap), and “how much” (thao rai krap). [Notice how each sentence ends with “krap”? This is a form of “I” that would denote you are being polite to the person you are talking to.] I’m not sure how I sound when uttering these phrases but I’m afraid I sound very strange to the Thais.

Forever Lost

Work ends very early here apparently. We come in at 8.30am, have lunch at 12nn until [insert time here, whenever you feel coming back in], and we leave at 4:30pm. So in the afternoon I always have a few hours to spare going around Bangkok before darkness sets in. Yesterday I took a water taxi (13 baht, or around 20 pesos) to the pier nearest the Silom area. The boat ride took about 30 minutes or so and it was an excellent chance to see the Chao Phraya River and its environs up close. I can tell that the water taxis are frequently used by the residents here as the boats are always full, either going upstream or downstream. Add to this the tourists who want to see the river scene of Bangkok.

Found in the route were barges, bridges, markets and pubs cantilevered on the murky water, more piers, canal exits, and some smaller boats that have shorter routes. The roof of a number of wats (temples) and the spires of the Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) are only some of the more majestic sites along the river, together with towering hotels. My eyes grew large at the sight of two folks using jet skis. Either it’s for fun or as a mode of transport for them (I doubt), it was still beyond my imagination that people would risk contracting some skin disease or something from the river water. In fairness to whoever maintains the Chao Phraya, it is relatively clean, meaning no floating garbage or nasty stink.

After getting off from my destined pier, I hopped on the BTS (skytrain) to reach Silom Road, where Pat Pong is located. The map that I bought indicated in red letters that the Silom area is VERY LIFELY AT NIGHT. Pat Pong is Bangkok’s famous red light district of course, a place that I’ve long been curious about after hearing stories about the supposed hedonism going on in the area. Instead, what I saw were rows and rows of counterfeit goods and souvenirs in the already crammed alley. Squeezed on the fringes were the bars, inside which I had a glimpse of skinny girls with bleached hair, dancing in glow in the dark bikinis. I wonder if those bikinis are sold somewhere. I would love to get one.

On the way back to my building, I hopped on the wrong bus and had to take an expensive cab ride instead. I’m getting lost so often here, I’m starting to doubt my intelligence.

Just before sunset today, I walked to the nearby Wat Benchamabophit (Emerald Temple). It was a very relaxing visit as the chant of the monks reverberated within the temples marble walls. From the temple side, one can cross the small pink footbridges towards the monk’s quarters and a neat garden. The pictures can say what the place is all about.

Wandering home, I got lost again. This is becoming one episode of getting lost after another, no?

Mai Phet

The vendor opened the small icebox that rested on the side of her cart. “Chiki, squit, pohk?”

I answered, “Chicken please.”

“Ok, ok.” She pointed me to a table on the side of the street where I settled for my breakfast today.

“Oh, mai phet,” I quickly add.

“Yes, yes,” she replied with a wide smile and nodding her head several times.

The vendor scooped a cup of rice into a small bowl. She then proceeded to a huge wok where she dropped chicken bits, sprinkled a few herbs and vegetables I don’t recognize, and splashed three kinds of sauces. The spicy aroma of the dish drifted in the morning air. A few minutes later the chicken rice toppings arrived on my table. On my first bite I instantly realized that saying mai phet did not work this time. My officemates taught me mai phet, which means that you want your food not spicy (mai=not, phet=spicy). For me it is the most important Thai phrase I have yet to learn otherwise I’d be forever sticking to McDonalds while in Bangkok. I did not finish the entire plate as my mouth was already burning, which I expressed to the vendor when I stood up. From her hand gestures, she told me that she only placed a very little amount of chilli in my food. Of course she did, I thought, while I rushed to the nearby Seven-Eleven for some soy milk.

Spiciness aside, Thai food had been an amazing treat. I’m not quite sure what sauces and herbs they put into it but the blending of the spicy, sweet, sour, and salty flavors – always present in any dish – is just mind boggling to me. I would not even dare describe here how one dish tastes because I simply don’t know where to start.

And please remember that I don’t even like food at all, right? Like I’m not supposed to be mushing over obesity-inducing things!!! But since coming to Bangkok I always think about what dish to try next even right after I just had a meal. It’s not even only about food, there’s also a variety of drinks, from fruit juices to milk shakes and who knows what else that are just always tempting.

All right, talking about tempting food, it does not help that food hawkers are on every bloody alley, street, avenue, and corner of this city. It just couldn’t be helped if I’m reminded about food all the time. I first thought that the preponderance of food stalls is unique to our office’s area where there are a number of universities, colleges, civil offices, and a market. But walking around the city so far, I see all these hawkers like EVERYWHERE. Even when I came down from sky train station a couple of nights ago, a cart selling grilled squit (ay squid) was right at the bottom of the stairs, with the perfunctory sweet smile from the vendor.

I couldn’t help but wonder, do people here bother to cook at home? With the numerous food stalls crowding every space of the pavement, and I can tell that they’re pretty popular coz the tables are always overflowing, I suppose a Bangkok resident would rather eat outside, no? With such variety and affordable prices, why not?

Last night, I had my first try of McDonald’s at Khao San Road (the popular backpacker area just twenty minutes by foot from my office). I felt that I just need some respite from the usual street food after always eating from the hawkers so far. Still I had some midnight snack outside my building at a food stall perched on the back of a pick-up truck. Maybe I shouldn’t call it a snack because I had a large bowl of pohk and squit noodles, Chai tea, and lemon juice just before going the bed. [The good thing about food stalls in Bangkok, by the way, is that they’re open until way past midnight.]

So with all the eating that I’ve been doing so far, I’m totally worried about its implications on my weight. However, since most Thais eat as much as I do (hopefully), they are still mostly skinny. In fact, I have yet to see a really fat person around. The girls here are especially skinny. Oh! My! God! I love Thai girls... I’m afraid I’m becoming a lesbian. But more on that later.