wanderwandersweatywonder
After living in Asia… you trust nobody but you believe everything… if every trip worth taking is both a tragedy and a comedy, rich with melodrama and farce, it is also, at its heart, a love story. The romance with the foreign must certainly be leavened with a spirit of keen and unillusioned realism; but it must also be observed with a measure of faith” (“Video Night in Kathmandu” 1988 Pico Iyer 23).
I’m still here! Pouring sweat onto the streets of Bangkok along with 9 million other people, the Thai, the hippy backpackers, the smug sexpats, lots of TOEFL degree holders.
“You look so young and innocent now but you won’t when you leave Thailand.” Yesterday evening I walked out of Suk 11 hostel and down the alley to be greated by Sarah, an older Brit perched on her usual stool at her usual outdoor bar. After “where you from/how long are you here?” she sent me on my way with a prophecy that I would soon move from innocence to knowledge here in Southeast Asia (Blake, anyone?).
Thailand might eventually relieve my wide-eyed wonder at everyday things – not yet though: Wow! What’s through here? This baby was drinking a 40 on Khao San Road (really)! That’s a Big Buddha! As Iyer says, “wide eyes are, if nothing else, quite open” (28).
The next day John and I scored a pretty table at Cabbages and Condoms, a restaurant that donates all profits to the local health clinic for prostitutes. I didn’t see any cabbages and, looking around, everyone else had a boring normal table. The food was the best I’ve had in Thailand until I found these items at a local store – delicious soy fruit and dragon milk. Street food deserves it’s own post so I’ll hold off on that for now.
The first test of maintained innocence occured on my way over to Khao San in a taxi when, after chatting about his 22 year old daughter, the driver leaned his seat back and asked to kiss me… NO! (Whew, stilllll innocent.) No more chatting with taxi drivers – the driver on the way back redeemed them all by giving me some gum and extra change. Best transport prize goes to this driver who wove through rush hour to get me all the way across town where I said hi to the Big Buddha. Speaking of Buddha… mmmm, time for more street food…
Tags: ประเทดไทย, Bangkok, Laos, Thailand
Greta
I didn’t know soy had fruit, and certainly wouldn’t have guessed it looked like that- but there’s cultural narrowness for you…….um, did you peel it (and if so how)? And certainly didn’t know they not only milk dragons there, but bottle it.
Love the big Buddha. Is that the beautiful baby’s mom, or sister, or…… Thanks for the pix of your own self. Awaiting the medication ingestion one…….
Love,
mamad
You made it!!!! Cool pictures..I have been reading your blog religiously from 28 Brookes..It’s been sunny and warm here, and finals are almost over…Meaning a one month break starting tomorrow afternoon:) I guess we will be getting a new roommate in a couple of weeks so I will keep you posted on how that goes..The elliptical was too big to fit in the house so now it’s in the garage..doesn’t make for the best workout! haha..no other house news here except the plants are all alive and well..speaking of which I will go water them now…yes, with 2/3 a bottle of luke warm water and I will spray down all the leaves…:)
MISS YOU!
skelly