Yes, I'm in Bangkok, AGAIN.

It's been a nice quiet few days though. With Ant leaving, things got hectic to make sure he had everything I wanted to send back, and then some. Poor guy will kill me to know that the day after he left, DHL began a special to ship 10 kilos to the States for less than $95. If I just hung on to my stuff he'd have a much less sore back....

Anyway, after he left I was sad and quiet for a while, but also renewed because I had a greater travel challenge again. I had no one to nag me about drinking water. If I dehydrate, there's no one to mix me a horrid mixture of 6 teaspoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. I also have to keep my own books, which is going to pain me. I hate writing down everytime I buy a water or hop on the Skytrain. I have to be super independent again. Rock on.

To assert my new independence, I decided to go do a chore I had been dreading, changing my flights. After Ant's ordeals in India to change his flights, I figured there were going to be consultations (calling of main offices to check "info"), fees, and fare increases because I was moving my flight back to almost 1 year from when the ticket was issued, June 25.

I walked into China Airlines with a knot in my stomach and my credit card in my pocket. A very well spoken woman offered me a seat and asked what I needed. I explained I had a flight for May 4th, but could I move it back?

"How much do you want to push it back?" she replied.

"Errr... as much as I can?"

"Well, the ticket was issued on June 25, 2003. Does June 23, 2004 work? That way if something goes wrong, you have a 2 day buffer."

Wow, this woman is on the ball. She checks the availability and I wait for the scary fare change (from a May ticket to a June, which is usually more expensive) but when she saw my disbelief she used the term you hear all over Asia, "same same." I wanted to kiss her. Now I only had to worry about a change fee from United Airlines and those pesky buggers LOVE to charge you for picking your nose onboard. After conferring with her manager the woman told me because I am changing my flight through China Airlines, there was no fee for the United flight either!!!

My day was made. Within 15 minutes I was in possession of a June 23, 2004 ticket from Bangkok to Portland, Oregon. Woo-hoo!!

My second chore of the day was to drop off the last of my slide film. I have converted to the digital devil and my new camera arrives tonight with my sister, Vanessa. When I got the film back a few hours later, I doubted my choice because some of my Chiang Mai photos are outstanding. I can't imagine the colors I got out of Kodak Ektachrome 100VS film being duplicated by digital, but we shall see. I'll definately need to acquire a polarizer though, because it does wonders on the Thai clouds. They look like massive cottonballs. I'm nervous yet excited to see how my new camera does.

My third goal for the day was to find a pirated "Return of the King" DVD for my brother. No such luck. None of the vendors seemed to want to trust me because I'm sure they all had it. Ahh well.

With so much accomplished yesterday, I decided to attempt a "tourist" day. I dropped by the Jim Thompson House on Ant's recommendation. It was so freakin' cool and I should have waited for Vanessa. It's the epitome of what I think of when I think of traditional Thai art; teak wood, sensual statues, subtle architecture. They have ponds with huge fish and manta rays mixed into a small little jungle-like garden. You really do forget that crazy Bangkok is right outside the gates!

My plan for the rest of the day is to lounge around, find something to read, and get some street food, such as things on sticks and yummy buns/ dumplings. Mmmmmmmmm.........