The Joys of “Disappointment”
Monday, October 30th, 2006Bad maps, erroneous information, tourist rip-offs all have managed to lead to some of my favorite experiences lately.
—-Last night, a friend and I were heading to a cabaret show, sure that we could get a cheaper price at the door than the “package deal” the tour offices were selling. Well, turns out they charged dollars (yes, that’s significant now) more at the door than with the package that included transportation and free drinks. Feeling frugal, we scoff and move on in backpacker-style snobbery. Feeling famished–or “peckish” in the Brit’s terms–I remember that the foodcourt in the nearby shopping complex was mentioned in my Lonely Planet. All other descriptions long forgotten. Imagining the Asian equivalent of food courts at home, we wander past shops and up escalators toward “Food Alley,” expecting to find greasy stalls, drying buffets, and over-stuffed garbage cans. Instead, we walk through a gate and are each handed a credit card. Huh? And where’s that music coming from? In front of us, white and sparkly are a dozen openair “kitchens” serving various international food. You order, they prepare, and hand it to you. In white porcelain dishes. Which you then carry to your table with placemats and attentive servers. Who’ll cork your bottle of wine if you like. While a live band with a stand-up bass plays Sade and Beatles cover tunes (“La da deeee, la da daaaa”). What?!? Once the shock subsided, I was more aware of really how great the food was. And my dessert! A bright pink dome with gold flakes and chocolate curls, raspberry chocolate decadence washed down with cappuccino. Turned out to be infinitely more satisfying than high-kicking transvestites.
—With full intentions of hitting a flower/plant market and a park up the road, I got unbelievably lost (I heard that unsurprised snicker!). My colorful pictorial map only has 1-2 street names, worthless anyway since most names in reality are just written in lovely squiggles (หนทำรืเ สรา รห๗). A nice Thai stops to help when I’m flying my map kite. Manages to inform me that because of special “Promotion Week” today’s the last day that tuk-tuk drivers will drive you all around town for only 20 bat to several top tourist destinations–temples and such. (“You read paper? You watch news? What, you been sleeping?”) So, I spent the next 2-3 hours with a private “guide” around town (who, by the way, knows exactly where everything is), for exactly 54 cents.
I love it when things don’t “go your way.” : D
bimpy_ak