Last night was a strange Bangkok night.
We took the bus to Khao San, a road famous throughout south-east Asia for its Vegas-esque, neo-hippie-backpacker-hobo vibe. It's full of bars, hostels, markets, ping-pong shows, dreadlocks, pirated software (Adobe CS3 for less than $20!), fake I.D.s and southern rock music. The prostitutes don't run openly but they're not hard to find.
Needless to say, it's an interesting street.
We drank some beers in the evening while it rained, then walked into the street again. I had just finished negotiating to buy a tazer when two clear-eyed young travelers approached us.
"Are you going to Cambodia?" they asked.
It seemed like a scam, but why would two clean, young, western kids rip us off?
"Yes, we are, actually," we responded.
They had just returned from Cambodia and had leftover currency they couldn't exchange. They wanted to give it to us. We offered to trade for Thai Baht but they insisted on giving it to us. They weren't sure exactly how much money it was; they just wanted to give it away. We took the money and chatted a bit. They're from Sweden and they liked Angkor Wat.
We counted the money this morning--it's more than $90 USD!
After our Swedish encounter we visited the Internets and walked back to the street. There, in the rain, we saw two familiar faces. Lo and behold, we nearly bumped into Paul and Caterina, an Irish couple we met at a ticket office in Beijing then again on a sidewalk in Hanoi.
We have happened across this couple randomly three times now in three different countries. Third time's the charm, right? This time, we decided to get to know them, so all four of us sat down for more beer and travel stories.
We had a lovely time with them and said our goodbyes.
We wanted to take a public bus back to our hostel in Siam Square. I asked several people which bus to take--it was definitely bus 2, 511, 47 or 29. Hmmm. We eventually started bargaining with two tuk-tuk drivers and a taxi driver. The discussion was not about money but about how much the driver had been drinking. He wouldn't let me smell his breath (or at least I couldn't properly communicate with Thai and miming that I wanted to smell his breath. Try it--it's not easy.) We eventually conceded and went with him.
We drove a few blocks when he pulled to the curb. We thought he might be scamming us. No, he was just looking for his eyeglasses--they were on the floorboard beneath Bonnie's feet.
No big deal, right? Prescription glasses or sobriety--both equally irrelevant for driving at night. Luckily, everything turned out fine with him and we headed back to our hotel.
As we approached the door to our place, a taxi driver rose up from a nap in his driver's seat. He was wearing a plastic bag over his head and gingerly tapped his fingers against the window for our attention. He gave us a sleepy smile and settled back into position as we politely refused. Guess that's his tactic for getting foreigners in his cab late at night?
What connects these unusual events? Nothin but being in Bangkok on a Friday night.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Adventures in Chinglish, Part III
We're in the market for a tailor here in Bangkok. I asked the desk lady at our hostel for a recommendation and she gave me a map with an advertisement for her favorite shop: C.T Chinese Tailor.
It states:
SAWASDEE KRAAB LADY AND GENTLEMAN
ON BEHALF OF C.T. CHINESE TAILOR MANAGEMENT WE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO WELCOME YOU TO THAILAND. THE LAND OF GOLDEN SMILES: AND WISHING YOU A PLEASANT VISITING. THIS MAP IS IMPLEMENTED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE EXPECTATIONS NEEDED. THE MAJOR SUBSTANCES IN BANGKOK ARE DESCRIBED E.G. AREAS, TELEPHONES AND STREETS ETC.
C.T. CHINESE TAILOR IS AN OUTSTANDING TAILOR AND DRESSMAKER SERVER. OUR PROFESSIONAL EXPEREIENCE IS OVERE 20 YEARS. OUR PHILOSOPHY PASS-WORD IS TO EMPHASIZE OUR COUSTOMERS'SATISFACTION. RELIABLE AND VALUATIONS. WE ARE LOCATED RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF TOWN WHERE YOU CAN FIND US ON THIS MAP, IN OUR PROPERTY ITSELF IS AVAILABLED OF THE MOST PROVIDED FACLITIES E.G. MATTERIALS, MODELS; AND OUR HOSPITALITY TEAM.
MOREOVER WE ARE AVAILABLED FOR COMPLEMENTARY TRANSPORTATIONS FROM YOUR PLACE TO US ON ROUND TRIP BASIS. PLEASE GIVE US YOUR CALL FOR PICK UP OR DISCUSSION ABOUT YOUR NEW SUITE REQUIREMENT PLEASE FIND OUR TELEPHONE NUMBER HEREIN THE MAP.
SINCERELY YOURS,
THE MANAGEMENT.
Well, now that I know their "philosphy pass-word" includes "reliable and valuations" I might give them my call.
(Editor's note: Adventures in Chinglish aims for light-hearted amusement over language. It does not mean to disparage Chinese English-speakers. We respect their effort to communicate in a second language and we recognize that we sound ridiculous whenever we try to communicate outside of English. We're all just having a laugh together.)
It states:
SAWASDEE KRAAB LADY AND GENTLEMAN
ON BEHALF OF C.T. CHINESE TAILOR MANAGEMENT WE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO WELCOME YOU TO THAILAND. THE LAND OF GOLDEN SMILES: AND WISHING YOU A PLEASANT VISITING. THIS MAP IS IMPLEMENTED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE EXPECTATIONS NEEDED. THE MAJOR SUBSTANCES IN BANGKOK ARE DESCRIBED E.G. AREAS, TELEPHONES AND STREETS ETC.
C.T. CHINESE TAILOR IS AN OUTSTANDING TAILOR AND DRESSMAKER SERVER. OUR PROFESSIONAL EXPEREIENCE IS OVERE 20 YEARS. OUR PHILOSOPHY PASS-WORD IS TO EMPHASIZE OUR COUSTOMERS'SATISFACTION. RELIABLE AND VALUATIONS. WE ARE LOCATED RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF TOWN WHERE YOU CAN FIND US ON THIS MAP, IN OUR PROPERTY ITSELF IS AVAILABLED OF THE MOST PROVIDED FACLITIES E.G. MATTERIALS, MODELS; AND OUR HOSPITALITY TEAM.
MOREOVER WE ARE AVAILABLED FOR COMPLEMENTARY TRANSPORTATIONS FROM YOUR PLACE TO US ON ROUND TRIP BASIS. PLEASE GIVE US YOUR CALL FOR PICK UP OR DISCUSSION ABOUT YOUR NEW SUITE REQUIREMENT PLEASE FIND OUR TELEPHONE NUMBER HEREIN THE MAP.
SINCERELY YOURS,
THE MANAGEMENT.
Well, now that I know their "philosphy pass-word" includes "reliable and valuations" I might give them my call.
(Editor's note: Adventures in Chinglish aims for light-hearted amusement over language. It does not mean to disparage Chinese English-speakers. We respect their effort to communicate in a second language and we recognize that we sound ridiculous whenever we try to communicate outside of English. We're all just having a laugh together.)
Photographs
All three of our ardent readers have asked where our photos are. The few I've made have been sitting quietly on a hard drive. Honestly, I haven't been much of a photographer on this trip.
Our friend David told me before we left, "You can live it or you can shoot it. You can't do both." Very true. I've been living this honeymoon and enjoying travels with Bonnie, not working for photographs.
Forgive me, then, for taking so long to post images. Forgive me also for the mediocre quality of the images. I've basically made a few travel-snaps, nothing more.
I've posted two separate galleries on flikr.com. The images haven't been cropped, color-corrected or toned at all. Neither are they in any order.
Enjoy:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldoutsider/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldoutsider2/
Our friend David told me before we left, "You can live it or you can shoot it. You can't do both." Very true. I've been living this honeymoon and enjoying travels with Bonnie, not working for photographs.
Forgive me, then, for taking so long to post images. Forgive me also for the mediocre quality of the images. I've basically made a few travel-snaps, nothing more.
I've posted two separate galleries on flikr.com. The images haven't been cropped, color-corrected or toned at all. Neither are they in any order.
Enjoy:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldoutsider/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldoutsider2/
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Night Trains
We made it to Bangkok just fine this morning. There's loads to say about this bustling city, we're only outlining some thoughts on the night train for now.
We took buses everywhere but Thailand and China, but we got healthy doses of train travel in both places.
Night Train Contrasts:
1. In Thailand, cold bottled water is available for sale in the train. Boiling water is available in Chinese trains, but not if you don't have a container suitable for it!
2. As soon as we boarded, dinner and breakfast were offered to us at our seats in the Thai train. We'd stocked up on food for the ride because in China, that's how it's done. No meals at the seats there unless you're awake when a lady happens by with fried vegetables and rice.
3. Boisterous French neighbors were a brand new addition to our Asian train travels. The most riotous (and rotund) couple kept half the car up trying to fit into the their pull-out beds. They were delightful.
4. Last night, everyone had curtains around their beds! What a difference this would have made in China, where the stares never wane.
5. The Thai train was devoid of pop junk music or tv!
6. There was no set bedtime on the Thai train and each compartment was equipped with a reading light. On the Chinese train, everyone dutifully goes to bed at the designated time.
So, again, we experienced luxurious Thailand! Not to say China's devoid of luxury, you've just got to work harder for it. And when you find it there, by God, you know you've earned it!
We took buses everywhere but Thailand and China, but we got healthy doses of train travel in both places.
Night Train Contrasts:
1. In Thailand, cold bottled water is available for sale in the train. Boiling water is available in Chinese trains, but not if you don't have a container suitable for it!
2. As soon as we boarded, dinner and breakfast were offered to us at our seats in the Thai train. We'd stocked up on food for the ride because in China, that's how it's done. No meals at the seats there unless you're awake when a lady happens by with fried vegetables and rice.
3. Boisterous French neighbors were a brand new addition to our Asian train travels. The most riotous (and rotund) couple kept half the car up trying to fit into the their pull-out beds. They were delightful.
4. Last night, everyone had curtains around their beds! What a difference this would have made in China, where the stares never wane.
5. The Thai train was devoid of pop junk music or tv!
6. There was no set bedtime on the Thai train and each compartment was equipped with a reading light. On the Chinese train, everyone dutifully goes to bed at the designated time.
So, again, we experienced luxurious Thailand! Not to say China's devoid of luxury, you've just got to work harder for it. And when you find it there, by God, you know you've earned it!
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Good-Bye Chiang Mai
Our Chiang Mai stint is ending. We leave on a night train for Bangkok in two hours. Both of us are eager to see the difference between the Chinese and Thai train experience. I'm sure we'll fill tell you the endless details.
We've made a comfortable routine here: yoga classes, lots of papaya salad (kind of like cole slaw at home, but spicier), dental work, eyeglass appointments, moped rides, massages, mountain hikes and even kickboxing fights.
Yoga classes abound in this city. We found an instructer that worked for both of us. He's a British fellow with crazy eyes and huge teeth that almost impair his speech. But the guy's a great teacher-- encouraging and brutal enough for both of us. And eccentric as hell. For instance, he rolls his r's in English and Hindi and lectures us on his yogic beliefs as we're in a backbend with sweat soaking our mats. Jim hates for me to use the term "power yoga" for the practice we've studied, but isn't that what fast-forward yoga in a sauna is? The class was hard even for Jim, which lets me know it's on the edge. We dreaded going every session. They lasted 2.5 hours with no breaks and he prodded and bossed the whole time. If he thought you could stretch further, he'd climb on you and press you into position. Students would moan and wimper but he kept pushing. He described his style as somewhat stern and military.
It was great fun, I suppose, but I'm glad that crazy Britt's not pushing me into down-dog no more.
Also, I've needed a dental procedure done for nearly five years, so I figured Thailand would be the place to do it. In case you haven't heard, health care here is top-notch and less than half the cost of home. So, if you've only got catastrophe insurance like me, this is the place to get your teeth cleaned. Although it was kind of awful to get an injection in the gums with people speaking a foriegn language over your dentist chair, the experience was good overall. They gave me a brand new smile at a third of the cost.
Another Chiang Mai event for us was the arrival of our friend, Ben. He's a classmate of Jim's who's finishing up his master's project with a photo of a Thai pimp. His subject matter is the seven deadly sins. Great fun, huh? He came to Chiang Mai over the weekend and it was great fun to explore "amazing Thailand" with him. We took him to a Muay Thai (kickboxing) fight with us on Friday night. Talk about county fairs, man, this was it. Great ringside food, music, and fun. Some of those fighters couldn't have been over fifteen. The style of fighting was kick boxing. Not too bloody or dirty. Really, the most interesting event of the fight was the dance beforehand, which was completely dependent on the musicians in the corner. The music consisted of two drums and a strange oboe-like reed instrument that only played in harmonic/melodic scales. The music orchestrated the fight. They'd speed up the rhythm and the fighters would get more aggresive. And the spicy cole slaw there was the best in Chiang Mai.
We also went hiking on Jim's favorite mountain in the world with Ben. It's called Doi Suthep and lies west of Chiang Mai and has a golden temple on top. We hiked to two waterfalls and a beautifully huge fig tree. The insects and foliage in the jungle are quite different from anything I've ever seen. Some seed pods on the ground were as big as my arm. We had great fun doing that, too. Yeah, the hike was great, but since Ben was with us, we got to rent an extra motorbike and I got to drive. Talk about fun. A moped on the left side of the road all the way up a curvy mountain road built by a monk. Amazing Thailand!!
You can check out Ben's photography of our time together and many other things at:
www.portlandmonk.blogspot.com
You can visit our wacky Britt yogi at:
www.cmyogasala.com
So, we leave on a night train to Bangkok in two hours. We extended our trip until the beginning of October, so we're hoping to have enough time to visit Cambodia before we leave. Goodbye, lovely languid Chiang Mai!
We've made a comfortable routine here: yoga classes, lots of papaya salad (kind of like cole slaw at home, but spicier), dental work, eyeglass appointments, moped rides, massages, mountain hikes and even kickboxing fights.
Yoga classes abound in this city. We found an instructer that worked for both of us. He's a British fellow with crazy eyes and huge teeth that almost impair his speech. But the guy's a great teacher-- encouraging and brutal enough for both of us. And eccentric as hell. For instance, he rolls his r's in English and Hindi and lectures us on his yogic beliefs as we're in a backbend with sweat soaking our mats. Jim hates for me to use the term "power yoga" for the practice we've studied, but isn't that what fast-forward yoga in a sauna is? The class was hard even for Jim, which lets me know it's on the edge. We dreaded going every session. They lasted 2.5 hours with no breaks and he prodded and bossed the whole time. If he thought you could stretch further, he'd climb on you and press you into position. Students would moan and wimper but he kept pushing. He described his style as somewhat stern and military.
It was great fun, I suppose, but I'm glad that crazy Britt's not pushing me into down-dog no more.
Also, I've needed a dental procedure done for nearly five years, so I figured Thailand would be the place to do it. In case you haven't heard, health care here is top-notch and less than half the cost of home. So, if you've only got catastrophe insurance like me, this is the place to get your teeth cleaned. Although it was kind of awful to get an injection in the gums with people speaking a foriegn language over your dentist chair, the experience was good overall. They gave me a brand new smile at a third of the cost.
Another Chiang Mai event for us was the arrival of our friend, Ben. He's a classmate of Jim's who's finishing up his master's project with a photo of a Thai pimp. His subject matter is the seven deadly sins. Great fun, huh? He came to Chiang Mai over the weekend and it was great fun to explore "amazing Thailand" with him. We took him to a Muay Thai (kickboxing) fight with us on Friday night. Talk about county fairs, man, this was it. Great ringside food, music, and fun. Some of those fighters couldn't have been over fifteen. The style of fighting was kick boxing. Not too bloody or dirty. Really, the most interesting event of the fight was the dance beforehand, which was completely dependent on the musicians in the corner. The music consisted of two drums and a strange oboe-like reed instrument that only played in harmonic/melodic scales. The music orchestrated the fight. They'd speed up the rhythm and the fighters would get more aggresive. And the spicy cole slaw there was the best in Chiang Mai.
We also went hiking on Jim's favorite mountain in the world with Ben. It's called Doi Suthep and lies west of Chiang Mai and has a golden temple on top. We hiked to two waterfalls and a beautifully huge fig tree. The insects and foliage in the jungle are quite different from anything I've ever seen. Some seed pods on the ground were as big as my arm. We had great fun doing that, too. Yeah, the hike was great, but since Ben was with us, we got to rent an extra motorbike and I got to drive. Talk about fun. A moped on the left side of the road all the way up a curvy mountain road built by a monk. Amazing Thailand!!
You can check out Ben's photography of our time together and many other things at:
www.portlandmonk.blogspot.com
You can visit our wacky Britt yogi at:
www.cmyogasala.com
So, we leave on a night train to Bangkok in two hours. We extended our trip until the beginning of October, so we're hoping to have enough time to visit Cambodia before we leave. Goodbye, lovely languid Chiang Mai!
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Arkansas
I am very thankful for my Arkansas upbringing when I travel.
First off, people I meet on international travels usually know Arkansas because of Bill Clinton. His name always brings a smile to the conversation, no matter what the reason. He seems to be well-liked overseas. I'm always glad for a positive connection with local folks and little ole Arkansas.
Also, wicked Asian bathrooms would be intolerable if I hadn't periodically dealt with truck stops in West Memphis as a girl. Or septic tanks at my Daddy's log cabin. Or a pile or rotting cow carcasses at my Papa's farm. (Let's let bygones be bygones on that one.)
If I step in animal shit on the road while turning down a tuk tuk driver and dodging a tractor, I think, "What in hell would I do if I hadn't grown up in Arkansas?".
Here's a nod to city folk who lack rural sensibility and venture out here to Asia anyway.
I salute you.
First off, people I meet on international travels usually know Arkansas because of Bill Clinton. His name always brings a smile to the conversation, no matter what the reason. He seems to be well-liked overseas. I'm always glad for a positive connection with local folks and little ole Arkansas.
Also, wicked Asian bathrooms would be intolerable if I hadn't periodically dealt with truck stops in West Memphis as a girl. Or septic tanks at my Daddy's log cabin. Or a pile or rotting cow carcasses at my Papa's farm. (Let's let bygones be bygones on that one.)
If I step in animal shit on the road while turning down a tuk tuk driver and dodging a tractor, I think, "What in hell would I do if I hadn't grown up in Arkansas?".
Here's a nod to city folk who lack rural sensibility and venture out here to Asia anyway.
I salute you.
Sweet Ivan
At night, food stalls line a lot of streets in Chiang Mai and they're lit up just like a county fair. All kinds of things are sold at those stalls--gelatinous green desserts, roasted chicken, shish kebabs, sweet soy milk, french fries, beer, and a million other treats. All this mixed with diesel fumes and moped whines and dirt takes me straight back to the White County Fair.
It's fair time back home, isn't it?
The White County Fair is an event of mythical proportions in my memory. My dear grandfather (Sweet Ivan) was president of the fair board in our county, so the fair was a family event for me. What could top the rodeos, horse shows, funnel cakes, merchant exhibits, exotic carnies, nauseating rides and demolition derbies of a county fair?
If you know of something, I challenge you: leave me a comment.
(It can't include a Johnny Cash or Dolly Parton performance at a county fair.)
It's fair time back home, isn't it?
The White County Fair is an event of mythical proportions in my memory. My dear grandfather (Sweet Ivan) was president of the fair board in our county, so the fair was a family event for me. What could top the rodeos, horse shows, funnel cakes, merchant exhibits, exotic carnies, nauseating rides and demolition derbies of a county fair?
If you know of something, I challenge you: leave me a comment.
(It can't include a Johnny Cash or Dolly Parton performance at a county fair.)
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