Bangkok RAWKS!!!!!!
sawadika. just came back from a 3-day stint in Bangkok. actually "stint" is inaccurate considering the 5-star treatment my grandaunt, mom and i got. granduncle is a business expat type, so we were treated like royalty , inclusive of a posh resort suite and a personal chauffer.anywayz, many things to talk about, so we go slow:
SCENERY:
basically the same as old KL. dingy shophouses squashed between skyscrapers. hidden squatters intermingling with whitewashed bungalows behind the buildings. they even have the same lrt looking thing. i forgot what's it called. i think sky train or sth like that. Except that everything was written in Thai. so don't attempt to drive in bangkok unless you can read the road signs. and except that there were men in reflective orange vests at every corner, not traffic police, but motor taxis, where one could flag down and ride on the back as it squeezed through the gridlock. considering the traffic conditions there, motor taxis are a stroke of genius. and except that there were tut-tuts everywhere, motor powered rickshaws with decorative ribbons and paintings on them. and except that there were vendors at every turn, selling EVERYTHING from jewellery to miracle balms to fried crickets to tom yum. and that there was a little buddhist altar in front of every building. random piece of information.
FRIED CRICKETS:
yes. they were fried. and on sale. and edible. yummy.
ROASTED BANANAS:
not as weird, but yes they were there too. another random piece of information.
FOOD:
food is GOOD in bangkok. and i'm not even much of an epicurean. seriously, i've never taken this much iodine in my life, and i usually shun from seafood. okay, maybe partly because my granduncle was the host and i couldn't be the picky manjapot that i usually am. but really, the seafood were so fresh there was zero fishy stench. plus there'r all the sour, spicy, minty and wonderful sauces of all colors that you could dip everything in so everythin tastes sour, spicy, minty and wonderful anyway. to prove my point, the shrimp were so fresh brown pus squirts out when you break their heads. they might have just heated the entire fish tank with the creatures still crawling inside for all i know. and everything is sweeter, sourer, spicier, or greasier than usual. most of the food is drenched in lard or coconut oil which gives it the sweet, satisfyingly greasy taste, and most of the sour spicy stuff have this herb in it that smells terrible but tastes heavenly. to tell the truth, bangkok stinks, cuz food is sold everywhere and thais like to put in this weird herb that stinks like hell. sth like a cross between pee and pepper, which reminds me a little too vividly of Golden Mile, Singapore (people who have traveled by bus to singapore, you know). but when you think about it, most yummy stuff stinks, like cheese, durian (if you like durian, that is), chow tau foo, so stinky-yummy is a tolerable compromise me thinks. AND the fruits were good too. pineapples are ALWAYS sweet and mangoes are apple-crispy. honestly, food is reason enough to visit.
PAT PHONG:
red-light district of Bangkok. one thing i regret is forgetting to bring my cam on that trip. anywayz, just imagine petaling street stalls, multiply by 5, add in the lights and pubs of Bangsar, and imagine that in every pub, in view from the outside, there is a bar top filled with lithe but breasty girls in uniform bikinis grooving really badly to loud disco music. not that anyone minds the bad dancing though. apparently you are not allowed to touch, but if you buy them a drink you can get them within close enough proximity to go beyond just ogling. anywayz, and haggling is FUN. prize achievement is a 2-piece full length gown from 1850 baht to 500. that's about 50 rm. and i'm only an amatuer. haven for the thrifty.but i'll get to shopping later.
SHOPPING:
ok, that wasn't much later. but anywayz. if food was GOOD, shopping = (goodness of food)x10. there are more than 5 major shopping complexes in the central district alone, not to mention stalls on the roadside everywhere. and for the people who prefer quaint, more off-beat items, there'r the day market, chatuchak (my personal fave) and the night market, suan-lum. not to mention pat phong. haggling is expected, and EVERYTHING is available there, from clothes, to food, to candles, to buddha statuettes, to puppies. EVERYTHING. and everything is oh-so-pretty! everything is sequined or mirrored, shiny and appealing and all that jazz. seriously, they can take scrap metal , add a few strokes of paint or sequins and make it look GOOD. and they don't charge much for their artistry. just as an illustration, here's my shopping inventory after 3 days:
1 woolen cardigan
6 pretty sequined tops
3 t-shirts
2 pairs of shorts
3 pairs of pants
1 bikini
2 dresses
1 suitcase (to put in the stuff i bought)
6 pairs of earrings
7 candles
5 necklaces
3 bangles
1 pair of shoes
2 basket things that were sequined and colorful and pretty
4 skirts
2 bags
5 shawls
2 paperweights
ahh... satisfying.
THAI MASSAGE:
this is a must after a long day of shop-strolling. they start with the legs, then the head and neck and shoulders as well. it's available everywhere too, just like everything else, and last call is around 10.30 pm. each session approx 2 hours for 300 baht. that's about 30 rm. basically you pay to let someone grope and knead you like crazy. smells of menthol at first but wears off once they start rubbing. comercialized physical affection but not too bad considering the effect.
PEOPLE:
everyone is thin. prolly the sour food and ulam-like vege consumption. but everyone's slim. and yet are able to retain their assets. and thais have PRETTY eyes. guys and girls alike. dark eyebrows, thick eyelashes, and dark bright eyes. and they are generally darker. so find a guy with okay features and you get someone who's tall, dark and handsome instantly. sigh. and i think they are very sensual people. as in not jsut physically, but the way of life. they aren't afriad of greasy, or stinky-yummy food that people nowadays shun for their unwholesomeness, and they aren't afraid about expressing their sexuality. guys, girls and tranvestites alike. so it's cool.
All in all, bangkok rox my world. so if anyone is planning to go there, do call me.
posted by bufo @ 8:40:00 PM
3 Comments:
wah you spent three dayS in bangkok and you manage to buy so much you darn keng wei...i stayed in thailand for four dayS also i never buy so many thingS...keng keng...
i wanna go with u!!!pls bring me the next time..pls pls pls pls :P eheheh
-hooiju-
alaaaaaaaaaa i wanna goooooooo toooooo...come come we go in july...sin yi as tour guide extraordinaire! :P
-van
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