You are currently browsing the category archive for the 'Uncategorized' category.
… or was it ain’t missing you?
Before coming to Thailand I thought that thai food was curry, different colours of it, but curry. I was very wrong, there is far more to it than curry. But despite the dozens of new dishes I have tried green curry is still my favourite, and I have a bit of a personal quest to find the best one in town. Today I tried a new place: Shaley, Siam Sq soi 2 and it is on a 2nd floor. Curry was better than average, but I probably wouldn’t have writen about it if it wasn’t for the presentation of the food.
bear rice and green curry
I thought it was hilarious to get the rice on the shape of a bear. People looked at me with funny faces when I took the photo. I was the only farang there and I reckon they were thinking “bloody tourist…” but I just couldn’t resist!
I have left this blog alone for far too long, I really want to try to update it more often, so far I have done well at making excuses not to write. To be honest they are damm good excuses, they are so good that I don’t even need to list them here… ehem… ehem…
My high season is starting soon, visitors coming around, me going to see them for weekends at whatever island they go. Will post photos and adventures. I have no doubt some of the latter will most definately happen.
For now here I leave this post, with the good intention to come back soon, even if there is no much to say. The purpose of the blog was to write about my life in BKK, so it was never going to be that exciting anyway :-)
I woke up this morning with the news that they city was under state of emergency. I am not all that too sure what that means, life on the streets seems just as any other day.
We hear that the army commander is now in charge and arrests can happen far more easily, gatherings of more than five people are banned and that would be some restrictions on the news that get published. Right now the Bangkok Post website is not working, probably overloaded with traffic. They have announced water and electricity strikes tomorrow affecting governmental buildings, I don’t work or live in one so hope to escape it.
Although this might sound unsettling there is a great feeling of normality around here and nobody seems at all worried. Lets keep that way an carry on just as any other day.
Quite often at work I get offered some food to sample. I am new in the country and some of my coleagues want to share with me the delicacies that this country has to offer. I reckong sometimes they just want to see the face I pull when I see what they are asking me to put in my mouth, just like when I got this
This is bua-loi kai waan, coconut milk with rice balls and egg. There, and you have a kit kat!
And it does taste a lot better than it looks..
In Bangkok for over 3 months already. The usual topic applies, time flies. But at the same time it feels like I have been here for a lot longer. So many new things, people, experiences in just over 90 days.
Pedro says that I have valor for living here, but as I said to him what I feel that you really need is just loads of energy. The crazy traffic, the always crowded streets, the kamikaze drivers, the challenge of communications… all this can get to you if you keep well charged up.
The confusion of the first few days is going away. It seems like a million years ago that first dinner at Siam Paragon, when I couldn’t understand what people were telling me, although they were talking in english… With the tiredness after the trip, the unknown surroundings, my ear not yet used to the local accent I was left quite unsettled after that meal. Was it really a sane decision to move over here?
In the last 3 months I have moved to a new continent, started learning a new language, changed jobs, left friends and family behind, settled in a new home, met new people, made new friends, done a lot of walking, drank more mojitos than I can count, party on weekdays, eat often enough things that I don’t know how to pronounce or even what they are… in summary: I have started a new life, right from scratch.
“Amazing Thailand” is the official slogan to promote the country, it feels so right! Not many days go by without before you can find a reason to say it. Most of the times are just small, simple things, but I just haven’t experience them anywhere else. From knowing that getting into a taxi can be a death wish, to sharing the changing room at the gym with so many beautiful girls that were born men, to having to fight your way through a crowd queuing up to get their breakfast curry on the street or just having to pull an straight face and not laugh when you meat this girl and she tells you that her name is Silly-Porn (spelt different but sounds just the same).. At times I sort off forget where I am, at the end of the day an office is an office and a flat is a flat. But then you see something, you experience something that brings me back to reality and realise that really I now live in Bangkok.
When the probation period is over a decision has to be made: pass or not? Stay or go? Not the easiest move, but certainly this is a pass, I like this place and I hope to enjoy it for a lot longer.
It has been a while since I don’t sit behind the wheel, but I seem to remember that it you sort of need your engine on to park… :)
Any Man U supporters out there? We seem to have plenty around here, and they can get a MU sponsored Visa and get merchandise as the spend their baht away.
All a bit crazy considering that England is about 10.000 KMs away! But they really like their footie around here. Somebody was telling me that he was watching the Eurocup game Spain v Italy in some bar in Kao San. And there he witnessed some Thai guy -wearing Xavi’s shirt- fall to his knees when Spain won the game. Just as they say: Amazing Thailand.
Lumpini park is a nice park not too far from my condo -no flat, not apartment. Here it is a condo. Or kondooow as would be the Thai way of saying it. Anyway, back to the original track: lumpini. A nice big park in the centre of town. Usually busy early mornings and late at night, just when the heat is bearable. Nice green area with plenty of shade, a lake and even some little lizards (they are about half my size).
People go there for a walk, a run, meet up for their choir practise, play cards, practise tai chi and all sorts of other things you might or might not to expect to see in a park. Last time I was there I saw this guy teaching a tango lesson. Picture it: park, 9 am, band stand in the background, 30 degrees, + 60% humidity, very serious Thai guy, Thai lady with sun visor, tango music coming out of very old tape player. The couple dancing away with passion to the loud music. Hmm quite and image for before breakfast.
If you come to town you might want to visit Lumpini. One of the few green areas around and you will certainly get an snapshot of Thailand’s culture and it’s people.
what you are saying