New England, a little lizard and Sexy Leo Girl.
It must be difficult getting used to the new England. Traveling by camel, drinking cactus sap and dew scraped off rocks, being blinded by sandstorms and whatnot. At least I assume that's what it's like after approximately all of the water in the northern hemisphere fell here this morning. It's now started to borrow from the southern one. And it's not even the rainy season. Yep 13 days in and it's rained for the first time. And I mean rained as in so hard Noah called in the coastguard.
It isn't that bad of course, it's just that after days and days of wall-to-wall sunshine heavy rainfall for a few hours is quite a contrast but I have a feeling by this afternoon it'll have stopped and be well on its way to being dried up. I hope so since I'm off into town again later. Since Kriang and I are going to stop at one of Pook's parent's houses (which is actually rented off the King in leases of twenty years at a time) before I head off up to Chiang Mai I'll be carrying all of my stuff with me. OK it's only one rucksack but I'm also going to carry Kriang's new guitar for him. A cheap but nice nylon stringed jobbie which has alleviated my musical withdrawal symptoms. After a few days without access to some form of live musical instrument I start constantly tapping and singing to myself. After a few more days I begin to get irritable but it's OK now. I'm glad to see that Kriang's repeated claims to have forgotten how to play the guitar were just his usual modesty. It must run in the family because Will said he couldn't play but then picked it up and started strumming away.
Went into town again yesterday, this time with both Kriang and Will. Went to Flyers, a pool bar which is summed up here if you're interested. Only thing to add is that there are a number of girls working there who stand around watching the games, replacing the que ball, reracking the balls and recording the number of games you play to put on your tab at the end of the day (or hour in our case.) It does make you feel like a pro for a moment even if that feeling evaporates the moment you miss your next shot. Another example of the high level of service here which is made possible by the low wages.
Then went for a ride around on the skytrain, generally known by it's commercial moniker BTS (Bangkok Mass Transit System) to the locals it seems. As many of the guidebooks suggest, it's quite interesting riding around during the day because you get to see over high compound walls and into balconies which aren't visible from street level. One of the most striking things is how much flora there actually is in Bangkok, it's all over the place, you just can't see very much of it from the ground.
We basically just rambled around for the afternoon, stopped in the park on Sukumvit road which has a large pond with a fountain and Koi carp and terrapins in it. We had a discussion about whether they were turtles or terrapins which was unsettled at the time but I'm pleased to inform you that it's generally considered that terrapins are fresh water and turtles salt water, so these were terrapins. OK you can relax now. (Unless you knew that already in which case carry on being relaxed.)
As I mentioned I might yesterday I have indeed had another look at the photos and decided to post a few. As much because my recent posts have been a little on the dry side photowise as for their interest. I say that I suppose partly because I'm getting used to the sights and sounds here, not that it makes this place boring. Far from it, I've decided that two months is hideously inadequate, even to get a feeling for Bangkok, never mind Thailand. Still, I might not be saying that after another month and a half but I doubt it.
Anyhoo, I'll forget about the flight home for now and post the first photo. It's my new pet, Gerhardt Gecko.
Look at him, he's tiny! (I have normal sized hands.) He is my pet but I don't keep him in a tank or anything, I thought it would be kinder to let him roam free. I haven't seen him for a while, I hope he's not been eaten or something. Next is China town at night, resplendent in all its neon garb.
We went there on Saturday evening to drop Pook off after going shopping for the guitar and a few other bits and pieces. Stopped to eat at a roadside stall Pook patronises occasionally and I had a nice bowl of noodles. Had a fairly nonsensical pseudo-conversation about football with a man who I presume was the vendor's husband. It seems the only English he knows is "Which country do you come from?" (and for the grammatically hypersensitive among you I am aware that supposedly it should be "From which country do you come?" and therefore it could be said that he doesn't even know that English properly, but who cares? Probably none of you actually, me neither. Besides, my grammar isn't good enough to criticise other people's.) So anyway, he askes "Which country do you come from?" and when you tell him he just starts listing footballer's names from that country. Meaningless but entertaining nonetheless.
As I've mentioned, Thai people are generally very friendly and helpful, especially compared to many British people, but I have noticed the "city-syndrome" is still in relative effect in the very centre of Bangkok. You don't have to travel far from the CBD to meet even more friendly and helpful people and China town is a good example.
But I digress. Another photo and it's time for the booze again. First off is Neustadt, a German beer, brewed under license and one of the nicer ones although still larger.
And finally is Sexy Leo Girl. Disappointingly not actually the name of the beer (Leo), just part of their current advertising campaign. Taste? Lager.
