Sadly halfway through the week in Bangkok, Jon had to go home, back to work and back to ‘real life.’ I had a gut feeling it would be a turbulent flight and that feeling mirrored my sentiments about his departure. As Jon’s plane was leaving my new travel buddies plane was just touching down. Welcome to Southeast Asia Chister!! Mari was of course exhausted upon arrival, but what kind of sister would I be if I let her stay in and sleep it off? No, we didn’t go buck wild that first night (lucky for her I was feeling particularly generous) but we did get her some Thai food and beer and ended up meeting some Thai friends. Funny how two girls attract more company in a hr. than a couple does in 3 weeks. Language barriers can be hard but alcohol is the international language and soon we were miming our way through conversation. Around 1 am I let Mari off the hook as I could see her start to fade and I knew she would need to be ready to explore the following day. So, home we went with dreams of the city before us.
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| Hair show winner |
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| Spicy yumminess |
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| Hello purdy lady. |
Thailand gets my vote for most attractive females. There is a certain look that I am referring to and it’s distinctive to the area. Light golden brown skin, wide cheekbones and large ears make for a charming combo. Something in the demeanor also lends to this attractiveness. There is an underlying male centeredness to the culture that is hard to pin down exactly. In many cultures around the world women are submissive to men. No different in much of Asia, but in Thailand it’s done in a different way. There is this serving you with a smile and genuine sense that their greatest desire is to make you happy. I’m not trying to generalize that a Thai women’s greatest joy is to serve but the vibe you get, is unique here.
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| Long live the king |
Another thing you can’t avoid noticing is the King. He is more than a figure head with less power than a president. King Bhumibol Adulyadej has reigned for over 50 years and the people, well , they adore him. He is all encompassing around Bangkok. Large framed photos hang off buildings and altars in his honor line boulevards. At first I thought this guy must be super big headed, but Dan and Duong assured me otherwise. Supposedly, he is quite the humanitarian. He visits far off towns and villages, walking among the people intently listening to any and all burdens they care to share with him. He then takes their pressing issues to parliament where he pleaded their causes, trying to persuade a change on their behalf. The Thai people see him as a hero, quite close to a living saint. This knowledge but mostly his friendly looking smile made me think he was a good guy. I guess I’m a fan of the King too you could say.
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| Why is this here? Um hello Mangosteens are delish! |
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| Brother across the seas |
As my sister and I roamed the streets exploring we happened to cross ways with a man holding a plastic bag filled with soda and a straw popping out. This very ordinary man to most might not have caused a second glance. Others may have felt it very odd to see someone drinking soda out of a bag. Our response was of immediate recognition and nostalgia. As kids this style of soda sippin' was reserved for our trips to visit Granny in Mexico. The glass bottles are recycled and are of value to the vendors, so when you by a soda they pour the contents into a bag and as if you had ordered 'take out' that's what you walk away with. This fantastically simple and non consequential viewing was happy. Feeling something so familiar when so far away from home is a moment in which you can relish the fact that people are just people. These small similarities are our bond. We are all humans and if we try to see it, we are often times more the same than we are different.
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