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For a week now Chris hasn’t been able to stop talking about this coconut ice cream that he had on the street, how great it is, and how I need to try it. On the streets I walk on to go to the park I have never seen an ice cream stand but yesterday after … Continue reading
While reading in the Bangkok Guide I come across a section that discusses some safety concerns. In this section of the book they explain that there aren’t really any poisonous spiders or bugs that I should be worried about but instead they suggest the reader should watch out for the spitting cobras that hide in the gardens. (Insert jaw drop here) COBRAS! IN THE GARDEN? They go on to warn the reader not to try and kill the cobra, since this wastes precious time, because what you should really be doing is washing your eyes out and getting someone to take you to the hospital. Then they suggest do not get someone else to go kill the cobra because again they should be driving you to the hospital. Then finally they explain if you did kill the cobra do not bring it the hospital with you.
Chris wanted me to share this with everyone, most of our close friends know us as having a theme each year. As some of you recall our wedding year was called “winging it” 2008. This was because we didn’t know what we were doing but decided instead of me becoming a bridezilla we would just “wing it”. It’s more fun that way anyway.
I went for my first Thai massage today. Wow! What an experience. I assume most of you know how a massage is in a spa in the states. You go into a nice dark room, where you undress down to your comfort level, you get under the blanket, then the masseuse gives you a great massage and after the hour you feel like a big puddle of goop because you are so relaxed. This experience in the states at a nice spa will run you around $130ish with a tip.
Thai massage is NOTHING like that or anything I have ever experienced before.
Of the expat women that I have met, probably around 10 or so I have actually had conversations with, all of them have said that when they had first arrived in Bangkok they cried all the time for months and months. I am sure it is because of the shock of being away from family, the culture, the noise, the city, and much more. I am proud to report being here 2 weeks today I have not cried once. I know this move was meant to be and I feel in my heart that this is home. It’s weird to say that but even when we are here in our temporary housing (which really is just a nice hotel) I still fell like I am at home. I guess that is because all I need to make it feel like “home” is being with my boys.
Work can be maddening. It’s not so much the stress of the job nor the people involved, far from that in fact. It is understood that when you take a foreign assignment, there will be a step change in your responsibilities. Which in order to get to that point, you are already putting in your best effort where you currently are. So to bridge this gap in the short term, the only equalizer that you have is more time to dedicate to work until your capabilities and knowledge of the environment progress and your time spent can diminish, but more likely your responsibilities will continue to grow with your capability and your time remains the same. But this is the essence of career progression in the American sense I think… This part that is maddening, which to no fault of anyone here, except for me for imposing it on myself, is language and comprehension.
We are currently living in a service apartment, which is our halfway house, until we find our permanent home. It is a nice place with a nice view, as you have seen from some of the pictures. Today we went apartment hunting again and we found the place that we will call home for our time here in Bangkok! Our new home will not be available until February 15th but it is worth the wait. It is bigger than our home in Greenville with 2 bedroom, 2.5 bathrooms, and a balcony overlooking the city. The view is from the 8th floor, we would have liked to have been higher up but the great part about this location is a huge home was just built right in front of the building, which means there is no way a skyscraper is going to block our perfect view, in addition we get to see a beautiful house on the ground floor instead of the slums.
Chris is working on the 15th floor of the Michelin building, which is a 25 minute commute by cattle car (BTS). When he takes the BTS in the morning it is packed and he has to force himself into the car but he says once he is on his way everyone plays on their iPhones. After a few stops the crowd dwindles on the train and he continues his journey to work. Once at work he is greeted by the maid with a hot black coffee and a water, this continues throughout the day, one after lunch and one in the afternoon at some point. He works with a group of very friendly Thais, they are welcoming, show him around, and include him in their going out to lunch everyday. Chris gets to go out to eat everyday at lunch because it only costs about $1 US, this is cheaper than the cost of PB&J!
Yesterday was great! I got to see my friend and Thai teacher Nuch! She came over to visit and brought her sweet nephew and we all went to the aquarium! To get to the aquarium we took the BTS, which again is super convenient once you make it up the stairs and luckily Nuch and her Nephew were there to help! We get off at Siam station, which has 3 or maybe 4 malls at this one stop! They basically have everything you could imagine, the food court is nothing like the US, or what I know of the US food courts in the mall, it takes up an entire floor of the mall, which is probably 9 or 10 floors total. We had thai for lunch and Killian chowed down on some pad thai! It was delish! In the malls they have every designer name you could think of in high end fashion, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Prada, Hermes, Cartier, Channel, I could go on and on. Then I discover its not only high end fashion in the malls but also the most expensive car dealerships! WHAT?! I’m talking every high end car you can imagine all on one floor. And then on the bottom, or at least I think it was the bottom, floor is the aquarium that honestly was awesome. I couldn’t believe how great it was!! Nuch was able to get us tickets from one of her friends so we got to enjoy the aquarium for free!
Below are some pictures of the mall and aquarium!
From Palmetto Pride to Pad Thai 