I didn't mean to call you a monkey!
Trip Start
Jun 11, 2008
1
61
62
Trip End
Aug 07, 2008
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Bangkok,
Thailand
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
I've received the shady offers from the shady tuk-tuk drivers (I'll take you to 3 temples, only 10B... really, they take you to one temple and then jewelry/silk/tailor shops and pressure you to buy)... the sketchy 'advice' from the well-dressed, English-speaking Thai man (Oh, didn't you hear, that attraction is closed today, let me take you somewhere else, even better... and really it's the same ruse as above)... and several invited to go see ping-pong shows (no comment). Because I read the guidebook that warned me of all these things, I didn't accept any, but I know so many aquaintances who have, usually to bad outcomes. It felt sort of like 'real' Bangkok to get the offers, though!
I woke up this morning, too early. Had dreams of both monks and monkeys, (two key features to my Thailand trip, and only today I'm noticing their nominal similarities) as well as colorful Thai currency, shopping, motorbikes, and Thai iced tea.
Bunk beds
I tried to sleep more but couldn't--too much energy.It is my last day in Thailand and I spent it in a mall. MBK, a huge air conditioned 7 floor mall. A cop-out, you say? Where's the culture in that? My defensive answer is already planned out: there were more Thais there than foreigners, so that in my head deems it an authentic experience. Plus I saw a Thai comedy in the movie theatre, which also featured the Thai National Anthem being played in the theatre before the movie started... AND the national anthem was played in tandem with this really cool photo montage of the King's life, which was worth the goofy film, which was about a silly village that's scared of a rabid dog.
When I was taking a taxi there, I got to have almost a whole conversation in Thai with the driver. It went like this:
Me: Sawatdeekha (hello, from a female)
Him: Sawatdeekhrap (hello, from a male)
Me: MBK? (the name of the mall)
Him: OK
Me: Meter na kha (put the meter on please?)
Him: OK
...
Him: Sooai mah mah (you are very, very pretty)
Me: Haha, khap khun mah kha (haha, thank you very much)
Him: Shopping? (this was in English)
Me: Chai (yes)
Him: haha
Me: Nit noi (just a little)
Him: haha
Me: khap khun kha (thank you!)
Him: khrap (ditto)
Me: Sawatdeekha, choke dee kha! (goodbye, good luck!)
Him: khap khun khrap, sawatdeekhrap (thanks, bye)
It was exciting to understand what he was saying and have him understand me as well.
The empty movie theatre
If only the conversation had somehow veered to animal species and vegetarian diets, I could have exercised my whole Thai vocabulary ;)Really, my main point in going to MBK was to finally spend a day not being sweaty. And I succeeded, just this one day. Plus, I got a manicure, pedicure, and foot massage, and I've been planning on doing that on my last day the whole time. It was a really good goal to look forward to while I was in Phetchaburi getting animal poop on my feet from hauling the 30 pound compost bin into the forest. It's ok, in 8/7/6/5/4 weeks I can get a pedicure...
Oh, the monkey thing. So a French mom was also in the salon with her 2 kids and the three of them were laying about getting a foot massage. 12 year old girl, 10 year old boy. The three Thai masseuses were friendly with them. At the end, the masseuse asked the little boy what his name was. My masseuse was listening and laughed, answering the question with "Monkey." I said "Haha... ling." She laughed at me even more that I knew the word. I didn't mean to agree and call him a monkey--I was just showing off that I knew the word. I don't think anyone took offense :)
I finished off the night by going to the Moon Bar in Vertigo restaurant, all of which is in the Banyan Tree Hotel. Super swanky. When I got there, on the ground floor, I saw a dress code sign, which I read and then ignored--I didn't have anything else with me. When I got to the top top top floor, where the bar was, the friendly Thai people took away my Reef sandals and gave me these quirky white loafers to wear. No open toed shoes, you see. They looked kind of dumb--Lonely Planet had not said anything about a dress code. I saw several other girls wearing them too, though.
So I sat on the open-air rooftop bar of this hotel and just looked at the city. Watched the sun go down. It was smoggy and cloudy, so the sunset wasn't that wonderful, but it was awe-inspiring to look out at the whole city, especially with all the bright lights once it got dark. I said my goodbyes to Bangkok.
