texasfight.org :: david

Netflix on the PS3 is awesome! High-def streaming!

finished #UNCHARTED2 in Normal Mode

completed Chapter 23 in #UNCHARTED2

gained 5 Trophies playing #UNCHARTED2 over the past 6 days

gained 5 Trophies playing #UNCHARTED2 over the past 3 days

Check out my pics and videos from the trip!

Picture Gallery

Videos:

Kangaroos!

Waterfall in the Blue Mountains:

Intt and a Parrot at the Blue Mountains (sorry for being sideways):

Intt on the Ferry to Manly Beach:

Safari is good. Safari with 1Password and AdBlock is better.
iChat is good. iChat with Chax is better.
QuickTime Player is good. QuickTime Player with Perian is better.

My friends Siam and Meow went off to Bangkok to get married. A group of us decided to go to the ceremony and get a chance to see a part of the world we’d never been before. So, we bought the plane tickets and set off on our grand adventure!

BYE BYE BANGKOK

Today is our last day to enjoy Bangkok. Siam and Meow are heading back to Dallas today, so they are spending time with their family and friends. Meanwhile, Tang and her brother are going to take care of us. We have some more sightseeing to do! We all pile into a van and head off.

Today is hot. Really hot. Before the trip, I was warned that this is the hottest time of the year in Thailand. We had been really lucky so far with a lot of cloud cover and intermittent rain. Well, there’s not a cloud in the sky today, and it’s similar to Austin in August.

Wat Arun

First up is Wat Arun. This is a really impressive sight. From far away, you can’t see any detail, but when you get up close, you can see it’s covered with really intricate porcelain designs. It’s also got stairs running up it to two terraces. The stairs are STEEP, and honestly, a little scary. You can see that at some point they wised up and put in a handrail. I climb up to the first terrace and walk around. You can really see the city from up here. It also gets me closer to the unforgiving sun. I’m still recovering from the night before, and I decline making the trip to the second terrace, which has a much STEEPER stairway. Neff makes the trip up, though, in the name of good photography opportunities. I make my descent back to ground — slowly, and holding the handrail at all times. I wander around a bit, and then find the one sliver of shade on the entire temple grounds until it’s time to head out.

Pineapple fried rice

We all skipped breakfast this morning. Why would we want to get the taste of grasshoppers out of our mouths? But now we’re hungry again, and Tang’s brother drives us to a Thai restaurant. It’s fancy — there’s a woman singing Thai songs and a piano is accompanying. The tables are covered with white tablecloths. Most importantly, it’s air-conditioned.

The meal is excellent — I have a chicken curry, but I’m jealous of Tang’s brother, who orders pineapple fried rice. It comes out in a hollowed out pineapple! I have a taste, and it’s delicious.

Hanging out at the National Assembly

After lunch, we head out to the National Assembly building. This is another impressive sight, although it’s definitely influenced by Western architecture. Inside, they are exhibiting the pieces of art created to celebrate the anniversary of the king’s ascension to the throne. Cameras were not allowed inside. The pieces are really awe-inspiring — very intricate (and very large) works made almost entirely of gold. More interestingly, they are also made using beetle wings, which are a really cool iridescent emerald color. The beetle wings only stay brilliant if they die a natural death. Each piece contains thousands of wings. I know this because we’ve been outfitted with those art museum individual tour walkmans.

Once we’ve seen enough, we hang around the grounds a bit, and then head back to the hotel. I take another shower, then head out to Siam Square. Our time in Bangkok is running short, and there are souvenirs to buy! I get a cool Thai Coke shirt (for $4), along with some other knickknacks. We also eat some Thai ice cream. It’s really good. I’m not sure what flavor I had, but it was delicious. It’s a little more of a subtle flavor than traditional ice cream.

Now that we’re full of ice cream, it’s time to meet Tang’s family for dinner at a seafood restaurant. We had met them previously at the dim-sum restaurant earlier in the week. Like the dim-sum place, we get a VIP room. Unlike last time, there’s a bottle of whisky for us to enjoy.

Last meal in Bangkok

The food is spectacular as always. One of the plates has thousand-year eggs on them. These are eggs, but they have been preserved, and they are black. Jon eats one, and then Tang’s brother tells him, “it’s horse pee”. I laugh. Jon doesn’t. (Note: the eggs aren’t really preserved with horse pee, it’s just a tall tale.)

We thank Tang’s family for the meal, and then head off to the night market for final souvenir shopping. This is similar to the night market we were at last night, but this is a little nicer, and there are no insects to eat. It’s also still hot, and I’m sweating profusely. We wander around for a while, and then it’s time to go back to the hotel.

Overall, it’s a pretty tame day, but that’s fine by us. I think we’ve done justice to Bangkok. We hit the hay early — after all, we have a flight to Japan tomorrow, and we have to be up and ready to go at 3:30 AM. Ouch!

My friends Siam and Meow went off to Bangkok to get married. A group of us decided to go to the ceremony and get a chance to see a part of the world we’d never been before. So, we bought the plane tickets and set off on our grand adventure!

LADYBOYS AND GRASSHOPPERS

Today is going to be fun. It’s time for a road trip! A big group of us are headed to Pattaya. It’s a city on the coast about and hour and a half from Bangkok. It’s a city that has a kind of bad reputation — you’ve heard of seedy things happening in Thailand? This is where it happens. Nevertheless, we will be joined on our trip with Siam’s mom and one of her friends. We pile into a van and head out to the highway.

Halfway to Pattaya, it’s lunch time. We stop at a rest stop on the side of the road — guess what’s for lunch? Khao Mun Gai! The stuff I loved so much from breakfast yesterday. We all order it, and I decide to splurge and have Coke from the bottle. It tastes good — like everywhere else except the US, it’s made with real sugar. There are eight of us on the trip. The meal costs a grand total of $12. Unbelievable.

We head back on the road, and before you know it, we’re in Pattaya. It’s a resort town for sure, and they are building gigantic condos everywhere. We’re headed to one such place now — one of the friends of Siam’s family owns a condo here and is gracious enough to let us visit for a while. But first, we stop by a fruit market — these places are everywhere, and everyone loves to eat fruit here.

We get lots of fruit, and this ain’t stuff you find in HEB. I don’t know half of the names of the fruit, but they are all tasty. I should also mention there’s a special fruit here in Thailand called durian. This looks a little like pineapple, but that’s where the similarities end. Once you open up durian, you start to smell it. It smells like garbage. Not only that, you can smell it from far away. We don’t get any durian this time, but in Phuket I got to taste some. It doesn’t taste bad, really. In fact, it’s pretty good. If you hold your nose, that is.

Condos in Pattaya

Once we’re loaded with fruit, we head to the condo. It’s really nice. It’s also very Western — you could just as easily be in California once you set foot in it. We greet the family who owns the condo (we met them originally at the wedding) and head out to the beach, which is just feet from the door. We wander around for a bit, hang out by the pool, and chow down on fruit. It’s nice.

After a while, it’s time to move on to central Pattaya. We pile back into the van, and move on. This is where all the go-go bars are. It’s also close to the show we’re going to see tonight: it’s called Alcazar. It’s a Vegas-style show, except all the performers are ladyboys. What’s a ladyboy? It’s a girl that used to be a guy. Or, a guy that’s in transition to becoming a girl. You get the idea. Ladyboys are part of the culture of Thailand, so you better just accept it. Anyway, as we’re driving in the van, we see two attractive Thai women drinking at a bar. Siam’s mom says, “Look! Mother and son!” We laugh.

Siam’s mom also thinks it will be entertaining to kick us out of the van and have us wander the streets while they speed off. So, the next thing you know, we’re headed out on foot. Everytime we pass a go-go bar, the girls all yell at us, kind of like catcalls. It’s a little crazy! One girl actually grabs my arm as we pass by. We’re starting to pick up a few key Thai phrases by now, and one useful one is, “Mai ow!”, which means “I’m not interested.” We say “mai ow” a lot on this street.

Jon’s had enough of the catcalls, and we duck into an English pub for a drink. We all order big pints of Tiger Beer, drink up, and then it’s back to the van for the show.

After a really quick meal — we’re running late for the show — we head in to Alcazar. The show begins, and the ladyboys take the stage.

The show material is pretty tame — it’s just lip-synched show tunes and dance numbers. But that’s okay, because the whole time you’re thinking, “if I met this person on the street, would I know it was a ladyboy?” A couple of them are really good looking, I have to admit. Alex seems to be taking a lot of pictures during the show.

Me and a ladyboy after the Alcazar show

After the show, you have the opportunity to take pictures with the performers in the parking lot. We all get pictures taken. It’s also an opportunity to hear their voices, and this is the real giveaway. They sound like dudes. They’re still cute, though.

After the show, it’s time to go back to Bangkok. We get back just in time to head out on the town again. We say goodbye to Siam’s mom, get dressed up, and head to RCA again. This time, Jon will be joining us, so that’s good news. We all meet at a place called Route 66. It’s very similar to the club we were at last night, but this time we get a real table. Also, this time Intt will be joining us. I heard through the grapevine (Intt -> Intt’s Mom -> Siam’s Mom -> Siam -> Me) that she liked me when we met a few days ago at Lizm. This is good news, and I’m pretty excited to see her again. The group orders a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black (again), and the music is good (again). Intt arrives and we dance and chat. Well, kinda. The music is really loud, and we can’t hear each other too well. I suggest we go outside and talk. She has another idea — she whips out her iPhone, and we chat by taking turns writing notes to each other on it.

Me, Intt, Kae, and Neff at Route 66

We’re all having lots of fun. We actually end up going through two bottles of whiskey tonight. Before you know it, the house lights are on, and it’s time to leave. I walk Intt outside and say goodbye. This is the last time I see her. But, I have her email address, and it won’t be the last time I chat with her.

It’s 2:30 AM. Time to go home, right? Wrong. We head out to a night market. This is basically a version of the JJ Market, except it’s only open at night. It’s packed. People are selling all sorts of stuff. We wander around and find a place to eat. It’s also apparently time to drink more, as Kae finds a place that sells whiskey shots. So, we’re doing alright.

Tasty grasshopper

We wander around some more, and run into a stall selling fried insects. You heard me. They have all sorts of insects for your enjoyment. It’s almost 4AM at this point, we’re drunk, and in Bangkok. The group determines that there is no better time to eat an insect or two. So, we order up grasshoppers, and Neff orders up a scorpion. That’s right, a scorpion. We eat them. It’s…. not bad, actually. The grasshopper is crispy, and it’s been liberally coated with seasoning by the proprietor. Jon actually ends up eating three of them.

We can’t believe we just did that. It’s time to go home now.

My friends Siam and Meow went off to Bangkok to get married. A group of us decided to go to the ceremony and get a chance to see a part of the world we’d never been before. So, we bought the plane tickets and set off on our grand adventure!

BACK TO BANGKOK

It’s morning in Phuket, and most everyone meets outside the guest house for breakfast. Meow isn’t feeling well, and would rather sleep in. We wander around and end up in a little restaurant that’s around the corner.

Breakfast in Thailand is a little different than the breakfast Americans are used to — there’s no bacon or eggs or toast. To Thais, breakfast is a meal just like lunch or dinner, and the food is the same. Siam takes care of ordering the food.

A little hungover and hungry for breakfast

They bring out a dish called Khao Mun Gai (”chicken rice”). This is basically boiled chicken served with rice cooked in chicken stock. Sound plain? It would be, except it’s served with a side of sauce. I can’t describe this sauce, but it’s basically a little slice of heaven on earth. It’s spicy and delicious. I pour the sauce on the chicken, and eat away. I clean my plate, and finish off the chicken broth soup that comes as a side. What an awesome breakfast! How much for this culinary delight? About a dollar.

We all clean up and head back to the airport. We’re going back to Bangkok! We say goodbye to Note, and get on the plane.

After an uneventful flight, we take a cab to our new digs, the Asia Hotel. This isn’t as nice as the first hotel we stayed at in Bangkok, but it’s a very convenient location — close to the Skytrain and Siam Square. Siam and Meow go back with their families, so Tang will be our escort today.

I should take a break here and talk about Bangkok. It’s different than a typical big city in America. I’ve mentioned the traffic before — it’s insane. But, the general city layout is different. The streets are lined with multi-story buildings. The first floor of every building is a shop. And in front of the shop is, invariably, several carts selling all types of food. Food is everywhere in Bangkok — you can’t go more than a few steps without smelling something cooking. There’s almost not enough room to walk on the sidewalk, because it’s full of food vendors!

At the grounds of the Jim Thompson House

Once we all get checked in, we head out to the street. We’re only a few blocks from the Jim Thompson House. This is a wooden home that was built by, you guessed it, Jim Thompson. He was an American expat who ended up in Thailand, and adopted their culture. He revived the Thai Silk industry, and built this house in the traditional Thai style. It’s very well done, and the tour of the home is entertaining — mainly because of our tour guide. She prefaces almost every sentence with the words, “Ladies and Gentlemen” in such a way that you think her next words are going to reveal the very secrets of life itself. In reality, she’s only pointing out that the porcelain figure on the floor is a chamberpot.

We hang around the grounds a bit, and enjoy a cold drink in the Jim Thompson restaurant. It’s very classy, and the air conditioning feels marvelous. Jon isn’t feeling too well at this point — he says his stomach is a little upset. We’re all a little tired at this point anyway, so we walk back to the hotel and take naps.

When we wake up, Jon still isn’t 100%, so we all go to dinner without him. We take the Skytrain to Siam Square and eat at the mall. This is probably the least exciting meal on the trip — what do you expect from mall food? I order some Tom Yum Gung. This is the same soup we had in Phuket that was so amazing. This version is a mere shadow of that soup. We eat our meals, get some water and bread for Jon, and head back to the hotel.

Rockin' the popped collar at Slim with Siam and Alex

Jon’s still in bed. He’s out for the night. However, this doesn’t stop us from going out and having fun. Kae (Meow’s maid of honor in the wedding) picks us up and takes us out on the town. At first, we go to a section of town that’s just crawling with farang. This isn’t our scene at all, so Kae takes us to a street called RCA (Royal City Avenue). This is something like Sixth Street here in Austin, except the clubs are much bigger. It’s also free from farang, so we’re happy. We go to a place called Slim. It’s a club that has some good DJs. All the tables are full, but those crafty Thais have a solution — they have little tiny rolling tables that are big enough to hold whiskey and mixers, and that’s about it. They set up a rolling table in the middle of the club, and we start drinking Johnnie Walker Black. Sitting is not an option, which is okay, because the music is good. Kae and friends want to be entertained, so they mix up a few strong drinks for me and push me out to go dance with the neighboring girls. It’s fun, though.

We stay out until closing time, and head back to the hotel. I like Bangkok.