Thursday, October 05, 2006
Looks like rain again
There is a saying that when one is tired of London, one is tired of life. I like to think that it easily translates to shopping. And you'll be pleased to hear, I have not yet tired of life. Or shopping. Or, for that matter, Bangkok, or kokkers as I like to think of it.
Last night, Ammie took me to Suan Lum Night Bazaar, this time I managed not to get off to such a clumsy start. I managed to pick up some great stuff for Miso Funky and also somehow managed to buy 6 handbags - however as only 1 (ok, possibly 2) of these are for me, I feel that it is justifiable. I do have a problem with this sort of shopping - everything I see I think, "oh, Jo would LOVE that!" Or "hmm, mum would like that for Christmas", or as has happened so far - "Oh Marceline would look great in this t-shirt" and "sock monkeys for 180 bhat, I'll take 2". I always see things for other people and end up not buying things for myself really, although I suppose that might just make me generous. Or stupid.
Anyway, as we are doing more shopping this evening, and I still have a surplus of bhat, then I will endeavour to make more of it this time. I think we are heading for Patpong and Silom this evening - cheap DVDs all round. I have a list of scary movies to try to find for Lee, so I will be scouring the streets - or at least visiting the shop I went to last time to see if they are still there.
Last night I saw some real-life, every day ladyboys and I must say, they were absolutely stunning. It takes quite a few glances to even pick up the suggestion that all is not what it seems - very convincing. And very beautiful! I felt quite the heifer next to them! I also probably got a better deal on things than when I went myself earlier in the week, as Ammie was quite the haggler.
It is strange not really knowing what is going on when people are talking around you. I can pick up a few words here and there (strangely the words for full, lovely and 24 - they don't come up in one sentence very often though), but phone conversations are a mystery, for example. I can get the "hello" part and then a lot of "ka ... ka, ka ... ka ... ka.. ka" and then several bursts of something unintelligible and the phone goes down - I don't know what goodbye is, so it always seems very abrupt. Also, strangely, many people seem to answer their mobiles with "hellooooo" rather than the the thai "sawasdee ka" - maybe like we'd say bonjour or something.
Today, training went a bit better - in that when I got to work the system had mysteriously fixed itself over night and of course the company who look after said they had done nothing. They are notorious for not admitting their faults, so I have complained to their boss and hopefully they will get their collective asses kicked. The girls seem to have picked it up well, so time will tell if they have understood what I've been trying to get across.
For lunch today, we went to the Greyhound cafe, downstairs in the enormo-foyer of the office building. It was torrential rain outside, so it was totally heaving and we waited forever for our food, but it was very nice (Japanese noodles with chicken, mushrooms and celery - obviously I picked that out) and for afters Panny bought me an iced chocolate - basically a frozen milkshake. It proceeded to coat my hands and the floor in chocolatey goo, I don't think I was very popular with the cafe folks.
The office building needs to be seen to be quite believed. There must be several thousand people working here and in the basement is like a mini shopping mall, with lots of cafes and shops. There was also today a stall giving away Thai GQ magazine and strangely a stall by the entrance selling duvet covers and quilted blankets. The latter was a lot busier than the former for some reason. Today, I also saw a monk in his robes on the escalator. If only I had had my camera out in time! It was quite a bizarre sight.
Tonight, me and some of the girls and Jamie are going to Silom and Patpong, as aforementioned, so hopefully more larks to report of tomorrow. I have cunningly managed to book a flight home on Sunday morning, so I have all day Saturday here too and still make it home for Sunday lunchtime - because of the time difference, I am gaining 6 hours, so I will be back to reality on Monday - but I bet it's still raining.
posted by Claire @ 10/05/2006 06:14:00 pm |
4 comments
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Yep, it is, as you suspect, pishing it down here.
Interestingly (or not) I'm currently reading a book about Doctor Johnson, and just learned that it was he who famously said "When one is bored of London, one is bored of life." This was in the 18th century. Wonder what he'd make of it now?
a ha - what a coincidence! What did he do apart from say that?
He wrote the first comprehensive dictionary of the English language, that's what. No mean feat.
oh, is THAT all? :)