bangkok 1 thursday

The ariport is brown here, brown tiles, brown glass panes, brown pillars, brown cornices, brown people with perfect smiles on their faces. There is little wonder this place is called the city of angels, because everyone is so ready to help, from the point of touch down, its been just greetings after greetings, and staff station around the baggage claims to help weary travelers pick up their heavy luggage, golf sets. I saw this beautiful European trunk, the long almost coffin like trunks that scream old world—the embroidery of roses and the leather strap and the cute little push pin locks.

The flight here was eventful, perhaps because the plane took off into the rain—turbulence and changing heights mean a 2h long roller coaster ride for me. I’ve always been a nervous flyer, always been jittery about flights, short ones and long ones. Funny, this time I couldn’t quite fall asleep—perhaps due to nerves of the upcoming meeting, or perhaps the quaintest book I picked up at the airport bookstore: the sea by John Banville—winner of the 2005 Man Booker Prize. It’s beautiful prose and vivid description made me wish that I had chosen this book en route to Bintan or even Bali, instead of here, landlocked.

I got my first look at the Chao Praya river, or at least a glimpse of what should be the Chao Praya—from my tiny window on the plane, this country is a beautiful painting of parallel lines, green open fields and small linear housings. I want to visit the fields, and maybe see them plant—but this is post planting season, more like the waiting season, where all the seedlings take root and begin their journey towards the sun, before maturity and harvest.

I wish mariann was here on the plane, I could explain the housing patterns down the river, and point out the irrigation lines. I think she would love this city, with its warm smiles and willingness. Only, maybe when she’s a little older, and more able to understand cultural diversity in this land.

It’s a beautiful place, and we only start work at 6pm today. I hope, I hope I get the chance today to see the temples, It’s sun-kissed gold tips and it’s ornate charm.

Please pray it doesn’t rain.

--10.33am; Bangkok International Airport; Café.

The hotel is filled with things to do, it gets quite amazing trying to fit this many things into our day, just had lunch at what our Thai counterpart calls a safe roadside stall, even for my usually over sensitive stomach, the food was simply gastronomic.

We had the most amazing glass noodle pat thai, thailand’s signature dish of noodles, sticky wet, with chicken, sauce, crushed nuts, spring onions, kangkong, and topped off with sugar and fish sauce. (I take mine mai ped, which translates to no chilli). Then it was followed by beef noodles, though curious why it was served with chicken meat rather than beef, again, amazing tastes, as real and as authetic as it got

Next stop, MBK.

--2.25pm, Princeton Park Suites, Room 1428

MBK was not what I had expected of MBK, specifically, I was expecting street stalls, selling their wares and a kaleidoscope of colors and smells, with hawkers screaming at you to look inside and find something that catches your eye. Essentially it looked exactly like far east plaza, where prices aren’t even that fantastic.

We found melt in your mouth donuts, and spent most of our stomach space wolfing down fresh soft donuts that simply melt in one’s mouth, and left us craving for more. We stopped at 2 donut shops—dunkin’ donuts and mister donut—the latter was more mouth watering.

--10.35pm