Thursday, September 3, 2009
Unexpected turn of events
I am unexpectedly home early from Thailand. Family emergency on Monday, US-time had me on a plane home in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, Thai-time. I hope to return to Southeast Asia again one day; it was a lovely place to visit for even a very short time.
Monday, August 31, 2009
First day at work
I'm "home" from an 11 hour workday, completely exhausted, with a terrible headache. Why is it I couldn't just come to Thailand to play ... something about my company footing the bill?
Meetings with the bank today were very interesting. Anywhere from 4 to 8 Thai bank employees in the meetings at any given time, but only three people ever spoke directly to me or my colleagues. The Thai folks all understand English well, and most speak English, but they are nervous and reluctant to speak, so almost all questions and comments are channeled through one woman. There were two guys who were willing to pose their own questions, but they weren't in the room the whole time, and didn't have many questions when they were. The bankers spend quite a lot of time discussing items among themselves, which is common in these types of meetings, so much of my time is spent waiting for them to finish their discussions and then either suggest we continue or ask questions or make comments. The uncommon part is that I have no idea what they're saying, so I'm completely unable to participate unless a specific question is directed to me. In the meantime, my two Indian colleagues are on the other side of me having their own side conversations in Hindi. Strange.
Click for updated pictures.
Meetings with the bank today were very interesting. Anywhere from 4 to 8 Thai bank employees in the meetings at any given time, but only three people ever spoke directly to me or my colleagues. The Thai folks all understand English well, and most speak English, but they are nervous and reluctant to speak, so almost all questions and comments are channeled through one woman. There were two guys who were willing to pose their own questions, but they weren't in the room the whole time, and didn't have many questions when they were. The bankers spend quite a lot of time discussing items among themselves, which is common in these types of meetings, so much of my time is spent waiting for them to finish their discussions and then either suggest we continue or ask questions or make comments. The uncommon part is that I have no idea what they're saying, so I'm completely unable to participate unless a specific question is directed to me. In the meantime, my two Indian colleagues are on the other side of me having their own side conversations in Hindi. Strange.
Click for updated pictures.
Pictures!
Try the pictures links again. I had the Picasa album set as Unlisted, which I think was the problem. Let me know if you still can't see the pix.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Chatuchak
Despite the thunderstorms this morning and the perpetually overcast sky (it is the rainy season afterall... more on this in a minute), I ventured out to the Chatuchak Weekend Market. I had my choice of taking the subway or the SkyTrain to the market, so I opted for the SkyTrain, which is new, cheap, safe, and gives a great view of the city.
I wandered around this vast market for several hours and only got completely lost once! Actually, I was probably completely lost for the entire time I was there, I just didn't know it until the one time I thought I'd try to find my way home. It is probably several square miles of stalls with people selling absolutely everything you can imagine. Many of the booths contain handicrafts like woodworking, jewelry, silk clothing and household linens, others have souvenier-type items for sale. The food is everywhere, some of it smells GREAT and some smells AWFUL, and since I didn't have anyone with me to let me know if any of it was safe for a foreigner like me to try, I steered clear of all edibles. I made some purchases and spent a lovely afternoon wandering. Too bad it's only open on the weekends.
Now a note about the seasons here. According to my tourguide Pong, Thailand has three seasons: Winter, Summer, and Rainy. The date that the season changes is up to the King, and the way that he declares the season has changed is by climbing up to the Emerald Buddha and changing his (the Buddha's) clothes. Winter starts in December, but the date depends on when the King changes Buddha into his Winter robes. Summer starts in March, but again the exact date depends on the King & the Emerald Buddha. The rainy season starts in July (thus the thunderstorms and perpetually overcast skies here in the last week of August), so Buddha was dressed in his rainy wear when I saw him yesterday. I like a country where the attire determines the season and not the other way around.
Check out updated pix
I wandered around this vast market for several hours and only got completely lost once! Actually, I was probably completely lost for the entire time I was there, I just didn't know it until the one time I thought I'd try to find my way home. It is probably several square miles of stalls with people selling absolutely everything you can imagine. Many of the booths contain handicrafts like woodworking, jewelry, silk clothing and household linens, others have souvenier-type items for sale. The food is everywhere, some of it smells GREAT and some smells AWFUL, and since I didn't have anyone with me to let me know if any of it was safe for a foreigner like me to try, I steered clear of all edibles. I made some purchases and spent a lovely afternoon wandering. Too bad it's only open on the weekends.
Now a note about the seasons here. According to my tourguide Pong, Thailand has three seasons: Winter, Summer, and Rainy. The date that the season changes is up to the King, and the way that he declares the season has changed is by climbing up to the Emerald Buddha and changing his (the Buddha's) clothes. Winter starts in December, but the date depends on when the King changes Buddha into his Winter robes. Summer starts in March, but again the exact date depends on the King & the Emerald Buddha. The rainy season starts in July (thus the thunderstorms and perpetually overcast skies here in the last week of August), so Buddha was dressed in his rainy wear when I saw him yesterday. I like a country where the attire determines the season and not the other way around.
Grand Palace & Thai massage
I followed the advice of many friends and hired a tour guide to take me around Bangkok yesterday. For 1,700 Thai baht (about 50 USD), I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with Pong, a 57yr old Thai man, born and raised in Bangkok, studied law as a student, lived in Germany for four years, taught law at the University, and now has been a tourguide for the past 20 years. He was awesome! A driver comes with the tour, so Pong could spend his time waxing eloquent about Bangkok and not worrying about the traffic or where to park. The driver stays with the van, and is available whenever we want to move.
On the way to the Grand Palace, we drove through Chinatown (does every city in the world have a Chinatown?!), and Indiatown. We drove through the biggest flower market I've ever seen ... city blocks of nothing but fresh flowers, either arranged or in bulk. My sister-in-law, Angie, would have been in heaven! Then came the vegetable market, then the fruit market, smaller than the flower market, but still very substantial! Food vendors everywhere. It took nearly an hour to get to the Grand Palace because the traffic was intense, but we finally did arrive and our driver dropped us at the front gate.
The Grand Palace is the old palace and Buddhist temple of the king of Thailand. All the kings are called King Rama (good king). Thailand is on Rama IX, but he is 87 years old, so Rama X shouldn't be long in coming, although a new law was passed recently that allows the daughter of the king to become Queen, so Thailand may soon have it's first Queen, head of state (as opposed to Queen, wife of the King). Pong & I wandered the grounds for a couple hours, him talking on and on about every aspect of the palace, the temple, the grounds, everything. He'd stop and let me take pictures, and then we'd continue on. It was great. I learned a lot, and since Pong kept up a running commentary, I didn't feel obligated to do much talking.
When we left the palace, we drove through the government area of town and past the current palace and House of Parliament. We had to take an obligatory stop at the Gem store. The Thai are very proud of their sapphires and rubies, and nearly every tour of the city requires a stop at a relatively high-pressure sales Gem store with a VAST display of uniquely designed, quite expensive jewelry. I knew it was coming, and I was prepared for the sales pitch. As I was walking out deliberately empty-handed, my saleslady stated that next time I needed to come back with a "good rich boyfriend." She said he needed to be both good and rich, because if he was rich but not good, he wouldn't let me spend his money, and if he was good but not rich, then why bother! Spoken like a true Thai!
After the gem store, the tour was essentially done, so Pong said he could drop me in one of three places: my apartment, the Weekend Market (HUGE outdoor market open every weekend, which we had discussed, and where I am probably going today), or at a spa for a traditional Thai massage and foot massage. I opted for the massage (also a recommendation of something I could not leave Thailand without). For the next 2.5 hours, I had the most wonderful massage, and left feeling completely relaxed and happy! I even managed to bargain a rate with the taxi driver to take me back to my apartment.
Day 1 in Bangkok, Fabulous! Here's pictures.
On the way to the Grand Palace, we drove through Chinatown (does every city in the world have a Chinatown?!), and Indiatown. We drove through the biggest flower market I've ever seen ... city blocks of nothing but fresh flowers, either arranged or in bulk. My sister-in-law, Angie, would have been in heaven! Then came the vegetable market, then the fruit market, smaller than the flower market, but still very substantial! Food vendors everywhere. It took nearly an hour to get to the Grand Palace because the traffic was intense, but we finally did arrive and our driver dropped us at the front gate.
The Grand Palace is the old palace and Buddhist temple of the king of Thailand. All the kings are called King Rama (good king). Thailand is on Rama IX, but he is 87 years old, so Rama X shouldn't be long in coming, although a new law was passed recently that allows the daughter of the king to become Queen, so Thailand may soon have it's first Queen, head of state (as opposed to Queen, wife of the King). Pong & I wandered the grounds for a couple hours, him talking on and on about every aspect of the palace, the temple, the grounds, everything. He'd stop and let me take pictures, and then we'd continue on. It was great. I learned a lot, and since Pong kept up a running commentary, I didn't feel obligated to do much talking.
When we left the palace, we drove through the government area of town and past the current palace and House of Parliament. We had to take an obligatory stop at the Gem store. The Thai are very proud of their sapphires and rubies, and nearly every tour of the city requires a stop at a relatively high-pressure sales Gem store with a VAST display of uniquely designed, quite expensive jewelry. I knew it was coming, and I was prepared for the sales pitch. As I was walking out deliberately empty-handed, my saleslady stated that next time I needed to come back with a "good rich boyfriend." She said he needed to be both good and rich, because if he was rich but not good, he wouldn't let me spend his money, and if he was good but not rich, then why bother! Spoken like a true Thai!
After the gem store, the tour was essentially done, so Pong said he could drop me in one of three places: my apartment, the Weekend Market (HUGE outdoor market open every weekend, which we had discussed, and where I am probably going today), or at a spa for a traditional Thai massage and foot massage. I opted for the massage (also a recommendation of something I could not leave Thailand without). For the next 2.5 hours, I had the most wonderful massage, and left feeling completely relaxed and happy! I even managed to bargain a rate with the taxi driver to take me back to my apartment.
Day 1 in Bangkok, Fabulous! Here's pictures.
Saturday, August 29, 2009
BKK
I'm HERE! Or there, to all of you. So much to blog... where do I start??
When I found my seat on the double-decker 747 in Atlanta yesterday afternoon, I was beyond dismayed to see that a young mom with a just-turned-one-year-old (who didn't have her own seat) was sitting next to me. Thankfully the seat on the other side of the mom did not have a passenger in it (believe me, she and I were both keeping our fingers crossed on that one!), so Baby Girl did in fact get her own seat. But I quickly got over my dismay as I got to know Leila (not sure how you spell her name... phonetically it's LAY-luh); she was the sweetest little girl who did not seem at all to mind the 13.5 hour flight into Tokyo. Her mom (whose name I didn't get) and her dad are both stationed 2 hours outside Tokyo with, I believe, the US Army (but it could be another branch of the US military). When Leila slept, I also managed to catch some ZZZZs, but she was awake for most of the trip, relatively happy and very active, which means her mom & I were both awake too, since she was crawling all over all the seats, whether they had people in them or not!
I bid Leila farewell in Tokyo and spent the 1.5 hours of layover wandering the hallways of Narita Airport. I just needed to walk after having been sitting (except for a few walks up & down the aisles of the plane) for half a day. The flight to Bangkok left ontime at 7p Tokyo time (=5p Bangkok time = 5a EST) and touched down in Bangkok at 11:30p, then there was Immigration, Baggage Claim, Customs, Cab, and Check-in, and I was in my apartment just shy of 24 hours after I left Atlanta.
The corporate apartment I'm staying in is GREAT! It's huge, has a little kitchen with modern appliances (like I'd cook in Thailand... I don't even cook at home!), dining area, big bedroom area with a nice comfortable bed and a sitting area, big bathroom with a very large dressing area, and a little office nook. I even have a good sized patio off the sitting area. At my complimentary breakfast this morning, I had a choice of traditional morning eats from Thailand (curried veggies), Japan (fried rice w fish), US (omlette, cereal), and Europe (fruits, pastry), so I tried a little of everything! Since I'd only gotten another 5 hours of sleep, thankfully the coffee was very European and delicious.
My panic attacks for the morning all centered around electronic connections:
1. My voltage converter won't work with my hair dryer or straightener
2. My voltage converter wouldn't work with my cell charger
3. I forgot that I will need a voltage converter for my laptop, on which I have to work all week
4. I couldn't dial the cell numbers that I have for my two Indian colleagues
The resolution to the panics, which occured over the course of the day:
1. I can shower at night and my hair will dry by morning, and it's so humid here, straightening it is probably not how I need to waste my time anyway.
2. I found a plug where my cell charger will work!!! This was my greatest concern - I can't be without contact with home for a week!
3. I talked to my colleagues (see resolution #4), and we decided we had little choice but to just take it as it comes. But later when I looked more closely at the laptop's power cord, I may not need a converter. I just need someone more electrically-savvy than me to confirm it before I plug the $8000 laptop into a wall and blow it up!
4. I got the receptionist at the front desk to help me dial the cell numbers properly, so they did finally connect, and I met the guys I'll be working with this week.
OK, that gets us through noon today. Next post will be about my adventure with my hired interpreter in Bangkok this afternoon.
When I found my seat on the double-decker 747 in Atlanta yesterday afternoon, I was beyond dismayed to see that a young mom with a just-turned-one-year-old (who didn't have her own seat) was sitting next to me. Thankfully the seat on the other side of the mom did not have a passenger in it (believe me, she and I were both keeping our fingers crossed on that one!), so Baby Girl did in fact get her own seat. But I quickly got over my dismay as I got to know Leila (not sure how you spell her name... phonetically it's LAY-luh); she was the sweetest little girl who did not seem at all to mind the 13.5 hour flight into Tokyo. Her mom (whose name I didn't get) and her dad are both stationed 2 hours outside Tokyo with, I believe, the US Army (but it could be another branch of the US military). When Leila slept, I also managed to catch some ZZZZs, but she was awake for most of the trip, relatively happy and very active, which means her mom & I were both awake too, since she was crawling all over all the seats, whether they had people in them or not!
I bid Leila farewell in Tokyo and spent the 1.5 hours of layover wandering the hallways of Narita Airport. I just needed to walk after having been sitting (except for a few walks up & down the aisles of the plane) for half a day. The flight to Bangkok left ontime at 7p Tokyo time (=5p Bangkok time = 5a EST) and touched down in Bangkok at 11:30p, then there was Immigration, Baggage Claim, Customs, Cab, and Check-in, and I was in my apartment just shy of 24 hours after I left Atlanta.
The corporate apartment I'm staying in is GREAT! It's huge, has a little kitchen with modern appliances (like I'd cook in Thailand... I don't even cook at home!), dining area, big bedroom area with a nice comfortable bed and a sitting area, big bathroom with a very large dressing area, and a little office nook. I even have a good sized patio off the sitting area. At my complimentary breakfast this morning, I had a choice of traditional morning eats from Thailand (curried veggies), Japan (fried rice w fish), US (omlette, cereal), and Europe (fruits, pastry), so I tried a little of everything! Since I'd only gotten another 5 hours of sleep, thankfully the coffee was very European and delicious.
My panic attacks for the morning all centered around electronic connections:
1. My voltage converter won't work with my hair dryer or straightener
2. My voltage converter wouldn't work with my cell charger
3. I forgot that I will need a voltage converter for my laptop, on which I have to work all week
4. I couldn't dial the cell numbers that I have for my two Indian colleagues
The resolution to the panics, which occured over the course of the day:
1. I can shower at night and my hair will dry by morning, and it's so humid here, straightening it is probably not how I need to waste my time anyway.
2. I found a plug where my cell charger will work!!! This was my greatest concern - I can't be without contact with home for a week!
3. I talked to my colleagues (see resolution #4), and we decided we had little choice but to just take it as it comes. But later when I looked more closely at the laptop's power cord, I may not need a converter. I just need someone more electrically-savvy than me to confirm it before I plug the $8000 laptop into a wall and blow it up!
4. I got the receptionist at the front desk to help me dial the cell numbers properly, so they did finally connect, and I met the guys I'll be working with this week.
OK, that gets us through noon today. Next post will be about my adventure with my hired interpreter in Bangkok this afternoon.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Leavin' on a jet plane
I love that song. Always have. Maybe it's because I knew I was destined to travel one day when I was all grown up. :-)
My plane leaves ATL at 2:20p EST tomorrow, and I'm very excited! I'm all but packed, just a few last minute things to do in the morning and a quick stop at the office on the way to the airport to photocopy my passport... just in case. I even remembered to locate my voltage changer and plug adapters and to pack all those pesky chargers for every little piece of electronics equipment that I would not survive without... the phone, the camera, the laptop ... Kids are nearly packed for the weekend at their dad's, and the doggies are ready for the weekend home alone with the dog-sitter. Mom comes in on Sunday to take care of EVERYTHING for the week, and that makes me very happy. Nothing to worry about when Mom's here!
I'll be 11 hours ahead of you folks on Eastern Standard time, but I'm hoping that time difference will make chatting with the kids and Mom not too challenging. By the time I'm out of work for the day, they should be up-and-at-em for the morning, and before I leave for work in the morning, they'll be home from soccer practice and other evening events. I don't see my kids much more than that these days anyway... they'll hardly know I'm gone!!
Next update from Thailand!
My plane leaves ATL at 2:20p EST tomorrow, and I'm very excited! I'm all but packed, just a few last minute things to do in the morning and a quick stop at the office on the way to the airport to photocopy my passport... just in case. I even remembered to locate my voltage changer and plug adapters and to pack all those pesky chargers for every little piece of electronics equipment that I would not survive without... the phone, the camera, the laptop ... Kids are nearly packed for the weekend at their dad's, and the doggies are ready for the weekend home alone with the dog-sitter. Mom comes in on Sunday to take care of EVERYTHING for the week, and that makes me very happy. Nothing to worry about when Mom's here!
I'll be 11 hours ahead of you folks on Eastern Standard time, but I'm hoping that time difference will make chatting with the kids and Mom not too challenging. By the time I'm out of work for the day, they should be up-and-at-em for the morning, and before I leave for work in the morning, they'll be home from soccer practice and other evening events. I don't see my kids much more than that these days anyway... they'll hardly know I'm gone!!
Next update from Thailand!
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