Bangkok
Another successful work thing is in the books, which means I'm about six hours from jumping on a plane and heading home. I should probably think about packing. Maybe. Before I do, though, some random thoughts about Bangkok:
1. The lack of traffic lights is ... odd. The fact that instead of traffic lights, there seems to be a person directing traffic at nearly every intersection is also odd. But, it really does seem to be significantly more effective than a traffic light. There's a crapton of traffic but somehow people keep getting through and there really is no explanation other than the fact that the people blowing whistles nonstop is working. Except, THERE ARE PEOPLE BLOWING WHISTLES NONSTOP.
It's on my nerves.
2. Google may say that NYC has a bigger population than Bangkok, but I think it's a lie. I have never seen as many people crammed into as small a space as I did when we took the train to dinner the other night. I didn't have to hold anything as the train lurched from stop to stop because there was a mass of people holding each other perfectly upright. So many people.
3. It's likely only coming to mind because I was in the Middle East a few months ago, but it's startling how very little sexism there is in Thailand. In fact, some coworkers who are from this region were asking me why there are so few female managers at our USA office and ... WELP. I have all of the thoughts about that, but I'll save them. In general, though, I haven't caught a single whiff of anything other than respect while here.
4. For group photos, everyone automatically says, "Women to the front" and it ends up looking weird in the photos, but it's not at all weird in person. It's a respect thing or something and makes it real easy to get the shorter people towards the front with the taller in the back, except for that thing where I'm a giant compared to most everyone here. Heh.
5. OMG the traffic cops with their whistles.
6. The streets are filled with vendors selling everything from meat on a stick to Cialis to cheap clothes and it's pretty awesome. Except the meat on a stick. They can keep that.
7. So. Much. Coffee. There's more Starbucks here than in Pittsburgh and in between each of the Starbucks are 17 other coffee shops.
8. There's a lot of prostitutes standing along the street near the mall and train station across from my hotel. A LOT. And they all look like they are in complete command of everything in their life.
9. There's also a lot of small children living on the street. I'm going to be thinking about the little boy close in age to Mila who sleeps under the stairs across the street from my hotel for a long time.
10. We did a "team building" event at my work thing that involved getting measured for a custom suit. Really. I wound up with a jacket, skirt, and pants and I paid a whopping $35 for it all. Somehow the magicians called tailors here are able to measure you, let you pick a fabric, and then make a completely custom suit in 24 hours. And it's cheap.
11. Everything is cheap. I walked through H&M earlier and didn't find a single thing that cost more than $10 US.
12. Tariffs are dumb. Don't ask me to elaborate unless you have a WHOLE lot of time on your hands.
13. Most of the taxis are motorcycles. It makes sense because they can cut through traffic much more quickly, but it's still disconcerting.
14. There are SO many health clubs and spas around. SO MANY. They're just as common as Starbucks.
15. Everyone is very polite and kind and they all speak English. It makes life significantly easier.
16. I really should schedule an extra day on these sorts of trips so I can get out and see more, but ... maybe when the girls are older.
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
Reader Comments (2)
#3 - we could learn so many lesssons
#9 oof teared up
#12 couldn't agree more
So I should not get Mila a whistle for Christmas?