August 20st 2009

Last night we landed in Bangkok. The air was hot, not as humid as I had imagined, but it felt like a warm Paso day. A dry heat that hit you like a wall climbing off the over-air-conditioned plane. Climbing into the taxi waiting to drive to Pattaya, I could feel that the transition from cool California days to hot Thai air might take a while. I was told jet lag is a lot worse if you think about the time where you came from, you had to think about where you were. 2 am in Thailand is about noon back in California, nap time after 2o+ hours of traveling was no problem at all. Waking up at the Peace Resort, I couldn't help but feel excited to get outside and experience...anything. The night and early morning had produced a rain and lightning show that impressed me even in the deepest slumber. You can always spot tourists by the way that look in every direction. The awe I had with every sight, Kelly didn't seem as phased, I just loved to see and compare. The Thai Spirit houses fascinated me, all houses and most businesses had two right next to one another. Small decorated wooden houses that looked like a doll-house or giant bird feeder. A taller one as a tribute to the Sky god and a shorter smaller one as a tribute to the Earth God. I read that this is a tradition borrowed from Hinduism in ancient times and is today found mainly in Thai culture. They gave them food, burned incense, gave drinks, and even little figurines. All the drinks had straws, offerings for the gods to please themselves. Everyone who lived in Thailand seemed to love straws, they always gave you a sickening glance if they saw you drinking straight from a water bottle or soda. As a result, their Gods would, naturally, use them strictly as well.95% of Thai people are Buddhist, umm, I read Siddhartha in high school... We were definitely in a different place. An unknown culture that we had to tread very careful in. I tried to remember to stay mindful. Buddhists believe the head is the highest, spiritual, part of your body and you're never to touch anyone on the head. We weren't supposed to ever point our feet at anyone either, this was considered a great disrespect. Just had to be a little more careful, I guess you can eventually end up offending anyone with the right unknown behavior. I'll admit, the first breakfast I had was pretty timid, nothing compared to some of the stranger meals I had throughout my three weeks among the Thai cooking. Kelly and I were wholly convinced our first activity would be to get a massage. Thai massage is heaven, pulling all your joints this way and that and working out kinks with elbows and knuckles. Two-hours on the table is about as good as it gets after so many damn hours on half a dozen different types uncomfortable of chairs. Planes, cars, airports... It didn't take long to get into that nice, vacation, feeling. Min, our host, took us all around Pattaya. We'd met because she'd married the uncle of one of Kelly's grad student class-mates. As stretched a socialtree as it seemed, I turned out to appreciate her gratitude more than words can express. We were in a beautiful beach town about two hours South of Bangkok along the Gulf of Thailand. Pattaya in known as the Las Vegas of Thailand. It took me a few days to figure out why. Aside from obvious language differences, the town didn't seem too different from any other city. Although, I must admit I don't think I've ever seen so many 711s'. Everywhere! If I ever get any money, remind me to invest in a Thai convinience mart. If it isn't 711 it's a 'family mart', on, almost literally, every block. I never realized the love appeal. My entire trip, I still can't figure it out. Nothing out of the ordinary, not a super-cheap miniature grocery store, just a plain 711. At least on every two blocks. She showed us most of the main streets on the city and the 711s stuck out the most, that and stray dogs running all about the streets. I couldn't stop looking out the car window, like a kid on a field trip. Every sight and sound fascinated me because I wanted to validate if it reminded me of something I knew from home. The first day wasn't easy, Jet lag got to Kelly and I both. Guess our behavior wasn't too out of the ordinary. Not the first time Kelly and I have been too tired to stay out past 9pm. The one thing of note was the 'all-you-can-eat' sushi. Kelly had warned me that you can't order comfort food like it's from home because it wouldn't taste remotely like something you once knew it. Sushi came around on plates carried by a circular conveyor belt. Nothing to unfamiliar. The sushi, however, was more raw cuts of random meat, rather than the petite rolled rice creations I'd known from home. We were each sat at a long connected bar in front of a boiling hole of soup. Waiting for a fresh and safe piece of meat to ramble by was hopeless, we just dove in and threw guess-work meat into our individlual witches pots. I know I had some shrimp, some squid maybe; chicken, a little beef, some type of white lard-like meat that had a texture only a gagging throat can describe. All in all I rather enjoyed myself, I couldn't tell you the names of half of what I ate, but it didn't upset my well-known-baby tummy much. Bedtime came quickly and Neededly, Min had our next day planned, I think I had the energy. I hoped I had some energy. For the time being, the bed felt extra firm and just to my liking.