Bangkok: Introduction
Bangkok is an exciting, busy, dusty, noisy, hot, beautiful, ugly, stinky, and aromatic city.
And I love it.
In ’94, fresh from a nine month introduction to living on the island of Borneo, I was exposed to Bangkok for the first time. It was during a long holiday weekend away. Away from Borneo.
Borneo = Mosques and Mullahs and Malays.
Borneo = quiet.
So for nine months there was no beer, no wine, no theatre, no nightlife, no shopping malls even. Not much of anything really. Nine months of nothing after two years of living in frisky France was, well, whooh.
Then there I was. Borneo – BAM! – Bangkok.
First stop was the Narai Hotel on Silom. Inside, the lobby was active. People arriving, people leaving, people looking busy. Right outside, street hawkers lined the sidewalk while the rest of the world slotted into the available space.
Up and down the soi there were beggars and bar girls, tourists and expats, flower sellers and meals on wheels. And beer.
No, Bangkok is not Borneo. That’s for sure.
Outside was also the rest of Bangkok. And that’s what I plan on writing about in this section (no surprises there, yes?).
Instead of doing my usual wander around Bangkok (missing the majority), armed with a Kiss and a notepad, I’ll systematically go from top to bottom. Skipping the dregs of society of course (sorry guys).
And I’m going to post it here. In living colour.
Without having to read all the excellent resource material you have, can you fill me in on ‘Chicken butts and beer’? K. K. K.!! :)
Hey Lynn. Howdie!
Well, in Brunei there was no beer to be had (unless bought on the black market). So I had to cross over to Sarawak Malaysia each week or so to buy beer. (which is why my passport looks like a suitcase).
Legal allowance getting back to Brunei? Two six packs.
To make an evening of it, I’d go over with friends and have dinner. One of the delicious (not mine) was roasted parsons noses on a stick.
Yup, there be chicken buts and beer on a Friday night.