Day 5 in Thailand and all is well with the world, minus a serious sinus infection that has my eyes feeling like they might explode from my head. Massive headache and swollen glands on top of it. Not sure if this is something I picked up on the plane or simply was in the makings after being exposed to a variety of plague victims at work before leaving, but this one is a doozey. It’s enough that after waking up this morning and attempting to breathe, I decided a day off training might be in order. I’m sure the jet-lag doesn’t help. But I did sleep soundly last night. I feel a bit better this afternoon so plan on going for a run this evening when I get home. I generally arrive home too late to get in on the afternoon training session so am on my own.
The National Science Museum, much like the NHB in the beginning, suffers from a critical flaw – lack of public transportation. There is ONE bus that leaves here at 5pm, and a staff van which departs at 5:30pm and goes as far as FuturePark. Otherwise, getting here is not easy. Nor is leaving at any other time of day. Baan Muay Thai is 21 km from NSM. Two days of taking taxis ($12 each day) was enough to make me reconsider my transportation options.
I know I promised at least one person that I wouldn’t rent a motorbike in Bangkok, but really, this isn’t Bangkok, it’s Rangsit! (not that that really makes a difference, but maybe it can be my excuse?). But given the transportation system, or lack thereof, renting a small bike was the cheapest option. I solemnly swear to be extra special careful and not to get killed so that I can make it to the build!!!
Pook, the manager at the gym, hooked me up with a new bike at 200 Baht/day – a shiny new blue 110 cc Honda Wave. Yeah!! Today I drove to work, slowly, slowly, all eyes and ears alert for psychotic Thai drivers (the taxis are actually the worst!). 6 km in, and past the biggest intersection near FuturePark, and I relaxed and started to enjoy it. I love my new bike! It allows me freedom to come and go when I want, and to explore when I’m not working or training. After 4 years of driving motorbikes in Thailand, even driving on the left-hand side of the road seems normal practice (although 2 years ago I came back to Ottawa and found myself wanting to drive on the left-hand side there! Muscle memory and habit take over…).
So, with my newly acquired wheels, I drove up the road beside the klong and found a road-side stall to have lunch. What’s important to note here is that the NSM is in Pathum Thani. Not downtown Bangkok. Except the upper-level staff at the museum, few speak very good English. And there are very few farang around here, enough so that if I do see another westerner, it makes me pause. Pathum Thani isn’t a tourist destination – there is nothing here, other than the museum, which would bring farang from 45 km away out to what is essentially the Kanata of Bangkok. Actually, this fact pleases me – it means that I can experience real Thailand and not the busy, touristy side that Bangkok often shows.
That said, stopping at a road food stall means a great deal of pointing at various products, some of which I have no idea what they might be (animal? vegetable? other?) and attempting my limited Thai. What I have found is that this usually results in a great deal of laughing and an instant friendship with the cooks and other customers who seem to take it as their personal obligation to make sure the stupid farang gets fed and knows the Thai words for everything she is eating!! It helps to be able to make a fool of yourself trying to pronounce Thai words and smile a great deal.
Today’s lunch included chicken basil chili with rice, and tom yang khoom soup, which is ridiculously spicy. Lunch also included a sing-along with air-drums with chopsticks by one of the woman chefs (one of the customers had a guitar, and given the empty bottle of Mekong beside him and his friend, they were there for the long haul) language lesson, and a lesson in how to properly eat “kaw niaow” which is sticky rice – if you like playing with play-do, eat sticky rice – you ball it up in your fist (clean hands? oh well…) and dunk it in the soup broth.
I now officially have plans for New Year’s Eve. Ajarn Chai called me this morning and invited me to a party at his house that evening. I’m not sure how Thai’s celebrate New Year’s but I’m sure there will be good food and drink to be had! I also booked 4 days in Phu Noi the following weekend. I figure by then I’ll be ready for a few days on the beach, chasing dolphins and visiting the cave temples.
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