Bangkok, Thailand
I find myself surround by boxes, bags and room service. Products of two weeks sifting through the markets of Bangkok adorn my room, dripping from it, in fact. Shopping for myself, for my friends and family, shopping for now, shopping for my future. I've reconnected my phone and found a SIM card, thanks Mildred, darling, and reconnected to the world in that manner. I don't however, know my number at the moment, a bit of a problem, I understand.
In this time, there's been a series of goodbyes sprinkled with helloes and hello agains. I saw Tom, Neil, Stacey, Liz and Hilde (we actually said goodbye this time, huge progress there) off, only to find Paddy wandering Khao San Road barefoot, and Andy, still disapproving of my facial hair.
I've bought a ton: 14 sunglasses to date, 7 pairs of Thai trousers, 5 shirts (3 Hawaiian), 24 DVD's, 4 computer programs, a jacket, a new cigarette holder (thank God), various sundries for my future plans, and other various knick knacks (to say nothing of Tom's switchblade lighter, still inhabiting my room).
Of these, the sunglasses are, of course, my guiltiest pleasure, I think most people that know me are familiar with my vice. I believe that in my room there are currently 24 pairs of sunglasses now....heh heh heh heh. Guess who's smiling? I've got about 9 pairs of aviators, 7 pairs of large to small black ones, 3 pairs of Oakleys, 2 pairs of Elvis', and 3 pairs of Girly, Eurotrashy ones with names like Gucci and Dolce and Gabba (Hope you like them, Babe, even got a pair of clear ones). I do plan to ship some of these mind you and reduce my travelling pairs to 6. Hence, the boxes. I'm sending to packages from Bangkok. One forward and one back.
On the whole, I think that I've done pretty good to rein it in and not go nuts here. My first days were filled with the feverish spending of Tom, Neil and Mildred. Tom somehow managed to buy the strangest things, especially considering he spent the rest of the time worrying about his financial situation. The huge zippos are funny though. After they moved on, I was able to slow down the rush to the markets and peruse at my leisure.
And now, Charlie and Delphine have arrived back, once again heading South to Ko Pha Ngan and the next Full Moon Party, having done their tour of Laos. They've asked me to go. Now there's a thought.....
To be continued.
Just joking.
Despite the worry that my blog seems to have produced after a month on the islands, I'm done with that now, I'm getting old, a month was more than enough, I'm happy not drinking much these days (a few drinks every few nights).
Let me stop here to say this about drinking. I think that there's a difference between much of the world and the US in terms of drinking. Most of the world treats bars much more like "Cheers" places you go where everyone knows your name. Backpackers treat bars as the social hubs of their worlds. If I'm going to go out and meet a few people, the bar is ground zero in this equation. It's also far more of a social norm for those non Americans (you know, foreigners). Ko Pha Ngan was a party spot, and an exception in my life. I don't know if I've drunk that steadly over a period since my winter in Val d'Isere back in the winter of 00/01. Good thing too, I'm still recovering, I feel. But, I do love the mass parties, beyond the drinking, I love the communal wild abandon, what I consider the Nietzsche's Dionysian side of art. And when I plunge into such abbyses of chaos, I do so headfirst and with relish. If you're going to do something, do it right, ja? [ed. note Ww, would you look at the stream of denial and reasoning he's putting up, shows you what a degree in philosophy can get you. He's clearly round the bend. After Denial comes Anger just watch.]
So, Stop Yelling at me about my Lifestyle!!!!
[ed. note See?]
Moving right along...
I'm meeting up with Charlie and Delpine in a little while, to catch up for an evening before they head South once again, back to the Beach, back to the Party. I've got labels to affix to boxes and
then leaving Bangkok with a much lightened load.
In this time, there's been a series of goodbyes sprinkled with helloes and hello agains. I saw Tom, Neil, Stacey, Liz and Hilde (we actually said goodbye this time, huge progress there) off, only to find Paddy wandering Khao San Road barefoot, and Andy, still disapproving of my facial hair.
I've bought a ton: 14 sunglasses to date, 7 pairs of Thai trousers, 5 shirts (3 Hawaiian), 24 DVD's, 4 computer programs, a jacket, a new cigarette holder (thank God), various sundries for my future plans, and other various knick knacks (to say nothing of Tom's switchblade lighter, still inhabiting my room).
Of these, the sunglasses are, of course, my guiltiest pleasure, I think most people that know me are familiar with my vice. I believe that in my room there are currently 24 pairs of sunglasses now....heh heh heh heh. Guess who's smiling? I've got about 9 pairs of aviators, 7 pairs of large to small black ones, 3 pairs of Oakleys, 2 pairs of Elvis', and 3 pairs of Girly, Eurotrashy ones with names like Gucci and Dolce and Gabba (Hope you like them, Babe, even got a pair of clear ones). I do plan to ship some of these mind you and reduce my travelling pairs to 6. Hence, the boxes. I'm sending to packages from Bangkok. One forward and one back.
On the whole, I think that I've done pretty good to rein it in and not go nuts here. My first days were filled with the feverish spending of Tom, Neil and Mildred. Tom somehow managed to buy the strangest things, especially considering he spent the rest of the time worrying about his financial situation. The huge zippos are funny though. After they moved on, I was able to slow down the rush to the markets and peruse at my leisure.
And now, Charlie and Delphine have arrived back, once again heading South to Ko Pha Ngan and the next Full Moon Party, having done their tour of Laos. They've asked me to go. Now there's a thought.....
To be continued.
Just joking.
Despite the worry that my blog seems to have produced after a month on the islands, I'm done with that now, I'm getting old, a month was more than enough, I'm happy not drinking much these days (a few drinks every few nights).
Let me stop here to say this about drinking. I think that there's a difference between much of the world and the US in terms of drinking. Most of the world treats bars much more like "Cheers" places you go where everyone knows your name. Backpackers treat bars as the social hubs of their worlds. If I'm going to go out and meet a few people, the bar is ground zero in this equation. It's also far more of a social norm for those non Americans (you know, foreigners). Ko Pha Ngan was a party spot, and an exception in my life. I don't know if I've drunk that steadly over a period since my winter in Val d'Isere back in the winter of 00/01. Good thing too, I'm still recovering, I feel. But, I do love the mass parties, beyond the drinking, I love the communal wild abandon, what I consider the Nietzsche's Dionysian side of art. And when I plunge into such abbyses of chaos, I do so headfirst and with relish. If you're going to do something, do it right, ja? [ed. note Ww, would you look at the stream of denial and reasoning he's putting up, shows you what a degree in philosophy can get you. He's clearly round the bend. After Denial comes Anger just watch.]
So, Stop Yelling at me about my Lifestyle!!!!
[ed. note See?]
Moving right along...
I'm meeting up with Charlie and Delpine in a little while, to catch up for an evening before they head South once again, back to the Beach, back to the Party. I've got labels to affix to boxes and
then leaving Bangkok with a much lightened load.
posted by Bob Stein at 4:48 AM
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