Wed 31 Oct 07

"From movie star to hooker in 4 hours..."

 9pm  (walking Soi 4 in Bangkok...)

Bunny: "Everyone's looking at me like I'm a hooker because I'm with YOU! (pout)"

Kong: "Everyone's looking at me like I'm a scumbag because I'm with YOU! What's worse??"

Bunny: "Well we have the perfect halloween costumes then-- I'm a Bangkok hooker and you're a sleazy westerner"

Before I left, someone told me that Bangkok was the "sex capital of the world". I didn't think that could be an understatement but Bangkok doesn't disappoint.  Halloween looked like any other night in Bangkok, a sea of trannies, ladyboys and high heel clad asian women surrounding a handful of white dudes. Oh wait, there IS something different-- tonight they are wearing witch hats, devil horns and cat ears. 

Everywhere we see the typical couple- old white dude with ultra-young asian girl hanging off his arm.  EVERYWHERE!  So it is unfortunate that Kong and I happen to share the same characteristics of these Bangkok couples... its doubly unfortunate that Kong looks like he stepped out of a Ralph Lauren ad while my parents bred me a purebreed Filipina who happens to look just like the Thais.  EVERYWHERE I'm spoken to in Thai.  This happened in China as well, but this is where my main title comes in.  In China, they spoke to me in Chinese and once someone even asked for my autograph.  SugarT, our Chinese host, informed me that China was popular with Filipino singers and actresses.  I loved it! Somehow however, during the 4 hour flight from China to Bangkok- my singer status went to hooker REAL FAST.  Its terrible.  Once, when Kong and I were going to look at an apartment building, they thought he lived there and tried to give ME  a visitor badge to wear as his visiting hooker.  Another time, someone pinched my behind in a crowd.  Its like, my slanted eyes are an automatic invisible price tag rendering me up for sale!

Anyway-- back to Halloween in Bangkok.  Kong and I sit ourselves down at an outdoor bar and people watch.  Its a feast for the senses... there are carts of food filling the air with the scent of BBQ, and sweet fresh fruit, all against a backdrop of neon lights with outrageous signs like "Sadist show" or "Sex for Money".  People are everywhere roaming the streets and some guy is standing in the middle of the scene holding a bible and preaching (loudly) about how the Lord loves us and to resist hedonistic temptations... a lady dressed as a cat tiptoes over to him and tries to put a cigarette in his mouth while an aussie dude obnoxiously throws his arm around Mr. brave Preacher as his friends take pictures.  We are distracted by the scene only by  vendors who prey on Kong.  He good naturedly plays along and negotiates with one lady on the price of a shoe shine while he's sitting at the bar and buys a rose for me from a 10 year old boy who looks up at him with his head cocked to the side, batting his big brown eyes.  I don't know who's cuter.

11am Happy Halloween! Bangkok is already a zoo so I can't imagine what the city is going to look like tonight.

This morning I had a meeting with my company's office here in Bangkok. It was the first time in a long time that I had to be anywhere at a certain time, thank goodness it was just around the corner.

So I decided today is the day I'm going to launch this website to go LIVE (how exciting!).  

Its still under major construction and pretty raw in terms of features, but it does the job.  I'll work on adding pictures as soon as I get our cameras to work. I haven't yet transcribed the China blog so that'll be added on later.  

Tue 30 Oct 07

Today I got a haircut for 199 baht (USD$7) and when I said "just a trim" the hairdresser thought I said "japanese mullet".  I look funnier than before.

So Kong is the cutest.  He had to work late but still insisted on making dinner last night.  He didn't cheat either... he made alfredo sauce with fresh butter and milk.  The man does it all.

Mon 29 Oct 07

So in Thailand, Monday is the "King's Day". I don't know what that means, all I know is everyone wears a  bright-highlighter-yellow colored polo shirt. I bought one for Kong to wear today so that he fits in with the locals better (plus its hilarious looking on him).  He's a head taller and 5 shades lighter than everyone, but I think the shirt is working....

Ok. New week, new objectives. I need to return to being a member of society somehow instead of hibernating. After a morning of emailing everyone at every UN program I can find in Bangkok, I decide to re-center by visiting the World Fellowship of Buddhists.  Kong has agreed to try a meditation class with me.  We have to wear all white and can't talk for a few hours. This should be interesting.

At night we decide to do some hardcore sightseeing.... via the local supermarket.  Kong says he can't stand another bite of food that tastes asian so we're off on adventure to put some food together as chefs in our kitchen.  Kong is thrilled to push the shopping cart through aisles of all his favorite comfort foods like oatmeal, alfredo sauce and an entire shelf of Campbell Soup selections.  Unfortunately we discover that the "American" products are wayyyy more expensive than buying noodles and curry. More expensive than even back home!  I try to convince him to try fun local products like jackfruit, lychees and guava juice, he compromises.

After buying wayy more than we can carry, we hop on a tuk-tuk (a motorcycle with a cart looking thing attached to the back) and head home with our treasures.

8pm - Dinner

Kong: "You sure love that corn on the cob, huh?"

Bunny: (holding corn with two hands and stuffing face, nodding)

Silence.

Silence.

More silence.

Bunny: "did you know that the body can't easily digest the skin on the kernel of corn?"

Kong: (blank stare)

Bunny: "so tomorrow I'm going to poop corn."

Kong: (sigh.)

Sun 28 Oct 07

Sunday Funday!  We meet up with my friends from college again for Sunday Brunch at the Grand President Hotel.  

Kong goes to his boss's house at night while I pretend to go for a run. 

Sat 27 Oct 07

I feel guilty, its Saturday and Kong had to go to work in the morning while I get to galavant around Bangkok.  I don't really feel like visiting sights till he's available to do it too... (plus I'm kinda avoiding it for some reason).  I'm like a baby...you know how they figure out what things are by putting it in their mouth? I'm exploring Thailand via taste, the food is incredible! Thank goodness there's a gym in our bldg.

7pm - My old friend from college is in town!  We discovered we were both in Bangkok at the same time through our friend Annie on facebook.  (What would the world be without facebook?) I haven't seen her since college graduation, and now we're scheduled to have dinner tonight at this place called Cabbages and Condoms.  Its a theme restaurant with condoms everywhere (I don't know how the cabbages come in?) and we sit in the outdoor garden where they play live music.  Its beautiful and the food is delicious.  I love this place.  After dinner they give us condoms instead of mints. So this condom theme I don't really get- but I do know its for a good cause. Apparently the AIDS crisis is especially bad here so a portion of the proceeds from our meal goes to charity for sex education or something like that...

Poor Kong is withering away. To put it lightly, he doesn't exactly have an adventurous palate, so the influx of exotic menu items like curry and strange fruits is turning him anorexic.

Fri 26 Oct 07

Kong has a meeting for work tonight so I have the entire day to myself.  After finishing up a project from China we were working on, I head over to the spa for a massage and a mani/pedi.  Heaven!

Feeling all relaxed, I decide on being brave and going to see a movie alone on date night. I feel smug almost in a way... theres something about a new country that helps you to do things you'd never try at home.  Unfortunately after sitting through a half hour of previews, the movie (Surf's Up, the cartoon) is in thai. Ugh. The lady at the counter nodded when I said English, but I should have known better- everyone nods "yes" when someone's speaking another language at them. I've been doing it all week.

Thurs 25 Oct 07

So now that the apartment hunt is settled and out of the way, Kong is much much happier, and so am I. Its nice to have one place to rest after travelling to so many different places.

Kong suggests that today is "bring your bunny to work day" so I go with him to the office. He's super busy, and for the first time since I can remember- I'M NOT!!! Its a terrific feeling :) 

Now that I can think- there's so much I want to do... like take a Thai cooking class, find a yoga instructor, learn thai traditional dance, find out what my company's office does out here, learn more html tricks to get this blog finally launched, taste everything IN SIGHT, shop, get my nasty nails done, visit this monastary i read online that offers a massage certification, become enlightened by studying Buddhism and learning some meditation techniques.... ahhhh!  I finally decide on just walking the streets and letting Bangkok lead the way....

 Like a message from the heavens, it turns out that the UN is hosting a conference at a nearby mall!  I've always browsed their programs but never thought I'd have the time/resources to do it- and now here I am!

I talk to lots of people at the conference and I think I have made some good contacts to get a gig.  I especially like their UNIDO department which has the objective of reducing poverty via encouraging economic development. 

To celebrate my good fortune, I get a facial at the mall for 399 baht ($13USD).

Life is awesome. 

Wed. 24 Oct 07

I move all our stuff into the new apt while Kong goes off to work. (Its not as hard as it sounds, the bellhops and taxi people move everything for me.)  I spend the rest of the day unpacking, and doing laundry since at this point all the clothes we brought are dirty.  I'm so excited to make dinner in the new kitchen! 

Tue 23 Oct.07

We found an apartment!!!!!!!!

After seeing some sketchy gross places, a lady at a hotel tips us off that a new building just opened up on Soi (Street) 4.  As we walk down that road, it just might be the sketchiest road I've ever seen at 11am.  There are asian stuls soliciting us for massages at every corner and creepy "Westerners" sitting at bars drinking.  Right.  But soon we approach this building that looks like an oasis! Its brand new everything and just beautiful! The amenities of the building include an awesome pool with a bar and a jacuzzi with leather chaises surrounding it, a pool/foosball game room, a fully equipped fitness center with sauna and steam rooms in the loccer room- and bestest of all- a putting green and driving range overlooking the city!!!! ahhh!  We take one look at each other and go, "I'm in."

Our apartment is just a studio, but its pretty big with hardwood floors, a full kitchen and a huge marble bathroom.  We have a balcony which has a sideview of Bangkok's skyline and even more exciting, a washer/dryer in the room! Wait- no most exciting of all is that the apartment comes with a cleaning service! Yeah! Dishes and everything, I love it.  All these amenities for 35,000 baht which is a little over $1000. Split between the two of us, rent is peanuts for what we have! I can't believe it... back home rent everywhere is so expensive, and you don't even get your dishes done for you.

Mon. 22 Oct. 07

So Kong is off to work and I have the task of visiting various apartment buildings to find us a place to live.  This is hard because Bangkok is huge and I have no idea where to start.  I decide on picking 2 BTS (train) stops in each direction from Kong's stop for work.  After some internet research I have a few addresses at each stop to work with- so off I go.

1pm - Its gruelingly hot outside and all I've seen are overpriced studio apartments that require at least a year lease.

2pm - I'm dressed in baggy board shorts, my hair's in a bun and I have my glasses on. I look like my little brother. Yet the men in the street are looking at me like I'm dinner.

3:30pm - The landlord of this sketchy building asks me if I plan to have alot of people in and out of my apartment. What? 

4pm - Morale is low.

4:01pm - I retreat to Kong's office and continue my apartment hunt...... online.

Sun. 21 Oct. 07

The hotel has a deeeelicious spread for breakfast...we eat ourselves silly and then fall back asleep. 

2pm - Somehow we are in this overwhelming mall crawling with asian people and illegal looking goods. We're on the hunt for a sim card to put into Kong's cell phone so he can use it. For 400 baht we pay to have his cellphone unlocked and put a new sim card in. It all seems so shady, but it works!

We hang around the mall as Kong does some shopping. In the US I have NEVER EVER EVER gone shopping with him, and he doesn't do it for himself either. In Asia, he loooooves shopping, its great!  I help him pick out these cool button down shirts that are only 199 baht! ($7USD) He shops more than I do out here- its hilarious!

7pm - Dinner with Kong's new boss and his family.

Sat. 20 Oct. 07

Its 2am and we finally arrive at our hotel. Even though its so late, we're both really excited. When we checked in, they gave us passionfruit juice in champagne glasses as they escorted us to our room.  

The apartment is HUGE for a studio! It has a kitchen, a huge walk in closet that I feel like sleeping in and a marble bathroom with a hot tub in it! I try to convince Kong that I need a bubble bath to fall asleep but he vetoes the idea. killjoy.

1am - We touch down into Bangkok International Airport! 

As we get into a cab (which looks like the black cabbies they have in London, maybe bc they drive on the other side of the road?) Kong says, "that guy just bowed when I tipped him for helping with our luggage. That was nice of him. I think I like Bangkok."