It just is what it is in Thailand, folks!

So let me just start with this because I think this tells it all. Well, sort of. There are 1sts for everything. I never thought my dream come true would land on the streets of Nana, but TIT once again. I never cease to be amazed. Those of you who know me, know I don a VW tat on my left oblique, and when I happened upon this guy with his decked out VW bus as an open-air bar, and then got to fancy a pink lady for myself, I was blown out of this world. Heck, it made the walk home to Phrom Phong MUCH better Saturday night. And the drink prices were pretty good! They were comparable to Cheap Charlie's.
Just over $2 for a beer, just over $3 for a mixer.

That's the look of happiness when you happen upon a VW that is not only Mystery  Machine cool, but also serves up delightful CHEAP spirits.

And so on the walk on the way home, near Asok, Josh dares me to ask the homeless lady how much for her puppy that was leashed to her big toe. I didn't hesitate because it'd mean we could have a puppy, with all its diseases, no dog food at home, la la la... So I turned around, strutted back to her and asked her Tao Rai for the puppy, pointing down at it. I didn't really have the guts to touch it. I'd give it a thorough bath when we got home, if I walked away with it. Part of me was just daring her, daring myself and showing Josh I would be able to walk away with a dog out of this whole charade. Anyway, turns out she was asking 1500 THB, which really is not much if you consider dogs are expensive little buggers. This pup would have run me a million head aches for about $50. Not to mention worms, worms and more worms. I am sure the vet bills alone would cost more than us having our maid, right?
Where in the world would we let it out? We live on the 9th floor, and from what I see here, the hoodies just let the dogs urinate and defecate on the road. No worries, though, since we have a great homey who has his broom out at 6:30 a.m. to greet us SAWASDEE KUP every morning and in the afternoon when we jaunt home sluggishly from school. Regardless, we went home empty-handed until I hit the 7-Eleven for a midnight snack. Probably for the best, right?

It is what it is...Who thought I would come to think of rats as cute? Or, "Look at that flying cockroach?" <insert snide giggle>. Yeah, Josh says I can pick up my own roaches now. Um, no. Still deathly grossed out if they are in my home. That's why we have a maid, right? And they come to spray here at The TBI Tower for 'pest control' once a month.


I had only heard, but didn't really believe...so yeah. I saw my first street cart vendor of bugs near my home on Sukhumvit. Yes, people, you eat them AND you actually enjoy them. And then rehashing the experience at school a couple days later at lunch, I am grossed out when the other teachers go into detail about how this tastes better than that, and they all taste like peanuts or something. YUCKO! No way. The girl who eats and tries everything...MAI OW, CANNOT! No way. And then had my own buggin' out experience when I found two mozzies squished in to my school lunch on Thursday. The nice cafeteria worker who always wants to practice his English informed Josh today that he 'sprayed all weekend long' to rid the canteen of bugglies. I am still skeptical.

It is what it is... Everybody always asks me, "So what is it like there?" Cannot really explain. You just sort of take it in and accept it for what it is, no explanations. It's always the foreigner's fault and the Thai just smile if they are angry. One thing's for sure--you get really good at tucking your own anger away. Might be false, but you don't want everyone else seeing that dark side of you anyway, do you?

That is really all there is to it. If you just go with it, you won't have many problems. But everyday is another test, no lie about that. You just have to put yourself in check every now and then, and if you are willing to accept that people here are just who they are, and smog is a way of life, just suck it up, and go with it, you will have zero issues.Yes, the smog is that bad.

I can buy a dog from a woman who wouldn't be able to care for it otherwise, I can get my protein on the street by buggin out and I learned I can drink free almost every night of the week because I have female parts. It's really that simple, folks. Come to Bangkok, see for yourself. Just reference my wacky posts on FB. You will learn that people around the world really have no idea how in the dark they are until they come here. Hey, they don't call it Patapong for no reason--Josh can explain the ladies/katoeys who shoot ping pong balls, well, you get the idea...
Katoeys...you can have a look-see for yourself.

My point here is that it's all just one big free for all. I guess I will be ever-so-more enlightened when we hop a bus and get outta Bkk next weekend. We are going to head out north to Kanchanaburi
for a getaway weekend so Josh doesn't go insane. I guess there is a pretty cool POW cemetery, and Josh is really in to cemeteries. There's also a bunch of waterfalls and we will be on the famed River Kwai at this simple little place called Apples Retreat. For less than $50 total for less than 2 nights, I am guessing it's Thailand simplicity at its best. It was recommended by a fellow Chicky of mine I met on Friday night at Ladies Night at My Bar within the Dusit Thani.

Anyway...so Friday night was a trip, too. Really, I took a trip to the Dusit Thani on the BTS and met some ladies who are part of ChickyNet.com I meet with them frequently and it is nice to get to know other expat ladies here in Thailand. I met Helen, who told me about Apples Retreat, and then I met some other ladies who seem like they could become friends of mine. After ladies night was over, two of my co-workers and I ventured to Silom soi 4. Didn't know that it was the gay district and suddenly realized I was severely outnumbered, but I didn't care b/c the beer was way cheap and the food I so desperately needed was pretty yummy and also cheap. That was at The Balcony before we headed across the street to Telephone Karaoke Pub. Ummm, well, if you need some laughs and to really wake up to Bangkok at its fullest, then this is your place!. I am no descriptive writer, so I am not about to begin explaining this phenomenon. I just laugh and laugh some more when I try to explain the sights I saw, but not by the people there, no, they were normal as can be and quite gay. But moreover the double video screens that scale the walls while you kick back on the couches in the room with your wireless mic to sing your chosen #1 Top 40, or not so, hit...I think I met Thai Santana there, on the screen at the very least.

Hey, Smile! You're in Bangkok!!!