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Published: December 23rd 2007
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Houses by the river
I love the view from the boat! When my soul was in the lost-and-found
You came along to claim it
I didn't know just what was wrong with me
Till your kiss helped me name it
Now I'm no longer doubtful of what I'm living for
And if I make you happy I don't need to do more
Cause you make me feel, you make me feel, you make me feel like
A natural woman
Walking around Bangkok in all its fiery afternoon heat means I got to see the Thais going about their everyday lives and what I found out was, well, quite a revelation. Being so used to seeing executives dressed in office attire and talking on their mobile phones in Singapore, it came as an eyeopener that most of the men in Thailand are either (a) taxi drivers, (b) tuk-tuk drivers, (c) servers (either roadside or in restaurants), or (d) katoyes. In fact, given the overwhelming number of colourful "taxi-meter" cabs (I can't decide which is my favourite- neon pink, purple, blue, or orange?!) and tuk-tuks across the city, Bangkok's public transport system should be more efficient! But it is Bangkok, after all, and no rules exist.
Although the taxis are called "TAXI-METER", I soon found out that having a meter is not compulsory. To cheat us foreigners of more money, the taxi drivers don't switch on the meter unless you demand them to do so. And on the tuk-tuks, which you can find on every single road, price negotiation is common. They will state a price of perhaps 100 baht (but in reality, the locals are probably charged just 20 baht)and we eventually agreed on 40 baht. It's yet another experience riding the tuk-tuk. On the one hand it's like being on a motorcycle, with all the wind blowing in your face and I felt so carefree. But on the other hand, the wind carries nothing but smoke, fumes, and dust. Also, you can hear all the noise of the bustling traffic. Sometimes the tuk-tuk drivers can simply conduct a full conversation while serving different passengers. I was thinking it's possible that my chances of dying while on a tuk-tuk are higher than if I were to jump down from a cliff. But I was with my love, and he makes me feel so safe and protected... 😊
Our destination for the day was the Grand Palace, but no thanks to some tuk-tuk drivers and a directionless taxi driver we managed to end up in Wat Pho Temple instead. It seems that every man we stopped to ask for directions had a pen always ready to jot down the places we should go and the places which are "closed for Buddha's Birthday". And this man would always recommend us to take a tuk-tuk to our destination, and stunningly, a tuk-tuk was always right behind us, with a very obliging driver.
A scam, as always. Very common by now.
Wat Pho Temple is a nice temple. In the temple the decadence and promiscuity of Nana Plaza seemed to diminish as we entered into a space of tranquility and holiness. With Buddha and the Goddess of Mercy looking on, nobody dares to misbehave.
To me, Bangkok is a startling display of contrasts and juxtapositions. Temples and Buddha statues amidst the sin of red light districts. People on the treadmills in beautiful gyms facing beggars on the street right opposite. We are all people but why are our lives so different?
After Wat Pho we moved on to Chinatown. I have to say I much prefer Singapore's Chinatown. Bangkok's Chinatown is too filthy, too smelly, and too crowded. Every other shop sells dried seafood or herbal medicine. It's a sensory overload.
Coming back to our hotel, I regarded it as a paradise. Far away from the maddening crowds, unhelpful locals, noisy traffic, and the sweltering heat. Being in the room also means I have more time to bond with my lychee boy. I enjoy and cherish every moment we spend together. His jokes always make me laugh and he always thinks about me first before I even think for myself. His native language is Italian and mine is English/Chinese but somehow we can understand each other so well. First, I love his heart. Second, his sense of humour. Third, his mind. In his company I can do anything and be myself.
We rented a dvd player to watch "tre metri sopra il cielo" but ended up doing something else instead... 😉
Io e te, tre metri sopra il cielo
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