Back in Bangkok - Same Same But Different

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So it’s time to resurrect my travel journal. In true form, just like last time, I am already way behind. Right now I’m in Cambodia, working on my project. I’ve been writing this journal as I went along on my little laptop, but due to some technical issues and time limitations I haven’t had chance to upload anything yet. So I’m going to try and catch up on the last two weeks, all in one long tedious chunk. This is probably very boring but I know at least a couple of people will be interested (hi, Mum) so I'm going to inflict it on the world anyway. Enjoy!

I flew out here with Emirates, who I now love because they offered me free magazines. I got over-excited, took The Economist, Ok! and The Gulf Times, then felt compelled to read them all. During the night when they dimmed the lights there were sparkly little stars on the ceiling, which pleased me. I changed planes in Dubai, and was less delighted with the next flight. I was surrounded on all sides by babies, the type that are really too old to get away with spending an entire 7 hour flight on their parents laps. I wonder what the cut off age for that is? One of them was definitely about 3. I didn’t have the heart to put my seat back and crush the child behind, so I sat bolt upright the whole time being kicked repeatedly in the face by the kid to the right. After we took off, the airhostesses came around and gave each child an activity pack. Containing plastic rattles. Why??

I’ve been to Bangkok before, so I didn’t feel compelled to engage in touristy activities. I spent most of the time hanging around with Danny and Morcy, two friends who moved to Thailand to teach English, one of whom I hadn’t seen in nearly three years. It was a little surreal meeting up with them here in this strange city which is now their home. They both have extremely pretty expat girlfriends who call them by their actual names, which sounds weird to me. Who the fuck are Andrew and Dan? Oh, right. Their apartments with swimming pools and panoramic views over the city are a far cry from their old houses back in Hyde Park. They are having an amazing time. I am very jealous. So I did all the standard Bangkok activities, eat and drink and get massages, only cheaper and better at the local spots. I was delighted to ditch Ko San Road for more interesting places. I enjoyed being part of the one group of foreigners in the bar in the Thai neighbourhoods.

So I went out a lot. I spent maybe 5x more on Thai whiskey than on accommodation some nights, which is a staggering example of bad budgeting. I justify this because I hadn’t seen those guys in ages, I had a great time and I won’t be drinking again until after my project.

I have already decided I am going to stop telling people about my project, because it is earning me undue credibility. I mean, I can’t mention that I’m working with an NGO because people assume I’m selflessly volunteering, which is not the case. I daren’t say I’m doing research because it falsely gives the impression that I know what I’m talking about.

I am also going to stop telling people I am a medical student, because everyone seems to have some kind of manky blister they want examined. My very first morning in Bangkok I got stuck with some tragic German gapyear kid who thought he was dying of Malaria. He came up to me practically crying. I felt sorry for him, because it sucks to be ill and all on your own. I had to spend the morning reassuring him he was not afflicted with some awful tropic disease, and ended up carrying his bags to a different hostel so he could sleep somewhere with aircon. There really was nothing wrong with him except maybe a bit of sunstoke and the shits, he had already been to a doctor who’d told him exactly that, but he was on his own, probably away from home for the first time, and freaking out. I ran into Gapyear Tragedy once more, just before I left for Phnom Penh. He’d been to hospital for a second or third opinion, got told yet again that he was fine and seemingly manned up. I was so proud.

I spent 4 days in Bangkok then flew to Phnom Penh, courtesy of super-budget AirAsia, since I just didn’t get my act together in time to do the long, tedious overland crossing.

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