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Published: April 4th 2013
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Yes I know, it's been ages since I've updated this blog, but as warned, I was back in Bangkok for another extended stay continuing my Thai studies. Two full months in fact, during which I established a rather ordinary routine of lessons, homework and reading, with just the odd opportunity for short travel and sightseeing. Jin, the Korean backpacking whom I met in Langkawi, came to Bangkok for about a week sometime in mid-Feb, so we met up again and caught some Bangkok sights together (photos attached). I also quite incredibly bumped into a good Singaporean friend while strolling along Sukhumvit Road one random Thursday evening, and so we spent some good times together that weekend catching up, and reliving our Bangkok experiences from previous trips.
Of course I also caught up with some new friends I'd made during my previous stint here last year, including Yuka, who after nine months in Bangkok, has since returned to Japan to her job as a pharmacist (but only temporarily, she assures me, as she saves up for more travel!), and my ex-classmates from Thai lessons, some of whom have continued learning, and are now at stratospheric levels of competency. I also had
Route 66 @ RCA
Yes no trip to Bangkok is complete without a visit to this favourite night haunt. the opportunity to meet and practise my Thai with Anicha, perhaps my only Thai friend outside of class, in spite of all the time I've spent in the country!
So another two months in Bangkok, which makes four including the two months I spent here last year, bringing the total time I've spent in Thailand to 5.5 months in the 10.5 months or so I've been travelling! Do I feel like I've copped out, spending so much time in a single country, and in a single city even, when I was supposed to be touring all of Southeast Asia? Not really, since I have indeed spent most of the other time on the go, and covered quite a fair bit of ground. On hingsight, it's perhaps even been more than I had thought I would've been able to. And I'm not even done yet for Southeast Asia! Also, it was indeed my original intention to pick a particular spot in which I'd spend a little more time, learning the local language, and just experiencing what it's like to stay for a more extended period. I think it's hard to argue against the choice of Bangkok!
But alas, my
Alms Collection
Just across the street from my Thong Lor apartment on Monk's Day morning. time here has ended again for now, and it's time to move on once more. Having already done the overland trail through the overland Mekong neighbours of Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, this time I'm flying out to the 7000-island archipelago that is the Philippines. The plan is to stay there for about three weeks, before making my way to Borneo for another month or so, before I return back to Singapore again for a short break.
As I hit the road again, I'll be updating the blog again more regularly, so stay tuned!
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