One Night in Bangkok...Actually, About 365

---

---

I can honestly say that I never thought my answer to the question, "Where do you live?" would be Bangkok. And yet, here we are, almost a year to the day since we fled the 2015 "haze crisis" in Malaysia and dropped a few roots in neighboring Thailand.

I've been a real slacker about blogging, and I apologize for that. Maybe it's a creative dry spell, maybe it's the relentless tropical heat melting my brain, or maybe it's the fact that we don't really feel like we're "traveling" anymore because, for us, Bangkok IS home now. It sounds all foreign and exotic and exciting, and it is. Living in a country like Thailand sounds foreign and exotic and exciting, and in many ways, it is.

But notice the first word in the previous sentence: LIVING. No matter the backdrop that greets you when you look out your window, everyday life in a foreign country is...well, not terribly different than everyday life at home. Sure, we get to eat out every day because the food is so cheap, and we look forward to our obligatory visa runs every 2-3 months (aka "built-in vacations"), but otherwise our daily routines aren't much different than they were in the states. We work. We pay bills. We buy groceries. We cook. We clean. Yes, the stress level is considerably lower than life in the western world, which is one major reason why we're over here. And yes, we occasionally get to ride elephants through the jungle or lounge on the most beautiful beach you've ever seen...but those days are still the exception and not the norm.

It startled me to scan through my blog entries and realize that I have not, in fact, written a single one about Bangkok. And now that we've been here for so long I have a hard time viewing it the way a tourist would who just passes through for a couple of days.

I guess I'll start by saying that all the stereotypes you've heard are true. Bangkok is HOT. In terms of median temperature, it is the hottest city ON THE PLANET. If the temperature dips to 80, the locals bust out the sweaters and jackets (and that's not an exaggeration). The good news is that it's probably also the most air-conditioned city on the planet, too, and everything from the trains to the endless line of mega-malls greet you with an arctic blast of air when you step inside.

What else have you heard about Bangkok? Crazy nightlife? Shady massage parlors? Ladyboys teetering down the street in stilettos? Yep, again, it's all true, although the really wild stuff is confined to just a few small sections of the city and are easily avoided if it's not your thing. 99% of the city is actually quite lovely. From the window of our 20th-floor apartment we see an endless sea of colorful condos, opulent shopping centers, the sky train zigzagging above the ever-present traffic jam, beautiful green spreads of tropical trees and city parks, the bends of the Chao Praya River as it winds through the concrete jungle and empties into the Gulf of Thailand, families of five crammed on motorbikes whizzing down the narrow side streets, food carts and beverage stands lining the sidewalks...

Sure, it's an endless assault on the senses (particularly the nose), but the city somehow functions like a well-oiled machine. The chaos is ORDERLY, if that makes any sense. Even during rush hour, when thousands of people are waiting at the train station, they will actually line up, one behind the other, and stand on the little white line while they politely wait their turn to board. No pushing, no shoving, no name-calling. You'll never hear a raised voice at all, actually, except from a disgruntled westerner. The Thais are the loveliest, politest, most humble and down to earth people you'll ever meet (even in a city where nearly 20 million of them live).

Due to our work situation and some necessary family matters, Jeremy and I spent most of the summer back in the states. While it was nice to catch up with friends and family and stuff myself with as many Five Guys burgers as I could humanly eat, we literally could not WAIT to get back here. Back to the controlled chaos, the friendly smiles, the cheap and delicious street food, the laid back attitude and lifestyle. Will we spend the next 50 years here? Probably not. But for now, this city feels as comfortable as a worn-in pair of jeans.

So if you were looking for a "Top 10 Things to Do in Bangkok" type blog, sorry to disappoint. I am including plenty of pictures of our favorite things in the city - the great architecture, the food, the touristy areas and the not so touristy ones. If you're waiting for my usual action-packed travel posts, don't worry...there will be many coming in the next few months!

At the end of October we head down to Singapore for a long weekend - it's one of our favorite cities anywhere and we can't wait to go back, see the sights, and eat ourselves silly. In December we have several rounds of friends coming from the states to visit, so we'll be doing some traveling around with them (including Phuket and the southern islands). And the biggie - we are SO excited about this - is our anniversary getaway in January to...Nepal!!! It's somewhere both of us have always dreamed of seeing, but we never thought we'd actually be holding two tickets to go there.

There are few extra pages of photos with this one, so don't forget to scroll down to the bottom of THIS page AND flip through to the additional ones. As always, we hope this blog finds you happy and healthy in whatever corner of the world you happen to be in!

---

Photos

Roof With a View
A 360-degree view of Bangkok from the roof of our building.

First Stop
A bowl of the world's best chicken soup. Cost = $1.

Banana Pancakes
The look says it all...

Tacos?
Nope! Sweet and savory Thai pancakes!

Pala Pizza
I swear it got even better while we were gone. Walk up to the window and get a slice of heaven = $2.80.