Reality: Bangkok

I am now a resident of Bangkok. I arrived in the wee hours of the morning a week ago, and the picture to the left was my first glimps of my surroundings from the hotel balcony. The past week has been a whirlwind of activity--from getting settled in my apartment, learning essential Thai phrases, recognizing different foods and learning about new ones, buying a cell phone from someone who only speaks Thai, navigating public transportation, and meeting dozens of Western teachers, both new and returning. The returning teachers have been fabulous about orienting the newbies to Thailand. Last week we had dinner together most nights at different places around town. Many of the places are similar to courtyards without walls surrounding it. There is usually a ceiling of sorts but everything else is very open. Eating at Anna Garden was like being in a jungle, plants all around.

I want to take a Thai class so that I can speak to people beyond "hello" and "thank you." However, speaking Thai is not mandatory as most of the time you can get by with a Thai word or two, gestures, and pointing. I don't like communicating this way though. I walk to really talk with people, ask them how they are, what their name is, how old their children are.