In Thailand: One Day More
Words cannot express how glad I am that today is over. But rather than dwell on the rough spots, I’ll focus on and remember the good.
Vanessa, our knowledgeable, eager and kind Project Coordinator over here treated us to lunch at the most terrifying restaurant today. When I say “restaurant,” I mean it in the loosest sense of the word. It was basically a garage with folding tables and chairs, which were surrounded by stacks of empty soda bottles, gas cans, motorbikes, piles of old rags, etc. When we walked in, the woman cooking the food had just thrown a handful of rice noodles in a wire basket, which she then dunked in two plastic buckets on the floor, filled with some kind of liquid. I can’t even begin to share the thoughts flooding through my mind at that moment, but they all revolved around the various illnesses I was sure I’d contract from walking in this place, let alone eating there. But Vanessa assured me that she’d eaten there a zillion times and had never gotten sick. Plus, I saw several other people from the institute eating lunch there. So, I tried to relax by thinking about the vaccinations I received prior to the trip and let Vanessa order for me: rice noodles with pork and vegetables. And believe it or not, it was absolutely delicious. The freshest veggies and tender pork in a flavorful broth with tons of noodles…yum! And the price? 30 Baht (which is less than $1) for all that and a soda. Unbelievable.
After work, I sat in the hotel lobby for a bit, listening to the piano-clarinet-string bass trio play hits from the 70s and 80s, while sipping a peppermint iced tea. The very friendly, very handsome hotel manager stopped on his way by and we chatted a while – about Bangkok, living in the Washington D.C. area, his Australian accent, and a few other things.
Then, I did a little shopping and found a stunningly beautiful hand-painted bone china tea cup and saucer with a Thai silk box to display it. I haggled with the shopkeeper and got him down to 1950 Baht (about $50), so I couldn’t pass it up. Now, if I can just get it home without it breaking, I’ll be thrilled.
Tomorrow will be my last day here. My flight departs at 1:30 AM Saturday morning, which will have me landing in D.C. exactly 48 hours from now. What am I looking forward to most?
Sleeping in my own bed.
Eating a simple, home-cooked meal.
Seeing Ernie’s wagging tail and dance of joy at my return.
Vanessa, our knowledgeable, eager and kind Project Coordinator over here treated us to lunch at the most terrifying restaurant today. When I say “restaurant,” I mean it in the loosest sense of the word. It was basically a garage with folding tables and chairs, which were surrounded by stacks of empty soda bottles, gas cans, motorbikes, piles of old rags, etc. When we walked in, the woman cooking the food had just thrown a handful of rice noodles in a wire basket, which she then dunked in two plastic buckets on the floor, filled with some kind of liquid. I can’t even begin to share the thoughts flooding through my mind at that moment, but they all revolved around the various illnesses I was sure I’d contract from walking in this place, let alone eating there. But Vanessa assured me that she’d eaten there a zillion times and had never gotten sick. Plus, I saw several other people from the institute eating lunch there. So, I tried to relax by thinking about the vaccinations I received prior to the trip and let Vanessa order for me: rice noodles with pork and vegetables. And believe it or not, it was absolutely delicious. The freshest veggies and tender pork in a flavorful broth with tons of noodles…yum! And the price? 30 Baht (which is less than $1) for all that and a soda. Unbelievable.
After work, I sat in the hotel lobby for a bit, listening to the piano-clarinet-string bass trio play hits from the 70s and 80s, while sipping a peppermint iced tea. The very friendly, very handsome hotel manager stopped on his way by and we chatted a while – about Bangkok, living in the Washington D.C. area, his Australian accent, and a few other things.
Then, I did a little shopping and found a stunningly beautiful hand-painted bone china tea cup and saucer with a Thai silk box to display it. I haggled with the shopkeeper and got him down to 1950 Baht (about $50), so I couldn’t pass it up. Now, if I can just get it home without it breaking, I’ll be thrilled.
Tomorrow will be my last day here. My flight departs at 1:30 AM Saturday morning, which will have me landing in D.C. exactly 48 hours from now. What am I looking forward to most?
Sleeping in my own bed.
Eating a simple, home-cooked meal.
Seeing Ernie’s wagging tail and dance of joy at my return.
posted by Amanda at 11:38 AM
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