Thursday, August 24, 2006

I'm playing hookie from school today. The whole school is celebrating "Sports Day" which is really more like "Sports Week" or even better "Let's Go Outside and Sweat in the Sun Day." All week they have been practicing for the events so I've spent much more time than I would have liked standing around in the sun, deprived of any air conditioning. Yesterday, we stayed outside all day in 100 degree heat just sitting around, trying to be entertained and sweating so much that by the end of the day I felt as though I had an exoskeleton. They lock up all the classrooms so no one can find relief in the air conditioning and lock the gates so no one can escape. Thats why today I'm rebelling and hiding out in my room with the A/C cranking.

Last weekend we went to the Chatachuk weekend market. It is the biggest market in Bangkok and I think all of southeast Asia. It was very tempting to spend money and I can't wait to go there once we get our paychecks. They had everything you can think of (except for a foam pad for my rock hard mattress) and everything was pretty cheap, especially if you can haggle with the vendors. Clothes, art work, animals, handicrafts, books. It was great! We got giant watermelon smoothies which are my new food addiction and tried not to die from the heat.

Afterwards, we went to Sukhimvit Road which is where most of the foreigners stay and went out to dinner at Cabbages and Condoms. It was a really nice restaurant, clean and air conditioned with good food and menus in English. Even more interesting, the restaurants is run by a sex education NGO and instead of giving out after dinner mints they hand out condoms to promote safe sex and even decorate the restaurant with condoms. Goodness knows they need lots of safe sex education with all of the rampant sex tourism and prostitution.

This weekend I'm going to keep a low profile because money is especially tight. We might try to go to Lumphini Park early to catch the tai-chi-ers but that would mean getting up at 5 or 6 to catch the bus to get there early. If we do, I'll try and take lots of pictures!

5 comments:

StePHen said...

that is incredible... i thought the name of the restaurant was a joke but obviously not. i am loving learning more about this culture through your blogging :)

Stefanie said...
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Stefanie said...
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Sense said...

one of my friends lived in thailand teaching english, for a little while. she's back in america now, but her blog during that time was:

http://www.onceuponathai.blogspot.com/

maybe it'll help with any frustrations/homesickness! :)

Rakesh said...

really nice and beautiful blog. Thanks for sharing.

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