Walking & Sweating

  Before I talk about walking around town today, I should briefly describe my movie-going experience yesterday. We took a cab to Siam Paragon mall to see the Hangover 2. This place was incredible. Biggest mall I've ever seen, which was basically four malls combined. There were even Lamborghinis on display in the center of the fifth floor. Here is the wikipedia link to learn more about how enormous this mall is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siam_Paragon
The movie theater was just absurd. I need to go back and take more pictures of the complex. The theater itself was larger than any I've seen in America and the seats reclined. Some people from the group accidentally bought tickets to an even more exclusive showing that had reclining seats with pillows and blankets. So, they paid more money than a regular movie just to fall asleep for a few hours. I think the average ticket costs 200 baht. I was in awe of how impressive the complex was compared to American standards. I really enjoyed the movie, seeing as I was a bit hungover while watching the Hangover in Bangkok. I blame the wine. I was tired all day. 


When we got back from the movie everyone passed out for a while and woke up around 10pm to prepare for good times on Khao San Road. The event for the night was the Champions League final of the Barcelona/Man U game, so we wanted to join the crowds for the intense match. Our group posted up right next to The Club to watch a projection of the game on the side of a building. Since I love Messi I had to support Barcelona. I got the chance to talk to an Australian hippy guy and a young woman from the French part of Switzerland. Needless to say there were all kinds of people on the streets. The game started at 1:45am so it was a long night. I think we got back around 4am. Always good times on Khao San Road.


Today I woke up around 10am and walked around town with a bunch of people just to explore. I bought some papaya from a street vendor and walked through town admiring the sights. We walked through a few parks, near a few royal palaces, and passed by the Bangkok Zoo. The zoo was enticing, but rumors were that it was overpriced and that the animals are treated poorly. So we basically walked in a giant circle and came back to campus. Shortly after we got back we walked to get lunch at the same place that Nathan showed us on Friday night. No idea why people insisted on going back to the same place again, which I found irritating, but if you can't beat em', join em'. I'm hoping for a new dining experience tonight. Right after lunch I walked with three other people to Khao San Road, which takes about 20-30 minutes. It's a long walk, especially in the brutal heat. Sweat seemed to pour out of me. Being outside involves a constant state of sticky sweatiness that makes you feel soaked all the time. I constantly drink water outside because I sweat it all out; it's easy to get dehydrated. On the way to Khao Sen the four of us bought some cheap imitation Ray Bans for 200 baht.  I also bought a t-shirt that has a Buddhist symbol on it, also around 200 baht. It's so tempting to blow all your money on everything you want because it's all so cheap. We walked down the road and back, while Thai store owners chased me down the street trying to get me to buy a tailored suit from them. It's something I plan on doing eventually, but not when I'm sweating in a puddle of myself and exploring with my friends. We complained so much about being hot and sweaty that we took a cab back to campus to avoid the discomfort. I'm doing my best to limit my air conditioning usage in order to decrease the energy bill. The fan seems to be doing the trick. 


Song of the Day:
It seems fitting to post a thievery corporation song every day because this place is so exotic, but the songs don't always reflect the feel of the city. Here's a great remix by RAC. The three letters stand for Remix Artist Collective, with three members contributing great remixes of alternative and indie songs.
Delorean - Stay Close (RAC mix)