Uneventful Events

  I know I should be posting on Wednesdays, but my weekend was uneventful. It's not that there wasn't anything for me to do, I just decided to have a relaxing weekend because I expected to have wisdom teeth removed on Sunday. Long story short, that fell through because the dentist wasn't able to do general anesthesia, only local. You can call me tease me all you want about bailing on the procedure; I refuse to be awake for another wisdom tooth extraction. That's the stuff of nightmares. I spent most of my weekend researching dental clinics and catching up on sleep. So, instead of blogging about this yesterday, I held off so I could write about last night. 
  Last night I attended the grand opening of the "Decanter" wine bar in the St. Regis Hotel. The lavish atmosphere was unparalleled by any other party I've crashed in Bangkok. Sometimes I feel like my age, teacher attire and lack of professional experience can create a lot of noise amongst the suave and powerful. Any twenty-two year old kid would feel a bit self-conscious in a room full of real professional adults who are at the very least ten years older. The abundance of free wine provided liquid courage. However, I'm not giving the wine all the credit. It all depends who you meet. There are plenty of people who will gladly chat you up if you're willing to put yourself out there. Age is only a mental obstacle. If you think of yourself as a shy person, forget being a wallflower if you want to have a good time! Once I tell that to myself, this phase of ambivalence quickly diminishes. 

  Since I started going to these events, I've been curious as to how they operate. Sometimes I can't tell the difference between a party party and a network party. It's all a party to me. Events are organized for different reasons; it could be a networking event, a party, or an event for media exposure. Important people in Bangkok attend an event to expand their network and gain exposure by being recognized in published articles. Although the city is huge, a lot of the events occur in a relatively small area, so many of the same people attend the same events together because of a strong network. For example, I know the photographer knows the PR representative who coordinates the event and sends the invites. Fortunately for a nobody like myself, I get to meet all the important people who manage mega-industries like Victoria's Secret or Grey Goose. It's always interesting to hear about how one of these successful people made it to where they are now. Everyone has to start somewhere. 


  My plans for October are coming together nicely. First, I'm going to take a bus or van to Koh Samui, an island that's about ten hours south of Bangkok. I've constructed a tentative itinerary for my week-long stay. I hope to spend two days at each section of the island I visit, relaxing on the beach and exploring the area. Plans are subject to change. I'll arrive on the west coast of the island where I'll see two waterfalls. After two days there I'll travel up and around the island to the northeast section to Big Buddha Beach where I plan to see a few giant Buddha's, obviously. The next destination is my solo honeymoon suite at Chaweng Beach. Thanks to Fresh, I'm ecstatic to have such a stunning hotel in my plans. I'm staying at the Akyra Hotel. Check out the link to see some exceptional photos. Paradise awaits! 

  Once I get back to Bangkok, the rest of my vacation entails taking a train to Cambodia with a few Loyola friends and spending at least a week there. We'll spend most of our time exploring the country, seeing temples, though the main attraction will probably be the museum of genocide and the killing fields. I'm glad that's not the end of my adventures. From Cambodia I'm flying solo to Ho Chi Minh (southern Vietnam) to rendezvous with other Loyola friends. From there we'll travel up through the country to Hanoi in the north, where I'll fly back to Bangkok and put a cap on the trip. It's going to be quite an adventure! 


Song of the Day: Same Same but Different
 We've all heard songs by Phoenix get overplayed so many times that some of our favorite tunes are being killed by redundancy. The good news is that the phoenix will be reborn from its ashes! I'm here to offer a pleasant substitute for the original song. Today the focus is on 'Lisztomania'. I heard the remix (unexpectedly) in an American Outfitters store back home. The store had generated an alternative playlist from college radio stations around the country. This remix is a refreshing spin on the immensely popular song. 


Phoenix - 'Lisztomania'

Phoenix - 'Lisztomania' (Classixx Remix) <<<Download