sawasdee krap

My journey is half over, or half way through for the optimists.

It is also time to leave Bangkok for Chiang Mai.  The big question for me is:  do I like Bangkok more than when I first met her?  The answer is yes.  I finally saw the light when I decided to live in Bangkok rather than visit Bangkok.  I went about my usual business as if I were back at home:  I eat, sleep, eat, walk, write, and then eat some more.  Sure, I can only say two things in Thai:  hello, good-bye, and thank you.  Those of you who can count see that I've listed three things.  That's because hello and good-bye are the same (sawasdee krap), sort of like ciao in Italian.

Will I return to Bangkok?  Yes to that as well, except it will be sometime between November and January, when the temperature and humidity are both lower.  I've seen some people on the streets of Bangkok in either a suit or a light jacket without breaking a sweat, and I know some of you out there are like that - you need two comforters at night when it's 75 degrees outside.  That's right, I'm talking about you freaks of nature - don't try to hide behind the fat woman whose sweat is pouring down her forehead like an open hose - trying to steal some of her sweat and pass it off as your own.  Own your freakishness and know that I hate and envy you.

Those of you who are faithful followers of my blog (okay, fine, it's just two of you, but that makes it plural) have asked about my brother Tony.  More specifically, you asked about my "hot brother" whose face and body no longer appear in my photos during the last few days.  I am happy to report that he is well and alive somewhere in Thailand.

Traveling with family members isn't an easy journey for everyone, except for those whose sister is their best friend or those whose brother's mother is their cousin's uncle's granddaughter.  Luckily, Tony and I don't have the same itinerary.  We started in Hanoi and Cambodia together.  In Thailand, we overlap during my first few days in Bangkok and again in Chiang Mai.  This has turned out to be quite ideal, as it's great to have some company along the way then to part just before we get sick of each other.  Most importantly, when you go on group excursions, you don't have to be that sad, pathetic person all by yourself, like the loser sitting by herself on prom night or the guy picked last in high school softball.  Neither has ever happened to me, more than once.

Sawasdee krap, Bangkok.

Sawasdee krap, Chiang Mai.