A quick list of random things I’ve learned or noticed:
- Thais don’t kiss in public, they smell each other’s neck/cheek area to show affection
- My office building bathroom dispenses men’s cologne as air freshener
- Thai women are impeccably put together when it comes to appearance
- A lot of chain restaurants claim to be really big in the US (and they’re not!)
It’s been a week and a half of living in this insane, inviting, confusing city. I have been annoying a coworker by constantly bringing up the fact that we’re living and working in BANGKOK. It has yet to stop blowing my mind. Work has been great, I really like my coworkers and they seem to like me. It has been an interesting transition to working at a startup, but a fun one.
Every day we go somewhere new for lunch, and not knowing anything about the area we work in, it’s always a new experience for me. Today, for example, we went to a Vietnamese place and I had sadly bland (due to the whole vegetarian broth thing) pho. I was still so stoked to be eating pho in Bangkok, where I live and WORK. Not sure when that unbridled enthusiasm will wear off.
I still haven’t set up Wi-Fi at my apartment, so I still feel a little disconnected despite being very connected. This connection is thanks to the 9 million free chatting apps I’ve downloaded. What’s App works with family back at home. Line is preferred by a lot of Thais. If you’re talking to someone in China, WeChat is the way to go. Download them and get wonderfully bizarre messages like:
It’s almost the weekend, and I don’t know what I’m going to do with it yet. I’m considering taking a train trip somewhere, on the condition that said train is cheap and has a nice view. Who knows? What I do know is that Bangkok is awesome and scary and great. I am so thrilled to be here!
natalie b. compton 