Bangkok

Sorry we have been MIA for the past few days--I promise we will upload new photos of our Bangkok experience within a day or so (I like to do it the last day we are somewhere).

Bangkok has been amazing, but I think we are both ready to move on. Bangkok is a fast paced, metropolitan city with a lot of character. The majority of "what's going on" are Wat tours and shopping. Sam is shopped out (I don't think I could ever be shopped out) but both of our wallets are feeling the pinch. Next we are headed to spend a few cheap cheap days lounging on the beach and reading.

The reason we spend 10 days in Bangkok is mostly due to Sam's suit. He is having one of the best tailors in Bangkok make it (his name is Narin, on Sukamvit... if anyone is headed here and is interested). A very nice guy, trained in Paris. I too jumped on the custom bandwagon and am having a blazer and dress made. Picking them up today, hopefully they will look alright.

On Saturday Sam decided he needed some Maggie space--after spending 30 consecutive days together without any space. I had a hard time with this, I wanted my buddy to hang out with. But, Sam wanted to stay in, read, and walk another 10 million miles. And that was not what I wanted to do.

In the morning, I headed off to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Siam Square. The museum is very Guggenheim-esque, and was commissioned to be built by the princess. Evidently the King does not want his kids to be spoiled "prince/princess'" So he makes them take on projects. This was a project the princess took on (I couldn't even imagine, being in my 20s and leading a group of people to build a museum!) But I guess that's how royalty works.

Anyway, in typical Asian fashion the layout goes; F1 Shopping, F2 Shopping, F3Shopping, F4 Shopping, F5 Information, F6 Special Exhibits (not open), F7 Exhibit.
Fortunately the shopping was cool, non-profit, hipster/artsy, shopping. Which was fun to look at and a change from the other shopping. The Bangkok Opera House is based out of the museum, a Feminist League (they had little-kid Tee's that said "Good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere" they didn't have one in pink, so I didn't get one for Leah), The Greater Bangkok Society of Photography, and they had a cafe that served "Cigarette Ice Cream" and "Beer Sorbet".... yum.

The exhibit was really cool, called "Twist and Shout", and I had a lot of fun taking photos without Sam saying "you are such a tourist" in my ear. (I took a lot of photos of the space for all of the architects out there)... it's one of the more modern buildings in Bangkok.

Post Museum I crossed the road to get to MBK--which is a huge, tween, shopping mall. In my week in Bangkok I have learned a valuable lesson. Anything of quality will always be somewhat expensive. And in Bangkok, as I mentioned before, there are two classes. Poor and rich. It seems that if you buy something on the "cheaper" side, you'll get plastic and polyester. There is very little middle ground, because then it jumps up to fine leather goods and Thai Silk. I didn't buy too much, just a few gifts. I was mostly there to enjoy the chaos and the spectacle.

As the day wore on I left MBK and headed to a dress fitting in Patpong (the old Backpacker district, today the Gem district). By 6:00 I was on a boat headed back up to our hotel. I had such a great day and was really excited to see Sam--he was right, the day apart was good for us.

Sam and I made dinner arrangements with a guy staying in our hotel, Jack. Jack (as he introduced himself) is an Asian Jew. He is Thai (lives in Thailand) but grew up in Israel. He as been so helpful to Sam and me regarding where to go and what to do.

We had Jack take us to a small restaurant and order--which was really cool! He ordered all of the traditional Thai dishes, and Pad Thai was not one of them. We had curried prawns, crab omelet, soybean pork,... cant remember them all... but it was great. Post dinner we walked around a bit and Jack took us into a Wat with a big golden Buddha.

At the end of the day we crashed--I guess that's what the city does to you. Rushing off the computer, we have a ton of stuff to do today. I promise photos to come!!